Vaada

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Preparation Time : 40 minutes

Cooking Time : 40 minutes

Serving : 6 members

Description

Vaada , is an authentic regional snack very own to the Muslim town of kayalpattinam near tirunelveli . Very often there is a barter system that happens with in our neighbours and relatives . Like wise once we did receive vaada from our neighbours ( family paediatrician too ) mr . Thamby mamas home . Every one at home were like ho “VAADA” , I didn’t know what it was ???? Sweet , savoury , tangy or what is this space craft like looking delicacy . All I knew about vaada was the Tamil word vaa da that meant come da :-)) . Tasted it and it was an oily crisp , chewy cover with a prawn filling . I didn’t like it at first but as you eat it gets more appetising and you start wanting more . Eating this snack is a good exercise for your cheek bones as it starts paining in a while because of the chewiness .     This snack was always relished when ever it was sent home by nachi amma ( mrs . Thamby ) or  at the beaches of kayalpattinam where they sell vaada with kari kanji or pickle . Never did I want to know how to make this dish as I didn’t fancy it much though I used to like it . Once in chennai we had gone to visit my hubby’s first cousin wahidha. She served us some home made hot vaadas . Tasted one and it was the best vaada that I have tasted till date . As the cover was crisp , light and not chewy . Wanted to get the recipe then and there but as Wahima was busy then just left it for after wards . Came across two recipes in the world wide net for vaadas , tried both and didn’t work out as expected . Finally got the recipe from Wahima and gave a try with my cook all grumbling and having a look like why can’t she give up if it doesn’t work .Me not wanting to give up or compromise at any cost went ahead and the results were pitch perfect just like wahimas vaadas . Served it while breaking our fast during the holy month of ramadhan and hubby very reluctantly took one . The first bite he took , his eye brows raised and eyes widened , following with who send this ? Taste’s really good and no pain of chewing as well . Happy , happy me  ( happier cook of mine actually ) as my quest of perfecting vaada was finally accomplished with flying colours like the passion of a true food lover .

Ingredients for the cover

Ingredients
Quantity
Rice 1 cup
Saltto taste
Turmeric powder1/ 4 teaspoon
Water3 cups
Puttu maavu ( powder ) 1 cup ( authentically kappi maavu is used . That's the grainy remains of shifted puttu powder . I used thenga otta maavu ( puttu powder fried with coconut that's fried to crisp and very coarse . I blitzed it and used )
Oil to deep fry

Method

  1. Pressure cook all the above ingredients together except for puttu maavu ( powder)  and oil to deep fry for 5 whistles .
  2. Cool and pulse ( not grind ) to a coarse mass of rice paste .
  3. Add one cup of puttu / kappi or thenga otta powder and knead to a dough with wet hands with out adding water .you get a sticky dough , set aside for 15 minutes and the dough become tight .

Ingredients for filling

Ingredients
Quantity
Onions 5 chopped
Green chillies 4 chopped
Coconut grated 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder little
Curry leaves1 teaspoon chopped
Prawns20 cleaned
Maldives fish powder ( maasi in Tamil )1 tablespoon
Oil 1 tablespoon

Method for filling

  1. Mix onions , green chillies , turmeric powder , salt and prawn together . Heat one tablespoon of oil and saute the prawn mixture for 5 to 8 minutes .
  2. Add grated coconut , Maldives fish powder and curry leaves . Mix well and cool completely .

How to proceed

  1. Make lemon sized ball one slightly bigger than the other with the dough .
  2. Using a clean wet muslin cloth flatten both sized small ball of dough to your palm size ( bigger sized ball flattened a bit bigger ) with wet hands to 1/4 inch thick .
  3. Place 1 tablespoon of prawn filling over the small sized flattened round and close with the bigger flattened round .
  4. Seal both the edges of the cover rounds together making sure to seal the filling inside .
  5. Do the same to all the cover dough and filling .( I usually do up to this point ahead , freeze , defrost and use when required ) .
  6. Heat oil to deep fry and fry to a golden yellow colour and crisp for about 3-5 minutes in batches . Drain and serve as it is with kari kanji .

Note

  1. Any other filling can be used other than the prawn filling given but this is the authentic filling used .
  2. Make sure the outer cover does not crack  while flattening .
  3. Always use wet hands and a wet muslin cloth to flatten the rice dough to make things easier .

