Mutton Chukka

Mutton Chukka is my dad's favourite mutton dish. He never fails to order this whenever we dine out. Boiled mutton pieces are roasted in oil along with whole spices till it gets dried. This is one of the  easiest recipes that you can make with mutton. 

What you will need:

• Mutton- 1/2 kg
• Ginger garlic paste- 1 tbsp
• Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
• Red chilli powder- 1 tbsp
• Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
• Shallots- 15
• Garlic- 7 to 10
• Red chillies- 2
• Curry leaves- a sprig
• Ginger- half inch piece chopped finely
• Pepper powder- 1 tsp
• Roasted gram dal powder/ pottukadalai podi- 1 tbsp
• Water- 1 cup
• Oil- 2 tbsp
• Salt - as needed

To temper:

• Fennel seeds- 1 tsp
• Cinnamon- two 1 inch pieces
• Cloves- 3

How To:

1. Clean the mutton pieces. Wash them well under running water. Take them in a pressure cooker. Add red chilli powder, coriander powder , ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder and a cup of water. Pressure cook it for 10 whistles or untill soft.

 

2. Heat oil in a kadai. Add fennel seeds, when they splutter, add cinnamon and cloves. Add shallots, garlic, red chillies, ginger and curry leaves one by one. Let it fry for two mins.

 

3. Add the cooked mutton to the kadai along with water in which it is cooked. Add salt. Let it cook untill water gets absorbed by the mutton pieces to a certain extent and add pepper powder.

 

4. When the water is absorbed well, add pottukadalai podi in a sprinkled manner. Let it simmer till sukka becomes dry and add coriander leaves and switch off.

 

Mutton chukka is a great dish to have it as such or with biriyanis, rasam rice and curd rice.

P.S:

• Adding pottukadalai powder is optional but I recommend it as it brings out  good taste.
• This is a dry dish and serves well as a starter.

Tawa Pulao

Tawa pulao is a famous Mumbai street food including the others like Pav bhaji and Vada Pav. I happened to know about this dish during our trip to Mumbai. It was a great sight to watch the street food vendors making Tawa pulao and Pav bhaji simultaneously on a big hot tawa in big batches.

Though we  dint get to taste this at Mumbai, I made up my mind to try this at home. When I searched for the recipe, I found it too be very easy. Pav bhaji masala powder is the star ingredient of the dish. You can add the veggies of your choice. Do try this flavourful and easy rice dish.

What you will need:

• Basmati rice- 1 cup
• Water- 1.5 cup to cook rice
• Potato-1
• Onion-1
• Green peas- a handful
• Tomato-2 medium sized
• Capsicum - 2
• Pav bhaji masala powder- 1.5 tbsp
• Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
• Green chillies- 2
• Cumin- 1/2 tsp
• Butter- 1 tbsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Salt - as needed
• Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp chopped
• Lemon juice- 1 tbsp

How to:

1. Wash and rinse the rice well under water and soak it in water for 30 mins. Pressure cook it with little salt, 1.5 cups of water, 1/2 tsp of oil for 2 whistles and switch off.  Once the pressure releases, open the cooker fluff the rice with a fork and spread it on a plate and let it cool down.Peel and chop potato and pressure cook it along with green peas for 2 whistles and switch off.

 

2.Heat oil and butter in a kadai. Add cumin seeds. When they splutter, add finely chopped onion and green chillies. Let it fry for a minute. Add ginger garlic paste.Let it cook till the raw smell leaves.

 

3. Add tomatoes, pav bhaji masala powder, red chlli powder and salt. Let it cook till tomato turns mushy. Add chopped capsicum. Let it cook for just 2 mins so that it remains crispy.

 

4. Add boiled potato and green peas. Mix well and add a handful of water. Let it cook for 2 mins.

 

5. Add Chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice. Check for salt at this stage and adjust. Mix well and add cooked rice. Mix well and switch off.

 

This is one of the easy rice dishes that you can make when you have veggies on hand.

P.S:

• Soak the rice for atleast 30 mins and pressure cook it with 1.5 cups water. So that rice is well cooked as well as the grains are separated.
• You can add carrots, beans , cauliflower too.
• Dont skip pav bhaji masala powder.

Kara Kuzhambu

This dish has become my recent addiction and everybody's favourite at home. I have this habit of making a dish again and again till I get bored of the same. I got this recipe from my Yoga teacher who also happens to be an expert in making many traditional Tamilnadu dishes. 

We make similar kuzhambu at home but the grinding part of this recipe is different. Since I got the recipe, I made it twice before posting it here. The perfect balance of tanginess and spicyness makes you want to have it again and again. 

It tastes best when prepared with gingelly oil. Also it tastes best the next day. So when you are making it , you can make it in bulk and save some for the next day.

What you will need:

• Purple brinjals- 6 small
• Tomato- 1 big finely chopped
• Shallots- 15 to 20
• Garlic- 15 to 20 pearls
• Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
• Hing- 1/4 tsp
• Fenugreek powder- 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind- 2 lemon sized 
• Curry leaves- 1 sprig
• Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
• Split urad dal- 1 tsp
• Water- 1 cup
• Salt- As needed
• Gingelly oil - 3 tbsp

To fry and grind:

• Channa dal- 1.5 tbsp
• Urad dal- 1 tbsp
• Shallots- 7 to 10
• Red chillies- 5
• Pepper- 3/4 tsp
• Cumin- 1 tsp
• Coconut- 3 tbsp grated
• Coriander powder- 1 tbsp

How To:

1. Slit the brinjals length wise and put it in water till use.  Add oil in a kadai and fry the brinjals till the they turn soft and 3/4 cooked. Soak tamarind in water for 20 mins and extract juice from it.

 

2. Add a tsp of oil in a kadai. Add the items given one by one and roast till they are lightly browned and nice aroma comes. Finally add coconut fry for 30 secs and switch off. Transfer it to a mixie. Let it cool down and add coriander powder . Grind it into a fine paste.

 

3. Heat a kadai. Add gingelly oil. Add mustard seeds. Let it slputter. Add urad dal. Fry for 10 secs.
Add shallots and garlic. Add curry leaves. Let them fry for 3- 5 mins.

 

4. Add chopped tomato. Add turmeric, hing and fenugreek powder. Add salt. Let it cook till tomato turns mushy. Add fried brinjals. Cook for a minute.

 

5. Add tamarind water. Let it boil for 2 mins. Add ground paste. Dilute it with a cup of water. Check for salt at this stage.

  

6. Close with lid and let the kuzhambu boil for 15 to 20 mins in medium flame. Add jaggery and let it simmer . When  kuzhambu reaches its consisitency and oil floats on sides, it is ready.

 

Apart from rice , it goes very well with idli dosa too. I have even had it with paniyaram.

P.S:

• Try not to replace gingelly oil as it gives the best taste.
• The above mentioned quantity easily serves 6 people.
• You can  add more red chillies if you like it to be spicy. I have made it medium spicy.
• You can use other vegetables like ladies finger, drumstick or a mixture of these veggies.
• I had homemade roasted coriander powder. So used it. Instead of using powder, you can fry coriander seeds along with the rest  and grind it.