Roasted Cauliflower curry

Ingredients:
For roasting cauliflower:

1. Cauliflower florets- 2 cups
2. Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
3. Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp 
4. Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Turmeric powder -1/8 tsp
6. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
7. Yogurt- 1 tbs
8. Salt to taste
9. Oil - 2 tbs

For curry:

1. Onion, sliced - 1 cup
2. Ginger paste -1 tsp
3. Garlic paste - 1tsp
4. Tomato purée, canned - 2 tbsp 
5. Salt to taste
6. Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp 
7. Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
9. Green peas, frozen - 1/2 cup 
10. Kasuri methi, crushed- 1 tbs
11. Milk/milk cream - 1/3 cup
12. Coriander leaves - 1 tbs

Method:

1. Marinate cauliflower with all the ingredients under roasting cauliflower except oil
2. Heat a pan with 2 tbs oil and roast cauliflower under high heat till cauliflower have some brown spots on them and keep aside the cauliflower on oil soaking tissue 
3. Heat the same pan with 2 tbs oil
4. Sauté onion till translucent 
5. Add ginger paste and garlic paste and sauté again
6. Once the raw smell goes, add turmeric powder, chilli powder and garam masala and give a stir
7. Add tomato purée and mix again
8. Add a cup of water and required salt to it and let it boil
9. Once boiling and slightly thick, add green peas, roasted cauliflower and Kasuri methi to it
10. As the cauliflower is fully coated with gravy and gravy is thick enough, add milk or milk cream to it and mix well
11. Switch off the flame 
12. Garnish with coriander leaves

Paneer kheer/Cottage cheese pudding

Paneer kheer is a delicate kheer made with paneer. It is a tasty treat which is sure to win everyone's compliments!

Ingredients:

1. Milk - 1.5 Liters
2. Condensed milk - 1/2 tin
3. Cardamom powder - 1/8 tsp 
4. White Vinegar - 1 tbs
5. Saffron - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Heat 1liter of milk in a sauce pan
2. Once the milk is hot, add vinegar to it. 
3. Keep the milk hot it in low flame for a minute more and switch off the flame 
4. The milk should be completely split by now 
5. Add more cool water to the above to clean the milk solids from vinegar taste
6. Pour it into a muslin cloth to drain water. Hang it or keep it flat to drain water.
7. Once fully drained, crumble the paneer
8. Heat the rest of milk in another sauce pan
9. Add condensed milk, cardamom and saffron to it and stir it for 20 minutes till the kheer thickens
10. Add crumbled paneer and cook for 15 minutes more and switch off the flame 

Garnish kheer with edible silver foil!

Meen Pollichadu/ Steamed Fish in Banana Leaf

 

Meen pollichadu is usually made with pomfret or any other fish with flesh. And the masala is usually bright red in color as it is made with chilli powder. But for a change I have used green chilli instead of red chilli here.

Ingredients:

1. Fish, cut into slices - 4
2. Shallots- 1/2 cup
3. Green chilli - 4
4. Ginger, chopped - 1 tsp
5. Garlic, chopped - 1 tsp
6. Curry leaves - 4-5
7. Salt to taste
8. White Vinegar - 1 tbs
9. Coconut oil - 1/4 cup
10. Banana leaves - 4 pieces

Method:

1. Grind all ingredients except oil and fish to paste
2. Heat oil and add hot oil to the above paste
3. Take  banana leaf and make it flexible by keeping it on flame for a second
4. Spoon the masala on the banana leaf as shown in picture
5. Place fish on the masala and spoon more masala on the fish
6. Fold the banana leaf as shown in the pic and tie it using thread and keep it for 15-20 minute
7. Heat a heavy griddle and cook fish on it under medium to high flame, 5-8 minutes on each side

Serve Meen pollichadu with rice!

Irachi Pathiri

Irachi Pathiri is a Malabar Muslim dish with chicken stuffed in flour pathiris/tortillas and deep fried. This is kind of a must try for us every year during Ramzan fasting days from the famous Zains hotel in Calicut. During those days Zains have all those yummy Malabar Muslim snacks available in the evening time and we make sure that we have at least a single visit there on one of those days.

