Kara Pidi Kozhukattai

Kara pidi kozhukattai usually served during Ganesha Chahurthi. Unlike,their sweet version cousin this kara kozhukattai prepared by savoury methods by tempering spices and herbs such as coriander and curry leaves. I used short cut method by using store bought rice flour as i don't have much time to grind and roast rice for the flour. This kara kozhukattai also known as Indian dumplings and i enjoy both sweet and kara kozhukattai. My kutties love helping the process of making kozhukattai as they get a chance to leave their fingerprints in the dough and fun eating them. As for me, i love seeing them polish off the delicious,soft and flavorful kozhukattai...can a mother ask for more??

Ingredients

1 cup rice flour
1 + 2 tsp oil
1 tsp urad dhal
1 tsp channa dhal
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 inch ginger, finely chopped
2 sprigs curry leaves,finely chopped
2 stalks coriander seeds,finely chopped
2 red chillies,finely chopped
Salt to taste
Hot water for kneading

Methods

In a pan, heat 2 tsp oil and add mustard seeds, once mustard seeds splutter add cumin seeds,urad dhal and channa dhal. Saute till channal dhal turns golden.

Add chopped red chillies,ginger, coriander leaves and curry leaves.Saute for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, combine rice flour salt and 1 tsp oil. Add water little by little to knead to a soft dough.

Add the tempered mustard seeds mixture and knead to combine. Take a lime sized dough and make it into a ball. Using your fingers, pressed the ball to leave your fingerprints on the dough and the shape will resemble oblong once pressed.

Prepare steamer or idli pan, lightly grease the pan or idli mould and place the kozhukattai in the steamer. Steam for 8-10 minutes.

Remove from steamer and kara pidi kozhukattai ready for neiveidhyam.

Spiced Hot Cider

Spiced hot cider makes an ideal winter time beverage and usually serve during Christmas. This drink are perfect to keep body warm, from the bone chilling winter. You may make you own variation of the spiced cider by adding star anise,rum or crushed ginger, I got a bottle of apple cider nearing expiry thus, made this warm and delicious beverage to enjoy. Love the aromatic spices added into the drinks and freshly squezed orange juice adds a vibrant hint of freshness. It's warm,bursting with spices and refreshing drink to serve for your family and friends during winter.

Ingredients

1 cup apple cider
3 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 pods cloves

Methods

In a pot, add apple cider,cinnamon stick,orange juice and cloves and simmer for 12-15 minutes.

Switch off the heat, and put a lid on. Let the mixture sits for 3-5 minutes for the flavor to develop.

Pour into a serving glass and garnish with cinnamon stick.

Hong Kong French Toast

French toast make an ideal breakfast for kids and adult alike. Easy to prepare for weekdays breakfast and for lazy weekends. Hong Kong french toast unlike any other toast, stuffed with peanut butter and generously drizzle with condensed milk.

I stuffed them with creamy peanut butter and tried them with crunch peanut butter once before and i shall say i like them both. Creamy or crunchy the stuffing was absolutely marvellous. The goodness of peanut butter stuffed bread soaked in eggy custard and fried to golden. Usually, french toast drizzle with maple syrup or honey as for Hong Kong french toast, sweetened condensed milk drizzle all over. Enjoy the oozing peanut butter each time your knife slice the toast.

Ingredients

2 pcs thick white bread
1 egg,beaten
1/3 cup milk
2 heaped tbsp creamy peanut butter
2-3 tbsp oil,for frying
2 tbsp condensed milk

Methods

In a plate, add milk and beaten egg. Keep aside.

Spread peanut butter on 2 pieces bread and clasp them together .

Dip the bread and all the sides into the prepared egg mixture and let it seat for 4-5 seconds.

Melt butter in a frying pan and fry the bread till golden. Flip and cook on the other side.

Transfer to a serving plate and drizzle with condensed milk.

Serve hot


.

