Drumstick Potato Curry

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Ingredients:
Drumsticks, cut in 2" length        -      3
onion, diced                -      1
potato, chopped          -       1
mustard seeds            -     ½ tsp.
fennel seeds                -     ½ tsp.
garlic, sliced finely     -      5 cloves
curry leaves                 -      1 sprigs
red chili powder         -      2 tsp.
turmeric powder         -     ¼ tsp.
coriander powder        -     3 tsp.
asafoetida                     -     a pinch

Salt as required

Method:

1. Heat  one tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and when they splutter, add fennel seeds and curry leaves.
2. Add the chopped onions and garlic and saute until onions turn light brown.
3. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, salt and saute on medium flame for few minutes.
4. Now add the chopped drumsticks and potatoes and combine well and cook for about 2  to 3 minutes.
5. Cover and cook on low flame (add water if required) until the drumstick and potatoes are done(be careful not to burn the curry ). Once cooked remove from flame and serve.
6. This is a dry curry and goes well with chapati and rice.

Carrot Thoran (Carrot Stir Fry)

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Ingredients:
Carrot, minced                   -       3 or 4
Onion, minced                   -      1 
Cumin  seeds                     -       ¼ tsp.
Grated coconut                   -      ¼ cup
Ginger chopped                  -      ½ tsp.
Green chilies, chopped       -      3
Turmeric powder                 -    ¼ tsp.
Mustard seeds                      -     ½ tsp.
Curry leaves                        -     a sprig
Dry red chili                        -     2
Salt to taste
Oil

Method:

1. Combine the minced carrot, onion, cumin seeds, coconut, salt, green chilies, ginger, turmeric powder in a bowl using your hands.
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds, add the dry red chili and the curry leaves to saute for a minute.
3. Now add the combined mixture of carrot and coconut to the pan and saute well for 2 or 3 minutes.
4. Cover the pan with the lid and let it cook on low flame for 3 or 4 minutes.
5. Remove the lid and mix again and open cook for another 3 minutes. Remove from flame when the carrot are cooked and serve with rice.

Butter Cake

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                   We used to call this as tea cake during school days, my dad would buy this cake atleast once a month. I like this cake compared to the Kerala Plum Cake. The cake is so soft & spongy and easy to make. I got the recipe from Wendy who got it from a Mrs NgSK. This is a very basic cake recipe & you will certainly get the desired output if you follow all the instructions to a T. This is a must try cake!

                      Make sure all your ingredients are in room temperature before using.(This goes for almost all kinds of cakes unless specified otherwise). It took me about 30 mins just for the preparation as I had to check my LO  each and every  time I was using the beater(she is a very light sleeper). The only step that is time consuming is beating the egg whites, which took me about 10 minutes on the whole (may be more).  The flour mentioned here is self rising flour if you do not have it you may substitute it with all purpose flour and baking powder. Combine one teaspoon. of baking powder to 200g of all purpose flour.

                         People who are baking a cake  for the first time might not understand the term "beat until stiff peaks are formed". When you beat the egg whites make sure you are doing this in a clean and dry  big bowl and the egg whites do not have any yolk in them. Soft peak means after beating the whites for some time the egg whites will become opaque & when you lift up the blade of the beater from the egg whites, they will form soft peak  that just falls slightly over to the side. Stiff peak means the peak formed will hold its form and will not slump, it will be erect.

Ingredients:
Salted butter, softened at room temp              -        230 g.
Eggs                                                                -        4
Sugar (for egg whites)                                    -       50 g. 
Sugar                                                               -       150 g.
Self rising flour, sifted                                    -        200 g.
Milk                                                                -         60 ml
Vanilla extract                                                -          1 tsp.

