Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from 2015

Fruit and Nut Pinwheels

Fruit and Nut Pinwheels Merry Christmas to all my friends and readers! Today's recipe is baked  fruit and nut pinwheel pastry. It is made with ready made puff pasty dough.You can also use yeast dough for this recipe instead of puff pasty( check recipe here ). This is a delicious treat of flaky pastry with slightly caramelized sugar and a simple  holiday treat.Serve this with a cup of tea and enjoy! Ingredients Puff pastry -2 sheet Granulated sugar- 1/2cup Cardamon powder- 3/4 tsp Salt- a pinch Fruits and nuts mix- I used glazed cherries, golden raisins, pistachios and cashew nuts. Thaw puff pasty as per package instruction.Pre heat the oven to 350 degree F.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry. Spread the sugar evenly on top and using a rolling pin gently roll on top so that the sugar so that it sticks on the dough. Leaving an inch on all sides spread the fruits and nut filling. Lifting the side close to you and roll the dough to form

Ari Sharkara Payasam/ Kerala Rice Jaggery Pudding

Ari Sharkara Payasam Do you like puddings with rice? Today's recipe is an old-fashioned delicious dessert/pudding with rice and jaggery. I love puddings with rice because it is a simple, homey dessert and is easy to make. Rice payasam with jaggery tastes delicious. Unlike refined sugar, jaggery is often used in traditional recipes as a sweetener to make snacks and desserts. Jaggery adds a rich molasses taste, and its color can vary from golden brown to dark brown. For this Ari sharkara payasam/ rice jaggery payasam, it is preferable to use the dark jaggery. Rice is a staple in South India, and pudding with rice is very common. Rice has a divine appeal to it, and rice payasam is a cherished offering of South Indian temples. Ari sharkara payasam is a quick and simple dessert/pudding. Rice, coconut milk, ghee, and jaggery/molasses together makes a unique and tasty dessert. It has a beautiful texture, soft and moist, and almost melting in ghee along with the creamy taste of coc

Pavakka/Bitter gourd Kichadi

Pavakka Kichadi Today's recipe is kichadi which is a yogurt-based side dish served with rice. Kichadi is also an integral part of Onam and Vishu Sadhya. I have posted other versions of kichadi with beetroot and okra. Kichadi with pavakka/bitter gourd is tasty and easy to make.  Bitter gourd is a staple vegetable in Indian cuisine. Bitter gourd or bitter melon as the name suggests is bitter. But there are some dishes with bitter gourd that you should give a shot before you write off this bitter vegetable completely. And the best part of pavakka kichadi is that does not taste bitter. Thinly sliced bitter gourd is deep-fried in good flavorful coconut oil, till crispy and then mixed into spiced yogurt. The spiced sour yogurt and the bitter pavakka mix in and combine to construct a flavor profile that makes your taste buds happy! I have always loved this vegetable and I should thank my mom and her endless list of recipes with bitter gourd. She makes pavakka theeyal, puli

Skillet Chile Cheese Cornbread

Skillet Chile Cheese Cornbread Baking partners challenge for this month is corn bread. When Swathi asked me to make and share this recipe, I thought it is a wonderful idea as it can be part of Thanksgiving menu . This is a southern style skillet cheese corn bread with a spicy kick and flavor of  jalapenos. It turned out moist and flavorful. The recipe is adapted fromWeight Watchers Light and Easy Cookbook ,Oxmoor house,1997 and from 1001 Great Recipes from around the World , Culinary Arts Institute, New York, 1981. Ingredients Yellow Cornmeal- 1 1/2 cup All purpose flour- 1 cup Baking powder- 2 tsp Salt- 1/4 tsp Brown sugar- 2-3 tbs Egg-2 Vegetable oil-1/4 cup Carrot shredded- 1/3 cup (optional) Green chilly  or Jalapenos- 3 ounce (or according to spice tolerance) Corn - 1/2 cup ( or cream style corn 1/2 can) Butter milk- 1 cup Milk- 1/2 cup Shredded mild Cheddar cheese- 1 cup Mix cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar and set aside. Pre heat oven to 4

