Solai's True Chettinad kitchen

I was really excited when I saw this vegetable in the H mart,since this is one of the rare vegetable found only in big towns like Trichi, Chennai ,Coimbatore, Madurai etc in Tamil Nadu.The people who conduct big functions like weddings manage to get these from the nearest big city like Trichi. The chettinad cooks make tasty dishes out of kalakkose like pirattal,Kuruma etc.

In my first visit to the hmart itself I got this vegetable. I first made kuruma out of this and I was not very much impressed. I think I overcooked the veg. Next I tried the traditional pirattal and it turned out very tasty. My daughter who hates the smell of cabbage was happy that she can taste something similar to cabbage without the smell of cabbage which many dont like.

This dish can be mixed with rice and can be packed for lunch for those who are not big fans of curd rice. This will go very well with curd rice as a side dish.

Kalakkose-10 to 15

Big onion minced-1

Tomato-1 minced

Grated cocunut-1 table spoon

Small jeera(cumin seed0-1 teaspoon0

Big jeera or sombu(fennel seed)-1 teaspoon

Pottukadalai-1 table spoon or cashews-6

Red chili-3 to 4

To season

Those who dont want it spicy can season with a teaspoon of small jeera and big jeera.

cinamon-1 small piece

Clove-2

Cardomom-2

For parties you can make the dish spicy else season it simply.

Cut the brussel sprouts into 4 pieces. Mince onion and tomatoes.Grind the items given in to grind to a smooth paste adding water. Microwave the veg for 2 minutes in a microwavable vessel for 2 minutes. Now add little salt for the veg and again microwave for a minute. Those who dont use microwave can cook the veg in a kadai with water till the vegetable is three fourth cooked.

Keep the kadai in the stove. Add a table spoon of cooking oil.This curry tastes good with little extra oil.Season the curry. Add onions and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle some salt to the onions which will help the onions to get sauted fast. Now add the tomatoes.If you feel that the tomatoes you are using is not very ripe and tender grind it for a second in the mixie. Saute the tomatoes till they are really smashed. While sauting you can smash it with a laddle to help it get smashed fast. Once the onion and tomatoes are smashed like a gravy add the grinded masala into the kadai and cook in low fire stirring continously for 2 minutes. Add little turmeric powder and the salt neede for the masala also. Now add the cooked kalakkose along with the little water in the microwaved bowl. Cook in low fire till the masala gets coated in the veg. You can switch off in the consistency you like.Make sure that the veg gets enough time to get cooked in the masala.

corriander powder-1 teaspoon
Freshly ground pepper-1 teaspoon
For seasoning
Cinamon-2 small pieces
Fennel seeds-1 teaspoon
Curry leaf-little

Bay leaf-little
Procedure
In one table spoon of oil season the fry with the items given for seasoning. Add onions sauté for a while then tomatoes, ginger, garlic one by one and sauté nicely. Now add the small liver pieces and sauté till they turn white. Now add turmeric powder and a cup of water. Keep the flame in medium. Cook for 5 minutes closing the kadai with a lid. Now open the kadai. Add the chili powder ,corriander powder and the salt needed. Check there is water to cook for 5 more minutes. If found less add ¼ cup of water. Now cook with the lid open. When the curry turns to your desired consistency add the pepper powder. Mix well. Cook for 2 more minutes. If you find the curry very thick, you can add little water. Usually we cook till the oil separates. But the curry will taste good in any consistency. Before switching off the stove make sure that the curry has enough salt and hot taste. If found less you can add and cook for 2 minutes. Finally garnish with coriander leaves if you have stock.

