Kitchen Simmer

Spicy Pork Curry

2024-01-16T11:57:00.002-05:00

I have always been a curry lover. Even when I was just a little girl, spicy curry always made my mouth start to water. I love to eat it with a rice and curry meal or even simply with some toasted roti or naan. This is a very spicy version of pork curry. Hence the word "fiery" in the title. Now of course, the spice level and chili is always to your taste so if you want to hold back on some of that fire... just add some paprika with the chili powder to tame the flames.

This pork curry is my mother's recipe. I think she makes the best Sri Lankan curry around, so when I want authentic curry I always trust her recipes and cooking advice.

This time around I made one small change from my mother's recipe. She adds vinegar to her recipe, but I decided to add a can of tomato sauce instead so I could really get a fiery color. Actually, using the tomato sauce is something she does with chicken curry so I thought why not add it to the pork. Either way, the tomato sauce or the vinegar is used as an acid in the curry and both will give you the same results. Just use what ingredients you have on hand.

I am happy to say that I have passed on my love for spicy curry to my two kids. They dived into this curry with some toasted naan and a fried egg for breakfast... Yup breakfast!

All I can say is this curry is a must try if you want to eat some spicy Sri Lankan pork curry.

Ingredients:

21/2 pounds pork

Pork marinade

8 oz can tomato sauce (or 2 Tbs cider vinegar)
2 Tbs of Red Chili Powder or to taste **(see note below)
2 Tbs of Roasted Curry Powder
1 tsp of Turmeric
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs of grated garlic cloves
2 Tbs of grated ginger

Aromatics:

2 stalks of lemongrass bruised
1 cinnamon stick
20-30 curry leaves
pandan leaves
1 large onion chopped
2-3 green chilies (serrano) chopped
1tsp of fenugreek seeds
6-7 cardamom pods
6-7 cloves

Gravy ingredients:
1 cup water (you can add 1/2 cup more water if you want more gravy)
1 cup coconut milk
red chili powder to taste
salt to taste

Directions:

I used 21/2lbs of lean pork chops for this recipe cut into 1 inch cubes. I cut around the bone of the chop and including the bone in the cooking for great flavor. You can also use pork loin.

Step 1: Cut the pork and marinate it for 30 minutes or up to over-night.

Step 2: Heat 3 Tbs of oil in a large pan or pot on medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, fry the listed aromatics for several minutes with a little bit of salt.

Step 3: Now add the marinated pork and fry with the aromatics for 3-5 minutes until the pork browns.Keep stirring so nothing burns.

We decide (just by the color) that it did not look spicy enough for us so we added another 1Tbs of red chili powder. This step is of course optional. The red chili powder gives you the reddish color to the dish. If you have a very strong brand of chili powder you can use less chili powder. You may have a more brown dish, but it all tastes good. : ).

Step 4: Add 1 cup water to the pan and allow to simmer on medium heat for 30-45 minutes with a lid on on medium heat. Stir occasionally. The pork should produce more liquid, if it does become too dry you can add a little more water.

Once the pork is cooked through and a "reddish-brown" color, add 1 cup of coconut milk or regular cow's milk and stir well. Taste for seasoning here. You can adjust the salt if necessary. You can also add more chili powder. ** if the dish happens to be too spicy for you, you can add more milk to dilute some of the spiciness.

Simmer for another 5 minutes and give your final taste for salt and seasoning. If you adjust anything here, simmer for another few minutes. If not, you can turn off the stove at this point. Your pork curry is done.

Serves 6-8 people. Serve with white/brown rice and mild lentil curry or other vegetable curries. You can also serve this with fried rice, roti, chapathi, naan etc... Enjoy.

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Kitchen Simmer formerly known as Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Chorizo and Cornbread Dressing (Stuffing)

2023-10-20T11:15:00.007-04:00

Chorizo and Cornbread Dressing (Stuffing)

Recipe by Ramona from Kitchen Simmer

Ingredients:

Cornbread:

3 boxes Jiffy corn muffins prepared according to package instructions. Make the cornbread the day before so you have plenty of time to get the cornbread dried out and firm enough for the dressing the next day.

Chorizo and Herb Mixture:

1lb Mexican style Chorizo sausage

2 cups diced celery

2 cups diced onions

1 cup diced red bell pepper

2-3 jalapeno peppers finely diced

1 tsp granulated garlic

1 tsp poultry seasoning

salt and black pepper to taste

red chili flakes - to taste

1 Tbs finely minced fresh sage

2 tsp finely minced fresh rosemary

2 tsp finely minced fresh thyme

1 tsp chicken bullion powder (I used Knorr brand chicken bullion powder)

1 cup chicken stock (or more as needed)

Directions:

Step 1: Make cornbread per package instructions. Bake on a parchment lined baking pan at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until done. Turn oven off. Then cut cornbread into small cubes. Tip: I used a pizza cutter to cut it directly on the baking pan. Break apart and put it back into the warm oven (that is off) overnight to dry out and become hard.

Step 2: Heat a large pot on medium high heat and brown chorizo sausage. Then add the onion, celery, bell pepper and jalapeno peppers. Cook for several minutes until vegetables become soft.

Step 3: Lower to medium heat and add fresh herbs, red chili flakes, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, chicken bouillon powder and black pepper. Then add chicken stock. Cook for 5 minutes. Finally add the day old cubed cornbread and toss with chorizo/veggie mixture. If you need, add a little more chicken stock to get the desired texture. You can serve it directly from the stove at this point. Otherwise, place into a buttered baking dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes. Serve hot. Enjoy.

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Kitchen Simmer formerly known as Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Lollipop Corn Dogs

2023-09-16T08:25:00.007-04:00

Ingredients:
1 cup of Bisquick Mix
2/3 cup Corn Meal
1 and 1/3 cup butter milk
1 egg
1 tsp Lawry's seasoning salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 package of hot dogs (contains 8)
flour (for dusting)
oil for deep frying

Note: if you do not have Bisquick, any pre-made pancake batter will do or you can make your own pancake batter.

