Pethipireethu | Kul Kulz | Anglo-Indian Christmas snacks

Pethipireethu | Kul Kulz - Sweet version & Savory version in the background

ingredients

1 kg rice flour (fine roasted flour used for idiyappam / string hoppers)

1 egg - substitute eggs with 50 gms of butter if you dont like to add egg

1 large coconut - grated and ground to a paste (with just adequate amount of water)

2 tables spoon - black sesame seeds - wash thoroughly 2 to 3 times

salt to taste

Oil to fry 

1 table spoon - butter 

method

Keep as many greased flat plates or trays ready to place the tiny balls.

Place the rice flour in a large bowl. Beat eggs with butter and salt and add it to the flour. Add the ground coconut and sesame and start kneading into a soft dough without any coarse surface. 

Start making tiny balls. Make sure it is even by using a tea spoon or a smaller spoon to scoop out the dough and then make it into rounds. Use a fork to make a shape - just press the ball against a greased steel fork.

If possible use a deep and slightly large pan to fry. If the dough sits for long it will lose its smoothness and start dry off.

Heat oil in a pan and gently place the shaped pethipireethu into the oil. Do not stir. Fry in low to medium to avoid quick browning. When the sides start to turn golden color, gently turn it with a slotted spoon. When the other side is also golden, as seen in the picture, drain it from oil. Serve as such or make a sugar syrup and follow the method as in this Diamond Cuts recipe. To make the syrup use 3 cup sugar and 1 cup water.

Apple & Raisin mini Galette

Galette is a French free form crusty cake. It is a free form because it can be done either with a home made dough or a ready to use puff pastry and the shape can vary according to one's taste with a sweet or savory filling. Since this was my first attempt at a galette i tried a mini version.

the recipe

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Butter - 40 gms or more

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1 - 2 tsp

Cold water - a little less than half cup

Apple - 2

Raisins - 2 tbsp

Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Butter - 1 tsp

the method

Place the wheat flour, salt and sugar in a bowl and mix well. Chop half of the butter and crumble it with flour. Chop the other half of the butter and sprinkle it over the crumbled mix. Combine the dough by adding cold water little by little. Do not knead the dough. When the wheat and butter mix is brought together, press it down to a disc shape, cover and refrigerate for half an hour.

Meanwhile, peel the apple and slice it into thin pieces. Heat one teaspoon butter. Place the apple, sugar and raisin in the butter. Add cinnamon powder and gently mix for one minute. Turn off heat.

Roll the refrigerated dough into 2 cm thick pastry. Roll it gently so that the air bubbles are not pressed down. Leave about 2 inch from the sides and arrange the spiced apple slices. Fold the sides of the galette. Bake at 180C for 20 minutes or till it browns. Place the raisins between the apple slices. Serve warm.

RoseMary & Garlic Flat Bread

I have considered baking a yeasted bread to be a challenge….always…..and my yeastophobia increased after reading several account of the same in the blogworld. All my fears came true with my failure at the first attempt…..the dough did not rise......but i went ahead and baked it ......hoping that it would rise once it is in the oven......the dough cooked with multiple extension of the baking time......but the final product looked like a thick vattayappam (a rice cake) ........well I dint give up….

This flatbread is a result of my second attempt and I did it….the dough did rise and the bread had a good texture….both outside and inside. But my anxiety played a little part……I forgot to grease the bread mould and as a result I had to pluck it out….carefully though…….for the photo session……hope it doesn’t look that bad ….

the recipe

Flour / Wheat flour – 11/2 cup

Yeast – 1 ½ tsp (alter quantity according to the kind of yeast being used)

Sugar – 1 tsp

Salt – ¼ tsp

Veg / Olive oil – 3 tbsp

Water – a little less than ¾ cup
Dried rosemary - 1 tbsp
Garlic - 6 - 8 cloves, finely chopped

the method

Mix the flour with rosemary and garlic.

Place the yeast, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Heat ¼ cup of the water just above luke warm temperature (if the water is too hot it will kill the yeast). Pour it to the mixing bowl and gently stir it. Close it with a lid and set aside for about 6 – 10 minutes.

Heat the remaining ½ cup water to a luke warm temperature. Open the bowl and the yeast would have melted. Add the oil and mix. Stir in the flour and pour the ½ cup water in batches till the flour is completely over. The dough should now be moist. If it is not, sprinkle some luke warm water or oil. Oil would be better b’coz the dough doesn’t get sticky. Knead the dough well for about 5 -7 minutes. 

Grease a bread mould or whatever pan you wish to use and flatten the dough. Make marks as seen in picture if you please. Leave it to rise.

I dint want to take another risk. So I boiled a pan of water, covered it and placed the bread mould on top of the boiled  water. It took about  1 ½ hours for the dough to rise to double its quantity. Punch down the dough and let it rise again. It took about 45 minutes. Preheat oven for  5 minutes at 180^oC.

