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.

Macaroni Salad

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Ingredients:

uncooked elbow macaroni      -    250 g.
carrots, shredded                     -    2
red onion, chopped                 -     1 medium
green bell pepper, seeded and chopped   -  ½
red bell pepper, seeded and chopped       -   ½
celery, chopped                      -     ½ cup
mayonnaise                            -     1 cup
sweetened condensed milk    -     ½ can.
white vinegar                         -     1 tsp.
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1.  Bring a  pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni, and cook until tender(8 mins). Rinse under cold water, and drain and set it aside until needed.
2. In another bowl, combine the shredded carrots, red onion, green pepper, red pepper and the celery. Mix in the mayonnaise, condensed milk(amount depends on your desired level of sweetness), vinegar, salt and pepper. Finally add the cooked macaroni and toss gently, check the taste, cover and refrigerate(at least 3hrs.) until serving time.

Serradura

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       Serradura also known as sawdust pudding because of the sandy texture of the biscuit in the pudding. This pudding is believed to have originated from Macau. This is one of the easiest pudding I have ever made to this day, takes no more than 10 or 15 mins. to make. The pudding is layered with condensed milk and cream forming one layer and powdered biscuit the alternate layer. I have used a combination of cashew with the biscuit, which is optional. 

Ingredients:
Whipping cream or thick cream   -    250 ml 
sweetened condensed milk           -     50 g.
vanilla essence                             -      1 tsp.
Marie biscuits                               -     100 g.
cashew nuts                                 -      20

Method:

1. Powder the biscuits and the cashews using a mixie.
2. Whip the whipping cream until soft peaks are formed, add in the condensed milk and vanilla essence and beat it until stiff peaks are formed. 
3. In a glass or the serving dish, add a spoonful of biscuits-nuts mixture evenly. Then spoon in the cream then alternate with the biscuit and the cream alternately. 
4. Refrigerate till set for 2 hrs. and leave in room temperature(10 mins) before serving so that the creamy layer is smooth.

Notes:

• This is a heavy dessert so fewer the layers the better.
• You can also use a pipping bag to pipe the cream for a neater finish.
• Thick cream can be used in the place of whipping cream, just make sure not to over beat the cream.
• Adjust the amount of condensed milk according to your taste.

Gobi Manchuri Gravy

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Ingredients:

For batter

All Purpose Flour        -     ½ cup
Corn Flour                   -     2 tbsp.
Cauliflower                  -    1 piece (medium size)
Garlic paste                  -   ½ tsp.
Ginger paste                 -   ½ tsp.
Water                           -    ¾ cup
Oil for deep frying
Salt according to taste

For Gobi Manchurian Gravy:
Ginger (finely chopped)             -     ½ tbsp.
Green Chili(slit)                         -      2 nos.
Garlic (finely chopped)              -     2 tsp.
Spring Onion (finely chopped)  -      3 tbsp.
Oil                                              -      1 tbsp.
Soy Sauce                                  -       2 tbsp.
Chili Sauce(optional)                 -       ½ tbsp.
Tomato Ketchup                        -       2 tbsp.
Pepper Powder                           -       1 tsp.
Corn Flour                                 -        2 tbsp.
Hot Water                                  -        2 cup
Salt according to taste

Method:

1. Clean the cauliflower and break it into medium florets.
2. Boil the florets in plenty of water for 3 minutes. Drain the water and pat dry the florets on kitchen towel.
3. Mix the flour, corn flour, ginger paste, garlic paste and salt with approx. ¾ cup of water in a bowl and make a batter. Do not make batter watery or very thick.
4. Add cauliflower florets in batter and mix well until all florets coated with batter.And set it aside for 10 to 15 mins.
5. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium flame. Add  coated florets(not all at once) in hot oil and deep fry until they turn golden brown over medium flame.
6. Take out the florets from the oil and drain excess oil from them.

Gravy Directions:

1. Dissolve 2 tablespoon of corn flour in 1/2 cup of water and keep aside.
2. Heat the 2-tablespoon oil in a pan. Add chopped ginger, garlic, green chilli and chopped spring onion in it. Sauté for a minute.
3. Add soy sauce, chili sauce, tomato ketchup, pepper powder and salt in it and cook for 1 minute.
4. Pour 2 cup of hot water in it and let the mixture boil over medium flame for 1 minute.
5.  Add dissolved corn flour in it and stir constantly to avoid forming lumps. Stir and cook it on low flame for 1 minute.
6. Add fried cauliflower florets in it and cook for 3 minutes over medium flame and serve.

Notes:

• Serve Gobi Manchurian with noodles or rice or chapathi.
• Adjust the amount of chilli and soy sauce according to your taste.
• For more gravy add more water and adjust the quantity of sauces accordingly.
• There is salt in the sauces so adjust the salt.

Molotof Portuguese Pudding

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This is what I made with the leftover egg whites after making the biscuit pudding. I halved the  original recipe. This pudding is very very light (feels like devouring a piece of cloud)

Ingredients:
egg whites   -   10  
sugar            -   150 g. 

For the Caramel: 
Sugar            -    150 g.
Water            -    50 ml
lemon juice   -    2 tbsp.

Method:
              
Preheat oven at 180 C with a water bath(take water in a baking dish( up to nearly half mark) which is bigger than the mold being used)

To make the caramel:

          To make the  Caramel combine together  water, lemon juice and the sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until brown(when it has reached a caramel like consistency)

To make the Meringue : 

1. Beat the egg-whites using a whisk or a beater and when the egg whites start to get lightly stiff add the sugar slowly and gradually while beating.
2. Add some of the caramel to the egg whites slowly until the stiff peaks are formed.
3. Grease the mold with butter and pour the remaining caramel in the mold (bottom). Empty the prepared meringue into the mold using a spatula.
4. Place the mold with the meringue in the heated water bath and bake for 10 minutes.
5. Turn off the oven. Let the pudding remain in the oven for another 30 minutes.(Do not open the oven door) 
6. After the 30 minutes remove the pudding from the oven and remove it gently from its mold and refrigerate the pudding before serving.

Kashmiri Pulao

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          Kashmiri pulao is a fragrant and mildly sweet dish and is very simple to make.

Ingredients:
Basmati or any long grained rice  -        1 ½ cup
Saffron strands            -        ¼ tsp.
Milk                            -         ½ cup
Water                          -          2 cups
Ghee                           -          3 tbsp.
Cashew nuts                -         10
Raisins                       -          10
Cardamom                  -         2 pods
Cinnamon                   -         2
Mace                           -        1
Cloves                        -         3
Sugar                         -         ½ tsp.
Onion                         -        1 large, finely sliced
Pomegranate seeds     -       3 tbsp.
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and soak the Basmati rice for 10 mins.
2. Soak the strands of saffron in milk for about 20 mins.(the milk turns light orange in color).
3. Heat 1 tbsp ghee  to a hot pan and roast the cashew nuts and raisins until they are golden brown in color and keep aside. In the same oil fry the sliced onions until they are golden brown, keep it aside.
4. Drain and reserve the water from the soaked rice.
5. In a large skillet, heat ghee and add the cardamom, cinnamon, mace, cloves and sugar & and saute for a minute on medium flame.
6. Add the soaked rice and sauté further gently(else the rice may break). Now add the reserved water and the saffron milk to the rice.
7. Add salt, close the vessel with a lid and cook on a low flame until done. Once the rice is cooked fluff it gently and keep it aside.
8. Finally garnish the rice with the roasted onion slices, cashew nuts & raisins and the pomegranate seeds and serve with a suitable accompaniment side.