Spicy Coconuty Sweet Pongal

Pongal is the festival of harvest celebrated in Tamilnadu. Being brought up in Tamilnadu, all its festivities are close to my heart. I now live in Kerala and make sure Pongal and Deepavali is celebrated at least with a light zest. 

Sweet pongal is usually prepared with rice and moong dal. My mother usually prepares it only with rice. So I have skipped it in this recipe also. In addition to cardamom I have added few other spices and desiccated coconut. The spice does not overwhelm the taste, it just adds flavor to the overall taste. Enjoy!

the recipe

Raw rice - 1 cup

Water - 2 - 2 1/2 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Cardamom - 3-4 pods powdered

Nutmeg – 5 -7 gratings

Clove – 2 -3

Ghee – 2 tbsp or more

Jaggery, grated - 1 1/2 to 2 cups

Salt - a small pinch

Cashew nuts & raisins - 4 tbsp or more

Desiccated coconut - 4 tbsp

the method

Heat ghee and fry the cashew nuts and raisins.

Place the jaggery in a saucepan and add ¼ cup water. Melt it in medium heat. Strain it and keep it aside.

Soak the rice for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Boil 2 cup water in a pan and stir in the soaked rice. Keep stirring so that it does not overflow. When the rice is almost done add the salt and milk. Simmer and let the rice cook. When the milk is almost absorbed by the rice add the jaggery and powdered cardamom, cloves & nutmeg. Mix well until the pongal gains a thick consistency. Add the desiccated coconut and dry fruits, along with the ghee. Garnish with more desiccated coconut and dry fruits. Serve hot.

the recipe goes to Pongal Feast Event

Next post at roshan's cucina : Cherry, Cashewnut & Oatmeal Brownies

Eggplant & Potato Vindaloo

Vindaloo or Vindalho is essentially a recipe used to prepare meat. Vindaloo means cooked with wine and garlic. Since white wine is not commonly available in India vinegar is used in the preparation. I tried this eggplant and potato vindaloo to introduce the taste to vegetarian readers. I should confess this tasted better than the meat vindaloo. 

The dish is slight fiery and pungent. Please adjust the quantity of chilly powder to suit your taste. Also, the quantity of cumin, fenugreek and mustard should be in the right proportion otherwise the dish will have a bad taste.

the recipe

Eggplant / Brinjal - 250 gms

Potato - 250 gms

ingredients for the mustard paste

Small onion - 5 or Onion - 1/2

Garlic - 3  cloves

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Mustard - 1/4 tsp

Cumin - 1 generous pinch

Fenugreek seeds - 1 pinch

Vinegar - 2 tbsp

Tomato - 2 medium

other ingredients

Small onion - 5 or Onion, chopped - 1/2

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Chilly powder - 1 tsp

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Sugar - 3/4 tsp

Oil - 1 1/2 tbsp

the method

Cut the potato and eggplant into cubes. Parboil the potatoes and keep it aside. Rub salt on the eggplant and keep it aside. This will take away the bitterness from the veggie. Wash it after 10 - 15 minutes.

Grind the ingredients for the mustard paste into a smooth paste (add adequate water to grind).

Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onion. When translucent add turmeric. Add the eggplant and saute for a minute. Add the chillie powder and mix well. Pour the mustard paste and add the parboiled potatoes. Add salt and pepper powder. Add 1/4 cup water if need be.Stir well and let it boil. Simmer till the veggies have cooked. The consistency of vindaloo is a thick gravy. If there is more water, turn to high heat and let the water evaporate. Add sugar, mix well and turn off heat. Serve with rice or serve as you please.

the recipe goes to the event  Healthy Lunchbox Ideas - Brinjal/Aubergine hosted by Priya event started by Kalyani

Frijole Mole (Chickpea Spread) - Reposted for MLLA 31

the original post / recipe is here

reposted  for the event MLLA 31 hosted by Simona event started by Susan

Chicken Manchurian

The era of Chilly Chicken almost ended in my kitchen when I started preparing Chicken Manchurian. It must be bcoz chilly chicken was very common and Manchurian was rare. The first manchurian trial took place around ten years back soon after I tasted it at Chiyang - the restaurant I have mentioned while writing about Mixed Noodles. It was a time when recipes could not be searched on web and I was neither a seasoned cook nor a seasoned web/ recipe searcher. Therefore, I tried it with whatever taste I could remember. I am writing this recipe after much research though it is the same as my first trial. I saw the use of tomato sauce in certain Manchurian recipes. It dint appeal to me so here is my Chicken Manchurian recipe with the taste as close to the Chiyang one.

ingredients to marinate the chicken

Chicken (boneless) - 300 - 400 gms

Corn flour (starch) - 3 tbsp

Flour (Maida) - 3 tbsp

Soy Sauce - 2 tbsp

Ginger Garlic paste - 1 1/2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil - to deep fry

ingredients for the tempering

Onion, finely chopped - 2

Garlic - 6 - 8 cloves (for garlicky taste add 8, for moderate one add 6)

Green chillies, finely chopped - 2-3

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Soya sauce - 1 tbsp

Corn starch - 1 tbsp

Water - 1/4 - 1/2 cup

Oil - 2 tbsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

the method

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Add the ginger garlic paste, soya sauce and salt (please keep a check on the quantity of salt since soya is slightly salty). 

