Easycooking

Eggless Fruit and Nut Cake

2009-12-11T18:15:00.005+05:30

I’ve been quite excited off late.Yes,this season does that to you.Even though I am a Hindu and as such we don’t celebrate Xmas,the festival spirit is too hard to ignore.Back home,in Kerala,Christmas stars started to light up as early as late November and during childhood,I used to pester amma to get one for myself too.And who can forget the cakes,Fruit cakes or Plum cakes as it is known in Kerala pouring in by December 2nd or 3rd week.The bakery opposite our home was loaded with cakes,all their shelves and storage spaces were crammed with cakes.We used to gift cakes too-as they say,some festivals are celebrated for the joy it spreads,irrespective of caste or religion.

Though I was not so fond of Fruit cakes..the white icing on top and the pretty flowers on it used to excite me more,I have grown to like the cake more now.I love the strong flavor of the rum soaked fruits and the deep dark colour of the caramel.I tried making my own version last year following Mishmash’s recipe.I was surprised myself knowing that the taste of the Plum cake can be recreated after all.

As going through quite a number of recipes for Fruit Cakes this year,I came across this marvelous recipe at Anushruti’s blog-Divine Taste.I had tried my Birthday cake from her blog and loved it.I made this one for my amma who hasn’t tasted a Fruit cake till date as it contains eggs.I knew she would love it and she did.She shared a few pieces with her friends/neighbours and kept aside a major chunk so that she could relish it.Thank you Anushruti!!

Eggless Fruit and Nut Cake
Recipe source – Anushruti of Divine Taste

Ingredients

Plain Flour – 300 gms

Baking powder – 2 tsp

Baking soda – 1 tsp

Oil – 150 ml

Water – 200 ml

Dates– 100 gms (pitted and chopped)

Raisins or Sultanas – 150 gms,I added Apricots and Figs too

Mixed Nuts -100 gms(cashewnuts, almonds, walnuts)

Jaggery – 150 gms(or substitute with dark muscovado sugar)-I used Light Brown sugar

Sugar – 150 gms

Fruit jam – 3 tsp(preferably without added sugar)

Mixed spice powder – 2 tsp

Grated rind of 1 lime

Method

Grease and line the bottom of an 8” square or 9” round cake tin with greaseproof paper/baking parchment/butter paper.
Sift together flour,baking powder and baking soda to make the mixture uniform.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the fruits and nuts.
Stir in the jaggery/brown sugar,sugar, jam and 100 ml water.
Heat on a low flame until the sugar and jaggery/brown sugar melt, stirring all the while.
Don’t overcook the mixture. Allow to cool and add the remaining 100 ml water, rind and spice powder.. Mix in the sifted flour mixture and beat with a spoon or a wire whisk until there are no lumps.
Transfer the contents to the greased and lined tin and bake in a preheated oven at 150 degree centigrade for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean.

Sending this across to Priyanka @ Asankhana who is hosting a Christmas event - Its time to Jingle again...

A reason to Celebrate & A Note of Thanks!!

2009-12-07T17:00:00.006+05:30

Starting a blog and adding my recipes had just one aim for me..to create a personal space in the web which I could call my own.After a while,it became a platform for me to try out new dishes and post about them.If not for blogging,I wouldn’t have learnt to bake at all.As I’ve mentioned before,blogging has given me new arenas in cooking and the whole aspect of learning a new dish from someone who has already tried it out in his/her kitchen gave me a different high.

I used to check out my stats daily[more than once] when I initially started the blog.After a while,when my posts got comments and appreciations,I forgot all about how stats mattered and it was a once in a while peep.Off late I had totally forgotten about it and wham..what happened??Yes,yes yes,my blog had 1 Lakh hits..YAY YAY YAY!!!

I am happy and delighted and what not.This occasion is definitely worth sharing a sweet isn’t it??So,I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you,one and all who made this possible for me.Without each one of your support and encouragement,I wouldn’t have come this far.Thank you so much!!

I made Gulab Jamuns to celebrate.Nope,I didn’t follow any recipe,took the easy way out and made it from an Instant mix packet.Love you for all the support..Thanks once again!!

