Sweet Pongal

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup rice (I used ambemohar) - kolam, sona masoori or basmati can be used too
1/4 cup moong dal
1/2 cup to 3/4 cup jaggery 
1 cup milk
2 cups water
4 cardamom (peeled and powdered)
2 tbs broken cashews
2 tbs raisins
pinch of edible camphor (if available)

Method

Wash and rinse the rice and moong dal. Drain all the water and keep aside. Add 1 tbs of ghee to a pressure cooker or Instantpot. Add the rinsed rice and moong dal and roast till there is a nice aroma. Add the milk and water and mix well. Cover and pressure cook - 4 to 5 whistles in cooker or 21 mins in the instantpot with valve closed. Once done, let the pressure release naturally. Mash and mix the dal and rice together. Mix in 1 tbs ghee and mix well again.
In a saucepan add the jaggery and 2 tbs water. Let the jaggery melt. Add this to the mashed rice and dal mixture and mix well. Add cardamom powder and edible camphor (if using). 
In a small pan add the 1 tbs ghee. When it gets hot add the cashews and the raisins. Turn the heat off and let the cashews and the raisins simmer. Add this to the pongal. Serve warm.

Kerala Style Mutton Stew (InstantPot)

The man of the house (Mr. A) had a real tough job yesterday. He had to go out and clean our huge driveway after the beautiful snowfall that dumped almost 10 inches of snow. He is okay doing this work as long as he gets some nice yummm food. So, he asked for Kerala Style Mutton Stew and Appams as a reward for his hard work. So, the preparations for the feast started at home and the results were pretty much appreciated by the man and the kid too.
This is a very easy and tasty stew to make and its so warm and comforting on such cold and windy days. 
Here is wishing for the winter to go bye-bye untill December 2017.

Ingredients

To Grind

1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 green cardamoms
3 cloves
1/2 piece of mace
1 black cardamom
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 star anise
1 tsp poppy seeds (optional)

To Marinate

1 pound mutton/goat meat (cut into 2 inch pieces)
2 tablespoons yogurt
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp turmeric

To Make Stew

2 tsp coconut oil (you can use any other oil too)
1 onion - thinly sliced
2 tsps ginger garlic paste
1 can coconut milk
1 potato (cubed)
2 carrots (cubed)
20 green beans (halved)
salt to taste
chopped cilantro for garnish

Method

Take the ingredients in the 'To Marinate' tab and mix well. Let it sit aside for atleast an hour. Now take the ingredients in the 'To Grind' tab and using a spice grinder/coffee grinder, grind it to a fine powder. Keep it aside.
Take the instantpot and put the inset. On saute mode add the oil. Now add the onions and fry them till they get transparent (we do not want to brown them). Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes away, Add the marinated mutton and half the potatoes. Add 1/2 cup water. Close the intantpot and put the seal on. Manual pressure for 12 minutes. Then Natural release for 10 minutes and do a quick pressure release. Mutton would be partially cooked. Now add the other vegetables and the ground spice mixture. Stir and mix well. Cover the instantpot again with the vent sealed. Manual cook for 5 minutes and Natural release for 5 minutes. Do a quick release after that. Generally all the vegetables and the mutton are cooked perfect by this time. If not - just do a manual cook for another 4 minutes.
Put the instantpot on saute mode and add the coconut milk and salt to taste to the mutton and vegetable. Mix well and let this mixture come to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with Appams.

Notes

• This stew can be made using a pressure cooker to cook the mutton too.
• Just fry onions in a pressure cooker, add the mutton and half the potatoes. Give it 2 whistles. After pressure is released. Add the other vegetables and cook for another 2 whistles. Wait for pressure to release. If cooked, just add coconut milk and the masala and salt and give it a boil. If not...... cover and cook for another whistle. 

Mirchi Ka Salaan

I always had fond memories of the gravy/curry that was served on the side with biryanis at restaurants in Mumbai. It was a nice tangy and spicy gravy that went very well with biryanis.

When I started to explore about food - I educated myself with the name - it as called "Mirchi ka salaan" - Mirchi means chilis and hence the heat. 

