Ingredient: Ginger-garlic paste

Meen Kozhambu

Meen Kozhambu
Meen Kozhambu
  • PREP TIME 25 MINS
  • COOKING TIME 30 MINS
  • SERVES 5
  • fish
  • 3 tsp oil
  • 1/2 tsp Mustard oil
  • 1/4 tsp methi seeds
  • 2 onions chopped
  • 4 Green Chillies
  • 1 1/2 tsp Ginger-garlic paste
  • 3 tsp Red chilli powder
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
  • salt (to taste)
  • 1 cup tomato puree
  • 1/2 cup (soak about 75 (pulp (soak about 75 gm of tamarind))
  • 1/2 cup water
  • curry leaves
  • coriander leaves
  • Always clean the fish with salt and lemon juice, which remove the smell of fish.
  • Try to use the earthen pot for cooking fish. Its gives the traditional taste.
  • Fry the masalas till the oil separates, to get an original colour for the dish.
 

Chingari Malaikari

Chingri Malaikari
Chingri Malaikari
  • PREP TIME 20 MINS
  • COOKING TIME 30 MINS
  • SERVES 4
  • 500 gms Prawns ((big/medium size) )
  • 2 medium sized onions
  • 2 tbps Ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 slit up Green chilli
  • 3/4 cup Coconut milk
  • 2 tsp Turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp Red chilli powder
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • salt (to taste)
  • 2 tbps oil
  • bay leaves
  • 4 cardamoms
  • 2 cardamoms
  • 5-6 cloves

Wash the prawns very well before you marinate it. Add salt and a touch of turmeric powder and mix it."

Heat 1-2 tsp of mustard oil in a pan. Once the mustard oil comes to a smoking point, add a bit of salt. When the mustard oil is hot, put some mustard seeds into it and once the mustard seeds start to crackle you could add 2 pieces of cardamom, 2-3 of cloves, 1-2 pieces of cinnamon sticks, 1-2 bay leaves, 1 cup of onion paste, 2-3 tsp of ginger garlic paste, paste of 1-2 green chilies and mix it very well until it becomes a bit dry. Once the masala is ready, add 1-2 tsp of turmeric powder and 1 tsp of red chilly and mix it well. Add a little water to the mix so that the masala comes out well. Continue to stir and add 1 cup of coconut milk to the masala. Please keep the stove simmer and continue to mix it add more water if you want more gravy. Keep it covered for sometime. Let the mix get boiled, keep it for a 2-3 minutes. "

  • Coconut milk could be made at home or you could use the ready to cook instant coconut milk available in the market.
 

Vegetable Caldin

Vegetable Caldin
Vegetable Caldin
  • PREP TIME 10 MINS
  • COOKING TIME 15 MINS
  • SERVES 4
  • 400 ml fresh coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil
  • 8 to 10 curry leaves
  • 2 medium sized onion (chopped finely)
  • 2 green chilies (chopped finely)
  • 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
  • 1 cup auliflower florets
  • 1 cup green peas
  • 2 Drumsticks (cut into batons)
  • 2 carrots (cut into batons)
  • 1 cup French beans (split into 2)
  • 1 medium potato peeled (and baton)
  • Few Chopped coriander leaves
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • 1 tsp turmuric powder
  • 1 tsp dhania powder
  • salt ( to taste)

Take a frying pan and put 1-2 teaspoon of vegetable oil and let it become hot. Once it gets slightly hot, add some curry leaves and some chopped green chilies, chopped onions, 1-2 tsp of ginger garlic paste into it. Stir it proper until it gets slightly brownish color. "

Once it’s slightly colored add the spices like turmeric powder and chopped and cleaned vegetables drumsticks, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower and green peas. Mix it well and pour coconut milk. Add salt to taste. Also add just a dash of water. Mix it well and add coriander powder and jeera powder into it and stir it well and let it cook for 5-7 minutes on moderate simmer. Once it’s cooked, add some chopped coriander leaves and ready to be served. Enjoy! "

  • Do not cook over cook vegetable as it may cause loosing nutritional values of the vegetables.
 
  • Since cutting of vegetables is time consuming, you could cut it on a day when you are relatively free and refrigerate it in tight containers.  It’s even advisable to do the chopping of vegetables on a weekend and preserve it for the week ahead.
 
  • Vegetables that have been stored in the refrigerator tend to look dull and lifeless. If you want to make a salad, and need your veggies to look fresh, soak them in cold water with a few drops of lime for about 15 minutes and they will look bright and delicious.

