Chicken Curry is going to be my first Non-Vegeterian dish in my blog??..I never thought!! Really, I wanted to introduce Non-Veg items in my blog with Chicken Biryaani. Since we limited our selfs from eating Non-Veg, Iam getting chance to cook Non-Veg very rarely. But, from now onwards I will make sure to blog them when ever I cook at home. This curry actually I made for the small Barbeque type of get-to-geather in Srinivas's office. Then, very limited choice was given to me by him. That is, If I have to prepare Non-Veg then that should be less spicy yet very tasty:-)) Then I thought of making this dish. With no other delay and no more stories here I go with the recipe details.........

1. Cut chicken thighs into halfs or a/c to your choice size probably small pieces.(Here, we got chicken thighs since I was not decide any dish then, later I made two halfs from one thigh. You can also use boneless chicken, cubed and skinned for this recipe). Wash them mix in with curd (preferably one or two day before curd) and marinate for half-an-hour.
2. Make onions puree and keep aside.
3. Make tomato puree with cashews in it. i.e., grind both tamatoes and cashew togeather.
4. Heat oil in a wide , deep pan (for chicken to be cooked easily).
5. While chicken get marinated...prepare all other spices and purees as mentioned above.
6. Add caradamom pods (open the cover and add seeds along with it), cloves to bay leaf in the oil. Fry for 1 min.
7. Now add onion puree and fry till it starts changing color from white to light brown.
8. Add tomato and cashew puree along with salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala. Mix well and cover the pan and allow to cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
9. Now add marinated chicken and required water if necessary and mix well with all other ingredients.
10. Cover the pan and cook on low heat for half-an-hour or till the chicken is cooked well by stirring it ocassionaly. Here I mentioned half-an-hour time because chicken should be cooked well.
11. Once it is done you can garnish with fresh cilantro and very little lime juice if required. Since already curd is present more lime juice can change the taste of the curry.

Note: Cashews reduces the spice also makes the gravy light in color and gives little thickness to the gravy. I had to use them here for Srinivas's office staff memebers:-)) Other wise I generally avoid cashews in chicken or any other non-veg curry. We prefer non-veg items more spicy.

Labels: cashew, chicken, chicken curry, chicken in cashew nut sauce, curries, curry, kaaju, non vegetarian, non vegetarian dishes, nuts

Posted by Meena Kandlakuti at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments

1. Wash mango very well in cold water and cut into very small cubes along with skin and keep aside.
2. Toor dal as mentioned in the ingredients. That is method I always follow.
3. Take a wide, little depth pan and heat the oil. Once it is heated up add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chillies and curry leaves one after the other as mentioned.
4. Now add cut mangoes and fry for 2 minutes.
5. Then add garlic paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt one after the other and mix well with mangoes. Fry for 2 more minutes.
6. Add some water, mix well, cover the pan and cook on medium heat till mangoes become little soft (see that they sare not mashed).
7. Now add cooked toor dal and mix well with other ingredients. Allow to cook for some more time. Now here you can add some water if you want more gravy. You will know by this time by tasting it and seeing that how much more gravy you required as per your need.
8. Finally as usual add cilantro and mix with other stuff. Keep on low heat about 1 minute and remove from heat.

After I tasted this curry, with no delay I prepared stuff for puri's which I knew goes very well with this Sweet 'n' Tangy Mango Curry. It was too good. Next day I told this recipe to my mother on phone. She too tried it and every body at home liked it a alot. Hope you will also like this. Mangoes are too expensive right now..knowing this I bought another one for this weekend, since I could not resist the taste:-))