Brush the top of the dough with milk or egg whites. Bake for about 16 – 20 minutes. Do the toothpick test (check whether a toothpick or skewer comes out clean).

Take the baked bread out and brush it with butter. Enjoy with more butter. We snacked it.

Elephant Foot Yam cutlets

I am making a disclaimer that this is not my recipe but this is one I watched on television a loooooooong time ago.....probably when i was in college or school....and this is the first time that i ever tried......it tasted good

Yam tastes best during July and August.....it is also a time when most tubers taste the best. The veggie cooks faster during these months and I particularly don't taste that itching sensation that usually comes with it. 

Yam  can be cooked in various forms and this is one recipe which even the kids couldn't resist. 

Yam being the common name, the specific name for reference is Elephant foot yam. Stored with immense medicinal value a good read about the benefits of the vegetable is found here.

the recipe

Yam, grated – 400 – 500 gms

Oil – 1 tbsp

Cumin – ¾ tsp

Chillie powder – 1 tsp

Rice flour – 1 ½ - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil to fry

the method

Sprinkle 1 tbsp oil in the yam and mix well. Steam the grated yam so that the water content in the yam evaporates off. Blend together the steamed yam, cumin, rice flour, chilly powder and salt. Shape it and deep fry in oil. While frying make holes in the middle of the cutlets gently to ensure that proper frying takes place in the middle of the cutlets also. Can be snacked or served with rice.


the recipe goes to the event - - dish name starts with E

Nutty Fruity Oats Mittai

the recipe

Oats – 6 tbsp

Sugar – 3 tbsp

Almonds / cashew nutss – 10

Dates – 6

Raisins – 10

Veg oil – 1 tbsp

the method

Lightly roast the oats: for about 3 minutes in a low flame. Chop the dates, raisin and nuts into tiny pieces.

Caramelise the sugar – place the sugar in a flat aluminium pan, let it melt and turn light brown. Add the chopped fruits and nuts and veg oil and cook for 1 minute in low flame. Spread it evenly in the pan. Sprinkle the roasted oats evenly on the fruit and nut mixture and let it stay for 10 seconds. Mix the mixture thoroughly for about two – three minutes till the oats is thoroughly coated with the caramel mixture. Turn off heat. Quickly shape the mixture into preferred shapes. I used the lid of a tiny bottle to make the shape. Use it after the mittais cool completely to get a crunchy consistency. Yields 20 mittais. 

Caramel Toast for kids

This is a crispy, crunchy and sweet toast which kids and grown up kids would love to eat. Not my own recipe, though I named it for the sake of blogging. The first time I came across a toast with ghee and sugar on it was at one of our acquaintance place when I was in the second standard (at school). My mother also witnessed the same and ….

Onion pakoda / pakora

the recipe

Gram flour / besan / kadala mavu – 8 tbsp or more

Asafoetida – ¼ - ½ tsp
Coriander leaves, chopped – 1 sprig
Chilly powder – ½ tsp
Water – as required
Salt – to taste
Onion, cut into slightly thick julians (lengthwise) – 2
Oil – to deep fry

the method
Prepare a thick batter with gram flour, asafoetida, chilly powder, salt and water. Add coriander leaves, onion and mix well. Heat oil in a pan. Spoon half a tablespoon of the onion mixture and fry it in hot oil.

Potato Wedges

the recipe

Potato – 250 gms

Pepper powder – ½ - ¾ tsp

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 tbsp

the method

Cut the potato into wedges. Boil water in a pan. Place the wedges in the water with a little salt and parboil. This takes about 5 minutes. Drain the water.

Heat oil in a pan (preferably a flat pan) and add the parboiled potato wedges. Add salt. Stir till all the sides have become light golden brown. Season with pepper powder and mix well. Can be snacked or served as starters with mayonnaise.

Paneer Thattu Vadai

Thattu vadai is a snack from Tamilnadu. I tried to bring out a cheesy version to use a little amount of paneer (cottage cheese) that was left in the refrigerator. This is almost a left over special bcoz the paneer was added to the idiyappam / sevai dough that was left over from the morning’s breakfast. The dough had turned dry by evening so added some oil to make it smooth.




the recipe

rice flour – ½ cup
boiling hot water – ½ cup
asafoetida – ¼ tsp
chilli powder – ¼ tsp
salt – ¼ tsp
cottage cheese (paneer), grated – 3 tbsp
dal - few grains
oil – to fry

the method

Mix rice flour with asafoetida, chilli, dal and salt. Add the boiling hot water and stir it to form lumps. Leave it to cool. Sprinkle the cottage cheese and knead the rice flour mixture into a stiff dough. Make gooseberry sized portions of the dough. Grease the palm with oil and gently flatten the dough to make round shaped thattu vadais. Fry it in oil. Savour!!

The recipe is contesting in the event Letz Relishh – Paneer hosted by Jay

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.