Banana leaf wrapped Kizhi Parotta, fresh off the griddle
Kizhi Parotta Recipe: Kothu Parotta & Salna in Banana Leaf
Kizhi Parotta is South India's answer to a lunch parcel worth waiting for: fluffy, hand shredded Kothu Parotta soaked in spicy Chicken Salna, tied into a banana leaf, and slow cooked on a hot tawa until the leaf's aroma works its way into every layer. This Kizhi Parotta recipe, sometimes called Kizhi Potti or banana leaf parotta, brings a South Indian street food favourite into your own kitchen, whether you stick to the traditional Parotta and curry version or try my daughter's twist with Kothu Parotta and Salna.
Chicken Salna Recipe: Madurai Style Salna for Parotta and Dosa
Chicken Salna Recipe: this Madurai style chicken salna is the thin, brightly hued, spicy gravy that makes every parotta complete. Built on a fragrant paste of shallots, coconut, fennel, poppy seeds and roasted gram dal, it is the classic parotta salna, a perfect side dish for Malabar parotta, kari dosai, idli and idiyappam. Make it plain as an empty salna, or add chicken or mutton, and you get a Tamil Nadu street stall gravy at home.
Madurai Kari Dosai Recipe: Thick Egg Dosa with Mutton Kothu Kari
This Madurai Kari Dosai Recipe, inspired by the famous Simmakkal Konar Mess Kari Dosa, is a thick, soft egg dosa topped with spicy minced mutton kothu kari masala. Drizzled with gingelly oil, cooked covered on a very low flame and never flipped, it is Madurai street food at its most indulgent. Serve this minced meat dosa hot with salna or chutney. Easy to follow, hearty and unforgettable.
Mutton Kothu Kari Masala Recipe: Madurai Style Minced Lamb
This Madurai style mutton kothu kari masala recipe turns minced lamb into a fragrant, peppery dry masala, slow cooked with shallots, curry leaves and gingelly oil. Freshly roasted coriander, red chilli and cumin give it the unmistakable flavour of the kari dosa topping from Madurai street food. Spoon this easy mutton keema masala over steaming rice, tuck it beside rasam, or top a crisp kari dosa with it. Authentic, hearty and full of flaours from Tamil Soil.
Madurai Mutton Chukka Varuval: மதுரை மட்டன் சுக்கா வறுவல்
Madurai Mutton Chukka Varuval is the dish that turns up at every Tamil Nadu wedding, temple feast and roadside thattu kadai looking innocent and omniscient—dry, dark, faintly smoky—and then proceeds to set your whole mouth on fire in the best possible way. Mutton Chukka has various regional versions across Tamil Nadu, but the Madurai and Chettinad recipes stand out. In any South Indian restaurant, Chicken Sukha Varuval and Mutton Chukka Varuval are favourites. The term 'Sukha/Chukka' means 'dry,' and 'Varuval' means 'fry.' This recipe is distinguished by its freshly roasted and ground masalas, which make Mutton Chukka exceptionally flavourful.
Kothu Parotta Recipe: Madurai Style Egg Parotta with Salna
Kothu Parotta recipe, the homemade way: flaky Malabar parotta shredded and minced with eggs, onions, tomatoes, curry leaves and a ladle of salna until every crumb drinks in the masala. This Madurai street food classic was born on the iron griddles of the Thattu Kadai and Kaiyendhi Bhavans, and it now cooks beautifully in your own kitchen. The truth is that I have never tasted a Kothu Parotta from a street vendor, yet this egg Kothu Parotta, made slowly by my husband, is the one I have always known and loved.
Karandi Muttai — the classic ladle-cooked omelette straight from a Tamil Nadu Kaiyendhi Bhavan
Karandi Muttai Recipe - Omelette in a Ladle (Kaiyendhi Bhavan Style)
Karandi Muttai, or "Omelette in a Ladle," is the iconic South Indian street-food egg dish that turns a simple onion omelette into a soft, bun-shaped delight. Cooked slowly in a well-seasoned thalippu karandi (tempering ladle) instead of a flat pan, this Tamil and Malayali classic gets crisp, golden edges with a fluffy, moist centre. A beloved Kaiyendhi Bhavan favourite, it's spiced with green chillies, turmeric and a hearty dusting of pepper powder — ready in under 15 minutes and perfect with rice, dosa or idli.
