Saturday 30 January 2016

Corn Flakes Laddu

Corn flakes yes you heard it right!!!
Ingredients

Corn flakes: 3 Cups
Desiccated Coconut: 1/4 Cup
Powdered Sugar: 1/4 - 1/2 Cup
Chopped/Powdered Nuts: 1/2 Cup
Cardamom Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Butter/Ghee: 2 Table Spoon
Milk: 4 - 5 Table Spoon

Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Method

Put corn flakes to a mixie and powder it
To a pan add powdered corn flakes, desiccated coconut, powdered sugar, chopped/powdered nuts, (i have used pista, almonds and cashew nuts) cardamom powder and butter/ghee
Saute on low flame for 5 minutes until well combined
Switch off the flame and add milk as required and roll the laddus
Serve with tea coffee.
Note:
Adjust the amount of sweetness as per your wish

Tuesday 26 January 2016

Cut Mango Pickle

Super easy and super tasty!!!
Ingredients

Raw Mango: 1 Large
Crushed Ginger: 1 Table Spoon
Crushed Garlic: 1 Table Spoon
Mustard Seeds: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Fenugreek Seeds: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Chilly Powder: 5 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Asafoetida Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Fenugreek Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Gingely oil: 5 Table Spoon
Vinegar: 1 Table Spoon
Curry Leaves: Few
Water: 1 Cup
Salt

Cooking Time :10 Minutes
Method

Wash the mango well and dry it using a paper towel
Chop the mango to small bite size pieces
Add salt to the chopped mango pieces and mix well.  Set this aside for minimum 1 to 2 hours
After the said time pour oil to a kadai and add mustard and fenugreek seeds
Once it finishes popping add curry leaves,  crushed ginger and garlic and saute on low flame till the raw smell is gone
Reduce the flame to low and add red chilly powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida powder and fenugreek powder
Saute on low flame for 5 to 6 minutes and then add water and let it boil
Add the mango pieces and combine well.  Check for salt and if required add more
Combine everything well and let the gravy thicken a bit and then switch off the flame
Add vinegar and combine well (If the mangoes are too sour do not add vinegar)
Let the pickle cool well and then store it in air tight clean glass jar bottles
Serve with rice or rice gruel or curd rice

Friday 22 January 2016

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Perfect for winters!!!
Ingredients

Chopped Carrot: 1/4 Cup
Chopped Beans: 1/4 Cup
Chopped Garlic: 1 Table Spoon
Chopped Ginger: 1 Table Spoon
Chopped Green Chilly: 1 Table Spoon
Chopped Onion: 1 Small
Cooked Chicken: 250 gms
Olive Oil: 1 Table Spoon
Chicken Stock/Water: 2 Cups
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Pepper
Salt

Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Method

Add olive oil to a pan and saute onion, garlic,ginger and green chilly for 2 minutes
Then add chopped carrots and beans and saute for 3 to 4 minutes
Add chicken stock/water, turmeric powder and required salt and let it boil well
Add the cooked chicken and let it boil  for 8 to 10 minutes
Add required pepper powder and switch off the flame and serve hot
Note:

To know more about how to make chicken stock check recipe of Sweet corn and chicken soup. Click here for the recipe.

Wednesday 20 January 2016

Mixed Lentils Pan Cake

Lets make a healthy breakfast...
Ingredients

Green gram: 1/4 Cup
Toor Dal: 1/4 Cup
Black Eyed Beans: 1/4 Cup
Red Lentil/Masore Dal: 1/4 Cup
Brown Peas/Vanpayar: 1/4Cup
Shallots: 3 - 4
Garlic: 1 - 2
Green Chilly: 1- 2
Ginger: 1 small piece
Red Chilly Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Asafoetida: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Water
Salt

Preparation Time: Over Night
Cooking Time : 5 minutes Per Pan cake

Wash and soak green gram, toor dal, black eyed beans, masore dal and vanpayar in enough water overnight
Next morning wash again and strain off the water and put this to a mixer along with shallots, garlic, ginger, green chilly, red chilly powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt
Add some water and grind this to a smooth batter
Batter consistency should be same as dosa batter
Heat a non stick tawa and pour a laddle of batter and spread it little
Cook on medium heat and when one side is done flip it and cook the other side
Serve hot with chutney, sambhar or any curry of your choice.

