SPICY CURRIES

Jun 13, 2010

TINDORA (Dondakaya) FRY

Ingredients:
Tindora 20 – 25
Tamarind 1 inch Ball
Green Chiles 3 – 4
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

Talimpu:
Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida a pinch
Curry Leaves 6
Oil 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:
Wash tindora under fresh water.
Remove ends and chop tindora into thick circles.
Remove stems, wash and roughly chop green chiles.

Soak tamarind in a tbsp or more of water and extract thick pulp.
Grind tamarind, green chiles, cumin seeds and salt into paste.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
Then stir in chopped tindora and salt.
Cook covered for few minutes until tindora is little soft.
Uncover and fry till tindora turns light brown around the edges.
Stir in tamarind green chile paste and cook for another minute or two.
Serve sour tindora with plain steamed rice or with dal rice.

BESAN DOSA

Ingredients:
Besan 1 Cup
Rice Flour 1 Cup
Green Chiles 2 – 3
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Onion 1 Small
Cilantro few Sprigs
Salt to taste
Oil as required

Method of preparation:
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Remove stems, wash and grind the green chiles into coarse paste.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro.

In a mixing bowl, add besan, rice flour, green chiles, cumin seeds, cilantro and salt.
Add enough water (around 3 cups) and make it into a somewhat thin batter.

Heat a flat pan on medium high heat, apply quarter tsp of oil with back of a spoon.
When pan gets hot, pour a ladle full of besan dosa batter on the pan in circular motions.
Make sure batter is thin enough that the dosa has perforations.
Try to fill up any big holes and form into 10 – 12 inch diameter dosa.
Layer the dosa with a tbsp of chopped onion.

Fry till bottom side starts to turn light golden brown.
Pour quarter tsp of oil around the dosa and turn on other side.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook on this side for a minute before removing from heat.
Repeat the same with remaining besan dosa batter.
Serve besan dosa with any chutney of your choice or with sambar.

SABUDANA DOSA

Ingredients:
Sabudana / Sago 1/2 Cup
Yogurt 1 1/4 Cups
Rice Flour 3 tbsps
Green Chiles 5 – 8
Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp
Cilantro few Sprigs
Salt to taste

Method of preparation:
Remove stems, wash and finely chop the green chiles.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro.

Refresh sabudana in fresh water.
Soak sabudana in yogurt for 4 – 6 hours.
Add water to the soaked sabudana if necessary.

In a mixing bowl, add soaked sabudana, rice flour, green chiles, cumin seeds, cilantro and salt.
Add enough water (around 1 1/4 cups) and make it into a somewhat thick batter.

Heat a flat pan on medium high heat, apply quarter tsp of oil with back of a spoon.
When pan gets hot, pour a big ladle full of sabudana dosa batter on to the pan in one go.
Make sure batter is thin enough that it spreads by itself into around 6 inch diameter dosa.

Fry till bottom side starts to turn light golden brown.
Pour 1/8th tsp of oil on saggubiyyam dosa and turn on other side.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook on this side for a minute before removing from heat.
Repeat the same with remaining sabudana dosa batter.
Serve sabudana dosa immediately with any chutney of your choice.



CRISPY DOSA

INGREDIENTS :
Idli Rice 1 Cup
Urad Dal 1/3 Cup
Poha 1/2 Cup
Fenugreek Seeds 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil as required

Method of preparation:
Soak idli rice in fresh water for around 6 hours or overnight.
Soak urad dal, poha and fenugreek seeds together for around 3 hours.
Refresh the rice with fresh water and grind it into fine paste adding minimum amount of water.
Then add the remaining soaked ingredients, salt and grind again into fine smooth paste.
Take the ground dosa mixture into a bowl and keep it covered in a dark warm place to ferment for around 5 – 8 hours.
Adjust the fermented mixture into dosa batter consistency with sufficient water if required.

Heat a flat pan on medium high heat, apply half tsp of oil with back of a spoon.
When pan gets hot, pour a ladle full of dosa batter in middle of pan and spread it in circular motion with back of the ladle into thin dosa (around 7 inch diameter).
Cook covered for a minute if desired.
When edges of the dosa start to turn light brown, carefully turn the dosa on other side.
Cook on this side for a minute and turn and crisp the other side again before removing from heat.
Repeat the same with remaining dosa batter.
Serve crispy dosa with besan chutney or with any chutney of your choice.



