Chemmeen (Prawn) Fry

Chemmeen (Prawn) Fry, this is one of my home cooking passed from one generation to another. This is a very classic, easy way of frying prawn. This taste can never ever beat any other prawn fry. I would recommend all to try this dish with rice and tomato rasam. Try this dish and enjoy your weekend.

Ingredients:

Prawns - 250 gms (cleaned and deveined)

Kashmiri chilli powder - 4 tbsp

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp

Garlic - 5 pods (crushed)

Tomatoes - 1 large (sliced)

Curry leaves - 2 string

Salt - to taste

Oil - for frying (3 tbsp)

Preparation:

- Add cleaned prawns, chilli powder, turmeric powder, crushed garlic, tomatoes, curry leaves, salt and mix well. Let stay for at least for 5 minutes.

- Heat oil in a pan, add the prawn mix and let cook with lid on till prawns are cooked (Make sure to stir the fry in between)

- Serve hot with rice, rasam and and also be accompanied with chapathis.

Note:

- This a very spicy fry, adjust spice and salt as per taste.

- Tomatoes are added to cut off the spice and to increase taste.

- Any oil can be used for frying. But we use all time favourite coconut oil for this dish.

Soya Chunks Curry (Semi gravy)

This is a dish I prepare just for my Dad. Soya chunks is not a favourite in our family, except for my Dad, who loves it :)

It has always been questions in my mind how to prepare soya chunk dishes. I did a lot of google search and could not find any dish that I or my dad would relish. So, I just took a chance in preparing this semi gravy dish and guess what… he loved it and to my surprise, my mum and hubby liked it too… I guarantee, go ahead and prepare this recipe, you and your family will relish the dish.

I would also like to receive some soya chunk recipes from my friends :) :) Pls do send them to me.

Ingredients:

Soya chunks - 2 cups

Onions - 1 cup (chopped)

Tomatoes - 1 cup (chopped)

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 2 string

Green chillies - 4 nos (slit into half)

Turmeric powder - ½ + ½ tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Red chillie powder - 1 tsp

Black pepper powder - 2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Coconut oil - 2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Water - 2 cup

Preparation:

- In a cooker, add soya chunks, ½ tsp turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt, water and let cook for 3 whistles and keep aside.

- Heat oil in a kadai, add green chillies, onions, ginger paste, garlic paste and fry well.

- Now add the curry leaves, tomatoes and fry well till mushy.

- Add turmeric powder, black pepper powder and saute for a minute.

- Toss the cooked soya chunks (with water) to the masala and mix well.

- Check salt, spice and cook for another 3 minutes on low flame with lid on.

- Serve hot with chapatis or rice.

Baby Potato Masala Fry

Baby Potato Fry is a very easy and quick dish which can be prepared for lunch or dinner. This dish can be prepared with baby potatoes and with normal potatoes too. I usually prepare them with rice and mooru curry. I use very little masala and make it less spicy so my son can have too. A very easy and yet a delicious side dish masala fry recipe :)

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes - 500 gms

Onions - 1 large (cut to thin slices)

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp

Red chilli powder - 2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Lime juice - ½ tsp (optional)

Jeera powder - ½ tsp

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Dry red chillies - 3 nos (slit to half)

Curry leaves - 2 string

Dry methi leaves - ½ tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2 tsp (for marination)

Oil - 3 tbsp (for cooking)

Preparation:

- Boil baby potatoes in cooker for 2 whistles. Peel the skin, cut each potato to half and keep aside.

- Marinate the cut potatoes with oil, turmeric, red chilli, coriander, garam masala, lime juice, jeera powder, pinch of salt and mix well and set aside for 20 minutes (make sure not to mash the boiled potatoes while marinating)

- Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves and saute for a sec.

- Now add the sliced onions, methi leaves, pinch of turmeric and fry well till onions turn brown in color. (Do not burn the onions, it should just be fried to brown color)

- Once done add the marinated potatoes, mix well and cook on low flame till the potatoes are roasted for 5 to 8 minutes. (Keep on stirring in between and do not burn the potatoes)

- Simple and tasty baby potato fry is ready to serve with rice and mooru curry.