Kari podi roast

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Preparation time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 – 35 minutes

Serving : 8 – 10 members

Description

Kari podi roast . Every year after eid ul azha our home is over loaded with mutton in the freezer and we end up experimenting  in every possible way . This dish was such an experiment done by my mom after this eid ul azha that is a sensational recipe bursting with mouth watering flavours . served to us for lunch which took our table by a storm for all the meat lovers . ( except my veggie daughter :-)) )   The mutton was rightly spiced and roasted to perfection mildly crisp on the outside and a tender yielding inside  with the coconut flavour coming through along with a feel of slow burn singing the sides of our tongue . The shredded meat broke the monotony of having bite size pieces of meat cooked and served as usual .  This authentic voyage of flavours never ever fails , leaving enough for us to abandon our doubts .

Ingredients to pressure cook

Ingredients
Quantity
Bone less mutton1 kg
Turmeric powder1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Ginger 25 grams piece crushed
Garlic 7 flakes crushed
Water just enough to cook the meat

Method to pressure cook

  1. Mix all the above ingredients together and pressure cook until meat is cooked through and tender .
  2. Drain and cool the cooked mutton pieces . reserve the stock .
  3. Blitz the cooled mutton pieces in the food processor to get separate threads of meat ( mom did  it  in the ammi / sil patta  by just smashing the meat pieces )  and set aside .

Ingredients to roast

Ingredients
Quantity
Cumin seeds1 tablespoon
Dry red chillies 10
Coconut1/2 a coconut grated
Coriander powder4 teaspoons
Coconut oil 1 tablespoon

Method to roast

  1. Heat 1/4 teaspoon of coconut oil and roast the cumin seeds + dry red chillies .
  2. Once the dry red chillies has swollen , switch of the flame and add coriander powder .Mix well and set aside to cool .
  3. Heat remaining coconut oil and roast the coconut to a golden brown colour and until a aroma arises .Remove and cool .
  4. Mix the coconut with the other roasted ingredients and powder to a coarse powder and set aside .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Coconut oil 3 tablespoons
Small onion1 hand full chopped
Curry leaves 1 strand

How to proceed

  1. Heat coconut oil in a large non – stick frying pan . Add the small onions , curry leaves and fry to golden brown .
  2. Top with the roasted coarse coconut masala powder .Lower the heat add the mutton threads and sauté for 10 -15 minutes until well roasted .
  3. Sprinkle the reserved stock once in 3 minutes so that the mutton does not dry and get rubbery .
  4. Taste and adjust and serve hot as a side dish with rice or rotis .

Note

Make sure to roast the meat threads in low flame by sprinkling the stock every 3 minutes once .

Vellai kurma

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Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 40 minutes

Serving : 6 – 8 members

Description

Vellai kurma as we call it at home is an authentic korma of the ravuthar community mainly in coimbatore , palghat region . Made  with rich ingredients but lightly spiced , flavoured and white in colour . The colour is , from where this korma gets its name vellai meaning white in Tamil . A dish i have grown up being fed and pampered with , That always brings a taste of happiness to me . This is My maternal grand mother , sabiya perimas recipe and is mainly made for  VIP guests at home . My dads mom balkees perima hates this lightly spiced korma and I have memories of her grumbling about this korma when ever I ask her to make this for me . Guess her grumblings were because its my maternal grand mothers recipe more than she hating it . The rivalry between my grand mothers for their lovely grand children is another story :-)) . At home even I make this korma only when I have VIP guests or for both the Eids .last month when my maternal uncle shanu from bangalore came home to visit me , made this korma and he was like …” I literally for got this dish Akka ( :-))  yes , he is younger to me !!! ) you took me back in time ” and he enjoyed it . I was pleased that this cheery korma made my uncles meal a lot more memorable with its age old connection we share with it and I got to generously pamper his taste buds as my grand mother did to me .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Mutton 1 kg
Green chillies 15 slit
Turmeric powder 2 pinches
Fennel powder1 tablespoon
Lime juice 1/2 a lime
Onions2 sliced thinly
Ginger garlic paste1 teaspoon each
Tomato 1 very small , chopped
Cinnamon1 inch piece
Clove2
Cardamom2
Salt to taste
Ghee / oil4 tablespoons ( ghee is used authentically )

Ingredients to grind

Ingredients
Quantity
Coconut grated 1/2 a coconut
Poppy seeds 2 tablespoons
Cashew nuts 1/2 hand
  1. Grind together to a smooth paste.

