Monday, December 31, 2018

Chemeen Roast/Prawns Roast


Ingredients
 For marination
500 gms chemeen/prawns(cleaned and deveined)
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp roasted fennel powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
salt

For roasting
1/4 tsp fenugreek/methi/uluva seeds
2 onions sliced
1 tomato chopped
2 green chillies slit
a few curry leaves
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp grated coconut
1 whole red chilli
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 tsp pepper powder
1/4 tsp fennel powder
1/4 tsp garam masala powder
a few curry leaves
salt to taste
3-4 Tbsp coconut oil

Method
  • Marinate the prawns with the ingredients mentioned under marination and keep aside for 10 minutes. 
  • Shallow fry the marinated prawns in coconut oil, until slightly browned on both sides and keep aside.
  • Into the same oil add the fenugreek/uluva seeds, whole red chilli broken, curry leaves and the grated coconut. Fry for sometime and then add the slit green chillies. Fry until coconut starts to turn into light golden colour.
  • Add the ginger garlic paste and fry again for a few seconds. Toss in the sliced onions and add salt. Fry until onion turns translucent. Then add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, pepper powder, fennel powder and garam masala powder. Mix and fry for a few seconds
  • Add the tomatoes, mix and cover and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.
  • Now toss in the fried prawns and mix everything well and roast well.
  • Serve hot with garnished with curry leaves.




Sunday, December 23, 2018

Fudgy Nutella Cookies



Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1 large egg
3/4 cup nutella + extra for the filling
1/4 cup broken walnut pieces or any other nut of your choice

Method

  •  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  •  In the bowl whisk together the egg and 3/4 cup of nutella well until the entire mixture turns glossy.(If using a stand mixer, whisk for approximately two minutes)
  • Add the flour and beat until combined.
  • Cover the bowl with a cling film andd keep in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. 
  • Preheat oven to 180 degree celsius.
  • Using a tablespoon, scoop our the dough and form around 20 - 25 balls. Place the cookies on the baking sheet.
  • Using your finger tip or the back of a wooden spoon make a dent in the center of each cookie ball.
  • Fill each dent of the cookie with a little nutella and stick the walnut piece into it.
  • Bake these cookies for about 10 minutes.
  • Take the cookies out of the oven and let them cool down on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
  • Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container. 


*Be careful while measuring the flour, fill themeasuring cup with the flour rather than scooping the flour.
* Don't leave the cookie dough for more than the specified time in the refrigerator as this will cause the dough to crack while forming the balls.
*The easiest way of filling the cookies with nutella is using a piping bag or a zip lock bag. Fill a zip lock bag with the nutella and cut the tip and use it to fill the cookies.
* These cookies will remain fresh for upto one week if stored in an air tight container.

Thursday, November 08, 2018

Ghee Mysore Pak







Ingredients

1 cup gram flour/besan
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 cup ghee

Method

  •  In a pan roast the gram flour on a medium low heat until turns aromatic. This will take about 5-7 minutes.
  • Sift the roasted gram flour into a bowl.(Sifting the gram flour ensures a smooth textured mysore pak)
  • Heat the ghee until it is totally melted. Add one cup of the melted ghee to the sifted gram flour and using a whisk mix well until smooth without any lumps.
  • In a wide pan add the sugar and measured water. Bring this to a boil stirring continously until the sugar is dissolved completely. Continue cooking until the sugar syrup reaches a one string consistency(when you take a drop between your fingers you should be able to get a single string of the syrup between your fingers). 
  • Once the sugar syrup reaches this consistency add the gram flour and ghee mixture to the sugar syrup stirring continously.
  • Cook this mixture on a medium low heat stirring continously until the ghee is absorbed by the gram flour.
  • As the ghee gets abosrbed by the gram flour, add the remaining half cup ghee little by little (approximately 2 Tbsp at a time) to the mixture. 
  • When the ghee is absorbed and the whole mixture starts leaving from the sides of the pan, pour it into a greased pan or mould. Level the top with the back of a spoon or spatula.
  • Keep this aside and let it cool. Once cooled cut into rectangles or squares and serve.