Mysore Bonda

Mysore Bonda also known as Ulundu bonda which is a popular fried snack from the Mysore cuisine. These are fried fritters made from urad dal and taste yummy. This is similar to medu vada except for the fresh coconut pieces that is been added into the batter and the change in shape. The coconut pieces/bites gives a good taste to the bondas. These bonda’s are very easy to prepare and a tasty evening snack accompanied with peanut chutney. Enjoy your evening friends :):)

Ingredients:

Urad Dal (whole) - 3 cups

Green chillies - 4 nos (chopped)

Fresh corriender leaves - ½ cup (chopped)

Black pepper corns - 2 tsp

Rice flour - 4 tsp

Asafoetida powder - ½ tsp

Coconut pieces/bites - ¼ cup

Salt - to taste

Oil - for frying

Preparation:

- Soak urad dal in water for 3 hours. Once done grind with very little water to a smooth dough.

- Add green chillies, corriender leaves, pepper corns, rice flour, asafoetida, coconut bites, salt and mix well.

- Heat oil in a kadia for deep frying the bondas.

- Take small quantities of the dough with hand or spoon and drop into the oil with care.

- Cook on both sides till crisp and golden brown in color turning them in between (make sure to cook on low to medium flame to allow the inside of the bondas to cook well).

- Drain on kitchen tissues for a minute.

- Serve hot and crisp Mysore Bondas with Onion Tomato chutney and Peanut chutney.

Note:

- Adjust salt to taste.

- Make sure the urad dal is soaked not less than 3 hour.

- Adding coconut bites is optional.

Onion Tomato Chutney

Onion Tomato Chutney is my best liked dish at home compared to all other chutneys prepared. Like most south indian recipes, this is a hot and spicy tomato and onion chutney. You can increase or decrease the Onions and Tomatoes in this chutney as per taste. I like this chutney a little sweet and prefer to add onions a little more. I bet my friends this chutney will be a star at your dining table. Good Day to all :)

Ingredients:

Onion - 3 medium

Tomato - 1 medium

Dry red chillies - 6 nos

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Asafetida powder - ¼ tsp

Curry leaves - 1 spring

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation:

- Heat oil in a pan, add asafetida powder and splutter mustard seeds.

- Add urad dal, dry chillies, curry leaves to the pan and fry well till golden brown.

- Now add onions and saute well till light brown in color. Add the tomatoes and saute till mushy for about 6 to 8 mins on medium flame till it comes to a gravy consistency & the raw smell goes.

- Switch off flame and let the mix cool. Add salt to taste.

- When the mix is cooled, grind in a blender without water.

- Serve chutney with idli, dosa, paniyaram and mysore bonda.

Note:

- Adjust spice and salt as per taste.

- No water should be added to the chutney, but I had to add 1 tbsp of water while grinding.

Peanut Chutney

Ingredients:

Peanuts - ¾ cup(roasted and skin removed)

Dry Red chillies - 2 nos

Shallots - 10 nos (sliced)

Tamarind - 1 small piece

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Curry leaves - 1 string

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Asafetida powder - ¼ tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Preparation:

- Dry roast peanuts. Remove skin and keep aside.

- In a kadai, heat oil, fry onions, tamarind piece and red chillies. Keep aside and let cool.

- Once cooled grind the above mix with the roasted peanuts and salt to a smooth paste (add few drops of water if required).

- In a kadai, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, asafetida powder and pour this to the chutney.

- Serve peanut chutney with idli, dosa, paniyaram and mysore bonda.

Note:

- Adjust spice and salt as per taste.

- No water should be added to the chutney, but I had to add 1 tbsp of water while grinding.

