Kongu nattu chicken curry

Ingredients
Chicken - 2 lb
Onion - 1 medium size
Tomato - 2  medium size
Ginger garlic - 1 Tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few
Salt

1. To dry roast and grind :
Red chilly - 8
Coriander seeds - 2 Tbsp
Black Pepper - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 1 inch

2. To sauté and grind :
Shallots - 8 to 10
Cocunut  - 1/2 cup grated
Oil - 1 tsp

3. To temper
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few

Method :

1. Dry roast the ingredients  under section one and grind it to a fine powder.
2. Sauté Shallots and grind it with Step 1 and cocunut.
3. In a pressure pan, add oil and add ingredients under section 3.
4. Add onions and sauté well.
5. Add ginger garlic paste and fry well.
6. Add tomatoes and fry well.
7. Add chicken and the ground paste .
8. Add salt and close the lid and let it cook for 2 whistles.
9. When the pressure is gone, open lid and add coriander leaves and serve.

Enjoy the joy of cooking.

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Masal vadai

Ingredients :

Channa dhal  - 1 cup ( makes 10 vadai )
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Green chilli -2 to 3
Curry leaves - 6
Coriander leaves - chopped few
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method :

1. Soak channa dhal for 2 hours.

2. Take a 2 Tbsp of soaked channa dhal and grind the rest to a coarse paste.

      Don't add water while grinding.

3. Add the rest channa dhal and grind for a second.

4. Add onion, green chilli, curry leaves ,fennel seed, salt, corainder leaves and give it a stir.

5. Make balls and press it to make a flat disc .

6. Pour oil for deep frying. When the oil is hot, put these vadai and fry it on both sides until golden brown.

7. Put it on the tissue to remove excess oil.

It's  ready to go.

Note.

If u want crispy one, reduce the time of soaking channa dhal.

Instead of making vadai, u can just throw it scrambled in the oil to make pakoda.

Enjoy the joy of cooking

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S'mores cupcake

Happy birthday my dear son Durgesh !

Today April 25 th is my older sons birthday. He is a big fan of S'mores.

Kept asking me to make it for a long time. I wouldn't get a better time to make it.

So planned to make it for his birthday. Yeah! I made it. Durgesh was super excited 

When he saw it. That's what I wanted. He gave me big hug and said " Tons of hugs ".

It made my day. 

It is ofcourse  time consuming but worth every effort of it.

I am not a great baker and was very happy with the way the frosting came.

Task accomplished.

Ingredients :

Graham cracker crust
1. Graham cracker crumbs - 1 cup ( need around 8 crackers )
2. Sugar - 1/8 cup
3. Melted butter - 4 Tbsp
4. Pinch of salt

Chocolate cupcake :
1. All purpose flour - 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp ( 14 Tbsp )      
2. Sugar - 1 cup + 1 Tbsp
3. Coco powder -  7 Tbsp
4. Baking soda - 3/4 tsp
5. Baking powder - 3/4 tsp
6. Egg - 1 at room temperature
7. Vegetable oil - 1/4 cup
8. Milk - 1/2 cup
9. Boiling water - 1/2 cup
10. Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Marshmallow frosting :
1. Sugar - 1.5 cup
2. Light corn syrup - 2 Tbsp
3. Egg white - from 2 egg
4. A pinch of salt
5. Water - 1/4 cup

Bitter chocolate - 1

Method :
1. Graham cracker crust :

     1. Make crumbs from graham cracker. Add melted butter, sugar,salt and mix well.
     2. Line cupcake tray with cupcake liners.
     3. Place a Tbsp of the above mixture in each cupcake. Press it with Tbsp.
     4. Chop chocolate into small cubes.
     5. Put few on top if the graham cracker mixture in cupcake.
     6. Pre heat the oven to 350 degree F.
     7. Place the cupcake tray for 5 minutes in the oven until the crust is golden brown.
      Crust is ready. Save the remaining for the top.
2. Chocolate Cupcake  :

     1. Add egg, milk and vegetable oil and beat nicely.
     2. Add sugar and beat well.
     3. Add vanilla extract and mix it.
     4. Sift All purpose flour and coco powder.
     5. Add them to step 3. and mix well to make a batter.
     6. Add baking powder, baking soda and salt and beat well.
     7. Add hot water and mix well.
     8. Pour batter on top of the crust so that 3/4 th of the cup is filled.
     9. Sprinkle some graham cracker mixture and chopped chocolate on top.
     10. In the preheated oven for 350 degree F, bake for 15 to 20 minutes until tooth pick inserted comes clean.
      11. Remove it from oven and let it cool.

