Saturday, December 29, 2012

Chocolate Lemon Meringue Cake

Chocolate Lemon Meringue Cake


It was Tessy’s birthday and we thought of baking a Lemon Meringue Chocolate Cake. Her few friends paid a surprise visit to celebrate the occasion. One of the feedbacks from a very dear friend Rema, posted below:

“Thank you guys. It was a yummy treat. You guys have layered tanginess and chocolate together. Reaching you from Al-Nahda inch by inch in this insane traffic to savor it were worth every delicious bit. Tessy dear, last but not the least wish you a lovely happy birthday. Surprise element: In anticipation of a chocolate cake with custard cream topping, on biting into it the lemon flavors fills you up-tangy lemon with saucy chocolate”

Thanks Rema and Chintu for your wonderful feedback .It was great to have you guys down and was a real pleasant surprise. Since you liked our cake we thought of sharing our recipe with all our followers and here we go……

INGREDIENTS

Chocolate cake
150g unsalted butter
150g dark chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
30 ml water
3 eggs
220g caster sugar
100g all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
25g cocoa

Lemon curd
1 cup milk
200g caster sugar
30g corn flour
50g butter
4tbsp lemon juice
1tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
4egg yolks

Meringue icing
220g caster sugar
30ml water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar (I used white vinegar as a substitute)
4 egg whites

Method
Preheat oven to 160ºC

Mix the butter, chocolate, vanilla and water in a saucepan under low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Allow it to cool down. 
  • Beat  the eggs and sugar in a bowl until pale and thick.
  • Add the chocolate mixture and beat until combined.
  • Fold in the flour and cocoa and pour into a 9” cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper.
  • Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
  • Allow to cool in the tin.
  • Remove the cooled cake from the tin.
  • Place a16cm-round plate, up-side down, in the centre of the cake.
  • Using a small, sharp knife, make a shallow cut around the plate.
  • Carefully scoop out ¾ of the cake using a spoon to make a shell.(the base should be at least 1 cm thick)


To make the lemon curd
  • Place ¾ cup milk and the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Mix the corn flour and remaining ¼ milk in a small bowl and pour the   same into the milk and sugar mixture and stir to combine.
  • Add the butter to the mixture and whisk under high flame until melted.
  • Add the lemon juice, lemon rind and egg yolks. Reduce heat to medium and cook. Whisk continuously until thickened.
  • Once cooked,  pour the lemon curd into the cake shell and once it cools down refrigerate for 2 hours or until set.


Meringue icing
  • Mix the sugar, water and cream of tartar (white vinegar) in a saucepan over high heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
  • Boil the mixture and simmer for 3 minutes until cooked.
  • Beat the egg whites until soft and fluffy.
  • Gradually add the sugar mixture and beat until thick and glossy.
  • Spread the meringue over the refrigerated cake or optionally serve the cake with a scoop of meringue 
Recipe courtesy : Donna Hay



Monday, December 24, 2012

Jimikand ki sabzi

Jimikand ki sabzi

JIMIKAND KI SABZI or INDIAN YAM CURRY
Ingredients
Yam / Jimikand / Chena – 500 gms
Green chillies – 3-4, split lengthwise
 Whole dry red chillies – 3
Asafoetida – a pinch
Ginger paste – 1 Tbsp
Tomato puree – ½ cup
Fresh cream – ½ cup
Bay Leaves – 3-4
Salt – as required
Kashmiri chilli powder – ¾ tsp
Corriander powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
Oil – 3 Tbsp

Method
  • Peel and wash yam and cut it into small cubes.
  • Heat oil and fry yam till golden in colour. Remove from oil and drain onto paper towel and keep aside.
  • To the same oil add the whole dried red chillies, bay leaves and asafoetida. Sauté for two seconds.
  • Add the ginger paste and fry till dry.
  • Add tomato puree and fry well.
  • Add the fresh cream and fry till ghee floats on top.
  • Mix the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and salt in little water to make a fine paste. Add this paste to the curry and fry well.
  • Now add the fried pieces of yam and mix well. Add ¼ cup of water and the slit green chillies. Cover and cook till gravy thickens.

