Paneer Bhurji

Ingredients(Serves –4 ):

Paneer                          -- 250 gms
Onion                            -- ½ cup, finely chopped
Ginger Garlic Paste  -- 1 tsp
Green Chillies             -- 2
Tomato                         -- ¼ cup, chopped
Turmeric Powder     -- ¼ tsp
Garam Masala            -- ½ tsp
Cumin seeds               -- ¼ tsp
Coriander leaves      -- 1 - 2 sprigs
Oil                                   -- 1 tbsp
Salt                                 -- as required

Preparation :

If you are making paneer at home(refer here), you can avoid the steps of shaping it up. If using store brought paneer, grate it and keep aside.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add the cumin seeds, chopped onions, green chillies and ginger garlic paste. Saute until the onions turn brown.

Add the tomatoes and saute until they turn mushy.

Add turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt mix well. Saute until the raw smell goes off.

Add paneer and saute until the paneer blends into the masala.

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot.

Beetroot Rice

Ingredients (Serves 3 - 4):

Basmati Rice   -- 1½ cup
Water                 -- 5 cups
Kala Channa    -- ½ cup (optional)

Onion                 -- 1 cup, thinly sliced
Green chillies -- 2 ,slit lengthwise
Ginger garlic paste -- 1 tsp
Beetroot           -- 1½ cup,chopped or grated
Turmeric Powder -- ¼ tsp
Garam Masala -- 1 tsp
Fennel seeds    -- ½ tsp
Bay leaf              -- 1
Cloves                -- 2
Cinnamon         -- 1 inch piece
Cardamom       -- 1
Coriander leaves -- 2 tbsp, chopped
Salt                     -- as required
Oil                       -- 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Soak the channa for 8 hours / overnight. Pressure cook until done and keep aside.

Wash and soak the basmati rice for 20 minutes. Drain the water and keep it aside.

Boil the water and add required salt. Add the rice and let it cook (it takes 8 minutes for me on medium heat). Make sure the rice does not turn mushy. Drain the excess water and let the rice cool.

Meanwhile, grate or finely chop beetroot.

Heat oil in a large pan / wok. Add fennel seeds and let it splutter,then add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaf.

Saute for a few seconds, and then add onions, slit green chillies, ginger garlic paste and cook until onions are translucent.

Add the turmeric powder and garam masala. Saute until the raw smell goes off.

Add the beetroot and saute until cooked.

Add the cooked rice and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with yogurt and pappad.

Snow Peas Stir Fry

Ingredients (Serves 3 - 4):

Snow Peas                            --   250gm
Turmeric Powder             --   ¼ tsp
Green chillies                     --   2, slit lengthwise
Shallots                                 --   2 - 3
Mustard seeds                    --   1 tsp
Red chillies                          --   2
Curry Leaves                      --   1 sprig
Oil                                            --   2 tbsp ,  I use coconut oil
Salt                                          --   as required

Preparation:

Clean and cut the snow peas.

Heat oil in another pan. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the curry leaves and broken dry red chillies. Add the chopped shallots,and saute until the shallots are light brown.

Add the turmeric powder, green chillies and cut peas and mix well. Keep it on a low flame and let it cook with the lid on.

Serve hot with rice.

Muringayila Thoran / Drumstick leaves stir fry

Ingredients (Serves - 4 - 5):

Muringayila / Drumstick Leaves -- 5 - 6 cups, separated from the branches
Coconut Oil             -- 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds       -- 1 tsp
Red Chillies             -- 2
Grated Coconut     -- ¼ cup
Shallots                     --  2 - 3
Green Chillies         --  2
Turmeric powder  -- a pinch
Salt                              -- to taste
Egg                              -- 2, optional

Preparation:

Wash the leaves well under running water. Spread it on a paper and let it dry.

Crush the coconut, green chillies, turmeric powder and shallots in a mortar and pestle or just pulse using a mixer.

If using eggs, beat the eggs in a bowl with some salt and keep aside.

Heat the oil in a pan and scramble the eggs into small lumps. Remove and keep aside.

Heat oil in the same pan and splutter mustard seeds and then add the dry chillies. Add the crushed coconut mixture and saute for a minute.

Add the drumstick leaves and mix well. Reduce the flame to low and let it cook covered. Saute at every 1 - 2 minute intervals, so that the leaves do not stick together.

Mix the scrambled eggs into it.

Serve with any kind of rice.

