Neetu's Tasty Treats!

Black and Pink Zebra Cake!

2016-02-06T05:40:00.001-08:00

I have to start of with an apology.....I am so so sorry for the delay in posting :( I truly am, especially since my followers have increased in spite of my lack of recipes. Don''t get me wrong...it's no that I have not been cooking (I am not that lazy :D)...but at the same time, the effort of sitting down and actually doing it was driving me mad I suppose.

A bunch of my girlfriends decided that we had had enough of our spouses :P and decided to have a girls weekend away. In the process, we found out that my cousin was getting married....so let's kill 2 birds with one stone, we decided to have a weekend away and have a bachelorette!

Check out our badges lolz (Thanks Bindi :*)

I decided to inaugurate the cake stand that one of my fiends got me as a Christmas gift (Thank u Saf!) and our theme, being black and pink, I volunteered to make a black and pink zebra cake :D

The original plan was to have a fondant based cake, but since I had never worked with fondant, and the fact that it would probably end up being too sweet anyways, I decided to make do with my buttercream frosting. The result, though messy, was an incredibly smooth cake, with all the colors, especially the pink being totally vibrant. Credit goes to Cookies, Cupcakes and Cardio for an awesomely simple, yet delicious recipe. Thanks a ton!

So, on wards with the recipe....

INGREDIENTS
2 ½ cups all purpose flour (300 g)
2 cups sugar (400 g)
¾ cups vegetable oil (180 mL)
1 teaspoon vanilla (5 mL)
2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder (~11 mL)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
1 cup milk (240 mL)
pink, and black gel paste
vanilla buttercream
Wilton tip 1A

PROCEDURE

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius. In the bowl of a stand mixer combine, flour, sugar, baking powder, vegetable oil and vanilla on low/medium until ingredients are mixed together. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low in between additions. Slowly add the milk while the mixer on and mix until all ingredients are completely combined. Divide batter into three different bowls with one bowl having half of the batter and the other two have a quarter each. Color the large bowl with white coloring, and the smaller two with black and pink respectively. Mix coloring until no light streaks remain. Spray two 8” pans with non-stick spray and line bottom with parchment/baking/wax paper. Place four tablespoons of white batter into the center of each pan. Then, directly into the middle of the white batter, place two tablespoons of black batter. Directly into the center of the black batter, place two tablespoons of pink batter. Repeat white/black/pink batter additions until all the batter is used up or pans are ⅔ full. Place pans into oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire wrack.
Once cake is cooled, level, stack and cover in white buttercream.
To finish the cake off, using the pink buttercream with Wilton 1A tip, pipe a small beaded border along the bottom of the cake.

To make the Buttercream

The buttercream recipe was adapted from Laura Vitale and again it is so simple, you could actually get your kids to make it!

In a bowl, cream together 1 1/4 cup of butter, 1 cup of sugar and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract until well combined. To this mixture add about 2 tablespoons of milk to achieve a thick yet creamy consistency. Take a small amount of this cream and add the pink food coloring to this i order to do the final beading around the edges of the cake.

Do you see that pink actually popping out? It was truly spectacular!

Do try out the cake and let me know how it turns out. Trust me, you will not be disappointed :)

Till next time, take care and God bless!

Coconut Basbousa!

2015-07-10T22:21:00.001-07:00

It's the weekend, yaaay!!!! I have so much to look forward to...my bestie is coming from Abu Dhabi to see me...and I am soooper excited!!! The wheels in my head are already running on what to make for her....:) But anyway, I digress...

We are slowly approaching the close of the holy month of Ramadan, but I do not think that Ramadan would be complete, or for that matter my dear friends would never forgive me if I did not post this recipe...after all, it is a classic!

Basbousa is a traditional Middle Eastern dish, made of semolina, soaked in a special sugar syrup and like I said earlier, extremely popular during Iftars...and Suhours too! The most popular one of the lot, I think, is the almond basbousa, but I've opted for another equally favorite version...the coconut one. Super easy to make, and in fact, it takes all of 30 minutes! So, let's get started shall we?

INGREDIENTS

1 tin condensed milk (I used Nestle)
1/2 cup ghee, softened at roo m temperature
2 cups semolina (rava)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup water (Warm water would be preferred)
1 tablespoon tahina sauce
Grated coconut- For garnish
Dry raisins- For garnish (optional)

For the Syrup

1 cup water
1 1/2cups sugar

RECIPE

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the tahina sauce.
Layer a tablespoon of tahina sauce at the bottom of a baking dish.
To this add the coconut mixture and level it out with the back of a spoon.
Bake this in an oven, pre heated at 180 degrees for 30-35 minutes or till the top turns out golden brown.
Ensure that the basbousa cools completely before cutting into slices.

I got a total of 16 slices depending on the sizes that you cut them into. Do try it out and let me know how it turns out!

Till next time, take care and God Bless!

Chicken Noodle Biriyani!

2015-07-04T09:26:00.003-07:00

Hello darlings!! I have some news to share... I recently started at a new job! It is special, considering that I have been with the same company for 10 years now! I did get emotional when I left, I have to be honest, but then again, change never did any one any harm :)

This dish that I present to you today is something different too. We've had chicken, we've had noodles, and we have had biriyani (most of us any way!), but what happens when you combine the 3 of them together?

I glanced upon this dish by chance, and considering that all my muslim friends out there are looking for different varieties of dishes to break their fast with, I thought I should give this a try! So Safreena, Sherin, Natha, Safeera, Meera aunty and any more people I have missed, this is all for u guys!! Ramadan Kareem once again!!

INGREDIENTS

Chicken- 1 kilo- cut into small pieces
Noodles- 2 packets (I used Koko, considering all the controversy surrounding Maggi at the moment!)
Chicken stock- 1/2 cup (I used 2 Maggi chicken cubes)
Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilly powder- 1 tablespoon
Coriander powder- 1 1/2 tablespoon
Black pepper powder- 1 teaspoon
Curd- 5 tablespoons
Ginger garlic paste- 2 teaspoons
Onion- 2 medium, sliced thinly
Water- 1 cup boiling (enough to boil the chicken)
Ghee- 2-3 tablespoons (You can alternatively use olive oil/vegetable oil for a healthier option)
Bay leaves- 2
Cloves- 2
Cardamom seeds- 2
Coriander leaves- garnish

METHOD

Boil the chicken with salt and turmeric powder till it cooks through. This should take 20-25 minutes on a medium flame.Once boiled, let it cool and shred the chicken into fine pieces.
Cook the noodles separately and drain out the excess water using a colander. This should take 5 minutes (follow the instructions on the packet).
In a separate saucepan, heat the ghee, and to this, add the bay leaves, cloves and cardamom. Fry for few seconds.
Add the ginger garlic paste followed by the onions and fry till they turn golden brown. Add a little salt at this stage to speed up the process.
Mix the coriander, chilly and pepper powders in the curd and add this to the sauce pan. Reduce the flame at this stage and saute till it starts bubbling. This should take a few seconds. Add more salt at this stage.
Add the shredded chicken at this stage and combine. Close the pan for about 5 minutes.
Finally add the noodles and mix together till everything gets combined thoroughly.
Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

Now,wasn't that simple? This is the perfect dish to make when you have unexpected guests or simply want to break your fast with something different! Do try it out and let me know how it turns out.

