PUNJABI DHABA CHICKEN CURRY

Ingredients

Chicken small pieces                  --   1 kg

Onions sliced                               --   2 medium sized

Tomatoes  finely chopped        --    2

Green chillies   slit                      --    7 - 8

Ginger                                           --   1 inch piece finely chopped

Garlic flakes  finely chopped    --   7 – 8

Jeera (cumin seeds)                   --   1 tsp

Turmeric powder                        --   ¼ tsp

Red chilly powder                       --    2 tbsp

Black pepper                                --    1 tsp

Garam masala                              --  1 tsp

Kasuri methi                            --  2 - 3 tbsp

Bay leaf                                     --  1

Tomato ketchup                      --  1 tbsp

Coriander leaves                     --  1 tbsp finely chopped

Butter or oil                             --   2 – 3 tbsp

Salt to taste.

 

Method

Heat kadai, add butter, add chopped ginger and garlic, fry till light brown, add cumin seeds, when it splutter add finely chopped onion, fry till light brown, then add green chillies, fry for few seconds then add finely chopped tomatoes, when it becomes smashy add chilly powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder and garam masala, then add kasuri methi (before putting crush with your hands).  Then add bay leaf and salt.  Fry for two minutes then add chicken pieces fry for 2 -3 minutes so that masala gets evenly coated. Then add little water for gravy close the lid and cook for 15 minutes, then add tomato ketchup and coriander leaves cook it for another 5-10 minutes.  Delicious Punjabi dhaba chicken curry is ready to serve.

CHILLY FISH

Ingredients

Fish fillets                              --   4 – 5

Chilly powder                       --  1 tbsp + 2 tsp

Lemon juice                           --  1 tbsp

Corn/rice flour                      --   ¼ cup

Onion finely chopped          --  1

Garlic finely chopped           --  ½  tbsp

Ginger finely chopped          --  ½ tbsp

Green chilly                             --  2 - 3

Oil for deep fry

Pepper powder                       --  2 tsp

Salt to taste

Curry leaves few

Method

Cut fish fillets into cubes, add salt, 1 tsp pepper powder, 1 tbsp chilly powder,  lemon juice and 1 or 2 tsp of oil, marinate and keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes. 

Coat corn/rice flour on these pieces and deep fry and keep aside.

Heat oil in kadai, add onions, fry till light pink, then add ginger, garlic, curry leaves  and chopped green chilly fry till light brown, then add 2 tsp chilly powder, 1 tsp pepper powder,  little water to make thick paste, then add fried fish pieces,  cook for 2-3 minutes so that masala gets evenly coated on fish pieces. 

Spicy  chilly fish is ready to serve.

Vaigana Bajji (Brinjal chutney)

I remember my grand mother used to prepare this by putting  brinjal on the charcoal fire  which used to give a very rustic smell and aroma.  This is nothing but a Konkani version of Baingan ka Bhartha.

Ingredients

Brinjal                              -  1 big

Green chilly                    -  2

Gandhari chilly              - 5 to 6 optional

Tamarind                        -  small piece

Onion                              -  1 finely chopped

Coconut oil                     -  1 or 2 tsp

Salt to taste

 

Method

Apply little oil to whole brinjal, keep it on low flame, keep turning the brinjal until all sides are burnt and cooked inside.  Once done, put the brinjal in a bowl close the lid and keep aside for 5 to 10 minutes.  Let it cool for sometime.  Then crush all  chillies and keep aside, add little water to tamarind and make a puree.  Then peel the dark outer skin of brinjal and smash completely.  Add tamarind puree, crushed chillies,  chopped onions and salt to the smashed brinjal and mix it well, add one or two tsp of coconut oil.  Serve with rice or rotis.

 

Piyava gojju (Onion gojju)

Ingredients

Onion     -   1 no’s medium size finely chopped

Tamarind  -  lemon size

Chilli powder – 1tbsp

Coconut oil     -  1tsp

Salt to taste

Method

Put tamarind into lukewarm water and prepare puree. Add finely chopped onion and salt to the puree and mix it well. Dry roast the chilli powder for few seconds and add to the onion tamarind mixture.

Add some water to get some gravy. Pour coconut oil over it and serve. Yummy piyava gojju is ready to be served.

Goes well with undi (steamed rice ball), side dish for rice and shevai(rice noodles)

PRAWNS THENGAKOTHU

Inspired by My friend  Nithin Joy’s post “Beef Thengakothu”.  Thanks to Nithin’s Mom for this wonderful lip smacking and aromatic recipe. I got tempted seeing the pic of Beef kothu, Since we don’t eat Beef I tried this with prawns which came out awesome.  This is a very good starter as well as side dish.

INGRDIENTS

·       Prawns             -   ½ kg , cleaned and deveined

·       Onion               -    2 no’s , medium

·       Garlic                -    4 cloves, chopped

·       Ginger              -    1’’ piece, chopped

·       Green chillies  -   6 no’s

·       Coconut            -   ½ cup thinly sliced

·       Pepper powder  - 1 tsp

·       Curry leaves few

INGREDIENTS FOR GRINDING MASALA

·      Onions     -   2,cubed

·      Ginger    -   1’’ piece

·      Garlic      -    4 cloves

·      Green chillies - 4-5

·      Coriander powder -1tbsp

·      Chilli powder  - 2tsp

·      Turmeric  -  1tsp

·      Meat masala – 2tsp

·      Garam masala – 1tsp

·      Jeera  - 1tsp

·      Salt to taste

Method

1.    heat 2 tbsp oil in kadai, add jeera seeds, add onion cubes, slit green chillies, chopped ginger, garlic and few curry leaves.  Fry till the onion becomes brown in colour.