Irachi Pathiri is not a heavily spiced snack, it is mildly spiced. But don't count the calories and fat when you have this. 😜
Here goes the recipe for Irachi Pathiri which yeilds 2  medium sized pathiris. 

Ingredients:

1. Chicken pieces - about 100gm
2. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp 
3. Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
4. Turmeric powder -1/8 tsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Onion, chopped - 1/4 cup
7. Ginger, chopped - 1tsp
8. Garlic, chopped - 1 tsp 
9. Oil - for frying + 2 tbs
10. All purpose flour - 1 cup
11. Salt to taste
12. Egg - 1
13. Sugar - 1 tsp
14. Cardamom powder - 1 pinch
15. Ghee/ oil - 4 tbs

Method:

1. Marinate chicken pieces with salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder for 10 minutes.
2. Cook chicken in half a cup of water. 
3. Once chicken is cooked well, cool them and shred the chicken 
4. Knead flour with salt and water and keep it closed for 10-20 minutes 
5. Heat 2 tbs oil in a pan and sauté onion , ginger and garlic for 2 minute under medium flame 
6. Add the shredded chicken to the above and sauté it for 2 more minutes 
7. Roll the dough to 4 round shaped pathiris 
8. Spread chicken mixture on a pathiri 
9. Cover it with 2nd pathiri 
10. Apply a bit of water on the pathiri edges for sticking them together 
11. Seal the sides using a fork or with finger
12. Remove any trapped air by pricking the pathiri with tooth picks 
13. Heat oil in a deep frying pan  
14. Deep fry pathiris till they are cooked and golden brown
15. Keep them on oil absorbing tissues
16. Mix egg,sugar, salt and cardamom powder and pour it to a flat bottomed bowl or plate
17. Heat another flat pan with ghee in it
18. Dip fried pathiris in the egg mixture so that both sides have egg mixture on them. You may spoon the egg mixture on the pathiris or flip pathiris in the egg mixture instead of dipping it
19. Fry pathirus on the flat hot pan with ghee till the egg mixture on both sides are cooked and slightly browned.

Irachi pathiris are ready to be served!

Sambar, without sambar powder / Lentil vegetable soup

Sambar is one of our family favorite day to day dish. In Kerala itself there are so many varieties of sambar as we move from South Kerala to North Kerala. Slightly sweet version from south to the roasted coconut version sambar from north tastes good with rice as well as idli or dosa.

Our usual sambar is made with sambar powder and roasted coconut paste. That is my mom's version. And that is one of the best tasting sambar I have ever had. 😊

But the below Sambar recipe is adapted from my mother in laws version of sambar which is made without sambar powder. This is the best sambar recipe without sambar powder :). 

Ingredients:

1. Sambar dal/ toor dal - 1/3 cup
2. Tomato, wedges - 1 cup
3. Onion, wedges - 1/2 cup
4. Drumstick, cut - 1/2 cup
5. Ladies finger, cut - 1/2 cup
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Tamarind paste - 1.5 tsp 
8. Salt to taste 
9. Coconut oil - 2 tbsp 
10. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
11. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
12. Curry leaves - 6
13. Dry red chilli - 2-3

Sambar masala:

1. Coconut oil - 1 tsp
2. Split urud dal - 1 tsp
3. Uluva/ fenugreek seeds - 3/4 tsp
4. Kayam / Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp
5. Curry leaves - 4-5
6. Coconut, shredded - 2 heaped tbs
7. Chilli powder - 1 tsp
8. Coriander powder - 3 tsp

Method:

Sambar masala:

1. Heat a tsp of coconut oil in a pan
2. Add kayam, urud dal, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves and sauté till urud dal is golden brown. 
3. Add coconut and stir till coconut is golden brown. Stir continuously under low flame so that coconut doesn't get burned. 
4. Add chilli powder and coriander powder to the above and stir for a minute and switch off the flame. 
5. Make smooth paste with the above. 