COCONUT IDLY

INGREDIENTS :
Urad Dal 1/2 Cup
Idly Rawa 3/4 – 1 Cup
Salt to taste
Ghee as required

Scraped Coconut 4 tbsps
Onion 1 Small
Green Chiles 2
Ginger 1 inch Piece
Cilantro few Sprigs

Method of preparation:
Remove stems, wash and finely slice the green chiles.
Peel and finely chop the onion.
Peel and thinly slice the ginger.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro.

Soak urad dal in water for 3 – 5 hours.
Refresh the urad dal in fresh water and grind it into fine paste adding minimum water.
Soak idly rawa in water for half an hour.
Squeeze the water out of idly rawa and keep aside.

Mix the ground urad dal and idly rawa together by adding few pinches of salt.
Leave the batter in a warm place for couple of hours.
Mix in some water if the batter is too thick and not pourable.

Grease the idly mould with little ghee.
Place 2 – 3 green chile slices, few slices of ginger, a tsp of chopped onion, tsp of cilantro, a tbsp of scraped coconut on each idly mould before adding the batter into the mould.
Pour a big scoop of idly batter into each idly mould.
Reserve the remaining batter in the refrigerator for further use.

Steam the idlis for 15 – 20 minutes and remove from heat.
Let the idli cool off a bit before removing onto serving plate.
Serve coconut idly with sambar or any chuntey.



PANIYARAM

INGREDIENTS:
Sago 1/2 Cup
Rice 3/4 Cup
Urad Dal 1/4 Cup
Fenugreek Seeds a pinch
Yogurt 3 tbsps
Chana Dal 1 tbsp
Green Chiles 2
Ginger 1 inch Piece
Cilantro few Sprigs
Salt to taste
Oil to grease the moulds

Talimpu:
Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves 4
Oil 1 tsp

Method of preparation:
Remove stems, wash and finely chop green chiles.
Peel, wash and mince the ginger.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro.
Soak chana dal for 4 – 5 hours in enough water.

Soak sago, rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds in enough water for 4 – 5 hours.
Strain the water and grind all of them together into paste adding yogurt and sufficient salt.
Add water if necessary while grinding.
Remove the ground paniyaram batter into a vessel and let if ferment for good 6 – 8 hours.
Then, stir in soaked chana dal and cilantro to the fermented batter.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order along with ginger and green chiles.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, remove from heat and add to the paniyaram batter.

Heat aebleskiver pan or ponganalu pan on medium heat.
Grease the moulds with few drop of oil and let the pan heat a bit.
Fill each mould of the aebleskiver pan with a tbsp or more of the paniyaram batter.
Once edges start to change color, carefully turn paniyaram on other side and let it cook for a another minute. Carefully remove paniyaram from the pan onto a plate.
Repeat the same with remaining ponganalu batter.
Serve paniyaram with coconut chutney or with any other chutney and sambar.



MANGO MILK SHAKE

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Ingredients:
2 cups ripe mango cubes
1/2 lt low fat milk
1 1/2 tbsps sugar (adjust)
pinch of cardamom pwd (optional)
1/2 cup crushed ice cubes
DIRECTION TO PREPARE :
1 Blend the mango pulp along with a cup of milk for 15-20 seconds.
2 Add the remaining milk, sugar, cardamom pwd and crushed ice and blend for another 30 seconds and serve chilled.







SEMIYA PULIHORA

INGREDIENTS:
Semiya: 2 cups
Chenna Dal:3 spns
Urad dal:2 spns
Mustard Seeds:1.5 spns
Cumin Seeds:2 spns
Hinge:1/2 spn
Curry Leaves:10-15 leaves
Cashew:6-8
Lemon:1
Salt:To Taste
Green Chillies:5-6(slit length wise)
Dry Red Chillies:2(cut)
Ginger:Chopped/Grated(Optional)
Oil:3 spns
Turmeric Pwd:2 spn

DIRECTION TO PREPARE:
1.In a boiling pan pour around 5 cups of water,add 1 spn oil,turmeric pwd and bring the water to a complete boil,now add the Semiya and stir well or else the Semiya will be cooked as a lump,this spoils the dish.
2.Cook till the Semiya is smooth,turn off the flame ,drain the water and let it cool down.Add salt to ur taste,lemon juice squeezed from a lemon u can adjust itto your taste mix well and put aside.
3.In a pan add 2 spns of oil when hot add chenna dal,urad dal,cumin seeds,mustard seeds,cashews and fry till thet turn golden color,now add hinge,chopped red and green chillies,ginger,curry leaves and fry till they evolve nice aroma.Now the tempering is done.
4.Add the tempering to the cooked semiya mix evenly and serve it as it is or wid any curd n pickle.




