13 January 2013

Kaaya Halwa / Kerala Banana Halwa - Celebrating 2 years of Blogging

Greetings to all my dear readers!! I am a few days late but I am glad to celebrate my blogs anniversary and New Year with you all. This small space of mine has reached new heights and all this would not have been possible without your support. :) It gives me a real high when someone tells me they read my blog. And what I treasure the most is the people I have met and the new friends I made. I wish to thank each one of you and hope I can live up to your expectations regarding the recipes I post. Really sorry for the delay in between posts. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you will come back soon and often.

So here is my recipe for the celebrations along with a sneak peak into what made my blog popular in the year 2012. 

The recipe for today is quite an easy one. A very country style Kerala dessert. A quick one which can be made to please guests at home.



INGREDIENTS
Recipe source - Vanitha

Nendran Banana - 1 kg
Milk - 1/2 litre
Sugar - 500g
Ghee - 100g
Cardamom powdered - 4 crushed to a powder
Cashew - a few for garnishing
Kismis - a few for garnishing



METHOD
Steam the bananas without peeling the skin in an idly vessel / microwave oven.* see notes
Peel the cooked bananas and grind it to a fine paste along with milk and sugar.
Heat ghee on medium flame in a non stick wok till it melts. Fry the cashews and kismis. Using a slotted spoon remove it and transfer it to a plate lined with kitchen roll.
In the same pan with ghee add the ground mixture and keep stirring.
It has to be stirred till it thickens. The right consistency can be checked by taking a small portion and rolling it in between your thumb and forefinger. It should not stick to your fingers. You should be able to roll it into a ball.
Tip in the cardamom powder. Mix well.
Transfer it to a greased bowl. Garnish with nuts and kismis.


Cooking tips:
1. Use ripe nendran variety bananas only. It should have brownish black spots on it and soft on touch.
2. If you are cooking the banana in a microwave oven, cut off the top and bottom ends and make 3 pieces of each banana. Place it on a microwave safe plate and cook for 2 -3 minutes depending on the ripeness of the banana. You can check in between. If it has become really soft then it is done.
3. If you are steaming it in an idly pot or any wide vessel add about 2 glasses of water. Place the base or a grill with a stand. Once the water starts boiling place the whole bananas on it and close the lid. Steam for 5-10 minutes on high flame till it is soft and well cooked. The cooking time depends on how ripe the bananas are. Remove from steamer and peel off the skin to use.

So here is a sneak peak into the Top 10 Posts in the year 2012. Enjoy!!




























And to top the list the post with maximum page views - 6500 page views is
Easy Kalathappam in a Pressure Cooker



Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year!! Welcoming this new year with smiles on our faces and hopes in our heart. Wishing lots of good food and cheer this year.. :)

16 December 2012

Butter Cookies with Chocolate Leaves

Time for the jingle bells and celebrations.. Its that time of the year when the whole world is celebrating. Its the time for festive cooking. This year lets gear up and give our friends and family home made gifts from our kitchen. How about butter cookies with a twist? Butter cookies with chocolate leaves.



Ingredients
Recipe adapted from here

For the cookie dough:
All purpose flour - 400 g
Sugar - 125 g
Butter - 200 g (I used unsalted cold butter)
Egg - 1
Salt - 1/4 tsp

For the chocolate leaves
Dark chocolate - 200 g
fresh rose leaves



METHOD
Preheat oven to 180 degree C for 15 minutes.
Chop the butter into cubes.
In a mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients and knead it to form a ball.
Divide it into 3 portions and knead again.
Place one roll at a time on butter paper/ parchment paper and roll it out to a thickness of 0.3cm.
Pile each flattened dough in between parchment papers and freeze for 30 minutes.
Remove from freezer and cut out the dough using cookie cutters of your choice.
Place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment and freeze again for 15 minutes.
Bake for 10 - 15 minutes or until it is just browned at the edges. (I baked it for 20 minutes).
Transfer it to a cooling rack.
Now to make chocolate leaves wash and pat dry rose leaves preferably small ones.
Melt chocolate using a double boiler method or in a microwave.
Using a small paint brush, paint the back of the leaves with chocolate. It has to be a thick even layer.
Place it slowly on a baking sheet and freeze for 60 minutes.
Remove from freezer and gently peel out the leaves.
Use melted and cooled chocolate to fix the leaves on to the cookies and place in the refrigerator until set.



