MUTTON PEPPER FRY

• ½ kg mutton
• 3 onions sliced
• 1 tomato chopped
• 1 tablespoon pepper powder
• 5 green chillies
• 1 teaspoon ground garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon chilli powder ( opitonal )
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil
• 250 ml water
• 1 tablespoon juice of lemon
• 2 tablespoon chopped coriander Leaves

Method:

• Wash, clean and mix the mutton with salt and turmeric.
• Cook the mutton and keep aside.
• Add one after the other, stirring all the time: ginger-garlic paste, sliced onion, green chillies and tomatoes.
• Fry masala till golden brown.
• Add rest of the ingredients and fry for 1-2 minutes
  (except the lemon juice)
• Add the mutton; stir fry for another 2 minutes.
• Uncover and dry the masala till the oil leaves.
• Add lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serves 3 persons

I. HORSEGRAM GRAVY ( MUDARE KANNIE )

• ½ Kg .whole horse-gram, ( wash-clean-cook with water
  1:3 on slow flame to over –cooked state).
• Strain the water and keep on slow flame till mixture reduces to half )

Ingredients : For the masala

• 1Teaspoon jeera
• ¼ Teaspoon methi
• 1 Tablespoon coriander seeds
• ¼ Teaspoon whole pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon mustard
• 1 Teaspoon chilly powder or 3-whole red chillies
• 4 Onions
• 6 flakes garlic
• 2 Tablespoon tamarind pulp or 1 Tablespoon kachampuli.
• 2 Tablespoon cooking oil
• ¼ Teaspoon .mustard seeds
• 2-4 curry leaves

Method:

• Roast all the dry ingredients except chilly powder.And grind along with 2-onions and garlic to a smooth paste.
• Add to the thickening gravy and stir well constantly.
• Thicken to a thick sauce consistency, adding the tamarind pulp or kachampuli.
• In a shallow pan heat the oil and add the mustard seeds to splut and the curry leaves too.
• Add cut onions ( like for omlette ) and chillys
• Add all this to the gravy mix taste for salt and chilly and remove from flame.
• Cool well and bottle this mudare kanni, can keep out of fridge for a month –preferably keep in fridge if you need to keep for longer time.
• Goes well with hot rice and ghee.

II. SPROUTED HORSEGRAM CURRY ( MOLE MUDRE KANNIE )

Ingredients:

• 250 grams Horsegram ( wash-clean and soak for 8-hours ).
  Put the horsegram in a muslin cloth overnight till the sprouts appear. Put gram in cooker with salt and 1 onion and cook well not overcooked.
• 1 cup scrapped coconut
• 1 Teaspoon jeera
• ¼ methi Tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 Teaspoon chilly powder
• 2 onions
• 6 flakes garlic
• 2 tomatoes cut
• 1 Teaspoon sugar

Method:

• Dry roast the dry ingredients.
• Add with the coconut tomatoes, onions, garlic put in mixy and grind till smooth.
• Add this masala to the cooked gram and add seasoning with oil mustard seeds and curry leaves.
• Cook on slow till curry thickens.
• Goes well with rice / rotis / chappatis.

PAPUTTU ( STEAMED RICE CAKES )

• 250gms thick rice rava
• 500gms water
• 200gms milk
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 50gms grated coconut ( white only )

Method:

• Mix well the water, milk, sugar and salt together.
• Wash the rice rava and divide it into 2 portions.
• Put 1 portion each into a plate.
• Divide the water mixture equally and pour into each plate containing the rice rava, spread equally.
• Sprinkle grated coconut over the rice mixture and steam for 20 minutes.
• Cool and cut into triangles (like a pie)

Makes approximately 16 pieces.
Paputtu and Chicken Curry make a good combination.

I. BITTER ORANGE CHUTNEY ( KAIPULI PAJJI )

Ingredients:

• ½ Teaspoon 4-pods of garlic
• ½ Teaspoon jeera
• ¼ Teaspoon methi
• 1 onion slightly roasted to a brown colour on open flame ( ground fine )
• ½ tea cup jaggery syrup

Seasoning:

• 2 Tablespoon cooking oil
• ¼ Teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2-3 curry leaves crushed 2-3 flakes garlic
• ½ Onion cut fine.

