Drumstick Sambar/Muringakka Sambar

It's a TN style sambar which goes good with rice..

Ingredients:

Drumstick/Muringakka	2(big)
Toor dal	3/4 cup
Small Onion/Shallots	15
Tomato	2(medium)
Green chilly	2
Homemade sambar powder	2&1/2 tspoon
Oil	2 tspoon
Salt	to taste
Tamarind	1 gooseberry size(soak in hot water and extract the juice)
Asafoetida Powder	1/4 tspoon
Coriander leaves	1 fistfull

For seasoning:

Ghee/Oil	1 tspoon
Mustard	1/2 tspoon
Fenugreek Seed	1/4 tspoon
Dry red chilly	2
Curry leaves	1 sprig

Preparation:

(1) Wash toor dal and add it in a pressure cooker with little salt and pinch of turmeric powder. Pour 1&3/4 cup of water to it. Pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles. Once pressure is released mash the dal and keep it aside.
(2) Wash drumstick and peel its outer skin. Chop into lengthwise pieces. Peel the skin of onion and also chop tomato, green chillies. Keep everything aside.

(3) Heat oil in a pan. Add onion and saute for a minute. To this add tomato cubes. Saute for a minute so its raw smell will leave.

(4) To this add drumstick pieces with little salt. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour 3 cup of water to it. Add needed salt too. Once it starts boiling pour tamarind juice and mashed dal. Mix well.

(5) Now add sambar powder. Mix once and close the pan with a lid. Allow the drumstick to cook. It may take some 15 to 20 minutes. Add asafoetida powder in last minute. Now open the lid. Make a salt test here (Add more salt, tamarind juice and water if you want). Let it boil in low flame. Mean while temper with the ingredients shown under "for seasoning" heading. Pour it to the curry.

(7) Top with coriander leaves and switch off the flame. You can top with a tspoon of ghee too. Yummy Muringakka sambar/Drumstick sambar is now ready…

Have it with rice..We had carrot thoran too..

Tips:

• Sambar tends to thicken once cooled down. Adjust water level accordingly.
• I used home made sambar powder. You can use store bought too. Adjust spiciness accordingly.

For other sambar recipes CLICK HERE

Carrot Thoran/Carrot Poriyal

Well, i already added CARROT BEANS THORAN during initial days of my blog. Ofcourse preparing thoran is not a big deal. Since carrot thoran is so easy, i used to prepare it for my kid if there are no other vegetables for lunch. Didn't thought of adding this recipe here, but today while clicking photos of drumstick sambar just clicked these snaps too. I hope this may be useful for those who are new to kitchen. Yeah drumstick sambar will be my next post :)..

Ingredients:

Carrot	3(medium)
Salt	to taste

For seasoning:

Oil	2 tspoon
Urad dal	1/2 tspoon
Onion/shallots	2 (chopped finely)
Mustard	1/2 tspoon
Dry red chilly	3
Curry leaves	1 sprig

For grinding:

Grated Coconut	2 tbl spoon
Redchilly Powder	1/4 tspoon
Turmeric Powder	2 pinch

Preparation:

(1) Wash carrots. Peel the outer skin. Grate it using a grater.

(2) Heat oil in a pan. Add the ingredients shown under "for seasoning" heading one by one. Now add grated carrot to it with needed salt. Mix well and saute in between.

(3) Mean while grind the ingredients shown under "for grinding" heading in a mixer without adding water. Make a coarse mixture. Keep it aside. Carrot will be cooked in 5 minutes (If you are chopping carrot to pieces instead of grating just sprinkle water over it and allow to cook by closing the pan with a lid). Now add the ground mixture to it.

(4) Mix once and switch off the pan. Close the pan with a lid and let it remain in stove for another 2 minutes. Your carrot thoran is now ready.

Have it with your rice..We had rice with muringakka sambar and this carrot thoran...

For other THORAN recipes CLICK HERE

Chicken Kurma/Chicken Kuzhambu

This is a south indian style chicken curry. I got the basic recipe from a website "spiceindiaonline". If you want more gravy with chicken you can try this which goes good with rice/chapathi/appam/dosa/idly...

Ingredients:

Chicken	1 kg
Small Onion/shallots	10 to 15
Big Onion	1
Tomato	1
Ginger	3 inch piece
Garlic	7 cloves
Green chilly	5(slit open)
Chilly Powder	2 tspoon
Coriander Powder	1&1/2 tspoon
Turmeric Powder	1/4 tspoon
Garam Masala	1&1/2 tspoon
Salt	to taste
Coriander leaves	1 fistfull

For Grinding:

Grated Coconut	1/2 cup
Pepper	1 tspoon
Cashewnuts	5 to 7
Fennel Seeds/Perumjeerakam	3/4 tspoon
Roasted gram/Fried Channa/Pottukadalai	1 tspoon

For seasoning:

Oil+Ghee	1 tbl spoon
Cardamom	4
Cloves	3
Cinnamon	2 inch
Bay leaves	2
Curry leaves	2 sprig

Preparation:

(1) Wash and clean the chicken. Chop into medium pieces. Soak cashewnuts in water. Chop onion and tomato into cubes or pieces. Also chop ginger, garlic and green chilly. Keep everything  aside.