Method

  1. Ghee ghee in a pressure cooker . Add cinnamon , cloves and cardamom .
  2. Once they crackle , add onions and fry to translucent and a pale pink colour .
  3. Top with ginger and garlic paste . When light brown add mutton , turmeric powder , green chillies , tomato ,salt and fennel powder .
  4. Saute for a few minutes until the mutton changes colour . Add water , enough to sink the meat .
  5. Mix well and pressure cook until cooked through for about 5 whistles .To the boiled mutton add the ground coconut masala . Bring to boil .
  6. Garnish with lime juice and chopped coriander leaves .Taste and adjust .
  7. The consistency should be semi thick and flowing .  Serve hot with parota , iddiappam , appam , idli , dosa . Anything and every thing .

Note

Can do the same with chicken , and can add potatoes along with the mutton and chicken .Vegetarians can do the same with potatoes alone

Kaaei charu

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Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 45 – 50 minutes

Serving : 6 – 8 members

Description

Kaaei charu , an authentic dish very own to the ravuthar ( Tamil Muslim ) community of Coimbatore / Palghat region . A very rustic tangy one pot curry made with mutton and veggies all together in one dish . The veggies used  in this curry are fresh local produce of Coimbatore / Palghat region . Every Muslim house hold has their own version of this dish with slight changes . This recipe is my grand mothers ( dads mom – balkees perima ) . She always used to make it in fire wood stove with her six daughters and four daughter – in – laws helping her around . After all food is glue that binds our family . Quality time for the aadhi clang ( our family name ) women means cooking together . While slicing the onions , grinding masalas and washing the meat … You can hear stories being gossiped and swapped about near and far relatives . These sort of every day preparations really interest me a lot . From my maternal grand mother sabiya perima in Palghat , I learnt a lot of these every day recipes and in Coimbatore where my fathers mother lived , I gorged on to what ever she made . Once i was married of to tirunelveli … kaaei charu became an forgotten dish as at hubbys place this dish does not exist . After decades I got to place a warm mouth full of thenga choru and Kaaei charu  in my mouth . i tasted the warmth of balkees perima , felt my heart pound and my eyes welled up with memories soaking in the wealth of emotion coursing through me as she is no more .  Dads mom never ever shared her recipes . This particular recipe some how mom learnt it from her mother – in – law and I learnt it from my mom . I am happy that this authentic home style family heirloom recipe has been recorded for three generations and would make sure I pass it on to my daughter and daughter – in – law Insha  Allah …..

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Mutton 1 kg , ( with bones and fat on the meat pieces )
Tomato 1 big chopped
Garlic 4 cloves
Small onion 6 to 8
Raw bananas2 peeled and cut into 4 pieces
White pumpkin1/4 slice of one big pumpkin , cut into cubes
Drum stick 1 big , cut into finger size
Mango 1 cut with the skins . cut cheeks and leave the seed as it is
Brinjal 5 each cut into 4 pieces
Coriander powder 5 tablespoons
Rad Chilli powder 3 tablespoons
Turmeric powdera pinch
Tamarind lime size soaked in one cup water and drained
Salt to taste
Coconut oil 5 tablespoons
Fenugreek seeds1/4 teaspoon
Mustard seeds1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds1 teaspoon
Curry leaves1 strand

Method

  1. Grind coriander powder , red chilli powder and turmeric powder to a very smooth paste and set aside . Heat a heavy bottomed vessel with coconut oil .
  2. Add fenugreek seeds and  mustard seeds. Once they crackle top with cumin seeds , curry leaves the whole strand with the stem ( that’s how my grand mother used to use ) ,  onion and garlic .
  3. Once the garlic is light brown add the ground masala paste .Sauté for a few minutes . Add the cleaned mutton and chopped tomato . Sauté until the colour of the mutton changes .
  4. Pour enough water to cover the meat and cook until the meat is 3/4 cooked . Now add the chopped white pumpkin , raw bananas and mango pieces along with tamarind water .
  5. Mix well and cook on medium heat until these vegetables are cooked   to 3/4 . Add brinjal and drum sticks .Cook future until all the vegetables and the mutton is cooked .
  6. The consistency of the gravy must be semi thick . Simmer and let the oil separate .Remove from heat and serve hot with white boiled rice or thanga choru ( rice cooked in coconut milk ) .