Method:

• Place a deep pan on the heat
• Add the oil add the mustard on the oil getting hot.
• Slowly add one by one the ingredients for seasoning.
• Then add the ground masala and toss for 1minute.
• Add the roasted pulp. Mix well.
• Next mix the salt and jaggery and let cook for 1 minute.
• Check for taste.

II. BITTER ORGANGE RAITHA VARIETY

Ingredients:

• 1 Bitter orange
• 1 onion
• 4 flakes of garlic
• ½ Teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 Tablespoon ground coconut
• 1 dry red chilly
• 2 curry leaves
• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 cup curds
• 1 Teaspoon sugar

Seasoning:

• Peel the orange of skin and white pith.
• Hold the orange in the left palm and slit the orange on the outside or rather the back of the pod and with the knife try to remove the insides on to a bowl.
• Take away the seeds.
• Add ½ teaspoon salt and a green chilly slit, mix and keep aside.
• Ground coconut with the orange and the masala.
• In a shallow pan heat the oil and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves, red chilly and slightly crushed garlic.
• Remove on spluttering and pour over orange mixture.
• Add the sugar and taste for salt and pungency. Then add curds.
• Goes well with ghee rice / pulao etc.,

Method:

• Place a deep pan on the heat
• Add the oil add the mustard on the oil getting hot.
• Slowly add one by one the ingredients for seasoning.
• Then add the ground masala and toss for 1minute.
• Add the roasted pulp. Mix well.
• Next mix the salt and jaggery and let cook for 1 minute.
• Check for taste.

CHICKEN CURRY

• 1 kg chicken
• 2 onions sliced
• ½ coconut ground
• 1 teaspoon ground garlic
• 1 teaspoon jeera powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 2 green chillies ( ground with the coconut )
• 4-5 red chillies
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice or 2 tablespoon tamarind pulp
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil
• 700ml water

Method:

• Clean, cut, wash the chicken.
• Mix with salt and turmeric and keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a deep pan.
• Add the ground garlic and onions.
• Add the ground coconut, jeera powder and coriander powder.
• Add the chicken and fry till the chicken is brownedon all sides.
• Add the water mix well, cover and cook till the chicken is done.
• Uncover cook till the gravy is slightly thick.

Serves 4 persons

FISH FRY AND FISH CURRY ( MEEN MASALA CURRY AND MEEN BARTHAD )

• 1kg.Fresh fish, sliced into thicker pieces for curry and thinner slices for frying.

Mix fish with the following :

• 1 Teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 Tablespoon salt
• 1 Teaspoon chilly powder
• 1 Tablespoon of ginger garlic paste
• 1 Teaspoon lime juice or kachampuli

Step 2: Ingredients:

• 1 Teaspoon jeera
• ¼ Teaspoon methi whole
• 1 Teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/4 Teaspoon mustard seeds
• 3-4 Tablespoon Coconut scrapped
• Roast all the ingredients except coconut. Then grind all the ingredients together.

Keep aside

Step 3: Ingredients:

• 1 Teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
• 1 big onion sliced
• 2 green chillies sliced
• 2 Tablespoon coriander leaves chopped
• 1 Tablespoon tamarind pulp or chopped tomatoes
• 1 Teaspoon limejuice / kachampuli
• 2 Tablespoon cooking oil

METHOD: FISH FRY

• For frying the fish, the step 2 items, except the coconut to be roasted and ground.
• Mix to the fish and roll onto rice flour and shallow fry in oil on both sides till reddish brown .
• Serve with lemon wedges and cucumber.

METHOD: FISH CURRY

• Now for the fish curry, keep a deep pan on heat.
• Add the cooking oil, season with mustard seeds, ginger and garlic paste, add the onion slices and then the green chillies.
• Saute till onions turn transparent.
• Then add the ground masala and sauté till an aroma arises.
• Now add the chopped tomatoes if so desired and toss for a minute.
• Add 1-1 ½ cup of water to the masala over medium heat, mix well and let it come to first boil.

