Sura Puttu

Hi friends, Today i am going to post the recipe for sura puttu. Sura ( shark ) is a type of fish variety. Being in UK, its has become very rare to get this fish. One day when i was shopping at an Indian store, i found this fish in the frozen section. So i immedietly picked one pack. It will always taste better if we could get a fresh fish. But on the other hand something is better than nothing. But even with frozen fish it tasted great. Its a very simple yet delicous dish. Everyone will love this recipe with no doubt. Even my daughter "Trisa" who is just 3 years loved this so much that she asked for more and more. People prepare this sura puttu recipe in many different methods. And i prepare it this way, and i bet you will love it. So....Here is the recipe just for you.

Ingredients :

Sura ( Shark) fish - 2 ( cleaned and sliced)
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - To fry
Onion - 1 ( finely chopped)
Green chilly - 2 ( cut length wise)
Garlic - 3 pullu
Ginger and garlic paste - 3 tsp
Salt - To taste

Preparation :

* First chop the fish and clean it very well.

* Now add the fish to the steamer and steam cook it for 15 to 20 mins.

* As i dont have a seperate steamer, i use my electric rice cooker with the steamer. So place it on the steamer tray, fill the cooker vessel with water and steam cook it for 15 - 20 mins

* Then cool it, and remove the skin off.

* Then scramble the fish very well.

* Now add the turmeric powder, salt and chilly powder and mix well.

* Now take a pan, add oil and a dd the ginger and garlic paste and fry till the raw smells disappear.

* Then add the onion, green chilly and garlic and fry well

* Then add the prepared fish to the pan, and mix well. ( Dont add water). Keep mixing it making sure it does not stick to the bottom to the pan.
* You should keep cooking unt il the fish comes out to the granted coconut texture.Thats all... The yummy and spicy sura puttu is ready.....Serve hot.

Kadai Paneer

Kadai paneer is another spicy, simple and yet tasty dish. I often make this for Naan, paratha, roti or chapathi, and even for mixed rice like ghee rice, pulav rice etc. Now of our spice-india visitor requested for this recipe. So here i am posting the recipe for kadai paneer. So here is the recipe just for you.

Ingredients :

Paneer - 150 grms ( Chopped into small cubes)
Onion - 1 ( Chopped finely)
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Red dry chilly - 5 - 6
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Capsicum - red 1/2 and green colour 1/2chopped into cubes ( Optional)
Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - 5 - 6 tsp ( And some to fry the paneer)

Masala items :

Clove - 2
Bay leaves - 1
cinnamon stick - 1 small piece

Preparation :

* First take a pan, add oil and add the chopped paneer and fry till golden brown. * Keep the paneer aside.
* Now in the same kadai, add the masala item and fry
* Then add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and chopped onion and fry till golden brown.
* Then add the dry red chillies and fry for few mins.

* Then add the chopped capsicums and fry for few mins until they become soft and tender.
* Now add the fried paneer and mix well.

* Add the chilly powder and salt and mix well.
* Then add 1/2 cup of water and cook in medium flame until the oil starts to come out.

Hmmmmm, yummy and spicy kadai paneer is ready. Serve hot........

Naan Bread

Hi friends, its me again, today i am with the recipe for Naan recipe. One of our spice-india visitor Marianne, requested for this recipe. And here is the recipe for Marianne, and all other visitor who love naan bread. Naan bread is orignally a punjabi recipe, though it is done with tandoori stove, i often prepare this with our home oven. It goes very well with any type of paneer, chicken curry etc. So here is the recipe just for you.....

Ingredients :

All purpose flour ( Maida ) - 1 and 1/2 cup
Egg - 1 (Optional ) , if you dont prefer to use egg, then use 1/2 cup of yogurt.
Yeast - 1 tsp ( Dissolve yeast with 1/2 cup of luke warm water)
Oil - 3 tsp ( And little more to apply on your hands.
Warm water - 1/2 cup
Baking soda - pinch
Salt - to taste ( 1/2 tsp)

Preparation :

* Take one tsp of yeast and dissolve in luke warm water and leave it for few mins.

* Now take a bowl, add the all purpose flour, add salt, pinch of baking soda and mix well.

* Now add 2 tsp of oil, and add the egg. ( If you dont prefer to add egg, then add yogurt) and mix well. * Now add the yeast water and mix well, till the dough comes without sticking. Add oil to your hands and keep mixing well, till they become very soft.