Directions:
Cut your hot dogs into thirds (this will give you 24 lollipops). Mix together the Bisquick, corn meal, and seasoning. Then add your egg and buttermilk. Mix well. The consistency should be like a thick pancake batter.

Next coat your cut hot dog with flour. this helps the batter stick to the hot dog. Then poke a wooden skewer through the hot dog like a lollipop

Dip in the batter and coat well.
Place the corn dog into the hot oil (around 350 degrees). Fry until golden brown. Then place on a paper towel to dry. Eat with mustard or favorite condiment. Enjoy.

Masala Chicken Skewers

2023-08-08T17:02:00.003-04:00

I have a confession.. I don't enjoy cutting meat . If I can buy meat that is cut and prepped beforehand, I always do. When I find chicken tenders on sale, I stock up because they are already portioned out perfectly for chicken skewers. I marinated these chicken tenders in my Masala Chicken Yogurt Marinade and quickly baked them off in the oven for a fuss free dinner that everyone enjoyed. I also skewered some grape tomatoes and roasted them in the oven for a few minutes on each side for a fun side dish then served it all with yellow rice and a cucumber raita.

Ingredients:
Around 15-20 chicken tenders or boneless breast/thigh cut into thick strips

Lemon/Chili Rub:
2 Tbs of lemon juice
salt to taste (about 1Tbs)
1/2 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of red chili powder (or to taste)

Yogurt Marinate:

1 cup of yogurt
1tsp of garam masala
1 Tbs of paprika
1Tbs of cumin
4-5 cloves of garlic grated
2Tbs of grated ginger
1tsp onion powder or some pulverized onion
black pepper

Directions:
First rub lemon/chili ingredients on chicken. Then marinate boneless chicken yogurt marinade 4-6 hours (or over night)

Thread chicken on skewers. Then place on a foil lined baking sheet (sprayed with cooking sprayed or lightly greased). Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20-30 minutes (flipping them over once) until cooked through. ** Cooking time depends on the size and thickness of chicken. Cook until fully cooked, but not dry.

Serve with rice, naan, raita or any curry meal. Enjoy.

My Favorite Blueberry Muffins

2023-06-06T10:52:00.001-04:00

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Wet ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup yogurt (whole fat, plain)
1/2 cup milk whole milk
1 stick butter (8 Tbs or 1/4 cup) melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups whole fresh blueberries

Optional glaze
3Tbs powdered sugar
1/2 Tbs water or up to 1 Tbs

Directions:

Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Whisk wet ingredients together except blueberries. Add dry ingredients and fully incorporate without over mixing. Add blueberries.

Fill into a well greased or sprayed muffin tin (I did not use liners) Bake at 375 degrees for 17-22 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve hot or at room temperature. Keep in airtight container. Enjoy.

Note: You can make the optional sugar glaze by mixing the powdered sugar and water then top the muffins when they have cooled down.

Sri Lankan Miris (red chili) Kokis

2023-04-14T10:31:00.007-04:00

Ingredients:
2 up to 2 1/2 cups rice flour (available in Indian Stores)
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
1 egg
1-2 Tbs red chili powder (or to taste)
salt to taste

Directions:

Mix Batter until smooth and it forms
a thick "pancake" like batter. Heat oil (only halfway up a deep fryer) until about 350 degrees. Allow mold to sit in only for 30-45 seconds to get nice and oily.

Dip mold into batter carefully. You don't want the batter to get onto the top of the mold or the kokis will not release from the mold in the oil.

Dip battered mold into the oil and hold for a few seconds. Then gently jiggle the mold until the kokis releases from the mold.

Fry until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and repeat the process. This will make about 25-30 kokis. Enjoy.

Upma (South Indian Breakfast Dish)

2023-02-05T19:53:00.003-05:00

This is a very special dish for me because it takes me back to my childhood. My mother would make Upma every now and then and I was always first in line to get seconds because it's one of my absolute favorite dishes.

It's such a simple dish and for those of you that are not sure what it is, it's like a very fine grain cous-cous pilaf. Upma is actually made with semolina (called rava or sooji in India). This dish can be eaten all by itself or with any meat or vegetable curry. I like it both ways and always make a big pan of it so I have it for a breakfast for a week (if it lasts that long).

My mother and I had a cooking day recently and she helped me make this because I wanted her recipe to be posted. I consider her version of Upma the best out there and everyone that has eaten her version agrees.

Ingredients:
2 cups dry semolina or sooji (available in Indian stores)
1 medium onion sliced or chopped
2-3 green chilies sliced
handful of curry leaves
1 cinnamon stick
1tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
red chili flakes to taste
dried whole chilies (broken) to taste
salt to taste
1 Tbs of canola oil
3-4 cups boiling water (boil water in a kettle and have ready)

Directions:

The first step is to take the dry semolina/sooji and roast it in a pan. Set the heat at medium-high and gently stir it until the light cream colored grains turns more tan. This will take several minutes. Be careful not to burn the grains. This is an important and necessary step for a light fluffy dish. Not doing this step will cause the grains to stick together. Once the sooji is roasted set aside. Boil your water at this time and have it ready as well.
Note: there are packages of pre-roasted sooji, but we recommend roasting it yourself because it gives the best result.

In a large pan heat canola oil and add onions, green chilies, curry leaves, cinnamon stick, salt and red chili pieces. Fry for 3-4 minutes until onions become soft. Then add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds and red chile pieces. Fry for another 2-3 minutes.

Next add the roasted sooji to the frying pan and mix with all the fried ingredients. Salt as needed (since this is a grain you may need more salt than you think). Slowly add the boiling water and mix with the upma. Add 2 cups first and then the final cup. The grains will "steam" and become lighter. Taste the grains, if the grains are not soft and fluffy add a little more water. Stir with a wooden spoon well. My mother actually recommends taking the wooden spoon and stirring with the thinner handle part in circles around the pan to make sure the grains separate well and become fluffy. Once the grains are almost to the right texture, turn off the stove and cover with a lid for 10 minutes to steam a little more. Stir, taste for seasoning and serve. Enjoy.