(2) Mean while grind the ingredients shown under "for grinding" heading in a mixer by adding little water (i didn't used roasted gram). Make a smooth paste. Keep it aside

(3) Heat oil/ghee in a pressure cooker. Add the ingredients shown under "for seasoning" heading one by one. To this add ginger, garlic and green chilly. Saute well. Now add chopped onion and shallots with little salt. Saute till color changes. No need to saute till brownish.

 (4) Now add tomato. Saute till it turns juicy. To this add chicken pieces with chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala along with needed salt. Mix well.

(5) Now pour 1 cup of water to it. Mix once and pressure cook for 2 whistles (in india chicken will cook in some 3 to 4 whistles, here in US 2 is fine :) Open the lid once pressure is released.

(6) To the cooked chicken add ground paste. Mix once and make a salt test here.

(7) Close the vessel with a lid and cook for another 10 minutes in low flame or till oil separates. Add coriander leaves and switch off the flame. Close the vessel with a lid for some 15 minutes before serving.

Have it with rice/chapathi/appam/idly/dosa..

Tips:

• Cooking time of chicken depends on its type.
• Addition of chilly powder depends on your tolerance level. The above one is less spicy which suits my kid's taste.
• Chicken tends to thicken once it is cooled down. Adjust water level accordingly.

For more non-veg recipes from shyama's tastes CLICK HERE

Chemmeen Theeyal/Prawns Curry

This is a nadan dish which goes good with rice and chapathi. I slightly varied the recipe from my mom's usual recipe. This is too yummy..

Ingredients:

Chemmeen/Prawns	1/2 kg
Grated Coconut	1&1/2 cup
Shallots/Small Onion	15
Garlic	4 cloves(chopped)
Ginger	1 inch piece(chopped)
Green Chilly	5(chopped)
Dry red Chilly	2 to 3
Turmeric Powder	1/2 tspoon
Fenugreek Powder	1 pinch
Coriander Powder	1 tspoon
Tamarind	1 gooseberry size(Soak in hot water and extract the juice)
Oil	1+1 tbl spoon
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Salt	to taste

For Seasoning:

Oil	1 tspoon
Dry red chilly	2
Mustard	1/2 tspoon
Curry leaves	1 sprig

Preparation:

(1) Wash and clean the prawns. Those i bought were without heads and for that, you have to deshell it and remove the black vein like thing from its back. Rinse in water with a pinch of turmeric powder. Keep it aside.

(2) Heat oil in a pan. Add grated coconut and saute for some seconds. To this add 4 peeled shallots and dry red chilly. Saute till the color of coconut changes brownish. Switch off the flame and add coriander powder. Saute well and remove the pan from stove. Let it cool.

(3) Once it is cooled down grind the ingredients in a mixer by adding 2 tbl spoon of water. Make a smooth paste. Keep it aside.

(4) Mean while heat oil in a pan and add curry leaves. To this add ginger and garlic pieces. Saute till the raw smell goes off. To this add remaining shallots along with little salt and green chilly. Saute for some seconds. 

(5) Now add turmeric powder and fenugreek powder. Saute once. To this add prawns and saute for a minute. Now pour around 1/2 cup of water to it. Once it starts boiling pour tamarind juice and add little salt. Close the vessel with a lid. Let it boil for another 15 minutes so that prawns will be cooked well(make sure it is cooked).

(6) Retain remaining water in the vessel and switch off the flame. To this add ground paste and mix well. If you want the curry to be more watery add little water. Also make a salt test here. Add salt or tamarind juice to your taste. Again allow it to heat for another 5 minutes in low flame.

(7) Mean while temper with the ingredients shown under "for seasoning" heading. Pour it to the curry. Switch off the flame and close the vessel with a lid for 10 minutes before serving so that flavor sets well.Your chemmeen theeyal/Prawns curry is now ready.

Have it with your rice/chapathi/appam/dosa/idly...

Tips:

• It is better to use earthen clay pot/manchatti for cooking (i don't have it).
• While you are stir-frying the coconut make sure not to burn. Always cook coconut on medium heat. Ensure to stir constantly and scrape the coconut from bottom of pan/vessel while stirring. If coconut got burnt your curry will be a flop.
• Always add small amount of tamarind water or tamarind pulp while cooking any prawn dishes. Better to use kudampuli/malabar tamarind (not used here).
• The bad way to cook prawns is to over cook them. If you over cook prawns, it will change rubbery and dry.

Potato Curry-Bachelor's Recipe

This is an easy and yummy sidedish which goes well with chapati,poori and appam..

