Yam Curry

Yam is a coolant. It will cool the body during this hot summer season so it's an apt veggie for this summer. It has many nutrients too. It's a good source of Vitamin C , potassium , manganese , fibre and metabolic B vitamins. It's good for fighting flu and cold and also heals wounds and provides a healthy immune system.

Yam Curry

No. of Serving : 5

Ingredients

Yam - 250 gms

Onion - 1 medium

Tomato - 2 medium

Garlic - 10 cloves

Vadavam - 1 tsp

Mustard - 1 tsp

Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Curry powder / kozhambu powder / sambar powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation Method

1. Clean the yam , chop into big chunks and pressure cook it for 3 whistle, keep aside.

2. In a kadai , heat oil add mustard, vadavam and fenugreek seeds.

3. When the mustard crackles add finely chopped onion and garlic and sauté till the onions turn golden brown.

4. Then add chopped tomatoes, red chilli powder, curry powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt and sauté till the oil separates on the top.

5. Then add tamarind paste and enough water to make the curry.

6. Bring it to a boil and boil for 5 minutes.

7. Add chopped yam and let the curry boil for another 5 minutes.

8. Add curry leaves.

9. Serve hot with steamed rice or chapati. It goes well with idli and dosai also.

Indian Style Chicken Pasta

This is a fusion of pasta in Indian style. The best way to use up the breast meat of the chicken is by making good pasta dishes, it won't dry up the meat and it remains moist and tender to eat. Here I have used Indian style to make this pasta by adding Indian masalas. Hope you will enjoy the taste and flavour of it.

Indian Style Chicken Pasta

No. of Serving : 4

Ingredients

Chicken breast meat - 250 gms

Pasta - 250 gms

Onion - 2 medium

Tomato - 2 medium

Red chilli powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Capsicum - 1 cubed (optional)

Salt to taste

Oil - 3 tbsp

Preparation Method

1. Boil the pasta for 10 minutes, strain and keep aside.

2. Chop the chicken breast meat into 1 inch cubes and marinate for 1/2 hr with red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Keep aside.

3. Puree tomatoes, keep aside.

4. In a kadai heat oil and add the onions and fry till golden brown.

5. Add ginger garlic paste and fry till a nice aroma comes.

6. Add the chicken and salt and sauté for 5 minutes. Add little water, cover and cook till the chicken is done.

7. Add the pureed tomatoes and garam masala to the chicken and sauté till the tomato is cooked and oil separates on the top of the gravy.

8. Add capsicum and sauté till the mixture is thick without any water.

9. Add the cooked pasta and mix well. Heat it for 5 minutes.

10. Serve hot with onion raita.

Yam Roast

Yam is a cooling veggie very apt for this summer. It has a lot of nutrients too. It cools the body. It's a good source of vitamin c, helps fight against cold and flu. It an anti-aging and provides a healthy immune system. It helps in quick healing and strong bones. Its rich in fibre, potassium, manganese and metabolic B vitamins.

Yam Roast

No. of Serving : 5

Ingredients

Yam - 250 gms

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 4 tbsp

Salt to taste

Preparation Method

1. Clean the yam, cut the skin off and make into chunks of 3 inch cube.

2. Wash well. Pressure cook for 3 whistles. cool it and cut into small cubes.

3. In a kadai, heat oil and add red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt.

4. Add the cubed cooked yam and fry on slow fire till golden brown.

5. Serve with steamed rice and dal.

Chicken Groundnut Masala

This chicken groundnut masala is my own innovation. I like the flavour of groundnut with chicken and so I tried it and turned out delicious.

Groundnut is rich in energy and contains monounsaturated fatty acids. It contains vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It's good for children.

Chicken Groundnut Masala

No. of Serving : 4

Ingredients

Chicken breast meat - 300 gms

Groundnut roasted - 50 gms

Onion - 2 medium

Tomato - 2 medium

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Curd - 1/2 cup

Red chilli powder - 2 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Cloves - 3

Cinnamon - 1" piece

Cardamom - 2

Star anise - 1

Marati mokkuu - 1

Salt to taste

Oil - 3 tbsp

Preparation Method

1. Wash, dry, cube the chicken and marinate with red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, salt and curd for 1 hr. Keep aside.

2. Puree tomatoes , keep aside.

3. In a kadai , heat oil add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and marati mokkuu.

4. Then add finely chopped onion and sauté till the onions turn golden brown.

5. Add tomato puree, salt and coriander powder and sauté till tomato is done and oil separates on the top.

6. Then add the marinated chicken and fry for 5 minutes, then add little water and cook till the chicken is done.

7. Coarsely powder the peeled roasted groundnut and add to the chicken. Sauté for 10 minutes.

8. Serve hot with steamed rice , chapati or puri. It goes well with idly and dosai also.

Lauki Dal / Sorakkai Kootu

This is my version of the sorakkai kootu with homemade dal powder. Lauki / sorakkai has a lot of health benefits and nutrients. It helps in weight loss, treats urinary tract infections, helps digestion and treats constipation, helps in good sleep and healthy for heart and reduces the inflammation of the liver.