Note: I recommend you use a pan you can stir aggressively with a wooden spoon. A stainless steel based pan is best since a non-stick could get scratched.

Copyright: All recipes, content, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Spicy Beef Stroganoff

2023-01-02T15:27:00.000-05:00

Spicy Beef Stroganoff
Recipe by Ramona from Kitchen Simmer

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds of boneless beef chuck cut into large bite-size pieces
salt and black pepper (to season beef)
1/2 cup A/P flour
8oz sliced white button mushrooms
1 large onion
2 carrots sliced
2-3 jalapeno peppers sliced
red chili flakes to taste
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp onion powder
2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
2- 2 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup sour cream
salt and black pepper

Hot Butter Noodles:
1 package of egg noodles (or any pasta you choose)
2 heaping Tbs of butter or margarine
salt and black pepper to taste
1 tsp minced fresh or dried parsley

Directions:

Cut beef and season well with salt and black pepper. Then dust with a/p flour. Shake off excess flour. In a large pot with 3 Tbs of canola oil on high heat, add coated beef cubes and brown well.

Once beef is browned well, add the sliced mushrooms. Brown mushrooms with beef for 2 minutes. Then add onion to the pot and cook with a little salt and black pepper for 2 minutes.

Next add the carrots, jalapeno, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme and red chili flakes. Saute all ingredients well. Then add the Worcestershire sauce and 2-3 cups of stock (beef or chicken). Once liquid is added, scrape the bottom of the pot well. Lower heat to medium low and place a lid on the pot. Cook for 60 minutes. Check beef every 20 minutes and stir to make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot. Note: I started with 2 cups of stock and the last 20 minutes add the other 1/2 cup of stock because I needed more liquid.

Add frozen peas 2 minutes before you turn off stove. Stir well and heat the peas through. Then turn off the stove and add the sour cream. Stir well

Taste for seasoning and serve with buttered noodles. To make buttered noodles, cook noodles in salted water as directed, then drain and add 2 heaping Tbs of butter/margarine, some minced parsley (fresh or dried), a little salt and black pepper. Serve together. Enjoy.

Chicken and Broccoli Cheese Soup

2022-12-07T12:45:00.005-05:00

It's Christmas time here and "Baby, It's Cold Outside". So if you have no place to go, make some soup and "Let it Snow". Yes, I have been listening to too many Christmas songs while I cook in the kitchen.

Soup is one of my favorite parts of winter. Well to tell you the truth, I can eat a big bowl of soup even in the middle of a scorching hot summer. But when it's cold and miserable outside... Soup Rules!

I like to buy a big bag of broccoli florets from Costco almost every week. Broccoli doesn't last too long in the fridge so I'm always finding ways to use it up. This soup was a winning idea because I used one pound of broccoli and the kids couldn't tell and asked for second helpings.

I also decided to poach some chicken breast to start the process. Poaching the chicken breast first really gives a nice texture to the chicken. It also gave me some great stock to combine with box stock. I love being able to stretch a buck.

The final touches are sliced American cheese and some milk to make this soup nice and creamy. Yes, I said sliced American cheese. Hey, there are places for fancy cheese, but if you want a easy and quick melting cheese... it's the best.

So, if you are experiencing some chill in the air... grab a bowl and ladle up some soup today. You will be warm from the inside out in no time.

Ingredients:
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breast poached (see instructions below how to poach)
1 lb broccoli florets (divided)
1 medium onion chopped
2-3 red and yellow sweet peppers (can substitute 1 small red bell pepper chopped
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
salt and black pepper to taste
red chili powder or red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
4 cups strained poaching liquid (substitute chicken stock if you don't have 4 cups remaining)
4 cups chicken stock
7-8 slices American cheese
11/2 cups milk or half and half

Directions with Step by Step Photos:

Step 1: Poach chicken breast. To poach place chicken breast with water (1 inch above chicken), some sliced onion, salt and black pepper. Bring water to a boil then lower to medium heat and simmer until chicken is fully cooked through and tender. Remove chicken and cut into large chunks/cubes when cool enough to handle. Strain poaching liquid for soup.

Step 2: Chop onion, peppers and 1 cup of the broccoli and set aside.

Step 3: In a large soup pot place the remaining broccoli with the strained poaching liquid and chicken stock. Season with thyme, poultry seasoning, red chili powder, black pepper and garlic powder.

Step 4: When broccoli is tender puree until creamy.

Step 5: Then add the chopped broccoli, onion and peppers into the creamed broccoli soup.

Step 6:Simmer Until broccoli, onion and peppers become tender.   Then add the cubed chicken, sliced American cheese.

Step 7: Finally add 11/2 cup milk and simmer on low for 2-3 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve hot. Enjoy.

Acorn Kisses

2022-11-02T12:16:00.002-04:00

I love cute food ideas. I can't take credit for coming up with these because I have seen them all over Pinterest, Facebook and a variety of other places on the internet. I just know they are adorable and so much fun to make with my kids.

All you need is a handful of ingredients and some melted chocolate to have fun making these acorn kisses. I love that you can just decorate a fall dessert table with these or even a dessert as shown on top of the cake below.

My son liked them with the plain Hershey's Kisses and my daughter liked them better with the Hershey's Almond Kisses. So, you can really customize these to what you like. If you cannot find the mini Nutter Butter cookies, you can try to substitute with mini Nila Wafer cookies (another version I have seen out there).

They truly are fun to make and eat... you may just squirrel some away for the winter too.

Acorn Kisses

by Curry and Comfort

Prep Time: 10

Ingredients

1/4 cup chocolate chips melted in microwave
Hershey's Kisses
Nutter Butter Mini Cookies
Chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave 20 seconds at a time until fully melted. Careful not to burn. This will be the "glue" that holds everything together.

