Feb Round up of Sunday Special Event

hello everybody,

there is just one entry for the Sunday Special Event.....it is the Mango & Peas Rice from Hema..

do send in your Sunday Special Recipes for the month of March....the round up will be posted on Sunday, April 1, 2012

Click here to know about the Sunday Special Event

the round up of Kerala Kitchen event will be posted soon....

do participate in the Walk Through Memory Lane Event too....

cheers

Hema of Aromatic Cooking has sent the Mango And Peas Rice to the Sunday Special Event

Strawberry u/d Chocolate Cake (eggless) - Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day. V- Day is not officially celebrated at home so I am not detailing much about it. I prefer to celebrate the day 'coz you can have another day of gifting & cheer... :-)

This cake is an eggless one as mentioned and it was tasty....the downside up was sweet with all that brown sugar in there...and the tiny pieces of strawberries however baked and merged itself into the batter...that is why u can see some gaps in there..the only suggestion besides this recipe is to just halve the strawberry  so that it stays intact even after it is baked...

ingredients for the upside down base

Strawberry – 10-12 nos, chopped
Brown Sugar - 4 tbsp
Butter – 2 tbsp
Dry ingredients for the cake

Flour – 1 1/2 cups (150 gms)
Cocoa powder – 3 tbsp
Baking powder – ¾ tsp
Baking soda – 1/3 tsp

ingredients for the wet mix

Brown Sugar – 4 tbsp
Condensed milk – 200 ml
Milk – 20 ml or cream - 3 tbsp
Oil – 7 tbsp
Vanilla extract – ¾ tsp

Method

Preheat oven at 180 C.

Prepare a heart shaped pan or a pan of your choice (butter the pan and sprinkle flour and dust off excess flour). Place a butter paper which is generously spread with butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly and place the chopped strawberries evenly. Keep it aside.

In a bowl mix together the wet ingredients and stir till the brown sugar is melted.

Sieve together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder.

Stir in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir till no lumps are found. Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 180 C for 25 - 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Since you have a butter paper at the bottom, taking the cake out is an easy task. Just turn it into a plate, cut it and eat it..thats it...

cheers

Beef Ularthiyathu (Shredded Beef Fry)

Beef Ularthiyathu is not a regular recipe at home. I was under the impression that a lot of oil is needed to prepare a crispy beef ularthu. When I saw a similar preparation which my colleague had brought for lunch I just could not resist the taste. The taste however varies according to the taste of the garam masala. Homemade garam masala is the best because it has lots of flavor and you know what has gone into the making. I have written about the proportion of spices for a garam masala in beef and potato roast kerala style recipe.

The amount of oil used in this beef ularthiyathu is just 3 tablespoon for 500 gm meat. So I think it not that unhealthy. The only additional work you have to do is to shred the boiled beef.

the recipe

beef - 500 gms (boiled with 3 green chillies, 1/2 inch piece ginger, salt & 1/2 tsp pepper powder)
beef stock - 5 tbsp
onion - 2 medium, sliced
garlic - 10 cloves, finely chopped
ginger - 1/2 inch piece, finely sliced

chilly powder - 2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
coriander powder - 1 tsp
garam masala - 1/2 tsp
pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
curry leaves - 2 sprigs
oil - 2 +1 tbsp

the method

Shred the boiled beef (the size as seen in the picture). Keep it aside.