Tips:
Always preheat the oven before baking.
If you freeze the cookies after cutting it out they don't lose shape.
While cutting out leaves, leave a part of the stem too so that it is easier to hold and paint the leaf with chocolate.
Place the chocolate leaves on the cookie only after the cookie has cooled down.

02 December 2012

Dosa / Indian Rice and Lentil Crepes

Who does not like a crispy dosa. I can have it at any time of the day be it breakfast, lunch or dinner. Masala Dosas have become famous all over the world now. This is one breakfast that everyone loves at home. And the most frequently ordered breakfast at our resort. We always have cooking classes for our long stay guests on request and it feels so good to see them watch in awe how these beautiful crepes are made. And jump with joy when they get it right through trial and error. :) So as per my guests request here is the recipe for dosas we make at home.

Dosas are best made on a cast iron griddle. The texture is so different and lovely compared to the non stick pans. Dosas taste best with shallots sambar, coconut chutney and potato masala. We usually make coconut groundnut chutney at home.



INGREDIENTS
Par boiled rice / Idly rice - 3 cups
Urad Dal / Skinned black gram (whole) - 1 cup
Chana Dal / Split chickpeas gram - 3 tbsp
Methi Seeds / Fenugreek Seeds - 1 tsp
Salt - as required




METHOD
Soak all the ingredients except salt for 6 hours or minimum 3 hours. Fill with water so that the ingredients are submerged and there is water 2 inch above it.
Grind it into a paste (but not very fine paste, it should be slightly grainy) in a wet grinder. It should coat a spoon well.
Let the batter ferment overnight.
Add salt before making dosas.
Heat the seasoned griddle. It is very important that the griddle is of the right temperature. Drizzle little water and it should sizzle and evaporate immediately.
Turn the heat to medium low.
Take a laddle or even a small steel bowl and pour a laddle (approx 1/4 cup) of batter on to the griddle. Then start making concentric circles using this laddle or bowl in a quick motion.
Turn the heat to medium high.
Drizzle little oil or ghee on the dosa. Use a spatula to evenly spread the oil.
When the dosa turns golden on the edges and leaves the pan flip it. Turn the flame to low.
When the dosa is done flip it back and roll it.  Serve hot with sambar, coconut chutney and potato    bhaji. 


Tips to make the perfect dosa:
1. It is very important that the batter ferments well. If you are living in a cold region place the batter in a warm place. You can preheat an oven for 5 minutes. Switch off and then place the batter in it to ferment. Don't forget to close the oven. :)
2. The consistency of the batter should be thinner than idli batter and not too runny. If the batter is too thick add little water to get the right consistency. So it is better to add only as much water that is required to grind it. Water can be added later also.
3. Make sure the batter is stored in a vessel that can hold twice the amount of batter.
4. The griddle temperature should be right. If it is too hot you will not be able to spread the batter. If you have seen dosas made in open kitchen restaurants you will see that water is splashed on the griddle, wiped clean and then the dosa batter is poured.
5. If you have difficulty removing the dosas from the cast iron griddle smear little gingelly oil on it and wipe off with a kitchen tissue. Or dip a piece of onion in this oil and smear on it.
6. Chana Dal gives that golden colour to the dosas and fenugreek gives the fluffiness to the batter.
7. You can refrigerate the batter and use it for 2-3 days. But make sure you bring it back to room temperature before making dosas.
8. If you are making paper dosa just scrape off the excess batter from top of the dosas and there is no need to flip it. Just roll it once done.
9. It is better to have these crisp dosas as soon as you make it. The more you keep it, dosas become soggy and lose their crispiness.
10. Do not use the cast iron griddle used to make dosas for any other cooking purposes.

25 November 2012

Walnut and Figs Pudding with Toffee Sauce

The best part about having a blog is that you are motivated to try out new recipes all the time and that whenever friends think of gifting they have no doubts about what to get  :) One of our guests and friend Egbert got this fresh packet of walnuts all the way from Kashmir. Thanks Egy. Puddings are my weakness and always enjoy it when others make it for me. It's sheer laziness to make them. I usually sit back and enjoy the puddings that my sis Nishna makes. 

Walnut and figs are my favorites. I found this recipe at 'What Katie Ate' blog while looking out for recipes with nuts. Since we don't get pecans here, I substituted it with walnuts. Loved the taste of figs and walnut in the pudding. It is a really rich pudding and the toffee sauce gives that subtle  flavour in between. With the Christmas season coming up this pudding is gonna win many hearts.



