Creamy Mushroom Curry/Kuruma

Mushrooms are very good remedy for controlling cholestrol.Mostly I  will try to prepare it weekly .This time ,wanted to prepare kuruma or a thick curry.I had a can of coconut milk in my fridge.So made this dish creamy ,by adding it.We can also use home made coconut milk.Made this for chapathis and it went really good for our dinner.Rohith likes mushroms a lot.Its kids friendly too....

Ingredients:
1.Mushroom                    -        1 cup
2.Onion                           -         1 (big)
3.Tomatoes                     -          2
4.Green chillies              -           2
5.Chilli pwdr                  -          1 tbsp
6.Turmeric pwdr             -           1/2 tsp
7.Coconut milk                -         1 cup
8.G&G paste                   -          1 tsp
9.Fennel seeds                 -          1 tsp
10.Curry leaves               -           1 spring
11.Cilantro                      -           hand ful


Method:
* Take a pan,add oil and splutter with curry leaves and fennel seeds.
* Add chopped onion and slit green chillies.
* When the onion oozes out oil,add chopped tomatoes and sprinkle some salt.
* Now  add G&G paste and saute till it looses it raw smell.
* Cover and cook for  3 mins or untill the tomatoes gets mashed up.
* Now add the washed mushrooms and give it a toss.
* Slowly add turmeric pwdr ,chilli pwdr and mix it real good.
* If u want the gravy to be thick, then add the coconut milk now .
* Bring it to boil and garnish with cilantro.

Note:
If u r going to serve this for guests, just add 1 tbsp of ghee at the end and serve .The other way to impress them is add ghee for seasoning itself.This gives the dish a wonderful aroma.
To makeit thicker , i hav used canned coconut milk.

Spicy egg curry

Eggs are loved by all and plays a vital role in non vegetarian menu.This curry has boiled eggs marinated in tomato puree, which gives the dish a tangy taste."Egg a day keeps the doc away "-for only kids..,but my hubby will always say this to have an egg daily....Hmm but i have to restrict him to have it twice a week.Egg curry is one of my fav too...lets get into the recipe....

Ingredients:
1.Eggs                  -          4
2.Onion                -          1
3.Tomato             -           1 1/2
4.Green chillies    -            1
5.G&G paste      -             1 tsp
6.Red chilli pwdr -             1 tsp
7.Curry leaves     -             1 spring
8.Cilantro

Method:
* Boil eggs with a pinch of salt.
* Chop the onion finely and slit green chilly.
* Grind tomatoe and cilantro into a fine paste.
* Take a wide pan,add oil and splutter with mustard seeds, urad dal,curry leaves.
* Saute onion with green chillies and sprinkle some salt.
* Add G&G paste and saute it well with onion.
* Wait untill oil separates from onion..add tomatoe puree.
* Add turmeric pwdr,red chilli pwdr and little salt.
* Cover and cook untill raw smell of the chilli pwdr vanishes.
* Mean while ,peel the egg and make slits into it.This will make the masala to enter the egg.
* Drop the eggs into the gravy and cook for 2 more minutes and turn off the heat.
* Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot rice.
Egg Curry

Creamy Bottle Gaurd Curry

Bottle Gaurd is rich in minerals and ofcourse difficult to make our family have it .We have to do so many jimicks to feed them.My friend sho gave me the idea of adding roasted urad dal.Believe me, it gave the same restaurant style bottle gaurd curry.It tasted heavenly with grinded masala mixture.

Ingredients:
1.Bottle gaurd          -       1 cup
2.Onion                    -       1
3.Tomato                  -       1
4.Green chillies       -        2.
5.Moong dal            -         1/2 cup
6.Turmeric pwdr     -         1 tsp
7.Cilantro

For grinding:
1.Coconut               -        2 pieces
2.Fried Urad dal      -         1 tsp2.
3.Green chilly         -         1
4.Cumin seeds        -          1 tsp

For Tempering:
1.Mustard seeds       -        1 tsp
2.Urad dal                -         1 tsp
3.Red chillies           -         1
4.Curry leaves          -         few springs


Method:
* Peel and cut the bottle gaurd.Chop onion,slit green chillies.
* Grind all the ingredients under 'For grinding'.
* Pressure cook moong dal with onion,tomato,green chillies ,turmeric pwdr for 3 whistles.
* When moong dal is fully cooked, add bottle gaurd and cook without putting weight.
* Allow ,bottle gaurd to cook fully, now dump in the grinded mixture to the bottle gaurd .
* Mix well and cover it.
* In a separate pan, add oil and splutter with all ingredients under 'for tempering'.
* Now pour the tadka to the bottle gaurd gravy.
* Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot rice or chapathi.

Note:
We can also add coconut milk to make it richer.

Chicken Salna ( Spicy chicken Stew )

Chicken Salna is very famous,street side food in southern Tamilnadu.Its nothing but a chicken marination with coconut blend.It goes very well with parottas.This is my husband's favourite too.I had this in one of my friend's house .With some variations, I tried and it was a hit.Give it a try , ur parottas will vanish just like that.



