Kerala Chicken curry with coconut milk

 As the name says this chicken curry is made with coconut milk in Kerala style. It goes very well with Vellayappam or Puttu or Porotta or even bread. I made this curry to go with Vellayappam as dinner. Crispy lace edges and spongy center of Vellayappam soaked in chicken curry tastes so good that I love to have it at any time of the day. Vellayappam and chicken curry is my family favorite combo.

Ingredients:

1. Coriander powder- 2 tbs
2. Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Cloves - 3
5. Cardamom - 2
6. Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Aniseed - 1/2 tsp
8. Black peppervorns - 1/2 tsp
9. Cinnamon stick - 1 inch piece
10. Oil - 2 tbs
11. Onion, sliced - 1-1.5 cups
12. Ginger, chopped - 1 tsp
13. Garlic, chopped - 2 tsp
14. Green chilli - 2 (optional)
15. Chicken, cut - 1/2kg
16. Thin coconut milk - 1 cup
17. Thick coconut milk - 1/4 cup
18. Coconut oil - 1 tsp
19. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
20. Curry leaves - 2-4
21. Onion/Shallot, thinly sliced - 2 tbs
22. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Make a paste of coriander powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder in 2-3 tbs of water and keep aside
2. Roast cloves, cardamom, aniseed, cumin powder, peppercorns and cinnamon stick and powder it and keep aside
3. Heat oil in a pan and saute onion, ginger, garlic and chilli in it till onion is slightly golden in color
4. Add salt, spice paste and spice powder from step 1 and 2 and fry again for 2 minutes
5. Add chicken pieces and fry for 2-3 minutes
6. Add thin coconut milk to the above and cooke chicken with closed lid
7. When chicken is cooked well, add thick coconut milk and cook for 2 more minutes under low-medium flame. (don't bring the curry to boil after adding thick milk)
8. Switch off the flame
9. In a small pan add coconut oil and heat it
10. When coconut oil is hot, splutter mustard seed  and fry onion slices and curry leaves in it and switch of the flame
11. Pour the above to the chicken curry and keep the lid close for 10 minutes before mixing it

Serve hot chicken curry with appam!

I am linking this post to FiestaFriday#98 co-hosted by Sadhna @ Herbs, Spices, and Traditions and Natalie @ Kitchen, uncorked.

Vellayappam \ Fermented rice crepe

Vellayappam is any Malayali's favorite breakfast. It is made with fermented rice batter. This mildly sweet crepe goes very well with stew or chicken curry or egg curry.

Ingredients:

1. Raw rice/ Pachari - 2 cups
2. Cooked rice - 3/4 cup ( i have used rice made with ponni rice/ basmathi rice and sona masoori.)
3. Coconut shredded - 1 cup
4. Sugar - 2 tbs
5. Instant dry yeast - a pinch (less than 1/8 tsp)
6. Salt to taste
7. Baking soda - 1/4 tsp

Vellayappamchatti/Pan used for making appam

Method:

1. Soak raw rice for 1-2 hrs in water
2. Grind the soaked rice in a grinder or good blender till it is almost smooth. It is ok to have some sandy feeling when squeezed between your fingers
3. Add coconut, cooked rice, salt and sugar and grind well. The consistency of the batter should be thinner than pancake or dosa batter
4. Add yeast and mix well
5. Keep it in a big bowl for fermentation overnight. (6-8 hrs depending on the temperature).Batter will rise more than double the initial volume.
6. After fermentation, mix it again using a laddle and store it in fridge if you are not going to make appams that time.
7. 30 minutes before making appams, add baking soda to the batter and mix well.
8. Laddle batter to an appamchatti or any non stick pan of similar shape and swirl it to make thin layer on the sides of the pan
9. Close the pan and cook on medium flame till sides slightly browned and crisp
10. Move appam to a serving tray and repeat the same with rest of the appams.

I am linking this post to FiestaFriday#98 co-hosted by Sadhna @ Herbs, Spices, and Traditions and Natalie @ Kitchen, uncorked.

Paneer Palak Paratha / Cottage cheese Spinach stuffed bread

Stuffed paratha with butter is certainly a comfort food for most of us. My family loves to have it for dinner. Here is a simple Paneer Palak stuffed paratha recipe for you to try. Want to make it healthy??? Just don't add that butter on paratha...

