RAG Demo

Tag: Main Course

  • Bisi Bele Bath

    Bisi bele bath means hot lentil rice in Kannada, and it is said to have been refined in the kitchens of the Mysore palace. It is a one-pot meal of rice and toor dal cooked soft, mixed with vegetables, tamarind and a special spice powder, and served piping hot with a generous spoon of ghee. In Bengaluru it is a standard dish at darshinis, weddings and temple feasts.

    The texture is porridge-like and loose, never dry, and it thickens as it cools. The masala, with roasted chana and urad dal, coriander, red chillies, cinnamon, cloves, marathi mogu and dry coconut, gives it a complex, warm, tangy flavour. The ideal plate comes with crunchy khara boondi or potato chips on the side.

    At a glance

    RegionKarnataka
    CuisineKannada
    DietVegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time25 minutes
    Cook time40 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMedium
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsrice / toor dal / tamarind / mixed vegetables / ghee

    Ingredients

    For the bisi bele bath powder

    • 2 tbsp coriander seeds
    • 1 tbsp chana dal
    • 1 tbsp urad dal
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 8 Byadgi chillies
    • 1 inch cinnamon
    • 4 cloves
    • 1 marathi mogu
    • 2 tbsp dry coconut (kopra), grated
    • 1 tsp poppy seeds

    For the bath

    • 3/4 cup sona masoori rice
    • 1/2 cup toor dal
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 5 cups water
    • 2 cups mixed vegetables: carrot, beans, peas, potato, chow chow, drumstick
    • small lemon-sized tamarind, soaked in 1 cup water
    • 1 tbsp grated jaggery
    • 1.5 tsp salt

    For the tempering

    • 3 tbsp ghee
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 15 cashews
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 1/4 tsp asafoetida
    • 10 shallots or small onions, peeled (optional)

    Method

    1. Dry roast the coriander, dals, cumin, fenugreek, chillies, cinnamon, cloves and marathi mogu on low heat for 5-6 minutes until fragrant and the dals turn golden. Add coconut and poppy seeds in the last minute. Cool and grind to a fine powder.
    2. Wash the rice and dal together and pressure cook with turmeric and 4 cups water for 4-5 whistles until very soft. Mash lightly.
    3. Cook the vegetables in a large pot with 1 cup water and a little salt for 8-10 minutes until tender.
    4. Add the tamarind extract, jaggery and salt to the vegetables and boil for 5 minutes until the raw tamarind smell is gone.
    5. Mix 4 tbsp of the spice powder with a little water to a paste and stir it in. Simmer for 3 minutes.
    6. Add the mashed rice and dal and mix well. Add hot water to get a loose, porridge-like consistency; it will thicken as it stands. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking.
    7. For the tempering, heat ghee, splutter mustard seeds, fry cashews until golden, then add curry leaves, asafoetida and shallots and fry until the shallots soften. Pour over the bath and mix.
    8. Serve hot with an extra spoon of ghee on top.

    Tips

    • Always keep bisi bele bath looser than you think it should be; it sets firm within minutes.
    • The leftover powder keeps for a month in an airtight jar.
    • Byadgi chillies give colour without too much heat; use fewer Guntur chillies if substituting.

    Serve with

    Khara boondi, potato chips or papad, with raita or curd on the side.

  • Karimeen Pollichathu

    Karimeen, the pearl spot fish, is the state fish of Kerala and lives in the brackish backwaters of Kuttanad and Kumarakom. Pollichathu means roasted in a parcel, and karimeen pollichathu is the dish houseboat cooks and toddy shops are best known for. The fish is first fried, then wrapped in a banana leaf with a thick masala and roasted on a pan.