Sambar:

1. Cook sambar dal with enough water in pressure cooker till soft and mushy
2. Add all vegetables except ladies finger along with turmeric powder
3. Once the vegetables are almost cooked, add ladies finger. 
4. Add salt to taste. 
5. Add sambar paste to it and mix it
6. Once the sambar starts to boil, add tamarind paste and mix well 
7. Let it cook for 2 more minutes and switch off the flame. 
8. Add chopped coriander leaves. 
9. Heat coconut oil in a small pan for tempering. 
10. Splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds
11. Add curry leaves and dry red chilli to the above and switch off the flame. 
12. Pour the tempering over sambar and keep it closed for a few minutes before stirring. 

Serve sambar with rice or idli. 

Hot and sweet mango chutney

Hot and sweet mango chutney is a quick chutney to go with samosas or cutlets. This is a no cook recipe that can be made with fresh ripe mangoes.

Ingredients:

1. Sweet mango, cut into cubes - 1 cup
2. Ginger, chopped - 1/4 tsp 
3. Green chilli - 2 , adjust to your spice level
4. Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
5. Sugar - adjust according to the sweetness of mango

Method:

1. Make a paste of all the ingredients in a blender and enjoy the chutney 

Samosa

Here goes the recipe for mildly spiced samosas. 

Ingredients:

For pastry:

1. Maida - 1 cup
2. Ghee - 2 tsp
3. Ajwain seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Salt to taste

For filling and frying:

1. Oil - to fry + 2 tbs
2. Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
3. Onion, chopped - 1/4 cup
4. Ginger chopped - 1 tsp
5. Green Chilli, chopped - 1/8 tsp
6. Fennel powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Coriander powder - 1tsp
10. Amchur powder - 1/4 tsp 
11. Potato, cooked and cut into cubes - 1 cup
12. Green peas - 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Knead all the ingredients for pastry with enough water to make a thick dough
2. Keep the dough closed for 30 min
3. Heat 2 tsp of oil in a sautéing pan
4. Splutter cumin seeds in it
5. Add onion, green chilli and ginger in it and sauté for 2 min in medium flame
6. Add all the spice powders in it and give a quick stir
7. Add salt to taste
8. Add potatoes and green peas and mix well and switch off the flame
9. Make 4 balls from the dough
10. Roll them to round and make a cup with it in your hand like shown in the picture above
11. Add the masala filling and close it well by applying water to the edges
12. Repeat the same with all the balls
13. Heat oil for frying and deep fry samosas in medium to low flame till samosas and cooked well and is crispy brown outside. 

Serve hot samosas with hot and sweet mango chutney and tomato sauce.

I am linking this post to FiestaFriday#125 which is co-hosted by  Quinn @ dadwhats4dinner and Elaine @ Foodbod.

Baklava

Baklava is a sweet pastry made with filo pastry layered with crushed nuts and dates soaked in sugar-honey syrup.

Ingredients:

1. Filo pastry sheets - 35 sheets in pan shape
2. Butter, melted and cooled - 2 cups
3. Crushed or chopped almonds - 2 cups
4. Dates, chopped - 1/2 cup

Syrup

1. Sugar-1/2 cup
2. Honey - 1/4 cup
3. Water -1/3 cup
4. Lemon peel, shredded - 1/2 lemon

Method:

