Pudalangai Kootu (Snake Gourd)

Ingredients

Snake Gourd - 1 ( small size)
Moong dal - 1/2 cup
Small Onion - 4
Green chillies - 2
Shredded coconut - 2 spoon
Sambar Powder - 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 spoon
Urid Dal - 1/2 spoon
salt - to taste

Directions

Clean the snake gourd and cut into small square pieces.

Boil the moong dal in water and when it is half cooked, drain the water, add the snake gourd pieces to it.

Cut onions into small pieces and it to the boiling mixture.

Fry 1/2 spoon cumin seeds, urid dal, 2 spoon shredded coconut, 2 green chillies and grind these in a mixer and add it to the boiling mixture.

When the dal and snake gourd are cooked enough, add sambar powder and salt and bring it to a boil.

Heat oil in a pan and sputter some mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urid dal and add this to the mixture, bring to a simmer for few minutes.

Switch off the stove and the kootu is ready to serve.

Chicken Kuruma

Ingredients

Chicken (skinless) - 1/2 kg(1 lb)
Green Chillies - 4
Cashewnut - 6
Cardamom - 2
Clove - 2
Sesame seeds - 2 spoon
Fennel seeds - 2 spoon
Cinnamon sticks - 2 (small)
Small onions - 8
Garlic - 6 pieces
Ginger - 1 piece
Coriander powder - 1 spoon
Turmeric powder - 1 spoon
Salt - 2 spoon
Shredded Coconut - 4 spoon
Big onion - 1
Tomato - 2
Oil - 3 spoon
Ghee - 1 spoon
Lemon juice - 3 spoon or 1/2 lemon
Cilantro leaves - few

Directions

1. Clean the chicken, cut into pieces and wash it with water and some buttermilk.
2. Add 2 spoon curd, mix the chicken and keep it aside.
3. Heat ghee in a pan and fry gren chillies(cut into 2 halves), sesame seeds, fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves and cashew.
4. Take the above mixture add, small onions, garlic and ginger and grind it.
5. Take the shredded coconut and grind it separately.
6. Cut the big onions diagonally into thin slices and saute in pan with oil, cinnamon sticks.
7. Then add tomato and saute for few minutesAdd the chicken, turmeric powder and mix.
8. Add the ground masala and coriander powder and mix.
9. If more spice is needed, you can add 1/2 spoon chilli powder.
10. Add 2 cups water and cook it for 10 minutesThen add the ground coconut and boil for 5 minutes.Once the chicken is cooked add cilantro leaves and lemon juice and switch off the stove.
11. Chicken kuruma is ready to serve.