Kitchen Corner-Try It

    Green Chutney Stuffed Eggplant- Ravaiya  Brinjal/eggplant is a versatile vegetable, and it goes well with different spices and herbs. Stuffed vegetables always taste better, and sometimes you need to look at things from a new perspective. Ever thought that a simple green coconut chutney can be a flavorful stuffing? Well, it may sound simple, but it tastes delicious. Ravaiya is a vegetarian/vegan recipe that is a perfect example of easy-to-make, comfort homey food. It is a culinary staple of Gujarathi and Parsi cuisine.  It goes well with basmati rice or with Indian flatbread like rotis or parathas. Fried eggplant has this melting texture, and combined with the tangy, flavorful coconut paste, and spices it tastes delicious. There is a perfect balance of heat and flavor. Coconut and sugar add a touch of sweetness and balances the tart from vinegar and tamarind. The coconut chutney has a fresh flavor of coriander and mint. I have posted recipes of stuffed eggplants,...

   Creamy Cauliflower and Peas Curry- Gobi Matar Masala  Are you looking for a simple vegetarian/ vegan curry to go with flatbread or rice? This curry is creamy and delicious with the roasted flavors from cauliflower . The sauce is versatile and is good with any vegetable of your choice, lentils, or beans. Cauliflower is always a favorite veggie option for me, and during the season, this vegetable is insanely inexpensive. The best way to prepare cauliflower is by roasting it. It brings out the nutty sweetness of the vegetable and complements well with any spicy meal. Here I have used a pan searing/ stir fry technique to roast the cauliflower. But you can also roast them in the oven. Cauliflower and green peas are a classic Indian combination. Gobi Matar is a famous North Indian dish and a great accompaniment for naan or pulka. I often make it for dinner, but this time tweaked the recipe a bit for a low-calorie curry with coconut milk instead of cream. It adds flavor and...

Hyderabadi Mutton Korma Recipe  Hyderabadi Mutton Korma is a delicious curry with velvety sauce, and tender cooked meat. It has the perfect restaurant-style gravy that you love to enjoy with bread or naan. Braised mutton is cooked, in a creamy sauce, and nuts add rich flavor and helps thickens the sauce. Hyderabadi mutton korma sauce is made of coconut, yogurt, roasted peanuts, cashew nuts, poppy seeds, and fried onions. It is finely blended and flavored with a melange of warm aromatic spice. Recreating this popular dish at home may sound complicated, but let me assure you, it is quite simple to make at home. The secret to making a luscious flavored mutton korma is the time! The longer it gets to cook and simmer, the better it’s going to taste! Its origins can be traced back to the Mughal royal kitchens and the Nizams of Hyderabad. It is a testimony of the rich culinary tradition of Deccani cuisine. Korma has always been my absolute favorite, and my mom makes this for special occas...

Meat Ball Curry/ Indian Spiced Kofta Curry- Delicious Tomato Gravy Today's recipe is a delicious meatball/ kofta curry that goes well with rice, pulao, or naan. Tender meatballs simmered in a flavorful, spicy, and delicious tomato-based sauce. Keema is essentially ground/minced beef, lamb, or chicken, and koftas and kofta curries are party favorites. Meatballs are comfort food in many cuisines, and there are so many variations. This curry is inspired by the Moghul cuisine. If you want to try something different for dinner, why not this kofta curry. It is a great dish to serve when you have friends over for dinner. Kofta curry is worth try-juicy meatballs and rich tangy gravy enriched with aromatic spices is a die for! The first time I tried the kofta curry was in Delhi, and it was a rich curry with lots of fresh creams. The meatballs are cooked, over charcoal for a smoky flavor. So if you want that authentic flavor, try barbecuing the meatballs before adding to the gravy. I want...

