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. 

Cripy Medhu Vadai | Crispy Urad Dal Fritters

Medhu vada/Urad dal Fritters is a south Indian breakfast or snack food . They are often served with sambar, coconut chutney and pongal. If you want to make crispy vada/crispy fritters, just add rice flour or baking soda helps the vadas be stay crisp even after turning cold. But today i tried these vada's/fritters with baking soda. Lets move on to the recipe !!!

Ingredients:-

• Whole urad dhal without skin - 1 cup
• Small Onions, finely chopped - 6 to 8 nos
• Ginger, minced - 1 tbsp
• Green chillies, finely chopped - 2 or 3 nos
• pepper powder - 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves and coriander leaves- few
• Baking soda - a pinch
• Oil for deep frying
• Salt to taste  

Preparation:-

To make vada Batter:-

• Wash and soak urad dhal for an hour.
• Drain and grind it in a wet grinder or food processor into a fine and thick paste by adding little water.Batter will become fluffy and transfer to another bowl.
• Now add onion, ginger, green chillies, curry leaves, coriander leaves, pepper powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes.

To make crispy vada:-

• Heat oil in a wok/kadai. 
• Take a small piece of batter and make a hole in the center using the thumb finger.
• Drop the vada gently into the oil and flip both the sides.
• Cook the vada till both side turn golden brown.
• Remove & drain in a tissue paper.
• Serve hot with sambar and coconut chutney.

 

Chicken Salna

Ingredients:-

• Chicken - 1 lb or 1/2 kg
• Onion , sliced - 1 big
• Tomato - 1
• Green chillies - 3 nos
• Curry leaves - 2 springs
• Turmeric powder - 2 tbsp
• Bay leaves - 1
• Star annise - 1
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt as needed

To paste:-

• Ginger - 1 inch
• Garlic pods - 5 nos
• Poppy seeds/Khus Khus - 1 tbsp
• Coconut, shredded - 3 tbsp

To masala powder:-

• Cashew nuts broken  – 4
• Cinnamon stick medium -1
• Bay leaf – 1
• Fennel seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Clove – 1
• Star clove – 1/2
• Pepper corn - 1/2 tbsp
• Cardamom – 1
• Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
• Fennel seeds - 1/2 tbsp

Preparation:-

• Clean and wash the chicken. Marinade it with turmeric powder and salt with 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside.

• First add the ingredients listed under 'To paste' to a blender and grind it with little water to a smooth paste. Set aside. 

• Then add the  ingredients listed under 'To masala powder' to a blender and grind it  to a fine powder. Set aside.
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add bay leaves, star annise, green chillies and curry leaves and let it crackle.

• Then add onion, tomatoes and fry for  2-3 mins until tomatoes raw smell leaves.  

• Then add chicken pieces, saute for 5 mins. 

• Now add red chilli powder, coriander powder and Grounded masala powder. Saute well.

• Add grounded coconut ginger garlic paste and salt.  Once it comes to a boil, add water. 

• Check salt and pressure cook for 4 whistles or until chicken is cooked soft.

• Turn on the heat and serve it with Parotta, Briyani, Dosai and Idly.

Zucchini Chicken Noodles

Ingredients:-

• Boneless chicken, chopped - 1 cup
• Zucchini - 1 big
• Soy sauce- 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Pepper powder - 1 tbsp
• Dried thyme - 1/2 tbsp
• Grated garlic - 1 tbsp
• Brown sugar - 1/2 tbsp
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp
• Lime juice - 1 tbsp
• Salt as needed

Preparation:-

 1. Chicken Marinade:-

• In a medium bowl, mix together chicken pieces, soy sauce, cumin powder, pepper powder, dried thyme, grated garlic, brown sugar, turmeric powder, lime juice and salt. Let marinate for 4-6 hours. 

2. Cut the Zucchini:- 

• By using Mandoline Slicer to  Slice the zucchini in thin lengthwise and then cut the slices into individual Zucchini noodles.Set aside. 

3. To make Zucchini Chicken Noodles:- 

• Heat oil in a cast iron over medium heat.
• Once the oil is hot, add marinated chicken and saute the chicken just until cooked.
• Now add sliced zucchini noodles, 1/4 tbsp of pepper powder and a pinch of salt into it. Saute it for 2 to 3 minutes or until zucchini is tender. 

• Remove from heat.
• Transfer to a plate.
• Serve hot.

Chips With Dips

Ingredients:-

• Mashed Potatoes
• Pineapple Tomato Salsa
• Avacado Salsa
• Sour cream
• Tortilla Chips, Potato chips etc

Preparation:-

• Arrange the chips and Salsa on serving dish.

Blueberry Spinach Juice

Ingredients:-

• Blueberries - 1 cup
• Spinach leaves - 1/2 cup
• Lime juice - 1 tbsp
• Salt as needed
• Ice cubes - 2 or 3 nos

Preparation:- 

• Combine spinach, blueberries, lime juice, salt and ice cubes in blender until smooth.
• Serve immediately.

Pineapple Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:-

• Pineapple ,diced - 1 cup
• Tomato,diced - 1 cup
• Cilantro, chopped - 1/4 cup
• Green chilli, finely chopped - 1 nos
• Salt and pepper - as needed
• Lime juice - 2 tbsp

Preparation:-

• In a small bowl, mix together diced pineapple, diced tomatoes, finely chopped green chilli, chopped cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper.

• Transfer the salsa to the pineapple bowl.
• Serve it with tortilla chips or toasted bread.