Mushroom Theeyal / Kerala Style Mushroom Curry.

 Mushroom theeyal is a very tasty and easy to prepare Kerala style mushroom coconut masala curry made with white button mushroom, coconut, shallots (ulli / sambar onion) and spice powders. Mushroom Theeyal goes well with rice.Mushroom Theeyal / Kerala style Mushroom Curry recipe is given below with step by step photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Mushroom Theeyal.

Ingredients:-

Button mushroom.-200 gm
Shallots / Ulli.       -10
Ginger.                   -small piece
Curry leaves.          -1 sprig
Tamarind.               -gooseberry size
Salt.                        -to taste

For grinding roasted coconut masala paste:-

Grated coconut.    -1 cup
Cumin seeds.        -1/2 tsp
Fenugreek/ Methi.-1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder.  -1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder.-1tbsp
Coriander powder. -1tbsp
Coconut oil.           -1tbsp

For Seasoning:-

Mustard seeds.-1tsp
Dry red chilly. -1 or 2
Shallots / Ulli. -2
Curry leaves.   -1sprig
Coconut oil.     -1tbsp +1tsp

Instructions:-

1).Take 200 gm white button mushroom. Wash and clean the white button mushroom under running water and keep them on a plate.

2). Chop the cleaned button mushroom into thin slices. Peel and chop shallots (ulli /sambar onion) into thin lengthy slices. Peel and crush a small piece of ginger. Keep aside the above chopped ingredients on a plate along with curry leaves.

3). Heat 1tbsp coconut oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) and grated coconut or desiccated coconut into the pan and roast on low flame till the coconut grating becomes light golden brown. Add turmeric powder, red chilly powder and coriander powder into the pan and saute well along with roasted coconut on low flame. Switch off the flame and transfer the roasted coconut masala mixture on a plate to cool.

4). Once cooled add the roasted coconut masala mixture in a small mixer grinder and grind to a fine paste till oil seperates and without adding water.Keep aside the ground roasted coconut masala paste.

5). Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of water for few minutes. Squeeze and extract tamarind water and keep aside.

Method:-

1). Heat 1tbsp coconut oil in a wide bottom pan.Add thinly chopped shallot (ulli /sambar onion) into the pan and saute well.Add crushed ginger and 1 sprig curry leaves into the pan and saute well on low flame until shallot slices become light brown in colour.

2). Add thinly sliced button mushrooms and little salt into the pan and saute well on medium high flame.

3). Do not add water into the pan. Water will come from mushroom. Saute well till the water from mushroom slices has been evaporated and mushroom slices becomes soft.

4). Add ground roasted coconut masala paste into the pan and mix well.

5). Add extracted tamarind water and required salt into the pan and mix well.

6). Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water into the pan. Mix well and make it a gravy consistency and boil on low flame. Once the boiling bubbles starts to appear switch off the flame.

7). Heat 1tbsp coconut oil in a small pan for seasoning and splutter mustard seeds. Add broken dry red chilly pieces and 1 sprig curry leaves into the pan and saute well in oil for a second and switch off the flame.Pour the above seasoning into the mushroom coconut masala curry.

8). Transfer the mushroom theeyal/ mushroom masala curry to a serving plate.

Very tasty Mushroom Theeyal / Kerala Style Mushroom Curry is ready to serve with rice.

Mushroom Chilli Gravy

 Mushoom chilli is a very tasty gravy made with button mushroom goes well as a side dish with chapathi, phulka, fried rice and puri.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Mushroom Chilli Gravy..

Ingredients:-

Button mushroom.-1 cup chopped
Capsicum.        -1
Green chilly.    -3
Pepper powder.-1tsp
Chilly powder. -1/2 tsp
Tomato.            -3
Onion.              -1 big
Garlic.              -5 cloves
Tomato sauce.  -2 tsp
Soya sauce.       -2 tsp
Corn flour.        -2 tsp
Sugar.                -1tsp
Oil.                    -1 tbsp
Salt.                   -to taste
water.                -as required

Instructions:-

1). Chop button mushroom into medium thick pieces.Chop capsicum into medium thick pieces.Peel and chop onion into medium thick cubes.Chop green chilly into small pieces.Chop tomatoes into medium thick cubes.Peel and chop garlic into small round pieces.

