TEMPERED CURD / MORU KAACHIYATHU

TEMPERED CURD / MORU KAACHIYATHU  

INGREDIENTS 

Thick Curd - 2 cups
Water - 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp 
Ginger Juliennes - 1 Tsp
Garlic Clove - 1
Green Chillies - 2
Shallots - 3
Salt - To Taste

INGREDIENTS TO TEMPER 

Coconut Oil - 2 Tbsps 
Mustard Seeds - 1 Tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 Tsp 
Fenugreek Seeds - 1 Tsp 
Green Chillies - 2
Dry Red Chillies - 3
Curry Leaves - 2 Sprigs 

METHOD 

Whisk curd / buttermilk 
Add water mix well and set aside 
Chop fine the garlic clove and shallots 
Slit the green chillies
Heat oil in a pan add shallots ginger juliennes green chillies and chopped garlic 
Sauté until raw smell is no more 
Add turmeric powder and sauté for a few seconds or a minute 
Add the whisked curd and salt to taste 
Simmer for a few seconds it should not boil
Remove pan from stove 
In another pan heat oil and temper mustard seeds cumin seeds fenugreek seeds curry leaves slit green chillies and dry red chillies 
Pour over the mor curry mix well and serve

Notes:

Add spices to suit your taste 
Coconut oil is a must when you make this tempered curd

SOFIYANI MUTTON DUM BIRIYANI

SOFIYANI MUTTON DUM BIRIYANI 

INGREDIENTS TO GRIND 1

Almonds - 15
Cashew Nuts - 15

METHOD 

Soak almonds and cashew nuts separately in two bowls for 30 minutes in hot water
Remove skin from the soaked almonds
Grind almonds and cashew nuts to a smooth paste adding enough water

INGREDIENTS TO GRIND 2

Green Chillies - 6
Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup
Mint Leaves - 1/4 cup 
Ginger - 1” piece
Garlic Pods - 10
Oil - 1 Tbsp 

METHOD 

Clean and wash coriander and mint leaves
Chop fine green chillies coriander and mint leaves 
Scrape skin from ginger piece wash and chop fine
Chop fine the garlic pods 
Heat oil in a pan add chopped ingredients and sauté until raw smell is no more
Grind sautéed ingredients to a fine paste

INGREDIENTS TO COOK MUTTON

Mutton - 1 Kg
Yoghurt - 150 ml
Cinnamon Stick - 1 “ piece
Cardamoms - 2
Cloves - 2
Star Anise - 1
Stone Flower - 1 Tsp 
Ghee - 3 Tbsps 
Fried Onions - 1 cup 

INGREDIENTS TO MARINATE 

Pepper Powder - 2 Tbsps 
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp 
Garam Masala Powder - 1 Tbsp 
Ground Almonds Cashew Paste
Ground Ginger Garlic Green Chilli Paste
Yoghurt 
Fried Onions
Salt - To Taste

METHOD 

Clean and wash mutton
In a bowl add the above ingredients to marinate along with the mutton 
Mix well and marinate for an hour and a half
In a pressure cooker add ghee and add the whole spices
Once they splutter add the marinated mutton along with the marinade
Add a cup of water to the mutton 
Sauté until the mixture begins to boil and emits a good aroma
Cover pressure cooker and pressure cook until mutton is soft
Wait for pressure to release and meanwhile start cooking the rice

INGREDIENTS TO COOK RICE

Basmati Rice - 4 cups
Green Chillies - 6
Juice of 1 Lemon 
Shahjeera - 2 Tsps
Cinnamon Stick - 1 “ piece
Cardamoms - 3
Cloves - 3
Star Anise - 2
Fresh Bay Leaf - 1
Dried Bay Leaf - 1
Salt - To Taste

METHOD 

Wash rice add some water and lemon juice
Set aside for 20 minutes to soak up 
In a wide vessel pour in enough water to cook the rice and wait until it boils 
Once the water starts to boil add all the whole spices bay leaves and salt to taste
Strain and add rice to the boiling water
Cover and cook until 3/4th done
Drain excess water and set aside

LAYERING AND DUM

INGREDIENTS 

Cooked Mutton
3/4th Cooked Rice
Ghee - 2 Tbsps 
Saffron Food Colour - As Required 
Yellow Food Colour - As Required 
Coriander Leaves - 1/2 cup
Mint Leaves - 1/2 cup 
Fried Onions - 2 cups
Fried Cashew Nuts - 1/4 cup
Fried Raisins - 1/4 cup
Plantain Leaf - 1
Live Coal & Coconut Shells - As Required 
Aluminium Foil - As Required 

