Prawns Curry/Prawns masala curry/Malai Prawns curry/

Ingredients:

1 kg prawns peeled and deveined
2 large onions

3 tomatoes

2 green chillies

2 tbsps garlic paste

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garam masala

2 tsps coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

2 cups coconut milk

3 tbsps single cream

3 tbsps vegetable/canola/sunflower cooking oil

Salt to taste

Preparation:

Grind the onions, tomatoes, 2 green chillies into a fine paste in a food processor.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the paste to it. Fry for a minute.

Add the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for another minute.

Add the spices and brown masala till the oil begins to separate from it.

Add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add salt to taste.

Add the prawns and cook for another 2 minutes only.

Turn off the fire and stir in the cream.

Garnish with coriander leaves and Enjoy with your family or friends.

Another Method:

Ingredients:

Prawns / Iraal - 500 grams, peeled and deveined
Small Onion / Sambar Onion / Shallots - 1/2 cup, finely chopped or minced
Tomato - 3 nos in medium size or 1 cup, sliced
Ginger garlic paste - 1 and 1/2 teaspoons
Salt - to taste
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Oil - 3 tablespoons
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 2 strings
Coriander leaves - for garnishing
Water - 3/4 cup

To Roast and Grind:

Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 3/4 teaspoon
Rice grains - 1 tablespoon
Coriander seeds  / Dhania - 1 and 1/2 tablespoons
Curry leaves - 1 string
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon or to taste

Method:

1) Wash prawns well in water for 2 to 3 times. Add salt, turmeric and a big pinch of red chilli powder. Mix well. Cover and keep aside for 30 minutes.

2) Meanwhile, in a heavy bottom pan, heat a teaspoon of oil. Add the ingredients except red chilli powder given under roasting and roast it till they releases nice aroma.

3) Turn the flame off and add the red chilli powder. The heat in the pan is sufficient for red chilli powder. At the same time, make sure not to burn it.

4) Allow it to cool and grind to a fine powder. If required add water to make a smooth paste.

5) Grind tomato and make a puree of it. keep aside.

6) Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in the same kadai / pan which we used for roasting. Add mustard seeds when it is hot. Add onion along with curry leaves. Fry till onion becomes very soft and translucent.

7) Add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes off.

8) Add tomato puree and cook till it reduces and releases oil from the sides of the pan.

9) Now, add prawns, ground masala powder,salt, turmeric and water one by one. Mix gently. Adjust the salt and spicy as per your taste. When the gravy starts boiling, cover the pan and lower the flame to medium. Let it cook for few minutes.

10) Cook the gravy till the oil oozes out from the top of the pan and the prawns are well cooked.

11) Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.

Note:

1) Instead of red chilli powder, you can also use dry red chillies for roasting for this gravy.

2) Increase or decrease the water quantity as per your personal preference. If you like gravy consistency, then add a cup of water instead of 3/4 cup of water.

Coconut Chutney- easy method

This is one of the most ubiquitous side dishes, in all of south India. Idli, dosa, Mysore bonda or vada, any savoury snack is generally accompanied by coconut chutney.

Ingredients:

1 cup grated coconut
2 small green chillies , chopped
1 tsp grated ginger (adrak)
1 tbsp roasted chana dal (daria)
salt to taste

For The Seasoning:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
1 red chilli , broken into pieces
2 to 3 curry leaves (kadi patta)
1 tsp oil

Method:

Put the coconut, green chillies, ginger, roasted split gram and salt in a blender with a little water and grind to make a fine paste. Keep aside.

Prepare the tempering by heating the oil and adding the mustard seeds, red chilli and curry leaves and stirring till the mustard seeds crackle. Pour this tempering over the chutney and mix well.

Refrigerate and use as required.