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 180 C. Grease a 8 inch square pan with butter and line it with parchment paper.
2. Separate the eggs. And place the white in a big  bowl. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks are formed and then gradually add the 50 g. sugar very slowly as you continue beating the egg whites. Beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks.
3. Beat the butter and the remaining 150 g sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add the vanilla extract to the butter sugar mix and beat for a minute or two. Add the egg yolks one by one and beat well after each addition.
5. Now add the flour and the milk alternatively, starting and ending with flour.(in 2 or 3 batches). Beat on low speed after every addition.
6. Now beat half of the egg whites in the above batter on low speed and using a spatula just fold in the remaining egg whites slowly.
7. Pour the batter in the prepared pan and level the top with a spatula. Place in the oven (i placed in the middle rack) and bake for 45 mins. or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool on a wire rack and serve or store in a air tight container.

Notes:

• Combine one teaspoon. of baking powder to 200g of all purpose flour, if you do not have self rising flour.

Fish Molee (Fish in coconut milk gravy)

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           My mom makes meen molee occasionally,I made a small change in the recipe(I marinated the fish before using(from Kothiyavannu)). This dish goes well with appam, this is the first time I am making this dish as I got the green signal to give fish for my baby daughter. The doctor advised to give a mildly spiced fish gravy to begin with and she suggested fish molee.

Ingredients: 
King Fish(any firm fleshed fish), washed, cleaned & cubed  - ½ kg.
Turmeric powder                               -         1 tsp.
Lemon juice                                      -         of half a lemon
Salt         
Onion, sliced finely                          -        2
Tomato, sliced                                  -        1
Ginger garlic paste                           -         1 Tbsp.
Black pepper powder                       -         ½ tsp.
Thin Coconut Milk                          -          1 Cup
Thick Coconut Milk                        -           1 cup
Mustard seeds                                  -           ½ tsp.
Curry Leaves                                   -           few sprigs
Green chilly, slit lengthwise            -           4
Oil (pref., coconut oil)                     -           3 Tbsp.
Salt according to taste

Method:

1. Marinate the fish in turmeric powder, lemon juice and salt for about half an hour.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry the marinated fish for a 3 or 4 minutes on each side and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and splutter the mustard seeds, add the sliced onion, green chillies, curry leaves and saute until the onions becomes soft. Add the ginger garlic paste and pepper powder and saute for a 2 or 3 minutes. 
4. Add the tomatoes and saute for a minute or two.
5. Lower the flame and add the thin coconut milk and salt & combine well.
6. Carefully add the fried fish to the gravy. Cover & simmer until the fish is completely done.
7. Add the thick coconut milk and swirl the pan, simmer for 2 or 3 minutes.
8. Remove from flame and serve with palappam or vellayappam.

Spicy Pineapple Salad

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                                This is a simple salad just like the pineapple mint salad. Ajust the amount of chilly powder according to your taste.

Ingredients:
Pineapple, diced     -         2 cups
Onion, diced           -         1 small
Red Chilly Powder -         ½ tsp.
Salt as required
Mint leaves for garnishing (optional)

Method:
Combine all the above listed ingredients in a bowl & serve.

Pineapple Mint Salad

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                    Pineapple is my least favorite fruit apart from guava. I only like the core (weird uh..)which later I found was not consumed by many others. The fruit is way too sweet for me, so I used to add salt & chilly powder before having it. Anyways did you know pineapple can be cultivated using only it's crown?  This salad is very simple it just requires 2 ingredients as mentioned in the title, but then you can make changes by adding salt or onion etc., it's up to you. The salad is so refreshing, you can adjust the amount of mint leaves. Honestly I thought it smelled like a mint toothpaste. 

Ingredients:
Pineapple, diced                                              -                 2 cups
Mint Leaves (Pudina), finely chopped            -                2 Tbsp.

Method:
               Combine both the pineapple and the mint leaves and serve. Even better refrigerate for an hour or two before serving.

Arabic Salad

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       I simply love the salad bar @ Pizza hut,  just can't get enough of it, came to know most of their names only after coming to the Emirates. The basic ingredient of several salads here is olive oil and mayo. Before, the salads I new where onion salad, tomato, cucumber, carrot etc., the very basic ones. Arabic salad is a common item in the buffet section at several restaurants, its a simple salad, with few ingredients and very easy to make too. There are many kind of variants of the salad, this is the way I make it.

