Kari Dosa/Minced Mutton Dosa

This is one of the very famous dishes in my home town Madurai. My uncle recently had shared with me the recipe of Sangam Hotels Kari Dosa in facebook. Atlast I tried it at home and it was so tasty with simple ingredients.

Ingredients:

1. Minced Mutton (Kothukari) - 1/2 kg
2. Eggs - 4 (beaten with little salt)
3. Big onion - 2 finely chopped
4. Tomatoes - 2 finely chopped
5. Chilli powder - 1tsp
6. Garam masala (I used my homemade kuzhambu masala) - 1 and 1/2tsp
7. Ginger garlic paste - 2tsp
8. Coriander leaves -few
9. Salt - as needed
10. Sesame oil - 2tbsp

To dry roast and grind to a paste:

• Red chilli - 6 (original recipe calls for 8. I reduced it as per my taste. Its up to you)
• Coconut grated - 6tsp
• Coriander seeds - 4tsp
• Peppercorns -2 tsp
• Curry leaves few

Method:

1. Dry roast the ingredients under 'To dry roast and grind to a paste' column and grind to a paste with little water.

2. In a pressure cooker, heat oil, add curry leaves , fry onions till translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell leaves.

3. Add the tomatoes and saute till raw smell leaves. Add the spice powders,salt and saute for 2 mins. Now add the ground paste with little water and saute.

4. Add the washed minced meat and stir to combine well. Add little water if needed. Close the cooker and pressure cook till the meat is cooked well. It took 1 whistle in high flame and 10 minutes in simmer for me.

5. Once the pressure releases, simmer it uncovered for the water to evaporate.Garnish with coriander leaves.

6. Mix well 1 time finally and transfer it to a bowl. Add the beaten eggs and combine well.

7. Heat dosa pan, pour ladle full of dosa batter. Do not spread too much. Let it be thick like oothapam. Pour the mutton mixture in center and spread lightly with spoon and drizzle oil in sides. 

8. Flip over after slightly browned and cook for 2 to 3 minutes till well cooked. Serve hot!!.

Notes:

1. The above measure yielded 10 dosas for me.

2. In the original recipe they had used a pan for cooking mutton but I went with pressure cooking as I felt it less time consuming. You can try pan method also.

3. Do not add too much water to cook mutton.

4. Flip over the dosa carefully. Once flipped over keep in low medium and drizzle some oil and wait 2 to 3 minutes for it to cook and set properly. Otherwise the eggs and dosa batter will be uncooked.

5. This surely makes a filling breakfast and 2 will be more than enough for a single person :).

Eggless ThumbPrint Jam Cookies

When I saw these cookies while surfing the net I was so tempted to try it out. They were super cute to look at. I saw few versions with wheat flour but as I am trying cookies for first time I thought it safer to start with maida itself. I referred here for the recipe and they turned out to be a super hit. I just loved the buttery, crispy cookies topped with jam and icing sugar. You can make this for Christmas.

Ingredients:

• Maida - 2 and 2/3 cups
• Salt - 1/4tsp
• Unsalted butter - 1cup
• Powdered sugar - 1 cup
• Butter milk - 1/3 cup
• Vanilla essence - 2tsp
• Icing sugar - as required for dusting
• Jam - 4 to 5 tbs for filling

Method:

1. Cream sugar and butter till fluffy. Add in the vanilla and buttermilk and mix well. (I missed taking the pic when vanilla and buttermilk was added).

2. In a separate bowl mix the salt and flour. Now add this mixture to the butter mixture and gather to a dough slowly. Do not knead just gather.

       

3. Refrigerate this for 1 hour.
4. Take it out after 1 hr. Roll into small balls and make an indent in the roll with a blunt rod (I used an old pen). Line it in a baking tray lined with butter paper.

5. Preheat oven to 175deg C. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Meanwhile prepare the diluted jam by double boiling method. Take some jam in a small bowl and take some water in a pan. Place the bowl inside the pan and heat the pan. Constantly stir so that the jam is diluted to a slightly dropping consistency.

