Monday, October 15, 2007

Toor Daal - Sindhi Style

Ingredients:
1/2 cup - Toor Dal
2 - large tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon - mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon - cumin seeds
2 - green chillies, chopped
5 to 6 - curry leaves
1/2 tablespoons - Bengal gram flour (besan)
1/4 teaspoon - turmeric powder (haldi)
1 teaspoons - chilli powder
2 tablespoons - oil
1/4 teaspoon - tamarind paste
salt to taste

Method:
Boil Toor Daal separately.
Add oil to a pan, and
Add Mustard seeds, cumin seeds. Let it splutter.
Add 1/2 spoon besan and heat on a low flame
When bown, add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and add the boiled daal
Add water as needed.
Cut and add onions, tomatoes, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves.
Salt to taste
Add tamarind water and bring to boil.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Tamatar ki Kadhi

Ingredients:
4 - large tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon - mustard seeds (rai)
1/2 teaspoon - cumin seeds (jeera)
1 - green chilli, chopped
5 to 6 - curry leaves
2 - cloves
2 tablespoons - Bengal gram flour (besan)
1/4 teaspoon - turmeric powder (haldi)
2 teaspoons - chilli powder
a pinch - asafoetida (hing)
2 tablespoons - jaggery (gur), grated
2 tablespoons - oil
salt to taste

For The Garnish :
1 tablespoon - chopped coriander


Method:
Roughly chop the tomatoes and cook them with 1/2 cup of water for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Cool and liquidize in a food processor to a get a smooth puree. Keep aside.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
When they crackle, add green chilli, curry leaves, cloves and gram flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the turmeric, chilli powder, asafoetida and pureed tomatoes with 2 cups of water.
Cook on a medium flame, stirring continuously.
When the kadhi comes to a boil, add the jaggery and salt and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Remove from the fire.
Garnish with the coriander and serve hot with rice.


Cooking Time : 30 mins.
Preparation Time : 10 mins.
Serves : 4.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Prawn Pickle 2

Ingredients
3 Cups Of Fresh Shelled Prawns

1 Cup Vinegar
5 Large Onions (Minced)
A Few Curry Leaves
1/2 A cup Mustard Oil Or Any Vegetable
Salt To Taste

Grind to a paste:
12 Cloves Of Garlic

12 Dry Chillies

Method:
Skin & Remove the heads from the prawns & also remove the back veins .
Wash well in salt water & drain dry
Mix with turmeric powder & keep aside for 10 minutes.
Now heat some oil in a pan & fry the Prawns crisp with some Salt.
Remove the Prawns from fire & Keep aside
Pour the mustard oil in a pan now & allow it to become hot.
Fry the onions until golden brown & add the ground paste masala to the onions & fry for few minutes ,then add curry leaves & the vinegar slowly.
When the vinegar starts to bubble ,add the prawns & Salt to taste.
Turn down the fire & allow the prawns to simmer until the mixture is dry.
Remove from the fire & allow it to cool completely.
Then store in a glass jar in the refrigerator until required.

Prawn Pickle

INGREDIENTS:
1 kg (just over 2 pounds) king prawns
750 ml white vinegar
2 dozen dry red chillies
4 tsps cumin seeds
A thumb-sized piece of ginger
15-20 cloves of garlic (one large pod)
7 tbsps oil
Salt

PREPARATION:
Wash, shell and devein the prawns. Pat them dry with a paper towel.
Mix salt to taste and the turmeric powder and rub into the prawns. Keep aside to marinate for an hour.
Grind the red chillies, ginger, garlic and cumin seeds into a thick, smooth paste in a food processor by adding a little vinegar at a time.
Heat 4 tbsps of oil on a medium flame and stir fry the prawns till golden. Drain on paper towels and allow to cool.
Fry the spice paste you made earlier with 3 tbsps ofoil, till the oil beging to separate from the masala. Now add the remaining vinegar (season if necessary) and cook on a medium flame for 15 minutes more. Allow it to cool fully.
Place the prawns in a glass pickling jar and pour the cool spice mix over them.
Mix well and allow to 'rest' for a few days before eating.
Eat with rice and daal or just plain boiled rice.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Tomato Rasam

Ingredients:
3-4 tbsp. Red Gram Daal
4 large tomatoes (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp. Garlic paste
1-inch piece of ginger (finely chopped)
21/2 cups water
1tsp Garlic grated
1 or 2 green chilies finely chopped
Coriander leaves finely chopped
Salt to taste
Chili or pepper powder to taste.
1/2tsp. turmeric powder
1tsp. mustard seeds
1tsp. cumin seeds
1-2 whole dried red chili (halved)
A pinch asafetida
Few curry leaves
2tbsp. oil

Method:
Pick, wash and pressure cook the daal and keep side.
Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, dried chili and asafetida.
When mustard seeds start to splutter add garlic, ginger, tomatoes and green chilies.
Add salt, chili & turmeric powder and a cup of water.
Simmer for 5-6 minutes and add the cooked daal and 11/2 cup of water and bring to boil.
Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Baigan Bharta

Ingredients
1 big eggplant,
2 medium sized onions,
1 small tomato (optional),
4-5 green chilies,
4 small garlic cloves,
1 inch piece of ginger,
1 tsp garam masala powder,
coriander leaves,
salt,
1 tbsp oil,
2 tsp mustard seeds,
1 tsp turmeric powdr,
1/2 tsp asafoetida.