2). In a small bowl add 2 tsp of corn flour and 4 tbsp of water and mix well without lumps. Keep aside  the cornflour slurry.

Method:-

1). Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide bottom pan and add chopped garlic pieces and saute well for a minute. Add chopped green chilly and chopped onion cubes into the pan and saute well.Add chopped capsicum and saute well.

2). Add chopped button mushooms, pepper powder and red chilly powder into the pan and saute well.

3). Add tomato sauce and soya sauce into the pan and mix well.Add required salt and little water into the pan and mix well. Boil and cook all the ingredients for a minute on low flame and saute well in between.

4). Add chopped tomato cubes into the pan and saute well on low flame.

5). Add cornflour slurry into the pan and mix well.Lastly sprinkle 1tsp sugar and mix with all the ingredients for a minute and switch off the flame.Transfer the mushroom chilly gravy to a serving bowl.

Very tasty Mushroom Chilli Gravy is ready to serve.

Veg Chilli

Veg Chilli is a very tasty and easy to prepare starter made with mixed vegetables.Veg Chilli recipe is given below with photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Veg Chilli.

Ingredients:-

Cabbage.             -1/2 cup chopped
Carrot.                 -2
Capsicum.           -1/2 cup chopped
Onion.                 -1
Garlic crushed.    -3
Garam masala.    -1tsp
Pepper powder.   -1tsp
All purpose flour.-1/4 cup
Corn flour.           -1/4 cup
Salt.                      -to taste
Oil.                       -for deep frying

For Preparing Veg Chilly:-

Garlic chopped. -10 cloves
Onion.                -1 diced
Capsicum.          -1diced
Soya sauce.        -1tsp

Green chilly sauce.-1tsp

Red chilly sauce.-1 &1/2 tsp
Tomato Ketchup.-1 &1/2 tbsp
Vinegar.              -1tsp
Corn flour.          -1tsp
Water.                 -1/2 cup +2 tbsp
Oil.                     -1tbsp

Instructions:-

In a small bowl add 1tsp corn flour and 2 tbsp of water and mix well without lumps. Make a corn flour slurry and keep aside.

Method:-

1). In a mixing bowl add 1/2 cup finely chopped cabbage, 2 finely chopped carrot, 1/2 cup finely chopped capsicum, finely chopped 1 onion, 3 crushed garlic cloves, garam masala powder, pepper powder, required salt and mix well.

2). Add 1/4 cup all purpose flour and 1/4 cup corn flour into the bowl.Mix well and combine the veg mixture to form oval shaped mixed veg balls. Make oval shaped mixed veg balls and keep them on a plate.

3). Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Put the oval shaped mixed veg balls into hot oil and deep fry them on medium flame till golden brown. Remove the deep fried veg balls from hot oil with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a tissue paper to absorb excess oil.

4). Heat 1tbsp oil in a wide bottom pan. Add finely chopped 10 garlic cloves and saute well. Add diced onion and diced capsicum into the pan and saute well.Add soya sauce, green chilly sauce, red chilly sauce and tomato ketchup into the pan and mix well. Add required salt and 1/2 cup of water and mix well.Boil on low flame.Add corn flour slurry and mix well. Add deep fried oval shaped mixed veg balls into the pan and toss well.Add vinegar and mix well on high flame. Once the gravy thickens switch off the flame and transfer the Veg Chilli to a serving bowl.

Very tasty Veg Chilli is ready to serve.

Note:- It can be made as a gravy also if you want to increase water quantity.

Baby Potato Roast Chettinad Style

 Baby potato roast is a very tasty, spicy and aromatic potato roast made with baby potatoes coated with homemade freshly ground Chettinad style spice masala powder.Baby Potato Roast goes well as a side with chapathi and rice.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Chettinad Style Baby Potato Roast.

