Chicken kurma

Hello My friends,

I am extremely sorry for keeping quite for long time.I was bit busy with my work & Not feeling well due to Morning sickness.Yes,carrying my second baby. Finally i got my vacations & Totally free up-to this month end so taking rest.This is a simple curry goes well with everything.



Ingredients:

Chicken - 1/2 kg
Onion - 1
Tomato - 2
Cinnamon - 1'
Cardamom - 1
Cloves - 2
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To taste
Coriander & curry leaves

 For Masala :

Coconut - 4 tsp
Poppy seeds- 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Green chilly - 2
Ginger - 1'
Garlic - 10
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1'
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Cashew - 4

Preparation method :

1. Grind above ingredients into smooth paste.
2. Heat the pressure cooker,add cinnamon,cardamom & cloves.
3. Add chopped onion & saute well.
4. Add chopped  tomato & fry for 2 min.
5. Add chilly powder,coriander,salt & chicken pieces. Fry for 3-4 min.
6. Add grounded paste & mix well until the raw smell goes.
7. Pour 2 cups of water & add curry leaves & coriander, close the lid, cook for 5-6 whistles.
8. Remove the lid,adjust the salt & spice level according to your taste.
9. If you want to increase spicy add 1/4 tsp of pepper powder & cook for another 2 min.
10. Serve hot with Rice,Roti,Idly or Dosa.

FRUIT KESARI

This kesari is a very special sweet as it has pieces of delicious fruits in it. This is a very fine dessert to serve the guests after a grand meal.

பழ கேசரி

Ingredients:

Semolina- 2 cups
Sugar- 4 cups
Warm water – 4 cups
Cardamom powder- half tsp
Saffron- a pinch
Warm milk- 3 tbsp
Apple-1
Ripe banana-1
Mango-1
Pineapple slices-4
Dates-10
Cashew nuts-20
Raisins-3 tbsp
Rose essence- a few drops
Ghee- half cup

Procedure:

Cut all the fruits in to tiny bits.
Soak the saffron in the milk.
Heat a kadai and pour the half of the ghee.
On medium fire fry the cashew nuts and raisins at first to golden brown.
Then remove them away keep aside.
Fry the semolina in the same ghee until the aroma floats on air.
In a big kadai pour the warm water.
When it starts boiling add the semolina and cook it until all the water is evaporated.
Add the sugar and cook on slow fire mixing continuously and pouring the remaining ghee in intervals.
Pour the saffron milk and sprinkle the cardamom powder.
Mix well.
When the kesari is cooked well, add all the fruits and fried nuts and raisins with the essence.
Mix well on slow fire for 5 minutes.
Pour a tsp of ghee on top and put off the fire.

MONSOON MUNCHES-KOLAVADAI/KODUBALE-SAVOURY FLOUR RINGS

MONSOON MUNCHES

KOLAVADAI / KODUBALE

My mother -in-law loved to prepare savoury snacks, and Kolavadai ( known as Kodubale in Kannada ) was one of her specialities. The Kolavadai/Kodubale she prepared using a few ingredients could never be stored, as all of us polished them off even before she could finish frying the entire lot! It is a joy to munch Kolavadai/kodubale in between sips of hot coffee or tea especially on rainy days.
Kolavadai/Kodubale can be prepared using rice flour or ragi (finger millet) flour. Both can be prepared by following the same recipe.

INGREDIENTS
Rice flour/ Ragi flour - 1 ' pav' or 1 glass ( which can hold 250 ml of liquid)
Freshly grated coconut - 4 heaped tbsps
Green chillies - 4
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Butter or ghee - 3 tsps
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
oil - for frying

Method
1. Grind coconut gratings,green chillies, salt and asafoetida to a smooth paste adding water if required.
2. Take the flour of your choice in a bowl and mix in the ground paste and cumin seeds, and rub in the ghee or butter.
3. Now add water little at a time and knead to form a smooth, pliable but stiff dough.
4. Take a ball of dough and roll it on a board with your palm and shape it like a rod. ( Just like how children roll the modelling clay to make snakes.)
5. Bend one end of the 'rod' and join it to the other end, overlapping the ends slightly, making a 'kolam' (circle) or ' bale' ( Bangle).
The kolavadais can be prepared in any convenient size- finger ring, bangle or medium.
6. Heat oil in a kadai on low fire and wait till the oil starts giving out an aroma. This indicates that the oil is hot enough. You can test it by dropping a pinch of dough in the oil . If it rises immediately, the oil is ready for frying.
7. Slide 6 Kolavadais/ Kodubales ( or more if the kadai is big enough) into the hot oil and do not disturb for a while.When the frothing and hissing decrease, and when the kolavadais/kodubales are stable enough, turn them with the perforated ladle.
8. Cook till the kolavadais/Kodubales start floating and the bubbles subside.
9. Remove when thr rice kolavadais/kodubales acquire a golden hue and drain on a paper towel.
10. Roll and keep the second batch ready while the first batch is cooking and start frying as soon as the previous batch is taken out of the oil.
Allow the Kolavadais/Kodubales to cool and then store in an air tight container which will be surely emptied in no time!