Cauliflower Kurma

Ingredients:

Cauliflower             --   1 
Turmeric powder --   ¼ tsp + ¼ tsp
Onion                         --   2 cups thinly sliced
Tomatoes                 --   2 nos
Garlic                         --   4 cloves
Green chillies          --   3
Coconut                    --   4 tbsp
Gram dal                   --   1 tbsp
Red chillies              --   3
Dry coriander seeds   -- 1 tsp
Cardamom               --   1 
Cinnamon                 --   1/2 inch piece
Cloves                        --   1
Cashews                     --   5 - 8
Oil                                 --   3 tbsp
Salt                               --   As needed

Preparation:

Clean and Cut the cauliflower into required sized pieces and boil it with salt,turmeric and a little water until it is almost cooked. Drain any excess water and keep aside. You can save the drained water for the gravy later.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add the gram dal,coriander seeds,red chillies, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and cashews. Saute for half a min. Add the chopped garlic, green chillies and coconut. Saute for a minute and then add 1 cup of chopped onions and saute until the onions start turning translucent.

Let it cool and then grind into a fine paste.

                   

Heat remaining oil and add the remaining 1 cup of onions until they are golden brown and then add chopped tomatoes and salt. Saute until the tomatoes get mushy, and then add the ground paste. Saute until oil appears on the sides of the pan.

Add the cauliflower saute for a minute. Add half a cup of water(or as per required consistency) and bring it to boil. let it cook in low flame for 2--3 minutes.

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot.

Recipe Courtesy: Raks Kitchen

Egg Curry

Ingredients:

Eggs                                  --   6
Fennel Seeds                 --   1 tbsp
Cardamom                     --   2
Cloves                              --   3
Cinnamon                       --   ½ inch piece
Onion                                --   1½ cup + ½ cup , chopped
Green Chilies                  --   4 - 5, adjust according to your taste
Curry Leaves                  --  2 - 3 sprigs
Coriander Leaves          --  1/4 cup chopped
Ginger                                --   1.5 inch
Garlic                                  --   14 to 15 cloves
Fresh Grated Coconut --   ½ cup
Desiccated Coconut     --   ½ cup, can replace this with fresh coconut too.
Turmeric Powder          --   1 tbsp
Kashmiri Chilly Powder --   3 tbsp
Coriander powder        --   1 tbsp
Garam Masala                --   1 tbsp
Tomato                             --   1
Yogurt                               --  3 - 4 tbsp, optional - make sure it is not too sour
Oil                                        --  4 tbsp
Salt                                      --  as per taste

Preparation:

Hard boil 5 eggs, remove the shells and keep aside.

In a wide pan, heat 1 - 2 tbsp oil. Add the fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and let it splutter. Add the 1½ cup of chopped onions, slit green chillies, chopped ginger, chopped garlic and curry leaves and saute until the onions are translucent. Now add desiccated coconut and saute.Saute until the coconut turns golden brown. Then add fresh grated coconut. Stir for couple of mins and then let it cool. Grind this into a smooth paste.

In the same pan, heat the remaining oil and add the remaining chopped onion. Saute until the onions are translucent. Add salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilly powder and Garam Masala. Saute until the raw smell goes off. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute until the tomatoes are squishy.

Add the ground mixture and mix well. Add 1 - 2 cups of water as required for the consistency of the gravy.Once it starts boil, break the left over egg and pour into the curry. Mix well. Do a taste check and add more salt if required.

          

Let this cook for 5 to 7 mins on medium flame with semi covered lid.

If adding yogurt, add and let it cook for 2 more mins.

Slit the boiled eggs and add this to the curry. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice or chapathi or any indian bread.

