tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12226251051466299472024-03-19T13:46:40.417+03:00Kitchen BoffinKitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.comBlogger145125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-89745772843447926392015-03-31T07:00:00.000+03:002015-03-31T07:03:17.248+03:00Malabar Chicken Curry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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While making chicken dishes; especially Indian dishes, it takes time to get the hang on things. But eventually you would master it, with the most balanced blend of spices and the most exquisite outcome of flavor. And your chicken curry tells all, how great a cook you are or where you stand in the arena of food making. Oh yes! A chicken curry can speak volumes about your culinary skills. And, traditional Indian Chicken dishes is where you can try your hand at perfecting that art at balancing the flavors perfectly. Try your hand at this traditional Malabar Chicken Curry and you would find yourself making it again, if not for reaching that blissfully perfect apex of taste. This recipe is one which I make very often and has never proved wrong for me..<br />
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Coming to the recipe...<br />
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<b>Malabar Chicken Curry Recipe:</b><br />
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800g chicken, skinned and cut into small pieces<br />
2 large onions, sliced<br />
1/2 tsp freshly ground ginger<br />
1/2 tsp freshly ground garlic<br />
1 large tomato, chopped<br />
1/4 tsp turmeric powder<br />
1/2 tsp chilli powder<br />
1 tsp kashmiri chilli pdr<br />
2 tbsp coriander pdr<br />
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds<br />
Salt to taste<br />
1 sprig of curry leaves<br />
3 tbsp coconut oil<br />
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<b>Method:</b><br />
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Heat coconut oil in a kadai or cast iron wok. Splutter fenugreek seeds in it. It shouldn't turn black. Add onion and saute until it turns slightly brown and translucent. Add freshly ground ginger and garlic and saute until aroma comes out. Now add the chopped tomato and saute until mushy. Then add the spice powders and saute until well blended. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring to boil. Adjust salt and finally add the chicken. Cook in medium to low heat, covered ,until well cooked and the gravy is thick. Remove from heat and serve hot with rice or Chapattis.</div>
</div>Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-33571473031690713342015-02-09T10:11:00.000+03:002015-02-09T23:50:54.658+03:00Strawberry Mousse Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I was tempted to make this cake after I saw it in one of my buddy blogger's blog, <a href="http://www.fullscoops.net/2014/12/eggless-strawberry-mousse-cake.html#.UplNg9KBmFD">Full Scoops</a>. The procedures proved to be easy and the cake looked too beautiful. It was loaded with strawberry flavour and my kids quite loved it. I used a vanilla sponge cake as base instead of chocolate cake, but made the strawberry mousse from fresh ripe strawberries and the cake became history in no time :)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Strawberry Mousse Cake Recipe</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i><u>Ingredients</u></i></b></span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cake - one 9" vanilla cake</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Heavy Whipping Cream - 1.5 cups </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Vanilla extract - 1 tsp</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Strawberry puree - 1.5 cups</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Granulated sugar - 2 tbsp (or to taste)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Icing Sugar - 1 tbsp (for the whipped cream)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lemon juice - 1 tsp</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Gelatin - 3 tsp </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Cold Water - 3 tbsp</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Strawberries - to decorate (optional)</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Method:</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Prepare the vanilla cake in a 9" spring form pan. I made it using the same recipe of <a href="http://kitchenboffin.blogspot.com/2012/01/vanilla-cupcake.html">vanilla cup cake.</a> but halved the ingredients and poured the batter in a 9" pan and baked for 1/2 an hour. When the cake was done, let it cool in the pan itself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>For the mousse</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Place 1.5 cups of heavy whipping cream in a large bowl. Leave the bowl (with the cream) and beaters in the fridge and freezer respectively.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Add 3 tsp gelatin to 3 tbsp water and let it bloom for 5 minutes. Then heat the gelatin in a microwave or saucepan for 30 seconds. Set this aside to cool completely.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. You will need about 30-35 strawberries. Roughly chop the berries add the strawberries to the blender or food processor and puree without adding water.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Transfer the puree to a saucepan and add 2 tbsp of sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cooled jelatin to it and stir the puree for 3-5 minutes until it's slightly thickened.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. While the puree cools prepare the cream. Make sure the bowl, beaters and the cream is chilled.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. Add the vanilla extract and 1 tbsp sugar to the cream and whip for about 7-8 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Do not overbeat.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6. As you beat the cream, about 5 minutes into beating, you will start seeing beater marks .At this stage</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> add the cooled strawberry puree with gelatin and fold gently. Set this aside</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">7. Place parchment paper around the spring form pan over the sponge cake to line the sides of the pan. Pour the cooled strawberry cream into the pan over the cake. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">8. Cover the cake pan and let it set in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">9. Once the mousse sets, remove the ring of the spring form pan gently and top with some strawberries.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">10. Cut and serve the cake in individual serving plates. Enjoy!!</span></span></div>
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Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-74608681542011183702015-01-12T21:21:00.001+03:002015-01-12T21:21:16.803+03:00Moist Chocolate Mug Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Easy recipes have their own beauty. They are more so, for super busy moms like me. Believe it or not, this recipe was so easy that I hadn't expected it to turn out good, when I first saw it in <a href="http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/the-moistest-chocolate-mug-cake/">this gorgeous blog</a>. I had never guessed there was an easy way to make a chocolate cake; without all those whipping, beating and folding processes. And I was not so optimistic as to the outcome of a cake in the microwave, as the one time I had attempted it before had given me something like a sweet spongy dough.<br />
<br />
But Julie's words as well as her pictures tempted me enough to try it out. After all it was just a matter of 5 minutes. Amazing enough, incredible enough, so unbelievable, it turned out to be a moist soft chocolate cake, which the boys fought over. I have made it again 3 or 4 times, since the first attempt. It has become one of my latest time saver desserts. Try this out for your kids and you wouldn't be disappointed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Moist Chocolate Mug Cake</span><br />
(Recipe adapted from<a href="http://www.tablefortwoblog.com/the-moistest-chocolate-mug-cake/"> Table for two</a>)<br />
<br />
1/4 cup all purpose flour<br />
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
1/4 tsp baking powder<br />
3 tbsp powdered sugar<br />
a pinch of salt<br />
1/4 cup milk<br />
2 tbsp veg.oil<br />
1 tbsp Nutella<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.</li>
<li>Whisk in the milk and oil and mix well until well combined and no clumps are seen.</li>
<li>Pour batter into a micro wave safe large coffee mug.</li>
<li>Drop 1 tablespoon of Nutella or any other chocolate spread in the middle of the batter. No need to push it down.</li>
<li>Microwave mug cake for 1 minute on high.</li>
<li>Remove from microwave and serve hot or cold. Enjoy!</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-53355662475141743832014-12-23T19:17:00.002+03:002015-01-12T21:29:04.774+03:00Pazham Unda / Undapori<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Whenever I have very ripe, ready to wilt bananas on the kitchen counter; the 'no wasting' bell as well as the 'recycling' bell rings in my mind, loud enough to jolt me into some kind of kitchenantics. Two options rush to my mind all the time. One is the <a href="http://kitchenboffin.blogspot.com/2012/06/moist-banana-cake.html">Moist Banana Cake,</a> which the boys are crazy about and the other is this easy peasy old snack of mom, Pazham Unda, which the spouse is quite fond of.<br />
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Nowadays, I usually opt for the second; as it is quicker and more easier to make. No need of all those whisking, beating and folding fuss. It can be mixed up in a couple of minutes and prepared in a quarter of an hour. It was one of the easiest tea time snacks mom used to make when we were kids. Back at home, mom used to make it with really ripe 'cheru pazham', the small bananas which is abundantly available in Kerala. I tried it with the chiquita bananas here and it turned out quite as good.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xJcQDw23jr51OM-jbKIOex-C3KZFWUR8Dxn-x0JLuCPqGRQORlUy9DWAwPMtvy2NDrKyjRPZEsHVAmlYRjkhKhI_yoFH7KW3pdj4e-Ecpg_5eFyeimiMl4bjAERMZvLA2-8g5DOtpCqj/s1600/pazham+unda3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6xJcQDw23jr51OM-jbKIOex-C3KZFWUR8Dxn-x0JLuCPqGRQORlUy9DWAwPMtvy2NDrKyjRPZEsHVAmlYRjkhKhI_yoFH7KW3pdj4e-Ecpg_5eFyeimiMl4bjAERMZvLA2-8g5DOtpCqj/s1600/pazham+unda3.jpg" height="640" width="470" /></a></div>
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Here is the recipe...<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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<b>Things you need:</b><br />
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5-6 very ripe chiquita bananas / 10-12 cheru pazham<br />
1/4 cup rice flour<br />
1 tbsp white flour /maida<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
3/4 cup melted jaggery/ according to taste<br />
1/4 tsp cumin powder<br />
1/2 tsp cardamom powder<br />
A pinch of baking soda<br />
Oil for deep frying<br />
<br />
<b>Method:</b><br />
<br />
Peel the bananas (they should be really ripe and ready to wilt) and mash them in a bowl using fork or hands. Add all the other ingredients and mix well with a spoon. The batter should not be too thick nor runny.<br />
Heat oil in a sauce pan or kadai. Oil should be in medium heat.Too hot oil makes the balls brown quickly leaving the center uncooked. Take spoonfuls of batter, briefly ball them with your hand and drop into the hot oil one by one. Turn to other side after about 3 minutes, when one side has browned. Cook both sides for about 3 minutes and then remove from oil with a slotted spatula. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen tissue.Repeat with the rest of the batter. Break one unda and check if the center is cooked well.<br />
