Cardamom Kulfi

Easy to make and easy to finish!!!!
A big thanks to my sister Sandhya for the recipe!!!

Ingredients

Condensed milk: 1 Tin (395 gm)
Evaporated milk: 3 Tins (170 gm*3)
Whipped Topping Powder: 2 Sachet (36 gm*2)
Cardamom Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
White Bread: 3 Slices
Cold Water: 250 ml

Cooking Time: Nil
Method

To a bowl add the whipped topping powder

Add cold water to whipping powder and using a hand mixer beat it well until it becomes fluffy

Chop the sides of the bread
To a blender add bread, condensed milk, evaporated milk and cardamom powder

Blend until it becomes a smooth liquid

Now pour this to the whipped cream

Using a hand blender or egg beater combine well

Pour the mixture to kulfi molds or a container and freeze it
Serve cold

Note:
You can use any flavor of your choice. Add any fruit crushes and make different flavors
I did not have kulfi molds.  So i poured to a container and scooped out and served

Happy Onam

Wishing all a very very Happy Onam.  Below is the sadya prepared by me yesterday for Onam.  Description about the dishes is given below.

Uppu (Salt)
Varathupperi (Banana chips)
Sarkara Varatti (Sweet Banana chips)
Cabbage Thoran  (Cabbage stir fry with coconut). For Recipe Click here
Payar Mezhukkuvaratti (Green beans stir fry)
Manga Achar (Mango Pickle)
Narnaga Achar (Lemon Pickle)
Puli inchi (Ginger curry with a tang).  For Recipe Click here
Pachadi (Another tangy dish).  For Recipe Click here
Pine apple Pachadi ( A tangy dish  - pachadi  - with pine apple).  For Recipe Click here
Olan ( A curry using Ash gourd).  For Recipe Click here
Koottucurry ( A mixed vegetable curry with Bengal gram).  For Recipe Click here
Aviyal ( A mixed vegetable curry with curd).  For Recipe Click here
Erisseri (A mixed vegetable with black eyed beans).  For Recipe Click here

Theeyal (Vegetable / Shallots in fried coconut gravy).  For Recipe Click here

Rice
Sambar (A curry with lentil and vegetables).  For Recipe Click here
Kaalan (A curry with yogurt, coconut and vegetables).  For Recipe Click here
Parippu neyy (Toor Dal curry with ghee).  For Recipe Click here
Pappadam (Papad / crisp wafers)


Pazham (Banana)
Pal Payasam (Dessert with rice and milk).  For Recipe Click here
Ada Pradhaman (Dessert with ada , jaggery and coconut milk). 

Rasam (A spicy vegetable soup).  For Recipe Click here
Moru (Buttermilk).  For Recipe Click here
Water

Butter Chicken

The famous Punjabi chicken curry!!!

Ingredients

Chicken: 1/2 kg
Oil/Butter: 2 - 3 Table Spoon
For marination
Lime juice: 1 Table Spoon
Ginger Paste: 1 Tea Spoon
Garlic Paste: 1 Tea Spoon
Kashmiri Chilly Powder: 2 Tea Spoon
Thick Yogurt: 1/2 Cup
Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Salt
For Gravy
Butter: 2 - 3 Table Spoon
Onion: 1 large (Optional)
Tomato: 2 large
Clove:2
Bay Leaf:1
Cardamom: 2
Cinnamon Stick: 1 inch piece
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 Tea Spoon
Chilly Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Kasoori Methi: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Sugar: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Cashew nut /Almond Paste: 1 Table Spoon
Fresh Cream: 1/4 Cup
Hot Water: 2 Cups
Salt

Preparation Time: 5 Hours
Cooking Time: 30 Minutes
Method

Wash and clean the chicken and cut to small pieces
Put the chicken to a bowl and add all the ingredients mentioned under for marination
Combine well and cover and keep in fridge for 4 to 5 hours (Do not freeze)

Pour oil/butter to a pan and place the marinated chicken pieces in a single layer and fry the chicken pieces until it turn slightly brown in color

Now to make gravy
Put the onion in boiling water for a minute and then remove from water.  Let it cool and then grind it to a fine paste or chop it finely and keep it aside (Optional)
Put the tomato in boiling water for a minute or two and then remove from water. Let it cool and remove the skin and then grind it to a fine paste and keep aside
Add butter to a kadai and once it heats up add clove, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and cardamom and fry for a few seconds

Now add pureed/finely chopped onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes on medium flame (Optional)

Then add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 minutes
Now add chilly powder and garam masala powder and saute for another minute

Now add the pureed tomatoes

Cook till oil starts to separate

Now add hot water and let it boil

Once it boils well reduce the flame and  add the fried chicken pieces, cashew paste, sugar and salt (if required)

Cook on low flame for 10 to 12 minutes.
Check for the consistency of gravy.  If you feel the gravy is too thick add little more hot water
Finally add fresh cream and crushed kasoori methi and keep on flame for a few more seconds

Give a good stir and switch off the flame (Do not boil after adding cream)
Serve hot with roti, naan, parantha or pulav

Note:
If you have a grill or tandoor you can grill the chicken and make the curry
I have used chicken with bones, but if you wish to you can use boneless chicken
Adding onion to the gravy is optional.  You can completely avoid it and follow the rest of the recipe

Black Forest Cake

My 200th Post!!!

