Mutton Sukka Varuval

Ingredients:

1/2 kg Mutton (Cut into very small bite size pieces)

1 Onion (Finely Chopped)

1 Tomato (Finely Chopped)

1 tbsp Garlic ginger paste

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 Bay leaf

2 whole Cardamom

2 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

1 Star anise

1 tbsp Fennel seeds

11/2 tbsp Mutton masala

1/2 tsp Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Coriander Powder

1 tsp poppy seeds + 1 tsp fennel seeds (Powdered)

5 dry chillies (Deseeded and torn into small pieces)

4 strands of curry leaves

Few stalks of Coriander leaves

4 tbsp Gingerly oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• In a pressure cooker, add the washed mutton together with onion, tomato, turmeric powder, garlic ginger paste, water and salt. Cook till meat is tender. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a small deep pan, fry the dry chillies and curry leaves till crispy. Drain and keep aside.
• Heat the gingerly oil in a wok and add the whole garam masala (Bay leaf, Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick and Star anise) and fennel seeds. Fry for a min.
• Add the cooked mutton together with the masala powders and salt. Stir everything together, cover the wok and cook for 5 mins under medium high flame.
• Then add the fried dry chillies and curry leaves and cook for few more mins till the mutton is dry. Switch off the stove.
• Serve it hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Prawn Drumstick Curry

Ingredients:

200 gms Tiger prawns

1 Drumstick (Cut into 1 inch long)

2 Onions (Finely chopped)

1 Tomato (Quartered)

3 Green Chillies (Slit)

1 tbsp Garlic ginger paste

3 strands of curry leaves

1 tsp Fennel seeds

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli powder

1/2 tbsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala

Few stalks of Coriander leaves

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

For Grinding Masala:

2 Shallots

2 tbsp freshly grated coconut

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

A pinch of turmeric powder

Method:

• Clean, shell, devein the prawns and keep aside.
• Saute all the ingredients given under the masala in a low flame and cool it completely before grinding it into a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a wok and add the fennel and fenugreek seeds. Fry for a min.
• Add the garlic ginger pastes and fry till the raw smell leaves, then add the onion, green chillies and curry leaves. Fry for 2 mins.
• Then add the drumstick, prawn and tomatoes together with turmeric, coriander and chilli powders. Stir everything together, cover the wok and cook for 5 mins under medium high flame.
• Then add grinded masala, garam masala and salt. Stir fry for couple of mins under low flame till prawns are cooked and the oil comes to the surface. Switch off the stove.
• Serve it hot garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Spicy Fish Fillets

Ingredients:

200 gms Firm fish (De skinned and cut into bite pieces)

10 cloves of Garlic (peeled and chopped)

2 Onions (Finely sliced)

2 Tomatoes (Quartered)

4 Green chillies (slit)

3 strands of curry leaves

1 tbsp Tomato puree

1 tbsp Fish masala (Fish curry powder)

1/2 tsp Garam masala

1 tbsp Lime juice

1 tbsp oil

1/4 cup oil for deep frying

3 tbsp Corn flour

Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash the fish fillets and pat dry with a kitchen paper towel. In a bowl combine the corn flour and a pinch of salt. Coat the fish fillets in the corn flour mixture, shake off the excess flour and keep aside on a plate.
• Heat oil in a deep pan, fry the coated fish in hot oil till crispy. Drain and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a wok and add the garlic, onion, green chillies and curry leaves. Fry for 2 mins.
• Then add the tomato puree, fish masala and tomatoes. Stir everything together, cover the wok and cook till the oil separates from the masala.
• Then add the fried fish fillets, garam masala and lime juice. Stir fry for another 2 mins and switch off the stove.
• Serve it hot with Roti/Naan.

Karunai Kilangu Masiyal

Ingredients:

4 Karunai kilangu

1 Onion (sliced)

1 Tomato (Quartered)

2 strands of curry leaves

2 Dry red chillies (deseeded and torn into 2)

1 tsp Fennel seeds

1 tbsp thick tamarind pulp

A pinch of hing

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp Gingerly oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash the karunai kilangu and boil it in salted water with a pinch of turmeric powder and a small piece of tamarind till well cooked. Cool and peel the skin and smash well. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a non stick pan and add the fennel seeds. Fry for a min.
• Then add the onion, dry chillies and curry leaves. Fry for 2 mins.
• Then add the tomatoes, hing and turmeric powder. Stir fry for 2-5 mins.
• Then add the smashed karunai kilangu, tamarind pulp and salt. Stir fry for couple of mins under medium flame till everything is well combined. Switch off the stove.
• Serve it hot with plain rice and sorrakai sambar. 

Sorrakai / Bottlegourd Sambar

Ingredients:

1/2 Sorakkai (Bottle gourd)

1 cup of Toor dhal

1 Onion (Finely Chopped)

2 Tomatoes (quartered)

2 strands of curry leaves

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 small lime size tamarind ball 

1 tbsp Sambar powder

1 tsp Jaggery (optional)

1 tbsp Gingerly oil

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Urad dhal

1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds

Few stalks of coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

• Wash and peel the outer skin of the bottle gourd, slit it lengthwise and cut it into medium size pieces. Keep aside.
• Wash the toor dhal and pressure cook it with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Smash and keep aside.
• Soak tamarind in 1/4 cup of warm water. Extract the thick pulp and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a wok and splutter the mustard, fenugreek, cumin seeds and urad dhal. Then add the onion and curry leaves. Fry for 2 mins.
• Now add the tomatoes and stir fry for a couple of mins. Then add the bottle gourd, turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt with 1/2 cup of water, cover the wok and cook.
• To the strained tamarind pulp, add the jaggery.
• When the bottle gourd is 3/4 done, add the mashed toor dhal and the tamarind extract. Let it boil for 2-5 mins. Switch off the stove. 
• Serve it garnished with chopped coriander leaves.

Kathirikai Masala

Ingredients:

5 small Brinjals

1 Onion (Sliced)

6 cloves of garlic (Sliced)

1 Tomato (Chopped)

2 strands of Curry leaves

1 tsp Sambar Powder

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Urad dhal

1/2 tsp Chana dhal

Oil for seasoning

salt to taste

Method:

• Wash the brinjals, cut it into long thin wedges. Put it in a bowl of salted water.
• Heat oil in a wok, splutter the mustard seeds, chana and urad dhal. Add the onion, garlic and curry leaves. Fry for 2 mins.
• Then add the brinjal and salt. Stir fry, cover and cook till it is 1/4 done .
• Then add the tomatoes and sambar powder and stir fry, cover and cook till brinjals are done. Switch off the stove.
• Serve it hot with rice.

Idiyappam / String Hoppers

Ingredients:

2 cups Idiyappam rice flour

Very hot boiling water

salt to taste

1/2 tsp oil

3 tbsp freshly grated coconut

A pinch of Cardamon powder

Sugar

Method:

• Bring a small pan of water to rolling boil.
• In a big bowl, add the rice flour and salt and rub to mix well.  
• Add the boiling water a little by little into the rice flour, using a slotted spoon mix everything till it forms a smooth soft dough. When the dough is cool enough to handle, knead it well with hands.
• In the meanwhile, get the steamer ready. Grease well with oil both the idiyappam presser and the steamer plates.
• Now fill the idiyappam presser with enough dough and squeeze into the greased streamer plates.
• Steam the idiyappam for 8-10 mins. Remove and sprinkle the cardamon powder on top of it.
• Serve the idiyappam hot with the freshly grated coconut and fine sugar.