The outer part will be a little crispy and the inner, soft. Enjoy with tea, hot or cold.</div>
</div>
Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-73931995273619482302014-12-15T21:41:00.000+03:002014-12-23T19:25:24.736+03:00Gajar ka Halwa/ Carrot Halwa- the easy way<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The temperature is climbing down very reluctantly. It's almost the end of December and still not so cold. I have never seen December this pleasant and tolerable here before. It is the first time it seems, I don't have to pray for the month to end; dreading the knawing cold which freeze you to inaction. Well.. it's almost pleasant.( I can't believe it's really December) :)<br />
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So, making sweets in the kitchen is in vogue. Or, should I say the boys made it a vogue to pester me into making something sweet for them everyday; as they are still having the hunger pangs they usually get in the cold season, although it is not as cold as it used to be...?<br />
Well.. these growing kids!! They have the appetite to eat an army.LOL!! But the army must be sweet and junk. Nothing near to normal food. So, almost everyday; I find myself giving into their nagging and making something sweet in the kitchen. Poor me and my dieting plans!! These kids you know...Sigh!!<br />
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This time I decided to make Gajar ka Halwa. It somewhat looked like it would help me fight the guilt I felt for making the sweets somehow. After all it's carrots.Right? Loaded with vitamins and beta carotines. Let's forget about the loads of sugar in the condensed milk and tones of calories in the clarified butter, for the time being.The thought can wait, until the dessert is safe in your stomach... WOL!(Wheeping Out Loud)... ;)<br />
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This recipe using condensed milk is easier and faster than the traditional one where in you use whole milk and have to wait for ages to get the halwa thickened. Handy for superfast moms like me..<br />
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Off to the recipe..<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Gajar ka Halwa/ Carrot Halwa -using Condensed Milk Recipe:</span><br />
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<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1.5 kg carrots - approx 9 cups tightly packed grated carrots</li>
<br />
<br />
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">6 tbsp ghee/clarified butter</li>
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<br />
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">8 to 9 cardamoms, powdered in a mortar-pestle</li>
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<br />
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">1 tin sweetened condensed milk </li>
<br />
<br />
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">sugar as required and optional</li>
<br />
<br />
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">½ cup cashews</li>
<br />
<br />
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients">⅓ to ½ cup golden raisins (optional)</li>
<br />
<strong>Method:</strong><br />
<br />
1. Heat ghee in a kadai or thick bottomed deep pan. add the grated carrots.<br />
2. Saute the carrots till they turn tender. Keep on stirring in intervals while sauting the carrots. <br />
3. Then add the condensed milk.<br />
4. Stir very well.<br />
5. Add the cardamom powder, cashews and raisins.<br />
6. Add sugar, if needed.<br />
7. Stir again and simmer the halwa on a low flame stirring often, till the mixture reduces and dries up.<br />
8. S<strong>erve gajar halwa</strong> hot or warm or chilled. You can also add the halwa in a tray or box and let it set. When cool, cut in squares and serve the halwa, topped with cashew nuts.</div>
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Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-81268678238184508292014-12-11T09:47:00.000+03:002014-12-23T19:24:24.599+03:00Varutharacha Beef Curry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I had a super busy month with making little projects for the Kindergarten and dressing the son up for crazy events at school. I had thought that I had done with all such stuff back in my school days, only to discover that it is not over yet !! All is coming back again to daunt you with your kids going to school....</div>
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All those sweating on making the project perfect and beautiful; preparing all the accessories for a wacky tacky competition; walking up and down the stationary store to find the perfect things for the event... Everything comes back as if in old times. And to make your child confident and special, you need to be a kid again, working with them as serious as could be and bending over the project, like it is the only thing in the world.</div>
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But still... you feel that pure innocent joy, when your child comes back from school and babbles to you about how he performed and how 'Madam frown', patted him for doing well; just like you were that exuberant kid of the kindergarten decades back. </div>
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So... there is no much time for all those photography sessions, bloghoppings and recipe researches.But still find some time to make something special for the kids and hubby. Only that I never get time to capture them in pictures. So, for now I am posting this Beef Curry photographed ages back and an inevitable curry in the Malabar area. It goes well with Ghee rice and <a href="http://kitchenboffin.blogspot.com/2011/08/thenga-choru-coconut-rice-malabar.html">Thenga Choru</a>, which I have already posted. </div>
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I won't hold you back for long. Off to the recipe..</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Beef Curry with roasted coconut:</span></div>
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<i>For cooking the beef:</i></div>
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1/2 kg Indian beef , cut into small cubes</div>
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7 to 10 shallots/ cheriyulli, sliced</div>
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1 tsp ground ginger</div>
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1 tsp ground garlic</div>
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1/4 tsp turmeric powder</div>
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2 tsp chilli powder</div>
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2 tbsp coriander powder</div>
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1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds</div>
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Salt to taste</div>
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<i>For Roasting n Grinding:</i></div>
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1 Cup freshly grated coconut</div>
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2 shallots, peeled</div>
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1/2 tsp fennel seeds / perum jeera</div>
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1/2 tsp coriander pdr</div>
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a few curry leaves.</div>
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<i>For seasoning:</i></div>
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2 to 3 shallots, sliced</div>
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1 sprig of curry leaves</div>
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1 tbsp coconut oil</div>
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Method</div>
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<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Cook the beef with little water and all the ingredients for cooking beef in a pressure cooker, until well cooked ( about half hour) in low heat.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Mean while heat a heavy bottomed frying pan and roast the coconut in it, stirring continuously.Take care not to burn the coconut.Add the shallots, fennel seeds and curry leaves when the coconut turns slightly brown. Saute for a couple of minutes. Add coriander powder when the coconut turns brown and crispy. Saute for a few minutes in low heat and then remove from heat and allow to cool down. Grind it to a fine paste adding a little water.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Pour this coconut paste along with a cup of water into the cooked beef and bring to boil. Adjust the salt, if needed.Add more water if needed. Stir well and remove from heat.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Heat coconut oil in a tadka pan or small frying pan and saute shallots until brown. Add curry leaves and pour this seasoning over the curry. Stir well.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">Serve hot with Ghee rice or Coconut rice.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-614323077917957682014-12-02T17:55:00.001+03:002014-12-02T17:55:36.163+03:00Something different<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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These days I hardly get time to blog. Was busy with some sewing projects and other stuffs. It's already winter here and there are lots of winter dresses on the list. As the light is poor in winter I seldom get enough light to photograph the recipes I try out. So no new recipes to post. But still, I shall post the already photographed recipes in future, InshaAllah as time permits. As for now, let me show you a few of my finished sewing projects..<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bubble pocket Romber for my little girl</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVZ6FnygLcvTO8BgTc7GtRSDwk7FQx4SdOlW6ZR9KMBqC53N1_515uBXfN3XBYh8-dpy6f-ZzFMidDVMjX7XeWhWydhwDqKTZMoXA3T6JjJe2A1Th6GV6aU_zP3wqVJ-O6Y09Pwe3ElRk/s1600/bubble+pocket+romber.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDVZ6FnygLcvTO8BgTc7GtRSDwk7FQx4SdOlW6ZR9KMBqC53N1_515uBXfN3XBYh8-dpy6f-ZzFMidDVMjX7XeWhWydhwDqKTZMoXA3T6JjJe2A1Th6GV6aU_zP3wqVJ-O6Y09Pwe3ElRk/s1600/bubble+pocket+romber.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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This was in my 'to do' list for so long and at last I accomplished the task. Forgot to take picture before washing.. and hence all those creases ;)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ruffle skirt for the li'le princess</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4tuPqzfb3bztPbcZRHR39AJ9EzWZXtRWni4-Mj2Lmmvh_ixQ5WF2UrPgVeDBs3c0986ZYCiYTpvoT5Fd2EcsNEwgRTPss7xAWvQFcBEj0D44JMOyi-oKuJQOowbC6oq8qg3kFYBueIZ0/s1600/ruffle+skirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL4tuPqzfb3bztPbcZRHR39AJ9EzWZXtRWni4-Mj2Lmmvh_ixQ5WF2UrPgVeDBs3c0986ZYCiYTpvoT5Fd2EcsNEwgRTPss7xAWvQFcBEj0D44JMOyi-oKuJQOowbC6oq8qg3kFYBueIZ0/s1600/ruffle+skirt.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
Ain't it Cute?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pillow Case Dress</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmHZ1_l04s1JBArZV0-1GSqrJhMxCnNSWvJW40N85ByBmAD0b5lBKfuNmOnDwlvYLX6w2_xqt37rC5q7zTt5UdQCZPqW4TpqyLBZEvtWSUV5Khx2ThJM-Kw4v0GKy8Joi0q_EzzEhChv_/s1600/pillow+case+dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUmHZ1_l04s1JBArZV0-1GSqrJhMxCnNSWvJW40N85ByBmAD0b5lBKfuNmOnDwlvYLX6w2_xqt37rC5q7zTt5UdQCZPqW4TpqyLBZEvtWSUV5Khx2ThJM-Kw4v0GKy8Joi0q_EzzEhChv_/s1600/pillow+case+dress.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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This was one of the first dresses I made.. So EASY!! Cute to wear with little leggings or pants.<br />