    Inside the parcel the fish steams in the masala and absorbs the aroma of the leaf, while the outside stays slightly crisp. The masala is tangy and spicy, built on shallots, tomato, ginger, garlic and kudampuli or lemon, often enriched with coconut milk. Opened at the table, the charred leaf releases a smoky, fragrant steam.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineKerala
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time35 minutes
    Total time65 minutes
    Serves3
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientspearl spot fish / shallots / tomato / banana leaf / coconut oil

    Ingredients

    For the marinade

    • 3 pearl spot fish (karimeen), about 200 g each, cleaned and scored
    • 1.5 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp crushed black pepper
    • 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 1 tbsp lemon juice
    • 3/4 tsp salt

    For the masala

    • 3 tbsp coconut oil, plus extra for frying
    • 15 shallots, sliced
    • 1 inch ginger, chopped
    • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
    • 3 green chillies, slit
    • 2 sprigs curry leaves
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 tsp coriander powder
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 2 tomatoes, chopped
    • 1 piece kudampuli, soaked in 2 tbsp water, or 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1/2 cup thick coconut milk
    • salt to taste

    For wrapping

    • 3 large pieces of banana leaf, wilted over a flame
    • kitchen string or banana fibre

    Method

    1. Make deep diagonal cuts on both sides of each fish. Mix the marinade ingredients into a thick paste, rub it into the cuts and all over the fish, and marinate for 30 minutes.
    2. Shallow fry the fish in coconut oil on medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side until lightly crisp but not fully cooked. Set aside.
    3. In the same pan, add 3 tbsp coconut oil. Fry the shallots on medium heat for 6-7 minutes until golden. Add ginger, garlic, green chillies and a sprig of curry leaves and fry 2 minutes.
    4. Lower the heat, add chilli, coriander and turmeric powders and stir for 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, kudampuli with its water and salt, and cook for 6-8 minutes until thick and jammy.
    5. Stir in the coconut milk and cook for 2 more minutes until the masala is thick enough to coat a spoon.
    6. Lay out the banana leaves, brush with coconut oil, and spread a spoon of masala in the centre of each. Place a fish on top, cover with more masala and a few curry leaves, fold the leaf into a parcel and tie it.
    7. Heat a flat pan on medium-low, add a drizzle of oil and place the parcels on it. Cover and cook for 7-8 minutes per side until the leaves are charred and brown.
    8. Serve the parcels whole and open them at the table.

    Tips

    • Wilting the banana leaf over a flame makes it pliable so it does not crack while folding.
    • If karimeen is unavailable, pomfret or tilapia works well.
    • Keep the heat low while roasting the parcels so the fish heats through before the leaf burns.

    Serve with

    Kerala matta rice or appam, with a glass of buttermilk.

  • Meen Moilee

    Meen moilee, also spelt molee or molly, is a gentle coconut milk fish curry from central Kerala, with roots in the Syrian Christian and Portuguese-influenced kitchens of Kochi. Unlike the fiery red fish curries of the coast made with kudampuli, moilee uses no chilli powder at all. Its colour comes from turmeric and its heat from green chillies.

    The gravy is pale yellow, creamy and fragrant with ginger, garlic and curry leaves, with a light tang from tomato or vinegar. Firm fish such as seer (neymeen), pomfret or pearl spot holds up best. It is a favourite for guests who cannot handle much spice, and it pairs beautifully with appam or rice.

    At a glance

    RegionKerala
    CuisineKerala
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time20 minutes
    Cook time25 minutes
    Total time45 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelMild
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientsseer fish / coconut milk / ginger / green chillies / tomato

    Ingredients

    For the fish

    • 500 g seer fish (or pomfret), cut into thick slices
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 2 tbsp coconut oil for shallow frying

    For the gravy

    • 2 tbsp coconut oil
    • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
    • 1.5 inch ginger, julienned
    • 5 garlic cloves, sliced
    • 4 green chillies, slit
    • 2 sprigs curry leaves
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 cup thin coconut milk
    • 1 medium tomato, sliced into rounds
    • 3/4 cup thick coconut milk
    • salt to taste
    • 1 tsp vinegar (optional)