2. Frosting :

    The interesting part ;-)
     1. We need a double boiler. For that heat a pan with less water on medium low flame.
     2. Place a bowl that fits on the top. Bottom of the pan shouldn't touch the water.
     3. Add sugar and water in the top bowl and mix so that no lumps are formed. Add salt.
     4. Add corn syrup and mix well.
     5. Add egg white and start beating in high speed.
     6. It would take almost 10 to 20 minutes. Beat until the frosting is firm.
     7. Remove it and enjoy frosting.

Filling inside cupcake :
1. Cut a small part of the cupcake with a knife and remove it.
2. Remove some more inside and make a pit.
3. Add a tsp of frosting and cover it again with the cake piece.
4. Now frost the top in your favorite way.

Yummy S'mores cupcake is ready.

After frosting if you want the burned version, keep it in broiler for few minutes.

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Ven pongal

Ingredients :
Raw rice - 1.5 cup
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Ginger - 1.5 tsp finely chopped
Pepper - 1.5 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1.5 tsp
Cashews - few
Green chilli - 2 finely chopped ( optional, I didn't had, so didn't use it here)
Ghee - 5 Tbsp ( you can also subtitue half with oil if you are diet conscious )

Method :

1. Cook rice and moong dal and salt together with 6 cups of water in pressure cooker.
2. Fry cashews with ghee in a pan. Also fry ginger, curry leaves, pepper and cumin seeds.
3. Once the rice is cooked, mash it with masher.
4. Add fried cashews and other things into the pongal. Add ghee.

Yummy pongal is ready.

Enjoy the joy of cooking.

Note :
1. I prefer cooking the rice and moong dhal in a bowl, covering it with foil and putting it in the pressure cooker. This will prevent the water from spilling and to get soft, smooth pongal.
2. In case if you feel that your pongal is dry, or you are preparing pongal for later use, then
    as soon as the pressure is gone, open the lid and add hot water as required while mashing.
    This will make your pongal to be semi solid and even when it is cold it will be soft and not dry.

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Chocolate cupcake

Ingredients :
Butter - 1/2 cup unsalted at room temperature
Sugar -  1 cup
All purpose flour - 1 and 1/3 cup
Unsweetened coco powder - 1/2 cup
Egg - 2 at room temperature
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Boiling water - 1 cup
Vanilla extract - 2 tsp

Method :

1. Add coco powder in hot water and mix well and let it cool.
2. In a bowl add butter and beat until fluffy.
3. Add sugar and beat well until fluffy and creamy.
4. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
5. Add vanilla extract. Add flour and mix well.
6. Add baking powder, salt and mix well.
7. Add coco powder and mix well.
8. Preheat the oven to 375degree F.
9. Pour the cupcake mixture in the cupcake pan.
10. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until tooth pick inserted comes clean.
11. Cool the cupcake in the wire rack.

Enjoy the joy of cooking.

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Cauliflower - Minced mutton thokku

Ingredients :
Mutton - 1 lb minced
Cauliflower - small whole flower chopped
Onion - 1 big
Tomatoes - 1.5 big
Curry leaves - few
Chili powder - 5 tsp
Coriander powder - 5 tsp

To grind :
Onion - 1 medium size
Tomatoes - 1 big
Ginger - 2 inch
Garlic - 10 pods
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp

Method :

1. Add 1 onion, 1.5 tomato, mutton, turmeric powder, 3 tsp chili powder, 3 tsp coriander powder,
    3 tsp ginger garlic paste, salt and let it cook in pressure cooker for 3 whistle.
2. In a pan, add 1 Tbsp oil and when it is hot, add ginger, garlic, 1 onion, 1 tomato and fry nicely.
3. Grind it to a fine paste.
4. In a pan, add 2 Tbsp oil, add curry leaves and chopped cauliflower and saute it.
5. Add cooked mutton mixture to it.
6. Add paste from step 3.
7. Add 1 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, salt and let it cook until it is thick.