2. Dip the flat end of the unwrapped Hershey's Kiss into the melted chocolate, remove any excess chocolate and slowly place on top of a mini nutter butter cookie. Allow chocolate to set for 5 minutes. Repeat for as many acorns you want to make.

3. Next dip the flat end of a chocolate chip into the melted chocolate and remove any excess. "Glue" the chip to the other end of the cookie as shown in recipe photos. Allow chocolate to set.

4. Serve as they are on a platter or decorate any fall dessert.

Halloween Treats

2022-10-12T10:13:00.003-04:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy day full of treats and no tricks! :)

Here is my Halloween Treat round up....

Halloween Witch's Hat Cookies

Decorated Pumpkin Cake

Bloody Cyclops Cupcakes

Yummy Mummy Pizzas

Gummy Worm Halloween Cupcakes

Candy Corn Rice Krispies

Ghoulish Cake Pops

Frankenstein Rice Krispies Treats

Shrunken Head Halloween Punch

Ghostly Pears

Chocolate Covered Apples with Nuts, Candy and Coconut

Pumpkin Rice Krispies Treats

Monster Party Halloween Cupcakes

Sri Lankan Pittu (Rice Flour and Coconut Dish)

2022-07-19T21:28:00.002-04:00

Traditional Sri Lankan food always makes me very happy, hungry and ready to eat. Most of it involves very simple ingredients like rice and coconut.

One dish that is made from coconut and rice flour is called Pittu. My mother says that Pittu is her favorite dish to eat and will gladly eat it every day.... I am totally ready to do that as well.

Pittu comes to Sri Lanka from the Kerala region of India and is known as Puttu or Putu there. The recipes I have read about the Kerala version is made with slightly different ingredients, but this recipe is how Sri Lankans make and eat Pittu.

Pittu is traditionally eaten for breakfast in Sri Lanka. Now a days it is also eaten for lunch or dinner since people are off and rushing to work and school in the morning and cannot eat a leisurely long breakfast.

The process of making pittu is simply mixing coconut with the rice flour to form a "crumbled texture" mixture. Then that mixture is placed in the cylinder tube of the Pittu steamer and steamed for about 5-6 minutes and it comes out as a solid Pittu tube. You can use either red or white rice flour to make pittu so it is a wonderful gluten-free dish.

The pittu is then eaten with warmed coconut milk, lunu miris and any spicy meat, fish or vegetable curry. I love that such simple ingredients can create beautiful and delicious food. Now that's something to really celebrate!

Ingredients:

5 cups desiccated coconut

1 (15oz) can coconut milk

1 can hot water (use the coconut milk can to measure)

2 tsp salt

8 cups rice flour

Directions:

Step 1: Place the desiccated coconut in bowl and pour coconut milk and can of hot water over it. Mix well and allow coconut to soak for 20-30 minutes.

Step 2: Sift together rice flour and salt. Set aside.

Step 3: Set up steamer with hot water and bring pittu steamer to a boil until you see the steam coming out of the top of the steamer.

Step 4: In a new bowl, take up cup of sifted rice flour/salt mixture and mix with 2/3cup soaked coconut mixture. Use fingers to create a "crumble texture".

Note: This texture is really important. It should be a dry crumble so sprinkle a little flour mixture to make sure you get the right texture.

Step 5: Take the steamer tube and place the piece that separates the tube part from the steamer part. It's the little metal circle in the photo shown here that has holes. These holes allow the steam to go up through the pittu mixture and steam it all together into a tube.

Note: We recommend that you wash this round metal piece between each steaming because it will get pittu residue on it and that will prevent the steam from going through the holes. I simply placed a small bowl of cold water to dip it into and clean off quickly before resetting it in the pittu steamer.

Step 6: Then fill the tube with the dry crumble mixture of the rice flour and coconut until you get to the top. Place the lid on the steamer tube and back on the base that is full of boiling water.

Step 7: Steam pittu for 5 minutes until you see steam coming out of the top of the pittu steamer. Then allow it to steam for about 1-2 more minutes. That means the steam has worked it's way through all the pittu ingredients and steamed everything together. Take the pittu tube off the base and use a wooden dowel/pole to push the pittu out of the steamer.

Step 8: Repeat until all the mixture is used and you have cooked your pittu.

Note: My mother says that once you are steaming the pittu, work on making the crumble for the next tube of pittu. It's best to work in batches otherwise if you mix all the flour/salt with the soaked coconut at one time the crumbles mixture becomes too tough or soggy.

This amount of pittu will serve 6-8 people or more. Eat it with, coconut milk gravy, lunu miris and any spicy meat, fish or vegetable curry.

Note: To make the coconut gravy just mix 1 can (15oz) with 1 tsp of salt. Stir well and this is poured over the pittu and eaten with the other condiments and curries.

Chicken Tikka Kebabs

2022-06-17T14:57:00.002-04:00

Chicken Tikka is basically chunks of chicken marinated in spices and yogurt. Traditionally, they are cooked in a clay oven called a Tandoor. But I simply cooked them on a griddle on my stove and it still came out delicious.

The key to getting this dish right is the marinating process. It's great if you can marinate for 24 hours or overnight. If you are in a rush, four hours will be okay. I marinated my chicken for 24 hours and each bite was full of flavor.

Ingredients:
3lbs Chicken
2 Tbs of canola oil
wood skewers

The Marinate:
2 inches of ginger peeled and grated
4-6 cloves of garlic
1 cup plain yogurt ( I used Greek Yogurt)
2 Tbs of gram masala
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 Tbs of paprika
1 tsp of ground cumin
1 tsp of salt (or to taste)
1 tsp of red chili powder

Directions:

Mix all the marinate together and then add the chicken. Mix well until all the ingredients coats the chicken. Marinate the meat in a ziploc bag or a bowl that you can seal.

When you are ready to cook your Chicken Tikka, take it out of the fridge for 30-45 minutes to get the chill off the meat. I skewered mine on wooden skewers here. Since I was cooking them on the stove top I didn't bother soaking the skewers and they were fine. If you decide to broil yours in the oven, I would suggest you soak the skewers in water for 20 minutes before skewering up the chicken.