Saturday, April 14, 2018

Pineapple Pachadi



 Pachadi is another regular dish in a traditional Kerala sadya. An authentic dish that can be made using various fruits and vegetables. Pineapple pachadi  is my favourite pachadi, the sweet and sour taste it imparts is really drool worthy. Regarding the method of making the pachadi, again the recipe varies in different parts of Kerala. The recipe I am sharing is how my mom makes it. The addition of ghee and jaggery is her variation while making this pachadi, as usually ghee and jaggery are not added in the traditional way of  making pachadi. But I personally love the taste it imparts to the dish and hence this is my favourite recipe. You can skip adding ghee and jaggery and proceed with the remaining recipe for the authentic way of making the dish, but I recommend to give this a try...it's really yummy.

Ingredients
1 cup finely chopped ripe pineapple
1/2 cup grated coconut
1/4 tsp cumin seeds/jeerakam
2 green chillies(adjust according to spice level)
a pinch of turmeric powder
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 cup yoghurt
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1/2 tsp ghee(optional)
1/2 to 1 tsp grated jaggery(optional)
salt to taste
For seasoning
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
few curry leaves
1/4 tsp fenugreek powder

Method

  •  Take a heavy bottomed pan and cook the pineapple with little salt and turmeric in half a cup of water on a medium low flame.
  • Cook covered  until the pineapple is cooked well. Once cooked cook without lid until the water is absorbed.
  • Add the ghee and jaggery(if the pineapple is not very sweet, then only jaggery should be added. Or else, you can skip adding the jaggery) and saute well until the water is totally absorbed and the mixture is somewhat dry.
  • Grind the coconut, cumin, green chilli and mustard in yoghurt into a smooth paste.
  • Add the grinded paste and salt (check and add, as we have already added little salt to the pineapple before) to the pineapple mixture and mix everything well.
  • Cook on a low flame for about 10 minutes. 
  • Remove from heat and keep aside.
  • For seasoning, heat coconut oil in a small kadai. Add the mustard seeds. Once it splutters add the curry leaves and fenugreek powder. 
  • Remove from heat and pour this on the prepared pineapple pachadi. Cover immediately with a tight lid.
  • Leave it undisturbed for 5 minutes. Then mix and serve.

Tuesday, April 03, 2018

Cream Carrot Sandwich



An ideal sandwich to go into the kids lunchbox. A sandwich that is loaded with the richness of vitamin A from the carrots and so creamy and yummy that can be prepared quickly on those hasty mornings, packed and sent to school.  My friend Nalini, from Sri Lanka had shared this recipe with me many years before and since then this is one sandwich that goes weekly once into my kids lunchbox.

Ingredients
4 slices of sandwich bread
1 carrot, grated fine
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp fresh cream
1 Tbsp softened butter
a pinch of sugar
salt to taste
1/4 tsp coarsely ground pepper



Method
  •  In a bowl mix the mayonnaise, butter, cream, sugar, salt and pepper well. 
  • Add the grated carrot to this and mix everything well. The spread is ready.
  • Spread the prepared carrot spread on two bread slices and top with the other two bread slices.
  • Trim the edges of the sandwiches, cut into triangles or rectangles and serve.
  • You can even add a layer of fresh icerberg lettuce to the sandwich, it gives that crunchy and fresh feel with every bite.
*Vegetarians can use eggless mayonnaise.


Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Palak Paneer


Palak or spinach, the power packed green leafy vegetable is one vegetable which has been given a thumbs up by the kids and hence I make sure that it is part of our menu every week. Getting the kids to have some vegetables has always been a tough task, as they become very choosy when it comes to vegetarian food.  The most frequently made dish with this nutritious leaf is the palak mashiyal which I had shared long before.
Palak when paired with the protein enriched paneer is a marvelous combination health wise as well as taste wise.  I know of many who love palak paneer, but sadly this dish was never liked by anyone at home, hence this has never been a part of food either cooked at home or ordered on a restaurant table.I have tried many recipes of palak paneer, but frankly speaking I was never fond of this dish much until I was introduced to this recipe by my friend Tasneem. Now, this recipe is so easy, that you may doubt about its taste. But, let me assure you, this is a lip smacking recipe of the famous palak paneer. Thanks a lot Tasneem for sharing this recipe. Now, palak paneer is a favorite dish at our home too, loved equally by all.
Ingredients
a bunch of fresh palak leaves, washed well and chopped roughly
200 gm paneer cubes
1 Tbsp oil
1 onion chopped roughly
1 tomato chopped roughly
2-3 green chillies
2-3 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
10-15 cashewnuts
1/2 to 1 cup water
2 tbsp butter
salt to taste

Method

  •  Heat oil in a pan and saute the roughly chopped palak on high flame just until it wilts. Keep aside.
  • Once it cools, grind the wilted palak along with the onion, tomato, garlic, cumin, green chillies and salt into a fine paste.
  • Heat butter in a non stick pan. Add the grinded paste and saute well until the oil starts to ooze from the sides and the gravy starts to turn thick (can be done on a high flame).
  • Add the paneer cubes and mix well.
  • Add water, according to the consistency you would like your curry to be in(for a semi thick gravy, I added approximately 1/2 cup of water).
  • Bring this to a boil and  then remove from heat. Serve hot.


Delicious palak paneer is ready in a jiff!


* For added taste you can fry the paneer cubes and add. Here I have used frozen paneer cubes, which was soaked in hot water for a few minutes before adding to the curry.

Wednesday, March 07, 2018

Vegetable Biriyani

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup basmati rice
3 onions sliced thin
3 Tbsp ghee
2 bay leaves
2 inch cinnamon stick
1 star anise
5 cloves
4 green cardamom
1/2 tsp whole pepper
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 tsp ginger garlic paste(freshly pound- not the store bought one)
5 beans chopped
10 cauliflower florets
1/4 cup green peas(I used frozen, you can use fresh too)
1 carrot chopped
1/2 cup paneer cubes
1 potato cubed
1 cup yoghurt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp biriyani masala powder(I used eastern biriyani masala, you can use any brand)
salt to taste
handful coriander leaves chopped fine
20 mint leaves
2 Tbsp saffron, soaked in 3tbsp water
2 cups water
Method
  • Wash and soak the rice in for atleast 30 minutes. Then drain and keep aside.
  • Fry the sliced onions in oil, until golden brown and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a kitchen towel.
  • In a large pressure cooker(I used my 3 ltr pressure cooker), heat 2 Tbsp ghee and saute the whole spices(bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, cardamom, whole pepper, cumin seeds) for a few seconds.
  • Add the chopped onion and saute until onion turns pink.
  • Now add the ginger- garlic paste and saute for few seconds.
  • Add the vegetables(beans, carrot, cauliflower, peas, potato and paneer). Fry everything well until the vegetables shrink .
  • Now reduce the heat to  minimum and add the yoghurt. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, cumin powder, biriyani masala powder and salt. Mix everything well.
  • Cook stirring for about 3-4 minutes on a medium flame.
  • Now reduce the flame to minimum. Spread the soaked basmati rice on top of the vegetable curry evenly in a layer.
  • Sprinkle little biriyani masala and a pinch of salt on top of the rice.
  • Sprinkle the coriander leaves,mint leaves and fried onion on top.
  • Pour the saffron soaked water on top.
  • Drizzle the remaining one Tbsp of ghee on top.
  • Pour the measured 2 cups of water through the sides without disturbing the layers.
  • Close the cooker and keep on the lowest heat, simmer for 25 minutes.
  • Let it stay in the cooker until the steam settles. Then open the cooker and fluff up the biriyani.
  • Serve with onion raita, lime pickle and pappad.
Recipe courtesy - Hebbar's kitchen

Monday, March 05, 2018

Grilled Nutella Banana Sandwich with toasted coconut

Dedicated to all the nutella lovers out there!

