Amitabha's Kitchen Chronicles

Ingredients Urad dal and rice / cream of rice (rice suji) in a ratio of 1:2 1 tsp of fenugreek seeds Pinch of baking powder Utensils Blender/wet grinder Idly stand and a vessel with tight lid (suitable to fit idly stand) [the traditional process] Or a microwave proof Idli stand Preparation Soak urad dal in just enough water overnight or for at least 4 to 6 hours. Drain the water and keep the drained water aside. Grind the dal into silky smooth batter. To get the medium tight consistency, add the drained water kept aside, as needed to the batter,while grinding. Remove the batter in a vessel. Grind the rice and add (or add directly if you are using ravva) and mix thoroughly without any lumps. Keep it covered, for overnight fermentation (at least 6hours) in a warm place. By morning, the batter will be doubled in volume. Stir in salt and baking powder. Consistency of batter must be medium, not too tight or too watery. Add water if necessary. Cooking Process: Traditional Method: In a big ve...

Molahai podi/Molagai podi/Idli Karam Podi /Gunpowder spice - Lentil spice mix Background: Visit any "authentic and unanglicised" South Indian household and 80% chance that you will get Dosai / Idli with molahai podi, or what we commonly know as Chutney powder or Gun Powder. I like the term Gun Powder more. In response to one of my recent status updates on FB (facebook for the uninitiated) a few weeks back, "Idli with gunpowder for breakfast - yummy and heavenly", got lot of queries and responses, ranging from outright envy to queries on what this is about. And above all that, a lady requested me to put up a recipe for Idli and the Gunpowder. Referred by some as molagai podi or gun powder, this potent spice, lentil mix is drool worthy as a paste with oil / ghee or sprinkled over curds. I also like it with my ghee rice - with green chilli (bengali style). Below are two recipes - one for dosa / uthapas and other for idlis. However, one option can suffice both "app...

This is my own experimental recipe. It turns out really tasty (depends if one like the burnt / grilled taste of meat) Ingredients: Chicken 750 gms Curd: 250 gms Lemon: 1 large Everest / Sanjeev Kapoor's meat masala: About 2.5 tsps Ginger garlic paste: 2 tbsp Salt to taste Oil: About 2 tbsp For the gravy: 2 Medium sized onions 1 large tomato Process Step 1: Wash and drain all water from the chicken. Apply the juice of the lemon and salt as per quantity and mix nicely. Keep it aside for 30 mins Meanwhile, mix the curd, ginger garlic paste and masala and whisk well Apply to the chicken, mix well and keep it in the refrigerator Marinate the mix overnight or atleast for 7-8 hrs Step 2: Chop the onion and tomatoes and keep aside Take the marinated chicken and grill the pieces well Heat oil in a pan, add a little (1 tsp of sugar) and allow it to melt (it will become deep brown) Add the tomatoes and fry them till it melts Add the onion and fry till oil starts floating at the corners and th...

Ingredients: 500 gm Lau (bottle gourd) 1 cup shrimps 4 large green chillis, slit 1 tbsp Cumin seed 1 Bay leaf 1 red chilly 1 tsp Turmeric powder 1 tsp Chili powder Salt and Sugar as per taste Garnish with chopped Coriander Method: - Peel and cut the pumpkin in very thin strips (Bengali style). Shell, Devein, Clean the shrimps. Sprinkle salt and turmeric and mix. Saute the prawns and keep it aside. In a pan add oil and heat it for sometime, then add the cumin seed, red chilly & bayleaf, when they turn brown, add the gourd, green chili, turmeric powder, salt and sugar. After frying for about 5 min till the gourd soften, add the shrimps. Cover the pan and let it cook under a low flame turning it once in a while. Once the gourd is well done, sprinkle a little maida and garnish with coriander and let it be on the flame for about 2 mins, stirring it all the while. Serve.

Ingredients: 3 cups large prawns, Shelled, Deveined, Cleaned 6 dry red chilies 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 3 tsp cumin seeds 1large pod garlic 1tbsp mustard seeds 3 large onions 1tsp Chili powder Oil accordingly Salt as per taste Garnish with chopped Coriander Method: - Grind together the chilis, cumin seeds, garlic, mustard seeds and onions. To this ground paste add turmeric powder and mix. Smear the ground paste on prawns. Heat oil in a pan and add the prawn mix, then add water and bring to boil. Serve with rice.

Ingredients: Marinade ½ Kg Chicken 8 tbsp Curd Salt 1 tsp Paprika 1 pod Garlic 4" Ginger Grind curd, garlic, ginger into smooth paste. Marinate the chicken in this mixture for ½ hrs, add the salt & paparika too. 3 tbsp Oil 2 Onions (ground to paste) 5 tbsp Butter 5 tbsp Tomato Puree 4 Green Chili (finely chopped) 2 tsp Chili Powder 2 tsp Garam Masala Powder Salt For Garnishing: Chopped Coriander Fried Cashew (Kaju) Egg- cut the hard boiled egg in circles Method: - After marinating cook the chicken in the same curd mixture till tender. When tender keep aside. In a pan add oil; fry the onions till the oil leaves the sides. Add butter, tomato puree, chopped chili, add the cooked chicken, chili powder, garam masala powder, salt (if required), cook for about 10 mins & garnish with the garnishing items.

Ingredient: 250 gm fish head 1 cup rice 2 onions, sliced lengthwise 2 green chili, slit into 2 5 cloves of garlic, sliced lengthwise 1/2 inch ginger, sliced lengthwise 1 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp chili powder whole garam masala: cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf 2 tomatoes, chopped finely oil accordingly 2 1/2 cups of water salt & sugar as per taste. Method: Heat oil in a deep pan, fry the fish and keep aside. In the same oil add whole garam masalas, onion, ginger, garlic and bay leaf. Then add the tomatoes and fry for 3 min. Add the rice, mix properly, then add turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin powder, salt & sugar and let it fry for some time. Then add the water to cook the rice at the same time add the fish pieces and garam masala and cover the pan till the rice is cooked.