STUFFED BRINJAL CURRY

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Ingredients:
1/4 kg purple brinjals, wash, make + quarters with stalk intact
small lemon sized tamarind, extract pulp
1 1/2 tbsps oil
1/4 tbsp grated jaggery (optional)
For stuffing:
1 tbsp dhania pwd
1 1/4 tbsp roasted peanuts
1 1/2 tbsps roasted til/nuvvulu
1/4 tsp methi pwd
1/2 tsp jeera pwd
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 tsp garam masala (elaichi, cinnamon, cardamom)
1 1/4 tsp red chilli pwd
salt to taste
For poppu/tadka/seasoning:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
3 crushed garlic cloves
a sprig of curry leaves

1 Make a paste with all the stuffing ingredients. Make a + slit in each brinjal, place stuffing as shown in the image above and keep aside
.2 Add oil in a vessel, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add crushed garlic and curry leaves and toss them for a few seconds till the flavors come out. Place the stuffed brinjals in the oil and cook on medium high flame for 2 mts. Now, cover with lid and let them cook on medium low flame for 15 mts. Keep checking in between and stir fry to ensure the brinjals don’t burn or stick to the pan
.3 Add the tamarind extract along with two cups of water and jaggery. Bring to a boil and reduce flame. Place lid and cook over low flame for 15-18 mts. Remove lid and cook for another few mts if it appears still watery. Let the brinjals cook till you achieve a thick gravy consistency. Turn off heat
.4 Serve with rice or rotis.

DRUMSTICKS CURRY (Mulakkaya curry)

INGREDIENTS :
Drum Sticks:3
Onion:1/4kg
Tomato:1/4kg
Green chillies:6
Salt:according to taste.
Chilli powder:according to taste.

Oil: 2tsp
Turmeric – pinch
Curry leaves -2 strings
DIRECTION TO PREPARE :
1.Chop the drumsticks into finger sized bits,onions,tomato.
2.Heat the oil in a pan.
3.Once its heated add the green chillies and curry leaves once the mustard seeds pop.

4.Now add onions, turmeric and fry till they are light brown . Now add the drumstick pieces and cook for about 3 mins
5.Now add the tomatoes, salt,chilli powder and cook for 3 mins.
6.Now add water,cook for 5-15mins on a low flame with lid on stirring occassionally.
7.U can garnish with coriander leaves if you want and serve it.


ALOO-GOBI CURRY






Ingredients
cauliflower-1 Tomato - 2
Potato - 1
Onion - 1 big
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Amchur powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
GingerGarlic paste - 2 tsp
Frozen Peas - 1/2 cup

DIRECTION TO PREPARE :



1) Take a microwave safe bowl and wash cauliflower florets. Add very little water to the bowl. Place a plate or lid covering the bowl and microwave for about 4-5 minutes.
2) After the cauliflower is steamed, add salt to the same and mix well.
3) Peel the potato and dice into bite sized cubes. Add diced potato, salt and little water to a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 2-3 minutes.
4) Take a pan and add oil to the same. Add Jeera and turmeric to the pan.
5) Add dice onion to the pan and fry until onions become transluscent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry until raw smell disappears.
6) Add diced tomatos to the pan and put the lid on. Let the gravy cook until you see oil seperating from the gravy.
7) Add all the masala powders, peas and salt to the Gravy. Put the lid back and let the curry cook for 2 mins.
8) Add potato cubes to the pan and continue to cook for 5 mins.
9) Take the steamed cauliflower florets and add it to the curry. Gently mix the gravy and florets. Make sure the florets donot get mushy. Cook the curry for a while until the florets are cooked and get a good coating of the gravy. Garnish with Cilantro.
NOTE : This curry tastes great with chapati or paratha.