I used a flat griddle to cook the tikkas. I oiled the griddle with about 1 Tbs of oil and allowed it to get heated on high heat. I placed the skewers down and lowered the heat to medium heat after about a minute. You want the chicken to cook on each side fully without burning the outside of the chicken.

Apply oil on the other side of the skewers before you flip them over. You will want to stand there and baby-sit the chicken skewers. I did flip the skewers several times to make sure all the sides of the chicken got heated. Cook until the chicken is cooked through.

Serves 4-6 people. You can eat this with rice, salad or even inside pitas with some yogurt sauce. Enjoy

Roasted Tomato Carrot Soup with Cheesy Bread Dunkers

2022-05-18T14:30:00.001-04:00

Ingredients for Roasted Tomato and Carrot soup:
2lbs fresh tomatoes cut into large chunks
2 large onion cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups chopped carrots
7-10 cloves or garlic (you are roasting this so the flavor is mild)
salt and black pepper to taste
canola oil (about 2 Tbs)
6-8 cups chicken stock/broth
1 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
red chili powder (or cayenne powder) to taste

Directions:

On a large baking sheet, add chopped tomatoes, carrots, garlic cloves, onion, salt, black pepper and canola oil. Roast in a 375 degree oven for 45-50 minutes. Turn oven off and allow to sit in oven for 10 more minutes.

In a large soup pot, add the roasted veggies, chicken stock, dried thyme, cumin and red chili powder. Simmer for 15 minutes. Season with salt as needed.

Use an immersion blender make the soup creamy. This step is best done by an adult or teen. Once soup is creamed, strain half of the soup through a mesh strainer. I added the other half of the thickened soup to the pot for a nice consistency. Taste for seasoning and serve hot. Enjoy.

Ingredients for Cheesy Bread Dunkers:
1 loaf of french bread cut in to slices
butter or margarine as needed
1 cup Mozzarella cheese
1 cup cheddar or Colby cheese mix
dried parsley flakes (optional)

Directions:

Slice bread (have an adult do this step). Have the kids butter the bread on both sides.

Mix the cheeses and top each slice of bread with enough cheese to cover the bread and then sprinkle with a little dried parsley flakes. Bake in preheated a 375 degree oven for 5-6 minutes or until bread is toasted and cheese is melted. Serve with soup. Enjoy.

Fruit Salad in Watermelon Bowl

2022-04-26T11:12:00.005-04:00

Ingredients:
Small seedless watermelon
Pineapple
grapes
cantaloupe
**Any fruit you desire

Dressing:
Juice of lemon
Zest of lemon
agave or honey (if desired)
mint (optional) Recommended Good Cook tool: Citrus Zester
Citrus Reamer
Melon Baller

Directions:

Cut a base for your watermelon bowl. Cut watermelon so you have a large bowl shape. Then use melon baller to scoop out watermelon.

Add all fruits into separate bowl and mix with dressing. Place back into watermelon. Serve immediately or chill. Enjoy.

Sri Lankan Miris (red chili) Kokis

2022-03-10T16:22:00.001-05:00

A few months back I made traditional Sri Lankan Kokis (a dish that is made by deep-frying a batter of rice flour and coconut milk). My mother said she had some fantastic kokis in Sri Lanka that had red chili powder in the batter to make it very spicy. I never tried spicy kokis so we set out to make some and I was in love with them from first bite. These kokis are bright orange in color (compared to the light golden of the traditional kokis). The color comes all from those lovely chilies! It makes my mouth water just to look at these and remember the spicy kick they had.

Sri Lankan Christmas Cake

2021-12-04T13:53:00.000-05:00

Sri Lankan Christmas Cake is is not your typical fruit cake. Yes, it has some fruit and nuts, but it's got so much more rich and delicious ingredients that it's bursting with flavor. A small piece is all that is required for any sweet tooth.

My mother and I took this Christmas cake journey together. I have helped her make this cake once before, but never quite paid attention like I did this time. This time we did not simply follow a recipe that told us what we needed. This time we created many of our own ingredients and then created our own version of this cake.

The traditional cake has a few ingredients that are hard to come by in the US. Even in Sri Lanka these ingredients are mostly store bought and never made from scratch. So we created these ingredients with the raw fruits/vegetables found in the Asian grocery store. The process took us a couple of weeks to get everything ready before we could actually put a cake in the oven.

This is not a cake you can simply whip up together at the last minute. This is a cake that takes some thought, patience and planning. That's why this cake is served at a time that is so joyful and full of celebration. Christmas is a time that things should slow down and you serve your family the best you can offer. This Christmas Cake is a perfect way to celebrate the holiday season.

Ingredients:

Chop and Marinate these ingredients:

1lb Pumpkin Preserve (recipe here)
1lb Ginger Preserve (or crystallized ginger)
1lb chow chow (recipe here)
1/2lb candied peel (orange, lemon peel no citron)
1lb unsalted cashews
1lb raisins
1/2lb golden raisins (sultanas)
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp grated fresh nutmeg
1/4 tsp clove powder
1/2 cup Brandy
3Tbs rose water
2 Tbs honey
1 16oz jar plum jam
1 cup golden syrup (see recipe here)

Cake Batter Ingredients:
1/2lb semolina (lightly roasted)
2oz all purpose flour
1lb unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
1lbwhite granulated sugar
15 egg yolks
10 egg whites (whipped)

Directions:

Day 1: Use a food processor and chop the pumpkin preserve, chow chow, raisins, golden raisins and candied peel until they are small pieces (but not into a paste). Then chop the cashews into small pieces. Add all the ingredients together then flavor with the cinnamon powder, nutmeg, clove powder, cardamom powder, honey, golden syrup, plum jam, brandy and rose water. Mix all ingredients together really well and allow to marinate covered in a cool dark place overnight (or a few days)

The day you are going to bake the cake:

1. On medium low heat, roast the semolina until golden color and fragrant. Then sift with the all purpose flour and set aside.

