Fish Curry/Salmon Curry with Coconut.

I feel that Salmon doesn't pair up well with the South Indian fish Kulambhu. I usually make a simple salmon curry with tomato paste which I have blogged here or bake the fish like I mentioned here.But this delicious curry is my recent favorite and as salmon is loaded with Omega 3 fatty acids I make it at-least once a week now.

Ingredients:
Salmon Fillets -4 (I used frozen)
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium tomato chopped
2 tblsp chopped garlic
1 tblsp chopped ginger
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp fennel/sombhu seeds
few curry leaves

To grind
3 tblsp shredded cococut
1 tblsp whole black pepper seeds
1 tblsp jeera/cumin seeds

Method:
In a wide pan, add 2 tblsp of olive oil.
To the hot oil  add the fennel seeds and curry leaves.
Now add the chopped onion, garlic and ginger, fry till the onion is browned.
Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and turmeric. Fry till the tomatoes turns mushy.
Add the chilli and the coriander powder, fry till the oil is released from the tomatoes.
Now add 1/2 cup of water, mix well and bring it to a boil. Add the fish gently , reduce the heat to medium and close with a lid.
After 5 mins open the lid and gently turn over the fish. Again close and cook for another 3 mins.
Meanwhile grind the coconut, pepper and jeera and add the paste to the gravy along with 1/2 cup of water.
Mix gently and cook till it comes to a boil. Add chopped coriander leaves and switch off the stove.

Note:
The gravy should be slightly thick and not very thin.
Do not over cook the fish, else it will turn rubbery.
If you want to avoid coconut, substitute with 3 tblsp of Dhalia /pottukadalai. Fry the chutney dhal in a pan without oil for 2 mins and then grind with pepper and jeera.

Collard Greens Thanni Saaru

'Thanni Saaru' is a soup like curry, made predominantly with greens and coconut milk. The slightly bitter tasting greens like drumstick leaves, Manathakali keerai, or Agathi keerai are used for this saaru.
 I experimented this dish with the fresh bunch of collard greens. Traditionally it is made with freshly made coconut milk (thin and the thicker version), but I used the coconut milk from the can. This is a great way to use collard greens apart from the porial/stir fry.

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped collard greens
1 cup coconut milk from the can
1 cup water
2 green chillies(slit) / red chillies
1 clove garlic, sliced thin
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium tomato chopped
1 tsp mustard
1/2 tsp fenugreek/methi seeds(optional)
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds.


Method:


Wash the Collard greens and remove the center stalk from the leaf. Roll the leaf and chop finely.
Add 2 tsp of oil in a sauce pan.
When the oil is hot add mustard seeds, methi and jeera.
When the mustard pops, add the onion, garlic green chillies and fry till translucent.
Now add the tomatoes and cook till mushy Add the collard greens, and salt.
Add the water, cover and cook in medium heat for atleast 10 minutes. 
Once the greens are cooked, add the coconut milk and give it a stir.
Bring it just to a boil. Switch off just when it becomes frothy. 
Do not over boil or it will become curdled.


Enjoy with hot steamed rice.

Mutton Kuzhambhu / Lamb Curry

Here is a delicious recipe for mutton kuzhambhu passed on by my grandmother to my mother and now to me. We rarely include mutton/lamb in our diet probably once a year and that's the reason why it took so many years  for this recipe to be posted in this blog.The original recipe calls for grinding the masala one by one to a smooth paste. Ya, they did that in the good old days when they did'nt have any access to ready made masala powders, using the 'Ammi kal'  (stone grinder) by hand. Though my mom followed the method for quite some time she switched to the mixer eventually. She also adds some potatoes which gives a unique flavor to this dish.
I have given the original recipe as such and also some modifications needed to suit our kitchen :)

Ingredients :
500 gm Mutton/lamb chopped
1 medium onion
1 medium tomato
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 medium potatos peeled and cubed
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
for tempering 
1 tsp sombhu/ fennel seeds
few curry leaves
Paste 1
8 cloves garlic
1 inch piece of ginger
Paste 2:
1 inch cinnamon
4 cloves
Paste 3:
1 tsp whole pepper
2 tsp jeera/cummin
 Paste 4:
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp poppy seeds (optional)  - I didnt use


Method:
Traditionally each masala set is ground seperately.
But here is how I made it.
Grind the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and jeera to a smooth paste.keep aside.
Next grind the coconut and the poppy seeds (optional) to a smooth paste. keep aside.
Pressure cook the mutton with salt, turmeric, and 1/2 tsp of chilli powder and 1 cup water for  upto 4 - 5 whistles.


