Mirchi Ka Salan

This Chilli gravy usually accompanies biryani.This is the first time i made an attempt to make it..it came out soo gud...:)

INGREDIENTS

8 Long Chillies(Mirchi)
1/2 tbsp Corriander Powder
1/2 tbsp Cumin Powder
1 t bsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tbsp Turmeric powder
3 cups Curd(fresh yogurt)
4 tbsp Tamarind juice
1/2 inch Cinnamon
2 Cloves
Salt
Cilantro

FOR SALAN(GRAVY)

1 big Onion (Suate these Onions and keep aside)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
4 tbsp Sesame seeds
1/4 cup roasted coconut powder
1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste



PROCEDURE

1. Take chillies, split them open and remove the seeds inside. Keep the stem intact and deep fry them in hot oil.Keep aside

2. Grind all the salan ingredients into a smooth paste.

3. Heat oil in a wide pan, add cinnamon, cloves and the salan paste. Fry the salan paste for 15 minutes. Make sure that the
paste does not stick to the pan. Add water and keep stirring in between.

4. Add curd and let it cook for some time. Then add tamarind pulp, salt and water if needed. Cook for 5 more minutes.

5. Add fried chillies and let the gravy come to a boil. Garnish with Cilantro.

Palak Panner

Vahchef Mr Sanjay thumma is a wonderful cook. He is my greatest inspiration. His way of explaining is so simple and easy to follow. I think his passion for cooking is amazing.He usually gets excited when the dish was almost complete and he just cant wait to taste it. I cant stop smiling after seeing that. He is a very entertaining chef. I adopted this palak panner recipe from him. Here it goes..

INGREDIENTS

Palak 2 bunches
Panner cubes 1 cup
Medium size Onion 1
Medium size tomato 1
Green chillies 5
Methi leaves 1/4 cup or Kasturi methi powder 1 tbsp.
Cardamom 2
Cinnamon 1
Cloves 2
Jeera 1 tbsp
Garlic 2 or 3 pods
Corriander powder 1 tbsp
Cumin powder 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder 1/2 tbsp
Salt
Oil


PREOCEDURE

1. Take a tbsp of oil in a wide pan. Add chopped green chillies, spinach and methi leaves. Cook well and grind it into a smooth paste. Vahchef used kasturi methi powder. As i dont have it i went for methi leaves. keep it aside.

2. Heat oil in an other pan, add Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cloves, Cumin seeds and add chopped garlic. Then add chopped onions and fry till they are golden brown in color.

3. Now add ginger garlic paste and turmeric. Fry for a minute. Then add chopped tomatoes, corriander powder, cumin powder and red chilli powder. Cook till the tomatoes are soft.

4. Add grinded spinach and cook till the oil seperates. Add palak cubes and simmer it for 3 to 4 minutes before switching off the stove. Serve with roti.

Alu Muttar / Potato and Peas curry

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes 2
Peas 1/2 cup
Onion 1
Tomato 1
Turmeric
Ginger Garlic paste 1 tbsp
Coconut powder 2 tbsp
Corriander Powder 1 tbsp
Cumin Powder 1 tbsp
Red Chilli powder 1 tbsp
Corriander leaves
Salt

SEASONING INGREDIENTS

Oil 1tsp
Mustard Seeds 1tbsp
Cumin Seeds 1 tbsp
Red chilli 1
Curry leaves few

PROCEDURE

1. Heat oil in a pan, do the seasoning. Add chopped onions. When they turn light brown, add ginger garlic paste and turmeric. Fry till the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.

2. Remove the outer skin of the potatoes and cut them into cubes. Add these to the pan. Now add peas and salt. Fry it for a while. Add some water and let it cook for some time.

3. When the potatoes and peas are almost done, add chopped tomatoes.Cook till the tomatoes are soft.

4. Add coconut powder, corriander Powder, cumin Powder and red chilli powder. Let it cook for some more time. Garnish with corriander.

Gutti Vankaya kura / Stuffed Brinjal Curry

It is a famous curry in combination with jonna rotti at my home. My dad loveees it. My mom have a cookbook called 'Vantalu Pindi Vantalu' by Malathi Chandur. One fine day when i am back to home early from college, i thought of suprising my mom by making a curry by the time she comes home from work. So, i read the book and decided to make Gutti vankaya curry. I made a huge quantity of it. By the time it was ready, my brothers friend Seena came visiting him. I asked these guys to taste my curry. They did and my brother gave me a funny look. And i instantly knew that it was the worst curry he ever tasted. Seena being very polite said that it was gud, not even a word other than that. By that time my mom came home and insisted Seena to stay for dinner and made some rotis for us. Me and brother acted immediatly by saying that we want to wait for our dad to come home so that we all can eat together. so, Seena ate 2 rotis with my curry. Me and my brother sat before him and had a good laugh and asked him to stop eating if he doesnt like it but he finished it. That is Seena...so polite and very encouraging. Later that evening my mom made an other curry for dinner.

