Mutton in Fried Spices

The recipe I am posting today is an invention test of mine like the Masterchef program and I am happy to report that the curry turned out really delish and also very easy to make too . The aroma itself is mouth watering .Succulent pieces of meat is coated in an aromatic gravy made from whole  spices which is fried to intensify the flavour , so here goes..........

INGREDIENTS

1 kg mutton/lamb cut into medium size pieces
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 inch stick cinnamon
4 green cardamom
3 cloves
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp whole coriander
3-4 dried red chillies
1/2 tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 large onion fried till golden
2 large tomatoes
2-3 tbsp of coconut oil
2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped (optional)

METHOD

In a large pan , add the mutton , salt, turmeric and enough water to cook the mutton till done and set aside.
In another pan , add 2 tbsp coconut oil , turn the heat on low and add the whole spices and fry it for a few sec .
Set the fried spices aside and add the remaining oil and add the tomatoes and cook till soft .
Now grind the fried spices , fried onion and the cooked tomatoes to a smooth paste.
Put the ground mixture back into the pan , when it starts to get hot , add the cooked mutton and coat the pieces in the mixture .
Keep on stirring it and cook for a few min .
Add the liquid from the cooked mutton and cook on high heat till the gravy gets thick .
Garnish with the chopped coriander and serve hot with rice , nan or appams.

Fish in Spicy Coconut Gravy

This is a typical curry you can find in kerela household , it is very common to make this as this goes well with rice , rotis and appams  . It is traditionally cooked in a claypot and it is  very easy to make and the best thing is the aroma of this curry is sooo.... good that it will make your mouth water so here goes , if you haven't tried it please do so .........

INGREDIENTS

500 gms king fish
3-4 cloves garlic minced
1 inch pc ginger minced
2 green chillies chopped
6-8 curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
1 medium onion chopped
2 medium tomatoes chopped
1 tbsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp fennel seed powder
1 and 1/2 tbsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup hot water + 3 tbsp coconut milk powder

METHOD

Heat a tbsp of oil in pan and add the mustard seeds .
When they start to splutter add the curry leaves and the fenugreek seeds.
Add the onions and cook for a few min.
Add the ginger ,garlic and the green chillies
Add the spice powders and add about 2 tbsp of water just to cook the spices .
Add the tomatoes and cook on low heat till it turns into a paste.
Add salt to taste
Add a cup of hot water and bring it to a boil and then add in the fish
Now turn down the heat and cook till the fish is done .
Mix the hot water and the coconut milk powder and add it and simmer it till it becomes thick and creamy , it takes about 5 min .


NOTE

This can be made with prawns and chicken as well and it all tastes good .

Kerela Fish Stew

This is a simple recipe which can be made very quickly . I always make this when I buy fresh fish from the market . With just a handful of ingredients and little cooking time you get a nice delicious dish . It goes very well with some crusty bread to mop up all the creamy gravy . I like things spicy so this one is a little spicy but if you like it less then just reduce the number of chillies in it so here goes...

INGREDIENTS

500 gms king fish or any firm white fish
1 inch piece ginger finely chopped
5-6 green chillies chopped finely
7-9 curry leaves
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
4 green cardamom
1 inch piece Cinnamon stick
3-4 cloves
1 tbsp vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
1 and 1/2 cup hot water + 1 and 1/2 tbsp coconut milk powder
1 cup hot water + 2 heaped tbsp coconut milk powder
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp sliced shallots

METHOD

In a saucepan , heat the oil and add the mustard seeds .
When it starts spluttering add the curry leaves and the whole spices .
Add the ginger , green chillies and the fish and fry them for a couple of minutes turning the fish once.
Add the vinegar on top of the fish .
Mix the 1 and 1/2 cups of water and the coconut milk powder and bring it to boil .
Add the seasoning
Now simmer it till the fish is done .
Add the 1 cup of hot water and the remaining coconut milk powder and cook it for a couple of min .
In another small pan , heat the oil and fry the shallots and use it to garnish the curry and serve hot .

Spicy Fried Chicken Drumsticks in Coconut Gravy

This is a typical South Indian malabar stew but with a twist , usually the meat is cooked raw in the gravy but here the chicken is marinated and fried and then put in the gravy . The chicken is spicy and crispy and the sweetness of the coconut is well balanced because of it . All the flavours blend together very well . It goes very well with steamed rice, appams , chappathis and even crusty breads, so here goes ..........

INGREDIENTS

12-15 chicken drumsticks
10-12 small shallots or sambhar onions
3-4 garlic cloves
1 inch pc ginger
5-6 green chillies
5-6 dried red chillies
1 tbsp vinegar
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
6-8 whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 inch pc cinammon stick
4-6 green cardamom
3-5 cloves
10-15 curry leaves
2 medium onions sliced
2 green chillies split lengthwise
1 tomato chopped
2 cups hot water
4 tbsp coconut milk powder
1 tbspn coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
oil
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

METHOD

Grind the sambhar onions/shallots,green chillies , red chillies ,ginger, garlic ,vinegar into a paste and add the turmeric powder and salt to taste and add this mix to the chicken and marinate it for 2-4 hours .
Deep fry the chicken pieces and set aside .
In a deep pan , heat a tbsp of  oil and add the whole spices .
Add the curry leaves, sliced onion and split green chillies and saute them till the onion turns soft.
Add the chopped tomatoes and the reserve mixture if any and fry them till the tomatoes turns soft .
Add the fried chicken and mix it all together.
Dissolve the coconut milk powder in the warm water and add  it to the chicken and heat it till it  boils .
Add the coarsely ground peppercorns and garam masala
Lower the heat and simmer  for about 10 - 15 min till the gravy turns slightly thick .
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot .

Chicken sauce curry

Today I am going to post a recipe which is one of my many favourites that my mom makes . She used to make this almost all weekends and the aroma of this dish is just droolicious  . My sister and I used to fight for the leftovers and now my kids too love it as much as we do .It is spicy ,sweet and sour and you can feel all the flavours .This dish works very well with a vegetable pulao or just steamed rice is fine too, so here goes.....

INGREDIENTS 

1 kg chicken skinned and cut into pieces
3-4 cloves garlic
1 inch pc ginger
5-6 green chillies
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3-4 dried red chillies
1 tbspn cumin seeds
1 1/2 tbspn coriander seeds
1 cup yoghurt
1 cup tomato ketchup
1 tbspn oil

METHOD

Grind the ginger, garlic and green chillies coarsely
In a deep pan add the chicken , turmeric ,salt to taste and the ground mixture with a little water and bring to boil and cook till the chicken is almost done .
In another pan dry roast the spices till it gives off a nice aroma and grind it .
In a saucepan heat the oil and add in the yoghurt and the ketchup and whisk it really well , add the ground spices ( add the ground spices depending upon the level of hotness you want ) and salt to taste . When it starts to bubble , take it off the heat and add it to the chicken and mix it well .
Bake in a 200 c oven for about 45-50 min.
Garnish it with fried onions and chopped coriander leaves (optional).