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1. Take Wheat Atta or Wheat Flour as you require.
2. Put a pinch of baking soda or eating soda in it for soft and fluffy puri's(not more than that, since it absorbs more oil if soda is added more).
3. Add some salt in it. See that it is not more because..puris always we eat with some or other curry. I add 1/2 tsp of salt in 4 cups (i.e., a/c rice cooker cup). Even when we eat puri as it is it taste good.
4. With clean hands, mix well all three ingredients and make dough with warm water. Always add water in small amounts and knead the dough accordingly, progressing slowly. The dough sould be not too soft which stick to your hands nor too hard to knead any more.
5. Once kneaded, push the dough with your hands with a touch of little water on top i.e., air tight, so that no air enters into the dough. Do not add oil here. Close the container with dough, with a lid and keep aside for minimum half-an-hour and maximum 1 hr.
6. After 1/2 hr, put some oil on top of the dough and again with clean hands(i.e., wash your hands always though fresh, again before kneading the dough) start kneading it again, till you get a soft dough or atleast for 10 minutes at a strech.
7. The dough is ready for puri's. I follow same for chapathis or pulkhas too except adding eating soda and salt. Yes, I eliminate salt and oil in my chapathis (except oil to knead the dough), still the out put is very good.
8. For puri's never add dry flour more on top while making flat rounds(here you don'nt need any dry flour if dough is good enough to knead), because they will not rise while deep frying.

Labels: curries, curry, lentils, mango, mango curry sweet and tangy mango curry, poori, vegetable, vegetable dishes

Posted by Meena Kandlakuti at 12:12 PM | Permalink | Comments

Are you thinking, what your seeing..???..No.No..I will not be satisfied with just thease small amount of food.This picture is from my next post. I read many post on Food meme. Every one's was quite intresting and really took me back to my child hood days where I just use to enjoy my mom's cooking.I miss her cooking a lot..ofcourse her too:-))

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I tag Chandrika(AkshayaPatra),Manisha(Indian Food Rocks) and Priya(Sugar'n'Spice).

Posted by Meena Kandlakuti at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments

Don'nt they look like some brown pearls??? Yeah, they are!!! I mean they are so precious in food world not though in pearls :-)) Thease, beans we found in indian grocery, where we were actually searching for alasandalu (black eyed beans). I bought them with out knowing anything about. Then after seeing the name Moth Beans on the packet, I started searching on the net for information. Then I found some sites, stating they are called Mat or Matki in maharashtra and are used to make sav or chaat or curry. They were in my store for long long time untouched. When I was lack of vegetables except onions and tomatoes in my store, I took them and made some dry curry, finally. And ask what? ...the end result was very good, more than I expected. And yesterday, when I was going through Vaishali's Blog, I found matki farasbee bhaji, which is combo of beans and moth sprouts. You can check the recipe..its very intresting and Iam going to try this next time with moth beans. So some how I made a curry with thease beans using my regular masala ingredients. Hope you will like it:-)) Here I go....

Ingredients:
----------------
1 cup moth beans (soaked overnight in water)
2 medium sized tomatoes (chopped finely or sliced into thin pieces)
1 medium onion (cut into thin slices)
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder (optional)
1 tsp lemon juice
oil for cooking( as required)
salt as per taste

Method:
------------

1. Wash moth beans soaked overnight , drain and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a wide pan, fry onion till light brown. Add ginger and garlic paste, fry for 1 more min.
3. Add all other spices and fry for 2 min.
4. Now add moth beans and little water. Mix all other spices and salt with moth beans and close the lid. Allow to cook for 3 to 4 min on medium heat.
5. Now add tomatoes ( can reduce to 1 tomato, if you want less gravy or like to eat as a chaat). Mix all other ingredients with tomatoes and allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Once you see the gravy become thick or there is no water, remove for the heat.
6. Add lemon juice , just before removing from the heat.

Note: Serve with hot chapathis or pulkhas. If you are serving, some time later, then can be served as a chaat with cut onions, fresh coriender and cut lemon pieces as desired. I liked this dish in both ways.

