Medu vada

Perfect vada recipe . This is so crunchy and soft within recipe. I have perfected the best recipe so far as my trials are concerned . We do not have this as often but when we have vadas all devour on it. Vadas are crispy savoury food made of lentils . The lentils are soaked for some few hours and then adding a few more ingredients small portions are deep fried.

Now some insight to making and knowing how to make Vadas. Those used  making just Ural dal are known as medhu vada. They are has along  with sambar and coconut chutney.
In India it's made during festivals.and occassions.
Here at my home I made this using simple ingredients as onions ,ginger, green chillies , pepper corns .

Also a pinch of baking soda makes fluffy Vadas. A wet grinder is usually used to make Vadas. Mine is too large to grind for a small family . So I have used normal mixer grinder for this recipe .

Ingredients

• 1 cups of urad dal
• 2 teaspoon  of urad dal for roasting and grind to fine powder or 3 teaspoon rice flour will also do.
• 2 tsp of rice flour
• 2 green chillies
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.
• few curry leaves
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 inch ginger, finely chopped)
• 1 teaspoon pepper corns
• salt to taste
• oil to fry

Method

Wash dal and soak in water for 3  to four hours .it should be fully immersed in water .

• Drain all the water from soaked dal. grind urad dal  to smooth paste using very little water.
• The batter should be thick and use very little water. The right consistency is very important or otherwise, you will not be able to get the vada shape.
• Add coriander, green chilli, ginger and pepper corns baking soda , roasted urad dal powder to the batter and mix it very well.
• Or add rice flour instead of urad dal powder,if u have , it will make the Vadas fluffy .
• Heat oil in deep  pan  on medium flame. Take small scoops of batter with wet hands so that the batter doesn't stick to the palms wet your palms .
• Make hole in the center and slide it into the hot oil.
• The vada should float on top of oil.
• Make sure your oil is not too hot. otherwise the vadas would not cook evenly.
• Fry on both sides till it becomes golden brown in colour.
• Serve medu vada immediately with chutney and sambar combo.

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Stove top pizza recipe

I think this is a recipe all should learn to know  how to make a stove top pizza. I just short circuted my microwave and am feeling so sad about it . My kids and family love pizza and we make very often too. Pizza made with your choices of topping is really exciting . I make my pizza for scratch and it's not that tiring. This is easy and we have to just make the toppings ready before hand .

Rainy  days are easy for a pizza-lover — especially if that pizza-lover has a massive crowd to feed like mine  .  A few years back, my mum and I started experimenting with stovetop pizzas to avoid turning our house into a pizza hut  during the rainy  months, and this soon became a favorite technique.

INGREDIENTS
Make your pizza dough

• 1  cup milk
• 1/2 cup water .
• 2 teaspoon yeast
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups flour ., Add more if needed.
• Pizza toppings
• 2 onions diced
• 2 capsicums diced
• 1 cup mushrooms
• 1 cup green and black olives
• 2 cups cooked chicken
• Oregano and chilli flakes for seasoning.

Method

• Take a deep vessel . Heat water and milk . It should be just warm . Add the rest of the ingredients and knead to pilable dough..it should be very soft . Cover and let the dough rise.
• Divide to half .
• After risen dough on flat floured surface .
• Flatten with hand .
• And keep aside.
• Cook the raw veggies in oil . I added them just as it is.
• Grease a pan with olive oil and set aside.
• Now heat oil in non stick pan, add chicken cubed pieces and saute for a min. Add all seasonings, salt, oregano pizza seasoning. Mix well and cook till done. Set aside.
• Take risen pizza dough in the pan and spread it evenly and cook on medium high heat . After few minutes , bubbles will appear. Prick holes with fork on dough. Flip the other side and cook on low flame . Cover the pan with glass lid preferably , so u can see the dough rising .
• You will get a soft well cooked dough. 
• Check not to burn the bottom.
• Spread pizza sauce and layer  cheese, peppers, onions, chicken and more cheddar cheese. sprinkle with oregano  pizza seasoning and cover with lid.
• Bake on stove top on low flame till cheese melts .
• Now remove it and serve hot.

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Chicken combo recipe

Chicken fry could combo recipe . This is totally a fun recipe ...why? Because of the colour , texture, soft and juicy and ofcourse they way it's plated will bring your tummy rumbling. Whenever I buy chicken , my kids protest not to make curry but make special fries. And I google and find many options to new recipes. As my blog is still in the shifting stage I am lucky I have many more recipes to upload and conquer the variety of tastes. 