I ♥ you all..:)

Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt Cake

2009-12-05T19:45:00.003+05:30

After the Jam Tarts,its time for some Cake..isn’t it??How about a rich Chocolate cake,flavoured with Cinnamon and a simple dusting of icing sugar..??Bring it on..:):).I had bookmarked this recipe from Deeba’s blog who in turn made it from Mary-The Food Librarian’s blog.The lovely chocolatey colour and the moist slices were too hard to ignore.I decided to make it once I lay my hands on a Bundt pan,but no such luck,I am still without one.Every time I checked the recipe and the pics,my desire increased and I decided,bundt or no bundt-I am making this.

After a season of Butter shortage,my fridge is suffering from a butter extravaganza..lol.Both of us[me and hubby] brought butter at different times and now I have almost a kilo of butter sitting pretty in my chiller.I decided I should put it to good use and BAKE:).

Its been a while since I made something for Ajay’s friends-how can I forget them,they are my loyal taste testers and quite often the cakes I make ends up in their tummy after my photo sessions.I usually keep a piece or two for us and pack off the rest to them.This time was no different.They loved it and the empty box[not even crumbs left] is the proof.I feel the cake tastes better the next day with the full flavors of chocolate and cinnamon seeping through..MMMM:)

Chocolate Cinnamon Bundt Cake
Recipe adapted from The Food Librarian,
who got the recipe from Vintage Visuals-readapted from Deeba

Ingredients

Butter – ½ cup

Water – 1 cup

Vegetable oil – ½ cup

Cocoa powder – 5 tbsps[I used Cadburys]

Plain flour – 1 ½ cups
Wholewheat flour – ½ cup

Sugar – 1 ¾ cups

Salt – ½ tsp

Buttermilk – ½ cup

Baking soda – 1 tsp

Eggs – 2,lightly beaten

Cinnamon – 1 ½ tsps

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Grease a large bundt pan/ring mould with cooking spray.

Put butter, water, oil, and cocoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, whisk together both flours, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well.
Then, add the buttermilk and baking soda.

Mix together the eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla in a small bowl, and add to the batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 25 minutes.[Mine took 10 minutes extra] Allow cake to cool completely in the pan.

Jam Tarts!!

2009-12-03T13:45:00.004+05:30

How often have you felt,’if only I could get ___[fill it up with whatever you fancy] RIGHT NOW??Oh..I always do.I fancy eating cupcakes from Best Bakery,Pink Cake from Society bakery and very often,Chocolate sip-ups from Punchiris[a shop near my College in Ekm].sadly,most of the times,I satisfy my cravings by eating something closest to it.I don’t have a choice,do I?

Few days back,while watching Rachel Allen’s show on Travel and Living,I saw her making Tarts.I remembered the yummy Jam-filled and Chocolate filled tarts from Best bakery which my bro used to bring home for me.Even if he didn’t *giggle*,I could just get out of my house,cross the road and get it myself,yup it was bang opposite our place.I had not had them for the longest time and I was literally craving for it.Maybe I should just stop watching those food shows on Tv.

I remembered Ria had posted them a while back.I didn’t waste a moment and set out making it.The recipe is a winner,a simple one which even a beginner can make.I was one-it was the first time I was making tarts and I was a bit apprehensive.But the recipe worked like magic and I was satisfied only after I gobbled down 3 of those in one go..YES!!

Buttery Jam Tarts
Recipe source –Ria

Ingredients[Makes 12 tarts]

Flour-115g
Butter-60g [chilled]
Baking powder – ½ tsp
Water-4-5 drops
Jam

Method

Mix flour and baking powder together.
Add the butter and rub it with your fingertips till it resembles breadcrumbs.
Now add water little by little and form a dough[do not knead,just mix slightly with your fingertips].
Divide the dough into 12 parts.Flatten each ball using a rolling pin and line the tart moulds.
Fill 2/3 of the tart with jam.
Bake at 180 degress for 15 mins or till done.

De-mould when cool.

Christmas Fruit Cake ~ Getting ready!!

