Poori Masala / Potato Masala

The famous poori masala is everyone's favorite hotel recipe. It is a great tasty combination. Poori masala or potato masala is easy to prepare in minutes. Every sunday begins with poori and potato masala.

Preparation Time: 5 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• Potato - 3 
• Onion -  2 medium sized - cut lengthwise 
•  Green chili - 1

To temper:

• Oil 
•  Mustard 
• Urad dhal 
• Cumin seed 
• Split channa dhal 
• Curry Leaf

Procedure:

1.   Heat a pan with oil, add all item given in "to temper" section and fry until it turns golden brown.

2.   Add onion and green chili, saute until it becomes soft and translucent. Then add turmeric powder and salt.

3.   Cut potato into two halves and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Then peel the skin of potato and cut into cubes.

4.   Add the potatoes and one cup of water. Adjust salt. Bring it to boil and close the lid for 2 min.

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Chicken Manchurian - Gravy

Indian Chinese Recipe

Chicken manchurian gravy is an easy and famous dish. Chicken manchurian dry is served as appetizer. Adding just the chicken broth gives a gravy form of chicken manchurian. Its a perfect side for fried rice.

Preparation time: 5 min

Cooking time: 15 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Chicken Manchurian dry
2. Chicken stock - 1/4 cup - If you do not have chicken broth, it can be substituted with water.
3. Corn flour - if needed
4. Cilantro

Procedure:

1. For gravy, add chicken stock and bring it to boil
2. Little corn flour can be added to get a thicker gravy if needed
3. Garnish with cilantro

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Thakkali Kolambu

A perfect lunch

Easy and tasty kolambu. It is one of my favorite kolambu right from my childhood.

Preparation Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 15 min
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• Small onion - 5-7
• Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
• Chili powder - 1 pinch
• Tomato - 1 finely chopped
• Tomato paste or tomato puree - 1 medium sized
• Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

To grind:

• Coconut - 2 tbsp
• Small onion - 2-3
• Green chili - 1
• Kuruma Podi - 1 tbsp

To temper:

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard - 1 pinch
• Urad dhal
• Cumin seeds

Procedure:

1.   Grind the ingredients given in section "to grind" into a smooth paste by adding water.

2.   Heat a medium sized pan, add oil. Then add onion and saute until it is becomes soft and starts turning golden brown.

3.   Add turmeric powder and chili powder.Then add tomatoes and saute for 3min. It becomes mushy. Once it become mushy, add tomato puree and coriander powder.

4.   Mix them well and add 1 cup of water and bring it boil. Add 2 tbsp of coconut paste. Keep it in low flame for 5 min or until the kolambu gets to desired consistency.

5.   Finally temper with the items given under the section “to temper”.

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Tofu Masala

Protein Rich Recipe

Tofu is made from soy milk. It is rich in proteins. I used extra firm tofu. Soft/firm tofu can also be used. Instead of tofu, paneer or soya chunks can be used to the same recipe.

 

Preparation time - 10 min
Cooking time - 20 min
Serves - 4

Ingredients:

To marinate:

·          

      Tofu - 350 gm

·         Tomato - 2 medium sized - cut into small cubes

·         Onion - 2 medium sized - cut lengthwise

·         Capsicum - ½ - cut into small cubes

·         Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

·         Chili powder - 1 tsp

·         Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

·         Cumin powder - ½ tbsp

·         Pepper powder - 1 tsp

·         Salt to taste

For gravy: 

Tomato - 1 - grind into paste  (or) tomato puree can be used

·         Heavy cream - 3 tbsp

·         Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation:

 

Wrap tofu in a kitchen towel or tissue and keep it aside for 30 min. Water in the tofu must be completely removed before cooking.

Procedure:

 

1.   After removing water from the tofu, cut it into small cubes. Mix all the ingredients given in “to marinate” section. Mix them well and keep it aside for 20 min.

2.   Heat a medium sized kadai in the stove and when it is hot add oil. Now add the marinated tofu and allow it to cook for 12-15 min stirring occasionally. Do not stir often.

3.   When it is cooked, add tomato puree or tomato paste and salt. Allow it to cook until the raw smell leaves. Finally add heavy cream, mix well and garnish with cilantro.

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Mutton Chukka

Ingredients:

• Mutton - 500 g - Cleaned and cut into pieces
• Onion - 2 medium sized - Finely chopped
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
• Chili powder - 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder - ½ tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp

 Procedure:

1.   Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pressure pan, add onion and saute until it starts turning golden brown.

2.   Add ginger garlic paste and mutton pieces and stir well. The mutton pieces will start turning pale. At this time, add turmeric powder, chili powder, salt and mix well.

3.   Mutton pieces will itself leave some water, so add ½ cup of water if needed. Pressure cook for one whistle. Then reduce the flame and keep it for 10 min. Switch off the stove and wait until the steam is released completely.

4.   Open the lid and check if the mutton pieces are cooked well. Use a knife or fork to cut the mutton pieces. It should be soft. Then again switch on the stove and keep in medium flame until the gravy gets thickened to desired consistency.

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Soya Pepper Curry

Preparation Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 30 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

•  Soya chunks - 1 cup
•  Onion - 1 medium sized - finely chopped
•  Tomato - ½ medium sized - finely chopped

To grind:

•   Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
•   Red chili - 6 (reduce the count to have less spicy curry)
•   Garlic - 3 pieces
•   Black pepper - 2 tsp
•   Tomato - ½ medium sized

Procedure:

1. In a vessel or pan, heat water and add the dry soya chunks. Allow it to boil in low flame for 15 min or until the soya gets doubled in size. Filter the soya water and wash with cold water. Squeeze the soya to remove the excess water and set aside.

2. Put all the ingredients in “to grind” in a mixie and grind it into a paste. No need to add water as the tomato itself will give the paste consistency. 

3. Heat a medium sized pan, add oil. Then saute onion until it starts turning golden brown. 5.   To this add chopped tomato, mixie paste, salt and one cup of water.

4. Finally add soya chunks and keep in low flame for 5 min or gravy gets thickened to desired consistency.

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