Monday, October 31, 2011

350th Post Celebration

A Lovely Eggless Chocolate Cake With Caramel Topping. 
 INGREDIENTS:
  • All purpose flour/Maida - 2 cups
  • Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup
  • Chocolate Syrup - 1/2 cup
  • Baking powder - 1 tsp
  • Unsalted Butter - 1/4 cup
  • Milk - 1/4 cup
  • Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
  • Caramel Topping - 1 tsp
METHOD:
  • Preheat the oven to 360 degree F. 
  • Grease a round baking pan and keep it aside. I used a 9 inch round pan, using a smaller pan will give you a thicker cake. Apply butter in the the bottom and sides of the pan for baking.
  • In a large bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.
  • Add Powdered Sugar in it and mix well.
  • Pour the milk, melted butter, and vanilla essence into the mixing bowl containing the dry ingredients.
  • Now add Chocolate Syrup ans mix well.
  • Beat with a hand mixer, whisk or spoon until the mixture comes together and there are no lumps. 
  • Pour the batter into the cake pan and level the batter.
  • Bake for 40 minutes or until done. 
  • You can insert a wooden pick in the center of the cake to test if the cake is fully baked. 
  • Allow it to Cool in pan for 20 minutes.Invert cake onto cooling rack to cool completely before applying frosting or decorating.
  • Apply Caramel Topping on the top of the cake.
  • Slice the cake in desired shape and serve.
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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Wheat flour-Green Gram Kozhukattai

 INGREDIENTS:
  • Wheat flour - 2 cups
  • Jaggery, grated -1/2cup 
  • Warm Water - 1 cup
  • Green Gram - 1 cup
  • Cardamom powder - 1tsp
  • Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
  • Salt - 1/4 tsp
  • Oil/Butter/Ghee - 1Tbsp
METHOD:
  • Dry roast the wheat flour in a pan for few minutes,keep aside.
  • Pressure cook green gram by adding enough water. 
  • When it is cooked well, drain excess water, add salt and keep aside.
  • Mix the salt to the wheat flour.
  • Add Cardamom powder and mix well.
  • Now add the cooked green gram to the flour and mix well.
  • Add warm water little by little and Knead the dough.The consistency should not be too sticky or too hard.Dredge in the flour if its sticky.(Make like chapatti dough)
  • Make small balls and roll each ball. 
  • Take a ball of dough and make a smooth ball.
  • Dust the work station with flour and put the dough and press it down with your palm.
  • Make a small round disc shape, you can either toss it between both palms or roll it.
  • Now place little grated jaggery and grated coconut in the center of the dough and 
  • Pull the edges close and re-roll into a neat ball. 
  • Grease Iddli mould with Oil/Butter/Ghee.Place the Wheat flour-Green gram ball to the Iddli mould.
  • Pressure cook them for 10 minutes in Idly Cooker.
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Lunch 25

Chapatti with Paneer butter masala and Coconut Burfi Comments

Paneer Butter Masala

 INGREDIENTS:
  • Paneer (cubed) - 250 gms 
  • Onions (finely chopped) - 2 nos
  • Ginger-garlic paste - 1tsp
  • Green chiilies (sliced) - 1 or 2 
  • Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
  • Ripe tomatoes (chopped) -2 nos
  • Cashewnut paste - 2 Tbsp
  • Coriander power - 1/2 tsp
  • Turmeric powder - 1/ 8 tsp
  • Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Butter - 3 Tbsp
  • Chopped coriander leaves - 2 Tbsp
METHOD:
  • Saute the paneer in a pan by adding a tbsp of ghee till golden brown, transfer it into a bowl and add a cup of hot water to the fried paneer cubes and let them sit in it for 5mts,then drain the water and keep it aside.
  • Put the tomato slices in a blender and blend well to get a fine tomato puree.Keep it aside.
  • Heat 2 tbsp of butter in a pan, add the chopped  onion and saute till brown.
  • Add ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 3 minutes.
  • Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and combine,followed by the cashew paste and stir well.
  • Pour tomato puree to the pan and mix well.
  • Stir and let it simmer for 4-5 mts.
  • Add the paneer and simmer for 4-5 minutes. 
  • Add a small cup of water and let it cook on medium heat for 10 mts or till you get the desired curry consistency. 
  • Remove curry  from fire, stir in remaining butter. If you want, you can add  fresh cream and stir well.
  • Let the curry sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
  • Garnish Paneer Butter Masala with coriander leaves. 
  • Serve it hot with Rotis, Naan , Parathas or Rice.




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Oats- Mixed vegetables Cutlets



 INGREDIENTS:
  • Oats - 1/4 cup
  • Potato, boiled and mashed - 2 nos
  • Paneer, grated - 1Tbsp
  • Frozen Mixed Vegetables (Green peas, Double beans, carrot, green beans,sweet corn) - 1/2 cup
  • Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp
  • Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
  • Black Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Coriander leaves, chopped - 1 tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Maida - 1/2 cup
  • Oil to deep fry
METHOD:
  • Wash the potatoes and frozen vegetables. 
  • Cook the cubed potatoes in a pressure cooker or pan by adding 1/4 of turmeric powder, enough salt and water.
  • Drain and mash the well cooked potatoes and keep it aside.
  • Put the frozen vegetables in a bowl filled with boiling water and microwave on high for 10 minutes. 
  • Drain it and set aside. 
  • Make a medium thick batter with maid by adding water, pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp of red chilly powder and keep it aside.
  • Take the mashed Potatoes , grated Paneer,well cooked Frozen Mixed Vegetables, Salt, 1/2 tsp of Red chilli powder, Coriander leaves, Garam masala, Black pepper powder, and salt in a bowl.
  • Mash them together and mix well to prepare a mixture for cutlets.

