Easycooking

Haldi Doodh/Turmeric Milk ~ Medicinal Food

2009-10-23T10:30:00.000+05:30

Diwali fever is slowly dying down,literally.As someone said,Cold&fever has become a given after Diwali crackers these days.One of us somehow manage to catch the virus.This year,it was Ajay.Bad cold,high temperature and heavy chest congestion.Hah..a sad aftermath of the festival of lights and crackers.Though the debate is still on whether or not to completely avoid crackers,I don’t think we can associate this festival without crackers,diyas and sweets.Until next year..:)

Along with the usual medicines,Haldi doodh/Turmeric milk gets made when we have throat related illnesses.I don’t know how this humble milk became almost medicinal but it does wonders to the sore throat.A warm cup of haldi doodh and a sound sleep,you are fresh the next morning!!

Disclaimer – This is not a medicine and cannot be had as a sole cure for cold or throat infection.

Haldi Doodh/Turmeric Milk ~ Medicinal food

Ingredients

Milk – 1 cup
Raw sugar/Palm sugar/Sugar candy – 1 tbsp
Peppercorns – 2-3,crushed
Cardamom – 1,seeds crushed
Haldi/Turmeric – ½ tsp

Method

Mix everything together and boil for 2 minutes on low flame.
Close with a lid and keep aside for 5 minutes or so.
Strain and have it warm.

Rulaava Bhakri/Doddak ~ Rava Dosa,Konkani style!

2009-10-20T11:00:00.000+05:30

Its been a while since I last updated any breakfast dishes here.Though I am not the one who comes up with varieties of breakfast dishes day after day unlike my amma and ma-in-law,I do whip up some instant dishes.Of late,we’ve been trying to incorporate diet dishes into our menu and I’ve almost said bye-bye to rice based breakfast dishes for a while.So no idli-dosa,puttu-idiyappam etc etc.We have Wheat flakes and Oats Porridge on alternate days and I make Rava upma or semiya upma on some days.

During one such boring breakfast making days,I remembered this yummy dosa that ma-in-law makes.Though it cant be technically called dosa,I prefer to call it thick rava dosa.It is called Rulava bhakri/doddak otherwise.There are many different ways you could go about making these,I followed ma-in-law’s recipe verbatim.

Rulaava Bhakri/Doddak ~ Thick Rava dosa

Ingredients

Rava – 1 cup
Atta/wheat flour – ¼ cup
Grated coconut – 3-4 tbsp
Green chilly – 2
Ginger – finely chopped,1’ piece
Coriander seeds – 1 tsp
Curd/buttermilk – ½ cup
Water as required
Coriander leaves – ½ a bunch,finely chopped
Sugar – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method

Grind together green chillies,ginger,coriander seeds and coconut to a coarse paste.
Mix together curd and a few tbsp water[if using buttermilk,keep it as is].
Add the coarse paste to the buttermilk and mix well.
Add sugar and salt to taste and finely chopped coriander leaves.
Mix the rava slowly and make a thickish batter.
Add more water if required,but the batter should be of thick consistency.
Now add the atta and mix well.
In a dosa pan,smear some oil and pour a ladleful of batter and spread thinly.
Add some oil/ghee and flip over.
When it becomes brownish on both sides,remove and serve.
Ideally,bhakri is served with dollops of butter,but it can be had plain too.

Phenori ~ Diwali Mithai ~ Happy Diwali!!

2009-10-17T10:00:00.000+05:30

Wishing all of you a very Happy and Prosperous Diwali!!

I am late by a day in posting this sweet,life has been busy busy.Cooking and cleaning up has taken a major chunk of my time.This is our first Diwali in Chennai,every time somehow we manage to be in either of our respective homes,but this one we are celebrating in "our" home:).That does sound nice and cozy but the amount of work I am doing alone is not a joke:).

In between deafening sounds of 1000' walas and Lakshmi bombs,I made these Phenoris for the first time.I had this sweet some 5-6 years ago when ma-in-law made it.Had a vague idea and I just went with the flow.Followed the recipe from my Konkani Cooking bible-Dakshin Bharat dishes by Jaya.V.Shenoy.

Phenori

Ingredients

Maida – 1 cup(heaped)
Butter – ½ cup I substituted it with 2-3 tbsp melted ghee
A pinch salt
Sugar – ¾ cup
Ghee/oil for frying

Method

Sift together maida and salt.
Add butter/ghee and water as required and knead into a stiff dough(like that for puri).Keep aside for 30 minutes.
Pinch dough into small balls and roll into thin puris.
Take 5-6 puris,smear some ghee on one puri,sprinkle ½ tsp of maida and keep another puri,not fully overlapping on top of it.
Continue with the rest of the puris.
Roll the puris into a tight roll.
Cut the roll crosswise into slices ½ ‘ thick.
Place cut surface of slice up and roll into phenori[do not apply pressure while rolling,the layers should be visible even after rolling].
Deep fry the phenoris in ghee/oil on a low flame till golden brown.

Prepare sugar syrup by adding same amount of water to sugar and heat till it reaches one string stage.
Remove from flame,coat the phenoris in sugar syrup one by one by dipping in the syrup.
Take the syrup dipped phenoris out and place on a thali smeared with ghee.
Let the syrup set and then store in an airtight container.
Share with your loved ones!!

Happy Diwali!!

Gajar ka Halwa ~ Diwali Mithai!!

2009-10-15T09:45:00.008+05:30

A cliché scene from 80’s Hindi movies.Son[40+ at that] comes home from either abroad or after studies and the mother prepares the quintessential Gajar ka halwa to welcome the son home.Movies after movies,the same scene repeats but the GkH never goes out of fashion!!

Last year I made this instant halwa courtesy my aunt Taramoushy.I got mixed reactions for it.Though some felt the instant method was very convenient compared to hours and hours of stirring and mixing,some felt that it was worth the effort to have “that” taste for the halwa.Honestly,I can give “that” taste a miss;).By the end of grating mounds of carrot,I am tired as hell and even the thought of stirring the big batch till it cooks gives me the creeps.

I came across this super simple recipe for GkH in Tarla Dalal’s cookbook.It requires only a teeny bit of ghee and a teenier bit of sugar.Since the word d-i-e-t is always there at the back of mind,I though of trying this one out as a diet halwa,almost.

Gajar ka Halwa
Recipe source – Tarla Dalal’s Microwave Cookbook

Ingredients

Carrots,grated – 2 cups
Milk powder – ¼ cup
Sugar – 5 tbsps
Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
Melted ghee – 1 tbsp

Sliced nuts & Saffron strands for garnish

Method

In a microwave safe bowl,combine ghee and grated carrots.
Microwave covered on HIGH for 4 minutes.
Add the milk powder,sugar,cardamom powderand mix well.
Microwave covered on HIGH for 2 minutes.
Garnish with sliced nuts,saffron strands.
Indulge and share with your ♥loved♥ ones.

Gajar ka Halwa goes to Priya's event Diwali 2009.

Happy Diwali!!

Pedha,not one but two ~ Diwali Mithai!!

2009-10-14T12:00:00.000+05:30

A week before Diwali one thing which always made its presence was gift boxes.One too many sweet boxes that by Diwali,the last thing we’d want to have is sweets:).Though majority of them would be assorted sweets,according to me there were three main sweets-stars rather,of Diwali and those were Motichoor laddoos,Doodh Pedhas and Rasgullas.At home,none of us liked pedhas and each and every time,the boxes of pedhas would make their way into our schools for distributing among friends along with other sweets.My friends thought we were crazy..:)

One main reason we disliked pedhas was because they were sweet-cloyingly sweet.Then why a post of pedha you may think,that too two types.Well,I do cook exclusively for the blog sometimes:).