Lauki Dal / Sorakkai Kootu

No. of Serving : 4

Ingredients

Lauki / Sorakkai - 1 medium

Moong dal - 100 gms

Homemade dal powder -2 tsp (link of reference)

Cumin powder - 1 tsp

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Ingredients for Tempering

Onion vadavam - 1 tsp

Onion - 1 medium

Curry leaves - few

Oil - 1 tbsp

Preparation Method

1. Wash and cook moong dal and keep aside.

2. In a pan cook finely chopped lauki / sorakkai till its fully cooked.

3. Add to lauki, homemade dal powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, hing and salt.

4. Add the dal to the lauki. Mix well.

5. In a tempering pan add oil and add onion vadavam, then add curry leaves, then add finely chopped onion and try till the onions turn brown.

6. Add this to the lauki dal.

7. Serve with steamed rice and kara kozhambu or with chapathi.

Brinjal Pachadi

Brinjal Pachadi is a traditional condiment prepared in Pondicherry. This recipe has been passed on from my grandmother to my mother and now to me. This is usually served long side with mutton asathu (coconut) curry or fish asathu or any type of curry made with coconut.

Brinjal Pachadi

No. of Serving : 6

Ingredients

Brinjal - 200 gms

Onion - 1 medium

Tomato - 1 medium

Tamarind paste - 1 tsp thick paste

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tsp

For tempering

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Red chilli - 2

Green chilli - 2

Curry leaves - few

Preparation Method

1. In a kadai, heat oil and add mustard seeds, when the seeds begin to crackle add urad dal and fry till the dal turn golden brown; then add red chilli, green chilli and curry leaves.

2. Then add chopped onion and sauté till it turns translucent.

3. Then add chopped brinjal and sauté for 5 minutes, then sprinkle water and cook till the brinjal is half done.

4. Then add chopped tomato and cook till the brinjal and tomatoes are completely cooked.

5. Add tamarind paste and boil for another 5 minutes.

6. Garnish with coriander leaves. 

Cluster Beans Potato Stir Fry

To the regular cluster beans stir fry, I have added potato for added taste and to cut the bitterness of the cluster beans. Hope you too will enjoy it as much as I did. It tasted delicious :)

Cluster Beans Potato Stir Fry

No. of Servings : 6

Ingredients

Cluster beans - 250 gms

Potato - 2 big

Onion - 2 medium

Tomato - 2 medium

Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Preparation Method

1. Boil potato, cool and peel the skin off. Keep aside. You can also pressure cook potato long side with rice.

2. Puree tomato, keep aside.

3. In a kadai, heat oil and add chopped onion and sauté till the onions turn translucent.

4. Then add ginger garlic paste and sauté till a nice aroma comes.

5. Then add chopped cluster beans, sauté for a minute, then add water and cook till it is half done.

6. Add tomato puree, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt, cook till oil separate on the top and the tomato is cooked.

7. Add chopped cooked potato and sauté for a minute.

8. Serve with steamed rice or chapati or puri. It goes very well with puris.

Channa Methi Masala

My twist on the classic channa masala is that I have added Kasuri methi leaves (dry) for more flavour. Adding methi is also an healthy choice since it has lots of health benefits. It is good for diabetic people and also aids in weight loss. It's a natural coolant for the body.

Channa Methi Masala

No. of Servings : 5

Ingredients

Channa - 250 gms

Kasuri Methi dry - 4 tbsp

Onion - 2 medium

Tomato - 2 medium

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation Method

1. Soak channa overnight, pressure cook it with little water for 15 minutes.

2. In a kadai, heat oil and add onion and sauté till the onions turn translucent.

3. Then add ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell goes.

4. Grind tomatoes to paste and add it , sauté till the tomatoes are cooked and oil separates on the top.

5. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt, sauté for 5 minutes.

6. Then add the channa with the water used for cooking it.

7. Sauté till the water is completely absorbed.

8. Add dry methi leaves and saute for 5 mintues.

9. Serve hot with chapati, puri or dosai.

Ray Fish Puttu

This is one of my favorite dishes which my mother used to prepare. This time also she prepared and I just photographed it. You can make puttu out of ray fish and also shark fish. The other preparation is making puli kuzhambu out of ray fish.

Ray Fish Puttu

No. of Serving : 4

Ingredients

Ray fish - 250 gms

Onion - 2 medium

Tomato - 1 medium

Curry leaves - few

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves - few

Preparation Method

1. In a pan bring water to a boil, clean and add the fish along with little turmeric powder, boil for 5 minutes, discard the water, cool and peel the skin off and debone it. Keep aside.

2. In a kadai, heat oil and add fennel seeds, when the seeds begin to crackle add curry leaves.

3. Then add chopped onion and sauté till the onions turn translucent.

4. Then add ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell goes.

5. Add chopped tomatoes and sauté till the tomatoes are well done and oil separates on the top.

6. Add red chilli powder and turmeric powder and sauté well.

7. Then add the fish and salt, mix well and scramble them to form puttu.

8. Garnish with coriander leaves.