2. Separate 15 eggs and whip 10 egg whites until they reach soft peaks. Set egg whites aside.   Note: Save those extra egg whites. You can make freeze the egg whites, make an egg white omelet or even meringue kisses.


3. Use a mixer to combine the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add egg yolks one at a time until fully mixed together.

Now you have all your ingredients ready to mix together for the cake batter:

1. Marinated mixed fruit and nuts
2. Roasted semolina and flour (sifted)
3. Egg Whites whipped to a soft peak
4. Creamed butter/sugar and egg yolks

Mixing the Cake Batter:

In a large bowl (this will make about 10lbs of batter) with a strong wooden spoon place the creamed butter/sugar and egg yolks.

Slowly add a heaping cup of the marinated fruit/nut mixture and stir until combined. Then add a few tablespoons of the semolina/flour mixture and stir again until combined.

Then follow up with a scoop of the egg whites and fold in.   Repeat by adding these three components to the cake one at a time and stirring well between each addition until all the ingredients have been used.

Preparing the pan for Baking:

Heat oven to 300 degree Fahrenheit and prepare baking pan with 2-3 layers of parchment paper and apply some cooking spray or butter.

Pour batter into pan and place pan on a large baking sheet for stability as well as keeping the bottom from getting too dark. Bake for 3-4 hours until cake is set and a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Note: If top is becoming too dark, cover pan with foil on top to shield the cake. Allow cake to set in a cool place overnight before serving.

Serving and presenting the cake:

Cut into small squares (about 1-2 inch squares) and serve on a platter.

They can also be individually wrapped in wax or oil paper. Then wrapped again in Christmas wrapping and served.

ntent, and images (unless otherwise stated) are the sole property of Kitchen Simmer formerly known as Curry and Comfort. Please do not use without prior written consent. Unauthorized reproduction is strictly prohibited.

Pumpkin Flan with Maple Syrup

2021-11-08T16:09:00.001-05:00

We are on a countdown to Thanksgiving. You will see a lot of great ideas in the next couple of weeks to make your Thanksgiving extra special. Today it's all about a fast dessert.

After our Thanksgiving feast, my family always craves something pumpkin, spiced and sweet. I love to make this light and easy flan dessert to give everyone a sweet treat that isn't overwhelming after a heavy meal.

This dessert is so easy to make since it only takes 5 minutes to assemble then the rest of the work is done in the oven. The flan needs to be chilled before serving so it's perfect to make this the day before the big meal.

That way you can check it off your to do list and it makes the big day even easier and more enjoyable.

Small flans baked in the Good Cook Muffin Pan are perfect for individual portions.

Pumpkin Flan with Maple Syrup

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 60

Ingredients

For the custard:

4 large eggs
2 cups of coconut milk
1 tsp of vanilla
1/3 cup of sugar or splenda
a pinch of salt
1/4 cup pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

For the syrup:

As needed- Store bought maple syrup (your favorite brand- not sugar free)

Instructions

1. Put all ingredients into blender. Blend until smooth and well mixed.

2. Place 2-3 tsp of maple syrup at the bottom of each well of muffin pan or oven safe baking dish.

3.Pour custard to the top of each well. Bake in a 325 degree oven in a water bath. I pour hot water carefully to a much larger pan- be careful not to get any water into custard.

4. Take out of oven and allow to cool. Take a knife and slowly trace round the custard to loosen it from the pan or dish.

5. Chill for several hours. To serve, invert over a plate or a platter. The maple syrup should form a glaze/sauce for the flan.

Step by Step Directions:
Put all ingredients into blender. Blend until smooth and well mixed. Place 2-3 tsp of maple syrup at the bottom of each well of muffin pan or oven safe baking dish.

Pour custard to the top of each well. Bake in a 325 degree oven in a water bath. I pour hot water carefully to a much larger pan- be careful not to get any water into custard.

Take out of oven and allow to cool. Take a knife and slowly trace round the custard to loosen it from the pan or dish. Chill for several hours. To serve, invert over a plate or a platter. The maple syrup should form a glaze/sauce for the flan.

Halloween Week: Halloween Round-up 2021

2021-10-11T20:24:00.007-04:00

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy day full of treats and no tricks! :)

Here is my Halloween Treat round up....

Halloween Witch's Hat Cookies

Decorated Pumpkin Cake

Bloody Cyclops Cupcakes

Yummy Mummy Pizzas

Gummy Worm Halloween Cupcakes

Candy Corn Rice Krispies

Ghoulish Cake Pops

Frankenstein Rice Krispies Treats

Shrunken Head Halloween Punch

Ghostly Pears

Chocolate Covered Apples with Nuts, Candy and Coconut

Pumpkin Rice Krispies Treats

Monster Party Halloween Cupcakes

Apple Slice "Nachos"

2021-09-15T11:31:00.004-04:00

My Apple Slice "Nachos" have fresh slices of tart Granny Smith apples drizzled with peanut butter and chocolate and then sprinkled with chopped peanuts, sweetened coconut and dried cranberries. It's a perfect snack food to enjoy any time or even as a dessert.

My kids crave a fun and delicious snack to enjoy when they come home from school. I am always trying to get them to eat more fruit so these Apple Slice "Nachos" are one snack that this Mom and kids can happily agree on as a daily snack.

We make these nachos together as a family, so my little "Chefs in the Kitchen" love that they get to help make them. I usually cut and soak the apples in some salted water so they don't brown before picking the kids up at school. Now, I used Granny Smith apples because I love them for their tartness, but you can use your favorite apple variety instead. When the kids come home, they wash their hands and dry off the apples on some paper towels first. Then they get the chocolate and peanut butter heated in the microwave. The kids love doing this part and since there are two things that need to be heated up, I give them each a bowl to work on. I then chop the roasted peanuts and get the other toppings ready so we are all set to make these fun apple slice nachos.

