Matar Chaman


Ingredients :
500 gms chaman/paneer
150 gms ghee or vegetable oil
A pinch asafetida (hing)
4 cloves
1 tsp cumin seed (jeera)
250 gms peas (shelled)
Aashirvaad salt to taste
1 tsp Aashirvaad turmeric (haldi) powder
Red chilli powder to taste
1 tsp garam masala
Green chillies to taste
1 inch piece ginger (adrak), crushed
1 tsp Aashirvaad coriander powder (dhaniya)
1 tsp dry ginger
A bunch of fresh coriander
Method of Preparation :
Cut the chaman into 1 inch cubes. Fry lightly for about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.

In a pan, put the remaining ghee and add asafetida, cloves, and cumin. Next, add the peas and sufficient water and cook for 5 minutes. Put in the remaining spices and when the peas are tender, add the fried chaman.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander.

Serves : 4-6

Preparation Time : 10 mins

Malabar Mutton Biryani

Malabar - the northern region of Kerala, is popular for its culinary treats. This Malabar Mutton Biryani, a superb dish of ghee, rice, mutton and spices.
Ingredients :
½ kg basmati rice
½ kg mutton, cleaned and cut into big pieces
¼ kg onions, finely sliced
½ cup finely sliced tomatoes
10 green chillies
1 inch piece of ginger
8 garlic pods
1 tsp pepper powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
5 nos cashew nuts
4 sticks cinnamon (daalchini)
4 cloves (laung)
4 cardamom (elaichi)
1 tbsp curd
½ tsp fennel (saunf)
½ bunch mint leaves
½ bunch coriander leaves
¼ cup ghee
¼ cup oil
salt as required

Method of Preparation :
Grind ginger, garlic, and green chillies into a coarse paste. Clean and soak rice for 30 minutes and keep aside. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan or kadai. Add ½ the sliced onions and fry till golden brown, then keep aside.

Heat up the remaining oil. Add the rest of the sliced onions and cashew nuts and fry till soft. Add tomatoes, ground paste, turmeric powder, pepper powder, curd, mint, and coriander leaves and sauté till the oil starts to separate. Add mutton and cook till the mutton is ¾ done.

Add salt as per need. Cook the rice along with all spices and salt, till it is ¾ done. Grease a vessel with little ghee. Spread ½ the mutton masala and place ½ the rice over it. Pour 2 tbsp ghee on top of it and sprinkle some roasted onion. Spread the remaining masala and top it with rice followed by ghee and fried onion. Close it with an airtight lid and put it in dum for 10-15 minutes.

Serves : 4

Preparation Time : 90 mins

Lajwab Paneer Makhani

Ingredients :
2 cup Makhana
250 gms Cottage Cheese (Paneer)
4 Onion (Pyaj)
4 Tomato (Tamatar)
1 inch long piece Ginger (Adrak)
4-5 cloves Garlic (Lasun)
1/2 cup Cream (Malai)
2 cup Milk
1 tsp Red chilli Powder (Lal Mirchi)
1/4 tsp Turmeric (Haldi)
1/2 tsp Dried Pudina Leaves
1 cup Cashew nut (Kaju)
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tbsp Poppy seeds (Khuskhus)
Coriander Leaves (Dhania Patta)
4 tbsp Clarified Butter (Ghee)
Method of Preparation :
Heat clarified butter in a pan.
Fry makhana in the ghee.
Cut cottage cheese in small pieces.
Mince onion, tomato, garlic, ginger.
Cut cashew nut in small pieces.
Soak poppy seeds in 1/4 cup of water.
After 1 hour grind the soaked poppy seeds to a fine paste.
Chop coriander leaves very finely.
Heat clarified butter in a pan.
Add onion, tomato, garlic, ginger paste and brown it, stirring continuously.
Add poppy seeds and fry for 2 minutes and then turn off the gas.
To this mixture add makhana, cottage cheese, cream ,salt, red chili pepper, turmeric, and dried pudina leaves.
Keep this mixture aside for half an hour.
After half an hour put the pan on the flame and add milk.
When it comes to a boil add 3 cups of water. Simmer it till the makahana are completely done and soft.
Then add cashew nuts and garam masala.