Kadala Curry or Black Chickpeas Curry can be prepared in many ways and especially when it comes to being served along with Puttu, Nadan style Kadala Curry would be the best choice. This is an authentic Kerala style curry prepared in Coconut Oil and this curry has an extra addition along with Black Chick Peas and that is small Coconut Bytes. If you are a person who prefers to eat Thenga Kothu in your curry, then this Kadala Curry would appease your taste buds for sure. Above all, the Curry is Spicy and laced with ground Coconut Paste, perfectly balanced with taste, flavour and texture.
This version of Kadala Curry with Thenga Kothu is an easy one-pot version with a simple addition of Thenga Kothu/Coconut Bytes. I have already posted another version of Kadala Curry Recipe earlier which is a Varutharacha Kadala Curry. During our last visit to Cochin, me & husband literally planned ahead and pondered along the city for wonderful Nadan Bakshanam. We started our day early dropping in at Gokul's Oottupura near Ernakulathappan Temple. The early morning solace and the ambience took us over with a wonderful serene feeling.
Giving our morning a boost, we ordered the quintessential Breakfast dish - Puttu and Kadala Curry. Small Cheratta Puttus were served with a spicy and flavourful Kadala Curry with Thenga Kothu along with a Kerala Pappadam undoubtedly fried in Coconut Oil. As a matter of fact, we can never go wrong with this steamed rice cake and black chickpea curry combo when you are in Kerala. We always feel an urge of craving and increased appetite the moment we land in God's own Country, both of us out of impulse ordered Uzhunnu Vada, Poori Masala and Dosa along with a serving of Puttu Kadala for each of us. To finish off our wonderful and hearty breakfast we washed it down with a steaming cup of Filter Coffee and we were set for the day. A huge breakfast according to both of our norms. You can savour such authentic and healthy breakfast offerings around the city in almost all eateries. The whole day went along with an elaborate eating experience.
Usually, Black Chick Peas are used for the recipe, can substitute it with White Chick Peas too.
Roast the spices and coconut on a very low flame until it turns into golden brown in colour.
Adjust the consistency of the Curry to your preference.
Adjust the number of Dry Chillies and Red Chilli Powder to suit your spice level.
Can use any vegetable oil, but Coconut Oil gives an authentic taste to the dish.
FISH TAWA FRY
Fish Tawa Fry is nothing but a straightforward Fish Fry recipe marinated with spicy seasonings & then shallow fried in a Tawa - an Indian frying pan commonly used in Indian kitchens. Fish Tawa Fry is a simple recipe prepared with marinated fish slices/whole fish and the name Tawa links to the wok/frying pan used to prepare the dish.
A tawa is usually made from cast iron or aluminium. Tawa is used quite similarly to Woks in Asian cooking and is commonly used for stir-frying or shallow frying. They are also used to prepare all kinds of Indian flatbreads like Chapati, Paratha, Dosa, Omelette etc., Most of the Street food vendors use large Tawas to prepare most of their dishes. We can see them skillfully preparing Kothu Parotta, Pav Bhaji Masala, Omelettes etc., in those cast iron pans. Some Tawas can be flat, but most are concave(at the centre) in shape.
Fish Tawa Fry is a tasty recipe which can be served as an appetizer or as a side dish with any dish of your choice. Simply accompany this Fish Tawa Fry with steamed rice and a curry of your choice.
Cuisine - Indian
Course - Side Dish/Appetizer
Difficulty - Easy
Serves -3-4
Author - SM
Preparation Time - 15 - 20 Minutes
Marination Time - 30 Minutes to 1 Hour/Overnight
Cooking Time - 10 - 15 Minutes.
Navratri Recipes: 50+ Naivedyam, Sundal & Sweets for 9 Days
Complete guide to Navratri Naivedyam, from Sundal for Golu to Sweet Pongal, Kesari, Payasam and Bengali Durga Pujo sweets, with a 9 day Navratri Prasadam Menu for each day.
Search for a Recipe
I Me Myself
Essence of Life - Food is all about daily cooking with a simple sense of taste and health. It is all about food. Not a day goes by without eating for most of us, so what we eat matters on the whole. Food in the mode of goodness increases the duration of life, purifies one's existence, and gives strength, health, happiness, and satisfaction. Above all ingredients, the most vital one in my kitchen is love.