  •  Add oats to this mixture and mix well or coat the mixture with oats.
  • Dip this oats mixed vegetables mix to the Maida batter.
  • Heat oil in pan.

  • Deep-fry the Oats Mixed vegetables cutlets until both sides are golden-brown.
  • The crispy oatmeal cutlets are ready to serve.
  • You can have them hot with tomato sauce or chutney of your choice.
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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Carrot Halwa

 INGREDIENTS:
  • Grated Carrots - 2 nos
  • Milk - 2 cups
  • Maida - 2 tsp
  • Sugar - 3 Tbsp
  • Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
  • Ghee - 2 Tbsp
  • Cashew nuts - 8 nos
  • Raisins - 8 nos
METHOD:
  • Heat 1Tbsp of ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and fry the cashew nuts to a golden color. Remove from ghee and reserve.
  • Fry the raisins in the same pan until it become puffed and golden. Remove from ghee and reserve with cashew nuts.
  • Peel and grate carrots.
  • Take milk in a bowl and put 2 tsp of maida in it and mix well.
  • Pour this milk to the same pan and allow it to boil till thick, stirring occasionally. Once it starts thickening, stir continuously. 
  • Now add grated carrots and stir continuously.
  • Add the powdered cardamom and sugar. Mix well, stir continuously and continue cooking till all the sugar melts and the carrot mixture is almost dry.



  • You may have to cook around 7 – 10 minutes to get the desired consistency for halwa. Do not heat the mixture too long, so as to prevent it from getting hardened.
  • Add roasted Cashew nuts and Raisins to the Carrot Halwa and mix well.
  • Transfer this Carrot halwa to a greased plate and allow it to set and cool. If you want, u can refrigerate the halwa and use.
  • Cut in desired shape and enjoy!
Comments

Lunch 24


Rice with Easy Rajma Curry, Easy Cabbage Thoran and Chicken Chilli Masala. Comments

Easy Rajma Curry

 INGREDIENTS:
  • Rajma (Red Beans ),soaked overnight - 1 cup
  • Garlic paste - 1 tsp
  • Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
  • Tomato (chopped) - 1 no
  • Salt to taste
  • Olive oil or any cooking oil - 1tsp
METHOD:
  • Soak the Red beans overnight in a bowl. 
  • Next day drain the water and fill with  fresh water. 
  • Add enough salt 2 cups of water and pressure cook the rajma for 20 mins on a medium flame.
  • Do not drain the water after the rajma is pressure cooked as it could be used to prepare the curry.
  • When red beans cooked well and add chopped tomatoes, Garlic paste ,Red chilly powder, Turmeric powder ,Garam masala and mix well. 
  • Pressure cook the Rajma again for around 10 – 15 mins as this helps to cook the tomato pieces, blend all the masalas and the Red Beans well. If you want, you can pour the Rajma curry mixture to a blender or mixer when it is cool and blend well to get a smooth paste.
  • Pour a tsp of oil to the Rajma Curry and mix well.
  • Serve This easy Rajma curry with Rice or Roti.
Comments

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Diwali Specials


Comments

Easy Cabbage Thoran

INGREDIENTS:
  • Cabbage(finely chopped) - 2 cups
  • Onion (finely chopped) - 1 nos
  • Garlic paste-1/2 tsp
  • Green chillies -3 nos
  • Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
  • Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
  • Salt - As reqd
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
  • Black gram(Uzhunnuparippu) - 1/2 tsp
  • Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
  • Curry leaves(chopped) - 1 stem (optional)
  • Dry red chilies - 2 nos (optional)
METHOD:
  • Take finely chopped Cabbage in a large mixing bowl.


  • Add garlic paste, enough salt,grated coconut, turmeric powder, black pepper powder and garam masala. If you like, you can add 1/4 tsp of meat masala also.
  • Using your hand mix everything well.Keep it aside for 10 minutes.
  • Heat oil in a frying pan.
  • Splutter mustard seeds.
  • Add black gram and allow it to become brown.
  • Add dry red chilies and curry leaves.
  • Now add chopped onion and sliced green chillies and saute well till onion becomes light brown.
  • Add cabbage mix to the pan and saute well.
  • Cover and cook for 5 mins on a low flame.
  • Cook for another 5 mins on a very low flame, stir in between.
  • You can off the flame when it is cooked well.
  • You can serve Cabbage Thoran with rice item as side dish.
  • **Don`t use water while preparing.
    **Prepare on a low flame in a non stick pan.

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Chapatti & Chicken Chilli Masala

 

Chapatti and Chicken Chilli Masala

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Monday, October 24, 2011

Chiratta Puttu & Chenda Murian

Wheat flour Chiratta Puttu with Chenda Murian

Puttu is usually made in a mould called "Puttu Kutti".Now instead of that puttu kutty maker I used a "Chiratta puttumaker"because the upper part of this puttumaker (The mould) resembles a "Chiratta" (which is coconut shell shape). The mould  is a small steel bowl with a loose fitting metal top. Chiratta puttu may also steamed by placing the mould on top of a pressure cooker. The mould has a small hole in the bottom,it has to be attached to a pressure cooker where the weight goes.Through the small hole in the bottom, steam can pass to the flour. You can also use Iddli mould or a Fresh coconut shell to make Puttu.

 
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