2009-12-02T17:45:00.005+05:30

Have you started your preparations yet?I think Christmas being just few weeks away,there is festive spirit all around.Bakeries taking orders for cakes and Christmas wreaths on doors,I love this festival which spreads joy all around.Me,well I wanted to make a Christmas Fruit cake and had planned to soak the dry fruits and nuts in rum long back.But of course,that never happened.As always,I am struggling to zero in on one recipe!!So many yummy recipes all over blogosphere and its just not possible for me to choose one..I want to make them all!!

Few months back,Raaga wrote a status message on Fb saying that she was soaking the fruits in rum that weekend for the Fruit Cake.I must have gone through her recipe a thousand times,I mailed her asking the details and she was quick to respond.She cleared all my silly doubts and YES,I am following her recipe this year.

So fruits and nuts are chopped,and soaked in Rum.
I just can’t wait to bake the cake and EAT it too:).

Here are some Fruit Cake recipes I had bookmarked-

Mishmash’s Kerala Christmas Fruit Cake-which I tried last year
Cham’s Fruit Cake/Plum Cake
Annita’s Rich Fruit Plum Cake
Maria’s Chocolate Fruit Cake

Anushruti’s Eggless Fruit & Nut Cake
Shilpa’s Eggless Fruit Cake

So many choices,which one are you baking??

Dates Pickle

2009-11-30T11:45:00.007+05:30

My friend M’s mom is a very good cook.I like the ease at which she talks about cooking and the flair with which she does it.Sad,I can’t taste most of the dishes she cooks.Why,you may ask—because she cooks excellent non-veg dishes and I am a vegetarian.She feels satisfied when people happily gorge down the food she cooks and is very sad when I stick with salads and pickles.Ajay loved the lunch/dinner invites at their place and was always exhausted by the time he finished coz he just wouldn’t be able to choose which dish to eat!!

Whenever I’m there,she takes care to prepare a vegetarian main dish-pulao or fried rice.Once,she was especially happy and shoved towards me a plate full of pulao with something on the side.I wondered what it was and reconfirmed if it was vegetarian.She gave me the thumbs up and I tasted it.One spoon after the other,I was hooked.I forgot all about the pulao:).

I’ve always wanted to make the yummy Dates pickle that she made that day but never got around asking the recipe.Few months back when I met her,I hurriedly wrote down the recipe and wanted to make it ASAP.But since the recipe measures were for ½ a kg of dates,I was a bit apprehensive.Then comes Bharathy with her rocking dates pickle and would you believe that it is the exact recipe I had but with just 10 Dates,enough to satisfy my cravings..YAY!!

Dates Pickle
Recipe courtesy M’s mom—made easier by Bharathy

Ingredients

Dates – 10,deseeded

Green chillies finely minced-2

Ginger – a one inch piece- chopped

Garlic - 4 cloves- chopped

White vinegar-1-2 tbsps

Sugar – ½ tsp[I increased it to 1]

Chilly powder-1 tbsp

Asafoetida/Hing – ¼ tsp

Fenugreek/Methi-Roasted and powdered finely– 1/4 tsp[I didn’t add this]

Turmeric powder- a pinch

Salt - As needed

Ingredients for the seasoning

Oil – ½ cup[I reduced it to ¼ cup]

Curry leaves – a sprig

Mustard seeds- ½ tsp

Method

Cut each Dates into 4 pieces.
Heat oil in a pan.add green chillies, ginger, garlic bits and curry leaves.Saute for a few seconds.
Add dates.Keep the flame to minimum or just put off and add the all the powders. Ensure they are mixed up and heated well enough,rather than getting burnt.
Add vinegar(I added a little water, just enough to make the pickle a little saucy-as I love that way :)..though addition of water is strictly 'Not' recommended as in any pickles).Adjust the flame and bring the sauce to a boil.
Add salt and sugar.Mix well.
Store the dates pickle in a ceramic jar or glass bottle.

Green Peas Masala ~ Thattukada Style!!

2009-11-27T16:00:00.003+05:30

Most of my Google searches these days are for side-dishes.Yes,the one thing which I am always at a loss for.Since we have dry chapathis/phulkas for lunch and many a times for dinner too,I have to introduce some varities on the sides.After all,for how long can one eat dal and dal fry and dal tadka..you get the drift,don’t you??

