Pala kottai kurma - Jackfruit seed kurma

Ingredients
1.Jackfruit seed-15
2.Onion-2
3.Tomato-2
4.Ginger garlic paste-1-1/2tsp
5.Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
6.Chilly+coriander powder-3tsp
7.Brinjal/egg plant-150gms
8.Potato-100gms
9.Drum stick-1
10.Poppy seeds-1 -1/2tbsp
11.Coconut-2tbsp
12.Oil -2tbsp
13.Cardamom, cloves, cinnamon- each 2

Method
1.Heat oil in a pan, add the whole spices, stir in the sliced onions, when it turns pink, add tomatoes.
2.when the tomatoes are cooked add the ginger garlic paste, saute for a few seconds, add all the powders stir for a few more seconds add the vegetables and enough water for the vegetables to cook.
3.Once the vegetables are cooked add the cooked jackfruit seed, (it takes a long time to cook, so pressure cook the seeds separately)and ground paste of coconut and poppy seeds.(increase the amount of poppy seeds if coconut should be avoided).
4.Bring to a boil and let it cook for 5 to 8 minutes on low heat. Remove, garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or roti.
Suggestion
1.This recipe is actually made with mutton and tastes extremely good with the combination of brinjal, potato, drumstick and the jackfruit seed. The vegetables give such a flavour to the kurma, that it tastes exactly the same way even without the mutton.

kothukkari vadai - Shammi Kabab

Ingredients
1. Minced mutton-1/2k
2. Bengal gram-2tbs
3. Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
4. Garam masala powder-3/4tsp
5. Ginger garlic paste-1 1/2tsp
6. Pepper powder-1/4tsp
7. Cumin powder-1tsp
8. Onion-1
9. Mint and coriander leaves-2tbsp
10. Juice of 1/2 lemon
11. Egg-1
12. Chilly+coriander powder-2tsp
13. Salt and oil

Method
1.Cook minced mutton with Bengal gram, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes. If there is liquid, stir the cooked meat on high heat, until all the liquid evaporates and the meat is dry.
2. Remove from heat, add ginger garlic paste, pepper powder, Chilly+coriander powder,cumin powder and grind to a paste.
3.To this add minced onion, chopped mint and coriander leaves and lemon juice and salt.
4.Divide into small portions, make balls, flatten it, dip in slightly beaten egg and shallow fry.

Instant Mango pickle

Ingredients
1. Unripe Mango-1
2.Chilly powder -2tsp
3.Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
4.Oil-2tbsp
5.Salt
6.Asafoetida-1/4tsp

Method
1.Cut the mango into small pieces.
2. In a pan heat oil, add mustard, urad dhal. Add the masala powders, asafoetida and mix in the cut mangoes. Add salt, toss for a second and turn of the heat. Serve with curd rice.

Tomato rasam

Ingredients
1.Tomato-2
2.Turmeric powder-1/2tsp
3.Pepper-1tsp
4.Cumin seeds-1tsp
5.Dry red chilly-2
6.Garlic-3
7.Curry leaves-few
8.Coriander leaves-1tsp
9.salt-1 1/2tsp
10.Mustard+urad dhal-1tsp
11.Fenugreek seeds-1/4tsp
12. Oil-1tsp

Method
1.Boil tomatoes in 600 ml of water with the turmeric powder.
2. Combine pepper, cumin, red chilly, garlic, curry leaves(4) and make a paste.
3.Add the paste to the water with the boiled tomatoes, add salt, few curry leaves, finely chopped coriander leaves and mix all these using hand, mash the tomatoes until everything is combined well.
4.Heat oil in a pan add mustard+urad dhal, fenugreek seeds when it changes colour, pour the rasam into the pan. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and after some time (approximately 10 minutes) when the rasam just begins to boil, remove from heat and serve with rice.
Suggestions
1.Instead of tomatoes, only tamarind paste can be used(no need to boil),which is tamarind rasam.
2.Instead of 2 tomatoes, one tsp of tamarind and 1 tomato can be used .

Paneer masala

Ingredients
1.Paneer-200gms
2.Onion-2
3.Tomato-3
4.Ginger garlic paste-1tsp
5.Turmeric powder-1/4tsp
6.Chilly+coriander powder-2tbsp
7.Fresh curd-100ml
8.Cashew-5
9.Poppy seeds-1 1/2tbsp
10.Cumin powder-1/2tsp
11.Coriander leaves-2tsp
12.Cinnamon,cloves, cardamom- 2 each
13.Oil-2tbsp
14.Sugar-1tsp
15.Fresh cream-2tbsp(optional)

Method
1.Combine 3 to 11 in a blender and make a fine paste.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add sugar and leave it undisturbed, until it caramelises. Add the whole spices, finely chopped onions, saute for a while until it changes colour, add the ground mixture.
3.Once the gravy begins to boil, add paneer cut into cubes, salt and reduce the heat and cook for 5 to 10 minutes or until it is done. Serve with a dollop of fresh cream, garnished with coriander leaves.

Suggestion
1.Use butter instead of oil and add kasuri methi(dry fenugreek leaves).
2.This is the simplest version of making Paneer butter masala, which i came out with . After eating this in a restaurant i tried it, just by guessing the ingredients from the taste of it and it turned out pretty good. I did not use butter or kasuri methi but that is just a suggestion to enhance the flavour.