I marinated the chicken and it took me very less time to cook till done. I prepared two marinations and let the chicken sit in for ate lats four hours if your in a hurry to cook them otherwise I would recommend at least 12 hours .
Off to the recipe...

For the malai chicken masala

700 grams chicken , cut into bite-size pieces

Marinade ingredients

• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tbsp grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp  yogurt
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
• 2 green chillies, minced
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• salt, to taste
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves
• 1 bunch mint leaves
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 5 to 6 green chillies
• salt, to taste

Method

• Put the  ingredients in a blender and whizz to get a puree
• In a deep glass bowl, mix the marinade  puree  paste  ingredients very well with a mixing spoon and add the chicken pieces in it. Cover with cling foil and keep in the refrigerator for a couple of hours
• Heat some oil in a pan , add the marinated chicken basting with oil or butter at regular intervals. Turn over and repeat. Remove when slightly charred (20-25 minutes)
• If cooking in the oven, place the chicken.with  skewers on an aluminum foil lined baking dish and bake in the oven at 400 F for 1 hour. At the half an hour mark, turn over the skewers once. When done, brush with some oil or butter.
• Garnish with some chopped cilantro and serve hot with the cilantro-mint chutney and lemon wedges.
• .

For the red chicken masala

Ingrediants:

• Chicken Breast- ½ kg
•  
• For Marinate:
• 1  cup curd
• 1 tablespoon Red chilli powder-
• 2 tsp Garam masala powder-
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 2 tblspn Ginger Garlic paste
• 1 tsp pepper powder
• Salt to taste
• Red Food Colouring-a pinch
• For Basting:
• Lemon juice-2 tblspn
• Oil-2 tblspn

Method:

• Mix the marinate Ingredients together..Now add in chopped chicken pieces and mix well..
• Let this marinate in the fridge over night..
• Bring the chicken to room temperature  before 30 mins  so that it   cooks well
• Place the chicken pieces in the pan and fry the chicken for 10 mins..
• When 10 mins is over take the chicken out and apply the rest of the remaining marinate over this and fry  for 10 mins.
• Now mix lemon juice, oil,  together for basting the chicken
• Now take the pan out…Turn the chicken over and base it with the lemon liquid and place it back to fry for 5 more mins.
• Cook chicken for 5 mins untill well done and chare it on all sides..
• Remove this and serve hot..

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Kerala mutton biryany

I am buckling up for the late and last minute posts  for this month . With the health issues and myself trying to finish up planned posts I try to accommodate as much as possible .     And mum mentioned that I should get my regular  health check-up . I have a few issues but nothing that I can't handle. Umma knows when I take a little of pressure from work I get tensed and all my activities slow down. Because I love to cook at times but also all this depends on my mood. As I was thinking of making something sweet all this week and Aj came up with a huge packet of butterscotch icecream I gave up the plan to do so.

My pantry used to always be filled with the basic necessities for preparing desserts along with biryani, because every Friday and Sunday I make something for the family. After along time i am making this biryani as Fridays we prepare one pot meals . I usually do this because I want to be hasstle free spending some quality time with Aj. As I said before he is  totally a foodie. He wants everything  yo perfect . Biryani should accommodated with chutney,salad , raita, achhar...ah and ofcourse it should be lemon pickle , pappadam and finally a nice lime tea. He lovesbmyblime tea and always says it's  times better than7 up or Pepsi.. Phew... Does your partner really want like this  ? Are all men the same ? I wonder not.

 

Kerala mutton biryany is perfect blend of a nice  golden  masala. When it comes to biryany each member wants it different. My recipe is always a little more of masala blend . I love to have a little more  masala  to the Biryani while umma loves a sparingly of it. Kids don't like onions so there will be a heap of it in the side of the plate.

Coming to the recipe, mutton is cooked into he masala till it's done and then it's dum baked in a heavy bottomed pan .
Follow the recipe ...

Ingredients

• 1 kilo mutton with bones
• 1 and half kilo onions ,Sliced finely
• 1/4 kilo tomatoes , chopped finely
• 1/2 cup ginger garlic paste
• 6 green chillies , crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1 cube chicken Maggi stock
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper powder
• Salt to taste
• A bunch corriander and mint leaves
• A handful curry leaves.
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil
• For the rice
• 1 teaspoon.ghee
• 3 glass (250 ml ) ghee rice
• 6 glasses of hot water
• Few cashews and raisins
• 1/2 cup fries onions

Method .