Molasses Cornbread

Baking partners challenge for this month is corn bread. When Swathi asked me to make and share this recipe, I immediately agreed . Making corn bread has always been in my wish list. It is  perfect for holiday meal.The first time I saw this recipe was in Shakers frugal cook book. It had very little ingredients and easy to put together. It can be served as a snack or part of a meal. Try this, you will surely love it. Recipe source: Dorling Kindersley, Classic Home Cooking,London, 1995. Ingredients Fine yellow cornmeal- 1 1/2 cup All purpose flour- 1 cup Dark brown sugar- 1/4 cup Sugar- 1 tbs Molasses- 1/2 cup Baking powder- 2 tsp Salt- 1/2 tsp Milk- 1 1/4 cup Egg-2 Melted butter- 4tbs Vegetable oil- 2 tsp Cinnamon - a pinch (optional) Lightly butter cake pan and set aside.Pre heat oven to 400 degree F. Mix corn meal, flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and baking powder. In a separate bowl beat egg, melted butter,molasses, milk and oil till it is bubbly

Fruits Varattiyathu

Fruits Varattiyathu Todays recipe is fruits varattiyathu/ fruit preserve  made in traditional Kerala style. Chakka varatti/jack fruit preserve is a popular in  Kerala which is made with fully ripe jack fruit bulbs. Along with chakka/jack fruit I have used pineapple, ripe plantain and ripe mango to make this fruits varattiyathu. It can be used as a jam or it can be served as halwa/dessert. You can also use this to make payasam, ila ada and steamed dumplings. Try this,you will surely love it Ingredients Ripe Jack fruit chopped- 15-18 bulbs Pineapple chopped- 1 cup Ripe plantain- 1 Mango medium sized- 1 Jaggery powdered- 2 1/2 cup Ghee- 1/3 cup Cardamon powder- 1 tsp Dry ginger powder- 1/2 tsp De-seed jack fruit bulbs and cut into small pieces. Chop the fruits and keep aside Boil jaggery with 2 cup of water till completely dissolved, strain and keep aside. Take a heavy bottom pan and cook the chopped fruits with one cup of water. When the fruits is c

Chemmeen Kadachakka Masala/ Prawns Breadfruit Masala

Chemmeen Kadachakka Masala/ Prawns Breadfruit Masala Kadachakka/ sheemachakka/breadfruit is widely cooked in Kerala and there are several recipes with breadfruit as the star ingredient. Earlier I posted a sweet coconut stew made with breadfruit. This is a spicy delectable combo with prawns. You can serve this with rice, chapathi or pathiri. Ingredients Bread fruit cubed- 1 medium size Prawns- medium sized-1 cup Onion - 2 medium Ginger- 1 inch thick Tomato- 1 Green chilly-2 Chilly powder- 1 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp Thick coconut milk- 1/2 cup Curry leaves- a few Garam Masala or meat masala- 1/2 tsp Oil as needed and salt to taste To roast and grind  Coconut grated- 1/3 cup Pearl onion-2 slices Fenugreek seeds- a few Fennel seeds- 1/4 tsp Curry leaves- 1 spring Heat a pan and dry roast coconut, pearl onion sliced, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds and curry leaves. Roast till it changes color to brown.Make this into a fi

Ghee Mysore Pak- Homemade Soft Mysore Pak

Ghee Mysore Pak Happy Diwali to all my friends and readers! May this festival of lights bring happiness and joy to all of you! Diwali invokes so many happy memories with family and friends-shopping, decorating your house, lighting diyas, evening firecrackers, and the most important the display of colorful sweets and mittais that captures your imagination. I spend my childhood in North India and Diwali was a festival that was taken very seriously with days of preparations. But moving back to Kerala I missed all the pomp and show associated with Diwali. But in recent years Diwali has attained importance and is celebrated like other Kerala festivals like Vishu, Onam, and Christmas. There is never a festive occasion or a celebration in India without sweets or mittais. Today's recipe is the South Indian favorite- Ghee Mysore pak. This famous sweet needs no introduction and is rightfully called the King of South Indian sweets. It is fragrant, rich, and exotic sweet with an addic