Ingredients:

For paratha:

1. Wheat Flour - 3 cups
2. Salt to taste
3. Water - 1 + 3 tbs
4. Butter - 1 tsp/paratha
5. Flour for rolling the dough

For stuffing:

1. Paneer/Cottage cheese, crumbs - 1/2 cup
2. Spinach leaves - 2 cups
3. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Green chilli, sliced - 1
5. Ginger, chopped - 1/4 tsp
6. Onion, chopped - 1/4 cup
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Chaat masala - 1/2 tsp
9. Salt to taste
10. Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Knead flour with salt and water till it reaches the right consistency as any bread dough. I have using stand mixer for this and water quantity mentioned is according to that
2. Keep the dough wrapped in a warm wet kitchen towel
3. Heat oil in a pan and splutter cumin seeds
4. Add ginger, onion and green chilli and saute it
5. Add salt, turmeric powder and chaat masala to it and give a stir
6. Add chopped spinach leaves and cook till the leaves are wilted
7. Add paneer crumbs to the above a mix well and cook for 2 more minutes and mix well to remove any big pieces
8. Heat a tawa or griddle to make paratha
9. Divide the dough into balls of about a lemon size
10. Roll each ball to form thin round shape of about 8 inch size like chapathi
11. Spread 1-2 tbs of stuffing on the above
12. Roll another ball to the same size
13. Cover the stuffing with second chapathi
14. Roll it again starting from the center to the sides to remove any air pockets
15. Place the stuffed paratha on hot tawa and add a tsp of butter on it
16. When one side is cooked, flip paratha to cook the other side, 1-2 minutes on each side under medium flame should be enough
17. Repeat the same with all parathas

Serve parathas with Tangy Paneer or simple yogurt raitha!

I am linking this post to FeistaFriday cohosted by Johanne@French Gardener Dishes and Liz@spades, spatulas & spoons

Sugar Cookies

Happy Holidays to all of you!.
The most awaited Thanksgiving and Black Friday is finally over and I am back to the blogging activities.. We had a wonderful thanksgiving meal at Anjan's colleagues house and a busy Black Friday shopping, starting from 5:30am on Friday morning..hehe I had baked some sugar cookies at home on Thanksgiving day with the help of my 2 year old son who loves to use cookie cutter, rolling pin and taste testing the cookie dough.. :D
Here is some sugar cookies from me to all of you to enjoy this holiday.

Ingredients:

For Cookies:

1. All purpose flour - 3 cups
2. Baking powder - 3/4 tsp
3. Salt - 1/4 tsp
4. Butter - 1 cup
5. Sugar - 1 cup
6. Egg - 1
7. Peppermint extract /any other flavor - 1/2 tsp (optional)
8. Powdered sugar for rolling the dough

For cookie decoration:

1. Icing sugar - 1 cup
2. Colored Sugar sprinkles to sprinkle

Note:

• All ingredients must be in room temperature

Method: 

1. Sift flour , baking powder and salt and keep it ready
2. Beat butter and sugar in medium speed using a mixer for about 2-3 minutes until fluffy
3. Add egg to the above and mix again in medium speed until well blended
4. Add flavoring to the above and mix well
5. Add flour mixture slowly in a steady stream while running the mixer in slow speed. (I have used paper cones to add flour to the mixer)
6. Run the mixer in slow speed till the dough starts to pull from the sides of the bowl
7. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts
8. Move each part of dough  to a wax paper, cover it well by folding the wax paper and keep it in fridge for chilling for minimum 2 hours
9. After 2 hrs, preheat the oven to 350 F heat
10. Take out one part of dough and roll it by dusting enough powdered sugar on rolling mat and pin. If the dough is sticking to the mat or pin, add more powdered sugar. If it is still sticking chill it in fridge till it is slightly hardened
11. Cut the cookies using a cookie cutter and move it carefully to the baking tray with parchment paper and chill the tray in fridge
12. Take out the second part of dough and do the same and chill for 5 minutes
13. Move both baking trays to the oven and bake them for 8-10 minutes until it starts to slightly brown at the edges of cookies
14. Take out the baking trays and keep it for cooling
15. After 5 minutes, slowly take each cookie and place it on a cooling rack

For cookie decoration:

