Thai Green Curry

Ingredients

1. Potatoes - 2 nos.
2. Green Pepper - 1 no.
   
3. Carrot - 1 no.
4. Basil Leaves - 6
5. Lemon Grass - 2 nos.
6. Green Peas - 1/2 cup
7. Small Egg plant - 2 nos.
   
8. Onion - 2 nos.
   
9. Thai Green Chilli - 6 nos. (add more if you can handle the spice)
   
10. Garlic - 6 cloves
11. Ginger - same quantity as Garlic
    
12. Dhaniya (Corriander) Seeds - 3 tbsp
    
13. Salt
14. Coconut Milk - 1 can
15. Oil - 1 tbsp
    

Procedure

1. Cut 1 1/2 onions, garlic, ginger, thai green chillis into big cubes. Grind them all together with Corriander seeds, 3 basil leaves, 1/2 green pepper (This will give a very nice green color and flavor)
   
2. Cut rest of the vegetables into big cubes and finely chop the remaining basil leaves
3. Add the oil in a pan and fry the remaining 1/2 onion until it turns golder brown
   
4. Now, add the cut vegetables and the grounded mixture together with some salt. Let it boil in medium flame for few minutes
   
5. Add the whole can of coconut milk on the pan and let it boil will till the curry gets more viscous
6. Your Thai Green Curry is all set. You can just mix this with cooked Basmati rice and enjoy
   

Aloo Vindaloo

As I don't eat the the things that come in Animal Planet, I had to customize and replace the lamb with potatoes. The major difference between other North Indian side dishes and a Vindaloo is that the latter is more a ginger based gravy. Lets get into the details.

Ingredients

1. Baby Potatoes - 1 lbs
2. Onion - 2 nos.
   
3. Green Chilli - 4 nos.
4. Garlic - 6 cloves
5. Ginger - 200 gms
   
6. Jeera (Cumin) seeds
   
7. Red Chilli Powder
8. Dhaniya (Corriander) Powder
9. Tamarind Paste - 1 tbsp
   
10. Turmeric Powder
11. Salt
12. Oil - 2 tbsp
13. Garam Masala Powder
    

Procedure

1. First of all, we have to marinate the potatoes in a mixture and leave it in the refrigerator for atleast 12 hours.
   
2. Marinating Procedure
• Peel off the skin from the Baby Potatoes and cut them into two pieces. With a small needle put some tiny holes in the potato pieces so that when we marinate the juices will get in nicely
  
• Chop the ginger, garlic and green chillis into pieces
  
• In an air tight bowl, add the tamarind paste, the above finely chopped items, potatoes, salt, turmeric powder and mix well
• Marinated Aloo...
  
  
• Close the bowl fully and put it in the refrigerator for atleast 12 hours
  
3. When the mixture is properly marinated, carefully remove just the potatoes from the mixture and set them aside.
   
4. Now, grind the rest of the mixture in a mixie so that your gravy doesn't have the ginger, garlic or green chillis in a chopped fashion
5. Add oil in a pan and add onions and cumin seeds
6. Add the grounded paste when the onions turn golden brown color
7. Let the gravy boil for a few minutes, then add garam masala and chilli powder. Also, add a little more salt to taste
8. Gravy for Vindaloo...
   
   
   
   
9. After a few minutes, add the potatoes and keep the stove on medium flame. Close the pan with a lid.
   
10. Leave it on medium flame until the potatoes are well cooked
11. Your Aloo Vindaloo is all set and garnish with a little bit of fresh coriander leaves.
12. A very nice side dish for Rotis and Peas Pulao
    
    
    
    

Dahi (Curd/Yoghurt) Aloo

This is not as difficult as you might think it is, lets dwell right onto the details.

Ingredients

1. Potatoes - 2 lbs
   
2. Green Chilli - 4 nos.
3. Garlic - 4 cloves
4. Ginger - same amount as Garlic
   
5. Jeera (Cumin) seeds
   
6. Red Chilli Powder
7. Dhaniya (Corriander) Powder
   
8. Turmeric Powder
9. Salt
10. Wheat Flour - 2 tbsp
    
11. Oil - 1 tbsp
12. Garam Masala Powder
    
13. Thick Dahi a.k.a. Curd a.k.a. Yogurt - 1.5 cups
    

Procedure

1. Pressure cook all the potatoes with a salt and turmeric powder for 3 whistles. While the potatoes are in the cooker, prepare the gravy
2. For gravy, beat the thick curd into a less viscous liquid. Not as watery as butter-milk, but somewhere in between
   
3. Add Chilli Powder, Turmeric Powder, Garam Masala, Dhaniya Powder on the curd and beat again. Set this aside
   
4. When the potatoes are done, peel the skin and mash half the potatoes and cut the other half of potatoes into uniform sized cubes
   
5. Add green chilli, finely chopped ginger & garlic, wheat flour to the mashed half of potatoes
6. Add oil in a pan and add cumin seeds
7. Add the mashed potatoes mixture onto the pan
8. Add the curd immediately and stir it pretty well until the mashed potatoes and the curd mixture jell well. Add salt as needed.
   