This salaan was prepared just once a long time ago and then again I made it yesterday when we had a biryani party at a friends place. Yes, her husband cooks some mean biryani and kebabs. The biryani was super tasty with the great aroma of slow cooked spices with the most perfectly cooked chicken and ofcorse the salaan tasted good. We had the most amazing 'quatro leches' (four milk) cake made by another friend. A lot of laughter and jokes and serious talks and moscow mules were the highlight of the evening. 

Its always uplifting to have such friends and I thank the Lord for getting these beautiful souls into our lives. 

Ingredients

10 to 12 long hot peppers
1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves
1/2 inch ginger piece
1/4 cup groundnut
1/4 cup grated coconut
1/8 cup sesame seeds
1 TBS poppy seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp tamarind paste
1/2 tsp jaggery
2 tsp coriander cumin powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 to 2 cups water
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds/kalonji
10 curry leaves
2 dried red chillis
3 tablespoons oil
salt to taste

Method

Wash the hot peppers and cut them into two pieces right in the middle. You can remove the seeds and the veins if you do not want the salaan to be extra hot. Leave it to dry out on a paper towel.
Heat a kadhai (I used an earthen pot to cook this salaan) and then add the groundnuts. Let them roast and let the color change to a reddish tinge - you will get a nice nutty aroma. Remove it onto a plate. Now add the sesame seeds and let them change their color - this will be quick as the kadhai is hot. Remove onto the same plate as the nuts. Now add the poppy seeds and roast for 2 minutes. Do the same thing with the fenugreek seeds.  Remove to the same plate. Roast the grated coconut and get a nice reddish brown color on them. Add this to the plate too.
Now add 1 tablespoon oil to the kadhai. When it gets hot, add the garlic and immediately add the onions and the ginger. Saute till the onions get a nice golden brown color. Remove it onto the same plate as the nuts and the seeds. Let it cool and then grind to a fine paste. Add very little water just to east the grinding process.
In the same kadhai add the 2 tablespoons of oil. When it gets hot (really hot) add the chillis and get a nice chaar on their kinds. This would take about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove on a paper towel and let it sit. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on these chillis.
The kadhai will have oil in it. To this add the mustard seeds. Let them splutter and then add the nigella seeds, curry leaves and dried red chillis. When the chillis puff up - add the ground paste and mix well with a light hand. When the mixture has oil seeping from the sides, add the coriander cumin powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and a little salt. Add a cup of water and mix well. Cover and let the curry boil on medium heat. You will see the oil on top of the curry. Open the lid and add tamarind paste and jaggery. If the curry is too thick, you can add 1/4 cup of water at a time to get the desired consistency. Add the fried chillis and check for salt. Cover and let the curry simmer on medium low heat for 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with biryani. This goes well with plain steamed rice too.

Crab Chettinad Fry - My Way!

As the name suggets - Chettinad food is from the Chettinad region in Tamil Nadu, a state in Southern India. My knowledge about this cuisine is minimal - but, I love the flavors and the pungent taste and the aromas that it brings. This may not be the most authentic Chettinad food - but, this is how I developed the flavors based on the crab curry that we had from a seafood joint here in NJ called Arusuvai.

Chettinad food is generally consumed with rice or with rice based stuff like dosas, appams or adais. However, at Arusuvai we were served this kind of curry with Lacha Paratha and hence we like it like that.
This reminded me of Mahesh Lunch Home and Gajalee back home in my amazing town called Bombay (I refuse to call her Mumbai)
We loved this stuff and hope you like what you see and what you make at home too.

Ingredients

1 pound crabs - I used about 2 snow crabs here

1/2 cup sliced onions

10 cloves garlic

1/4 cup shredded coconut

1 TBS coriander seeds

1 Tsp Peppercorns

1 inch cinnamon stick

1 Tsp Tamarind Paste (I get concentrated paste at the store)

6 dry kashmiri chilis (you can use more to get more heat)

