Mezhukkupuratti

My Dhaba's mezhukkupuratti using green beans and red potatoes. I omitted coconut from the original recipe.

Ingredients:
Vegetable - 1/4 kg, sliced into small pieces
Green chillies - 2, medium size, medium hot, finely chopped
Chilli powder - 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt - 1/2 teaspoon or adjusted to taste
Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Black-gram dal - 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Dried red chillies - 1, medium size, medium hot, broken into pieces
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Onion - 1, medium size, finely chopped
Garlic - 1/4-inch piece, crushed (optional)
Oil - 1 teaspoon (we use coconut oil for upperis; it tastes better that way)
Ghee - 1 teaspoon (optional)
Coconut shreds - 2 tablespoons (optional)
Method: Heat a vessel and pour in the oil/ghee mix. When the oil becomes very hot, add in this order: the mustard seeds to splutter, black-gram dal to brown lightly, red chillies, curry leaves, and then the onions and garlic. When the onion edges turn golden brown here and there, add the vegetable pieces, salt, green chillies, turmeric powder, and chilli powder all together. The water clinging to the vegetable when washed is usually enough, but if it is stale, add a good sprinkling of water also in between. Cover with a lid, boil till tender over moderate heat. Remove the lid and stir-fry till no water shows out of it and the vegetables gets dried up. Stir in the fresh coconut scrapings and remove immediately from heat and serve it hot with rice and the curries. Enjoy!

Chicken Curry

Trying out a recipe suggested by a friend....

Split chicken breasts with bones - 3
Onion - 2 medium
Garlic - 6
Ginger - one small piece
Green chilly - 4 to 6
Tomato - 3 (big)
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Oil
Salt

Cut the chicken into cubes, wash and drain. Marinate in salt & lemon juice.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan. Fry the chicken pieces on high heat until they change the color on all sides. Remove the pieces from the oil using a slotted spoon. Add onion to this oil and saute until it caramelize and turn golden brown. Add garlic, ginger and green chillies and cook for a few minutes. Add the masala powders. Add chopped tomatoes and cook for another couple of minutes. Turn off the flame. Transfer this mixture to a blender and puree. Bring the chicken pieces and the pureed masala mixture back to the frying pan. Add a cup of water and bring to a boil. Add salt if needed. When it comes to a boil simmer for 30 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked.

Gajar Halwa

Bitter gourd pickle

Bitter gourd – 6
Garlic – 8 cloves
Ginger – 1 small piece
Green chilly – 6
Curry leaves
Salt
Chilli powder
Asafetida
Mustard seeds
Fenugreek seeds
Vinegar
Gingelly oil

Clean the bitter gourds and remove the seeds. Slice thinly. Marinate in salt for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, squeeze out the salted water(my mom dries this in the sun) and fry the bitter gourd pieces until they are lightly crisp. Drain

Heat gingelly oil. Add mustard seeds, then fenugreek seeds. Add chopped garlic-ginger-green chilly & curry leaves and sauté them for a minute. Turn off the flame and add chilli powder and asafetida. Stir well and keep covered. When it is cold, add the fried bitter gourd. Add salt if needed. Add vinegar. Stir well and transfer to a glass jar.

Here is a picture of kodampuli for Shreya. Click on the picture to get a bigger image.

Fish Curry

Fish curry with coconut milk

Fish (I used two thick slices of King Fish cut into small cubes)
Chopped onion – ¼ cup
Garlic – 3 cloves
Ginger – 1 small piece
Green chilly – 3 to 4
Curry leaves
Salt
Kerala kudampuli – 1 piece (this is something that look like kokum)
Coconut milk – 3 cups
Chilli powder & turmeric powder- to taste
Oil
Fenugreek seeds – 8 to 10

Cut the fish into small pieces, remove the skin, clean and keep aside.
Soak kudampuli in warm water.
Chop garlic, ginger, green chilly.
Heat oil and toast the fenugreek seeds.
Add onion, garlic, ginger, green chilly & curry leaves. Cook for a couple of minutes. Do not brown.
Add chilli & turmeric powders.
Stir for 30 seconds and add the fish pieces. Cook the fish pieces in oil & masala for few minutes. Turn and cook both sides.
Add the coconut milk, salt and kokum.
Boil and simmer for 1 hour.

Cheesecake

This is Tyler Florence's(Food Network) Ultimate CheeseCake recipe with a few variations.

Base is a mix of graham cracker crumbs + butter
Filling is Cream cheese + Eggs + Sugar + Vanilla + Sour cream
Strawberry topping is made by boiling the strawberries with sugar and lemon zest for about 5 minutes.

Green-peas with Tofu

Fruit cake again. Christmas 2006