King Fish Fry / Vanjaram Meen Varuval

Ingredients:-

• King Fish/Vanjaram fish - 1 big size
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
• Coriander powder - 1tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp
• Lemon juice - 3 tbsp
• Corn flour - 1tbsp
• Crushed garlic - 1 tbsp
• Finely chopped curry leaves - 1 spring
• Salt as needed
• Oil for fry

Preparation:-

• Wash fish and drain it.

• Combine red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, corn flour,lemon juice, crushed garlic, chopped curry leaves and salt together. 

• Sprinkle water and mix into thick paste and coat the fish piece with this paste.
• Let marinate 1 hour at room temperature.
• Heat a pan with oil. Fry fish pieces on medium heat.

• Flip to the other side carefully and continue cooking until its done.
• Remove from flame.
• Drizzle some lemon juice and serve hot.

Ennai Kathirikkai Kuzhambu ( Oil Roasted Eggplant Curry)

Ingredients:-

• Whole Eggplant- 4 nos
• Small onion - 6 or 8 nos
• Tomato - 1 
• Green chillies - 3 nos
• Garlic pods - 4 or 6 nos
• Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Tamarind juice  - 1/2 cup
• Sambar powder - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Salt as needed
• Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Masala to Grind:-

• Pepper corn - 1 tbsp
• Bengal gram l/kadala parupu - 2 tbsp
• Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
• Red chilli - 1
• Shredded coconut - 3 tbsp

Preparation:-

1. To Make Masala:-

• Dry roast the pepper corn, bengal gram, coriander seeds, red chilli and shredded coconut. Let it cool and grind the mixture into fine paste. Keep it aside.   

2. To Roast Eggplant:-

• Wash brinjal and cut the stem off and slit brinjal into 4 keeping the bottom portion in tact.

• Heat sesame oil and fry the eggplants until it becomes tender. Keep it aside.

3. To make curry:-

• Heat oil in a pan. 
• Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chillies and garlic pods. Saute  for a couple of minutes.
• Add chopped onion, tomato and  salt until it becomes translucent. 

•  Now add ground paste,  turmeric powder, sambar powder, tamarind juiceand  1/2 cup of water. Mix well and saute for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat. 

• Bring it to a boil over medium heat and turn off the heat. 

• Serve hot with Steamed rice.

 

Mutton Dum Briyani

Ingredients:-

• Mutton - 1 kg / 2 lbs
• Basmati rice/ zeeraga samba rice - 4 cups
• Onion, sliced - 2 large
• Tomato - 2 nos
• Green chillies, slit - 3 or 5 nos
• Fresh Ginger garlic - 2 tbsp
• Red Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• Mint leaves - 1/4 cup, chopped
• Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup, chopped
• Curd/Yogurt - 4 tbsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Ghee - 4 tbsp
• Water - 4 cups
• Salt to taste

To Grind:-

• Cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp
• Poppy seeds - 1/4 tbsp
• Fennel seeds - 1/4 tbsp
• Cashew nuts - 5 nos

For Briyani Spices:-

• Cinnamon stick - 1
• Bay leaves - 1
• Cloves - 1
• Cardamom - 1
• Star Anise - 1
• Mace/Javitri - 1

Preparation:-

• Wash rice well in water and soak in water for 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside. 

• In a pressure cooker, add mutton, turmeric powder and salt and mix well. Add in 4 cups of water, cover and pressure cook it for 5 to 6 whistle. Simmer for 15 mins. Set aside.   

• Grind the fennel seeds, cumin seeds, cashew nuts and poppy seeds into a smooth paste. Set aside.  

• Heat oil and ghee in a vessel add bay leaves, star anise, mace, clove, cinnamon and cardamom, and add onion and green chillies. Fry till it becomes light brown.

• Now add ginger garlic paste, blended paste and salt, saute well. 

• Then add the tomatoes and sauté them well till they are cooked.
• Now add half of the coriander leaves and mint leaves.Saute for a minute.

• Then add cooked meat, red chilli powder and curd and fry for few more minutes.

• Now add 4 cups of water and salt and mix well. 

• Cover with lid and cook it medium low heat. When its boiled, add drained rice and Mix well.
• Once the water is absorbed and the rice is 80% cooked.  

• Place this vessel over a hot tawa and dum cook it for about 20 to 30 minutes on a medium to low flame until the rice is tender.    

• Turn Off the stove. Let the biryani rest in the pot for about 10 minutes.
• Biryani can be served with onion tomato raita and any gravy.