2 TBS coconut oil

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder

1 Tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/2 Tsp Garam Masala Powder

20 Curry Leaves

4 green chilis - slit in the middle

Salt to taste

Cilantro for Garnish

Method

Crabs need to be used immediately after cleaning - so we make the masala first and then do the rest.
In a Big Karahi or Wok - dry roast the coriander seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon and kashimiri chilis. Once they leave an aroma add 1 TBS Coconut oil and add the 1/2 cup sliced onions along with the 10 cloves of garlic (chopped). Fry  till the onions turn a nice golden brown. Add the shredded coconut and let the mixture mix well and saute till you get the aroma of roasted coconut. Take it off the flame add the tamarind paste and let it cool. Once cooled down - grind it to a fine paste adding very little water just to ease the grinding process.
Wash and Clean the crabs and let them sit on a plate. In the same Wok or Karahi add the other 1 TBS coconut oil. When the oil gets hot add the curry leaves and the slit green chilis and in about 10 seconds add the onions and saute till they turn transparent. To this add the turmeric powder, chili powder, garam masala powder and mix well. Add the ground masala mixture and mix well. If you feel that the mixture is too thick add just about 1/4 cup water and salt to taste and mix well. Add the crabs and cover each crab piece with the masala mixture. Cover and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes. Once the shells of the crab turn a nice orange you now crab is cooked.
If the masala is watery - just heat the mixture uncovered for another 2 to 5 minutes.
Garnish with chopped Cilantro and serve hot with Parathas and salad.
If you are anything like us - you will not have parathas or rice - just plain crab chettinad along with salad.

Rasam Powder

Ingredients

15 dried kashmiri red chilis
15 curry leaves
1/4 cup tuvar dal/split pigeon peas
1/4 cup masoor dal/split lentils
2 tablespoons urad dal/split black gram
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds/methi seeds
1/2 teaspoon asafoetida/hing
1 teaspoon turmeric powder

Method

Dry roast all the ingredients one by one except the asafoetida and the turmeric powder - till a nice aroma comes by. Mix all the ingredients together including the asafoetida and the turmeric powder and run it through a mixer/blender/grinder to get a nice powder.
Rasam powder is ready. Store in a airtight container. Lasts for a good year.
Use it to make Rasams of your choice.

Vangi Bhaat Masala Powder

Vaangi bhaat is nothing but brinjal(eggplant) rice. It is a very yummy and tangy and spicy rice preperation pretty famous in Karnataka state of India. Makes a wonderful one pot meal which is filling and also has a good serving of vegetables (her its eggplant).
The masala used in vaangi bhaat is made and generally stored for a few months making it easy to prepare a meal in a jiffy.
I made this masala based on the bhaaji masala and the kholamba masala that I had made a few months ago. It may not be the most authentic one but these are the basic ingredients used in everyday cooking in southern India. I have a bottle of it and now vaangi bhaat is enjoyed by us without having to worry about grinding the masala everytime.

Ingredients

1 cup coriander seeds
1/4 cup cumin seeds
1 cup bengal gram/chana dal
1 cup split black gram/urad dal
2 cups curry leaves
1/8 cup cloves
1/8 cup green cardamom
2 tablespoons fenugreek seeds
1 cup sesame seeds
30 dried red kashmiri chilis
30 dried red byadgi chilis
1 cup dried coconut slices/kopra slices

Method

In a large karahi or frying pan - dry roast each ingredient individually till they release a nice aroma. Be careful to do this on a medium flame as you do not want to burn any spices. Should take anywhere from 5 minutes to 10 minutes depending on the size of the ingredient.
Once all of the ingredients are roasted - add them to a dry grinder and make a fine powder. Store in a dry bottle - in a cool and dry place. This stays good for about 3 months.
I generally store mine in the freezer and it stays good for 6 months to a year.

Use it to make the traditional vaangi bhaat. But, I change the veggies now and then. I make tendli (ivy gourd), bell pepper, cabbage, cauliflower, beans bhaat (rice)

Adai - my way!

Adai is a healthy meal in itself. Protein packed and with the use of vegetables, it becomes like a welcome home food. Easy to make and filling on the tummy. These savory pancakes from South India are a fun way of eating your lentils along with all the possible veggies.

