Stuffed Tindora Gravy

Ingredients

Serves 3 to 4

List 1

Tindora - 1/2 lbs

Mustard - 1 tsp

Fennel seed - 1 tsp

Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 2 springs

Oil - 2 tsp

List 2

Ground nuts - 1/2 cup

Sesame seeds - 2 tbs

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Coriander seeds - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chilli powder - 2 tsp

Powdered jaggery - 2 to 3 tsp

Salt to taste.

Heat a pan, dry roast groundnuts, sesame seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds. Set aside and let it cool. Meanwhile, wash tindora and make two lengthwise slits one vertically and other one horizontally.

For stuffing, make a dry powder with all the roasted ingredients, chilli powder, turmeric powder, powdered jaggery and salt. Stuff it into each tindora.

Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter mustard, fenugreek and fennel. Then add stuffed tindora and curry leaves, sauté well for 2 to 3 mins. Then reduce the heat to medium and cook the tindora for 6 to 7 mins or until the skin is soft. Mix the remaining masala powder and tamarind paste in 2 to 3 cups of water and pour into the kadai. Mix well, Check for salt and let it cook in medium low for 15 to 20 mins or until oil oozes out (stir occasionally). Turn off the heat. Serve hot with chapathi or rice.

Chicken Kuzhambu Chettiar style

Ingredients

Serves 4

List 1

Chicken - 2 lbs

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Shallots or pearl onions - 1/4 cup sliced

Green chilly - 3 nos slit open

Curry leaves - 2 springs

Mustard - 1 tsp

Coconut oil - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

List 2

Cinnamon - 1 " piece

Cloves - 5 nos

Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp

Fennel seeds - 2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Dry red chilly - 2 nos

Onion (big) - 1 sliced

Ginger - 1 " minced

Garlic - 5 pods minced

Grated coconut - 1 cup

Coriander powder - 3 to 4 tsp

Heat oil in a pan. Add all the spices in List 2 one by one in the given order. Once you get the aroma add the onion and stir well for one minute, then add the ginger and garlic to it mix well and stir for 2 to 3 mins. After that add grated coconut to it and stir for few seconds. Then finally add the coriander powder, mix well and turn off the heat. Let it cool and grind it to a smooth paste. (Note : Use Ultra wet grinder to ground the masala for authentic taste.)

Meanwhile wash and clean the chicken.

Mix the ground masala with 4 to 5 cups of water in a stock pot. Turn on the heat and add turmeric powder. Let it boil, then add the chicken pieces and salt to it. Close it with a lid and reduce the heat to medium. Let it cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the lid and allow it to boil until it reduces to the consistency you like. Finally season it with mustard, shallots, green chilly and curry leaves using coconut oil.

Cabbage sabzi

Ingredients

Shredded cabbage - 4 cups

Garlic - 2 pods minced

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Oil or ghee - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Chopped coriander for garnishing

Heat ghee or oil in a large pan. Splutter cumin seeds and add the minced garlic stir for few seconds. Then add the shredded cabbage, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt, stir well. Reduce the heat to medium and close the lid for 5 minutes. Finally add the garam masala, stir for 2 to 3 minutes and turn off the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapathi.

Stuffed Italian Eggplant

Ingredients

Serves 2

Large egg plant - 1

Italian stewed tomatoes - 1 can

Red bell pepper - 1/4 cup sliced

Green bell pepper - 1/4 cup sliced

Garlic - 1 pod minced

Olive oil - 1 tsp

Grated mozzarella cheese - 2 handful

Parmesan cheese - 1/4 cup

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven for 375 degree. Halve the eggplant lengthwise and make small slashes in the flesh ( do not make deep slashes). Sprinkle little salt and place them on a baking sheet and bake the eggplants for 20 to 25 minutes. After that, remove the flesh from the baked eggplants and set aside.

For filling

Heat olive oil in a pan and stir garlic for few seconds and add the stewed tomatoes and stir until cooked and all the moisture is absorbed. Then add the eggplant flesh, red bell pepper and green bell pepper stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off the heat.

Divide the filling into halves. Stuff it in the eggplants and top it with mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake it in 350 degree for 30 minutes. Serve it with your favorite pasta.

Asparagus and Chicken pasta

Ingredients

Serves 2 to 3

Asparagus - 1 bunch

Chicken - 2 boneless thighs cut into bite size pieces

Penne pasta - 2 cups

Garlic - 2 pods minced

Alferdo sauce - 1 cup

Parmesan cheese - 2 tbs

Dried oregano - 1/2 tsp

Dried parsley - 1 tsp

Italian seasoning - 1/2 tsp

olive oil - 2 tsp

salt and pepper to taste

Cook penne pasta as per instruction given in the package. Wash and remove the stem parts from the asparagus and cut them into bite size pieces.