Till next time, adios amigos and Ramadan Kareem!

Devil's chocolate cake!

2015-06-18T00:51:00.001-07:00

Let me start of by wishing all my Muslim brothers and sisters Ramadan Kareem! May this holy season be a period of reflection and time for you to be loser to the Almighty, in time to gear up for a wonderful Eid!

I probably should not be tempting anyone at this time...but hey, you could always make this to break your fast! After all that delicious biriyani and lamb chops, you need something sweet, don't you?!?

I actually made this cake to commemorate 2 occasions, one was my cousin's birthday that happened to coincide with the other occasion, my sister in law's wedding anniversary! I had this cake in mind for quite some time, especially after I saw the domestic goddess, our very own Nigella Lawson make it. I knew I had to give it a try...and my efforts did pay off, coz there was nothing left except for a bit of frosting that I happily licked up..he he! The recipe is courtesy Nigella, of course, the only thing I added were some Hershey's balls, just to make it look prettier than it already was :)

This cake is super easy to make, and the batter is very liquidy, but do ot worry about that, coz that's the way it should be. So, let's get this show on the road...it's Devil's food cake, but trust me, the angels would love this one for sure!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup cocoa powder (I used Hershey's)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (Muscavado sugar)
3/4-1 cup white sugar
8-9 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2-3 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 cup boiling water

For the Frosting

1/2 cup recently boiled water
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 bar of dark cooking chocolate (I used Hershey's)

Decoration (optional)

Hershey's chocolate balls
Powdered sugar

METHOD

You can make the frosting first, if you want it to be spread thick over your cake, or wait while your cake is baking, so that it can drip on the sides of your cake. I preferred the second one...I just like it that way, and so did my guests :)
Pre heat your oven to 180 degrees.
Start of by making the batter. In a bowl, mix together the cocoa and brown sugar, and to this add the boiling water. As I mentioned earlier, the batter is going to be very watery, but this is the way it should be.
In a separate bowl, beat the butter and white sugar till creamy and fluffy.
In a third bowl ,mix together the flour, baking powder and soda.
Add this bit by bit to the second bowl containing the egg sugar mixture. The best way to do this is to add a spoonful of flour, mix, then add 1 egg,mix and then add the remaining flour and finally incorporate everything together. Add the vanilla essence at the end to get rid of the smell of egg.
Finally add the cocoa mixture to this and mix thoroughly till you have a brown, gooey chocolaty mix.
There is enough batter for 2 layers, so you could either divide the cake between 2 cake tins, or like I did, bake the first cake, and then follow it up with the second one. I had only 1 cake tin at the time.
Bake the cake for 20-25 minutes or till a tooth pick inserted through the center comes clean. It took me 25 minutes.
Wait till the cake cools completely before unmolding it onto a cake tray.
While waiting for the first cake to cool, and baking the second one, you can prepare the frosting, which is super simple.
In a saucepan, add all the ingredients for the frosting, except for the chocolate, and boil on a low flame until everything starts bubbling. This should take around 5 minutes.
Take the pan of the flame and add the chocolate cubes. After 2-3 minutes, mix with a fork till everything incorporates into the mixture. Wait for the mixture to cool completely before you start frosting the cake.
To assemble the cake, place the first cake upside down, put some of the frosting on top till it gets covered completely, and place the second cake, right side up, on top of the first. Top off the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake, allowing it to dribble at the sides.
Top off with Hershey's balls at the sides and some powdered sugar.

And there you have it, devils' food cake, fit for angels to eat !!!

So, how about this to break your fast?? Scrumptious, right. Do check out all the lovely dishes you can try during the holy month...and I shall keep them coming!

Till next time, take care and God bless!

Fried Salmon in lemon infused cream sauce!

2015-06-13T04:38:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, we had a wonderful couple over for lunch. The husband was Indian and the wife French :)...clearly, love has no boundaries! And obviously, the experimenter that I am, I had to make something French...with an Indian touch to it. Luckily for me, the 2 of them were not fussy eaters at all...in fact, they loved spicy food, not too much of it though, but I knew that I had to make something special.

You can never go wrong with salmon. It is the easiest...and the tastiest fish that you can have at the table. I would normally never use the words "elegant" and "fish" in the same sentence, but for me, salmon is somewhat associated to royalty...do not ask me why....or maybe because it's so notoriously expensive! It hardly takes time to cook, but the end result is magical in itself. I just added some cream coz I was in the mood actually...he he! On to the recipe. I am not even going to bother listing out the ingredients coz it's that simple.

METHOD

Wash salmon fillets in a mixture salt and lemon juice to get rid of the smell.
Marinate these in a mixture of salt, pepper and lime juice. Leave it for a minimum of 30 minutes.
In the mean time, prepare the sauce. I had 4 salmon fillets, so I took half a cup of fresh cream and to this added the juice of 1 lemon, pepper powder (2 teaspoons), garam masala powder (1 teaspoon), basil leaves (1 teaspoon), oregano leaves (1 teaspoon) and salt to taste.
Boil this till you get the thickness you desire.
Fry the salmon fillets. I used "Lurpak Cooks Range" oil, simply because I'm in love with the product, but salmon releases it's own oil so you can fry as is. Fry this on each side for approx 3-4 minutes on a medium flame till it turns a pale pink and starts flaking. You can alternatively bake or grill.
Layer this on a plate, top of with the sauce and garnish with some steamed beans on the side and coriander leaves on the top. Do not bother cutting the beans. Simply put them into boiling water for 15 minutes and use as garnish.

Now was'nt that simple!

Till next time, take care and God bless!

Thalassery Mutton Dum Biryani!

2015-06-09T00:32:00.003-07:00

Hello, my lovelies!!!! I am baaaaaack!!!! Ok, I do need to apologize for the extremely long hiatus...and no, I am not going to make any excuses, I was just plain lazy! I know that's not a reason, but hey, what's important is that I'm back....and that too with a brand new recipe, guaranteed to tickle your taste buds!

So, tell me..how's everyone been? Here in sunny Dubai, everyone's gearing up for Ramadan...so for all my Muslim friends, Ramadan Kareem in advance! In order to bring in the holy month, I thought I should post something that you can look forward to during Eid....and what better way than some good old fashioned biryani!

There are so many different variants to the biryani, and in fact, I had posted a recipe for my chicken biryani which you can find right Here. But for now, I thought I'd experiment with my favorite meat, mutton, or goat's meet, and this dish is one of the most popular type of biryanis in Kerala. Simple, wholesome, flavorful...and we're only getting started! Let's find out how to make this, shall we....

INGREDIENTS

Mutton- washed and cleaned thoroughly, 1 kilo. When washing mutton, use a mixture of salt, lemon juice and turmeric powder to get rid of the smell and give it an overall shine.

