Kari kanji

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Preparation Time : 45 minutes

Cooking Time : 35 minutes

Serving : 6 – 8 members

Description

Kari kanji . Nonbu  Kanji is a staple In all Muslim house holds through out Tamil Nadu and Kerala . Mainly had during the holy month of ramadan while breaking their fast for Iftar which is hearty and filling .  Every district in both the states have their own version of this same dish . This recipe is from a place called KAYALPATTINAM  in Tamil Nadu which is near my hubby’s place . A Muslim town where they have their own wonderful  custom of the married grooms having to live at their brides place there after . There is so much more to be mentioned but I will just stick on to the dish . I first had this kanji from a very close family friends place at  DR. Thamby mamas home . ( they are family actually ) this kanji being a favourite of hubby dear got the recipe from nachi amma ( mrs . Thamby ) and from then on its a staple at home . This is a tenaciously guarded recipe that is passed down from one generation to the next but rarely documented . Another important mention related to this dish . I am a great fan and follower of the Facebook page NOTES FROM A MALLU KITCHEN which is run by Reshma Nooh . She had posted this recipe with a story about her hubby being a student of crescent school in chennai ( where my brother – in – law and all my hubby’s cousin brothers studied too ) where they serve this kanji and how she got the recipe … So on and so forth … I have to confess that Reshma Nooh and NOTES FROM A MALLU KITCHEN was my inspiration to start sauté , fry n bake . I was so very impressed by this story ,  she wrote about the kanji that I grabbed the idea and am doing the same religiously on my every post till date that are  soaked in wealth of emotions coursing through me related to the dish and recipe .

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Basmati rice 200 grams
Moong dal 50 grams
carrot, cabbage and beans chopped50 grams
Tomato chopped 50 grams
Onion1 sliced
Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
Chilly powder1/4 teaspoon
Thick coconut milkextracted from one grated coconut ground with 2 glasses of water and strained
Boneless Mutton 100 grams
Cumin powder 1/4 teaspoon
Fennel powder1/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder 1 /2 teaspoon
Ginger garlic paste 1 teaspoon each
Salt to taste
Curd1 tablespoon
Cinnamon 1 inch piece
Cardamom 4
Cloves4
Ghee 2 tablespoons

Method

  1. pressure cook rice , moong dal , carrots , beans , cabbage , turmeric powder , onion and tomato along with enough water to cover everything, and cook for 10 minutes or until cooked well .
  2. Cool completely .  Pressure cook the mutton with ginger garlic paste 1/4 teaspoon each , salt, chilli powder , cumin powder , fennel powder , coriander powder  along with enough water and cook  .
  3. Cool completely and sherd the mutton pieces by blitzing in the food processor for a second .  Take the cooled rice mix, and add to blender.
  4. Blend for a second, then stop. You just need to get the rice and veggies just a bit mashed, so you can get tiny pieces, but no big lumps.
  5. Add coconut milk, shredded mutton and mix well by hand. No blender this time.
    Heat ghee, add cardamom, cinnamon, ginger garlic paste, and sauté till light golden and crisp .
  6. Add curd mix well and  Add to the kanji.the kanji should be of a thin running consistency like for soup .
  7. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and  Serve hot with cutlets  , samosas and vadaas  as accompaniment.

Kaima kanji

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Preparation Time   : 20 minutes

Cooking Time        : 30 minutes

Serving                  : 10 members

Description

All the men at home like the kayalpattimam Kari kanji (mutton kanji ) that’s made with rice, veggies, dal and mutton. It is tasty and filling but we ladies like the light version of kanji with less masala and white in colour with lots of coconut milk to soothe the empty stomach as you break your fast. So the debate of which kanji is to be made while breaking the fast is a big problem every single day . My mother- in- law came up with a genius idea of making the kanji the way we ladies like it but with an addition of a light mince meat gravy to it. As we can not taste what we have cooked due to fasting, the million dollar question of how does it taste was revealed only the Iftar table. We ladies of the house ( my mother- in- law , my co- sister and myself ) with crossed fingers awaited the results and it was in deed a pleasant result with all the men whole heartedly giving a thumbs up. A big solution to the debate was born and the sensational recipe bursting with mouth watering flavours was added to our regular menu at home. This is how I started to learn little tips and tricks that are perfect for the home cooks like us to see food served to be celebrated and enjoyed with exotic blends to suit all kinds of tastes.

Ingredients for kanji

Ingredients
Quantity
broken basmati rice1 1/2 cup heaped
fenugreek seeds 1/4 teaspoon
cumin seeds 1/4 teaspoon
garlic flakes5
small onions6
green chillies 2slit
coriander leaves chopped1 teaspoon
mint leaves1/2 teaspoon
thick coconut milk 2 cups
water 8 cups
salt taste
ghee 1 table spoon mustard seeds 1/4 teaspoon
cinnamon 1
clove 1
cardamom 1
curry leaves4
ginger garlic paste 1/4 teaspoon

Ingredients for minced meat

Ingredients
Quantity
Minced meat 1/4 kg
Red chilli powder1 teaspoon
Tomato1 big chopped
Small onions one hand chopped
Ginger garlic paste1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Method for kanji

  1. Pressure cook, washed rice, small onions, garlic flakes, green chillies, mint leaves, coriander leaves, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds along with the water for 4 to 5 whistles.
  2. Add salt to taste and coconut milk. Mix well adjust the consistency to a flowing thick porridge adding water if needed. Bring to boil.