Next day i made an other curry(huge quantity) and we all had it for dinner. Later that night my parents told me that i dont have to surprise them by cooking, and also said that they will be happy to see me studying well. Thats how they made me stop cooking. Even now i dont know how i made those huge quantity of curries and why they tasted that bad. But now i can make tasty gutti vankaya curry. Its my mom's recipe. She cooks this curry in a pressure cooker but i cook without the cooker. Here is the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Brinjals 5
Cilantro

MASALA INGREDIENTS

Roasted peanuts 3tbsp
Medium sized Onion 1
Medium sized Tomato 1
Coconut powder 2 tbsp
Corriander Powder 1 tbsp
Cumin Powder 1 tbsp
Tamarind Extract 2 tbsp
Red Chilli powder 1 tbsp
Sesame seeds 1 tbsp
salt
Turmeric

SEASONING INGREDIENTS

Oil 1tsp
Mustard Seeds 1tbsp
Cumin Seeds 1 tbsp
Red chilli 1
Curry leaves few



PREPARATION

1.Grind all the masala ingredients together into a paste. Add more salt or tamarind if needed.

2. Cut each brinjal from the base towards the stem but not all the way through. Make an other slit perpendicular to the first one. Stuff the masala and keep them aside.

3. Do the seasoning in a pan or a pressure cooker. Add the remaining masala. Close the lid by keeping the flame on low to avoid burning. In a few minutes oil separates from the masala then add stuffed brinjals. Add water. Gravy should not be too thin. Cook till the brinjals are well done on a medium flame by closing the lid. If you are cooking on a pressure cooker just cook till you get 1 whistle. Garnish with cilantro.

Cauliflower and Potato Curry (Alu Gobi Curry)

I am a kind person who cooks regular food which we are used to since our childhood. But its my hubby who gives me all kind of ideas to cook different vegetables together. Even my mom gives me many ideas to cook . She tells me to add grated carrot , raddish, spinach or any grated vegetable to chapathi flour to make it even healthier.
INGREDIENTS

Califlower 1 (cut into florets)
Potatoes 3 (peeled and cut into cubes)
Samll Onion 1
Tomato 1
Green Chillies 3
Ginger Garlic paste 1 tbsp
Corriander powder 1/2 tbsp
Cumin Powder 1/2 tbsp
Red Chili powder 3/4 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1/4 tbsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tbsp
Red Chilli 2
Curry leaves few
Oil 2 tbsp

PREPARATION

1. Heat oil in a pan, do the seasoning. Add chopped onions. When they turn light brown, add ginger garlic paste and turmeric. Fry till the raw smell of ginger garlic goes away.

2. Now add potato pieces. Fry for 2 mins and then add califlower florets, a bit of water and salt and cook on low flame till the florets are almost done. Now add chopped tomatoes, Corriander powder, Cumin Powder and Red Chili powder. Cook for 5 more minutes and garnish with cilantro.

Chana Masala (Chole)

I am not much fond of peas or chick peas but i use them in cooking because of kanth. He loves both of them. Most of the times he wants to cook peas and alu curry by himself according to his taste. In this way i am a bit lucky to just have a meal ready to eat..:) Last weekend I made chana masala for my cousin Shilpi, as she is a vegan. Here is the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Chana/ Chick Peas 1 cup (Soaed over night)
Cinnamon stick 1 inch
Cloves 3
Bay leaves 2
Cardomom 1
Cumin seeds 1/2 tbsp
Oil 3 tbsp
Big Onion 1
Tomato 1
Ginger Garlic paste 1 tbsp
Red Chilli powder 1 tbsp
Turmeric 1/4 tbsp
Corriander powder 1 tbsp
Cumin Powder 1 tbsp
Half a lime (Optional)
Cilantro
Salt



PREPARATION

1. Pressure cook chana with some salt till they are soft. Dont over cook them.

2. Take oil in a pan, add cinnamon stick, cloves,cardomom,bay leaves, cumin seeds and then onions. Fry till they are slightly brown. Add tomatoes, when they are soft add ginger garlic paste. Then add turmeric, corriander powder, cumin Powder and red chilli powder. Mix well and cook for 2 mins. Add some water then add cooked chana by keeping 3 tbsp aside. Grind these 3 tbsp of chana and add it to the mixture for thick gravy. Add salt according to your taste.