We are not very fond of those Korma’s or Shahi dishes to have on a daily basis.It doesn’t serve the purpose of having rotis instead of rice.On the contrary,we’ll be consuming more calories in the form of all the butter,ghee and cream which goes into these curries.So I turned to my treasure house of recipes-yup,my own recipe collection from Vanitha magazine which I have bound into two books.I saw a very simple recipe for Green peas masala which sounded perfect.I had some frozen peas inside the freezer and I tried it rightaway.

After tasting we felt the only thing missing was the ambience of a Thattukada[Road-side eateries which are quite popular in Kerala] and some Porotta’s to soak up the gravy.Perfect thattukada peas masala!!

Green Peas Masala ~ Thattukada Style

Ingredients

Green peas – 1 cup[I used Frozen]
Potato – 1 medium,chopped
Carrot – 1 medium,chopped
Onions – 2,medium,chopped
Green chilly – 1 or 2[according to your spice levels]
Salt to taste
Haldi – 1 tsp

Grated coconut – 4 tbsp
Garam masala – 1 ½ tsp

Coconut Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Small onions/Shallots – 4-5,thinly sliced
Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Method

Pressure cook the green peas with potato,carrot,onions,green chillies with haldi and salt to taste for 2-3 whistles or till the vegetables become soft.
Grind the coconut with few tbsp water to a smooth paste.
In a kadai,add the oil and splutter mustard seeds.
Add small onions and curry leaves and sauté till the onions become golden brown.
Add the cooked peas and vegetables.
Mix in the coconut paste and garam masala and let the curry come to a rolling boil.
Check for salt and add more if required.
Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
Tastes well with Chapathi and Idiyappam.

Check out my other versions of Green Peas Masala here and here.

Vegetable Stroganoff with Garlic Bread and Corn on the side!!

2009-11-26T07:45:00.005+05:30

I remember having this dish at a quaint li’l restaurant in Cochin –The Attic,while me and Ajay sat discussing our future plans,days before our wedding.No wonder then,I don’t recollect the taste of the dish at all,all I can remember is that had liked the dish so much so that I ordered the same when we went there few days later.Ok,let me be honest here,we chose the restaurant not because of the food[though the food is really good too],it was one of those few restaurants where the crowd was limited[very limited],the waiters were non-interfering and the ac was on full blast with good music playing in the background.Uh..what more could we ask for!!

I have had Vegetable Stroganoff at different places and each time found that it was different from the one I had before.I liked it nevertheless.I was in for a disappointment when I searched for a recipe for it though,I did not find even one worth trying.I decided to experiment and try my own version.I remember seeing a recipe in GoodHousekeeping which used Soup mix powder for the gravy,went ahead with that idea.Loved the end result,next time,I’ll try out the spicier version.

Vegetable Stroganoff—The easier version!!

Ingredients

Onions – 2 medium,chopped
Mushrooms – 200gms,sliced
Carrot – 1,sliced
Olive oil/Butter – 1 tbsp
Knorr Mushroom Soup packet – 1
Water – 2 cups or more,as required
Salt and Pepper-to taste

Method

In a pan add butter/olive oil and add the chopped onions.
When they start browning,add the mushrooms and carrot and sauté on medium heat till the mushrooms cooks well.
Now add the soup powder and keep stirring.
Add a cup of water and mix well and break lumps,if any.
Depending on the consistency[I wanted a semi-thick consistency]add more water.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot on a bed of Herb rice.

Herbed Rice

Ingredients

Cooked rice – 1 cup
Dried herbs/Parsley – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Butter – 1 tbsp

Method

In a pan add butter and mix in the rice.
Stir well so that the butter coats the rice evenly.
Add dried herbs and salt to taste.

P.S – Though this one tasted good,I felt it lacked something.Was I supposed to cook the rice with the herbs??Please help!!

