Apple Shrimp Skewers

Ingredients

• Skewers- 3 nos
• Apple , small-1
• Jambo shrimp - 12-15 nos
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Red Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder- 1 tbsp
• Grated garlic - 1/2tbsp
• Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
• Olive oil - 3 tbsp
• Mint , finely chopped - 3 tbsp 
• Salt to taste

Preparation:-

1. Soak skewers in water for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Whisk together the olive oil,pepper powder, cumin powder, garlic, red chilli powder, lemon juice, shrimp and salt in a small bowl. 
3. Mix well and  refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat an indoor grill/tawa for medium-high heat.
5. Thread the marinated shrimp and apples alternately on soaked wooden skewers.
6. Cook the skewers on the preheated grill until the shrimp are opaque, about 5 minutes per side.
7. Garnish with sliced lemon and chopped mint leaves. 
8. Serve immediately.

Kozhi Rasam | Chicken Soup | South Indian Chicken Soup

Ingredients:-

• Chicken (cleaned and chopped) - 250 gms
• Tomato - 1 big, chopped
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Cilantro - few for garnishing
• Salt as needed

To Grind:-

• Green chillies  - 3 nos
• Small onions - 5 or 6 nos
• Ginger  - 1 inch piece
• Garlic pods- 5 or 6 nos  
• Cumin seeds - 11/2  tbsp
• Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
• Pepper corns - 1  tbsp

To Temper:-

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Bay leaf - 1
• Cinnamon stick -1
• Cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp
• pepper corns - 4 to 5 nos

Preparation:-

• Clean the chicken and  Cut it into small pieces. keep aside.
• Grind the onions, green chillies, ginger, garlic, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and pepper corns to a fine paste.

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pressure cooker and temper mustard seeds, cinnamon, peppercorn, cumin seeds, bay leaf and curry leaves. and  let it pop.

• Then add the ground onion paste and cook till the oil separates.

• Now add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, and cook till the raw smell disappears.

• Add the chicken pieces and saute for 5-15 minutes. 

• Add water and salt. Mix well.

• Close the lid and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. 

• Remove from the heat and allow the pressure to settle.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro.
• Serve hot with rice or serve it as soup.

Jeera Kadalai Paruppu Puranam Poli | Sweet Dal Flat Bread

Jeera Puran Poli is an Indian sweet flat bread glazed with sugar syrup.

Ingredients:-

1. For Sugar Syrup:-

• Sugar - 1 cup
• Water - 1 cup

2. For Dal stuffing( Kadalai Paruppu Puranam):-

• Channa dal/ kadalai parupu - 1 cup
• Jaggery, powdered or grated - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1 tbsp
• Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Salt - a pinch

3. To make poli dough:-

• Maida / All purpose flour- 1 cup
• Salt - a pinch
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp
• Oil as required
• Ghee or butter – for frying and to drizzle on top after cooked

Preparation:-

1. To make sugar syrup:-

• Combine water and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Bring the mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved in to the water. Cool before using. Set aside. 

2. To make Dal Stuffing / Kadalai Parupu Puranam:-

• Soak chana dal for 30 minutes.
• Cook the dal with pinch of salt in a pressure cooker till 3 whistles. Drain the dal water completely after cooking. Let it cool .
• Now using a blender, grind the dal into a fine paste and keep this aside. 

• Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a pan, add grounded dal, powdered jaggery, cardamom powder and grated coconut to it and mix well.
• Keep stirring until everything blends well and turn in to thick mixture.
• Once done let cool completely and make it into lemon sized balls. Set aside. 

3. To make Jeera Puran poli / Sweet Dal Flat bread:-

• Place the maida flour, salt, turmeric powder and 1/4 cup water in a dough maker. 
• Pulse and hold to blend and continue processing until dough forms a ball.
• Divide the dough into small equal balls.
• Roll each balls in 2-3 inch circle. Place the sweet(puran) ball  in the center.
• Flatten the dough ball to a thick circle.

• Put the rolled poli/ rolled flat bread in a heated skillet and let it cook from both sides.
• Drizzle some ghee on the tawa and cook it for few more seconds.
• Repeat the same for rest of the dough and puranam(sweet stuffing). 

4. Serving:-

• Serve the Poli /Flat bread into the warm ghee and sugar syrup and allow it to soak for 3-5 minutes.
• Sprinkle some shredded coconut for garnishing.
• Enjoy hot polis !

Green Mango Pickle | Mangai Urukkai

Ingredients:-

• Raw Mango - 5 or 6 nos
• Mustard seeds powder - 2 tbsp
• Red Chilli powder - 4 tbsp
• Salt as needed
• Seasame oil/Gingelly oil - 2 cup or 8 to 10 tbsp
• Garlic cloves - 5 or 6 nos
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tbsp

Preparation:-

• Wash and soak mangoes in water and cut them into small dice. set aside.

• Take a large wide vessel or bowl and add the mango pieces, red chili powder, mustard powder , fenugreek seeds, garlic cloves and 1 cup of oil and mix well. 