1. Heat all the ingredients for syrup in a bowl, stirring in between to melt sugar
2. Once the syrup starts to boil, stop stirring and let it boil for 4-5 minutes and keep it in room temperature to cool
3. Preheat oven to 160 degree Celsius 
4. Butter a baking pan
5. Cut 35 sheets of filo pastry dough to the pan shape
6. Place a filo sheet in the buttered pan
7. Brush the filo sheet with butter and place  next sheet on top
8. Repeat the procedure till 10 sheets are placed on top of each other with butter brushed in between each sheet
9. Brush butter on the 10th sheet and layer with 1/2 cup of almonds
10. Again place 5 sheets of filo with butter brushed between each filo sheet
11. Layer 1/2 cup of crushed almonds again
12. Repeat the same 2 more times with 5 sheets of filo again and almonds
13. Top with 10 sheets of filo with butter brushed between each filo sheet
14. Finally brush butter in the top layer and bake for 1 hr
15. Raise the temperature from 160 to 220 and bake for 15 more minutes or till the top is golden brown
16. Take out from the oven and pour cool syrup on the hot baklava. You should be able to hear the sizzling sound. 
17. Keep the baklava open to cool in the room temperature
18. Let the baklava stand for a few hours undisturbed so the syrup penetrates well. 
19. Garnish with chopped pistachios. 

Mango Cheesecake

Ingredients 

1. Graham crackers pie crust - 1
2. Cream cheese- 2
3. Eggs - 3
4. Sugar - 1/2 cup
5. Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
6. Greek yogurt- 1/4 cup
7. Mango purée - 1/2 cup

Method

1. Preheat oven to 475f heat
2. In a mixer, beat cream cheese, yogurt , sugar and vanilla till smooth
3. Whisk eggs in a bowl
4. Add egg mixture to the cream cheese mixture and beat until it is well combined
5. Pour half of the cheesecake mixture into the chilled crust
6. Spoon over 1/4 cup of mango purée on it
7. Pour rest of the cheesecake mixture on it and top it with the rest of mango purée
8. Bake the cheesecake in a hot water bath for 12 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350f heat
9. Bake for 40-45 minutes till the cake is almost set, you need not wait for the cheesecake to start browning 
10. Switch off the oven and move cheesecake to room temperature after 10 minutes
11. Let the cheesecake reach room temperature before chilling it
12. Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight 

Chocolate Cake

This is by far the best moist chocolate cake I have baked. The recipe is adapted from "The Art Of The Dessert" by Ann Amernick.

The above cake we made was for giving a surprise birthday celebration to Liesel. Riya, Liesel and Narin were coming to our place to have a small reunion after almost a decade. Liesel's bday was coming on the following week so we had this surprise bday celebration for her. We even called Diya and Lakshmi on skype to complete the group :) And it is Diya on the phone screen in the below photos. We were all roommates during our college time. And we used to have this surprise b'day celebration in our room for all birthdays.Those hostel days were some of the most beautiful fun days in my life. And to meet Riya, Liesel and Narin after so long was so much fun!

In the above picture I have filled and frosted the cake with Raspberry mousse and chocolate ganache

The same cake recipe was used to make Anjan's Birthday cake last year. Chocolate ganache was used for cake filling and frosting.

Ingredients:

1. Sugar - 2 cups
2. Cake Flour - 1+2/3 cup
3. Cocoa powder - 1 cup
4. Baking soda - 2 tsp
5. Baking powder - 1 tsp
6. Salt - 1/4 tsp
7. Instant coffee powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Buttermilk/ Yogurt - 1 cup
9. Water - 1 cup
10. Eggs - 3 large
11. Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
12. Melted butter - 1 stick

Note:

• All ingredients must be in room temperature

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F heat
2. Line 2  9inch round cake pans with parchment paper and butter the paper and sides
3. Sift sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt and coffee powder into a large mixing bowl
4. Whisk buttermilk, water, eggs and vanilla extract until just combined
5. Whisk the egg mixture with the dry mixture till the batter is smooth, scraping the sides with a rubber spatula.
6. Add the melted butter now and stir with the whisk until well combined. The batter will be somewhat thin
7. Divide the batter evenly among the 2 pans and bake it for 16-18 minutes until the cake tester comes out clean when inserted
8. Let the cake cool on a wire rack in the pan for 10 minutes and then invert them on to the rack to remove parchment paper. 
9. Invert it again and cool till the cakes reach room temperature
10. The cakes can be filled and frosted now or can be wrapped tightly in a cling wrap and frozen for upto a month.

