Kari Kuzhambu (Mutton / Goat Curry)

                   Kari kuzhambu is an awesome non-veg recipe with kuzhambu podi and coconut milk. It is better to prepare kari kuzhambu in pressure cooker, so that the mutton is cooked softly.

                Kari kuzhambu goes well with white rice. It can also be served with idli, dosa, appam or chapati.

Prep time: 10 mins       Cook time: 45 mins      Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 700 gm Mutton (Washed with turmeric)
• 1 Onion (Finely Chopped)
• 1 inch Ginger (Crushed)
• 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 5-6 tsp Kuzhambu powder
• 2 tsp Coconut paste
• Salt to taste
• 1/3 cup Coconut milk
• 1-2 tbsp Coriander leaves (Finely chopped)
• 4 tsp Oil

Procedure

1. Heat a pressure cooker with oil. Add fennel seeds, onion and ginger. Sauté for 5 minutes.

2. Add mutton pieces and sauté for 3-4 minutes.

3. Add turmeric, coconut paste and kuzhambu powder. Sauté for 3 minutes.

4. Add enough water and salt. Let it boil.

5. Close the cooker. After a whistle, lower the flame for 20 minutes and switch off.

6. When pressure releases, open the cooker . Then add coconut milk and let it boil for 2 minutes.

7. Kari Kuzhambu is ready to serve.... Garnish with coriander leaves while serving.

• Add enough water to cook mutton. If you add less water, mutton may stick to pressure cooker.

• If you add more water, allow the excess water to evaporate before adding coconut milk.

• If you don't have homemade kuzhambu podi, you can use any curry powder bought from your local store.

• Check Kuzhambu Podi recipe here.

Kuzhambu Podi (Curry Powder)

                    It is always better to have kuzhambu podi in your kitchen. You don't have to worry about other spice powders when you have this. Homemade curry powder gives nice taste and flavor to your curry or gravy. It can be done easily and used in non-veg, veg curry recipes, poriyal, stir fry, etc...

Ingredients

• 25-28 Red Chili 
• 1/2 cup Coriander seeds
• 3 tbsp Cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp Pepper corns
• 1 tbsp Rice

Procedure

~ Dry roast all ingredients separately in low medium heat.

~ Let it cool for 15-30 minutes.

~ When it is cool, take it in a blender and powder it to a fine powder.

~ Store it in airtight container. Shelf life is 6-9 months. 

• You can double the recipe, if you want.

• You can reduce or increase red chili according to your spice level.

Peas Pulao

                It's been a long time since i shared a rice recipe.... So today I thought of sharing Peas Pulao recipe with all... Pulao is rice made with mild spices. You can prepare this recipe in rice cooker or in pressure cooker. It is great for picnic lunch.

                Peas pulao can be served with gobi manchurian, chili chicken or any tomato based gravy or just with potato chips.

Prep time: 10 mins        Cook time: 25 mins      Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup Basmati Rice
• 1 Onion (Slice lengthwise)
• 1/3 cup Peas
• 2 Green Chili (Slit lengthwise)
• 2 Garlic pods
• 2 Cardamom
• 3 Cloves
• 1 inch Cinnamon stick
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 Star anise
• 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
• 1/4 cup Coconut milk + 1 1/2 cup Water
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp Oil
• 1 tsp Ghee
• 5 Mint leaves (Finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp Coriander leaves (Finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp Green Onion (Finely chopped) (Optional)

Procedure

1. Wash rice and soak for 10 minutes.

2. Heat oil and ghee in a pan or cooker. Add fennel seeds, star anise, bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom and clove. Sauté for a minute.

3. Add green chili, onion and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 minutes.

4. Then add peas and sauté for 2 minutes.

5. Now add rice and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

6. At this stage you can transfer to the rice cooker. And add coconut milk, water and salt to the rice.

7. Add coriander and mint leaves. Close and cook the rice.

8. Peas pulao is ready to serve... Garnish Peas Pulao with green onions or coriander leaves.

• Coconut milk is optional. You can add water instead of coconut milk.

• You can also add carrot, beans, soya chunks while adding peas to make vegetable pulao.

Pepper Chicken Gravy

                    I am glad to share a hot and spicy chicken recipe with all... Yes... It's Pepper Chicken Gravy... The freshly ground pepper powder gives a nice flavor to the gravy. It is a simple recipe with basic ingredients.

                    Pepper Chicken Gravy can be served with fried rice, white rice, pulao, chapati, dosa, etc....

Prep time: 5 mins        Cook time: 30-35 mins        Serves: 3

Ingredients

• 500 gm Chicken
• 1 Onion (Finely chopped)
• 1tsp Cumin seeds
• 2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
• 1 Red Chili
• Few Curry leaves
• 2 1/2 tsp Coriander powder (Or 2 1/2 tsp Cumin powder)
• 3 tsp Pepper Powder
• 2 tbsp Coriander leaves (Finely chopped)
• Salt to taste
• 4 tsp Oil

Procedure

1. Wash chicken with turmeric and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, red chili, curry leaves, onion and ginger garlic paste. Sauté for 5 minutes.

