Dahi Wada

For those hot steamy summer days, this dish made of lentils soaked in yoghurt is ideal.


You will need:

Yoghurt - 3 cups
Urad dal - 1 cup
Seasoning ingredients: mustard, cummin, curry leaves.
Chutney : Applesauce butter or dates chutney.


Method:

Soak urad dal in water for 2 hrs. Remove from water and grind, using the minimum possible water. Add needed salt.  Keep aside.
Seasoning yoghurt: In a pan, pour 2 tsp. oil, add mustard. When it splutters, add remaining ingredients of cummin and curry leaves. Remove. Add salt. Keep aside.
In a kadai, pour needed amount of oil. While it heats up, take a lime sized ball of the earlier made lentil batter, flatten on your hand, and gently slide it into hot oil. Let it brown lightly on both sides. This will not take long. Remove with slotted spoon and place immediately into a bowl of cold water. You can make a batch of 3 or 4 wadas and place them into the bowl of water. After 3-4 mins, transfer them into the yoghurt. Continue until all are done, then according to taste, you can top it with the chutney/s or sprinkle chilli powder for a spicy touch!

Egg Curry

A tangy twist from the usual, this version of egg curry can be had for that special occasion:

You will need:
Hard boiled eggs: 4
Tomatoes : 4 med.
Onion : 1 med
Green Chilli : 2 - 3 med
Curry leaf: 1 sprig
Ginger garlic paste: 1  tsp
Turmeric pdr: 1/4 tsp
Chilli pdr: 1/4 tsp
Coriander pdr: 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek pdr: 1/10 tsp
Garam masala pdr: 1/4 tsp
Tamarind juice: 1/2 cup ( obtained by soaking a small ball of tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water)
Peanuts: 10 nos - Roasted and ground
Til : 1 TBS - Roasted and ground
Coconut powder: 1 TBS or paste.

To do:
Add oil to pan. When hot , add slices onion, green chilli and saute till transparent. Add Ginger garlic paste, saute.Add all the dry powders, one by one, (except coconut) sauteing each when added. Add salt.When sauteed, add cut tomatoes. Cook covered for 5 mins. Then add tamarind juice and cook covered again for about 7 mins.Finally add coconut powder. Meanwhile, make 2 slits in each boiled egg and add to the gravy. Finally add the curry leaves. Can be had with rice or roti.

Bitter Gourd Curry

You will need:
Bitter Gourd : 2 Large
Onion          : 1 small
Green chilli : 2 med.
Curry leaf: 1 sprig
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tsp
Turmeric : 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Powder: 1/4 tsp
Coriander (dhania) powder: 1/4 tsp
Garam masala powser: 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek Powder : 1/4 tsp
Coconut powder : 1 TBS
Tomatoes : Paste 1/2 cup or 4 med. tomatoes
salt: to taste

Cut bitter gourd into small one pieces. Soak in salt for 1/2 hr, squeeze out the water to remove bitterness.
Place pan on heat, pour 1 TBS oil, add cut onion. Saute till transparent. Add ginger garlic paste,green chilli, curry leaves, saute. When done, add all the remaining dry masalas except coconut.Saute. Add cut tomatoes/ paste. Mix well. Let cook till almost done, about 10 mins. Add coconut and cook for further 5 mins. Remove and serve with hot rice or rotis.

Kitchdee

A tasty blend of rice and lentils, this is a quick 2 in 1 if you are in a hurry. This can be had with a simple accompaniment like curd raita or tomato chutney.

You will need:

Basmati rice - 2 cups

Masoor dal : 1 cup

Ginger garlic paste : 2 tsp

Cinnamon : 1 stick

Cardamom : 1

Clove : 2 buds

Bay leaf : 2

Shahjeera : 1/4 tsp

Peppercorns : 1/2 tsp, coarsely ground

Oil : 1 TBS

Salt to taste.

Method :

Wash rice and dal together. Keep aside.

In a kadai, pour in the oil. When hot, add shahjeera, bay leaf, clove, cinnamon, pepper corns and cardomom. Immediately add ginger garlic paste and saute for 3 mins.Add the rice lentil mix and stir so that the mix is coated with the oily paste.Add double the quantity of water ( 6 cups) and salt. Stir lightly and let boil. As soon as it boils, lower to simmer. Put on the lid and let it cook till there is no water. When you feel that the rice is cooked, open and gently lower the back of a spoon till it touches the bottom. There should be no water. If dry, then turn off the stove.

