Raw Plantain Curry

Ingredients

• 3 large or 4 medium sized plantains (raw bananas)
• half a lime size ball  (or 2 tsp paste) of tamarind
• salt to taste

For the masala

• 1/2 coconut grated (or 1 cup of grated coconut)
• 5-6 red chillies
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 cloves of garlic with skin

For the seasoning/tempering

• 1 tsp mustard
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 sprig  curry leaves
• 7-8 cloves of garlic crushed
• 1 red chili broken into two
• 2 tbsp. oil

Method:
1. Wash the plantains, remove the skin carefully (so as to not damage the flesh) and cut into medium size cubes and soak in water (to avoid them from turning black). If you are using tamarind pulp, soak it in a little water to extract the juice.
2. On a hot skillet, roast the whole red chillies, coriander seeds and coconut one by one. Allow to cool and using a little water grind them along with the rest of the ingredients mentioned under 'For the masala' to a fine paste.
3. In a pan, bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add the tamarind water (or tamarind paste) and salt to taste and cook the plantain cubes till tender but not mushy.
4. Add the ground paste, mix gently and add a little of the water from the blender. Adjust consistency of the curry as desired (if you wish to eat it with chapatis, then keep a semi dry consistency). Simmer for 2 minutes. Adjust salt to taste (remember that salt was added while precooking the plantain)
5. In another pan, heat the oil for seasoning. Toss in the mustard and when it stops spluttering add the curry leaves, broken red chili, crushed garlic and finally add the coriander and cumin powders - quickly toss the ingredients in the hot oil using a spoon and remove from the flame immediately before the powders burn. Add this seasoning to the curry and cover the pan immediately so as to retain the aromas of the seasoning. Turn off the flame.
6. Serve hot with chapathis or rice.

Egg Coconut Curry

Ingredients:

• 4-5 eggs
• 1 large potato quartered (optional)
• 1 cup grated coconut
• 1/2 a medium onion roughly sliced
• 1/2 tsp poppy seeds (khus khus)
• 1 tsp red chili powder (adjust to taste)
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• 1 small limesize tamrind
• 2 cloves garlic with skin
• 1/2 inch ginger
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp oil for frying
• 2 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro for garnishing

For the tempering

• 1/2 a medium onion finely sliced
• 1 small tomato finely chopped
• 1 green chili slit lenghtwise 
• 1 sprig or 7-8 curry leaves (karipatta)
• 2 tbsp oil

Method:
Hard boiling the eggs:
1.) Place the eggs in a deep pan filled with plain water (enough to cover the eggs) and bring the water to a rolling boil. Continue to boil for 12 minutes.
2.) Turn off the flame, transfer the eggs into fresh water at room temperature and when cool enough to handle, peel off the shells carefully.
3.) Slit each egg vertically just halfway into the egg. Keep aside. Click here to see some tips on how to boil eggs

Preparing the masala
1.) Heat some oil in a wok or non stick pan and roast the coconut for a couple of minutes before adding the roughly sliced onion and poppy seeds. Toast the ingredients on a slow flame until you get a nice aroma of roasted coconut & the color changes to pale brown (biscuit color).
2.) Toss in the red chili powder, cumin powder,coriander and garam masala and give the mixture a stir and turn off the flame. Allow to cool.
3.) Once cooled, use a little water to grind the toasted coconut mixture, tamarind, ginger, garlic & salt to taste to a fine paste.

Preparing the curry
1.) Heat oil for seasoning in a pan and toss in the curry leaves and the finely sliced onion and fry till the onion turns golden brown.
2.) Add the ground masala paste and fry for a couple of minutes on low. Add water from the mixer jar and additional water if required to arrive at a thick gravy like consistency. Bring the gravy to a full boil.
3.) Add the potatoes and cook on low for 3-4 minutes till the potatoes are cooked after which you can add the semi slit hard boiled eggs and simmer for a couple of minutes.
4. Turn off the flame & serve hot with rice

Chicken Manchow Soup

 

Ingredients

1-2 green chillies finely chopped (adjust to taste)

2 tbsp garlic finely chopped

1 tbsp ginger finely chopped

5 cups of stock (chicken or veg)

2 spring onion whites finely chopped 

1/2 cup carrots finely chopped

1/4 cup cabbage finely shredded 

6-7 string beans finely chopped

5 button mushrooms finely sliced or chopped

1 chicken breast shredded

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

2 tbsp red chilli sauce

2-3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) dissolved in 2-3 tbsp water

2 egg whites lightly beaten

1/2 tbsp rice vinegar (or regular diluted white vinegar will do)

2-3 tbsp oil

50 gms Hakka noodles (for garnishing)

2-3 tbsp spring onion greens chopped (for garnishing)

salt to taste

 Method:

1. In a big bowl mix the chicken or vegetable stock, soya sauce, red chili sauce & vinegar - this will help you to check the taste and adjust the flavors/ingredients if required)
2. Boil the Hakka noodles in sufficient boiling water (or as per the instructions on the packet), drain and when cool deep fry and keep aside. This is to garnish the soup.
3. Heat oil in a saucepan and on medium heat sauté the ginger, garlic & green chillies for a minute.
4. Add the shredded chicken and white pepper and sauté till the chicken is cooked.
5. Next, add the vegetables - carrots, cabbage, string beans, mushroom, spring onion whites and sauté for about half a minute. Add the prepared stock mixture, salt to taste and bring it to a boil
6. Add the corn flour/cornstarch paste and stir continuously to avoid lumps. The soup will thicken. Reduce the flame.
7. Add the egg whites slowly and continue to stir for a minute or two. Remove from the heat.
8. Pour soup into individual soup bowls and garnish with chopped spring onion greens and deep fried noodles. Serve hot 

Note: 
You may use homemade chicken or vegetable stock at home or use ready to use canned stock. Alternatively you can dissolve 2-3 stock cubes (I use maggi) in 5 cups of warm water to make instant stock. Do check the instructions on the packet. Always check the salt content in the stock before you add some more to the soup as commercially prepared stock/stock cubes has a lot of salt added to it.

Chicken Sukka (Dry Curry)

Ingredients 1 large chicken, cut into small pieces
1 onion, chopped finely
A sprig curry leaves
A small lemon sized ball of tamarind
3 tablespoon ghee(clarified butter)
Salt to taste

Roast the following and powder:

6 Kashmiri chillies( or dry red chillies)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp methi(fenugreek) seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
1 small piece ginger

Blend to a coarse paste:

4 tablespoon coconut, shredded
1/2 tsp methi(fenugreek) seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp turmeric powder
3 cloves garlic

Method Heat 2 tablespoons of the ghee in a non-stick pan and fry the powdered masala for about 3 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and fry on a high heat, stirring continuously. The chicken will now be well coated with the masala. Add about 1 cup of water and salt to taste. Mix well and cook on a low flame till the chicken is completely done. There should be no gravy left at this stage. Extract juice from the tamarind, by immersing it in hot water for about 10 minutes. Add this tamarind water to the chicken and the blended paste.

Mix well and fry the chicken and masala on a high heat for about 5 minutes. The water content reduces. Now turn to a lower heat and simmer till all moisture in the gravy is lost. In a separate pan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee and add the chopped onion and curry leaves. When the onions brown, add them to the chicken. Mix well.

Eat hot with rice and dal