Thursday, March 31, 2011

TOMATO CORIANDER CHUTNEY

Now as it is the season for tomatoes and as they are available in lump sum right time to make a tomato chutney and to this we can add the green leaves like coriander which is a real good combination..this chutney goes well with idli, dosa, pongal, and even steaming rice.  It is easy to make and tasty to eat.. 



Ingredients
Tomatoes 250 gm
Green chillies 6-7 (individual preference)
Coriander leaves 1 bunch
Tempering seeds
Methi 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Urad dal/minapappu 1tsp
Mustard seeds/Avalu 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds 1/2 tsp
chana dal/senagapappu 2 tsp
Jeera 1/2 tsp
Oil for frying
salt to taste
hing a bit



Method
1. Wash the tomatoes well cut them into big pieces.  Take 1 tsp of oil in a pan/pressure cooker and put the tomato pieces and cook till 3 whistles if in a cooker..no need to add water as the juice from tomatoes is sufficient..if cooking in a pan cook till tomatoes are soft and cool and keep aside.
2. In a pan take 1 tsp of oil and add slit green chillies and fry well and add the tempering seeds one by one..and fry well..after the seeds turn brown add washed and cut coriander leaves and fry for sometime..now switch off and add hing to it and mix well.
3. Now powder the above mixture..if it coarsely ground add a few pieces of tomato that have been cooked..so that we get a smooth paste..now add the remaining tomatoes and juice that oozed out of the tomatoes and add salt and grind again.
4. Now for tempering take 1 tsp oil..add mustard seeds, urad dal, jeera, red chilli (one or two), and curry leaves and fry well and put this tempering on the chutney and mix well...now the tangy tomato chutney is ready to eat...can have it with idli, dosa, pongal, and even rice.

Note:  If you want you can use dry red chillies instead of green chillies.

This chutney goes to the following events
"Herbs & Flowers - Coriander" at krithiskitchen and 


 to Sanyukta of creativesanyukta
Cooking with Whole foods(Whole Fruits/Whole Vegetables)-TOMATO on behalf of Kiran of SAMUDHURA





Monday, March 28, 2011

CHICKEN LIVER FRY

Chicken liver fry happens to be kid's favorite..so I surfed and found out the nutrients in chicken liver.. it contains a whopping 62% of vitamin A, 41% of folate, and 77% percent of vitamin B12. It also provides you with 9% of your protein per day and also ut perhaps chicken livers provide your body with 14% of the iron your body needs daily. Because many people today are anemic and do not consume enough iron, eating chicken liver now and then can help them meet their necessary iron requirements. Chicken livers are also surprisingly low in fat, and for those who are on a diet with limited carbs, they contain no carbohydrates.  People who are watching their cholesterol levels should probably enjoy liver only very rarely because of the cholestrol levels in chicken livers.  So an easy and simple dish can be made with chicken liver which is very easy to  make....






Ingredients:


1. Chicken liver 500 gm
2. Onions 2
3. Chilli powder 1.5-2 tsp (acc to one's preference)
4. Salt to taste
5. Curd 1 tablespoon
6. Ginger garlic paste1.5 tsp
7. Garam masala powder 1.5-2 tsp (acc to one's preference)
8. Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
9. Cashew nuts a few
10. Curry leaves a few
11. Oil

Method

1. Wash the chicken liver pieces and marinate with curd, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, and garam masala and mix well and keep aside for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes cook the chicken liver marinade in simmer...the chicken liver pieces cook in the curd and spices mixture.  Cook in simmer.for about 8-10 minutes...cool the liver pieces and cut them into bite pieces
3.Now take oil in a pan..add curry leaves, cashew nuts, and fry well...add onion and fry till they are soft...add the cooked liver pieces along with the marinade and fry well for 6 to 8 minutes...check for salt and spices and if required...garnish with coriander leaves and it is ready to be served...a real tasty treat for kids..goes well with sambar .as a side dish..so do try it..


Other chicken varieties you might like

HYDERABADI CHICKEN DUM BIRYANI
BACHELOR'S CHICKEN CURRY
NELLORE CHICKEN FRY
SPICY CHICKEN CURRY

Thursday, March 24, 2011

VANKAYA MASALA KURA/BRINJAL MASALA CURRY

Any curry made with brinjal tastes real good, but nothing beats a masala vankaya curry.  I learnt this from my friend Indira and tried it out and this turned out real well...my son who actually hates brinjal feasted on it..so here is how it is...


Ingredients
For masala
1. Grated coconut 1 tablespoon
2. Til seeds/white nuvvulu  1.5 spoon
3. Clove  2-3
4. Cinammon a 1 inch piece cut into small pieces
5.Pepper a few
6. Biryani leaf 1


For curry
1. Onions 3
2. Tomatoes 3 (make a tomato puree)
3. Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
4. Brinjal 500 gm
5. Coriander and curry leaves a few
6. Oil for frying
7. Salt to taste
8. Turmeric 1tsp
9. Chilli powder 2tsp(can increase according to one's preference)



Method
1. Slit the brinjal into four pieces from bottom by keeping the stem intact.  Now take oil for deep frying . Fry the brinjals in oil till they turn soft and put them on a tissue paper to absorb excess oil.

