Palak Paneer (spinach paneer)

1/2 kg Spinach
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Black pepper powder
1 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
1/2 tsp Green chilli paste
100 gms Paneer cubes
2 Onions
4 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Garam Masala Powder
Salt to taste
oil as required

Wash and boil spinach in pressure cooker for 10 min without whistle.let it cool for a while and grind it along with ginger garlic and green chillie paste. Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan and fry panneer cubes till it becomes light brown. Keep it aside.

Now heat butter in a pan and fry bay leaf,cumin seeds and chopped onions for 5 min on medium heat.

Add salt, black pepper powder, garam masala. Stir for another 5 min on high flame.

Add paneer and cooked spinach and close the lid.keep it on low flame for 10 min.

Serve hot with chapathi or rice.

Broccoli Curry

1/2 kg broccoli
1 tsp mustard seeds/aavalu
1 tsp minapappu/black gram
1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
5 curry leaves
2 green chillies
1 onion finely chopped
coriander leaves

dry roast:
2 tsp sangapappu/bengal gram
1 tsp dhaniyalu/coriander seeds
1 red chillie/endumirapakaya


Pressure cook broccoli without whistle for 10 min.Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan . Add mustard seeds,once they splutter add black gram,cumin seeds.

Now add curry leaves ,green chillies,and onions.Fry the it till the onions become golden brown.

Now add broccoli and stir fry for 5 min on high flame and close the lid.Leave it for 10 min on low flame.

Now add dry roast powder and stir fry for another 5 min o high flame.

Turn off the gas and garnish it with coriander leaves.

Coconut Rice

This is a very simple and traditional recipe.

2 cups rice
1 cup coconut milk
11/2 cup water
3 red chillies
1 inch finely chopped ginger
3 green chillies
salt as required
3 tsp sanagapappu/bengal gram
3 tsp ground nut
2 tsp minapappu/black gram
2 tsp mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
3 tsp oil

Preparation:

Wash and drain rice .Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds, black gram,bengal gram,groundnut,red chillies,green chillies,ginger,curry leaves. Keep it aside. Add this to rice.

Now add water ,coconut milk ,salt to rice and mix it properly.

Cook it in rice cooker.

Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Chettinad Chicken

This is the delicacy of tamilnadu. This is my sure winner whenever i invite guests.

1kg chicken
2 onions finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
5 curry leaves
2 green chillies finely chopped
3 tsp red chillie pwd
3 tsp salt
1 tomato
1 cup coconut milk
3 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tsp poppy seeds (soak in warm water for 15 min)
coriander leaves to garnish
1 tbsp oil

Dry roast:
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 cardamom
5 cloves
1 inch cinnamon
2 tsp fennel seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp pepper corn


Wash the chicken with warm water and 1tsp turmeric.keep it aside.

Dry roast cumin seeds,cardomom ,cloves, cinnamon,fennel seeds,coriander seeds and pepper corn . Blend it to a smooth powder. Keep it aside.

Take oil in a wide vessel and heat it on medium flame. Add onions and fry it till it becomes golden brown. Add curry leaves ,turmeric,green chillies,ginger garlic paste and fry it for 5min.

Add chicken and stir fry it on medium flame for 5 min and reduce it to low flame.close the lid and leave it for 10 min.Add tomat oand fry it for another 5 min on medium flame.Meanwhile drain water from poppy seeds and grind it to a paste.

Now add poppyseeds paste,chillie pwd, salt and coconut milk , boil for 5 min on medium flame. Add dry roast powder while its boiling. Now transfer the whole content in to a pressure cooker and cook it for 1 whistle.Turn off the gas.

Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Peanut sweet (Chikki)

Peanut sweet famously known as chikki or pallipatti in india.One of the easily prepared sweets by grandmoms.One bite is enough to bring back those old memories.

1 cup peanuts
1 cup grated jaggery
1 tsp ghee
1/2 cup water

Dry roast the peanuts in a heavy bottom vessel till it becomes golden brown. Let it cool for a while and peel the brown layered skin . To peel , take handful of peanuts and gently rub in your hands . Now gently blow the loose skin.

In a cooker, add grated jaggery and water and heat it on medium flame. When its boiling add ghee and stir it for a while.

Boil till the syrup thickens.You will know the thickness when you take small drop of syrup on a plate and add a drop of water. If it come easily out of the plate without sticking then its done.

Now add peanuts and stir for a minute .Take it in to a ghee or oil applied plate ,so that it doesn't stick to the plate.

Let it cool for a while and make small round balls out of it.

Fish Gravy

1kg fish(any kind)
3 medium onions
2 tbsp curd
2 tbsp red chillie pwd
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp haldi
3 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp cumin,fenugreek pwd(dry roast)(1:1)
5 curry leaves
coriander leaves (to garnish)
gooseberry sized tamarind(squeeze 3 glasses of water from it)


Take fish and cut in to big pieces and wash it with warm water

Now apply curd and little bit of haldi and leave it for 5 min .Clean it again with warm water so that the smell goes off.

Now take a pan and add 2tbsp oil and fry 5 pieces at a time on bothsides till it turns to light pink(dont wait till it becomes light brown).

Heat oil in a vessel and fry onions till it becomes golden brown . Now add curry leaves.

Now add 3glasses of tamarind water squeezed from it.when it boils add haldi , red chillie pwd , ginger garlic paste salt and close the lid and leave for 10 min on medium flame.

Now gently drop each fish in it and close the lid. Boil for another 20 min on low flame.

Now add cumin fenugreek powder and turn off the heat

garnish it with coriander leaves.

Gutti vonkaya koora (Stuffed Brinjal curry)

Way to a man's heart is through stomach.This is definetely true in the case of my husband with this curry.

Ingredients :

for stuffing

1  tbsp peanuts

1  tbsp poppy seeds

1  tsp sesame seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp cinnamon pwdr

1/2 tsp cloves pwd 

6  Purple brinjals /eggplants 

1  cup fresh grated coconut

5  curry leaves 

1/2 tsp turmeric pwd 

2  tsp red chilli pwd

1 small onion

1 tomatoe

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 tsp salt

for tempering

 2  tbsp oil

5 curry leaves

1 tbsp mustard seeds

1. Dry roast peanuts,poppy seed,sesame seeds,cumin seeds,cinnamon,cloves and grind them. To this add grated coconut,curry leaves,turmeric pwd, red chillies pwd, onion,tomatoe,ginger garlic paste and salt.

2.Wash eggplants and dry with paper towel. Now take eggplant  and cut in the shape of "X" at the base (opposite side of the stem).

3.Heat oil in a pan for deep frying. Once it is heated drop eggplants slowly .Deep fry them exactly for 30 seconds.

4.Let it cool for a while and take each eggplant and fill the stuffing carefully by opening the "X" shaped  side. 

5.Now take oil in  vessel and mustard seeds.Once they splutter add curry leaves . Now carefully place each eggplant in it. 

6.after  5 min add remaining stuffing mixture to the  eggplant and cover it with lid till the oil leaves sides of the vessel.

7.garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roti.