1. Mix powdered sugar and a tbs of water in a bowl using a spoon.
2. If the mixture is too thick, add a tsp more of water. The sugar paste must be spreadable in consistency
3. Spread the sugar mixture on each cookie and sprinkle some colored sugar on top

I am linking this post to FeistaFriday cohosted by Johanne@French Gardener Dishes and Liz@spades, spatulas & spoons

Mulligatawny Soup / Chicken Corn Lentil Soup

Mulligatawny soup is a lentil soup with mild spice level. This soup can be made as a vegetarian soup as well as with chicken. I have prepared it as a chicken soup with sweet corn in it. It serves well for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

1. Red Lentil / Pigeon peas (Masoor dal / Toor dal) - 1 cup
2. Split green gram dal (split mung dal)- 1 cup
3. Oil - 1 tbs
4. Onion, sliced - 1 cup
5. Ginger, chopped - 1 tsp
6. Garlic, chopped - 1 tsp
7. Chopped carrot - 1 cup
8. Chopped tomato - 1 cup
9. Chicken broth - 4 cups
10. Chicken breast, chopped to very small pieces - 1/2 kg
11. Pepper powder -1-2 tsp
12. Sweet corn - 1 cup
13. Lemon juice - 1/4 cup +2 tbs
14. Coconut milk - 1 cup
15. Salt to taste
16. Coriander leaves, chopped - 1 tbs

For masala powder:

1. Coriander seeds - 1.5tsp
2. Cumin seeds - 1.5 tsp
3. Aniseed - 1.5 tsp
4. Cinnamon stick- 1/2 inch

Method:

1. Dry roast all ingredients for masala powder in a hot pan until it gives out nice aroma, about a minute.
2. Grind the above to make fine masala powder
3. Heat oil in a big heavy bottomed pan or pressure cooker
4. Saute ginger, garlic and onion  for 2-3 minutes in medium flame
5. Add carrot to the above and saute for 2 more minutes
6. Add masala powder and chopped tomato and give a stir
7. Wash and clean toor dal and mung dal  and add the same to the above
8. Add chicken broth and 2 cups of water and cook till the lentils are well cooked. I cooked it in pressure cooker with weight on for about 20 minutes
9. Keep the soup aside to bring to room temperature
10. Marinate chicken with 2 tbs lemon juice, salt and pepper 
11. Heat 2 tbs oil in a pan and stir fry chicken until the chicken starts to change from white to golden color. Chicken need not turn brown color.
12. Keep chicken aside for later use.
13. Once the soup comes to room temperature blend it well in a blender and pass it through a mesh sieve
14. Heat the soup again and add salt, sweet corn and chicken to it,
15. When sweet corn and chicken is cooked well, add coconut milk to it under low flame.
16. Once the soup starts to bubble, switch off  the stove, add 1/4 cup of lemon juice and coriander leaves.

Serve hot soup with a sprinkle of pepper powder on top!

I am linking this post to FridayFiesta#95 co hosted by  Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Petra @ Food Eat Love.

Lamb Chili

We made our very first Chili at home yesterday for Anjan's office' Chili cook off competition. Chili is something which we have never tasted before.. :) Anyways, since we wanted to participate in the cook off we decided to prepare chili at home. Chili is usually made with Beef or Pork  and Beans as the main ingredient. As we both don't have beef or pork, we decided to go with Lamb Chili. We made Lamb chili with mixed vegetables in it. And to our surprise, our Lamb chili is voted to be the best Chili in the cook off.
Here comes the award winning Lamb chili recipe.
And, sorry, I don't have a picture of the chili we made... :( I shall soon update the post with the pic when i make it again.

Ingredients:

1. Lamb, minced - 1/2 kg
2. Red onion, sliced - 1 cup
3. Ginger, chopped - 1 tbs
4. Garlic, chopped - 1 tbs
5. Oil - 2 tbs
6. Chili powder - 2.5 tsp
7. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
8. Cumin powder - 1 tsp
9. Chicken masala powder - 1 tbs
10. Salt to taste
11. Black bean - 1 can (15oz)
12. Pinto bean - 1 can (15oz)
13. Ro-tel original chopped tomato with chilli - 28oz canister
14. Tomato puree - 2tbs
15. Cabbage, chopped - 1.5 cups
16. Carrot chopped - 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed big pan with tight lid ( use pressure cooker or dutch oven)
2. Add onion, ginger and garlic and give a stir
3. Add minced lamb and salt to taste
4. Saute lamb till the raw color goes
5. Add chilli powder, chili powder, cumin powder and chicken masala and give a stir
6. After 5 minutes add both beans, Ro-tel chopped tomatoes with chilli, tomato puree, cabbage and carrot and stir again
7. Cook chili with closed lid for about 2 hours in low to medium flame. (If you are using pressure cooker, you may use low- medium flame with weight on and then release the pressure and cook for another 1 hr again with or without weight. Since we use low flame we are not looking for whistle.)
8. Switch off the flame after 2hrs of slow cooking. Chili should be thick enough and all ingredients must be cooked well by now.