Heat a heavy bottom pan and add 2 tbsp oil. Add the garlic and stir for a minute. Add the sliced onion and stri till light brown. Add the sliced ginger and curry leaves and stir for a minute. Add the turmeric, chilly, coriander powder and garam masala. Stir for a minute and add the shredded beef. Stir for 2-3 minutes or till the masala has coated the meat. Pour1 tbsp beef stock and stir briskly for about a minute. Repeat till the beef stock is fully used up. (Add the balance 1 tbsp oil when the beef starts sticking to the pan). Check salt. Turn to low flame. Add the fennel seeds and pepper powder and stir for 1 to 2 minutes and the beef has turned crsipy. Serve hot with rice or chappati.

the recipe goes to the Kerala Kitchen event at my blog

 

Tomato Jaipuri

For this month's blog hop i have chose Tomato Jaipuri from Rudra's blog Mom's Corner. 

the recipe

Tomato – 4 large

Ingredients for the filling
Potato – 2, boiled & mashed
Paneer – 100 gms, grated
Capsicum – 1 , finely chopped
Oil – 1 tbsp

Ingredients to grind

Oil – 1 tbsp
Onion – 1 large
Tomatoes – the scooped pulp
Cashew nuts or almonds – 10
Coriander powder – ½ + 1 tsp
Chilly powder – ½ + 1 tsp
Cumin powder – ½ + 1 tsp

Method

Blanch the tomatoes and cut the upper part of the tomatoes so as to get tomatoes in a cup shape. Scoop out the pulp and seed and reserve.
Heat oil in a pan and sauté the capsicum. Add ½ tsp each of coriander, cumin and chilly powder and salt and stir well. Add the mashed potato and grated paneer and mix till it is well cooked (stir continuously). Fill this mixture into the tomato cups. Reserve the balance.

Heat 1 tbsp oil and sauté the onion till it turns light brown. Stir in the tomato pulp, tomato pieces and cashew nuts and adequate salt and sauté till the tomatoes turn soft. Grind it to a fine paste.
Pour the tomato-onion paste into a pan and add 1 tsp each coriander, cumin and chilly powder. Add water if need be. I added the balance potato, capsicum & paneer mix also. Check salt. Carefully place the stuffed tomato cups and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the tomatoes occasionally. Serve hot with rice, naan or roti. We had this with bread and also with rice.
I added a little bit of turmeric. But that has given a blushing yellow color. It is your preference whether to add turmeric or not to.

 the recipe goes to blog hop
 

 

Fish Moilee - Fish Molly aka Karimeen Molly

The colloquial name for a Fish Moilee is Fish Molly. When I was young i assumed this recipe would have been first prepared by a Molly aunty and so the name. However, the story took a U turn when I read the menu at a restaurant. It read Fish Moilee. Since the Moilee is similar to a stew this would have been prepared by a Keralite butler to a foreign master, either the Portuguese, Dutch or the British.

There are many variations to the Fish Moilee. I have prepared a recipe without spices and with lemon juice. The addition of lemon juice makes this Fish Stew very refreshing. A moilee is usually served with velleppam, idiyappam or bread, as a starter. I have used Pearlspot. You can prepare with Pomfret or fish fillets.

the recipe

Pearlspot – 4 medium sized

Ingredients to marinate

Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/3 tsp
Salt to taste

Ingredients for the gravy

Oil – 3 tbsp
Onion, sliced – 2 medium
Ginger, julienned – 1 inch piece
Garlic – 5 cloves
Green Chillies – 5
Lemon juice – 1 ½ tbsp
Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Thin Coconut Milk - 3/4 cup (extracted from 1 medium coconut)
Thick Coconut Milk - 3/4 cup (extracted from 1 medium coconut)
Salt to taste

the method

Clean the fish and make scores on it. Mix the ingredients to marinate using few drops of water. Rub the marinade over the fish and keep it aside for 15 minutes. Add about 5 tbsp oil into a non- stick or heavy bottom pan and sear the fish (lightly fry the fish – need not be crispy).

Use the left over oil or use fresh oil and sauté the onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Saute for about a minute and a half in medium flame. Add the lemon juice and let it cook for about 1 minute ( If the lemon juice remains fresh, it will curdle the coconut milk.).

Add the thin coconut milk and the seared fish. Simmer for 5 minutes. Check salt and add pepper powder. Add the thick coconut milk and cook till it turns hot. Turn off heat. Serve as preferred.

