Methi(Fenugreek leaves) Chicken Curry

Today's recipe is a very flavorful,delicious and creamy chicken curry which goes very well with roti and rice.As the name indicates,the fresh methi leaves are used to flavor the curry and the highlight of the recipe is the addition of coconut milk.Coconut milk gives a very nice taste and consistency now on to the recipe....

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Chicken(with bones)	1lb
Onion(chopped)	2nos.
Fresh Methi leaves/vendhaya keerai	1cup
Green chilly(slit)	4nos.
Ginger&garlic paste	1tsp
Coriander leaves(chopped)	2tbs
Curry leaves(chopped)	1 sprigs
Thick Coconut milk	1/3cup
Lemon juice	1tsp
Salt	1/4tsp
Oil	2tbs

For the marination

Ingredient	Quantity
Red chilly powder	2tsp
Coriander powder	1tsp
Garam masala powder	1/2tsp
Turmeric powder	1/8tsp
Ginger&garlic paste	11/2tsp
Yogurt/thayir	2tsp
Salt	1tsp

For tempering

Ingredient	Quantity
Cumin seeds/jeeragam	1/2tsp
Fennel seeds/sombhu	1/4tsp
Cloves/lavangam	2nos.
Cinnamon/pattai	1inch piece

Method

• Clean and cut the chicken to bite size pieces and to this add the ingredients given for marination.Mix it well and refrigerate for an hour or more.
• Heat the oil in a skillet and add the cumin seeds,fennel,cloves and cinnamon.
• Add the green chilly,onion and methi leaves,saute it till the onion gets transparent.
• Then add the ginger&garlic paste and 1/24tsp of salt,cook it till the raw smell goes off.
• Add the marinated chicken and saute it till it changes the color or 3-4 minutes.
• To this add 1 cup of water and cook it covered in a medium flame for 7-8 minutes or till the chicken gets cooked completely.
• Now to this add the coconut milk and cook it for only one boil and the chopped coriander leaves turn off the stove.
• Finally add the lemon juice and mix it well.
• Serve it after 2 hours with rice or roti to get the flavors incorporate well.

Enjoy.....................................................

• Use of fresh methi give a nice flavor and aroma to the curry,do not use the kasoori methi as it changes the taste and flavor entirely.
• I used the store bought coconut milk as it is really thick and gives a creamy texture.
• The over night marination gives nice taste and the chicken will be juicy.
• No tomato is added in this curry and adding the yogurt and lemon juice gives the tanginess to the curry.
• Do not boil the curry after adding the coconut milk for a long time and add the lemon juice after turn off the flame.

Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Milagu/Black Pepper Kulambhu-No Onion and Garlic Recipe

As the weather here is so cold,making me lazy and not in a mood of cooking anything.Unfortunately no quality Indian restaurants around so I have to cook something simple and light.Finally decided to make milagu kulambhu as it doesn't need onion and garlic so no chopping can be finished in less than 30 minutes.My mom makes this kulambhu slightly in a different way which I share it later but this recipe is from my mom's collegue who doesn't eat onion and garlic.I paired up this kulambhu with carrot poriyal(stirfry) using the chopped frozen carrot and home made arisi vathal(fryum),had a healthy meal.Here goes the recipe................................

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Tamarind/puli	small lemon size
Turmeric powder/manjal podi	1/4tsp
Channa dhal/kadala paruppu	11/2tbs
Red chilly/varamilagai	3-4nos.
Black pepper corns/milagu	1tbs
Cumin seeds/jeeragam	11/2tsp
Curry leaves/karivepillai	1 sprig
Salt	to taste
Oil	2tbs

For the tempering

Ingredient	Quantity
Mustard seeds/kadugu	1/2tsp
Fenugreek seeds/vendhayam	6-7 seeds
Asafoetida	a pinch

Method

Soak the tamarind in a cup of water,meanwhile dry roast the red chilly,channa dhal,cumin seeds and black pepper to a golden color or till a nice aroma comes out.Let it cool and grind it to a powder.

Now squeeze the tamarind and take the extract and keep it in a bowl.To this tamarind extract add the ground powder,salt and turmeric powder.Heat a pan with the oil and splutter the mustard seeds then goes in fenugreek seeds and asafoetida.Add the tamarind water to it.Add little more water(1/2 cup),allow it to boil till the raw smell goes off.

Serve it with rice and papad.

Enjoy..............................................................

• I personally prefer slightly thicker version of kulambhu,so adjust the consistency according to your preference.
• The kulambhu may be slightly bitter initially after some all the flavors get incorporated the bitterness won't be there.
• The kulamhu will be even more tasty on the next day.
• I used the fresh tamarind if you are using the tamarind paste 2tbs can be used for this given amount.

Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Manathathakkali Vathal podi/Dried Black Night Shade Berry Powder

This post has been lying in my drafts since 4 months and finally today I am sharing this healthy powder.
Mathathakkali is called as black night shade both the leaves of this plant and berries are used to treat ulcer in natural medicine
These dried berries are slightly bitter in taste but it has lots of medicinal value and is used in traditional medicine.
This powder is  mixed with rice along with a dash of ghee or sesame oil and given especially in the postpartum period as it has healing property.Here is the recipe........................

