Potato-Mushroom Masala

What do you need

Potato: 2 cups (cubed)

Mushroom - 1 cup (sliced)

Onion - 1 large (Finely chopped)

Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp

Red Chilli powder - 2tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - as needed

Oil - 2 tbsp.

Salt - as needed

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Coriander leaves - (chopped) for garnish

How you will make it

In a pan on medium high heat, heat oil and sauté onions until they are golden brown. Add in ginger garlic paste and sauté until raw smell is gone. Now add in all the masala powders and sauté in medium low flame. Once the masala is sautéed well, add in the cubed potatoes and salt. Mix and cook it covered for about 10 minutes on medium low heat. Check in between and make sure potatoes are not getting stick to the pan. Once the potatoes are almost cooked but not breaking, add in the sliced mushrooms. Cover and cook again. Mushrooms don't take much time to cook. Once they are cooked, switch off the flame and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve it hot with rice or roti.We had this with rice and spinach sambar.

Simple Spicy Chicken Fry

The what
Chicken -  2lbs ( cut in small pieces)
Red chilli powder  - 2 tbsp
Salt -  to taste
Oil - 3 tbsp
Perunjeeragam - 2 tsp ( slightly crushed)
Curry leaves - a few

The how
For this recipe ,I have used boneless chicken, with bones will actually taste better.And I had made this extremly spicy, so please choose red chilli powder as per your tolerence.Heat oil in a pan on medium high heat, quickly splutter perumjeeragam and curry leaves.Before it turns all black on you , add the chicken pieces and saute for a min or two.Now add red chilli powder and salt .Keep sauting on medium high flame for about 5-6 minutes.Once you see that all pieces are getting bit darker in the outside, reduce the flame to medium low.Keep sauting untill chicken is well cooked and looks similar to what's in the picture.Serve it as appetizer, or a side dish, your wish.
This dish requires more than expected oil , so be little generous with it. But hey , you can be happy that you are not deep frying ! ;)

Channa Paneer Masala

Again a recipe from a cooking show. I was interested to try this one out mainly because of the combo, Channa & Paneer. I had never tried putting these two together. It came out really good.

What you will need 

Channa - 1 can 16 oz (drained & rinsed)
Paneer -  6 oz (about 10 1" pieces)
Onion - 1 large ( finely chopped)
Tomato - 2 medium ( finely chopped)
Green Chillies - 2 ( finely chopped)
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
Kasuri methi - 2 tsp
Salt - as needed
Water - 1/2 cup or more

How you will make it

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and fry paneer pieces until the outer skin slightly changes color.Take them out and keep aside.Now in the same pan add another tbsp of oil and fry jeera. Now add finely chopped onion,green chillies and once the onions are half way cooked add  GG pase. And fry until onions are golden brown in color and raw smell from GG is gone.This might take more than 5-7 minutes on medium high flame.Now add chopped tomatoes and saute until tomatoes are soft and almost cooked.Now add all the masala powders, turmeric,red chilli and dania powders.Saute well untill everything comes together and  raw smell is gone.If needed add little of water while sauteing to avoid buring .Once the masala is almost cooked enough, add the rinsed channa and salt.At this point add 1/4 cup water and let the channa gravy boil well for about 4-5 minutes.Now reduce the heat to medium low and add fried paneer pieces.Let the gravy boil for another 2-3 minutes and switch off the heat.Now sprinkle crushed kasurimethi and serve hot with roti/rice.

Kadalai Maavu Masala

This quick and simple recipe  is from a TV show.I was skeptical at first trying this one , but the chef repeatedly claimed this will taste just like our Potato Masala (the one we make for Poori/Chappathi).Amazingly he was right.We liked this healthier version with out potato .
P.S : Sorry for the Not -so- good picture .I blame my camera being out of charge and had to use iPhone.