Ingredients:(serve 2)
Cucumbers, chopped finely          -        2
tomatoes, chopped finely             -       1 medium
Parsley, finely chopped                -      1   cup
Mint leaves, finely chopped         -      ½ cup 
Onion, finely chopped                  -      1
Lemon juice                                 -       ½ of a lemon
Pepper powder                             -       ¼ tsp.
Olive Oil                                      -       1 tbsp.
Salt as required

Method:

                   Mix the lemon juice, pepper powder, olive oil and salt in a bowl. Now combine all the chopped vegetables and green leaves with the prepared marinade and serve after half n hour or so. 

Red Currant Cookies

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              It was just recently that I came to know about currants. We do't get it in India (down south), living in The Emirates has it's own perks, the supermarkets are stocked with exotic fruits and vegetables. I came across these beauties this a few days back and was so excited that I couldn't wait to get home and pop it in my mouth. I returned home took out the currants washed and had one and guess what it was so SOUR! I was so disappointed , I had earlier made the same mistake with strawberries(it looked ripe :/). 

I mean look at them, they look sooo attractive and I seriously thought that it would be super sweet. Anyways I was in a fix, did not know what to do with the entire packet as I was hardly able to eat one, seeing my reaction my husband wouldn't even have one. Then as always google came to the rescue. I found a lot of recipes using red currants. I wanted to make a cake, but unfortunately the required amount of currants were more than what I had so ended up baking these cookies. I got the recipe from here. The cookies when baked & cooled is crispy and it becomes soft later on. The cookies where good, a combination of both sweet & sour.

Recipe source: eatinmykitchen
Ingredients:
All purpose flour                             -                   150 g.
oats                                                  -                    100 g.
salt                                                    -                   ¼ tsp.
baking soda                                      -                    a pinch
baking powder                                  -                    ½ tsp.
butter, softened(at room temp.)       -                     110 g.
granulated sugar                               -                    150 g.
ripe banana, mashed                        -                     1
Egg, small                                        -                     1
Vanilla extract                                 -                     ½ tsp.
red currants, ripe                              -                    150 g.

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 360°F  and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine the flour, oats, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl. 
3. In another large bowl, mix the butter and sugar until fluffy with a beater. Add the mashed banana, egg and vanilla and continue mixing until well combined. 
4. Stir in the dry mixture with a spoon gently until you have a lumpy dough. Gently fold in the red currants. Do not over mix.
5. Drop a tablespoon of dough on the lined baking sheet, leaving enough space in between them as they will expand in the oven.
6. Bake in the oven for about 13 minutes or until golden, they will be quite soft at first.
7. Remove them from the oven and let it cool a bit, before transferring them onto a wire rack.
8. The cookie will be crispy the first day and will soften gradually.

Avial (Mived Vegetables With coconut)

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                                This is a traditional dish of Kerala made with a variety of veggies. Before when I tried out this dish it was watery and my SIL used to make fun off me saying "ha you have made mango mappas again".The problem being, I used curd and the the gravy was watery. This time around I used raw mango instead of curd and I nailed the dish. This is how my mom makes it and it's a bit time consuming dish & a bit dry, unless of course you make use of  a pressure cooker. If you prefer using curd instead of mango click here

Ingredients:
A mix of Veggies of your choice(cut in small strips)  -   ½ to ¾ kg. 
(I used yam(chena), snake gourd(padavalam), long beans(achinga), Carrot, Drumstick, Cucumber(vellarika))
Raw Mango            -         a small piece(depends on the sourness)
Coconut Oil            -        1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder   -         ½ tsp.
Chilly powder        -         1 tsp.
Salt as required
Curry Leaves a few sprigs
Coconut Oil           -          ½ tbsp.

