Rasam powder

Ingredients:

• Coriander seeds- 600gms
• Toor dal - 200gms
• Peppercorns - 200gms
• Gram dal - 100gms
• Cumin - 100gms
• Turmeric (Virali) - 6 pieces (or less )
• Red chillies - 600gms
• Dried curry leaves - 2 tsps
• Asafoetida - 1 tsp

Preparation:

• Dry roast all the above ingredients.
• Grind it into fine powder.
• Add 2 tsp of this for making rasam.

Onion rice

This is a recipe i do when i have left out rice and have less time to prepare a dish.This is easy and comes out very tasty.

Ingredients:

• Boiled rice - 2 cups
• Onion chopped - 1 cup
• Bay leaves - 2
• Cardamom - 1
• Cloves - 2
• Cumin seeds
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Salt
• Butter - 2 tsps

Preparation:

• In a deep pan heat butter and add cloves.cardamom,bay leaves and cumin seeds and saute until the aroma comes.
• Add onion to it and saute it until golden brown.
• Add garam masala and chili powder and salt to it.
• Add rice to it and mix well.
• Turn off.
• Serve hot with brinjal fry or kuruma..

Pineapple rasam

Ingredients:

• Pineapple - 1 large slice(finely diced)
• Tomato - 1 large finely diced
• Tamarind - half size of a lemon(make tamarind juice out of it)
• Rasam powder -2 tsp
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Toor dal - 3 tbsp
• Asafoetida - 2 pinches
• Cilantro - few sprigs
• Salt to taste
• Oil
• Mustard- 1 tsp
• Cumin - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 3-4
• Urad dal - 1 tsp

Preparation:

• Pressure cook toor dal and mash it .
• In a deep pan,add tamarind juice,salt,asafoetida, rasam powder,a cup of water and allow it start boiling .
• Add diced tomato ,pepper powder and pineapple to it and allow it to cook.
• Add toor dal and cilantro to it and wait until it starts foaming.
• Turn of the heat and remove .
• In a kadai,heat oil and add mustard,urad dal,curry leaves,cumin seeds and season it.
• Add it to the rasam.
• Add few cilantro leaves to it to garish and keep it covered until serving to maintain the aroma.
• Serve hot with rice and potato roast.

Rasgulla

Ingredients:

• Milk - 4 1/2 cups
• Lemon juice -2 tbsp
• Water - 4 1/2 cups
• Sugar - 1 1/2 cups

Preparation:

• Bring milk to boil and add the lemon juice diluted with 1 tbsp water into it little by little stirring continuously.
• Wait for the cheese to separate from the milk.
• Drain it through the muslin cloth and show it under cold water to remove the taste of lemon juice from it .
• Then bundle it up and squeeze the water out it until no water is left in it.
• In the meanwhile,add the water and sugar in a pressure cooker and boil it uncovered.
• To check if the cheese is just right, rub a little on the palm and form a ball out of it.
• It comes out perfect,then the cheese is in right consistency.
• Split it into equal parts of small balls (they double in size after cooked).
• Make sure you press it hard while rolling it so that it doesn't break while cooking.
• Add these balls to the cooker and close it with the lid and add weight .
• Wait for the pressure to form and then allow it to cook on medium flame for 7-8 mins and turn off.
• Once the pressure is released, transform it to a container (take care not to break it).
• Refrigerate and serve cold.
• Add a little shaved pistachios on it. Enjoy !!!

Chocolate frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup Cocoa powder(do not add more as it will make it a little bitter)
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

• Melt butter.
• Stir in cocoa.
• Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
• Add small amount additional milk, if required.
• Stir in vanilla.
• About 2 cups frosting is ready.

Chocolate cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Preparation:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
• Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
• Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes.
• Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
• Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks.
• Cool completely.
• Frost with CHOCOLATE FROSTING (recipe given above).
• Serve with whipped cream ,wafers and vanilla ice cream.