Crème Brûlée

Crème Brûlée or Burnt cream is a sweet creamy custard topped with crispy browned sugar surface.
If you have a sweet tooth and if you are not scared of calories then this recipe is for you..

Ingredients:

1. Fresh cream- 2 cups
2. Egg yolk- 5
3. Sugar - 1/2 cup
4. Vanilla extract/ puree - 2 tbs
5. Sugar - 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Beat egg yolks with sugar and vanilla till it is mixed well and pale in color
2. Heat milk cream in a pan until it starts to get slightly frothy on the edges
3. Add 1 or 2 tbsp of hot cream to the yolk mixture and mix well
4. Strain the above mixture in a fine mesh
5. Add some more hot cream, about half a cup and whisk it well
6. And finally add the whole of the milk cream to the egg mixture and mix well ( Step by step adding and mixing of hot cream to the egg mixture is done to avoid cooking of egg in hot cream)
7. Pour the mixture equally among ramekins, about 3 or 4
8. Preheat the oven to 325F heat
9. Place the ramekins in a large roasting/cake pan with hot water filled till half of the ramekin height
10. Bake for 30 minutes or until set
11. Cool them to room temperature and chill it in the fridge for 3-4 hrs
12. Brown 1/2 cup of sugar with a tsp of water in a wide pan (Don't stir sugar during browning, you may swirl the pan for uniform browning)
13. When sugar reaches the required color (see the picture for the color), pour it over the chilled pudding in ramekins to form a thin layer

Crème Brûlée is ready to be served. I loved cracking open the crispy browned sugar surface and digging into the creamy goodness :) 

Chicken & Beans Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1. Chicken, cut into cubes - 1/2kg
2. Corn starch - 2 tsp
3. Salt
4. Pepper - 1 tsp
5. Sriracha  - 1 tbs
6. Ginger paste - 1 tsp
7. Garlic paste - 1 tsp
8. Vinegar - 2 tbs
9. Onion cubed - 1/4 cup
10. Oil - 3 tbsp 
11. Ginger, chopped - 1 tsp
12. Garlic chopped - 1 tsp
13. Beans - 12-15
14. Soya sauce - 2 tbsp 
15. Tomato ketchup- 1 tbs

Method:

1. Marinate chicken with ingredients from 2 to 8 and keep it for an hour
2. Heat 1 tbs oil in wok or pan
3. Fry chicken in it till chicken is half cooked and almost changed to white color outside
4. Move chicken to another bowl and keep it aside
5. Add 2tbs oil to the same pan
6. Saute chopped ginger and garlic for 2 minutes
7. Add onion cubes and beans to the above and saute till beans is almost cooked but still crunchy
8. Add the chicken back to the above and saute everything again till the chicken is well cooked
9. Add soya sauce, tomato ketchup and a cup of water to the above and cook till gravy thickens

Serve chicken beans stir fry with fried rice!

Egg Paratha

Ingredients

1. Onion chopped 1/2 cup
2. Cumin and coriander seeds, crushed - 1/2 tsp each
3. Green chilli chopped -1 
4. Ginger chopped - 1tsp
5. Wheat - 1.5 cup
6. All purpose Flour - 1 cup
7. Egg - 4
8. Coriander leaves - 5 tbs
9. Salt to taste
10. Butter - 1.5 tsp for each paratha

Method:

1. Mix wheat, flour, salt, onion, green chilli, crushed cumin and coriander seeds and chopped ginger well
2. Knead the above mixture with approximately a cup of water to make smooth dough. I have used mixer to do this.
3. Keep the dough wrapped in cloth for about 30 minutes
4. Mix 4 eggs, required salt and chopped coriander leaves in a bowl and keep aside
5. Make around 6 balls from the above dough
6. Roll each ball into round shape
7. Apply half a teaspoon of butter on the above and spread it using a brush or spoon
8. Fold it into half and place 1/4 tsp of butter on it
9. Fold it again and roll it. Use oil or flour while rolling the paratha to avoid sticking to the rolling pin and board
10. Heat a tawa, and add 1/2 tsp of butter on it
11. Place a paratha on the butter and allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes and flip it to the other side
12. Spoon the egg mixture on to the paratha and flip the paratha again after 2 minutes
13. Spoon the egg mixture again to the otherside and cook for 2 more minutes so that both sides of paratha have egg mixture on it and paratha is cooked well.
14. Repeat the same with the rest of the dough balls

Serve hot paratha with curd and pickle!