Sundal–Black Chickpeas

Ingredients:

Black chickpeas  -- ½ cup
Mustard seeds    -- ¾ tsp
Urad dal                -- ¾ tsp
Green chilly         -- 1 chopped
Dry Red chilly     -- 1
Asafoetida            -- a pinch
Grated coconut  -- 1 to 2 tbsp
Curry leaves        -- 10 to 12
Coconut oil          -- 1 tbsp
Salt                          -- as required

Preparation:

Soak the black chana overnight or for 8 hours.

Cook the chana in a pressure cooker adding 3 - 4 cups water and salt for 4 - 5 whistles. Once done, drain and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and urad dal.Let the mustard seeds splutter and the urad dal turn golden brown.
Add the curry leaves, red chillies and asafoetida.Saute for 10 - 15 seconds

Then add the cooked black chana. Mix well. Add the shredded coconut and mix.

Switch off the flame.

Serve as a snack or with rice.

Idichakka Thoran

Ingredients (Serves 5) :

Tender Green Jackfruit or Idichakka -- 400 gms, cut into pieces
Grated Coconut     --  ½ cup
Shallots                     -- 1
Green Chillies         -- 2
Turmeric Powder -- a pinch
Salt                              -- to Taste
Coconut oil              -- 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds        -- 1 tsp
Urad Dal                    -- 1 tsp
Dried Red Chillies  -- 1 or 2
Curry leaves             -- 3 - 4

Preparation:

If using fresh jackfruit, take the fruit out of the skin and cut them into small pieces. Cook for 1 - 2 whistles in a pressure cooker adding water and a pinch of salt.

I used the frozen packet from Daily Delight brand. They are pre-cooked and frozen.

Using a mortar and pestle, shred the jackfruit pieces. Once done, pound the green chillies, shallots and the shredded coconut as well.

You can pulse it in the mixer as well but make sure that it is not overdone.

Mix the shredded jackfruit,coconut, shallots, green chillies, salt and turmeric powder in a bowl.

          

 
Heat a pan with coconut oil, add the mustard seeds, once they splutter, add the urad dal and red chillies and curry leaves. Once, the dal changes color, add the jackfruit mixture and sauté.

Let it cook on a low flame with the lid on. For about 15 minutes. Make sure to give a quick sauté in between. Check for salt and doneness.

Switch of the flame and serve with rice and curry

 

Chicken Thoran / Chicken Stir Fry

 

Ingredients :

Chicken                       --   1 lb / ½ kg , preferably boneless.
Red Chilly Powder  --   1 - 2 tsp , adjust according to your spice level
Turmeric Powder    --   ½ tsp
Garam Masala           --   1 ½ tsp
Onion                            --   1 cup, thinly sliced
Shallots                        --   3 - 4
Ginger                          --   1 tbsp, crushed
Garlic                           --   1 tbsp, crushed
Green Chilly              --  2 - 3
Coconut Grated       --  1 cup
Black Pepper Powder --   ¼ tsp
Mustard Seeds         --   1 tbsp
Dry Red Chillies      --  1 - 2
Coconut Oil               --   3 tbsp
Curry Leaves            --   few sprigs
Salt                                --   to taste

Preparation:

Clean and cut the chicken into small / medium pieces. Add the thinly sliced onions, turmeric powder, chilly powder, garam masala and salt to the chicken. Pressure cook for 1 - 2 whistles.

If not using a cooker, cook in a heavy bottomed pan until the chicken is well done and you are able break into small pieces with the back of a spoon. If there is too much of water remaining in the cooked chicken, drain it before you shred.

Shred the cooked chicken and keep aside.

Crush the shallots, ginger, garlic and green chillies. It would be good if you can use a mortar and pestle. If using a mixer, make sure you just pulse the shallots, else it can turn bitter.

Add the coconut to the crushed mixture and mix well. Keep aside.

Add the coconut oil into a heavy bottomed pan. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the red chillies broken into pieces and add the curry leaves. Saute for few seconds and then add the shredded chicken. Saute for a minute and then add the crushed mixture.Do a taste check and add salt if required. Cook covered on a low flame for 5 - 8 minutes. Saute in-between to make sure that it doesn't stick to the bottom. The mixture will be light to dark brown in colour.

Serve with rice or chapathi.

Potato Mezhukkupuratti / Stir Fry

Ingredients(Serves 4 - 5):

Potatoes                    --   3 - 4 medium size, approx 300 gms
Turmeric Powder  --   ¼ tsp
Chilly Powder          --   3 tsp
Coriander Powder --   2 tsp
Garam Masala         --   ½ tsp
Onions                        --   1 large
Mustard seeds        --   ½ tsp
Curry leaves --   few leaves
Salt --   as required
Oil --   2 - 3 tbsp, I prefer coconut oil

Preparation:

Skin off, clean and cut the potatoes into cubes or rectangles as required.

