CHICKEN GRAVY

I love to prepare any chicken dish as its a very favorite dish for my daughter.When we talk about chicken dishes, you can have plenty of varieties. Let’s see one by one in this blog. As to start with I am giving you a very simple method of preparing Chicken gravy. You can have this with rice, chappatis etc. Let enter into the preparation...

Ingredients:

Chicken - 500g

Onion - 2

Tomato - 2

Green Chillies - 2

Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Pepper powder - 1 spoon

Curry Leaves - Few

Coriander Leaves

For Tempering:

Jeera - 1 spoon

Bay Leaves - 1

Cardomom - 2

Cloves - 2

Cinnamom - 2

To Grind:

Coconut - 1/2 cup (Ground this as a thick paste)

Method:

• Wash the chicken and marinate it with ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder and little salt and let it stay for 1/2 an hour.
• Heat oil in a kadai and the ingredients given in "For Tempering".
• Saute the onion, tomato, curry leaves, ginger-garlic paste one by one nicely.
• Now add the marinated chicken and fry for few mints.
• Add chilli powder, coriander powder and mix it well with little salt.
• Add 2 - 3 cups of water and cook until the chicken becomes soft.
• Now add pepper powder and coconut paste and mix well.
• Close this with a lid and cook until the gravy becomes thick.
• Add coriander leaves before you serve.

Spicy Chicken gravy is ready to taste with hot rice, chappatis, idlis and dosa's.

CHANNA MASALA

This dish is very gud to go with puris, chapathis, dosa or idlis...Its very easy and very popular in any parties or functions.We can also taste the cooked channa's plainly as a evening snacks.Its very rich in protein too....So, lets have a look into this energy rich dish...

Ingredients:
White Channa - 1 cup soaked overnight
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Ginger-Garlic paster - 1 spoon
Chilli powder - 1 spoon
Coriander powder - 2 spoons
Turmeric powder - 1/4 spoon
Garam masala - 1/2 spoon (Optional)
Coriander leaves - few
Cumin seeds - 1/2 spoon
Salt for taste
oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

• Drain the channa and pressure cook it with some salt (You can keep one or two whistle)
• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds followed by onion and fry till it becomes golden brown.
• Then add tomato and once it becomes soft add ginger-garlic paste and saute for few minutes.
• At this point add all the masala ingrdients and fry for few minutes.
• Once the masala gets cooked, add the cooked channa masala with required (little) water.
• Cover and cook for atleast 15 minutes, so that the channa will absorb the masala within it.
• Add chopped coriander leaves before you serve.

Tasty channa masala is now ready to go with your puris and chappatis.

PEAS PULAO

Here is a simple and delicious dish for you all. Its very simple and interesting. Kids will like it a lot. Come on lets have a look.....

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 1 1/2 cup
Onion (medium size) - 1
Green peas - 3/4 cup
Green chillies -3
Ginger garlic paste - 1 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cloves - 3
Cardamom - 2
Cinnamon stick - 1″
Bay leaves - 2
Cashew nuts - 1/4 cup
Coriander Leaves - a punch
Mint Leaves - a pinch
Oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a cooker and add cumin seeds,Coarsely ground cardamom,bay leaves, cinnamon and cloves together.
• Add mint and coriander leaves and fry for few minutes.
• Now add the onions and split green chillies and saute and then add ginger garlic paste.
• Now add soaked peas and cook for few mintues.
• When the peas are coated with masala add basmati rice and add enough water and salt and close the pan.
• Leave the cooker for two whistles and switch off the gas.
• Hot peas pulao is ready.

Garnish with coriander leaveas and serve this delicious peas pulao with any raita.

SAMBHAR

Ingredients:
Thur Dal – 1 cup
Vegetables (Brinjal, Carrot, Drumstick etc) – 1 cup
Samll Onion – ½ cup (or) 1 cup
Tomato – 2
Tamarind paste – 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder – a pinch
Salt for taste

For Powdering:
Red Chillies – 5
Bengal Gram – 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds – 1 tbsp
Small Onion – 7 nos
Curry Leaves – Few
Coconut (grated) – ½ cup

For Seasoning:
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Curry Leaves – Few
Asafetida – a pinch
Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

• Heat a kadai and dry fry the ingredients given in “For Powdering” and keep a side.
• Pressure cook the dal along with tomato and turmeric powder and keep a side.
• Cook all vegetable with little salt in a heavy bottomed vessel.
• Once vegetables are half cooked add tamarind paste and make it to boil for few mints.
• Now add powdered ingredients and keep until the aroma comes well.
• To this add mashed dal mixture and stir for sometimes.
• In a pan add seasoning ingredients and pour that into the sambar mixture.

Finally garnish with coriander and serve hot with Idli’s and Dosa’s.

RAGI (KEZHVARAU) KOOZH

Here is an interesting recipe for this summer. Ragi (Kezhvaragu) Koozh. It is rich in protein, iron and calcium. It is easily digestive and good for all ages. I know you all will enjoy this dish and the recipe is on the way to U………


Ingredients:
Ragi flour - 1 cup
Rice - 1/2 cup
Water - 2 cups
Curd - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste

Method:

• Mix Ragi flour in Water without any lumps.
• Cook rice and keep a side.
• Boil water in a heavy bottom vessel and pour this ragi mixture into it.
• Stir this mix frequently to avoid forming lumps.
• Add cooked rice into this mixture and cook until it becomes thick.
• Now remove from heat and keep a side for the whole night.
• To Serve mix curd or buttermilk and with ragi koozh.

It will go well with coconut thuvayal, pickel,small onion and moore milagai.

immmm.........delicious ragi koozh is ready to taste.

PLANTAIN (VAZHAKAI) PORIYAL

Plantain is one thing which is present in one form or another in any wedding in Tamilnadu. You would have noticed plantain tree inviting you in any wedding. The reason behind is that "Full-grown plantain is an Eternal tree of evergreen plenty for endless generations!". In South India banana leaves are used to serve food as it got some medical benefits in it. Eating food served in plantain leaf gives you a special taste.

Ingredients:
Plantain - 2 nos
Ginet-Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Chill powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch

For Seasoning:
Jeera - 1 tsp
Few Curry Leaves

Method:

• Cut plantain into small square pieces and keep it a side in salt water.
• Hear oil in a kadai and add jeera and curry leaves.
• Add ginger - garlic paste and stir for few mints.
• Now add chill, corinader and turmeric powder and mix well.
• Finally add cut plantain piece with salt and close the kadai with a lid.
• Mix it frequently until the plantain becomes soft.

Spicy plantain poriyal is ready to taste with curd, rasam and paruppu sadam.

SEMIYA (VERMICELLI) PAYASAM

Hi Friends....lets start this month with a sweet recipe. Something simple, something comforting which captured the beautiful sunny weekend. I finally settled on semiya payasam. Here the payasam is on the way for you.........

Ingredients:

Semiya (Vermicelli) - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Milk - 1 lr
Ghee - 3 tbs
Cashewnuts - 50gms
Raisins - 50 gms
Cardomom powder - 1 tsp

Method:

• Roast semiya in a heavy bottom vessel & keep a side.
• Boil the milk, and cook semiya for 5-6 mints (or till semiya becomes soft)
• Add sugar and simmer for 5 mints
• Add Cardomom powder
• Finally fry cashew nuts & raising in ghee & add to payasam
  

Garnish with cashew nuts, almond or saffron. Serve hot or cold