Ingredients

All Purpose flour/Maida: 1 ½ Cups
Coco powder: 3/4 Cup
Baking Soda: ½ Tea Spoon
Baking Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Egg: 3
Sugar:3/4 Cup
Milk: 1/2 to 1 Cup
Melted Butter: 3/4 Cup
Chocolate Shavings: For Garnish
Cherry: For Garnish
For Frosting
Whipping Cream:2 Cups
Powdered Sugar: 4 Table Spoon
Vanilla Essence: 1/4 Tea Spoon
For Soaking Cake
Sugar Syrup or Cherry Syrup

Cooking Time: 35 - 40 minutes
Method
Mix all purpose flour, coco powder, baking soda and baking powder.  Sift everything together  and keep aside

Prepare a cake tin by spreading some butter on all sides and then dusting it with some all purpose flour.  
Tilt and remove the excess flour from the cake tin
Beat eggs and sugar until it becomes smooth

To this add melted butter and 1/2 cup milk and beat again.  
To this add the sifted flour mix and combine well. If you feel the batter is too thick add little more milk.

Preheat the oven at 170C
Pour the batter to the prepared cake tin and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes

Insert a tooth pick to the center of the cake and if it comes out clean then the cake is done
Take it out of the oven and let it cool down 
Trim the crust from top and cut the cake horizontally into 3 layers

Pour the whipping cream to a bowl.  Add sugar and vanilla essence and beat until it becomes stiff

Now to assemble the cake
Keep all the things ready, whipped cream, cherry syrup cake and cake decorations

Place a layer of cake on the setting plate

Drizzle some sugar syrup or cherry syrup on the layer of cake.

I added about 3 to 4 table spoon of cherry syrup on each layer

Put 4 to 5 table spoons of whipped cream on the cake layer and spread well

You can place a few cherries if you wish to or else place the next layer of cake, drizzle the cherry syrup and then spread the whipped cream. 

Place the last layer of cake, drizzle  sugar syrup/cherry syrup and put whipped cream and spread all around the cake 
Put some of the whipped cream in a piping bag and garnish as per your imagination
Sprinkle the chocolate shavings and place the cherry on top
Serve chilled

Note:
Cherry syrup is the syrup in which the cherries are kept. When you buy tinned cherries you get the syrup too.
If you don't have cherry syrup just use plain sugar syrup. 
The traditional recipe of black forest cake requires little rum mixed in sugar syrup/cherry syrup
Baking time may vary depending on the oven, so adjust it accordingly

Inji Curry / Ginger Curry

Inji curry is a popular dish made for Sadya in  South Kerala.   In North Kerala we make Puli inchi.
For the recipe of Puli inchi Click here

Ingredients

Ginger: 100 gms
Tamarind: Lemon sized ball
Red Chilly Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Grated Jaggery: 2 Table Spoon
Green Chilly: 2- 3
Mustard Seeds: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Fenugreek Seeds: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Water: 1/2 Cup
Asafoetida: 1 Pinch
Oil: For frying
Salt
Curry Leaves


Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Method

Scrape the skin of the ginger and wash it and chop.

Put the tamarind in water and keep aside
To a pan pour oil and add chopped ginger and fry till it becomes light brown in color.
Remove the fried ginger from oil and keep aside
Now add chopped green chilly and fry for a minute and then remove from oil
Once the ginger cools grind it along with the fried green chilly and keep aside
Squeeze the tamarind well and remove any seeds or hard parts
To the tamarind water add red chilly powder, grated jaggery, salt and asafoetida and mix well
To a pan pour a table spoon of oil add fenu greek seeds.  Once it starts to change color add mustard seeds
Once mustard finishes popping add the tamarind water
Let it  boils add then add ginger paste and combine well
Keep on low flame till the curry achieves a thick consistency
Once done switch off the flame and once cooled well you can store in containers and keep in fridge for later use also

Note:
Adjust the spice levels accordingly
If you wish to you can reduce the amount of jaggery or can completely avoid it if you don`t like the sweet flavor.  But i personally like it with little jaggery

Mulaku Bajji / Chilly Bajji / Banana Pepper Fritters

Its Chilly but not spicy....Have to give it a try!!!

 Ingredients

Bajji Mulaku/Banana Pepper: 3
Oil: For deep frying
For batter
Kadala Mavu/ Besan/Gram Flour: 1/2 Cup
Rice flour: 2 Table Spoon
Red Chilly Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Asafoetida:1 Pinch
Salt
Water

Cooking Time: 10 mintues
Method
To a bowl add all things mentioned under for batter

Add water little by little and make a thick batter

Wash the banana peppers well and make length wise slits on the peppers (Do not split it completely)
Heat oil in a kadai, Once the oil is well heated reduce the flame to medium
Dip each chilly in the batter and make sure its well coated
Put the pepper in hot oil and fry until it becomes light brown in color
Drain it on to a paper towel
Serve hot..

Semolina (Rava) Orange Cake

No butter, No egg!!!

Ingredients

Semolina / Rava: 2 Cups
Sugar: 1/2 Cup + 2 tea spoon
Fresh Orange Juice: 2 Cups + 1/4 Cup
Orange Zest: 1 Tea Spoon
Oil: 1/4 Cup
Baking Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon

Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Method

To a bowl add semolina, 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/2 tea spoon of orange zest and baking powder

Combine well and add 2 cups of orange juice and 1/4 cup of oil and mix
Keep the cake batter aside for 10 to 15 minutes

Preheat the oven at 200C
Transfer the batter to a cake tin and bake for 25 to 30 minutes

In the mean time in a pan add 1/4 cup of orange juice, 2 tea spoon sugar and 1/2 tea spoon orange zest and let it boil for a minute

After 30 minutes check whether the cake is done by inserting a tooth pic in the center
If it comes out clean then the cake is ready

Take the cake out of the oven and then pour the orange juice that we made

Let the cake absorb the orange juice and let it cool completely

Once cooled well cut and serve

Note:
This recipe is inspired from a recipe shown in the program Food safari