Velan's Cuisine Extraordinaire

[mappi]

Been a while I had some 'mutton murungai kai curry'. Will prepare some, got drumsticks in the freezer. 'nalla ennai' is a perfect touch.

[mexicomeat]

mappi, i get fresh drumsticks here. another good combination with mutton is radish (if u get it fresh) - my mother in law makes radish sambar - i.e, make plain sambar as per normal process and treat as if mutton (with bones in) is a vegetable. pressure cook for 2 whistle. then add radish and cook until radish is done. make sure that sambar is soupy consistency and not like thick sambar.

i also make kottai kuzhambu some times - my favourite. soak mochai kottai and all other kottais including peanuts, channa black, channa white and black eyed peas. get some vazhakkai, radish, chow chow. make sambar using the above. this is a traditional pongal festival recipe but we make once a month or so.

[mexicomeat]

i have been making ragi kali for the past three days. day 1 was with kathirikkai kadayal. day 2 had with mint chutney, today with mutton murungai.

[mappi]

We get drumsticks (not fresh ones though) in Indian stores. We buy few of them and freeze the rest. I grow raddish in my garden, and yes Raddish Sambar sooper taste. Also, we just have fresh red-raddish by dipping it in salt. Sometimes I cook Sambhar as a soup smashing everything inside, but most of time the tradional way. I like vegetables floating in a sambhar.

I made Avial for Ponjal this year. My favourite is Mochai Kottai Kara Kuzhambu too. Few days back Suvai gave the recipe using Black Bean. It was too good, just don't forget to soak the beans overnight + pressure cook it for a while. You got to try it, its here.

[mexicomeat]

nov anna, have u been here?

[NOV]

Most definitely.... looks like Ananda Bawan.... there are 100s of similar restaurants all over Malaysia.

Incidentally, I'm from Penang, the food haven. 😊

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[mexicomeat]

Made fish curry today. Nailed it. All gone before i could take a pic..

Step 1: clean fish, i used vanjaram. Set aside.
Step 2: cut 1 onion lengthwise
Step 3: take lots of garlic (1 whole), some ginger, 2 green chillies - put them in a mortar/pastel (not a blender) and grind it slightly into a rough mixture (this brings out the nice flavours)
Step4: take a pan that tapers gradually (like a pot or vadai chatti) - this is so that there is enough height in pan filled with gravy for fish to cook.
Step 5: add nalla ennai, kadugu and vendayam - let them fry
Step 6: add ground garlic, ginger chilli mixture and saute. Add curry leaves. Add onion and saute. Add two chopped tomatoes and saute
Step 7: take a bowl - add 1 or 2 spoons of red chilli powder , 1 spoon turmeric, sea salt, puli paste and water and mix well. Add this to pan
Step 8: add 2 slices of raw mango to pan - this is very important
Step 9: let it cook into a thick paste like thokku. When it comes to adi pidikara stage, sprinkle water and give life and saute.. Repeat the sprinkle water process atleast 4 times until u cannot differentiate ur mango from onion from tomato from garlic
Step 10: we added only chilli powder and turmeric - no coriander or cumin etc... So most likely u will still have the raw chilli smell. When it comes to adi pidikira patham, add 2 cups water
Step 11: relax and let it cook. My mom used to cook the gravy (repeating step 10) for around 30 min which makes a killer gravy. I didnt have that much patience - cooked until it became a paste again
Step 12: ok. Almost done. Add water to suit ur gravy thickness. Fix the salt. When the bubbles appear in gravy (after u added water), add fish - dont stir and leave it for 2 min. Switch off flame and let fish cook/soak in the residual heat
Step 13: didnt bother adding coriander garnish - had it with ragi kali

Hope u like it

[mexicomeat]

Looks messy but this is whats left

[mexicomeat]

@mappi, you can try the fish kulambu recipe without the fish. use vendakkai or eggplant instead of fish.

tonight's recipe is a simple garlic bok-choy oyster mushroom stir fry - very simple.

in gordon ramsay's style commentary - pan, seasme oil , sliced garlic, boky choy, salt, mushroom , done.

[mexicomeat]

looks similar to this