Potato Stew

Ingredients:
2 Potato cubed
1 large onion finely sliced lengthwise
1 tsp. ginger finely chopped
1 tsp. garlic finely chopped
2 green chillies slit lengthwise
1 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. garam masala
1 sprig curry leaves
1/2 cup  thick coconut milk
1/2 tsp. pepper powder
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
oil and salt according to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a pressure cooker, splutter mustard seeds.
• Add onions, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and green chillies and saute till onions become transparent.
• Add the garam masala and coriander powder and saute for a minute or two. Add the potatoes, salt and the water, close the lid and cook for 3 whistle.
• Add the coconut milk to the pressure cooked potato and stir well and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle pepper powder and serve hot.
• Goes well with idiyappam, bread and appams.

Unakka Meen Curry / Dry Fish Curry

Yum

Ingredients:
100g dry fish
1 medium raw banana  (peel and cut lengthwise as in aviyal)
5 shallots
3 green chillies split lengthwise 
1 tsp. ginger sliced
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tbsp. chilli powder
2 kudam puli / gambooge  tear to small pieces( soaked in warm water for 5 to 10 mins.)
1 1/2 cups grated coconut
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1 sprig curry leaves
Salt according to taste

 For Seasoning:
1 -2 tbsp. coconut oil
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 dry red chilli
4 shallots sliced


Method:

• Soak the raw banana pieces in turmeric (2 pinches) water for 10 mins before rinsing and draining.
•  Soak the dry fish in water for 20 mins. Clean and cut into pieces.
• Grind the coconut, shallots, turmeric, chilli powder and little water to fine paste.
• In a clay pot/ meen chatti combine the dry fish along with raw banana,  ginger,  green chilli, turmeric powder, kudam puli , curry leaves, salt to taste and 2 cups of water. 
• Cook covered till 3/4 done on medium flame. 
• On low flame add the coconut paste, mix well (take care not to break the fish or the banana).
• If gravy is too thick add little hot water. Cover and cook till fish is cooked( 7 to 8 min). Take off flame.
• For the seasoning splutter mustard seeds in hot oil and add the sliced shallots and dry red chilli. When the shallots are  transparent and pour  the seasoning over the cooked fish curry and keep covered( do not stir immediately) for few minutes.
• Serve with rice.

Hot Chilli Chicken

Yum

Ingredients: (serves 2)

300g chicken meat from drumsticks, cut into thin strips
2 tbsp. red chilli paste
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 egg, beaten
20g cornflour
20g flour
5 tbsp oil
50g garlic cloves
15g red and green chillies, sliced vertically
Salt and white pepper

Method:

• Mix together chicken, chilli paste, lemon juice, egg, cornflour, flour, salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Heat oil in a wok and add the chicken. Stir well until chicken is cooked and then add whole garlic cloves and fresh chillies.
• Toss well for a couple of minutes and serve hot.

Melting Moments

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I came to know about melting moments from masterchef australia where Julia makes it in a biscuit challenge.
There are slightly different versions for the biscuit some add cornflour instead of custard powder.

Ingredients: (Makes 15 filled minis)

For the Biscuit

180g unsalted butter

60g icing sugar,sifted

60g custard powder

1tsp. baking powder

180g all purpose flour

For Raspberry Buttercream:

100g softened butter

1/3 tsp. vanilla essence

3/4 cup icing sugar, sifted
2-3 drops of red food colouring liquid
3 tsp. of raspberry jam

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180 C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
• Sift the flour and baking powder.
• For the biscuit , cream the butter for 2 mins with an electric beater. Add the icing sugar and the custard powder and beat till combined.Add the sifted flour to the dough and combine well in a bowl.
• Cover the bowl with a plastic sheet and refrigerate for 15 mins. and roll the dough into 1tbsp. of small balls and place it on the baking tray and press it with  a fork to make a indent. 
• Bake the biscuits for 12 to 14 mins. Or until very light golden. Allow it to cool in the tray for 5 mins and transfer on to a wire rack and cool completely. 
• For the buttercream, whisk the butter till soft add the sugar and cream them together add the vanilla essence, raspberry jam and red food colour to make a thick icing like consistency.
• To assemble,  apply buttercream  on to the base of a biscuit and place another biscuit  together and dust them with icing sugar(optional).