3. Add lime juice for sourness. Garnish with Cilantro.

Spinach Curry

INGREDIENTS

Spinach 1 bunch (chopped)
Medium sized Onion 1 (chopped)
Green Chillies 3
Turmeric 1/4 tbsp
Salt
Garlic cloves 2
Mustard seeds 1/2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tbsp.
Curry leaves
Chana dal 1/2 tbsp
Red Chilli 1



PREPARATION

1. Heat oil in a pan and do seasoning. Add green chilli and onions, cook till they are soft. Then add chopped spinach and salt. Cook it uncovered to retain the greeness of spinach. Once spinach is done add crushed garlic. Serve with hot rice or
chapathi

Cabbage Curry

My hubby used to come home for lunch everyday. But his office was shifted to downtown recently and he cannot come home for lunch. So I prepared cabbage curry for his lunch box. Here is the recipe

INGREDIENTS

Cabbage 2 lb (finely chopped)
Onion 1 (finely chopped)
Toamto 1 (chopped)
green chilli 2
Red Chilli powder 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tbsp
Ginger Garlic paste 1/2 tbsp
Corriander powder 1/2 tbsp
Coconut Powder 1 tbsp
Cumin Powder 1/2 tbsp

SEASONING INGREDIENTS

Oil 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tbsp
Chana Dal 1 tbsp
Curry leaves few
Red Chilli 2



PREPARATION

1. Pressure cook the cabbage. You can also cook them by steaming to avoid overcooking.

2. Mean while heat oil in a pan and do the seasoning. Then add onions.Once they are done add chopped tomatoes and turmeric. Let them cook till tomatoes are soft. Add ginger garlic paste. Just fry until the raw smell of ginger garlic goes off.

3. Add red chilli powder, corriander powder, cumin powder, coconut powder and cooked cabbage. Mix well by adding salt. Garnish with cilantro.

Chamadumpa pulusu / Taro Roots

Chamadumpa/Taro roots is my cousins brother and sisters favourite veggie. They are very fond of Chamadumpa fry. They used to live in Chennai at that time.Once when we( me and my younger brother) visited them for summer holidays. My pinni made Chamadumpa fry and served us all. Suddenly these two started fighting for more curry. As we are not much used to that curry at that time, ended up sharing our part of the curry to them equally. This memory brings back a smile on my face..:)

INGREDIENTS

Chamadumpa/Taro roots 6
Onion 1 (finely chopped)
green chilli 2
Red Chilli powder 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tbsp
Tamarind juice 2 tbsp
Ginger Garlic paste 1/2 tbsp
Corriander powder 1/2 tbsp
Cumin Powder 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tbsp
Oil 2 tbsp
Curry leaves
Cilantro



PREPARATION

1. Boil Chamadumpa in a pressure cooker, peel and cut them into medium sized pieces. Keep them side

2. In a wide pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds. When they start popping add Cumin seeds, green chilli and curry leaves. Add chopped onions and fry them till golden brown.

3. At this point add Ginger garlic paste, red chilli powder, Cumin powder, Turmeric, corriander powder and salt. Fry it for a minute. Then add Chamadumpa pieces. Mix well.

4. Add Tamarind juice and enough water. Cook for 1o mins. Garnish with Cilantro.

My hubby loves this pulusu with Ragi mudda.

Alu curry

This is the most simplest curry. Usually it goes with Lemon rice, Dosa or Poori.



INGREDIENTS

Potatoes 4
Onion 1 (Chopped lengthwise)
Mustard seeds 1/2 tbsp
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tbsp
Chana dal 1 tbsp
Green Chillies 4
Red Chilli 1
Cilantro
Oil 2 tbsp





PREPARATION

1. Boil the Potatoes in a pressure cooker for a whistle and cut them into cubes. Keep aside

2. Heat the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When they pops add cumin seeds, chana dal, curry leaves and red chilli. Add onions. Cook till the onions are soft.

3. Grind green chillis and Cilantro in a mixer by adding some salt. Dont make it into a paste. Add this mixture to the cooked onions. Mix it once and let it cook for 5 mins.