Note

  1. Make sure all the veggies in the curry are cooked and in its shape and does not get soggy and mix with the curry .
  2. You can pressure cook the mutton following the same recipe for two whistles and then add the veggies and cook without the whistle .
  3. This way you save a lot of time but taste does differ .This is a very tangy dish . If you don’t have a liking towards tangy things , this curry is not for you .

Kari kanji

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Preparation Time : 45 minutes

Cooking Time : 35 minutes

Serving : 6 – 8 members

Description

Kari kanji . Nonbu  Kanji is a staple In all Muslim house holds through out Tamil Nadu and Kerala . Mainly had during the holy month of ramadan while breaking their fast for Iftar which is hearty and filling .  Every district in both the states have their own version of this same dish . This recipe is from a place called KAYALPATTINAM  in Tamil Nadu which is near my hubby’s place . A Muslim town where they have their own wonderful  custom of the married grooms having to live at their brides place there after . There is so much more to be mentioned but I will just stick on to the dish . I first had this kanji from a very close family friends place at  DR. Thamby mamas home . ( they are family actually ) this kanji being a favourite of hubby dear got the recipe from nachi amma ( mrs . Thamby ) and from then on its a staple at home . This is a tenaciously guarded recipe that is passed down from one generation to the next but rarely documented . Another important mention related to this dish . I am a great fan and follower of the Facebook page NOTES FROM A MALLU KITCHEN which is run by Reshma Nooh . She had posted this recipe with a story about her hubby being a student of crescent school in chennai ( where my brother – in – law and all my hubby’s cousin brothers studied too ) where they serve this kanji and how she got the recipe … So on and so forth … I have to confess that Reshma Nooh and NOTES FROM A MALLU KITCHEN was my inspiration to start sauté , fry n bake . I was so very impressed by this story ,  she wrote about the kanji that I grabbed the idea and am doing the same religiously on my every post till date that are  soaked in wealth of emotions coursing through me related to the dish and recipe .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Basmati rice 200 grams
Moong dal 50 grams
carrot, cabbage and beans chopped50 grams
Tomato chopped 50 grams
Onion1 sliced
Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
Chilly powder1/4 teaspoon
Thick coconut milkextracted from one grated coconut ground with 2 glasses of water and strained
Boneless Mutton 100 grams
Cumin powder 1/4 teaspoon
Fennel powder1/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder 1 /2 teaspoon
Ginger garlic paste 1 teaspoon each
Salt to taste
Curd1 tablespoon
Cinnamon 1 inch piece
Cardamom 4
Cloves4
Ghee 2 tablespoons

Method

  1. pressure cook rice , moong dal , carrots , beans , cabbage , turmeric powder , onion and tomato along with enough water to cover everything, and cook for 10 minutes or until cooked well .
  2. Cool completely .  Pressure cook the mutton with ginger garlic paste 1/4 teaspoon each , salt, chilli powder , cumin powder , fennel powder , coriander powder  along with enough water and cook  .
  3. Cool completely and sherd the mutton pieces by blitzing in the food processor for a second .  Take the cooled rice mix, and add to blender.
  4. Blend for a second, then stop. You just need to get the rice and veggies just a bit mashed, so you can get tiny pieces, but no big lumps.
  5. Add coconut milk, shredded mutton and mix well by hand. No blender this time.
    Heat ghee, add cardamom, cinnamon, ginger garlic paste, and sauté till light golden and crisp .
  6. Add curd mix well and  Add to the kanji.the kanji should be of a thin running consistency like for soup .
  7. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and  Serve hot with cutlets  , samosas and vadaas  as accompaniment.

Aattu kaal soup

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Preparation Time : 45 minutes

