Tomato (thakaali Chutney)

This is the recipe of Aachi, the nanny, who take care of us when we were children. She died when I was in 12th std and I learnt this from my mom. A hot favourite of my family members and friends, I thought this will be a good recipe to share and this goes very well with idli or dosa.
Ingredients ( for 2 persons)
Onions - 3
Tomatoes-2
Red chillies -5
Garlic - 3 to 4 Cloves
Tamarid- a very small ball, less than the size of small gooseberry
Urad dhal- 1 tsp
Channa dhal ( kadalai paruppu)-1 tsp
Asafoetida powder- two three pinches
Mustard- 1/2 tsp
Gingelly oil- 1 tab spoon
Salt to taste
Procedure
Pour oil in a Kadai.  Once the oil becomes hot, add Mustard, Urad dhal and channa dhal one by one. Saute till it becomes light brown. See that the dhals are not over cooked. Add the asafoetida powder, garlic and the red chillies .Add the chopped onion. Cook till it becomes golden  brown .Add the tomatoes. Cook till it becomes soft and soggy .  Cooking the onion and tomatoes nicely is the secret of this  recipe.

 Add the tamarind in between and cook for one or two minutes. You may innovate by adding curry leaves or if you want to increase the quantity then you can add few coconut pieces. Add salt to taste

Remove from the stove. Grind it in the mixie after it cools down. Serve with idli or dosa. Don't forget to add few drops of Gingelly oil over the chutney when you serve to enjoy the ultimate taste.

Chicken soup - south Indian style

This soup tastes so lovely in cold climate especially when we are down with cold.
I am giving a recipe for 3 people.
Ingredients
Chicken -100gas
Onion- 2 medium sized
Tomato- 2 small size
Garlic-3 to 4 pods
Curry leaves
Turmeric powder-pinch
Chilly powder- 1/4 tea spoon
Cumin powder-1/2 tea spoon
Pepper powder- 1/4 spoon
Oil- 1 tsp
Coriander leaves
Small piece of cinnamon
Cloves-2
Saunf-1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

Procedure
Heat oil .add Clove, cinnamon and Saunf. After it splutters, add finely chopped onion and saute till it becomes soft. add finely chopped tomatoes and cook till becomes soft. Add garlic pods, chicken, chilli powder, turmeric powder, jeera powder and salt. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the curry leaves and you smell a nice aroma.

 Add around 3 to 4 glasses of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles and 5 minutes. Once the pressure goes , add pepper powder and cook it in slow flame for 5 minutes.  you add little water if needed.Garnish with finely chopped Coriander leaves and serve

Chicken Chettinad- semi dry

I learnt the basic recipe from my mother in law and my sister in law and made some modifications. I am sure the vessel will be emptied by the dear family members rather than when cooked as a gravy

Ingredients

Chicken- 1/2 kg

Oil- 1 tbs

Onion-2

Tomato-2

Potato- 2 medium sized 

Chilli powder-1tsp

Jeera powder-1/2tsp

Pepper powder-1/2 tsp

Coriander powder-2 tsp

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves

Ginger garlic paste-1tbs

Cinnamon- a small piece

Saunf-1/2tsp

Cloves -3

Cardamom-1

Procedure

Heat oil in a Kadai. Add the spices. once it splutters add finely chopped onion and cook  till it becomes golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell goes. Then cook the tomatoes till it becomes nice and soft.Add the curry leaves.

Add the chicken and saute for few minutes.  Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, Coriander powder, Jeera powder, saute for 2 minutes. Add water till covers the chicken.Add the potatoes , salt and curry leaves. cook covered in medium flame for around 15 to 20 minutes. 

Make sure the chicken and potato are cooked and tender. Then increase the flame of the stove and cook till the preparation becomes semi dry. Frequent stirring and constant watching is required at this stage. when it is almost dry, add the pepper powder and mix thoroughly. Cook for 2 minutes if necessary in slow flame. Garnish with finely chopped Coriander leaves. Serve with rice, Chappathi, roti etc.. 

Mutton chops

My mother in law cooks this dish excellently and I have adopted her recipe with minor modifications.
Ingredients
Mutton chest bone chops -1/4 kg
Onion-2
Tomato-2
Ginger garlic paste- 1 tbs
Chilli powder-1/2 tsp
Coriander powder- 2tsp
Turmeric powder- pinch
Jeera powder- 1/4 tsp
Clove-2 pieces
Cinnamon-a very small piece
For grinding
Coconut strips from one fourth of a coconut
Khus khus- 1/4tsp
Saunf-1/4 tsp
Pepper-5 to 6 pods
Dry roast all of them and grind into a smooth paste
Procedure
Heat oil in a cooker , add Clove, cinnamon and then add the onion. saute till it becomes golden brown..add the ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell goes. add the tomatoes , cook till it becomes soft and tender. add the Mutton chops, saute it. add chilli powder, turmeric powder, Coriander and jeera powder and mix nicely. add the required quantity of water and pressure cook for 3 to 5  whistles and keep it for 5 minutes. Add the ground paste to this and cook till the raw smell goes and oil separates .