Serves : 4-5

Preparation Time : 40 mins

Fish Moilee


Ingredients :
500 gms skinned white fish
2 cups coconut milk
Few curry leaves
1 tsp lemon juice
1 inch cinnamon
2 green cardamoms
2 tbsp chopped ginger garlic
4 green chillies
1 medium onion
1 tomato
1 tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp coarsely crushed pepper corns
1 cup water
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Method of Preparation :
Slit the green chillies and keep it aside.

Finely chop the onions.

Now take a pan and heat the oil.

When the oil is very hot add the cinnamon, cardamom and sauté briefly.

Then put in the ginger, garlic, curry leaves, onions and green chillies. Saute till the onions turn soft and pink.

Now add the fish slices and all the other ingredients except for the ococnut milk.

Stir well, simmer, cover and cook for ten minutes.

Then pour in the coconut milk and keep stirring ensure that the coconut milk doesn’t curdle. Cook for another two minutes

Serves : 5

Preparation Time : 40 mins

Dum Ka Kheema


Ingredients :
½ kg kheema (minced mutton)
1 tbsp chironji* (charoli)
1 tbsp khuskhus (poppy seeds)
2 tsp ginger-garlic (adrak-lahsun) paste
1 tbsp Aashirvaad chilli powder
1 large onion
1 tsp garam masala
Aashirvaad salt to taste
2 tbsp curd
125 gms ghee or oil
A few sprigs of fresh coriander (dhaniya)

*If chironji is not available, try pine nuts as a substitute.

Method of Preparation :
Slice the onion finely and fry till crisp.
Grind poppy seeds and chironji finely.
Marinate kheema with the poppy seeds and chironji along with the ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder, salt, and curd. Keep aside for half an hour.

Make a well in the middle of the kheema and place a skin of the onion. Pour on this 25 gms of the ghee, place a burning coal on it and cover the vessel tightly for about 7-8 min.
Uncover, throw out the onion skin and piece of coal.
Heat the remaining oil on high heat, add the mixture, and let it cook until water starts evaporating, stirring for few minutes.

Turn the heat low and cook until oil floats.
Sprinkle garam masala before removing from heat and garnish with freshly chopped coriander.

Serves : 4

Preparation Time : 60 mins

Curried Chicken


Ingredients :
1 chicken
50 gms butter
2 tsp flour
1 apple
½ gill top of milk
2 tbsp curry powder
1 pint stock
2 tbsp coconut
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 onion
salt
225 gms rice
2 tsp chutney
Method of Preparation :
Cut up the fowl into 8 pieces and fry these in hot butter.
Take them out and in the same fat fry the chopped onion.
Put in the flour and curry powder, then the stock and bring to the boil.
Put back the pieces of chicken and add the coconut, chutney, chopped apple, lemon juice and salt.
Cook slowly for about 1 hour. Take out the chicken and place on the dish.
Add the top of milk to the sauce and more seasonings if desired.
Pour over the chicken.
Serve with boiled rice and Indian chutney.

Serves : 4-6

Preparation Time : 90 mins

Crunchy Curd Rice

Ingredients :
For rice
1-cup rice
2 ½ cups milk
½ cup curd

For tadka
2 tsp oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp split black gram dal
2 red chillies
1 tsp jeera
1 tbsp cashew nuts
10-15 fresh curry leaves
For dressing
1 tbsp finely chopped cucumber
1 tbsp finely chopped carrot
1 tbsp finely chopped apple
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
10-12 black grapes
salt as per taste
Method of Preparation :
Wash and soak rice in sufficient water for 10 mins.
Now drain the water and add milk and pressure-cook for an extra 5 mins than regular rice.
Lightly mash the rice when still hot. Cool and add salt and curd.
Heat oil and fry all the ingredients for tadka and pour into the rice and mix well.
Add all the ingredients for dressing and mix very well.
Adjust salt as per taste. Cover and keep aside for 1hour.
Serve with fried potato chips.

