Pakoda Koorma

Ingredients:

Ingredients for Pakoda:

Gram dhal	½ cup
Onion	1 small
Green Chillies	2 small
Garlic	2 cloves
Fennel seeds	very little
Curry leaves	6 – 8
Coriander leaves	3 tbsp chopped
Salt	½ tsp
Oil	for deep frying

Ingredients for Koorma:

Onion	1 medium
Tomato	1 medium
Ginger-garlic paste	1 tsp
Turmeric	little
Red chilli/ Coriander powder mix	1 tsp
(Red chilli and coriander powder mix :: 100 : 150 gms)
Garam masala powder	1/4 tsp
Salt	to taste
Bay leaf	1
Curry leaves	few
Oil	3 tbsp

Ingredients for grinding masala paste:

Onions	2 medium
Green chillies	3 small
Fennel seeds	1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves	2 tbsp roughly chopped
Oil	1 tbsp
Coconut	half from half coconut (1/4 portion)

Ingredients for final finishing:

Fennel powder	½ tsp
Coriander leaves	few chopped

Method:

Pakoda preparation: 

1. Wash and soak Gram dhal for 3 hours. Then drain the water. Grind into a coarse paste using very little water. The batter should be in between thick and soggy.
2. Chop Onion and Green chilli into fine pieces. Crush Garlic into coarse.
3. Add chopped onions, green chillies, crushed garlic, fennel seeds, coriander leaves and salt to the ground batter. Beat nicely with hand or ladle.
4. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai to medium hot for deep frying. Drop small ball size portions of batter into the oil (5-6 pakodas). Fry till light golden brown. Repeat with remaining batter. Keep all the fried Pakodas aside (if you wish you can consume in between when it is hot 😋. Save for Koorma also).

Koorma preparation: 

1. First start with masala paste. Chop Onions into slices and cut Green chillies into big pieces. Heat oil (1 tbsp) in a kadai. Add sliced onions, green chillies and fennel seeds. Saute till onions turns into dark pink. Lower the flame and add coriander leaves. Fry for few seconds and switch off the flame. Let it cool down.
2. Then grind into a smooth paste using little water. Keep aside.
3. Grind Coconut and take milk (first and second milk. Required 2 cups of milk. Use water according to that). Keep aside.
4. Chop Onion into fine pieces (ingredients mentioned for Koorma) and Tomato into big pieces.
5. Heat a kadai with 3 tbsp of oil. Add chopped onions and bay leaf. Saute till light golden brown. Add tomato pieces and ginger-garlic paste. Cook till tomatoes becomes soft. Add turmeric powder, red chilli-coriander powder, garam masala and half a tsp of salt. Mix and cook for 2-3 minutes. Now add ground masala paste and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Then add coconut milk and mix till all incorporated well. Raise the flame, add curry leaves and allow to boil. Now lower the flame, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes.
6. Now check the salt. If needed adjust. This Koorma should be little watery (pakoda starts absorbing water once soaked). So adjust water according to that. Finally add fennel powder and chopped coriander leaves. Mix and cook for few seconds and switch off flame.
7. Immediately add fried Pakodas (12-15 Pakodas is enough for this amount of Koorma). Keep soaked for 30-40 minutes. Tasty Pakoda Koorma is ready.

Serve with hot rice or roti or enjoy as it is.

Birinji Rice (Coconut Milk Pulao)

Ingredients:

Basmati rice	3 cups
Onion	2 medium
Green Chillies	3 – 4 small
Cashew	few broken
Tomato	1 small
Ginger-garlic paste	1 tsp
Bay leaf	2
Clove	2
Cinnamon	1 inch stick
Anistar	2
Fennel seeds	very little
Fennel powder	½ tsp
Readymade Garam masala	¼ tsp
Salt	to taste
Oil	5 tbsp
Ghee	1 tbsp
Coriander leaves	2 handful chopped

Method:

1. Wash and soak Rice for 1 hr. 
2. Grind the Coconut and take 2 times milk (grind coconut with sufficient water, squeeze and strain to take first milk. Again add water to the same coconut residue, squeeze and strain to take the second milk. Keep both together). 
3. Chop Onions into thin slices. Tomato into big pieces (4-6 pieces). Slit Green chillies and discard the seeds.
4. Heat a cooker or thick bottomed wide vessel with oil and ghee. Add bay leaf, cloves, cinnamon, anistar and fennel seeds. Fry for few seconds. Add sliced onions, green chillies and broken cashew and fry till onion turns translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for few seconds. Then add tomato pieces and cook till soft (cooking in low flame is better after adding ginger-garlic paste to avoid sticking to the bottom).
5. Now add fennel powder, garam masala and 2 tbsp of coriander leaves. Mix and cook for 2 more minutes. Now add 6 cups of water (coconut milk + additional water mixed together. Measure in the same cup which is used to measure rice). Add required salt (may be 1 tsp), mix and check. If needed adjust with little more salt. Add 2 tbsp of coriander leaves.
6. Side by side place a dosa tawa in another burner and keep the flame low.
7. Now coming back to cooking. Drain the soaked rice completely using a colander and keep the rice ready. Once the water starts boiling, add the drained rice and mix gently. Again wait for a boil. Cover with a suitable plate and cook in high flame for 3 minutes. Open and gently mix. Again cover and lower the flame to low-medium and cook for 5 more minutes. 
8. Open and flip gently without breaking the rice (now rice will be 3/4 cooked and little water will be left). Now sprinkle remaining coriander leaves and cover. Place the cooker over the hot tawa (which is already placed over low flame). Continue cooking over hot tawa for 10 minutes in low flame (by this method, rice will not be burnt at the bottom). After 10 minutes switch off the flame. Do not open immediately. Wait for 15-20 minutes and then open. 
9. Careful while opening the plate. Do not allow the vapourised water drop into the Pulao which will be present under the plate (lift straight and then tilt it to sink). Gently flip the rice. Take care not to break.

Birinji Rice is ready.

Suggestion: Can add vegetables like carrot, beans and fresh peas after tomato is cooked.

Serve with any veg or non-veg Koorma.

Chicken Brinjal Curry

Ingredients:

Chicken	300 gms
Brinjal	5 – 6 nos
Onion	1 small
Curry leaves	few
Oil	2-3 tbsp

Ingredients for Marinating Chicken:

Turmeric powder	1/8 tsp
Red chilli/Coriander powder mix	1 tsp
(Red chilli and coriander powder mix :: 100 : 150 gms)
Clove/Cinnamon powder mix	3 pinch
(Grind equal portion of Clove and Cinnamon mix Store in Air Tight container – 10 : 10 gms)
Garam masala (Ready made)	¼ tsp
Pepper powder	¼ tsp
Fennel powder	¼ tsp
Salt	½ tsp

Ingredients for grinding:

Onions	2 medium
Tomato	1 medium
Ginger-garlic paste	1 tsp
Oil	1 tbsp

Ingredients for final finishing:

Fennel powder	1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves	few chopped

Method:

1. Clean and wash the Chicken pieces. Add all the ingredients mentioned for marinating with little water and coat the Chicken pieces well. Keep aside for half-an-hour.
2. Grinding: Chop the Onions and Tomato into thin slices. Heat a kadai with 1 tbsp of oil. Add sliced onions and saute till light brown. Now add tomato slices and cook till soft. Allow to cool and grind with ginger-garlic paste into a smooth paste using little water. Keep aside.
3. Prepare Curry: Remove stem from the Brinjal and make a deep cross slit on the head portion without cutting the bottom portion. Keep soaked in salt water (add little salt into a bowl of water and keep the Brinjal soaked). Chop Onion into fine pieces. 
4. Remove brinjal from the soaked water. Shake well to remove excess water and keep ready. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a kadai. Lower the flame and add the Brinjals one by one into the oil and cover with a lid. Cook for 2-3 minutes. In between turn the Brinjals to get evenly fried. Once the colour changed, remove from the oil and keep in a plate (we need only sauted half-cooked brinjal).
5. Add onion pieces to the same oil and fry till golden brown. Lower the flame and add the ground paste carefully. Cook till oil shows on the sides. 
6. Add in marinated Chicken pieces, Curry leaves and saute in high flame for 2 minutes. Then add 1-1/2 cup of water and mix. Raise the flame to come to a boil. Now cover with a lid and cook in low flame for 10-15 minutes. 
7. Now open and add half cooked Brinjal and mix gently. Adjust salt and spice (with pepper powder or red chilli-coriander powder mix). This curry should be in semi-thick consistency. So adjust water according to that. Continue cooking for 2 more minutes.
8. Finally add Fennel powder and chopped Coriander leaves. Mix and switch off flame. Tasty Chicken Brinjal Curry is ready.

