Indian – Page 2 – Meal Haven

Egg Drop Curry with Coconut Milk

A quick and simple curry with coconut milk and eggs dropped in the curry and simmered and cooked. We usually either hard boil the eggs and add it to the curry or just add the raw eggs into the curry. I prefer the second version as the white of the yolk which cooks in the gravy imparts a more flavorful curry.

Ingredients:

Eggs – 3 or 4

Bay leaf – 2 pieces

Garlic – 8 cloves sliced lengthwise

Tomatoes – 2 medium

Green chillie – 1

Curry leaf – 1/2 sprig

Onion – 1 1/2 chopped

Coriander leaves – 1 tbsp

Coriander Powder – 1 tsp

Red chillie powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Thin coconut milk – 1 1/2 cups

Thick coconut milk – 1 cup

Lime juice – 1/2 tsp (optional)

Oil – 1tbsp

Salt – to taste

Making Coconut Milk

Coarsely grind 2 1/2 cups grated coconut with 1 cup lukewarm water in a mixer. Pass the ground mixture through a strainer and squeeze out the milk. 1 cup thick coconut milk can be extracted from this. Luke warm water helps you to extract coconut milk well.

2. Grind the same 2 1/2 cups coconut with 1 1/2 cup luke warm water. Pass the ground coconut mixture through a strainer and squeeze out the water. One and a half cup thin/medium thick coconut milk can be prepared from this.

3. I have used the coconut milk powder available in the market and mixed it with water for the thick and thin consistency. You would need 3 tbsp of powder for 1 cup of water for thick milk and 2 tbsp of coconut milk powder for 1 1/2 cups of water for think milk consistency).

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan. When it becomes hot, add the bay leaves and the chopped garlic and onions and let it become slightly golden in colour. Then, add the tomatoes, curry leaves and the green chillie and saute for 2 minutes. Next, begin by adding chillie powder, coriander powder followed by turmeric powder. Sprinkle a little water and saute well until the raw smell goes away. Next add, the thin coconut milk and boil on low flame for 4-5 minutes. Keeping the flame on low, add salt to the curry. Take an egg and break it and drop it into the curry gently. Break the remaining eggs into two and drop all the eggs into the curry gently and do not stir. Close the lid and let it boil.

If you like it fully cooked, close and keep for 3 -4 minutes. If you want it soft boiled, cook it for only a minute.

Lastly, add the thick coconut milk to the curry and gently stir it so as to not break the eggs. Boil it just once and put off the flame. Add coriander leaves and serve. If you wish, you may add a few drops of lime juice at the end.

Soya Kheema (Minced Soya Chunks)

Vegetarian

A perfect mixture of textures and flavours, this vegetarian version of minced meat or kheema, will woo all the vegetarians and meat lovers alike. Soya, being a rich source of protein makes a complete meal with rotis or chapathis.

Ingredients:

Soya chunks – 1/2 cup

Oil – 1 tbsp

Butter – 1 tsp (optional)

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Chopped garlic – 3 tbsp

Ginger juliennes – 2 1/2 tbsp + 1/2 tsp

Green chillies – 3 cut into rounds + 1 cut into rounds

Capsicum – 1/2 cup chopped

Tomatoes – 1/2 cup chopped

Onions chopped – 1 /2 cup chopped

Coriander leaf – 2 tbsp chopped + 1 tsp

Salt – as needed

Turmeric – 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri chillie powder – 1 tsp

Roasted cumin powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp

Chat masala – 1/2 tsp (optional)

Paav bhaji masala – 1 1/4 tsp

Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) – 1/2 tsp

Brown onion paste – 1 onion (see below )

Tomato puree/store bought tomato paste – 1 1/2 tbsp

Water – 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup and 3-4 cups for soaking the soya

Soya Chunks:

Soak soya chunks overnight in medium hot water with little salt. The next day, squeeze out all the water and chop it in a vegetable chopper or pulse it coarsely in a mixer.

