Homemade Madras Curry Powder

Curry powder is a spice mix of widely varying composition based on South Asian cuisine. Curry is a word invented by the British back when they ruled India.

Making your own curry powder gives you the opportunity to get exactly the combination of flavors you want .  This is my own version of curry powder . I love this Curry Masala Powder flavor a lot and i used to add it in most of my potato fries and veggie pirattals. 

The recipe below has a small yield but you can easily double it if you'd like to  keep some on hand.

Ingredients:

Dry Masalas

Coriander seeds       -              4 tbsp.

Fennel seeds                          2 tbsp.

Cumin seeds                          2 tbsp.

Fenugreek seeds                     1/4 tsp .

Nutmeg                                 ½ no

Cloves                                    5 no

Bay leaves                              2 no.

Curry Leaves                           1/4 cup

Powderstring

White Pepper Powder              1 tsp.

Dry Ginger powder                 1 tbsp.

Turmeric Powder                    1 tbsp

Pav Bhaji masala powder        1 tbsp.       

Method:

• Toss all the dry spices onto a dry pan and heat over medium heat till aroma comes out. Watch very carefully that the spices don’t burn. Constant stirring is important.
• In the same pan, toss in the curry leaves, until they crisp up, and start turning brown around the edges
• Once the spices are toasted, separate out the nutmeg. Use a micro plane or fine grinder to grate the nutmeg.
• I did not roast turmeric, ginger powder, white pepper powder and Pav bhaji powder simply added it while grinding.
• Grind the rest of the spices using a spice grinder, Add  the grated nutmeg in it. Mix well.
• Store it in an air tight container.

 

Red Bell pepper Chutney/ Red Capsicum Chutney

Bell peppers are packed with several nutrients.  They are a good source of vitamin C, thiamine, vitamin B6, beta carotene, and folic acid.  Compared to green bell pepper, red one has more nutrients including antioxidant lycopene.

Chutneys can be made with several vegetables and fruits and each one have a unique taste.  Today’s Bell Pepper Chutney is tangy, and spicy too.

Ingredients

 

Chopped Red Bell pepper        3 cups

Chopped Tomato                    ½ cup

Dry red (Byadagi) chilies          3 no.

Green chilies                            1 no.

Cumin seed                            1/4 tsp..

Coriander leaves                     1 tsp.

Oil                                        1 tsp.

For Tempering:

 Oil                                       1 tsp.

Mustard seeds                       1/2 tsp.

Hing                                      a pinch

Curry leaves                           few

                     

Method:

                    

• Heat a 1 tsp of oil in a pan. Fry cumin seeds, dry red chilies & green chilies. Remove from fire and keep aside.
• The same oil, add chopped bell peppers,green chilies & tomatoes and saute for 5 minutes. Turn off and cool
• Transfer them into a blender  jar and add sufficient salt , fry chilies and coriander leaves and  grind to a fine paste.
• Transfer the chutney into a bowl.
• Heat a teaspoon of oil in a small pan, add the mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add the curry leaves and few.
• Switch off stove and pour this tempering into the grinded chutney.
• Serve with hot idlis and dosa.

Happy Onam 2013

Dear  Friends & Readers

Wishing You Good-luck and prosperity on this auspicious occasion of Onam

Happy Onam 2013

You can see the updated Onam recipes here. Please see link below

http://sadhanakitchen.blogspot.com/2011/09/onam-festival.html

Chakka Pradhaman /Jackfruit Payasam

Chakka Pradhaman is a traditional Payasam (pudding) of Kerala, India. The main ingredients of Chakka Pradhaman are Jack fruit and jaggery. Chakka varatti/jack fruit jam or jack fruit pulps cooked in coconut milk and then sweetened with jaggery.

I wanted to prepare this Pradhaman with fresh jack fruit  , but I could not find any ripe jack fruit in Indian store, so I used canned jack fruit for this Payasam.

Ingredients

Canned jack fruit                  2 tins

Jaggery                               1 1/2 cups (use it according to your sweet preference)

Low fat Coconut milk tin       1 ½ tin 

Dry ginger powder(Chukku)  1 tsp.

Coconut pieces                     ¼ cup

Fresh Cardamom   powder     1 tsp.

Ghee                                  2 tbsp.

