Easy egg curry with coconut milk / தேங்காய் பால் முட்டை குழம்பு

Ingredients Serves 4
Eggs - 4 (can use boiled egg also)
Coconut milk / cream - 1 can / 400 ml or fresh coconut milk
Water - 2 cups
Tomato,chopped - 1/2,Medium
Pearl onion / small onion,peeled - 10 heads
Dry red chili,slit in the center - 2
Red chilly powder - 1 1/4 tbsp or according to taste
Curry leaf - 1 stem
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil - 2 tbsp or can use regular oil
Roasted gram dal powder - 2 tbsp (optional) To know how to make it Click here
Salt as needed.

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
Once it pops add the curry leaf and the pearl onion and fry for 2 mins.
Add the chopped tomato and cook for 5 minutes and smash the tomato using the spoon.
Put the heat in medium ,add 1/4 cup of coconut milk,1 cup water, the chilly powder and the dry red chili and let it cook until it is reduced in half or cook until the raw chili powder smell is gone.
Add the remaining coconut milk, remaining water,salt and eggs and put the heat in low.
If you are not using boiled eggs- then break the eggs directly into the curry (or) if you are using pre boiled eggs, slash the egg whites slightly with a knife and drop them into the curry.
Do not stir if you are using raw eggs.Let the eggs cook for 5 minutes.
If the curry looks very runny , add the roasted gram dal powder and keep stirring in the other hand.
Close the lid and let it cook for 15 minutes in low heat.
Sprinkle with coriander.
Serve hot with rice.

Note:
The gram dal powder if not mixed well will form lumps, so use a tea strainer or icing sugar sprinkler to sprinkle and stir at the same time. It gives body to the curry ( a thickening agent). Do not use too much just around 1 - 2 tsp will be enough.
DO NOT cook on high heat, or else the coconut milk will curdle.

Mild Cauliflower curry with paneer

This is one of my go to recipes when ever I am in the mood for a not so spicy curry. I love this dish cos it has the right amount of spices and sweetness which we get from the cream.My husband insisted on having Chapatis for dinner and I was so not in the mood to make a curry. So I opted for this easy yet delicious curry.

Chapatis are nothing but bread made out of wheat flour salt and water. South Indians call them chapati and North Indians call them as rotis. Whether South or North Indian this is a staple in our cuisine.

For Non Indians who have not come across paneer, it is just a kind of cheese. You can call it Indian cheese.You can buy this ingredient in any Indian store.Plus, I am using kasuri methi, which is common in noth Indian cuisines.It is nothing but dried methi leaves or others might know it as water cress.I am also using half and half here, you can substitute with cream or yogurt. They yield similar tastes.

I am using roasted gram dal powder as a thickening agent for the curry, my mom usually used this instead of cornflower because she felt cornflower does not yield well to spicy curries. You can make your own gram dal / potukadalai / putnala pappula powder ( I know that its called putnala pappulu in telegu cos of my telegu friends here) at home. Just buy the roasted gram dal from the shop and you can add it to ur blender and blend it to a fine powder, its as simple as that. You can grind 1/2 cup of the dal and it will last for months in an air tight container.

Mild Cauliflower curry with paneer Serves 4

Ingredients
Cauliflower flowers chopped - 2 cups
Paneer cut into cubes - 1 cup
Carrot chopped - 1
Peas - 1/3 cup
Onion chopped - 1 big
Tomato chopped - 2
Tomato paste - 1 tspn
Green chili slit lengthwise - 1 long
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tspn
Garam masala - 1.5 tspn
Red chilly powder - 1 tspn or little less
Coriander powder - 1 tspn
Cumin powder - 1/2 tspn
Half and half  or yogurt or fresh cream- 3 tspn
Kasuri methi - a pinch
Water - 2.5 cups or according to how much gravy you want
Roasted gram dal / pottukadalai / putnala papulu powder - 2 tspn for thickening (optional)
Oil - 3 tspn
Sugar a pinch (optional)


Method:
Heat oil in a pan, once the oil is hot add the cubed paneer and cook until it is golden brown on the sides, it will take about a minute on each side. Remove from the pan and keep aside.
In the same pan oil, onion and green chili and cook until the onions are translucent.
Add ginger garlic paste, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste,cumin powder,chili powder,garam masala,coriander powder. Pop a lid on top of the pan and let the tomatoes disintegrate and the spices cook down.
Add the carrots,cauliflower and kasuri methi and toss it a couple of times until the vegetables are coated with the spices.
Add the peas and kasuri methi, water and sugar(optional). Pop the lid back on the pan and cook until the vegetables are tender.Add salt.
At this stage if the curry still appears watery , sprinkle the gram dal / pottukadalai powder and combine well.
Add the fried paneer and mix and let it simmer for 2 more minutes.
Add the half n half / fresh cream /yogurt combine and just let it stand for 30 seconds and switch off immediately.
Serve with Naan or rotis.

Making roasted gram dal powder:
Just buy the roasted gram dal from the shop and you can add it to ur blender and blend it to a fine powder, its as simple as that. You can grind 1/2 cup of the dal and it will last for months in an air tight container.
Note: 
The gram dal powder if not mixed well will form lumps, so use a tea strainer or icing sugar sprinkler to sprinkle and stir at the same time. It gives body to the curry ( a thickening agent). Do not use to much just around 1 - 2 tspn will be enough.

Kasuri methi has a biter note to it so do not add more than recommended.