You can garnish with a dollop of fresh cream and green chillies. Serve hot.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Channa Chatpata



Channa Chatpata
Ingredients
Chick peas/ Channa – 500 gm(soaked overnight and cooked with salt)or canned chick peas can also be used
Cumin seeds/ Jeera – ¼ tsp
Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder – ¾ tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Corriander powder – 1 tsp
Tomato – 1 pureed
Capsicum – ½ of one medium capsicum, sliced
Oil – 1 Tbsp
Salt – as needed
Corriander leaves – for garnishing
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
Sugar – a pinch

Method
  • Mix the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and salt (remember to put very little salt as the chickpeas is already cooked with salt) with a little water and make it into a fine paste and keep separate.
  • Heat the oil in a pan and splutter the cumin and fenugreek.
  • Low the flame and add the masala paste and sauté until raw smell goes and oil layer starts to appear.
  • Pour the tomato puree and cook for 2- 3 minutes.
  • Add the chick peas and mix well. Pour ½ a cup of water and cover and cook for 4-5 minutes.
  • Open and add the capsicum and mix well.
  • Switch off the flame and add the lemon juice and a pinch of sugar and mix well.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves
*You can even add a spoon of fresh cream diluted in 2 tbsp of water before adding the lemon, it gives a softer taste..it’s all up to  you.

Now isn’t that an easy recipe without the worry shedding tears over the cutting and peeling of onions and garlic!!! This can be made, when you are running short of time. If you have the canned chick peas, things are even easier!!!!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Mushroom Capsicum Pepper Masala

Mushroom Capsicum Pepper Masala


Ingredients

Mushrooms – 500gms sliced
Onion – 1 big sliced thin
Capsicum – 1 medium sliced into medium length pieces
Tomato – 1 big chopped
Ginger paste – 1 tsp
Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Pepper powder- 1 -2 tsp
Corriander powder- 1 tsp
Cinnamon – ½ inch stick
Cloves- 2-3
Cardamom – 2
Green chillies - 1
Curry leaves – 1 stem
Corriander leaves- 1 Tbsp chopped
Salt – as required
Oil – 2 Tbsp

Method

  • Grind the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, green chillies, curry leaves along with the pepper powder and coriander powder by adding little water. Keep this separate.
  • Heat the oil in a non- stick kadai . Add the onions and sauté until translucent.
  • Add the ginger and garlic paste and sauté until the raw smell goes.
  • Add the mushroom and fry for 5-6 minutes.
  • Now add the tomato and cook until the tomato turns mushy. Add the turmeric powder, the grinded masala and salt at this stage and sauté well for about 6-7 minutes. 
  • Add the sliced capsicum and cook for a minute and remove from flame. The capsicum should not get overcooked, the crunchiness should be retained.
  • Transfer into a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. This is a good accompaniment with chappathi.

*This is a bit spicy dish, so please adjust the pepper and green chillies according to your taste.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Banana Walnut Cake



Vacations usually start off for school kids with so much excitement , planning to watch more of cartoons, playing with friends for longer time, waking and going to bed late, eating ice-creams…and so goes on the list. But this lasts only for the first few days, soon the kids start to wish the school reopens and they long to be back in the company of their friends.
Same was the case with our little Elyza. Boredom started to capture her and when all resources to keep her engaged had exhausted one fine day I decided to bake a cake with her. That’s the result of this cake, we made it TOGETHER!!!

*The ingredients that are kept in the fridge should be brought down to room temperature.

Ingredients

Butter - 125 gm

Sugar - 125 gm

Walnut - 1/2 cup chopped

Self-raising flour - 1 ¾ cup

Eggs - 2, beaten

Ripe bananas – 3, mashed.

Baking soda - 1tsp

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp.

Milk - 2-3 Tbsp.


Method

  • Sift flour, baking soda and salt together and keep separate.
  • In a large mixing bowl beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time and then add mashed bananas.
  • Dissolve vanilla essence in milk and add to the mixture along with salt.
  • Gradually add flour by reducing the speed of the beater to minimum or by stirring with a wooden spatula in one direction. Make sure that the flour is mixed without any lumps.
  • Finally add the chopped walnut and give a stir. Bake at 180 degree for 1 hour or until a tooth pick comes out clean.

Palak Mashiyal

Palak Mashiyal



This recipe was one that I learnt from a close family friend Jayashree chechi. I always ask her to make this for me whenever I visit her home and she used to always make it most lovingly for me. So, this recipe is dedicated to our Jayashree chechi.