The kids love drizzling the peanut butter and melted chocolate over all the sliced apples. Then they simply top the "nachos" with their favorite toppings. The hardest part is to let the nachos sit for about 5 minutes to let the peanut butter and chocolate set. I usually get them to empty their lunch boxes at this time so that keeps them occupied. When the nachos have set, we happily dive in and enjoy each bite. I may not be a kid, but I am a big kid at heart and I love these apple nachos so much. My husband also enjoys them so we are always sure to save a few slices of "nachos" for him to enjoy when he comes home.

Ingredients:

2 large Granny Smith apples cored and sliced into medium size wedges
2 tsp regular table salt
5-6 cups water (make one cup warm)
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet)
handful of chopped roasted and salted peanuts
handful of sweetened flake coconut (found in baking aisle)
handful of dried craisins (dried cranberries) or raisins

Note: These are our usual toppings of choice, but you can use mini marshmallows, white chocolate, other types of nuts or nut butters, colorful sprinkles etc.... These "nachos" can be customized to your taste.

Directions:

Step 1: Set up the salted water bowl by placing salt in a bowl and adding 1 cup of warm water to dissolve the salt. Then follow up with the cold water. Next slice apples into wedges, removing the core and placing into the salted water. If kids are helping, a parent or adult needs to do this part since a knife is used. Allow apples to sit in water for 5 minutes. Then place the apples on a paper towels and blot to remove any water from the surface of the apples before proceeding.

Step 2: Arrange apple wedges in a single layer on a plate or cutting board. Tip: I like to line my cutting board with a piece of wax paper for easy clean up. Then in a microwave safe bowl heat peanut butter for 20-30 seconds and stir well. Use a spoon to drizzle over apple slices.

Step 3: Next microwave the chocolate chips in 30 seconds increments in a microwave safe bowl, always stirring well to get heated chips moved around. Careful not to burn chocolate. Once chocolate starts to melt, switch to 10-15 second increments. Once chocolate is fully melted, use a fork to drizzle chocolate over apple slices. Then sprinkle toppings as desired. Allow nachos to sit for at least 5 minutes to set up. Then dig in and enjoy.

Watermelon Kiwi Popsicles

2021-06-08T09:43:00.005-04:00

Watermelon Kiwi Popsicles are just what we need to cool off during these hot days! The weather is hitting the 100 degree mark these days and the humidity makes it feel even worse.   I love finding tasty ways to cool off and these popsicles are fun and tasty.

The kids and I made these watermelon pops one afternoon and we loved how they turned out. They are just so darn cute! We could not wait to try them and had our first pops right after breakfast. It was already hitting 85 degrees so we needed them.

We made our pops without any sugar or simple syrup. Our watermelon was perfectly sweet enough and I loved the tartness the kiwi gave the "rind".   Now, if you have a less than sweet watermelon or you just love a sugary treat, add some simple syrup.

We will be eating a lot more popsicles in the upcoming days. The temperatures are staying hot, hot, hot so we are staying close to the freezer!

Watermelon Kiwi Popsicles

Ingredients:
5-6 cups seedless watermelon chunks
3 large kiwis
chocolate chips as needed (optional)
Simple Syrup to taste (optional)

Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Special equipment:
popsicle molds
popsicle sticks

Directions:

Step1: Cut watermelon into chunks and blend in blender until smooth. Taste puree, if it is not sweet enough for your desired taste, pour in some simple syrup and blend. To make the simple syrup, just add the sugar and water into a pot and boil until sugar dissolves and the syrup thickens.

Step 2: Then pour watermelon puree into popsicle molds and leave about 1/2 inch from the top. Drop a few chocolate chips for the "seeds". Place in the freezer and freeze for one hour so the watermelon has become slushy, but not frozen yet.

Step 3: Prepare kiwi by peeling the skin and blending until smooth. If you prefer the kiwi puree to be sweeter, add some simple syrup and blend. Once popsicles have set for one hour, top with the kiwi puree. Insert popsicle sticks and freeze overnight.

Step 4: Run warm water around popsicle molds and release frozen popsicles from the molds. Enjoy.

Ulundu Vadai with Coconut Chutney

2021-04-06T11:52:00.000-04:00

My mother recently came over to help me make one more vadai to feature here on the blog. This savory lentil fritter called Ulundu Vadai is a fun picnic or snack food. Ulundu Vadai has a much softer texture than the other vadai I showcased earlier. They also have a very cute doughnut shape and go perfectly with the coconut chutney shown in the picture. I am also providing the recipe of the coconut chutney in this post because they go so well together. Of course the chutney is so fabulous I could just eat it with a spoon. I made so much chutney that I decided to finish it off with some pita chips. That was really good too.

Ingredients for Vadai:
2 cups Urad Dahl (Lentil) soaked
4 green chilies
1 inch fresh ginger
1 pinch of asafoetida (see note)
1 medium onion chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
15-20 curry leaves
1 tsp red chili flakes or powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
salt to taste

Notes:

Asafoetida can be found in Indian Grocery Stores.
You want to also make sure you get the cleaned urad dhal where the outer dark husk has been remove.

Directions for Vadai:

Soak lentils overnight until softened. Drain the lentils very well so all the water is gone (allow lentils to sit in colander for 30 minutes to make sure it is well drained). Then grind in food processor until smooth with salt. Remove to bowl and allow the dhal to ferment with the salt for 3-4 hours. Next grind ginger, onion, curry leaves and chilies in food processes until minced, but not too mushy.

Then mix the ground lentils with the ground ginger, curry leaves and onion, as well as salt, asafoetida, black pepper, red chili flakes and cumin seeds. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.

To make the vadai take a ball of dough in your wet hands (wet hands keep dough from sticking to your hands). Make a whole in the center (like a doughnut) and place in the hot oil to fry. Have oil heated to 350 degrees. Gently drop the vadai into hot oil and they will sink to the bottom of fryer (make sure it does not get stuck to the bottom of pan- if they do that just gently use a frying spoon to release). When vadai floats to the top and is golden brown drain on a paper towel. Eat alone or with coconut chutney. Enjoy.

