Semi-dry potato masala

After looong nap on a hot summer day, waking up to the realization that there is nothing to quieten the appetite is the stepping stone to pick up the phone to dial a home delivery

But then nothing on the takeaway menu was tempting enough, so decided to do with what was available in my kitchen. That's how I ended up with a late lunch of rice and a semi-dry potato curry

What I used

1. Half-boiled medium-sized potatoes: 2
2. Vegetable oil: 1/4 cup
3. Mustard seeds: 3/4 teaspoon
4. Diced  medium-sized onion: 1
5. Chopped ginger and garlic: 1 teaspoon each
6. Chopped tomatoes: 2
7. Salt: to taste
8. Green chillies: 2
9. Vegetable/meat masala: 1.5 tablespoons
10. Curry leaves: 1 sprig
11. Water/chicken stock/vegetable stock: as needed
12. Coconut milk (optional): 1/2 cup

How I made it

1. Heat the oil in a flat-bottomed pan on low flame. When the oil is hot enough, splutter the mustard seeds and saute the onion with the ginger-garlic and some salt for about 20 minutes till it becomes soft
2. Add the tomatoes, green chillies and curry leaves and continue cooking till the tomatoes turn mushy
3. Add the masala powder and required salt. Mix well and cook till the raw masala smell is gone ensuring it doesn't burn
4. Add the semi-boiled potatoes and mix well such that every potato piece is coated well 
5. Add enough water/stock to submerge the potatoes, at the same time ensuring it is just enough for a thick gravy. Meaning the gravy shouldn't get too watery
6. Keep the pan covered and allow it to cook on low heat for about 20 minutes with occasional stirring to mix the contents
7. Once the gravy has reduced, add the coconut milk and continue cooking till the gravy reduces again and the dish is semi-dry
8. Turn off the heat and keep the pan covered for another 20 minutes before serving
   PS: Do check the softness of the potatoes in between so they don't overcook and break apart

This goes really well with chappathi, bread, dosa, rice if one is in a spicy mode

You can literally just mix and match your combos as you like. There is no rule :D
If nothing else, just drizzle some lime juice and have this as is ;-)

Lemon rice

Chennai was an experience for me in many ways!

Yes! I loved it! The vibrancy of an active metro city, the fusion of tradition and the chic, beaches, colors and of course, taste .. the energy was contagious. Even if there was an idle moment, the pull to be in action was so strong. An energy madness it was for me. I would say, at that moment, it was just what I needed

One understands the ecstasy of travel only after indulging in it. Once it begins, it's an insatiable addiction. The craving for new faces, new experiences, new memories lures and it's like the world as one knows it is not enough anymore. One just needs to pack and be on the move for another travesty :D

From my visit to Chennai, I learned something new from a culinary aspect. Rice can be prepared in so many ways!!!! Yes... Soooooo many ways...

In the long list of rice recipes that are on my list, here is lemon rice, so yellow, so tangy, so easy ;)

What I used

1. Vegetable oil: 4 tablespoons
2. Mustard seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
3. Diced medium-sized onion: 1
   PS: Shallots can be used instead of onions. About 10 finely chopped shallots can also be used either alone or as a mix with onion
4. Salt: as needed
5. Turmeric powder: 1/2 teaspoon
6. Green chilli: 1
7. Dried red chilli: 1-2
8. Lemon juice of 1 lemon
9. Curry leaves: 1 sprig
10. Basmati/long-grained rice cooked with turmeric and salt: 3 cups

How I made it

1. While making the rice, add enough salt and turmeric powder to the water and cook
2. In a frying pan, heat the oil on medium flame, splutter the mustard seeds and saute the onion till it becomes soft
3. Add a pinch of salt, keeping in mind the rice is salted as well
4. Add the chillies, curry leaves and lime juice and saute well for about 2 minutes
5. Once there that's done, add the cooked rice to the mixture and mix well

This is like a quick-fix dish in case one is bored of the routine dishes

Any good pickle and fresh curd go well with this dish :D :D 

Mutton kheema

My first memory of kheema was the meat puffs sold  in the local bakeries of my hometown in Kuravilangad

Once school started, the most sought after item in our school canteen was also what was called the meat puffs which was minced beef sautéed with spice mix and onion cocooned in a 6-inch long cylindrical freshly baked bread. This was my all-time favorite!