* Keep it aside for 3 - 4 hours, and allow the dough to raise.
* After 4 hours the dough would had raised high, as shown in the picture below.

* Now again apply some oil, and mix again, and make it into equal size balls as below.

* Now roll it by adding some all purpose flour, to avoid it from sticking. ( Roll it bit thick, do not roll it too thin.)

* Roll it with a roller and pull to one side, to bring the naan shape.

* Pre-heat the oven at 500 degree for 30 mins.

* Place the rolled dough on to the baking tray, and place it in the oven. It will take 3 - 4 mins to cook, then turn to the other size and cook for another 1 min.

* Wow, the yummy, hot and soft naan is ready, so now apply some butter over it and serve hot with some spicy curry. I served it with spicy kadai paneer.

Enjoy yours.........

Fish Kuzhambu ( Chennai style)

Hi friends, I am back after a long break. Had a very long break for christmas/ new year . It was real fun having friends around and having great lunch and Dinner together. Now things are back to routine and i prepare myself to come out of that holiday mood. Gosh.....i shoud not forget to talk about the climate here in UK. It started to snow and its really horribly Cold.........Haaaaaaa.......they say the temperature is going to be the same for another week........Its almost -3 during the day and -10 at night. .......Haaaaaaaaa Can't help myself sitting on the heater, and making my hubby to worry about the current bill.....Hahaha....Well, to make everything better i cook all fresh and have hot and spicy. So here comes the recipe for fish kuzhambu. Fish kuzhambu are made in many ways. I already have posted one, which my grandmother use to prepare , but today i am going to post the one that we usually prepare in chennai. So its Chennai syle fish kuzhambu. Well here is the recipe just for you.

Ingredients :

Fish - 1 kg ( Cleaned and sliced into small pieces)
Small Onion - 20 ( Preferably small onion, because it adds taste, but i often dont get in Uk, so in that case i use the big green onions) ( Chopped finely)
Garlic - 1 full ( peeled)
Curry leaves - 1 stem
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
Tomato - 2 ( Chopped )
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger and Garlic paste - 3 tsp
Tamarind juice - 3 cups ( Take a orange size tamaride and soak it in 3 cups of warm water and after little while squeece and extract the juice)
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Corinader powder - 1 tsp
Kashmire Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - To fry

Preparation :

* Take a pan, heat oil and add the mustard, fenugreek seeds and fry. Then add the chopped garlic and onion and fry till golden brown.

* Then add the curry leaves and fry for few mins.
* Add the ginger and garlic paste and fry till the raw smells disappears.
* Then add the chopped tomatoes and fry.
* Now add the tamarind juice , and then add the kashmire chilly, chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt.

* Allow it to cook for 20 - 30 mins ( Till the oil starts to come out)

* Check for the taste. Finally add the cleaned fish and cook for another 5 mins closing the lid.

Hmmmmm......finally serve hot with plain rice........It would usually be much more taster on next day.....Just enjoy your plate.........

Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori chicken, the name itself makes many peoples mouth water....Hmmmmmmmmmm , including me. Its one of my very very fav dish. When my mom came to UK, i prepared this for her. With no doubt she was so pleased and impressed by the taste. And accepted me to be a real good cook. Hahaha, from then, she started to tell all her friends and relatives about my cooking talent. Hahhaaa, one of the dish that took my name a one step forward. Very glad about that. Well, the recipe is very simple, yet very very tasty. I had the step by step pictures, but i think i missed it during the data transfer from my old Laptop to the new. But hope it should be somewhere in the memory stick. But never mind, will find it soon and post the pictures for you. But today i am here to give you the recipe..........So, here is the recipe just for you..........

Ingredients :

Chicken - 5 ( Leg pieces)
Chilly powder - 3 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To taste
Ginger and garlic paste - 5 tsp
Tandoori Powder - 2 tsp ( Optional ), but if you dont manage to get, then dont worry, add 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder , and 1/2 tsp garam masala, and little bit of extra chilly powder for the spice.
Rice flour - 3 tsp
Corn flour - 5 tsp
Red colouring powder - 1/4 tsp
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Oil - to coat.

