Saturday, December 31, 2011

Honey roasted nuts...

A super nutritious & yummy munch! Plus, gets done in a jiffy! What else could one as for in a snack, eh?.. ;)
You need:
a handful of almonds*
a handful of cashews*
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp chilly flakes**
salt to taste
Note:
*U could use any nuts - cashews, almonds, pistachios, peanuts - take ur pick! :)
**Skip the chilly flakes or add more according to taste
How to:
Roast the nuts(plain) in the oven/in a wok till crunchy. Take care to ensure that it does not burn. Stir constantly if you are using the wok. Keep aside.
In a wok, add the butter, honey, flakes on a low flame. Once this starts to bubble, add in the nuts and turn the flame on to high. Stir well to coat evenly till the syrup is absorbed. I added only a small pinch of salt since i used salted-butter.
Once the syrup is absorbed completely, transfer the nuts onto a plate, spreading evenly so that they do not stick together in a lump as they cool. You could store this in an air-tight container or gobble up right away! ;)

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Cauliflower in a creamy sauce...

You need:
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp all purpose flour (maida)
1 cup milk
2-3 tsp cheese spread - heaped
2 cups of cauliflower florets
2 tsp powdered pepper
salt to taste
How to:
Microwave the cauliflower florets in salted water till they are done but crunchy (about 6-8 minutes should do). Meanwhile, heat the butter on a low flame in a wok. Once it melts down, add the flour and keep stirring till it cooks. Ensure that it does not form lumps or burn. On a low flame, add the milk slowly - stirring continuously. Add the pepper & stir in. Drain the cauliflower & throw it in the white sauce, mixing so that they are coated well. Let this bubble for a bit till you get a thick sauce. Adjust seasoning accordingly. I use salted butter & since the cheese spread is salted, it needs only a tiny pinch of salt. NjOy!! :)

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Stocking-ed flowers...

Made these flowers using stocking cloth. A colleague taught me the yellow ones & i experimented with the red ones the day i saw something similar at a fair... ;)
Taped a stick from a coconut frond & used it as the stem for the red flowers.

Coconut / Palm sepals décor... ;)

Coconut sepals have always fascinated me...From the time we were little & rolled baby coconuts beneath our feet lightly till the sepal came off as a bowl and were used to serve soup(ahem.. muddy water ;)) when we played guests...the removed coconut, with a stick poked through wound up as tender-coconuts being served... :D

I always thought that they would make amazing decorative pieces. But got to really using them only recently. Dried open sepals from a coconut can be varnished and stuck up in a vase. You could paint them too!
Palms trees have similar sepals - much larger - thatz what i have used here. Herez what i used them for - candle holders! :)Pick up the dried ones (u'll find a lot of these beneath coconut/palm trees) - clean with a dry brush/cloth and splash on some paint. I used enamel paint that you use on gates, windows etc - works out real cheap & has a glossy finish. For the bigger 'flowers', i used broader scented candles & tealight candles for the smaller ones. Works great for any festival or a cozy candle-light dinner too!... Reuse as many times as you like, changing colors if you need to match up your surroundings.
Need some change? Splash some color at the core, paste this 'flower' to a stick & pop it in a vase. I used the aerial roots of a Banyan tree to mount the 'flowers'. :)

Monday, December 26, 2011

Praline...

This onez been inspired by MasterChef Australia - frankly, the only MChef show that T & me loved! Gazed longingly at the pralines that topped many desserts at the show.. n guess the longing was strong enough to push me into making a batch to top our desserts as well... especially the ice-cream servings! :)
The bitter sweet crunch.... mmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!! ;)
Crushed them lightly to get a broken-glass feel...

Mushroom masala...