Mutton Cutlet

This is one of the signature dishes of my mom and our favourite too . The measures mentioned in the recipe will yield around 15 pieces .
Ingredients
Minced Mutton: 1/4 kilo
Potatoes - 1/4 kilo
Onion medium sized- 4 onions
Green chillies- 5 no
Finely chopped Garlic-5 pods
Finely chopped Ginger- 2 small pieces
Finely chopped fresh Coriander leaves- half handful
Soya sauce- 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Bread crumbs
One egg
Pinch of Pepper
Oil for frying
To boil with Mutton
Pinch of turmeric
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Procedure
Boil the potatoes, peel the skin, mash it and keep aside.
Cook the Minced meat with Turmeric powder, Chilli powder , ginger garlic paste and salt in a pressure cooker and adding little water just to cover the meat. Pressure cook till 3 whistles and in slow flame for 5 minutes. If the cooked meat has water, keep it in low flame till the remaining water reduces.

Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan , saute finely chopped ginger and garlic for a minute, then add onions, chillies  and saute till soft , add Coriander leaves,mashed potato, soya sauce, ground minced meat, salt to taste and mix thoroughly. Remove the vessel from the stove and allow it to cool.

Make the mixture into small balls and flatten them to a circle shape. This should not be loose. Beat the egg with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Spread the bread crumps in a plate. ( I usually powder rusk in a mixie and use it) keep it ready for coating.  Dip the circle meat roll in the egg , making sure to cover all the sides . Similarly roll it in the bread crumbs.

Heat 1 table spoon of oil in Tawa, once hot, add the Mutton rolls. Cook in slow flame with frequent careful turning to the other side till golden brown .

Your Mutton cutlet is ready.. Enjoy as a snack, starter, side dish..

Chicken Briyani- Home style

My mother in law cooks very tasty Briyani.  I learnt this recipe from her and gave minor changes to that.
Ingredients
Chicken - 1 Kg
Basmathi rice-1 Kg
Medium size onion- 6
Medium size tomato- 5
Ginger garlic paste - 3  table spoon
Green chillies - 7 to 8
Mint leaves- one hand ful
Coriander leaves- one and a half handful
Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
Red Chilli powder- 2 tsp
Lemon-1
Ghee - 1 tbs
Cooking oil- 2 test
Spices
Clove-3 to 4
Cardamom- 3 to 4
Saunf- 1 tsp
Aniseeds- 3 to 4
Bay leaf- 2
Cinnamon- 2 small pieces
Procedure
Chop onion into long slender pieces, chop the tomatoes into medium sized cubes, wash the mint and Coriander leaves and chop them.  Measure the rice using a glass or cup in your house and note the measurement. This is very important.
 Wash the rice taking care not to break it and soak it water when you start preparing the masala ( the next step). Heat the oil and Ghee in a pan, add the spices , let it splutter, then add the onions, cook till golden brown, add the ginger garlic paste, stir frequently till raw smell goes, then add the tomatoes and chilli , cook till it becomes soft, add the Coriander and mint leaves and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken, turmeric and chilli powder , saute it and cook it for 5 minutes adding  a cover to the vessel. Mean while strain the water from rice and keep it aside.

Measurement of water for making Briyani is for every measure/cup of rice, we need to use one and a half measure / cup of water. For example if we are using 6 glasses of rice, then the water used  should be 9 glasses.

Add the water in the cooker,  add the masala with chicken and let it boil, once the water starts boiling add the rice, lemon juice and cover it. Check the salt and add if needed at this stage. You cannot add later as it won't blend nicely.
If we are using the pressure cooker, put the lid and wait till pressure escapes. Put the whistle cook till 3 whistle comes and switch of the stove.
If you are cooking in rice cooker, please mix two times in between so that it gets cooked equally in all sides. Allow it to be in the warm mode for some time, so that it gets cooked uniformly.  I find cooking Briyani in rice cooker very easy .

Briyani is ready ..