I am totally hooked to Hetal & Anuja’s Show me the Curry.Saw this simple recipe for Instant Pedhas and thought of trying it out after all.Having all the ingredients in my kitchen was a bonus.I halved the recipe and got a dozen pedhas.For some unknown reason,the pedhas have come out sort of crumbly.I struggled to shape them.Me and Ajay shared a piece and have to admit that they taste awesome.I tried out Wheat Pedhas from Home Spices too for an almost guilt-free indulgence.

Instant Doodh Pedhas
Recipe adapted from Show me the Curry

Ingredients

Instant Dry Milk (Milk Powder) – 2 cups (150gm)

Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1, 14oz can (396gm)

Unsalted Butter – 1, 4oz stick (113gm)

Method

In a microwave safe dish, melt the butter.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Cook in the microwave for 3 minutes, stirring very well after every minute.
After the 3 minutes, mix well again and leave aside for the mixture to cool down enough to handle.
Once the mixture has cooled down, grease your hands and make balls.
Gently press the balls and flatten them to shape…round and flat.
Decorate them with colored sugar, almonds, cashews, pistachios or raisins.
Let the pedas set and cool down.
For a pretty presentation, place them in baking cups and serve.

Tips
Powder some cardamom seeds and add to the mixture for additional flavor.
Roll out the peda mixture and cut with cookie cutter for some fun shapes.
For best results, store in the refrigerator but serve at room temperature.

Wheat Pedha
Recipe adapted from Home Spices
[Makes approximately 30 pedhas]

Ingredients

Wheat flour/Atta – 1 ½ cups
Sugar – 1 cup
Milk – ½ cup
Ghee – 3-4 tbsp
Cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Method

In a thick bottomed kadai add ghee and roast the flour for 3-4 minutes on low flame or until it starts smelling good.
Add the sugar and mix well.
Now add the milk and continue stirring till it becomes one single mass and starts to leave the sides of the kadai.
Add the cardamom powder and switch off the flame.
Grease a thali/plate with ghee and pour this mix into it and let it cool.
When it is cool enough to handle,make small balls of it and flatten it a bit.Roll them in powdered sugar and store in airtight containers.
Or better still indulge and share it with your ♥loved♥ ones.

Happy Diwali!!

Coconut Laddoo ~ Diwali Mithai!!

2009-10-13T10:45:00.006+05:30

I am back..yes,I’ve been gone too long if you ask me.Things have kept me busy and I have not been able to update the blog as often as I would have loved to and I am struggling to keep up with the goodie goodie posts that my blogger friends have posted.I hope to catch up soon.

Diwali is here once again and I am so looking forward to all the wonderful dishes that are going to make their presence felt in our lives as well as our waistlines:).But who cares..I am going to forget all about calories and cholesterol and such forgetful stuff[now who wants to remind me about my diet there..I promise I’ll give you one extra laddoo:)]

Is it evident or is it only me?I am struggling to fill up this post.I guess that’s what happens when you are away from the blog for so long.Ahh..so without any further delay,let me present you my first Diwali mithai..Coconut laddoo.One of the easiest laddoos I have ever made.Only two ingredients and it takes you less than 15 minutes from start to finish.So what are you waiting for..??

Coconut Laddoo

Ingredients [Makes 30-32 laddoos]

Condensed milk[Milkmaid] – 1 tin
Grated coconut – 4 cups

Method

Keep aside about 50 gms of coconut aside.
In a thick bottomed kadai,add the rest of the coconut and the milkmaid and mix well.
Cook on low flame for about 5 minutes.
When the mixture starts leaving the sides of the kadai,switch off the flame and transfer the mix to another bowl and let it cool.
Grease your palms with butter and make small laddoos.
Roll them in coconut and arrange them on a butter paper.
Indulge and share the mithai with your ♥loved♥ ones too!!

Coconut Laddoo goes to Purva's event Indian Festive Food-Diwali Dhamaka

Happy Diwali!!

Vegetable Cutlet ~ The perfect snack!!

2009-10-05T20:00:00.005+05:30

Ever since I saw Ria’s post about Chicken Cutlets,I’ve been wanting to make the vegetarian version of it.I’ve never tried making a cutlet before so I was looking for a good,do-able recipe.My friends’ mom made great cutlets,both veg and non-veg.According to Ajay,her Beef cutlets are ‘to-die-for’;).I wasn’t sure how it would taste if I substituted the meat for mashed up veggies.

Recently,while we were in Bangalore,I asked ma-in-law to give me a simple recipe for a cutlet since Ajay so vividly remembers eating up a couple of these as his evening snack during his school days.She smiled and said I was unnecessarily complicating the recipe.It,in fact is a very simple recipe which according to her even a 10 year old can whip up.Now that is a challenge for me,isn’t it?

Though I planned to make it at the next given opportunity,I made it only yesterday.Ajay was doing some work and I wasn’t feeling so sleepy and hence was watching the Sunday movie on a Malayalam channel.I wished someone would make me a piping hot snack with a strong tea to wash it down with.But alas..no such luck.I had to make it myself..:).It tasted simply superb..crispy outside and soft inside..just too good.Ajay had 6 of them..no kidding!!

Vegetable Cutlets

Ingredients

Potatoes – 3,medium
Carrots – 2
Beetroot – 1,medium

Oil – 1 tbsp
Onions – 2,finely chopped
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Maida – 2 tbsp
Bread slices – 10-12
Oil for deep frying

Method

In a pressure cooker,add all the vegetables and cook for 10-15 minutes or till the vegetables cook completely.
Peel the vegetables and mash it well,keep it aside.
In a kadai,add the oil and sauté onions till they turn light brown.
Add the ginger-garlic paste,chilly powder and garam masala and sauté for 2-3 minutes on low flame.
Add the mashed vegetables,salt to taste and mix well.
Keep the flame on low and sauté till the mixture becomes dry.
Transfer to another bowl and let it cool.

Add ½ a cup of water to maida and make a thin paste.
Powder the bread slices in a mixer to make bread crumbs.

Heat oil in a kadai for deep frying the cutlets.[Make sure the oil is really hot before putting in the cutlets].
Make small balls of the vegetable mix and flatten it a little[shape it according to you preference].
Dip it first in the maida-water mix and then roll it in the bread crumbs.
Add the cutlets to the hot oil and fry till they become dark brown on both sides.
Serve hot!!

Vanilla Choco-Chip Pound Cake

2009-10-01T17:15:00.008+05:30

Finally,finally I made it.The pound cake recipe must have been the one which I had bookmarked since ages.Every time some one posts it,I go into a dream and imagine myself eating all of it with no guilt bells ringing behind.Alas,they do and I am back to reality.Somehow,the thought of adding equal amount of butter put me off.I wondered if ever I would be able to take the plunge and do it.

As they say,I overcame the thought and made it after all;).Few days back,we went to a beach resort in Mahabalipuram and I made this for our on-the-way-snack.Though the journey took us only 45 minutes or so,all of us loved the cake very much.[There’s no reason to dislike this wonder-just pure goodness oozing out].Calories shared is calories not earned,so we forgot all about dieting and exercise and gorged on this one.

I saw this recipe first at Deeba’s blog.Though I fell in love with her bundt pan first,the recipe too has been pulling me back with a magic wand.I decided I’d make this when I get a bundt pan of my own.Recently,I hopped on to Purple Foodie’s blog and she had a recipe for the Pound cake which she made in a Loaf tin..now now,that’s something I have.So if you are willing to forget all about diet and weight and calories..this is the one for you.Pure butter heaven:).