For brown onion paste:

Chop 1 onion into slices. Deep fry them in hot oil and keep it aside in a tissue. After some time, pulse it in a mixer to a coarse paste.

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan or kadai. Add cumin seeds. When it starts to sizzle, add the chopped garlic, 2 1/2 tbsp ginger juliennes, 3 green chillies and saute it for 2 minutes. Then, add the chopped onions and saute again. Next, goes in the capsicum and the 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes and once again, saute for 2 minutes adding the 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves. Add salt and then the kashmiri red chillie powder, coriander powder, cumin seed powder and the turmeric powder. Saute once again adding the chat masala and the paav bhaji masala making sure that it doesn’t burn. U can sprinkle a little water at this point. Add the kasuri methi, brown onion paste and the tomato puree and combine well. Add 1/2 cup of water and let the masalas cook for some time.

Next, add the soya bean mixture, 1/2 tsp ginger juliennes, 1 green chillie cut into rounds and 1 tsp coriander leaves. Saute well and add 1/2 cup of water. Close and cook for 20 minutes on low flame.

Add 1 tsp butter and serve.

Watermelon Rind Kootu/Lentils with Watermelon Rind

Vegetarian

There are many dishes which you can make with watermelon rind, ie, poriyals/thorans or yogurt based curry (morekozhumbu/kalans) but this one is my favourite. The ingredients in this dish marry well and work in harmony to make this dish a nutritious and a tasty one.

The same recipe can also be made with squash, ridge gourd, cabbage, snake gourd or white pumpkin.

Ingredients:

Moong Dal (small yellow lentils) OR Chana dal (bengal gram dal) – 1/2 cup

Watermelon Rinds chopped – 1 1/4 cups (see note below)

Water – 1 cup + 1 cup

Green chillies – 2

Onion – 1 small chopped

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp + 1/4 tsp

Jeera/cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

Red chillies – 2

Saunf /aniseed – 1/4 tsp

Shredded or Grated Coconut – 1/4 cup + 1/2 tsp for garnishing

Salt to taste

For seasoning:

Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Udad dal – 1/4 tsp

Red chillies – 2

Curry leaf – 1 sprig

Oil – 1 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

Note : Wash and cut the watermelon rind without the green outerpart, into small pieces. Remove all the red portions inside and the outer green skin and chop only the white portion inside.

Grind jeera, saunf, red chillies and 1/4 cup grated coconut coarsely, in a mixer and keep it aside.

Boil the watermelon rind in 1 cup of water alongwith 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, slit green chillies, chopped onions and salt. Close the lid and let it cook. Once cooked, keep it aside.

In another vessel, wash the yellow moong dal and cook it in a kadai or pan with salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder. Cook it with 1 cup of water and keep it aside. Once cooked, add the cooked watermelon rind and mix it well. Add the ground coconut and boil it once and put off the flame.

Season it with the ingredients mentioned under ‘seasoning’ and mix it well. Garnish with grated coconut and serve with rice or chapathis.

Pesarattu/Green Gram Dosa/Savoury Lentils Crepe

Breakfast

A protein packed breakfast from the cuisine of Andhra Pradesh in India, pesarattu is best served with a spicy chutney like ginger chutney or capsicum chutney (check out chutneys in the recipe’s section).

Soak moong dal/green gram dal & rice in water overnight

Ingredients:

Green dam dal – 1 cup

Raw Rice – 2 tbsp

Green chillies – 2

Jeera/cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Ginger – 1/2 inch piece

Toppings for pesarattu:

Onions -2 (finely chopped)

Green chillies – 2 deseeded and finely chopped

Jeera/cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Preparation:

Clean and soak the green gram dal and rice with lots of water in a vessel, overnight.

Next, drain the water and add the dal and rice to a pulser alongwith the green chillies, cumin seeds, salt and ginger with little water to make a dosa like batter. Grind it smoothly and the consistency should be of a pouring batter but thick.