For Marination

Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilly powder- 3 tablespoons (depending on the spice requirement, this should give you a medium spicy flavor)
Coriander powder- 4 tablespoons
Ginger- finely minced- 1/2 inch stick
Garlic- 10 cloves, finely mashed
Black pepper powder- 1 teaspoon
Yogurt- 1/2 cup
Lime juice- 1 lime
Salt to taste

For the masala

3 medium sized onions- finely sliced
Ginger- 1/2 inch piece
Garlic- 4 cloves finely sliced
Tomatoes- 2 medium sized, chopped into cubes
Garam masala powder- 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Boiling water- 1/4 cup

For the rice

3 cups basmati rice (I used Kohinoor, it has always given me very good results)
1 tablespoon butter
Juice of 1 lemon
Cinnamon stick- 1 broken into half
3 cloves
2 cardamom seeds

For the garnish

Cashews- a handful
Onions- 2 finely sliced and fried

METHOD

Marinate the mutton with ingredients under "For Marination" section and set aside for a minimum of 2 hours. You can do this over night but I do not find much difference.
In a saucepan, heat a mixture of oil and ghee (I use 2 tablespoons of each, adds more flavor and does not make you feel very heavy). In this, fry the onions until they turn translucent (semi transparent), and they change color. Note that they do not have to be brown. Add salt at this stage to cook the onions faster.
Add the tomatoes and fry till they get mashed. At this stage, you can add the water but this is optional.
Finally add the mutton and stir it thoroughly before closing it tightly and cooking for a minium of 35-40 minutes, or until it becomes tender. Once the mutton is cooked, there will be some gravy, so open the vessel and cook for another 10 minutes until the gravy turns thick. Do not evaporate completely since this forms the masala.
While the mutton is cooking, start preparing the rice. Wash the rice thoroughly 3 times and soak it for about 15 minutes in 4 cups of water.
Drain this water and add this to the pan in which the rice is being cooked. To this, add 4 cups of boiling water, butter, lime juice and the spices.
Basmati rice takes a total of 12-15 minutes (max) to cook. Ensure that you always have an eye on the rice so that it does not over cook and get mushy.
When the rice is half cooked (check by pressing one rice grain between your fingers. It gets half mashed and half solid), drain the water from the rice and remove the spices.
Put one more tablespoon of butter to separate the rice grains and give more flavor.
Now, for the dum part. Normally, in order to create the dum, flour mixed with water is used to create a paste and seal the sides of the pan in which the biryani is cooked. Here, I did something different.
In a baking dish, spread butter evenly (1-2 tablespoons). Start off by layering a spoon of rice, followed by 2 spoons of mutton masala, and repeat the process till you have rice as the top most layer.
Seal this completely with foil paper and set this in the oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes. Alternatively you could cook this on the burner at a very low flame for 30 minutes. The rice gets cooked through at this stage and merges with the masala.
Time for the garnish, Fry some nuts and onions in 2 tablespoons of ghee until crispy and serve.

Tada, we have some scrumptios "Neetu's style Dum biryani" available!!

Do try it out and let me know your feedback! Till next time, take care and God bless!

Fudgy Brownie cupcakes with chocolate chip cookie dough frosting!

2015-01-21T22:17:00.003-08:00

I start of with an apology....only because I have been extremely lazy in putting up a new recipe. But, first things first...

Happy New Year!!!

May you have a wonderful, happy and prosperous new year, and may all your dreams and hopes come true!!! More importantly, thank you all for the wonderful response I have been receiving despite me being so irregular in my posts. So, as my New Year gift, I present to you these wonderfully moist brownie cupcakes, made even better with the chocolate chip cookie dough frosting.

I mean, what is not to like...they're brownies, they're cupcakes, and most importantly, they've got chocolate chip cookie frosting!! How could you possibly go wrong?!?
First things first, though. This would not have been possible without Sally from Sally's Baking Addiction, so thank you so much Sally for this wonderful recipe. It's so funny, coz I was actually looking for another recipe (that shall remain a secret for the moment :P), but I ended up with these and I am ever so grateful, so thank you once again, Sally, you truly are a star!

On to the recipe, be prepared to indulge yourself into chocolate heaven!

INGREDIENTS

Brownie cupcakes

100 gms dark chocolate (3.5-4 ounces- any brand will do, I used Kit Kat :) )
White granulated sugar- 1 1/4 cups
All purpose flour- 1 cup
Unsalted butter (room temperature)- 1/2 cup
3 eggs (room temperature)
Vanilla essence- 2 drops
Salt- A pinch

Chocolate chip cookie dough frosting

Unsalted butter (room temperature)- 1/2 cup
Muscavado or light brown sugar- 3/4 cup
All purpose flour- 1 cup +2 tablespoons
1/4 cup milk
2 drops vanilla essence
1 cup chocolate chips (I used Hershey's)
Salt- A pinch

METHOD

Melt chocolate and butter on the stove. Ensure the flame is low, since chocolate burns easily. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon to speed up the process.
Set it aside to cool for a few minutes. Mix in sugar and vanilla essence.
Beat the eggs, one at a time until they are completely blended in.
Finally, beat the flour and salt, until the mixture becomes thick and creamy.
Prepare muffin tins, by spraying cooking oil or brushing it with butter. I've recently discovered the Lurpak's cooking range Cooking Spray and am so in love with the product. Highly recommended!
Bake these cupcakes at 180 degrees for about 25- 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center gives you moist crumbs.
While they are baking, go ahead and prepare the frosting. Start off by creaming together the butter and sugar.
To this, add the vanilla essence followed by the flour and salt till you get a dense dough.
Incorporate the milk till it becomes creamy and fluffy.
Last, but definitely not the least, add the chocolate chips and stir this in using a wooden spatula. The more you add, the better they taste!
Wait till the cupcakes are completely cooled down before frosting them. I just used a spoon, but a butter knife would be even better. Remember, frosting looks best when untidy ;)

And voila, you have the most yummylicious, creamiest cupcakes on the planet! Incidentally, the frosting is so good, you can just eat it like ice cream! These cupcakes taste best when cooled, so keep them in the fridge for atleast half an hour before serving..if you have the patience, that is!!

So do try these cupcakes out and let me know how they turn out. Omce again, wish u all a very Happy and prosperous New Year! Till next time, take care and God bless!

Bohemian Cake!

2014-12-03T20:58:00.001-08:00

Tis the season to be jolly, Fa la la la la la...!!! So goes the words to one of my favorite Christmas carols! Happy Advent Season!! May baby Jesus enter all your homes and shower them with His choicest blessings!! There is something about Christmas that turns even a grouch into someone you want to hug all day...he he ! But then again, you do have the occasional Mr.Scrooge who pops up, in which case, you have to make this scrumptious Bohemian Cake!

I was just lazy yesterday...but then again, when am I not..:P So what do I do? I had actually taken the day off (to be polite, I actually bunked work, lol!). Leafing through the pages of a magazine, I happened to chance upon recipes for the festive season, and seeing that I had all the ingredients at home, decided to go ahead and make this.

Don't be alarmed by the name, trust me it's just a fancy name for a very simple yet extraordinarily delicious cake. And the best part is, you can have this even in the evenings with a nice cup of tea...or coffee for that matter! The cake is drenched in a butter sauce which is purely optional, but I did make it, and trust me, it makes it taste even better!