On another note-I am on a diet from today and can’t stop dreaming of a pound cake..sigh!!

Vanilla Choco-Chip Pound Cake

Recipe adapted from Deeba & Shaheen

Ingredients

Butter; room temperature - 200gms

Eggs-4,large

Sugar(granular)-1 cup

Flour - 1 ½ cups

Whole-wheat flour - ½ cup

Baking powder - 1tsp

A pinch of salt

Chocolate chips -½ cup

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Method

Grease and flour a loaf tin.

Preheat oven to 175C.

Sift together the two flours, baking powder and salt.

Beat the butter & sugar well till light & fluffy.

Beat in eggs 1 by 1, beating well after each addition

Add the essence.
On low speed, beat in the flour, bit by bit, till well incorporated (4-5 goes).

Fold in the chocolate chips.

Turn into prepared pan and bake for approx 1 hour / till done.

Deeba's tip-If top seems to be getting too brown, loosely cover top with foil until done.

Leave in pan for 10 minutes, and then turn it out on rack to cool completely.

Slice and indulge:)

As I mentined earlier-bake this one and share the calories.Serve it for a tea-party and forget about those guilt pangs.So I am sharing this with Aparna & Meeta for this month's Monthly Mingle where the theme for the month is High-Tea treats.

Indian Cooking Challenge ~ Murukku/Jantikalu

2009-09-30T16:00:00.000+05:30

Murukku/Chakli or Jantikalu was chosen as this month’s dish for Indian Cooking Challenge.A while back,Srivalli had mailed us asking if we had Murukku maker with us.I did have one,but the mail got me thinking.I haven’t attempted making a single deep fried snack till date.Usually,we stay away from deep fried goodies altogether but we keep getting home-made stuff from both our homes.But a challenge was meant to be completed,so I went through the recipe and found it quite easy[read-overconfident].

I attempted it a few days back.I followed the recipe to the T and kept thinking that it was a very easy recipe to follow.Boy,was I wrong!!Everything went smoothly till I started making the dough for the murukku.Somehow,the dough was not coming together but after sometime,I managed to make it.Reality struck when I started to press murukkus from the moulds.I was not getting the shape correct,all I got was murukku bits.I was terribly upset..:(.More so because we were leaving for a short trip for a week and I was not sure if I would be able to attempt it again.

The only thing which made me try it again was the taste of the murukku.Crispy and crunchy and superb tasting.

I mailed my doubts and queries to Srivalli,she responded quickly with few tips and reasons as to where I could have gone wrong.She even asked me to go ahead and post about the murukku bits if couldn’t attempt the whole recipe again.But even before I could take any snaps,the bits were gone..hehe:).So I tried it again today,though I am still not happy with the shape,I saved a few good looking ones for the pics..:)

Indian Cooking Challenge ~ Murukku/Jantikalu

Preparation Time : 20 - 30 mins

Cooking Time : 20 - 30 mins

Makes : app 250 kg of Muruku

Cuisine: Andhra & Tamil Nadu

Utensils needed:

Muruku /Chakli Press.

Kadai

Ingredients Needed:

Raw Rice - 4 cups

Urad Dal - 1 cup

Water - app 1/2 cup or more

For Seasoning

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Sesame seeds- 1 tsp

Asafetida/ Hing - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Butter - 75 gms

Method to prepare:

Wash and drain the rice. Shade dry the Rice for 1/2 hr.

Dry roast the Urad dal to light brown. Allow it to cool.

If you are using more quantity, you can get it ground in rice mil, else use your mixie to grind both Rice and Urad dal.

First grind rice into a fine flour, keep it aside. then grind the urad dal to fine powder.

In a wide vessel, take both the flours along with salt. Mix well.

Add cumin, Sesame seeds to the flour, mix well.

Whether you use Asafetida powder or the solid ones, you got to mix it in water, make sure it is dissolved before adding to the flour. If its not dissolved properly, when deep frying the muruku, there are chances for the hing to burst our due to air bubbles.Mix in the hing to the flour and finally add the butter.

Gather everything well and you will get more of a crumbling mixture.

Now slowly add water and knead a dough which is little more softer than the puri dough.

Heat a kadai with oil enough to deep fry. Once the oil is hot enough, simmer to low flame.

Take the Muruku Aachu, wash and wipe it clean. Then divide the dough into equal balls. Fill the Muruku maker with the dough. You can either press it directly over the flames or press over a paper and gently slide it down the hot oil. But since the quantity mentioned here is less, you can press it directly over the kadai.

Cook over medium flame, using a slotted spoon, turn it over to other side to ensure both sides turn golden colour. You will know by seeing the colour that its cooked.

Remove to a kitchen paper and store it in a air tight container.

This normally stays good for weeks, provided you forget about these which hardly happens!

Chocolate,Banana & Walnut Muffins~Eggless!!

2009-09-16T07:30:00.000+05:30

Ever since I discovered these,ripe-blackened bananas do a detour and go into these muffins rather than the waste bin:).I simply love the banana muffin and end up baking the same at least once in a fortnight.It is much loved by our friends too.They make a beeline and search for my cookie tin or my glass jar,where I usually stock my baked items.

Last few times I bought butter,the whole stuff went rancid.The first one was a local brand and I got it as nothing else was available,two days later I took it out and it smelled awful.It got transferred into a bottle of ghee,still smelt funny.The second batch too,though a branded one had the same fate..hmmm.~~So I haven't been baking much.~~,I got a new batch of butter which is great and I am back to my baking days..YAY!!!

The fruit box was beginning to smell and the ripe bananas were pleading to be used.That’s when I remembered Sunita’s post where she had blogged about Mini-choco-banana-walnut muffins.Her recipes are always a healthy alternatives to the butter-laden ones.I hopped on and was so happy that the recipe used oil instead of butter,honey instead of sugar and atta instead of maida.I was jumping in joy and instantly made the muffins.Used the silicone cupcake moulds that my co-sis bought for me last time from abroad.

I love it when the muffins start to puff up and form a dome.More so when eggless ones puff up.I got 9 regular sized muffins and they were gone in no time.Warm muffins with a dash of chocolate syrup and cold milk..a decadent breakfast..:)

Chocolate,Banana &Walnut Muffins from Sunita's World.

Zebra..in my Cupcake!!

2009-09-14T12:00:00.000+05:30

It was a fun Birthday party on Saturday,had a whale of time.I had really forgotten how it feels to be among kids,being in their company and how fun it is to think from their point of view!!

Vicky,son of our dearest friends cum neighbours’ was celebrating his 7th Birthday on September 12th.He is very special to us,being born the same year we got married,he literally grew up before our eyes.He comes to us when he gets a new toy..to “showoff’,thinks we are of same age and challenges us in games.Ajay enjoys a game of football with him and at the end of it I cant say who is younger of the lot:).

He wanted a Lion King cake for his birthday,hence I decided to bake him a Zebra for company.Made Zebra cupcakes following the same recipe as this.But the outcome was not so Zebra-ish,the looks were more like marble cupcakes.Despite using the smallest spoon,I could put only four spoons,two chocolate and two vanilla each.So the stripes were not quite evident.The cupcakes were gone before you could spell Z-e-b-r-a,so I am not complaining.

Here is the recipe,I made the same quantity and got around 40 regular sized cupcakes.