Murgh Chukandar/Beetroot Chicken Murgh Chukandar is a tasty chicken curry with wonderful natural bright red color. This color is from beetroot as the name suggests- chukandar means beets in Hindi and Urdu. You can also make with gosht/mutton. I am not sure about the origin of this recipe but it is popular in Northern India and Punjab and it is made during cold winter months. I love recipes with beetroot,but never thought of adding to meat. Beetroot has an earthiness and sweetness to it which complements with the flavor of earthy spices and kick from the chilies.The bonus is its beautiful vibrant color. This chicken curry has the right balance of sweet,sour,heat and flavor and was beyond what I expected. This humble chicken curry when paired with rice and naan gives you the satisfaction of homey comfort food. Beetroot is a super food and is a great source of iron and folate. It is said to purify blood and reduce blood pressure. It also contains nitrates,magnesium and oth...

Kada/ Quail Roast Kada /Quail is a small-sized bird, and its meat is delicious and succulent. Quail meat roasted with earthy spices, caramelized onions, tomatoes, and coconut gives you the deep essence of a traditional, homey South Indian food. Kada roast can be served, for holiday meals especially, Christmas, and Easter. Here I usually get quail and duck during the holiday season. It comes in a pack of six, so it was perfect for this roast recipe. Earlier I shared a Kerala style spicy  Kada/quail fry .  This quail roast recipe is taking the fried quail to the next level-roasting it along with caramelized onion and spices and coconut. Do not rush with the process of caramelizing the onion. This roasting imparts a unique flavor and enhances the taste of the curry. Spicy Kerala quail roast has very little gravy, and is a semi-dry preparation. It can be paired with rice, chapati or fried rice. Try this recipe..guarantee it will provide you an exotic eating experi...

Green Peas Mushroom Curry Simple and breezy curry for chapatis. This is a vegetarian version of my egg and peas curry that I posted earlier.Mushrooms are versatile and can be used to make both mild and spicy curries. I love to cook it just like chicken curry and the subtle mild flavor of mushrooms and the roasted spices complement each other so well. This is a rich and flavorful gravy with coconut milk, tomatoes and cashew nuts. Try this,you will surely love this.. Ingredients Frozen green peas- 1 1/2 cup Mushrooms- 8 0z. Onion- 1 medium Tomato puree-  3/4 cup Cashew nuts- 10-12 Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp Coconut milk thick-3/4 cup Chilly powder- 1 tsp Coriander powder- 1 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp Garam masala- 1/2 tsp Meat masala- 1/2 tsp Ghee- 1/2 tsp (optional) oil- 2 tsp salt and pepper to taste Coriander leaves Soak cashew nuts in 1/2 cup of warm water for half an hour(or you can put cashews into boiling water for two minutes,drain an...

Beetroot Egg Curry Egg curry is simple and easy to make for break fast or lunch.In Kerala egg curry is commonly served for breakfast along with appam or idiyappam. Recently I tried this beetroot egg curry,it is mildly spicy curry  and the caramelized onions and beetroot give  a touch of sweetness to the curry. Try this,you will surely love it. Ingredients Eggs- 4 Onions medium-3 Beetroot - 1 medium Green peas- 1 1/2 cup Tomato- 1 Curry leaves- a few Ginger thinly sliced- 2 tsp Kashmir chilly powder-2 tsp Fennel powder- 1/3 tsp Garam masala- 1/3 tsp Salt as needed Coconut oil Boil eggs and keep aside. Peel and grate beetroot. Heat oil in a pan and add sliced onion, ginger and curry leaves and salt . Saute till onion turns soft and caramelized. Add grated beetroot and chopped tomato and stir fry for another 4-5 minutes or till oil separates. Add chilly powder  and green peas.Pour one and half cup of water, cover and cook till the peas g...

Green Chickpea Paneer Curry Green chickpeas is healthy and easy to cook. It is very tender and cooks faster than the regular chickpeas/chana.It has a smooth buttery texture. I found green chana/choliya in the freezer section of our grocery store. Green chana and paneer is a yummy combo and this curry goes well with chapati/ naan.  Ingredients Green Chana- 2 cup Paneer cubed- 150 grams Onion - 1 large Tomato- 3 Green chilly-2  Ginger- 1 inch thick piece Garlic- 3-4 pods Cashew nuts-10-12 Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp Kashmiri chilly powder- 1 1/3 tsp Coriander powder- 1 tsp Garam masala- 1/2 tsp Meat masala- 1/2 tsp Cumin powder- 1/8 tsp Cardamom powder- a pinch Coriander leaves chopped- 3 tsp Oil- 3 tsp salt to taste Fry paneer till it turns golden brown and set this aside. In the same pan and add chopped onion, cashew nuts, chopped ginger and garlic and saute for a minute. Add 3 chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomato turns soft and mu...