Ingredients
Palak                    – 3 bunches, chopped
Onion                   – 1 big chopped
Whole red chillies – 2-3 broken into pieces
Pappad(raw)        – 2-3 roughly torn into pieces
Coconut Oil         – 2 Tbsp
Turmeric pwd      – ¼ tsp
Chilli pwd            – ½  tsp
Salt                     – as required
Method
  • Heat the coconut oil in a wok and add the chopped onions and red chillies. Stir fry for some time until onion turns translucent.
  • Now, add the torn bits of pappad and continue frying until the pappad gets cooked and puffs up. This will hardly take a minute or so.
  • At this stage low the flame and add the powders; turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Mix well and sauté until the raw smell goes.
  • Add the chopped palak , mix really well and increase the flame to high and stir fry continuously until the all the water that gets released from the palak evaporates and its colour slightly changes to a darker shade of green.  Remove from flame and serve hot with rice or chappathi.




Chicken Macaroni Casserole

Chicken Macaroni Casserole

Ingredients:
Chicken                  -  500 gms boneless chicken breasts cut into small cubes
Macaroni                -  2 cups, cooked and drained
Onions                   -  2, chopped into small cubes
Butter                     -  2+2 tbsp (app: 50 gms)
Capsicum               -  1 medium sized, cut into bite sized pieces
Chicken Broth        -  1 ½ cup
All-purpose flour    -  1/4 cup
Pepper                   -  3-4 tsp (I prefer spicy dishes, can reduce the amt as per requirement)
Half n half cream (1 cup milk: 1 cup cream) - 2 cups
Cheese                  -  3/4 cup, grated (I prefer cheddar cheese)
Salt                       -  as required
Parsley                  - chopped for garnishing


Method:
  • Heat 2 tbspn butter in a pan and sauté chicken for about 3-5 mts,add pepper,onions, diced capsicum,salt  and continue the procedure until cooked and remove from heat.
  • In another pan add 2 tbspn melted butter.  Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add cream and 1-1/2 cups of the broth.  Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from heat and add cheese, stir until melted add salt if required.
  • In a casserole or a baking dish add the above chicken mixture and pour the cooked sauce on top of it. Bake uncovered at 180degree for about 35-40 mts.Remove from the oven and garnish with parsley.  Serve hot.

Friday, December 14, 2012

Tangy Red Chicken Curry

Tangy Red Chicken Curry


Tangy Red Chicken Curry

Ingredients
Chicken Thighs - 900 gms

Onion - 5-6 chopped roughly
Ginger - 3 inch piece
Garlic - 12 cloves
Kashmiri Chili Powder - 2-3 Tbsp. 
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp. 
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Black Pepper (whole) - 1 tbsp.
Coconut Milk Powder - 8 tbsp.
Tomato - 2 (chopped)
Vinegar - 1 tbsp.
 Coconut Oil - 3-4 tbsp.
Curry Leaves - 2-3 stems
Salt - as needed
Green chillies - 2 (for garnishing)

Method
  • Grind onion, garlic, ginger, chilly powder, turmeric powder, mustard, pepper with 1-2 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp vinegar into a smooth paste.
  •  Remove the skins from the chicken thighs and make deep slits on the chicken pieces.
  •  Marinate the chicken with the grinded mixture for 30 minutes to 1 hour (add little salt).
  •  Dilute the coconut milk powder in 1 cup of water.
  •  In a heavy bottomed vessel put the marinated chicken and coconut milk and cook covered until oil layer comes up.
  •  Add chopped tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are mashed
  •  At this stage add the smashed curry leaves, salt and 1-2 tbsp. of oil and saute till the chicken becomes nice dark red in color.
  •  Garnish with slit green chillies and serve hot with rice, roti or bread.
Enjoy the "Tangy Red Chicken"

Lemon Chicken


Lemon Chicken
"Once my son got for me a gift... a cookery book with only chicken recipes. In spite of being overwhelmed with joy after receiving the little token of love, I had never bothered to try out any recipes from it until he asked me the other day why I didn’t make anything from that book. He asked me with a sad face whether I didn’t like the book. Now, this really brought me down and at that moment I got hold of the book and tried out the most easiest recipe in book which could be made in a jiff as well as one that needed very few ingredients and yes, it was yummy too. And yes, I could see a smile on my son’s face…a smile of pride!!!
Here’s the recipe for all of you."
Ingredients
Chicken            – 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (I used tender chicken breasts)
Olive oil            – 5 Tbsp
Onion               – 1 chopped
Garlic               – 6 cloves, finely chopped
Lemon              – juice of 1 big lemon or 2 small lemons
Spring onions    – 4 Tbsp chopped
Salt and Pepper  as preferred by your taste buds
Paprika              a pinch
 Method
  • Slice the chicken into bite sized pieces.
  • Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed frying pan or wok. Add the onion and stir fry until it is soft and translucent, should not get browned. Now add the chopped garlic and stir fry for another minute.
  • Toss in the chicken and cook for 5 to 10 minutes stirring in between until the chicken is soft and all the ingredients start to get lightly brown.
  • Pour in the lemon juice and cook stirring nicely scraping all the bits that stick onto the bottom of the pan. Add the salt and pepper and mix well. Cook for some more time and once the chicken is done and nicely coated with the juice and somewhat dry, add the chopped spring onion and mix well. Remove from the flame and transfer into a serving bowl.
  • You can garnish the lemon chicken with pared lemon rind or lemon wedges, a pinch of paprika and serve it piping hot.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Ammachi Meen Curry