Mili-Juli Sabji~Mixed Vegetables in Onion-Tomato Gravy

2009-09-11T15:45:00.000+05:30

I am always in search of a good side dish for chapathi.Before,when we did not have chapathi on a daily basis,I used to make different curries,many of them potato based as the side dish.But that doesn’t really serve the purpose now.We stopped having rice to control the calories and having a potato based side dish actually beats the purpose,isn’t it?So I was on a mission-low fat and tasty side dishes,quite an oxymoron I know,but I had to find a company for the otherwise monotonous chapathi.

Sometime back,while I was in Ekm,Ajay had food from one of the North Indian restaurants nearby and had a dish called Vegetable do Pyaza.Ever since he has been asking me to prepare it.In his words it is-a mix of vegetables,cooked to perfection yet crunchy,masala coated vegetables,but the taste was not overpowering.Just the right combination with chapathi..hmm.A difficult feat indeed.He dislikes the usual culprit-Kurma and such curries,so I really was in a soup.

I saw this recipe in my Microwave cookbook.The picture of this dish is what did the trick.Masala coated vegetables,just like he wanted.I did not have many vegetables which were mentioned,but I went ahead and added whatever was there.Though the curry was gravy-ish when I prepared it,but as it cooled down,it became thickish,kind of semi-gravy.Tasted great with some dal and salad on the side.

Mili-Juli Sabji ~ Mixed Vegetables in Onion-Tomato gravy
Recipe source-Nita Mehta’s IFB Microwave cookbook

Ingredients

Carrot – 1,chopped
Beans – 4-5,chopped
Cauliflower – 4-5 florets,chopped
Green peas – ½ - ¾ cup
[Add any vegetables of your choice-Baby corn,Brussel sprouts,Potatoes etc]

Onion Paste[Grind together]

Onion – 1
Cloves – 2
Cardamom – 1,whole

Tomato Paste[Grind together]

Tomatoes – 2
Curd – ¼ cup
Haldi – ¼ tsp
Chilli powder – ½ tsp
Garam masala – ½ tsp
Salt to taste

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method

Cook the vegetables in just enough water till done.[Take care not to over cook]
In a kadai,add the oil and sauté the onion paste till it becomes light brown.
Now add the tomato paste and mix well.
Saute for 5-7 minutes.
Add the cooked vegetables and salt to taste.
Cover and cook till the vegetables are coated with the masala.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Kanji..or is it Rice Porridge??

2009-09-07T16:00:00.002+05:30

Comfort foods mean different things to different people.For me,anything home-cooked[if by amma,all the more good]is comfort food.Having food by hand from a stainless steel plate is something I enjoy to the core.For Ajay,it is Kanji/Rice porridge,without any second thoughts.He cites a very cute incident which happened when he was young,to emphasize his point.He was an active member in the school sports team and used to travel long distance for camps and tournaments with the school team very often.Once,while they were camping in Trivandrum,sick of eating the hotel food,he was taking a walk around their hotel searching for something different.He saw a small restaurant or rather a car garage converted into a restaurant,and ‘the magical word’according to him-“Kanji thayyar”[Rice Porridge ready].

He ate to his heart’s content or so he says:).To this day,I can’t fathom how someone can speak so lovingly about Kanji.

Another event which comes to mind while speaking about Kanji is a festival in our temple in Kayamkulam.After the ten day yearly festival,there is an event called Pejje Nishe[porridge,again;)].Early morning,people flock to the temple to have pej.Sitting pretty on the sand,plaintain leaves are distributed.Making an indent on the sand,leaves are placed properly and then pej is served,topped with chavli human,some upkari and then pickle.Though I am not a big fan of pej/kanji,this is one event I miss attending.Its just too good,tasty beyond words.

So here’s presenting,a very simple fare.

Podiyari Kanji

Podiyari – 1 cup[I used Nirapara Podiyari]
Water – 3-4 cups
Salt to taste

Wash the podiyari well under running water.
Cook with enough water till well cooked.
Retain the water and serve Kanji.

Cherupayar Mezhukkupuratti

Cherupayar/Chavli/Cow peas – ½ cup
Small onions/shallots – 5-6,sliced
Grated coconut – 2 tbsp
Green chilly – 1
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Cook the cow peas till soft and tender.[drain the excess water]
Grind the coconut and green chilly into a coarse paste.
In a kadai,add oil,splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves.
Add the sliced onions and sauté till they turn light brown in color.
Add the ground coconut paste and stir well.
Now add the cooked cow peas and add salt to taste.
Stir till the water[if any] is absorbed and the dish turns dry.

Chuttaracha Chammanthi

Grated coconut – 4-5 tbsp
Red chillies – 1-2
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Tamarind – 1 small piece
Salt to taste

Dry roast all the ingredients together in a kadai till the coconut starts turning light golden brown.[Chuttu-roast]
Remove and keep aside till cool.
Grind to a smooth paste using as little water as possible.[Aracha-ground]
Serve with kanji.

Chutta Pappadam

Roast a papad in an open flame till brown on both sides.Apply a drop of coconut oil.

What is your comfort food??

On another note,thanks to all of you who have passed me Awards.I'll accept it and do the tag soon.Thanks once again:)

Simple Tomato Fry ~ Bachelors Special!!

2009-09-03T12:00:00.000+05:30

Ever since I started the food blog,I’ve been getting different kind of reactions from people.Though some are pleasantly amused,some are downright surprised and some are..well you know,not chosing to react.The one lot I am quite fond of are my bachelor readers.Some of them feel it is torture to go through the recipes[in terms of home-sickness silly,not otherwise:)],some feel the recipes are quite sophisticated and not-doable for the bachelors.I’ve been asked to cook dishes that suit their palate,but easy..maximum 2 or 3 ingredients.

There are quite a few dishes which I cook on a daily basis which are just that.Simple,easy and not many ingredients.But I don’t think they are blog-worthy.You know,all those simple stuff which tastes awesome but lack the points lookswise.

Few days back while I was raiding the fridge,I saw quite a lot of tomatoes threatening to wrinkle.I had to act fast and how!I remembered I had bought some extra last time to make oven-roasted tomatoes,a recipe I saw on Tarla Dalal’s magazine-Cooking & more,which of course didn’t happen.So I made this ever-so-simple Tomato Fry with Chapathis which disappeared before the chapathis did.So my dear bachelor friends,get some rotis,or even bread from the supermarket and make this tomato fry and see your home-sickness disappear..at least for a while:).

Simple Tomato Fry
Recipe adapted from Lakshmi Nair-Magic Oven

Ingredients[Serves 4]

Tomatoes – 3
Onions – 3
Kashmiri chilly powder – 1 tbsp[1 tsp,if using normal chilly powder]
Tomato sauce – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard – ½ tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coriander leaves-to garnish

Method

Chop tomatoes and onions into thin rings.
In a kadai,add oil and splutter mustard seeds.
Add chopped onions and curry leaves and sauté till they slightly start to brown.
Meanwhile mix red chilly powder and tomato sauce with the chopped tomatoes.
Add this to the sautéed onions,add salt to taste and mix well.
Add 2-3 tbsps of water,mix well and close with a lid.
Cook on simmer for 5 minutes.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot!

Happy Onam!!

2009-09-02T13:00:00.001+05:30

Wishing you all a very Happy and Prosperous Onam!!

Indian Cooking Challenge~Vinayaka Chathurthi Special!!

2009-08-31T07:00:00.001+05:30

When Srivalli announced the dishes for this month's challenge,I was a bit skeptical.She said lets plan someting big for Vinayaka Chathurthi and hence make dishes around the theme.I was going through the dishes mentioned and there I saw it...Modaks..I know Lord Ganesha and Modaks are synonymous with each other but..you know,I can never get the consistency right for the modaks and every year I end up saying sorry to Him for not making Modaks.So I was in a tiff whether to attempt the challenge.