Method

• Cut the jack fruit into small pieces. Shallow fry the pieces into 1 teaspoon of ghee.
• Cook it with thin coconut milk(Mix 1/2 tin coconut milk with 1/2 cup water)  around 15 minutes or till they became soft. When the jack fruit is fully cooked, slightly mashed it using  a potato masher.
• Meanwhile make jaggery syrup, adding ¼ cup of water to the jaggery and cook it in a low flame. When the jaggery is fully melted and strains it to remove dust particles.
• Add the jaggery syrup to the cooked jack fruit and cook till all water is evaporated.
• Now add the ½ tin of coconut milk diluted with very little water and let it come to nice boil. Add dry ginger powder & cardamon powder in it.Reduce the stove heat to very low
• When it reaches thick consistency, add the thick coconut milk and mix it and bring to boil and remove from fire.
• Heat ghee in a pan and fry coconut slices till they become light brown in color and to the Pradhaman.
• Finally pour 1 tbsp. of ghee in to Pradhaman
• Chakka Pradhaman is ready to serve hot or cold anyway you like it. 

Inji Thayir/Ginger Yogurt

This is a must item for any sadya(feast) like Onam  and Vishu or even the wedding feasts. This is very easy to prepare and ginger helps in digestion.

Ingredients:

Grated Ginger                                                2 tbsp.

 Thick Yogurt/ Curd                                        1 cup

Red Chilies                                                       2 no.

Salt                                                                    to taste

Seasoning:

Coconut oil                                                      1 tsp.

Mustard seeds                                                  ¼ tsp.

 Curry leaves                                                     1 stem

Method:

• Mash the ginger and red chilly roughly, using a Mortar
• Mix all the ingredients together, and mix well,
• Heat a oil in a pan , fry mustard seeds , curry leaves .
• Add to Inji thayir.
• Serve with rice.

Arisi Paruppu Sadam / Lentils Mixed rice

 This is an authentic Kongunadu (Coimbatore) recipe. It is very delicious and my favorite dish too.  It is taste like kichadi and easy to prepare also.

Ingredients 

Raw Rice                              2 cup

Tovar Dhal                            ½ cup

Moong Dhal                           ½ cup

Water                                    3 cups

Turmeric powder                     1/tsp.

Ghee                                     2 tbsp.

Chopped Tomato                     1 no

Chopped ginger                       1 tbsp.

Finely chopped green chilies      tsp

Salt                                        to taste

Grind the following  Masalas to fine powder

 Grated coconut-                 3 to 4 tbsp

Coriander seeds                    3 tbsp

Fennel seeds                         1 tbsp.

Red chilies                            4 no

Jeera/Cumin                       -2 tsp

Pepper corns                       -1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds               a pinch

For tempering

Coconut Oil (or) Ghee        2 tbsp.

Mustard seeds                   -1 tsp

Fennel seeds                       1/4 tsp.

Whole pepper corns           -1/4 tsp

Roasted Cashew nuts          2 tbsp

Bay Leaves                        2 no

Clove                                2 no.

Cinnamon                        1/2"

Cardamom                        2 no.

Curry leaves-                    few

Fresh grated Coconut         2 tbsp.

Method:

• Wash and soak rice & dhals for 30 minutes.
• Drain the water and keep the rice & dhals, keep aside.
• Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker, add ginger, tomatoes, green chilies , cloves, Cardamom, and cinnamon  , fry for a minute.
• Now add  turmeric powder and grounded masala powder and fry for a minute.
• Immediately add in the rice, dhal & enough water (about 5 cups).Add salt & let it start to boil. Check the taste & adjust the masala powder and salt. Put in the pressure cooker.
• Close the cooker & Cook until the rice and dhals are well cooked. 
• Let the steam release & then open the cooker and mix the rice gently but well. 
• Heat the coconut or ghee, add mustard seeds, fennel seed, pepper corns, curry leaves and cashew nuts and fry for a minute. 
• Add the seasonings into the rice. Add fresh grated coconut in it and mix well. Now rice is ready. 
• Serve hot with pappad , pickle and cucumber Raitha.

Omapodi / Sev

 Omapodi is an easy snack made during  any festivels.

Ingredients:

Besan flour/Kadalamavu:            2 cups

Rice flour:                                 ½ cup

Butter:                                     1tbsp

Omam/Ajwain:                           1 tbsp

Salt                                          to taste

Oil                                            for frying

Method:

• Soak the Omam/Ajwain in 2 tbsp of hot water for ½ hours. Then grind it very nicely.
•  Sieve both Besan and rice flour and mix with Omam paste.
• Add water little by little and make soft dough.
• Heat oil in the kadai, when its medium hot ,take small quantity of dough and put it in the Sev press and squeeze it in circular motion directly to the hot oil.
• Fry till it becomes crispy and light golden yellow; drain the excess oil on kitchen towel.
• Cool & Store it in an airtight container.