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken
Butter Chicken Partner
  • PREP TIME 10 MINS
  • COOKING TIME 15 MINS
  • SERVES 4
  • 1 packet Soul Butter Chicken Instant Wet Masala
  • 1/2 kg Boneless chicken
  • 2-3 tbsp butter cubes
  • 1 cup Yogurt
  • 1 tbsp red chilly powder
  • 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
  • Salt to taste

Step 1 Cut open the Soul Butter Chicken Instant Wet Masala pouch and put it into a bowl. Add 200 ml water to dissolve the de-hydrated masala and mix it until it becomes soft and a gravy form. Let it sit on the side. "

Step 2 Marinate the boneless chicken pieces with little bit of salt, a dash of red chilly powder, a touch of ginger garlic paste, 1-2 tbsp yogurt and mix it well and let it rest aside for 5-10 minutes. "

Step 3 Heat 2-3 tbsp spoon of butter in a pan and let it melt. Once the butter is dissolved and hot, slide the marinated chicken pieces into the pan and mix it and keep it covered for 4-5 minutes. Add the Soul Butter Chicken Masala mix into the pan and stir it. Keep it covered for 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Add some fresh crème or cashew nut paste to make the dish a bit tastier. Add some finely chopped fresh coriander for flavor and serve it hot. Enjoy ! "

  • When looking for instant cooking products choose the ones which do not have added preservatives.
  • Chicken pieces could be marinated 3-4 hour in advance so that it becomes tender and it will absorb all the spices and masala faster.

Chicken Biryani

Chicken Biryani
Chicken Biryani
  • PREP TIME 15 MINS
  • COOKING TIME 10 MINS
  • SERVES 2
  • 16 pieces chicken (750 grams of chicken)
  • 1.5 cups Basmati Rice (Soaked and drained)
  • 2-3 black cardamom (Salt to taste)
  • 1 inch Cinnamon
  • 1 bay leaves
  • 2-3 Green Cardamom
  • 3-4 cloves
  • 2 tbsp ghee (Plus for drizzling)
  • 1 tbsp caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
  • 2 medium onions (sliced)
  • 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
  • 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 2 teaspoon Red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 tbsp biryani masala
  • 3/4 cup Yogurt
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
  • 1 cup fresh mint leaves
  • 1 cup browned onions + for garnishing (A generous pinch of saffron, soaked in warm water)
  • 5-6 Green Chillies (slit)
  • 1 inch fresh ginger (cut into juliennes )
  • 2 teaspoons rose water (Whole wheat dough (atta) to seal)

Boil sufficient water in a deep non-stick pan. Add salt, black cardamoms, cinnamon, bay leaf, green cardamoms, cloves and Daawat Biryani Basmati Rice, cover and cook till the rice is fully done. Strain and set aside"

Heat ghee in a deep non stick pan, add caraway seeds and onions, mix and sauté till onions turn golden."

Add ginger-garlic paste and mix. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder, mix well and sauté for 2-3 minutes."

Add chicken pieces, salt, biryani masala, mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add yogurt and mix. Add half the chopped coriander, half the mint leaves, half the browned onions and cooked rice. Spread the rice evenly."

Drizzle saffron water on top and add green chillies, ginger juliennes, remaining browned onions, remaining chopped coriander and remaining mint leaves. Drizzle some more ghee and rose water and top."

Roll the dough into a long cylinder and press onto the edges of the pan. Place the lid on top, press to seal and cook on low heat for 15-20 minutes."

Let it stand for 5 minutes. Open the lid and transfer the biryani onto a serving plate. Serve hot garnished with browned onions and mint sprig"

Cooking Tips • In order to keep the rice fluffy with each grain separate, pre-soak the rice for about an hour and drain. When ready to cook, heat a pot, add 75g ghee (clarified butter), followed by the rice. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add 1.5 litres of water, cover and cook till al dente. • Instead of cooking oil, use ghee as it will make the biryani tastier and flavorsome. • If cooking with meat, marinate with spices, salt and yoghurt to tenderize and to ensure the meat is well flavored. • To avoid the biryani from sticking to the bottom of the serving dish, place sliced tomatoes as the bottom layer, and then top with biryani. • When adding saffron, soak in a small quantity of hot water for about 10-15 minutes. When ready, use the strands as well as the water, which will add yellow color. • If you burn the biryani, turn off the heat immediately. Transfer the good portions into a different dish, and add dried lemon to balance out the charred flavor. • When cooking dum style, use pastry sheets to cover the clay or copper pot. It is faster than rolling out the dough yourself. • A mistake most people make when making biryani is overcook it. Turn off the heat at the right time. (This tine varies depending on whether you are cooking meat, vegetable or fish.) • Lamb will result in the most flavorsome biryani, but takes the longest to cook. For quick biryanis, use shrimp or vegetable.

