Butter Chicken Curry

Butter Chicken was introduced to Chennai by tandoori restaurants. I used to frequent the Piccadilly Tandoor restaurant in the late ’70s especially for their divine butter chicken. I longed to make this at home, but I was never satisfied with the results I obtained from recipes I found in books. It was only after watching several YouTube videos that I understood the technique of making butter chicken, and starting making it regularly at home. This recipe gives a better butter chicken than what many restaurants serve – if I do say so myself 🙂 Butter chicken is usually served with naan at restaurants. I also usually have it with Homemade Naan, but this time I tried it with homemade bread, and the result was just as heavenly!

Butter Chicken Curry

Advertisements

Vegetable Biriyani and Black Gram Dhal Pakoda Kuruma

The Tamil New Year falls on the first day of the Tamil Month of Chithirai (April 14). Most people celebrate with a full vegetarian meal, typically with a neem flower rasam. In our family we have never made neem flower rasam; instead, we make a special vegetarian dish to celebrate the new year. This Vegetable Biriyani and Black Gram Dhal Pakoda Kuruma is a long and involved preparation for the home chef who appreciates the art of cooking. If it is any consolation, you don’t need a wet grinder 🙂

Vegetable Biriyani and Black Gram Dhal Pakoda Kuruma

Marble Bundt Cake for Easter

Happy Easter everyone! Though Easter eggs are given more importance than Easter cakes, I like to bake a cake for Easter. My daughter and I were browsing through a Jewish cookbook, which I had purchased a long time ago. We came across this recipe and felt that this marble cake was befit for a festival. Jewish recipes, in general, I find use less sugar, so we increased the amount to suit our palate. Though this cake looks complicated, it is fairly easy to make and tastes absolutely divine.

Marble Bundt Cake for Easter

Rich Peas Pulav

January is the month when good quality green peas are available, and this is the time to relish recipes using them. I’ve previously posted the recipe for an Easy Peas Pulav. This version contains ground cashew nuts and powdered spices to give a rich but mild flavour which goes well with the winter season.

Rich Peas Pulav

Urulaikizhangu Paal Curry (Potato in Coconut Milk Curry)

Today is Pongal (the Tamil harvest festival), and it is customary to celebrate with several rich vegetarian dishes. I made this Urulaikizhangu Paal Curry. I came across this recipe in my mother’s recipe collection. She never made this, but I was intrigued by the combination of potatoes and coconut milk with very few spices. It has an enchantingly mild flavour, and the fried cashew nuts added to the curry make it very festive and unique.

Urulaikizhangu Paal Curry (Potato in Coconut Milk Curry)

Kala’s Vazhaikkai Kuruma (Unripe Banana Curry)

Pongal (the Tamil harvest festival) is just around the corner, and it is time to dive back into vegetarian cooking. The vazhaikkai (unripe banana) is regarded as a humble vegetable because it is available all through the year, and the cost doesn’t vary with the seasons. I like to fairy godmother with this vegetable and turn it into a Cinderella with exotic recipes like Vazhaikkai Cutlet. This kuruma is another of my creations, transforming the simple vazhaikkai into a festive special that can be served with Easy Peas Pulav, Potato Pulav, and even with Pooris!

 

Kala’s Vazhaikkai Kuruma (Unripe Banana Curry)

Oven-Baked Tandoori Chicken

Happy New Year everyone! I would like to kick off 2018 with a dish that is known all over the world. Tandoori chicken is a signature dish of Punjab but has become very popular in Tamil Nadu, especially in the cities, due to the increase in restaurants serving North Indian cuisine following the migration of North Indians to the South. Even road-side eateries advertise Tandoori cooking. The traditional Tandoor oven, which originated in West Asia, is a special device that none of us have at home in Tamil Nadu. I, therefore, looked for recipes using the regular Oven Toaster Grill (OTG) and found several methods. This recipe combines the best from many sources and my own experiments in making the perfect Tandoori Chicken 🙂

Oven-Baked Tandoori Chicken garnished with Lime Wedge and Onion Rings