Mango Lassi

Mango lassi is sweet and chilled beverage in Indian Food Restaurants. I used canned mango pulp which is available in Indian Grocery Stores. I do not get fresh mangoes all the times. If you have mango pulp, you can make it all the time whenever you need to drink. You can store the mango pulp in refrigerator. 
" You can make a lassi with various fruits. Lassi is supposed to be thick and creamy".

Ingredients:-

• Mango pulp - 1 cup
• Yogurt - 2 cups
• Sugar - 10 tbsp
• Salt - a pinch
• Vanilla extract - 1 tbsp
• Water - 1 cup

Preparation:-

1. Place all ingredients in a blender. 
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Transfer to serving glassess.
4. Serve chilled.

Chicken Money Bags( Thung Thong)

Tung Tong are a tasty Thai appetizer that are usually served with a sweet chilli sauce or plum sauce. These are also called Money Bags due to their appearance. It's crispy and deep-fried pastry purses filled with a mixture of minced chicken, minced prawn and minced mushroom. I always buy my pastry sheets from Asian stores.

Ingredients:-

• Chicken Filling - 1 cup
• Square wonton wrappers/Spring rolls- 12 nos
• Chives/Spring onion - 1 bunch
• Oil for deep frying
• Sweet chilli sauce to serve

Preparation:-

• Place 1 wrapper on a flat surface. 

• Spoon 1  teaspoon chicken mixture in centre of wrapper. 
• Brush edge with cold water. Fold up sides to form a pouch. Pinch to enclose filling. 
• Tie with a chive to secure.

•  Repeat with remaining wrappers, chicken mixture and chives.

• Heat oil in wok or large saucepan; deep-fry money bags, in batches, until crisp and browned lightly. 
• Drain on absorbent paper.
• Serve with dipping sauce.

Nethili Karuvadu Fry/ Dried Anchovy Fish Fry

Ingredients:-

Dried Anchovy fish / Nethil karuvadu - 1 cup or 100 grams

Garlic, chopped - 8 or 10 pods

Curry leaves - few

Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp

Dried red chillies - 3

Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil

Preparation:-

• Remove head and clean the fish well. Set them aside.
• Heat oil n a pan/ kadai. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves and broken dried red chillies.
• When its splutter, add chopped garlic and  saute them for a minute.
• Now add dried anchovy fish/ nethili, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt. Fry them for 10 - 15 minutes till it becomes crispy.
• Transfer them to the plate and serve hot.

Chicken Filling

Ingredients:-

• Boneless chicken- 200 gms
• Capsicum, finely chopped - 1/2 cup
• Tomato- 1 nos
• Onion, finely chopped - 1 big
• Garlic pods, minced- 8 nos
• Ginger, minced- 1 tbsp
• Pepper powder- 1/4 tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Red Chilli powder- 1 tbsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil

Preparation:-

• Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan, add minced ginger, minced garlic, onions and stir fry until they're translucent. 

•  Add the chopped capsicum and chopped tomatoes, stir-fry for about 5mins until they start to soften.

• Add minced chicken and saute for a minute.

• Now add cumin seeds, red chilli powder, pepper powder and salt. Keep stirring until they start browning.

• Finally add  lemon juice into the mixture and Mix well.
• Turn off the heat and use as needed!

Nethili Karuvadu Kuzhambu/ Dried Anchovy Fish Curry

Ingredients:-

• Dried Anchovy fish / Nethil karuvadu - 1 cup or 100 grams
• Vazhaikai/ Plaintain - 1, cut into large dice
• Small onion/shallots - 8 or 10 
• Green chillies-3
• Tomato - 1 big
• Garlic pods - 6 or 8
• Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Curry powder - 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp
• Tamarind water - 1 cup
• Salt to taste

To Temper:-

• Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
• Fenugreek seedss - 1/4 tbsp
• cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Garlic - 3 nos
• Pepper Corns - 1 tbsp
• Oil

Preparation:-

1. Clean the dried fish:-

Remove the head and tail. Clean it with salt and turmeric powder and wash in running                         tap water. Set them aside.

2. To make Nethili Karuvadu Kuzhambu/ Dried Anchovy Fish curry:-

• Crush the garlic and pepper Corns together to form a powder. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a pan /kadhai. Temper mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and green chillies. 

• Add crushed garlic pepper mixture, garlic, onion, and tomato. Cook it for a min on low flame. 

• Then add tamarind water and bring this to boil.

• Now add red chilli powder, curry powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt.
  Cook it for 10 mins till masala is cooked well. 

• Now addvazhaikai/plantain and Nethili/ Dried fish and . Mix well. 

• Let them cook for a while. When oil shows up on sides, remove from heat.
• Serve hot with steamed rice.