South Indian Egg curry

Ingredients: 
6 eggs (boiled and peeled)
1 onion (finely chopped)
1 medium sized tomato (finely diced)
1 cup coconut milk
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 green chili (optional)
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
8-10 curry leaves
1 inch piece cinnaon
1 tsp urad dal (split black gram)
1 tsp channa dal 
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste

Protocol
1. Cut the eggs in half to improve absorption of sauces.
2. Heat oil in a wok on medium heat till it starts to shimmer. Add mustard seeds, cinnamon, urad dal, channa dal and curry leaves and saute till the mustard seeds stop sputtering and the dals are a golden brown.
3. Add ginger and garlic pastes along with onion and green chilli. Saute for two minutes.
4. Add salt and turmeric powder and cook till the onions are clear. 
5. Now add the diced tomato and tomato paste and cook for another 5 minutes till the tomatoes turn soft and the oil and the saucy mixture begins to separate.
6. Add the coconut milk and cook for 2 more minutes on medium heat. Then turn the heat to low and add eggs. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes so eggs absorb the sauce.
7. Serve hot over rice.  

Navratan Korma

Ingredients:
1.5 medium potatoes peeled and cut into 1" pieces
15 green beans cut roughly into 1" pieces
2 carrots peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1/2 cauliflower broken into medium florets
paneer cubes (1.5 cups)
20 cashew nuts (raw)
1.5 onions (diced)
pineapple (10 1" cubes)
raisins (2 tbsp)
roasted cashewnuts (lightly salted) 1 tbsp
slivered almonds (1 tbsp)
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 bay leaf
1" piece cinnamon
5 pods cardamom
1.5 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon corriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
4 tbsp oil
2 tbsps whipping cream

Protocol
1. In 2 tbsps oil lightly fry paneer cubes till they are a light golden color. Remove from heat adn set aside. 
2. Boil raw cashew nuts and onions till cashew nuts are tender. Lightly drain and grind to a thick paste.
3. Boil potatoes, carrots and green beans till they are about half-cooked then add salt and cauliflower and continue to boil till cauliflower is cooked. Drain vegetables and set aside
4. Heat remaining oil in a wok, when the oil starts to shimmer add bay leaf, cumin seeds, cinnamon and cardamom. 
5. Once the cumin seeds start to sputter add the cashew-onion paste along with the ginger garlic paste and saute on medium heat for 3-4 minutes till the oil separates.
6. Now add 1/2 cup water to this mixture and add boiled vegetables. Cook on a low-medium heat for about 5-7 minutes making sure all the vegetables are coated with the saucy mixture.
7. Add corriander and cumin powder and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
8. Add pineapple, raisins roasted cashews and almonds and cook for an additional 2 minutes
9. Add the cream and remove from heat
10 Garnish with fresh cilantro

Chicken Biryani

1 kg boneless chicken or 2 kgs chicken with bone

1 1/2 cup yogurt (beaten)

1 cup cilantro leaves (loosely chopped)

1 cup mint leaves (loosely chopped)

2 1/2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste

2-4 green chilies chopped.

1 1/2 tablespoons whole peppercorns

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 large bay leaf

4-6 cloves

6 whole green cardamom

2 black cardamom

1 inch piece cinnamon

salt

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp mace (javetri)

2 tbsp raisins (optional )

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp corriander powder

3/4 cup oil

1 1/2 cup basmati rice

1 tbsp saffron

1/2 onion chopped into longitudnal pieces and pan fried till crispy (optional)

Marinate chicken with yogurt, 1/2 cup oil mixed with all spices other than saffron and raisins. (45 minutes to an hour)

Meanwhile, soak basmati rice for 30 mins in water (water should be cold and perhaps 2 mm over rice level

Drain the rice. Cook the rice in salted water and 1/4 cup oil. You can add cumin seeds and cardamom and a few sprigs of mint and cilantro (optional).

When the rice is about half done ( becoming translucent but still crunchy) remove the rice and drain it.

Now empty the marinated chicken into a heavy bottomed large pan and layer the half-cooked rice on top of it. Top this with the fried onion and saffron.

Cover tightly and cook on medium-low heat for 30-35 minutes.

Note: Make sure the rice is well drained. If not, you will end up with mushy biryani.

Do not try to shorten the cooking time by increasing the heat, it chars the chicken at the bottom.