Muttai Masaala Kuzhambu:(Country Style)

Ingredients:

• Eggs 8-10 (country chicken eggs)
• Small onions 1 cup or use red onions instead
• Green chilies 3 slitted
• Country tomatoes small 3
• Garlic 6 cloves crushed
• Ginger 5" made into paste
• Tamarind 1/2 spoon
• Curry leaves few
• Salt
• Turmeric powder 1/2 spoon
• Chili powder 1 spoon
• Cinnamon stick 2
• Cloves 2
• Fennel seeds 1 spoon
• Coconut piece 4" size made into paste
• Whole Peppercorns 3-4
• Sesame oil 1 cup.

Method:
In a wide-thick bottomed vessel, heat oil. Add cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds and green chilies to it. Fry them for few minutes.
Followed by add, onion and fry them till golden color. Now add ginger and garlic to it. Fry them till it loses its raw odour.
Then add tomatoes and fry them till it looses its water content.
Now add salt, turmeric and chili powder and followed by tamarind paste to it. Add enough water and cook them well covered.
Once it comes to thick gravy stage add coconut paste to it. Let it boil real well.

Now hold each egg on top of this gravy, break them and drop them in this gravy. Do it one after other. Do not break all the eggs at the same place of the gravy. Its better to use a wide-mouthed vessel for this gravy so that you could have enough room for all your eggs.

Well....do not use any spatula after breaking in the eggs. Maybe you could cover and cook them over medium heat. It may take just 5-7 minutes or so.Let it stand for 1-2 hours after this. So that all the spicy juice-the gravy will be well incorporated in your eggs. It will be yummy when served along with steam cooked rice. (hint.. Basmathi ;) )

Maybe you could garnish with crisply fried curry leaves.

Vatha Kozhambu

What you will need :

• Small onions -12
• Sundaikkai vatthal-2 tsp
• Halved urad dhal-1/2 cup
• Gingely oil -1/4 cup
• Curry leaves
• Salt to tsaste
• Peppercorn-1tsp
• Sambar powder - 2 tsp
• Tamarind-1 small lemon size

For Seasoning:

• Mustard seeds
• Halved urad dhal-1tsp
• Curry leaves

How to make it :

• First soak the tamarind in luke warm water.
• Add oil in a tava and when the oil is hot add mustard seeds,urad dhal and little curry leaves.
• When mustard splutters then add onions,sudaikkai vatthal and fry it till golden brown..
• Add sambar powder and roast it a bit . Add the tamarind water alone and salt allow it to boil for 7 min. When it is thick add curry leaves.
• Powder urad dhal(2-tsp)and peppercorns and add it to the boiling mixture.

For Seasoning..

1.Heat coconut oil in a tava
2.Add mustard seeds and urad dhal(1tsp)and little curry leaves..
3.When it splutters,pour it in the kozhambu.


P.s: When the mixture is not thick,make a paste with rice flour and add it to the boiling mixture.
Sundakkai vathal can be brought in South Indian grocery shops.

Gumadikaya Pulusu (Pumpkin Stew)

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ pumpkin cut into small cubes, with the skin on
• 1 small onion sliced thinly
• 1 small tomato cubed
• 3-4 drum sticks
• 1 Green chili (adjust accordingly)
• Tamarind size of a quarter
• Salt
• Haldi
• 3-4 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp Rice flour
• For Thadka
• 1 tbsp Urad dal
• 1 tbsp Jeera
• 1 tbsp Mustard seeds
• ½ tbsp hing
• 8-10 curry leaves
• 2-3 red chilies

METHOD:

1. In a pan add 2 cups water, add tamarind ,Pumpkin, onions, tomato, G.chili, salt and haldi
2. Allow it to boil until Pumpkins are fork tender
3. Now add sugar and check for salt once again, adjust accordingly
4. In a separate bowl add few drops of water to rice flour and make into a thin consistency
5. Add the above rice flour mixture to boiling pot with veggies mix well, adding rice flour with start to thicken pulusu
6. Now is a separate pan add oil and all the ingredients for tadhka, when mustard seeds start to splutter add the above to pulusu
7. Mix pulusu well and allow it to boil for another 3-4 minutes
Garnish with coriander and serve hot !

Kovakkai Kadalai Curry - surpisingly Yummy !!

Ingredients:
 
Kovakkai/Tindora- 20 (cut lengthwise) (half steamed)
Kadalaikkai/Boiled peanuts- 1 cup
Onion- 1 (finely chopped)
Cashewnut paste- 3 tbsp
Elachi-2
Cloves- 2
Cinnamon- 1" piece
Chilli powder- 1 tsp (original recipe called for 2 tsp. But 1 is ok for me)
Turmeric- 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves- 1 twig (finely chopped)
Salt- as required
Garam masala- 1/2 tsp

Procedure:
Heat pan until it's very hot. Then add the spices and saute them .Remember .....NO OIL. The cardamom will plump up a bit due to heat. Now add onions and some salt. Saute until it is light brown in color. You have to keep on sauteing every now and then as it does not have any oil and it might stick to the pan after a while.Now add curry leaves,ginger garlic paste and turmeric. Saute for a min. Then add chilli powder and saute for 2 more mins. Now add 1/2 a cup of water and mix well. Close and cook for 5 mins. After that the gravy will be a little thick. Now add kovakkai , peanuts and salt. Add another cup of water and boil for 5 more minutes. Finally add garam masala and cashew paste. Mix well and boil to desired consistency.

This gravy goes very good with white rice, dosa and rotis.

Paneer butter masala

Ingredients:

Paneer-250 gms (cut into cubes, shallow fry, soak in hot water for 5 minutes, drain and keep aside)
Butter-1tbsp
Onion- 2 big (puree)
Ginger & Garlic paste-1 1/2 tsp
Tomato -3 big (blanch & puree)
Cashew nut paste-2tbsp
Chilli powder-3/4 tsp
Cumin powder-1/2 tsp
Corriander powder-1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp
Garam masala powder-1/2 tsp
Fresh cream-2 tbsp
Kasuri methi leaves-1/2 tsp (crush in your palm before adding)
Salt

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp oil and butter. Saute onion puree until golden brown. add ginger garlic paste. After 2 minutes add all the masala powders and saute for a few minutes. Then put cashew paste, tomato puree and salt. Pour 1 cup water and boil for 5 minutes. check for taste.Reduce heat and add paneer cubes. Let the gravy simmer to required consistency. Switch off the stove and add cream and methi leaves. combine well.
This curry goes well with fried rice, pulav and rotis.

Note: I did not add color to my gravy. If you desire a red color gravy , You can either use kashmiri chilli powder or a little red food coloring.

Egg Capsicum Masala - Real easy and Yummy !!

Ingredients:

• Egg- 4
• Onion- 1/2 sliced
• Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp
• Tomato- 1 chopped
• Capsicum- 1/2 sliced
• Sakthi masala powder- 1 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
• Coconut- 1/4 cup
• Corriander leaves-few
• Salt to taste

METHOD:
Heat oil in kadai and fry onions, capsicum and ginger garlic paste. Then add tomato, masala powders and salt. Add ground coconut and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add salt. Now add boiled eggs (slit them before you slip them into the gravy). Bring to another boil. Finally add coriander leaves to garnish .

Isn't that real easy .? :)