For Grinding:
Grated Coconut     -         of half a coconut
Cumin                   -         1 tsp.
Green Chilies       -           4

Method:

1. Cut the yam(chena) in small and long strips, immerse it in water and set aside.
2. Cut the remaining veggies and place it in a separate  bowl of water.
3. Peel and cut the raw mango and place it separately aside until needed.
4. Heat a tablespoon of oil in  a hard bottomed vessel and place the drumsticks, achinga, snake gourd, carrot, Yam(chena) and finally vellarika one above the other respectively.(ref. Notes)
5. Add the turmeric, chilly powder and the required amount of salt on top of the vegetables, close the vessel with a lid and cook it on low flame.
6. Coarsely grind the coconut, cumin and the green chilies and set aside.
7. When it starts to boil combine all the vegetables together.
8. Add the raw mango when the yam is about ¾ done, close and let it cook.
9. Check if all the veggies have been cooked well, if so make a hole in  the middle of the cooked vegetables. Take all the water from the center and pour it over the surrounding vegetables, continue doing this until there is no water left in the center.
10. Now add the coarsely grounded mixture and the curry leaves and combine well.
11. Finally drizzle the remaining coconut oil on the avial and remove from flame & serve with rice.

 Notes:

• The reason as to why the veggies are arranged is because no water is added & also to prevent the yam from losing its color.

Olan(Ash Gourd In Coconut Milk)

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                   Olan is another one of the items in the Onam(a festival in Kerala) sadhya, which is made with coconut milk. I have used a combination of ash gourd and vanpayar (cow-peas), this can also be made using raw banana, pumpkin etc. This is a simple dish which requires less time, unless you are using fresh coconut.

Ingredients:
Ash Gourd, peeled & chopped in small cubes    -       500 g.
cow-peas(vanpayar)                                            -        ¼ cup (soaked overnight)
Green Chilies, slit                                               -       4  
Thick Coconut Milk                                           -       ½ cup
Curry Leaves                                                      -        a sprig
Coconut oil                                                         -       1 tsp.
salt as required

Method:

1. Cook the cow-peas until just cooked, drain &keep aside.
2. In a deep heavy vessel combine the ash gourd, green chilies and add water just enough to cover the vegetables and cook until the gourd is just soft.
3. Now add the cooked beans and the required amount of salt and let it boil for about 4 mins.
4. Combine the thick coconut milk and turn off flame and add the coconut oil and the curry leaves to the dish and serve.

Notes:

• Do not overcook the veggies.
• The olan will become slightly thick after some time(it's not a bad thing).

Irani Chai

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                  So this other day I was reading the e newspaper and I came across this article something about Irani Chai and Hyderabad and as always I stopped reading the news and started going after the recipe of "Irani Chai". There were so many recipes on the net and  almost had the same ingredients and method. I am a tea person and I like my tea strong and with foam on top. My husband did not like the tea, he said it was too thick for him. The tea is a bit thick and I wouldn't have it on a regular basis, once a month may be. But it tastes good with a hint of spices and nice aroma, not too sweet too. It's a simple recipe using very few ingredients.

Ingredients:(serves 2)
Full Fat Milk              -        2 cups
Condensed Milk        -         2 Tbsp.
Tea powder               -         1 Tbsp.
Cardamom pods        -         3
Ginger, crushed         -         1 Inch

Method:

1. First make the tea decoction, by adding a tablespoon of tea powder to 1 ½ cups of boiling water.
2. Add the cardamom and the crushed ginger. Close the vessel(to prevent escaping steam) with a lid and reduce the flame. Let it simmer until the water is reduced to half its amount.(keep checking in between else you will be left with only the soaked tea powder and no decoction like I had, I had to redo this step)
3. Meanwhile boil the milk on medium flame(you can use normal milk with medium fat) until the milk has reduced to nearly half its amount, add the condensed milk and mix well. 
4. The milk will become thick. Remove from flame and add the reduced tea decoction  to the milk and serve.
5. Add sugar only if required(most probably you won't be needing it)

Puli Inji (Ginger in sweet & sour sauce)

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                                       This is one of the side dishes of Onam (a Kerala festival),then again you do not need an occasion to make a dish.  I adapted this recipe from a magazine by Pazhayidom, a renowned chef from Kerala. I made this for the first time for Onam. One can have it only in minimal quantities. It can be made ahead and stored in an air tight jar in the refrigerator. The recipe below is the original one, I tripled the recipe because I had so much ginger in stock and did not want to let it go to waste.

