Khandvi/ Gram flour rolls

Ingredients

2 tablespoons sunflower oil

4 tablespoons gram flour/ besan

1 tablespoon natural yoghurt

salt(preferably rock salt) 

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon asafoetida

1 teaspoon chilli powder

500ml water

8-10 curry leaves

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves

1 tablespoon grated coconut(optional)

Method

• Lightly oil a baking sheet (approx. 30 cm) and spread it out and keep aside.
• In a bowl, whisk together the gramflour, yoghurt, salt, turmeric, asafoetida, chilli powder and water.
• Pour this into a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring this mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally
• Once it starts to boil, reduce the heat and cook stirring continously for 10-15 minutes or until it turns into a thick paste.
• Remove this paste from the heat and spread out this paste onto the oiled baking sheet, spreading it thinly over the surface of the baking sheet with the base of a wide spoon or spatula.

• Leave this to cool for around 5-10 minutes.
• Then cut into 1 inch long strips and roll in each strip.

• Place the rolls on a serving plate.
• Heat oil in a small pan. Add the curry leaves and mustard seeds.
• Once they start to crackle, pour this tempering over the prepared rolls.
• Sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut(not added here) to garnish and serve.

Spicy Chicken bites

Last week we were invited by Pramod and Anju for the first birthday celebration of their son, Ambady. It was then that Anju had prepared this recipe in beef and we loved it a lot.She actually proved that she was not just a good dancer but a great chef too.It had a very distinctive flavor and I could not hold on to my curiosity to find out what was that special taste boosting ingredient in it.....Oyster Sauce!!!! I would have never figured that out.Me, being an enthusiastic food lover,immediately snatched this recipe from Anju and decided to try this in chicken. Anju,I really can't thank you enough... 

Ingredients 

500 grams chicken breast,cut into small cubes
3 tablespoon cornflour
1 tablespoon semolina
1 teaspoon crushed cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon crushed cloves
2 cardamoms. crushed
1-1 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
3/4 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
1  teaspoon ginger paste
3/4 tablespoon crushed chili
2 green chilies,slitted
Tons of curry leaves
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method

• In a bowl,combine cornflour,semolina,cinnamon,cloves,cardamoms,oyster sauce,soy sauce,chili powder,turmeric powder,ginger paste, garlic paste,salt and mix well.[add few drops of water if required]
• Marinate chicken cubes in  the above mixture and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
• Deep  fry in oil and drain the chicken pieces using a slotted spoon on  a  paper towel.
• In  a separate pan,heat 2 tablespoon  oil.
• Add curry leaves,green chilies,crushed chili and fry for about 20 seconds and remove from heat.
• Mix fried chicken to the above mixture and serve hot.

Orange in orange

This picture is going for the Colour Me Photography Challenge Series for the month of October.

Love Letter/Kerala Pancakes

I always wondered how this particular pancake had got its name!!!!This is listed as a popular snack on almost every hostel menu.I wasn't very fond of it during my college days.It was once when my Mom prepared this at home with the right ingredients, I realized what a 'love letter' actually tastes like.....

Ingredients

For the batter

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 egg

1 cup milk

Ghee/oil as required 

A pinch of salt

Water as required

For the filling

1 1/2 cup grated coconut

6 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

A pinch of salt

Method

• Mix flour,egg,milk,salt,water and make a thin batter.
• Heat a pan and brush some ghee, pour a ladle full of the batter,spread the mix in a circular motion to make thin pan cakes.
• Cook for a few minutes and turn the side.
• When both sides get cooked,transfer it to a plate.
• Make  similar pancakes with the remaining batter.
• In a  bowl, mix well sugar,cardamom,salt and grated coconut.
• Put the filling in the prepared love letters and roll it.
• Serve hot.

Orange Mustard Roasted Chicken

Wanted to make a roasted whole chicken since a long time. Just happened to see this recipe in one of the Friday magazines recently. Made the same with only slight changes for the special occasion of Eid!!