Note:

* For the buttercream filling make sure the butter is at room temperature and not melted, else the filling will be runny.

* The original recipe from Julia called for 1 cup of icing sugar for the buttercream but as it was too sweet for me i reduced it to  a 3/4th cup.

*If the buttercream is too runny add icing sugar to make it thick and if its very thick add 1 or 2 tsp. of milk to get a desired consistency.

* Keep in mind as we are using a butter for the buttercream, the butter will melt if the biscuits are left outside. I kept my biscuits in the refrigerator.

* To avoid melting of the buttercream add vegetable shortening instead of butter like(for 2 sticks of butter add 1cup of shortening).

Mushroom Thoran

Ingredients:
1/2 kg  Mushroom(i used button)
1 medium onion diced
4 green chillies
5 shallots
4 cloves garlic crushed
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp tuermeric
1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper powder
1 cup grated coconut
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. Mustard seeds
oil for cooking
salt to taste

Method:

• Clean the mushrooms well in water.(i prefer peeling the outer skin off).
• Gently squeeze them of as much water as possible and sliced them.
• Marinate the sliced mushrooms with 1l2 tsp. turmeric powder and some salt for 15 mins.
• Grind the coconut, green chillies, 1/4 tsp. turmeric, 1/2 tsp. cumin and salt to a  coarse paste. keep it aside
• Heat oil(2 tbsp.) in a pan and splutter the mustards.
• Saute the onions, shallots, crushed garlic and curry leaves till the onions become near transparent.
• Add the chilli, pepper, garam masala and remaining turmeric powders and saute for a minute or two.
• Add the marinated mushrooms and saute in medium heat for  4-5 mins.
• DO not add water while cooking. Cover and cook on medium - low heat stirring occasionally.
• Cook till the dish is dry. Add the coconut mixture and stir fry until its dry and cooked well. Remove from flame and serve.

Moong Dal Curry/ Parippu curry

Ingredients:
1 cup Yellow Moong Dal
A pinch of Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste

 For Grinding:
1/3 cup Grated Coconut
2 green chillies
1 clove Garlic
1/3 tsp. cumin seeds
A pinch of turmeric powder
Salt to taste

For tempering:
2 Dried red chillies
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
4 shallots chopped
1 sprig of curry leaves
Oil for cooking

Method:

• Wash the moong dal well and pressure cook it along with the turmeric, water(1 1/2 cup)and salt for 2 to 3 whistles. Mash them well and keep aside.
• Grind all the ingredients for grinding to a fine paste with little water.
• Bring the cooked dal to boil and add the ground mixture to the dal and simmer it for 5 minutes( Add water if you want it in thin consistency).
• In the meantime Heat oil in a small pan and splutter the mustard seeds and add the curry leaves, shallots and red chillies and fry till the shallots turn light brown.
• Pour this over the curry and serve with rice.

Pazham pori/Kerala banana fry

Yum

Ingredients:

3 Ripe kerala Banana(Nendra payam) (Divide them into 2 equal halves and make 2 to 3 slices from each half)

1 cup maida/all purpose flour

1 Pinch of turmeric powder for the colour
1/3 tsp. cumin seeds/jeerakam

A pinch or two of cinnamon powder 

Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Method:

• Combine the flour, turmeric powder,cumin,cinnamon salt and water to make a thick batter.
• Heat oil in  a kadai.
• Coat each slices of banana in the batter and fry it in the kadai 3 or 4 at a time. Fry till golden brown.
• Drain off excess oil using paper towels.

Note:

* The riper the banana the better  the taste .

* If it's not ripe enough you can add sugar depending on the sweetness required.

* You can also use cardamom  powder as well.

Chena Mezhukkupuratti

Ingredients:
250gms Chena/ Elephant Yam cleaned and cubed
5- 6 Shallots crushed
2 Dry Red chillies broken
3 cloves garlic crushed
1/3tsp turmeric powder
1/2 to 1 tsp chilli powder
curry leaves, mustard seeds, coconut oil and salt as required

Directions:

• Cook yam along with turmeric, chilli powder and salt in just enough water till tender(do not over cook the yam)
• Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds . Add the curry leaves when the mustard starts spluttering and then Saute in the crushed garlic, shallots and broken red chilli.
• When the shallots are near brown add the cooked yam and cook till dry.
• Serve with rice or eat it just like that ;)

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Strawberries

Img. for illust.