Cooking Time : 1 hour

Serving : 6 members

Description

Aattu kaal soup as we call at home which means trotters soup / goats  leg soup . This recipe is an authentic family classic very own to my mothers place which is nearly a pale black in colour  ( the colour might put you of but i assure you it tastes heavenly ),  very spicy where you feel the slow burn singing the sides of your tongue and less fat constant compared to my in – laws place trotters soup .at my  In – laws place , the trotters soup is a pale yellow colour with ground poppy seeds added to it , garnished with crushed pepper and cumin seeds . very minimally spiced and mildly flavoured but a lot more fatty . I have already posted the recipe of my in – laws place trotters soup . Once on a holiday to U.K , was at my friends place ( baby as we call her / meera aboo Thamby ) . She served us totters soup for dinner . I was so surprised to see the trotters there , as each piece was so big and had much more flesh compared to what we get in India . I did ask her if these are cows trotters as it was so fleshy , big and more sticky . Those were the best trotters I have had till date . Her second son akil was a kid about 6 years and i remember , he kept asking ” I want jelly meat ” …. I don’t know how many of you remember the story about what my brother had gone through because of this trotters soup with my son on my previous post on trotters soup . Well this is the soup that put him into such an situation .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Cleaned Trotters ( goats legs )4 legs ( each leg cut into 3 pieces )
Garlic 100 grams cut into rounds
Small onionone hand full cut into rounds + 5 chopped to fry and season
Ghee2 tablespoons
Cinnamon 1 inch piece
Cloves2
Coriander powder 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin powder 1/2 teaspoon
Black Pepper powder3 teaspoon or to taste
Saltto taste
Coriander leavesfew chopped

Method

  1. Pressure cook the trotters along with turmeric powder , coriander power , cumin powder , pepper powder , small onions and garlic in low flame for 10 -15 whistles with water 1/2 inch above the trotters .
  2. The trotters flesh should fall apart from the bones and while eating the flesh should dissolve in your mouth .
  3. Add salt , taste and adjust . Heat ghee , add cinnamon , cloves and small onions .
  4. Sauté for a minute until the onions are brown and pour over the trotters soup .
  5. Mix well , garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with arisi maavu rotti ( rice flour pathiri / roti ) .

Kari Vadai

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Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Serving : 10 members

Description

Kari vadai . A yum mouth watering authentic dish very own to my in – laws place . I make the entire process of getting together the mixture ahead and refrigerate . So the frying part is done in a much relaxed laid back way . This is had as it is , no dips or sauces to be accompanied along . As you fry , every one is drawn towards the kitchen by following the aroma filled in the air . make sure to make plenty as they will be devoured in on time even before its on the table to be served . At moms place we make another form of the same recipe with raw keema and its called kaima vadai . But I like this Kari vadai better as its more crisp and soft . I have tasted a keema vadai similar to this one at my aunt shajithas place in Salem . They call it as Sami vadai .( this tastes even better )  Used to wonder why this wired name . Recently I am in to a lot of kebabs . And got to know that the North Indians call their Kari vadai’s as shammi Kabab . It just hit my mind that , the word shammi must have taken its form to change into Sami . The reason why I think so is interesting because in Tamil we do not have a single word which starts with the pronunciation of the letter SHA and this alphabet was included recently during the Mughal period in India . for sure this recipe also must have been passed down to all of us from the Mughals . They should have mentioned it as shammi and we Tamils should have called it Sami as we were not used to  pronouncing SHA . No offence to  anyone , its just a thought that I assume must be right .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Bone less mutton
 1/2 kg
Bengal gram dal 200 grams
Onion2 small sized chopped finely
Tomato 1 medium sized chopped finely
Green chillies2 chopped
Egg 1 large
Lime1/2 juice
Mint leaves 2 tablespoons chopped
Coriander leaves 2 tablespoons chopped
Ginger garlic paste 1/4 teaspoon each
Salt to taste
Red Chilli powder1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder 1/4 teaspoon
Oilto deep fry

Method

  1. Pressure cook the boneless mutton with salt to taste , ginger garlic paste and little water for 3 whistles or until well cooked .
  2. Reduce the water in the cooked mutton and set aside to cool .
  3. Pressure cook the Bengal gram dal with just enough water to cook the dal and pressure cook for one whistle , making sure that the dal is cooked but does not get mushy .
  4. Drain the dal and spread it over a tray ( I spread it over a news paper ) so that all the moister evaporates and the dal is in a dry consistency and cools down .
  5. Blitz the cooled mutton just to separate the cooked mutton to thin treads .
  6. Set aside 1/2 hand of boiled Bengal gram dal . Blitz the remaining Bengal gram dal to a fine powder . Mix the blitzed mutton ,
  7. Dal powder and all the other ingredients together . Mix well .
  8. Taste and adjust . Take a small lime size ball of the mutton mixture and flatten it to make vadais .
  9. Do the same to all the mutton mixture .
  10. Heat oil to deep fry and fry the Kari vadais in medium heat for 3 -4 minutes until the vadais get to a deep golden colour , crisp and cooked through . Serve hot as it is and enjoy ….
  11. You can use beef instead of mutton which gives better taste

Naattu kozli kulambhu

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Preparation Time : 30 minutes