METHOD 

Finely chop coriander leaves and mint leaves
Take a large vessel and add some mutton pieces along with gravy
Top with some 3/4th cooked rice and drizzle some food colour sprinkle some of the fried onions fried cashew nuts and fried raisins along with some chopped mint and coriander leaves 
Repeat the process and end up with the rice layer on top
Drizzle ghee on top and cover the vessel with clean plantain leaf 
Cover the vessel with a tight lid and place live charcoal and coconut shells
Light the stove place a tava on top and place the vessel on top of tava
In low flame heat the tava for 10 - 15 minutes 
Switch off flame and leave as such for 10 minutes 
Carefully remove lid of the vessel and place it away from the stove
Remove the plantain leaf and cover vessel with an aluminium foil tightly until serving time

Notes:

Adjust spices to suit your taste 
Make sure the cashews and raisins are fried in ghee
Fry sliced onions in cooking oil you normuse at home
Using live coal and coconut shells is optional 
Using plantain leaf to cover is optional 
Just closing the vessel with a tight lid will do while making the dum 
You can also cover the vessel with two sheets of aluminium foil and place lid on top

BOLI - HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR HUBBY❤️

BOLI

INGREDIENTS FOR OUTER COVERING

Maida - 1 cup
Turmeric Powder - A Pinch 
Water - @ 3/4 cup
Salt - To Taste
Gingelly Oil - 3 Tsps
Gingelly Oil - 1 cup

METHOD 

Add salt and turmeric powder to the flour and mix well



Add the measured water little at a time and knead to a smooth dough 



When the dough becomes sticky as you knead add measured teaspoons of gingelly oil little at a time and knead until the dough is smooth and not sticky



Now pour the measured cup of oil straight to the bowl
Make sure the kneaded dough is immersed into the oil completely 




Set aside the bowl covered until used 



INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING

Bengal Gram - 1 cup
Turmeric Powder - A Pinch
Water - 1 1/4 cups
Cardamom Powder - 2 Tsps
Sugar - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 Tsps

METHOD 

Wash and soak Bengal gram dal overnight 
Drain the water completely 
Add turmeric powder measured water and pressure cook for just two whistles



Once pressure is released open pressure cooker and drain water if any



Grind the dal to a smooth paste without any lumps and without adding water



INGREDIENTS FOR BOLI

Rice Powder - To Dust
Ghee - 1/2 cup

METHOD 

Measure a cup of sugar and powder 
Keep a pan in stove and add the ghee and the ground dal without lumps
Add the powdered sugar and cardamom powder and mix well



Now switch on the stove in medium flame keep stirring until well combined and soft 



Allow to cool for awhile and form equal lemon sized balls from the dal mixture 
Set aside arranged on a plate



Drain oil from the kneaded dough into another bowl



Take a small portion of dough from the outer covering



Flatten and spread lightly inside the palm keep one ball of the dal mixture 



Cover evenly and remove excess dough of the outer covering 
Immediately dust the ball with rice powder and using a rolling pin on a floured working surface dusted with rice powder 

 

Flatten into thin discs taking care that the filling does not come out 



Dust with rice powder now and then whenever you find difficulty in rolling into a disc
Meanwhile heat a girdle in medium flame and grease lightly with ghee
Place the Boli on the hot girdle spread little ghee on both sides as you flip and cook on both sides until some light brown spots appear 
Likewise make Bolis one by one immediately and not after rolling all the balls into a disc all at a time





Notes:
The sweetness in this recipe will be enough if Boli is consumed with Payasams or Kheer
Adjust sweetness only if necessary 
After grinding if the dal mixture becomes watery then you will not be able to form balls for the filling

RAW JACKFRUIT PAKORAS

RAW JACKFRUIT PAKORAS 

INGREDIENTS 

Jackfruit Strips - 3 cups
Besan Flour - 1/2 cup
Rice Flour - 2 Tbsps 
Cornflour - 2 Tbsps 
Onion - 1
Green Chillies - 4
Fennel Seeds - 1 Tbsp 
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 Tbsp 
Red Chilli Powder - 2 Tsps
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tsp 
Pepper Powder - 2 Tsp 
Garam Masala Powder - 1 Tsp 
Coriander Leaves - 2 Tbsps 
Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig 
Asafoetida - A Pinch 
Salt - To Taste
Oil - To Fry 

