CHETTINAD STYLE EGG CURRY

I love eggs and it is a versatile ingredients which is readily available in my kitchen. I use to have it mixed with my maagi preparation and also make curry, since it is one of the simplest, to have along with roti or rice. Today I went for a change from the regular and prepared it in Chettinad style. This is quite different from the normal curry because of its blend of spicy flavour with coconut. And trust me, it is really yummy and delicious.

Ingredients:-

1. Eggs – 2 nos.

2. Garam Masala powder – ¼ tsp.

3. Onion – 1 no., finely chopped

4. Tomato – 1 no., chopped

5. Coriander leaves – a handful, finely chopped

6. Salt – to taste

To Temper:

7. Cinnamon – ½ inch piece

8. Cloves – 3 nos.

9. Curry leaves – 1 sprig

To grind:

10. Grated coconut – ½ cup

11. Coriander powder – 1 tbsp.

12. Dry Red Chili – 2 nos.

13. Garlic – 5 cloves

14. Ginger – ½ inch piece

15. Pepper powder – 1 tsp.

16. Fennel seeds – ½ tsp.

17. Cumin seeds – ¼ tsp.

Method:-

1. Boil eggs and remove the shell. Then make slit on sides using a sharp knife and keep aside.

2. In a pan, dry roast all the ingredients listed in ‘To grind’ for 2-3 minutes till it roasted smell is released. Let it cool and grind it into a fine paste with little water. Keep it aside.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add cinnamon, and cloves and saute for few seconds followed by curry leaves.

4. Then add onion and tomato and saute till it becomes mushy.

5. Then add grinded coconut paste and saute for 2minutes.

6. Add ½ cup of water and allow it to boil. Then add garam masala and salt and cook for 5 to 10 minutes in low flame.

7. Finally add the boiled eggs and cook for a minute.

8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

9. So delicious Chettinad Egg Curry is ready to serve hot.

Notes:-

- Keep the curry for about 15 minutes before serving so the gravy blends well with the eggs.

KERALA STYLE THENGA CHAMMANTHI (COCONUT CHUTNEY)

Thenga Chammanthi is a perfect dish when we think of homely food. If I can get a plate of pazhankanji & a spoon of thenga chammanthi, it will be like I got heaven, happier than eating a burger or a pizza. Before going to boarding school, mom will be waiting for me with rice and chammanthi along with some other dishes every evening for my return from school. But I use to have more of chammanthi than any other side-dish. And if it is there with some PachaMoru, I’ll be the happiest one. In Kerala, chammanthi is prepared on ammikallu (which is rare one now, but my grandma is having one which I used to prepare chammanthi this time) before the wide use of mixer grinders, which tastes heavenly and no mixer grinder can give you that taste. It is an excellent accompaniment for dosa & idli, apart from rice.

Ingredients:-

1. Grated Coconut – of one full coconut

2. Dried red chilies – 2 nos. (Can add more according to your spice level)

3. Shallots – 6 nos., sliced

4. Ginger – 1 inch length, chopped

5. Tamarind – size of a small lemon

6. Salt – to taste

7. Curry leaves – 1-2 sprig

8. Oil – 1 tbsp.

Method:-

1. Heat the oil in a pan, into which add shallots, chopped ginger, curry leaves and dried red chilies. Saute it for 2-3 minutes till it releases a roasted smell.

2. Then add coconut and mix well, and saute it for a minute or two. (N.B: do not brown coconut)

3. Remove it from fire & allow it cool.

4. Now mix tamarind & salt to this mixture.

5. Ground it in the smallest jar of the mixer grinder, ideally with no water. (If needed sprinkle a little of water to aid it in grinding)

6. Serve it along rice, dosa or idli.

Done!!!

Notes:-

- If you don’t have dried red chilies, you can use around 2tsp. chili powder instead.

- You can use green chilies instead of dried red chilies, which gives you a white chammanthi.

KERALA STYLE AVIYAL

Aviyal or avial is another delicious preparation of kerala, like sambar, made with mixed vegetables, coconut and curd, which gained an equal fanfare in Tamil Nadu as well. It is an inseparable dish in Sadya, and occupying an important place in Kerala Cuisine. As the taste of mixed vegetables are pampered with the goodness of coconut makes Aviyal a dish contributing to a distinguished experience to the taste and satiety. It is a fantastic side dish for rice and I love it along with pachamoru (spiced buttermilk) and thenga chammanthi (coconut chutney). More Simple & Easy-to-Cook Onasadhya Recipes @ BACHELOR'S ONASADHYA

Ingredients:-

1. Winter melon / Ash gourd (kumpalanga) – ½ of a medium size

2. Cucumber – ½ of a medium size

3. Potato – 1 nos., medium size

4. Carrot – 1 nos., medium size

5. Drumstick – 2 nos.

6. Beans – 6-7 nos

7. Raw plantain – 1, medium size

8. Raw Mango – 5-6 medium size pieces

9. Elephant foot Yam (Chena) – ¼ of a medium size

N.B: All vegetables are cut into 2 inch long pieces about ½ inch in thickness, contrary to sambar pieces which will be in cubes of 1 inch

10. Curd – ½ cup

11. Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp.

