Chettinad Egg Curry

Overview
This is a spicy egg curry that goes well with any Indian rice or bread. If you don't like it too spicy just use kashmiri chilly instead of whole red chilly which will give a nice color and flavor to this dish. Roasted whole spices fried with fresh grated coconut and ground to a smooth paste makes the thick aromatic gravy for this egg curry.

Chettinad Egg Curry

Chettinad Egg Curry Ingredients - Finely chopped onions, curry leaves,
whole red chilly, Whole Corainder Seeds, mustard seeds, Cumin seeds,
Garlic, ginger, Fresh grated coconut.

Ingredients
Eggs 8 hard boiled
Red Onion 2 cups finely chopped
Ginger 2 inch piece finely chopped
Garlic 6 - 8 cloves finely chopped
Tomatoes - 1 1/2 cup finely chopped
Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
Curry leaves 3 sprigs
Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
Whole Red chilly 4 - 6
Whole Coriander seeds 2 tablespoons
Whole Black powder 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
Mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil 5 tablespoons

Steps
1. Hard boil the eggs peel shell and keep aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds fry few seconds and add the whole red chilly and coriander seeds. Fry till the coriander seeds turn brown. Add the fresh grated coconuts to this along with turmeric powder and fry till the coconut is dry and light brown. Grind with one cup water to a smooth paste.
3. Heat the remaining oil in pan. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds. When the seeds splutter add the finely chopped onions, garlic and ginger to this and fry till the onions are light brown. Add the curry leaves and fry few second and add the finely chopped tomatoes to this add salt lower heat and cook covering the pan with lid. Cook till the tomatoes are cooked well.
4. Add the ground coconut paste to this along with salt as needed with one more cup of water. Mix well and bring to boil. Lower heat and let the gravy thicken and all flavors mingle well.
5. Make gashes on the sides of the eggs and add them to gravy along with garam masala powder mix well and bring the gravy to boil. Turn off heat.

Serve hot with Rice or Indian bread.

Tomato Chutney

Overview
A simple tomato chutney that goes very well with Dosa, Idly or rice. You can make it as spicy as you like by adjusting the amount of dry whole red chillies. This is a easy way to preserve  tomatoes since this chutney can be saved in a clean container in the refrigerator for weeks. The touch of asafoetida powder gives this chutney a special aroma and the fried Urdu Dal adds a nutty flavor to this chutney.

Tomato Chutney

Tomato Chutney Ingredients - Chopped Tomatoes, Urdu Dal,
Whole Red Chillies and Asafoatida powder

Ingredients
Chopped plum tomatoes - 2 cups
Urdu Dal - 1 tablespoon
Whole dry Red chilly -  8 - 10
Curry leaves  - 2 sprigs
Asafoetida powder 1/4 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil - 5 tablespoons

Steps
1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the Urdu Dal and fry on medium flame till the Urdu Dal turns light brown.
2. Add the whole5 red chillies to the oil with Urdu Dal and fry few more minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes along with salt and turmeric powder.
3. Mix well cover lid and cook and low flame till the tomatoes are cooked well and soft and most of the water has evaporated. Add the Asafoetida powder and mix well. Turn off heat and let this cool to room temperature.
4. Blend the cooked tomato mixture in a blender to a smooth paste.
5. Heat 3 tablespoon oil an a pan. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds. After the seeds splutter add the red chilly pieces to this along with curry leaves and fry few minutes.
6. Add the blended tomato paste to this oil mixture and stir till this comes to a boil. Lower the heat and let this cook for few minutes till you get a thick chutney.

Serve with Dosa, Idly or rice.

Raw Plantain Peel Curry (Kaya Tholi Kadala Parrippu Thoran)

Overview
This is an authentic Kerala recipe. Raw plantain peel has very crunchy texture and tastes good cooked with Channa Dal. Raw plantains are used in many dishes peeled but the plantain peel is never thrown away it is made into delicious curry like this. Whenever I make Kalan for which I peel the plantains I save the peel to make this dish.