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So that's it, for today. See you soon, InshaAllah. Bye :)</div>
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Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-39125460394422238152014-10-20T09:01:00.001+03:002014-10-20T09:01:08.908+03:00Chemmeen Mulakittathu/ Spicy Prawn Curry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi everybody! Salam/ Peace greetings from me. I have been away from the blog for so long that many of my friends suspected that I quit blogging for good and hence had a lot of enquiries about my absence from the blogosphere. Actually, I haven't.(for the time being). I simply was busy, busy and more busy.<br />
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To settle back into normal pace of life,after coming back from India itself took a bit of time. To be precise,I belong to that category of living things which takes a long time to adapt to their new surroundings or habitats..<br />
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And then there is the new found infatuation of sewing dresses for my baby girl (the boys have started complaining that I never make clothes for them, but only for their sister.) But then, what's interesting about boys clothes... poor guys..All pomps n glitter goes to the girly things, right? ;) I shall soon post some pics of my new works, Insha Allah ; if I manage to take a few decent snaps.<br />
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So then, here is an old recipe of Prawn which is quite spicy n hot. The spice lovers' very thing. It's my mom's recipe and we used to love it as kids and still do.<br />
Off to the recipe..<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Spicy prawn curry</span><br />
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1 kg fresh prawns, skinned and de veined<br />
7 to 8 shallots/pearl onions, skinned and sliced<br />
1/2 tsp freshly ground ginger<br />
1/2 tsp freshly ground garlic<br />
1 large tomato, diced<br />
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds<br />
1/4 tsp turmeric powder<br />
1/2 tsp chilli powder<br />
2 tsp, kashmiri chilli pdr<br />
1 tsp, coriander pdr<br />
2 slices of gamboge/ 1 tsp tamarind paste<br />
1 cup of water<br />
Salt to taste<br />
3 tbsp coconut oil<br />
1 sprig of curry leaves<br />
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<b>Method:</b><br />
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Take a small frying pan or tadka pan and heat 2 table spoon of coconut oil. Add the fenugreek seeds and when it splutters, add shallots and fry until light brown. Add ground ginger and garlic and saute for a few minutes, taking care not to burn it. Now add diced tomatoes and saute until the tomato becomes mushy. Now add the spice powders and saute. Transfer this to an earthen pot and heat on medium. Add water and gamboge. When the water begins to boil, add salt. Now add the prawns and cook on medium flame covered for some 15 minutes or until the prawns are well cooked. Remove from heat and add 1 tablespoon of coconut oil on top. Add curry leaves and stir. Keep the pot covered for a few minutes for the prawns to imbibe the flavour. Serve hot with rice or chappathis.</div>
</div>Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-3175010133734212282014-07-30T08:33:00.000+03:002014-07-30T08:39:49.266+03:00Chocolate Mousse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpL-wBxcmc7ELIrMvCSg3t7W7MCSHgSqmwJpBT82NYY4Ehaw_LDzZYiwwx99UnHqL44UBZ72aLje6gwVWZQwkhe1kjOBwExUn82i5xzWAD7qSaBdXumLb9WI_l6gPFzqiWAMKN5rJ2HxK/s1600/chocolate+mousse2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpL-wBxcmc7ELIrMvCSg3t7W7MCSHgSqmwJpBT82NYY4Ehaw_LDzZYiwwx99UnHqL44UBZ72aLje6gwVWZQwkhe1kjOBwExUn82i5xzWAD7qSaBdXumLb9WI_l6gPFzqiWAMKN5rJ2HxK/s1600/chocolate+mousse2.jpg" height="640" width="470" /></a><br />
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In the month of Ramadan, I was busy like a bee. Of course I missed the blogosphere, entirely. Now, I have to begin <strike>from the beginning</strike> all over again. To add to the no blogging month, here comes the next. I am going to India for a month's vacation, and blogging rarely comes in the list of priorities during this time. So yes! you would probably see the space stagnant for another month. So, In between, I thought of posting this <b>one dessert</b> which is in fact enough for a months duration of devouring. Yep! You would most probably make it again n again, even if your are not much of a chocolate lover.<br />
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So, how do I explain this '<i>must have once in a while dessert</i>', in simple terms?<br />
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It is decadent, sinful<br />
Obviously flavourful..<br />
Made to win, make u fall in love<br />
Head over heels, LOL!!<br />
Creamy, silky, bittersweet<br />
What more?It's chocolate.<br />
So get to work. Whip it up<br />
You are gonna lick it up!<br />
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Actually I took the pictures a few months back when I had made it the third time. It was so creamy and had a 'melt in the mouth' kinda texture that the kids called it 'chocolate ice cream which was not that cold' :)<br />
Here is the recipe...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyjuHsN9BE1RFnzTS2u3u84XmzxikYgOLOCgtoCjxzB_OxXdglkKW19vK39mgHrGN58yU0OgsuLc6l7Tb1L9OR3PMlMp5ZfNSXYwQrhpDbDisjYtEjF3srXBcruwXL4_OoUrruX8tQlee/s1600/chocolate+mousse3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWyjuHsN9BE1RFnzTS2u3u84XmzxikYgOLOCgtoCjxzB_OxXdglkKW19vK39mgHrGN58yU0OgsuLc6l7Tb1L9OR3PMlMp5ZfNSXYwQrhpDbDisjYtEjF3srXBcruwXL4_OoUrruX8tQlee/s1600/chocolate+mousse3.jpg" height="640" width="466" /></a></div>
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<b>Chocolate Mousse Recipe</b><br />
(Recipe adapted from<a href="http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/809114/chocolate-mousse-recipes"> here</a>)<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;">Serves 8 </span><br />
<br style="background-color: #fafafa; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;" />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ingredients: </em></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;">1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;">1 stick unsalted butter </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;">4 egg yolks </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;">5 egg whites </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;">3 tablespoons granulated sugar </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;">1/2 cup chilled heavy cream </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;">Chopped nuts, to serve </span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Directions: </em></span><span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;">1. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler over low heat, stirring until no lumps remain. Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl and allow to cool slightly. Whisk in egg yolks one at a time until well combined. Set aside. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: #fafafa; box-sizing: border-box; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;" />
<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;">2. In a second large bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Slowly beat in the sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and set aside to further cool. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #3b3e3f; font-family: Roboto, sans-serif;">3. In a medium bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Once chocolate mixture is cool, fold in whipped cream until no white streaks remain. Spoon mousse into serving bowls and chill. Serve with a garnish of chopped nuts or fresh berries or a dollop of whipped cream. </span></div>
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Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-25364965700255348262014-06-25T11:34:00.000+03:002014-06-25T15:51:30.306+03:00Apple Sauce<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The temperature has quickly climbed up here and it's not so easy to go for a walk in the park anymore. The weather is so horribly hot and humid that your dress cling to your body whenever you are in the open. Still, we adults are helpless when it comes to pacifying the toddler tantrums. Even if the climate sucks, the boys never seem to mind. They insist to be taken to the park now and again whatsoever.<br />
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To add up to everything, there is the not so popular dust winds in the middle east which is more frequent in our parts of the world. It not only causes discomfort due to dust but also bring in diseases. The dust winds are the most frequent carriers of seasonal diseases. So the kids get struck by some kind of illness whenever they are accidentally exposed to such dust storms.<br />
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The daughter for instance was down with a stomach bug a few weeks back and she had moderate diarrhoea. All I did was try to boost her immunity with healthy diet and food supplements. She was put on BRATY diet which consists of Banana,Rice water(kanji vellam), Apple sauce,Toast and Yogurt, and MashaAllah she was back to normal in a few days time.<br />
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So this post is about how to make the apple sauce, which is quite simple and very handy when you have infants or toddlers around. Not only is it a great nourishing food, it also helps to eliminate diarrhoea by making the stools thicker and less watery. If you make a big batch and store it in an air tight container in the fridge; it stays for 3 to 4 days without getting spoiled. It can also be used in cakes, biscuits, macaroons etc which adds a great flavour. On to the recipe...<br />
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<a name='more'></a><b>Things you need:</b><br />
<div class="entry-details" id="recipe-ingredients" style="border: 0px; clear: both; color: #4f1f06; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 1px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(data:image/png; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 2px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.4; margin: 3px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 1/2 to 2 kg of peeled, cored, and quartered apples</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(data:image/png; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 2px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.4; margin: 3px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">4 strips of lemon peel - use a vegetable peeler to strip 4 lengths</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(data:image/png; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 2px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.4; margin: 3px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">Juice of one lemon, about 3-4 tbsp</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(data:image/png; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 2px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.4; margin: 3px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">3 inches of cinnamon stick</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(data:image/png; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 2px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.4; margin: 3px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/4 cup of dark brown sugar or jaggery</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(data:image/png; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 2px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.4; margin: 3px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">up to 1/4 cup of white sugar/ lump sugar</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(data:image/png; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 2px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.4; margin: 3px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">1 cup of water</li>