Ingredients:

Tamarind                                -           50 g.

Turmeric Powder                   -           1 Tsp.

Red Chilly Powder                -            1 Tbsp.

Asafoetida                             -             20 g.

Jaggery                                  -             75 g.

Curry leaves                          -            few sprigs

Coconut Oil                           -            3 Tsp.

Mustard                                 -             1 Tsp.

Dry Red Chilly, broken         -             3

Ginger, minced                       -          75 g.

Green Chilly, minced             -           10 g.

Fenugreek Powder                 -            ½ Tsp.

Method:

1. Soak the tamarind in 2 ½ liters of boiled hot water in a hard bottomed vessel for about 20 mins, squeeze the pulp and filter the tamarind water and set aside.
2. Add 1 Liter of water, the turmeric powder, chilly powder, jaggery, few sprigs of curry leaves and asafoetida to the prepared tamarind juice and boil it on high flame.
3. The the mixture starts to boil add a teaspoon of coconut oil to it and let it boil until it reduces to half it's amount.
4. Meanwhile in another hard bottomed vessel heat  2 tsp. of oil ans splutter the mustard seeds. To this add the broken dried red chilly and curry leaves.
5. After a minute or two add the minced ginger and chopped green chilies and saute well. Cook the ginger until ¾ done.
6. When the ginger is ¾ done reduce the flame and saute until completely cooked and remove from flame.
7. Add salt and the fried ginger in the now reduced tamarind juice and combine well. The gravy will become at this stage. Combine fenugreek powder and remove from flame and serve with rice. Or when completely cooled store in refrigerator in a airtight jar.

Blueberry Puff Pastry Pies

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                                  Well I had a packet of blueberries and a packet of puff pastries, googled and I found this recipe, which is pretty simple to make and was pretty looking too. The original recipe used  whipped cream, i used vanilla ice cream. It is not that sweet, so the ice cream went well with the pies. This recipe makes 4 pies.

Ingredients:
blueberries                       -       1 cup
sugar                                -       3 Tbsp.
cornstarch                        -       2 Tbsp.
lemon juice                      -        1 Tbsp.
cinnamon                         -       ½ tsp.
salt                                   -       a pinch
frozen puff pastry, thawed  -   ½ kg.
butter                               -       1 tsp.
Egg                                  -       1
sugar, for sprinkling

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. In a small bowl, stir together the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry (it should still be cold) into a 10-inch square(the puff pastries i had was square shaped so it did not roll it out). Cut into four quarters and place each piece on a parchment-lined sheet.
2. Divide the blueberry mixture between the pastry, dot each with a bit of butter, and fold the edges of the pastry about ½ inch over on all sides to contain the berries. Brush the pastry with some beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar.
3. Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly and golden(I had to bake for 30 mins. Every Oven differs). Serve warm, with whipped cream(or ice cream). 

Mushroom Theeyal (Mushroom In Roasted Coconut Gravy)

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Recipe Source: lekshmisadukkala

Ingredients:
Shallots, sliced                       -        15 
Green Chilly, Slit                   -          4 
Mushroom, Sliced                  -        250 g.
Grated Coconut                      -       1 cup
Red Chilly Powder                 -       2 tsp.
Coriander Powder                  -         2 tsp.
Turmeric Powder                   -        ½ tsp.
Fenugreek Powder                 -          a pinch
Tamarind                                -         a gooseberry sized ball
Water                                      -          ½ cup
Oil                                            -       2 tsp
Curry Leaves                           -        few sprigs
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak  the tamarind in ½ cup of warm water and take the extract from it.
2. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan add grated coconut and saute till brown.
3. Reduce the flame and add chilly powder and coriander powder and saute for  few minutes(do not burn the spices).The color of the roasted coconut determines the color of the whole dish.
4. Remove from fire and allow to cool. Once cooled grind it to a fine paste.
5. Heat 1 tsp oil in heavy bottomed vessel/pan(I used a traditional clay-pot).
6. Add the sliced onions, Green Chilly and saute, till they turn golden brown in color, now add the sliced mushroom and saute again for few more minutes.
7. Add turmeric powder, salt and water and the tamarind juice and allow to boil.
8. Add the coconut paste and let it boil for 10 minutes on low flame.
9. Remove from the fire and add curry leaves. Sprinkle fenugreek powder and mix well. Serve warm with rice.

