Chef at Large

This curry surfaces on our menu every once in a while and I invariably overeat when this stuff is on the table. It tastes great with rice and good with toasted bread too.
Lightly oil your hands, then peel and chop the bananas anyway you wish. Sprinkle some salt and turmeric powder over then and keep [...]

Vermicelli is a popular breakfast food in South India. Cooked in sesame oil with chopped onions turmeric, salt, chilli, black mustard seeds and curry leaves, it tastes wonderful. Even better if you have a little mullagapudi - a hot concoction of spices that is mixed with oil and used as a condiment. Also called ‘gunpowder’ [...]

This is a wonderfully spicy, yet not hot, tangy and delicious curry. While I wouldn’t call it simple to make, it ain’t tough either.
Pre-cook the colocassia (arbi), preferably one whistle in a standard pressure cooker. Slice thickly, fry till it has a crisp outer covering and reserve. Cut chicken any way you like and quickly [...]

I’ve been hearing about the ‘Indian Curry’ for quite a while, from multiple sources. I’ve seen it in restaurant menus in the UK ‘Vegetables with Indian Curry’, seen it published on websites - someone asks ‘how do you make Indian Curry?’, and a kindly (uninformed) soul pops out of nowhere and shares a recipe [...]

This curry has a spicy, piquant taste and is flavored with mustard and curry leaves. I made this with very fresh fish and curry leaves picked off the tree.

1 kg fish, cut into slices
1 cup tomato puree
2 cups onions, sliced
handful, curry leaves
1 tbsp black mustard leaves
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1.5 tbsp [...]

There’s this guy in my office - the office boy. He is a simple minded chap who insists, absolutely insists on opening doors every time I need to go out. When nature calls, he opens the door, patiently waits at the door, and then opens the door when he hears me coming. He also considers [...]

Poha is made from flattened rice and is good for a light snack or for breakfast. This dish can have many variants and is probably made a little differently in every home. Here’s how I make it.

You’ll need:

500gm Poha [flattened rice]
50gm Finely chopped fresh ginger
Handful Curry leaves
50gm Fried plain peanuts
100gm Chopped onions
A few Dry red [...]

Ok, so I’m stuck on prawns… but this *is* a nice curry. You’ll need:

2 heaped cups Fried prawns
20 dried chilies
4 small onions
4 tsp gingelly oil
2 tsp cumin seed
10 pods garlic
20ml vinegar
curry leaves
salt
turmeric powder

Method:

Clean and wash fresh prawns, de-vein.
Rub well with turmeric, a little vinagar and salt.
Fry till a crisp golden brown.
Grind to a paste [...]

This is a typical south Indian dish, made with curd. You’ll need:

1/2 Coconut
8 green chillies
1/2 inch ginger
Curds, chillies, mustard, curry leaves, salt and sugar

Method:

Grind the coconut scrapings finely with chillies and ginger
Whisk curds and stir in coconut mixture. Dilute with a little water.
Add salt, a little sugar and season with mustard, chillies and curry leaves.
Fry [...]

You’ll need:

250gms fresh Ginger [not the ones with a thick brown skin. Look for the thin skinned, pale variety]
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
5 green chillies
12 red chillies
1 lime size piece of tamarind
Salt to taste
Curry leaves

Method:

Fry the red chilies and fenugreek seeds separately. Powder them separately.
Slice ginger into thin medallions. Deep fry in oil till golden brown.
When [...]