Era Thokku

Ingredients:

Prawns  -  1/2 kg (Deveined and tail removed)
Onion  - 1 chopped
Tomato - 2 chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Splutter mustard and cumin
2. Add chopped onion, ginger garlic paste, tomato and saute well for 5 minutes
3. Add coriander powder, chilly powder, turmeric powder, salt and saute till oil oozes out
4. Add the prawns and little water
5. Cook for 15-20 minutes on low flame till it becomes dry

This goes well with Sambar Sadham

Vazhakkai Varuval

Ingredients:

Plantain (Vazhakkai) - 1 cut into thin slices

Rice flour - 2 tsp
Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste
Lemon juice - few drops
Oil - for frying

Method:

1. Mix rice flour, turmeric pdr, chilli powder, lemon juice and salt in a bowl
2. Marinate the slices in the mixture and set aside for 15-20 min
3. Heat oil in a pan. Shallow fry the slices on both sides
4. Remove from heat and drain them

Chettinadu Pepper Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1/4 kg

Bay Leaves - 2
Cardamom - 2 pieces
Cinnamon - 2 sticks
Cloves - 2 pieces
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander pdr - 1 tsp
Cumin pdr - 1 tsp
Crushed pepper - 1 tsp
Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp

Oil

Red chilli pdr - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

Onion - 1 Chopped
Tomato - 1 Chopped
Green chillies chopped - 2
Curry leaves - 2 springs
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves - chopped

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a pan
2. Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves
3. Add the onions, turmeric, salt, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and green chillis and saute for a while
4. Add tomatoes and saute till it becomes soft
5. Add the coriander pdr, cumin pdr, red chilli pdr and saute till the oil oozes out

6. Add the chicken to the frying pan and mix well,  cover and cook over a low-medium heat for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. No need to add water
7. When the chicken is almost done, add the crushed pepper into the mixture and mix well
8. Garnish with coriander leaves

Poondu Kuzhambu

Ingredients:

Garlic (Poondu) - 8 cloves cut into thin pieces

Onion - 1 chopped
Tomato - 1/2 chopped
Red chilly - 1
Coriander pdr - 1 tsp
Red chilly pdr - 1 tsp
Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sesame Oil (Nallennai) - 2 tsp

Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek pdr (Vendaya podi) - a pinch

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, splutter the mustard and cumin seeds. Add vendaya podi
2. Add the redchilly,onion, garlic and saute

3. Add tomato, redchilli pdr, coriander pdr, turmeric pdr, salt and saute well

4. Add the tamarind paste. Add little water
5. Cook till the oil oozes out

Serve with hot rice

Mushroom Biriyani

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 500 grams
Mushroom - 1 pack (cut in halves)
Ginger garlic paste  -1 tsp
Onion - 1 Chopped
Green Chillies - 4
Tomato - 1 Chopped
Mint Leaves - chopped

Coriander Leaves - chopped
Oil - 4 tsp
Curd - 3 tsp
Salt -  to taste
Whole garam masala (Cinnamon, cardomon & cloves)

Bay leaves
Chilli pdr - 1 tsp
Garam masala pdr -  1 tsp
Lemon juice - few drops

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice for atleast ½ hour
2. In a kadai heat the oil. Add the whole garam masala and bay leaves
3. Add the onions, saute until they become golden brown and add ginger garlic paste, gr chillies, mint, coriander leaves ,chilli pdr, tomato,garam masala pdr, curd and saute well
4. Add the mushrooms, pour little water and cook until the mushroom if 75% done
5. Add the soaked rice and mix well, add 1 &1/2 cups of water and cook covered till rice is done
7. Add few drops of lemon juice

Serve with Raita

Malabar Fish Moilee

Ingredients:

Fish (Tilapia) - 8 fillets
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Coriander powder - 1tsp
Curry leaves
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Garlic cloves - 4 (crushed)
Ginger - 4 pieces (crushed)
Green Chillies - 4
Lime juice - few drops
Oil
Onion - 1 chopped
Pepper pdr - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Tomato - 1 cut into 4

Method:

1. In a bowl add turmeric, salt, pepper powder, lime juice, oil and mix them. Marinate the fish pieces and keep aside
2. To make coconut milk, peel the skin of the coconut and cut into small pieces and blend into a fine paste then pour one glass of boiling water and keep it a side for 30 min, then filter and take out the milk
3. Heat oil in a pan,  add marinated fish pieces cook for 5 min on both sides and remove the fish from heat
4. In the same pan add oil, splutter mustard, crushed ginger and garlic, onion, curry leaves, green chillies and salt. Saute well
5. Add coriander powder, coconut milk 1/2 the quantity, mix well and bring it boil then add fish pieces
6. Add tomatoes, cook for 2min, then add the other 1/2 of coconut milk and cook for 5 mins

Serve with hot rice

Note:
1. Pomfret fish or King mackerel can be used
2. I used vegetable oil for frying. Instead coconut oil can be used

Mutton Liver fry

Ingredients:

Liver - 1/4 kg
Milk - 1/4 cup
Whole garam masala (cinnamon, cardomom & clove)
Onion - 1 chopped
Turmeric pdr - 1/4 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - few drops
Salt - to taste
Oil - for frying
Coriander leaves - chopped

Method:

1. Take the liver pieces in a bowl, add some milk to it and soak for 30min

2. Wash the liver with water, then add pinch of red chilli powder, salt, 1 tsp of oil, ginger garlic paste and mix it

3. Take a pan add little oil, add mixed liver pieces into it and saute them and let it cook for 3 min and transfer it to a bowl
4. In the same pan add oil, garam masala, onion, ginger garlic paste, turmeric pdr, red chilli powder,coriander powder and saute them
5. Add little water and let it cook for 10 min in very low flame
6. Once masala is cooked add the cooked liver pieces into it and close with a lid cook for 3 min in slow flame
7. Add some chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice

Note:

Adding milk to the liver will remove the slight bitterness of the liver