Last week,during Vinayaka Chathurthi,I attempted it after all.I was tensed and followed the recipe to the T.While shaping it I was literally praying aloud[for a change not yelling:)].Though the shape came out well[I even got the pleats right!!],the top half was a bit hard and became harder on cooling.So I decided I would attempt it again.A challenge can't be taken so lightly,can it??I donned my apron again yesterday.Made both Ladoo and Modaks.Though the modaks came pretty well this time,while cooling down,the same problem arose,they became kind of hard and chewy.Though there were only one or two left:).Did you guys have that problem or was it only me.If so can you please suggest any tips how to keep them soft??

Sesame Ladoo was something I have never tried making.I followed Srivalli's recipe-the easiest recipe I have come across.Though while binding the laddoo,I cheated and added a few sprinkles of water,rest I followed the exact recipe:).

Kudumulu (Modak)

Ingredients

Rice Flour - 1½ cups

Water - 3 cups

Salt to taste

Filling

Grated coconut - 3 tbsp

Jaggery - 3 tbsp

Cardamom powder a pinch

Method to prepare

In a bowl, take the flour and make a smooth paste with enough water. This is to ensure, you don't get lumps when you cook the flour.

Boil the rest of the water in a pan with salt. Once it starts boiling, add the rice flour mix. and cook. Making sure there are no lumps.Add 1 tsp of oil and keep stirring.

Remove when it forms as solid with the sides leaving. Remove and cover with a damp cloth so that it remains hot.

For the filling, grate coconut. and mix jaggery. Cook in a pan to get an thick texture. Divide into required shapes

For the kudumulu, smear your hands with oil so that rice flour doesn't stick to your hands. Take a ball size of lemon, press in middle so that in middle it is thick and fill with fillings. Close the dough and make it shaped as drop.

Once everything is done, steam it for 10 mints.

Nugul-untallu~Sesame Laddoo

Ingredients

Sesame seeds - 100 gms

Grated Jaggery - 4-5 tbsp

Method

Wash Sesame seeds well and dry them under sun.

Dry roast them in a tawa and let them cool.

Once they are cool, take about 2 - 3tbsp of grated or powdered jaggary and run in a mixie.

The amount of jaggery normally depends on the formation of laddoo. When you make a laddoo, it should stay in shape. Then you know the amount is enough. Also it depends on the fineness of the sesame powder. When you run in mixie, it becomes little oily which will help in holding the laddo shape.For about 100 gms of Sesame seeds,use some 3 tbsp of Jaggery.

Wishing all of you a very Happy Vinayaka Chathurthi!!

Steamed Chocolate Cake!!

2009-08-30T09:45:00.000+05:30

I did my schooling in a Convent school and majority of my friends were from the Christian community.During Easter and Christmas[more so during Xmas],my friends brought along Cakes,Brownies and such other baked stuff to school.Mostly homemade and needless to say,delicious as well.I used to go home and ask amma why she did not bake and why can’t we use eggs at home to make baked goodies and why she only makes Nankhatai and not cakes.I sure was a nasty kid:).I overlooked the fact that she made the best chips,best sweets[not baked though] and so many varieties of snack back to back for us three ever-hungry-for-a-snack kids:)

During my learning-to-cook phase,though I tried cooking different stuff,baking was a no-no,since we did not have an oven and most importantly,amma wouldn’t allow cooking with eggs:).But I still wanted to make or rather bake a cake.During that time Pillsburry introduced Pressure Cooker cakes.I promptly bought one packet only to discover later that we needed to add eggs,oil and water to it.Shucks..what to do.Me and bro decided it is “okay’ to skip the eggs and went ahead with the cake.What we got in the end was a denser than a brownie cake and no prizes for guessing where it went after the tasting session..:).

Recently,I came across a recipe by Lakshmi Nair[of Magic Oven fame]which was a simple steamed Chocolate Cake.Though initially the recipe reminded me of the Pressure cooker cake:),I went ahead with the recipe.The cake tasted excellent..moist and chocolatey.I poured some chocolate syrup on top and decorated it with some sprinkles.Thanks to her..:)
Steamed Chocolate Cake
Recipe adapted from Lakshmi Nair’s Cookbook-Paachakakala

Ingredients

Maida/Flour – 1 cup
Cocoa powder – 4 tbsp
Powdered sugar – 1 cup
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Baking soda – ½ tsp
Salt – a pinch
Milk – 1 cup
Vinegar – 1 tbsp
Egg – 1
Melted butter – 1 tsp
Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

Method

Add the vinegar to milk and mix well with a spoon,leave it aside for 15 minutes[after a few minutes,milk will start to curdle and become sour milk]
Sieve together maida,cocoa,baking powder,baking soda and salt twice.
Beat together powdered sugar and egg.
Add the essence and keep beating.
Add the melted butter.
Now add the flour-mix and the sour milk alternately in three batches till you get a smooth lump-free batter.
Grease a baking tin and pour the batter in it.Cover tightly using aluminium foil so that the steam does not escape.
Steam the cake for 45 minutes.[I used a steamer].
Invert from the tin and pour some chocolate syrup on top and add sprinkles.
Let it cool completely.
Slice and serve!! My niece Raksha is celebrating her birthday today.Happy Birthday Rakshu darling.♥Love ♥ you lots!!

Here’s a sneak peek at the test cake my vanni prepared for her birthday.

Tandoori Paneer,Roasted Capsicum&Corn Pizza!!

2009-08-28T10:30:00.000+05:30

"What to make for dinner??"A question which pops up before me every day.Ever since I started having rotis for lunch,I detest making them again for dinner.Rice is a no-no and so is rice-based items and sadly I end up making rotis itself.Its been a while since we ordered food from outside or dined out,thanks to the Swine flu,but to be frank,we did not miss it much[dining out that is,NOT Swine flu:)].

We have not been great fans of Pizza.Once in a while we do have the urge and we order from Dominos,be the perfect couch potatoes and curl up in front of the tv.Thats it.Off late I have been saying No to Ajay’s offer for a pizza takeaway ever since I saw an ad for a pizza that is loaded heavily with cheese-not the normal one[that is tempting],the one which only has cheese..umm,I am not sure I want that!!I have made Pizza once long back and loved it but have not recreated the magic again.

Then comes the dessert queen with her Pizza,not one but two of them back to back.I had bookmarked the first one and planned to make it this weekend.But no,she tempted me too much with this one.While I was going through the post,I was thinking of a veggie alternative to the Tandoori chicken sausage and Paneer was chosen unanimously..by me:).

We ♥ed it..;).I made it almost low-fat..quite an oxymoron,can pizza ever be low-fat???Chose a whole wheat base and pressed the break button while grating the cheese.The topping was spectacular,paneer was soft,roasted capsicum tasted smoking hot and the sweet corn gelled perfectly with the rest of the ingredients.

Tandoori Paneer,Roasted Capsicum &Corn Pizza
Recipe adapted from Ria [made the topping vegetarian]

Ingredients

Base - 1 no , I made a whole wheat base following this recipe
Topping- Tandoori Paneer, Roasted Bell Pepper and Sweet corn kernels
Pizza Sauce- 2 ½ tbsp
Cheese- 100 gms ,grated

For the topping

Tandoori Paneer
Paneer- 100 gms,cut into thin squares
Tandoori Masala- 1½ tsp [I used Everest Tandoori Masala]
Red Chilli Flakes- 1 tsp
Salt- ¼ tsp
Curd- 1 tsp
Oil-2 tsp

Method
Marinate paneer cubes with tandoori masala, red chilli flakes,salt and curd for 30 mins.
Heat oil in a pan and saute the paneer till done.
Reserve.