Ammachi Meen Curry
"Traditional  Kerala Fish Curry  cooked in earthern pot  by our dear old Granny"


Ammachi Meen Curry

Ingredients

Fish – 1/2 kg,  cut into medium pieces(any fish of your choice)
Shallots – a handful, sliced
Ginger – 1 Tbsp, roughly chopped
Garlic – ½ Tbsp, roughly chopped
Green chilli – 1
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs ( the more the better)
Kashmiri chilli powder – 4-5 tsp
Corriander powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Salt – as required
Fenugreek- ¼ tsp
Mustard – ¼ tsp
Cocum/Kodumpulli – 3-4 pieces (soaked in little water for 10-15 minutes)
Coconut Oil – 2 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp

Method

  • Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a  chatti (earthern pot) and splutter the mustard and fenugreek.
  • Add the ginger, garlic, green chilli and shallots and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Grind this into a fine paste once cooled.
  • Heat 2 Tbsp oil in the same chatti and add the grinded paste and curry leaves. Sauté for 2 minutes. Now reduce the flame and add the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and continue sauting until the raw smell goes.
  • Add the soaked cocum and 2 cups of water. Bring it to a boil and then add the fish.
  • Cook until fish is cooked and gravy thickens. Remove from flame and keep it in the chatti itself as this enhances the taste.
  •  This curry tastes better the next day.

*For those who don’t like the pungent taste of cocum you can reduce the number of pieces or discard them from the curry.
 *Drizzle a spoon of coconut oil and curry leaves(crushed slightly) on top of the curry after removing from the flame. This gives a special taste and aroma to the curry.



Peanut Chocolate brownie

Peanut Chocolate Brownie

Ingredients:
Flour - 1 cup
Butter- 125gm
Egg-1
Sugar- 1cup or less (according to your taste)
Baking powder-1/2 tsp.
Vanilla essence-1tspn
Cocoa-1 ½ tbsp.
Salt - a pinch
Peanuts - 1 cup (I used roasted peanuts without salt)

Method
  • Preheat oven at 175 degree. Grease and flour a 9” baking dish.
  • Sift together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.
  •  Melt butter in a large saucepan. Remove from heat .Stir in the sugar.
  • Add egg, vanilla essence and salt. Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes.
  • Gradually add the sifted flour, and stir with a wooden spatula in one direction. Mix well, avoiding lumps.
  • Stir in the peanuts and transfer the mixture into the greased baking dish and bake for 30 minutes.

*Relish your peanut chocolate brownies with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.


Mutton Roast

Mutton Roast

Ingredients
Mutton – 1 kg, cut into small pieces
Onions – 2 big. Chopped
Shallots – 7, sliced into thin rounds
Tomatoes – 2 chopped
Ginger paste – 4 tsp
Garlic paste – 4 tsp
Mustard – 1 tsp
Green chillies – 2 chopped
Fennel seeds – 3 Tbsp
Cinnamon stick – 1 inch piece
Cloves – 6
Cardamom – 6
 Kashmiri Chilli powder- 2 Tbsp
Turmeric powder – 2 Tbsp
Corriander Powder- 2 Tbsp
Eastern mutton masala – 2 Tbsp
Salt – as required
Coconut Oil – 2 Tbsp