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Announcing the Kerala Kitchen Event - Feb 2012

Hello Everybody,

I am glad to welcome you to the Kerala Kitchen, hosted by me for the month of February 2012.

Kerala Kitchen…. The kitchen of God’s Own Country is an event / blog space started by Rose and Ria where you can prepare and post traditional or contemporary or Kerala inspired recipes by using vegetables or non vegetarian ingredients and lure your readers with those luscious luxurious or simply healthy and tasty food that would make everybody crave for it.

The recipe could be traditional breakfast recipes like velleppam, idiyappam, puttu, stews, egg roast or kappa or a curry for lunch like fish curry, beef curries, thoran (veg stir fried with coconut) or a mezhukkutpuratti (stir fried veggie), or prawn recipes and gravies like pulissery, erissery or pachadi or aviyal, egg curry and desserts like payasam or snacks like achappam, kuzhalappam, vattayappam, neiyyappam or unniyappam or a pazhampori.

The contemporary recipe may include Kerala inspired ingredients in a recipe like coconut cake, coconut cookies, coconut & banana pancake, banana fritters, baked fish or a grilled pork, wheat payasam in a pressure cooker or colocasia curry or chips or a yam cutlet.

You may contact me if you find it difficult to choose a recipe or an ingredient to cook with.

Now the rules

It is simple. Anyone can participate in the event and post as many recipes as you wish! You are not restricted from sending your entries to any other contests.

Simply cook a dish that is inspired by Kerala. and post it on your blog anytime between the 1st and 29th of February and link it to my announcement page and to the Kerala Kitchen page.

Please send new entries or repost old entries (pls restrict reposts to just 5)

Email the following details to roshanscucina@gmail.com with the subject line Kerala Kitchen.

• Your Name

• Blog Name/URL

• Recipe Name

• Recipe URL

• Photograph

So come one every body lets celebrate the taste & tales of Kerala!

Saffron Sago Badami Kheer

I wanted to start this New Year on a sweet note and found the Vermicelli Badam Kheer at Sreevalli’s Ammaji Recipes

She had given an option of substituting the vermicelli with sago. Since vermicelli kheer / payasam is an usual version I have prepared the kheer using sago.

the recipe

Sago / Jowari – 4 tbsp, soaked for 1 – 1 ½ hours

Sugar – to taste

Cardamom - seeds from 5 cardamom, powdered

Milk – 300 ml

Almonds / Badam – 20 nos soaked in hot water, peeled and ground to paste

Saffron – 1 generous pinch

Few almonds to garnish

the method

Wash the soaked sago / jowary thrice. Cook the sago with 100 ml water. When it is almost done add the milk and almond paste and cook in medium flame. When the milk starts bubbling add the saffron strands and sugar and keep stirring for about 5 minutes. The kheer will begin to thicken slowly. Add the powdered cardamom and check sweetness. Add more sugar if need be. Turn off heat.

Serve after 5 – 10 minutes garnished with few almond slivers and saffron strands.

Merry Christmas Wishes with Cake, Red Wine & White Wine

Wish you all a Merry Christmas!!

the recipe for cake & wine shall be posted later...

cheers

roshan

Fish Cutlet - - - - -lightly spiced

This is a recipe which you can prepare and freeze and fry it whenever you need. The Fish Cutlet is slightly different from the usual ones (which I came across the web) bcause I have not added garam masala. I prefer to taste the taste of fish rather than lot of masala and the addition of ginger, garlic and coriander simply enhances the flavor.

The usually egg dip to coat is replaced with a rice flour dip to get a very crunchy texture. Try it and you’ll like it.

Use these fish cutlets as a starter or simply prepare a fish burger for lunch.