Serve warm chili with sour cream and sweet cornmeal bread!

Chum Chum / Cottage Cheese Sweet

Chum chum is the tastiest Bengali sweet i have ever tasted. For the very first time we made chum chum at home for this Diwali. It tastes just the same as the one from bakery.
It is very common at our home, to have some sweets after dinner almost everyday. Usually it is Laddo or badusha or something similar. It is only during Diwali time that we get to buy Bengali sweets there. As we are from Kerala, which is the southern most State of India, we usually don't have any Diwali celebrations as such except the Diwali sweets which Achan (Dad) brings from the best Bengali sweets shop there. I still remember that big box of sweets which has all the yummiest Bengali sweets in it... yum yum...
Here goes the recipe for Chum chum

Ingredients:

1. Whole milk - 3 cups
2. Lime juice - 2-3 tbs
3. Sugar - 1.5 cup
4. Water - 2 cups + 1/2 cup
5. Flour - 2 tsp
6. White chocolate, melted - 2tbs
7. Saffron - 1/2 tsp
8. Pistachios/Almonds, slivered/chopped  for garnish

Method:

Paneer/Chenna

1. Boil milk in a pan and add lime juice to it 
2. When the milk completely separates and clear green liquid is seen take it for from stove.  Don't cook paneer now, otherwise it wont be soft.
3. Pass the above mixture through a muslin cloth and wash it under water to remove lemon taste if any
4. Squeeze out water by twisting the muslin cloth and hang it or keep it on paper towels for 2-3 hrs till all the water is out from the milk solids or paneer or chenna

Sugar syrup

1. Mix flour in half a cup of water and keep aside
2. Boil 2 water in a big wide pan and melt sugar in it
3. Add 1/4 tsp of saffron in the sugar mixture and let it boil
4. After 2-3 minutes add half of the flour water in the sugar syrup
5. Remove if any dirt comes as a top layer on sugar syrup. Sugar syrup shouldn't reach thread consistency
6. Sugar syrup is ready when the consistency is easily pourable and thinner than thread consistency

Chum chum

1. Knead paneer very well using hand on a flat surface. Paneer must be very soft and smooth after this. Kneading should be around 3 -4 minutes
2. Divide the dough into 6 equal part and roll it with your palm to make Oval shapes. Oval balls should be smooth without cracks
3. Sprinkle flour on a plate and place each ball in the the plate
4. Add chum chum balls to the boiling sugar syrup by titling the plate instead of taking it individually to avoid breaking any chum chum
5. Cook chum chum with closed lid for about 10 minutes and flip it to cook both sides and cook for 10 more minutes
6. To avoid sugar syrup from getting thick and sticking to the sides, add half a cup of water along the sides of the pan while cooking chum chum
7. Once chum chum is cooked for about 20 minutes, Chum chum would be doubled in its size and it will spring back if you touch it
8. Take Chum Chum out to a bowl using a big laddle. Take 3 laddles of syrup and add it to the chum chum bowl along with a cup of water
9. Keep it in the syrup for 5-6 hrs
10. After that, take out chum chum and squeeze out the syrup gently
11. Mix 1/4 tsp of saffron in a tsp of milk
12. You may garnish chum chum with saffron milk mix and nuts OR You may make a slit on the chum chum and fill it with melted chocolate and nuts and saffron

Traditionally chum chum is filled with milk khoya/ thickened milk instead of white chocolate. For easiness I have used white chocolate instead of Khoya.

I am linking this post to FridayFiesta#95 co hosted by  Loretta @ Safari of the Mind and Petra @ Food Eat Love.

