Special Chicken Masala :-

Ingredients :
Chicken - 1 kg
Onions(big) - 4 nos
(sliced thin)
Tomato(medium) - 2 nos
(cut into pieces)
Cashews - 5 nos
Yoghurt/Curd - 2 tbsp
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp or as reqd
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Cumin(Jeerakam) powder - 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon(Karugapatta) - 1 small stick
Cloves(Grambu) - 3 nos
Salt - As reqd
Oil - As reqd
Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method of Preparation :

1)Marinate the chicken with little chilly powder, turmeric powder, yoghurt and salt for 30 mins.
2)Heat oil in a big pan.
3)Add curry leaves, cinnamon, cloves and cumin and fry for a min.
4)Add onions and fry, till they turn brown.
5)Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute.
6)Add tomatoes and fry, until they blend well.
7)Add chilly powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and pepper powder and fry for 2 mins.
8)Switch off the flame and let it cool.
9)Add the cashews and the above sauteed mixture into a blender or mixer grinder.
10)Grind them into a fine paste adding enough water.
11)Heat some oil in the same pan.
12)Fry the marinated chicken for 5 mins.
13)Add the spice paste onto the chicken.
14)Cover and cook, until the chicken is done.
15)Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

2 cup white pumpkin (grated)
4 green cardamoms
1 cup pure ghee
12 cashewnuts
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
saffron a few strands
a pinch camphor (edible)

How to make Pumpkin halwa:
Peel, deseed and cut the pumpkin into very small cubes.
Grind the cardamom with the 1 tablespoon sugar to a fine powder, sieve and keep aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee and fry cashewnuts to golden brown and keep aside.
Boil the remaining sugar with ¾th cup water and make syrup of one-thread consistency.
Heat 4 tablespoons of ghee and sauté the pumpkin for a few minutes, add the saffron and the milk.
Simmer over low heat till the pumpkin is fully cooked and the milk is absorbed totally. Stir and mash the pumpkin lightly with a wooden spatula while cooking.
Add the syrup slowly to the pulp and continue stirring and cooking. Add the ghee little by little till it is completely absorbed.
Sprinkle the cardamom powder and the camphor. Add the fried cashewnuts and continue cooking till the halwa starts leaving the sides of the vessel.

Ingredients:

Fish fillets or cubes 500gm
Coriander seeds- paste 60gm/4tbs
Fenugreek 5gm/1tsp
Cumin 5gm/2 ½ tsp
Tamarind – black 100gm
Almond-blanched &ground to paste 175gm/1 ¼ cup
Green chilli slit 12 nos
Ginger julienne (2’’ root size) 25gm
Onion sliced 250gm/ 2 ¼ cup
Oil 90ml / 6tbs
Mustard seeds 10gm/ 1 ½ tbs
Curry leaves 20nos
Turmeric Powder 5gm/2 ½ tsp
Aniseed Powder 5gm/ 2 ½ tsp
Cinnamon Powder 5gm/ 2 ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Crushed Peppercorn 15gm/1 ¼ tbs
Water 1 1/2lt/ 6 cups

Method:
Soak tamarind in 2 cups of water for 1 hr.
Make extract and strain
Heat oil and add Mustard, cumin, fenugreek and curry leaves
When mustard and cumin splutter, toss in the green chillies, ginger and onion slices. Sauté till onions become translucent
Put in the turmeric powder, coriander paste & tamarind extract. Bring to ball
Simmer for 5-6 mins. Add 4 more cups of water
Bring to boil again and mix in the almond paste
Add salt
Bring to boil and simmer till the gravy thickness
Check seasoning
Drop in the fish and simmer till done
Add the aniseed, cinnamon powder and finely crushed peppercorns
Mix well. Cover and remove from fire
Serve after 15 mins