<li class="ingredient" itemprop="ingredients" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url(data:image/png; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0px 2px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.4; margin: 3px 0px 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 18px; vertical-align: baseline;">1/2 teaspoon of salt</li>
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Method:</h3>
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<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Remove from heat. Remove cinnamon sticks and lemon peels. Mash with potato masher or puree into a fine paste in a grinder</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Ready to serve, either hot or refrigerated.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Freezes easily, lasts up to one year in a cold freezer.</span></li>
</ul>
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Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-12854078178168650302014-06-16T09:24:00.000+03:002014-06-16T09:32:46.085+03:00Muringakka Chemmeen Curry/ Prawn Drumstick Curry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Organising things in a very limited time is a challenge in itself. It is what I do from dawn to dusk everyday since so many years. I have no doubt that it is what every mom do in their life to a great extend. Did you think it a joke, when they said 'the job of a mom is the busiest job in the world'? Well.. It's not. Not a joke I mean.<br />
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When you think about the things you ought to do, it flashes in front of you like a fast winded movie. Sometimes something just get missed or get pushed off for another time. The most important things come to the forefront and the less important things go to the back. So that's how you manage it. Giving priorities..<br />
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Recently blogging is not in the for front of priorities. There are lot of more important things to do; to get finished off before Ramadan, before the starting of the much anticipated vacation at homeland. So I have not been very active in the cooking, baking and photographing arena, recently. I am back here to post a recipe which was made and photographed a while back, to get the blog rolling again ;)<br />
So here is the recipe of muringakka chemmen curry, a Kerala delicacy which is quite easy to make. This is one of the simplest curry preparations using prawns and it is uniquely delicious with the addition of drumsticks in it. The combination makes a fantastic outcome, as far as flavour is concerned.<br />
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Here is the recipe..<br />
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<strong>Things you need:</strong><br />
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Prawns(cleaned & deveined)- 250 g<br />
Drumstick(cut into 5 cm long pieces)- 2<br />
Raw Mango(Cut into long pieces) – 1 small<br />
Kudampuli/tamarind(soaked in water)- 2 nos<br />
Turmeric powder- ½ tsp<br />
Kashmiri chilli pdr-2 tsp<br />
Curry leaves<br />
Salt to taste<br />
Water – 1¼ cup<br />
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<span style="color: #643148;"><strong> </strong><span style="color: black;"><em>To Grind:</em></span></span><br />
Coconut Grated – 1/2 cup<br />
Green Chilly – 1<br />
Jeera (cumin) – 1/2 tsp<br />
Small Onion/Shallots – 2<br />
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<span style="color: #643148;"><span style="color: black;"><em>For tempering:</em></span></span><br />
Coconut Oil – 2 tbsp<br />
Small Onion/Shallots,sliced – 4<br />
Dry red chillies-2<br />
A sprig of curry leaves<br />
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<span style="color: #643148; line-height: 1.5;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>Method:</strong></span></span><br />
Cook Prawns, Drumstick and Raw mango in a clay pot with Kudampuli/tamarind, turmeric powder, chilli powder and curry leaves adding adequate water and salt for 8-10 minutes. Grind the ingredients for grinding, in a mixer into a fine paste.<br />
Then add the grinded mixture into the curry and cook it for another 5 minutes.<br />
In a frying pan heat coconut oil and fry Shallots .Add dry red chillies and curry leaves. Finally add this to the curry and remove from heat.<br />
Serve hot with rice or chappathis. Enjoy!</div>
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Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-34258700727111324622014-06-05T09:08:00.004+03:002014-06-05T09:11:01.017+03:00Cream of Mushroom Soup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Soups have always been a winner at my household. It is the easiest way to sneak in veggies into the kids. As they are easy to prepare with no much intriguing techniques, it is one of the frequently made dishes at home. Whenever I am in no mood for an elaborate cooking session I always prefer soups for dinner. Mmm...yummy and healthy dinner in no time! Perfect for busy moms like me;). This time I am sharing with you the recipe of Cream of Mushroom soup, loaded with Calcium and Vitamins.</div>
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Here is the recipe...</div>
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<strong>Things you need:</strong></div>
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2 cups mushrooms,diced</div>
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2 tbsp onions, chopped</div>
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1-2 garlic cloves, minced</div>
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2 tbsp, butter</div>
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2 cups water / chicken broth</div>
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1 cup light cream or full fat milk</div>
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1/4 tsp pepper powder</div>
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1/4 tsp powdered nutmeg</div>
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Salt to taste</div>
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<strong>Method:</strong></div>
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Melt butter in a sauce pan and add onions, garlic and mushrooms. Saute until onions are soft. Blend in 2 tablespoon flour and stir. Add in water or chicken broth and heat until slightly thickened, stirring frequently. Add cream with additional 1 teaspoon flour and seasonings, mixed in it. Heat to thicken while stirring constantly. Serve hot with bread or croutons .Enjoy!</div>
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Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-79395249258487062512014-05-29T11:43:00.000+03:002014-05-29T12:44:01.948+03:00Kaya Pola/ Mutta Marichathu - Plantain Egg Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Ramadan is around the corner and it's time to post some Ifthar dishes. Kayappola is an Ifthar dish from Malabar, which you can easily make with in a short span of time. No much plannings and preparations needed. Everything could be whipped up in a few minutes if you have ripe plantains and eggs at hand. And it only takes about twenty minutes in low heat on the stove top to get it done (Did I mention that you actually don't need an oven to prepare it?) Yep! All you need is a stove and a sauce pan.. Go ahead, and make it today.. As it contains plantains and eggs, it's good for kids . They would love this soft n flavourful cake.Good to make as a tea time snack for kids.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41ZBolgFf0roBTmgpUdvmZ79LF8CORUkur7S1HMwutCl-k7EdYvw_zcmiq3zTYVq5WG2EdEovN2iyTNIJLwIC6dJK6YfdJn2KvaqyX4dDJ3RE49TZjRxNENZe6k0kCZmH8Xfzu8LGG0gT/s1600/kayappola3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg41ZBolgFf0roBTmgpUdvmZ79LF8CORUkur7S1HMwutCl-k7EdYvw_zcmiq3zTYVq5WG2EdEovN2iyTNIJLwIC6dJK6YfdJn2KvaqyX4dDJ3RE49TZjRxNENZe6k0kCZmH8Xfzu8LGG0gT/s1600/kayappola3.jpg" height="640" width="474" /></a></div>
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Here you go...<br />
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<strong>Things you need:</strong><br />
(To make a small cake of 1 to 1 1/2 inch thickness)<br />
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1 ripe plantain<br />
3 eggs<br />
6 tbsp sugar<br />
1 tbsp milk powder (optional)<br />
1/2 tsp powdered cardamom<br />
2 tbsp cashew nuts and raisins<br />
2 tbsp pure ghee/ clarified butter<br />
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<strong>Method:</strong><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Cut the plantains to small pieces and keep aside. Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a frying pan and add cashew nuts and raisins. Saute until the raisins are puffed up and the cashew nuts are slightly brown. Add sliced plantain to it and saute for a few minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and saute until the plantains are golden brown.Transfer it to a bowl.</li>
<li>In a blender add eggs, 5 tablespoon sugar, cardamom powder and milk powder and blend well.Pour this into the bowl containing the plantain cashew mixture. Mix well.</li>
<li>Heat a small non-stick heavy bottomed sauce pan or pressure cooker and 1 tea spoon ghee to it. Swirl the sauce pan and spread the ghee on all sides. Now pour the mixture in the bowl, carefully into the sauce pan. Reduce the heat to low and cook covered for 15 to 20 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted at the middle comes out clean.</li>
<li>Transfer to a plate and let cool. Slice and serve. Enjoy!</li>
</ul>
<strong>Note</strong>: If you want a bigger and thicker cake, just increase the amount of eggs and plantains</div>
</div>
Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-84339514213850862202014-05-25T10:12:00.000+03:002014-05-27T21:14:29.765+03:00Zucchini Cupcake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It was one of the busiest weeks in my life. I was on a roller coaster ride of life where you literally forget to breath. After all life could never be so idle when you have three kids (Well, I mean four!! Grown up ones can be more insisting) around. Juggling between cooking, sewing, blogging, reading and lot more kids stuff which you would probably not find in the dictionaries; is what recently life is like. I call myself lazy no more. You just don't have space for that word in my 60 miles/hr marathon life. Aaah!! I think you can of course hear me panting.. just halting a bit to take breath!!<br />
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Still!! I am enjoying it on the go!! I seriously can't imagine life with a lower pace. I guess it's all part of the fun. I am just trying to enjoy an ice lolly on the ride... After all roller coaster rides are meant to be fun. And of course it is!! If you take it in the positive sense :)<br />
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So, I'm posting the recipe of Zucchini cupcake I had made a few months back. It is one of the latest additions to my kids menu,which helps me sneak in veggies to their veggie resistant tummies. Gosh! The boys never suspected, their enemies were hiding right under their noses; and the cakes were gone, before I even knew it. Try this for your kids, if yours are Yuck! Yuck! towards veggies too.. A sure shot to success; believe me;)<br />
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Here is the recipe...<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<strong>Things you need:</strong><br />
<em>For the cake</em><br />
<em></em><br />
3 eggs<br />
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
1/2 cup orange juice<br />
1 tsp almond extract<br />
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour<br />
