Category Archives: Dinner

Nethali Theeyal

This dish is considered a highly nutritious dish and is particularly made for those recovering from a serious illness or childbirth and who need to eat a diet with more calcium content.

This is my grandmother’s recipe as remembered by my mother. Sorry that I do not have an accompanying photo for it as my parents have been vegetarians for nearly 15 years now.

Nethali Theeyal

Time taken: 15 mins

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • Nethali/ Anchovies – 1 cup
  • Tamarind extract – 1 ½ cup
  • Onion – ½
  • Green chillies – 2
  • Crushed chillies – 1 tbsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Oil

Method:

  1. Clean the nethali.
  2. Place all the ingredients except oil – the cleaned nethali, chopped onion and chillies, tamarind extract, crushed chillies and salt to taste – in a pan.
  3. Cook on low heat, for around 15 mins, till the gravy thickens.
  4. Drizzle some oil on the edges of the curry before removing the pan from stove.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Date chutney

The second recipe I would like to share today is my mother’s recipe for her version of date chutney. She is particularly fond of the unique flavour arising from the chilli infused date sauce.

Date chutney

Time taken: 10 mins

Serves 3 – 4

Date chutney

Ingredients:

  • Dates – 2 tbsp, finely chopped
  • Jaggery – 1 tsp
  • Brown sugar – 1 tsp
  • Water – 4 tbsp
  • Crushed chillies – ½ tsp
  • Cumin powder – ¼ tsp
  • Mixed 3C (cinnamon, cardamom, clove) powder – ¼ tsp
  • Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp
  • Salt – pinch

Method:

  1. Heat the jaggery, brown sugar and water in a sauce pan, on low heat, stirring continuously for about 2 to 3 mins.
  2. Stir in ½ tsp crushed chillies and ¼ tsp cumin powder and cook for a minute.
  3. Add the mixed 3C powder to the pan and let the sauce simmer for a minute.
  4. When the sauce starts to boil and bubble, add the sesame seeds. Mix well.
  5. Add the chopped dates and continue to let the sauce simmer on low heat for a few minutes till the sauce thickens and the liquid starts drying up.
  6. Season with a pinch of salt before removing from heat.
  7. The chutney can be kept for several days in an airtight container.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Hoppers

Hopper (Appam/Appa) is a dish made in every corner of Sri Lanka. From street vendors to homes, it is one of the most popular dinner meals served around the country. In our house, my mother finds it the most frustrating dish to make as she has her good hopper days when she is proud of her creations and her bad hopper days when she faults her temperamental “hopper” pan. Today, I will share my mother’s recipe for her hopper batter.

Appam/ Appa

Cooking time: 30 mins + preparation time: 6 hours

Makes 12

Hoppers

Ingredients:

  • Raw rice – 1 cup
  • Bread – 2”x1” piece
  • King Coconut or plain Coconut water – ¼ cup
  • Wheat flour – 1 tbsp
  • Freshly scraped coconut – 1 tbsp
  • Water – 1 cup
  • Salt – ¼ tsp
  • Sugar – 1 tsp
  • Baking powder – 1 tsp

Method:

  1. Soak the rice in water for 3 hours. Simultaneously, soak the bread piece in the coconut water for about 3 hours.
  2. Grind both the soaked rice and bread together.
  3. Add a tbsp of wheat flour and a little water to the ground rice and bread to make a thick, yet smooth batter.
  4. Cover and let the batter rest and ferment for about 3 hours.
  5. Blend the freshly scraped coconut in a cup of water and extract a cup of coconut milk.
  6. Mix the coconut milk in the batter. Add a ¼ tsp salt, a tsp sugar and a tsp baking powder to the batter.
  7. Stir in the contents and the batter is ready for the hopper pan.
  8. Place the hopper pan on the stove on low heat.
  9. Pour a spoonful of the batter on to the pan and rotate the pan so that the batter covers the entire pan. Cover the pan with the pan lid. Let the hopper cook for about 2 mins before removing from pan.
  10. Serve hot with seeni sambol or lunu miris or basically any sambal. Any other curries, vegetarian or non-vegetarian, are optional.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Bitter gourd fry

The other recipe for today is also a bitter gourd recipe of my mother’s.