Lahori Fish Fry

Lahori Fish Fry Today's recipe is a a popular street food from Lahore. They have a rich diversity of tasty food. This a quick and easy fish fry which we can make at home. It can be served with rice or as an appetizer. This is skillet fried,but you can also batter dip and deep fry them to serve like pakoras. It is perfect for potluck parties. Ingredients Fish fillet of your choice- 1/2 kg (I used king fish) Gram flour- 2 tsp Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilly powder- 1 tsp Dry red chilly- 2 Coriander seeds- 1 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds- 1/ 4 tsp Ajwain seeds- 1/4 tsp Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp Chat Masala- 1/4 tsp Salt to taste and oil for frying  Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds,ajwain, fenugreek seeds and dry red chilly till there is a nice aroma. Crush this using a mortar and pestle or make it into a course powder using a mixture . Marinate the fish with this powder, kashmiri chilly powder,gram flour,turmeric powder, salt

Carrot Burfi

Carrot Burfi Burfi is milk based confectionery that is available in wide range of flavors. Carrot burfi tastes like carrot halwa and can be sliced like a fudge. Try this sweet,you will surely love it. Ingredients Carrot grated- 3 cup Khoya- 250 grams Milk- 3 cup Sliced almond or cashew nuts-  to garnish Sugar- 3/4 cup Ghee- 3 tbs Cardamon- 1/2 tsp Heat ghee in a pan and roast the almonds or cashew nuts till golden brown. Remove from ghee and keep aside.  In the same pan add grated carrots and roast till there is a nice aroma for about two to three minutes. Add milk and cook till the carrot is soft and the milk thickens.Add grated khoya and mix with the carrots. Stir continuously to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cook the mixture till it becomes thick and leaves the edges of the pan.  Add the cardamom powder, roasted nuts and mix well. Stir for two to minutes and remove from the stove. Grease a plate with ghee and transfer the contents into the p

Rajma/Kidney Beans Pulao

Rajma/Kidney Beans Pulao  Pulao is simple one pot meal and I often make with vegetables or meat. This time I had some leftover kidney beans/rajma. Its delicious and aromatic combo of rice, spices, beans and vegetables. It is easy lunch box recipe. Ingredients Basmathi Rice- 1 1/2 cups Kidney beans- cooked- 1 cup Beans- 1/2 cup Onion- 1 Green chilly- 3 Ginger- 1 inch piece Garlic- 2 Turmeric- 1/2 tsp Garam masala- 1/8 tsp Chicken broth/ Vegetable broth- 1 cup Water- 2 1/2 cup Whole spices-Cinnamon- 1 inch  stick,Cardamon- 2,Cloves - 4 Lemon juice-  1 tsp Salt to taste Cashew nuts chopped- 5 Raisins- a few Oil 2 tsp Ghee- 1 tsp To cook rajma/kidney beans soak over night. Pressure cook (5-6 whistles) and keep aside. Chop beans, onion, ginger and garlic and set aside. Heat oil and ghee in a deep heavy bottom pan and add in the whole masalas, cashew nut and raisins . When it changes color  add onion,ginger- garlic and saute till the raw flavor disappea