…enjoy!!


the recipe
Fish keema – 500 gms
Potato – 500 gms (boiled and finely mashed)

Oil – 2 tbsp
Onion – 1 large, finely chopped
Green chilly, finely chopped – 2 (deseeded would be better)
Garlic – 8 medium cloves, finely chopped or grated
Ginger – 1/3rd inch piece, finely chopped
Corianders leaves – leaves with only tender stem – 6 sprigs
Chilly powder – ½ tsp
Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Lemon juice / Vinegar – 1 tsp
Salt to taste

ingredients to coat the cutlet

Rice flour – 2 -3 tbsp - Coarse rice flour (the one used to make puttu)
Water – ½ cup
Bread Crumbs – as much as you need
Oil to shallow fry
Salt to taste
Pepper powder – ¼ tsp

Note: I have used fish keema to prepare this recipe. If you are preparing with fresh fish, clean the fish and boil it with ¼ inch ginger, 4 garlic cloves, turmeric and salt and just adequate water to immerse the fish. Separate the flesh from the skin and bones and mash it with a fork and then follow the method below.

the method

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy bottom or non-stick pan. Stir in the onions and sauté till translucent. Add the green chilly, ginger and garlic and stir for few seconds. Add the chilly, turmeric and pepper powder. Sauté for a while and add the fish keema / mashed fish. Stir well in low flame till the fish turns dry. Pour the lemon juice and sprinkle the coriander. Sauté for few seconds and turn off heat. When the fish turns warm, add the mashed potatoes and mix well, preferable using a potato masher. Knead the mix into a dough. Take a table spoon of the mix and shape it into a cutlet. I used a cutlet mould and ended up with very large ones. You can shape it according to your preference. Shape all the potato – fish mix.

Mix the rice flour with about 10 tbsp water (the mix should not be very watery), salt and pepper powder. The rice flour batter should be solid enough / liquid enough to coat the cutlet. Dip each cutlet into the rice mix and then coat it with bread crumbs and keep it ready. To avoid the bread crumbs from leaving the cutlet, place it in the freezer for half an hour and then keep it at room temperature for 10 minutes and then shallow fry in a non-stick pan.

These cutlets can be stored in the refrigerator (freezer) in an air tight container for upto a month.

Filter Coffee - - -- - - without filter

Somehow the chillness or the laziness of winter is keeping me away from the blog world. I thought I’ll jumpstart by preparing and writing about the illustrious and legendary Filter Coffee.

Well, the filter coffee is indeed a legendary drink especially if you have lived in Tamilnadu and experienced the taste of it in all those vegetarian restaurants after a nice masala dosa, poori masala or even a tasty plate of idlis.

Now that I live in Kerala once in a while we dine for Masala Dosa and the coffee is something that completes the meal. I drink filter coffee even at night.

Though I am all crazy about this coffee my efforts to own a filter has not yet been successful. May be I have not been able to convince my husband about the nostalgia that accompanies the filter coffee.

So I usually prepare the filter coffee without the filter by just placing the coffee in a tall tumbler or a slim / vertical jug overnight so that you can pour the clear coffee out the next morning leaving behing the residual coffee powder and a little bit of the liquid. This would give the same taste and you can decide how strong a coffee you need.

The decoction I prefer is medium because a very strong coffee would give me burning sesation.

Recipe inspired from Priya Sreeram’s Bon Appetite

the recipe for a medium strong filter coffee is as follows:

1 ¼ cup water

3 cup boiling hot milk

4 heaped tsp coffee powder

the method

Place the 4 tsp coffee powder in a silm jug or any vertical container. Boil the water and pour it over the coffee powder. Close the container immediately and let it stand overnight.

The next morning, carefully pour the coffee into another vessel (use a sieve if you need though it is not need because the coffee will be clear). Leave the residue with about ¼ cup coffee remaining in it.

Take out the clear coffee / decoction. Use ¼ cup decoction with ¾ cup milk. Add adequate sugar, mix and drink. I like the filter coffee in a bitter sweet taste.

the recipe goes to Radhika's Blog Hop