VENDAKKA PULINKARY / Ladies finger or Okhra in tangy gravy

Ingredients :

Ladies Finger : 25

Onion : 1, thinly sliced

Tomato : 1, finely chopped

Curry Leaves : 2springs

Tamarind Extract : 1tsp

Coconut Milk : 1st, 2nd and 3rd extract from 1/2 of a coconut

Chilli Powder : 1tsp

Coriander Powder : 1 1/2tsp

Turmeric Powder : 1/4tsp

Salt

Coconut Oil : 1tsp

Mustard Seeds : 1/2tsp

Method : 

1. Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add onion and saute well. When it turns to translucent add the spice powders and saute well. Now add Tometo and combine well.

2. When the tomato is soft and fluffy add 2nd & 3rd extract of coconut milk, salt, curry leaves and tamarind extract. When it boils, add ladies finger and combine well. Cover and cook till the gravy reduces to half.

3.  Now add 1st extract of coconut milk and allow to boil for a minute. Turn off the flame and serve hot with rice.

Strawberry Gateau / Strawberry cream cake

Celebrating My birthday Today with this creamy strawberry layer cake :)

Ingredients :

Butter : 125g
All Pupose flour : 1 1/2Cups
Castor Sugar : 1Cup
Eggs : 3, at room temperature
Milk : 3/4 Cup 
Baking Powder : 1tsp
Baking Soda : 1/4tsp
Vanilla Essence : 1 1/2tsp
Strawberry : 8, finely chopped
Salt : 1/8tsp 
Pink Food Color : few drops (optional)

For Sugar syrup and Frosting :

Whipping cream : 2Cup, chilledCrushed Straberries : 6
Water : 1Cup
Sugar : 1tbsp

Method : 

1. Preheat oven at 180˚C. 

2. Grease and line an 18cm round cake tin and keep aside.

3. Sift the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder thrice.

4. With an electric mixer, cream the butter until soft. Add the sugar and and continue beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add milk, strawberries, food color and vanilla essence and continue beating.

5. Spoon into the cake tin and bake until the cake pulls away from the sides (about 35minutes). Remove from the oven but carefully pull the lining. Let the cake cool completely.

6. For layering, dip a bread knife in boiling water and wipe it with a warm cloth. Make layers carefully without breaking the sides of the cake.

For the Syrup :

1. On Medium flame combine Sugar and water in a sauce pan. When sugar has dissolved completely and reaches the consistency of milk, turn of the flame and allow the syrup to cool completely.

2. Prick the cake all over with a fine skewer and pour the syrup over each layers of cake. It may seem at first that there is too much syrup for the cake to absorb, but it will soak it all up slowly.

Frosting & Assembling :

1. Beat whipped cream with food color till it turns soft and fluffy.

2.Divide the cream into 4 parts and keep in refrigerator. Take the bottom part of the cake and spread the whipping cream evenly, spread the crushed strawberries over the cream. Repeat the same with one more layer.

3. Place the top layer and spread the cream evenly on the sides. You can top the cake with halved / crushed strawberries. Refrigerate the cake for 3-4 hours and serve chilled.

MUSHROOM BUTTER MASALA

 Mushroom butter masala - A delicious 

punjabi recipe with mushroom cooked in a tomato based gravy with the richness of cream and cashews. 

Ingredients : 

Mushroom  : 500g, halved

Onion  : 2, Cubed

Ginger : 1inch piece

Garlic : 5cloves

Green Chilli :  2

Chilli Powder  : 2tsp 

Corander Leaves : 1/4Cup, Chopped 

Garam Masala : 1/2tsp

Cumin powder  : 1/2tsp

Kasoori Methi Powder : 1/2tsp 

Tomato : 2, make a paste

Cashew  : 10, Soaked in water  

Cream : 1/2Cup 

Salt 

Sugar : 1tsp

Butter  : 1tbsp 

Oil : 1tbsp

Tomato Sauce : 2 1/2tbsp

Orange-Red Food Color : a pinch

Method :

1. Heat oil in a pan and cook the onions for 5minutes.Remove from fire and let it reach room temperature. Now grind along with soaked cashews. Keep aside.

2. Make a paste of ginger, garlic, green chillies and half of coriander leaves. 

3. Heat butter in a kadai. Add the paste of  ginger, garlic, green chillies and coriander leaves and saute for 5minutes in medium flame.

4. Now turn to low flame and add chilli powder and cumin powder. Add tomato paste and tomato sauce after few minutes and saute well till oil appears and water absorbs completely from tomatoes. 