Ingredients:-

Baby potatoes.    -15
Dry red chillies.  -2
Urad dal.             -1tsp
Mustard seeds.    -1tsp
Cumin seeds.       -1/2 tsp
Curry leaves.       -1sprig
Asafoetida.          -1tsp
Turmeric powder.-1/4 tsp
Lemon juice        -1/2 of a lemon
Salt.                     -to taste
Oil.                      -1tbsp

For grinding Chettinad style Spice Masala Powder :-

Dry Red chilly.   -3 to 5
Urad dal.            -1tbsp
Coriander seeds.-1tbsp
Fennel seeds.     -1tbsp
Cumin seeds.     -1tsp
Pepper corn.      -15 to 20

Instructions:-

1). Heat a pan and dry roast red chillies, urad dal, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, cumin seeds and pepper corn on low flame. Switch off the flame and allow the roasted ingredients to cool. Once cooled grind all the roasted ingredients together to a coarse powder. Keep aside the freshly ground Chettinad style spice masala powder.

2). Wash and boil baby potatoes with skin in sufficient water. Once cooled peel the outer skin of boiled baby potatoes and keep aside.

Method:-

1). Heat 1tbsp oil in a non stick pan and add urad dal and saute well.Splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds and saute well.Add dry red chillies and curry leaves into the pan and saute well in oil for a second.

2). Add boiled baby potatoes into the pan and fry a little.

3). Add turmeric powder, asafoetida, freshly ground Chettinad style spice masala powder and required salt into the pan and mix well.Allow it to roast on low flame for 5 minutes.

4). Lastly add lemon juice and mix with all the ingredients in the pan. Switch off the flame.

Very tasty Chettinad style Baby Potato Roast is ready to serve hot with chapathi and rice.

Vella Naranga Achar / Kerala Style Lemon Pickle

Vella Naranga Achar is a Kerala style mouth watering lemon pickle made with small lemons adding green chillies, ginger, garlic and curry leaves.Vella Naranga Achar recipe is given below with step by step photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Vella Naranga Achar / Kerala Style Lemon Pickle.

Ingredients:-

Small lemon.      -10 fresh
Ginger chopped. -1 inch piece
Green chillies.    -10 chopped
Garlic cloves.      -12 chopped
Curry leaves.       -few
Mustard seeds.     -1tsp
Dry red chillies.   -3
Turmeric powder. -1/4 tsp
Asafoetida.           -1/2 tsp
Vinegar.                -1tbsp
Salt.                       -to taste
Gingelly oil.          -1/4 cup

Instructions:-

1). Wash and clean small fresh lemons and pat dry the lemons with a clean cloth. Steam cook the lemons in a idli steamer for 3 minutes. Once cooled chop the steamed lemons into small pieces and remove the seeds. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the chopped lemon pieces and mix well. Peel the skin and chop ginger into small pieces. Slit green chillies into small pieces. Peel and chop garlic cloves into thin lengthy pieces. Keep the chopped lemon pieces, ginger pieces, green chilly pieces and garlic pieces along with few curry leaves on a plate.

Method:-

1). Heat gingelly oil in a wide pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add broken dry red chilly pieces, chopped ginger and chopped green chillies and saute well in oil. Add thinly chopped garlic cloves and curry leaves into the pan and saute in oil on low flame till nice aroma comes.

2). Add chopped lemon pieces into the pan and mix well.

3). Add turmeric powder, required salt and asafoetida into the pan and mix with the lemon pieces. 

 4). Saute well all the ingredients in the pan. Boil and cook on low flame for 4 to 5 minutes.Add vinegar into the pan and mix well. Check for salt.Mix well and cook for 2 minutes on low flame and switch off the flame.

 

5). Allow the lemon pickle to cool.Once cooled store the lemon pickle in a clean and sundried airtight glass bottle or bowl.

Very tasty and mouth watering Kerala style Vella Naranga Achar / Lemon Pickle is ready to use. 

