Saturday, December 25, 2010

Celeberating X'mas with easy to bake Apple cake

Happy X'mas Fellow Bloggers :), add a little cheer with a easy to bake Apple cake this christmas.





Ingredients :

Apples : 4
Vegetable Oil : 175ml
Castor Sugar : 225g
Egg : 2
Plain Flour : 210g
Cinnamon Powder  : 1/2tsp
Bicarbonate of Soda : 1tsp
Vanilla Essence : 1tsp
Salt  : 1/2tsp
Walnuts : 50g
Raisins : 50g

Method :
  • Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease a bunt mould or ring mould and keep aside.


  • Peel and slice the apples.


  • With an electric mixer, beat the oil and sugar together until blended. Add the eggs one by one and continue beating until the mixture is creamy.


  • Sift together the flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon.
  • Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture  and add vanilla essence. Stir in the apples, walnuts and raisins.


  • Pour the batter into the greased baking tin and bake until a toothpick inserted and come out clean which is roughly about 40 minutes.




  • Let it stand for another 15minutes after baking and then Transfer to a wire rack.

Serving Suggetions : a). Serve with chocolate sauce b). or Dust with a layer of icing sugar before serving.


Monday, December 20, 2010

POOVADA



Ingredients :

Rice Flour : 1 1/2Cup
Cumin Seeds : 1 1/2 tsp
Water : 1 3/4 Cup
Ghee : 1tsp
Shredded Coconut : 1/2Cup
Cardamom Powder : 1/2tsp(optional)
Salt : 1/2tsp++
Banana Leaf






Method :

1. Heat ghee in a pan and add shredded coconuts, Cardamom powder, cumin seeds and enough salt, saute for few seconds and let it combine in low flame. Keep aside.

2. Allow water to boil in a heavy bottom vessel and add salt and rice flour (tip: stir continuesly to avoid formation of lumps).

3. When water is absorbed completely transfer it to another bowl and wrap with a white cloth (optional)

4. Allow the dough to cool and then knead it well with your hands.

5. Now on banana leaf spread coconut oil. From the dough take a handful and spread it on banana leaf. If you find difficulty in spreading the dough, dip your fingers in water and then then do it.


6. Spread 2spoonfull of filling on it and fold the leaf carefully. Press the sides of the ada and carefully to seal it and place them in a steamer or place them on a chappathi tawa.

7. Cook for 15-20minutes. Serve hot as a breakfast / Tea time snack.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Easy Chicken And Potato Masala / Kerala Chicken and Potato Masala

Potatoes tastes great when cooked with chicken, that's because it absorbs spices and those lovely flavors. Chicken potato masala is a common kerala chicken dish and it goes well with appam / pathiri  / hot rice.



Ingredients : 

Chicken : 1kg, Cut in to small pieces
Potato : 2, medium sized, cubed
Onion : 3, medium sized, Sliced
Tomato : 2, medium sized, sliced
Ginger garlic green chilli paste : 2tsp
Chilli Powder : 3tsp
Coriander Powder : 5tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Garam Masala : 1tsp
Curry leaves : 2springs
Coconut oil : 3tbsp
Salt

Method :

1. Heat oil in a kadai and saute the green chilli-ginger-garlic paste and curry leaves till you get a nice aroma. Now add the onions and saute them till it turns translucent.

2. Add the tomatoes and  combine well. After 5minutes put  all spices one by one and dry roast them till it turns dark brown.

3. Now add the chicken pieces and saute for 5minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of water and cook for 15minutes on low flame.

4. When the chicken is 50%cooked add the potatoes and cook for another 15minutes.

5. Add enough salt and turn of the flame. Close the kadai with a tight lid and let it stand for another 10minutes before serving.