Coconut Pineapple Bhapa Doi / Steamed Sweet Yogurt Pudding

Bhapa Doi is a yummy steamed yogurt dessert. I was looking for some Diwali sweet recipe in different websites and I found Bhapa Doi in different places.. A simple Bhapa Doi has 3 ingredients, sweetened condensed milk, yogurt and milk. Before tasting this i was wondering on how a steamed yogurt sweet would taste...  But it does tastes really good.
Last time we had bought a tub of Haagen Dazs ice cream with coconut pineapple flavor and it tasted delicious. So here I am giving a Bhapa Doi recipe with coconut pineapple flavor with a fruity topping for it. I think the same recipe on a graham cracker crust would give a wonderful new yogurt pie.. Give it a try!

CONTEST WINNING RECIPE
For the contest
Festival of Lights- Diwali!!

Ingredients:

1. Sweetened condensed milk - 1/2 cup + 2 tbs
2. Thick yogurt  - 1/2 cup
3. Thick coconut milk paste - 2 tbs(optional)
4. Coconut Flavor - 2 tsp
5. Chopped pineapple - 1/3 cup + 1 cup
6. Sugar to taste (approximately 1/2 cup)

Method:

1. Combine condensed milk, yogurt, coconut milk, coconut flavor and 1/3 cup chopped pineapple in a bowl and mix well
2. Pour the above mixture to a bowl in which you are going to steam it
3. Close the bowl using an aluminium foil paper
4. Take enough water in a steamer or large bowl which can fit the foil covered pudding bowl and place the pudding bowl in it
5. Close the steamer bowl and steam for 20 minutes in medium flame
6. Heat a sauce pan and cook 1 cup of chopped pineapple and sugar with 1/4 cup water till pineapple is well cooked and consistency is as thick as jam
7. Spread the above pineapple mixture on top of the cooked pudding and chill it in the fridge overnight

I am linking this post to cook once eat twice and FridayFiesta#94 co hosted by Judi and Stef @ The Kiwi Fruit

Grilled tomato and Beetroot Soup

"Every leaf speaks bliss to me, fluttering from the Autumn tree." - Emily Bronte

I am loving the beautiful and colorful fall here. I have added some beautiful red and orange leaves in my below pics to bring fall into my pics.. :)

Here is an easy warn soup made with beetroot and grilled tomatoes!

Ingredients:

1. Fire grilled tomatoes - 1 can,~ 400gm
2. Sliced Beetroot - 1 can,~ 400 gm
3. Chicken broth - 2 cups
4. Garlic - 1 clove
5. Salt to taste
6. Pepper to taste
7. Butter - 1 tsp

Note:

• You may grill fresh tomatoes and use it in soup instead of canned tomatoes
• You may use fresh beetroot slices, but need to make sure it is cooked well before bending it in the blender 

Method:

1. Heat butter in a pan and saute chopped garlic in it
2. Add tomatoes, beetroot and chicken broth to it and cook it for 30-40 minutes in medium-low flame
3. Add water to it if the soup is too thick and switch off the flame
4. Blend the above mixture in a blender once it is in room temperature
5. Heat the soup again and add salt and pepper to taste

Serve the soup warm.. It is a mild tasting soup without too many strong flavors in it. You can get the roasted tomato taste and sweetness from beetroot..

I am linking this post to FridayFiesta#94 co hosted by Judi and Stef @ The Kiwi Fruit

Spinach Chicken Curry

We had Spinach Chicken curry with porotta for dinner yesterday... I was too lazy to make chapathi or rice for dinner, so finally used the frozen porotta to go with chicken curry and like most Malayalis I love to have porotta.. :)
We always have baby spinach leaves stocked in our fridge as we try to have it everyday in some form... and mostly it is a part of our morning smoothie. Yesterday I wanted to cook chicken with any new experiment recipe, partly because I am thrilled to post new recipe for the FridayFiesta event every week :)
The curry came out really yummy. Here goes the recipe for the same.