So how about we go ahead and find out how to make this, shall we :)

INGREDIENTS

Unsalted butter 200gms (room temperature)
Granulated white sugar- 1 cup (depending on how sweet you want, but 1 cup is a minimum)
All purpose flour- 1 1/2 cups
Baking powder- 1 1/4 teaspoons (not heaped, else you get a soapy taste)
Milk- 1 cup (I used low fat)
Eggs- 2 (room temperature)
Vanilla essence- 1 teaspoon
Salt- A pinch
Nuts (optional- handful, for garnish)
Bowls- 2
Cherries, strawberries, sprinkles- Garnish (optional- You can use any fruit for garnish, in fact, you can even use cream)

For the sauce

Butter- 2 heaped tablespoons (room temperature)
Sugar- 5 tablespoons
Water- 1/4 cup

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and set it aside. Mix the ingredients thoroughly to ensure that they are spread out evenly.
In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, butter, milk and vanilla essence till you get a creamy mixture.
Blend in the dry mixture, one spoonful at a time, using the cake mixer, till you get a creamy mixture.
Scrape the sides of the bowl and blend in one last time with the cake mixer. Ensure that there are no lumps.
To prepare the cake tin, spray some olive oil on the bottom and sides of the cake tin. In case you do not have a cooking oil spray, you can use butter to grease the bottom and sides of the cake tin.
Pour in the cake mixture and tap it gently against your kitchen table to ensure there are no air bubbles within the mixture.
Bake this in the oven for 30-40 minutes or till a toothpick inserted through the center comes out clean without any crumbs or liquid mixture. My oven took 40 minutes.
10 minutes prior to taking the cake out of the oven, prepare the sauce. Melt butter, sugar and water on the stove at a low flame.
Once the cake is ready, turn it over on to a plate and pour the liquid over the cake to soak it completely.
I had a can of tinned cherries and a bottle of sprinkles which is what I garnished the cake with, together with a handful of nuts. You can garnish it with any fruits of your choice.

And tada, Bohemian cake is ready!!

Be glued to this space for more yummy Christmas recipes! Take care and Happy December you all!!

My first ever interview!!

2014-10-14T23:34:00.004-07:00

This is truly incredible u guys....my first ever interview was published!! Yipee!!!! Do check out the link Smart Indian Women for details!! Thank you all for all the wonderful support and encouragement I have received. Please do continue supporting me in this venture of mine! And I promise to deliver more tasty treats!!

Potato Murukku~Potato Crunchy Twisters!

2014-10-13T20:22:00.003-07:00

I know it has been a while since I blogged, and I have no excuses for yet...except that I have been super lazy :) And yes, I have been pretty busy as well with work, so do excuse me if I felt the need to just crawl into bed and not think of anything else except relax these past couple of days.

And then I realised, the festival of lights is coming up.....Happy Deepawali in advance peeps!! The festival of lights and great clothes and awesome jewelry...not to mention, all that fantastic food! One of the most traditional snacks served during Deepawali is the murukku...Now, just for the benfit of my non Indian friends, I took the liberty of looking up what this meant, and it means "Crispy Twisters". See, the things I do for u guys....lol!!

Murukku is normally made from rice flower and urad dal, but as always, I had to come up with something different from the usual, and that's when I stumbled upon this fantastic recipe from Sharmi's Passions which totally made my day, so a big shout out to Sharmi!! The only thing you need is the "idiyappam achu". But do not worry if you do not have this, I realized that if you have a piping bag that you use to put icing on cakes, you can still make this, so there, it's that simple!

So obviously, the main ingredient in this is potato, but you will not believe how incredibly easy this is, because there's only a few ingredients and the only thing that can seem a bit tricky is to get the concentric circles, but then again, clumsy that I am, I just made them into pretty much any shape that I could manage! So shall we find out how to do this :)

INGREDIENTS (10-12)

Rice flour- 1 cup
Potato- 1 medium sized
Jeera (Cumin Seeds)- 1 tablespoon
Pepper powder- 1 teaspoon (depending on the spice level required)
Red chilly powder (1/2 teaspoon- optional)
Asafoetida (Hing)- A pinch
Salt to taste
Boiling water- Approx a cup or as required
Oil for deep frying. Coconut oil is preferred, any type of refined oil will do.

METHOD

Boil the potato with the skin using a pressure cooker up to 5 whistles till it gets properly soft and mashable. If using the stove, boil the potato for about 30-40 minutes.
Once it cools down, cut the potato into smaller pieces and grind it using a grinder till it takes on the consistency of wet dough.
In a bowl, mix the dough, with rice flour, chilly powder, jeera, hing, salt and pepper. Add boiling water as required till the dough reaches the right consistency.
Split the dough and add this bit by bit to the "idiyappam achu" or the "icing bag" and squeeze out the dough into a shape of your choice. Concentric circles are what is preferred, but to each his own :)
Drop this into the hot oil and fry for about a minute till the murukku gets a golden brown color and the right crunchiness.

And voila, yummy murukku is ready!!

Watch this space for more Diwali recipes! May the season of light bring joy, happiness and prosperity to all of you! God bless you all!! Till next time, adios my friends!!

Chicken Lollipop!

2014-09-08T03:15:00.001-07:00

What's not to like about this dish...chicken and lollipop...what could possibly go wrong :) Jokes apart, this is something I have always wanted to try out, but never get around to doing due to some reason or the other...you know how it is, and considering how lazy I am, it did end up in the back burner for a while..until now.

So, when A finally requested this as the starter for his birthday menu, I jumped at the opportunity...well, literally anyway :D You actually get fresh chicken lollipops, which just need to be cleaned...something I never realized, probably because I haven't looked hard enough!

Which left me with trying to find a really good recipe...and for once, I was actually lost. I thought of looking around for the perfect chicken lollipop recipe, but then decided against it...why not go with the flow! So, I have come up with a recipe, which I am sure is more or less the standard way of making chicken lollipop fry, the difference being that this was cooked with absolutely no oil! I know I have been promising to do a review of the air fryer..and I will do it...trust me!! The air fryer requires absolutely no oil, which resulted in yummy, spicy and oil free chicken lollipop fry!

For now, on to the recipe....

INGREDIENTS

Chicken lollipops- 8 pieces
Coriander powder- 1 tablespoon
Garam masala powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilly powder- 2 teaspoons
Corn flour- 4 teaspoons
All purpose flour- 4 teaspoons
Juice of 1 lemon

To grind

Dried red chilies- 6 to 7 depending on how spicy you want the marinade
Green chilies- 2 (optional)
Ginger- 1/4 inch
Coriander leaves
Curd- 4-5 tablespoons

METHOD

Clean the lollipops with some salt and vinegar to get rid of the raw smell. Wash them with water twice and the 3rd rinse should be done with salt and vinegar/lime juice to give a shiny and clean look to the chicken.
Marinate the lollipops with the spice powders, corn and all purpose flours and the lemon juice.
To this, add the "ground mixture". While grinding, ensure that no water is added, because the marinade already has a liquid consistency.
Marinate the lollipops for at least 15 minutes to a half hour.
If using the saucepan, fry in about 5 tablespoons of oil for about 3-4 minutes on either side, till both sides are sufficiently golden brown.
If using the oven, roast the lollipops for about 20 minutes, 10 minutes on either side, in a 180 degree oven, preheated for 10 minutes.
If using the air fryer, roast for 12 minutes at 190 degrees.

And that's it...scrumptious chicken lollipops are ready! Serve hot!!