Corn on the side
Recipe adapted from Deeba

Ingredients

Sweetcorn - of 2 freshly boiled cobs
Garlic - 3-4 cloves; finely chopped
Fresh coriander - a handful ; finely chopped
Roasted red chili flakes - 1/4 tsp
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste

Method

Heat butter in a pan on low. Add the garlic & saute for a minute.
Add the sweetcorn,roasted red chili flakes,chopped coriander & salt to taste.
Saute it on high flame for 5-7 minutes till the edges of the corn begin to brown. Take off heat, squeeze in some lime & toss well.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Garlic Bread

Well,it came straight out of the box from Dominos..lol.Leftover from my Birthday dinner:).You can check out instant garlic bread recipe here.

Chocolate--Birthday--Cake!!

2009-11-24T08:00:00.002+05:30

Birthdays are always special.Whether it is you who are celebrating or someone close to you.I always looked forward to that special day in my life every year[I am sure most of us do:)].In school,where we were permitted to wear ‘colour dress’ while everyone else wore the boring uniforms,preparations started almost months back.As to what I would wear to who will accompany me to distribute chocolates.Shopping was done usually the previous day,lest I change my mind later:).Little tricks that amma learnt.

Amma always woke me up with a kiss and her birthday wish.Then it was appa’s turn and then my bro’s.Now of course,the baton has turned to Ajay.He has to[yup,its compulsory,lol] wish me at midnight and has to[:)] wish me throughout the day.Gifts would be chosen much beforehand,he just has to buy it for me..afterall,its my birthday:).He feels I would grow out of it after sometime,hah wishful thinking my dear.

Had a fantastic birthday this year too.Thank you all for wishing me through mails,phone calls,sms's and messages on Facebook and Orkut.Love you all,you just made me day extra special.

Made a simple Chocolate cake[Eggless] and that’s all the cooking I did.Ajay took me out the whole day not letting me do any cooking.We cut the cake in the evening with friends and then later ordered Pizza.Hmm,back to the grind from today..why don’t the birthdays come twice every year;).

Chocolate Birthday Cake
Recipe adapted from Divine Taste

Ingredients

Plain Flour/Maida – 200gms

Cocoa powder – 50 gms[I used Cadbury's]

Baking powder – 2 tsp

Baking soda – 1 tsp

Sweetened condensed milk/Milkmaid – 1 tin/400gms

Butter,melted – 150 gms

Vanilla essence – 2 tsp

Water – 150 ml

Method

Grease and line the bottom of a 9” round cake tin with greaseproof paper/baking parchment/butter paper.I used a heart shaped tin.
Preheat the oven at about 100 to 120 degrees centigrade.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.
In a mixing bowl,add the sifted flour mixture and make a well in the center.
Add in the condensed milk, melted butter, vanilla essence and water. Beat with an electric hand mixer, whisk or spoon just until the mixture is uniform and smooth and there are no lumps.Take care not to overbeat as this tends to make the texture of the cake hard.
Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for an hour at 150 degree centigrade.

For the icing

Ingredients

Icing sugar – 2 cups,sifted
Cocoa powder – 2 tbsp
Butter – 90 gms,softened
Vanilla essence – 2 tsp

Mix together everything in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon till smooth.
If the mix is too thick,you could add a few tbsp milk to ‘loosen’ it,but add only if required.

Assembling the Cake

Level the top part of the cake with a serrated knife and the cut the cake into 2 or 3 horizontally[I cut into 2].
Fill and cover with the icing.

Deluxe [Classic] Brownies!!

2009-11-16T14:30:00.007+05:30

I’ve often wondered how I crave for stuff when its shown on tv,like the Maggi noodles ad.Yesterday,I almost got up instantly from the sofa to make myself a hot bowl of maggi when I saw the boy licking his bowl clean in the ad.Few days back,while watching Notting Hill,in the scene where they have dinner together and fight for the last brownie,I was drooling and wanted to have it for myself.I wondered why I haven’t made a brownie in ages.Leave alone bake,I can’t remember the last time I had a brownie.

To be frank,I expect my brownie to be chewy and fudgy and full of chocolatey goodness.I wasn’t sure if I could recreate that taste,so maybe that’s why I didn’t try baking it myself.I’ve bookmarked so many recipes for the same,but didn’t take the plunge.

