Golden Pineapple Cupcake

Ingredients:

• Butter : 125 gm
• Powdered sugar : 125 gm
• Egg : 2 at room temp
• All purpose flour : 125 gm
• Baking powder : 1¼ Tsp
• Pineapple essence : ½ Tsp

Pre-heat the oven to 160° C. Sieve the flour and baking powder twice and keep it aside. Cream the powdered sugar and butter till it turns soft and creamy. Add eggs one by one into the butter and beat well after each addition. Slowly add flour and combine well. Finally, add the pineapple essence into it. Pour the batter into the cupcake liners and bake it for 20 to 25 minutes. 

Muthira (Horsegram) Thoran

Ingredients:

• Horsegram : 200 gm
• Coconut : ½  coconut grated
• Green chilly : 3
• Shallots : 3
• Garlic : 3 pods
• Pepper pdr : ½ Tsp
• Turmeric pdr : ½ Tsp
• Mustard seeds : 1 Tsp
• Curry leaves : few
• Oil : 1 Tbsp
• Salt : as rqd

Soak the horsegram for 1 to 2 hrs. Clean and add the required amount of salt and water into the horsegram and pressure cook it till 3 whistles. Remove the lid and make it dry. Crush together grated coconut, shallots, garlic, green chilly and turmeric powder. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter and add crushed coconut mixture and curry leaves. Saute it for a couple of minutes and put the cooked horsegram and pepper powder into it and mix it with the coconut mixture.

Capsicum Besan Fry

Ingredients:

• Capsicum : 3 big
• Cumin : 1 Tsp
• Hing : ¼ Tsp
• Turmeric  pdr : ¼ Tsp
• Chilly pdr : 1½ Tsp
• Besan flour : 4 Tbsp
• Vegetable oil : 2 Tbsp
• Curry leaves : few
• Salt : as rqd

Clean and cut the capsicum into small cubes. Heat oil in a kadai and put cumin seeds. Then add hing, capsicum pieces, curry leaves and salt into the pan and saute it in low flame for 5 minutes. Put turmeric pdr and chilly powder and stir. Slowly add besan flour into it and mix it properly. Cover and cook it for a few more minutes. Serve it hot with chapathi.

Thengakothu Pattichathu

Ingredients

• Coconut : 1 
• Onion : 2 medium
• Ginger : 1 Tbsp
• Garlic : 1 Tbsp
• Curry leaves : handful
• Kashmiri chilly : 1 Tbsp
• Coriander pdr : 2 Tsp
• Turmeric pdr : ½ Tsp
• Garam masala : 1 Tsp
• Pepper pdr : ½ Tsp
• Mustard seeds : 1 Tsp
• Water : ¼ cup
• Coconut oil : 2 Tbsp
• Salt : as rqd

Slice the coconut into thin pieces (thengakothu). Add 1 sliced onion, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, pepper pdr and required amount of salt into the coconut pieces and mix well. Pressure cook it till 3 whistles. Heat the coconut oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add 1 sliced onion and few curry leaves into it. Saute till it turns light brown. Then, add the cooked coconut pieces into it and saute till it turns brown and dry. 

This is the same preparation as beef pattichathu and mostly tastes like it, except that it contains no beef. So, this a good recipe for vegetarians also.

Thaaravu (Duck) Curry

Ingredients:

• Duck : 1 kg
• Onion : 5 big sliced
• Ginger : ¼ cup sliced
• Garlic : ¼ cup sliced
• Green chilly :  10
• Corriander pdr : 4 Tbsp
• Turmeric pdr : 1 Tsp
• Garam masala : 1½ Tsp
• Pepper pdr : ½ Tsp
• Vinegar : 2 tbsp
• Thick coconut mil : 1/2 cup
• Semi thick coconut milk : 1 cup
• Thin coconut milk : 2 cup
• Mustard seeds : 1 Tsp
• Salt : as required
• Coconut oil : as required
• Curry leaves
• Hot water : as rqd