Add the turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt along with 1/4 cup water to the potatoes. Mix well and cook in a wide pan on a low - medium flame. The water will be completely absorbed and the potatoes should be cooked well but not be mushy. Test one or two pieces for doneness. Add few tbsps of water(more water will turn it mushy) if the potatoes are not cooked.

Remove the potatoes from the pan and keep aside or you can use another wide pan to fry onions.

In the wide pan, add oil and mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Add the curry leaves and onions and saute until the onions are brown.

Add the cooked potatoes and mix well until the potatoes are covered with the onions; taking care not to break the potatoes.

Fry for 3 - 4 minutes on a low flame, to make the potatoes crispier.

Serve hot with rice and curry.

Asparagus Thoran

Ingredients(Serves 4 - 5):

Asparagus                  --    250 gms
Turmeric powder    --   ½ tsp
Green chillies            --    4
Shallots                        --    2 small ones
Shredded coconut   --   ¼ cup
Eggs                               --   1 optional
Black Pepper              --   ½ tsp
Mustard seeds           --    ½ tsp
Red chillies                 --    2
Curry Leaves             --   few
Oil                                   --   2 tbsp
Salt                                 --   to taste

Preparation:

Clean and chop the asparagus into small pieces. I usually don’t use the harder part at the end. Mix the turmeric powder, slit green chillies, chopped shallots,salt and shredded coconut into chopped asparagus.

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the red chillies broken into small pieces and the curry leaves. Then add the asparagus mixture and sauté for a min.  Close the pan and let it cook for another 5 -6 min on a low flame. Check in between to make sure that it doesn’t burn to the bottom.

When the asparagus is almost done, break the eggs into the pan and mix well. Sprinkle a pinch of salt. Let the egg cook. Do a taste check and add more salt if required. sprinkle the pepper and give a good mix.

Serve hot with rice and curries.

Mushroom Fry

Ingredients(Serves 2 - 3):

Button mushroom --  12 - 15
Cashew Nuts             --  10, broken into pieces
Onion                           --  1 medium sized, chopped
Tomato                       --  1/2 of a medium sized, chopped
Ginger                         --  1 inch piece
Garlic                          --  6 - 8 cloves 
Green chillies           --  2
Curry Leaves            --  1 sprig
Turmeric Powder   --  ¼ tsp
Chilly Powder           --  1 tsp
Garam Masala           --  1 tsp
Mustard seeds          --  ¼ tsp
Cumin seeds              --  ¼ tsp
Oil                                  --  2 tbsp
Salt                                --  to taste

Preparation:

Clean the mushrooms, cut them and keep aside. I usually remove the skin, wash and drain it. It is better not to soak the mushrooms in water as they will become soggy at times.

Finely chop the onions, ginger and garlic. Slit the green chillies and chop the tomato.

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Add the cumin seeds followed by the curry leaves, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Saute for a minute.

             

Add the chopped onions and salt, saute until they turn brown. Add the cashews and tomato and saute until the tomatoes are squishy.

Now add the turmeric powder, chilly powder and the garam masala. Saute until the raw smell goes off. The mixture should be really dry at this point.

Add the chopped mushrooms and mix well. Reduce the flame to medium and let it cook without the lid. We just need the water coming out from the mushrooms, closing with the lid will add in the condensed water too which will make this watery.

It takes just 3 - 4 minutes to get it cooked. You can garnish with coriander leaves if you choose to.

Serve hot with rice or chapathi or any breads.

Vanpayar thoran:

This is a quick,easy, yummy & healthy dish. The only part that I dont like is that we need to plan well ahead for this dish. Soaking the payar for 6-8 hours really matters. At times I ve tried various other short cuts like soaking it in hot water for 1 - 2 hours or pressure cooking it for longer time etc.. You can get it cooked well in all ways.But the perfection comes only when you soak it for a longer time.

This pairs best with rice & moru curry or with Kanji . But I love to have this even with chapathi or puttu.

Ingredients (Serves 3 to 4):

Red gram                    --   1½ cup
Turmeric powder   --   ½ tsp
Chilly powder          --   ½ tsp
Coconut                      --   ½ cup
Cumin seeds              --   ½ tsp
Garlic                           --   2 to 3 pods (optional)
Shallots                       --   2 to 3
Mustard                      --   ½ tsp
Red Chilly                   --   3 to 4
Curry leaves             --   2 - 3 springs
Salt                               --   to taste

Preparation:

Soak red gram for 6 to 8 hours. Wash and cook it in a pressure cooker with turmeric powder and chilly powder.

Coarsely grind together coconut and cumin with a pinch of turmeric powder.

