Dear Thamil, do try this method also.

DRIED FISH CURRY

Ingredients

10 pieces dried fish, ( preferably with big bones ) cleaned and washed
150 grms brinjal sliced
50 grms boiled mochai
2 tbs fish curry powder, add little water to form a paste
1 lime-sized ba#ll of tamarind , extract juice with a cup of water
10 small onions, coarsely pounded
8 pips garlic, peel the skin
2 green chillies , slit in halves and quartered
4 tbs oil
tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 stalk curry leaves
salt to taste
cup coconut milk (optional )

Method

Heat oil in a pot, add mustard, and fenugreek seeds.
When the popping stops, add the coarsely pounded onions, the garlic flakes,
And the curry leaves. Fry till the onions turn a little brown here and there.
Add the curry paste, the slit green chillies and fry until golden and fragrant. Stir in the tamarind juice,
And enough water to form the sauce. Add the cleaned dried fish, and let it boil on a medium heat. Then add the brinjal slices and the boiled motchi.
Let it boil on medium heat, till the oil shows on the surface of the sauce.
Taste for salt and remove from fire.
For those adding coconut milk, taste for salt, add the coconut milk, bring to the boil just once and remove from fire.

Note: Normally the dried fish curry will be a bit watery.

Edited by Kavitha Ravi - 01 January 2008 at 9:38am

Try this spicy fried chicken

Ingredients

5–6 whole chicken thighs

Marinade

2–3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tbsp coriander powder

Freshly-squeezed juice of 2 large limes

1 tsp salt

4–5 tbsp chili paste

8 shallots

1 heaped teaspoon turmeric powder

Ground finely

1 cm ginger

2 cm galangal

2–3 lime leaves, finely sliced

2–2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

250ml thick coconut milk
Method
Towel-dry the chicken legs thighs. Make 1–2 slits lengthwise on them. Rub with combined marinade ingredients and leave in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several hours.

Deep-fry chicken until chicken is cooked through or dark golden brown.

Edited by Kavitha Ravi - 06 July 2007 at 2:37am

SHRIMP CURRY

INGREDIENTS:
2 lb shrimp washed
2 large onions chopped
1 tomato shopped
1 tsp Garlic paste
Chillie powder
Turmeric
Salt
Cilanthro

METHODS:
Take shrimp in a large bowl. Add onions, chillie powder, turmeric and salt and mix well. Heat oil and add this mixture to it. Let it cook for sometime until most of the water is evaporated. Then add the tomotoe and cook a little. Towards the end, add the ginger and cook. YUMMY!

Try this Sri Langkan dish.

SEENI SAMBAL

Ingredients:
800 grmd onions sliced.
500 grms Maldives fish..pounded to tiny bits, with a pestle.
6 tbs chillie paste
1 cup tamarind juice
1 cup coconut milk
1 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
few cloves
2 sprig curry leaves.
2 lemon grass braised
1 screw pine leaf cut into 2 inch length
2 tbs oil
salt to taste
sugar to taste.

Method:
Heat the oil and saute the spices before adding the lemon grass and screw pine leaves.
Once fragrant, add the onions and keep stirring.
When the onions turn brown, add the chillie paste.
Fry till oil rises, add the cleaned fish, and tamarind juice.
Allow the fish to cook, add salt and sugar.
Lastly add the coconut milk, and let it cook dry.

My own tip... soak the pounded fish in boiling water.
Wash and clean, to get rid of the smell.

us]

We call this  Masi  Karuvaadu.

This is how the dried Maldives fish looks like.

