Chou Chou Carrot Kuruma

Ingredients:

• Chou-Chou/Chayote - 1 cut into cubes
• Carrot - 3 cut into cubes
• Coconut - 1 cup
• Kuruma podi - 1 tbsp
• Green chili - 2
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon powder/stick - 1 pinch/ ¼ inch piece 
• Salt to taste

To Temper:

• Mustard - 1 tsp
• Urad dhal - 1 tsp
• Curry leaf - 1 sprig

Procedure:

1. Grind coconut, green chili, kuruma podi into a smooth paste by adding little water.
2. Place a pressure cooker on the stove and heat it with little oil. Add cinnamon sticks or cinnamon powder. I used cinnamon powder. Then add little turmeric powder and the coconut paste, saute for 1 min.                                    
3. Now add the cut vegetables and add salt and 1 cup of water. Close the lid and cook for one whistle. Allow it to cool naturally and temper with items given in "to temper" section.  

This easy kuruma taste great with chappathi

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Chicken Salna

Preparation time: 25 min

Cooking time: 20 min

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

• Chicken - 500 g - Cleaned and cut into small pieces
• Onion - 1 medium sized - finely chopped
• Tomato - 2 medium sized - finely chopped
• Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
• Chili powder - 1 tsp
• Pepper powder - 2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1 tbsp
• Cinnamon , cardamom, cloves powder, star anise - 1 pinch
  or
  Cinnamon stick - ¼ inch piece
  Cardamom  - 1 piece
  Cloves - 2 or 3
  Star anise - small piece
• Salt to taste

To grind:

• Kuruma podi - 1 tbsp
• Green chili - 1
• Coconut - 1/2 cup

Procedure:

1. Grind the items in "to grind" into a smooth paste by adding little water.

2. In a small pressure cooker, heat oil and add cardamom cinnamon cloves star anise powder. These can be added as such also. I used powder. Then add onion and saute until it becomes translucent and then add ginger garlic paste and saute til it raw smell leaves.

3. To this add turmeric powder, chili powder and pepper powder. Tomatoes are also added to this and saute until it becomes mushy.

4. When its cooked well, add coriander, cumin powder and the mixie paste. Add 2 cups of water and finally salt and the fresh chicken pieces. Give a stir and pressure cook it for one whistle.

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Pattani Gravy / பட்டாணி குழம்பு

Preparation time: 20 min

Cooking time : 25 min

Servings : 2

Ingredients:

• உலர்ந்த பச்சை பட்டாணி / Dry green peas - 1 cup
• வெங்காயம் / Onion - 1 medium sized - finely chopped
• தக்காளி / tomato - 2 medium sized - finely chopped
• இஞ்சி பூண்டு விழுது  / Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• மஞ்சள் தூள் / turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• மிளகாய் தூள் / red chili powder - ½ tsp
• கொத்தமல்லி தூள் / coriander powder - 1 tbsp
• மிளகு தூள் / pepper powder - ½ tsp
• சீரக தூள் / Cumin powder - ½ tbsp
• உப்பு / Salt - to taste

To seasoning:

• கடுகு / mustard seeds - ¼ tsp
• சீரகம் / cumin seeds - ¼ tsp
• உளுந்த பருப்பு / urad dhal - ¼ tsp
• கருவேப்பிலை / curry leaves - 1 sprig
• எண்ணெய் / Oil - ½ tbsp

Preparation:

Soak dry green peas over night

Procedure:

1. Pressure cook the soaked peas for 2 whistles with little salt, filter excess water and set aside
2. Heat a medium sized pan and pour oil
3. When it heats, add onion and saute until it becomes soft
4. Then add ginger garlic paste and saute til the raw smell leaves
5. To this add turmeric powder, chili powder, pepper powder and salt
6. Then add tomatoes and allow it to cook well. 
7. When it becomes soft and mushy, add coriander powder, cumin powder and mix well
8. Water is added to get the gravy in desired consistency. I added ½ cup of water.
9. Finally add the cooked peas and close the lid
10. Leave it in simmer flame for 5 minutes or until gravy gets to desired consistency

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Egg / Muttai Masala

Ingredients:

1. Egg - 2
2. Onion - 1 medium sized - finely chopped
3. Tomato - 1 medium sized - finely chopped
4. Ginger garlic paste - 1tbsp
5. Pepper - 1 tsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Coriander powder - 2 tsp
9. Cumin powder - 1 tsp
10. Garam masala - 1 tsp
11. Curry leaf - 1 sprig
12. Salt to taste
13. Oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Boil egg in water with little salt for 15 min or pressure cook for one whistle
2. Cool the cooked egg and remove its shell. Cut them into two halves
3. In a pan, heat oil and add onion, saute until it turns golden brown
4. Add ginger garlic paste and saute until it raw smell leaves
5. Then add turmeric powder, chili powder, pepper powder and mix well
6. Add tomatoes and saute for 3 min until it becomes soft and mushy
7. To this add coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, salt to taste
8. If gravy is too thick, add water to adjust its consistency
9. Close the lid and leave it in simmer flame for 5 min and oil gets separated
10. Finally add the boiled eggs and mix slowly
11. Switch off the stove and transfer to a bowl
12. Heat little oil in a small pan and add curry leaves. When they get roasted well, add them to egg masala

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Sweet Pongal

Ingredients:

• Raw rice / Pacharisi - 1 cup
• Vellam / Jaggery - 2 cup
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp
• Dried grapes - 1 tbsp
• Water

Procedure:

1. Clean the rice and pour the water into a vessel. Bring it to boil.
2. Add rice to it and allow it to cook for 20 min. Break the jaggery into small pieces. When rice is cooked well, add the jaggery to the cooked rice.
3. Mix well and finally add ghee, cashew nuts and dried grapes.