Pitlai kuzhambu

Ingredients:

• Tamarind - lemon size
• Salt
• Coconut oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard -1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 2 pinches
• Curry leaves -3-4
• Brinjal(small) -2 , cut lengthwise
• Drumstick -2
• Toor dal - 25 gms

For frying:

• Coconut - 1/2 grated
• Cilantro leaves - 3 tsps
• Coriander seeds - 3 tsp
• Gram dal -1 tsp
• Fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
• Rice - 1/2 tsp
• Peppercorns -4-5
• Red chillies- 6-7

Preparation:

• Fry all the ingredients listed above.
• Grind it nicely.
• In a deep pan,add coconut oil,mustard seeds,curry leaves, asafoetida and season it.
• Then add brinjal to it and saute until tender.
• Now add tamarind juice to it .
• Then add the ground powder.
• Add salt,drumsticks to it and allow it to cook.
• In the meanwhile pressure cook toor dal and add to the pan and mix well.
• Allow the kulambu to become a little thick and turn of the heat.
• Serve hot with rice.

Chicken Chettinad

Ingredients:

Marination:

• Boneless skinless chicken-1 kg cut into small pieces
• Ginger paste -2 tsps
• Garlic paste - 2 tsps
• Curd - 6 tbsp
• Pepper powder 2 tsps
• Cumin powder 1 tsp
• Fennel seed powder 2 tsps
• Turmeric powder 1tsp
• Coriander powder 1 tsp
• Chili powder 1 tsp
• Lime juice - optional

Other Ingredients:

• Ginger paste - 2 tsp
• Garlic paste -2 tsp
• Red chilies - 4
• Onion - 3 large chopped
• Tomatoes -4 large
• Cinnamon stick -1 broken
• Cloves - 2-3
• Bay Leaves - 2
• Coriander leaves
• Oil
• Salt
  

Preparation:

• Marinate the chicken pieces with all the ingredients under marination and keep aside for 1 hour.
• In a deep pan heat oil and add cloves,bay leaves,Cinnamon and saute.
• Add onion,red chillies and saute until golden brown .
• Add ginger and garlic paste to it.
• After a minute add dices tomatoes and fry until the oil floats on the top .
• Add the marinated chicken with contents and salt and coriander leaves.
• Cover with a lid and cook under medium heat.
• Cook for a few minutes until chicken is done and the gravy is thick.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and little butter on the top.
• Serve hot with rotis,dosa or rice.

Banana Split - Semi Homemade

This is the easiest of any recipe and makes a gud dessert when u don't have time to make one for parties.This is also easy for bachelors who do not cook.

Ingredients:

• French Vanilla Ice cream- 2 scoops
• Banana -1
• Vanilla wafers-optional-1
• Hershey's chocolate syrup -2 tsps
• Pistachios-4

Preparation:

• In a bowl,add the ice cream and banana pieces(split into two or three)
• Now drizzle the chocolate syrup on it.
• Top it with pistachios and wafer pieces.
• Serve cold.

Onion Rings

Ingredients:

• Large Yellow Onion -1
• Pancake mix - 3 tbsps (i.e) all purpose flour+baking soda+ soy flour (optional)
• Corn Flour -2 tbsps
• Red chilli powder - 2 tsps
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 cup for frying

Preparation:

• Cut the onions such that the layers in the onion form a concentric circular shape.
• Now pull out each rings from the sliced onion.
• Make a paste out of the pancake mix,corn flour,red chilli powder,salt and a little water to form a slightly thick batter.
• Heat oil in a deep pan .
• Dip the onion rings into the batter and fry them until golden brown and crisp.
• Serve hot with ketchup.