Spicy Tomato Chutney

This is my first chutney recipe in the blog. Thinking what stopping me from posting chutney recipes all this while. I shall come with more chutney recepis to share here. Today I'm sharing spicy tomato chutney which is an ideal companion for South Indian tiffin items such as idli,dosa or uttappam..you can even mix them with your hot white rice and drizzle with little oil...yummy.

I used gingely oil for tempering to enhance the flavor of the chutney and as we all, know the gingely oil has many health beneficial properties. I love spicy food thus, i was generous with chillies in this amazing chutney which you can adjust to your own heat tolerance level. The jaggery added to the chutney, balances the heat well. Do give it a try to serve with your idli or dosa.

Ingredients

3 large tomatoes, chopped
5 green chillies, chopped
4 dry chillies, chopped
9 garlic pods
1/2 tsp jaggery/brown sugar
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste


For Tempering

1 tsp gingely/vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of asafoetida/hing

Methods

Heat oil in a pan, add dry chilly,garlic pods,fenugreek seeds,green chillies and tomatoes. Stir fry for 1 minute and add jaggery. Saute for 3 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl to cool.

Add the mixture into a blender and add tamarind paste and salt. Grind into a smooth paste. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Heat gingely oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once mustard seeds splutter add pinch of asafoetida and remove from heat.

Transfer the tempered mustard seeds mixture into the chutney bowl and mix well.

Serve with idli,dosa or uttappam.

Steamed And Fried Spring Chicken

I seldom cook spring chicken at home as the girls not really into spring chicken. I came across fresh spring chicken in my weekend market and thought to impress the kids with double cooking style. Yes! the chicken was steamed and fried for extra flavor and taste.

The tender meat of the young chicken was soft and succulent after the steaming process. The marination well absorbed into the meat burst with flavor on every bite. Chinese cooking wine can be found in most Asian groceries. This special cooking wine comes handy in most Chinese cooking. If you find them, please get a bottle for your pantry. The cooking wine act as a meat tenderizer in this recepi. The skin was crispy and flavorful after deep frying. Serve with chilly-garlic sauce or own its own.

Ingredients

1 kg spring chicken, cut into pieces
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 cup Chinese cooking wine
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
4-5 cups water
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Methods

In a large bowl or sealable freezer bag, add dark soya sauce,Chinese cooking wine,oyster sauce,dark brown sugar,cracked black pepper,ginger garlic paste and salt. Stir well to combine.

Add the chicken and mix till well coated with the marination. Cover the bowl with cling film or seal the freezer bag and refrigerate for 4-5 hours.

Add water to the steamer, once the water boil steam the chicken for 45-50 minutes. Remove from steamer and rest the chicken for 2-3 hours.

Heat oil in a wok/frying pan, deep fry the steamed chicken pieces for 10-12 minutes or till golden.

Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen towel to drain excess oil.

Serve hot.

Sakkarai Ponggal/Sweet Rice

Sakkarai ponggal or sweet rice is a must to make dish during Ponggal festival(harvest festival). Every household have their own recipe of ponggal. Some add toasted coconut bit,cooked moong dhal or replace jaggery with brown sugar.

I'm sharing my version of sakkarai ponggal today without added moong dhal or tasted coconut instead, i added a small pinch of edible camphor or pachai karpooram. Edible camphor can be purchased in most Indian groceries and always make sure to use a very little pinch of it in your cooking as the flavor and smell are really strong yet, a little bit of it goes a long way to enhance the flavor in this delicious ponggal. Sweet,delicious and easy to prepare ponggal is ready to serve as neiveidhyam to your idols.

Ingredients

1/2 cup rice
1/2 cup grated jaggery
3 tbsp ghee
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp cashews,broken
1 tbsp almonds.remove skin and chopped into pieces
Pinch of edible camphor


Methods

In a pan, melt jaggery with 1/4 cup water. Strain to remove impurities.Keep aside

Wash rice and drain excess water. Add 2 1/3 cup water and cook till soft. Using a back of spoon, mash the rice.

Add the melted jaggery and stir to combine. Add cardamom powder and cook for 2-3 minutes.Add edible camphor,fried cashews,almond pieces and raisins. Stir and remove from heat.

Serve hot or warm.