Stir well and serve hot

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Gulab Jamon

Ingredients:

Gulab Jamon mix
water
Oil - to fry

For jeera / Syrup:

Mix equal measure of sugar and water, allow it to boil

Procedure:

1. Sift the jamon flour using a sieve to remove all the lumps
2. Then make it to a soft dough by adding water little by little
3. Close the  lid and allow it to rest for 15 min
4. After 15 min, roll the dough into small balls giving little pressure so that the surface of jamon is smooth
5. Heat oil in a kadai. Keep in medium flame. Add the jamon balls one by one and fry until its golden brown. Keep stirring the jamon balls so that the surface gets brown uniformly 
6. Before adding each set of jamon balls add 1 tbsp of oil. This avoids cracking of the jamon surface
7. Add the fried jamon balls to the jeera and allow it to soak for 3-5 hrs

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Mushroom Curry (Kalan)

Ingredients:

To marinate:

• Mushroom - 200 gm
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Chili powder - 2 tsp 
• Curd - 2 tbsp
• Salt to taste

To Roast and grind:

• Onion - 1 medium sized
• Tomato - 2 medium sized
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Cashew nuts - 7-10 piece
• Curry leaf - 1 sprig
• Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
• Cumin powder - ½ tbsp
• Oil - 3 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Clean all mushroom in running water and pat dry. Cut them into pieces. Mix all the ingredients given in “to marinate” and set aside for 20 min.
2. Meanwhile, heat a pan with oil and add cinnamon cloves cardamom powder. When nice aroma comes out, cashew nuts and curry leaf. As it turns brown , add onion and saute till onion becomes soft. 
3. To this combine ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell leaves. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, tomato,  salt and saute. Then cool this mixture and grind into a smooth paste.
4. Heat the pan with oil, add the marinated mushrooms and cook for 3-4 min stirring occasionally. Add the masala paste and add little water if desired and close the lid until gravy gets thickened.

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Ven Pongal

Ingredients:

• Raw rice / pacharisi - 1 cup
• Paasi paruppu / moong dhal - 1/2 cup
• Salt to taste
• Water - 4 cups
• Cilantro - 1 tbsp finely chopped

To temper:

• Mustard - 1 tsp
• Urad dhal - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Cashew nuts - 2 tsp
• Black Pepper - 1 tsp
• Curry leaf - 1 sprig
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Oil - 2 tsp (if required)

Procedure:

1. Mix and clean raw rice and moong dhal
2. Add water and salt
3. Allow it to cook until its mushy. I cooked it for 5 whistles.
4. Heat oil and ghee in a pan, add the ingredients given in "to temper" one by one and roast well
5. Add it to cooked pongal
6. Garnish with cilantro
7. Very traditional ven pongal can be served with ulundu vadai, sambhar and coconut chutney

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Channa Masala

Ingredients:

Channa/ White chickpea/vellai kondakadalai - 1 cup
Onion - ½ medium sized - cut into cubes
Onion - ½ medium sized - cut lengthwise
Tomato - 2 medium sized 
Red chili - 4
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Cinnamon , cardamom, cloves powder - 1 pinch
or
Cinnamon stick - ¼ inch piece
Cardamom  - 1 piece
Cloves - 2 or 3

Preparation:

-  Soak Channa/ White chickpea/ vellai kondakadalai for 8-10 hrs or over night

Procedure:

1. Pressure cook soaked channa with salt for 3 whistles. Allow it to cool naturally.
2. In a pan, heat oil and add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom (as pieces or in powder form). As nice flavor comes out add the onions cut in cubes, ginger garlic paste. Saute until it becomes soft and gives nice flavor.

3. Then add tomato, salt, turmeric powder and red chili, saute until it becomes mushy. Cool this gravy for some time and grind it into smooth paste.

4. Again heat the pan with oil, and add onion that are cut length wise. Saute them until it becomes soft. Then add the paste, cooked chickpea, coriander powder, cumin powder and one cup of water. 

5. Close the lid and keep it in low flame for 3 min or gravy comes to desired consistency. It taste great with poori.

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Chicken Egg kothu Parotta

Ingredients:

Multilayered parotta - 6
Egg- 3
Chicken salna - 1½  cup
Onion - 1 cup finely chopped
Tomato - 1 cup finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - ½ tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp
Cinnamon , cardamom, cloves powder - 1 pinch
or
Cinnamon stick - ¼ inch piece
Cardamom  - 1 piece
Cloves - 2 or 3

Procedure:

1.       Cut the multilayered parotta into small pieces.
2.       In a bowl, break and pour the eggs. Add salt and pepper, mix well.
3.       Heat oil in a pan, pour the beaten egg and make it into scramble and set aside.
4.       Again heat oil in the pan, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom powder.
5.       When nice aroma comes out, add onion and saute until it becomes soft.
6.       Then add ginger garlic paste and saute for 1 min.
7.       To this add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and mix well.
8.       Now add the tomatoes and saute until it turns mushy.
9.       Egg scramble, cut parottas, chicken salna are added one by one and mixed well.
10.   Mouth watering chicken egg kothu parotta are garnished with cilantro and ready to serve.

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