Panna Cotta is an Itlaian dessert that means "cooked cream". Its a simple dessert.It can have several toppings like espresso jelly,raspberry etc . I used whipping cream but the original recipe called for heavy cream. You can also use half and half in its place. You can set and serve them in wine glass and top it with fresh fruits as well.

Ingredients: (makes 6 individual servings)

Strawberry jelly

250ml water

50g white sugar

300g fresh strawberries

zest of 1 lemon

4g gelatin

Mashed Strwberries

Directions:

• Pick out strawberries 2 to 3 per servings chop them and keep them aside. Mash the remaining strawberries well to a paste.
• Keep the ramekins or any desert serving cups ready grease it slightly using a neutral oil like sunflower.
• Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring it to boil until the sugar has dissolved. Let it cool. 
• Add the mashed strawberries in the cooled syrup and leave it for 30 mins.
• Soften the gelatin in a cup of cold water. 
• Pass the strawberry syrup through a sieve and separate the pulp and the seeds.Add the lemon zest.
• Heat the  strawberry syrup(sieved) and add the softened gelatin and stir until dissolved.
• Arrange the chopped strawberries in the prepared moulds and pour the syrup upto quarter of the cup and freeze it till it sets.

For Panna Cotta

1 package (7 grams) unflavored powdered gelatin

1/4 cup (60 ml) cold milk

2 1/4 cups (540 ml) heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered or icing sugar

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla paste or purevanilla extract

Directions:

• Sprinkle gelatin over cold milk in a small bowl and leave it for 10 mins(it will soften).
• Combine the cream and sugar in  a saucepan and bring it just to boil keep stirring. When the cream is very hot put in the gelatin and stir until the gelatin has dissolved completely. Add the vanilla essence.
• When the cream is warm pour into the mould with the strawberry jelly and freeze for an hour or until it sets.
• Unmould the panna cotta by immersing the moulds briefly in hot water and turn upside down on a plate.
• you can pour the remaining strawberry syrup over the panna cotta.

Note:

*you can use coffee mugs as a mould too.

Tres Leches Cake

Yum

Tres Leches Cake was invented in Latin America. The cake is made of 3 milks hence the name.

 I made this cake for my first wedding anniversary and believe me its one of the easiest cake i have made till date. Its a ultra moist cake. The quantity of the syrup mentioned here was more.

I was not able to get a good pic. I will upload better ones later on...

Ingredients:
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 pinch of salt
5 Eggs
1 cup sugar,divided
1 tsp. vanilla essence
1/4 cup milk

For the syrup
1 can (385ml)evaporated milk
1 can (300ml) sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup heavy cream or whipping cream

For the Icing
2 cups whipping cream
3 tbsp. sugar

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 C. Prepare a 9*13 inch pan using unsalted butter and flour and keep aside.
• Sift the flour,baking powder  and salt  3 to 4 times in a large bowl.
• Separate the eggs. Beat the egg yolks with 3/4cup of sugar on high speed until pale yellow.  Add the vanilla and milk and stir. Pour this egg mixture into the flour mixture and gently combine them using a spatula.
• Beat the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until firm peaks are formed(do not over beat it).
• Pour the egg white mixture into the batter very gently and combine them using a spatula until just combined.
• Pour this batter into the prepared pan and even the surface and  bake for 30 to 35 minutes or Use a toothpick in the centre to check if the cake is done (it should come clean). Let the cake cool.
• For the syrup combine the condensed,  evaporated and cream together in a cup.
• When the cake is cool turn it onto a plate with slightly raised edges  prick the cake using fork all over the surface and pour the syrup on to the cake. The cake absorbs the syrup well (adjust the quantity of  syrup according to ur taste buds).
• Leave the cake for some time( 20 mins) so that the syrup gets absorbed.
• Prepare the whipped cream (whip the whipping cream and sugar) and spread it out on to the cake.
• Decorate the cake with strawberries or cherries. Cut in squares and serve.

Tips:
* Prepare the cake one day in advance before serving.
* Freeze the equipments used for whipping the cream.
* Do not over whip the cream.
* Adjust the quantity of syrup according to the sweetness required.