Heat a tawa and grease it with oil. Pour a spoonful of batter like a dosa and sprinkle with the toppings. Add a little oil on the edges of the dosa to make it crispy. When it starts getting a golden colour, flip it to the other side, fold and remove. Serve it with any chutney of your choice.

To make the next pesarattu, sprinkle little water on the pan as the pan would have turned very hot. Rub it with oil, after the water evaporates.

Capsicum Chutney

Chutneys

Bored of the same chutneys…Try this one with bell peppers and tomatoes. An everyday chutney, which is a perfect match for dosas or idlis. The mild sweetness of the capsicum and the tanginess of the tamarind makes this special.

Saute the dals and red chillies in little oil

Ingredients:

Capsicum – 1 big

Tomato – 1 small

Onion – 1 small

Red chillies – 4

Udad dal – 1 1/2 tbsp

Bengal gram dal/Chana dal – 1 1/2 tbsp

Tamarind – a small piece

Shredded Fresh Coconut – 2 tbsp

Salt

Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Udad dal – 1/4 tsp

Red chillies – 2

Asafoetida/Hing – a pinch

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan. Add the chana dal and udad dal and fry until it turns golden. Then add the red chillies to it. Next add the chopped onion and saute and then the chopped capscium and tomatoes and saute till it turns slightly mushy. Remove and set aside.

When it cools down, grind it alongwith coconut, tamarind and salt in a mixie. Season with the items mentioned under ‘seasoning’.

Cabbage and Peas Curry/Patha Gobi Mattar Subzi

Vegetarian

This simple dry vegetable curry can be served with rice or chapathis. The combination of cabbage with peas alongwith the crushed coriander seeds gives it a different flavour.

Ingredients :

Chopped Cabbage – 1 1/2 cups

Peas – 1 cup

Chopped Tomato – 1/2 cup

Ginger – 1/2 tsp chopped

Onions – 2

Bengal Gram dal/chana dal – 1 tsp

Coriander seeds – 1 tsp

Jeera – 1 tsp

Grated coconut – 1/4 cup

Chopped Green chillies – 1

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Red chillie powder – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

Coriander leaves – 1 sprig

Oil – 1 tbsp

Preparation:

Crush the coriander seeds coarsely and keep it aside. Chop onions fine.

Heat oil in a pan. When it starts spluttering, add jeera and the crushed coriander seeds, bengal gram dal, curry leaves and onions. Saute them well. Then add the chopped ginger, green chillies, red chillie powder and the turmeric powder and saute them. You can add a tsp of water so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. Next, add the tomatoes and saute it. When it is slightly mushy, add the peas and toss again. Lastly add the chopped cabbage, salt. Close with a lid and let it cook for 3- 4 minutes. You can sprinkle a little water if it is too dry. This is a dry vegetarian curry so you need not add more water to it. Just before you put off the flame, add the grated coconut and stir once. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Maharashtrian Sabudana/Sago/Tapoica Pearls Kichdi

Breakfast

For the uninitiated, Sabudana kichdi is a popular breakfast item in Maharastra. It is mostly prepared on the days of fasting. Made with potatoes, coarsely ground peanuts and tapoica pearls, this recipe is one you would want to try…The tricky part is to prevent the sabudana from getting all clumped together but getting separate pearls after it is cooked.

Ingredients:

Sabudana/Sago – 1 1/2 cups

Potatoes – 2 medium diced

Cumin seeds/Jeera – 1 tsp

Roasted peanuts coarsely ground – 1/4 cup

Green chillies – 2 finely chopped

Coriander leaves – 2 sprigs chopped

Curry leaves – 6 to 7 (optional)

Lemon juice – 1/2 tsp

Salt as needed

Water – as needed

Grated coconut – 1 tbsp (optional)

Oil – 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Rinse the sabudana using a strainer two to three times until all the starch has been washed away.

Soak the sabudana with just enough water so as to submerge it, around 3/4th cup for every 1 cup of sabudana. Soak it for 3 to 4 hours. (Some types of sabudana are delicate and therefore, you may have to soak it for just an hour or so).

