Chilli Cabbage

Ingredients:
Cabbage - finely chopped 2 cups
Onion - finely chopped 1 cup
Green chillies - finely chopped 3
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Soya sauce - 2 tbsp
Jeera - 1/4 tsp
oil, salt

Method:
Heat oil in a pan. Add jeera and let it splutter. Add the onions and green chillies. Add in the curry leaves. Saute on high flame until onions turn slight brown. Then mix in the cabbage and salt. Add the coriander leaves. When the cabbage is 3/4th cooked pour the soya sauce and cook for two min. Serve hot and crunchy.

Vazhaithandu dal

Ingredients:
Vazhaithandu - finely chopped 2 cups
Moong dal - 1 cup
Green chillies - 2
Small (sambar) onion - 12
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Curry leaves - few
Dry chilly - 1
Coriander leaves - few
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
lemon - 1/2
Salt for taste
Oil for seasoning

Method:
Put the vazhaithandu as soon as cut, in water mixed with little buttermilk and salt, so that it doesn't turn black.
Pressure cook the vazhaithandu with the moong dal, green chillies, turmeric powder and sambar onion. Once cooked smash well and keep aside. You can also run in a blender. This is to ensure vazhaithandu gets into everyone's stomach especially kids :)
Heat oil in a pan and season it with mustard seeds, urad dal, jeera, onion, dry chilly and curry leaves. Then add the dal vazhaithandu mixture. Pour in enough water according to needed consistency. Add salt and give it a nice mix. Let it boil and then add finely chopped coriander leaves. Squeeze in half a lemon. Serve with rice. If made in thick consistency it could be served with roti.

Baingan Bartha

Ingredients:
Brinjal big - 1
Onions - 3
Tomatoes - 4
Green peas - 2 cups
Curry leaves - few
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 3
Coriander leaves - few
chilli powder - 2tsp
Dhaniya powder - 2tsp
Jaggery - pea sized
Tamarind - lemon sized
Salt, oil

Method:
Wash and wipe dry the brinjal. Heat it over the flame on all sides so that it gets cooked over the flame. Cool, peel the skin and smash well. You can also put in a blender. Keep aside.
Cook the peas with salt and keep aside.
Soak the tamarind.
Make a paste of one chopped onion and two tomatoes.
Heat oil in a pan. Season with mustard seeds, urad dal, jeera and curry leaves. Add finely chopped onions and green chillies. Saute until the onions are slight brown color. Add two finely chopped tomatoes and saute well. Add little salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder and dhaniya powder. Mix in the onion tomato paste. Pour in the tamarind water. Add the jaggery, mix well and let it boil. Then add the smashed brinjal and mix well. Add salt. Mix well and check spice and salt. Add the cooked peas and simmer for 10 min. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Chicken Greeny

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1/2 kg
Onion - 2
Curry leaves - few
Bay leaf - 1
Cinnamon - 1.2 inch
Cloves - 4
Elachi - 3

To marinate:
Ginger garlic paste - 2tsp
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1 cup
Mint leaves (Pudina) - 1 cup
Salt - 1 tsp

Method:
Make a paste of the coriander and mint. Marinate the chicken with the paste and the other ingredients to marinate.
Heat oil in a pan. Add the bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and elaichi and let it splutter . Add onions and curry leaves. Add little salt. Saute till onions are soft. Add the marinated chicken and mix well. Simmer and let the chicken cook. Open the lid and check for spice and salt. Add pepper powder and salt if needed and let it fry for few minutes mixing in between. Chicken greeny is ready to serve.

Chicken Cashew curry

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1/2 kg
Onion - 3
Tomato - 6
Cashew (full) - 20
Somph (fennel seeds) - 2tsp
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch
Cloves - 5
Maratti mokku - small piece
Milk cream - 1/2 cup
chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt for taste
Oil

For the marinade:
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Marinate the chicken with the marinade and keep aside for atleast an hour.
Heat oil in a pan. Add the somph and let it splutter. Add the finely chopped onion and saute until soft. Powder and add the cinnamon, cloves and maratti mokku. Finely chop and add the tomatoes, salt and turmeric powder and mix well. Let it simmer until the tomatoes are cooked and soft. Switch off the stove and let the mixture cool. Then make it into a paste in a blender. Also make a paste of the cashews.
Transfer the tomato mixture into the pan and switch on the flame. Add the cashew paste and mix well. Add chilli powder and salt. Add half a cup of milk cream. Mix in the marinated chicken and let in simmer for 15 min. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or roti.

Egg Curry

Ingredients:
Egg - 6
Onions - 2 finely chopped
Tomato - 4 finely chopped
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
Cloves - 4
Jeera seeds - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - few cut finely
Dhaniya powder - 2 tsp
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Coconut - 1/2

Method:
Boil the eggs and keep aside.
Grind the coconut and take coconut milk, both first and second milk.
Heat oil in a pan. Add the cinnamon, cloves, jeera and garlic and let it splutter. Add the onions and saute till soft. Then add the tomatoes and let it simmer along with little salt. Close the lid.
Add the dhaniya powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and mix well. Then add the coconut milk and salt. You can add little water if necessary. Cut the eggs into two and add to the gravy. Let it simmer for 10 mins. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or roti.

Crab/Nandu fry

Ingredients:
Crab - 1 kg
Sombu (fennel seeds) - 2tsp
Garlic - 15 pods
Black Peppercorns - 2tsp (according to taste)
Curry leaves -few
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Oil, Salt

Method:
Grind together garlic, fennel seeds and peppercorns. Heat oil in a pan. Put the curry leaves. Add the ground mixture and mix well. Then add the cleaned crab pieces, salt and turmeric powder and mix together. Simmer and close with a lid. Cook for 15 min stirring in between. Garnish and serve. You can also mix the masala with rice and have.

Liver fry

Ingredients:
Liver - 250 gms
Small (Sambar) Onion - 30
Garlic - 20 cloves
Ginger - 1 inch
Chilly powder - 3tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 5,6 twigs
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - for taste
Oil - for taste

Method:
Wash and cut the liver into small cubes. Marinate the liver with turmeric powder, 2 tsp chilly powder, 1 tsp salt and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Put the fennel seeds and let it splutter. Add the curry leaves. Then add chopped onions and saute until the onions are soft. Then crush the garlic and ginger together and add to the pan. Saute for a minute. Add the marinated liver, 1 tsp chilly powder and mix well. Close the pan and simmer for few minutes. Once the liver is cooked, open the lid and check for salt and spice. You can add pepper powder if needed. Fry till it turns slight brown. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.