Crispy Deep Fried Parmesan Courgette

I came across of this recipe in Food Network channel Tia Mowry At Home show. My youngest daughter smitten with this particular recipe and been bugging me to make it for her ever since. When i spotted bright green zucchini i know immediately i need to grab them and fulfill her request. That's how this delicious crispy deep fried zucchini came into my little kitchen.

I love the crispiness on every bite rendered by Panko breadcrumbs. You can make them with ordinary bread crumbs too but i personally feel by using Panko you'll have extra crispiness and crunchiness. The grated parmesan add taste and flavor to the zucchini sticks. Simple recepi with easily available ingredients and my daughters enjoyed this deep fried yummy treat throughly. Making them to eat their vegetables has become easier with this awesome recipe.

Ingredients

3 medium zucchini
1 3/4 cup grated parmesan
2 eggs,beaten
1 1/2 cup Panko or ordinary bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Methods

Line a baking tray with parchment paper and keep aside.

Wash and cut zucchini into 3 inch long, 1/2 inch width and pat dry with clean kitchen towel.

In a bowl, combine bread crumbs,grated parmesan and salt. Mix well.

Dip zucchini in the egg and into bread crumbs mixture. Coat well the zucchini with bread crumbs mixture and place them on the prepared baking tray. Continue with the remaining zucchini pieces.

Heat oil over a medium-high in a frying pan for deep frying. Deep fry the zucchini pieces for about 2-3 minutes or till golden. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen towel to drain excess oil.

Transfer to a serving plate and serve with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Churro Doughnuts

Who doesn't love doughnuts? What a question to ask I'm sure we all do. Doughnuts are good to go for breakfast,tea time or even in between lunch or dinner. You will come across of doughnuts almost in every bakery on the street with different shapes,colours,flavors,toppings and fillings.

Today I'm sharing churro doughnuts recipe. Unlike fried version this is a baked doughnuts with lesser calories and spare me of guilt. No yeast required in this doughnut recipe with the baking powder do all the tricks for soft and fluffy doughnuts. To compliment to soft interior i opted for a crunch exterior with granulated cinnamon sugar topping but you can use castor or confectioner sugar as well. After all, its about our own taste bud. Can anyone go wrong with cinnamon sugar? I don't think so. Fluffy,soft and flavored with cinnamon sugar doughnut are simply divine to enjoy with a hot cup of black coffee.

Ingredients

For The Dough

2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
Pinch of nutmeg powder

For The Topping

1/2 cup granulated white sugar
3 tbsp melted butter
1/2 tbsp cinnamon powder

Methods

For The Doughnuts

Preheat oven at 220'C or 425'F. Grease a doughnut baking pan and set aside,

In a bowl, whisk together eggs,buttermilk and melted butter. Set aside.

In another large bowl, add cake flour,sugar,cinnamon powder,nutmeg powder,baking powder and salt.

Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared doughnut molds till 2/3 full. Bake for 9-10 minutes.

Remove from oven and cool on the baking pan for 2-3 minutes. Unmold the doughnuts and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For The Topping

Mix sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside.

Brush the doughnuts with melted butter and dip the doughnuts with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Enjoy with a cuppa of hot Americano.

Notes:

• I used granulated white sugar for a little crunch you may use confectioners sugar or castor sugar as well.

Kerala Egg Puff

I came across of this egg puff during my visit to Kerala last year at a road side shop selling baked goodies. The egg puff was wrapped in a puff pastry dough and baked till golden but it was a little greasy for my taste thus, i decided to bake my Kerala egg puff version minus the puff pastry.

I opted for a very simple pastry dough which can be prepare in jiffy. The filling has the right amount of spiciness but if you find chilly powder and chopped chilly too much to tolerate, adjust the spiciness to your preference. The tender pastry wrapped with filling that burst with flavors and hard boiled egg, makes it an ideal tea time snack to enjoy with a hot cup of tea.

