Fried coconut Chutney By Shafi

I learnt fried coconut chutney from my lovely mother. I love too… It is very tasty. It is easy to make. It is perfect with idly/ dosa.

Ingredients:

Coconut- 1 cup

Red chilly- 3 to 4

Garlic -1 clove

Curry leaves- 1 spring

Tamarind- small piece without seed

Salt to taste

Oil- 1 tsp

For Seasoning:

Oil – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds / Kaduku – 1 tsp

Urad Dal / Ulundu Paruppu – 1 tsp

Curry Leaves – a sprig

Cumin seed- 1 tsp

Red chilly- 2

Method:

Heat  a tsp of oil in a Kadai.

Add in dry red chilli and garlic, fry them then add tamarind, curry leaves then add coconut and salt till they turn golden.

Now take the fried coconut mix in a blender.  Make puree them finely,

Pour them into a bowl.

Make seasoning, by heating a tsp- of oil, add in mustard, urad dal, cumin seed, curry  leaves and red chilly and  Saute them for a min.

Pour this over the chutney and mix well.

Serve with idly or dosa.

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Tomato chutney By Shafi

Mostly I like to make different types of chutney for idli / dosa. we should eat well at breakfast time.So I always consider about our breakfast. So I always try good and healthy recipes. One day I tried this chutney myself. Really it gave fantastic taste. After that, mostly I prepare this tomato chutney

 

Ingredients:

Oil – 1 tsp

Urad dal / Ulundu Paruppu – 2 tsp
Onion – 1 small sliced
Tomatoes – 2 large sliced
Green Chillies – 2 slit
Coconut- 2 tbsp
Curry Leaves – 2 tbsp chopped

Red chilli powder-1 tsp
Salt to taste

For Seasoning: 
Oil – 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds / Kaduku – 1/2 tsp
Urad dal / Ulundu Paruppu – 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds / Jeerakam – 1/2 tsp ( optional, i like to add)
Chana Dal / Kadalai Paruppu – 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves a sprig

Method:

Heat oil in a Kadai.

Add  urad dal.

Add  onions, curry leaves, green chilly.Saute for a min.

Add  tomatoes and keep this cooking for 5 mins. Add coconut mix well

Add red chilly powder, salt and saute till it gets mushy.

Take this in a blender and make it into a smooth puree.

Transfer this to a bowl.

Make seasoning by heating oil and crackling all spices in it. Pour this over the chutney and mix well.

Serve.

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Prawn/ shirmps Gravy By Shafi

I love seafood especially prawn. Here I can’t buy small prawns which are very tasty compared with big prawns. So I like to cook big prawn with vegetables like eggplant/ridge gourd/drumsticks/ground gourd. I have more recipes in prawn. I will post very soon.

Now I post prawn with ridge gourd. It is one of the traditional food.

Ingredients:

Prawn- 300 gm

Ridge gourd- 1 normal size

Onion- 1 chopped

Tomato- chopped

Green Chilly- 2

Curry leaves- 1 spring

Ginger Garlic Paste- 1 tsp

Cumin  Seed- 1 tsp

Masala Powder -1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Thick coconut milk- 1/2 cup (First milk from half whole coconut)

Thin coconut Milk- 1 cup(Second milk)

Oil- 2 tbsp

Method:

Clean and wash well the prawns with turmeric powder

Add salt and little masala powder with prawn  and mix well.

Marinate for 10 to 15 mins

Heat oil in a mud pot/ pan, adds cumin seed, curry leaves, onion and green chilly. cook well

Add ginger garlic paste and cook

Add tomato then add prawns and ridge gourd with salt and masala

Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. After separating the oil from the gravy add thin coconut milk.

cook for more 5 minutes. At last add thick coconut milk. Then switch off the flame.

Don’t cook more after added coconut milk.

Serve with rice or chappati

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Chicken Mandi (Arabian Biryani) By Shafi

Hi viewers, Before knowing how to make Mandi, first we should know how to make Homemade Mandi Spice Powder 

I had tried many times. Today I have got the best result. I had made with chicken but we can also make with fish or mutton.