Special Sausage Potato Curry

Special Sausage Potato Curry is a very rich and special curry as it is named. This was a day I was totally confused on what to cook. No stock of chicken in fridge and too less of veggies. What I had was sausages. So.. there this recipe started and came out with a rich and tasty dish. Don't hesitate on trying this dish friends.. For sure family and kids will love this curry. Have a great weekend friends :) :)

Ingredients:

Chicken Sausage - 5 nos (cut to small cube pieces)

Potato - 2 medium (cut to small cube pieces)

Tomatoes - 5 medium (puree)

Onions - 2 medium (chopped)

Green chillies - 4 nos (cut to half)

Garlic - 5 pods (thin slices)

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp

Kashmiri chilli powder - 3 tsp

Garam masala powder - ½ + ½ tsp

Dry Kasuri methi - 1 tsp

Fresh corriender leaves - 3 tbsp

Butter - 50 grams (250gm + 250 gm)

Black pepper powder - ½ tsp (optional)

Cashewnut paste - 3 tbsp (15 - 20 nos)

Water - ½ - 1 cup

Salt - To taste

Preparation:

- Clean, cut chicken sausage to small cube sizes and keep aside.

- Peel, clean, cut potatoes to small cube size. Boil cut potatoes with salt till cooked. Drain water and keep aside.

- Grind 5 tomatoes and keep aside.

- Grind cashew nuts with two tsp of warm water to a thick paste and keep aside.

- Heat 250 gm of butter in a kadai. Add and saute green chillies, garlic in butter for a minute.

- Now add the chopped onions and fry till soft and translucent.

- Pour the tomato puree to the kadai, add turmeric powder, kashmiri red chillies powder, ½ tsp of garam masala powder, chopped corriender leaves and mix well. Let this mixture cook for about 10-15 minutes on low flame with lid on.

- Once done, add kasuri methi, cooked potatoes, sausages, black pepper powder and mix well. Add water, salt, 250 gm of butter at this stage and cook for another 5-10 minutes on low flame.

- Now add cashew paste, ½ tsp of garam masala powder and mix well for a sec.

- Switch off flame, garnish and serve hot with Rotis, Naan or Chapathis.

Note:

- Make sure to puree the tomatoes without water.

- Adding black pepper powder is optional.

- You can add more butter if needed. Excess butter adds more taste to the gravy.

Beef Varattiyathu

Its been a while I had posted a recipe. So lets have something very spicy and finger licking dish. Its nothing other than Beef Varattiyathu. A spicy, delicious and yet simple dish with every day kitchen ingredients. Let this dish be your dinner star for the day. Have fun and enjoy life friends :)

Ingredients:

Beef - 500 gms (with or without bone)

Onions - 3 medium (1+2)

Green chillies - 6 nos (3+3)

Garlic - 8 pods

Tomato - 1 small

Jeera - ½ tsp

Cinnamon - 1 small piece

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp + ½ tsp

Red chilli powder - ½ tsp + ½ tsp

Meat Masala - 1 tbsp

Black pepper powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder - ½ tsp

Curry leaves - 2 strings

Water - ½ cup

Oil - 3 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Preparation:

- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a cooker. Let hot, add one sliced onions, three green chillies, garlic pods, sliced tomato and saute for two minutes.

- Add ½ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp red chilli powder, 1 tbsp meat masala, salt and saute till raw smell goes. Once done add the cleaned, cut beef, water and let cook on medium flame for 7-8 whistles. Once done, let the beef cool down and keep aside.

- Take a kadai, heat 2 tbsp of oil. Add jeera, cinnamon stick and let heat for a sec.

- Add sliced two onions, three sliced green chillies, curry leaves and fry till onions turn translucent. Add garam masala powder, black pepper powder and fry for another sec.

- Now toss the cooked beef and mix well. Let cook on medium high flame till you get a semi gravy consistency (check and add salt at this stage).

- Delicious and spicy Beef Varattiyathu is ready to serve hot with rice, chapathi or kerala parotta.

Note:

- This is a spicy fry dish. Adjust salt and spice as per taste.

- I used sunflower oil for this dish. You can add coconut oil for a different taste.