Another Method:

Ingredients:

Shredded Coconut – 3 cups
Channa Daal – 1/2 cup
Ginger – 2″ pc
Green Chillies – to taste (slit)
Cilantro/Coriander Leaves – small bunch
Curry Leaves – 1 sprig
Oil – 1 tbsp
Asafoetida – pinch
Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Dry Red Cillies – 1-2
Urad Daal – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste
Tamarind – to taste

Method:

1. On medium heat, dry roast the Channa Daal till it changes color and gives out a wonderful aroma.

2. Transfer the Daal into a bowl with a little water. Allow it to soak.

3. Next dry roast the Coconut on medium heat, till it changes color and gives out a wonderful smell.

4. Once done, transfer into a blender.

5. Next to roast is the Ginger and the Green Chillies.

6. Cook for a few minutes, till they start caramelize. transfer to the blender once done.

7. After that, toss the Cilantro (leaves plus the stems) and it cook till they wilt.

8. Transfer into the blender.

9. Drain the Channa Daal and add into the blender.

10. Add Salt and Tamarind to taste.

11. Blend to desired consistency by adding Water.

12. Pour into a serving bowl.

13. In a small skillet, on medium heat, heat the Oil.

14. Once hot, add in Mustard Seeds and allow them to splutter.

15. Add in Asafoetida and Dry Red Chillies. Cook for 10 seconds.

16. Add in Urad Daal and cook till they change to a light golden color.

17. After that add in Curry Leaves, mix and turn off the stove.

18. Pour the seasoning over the chutney.

19. Serve with Dosas,Mysore Bonda, Idli or Vadas.

Peanut Chutney-Groundnut Chutney Recipes-How to prepare Peanut/Groundnut Chutney

If you like peanuts, then you will love this chutney. This is prepared from roasted peanuts and is a perfect side dish for idli, Samosa, dosa and all varieties of upma.

Ingredients needed

Peanuts - 3/4 cup
Grated coconut -1/4 cup
Red chillies - 2-3
Tamarind - little
Salt as required

For the seasoning

Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard - 3/4 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - little

Preparation 

Roast the peanuts and remove its skin to some extent. If you are using roasted peanut, then you can skip this step.

Method 

Grind peanuts, coconut, red chillies, tamarind and salt with little water first.Then add more water and grind it to a slightly smooth paste.

Heat oil, add mustard seeds, when mustard splutters, add urad dal and curry leaves and pour it over the chutney.

Serve as a side dish for Idli, Samosa, dosa or upma.

Another method 

Ingredients needed 

Roasted Peanuts -1 cup
Red chillies -2-3
Garlic clove -1
Tamarind - little
Salt as required

For the seasoning 

Oil -2 tsp
Mustard -3/4 tsp
Curry leaves -little

Method

Grind all the above ingredients together with water.

Season with mustard and curry leaves. Check  for salt.

Enjoy with idly, Samosa, dosa or upma.

Egg Dum Biryani

Egg biryani, makes for a perfect Sunday meal with raita and curry. Yesterday, I was inspired to make a flavored rice and since our family loves eggs, I decided on Egg biryani which has a striking resemblance to Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani. Its easy to put together, substantial and full of flavor. Serve to family and friends and wait for the compliments. 

Ingredients:

4-5 hard boiled eggs, peeled and make long slits along each egg

2 large onions, finely sliced

1 small tomato, finely chopped (optional)

1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

1 tbsp chopped pudina leaves

2 tbsps ghee

1 1/2 tbsps oil

3/4 cup thick curd/yogurt

5 green chillis, make a small slit in them

1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1/4 tbsp red chilli pwd (adjust)

1/2 tbsp coriander pwd

2 tbsps lemon juice

salt as required

pinch of saffron soaked in 5 tbsps luke warm milk for 10 mts

Biryani Masala:

4 cloves

1/2″ cinnamon stick

2 elaichi/cardamom

1/4 star anise

1/4 tsp shah jeera

5 pepper corns

Ingredients to cook rice:

2 1/2 cups Basmati rice

3 cloves

5 cardamoms

1/2″ cinnamon stick

1 marathi mogga

2 bay leaves

5-6 mint leaves

1/2 tbsp oil

3/4 tbsp salt

water as required

1 Cook basmati rice in lots of water along with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, marathi mogga, elaichi, mint leaves, oil and salt till its half cooked. Strain the water and spread the rice on a large wide plate. Allow to cool.

2 Heat 1 1/2 tbsps oil + 1 1/2 tbsps ghee in a vessel, add sliced onions, saute for 8-10 mts till caramelized. Remove half of the caramelized onions and keep aside.