Cooking Time : 40 minutes

Serving : 6 – 8 members

Description

Country chicken or Nattu kozli kolambhu as its known in its original form . Two days back as usual was just surfing through all the foodie groups that I am a part of .  One post just got my full attention on home chefs guild as fami tha of salem had posted nattu kozli kolambhu picture with the recipe mentioning that it helped her kids heal their cold . Went through the recipe and just loved the rustic process of it with few simple, humble  ingredients transforming into a delicious one pot dish .  Took note immediately as I am having a terrible cold and cough . Tried it out last morning and had it with dosas .the kick of crushed pepper serves as a cold remedy here .  Felt much better once I had this kolambhu . Thanks fami tha to have shared this wonderful medicinal recipe that was tasty and a natural awakening to my cold that served me as my comfort food .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Chicken-1kg
Onions 2 (coarsely ground)
Garlic2 full pods (coarsely ground)
Tomatosmall 2 (coarsely ground)
Pepper1 tablespoon
Corianderleaves i closed handfull
(roughly grind pepper and coriander leaves together )
Curry masala powder1/2 tablespoon
Coconut milk1 cup
Water1cup
Oil1/2 tablespoon
Saltas needed

Method

  1. Grind the specified ingredients separately.Place cooker on flame.
  2. Put the chicken in first and jus keep sauteing it for 1min till the water from the chicken dries up.Remove the chicken and keep aside.
  3. Add oil in the cooker. Add ground onions and saute for 1min and then add ground garlic and saute for a min till the raw smell goes.
  4. Add chicken and try incorporating the onion and garlic masala and chicken.
  5. Add curry masala, tomato , ground pepper & coriander. Mix well. Add required salt and water and pressure cook until done.
  6. Wait for the pressure to release and add coconut milk and cook it for 1min on low flame. Naatu kozhi kulambu ready.

Note

  1. I substituted onions with small onion and omitted the dehydrating part of the chicken in the first step .
  2. I pressured cooked the chicken for whistles on high flame and another 3 whistles on low flame .

Curry masala powder 

Coriander powder – 4 tablespoons
Red chilli powder -3 teaspoons
Cumin seed powder – 1 teaspoon
Fennel seed powder – 1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder -1/2 teaspoon
Mix all together for curry masala powder . Use as required and can store the rest in a clean air right container to be used for further use .

Liver kaliya

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Preparation Time : 40 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 minutes

Serving : 6 members

Description

Liver Kaliya . An authentic dish of the Muslims in Sri Lanka . I first got to know about this dish at my in – laws place . Felt wired about vegetables being mixed with liver . But when I tasted  the dish , the roit of clever flavour combination that burst in my mouth can not be put into words . This dish is best served with ghee rice as a side dish ( as at my in – laws place but no harm in serving it with anything and everything ).I used to love liver gravy that was served to us at GSPS ( good shepherd public school ) in ooty . It used be so very soft . At home the liver mom used to serve was nice but not as soft as in school . Used to wonder why but never complained as 90 % was in school and only 10 % was at home . Only after I was married and started my kitchen experiments did I get the answer to this . My mother – in – law , one mid morning while prepping to cook came with a plate full of roasted liver seasoned with crushed pepper and salt . Tasted one piece , immediately my taste buds took me back to school as the liver was soft and tasted like what I had in school . Enquired my mother – in – law about how she prepared it and only then she mentioned saying it was chicken liver along with the recipe . Pity my mom , as I always used to think she is a bad cook that’s  why the liver she prepares is hard . Felt like banging my head as I was dum not knowing the real reason . This incident was a definitive update to me . But you can never ever assure about being armed with knowledge and know – how about food . The more you dig into it gets big , bigger and deep , deeper .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Goats liver1/4 kg cut into small bits
Potatoes2 big peeled and chopped in the same size as livers
Brinjal's 1/4 kg cut into the same size as livers
Raw bananas ( ash plantains ) 2 peeled and cut into the same size as the livers
( immerse chopped potatoes , brinjal's and ash plantains in water separately so that the vegetables do not turn black )
Thin coconut milk 3 cup
Thick coconut milk 1 cup
Onion 1 big chopped
Green chillies 4 slit
Tomato 1 big chopped
Ginger paste 1/4 teaspoon
Garlic paste 1/4 teaspoon
Chilli powder1 teaspoon
Coriander powder2 teaspoon
Cumin powder 1/2 teaspoon
Fennel powder1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder 1/4 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil 4 tablespoon .( I use coconut oil ) + oil to deep fry
Pandan leaves ( ramba ) 1/2 torn ( optional )