Ingredients
1 whole chicken, cleaned well and patted dry
finely grated zest and juice of 2 oranges
1 tablespoon mustard sauce
3 teaspoon soya sauce
1 teaspoon pepper powder
1 tablespoon white grape vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar

Method

• Preheat the oven to 220 degree Celsius..
• Whisk together the orange zest and juice with the mustard, soya sauce,pepper, vinegar and sugar.
• Rub half of the prepared marinade all over the chicken. 
• Heat little oil in frying pan and sear the chicken until it begins to brown slightly on all sides.
• Remove the chicken from the pan and place it in a roasting tin. Pour the remaining marinade all over the chicken.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 200 degree Celsius. pour about 1/2 cup water into the tin to ensure that the chicken does not dry out.
• Roast the chicken  for one hour or until it is cooked through and is golden brown in colour.
• Allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes.
• Serve with fresh green salad.

This was served with avocado salsa(recipe of the same will be up soon).
This recipe is not that spicy, you can add more of pepper or any other spice ingredients to suit your taste buds.

Malpua

Troubles as light as air

Love as deep as ocean

Friends as solid as diamonds

And Success as bright as gold

These are the wishes for you and your family

on this auspicious day of Dussehra

Happy Dussehra!!!

Ingredients

1/2 cup semolina

1/2 cup plain flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup yoghurt

1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder

1 tablespoon crushed fennel seeds

oil for deep frying

Method

• Mix all the ingredients, except oil to form a thick batter(of pouring consistency). You can add little water to attain the consistency.
• Keep this batter aside for 2 hours. After 2 hours, mix the batter once again very well.

• Heat oil(for deep frying) in wok. Pour a laddle full of the batter into the hot oil. It will spread by itself to form a round shape.
• Deep fry turning occasionally until both sides are golden brown in colour. Drain onto an absorbent paper.

• Garnish with chopped nuts.(Here I have used chopped pistachios)

 

These malpuas can be directly dropped into sugar syrup or rabri and served. I didn't do that, as I liked it as such itself.

Shiitake Mushroom Fried Rice

The hero of the dish - Shiitake Mushrooms

Just go through this link and you will amazed to read the health benefits of these brown colored mushrooms. They are very much healthy and easy to cook too. So why not include them in your daily menu?

 Without much delay, let me tell you how I cooked up this mushroom:)

Ingredients

500 grams shiitake mushrooms

2 cups cooked long grain rice

1 onion chopped

1 teaspoon garlic paste

1/2 teaspoon ginger paste

2 green chillies, chopped fine

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon pepper powder

1 carrot chopped fine

few mint leaves, chopped

4 tablespoon chopped capsicum

2-3 tablespoon oil

salt 

Method

• Heat oil in a wok. Add the chopped onion and green chillies. Saute for a minute, then add the ginger paste and garlic paste. Saute well.
• Add the sliced mushrooms. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
• Add the chopped capsicum and carrot. Mix well and stir fry on high flame for 3-4 minutes.
• Add salt and pepper and mix well.
• Add the Worcestershire sauce, mix well and then toss in the rice. Mix well and cook for 2 minutes more.
• Sprinkle the chopped mint leaves on top  and serve hot.

I just cooked this up with whatever ingredients that came into my hand.Vegetarians you can substitute the Worcestershire sauce with soya sauce, or do any innovations as per your choice

Mirchi Ka Saalan

Mirchi Ka Saalan or Curried Chilli Peppers is one dish from the Hyderabadi cuisine, that has always left me drooling at the simple thought itself, ever since I had it from a restaurant. Such an enticing curry with the perfect blend of all  flavors- tangy, spicy, grainy ....A perfect combo with hot phulkas or chapatis that you might end up eating more chapatis than you usually have.

When this curry was made the other day at home, I was not sure whether it would be accepted by my kids and better half, but let me tell you, my joy knew no boundaries to see them licking off the curry from their plates.

The hero of the dish - large green chilly 

Ingredients
250 grams large green chillies
4 medium onions, cut into large chunks
1 lemon size ball of tamarind, soaked in 1 cup of warm water, mashed and strained
1 1/2 tablespoon roughly chopped ginger
2 tablespoons roughly chopped garlic
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
2 teaspoons grated coconut
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon  red chilli powder
1 teaspoon jaggery or sugar
few curry leaves
oil
salt