Edited by Kavitha Ravi - 14 July 2007 at 12:18pm

Cucur Badak ( Spicy Sweet Potato Balls)

Ingredients :

For the dough

500 grms sweet potatoes (boiled and mashed)
10 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Small shrimps for garnishing (with shells and heads on)
1 tablespoon of sugar
A pinch of salt

For the filling

4 cups of grated coconut
1/2 cup of dried shrimps
1 garlic*
3 shallots *
6 fresh red chillies*
1 lemon grass (use only the white part)*
1 1/2 teaspoon tumeric powder
5 slices of peeled fresh ginger*
Salt to taste
Sugar to taste (palm sugar preferred)
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Method:

For the dough


Boil the sweet potatoes in hot boiling water for 15 minutes.
Peel the skin off the boiled sweet potatoes and mash them in a big bowl
Mix the mashed sweet potatoes with flour, sugar, and salt till a soft dough is formed. The dough shouldn't be too sticky. If too sticky, add more flour to the mixture.
For the filling


Pound all the (*) ingredients.
Soak the dried shrimps in hot water for 15 minutes and then pound them. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil and add in the pounded ingredients plus the pounded dried shrimps. Fry till fragrant.
Add in the grated coconut and mix well.
Add in salt and sugar to taste.
Set aside and let it cool.
To make the balls.


Dust your hands with some flour and take a bit of dough (about the size of a small ball), flatten it and put the filling in the middle.
Cover the filling and press one small shrimp on top of the dough.
Heat oil and fry till golden brown.

Edited by Kavitha Ravi - 20 July 2007 at 10:14am

Try this Yam Rice - its my fren's favourite recipe.

YAM RICE

Ingredients
(1) 2 tbsp oil
(2) 1/2 tsp chopped garlic
(3) 2tbsp dried prawns - soaked and drained
(4) 150g chicken, diced
(5) 200g yam - peeled and diced
(6) 250g rice, washed and drained
(7) 500ml water

Seasoning
(1) 1 tbsp oyster sauce
(2) salt (according to taste)
(3) Sesame oil and pepper (according to taste)
(4) 50g tasted peanuts
(5) 1 tbsp chopped spring onions

Method
(1) Heat oil, saute chopped garlic until fragrant.
    Add in dried prawns and stir-fry until aromatic.
(2) Add in diced chicken, yam and stir well.Add in rice,
    seasoning and stir well. Dish into a rice cooker,
    add water and cook until cooked and fluffy.
(3) Lastly sprinkle toated peanut (crushed lightly) and
    chopped green onion on top and serve.
(4) Lastly enjoy Yam Rice with a glass of hot
    chinese tea..!!

CHILLI SHRIMP

INGREDIENTS:
Shrimp
1 Onion, finely chopped.
4-5 green chillies, finely chopped.
Ginger & garlic, finely chopped.
Soy sauce
Ajinamoto
Pepper powder
Corn powder 1/2 cup
Maida 1 cup
Egg white 1
Salt

METHOD:
Marinate the shrimp with pepper, soy sauce, a pinch of ajinamoto and salt for a couple of hours. In a bowl, add the corn poder, maida, egg white, salt and a little water to make a paste. Mix the marinated shrimp in this paste. Shallow fry the shrimp in oil and keep it aside. In a pan, fry the onions, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Then add the shrimp and fry for some time. At the end, add some more soy sauce and ajinamoto. This is very yummy!

This is a very simple dish as well


LETTUCE IN OYSTER SAUCE.

1 whole romaine lettuce (quartered and separated)
3 pips garlic chopped finely
4 shallots, sliced finely
1-2 tbs plain flour
oil
2 tbs oyster sauce
light soy sauce (optional)
sliced red chilli for deco

HOt water
Cold Water
a little salt

Add a little flour to shallots and a bit to garlic (do this separately). Deep fry onions until golden crispy and spread on kitchen towel. Do the same for garlic. Fry golden brown and drain on kitchen towel.


In a wok, add water and a little salt and allow to boil. Very Quickly blanch the lettuce and blanch in cold water. Remove and drain properly. The lettuce must be medium crisp. Arrange on serving plate

Then in a wok, add a dash of oil, oyster sauce, a dash of light soy sauce and a couple of tablespoons of water and mix well. Allow it to thicken.

Pour over the the lettuce. Deco with fried onions, garlic and red chilli. Serve hot and with steamed rice or with noodles.

You can subsitute lettuce with broccoli or mustard green leaves/bak choy/cauliflower etc.

(Meat eaters can add sliced chicken. Just add soon after adding oil for frying)