CUSTARD PUDDING

If you are a custard lover ,this pudding is really gonna boost your taste buds.
1/2 ltr milk
2 tbsp Vanilla custard powder
6tbsp  sugar
1tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp gelatin
1 cup fresh cream

• Soak the gelatin in 1/4 cup  of water
• Separate 1/2 cup of milk with the custard powder.Mix  this with the rest of the milk and sugar stirring for a while ,till it thickens
• Add the soaked gelatin to the custard,mixing well.
• When this gets cooled stir in the fresh cream
• Pour the mix into a dish and refrigerate it..

TAPIOCA 'n' FISH DEEP FRIED CUTLETS

THENGA CHORU/ COCONUT RICE

This is one of my favourite rice varities.This is rice cooked in coconut milk

2 cups of basmati rice/long grain rice
4 cups of coconut milk
1 cup of carrots diced(medium sized)
1/2 lemons juice
1/2 tsp aniseed
3 cloves
2 cardamoms
a small piece of cinnamon
4-5 green chillies slit
1 cup of sliced large onion
3 tbsp ghee
1/2 cup of coriander leaves(finely cut)
2 tbsp nuts,2 tbsp raisins and 1/2 cup of sliced onions roasted and kept aside

• Wash and strain the rice in a colander
• Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel,add aniseeds,cinnamon,cloves,cardamom ,green chillies,cloves and stir well till an aroma comes.
• Add the sliced onions and saute' them well.
• When the onions are translucent add the carrots and lightly stir it.
• Add the strained rice and stir well for  a few minutes taking care that it doesn't get stuck to the bottom of the vessel.
• Add the coconut milk to the rice and on boiling add the required amount of salt with the lemon juice.
• Keep it on low  flame with the vessel covered.
• When the rice is cooked the coconut milk would have completely evaporated.You can see small holes in the rice. 
• Turn off the flame and garnish the rice with coriander leaves,nuts,raisins and onions fried in ghee
• You can serve this with curries .
• My combination with rice was fish curry..

SNOW WHITE PUDDING

This was the dessert that I made for my kids today.Being a busy bee with the kitchen chores...this one was quite time saving....

1 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 cup of sugar
2tbsp Gelatin
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup fresh cream

• Soak the gelatin 6tbsp of water for about 10 minutes.
• Lightly heat the milk with sugar ,taking care not to boil it.Mix well the soaked gelatin to the hot milk.
• When the milk is cooled, add the vanilla essence and fresh cream and beat the mix well.
• Pour the mix to a bowl and keep it in the freezer for about 1 hour.
• After 1 hour move it to the fridge
• The pudding is ready to be served...
• If you are wondering what is topped on the pudding...heat 1tbsp of mixed fruit jam with 2-3 tbsp of water.Pour it on the pudding on cooling..

CHICKEN BIRIYANI

It seems that the name "Biriyani" was derived from the Persian language.The smell of spices really ignites our taste buds.The recipe that I 'm typing out was shared to me by one of my aunts.

1kg Chicken pieces  

1tbsp red chilli powder

1tbsp Coriander powder

1tsp garam masala

1/4 cup curd

2tbsp oil

3 cups of Basmati rice

2 pieces of cinnamon

4 cloves

3 cardamoms

1/2 part of a lemons juice

1 piece of Ginger crushed

6-7 cloves of garlic crushed

4-5 green chillies (Julian cut)

1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves

1 tomato sliced

6 cups of water

Salt to taste

• Marinate the chicken pieces with chilli powder,garam masala,coriander powder,curd and salt.Keep it for 1/2 an hour.
• In a heavy bottomed vessel pour oil fry  and seperate the cardamoms,cloves,cinnamon and rice by adding the lemon juice.
• In the remaining oil add the crushed ginger and garlic,coriander leaves,green chillies and stir them well.Add the tomato pieces and stir it well.
• Now add in the chicken pieces and mix well pouringabout 1/2 cup of water.Cover the vessel with a lid and let it cook till it gets half tenderized.
• When the chicken is half cooked ,mix in the rice and spices ,pour the 6 cups of water and let it cook on low flame covered with a lid.
• When the rice is cooked the water  would have evaporated completely.
• For garnishing you can fry sliced large onions,nuts and raisins in ghee and mix with rice.

CHIFFON CAKE WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE TOPPING

Hi Lidia..this is for you.Sorry for not posting the recipe with the photos.I found this recipe while blogging .Thnx shabs for the chiffon cake recipe.They had mentioned it with the black chocolate mould..as the day i tried the recipe I was short of  usual chocolates,I tried it up with milk chocolates.Here goes the recipe..

