Prawn Masala

Ingredients

Small Prawns - 200 gms
Onions - 2 (finely chopped)
Tomato - 1 (finely chopped)
Tomato Puree - 1 small cup
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/4 tsp
Corriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
Homemade Chilli-Corriander Powder - 1 tsp
Fennel Powder - 1/4 tsp
Coconut Milk - a small cup
Salt - to taste

To Marinate

Lime Juice - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

For Seasoning

Oil - 2 tbsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon piece - 1
Fennel Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - few

Method

Marinate the de-shelled, de-veined Prawns with lime juice and turmeric powder for 15 minutes.

Heat Oil in a kadai and add the items given in "For Seasoning" one-by-one. When it starts spluttering, add the chopped onions, salt and saute for 3 minutes. Add the ginger garlic paste, chopped tomatoes and saute for another 3 minutes.

Add all the dry powders, salt and saute for 2 minutes. Now add the tomato puree and cook the gravy in medium flame. When you find the oil oozing out, add the prawns. Cook the Prawns in medium flame for 5 minutes. Now add the coconut milk and cook for another 5 minutes.

Transfer the Prawn Masala to a serving dish

Italian Pasta with Bell Pepper and Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients

Pasta - a large bowl
Red Bell Pepper - 1
Green Bell Pepper - 1
Yellow Bell Pepper - 1
Cherry Tomatoes - 20 to 25
Green Chillies - 1 (finely chopped)
Mayonnaise - 1 tbsp
Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
Garlic Powder - 1 tsp
Italian Seasoning - 1 1/2 tsp
Olive Oil - 2 tsp
Vegetable or Refined Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Method

Add a tsp of oil and salt to the water in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil. When the water starts bubbling, add the Pastas. Cook till its soft and done.

Heat Olive and Vegetable Oil in a pan. When it gets little hot, add the lengthwise cut Bell Peppers, finely chopped Green Chillies. Saute for 2 minutes.

Add Garlic Powder, Pepper Powder, Italian Seasoning and Salt to it. Saute it in a high flame. Add the Mayonnaise and saute for an another minute.

Now add the Cooked Pastas, Cherry Tomatoes and saute for a few more minutes.

Transfer the Salad to a serving bowl.

Mutton Chukka

"Chettinad Mutton Chukka Varuval" is a traditional, authentic
non-vegeterian dish from Chettinad cuisine.

One of the prime most dish served in the Chettinad region. This dish can be found in all the Chettinad restaurants.

Ingredients
Mutton - 250 gms
Onion Shallots or Pearl Onions - 20 (cut length wise)
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Ripened Tomato - 1 (large,finely chopped)
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Home made Red Chilli,Corriander Powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste

To Season
Oil - 2 tbsp
Dry Red Chillies - 4 or 5 (broken such that flakes are seen)
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - few sprigs
Small Garlic Pods - 15 to 20

Method
In a Pressure cook add the mutton pieces, water and half the turmeric powder. Cook it for 4 to 5 whistles depending on the texture of the mutton.

Heat Oil in a deep bottomed kadai. Add fennel seeds, chopped onions, shallots, garlic pods, broken dry red chillies, curry leaves. Saute it for 2 to 3 minutes. Add turmeric powder, home made red chilli-corriander powder and saute it for a minute.

Now add the chopped tomatoes and saute it in a medium flame. When you find the oil oozing out, add the pressure cooked mutton with left over stock. Add the required salt to it.

Cook it in a medium flame till it gets dry. You can find the oil oozing out from the curry.

Mutton Chukka Varuval is now ready to be served hot.

Mutter Paneer

"Mutter Paneer", is a North Indian dish made out of Green Peas and Indian Cottage Cheese in Tomato gravy with few indian spices. It is one of those most popular curries found all over India.

A very good vegeterian side dish for all kinds of Indian flat breads.

Ingredients
Paneer cubes - 200 gms
Fresh Peas (Mutter) - 200 gms
Onion - 2 (finely chopped)
Tomato Puree - 100 gms (Puree made out of 3 ripened tomatoes)
Green Chilli - 1 (finely chopped)
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Corriander Powder - 3 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - a pinch
Salt - to taste
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method
Heat Oil in a Pan. To the hot oil, add the Cumin seeds and allow it to splutter. Add chopped onions, little salt and saute it for few minutes.

Now add ginger garlic paste, finely chopped green chillies. Saute it till the raw smell is off. When the raw smwll is off, add all the dry powders except garam masala. Add very little water if it gets too dry.

Add the tomato puree to the above mixture and cook it covered till it leaves out oil. Add the remaining salt, saute it for a while and then add the mutter.

In a medium flame, cook the mutter in the mixture till it becomes soft. Add the garam masala and saute for a minute.

Heat Ghee in a pan. Shallow fry the Paneer cubes in it for 2 minutes.

When you find the oil oozing out from the tomato peas mixture, add the fried Paneer cubes and the remaining ghee. Mix the gravy gently and cook for another 2 minutes in a low flame.

Transfer the Mutter Paneer Gravy to a serving dish and serve it hot with your main course.