• Place the spice coated mango pieces into the jar.
• Pour 1 cup of oil on top and cover the pickle jar with the lid. Tie a cloth over the lid and keep it in a moisture free area.
• On the 2nd day, open the pickle jar and use a dry ladle and mix them carefully. 
• Cover the jar with lid and tie a cloth over it. Let the pickle marinate for another 4 days.
• If possible keep shaking the container or stir using a clean spatula 2 or 3 times a day. 
• After 4 days if you see the oil is floating on the pickle then it is perfect.
• Mango pickle is ready to be served.

Sivakasi style Mutton Fry / Varutha Kari

Ingredients:-

• Mutton - 1 lb / 1/2kg
• Small onion - 5 to 6nos
• Big onion - 1 nos
• Dry red chillies - 4
• Curry leaves-2 springs
• Ginger garlic paste (Homemade)- 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tbsp
• Coriander powder-1 tbsp
• Crushed black Pepper -1/2 tbsp
• Gingelly oil/seasame oil - 2 tbsp
• Water - 2 cups
• Salt as needed

Preparation:

• Clean and wash the mutton pieces with turmeric powder and keep aside for 10 mins. Wash it again and drain the water completely.   

• Heat seasame oil in a pressure cooker.
• Add onions sauté well till it becomes translucent. 

• Add dry red chiilies and curry leaves and fry till you get a nice aroma for one to 2 minutes. 

• Now add ginger and garlic paste sauté well till the raw smell goes off.

• Now add  cumin powder, coriander powder, crushed black pepper and salt. 

• Then add washed mutton and mix it all together and add 2 cups of water. Pressure cook the mutton for 6-8 whistle. 

• Once the mutton gets fully cooked. Remove it from heat and keep it aside.
• Heat a frying pan and transfer the presser cooked mutton mixture into it.
• Fry them nicely till all water evaporates completely.
• You can see oil oozing out and Switch if the stove.

• Serve immediately with steamed rice, rasam etc.

Chicken and Shrimp Fajita ( Mexican Recipe )

Ingredients:-

• Chicken breasts- 2 boneless/skinless 
• Medium Shrimp - 10 or 12 nos
• Onion, sliced - 1 big
• Green pepper(Capsicum), sliced - 1
• Mushroom, sliced - 5 or 6 nos
• Zucchini, sliced - 1 nos
• Tomato, sliced - 1 big
• Pepper powder - 1 tbsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Garlic, finely chopped - 5 or 6 nos
• Olive oil - 4 tbsp
• Lime juice - 4 tbsp
• Salt as required

Fajita seasoning:- On the side:

• Flour tortillas - 4 or 5 nos
• Pineapple Tomato Salsa - 1/2 cup
• Avacado dip - 1/2 cup
• Mashed Potatoes - 1/2 cup
• Sour Cream - 1/2 cup

Preparation:-

• Make marinade for chicken:-  In bowl, mix together 1 tablespoons olive oil, lime juice, garlic, soy sauce, chili powder, cumin powder, black pepper & salt. Add chicken pieces and marinade for about 20 minutes.
• Stir-Fry Vegetables:- In large iron skillet over medium high heat, heat remaining tablespoons of olive oil.Add slice onions, slice mushroom, slice green peppers, sliced tomato and sliced zucchini stirring for 3-4 minutes, until softened; transfer to a bowl and set aside.
• Cook the Chicken:-  In the iron skillet, cook marinated chicken over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes or until no longer pink. Set aside.
• Cook the Shrimp:-  Add shrimp, pepper powder, finely chopped garlic, lime juice and salt to skillet, cook, stirring for 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
• Serving:-  In the meantime heat a cast iron platter until very hot and serve the fajitas on it. Drizzle some water around the edges of the metal platter to make it sizzle and serve on an wooden board. Serve the chicken and shrimp fajitas with warm tortillas on the side.

Soya Chunks Potato Gravy

Ingredients:-

• Soya chunks/Meal Maker - 1 cup 
• Potato - 1 big 
• Onion, sliced -1 big 
• Tomato - 1 
• Green chillies -3 nos 
• Curry leaves - 1 spring 
• Coriander leaves - few 
• Bay leaves - 1 
• Cinnamaon stick- 1 
• Star annise - 1 
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp 
• Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp 
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp 
• Garam masala - 1/2 tbsp 
• Salt as needed 
• Oil 

To Grind:-

• Coconut, shredded - 4 tbsp 
• Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp 
• Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp 
• Khus Khus/Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp 
• Ginger , chopped - 1 tbsp 
• Garlic pods - 3 or 4 nos 
• Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp 

Preparation:-

• Bring water to boil with a little salt. Switch off and add the soya chunks and let it aside for few mins. Then drain water and Set aside.

• Add the ingredients listed under 'To Grind ' to a blender and grind it with little water to a smooth paste. Set aside. 
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add bay leaves, cinnamon and star anise. Let them sizzle. 

• Add onion, tomato, coriander leaves and turmeric powder saute till raw smell of tomatoes leave. 
• Then add Soya chunks , potatoes and salt. Mix well.

• Now add grounded coconut paste along with chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder. Saute for few minutes.
• Pour water enough to make a thick gravy.
• Cover the lid of the pressure cooker and cook on full heat until one whistle is released.

• Once pressure releases, open garnish with coriander leaves and transfer to serving bowl.
• Serve hot with chapathis, dosa and rice.