A few pointers to keepin mind...the only reason I added the chilly powder was for some color. Green chilies, as mentioned above, are totally optional. The end result for me was spicy, but to each his own.

Do try this out and let me know how it turns out! Till next time, adios amigos and God bless!

Molten Lava Chocolate Cake!

2014-08-31T20:55:00.002-07:00

It was A's birthday yesterday, and for a change we decided to actually stay in rather than go out for a fancy meal.

Which meant cooking at home. I did ask A for menu suggestions, after all, it was his birthday, so every wish is to be my command...or something along those lines :P. Having a sweet tooth, the one thing he did ask for was the Lava chocolate cake that we both so love from Chilis. Considering that this is a recipe that I had wanted to try for a while now, I instantly jumped on the opportunity, and started browsing around for recipes.

I finally got a fantastic recipe from I Wash You Dry which now happens to be one of my new fave blogs, so thank you Shawn for this fantastic recipe!

I'm sure you're curious, so let's get on with it, shall we...

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6-7)

Milk Chocolate- 400 oz (I used Cadbury's Dairy Milk Chocolate- 1 whole bar)
Unsalted butter, softened at room temperature- 8 tablespoons
Icing Sugar- 4 tablespoons
All purpose flour- 4 tablespoons
3 whole eggs + 1 egg YOLK

Topping

Vanilla Ice cream
Hershey's chocolate syrup (optional but totally worth it!)

METHOD

Place a heat proof bowl over a pan containing boiling water and melt the chocolate along with the butter. Ensure that the flame is low so that the chocolate does not get burnt.
Allow the mixture to cool (approx 10 minutes) and to this, add the powdered sugar and stir in.
Add the flour and blend in again.
Finally add all 3 eggs and stir in using either a hand whisk or the egg beater. Finally add in the egg yolk and blend in.
Whisk in thoroughly to ensure that all the ingredients blend in and there are no lumps.
Grease your muffin or cupcake holders with cooking oil spray or butter. I prefer the cooking oil spray. In case you do not have the spray, you can make do with ordinary oil.
Pour the batter into each prepared muffin tin, about half way through, and place into an oven at 190 degrees, for about 12 minutes. The edges would have browned and become firm but the center will still be soft and gooey.
Once cooled down, let it cool before turning it onto the serving dish.
On top of the cake, place one scoop of vanilla ice cream (Vanilla ice cream is the best combination for this cake, so ensure that you use this)
Top this off with some Chocolate syrup. I used Hershey's.

I do wish I had bigger muffin tins, so that there would be more quantity, coz trust me, there was nothing left! So, was'nt that an easy breezy recipe! Thank you Shawn once again for this, and you guys, don't forget to try it out and let me know your thoughts.

Till next time, adios amigos!

Roasted lamb chops with Tahini Sauce!

2014-08-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

I love lamb chops...period! I mean, who doesn't?? Let me rephrase that..which non vegetarian in their right mind does not savor lamb chops?!?

I believe, the secret to succulent lamb chops lies in the marination, and the time you take to roast it. Mind you, lamb chops roasted for a long time, can result in the meat turning hard. Considering that I love spice in whatever I make, I decided to make an Indo-Italian marination for my lamb chops. Minimum ingredients, all in the pantry and the result was absolutely succulent, to-die-for lamb chops!

The tahini sauce was an inspiration from Nigella Lawson. I mean, what would I possibly do without her :)

Tahini sauce is basically sesame seed paste. You can just eat it simply, but I chose to make it a little more fancy...trust me, really easy! Enough with the chit chat already, let's get cooking!

INGREDIENTS

Lamb chops (6 pieces)
Red chilly flakes- 3 tablespoons
Garlic infused extra virgin olive oil- 2-3 tablespoons (You can also use normal olive oil and grate 1 garlic clove)
Juice of 1 lemon
Garam Masala (All spice powder)- 1 teaspoon
Basil leaves (A pinch- optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Mix together chilly flakes, lemon juice, garam masala, salt, pepper and olive oil and marinate this on the lamb chops. Set this aside for at least 15-20 minutes. The longer you marinate, the better the taste.
Roast this in an oven set at 190 degrees celsius for 15 minutes. Some ovens would require only 10 minutes. Remember not to overcook the meat.

Tahini Sauce

In a bowl, mix together 3 tablespoons of tahini sauce, together with the juice of 1 lemon and some salt. Garnish with basil or mint leaves (optional).

Now, was'nt that easy! Do try it out and let me know how it turns out!

Chocolate chip cookies!

2014-08-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

I find baking extremely therapeutic...when I am down in the dumps, nothing cheers me up like whipping up a pudding or a batch of brownies..and in the process, making a complete mess of myself and the kitchen..lolz! It does give you a sense of fulfillment though...dirty dishes, messing kitchen top..but the end result always makes it worth it :)

I have always talked about how much I love Nigella Lawson...so it only seemed fair that I whip up one of her most popular recipes, totally chocolate chip cookies! In the end, I had flour all over myself (simply because I am soooo very clumsy!), and I had a dirty egg beater, but who cares...I ended up with a batch of 6 crunchy on the outside yet gooey on the inside type chocolate cookies, which even made a big strong man like my hubby dearest to weep with gratitude...not to mention the fact that he wanted chocolate chip cookies for dinner too..he he!

Ingredients are few, most of them am sure will be in any kitchen cupboard, probably the only things you would additionally require would be cocoa powder ( I use Hershey's), chocolate chip cookies (again, good old Hersheys!) and some muscavado sugar, which is nothing but brown sugar, but this is what gives the fudgy texture to the cookies, so I would highly recommend that you buy this. If not, you can always make do with normal sugar. Time for some therapeutic baking...let's find out how to make this!

INGREDIENTS (Makes 10)

1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup muscavado sugar
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 bar chocolate (I used Cadbury's dairy milk, 250 gms)
1 cold egg (keep the egg inside the fridge for 30 minutes, prior to starting your cooking)
1 stick butter (room temperature, unsalted)
Salt- A pinch

METHOD

Melt chocolate by placing a heat proof bowl over a saucepan containing boiling water. Ensure that the flame is very low, else the chocolate will get burnt. Set this aside to cool once done.
In a bowl, using a egg beater, beat together butter, muscavado and white sugars.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt and add this to the butter- sugar mixture. Whip this using the beater.
Finally add the cold egg and the melted chocolate. Beat together until everything is incorporated.
Mix in the chocolate chips using a wooden spoon. The amount of chocolate chips you add is your discretion, the more you dd, the better!
Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out mounds of the mixture and release on to a baking sheet. DO NOT flatten the mounds, they need to remain circular, because while baking, they will become flat and expand on their own. In case you do not have an ice cream scoop, use any big spoon that has a curvy interior. Else, use your hands to make balls of your choice.
Place this on a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray or melted butter and ensure that there is a little space (approx 6 cm) between the dough balls. This is to give space to the cookies to expand.
Place this into an oven, at 170 degrees celsius, for approx 18 minutes. Once a tooth pick is inserted, it should come out semi dry.
Wait for the cookies to completely cool down before serving them, else they will break immediately.

Do try this out and let me know how they turned out! There wont be any leftovers, guaranteed!!

Dynamite Shrimps!

