Chocolate Biscuit Pudding

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This is the perfect dessert to make when your in a hurry, won't take more than half n hour to prepare.

 Recipe source:  Ria
Ingredients:
Biscuit                              -   15 no.
Strong black coffee          -     1 cup 
Condensed milk               -     400 g. 
Milk                                 -     400 g.
Dark Chocolate, cubed    -     150 g.
Egg yolks                         -     4
Cream                               -    200 ml

Method:

1. Dip the biscuits in coffee and line a pudding dish. Melt chocolate and set aside.
2. Mix rest of the ingredients(including the melted chocolate) together except cream and make a thick custard by either double boiling it or directly over the flame. 
3. Pour the thick custard over the biscuit layer. Let it set.
4. Beat the cream real thick and you can spread it or pipe out rosettes.
5. Keep it refrigerated until ready to serve.

Thalassery Chicken Biryani

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Ingredients:
Chicken(cleaned), cut in medium sized pieces  -  ½ kg
Ginger garlic paste                                 -           3 tsp.
Fennel powder                                        -          2 tsp.
Lemon juice                                           -        1 tbsp.
Cashew nuts, split                                -         15 nos
Basmathi Rice                                        -          2 cups
Cinnamon stick                                      -          1 inch 
Cardamom                                             -           3
Cloves                                                    -           3
Bay leaves                                              -           1
Star Anise                                               -           1
Chilly powder                                        -           1 tsp.
Coriander powder                                   -          3 tsp.
Cumin powder                                        -          1 tsp.
Pepper powder                                        -         ½ tsp.
Nutmeg powder                                      -         ½ tsp.
Garam masala                                         -        1 tsp. 
Onion, finely sliced                               -          2 no. 
Tomato, chopped                                   -         1 no. 
Green chilly                                           -         3 no.
Coriander leaves, chopped                    -        2 tbsp.
mint leaves, chopped                            -         2 tbsp.
Curry leaves                                        -          1 spring 
Coconut milk                                       -         100 ml
Ghee/Oil                                              -         4 tbsp.
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Marinate the cleaned and cut chicken with lemon juice, ginger garlic paste, fennel powder and little salt for a minimum of 2 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Heat ghee or oil in a heavy bottom kadai/wok and fry about 7 cashew nuts and quarter of the sliced onions separately until they are golden brown in color and keep it aside. 
3. Grind together the remaining cashew nuts and coconut milk and keep it aside.  
4. Now  add the cinnamon,cardamom, bay leaves, star anise, cloves and curry leaves to the same oil. Add the remaining onions and fry until they look light brown in color. 
5. Add the tomatoes and green chilly and saute it for a minute or two. Add the  marinated chicken and stir well. 
6. Cover the wok and let it cook on medium flame until the chicken is half cooked. 
7. Now add all the masala powder(Chilly powder,Coriander powder, Cumin powder, Pepper powder, nutmeg powder and Garam masala) and stir well. Let it cook  for about 5 more minutes.  
8. Add the ground cashew and coconut milk mixture and the chopped coriander and mint leaves and salt to taste.  Cover the pan, keep the flame in medium and cook until the chicken is completely cooked. 
9.  Meanwhile start cooking the rice,  wash the rice well,  add 2 cups of water to 2 cups of rice,enough salt and pressure cook it for a whistle. 
10. Once the chicken is done combine it with the prepared rice.  Keep the flame in low and let it cook for about 10 minutes.   
11. Switch of the flame  and set it aside for 15 minutes or so.Garnish it with the fried onions and cashews and serve with raita.

No Bake Pineapple Bread Pudding

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                       This is a very simple recipe as it does not require to be baked. The pudding consists of alternative layers of cream, bread, pineapple and praline. I prefer using fresh pineapple rather than tinned. 

As I have used fresh pineapple I increased the quantity of sugar for the syrup. I made this pudding for a family get together and they all loved it (well almost all). Unfortunately it did not please my in-laws(too much cream). Well if you have a young group this will do. I would  tweak the recipe to suit the taste of everyone though, like decrease the quantity of cream in each serving and increasing the quantity of the praline. I used the small nutella jars for serving. 