Ingredients

4 slices of bread
2 Tbsp nutella
1 ripe banana, sliced into rounds
2 Tbsp shredded coconut
butter as required

Method

  • In a pan dry roast the coconut until evenly browned and crisp. Keep aside.
  • Spread the nutella on one side of two slices of bread.
  • Layer the the banana slices on top of the nutella.
  • Sprinkle the toasted coconut shreddings on top of the banana slices.
  • Place the other bread slice on top and sandwich them.
  • Spread butter on the outer sides of the bread and place on a hot grill. Grill until the outer sides of the sandwich is golden brown and crisp.
  • Cut into desired shape and serve.




Thursday, March 01, 2018

Besan Ladoo

A versatile Indian sweet is what ladoo is known to be. With a variation of the ingredients there are so many types of this sweet that is a quintessential part of most of the Indian festivals. Motichoor ladoo and besan ladoo are my personal favourites. The former one requires a bit more more longer procedure of making the boondis and all whereas the latter one is a very easy one. Sharing with you the besan ladoo recipe.




Ingredients

 2 cups besan/ gram flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup ghee
4-5 cardamoms crushed
raisins, chopped nuts(optional)

Method
  • Dry roast the besan in a wide pan on a low flame for about 12 minutes. Keep stirring continuously to ensure even roasting of the besan,taking care not to burn the powder.
  •  Meanwhile melt the ghee and keep aside.
  • Once the besan is roasted, add the melted ghee and mix well. Cook stirring continuously for about 5-6 minutes. The mixture will start giving out a nutty aroma and will start releasing the ghee.
  • Remove from heat and add the powdered sugar. Mix very well, avoid lumps. 
  • Add the crushed cardamom  and raisins, nuts etc.(I did not add nuts or raisins). Keep this aside to come down to room temperature.
  • Once cooled, make medium sized balls with the mixture by rolling between your palms.
  • Garnish with chopped nuts and serve or store in an air tight container.

Recipe adapted from here

Monday, February 26, 2018

Tomato Pulao

Ingredients

1 cup basmati rice
2 Tbsp ghee/butter
2-3 cloves
6 green cardamom
2 cinnamon sticks
1 onion, sliced lengthwise thin
1 tsp grated ginger
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
2-3 green chillies, cut into thin strips
1 cup diced tomatoes
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 cup finely chopped coriander leaves and tender stem
Method
  • Wash the rice well and soak in water for 20- 30 minutes.  Then drain and keep aside.
  • Heat ghee or butter in a wok. Add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon sticks. Fry for 15 seconds.
  • Now add the sliced onion and saute until the edges of the onion slices start to brown(approx. 5-7 minutes)
  • Mix in the ginger, garlic and chillies. Cook for just a minute.
  • Stir in the tomatoes. Add salt and turmeric powder. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally until the tomatoes soften.
  • Add the drained rice and toss gently to coat the rice with the tomato sauce.
  • Pour one and a half cup of water(1 1/2 cup) and stir once to incorporate all the ingredients.
  • Bring this to boil over a medium high heat.
  • Cook until the water has evaporated from the surface and craters start to appear on the top layer of rice. This will take about 5-8 minutes.
  • Only then stir once to bring the partially cooked rice from the bottom to the top. Then cover with a tight lid and reduce heat the lowest and cook for 8-10 minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and allow it to stand for 10 minutes undisturbed.
  • Open and fluff the rice with a fork. Sprinkle the chopped coriander and serve with onion raita, pickle and pappad.