Ingredients

1/2cup brown rice
1/4 cup white rice
1/4 cup tuvar dal/split pegion peas
1/4 cup moong dal/split moong beans
1/4 cup chana dal/split bengal gram
1/4 cup urad dal/split blag gram
1/4 cup masoor dal/split red lentils
1/4 cup whole moong
1 cup grated carrots
2 cups chopped spinach
1 onion - finely chopped
salt to taste
oil/butter for making adai

Method

Soak all the dals, brown rice, white rice and whole moong in enough water for atleast 8 hours. After 8 hours grind all of it to a very fine paste adding just enough water. The dough should be of thick dosa batter or pancake batter consistency. Add salt to taste and the grated carrot, chopped spinach and shopped onion and mix everything well. This batter does not need fermentation and hence can be used immediately to get adai.
Heat a tava or griddle and grease it with some oil or butter. Use a ladle and pour the adai batter on the greased tava/griddle and gently spread it with the base of the ladle to form a pancake. Adai is not like a crispy dosa, it is a little thicker like a pancake. spread some oil or melted butter on the top of the adai. Use a spatula and gently turn the adai once the lower side is golden brown. Get the same color on both sides. Serve hot with chutney and sambar.
We served our Adai with the coconut coriander chutney with yogurt

The other vegetables you can add are chopped pepper, chopped tomatoes, chopped kale, chopped dill leaves, chopped fenugreek leaves, chopped cabbage
you can even add grated beets to this batter - only it will become pink

Curry Leaves Fish Fry

We are fish lovers - and with the variety of fish that we get here, the love has increased three folds. I generally buy the frozen fish fillets and hence there are no bones to deal with and no messy hands either - now...... who would not like that?
We do get fresh pomfrets and king fish too at the local Asian Store - we do get fish and shrimps from there too. But, I prefer the pre-cut and vacuum packed frozen fillets as its easy for lil miss "A" to eat on her own and I have no worry about pins and bones.

Back home - the only way mom used to fry fish was using the red masala or the green masala - and these fish pieces would be coated with semolina (rawa) and shallow fried - something we savored with dal and rice. However, over the years I have tried to make something different with the fish, just to keep our taste-buds alive and to make mealtimes fun. There are so many varieties to prepare everything around the World. And especially in India - food differs from state to state.............. it differs from town to town actually. So, thats what we try at our home - preparations from different different places. This is one of those different preparations.

Ingredients

4 fillets of Swai (Sea Bass or Tilapia work too)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
4 stalks curry leaves (use only the leaves)
3 to 4 dried red kashmiri chili (use more or less as per your choice)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon lemon juice OR vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt (add more or less as per  taste)
coconut oil for shallow frying (you can use canola, groundnut, sunflower or olive oil too)
1/4 cup fine rawa semolina
1/4 cup rice flour

Method

Dry road the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek, coriander seeds, sesame seeds, kashmiri chillis and curry leaves till a nice aroma fills the place - be careful not to burn the stuff. Let it cool and then grind it to a fine powder. Mix this powder along with the turmeric powder, the ginger garlic paste and the lemon juice or vinegar and salt and mix well. Add a couple of teaspoons of water to get a thick paste. Spread it on the fish fillets and let this sit for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Make a mixture of rawa (semolina) and rice flour. Carefully coat the fish pieces in the rawa and rice flour mixture and shallow fry on a tawa till you get a nice crust. Garnish with cilantro/coriander and serve with rice and dal or just as an appetizer.
Alternatively, you can bake it in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes.

Sweet Pongal - with rice, quinoa and moong daal

I love sweet pongal - also called sakkarai pongal or chakkari pongal. The velvety mixture sweetened with jaggery and smelling so yumm of ghee (clarified butter), powdered cardamom and nutmeg. 

I visit the local Balaji Temple near home - they have a canteen inside the temple and the pongal there is just divine. I love the pongal and the boondi laddoos they serve there. 

I had made pongal last year during sankranti and it was a little seet for my liking - I guess the jaggery used was a bit too much.

This year I tried my hand at this sweet treat again during Sankranti. I used rice, moong dal and quinoa along with jaggery and ghee to make this. Turned out pretty well.