Bitter gourd fry

Time taken: 20 mins

Serves 1 or 2

Bitter gourd fry

Ingredients:

  • Bitter gourd – ½ cup, chopped
  • Carrot – ¼ cup, chopped
  • Onion – ¼, chopped
  • Green chilli – ½, chopped
  • Capsicum or Malu miris – ½, chopped
  • Tomato – ½, sliced
  • Fennel seeds – ½ tsp
  • Crushed chillies – ½ tsp
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Low fat oil – 1 ½ tbsp
  • Sugar – ½ tsp
  • Salt, to taste

Method:

  1. Add some salt to the bowl of chopped bitter gourd and carrot pieces and keep aside for about 5 mins.
  2. Heat ½ tbsp oil in a pan and fry the fennel seeds.
  3. Add the curry leaves as the seeds start to splutter and immediately add the chopped onions, green chilli and capsicum or malu miris.
  4. Fry the onions and chillies for about 2 mins.
  5. Add 1 tbsp of oil and the salted bitter gourd and carrot pieces.
  6. Cook for about 10 mins, on low heat, stirring continuously.
  7. Add the sliced tomatoes and cook for a few minutes.
  8. Add ½ tsp of crushed chillies. Mix well and cook for a minute or two.
  9. Just before removing from heat, add ½ tsp sugar and mix well.
  10. Serve hot with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Puri and Kadalai Curry

Today’s recipes are my childhood favourites and I guess, they still continue to be one of my favourites. Originating from North India, the dishes have become very much part of the cuisine of the sub-continent. In this post, I will focus on the main meal and in my next, the accompanying dessert.

Puri with Kadalai curry

(a) Puri

Time taken: 40 – 45 mins

Makes 6

Puri

Ingredients

  • Wheat flour – 1 cup
  • Salt – ½ tsp
  • Low fat oil – 2 tbsp + for deep-frying
  • Water, as required

Method

  1. Add ½ tsp salt and 2 tbsp oil to the wheat flour. Slowly stir in a little water and knead the flour mix into a ball of dough.
  2. Divide the dough into 6 smaller balls. Let it rest for about 15 to 20 mins.
  3. Heat some oil in a pan on low to medium heat.
  4. Roll out one of the small balls of dough.
  5. Keep a little container with water by your side and brush one side of the rolled out dough with water.
  6. Drop the rolled out dough into the hot oil, with the water side down. This helps the puri to puff up more. Yes, there will be a lot of crackling noise as water and oil react at first.
  7. Once the puri has risen to the surface, flip it to the other side so that the other side can be cooked and can also become puffy. It takes about 2 mins approximately to brown each side.
  8. Remove the puri from the pan and place on a dish covered with a grease absorbing paper.
  9. Serve with kadalai curry.

(b) Kadalai (chickpea) curry

Time taken: 40 mins + overnight soaking

Serves: 3

Kadalai curry

Ingredients:

  • Kadalai/ Chickpea – ½ cup
  • Onion – ½ , chopped
  • Mixed 3C (Cinnamon, cardamom and cloves) powder – 1 tsp
  • Fennel seeds – ½ tsp
  • Fenugreek seeds – ½ tsp
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Rampe/ pandan leaf – small piece
  • Coconut milk or non-fat milk – 1 cup
  • Curry powder – 1 tbsp, or as required
  • Low fat oil, as required

Method:

  1. Soak the kadalai in water for a minimum of 3 hours and better, if soaked overnight.
  2. Rinse the soaked kadalai and boil it for 15 minutes in some fresh water.
  3. Drain and keep aside the kadalai.
  4. In a pan, heat a little oil and fry the chopped onion, fenugreek, mixed 3C powder, curry leaves and rampe for two minutes.
  5. Add the boiled kadalai to the pan and mix well.
  6. Stir in the coconut milk or non-fat milk and 1 tbsp curry powder. Let the kadalai curry simmer on low heat for 10 to 15 mins.
  7. If the curry dries up, add a little more milk and let it simmer a little more. The curry should have a rich consistency and not be watery when you remove from the heat.
  8. Serve hot with the puri.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Mutton fry

The second recipe I will share today is also a non-vegetarian recipe that my mother recalls a relative in Vavuniya had cooked decades ago. As I am yet to receive recipes from the district of Vavuniya, I am happy to share this recipe based on my mother’s recollection of watching the dish being prepared.

Mutton fry

Time taken: 30 – 45 mins

Serves 4 – 6 persons

Ingredients:

  • Mutton – 2 cups, chopped
  • Onion – 1, chopped
  • Crushed ginger and garlic – 2 tbsp
  • Curry powder – 2 tbsp
  • Mixed 3C (Cinnamon, cardamom, clove) spice powder – 1 tsp
  • Lime juice – 1 tbsp
  • Pepper – ½ tsp
  • Salt, to taste
  • Oil – 3 tbsp

Method:

  1. Clean and chop the mutton into pieces.
  2. In a mixing bowl, add the chopped onion, crushed ginger-garlic, mixed 3C spice powder, curry powder, lime juice, salt and pepper. Add the mutton pieces to the bowl and ensure that they are well coated in the marinating mixture.
  3. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan and transfer the contents of the bowl, the mutton pieces together with the chopped onion and spices, to the pan.
  4. Cover the pan and let the mutton cook on low heat. Every 5 to 10 mins, uncover the pan and flip the pieces to the other side.
  5. Continue to cook until the mutton is well cooked and lightly browned throughout. The roasting takes about 30 to 40 mins.
  6. Serve with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Butter chicken

Today’s guest blogger is Mohamed Muzain. A staff of UNDP, one of his hidden talents became known to colleagues after he cooked a delicious dish for a potluck. I requested Muzain to share one of his famous recipes and he shared his recipe for butter chicken.

Butter chicken

Time taken: 45 mins

Serves 8

Ingredients:

  • Chicken – 1 Kg
  • Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
  • Onion – 4, medium-sized, for puree + ½ , for frying
  • Tomato – 4
  • Ginger-garlic paste – 2 tbsp
  • Yoghurt – 1 cup
  • Chilli powder – 2 tsp, for marinating sauce + small tsp, at the end
  • Chillies – 5
  • Curry leaves – 1 or 2 sprigs
  • Rampe leaf
  • Cumin seeds/ Nacheeraham – ½ tsp
  • Cinnamon – 1 ½ “
  • Cardamom – 8 or 10
  • Butter – 125 g

Method:

  1. First, wash and clean the chicken and chop it up into smaller pieces. Rub some turmeric powder over the chicken pieces and keep aside.
  2. Next, prepare the marinating sauce.
  3. Peel the onions and tomatoes. Chop them up and blend them together. Transfer the puree to a mixing bowl.
  4. Add the yoghurt, 1 tbsp of the ginger-garlic paste and 2 tsp chilli powder to the puree. Mix the marinating sauce well.
  5. Transfer the turmeric powder coated chicken pieces to the marinating sauce bowl.
  6. Ensure that the chicken pieces are well coated. Let the chicken pieces soak in the marinating sauce for at least 30 minutes.
  7. Chop up ½ the onion and slit the green chillies in the middle.
  8. Heat some butter in a pan and fry the chopped onion, curry leaves, rampe and the slit chillies.
  9. When the onions turn golden, add the remaining ginger-garlic paste.
  10. Add the cumin seeds, cinnamon and cardamom to the pan. Mix the spices well.
  11. Transfer the contents of the mixing bowl, the chicken pieces together with the marinating sauce, to the pan and let the chicken cook on low to medium heat for about 30 mins.
  12. When the chicken is well cooked, add a small tsp of chilli powder and the remaining butter.
  13. Mix well before removing the pan from heat.
  14. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

Recipe source: Mohamed Muzain.