You need:
1 pckt - White button mushrooms, sliced
2-3 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2-3 green chillies - finely chopped
2 medium sized onions - diced
a big pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 medium sized red tomatoes - diced
1 tbsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp garam masala powder (optional)
salt to taste
a bunch of corriander leaves - chopped
How to:
In a wok, heat the oil & add in the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, throw in the cumin seeds & the finely chopped green chillies.
** You could substitute the green chillies with a mix of green & red chillies, chilly flakes & powdered pepper - which is what i normally do.
Now add the onions, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric a little salt and sauté till it browns, taking care not to burn them. Add in the tomatoes & mix well, adding the soya sauce. This helps in breaking the tomatoes & making them mushy. Add the garam masala and cook till the tomatoes make a sauce-y like appearance. Add in the mushrooms, stir well and cook till done - checking for salt. Add the corriander leaves a minute or two before you turn of the flame, mix well & leave covered till you serve. Goes well with rotis, rice, toast... almost anything! :)
Pointers: Mushrooms have good water content & so adding water might not be necessary. You could still add about 1/2 a cup to 1 cup of water if you think it is too dry.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Friday, December 16, 2011

Chewy Choco-Coconut brownies...

Was planning to make some brownies for T to take along as an after-lunch treat... the dessicated coconut lying around was screaming at me to be picked up &... in they went! ;) Chewy, moist n yum!!!
You need:
1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup dessicated coconut
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3-4 heaped tbsp Bournvita
How to:
In a plastic/glass mixing bowl, take all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, Bournvita, coconut) and mix well. Now add the milk and stir in. Slowly add the oil and mix well with a plastic spoon till incorporated.
Pour this mixture into a well greased baking tin(sprinkled lightly with flour) and bake at 250 deg C for 5 minutes, lower the heat to 180 deg C & bake further for 10-15min or till done.
I packed them for T's workplace with a drizzle of Hershey's chocolate syrup on top and some crispies... :)

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Carved in stone...

One of the wheels @ Konark, Orissa.

An artisan's workplace en-route Konark.

An old hand pump that works as good as new! :)

Tricking Ravan...


According to legend, Lord Vishnu blocked out the sun to give the appearance of dusk & fool Ravan. In the pik - the Sun God at Murudeshwar, Karnataka...

Pears poached in red wine...


Been meaning to try this out since eons!! Was making this for the 1st time & so made them with only 1 pear.
To serve 2 plates, you need:
1 pear
2 glasses of red wine(I used some home-made red wine) - basically, u should have enough to cover the pears. So if you use a larger pan, you would need more wine.
A stick of cinnamon
1 or 2 Star Anise
1tbsp Lemon/orange zest
Sugar - was more of a hit & trail method till i felt that it tasted right
How to:
Slice the pears in half - lengthwise & scoop out the seeds. I left the peel on & by the time the dish was done, the peel slid off easily. You could peel them before poaching. Pour the wine into a pan & drop the spices, zest & the sugar. Bring to a boil.Lower the flame,drop the pears in & simmer for 25-30min or until they are tender when pierced with a skewer. They may need 5 to 10 minutes longer if they are not ripe. Leave the fruit to cool completely in the poaching liquid. Refrigerate the pears along with the liquid for a few hours. The longer you soak them, the better the color. Scoop the pear with a slotted spoon,drizzle a bit of the syrupy juice & serve with whipped cream. :)

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Orange juice - Spiced :)

Citrous-y fruits bring back memories of truckloads of ridiculously huge, thick skinned oranges from our estate. I haven't seen oranges that size since then! The reason for chopping down those trees is over-ridden by the orange-memory-spell..was probably owing to some ridiculous pests or the coffee plants had too much shade(?).. I don't really remember!
Anyways, we sometimes had the juicy segments dipped in a mix of salt-&-chilly-powder. Sluuurrrppp!!! :)

Last week, T n me were gloomily glued on to the idiot-box with sore-throats & fever, eyeing the orange heap on our table. The fever had made us lazy & instead of peeling the oranges, de-stoning & dipping each segment in the salt & chilly mix, we made some juice & added salt & chilly powder to it. A hassle free no-ice spice drink! ;) Not sure if it worsened our throats, but sure made us happy! :D
Btw, doesn't the peel look like a Mc D's logo?... ;)

Mushrooms in Spinach(Palak) gravy...


