Chettinad Recipes

Ingredients:-
Black gram dhal – 350 Grams
Sago – 100 gms
Jeera – 1-1/2 Table spoon
Somph – 1-1/2 Table spoon
Fenugreek – 1-1/2 Table spoon
Salt – 50 gms
Asafoetida – 1 size of small gooseberry
Small onions – should weigh 1.5 kg, when cleaned
Ginger – 1 Inch piece
Green chillies – 20
Turmeric powder – 1/2 Teaspoon

Method:-
Soak the Black gram dhal and grind to a thick consistency, like for vada.
Soak sago for 1/2 an hour, drain, squeeze the water, mash and keep aside.
Cut the onions, ginger and green chillies into fine pieces and mash them well.
Powder the salt.
Fry the asafoetida in a little oil and powder it.
In a hot tava, dry roast jheera, somph and fenugreek separately. Powder them separately and set aside.
Place the ground black gram in basin, add the turmeric, salt, sago cut ginger, green chillies, onions and the dry roasted ingredients and mix well together.
On a plastic sheet, place small balls of the mixture, flatten slightly and keep in the sun, for a few days, till well-dried.
Store in air tight containers.

Ingredients
jeera sambar rice – 1/2 kg
cooked as usual till just done with – 1 tbs. salt.
When rice is strained smear – 1 tbs.
oil and keep aside to cool.

Vegetables
fresh peas – 50 gms
beans chopped – 50 gms
carrots chopped – 50 gms
1 medium sized capsicum chopped
cooked with – 1/4 tsp
salt – 3 tbs water
oil -1/2 cup
onion, chopped – 1 medium sized
garlic ginger paste – 1 tsp
soya sauce – 1 I/2 tsp
chilli sauce – 1 tsp
white or black pepper powder – 1 tsp
tomato sauce – 1 tsp
salt – 2 tsp
stalks of spring onion – 8
shredded chicken – 1/2 cup of cooked,
ajinomoto – 2 pinches

Method
1. Cook vegetables, that is, peas, beans, carrots, adding capsicum last. Add 1/4 tsp. salt & 3 tbs. Water. Keep cooked vegetables aside.
2. Heat a large kadai with oil. Add chopped onions, garlic ginger paste, fry for 2 minutes lightly.
3. Add the cooked vegetables, stir well. Add soya
sauce, chilli sauce, tomato sauce and stir well.
4. Add the cooked rice ahd stir well till it is mixed well.
5. Sprinkle 2 tsp. salt. Stir well & add chopped spring onions, shredded chicken and ajinomoto. Toss well for 1 minute and serve hot.
Goes well with chilli sauce.

Ingredients:
1 chicken apprx – 1 kg
turmeric – 1 tsp
salt – to taste
groundnut oil – 5 tbsp
mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
udad dal – 1 tsp
fennel seeds – 1 tsp
whole dry red chillies – 4
onions, chopped – 2

Method:
Cut the chicken in bite sized pieces. Mix the turmeric and salt. Leave for 1 hour.
Heat the oil in a karahi; a non-stick one will help. Season the oil with the mustard seeds, udad dal, fennel seeds and whole chillies. When they turn a shade darker, add the onions. stir and add the chicken.
Fry, stirring well over medium heat. When the moisture from the chicken dries up, sprinkle a little water now and then to prevent sticking. Cook till done. It should take about 20 minutes. The chicken should be a dark brown and dry.