Chicken curry with coconut milk / Kerala chicken curry

This curry is a creamy with full of flavor and spices. Very easy and delicious recipe. This goes very well with Kerala paratha or rice.

Ingredients:

500 grms boneless chicken
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cinnamon
2-3 cloves
2-3 cardamom
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp chopped garlic
1/2 ginger paste
2 medium size onions
1 tomato
green chillies as per taste
few curry leaves
1 tsp red chilli pwdr
1 tsp coriander pwdr
2 tsp chicken masala
1/2 tsp pepper pwdr
salt to taste
oil

Method:

Take boneless chicken or you can also use chicken with bone which i have cut into bite size, washed and cleaned very well. Heat oil in a pan add all the whole spices. Toss it for minute or so then add ginger and garlic. Then add the sliced onions, green chillies and curry leaves.Once the onion becomes translucent add tomatoes and place the flame on low for 2 minutes. Then add red chilli pwdr, coriander pwdr and chicken masala. Mix all very well on low flame for few minutes.

Once all the masala becomes nice brown colour (add little water if masala sticks to the pan) then add the chicken pieces. Give everything a nice mix with little warm water and close with a lid and let the chicken cook with the gravy.

Once chicken is all cooked add coconut milk and pepper powder and mix everything altogether. let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.Now chicken curry is all ready to serve.

Chana Masala / Chole masala

Chana masala is a traditional Punjabi cuisine. Also know as Chole masala, this recipe is made using boiled Kabuli chana or Garbanzo beans and some spices (garam masala). This recipe goes well with bhatura, puri or even bread or rice.

Ingredients:

1 cup Kabuli chana
1 bay leaf
1 large onion (grated)
1 medium tomato
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp coriander pwdr
1 tsp red chilli pwdr
2 tblsp chana masala pwdr
1 tea bag
water
salt to taste
oil

Method:

 Step 1
Wash and soak Kabuli chana in water for 5-6 hrs. Then in a pressure cooker add the chana and water (water level should be little above the chana) with salt and one tea bag. Let it whistle.

Step 2
In a saucepan add oil and bay leaf.
Once its nice hot add grated onion and salt. Mix and cook well until the raw smell of onion goes away.
Then to that add ginger garlic paste.
Give it a mix and once everything turns brown add in the diced tomatoes and close it with the lid on medium flame.
Once the tomatoes are all melted, lower the flame and add the dry spices coriander powder, red chilli powder and chana masala powder and give it a mix. Let all the masala cook on low flame for minute or so.
Now remove the tea bag and add in the boiled chana with water to the gravy.
 Let the chana simmer in the gravy for few minutes so that it absorbs all the masala from it.And then garnish it with few finely chopped coriander leaves.
Chana masala is all done.Serve with puri, bhatura or rice.

Pictorial:

In a heated pan add oil then add bay leaf, stir for seconds then add grated onion. Saute until raw smell goes away.

                                                                 

Then add ginger garlic paste.Mix for few seconds and then add chopped tomatoes.

                                                                 

Saute until all the tomatoes get melted. Then add all the dry ingredients and mix well on low flame.

Add little leftover water from boiled chole,and let it cook for 1-2 minutes.

Then add chana to the masala, stir well and let it simmer for few minutes or until the gravy is to the right consistency.

Notes:

1. Soak chana overnight for best result.
2. At any given point of time do not apply alot of pressure while stirring the chana.
3. You can skip tea bag, if u don't want garbanzo beans to be black in colour.

Prawns fry / Shrimp fry

Prawns /Shrimp fry is a delicious sea food recipe, very simple with basic spices and it's an instant dish that can be made in few minutes. This is a great appetizer or also can go well with main course as a side dish.

Ingredients:

500 grms Prawns / Shrimp cleaned and deveined
1 tbsp coriander powder
1tbsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tsp tamarind pulp (or lemon juice)
few curry leaves

Cleaning : Remove the tail and head part and then run a sharp knife back of the shrimp down and pull the meat slightly apart and then pull off the main central vein up with the tip of the knife or fingers.

Method:

1.  After deveining, clean the shrimp with water and drain the excess water. In a bowl add all the spices red chilli pwdr, coriander pwdr, turmeric pwdr, pepper pwdr, tamarind juice, ginger paste and salt. 
2. Mix all the ingredients well and check for the salt and then add the shrimp to the mixture.Mix the whole mixture well so that the shrimp gets coated well with the masala. Rest the mixture for about 10-15 minutes.
3. Take a frying pan or skillet, add little oil and heat it. Add the marinated shrimp into the heated oil.
4. Add chopped curry leaves on top of it and cover it with lid and let it cook on low flame. Stir the mixture in between but gently.
5.  Once the shrimp is all cooked, increase the flame to medium and keep tossing. 
6. Lastly, garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Pictorial:

                               Clean the shrimp with water and drain the excess water.