This is my moms recipe and I love it so much.

Enjoy the joy of cooking.

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Carrot Cupcake

Ingredients : ( makes 24 cup cake )

All purpose flour - 2 and 2/3 cup

Sugar - 1 and 1/3 cup

Canola oil - 1 and 1/3 cup

Egg - 4

Carrot - 3 and 1/3 cup grated finely

Apple -  2/3 cup grated finely

Walnuts - 1 cup

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Baking soda -  2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Method :

1. Slice walnuts and place it cookie tray.

2. Grate carrots and apple.

3. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Then add sugar and beat them well so that it is creamy.

4. Add vanilla extract, carrots and apple sauce and beat so that they are well incorporated.

6. Add All purpose flour and beat well.

7. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.

8. Place the nuts in oven so that they are roasted and crunchy.

9. Remove and let it cool.

10. To the batter, add baking powder and salt and mix well.

 11.Add nuts and mix well. 

12. Pour it in cup cake pan. You can add some nuts on the top.

13.Place the cupcake pan and bake for 20 minutes or until tooth pick comes clean.

 Moist carrot cupcake is ready.

Enjoy the joy of cooking.

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Pineapple kesari

Ingredients :
Rava - 1.5 cup
Pineapple - 1 cup chopped ( leave the center ring as it is very hard )
Sugar - 1 and 3/4 cup
Cashews - 1/2 cup
Raisins -  few
Ghee - 1/2 cup
Yellow food color -  a pinch ( optional )
Water - 4.5 cup

Method :

1. Dry fry rava. I feel coarse or anything other than fine rava is easy to handle.
2. Fry cashews and raisins in ghee.
3. Add 4.5 cup of water in a pan and add chopped pineapple and let it boil for 10 minutes.
4. After 10 minutes add rava slowly into the boiling water and keep mixing so that no lumps are formed.
5. Let the rava cook and all the water is dried. This won't take long time.
6. Add sugar and mix well. Lumps might form here too, so keep mixing it.
7. When everything is again dry add fried cashews and raisins and leftover ghee.
8. Keep mixing.

I have tasted pineapple kesari in marriages, but never thot it would come out so well without pineapple essence. I was very happy with the outcome.

Enjoy the joy of cooking.

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Milagu vada / Pepper Fritters

Milagu Vadai :

Hanuman jayanthi is in few days, I thot this milagu vadai is apt post to publish. Famous for Hanuman, this vada is made into mallai/garland  and  offered to god Hanuman.

I love this vadai. When I was a kid my mom used to pray to God and offer this and I will be madly expecting for this vadai.

It is very crispy and can be stored for few days.

Ingredients :

(Makes 20 )

Urad dhal - 1 cup

Pepper - 3/4 tsp crushed

salt to taste 

Oil - 1 tbsp and for deep frying

Rice flour - 1 tsp

Method :

1. Soak Urad dhal for 1 hour.
2. Grind it with no water to a coarse paste. You can add few tsp of water if you really can't grind. I like few whole urad dhal here and there.
3. Add crushed pepper, salt, oil, and rice flour. Mix well.
4. Take a plastic bag or banana leaf or zip lock bag.
5. Grease it with oil. Take a small ball and place on the greased ziplock. Press it to form a flat disk.
6. Make a hole in between.
7. Deep  fry it in hot oil until golden brown.

Crispy milagu vada is ready.

I too made it for god. It feels great when something that I make is offered to God. (Goose bumps...)

Enjoy the joy of cooking.

