Paal Pongal (or) Milk Pongal

I always wondered how mother took so long to make it, its ingredients looked simple to me. I still don't know, but i made it in 10 mins using the cooker, it was PERFECT.

Ingredients
1. Milk 1 cup.
2. Rice 1 Cup (raw rice soaked for 10-15 minutes)
3. 50 grams cashews and dry grapes
4. 2-3 Cardamom
5. 50-75 gms ghee.
6. 1 cup + 4 tsps sugar
7. 2 cups water

Preparation:

• In a small cooker or pressure pan, take half of the ghee, melt it and fry the dry fruits to a slight golden brown and pour the contents into a bowl, keep aside. 
• In the same vessel, add the water , 3/4th of the milk and let it come to boil, now add the rice and some 4 tsps of ghee and cook with weight for 3 whistles.
• After the pressure is gone, mix the contents in the vessel, add crushed cardamom to it plus the ghee and dry fruits and sugar and keep stirring till it starts to stick on sides, add the leftover milk if needed while stirring. 
• Its done , serve it with Masala vada or just plain.

Minced chicken kabab (or) Kozhi kari vadai

My mother asked me to do chicken 65 on Saturday. I felt bored to do it and tried this one without any references. And the verdict, my brother said that the taste lingers in the mouth ("Taste nakileye nikuthu Lani!"), mother asked its "Smelling good, are you going to make more ?" and she is a vegetarian on Saturdays. As for my father he simply said "I want more". I wasn't this content in a long time.

Ingredients:

For mincing.
250 grams of boneless chicken.
1/2 green chilli.
1 elaichi, i cardamon, 1 small stick cinnamon.
1/4 tsp of saunf.
1 inch piece of ginger.
5 garlic pods.
1/2 small onion.

For mixing
1 tsp of salt.
1/2 tsp of  red-chilli powder.
1/4 tsp of turmeric.
1/2 small onion chopped finely.
2 tsps of powdered broken channa dal (udaitha kadalai).
2 table spoons of finely chopped coriander and curry leaves.
1/2 tsp of pepper powder.

Finally some ghee for greasing.

Preparation:

1. Take all the ingredients mentioned under mincing and grind using a mixie without any water for say 10 seconds. Don't mince too much but make sure that there are no lumps. Cut the ingredients into small pieces before grinding.
2. Mix all other ingredients except the ghee to the minced meat and mix well.
3. Now take a microwave tava, grease using a little ghee/oil.
4. Grease your hands make small balls of the meat mixture and flatten them as for making vadas and place them on the greased take at some distance from each other. Pour a drop of ghee on top of each kebab and cook it in microwave for 6-8 minutes. Then flip the kebabs and put a drop of ghee on top of this side and cook for another 6-8 minutes. Check if fully cooked to your satisfaction. If you like brown it a little more in high settings.
5. Now! thats a kebab for you

 Note: You can deep fry this kebab after coating with little maida or corn flour too. Or, just fry them over ordinary tava like frying fish.

Cup cakes

It’s been long since i posted anything , that’s because it has been really long since i made something.

Any ways after long i made some muffins on Thursday followed by some more for my family.

Two recipes are here..

Lemon – tutty fruity cup cakes

There was a shortage of essence at home and hence i made these a cross between lemon cakes and ordinary vanilla cup cakes. The flavour is subtle and its easy on the tummy.

 

Ingredients:

3 tsps of lemon juice with pulp. ( juice of two lemons without seeds)

1 cup (use ordinary tea cups or small paper cups 150 ml) wheat flour.

1 cup of powdered sugar.

1 large egg.

1 fistful of tutty-fruity.

¾ cup of vegetable oil  or melted butter .

Lemon peel.

¾ tsp of baking soda.

1 pinch of cooking soda.

1 pinch of salt.

5 small paper cups.