Ingredients for Coconut Chutney:
1 cup dessicated coconut (not sweetened)
1/2 cup coconut milk
Handful curry leaves
4-5chilies (seeded for less heat if desired)
1/2 medium onion
1 Tbs ginger
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper
lime juice (to taste)
salt (to taste)

Directions:
Soak dessicated coconut in coconut milk for 30 minutes or longer to soften. In a food processor mince curry leaves, onion, ginger, garlic and chilies. Then add soaked coconut, lime juice, black pepper and salt and mix all ingredients together in processor until well combined. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Confetti Fried Rice (Vegetarian)

2021-02-09T20:20:00.001-05:00

I usually cook a large pot of brown rice when I make a rice and curry meal. Sometimes the curries get finished, but we have a lot of left over rice. Fried rice is perfect dish to make with leftover rice. This is a wonderful savory fried rice that I make with the vegetables I always have on hand at home. Of course, you can add any vegetable or frozen bag of mix veggies that you have in your fridge/freezer. That means this dish can be made in so many different ways by what you add to it. I love getting a brand new dish out of leftovers. After eating this rice, you will purposely make extra rice just so you can have this the next day.

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked and cooled rice (brown or white)
1 Tbs canola oil
1Tbs butter or margarine
1 (small piece) cinnamon stick
12-15 curry leaves
2-3 green cardamom pods
2-3 cloves
1 onion finely diced
2 large carrots grated
1 red bell pepper finely diced
1-2 green chile finely diced
1 tbs grated ginger
1 tbs grated garlic
red chili flakes (to taste)
1 cup frozen peas

Note:
Always remember that you can remove cardamom, cloves or cinnamon sticks before serving dish. They are not fun to eat directly. Curry leaves are fine to eat.

Directions:

Cook rice and have it waiting. I do recommend the basmati variety because of it's nutty flavor. Heat oil and butter in large frying pan and add cinnamon stick, curry leaves, cardamom pods and cloves for 30-45 seconds.

Next add onion, garlic and ginger (season with a little salt). Saute for 2-3 minutes until onions start to soften. Then add the peppers, chilies and carrots and season with a little salt. Saute for another 4-5 minutes.

Next add the red chili flakes and the frozen peas. Mix all ingredients together well. Finally add the cooked rice and incorporate well. Check for salt and season as needed. Serve with salad. Enjoy.

Merry Christmas 2020

2020-12-02T11:27:00.007-05:00

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!

May your day be full of Feasting, Fun and loads of Fa la la la la, la la la!

Candy Cane Milkshake

Chocolate Cheesecake Candy Cane Bars

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Cinnamon Roll Christmas Tree

Decked out Deck the Halls Fudge

Hershey's Candy Cane Cookies

Oreo Cookie Ball Christmas Tree and Snowballs

Peppermint Bark Cookies

Reindeer Cupcakes

Rice Krispie Christmas Wreath

Green Bean Casserole with Fried Onions

2020-11-22T11:13:00.001-05:00

There are a few dishes that are almost always on the Thanksgiving table. My favorite is STUFFING! Then there are dishes that I can totally do without like the dreaded green bean casserole. I love green beans, but I do not like the mushy green bean casserole made with canned mushroom soup. There is really no flavor and I find it boring and bland.

Boring and bland are two words that should not be apart of the Thanksgiving menu. So I set out to make my own version of a green bean casserole from scratch. I even attempted the fried onions- the only part of the dish that anyone ever likes from the traditional recipe. My fried onion version only cost pennies to make compared to the expensive prepared fried onions that most people use.

I also spiced my casserole up with flavors I love like cumin seeds and chilies. This green bean casserole is definitely not boring or bland. I really knew I had a hit on my hands when my son who claims to "hate" green beans ask for a portion of it and raved on how good it tasted. So now that I know it's good, it needs to be on the table a lot more often than just Thanksgiving.

Green Bean Casserole with Fried Onions

by Kitchen Simmer

Ingredients

Green Bean Casserole

1lb fresh green beans
1lb sliced button mushrooms
1 large onion chopped
1-2 chilies (jalapenos, serrano or fresno) sliced
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
4-5 Tbs canola oil as needed
2 Tbs flour (see tip in instructions)
salt and black pepper to taste
red chili flakes to taste
1/2 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp granulated garlic (divided)
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 up to 2 cups milk or half and half (as needed)
1/2 cup Monterrey jack or mozzarella cheese

Fried Onions:

1 large onion sliced very thin (mandolin slicer recommended)
1 cup all purpose flour
salt to season flour
paprika to season flour
Oil to deep fry onions

Instructions

For Casserole

1. Clean beans then blanch in hot water until tender crisp, drain and set aside.

2. Heat 2 Tbs canola oil in large saute pan and add chopped onions and chilies. Saute for 2-3 minutes.

3. Next add cumin seeds, a little salt to season and turmeric powder. Saute for another minute.

4. Add blanched beans to pan and saute with 1/4 tsp garlic powder and red chili flakes for 2 minutes .

5. Place cooked beans into casserole dish. Set aside until later.

6. In same pan, add 2-3 Tbs more canola oil. Add clean and dry sliced mushrooms. Saute for several minutes until mushroom get deep brown.

7. Then add salt, black pepper, red chili flakes, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and thyme. Saute for 2 more minutes.

8. Add flour to pan and cook with beans. Once flour has cooked for a minute, add soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well.

9. Then add milk and allow sauce to thicken. If sauce is too thick, add more milk as needed. Taste for seasoning.

10. Top green beans in casserole dish with mushroom and sauce. Then top with shredded cheese and bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or cheese is bubbly.

For Fried Onions:

1. Slice onions and place on a paper towel in a single layer to dry our for 30 minutes.

2. Prepare seasoned flour and dredge onions in flour. Shake off excess flour and fry in hot oil (360 degrees) until golden brown. Drain on paper towel or newspaper. Season with a little more salt once onions are fried.

TIP: Use the leftover seasoned flour in your green bean casserole.