The special and famous Arabian biryani Chicken Mandi for you

Ingredients:

For marinating:

Whole chicken with skin -1 kg (Cut 2/ 4 pieces)

Butter- 3 tbsp (For first frying- 2 tbsp, second frying- 1 tbsp)

salt to taste

lemon-1

Homemade Mandi Spice Powder –2 tbsp

Kashmiri red chilly powder- 1/2 tsp( optional) ( I want little spicy, so I added)

Red food colour optional ( I didn’t use)

For Cooking Rice: 

Basmati Rice- 1 kg

Onion-2 large thinly sliced

Tomato-2.  Make them puree

Green chilly-4 slitted

Homemade Mandi Spice Powder – 1 tbsp

Ginger garlic paste- 3 tbsp ( If you not use dried ginger and garlic in the spice powder)

Salt to taste

Olive oil-2 tbsp

Whole Garam Masala:

Cloves / Krambu – 6

Cardamom / Yelakai – 6

Bay Leaf – 2

Cinnamon / Pattai – 2 cm pieces

Garnishing

 Fried raisins- 2 tbsp

Method:

•  Take the chicken on a plate add mandi spicy powder salt and lemon.Mix well and  marinate the chicken for 2 hours.
• Heat, a frying pan, add a tbsp of butter, fry the raisins, then keep aside after that fry the marinate chicken for 5 mins on both sides.( You can cook the chicken in oven / tandoori pan.then keep aside.
• Soak the rice for around 30 min.
•  In a thick bottom pan heat oil, then add whole garam masala
• Add onion and little salt and fry on a low heat till brown.
• Add green chilly, coriander and mint leaves and mix well
•  Add  Tomato puree and salt then cook well
• Add 1 tbsp of mandi spice  powder and stir well.
•  Now add fried chicken
• Add water in the 1:2 ratio ( 4 cups rice:8 cups water)
• Let it boil for 10 mins then remove the chicken from boiling water
• Again fry the cooked chicken with a little butter for 2 mins on both sides.
• After removing the chicken, add rice.
• Cover the entire pot with foil and cover with a plate. Place a weight over it and let it cook  for 20 minutes.
• open the lid and arrange the fried chicken. take burning wood in a small bowl, keep the bowl inside the pan and add oil to the burning wood. When smoke comes out, cover the pan tightly for 1 minute.
• Mandi is ready now. Garnish with raisins
• Serve with Arabian tomato chutney.

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Homemade Mandi Spice Powder By Shafi

Mandi is a famous and tasty Arabian biryani. It has spicier but not hot spicy like Indian biryani. The first time I ate Mandi  honestly I say I don’t like because there was no spicy. After I have started to eat.. Now I’m crazy with Mandi (LOL..) The taste of mandi is amazing and mouthwatering tasty food. So I want to make in my home. For making mandi, we have lots of processes and want special tandoor oven or clay oven.

But I have tried 4 to 5 times home made mandi without any special oven. Today I got the best result. It is so tasty.

When I went India, My brother made mutton Mandi with special clay oven… That’s  for you.

Mandi  is a traditional Yemeni dish. It is now very popular in other areas of the Gulf countries. The word “mandi” comes from the Arabic word nada, meaning “dew”, and reflects the moist ‘dewy’ texture of the meat.

Mandi is usually made from rice, meat (lamb or chicken or fish), and a mixture of spices. The meat used is usually a young and small sized lamb to enhance the taste further. The main thing which differentiates mandi is that the meat is cooked in the tandoor, which is a special kind of oven. The tandoor is usually a hole dug in the ground and covered inside by clay. To cook mandi, dry wood is placed in the tandoor and burned to generate a lot of heat turning into charcoal. The meat is then suspended inside the tandoor without touching the charcoal. After that, the whole tandoor is closed without letting any of the smoke out. Raisins or nuts can be added to the rice as per one’s taste.

 

we cook the meat like that

 

Mandi is considered the main dish served during special events, such as Eid, weddings, and feasts.

So first I want to share with my sweet viewers how to make homemade mandi spice powders.

Ingredients:

Whole coriander Seed- 4 tsp

Whole Pepper- 4 tsp

Cumin seeds- 2 tsp

Cinnamon stick- 2 inches (2 pieces)

Cloves- 8 to 10

Nutmeg- 1

Dried turmeric- small piece

If you have dried ginger 2 inches and well-roasted garlic 4 flakes, otherwise we can use fresh ginger garlic paste while making food. If you can buy powders of ginger and garlic, you can use them. I show garlic in the picture, but I use garlic powder

Method:

Roast well all the ingredients separately till the aroma of the spices come out.

Let them cool, then make a fine powder.

For, 1 kg chicken with 1kg rice we can use  3 tablespoons of this spice powder…

 

 

Pepper Chicken by Raji

Pepper chicken is one of the famous recipe which acts as a medicine during cold. This recipe I learned from my friend Shafana and tried this as my first chicken gravy when i got married. My hubby appreciated me a lot for the yummy chicken gravy.