7. Once the cookies are done transfer them to a plate and while they are still warm fill the dent with diluted jam so that it sticks well. Dust with icing sugar. Cool and store in airtight container.

Notes:

1. If you are using salted butter, skip salt.

2. You can even add jam before baking. But make sure to add little so that it does not ooze out while baking.

3. You can even make the dent using your thumb. But it may not be the perfect shape.

4. These cookies brown at the bottom and remain white at the top.

5. You can even top with nutella or chocolate cream or any of your favourite cream.

6. Do not knead the dough.

7. I baked these in 4 batches. I got more than 100 cookies.

8. The cookies will be soft once you remove them from oven but will turn crispy once cooled. Do not overbake.

Paneer Butter Masala - Close to Restaurant Taste

I finally got the perfect recipe for paneer butter masala. I always like panner butter masala and butter chicken masala. I have tried many versions from the net but never was satisfied. Even the ones using milk did not give me a satisfactory result. Then last week my sister in law Sangeetha told me this recipe and it turned out just perfect. Thanks to her for giving me such a keeper recipe.

Ingredients:

1.  Paneer - 1pkt (200gms)
2. Butter - 2tblsp
3. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (adjust according to spicyness. I used homemade)
4. Kuzhambu masala thool - 1/2 tsp
5. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
6. Fresh cream - 1tbsp
7. Honey - 1/4 tsp (optional)
8. Dried and crushed kasoori methi leaves - 2 generous pinches
9. Salt - as needed

To saute and grind:

1. Big onion - 1 chopped
2. Tomatoes - 4 small sized chopped
3. Cashews - 10no.s 

Method:

1. Heat kadai, add a tsp of oil and saute the onions, tomatoes and cashews till the tomatoes turn mushy like a thokku consistency.

2. Cool and grind to a smooth paste.

3. Melt butter in kadai, add the ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell leaves.

4. Now add the ground paste with little water and simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes till raw smell leaves.

5. Add the masala powders, salt and little water and simmer for 2 minutes. Now add the cubed paneer, fresh cream and stir. Let the paneer cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Dry roast the dried kasoori methi leaves, crush them and add 2 generous pinches. Dry roasting adds an enhanced flavour. Add in honey if needed.

7. Garnish with fresh cream and serve!

Notes:

1. Always choose red ripe tomatoes. It gives the color to the dish. I added 4 small tomatoes. Adjust according to tomato size.

2. You can add 1/4 tsp of garam masala too. I added kuzhambu masala thool for extra flvour. Its up to you.

3. Fresh cream gives a nice creamy consistency and enhanced taste.

Eggless French toast with Caramalized Apples

I saw this dish in Kitchen Superstar show in Vijay TV and wanted to try it out. I had all the required ingredients so made it at last. Its a very simple dish to make as a breakfast. I followed the eggless french toast recipe from Raks Kitchen and for the caramelized apples I referred here and it turned out to be good.

For the French toast:

1. Bread slices - 6
2. Custard powder (vanilla flavoured) - 2tbslp
3. Sugar - 2tblsp
4. Milk - 1/2 cup
5. Butter - as required to toast

• Mix the custard powder and sugar without lumps with boiled milk in a wide bowl.
• Dip the bread slices in it on both sides and toast both sides in non stick pan with butter. Do not dip for long time as bread gets soggy. React fast. I just dusted powdered sugar after toasting.

                                           

For the Caramelized Apples:

1. Apple - 1/2

2.  Unsalted butter - 1/2 tbsp

3. Granulated sugar - 11/4 tbsp

4. Lemon juice - 1/4 tsp

5.  Honey - 1 tbsp

• Peel the apple. Chop into small pieces. Its up to you to cube them or chop them. I prefer this way.
• Keep flame in low medium and melt butter and sugar till bubbly. (takes about less than a minute)
• Add the chopped apple and cook. Dont turn flame to high. Add in the honey. Cook in the same heat till apples are soft. Add lemon juice. Cook for about 2 minutes. Caramelized apples are ready!!.