Method
  • Dry roast the cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and fennel seeds until it releases a nice aroma and attains a slight change in colour. Once cooled, grind this into a coarse powder and keep separate.
  • Add 1 Tbsp. chilly powder, 1 Tbsp. turmeric powder, 1 Tbsp. coriander powder, 1 Tbsp. mutton masala, 3 tsp. each of ginger paste and garlic paste, the grounded spice mix and salt to the mutton pieces. Mix well and keep it for marination for half an hour.
  • Heat 1 Tbsp coconut oil in a pan and fry the marinated mutton on high flame until it attains a light brown colour.
  • Transfer the mutton into a pressure cooker and cook until the cooker gives off 3- 4 whistles.( The number of whistles depends upon your cooker and the tenderness of the mutton you use, tender mutton will get cooked by 1-2 whistles).
  • In a separate deep bottomed pan heat the remaining oil and splutter the mustard.
  • Once the mustard splutters add the onions and curry leaves and sauté well until onion turns pink and translucent. Now add the remaining ginger paste, garlic paste and green chillies. Saute well until raw smell goes off and onions start to brown.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes and continue sautéing until tomatoes gets mashed .
  • When the tomatoes are well cooked and an oil layer starts to appear , add the powders- 1Tbsp each of turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and mutton masala. Add enough salt too and fry well until raw smell goes off.
  • Add the cooked meat into this masala and cook 3/4t of the water is evaporated. Once water is evaporated, turn on flame to high and roast the mutton well until it turns dark brown.
  • Fry the sliced shallots in a little oil, until nice brown in colour and pour on top of the roasted mutton.
  • The roasted mutton can now be removed from flame and served.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Carrot Almond Eggless Cake

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup carrot, grated
a handful crushed almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 cup oil
1 cup sugar, powdered
1/4 cup milk, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method


  • Preheat the oven at 350 F for 10 minutes. 
  • Mix carrot, sugar, oil and vanilla essence till well mixed. 
  • Sieve together baking powder, all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon powder. 
  • Add the dry ingredients one tablespoon at a time to the wet mixture i.e. the oil, carrot and sugar mixture, mixing slowly by stirring in one direction. You can add the milk little by little to loosen the batter.
  • Add the crushed almonds and mix again.
  • Grease a baking tray and pour the batter into it and bake for 20 minutes or till a tooth pick comes out clean. 





Unniappam

Unniappam


UNNIAPPAM

Ingredients

Raw rice(Pachari)- 2 cups(soaked in water for 3-4 hours)
Jaggery – 500 gm
Small Bananas(very ripe ones- Palayankodan/Mysoori) – 6-7(mashed)
Sesame seeds – ½ tsp[optional]
Coconut pieces – cut into small pieces. – 1 Tbsp.[optional]
Oil – for frying

Method
  • Melt the jaggery in 1-1.5 glasses of water to make a syrup. Allow it to cool.
  • Grind the soaked rice into a fine paste.
  • Once the rice is grinded, add the jaggery syrup and mashed bananas and grind well.
  • When you smell the batter, the smell of bananas should be prominent and the consistency should not be very thick. You can add water if you feel the batter is too thick.
  • Fry the coconut pieces in little ghee until brown and add the sesame seed, fry for 2-3 seconds. Add this to the batter. (This step is optional. For those of you who prefer the healthier side can easily omit this step. I skipped this step.)
  • Keep the batter for 5-6 hours. (The more the time the softer your unniappams will be.)
  • Heat the unniappam chatti.  Pour oil or ghee or coconut oil (about a tbsp of each) into each mould of the chatti. Each mould should be half full
  • Once the oil is hot, pour a ladleful of batter into each mould and fry on both sides until it attains a dark brown colour. (The colour of your unnippam may vary depending on the colour of jaggery you use)
  • Remove them from the chatti using a metal skewer or with a pair of forks/ tongs
  • Drain onto paper towels
Your delicious unniappams are now ready to be gulped down...but remember not to gulp it hot!!!!

About Us

ABOUT DROOLSSS…



Friendship and cooking have a peculiar bonding. This qualitative and enchanting bonding is something that should be treasured always. 
Each dish we have enjoyed over the years may each have a story to tell,
 a tale of friendship, a tale of sharing, a tale of caring….it is not something that should be forgotten as history.


We are two such friends, moms currently residing in UAE who love to cook, experiment new recipes, share our recipes with others and to treasure this happiness, that we gained in the form of a smile we received from our near and dear ones when our kitchen experiments tickled their taste buds. We decided to share our treasured happiness with all of you out there, who like us, value friendship and tasty food and the wonderful ambience it creates. Hence we started off with DROOLSSS…our promise to leave you drooling.


Cooking is indeed an art that keeps on changing constantly from place to place and hand to hand. There are always endless combinations, flavors, cuisines, cultures, colors and textures to choose from. So, we invite all of you into our this journey of exploration into the world of flavors and friendship. Hope you like DROOLSSS… and we shall try our best to keep our promise to leave you drooling.

Priya & Tessy