5. Now add mushrooms and saute well for 2minutes. Add 1 1/2 Cups of water and close the kadai with a tight lid. After 5minutes add Onion-cashew paste,  salt, garam masala, kasoori methi powder, sugar and food color (mixed with 1tbsp of water). 

6. Cook for 5minutes in medium flame and finally add cream and coriander leaves. turn of the flame immedietly after combining cream to the gravy.

7. Serve hot with  any indian flat bread / pulao

Note  :You can add capsicum or green peas to the butter masala. if adding capsicum add it in the 4th step before tomato paste. If your choice is fresh green piece add it along with mushrooms in 5th step.

CABBAGE THORAN / Cabbage stir fry with coconut - Sadya Special

Ingredients : 

Cabbage : 1small (2cups), finely shredded
Coconut : 1/2 cup
Green chilies : 2, finely chopped

Ginger : 1tsp, finely chopped
Shallots : 5, finely chopped / half of an onion
Curry leaves : 2 springs
Turmeric powder : 1/4tsp
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
Urad daal (uzhunnu parippu): 1/2 tsp

Coconut Oil : 1tbsp

Salt

Method :

1.In a bowl, combine cabbage, onion, green chilies, ginger, salt, turmeric powder, curry leaves and coconut with your hand. Keep aside for 15-30minutes. 

2. In a sauce pan, add oil and put mustard seeds. When it splutters add urad daal and curry leave. Before the urad daal turns to brown add the cabbage mixture and mix well. Sprinkle 1tsp water and cover with a tight lid. Cook for 10-15minutes ir till cookied.

3. Serve hot with Rice and moru curry.

THAI CUCUMBER SALAD

Ingredients :

English Cucumbers : 2, thinly sliced
Unroasted Peanuts : 1/4Cup, soaked in water for 2hrs
Soy Sauce : 1tbsp
Olive Oil : 2tbsp
Sesame Oil : 1tsp
Rice Vinegar : 3tbsp
Brown Sugar : 1tsp 
Garlic : 1Clove, finely chopped
Sesame Seeds : 1tbsp(optional)
Salt

Method :

In a deep bowl, combine soy sauce, olive oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, brown sugar, chopped garlic and salt. Now add cucumber slices and drained peanuts. Toss slightly and refrigerate.Garnish with sesame seeds and serve chilled.

PANEER MUTTER MASALA IN ROASTED COCONUT GRAVY / Varutharacha Paneer Masala

Ingredients:

Paneer : 200g cubed
Onion : 1, finely chopped

Tomato : 1, small, finely chopped

Fresh Peas : 1/4Cup(optional)

Ginger : 1/2 inch piece, finely chopped

Garlic : 4cloves, finely chopped

Green chillies : 2, finely chopped

Shredded Coconut : 1/4Cup

Pepper Corns : 1tsp

Fennel Seeds : 1/2tsp

Chilli Powder : 3/4tsp

Coriander Powder : 1tsp

Garam Masala : 1/4Tsp

Curry Leaves : 2springs
Coriander leaves : 1tbsp, chopped

coconut Oil : 1tbsp
Salt

Method:

1. Dry Roast coconut, 2 garlic cloves, fennel seeds and 1 spring of curry leaves  in a kadai till the coconut turns to light brown in color. Now add the spice powders and dry roast carefully till you get a nice aroma. Keep aside to cool and using a mixer, grind to make a fine paste by adding little water.

2. Heat oil in a kadai and add ginger, garlic and green chillies. Saute for couple of minutes and add onion. When onion turns to translucent add tomatoes and cook till they are soft and fluffy. 

3. Now add the grounded masala, salt  and combine well and add enough water for the gravy and let it boil. Add peas, paneer, curry leaf, coriander leaves and cook for 15-18 minutes.

4. Serve hot with rice / chappathis / appams / pathiri.

MY 4TH BLOG ANNIVERSARY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEMON & SPICE :)

WOOOW!!! I can't believe its been 4years since i started "Lemon & Spice". I never imagined that I will be blogging with the same drive and energy 4 years later. Blogging helped me understand different cuisines, cultures and ingredients. It helped me to attempt different recipes that i haven't heard or tasted before. 

I really thank my husband, who convinced to start the blog and record my kitchen experiments. He is the one who discovered a 'cook' in me. He helped me convert my hobby into a passion.

I really thank my sister Nish and my close friend Krishna Kumar for gifting beautiful bakeware. Sincere thanks to my dear blogger friend Teenu (Tina Noble) to give the inspiration to start baking. And a big thanks to my friend Vilas for liking most of the food photography snaps i uploaded in facebook.

A big thanks to each and every one of you for giving me all the support and encouragement that has kept me going these wonderful four years.