METHOD 

Clean jackfruit arils and cut into strips or chop into medium size pieces 
Pressure cook the jackfruit strips until soft but not mushy
Chop fine onion green chillies few curry leaves and coriander leaves 
In a bowl tip in all the ingredients other than oil to fry
Mix all the ingredients well without adding water 
Set aside covered for around 15 - 30 minutes 
Heat oil in a pan and add 3 Tsps of oil to the pakora mix and knead lightly 
Slide small portions of the pakora dough into the hot oil and fry until crisp and golden in medium flame
Drain oil and serve hot at tea time as a snack with any chutney or tomato ketchup 

Notes:

Adjust spices to suit your taste 
I pressure cooked the strips for just two whistles which might differ with different brands of pressure cookers available in the market 
The jackfruit I used was 20% ripe but still it was crisp 
It’s best to use unripe raw jackfruit 

STRAWBERRY CAKE

STRAWBERRY CAKE 

INGREDIENTS 

Flour - 1 1/2 cups 
Baking Powder - 1 Tsp 
Baking Soda - 1/2 Tsp 
Melted Butter - 1/2 cup 
Powdered Sugar - 3/4 cup 
Strawberry Essence - 1 Tsp 
Strawberries Chopped - 1 cup 
Lemon Juice - 1 Tbsp 
Yoghurt - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup 

METHOD 

Preheat oven to 180*C for 15 minutes 
Grease and line a cake tin with butter paper 
Chop the strawberries and set aside
Sift all of the dry ingredients together 
Whisk curd with powdered sugar 
Add in the melted butter and mix well 
Add in the milk and mix well 
Add the lemon juice and the strawberry essence 
Fold in the sifted dry ingredients followed by the chopped strawberries 
Pour batter into the prepared cake tin 
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 - 40 minutes 

Notes:

Timing might vary with different brands of ovens available in the market 
Vanilla essence can be added if strawberry essence is not available in hand
Pink food colouring can be added if liked
Flavourless oil can be used instead of melted butter 

FISH VINDALOO

FISH VINDALOO

INGREDIENTS 

Fish Fillets - 10 pieces
Onion - 1
Tomatoes - 2
Salt - To Taste
Oil - 3 Tbsps 

INGREDIENTS TO GRIND

Mustard - 1/4 Tsp
Fenugreek - 1/4 Tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Turmeric Powder -1/4 Tsp
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Garlic - 5
Shallots - 6
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 2 Tbsps
Peppercorns - 2 Tsp
Vinegar - 4 Tbsps 

Grind above ingredients to a smooth paste adding enough water

METHOD 

Clean fish fillets cut into medium size pieces and set aside
Grind onion and tomatoes separately to a fine paste
Heat oil in a pan and sauté ground onion till golden
Add in the tomato purée and sauté till soft and mushy
Add in the ground paste and sauté for 3 - 5 minutes
Add two cups of water and salt to taste 
When water begins to boil add in the fish pieces
Cover and cook in a medium to low flame until gravy is thick 
Serve hot with white rice or appams

Note
Adjust spices to suit your palate

GHEE CAKE

GHEE CAKE 

INGREDIENTS 

Maida - 1 cup
Baking Powder - 1 Tsp
Baking Soda - 1/4 Tsp 
Cardamom Powder - 1 Tsp 
Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup
Egg - 1 
Fresh Cream - 1/2 cup
Pure Ghee - 1/2 cup

METHOD 

Preheat oven to 180*C for 20 minutes 
Grease and line a loaf pan 
Sift dry ingredients together. 
Add the cardamom powder to the sifted ingredients mix and set aside
Cream together ghee and sugar till light and fluffy 
Beat the egg well and add to the ghee sugar mixture 
Alternately add in the fresh cream and sifted dry ingredients to the egg ghee and sugar mix 
Pour cake mixture into the lined and greased loaf pan 
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 - 35 minutes till a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean 
Once the cake is cool slice and serve

WATERMELON KULUKKI SARBETH

WATERMELON KULUKKI SARBETH 

INGREDIENTS 

Chilled Watermelon - 1 cup
Lemon - 1/2
Lemon Slice - 1
Mint Leaves - 4
Soaked Basil Seeds - 2 Tbsps 
Powdered Sugar - 1/4 cup 
Chilled Water - 1/4 cup
Ice Cubes - As Required 
Salt - A Pinch 

METHOD 

Crush chilled watermelon chunks
Slit the green chilli 
Crush the mint leaves 
Add all the ingredients into a jar
Squeeze in the lemon 
Shake well to combine 
Add more ice cubes 
Serve immediately