Sinful Curry

Known to be the spiciest and the most aromatic cuisine of India, the Chettinad cuisine is one of my favorites. I’ve spent many glorious evenings in Chennai wiping away plates of Biryani and sucking on spicy succulent crab meat while my totally vegetarian best friend V, looked on with great amusing interest. I’m sure her smirk would disappear in a tick had she only known the great void (tragedy) her vegetarian life had conferred on her. Anyway, coming back to serious cooking,  here’s a vegetarian version of the popular Chettinad biryani which is so flavorful that I’m sure even a die hard meat eater would easily go for a second helping . Ingredients 1 lb veggies of your choice. (I used, cauliflower and broccoli florets, diced bell peppers and carrots, peas and  potatoes cut into long strip like fries) 3 cups basmati rice 1 large  or 2 medium sized red onions finely sliced 3 large tomatoes, diced in chunks  2 tbsp chopped cilantro/coriander leaves 11/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp cho...

Navratan Korma, meaning a mixture of nine gems is a delicious vegetarian dish from the Mughlai cuisine. The nine gems indicate the nine veggies, fruits and nuts that go into the dish. Influenced by the imperial kitchens of the Mughal empire this is as grand and as rich as any vegetarian dish can get. Ingredients 10 oz of paneer/cottage cheese 1/2 cup cashew nuts  1 large onion chopped 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste 1/2 tsp cumin powder 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp white pepper powder 1 tsp punjabi garam masala 1 1″ piece of cinnamon 2 bay leaves 1 pod of bruised cardamom 4 cloves 3-4 cups mixed veggies(I used cubed potatoes, chopped French beans, diced carrots,green peas,cauliflower florets, diced bell pepper) 1/4 cup pineapple chunks 10-12 raisins 2-3 tbsp heavy cream 2-3 tbsp refined oil Salt to taste Directions Cut the paneer into slabs (not cubes) and toast them on both sides in a non stick pan in 1 tbsp of oil. Make sure you don’t over do it. Both the sides should have just a ...

Since I could never bend it like Beckham, I chose the easier alternative and learnt to make a killer Aloo Gobi. I consider a bowl of Aloo Gobi perfect when the potatoes and the cauliflowers remain intact in shape and size but are yet cooked thoroughly through. And of course the cauliflower florets shouldn’t be giving off that God-awful gaseous stench.  Over the years I figured the best way not to stink up your kitchen while cooking cauliflower and the like (cabbage, kohlrabi etc) was to cook them dry. And the easiest was to cook them dry is to deep fry them (tastier option) or broil/bake them (healthier option) . You of course can cook them dry directly in the pan too. But that requires frequent stirring and totally depends on how patient you are willing to be. I’ve detailed all four techniques here. Follow what ever floats your boat. Ingredients 2 cups cauliflower florets 1 cup quartered potatoes 1 small onion chopped fine 1 tsp grated ginger 1 medium tomato chopped into chunks 3/4 ts...

This simple dish goes amazingly well with Indian breads. I’ve used Portobello mushrooms here. But, you can use any kind you like. The mushrooms and the potatoes so readily absorb the sweetness of the coconut milk that every bite of it leaves you wanting more. Though you can make this dish with just mushrooms I’ve added potatoes too, only because I wanted more volume and they being the most versatile of the veggies I knew would remain subtle and not over shadow the mushrooms in this dish. Ingredients 1 lb Portobello mushrooms chopped into chunks 3 red potatoes 1 large onion finely chopped 1tbsp ginger-garlic paste 3 –4 green chilies chopped 2 tomatoes chopped into chunks 1 sprig of curry leaves 1/2 tsp cinnamon-clove spice mix 1/4 tsp turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 cup canned coconut milk 1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder 2-3 shallots finely sliced 1/2 tsp red chili powder 1 tsp of lemon zest 1 tsp black mustard seeds 1 tsp coriander powder 1 tbsp choppe...

These are just about the easiest patties to put together. They make amazing appetizers when served with a combination of meetha chutney (tamarind and sugar),  green chutney (cilantro, green chilies and lime) and chole .   Ingredients 3 large potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed 1 tsp corn flour 1/4 cup green peas, boiled 2 green chilies, chopped 3 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp cumin powder 1 tsp red chili powder salt to taste 2 tbsp chopped cilantro 1 tbsp chopped mint leaves pinch of asafoetida refined vegetable oil for frying Directions Thoroughly mix all the ingredients except the oil. Divide into 10 to 12 equal portions and shape them into flat patties Heat oil in a fry pan and shallow fry over medium heat until golden brown and crisp on both sides. Drain and pat dry on absorbent paper. Serve hot with chutneys and chole .