Clean and cut the duck into medium pieces. Mix the masala powders into a thick paste using a little hot water and keep it aside. Heat coconut oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it sputters, add the sliced onion, garlic, ginger, curry leaves and splitted green chilly into this. Add required amount of salt and stir it well in medium flame till it becomes golden colour. Reduce the heat and put the masala paste in it. Roast it in low flame. When it becomes darker in colour and the oil starts to separate from the side, add the duck pieces and vinegar. Saute it for a couple of minutes and pour the thin coconut milk .and cook it in high flame for 10 minutes. Then, reduce the flame and cook. (If required, pour a little hot water into it and cook). Pour the thin coconut milk into it. when the gravy becomes thick, add the thick milk and remove it from fire.

Nellai Chicken Roast

Ingredients:

• For marination:
• Chilly powder : 1 Tsp
• Corriander powder : ½ Tsp
• Turmeric powder : ½ Tsp
• Ginger paste : ½ Tsp
• Garlic paste : ½ Tsp
• Salt : as rqd
• Egg : 1

Marinate 1 kg chicken with the above ingredients  for 1 hour. Then, fry it and keep it aside.

For Masala :

• Onion : 3 big
• Curry leaves : few
• Chopped ginger : 1 Tbsp
• Kashmiri chilly powder : 1 Tbsp
• Turmeric powder : ½ Tsp
• Garam masala : 1 Tsp
• Tomato :  2 (as paste)
• Fresh cream : ½ to ¾ cup 
• Capsicum : 1 medium
• Coriander leaves: ¼ cup
• Salt : as rqd
• Water :
• Oil

Heat oil in a kadai and add sliced onion. Saute till it turns transluscent. Then, add curry leaves and chopped ginger and saute it for couple of minutes. Reduce the flame and add chilly pdr, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt. Roast it till it is void of its raw smell. Pour the grounded tomato into it and cook well. When oil starts to separate from the sides, add the fried chicken and little water. Mix well with the masala and cook it for a few minutes. Then, pour the fresh cream and heat it well. Finally, add the capsicum and coriander leaves.

Green Peas Masala

Ingredients:
Green peas : 2 Cup
Onion : 2 medium
Ginger paste : 1 Tsp
Garlic paste : 1 Tp
Green chilly : 5
Curry leaves : few
Corriander powder : 1 Tbsp
Garam masala : 1 Tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/2 Tsp
Salt : as rqd
Tomato : 1 big
Semi thick coconut milk : 1 .5 Cup
Thick coconut milk : ½ Cup
Oil : as rqd

Heat oil in a kadai and add sliced onion, green chilly and curry leaves. Add little salt and saute till its turns light brown. Add ginger garlic paste and stir well. Then, put corriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala into it. Roast it in low flame and when it is void of its raw smell, add the chopped tomato and cook. When it turns soft and the oil starts separating from the sides, put fresh green peas into it and mix with the masala. Add little water and required amount of salt into it and cook. Then, pour semithick coconut milk and boil it in low flame for few minutes. Finally, add the thick coconut milk and mix well. Remove it from fire.

Vegetable Stew

Ingredients:

• Potato : 2 medium cubed
• Carrot : 1 cubed
• Beans : 1 cup
• Onion : 1 big
• Ginger : 2 Tsp
• Green chilly : 5
• Curry leaves
• Cinnamon : 1 big piece
• Cloves : 3
• Cardamom : 3
• Thick coconut milk : ¾ cup
• Thin coconut milk : 1½ cup
• Maida : 1 Tbsp
• Coconut oil : 2 Tbsp
• Salt

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a kadai and add the whole spices and saute it for a couple of minutes. When its splutters and the aroma comes, add the cubed potatoes, carrot, beans, sliced onion , ginger, green chilly and curry leaves into it. Sprinkle the required amount of salt and cook it well. Keep it aside. Saute 1 tbsp of maida in the rest of oil. Put the above cooked vegetables into maida and mix. Pour thin coconut milk and heat it for a few minutes in low flame. Then pour the thick coconut milk and stir it well. Do not boil it after adding the thick coconut milk. Add few curry leaves and remove it from fire. Serve it hot with palappam or idiyappam.