Chettinad Sambar Sadam

Chettinad Sambar Sadam

Ingredients

Rice – 1.5 cups

Toor dal -1/4 cup

Water - 3.5 cups

Onion chopped – 1 number

Mixed vegetables ( I used peas and carrot) – ½ cup

Tomato chopped – 1 number

Curry leaves – few

Coriander leaves – to garnish

Salt to taste

Oil – 4 tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Dried red chilies – 2 numbers

Masala to grind( Dry roast each ingredient separately and grind together  to smooth powder)

Coriander seeds – ¼ cup

Chana dal – 2 tbsp

Dried red chilli – 6

Black pepper corns – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds – generous pinch

Freshly grated coconut – ¼ cup

Method

      1.Wash rice and toor dal together and cook with , turmeric powder, little salt and water in pressure cooker for 15 mins.

      2.Heat oil in a kadai, when hot add mustard seeds and dried red chilies, allow to splutter.      

      3.Add chopped onions and curry leaves to the kadai and stir fry for a minute until onions turn glossy and pink.

      4. Add the mixed vegetables to the pan and fry for another minute.

      5. Add the chopped tomato to the pan and fry until tomato is soft.

      6. Now add the ground sambar masala powder  to the pan and mix well.

      7. Add 1/2 cup water and required salt (remember you added little salt to rice) to the veggies, mix well and bring to boil, simmer for 7 minutes or until raw smell of masala powder leaves and gravy slightly thickenss.

      8. Finally add the cooked rice to the gravy and mix well until gravy is absorbed by the rice.

      9.  If preferred add teaspoon of ghee and garnish Sambar Sadam with chopped coriander.

Sambar Sadam

Chefs tip

1.       I used frozen green peas and carrots as I was making it for quick lunch, you can use any vegetables like brinjal, green beans, potatoes, drumstick etc.

2.       If you want to use spice masala powder for anytime making sambar sadam, use desiccated coconut( kobarai) instead of fresh coconut.

3.       Sambar sadam should not be either too thick or too watery.

Chettinad Chicken Fry recipe / Kozhi Varuval – Pressure cooker method.

Chettinad Chicken Fry

Ingredients

Chicken pieces in bone – 500 gms

Onion chopped – 3 numbers

Tomato chopped – 1 number

Ginger and Gralic paste – 2 tsp

Curry leaves – few

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Chilli powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 4 tsp

Method

1. In a large bowl add chicken pieces, chopped onions, curry leaves, ginger and garlic paste, pepper powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Mix well everything and marinade chicken along with other ingredients for atleast ½ an hour.

2. Place the marinated chicken along with other ingredients in a bowl, place bowl in pressure cooker and pressure cook chicken for 7 mins. Remove the chicken from pressure cooker.

3. Heat oil in a pan, add the cooked chicken along with the gravy, chopped tomatoes and salt to the pan, stir well and cook the chicken until dry and oil floats on top.

Chicken Varuval

Chettinad Veg Pulao Recipe / Vegetable Pulav

Chettinad Pulao

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 1 cup

Water for Basmati rice – 1.5 cups

Mixed vegetables( carrot, peas, beans and sweet corn) – 1 cup

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 2 tsp

Cumin powder – ½ tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 2 tsp

Bay leaf – 1 number

Star anise – 1 number

Cloves – 2 numbers

Cardamom -2 numbers

Cinnamon stick – 1”inch

Cashewnuts – 10 numbers

Raisins – few

Method

      1. Soak basmati rice in water for 30 minutes.

      2. Heat oil in a pan, fry the cashe nuts and raisins in oil until golden brown and set aside.

      3.  In the same oil in the pan add the whole garam masala and fry for few minutes until aroma rises.

      4.  Add the mixed vegetables to the pan and stir fry for a minute.

      5. Next add all the spice powder to the vegetables in the pan and stir fry for few seconds

      6. Add the fried cashewnuts, raisins, water and salt to the pan, bring everything to boil. Add the    basmati rice to boiling gravy in pan, stir well and cover pan with lid.

      7. Cook for 15 minutes or until rice is tender.

Vegetable Pulav

Chefs tips

      1.Note though I used pressure cooker I did not pressure cook the rice, instead I covered weight    nozzle with glass to steam the pulav.

      2. You can use  ½ cup coconut milk and 1 cup water instead 1.5 cups water which gives more taste t  to pulav.

Chettinad Mutton Masala / Attu Kari Masala – pressure cooker method.

Chettinad Mutton Masala

This is my grandma’s famous dish and it’s a favorite mutton dish among our family members and relatives. Unlike Mutton fry this Mutton masala is semi-dry gravy made with coconut paste, goes excellent with Kal dosa, Idiyappam and even Parotta. You can mix this mutton masala to steamed rice and take it in lunchbox, but I bet your colleagues or friends will finish this before you get a spoon.

