Egg Curry (Maharashtrian Style)

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs boiled, cut into half
• 1 big onion, sliced
• 1 medium tomato, chopped roughly
• 3 tbsp grated dry coconut
• 1 tsp jeera powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 1/2 tsp kashmiri mirch powder
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1" ginger
• 1 tbsp coriender leaves
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powde
• 3 tbsp oil
• salt to taste

Method:

• Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a skillet on a medium high flame, add the sliced onion and fry till the onions turn light brown in colour.
• Now add the dry coconut, garlic and ginger and fry till the coconut turns brown in colour.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and mix well. Add a little water if required and cover the lid and cook till tomatoes are soft and cooked.
• Add the coriander leaves and fry for a minute. Turn off the flame and keep aside to cool.
• Dry roast the coriander seeds.
• In a mixie blend together the fried onion coconut mixture and coriander seeds to a smooth paste (Add water if required).
• Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a skillet and add the onion coconut paste. and fry well.
• Add the red chilli powder, jeera powder, kashmiri mirch powder and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook. Stir occasionally.
• Once the paste is cooked well add water, salt and garam masala powder and mix well.
• Place the boiled egg in the gravy. Cover with the lid and let it cook for 5 mins.
• Serve hot with paratha.

Tips:

• You can either hard boil or soft boil the eggs as per your wish.
• If you want the gravy to be spicier then while grinding the onions add 4 soaked red chillies.
• Garam masala gives a very nice flavour and taste. If you wish you can also add goda masala instead of garam masala.
• You can garnish with coriander leaves but somehow I don't prefer it.
• the cosistency of the gravy can be adjusted as per your taste.
• If you want to serve this gravy with rice you can keep the gravy to slightly watery consistency.
• whenever you add water into a gravy, add luke warm or hot water. This helps to retain the taste and flavour of a dish.
• You can add coriander powder instead of freshly ground coriander. Just increase the quantity of coriander powder by 1/4-1/2 tsp as freshly ground coriander has strong flavour.
• You can substitute the eggs with any other vegetables/paneer etc as per your choice.
• Once I added peas along with the egg...it actually did not taste bad...u can give it a try!

Vegetable Stew (Kerala Style)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup vegetables (french beans, carrot, potato, green peas,corn)

1 tetra pack of coconut milk

4-5 curry leaves

3 green cardamom

3 black pepper corn

3 cloves

1" cinnamon stick

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 green chilli

1 tsp corn flour

1/4 tsp sugar

1 tsp of oil

1 cup water

salt to taste

Method:

• Mix All the vegetables and add into a microwave proof dish. Add salt and sprinkle 1/2 tsp of water. Microwave covered for 4 minutes.
• Heat a skillet and add oil. Add green cardamoms, black peppercorns, cloves and cinnamon stick. Add onions and stir well. Add ginger garlic paste and stir well. Cook the onions on flame. The colour should not change.
• Add the microwaved vegetables and mix well. Add the green chillies and curry leaves and mix well.
• Add the Coconut milk and mix well on low flame.
• Mix cornflour in 1/2 cup of water and add to the vegetable.
• bring to boil.
• Add salt and sugar and mix well.
• Serve hot with malabari paratha!!!

Tips:

• You add any veggies that you like.
• Addition of corn flour gives a good thickness and binding to the gravy you can avoid it too.
• you may cook the veggies in the coconut milk, however in such a case you must use the second milk of coconut to cook the veggies and then add the thick or first milk.
• You can use fresh cocnut milk too.
• Anything between 2-4 minutes is normally good enough to cook the veggies in the microwave.
• the colour of this gravy is white hence ensure that the colour of the onion is not changed when its cooking.
• You can add white pepper powder to increase the spice content.