2. Now just leave 1 tsp of oil and remove the remaining oil..in this oil fry the masala ingredients..fry coconut last....cool it and make a smooth paste of this.

3. Now take 1.5 tbsp of oil, heat it, and add curry leaves...now add onion..fry well...and add tomato puree and fry well till the raw smell is gone...now add the masala paste, turmeric, chilli powder, salt, and add some water and cook for some time... add already deep fried brinjal and mix the gravy so that the brinjals are coated with the gravy...add some more water.if required..cook for 15 minutes and garnish with coriander leaves.



Other brinjal varieties you might like
BRINJAL STUFFED WITH BUTTER MASALA
EGG PLANT (BRINJAL CURRY ) WITH A DASH OF DHANIA

Friday, March 18, 2011

MURI MIXTURE

Muri mixture is famous snack at vizag beach..a must try..it is easy to make and tastes awesome...we can make it more hygienically at home..so here is how it is..


 
 

Puffed rice / Maramaraalu - 2 cup
Onion - 1 diced into really small pieces
Tomatoes 1 diced into small pieces)
Coriander leaves cut fine
Peanuts - 2tbsp
Red chilli Powder - as per your taste
Salt - as per your taste, add less as puffed rice does not require much salt
Lemon juice - as per your taste
Sev- 1 to 1.5 tablespoon

Method
 Take a wide dish and add puffed rice,salt,redchilli powder,roasted peanuts, crushed sev, onions, tomatoes,lemon juice and coriander leaves and mix thoroughly so that all spices are mixed evenly..so now a tasty snack is ready for kids and even weight watchers too
 
This recipe goes to the following event:

HOLI AAYI RE! By Vatsala of show and tell and “HRH – Puffed Rice” event at kurinjikathambam

 

Monday, March 14, 2011

WHEAT RAVVA UPMA

Wheat Ravva Upma is an ideal breakfast  and also one pot meal and quite nutritious as it has vegetables ..can be made very easily..I make this in a pressure cooker ..if you want you can also make it in a pan...this is how it is...
  


Ingredients:
1. Wheat ravva 1 cup
2. Onions 1
3. Tomato 1
4. Chillies 2 or 3(individual preference)
5. Peas 1 tablespoon
6. Carrot 1 (big)

7. Potatoes 2
8. Curry leaves a sprig
9. Coriander leaves
10. Salt to taste
12. Oil 1 tablespoon
13. Ginger a few pieces

Tempering
1. Mustard seeds
2. Chann dal
3. Jeera
4. Cashew nuts a few

Method
1. Take a cooker (or kadai)..put oil, heat it and add all tempering seeds and fry well, add cashew nuts and curry leaves and fry well.
2. Now add onions and fry well...when onions turn translucent tomatoes and chillies..and fry well, add cut vegetables (in cubes) one by one and add salt and mix well.
3. Now add wheat rava and mix well..for one cup of rava add..2 to 2.5 cups of water..depends on what consistency you want..if you want it smooth add more water..mix well and close the lid and keep the whistle.
4. After two whistles simmer for 10 minutes and switch off.  If you are doing in kadai..add water to ravva and cook till it is cooked...for beginners cooker is a easy option and upma is ready to be served in 15 minutes..Open the lid and garnsih with coriander leaves..











Sunday, March 6, 2011

NELLORE CHICKEN FRY

Nellore chicken fry is a spicy curry made in nellore style...rather simplified by me...can be had with sambar, rasam as a side dish..or even with plain rice..this is how it is....



























Ingredients:
1. Chicken 1/2 kg
2. Onions 2
3. Tomatoes 1
4. Chilles 2
5. Chilli powder 1.5 to 2 tsp
6. Ginger garlic paste 1.5 tsp
7.Curry leaves a sprig
8. Cashew nuts a few
9. Coriander a few leaves
10. Curd 1 tbsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Oil for frying
13. Coconut.grated 1/4 cup
14 Garam masala 2tsps


For masala:
Normally whole garam masala spices are ground together with coconut.. but i took the easy path and ground the coconut with garam masala powder into a thick paste using some water, it comes out like this


 Method:
1. First wash chicken pieces well and cut into bite pieces and marinate with the following, curd, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, salt, chilli powder, ground masala paste and mix well, prick with a fork so that the masala penetrates well into the chicken pieces.and let it marinate for half an hour.. if you want you can refrigerate it.
2.Take the chicken out and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until chicken is 3/4th cooked...now let this chicken cool..so that when u fry it does not break into pieces.
2. In a pan take oil, add a 1/2 inch of cinammon cut into small pieces, clove 2-3 pieces, cardamom 1-2 pieces, fry well, now add cashew nuts and onions and green chillies, curry leaves and fry well.
3. After onions turn  translucent, add tomatoes and fry well, after the tomatoes soften, add the chicken and fry well for 5 minutes in high.
4. Now simmer the flame and fry well for 15 minutes check salt and add if necessary.
5. Now add coriander leaves and mix well and switch off...spicy chicken fry is ready to be served.