Mutton Vindaloo Today's recipe is the hot and spicy Goan favorite, Vindaloo. It is lip-smacking delicious, spicy curry. Authentic Goan Vindaloo is made with pork, but you can also use beef or mutton. In today's recipe, I have used mutton. It is popular among Christians, and the  Anglo-Indian community.  Most Indian restaurants have Vindaloo on their menu. This curry is even popular outside India. It has a familiar pickle sourness, and taste because of its star ingredients- vinegar and mustard. There are chilies- lots of them for a fiery look. But there is a right balance of taste and flavor. This dish has a history of its own. It was inspired by Portuguese culture but slowly adapted to Indian tastes. It is an Indianized version of popular Portuguese dish  Carne de vinha d'alhos  in which meat is marinated in wine and garlic. It is often refereed to as pickled pork or garlic pork.It was mispronounced  and became vindalho or vindaloo in Indi...

Beet Greens Dal  Beet leaves is nutritious wonder green that you can never discard. It is rich in protein,zinc,iron and magnesium and vitamins like A,C and K. I love it as a thoran along with beetroot or mixing and spicing up with lentils.I simply adore this dish because it is simple yet tasty and healthy and can be served over rice. Ingredients Toor Dal- 3/4 cup Tomato-2 medium Shallots- 4-5 Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp Green chilly- 4-5 salt to taste Chopped Beet greens- 3 cups Oil-1 tsp Ghee- 1 tbs Thinly sliced ginger- 1 inch thick Mustard seeds- 1/3 tsp Cumin seeeds-1/2 tsp Fennel seeds- 1/2 tsp (optional) Garlic-3 pods Dry red chilly-2 Wash and soak toor dal for about 3 hours. Pressure cook this along with tomatoes, shallots, green chilly,turmeric powder and chilly powder and salt. Cook this for ten minutes or three whistles. Once lentil is nicely cooked mash with a wooden spoon. Slightly crush garlic and cumin and set aside. Finely chop beet stems...

Paneer Butter Masala- Restaurant Style Paneer Makhani Are you looking for a restaurant-style paneer butter masala? Then look no further.  Here is a quick recipe with simple steps that you can follow to make this delicious curry at home. It tastes exactly like the one at your favorite restaurant. Paneer butter masala is the quintessential dish for Indian parties and special occasions. The luscious and creamy sauce of butter masala is irresistible, and this delicious gravy and is versatile. You can add paneer, mixed vegetables, or make Butter Chicken . But for today's recipe, I am adding paneer, an Indian-style cottage cheese. Paneer is a good source of protein for vegetarians. Paneer butter masala has an exotic taste and is perfect for special occasions. It tastes divine with rotis, naan pulao/pilaf, or with simple steamed rice. So what is butter paneer or paneer butter masala?  It is a delicious curry with a rich flavor of butter. What makes butter masala gravy special ...

Easy Chicken Kurma- South Indian Creamy Chicken Curry Chicken Kurma is a quintessential dish for Indian parties and special occasions. Chicken Korma/kurma is magical, with few ingredients, but with great flavors and taste. The chicken is soft and tender, cooked in a mildly spiced, velvety sauce. The curry is delectable, but it is not an everyday meal. Ghee or clarified butter, nut paste, cream, yogurt, etc., makes it a calorie-rich meal. So today's recipe is an easy, low-calorie, home-style chicken kurma with no compromise to taste. It is easy to put together and is ready in under 30 minutes . The luscious and creamy sauce of chicken kurma is irresistible, and this delicious gravy and is versatile. If you want to try a vegetarian option, try adding mixed vegetables, peas, potatoes, paneer, or chickpeas to the sauce. Kurma goes well with flatbread, naan, pulao, roti, and appam. The basic korma/kurma sauce has nut paste and yogurt. There are so many regional variations of Korma/...