KARI AYAM

Kari Ayam, a Malaysian dish:
I served with Potato crisps, Tomato-onion Raita and Sago vadas.

Kari Ayam literally means Chicken Curry in Malaysian. I came across this recipe somewhere on the internet, unfortunately I cannot remember the site now.It's a delicious recipe most probably from Indians settled in Malaysia since the ingredients are very similar to Indian dishes.Hope you like it as much as I do!

You Need:
4 Chicken Breasts, cubed and cooked
Cilantro
1 tbsp Butter
1 tsp oil
1 Onion sliced
1 Cup Coconut Milk
1 Potato,cubed (optional)
Some Lemon Juice

ROAST AND POWDER:
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
2-3 Dry Chillies or Paprika
1 tsp Aniseeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1" Dalchini/Cinnamon
2 Cloves
1 Cardamom Pod
1/2 Star Anise
1 tsp Pepper Corns
6 Cashews

TO GRIND:
1 Onion,slightly roasted
1" ginger
2 Garlic Cloves

Method:
1. Heat oil with butter,fry 1 onion sliced until reddish. Add ground onion etc. and fry for 5 mins.Put in powdered masala,stir fry till oil shows on top.
2. Add in chicken,potato,1/2 cup water if needed and coconut milk. Simmer gently.
3. Garnish with Cilantro and squeeze some lemon juice.
4. Serve with rice and Raita/salad.

or Roti Canai (Malaysian layered Paratha) or Roti Jala , Sago Vadas and a onion raita.

CHANA DAL CHUTNEY

Chana dal Chutney:
Chana Dal Chutney , many of you I am sure may not know about,is a versatile delicious tasting side dish you can relish with any kind of bread even with sandwiches !! Pancakes like Rava Dosa , Masala Dosa etc. It is specially made for to serve with Masala dosas which adds to the wonderful combination of potato masala and crispy ghee roasted dosas!! You will have to try it to believe it!! :))

If you want the chutney colored bright red,use only red chillies with some paprika and not much of cilantro.I used fresh red chillies, few dry chillies and little of paprika while grinding to get red color!!Adjust the salt, chillies and tamarind according to your tatse.

YOU NEED:

1/2 Cup Chana Dal,(red split peas)
Few fresh Red Green Chillies or/and red dry chillies,
1/2 Cup Grated fresh Coconut,
1" fresh ginger ,
Curry Leaves,Few Cilantro
Tamarind juice 2 tsp,
1/2 tsp sweet paprika for color
Salt


SEASON WITH:
2tsp Oil and Ghee,
1 tsp Mustard,
Curry Leaves,
1 Red chilly, broken.


TO MAKE IT:
1. Fry Dal and chillies in 1 tsp oil until reddish.
2. Add to the rest of the ingredients and grind to a smooth paste.
3. Season with above and serve with masala dosa or Idlies!!

For Masala Dosa Recipe, Click Here:

ENJOY!!

AVALAKKI DOSA AND RAVA DOSA!

Avalakki(Poha) Dosa:

Here's an easy but very tasty crispy Dosa recipe I made the other Day. This Avalakki as we call in Kannada or Poha elsewhere Dosa recipe was from a cook book by Vasantha Moorthy.I did add some extra ingredients to make it taste better since it is little bland on it's own as it was in the recipe.

You Need:
1 1/2 Cups Rice,
3/4 Cup Aval or Poha,
2 tbsp Plain Yoghurt,
Salt, little sugar,
1/2 tsp baking Soda,
1/2 tsp Cumin Powder
Few Cilantro Leaves.

How To:
1. Soak Rice and Avalakki(with yogurt) separately for 2-3 hours. Grind both to a smooth paste ,sprinkle salt and leave it overnight to ferment.
2. Next day, add rest of the ingredients and enough water to thin the batter,make dosas as usual. If you find it sticking to the Tava, use non-stick pan.
3. Tastes best freshly made and served ,it tends to become tough if kept more than an hour.
4. Serve with Tendli Masala and/or no-coconut-chutney.

Tendli Masala:


No-Coconut Chutney:


MY BEST RAVA(Fine Semolina) DOSA:

My best ever Rava dosa recipe ever folks!:))
I have tried many many proportions for making rava dosa, never came out well. After many botched lumpy, sticky dosas,here it is! A recipe I found worked best for me perfectly.Hope you will like it too!

You Need:
1 Cup roasted fine Semolina,
(if coarse, grind it until you get fairly fine rava but not powder or flour!)
1/4 cup Rice Flour
1/4 cup Plain Flour(Maida)
1 tbsp Corn Starch
1 tsp or less salt
A pinch of baking soda
Turmeric (optional)
1 tbsp yogurt
1/2 tsp sugar

To Season:
Heat 1 tsp oil and 1 tsp butter,add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds,1/2 tsp crushed cumin seeds,few dry red chilli flakes, chopped curry leaves and cilantro.