• To cook the mutton masala
• Fry the onions cashews and raisins. Keep aside.
• Wash and drain rice . Keep aside .
• Heat oil in the pan , add the whole garam masala. Add the onions ,saute till translucent.
• Add the ginger garlic green chilli paste.
• Stir till raw smell goes away.
• Add the tomatoes . Cook till mushy.
• Add the masala powders. And Maggi stock .
• Add the mutton and cook for 20 minutes .
• Cook till mutton is tender.
• to cook rice for biryani
• While the mutton cooks, clean and wash biryani rice and soak and dry it for 10 minutes.
• In a large pot, add ghee and fry the chopped onions , bay leaves, cinnamon sticks,  cloves, cardamom. Add the rice and fry on high flame stirring constantly for 5 minutes ,then add boiling water and add salt .
• Cook the rice until 90 percent done.
• to layer and dum the mutton biryani
• In a large pot in which you want to dum (slow cook) the biryani, add half the cooked rice as a bottom layer.
• Add cooked mutton masala and spread evenly.
• Sprinkle mint and corriander leaves, 1 tablespoon ghee,  and birista ( fried onions) and cashews, raisins on the mutton.
• Add the remaining rice over the mutton layer evenly.
• Add remaining ghee, and reserved oil that we scooped out from the mutton masala.
• Place a heavy pestle on the lid so that the vapour does not evaporate . 
•  Dum cook  the mutton biryani for 20 minutes, first on high flames for 5 minutes and then simmer for 15 minutes.
• Once the biryani is done, allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
• Carefully dish out, Mutton Biryani is ready to serve with raita of your choice.
• Notes
• I have made mutton biryani masala in a pot, but you can make it in pressure cooker as well. My personal favourite is to slow cook mutton in a pot.
• If you are making mutton biryani masala in pressure cooker, then do not add too much water as it will make watery masala base for the biryani as the masala should be thick consistency.

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Malai burfi recipe

Malai burfi is one sweet dish that is easy and fudgy recipe to make . Malai barfi recipe is one such  creamy fudge made with full cream milk  and milk powder. It is a popular north indian sweet recipe which is normally made during the festival seasons in India . There are many variations to this barfi  but I posted  this recipe post using milk powder and milk  to get the desired texture.

I guess we should have a couple of easy recipes to remember to create instant desserts after lunch or a first preference at least when it comes to preparing any quick and fast sweet. there are many ways  to preparing and ingredients used to making these burfis which intentionally is so addictive .

Traditionally, the malai barfi recipe is made just with milk and Koya which can be tiring and time consuming process altogether. basically, the cream is evaporated till it reaches the semi-solid texture. the evaporation process can take a lot of time  to combine and leave the edges of the pan. hence in this recipe post, i have used milk powder and milk as the only liquidus ingredient which makes the recipe a lot easier . 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup ghee
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2.5 cups milk powder
• 1 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1 teaspoon dry fruits ( almond cashew raisins)

Method

• Grease a pan and set aside.
• Heat a non stick pan
• Add ghee ,milk ,sugar and milk powder.
• Stir on low flame .
• Keep stirring till it leaves the side of the pan..
• Add cardamom powder.
• Transfer to greased pan .
• Let it cool and serve with garnished dry fruits of choice

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Set dosa recipe

How to make set dosa recipe  . An  easy and tasty dosa recipe made with rice, urad dal and cooked  rice . Unlike plain crispy dosa, the set dose is famous  for its softness, sponginess, light, size and serving style. it is an ideal breakfast recipe as it comes in a set of 3 dosas in one serving and is ideally served with chutney or sambar .
Our country is known for it's variations in Dosas being the  staple food of India and are mainly used for morning breakfast . Dosas are made with different sizes and textures .One such simple and easy dosa recipe from south india is the set dosa  .

I love to have this   for my morning breakfast most of the days and having said that i adore the crisp and roasted dosa recipes like masala dosa . We fell in love with dosas and Chutnies while staying in Bangalore with lovely ghee  , coconut chutney and sweet sambar.