Garden grown spinach! They came along with the radish leaves & we ended up having a 'green' week! ;)
You need:
Into the pressure cooker
About a bunch or two of fresh palak(spinach)- rinsed well & chopped roughly
2 cloves
3-4 flakes of garlic
1/2 an inch of cinnamon
-------------------------------
2tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
a big pinch of turmeric
2-3 red chillies
2 medium onions diced
1 medium tomato diced
Salt to taste
1.5 cups of mushrooms sliced
1 tbsp cream
How to:
To the ingredients listed under 'Into the pressure cooker', add about a cup of water, salt to taste and cook them in a pressure cooker for about 2 whistles.
Whilst the cooker is busy, heat about 2tbsp oil in a kadai. Pop in the mustard seeds and once they splutter, drop in the red chillies. Immediately add the onions and stir for about 2minutes. Season with salt. Add the turmeric and stir. Add the tomatoes and cook till mushy.Now add the mushrooms, stir for about a minute, check for salt.Remember that your spinach is salted - check accordingly.Add chilly flakes if you need more spice.
By now, your cooker should have done its job. Seperate the spinach mass from the water and add this water to the mushrooms.Make sure that you add this in parts so that the gravy is not too runny. While it continues to bubble and reduce, Whizz up the spinach in a mixer. Make sure that the mushroom is cooked and add the pureed spinach into the bubbling kadai. Simmer for about 3minutes, checking for salt. Put off the flame and drop a dollop of cream onto the gravy, swirling slightly. Serve hot with roti/rice/toasted bread/anything! ;)

Pointers:
- While grinding the spinach, I make 2 textures. With the whole lot, i first run the mixer for a couple of swirls. I then spoon out half the coarsely ground spinach & then grind the remaining spinach into a finer paste. So now, you have more texture to your gravy.
- Substitute the mushrooms with Paneer for 'Palak Paneer'. :)

Eggs in the Aebleskiver... ;)


‘T’ n me usually have light dinners - rice is an absolute 'NO'. Was feeling lazy to cook(!) & so decided to whip up an omelette with the works(onions/tomatoes/peppers). Halfway through, I realized that we had some leftover cooked rice & so dropped a handful into it. I then spooned them into my Aebleskiver pan. Served with ketchup, we had a yummy plate without realizing that we were actually having a complete meal! ;) Guess fussy eaters can be tricked into eating rice! ;)

Cookies!... :)

Chicken - twice cooked...


For the marinade, I used - salt, chilly flakes, a hint of turmeric powder, curd & lemon. Let it stay overnight in the freezer.
Seared the marinated drumsticks on a griddle and transferred it to the microwave for about 5min once it was browned enough. The grill function was also on in the microwave & 5min was all it took to cook them! Served with a garnish of onions sautéed with green chillies & cashew nuts.

Scones...

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Gobi Parathas


For the stuffing, I used cauliflower florets microwaved in salted water till done(helps retain the color). This was added to onions sautéed with cumin seeds,a pinch of turmeric powder, some finely chopped tomatoes & green chillies, chaat masala with additional seasoning.
Served with raita & pickle.

Jellied coconut...


You need:
1 cup freshly extracted coconut milk
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
3 tsp gelatin
How to:
In a wok, boil the first 3 ingredients stirring constantly for about 10minutes on a low flame. You could add in 2tbsp of milkmaid - remember to reduce the sugar if you do this.
Take this away from the flame and while this cools down a bit, dissolve 3tsp of gelatin in water(about 2tbsp). Now add this to the warm pre-prepared mix and run it in the mixer to ensure that it gels well. Pour into a serving dish and refrigerate. Serve cold after it sets.
I poured them in shot glasses, sprinkled with slightly caramelized & toasted coconuts.
Source: Lil' bro got this recipe for me from our aunt. :) Thanks a heap! :)
Pointers:
If you have leftover coconut milk, pour them into ice-cube trays & store them in zip-locks in the freezer once they are set. You can then just pop them in your curries etc whenever required.

