Disco pumpkin payasam with maggie coconut milk powder

Ingredients :

1. Disco pumpkin - 1 (you can use any kind of pumpkin , disco pumpkins are miniature pumpkins that yields about 3 cups of cubed cleaned pumpkin)
2. Maggie coconut milk powder - 8 tbsp
3. jaggery - 2 cups melted and strained (approximately 400 gms)
4. ghee - 3 tbsp
5. cashewnuts - 10
6. raisins - 10
7. coconut slices - 2 tbsp
8. cardamom - 2 powdered with 1 tsp sugar
9. salt - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Add the pumpkin and 1/2 cup water with salt to a pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistles .
Allow to cool and then open the cooker .
Heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashews until golden and keep aside .
fry the raisins until plump and keep aside .
fry the coconut slices until golden and keep aside .
Into the remaining ghee  add the cooked pumpkin and saute until it starts changing color to a bright orange and all the water content leaves the pumpkin puree .
add in the melted strained jaggery and mix well and cook for another 5 minutes .
mix 4 tbsp coconut milk powder in 3 cups of warm water and add to the pumpkin mixture and mix well.
simmer this on a medium flame until it starts to reduce slightly and becomes thick.
mix in the remaining 4 tbsp coconut milk powder in 1 cup of warm water and keep aside .
add in the cardamom powder and taste for sweetness , if you prefer it sweeter add in more jaggery syrup or sugar and mix well.
reduce the flame to low and add in the thick coconut milk and mix well - do not boil after this step
mix until the payasam gets heated through.
turn the flame off and add the fried nuts and raisins .
serve hot or cold

Note : Cooking times are approximate and depends on how thick you like the end product .

Irachi Chor

Ingredients :

1. Beef  - 1/2 kg with bones cut into medium sized cubes
2. Jeera rice / kaima rice - 3 cups
3. water - 6 cups (you might not need all of it depending on the beef gravy)
4. onion - 4 sliced
5. green chilly - 3 slit
6. ginger - 1 inch piece chopped
7. garlic - 6 cloves 
8. ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
9. curry leaves - 1 spring 
10. coconut oil - 3 tbsp
11. curry leaves - 1 spring
12. corriander leaves - 1/2 cup chopped
13. mint leaves - 1/4 cup
14. vinegar - 1 tbsp
15. yogurt - 1/2 cup
16. chilly powder -1 tsp
17. corriander powder - 1 tsp
18. turmeric powder - 1 tsp
19. fresh ground meat masala - 1 tbsp (2 cardamom, 2 cloves,5 peppercorn,1/2 tsp fennel seeds,1 cinnamon stick,1 bay leaf  

Method :
add the beef , 2 chopped onions ,chopped ginger , garlic cloves ,green chillues ,1/2 tsp turmeric powder , vinegar , curry leaves ,salt and 1/2 tbsp meat masala into a small pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistles .Allow the steam to release by itself and then open the cooker .(cooking time will vary on the cut of beef you use - increase or decrease as needed)
wash and soak the rice in water and set aside .
In a pan add the coconut oil and sliced onions and saute until it starts changing color .
add in the ginger garlic paste and saute until raw smell is gone .
add in the chilly, corriander,turmeric powder and remaining meat masala and saute for a minute .
add in curd and stirfry until the oil starts separating .
add in the corriander and mint leaves and mix well.
Add the cooked beef pieces into this masala and mix well, let it cook on low flame for 5 minutes .
measure the beef gravy and keep aside.
meanwhile drain the rice from soaking water and add to the meat that is cooking .
pour in the measured gravy(leftover from cooking the beef in the pressure cooker )
measure and add remaining water (gravy + water should come up to 6 cups )
add salt to taste and mix well.
bring to a boil and then reduce the flame to low , cover and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked through.about 15 minutes .
serve with raita ,pickle , pappad and chutney

Masala potato wedges

Ingredients :

1. potatoes - 2 large with skin scrubbed and cut into wedges (keep immersed in water)
2. salt - to taste
3. all purpose flour - 3 tbsp
4. garlic powder - 1 tsp
5. chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
6. black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
7. onion powder - 1 tsp
8. dried oregano - 1/2 tsp
9. oil - to shallow fry

Method:

add the potatoes into a pan , add enough water to cover , add salt to taste and bring to a boil.
cook on a simmer for 5 minutes , the potatoes should be cooked almost 90% but still firm.
drain the water and leave it on a flat plate to dry out
add all the remaining ingredients except oil and mix well.
add the blanched potatoes into the flour mixture and toss to coat.
heat oil in a flat pan , add the coated potatoes and fry on medium flame until the outside turns slightly crispy.
serve hot with tomato ketchup