Method

1. Rub some oil to the surface of the eggplant and roast eggplant over direct flame flipping the sides a couple of times for even roasting. Roasting can be done in a conventional oven or a toaster oven at 475deg.F for around 45 minutes.(Do not use microwave).

2. After half an hour, or when the skin of eggplant loosens up from the inner flesh, insert a knife and check if the inner portion of eggplant has turned soft. Remove eggplant from the fire.

3. Peel the skin off and take only the inner flesh of the eggplant. Scoop out black seeds, if any. Mash it with a spatula or grind coarsely in a chopper / grinder.

4. Chop chilies, onions and tomatoes. Crush garlic cloves. Also grate ginger.

5. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is enough hot, add mustard seeds. As they splutter, add asafoetida and turmeric powder. Add chilies, onions and fry till onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and again fry till the oil separates from the mixture. Now add mashed eggplant and give it a good stir.

6. Add garam masala powder and salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Finally garnish with coriander leaves and serve with bhakri or any Indian bread.

Hyderabadi Chicken Curry

Ingredients
Chicken - 1 kg
Onions(big) - 2 nos
(roughly chopped)
Green chillies - 2 - 3 nos
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Dry coconut - A small piece
Poppy seeds(Khashakhasha) -1/2 tsp
(soak it in water for 10-15 mins)
Ginger - A piece
Garlic pods - As reqd
Cloves(Grambu) - 1 - 2 nos
Cinnamon(Karugapatta) - 1/2" piece
Tomato(small) - 2 nos
(chopped)
Curd - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - As reqd
Salt - As reqd
Wheat flour - 1 - 2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 - 2 tsp or as reqd
Oil - As reqd
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Preparation Method
1)Marinate the washed chicken with turmeric powder, chilly powder, curd and salt.
2)Grind together coriander, dry coconut, poppy seeds, ginger, garlic, cloves and cinnamon.
3)Heat oil in a pressure pan.
4)Add onions and chillies and fry, till golden brown.
5)Add the ground masala and fry, till the raw smell leaves and the oil starts to separate.
6)Add the marinated chicken and chilly powder and mix well.
7)Add tomatoes and some water.
8)Pressure cook upto 1 whistle.
9)Mix the wheat flour with water.
10)After opening the lid, pour the wheat flour paste into the curry.
11)Cook for about 10 mins.
12)Garnish with coriander leaves.

Indian Chilli Chicken

Ingredients:
Chicken – ½ kg, boneless, cut into 1-inch pieces
Onion – 2, medium size, finely sliced
Ginger – ½ inch size, finely chopped and crushed
Garlic – 2 beads, finely chopped and crushed
Tomato – 1, big size, fully ripe, pureed; or alternatively use 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce
Green chillies – 3, medium size, medium hot, finely chopped
Capsicum - 1, sliced length-wise
Red chilly powder – 1 teaspoon
Black pepper powder – ½ teaspoon
All purpose flour – 2 tablespoons
Soya sauce – 3 teaspoons
Vinegar – 2 teaspoons
Salt – ½ teaspoon
Oil – 1 tablespoon

Method:
Mix well the flour, chilly powder, black pepper powder, soya sauce, vineger, tomato puree, ginger, garlic, and salt.
Add the chicken pieces to this marinade and marinate it covered for 2-4 hours in a refrigerator.
Heat oil in a fry pan and when the oil is very hot, add the onions and saute till slightly golden.
Add the marinated chicken pieces and capsicum and saute on low heat for 30 to 35 minutes or until the chicken is tender taking care not to burn the chicken pieces by stirring continually.
Sprinkle a litte hot water only whenever needed while cooking. Serve it hot garnished with onion rings, lemon wedges, tomato slices, and/or fresh green chillies as a main entrée or as appetising snacks.
Enjoy!

Kadai Chicken

4 servings 30 min

1 kg chickens
50 g ghee
25-35 g ginger-garlic paste
8 whole red chilies
5 g coriander powder
2 onions
4 green chilies
20 g coriander leaves
10 g garam masala
1 kg tomatoes
3 red capsicums

skin the chicken and cut into 8 pieces.
chop tomatoes, green chillies, coriander leaves, onions, capsicum.
heat ghee in wok, add red chillies then add onions and saute till light brown.
add ginger garlic paste and stir for a minute then add coriander powder.
add tomatoes and fry then add green chillies.
simmer for 5-6 mins then add chicken and capsicum and cook until fat floats on top and gravy is thick and chicken is cooked.
sprinkle garam masala.
add coriander leaves and stir.
taste for salt and seasoning.
remove onto a wok, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and slices of tomatoes.

Dahi ki Kadi

Ingredients-
Sour curd 1 cup
besan 1 tbsp + 2 tbsp(for pakora)
oil 2 tbsp
ginger small piece
curryleaves few
salt to taste
jeera 1/4 tsp
mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
methi seeds 1/4tsp (optional)
hing a pinch (optional)
greenchillies 3

Mix besan and dahi smoothly so that there are no lumps.
Heat oil in a pan and add jeera methi rai.
When crackles add green chillies and grated ginger.
Add the besan dahi mixture and a little water to get the correct consistency.
Add salt and curryleaves and let it boil properly.
Cook on slow heat till cooked.
Take 2tbsp besan in a separate bowl.
Add salt, red chillies,a pinch of cooking soda and some water to make batter for pakora.
Fry very small pakoras and add it to the curry.
Keep covered for 5 mins then garnish with corriander leaves.