Enter Betty Crocker.Yeah,I just cant stop raving about the book I bought recently.For those who asked,I got it from one of the Book Fairs going around in Ernakulam.Though I don’t see myself baking/trying out all the recipes,they are a treat for the eye..such goodlooking pictures..:)

So here’s the first recipe I tried..and loving it..:)

Deluxe [Classic] Brownies
Recipe source – Betty Crocker’s Baking for Today

Ingredients [Makes 16 brownies]

Butter/Margarine – 2/3 cup[about 150 gms]
Unsweetened chocolate – 5 oz[about 140 gms]
Sugar – 1 ¾ cup – I reduced it to a cup and a half
Vanilla extract/essence – 2 tsps
Eggs – 3
All purpose flour – 1 cup
Chopped nuts – 1 cup – I used walnuts

Method

Heat oven to 350F/175C.*
Grease/line bottom and sides of a 9’ square pan.
In a saucepan,melt butter and chocolate over low heat,stirring frequently-cool slightly.
In a medium bowl,beat sugar,vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on high speed for 5 minutes.Beat in chocolate mixture over low speed.
Beat in flour just until blended.Stir in nuts.Spread in pan.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes or just until edges crack and brownies pull away from sides of pan,
Cool and cut into 4 rows by rows.

*Set the temperature according to your oven-my brownies started to burn slightly by 25 minutes,so I loosely covered the pan with a foil and proceeded by setting the temp to 150C and increased the baking time.Though the crust looks a li’l burnt,it didn’t affect the taste in any way!!

Praline Vanilla Sponge Gateau

2009-11-12T13:45:00.008+05:30

Its tough really,to decide if you are addicted to something or not!!.While at it,I thought it would be impossible for me to live without blogging,blog-hopping and the latest craze-Farmville on Fb.When I took a short break[I was at my mom’s place in Kerala]the internet connection was quite slow and it took ages for me to even log in,ok not exactly.I thought I’d die of a no-internet life,but strange,after the first day,I kept myself distanced from it and in a few days,totally forgot about it!!I am surprised myself..:)

I am back in Chennai now,though totally not loving it-after 2 weeks of pampered life.Hmm..:).As usual,got a few stuff from there which I am totally excited about.Got two baking books,one a Betty Crocker’s book-Baking for Today at a throwaway price..I am still not done looking at the pics..:),and another,30 Classic Cakes.Got a few baking tins,a Xmas tree shaped one,another one which almost looks like a Bundt tin and a Brownie pan.

Got to start baking in a few days..:).

Made this cake a while back,about 2 months back for a friend’s wedding anniversary.Ria has got some amazing baking recipes up her sleeve and this has become our favourite.This should be one of the instant-est cakes I’ve ever made.Got a party invite at 4 in the evening and by 6,I was ready with the cake..:).Good I say..:).Though the pictures don’t do justice,it was a delicious cake with a classic touch to it.

Praline Vanilla Sponge Gateau
Recipe adapted verbatim from Ria

For the sponge

Flour-100g
Sugar-100g
Eggs-3
Vanilla- 1 tsp

Method

Beat eggs and sugar till thick and creamy and falls in thick ribbons when poured from a height (approx. 8-10 mins).
Then add in flour ,vanilla and beat till it forms a real thick batter which is almost mousse like(approx.4-5 mins) [I know that for a sponge we should be very careful not to let the air escape and we need to fold in the flour little by little. BUT for this cake this method works like a charm! :) ]
Pour into a prepared round tin and bake in an empty pressure cooker sans the weight for 5 mins on high flame and then reduce the flame to medium high and bake for 20 mins. [You must put in a steel ring/holder and then place the cake tin on it.]
Open the lid and do a skewer test to see if the cake is done.
Take the tin out of the cooker and let it cool in tin for 10 mins.
Remove the cake from the tin and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

You can bake the same in an oven at 180 degrees for 25-30 mins or till done.I baked it in the oven.

Basic Butter Icing

Unsalted butter, softened-75 g
Icing sugar-140 g
Milk-1-2 tbsp ( optional)

Mix butter and powdered sugar to a smooth paste like consistency.
Add milk if you need to make it a bit more loose.
If you like your icing to be thick , double the recipe.