Kadachakka Ethapazham Stew/ Sweet Plantain and Breadfruit Stew

Kadachakka Ethapazham Stew One of my vegetable/ fruit of the moment is breadfruit, and it has rekindled memories of a forgotten taste. Not everyone shares my enthusiasm for breadfruit in my family. This simple old-fashioned treat with ripe breadfruit and plantains cooked in coconut milk is comforting and inviting, and my family enjoyed it. My recipe comes from my mother and has a homey feel to it. It is a mildly sweet creamy stew served as a side dish for breakfast or as a snack on its own. There is the enticing flavor of ghee/ clarified butter and cardamom powder. Back home in Kerala, breadfruit is called Kadachakka or Sheemachakka is grown in everyone's backyard. It looks like small jack fruit, but the taste and flavor are very different. Perfectly made soft appam or idiyappam, and this sweet bread fruit plantain stew tastes delicious. It is a simple recipe and can be enjoyed as a snack by itself. Both breadfruit and plantains have a good fruity flavor, and coconut milk gi

Pal Ada Mambazham Payasam

Paal Ada Mambazham Payasam Payasam is very popular dessert in Kerala and is made on every special occasions. This recipe is a tweak to the traditional paal ada pradhaman by adding mango puree. You can buy paalada from Indian grocery store,it is available in dehydrated form. Try this creamy and flavorful fruit payasam, you will surely love it Ingredients Palada - 100 grams Mango puree- 2 cups Milk-3 cups Condensed milk- 1 ( 14 ounce container)  Sugar- 2-3 tbs Cardamon powder- 1/2 tsp Cashew nuts and raisins for garnish. ghee- 2 tsp  Heat one tsp ghee in a pan and add mango puree. Cook this in medium flame till the puree thickens. Add 3 tbs of sugar and continue cooking till it thicken and starts leaving the edges of the pan. Allow this to cool down a bit and stir in the condensed milk. Set this aside. Wash palada and strain it. Add one tsp of ghee in a heavy bottom pan and lightly roast the ada for a minute. Add 3 cups of milk and allow it boil. Reduce the fla

Kozhi/Chicken Mulakittathu

Kozhi/Chicken Mulakittathu Kozhi Mulakittathu is a North Kerala dish. It is chicken in a spicy red curry paste. The chilly used here is kashmiri chilly powder which imparts a rich flavor, color and texture to the gravy. This curry can be made easily in a pressure cooker and is best when served with pathiri or ghee rice. Ingredients Chicken- 1 kg Shallots- sliced- 2 cup Onion- 1 large Garlic- 6 -7 pods Ginger- 2 inch thick peice Curry leaves- a few Kashmiri chilly powder- 3 tbs (or according to spice tolerance) Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp Fenugreek powder-1/4 tsp Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp Whole spices- Cinnamon - 2 piece, cardamon- 5. cloves-5 star anise- 2, fennel seeds- 1/4 tsp Coconut oil- 1 tsp Heat oil in a pan and add the whole spices and saute till it is golden brown. Add curry leaves, chopped onion,chopped garlic and ginger and saute till it turns golden brown. Add water and make a paste of chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and fenu

Chena/ Yam Podithuval

Chena/ Yam Podithuval Chena podithuval is a quick and easy yam stir fry recipe. Serve this as a side dish for rice. You can use other vegetables like potatoes or chembu/taro for this recipe. Ingredients Chena- 3 cups cubed Shallots- 4-5 Curry leaves green chilly- 1 Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp Tamarind pulp- 2-3 tsp Salt to taste Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp Coconut oil- 3 tsp To roast and grind Urad dal- 2 tsp Raw rice- 2 tsp Dry red chilly-3 Hing/ asafoetida powder- a pinch Fenugreek seeds- a pinch   In a pan add the cubed yam/chena, tamarind pulp,green chilly, turmeric powder, salt, 1/4 cup of water and one tsp of oil. Cook this till the vegetable is soft. Dry roast, urad dal, rice, dry red chilly, fenugreek seeds and few curry leaves. When is light brown mix in the hing. Allow this to cool down a bit and then make a fine powder. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter add sliced shallots and curry leaves abd saute this golden brown. Ad