Lime Meltaways

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                            If you like Lime you should definitely try this recipe. True to its name the cookie melts in your mouth. I halved the original recipe as it yields more than 3 dozen cookies. This is the first sliced cookie I have tried. To get a perfect round shape you will have to make use of  a parchment paper and a ruler. The dough melts quickly from the heat from your hands, so you to work fast in order to maintain its shape. And the cookie is not too sweet, so do not reduce the quantitiy of the sugar and do not omit the final dusting part.

Recipe Source: Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

unsalted butter, at room temperature      -          ¾ cup 
confectioners' sugar                                -         1/3 cup 
lime zest, finely grated                           -          2 
fresh lime juice                                       -         2 Tbsp. 
vanilla extract                                         -         1 Tbsp.
all-purpose flour                                     -        1¾ cups plus 2 Tbsp. 
cornstarch                                               -         2 Tbsp. 
salt                                                          -         ¼ tsp.
confectioners' sugar                                -        2/3 cup, for dusting

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.
2. Beat the butter and 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar together on medium speed  until light and fluffy, about 4 mins.(using a beater). Add the zest, lime juice, and vanilla, and beat well until well combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients and  mixing until just combined.
4. Divide the dough into 2 parts. Roll each into a log approximately 1¼ diameter. Wrap each log in parchment paper or plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to slice without losing their shape, at least one hour.
5. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F.
6. Slice the refrigerated cookie dough into approximately 1/4” rounds and place on the baking tray, about 1” apart. They won't spread much at all. 
7. Place the  tray preferably on top most rack of the oven and bake for about 13 minutes, or until cookies begin to get a light golden color.
8.  Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Toss the cookies(which will be still warm, but wont crumble) in the remaining confectioners' sugar, shake off excess sugar and cool the cookies completely before storing them.

Notes:

• the cookie dough will become soft as you work on it, so roll it quickly.
• the side on which it is placed to rest  might flatten during cooling, so i made use of a cylindrical pipe.(if the shape is off no concern to you then never mind )

Oven Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

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Ingredients:
Extra virgin olive oil             -         2 Tbsp. 
Cherry tomatoes                    -         15 
Oregano, dried                       -         1 Tbsp.
garlic, minced                        -         3  cloves
plain bread crumbs                 -        ¼ cup 
Salt & Pepper according to taste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Drizzle 1 tsp of the olive oil in the bottom of a 9-inch standard glass dish. 
2. Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally (not through the stem end).
3. Combine the oregano, garlic, bread crumbs, salt and pepper in a separate bowl.
4. Place half of the cherry tomato halves, split side up, into the dish. Sprinkle the tomatoes with the bread crumb mixture. Place the remaining tomato halves, rounded side up, to look like whole tomatoes again. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the tomatoes.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Cashew Nut Chicken Curry