Note : You can cook this in a pressure cooker easily. Use pressure cooker instead of kadai in 3rd step , after adding chicken saute it for 5minutes and pressure cook chicken with potatoes. For better results open the lid only after 20minutes.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

TUNA ROAST FROM CANNED TUNA

An Easy recipe with canned tuna

Ingredients : 

Canned Tuna : 1Can
Onion : 2, Sliced
Tomato : 1, Chopped
Green Chili : 2,Chopped
Ginger paste : 1tsp
Garlic Paste : 1tsp
Chilli Powder : 2tsp
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Coriander Powder : 2tsp
Fennel Powder : 1tsp
Garam Masala : 1tsp
Coriander Leaves : 1/4Cup, Chopped
Curry Leaves : 1spring
Salt
Oil : 2tbsp



Method :

1. Drain the water and oil from Tuna and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a kadai and add the green chilli, ginger paste and garlic paste. Saute it in medium flame till you get a nice aroma.

3. Add the onion and fry them till it turns to translucent. Now add tomatoes and cover the kadai with a tight lid. After 10minutes add all masalas in the same order and roast them in low flame.

4. Now add the drained tuna along with coriander curry leaves and salt. 

5. Using spatula, make tuna into small pieces and combine with the roasted masala. Cover with a tight lid and cook in low flame for 5minutes.

6. Serve hot with rice / chappathi / bread.. 

Saturday, November 27, 2010

ARIYUNDA / RICE LADOO

A simple and beautiful evening snack from gods-own county . I still feel nostalgic about coming home after school and savoring Mom's homemade specialty snacks like Ariyunda, pazham pori, parippu vada, godambu ada etc. So today I am sharing my mom;s Ariyunda recipe with all my readers. I bet you will like this :)


How to make Kerala Evening snack - Ariyunda at home
Preparation time : 30 mins, Recipe source :My mom

Ingredients : 

Rice : 1Cup(Preferably Kerala boiled rice )
Grated Jaggery : 3/4Cup(I put the jaggery blocks in a zip lock cover and mashed it with a rolling pin after closing the bag)
Grated Coconut : 3/4Cup
Cardamom Powder : 1/4tsp


Method :

1. Heat a kadai / Cheena chatti / stainless steel pan on medium flame and dry roast the rice until it pops or turns golden brown. Keep aside to cool.

2. Grind the roasted rice using a mixer into fine powder and transfer to a large bowl.

3. Put the jaggery powder in mixer along with grated coconut. and grind them properly.

4. Now add this to the powdered rice along with cardamom powder. Combine well and shape into small balls using your hand.

Enjoy,
Lena

Saturday, November 20, 2010

VEGETABLE HAKKA NOODLES




Ingredients :

Hakka Noodles : 200g
Ginger : 1/2tsp, Chopped
Garlic : 1/2tsp, Chopped
Green Chilli : 2, Chopped
Mushroom : 10, Halved
Carrot : 1, Chopped
Beans : 5, Chopped
Capsicum : 1/2, Sliced
Cabbage : 1/4Cup, Chopped
Soya Sauce : 1tsp
Vinegar : 1tsp
Green chilli sauce : 1tsp
Sugar : 1tsp
Olive oil : 3tsp



 Method : 

1. Boil noodles in one liter of water.  Heat until noodles get slightly under cooked. Drain out the excess water. Sprinkle 1tsp of olive oil and toss the noodles in it, so that it does not stick together. Keep the boiled noodles aside.

2. Heat 2tsp of oil in a pan over high flame. Add garlic, ginger and green chillies and saute for 2minutes.

3. Now add the vegetables along with salt and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add soya sauce, green chilli sauce, sugar and vinegar to the vegetables and combine well.

4. At this stage add the cooked hakka noodles to it. Toss the noodles well so that it does not stick to the pan. Cover it with a tight lid and keep it in low flame for 2minutes.

5. Serve hot with tomato Sauce.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

KOTHU PAROTTA

When I think about my college days, first thing that comes to  mind is fun time I spent with friends at the college canteen. Our all time  favorite dish in the menu was Kothu poratta.   A simple yet delicious dish that can be shared with friends.
 




Ingredients :

Parotta : 2
Onion :  1, Chopped
Tomato : 1, Chopped
Ginger : 1/2tsp, Chopped
Garlic : 1/2 tsp,
Green Chilli : 1, Chopped
Egg : 2
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
Chilli Powder : 1/2tsp
Coriander Leaves : 1/2Cup, Chopped
Fennel Powder : 1/2tsp
Garam Masala : 1/2tsp
Oil
Salt

Method : 

1.Shred the parottas into very fine pieces and keep aside.