Kadai Prawns

Learn the recipe of kadai prawns by chef Afraz shaikh

Kadai Prawns
Kadai Prawns
  • PREP TIME 25 MINS
  • COOKING TIME 10 MINS
  • SERVES 2
  • 12-16 medium prawns (peeled and deveined)
  • 4 tbsp kadai masala
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 2 medium onions (chopped)
  • 1 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
  • 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup tomato puree
  • 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin powder
  • 1 tbsp Red chilli powder (salt to taste)
  • 1/4 cup cashew nut melon seed ((kaju-magaz) paste)
  • 2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves ((kasurimethi) powder )
  • 1 medium green capsicum (chopped)
  • 1 large Onion (diced and layers separated)
  • 2 medium tomatoes (diced )
  • Chopped fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

1. Heat oil in a non-stick kadai. Add onions and sauté till golden brown. "

2. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté. Add chopped tomatoes and tomato puree, mix well and cook till the tomatoes soften. "

3. Add turmeric powder, cumin powder, chilli powder and mix well. Add 2-3 tablespoons water and stir well. Add salt, mix and cook till the oil separates. "

4. Add cashew nut-melon seed paste, mix well and cook for a few seconds. Add prawns and mix. "

5. Add dried fenugreek leaves powder and mix. Addcapsicum, onions, tomatoes, and mix well. Add kadai masala, mix well and cook for 1-2 minutes"

6. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves. "

Cooking Tips
  • Devein the prawn before you cook it. Deveining prawn is very easy to do.  While prawns can be cooked and eaten with or without the vein, most people remove it. This is more for presentation rather than taste, but leaving the vein in can result in a gritty taste when it is bitten into. Just remember, the vein is the digestive tract of the prawn, so more times than not, you will probably want to remove it.
Marinated the prawns in salt and turmeric before adding the main ingredients or kadai masala.

Mutton Pepper Fry

A simple delicious fry recipe with mutton that goes beautifully with rotis, rice and dal or even dosas.

Mutton Pepper Fry
Mutton Pepper Fry
  • PREP TIME 15 MINS
  • COOKING TIME 25 MINS
  • SERVES
  • 500 grams boneless mutton (cut into 1 inch pieces)
  • ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger-garlic paste
  • to taste salt
  • 6-7 curry leaves
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 Onion (sliced)
  • to taste Crushed black peppercorns
  • 1 pinch sugar
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
  • 1 tbsp scraped fresh coconut
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 10-12 curry leaves
  • 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  • 4-5 Garlic Cloves
  • ½ inch ginger
  • 8-10 black peppercorns
  • 1 star anise
  • 3-4 green cardamoms
  • 1 black cardamom
  • ½ inch Cinnamon
  • 4-5 cloves
  • 1 tbsp coriander leaves
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1½ tbsp scraped fresh coconut
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon Red chilli powder

1. Heat some water in a deep non-stick pan. Add mutton pieces, turmeric powder and ginger-garlic paste and mix. Add salt, mix, cover and cook till mutton is done. Drain in a bowl and reserve the stock."

2. To prepare paste, heat oil in a non-stick pan. Addcurry leaves, let it crackle and drain in a bowl. Switch off heat. "

3. To prepare the paste, slice garlic cloves and ginger."

4. Place the oil pan back on heat, add caraway seeds, peppercorns, star anise, green cardamoms, black cardamom, broken cinnamon, cloves, coriander seeds, remaining curry leaves, sliced ginger and garlic to hot oil and sauté for 1 minute."

5. Add onion and coconut and sauté for onion and coconut turns golden brown. Add turmeric powder and chilli powder and mix well. Transfer on a plate and cool. "

6. Heat oil in another non-stick pan. Add onion and sauté. Add dried red chillies and sauté till onion turns golden brown. "

7. Grind the sautéed spice mixture alongwithsomewater into fine paste. "

8. Add ground paste to the sautéed onion, mix and cook till the mixture slightly dries. Add cooked mutton pieces, mix and cook for 1-2 minutes."

9. Add salt and mix. Add crushed peppercorns, tamarind pulp, sugar and coriander leaves and mix. Add 1 cup reserved stock, mix and cook till the mixture boils. "

10. Add fried curry leaves and coconut, mix and cook for 1-2 minutes. "

11. Serve hot. "

Cooking Tips
  • Rinse the muttons pieces with salt and turmeric before cooking so that it becomes soft and tender.
  • Leave the meat in curd or papaya paste to tenderize the meat for at least 2-3 hours, and if you have enough time, leave it for about 6-7 hours. For making the prefect Mutton Pepper Fry, meat is left to marinade overnight. You could also use acidic fruits like lemon or kiwi with salt and pepper, which help in breaking down the solid fibers of meat. Once these fibers break down, that's when the meat becomes tender and ready to devour. Marinating not only makes the meat tender, but also adds moisture to it, further making it juicy.