Method

• Make a slit on one side of each chilli and remove the seeds through the slit. Do not split the chilli into two.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in pan and roast the chillies, tossing continuously until golden brown spots appear on the chillies. Remove the chillies from the pan and keep aside.
• In the same pan, add 1 tsp oil and roast the onions for around 8-10 minutes or until browned.
• Remove the onion from the pan and keep aside.
• Now in the same pan add the coriander seeds, sesame seeds, peanuts, cumin, coconut and fenugreek seeds. Dry roast these spices until they darken slightly. Once cooled grind these roasted spices with the roasted onion, ginger, garlic, salt, turmeric, chilli powder and jaggery/sugar into a fine paste. Add the tamarind water also and churn into a smooth paste.
• Heat little(3-4 tbsp) oil in a kadai, add curry leaves and the ground paste. Saute this well for around 5-10 minutes on a medium flame.
• Add the roasted chillies. Add 1/2 cup water, cover and cook on a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once it starts boiling, reduce the flame and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the oil comes to the top.
• Mirchi ki saalan is ready to be served:)!!!!

Natholi/Anchovies Peera

Ingredients

1/2 kg natholi/anchovies

1 cup grated coconut

4-5 green chillies

1' ginger piece

5-6 cloves garlic

1 lemon size tamarind, soaked in water and strained

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

2-3 tablespoon coconut oil

a handful curry leaves

salt

Method

• Crush or grind coarsely the coconut, green chillies, ginger, garlic, tamarind, cumin seeds and curry leaves together.
• Cook the cleaned natholi/anchovies in one cup water with salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder.
• In a separate pan, heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. 
• Add the mustard seeds. Once they start to splutter add the grinded or crushed coconut mixture . Mix well.
• Make little space in the centre of the coconut mixture and add the cooked natholi . Cover it with the coconut mixture from all sides.
• Cover the pan with a lid and allow this to cook on very low flame for 2-3 minutes.
• Open and mix gently. Check for salt and add more if required. Then cook uncovered till all the water is absorbed. 
• Remove from flame and finally add few more curry leaves(slightly crushed with your hands).
• Drizzle little more coconut oil on top and serve hot with rice.

Chocolate Fudge Cake

When the bell rang at that odd hour of the day, and I opened the door with a confused state of mind, little did I expect to see my friend,co-blogger standing over there with her little one. Then from behind the wall came her better half holding this amazing cake. And, together they sang, 'Happy Birthday to you..'

Just maybe an hour or so ago we reached back home after our weekly shopping for vegetables and provisions. Though I saw her picking up a few items from the bakery section, I had never thought that on reaching home she would quickly whip up everything and bake this cake, just to make my birthday a memorable one.

Thankyou my dear friend for that wonderful surprise. The cake tasted heavenly, as beyond all the other ingredients it had the essence of love and friendship in it. 

Over to Tessa, for the recipe of the Chocolate Fudge Cake with dark chocolate icing, she baked for her chocolate loving friend:)))))))

Before settling down with this surprise,I thought of getting you a gift.After exploring various options,I concluded that being a co-blogger,what better gift than a home made cake!!!!! Am glad that you really enjoyed it.Wishing you love,luck and happiness alwayz.....Over to the recipe..

For Chocolate Fudge Cake

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

A pinch of salt

115 grams unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

 1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup hot milk

Method

• Pre- heat the oven to 180 degree.
• Grease a 9" baking tray with butter and flour and keep aside.
• Melt butter in a heat proof bowl and allow it to cool.
• Add sugar to it and mix well.
• Add eggs and vanilla extract and stir well with a wooden spatula.
• Add baking soda,salt,cocoa powder and mix with out any  lumps. 
• Add in the flour and stir slowly  until the dry and wet ingredients are well combined.
• Add in the hot milk and mix till everything blends well.
• Pour the batter to the greased tin and bake for 35-40 minutes.
• Allow the cake to cool completely for icing to be done.

For Dark Chocolate Icing

Ingredients

150 gram chopped plain dark chocolate(75%cocoa solids)

1 cup water

15 grams butter

1/2 cup sugar

Method

• Melt the chocolate with 2 tablespoons water in a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water.
• Stir in the butter until smooth. 
• Put the remaining water and sugar in a pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.
• Bring to a boil and boil for 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
• Gradually pour the syrup into the melted chocolate,stirring until a thick frosting consistency (you may not need all the sugar syrup)
• Allow to cool slightly and pour over the cake.
• Leave to set at room temperature.