12. Salt – to taste

For Grinding:-

13. Grated coconut – 1 ½ cup

14. Cumin seeds – ½ tsp.

15. Green chilies – 3nos.

For Seasoning:-

16. Coconut oil – 2 tbsp.

17. Curry leaves – 2-3 sprig

Method:-

1. Since each vegetable needs different time for cooking, we have to cook the vegetables in different stages to not get the pieces mushy and smashed.

(a) Take potato, yam, carrot, and raw plantain pieces in a pressure cooker along with little salt, turmeric powder and water just to cover the pieces, and cook for 2 whistles in medium flame.

(b) Now let out the steam and open the lid. Add beans, cucumber and ash gourd and continue boiling it. When it is half cooked, add chopped raw mango and drumstick pieces.

2. When the pieces are cooked, coarsely grind the grated coconut, cumin seeds and green chilies in a mixer grinder. (N.B: Don’t grind it fully into fine paste) 

3. When vegetable pieces is almost done, add and mix well the coarsely grounded coconut paste and cook for a few more minutes and remove from flame.

4. Add curd and mix well. Check for salt and adjust accordingly.

5. Season with coconut oil and curry leaves. Stir well.

Done!!!

Note:- You can skip curd when you are adding raw mangoes or add according to the sourness you want. I can also be replaced with ¼ cup of tamarind water.

CHERUPAYAR KOOMBU THORAN (LENTIL WITH BANANA FLOWER)

Cherupayar koobu thoran is an easy and fast homely recipe high in protein, which suits excellent with both rice and chapatti.

Ingredients:

1. Green gram - ½ cup (soaked overnight) 

2. Banana Flower - 1, Medium size 

3. Shallots - 7 nos (if not available, use 1 onion, finely chopped) 

4. Green chili - 2 nos 

5. Red Chili - 3 nos 

6. Coconut - ½ cup, Grated 

7. Turmeric Powder - ¼ tsp 

8. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp 

9. Curry Leaves - 1 sprig 

10. Coconut Oil - 3 tbsp 

Method:

1. Boil green gram along with little of salt till done (2-3 whistles in a pressure cooker) and keep it aside. 

2. Remove few of the petals of flower from the outer part. Then chop the rest of the flower finely. Mix 1 tbsp coconut oil with the chopped flower and keep aside for at least 20 mins. 

3. Crush (don’t grind) shallots, coconut, green chili and turmeric powder. 

4. Now in a pan, heat the coconut oil and sputter the mustard seeds. Then add in the red chili and curry leaves (if using onion, add onion before banana flower), followed by chopped banana flower. Saute it and cover with a lid till its done.

5. Then add the cooked green gram and crushed mixture along with needed salt and mix nicely. Cover and cook over low flame for about 10 mins more. 

6. Serve hot chapatis or rice

Done!!!

URULAKIZHANGU / POTATO THEEYAL (POTATO CURRY WITH ROASTED COCONUT)

Theeyal is a South Indian dish (especially Kerala), which is similar to sambar (in Malabar side of Kerala, they call theeyal as sambar, since roasted coconut is added for sambar itself). This dish is a homely dish, which is absolutely a taste-buds tickling and mind blowing experience of roasted coconut with average spicy in nature, for those who love the taste of coconut, that tastes great with rice and chapatti too. 

Ingredients:-

1. Potato - 2, Medium (Cut lengthwise into 1 inch pieces) 

2. Onion - 1, medium (sliced) 

3. Coconut - 1 cup, grated 

4. Tamarind - small piece (soak in warm water and extract the juice) 

5. Chili powder - 1 tsp 

6. Coriander powder - 1 ½ tsp 

7. Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp 

8. Red chilies - 2 nos 

9. Mustard - 1 tsp 

10. Oil - 3-4 tbsp 

11. Salt - for taste 

12. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs 

Method:

1. Heat a pan and dry roast the grated coconut until it turn almost dry. Now add the chili powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder, and saute continuously till the coconut turn reddish brown. Allow to cool. Then grind the fried coconut to a fine paste and keep it aside.

(N.B: Grind the fried coconut mixture till it is grounded to fine powder. Then add ½ a cup water and grind again till it becomes a smooth semifluid paste) 

2. Now heat the oil in a pan and add the potato and onion along with little of turmeric powder and sauté. Cover it with lid, and allow to cook, while saute it at intervals. 

3. When the potato is done, add the tamarind juice and cook for 1 minute.

4. Add the ground paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. 

5. Add 1 cup water and adjust salt as needed. Allow it to boil. 

6. Now heat oil in another pan, splutter mustard seeds, and then add red chilies and curry leaves. Add it into the curry and serve hot.