Today I thought of making poori and checked in the fridge to see the vegetables available to make curry. But there was absolutely no vegetables I could make curry with, except tomatoes. So I thought of making tomato Kurma which I had never tried making as side dish for Poori. It tasted so good with poori. So even if you don't have any vegetables, no worries just try doing this Kurma and it goes well with almost all dishes including rice. Especially curd rice.
Now coming back to the recipe, add the things given under "to grind" into a fine paste with little water.
2 Onions chopped
5 Small Tomatoes finely chopped
1 tsp Fennel seeds
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 Bay leaf
1 Clove
A Pinch of Hing
Oil as reqd
Salt as reqd
1/2 tsp Sugar
Coriander leaves to garnish
To Grind into fine paste:
1/2 Cup grated Coconut
10-15 Almonds and Cashews(can use cashews alone)
2 tbsp Khas Khas (Poppy seeds)
2 Green chillies
4 Red chillies
1 tbsp Coriander seeds
1 tsp Fennel seeds
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan, once it is hot add mustard seeds and allow it to crackle. Now add the fennel seeds, bay leaves and cloves. Fry them till you get a nice aroma.
2. Once it is done, add the Onions and fry till it turns golden color.
3. Now add the chopped tomatoes,hing and cook them until the tomaotes turn soft.
4. Finally add the ground masala. Add required amount of water,sugar,salt and boil it in low flame for 10 min.
5. Garnish with Coriander leaves.
Ready to go....
Chalna is the name given for curry generally made with chicken in Tamil Nadu. I have no idea how to make chalna, be it chicken or vegetables.I always had a feel that its a curry made only with chicken. Thanks to my husband for this wonderful version of Chalna. This recipe is by my hubby. We were discussing about making something different and he came out with this idea of Vegetable Chalna. My part in this recipe was just assisting him. The taste was really awesome, so was the smell because of the freshly ground masalas.
1 Onion chopped
4-5 Garlic pods chopped
1/2 Ginger Chopped
1 Tomato chopped
4 tbsp Grated Coconut
2 Green Chilles
2 Potatoes cubed
2 Carrots cubed
1 Cup sliced beans
1/4 Cup Green Peas
1 tsp Fennel Seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tbsp Peppercorns
2 Cloves
1 stick Cinnamom
6 Red chilles
Hing to taste
Lemon juice to taste.
Oil as needed
Salt to taste
Method:
1. Dry roast Fennel seeds, Cumin seeds,Peppercorns,Cinnamaom,Cloves and Red chilles until you get a nice smell and allow them to cool.
2. Then add oil to the same pan and fry the onions,garlic,ginger and tomatoes till it becomes soft.
3. Fry coconut with little oil until the raw smell goes off.
4. Now grind the roasted spices separatley and the onion mixture with coconut.
4. In a Pressure cooker heat little oil. Add mustard seeds and allow them to crackle. Now add in the ground Onion masala, hing,green chilles and spices masala and saute them for few minutes.
5. Add in all the vegetables to this mixture and saute them for the vegetables to absorb masala. Add Salt and water( as per the thickness you prefer) and pressure cook for one Whistle.
6. Wait for the pressure to release and add a few drops of lemon juice to the Chalna.
Yummy Vegetable Chalna is READYYY...Goes well with Pooris,Parotta and Chapathis.
Ingredients:
Paneer - 1 cup cubed
Peas - 1/2 cup (optional)
3 Onions - Chopped finely
6 Tomatoes - Sliced
1 Green chilly - Long cut diagonally
1 tsp - Ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp - Kasthuri methi
1/2 tsp - Fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp - Red Chilli powder
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1 Cup - Milk
2tbsp - Butter
3 stks - Coriander leaves
1 tbsp Sugar
Salt as required
Oil as required
Fresh Cream or Milk
For Garnishing:
Fennel seeds,Cashews.
To roast and grind:
Roast Cashews,Cumin seeds,Dhania,Cloves,Cardamon, Cinnamon stick in ghee and powder them.
Method:
1. Boil milk till the quantity becomes half and keep aside.
2. Cook tomatoes till the skin becomes soft enough to remove. Peel of the skin and puree them by blending.
3. Saute two onions in ghee and grind them to make a paste.
4. Fry the paneer cubes in oil or ghee. Do not deep fry.
5. Heat oil in a pan, add fenugreek and fennel seeds.
6. Then add the finely chopped onions,green chilli, kasthuri methi leaves. Fry them until golden brown.
7. Now add the ground onion paste and ginger garlic paste.
8. Add the ground paste of spices, red chilli powder,turmeric powder and salt as reqd and saute for 3-4 min in medium flame.
9. Then add the pureed tomato. Add little water and close and cook till the gravy becomes thick.
10. Now add the fried paneer cubes and milk. Boil them in low flame for 2-3 min.
11. Garnish with fried cashews,coriander leaves and fresh cream (optional).
12. Serve this paneer butter masala with paratha or naan.
