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

Yum

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).