Nish: Mama, whatcha doin? Me: I’m making Puris for you, baby. Nish: Poowwis? Why? Me: Because, Puris are your favorite. Nish: Mama, you making Poowwis with Macaroni and Cheese? Me: Yes, I am. Nish: Thaaeenks Mama, Macaroni aaend Cheese poowwis are my favorite! What can I say?  The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree? Like his Dad, Nish, will eat anything when he’s assured, what’s in it, is what he likes. Truth be told, my droll little man, likes Puris more than he does Mac and Cheese. But, prefers to believe other wise. Idlis, dosas, rotis are all his favorite when he is guaranteed, they are made form Mac and Cheese :). Oh, bless!!. Puri and Bhaji is to India, what Mac and Cheese is to America. A child’s delight and an adult’s I-Dont-Care-If-I-Die-Young food. Interestingly, in spite of all the diversity in the Indian sub continent, this combination of food is similar and popular through out the country. Ingredients   For the Puri 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup water 1/4 tsp of salt r...

Nish: Mama, whatcha doin? Me: I’m making Puris for you, baby. Nish: Poowwis? Why? Me: Because, Puris are your favorite. Nish: Mama, you making Poowwis with Macaroni and Cheese? Me: Yes, I am. Nish: Thaaeenks Mama, Macaroni aaend Cheese poowwis are my favorite! What can I say?  The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree? Like his Dad, Nish, will eat anything when he’s assured, what’s in it, is what he likes. Truth be told, my droll little man, likes Puris more than he does Mac and Cheese. But, prefers to believe other wise. Idlis, dosas, rotis are all his favorite when he is guaranteed, they are made form Mac and Cheese :). Oh, bless!!. Puri and Bhaji is to India, what Mac and Cheese is to America. A child’s delight and an adult’s I-Dont-Care-If-I-Die-Young food. Interestingly, in spite of all the diversity in the Indian sub continent, this combination of food is similar and popular through out the country. Ingredients   For the Puri 1 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup water 1/4 tsp of salt r...

I watched my friend K make some really scrumptious Aloo Parathas when she had us over for dinner the other day, and I just couldn’t get past this week without trying them out myself at home. I’ve always been a big fan of stuffed parathas, but there was something that held me back when it came to making them on my own. I being a hard core Mallu and all, with minimal experience in making Indian breads thought it was beyond me to keep the stuffing inside while I rolled out the dough. So, when I saw K , facilely flatten out the stuffed balls and  later when the parathas hissed and billowed into big swollen puffs on the flame, my lifelong intimidation disappeared and I couldn’t wait to get to my kitchen and do some show and tell 😀 Very much unlike me, K loves to slow dance in the kitchen. She finds cooking at a slow pace therapeutic. And that day, this worked perfectly  for me.. It gave me ample time to make mental notes while watching her cook in spite of being busy in an intense, persis...

I watched my friend K make some really scrumptious Aloo Parathas when she had us over for dinner the other day, and I just couldn’t get past this week without trying them out myself at home. I’ve always been a big fan of stuffed parathas, but there was something that held me back when it came to making them on my own. I being a hard core Mallu and all, with minimal experience in making Indian breads thought it was beyond me to keep the stuffing inside while I rolled out the dough. So, when I saw K , facilely flatten out the stuffed balls and  later when the parathas hissed and billowed into big swollen puffs on the flame, my lifelong intimidation disappeared and I couldn’t wait to get to my kitchen and do some show and tell :D Very much unlike me, K loves to slow dance in the kitchen. She finds cooking at a slow pace therapeutic. And that day, this worked perfectly  for me.. It gave me ample time to make mental notes while watching her cook in spite of being busy in an intense, persis...

In Kerala these cutlets are ideally made with minced beef. Since most of my Christmas party guests were non beef eaters, I substituted beef with lamb. It turned out pretty authentic in taste and, a hard core mallu friend of mine couldn’t tell the difference. So my take – you could use any sort of red meat in this recipe and it wont be easy to tell. What does make a difference however, is what you serve them with. To bring out the actual  flavor or these savories you have to , I cannot stress this more, serve these with the M alayalee Charlas – thin slices of onions and finely diced green chilies soaked in white vinegar with a dash of salt. Ingredients 1 lb very lean ground/minced beef or lamb 3 medium sized Yukon white potatoes, cooked pealed and mashed 1 very large  or 2 medium sized onions finely chopped 5- 6 green chilies, finely diced 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 2 tbsp grated ginger 2 tbsp diced garlic 2 tsp Black pepper powder 1/2 tsp kerala garam masala refined vege...

In Kerala these cutlets are ideally made with minced beef. Since most of my Christmas party guests were non beef eaters, I substituted beef with lamb. It turned out pretty authentic in taste and, a hard core mallu friend of mine couldn't tell the difference. So my take - you could use any sort of red meat in this recipe and it wont be easy to tell. What does make a difference however, is what you serve them with. To bring out the actual  flavor or these savories you have to , I cannot stress this more, serve these with the M alayalee Charlas - thin slices of onions and finely diced green chilies soaked in white vinegar with a dash of salt. Ingredients 1 lb very lean ground/minced beef or lamb 3 medium sized Yukon white potatoes, cooked pealed and mashed 1 very large  or 2 medium sized onions finely chopped 5- 6 green chilies, finely diced 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 2 tbsp grated ginger 2 tbsp diced garlic 2 tsp Black pepper powder 1/2 tsp kerala garam masala refined vegetable oil 1 b...