Ingredients

Goat / Mutton pieces with bone – 500 gms

Onion chopped – 2 numbers

Tomato chopped – 1 number

Ginger and Garlic paste – 2 tsp

Curry leaves – few

Red chilli powder – 1.5 tsp

Coriander powder – 4 tsp

Pepper powder – ½ tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Salt as required

Ingredients for Coconut paste

Freshly grated coconut – ¼ cup

Fennel seeds – 2 tsp

Roasted poppy seeds – 1 tsp

Ingredients for tempering

Oil – 4 tbsp

Bay leaf – 2

Fennel seeds – 1 tsp

Cloves – 5 numbers

Cardamom – 4 numbers

Cinnamon stick – 2”inch

Dried red chilli – 2 numbers

Method

     1.Clean and chop mutton into desired pieces.

     2. In a large bowl add chopped mutton, half of chopped onion, chopped tomato, half of curry leaves, ginger and garlic paste, red chilli powder, pepper powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and half cup of water.  Mix well everything and allow mutton to marinate for at least ½ an hour.

     3.Add the marinated ingredients to a bowl, place inside a pressure cooker and pressure cook for 15 mins or until mutton is 3/4^th cooked. Remove cooked mutton from pressure cooker.

     4.Heat oil in a pan, when hot add the whole garam masalas and fry till aroma rises, next add rest of the onions and curry leaves to the pan and sauté for a minute.

     5.Add the pressure cooked mutton along with its gravy, ground coconut paste and salt to the pan, bring everything to boil and stir fry until mutton is semi- dry on high heat.

     6.Serve hot Mutton Masala with Steamed Rice or Chapati or Idiyappam or Parotta.

Chettinad Kari Masala

Chettinad Vegetable Kurma Recipe / Kaikari Kurma

Vegetable Kurma

This Chettinad vegetable kurma is best side dish for Biryani, Pulao, Parotta, Poori, Chapati, Idiyappam, Idli and Dosa. Very easy to make with minimal ingredients but very delicious.

Ingredients

Mixed vegetables chopped( carrot, beans and peas) – 1.5 cups

Onion chopped – 1 number

Coconut milk – 400ml

Ginger and Garlic paste – 1.5 tsp

Red chilli powder – 1.5 tsp

Coriander powder – 3 tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 2 tbsp

Cloves – 4 numbers

Cardamom – 3 numbers

Cinnamon stick – 2”inch

Method

  1. Heat oil in a sauce pan, when oil is hot add whole garam masalas and fry till aroma rises.

  2.  Add chopped onion to the pan and sauté for a minute.

  3.  Next add ginger and garlic paste to the onions and sauté till raw smell leaves.

  4.   Now add the mixed vegetables to the pan and sauté for a minute.

  5.   Add the red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and salt to the pan and sauté again for a minute.

  6.   Add 1 cup of water to the pan, bring to boil, cover with lid and simmer for 7 mins until vegetables are tender.

  7.   Finally add the coconut milk to the simmering curry, stir well and turn off the heat.

Chettinad Kurma

Chefs tip

  1.   You can add any vegetable to this kurma like cautiflower, potato or even paneer.

  2.   Coconut milk has to be added at final stage and should not boil kurma after adding coconut milk as it tends to curdle while boiling.

Karamani Poriyal / Long Beans Stir fry

Karamani Poriyal

Ingredients

Karamani / Long Beans – 2 bunches

Onion sliced – ½ number

Curry leaves – few

Green chilli cut into half – 4 numbers

Freshly grated coconut – 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Karamani Poriyal

Oil – 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds – less than ¼ tsp

Urad dal – less than ¼ tsp

Method

  1.  Chop the karamani as required.

  2.  Heat oil in a pan, when hot add mustard seeds and urad dal, allow to splutter.

  3. Add sliced onions, curry leaves and green chilies to the pan and fry for few seconds.

  4.  Next add chopped karamani to the pan and stir fry for an minute.

  5.  Season with salt and add little water to the karamani, stir well, cover with lid and cook for few      minutes until karamani is tender and poriyal is dry.

  6.  Finally add grated coconut to the karamani and stir well.

  7.  Serve hot Karamani Poriyal with Steamed Rice, Karakuzhambu, Rasam and Applam.

Long bean stir fry

Chettinad Muttai Paniyaram – Instant version / Egg Paniyaram

Chettinad Muttai Paniyaram

Ingredients

Idli-Dosai maavu / Idli-Dosa Batter - 1 cup

Egg – 1 number

Turmeric powder – less than ¼ tsp

Red chilli powder – ½ tsp

Salt – generous pinch

Oil as needed to grease paniyarm pan

Chettinad Egg Paniyaram

Method

   1. Whisk egg with 1 tsp water, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt.

   2.  Add the whisked egg to the dosa batter and mix gently( the batter should not be too thin or too thick).

   3.   Place paniyaram pan( chatti) on gas stove and grease each hole with oil.

   4.  Take egg paniyaram batter in tablespoon and drop into each paniyaram hole.

   5.  Cook paniyaram on medium heat, when one side is done flip paniyaram with a paniyaram stick or  spoon to the other side and cook until golden brown.