Praline

Butter-1 tbsp
Cashewnuts-2 tbsp
Sugar-3 tbsp

Caramelise sugar on a medium flame till golden brown.
Add nuts & butter to it and mix well.
Pour onto a butter/tissue/parchment paper and let it cool completely.
Crush/powder them into tiny bits.

Assembling the cake

Cut the cake horizontally into 2 or 3 [I cut it into 2].Me too.
Sandwich each layer with 3-4 tbsp of butter icing.
Sprinkle some praline in between the layers (optional)
Spread the remaining icing on top and sides.
Sprinkle the crushed praline on top and on sides.
Cut into wedges and serve.

Haldi Doodh/Turmeric Milk ~ Medicinal Food

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

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

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

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

Haldi Doodh/Turmeric Milk ~ Medicinal food

Ingredients

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

Method

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

Rulaava Bhakri/Doddak ~ Rava Dosa,Konkani style!

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

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

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

Rulaava Bhakri/Doddak ~ Thick Rava dosa

Ingredients

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

Method

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

Phenori ~ Diwali Mithai ~ Happy Diwali!!

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

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

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

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

Phenori

Ingredients

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

Method

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

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

Happy Diwali!!

Gajar ka Halwa ~ Diwali Mithai!!

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

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

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

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

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

Ingredients

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

Sliced nuts & Saffron strands for garnish

Method

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

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

Happy Diwali!!

Pedha,not one but two ~ Diwali Mithai!!

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

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

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

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

Instant Doodh Pedhas
Recipe adapted from Show me the Curry

Ingredients

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

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

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

Method

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

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

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

Ingredients

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

Method

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

Happy Diwali!!

Coconut Laddoo ~ Diwali Mithai!!

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

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

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

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

Coconut Laddoo

Ingredients [Makes 30-32 laddoos]

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

Method

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

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

Happy Diwali!!

Vegetable Cutlet ~ The perfect snack!!

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

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

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

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

Vegetable Cutlets

Ingredients

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

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

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

Method

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

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

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

Vanilla Choco-Chip Pound Cake

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

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

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

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

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

Vanilla Choco-Chip Pound Cake

Recipe adapted from Deeba & Shaheen

Ingredients

Butter; room temperature - 200gms

Eggs-4,large

Sugar(granular)-1 cup

Flour - 1 ½ cups

Whole-wheat flour - ½ cup

Baking powder - 1tsp

A pinch of salt

Chocolate chips -½ cup

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Method

Grease and flour a loaf tin.

Preheat oven to 175C.

Sift together the two flours, baking powder and salt.

Beat the butter & sugar well till light & fluffy.

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

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

Fold in the chocolate chips.

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

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

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

Slice and indulge:)

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

Indian Cooking Challenge ~ Murukku/Jantikalu

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

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

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

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

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

Indian Cooking Challenge ~ Murukku/Jantikalu

Preparation Time : 20 - 30 mins

Cooking Time : 20 - 30 mins

Makes : app 250 kg of Muruku

Cuisine: Andhra & Tamil Nadu

Utensils needed:

Muruku /Chakli Press.

Kadai

Ingredients Needed:

Raw Rice - 4 cups

Urad Dal - 1 cup

Water - app 1/2 cup or more

For Seasoning

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Sesame seeds- 1 tsp

Asafetida/ Hing - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Butter - 75 gms

Method to prepare:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Chocolate,Banana & Walnut Muffins~Eggless!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Zebra..in my Cupcake!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ingredients

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

Onion Paste[Grind together]

Onion – 1
Cloves – 2
Cardamom – 1,whole

Tomato Paste[Grind together]

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

Oil – 1 tbsp

Method

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

Kanji..or is it Rice Porridge??

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

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

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

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

So here’s presenting,a very simple fare.

Podiyari Kanji

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

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

Cherupayar Mezhukkupuratti

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

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

Chuttaracha Chammanthi

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

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

Chutta Pappadam

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

What is your comfort food??

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

Simple Tomato Fry ~ Bachelors Special!!

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

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

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

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

Simple Tomato Fry
Recipe adapted from Lakshmi Nair-Magic Oven

Ingredients[Serves 4]

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

Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Coriander leaves-to garnish

Method

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