Raw Plantain Peel Curry (Kayya Tholi Kadala Parripu Thoran)

Ingredients
Peel of three plantains finely chopped
Channa Dal - 1/4 cup soaked in water
Fresh grated coconut - 1/4 - 1/2 cup
Red onion half finely chopped
Garlic - 6 cloves finely chopped
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Red crushed pepper flakes - 2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - 3 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Soak the Channa Dal is plenty of water for about 3 - 4 hours. Cook Channa Dal in 1/4 cup water on low flame it is almost cooked.
2. Cut the Plantain peel into thin strips and then finely chop and keep it immersed in water.
3. Add the finely chopped plantain peel to the almost cooked Channa Dal with 1/4 cup water, salt and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder. Stir and cover with lid and cook till the plantain peel is cooked well. Turn off heat and keep aside.
4. In another pan heat the oil. When the oil gets hot add the finely chopped red onions and garlic to this and saute till the onions are light brown. Add the red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder to this and saute few minutes and add the curry leaves to this.
5. When the curry leaves are fried add fresh grated coconut and fry few minutes and then add the cooked Channa Dal and plantain peel to this and saute well till all the liquid has evaporated.

Serve hot withe plain rice or any Indian bread

Ripe Mango Rasam

Overview
Rasam is a very traditional south indian dish usually made with tamarind, lentil and spices. In this rasam I have not used lentils but have used ripe mangoes. The sweet taste from mango mixed with the sour taste from tamarind and the spices adds a outburst of flavor to this rasam. The garlic and spices in the rasam helps with digestion. Dry roasting fresh whole spices to make this rasam powder does bring up the fresh aroma and flavor to this rasam.

Ripe Mango Rasam

Ingredients
Ripe mango finely chopped - 1 cup
Garlic 6 - 8 cloves finely chopped
Cilantro chopped - 1/2 cup
Whole dry red chilly - 4 - 5
Whole black pepper - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1  teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds  - 1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds - 2 tablespoon
Asafoetida powder - 1 teaspoon
Tamarind liquid from tamarind the size of lemon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt

To Garnish
Oil - 3 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Whole red chilly - 3 broken to pieces
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Steps
1. Add the finely chopped mangoes, turmeric, salt, finely chopped garlic and half cup water in a heavy bottom pan and cook covering the pan with a lid on medium flame till the mangoes are cooked and tender. Mash the mangoes with a spoon and keep aside.
2. Soak the tamarind in warm water for  about 20 - 30 minutes in one cup water and squeeze out the liquid and keep aside.
3. Dry roast the whole red chilly, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and whole black pepper one by one and grind to a smooth powder. Mix this powder with asafoetida powder  and add 1/2 cup water to this and mix well and add to cooked mangoes.
4. Add the tamarind liquid to this too and bring it to a boil. Add salt and water to this as needed and bring to boil again. The consistency of the rasam should be thinner than sambar. Add the chopped cilantro to this and turn off heat.
5. In another pan heat the oil. when the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter add the cumin seeds,whole dry red chillies and curry leaves. Turn off heat and pout this over the prepared rasam.

Serve hot with plain rice.

Bitter Melon Tomato Curry

Overview
Bitter melon with tomatoes and coconut milk with a touch of vinegar for the sour taste adds a very distinctive flavor to this dish. This dish has combination of different flavors - the bitter taste from melons combined with the sweet taste from coconut milk, sour taste from tomatoes and vinegar  and the spicy taste from chillies.

