SPICY CHICKEN CURRY

This chicken curry is of nellore style and is very spicy and best taken on a chilly day with rice, biryani, vada, or dosa.

Ingredients:
1. Chicken 500 gm
2. Onions 2 to 3 in number
3. Tomatoes 2
4. Curry leaves
5. Coriander leaves
6. Cashew nuts
7. Whole garam masala-Cinnamon, clove, and cardomom a few.
8. Curd half cup
9.Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
10. Chilli powder 2 tsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Garam masala 2-3 tsps
13. Green chillies 2
14. Oil for frying
15. Coconut half cup
16. Ginger garlic paste -1.5 tsp

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 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. 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 marinated chicken and fry well for 5 minutes.
4. Now add a cup of water and mix well and cover the lid until chicken is cooked.  As all the seasoning is done while marination itself no need for anything else to be added, check salt and add if necessary.
5. Chicken might take 20 to 25 minutes to cook, check if the chicken is cooked and add coriander leaves and mix well and it is ready to be served.

This chicken recipe goes to the event  Chicken Recipe Event hosted by Sameena

EGG PLANT (BRINJAL CURRY ) WITH A DASH OF DHANIA

Brinjal curry with a dhania masala is good combination which can be taken with rice or even roti and very easy to make.

Ingredients:

1. Brinjal/Egg plant 500 gm
2. Onions 250 gm
3. Turmeric powder 1tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Oil for frying
6. Curry leaves
7. For tempering, mustard seeds, jeera, urad dal, and channa dal.
8. Half a cup of boiled milk (optional).

Masala:

1. Dhania/coriander seeds 2tsp
2. Garlic 5 to 6 cloves

 Dry roast corainader/dhania seeds, cool it and powder it in a mixie first and later add garlic cloves and grind again to get a coarse masala powder.

Method:

This curry can be done in a pan or small cooker if your short of time ( I do it this way to save time and energy) and it tastes also the same..so go for it, but cook in slow flame.

1. Take oil in a small cooker..add mustard seeds, chann dal, urad dal, and jeera, curry leaves and fry well.
2. Now add cut onions and fry well, add turmeric powder and salt. Now add brinjal cut into cubes and fry well and add very little water(about  2 tablespoons) and close the cooker with the lid and put the whistle and simmer for 15 minutes and switch off.  .If you are cooking in a ordinary pan, add half cup water cover and let the brinjal cook and switch off.
3. Now open the lid, light the stove, put in simmer and add the ground dhania powder and mix well in the curry and add some boiled milk to the curry as this gives gravy consistency to the curry, cook for 5 minutes and switch off...those who do not like milk in curries can avoid adding milk, just adding dhania powder will do.
4. Now the brinjal curry with dhania masala is ready to be served, can be had with rice, roti, or even vegetable biryani…tastes yummy.

Akila’s kitchen - Dish Name Starts with E
Healing foods Event - Eggplant by Spoonful of love and Siri

SPONGE DOSA

Sponge dosa as the name indicates is a soft dosa which can be made very easily for breakfast..and tastes yummm!

Ingredients
1. Buttermilk 4 cups
2. Rice 3 cups
3. Atakulu (poha/rice flakes) 1 cup
4. Methi/fenugreek seeds 1 spoon
5. Salt to taste
6. Soda

Method
1. Wash rice and poha with water well and soak in buttermilk for 4 to 5 hours/overnight with a spoon of methi seeds.
2. Strain the buttermilk and grind the rice and poha till u get a dosa batter consistency ..use the buttermilk for grinding and not water .  Store the dosa batter in a large vessel as the batter has the tendency to ferment fast and comes up easily as it has butter milk in it.  After fermentation dosa batter can be used to make dosas or stored in fridge for  later use.
3. Rub the dosa tava with oil and cut onion.
4. When tava is ready pour a ladleful of dosa batter in which salt and soda have been added, for sponge dosa do not spread the batter and sprinkle oil and cover with lid and cook for few minutes.
5. Turn the other side and cook till you get the brown color..your is dosa is ready to be served.
6. If you want you can also spread the dosa batter and make a big dosa i.e or a regular dosa can be made with the same batter..if you think the batter is too thick add some buttermilk.

This goes to HRH rice flakes.