Ingredients


1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup of rice ( I used a mix of surti kolam and ambemohur)
1 cup moong dhal
1 cup jaggery
1/2 cup milk
41/2 cups water
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
1/4 cup ghee (clarified butter)
1/4 cup broken cashews
1/4 cup raisins
a pinch of edible camphor (optional)

Method

Add 1 teaspoon ghee in a frying pan and to this add the moong dal. Roast it on medium flame till the dal turns a golden color and becomes fragrant. Get it off the flame and add this dal to a pressure cooker/pan. Wash the rice and quinoa together. Drain all the water and add this to the moong dal in the pressure cooker/pan. Add 4 cups of water and let it cook for upto 3 whistles. After the pressure is released mash this mixture with the back of a spoon and let it sit aside.
In a saucepan add the jaggery and 1/2 cup water and let the jaggery completely dissolve. To this add the cardamom powder, nutmeg powder and if you are using edible camphor, add that as well. Sieve this mixture and add it to the rice quinoa and dal mixture in the cooker/pan
In a separate pan, heat 2 tablespoons of ghee and roast cashews to golden and add raisins to it and let them puff up. Add this mixture to the rice, quinoa and dal mixture in the pressure cooker/pan.
Add the milk and the remaining ghee and mix well on medium low heat. Keep stirring all the while. Once the pongal gets a velvety texture and it starts to release steam (kinda like boiling), get it off the heat. Pour it into a serving bowl and serve hot, warm or at room temperature

you can make this pongal by replacing the quinoa with broken wheat, brown rice or rolled oats. You can even skip the white rice and replace it with either quinoa, broken wheat, rolled oats or brown rice altogether.

Udipi Style Sambar (Koddel)

The highlight of having vada or idli in any Udupi restaurant is the sambar. I still remember this restaurant called 'Sridevi' in Malad a suburb in Amchi Mumbai - that sambar taste was just divine.

I had tried a number of times to replicate the sambar - but, never really got the same taste.

Well - I stumbled upon a beautiful blog and saw the sambar picture and all those memories started flowing. The picture itself looked like the yummy sambar from 'Sridevi' 

Well, I had to try it - and voila........ it was just like the tasty Udupi restaurant sambar. 

The recipe link is here "koddel-the-udupi-style-sambar" - This blog is maintained by Pratiba who writes at "foodforjoy"

I have followed that recipe just like Pratiba mentioned in her blog - with the exception of green beans, as I had none of it in the refrigerator. I used pearl onions, okra, red pumpkin and dudhi instead.

Ingredients

1/4 cup Toor Dal - 1/4 cup
1 medium sized tomato - cut in quarters
A small ball of tamarind (Soaked in 1/2 cup of water for 1 hour) - I used the readymade tamarind paste, used 1/2 teaspoon of it
10 pearl onions - I used the frozen ones
5 lady fingers/okra/bhindi - cut into two pieces
5 pieces of red pumpkin - cut as big as the tomato quarters
5 pieces of dudhi - cut as big as the tomato quarters
you can add more of it if you wish
1 tablespoon jaggery - grated
1/2 teaspoon turmeric Powder
3 cups water - more or less depending on the consistency of the curry  you like
salt as per taste

to grind

6 to 7  dried kashmiri  chillies
1/2 tablespoon Urad Dal / Black gram split lentil
1/2 tablespoon Channa Dal / split garbanzo
1 tablespoon Coriander Seeds / Akha Dhania
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut - I buy the frozen ones and used that
1 teaspoon coconut Oil

For tempering

1 tablespoon coconut Oil
1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
10 - 12  curry Leaves
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
2 dried kashmiri chilis

Method

In a karahi or a frying pan add the 1 teaspoon oil (from the to grind list) and stir fry the kashmiri chilis, urad dal, chana dal, coriander seeds. When a nice aroma comes out add the coconut and mix well. Turn the heat off and keep stiring till all the ingredients are mixed together well. Let it cool down. Once its cooled, add this to a blender along with 1/4 cup water and blend untill you get a smooth mixture. If the mixture is too thick and difficult to blend, add another 1/4 cup water and blend to a smooth mixture.
In a pressure cooker, add the toor dal, tomatoes along with the turmeric powder and add 1 cup of water. Cook for upto 4 whistles. Open the pressure cooker lid once the pressure is released. Mash the cooked dal with the help of the back of a ladel.
In a saucepan, add the tamarind paste and the jaggery along with 1/2 cup water. Once the jaggery is melted, add the red pumpkin pieces and the dudhi pieces, cover and cook this for about 10 minutes. Then ad the pearl onions and cook for another 5 minutes. Now add the ground smooth paste and mix well. To this add the cooked dal along with salt as per taste and mix well. Add 1 cup water - you can add less or more water as per the consistency you like of the sambar/kodel. Add the bhindi to this curry and cover and let it boil for 5 more minutes. Turn the heat off and let it sit.
In a small wok/fry pan - add the oil from the for tempering list. Once it heats up, add the mustard seeds, when they splutter, add the cumin seeds and the curry leaves and the dried kashmiri chilies and the asafoetida. Turn the heat off. Take this wok carefully and add it to the sambar/kodel in the saucepan and cover it immediately.
Serve hot with rice or idlis