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Manathathakkali Vatral/dried berries	1/4cup
Red chilly/varamilagai	3nos.
Channa dhal/kadala paruppu	1tbs
Urad dhal/uluttham paruppu	1tbs
Cumin seeds/jeeragam	1tsp
Black pepper/milagu	1tsp
Curry leaves/kerivepeillai	1sprig
Asafoetida/perungayam	a generous pinch
Salt	to taste

Method

Dry roast the red chilly,channa dhal,urad dhal,black pepper and cumin seeds in a medium flame in a pan.Then add the vatral and roast till it becomes crisp.

Let it become cool,after cooling grind it in a blender or mixie along with salt and asfoetida to a fine powder.

Store it in an air tight container.

Enjoy..................................................

• This powder stays fresh and flavorful for 2 weeks.
• Adding ghee or sesame oil is very important to reduce the bitterness and can be eaten only with hot rice.
• The spicy level of this powder is mild for the given red chillies but can be increased to personal preference.

Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Cauliflower and Chickpeas(channa) Kurma

This is my mom's recipe which goes very with almost everything such as roti,paratha,rice and pulao.Whenever we have get together or guests this one will be in her menu,if cauliflower is not available she replaces it with either potato or soya chunks.This is a creamy and delicious kurma with coconut base and coconut paste needs to be finely ground to get a creamy texture.Here goes the recipe..............................

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Cauliflower florets	2cups
Chickpeas/channa(cooked)	1cup
Onion(thinly sliced)	1no.(medium size)
Garlic(thinly sliced)	3 cloves
Tomato	2-3nos.(
Green Chilly(slit)	3nos.
Coriander leaves(chopped)	2tbs
Curry leaves(chopped)	1 sprig
Mint leaves(optional)	10-15 leaves
Chilly Powder/milagai podi	11/4tsp
Coriander powder/dhaniya podi	1tsp
Turmeric powder/manjal podi	1/8tsp
Garam masala powder	1/4tsp
Lemon juice	1tsp
Salt	11/2tsp
Oil	1tbs

For the seasoning

Ingredient	Quantity
Cloves/lavangam	4-5nos.
Cinnamon/pattai	2 inch piece
Bay leaf	1no.
Star anise	1no.
Fennel seeds/sombhu	1/4tsp
Green Chilly(slit)	3nos.
Coriander leaves(chopped)	2tbs

To grind

Ingredient	Quantity
Coconut(grated)	1/2cup
Cashews	3nos.

Method 

1. Put the cauliflower florets in the boiled water along with a pinch of salt and drain it.Then put the tomatoes in the boiling water and cook it and after cooling peel the skin,grind it.Grind the coconut and cashews a very fine paste and set it aside. 

2. Heat a pan with oil and splutter the fennel seeds and add the whole garam masala.Saute the onion,garlic and green chillies along with a pinch of salt.

3. Then add the tomato paste and cook it,now add all the powders and stir it for a minute.Add a cup of water and let it boil till the raw flavor goes off. 

4. Add the blanched cauliflower and cooked channa and cook it for couple of minutes then add the finely ground coconut paste and cook it for 3-4 minutes or till the raw smell disappears and becomes thick.

5. Finally add the chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice and mix it well. 

6. Kurma is ready.Serve it with roti or pulao.

Enjoy................................

• Instead of coconut paste thick coconut milk can be used.
• Do not use store bought tomato puree and the ground tomatoes give the creamy consistency.
• The cooked chickpeas can be replaced with green peas.
• Adding the mint leaves is purely optional but gives a nice flavor.
• The kurma becomes thick on cooling so adjust consistency,if it is too thick add hot water with a pinch of salt.

Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Chicken Drumstick Fry

Most of our weekend lunch or dinner is non-veg,depending on the availability of ingredients it will be either a simple Chicken fry and rasam or Chicken Pulao and Chicken Curry.
Last week my kiddo was down with flu and cold wanted to give some chicken soup.As we make the chicken soup with boned chicken  got a big pack of chicken drumstick which is more for 3 of us.After making the soup for couple of days wanted to try something  with the remained drumsticks but not in a mood to make biriyani or Tandoori chicken.Suddenly got the idea of making fry with it which I had it in my sister's place last time to pair it with rasam for dinner.It was a so delicious and the chicken was cooked perfectly and made in less than 30 minutes.The only thing is chicken needs to be marinated for atleast 4-5 hours.I marinated the chicken in the morning and made it in the evening,now on to the recipe....................