2 tsp powdered cinnamon<br />
2 tsp baking pdr<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini<br />
<br />
<em>For the frosting:</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<div style="font-size: 12pt;">
1/4 cup (50g)butter, at room temperature</div>
120g Philly cream cheese(1/2 pkg),at room
temp<br />
1 - 1 and 1/2 cups of icing sugar<br />
1/2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
2 tbsp grated zucchini for garnishing<br />
<br />
<strong>Method:</strong><br />
Preheat oven to 180 degree C (350 F). Line the cupcake trays with paper cups and set aside. In a bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.Keep aside. In another bowl, beat together eggs and sugar until light and creamy. Add oil, orange juice and almond extract and beat on medium until well combined. Add dry ingredients to this in three additions and beat on low just until combined. Add grated zucchini and gently fold in.Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for 18 to 25 minutes or
when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire wrack
and let cool for 5 to 10 min, before removing from pan. Let cool completely before frosting<br />
<div style="font-size: 12pt;">
<br />
<em>Frosting:</em></div>
<div style="font-size: 12pt;">
</div>
Mix butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer about 3 minutes
on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl in
between to ensure uniform mixing.<br />
<div style="font-size: 12pt;">
Add vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add icing sugar. Keep adding until you
get the desired sweetness and thickness.</div>
<div style="font-size: 12pt;">
Transfer the cream cheese mixture to icing bag and squeeze swirls on to the muffins. Serve garnished with grated zucchini.Enjoy!</div>
</div>
</div>
Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-59062111009945870082014-05-15T11:27:00.000+03:002014-05-15T19:28:04.717+03:00Varutharacha Sambar/ Sambar with roasted coconut<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Sadya without Sambar is unimaginable for a south Indian. It is the Queen of dishes in a vegetarian feast. It is the most popular vegetable curry to go with plain rice. Hence it would be one of the rarest occurrences, if people from a house hold in Kerala didn't know how to make Sambar, at least in the most simplest form. But I must confess here that it was one of the dishes I mastered very late. Infact, only recently.. (Now don't roll your eyes!! ) YES! It's true! My sambar was no where near to the yummy version. So I had felt always uneasy whenever I had to present my sambar in front of others, let alone guests... ;)<br />
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So I had taken pains to find out a perfect recipe which I could always rely on.. Talking about sambar, there are lot of variations for it... adding coconut,without coconut, using only one vegetable, with lots of different vegetables and so on.. It varies from place to place.. This version of sambar with roasted ground coconut which I am sharing here today involves little bit lengthy process compared to the no coconut version. But it is worth spending a little more time as it has a very vibrant and distinct taste..This version is more popular in Kerala than in other states of south India. I got the recipe from my MIL who makes it quite differently from my mom. It goes well with rice as well as dosa..<br />
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Here is the recipe...<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<strong>Things you need</strong>:<br />
<br />
<em>To Cook:</em><br />
Mixed vegetables- 1and 1/2 cup<br />
(Ash gourd,potato, carrot,brinjal, yam, cut into cubes <br />
Drumsticks, cut into 4 inch pieces<br />
Ladies finger, cut into 2 inch pieces)<br />
One medium onion, sliced<br />
Yellow lentil/ toor dal/tuvara parippu- 1/4 cup<br />
One medium tomato, cut into 4<br />
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp<br />
Asaphoeteda pdr - 1 tsp<br />
Sambar pdr- 2 tbsp<br />
Pulp of tamarind- 1 tbsp<br />
<br />
<em>To roast and grind:</em> <br />
Coconut oil - 1 tsp<br />
fresh grated coconut- 3/4 cup<br />
Red chilli pdr - 1 tsp<br />
Coriander pdr - 1 tbsp<br />
Fenugreek seeds- 1/4 tsp<br />
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp<br />
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp<br />
Curry leaves <br />
<br />
<em>To temper:</em><br />
Coconut oil- 1 tbsp<br />
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp<br />
Shallots/kunjulli, sliced- 1/2 tsp<br />
Curry leaves- 1 sprig<br />
Dry red chilli - 2<br />
<br />
<em>To garnish:</em><br />
Chopped coriander leaves/cilantro<br />
<br />
<strong>Method:</strong><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Cook the lentils in a clay pot or heavy bottomed sauce pan with adequate water,onion and turmeric powder,until well cooked. (You can also pressure cook it.) Add the vegetables except ladies finger and sambar powder,with the spices and tamarind paste adding adequate salt. </li>
<li>Meanwhile heat 1 tsp of coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds. Add grated coconut and roast, stirring continuously until the coconut turns brown and aromatic. Add the spice powders and curry leaves and roast until aroma comes out. Remove from heat and let cool. Grind to a fine paste adding little water.</li>
<li>When the vegetables are almost cooked, add the ladies finger and sambar powder and cook for another five minutes. Add the coconut paste to it and bring to boil. Mix well and remove from heat.</li>
<li>Heat coconut oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add shallots and fry until slightly brown. Add the red chillies and curry leaves. Pour this over the cooked sambar.</li>
<li>Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or dosa.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-79737504998625565512014-04-30T09:15:00.002+03:002014-05-04T07:55:22.168+03:00Falafel - A middle Eastern Chickpea fritter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I was too busy these days that I hardly had time for blogging and other stuff. To be frank I had totally forgotten about blogging while I was busy with guests, parties and kids. Back in my home land, it was eventful with weddings, 'salkarams' and family gatherings. I was as much sad as was enthusiastic on hearing the 'visheshams' about the weddings parties of the cousins, which I missed so pathetically. After all, that is what living abroad is all about, right? Missing most of the happenings in home land. Sigh!!<br />
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So back to blogging, I thought of sharing the recipe of Falafel, which I made some time back and was sitting in my draft for ages. It is a popular street snack in the Middle East. Just like 'parippuvadas' for us Keralites ;) It is eaten as such or kept inside a sandwich and eaten with tahini or sesame paste. I make it here as a tea time snack...Crispy n rich in flavour,it's healthy compared to other finger foods like french fries. <br />
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Here is the recipe...<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
Things you need:<br />
<br />
1 cup dried chick peas<br />
1 large onion,chopped<br />
2 cloves of garlic, chopped<br />
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped<br />
1/4 cup coriander leaves/cilantro, chopped<br />
1 tsp mint leaves, chopped<br />
1 tsp coriander pdr(malli podi)<br />
1 tsp powdered cumin (jeeraka podi)<br />
1/4 tsp cardamom pdr<br />
2 tbsp flour<br />
Black pepper to taste<br />
Salt to taste<br />
Oil for frying<br />
<br />
Method:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li> Wash chickpeas, put them in a large bowl and top the bowl with cold water to
cover them by 3-4 inches. Let them soak overnight and then drain
them completely in a colander.
</li>
<li>Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas in the bowl of a food processor. Process until you get grainy mixture, that resembles
breadcrumbs. Tip the minced chickpeas into a bowl. Keep it aside.</li>
<li>Add roughly chopped onions, chopped herbs,
chillies, spices and garlic into the food processor again and pulse until
coarse. Add minced chickpeas into this and pulse until well combined. Mixture
should not be fine, but grainy as couscous.</li>
<li>Tip the whole mixture into a large bowl.
Sprinkle in adequate salt. Mix well using a spoon until
thoroughly combined. </li>
<li> Form the chickpea mixture into balls about
the size of walnuts or patties or use a falafel scoop to form shapes. I formed
balls with 2 tablespoon of mixture.</li>
<li>Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep pan or wok
and fry 1 ball to test. It must float to the surface as soon as you put it in the hot oil.Oil should not be too hot so that you get felafels that
are cooked only outside leaving the inside uncooked. Keep the heat to medium and
fry the balls until they are almost brown. Drain on paper towels. </li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-26369191308630981082014-04-17T10:57:00.001+03:002014-05-04T07:43:13.406+03:00Easy Pistachio Kulfi / Indian Pistachio Ice cream<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Temperature is climbing up steadily and it's almost summer here. It's not that easy to sit on a park bench watching kids play while the sun is up, though the kids never seem to notice. After sitting there for half an hour in the afternoons, I somehow crave for the shade of a tree or the coolness of our flat. Maybe, I am growing old ;)<br />
<br />
Watching the kids, I slowly get carried away into the unlimited exuberance of my own childhood. I was a 'play crazy girl'. That's what my mom used to say. So crazy about it, that I hardly had time for food or sleep.. or to sit in the shade for a while as the elders used to command. So obsessed with it, that the thought of the school reopening after the summer vacation, used to reduce me into tears. In the tired sleeps, I used to dream that my school had collapsed in an earth quake and my teachers were all under the earth. Yes! It was one of the happiest dreams of those days!<br />
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So, when I watch my kids playing in the sun as if there is no tomorrow, I don't feel like stopping them. I enjoy watching them enjoying..And after the games, they return literally exhausted. No wonder, the ice cream man in the park has so much business. These days, no visit to the park ends without an ice lolly for each of the boys. They simply love them and think it their right to have one after play time. Even at home, they ask for ice lollies and ice creams now n then, ever since the temperature began climbing up. So I have made it a habit of making those cold treats at home every now n then. <br />
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This time I thought, I must make 'kulfi' the Indian ice cream which sweetly cools the inside with memories of childhood. Yes, kulfi was an integral part of those memories; though we were seldom allowed to buy them as other children in our village used to do. The elders used to terrorize us with stories of how it's made with contaminated water and how it causes diarrhoea and sickness. Nevertheless, we kids always longed for the day when we would get those simply alluring kulfis and looked at the kulfi carts with longing.To compensate the hurt of not buying us kulfis, mom used to make ice lollies for us by freezing orange squash in the ice tray with small 'irkilis'(needle like parts of coconut leaves) immersed in it. We enjoyed it then more than the 'Baskin n Robbins' of this time.<br />
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Ahem!! So where did we stop? I just got carried away..<br />
Oh! Yes! Kulfi....the home made Indian ice cream to welcome the summer.<br />
Pistachio kulfi is my favourite.. <br />