Roasted Bell Pepper
Bell Pepper- 1 no.
Hold the pepper using a fork and roast it over the flame till the skin gets blackened.
Rub the black skin off and discard the seeds.
Cut them into bite sized portions.

Assembling the Pizza
Roll out the pizza base as directed here.
Spread 1½ tbsp of Pizza sauce over it.
Sprinkle roasted bell pepper, 3-4 tbsp of sweet corn kernels and sautéed Paneer.

Spread another 1 tbsp of sauce over it.
Grate the cheese over it as even as you can.

I sprinkled some oregano on top of the cheese.
Bake them in a pre-heated oven ( at the max.temp) for 10-12 mins.
Cut into wedges and serve!

I ~~didn't~~ couldn't take more pics as ~~I was hungry~~there was no proper lighting in the kitchen and ~~I was yearning for a bite~~ it was getting late:):):).

♥ed each and every bite of it.Thanks Ria,you are a ♥darling♥!!

Sugar Diamonds ♥No can eat just one♥

2009-08-26T08:50:00.001+05:30

While chatting with a friend lately,I was asked how I got transformed into a "cook" from a bubbly teenager.I haven't,[age,yes but not the cooking part:)].There are days when I literally drag myself into the kitchen to cook something.Cooking is not "all" I do,but no,if I say I have a food blog,some people think all I do is cooking,far from that actually:).

Cooking,or the love for cooking should come naturally.For instance,when I am at home[Ekm] and I ask amma the recipe for something,she prefers to cook it for me rather than simply give the recipe.I just can't imagine myself doing that:).I can even write it and give,but no cooking;).My aunt[amma's younger sis]has the same habit[birds of the same feather flock together;)].When I was in Kerala,and she was home,I asked her the recipe for Godsani ronti/Godi Thukdi a.k.a,Sugar diamonds and she said-'oh,its very easy-lets make it now'.Though the blogger in me was very happy since I got to take pics and all that,I was amused at the energy level they had.If I had at least 10% of that,I guess it'll drive away my laziness forever:)

Sugar diamonds are very popular as a sweet and crunchy snack.Usually,a recipe search for the same would give you recipes which uses eggs as a binding agent for the dough.Here is a simple eggless recipe which you can whip up in less than 30 minutes:).

Sugar Diamonds

Ingredients

Maida/Flour - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Water - a little,to knead the dough
Oil - for frying
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Cardamom - 2-3

Method

Mix together maida and salt.
Add water little by little and knead into a stiff dough.
Make 7-8 balls of the same size and keep aside.
Roll each ball into a thin chapathi.
Using a cutter[or a knife]cut diamond shapes.
Deep fry in hot oil till crisp[not brown].
Powder the sugar with the cardamom.
Mix the powdered sugar into the hot diamonds swiftly,but take care not to break it.
Shake it a little so that the sugar is coated all around.
Store in an airtight container.

Modak for Lord Ganesha~Happy Vinayaka Chathurthi!!

2009-08-23T06:00:00.007+05:30

Wishing you all a very Happy Vinayaka Chathurthi!!!

There’s festival spirit all around and people are gearing up to celebrate the festival season with this one being the first of the lot after “Aadi/Karkadakom/Aashada” month.I can’t wait too..:).Today is “Athachamayam” too ie the first day for adorning houses with Pookalam for Onam.Diet/exercise days,please go and take a break..I am going to forget you for a while..;)

Vinayaka Chathurthi was a very special festival for us children,mainly in terms of the food[sweets,rather]that was offered as naivedyam.We looked forward to the Modak,Kozhukkatais and all the yummy sweets that were offered to Lord Ganesha.

Modak to us is a fried sweet with plaintains and rice flour/maida.I am sure many of you are nodding your heads in disbelief,but it’s a fact.The other one,was Kozhukkatta.I remember,during our first Vinayaka Chathurthi after marriage,I told Ajay that I’ll make Modaks.He was excited as it was his favorite sweet.After the pooja,when I gave him the same,he asked me where is THE modak..:).For him,there is only one modak and that is the one with Choorna[coconut-jaggery filling] inside.

I always have a tiff with the Ukadiche Modak[that seems to be an apt name] as I never get the consistency right for the outer covering and end up making patholi.

So presenting my version of Modak:)

Modak for Lord Ganesha

Ingredients

Ripe plantains – 2
Maida/Rice flour – ½ cup[Use either maida or rice flour]
Salt – a pinch
Sugar – 2 tsp
Cardamom powder – 1 tsp
Ghee for frying[I used coconut oil]

Method

Mash the plantains well.
Add sugar,salt,maida/rice flour and powdered cardamom.
Mix well to form a dough-the consistency would be like a sticky chapathi dough.
Heat oil/ghee in a frying pan and drop small spoonfuls of batter.
Deep fry till it becomes light brown.
Offer to Lord Ganesha and then serve:)

Sending this to Purva for the celebration of Ganesh Chathurthi Festive event.

Pav Bhaji ~ Street food at its best!!

2009-08-20T16:30:00.003+05:30

My first introduction to chaat was in a small make-shift cart which sold chaats,called "Yadav Chaat-wala".But even then,the last thing my dad would let us do was to stand on the road-side and devour chaats..;).So my bro used to pack it and bring it home hiding it from appa.Of course,he found out eventually,but then he disliked we having food from roadside anyway.After a while,Bombay Chaats[as it was/is populary known as]was available in restaurants and we went berserk ordering it everytime we went to "Canopy" a popular restaurant in Ernakulam below Abad Plaza.

Once,while having a plate full of Pani puri in Bangalore,I happened to see something-I wouldn't go into the detail of what I saw,but that made me off-chaats for a long long time.I know cleanliness and hygiene is least expected when it comes to chaats..but still.After that incident,chaat to me was Pav bhaji,I was put off all chaat items except Pav bhaji[Thank God for small mercies;)].

I have got over the off-chaat phase now and will jump at the opportunity to have it,but I am more careful now and have it only from places where I know a basic level of hygiene is maintained.

I came across these super soft Pav buns yesterday and I had to buy it to make Pav bhaji.Some day,I would like to make home-made pav buns too..but thats for another post..hmm..later;).

Pav-Bhaji

Ingredients

Pav buns – 4[store-bought]

For the bhaji

Onions – 2,chopped fine
Tomatoes – 2,chopped fine
Potatoes – 2,cubed
Carrot – 1,cubed
Cauliflower – 2-3 florets,chopped
Capsicum – ½ of 1 big,chopped

Oil – 1 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp
Red chilly powder – 1 tbsp
Pav bhaji Masala – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves – a handful
Butter- for greasing the pav and garnishing the bhaji

Method

Steam/boil the vegetables till well cooked and keep aside.
In a kadai,add oil and sauté onions along with the ginger garlic paste till the onions become translucent.
Add the tomatoes and keep sautéing,till the tomatoes become soft.
Add chilly powder,pav bhaji masala and salt and mix well.
Now add the steamed/boiled vegetables.
Mix well till everything comes together,add more water if required.
Mash the vegetables well using a potato masher or with the back of a spoon.
Add a dash of butter and a handful of freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Check out the melting butter on top of the bhaji...yumm..I ♥ it..:)

To serve

In a pan,add some butter and lightly warm/roast the pav on both sides.
Serve hot with bhaji,chopped onions and a slice of lemon.

Few awards,a Tag,some info and just bla BLA bla!!