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Chicken drumstick	5-6nos.
Onion	1no.(medium size)
Tomato	1no.(medium size)
Ginger&garlic paste	1tsp
Green chilly(slit)	3nos.
Curry leaves	2 sprigs
Coriander leaves/Cilantro(chopped)	2tbs
Coriander leaves(chopped)	2tbs
Salt	1/4tsp
Oil	3tbs

For marination

Ingredient	Quantity
Ginger&garlic paste	2tsp
Red chilly Powder	2tsp
Coriander powder	2tsp
Garam masala powder	1/2tsp
Yogurt/curd	2tbs
Salt	11/2tp

Method

• Wash and clean the chicken and make 4-5 slits with a sharp knife on the chicken so that the marinade gets absorbed well.
• Mix the given ingredients given for the marination in a bowl and rub it well to the chicken pieces.Let it rest in the refrigerator for 4-5 hours or overnight.
• Heat a pressure pan with 2tbs of oil and saute the onion along with green chilly,curry leaves then add the ginger&garlic paste.Fry it till the raw smell disappears.
• Now add in tomato and the salt cook it mushy,once the tomato is cooked add the marinated chicken,mix it well.
• Stir it for a minute to get everything blends well,close it the lid and cook it for a whistle.
• Now heat a dosa griddle or wide mouth pan add the remaining oil,add the cooked chicken pieces along with masala and roast it till it becomes dry.
• Finally add the chopped coriander leaves.
• Chicken fry is ready.
• Serve it with pulao or rice and rasam.

Enjoy..........................................................................

• The amount of chilly powder given is for the spicier side,if you want milder version reduce the amount.
• This fry can be done in an open cooking method,it takes little more time and needs more oil to cook,to cut down the oil I made in the pressure pan.

Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Mixed Vegetable Masala Pasta(Indian Style)

My kiddo loves pasta,but he doesn't like to it for lunch box if it is loaded with cheese and pasta sauce.When it comes to lunch box he prefers this one and I make it for our dinner whenever I feel lazy to cook.Here goes my recipe for Indian style masala pasta....................

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Pasta	1cup
Onion(sliced)	1no.
Tomato(finely chopped)	1no.
Mixed veggies(carrot,beans,capsicum)	1cup(cut into strips)
Ginger&garlic paste	1tsp
Green Chilly(chopped)	2nos.
Coriander leaves(chopped)	2tbs
Red chilly powder	1/4tsp
Coriander powder	1/4tsp
Garam masala powder	1/8tsp
Turmeric powder	1/8tsp
Tomato Ketchup	1tbs
Salt	to taste
Olive Oil	1tbs

Method

                         Cook the pasta in a boiling water till it gets soft and cooked.Drain the excess water and keep it aside.
Heat a pan with oil,saute the onion and green chillies till the onion becomes transparent,add the ginger and garlic paste.

Then goes in the veggies.Stir it well until the veggies become tender,now add the tomato cook it mushy.

Add in all the powders and salt,give it a mix.Now add 2 tbs of water cook it covered partially.Once it becomes thick add the cooked pasta and mix it well,keep it in a medium flame for a minute or two.

Finally add the coriander leaves and tomato ketchup and mix it.

Yummy Masala Pasta is ready.

Enjoy....................................

• Here I used the fusilli pasta you can use any shape.
• Adding tomato ketchup is purely optional,I add this one only for my kiddo.
• The amount of red chilly powder can be increased according to preference.

Click here to check my blogger buddies recipe for Blogging Marathon#24.
Linking this to Kid's Delight-Lunch box recipes hosted by PJ of Seduce your Taste Buds,started by Srivalli.



Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Green Peas and Potato Pulao

This is a simple yet quick to make one pot meal which is a milder version suits for kids lunch box doesn't need of much masala.
My boy doesn't like rice varieties much for his lunch box so weekly once only takes either this rice or carrot rice along with some potato chips and veggie chips.Here is my version of delicious rice.

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Basmathi rice/Ponni raw rice	1cup
Onion(finely chopped)	1no.(medium size)
Potato(small cubes)	1no.(medium size)
Green peas(frozen/fresh)	1/2cup
Green chilly	2nos.
Red chilly powder	1/2tsp
Garam masala powder	1/4tsp
Coriander leaves(chopped)	2tbs
Cashews	5-6nos.(optional)
Salt	to taste
Oil	1tbs

For Tempering 

Ingredient	Quantity
Cloves/Lavangam	4nos.
Cinnamom/pattai	1 inch piece
Cardamom/ellakai	1no.
Bay leaf	1no.
Star anise	1no.
Cumin seeds	1/2tsp

Method
Wash the rice and cook it in a pressure cooker or electric cooker with a pinch of salt and a tsp of oil.Once it is done separate the grains and keep it aside.
Heat a pan with oil and splutter the cumin seeds and add the whole garam masala.Then add the green chillies and cashews,fry it for a minute,saute the onion till transparent.

Now add the cubed potato,green peas and give it a mix.Add the powders,salt and sprinkle some water and cook it for 2-3 minutes or till the potato is cooked.

Finally add the coriander leaves and stir it,turn off the flame.To this mixture add the cooked rice and mix it well gently till everything gets blend well.

Rice is ready.
Serve it with a vegetable fry and chips or onion raita.

Enjoy........................................

• The rice can be cooked separately or it can be add to the masal and cook it in the pressure cooker for a whistle.
• As I ran out of frozen peas I used the soaked dried peas and cook it in the pressure cooker for a whistle.

Click here to check my blogger buddies participating in Blogging Marathon #24.
Linking this to Kid's Delight-Lunch box recipes hosted by PJ of Seduce your Taste Buds,started by Srivalli.
Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com