Preparation:

1. Scrape the lemon and collect the peel for before squeezing the juice. Just remove the seeds and do not remove the pulp.
2. Sift the flour with baking soda, cooking soda and salt and keep aside.
3. In a bowl break the egg, add the lemon juice and beat till fluffy, then add the vegetable oil and beat some more.  
4. Add the sugar and beat till frothy.
5. Slowly add the flours and beat till lumpy add a little water (2 tablespoons if the consistency is very thick). 
6. Now mix the tutty-fruity to the batter and mix some more.
7. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Pour the batter in the greased paper cups till ¾ quarters full. 
8. Slightly sprinkle the lemon peels on top of the batter in paper cups.
9. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. Check after 18 minutes by inserting a fork in the cake if it comes out clean remove, cool and serve, if else check it for every one minute. Dont make too much for the cake will not be moist then. 

Orange cup cakes

This variation here is with orange crush. The flavour was best using Mapro orange crush Kissan was also good but not as good :)

 

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of orange crush.

1 cup (use ordinary tea cups or small paper cups 150 ml) wheat flour or maida.

1/2 cup + 2 table spoons of powdered sugar .

1 large egg.

¾ cup of vegetable oil  or melted butter .

¾ tsp of baking soda.

1 pinch of cooking soda.

1 pinch of salt.

5 small paper cups.

Preparation:

1. Sift the flour with baking soda, cooking soda and salt and keep aside.
2. In a bowl break the egg, add the orange crush and beat till fluffy, then add the vegetable oil and beat some more.  
3. First add 1/2 cup and check the sweetness. If needed add more since the crush will also have some sweetening added. Beat till frothy.
4. Slowly add the flours and beat till lumpy add a little water (2 tablespoons if the consistency is very thick). 
5. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees. Pour the batter in the greased paper cups till ¾ quarters full.
6. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. Check after 18 minutes by inserting a fork in the cake if it comes out clean remove, cool and serve, if else check it for every one minute. Dont make too much for the cake will not be moist then.

Note: Use oil instead of butter if your prefer soft cakes, using butter will slightly harden the cake.
Don't use cream or milk to dilute the batter if thick, use only water.

Its the heavenly aroma of Chocolate.

One of my dreams came true last friday....

I made a chocolate cake, a real chocolate cake that everyone at home are stealing and eating from the refrigerator and i am really smiling while typing this.

So i have achieved something at least half of my dream.. ...

So the recipe for this delicious chocolate cake for you

Ingredients:
2 cups of maida. (small paper cup)
¼ cup of wheat flour
¾ cup of cocoa powder
1 tsp of baking powder
2 pinches of baking soda (soda bi-carbonate)
1 ¾  cup of powdered sugar
½ cup of warm milk
100 gms of butter
2 large eggs
¼ cup of vegetable oil

Preparation:
1.       Sieve the flours, baking powder , baking soda and cocoa powder and keep aside.(this loosens the flours)
2.       In a big bowl, Mix the butter in warm milk and let it melt, then beat it well and add the eggs, beat it till it froths.
3.       Add the sugar powder to the batter and beat them, add the flours slowly and beat till smooth and of dropping consistency, add some more oil and milk, if needed and beat it. The flour should pour in folds while pouring.
4.       Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.
5.       Pour the batter in a well creased cake tin about ½ foot wide in sides or  in eight small paper cups. The batter should be only till half of the dish you use.
6.       Now, bake for at least 40 minutes when using the single dish to bake, if using the paper cups it will be done around 25 to 30 minutes.
7.       Test if the cake is done by inserting fork or knife in the cake, if it come out clean, then the cake is done. By this time your kitchen will be filled with a delicious and heavenly smell of chocolate. Eat it hot and eat it cold as you like… You will love this….
Trying to learn to make the icing …now, that’s a task.
 

Welcoming the year with cookies...

I started making cookies exactly a day before Christmas last year because the cake i made didn't turn out as expected (as in it wasn't soft enough :( ), so that Christmas eve i wasn't able to sleep well..
So, i got up at 1.30 AM and started to make cookies.

So started my cookie days where i am slowly making very good progress. Fortunately not one batch has gone waste.

I started with chocolate cherry cookies... and making more i will add the recipes here as and when i can.

Starting with

Butter-nut and raisin Cookies.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup (120 ml)  maida.

1 cup wheat flour.

¼ tsps + 1 pinch of baking soda.

2 pinches of salt.

¾ cup of melted butter.

¾ cup + 1 tsp of powdered sugar.