Ingredients:

1. Chicken, cut into small pieces - 1/4kg
2. Yogurt - 2 tbs
3. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
4. Salt to taste
5. Oil - 2 tbs
6. Cardamom - 2
7. Cloves - 4
8. Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
9. Bay leaf - 1
10. Pepper corn - 6
11. Ginger, chopped - 1 tsp
12. Garlic chopped - 1 tsp
13. Onion, sliced - 1 cup
14. Spinach leaves  - 2 cups
15. Tomato - 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Marinate chicken with pepper powder, yogurt and salt to taste for 15 minutes
2. Keep spinach leaves in a bowl of hot water for 15 minutes and puree it with minimum water
3. Heat oil in a pan
4. Add ingredients from 6 to 10 and saute it till the cloves start to splutter
5. Add ginger, garlic and onion and saute them till onion is slightly browned
6. Add chicken to this and saute it in high flame till chicken starts to get slightly golden color
7. Add spinach puree, a cup of water and salt if needed
8. When chicken is half cooked, add tomato slices and cook till chicken is well cooked and gravy is thickened.

Serve it hot with chapathi or porotta

I am linking this post to FiestaFriday#93 co hosted by  Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook and Kaila @ GF LIfe 24/7

Halloween Special: Chocolate Banana Muffins

Are you planning to throw away those over ripe bananas?? Please don't, instead make this banana chocolate muffin... It tastes so good that i regret giving away those pretty 9 muffins to my husbands office friends... :D
And yes, Happy Halloween to all!! Today is 2015 Halloween, and my very first Halloween. I wanted to make something special for Halloween and cookies were in my mind for few days.. But I ended up making this banana muffin as i had some over ripe bananas at home and also some left over buttercream frosting too.
The recipe is adapted from Joy of Baking 

Ingredients:

1. Flour - 1 3/4 cup
2. Baking powder - 1 tsp
3. Baking soda  - 1/2 tsp
4. Sugar - 1/2 cup
5. Brown sugar - 1/4 cup
6. Cocoa powder - 3 tbs
7. Chocolate chips - 1/2 cup
8. Salt - a pinch
9. Egg - 3 (small or medium size)
10. Butter, melted - 1/2 cup
11. Banana, mashed - 3 large, about 1 1/2 - 2 cups
12. Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
13. Buttercream frosting - 1 1/2 cups (optional)

Note:

• I have used mini chocolate chips
• You  may mash banana manually or use a blender to do the same. I used a blender for mashing bananas
• Since i had problem with mixing baking powder and baking soda with flour last few times, i have put extra effort to make sure it is mixed very well with flour and other dry ingredients by putting all dry ingredients into a canister and giving nice shakes and stir :)
• I have used a 12 cup muffin tray and 4 silicone cups for baking

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F heat
2. Prepare a 12 cup + 4 cups muffin tray with paper cups
3. Mix all dry ingredients from 1 to 8 very well. Make sure there is no lumps
4. Mix all wet ingredients from 9 to 12 in another bowl
5. Fold in dry ingredients mixture to wet mixture until they are combined and not many lumps in the batter left
6. Spoon the batter in to each muffin cup to fill 3/4 or little more than that of the cup
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or unitl skewer comes out clean when dipped at the muffin center
8. If you are frosting your muffins, you may do it after the muffins are cooled to room temperature. I have used blue color and white color frosting with star tip and round tip. And top it with wilton  sugar eyes. 

I am linking this post to Fiesta Friday

Pumpkin Kulfi

Kulfi is an all time favorite Indian dessert. Here I am giving a twist to the traditional kulfi by adding pumpkin puree to it. Halloween is here in few days and pumpkins are in abundant in markets now. It is a beautiful site to see farm fields filled with large monster pumpkins. But in the below recipe i have used canned pumpkin puree, lazy me :) .

Ingredients:

1. Pumpkin puree, sauteed in a tsp of ghee for 3-4 minutes - 3 tbs
2. Milk - 4 cups
3. Brown sugar/ White Sugar - 3/4 cup
4. Saffron - a pinch
5. Cashew nuts, chopped - 1/4 cup
6. Badam/Almond chopped - 1/4 cup
7. Pecans, chopped - 1/4 cup
8. Cardamom - 2

Brown sugar gives a nice caramel flavor to Kulfi..

Method:

1. Boil milk in a clean pan
2. When milk starts to boil add nuts, spices and sugar to it and stir.
3. Continue boiling the milk under low-medium flame stirring in between till milk is almost reduced to 1.5 cups
4. If you want to go with the traditional kulfi, pour the above mix into a bowl and cool it to room temperature.
5. If you want to add pumpkin puree to it, add it now and let it cook for 3 more minutes and pour it into a bowl and cool it to room temperature
6. Keep the bowl in the fridge for 3 hrs
7. After 3 hrs, stir the mixture again for 2 minutes to avoid water crystals
8. Pour the kulfi mixture in to small bowls or Popsicle mould and freeze it overnight.
9. You may top the kulfi with almond slivers.