Sunday 17 January 2016

Ridge Gourd Dal Curry / Peechinga Parippu Curry

Lets make a simple curry.....
Ingredients

Tuvar Dal/Tuvara Parippu: 1/2 Cup
Chopped Ridge gourd: 2 Cups
Garlic: 2 Cloves
Shallots: 4 - 5
Cumin: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Green Chilly: 4 - 5
Thick Coconut Milk: 1/2 Cup
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Asafoetida: 1 Pinch
Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Mustard Seeds: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Curry Leaves
Salt

Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Method

Refer notes to know more about how to clean ridge gourd
Wash and cook the dal adding turmeric powder
Crush together garlic, cumin, shallots and green chilly
Once the dal is done add chopped ridge gourd and the crushed mix along with salt
Let the sponge gourd cook well
Once done add the thick coconut milk and let it boil for a minute and the switch off the flame
To a pan pour oil and add mustard seeds.  Once it finishes popping add curry leaves and add asafoetida and switch off the flame
Pour this to the curry and mix well
Serve hot with rice or chapati
Note:
You don`t need to take off the complete green skin of the  ridge gourd
Using a peeler scrape off the thick skin of the ridge gourd
Cut the ridge gourd vertically through the middle
If you see big seeds remove that part too.If the seeds are very small you don`t need to remove it
Now chop the sponge gourd to bite size pieces

Friday 15 January 2016

Tandoori Chicken

Spicy tasty tandoori chicken...
Ingredients

Whole Chicken Legs: 3 - 4 / 500gms
Oil/Butter: For brushing

For marination
Red chilly powder: 1½ Tea Spoon
Kashmiri Chilly Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Cumin Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Pepper Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Ginger Paste: 1 Tea Spoon
Garlic Paste: 1 Tea Spoon
Thick Yogurt: 2 Table Spoon
Lime Juice: 2 Table Spoon
Kasuri methi: 1 Pinch
Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Salt

Preparation Time Over night
Cooking Time : 30 minutes
Method

Clean and wash the chicken well.
Make gashes on the chicken and keep aside
To a bowl add all the ingredients mentioned under for marination
Combine everything well.  If required add a table spoon of water
Rub this marination on to the chicken and keep it in fridge overnight (Do not freeze)
Take the chicken out of the fridge and let it rest in room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before cooking
I am using and electric grill to make this chicken
Preheat the grill at 180 C
Arrange the chicken on the grill and cook for 8 to 10 minutes on one side and then flip the chicken and cook the other side.
Brush some oil or butter on the chicken pieces
Keep flipping sides in regular intervals and brush some oil or butter each time until the chicken is well cooked
Take it off the grill and let it cool a bit and serve hot with puthina or corinader chutney
You can cook the same in an OTG, tandoor or a coal grill

Wednesday 13 January 2016

Pachakurumulakku Mathi Curry and Mathi Porichathu / Sardines in Green pepper gravy and Sardines fry

Lets make a fish curry and fish fry today!!!
Ingredients

Sardines: 5- 6
Shallots: 6
Garlic: 2 Cloves
Ginger: 1 Small Piece
Green Pepper Corns: 1 Table Spoon
Green Chilly: 2
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Coriander Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Kudampuli: 1
Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Coconut Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Salt
Water
Curry Leaves

Cooking Time: 15 Minutes
Method

Clean and wash the sardines and keep aside
Soak the kudampuli in some water and keep aside
Crush together shallots, garlic, ginger, green pepper corns and green chilly
To a pan or earthen pot pour coconut oil and add fenugreek seeds
Once it changes color add the crushed shallot mix to it and saute for 3 to 4 minutes
Reduce the flame and add turmeric powder and coriander powder and saute till the raw smell is gone
Now add the kudampuli along with the water and let it boil
Now add the cleaned sardines and salt.  Close the lid and cook in medium flame for 5 to 6 minutes
Sardines curry is ready to be served with hot rice.. Enjoy!!!
For fish fry
Ingredients

Sardines: 6
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Green Pepper: 2 Table Spoon
Garlic: 2 Cloves
Ginger: 1 Small Piece
Shallots: 3 - 4
Salt
Oil

Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Method

Clean and make gashes on the sardines and keep aside
Grind together turmeric powder, green pepper, garlic, ginger, shallots and required salt
Marinate the sardines with this masala and keep aside for some time
Pour oil to a pan and shallow fry the fish by turning sides as necessary for 8 to 10 minutes in medium flame.
Serve hot
Note:

Increase or decrease the amount of green pepper as per the spiciness required

Monday 11 January 2016

Chutney Powder / Chammanthi Podi (Without Coconut)

Every household has different recipes for chutney powder... This one is ours...
Ingredients

Tuvar dal/Parippu: 1/4 Cup
Chana Dal/Kadala Parippu: 1/4 Cup
Urud Dal/Uzhunnu Parippu: 2 Table Spoon
Roasted Bengal Gram/Pottu Kadala: 2 Table Spoon
Asafoetida: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Rice: 1/4 Cup
Curry Leaves: 2 - 3 Sprig
Dried Red Chilly: 8 - 10
Whole Pepper corns: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Salt

Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Method

Wash tuvar dal, chana dal, urud dal and rice separately and drain it and keep aside
To a heavy bottom pan add chana dal and dry roast it for 3 to 4 minutes and  keep it aside
Now dry roast tuvar dal, urud dal, roasted bengal gram and rice for 5 minutes and then add the roasted chana dal to it and keep roasting on medium flame until the mixture starts to change color
Now add curry leaves, dried red chilly and pepper corns.  Keep roasting until the mix becomes golden brown in color
Switch off the flame and add asafoetida and salt and mix well
Let it cool for some time and then grind it to a powder
Let the powder cool well and then store it in clean air tight containers
For serving with dosa/idli  take the required amount of chutney powder and add coconut oil or sesame oil and combine well

Monday 4 January 2016

Vegetable Soup

A Simple Veg Soup!!!
Ingredients

Chopped Carrot: 1/4 Cup
Chopped Beans: 1/4 Cup
Chopped Garlic: 1 Table Spoon
Chopped Green Chilly: 1 Table Spoon
Chopped Onion: 1 Small
Chopped Coriander Leaves: 1 Table Spoon
Chopped Mint Leaves: 1/2 Table Spoon
Olive Oil: 1 Table Spoon
Apple Cider Vinegar: 1 Table Spoon
Veg Stock/Water: 2 Cups
Corn flour: 1 Table Spoon mixed in 1/4 cup of water
Pepper
Salt

Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Method

Add olive oil to a pan and saute onion, garlic and green chilly for 2 minutes
Then add chopped carrots and beans and saute for 3 to 4 minutes
Add veg stock/water and required salt and let it boil well
Add corn flour water and reduce the flame and add coriander leaves and mint leaves  and simmer it for 5 to 8 minutes
Switch off the flame and add apple cider vinegar and required pepper powder and serve hot.

Note:
You can add any vegetable of your choice.

Friday 1 January 2016

White Forest Cake

Wishing you all a very very Happy New Year 2016!!!
Ingredients

For Cake
I followed the recipe of simple tea cake.   For recipe of simple tea cake click here

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

For Garnish
Cherry
White Chocolate Shavings

Method

Make the cake and let it cool completely
Once the cake cools well trim the crust
Now cut the cake horizontally into 2 or 3 layers depending on the height of the cake
Pour the whipping cream to a bowl, add sugar and vanilla essence
Using an electric beater beat until it becomes stiff
Now to assemble the cake
Keep all the things ready, whipped cream, cherry syrup/sugar 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.
Put 4 to 5 table spoons of whipped cream on the cake layer
Carefully spread the whipping cream to all sides uniformly
You can place a few cherries if you wish to or else place the next layer of cake.
Drizzle the sugar syrup and then spread the whipped cream all around the cake
Put some of the whipped cream in a piping bag and garnish as per your imagination
Sprinkle the white chocolate shavings and place the cherry on top
Keep in fridge and take it out once its time to serve

Note:
Cheery syrup is the syrup in which the cherries are kept. When you buy tinned cherries you get the syrup too.
For sugar syrup boil 3 table spoon of sugar in 1/2 cup of water for 4 to 5 minutes and let it cool down completely