Bitter Melon Tomato Curry

Ingredients
Bitter melon - 3 medium size cut into 2 inch thin slices
Red Onion - 2 medium thin sliced
Plum tomatoes - 3 thick long slices
Ginger 2 inch pieces - thin sliced
Green chilly - 4 - 6
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Red chilly powder - 1 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Fresh thick coconut milk - 1 cup
White Vinegar - 2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

To Garnish
Red onion 1/2 thin sliced
Curry leaves one sprig
Olive oil - 3 tablespoons

Steps
1. Marinate the sliced bitter melon slices with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and keep aside for 10 - 15 minutes.
2. Squeeze out the water from the bitter melon and add to a pan. To this add  sliced red onions, ginger green chilly, curry leaves, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder , salt and 1/2 cup water cover lid and cook on low flame till the bitter melon is cooked and tender.
3. Add the coconut milk and tomato slices to this and bring to boil. Add 2 teaspoon while vinegar and salt if needed. Turn off heat.
4. In another pan heat oil. When the oil gets hot add the thin sliced onions. When the oil gets golden brown and the curry leaves and fry. Turn off heat and pour this over the prepared curry

Serve hot with plain rice or any Indian bread.

Kerala Egg Roast (Mutta Roast)

Overview
A traditional Kerala egg dish in which hard boiled eggs are mixed with a spicy masala gravy. This egg roast goes very well with rice, appam or any Indian breads. The thick gravy is made with sauteing onions, tomatoes, garlic and ginger with spices. I have used all whole spices and ground them to give a traditional authentic taste. Whole Kashmiri chilly adds a nice red color and flavor to this dish.

Kerala Egg Roast

Ingredients for Kerala Egg Roast

Ingredients
Hard boiled eggs - 10
Red Onions thin sliced - 2 cups
Plum tomatoes thin sliced - 2 cups
Cilantro finely chopped - 1/2 cup
Coriander seeds - 3 tablespoons
Kashmiri chilly whole - 4 - 6
Whole black peppers - 1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds - 2 teaspoon
Garam Masala - 1 teaspoon( optional)
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Shallots 1/4 cup
Garlic 10  - 12 cloves
Ginger 2 inch pieces
Green chilly - 4 - 6 split at center
Olive oil - 4 tablespoons
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Hard boil eggs and peel shell.  Make thin slits on the eggs whites and keep aside.
2. In a blender add the ginger, garlic, shallots, coriander seeds, Kashmiri chillies, whole black pepper, turmeric powder and fennel seeds with 1/4 cup water and make a smooth paste.
3. In a heavy bottom pan heat the oil. When the oil gets hot add the sliced red onions, curry leaves and green chilly and saute till the onions are light brown.
4. Add the ground spice paste to this and saute well till the oil begins to separate.
5. Add the sliced tomatoes to this with salt stir and cook covered till the tomatoes are cooked well and the gravy is thick. Garam masala(optional) can be added now.
6, Add the hard boiled eggs to this and saute few more minutes and add the finely chopped cilantro to this

Serve hot with rice, appam or any Indian bread.

Celery Curry ( Mock Chembu Thandu Curry)

Overview
Colacasia stem (Chembu Thandu) is used traditionally in many curries in Kerala. Since it is hard to get Colacasia stem here I tried the same curry with celery stems and it came out very good. The sour taste from the tamarind and the fresh ground coconut adds a unique flavor to this dish. This is a good side dish for rice or any Indian breads.

Celery Curry (Mock Chembu Thandu Curry)

Ingredients
Celery stems cut into bite size pieces - 1 1/2 cups
Tamarind size of a lime
Green chilly - 3 - 4
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Fresh grated coconut - 3/4 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Shallots 4 - 5
Garlic cloves 3
Whole dry red chilly - 3 - 4 cut into pieces
Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Oil - 3 teaspoons
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Add the tamarind to half cup warm water and keep is aside for 10 - 20 minutes. Squeeze out the tamarind pulp and strain the tamarind liquid.
2. Cook the celery pieces with salt and one cup water. When the celery gets cooked add the tamarind juice to it and bring it to boil.
3. In blender add the fresh grated coconut, green chilly, shallots, cumin seeds and turmeric powder with half cup warm water and grind to a smooth paste.
4. Add the ground coconut mixture to the cooked celery and bring it to a boil and turn off heat.
5. In another pan heat oil. When the oil gets hot add the must rad seeds. When the seeds splutter add the whole red chilly pieces and curry leaves to the oil  and turn off heat. Add this oil mixture on top of the prepared celery curry.

Serve with plain rice.