INGREDIENTS
Dried Figs - 175 g cut into 1/4 inch strips
Strong Coffee - 50 ml * see notes 1

Walnuts - 3/4 cup chopped into small pieces
Unsalted Butter - 90 g (at room temperature)
Brown Sugar - 150 g
Eggs - 2 lightly beaten
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Self Raising Flour - 175 g
Hot water - 125 ml

For the toffee sauce:
Unsalted Butter - 125 g
Brown Sugar - 175 g
Instant coffee powder - 1/4 tsp (my addition to the recipe)
Cream - 125 ml



METHOD

Preheat oven to 180 degrees for 15 minutes.
Grease and prepare a 1 L pudding basin or bundt pan.*See notes 2
Chop the figs and walnuts.
Prepare the coffee and soak the figs in it for 15 minutes.
Place the butter and sugar in a bowl. Mix it well.
Lightly beat the eggs and add it to the bowl.
Sprinkle the baking powder.
Tip in the flour and mix well with a wooden spatula.
When smooth add in the soaked figs along with any coffee left and walnuts. Mix well.
Now add in the hot water and combine well.
Pour the batter into the pudding basin or bundt pan.
Cover the surface with a baking paper and then cover tightly with foil.
Bake for 50 - 60 minutes or until the skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. *See notes 4
Meanwhile make the toffee sauce. Place the butter and brown sugar in a sauce pan on low heat till the butter has melted and sugar dissolved.
Add in 1/4 tsp instant coffee powder and mix well.
Stir in the cream and increase heat to medium. Bring it to just below boiling point and reduce heat to low. Cook for 5 minutes.
Turn the pudding on to a plate and pour the toffee sauce on top.
Top it with the nuts if you wish.
Serve warm.

Notes:
1. To prepare strong coffee boil 50 ml water and add in 1 tbsp instant coffee powder. I used Nescafe.
2. I used a non stick bundt pan. So I did not line it. If you are not using one then line it with baking paper.
3. Place the pan on the middle rack in the oven.
4. Time required to bake may differ. Check after 30 minutes.


20 November 2012

Chemmeen Masala / Prawns Masala

There are some old recipes written by hand and kept in my favorite recipe folder. These are ones that came to my rescue after marriage. Most of them are my mom's, amma's, aunts or cousins and some them of them from the web world. This is one recipe I got from a website but at that time never thought of writing down which site it was from. I have special memories associated with each of these scraps of paper. It surely makes me smile. I am sure it will make you smile too. So here is the recipe for prawns masala.



INGREDIENTS
Prawns - 280 g shelled and deveined

For Marination:
Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt - as required

For Masala:
Onions - 2 cups tightly packed, finely chopped
Green Chillies - 1 slit into two
Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Kashmiri Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tbsp
Tomato - 1 cup finely chopped, loosely packed
Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup finely chopped
Water - 1 cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - as required



METHOD
Marinate prawns with pepper, turmeric and salt. Leave it marinated for 1/2 hour.
Heat oil in a kadai/ wok.
Add in the ginger, garlic paste and saute for 10 secs.
Now add in the chopped onions, chilly and saute till light brown.
Tip in the masalas and stir well for 1 minute on low flame.
Stir in the tomato, add 1/4 tsp salt and saute. Close and cook on low till tomatoes are mashed well.
Open the lid and add the prawns. Mix well.
Add 1 cup water, check salt and let cook on low for 10 minutes.
Open and cook on high for another 5 minutes till the gravy is thick.
Remove from stove and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve with rotis or rice.


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18 November 2012

Mutta Choru / Egg Rice

When it comes to weekends I always go in for one pot meals. I am sure by now everyone has gotten over the celebration mood and back to work on full swing. It's always fun when festivals arrive. There is so much activity and happiness around. But the good news is that the festive season is not over yet. We still have Christmas and New Year. 

This weekend I would like to share an easy recipe with you all. Something the kids will love instead of the usual rice and curries. My son always comes from school asking 'what is special for lunch today?' It is really hard to please these little pranksters. What I like about this recipe is that it does not have too much of that egg-y taste. It is a mild version which I found in one of my Amma's old cut outs from Vanitha magazine. So here it is..