    Method

    1. Rub the fish with turmeric, pepper, salt and lemon juice and marinate for 15 minutes.
    2. Shallow fry the fish in 2 tbsp coconut oil on medium heat for about 1 minute per side, just until lightly sealed. It should not be fully cooked or browned. Set aside.
    3. In a wide pan, heat 2 tbsp coconut oil. Add mustard seeds and fenugreek and let them splutter.
    4. Add onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies and a sprig of curry leaves. Saute on medium heat for 5-6 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent but not coloured.
    5. Add turmeric and stir for a few seconds, then pour in the thin coconut milk and salt. Simmer for 4-5 minutes.
    6. Slide the fish pieces into the gravy in a single layer and arrange the tomato slices on top. Simmer on low heat for 5-6 minutes, gently swirling the pan rather than stirring so the fish does not break.
    7. Add the thick coconut milk and vinegar and heat on the lowest setting for 2 minutes until hot, without letting it boil.
    8. Top with the remaining curry leaves and a drizzle of raw coconut oil, cover and rest for 10 minutes before serving.

    Tips

    • Swirl the pan instead of stirring once the fish is in.
    • Never boil after adding thick coconut milk; it will curdle.
    • Prawns work equally well; add them raw at step 6 and cook for 4 minutes.

    Serve with

    Appam, idiyappam or steamed matta rice.

  • Kara Kuzhambu

    Kara kuzhambu means spicy gravy, and it is the dish Tamil homes make when they want something bold without dal. It is built on tamarind, gingelly oil and a generous amount of chilli, and is cooked down until the oil floats on top. Because of the tamarind and oil it keeps for two or three days without refrigeration, so it was a practical dish in villages.

    Small onions and whole garlic cloves are the classic vegetables, often with brinjal, drumstick or ladies finger. The gravy is thick, glossy and sharply sour-hot, with sweetness from the shallots and a touch of jaggery. A small amount goes a long way, mixed into hot rice with a spoon of gingelly oil.

    At a glance

    RegionTamil Nadu
    CuisineTamil
    DietVegan
    CourseMain course
    Prep time15 minutes
    Cook time30 minutes
    Total time45 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyEasy
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientstamarind / shallots / garlic / brinjal / gingelly oil

    Ingredients

    • lemon-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in 2 cups warm water
    • 4 tbsp gingelly oil
    • 1 tsp mustard seeds
    • 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
    • 1 tsp chana dal
    • 2 dry red chillies
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 15 shallots, peeled
    • 12 garlic cloves, peeled
    • 3 small brinjals, quartered
    • 1 tomato, chopped
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
    • 2 tbsp sambar powder
    • 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
    • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
    • 1 tsp grated jaggery
    • 1 tsp rice flour mixed in 2 tbsp water (optional)

    Method

    1. Extract thick tamarind water from the soaked tamarind, about 2 cups, and strain.
    2. Heat gingelly oil in a clay pot or heavy kadai on medium heat. Add mustard seeds, and when they splutter add fenugreek, chana dal and red chillies. Fry until the fenugreek turns reddish brown, about 30 seconds, but not black.
    3. Add curry leaves, shallots and garlic and fry for 5-6 minutes until the shallots are soft and golden.
    4. Add the brinjal and fry for 3 minutes, then add tomato and cook until mushy.
    5. Lower the heat, add turmeric, sambar powder and chilli powder and stir for 1 minute so the spices roast in the oil without burning.
    6. Pour in the tamarind water, add salt and bring to a boil. Simmer on low-medium heat uncovered for 15-20 minutes, until the brinjal is soft, the gravy thickens and oil separates and floats on top.
    7. Stir in jaggery. If the gravy is still thin, add the rice flour slurry and simmer 2 minutes more.
    8. Rest for at least 30 minutes before serving; kara kuzhambu tastes better a few hours later.