   6.  Serve Muttai Paniyaram with Varamilagai Chutney.

Chefs tip.

   1. This very easy to make and my little kid likes it a lot, its perfect for lunch box.

   2. Since I don’t have a paniyaram chatti or gas stove in Sydney, I used a cake pop maker to make these paniyaram. If you use paniyaram chatty on gas stove the paniyaram will be crispy outside.

   3. You can also add chopped and sauté onion, green chilies, curry leaves and mustard tempering to egg paniyaram batter if making for adults.

Muttai Paniyaram with Varamilagai Chutney

Vengaya Kosu recipe

Chettinad Vengaya Kosu

Ingredients for Kosu

Onions sliced – 3 numbers

Tomato chopped – 1 number

Curry leaves - few

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil – 2 tbsp

Ingredients for Masala Paste

Freshly grated coconut – ¼ cup

Fried gram dal – 1 tbsp

Dried whole red chilli – 7 numbers

Sombu / fennel seeds – 1.5 tsp

Ingredients for temepering

Bay leaf – 1 number

Cinnamon sticks – 2”inch

Cloves – 4 numbers

Cardamom – 3 numbers

Fennel seeds – generous pinch

Vengaya Kosu

Method

   1. Grind the ingredients given under masala paste until smooth in a mixi or grinder, adding water as needed.

   2. Heat oil in a pot, when oil is hot add tempering ingredients and fry until aroma rises.

   3. Add the sliced onions and curry leaves to the pot and keep stirring until onions turn glossy and Pink.

   4. Add chopped tomatoes to the frying onions and stir fry for a minute. Add turmeric powder and ground masala paste to the onion mixture and stir well for a minute. Wash the mixi jar in which paste was ground and add it the pot.

   5. Season the curry with required salt and add more water if needed to loosen the thickness of curry. Cover pot with lid and bring the curry to boil. Simmer curry for 10 mins until the oil floats on top and curry slightly thickenss.

   6. Serve hot with Idli or Dosa.

Chefs tip.

   1.You can add cubed potatoes to this curry for making Urulaikizhangu Vengaya Kosu.

   2. If you want the curry to be more spicy, you can also add red chilli powder or increase number of dried red chilies while grinding according to your preferences.

Vengaya Kosu Recipe

Chettinad Masala Seeyam / Masala Cheeyam Recipe

Chettinad Masala Cheeyam Recipe

Ingredients

Seeyam Batter – 2 Cup --------click here for recipe

Javvarisi / Sago - handful

Small onions / Shallots (chopped) – 10 nos

Green chilli ( chopped) – 3 to 4 nos

Curry leaves - few

Grated coconut – ¼ cup

Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Salt required

Turmeric - pinch

Oil – 2 tbsp

Kara Cheeyam

Method

1. Prepare the seeyam batter from here“Seeyam Batter recipe”

2. Soak javvarisi in water for 15 minutes, drain & squeeze well and set aside.

3. Add chopped onion, green chilli, grated coconut, javvarisi, turmeric and required salt to prepared seeyam batter.

4. Heat oil in a small pan add mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. When mustard splutters add this tempering to the seeyam batter and mix well.

5.  Heat oil in a kadai to deep fry, drop the seeyam batter like small bondas into hot oil, fry until golden in color.

6.  Serve hot with Rojapoo Chutney or Coconut chutney

Masala Seeyam Recipe

Chettinad Innipu Cheeyam / Sweet Seeyam Recipe

Chettinad Sweet Seeyam

Ingredients

Seeyam batter – 2 cups ----------click here for recipe

Moong dal – 100 gms

Grated coconut – 1 cup

Jaggery – 500 gms

Cardamom powder  – ½ tsp

Ghee – 2 tbsp

Cashewnuts broken – few

Innipu Cheeyam

Method

1. Pressure cook moong dal until soft and mash.

2. Boil jaggery in water until single string consistency on a non stick sauce pan, add grated coconut, powdered cardamom, broken cashew nuts, mashed moong dal and ghee, stir fry until dry and set aside the filling to cool.

3. Meanwhile heat oil in a kadai to deep fry.

4. Shape the moong dal filling into gooseberry size balls, dip in the prepared seeyam batter until well coated. 5. Deep fry the seeyam balls in hot oil until golden brown.

Seeyam Recipe

Chettinad Seeyam Batter / Basic Seeyam Batter / Cheeyam Maavu

Innipu Seeyam

Masala Seeyam

This is the authentic and basic seeyam batter recipe for making both Masala Seeyam and Sweet Seeyam. Click links here for Masala Seeyam and Sweet Seeyam recipes.

Ingredients

Raw rice – 1 cup

Whole urad dal – ¾ cup

Method

1.      Soak urad dal and raw rice separately in water for 4 hours.

2.      Grind both soaked dal and raw rice together in a wet grinder to a thick, smooth and fine batter.

3.      This is the basic seeyam batter with which you can make both Masala Seeyam and Sweet Seeyam.