How To:
1. Mix all the above with enough water(about 2cups)to make a spreadable batter, not too thick but thin like buttermilk consistency.
2. Add seasoning and mix well.Let it rest for not more than 15-20mins.After 15mins,if the batter is too thick you can water.
3. Heat a Tava or non-stick skillet,pour a ladleful of batter and make a circle.
4. Let it cook until crisp,drizzle some oil around the dosa.Flip and repeat the same.
5. Serve immediately with any gravy.

Serve with Tasty Tomato Gojju:


If you don't have time to cook the gravy,here is a quick and delicious Chana Dal(red split peas/Kadale bele) Chutney to go famously with both Dosas.

Chana dal Chutney:

Have fun!!:))

PULIYOGARE

Puliyogare, Karnataka style:


This recipe is traditionally from south India. I am sure most South Indians know the "how to" already.I am going to post it anyway since this would be my version.As you know there are many versions of same for each household!:))

You need:
2 Cups cooked Rice,cooled
1/2 Cup Tamarind Juice
Salt and Sugar to tour taste

TO Roast and Powder:(1st)
2 tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
2-3 Dry Red chillies
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
2 tsp Chana Dal
1 tsp Urad dal
1 tsp Pepper Corns
1 tsp Urad Dal
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/4 tsp Asafoetida

To Roast and Powder Separately:(2nd)
1 tbsp Sesame Seeds
2 tbsp Dry Coconut

To Season:
1 tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Chana Dal
2 tbsp Peanuts
1 Dry Red Chiiiy
Few Curry Leaves

How To:

1. First roast and grind the 1st masala and the 2nd, keep separately.
2. Season with mustard etc. and then add Tamarind juice. Simmer until raw smell goes, then add the 1st masala. Cook until thick and oil floats on top.
3. It's time to add the 2nd powdered ingrediants along with salt and sugar. Stir and take it off of the heat to cool a little.
4. Add to the cooled rice by spoonfuls to balance the taste to your liking.Now it's ready to eat! Serve with plain Yogurt and some crisps.

Alternately, you can use any store bought MTR PULIYOGARE POWDER instead of making all those powders.Personally I like to make my own spices.Hope you try my version and enjoy the delicious Puliyogare.

Enjoy!

OKRA-TOMATO SAMBAR

Here is another simple everyday dish yet tasty and healthy, which goes well with Rice.I make this wonderful soup whenever I get surplus amount of tomatoes grown in my Veg.garden each summer and I buy some okra to go with it.

When you get tired eating rich food, this Sambhar is a sure hit to clean your system!! It's delicious too! Hope you will try this recipe...

You Need:
1 Cup Tuar Dal cooked with turmeric.
2 cups Okra sliced into small rounds,
4-5 Tomatoes,
Cilantro

Roast and Grind:
2 tbsp Coriander Seeds,
1 tsp Cumin Seeds,
1/2 tsp Fenugreek Seeds,
Few Dried Red Chilies,
1/2 tsp Pepper Corns
1 tsp Chana Dal

Season:
1 tsp each Oil and Ghee,
1 tsp Mustard,
1 tsp Cumin Seeds,
Few curry leaves, Red chillies,
Little hing (optional),
1 onoin,
2 cloves of Garlic.

1. Fry Okra pieces with little oil in a non stick pan until okra looses all its gooeyness and reddish in color,keep aside..
2. Season with above,when onion is golden, add tomatoes,powdered spices and cilantro. Pour in cooked dal and okra with salt and sugar to taste,simmer for 5 mins.
3. Delicious okra sambar is now ready to serve with rice , papad and any side dishes like Cabbage Palya below.

NOTE:Its always a good idea to add some sugar whenever you use tomatoes to balance the acidity.

Rice and a Cabbage side dish:










Have fun!:))

Hello!

Hello everybody!I have just created a blog, still thinking about which recipe I would like to start with.When I "discovered" food blogs one day, I was deliriously happy and thought why don't I blog my family's recipes too! I like mom's and grandmother's recipes.Usually they are simple,traditional but delicious and some recipes are labor intensive too.

I do not restrict myself just for traditional dishes but experimental dishes as well. It's fun to discover and create unfamiliar dishes.I will be doing that as well.

So, here I am to claim a little piece of my own territory in the blogosphere and I will post shortly!

Hope you will enjoy and appreciate my efforts and recipes. Come and walk along with me in this exciting culinary journey!:)