Beerakaya/Ridge Gourd pappulapodi curry

Ingredients:
2 Ridge gourd (Peel, wash and cut into small pieces)
1/4 cup pesara pappu/green gram
2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 small onion, cut into small pieces
salt to taste
1/4 tbsp turmeric

2 tbsp Pappula podi (Dalia powder)
4 curry leaves
1/4 tbsp mustard seeds
2 red chillies

Recipe for Pappula podi is at below link:
http://cookingwithmridula.blogspot.com/2012/08/pappula-podidalia-powder.html

Method:

1. In a bowl, add green gram and 1 cup water and microwave for 12 min or cook on stove till the lentil is soft but not mushy. Strain and keep aside
2. In a pan, add oil and when it is hot, add red chilli, curry leaves, mustard seeds and fry till mustard seeds splutter
3. Add onion pieces, ridge gourd pieces, salt and turmeric and still well and cook till ridge gourd pieces are half-soft
4. Now add boiled green gram to the curry, stir well and cook on medium heat for 10 more min. Oil starts showing up on the sides of the pan. Now sprinkle pappula podi and mix the curry well and fry for not more than 2min and switch off the heat
5. Garnish with coriander leaves

This curry goes well with white rice and roti

Dosakaya Mutton Curry - Yellow Cucumber Mutton Curry

Ingredients:-

Mutton 500gms
 1 small onion
1 small Tomato
1/4 bunch coriander
1 spoon coriander powder
2 spoons Ginger garlic paste
1 yellow cucumber/Dosakaya
Bay leaf 2
Cinnamon 2
Clove 1
Red chilly powder 2 tsp
a pinch of turmeric powder
Salt as per taste
Canola oil 3 tbsp

For Garam masala powder:-
Cinnamon 1
Clove 4
Big elachi 2
Shah jeera 1 spoon
Nutmeg - small piece
Make a fine powder of the above.

Method:

1. In a bowl, add washed mutton and to it add tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 spoon coriander powder, 1/4tbsp salt, a pinch of turmeric, 1/2tbsp garam masala and mix well and keep aside for 10min.
2. Peel yellow cucumber/dosakaya and remove seeds. Ensure it is not sour by taking a small piece. Wash and cut into small pieces and keep aside
3. Add the above ingredients to a pressure cooker and cook for 5 vigils. No need to add water as mutton gives away water.
4.  In another deep pan, add oil and when it is hot, add bay leaves, 1 small cinnamon stick, 2 cloves and 3 black pepper for fry for a min
5. Add onion, slit green chillies, curry leaves and fry till onions are translucent
6. Add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell vanishes
7. Add chopped tomatoes and mix well and cook till tomatoes become soft
8. To this, add cooked mutton, add remaining garam masala powder, turmeric, salt and chilli powder and stir well and cook for another 10min on low flame. 
9. To the curry add the cucumber pieces and cook for 10min till the cucumber pieces turn soft.
10. Before you turn off the heat, add chopped coriander leaves to the curry. 

This curry goes really well with Plain rice, Roti and naan!

Mutton Fry

Ingredients:
1 pound Mutton, washed thoroughly
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 tbsp red chilli powder
10 green chilli, sliced length-wise
10-15 curry leaves
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1/4 tbsp turmeric
salt to taste
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
Fresh chopped coriander for garnishing

Masala powder:
1/2 spoon black pepper
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
4 garlic pods
Crush all the above coarsely


Method:

1. In a bowl, add washed mutton pieces, GG paste, coriander powder, cumiin powder, a little salt and mix well and let it sit for 15 min
2. Add the above contents into a pressure cooker or a deep pan and cook till mutton is soft. In pressure cooker, it usually takes 5 visils . Switch off the stove and let it cool down. Note that there is no need to add water while cooking mutton
3.  In another pan, add butter and once it is hot, add masala powder, green chillies and curry leaves and fry for 2min
4. Add onion pieces and fry till onion pieces are translucent.
5. To this add mutton mixture, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric and fry for 10 min  on low heat till all the mutton pieces are coated with masala
6. Turn off the stove and garnish the fry with coriander leaves.

This fry tastes heavenly. Goes well with white rice and roti.