Mabel Tea cake

While I was trying to name the cake debating Mom's teacake , I thought more appropriate and justified will be Mabel Tea cake. Mabel aunty as well call her, my mom's colleague and neighbour learnt this recipe and showed us and my mom. It was almost 30 years ago. Then it was no stopping for us ( Caroline, Billy and me) . Every Harvest festival in the Church and during Christmas time, we will be helping her mix the cake ( those days we had to use wooden mathu and which I was using till few years back) and wait to lick the left over mix from the vessel. ( It's so yum)  I used to help my mom also. So the recipe and the procedure became so familiar  to me.
Mabel aunty is the who taught me not to wait till the day of harvest festival to raise funds.  She takes prior orders and supplied them. Now I am following that .  Even after so many years, my cakes are never closer to hers in taste and look.

Ingredients
All purpose flour- 250 gas
Eggs- 6
Sugar-250 gms
Unsalted butter-250gms
Vanilla essence- 1 tsp
Baking powder- 1 tbsp
Cake seeds- 2 to 3 pinches
Nuts of your choice- Cashew, walnuts, dry grapes etc
Procedure
Powder the sugar in a mixer Jar. Add the butter and blend nicely.

 Collect the white of the eggs in a separate vessel and add the yolk to the above mixture. Blend it . Whisk the white of the eggs till frothy. Add it to the rest of the mixture. Add the baking powder and mix.. add the flour  and mix nicely .. add the essence and cake seeds ( cake seeds may be avoided if not available. It gives excellent flavour to the cake .I don't find it in Chennai. I used to bring it from home town).

Use butter paper in the cake vessel. Pre heat  the oven for 10 minutes. Keep the cake mixture in the oven and let it cook for 50 minutes to one hour with frequent checks  ( I use a very basic eletrical oven for this cake ). You can use the usual setting for cake in the latest ovens.

Enjoy the yummiest cake you would have ever tasted.

Cleaning of crab

Video of cleaning of crab

Cleaned crab 

Cooking in progress 

Bread halwa

Being a rich  dessert served with Briyani during weddings,   I decided to make a simpler version of it , which my daughter thoroughly enjoyed
Ingredients
4 to 5 slices of bread
250ml of milk
100 ml of ghee
Cashew nuts
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups of sugar(increase if you want it sweeter)
Vanilla essence 4 to 5 drops
Almonds finely chopped
Preparation
Soak the bread slices in milk( boiled milk ). Mash the bread in milk so that it becomes a paste.

Take a thick based pan or a non stick pan. Heat 50 ml of ghee and fry the cashews in low frame till it becomes light brown. Add the bread and milk to this and stir. Add the sugar and keep stirring.Add the vanilla essence. Add the remaining ghee. If you want it to be rich,  you can add more ghee.. I prefer less ghee. Keep stirring till the bread mixture does not stick to the pan. When we touch the halwa,  it should not stick to the fingers

Remove from the stove.  You can garnish with finely chopped Badam/Almonds and serve 

Aatu rathap poriyal

I remember my childhood days when my mother used to serve us with Idli and rathap poriyal and my father's friends family get together where this will be a must for breakfast as well as other delicacies. I feel very nostalgic and I miss my childhood days and my home town which is famous for food
Ingredients
Goat's blood
Onion 2 in no
Ginger - 2 Julians finely chopped
Garlic - 5 to 6 cloves finely chopped
Green chillies
Turmeric powder - 1 tspecial
Jeera powder - 2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Chillie powder - 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Preparation

When we buy Goats blood it would have clotted and taken the shape of the bowl. Take it in a big strainer and using hands break it in to fine pieces.  Wash thoroughly. I prefer at least 4 to 5 times.  Heat oil in a kadai, add finely chopped  onion , chillies and curry leaves. Nicely saute and add the chopped ginger and garlic and saute. Once the onion gets cooked, add the finely broken Goats blood, turmeric powder, chillie powder and Jeera powder. Mix everything and add salt to taste. Cook it covered with frequent stirring . I prefer to cook for at least 15 minutes. Add the pepper powder, mix nicely and turn off the stove. Serve with rice or idly.

Rava Kesari

I prefer to make it using less ghee, sugar and colour
Ingredients
Sooji or Rava- 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup ( you may add more or less depending on your taste preference)
Ghee- 2 to 3 tbs
Cashew -10
Pachai  karpooram( Cooking one)- pinch
Food colour - few pinches
Elaichi /Cardamom- 3 pods
Preparation
Heat one tbs Ghee and roast the cashews in low flame till  it becomes light brown. Then roast the Rava till it starts to change colour.  You have to do this in low flame with continous stirring.