Note:- Always use a clean and dry spoon to take out the lemon pickle from glass bottle or glass bowl, else fungus will enter into the pickle bottle and decay the pickle.

Onion Mutta Bajji / Egg Pakoda

Onion mutta bajji /Mutta bhaji /Egg pakoda is a deep fried tea time snack made with boiled eggs. Onion Mutta Bajji / Egg Pakoda recipe is given below with step by step photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Onion Mutta Bajji / Egg Pakoda.

Ingredients:-

Boiled Eggs.        -2
Onion.                  -1
Green chilly.        -4
Curry leaves.       -2 sprig
Gram flour.          -1/4 cup
Corn flour.            -2 tbsp
Turmeric powder. -1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder.-1tsp
Coriander powder.-1tsp
Garam masala.      -1tsp
Cooking soda.       -a pinch
Salt.                       -to taste
Oil.                        -for frying

Instructions:-

Boil 2 eggs in sufficient water adding little salt. Remove the outer skin of boiled eggs. Chop each boiled egg into 4 lengthy slices using a thread. Keep the boiled egg slices on a plate.

Method:-

1). In a mixing bowl add gram flour, corn flour, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, a pinch of cooking soda and required salt and mix well.

2). Add required water little by little into the bowl and mix all the ingredients in the bowl using your hand and make a thick batter.Add finely chopped onion, thinly chopped green chilly pieces and curry leaves into the thick batter and mix the batter well.

3). Heat oil in a deep frying pan. Dip each egg slices into the batter to coat the batter on all its sides. Drop the batter coated egg slices in hot oil 2 or 3 at a time using a spoon. Deep fry the batter coated egg slices till golden colour on all sides on medium flame. Remove the deep fried mutta bajji from hot oil using a slotted spoon and transfer to a tissue paper to absorb excess oil. Then transfer the mutta bajji to a plate.

Onion Mutta Bajji / Egg Pakoda is ready to serve.

Vazhakkai Pepper Fry

Vazhakkai pepper fry /plantain pepper fry is a tasty stir fry made with raw banana, crushed black pepper corn and spice powders.Vazhakkai pepper fry goes well as a side dish with steamed rice.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Vazhakkai Pepper Fry.

Ingredients:-

Raw Banana.           -2
Onion.                     -1 small size
Ginger garlic paste. -1/2 tsp
Black Pepper.          -1tsp
Turmeric powder.    -1/4 tsp
Coriander powder.   -2 tsp
Mustard seeds.         -1tsp
Curry leaves.            -few
Water.                       -as required
Salt.                          -to taste
Oil.                           -1tbsp

Instructions:-

1). Peel and remove the outer green skin of raw bananas.Wash the peeled raw bananas and chop into small round pieces and keep aside.

2). Finely chop a small size onion and keep aside.

3). Coarsely crush black pepper corn and keep aside.

Method:-

1). Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add finely chopped onion and few curry leaves into the pan and saute well. Add ginger garlic paste and saute well till onion becomes translucent.

2). Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, required salt and 1/2 cup of water into the pan and saute well.Boil and cook for 2 minutes on medium flame.

3). Add chopped banana slices into the pan and mix with the spice powders.Add 2 tbsp of water and cook the raw banana slices on medium flame for 5 to 7 minutes.

4). Once the banana slices become soft add coarsely crushed black  pepper powder and mix with the cooked banana slices.Cover and cook for 2 minutes and switch off the flame.

Vazhakkai Pepper Fry is ready to serve as a side dish with steamed rice.

Crispy Onion Potato Pakoda.

 Onion Potato Pakoda is a deep fried crispy tea time snack.Onion Potato Pakoda recipe is given below with step by step photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Onion Potato Pakoda

Ingredients:-

Onion.                  -2
Potato.                  -1
Green chillies.      -2
Ajwain.                 -1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder.-1tsp
Coriander powder. -1tsp
Coriander leaves.   -few
Mint leaves.           -few
Corn flour.              -2 tbsp
Gram flour /besan. -1/2 cup
Salt.                        -to taste
Oil.                -for deep frying

Instructions:-

Peel and chop onion into thin lengthy slices. Boil, peel and grate potato. Chop green chilli into thin round pieces. Finely chop few coriander leaves and mint leaves.