Ingredients

For The Pastry

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
4 tbsp melted unsalted butter
Water as needed
Salt to taste

For The Filling

4 hard boiled egg,peeled and halves
1 1/3 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 medium onion,chopped
2 green chillies,chopped
1 1/2 tsp chilly powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp chopped coriander
3-4 tbsp water
1 egg,beaten with 1 tbsp water
3 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt to taste

Methods

Preheat oven at 175'C or 347'F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and keep aside.

In a bowl, add all purpose flour,melted and salt. Add water little by little and knead till the dough soft and smooth. Cover with clean kitchen towel and rest for 20-30- minutes.

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat and saute onion till transparent. Add ginger garlic paste,green chillies,turmeric powder,chilly powder,cumin powder,garam masala powder and coriander powder. Saute till raw smell gone. Add 3-4 tbsp water and stir.

Add salt and chopped coriander leaves. Stir and remove from heat.

Transfer the dough onto a clean working surface dusted with flour and roll the dough using rolling pin to 1/2 inch thick.

Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 equal rectangular shape. Place the filling and top with halves egg by facing the yolk part down. Continue with remaining dough.

Brush the pastry with egg wash and bake for 18-20 minutes or till golden. Remove from oven.

Serve with tea.

Tomato and Jalepeno Uttappam

Uttappam is an ideal dish for breakfast as well as for dinner. Uttapam are made of dosa batter and in our household left over dosa batter will end up with uttapam after two or 3 days. Unlike dosa which is crispy crepe liked, uttapam are thick and spongy in texture. Uttapam are more to Indian version of pancake topped with variety of fresh ingredients cooked together the batter on the tawa/hot girdle.

This South Indian recipe can be prepared in jiffy as long as you have dosa batter prepared and stored in the fridge. The variety of vegetables can be adjusted to your own preference. Chopped onion,scallion,green chillies make an ideal toppings as well. Serve hot with spicy/kara chutney or coconut chutney and enjoy.

Ingredients

2 cups idli rice/boiled rice
1 cup urad dhal/white lentil
2-3 jalapeno,sliced
2 medium tomatoes,chopped
6-7 tbsp vegetable oil
4 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
3 tsp salt

Methods

Rinse and soaked idli rice for 5-6 hours.

Rinse and soak urad dhal for 3 hours.

Using a blender, grind the idli rice into fine paste by adding little water. Transfer to a deep base pot. Now grind the urad dhal to a fine paste with little water and transfer to the same pot that contains idli rice batter.

Add salt to the batter mixture and mix well. Cover and let the batter to ferment overnight.

Heat a iron girdle or dosa tawa over medium-low heat, lightly greased with oil. Pour a ladleful of the prepared batter and spread the batter to form a thick round shape something like pancake.

Sprinkle the top with chopped coriander leaves,tomatoes and jalapeno peppers. Drizzle with little oil and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Flip the uttapam and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side.

Transfer to a serving plate and repeat the steps with the remaining batter.

Serve with chutney of your choice.


Notes

• Do not add too much water while grinding the batter. The batter should not be too runny or too thick. The batter shall resembles pancake batter consistency.

Alleypey Duck Curry

We first tasted duck curry in a boat house during our Kerala vacation while cruising in the back water of beautiful and serene Alleypey. All the dishes served in the boat house was excellent nothing to complaint only praises all along. One of such dishes was this delicious mouthwatering duck carry which is a must when one visit to Alleypey. We bought our freshly slaughtered duck along the riverbed of Alleypey and the anneh or the cook that prepared our duck curry was kind enough to let me peep into their kitchen and that is the time i got this beautiful duck curry recepi from him.

As he told me, duck curry is a famous dish in Alleypey and all the household in Alleypey are master chef in preparing this authentic curry. As we all know, duck meat has quite strong meaty odour and but to my surprise this recipe has nothing as such. The ginger,garlic and beautiful aromatic spices added into the dish must have done the trick. The duck pieces were soft and tender,the broth are spicy enough for our palette and goes really well with white rice served for our lunch. My mouth drooling now talking about this addictive Alleypey duck curry. Thank you to my chef on boat for this awesome recipe.