After 3 to 4 hours, check the sabudana and see if it is soft, if not leave it for some more time. The soaked sabudana should be soft when you press it and there should not be any water left for absorption in the vessel. Remove the excess water, if there is any.

Dice the potatoes and cook them with little salt till they are soft but not mushy. Keep them aside.

Heat a non stick pan (I prefer a non stick pan to a cast iron kadai as the sabudana tends to stick to the kadai due to the high heat). Add oil. When it turns hot, add the cumin seeds and curry leaves. When it starts to crackle, add the finely chopped green chillies and saute well. Add the cooked potatoes and mix it once. Then, add the drained sabudana pearls and mix well. Stir it to avoid sticking to the bottom. If it is too dry, just sprinkle a little water and stir again. Add salt and close and keep so that it cooks and becomes glossy. When done, add lime juice, coriander leaves and lastly coarsely ground peanuts. Mix well again and serve. You can add grated coconut at the end, if you wish.

Minced Meat Vada (Mutton Kheema Vada)

Non-Vegetarian

An excellent appetizer with kheema which can be served at a party. It can also be served with rice and dal as an accompaniment.

Ingredients:

Coarse Mutton mince – 250 gms

Onion – 1 medium very finely chopped

Mint leaves – 15 chopped (optional)

Coriander leaves – 4-5 sprigs (chopped)

Green chillies – 4 -5

Garlic-Ginger paste – 1 tsp each

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Roasted Bengal gram dhal (pottukadalai ) – 1/2 cup

Cloves – 2

Cinnamon – a small piece about 1/2 inch

Cardamom – 1small

Aniseeed – 1 tsp

Preparation:

Dry roast the cloves, cinnamon and cardamom in a pan, powder it and keep it aside. Next, powder 1/2 cup of roasted bengal gram dhal and keep aside.

Wash the mince meat well and squeeze out water.

In a pressure cooker, heat oil. Add the minced meat, saute and then add the whole green chillies and keep on stirring till the water dries up. Then add the ginger- garlic paste, green chilly paste (make a paste of the cooked whole green chillies), turmeric powder, salt and 3-4 tbs of water. Put the weight of the cooker and pressure cook for 4 minutes, if mince is coarse.

After pressure is released and it cools down, open the cooker and dry the mince completely if there is any water. This step is very important as the balls may break if it is wet and water is present in it . Next, take the mince and grind in mixie jar for 1 or 2 seconds . It should not be a paste but should be slightly coarse so as to get the flavour of mincemeat whilst eating.

Remove and add it to a mixing bowl. Then add the spice powder, finely chopped onion, finely chopped mint and coriander leaves, roasted bengal gram dhal flour 4 -5 tablespoons; check salt, mix well and form into small lemon sized balls and slightly flatten them in the middle.

Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the vadas. Do not crowd with too many vadas in the pan as they may break. Lower to medium heat, turn over when fried on one side and remove when done.Try with one vada – if it breaks, add white of an egg or beat an egg and add a little so that it binds with the mince mixture. Do not keep on turning. Leave it and turn only after it is done.

Kanjeevaram Idlis

Breakfast

Kanjeevaram aka Kanchipuram is a district in Tamilnadu, famous for silk sarees and a number of temples. The Varadaraja Perumal temple in Kanjeevaram serves these idlis as prasad to the devotees. Made with rice and lentils, these idlis are spiced with a tempering of ghee, ginger, cumin seeds, whole peppercorns etc…..

Ingredients:

Idli rice/Par boiled rice – 1 cup

Whole Udad dal – 1 cup

Pepper corns – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds/Jeera – 1 tsp

Ginger – 1 inch piece finely chopped

Cashewnuts – 5 – 6 chopped

Asafoetida/hing – a pinch

Curry leaves – 1 sprig chopped

Ghee – 1 tbsp

Salt – to taste

Soda Bi-carbonate – 1/4 tsp

Water – 2 tbsp + 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Wash and soak the udad dal and rice separately for 4 hours or overnight, with 4 cups of water each.

