Meat Chops

Come Sunday and it is day to eat meat. Most of the meat recipes prepared at home are spicy with garam masala. This dry meat recipe is prepared sans the usual spices and can be snacked or served with rice. Check out the recipe:

the recipe

Boneless Meat - 500 gms
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp

turmeric - 3/4 tsp
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Ginger, finely chopped - 4 cm piece
Garlic finely chopped - 10 cloves

Shallots (small onion, finely chopped ) - 10 (optional)
Salt - 3/4 tsp

for tempering

dry red chillies (optional) - 2
lime - 1
oil - 2 tbsp

the method

Cut beef into 4 x 4 cm pieces and marinate with vinegar, garlic, ginger, turmeric, chilly powder, pepper powder, shallots and salt for 2 hours. Pressure cook the marinade until done. Reduce the water in the cooked meat to get the dry pieces only.

In a heavy bottom flat pan (preferably) add oil. Cut the whole chillies into 3 or 4 pieces (as seen in picture) and add to the oil. Add the cooked meat. Stir well so that all the pieces are coated with oil. Squeeze the juice from the lime and pour it over the meat to coat all the pieces. Stir until the meat pieces are browned and the meat has fully absorbed the lime juice.

Afterthoughts: If you feel the meat may burn add more oil (1 or 2 tbsp)

Diamond Cuts | Little Heart Shaped with an Orange twist

Little Hearts shaped diamond cuts

Diamond cuts are simple to prepare and can be stored in an air tight container for about a week. The above tastes even better with the infusion of orange juice in the syrup.

the recipe

Flour - 1 cup
Water - 1/4 - 1/2 cup
salt - 2 pinch
powdered sugar - 2 tsp (optional)
butter - 1 tsp or beaten egg - 1 tbsp
Oil - to deep fry

ingredients for the orange syrup

1 small cup sugar
Use the same cup to measure  the liquid - 1//4 part water + 1/4 part orange juice

Image before make up - before editing it for better looks :)

Mix the flour with butter/egg, salt and powdered sugar. Make a dough by adding water little by little. It should be a tough dough otherwise, the diamond wont be crispy. Divide the dough into four portions. Roll each portion into a sheet using a rolling pin. Cut the sheets into 2 cm broad strip. Cut it across to form diamond shaped pieces. Fry it in oil until it turns light brown and crispy.  Drain it.

To make the syrup, heat the sugar and the liquid together until it forms a soft string consistency.

Pour the syrup over the fried diamond cuts little by little and toss it to coat.

Though this is a diamond cuts, i used heart shaped cutter to make it look exciting.

Relish!

Banana Fritters

Banana Fritters is a popular evening snack prepard with a type of banana exclusively available in Kerala (sometimes found in Tamilnadu too). The traditional recipe may not have the sesame seeds. I have added it to give a difference to the taste and appearance of the pazhampori as it is known and found in almost all bakeries and tea stalls of Kerala. Flour - 3/4 cup Rice flour - 1 tbsp Salt - 1/4 tsp Sugar - 3 tsp Sesame - 1/2 tsp Turmeric - 1/2 tsp (for colour) Water - 3/4 - 1 cup Banana - 3 Oil - to deep fry Prepare a thick batter with the flour, rice flour and water. Add salt, sugar, turmeric and sesame. Cut the banana into 3 strips. Dip the banana in the batter and deep fry in hot oil. After thoughts: If you do not wish to have lengthy strips of banana, it can be halved first horizontally and then cut into strips, so that only less oil is needed for frying.

Chicken Sandwich

Sandwich is one of my favourite breakfast: easy to prepare and it is filling. A quick recipe for chicken sandwich is jotted down;

the ingredients

Boiled & shredded chicken - 1 cup
Finely chopped onion - ½ cup Oil - 1 tbsp
Pepper powder - ¼ tsp
White sauce - 1 cup
Salt - ¼ tsp
White Sauce Butter - 4 tbsp
Milk - 1 cup
Flour - 2 tbsp

Preparation

Melt butter in a saucepan in low flame. Add flour to the melting butter. Take care the butter is not over heated to avoid flour from lumping. Combine the flour thoroughly with butter. Whisk / stir the milk into the butter and continue whisking until a creamy white sauce is formed. In a pan add 1 tbsp oil and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the shredded chicken. Add salt and stir until the chicken is lightly fried. Pour the white sauce and add pepper. Cut the sides of 8 bread slices. Spread the chicken mixture on 4 slices and close it with the remaining 4. Cut it diagonally as shown in the picture and serve it luke warm. Makes a great breakfast for a lazy holiday morning!!