Recipe Source: Marias Menu
Ingredients(Serves 6):
White bread        -  14 slices         
Whipping cream -  500 ml            
Thick cream        - 500 ml             
Icing sugar          -   4 tbsp.          
Chopped pineapple -  2 cups             

For sugar syrup:
 Sugar      -    1 cup          
Water      -     1¼ cup         

For Praline
Chopped nuts (i used almonds)  -   1 cup             
Sugar                                           -  ½ cup 

Method:
To make the praline
Heat the sugar in a non stick pan with 2 tbsp water, when it caramelizes, add the chopped nuts. Reduce the flame and mix well so that the nuts are coated well with the caramel. Pour the praline onto a baking paper. Allow it to cool and crush them using a rolling pin.(refer notes)

To make sugar syrup
 Mix together water and sugar. Heat it till the sugar dissolves and allow it to boil. Remove from fire. Let it cool completely. 

For the pudding

1. Beat the whipping cream and thick cream together gradually adding icing sugar, until the cream has doubled. Spread a thin layer of cream on the base of your serving dish.
2. Remove the crusts from the bread and cut each slice into four squares. Dip the bread slices in the sugar syrup and squeeze it. Make a layer of bread on top of cream, without any gap.
3. Cover with another layer of cream. Sprinkle chopped pineapple and praline on top of that. Repeat the layering process once more starting with cream and finish it off with sliced pineapple and praline.
4. Refrigerate for a  min. of 3 hours, before serving.

Notes:

Use a pipping bag for spreading the cream if using nutella jars.
The praline might stick to the parchment paper(Might help if crushed when still lightly warm)
Do not over beat the cream.(else it will taste of butter)
Adjust the quantity of sugar according to your taste.
Two sets of layering is more than enough.

Kerala Fruit Cake

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Ingredients:

For soaking fruits:
Rum/brandy/wine  -      1 cup (can also use orange juice)
mixed fruit(Tutti frutti)   - 1 cup
Golden Raisins chopped   - ¼ cup
Cashew nut chopped         - ¼ cup 
Dates chopped                   - ¼ cup

For Caramel:
Granulated sugar  - ½ cup
water   - ½ cup + 1 tbsp.

For the cake:
All Purpose flour   -   1 cup + 1 tbsp.
baking powder       - 1 tsp.
Sugar  powdered   -       1cup
Butter    -      ¾c up
Vanilla extract -  1 tsp.
Egg                  - 2 nos.
Powdered cinnamon   -   ¼ tsp.
Powdered nutmeg       -   ¼ tsp.
Dry Ginger powder    -   ¼ tsp.
Powdered Cloves      -    ¼ tsp.


Method:

1. Soak all the chopped dry fruits, nuts and tutti frutti in Rum/brandy/wine at least 2 days before in a bottle in room temperature. Longer the soaking time better the flavor.
2. Combine  sugar and 1 tbsp. water in a sauce pan. Heat it & let the sugar melt. When the color of the melted sugar becomes dark brown, remove the pan from fire & add pour 1/2 cup of water very carefully to this and stir well. Set aside to cool.
3. Pre- heat oven to 350 F.Prepare the cake tins(grease the tins with butter and line with parchment paper use 3 sheets to prevent burning) and keep aside.
4. Sift the  flour with baking powder.Separate the eggs and whisk the yolks with vanilla essence in a bowl.
5. Cream butter and powdered sugar using a beater until its combined well. Add the egg yolks and the flour alternating between them and combine well.
6. Combine the spice powders(Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Dry Ginger powder, Cloves) and cooled caramel.Add the flour and fold it gently until combined well.
7. Drain the dry fruits and nuts and add half of it into the batter and fold gently. Coat the rest with 1 tbsp. of flour and set aside.
8. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks are formed and fold gently into the above batter.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared tins upto half level of the tins smooth the top and add the dry fruits and nuts tossed in flour into the batter.
10. Bake for 45 to 50 mins. Use the tooth pick to check if done.
11. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. 
12. When still warm prick the cake top with a fork and pour a tbsp. of wine on the cake top and set aside to cool completely.
13. Cut and serve.

Note:
The cake will be hard due to addition of caramel.
To soften, prepare the cake at least 2 days before and when completely cooled cover it with parchment paper and then with aluminium foil and leave it in room temperature until serving. 
Keep the cake tin on the top most rack of the oven to prevent burning.