Yet another chettinad special .This is very famous dish in the ever mushrooming chettinad restaurants in the city. I always wanted to try this and blog the recipe. Since I was not sure of the exact chettinad recipe, I had to wait till I attend the Pothu padappu (family group prayer) where they sacrifice a goat. The meat is cooked with pepper instead of chili powder and offered to the family deity along with other dishes. They call it as milagu Kari kuzhambu. Though watery, it will have a taste of its own.
Thalakkari is cooked for next day’s breakfast and served as a side dish for idly. They serve one head curry for 50 people with no compromise in taste. This time I found out the recipe from the old ladies at home .I tried it today and it was almost perfect
Ingredients
Lamb head-1 cleaned and cut into medium sized pieces (brain should be separated)
Brinjal-2
Potato-1
Small onion-20
Tomato-1
Kuzhambu milagai thool-2 table spoons
Coriander powder- 2 table spoon
Ginger garlic paste-2 teaspoons
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Lemon-1
For Grinding
Grated coconut-4 table spoons
Kas kas- 1 teaspoon or Cashews-6
Chili powder-1 teaspoon
Fennel seed-1 teaspoon
Pottu kadalai-1 table spoon
Procedure
Pressure cook the head pieces adding a cup of water, a teaspoon of turmeric and little salt for 10 to 12 minutes in medium fire. Meantime grind the items to be grinded. Mince the onions and tomato. Cut the brinjal and potato into small square pieces. This is added to give thickness to the gravy.
Once the mutton gets cooked, open the cooker and separate the gravy part. Keep the kadai in the stove. In one table spoon of oil season the curry with a small piece of cinnamon, 2 cardamoms, small brinji leaf and a teaspoon of fennel seed along with little curry leaf. Add the minced onion and tomatoes one by one and sauté for a while. Add the ginger garlic paste now and sauté nicely without gap as the paste will stick to the kadai if left without care. Now add the brinjal and tomato pieces. Sauté this also for some time. Add 1 cup of mutton stock which we have separated before into the kadai.Add little salt and cook till the potato pieces get cooked. Add the head pieces now into the kadai along with the remaining stock. Add the kuzhambu milagai thool and coriander powder and the salt needed .Remember you have added little salt before too. Close the kadai and let the gravy boil for 5 minutes. Now add the grinded masala mixed in a cup of water to this gravy and cook till you get the desired consistency. As we have added cashews and roasted gram, the gravy will get thick fast. If it gets thick add the water required and bring it to a boil. Check for the taste and add if anything is missing .Once the gravy cools, the gravy will thicken further. So switch off the stove, when the gravy is little watery itself. After switching off the stove add the lemon juice.

Ingredients
Rice (broken like Rava)-2 cups
Jaggerry-2 cups
Water-6 cups (3 cups of water for 1 cup rice)
Grated coconut-1/4 cup
Ghee-3 tablespoons
Broken Green gram-1/4 cup (pasiparuppu)

Ingredients I
Boneless chicken pieces-200gms
Potato-3 (medium size)
Ingredients II
Big onion-1 chopped
Green chilli-chopped 3
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder-1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1 teaspoon
Red Chili powder-1 teaspoon
Ingredients III
Powdered rusk – handful
Egg white- 1 Egg
Oil-4 Table spoons
Procedure
Pressure cook the potatoes without cutting for 10 minutes
Cut the chicken into small pieces
Cook the chicken pieces in a kadai for 7 minutes
Remove the chicken pieces from the kadai
After it cools mince it in a mincer or mixie (make sure there is no water)
Peele off the skin of the potatoes and smash it after it cools
In a kadai in a teaspoon of oil sauté the items given in Ingredients II.Add the powders after switching off the stove, else they will get burnt
Now add this into the potato mix.
Add the minced chicken also into this
Add the required quantity of salt
Mix everything well
Check for the taste
If hotness or salt is missing add chili powder or salt
Spread the rusk powder in a paper
1 egg white is enough for the whole thing
Keep the egg white in a soup bowl so that you can dip the cutlet and take out
Make the cutlets in the shape you like
Dip into the egg white and roll over the rusk powder and keep aside
After making 5 or 6 cutlets , Keep oil in a very small frying pan and fry the cutlets in medium fire
The fire in no stage should be high

After one side gets fried slowly change side
There is no chance of this cutlet breaking
If it breaks it means it is watery
There is no chance of water in this recipe as we boil the potatoes as a whole
By somehow if it gets watery , add little rusk powder or bread into the mix and make it thick
Fry the cutlets one by one or 2 at a time as we have kept only little oil
Those who don’t want even this oil can fry it in a tawa which I am not good at
Your chicken cutlet is ready
Serve it with tomato sauce
It tastes Yummy with the sauce
I am sure many of my loving readers give a try at this recipe when they buy chicken next time and leave me a comment