Celebrating the cuisine of Madras

The city of Madras evokes myriad memories and a significant part of those memories are linked to the flavours that define the city. From bhajjis, kozhambu, rasam, biriyani, kurma to payasam and halwa, quintessential Madras food displays a lot of diversity and character.

By :  migrator
Update: 2016-08-29 12:04 GMT

Chennai

As we conclude the Madras Week revelry, here we share few typically Madrasi recipes.

MILAGAI BAJJI

INGREDIENTS:

  • Yellow chillies: 6 
  • Gram flour: 150 gms 
  • Rice Flour: 50 gms 
  • Chilli Powder: 20 gms 
  • Salt: to taste 
  • Asafoetida: 5 gms 
  • Ginger garlic paste: 10 gms 
  • Baking Soda: 3 gms 
  • Refined oil (for deep frying): 500 ml

METHOD:

  • Slit open peppers and deseed it. Bring lots of water to a boil, add some salt and take it off the heat once boiled. Drop the peppers in it and cover it for 5 mins. Drain it and set aside. 
  • Take gram flour, rice flour, chilli powder, asafoetida, ginger-garlic paste, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Add water slowly and make it into a thick batter. The batter shouldn’t be too thick. Check seasoning. 
  • Heat oil for deep frying in a kadhai . Now dip the pepper in this batter, fill the inside of the pepper with batter.  
  • Drop chillies in the kadhai and fry till golden. Then take it out place it in a paper towel to drain excess oil. Bhajji is ready.

PAYA CURRY

INGREDIENTS

  • Baby goat trotters: 4 nos 
  • Shallots: 50 gms 
  • Coriander leaves: ¼ bunch
  • Green chilies: 4 nos
  • Tomato: 30 gms 
  • Ginger garlic paste: 20 gms 
  • Turmeric powder: 5 gms 
  • Red chili powder: 10 gms 
  • Salt: to taste 
  • Refined Oil : 100 ml 
  • Coriander leaves : 5 gms 
  • Curry leaves: 20 leaves 
  • Bay leaf: 5 gms 
  • Cinnamon stick : 5 gms 
  • Cloves: 5 gms
  • Cardamom: 5 gms 
  • Cumin seeds: 5 gms 
  • Fennel seeds:  5 gms

METHOD
  • First, wash the pieces of baby goat trotters ( paya ) very well with flour and water for about 5-6 times.
  • In a pressure cooker, add the washed lamb trotters, salt, black pepper corns, and ginger-garlic paste. 
  • Add water and pressure cook the mixture on high flame for about 20-25 minutes. 
  • Heat oil in a pan, put cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves, bay leaf, cumin and fennel. Then add shallots, tomatoes, green chilli and curry leaves. 
  • Add boiled lamb trotters and mix well. Then put red chilli powder and turmeric powder. 
  • Once the raw smell goes away, add salt and coriander leaves. Check the seasoning. 
  • Serve the paya curry with idiyappam or steamed rice.

PAAL PAYASAM

INGREDIENTS: 

  • Raw rice: 200 gms 
  • Milk: 500 ml 
  • Sugar: 400 gms 
  • Ghee: 30 ml 
  • Cashewnut (to be roasted in ghee): 10 gms 
  • Green raisins: 8 gms 
  • Cardamom powder: 3 gms

METHOD: 

  • Bring the milk to a boil first on a medium flame. Stir in rice when the milk is getting heated up, so that the bottom of the milk does not get scorched. 
  • After the milk has come to a boil, continue to simmer till the rice grains are cooked.  
  • Once the rice grains are cooked well, add sugar. Stir well so that the sugar is dissolved. 
  • Simmer for a further 8 to 10 minutes till the milk has reduced and the payasam has thickened. 
  • Heat ghee in a pan, add cashew nut and green raisins. Roast till the cashew gets golden brown colour. Then add to the payasam and also sprinkle some cardamom powder. 
  • Garnished with fried cashew nut and raisins. Serve hot.

Recipes: Sujan Mukherjee, Executive Chef, Taj Coromandel.

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