Saturday 21 May 2016

Butterscotch Cake

Its Birthday time....So cake time...Birthday wishes to my dearest Husband....
Ingredients

All Purpose Flour/Maida: 1 1/2 Cups (One and Half Cups)
Powdered Sugar: 3/4 Cup 
Eggs: 2
Butter: 3/4 Cup
Butterscotch Essence: 1 Tea Spoon
Butterscotch Sauce: 2 - 3 Table Spoon (Optional)
Baking Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Baking Soda: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Milk:  1/2 Cup
For Frosting & Garnish
Whipping Cream: 2 Cups
Powdered Sugar: 4 Table Spoon
Vanilla Essence:  1/4 Tea Spoon
Butterscotch Sauce (Optional): 1/4 Cup (Refer Notes)
Praline Nuts:1/2 Cup (Refer Notes)
Cherries
For Soaking Cake
Sugar Syrup (Refer Notes)

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes
Method

Preheat the oven at 170 C
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
Combine all purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda.  Sieve it and keep aside
To a bowl add butter and powdered sugar,  Beat well until soft
Now add 1 egg at a time and beat until light and fluffy
Add butterscotch essence
Add butterscotch sauce and combine well
Now add sieved all purpose flour and milk in batches and combine well
The batter should be a smooth ribbon consistency batter
Pour the batter to the prepared cake tin and bake it for 25 to 30 minutes
Once done insert a tooth pick to the center of the cake and if it comes out clean then the cake is done
Else bake it for another 4 to 5 more minutes
Take it out of the oven and let it cool down 
Trim the crust from top and cut the cake horizontally into 2 layers
Pour the whipping cream to a bowl.  Add sugar and vanilla essence and beat until it forms soft peaks 
Now to assemble the cake
Keep all the things ready, whipped cream,sugar syrup, butterscotch sauce and praline nuts
Place a layer of cake on the setting plate
Drizzle some sugar syrup on the cake.
Put 4 to 5 table spoons of whipped cream on the cake 
Spread well
Drizzle some butterscotch sauce and praline nuts
Place the second layer of cake, drizzle  sugar syrup
Apply whipped cream and spread all around the cake 
Put some of the whipped cream in a piping bag and garnish 
Sprinkle the praline nuts and garnish the cake with some cherries
Keep in fridge for some time
Cut and serve chilled

Note:
Baking time may vary depending on the oven, so adjust it accordingly
For the recipe of Praline Nuts Click Here
For the recipe of Butterscotch Sauce Click Here
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

Thursday 19 May 2016

Butterscotch Sauce

You can use it on cakes, ice creams, pudding etc
Ingredients

Sugar: 1 Cup
Butter: 1/2 Cup
Fresh Cream: 1 Cup
Vanilla Essence: 1 Tea Spoon
Salt: 1 Pinch

Cooking Time: 10 to 12 Minutes
Method

Pour fresh cream and butter to a bowl and mix it and keep aside
Put sugar to a pan and let it caramelize. It should only be light golden brown in color.  Do not let the sugar caramelize more and become dark brown in color. Because if the sugar caremlizes more it will taste more like caramel sauce
Add the cream butter mix and stir continuously
Stir well and keep on flame until the desired consistency is achieved.  (|I  made a thin sauce)
Remove from flame and add vanilla essence and salt and mix well
Let it cool well and store in clean and dry glass jar in fridge
If the sauce thickens upon cooling you can just warm it up before use

Tuesday 17 May 2016

Varutharacha Sravu Curry / Shark Curry in Roasted Coconut Gravy

Personally i never liked sravu curry until i tasted this sravu curry....
Ingredients

Shark/Sravu: 500gms
Shallots: 10 - 12
Ginger: 1 Small Piece
Green Chilly: 2 - 3
Tomato: 1 Small
Kudampuli/Kokum: 3 - 4
Fenugreek Seeds/Uluva: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Coconut Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Fenugreek Powder/Uluva Podi: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Salt
Water
Curry Leaves
For Roasting Coconut
Grated Coconut: 1 Cup
Chilly Powder: 2 Tea Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Coriander Powder: 1½ Tea Spoon
Shallots: 2 - 3
Coconut Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Curry Leaves

Cooking Time: 30 Minutes
Method

Clean and wash the fish well. Peel the skin and cut into small cubes
Crush shallots, ginger and green chilly
Wash and soak the kudampuli in water and keep aside
For roasting coconut
Pour oil to a pan and add grated coconut
In medium flame roast until the coconut starts to change color
Now reduce the flame to low and add chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, chopped shallots and curry leaves
Saute in low flame until the raw smell of the masala is gone.  (5 to 6 minutes)
Now switch off the flame and keep stirring for another 2 to 3 more minutes and let it cool for some time
Grind this to a fine paste adding little water
Making the curry
To a pan or clay pot add coconut oil.  Once it is hot add fenugreek seeds
Once it changes color add crushed shallots, ginger and green chilly
Saute for 3 to 4 minutes and then add chopped tomato
Now add the coconut paste along with enough water and let it boil well
Once it boils reduce the flame to medium and add soaked kudampuli, fish pieces and curry leaves
Cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes
Now remove the cover and check the consistency of the gravy.  If needed boil it for 3 to 4 minutes uncovered until the gravy thickens and then switch off the flame and sprinkle the fenugreek powder and mix well
Serve hot with rice

Saturday 14 May 2016

Chicken Peralan / Chicken Masala Roast

A simple yet flavorful dish........

