Shrimp/Prawn Masala

Ingredients:

1.)Shrimp - 450gm

2.)onion - 1 big(chopped finely)

3.)tomato - 1(chopped)

4.)ginger garlic paste - 1 and 1/2 tsp

5.)green chillies - 4(slit length wise)

6.)cloves - 2

7.)cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece

8.)red chili powder - 1/4 tsp(optional,varies on the level of spicy food u can take)

9.)coconut powder - 1tbsp

10.)curry leaves - 6

11.)turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

12.)salt - to taste

13.)oil - 1 tbsp

14.)sugar - pinch

Procedure:

Take oil in a pan, when it is hot add cloves and cinnamon. When they start giving out an aroma, add onions, curry leaves and green chillies and fry till onions get translucent. At this point add turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste and cook till the ginger garlic paste get cooked. Next add tomatoes and cook till they get soft. Now add salt and red chili powder and mix well. Next add the shrimp and saute it in the mixture without adding water. Make sure that shrimp doesn't burn,because we saute without adding water. Saute the shrimp dry for 5 mins and them add water and coconut powder and let the shrimp cook. Shrimp masala is ready to be served. This goes very well with rice or chapathi.

Fish Fry

Ingredientd

1.)Fish - 225gm(I used Tilapia, proly 9 2 inch pieces)

2.)Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

3.)turmeric powder - 1tsp

4.)Red chilli powder - 3-4 tsp(depending on how spicy u want)

5.)Lime Juice - 2 Tbsp

6.)Salt - 1tsp

Procedure:

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl, except the fish. Coat the fish pieces evenly with the mixture and let it marinate for 30 mins. Fry the fish on a pan with little oil or PAM(cooking spray) by flipping it , so that the fish gets properly cooked.Fish fry is ready to be served. This goes extremely well with sambar and rice, or can be had just as a snack or appetizer.

Collard Green Curry

Ingredients:
1.)Collards - 450gm(Chopped)
2.)onion - 1 medium(finely chopped)
3.)green chillies - 3(slit length wise)
4.)dried red chilli- 2-3
5.)ginger garlic paste - 1tsp
6.)Tomato - 3(finely chopped)
7.)mustard seeds - 1tsp
8.)cumin seeds - 1tsp
9.)ural dal - 1tsp
10.)garlic - 1tsp(finely chopped)
11.)turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
12.)garam masala - 1tsp
13.)amchur powder - 1/2 tsp
14.)salt - to taste
15.)oil - 1 tbsp
16.)coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
17.)cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Procedure:
Take oil in a pan, when it is hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal and red chilli. When they start spluttering add onion, green chillies, garlic and fry till onions get golden brown. Then add turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste and cook till the raw flavor of ginger garlic paste is gone.Then add tomatoes and salt and saute till the tomatoes are cooked. Next add the collard green and fry for 2 mins. Then add the rest of the masalas, add some water and mix well andLet the collards cook .

Cauliflower curry

Ingredients:
1.)cauliflower florets- 450gm
2.)tomato -3 (chopped)
3.)onion - 1 small(finely chopped)
4.)cumin seeds - 1tsp
5.)mustard seeds - 1tsp
6.)red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
7.)amchur/dried mango powder - 1/2 tsp
8.)garam masla powder - 1 tsp
9.)salt - to taste
10.)ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
11.)lime juice - 1 tbsp


Procedure:
Take oil in a pan. When it is hot add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and urad dal. When they start spluttering add onions and salt and saute till onions get transparent. To this add turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw flavor of the ginger garlic paste is gone. Now add the tomatoes and saute for about 2-3 mins. To this add red chilli powder and mix well. Now add the cauliflower florets and mix well. Close the lid of the pan and let the cauliflower florets cook. Keep checking occasionally, other wise the curry might get burnt at the bottom on the pan.If necessary add a little water to avoid burning of the curry.Once the florets are cooked, add garma masala powder and amchur powder and mix well add cook for another 3 mins and finally add lime juice and mix well. Cauliflower curry is ready to be served. This goes well with chapathi or rice.

Tomato papu

1.)tomato - 4(cut into pieces.)

2.)onion - 1 small chopped(not very finely)

3.)toor dal - 1 and 1/2 cups

4.)green chillies - 5 to 6

5.)curry leave - 6-7

6.)mustard seeds - 2 tsps

7.)cumin seeds - 1 tsp

8.)astefodia - pinch

9.)sambar powder - 1 tsp

10.)turmeric - 1/2 tsp

11.)ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

12.)coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Procedure:

Wash the toor dal well and soak it in water for about 15 mins to half an hour.Take oil in a pressure cooker.When it is hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds,when they start spluttering add onions curry leaves and green chillies. Saute till the onions get transparent. Add turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw flavor goes away. then add astefodia and stir for a min. Then add the tomato and saute for 2 to 3 mins. Now add the toor dal and stir for 2 to 3 mins and add approximately4 to 5 cups of water. Ans pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.

After4-5 whistles, turn off the stove and let it rest till the steam is completely gone. (Test for this is, try to lift the weight of the pressure cooker.If no steam comes out,or, u do not get a whoosh sound, the steam is gone.Otherwise let it stand for some more time.)

Once the steam is gone completely, open the lid and mash the dal into a semi-smooth paste.Add salt and sambar powder and stir well. If the dal is too thick(dal is generally thick so do not add too much of water), add a little water and let it boil for 15-20mins. Finally take oil in another pan add 2 tsps of oil.When the oil is hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and dried red chilli. When mustard seeds start spluttering, pour this over the dal and mix.Garnish with coriander leaves. This goes well with white rice.

Note:
Add water to toor dal in 1:2 proportion(for 1 cup toor dal, add 2 cups water). Here we add a little more, because of the tomato that we added. Anything sour makes the dal take longer time to cook.As a rule of thumb, add water until the ingredients and completely immersed. This rule works pretty well most of the time :).

Pongal

Ingredients:
1.)Rice - 1 cup
2.)pesara pappu - 1/4 the cup
3.)pepper corns- 1tbsp
4.)curry leaves - 10
5.)astefodia - pinch
6.)cumin seeds - 2 tsp
7.)salt to taste
8.)cashewnuts - 8
9.)ghee/oil - 1tbsp

Procedure:
Wash rice and pesara papu. In a pan add rice and pesara papu and add water in the ratio of for 1 cup of rice/ dal 2 and 1/4 cups of water and let it boil(Amount of water may vary based on the rice u use). In a presuure cooker cook it for about 6-7 whistles. Then once the steam is gone add salt and mash the rice and dal mixture to a coarse paste.
In another pan, add ghee/oil. When it is hot add cumin seeds, pepper corns, astefodia, cashews. curry leaves. WHen the start spluttering and the cashews get brown add this mixture to the rice and dal mixtures and mix well. Pongal is ready to serve. this goes well with mango pickle or any chutney.

Aloo puttu/curry/masala for dosa

Ingredients:
1.)potato-3 boiled and coarsely chopped
2.)green chillies - 4(cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
3.)onion - 1 small(chopped)
4.)mustard seeds - 1tsp
5.)cumin seeds - 1tsp
6.)channa dal - 1 tbsp
7.)ginger garlic paste - 1tsp
8.)curry leaves - 4
9.)oil - 1tbsp
10.)salt -to taste
11.)turmeric powder -

Procedure:
Take oil in a pan. When it is hot, add mustard seeds,cumin seeds and channdal. Once the mustard seeds start spluttering add onions and green chillies