Sardine/Mathi Fry

Sardine/Mathi Fry Today's recipe is my absolute comfort food.... Sardine fish fry/mathi fry. It is quick and simple and perfect side dish for rice. Ingredients Mathi/ Sardine- 6-8 medium sizes Onion- 1 medium Fennel seeds- a pinch Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp Ginger chopped- 2 tsp Curry leaves- a few Chilly powder- 1 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp Pepper powder- 1/4 tsp Fenugreek powder- a pinch Ginger garlic paste-1 tsp salt to taste Coconut oil for frying   Clean fish and squeeze some lemon juice,rub on the fish and then give a final rinse. Make a few gashes on the fish. Mix chilly powder, turmeric powder,pepper powder,fenugreek powder,ginger garlic paste and salt. Sprinkle little water and make a smooth paste. You can add a few drops or vinegar or lemon juice instead of water to make a paste. Keep half tsp of masala for later use. Apply the rest on the fish and inside the cavities and let it  marinate for five minutes. Heat coconut oil and  fry

Coconut Caramel Ladoo

Coconut Caramel Ladoo Coconut ladoos is quick and very easy to put together.  This is a twist to the regular coconut ladoo and is a treat for sweet lovers. It has the rich flavor of coconut and caramel.This ladoo has a few extra steps like making caramel, but its is definitely worth the effort.Try this you will surely love it. Ingredients Shredded Coconut- 2 1/2 cups  Condensed milk-1 tin Milk- 1/4 cup Cardamon powder- 1/2 tsp Ghee- 2 tsp Cashew nuts chopped- 2 tsp Sweetened shredded coconut- 1/4 cup To make caramel condensed milk -You can buy store brought caramel flavored condensed milk for this recipe or make at home by boiling condensed milk. Place sealed condensed milk tin in a five quart pan and cover with water.Make sure that the tin is completely submerged under water. Boil this in medium heat for about one and half hours. Add more water  if necessary and make sure the tin is always  submerged under water. After one and half hours remove the tin from

Egg Salad

Egg Salad Egg salad is a simple and yummy appetizer. It can also be used as a filling for sandwich. This recipe is inspired from French and German Jew style egg salad which uses raw salted onions. You can also mash the eggs to attain a chunky texture. There are also a variety of ingredients that you can use for this salad like sauteed shallots, sauteed mushrooms, bell pepper, chopped nuts etc. Ingredients Hard boiled eggs- 3 Tomato-1 Salad Cucumber- 1 small Shallots- 4-5 Ground black pepper- 1/3 tsp Paprika-a pinch salt to taste Oil - 2 tsp Fresh parsley or dill- 1to 2 tsp Lemon juice- a few drops Lettuce and black olives for garnish  In a pan saute shallots till golden brown. Add parsely, ground black pepper and a pinch of salt and mix well. Slice boiled eggs and arrange on a bed of cucumber and tomatoes. Layer the caramelized onions and sprinkle black pepper, paprika and salt. Drizzle lemon juice and garnish with olives and lettuce. If you want a chunkier

Peach Galette

Baking partners challenge for this month is Galette. When Swathi asked me to make and share this recipe, I was excited to try and immediately decided to make one with a peach filling. Galette is an open crust French pie. It has a flaky pastry dough like pies and tarts and a filling that can be either sweet or savory. They have a very rustic look. The filling is placed in the center and the dough is folded in an over lapping fashion on top of the filling. Galettes are perfect for pot luck parties as they are sliced and served like a pizza. You can make with any kind of fruit like peach, strawberry, blueberry or apples. Try using tomatoes/sun dried tomatoes, sausages,meat and cheese if you like the savory version. Recipe is adapted from Williams-Sonama ... http://www.williams-sonoma. com/recipe/berry-galette.html  Julia Child's recipe of Fast French Puff Pastry( Book:Julia Child and Company,Alfred A. knopf,Inc, US,1978 Ingredients All purpose flour- 1 cup Cake Flour- 1