Boil 2 cups of water with food colour and crushed Elaichi, patchai Karpooram. ( this is the one used for cooking and avaliable in Grocery stores. If you don't like this smell then use Vanilla essence.  Once the water starts boiling add the rava/ sooji  taking care that no lumps are formed. Cook in low flame with continous stirring. As it thickens add sugar and stir continously. Add another tbs of Ghee and stir it seperates nicely from the Kadai.  The total cooking time will be only 10 to 15 minutes and it can be easily tried by beginners.

Chilli chicken dry - south Indian style

This is a very quick, easy, less oily recipe which I keep experimenting with.

Ingredients
Half a kg of  boneless chicken
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Curd - 1 tbs
Chillipowder - 1 tsp
Cumin seed powder-1 tsp
Turmeric powder - pinch
Oil - 1 tbs
Salt to taste
Pepper powder - 1/2tsp
Onion -2 chopped long and slender
Capsicum - 1 chopped long and slender
Green chillies - 2 to 3


Preparation
Marinate the chicken with ginger garlic paste, chilli powder, cumin powder,Turmeric powder, curd and salt for half an hour to 45 minutes. Heat oil in a non stick kadai and add the marinated chicken. Cook in low to medium flame for 15 to 20 minutes with frequent tossing.  See that the chicken is cooked but still soft and juicy .. take it from the stove

Heat one tsp of oil in a pan, add the onion, Capsicum and chillies and toss till semi cooked .. add the cooked chicken and toss for 5 minutes.. sprinkle pepaper powder ..toss and remove from the stove..A starter for grand party. .

Crab curry/ gravy

My all time favourite. I learnt the recipe from my mother in law but till now I am not able to match up to her taste
Ingredients
Crab- 1/2 kg
Onion -2
Tomatoes -2
Ginger garlic paste - 1 test
Curry leaves
Green chillies -3 to 4
Coconut 5 to 6 thin strips
Chillie powder - 1to 11/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Cummin powder -1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Gingelly  oil - 1 tbs
Salt to taste
Preparation
Clean the Crab by removing the shell. I got it cleaned in the fish stall itself.  Will demonstrate  the cleaning process in another post.. wash the cleaned crabs. Be careful so that the flesh does not get washed off..

Heat oil in a Kadai. Add the finely chopped onions and saute till golden brown..then add the ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw smell goes..add the tomatoes and cook till soft.. add the chillies and curry leaves.grind the coconut with Coriander powder, cumin powder , turmeric powder and Chillie powder.. add it to the onion and tomato mixture .. allow it boil for 5 to 10 minutes .. then add the Crab, add salt to taste. Cook covered. . Some water will come from Crab also.. see that there is adequate water so that it does not become too dry or too watery. Cook in medium flame for 10 minutes and low flame for 5 minutes. Before removing  from the stove, check whether the raw masala smell is gone. Sprinkle finely chopped  Coriander leaves. Serve with rice/ Idli or Chappathi .

Beetroot Halwa

I am not a great fan of Beetroot, infact my family members, so wanted to give this in a different tasty form to my family members. Takes hardly 15 to 20 minutes to complete.
Ingredients
Beetroot 250gms
Milk -1 cup
Ghee- 1 tbsp
Cashew nuts
Sugar to taste

Preparation
Scrape the Beetroot. Add little water. Cook it in a pressure cooker till one whistle. Once the pressure goes, add the milk ( you can use full cream milk or condensed milk.. if condensed milk is added  then  add sugar cautiously.

Heat Ghee in a Kadai and fry cashews in low flame till light brown, add the Beetroot milk mixture to this and allow the liquid to reduce. . Add sugar .. Beetroot  will have sweetness ,so be cautious in adding sugar or if you use condensed milk. Once it thickens remove from the stove and serve hot or cold 

Mango rice ( mangaa Saatham )

Mango Saathamm. A quick two minute variety rice. In summer with lot of raw mangoes available, it is definitely a not to miss food.

Ingredients
Raw Mango medium sized ( half)- scrapped
Rice - 1 cup
Turmeric powder- one pinch
Seasoning
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1tsp
Gram dhal - 1 tsp
Peanuts-10 to 15
Asafoetida- pinch
Curry leaves
Dry chillies 4 to 5
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
Preparation
Cook rice in your usual way.. see that the rice does not get overcooked .
Heat a Kadai ..add the oil .. once it becomes hot , add the Mustard seeds and let it splutter, add the uraddhal. . Saute till light brown, then gram dhal, and pea nut.. cook till light brown , add asafoetida.. red chillies and curry leaves and saute them ..Do all this in a low flame .. otherwise all this will get burnt .. then add scrapped raw mango , Turmeric powder and salt .. cook for 3 to 4  minutes and remove from the stove.

Take the cooked rice in a seperate vessel  and add the raw Mango preparation...mix both .. be careful not to break the rice and serve.