2014-08-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been to PF Chang's? It's an American-Chinese joint that serves some really fantastic food. I would recommend it for any occasion, honestly! And as always, when I have something I like, I have to try it out, at any cost :D You know, I am obsessive when it comes to food :)

Their signature dish is something called Dynamite Shrimps, which is basically batter dipped shrimp that's deep fried and tossed in a sweet and spicy sauce, served in a martini glass. Hmm, heaven in a martini glass! So obviously, I had to try it out ..he he!

Clearly, it was not the exact recipe from PF Chang's...just my own "copy cat" version, lolz! Whatever said and done though, the end result was really good, and the best part of it all, was it was super healthy! Reason? Because we used an "Air Fryer", details of which I shall post in my subsequent posts. Long story short, this was not deep fried in oil, rather cooked in hot air, without a drop of oil. So, isn't that healthy?

The best part of it all was that I finally got to use the martini glasses that were given to us so lovingly by a friend. So, Anurag, this one is truly for you! Special dedication also to my sis in law Amy, who is a big fan of this dish. So Amy, this one's for you too! Incidentally, do not panic if you do not have martini glasses, you can use ordinary bowls, and they will still look absolutely gorgeous!

RECIPE (Serves 2)

250 gms shrimp, de-shelled and de-veined. I used medium shrimp

Marinade for the Shrimp

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn flour (corn starch)
1 teaspoon paprika (red chilly powder)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
2 eggs
Salt to taste

Sauce

1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Sweet Chilly Sauce
1 tablespoon Hot Sauce (or tabasco sauce)
1 teaspoon honey (optional, I used this)
Pepper (Optional)
Salt (A pinch)

Garnish

Spring onions, cut into small pieces
Lettuce

METHOD

Marinate the shrimp in turmeric, chilly and pepper powders and set aside for about 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, corn starch salt and pepper and set aside.
In another bowl, beat the eggs.
Dip the prawns, first in the flour mixture, and shake of the excess. Then dip into the eggs, and finally dip again in the flour mixture,ensuring that the prawns are covered completely.
If using oil, deep fry the prawns till a golden brown. Since I used the Air Fryer, I did not use any oil, and cooked this for 7 minutes.
While the prawns are cooking, make the sauce. In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients mentioned under "Sauce" and set aside.
Toss the cooked prawns in the sauce.
Arrange lettuce leaves in the glass or bowl that you are using. Place the prawns in the lettuce bed and top with spring onions.

Why would you possibly want to go to PF Chang's, when you can cook this in the comfort of your home :) Do try this out and let me know how it turns out! Till next time, take care and God bless!

Meatza~Meat based pizza!

2014-08-08T00:25:00.002-07:00

I have mentioned earlier that I consider Nigella Lawson to be one of my biggest inspirations when it comes to cooking...and I still stand by it!I love pizza, but then again, who doesn't :) I am a little biased, I have to be honest, just the name "Pizza Hut" and I go totally gaga!

The idea of making a pizza, quite frankly, has never appealed to me, simply because it involves making crust, and I am never confident when it comes to making dough of any sort. So, when Nigella showed this particular recipe, for a pizza, minus the crust, I did not think twice..and trust me, neither will you :D. This truly is so simple, that you can get the even the little ones to pitch in for you. And the best part i, dinner is served in 20 minutes flat!

On to the recipe for more details

INGREDIENTS

Mince meat (1/2 kg)
Parmesan cheese- shredded (4 tablespoons)
Red chilly pepper paste (optional- 3 tablespoons depending on the spice level)
2 eggs
Parsley Leaves- Handful
Canned tomatoes (200 gm jar) or if using fresh tomatoes, 2 small ripe ones
Oregano- 1 teaspoon
Back pepper- 1/2 teaspoon
Extra virgin olive oil- 1 tablespoon
Salt- A pinch (Bear in mind that parmesan is salty so adjust accordingly)
Mozarella cheese- A small cube cut into triangular pieces

METHOD

In a large bowl, add the cleaned mince meat. To this add the eggs, parmesan cheese, red chilly paste (optional) and the parsley leaves and blend using hands. Do not overwork the mixture, else it gets hard and rubbery.
Spread the mixture evenly into a greased baking dish.
Separately, strain out the tomatoes from the can so as to remove the liquid from them.
To the tomatoes, add the black pepper, oregano, oil and salt and mix with a spoon.
Spread this over the mince meat mixture.
Cut out the mozarella cube into triangular pieces and place over the mince meat mixture.
Place this into a hot oven at 200 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

And that's all there was to it! Now,wasn't that easy? Do try it out and let me know how it turns out!

Till next time, adios amigos!

Apple Payasam~Apple Kheer!

2014-08-05T21:42:00.001-07:00

I have a really bad habit...I keep buying a whole bunch of fruits, and then leave them for quite some time, without quite eating them...I know, food wastage...not proud of myself. So, as usual, I come home yesterday, and lo and behold, what do I find, but a whole bunch of apples that were just beginning to brown..not a pretty sight!

We had to visit a friend yesterday who was not too well, and coupled with the fact that it is my father in law's birthday, I thought, why waste a whole bunch of apples, why not convert it into a yummy dessert :) Imagine something you can make in 15 minutes flat..now wouldn't that be simply awesome :)

So, there we are...a birthday dedication and a get well soon wish! Oh, but I so cannot forget a dear friend of mine who had requested payasam recipes from me...so, Danica, Pappa and Vinod, this dessert is especially for all of you :D

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6)

4 apples, grated without the skin
Full cream milk- 2 cups
Condensed Milk- 3 tablespoons
White granulated sugar- 5 tablespoons (depending on how sweet the apples are, you can increase or reduce the quantity)
Vanilla essence- 1 teaspoon (optional, but I added this for the flavor)
Ghee/Butter- 4 tablespoons (I used ghee)
Nuts/Raisins/Almonds- optional, as you like

METHOD

In a pan, boil milk until it reduces to half the quantity. This should take about 10 minutes.
While the milk is boiling, separately saute the nuts and raisins in 2 tablespoons ghee till they turn golden brown (a few seconds). I did not have raisins and almonds, so didn't use any.
In the same pan, remove the nuts and raisins and saute the grated apples in another 2 tablespoons ghee and the sugar for about 3-4 minutes, till the sugar is caramelized and the apples turn a lovely golden brown. Ensure they do not get burnt.
To this add the boiled milk and the condensed milk.
Stir for another 5 minutes and switch off the flame.
Once cooled down, keep this refrigerated to thicken.

Tada, yummy payasam is ready!!!

Notes

It doesn't matter what color apples you use, coz you will be removing the skin anyways. I used green

Once the milk is added, it looks like your payasam is curdling, but don't worry, that adds more flavor to the payasam.

The payasam once made seemed watery, but once kept in the fridge, it thickened considerably.

This is eaten best when cold, but, to each his own!

Happy birthday Pappa once again, get well soon Vinod, and Danica darling and everyone else out there, do try this out and let me know how it turns out!

Roast Peri Peri Chicken!

2014-07-26T21:08:00.001-07:00

I have this weird habit...if I see someone eating something appealing and that I cannot have at that moment, I need to make it that very same day! I guess we all have our weird little ways..he he!