2. Heat oil in a kadai and saute Onion till it becomes translucent. Then add ginger, garlic and green chilli to the kadhai and saute well.

3. Now add the Tomato and close the kadhai with a tight lid. after 3-4 min add chilli powder, turmeric powder, fennel powder, garam masala and saute well till it becomes a golden brown masala.

4. Add the eggs and mix it with the masala. When egg is 90% done add the parottas and combine well.Add salt if needed.

5. Finally add coriander leaves and combine well. Cover with the lid and keep for 2minutes in low flame .

6. Serve hot n enjoy :) 

Note : a) this is the best way to use left over parottas b) If you have left over chicken gravy, substitute that with the masalas (third step). 

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Cracked Wheat and Vegetable Upma

Cracked wheat / crushed whole raw wheat kernels are rich in dietary fiber,  iron and magnesium. 
Start your day with this tasty, healthy and easy to cook breakfast



Ingredients :

Cracked Wheat  : 1Cup
Green Chillies : 2, halved
Carrot : 1, finely Chopped
Beans : 5, finely Chopped
Green Peas : 10
Onion : 2, Chopped
Grated coconut : 1/2Cup
Dried red Chillies : 2
Curry leaves : 1Spring
Mustard : 1/2tsp
Coconut oil  : 2tbsp




Method :

1. Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. When the mustard splutters, add dried red chillies and curry leaves.

2. Now add chopped onions and saute them till it becomes translucent. Then add vegetables and saute for 4-5minutes. Keep aside a tbsp of cooked veggies for garnishing.

3. At this stage you can add the washed and drained cracked wheat. and saute for 5min in medium flame. Add 2cups of boiling water to and cover with a tight lid. Let it cook in low flame.

4. When the cracked wheat is 90% cooked, add salt , grated coconut and combine well.

5. Garnish with the cooked veggies (from step 2) and curry leaves.

Note : a). carcked wheat should be fried well, otherwise upma will be sticky. b). Instead of all veggies you can use 2grated carrots.




Friday, November 5, 2010

PANEER PEDA / Paneer Ladoo

Happy Diwali Fellow Bloggers :)




How to make Paneer Peda / Paneer Ladoo at home?
Cooking time : 25min
Makes : 20

Ingredients : 

Paneer / Cottage Cheese : 250g
Condensed Milk : 1/2tin
Cardamom Powder : 1/2tsp
Sugar : 2tsp 
Maida : 2tsp
Milk Powder : 3tsp
Yellow Food Color : A pinch
Ghee : 1tsp + 1tsp
Cashew Halves : 20






Method :  

1. Cut the paneer into small cubes. Put them in a mixer/ food processor to powder them.

2. Now you can add condensed milk, cardamom powder, sugar, milk powder, yellow color and maida to the powdered paneer and make a fine paste.

3. Transfer this to a heavy bottom vessel and stir continuously for 20min in medium flame. 

4. When it starts to leave from the sides of pan and sticks to the spatula, turn off the flame.

5. Heat 1tsp of ghee in a pan and golden fry the cashews.

6. Take 1tsp of ghee in your hand and apply it to your palms to shape the peda's. Make them into small balls and decorate  them with the fried cashews.



Monday, November 1, 2010

CHICKEN MUGHLAI



Ingredients : 

Chicken : 1Kg, Cut into 15 pieces
Cumin Powder : 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder : 1/2 tsp
Kasoori Methi Powder : 1/2 tsp
Cream : 1/2 Cup
Egg : 1
Cashew : 50g, soaked in water and grinded
Coriander Leaves : 1/4 Cup, Chopped
Chicken Stock / water : 1 1/2 Cup 
Salt
Butter : 25g


For the gravy :


Onion : 2, Sliced
Tomato : 1 1/2, Chopped
Ginger : 1 tbsp, Chopped
Garlic : 1 tbsp, Chopped
Green Chillies : 2, Chopped
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder : 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder : 1 1/2 tsp
Vegetable Oil : 1 1/2 tbsp



Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan and add ginger, garlic, green chillies and onion. Cook until the onions are slightly brown in color. Now add  turmeric powder, Chilli powder, coriander powder and saute well till you get the roasted smell of masala.