4. Add the potato pieces, salt and mix well. Simmer it for 5 mins. Garnish with Cilantro.

Tindora Curry / Dondakaya Masala curry

Back home in my parents house we never used to make dondakaya curry. After getting married i started making dondakaya fry as a combination with sambar. But my husband always wants me to make dondakaya pulusu. So i took my friends recipe and made it for dinner. It came out absolutely fantastic..here goes the recipe




INGREDIENTS

Tindora 3 lbs
Medium sized Onion 1
Green Chillies 2


MASALA INGREDIENTS

Corriander seeds 2 tbsp
Peanuts 2 tbsp
Poppy seeds 1 1/2 tbsp
Coconut powder 2 tbsp
Sesame seeds 1 1/2 tbsp
Red Chiili powder 1 tbsp
Ginger Garlic psate 1 tbsp
Tamarind juice as per taste
Turmeric 1/4 tbsp

FOR SEASONING

Mustard seeds 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves few
red chillies 2



PREPARATION

1. Chop the ends of tindora, cut them lenght wise for stuffing. Deep fry them in the oil. Keep them aside

2. Roast the corriander seeds till nice aroma comes out. Grind all the masala ingredients together by adding salt onion and green chillies. Grind it into a smooth paste. Taste of the masala should be perfect at this point. It ensures that the over all taste of the curry will be good.

3. Heat oil in a pan, do the seasoning. Add the masala paste. Let it be on simmer till the oil seperates. Add the deep fried Tindora. You can stuff the tindora with masala paste or u can add it just like that. Let it cook for 10 mins. Garnish with Cilantro.

Cluster Beans Curry / Mattikaya Kura

This Curry is a great combination with Jonna rotti and my dad loves it. As I am staying far away from my parents I always think about them. Each dish I prepare brings back a lot of memories associated with them and my dear brother. I made this curry thinking about you naannaa...



INGREDIENTS

Cluster Beans 2 cups(lengthwise chopped)
Onion 1
Poppy seeds 1 1/2 tbsp
Coconut Powder 2 tbsp
Garlic Pods 4
Red Chilli powder 1 tbsp
Salt

SEASONING INGREDIENTS

Oil 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1/2 tbsp
Chana Dal 1 tbsp
Curry leaves few
Red Chilli 2

PREPARATION

1. Pressure cook the beans for just 1 whistle. Make sure that they are not over cooked.

2. Heat oil in a wide pan. Do the seasoning. Add onions. Cook till the onions are soft and tender. Mean while Grind poppy seeds and Coconut powder together into a fine powder. Then add the garlic pods to the mixer and grind again. Add this whole mixture to the cooked onions. Add Red chilli powder and salt. Mix it well

3. Add the cooked Cluster beans and Mix well. Let it cook for 10 minutes. Garnish with Cilantro.

Potato and Peas Kurma (Alu and Peas Kurma)

Ingredients

3 Boiled and peeled potatoes

1/2 Cup peas

1 Medium sized Onion

1 Tomato

4 Green Chillies

2 cloves

1/2 inch Cinnamon stick

2 small bay leaves.

1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste

1/2 tbsp Red Chilli Powder

1 tbsp Corriander Powder

1 tbsp Cumin Powder

1 tbsp Poppy seeds

1 tbsp Coconut powder

1/2 cup Yogurt

PREPARATION

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add Cinnamon stick, cloves and bay leaves. Fry for half minute. Add Green chillies and chopped onions. Fry until Golden brown colour.

2. Add turmeric powder and chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are soft.

3. Add Ginger Garlic paste and fry for a while. Cut the potatoes into small pieces
and add them with red chilli powder.

4. Microwave the peas till they are cooked and add them.

5. Add Corriander and Cumin Powder. Grind poppy seeds and coconut powder together and add it. Put some water and cook till the mixture becomes thick. This may take upto 10 minutes. Add salt accordingly.

6. Add Yogurt and mix it. Let it simmer for an other 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Egg Curry (Egg Pulusu / Kodiguddu Pulusu)

Egg Pulusu is one of the greatest dishes. It goes with plain rice, Biriyani or chapathi. Its very simple yet tasty



Ingredients

3 Hard boiled Eggs

1 big Onion

1 medium sized Tomato

3 Green Chillis

1/2 tbsp Red Chilli powder

1 pinch Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste

1/2 Corriander powder

1/2 Cumin Powder

1 tbsp Poppy seeds

1 tbsp Coconut Powder




PREPARATION

1. Heat oil and do the seasoning. Fry chopped onion until golden brown colour.

2. Add tomato and turmeric powder. When the tomato is done add ginger garlic paste. Fry until the raw smell of ginger garlic is gone.

3. Grind the poppy seeds and coconut powder into a fine powder and add it. Then add corriander powder, Cumin powder and red chilli powder. Fry for a minute.

4. Make cuts on the eggs with knife. Add eggs and some water and salt to the gravy.

5. Now cover the pan and let it cook for 10 to 15 minutes. The gravy should be a bit thick. Garnish it with chopped Cilantro. There goes ur yummy Egg pulusu..