2009-08-19T10:15:00.003+05:30

Let me warn you before hand,there's no recipe to share today.Now before you go "nahiiiiiiii" like a Bollywood heroine,let me assure,I might just add a food pic or a recipe below this post[there..I got you interested,didn't I?]

Its been a while since I did a non-recipe post here[I have too many recipes to share,I guess:)].I have been showered with awards and tagged too by few of my blogger friends and after a slight nudge,[ok,reminder] from one of those,I felt I have to give that sweet gesture its due credit and here I am with an exclusive post just for that:).

Ria of Ria's Collection-my tweet partner/confidante,Ramya of Simple Vegetarian recipes,Minu of Chettinad Fiesta,Mandira of Baking Buddies and Kanchan of Kitchen Gossip have passed on these sweet awards to me.Thank you folks,I feel as happy as a three year old who got her candy..Love ya people..:)

Prasu of Prasu's Kitchen and Sireesha of Mom's recipes have passed on these.Thank you so much and I appreciate the gesture..:)

Now on to the Tag-

1.What is your current obsession?
Baking has been an obsession for the last few months and then Twitter..:)

2. What are you wearing today?
A salwar kameez

3.What's for dinner?[I am doing the tag now,so whats for Breakfast would be more appropriate:)]

Idiyappam and Stew.

4. What’s the last thing you bought?
Some baking stuff-Chocolate slabs,Choco chips and baking tray

5. What are you listening to right now?
I like the songs from the latest Hindi movie Kaminay--dhan tana..;)

6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?
I've been tagged by a wonderful bunch of food bloggers..:)

7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?
Good ol' Ernakulam[count this too,I am obsessed about that place..;)]

8. What are your must-have pieces for summer?
I have summer all year through in Chennai...sigh.So cotton clothes..mostly salwars,FabIndia Kurtis..the works..;)

9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Since Ernakulam would sound repetitive,I would say Bangalore??[yeah,I am quite boring;)]

10. Which language do you want to learn?
Sweet Marathi..:)

11. Who do you want to meet right now?
Ammaaaaa:)

12. What is your favorite colour?
Pink..:)

13. What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?
My Sarees are precious,my favorites would be the cute t-shirts I recently got..:)

14. What is your dream job?
A Baker..??:)

15. What’s your favourite magazine?
Anything which would keep me occupied..Readers Digest & Good Housekeeping tops the list.

16. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?
I would use it to spend a nice and cozy dinner with hubby and probably buy something for him too..;)

17. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?
Wearing a size too small..!!

18. Who are your style icons?
My teen icon was Karisma Kapoor,I loved the way she dressed[post Raja Hindustani:)]

19. Describe your personal style?
Comfortable yet trendy clothes which suit me:)

21. What are your favourite movies?
I just cant pick one..

22. Give us three styling tips that always work for you:
Kajal,lipgloss and a comb..always does wonders..:)

23. Coffee or tea?
Coffee..:)

24. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?
Cry for a while[YES] and then talk it out with hubby[that always works for me],he is my punchbag and counselor..:)

25. What is the meaning of your name?
Spiritual..:)

26. Which other blogs you love visiting?
Soooooo many to chose..:)

27. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?
Chocolate cake with Ice-cream..;)

28. Favorite Season?
Rainy season..;)

29.Which is your dream destination?
Paris

30.Mandira's additional question-What is the one dish that you have tried and tried and still now managed to get right?

Butter Cookies..any which way I make them-without measuring-I sometimes eyeball the measurements,still it comes out perfect..:)

Some info-

I've been getting lots of mails/scraps regarding information about my baking and the stuff I use.Though I do not consider myself an authority to answer all those questions since I am a beginner baker myself,I feel if my answers help people to start baking effortlessly,then my job is done.

First and foremost - The oven I use- I bake in my IFB Microwave Oven.Initially,I did the baking in the microwave mode,but later on I started baking in the convection mode and I have got perfect results,almost like a normal baking oven.I have heard people say that baking is uneven[esp Cakes] while it is done in the MW,but I have never encountered such a problem.

Baking tins I use- I normally use metal tins for baking.Glass dishes don't work so well while baking in the convection mode.It always helps if you grease and line the pan before baking cakes.

Baking chocolate I use - I have not much experimented with this.I've used them to make chocolate flakes and then recently made ganache,thats all.I use a brand called Marco.It is a cheap alternative to the regular baking chocolates.However,if the recipe requires you to melt the chocolate and all that,best is to go for Morde or Selbourne.

Butter I use - I almost always use Aavin butter[unsalted] for all my baking needs.If not,Amul or even Nilgiris brand of butter works well.But Aavin is better and economical:).

Cream/Whipping cream I use - We only get Amul cream here,so can't much experiment with that one.It is hard to whip Amul to peak stage,but if the climate is cool and you chill the cream,the bowl,beater blades etc,you'll get near perfect results.I recently purchased a whipping cream powder which works like magic.Its hard to go back to Amul:).For ganache however,Amul works best.

Flour & other stuff I use - I use Maida or all purpose flour since self raising flour or cake flour is hard to find here.I use any brand,whichever is available-no brand favorites here.Baking powder is Weikfield and baking soda is a loose packet from Nilgiris-make sure you replace it every month-better if you buy it in small quantities.

Photo editing tool I use - Picasa and always Picasa.I believe I take below-average pics[:)]and I take help from Picasa to make them look appealing.Just google for help on how to use picasa and you'll get each and every info you need.Mail me if you need any more tips..;)

I hope it helps..:)

Now,here is the food pic I tempted you with in the first line.Food pics from a Cooking class I recently attended.I am still to try the recipes at home though..:)

Homemade Banana Chips~Happy Krishnashtami!!

2009-08-13T20:00:00.000+05:30

Wishing you all a very Happy Krishnashtami!!

I find it strange that many people celebrate this festival on different dates.I hear,in North it is celebrated tomorrow and in Kerala it is in September.Lucky Krishna,gets to celebrate His birthday so many times in a year..:).As I’ve mentioned before,Krishnashtami is celebrated in full fun and fervor in our place since we stay quite close to a Krishna temple and we have poojas at home as well.I am missing it all this year too..sigh!!

Last week,we celebrated "Suthan Punnav",or "Avani avittom" as it is commonly known as.It is a yearly ceremony of changing the sacred thread-"Jannave/poonnool".We celebrated it a day later[On Thursday],the day we reached Ekm.Amma had made typical Konkani festival fare.We had Hittu,Soi bhajil ghashi &Surna Adgai for breakfast and Dudhiya alchikeri&Kellya ambat for lunch.We celebrate Rakhi/Raksha bandhan on the same day so some more goodies were on the cards..:)

Ashtami/Krishnashtami is one festival where sisters have special preference.We have a custom called "Phallar divche",which is basically a gift for the married sister by the brother[s].It is given to the sister few days before Ashtami.Usually,the phallar contains homegrown vegetables,fruits and then some sweets and yes,money for the sister.Amma makes sure she packs her home made goodies along with the phallar.The main attraction is no doubt,her Banana chips.Tastes simply superb and this time,I made sure I helped her out with the preparation.

I did much more than taking the pics,I swear!!

Banana Chips

Ingredients

Raw Banana[Naadan nendrapazham] – 2 kg
Coconut oil – 1 litre
Salt – 4 tbsp
Haldi – 1 tbsp
Water-as required

Method

Wash and peel the bananas.Keep them in a bowl of water to which a tbsp haldi is added-this prevents the bananas from getting sticky.

Wipe them dry with a kitchen towel and keep aside.
Mix haldi and salt-add 3-4 tbsps of water and make a thin paste.