Ingredients

To Marinate

1 kg, cut into medium pieces
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1/4 tsp salt

For The Curry

2 medium onions,sliced
2 medium potatoes,cut into 4 pieces
7 cloves garlic,chopped
1'inch ginger,julienned
4 green chillies,slit
3/4 cup thick coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp fennel powder
2' inch cinnamon stick
3 pods cardamom,crushed
Black peppercorns 1/4 tsp
3 cloves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp white vinegar
2 sprigs curry leaves
1-2 tbsp coconut oil
Salt to taste

Methods

In a large bowl marinate the duck pieces with ingredients listed under "To Marinate". Set aside for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in a cooking pot, over a medium-low flame and add cinnamon stick,peppercorns,cardamom pods,cloves and fennel powder and saute for 3-5 seconds.

Add onion and saute till translucent. Add garlic,ginger,green chillies and curry leaves. Add potatoes and saute for 1-2 minutes.

Add coriander powder,turmeric powder,black pepper powder and garam masala. Saute for another 1 minute or till fragrant.

Add marinated duck pieces,water and vinegar. Increase heat to high, stir well and cook with lid on till duck pieces tender and fully cooked by stirring in between.

Remove lid, add the coconut milk and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.Cook for another 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Serve hot with white rice or appam.

Vanilla Honey Almond SemiFredo

This is the recepi i tried from a TV cooking show Forever Summer With Nigella prepared by Nigella Lawson. Vanilla honey semifredo as the name suggested is a semi frozen creamy delight which resembles ice cream but not quite like it. She sprinkled her semifredo with toasted pine nuts but i replaced them with what i have in my pantry almond slivers which gives the semifredo a nice crunch and texture.

I love the way Nigella dish out this simple and creamy frozen treat and decided to give it a try for myself. The ingredients are simple and the methods are easy to prepare. Its creamy,rich and luscious on every bite. It thaws easily thus, dig in asap. Vanilla honey semifredo makes an ideal frozen treat for blazing summer.

Ingredients

300 ml cream
1 whole egg
4 egg yolks
100g honey
1 tsp vanilla extract

Garnishing

Handful of toasted almond slivers
3 tbsp honey

Methods

Line a 1 litre loaf tin with cling film.

Boil water in a pot. In a bowl, beat honey, whole egg and egg yolks. Place the bowl over a simmering water pot and using a hand mixer, beat till the mixture turns pale and thick. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Stir.

Whip cream till thick and gently fold into the egg mixture. Pour into the prepared loaf tin and cover with cling film.

Place in the freezer to set for 2-3 hours.

Remove from freezer, Gently place a serving plate on the loaf tin and flip the semifredo onto the platter.

Drizzle with honey and toasted almond slivers

French Onion Soup

Who can resist hot soup in a cold weather..hot and comforting liquid to keep everyone nicely warm and energetic. French onion soup is in my to do list for quite sometime and I'm happy finally, i gave it a try. With kilos of onions in my basket there is no excuse to do not dump them in this delicious soup.

I altered the original French onion soup for my taste as  we do not consume beef or alcohol in my household. Original recipe calls for white/red wine and beef stock which I replaced with chicken stock and totally opted out of wine. I shall say it tastes divine and I'm happy with the end result. The caramelized onion smells heaven and the cheesy toast lends a beautiful crunch to the soup. The sugar helps the onion to caramelized and the key to a perfect french onion soup is the caramelization. Do not burn your onion always use medium heat and saute well into caramelization. Patient is the keyword for preparing the soup. Enjoy hot on cold days or any day will be better with French onion soup.

Ingredients

2 large white onion,sliced
4 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
2 1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp worchestershire sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp water
1/3 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
3 slices French bread(sliced into 1 inch thick)

Methods

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add sliced onion, and sugar. Saute till the onion caramelized for about 14-15 minutes.

Add the chicken stock,worchestershire sauce, water and cracked black pepper. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer with lid on for 14-15 minutes.

Place the sliced bread on a baking tray,sprinkle with parmesan cheese and broil till the cheese melted.

Ladle soup into serving bowls and top with cheesy toast.

Serve hot