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Lemon rasam

Ingredients :
Toor dal - 1/4 cup
Ginger - 1/2 inch chopped finely
Pepper - 1.5 tsp
Cumin seeds  - 1 tsp
Lemon - 1
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few crushed
Green chili - 2 slit length wise
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Tomato - 1 medium size
Water 2 cup

Method :

1. Soak tomato in water . Cook toor dhal with turmeric and mash it.
2. Crush tomato with hand. Crush pepper and cumin seeds . Add this to the tomato water.
3. In a pan add oil and when it is hot, add mustard seeds, green chilli, crushed ginger and curry leaves.
4. Sauté it. Add tomato water and mashed toor dhal.
5. Add salt, coriander leaves.
6. When it starts boiling switch off.
7. Add lemon juice.

Enjoy the joy of cooking.

Note :
Instead of pepper and cumin, u can also add rasam powder, but the taste of freshly crushed spices is always great.

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Rasam powder

Ingredients :
Red long chili - 4
Pepper  - 12 tsp
Cumin seeds -8 tsp
Corainder seeds - 4 tsp
Toor dal - 4 tsp

Method :

1. Dry roast each ingredients sepearetly in a pan.
2. Let them cool.
3. Grind the red chilli first and grind everything else with it into a fine powder.
4. Rasam powder is ready. This can be stored and used for upto 3 months.

Note :
I made thrice the quantity of the measurement given as I make it everyday

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Rava kitchadi

Ingredients :
Rava - 1 cup
Ginger - 1 inch finely chopped
Green chilli - 3
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Onion - 1/2 big onion
Peas - 1/4 cup
Carrot - 1/4 cup
Beans - 1/4 cup
Cashews - few
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - few chopped
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Bay leaves - 1
Ghee - 1 Tbsp ( optional )
Oil - 2 Tbsp

Method :

1. Dry fry rava until light brown.
2. Fry cashews and keep them aside.
3. In a pan add oil and ghee. When it is hot, add cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, ginger, green chili, curry leaves.
4. Add onion and fry nicely.
5. Add vegetables and fry them. Add 3 cups of water . Add turmeric salt and close the lid and let the vegetables cook.
6. When the vegetables are cooked, put the flame to medium flame. Add rava little by little while mixing it.
7. Once rava is added, close the lid and let the rava cook.
8. Once rava is cooked, add coriander leaves.

Healthy kitchadi is ready.

Enjoy the joy of cooking.

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Chicken curry

Ingredients :
Chicken - 1 lb
Pearl onion - 25
Tomato - 1
Red chilli - 7 or to taste
Coriander seeds - 1 Tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 Tbsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Curry leaves - few
Ginger garlic paste - 1 Tbsp
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Grated cocunut - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves  - few

Method :

1. In a pan dry fry red chilli, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon.
2. Let it cool. Grind it. In the same pan add little oil, and fry curry leaves, onion, tomato and grated cocunut. Grind it to a fine paste.
3. In the same pan or pressure pan, add rest of the oil and add curry leaves, ginger garlic paste.
4. Sauté it. Add chicken, turmeric and salt.
5. Add ground paste and powder and fry it.
6. Add some water and close the lid. If it is a pressure pan, cook it for 3 whistle or until chicken is cooked.
7. Add curry and corainder leaves.

Simple chicken curry is ready.

Enjoy the joy of cooking.

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Veg Schezwan noodle

Ingredients :
Capsicum - 1/2 cup
Cabbage - 1 cup
Carrot - 1/2 cup
Garlic  - 2 pods
Ginger - 1 inch
Schezwan sauce - 3 Tbsp or to taste.
Noodles - 1 pack - 150 gm
Green onion - 2 stalk
Egg - 1 ( optional )
Sesame oil - 1 tsp
Vegetable oil - 2 Tbsp

Method :

1. Cook the noodles in boiling water as per instruction in the pack.
2. Drain the water and run cold water so that they don't become sticky.
3. Toss it with little sesame oil.
4. In a wok or a large pan, add oil.
5. When it is hot, add chopped ginger, garlic and sauté it.
6. Add capsicum  and carrot and sauté it.
7. Add cabbage and sauté it.
8. If you are adding egg, move the vegetables to one side and add egg and scramble it.
9. When the egg is cooked mix everything well.
10. Add cooked noodles, Schezwan sauce, salt and mix everything well.
11. Garnish it with chopped spring onion.


Spicy Schezwan noodles is ready.

Enjoy the joy of cooking.

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