Ingredients
1. Chicken – half kg
2. Onion – 1 (big sized)
3. Tomato – 2 (medium sized)
4. Curd – 2 tbsp
5. Ginger garlic paste – 3 tbsp
6. Cardamom – 1
7. Cinnamon – small piece
8. Green chilli – 1
9. Garam Masala – 1 tbsp
10. Coriander powder – 2 tbsp
11. Cumin powder – 1/2 tbsp
12. Grated coconut – 2 tbsp
13. Fennel seed – 1 tbpsn
14. Cashew – 6 (in count)
15. Pepper powder – 1.5 tbpsn
16. Curry leaves ( handful)
17. Coconut oil – 3 tbspn
18. Salt to taste
19. Lemon juice – 1 tbsp (optional)
Steps
1. Marinate the chicken with curd, 2 tbsp of ginger garlic paste and little salt for half an hour to one hour.
2. Heat oil in a kadai. Once its hot, add cardomom and cinnamon.
3. Fry onion
4. Add Ginger garlic paste and little salt.
5. Fry onion till it becomes brown
6. Then add Chilli ,curry leaves and tomatoes
7. Fry the tomatoes till it oozes out water in the oil
8. Add chicken to it and cover the vessel for five minutes
9. Chicken leaves water ,Add all masala powders to the chicken
10. Add salt to it and add a glass of water to it.
11. Allow to boil by covering it with a lid
12. Grind the coconut with cashew nuts and fennel seed.
13. Add the ground mixture to the gravy so that it makes the gravy to thick consistency.
14. Let the raw smell of coconut goes
15. You will get a nice aroma of chicken gravy
16. Add Coriander leaves and lemon juice and turn off the stove.

 

Koosa/சீமை சுரைக்காய்/Zucchini Fry By Shafi

A simple Zucchini fry that goes to perfect with rice. It is a very simple healthy recipe.

Some benefits of zucchini are her… It’s for you

• Zucchini is one of the very low-calorie vegetables; provide only 17 calories per 100 g. It contains no saturated fats or cholesterol. Its peel is a  good source of dietary fiber that helps reduce constipation and offers some protection against colon cancers.
• Zucchinis have anti-oxidant value (Oxygen radical absorbance capacity- ORAC) of 180 Trolox Equivalents (TE) per 100g, the value which is far below to some of the berries, and vegetables. Nonetheless, the pods are one of the common vegetables included in weight reduction and cholesterol control programs by the dieticians.
• It is a very good source of potassium, an important intra-cellular electrolyte. Potassium is a heart friendly electrolyte and helps bring the reduction in blood pressure and heart rates by countering pressure effects of sodium.

Ingredients:

Zucchini- 2 ( peeled the skin and cut roundly)

Small onion/ shallots- 3 chopped

Garlic flakes- 2 chopped

Curry leaves- 1 spring

Oil- 2 tsp

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Cumin seed- 1 tsp

Urad dal- 1 tsp

Sambar Powder– 1 tsp

Asafoetida- a pinch

salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a pan

Add mustard seed, cumin seed,  urad dal fry well

Add small onion, garlic, Asafoetida and curry leaves and then fry them

Add zucchini with sambar powder and salt

Fry them 2 to 3 minutes

Serve with Rice.

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Pudalankai kootu/ Snake Gourd & Moong dal Gravy By Shafi

Kootu is one of the main side dishes in a south Indian meal. We have cooked variety kootu. Today I post simple and tasty snake gourd and moong dal with coconut masala. We can use other vegetables like ground gourd/ pumpkin also.

Ingredients:
oil- 2 tsp
Pudalagai / Snake Gourd – 1 small deseeded and chopped finely
Yellow Split Moong Dal – 1/2 cup washed
Salt to taste

Onion-1 chopped

tomato-1 chopped

Curry leaves- 2 spring

Turmeric powder- 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds / Kaduku – 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds / Jeerakam –  1tsp

Channa dal- 1 tsp

red chilly- 2

For Grinding:
Coconut – 3/4 cup
Green chilly- 2 to 3
Cumin Seeds / Jeerakam –  1tsp

Method:

Take all grinding ingredients in a blender and make it a paste with little water.

Heat oil in a cooker, adds onion and curry leaves

Add tomatoes and cook well

Now add chopped snake guard and cook for a minute

Now add washed dal and turmeric powder and then mix well

Add required an amount of water.

Now cover the pressure cooker and cook it for 3 whistles. Switch off the flame and let the pressure go all by itself. Now open the pressure cooker.