In a thick bottomed sauce pan, add 2 tblsp of oil.
Add the fennel seeds and curry leaves when the oil is hot.
Then add the chopped onion and fry till translucent.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the ground masala paste and fry for couple of minutes.
Then add the chopped tomatoes and salt fry till the oil seperates on the sides.
Now add the chilli powder, coriander powder, and turmeric powder and mix well. 
Add the cubed potatoes and about 1/2 cup of water and cook covered for 3-4 minutes.
Then add the cooked mutton along with the water. Mix well, cover and cook for 10 mins.
At last add the ground coconut mixture, chopped coriander leaves and cook uncovered for another 2 mins or just until it comes to a boil again. 
 Serve hot with steamed white rice

Notes/Variations:

• Poppy seeds are optional, I didnt use it for this dish
• I follow the same recipe to make chicken kuzhambhu
• This recipe is a bit on the spicier side, reduce the spice levels or increase the coconut to 1/2 cup for a mild/less spicy version and vice versa.
• If its difficult to make the paste in your blender  try the following - Mix together 2 tblsp of ginger garlic paste(readymade) with 2 tsp of garam masala , 1 tsp pepper powder and 1 tsp jeera powder. 
• You can also use thick coconut milk instead of coconut paste although there will be a slight difference in taste.
• Cauliflower and potatoes makes a great vegetarian substitution.

Other Related recipes:
Chettinad chicken kuzhambhu/curry 
Lamb/Mutton soup
Mutton Chops Pepper fry

Semiya/Vermicelli Pongal

Today afternoon I started doing some cleaning up for the Pongal festival. As I was working all the memories related to the Pongal holidays like cleaning the house, the house entrance being decorated with tender mango and palm leaves,  the colourful Pongal kolams, markets flooded with fresh turmeric, claypots, and sugarcane etc., came flooding to my mind. 

By the time I finished my work I had a sudden craving for something pongalish ;) ....With the festival being just 4 days ahead, I did not want to make sweet pongal or payasam and thus ended up making this vermicelli pongal.

Since I have made Semiya kesari before,  I knew that it pairs up well sugar, but with jaggery its an experiment I did for the first time and it turned out delicious.

When the sweet aroma of melted jaggery and cardamom filled the house, my son came to me and asked  "Amma sammi kumpidalama?" meaning 'Shall we go and pray?'. I was taken by surprise at the same time felt happy that he was able to relate the sweet aroma to something religious and festive :)

I would say that this is a super quick substitute for regular sweet pongal , takes maximum 20 mins.

Ingredients:

1 cup Semiya/Vermicelli

1/4 cup moong dhal

3/4 cup shredded jaggery

2 pods of elaichi/cardamom

1/4 cup of sliced almonds/ handful of cashews

handful of raisins

3 tablespoon of shredded coconut  (optional)

2 tablespoon ghee

Method:

Boil the jaggery in 1/2 cup of water and filter through a mesh, just to avoid any impurities.

Take 1/4 cup of moong dhal in a microwave safe dish , add 1/2 cup of water and cook for 5-6 mins.

The dhal should be in a 3/4 th cooked state, need not be mushy.

Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pan and fry the raisins and almonds till golden. Keep aside.

In the same pan roast the vermicelli till slightly golden

Boil 2 cups of water in a pan and add the roasted vermicelli and cook till all te water is absorbed.

Now add the melted jaggery, crushed cardamom, cooked  moong dhal and stir well,

Cook in medium heat until all the water is absorbed.

Stir in the roasted almonds/cashews, raisins, coconut and another tablespoon of ghee.

Mix well and serve warm

Iam sending this yummy pongal to the Pongal Feast event at 'Kurinji Kadhambam'

Instant Idli Milagai podi / Chutney powder.

It started raining here today, but a little warmer than usual.Weather prediction says it even more warmer in the weekend 8C or 9C quite unuusal for this time of the year. But its really good to go shopping as January is the official sale month over here at Brussels :)

I was little bit down  this morning  partly because of the dark , no sunshine weather and also because of my new 'trying to peek out ' wisdom tooth. Have been having a hard time with that and on antibiotics and pain killer for the past few days. Since Iam taking all these medicines I wanted to have good breakfast not the usual bread and stuff. I had a few laddles of left ove Idlibatter ,but was too lazy and tired to make a chutney, and ironically I ran out of Idli podi.  Then this method of making simple Idli podi , that Amma makes often whenever she faces the same situation came to my mind.  During schooldays I used to just make this for mysellf even if there is sambhar or chutney on the table. 

