Mirchi Ka Saalan

Ingredients:

6 Green chilli (Big and large)
Deseed the chillies and keep aside
1/2 tbsp Red chilli powder
1/2 Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp ginger & garlic paste
1/2 cup Tamarind Juice
Few curry leaves
Finely chopped coriander leaves
2Tbsp oil and salt to taste.

Masala for grinding

2 Onions (finely chopped)
2 Tsp Sesame seeds)
2 tbsp Poppy seeds 
2 tsp Peanuts
2 tsp cup Coconut powder
1 tbsp Cumin seeds 
1 tbsp Mustard seeds 
2 Dried red chilli 

Method

Add sesame seeds, groundnut, coconut powder, cumin seeds, mustard see and dry roast for a while , the grind them to a fine paste. Now fry the chillies in oil till they turn white and then keep aside. In the same oil add cumin and mustard seeds, one’s it crackles add red chillies, followed by curry leaves and then ginger garlic paste. After the raw smell of the ginger garlic paste is gone, add the ground paste followed by chilli, turmeric powder. Mix well, the add tamarind paste and let it cook till the oil is separated from the mixture. You can add little water. Add the fried chillies, coriander leaves and cover. Let it cook for about 10 minutes on medium flame. Make sure it does not burn. Now you’ll find thick gravy.
Your Mirchi ka Salan is ready.

Pepper Mutton

 Ingredients
1/2 kg Mutton
3 medium sized Onions
1 big finely chopped tomatoes
1tsp Ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tsp pepper powder
Salt as per taste
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves finely chopped

For dry roast
Poppy seeds 1 tsp
Pepper corn 4 -5
Coriander seeds 1 tsp
Cumin 1 tsp
Cloves 3

METHOD :
Wash the mutton properly. Add 2 cups of water, turmeric powder and salt to the mutton and pressure cook it for 5 whistles. Drain the water and keep aside. Dry roast and grind all the spices listed under dry roast. Heat Oil add curry leaves and onions. Fry onions till they turn golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste fry till the raw smell is gone add tomatoes and mutton and cook on high flame till the tomatoes turn soft. Add the ground masala for few minutes then add the water kept aside. Bring it to a boil. . Cook till the gravy thickens and oil surfaces. Add the pepper powder. Give it a good stir. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Mutton Curry

INGREDIENTS
Mutton – 1 kg
Onion - 4 finely chopped
Tomato - 2 nos finely chopped
Ginger Garlic paste 2 tsp
Green chillies 5-6 ( Add more if your taste buds agree )
Turmericpowder- ½ tsp
Chilly powder- 3 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Curd – about 2 cups
Cinnamon 2” stick, cloves 6-8
Green cardamoms – 5 – 6 
Bay leaf – 2
(Khuskhus) - 2 tbsp (soak in warm water for 10 mins)
Coconut powder- 2-Tbsp
Saffron(soaked in 2 tbsp of warm milk) / Edible color- few strands
Salt - As required
Oil – 1cup
Coriander leaves for garnishing

METHOD: 
Wash and clean Clean mutton well.Drain the water completely. Marinate it with curd, red chilly powder, coriander powder, ginger-garlic paste and green chilies for about an hour or two. Now grind poppy seeds and coconut to a fine paste. Keep it aside.
Heat Oil in a heavy bottomed pan, add the whole spices, bay leaf and fry for a while., then add onions and fry till they turn translucent. Now add tomatoes and fry till they are soft. At this point add the marinaded mutton and mix well. Cover and cook on high heat for about 4-5 minutes, then cover it with a lid and let it cook on medium flame. Keep stirring occasionally. (You can prepare it in a cooker also)
Now add the poppy seeds-coconut paste and salt as required and mix properly. Add 2 cups of water, cover and cook till the mutton is tender and the consistency of gravy is your choice. Add garam masala and chopped coriander leaves. Just before you switch off the stove, add the saffron solution or color.
Can be an accompaniment to Rotis or plain rice

Mutton Biryani

Ingredients
Mutton 1 and a half kg
Basmati rice 1 kg
3 large onions finely sliced
Oil 2 cups
For Marinade
Yoghurt 2 cups
4 tbsp ground papaya paste to tenderise the meat
Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
1 tbsp chilly powder
1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp garam masala 1 pinch saffron strand
3-5 slit greenx chillies
3-4 tbsp lime juice
Coriander and mint leaves finely chopped
Salt as per taste