In this stage, add salt and coconut paste, then boil for a minute

Heat oil in a pan, adds mustard seed, channa dal, cumin seed, curry leaves and red chilly fry all . Pour it on the gravy.

Serve with rice

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Nellai Biryani ( Lamb/ camel/ chicken) By Shafi

Nellai biryani is very famous biryani in  Tamilnadu. I heard this recipe from my UAE friend Asiya… Thank you Asiya ma.  I have cooked  nellai biryani with camel meat with a little touch of my own style.

We can cook this delicious biryani with mutton/ beef / Chicken.  For chicken biryani, don’t cook the chicken separately.  But for camel or another meat, we should cook the meat well before making dum/ steam

It has a  great place in Islamic wedding party.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice- 1/2 kg

Mutton/ camel meat -1/2 kg

Onion-200 gm large thinly sliced

Tomato-200 gm

Green chili-6 slitted

Ginger garlic paste- 3 tbsp

Coriander Leaves-1 cup

Mint leaves-1 cup

Curd-1/2cup

Red chilli powder-1 tbsp

Turmeric Powder- ½ tsp

fennel seeds powder- 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil-2 tbsp

Ghee-1 tbsp

Whole Garam Masala:

Cloves / Krambu – 4

Cardamom / Yelakai – 4

Bay Leaf – 1

Cinnamon / Pattai – 2 cm piece

Star Anise – 1

Black flower- 2

Garnishing

 A pinch of saffron with 4 tbsp of hot milk.  In the wedding party, they used food colours. But I don’t like to add. If you want, add food colours too.

Method:

•  Take the meat in a pressure cooker and add little chilly powder and salt, turmeric and ginger garlic paste, lemon and curd. Mix well and then cook well ( 4 to 5 whistle for mutton, 10 to 15 whistles for camel meat)
• Soak the rice for around 30 min. Cook the rice 60 to 70 % with salt and little oil
•  In a thick bottom pan heat oil and ghee, then add whole garam masala
• Add onion and little salt and fry on a low heat till brown.
• Add ginger garlic paste.
• Add green chilly, coriander and mint leaves and mix well
•  Add  Tomatoes & little salt then cook well
• Add Red chilli, Tumeric and fennel seeds powder and stir well.
•  Now cooked meat and fry it well with gravy
• An important condition is that gravy should be very thick.
• Now spread the cooked rice gradually.
• Add lemon and coriander leaves.
• Split saffron milk
• Cover the entire pot with foil and cover with a plate. Place a weight over it and let it cook  for 20 minutes
• Now a wonderful nellai biryani is ready
•  Serve it with Onion  Raita.

 

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Strawberry vanilla Agar Agar Pudding By Shafi

I always try the variety and new recipes with agar agar. I made agar agar pudding with strawberry and vanilla. It is so tasty and healthy. It is very favorite dessert for kids.

 

Ingredients:

Strawberry Pudding:

Strawberries – 10 chopped

Strawberry syrup- 1 tsp (optional)
Milk/ condensed milk – 1/4 cup

Sugar to taste ( If you add condensed milk, no need more sugar)
Agar Agar (China Grass) – 1 tsp
Water – 1 1/2 cups

Salt- a pinch

Vanilla Pudding:

milk/ Condensed milk- 1/2 cup

Agar Agar- 1 tsp

Water- 1 1/2 cup water

Salt – a pinch

Sugar- 1/4 cup or taste

Vanilla essence- some drops

Method:

 

For strawberry Pudding:

Take agar agar and then make it powder by using a blender. Otherwise, we can soak it in water for 30 to 45 minutes.

First make the strawberry pudding, take strawberry in a blender, add in condensed milk and puree it.

Take 1 tsp in a saucepan, add in 1 1/2 cup of water. Now heat them on low heat till it is dissolved completely. Add sugar and salt then boil well

Add  strawberry puree. In this time, the flame should be very low. pour this into a square  or any moulds and put it in the refrigerator for 30 mins to 1 hour. We can set the agar agar at room temperature also.Let them set.

Once the strawberry pudding is set, let’s make the vanilla pudding.

 

For Vanilla Pudding:

Take 1 tsp in a saucepan, add in 1 1/2 cup of water. Now heat them on low heat till it is dissolved completely. Add sugar and salt then boil well.

Add  condensed milk and vanilla essence. In this time, the  flame should be very low. Mix well

Pour this over the strawberry pudding and let it set in fridge / room temperature for 1 to 2  hours.

After it will be set, cut it and serve.

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