Mix the flour (maida) and corn starch powder well. Sprinkle half of the flour mix on the chicken. Turn the chicken pieces and sprinkle the balance flour mix. Mix the chicken pieces well and let it marinate for half an hour*. 

Heat oil in a pan. Deep fry the chicken in medium heat. 

Prepare corn starch solution using 1 tbsp corn flour and 1/4 cup water. If you need a saucy manchurian add 1/2 cup water to make the solution. Some home secrets - you can use the batter / flour left over from the chicken marinade to prepare the corn starch solution. This would be more tasty since the flour contains seasonings like soya sauce and ginger garlic paste. 

For the tempering, heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan and stir in the onion, garlic and green chillies. When translucent, add soya sauce, salt and sugar. Stir well and add the corn starch solution. When it starts to boil, turn to low heat and add the fried chicken pieces. Mix well  and add pepper powder. Serve with fried rice or mixed noodles or as you please.

*Alternatively a thick batter can be prepared with the flour and the chicken pieces can be dipped into  it and fried. I prefer the non-batter method because the fried chicken is crispy and consumes less oil.

Chinese Mixed Noodles

Chinese food is very popular in our city as it is in our home. We frequent a Chinese restaurant and every time we either have a mixed noodles or a mixed rice which is a signature dish of the restaurant. After trying few of the Chinese restaurants in town, Chiyang seems to be the best place. The reason is many: i have not tasted ajino motto in their preparation, the portions are good, the ambiance is superb (in the air conditioned space) and the menu is reasonably priced.  The mixed noodles in the restaurant has chicken, beef, prawn, pork, eggs and an assortment of vegetables. In this recipe i have avoided beef and pork, yet it tasted very yummy.

the recipe

Hakka noodles - 400 gms

Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tbsp

Soya Sauce - 3 tbsp

Oil - 3 -4 tbsp

Chicken stock - 3/4 - 1 cup

Egg - 1 or 2

Sugar - 1 1/2 tsp

Spring onion, chopped - 2 tbsp

Pepper powder - 1/2 - 3/4 tsp

Salt to taste

ingredients to be sauted 

Capsicum, julienned - 1

Carrot, julienned - 2

Cabbage, julienned - 3/4 cup

Onion - 2 (cut into slight thick slices)

Celery, julienned - 3 stalks

Chicken, boiled & shredded - 3/4 cup

Boiled prawns - 3 -4 tbsp

Green chilly (optional), chopped - 1 or 2

the method

Beat the egg with required amount of salt and make an omelette. Cut it into thin strips / juliennes. 

Boil the noodles as per instruction. Add required amount of salt while boiling.

Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a wok or a wide pan (uruli in Kerala) and add all the ingredients to be sauted. Add salt and stir briskly in high heat. When the vegetable are almost cooked but remains crunchy turn to low heat and make some space in the middle. Add a tbsp of oil and add the ginger garlic paste. Stir for a minute and then stir it along with the vegetables*. Turn to high heat, make space in the middle of the pan and add the soya sauce. Immediately add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 1/2 tsp sugar. When the sauce sizzles, mix all the vegetables. Add the cooked noodles. Pour the chicken stock 1/4  cup a time and mix with a fork and spoon on each hand. When the noodles reaches the preferred consistency stop using the stock. Add the egg and pepper powder. Garnish with spring onions and turn off heat. Serve with tomato sauce / ginger chicken / chicken manchurian / chillie chicken. 

*Ginger Garlic paste is added in the process of cooking to prevent it from burning in high heat. 

Lemony Star Cookies for Christmas

Its Christmas time and the designs that come to my mind are stars and Christmas trees. I took an adventurous step towards preparing these star cookies bcoz I don’t have a star shaped cookie cutter so I decided to cut out a butter paper in the shape of a star and then stencil it on the cookie dough. I adapted a short bread kind of recipe since I dint want the cookie to rise. A lemony flavor is induced for a change in the cookie as well as in the frosting.

the recipe

ingredients for the cookies

flour – 1 cup

butter – ¼ cup

melted butter or veg oil – ¼ cup approximately

egg – 1

sugar - ¼ cup

salt – 2 pinch

vanilla extract – 1 tsp

lemon rind – 1 tbsp

ingredients for the frosting & deco

butter – ½ tbsp

sugar – 3 tbsp

buttermilk – 2-3 tbsp

lemon juice – 5-6 drops

silver sugar balls – as required

the method

Bring the butter to room temperature. Beat it till fluffy. Mix the sugar and salt. Add the powdered sugar and beat well. (Since this is a small quantity I used a fork to beat the mix). Add the egg and beat well. Pour the vanilla extract and melted butter or oil. Mix well. Add the lemon rind. Stir in the flour in batches and mix well. Make it into a disc shape and keep it in refrigerator for half an hour. Grease a baking tray or spread a butter paper and apply butter. Cut the cookies into preferred shape, place it in the baking tray and keep it in the refrigerator for another half an hour. Bake at 170C for 10 – 11 minutes. Remove from baking tray immediately. Cool it on wire racks.

