Ssh!! Secret Recipes from Chef Bala's Kitchen at The South of Vindhya's- Mumbai, revealed. Mind those taste buds.

Chef Bala looked at me for a full minute. I waited. He smiled slowly, very slowly. I was sure, I had goofed up. After relishing amazing dishes at the Orchid hotel's "Coorg Food Festival", I had requested him to share a few recipes. Well, I really wanted him to give them to me. He relented. I was ecstatic. Good food is Good mood, you know.

A smiling, Chef Bala 

A favorite dish amongst Coorgis, Bamboo Shoot Curry is usually relished in monsoons. The tender shoots are found during the first monsoon showers or sometimes a tinned variety is also used. I tasted this dish when I visited Coorg, last year and recently at the "Coorg Food Festival".

Bamboo Shoot Curry

Ingredients:

• 1 kg Bamboo Shoot, chopped & cooked with salt & turmeric till tender.
• 3 Onions, sliced thin.
• 10-12 green chillies, sliced
• 12 garlic cloves, pounded.

For Masala paste (grind with little water):

• 1 Grated Coconut.
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds.
• 3 tsp Chilli powder.
• 1 tsp Jeera powder.
• 1 tsp Pepper powder.
• 6 tsp Coriander powder
• Salt, to taste

Recipe

• Heat oil, add mustard seeds and pounded garlic. Saute till golden brown. Add sliced onions.
• Add the masala paste and green chillies, let the mixture turn brown.
• Add bamboo shoot and adjust water and salt.
• Cook till curry comes to a boil.
• Relish it hot.

Kodagu Cutlet

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Mutton Kheema.
• 8 tbsp oil.
• 1/4th cup minced onion.
• 4 green chillies, finely minced
• 50 gm Coriander leaves, finely chopped.
• 1/2 tbsp pepper powder.
• 1/4th tbsp chili powder.
• 1/2 cup mashed potato
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1 egg
• Bread crumbs

Recipe

• Saute onion, green chilli, kheema, chilli powder, pepper powder with 1/2 cup water and cook till tender. Add  salt as per taste.
• Cool the meat, add potato, coriander leaves and egg yolk.
• Make cutlets and dip it in egg white and roll in the bread crumbs.
• Shallow fry in oil.

Do try these recipes and tell us if you liked them. Chef Bala, will be really happy :-)