INGREDIENTS
Short Grain Rice - 2 cups
Water - 4 cups
Ghee - 1 1/2 tbsp
Salt - as required

Eggs - 4 medium
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as required

Onions - 2 large (finely chopped)
Chilly - 1 or 2 slit into 2 ( as per tolerance level)
Oil - 1 tbsp

Coriander Leaves - 2 tbsp finely chopped
Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs



METHOD
Clean and wash the rice. Drain water and transfer it to a colander.
Boil 4 cups water and add salt as required.
Heat the ghee in a non stick kadai or pan.
Fry the rice in it for five minutes stirring continuously on medium to low flame.
Pour the boiled water into the rice. Bring it to a boil on high flame. 
Close with a lid and cook for 15 minutes on low flame. While cooking toss the rice once after 10 minutes.
Crack the eggs into a bowl. Add in the turmeric, pepper, coriander powder and salt. Fluff it well using a fork or wire whisk till well incorporated.
In a  medium size pan heat the oil. Fry the onions and chilly till slightly brown in colour.
Add in the egg mixture and scramble it.
Now add in the cooked rice. Toss and mix well.
Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.
Serve with cucumber raita, pappad and pickle.



Tips:
1. Short grain rice refers to what we call ghee rice / Neychottari in Kerala also called as Kaima Rice/ Jeerakasala Rice. The picture of it is shown below. This is best in making biriyani.


2. After pouring in the boiled water into the rice just stir once. Stirring too much will make the rice mushy. So check the salt in the water before pouring it into the rice.
3. Do not fry the rice for more than 5 minutes. The right time is when the grains start breaking.
4. You can chop the chilly fine, if you are making it for adults. And increase the number depending on your spice tolerance level.


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09 November 2012

Chenna Payas / Cottage Cheese Pellets in Thickened Milk - Diwali Special

Chenna Payas is a must try sweet famous in Bengal and Orissa. Soft cottage cheese balls are cooked in thickened milk. It is served chilled. Other Diwali Sweets you could check out here are - RasogollasJalebis, Carrot Halwa and Badam Halwa
I am sure all are geared up for the Diwali celebrations.Wishing all my well wishers, readers and blogger friends a happy, fun filled and safe Diwali!



INGREDIENTS
Recipe Source: 100 great recipes of India

For the soft cottage cheese (chennas):
Milk - 2 1/2 litre
Vinegar or Lemon Juice - 4 tbsp


For the sugar syrup:
Sugar - 300 g
Water - 5 cups or 1 litre
Refined Flour - 5 tsp

For the thickened milk / rabri:
Milk - 1 liter + 1/2 cup( to cook the remaining cottage cheese)
Sugar - 4 tbsp
Green Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
Saffron - a few strands


For garnish
Almonds - 2 tsp (slivered)
Pistachios - 2 tsp(slivered)
Saffron - a few strands



METHOD
Boil the milk in a pan. When it starts to boil reduce flame. Add the lime/ vinegar. Continue to cook and stir  till the milk curdles completely.
Drain it into a muslin cloth kept in a sieve. Wash the cottage cheese thoroughly under running water.
Lift the cloth from all four sides and twist it to remove water content.
Transfer it to a wide mouthed bowl to knead. Mash the chenna well.
Press the dough and push it in the opposite direction from you. Keep repeating this till you get soft cottage cheese. Knead for approximately 5 minutes. Keep aside.
Now start to prepare the sugar syrup. Boil water in a wide mouthed pot. Add sugar and stir till the sugar is fully dissolved.
When the syrup starts to boil lower heat and add the refined flour. Stir well.
Let the syrup become frothy. Continue to cook on very slow flame.
Meanwhile start preparing the chenna balls. They should be very small in size (approx a little bigger than the size of a Kabuli Channa). Make chenna balls from 3/4 of the cottage cheese.
In another pan pour the milk to prepare the rabri / thickened milk.
Bring the milk to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer till it is reduced to 1/3 the quantity. Add in the sugar and stir till fully dissolved.
In the meantime, transfer the chenna balls into the sugar syrup. Continue to simmer until they swell to double the size (approximately 20 minutes).
Remove the dumplings or chenna balls using a slotted spoon and keep aside to cool.
In a kadai boil 1/2 cup milk. Add in remaining well mashed chenna and cook till the mixture begins to leave the sides.Remove from heat and let cool.
When the milk for the rabri has been reduced to 1/3 the quantity, remove from heat and add in the saffron and cardamom powder. 
Add in the cooked chenna mixture to the milk and continue to cook for 10 - 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.
When cool gently lower the dumplings or chenna balls into the mixture. 
Serve chilled garnished with pistachios, almonds and saffron.


