Eral Thokku / Prawn gravy

Prawn is very easy and fast to cook. The best part of prawn is however you spoil the dish, prawn gives out its best flavor in any method of preparation.  You will never be disappointed preparing it. This is semi gravy dish which goes well with plain rice, Sambar rice , Bisibele bath and Rasam rice.

Ingredients (  for 6 serving)

Prawn- 1 kg

Chopped onion – 2

Chopped tomatoes – 3

Ginger –Garlic paste – 2 tablespoon

Sambar powder – 2 table spoon

Chilli powder – 1 tablespoon

Pepper powder – ½ tablespoon

Gingelly oil- 4 tablespoon

Turmeric powder – a pinch

Salt- to taste

Few curry leaves

METHOD

               Remove the shell and devein the prawn, clean with turmeric powder, salt, and lemon juice.

         Keep a kadai or pan on the flame and heat the oil.   Sputter mustard and then add the onion and sauté for 3 mins.

              When onion turns transparent add chopped tomato, turmeric, salt  and cook for few mins.

                                      Add ginger garlic paste and further sauté for few mins

                 Add Chilli powder, sambar powder and ground pepper and give a stir.

 

           Drop the prawns , mix it thoroughly and cover and cook it.  Prawns naturally leave  water,   but  if required add just ¼  glass of water .

                               Prawns cooks fast  just in 5-7 mins.    Simmer for a thick gravy.

                                                                                                     Garnish with curry leaves.

Nattu kozhi varuval / Chicken fry

Those were the days when chicken is cooked only when some one has severe cold , cough or running nose.  These country chickens /nattu kozhi has medicinal properties to heal common cold. Thanks to broiler chicken now we enjoy variety of  chicken delicacy all through the year. you can try this recipe with broiler chicken as well

Ingredients  ( for 4 servings)

Skin less Chicken – 1 kg

Pepper- 2 tablespoon

Zeera / cummin- 2 tablespoon

Fennel/ Saunf – 2 tablespoon

Ginger-Garlic paste- 2 tablespoon

Chilli powder – 1 tablespoon

Turmeric- pinch

Salt to taste

Oil to cook

 METHOD

    Dry roast Pepper, Zeera and Saunf one by one and dry grind it  together when cooled for masala.

     Always clean chicken with sea salt, turmeric and squeeze of lemon to remove the odour.

 Add ginger garlic paste, ground masala,  chilli powder, turmeric and salt to the chicken and marinate for atleast an hour.

                                                  

Heat oil in a pan, sputter mustard and curry leaves. Add the marinated chicken and give it a nice stir.  Cover it and let it cook in its own juice. No need to add water.  Unlike broiler chicken,  chicken takes long time to cook.

Let all the water  evaporate.  Now chicken starts leaving oil. Fry till  crispy.

Serve hot with bisibele bath or Rasam sadam.

Pondicherry Meen Kuzhambu/ Fish Curry

Coming from a coastal place I  eat  lot of seafood.  Infact we use to have seafood atleaast 5 days a week. Sea food is  also the staple food  here.I still remember those days when we use to buy   fish from an old  lady  vendor  on the road.  We will buy this Sangara meen/ kili meen  @  10 fishes for 20 rupees.   Though seafoods smell raw while cleaning it smells heaven after cooking which invites  even to the next door neighbour.

Ingredients( 4 serving)

Sangara meen/ kili meen-  1 kg

Sour Raw mango – 2 nos.

Shallots- 150 g

Tomato – 4

Tamarind – 50 g

Gingelly  oil- 100ml

Green chilies – 4

Garlic peeled- 1 whole

Ginger garlic paste – 2 tablespoon

Chilli powder- 4 tablespoon

Coriander /Dhania powder -  8 tablespoon

Pepper- 1 teaspoon

Jeera – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder- 1 teaspoon

Few Curry leaves

Salt to taste

METHOD

Pre Preparation

1.       Clean fish with salt, turmeric and a  squeeze of lemon to remove the raw odour.

2.       Soak tamarind in water for atleast 15 min and extract  pulp.

Now the cooking starts..

    Keep kadai on flame and pour gingelly oil or any cooking oil.    Add mustard, pepper, jeera,  slit chilli and add one by one resp.  When it sputters add shallots and peeled garlic and let it slightly fry.

 Now add chopped tomato and sprinkle salt, turmeric and cover it for 2-3 mins.   Now when tomato melts,  

                   Add ginger garlic paste, mix all together adding chilli powder and dania powder.

Add tamarind pulp. Add 2 glasses (300ml) of water and let it simmer for 7-10 mins.

When the curry is bubbling drop in the fish carefully into it such that the fish is fully immersed in the curry.   Cover it for 2-3 mins. Fish cookes very fast.

 

 

  When the fish is half cooked add the cut mangoes without disturbing the fish and cover it.  Let it cook for another 4-5 mins .

 

   Now for tadka , the final touch.. Heat oil in a tadka pan add mustard, one finely chopped onion and some curry leaves. Fry it until golden crispy brown.  Transfer it to the bubbling sangara meen kuzhambu.

     Eat with steamed rice, idli, dosa, or appam.

              Note:  Fish gravy tastes better when cooked and left in earthen pot for 4-5 hour