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Ingredients                                
Chicken                          -     1 Kg 
Oil                                  -    3 Tbsp.
Cashew nuts                   -    1 Cup
Onion, Chopped             -    2 large
Ginger-Garlic paste        -   1 ½ Tbsp.
Chilly powder                 -   1 Tbsp.
Coriander Powder           -   2  Tbsp.
Turmeric powder            -   ½ tsp.
Garam Masala Powder    -   ½  Tbsp.
Tomato, chopped            -    1 large
Cream                              -     ¼ Cup
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat Oil in a deep pan on medium heat and fry the Cashew nuts until golden brown. Set it aside until cool, grind it to a smooth paste.(just about ½ a cup) 
2. Saute the chopped Onion in the remaining oil until light brown, add Ginger Garlic paste and continue sauteing till the raw smell is gone.
3. Now add the Chilly powder, Coriander powder, Turmeric powder and Garam-Masala powder, salt and saute for a minute or two.(do not burn the powders)
4. Add the chopped Tomato and the ground Cashew paste and saute till the oil oozes out(will take time 8 mins. approx. Saute on medium heat).
5. Dilute the gravy by adding just enough water (about 2 cups) and add the cut & cleaned Chicken pieces and mix and let it boil on high heat.
6. Once boiled, lower the heat, close the pan and continue cooking till the Chicken is well cooked. The gravy will become almost thick.
7. Add Cream and mix well, turn off the heat, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Notes:

• You can use a combination of peanut and cashew nut (½ cup each)

Red Velvet Cake

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                                     I wanted to make a red velvet cake for a very long time. Well finally I made it for our wedding anniversary. The cake is super moist and dense. The red color of the cake is from the red food coloring. I heard about a healthier version using beets from a friend off mine, the recipe worked for some did not work for others. Since I don't have the time to experiment I made the one using food color. This cake is perfect for a valentines day, got the whole idea from another blog, sprinkle-bakes.

Ingredients:

all purpose flour       -       2 ½ cups 
salt                            -       1 teaspoon
sugar                         -       2 cups
butter, softened         -      1 cup 
eggs                          -       2 
cocoa powder           -      1 tablespoon  
Red food coloring    -       2  tablespoons
buttermilk                -       1 cup 
vanilla extract         -       1 teaspoon
baking soda             -       ½ teaspoon
White vinegar           -       1 tablespoon

Cream cheese frosting:

cream cheese, at room temp.      -     2 ounces 
butter, softened                           -     1 cup
vanilla extract                             -     2 teaspoons
confectioners sugar                     -     2 cups


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C. Grease and lightly flour 2  round 9" cake pans.
2. Sift  the flour and salt together a couple of times , set aside.  In a bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time. Mix well after each addition.
3. Add the flour mixture to the bowl alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Blend in vanilla.
4. In a small bowl, mix the red food coloring and the cocoa powder until a paste forms. Add this to the sugar and butter batter and combine  well.
5.  In another small bowl stir together the baking soda and the vinegar add it to the batter immediately and combine well on medium speed setting until it has a smooth consistency.
6. Pour the batter evenly into the floured pans, level  the top of  the batter and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tooth pick inserted in the center of the cake comes clean. Turn out on wire racks and cool completely.
7. In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Gradually add the confectioners sugar and beat until light and fluffy(add little milk if too thick & add sugar if too thin)
8. If your carving the cake and coating it with crumbs, be sure to put the crumbs on when the icing is fresh.
9. For a heart shaped cake as shown, first cut the baked cakes in the shape of a heart(for perfect shape, carve out the heart making use of a  paper cut out in the shape of a heart and use it as reference. First draw a circle using the 9 inch  round pan used for baking the cake on a piece of paper, draw a heart inside the circle).
10. Place the heart shaped paper on the baked cake and cut out the shape. Crumble the cut off pieces and keep aside.
11. Apply the frosting evenly on the topside of the cake, place the other cake on top and apply the frosting on top and the sides of the cake.
12. Now press the crumbled mixture all over the cake(This is not a pretty job you can clean up later).(Place the cake on the serving dish before decorating)

Notes:

• I made this cake on day one and made and applied the frosting the next day.
• Freeze the cake, if your planning to make a heart shaped one with the crumbled topping. It will be easy to cut.
• Adjust the quantity of the frosting according to your requirement. I ended up with so much left over frosting.
• The cake is delicious as such without the frosting. 
• The topping on my cake as you can see is in crumbled form, whereas if you see the original recipe by heather it had a powdery texture.