Tips:
1.Once you add the vinegar or lime keep stirring on low flame till the milk curdles completely.
2.The chenna or cottage cheese is washed to remove the taste of the vinegar or lime and also to make it soft.
3.Twist the muslin cloth well to remove water completely.
4.The cottage cheese needs to be kneaded well to make a nice soft dough.
5.The dumplings should not have any crack else they will break on cooking.
6. The sugar syrup should be frothy and of one string consistency before you add in the dumplings. Smear a little syrup on your forefinger. Press it between your thumb and forefinger. Slowly pull. You can see a string form.
7.Use a wide mouthed pot or kadai to make the sugar syrup so that the dumplings fit into it without overcrowding.
7.While serving if the rabri is too thick add in some milk.




03 November 2012

Vendakka Mezhukkupuratti / Okra Stir Fry Kerala Style

Okra / Ladies Finger is one of my favorite vegetable. Venda Mezhukkupuratti is an easy to make side dish for rice.



INGREDIENTS
Tender Okra / Vendakka - 300 gms
Onion - 1 medium size thinly sliced
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/4 to 1/2 tsp (depending on spice tolerance)
Salt - as required
Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp



METHOD
Wash and pat dry the okra.
Chop it into round pieces.
Heat oil in a non stick kadai or pan.
Stir fry the onions till translucent.
Add in the turmeric powder, pepper powder and salt. Stir for 10 secs.
Tip in the okra and stir. Check salt.
Cover and cook on slow flame. Stir in between.
Cook till okra is well cooked and coated with the masala.
Enjoy with rice.

Tips:
Do not add water.
You can slit 2 chillies and add. Remember to remove it before serving.

27 October 2012

Mangalore Buns/ Bhubhus Rotti

Having spent almost 7 years in Mangalore, everything about this place is dear to me. Just love the food be it vegetarian or non vegetarian. After making my favorite Sannas and Neer Dosas, this time I tried the buns. The soft and fluffy buns are a treat with tea/coffee.




INGREDIENTS

Refined Flour - 4 cups
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

Ripe banana - 3 (small)
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1 cup
Curd - 5 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Oil - for deep frying




METHOD
Sieve the flour, salt and baking soda 3 times.
Powder the sugar and add it to the flour along with cumin and ghee.
Mash the bananas and add it in.
Add the curd 1 tbsp at a time and knead it into a smooth firm dough.
Wrap it in a dry cloth and leave it for almost 6-7 hours.
Make small balls and roll it out like puris but a little thicker.
Heat oil. Fry the buns on medium flame on both sides till golden brown in colour and fluffy.
Transfer it to a plate or sieve lined with kitchen roll.
Serve with tea or coffee.



Tips:
Measure 3 3/4 cup flour and mix first. Add in the rest if required to make a firm dough.
Powder the sugar after measuring it.
Make sure you use only as much curd as required. The water level in the curd differs. Use thick curds. 
Use ripe bananas and add it as soon as you mash it to avoid browning.
Before frying, test if the oil is hot by dropping a piece of the dough. It should fluff and come up immediately.



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11 October 2012

Thenga Mulaku Chamanthi / Coconut Chilly Chutney

Thenga Mulaku Chamanthi is one of my favorites since childhood. I still remember my Grandma making this on the ammi kallu (stone grinder) in a jiffy. It tastes so good with rice or with Kanji (rice porridge).




INGREDIENTS
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Dry Kashmiri Chilli / Piriyan Mulaku - 4
Garlic / Veluthulli- 3 cloves
Shallots / Cheriaulli - 4
Tamarind/ Valan Puli - size of a garbanzo bean
Curry leaves/ Kariveppila - 4 leaves
Salt - as required
Water - 4 - 5 tbsp



METHOD
Dry roast the chilly for approximately 10 secs.
Mix all the ingredients except water in a dry grinder and grind it.
Add water and grind. Leave it slightly coarse.
Remove, check salt and serve.

Tips:
You can use short dry red chillies instead of Kashmiri Chillies. In that case you will need just 2 nos. Adjust as per tolerance level.


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