9. Keep the stove on medium flame and close the pan with a lid. Leave it for 10 minutes
10. After 10 minutes, add the other half of the cubed-potatoes and stir well. Leave the whole mixture for another 10 minutes on medium flame
11. Your Dahi aloo is all set and garnish with a little bit of fresh coriander leaves.
    
12. A very nice side dish for Rotis and Parathas.
    

Vegetable Jalfrezi

This is a no-brainer, as long as you have some time, these ingredients you should be, as how they say in Taco Bell, good-to-go.

Ingredients

1. Vegetables, a lot of them (Potato, Carrot, Bell Peppers, Onion, Tomato, Green peas, Cauliflower, Broccoli etc)
2. Green Chilli - 4 nos.
3. Garlic - 4 cloves
4. Ginger - same amount as Garlic
   
5. Jeera (Cumin) seeds
   
6. Red Chilli Powder
7. Dhaniya (Corriander) Powder
   
8. Turmeric Powder
9. Salt
10. Oil - 1 tbsp
11. Garam Masala Powder (or any Jalfrezi mix. I used 'Khana Khazana')
12. Water - 2 tumblers

Procedure

1. Cut vegetables into cubes (as shown above) and keep them aside
2. Add oil in a pan and add cumin seeds
3. Add onion, green chilli, ginger, garlic and fry till it changes color a bit
4. Add the bell peppers, tomato and saute` the mixture a bit
5. Add rest of the vegetables
6. Add all the above mentioned powders in any order as you desire
7. Sprinkle 1/2 tumbler of water and mix everything together
8. Reduce the flame to medium and close the pan with its lid, keep mixing it every 5 minutes by adding water as needed
9. In 20 minutes, this is what you get...

A very nice, easy to make sabjhi for Roti's, Peas Pulav, Tacos.

Mango Sevai

Ingredients

1. Rice Sevai - 2 cups
2. Red Onions - 1 Nos.
3. Green Chili - 2 Nos.
4. Tomatoes - 2 Nos.
5. Coriander Leaves - 1/2 bunch
6. Fresh Green Mango - 1/2
7. Chilli Powder - 1/2 tbsp
8. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
10. Salt - To Taste
11. Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure

1. Boil water with some salt and add the Rice Sevai for a few minutes. Filter out the water and let the sevai dry out for a few minutes
2. Julienne cut the onions and Green Chillis and sauté them on a pan until they turn golden brown. Add the tomatoes and sauté for a few more minutes
3. Finely grate the fresh green mango and then add it to the pan with sevai and all the other powders. Cook for a few minutes until the powders are nicely done.
4. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and enjoy

Aloo Methi

Ingredients

1. Potatoes - 1 lbs
2. Red Onion - 1
3. Tomatoes - 2
4. Green Chillis - 2
5. Methi (Fenugreek) leaves - 1 bunch
6. Garam Masala - 1 tbsp
7. Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Salt - To Taste
9. Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure

1. Boil/Steam the potatoes, peal the skin and keep them aside
2. Finely chop the onions & green chilli and sauté them till they turn golden brown.
3. Add the finely chopped tomatoes & Methi (Fenugreek) leaves to the onions continue to sauté them
4. Now, add the boiled potatoes with all the powders and keep stirring it until the masala's are properly cooked
5. Serve with hot Roti's or Peas Pulav.Not a great delicacy, but works like a charm when you don't have a lot of things at your disposal.
   

இலந்தப்பழம். Period.

My mouth is still as juicy as it was when I saw this in Chennai this time, so, wanted this to be a memorabilia!

We once had this fruits' tree next to our house when I was in my 2^nd / 3^rd standard. Any variations of this, இலந்த வடை, for instance, should not be missed if you ever were given a chance.

Owners Pride, Neighbors envy மாதிரி, கொஞ்சம் உங்க வாய்லயும் எச்சில் ஊற வெக்கலாம்னுதான்!