2. At this stage you can add the tomatoes and saute well for 5minutes. and turn off the flame. Allow this mixture to cool. Once cool, grind it to a smooth fine paste and marinate the cleaned chicken pieces in this paste for 1hour.

3. Now in  the same pan  boil the chicken pieces  with enough salt and chicken stock or water in medium flame with lid on.

4. In another kadai, heat butter and add the kasoori methi powder, cumin powder and garam masala and saute well. When you get the aroma, add the chicken pieces. Combine everything slowly and allow to boil for another 5minutes.

5. Add the cashew paste to this and allow it to boil on a low flame, to avoid sticking.

6. Beat the egg with a fork and add it to the cream. Combine both well slowly and add it to the chicken curry. When the gravy starts to bubble, add the chopped coriander leaves and turn off the flame.

7. Serve hot with chappathi/ naan/ paratha/ bread or with pulao.


 [Recipe Courtesy : Lakshmi Nair's Magic oven]

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Hyacinth Beans and Potato Salad with Home Made Mayonnaise



Ingredients : 

Hyacinth beans : 12
Potato : 1
Olives : 10
Carrot : 1, cut into thin strips
Mayonnaise : 1/4Cup
Cream : 1tsp
Vinegar : 1tsp
 Salt


Method :

Pressure cook potato and let it cool completely.Peel them and cube it neatly. Now cut the beans into 1 inch pieces and put them in a steamer and cook for 5mins. 

Salad dressing: In a large bowl, add mayonnaise, cream, salt, vinegar and combine well with a fork. Toss all other ingredients with salad dressing. Garnish with carrot strips and refrigerate before serving.


Recipe for easy homemade Mayonnaise :

Olive oil/Salad oil/vegetable oil : 1cup
Egg :
Sugar : 1tsp
Salt : 1/4tsp
White pepper Powder : 1tsp
Vinegar : 1tbsp
Garlic Paste: 1tsp 

Method : 

Add all ingredients except oil in a large bowl and combine well with an electric blender. Now add the oil 1tsp at a time very slowly  into this mixture and continue beating vigorously and you are done. Refrigerate and store this creamy homemade mayonnaise in airtight containers.




Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Pazham Pradhaman / Kheer with Ripe Plantain

Pazham pradhaman is my husbands favorite kheer.  It is made from ripe nenthra pazham or bananas cooked in thick jaggery syrup and coconut milk . 





How to make Kerala Traditional Pazham Pradhaman ?

Ingredients :

Really ripe banana: 2
Jaggery :  1/2Cup
Ghee : 5tbsp
Dried Coconut Slices : 1/4Cup, cut into thin slices
Cashews : 1tbsp
Raisins : 1tbsp
Cardamom Powder : 1/2tsp
First extract of Coconut milk : 1/2Cup
Second extract of coconut milk : 1Cup



Method:

1.  Melt jaggery on a medium flame for 15minutes. Heat the filtered syrup again on a low flame to make it thick.

2.Pressure cook the chopped bananas and keep aside to cool. Now peel of the skin and remove the string of black seeds in the middle neatly.

3. Using a mixer mash the cooked plantain. There should not be any lumps.

4. In a heavy bottom vessel, heat 3tbsp of ghee and golden fry the dry coconut slices, cashews and raisins in same order.

5.  Add the mashed banana along with the jaggery to the same vessel and combine well. Add remaining ghee and keep stirring till it starts to stick to the bottom of vessel.

6. At this stage add the second extract of coconut milk and combine slowly. When it boils add the first extract of coconut milk and cook in low flame.

7. Add the cardamom powder and turn off the flame.

8. Garnish with golden fried coconut slices, cashews and raisins

9. Enjoy!!!  :)

Lena