Veggie omelette

This is my mother’s version of a veggie omelette. It is spicy, crunchy and very filling.

Veggie omelette

Veggie omelette

Time taken: 8 – 10 mins

Serves 2

Slice of veg omelette

Ingredients:

  • Egg – 1
  • Green peas – 2 tbsp
  • Chopped carrot – 2 tbsp
  • Chopped beans – 2 tbsp
  • Chopped potatoes – 2 tbsp
  • Chopped onion – 2 tbsp
  • Green chillies – 2, chopped
  • Salt – ½ tsp
  • Pepper – ½ tsp
  • Low fat oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

  1. Whisk the egg in a small bowl and add the chopped veggies and seasoning.
  2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and pour the egg and vegetable mixture onto the pan.
  3. Fry the omelette for a couple of minutes each side.
  4. Serve hot.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Omelette and Omelette Curry

This omelette and omelette curry are recipes of my grandmother’s, as remembered by my mother.

(a) Omelette

Time taken: 6 – 7 mins

Serves 2

Omelette

Ingredients:

  • Eggs – 2
  • Onion – ¼
  • Green chilli – 1
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Sesame oil (gingelly oil) – 1 tbsp

Method:

  1. Finely chop the onion and chillies.
  2. Whisk the two eggs. Add the salt and pepper and the chopped onion and chillies and whisk them together.
  3. Heat 1 tbsp of sesame oil in a pan on low heat. Pour the egg mix in the pan and fry for about 2-3 minutes. Flip to the other side and cook for another 2 -3 minutes so that both sides are well-cooked and browned.
  4. Remove from heat and serve as is or use in omelette curry.

(b) Omelette curry

Time taken: 20 mins

Serves 2

Omelette curry

Ingredients:

  • Omelette
  • Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp
  • Onion – ½ , chopped
  • Curry leaves – 1 sprig
  • Tamarind extract – ¼  cup
  • Coconut milk – ½ cup
  • Curry powder – 2 tsp
  • Sesame oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

  1. Cut the omelette into pieces and keep aside.
  2. Heat a tbsp oil in a pan and sauté the fenugreek seeds, chopped onion and curry leaves.
  3. Add the tamarind juice and cook for a few mins.
  4. Then add the coconut milk and curry powder and salt, to taste.
  5. Cook for about 6- 7 minutes till the curry comes together and gravy thickens and then add the omelette pieces. Cook for a minute or two before removing from heat.
  6. Serve with rice or pittu.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.

Vegetable coconut curry

Today’s recipe is a curry recipe of my mother that I really like. It is a simple and delicious curry.

Vegetable coconut curry or Vellai curry, as it is known in Tamil

Time taken: 20 – 25 mins

Serves 4

Vegetable curryIngredients:

  • Cauliflower – ½ cup, chopped
  • Potato – ½ cup, chopped
  • Green peas – ¼ cup
  • Carrot – ½ cup, chopped
  • Onion – ¼, chopped
  • Chilli – 1, chopped
  • Coconut milk – ¼ cup
  • Pepper – ½ tsp
  • Lime juice – 1 tsp, or more as per taste

Method:

  1. Heat 1 tsp oil and sauté the chopped onion and chilli for a minute in a pan.
  2. Then, add all the chopped vegetables to the pan along with 1 cup of water and cook the vegetables for 10 mins.
  3. Add the coconut milk to the pan and cook the curry for another 5 mins.
  4. Add the pepper and cook for a couple of minutes before removing from heat.
  5. Squeeze some fresh lime/ lemon juice over the vegetable curry and serve with rice.

Recipe source: Raji Thillainathan.