Mattilu/Meat Balls ( Shanthi's recipe)

You will need:
Meat mince - 500 pounds
Onion  1, cilantro - 1 bunch, mint - 1/2 bunch, green chilli - 2 - Cut and saute these in 1 tsp oil till onions become light brown. Remove. Grind to smooth paste.Add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste.Divide into 2 .
Puttunal - 1/2 cup, roast.Grind to a dry powder
Khuskhus - 1 tsp, roast.
Coconut - 1 TBSP roast.Grind Khuskhus and coconut together.
Patta, shahjira, 2 elaichi - roast. Grind these 3 ingredients together. Divide all powders into 2
Mix meat mince with pasupu, salt, one half of the onion paste, and one half of the other powders till it forms a firm dough. Can add more puttunal powder. Make into lime size balls and fry in oil till brown. Keep aside. After frying, use this oil to make a gravy with remaining onion paste and dry powder by adding water. If preferred, add tomatoes and potatoes. Let boil and lower to simmer, add the meat balls. Cook for 5 more mins. Remove. When cool, add juice of 1/2 lemon.If using tomatoes, do not add lime juice.

Kadi

A yoghurt based gravy, with fried besan pakoras. This makes a nice change and is especially delightful during hot summer days.

You will need -
Yoghurt : 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste : 1 and half tsp.
Turmeric ; a pinch
Besan : 1 and half TBS


Pakora ingredients : 
Besan : 1 cup
Chilli pd and salt : to taste
Baking powder : a pinch


Seasoning ingredients:
Rai : 1/4 tsp
Jeera : 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal : 1 tsp
Karepak leaves : 1 sprig
Red chillis : 1


Method : 


Pakora preparation :
To besan add salt, chilli pd and baking pd. Make a thick paste with little water. Using an ice cream scoop or a tsp, fry small lime sized balls in hot oil till golden brown. Keep aside.


Gravy preparation :
Into a bowl, pour in the besan, salt and turmeric. Pour 2 cups water, yoghurt and mix well. Add ginger garlic paste, stir and  place on stove top and let simmer till the raw taste of ginger garlic is gone, about 10 mins.Keep aside.


Seasoning : 
In a little oil, add rai till it splutters. Add jeera and urad dal. Fry for 1 minute. Remove and add to the besan gravy. Next put the fried pakoras into the besan gravy. Finally add curry leaves.The final dish should be of a slightly thick pouring consistency with the pakoras like dumplings.


This tastes wonderful with either rice or chappattis.

Spicy Chicken in Green Gravy

Cornish hens in a bed of green gravy add a coconut-ty flavor to the traditional.

You will need -

Cornish hens : 1 ( about 10 med. sized pieces)

Kothmir : 1 bunch

Green chillis : 4-5

Mint : 1/2 bunch

Ginger garlic paste : 1 TBS

Garam masala powder : 1/4 tsp

Turmeric : 1/4 tsp

Coconut : 1/4 cup or dessicated coconut : 2 TBS

Shahjeera : 1/4 tsp

Potatoes : 2 med

Onion ( diced): 1 med
Bay Leaves (Optional) ; 2
Karepak : 1 sprig 

Oil : 1TBS

Salt to taste

Method :

Cut cornish hens into med. sized pieces.Keep aside.

Saute chopped Kothmir, green chillis, ginger garlic paste and mint in 1 tsp  hot oil. Remove and make into a paste.

Next, to a hot saucepan, add oil. When hot, put in the shahjeera , bay leaves and onions. Let fry 2 mins. Add the above green masala paste. Fry 2 mins. Add turmeric powder. Mix. Put in the washed and drained chicken pieces.Mix well and keep stirring till dry, about 5 mins.Add potatoes and 1/4 cup water and salt. Let it cook on simmer till the chicken  and potatoes are cooked, about 25 mins. Add coconut. Let simmer for further 5 mins.Finally add garam masala powder. Check for taste and remove. Garnish with karepak.

This goes well with either rotis or rice.