1 3/4 cup plain flour
3/4 cup chilled Butter
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 cup milk
a pinch of salt

For the cake moistening syrup:
6 tbsp sugar
10 tbsp water

• Heat oven to 180 degree celsius/Gas mark 4/350 degree Farenheit
• Cut butter to small cubes.In a large bowl, put chilled butter,sugar with a blender.
• Add vanilla essence and eggs(one by one) beating well
• Sift the flour 2-3 times.Add cocoa powder,baking powder,salt and baking soda to flour and mix well.
• Add dry mix to the egg mix ,mixing well.Add the milk and beat well.
• Grease a baking pan of 9 inches and bake it for 40-45 minutes.Cool cake on wire rack
• Heat sugar and water until sugar melts and syrup boils.Keep it aside.
• On cooling place the cake on a large dish and cut it into two layers.
• Sprinkle the sugar syrup on the cut cakes.Cover the cake in a plastic wrap and refrigerate  
• To make whipped cream filling,add 1/4 tsp vanilla essence,2 tbsp sugar & 1/2 cup whipping cream and whip well.
• Spread the filling paste on to the cut layers and join them together.
• For the white chocolate topping:8 ounce of milk chocolate cut into small pieces,3/4 cup of whipping cream,2 tbsp butter
• Boil the whipping cream and pour it on to the chocolate pieces whipping it along with the butter until it becomes smooth.
• Spread the cream on to the cake evenly .For appearance you can decorate it with cherries..  

WHEAT & SEMOLINA UNNIYAPPAMS

This mouth watering snack very much worth trying..

1 cup wheat flour

1 cup semolina

1/2 cup chopped coconut pieces roasted in ghee

1/2 tsp black seaseme seeds

2-3 ripe bananas mashed

1/4 tsp dry ginger powder

1/4 tsp Baking soda

a pinch of salt

1/4 kg jaggery

• Heat the jaggery pieces in a pan with a little water and melt it.Strain the impurities and keep the syrup aside
• Mix the wheat flour,semolina,mashed bananas,seaseme seeds,coconut pieces,baking soda,dry ginger powder,salt along with the jaggery syrup adding water to get a batter of dropping consistency
• Pour and heat oil in an unniyappam pan .
• Pour the batter into each of the depressions in the pan
• Turn over the uniyappams with a fork so that all the parts are evenly golden brown in colour .

Kids on Blog?!!?

My 5 and 2 year old pranksters rarely keep me on my feet.At times they make my kitchen lab a disaster with their helping hands on cooking..

CHEERA THORAN/SPINACH STIR FRY

Spinach the multi nutrient has always been my fav.Unlike me,my elder son hates spinach .This recipe that I'm putting up is a variation from the usual cheera thoran.Last day I tried it up for lunch ..and I must my kids loved it.

3 cups finely chopped spinach

4-5 green chillies(julian cut)

1/2 cup scraped coconut

2 eggs(well beaten)

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp urad dal

1/2 cup shallots(sliced)

1tbsp ghee

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

• In a kadai/wok on flame pour oil pop the mustard ,urad dal and curry leaves.
• add the green chillies with the shallots and saute them till transparent.
• To this add the spinach ,salt,and sprinkle about 1/4 cup of water.Cover and let it cook on medium flame for 10 -15 minutes.
• Stir the spinach well,letting the water content to evaporate.Making a space at the centre of the wok,pour in the eggs and scramble them.
• When the eggs are scrambled mix it with the spinach
• Pour ghee ,stir well and add the scraped coconut mixing well.
• The cheera thoran is now ready to be served!

TOMATO FRY

This curry goes well of with chappathis.At times when my pranksters are quite tightened up with their schedules, I pop up this curry

2 Large onions(sliced)

3Green chillies(julian cut)

1/2 tsp Aniseed

3 tomatoes

curry leaves

1tbsp kashmiri chilly powder

2tbsp oil

Salt to taste

• In a heavy bottomed pan on flame,pour the oil.
• When the oil is hot add the aniseed, the green chillies , a few curry leaves and stir
• Add the sliced onions and saute them till they are translucent.
• Slice the tomatoes and add it to the onions.Saute them well.
• Add the chilly powder and mix well.Add 1/2 cup of water along with salt and let it simmer.
• When the gravy thickens you can turn off the flame

CHAKKA VARATTIYATHU / JACK FRUIT JAM

This one was my grandma's masterpiece.I must say the thought of this dessert made from ripe jack fruit makes me drool.. This jackfruit jam can be used to make Elaappams/Idanaappams .Although the dish consumes time,I must say its worth trying..

1kg of the ripe jackfruit's flesh pieces

500g jaggery

5tbsp ghee

5 cardamoms crushed

1/2 tsp dry ginger powder

• Deseed the flesh pieces of the jackfruit and cut them into small pieces.
• Melt the jaggery pieces to get a syrup
• Pressure cook them with 1/2 cup of water so that they are well cooked.
• In a heavy bottomed pan on flame pour ghee
• Add the cooked jackfruit to the pan and mash them
• When the water gets evaporated, add the jaggery syrup and continue stirring
• Stir well till the the jaggery jack fruit mix starts getting sticky
• Take care to stir the mix well avoiding from sticking to the vessel
• Add the crushed cardamoms and dry ginger powder,stirring well
• When it thickens well remove from flame
• Let it cool and then store them in air tight containers