Method:-

1). In a mixing bowl add thinly sliced onion and little salt and mix well.Add boiled and grated potato, thinly chopped green chilly pieces, ajwain, red chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, finely chopped coriander leaves, finely chopped mint leaves, corn flour and gram flour (besan) into the bowl and mix all the ingredients together.

2). Heat oil in a deep frying kadai.Take a small portion of the onion potato gram flour mixture and drop it little by little into hot oil using your fingers and deep fry on low flame.

3). Filp and deep fry it in hot oil to become crispy on all sides.Once the onion potato mixture turns crispy and golden brown in colour remove it from hot oil with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate.

4). In the same way deep fry the remaining onion potato gram flour mixture till crispy and transfer to the plate.

5). Serve the crispy Onion Potato Pakoda with tomato ketchup and a cup of hot tea or coffee.

Very tasty evening snack is ready.

Meal Maker Curry / Soya Chunks Curry

 Meal maker curry /Soya chunks curry is a very tasty semi thick gravy dish made with boiled soya chunks cooked in onion tomato cashew paste and goes well with chapathi, phulkas, appam and with rice.Soya chunks is also known as meal maker. Meal Maker Curry recipe is given below with step by step photos.

The following ingredients are needed to prepare Meal Maker Curry / Soya Chunks Curry.

Ingredients:-

Soya chunks.       -1 cup (meal maker)
Onion.                  -1 finely chopped
Tomato.                -1 finely chopped
Cumin seeds.        -1tsp
Cinnamon.            -1 small stick
Turmeric powder. -1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder.-1 and 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder.-2 tsp
Garam masala.      -1/2 tsp
Mint leaves.           -few
Cloves.                   -3
Bay leaves.             -2
Salt.                        -to taste
Water.                     -as required
Oil.                          -2 tsp

For grinding Onion Tomato Cashew Paste :-

Onion.         -1 roughly chopped
Tomato.       -1 roughly chopped
Ginger.        -1tsp chopped
Garlic.         -4 cloves chopped
Mint leaves. -few
Cashewnuts.- 6 or 8

Instructions:-

1). Boil 3 cup of water in a vessel with 1tsp salt and add soya chunks in the boiling water. Boil and cook the soya chunks for 10 minutes on low flame. Switch off the flame and keep the soya chunks in the hot boiled water for 5 minutes.Drain boiled water and wash the cooked soft soya chunks in cold water 2-3 times. Squeeze and remove extra water from cooked soya chunks and chop each soya chunks into halves and keep them on a plate.

2). Heat 1tsp oil in a pan and add roughly chopped onion and saute well. Add chopped ginger, chopped garlic and saute well. Add roughly chopped tomato, cashewnuts and mint leaves into the pan and saute well till tomato becomes soft. Switch off the flame and keep aside the sauted ingredients to cool. Once cooled grind all the sauted ingredients together to a smooth paste without adding water. Keep aside the ground onion tomato cashew paste.

Method:-

1). Heat 2 tsp oil in a wide bottom pan and splutter cumin seeds. Add cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, finely chopped onion and 1tsp salt into the pan and saute well till onion becomes translucent.

2). Add finely chopped tomatoes into the pan and saute well.

3). Add turmeric powder, red chilly powder coriander powder and garam masala powder into the pan and mix well.

4). Add ground onion tomato cashew paste into the pan and mix well.

5). Add 3/4 cup of water into the pan. Mix well and boil for 3 minutes on low flame.

6). Add boiled and chopped soya chunks into the pan and mix well.

7). Add finely chopped mint leaves into the pan. Mix all the ingredients in the pan and cook the curry on low flame for 2 minutes and switch off the flame.

A very tasty Meal Maker Curry / Soya Chunks Curry is ready to serve with chapathi, phulkas, appam and rice.