Method

  1. Heat oil to deep fry . Deep fry potatoes , brinjal’s and ash plantains separately to golden colour and crisp . Drain  and set aside .
    Heat a kadai  with oil . Add chopped onions and fry to translucent .
  2. Top with ginger and garlic paste and sauté to crisp . Add green chillies , pandan leaf and tomato .
  3. Sauté till the tomatoes break down and gets to a saucy consistency and oil separates . Top with chilli powder , coriander powder , cumin powder , fennel powder  and turmeric powder . Mix well .
  4. Add liver and toss well adding thin coconut milk and cook the liver till 3/4  cooked . Add salt to taste . Once the liver is cooked and all the fried vegetables ( potatoes , brinjal’s and ash plantains ) . Mix well .
  5. Add the thick coconut milk and bring to boil . Reduce the flame , simmer till the Kaliya gets to a thick gravy consistency infusing all the flavours with each other .
  6. Once oil floats on top remove from flame and serve hot as a side dish for flavoured rice , boiled rice , roti , chapatis ……

Naattu kozli soup

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Preparation Time : 20 minutes

Cooking Time : 30 -40 minutes

Serving : 4 members

Description

Country chicken soup or nattu kozli soup as addressed at home . This dish is an authentic ravuthar dish of  Nellai and neighbouring  regions . A lightly flavoured runny watery consistency fresh and fragrant  soup but had with dosa or iddiappam ,  Seldom  drank as a soup . I often wonder how the name soup was given to this dish as its an English term . The same applies with places addressed here at Nellai  . We have the railway station area called JUNCTION , and the main bazaar area addressed as TOWN . The wired thing is that these two places have no Tamil names to them but addressed in their English forms . ( hey get back to the dish please … Oops ) this soup is served as a medicinal remedy when we have cold , to girls who attain puberty , boys who have under gone circumcision   and  women who have given birth . This soup is served with a thick dosa  or 2 iddiapams with 2-3 ladles of piping hot delicate soup poured over and left to soak  with a few pieces of fatty tender chicken . when you eat , it just slides through your trout to the stomach . Offering warmth with  a sense of well being to satisfy carvings of a family style familiar classic  soup .

Ingredients 

Ingredients
Quantity
Cleaned country chicken 1/2 kg
Small onions1 hand full chopped
Cinnamon1 inch piece
Cloves 2
Cardamom2
Ghee4 tablespoons
Ginger and garlic paste1/4 teaspoon each
Salt to taste
Tomato1 small chopped
Poppy seeds5 tablespoons
Fennel seeds1/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder1 teaspoon
Chilli powder1/4 teaspoon
Fennel powder 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin powder1/2 teaspoon
Fresh black Pepper crushed1 teaspoon or to taste

Method

  1. Grind poppy seeds with fennel seeds to a smooth paste and set aside .
  2. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker . Add cinnamon , cloves and cardamom .
  3. Once they crackle add the small onion and fry to golden brown . Top with ginger and garlic paste . Fry to brown .
  4. Add the cleaned chicken pieces and tomato .Sauté until the colour of the chicken has changed and the tomato lets out its juices .
  5. Add the poppy fennel seed paste and sauté for a minute adding salt to taste .
  6. Mix well and pour water just enough to cover the chicken ( about 6-8 cups of water ) and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles or until cooked through and the flesh falls a part from the bones .
  7. ( I usually pressure cook on high for one whistle and then on very low heat for 4 whistles . This way the chicken stays moist and soft ) . Add the coriander powder , chilli powder , fennel seeds powder , cumin powder and crushed black pepper powder .
  8. Bring to boil mixing well . Taste and adjust and serve hot with kal dosai’s (thick dosa’s like uttappams ) .

Note

  1. After cleaning the chicken .
  2. Marinate the cleaned chicken in 1 tablespoon of vinegar and one teaspoon of turmeric powder for 5 minutes .
  3. Then rinse the chicken again 2-3 times in water , drain and use .
  4. This helps to take away the bad smell that the country chicken has .
  5. Make sure you buy small sized country chicken that is of 3/4 kg when alive so when cut you get around 1/2 kg of chicken .
  6. This way you get tender flesh and the soup tastes better resulting in a clear broth .