Leek & Apple Salad


Had some leek & apples. Sliced them up, added a few peeled oranges, seasoned them with salt & lime. Toss!! :)

Mini Choco-Rum Bombs


I had some leftover(!!??) gooooey choco cake that I'd made.. okay - they weren't leftover. ;) I saved some to see if I could imitate choco bombs made at a place we often wind up at.
Rolled the cake into tiny 'bombs', dipped them in rum-infused cooking chocolate and left them in the fridge for about 30min. The 'bombs' did decrease in number every 10min! And of what was left, 'T' & me polished it off in one go! :D

Parathas with chopped radish leaves & shredded coconut


We got some garden grown radish leaves from a neighbour n woooowwww!!! They were fresh, crunchy & I almost hugged them! ;)
I've never cooked with radish leaves before but after a little experiment, I am a FAN! :) Had mixed the leaves with the flour & was looking around the kitchen to see if anything else could go in. Chanced upon some freshly grated coconut & in they went!
You need:
for 1 cup wheat flour/atta,
half a cup finely chopped radish leaves
half a cup freshly grated coconut
chilly flakes as per taste
salt as per taste
warm water for kneading
1 tbsp oil
How to:
Mix all the above ingredients except water & oil. Slowly add the water, simultaneously mixing in the ingredients. Add the oil and continue kneading till it becomes smooth, pliable & comes together. Cover and set aside for about half an hour.
Roll out parathas from the dough & fry the parathas on a griddle or tava. Serve the parathas hot with raita & pickle. Enjoy! :)

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Seven-cups… Oooops!!! Six!! ;)


Yet another sweet that mom made during our hols. Come to think of it, she juggled all the work at home, the bank & still stuffed us with home-made goodies!! I remember mom telling me that it was called 7-cups 'coz 7 cups of ingredients go into making this. Try as I might, I couldn't recollect the 7th cup. Mom couldn't too! ;) So just went ahead with 6cups-of-guessed-ingredients for a quick Diwali treat. They ended up tasting just like the 7-cups. I'm still at times tormented with thoughts of "what-was-the-7th-cup"… Pushing them away for now! Herez how I made my 6-cups…:)
You need:
1 cup ghee
2 cups sugar (I used a little more than 1.5 cups.Taste & alter as you go along)
1 cup freshly grated coconut
1 cup milk
1 cup besan
a pinch of powdered cardamom (optional)
How to:
Melt the ghee on a low flame in a wide mouthed kadai/wok. Add the sugar and stir (I use powdered sugar – so I don’t really have to slave over the flame ;)). Now add the coconut and the milk. You could add in a pinch of powdered cardamom (optional). Add the besan, pouring steadily and stirring all the while. Make sure no lumps are formed. You need to keep stirring constantly to avoid burning. After about 10-15 minutes of arm-workout, the mixture starts leaving the edges and forming a lump as you turn it over. Spread this out on a plate smeared lightly with ghee. Allow it to cool for a few minutes and cut into desired pieces/shapes while it is still warm. You can pop them out of the plate after they cool completely.
Pointers:
If you find it difficult to handle spreading the mixture onto a plate, you could pat it down with our hand, alternately dipping your hand in cold water. Work quickly so that you don’t burn your fingers. :)

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Jilebi - instant mix...


Tried making Jilebis... Haven't ventured into making them from the scratch. This was using the instant-mix, the easy way out! ;) Planning to make the batter on my own the next time... :)

Choco Mocha Cake...


Was making a chocolate cake for 'T's B'day & wondered if a dash of coffee would give it that extra kick. Well, it always does, right? At least for a hardcore coffee fan, YES!! !:D Rich, moist n ooooh so tempting! Drizzled some choco sauce & sprinkled crispies n choco chips. Threw in some gems & a couple of cappuccino twisters... :)