Just yesterday, in fact, a colleague of mine was the inspiration of this particular recipe, coz she was having this absolutely divine looking roasted chicken leg and I knew, then and there, I needed to have it. Of course, I had to be a bit civilized and not snatch it from her hand (now that would have been something!), so I decided to hold off just an hour longer till I got home and set about making this.

In actual fact, this dish is just a typical one pot meal that takes hardly any time for preparation and just a wee bit time in the oven, but the end result is absolutely succulent, divinely gorgeous chicken...and you've hardly spend any time at all int he kitchen!

On to the recipe then, am sure you must be hungry already!

INGREDIENTS

1 whole chicken, defrosted and cleaned thoroughly. Do not remove the skin, that's where all the taste is!
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (I used store bought, if using fresh, mash half a ginger and a clove of garlic)
1 tablespoon red chilly flakes
1 tablespoon peri peri sauce (or you can use 1 tablespoon hot sauce)
Juice of 1 lemon
1 potato, sliced into wedges
1 carrot, sliced thinly
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil (to apply at the base of the baking dish and over the chicken, approx 3 tablespoons)

METHOD

Marinate the cleaned chicken with the ginger and garlic paste. red chilly flakes, lemon juice, salt and pepper thoroughly. Apply inside the chicken as well to enhance the taste. Keep this aside for 15 minutes to half an hour.
Apply olive oil at the base of the baking dish and over the chicken and place into the oven.
I use a gas oven, so I placed the chicken at gas mark, and this was NOT pre heated.
After 25 minutes on one side, turn over and roast the other side.
5 minutes before taking the chicken out, place potatoes and carrots in the baking dish. They should take not more than 5 to 8 minutes to roast.
Switch off the oven, wait for 5 minutes and take out the chicken.

Tada, delicious peri peri roast chicken (or the other way around!) is ready!

Now, was'nt that easy? Try it out and let me know how it turns out!

Coffee Icecream!

2014-07-22T22:35:00.002-07:00

An apple a day keeps the doctor away...In my case, an icecream a day keeps my troubles away :)

My house needs to have ice cream..period. I mean, we could run out of milk, bread, tea, coffee and all the other essentials and I really wouldn't care, but no ice cream and I go completely bonkers! It was just one of those days yesterday when I realized there was absolutely nothing in my freezer, and that's when I decided to take matters into my own hands..make my own icecream!

This has to be the simplest ice cream int he world..simply because it uses 3 ingredients..and that's it. It would help if you had a cake beater or a standalone mixer, but if not, just stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until everything gets blended. So on to the recipe!

INGREDIENTS

1 tin condensed milk (I used Nestle)
300 ml double cream
2 tablespoons coffee powder (I used Nescafe- Refer notes)

METHOD

In a big bowl, add the condensed milk, double cream and coffee powder, and blend using a cake mixer or egg beater until you get a thick, creamy mixture. Transfer this to an airtight container for upto 4 hours or until frozen and voila! You have homemade, awesomely gorgeous icecream!

Till next time, take care and God bless!

Vendakka Mezhukkuparatti~Ladies finger stir fry!

2013-09-23T03:50:00.002-07:00

This recipe is actually long overdue..something my brother was asking for quite some time now. So, this one's for you, R! In fact, I actually made this for Onam. Normally, cabbage stir fry is the general stir fry but variety is the spice of life, don't you agree?? :)

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

1/4 kilo ladies finger, cut into quarter inch pieces
1 medium sized onion
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 1/2 teaspoons red chilly powder
2 teaspoons coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (all spice) powder
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons oil (Any type refined oil or coconut oil)
Curry leaves to garnish

RECIPE

Heat oil in a frying pan. To this add the onion along with salt and saute.
Once onion turns translucent, add the ladies finger and fry for about 5-6 minutes or till the stickiness disappears.
Now add all the powders except for the garam masala.
Close the pan for about 5 minutes and stir in between to ensure that the ladies finger dont stick to the bottom.
Finally add the garam masala and garnish with curry leaves.

Easy right? In fact, you dont even need to add onions if you dont want to. So here's the pic...

Till next time, adios amigos!

Naranga Curry ~ Lemon Curry!

2013-09-16T00:22:00.000-07:00

O--Ormayude
N--Nanmayude
A--Aghoshangalude
M--Malayaliyude

Onam Varavayi !!!

In simple words, Happy Onam guys!!! . So, I'm sure you are probably busy preparing the sadya, or in my case, eating one..he he!!

My all time must have accompaniment with practically anything has to be pickle. This infact is a pickle too, but not with all the preservatives involved. Nevertheless, it's a must have for an onam sadya. So here we go...
gs
INGREDIENTS (Serves 6-10 people)

1 big lime (vadagapuli naranga) or 2 small lemons, cut into small pieces and remove the seeds
2 garlic pods, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoons red chilly powder
1 teaspoon hing/kayam/asafoeteda
2 green chillies finely chopped
1 lime sized tamarind ball soaked in 1/2 cup hot water
1 teaspoon jaggery (optional)
Coconut oil/Gingelly oil- 1 tablespoon
Salt to taste

For garnish

Mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon
Dry red chilies- 2
Curry leaves- 1 or 2 sprigs
Coconut oil- 1 tablespoon

METHOD

Heat a tablespoon of oil. To this add the green chilies and lime pieces on a low flame till the juices ooze out from the lime.
Now add the turmeric, chilly and hing powders and fry for a few seconds.
Add the tamarind water and salt. Let this boil for a minute.
Now add the jaggery. This is purely optional, but highly recommended. Boil for another minute and switch off the flame.
For the garnish, heat a tablespoon of oil and splutter mustard seeds.
Add the dry red chillies and curry leaves and fry for a minute.
Switch off the flame, pour this over the lime curry and cover immediately.

Notes

Always prepare the lime curry a day in advance so that all the flavors set in.
This does not need to be kept in the fridge, however, if you do so, ensure that you do not heat it before serving, else it will get spoilt.
Normally, people prepare lime curry using gingelly or sesame oil (nalla enna). I did not coz mom told me that it was not necessary. The curry tasted good even after using coconut oil.
Do not cook the lemon for long, else the curry will turn bitter.

Time for the pics...

And a top view

How does it look? Do let me know your thoughts and feed back. Once again, here's wishing you all the happiness, joy and prosperity this harvest festival brings you!

Onashamsakal!

Ulli sambar!