Its a tip rather than a recipe. Even my husband who does'nt like the regular Idli podi (can you beleive it !!)  loves this version.

Here you go.

Ingredients:

Sambhar powder 2 tblsp

3 pods of Garlic

salt 

Gingelly/sesame oil

Home made Sambhar powder like the one here at Cilantro's works best. I think almost all South Indian home will have a jar of this. I get a big bag of this from Amma whenever I travel abroad.

Take 2 tblsp of sambhar powder in a small  bowl.

To this add 2 -3 pods of Smashed Garlic.

Add 1/2 tsp of salt. Add 2 table spoon of Gingelly oil (must).

Mix well, Let it sit for about 5 mins.

Note:

Do not chop or grind the garlic, it gives a bitter taste.

Do not dip the Idli /Dosai into it, unless you like it very very hot. Just a touch of it is enough to enjoy the goodness.

Let me know what you think .

Pal Koz(l)hukattai / Paal Kolukattai with Sugar

Like Everyone else in the Food blog world , I wanted my first post of the year to be a dessert or a sweet recipe. Hence this Palkoz(l)ukattai, a traditional Tamilian sweet/payasam  made with riceflour, sugar, milk and cardamom. I have already blogged about this one way back in 2006, but with jaggery instead of sugar. Its one of the popular posts in my blog to date

This is one of my favorite sweet and has loads of childhood memories attached with it. This is my Grandma's speciality and after her I dont remember anyone in  my maternal household making this nowadays.
Probably its time consuming and everyone gathers around in one place just for special occasions like weddings etc. In these days of fast travel, if at all we visit our native, its reach there by morning and start by night. Oh... how  I terribly miss my long summer holidays and endless chatting with cousins throughout the night.
Anyways traditionally this sweet is prepared by rolling the rice flour into small balls, first cooking them in boiling water, and then with milk and sugar. But I always use a shortcut method of directly pressing the prepared dough using a murruku press into the hot boiling water and then stir to break them.  Its a great way to involve the kids if you opt to make the kolukattai's the authentic way.

Ingredients:
1 cup Rice flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
3 pods cardomom
4 cups of water
1 cup shredded coconut.


Method:
Crush the cardamoms to a fine powder.
Boil half cup of water with a pinch of salt
Add this boiling water to the rice flour and stir well with a wooden spoon, like you do for regular kollukattai or Idiyappam. Allow it to cool slightly.
At this stage you can proceed in two ways.
Boil 4 cups of water
Pinch the flour and roll into very tiny balls using your palm and put them in a plate or paper.Once all the dough is rolled, add them to the boiling water little by little. 
 (or)
Boil 4 cups of water in a thick bottomed vessel.
Place some prepared flour into the murruku press (with one hole) .
When the water is boiling , press the dough directly in it. Wait for a minute and then stir with a laddle gently to break into pieces. Wait for 2 minutes before doing the next batch.


Once the dough is all done, allow it to cook well in the water for about 5 mins.
Parallely warm a cup of milk in the saucepan.
Add the sugar, stir well and cook for another 5 mins. 
Now add the warm  milk and cardamom pods and give it a good stir.
 Boil for another 10 mins. Stir at intervals to avoid burning.
Finally add shredded coconut (fresh or desiccated) , mix well , cook for a minute and switch of the stove.
The payasam will become thick as it cools down.

Notes:
The water should be really really hot, boiling with bubbles  otherwise the koz(l)hukattai will not retain its shape and not cook properly. 


Variations:

Palkolukattai with Jaggery

There are lots of variations to this recipe.
1. You can add Jaggery instead of Sugar like here
2. Substitute milk with Coconut milk  or equal proportions of both.
3. Sometimes my Mom adds shredded lauki /surrakkai to the boiling water before adding the koz(l)ukkatai which also gives a delicate taste to this dish.


This recipe serves 5-6 people. This dish can easily be made ahead of time and refrigerated.Warm just before serving.

