Egg Curry

Ingredients(Serves 5-6):

Eggs                                          --    6, large
Finely Chopped Onions    --    3 cups, thinly sliced
Ginger                                      --    1 inch thick piece
Garlic                                       --    4 - 5 cloves
Green chillies                        --    3 -4
Tomato                                    --    1 cup, chopped
Turmeric powder                --    ½ tsp
Chilly powder                       --    2 -3 tbsp
Coriander powder               --    1 tsp
Cloves                                      --    5 - 6
Cinnamon                               --   2 inch piece
Fennel seeds                          --   1½ tsp
Shredded coconut               --  1 cup
Mustard seeds                       --  1 tsp
Curry leaves                           --   1 sprig
Red chillies                             --   1 - 2
Salt                                             --    to taste
Oil                                               --    2 tbsp + 2 tbsp, preferably coconut oil

Preparation :

In a pan, boil water and once it starts boiling add the eggs and let it boil for 10 - 12 minutes. Transfer the eggs to cold water and once it is cool to touch, peel and keep it aside.

Grind / Crush the cloves, cinnamon, and fennel seeds into a coarse powder. Keep aside. Crush the ginger and garlic and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the finely chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes. Add the powdered garam masala and crushed ginger garlic paste. Saute for 4 - 5 minutes. Then add the turmeric powder, chilly powder and coriander powder. Saute until the mixture turns dark brown. Keep an eye and make sure that the it doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.
 
Grind the coconut and add to the mixture. Add water to adjust the gravy as required. Let it just come to a boil.

Make small slits on the boiled egg and add it to the gravy.

Switch off the flame and keep it on the stove with the lid on, for 10 - 15 minutes.

Heat the remaining oil in another pan. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the red chillies and the curry leaves. Pour this over the curry.

Serve hot. This goes well with appam, chapathi, pathiri, idyappam, rice etc.

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.

Chicken Curry

 

Ingredients(Serves 5-6):

Chicken                                   --    1 kg
Finely Chopped Onions    --    3 cups, thinly sliced
Ginger                                      --    1 inch thick piece
Garlic                                       --    4 - 5 cloves
Green chillies                        --    3 -4
Tomato                                    --    1 cup, chopped
Turmeric powder                --    ½ tsp
Chilly powder                       --    2 -3 tbsp
Coriander powder               --    1 tsp
Cloves                                      --    5 - 6
Cinnamon                               --   2 inch piece
Fennel seeds                          --   1½ tsp
Shredded coconut               --  1 cup
Mustard seeds                       --  1 tsp
Curry leaves                           --   1 sprig
Red chillies                             --   1 - 2
Salt                                             --    to taste
Oil                                               --    2 tbsp + 2 tbsp, preferably coconut oil

Preparation of Chicken Curry:

Clean and cut the chicken into medium size pieces.

Grind the cloves, cinnamon, and fennel seeds into a coarse powder. Keep aside. Crush the ginger and garlic and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the finely chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes. Add the powdered garam masala and crushed ginger garlic paste. Saute for 4 - 5 minutes. Then add the turmeric powder, chilly powder and coriander powder. Saute until the mixture turns dark brown. Keep an eye and make sure that the it doesn't burn or stick to the bottom of the pan.
 
Add the cut chicken and mix well. Add water only if required. Let it cook on a medium flame.

Grind the coconut and add once the chicken is cooked. Add water to adjust the gravy as required. Let it just come to a boil. Switch off the flame.

Heat the remaining oil in another pan. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the red chillies and the curry leaves. Pour this over the curry.

Serve hot. This goes well with appam, chapathi, pathiri, idyappam, rice etc.

Kothu Poratta / Chilly Poratta

Ingredients (Serves 3 - 4):

Plain parottas         -- 6 small
Onions                        -- 1 cup, chopped
Green chillies           -- 2, slit lengthwise
Ginger                         -- 1 tbsp, chopped finely
Garlic                          -- 1 tbsp, chopped finely
Tomatoes                  -- 1 cup, chopped
Cumin Seeds             -- 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder   -- ¼ tsp
Red Chilly Powder -- ½ tsp
Garam Masala          -- ½ tsp - Increase it to 1 tsp, if you do not have the left over gravies
Left over kurma or any similar gravy -- ½ cup
Pepper Powder        -- ½ tsp
Eggs                              -- 2
Coriander leaves     -- ½ cup, chopped
Oil                                  -- 2 tbsp
Salt                                -- as required

Preparation:

Chop the parottas and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, preferably something like a wok. Add the cumin seeds and let it splutter.Add the chopped onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic. Sauté until the onions are translucent.

                 

 

Add the turmeric powder, chilly powder, and  garam masala and sauté until the raw smell disappears. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute until they are mushy. Add the left over gravy at this stage.

Break in the eggs into the pan and do a quick mix with the masala. Throw in the chopped parotta when the eggs are still wet. Mix well, gently though to coat the parottas with the eggs and let it cook. Saute until the eggs are cooked and the gravy is completely absorbed.

                 

If you would like to add chicken, add 1 cup of cooked and shredded chicken along with the chopped parottas.

Sprinkle the pepper powder and garnish with the coriander leaves. Serve hot.