Let's delve into the recipe right away...<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<strong>Things you need:</strong><br />
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500ml full cream milk<br />
1 can sweetened condensed milk<br />
1/2 cup milk powder<br />
3/4 cup sugar/to taste<br />
2 tbsp corn flour/corn starch<br />
1 tsp powdered cardamom<br />
2 tbsp pistachio extract<br />
1/4 cup pistachios, coarsely ground<br />
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<strong>Method:</strong><br />
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Heat milk and sugar in a large sauce pan, stirring continuously until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and add condensed milk and milk powder stirring constantly,until the mixture is well blended. Dissolve corn flour in 1/4 cup of cold milk and add it slowly into the mixture, stirring well until the mixture slightly thickens. Remove from heat and add cardamom powder, pistachio extract and half of the ground pistachios. Stir well and let cool to room temperature. Transfer into individual glasses or kulfi moulds. Keep in the freezer to set for 3 hours. When it starts to solidify, take out and stir well . Again keep into the freezer and let set for 6 to 8 hours. Unmould into a plate or pudding bowl and garnish with the remaining pistachios before serving. Enjoy!<br />
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Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-69745722801713101422014-04-14T08:45:00.001+03:002015-01-11T18:49:28.303+03:00P.F. Chang's Dynamite Shrimp (Copy cat Recipe)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Whenever we have a dish from the restaurant which we all loved, and long to have again, I try to find its recipe from the web and try to perfect it with my own trials and errors. That way, you could have it anytime, whenever you crave for it, without having to spend a fortune on it. So copycat recipes are always in demand and they tend to be on the much explored list.<br />
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<img alt="" src="http://www.248am.com/images/pfchang.gif" /><br />
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P.F. Chang's China Bistro is a popular American Chinese restaurant chain which has its branches in other countries too. Though I like Indo Chinese dishes more than American Chinese,one of the dishes we really liked from P.F.Chang's in Kuwait, is the delicious appetiser, 'Dynamite Shrimp'. But it actually costs around 150 dollars to have half a dozen of shrimp coated in that delicious, creamy, tangy and zesty sauce from the restaurant. It is better to make it at home, if you can help it.<br />
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That set me in search for a perfect recipe, but most of the recipes I tried from the web, turned out to be too sour or too bland.So I set forth to do experiments of my own with various ingredients and I found out a recipe which was quite similar to the original one.<br />
Let me share it here...<br />
Am still working on perfecting the recipe. If I come up with a more exact one I shall upload it InshaAllah.. :) Till then, Enjoy cooking!<br />
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Wanna see the Recipe..?<br />
Go ahead..<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<strong>P.F Chang's Dynamite Shrimp Copy cat Recipe:</strong><br />
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15 to 20 large shrimps,peeled and deveined<br />
Veg.oil for frying<br />
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<em>For batter:</em><br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1/4 tsp black pepper<br />
1 egg<br />
4 tbsp corn flour<br />
<br />
<em>For the sauce:</em><br />
1/2 cup mayonnaise<br />
5 tbsp hot sauce<br />
3 tbsp tomato ketchup<br />
1/4 tsp paprika/chilli pdr<br />
1 tsp light honey<br />
1 clove garlic, minced<br />
1 tsp sesame oil<br />
1 tsp rice vinegar<br />
<br />
Spring onion, sliced (for garnishing),optional<br />
<br />
<strong>Method:</strong><br />
<br />
Drain the shrimps and mix it well with the batter ingredients. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the shrimps on medium heat for 30 seconds (shrimps must be completely immersed in the oil). Remove from oil immediately and drain on a kitchen tissue.<br />
Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together until well blended. Transfer it into a pudding bowl or cocktail glass. Toss the fried shrimps into it and mix with a spoon. Serve garnished with spring onions.Enjoy!</div>
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Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com93tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-50762871015114423312014-04-09T09:17:00.000+03:002014-05-25T10:23:35.626+03:00Lemon Cake with Lemon Glaze<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Kids can be really fussy when they are hungry. And they decline to eat whatever we offer during such tantrums. They prefer something sweet and junk. Most of the time we cannot give in to their persistence and the situation need to be tackled with diplomacy. But there are times when you have to do some misgivings, if you really like to have a calm atmosphere in the home.<br />
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Nowadays whenever my elder one gets such hunger pangs in the evenings, all he prefer is cakes,cup cakes and nothing else. He is so much fond of cakes; big or small, iced or not, that I find myself baking cakes every now n then. As it is much easier to bake and serve cup cakes that most of the time cup cakes is that which blooms in my oven. But they get finished off too quickly that you hardly get anything left to store for future use.<br />
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In fact, the <a href="http://kitchenboffin.blogspot.com/2014/05/zucchini-cupcake.html">Zucchini cup cakes</a> I baked last week got polished off pretty fast that I thought it would be wise to bake a large cake so that the boys would have enough for three to four days. This time I tried a cake of very different flavour.. Lemon Cake! Tangy, sweet and impressive.. it was devoured by the whole family. I iced it with lemon glaze, which complimented well with the cakes flavour; though the son didn't much like it due to its tanginess. But he loved the cake nevertheless and ate it scraping off the glaze. The cake was a little tart on the first day, but the next day it tasted perfect. The tanginess had thankfully subsided and the cake was soft and flavourful.</div>
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You would like to see the Recipe? Go ahead.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<strong>Lemon Cake Recipe:</strong><br />
(Recipe Adapted from Joy of Baking)<br />
<em>For the Cake:</em><br />
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temp<br />
1 cup powdered white sugar<br />
4 large eggs, at room temp<br />
1 tsp pure vanilla extract<br />
2 cups all purpose flour<br />
2 tsp baking pdr<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
Zest of one large lemon<br />
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice<br />
(Note: If you like the cake less tangy, replace lemon juice with equal amount of milk)<br />
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<em>For Frosting:</em><br />
<br />
1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted<br />
2-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice<br />
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<strong>Method:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Preheat oven to 350 degree F (180 degree C) and place rack in the centre of the oven. Butter a 9*2 inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.</li>
<li>Beat butter and sugar in a bowl until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat on medium speed until pale coloured. Beat in vanilla extract.</li>
<li>Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest in a separate bowl.</li>
<li>Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture (in three additions) alternating with lemon juice (2 additions) and fold in until well combined.</li>
<li>Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the back of a spoon or with an offset spatula.</li>
<li>Bake at 180 degree C for about 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out with little crumbs.</li>
<li>Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Then run a knife around the edge of the cake and transfer to a wire wrack to cool completely.</li>
</ul>
<em>Lemon Glaze:</em><br />
Add two tablespoon of lemon juice into confectioner's sugar in a bowl. Add more lemon juice or sugar as needed. Stir well with a spoon until you have a smooth glaze.<br />
<br />
Pour the glaze over the cooled cake allowing to drip down the sides. Let it dry before covering or storing the cake.</div>
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Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-60911936396306328012014-04-07T10:22:00.000+03:002014-05-04T07:52:31.196+03:00Indo Chinese American Chopsey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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American Chopsey is a dish of crispy fried noodles mixed with a tangy sauce of vegetables and meat, served topped with a fried egg.This is one of the Indo-Chinese dishes I have always been in love with right from my childhood. The fondness towards it remains the same even after all these years. I was so obsessed with it that whenever we visited Chinese restaurants, it was almost always ordered, inevitably. But Chinese dishes never taste that good here in the middle east, as it used to in India. Till date we have tried more than a dozen Chinese restaurants here, but none has rose to our expectations. And it is queit frustrating to think that we need to go back to India to have those delicious Indo Chinese dishes to our fill.<br />
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So nowadays, whenever I get a craving for some American chopsey, I run to my kitchen to toss up everything quickly and make a super fast Indo Chinese lunch in no time. When I began to try recipes at home, it was one of the dishes I first began experimenting with; and it turned out to be quite easy to make like most of the Indo Chinese dishes. The kids too love it.<br />
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One thing to keep in mind while making Chopsey is to use egg noodles instead of plain spaghetti unlike in Chowmein. Egg noodles give a nice crunchy texture when fried and imparts a rich taste. You can use instant noodles of any brands like Maggi, Indomie etc too. If you are planning to make American Chopsey for your guests; it's better to fry the noodles in advance and store in an air tight container. That way you can conveniently save a bit of time.<br />
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Actually, the gravy of American Chopsey is red in colour with the addition of tomato ketchup to it. But I prefer to have it without ketchup and hence the pale colour of my sauce. If you like you can go ahead and make the gravy red.<br />
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Here is the recipe..<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Indo Chinese American Chopsey Recipe:</span><br />
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<strong>Ingredients:</strong><br />
2 cups/2 packets egg noodles of any brand<br />
2 cups shredded cabbage<br />
1/2 cup onion, chopped<br />
2 cloves of garlic, chopped<br />
1/2 cup carrots, sliced thinly<br />
1/2 cup thinly sliced capsicum<br />
2 tbsp, sliced spring onions<br />
1 cup sliced mushrooms<br />
1/2 cup chopped baby corns<br />
2 chicken breasts, sliced to small pieces<br />
1 egg<br />
2 tsp black pepper powder<br />
Salt to taste<br />
Vegetable oil for frying.<br />
<br />
<em>For the gravy:</em><br />
3 tbsp soy sauce<br />
1 tsp white vinegar<br />
3 tbsp sugar <br />
2 tbsp corn flour<br />
2 cups water<br />