This recipe  yields the soft and spongy dosa and  yet you can use other rice variants  and you will  get the same result. secondly, the fermentation is the step you cannot omit for having soft,spongy  set dose  as like me of the climate is hot and moisture, then you will get nice dosa fermentation. if you are living in a cold and dry place then use the preheated oven and place the batter in it to ferment . Once the dosa batter is fermented add salt , and use it .  Do not let it ferment a lot , and store in the fridge to use later.

Ingredients

• 2 cups iddli rice
• 1/4 cup Urad dal
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds.
• Ghee for drizzling

Method

• Take a large bowl add  2 cup idli rice, ½ of   urad dal and ½ methi seeds
• Add enough water and soak for 5 hours.
• Add cooked rice.
• Drain off the water and transfer to grinder.
• Grind to  paste little by little adding water as needed.
• Cover and ferment in a warm place for 8 hours.
• After 8 hours, the batter has doubled in size. mix gently without disturbing the air bubbles.
• Further add 2 tsp salt and mix well.
• Pour a paddle of batter on hot pan 
• Spread out in a circular motion slightly thick than regular masala dosa.
• Also pour ½ tsp oil around the edges.
• Cover and roast the dosa .
• Finally, enjoy set dosa with chutney.

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Butter paneer

End of October is nearing and I am really into tracking out the recipes I want to post for the next two months . For me I always want to feel the work I do. Actually love the job. If the interest dies down then you should give it a paid and refresh your mind for sometime and when you return I guarantee byou will be more energetic than before. I take break now a then and now I am loving my blog at the most here. The only problem is I need a push up or a thumbs up at times form my family especially my Aj who loves food especially testing trials fory blog. He still doesn't know I regularly blog . But he knows I am doing something on a space  on internet . Yes I don't share something with him. Some business men won't understand passion for money .  But he is a foodie and so I am able to make anything I want. .

  I am filling my blog with basic recipes . Butter chicken is typically a North Indian receipe . But nowadays it's common here in Kerala too. And since it is our favourite I am adding it to my blog space. I would personally call it dumping recipes as it is dumping every ingredient quickly . There is no long process involved here .  I have added green peas too . Everyone have their own method of cooking butter paneer. But anyway it is always quick and easy to create using your own measurements.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons Butter
• 250 grams Paneer cubes (or Cottage Cheese)
• 3 Kashmiri Red Chilies
• 1 teaspoon Ginger Paste
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Paste
• 1 Bay leaves
• 1 inch Cinnamon Stick
• 3 Cloves
• 2 Cardamoms
• 1/2 teaspoon Peppercorns
• 1 Onion, chopped finely
• 6 boiled Tomatoes, roughly chopped.
• 1/2 teaspoon Chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Garam masala(Powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric(Powder)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Ketchup
• 1 tablespoons kasthuri methi (dry )
• 2 tablespoons Fresh Cream
• to taste Salt

Method

• In a large pan or kadhai, heat a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil.
• Add red chillies, ginger, garlic paste and all the whole spices mentioned above . Saute for a minute or two and onions. Cook the onions turn translucent.
• Pulse the tomatoes in grinder. Add to the onions .
• Cover and cook till the tomatoes start breaking down and the mixture starts leaving oil at the edges.
•  Add garam masala powder, chili powder, turmeric, ketchup, salt along with 1/2 cup water. Bring this to a boil.
• Once the curry comes to a boil, simmer and cook for 30 minutes, till the oil separates slightly. Cut the paneer into bite sized pieces, add it to the gravy and mix gently.
• In another pan, dry roast the kasturi methi and grind it to a fine powder. Mix kasturi methi and fresh cream in the curry and switch off the flame. Serve hot

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Kaivarthathe/plantains and egg fry

Kaivarthathe is the most sort out breakfast in every Muslim household in Kerala. Occasions, usually marks the end of my yearly most awaited fantasy, It's October and the beginning of the inevitable  winter that goes into full-swing.... But to tell u the truth winter is not happening here in Kerala. Climate is awkward nowadays. I hope to see some cool breeze at least   after the New Year's time . I’m no longer obsessed closet declutering that I do for kids every seasonal changes. Doing three closet organization is fun ...I love organization wardrobes. So the same  goes for food  flavors, its veggie time  and medium-body soups and baking season is coming up after a month., I just want to stay hooked ...like as though  I hibernate in thoughts  which I am so good at., so to speak. I start cooking meals at home with more regularity as some say cooking regularly is not the thing for modern woman... Well I don't totally disagree depends on how each duty has to offer from  you . I cook for everyone  which has a great deal to connect with the blog too. After all of the holidays is over  for the Onam and the school is totally back to normal I buzz this beautiful brekky every morning , plantains and egg stir fry .

