Chicken Pepper Gravy
Naatu Kozhi (Country Chicken): 1 kg
Salt to taste
For Making Pepper Masala
Black peppercorns: 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds: 2 tbsp
Saunf – 1 tbsp
Poppy Seeds (Khus Khus): 1 tbsp
Shallots: a handful
Fresh coconut (grated): 80g
Ginger paste: 2 tbsp
Garlic paste: 2 tbsp
For Tempering
Gingelly oil: 200 ml
Cumin Seeds: 1/4 tsp
Curry leaf: a few
Method of Preparation
Roast the black peppercorns, cumin seeds, saunf, poppy seeds and shallots in little oil and add ginger-garlic paste. Shift it from kadai to plate; add freshly grated coconut into the roasted spices. Finely grind them to make pepper masala.
Add country chicken with ground pepper masala and salt. Keep it for 20 minutes.
Heat oil, put cumin seeds and curry leaf. After you hear spluttering sound, add the marinated country chicken into it. Sauté well till the chicken gets dry. Add enough water to cook chicken. Check the seasoning and consistency of gravy. Once the country chicken is cooked and the gravy reaches the desired consistency, add a tablespoon (as per your taste) of coarsely ground black peppercorns and little gingelly oil over the gravy. Mix it nicely and simmer it for few minutes. Chicken pepper gravy goes well with Idli, Dosa and Idiyappam.
Uppukari
Mutton (Boneless): 1 Kg
Shallots: 250g
Ginger paste: 3 tbsp
Garlic paste: 3 tbsp
Rock Salt to taste
For Tempering
Gingelly oil: 100ml
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Curry leaf: a few
Dry red chilli (cut it into small pieces): 16 numbers
Method of Preparation
Pressure cook the mutton with water, ginger-garlic paste and rock salt. Peel and cut the shallots into half. Heat oil and crack the mustard seeds. Sauté the curry leaf and dry red chilli.
Add shallots and fry. Add cooked mutton along with the stock water. Stir and allow it to boil till the water dries. Uppukari is the best combination for Idli, Dosa and Rice.
Pallipalayam Mutton Kulambu
Mutton Chunks: 1 Kg
Shallots: a handful
Tomato (Cut into quarter): 2 numbers
Ginger paste: 2 tbsp
Garlic paste: 1 1/2 tbsp
Chilli powder: 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder: 1 tsp
Coriander powder: 1 1/2 tbsp
Pepper powder: 1 tbsp
Saunf powder: 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Coconut Extraction (thick): 200ml
Coriander leaf: a few
For Tempering
Gingelly oil: 200ml
Cinnamon: 1 piece
Cloves: 5 numbers
Fresh Coconut (shavings): 250g
Dry red chilli: 7 numbers
Method of Preparation
Heat oil and sputter cinnamon and cloves. Add coconut shavings and shallots gently fry till it turns into golden colour. Add mutton pieces and sauté. Add tomato and mix well.
Add powdered chilli, turmeric, coriander, black pepper and saunf. Mix them. Add salt and water and stir the mixture. Cover the vessel with lid and allow the mutton to cook in simmering condition. Once the oil floats over the gravy, add coconut milk and stir well. Simmer it for another 10 minutes. Finally, add finely chopped coriander leaves and the dish is ready. Serve Pallipalayam mutton kulambu hot with Rice and Idli.
Karuppatti Mysore Pak
Gramflour: 1 cup
Ghee: 1 1/4 cup
Karuppati (Palm jaggery) – 1 1/2 cup
Dry ginger powder: 1 tsp
Method of Preparation
Melt ghee in a kadai, add gram flour. Shallow fry the flour till it sheds the raw smell. Take it out and spread it over pan. Break the palm jaggery into pieces, put it into a pot and add water.
Heat the palm jaggery mixture. Once the jaggery gets dissolved, strain the palm jaggery syrup.
Keep it over stove and bring the palm jaggery syrup into one string consistency. Keep the flame in medium. Add dry ginger powder and mix. Gradually drop the fried gram flour into jaggery syrup. Stir it to prevent lumps. Simultaneously, heat the ghee in another stove. Once the mixutre thickens, add hot ghee, a little at a time and stir continuously. Once the besan mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan, remove it from flame and pour it into a greased tray or plate.
After it cools a little, cut into desired shapes. Karupatti Mysore Pak is very healthy, tasty and melts in the mouth.
Andhra Murukku
Maida: 300g
Butter: 1 tbsp
Asafoetida: 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds: 1 tsp
Chilli powder: 1 tbsp
Lemon yellow (optional)
Orange Red Colour (Optional)
Salt to taste
Water: 200ml
Refined Oil: for deep frying
Method of Preparation
Sift and put maida into vessel. Add asafoetida powder, cumin seeds, chilli powder, and colouring agents. Mix it all. Boil water in a vessel. Add butter, salt and then the flour. Mix it well with ladle. Remove the flour mixture from vessel and knead it into thick dough. Make ready gooseberry sized balls from dough. Roll into thin ropes and join the ends to make rings. Deep fry all the rings in hot oil till it gets crisp and turns golden.
(Chef M.S.Raj Mohan is the Head, Department of Hotel Management and Catering Science, G.T.N. Arts College, Dindigul. He is a member of the skill development committee of South India Chef’s Association. He runs the YouTube cookery channel “Food Tape” www.youtube.com/chefrajmohan)