What you will need
Onion  - 1 medium sized (chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 (chopped)
Green chillies - 1-2 (slit lengthwise)
Chilli powder - 1tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves -  as needed
Asafoetida - a pinch
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Channa Dal - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1/4 tsp
Salt -  to taste
Kadalai maavu / Gram flour  - 2 tsp
Water  - as needed
Note : Adjust green chilli and chilli powder according to your spice level.

How you will make
In a medium low heat ,heat oil in the pan and splutter mustard seeds and add ural dal, channa dal,fry until dal is golden.Now add curry leaves , green chillies and Onion.Fry until onions are almost soft and now add chopped tomatoes.Saute for a minute and  add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and asafoetida.In medium heat , add little water and let this cook until tomatoes are very soft. In the mean time make the gram flour mix by adding 1/4 cup water to 2 tsp gram flour.Mix it well so there is no lumps.Now once tomoatoes are cooked , add this gram flour mix, salt and let this boil in medium heat until everything comes together in to a thick gravy.Serve hot with Roti.
Note : Be sure to maintain Medium heat through out cooking.

Chicken Deviled Fry

Got it from a cookbook, don't know why the name deviled fry.But when it comes taste of this dish there no DEVIL..tasted delicious.

Ingredients

Chicken - 2 lbs
Onion - 2
Coconut milk - 1 cup (made from coconut milk powder)
Red chillies - 7
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Vinegar - 3 tbsp
Clves - 5
Cinnamon - 1 piece
Cardamom - 3
Oil - as needed
Salt - as needed

Method

Cut onion into slices and red chillies into pieces.Marinate chicken pieces with half of the onion slices,red chillies,cardamom,cloves,cinnamon,turmeric powder,salt and vinegar for about 1 hour.In a thick bottomed pan,heat oil and fry second half of sliced onion until golden brown.Now add the marinated chicken mix to this and cook.Mix very well and coconut milk to this and let chicken cook.Cover and cook under medium low heat.Stir in between to avoid burning.Cook until chicken is fully cooked,gravy is all evaporated and the dish is crispy brown.Serve hot with roti/rice.

Tomatillo Pacchadi

When mom was here, she was making this every other week.She was so fascinated to see "Paccha thakkali" in the local shop.She said,oh..you get even this here..:).Again this is a new vegetable she introduced to me on her visit.


Ingredients

Tomatillos - 3
Onion - 1
Coconut - 1/4cup
Jeera - 1tsp
Garlic - 1 pod
Curry leaves - a few
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
Red chilli powder - 1tsp
Oil -2tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2tsp

Method

Grind coconut,jeera,garlic and curry leaves into a fine paste.Slice onions and tomatillos.In a pan , heat oil and fry mustard seeds,urad dal and curry leaves.Add sliced onions and fry till they are soft.Now add the grinded coconut paste,red chilli powder,turmeric powder and fry till raw smell goes away.Finally add sliced tomatilloos ,salt and saute for a while.Add water if needed.Cook till tomatilloe are soft.Serve hot with rice.

Carrot/green onion thoran and Simple Carrot halwa

While mom was here, she used to make this every week.One of her fav. thoran.She served it with rice and theeyal.


Carrot - green onion (scallion/spring onion) thoran

Ingredients

Carrot - 1 cup (shredded)
Green onions - 3/4 cup ( finely chopped)
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Urad dal - 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp
Oil - 1tsp

To grind coarsely

Red chillies -1
Jeera - 1/4tsp
Coconut - 2tbsp
Garlic - 1 clove
Curryleaves - as needed

Method
Grind the ingredeints listed above to a coarse paste.In a pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, urad dal.Now add shredded carrot,salt and turmeric powder.Saute for few minutes until it is half cooked.Now add the chopped green onions.Saute well till everything is cooked.Finally add the ground coconut and saute until raw smell goes.Serve it with rice.

P.S : You can reduce the amount of green onions if u hate it's strong flavour.




Carrot halwa


I made this simple easy halwa with left over shredded carrot.

