Friday Food: Mutton Sukka Varuval

Mutton Sukka Varuval/ Mutton Pepper Fry

Ingredients:

1 lb mutton(bite size pieces, preferably with bones)
3 garlic pods
1 inch piece ginger
1 Tomato
1 onion (chopped finely)
Few sprigs of Coriander leaves (chopped)
1 sprig curry leaves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
 2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Method:

Make a paste of ginger and garlic either with a mortar-pestle or in a blender.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker. Add the cumin seeds and let it splutter for a second and then add half the chopped onion. Fry for a few minutes and add the ginger-garlic paste. Then add the chopped tomatoes, few curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Add turmeric powder and 1/4 tsp of garam masala. Add the mutton pieces and salt to taste. You can add 1/2 a cup of water if required. Pressure cook this mixture for 2 whistles on medium-high flame. Remove from heat.

In a separate pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Add the remaining onion and fry until golden brown. Add curry leaves. Now add the liquid from the cooked mutton. To this add cumin powder, garam masala and pepper powder. Check the taste of salt and add more if required.

When the liquid is half its original quantity, add the mutton pieces and fry until all the liquid is evaporated. Keep stirring so that the pieces do not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Remove from heat once done, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Mutton Paruppu Kozhambu

Mutton in Toor dhal Curry

It was mothers day this Sunday. I have fond memories of this Mutton Parupu Sambhar growing up and this post is for my mom.

Ingredients:

1 lb Mutton(preferably bone with some flesh on it)
1/2 onion (chopped)
1 cup toor dhal
1 small Tomato
1-2 pods of garlic (chopped)
Curry leaves
1 tbsp Sambhar Powder
Salt to taste

Seasoning

1/2 tsp - Mustard seeds
1/4 onion (chopped finely)
Couple of sprigs of Coriander leaves(chopped)
1 sprig - Curry leaves
1/4 cup of dilute tamarind juice
A pinch of Asafoetida
Oil

Method:

In  a pressure cooker add the toor dhal, mutton, garlic, tomato, onion, curry leaves, sambhar powder, salt to taste and 2 cups of water. Pressure cook on medium-high heat for 3 whistles. Remove from heat.

In a separate pan heat oil and add mustard seeds. When the mustard splutters add onion and fry for a few minutes until the onion is brown. then add curry leaves and asafotida. Add the coriander leaves and the dilute tamarind juice. Pour this seasoning over the prepared Parupu.

Serve hot with rice.

Note1: The tamarind in seasoning is optional and can be skipped.
Note2: More vegetables like drumstick, brinjal can be added to this to add more flavor.
Note3: I like my mutton well cooked(almost to the point that it falls apart on touch). So pressure cooking it along with dhal. If you like your mutton pieces to be more chunkier, cook it separately and add to the dhal.

Mushroom Biryani

Ingredients:


1 cup sliced Mushroom
2 cup Basmathi Rice
1 small strip Cinnamon
2-3 Cloves
2 Cardamom
1 Bay leaf
1/2 onion chopped
Salt to taste

Grind to Paste:

3 green chilli
1 inch piece Ginger
2 cloves Garlic
2 Tomatoes
1/4 cup coriander leaves
1/4 cup mint leaves
1 small strip cinammon
2 cloves
1/4 onion chopped

Method:

Grind all the ingredients under "Grind to Paste" to a fine paste.  I am using cinnamon, cloves in both girding and in the main rice dish.

Also soak the Basmathi rice in water for 30 minutes.

In a large deep bottom pan heat oil. Add the cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf, cardamom. Fry for a minute and add the chopped onion. Now add the chopped mushroom and fry until the mushroom is half cooked. Now add the ground masala and salt to taste. Add 3 cups of water and bring to boil.

Tip: I am adding only 3 cups of water because I already have 1 cup of masala. Rice and water is added in a 1:2 ratio.

Now add the rice and cook for 5 minutes on medium-high. Turn the heat down to low and cook closed for 15 minutes or until the basmathi rice is cooked.

Serve with raitha and boiled egg

Gothumai Dosai - Whole Wheat Crepes

My mom is a diabetic and she always made this at home for herself, but I never attempted to taste this when I was at home. The first time I got to eat this was in my in-laws house. My mother-in-law made this for all of us and believe me, this is the simplest and healthiest food that we can prepare.

As I have said before I try to make chapathi's whenever possible. Last weekend I was unable to prepare the chapathi dough in advance and remembered my mother-in-laws godumai dosa. The best part is this does not need fermentation and batter can be prepared just before making the dosa.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Rice Flour (this is optional, will make the dosai crispier)
Salt to taste
Water to make the batter

Method:
Mix all the ingredients with water to make a batter in the consistency of dosa batter (Add water in increments so that you do not make the batter too watery).

Make the dosa's in a non-stick pan and serve hot with chutney of your choice.