Boondhi Laddu

Ingredients:

• Besan (gram flour) - 1 cup
• Sugar - 2 cups
• Water -1 cups
• Oil for frying - 1 1/2 cups
• Rice flour - 2 tsps
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
• Food colors - yellow, red,green (optional)
• Cashews broken -3 tsps
• Raisin - 2 tsps

Preparation:

• In a bowl, mix besan, rice flour,baking powder and add water little by little to make a thick batter.
• Divide it into 3 portions and add the three colors to one portion each.
• If you don't like color, skip step 2.
• Now heat oil in a deep pan .
• Pour the batter little by little through the vessel or broad spoon with holes and remove them before they turn brown.
• Collect all the boondhi by using the batter with three colors.
• In the meanwhile, heat water and sugar to form a syrup of just before thread like consistency.
• Now add powdered cardamom and turn of the heat.
• Add the boondhi to it and mix well.
• Now heat ghee in a pan and fry cashews and raisins in it and add to the mixture once done.
• Mix all the ingredients well.
• Allow the mix to cool a little but must be warm so that you can make small balls out of it.
• Otherwise the bondhi will not stick to each other properly.
• Serve with murukku,thattai and enjoy!!

Wish you a very

Happy Diwali !!!

Murukku

It is Diwali time and time to celebrate with lamps,sweets and savouries.This Diwali I made Thattai ,cookies,kadalai mittai and Ladoo.Today I made murukku.This is one of my favourite snack.Thought of sharing this...

Ingredients:

• Rice flour - 2 cups
• Black gram (urad) flour-3/4 cups
• Gram flour (kadalai mavu)- 1 tbsp - optional
• Butter - 3 tbsp
• Sesame seeds - 2 tsps
• Cumin seeds - 2 tsps
• Salt
• Chilli powder - 3 tsps
• Ajwain seeds - 1 tsp
• Oil for frying

Preparation:

• Dry roast the urad flour in a pan.(if you don't have urad flour,dry roast urad dal and grind it to a fine powder)
• Now cool it and add to a bowl.
• Add all the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix.
• Soften the butter and add to the bowl and mix.
• Add water little by little and fold the flour to make it soft.
• Heat oil in a fry pan.
• Take the murukku maker, fill it with the dough and pipe out the patterns(i have used the star pattern), forming circles on a greased plate or plastic sheet.
• Transfer the murukku from the plate to the hot oil.
• Fry until light golden brown color.
• Remove the murukku from oil and place on a paper towel to drain the surplus oil.
• Allow them to cool and store them in a tight container.

Chocolate chip cookie

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups
• Hersheys Chocolate chips (or broken chocolate chips)
• Butter(unsalted) - 1 stick (8 tbsp)
• Eggs - 2
• Baking powder-1 tbs
• Salt - 2 pinches
• White sugar - 3/4 cups
• Brown sugar - 3/4 cups
• Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
• Almonds - 10

Preparation:

• In a blender, add almond and give chop on low.
• Add the butter and beat it.
• Then add both the sugars and blend it .
• Add the eggs one by one slowly and keep blending.
• Finally add the vanilla extract, and keep blending for 2 mins so that the mixture becomes soft and fluffy.
• Now in a bowl shift the flour and baking powder .
• Add the salt to it and mix well.
• Now add the blender mix to it and mix well until no air bubbles in it.
• At last add the chocolate chips to it.
• Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and keep it in the freezer for 30 mins.
• Preheat the oven to 350 C .
• Make small bowls out of the cookie mix and flatten it and place on cookie sheet and bake them for 12-15 mins.
• Store in a airtight container.
• Serve it with milk.

Vanilla Teatime Cake

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour -1 cup
• Butter (softened) - 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks)
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• Warm Milk - 4 tsp
• Eggs - 2
• Baking powder - 1tsp

Preparation:

• Sieve the flour along with the baking powder into a bowl.
• In a blender,blend the softened butter and sugar.
• Then add the eggs one by one,blending in between.
• Add the vanilla extract.
• Mix then until they become fluffy.
• Add the mixture to the flour little by little and mix.
• Add the warm milk to it and mix well until the air bubbles go.
• Preheat the oven to 350 C .
• Coat the pan with butter and then dust some flour on it and remove the excess.
• Pour the mixture into it.
• Heat it in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
• Turn off ,cool it and cut it into pieces.
• This is very soft for a day or two but then eventually becomes like bread in consistency.
• You could serve it during tea time or during breakfast with milk and maple syrup on it.