Ingredients

Carrot - 2 cup (shredded)
Condensed milk - 3/4 cup
Ghee - 2-3 tbsp
Cashews(fried) - for garnish

Method

In a heavey bottomed pan,heat ghee and add the carrot.Saute the carrot and cook well.Now add condensed milk and keep stirring.Cook until the halwa comes away from the edges of the pan.You can add more ghee if u like.Add fried cashews for garnish.

AFAM Announcement and Kadala Paruppu-Peerkangai kootu/Channa dal-Ridge gourd curry

Happy to know that AFAM is going on in full swing.I would like announce yet another host for AFAM.Archana of Archana's Kitchen will be hosting AFAM - Jul'08.I would like to welcome all who are intersted in hosting this event.

AFAM Update

Archana of Archana's Kitchen - JUL'08
Manju Mahadevan of Mirch Masala - AUG'08
Siri of Siri's corner - DEC'08

Kadala Paruppu-Peerkangai kootu/Channa dal-Ridge gourd curry

Ingredients

Kadala Paruppu/Channa dal - 1/2cup
Ridge gourd/Peerkangai - 1 medium sized (cut into snall pieces)
Kootu Podi - 2tsp
Turmeric Powder -1/4tsp
Red chillies - 4
Curry leaves - a few
Mustard seeds - 1/2tsp
Urad dal-1/2tsp
Asafoetida/Perungayam - 2 pinch
Oil - 2tsp
Salt - as needed

Method

Boil channa dal with just enough water,salt and turmeic powder for upto 3 whistles in a pressure cooker.Now add the cut ridge gourd into this channa and cook upto another whistle in the cooker.In a pan, heat 2 tsp oil and add mustard seeds and urad dal.Now add red chillies, curry leaves.Once they are fired add the cooked dal and ridge gourd mixture.Finally add kootu podi and salt(if needed).Serve hot with rice.

Soya Roast

Me back with this very delicious recipe borrowed from my dear friend Sandy.I tasted this about 2 months back at her place and thought it was beef roast.Couldn't believe it was "Soya".It was so tasty, i wanted to surprise my mom who haven't tasted soya before.I hope all you who try this will enjoy as much as we did.

Ingredients

Soya - 1 bag
Onion - 1 and 1/2 red onion(sliced lenghwise and then halved)
Ginger - 1/4 cup (finely chopped)
Garlic - 1 whole (finely chopped)
Coconut - 1 handful shredded
Coconut slices - 1/4 cup
Red chillies -3
Green chillies - 4
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 and 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4tsp
Garam masala or Meat masala - 1tsp
Whole Black pepper - 10 no.s
Vinegar - 1/2tsp
Curry leaves - a few strings
Salt - as needed

Method

Soak soya chunks in water for about 15-20 minutes until it is very soft.Drain the water completely from the soya by squeezing it.Cut each chunk in half.

For marination

Mix soya chunks,1/4tsp turmeric,1/2tsp garam masala,1 and 1/2tsp coriander powders,vinegar,salt well.Let it marinate for about 30 minutes.

Boil the soya chunks with only 1/2 cup water.Don't add more water and boil them covered.

Roast and Grind

In a tablespoon of oil, fry shredded coconut,red chillies,black pepper,curry leaves,coriander powder (1 and 1/2tsp),1/2tsp garam masala until raw smell goes away.Grind this into a fine paste.

In a heavy bottomed pan, heat 2 tbsp oil .Fry mustard,curry leaves,coconut slices.Fry until coconut slices are golden brown. Now add green chillies and sliced onions.Fry until the onions are dark brown in color.Careful not to burn them.Now add ginger and garlic and fry until a nice aroma comes.Now add the grounded coconut paste and salt.Saute for about 5-6 minutes until everything comes together well.Now add the boiled soya chunks and mix well.Saute until everything is well mixed and almost all water is evaporated.the finished dish will look like that in the picture.Serve this with rice/roti.Tastes much like beef or mutton roast.




Last but not least, thanks to all for continuing AFAM and making it a success.Hoping to join you all for the next AFAM....