Lal Bhaji / Red Amarath Leaves Kholomba (Konkani Sambar)

Ingredients

1 cup toor dal
1 onion - chopped
1 tomato - chopped
1 bunch Red Amaranth leaves
3 teaspoons kholomba masala
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon cumin/jeera
5 to 6 curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
1 tablespoon oil/ghee
salt to taste



Method

Clean the Red amarath leaves - only leaves and wash them very clean and then roughly chop them. Take the tender stems of the amarath and wash then and cut them into 1/2 inch pieces. Wash and cook the dal along with the amarath stems and 3 cups of water in a pressure cooker upto 3 whistles.
Once the dal is cooked - just mash it with the bottom of a ladle/spoon. To this add the kholamba powder and tamarind pulp.
In a karahi add the oil/ghee. Once it gets hot add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, then add the jeera and the curry leaves. Then add the chopped onions and mix well till they sweat and become transparent. Then add the tomatoes and mix for about 5 minutes. Then add the chopped amarath leaves and mix well and let it cook covered for about 5 to 7 minutes. To this add the dal mixture and bring it to a boil and then lower the heat and let it simmer covered for about 15 minutes. Serve with rice.

Kerala Beef Fry

My friend always makes this yummy stuff and  she never forgets to send some for my hubby who loves beef only in this form. I had never tasted beef before and even i liked this preparation - however, i would still like to change the choice of meat for myself - not a huge fan of beef.

I wanted to make this too and finally looked through google - I followed the recipe here "vazhayila - kerala-beef-ularthiyathu" - with a small change in the masala by using mace as I love the smell that it has. 

Ingredients


For Meat Masala Powder

Dried red chili - 15   OR  Chili powder 2 table spoon ( I used Kashmiri chilies)
Coriander seeds - 4 table spoon   OR  Coriander powder - 2.5 table spoon
Black Pepper corns - 1 tea spoon
Cinnamon - 2 small stick
Cardamom - 5
Cloves - 6
Star anise - 2
Bay leaves - 1
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
Mace - 1 pod
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon

For Beef Fry

Beef - 2 Pounds (I used the stewing beef - boneless pieces)
1 Cup chopped onions
4 to5 cloves chopped garlic
1 inch ginger - chopped
3 green chillis - chopped
1/4 cup coconut cute
handfull curry leaves
salt to taste
4 tablespoons oil

Method

For Meat Masala Powder

Heat a small pan and dry roast all the ingredients one by one - the reason for doing so is to get an even roast on all of them and fennel and pepper are smaller compared to cinnamon or mace.
Dry roast it for 4-5 minutes on a medium steady flame , until aromatic and brown.
The the roasted ingredients add the turmeric powder. Grind it to a coarse powder in a coffee grinder.

For Beef Fry

Clean and cut the beef into medium cubes and marinate it with half of the prepared masala powder, 1 teaspoon salt and pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles. Do not add any water as the meat will give away water inside it.
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed cooking pan and add curry leaves and coconut cuts. They will splutter and give an aroma. Fry for a minute till the coconut gets a nice golden color and then add onion, garlic, ginger and chillis. Fry till they start to turn brown. Add the remaining masala powder and fry for another minute
Add the cooked beef along with cooking liquid if any and simmer until it is dry. Do not add any water.
Turn the flame to medium and fry,stirring often and scrape the bottom of the pan to prevent from sticking,until it turns dark and dry. Serve warm with rice and dal.