Serve with hot rice or roti or pulao.

Suggestion: Can do this curry without vegetable also

Chicken Chettinad Curry

Ingredients:

Chicken	300 gms
Onions	2 medium
Tomato	1 medium
Ginger-garlic paste	2 tsp
Bay leaf	1
Curry leaves	few
Oil	4 tbsp

Ingredients for Marinating:

Turmeric powder	1/8 tsp
Red chilli/Coriander powder mix	1 tsp full
(Red chilli and coriander powder mix :: 100 : 150 gms)
Fennel powder	½ tsp
Garam masala powder	¼ tsp
Salt	½ tsp
Curd	1 tbsp
Lemon juice	1 tsp

Ingredients for grinding masala:

Cumin	½ tsp
Pepper Corns	1 - ½ tsp
Fennel seeds	1 tsp
Coriander seeds	1 tsp
Red chillies	4
Clove	2
Cinnamon stick	1 inch
Curry leaves	8 leaves
Cashew	3 – 4 nos
Onion	1 medium
Coconut grated	3 tbsp
Oil	1 tbsp

Ingredients for final finishing:

Fennel powder	½ tsp
Garam masala powder	2 pinch
Coriander leaves	few chopped

Method:

1. Clean and wash the Chicken pieces. Add all the ingredients mentioned for marinating and mix well. Keep aside for half-an-hour.
2. Masala paste preparation: Cut Onion into big pieces. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a kadai. Add all the ingredients mentioned for grinding except Onion and Coconut. Fry in low flame for few seconds and then add Onion and Coconut. Fry till onion becomes translucent. Switch off the flame. Once cooled, grind into a smooth paste using little water. Keep aside.
3. Chop Onion into fine pieces and Tomato into small thin slices. Heat a kadai with oil (4 tbsp). Add Bay leaf. After a second add chopped Onions and fry till light golden brown. Then add chopped Tomato and ginger-garlic paste. Cook till soft and dry. Now add ground paste and curry leaves. Fry in low flame for few minutes.
4. Once oil slightly bubbles up on the top, add marinated Chicken. Raise the flame to high and fry till all the Chicken pieces coated well with masala. Add half a cup of water and mix again. Once a boil appears, lower the flame, cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Stir in between to avoid sticking to the bottom.
5. Now check the salt. Adjust if needed. If the gravy is too thick, add little more water and mix (this gravy should be in semi-thick consistency. Adjust water according to that).
6. Finally add Fennel powder, Garam masala powder and chopped Coriander leaves (mentioned ingredients for final finishing) and mix gently without breaking the Chicken pieces. Cook for 2 more minutes and switch the flame. Keep covered for 6-8 minutes. After that transfer into a serving bowl. Chicken Chettinad Curry is ready.

Serve with hot rice, Idli, dosa, appam or chappatti and rotis.

Drumstick Tomato Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Drumstick	1 long
Onion	1 medium
Ripe Tomatoes	3 big
Ginger-garlic paste	¼ tsp
Curry leaves	few
Turmeric powder	1/8 tsp
Red chilli/Coriander powder mix	1 tsp
(Red chilli and coriander powder mix :: 100 : 150 gms)
Salt	to taste
Mustard	little
Oil	3 tbsp
Coriander leaves	few chopped

Method:

1. Prepare Tomato puree: Make a small cross slit near the stem in each Tomatoes. Place the tomatoes in a vessel and pour one cup of water. Bring to boil. Cover and cook for 5 minutes in low flame. Wait for 3 minutes and then remove the tomatoes and allow to cool. Store the water. Once tomatoes cooled, remove the skin and grind into a puree. Keep aside.
2. Chop Onion into fine pieces. Heat a kadai with oil. Add Mustard and allow to splutter. Add onion and fry till light golden brown. Lower the flame and add ginger-garlic paste. Fry for few seconds and then add drumstick pieces, turmeric, red chilli-coriander powder and 1/2 tsp of salt. Fry till raw smell goes off. Now add tomato puree and cook in low or high flame stirring continuously till oil slightly appears on the sides.
3. Now add saved tomato water along with half cup of water. Mix and bring to a boil. Lower the flame, cover and cook till drumstick becomes tender (it takes 10-15 minutes to cook).
4. This kuzhambu (gravy) should be in pouring consistency. So adjust water according to that. Check the salt and adjust if needed. Once done, add chopped coriander leaves and mix. Switch off the flame and keep covered for few minutes. Drumstick Tomato Kuzhambu is ready.