Salt to taste<br />
1/2 cup tomato ketchup(optional)<br />
<br />
<strong>Method:</strong><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li> Boil the noodles in adequate water for 1 minute or until the knots are untangled. Drain and pour two tablespoons of oil on top to prevent it from sticking. Heat 1/2 cup of oil in a wok and deep fry the noodles in it to form a crispy nest,until slightly golden in color. Remove from oil and drain on a kitchen tissue.</li>
<li>Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok and add sliced chicken breasts to it. Sprinkle with adequate salt and a little black pepper powder.Stir fry in medium heat until nicely cooked.Transfer to a bowl and keep aside.</li>
<li>In the same wok heat 2 tbsp of oil and saute garlic. Then add onion and saute until translucent. Then add all the vegetables one by one in the order, carrots, baby corns, mushrooms, cabbages, spring onions and capsicum and stir fry adding adequate salt and pepper powder, until well cooked.</li>
<li>Now add soy sauce, vinegar and sugar into the vegetables and saute on medium heat.Add the cooked chicken breasts to it. Mix corn flour in half a cup of water and pour into the vegetable mixture reducing the heat to low.Add remaining water and stir well until the gravy thickens, taking care not to form any lumps. Adjust salt and remove from heat.</li>
<li>Heat 1 tsp oil in a frying pan and fry the egg in it(bull's eye)</li>
</ul>
<strong>To serve:</strong><br />
In a plate or a wide mouthed bowl, arrange fried noodles like a bird's nest. Pour the vegetable-chicken gravy generously on top of it. Top with the fried egg and serve immediately.<br />
(Vegetarians can make it excluding the chicken)<br />
Enjoy!</div>
</div>
Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-50969881044812299502014-04-01T20:39:00.000+03:002014-05-04T07:56:07.830+03:00Andipputtu- A traditional malabar cashewnut palaharam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Another episode of Sinusitis,and I was off from the blogosphere and everything I loved, to fight it with all my might. Alhamdulillah! Allah has cured me like always.. But during the course, I have learned a few tips to tackle it. <br />
One of the most effective things I found was drinking water; and plenty of it.It is more effective than any mucolyte available on earth! When the mucolytes and antibiotics didn't give any apparent comfort from the gnawing headache, I googled for what else to do. The answer was,'Drink plenty of water'.And I began filling myself with water like a water tank from dawn to dusk :) <br />
But it worked like wonder!<br />
The headache began to subside slowly and I felt more at ease and energetic.<br />
If you guys have any other tips to fight recurrent sinusitis, please let me know.. I'm all ears!!<br />
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So what did I do when I had these attacks! I got involved in making some traditional goodies to take my mind away from the hurting head. Andipputtu is a 'palaharam' which I grew up with right from my early childhood. Those days, when it was vacation time in the summer, we kids used to go picking the cashew nuts from the trees in our ancestral orchard. We would have our fill of munching the sweet and tart cashew fruits and after that collect the cashew nuts from under the ripe fruits. We used to bring them to our granny, who after drying them in shade for a few days would eventually roast them in the firewood oven. I still remember that sweet aroma which wafts up into the air while the cashew nuts are being roasted. And we kids used to look in awe keeping a distance from the mud oven as the cashew nuts make cracking sounds from inside and a few would come flying out as it burst.<br />
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After they get fully roasted, granny would call us to help her crack open the shells of the cashews. We would take some rounded stones and start smashing the shells with them and pick the nuts carefully from inside the cracked shells. Many of the nuts collected thus would go into our tummys there and then because they were so irresistible. The leftover nuts would be used for making 'andipputtu' which was a masterpiece in itself.<br />
Granny and her helpers used to grind them with roasted rice grains, 'sharkkara' and grated coconut in an 'ural' which was the food processor of that time. I'm sure, our kids would never know what it is, if they saw one in any of the old 'tharavadus'.<br />
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Nowadays everything is made easy with our gadgets. Not to mention the food processor. I wonder how those old ladies had so much time to do all these from scratch while we have scarcely any free time even with all our sophisticated gadgets! It was my mom who showed me how to make 'andipputtu' in a mixer grinder / food processor. It is quite easy.<br />
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To get that authentic taste of home roasted cashews, dry roast the nuts in a cast iron wok, till they turn slightly brown and aromatic, stirring constantly on medium heat. <br />
Here is how you make it....<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<strong>Andipputtu Recipe:</strong><br />
<br />
1/2 kg cashew nuts/peanuts<br />
1 cup parboiled rice/matta rice<br />
2 to 3 cups freshly grated coconut<br />
350 g light brown jaggery/according to taste<br />
<br />
<strong>Method:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Dry roast the nuts in a cast iron wok on medium heat, stirring constantly to ensure even roasting. Remove from heat when slightly brown and aroma comes out. Spread on to a wide tray to cool completely.</li>
<li>Melt jaggery with 1/2 a cup of water and strain it into a bowl to cool. You can increase or decrease the amount of jaggery according to how sweet you want the 'puttus'.</li>
<li>Wash the rice properly and drain. Roast it in a wok stirring from time to time on medium heat until all the rice is slightly brown and puffed up (about 20 min). Remove from heat and spread on a wide tray to cool completely.</li>
<li>Pulse the cashew nuts and roasted rice grains together in a food processor or mixer-grinder, until fine powder.(It is better to pulse the roasted rice first until very fine powder and then add nuts and pulse again) Transfer to a big bowl and add grated coconut.Mix well. Pulse the mixture again in the food processor for a few seconds until everything is blended well..Transfer to the bowl again.</li>
<li>Add cooled melted jaggery little by little into the mixture and mix with a fork until you can roll it to balls.</li>
<li>Roll the dough into small balls of the size of lemon using both palms.Store in air tight containers. Keep well up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Enjoy!</li>
</ul>
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Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-81006379216962748952014-03-20T10:51:00.000+03:002014-05-04T07:57:17.968+03:00Mutabbal/Baba Ganoush ( Middle Eastern Eggplant n Tahini dip)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Mmm.... Middle Eastern food! Living here, I cannot help posting or blabbering about it now and then. It's from here that I learned delicious food could be easy to make and in no time. Back home in India, making dinner was a <strike>tiresome </strike>lengthy process. The time manager inside me used to squeak n rebel about those hours of cooking dinner in the evenings when one could actually take rest and enjoy a book! Looking back I feel they were pure <strike>horrible</strike> waste of time.. May be,the husbands may not agree. But give them delicious food in no time, and they wouldn't dare to complain ;)<br />
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What I was trying to explain is that, you could actually make a delicious dinner with one of the yummy dips in the middle east(which is of course easy to make) together with a packet of pita bread or arabic hubbs. Baba ganoush is one of the dips we love to order from Arabic restaurants together with grilled chicken, kebabs and pita breads. I have already posted the recipe of <a href="http://kitchenboffin.blogspot.com/2011/12/hummus.html">Hummus</a>, the chick pea- tahini dip which is another delicious one which we enjoy very often.<br />
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BabaGanoush is distinct with an outstanding smoky flavour which is characteristically formed by the grilling of the Egg plant. You may not find it striking, the first time you try it; but after two- three trials, you slowly get addicted to it. Did I say 'addicted'? Oh yes! That is exactly what this dip is going to do over time. Don't say, I didn't warn you... :)<br />
It is usually served garnished with olive oil and minced parsley. You can infuse some kick into it by garnishing with paprika and/or pomegranate seeds.. <br />
Here you go...<a name='more'></a><br />
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<strong>Things you need:</strong><br />
<br />
2 medium egg plants(abt 900g)<br />
1/4 cup tahini( sesame paste)<br />
1/4 cup lemon juice<br />
1 garlic clove, crushed<br />
2-3 tbsp yoghurt, optional<br />
1/2 tsp kosher salt<br />
1/4 tsp ground cumin<br />
1 tbsp olive oil<br />
Pinch of chilli powder<br />
2 tbsp chopped parsely leaves(for garnish)<br />
Olive oil (for garnish)<br />
Paprika for garnish (optional)<br />
<br />
<strong>Method:</strong><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li> Wash the egg plants, put random pricks on them with a fork and roast them over open fame of the stove, covered with two to three layers of aluminium foil (about 20 minutes). Make sure to flip on all sides while you do it. You could also roast it in an oven at 400 degree F / 190 degree C. Click <a href="http://theshiksa.com/2011/06/21/how-to-roast-eggplant/">here</a> for detailed pictures on how to roast an egg plant. It was so much help for me. </li>
<li>Scoup the flesh and liquid from the egg plant and transfer it to a bowl. Discard the charred skin.Allow to cool to room temperature.</li>
<li>Add tahini ( you can buy it from arabic stores or super markets), lemonjuice, garlic,yoghurt,cumin,salt,chilli powder and 1 tbsp olive oil into the bowl and mix together with a fork using firm pressure until all the stringiness of the egg plant is disperced and everything mixed evenly.</li>
<li>Taste the dip and add additional tahini, lemon juice, salt or chilli pdr if desired.</li>
<li>Drizzle the surface of the dip with extra virgin olive oil and garnish with chopped parsely. Enjoy with pita bread or Arabic hubbs.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-57006113922506692142014-03-15T08:10:00.000+03:002014-04-02T18:03:36.698+03:00Avil milk - My first Guest Post<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is one of the comfort foods which you can categorize into desserts or breakfast drink or even a dinner drink (if such a drink exists) ;) In fact, we often have it for dinner when we are not in the mood for a heavy meaty meal. Though it is more like a dessert, it's quite filling and a whole food with less sugar.Rice flakes, banana and milk makes it a healthy alternative for other high fat high sugar desserts. I made this as a guest post for Rafeeda's blog, <a href="http://sweettoothraf.blogspot.com/">'The Big Sweet Tooth'.</a> It surprize me that after all these years of blogging it's the first time I am doing a guest post.</div>
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I felt honoured and was really happy when Rafeeda of <a href="http://sweettoothraf.blogspot.com/">'The Big Sweet Tooth'</a> asked me to do a guest post for her. Though it is from the blogosphere that I came to know about Rafeeda, our mutual acquaintance made us realize that both of us hailed from nearby places from the same district in Kerala.So being of the common ancestry, I thought I would share a recipe which was regional to our place, The Avil milk. To see more about the post, recipe and pictures, please hop over to Rafee's space <a href="http://sweettoothraf.blogspot.com/2014/03/be-my-guest-avil-milk.html">'The Big Sweet Tooth'</a>. She has got a great space with lot of mouth watering recipes to try...</div>