For the frosting, mix together butter, sugar and lemon juice. Heat till sugar melts. Add buttermilk and boil until a pale white color forms. Turn off heat and cool it.

Brush the frosting on cookies and place the silver sugar balls in preferred design or just sprinkle it on cookies.

the recipe goes to Dr.Sameena's Cakes and Cookies for Christmas event  & Champa's Bake Off Event

Christmas Menu - Compilation of recipes

cakes & cookies

 

 

soup

starters

Main course

Fish

meat

rice

dessert

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.

Chicken Shahi Pulao

Shahi Pulao is a very mildly spiced, creamy yet very tasty pulao. Basically this is a veg pulao. I chickenised it to find contentment for my meat loving family. Chicken Shahi Pulao can be had as such or with muttom kurma or any curry of your choice.

ingredients to prepare the rice

Rice – 500 gms (approximately 1 ¾ cup)
Cardamom – 3
Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
Cloves – 3
Bay leaf – 1
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Shahi jeera – ¼ tsp
Beans – ¼ cup
Carrot – ¼ cup
Potato – ¼ cup

ingredients to boil the chicken

Chicken (boneless) - 500 gms (chopped to bite size pieces)
Ginger – 1 tsp
Garlic – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – ¼ tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
ingredients for the green chutney

Coriander leaves – ½ cup
Mint leaves – ½ cup
Ginger – 1 ½ inch piece
Garlic – 5
Green chilly – 1
Onion – 1 small

ingredients for the Shahi paste
Cashew nuts – 2 tbsp
White Sesame seeds – 2 ½ tbsp
Poppy seeds – 1 tbsp
Coconut – 4 tbsp

other ingredients
Ghee – 1 + 1 tbsp
Pepper powder
Salt to taste
Paneer
the method

rice preparation

In a heavy bottom pan or pressure cooker add 2 tbsp ghee and add the whole spices except shahi jeera. Add the vegetables and sauté for a minute. Add shahi jeera, salt and rice and stir for about five minutes. Add double the quantity of water (for 11/2 C rice add 3 cup water) and cook till rice is done.

To boil the chicken, heat a pan and add oil. Place the ginger and garlic and stir in the chicken. Saute in medium heat. Add salt and let the chicken cook in its own juices. Add 1/8 cup water if need be. When chicken is done add the garam masala and turn off heat.

To prepare green chutney, grind all the ingredients.

Soak the ingredients for shahi paste for about one hour. Grind it to a smooth paste.

assembling

Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan and heat the green chutney in low flame. Add half of the cooked chicken. When the chutney starts to boil, turn off heat.

In another pan heat 1 tbsp ghee in low flame and add the shahi paste. Add the remaining half of the chicken and pepper powder. Heat it for about 2 minutes and turn off heat.

Shahi pulao can be served as individual servings or layered in a bowl and served from it.

In a bowl place a layer of rice, followed by a layer of green chutney with chicken. Then place another layer of rice, followed by a layer of shahi paste with chicken. Finish it with a layer of rice. Sprinkle grated paneer or roasted sesame.

Kashmiri Paneer

I saw this tomato based Kashmiri paneer recipe on TV a few months back. After two trials I made some improvisation in terms of ingredients to bring out my own version. The original recipe calls for the use of ghee. My first trial was with complete ghee and the second trial was with complete oil. Learnt that the use of ghee is essential for a nice texture to the gravy. For calorie reasons I used a combination of ghee and vegetable oil. Can be had with roti’s or rice.

the recipe

paneer – 200 gms
tomato – 4
curd – 3-4 tbsp
chilly powder – ¾ tsp
salt – to taste
black cardamom – 2 or green cardamom – 3
bay leaf – 2 small
ghee - 2 tbsp

ingredients not in the original recipe

Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Sugar – ½ - ¾ tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Onion – 1
Garlic – 3 cloves

the method

Cut the paneer into 4 cm long x 2-3 cm wide slabs.

Chop the tomatoes, onion and garlic and puree it with the curd.

Heat oil in a frying pan and add the ghee and vegetable oil. Deep fry the paneer pieces till light to golden brown (may be fried in batches). In the original recipe, the paneer was fried till it turned almost black. Drain the fried paneer pieces and place it in ¼ cup water or milk.

To the remaining ghee + oil add the bay leaf and cardamom and fry till the aroma comes out. Add the pureed tomato and curd mix. Add the chilly powder and salt and let the puree boil for five minutes. Add pepper powder and sugar. Check taste and add more sugar and pepper if needed. Half cup water may be added if the gravy is too thick. Add the fried paneer pieces and simmer for ten minutes.