Egg Curry

5 hard boiled eggs
1 onion, chopped
1 green chile
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
1 or 2 tomatoes, chopped
3 cardamom pods, 1 star anise, 3 cloves, 1/2" piece cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons coconut (grated)
1 or 2 tablespoons cashews
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Heat a tablespoon oil in a saute pan.  Add onions and green chile and saute until lightly browned.  Add ginger garlic paste, saute for a minute.  Add tomatoes and saute until they are pulpy.  Remove from heat.  When it cools a bit, blend until smooth.

In a large pot or saute pan, heat a tablespoon of oil.  Add mustard seeds, cardamom (crushed), cloves, cinnamon and star anise.  When mustard seeds "pop" add the blended tomato-onion mixture and saute.  Add coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, chili powder and salt.  Allow to simmer.

Blend together the coconut and cashews with a little water until fairly smooth then stir into the curry.  Add water (start with a half cup) to desired consistency.  Simmer for a good 7-10 minutes then add the boiled eggs and simmer for another 7 minutes.  Stir in cilantro.

Beef Kurma

Adapted from Julie Sahni's recipe in the "Savoring India" cookbook.  Delicious with parotta!  Try with chicken or mutton instead of beef. 
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
oil
2.5 pounds beef, cubed and room temperature
6 red chiles (whole, dried) -- use less if less spice is required!
1 cinnamon stick
6 cardamom pods, split open
6 cloves
1 star anise
2 medium oninos, finely chopped
3 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
1/2 to 3/4 can coconut milk
water
salt

First, dry roast the coriander, poppy and fennel seeds over medium high heat.  Once they are toasted, remove from heat, let them cool then grind them into a fine powder.

Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a pressure cooker.  Stir fry the beef in the pot until it is browned but not cooked through.  Remove from cooker. 

Add a little more oil to the cooker.  When it is hot add whole spices: chiles, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, star anise.  Stir fry for a minute or so then add chopped onion.  Cook the onion until it is browned (a good 7-10 minutes).  Add ginger garlic paste, stir fry for about a minute.  Add roasted and ground spices along with turmeric powder.  Add 1-2 cups water (according to how thick you want the gravy) along with coconut milk and salt (a good couple teaspoons).  Put the lid on the pressure cooker.  Cook for about 20 minutes (or 2-3 whistles), then remove from heat and let the pressure naturally release.  

Check seasonings, garnish with cilantro.  Serve with parotta, rice or chapati. 

Pepper Chicken (Dry)

A yummy dish, great with rice, chapati, dosa . . . This dish does not have any gravy but will be slightly "dry".

Pepper Chicken


6-8 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
1 head of garlic
1" piece of ginger
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
2-3 teaspoons red chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
salt
1 large onion, finely chopped (about 1 3/4 cups)
1 large tomato, finely chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)
1/2 onion, sliced (1 cup loosely packed)
1 stem curry leaves
3 red chiles (whole)
black pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Chop chicken into bite size pieces (approx 1/2-1" pieces).  Set aside.

Remove skin from 1 head of garlic and grind together with the ginger piece with a little water until it comes to a smooth paste.  From the paste, take out one tablespoon and mix with chicken pieces along with lemon juice.
Grind together the fennel, cumin, coriander, peppercorns, chil pdr, turmeric and salt.  Rub into chicken until chicken is well coated.  Allow to marinate for at least a 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile, in a pot heat 2 tablespoons oil.  When hot add chopped onion.  Saute until onion is translucent then add remaining ginger-garlic paste and stir fry for a minute.  Add chopped tomatoes and saute until tomato is very soft and pulpy.  (This will take a good 7-10 minutes.)  Add marinated chicken to this, stir well then over medium heat allow the chicken to cook through.  (15-20 minutes)   Do not add water, as the chicken cooks, water will come out.  If any liquid remains once the chicken is cooked through, increase the heat and stir fry for a few minutes or until water is evaporated.

While the chicken is cooking, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a small frying pan.  To this add the curry leaves, red chiles and sliced onions.  Cook until onions are soft.  Once chicken is cooked, stir the sliced onion mixture into the chicken and garnish with freshly ground black pepper (about 1 teaspoon) and cilantro leaves.