3 To the remaining half caramelized onions, add green chillis, mint leaves, coriander leaves and ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 mts. Add red chilli pwd, coriander pwd and biryani masala pwd and salt (just enough for the egg masala) and combine well. Add chopped tomatoes and saute for 3 mts. Add the eggs and saute till well coated with the masala. (You can also halve the eggs and place carefully and saute in the masala).

4 Add the yogurt and combine. Cook for 5 mts till oil separates. Add lemon juice and combine. Turn off heat and keep aside.

5 Take a wide deep vessel to prepare the biryani. Add drizzle some oil all over, add half the rice as a first layer followed by the egg masala and spread out in the vessel.

6 Spread the remaining rice over the egg masala layer, pour 1/2 tbsp of ghee all over the rice, add the caramelized onions. Next sprinkle coriander leaves and pour the saffron milk over the rice.

7 Place lid and over the lid place a heavy weight. Cook on medium high flame for 5 mts. Remove the vessel from fire and place a iron tawa over low flame. Place back the vessel on the iron tawa and cook on low flame and cook biryani for 15 mts. Turn off heat and do not remove lid for 5 mts.

8 Remove lid, combine gently and serve hot with raita and curry of your choice.

Anda/Egg Dum Biryani

Follow these steps to prepare biryani:

Boil eggs. While eggs are boiling, get the rice ready along with the other ingredients to cook rice.
While rice is cooking, slice onions, green chillis and chop tomatoes. Pick and chop mint and coriander leaves.

Prepare Biryani masala powder. Soak saffron in milk.

Caramelize onions.

While the onions are caramelizing, strain rice and spread on a wide plate. Peel eggs and make slits.

Prepare egg masala and layer rice and egg masala in a wide vessel and cook on dum.

Pot Fish Biryani

Fish is probably my favourite protein and this Fish Biryani recipe is one of a kind. It is easy to make and even those who do normally enjoy fish will LOVE this meal and request second helpings!

Ingredients for Fish Masala

500 gm fish fillet of your choice, cut into pieces

(marinate this in a paste of 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp salt, quarter tsp turmeric powder, quarter tsp garlic paste, quarter tsp cumin powder and juice of a lemon)

4-5 onions, sliced finely and fried until golden

3 tomatoes, chopped

2-3 tbsp tomato paste/puree

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp ginger paste

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 cup yoghurt, fresh and well whipped

1 tbsp mint leaves, chopped (optional)

2-3 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

1 green chilli, chopped

salt to taste

juice of half a lemon

oil as needed

Ingredients for Rice

3 cups

basmati rice, washed 2-3 times then soaked for half an hour

salt

saffron & food colouring

oil

whole spices

Instructions 

First, fry the marinated fish for just 2-3 mins on each side. Just enough to help it hold its shape in the biryani so that it doesn't fall apart whilst cooking. Remember that it will get cooked further in the masala later.

Heat a pan and add quarter cup of oil in it, then fry your sliced onions until golden. Remove half of them from the pan and set aside, leave the other half in the pan.

Add the chopped tomatoes and stir-fry on medium to low heat until well softened. You can even cover this for a while so it keeps cooking until the tomatoes are very soft. Add ginger and garlic, followed by the tomato paste/puree and cook for a few minutes. Then add the whisked yoghurt and stir together, keep cooking this on low heat until the yoghurt is well blended into the mixture and some oil starts coming out from the sides. Now add the powdered spices and green chilli, some coriander and the fish. Cook in the masala for about 15 minutes on low heat, you can add a bit of water (less than half a cup) if you find it too dry. Lastly, squeeze in the lemon juice.

Next prepare the Rice

Soak a few saffron strands in some water and set aside.

Bring a big pot of water to boil, add salt, 4 cardamom pods, 2-3 cinnamon sticks and 2-3 cloves plus about 2 tbsp. of oil.

Drain the soaked rice and add it to this water when it is boiling. Cook until the rice is about 3/4 done, remove and strain out all the water. Put half the rice back into the pan, add the fish masala, followed by the fried onions set aside from before, the rest of the chopped coriander and the mint leaves, then cover with the rest of the rice so that the fish masala is sandwiched between the rice layers.

Drizzle 2 tbsp. of oil, the soaked saffron water and some orange/yellow colour on the rice. Seal the pot and put on dum/steam it on the stove....or bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. Serve!!