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Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-70338973674115598692014-03-12T10:56:00.000+03:002014-05-04T07:58:08.232+03:00Strawberry Cake with Cream cheese frosting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We had plenty of strawberries from the market and they were so ripe that they couldn't be stored for long. Apart from giving to the kids to munch, I had to do something about them, fast. It nagged me that it has been a long time since I made a real frosted cake. In fact I hadn't even used the turn table and offset spatula which Mr. KB gifted me last year. He had begun throwing comments into the air that there was no sign of any cake nor of his presents anywhere. And the elder boy was always complaining that I don't make him cakes as I used to be.. So I decided to give it a go as I couldn't tarnish my image with a few jibes of the males in the family; if I could help it. I was going to prove that after all it's just a piece of cake ;)</div>
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When I suggested strawberry cake, the son was more than happy. He loves frosted cakes like anything and he loves strawberries too. Often we get him frosted cakes from the nearby confectionery and when he is told that the cakes at the confectioneries are not good,he would reply, "Then you better make them at home because I'm gonna need them very often". So I knew I wouldn't be able to get way without baking cakes for them for long...</div>
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Of course Mr.KB's presents were a great help. If you have the necessary stuff, frosting cake is a cake walk. I really enjoyed doing it this time unlike older times when I would start sweating over just the thought of frosting a real cake. I made a medium cake, cut it into three equal layers with a long serrated knife (which comes really handy while layering a cake) and frosted with cream cheese..</div>
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It's better not to mention the fights between the boys to lick the spatula in between frosting! Well, I must warn all mothers with little kids around, who plans to frost a cake. This is the most common technical difficulty you are going to encounter while frosting a cake!!</div>
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The boys were somewhat pacified by the promise that the spatula would be given to one and the bowl to the other, to lick ;after I am done with frosting.</div>
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And you are not actually human if you don't dip your finger in the bowl of cream cheese yourself and put it in your mouth at least once while you frost the cake !! So you get the other technical difficulties!! Keep these in mind and you shall frost your cake with great zeal...Good luck ;)</div>
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<em><strong>Strawberry Cake with Cream cheese frosting:</strong></em></div>
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<em>For the cake:</em></div>
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1 and 1/2 cups sifted white flour</div>
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1 cup powdered white sugar</div>
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1/2 packet(1 and 1/2 ounce) strawberry flavoured jelly powder</div>
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1/2 cup (100 g) butter softened</div>
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2 eggs, at room temperature</div>
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1 and 1/4 tsp baking powder</div>
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1/2 cup whole milk at room temperature</div>
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1 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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1/4 cup strawberry puree (made from frozen sweetened strawberries)</div>
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<em>For cream cheese frosting:</em></div>
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1/4 cup (50g)butter, at room temperature</div>
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120g Philly cream cheese(1/2 pkg),at room temp</div>
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1 - 1 and 1/2 cups of icing sugar</div>
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1/2 tsp vanilla extract</div>
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<strong>Process:</strong></div>
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<em>Make the cake</em></div>
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<ul>
<li>Preheat oven to 170 degree C(350 degree F). Grease and flour a 3*7 inch round cake pan.</li>
<li>Sift together flour and baking powder into a bowl.</li>
<li>Beat together butter, sugar and strawberry gelatin in another bowl until light and fluffy.</li>
<li>Beat in eggs one at a time.</li>
<li>Stir in flour and baking powder into the batter alternately with milk.</li>
<li>Blend in vanilla extract and strawberry puree until well combined. Do not over mix.</li>
<li>Transfer the batter into prepared baking pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.</li>
<li>Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer to a wire wrack to cool completely.</li>
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<em></em><br />
<em>Make the frosting:</em><br />
<ul>
<li>Mix butter and cream cheese together with an electric mixer about 3 minutes on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl in between to ensure uniform mixing.</li>
<li>Add vanilla extract and mix. Slowly add icing sugar. Keep adding until you get the desired sweetness and thickness.</li>
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<em>Assembling:</em><br />
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Slice the cooled cake into three equal layers with a long serrated knife.<br />
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Remove any crumbs and uneven surfaces.<br />
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Place one layer of cake on the turn table and spread a thin layer of frosting over it.<br />
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Place another layer of cake over it and do the same.<br />
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Then place the third layer on top of it and spread the remaining cream all over the cake and level with an offset spatula. <br />
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Decorate with sliced strawberries around the cake and top with a few fresh strawberries.<br />
Refrigerate for 1/2 an hour before serving.<br />
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Enjoy!</div>
Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1222625105146629947.post-40019179820798764122014-03-06T10:58:00.001+03:002014-05-04T07:58:35.579+03:00 Mutton Kuruma/ Mutton Stew<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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"Food is our common ground, a universal experience"</div>
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-James Beard</div>
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I sincerely hope I could spend more time at blogging. But the thing is I get distracted by lots of other stuff which I enjoy doing from time to time.. The latest errand is making clothes for my baby girl. I used to stitch clothes for myself before and enjoyed it thoroughly. Now that I have a girl, my latest infatuation is making frocks for her.<br />
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And when I am caught up with designing the little dresses, I find that time just flies away without any regard for my bewildered self. I just get carried away by the designing, cutting, stitching and gawking at the finished product. Even in my dreams, I see my little girl fluttering in her beautiful summer dress in the enchanting breeze. Now, you get a hint of the measure of madness I actually am in! I myself think me nuts sometimes.. Frankly! So, the cooking, picturing, editing and all such stuff could wait for the time being. But still, I feel guilty about the blog , that I thought I would post a recipe which I drafted long back.<br />
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Mutton Kuruma was one of the dishes I began making with mutton in my early days of experimenting. It was a total mess for the first few times I attempted it. But later I began to find balance in the amount of spices and texture of the curry and now it is one of Mr.KB's favourites (and mine too :)) I make it the same way my mom in law used to make but I omit adding yogurt for reasons of my own.<br />
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Being a child, I used to hate mutton. I was weary of its meaty taste and its fatty texture. But I guess your taste buds develop over time. Over the years I have found love in mutton preparations, if not as much as my better half. I guess the wall of hatred towards mutton began to collapse slowly after the marriage. The husband of the mutton hating girl was a great fan of the same. And during my early days of marriage, I used to watch in wonder as Mr.KB ate mutton with such pure indulgence and unadulterated mirth. I guess that was when I began to see mutton in a whole new perspective.<br />
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This is the recipe of Mutton Kuruma, the North Kerala way..It is usually made with out adding turmeric powder and hence has a whitish to pale colour. It goes well with Aappam, vellappam, pathiri,ghee rice etc.<br />
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<strong>Things you need:</strong><br />
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1/2 kg Indian mutton with bones, washed n drained<br />
2 medium onions, diced<br />
1 tsp ground ginger<br />
1 tsp ground garlic<br />
1 green chilli ground along with ginger and garlic<br />
1 large tomato, diced<br />
A piece of cinnamon stick(patta)<br />
6 cloves (gramboo)<br />
4 cardamom pods(elakka)<br />
1 or 2 bay leaves.(patta ila)<br />
1 tsp coriander powder<br />
1/2 tsp garam masala powder<br />
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper<br />
1 tsp fennel seeds(perum jeerakam)<br />
1 tbsp lemon juice (instead of yogurt)<br />
2 cups of thick coconut milk.<br />
1 cup water<br />
Coriander leaves, chopped,for garnishing<br />
Salt to taste.<br />
2 tbsp coconut oil<br />
<br />
<strong>Preparation:</strong><br />
<ul>
<li>Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add fennel seeds. When aroma comes out add cinnamon,cloves, cardamom and bay leaves. Saute in medium heat until aroma comes out. Then add the onion and saute until translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and green chilli. Stir well to avoid it sticking to the bottom of pan. Now add the diced tomatoes and cook until mushy.Add coriander and black pepper powders. Stir well to combine.</li>
<li>Now add the mutton pieces. Stir well. Add the water and bring to boil. Add adequate salt and put the lid and weight on the pressure cooker. Cook on high until the whistle is blown. Now reduce the heat to minimum and let the mutton cook for about half an hour until well cooked and soft. </li>
<li>Remove from heat and open the lid when ready.</li>
<li>Add coconut milk and garam masala powder. Mix well.Put the cooker on heat again without the lid and remove from heat when the mixture just begin to boil.</li>
<li>Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice, chappatis or Aappam.</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
Kitchen Boffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03764391454020262367noreply@blogger.com4