You need:
1 cup each of...
-plain flour/maida
-hung curd (hung for 5 min should do)
-sugar powdered
3/4 cup vegetable oil/cooking oil
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp instant coffee powder (more if you like)
4 heaped tbsp of powdered Bournvita
2-3 drops of orange essence
a bunch of cherries,raisins,coarsely broken down nuts - cashews & almonds soaked in rum overnight or atleast an hour
How to:
Get all the ingredients ready. Grease the cake tin with butter & dust with flour. Preheat the oven at 180 deg C for 10min.
Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder & baking soda together and transfer them to a deep bowl. To this, add the sugar, coffee powder & the Bournvita. Lightly mix them together. Add the curd and mix well. Now add the oil and beat well enough for it to incorporate. You should end up with a thick batter which falls down ribbon-like when spooned. If your mixture has no 'flow', you could add a little milk to it. Add the drunken nuts/cherries in the batter and mix lightly. You could add the rum with some cooking chocolate & use it for icing the cake when done or use them to make some choco-rum-bombs or just drink up! ;)
Pour the batter into the cake tin and bake at 180 deg C for 30-40 min or till done. A skewer/knife inserted in the center of the cake should come out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack & garnish with ... well, pretty much anything chocolate-y that you can find in your kitchen! ;) :D Indulge!! :)

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Mashed Potatoes...


Herez how:
Microwave 3 medium-sized potatoes in salted water till done (about 15-20min).Drain out the water & run through cold water (makes for easier handling). Passing the boiled potatoes through a metallic sieve (plastic ones are clumsier!) gives you creamy potatoes with amazing texture. Add in 2tbsp of butter and stir in, gradually adding 1/4 cup cold milk(or more) - stirring all the while. Throw in some herbs for flavor. I used oregano & some chilly flakes.
Bowl- scraping goooood!! :)

Sausage Wraps - SuNdAy BrUnCh :)


A dash of fried onion flakes, minced Jalapeños, a grilled sausage, a dollop of mustard sauce - laid on a flattened & trimmed slice of bread, spread with some ketchup. Roll up as in the pik & secure with a toothpick, an olive pierced through. Grill till done and serve hot. Njoy!! :)

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Little Coffee Hearts... :)


For V's B'day - yet another InDulGence that 'T' & me devoured!! :)
A tin of milkmaid + same measure of milk + 3-4tsps of instant coffee + 3 well beaten eggs - steamed for about 20min. MaGiC!!! :D
Used cookie cutters & dusted them with cocoa... Yummm!!! :)

Carrot Cake... :)

Celebrating V's B'day!...Made this since its his favorite cake! :)
You need:
1 cup grated carrot - tightly packed(use red carrots if in season)
1 egg
1 cup self raising flour**
1 cup sugar - powdered
1 tsp condensed milk (optional)
1/2 tsp finely powdered cinnamon
3/4 cup oil
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 drops of vanilla essence (optional - not really required since cinnamon is added)
**If u are using all purpose flour, use 1 tsp baking powder & 1/2 tsp baking soda. The rest of the ingredients remain the same.
How to:
Sieve together the flour, baking soda & baking powder and keep aside. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven for 10min at 150 deg C.
Beat the egg in a plastic/glass bowl till frothy. Add the cinnamon powder, sugar, condensed milk & beat well till light & frothy. Add the sieved dry ingredients, stirring slowly. You could alternate with the oil & dry ingredients for easy mixing. Once this is mixed well, add in the grated carrot & mix.
Pour this into a well buttered & dusted(with flour) tin and bake at 160 deg C for 30-45min or till an inserted skewer comes out clean. Tastes yummm... n tastes better the next day! :)

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Cooking with Amaranthus...