A  lazy Sunday is our only heavy breakfast but most of the time it's kaivarthathe  in variations for the whole week ...I just make one plate and who ever wants can have it. After a flurry of a holiday weekend with non vegetarian menu, we sublime to having dosas and iddlies. It’s from the  coverage of two weeks ago, from an article by Rujuta Diwekar about healthy dishes fitting the meal. But really, it had my mind  all over it whether should I do it or not because the dishes we make are usually four course meals and we on be our desserts and spice .  With lentils and greens included were exactly the health kick that I need to have everyday . If you guys have been reading my blog I love greens more than meat. So usually my recipe index always flood more with veggies than chicken recipes,.
Here's the recipe ...kaivarthathe

Ingredients

• 2 plantains  , ripe and chopped
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Sugar to taste
• A pinch of cardamom powder
• 1 tablespoon Ghee

Method.

• Heat ghee in pan.
• Saute the banana till slightly soft.
• Add the eggs and sugar.
• Stir till scrambled .
• Add the cardamom powder. Stir well
• Serve  warm .

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WallaKarra appams

Here's a secret ... I don't look in the mirror . . I am so ashamed to see myself put on so weight. Being a mom of three and a brink of age 30 + . I feel so disgusted . But shortly , after reading Instagram stories on postpartum period ,I literally cried inside. I went through a lot . My first birth was like a huge party. Giving birth and naming ceremony of forty people which was followed by ladies judging on how fat I have become and the baby is so thin... And there was endless speeches on how the mother should do this and that... I wanted to run back to my teenage look. Really I was so ashamed of my body that I didn't get any support from nowhere. I wanted to fit into my jeans so badly that I started to diet after the ceremony. I got my figure back within a week !! And my poor baby was not fatty baby.. but alhamdullilah he was healthy boy. . After dieting ,which later I understood I never had to , I never put on weight at all , as much as I eat I was so thin . Baby boy never put in weight too.

Then all the lady folks of town would say that my milk was not so nourishing!! Can u guys believe it. .. I felt like punching such folks.
MIL would send me some halwas and ayurvedic medicines to put on weight now...yes  guys it was  for me !!!. I said to myself ...that's it. I took a Stern decision. I ate healthy and did yoga.
I fed my baby boy with love and care. No one can tell u how to be a good mum. That time I felt he was thin but now I pick his photos and I say hey look at the chubby boy in the pic,with people deciding how you look and you deciding that they are right is not going to stop you from falling down the path, so don't listen to what others have to say. I chose my path to believe in me and not others .
As @shabosphere says in her stories., My other two  babies are Google born and I am happy for that . I learnt a lot about pregnancy and kids health and I love my ever growing family.
But one thing to say and a pointer to all moms...
I am going to educate my son and daughter on this. She has to know everything from being a strong independent woman to a caring mum. And my son has to know how important it is to support wives during such periods of life. My mum was and is always shy to talk about such things to me even till today... But guys there is still so much that  the internet doesn't talk about ,so educate your kids.

Today's recipe is a simple appam . You can have it as it is or even have it with any curry . I have this every week and it's so nice to even carry it along while driving . I guess now all of you know why my weight speaks so much .

Recipe follows.

Ingredients

• 1 and 1/2  cups raw rice( .soaked for three hours )
• 1/2 cup cooked rice
• 1 carrot grated
• 2 green chilli chopped.

Method

• Grind the rice and cooked rice with little water to a  semi thick batter.
• Add the grated ingredients and stir well
• Add salt and mix well.
• Pour spoonful  batter into the Kara chatti and cook till done.
• Turn over the karra appams and brown the other side .
• The sides will be crispy.

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Vegetable kadai

This is a recipe that's really famous in our area and no one has to doubt about its taste. I always keep the kadai masala powder in pantry for the easy cook ups . Though not always a trending dish in my kitchen but I make it quite often. Our favourite is the paneer combo.