Labels: curries, curry, dal, dhal, matki, matki ka sabzi, moth beans, moth beans curry, sabzi

Posted by Meena Kandlakuti at 1:49 PM | Permalink | Comments

As I said in my Mooli Paratha post, that I learned some couple of dishes from a good cook. One I posted i.e., mooli paratha and another one is Moodu Pappula Dosa, which Iam blogging today. I heard before, that with many combos of pappulu or dal's different dosa's can be made. Every combo has its own taste I think. Because, when I tasted this one it was quite different unlike dosa yet very tasty. I hope you will all like too. Another speciality of this dosa is, it does'nt require any marination time, which is perfect for weekends for a quick dish. With no delay here I go...(This measurement is for 2 to 3 people and comes for 2 days breakfast, since its quite heavy unlike regular dosa) Though different appetites has different measurement :-))

Ingredients:
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Pesarpappu 1 cup (moong dal)
Minapappu 1 cup ( urad dal )
Chenagapappu 1 cup (chenna dal )
Menthulu a pinch (fenugreek seeds)
Small size ginger 1
Dry red chillies 10 no's( can reduce as per taste)
Dhaniyaalu 1tbsp or (can use dhaniya powder which should be equal to 1 tbsp dhaniyaalu when powdered)
Jeera 1tsp
Coriender(Fresh) 1/4 cup
Salt as per taste (my measurement is 1 to 1 1/2 tsp)


Method:
-----------

1. Soak 3 dals over night (or else if you want to make same day, soak for 3 hrs). More soaked , more soft as usual. But there will be no change in taste. I tried both ways, and both were good.
2. Grind menthulu(fenugreek seeds), red chillies, ginger, Dhaniyalu and Jeera(cumin seeds) togeather.
3. Grind dals in small amounts along with above mixture plus salt and coriender(add little water if needed).
4. After batter is ready, heat thawa and spread like dosa and oil all around as needed. This will be little thicker than regular dosa, which makes stomach full soon :-)
5. Serve hot with any chutney or just like that.

Note: This dosa taste's at its best, when it is served hot. Enjoy!!

Labels: breakfast, dosa, lentils, moodu pappula dosa, pappu, tiffins

Posted by Meena Kandlakuti at 12:57 PM | Permalink | Comments

Before I start saying about myself, look at some pictures (above) taken at one of the Japanease gardens near by our place. Hope you will like them. Its a small garden, which has nothing but a pound in which some fishes, turtles and trees and couple of huts around. Though strongly not recommended for any one..my son enjoyed a lot seeing animals in the pond :-)) After all we follow kids :-(

Thank You Maneka Nirmal for tagging me!!! Meme is really a good way to know about our fellow bloggers. I really thank one who started this. Iam getting to know little about my fellow blogger friends apart from there cooking skills of which Iam aware off :-))

I am thinking about: I should blog this meme first and then go to sleep.

I said: Atlast I did some constructive work; BLOGGING!!!

I want to: Sleep early always, but hangup with blogging finally.

I wish: Every body should be happy souls!!

I regret: No regrets in life!! What ever happens, happens for good

I hear: Sprinklers started its job at late night 11.30 pm.

Iam: Very simple in dressing...You can say or I say Iam bit lazy:-)

I dance: Before my son or alone when Srinivas(my husband) is not there!!

I sing: When ever I like..now this I do before Srinivas..because I too hear him;-))

I cry: When some thing bad happens to my near and dear.

I am not: A lier.

I write: After my post graduation notes, I write recipes now for my blog:-)

I confuse: Others, when I want to say more and end up confusing them.

I need : Peace all the time.

And now its time for me to tag.....Sailaja of sailu's kitchen and Arjuna of krishna & arjuna's world.

Posted by Meena Kandlakuti at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments

Labels: beerakaaya, beerakaaya thokku pachadi, chutney, pachadi, pickel, ridge gourd, ridge gourd skin pickel, vegetable, vegetable dishes

Posted by Meena Kandlakuti at 1:28 PM | Permalink | Comments

Soya Granules are another healthy yet tasty choice. Before I state actual recipe, I would like to give a brief information (though known to many) about Soya. I feel happy if this inforamtion is really helpful to even one reader. Soya is strongly recommended for diabetics, expectant mothers, growing children, cardiac patients , slimmers and the aged. Again Soya is rich in proteins and essential amino acids and it is 100% vegetarian. 52% of Nutrela i.e., soya granules is equallant to (22% of meat + 14% egg + 12% wheat +4%milk) . This information is mentioned on Nutrela box which I purchase. I prefered to mention this for its awareness. Soya absorbs the taste and flavour of whichever dish you add it to or whatever is added to it. Thus, it can be a good substitue for items like paneer, vegetables, meat, potatoes(which contain high carbohydrates) etc. It can be used in all kind of dishes indian, chinese, continental and sweet dishes.