 
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Of the unprecedented list as to why Coorg is a dream come true, one of them would be - being able to whip up lunch by just wandering in your backyard. Back at mum's place I could just gather a bunch of fresh amaranthus from her veggie garden trove. Wish I could always do that instead of having to salvage my greens from the fridge!
Herez a yummy and nutritious side dish made with amaranthus (called keere in Coorg - pronounced key-ray)..I'd be surprised if I found a house in Coorg that doesn't make it! :D
You need:
3tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 medium onions - sliced Julienne style
green chillies - 3
3 bunches of leafy amaranthus-green/red/ u could mix them too
1 cup freshly grated coconut
salt to taste
P.Note: the amaranthus reduces to about less than half the quantity when cooked. Pick out only the tender stems. You could use/discard the harder stems & root or add them in soups. Discard flowers & seeds if any. Wash well since they tend to be soiled. A good rinse in salted water to begin with & 2 more plain water rinses following it should do.
How to:
Heat the oil in a wide-mouthed wok. Drop in the mustard seeds. Add the split green chilies once the mustard splutters. Once the chilies change color, add the onions and stir, adding salt as per taste. Now add the greens and stir in. Add the grated coconut. Stir.
These greens have good water content and do not need additional water to cook in. You could add 1/2 a cup if required, though. Check for salt. Stir...cover..n hover around and your dish should done in 10min!:) Tastes yum with rice roti / chapatis.

Monday, October 10, 2011

Vanilla drops...


'V' called them little idlis! :P They tasted like the store bought drops which really surprised me! ;)Forgot to wrap them up in an air-tight container & 'T' missed out the crunch!
Reminder to self - "Don't zoom in piks too much!" :)

Corn dip...


'T' was at work & the baby corns in my fridge were yelling to be picked up. They ended up being a part of my snack-lunch :)
You need:
1 cup corn cut breadthwise to get little circles
1/2 cup tomato puree(I pureed 2 tomatoes in my mixer. You could use the ready puree)
1 tsp kasoori methi
a pinch of pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp powdered cashewnut
1/2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp cream
2-3 tbsp grated cheese
How to:
Boil the tomato puree with 1/2 cup water, kasoori methi and pepper till it thickens. Set aside.
In the same kadai, sauté onions in olive oil along with the cashewnut, ginger-garlic paste, chilly powder & salt to taste. Once the onion changes color, add the tomato puree and simmer.Check/add more chilly powder if required.
Drop in the cream & fold. Garnish with grated cheese & serve as a dip with crackers or toast. Slurp! :)

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Half moon coconut toffees...


Yet another quick-fix for the sweet-toothed. Made them in half-moon shapes using a scoop spoon since I was too lazy to roll them into balls.

Potato Gratin...


Thanks to Masterchef Australia, the now-all-knowing 'T' quizzed his bro - a chef - regarding the gratin. Like he wouldn't know! Hellllppppp! 'T' is going bonkers! ;)
Herez how I made them:
Slice potatoes and soak in salted water for about half an hour. Pat dry.For the garnish: chopped parsley,cream,garlic,pepper,chilly flakes,oregano & butter.
Butter a casserole. Layer potatoes & garnish alternatively.
Oven: Preheat oven to 375 Fahr. For 0.5kg, bake for 30-45min or till done.
Microwave: Cook on Combi-Gratin for 10min for 3 potatoes. 15min for 0.5kg. Enjoy!! :)

Choco tarts...


Made creamy choco tarts topped with choco chips & some crunch – an apt inaugural for my mini tart trays! :)

Dulce De Leche @ home! :)


Been planning this for quite sometime but the cooking time of 2-3 hours was what put me off. Shortcut? - Cooked the tin in a pressure cooker with the whistle on for about 35min, tin(condensed milk) immersed in water. Voila - a yummy Dulce De Leche that 'T' & me were ecstatic about! We had it on its own, with some cooled custard that we had(the worse half suggested this ;)) & then topped some ice-cream. Incredible in all forms! Planning to use it in a rum infused rice pudding later on!
Adapted from Vera's recipe @ bakingobsession.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Autumn @ Putin Bay...

The 1st cake I ever baked! :)


Oct 2008. Baked this for V's birthday - celebrated @ Cleveland. :)

My Snow Capped Camry...


Miss driving my Camry on cattle-n-people free roads! :)
In a weird way, miss the snow shovelin' @ 5:15AM for the 6 O'clock shift! Snow cleared, frozen sheets of ice broken, numb fingers, heater on n desperately wishin' 2 b warmly tucked in bed! The Scotsman-song on d radio did cheer me up! ;)

Vancouver - the best ever! :)



Clicks by Vishu... my possessions, though! :D