Recipe Courtesy: Flavors of Mumbai

Chicken Mughalai Korma

Ingredients (Serves 5 - 7 ):

Chicken                                --   1 kg
Almonds                              –-  20 – 25

Bay leaves                           --  2
Cinnamon stick                 --  2 inch
Black pepper corns          --  1 tsp
Cloves                                    --  6
Cardamom                           --  4

Onion                                     -–  2 cups, roughly chopped
Ginger                                    --   1 inch piece
Garlic                                     --   8 - 10 cloves
Green Chillies                     --   3 - 4 - adjust as per your taste

Turmeric powder             –-  ½ tsp
Cumin seeds                       –-  ½ tsp
Kashmiri chilly powder ––  1 tsp
Coriander powder            –-  1 tsp
Garam masala powder    –-  1 tsp
 
Tomato                                 –-  1 cup, sliced

Yoghurt                               -–  ½ cup
Fresh cream                      -–  ½ cup

Saffron                                 -–  a small pinch
Salt                                        --  To taste
Oil                                          --  ¼ cup
Cilantro                               –-  2 tbsp chopped, to garnish

Preparation of the korma:

Soak the almonds in water for 2 - 3 hours. Divide them and peel the skin of half of them(10-12) and keep aside.

Clean and cut the chicken into medium size pieces.

Mix the yogurt and cream in a bowl and set it aside.

Heat half the oil in a deep pan. Throw in the whole spices - Bay leaves,Cinnamon stick,Black pepper corns,Cloves and Cardamom. Saute for few seconds. Add the chopped onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Saute until the onions leave the raw smell. Add the almonds(with the skin). Let the mixture cool and then grind it into a coarse paste adding required amount of water.

In to the same pan, add the remaining oil and let it heat. Add the ground mixture and saute until water evaporates and onion starts to change its color.

Add the chicken pieces and enough salt. Mix well. Add the turmeric powder,cumin seeds, chilly powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Cook for couple of minutes and then add in sliced tomato. Cook for 8 – 10 minutes stirring occasionally until oil starts separating.

Then add the yoghurt-cream mixture and mix well. Cover and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes. Add the peeled almonds - you can also break each of them into two if you want to.

Let it cook until chicken is done and oil separates. Add ½ tsp garam masala powder and a pinch of saffron. Mix well.

Switch off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with any indian bread or pulav. It tastes better the next day or may be few hours after then flavors blend together.

Recipe Courtesy: Yummy O Yummy

Vegetable Kurma

Ingredients:

Potato                          ––   1 cup, cubed
Carrot                          ––   1 cup cubed
Beans                            ––   10 - 15
Cauliflower Florets ––   1 cup, chopped
Fresh Green peas     ––   ½ cup
Onion                            ––   2 cups chopped
Tomato                        ––   3/4 cup chopped
Red chili powder     ––   2 tsp
Mustard seeds          ––   1 tsp
Bay leaf                        ––   1
Curry leaves              ––   1 sprig
Salt                                ––   to taste
Oil                                  ––   1 tbsp

To Grind:
Fresh grated coconut ––   ½ cup
Ginger                               ––   ½ inch piece
Garlic                                ––   4 - 5 cloves
Cashew nuts                   ––   10 - 12
Poppy seeds                   ––   1 tsp
Fennel seeds                  ––   1 tsp
Cumin seeds                   ––   ½ tsp
Cardamom                      ––   2
Cinnamon                        ––   1 inch stick
Cloves                               ––   2

Preparation :

Chop the potato, carrots, beans and the cauliflower florets. Steam cook / Microwave the veggies until they are 75% cooked. Keep aside.

Chop the onions and the tomatoes. Keep aside.

Grind the grated coconut, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, cashew nuts, poppy seeds, ginger, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves to a fine paste adding just enough water as required. Keep aside.

In a wide pan, heat oil and add the bay leaf. Saute for few seconds. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add the curry leaves followed by the chopped onions. Saute until the onions turns translucent. Now add red chilly powder and saute until it is well blended.

Now add the ground paste and 1 cup of water. Mix well and cook over low flame until the water is almost absorbed.