Method for minced meat

Mix all the ingredients mentioned for minced meat together. Add 1/4 cup water and pressure cook for one whistle in medium flame.

How to proceed

    1. Pour the cooked minced meat mixture into the boiled rice kanji. Mix well and adjust seasoning.
    2. Heat ghee in a pan, crackle the mustard seeds, add the cinnamon, clove, cardamom, cut small onions 4, curry leaves and ginger garlic paste.
    3. Fry to brown and crisp and pour over the kanji and mix well. Serve hot with samosa, cutlet and paruppu vadai.

Vaada

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Preparation Time : 40 minutes

Cooking Time : 40 minutes

Serving : 6 members

Description

Vaada , is an authentic regional snack very own to the Muslim town of kayalpattinam near tirunelveli . Very often there is a barter system that happens with in our neighbours and relatives . Like wise once we did receive vaada from our neighbours ( family paediatrician too ) mr . Thamby mamas home . Every one at home were like ho “VAADA” , I didn’t know what it was ???? Sweet , savoury , tangy or what is this space craft like looking delicacy . All I knew about vaada was the Tamil word vaa da that meant come da :-)) . Tasted it and it was an oily crisp , chewy cover with a prawn filling . I didn’t like it at first but as you eat it gets more appetising and you start wanting more . Eating this snack is a good exercise for your cheek bones as it starts paining in a while because of the chewiness .     This snack was always relished when ever it was sent home by nachi amma ( mrs . Thamby ) or  at the beaches of kayalpattinam where they sell vaada with kari kanji or pickle . Never did I want to know how to make this dish as I didn’t fancy it much though I used to like it . Once in chennai we had gone to visit my hubby’s first cousin wahidha. She served us some home made hot vaadas . Tasted one and it was the best vaada that I have tasted till date . As the cover was crisp , light and not chewy . Wanted to get the recipe then and there but as Wahima was busy then just left it for after wards . Came across two recipes in the world wide net for vaadas , tried both and didn’t work out as expected . Finally got the recipe from Wahima and gave a try with my cook all grumbling and having a look like why can’t she give up if it doesn’t work .Me not wanting to give up or compromise at any cost went ahead and the results were pitch perfect just like wahimas vaadas . Served it while breaking our fast during the holy month of ramadhan and hubby very reluctantly took one . The first bite he took , his eye brows raised and eyes widened , following with who send this ? Taste’s really good and no pain of chewing as well . Happy , happy me  ( happier cook of mine actually ) as my quest of perfecting vaada was finally accomplished with flying colours like the passion of a true food lover .

Ingredients for the cover

Ingredients
Quantity
Rice 1 cup
Saltto taste
Turmeric powder1/ 4 teaspoon
Water3 cups
Puttu maavu ( powder ) 1 cup ( authentically kappi maavu is used . That's the grainy remains of shifted puttu powder . I used thenga otta maavu ( puttu powder fried with coconut that's fried to crisp and very coarse . I blitzed it and used )
Oil to deep fry

Method

  1. Pressure cook all the above ingredients together except for puttu maavu ( powder)  and oil to deep fry for 5 whistles .
  2. Cool and pulse ( not grind ) to a coarse mass of rice paste .
  3. Add one cup of puttu / kappi or thenga otta powder and knead to a dough with wet hands with out adding water .you get a sticky dough , set aside for 15 minutes and the dough become tight .

Ingredients for filling

Ingredients
Quantity
Onions 5 chopped
Green chillies 4 chopped
Coconut grated 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder little
Curry leaves1 teaspoon chopped
Prawns20 cleaned
Maldives fish powder ( maasi in Tamil )1 tablespoon
Oil 1 tablespoon

Method for filling

  1. Mix onions , green chillies , turmeric powder , salt and prawn together . Heat one tablespoon of oil and saute the prawn mixture for 5 to 8 minutes .
  2. Add grated coconut , Maldives fish powder and curry leaves . Mix well and cool completely .

How to proceed

  1. Make lemon sized ball one slightly bigger than the other with the dough .
  2. Using a clean wet muslin cloth flatten both sized small ball of dough to your palm size ( bigger sized ball flattened a bit bigger ) with wet hands to 1/4 inch thick .
  3. Place 1 tablespoon of prawn filling over the small sized flattened round and close with the bigger flattened round .
  4. Seal both the edges of the cover rounds together making sure to seal the filling inside .
  5. Do the same to all the cover dough and filling .( I usually do up to this point ahead , freeze , defrost and use when required ) .
  6. Heat oil to deep fry and fry to a golden yellow colour and crisp for about 3-5 minutes in batches . Drain and serve as it is with kari kanji .

Note

  1. Any other filling can be used other than the prawn filling given but this is the authentic filling used .
  2. Make sure the outer cover does not crack  while flattening .
  3. Always use wet hands and a wet muslin cloth to flatten the rice dough to make things easier .