Ingredients

Chicken: 500 gms
Onion: 1 Big
Green Chilly: 2 - 3
Ginger: 1 small piece
Garlic: 4 - 5 Cloves
Tomato: 1 Small
Red Chilly Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Coriander Powder: 1/2 Table Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Pepper Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Coconut Oil: 3 Table Spoon
Salt
Water
Curry Leaves
Coriander Leaves

Cooking Time: 25 - 30 minutes
Method

Clean and cut the chicken to small pieces. Wash it well and drain off the water and keep aside
Crush the ginger, garlic and green chilly.  Slice the onion and keep aside
Pour oil to a pan and add sliced onion and saute till onion becomes soft
Now add crushed ginger, garlic and green chilly
Saute for a good 4 to 5 minutes in low flame
Add chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder
Saute till the raw smell of the spices is gone
Now add chopped tomato.
Saute well in low flame until oil starts to leave
Now add the cleaned chicken pieces, salt and some curry leaves
Combine well and cover and cook in low flame.  Do not add water
Open the lid and stir after 5 minutes.  By this time there will be enough water from the chicken
If you feel  water is less add little hot water and close the lid
Cook until the chicken is done.  It will take around 15 to 20 minutes
By this time the gravy will have thickened
Add pepper powder, coriander leaves and some curry leaves
Combine well and switch off the flame
Serve hot with rice, ghee rice, chapati, appam porotta etc
Note:
Adjust the amount of spice accordingly

Thursday 12 May 2016

Praline Nuts

Have it as a topping on Ice cream or Cake or just as a Candy....


Ingredients

Sugar: 1 Cup
Chopped Nuts: 1 Cup
Butter: 1 Table Spoon

Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Method

Keep all the things handy before you start making the praline nuts
Grease a disposable aluminium container with butter and keep aside.  Or you can line a tray with an aluminium foil or butter paper and grease it with butter.
To a heavy bottom pan add sugar and let it caramelize
Once it becomes light brown in color switch off the flame and add butter and mix well
Now add the chopped nuts and combine.  I have used cashew nuts and almonds
Pour this to the prepared container and let it cool well
Once it cools well you can just slide it out of the container
You can just break it to small pieces or grind it to a coarse powder using a rolling pin or a mortar and pestle
You can make butter scotch cake, butter scotch ice cream etc using this or as a topping for ice cream, cakes, puddings etc or just eat it as it is...
Store in clean and dry airtight containers in refrigerator

Tuesday 10 May 2016

Kuttanadan Meen Curry / Kuttanadan Fish Curry

Spicy spicy fish curry.....
Ingredients

Fish: 750 gms
Shallots/Small Onion: 10 - 12
Garlic: 3 - 4
Green Chilly: 2 - 3
Ginger: 1 Inch Piece
Kudampuli: 3 - 4 pieces
Red Chilly Powder: 2 Table Spoon
Kashmiri Chilly Powder: 1 Table Spoon
Coriander Powder: 1 Tea Spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Coconut Oil: 3 Table Spoon
Mustard Seeds: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Fenugreek Seeds/Uluva: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Hot Water: 1 - 2 Cups
Curry leaves: Few
Salt

Cooking Time: 30 - 40 minutes
Method

Clean and wash the fish well and cut it into small pieces
You can use any fish of your choice. I have used the fish kaalanchi here.
Soak the kudampuli in water and keep aside
Chop shallots, garlic and ginger.  Slit the green chilly
To a kadai or clay pot add coconut oil
Once the oil is hot add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds
Once the mustard seeds finishes crackling add chopped shallots, garlic, ginger and slit green chilly
Saute in medium flame for a good 5 to 6 minutes
Take the spice powders
Mix it well and add little water and make a paste of it
Reduce the flame and add the masala paste
Saute in the lowest flame possible until oil starts to leave
Now add required hot water(as per the gravy required) and let it boil well
Add soaked kudampuli, fish pieces, curry leaves and salt
Cover and cook in medium flame for 10 to 15 minutes
Switch off the flame and keep it closed for another 10 more  minutes and then serve hot with rice