Heat olive oil in a large pan, add minced garlic stir for few seconds and then add chicken pieces with salt and pepper. When the chicken is lightly brown, add the asparagus to the pan. Cook both the chicken and asparagus for couple of minutes. Then add dried oregano, dried parsley, Italian seasoning and alferdo sauce, mix well and then add cooked penne pasta and toss it well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Finally sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and serve hot.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients

Serves 3

Spinach - 2 bunches

Paneer cubes - 2 cups

Onion - 1 sliced

Tomato - 1 chopped

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Green chilly- 1 no

Cumin seed - 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon - 1" piece

Cloves - 2 nos

Cardamom - 2 nos

Mace - 1 small piece

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp

Kasturi methi - 1 hefty pinch

Whole cashew nuts - 4 nos

Sugar - 1 1/2 tsp

Oil or ghee

Salt to taste

Wash spinach leaves and put them in boiling water and cook for 10 mins. After that drain the water, let it cool and then grind it to a smooth paste. Shallow fry paneer cubes in 1 tsp of ghee or oil until each sides turns golden brown and drain it on a paper towel.

Heat 2 tsp of ghee or oil in a kadai, splutter cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and mace, once its emits aroma add onion and green chilly stir for 2 to 3 mins and add ginger garlic paste saute until it leaves raw smell. Then add tomatoes followed by chilli powder, coriander powder, kasturi methi, cashew nuts and salt, cook until raw smell leaves by adding little water for about 5 to 10 mins in medium high. Then turn off the heat. let it cool and grind it to a smooth paste.

In the same kadai, add both the ground masala and spinach paste mix well ( do not add water).Cook it in medium heat for 10 to 15 mins (stir occasionally). Then add sugar, stir well and check for salt. Finally add paneer cubes and turn off the heat. Serve hot with naan or rotis.

Mushroom Masala

Ingredients

Serves 3

Mushroom - 1 packet

Onion - 1 finely chopped

Tomato - 2 finely chopped

Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Kasturi methi - 1/4 tsp

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Coconut milk - 1/2 cup

Oil - 3 tsp

Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped

Salt to taste

Clean the mushrooms and quarter them. Heat oil in kadai, splutter cumin seeds, then saute onion until golden brown and add ginger garlic paste stir until raw smell leaves. Add the tomatoes, cook until it is soft and mushy and add mushroom give it a quick stir. Then add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, kasturi methi and salt, mix well and add 1 cup of water. When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium and close the lid, let it cook for 10 to 15 mins or until oil is seen on sides. Finally add garam masala and coconut milk, cook it in medium heat for 10 to 15 mins by stirring occasionally or until the dry consistency (as shown in the picture). Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with naan, chapathi or pulao.

Poondu kuzhambu Chettinad style

Ingredients

Serves 5 to 6

List 1

Garlic - 2 whole bulbs peeled

Pearl Onion - 15 to 20 peeled and sliced into half

Tomatoes - 2 nos

Tamarind paste - 2 tsp

Coriander powder - 3 tsp heaped

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Mustard - 1 tsp

Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp

Fennel - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 10 to 15 leaves

Gingelly oil - 1 tbs

Salt to taste

List 2

Urad dal - 1/2 tsp

Bengal gram dal - 1/2 tsp

Tuvar dal - 1/2 tsp

Pepper corns - 1/4 tsp

Coriander seeds - 2 tbs

Fennel seed - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp

Dry red chilly - 3 nos

Raw rice - 2 tsp

For Kuzhambu Powder

Heat a pan and add all the ingredients in List 2 one by one in the given order, keep in medium heat and roast all the ingredients until you get the aroma ( do not burn them). Turn off the heat. Let it cool and make a fine powder.

Heat oil in a kadai. Add sliced pearl onions and saute for few seconds. Then add the garlic, keep it in medium heat and saute for 2 to 3 mins (do not burn the garlic). After that add the chopped tomatoes with little salt and stir well. Let it cook, meanwhile mix tamarind paste, coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, 2 1/2 tsp freshly ground kuzhambu powder and salt to taste in 3 to 4 cups of water. Once tomatoes are mushy, pour the tamarind water and mix well. Increase the heat to high and let it boil. When it starts to boil, add sugar, mix well and decrease the heat to medium. Close it with lid and let it cook until you see oil on top. Season it with mustard, fenugreek, fennel and curry leaves. If you need a thicker consistency continue to cook for 10 to 15 mins in medium heat, by stirring it occasionally. Goes well with rice, idli and dosa.

Note: Store the excess Kuzhambu powder in a air tight container and refrigerate it for future use.