      

Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Add the red chillies and curry leaves.Add the finely chopped garlic(optional) and shallots.

Add the ground coconut mixture and fry for a minute.

Now add the cooked lentils to this, mix well and switch off the flame.

Serve hot with rice or kanji.

Achinga Payar Mezhukkupuratti / Long Beans Stir Fry

Ingredients (Serves 3 - 4):

Achinga Payar / Long Beans  --   250gm
Turmeric Powder               --   ¼ tsp
Chilly Powder                     --   1 tsp
Shallots                                 --   2 - 3 (optional)
Mustard seeds                    --   1 tsp
Red chillies                          --   2
Curry Leaves                      --   1 sprig
Oil                                            --   2 tbsp ,  I use coconut oil
Salt                                          --   as required

Preparation:

Clean and cut the payar/beans; almost 2 inch . In a pan, add the cut beans, turmeric powder, chilly powder, salt and half a cup of water and let it cook until soft. Add more water only if required - we want the beans to be completely dry, by the time it is cooked. Keep aside.

Heat oil in another pan. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the curry leaves and broken dry red chillies. Add the chopped shallots, if using and saute until the shallots are brown.

Add cooked beans and mix well. Keep it on a low flame for few minutes, until any remaining water gets dried.

Serve hot with rice.

Cauliflower–Egg Thoran

Ingredients:

Cauliflower                --    250 gms
Turmeric powder    --   ½ tsp
Cumin seeds              --   ¼ tsp
Green chillies            --    2
Shallots                        --    2 small ones
Shredded coconut   --   ¼ cup
Eggs                               --   1 or 2 or optional
Black Pepper              --   ½ tsp
Mustard seeds           --    ½ tsp
Red chillies                 --    2
Curry Leaves             --   few
Oil                                   --   2 tbsp
Salt                                 --   to taste

Preparation:

Chop the cauliflower into required size. Mix the turmeric powder, cumin seeds, slit green chillies, chopped shallots,salt and shredded coconut into chopped cauliflower. 
 
Heat the oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the red chillies broken into small pieces and the curry leaves. Then add the cauliflower mixture and sauté for 1 - 2 mins.  Close the pan and let it cook for another 5 -6 min. Open the lid and sauté it at every 1 minute interval and make sure that it doesn’t burn. When the cauliflower is almost done, break the eggs into the pan and mix well. Let the egg cook. Keep sautéing at intervals to make sure that it doesn't stick on to the bottom. Do a taste check and add more salt if required. sprinkle the pepper and give a good mix.

 
If adding one egg, the cauliflower bit will just have a slight coating to give a different flavor. If adding 2 eggs, you can see small bits of scrambled egg along with the cauliflower bits. I have added 2 eggs in this one.

Serve hot with rice or chapathi.

Idichakka Thoran / Tender Jackfruit Stir Fry

Ingredients (Serves 4 - 5):

Idichakka/Tender Jackfruit --   ½ kg, cubed
Turmeric powder   --   ½ tsp
Red chilly powder  --   ¼ tsp
Green chillies           --   2 - 3, depending upon the taste
Shallots                       --   3 small
Shredded coconut  --   ¾ cup
Mustard seeds          --   ½ tsp
Dry red chillies        --   2
Curry leaves             --   1 sprig
Salt                               --   to taste
Oil                                 --   as required

Preparation:

Cook the cubed idichakka with turmeric powder,chilly powder and salt adding enough water.Make sure that it is not over cooked. Drain the excess water. The frozen ones we get are in this form except for salt.

Crush the idichakka using a pestle or a mixer.Keep aside.

Crush the green chillies, shallots and the shredded coconut and mix this well with the crushed idichakka.

Heat oil in a pan,add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add dry red chilies and curry leaves and saute for couple of seconds.

Add the crushed mix and let it cook until dry and the raw smell of the shallots go off. Do a taste check and add more salt if required.

Serve with rice.

Recipe Courtesy: Amma

Eggplant Stir Fry

Ingredients (Serves 3 - 4):

Brinjal / Egg plant   --   ¼ kg
Green Chillies         --   2
Shallots                     --   3
Turmeric Powder  --   ¼ tsp 
Mustard seeds        --   1 tsp
Curry Leaves          --   1 sprig
Oil                                --   3 tbsp
Salt                              --   as required

Preparation:

Clean and cut the eggplant into small pieces.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter.Add the curry leaves and saute for few seconds. Then add the finely chopped shallots ,slit green chillies and salt.Saute until the onions are golden brown.

Add the turmeric powder and saute for a minute.Add the chopped eggplant. Mix well and let it cook leaving the pan open.Stir occasionally and make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

Cook until done and serve hot with rice.