In a kadai,add oil and wait till it becomes hot.

Using a mandoline,slice the bananas directly into the hot oil.[Or slice it very thin using a sharp knife].
Stir once so that they don’t stick together-but don’t keep stirring or else it will become oily.
Add 1-2 tbsps of haldi-salt water into the oil.
Keep the flame on high and wait till the chips become yellow and crispy.

Drain them into absorbent paper.
Let cool and then store in an airtight container.
Crunch and munch..!!

Veg Pulao

2009-08-11T16:45:00.001+05:30

Feeling lazy?..make Pulao.Too much work during a get-together party?make Biryani or rather,..feel like eating something tasty but no time?make pressure-cooker pulao!!There’s nothing like a Pulao or Biryani to save you time on a busy day.Though it is often associated with lots of prep work and stuff,like many other dishes,this one too has got many easier versions.

Hubby is not too fond of the Veg variations of pulao and keeps raving about the Non-veg Biryani and how much I am missing it and stuff..I stuff tablespoons of pulao with lots of vegetables in my mouth and tell him that I am more than happy to be eating it all by myself..;).

A while back,we were invited for dinner at a dear friends’ place.R,is a very good cook and she had prepared Veg Pulao for us along with some other goodies.Though reluctantly,hubby put some in his plate and I saw him relishing it.Before we left from there,he asked me to get the recipe from her and make it for him..hmmm.Though there was much scope for some”I told you so”moments,I noted down the recipe instead and made it for him..We ♥ed it absolutely.Thank you R for a simple and tasty recipe!!

Veg Pulao

Ingredients

Basmati rice – 1 cup[I used normal Sona Masuri rice]

Mixed vegetables –
Carrot – 1,chopped
Beans – 3-4,chopped
Green peas – about ¼ cup
Onions – 2,chopped

Ghee/oil[or a mix of both ] – 4 tbsp

Mixed nuts – Cashewnuts & Raisins – a handful

Whole spices – crushed a little
Cinnamon – 1’ stick
Cloves – 3-4
Cardamom – 2 pods

Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Salt to taste

Method

Wash the rice well,drain and keep aside.
In a pressure cooker/pan,add 2 tbsp ghee/oil and fry the cashewnuts and raisins till they turn brown in colour-drain and keep aside.
Add the remaining ghee/oil and fry the onions.
Add the crushed whole spices & the ginger garlic paste and sauté well for a minute.
Add the powders-red chilly powder,coriander powder and haldi and mix well.
Now add the vegetables and salt to taste.
Mix in the drained rice and add 2 cups of water*.
Close the pressure cooker and cook for exactly 2 whistles.
Wait for about 10 minutes-open the cooker and fluff with a fork.
Granish with the fried nuts.
Serve hot with papad and raita.
*For basmati rice,add 1 ½ cups of water for 1 cup rice.

Chocolate Orange Gateau

2009-08-05T16:00:00.006+05:30

It was on Friday late-afternoon that hubby called me up and told me that we were having a get-together on Saturday night at a friends’ house to celebrate his wife’s birthday.Along with some dishes,I was requested to bake the Birthday Cake:)!!Though my heart did a leap at the prospect of a new baking experiment,it started pressing the panic button too soon at the thought of serving the cake to the guests-which btw included hubby’s boss and wife!!

When in doubt-twitter..I know that mantra works all the time.The thought of having a helping hand a tweet away is a pleasure we tweeters enjoy.”Tweet tweet”,I got Ria as my Guru.Poor thing,she kept giving me ideas after ideas,but I was too scared to try out something new and something elaborate.She then suggested Deeba’s Chocolate Orange gateau,which she had tried out recently and got rave reviews from friends and family.Though that sounded quite a tough task to achieve for a limited baker like me,I calmed down and went through the recipe slowly.It wasn’t too hard after all..:)

I baked the cake immediately,lest I change my mind later.Then one by one I went about making the filling and the frosting.Since the birthday was a day later,I had lots of time to re-do if at all things went wrong[which,Thank God was not required].

The cake was a breeze to make.[Now I can say this..but while making it I was jumping up and down the floor in tension].Whipping the cream was a tough task,but I was very patient[for a change]and got the required results.Making the ganache was the easiest step-I really don’t know why I kept shying away from ganache all this while.Ganache frosted cakes..here I come..:).

Transporting the cake was another hiccup.I placed it on my lap and the AC was on full blast lest the frosting decide to do a melting game.But nothing like that happened and I was able to present the cake to the birthday girl-lady in its proper avatar.The cake was ♥ed by all,chilled to perfection and the flavours gelled with each other,one of my best cakes so far-lookswise and tastewise.

Changes I made-
I cut the cake into two[was too chicken to attempt 3-4 layers].
Skipped the almond paste in the whipped cream.
Mixed some leftover ganache with the whipped cream and went crazy piping swirls and designs and what not.

Take my word for it and bake it for your friends family or why,even for yourself.If I can make it look like this,believe me,anyone can!!

Thanks to Deeba for the wonderful recipe and Ria for the required push..:).♥ ya peeps:).

Chocolate Orange Cloud Gateau
Recipe adapted from Mandarin Orange Cloud Gateau by Sue Ross, pg 17;Re-adapted from Deeba.

Ingredients

Plain flour - 150gms (1/2 cup + 1/8 cup)

Cornflour - 25gms (1/8 cup)

Baking powder - 2 tsps

Pinch of salt

Icing Sugar - 150gms ( 1/2 cup + 1/8 cup)

Oil - 5 tbsps (I used sunflower oil)

Water - 5 tbsps

Eggs - 3 / separated

Zest of 1 orange

Orange juice - 1 tbsp

Filling

Whipping Cream - 200ml
Almonds - 3 tbsp (ground)-I did not add this
Castor sugar - 2-3 tbsps

Ganache

Cream - 150 ml (15% fat)
Dark chocolate - 150gms / broken into pieces
Some extra chocolate for garnishing (grated, scrolls etc)
Silver dragees, orange slices, powdered sugar etc for garnishing.

Method

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C. Line an 8" springform tin. (the original recipe uses 2 8" sandwich tins)-I used a normal 8' cake tin.
Sift the cornflour + flour + baking powder + salt + icing sugar (yes, it's correct) into a mixing bowl.
Beat the egg whites till they stand in soft peaks & keep aside.
Lightly beat the oil + water + yolks together & stir into the dry ingredients.
Beat until smooth, & stir in the juice & zest.
Fold the whites gently into the yolk mixture.
Turn into lined tin & bake for about 45 minutes till well risen & golden brown. Check if it is done with a wooden pick.( Slide a sheet of foil lightly over the top if it begins to brown too fast).
Leave in tin for 10 minutes, & then cool completely on rack.
Once cool, cut into 2 or 3 layers.

Filling

Whip the cream + sugar till firm. Whisk in the ground almonds.
Reserve a little cream for the topping, & sandwich the layers with the rest.

Ganache

Put the cream & dark chocolate into a pan heat over low heat till all the chocolate has melted, stirring constantly. Stir well, & leave to cool.
Frost the sides & top of the cake with the ganache.
Decorate the top with grated chocolate curls & pipe a design with the reserved almond cream.
Top with a few slices of orange, chocolate shavings & silver dragees etc.
Dust with some powdered sugar.

Chill well & serve right out of the fridge! This gateau doesn't need to sit at room temperature for a while; it's great! -Believe me,it truly is!!

[Am off to Kerala for a while,so will be MIA for a couple of days.Till then,all of you take care and have fun..Happy blogging;)]