I am linking this post to Fiesta Friday

Vegetable spring roll

Do you like to snack in between meals?? Well, who doesn't love that.. How about a cookie or a samosa?? Wait...Think again..do you really want to eat that butter, sugar or oil to satisfy your appetite? Not always..(I know sometimes the answer is "Yes" :) ) Here comes the very fresh, crisp and healthy snack for you.. It is so easy that any one can make it at home provided you have the freshest veggies and rice paper wraps with you..

I love to have vegetable spring roll with peanut sauce dip. The crunch you get at each bite...ah.. you should try it yourself...

Ingredients:

1. Carrot, julienned - 1 cup
2. Cabbage , thin strips - 1 cup
3. Lettuce leaves, small - 5
4. Glass noodles/ Rice, cooked - 5 tbs ( I have used basmati rice)
5. Mint leaves/ Basil leaves - 5
6. Rice paper wraps - 5

Method:

1. Take one rice paper wrap and dip it in warm water till it is soft. (takes less than a minute)
2. Place a small lettuce leaf in the center
3. Top it with  carrots, cabbage and a tbs of rice or noodles. Adjust the quantity of veggies so that you can fold the wrap well.
4. Place a mint leaf or basil leaf on top
5. Fold the wrap according to the pic shown.
6. Repeat the same with all the wraps

Tada..vegetable spring roll is ready to be served.


I am linking this post to Friday Fiesta co hosted by Juju and Indira.

Peanut sauce dip

We had vegetable spring roll with peanut sauce dip few days back from a Vietnamese restaurant  and it tasted really good, especially the dipping sauce. It was a kind of sweet peanut sauce. Though I am not a peanut butter lover, I wanted to come up with a copycat recipe for the dipping sauce at home. Below is the recipe of the same. It tastes very similar to the restaurant version we had.

Ingredients:

1. Peanut butter, creamy - 4 tbs
2. Honey - 2 tbs
3. Sriracha sauce - 1 tsp
4. Sweet balsamic vinegar - 1 tbs
5. Soya sauce -  2tbs
6. Salt to taste

Note:

• If you cannot find Sriracha sauce, use red chilli sauce. (not the sweet one)

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients well. Adjust the water according to the consistency you like.

See the recipe for Vegetable spring roll here.

Egg On Omelette

Here comes a very quick and easy recipe for breakfast... "Egg On Omelette"

Ingredients:

1. Egg - 2
2. Baby spinach - 2 cups
3. Oil - 1 tsp
4. Tomato Salsa - 2 tbs
5. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Beat an egg in a bowl
2. Add salt to taste and mix spinach leaves in it
3. Heat a small nonstick pan, and add 1 tsp of oil in it
4. Pour the egg spinach mix in it and make a small well in the center using a spoon
5. Cover it and cook for a minute
6. Spoon over the salsa on the spinach omlette and let it cook for a minute more
7. Slowly open up the second egg and pour it to the center well and switch off the pan

Serve the yummy eggy breakfast warm with a bread toast and coffee.. :)

Tomato Salsa

Tomato salsa is a very handy sauce/dip to go with nachos, wraps, salads etc etc! It goes really well with most of the things.. So whenever we prepare it at home, i make sure that i will have some extra to store it in fridge for later use and it has never gone wasted :)

Ingredients:

1. Tomato, chopped (canned tomato) - 1 can
2. Tomato puree (canned) - 1/2 can
3. Jalapeno pepper, chopped - 1/2(adjust it according to your spice level)
4. Lime juice - 1 tbs
5. Salt to taste
6. Garlic, chopped - 1 clove
7. Onion, chopped - 2 tbs
8. Coriander leaves, chopped - 1 tbs
9. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Sugar - 1/4 tsp

Note:

• We don't want to puree salsa completely. Hence pulsing in the blender will do the trick
• Store it in an airtight container in fridge for later use
• According to my husband it tastes best on the next day

Method:
Add all the ingredients in a blender and pulse it 2 or 3 times

Tada... that is it.. salsa is ready to be served!