After 4 hours, remove the water and grind the udad dal coarsely adding 2 tbsp of water. Keep it aside.

Next, grind the rice coarsely adding about 3 tbsp of water. Keep it aside.

Mix both the batters, add salt and let it ferment for atleast 8 hours.

Heat ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds, pepper, chopped ginger, curry leaves, chopped cashewnuts and asafoetida. Add this tempering to the fermented batter. Mix the soda with a tsp of water and add it to the batter. Mix the batter gently.

In a pressure cooker, pour the batter into small katoris or into idly moulds . The idly moulds or the small katoris need to be greased with ghee. Steam it for 8-10 minutes and put off the cooker. Wait for 10 minutes to let it cool.

USe a sharp knife or spoon to remove the idlis and serve it with any chutney.

Note : Mix the soda just before pouring the batter for steaming. If you are not going to use the entire batter, remove as much as you want and add the soda. Store the rest of the batter in the fridge.

Chicken Punjabi

Non-Vegetarian

This rich and creamy chicken curry is an all time party favourite. Though not as popular as the butter chicken, this one is just as flavourful and quite different.

Ingredients:

For Marination:

Chicken – 750 gms

Curds – 1/2 cup

Ginger- garlic paste – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder – 1/4 tsp

Red chillie powder – 1/2 tsp

Salt

For Gravy 1:

Oil – 2 tbsp

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch

Carrdamom- 2

Cloves – 2

Cumin seeds/Jeera – 1/2 tsp

Ginger finely chopped – 1 tsp

Garlic finely chopped – 1 tsp

Onions finely chopped – 4

Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp

Chillie powder – 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tbsp

Tomatoes chopped – 2 nos

Water – 3 tbsp

For Gravy 2:

Oil – 1 tbsp

Cummin seeds/Jeera – 1/2 tsp

Ginger – 1 tsp

Garlic – 1 tsp

Spinach/Palak chopped – 1 cup

Onion – 1 diced

Capsicum – 1 diced

Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

Red chillie powder – 1/2 tsp

Jeera/Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp

Green chillies finely chopped – 2 nos + 1 no for garnish

Cashew nut paste – 1/4 cup

Water – 1/2 cup

Ginger juliennes – 1/2 inch cut

Dried fenugreek leaves powder/Kasoori methi – 1 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp

Fresh Cream – 1/4 cup (optional)

Preparation:

Marinate the items given under “For Marination” and keep it aside for 1-2 hrs.

Gravy 1

Add oil. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and jeera. When it starts to splutter, add chopped ginger and chopped garlic. Then add the finely chopped onions and saute well. When it starts to brown, add turmeric powder, chillie powder, coriander powder and saute again for 2 minutes. Then add chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes turn mushy. You may add 3 tbsps of water so that the tomatoes do not stick to the pan. After it is well sauteed, remove half of this masala and keep it aside.

To the other half of the masala in the pan, add the marinated chicken and stir well. Add 2 finely chopped green chillies and saute. Close with a lid and cook on a low flame until it is done. Put the flame off.

Gravy 2

In another pan, add oil. Add cumin seeds/jeera, chopped ginger and garlic and saute well. Then add the chopped spinach/palak and saute again for 2 minutes. Add the diced onion and diced capsicum and saute again. Add turmeric powder, red chillie powder, coriander powder and cumin seed powder and saute.

Add the other half of the masala which was kept aside to this and mix it well. Add cashew nut paste to this and saute on a low flame for 3 – 4 minutes. Add salt and 1/2 cup of water . Add the chicken gravy 1 to this and mix well. Then add, ginger juliennes, dried fenugreek leaves powder/kasoori methi powder, garam masala powder and 1 green chillie finely chopped. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.

You may add 1/4 cup cream if required.

Garnish with ginger juliennes and chopped green chillies..