Serve with hot rice along with pappad.

Easy Kalakand Sweet

Ingredients:

Mawa (sweetless khoya)	200 gms
Fresh Paneer	200 gms
Sugar	300 gms
Cardamom powder	½ tsp
Ghee	1 tbsp

Method:

• Rub a cookie tray or a suitable plate with ghee and keep aside.
• Heat a heavy bottomed kadai with 1 tbsp of ghee. Add Mawa and Paneer together. Mix well till well combined. After few minutes lower the flame and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Now add sugar. Raise the flame and keep mixing till sugar melts completely. Add Cardamom powder and mix again.
• Stir continuously till it gathers into a soft dough. Adjust the flame in between to avoid sticking to the bottom and take care not to burn.
• Continue cooking in low flame for few more minutes. Once a thick dough is formed and it lifts easily from the kadai, switch off the flame.

• Immediately transfer into the ghee rubbed tray or plate and level it evenly (use back of a big spoon with little ghee rubbed). Wait for 10 minutes and make desirable cut marks (while it is still hot). Wait till it cool down completely, then break into pieces.
• Store in an air tight container. Kalakand sweet is ready. Stays good at room temperature for 2 days and in fridge for 5-6 days.  

Kalakand Poli: Switch off before dough stage. Cool and mash with a spoon or ladle. Use as stuffing for Poli.

Semia (vermicelli) Payasam

Ingredients:

Semia (roasted)	½ cup
Sugar	little less than ½ cup
Milk	3 cups
Cardamom powder	¼ tsp
Cashew	few broken
Ghee	1 tsp

Method:

1. Heat a thick bottomed kadai with 1 tsp of Ghee. Fry Cashew pieces in low flame till slightly roasted. Remove and keep aside.
2. In the same kadai, pour Milk and bring it to a boil. Add Semia (vermicelli) and stir in high flame continuously to avoid forming lumps for 2-3 minutes. Then lower the flame and cook till semia becomes soft (it should break when pressed with finger).
3. Now add Sugar and mix well. Raise the flame and wait till it comes to a boil. Again lower the flame. Add Cardamom powder and fried Cashews. Mix and cook for another 2 minutes and switch off the flame. Cover with a lid with little opening and keep as it for 5 minutes. 
4. Now transfer into a bowl. Rich creamy Semia Payasam is ready. Serve hot or cold.

Ridge Guard Dhal Curry

Ingredients:

Ridge Gourd	1 big or 2 small
Onions	2 medium
Sour Tomato	1 small
Green Chilli	1 small
Curry leaves	few
Red chilli/Coriander powder mix	1 tsp
Turmeric	little
Salt	to taste
Gram dhal	¼ cup
Garlic	3 cloves
Asafoetida	2 pinch
Grated Coconut	2 tbsp (optional)
Oil	2 tbsp
Mustard	1/8 tsp
Ghee	1 tsp

Method:

1. Wash and soak Gram dhal in 1 cup of water for half-an-hour. Add peeled garlic cloves, asafoetida, little turmeric and little salt. Mix and pressure cook for 3 whistles and continue cooking in low flame for 5 more minutes.
2. Scrap the outer skin of Ridge gourd and wash. Chop into small pieces (cut horizontally into 2-4 pieces and then Chop into small pieces). Chop Onions into fine pieces and Tomato into thin slices. Slit Green chilli and discard the seeds.
3. Heat a kadai with Oil and add Mustard. Allow to splutter. Then add chopped Onions and fry till light golden brown. Now add Tomato and Green chilli. Cook till soft. Add Curry leaves, Red chilli-Coriander powder mix, Turmeric and ¼ tsp of salt. 
4. Mix well and add cut Ridge gourd. Saute for few seconds and add Dhal water (strained from cooked Gram dhal). Mix well, cover and cook in low flame for 10 minutes. 
5. Mash the dhal using back of a ladle (do not mash into a paste. Just into a coarse. The dhal should be seen inbetween). Add this mashed dhal and grated Coconut into the cooked Ridge gourd and mix gently (do not mash the vegetable). Adjust salt if needed. Cook for 2 minutes and add Ghee. Mix and switch off the flame. Ridge Gourd dhal curry is ready.

Serve with hot rice or roti.