To add soya in any dish:
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Wash soya in warm water twice or thrice then soak them in warm water till it softens or pressure cook till one whistle. Again rinse once. Now soya is ready to add in any dish:-)

This dish I learned from my mother. It was very uncommon in my relatives till they tasted at our home. From then all most every body started liking it. I use Big soya granules in Methi Aloo dish instead off aloo(potato); Methi Soya dish; Palak Aloo instead of aloo soya; Tomato Soya ect., the list is long:-)) Here I come to the main recipe without any more delay:-

Ingredients:
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2 bunches of Fenugreek Leaves( small methi leaves with out stems washed and kept aside to drain).
1 cup of Soya granules (fine soya granules as shown in above picture)
1 medium sized onion (cut into long thin slices)
1 tsp of ginger paste
1 tsp of garlic paste
1 to 2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp of coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
salt as required
2 to 3 tsp of oil

Method:
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1. Heat oil in large pan. Once oil get heated, add onions and fry till they turn light brown in color.
2. Add ginger and garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add turmeric powder and mix well.
   
3. Squeeze all the water from soya and add bit to bit in the pan. Mix well and fry for 2 min.
4. Now add methi and mix well with soya and put salt from above(do not mix now). Close the lid and allow to cook on medium heat till methi settles down.
   
5. Mix all the ingredients well. Now add other two spices..red chilli powder and coriender powder. Mix well and allow to cook on medium heat again for about 15 minutes.
6. See it should not be burnt. Don'nt add any water.

Note: This taste best with hot rice and also with chapathis. Due to fenugreek leaves you may taste little bitterness but loved by all those who love fenugreek leaves and ofcourse vegetables which taste bitter are always good for health :-))

Labels: curries, curry, fenugreek leaves, mentham koora, methi, soya, soya fenugreek curry, soya granuels, vegetable, vegetable dishes

Posted by Meena Kandlakuti at 9:45 AM | Permalink | Comments

Aubergines are one such vegetable which can be said as "Versatile". Here I mean , when they are cooked along with any other vegetables, it does'nt loose its flavour and easily "Adaptable". Here again I mean, it can be cooked with different vegetables. I felt this is the best way to explain Augbergines also called "Brinjal", also called "Egg plants" (which are called "Vankaayalu" in telugu "Baingan" in Hindi). Like its nature it has got many names in one language :-))Today I have choosen this recipe with Brinjal, because it itself is a main ingredient in this curry.Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:
---------------
Augbergines 10 to 15 No's ("small Brinjals" cut them into small cubes)

1. Cut the Augbergines into small cubes. Wash them, sprinkle with salt and keep aside for 1/2hr. By doing so, impurities in Brinjal will be cleared.
2. Heat the oil and add the fenugreek and cumin seeds. When they have started to crackel, add the oinion,garlic,lentils and curry leaves.
3. As soon as onions starts changing color add all the ground spices.
4. Until above ingredients cook a little, meanwhile rinse the Augbergines and pat dry.
5. Now add them to the pan, and allow to cook till they become tender.(Be careful that they are not over cooked and lose their shape)
6. This dish can be served hot or cold with rice or chapathis.

Note: Here Tomatoes can be used if you desire. But I did not choose here to get full flavour of Augbergines.

Labels: aubergine, brinjal curry, curries, curry, vankaaya koora, vegetable, vegetable dishes

Posted by Meena Kandlakuti at 4:23 PM | Permalink | Comments