Pepper Paste/ Masala

This masala is used for making yummy chicken dishes as well as for making gravy/ khurma.

Ingredients:

Roasted Peppercorns - Fistful
Roasted Coriander Seeds -Fistful
Turmeric/ haldi powder - 2 tsp
Roasted whole Red chilli- 4
Ginger - 1''
Garlic - 8 cloves

Method:
Grind all the ingredients together till smooth.

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Ginger-Garlic Paste

Aah! One paste which we all Indians Absolutely LOVE! The aroma it gets into the dish is simply awesome, not to forget the taste it gives too! We usually make this paste at home and store it. It is used so much in our daily cooking, and that's the reason we always make sure we make enough and more of this paste and refrigerate it.

Ingredients:
Ginger root -250 gms
Garlic Pods - 500 gms
We usually use Garlic and Ginger in the ratio 2:1 in quantity.

Method:

1.Wash and scrape the ginger root using a spoon or knife. Cut it into chunks.
2. Peel Garlic and chop them into pieces.
3.Grind the ginger and garlic together adding very little or no water to make a fine paste.
4. Store in air-tight containers and refrigerate.

Tip: To peel garlic easily and quickly, prep it either by roasting it a little on a griddle or microwaving it for 1 minute on the 'High' setting. The skin will peel off without any trouble. Another solution is to soak the cloves in a bowl of water for 2 minutes and then peel.

Roasted Coconut Masala

The coconut used for making this masala should be grated and dried under the sun. For drying the coconut, we usually keep it on our terrace for around 2-3 hours. Its then immediately roasted with a little oil. The most important part in this preparation is that we need to keep stirring it all the time till it turns light brown. Take care so that it doesn't turn very dark because it would then taste sour. Once its roasted then grind it without water, NOT EVEN A DROP OF WATER, in the grinder. It would then make a fine paste and when its done, transfer it into a air-tight container. It should not be a glass or plastic container. We usually store it in a steel container. And unlike all the other masalas, this masala should NOT be refrigerated.

Green Chilli paste for Meat dishes

This green chilli paste is so versatile, you'll want to try it with a variety of meat, seafood, noodle and soup recipes. This fragrant green chilli paste makes dishes easy to cook, and quick as well, especially if you make the paste ahead of time and keep it on hand in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

Green chillies 1 kg
Roasted Coriander 200 gms
Turmeric Powder 2 tbsp
Ginger 1/2 kg
Garlic 1/2 kg

Method:

Grind all the ingredients to a fine paste. Refrigerate in an air-tight container.

Red chilli paste for Mutton/Beef/Chicken

This red chilli paste is surprisingly easy to make. Added to meat dishes, this paste will create a wide range of delicious dishes that are certain to please. Use right away or store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months if stored in an air-tight container.

The quantity of the ingredients will depend upon the quantity of masala you would want to make.

For eg: If we take 1 kg chillies, we would need a 1/4th kilo of coriander seeds, 100gms haldi powder, two pods of garlic and one large ginger.

Ingredients:

Roasted Red chillies
Roasted Coriander seeds
Haldi Powder
Ginger
Garlic

Grind red chillies along with Turmeric powder and coriander seeds till it makes a fine paste.We do not add salt while grinding, but its put on top ( just a little) after the masala has been transferred to the air-tight container.

Red chilli paste for Fish/Prawns

This is one masala which you will ALWAYS find  in our refrigerator.We use this masala to fry fish and prawns and its seriously yummilicious! Make it once and you can store and use it for two months!Very very handy in emergency cooking! LOL! Check your spice-o-meter when preparing this paste, adding less fresh chilli if you prefer milder dishes.

Ingredients:

Red chillies
Turmeric/Haldi Powder
Rock salt
Tamarind
Fenugreek/Methi
Zeera/Cumin seeds
Ginger
Garlic

Method:

Grind all red chillies, turmeric powder and salt together till it makes a paste. Then add tamarind and grind it again. Next add Zeera, methi, Garlic,Ginger and grind them all together again until to get a smooth paste. Store it in a air-tight container and refrigerate.