Add the partially cooked vegetables, and chopped tomatoes, mix well, and add more water as required for the gravy. Let it cook with the lid on for 8- 10 mins.

Check  the gravy and add more water if required. If adding more water, let it boil and switch off.

Serve hot with chapathi or any indian bread or basmati rice.

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.

Quinoa Pulao

Ingredients:

Quinoa                                  --   1 cup, uncooked
Water                                    --   2 cups, to cook quinoa
Cumin Seeds                      --   1 tsp
Onion                                    --   ½ cup finely chopped
Garlic                                    --   2 tsp, crushed
Ginger                                   --   1 tsp crushed
Any vegetables of your choice --    1 cup, chopped into bite size pieces. I used frozen mixed vegetables
Red Pepper                         --   ¼ cup chopped
Garam masala                    --   ½ tsp
Kashmiri Chilly Powder --   ½ tsp. optional
Eggs                                        --   2 , optional
Oil                                            --   2 tbsp
Salt                                          --   as required
Coriander leaves               --   to garnish

Preparation:

Rinse the quinoa thoroughly for 4 - 5 minutes under running water. In a sauce pan, let the water boil. Add required amount of salt. Add the quinoa and let it come to a boil. Reduce the flame to medium low and cook covered until done - the water will be completely absorbed. Fluff it with a fork and set aside.

Heat oil in a wide pan. Add the cumin seeds and let it splutter.Add the chopped onions and crushed ginger and garlic. Saute until the onions are golden brown. Add the chilly powder, if using and saute until the raw smell goes off. Add the chopped vegetables and fry until they are cooked.

If using eggs, beat them with salt.Move the veggies to the side of the pan and pour in the beaten eggs. Scramble it and then mix with the veggies. Sprinkle the garam masala.

Add the cooked quinoa and mix well. Let it remain on the stove for couple of minutes and then switch off. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Kappa biriyani / Beef & tapioca biriyani

Ingredients(Serves 5 - 6):

Tapioca / Yuca      --   1 kg
Beef                             --   1 kg
Vinegar                     --   2 tbsp
Onion                          --   2 large, approximately 5 - 6 cups, chopped
Ginger                         --   1½ inch
Garlic                          --   8 - 10 cloves
Turmeric powder   --   1 tsp
Chilly powder          --   4 tsp
Coriander powder  --   4 tsp
Garam masala powder --   1 tsp
Black Pepper powder --   1 tsp
Shredded Coconut  --   2 cup
Shallots                        --   5 - 6
Mustard seeds          --   ½ tsp
Dry red chilies          --   2, broken
Curry leaves              --   1 sprig
Salt                                --   To taste
Oil                                  --   1 - 2 tbsp, preferably coconut oil

 
Preparation:

Clean and cut the beef into medium size pieces.

In a big pressure cooker, add the beef, vinegar, sliced onions, crushed ginger and garlic,½ tsp turmeric powder, 3 tsp chilly powder, 3 tsp coriander powder, garam masala, black pepper powder and salt. Mix well and keep aside for 15 mins. Cook for 2 - 3 whistles until the beef is done.

Skin off, clean and cut the tapioca into medium size pieces. Boil water(around 2 quart) in a large vessel. Add required amount of salt and ½ tsp of turmeric powder. Add the tapioca and let it cook on a medium flame. Once cooked, drain the excess water, slightly mash it and keep aside.

                     

In another pan, add the shredded coconut and the remaining chilly powder and coriander powder. Fry until the coconut turns golden brown. Let it cool and grind into a fine paste.

Mix the mashed tapioca to the cooked beef and mix well. Add the ground coconut paste and mix.

Heat oil in a small pan. Splutter mustard seeds and add the chopped thinly sliced shallots and curry leaves. Pour over the prepared curry and mix well.

Garnish with chopped onions or you can also reserve 2 tbsp of fried coconut to garnish.

Serve hot.

Recipe Courtesy: Bincy Sathish from Dhwani