JatPat Curd Rice

 Curd rice is a popular South Indian dish. Curd rice is simple blend of curd (yogurt) with cooked rice tempered with different spices and nuts. Curd rice is also a comfort food and is usually served in south Indian thali meals. 

There are many variants for curd rice. At Nayaks kitchen we make a very simple variant of the traditional curd rice that is very easy to make.

Ingredients 

• 2 cups of cooked rice
• 2 cups of curd
• Salt to taste 
• Sun-dried Curd Chilly (these are easily available in Indian Stores)
• 2 tsp of Oil/ghee
• Mustard seeds

Method 

1. Coarsely chop the sun-dried curd chilly.
2. Heat little oil or ghee in a tempering pan, add mustard seeds and chopped curd chilly. 
3. Roast till the chilly turn crisp
4. Add the roasted mustard seeds and chilly to the cooked rice 
5. Add salt  and mix 
6. Serve with curd 

Note 

You can mix the curd and serve the rice or keep the curd separate and add the curd while eating.

Mutton Lal Maas

 Laal maas is a meat curry from Rajasthan, India. It is a mutton curry prepared with lots of spices red chilies and curd. This dish has a bright red colour and is full of flavor’s. This delicious dish can be served with rotis/ Naan or with ghee rice. The lal maas that is made at Nayaks kitchen has a hint of coconut flavour given to the traditional recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 kg Mutton
• 2 large onions coarsely chopped
• 1 large Tomato
• 1 cup curd
• ¼ tsp of turmeric powder
• 15 dry red chilly
• 2 tsp of whole coriander seeds (roasted)
• 2 Tbsp of garlic paste
• I Tbsp of ginger paste 
• 2 tbsp of finely chopped garlic and ginger
• 4 pods of cardamom
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 6 cloves 
• ¼ cup of dry coconut
• 1 tsp of mutton masala or garam masala
• Salt to taste
• Oil or ghee as needed
• Chopped coriander leaves

Method

1. Dry roast the red chilies and keep it aside. Dry roast coriander seeds and keep aside 
2. Grind the roasted red chilies and coriander seeds to a fine paste (roasting gives a nice distinctive aroma which adds great flavor to the dish)
3. Wash the mutton and drain the excess water. Marinate the mutton in ginger paste , garlic paste, turmeric powder, salt, chilly-coriander paste and curd. Marinate for at least one hour.
4. In a pressure cooker heat about 4 tbsp of cooking oil and add cinnamon, cardamom, pepper, cloves till its roasted, add the marinated mutton pieces and braise the mutton, add enough water and pressure cook for 3 whistles ( based on the tenderness of the mutton increase or decrease the whistles )
5. Roast coarsely chopped onion till transparent in little oil, add chopped tomato and roast till soft
6. Dry roast the dry coconut. Once cooled make a paste of roasted onion, tomato and dry coconut.
7. In a kadai, add oil, roast finely chopped ginger and garlic .. once cooked add the onion and tomato paste and roast for few minutes. 
8. Add the pressure-cooked mutton and simmer for some time (add water if needed) 
9. Check the salt and add if needed. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves
10. Serve hot with ghee rice or jeera rice or roti’s.

Crispy Chicken Kabab

Ingredients

 

• 1/2 kg  Chicken (Medium pieces)
• ¼ Cup  refined flour Maida
• 2 Tbsp Corn flour
• 1 Tsp Garam masala/ Kitchen king masala
• 3 Tbsp Kabab Powder ( optional)
• ¼ tsp red food color ( optional)
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tbsp - Chili powder
• Tbsp - Lime juice ( or as per taste)
• Tbsp - Ginger Garlic paste
• Salt ( to Taste )
• Oil ( for deep frying)

 

Method

1. Marinate the chicken in Ginger-Garlic paste, salt, turmeric powder, garam masala, chili powder, food colour,  egg, lime juice, kabab powder and keep aside
2. Set aside for  30 to 60 mins
3. In a bowl whisk refined flour, corn flour together
4. Add the refined flour mix to the marinated chicken. Adjust the batter consistency such that each piece of chicken is nicely coated
5. Heat oil in a deep kadai, once oil is hot add the chicken pieces and cook on medium to high flame. Stir occasionally
6. Once cooked drain the excess oil from the chicken
7. Garnish with onion  and serve hot

 

Tips

• Poke the chicken pieces with a fork or tooth pick after washing to ensure even cooking of the pieces
• Deep fry the chicken till they crisp outside
• Do not crowd the pan while frying always fry in small batches for evenly cooked and crispy kababs
• Do not reduce the heat of the oil while frying, else the kabab will turn soggy.