Serves : 4

Creamy Mix Vegetable Curry

Ingredients :
3 cups boiled vegetables (carrots, green peas, French beans, cauliflower) Mushroom Baby corn 150 gms grated paneer 3 Tomatoes 2 Grated onions 1 1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1 1/2 tsp Garlic paste
Salt to Taste
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
2 tbsp Cream
6 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 tbsp Ghee
1 cup Milk or water
1/4 cup dry fruits (cashew nuts, raisins) Coriander leaves for decoration
Method of Preparation :
Boil tomatoes till tender. Allow them to cool. Then peel off the tomato skin to make puree. Ready made tomato puree can also be used.

Take 1 tbsp ghee and slightly fry the dry fruits for about 1 min on medium heat.

Heat oil in a pan. Fry onions and ginger-garlic paste till golden brown.

Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Next add tomato puree and dry fruits. Stir well and cook the mixture for 4 minutes. Ensure that the mixture doesnt stick to bottom of pan.

Add milk (use water alternatively). Bring it to boil. Reduce the heat and cook until the gravy becomes thick.

Add paneer to the gravy and stir well.

Finally add all the vegetables to the above gravy and cook for 5-7 minutes.

Serve the creamy mix veg curry hot. Put cream and chopped coriander leaves on the curry to decorate.


Serves : 5-6

Preparation Time : 40 mins

carrot 65


Ingredients :
250 gms carrots, cut into thin round circles
50 gms maida (all-purpose flour)
50 gms besan (gram flour)
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 cup curd (yogurt)
4-6 green chilies, slit lengthwise
Few sprigs of curry leaves
Oil for frying
A pinch of orange colour
Method of Preparation :
Mix maida, besan, ginger-garlic paste, salt chili powder, curd, orange color in a bowl along with water and make a fine pakoda batter.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan, dip the carrot circles in the batter and fry in oil until golden brown.

Heat 2 tsp of oil in another pan and fry the green chilies and curry leaves for a while. Also add fried carrot circles and fry for 5 more minutes.

Remove and serve hot.

Serves : 4-6

Preparation Time : 20 mins

Chicken Kathi Roll

This chicken roll works great as a snack or an entire meal!
Ingredients :
3 cups boneless chicken cut into ½ inch pieces
350 gms wheat flour
150 gms corn flour
2 eggs beaten
2 tsp oil
1 tomato
1 capsicum, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp ginger (adrak) paste
1 tsp garlic (lahsun) paste
½ tsp cumin (jeera) powder
½ tsp garam masala
Aashirvaad salt to taste

Marinade
4 tsp hung curd (strained to remove excess water)
2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
2 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp ginger (adrak) paste
½ tsp garlic (lahsun) paste
Aashirvaad salt to taste

Method of Preparation :
Marinate the chicken in the marinade ingredients for one hour.
Roast in oven or on stove, basting it with oil occasionally.
When done, let it cool and shred it further if required on low heat.
Fry the ginger and garlic pastes in oil on low heat.
Add vegetables and sauté. Add salt to taste, garam masala, and cumin powder.
Put in chicken and sauté for a minute till it is mixed with the vegetables.

Make a dough of the wheat and corn flour together with sufficient water till soft and pliable after kneading. Roll into circles with diameters of 6 inches.
Heat a tava or griddle and make a parantha, slowly pouring about 2 tablespoons of egg on either side when cooking so that the parantha is thinly layered with egg mixture.

When these are ready, add some chicken mixture on the parantha and make it into a roll.

Serves 5-6 persons. Serve with mint chutney, pickles, or ketchup. If preferred, the mixture can be put into roomali rotis.