Sending this to the Food Pallette series - White held at Torview

Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambhu/Lentil dumplings in spiced tamarind sauce

Most authentic Tamil recipes uses tamarind. Be it sambhar, kuzhambhu, kootu or rasam tamarind plays a major role in Tamilian cuisine .
Any tamarind based sauce with a main ingredient and without dhal is called 'Kuzhambhu' ('z' is pronounced as 'lha'). The name varies as per the main vegetable or ingredient added to it like poondu kuzhambhu or kathirikai kuzhambhu etc., I think we can just start a whole event on just kuzhambhu varieties alone :) .But I hate when people call anything and everything 'curry' when certain dishes has its own name .
Anyways while growing up the typical lunch menu for a week in my household would go something like this. Tuesday and Friday - sambhar , Saturdays - kuzhambhu with any dried beans like mochai, black channa, karamani/black eyed beans, Mondays would be any vegetable kootu/mor kuzhambhu , wednesday - seafood/any veggie kuzhambhu and sundays will definitely be a feast with Non-Veg.
Coming from a family that has kulambhu for atleast 3 days in a week JFI - Tamarind was a delight to participate.
Here is an authentic recipe for parrupu urundai kuzhambhu.
The lentils are soaked , grinded, made into balls and steamed.Then these are added to the spicy boiling sauce.Though the ingredients and the recipe looks lengthy its worth the effort.
This kuzhambhu served with rice and keerai /greens poriyal makes a perfect meal.



For the Urundai/dumplings:
Ingredients:
1 cup Toor dhal
1 medium onion finly chopped
1 tblsp chopped coriander leaves
2 red chilies
1/4 tsp sombhu/fennel seeds
1/2 tsp jeera seeds

Method.

Soak the dhal in water for 2-3 hours
Roast the red chillies, sombhu and jeera in a medium flame for few minutes.
Add them to the soaked dhal and grind coarsly. Make sure its not watery.

To the grinded dhal add choped onion, garlic , salt and coriander leaves.
Make it into lime sized balls and the steam it using the idli plates for 10 mins.
Cool the dumplings.

For kuzhambhu:

Ingredients
1 medium onion
5-6 garlic cloves
1/2 inch ginger finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes
lemon sized tamarind ball soaked in water or 2 tsp of thick tamarind paste soaked in 1/4 cup water.

To Grind:
2 tsp coriander seeds
10 red chillies
1/2 tsp jeera
1/4 tsp sombhu/fennel

Dry fry all the above in a pan and grind it to a powder.
Alternatively you can also add water and grind it to a paste.

For Tempering
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
fenugreek /vendhaiyam - 1/2 tsp
few curry leaves


Method:
Chop the onion garlic and ginger, and tomatoes keep aside.
Add a few tblsp of oil and add the tempering ingredients.When the mustard pop add the chopped onion garlic and ginger and fry well.
Add the tomatoes when the onion is golden brown.
When the tomatoes turn into a pulp add the tamarind water, salt , the grinded masala and turmeric powder.Add 3 cups of water and allow it boil for 10 mins.
Now add the steamed lentil balls /urundai's and allow it to boil for another 7-8 mins.
Allow it to rest for atleast one hour before serving.The sauce thickens as it cools.
If the sauce is watery break one or two dumplings and dissolve in the sauce.





This delicious kuzhambhu goes to the JFI event hosted by Sig with the theme as Tamarind for this month.


Click here for another kuzhambu recipe that uses black eyed peas

This dish also goes to this months "Eat Healthy - Protein rich" event by Sangeeth

Semiya kesari

Though Iam not a person who likes sweets, my hubby loves anything sweet.But somehow I was in the mood for making something sweet today.Had a quick nap in the afternoon and got up to make some kesari(as its the quickest and simplest to make).When I opened my kitchen closet I was disappointed to see my Rava(sooji ) box empty.I dont know how I forgot that!!! Anyway I started browsing through the cupboard, with all other alternate sweet receipes(thanks to my fellow bloggers ) running through my mind.Thats when I saw the vermicelli packet lying unnoticed in the back, along with other pasta boxes.My eyes brightened with relief cos I can make the same kesari using vermicelli and dont have to break my mind for another sweet receipe.

Here is the receipe

2 cups of Vermicilli
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup ghee
1/4 cup chopped cashews
3 tsp raisins
a pinch of kesari powder
2 elaichi powdered

Fry the cashews and raising in atsp of ghee until golden brown
In the same pan fry the vermicilli in another tsp of ghee until golden brown.set aside.
In a kadai add 4 cups of water and bring it to rolling boil, add elaichi and a pinch of kesari powder to it.Then add the vermicelli to the boiling water and cook till the water is absorbed.
Now add the sugar and mix well for 10 mins.
Finally add the remaining ghee, cashews and raisins and mix well.

Note : Adjust the amount of sugar, and ghee as per your need.