Ingredients:

Potato	3
Big Onion	1(big)
Green Chilly	4(small)
Garlic	4 cloves
Coconut Milk(onnam pal)	3/4 cup
Turmeric Powder	1/4 tspoon
Garam Masala	1 tspoon
Salt	to taste

For seasoning:

Oil	1 tspoon
Small Onion	3 (chop to small pieces)
Mustard	1/2 tspoon
Dry Red Chilly	2
Curry leaves	1 sprig

Preparation:

(1) Peel the skin of potato and chop into small cubes. Chop onion,garlic and green chillies to slices.

(2) Add everything to a pressure cooker. Pour 3/4 cup of water to it along with turmeric powder and salt. Pressure cook for 2 whistles. Switch off the flame. Let the pressure release in stove itself.

(3) Mean while make coconut milk by grinding coconut in a mixer by adding little water. You can also use store bought coconut milk.

(4) Once the pressure is released, add garam masala and heat it for another 5 minutes so that curry gets thicken but do not make it too dry. Make a salt test here. Finally pour coconut milk to it. Just heat it and switch off the flame. 

(5) Mean while temper with the ingredients shown under the heading "for seasoning". Pour it to the curry. Close the vessel with a lid for 10 minutes before serving. Your potato curry is ready.

Have it with your chapati/appam/poori…

Tips:

• Do not allow curry to boil once coconut milk/onnam pal is added. Just heat it.

Padavalanga Thoran/Snake Gourd Thoran

Many of you may know the recipe, here sharing my mother's recipe. Padavalanga will cook easily and thoran goes good with rice..

Ingredients:

Padavalanga/Snake Gourd	1
Toor dal	2 tspoon
Salt	to taste

For grinding:

Grated coconut	1/4 cup
Garlic	2 cloves
Cumin seeds	1/2 tspoon
Red chilly powder	1/2 tspoon
Turmeric powder	1/4 tspoon

For seasoning:

Oil	1 tbl spoon
Shallots/small onion	3(cut to tiny pieces)
Mustard	1/2 tspoon
Curry leaves	1 sprig

Preparation:

(1) Chop the skin of padavalanga using the sharp side of a knife or use a peeler. Cut it into pieces. Now chop each pieces into tiny cubes. Meanwhile boil toor dal in water for 1 to 2 minute. Make it half cook which is shown in last picture. Drain the water and keep the toor dal aside.

(2) Heat oil in a pan and season with the ingredients shown under heading "for seasoning". Now add half cooked toor dal. Saute once and add chopped padavalanga. Add salt to it. Mix well. Let it cook for some 10 to 15 minutes. Saute in between (If you want to avoid oil, pour 1/4 cup of water to it. Mix once and allow to boil till water dries up and is cooked).

(3) Mean while grind the ingredients shown under for "grinding heading"without adding water and make a course mixture. Once padavalanga is cooked well add ground mixture to it and mix well. 

(4) Switch off the flame. Your padavalanga thoran is ready.

Have it with your rice..

Tips:

• Chop padavalanga into tiny pieces so that it will cook easily while stirring.
• Addition of toor dal is optional. It will enhance the taste.

Mutta Muringakka Aviyal/Drumstick Egg Aviyal

This is a nadan dish which goes well with rice and chapathi. During the season of drumstick you can try this dry curry which is easy and tasty :)

Ingredients:

Egg	5
Drumstick	3(big)
Grated coconut	1/2 cup
Shallots/Small Onion	8
Green chilly	5
Garlic	3 cloves
Red chilly powder	1/4 tspoon
Turmeric Powder	1/4 tspoon
Oil	2 tspoon
Salt	to taste
Dry red chilly	3
Curry leaves	2 sprig
Coriander leaves	1 fist full

Preparation:

(1) Boil eggs and cut into two pieces.

(2) Mean while peel the skin of drumstick and chop into lengthwise pieces. Cut each lengthwise pieces into two. Also cut green chillies and shallots lengthwise.

(3) Heat oil in a pan/vessel. Add dry red chilly and curry leaves. Now add chopped shallots. Saute for a minute. To this add green chilly. Saute everything for another 1 minute. Add chopped drumstick into it and mix well. Pour half cup of water (or around the level of drumstick) to it along with needed salt. Mix once and close the pan/vessel with a lid. Allow it to boil for another 10 minutes so that drumstick will be cooked well. Retain some water in it.

(4) Meanwhile grind coconut, garlic, chilly powder and turmeric powder in a mixer and make a coarse mixture.

(5) Once drumstick is fully cooked add ground mixture into it and give a quick stir.

(6) Now place the boiled egg pieces to it with the yolk side facing down. Also add coriaander leaves (i didn't used here). Close the vessel/pan with a lid. Let it boil/cook for another 5 minutes in low flame until water  recedes. Open the lid and mix once. Your mutta aviyal is now ready.

Have it with rice/chapathi..

Tips:

• For additional flavor you can do seasoning(kaduvarukkal) in the final stage and add it to the curry.
• Add little salt while boiling egg which ease deshelling.