2.    Add chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, meat masala,  garam masala and pinch of salt. Fry this in low flame till masala become dark and nice aroma comes.  Let it cool for some time and grind into fine paste.

 

3.    Take a pan, add little oil, then add grounded masala, fry till it becomes dark color, then add cleaned prawns mix it well add little water(semi thick gravy) cook 10 to 15 minutes.

4.    Heat oil in another pan, add finely chopped ginger, garlic, slit green chilly, onion and sliced coconut pieces. Fry till light brown, add this to prawns mix.  Then add few curry leaves and pepper powder cook till it becomes dry.

 

 

Natholi meen peera(Anchovies stir fry)

This fish is generally very cheap and  rich in proteins, and its bone being very soft can be eaten with its meat.  It has lots of health benefits it helps in reducing cholesterol level, reducing weight and increasing skin health.  So it is a very good option to add this in our weekly diet.

 

Ingredients

Natholi meen               -            ½ kg

Grated coconut            -             1cup

Onion                             -             5 to 6

Garlic                              -             3 to 4 flakes

Small piece of ginger           

Red chilli powder        -              2 tsp

Green chilli                   -              4 to 5

Turmeric powder        -              ¼ tsp

Jeera                              -              ¼ tsp

Curry leaves few

Coconut oil                   -              2 tsp

 

Method

Cut and clean fish add little salt and keep aside for 5 min. then mix  well  and wash 2 -3 times.

Grind coconut, green chilly, garlic, ginger, red chilly powder, turmeric, jeera and salt into coarse paste without adding water.

Mix this paste to cleaned fish and coat evenly, then  add little water and few curry leaves.

Cook this in low flame till done and stir in between. Pour coconut over it and mix  well.  Enjoy your  tasty Natholi Meen peera with boiled rice.

    

 

 

 

Pacha kurumulaku Mathi curry

In kerala sardines is all season fish.  This particular curry is a special and very tasty one.  In this curry fresh green pepper corns is used for giving aroma and flavour.   My neighbour Pappa Aunty gave me this recipe and fresh pepper corns from her estate.  I had never heard of this curry before but she very clearly taught me how to prepare it.  Really this curry is different from normal fish curries and has an awesome taste.

 

 

 

ingredients

Sardines/mathi         -            8 to 10

Onion                          -            1 big, sliced

Garlic                           -            5 to 6 flakes

Ginger                         -            1 small piece

Green chilly                -            3 to 4

Green pepper corns  -            2 tbsp 

Turmeric powder       -            ¼ tsp

Pepper powder          -             ¼ tsp

Coriander powder     -             1 tsp

Methi seeds                -             ¼ tsp

Curry leaves few

Tamrind/kodampuli  -             1 piece

Salt to taste

Oil for cooking

Method

Cut and clean fish and keep aside. Grind green pepper corn adding little water and make paste.

Heat oil in mud pot,  add methi seeds fry for a min then add sliced onion and garlic fry till light pink then add ginger, green chilly and curry leaves fry for a minute, then add turmeric powder, coriander powder and pepper powder fry for a min then add green pepper paste add little water and fish, cover and cook in low flame for 10 to 15 min.

Tasty curry  is ready to serve with boiled rice.        

 

 

 

Kooka (Potato) Sasam

This is a Cochin GSB (Konkani)  dish.  I learnt this from KKAJ blog posted by Jayashree shenoy akka.  It is really easy to prepare and good combination with rice.

 

Ingredients

Potato                            1 medium size

Grated coconut            ¼ cup

Red chilly                       4 to 5           

Jeera                               ½ tsp

Mustard seeds              ½ tsp

Butter milk or curd      2 tbsp

Curry leaves few

Oil

Salt to taste

Method

1.  Peel and wash potato, cut in to small pieces, apply salt and keep aside for a  while and deep fry it till crisp.

2. Grind Coconut, red chilly and salt into a fine paste.

3. Add required water to the masala to make a medium consistency.  

4. Add butter milk and mix well.

5. Season with mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves

6. Add fried Potato pieces and mix well

  Potato (kooka) sasam is ready to go as a good side dish with hot steaming rice.

Losune Guli (Garlic chutney)

This one is my favourite chutney and it’s a  very good combination  with rice gruel/ porridge. This can be used as spread in sandwiches.

 

 

 

Ingredient

Grated coconut                   1 cup

Red chilli                               8 to 10

Tamarind                              small piece

Crushed garlic                     8 to 10 flakes

Oil                                          2 tsp

Salt to taste

Method

Add little oil to red chillies, fry for a while and keep aside.

Heat oil in seasoning pan, fry crushed garlic with little salt till light brown.

Then grind fried red chillies, tamarind, salt and  fried garlic add little water while grinding.

This chutney should be thick. Mostly olden days people used to grind this in stone grinder without adding water.

Yummy lasune guli is ready to go with anything.

 

 

 

Thowsha Sasame(cucumber salad)

This is a Konkani delicacy and an inevitable side dish for Gouri Pooja and Vinayak chaturti feast in our home.

 

 

Ingredients

Cucumber               -- 1 medium sized

Ginger                     --  1 small piece                                    

green chilly            -- 2-3

red chilly                --  3-4

grated coconut     --  ½ cup

mustard seeds      --  1 tsp

salt to taste

Method

·      Grate cucumber, add chopped green chilly, ginger and salt, mix it well and keep aside.

·      Meanwhile, grind grated coconut, red chilly and mustard seeds using little water like chutney consistency.

·      Add this paste to cucumber mix.

·      Serve immediately.

·      Since It is not heated, will not last long.