Method
Add the ingredients listed under marinade to the mutton and keep in in the fridge overnight or at least for 3 - 4 hours. Wash rice and soak it for 1/2 hour. Heat Oil and fry onions till golden brown. Keep it aside for garnishing. In a large vessel pour water add cloves cardamoms caraway seeds and salt. Bring it to a boil and now add the drained rice.cook till it's half done. Drain the rice and keep aside.
In a large vessel add the oil used for frying onions . Add the marinaded mutton now spread the half cooked rice on it. Spread the fried onions coriander and mint leaves. Cover the vessel and seal it with wheat dough. Place something heavy on the lid to ensure no steam escapes. Place the vessel on a tawa and let it cook on a low flame. After one and a half hour switch off the flame. Let the weight remain on the lid for half an hour. Your mutton biryani is ready. It can be accompanied by dahi chutney or Mirchi ka saalan

Crab Curry

1 kg Crabs clent
4. Onions medium sized- chopped finely
2 big ripe tomatoes- chopped finely
3-4 green chillies
Ginger, garlic & green chili paste – 1tbsp
1 tsp garam masala
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder ¼ cup
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Coconut Milk- ½ tbsp

Method: In big container heat oil, fry onions till golden brown, after that add the ginger garlic chili paste & cook until raw flavor is gone. Now add turmeric, red chili, coriander powder & cook it by adding little water to the mixture. Make sure you don’t burn them. After the spices are cooked, add tomatoes (or tomato puree) and sauté for a while. Add garam masala. Add a cup of water and cook for about 10-15 minutes with a lid on. Now add the clean crabs, cover it with lid & cook it for 10 minutes. Now add the coconut mixture and cook for 5 minutes. This curry needs more chilly and salt. Cook it till you get your desired consistency. Garnish with coriander. It’s ready to eat.

Takka Tana Kasai/Lemon Grass concoction

INGREDIENTS
8-10 Lemon grass stalks (I have one growing in my yard)
1 tsp Black peppercorns
½ tsp Coriander seeds
Sunthi (Dry Ginger) 1” Alternatively you can use fresh ginger also (Prefer Sunthi)
1 tbsp Mishri ( Khadi Sakhar)sugar candy
Pich of turmeric powder
1 Litre Water

Method:
In a mortar crush peppercorns and, coriander. Heat water add the crushed spices and the remaining ingredients and lemon grass stalks (tie it) bring to boil, then simmer and boil for further 10 minutes. Strain the mixture.
Note: Shelf Life: One Day. Do not refrigerate.
Milk or Honey can be added if kids are being served.

Chicken Pickle

INGREDIENTS

Chicken: 1kg Boneless
Salt: 100 grams
Red Chilly Powder: 100 grams
Turmeric Powder: 2 tsp
Coriander Seeds: 100 grams
Poppy Seeds: 50 grams
Cashew: 50 grams
Ginger : 50 grams
Garlic : 50 grams
Small Mustard Seeds : 1 tsp
Fenugreek Seed : 1/2 tsp
Cloves : 15
Cinnamon : 2 cm
Cardamom : 8-10
Lemon: 6 big
Oil: 1/2 kg

METHOD:
Cook the clean chicken pieces by adding 1tsp powder and ½ tsp salt. Let the water from chicken evaporate. Don’t add extra water.
Fry cashew on high flame for a minute. Ensure not to burn them. Set it aside. Now fry poppy seeds for a minute on high flame and set it aside. Now fry fenugreek and mustard seeds separately for a minute and set it aside. Fry cardamom, cloves and cinnamon on high flame and set aside. Fry the coriander seeds and set aside. Let all the items cool.
Now grind the fenugreek and coriander powder, then cashew and poppy seeds, then grind mustard and fenugreek seeds. All these should be ground finely. Same way grind the cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom . Extract juice from 5 limes and keep aside.
Now grind ginger and garlic to a smooth fine paste

Now heat 1/4th Kg oil in a pan, add the boneless chicken to it. One’s they reach golden color, put them in a big bowl. In the same oil fry the ginger garlic paste for a minute on high flame, then switch off the flame and let the mixture remain in the pan.
Add chilli powder, salt, and all the powdered ingredients to the chicken. Now add ginger garlic paste with the oil, the add lime juice. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Now add the remaining 1/4th oil and one’s cool add it to the chicken mixture. Store it in an air tight container and refrigerate it for longer life.