3. Add coriander powder and Pepper. Sauté for a minute.

4. Add chicken and sauté for 2 minutes.

5. Add salt and a cup of water.

6. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until chicken pieces are cooked.

7. Sauté for 2 minutes. If you want it watery, then add more water and let it boil for 2 more minutes.

8. Pepper Chicken gravy is ready to serve... Garnish it with coriander leaves while serving.

• You can also add cumin powder in place of coriander powder. Both gives a nice flavor to pepper chicken.

• You can also cook this recipe in a pressure cooker.

Sambar (Arachuvitta Sambar)

                  Sambar is a flavorful lentil based stew with assorted vegetables. Indian spices, tamarind and coconut gives a nice flavor to sambar. You can use homemade or store bought sambar powder for this recipe.

             You can use 2 or more vegetables in sambar as per your wish. Vegetables that can be used in sambar are potato, carrot, radish, drumstick, brinjal, arvi, pumpkin, cauliflower, shallot, okra, bottle gourd, etc... Today I have used carrot, radish and drumstick.

             The sambar recipe, I am about to share goes well with idli, dosa, rave dosa, pongal, chapati, etc... This Arachuvitta sambar is good with tiffin items than with rice.

Prep time: 20 mins         Cook time: 30 mins      Waiting time: 25 mins       Serves: 9-10

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Toor dal
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric
• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
• A lemon size Tamarind
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Urad dal
• 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
• 1 medium Onion (Slice thinly lengthwise)
• 1 large Tomato / 2 small Tomato (Chopped finely)
• 1 cup Assorted Vegetables
• Few Curry leaves
• 3-4 tsp Sambar powder
• 1 tbsp Oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp Chopped Coriander leaves

To sauté and grind

• 1 tsp Oil
• 3 Pearl Onions
• 2 tsp Coriander seeds 
• 1 tbsp Coconut

Procedure

1. Wash dal and soak them for 15 minutes. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup warm water and extract tamarind water.

2. Take dal in a cooker, add 2 and 1/2 cup water, 1/4 tsp turmeric and asafoetida.

3. After a whistle, lower the flame for 5-7 minutes and switch off.

4. When pressure releases, open the cooker, add salt and mash the dal nicely.

5. Heat a pan with oil. Add mustard and when it sputters, add urad dal, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and onion. Sauté 4-5 minutes.

6. Add tomato. Sauté for 3 minutes.

7. Add vegetables and sauté for a minute.

8. Add Salt, half of sambar powder and remaining turmeric powder. Sauté for a minute.

9. Add the sautéed vegetables to the dal. Add tamarind extract and remaining sambar powder to the dal. Allow it to boil. Add water if necessary.

10. Close the cooker. Switch off the flame after a whistle.

11. Heat oil in the pan. Add pearl onions, coriander seeds and coconut. Sauté until coconut turns light brown. Let it cool down

12. Grind it into a smooth paste.

13. Add the ground paste into the sambar. Add enough water and let it boil for 2 minutes.

14. Sambar is ready... Garnish with coriander leaves while serving...

Poorna Kozhukattai / Kozhukattai / Mothagam

                   Poorna Kozhukattai is offerd to Lord Ganesha on Vinayakar Chaturthi and even on monthly Chaturthi. There are many kozhukattai recipes but poorna kozhukattai made with coconut is the traditional kozhukattai. It's a tasty and yummy dish.

Prep time: 25 mins      Cook time: 25 mins      Yields: 20-22

Ingredients

• 1 cup Rice flour / Idiyappam flour
• 1 cup Shredded Coconut
• 1 cup Shredded Jaggery
• 2 Cardamom pods (Crushed)
• A pinch of Salt
• 2 & 1/2 cup Water

Procedure

1. In a medium heat dissolve jaggery in 1/2 cup water.

2. When jaggery is dissoved, strain it for impurities.

3. Boil the jaggery syrup for 2 minutes, and then add coconut and cardamom. Mix it well.

4. Cook for 5 minutes or until the poornam is thick.

5. Add salt to the flour. And boil 2 cup water in a pan.

6. Add boiling water to the flour. (As much as water your flour needs, I used 1 2/3 cup water)

7. Use spatula to mix the flour and then with your hand, form a soft dough.

8. Grease the idli plates and your hand.

9. Take a small portion of dough and flatten in your hand.

10. Keep a small portion of poornam in the dough.

11. Bring all the sides to top, close and form kozhakattai.

12. You can also close the kozhukattai from one side to the other side.

13. Repeat it with remaining dough and poornam.

14. Place the kozhukattai in greased idli plate.

15. Steam the kozhukattai for 10 minutes.

16. Kozhukattai is ready... Offer to Lord Ganesha and enjoy Vinayakar Chaturthi with kozhukattai.

Check more kozhukattai recipes here.