2013-09-14T23:09:00.001-07:00

I know this is going to sound really weird, but this is the sambar that I made for Onam...and it actually turned out good! In fact, this is the very first time I made sambar..ever!!! And I didnt hear too many complaints, in fact I can proudly say that it finished pretty quickly :). The only tough part would be peeling each of the shallots individually, but if they are big enough, it should'nt take too long. I was intending to make the sambar the day before, but mom told me to do it on the day we were serving the sadya because sambar tends to get thick as time flies. So, here we are! This recipe is courtesy Easy Cooking which is now officially one of my all time fave blogs! I have made a few changes though, not too many. Do check out her semiya kheer and pal ada payasam recipes..they are simply the best! For now, please don't ignore poor old me...On to the recipe!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6-9)

Shallots/Pearl Onions/Kochu ulli- 1 cup (approximately 25- 30), peeled and slit into 2 or 3 slices through the middle
Toor dal- 1/2 cup
Green chillies- 3, slit through the middle
Tomato- 1 medium sized, chopped roughly into cubes
Tamarind/Valan puli- 1 lime sized ball soaked in a half cup of hot water for 15 minutes
Sambar powder- 3 teaspoons
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Asafoeteda/Hing//Kayam- A pinch
Jaggery- 1 teaspoon (optional)- I did not use this
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves- For garnish

For tempering

1 tablespoon coconut oil/1 tablespoon ghee
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
A pinch of fenugreek seeds/uluva
2 dry red chillies
Curry leaves- A sprig or 2

METHOD

Add the toor dal along with the tomato, green chilies, a few curry leaves, a few coriander leaves, turmeric powder, salt to taste and a cup of water to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook this for up to 4 whistles.
Ina saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons of coconut oil and a teaspoon of ghee. Alternatively, you can use just the oil.
Saute the shallots for about 5-7 minutes till they start to change color and the raw smell disappears.
Add the sambar powder, hing and salt and saute fora few seconds.
Add the tamarind water and the cooked dal mixture.
Bring this to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes or till you reach the consistency of your choice.
If adding jaggery, add at this stage.
In a separate pan, heat the oil/ghee, splutter mustard seeds followed by the fenugreek seeds, chillies and curry leaves.
Pour this over the sambar, garnish with coriander leaves and cover immediately.

Sambar tends to thicken as time passes. Prior to serving the sambar, in case you feel it's too thick, pour some water from the kettle to loosen it a bit. Remember to use only hot water, else the taste changes.

Delicious onion sambar is ready!! Ready for the pics? Here we go...

And another...

So, what do you think? This is an easy breezy sambar with absolutely no veggies, but that is still scrumptious. So do try it out and let me know it turns out.

Onashamsakal!

Kalan~ Raw banana in a yogurt based gravy!

2013-09-14T21:14:00.002-07:00

So, my very first Onam recipe for you guys. Kalan is normally made using raw banana and elephant yam, however, here, I have used only raw banana. You can use also use a medium ripe banana to get a sweeter taste. Incidentally, I made this the night before and did not even keep it in the fridge, coz mom told me not to, and the curry tasted just as good. Am very happy to say that there were no leftovers :P. Not so bad for a first timer, he he..!! It is Onam, I am allowed to blow my own horn. By the way, this was the first dish I made for Onam.

Enough with the chit chat, on to the recipe...

INGREDIENTS (Serves6-9)

Raw banana (pachha kaya) or medium ripe banana- 1
Freshly grated coconut- 6 tablespoons
Curd- 6 tablespoons
Green chilies- 3, slit through the middle
Pepper powder- 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin Seeds- 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Ghee- 1 teaspoon
Hot water- 1/2 cup

For tempering

Mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon
Dry red chilies- 2
Curry leaves- 1 or 2 sprigs
Shallots- 2 (optional)
Coconut oil- 1 tablespoon

METHOD

Cut the raw banana through the middle and then chop into cubes. In order to preserve their color, put them in water to which a pinch of turmeric has been added. If you are going to cook this immediately, avoid this step.
Cook this with water, turmeric powder and pepper powder. Do not add salt else the vegetable will not get cooked. This should take 15-20 minutes on a low flame.
In the mean time, grind the coconut, green chilies and cumin with the curd. Do not add any water.
After the banana is cooked, add the salt and ghee. Ensure that all the water is evaporated.
Now add the coconut-curd mixture. Ensure this does not boil, just heat it through for a couple of minutes, else the curd will curdle. Switch off the flame once done.
In a separate pan, heat the oil and splutter mustard seeds, followed by the dry red chilies and curry leaves.
Pour this over the kalan and cover it instantly so that it does not lose it's smell or flavor.

Tada, the kalan is ready!! On to\the pictures...

And another one...

Thank you so much Naveen for the lovely clicks..!! So what do you guys think? Do try it out and let me know how it turns out!

Onashamsakal!

Happy Onam~ Onashamsakal!!

2013-09-14T00:49:00.001-07:00

Hello darlings!! Here's wishing you all the blessings and happiness that the beautiful festival of Onam bestows upon us! For those of my non Keralite friends, a little bit of background information.

Onam is the "harvest festival" of Kerala, India. During this festival, we celebrate the homecoming of the mythical king, Mahabali. The festival lasts a total of 10 days, and during each of these 10 days, there are different activities and events performed. One of the most significant parts of Onam is the traditional "Pookalam" or the "Flower carpet" that the ladies of the house design in front of their houses, as a welcome to the king.

And of course, another perhaps even more important aspect is the traditional meal, the "Ona sadya". This meal is served on a traditional banana leaf and is made of vegetables freshly harvested.

This Onam was very special to me because for the very first time, together with my sister in law, the 2 of us made a full fledged traditional meal. And trust me, no one had complaints!

So, I shall be posting the recipes in the next few posts. I know Onam is only on Monday but here's wishing all you advance Onashamsakal!!

God bless!

Green gram (Cherupayar) curry!

2013-08-16T22:47:00.000-07:00

For some reason, healthy food and me have never gone hand in hand, lolz! Thanks to A, who insists on having at least one veggie daily, I have begun to change from my "spoiled brat" ways, hee hee..However, not all veggies are bad, you know. For instance, this green gram curry is super healthy and super tasty.

Green gram has many benefits. It's perfect for hair loss and attaining beautiful hair. All you need to do is have sprouted green gram daily..which I guess is a bit of a chore, especially for people like me. But green gram is also the perfect food for weight loss and for people with cholesterol issues. So, keeping all that in mind, I decided to make my first ever green gram curry, and it tasted pretty good actually, if I do say so myself. This is something that can be cooked in a jiffy, coz it requires hardly any ingredients, and if you have a pressure cooker, even better! So, on to the recipe..

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4-5)

1 cup green gram (soaked overnight or at least 5-6 hours before)
1 1/2 cups hot water (I use boiled water from the kettle)
1 medium sized onion, sliced thinly
1 tomato, chopped into cubes
4 green chillies, chopped finely
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chilly powder
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 dried red chillies (optional)
Curry leaves- plenty!
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon oil (You can use coconut oil for the traditional taste, refined oil or extra virgin oil as a healthier option)

METHOD

Cook the green gram with the water in a pressure cooker for 5 whistles on a medium heat. If using the normal saucepan, this would take a minimum of 1 hour.
Once the green gram is cooked, in a separate saucepan, heat the oil and splutter the mustard seeds followed by the dried red chillies and a few curry leaves. Reserve the remaining curry leaves for the end.
Now add the onions, green chillies and salt. Salt is added to cook the onions faster. Cook the onions and chillies till they lose the raw smell and turn a slight shade of brown.
Now add the turmeric and chilly powders and add some of the green gram stock left behind in the pressure cooker. If there is no water left, add a few tablespoons of hot water from the kettle.
Add the tomatoes and cook till they get mashed.
Finally add the green gram along with it's stock. If you want more gravy add an extra 2 cups of hot water.
Check salt levels and cook for another 5 minutes or till the green gram curry gets it's required consistency.
Garnish with the remaining curry leaves.

This was how the final product looked like...

And another one..

Do let me know your feedback. so till next time, take care darlins and God bless!