Ingredients:
1.Chicken             -         1 pound
2.Onion                -          1
3.Green chillies   -           6
4.G&G Paste       -           1 tbsp
5.Coriander pwdr -           1 tbsp
6.Turmeric Pwdr  -            1 tsp
7.Cilantro             -             few springs
7(a) Curry leaves -             1 spring
8.Whole Garam masala    ( 1/2 inch cinnamon,4 cloves,1 tsp fennel seeds)

For Grinding:
1.Coconut               -      4 pieces
2.Fennel seeds      -       1 tsp
3.Cashews             -       3 to 4
4.Green chillies     -       2

Method:
* Wash and cut chicken.Grind the " For Grinding " ingredients and make a fine paste.
* Chop onion and slit green chillies.
* In a pressure cooker, add oil and splutter with curry leanes and whole garam masalas.
* Add Onion and saute with green chillies.
* Sprinkle some salt and cook till it looses its texture.
* Now add chicken and cook till it turns to white color.
* Dump in the G&G paste and and saute it well.
* Now add coriander and turmeric pwdrs and toss it well.
* When the raw smell is eliminated, add the grinded mixture and mix it well.
* Pressure cook , the chicken  mixture for 1 whistle .
* Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with parottas,roti,naan..

Note:
We can also add the grinded mixture after cooking for 1 whistle.

Black eyed pea curry

In Southeastern parts of  USA, it is believed that, eating black eyed pea,on new years's eve, brings good luck.This custom is 1500 years old.Also it has several nutritional values.I picked these ,when I went to a mexican shop.My veges are getting over, so I planned to do this curry.It came out really well .Give it a try, it will be too good.

Ingredients:
1.Black eyed peas                   -    1 cup
2.Potato                                   -    1
3.Onion                                   -     1/2
4.Tomato                                 -     1
4(a).Garlic                              -      4 to 5 pods
5.Chilli pwdr                          -      1 tbsp
5(a).Turmeric pwdr                -       1 tsp
6.Coriander pwdr                    -       2 tbsp
7.Tamarind  juice                   -        1 cup
8.Coriander  leaves                -         few springs

For Tempering:
1.Oil                                       -      1/4 cup
2.Methi seeds                          -      1/2 tsp
3.Cumin seeds                        -        1 tsp
4.Mustard seeds                      -       1 tsp
5.Curry leaves                         -       1 spring

Method:
* Soak the peas over night.
* Wash and pressure cook black eyed peas for a whistle or boil till its half cooked and keep it aside.
* Chop onion,tomatoes ,cube potato and peel garlic pods.
* In a pan add oil, temper with methi seeds,cumin seeds and mustard seeds.
* Add onion , garlic and saute till onion becomes translucent.
* Always sprinkle some salt to onion, this makes onion to cook fast.
* Add potato and mix it with onion.
* Dump in the tomatoes and sprinkle some salt.
* When tomato gets mashed up, add chilli pwdr ,corainder pwdr,turmeric pwdr.
* Let all these masalas,loose their raw smell.
* Pour tamarind juice and bring it to boil.
* Now add the boiled black eyed pea to the gravy.
* Keep the pan in medium flame and let the gravy to thicken.
* Adjust salt to taste and turn it off.
* Add a tsp of ghee and close the lid.
* Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice.

Note:
We can also add coconut mlik to this curry, it will enhance the flavor.

Cauliflower Lilva curry

 Got bored of doing the same old cauliflower curry. Thought of giving a companion to the beautiful flower.Checked my freezer, and saw Valar Lilva waitng there for me to join cauliflower.Got a wonderful dish for my lunch with cabbage chana dal curry.





Tiny Lilvas jumping out!!!

  
Ingredients:
1.Cauliflower      -   1/2
2.Valar Lilva       -   1 cup
3.Onion                -    1
4.Tomato              -   1
5.G&G paste        -   1 tbsp
6.Chili pwdr         -   1 tbsp
7.Turmeric pwdr   -   1 tsp
8.curry leaves       
9.cilantro

Method:
* Wash the cauliflower florets and add water ,salt and boil for 2 mins in microwave.
*  Drain the water and keep it aside.
* In a pan, add oil and splutter with fennel seeds and curry leaves.
* Saute the onion,tomatoes until they form a paste.
* Add the G&G paste and saute it.
* Now add the cauliflower ,Lilva and giv it a toss.
* Sprinkle some turmeric pwdr and chilli pwdr and mix it well.
* Cover it and cook for 7 mins or untill the cauliflwr is cooked well.

* Adjust salt to taste.Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.
Vegetarian Curry

Chole Puri

I like the big puri elegantly placed in the middle of the plate and added with chole, onion and a thin slice of lemon.Just squeeze the lemon, add onions and mix. Wow when we eat it with a piece of puri ,its mesmerizing..... When we were small, my dad used to take us to "Geetha cafe" in pondy bazaar.And their chole puri is awesome.I wud always wonder how to do . Now i came to know the secret after coming to dallas. I am happy to show u my secret.

Chole
Ingredients:
1.Chana - 1 cup
2.Onion - 1
3.Tomato - 1
4.Green chillies - 3 to 4
5.chole masala - 1 1/2 tbsp
6.curd - 1 tbsp
7.curry leaves
8.cilantro
9.Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Method:
*Soak the chana over night or for 4 hrs and pressure cook it.
*Chop the onion , tomato and slit the green chillies.
* Take half of the cooked chana and grind it in a blender.
* Take a pan and splutter it with whole garam masalas and curry leaves.
* Saute the onions and green chillies.Saute it with ginger garlic paste.
*When the onion turns brown, add the chopped tomatos.sprinkle some salt.
*When the tomatoes are cooked, add the chole masala and turmeric pwdr.
* After few minutes add the grinded chana and make it a gravy.
* Now add the chana with water.
* Bring it to a boil and add a tbsp of curd.
* Turn off and garnish with cilantro.
Serve hot with Puri and spice it up with onions and lemon.

Channa Masala