Preparation :

* First take the chicken pieces, and remove the skin if you perfer ( But i prefer to have it)and wash it.
* Make some cuts on to the chicken flesh ( This is just for the masala to get in.
* Noe except chicken mix all the other ingredients and make into a paste. Make it a thick paste. If it becomes watery, then add little of corn flour to make it thick paste
* Make sure the paste is sufficient to coat all the leg pieces, ( Check for spice and salt).
* Now coat each chicken leg pieces with the masala paste,making sure you apply generously , and also apply into the cuts you made on to the chicken.
* Keep it in the fridge for atleast 30 mins. ( The more time you leave is good) ( I also do this a day before my friends arrive home, and keep it in the fridge for overnight , so that the masala gets in very well)
*Now preheat the Oven at 200 degree Cel for 25 - 30 mins.
* Take the marinated chicken, keep it on the grilling tray, and keep it inside the oven and cook for 15 mins.( turning the chicken inbetween)
* Take out and coat the chicken with oil ( Using brush) and keep it in the oven for 20 mins, also turning the grill. Set the grill for high. ( Make sure you turn the chicken in between and coat it again with the oil.)
* It would take approx 30- 45 mins for the chicken to be cooked. ( But make sure you check )

Hmmmmmmmmm yummy Tandoori chicken is ready to be served hot with some fries and chilly sauce.

The red colour of the chicken is very inviting, so always make sure you make enough and store few for yourself. Hahahah.........ENJOY....

Madras Chicken

Hi friends, i know it has been very long time, Its all because of my little princess, who always keep me busy all the time. And particularlly with the christmas nearing , she is having a great time participating in the pre-school production. She was a little snow man. Hooo...just bless her. Well, coming back to the recipe, Madras chicken is one of Chef Dhamodharan's recipe. I just made few alteration to suit my taste. In this recipe chicken is cooked with spices, which really gives a fantastic taste. The spices really worked very well here. The garlic just brings out the fantastic flavour, which in turn pushes us to eat more......( Hmmmm......be aware if you are on diet). hehehehehe. Well.....here is the recipe just for you.

Ingredients :

Chicken - 500grms ( Boneless , chopped in small pieces)
Big onion - 1 ( Chopped finely chopped)
Tomato - 1 and half ( Chopped finely)
Dry Red Chilly - 5
Pepper - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 10 pallu
Ginger - small piece
Curry leaves - 1 stem ( Optional )
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup
Oil - to fry
Cashew nuts - 5
cloves - 1
cinnamon stick - 1 small piece
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt - To taste

Preparation :

* Clean the chicken , cut into small pieces, and then marinate with salt and turmeric powder and keep it in the fridge for atleast 1 hrs.

* In the mean time, add dry red chilly, mustard seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, garlic and ginger in the mixer grinder and grind it into fine taste by adding some water.

* Now take the marinated chicken, and fry it in the oil. Keep it aside.


*Now in the same oil, add the chopped onion and fry well. If you are using the curry leaves, then add it now.

* Then Add the grinded masala to the onion, and fry for few mins till the raw smell disappears.
* Then add the chopped tomatoes, fried chicken and coriander leaves and mix well.
* Grind the cashew nuts into paste by adding water, and add it now.

* Then add the water to it. ( The water i added in the pictures looks white, its just beacause i poured it in the cup in which the cashew paste for kept....Not to waste the rest you see.........( Just what our mom's do ).....), So dont get confused with it please.

* Add the salt, and cook.

* Cook until the chicken comes out dry, and the oil starts to come out.

Hmmmmmm.........what else you are waiting, just garnish some coriander leaves and serve hot.

Enjoy..........

Capsicum Soup ( Microwave cooking)

Hi friends, How are you doing. I am dam sure you would rocking asusual. Well today, i am going to post the recipe of capsicum soup. Honestly speaking, i am not a great fan of this, but i often do this for the daughter who loves it, so i prepare it with less ingredients in microwave, because its more easy and quick. So, here comes the microwave version of the simple capsicum soup.

Ingredients :

Capsicum - 4 ( Medium sized) Washed and cut into small pieces
Tomatoes - 2 ( chopped)
Water - 2 cups
Pepper - 1/2 or 1 tsp (according to spice you prefer)
Butter - 1 tsp
Cheese spread - 2 tsp

Preparation :

* Take a microwave bowl, add capsicum, tomatoes and 1 cup of water and microwave for 5 mins.

* Then allow it to cool.
* Then grind it mixer by adding some more water.
* Filter it, for any chunks.


* Then add the rest of the ingredients ( Milk, pepper, salt, cheese spread and butter), and microwave it for another 6- 8 mins.

The simple aned quick capsicum soup is ready. Serve hot.