Literally I have begged, borrowed and stole with no regret to get my hands on this baby :D Even the disciplinary action from His and Her Royal Highnesses (a.k.a mom and dad) that followed post discovery of the disappearing 1 Riyals from their wallet and purse respectively did not compromise my relentless effort ;-) Such was my dedication :D

Evidently, the prerequisite for unparalleled motivation with upbeat dedication is the pursuit of a fulfilling reward - WOW! I think I just phrased my own quote!!!! :D :D

The spicy sweetness of the meat mixture with the mouthwatering aroma of the bread, so dark baked brown with a glazing crust stirs nostalgic gourmet memories. One bite into this and I couldn’t wait to take the next bite again, knowing it would be over so soon, and the deep craving would start once again :D :D Such was its effect on me :D

Once my kitchen became active, during grocery shopping, I saw the frozen minced meat and as if my taste center had a memory of its own, it evoked the age-old craving and I decided to make mutton kheema with rice that particular day

Of course it won’t equal the minced beef puffs of schooldays, which I will make as soon as I get an oven ;-) But for now, mutton kheema has to do ;-)

     What I used

1. Minced mutton: 250 grams
2. Sunflower oil or any vegetable oil: ½ cup
3. Finely diced red onions: 2; chopped spring onions: 5 stalks; diced carrots: 1; chopped coriander leaves: a handful
4. Ginger-garlic paste: 2 teaspoons
5. Pepper powder: 1 teaspoon 
6. Store-bought meat masala: 1.5 tablespoon
7. Salt: to taste
8. Chopped green chillies: 2 
9. Cooked frozen green peas: a handful
10. Dried rosemary (optional) : half a sprig
11. Chicken stock/water: as needed
12. Butter: 1 tablespoon

      How I made it

1. In a flat-bottomed pan, heat the oil on low flame and sauté onions with a pinch of salt for about 20 minutes so the onions really soften. PS: This is to bring out the sweetness of the onion
2. Once the onions have softened, add the spring onions and carrots, and cook till they become soft on medium flame with the pan covered  
3. Add the ginger-garlic paste and mix the contents and cook for another 5 minutes
4. Now add the meat masala and pepper powder, and cook till the raw smell of masalas are gone. This is the time to add the required amount of salt as well
5. After adding the masalas, if they stick to bottom of pan, add a bit of water or chicken stock to deglaze the pan
6. Now the minced mutton goes in. Mix really well till the meat turns dark in color and all the ingredients are well cooked. PS: The carrots would have mashed and mixed fully with the rest of the content. In short, they might just be invisible ;-) But we know they are there ;-). While the mutton cooks, the water in the meat seeps out, so it gets a bit watery. That's ok... just keep cooking till the gravy reduces
7. Just after the mutton turns dark, add the dried rosemary if you are using it 
   PS: I like the freshness that rosemary gives to meat dishes. Meat composes a heavy part of a meal and can make one feel really full. The presence of herbs mitigates this and make you
   feel... fresh, like the meal wasn't heavy at all ;-)
8. Add the pre-cooked frozen green peas and coriander leaves and cook with the pan covered on medium flame till the liquid has reduced and the kheema becomes solid like the filling of a puffs ;D This should take about 30-40 minutes. Once it's done, add a tablespoon of butter and...
   
   That's it! :D :D

Mutton kheema goes with anything... chappathi, roti, bread, rice.. anything

I had it with rice and just for the heck of it, I mixed the rice and the kheema thoroughly to get a minced mutton biriyani effect :D :D

PS: add some pomegranates also as garnish for a burst of flavors in case you like the tangy sweetness

No dish is ever too hard if one is motivated enough to want a big bite of it ;-) There! another quote! Am I on a roll today or what ;-) Just kidding :D :D

Thanks for reading this. Hope you enjoyed :D :D 

Do try this dish when you can :D