3 tsps of broken cashews and raisins

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, mix the flours, powdered sugar, baking soda, salt and mix together using a fork.
2. Now add the melted butter little by little and mix using the fork.
3. knead till it becomes a ball without sticking to the sides (use some water if needed to get the consistency)
4. In the oven start it with 180 degree setting or just place the nuts in and raisins till they become crisp for 3-5 minutes.
5. When the nuts are crisp, remove and mix them with the dough.
6. Now roll the dough on a flat surface using a rolling pin.
7. Make out shapes with a cutter (or make small balls and flatten using hand on a butter paper/ tissue paper).
8. Now keep the plate with the cookie and bake for 8 – 10 minutes (or till the sides turn a golden brown).
9. When done remove and cool them (don’t keep them to cool in the tray/plate used for cooking). The cookies will be soft when u remove from oven, but will become crisp as they are aerated.

Malai Kofta…..

I am still reeling under the taste of the delicious malai kofta I made yesterday. If I could say so myself “Well done Buddy !”

Yesterday I saw a You tube video of making Malai Kofta and as the opportunity arose I made it, but with a twist, I omitted ingredients I don’t like and added some of my own. The result was very good. Now the recipe for you.

Ingredients:
For the Kofta:
2 large boiled and peeled potatoes.
1/2 cup of grated paneer.
1 small finely chopped green chilli.
2 tsps of chopped coriander.
A pinch of pepper powder.
1 cup of maida.

For the gravy:
3 large tomatoes.
1 green chilli.
½ tsp of jeera.
½ tsp of ginger garlic paste.
½ tsp of coriander powder.
¼ tsp of garam masala powder.
1 tsp of gram flour. ( it was recommended to add maida, but gram flour is healthier and gives good taste too)
2 tsps of chopped coriander
1 spring of curry leaves.
¼ tsp of asafetida.
5 tsps of fresh cream

Water.
Oil for frying.
Salt for taste.


Preparation:

For the Koftas.
1. In a big bowl, mash the boiled potatoes till a little lumpy, add the grated paneer, salt, chopped chillites, pepper and coriander and mix in hand. Don’t mash them.
2. Now make small lemon sized balls and roll them over maida (don’t make batter with maida, it tastes better when rolled over dry flour)
3. In a kadi heat oil and fry the koftas till it turns a very slight golden colour, (don’t over fry) and drain them.

For the Gravy.
1. Make a puree of the tomatoes,green chilli, curry leaves.
2. In a sauce pan, pour 3 tsps of oil, when oil is heated add the jeera and when it crakles add the ginger garlic paste and the above made puree.
3. Add the coriander powder, garam masala powder and let the ingredients boil.
4. Now, mix the besan (gram flour) in a little water and add it to the contents. Stir continuously while pouring or it will form lumps.
5. Add requiste water and salt and cook the gravy till u see oil floating on top.
6. When done, add the koftas and switch off the stove.
7. Garnish with coriander and add the beaten cream slowly and mix the contents and serve hot.

Note: Should be eaten fresh. As we add cream to this dish it cannot be kept for long.

Cauliflower Pakoda

They call this dish as Cauliflower Pakoda/ Pakora or Cauliflower 65 in some restaurants. Sold everywhere now, I first tasted this in a restaurant.

Ingredients:
1 big bowl of cleaned cauliflower florets.
Salt for taste.
Oil for frying.
5 tsps of cornflour.
2 tsps of dried rice powder.
1 pinch of food color.
½ tsp of garam masala.
½ tsp of red chilli powder.

Preparation
1. Soak the cauliflowers in warm water along with some salt and keep it covered for 5 minutes. This will remove any worms if present and will also partially cook the cauliflowers. (Those who like half cooked vegetables can duck and remove the florets).
2. Remove the cauliflowers from water and strain them.
3. In a big bowl, mix the cauliflower, corn flour, rice flour, food color, salt and chilli powder and mix them thoroughly till all the florets are coated. Do not add water as this will make the pakoras soggy.
4. Now, in a kadai, heat oil and fry the cauliflowers till the stem shrinks and the cauliflower is golden brown. Hot pakoras are ready!