    Tips

    • Gingelly oil is essential for the authentic taste; groundnut oil is the only reasonable substitute.
    • Do not rush the simmering; the raw tamarind taste must cook out completely.
    • Sun-dried sundakkai or manathakkali vathal fried in the oil at the start turns this into vatha kuzhambu.

    Serve with

    Hot rice with a spoon of gingelly oil, appalam and keerai poriyal or a mild kootu.

  • Chettinad Chicken

    The Nattukottai Chettiars of the Karaikudi belt were merchants who traded across Burma, Ceylon and Malaya, and their kitchens show it. Spices that were luxuries elsewhere were everyday stock in Chettinad homes, and dishes like this chicken kuzhambu are built on a masala roasted and ground fresh for each pot, never taken from a jar.

    The flavour is deep, peppery and smoky rather than simply hot. Kalpasi (stone flower) adds an earthy, almost mossy note, marathi mokku gives a mild mustardy bitterness, and roasted coconut thickens the gravy. In Chettinad homes it is a Sunday dish, eaten with plain rice first and then with idli or dosa the next morning, when the gravy has settled and tastes even better.

    At a glance

    RegionTamil Nadu
    CuisineChettinad
    DietNon-vegetarian
    CourseMain course
    Prep time30 minutes
    Cook time45 minutes
    Total time75 minutes
    Serves4
    Spice levelHot
    DifficultyMedium
    Gluten-freeYes
    Key ingredientschicken / dry red chillies / coconut / black pepper / shallots

    Ingredients

    For the marinade

    • 750 g bone-in chicken, curry cut
    • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 3 tbsp thick curd

    For the Chettinad masala

    • 6-8 dry red chillies (mix of Guntur and Kashmiri)
    • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
    • 1 tsp black peppercorns
    • 1 tsp fennel seeds
    • 1 tsp cumin seeds
    • 4 cloves
    • 2 green cardamoms
    • 2 inch cinnamon
    • 1 piece kalpasi (stone flower)
    • 1 marathi mokku
    • 1 star anise
    • 1/3 cup grated coconut

    For the gravy

    • 3 tbsp gingelly (sesame) oil
    • 1 sprig curry leaves
    • 15 shallots, sliced
    • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
    • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
    • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
    • 1.5 cups water
    • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

    Method

    1. Mix the chicken with turmeric, salt and curd and keep aside for at least 30 minutes.
    2. In a dry pan on low heat, roast the red chillies, coriander, pepper, fennel, cumin, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, kalpasi, marathi mokku and star anise for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant and the coriander turns a shade darker. Tip onto a plate.
    3. In the same pan roast the coconut on low heat for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and dry. Grind the spices to a powder first, then add the coconut and about 1/2 cup water and grind to a smooth paste.
    4. Heat the gingelly oil in a heavy kadai on medium heat. Add curry leaves and the sliced shallots and fry for 6-7 minutes until soft and golden at the edges.
    5. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for 1 minute until the raw smell goes. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, mashing, until they collapse and oil appears at the sides.
    6. Add the marinated chicken, raise heat to medium-high and toss for 5-6 minutes until the pieces turn opaque on the outside.
    7. Stir in the ground masala and salt, and fry with the chicken for 3-4 minutes so the masala loses its raw taste and coats every piece.
    8. Pour in 1.5 cups water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the chicken is tender and the gravy is thick with a film of red oil on top.
    9. Finish with chopped coriander, rest covered for 10 minutes and serve.

    Tips

    • Roast spices on low heat only; burnt fennel or chillies turn the whole gravy bitter.
    • Kalpasi and marathi mokku are available at any Tamil grocery; skip them if you must, but the dish loses its signature aroma.
    • For a drier pepper fry version, reduce the water to 1/2 cup and cook uncovered at the end until the masala clings.

    Serve with

    Steamed ponni rice, idli or flaky parotta, with a raw onion and curd salad on the side.