Pepper Chicken

Ingredients:

1. Chicken, cut into small pieces - 1/2 kg
2. Peppercorn - 1 tsp
3. Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
4. Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
5. Chicken masala 1/2 tsp
6. Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
7. White Vinegar - 3 tsp
8. Crushed pepper - 1/2 tsp
9. Green chilli  - 1
10. Ginger, minced- 1 tsp
11. Garlic, minced - 2 tsp
12. Onion, sliced - 2 cups
13. Tomato, wedges - 2 medium tomatoes (optional)
14. Salt to taste
15. Oil - 1 tbs
16. Curry leaves - 5-8

Note:

• It is ok to leave tomato in this dish. Since i like the tangy tomato taste, i have added it.
• The green chilli I used is very spicy that is why the quantity is only 1, but you can add more if you like.
• The black spots and patches you see in the picture is either crushed peppercorn or chopped curry leaves. :)

Method:

1. Make a paste of the ingredients from 2 to 7 and keep aside
2. Heat oil in a pan
3. Saute ginger, garlic, and green chilli for a minute and onion slices to it
4. Continue to saute till onion is golden brown and transparent
5. Add the masala paste made in step 1 and saute again till the raw smell goes, about 2 minutes
6. Add Chicken and salt to the above and mix well
7. Close lid of the pan and cook chicken in medium to high flame
8. Once the chicken is almost cooked, add tomato wedges and keep cooking till tomato is mushy
9. Add chopped/full curry leaves to the above, keep the lid open and cook chicken in high flame
10. Add crushed black pepper to the above and stir whenever is required so that the chicken masala doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan
11. When the pepper chicken reaches almost dry consistency, switch off the flame

Pepper chicken is now ready to be served with any roti or rice. I find the pepper chicken to be more tasty after keeping it for few hours or next day. :)

I am linking this post to FiestaFriday#102 which is co hosted by Elaine @ foodbod and Julie @ Hostess at Heart. 

Lamb Roast

Happy New Year!!!

We made this lamb roast to go with Beer as a snack for a Beer Brewing competition held at Anjan's colleagues house! Anyways we both enjoyed the lamb roast even without Beer.  :)

Ingredients:

1. Lamb, cut into small pieces - 1 kg
2. Red chili powder - 1.5 tbs
3. Coriander powder - 1.5 tbs
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Garlic, chopped -  1 tbs
7. Aniseed - 1 tsp
8. Cloves - 3
9. Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
10. Vinegar - 1.5 tbs
11. Ginger, chopped - 1 tsp
12. Salt to taste
13. Garlic - 3 cloves
14. Coconut oil - 2 tbs
15. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
16. Button onion, sliced - 4 tbs
17. Coconut, thinly sliced and cut into small bits - 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Grind ingredients from 2 to 10 into a paste
2. Marinate meat with ground paste, ginger and salt for an hour
3. In a pressure cooker or heavy bottomed pan, cook meat with minimum water. If using pressure cooker, add only 1/4 cup of water and cook for about 4 whistles. Otherwise, use about 2 cups of water.
4. When the meat is cooked, add crushed garlic cloves and cook till gravy is thickened
5. Heat oil in another pan, splutter mustard seeds and add button onions
6. Add coconut bits to the above and cook till coconut bits are almost golden brown
7. Add the cooked meat to the above and fry it till the gravy is fully dry
8. When the meat masala starts to leave from the pan sides, remove from fire and serve hot.