In a bowl mix all the ingredients together.

                          Add shrimp to the paste and coat well with all the mixture.

Heat a pan and add some oil, once oil is hot add the shrimp gently.

Add few curry leaves on top of the shrimp. Cook the shrimp on low flame with lid closed. Stir the mixture in between.

                                                          Shrimp fry is ready to serve.

Medu vada / Urad dal vada

Medu Vada refers to the cuisine of a particular region of Southern India. These Vada's are crispy on the outside but soft and spicy from inside. We can have this with any kind of Chutneys or Sambar. I make this often during weekends since it's my husband'sone of the favorite snacks. 

Prep time: 30 mins     Soaking time: 3-4 hrs    cooking time: 1-2 min per batch

Ingredients:

Urad Dal: 1.5 cup
Onion: 1/2 finely chopped
Ginger: 2 tblsp finely chopped
Green chilli: as per your taste
Curry leaves: i handful finely chopped
Salt as per your taste
Pepper: 1/2 tsp
Water as needed
Oil for frying

Method:

Wash and soak Urad dal for 3-4 hrs in water. Now drain the water and grind it in a blender to a very smooth paste. Add little water as needed. Batter should be thick enough to give a proper shape.

Then transfer it into a mixing bowl and add pepper and salt to it.Mix it well and check for salt.

Then add onions, ginger, curry leaves and green chillies in the batter and mix well until the batter is nice fluffy ( for 1-2 mins).

Now wet your left palm with water and place a small portion of the batter on your left palm and make a small hole in the center and with help of the right hand drop it in hot oil.

Fry this till golden brown on low to medium flame, or else the vada's will be crispy from outside but uncooked from inside. Drain it in a paper towel.

Notes: 

1. Add little water while grinding, If you add lots of water, you won't be able to shape it and will also drink oil.
2. If prepared batter sits around for long, it won't taste good and the batter will turn sour or fermented.

Walnut Chutney

This chutney was suggested by my husband, but i was bit hesitant about it as it's usually not considered for preparing chutneys. To mellow the walnut taste i added coconut to it and it turned out very tasty. This would go great with any appetizers.

prep time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Walnut: 1 cup
shredded Coconut: 1-2 tblsp (fresh or dried)
garlic: 2 cloves
green chilli  as per taste
salt as per taste
curry leaves

Tempering:

cumin seed: 1 tsp
mustard seed: 1 tsp
asafoetida a pinch
dry red chilly (whole) 1-2 nos.
curry leaves
oil

First soak walnut and coconut ( if dry) in warm water for few minutes. So that the it becomes bit soft and easy to grind.

Then after few minutes drain the water and add walnut, coconut, garlic, green chillies and few curry leaves in a blender and grind it to a fine paste with little restrained water.

Now remove the mixture into a serving bowl and add salt to it. Then place a pan, once its hot add oil, asafoetida, mustard seeds, once the mustard seed starts popping add curry leaves, red chillies and cumin seeds. Switch of the flame and add the tempering to the chutney.Mix well.

Notes:

1. Use coconut oil for nice rich flavour.

Banana cupcakes or Banana muffins

Prep time: 15 mins    Cook time: 20 mins   total time: 35 mins
Yield: 10-12 nos.

Ingredients:

1-2 Banana(ripened)
1 cup All purpose flour (Maida)
1 tsp baking pwd
1/2 tsp baking soda
1-2 pinch of salt
1 Egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil

Preparations:

Preheat the oven to 400 degree F. Grease a muffin line or mold. Take a bowl, peel banana and mash it with fork or masher.

Now add sugar and oil to the mashed banana and mix everything together, whisk egg in a separate bowl for a minute or so then add to the banana mixture.

Now its time to add all the dry ingredients one by one baking pwdr, baking soda, salt and all purpose

flour. Give it a good last mix. Do not over beat just fold everything together till combined well. Batter is all ready. If u wish, can add in the toppings of ur choice i have added chocolate chips (semi sweet)

Take a cup cake mold and fill in 3/4th of each cup with batter (as the batter will rise) with ice cream scoop or with spoon. Heat them in the oven for 20 mins.When the toothpick inserted comes out clean that's when its ready. Immediately remove muffins on a cooling rack and let it cool down. Serve warm or can store in an airtight container at room temperature. All ovens are different so is the temperature make sure to keep an eye on it.

Notes:

1. This batter can be used to bake a cake or a loaf instead of muffins.
2. I am using standard oven.