Lower the flame.

• Add the thick tamarind pulp and let boil again.
• Then slowly add the fish pieces for curry, keep side the remaining water in plate.
• Then hold the pan on both sides with a thick cloth and gently toss the fish so that the it mixes with the gravy without breaking up.
• Cover and cook for another 3 minutes.
• Again do the same procedure of mixing gently cover and cook for another 4 minutes,
  uncover and taste for salt and sourness if desired.
• Open and cook for another 2 minutes and put off the flame.
• Cover and let be without removing lid for 5-7 minutes.
• Pour on to serving dish and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and a split green chilly.
• Serves well with hot steam rice

RICE ROTIS (OTTI)

• 250gms raw rice
• 750ml water
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 250gms rice flour

Method:

• Cook rice in the water with salt.
• Spread the cooked rice on a kneading plate or thali.
• Knead the rice with the rice flour, adding little at a time.
• Make into dough.
• Roll on a little flour to prevent sticking.
• Make small balls and flatten in a chapatti press between two plastic sheets wiped with a little oil to prevent sticking.
• Remove the roti, put it on a hot tawa for about a minute.
• Turn the roti over and keep for little longer.
• Turn it over again, remove and place the roti on direct heat/flame.
• The roti will puff out well. Careful not to burn.

Approximately 12-14 rotis
Rice rotis go well with all curries, especially bamboo shoot curry.

THALAYA PUTTU ( PLATE IDLY –COORG STYLE )

• ½ K.g. Rice
• ½ cup cooked rice (soft)
• 250 gm.urud dhal
• ¼ Teaspoon methi seeds
• 1Tablespoon sugar
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and soak rice, urud dhal, methi for 5-hrs.
• Do not throw away the soaked water but use it during the grinding process.
• Add the cooked rice to the grinding and make a fine paste.
• Stir well. Add the sugar, cover and keep in warm place overnight.
• Next morning stir again and add 2 Teaspoon salt .
• Also ¼ Teaspoon cooking soda blended well with little hot milk and add to the ground paste.
• Mix it well and pour out into greased thalis and keep for steaming in the rice cooker /
  SHAKALA ( a very south Indian copper/steel or aluminumrice cooker similar to the Chinese variety ).
• Keep to steam for 35-40 minutes or till knife leaves clean.
• The cooker ought to be warmed up before keeping the puttu for steaming.
• If cooker is not available then use cooker like for idlys.
• The plates will have to be kept one on top of each other with the help of sticks placed criss-cross on the plates.
• Can make 3-5 plates depending on thickness.

BAMBOO SHOOT TIPS FRY

• ¼ kg bamboo shoots
• 3 tablespoon cooking oil
• ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 3-4 curry leaves
• 2-3 whole red chillies
• 8-10 flakes garlic chopped
• 1 teaspoon Ghee

Method:

• Heat oil in shallow pan.
• Season with mustard seeds, curry leaves, chopped garlic and red chillies.
• Add onions and fry with the roasted ground masala.
• Put in the bamboo tips and toss well for 1-2 minutes.
• Turn off the flame add the ghee, cover and keep.
• Serve hot.

ALBAI (RICE HALWA)

Ingredients:

• 2 coconuts (only whites grated)
• 1 cup white rice
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom powder
• sugar to taste

Method:

• Soak rice for 8 hours and grind fine.
• Separately grind the coconut and sieve the coconut milk.
• Mix 2 cups of water with the ground rice and sieve it.
• The sieved rice is mixed with the coconut milk.
• Add sugar and cardamom powder.
• Keep stirring on medium flame with wooden ladle constantly.
• Keep adding water little at a time.
• The mixture has to cook on slow flame (typically how it is done for any halwa).
• This process should take between 30-45 minutes.
• Test the halwa by dropping a small piece into a cup of water.
• If the halwa holds firm and does not dissipate, then pourthe mixture into a greased plate.
• Let it cool, cut into pieces for serving.