Serves : 4

Preparation Time : 60 mins

Corn Kurma

Ingredients :
2 teacups grated fresh tender corn
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 green chillies
chopped 2 curry leaves
a pinch asafoetida
1 teacup milk
1 tsp plain flour
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 tbsp ghee
salt to taste

To be ground into a paste
4 tbsp grated fresh coconut
6 peppercorns
Method of Preparation :
Heat the ghee and fry the mustard seeds for 1 minute. Add the green chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida and corn and fry for 2 minutes.

Mix the milk and flour, and add to the mixture. Then add the paste and cook for a few minutes.

Add 1/2 teacup of water and salt, and cook for few minutes.

Add the coriander, mix well and serve hot. Garnish with coriander.

Serves : 6

Preparation Time : 15 mins

Chicken Kurma


Ingredients :
400 gms chicken boneless
1 cup sour curd (yoghut)
¼ cup cashew nut paste
2 cloves
1 cardamom
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala (hot spice mix)
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
½ tsp green chillie paste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
Salt to taste
Method of Preparation :
Take a thick-bottomed pan and heat the ghee. When the ghee melts and begins to boil add the cloves, crush the cardamom and put that in too. Saute briefly and add the cumin seeds. Cook till it turns golden brown and add the turmeric, garam masala, coriander powder and sauté till the masala blends well. Now put in the ginger garlic paste and green chillie paste. Saute till the raw smell leaves and pout in the curd. Simmer and cook for five minutes and keep stirring. Add the chicken and very little water and mix it all up. The water should be just enough to move the chicken freely. Cover the pan with a lid and cook till it’s half cooked. Open the lid and check by poking the chicken with a fork.

Add the cashew nut paste and salt to taste. The gravy mustn’t be too liquid and so don’t add water unless the gravy is too thick. Stir well and cover with a lid again. Cook for about 15 minutes. Check if the chicken is tender and then remove from flame.

Garnish with fried onions and fresh cream in the centre and serve.

Serves : 6

Preparation Time : 40 mins

Tofu and Vegetable Rice Recipe

Ingredients:
Rice - 1 cup
Oil - 2 tblsp
Spring Onions - 2, finely sliced
Green Capsicum - 1 medium , cut into julienne
Carrot - 1 small, cut into julienne
Cabbage - 1/4 small, finely sliced
Green Chillies - 2 to 3, cut into julienne
Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup, chopped
Tofu - 100 gms, cut into strips
Salt - 1 tsp
Coriander Leaves - 1 tblsp, chopped for garnish

Method:
1. Wash rice and soak in water for 15 minutes.
2. Heat oil in a heavy based pan over moderate heat.
3. Add vegetables, chillies, coriander leaves and tofu.
4. Stir gently, cover pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Drain rice and add to pan.
6. Stir till translucent.
7. Mix in salt and 2 cups of water.
8. Cook rice for 10 to 15 minutes till water is absorbed and rice is tender.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves.
10. Serve hot.

Mutki Khichdi Recipe
Ingredients:
Whole Moth Beans (Mutki) - 1/2 cup
Rice - 1/2 cup
Ghee - 2 tblsp
Onion - 1 medium, minced
Ginger - 1 inch piece, minced
Green Chillies - 2 to 3, minced (optional)
Coriander Leaves - 2 to 3, chopped
Mint Leaves - 5 to 6 sprigs, chopped
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Lime Juice - 1 tsp

Method:
1. Wash mutki and soak in water ovenight.
2. Wash rice and soak in water for 15 minutes.
3. Heat ghee in a heavy based pan over moderate heat.
4. Add onion, ginger, green chillies, coriander leaves, mint leaves, turmeric powder and coriander powder.
5. Stir till ingredients are well blended.
6. Drain beans and rinse in several changes of water.
7. Drain rice and beans and add to pan with salt.
8. Stir till rice turns translucent.
9. Mix in 2 cups of water.
10. Cook khichdi for 10 to 15 minutes till water is absorbed and rice and beans are tender.
11. Remove pan from heat and leave covered for 5 minutes.
12. Sprinkle lime juice on top.
13. Serve hot.