I don’t know if you have been noticing I am  struggling with the blog ., I have been quiet as I got sick in between, silencing myself for a while  with less explocives of  my experiences and  feelings. There was a time when I would just bubble with a lot . But  sometime , that has gone on the side which led  to complexities in life .. It isn’t that I don’t like to  write my posts, I still do a lot for the blog. . But I don't like to write a long post ..not a big fan of it .whatever said  there is no intention and  there are no thoughts when I write and nothing much happening to be  spoken on . If you feel that I am being a bit emm...dumb   then I may have to say a it dumb but I am trying to figure out. Still my hectic schedule doesn't allow to cook ....  I am not sure how I would term the feeling of lost ....but as much as I love the blog, and I want to get things going as normal a possible  I am trying to keep a little space also . A balancing act....to do everything slow and steady with patience.   .

Having seen so many of my Hardworking  bloggers  moving 10k on Instagram from their blogs recipes being posted daily I feel  due to whatever reasons, I somehow feel that is the best  thing I want to do too. By the way, the blog is now just growing with few plus recipes, it.  As of now, I am slowly inching towards hitting 1000 posts on the blog. I am in no hurry, I am taking it slow, and this year I should be able to hit that number by half . Then I may do a celebrity post, to show off my blog ...hehe...nothing like that ... inshallah have to wait and see.

Ingredients

For kadai masala:

• 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 3-4 Kashmiri dried red chilies seeds and stem removed
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper corns
• 1 teaspoon dry methi leaves
• 1 cinnamon
• 1 clove
• 3 cardamom
• 8 cashews
• Vegetables needed (total 2 cups) :
• 1 small or 1/3 cup Potatoes washed, peeled, cubed
• 1/3 cup Cauliflower (gobi) cut into florets
• 1/3 cup Carrot cut into cubes
• 1/3 cup Green peas
• 1/3 cup Capsicum (Green bell pepper) cut into ½ inch pieces
• For veg kadai gravy:
• 2 tablespoons Oil
• ½ cup Onion finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon Ginger paste or freshly grated or crushed
• 2 large or 1 cup Tomato pureed
• ½ cup Water or as needed
• Salt to taste
• ½ teaspoon Garam masala
• 1 teaspoon Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) lightly crushed between you plam
• 3-4 tablespoons Heavy whipping cream or fresh cream or malai

Method.

• Roast the kadai masala ingredients till nice aroma appears. After cooling, grind it to powder.
• Puree three tomatoes and keep aside.
• Heat 1/2 oil in kadai and roast 1/2 onions and capsicums till soft. Keep aside.
• In the same kadai add the rest of the oil and add the ginger garlic paste. Saute till aroma appears.
• Add rest of 1/4 cup onions and saute till brown .
• Add tomato puree and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add turmeric and red chilli powder and stir well.
• Add veggies and 2 cup water. And cook till done on low flame.
• After the water is half reduced and the veggies are cooked till perfect . Add the kadai masala and fresh cream .
• Simmer for one minute .
• Serve with hot roties or naan

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Gulab jamun using rava

As the climate changes here, it affects everything in a way that we cannot barely imagine. It affects business and health which leaves us no choice but to just go about it however it is . This is the month  of seasons and the stalls and bakers are stocking up the shelves with sweets and snacks Even though I love the sweet and especially the packed sorted ones ...I must say they have become so expensive. Earlier we used to get it for around 1000 rupees but now it has crossed 3k., recently when I was  stuck in traffic, I do opt for large boxes of sweets as I have many to deliver to and along the way it's already half down by me , because it keeps me cozy too.Very rare we find really good ones  here and they use fresh ghee and butter for sweets and snacks.

Majority of them use really nice ghee, the smell of ghee is so authentic and you find them in bulk during the season.. For one, I am not a fan of strong ghee with heavy fats. It has a totally different taste, when you try to make ghee at home it has no smell at all at times. However, sweet sellers make them so amazingly well. Please do note that some people find it difficult to cope up with some types of ghee. Anyway, there are so many who prefer ghee with butter, so I am sharing with you the recipe I made with ghee as many of the localites do.. They gulab jamuns are really soft and no  trace of rava being added comes out of the recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 cup milk powder
• 2 tablespoon plain flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg large
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoon ghee
• 1 tablespoon rava
• 1 tablespoon water.

Sugar syrup

• 2 and 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon cardamom  powder

Method

• Mix rava and water and keep aside .
• Boil the water and add sugar. Keep boiling for 10 minutes . Add 1 teaspoon cardamom powder.
• Mix all the ingredients together including the rava and knead  for 5 minutes.
• Make small balls .
• You will get 18 small balls.
• Heat oil on medium heat
• Add the balls and stir continously till brown on all sides.
• Place hot jamuns in suryp and let it absorb the sugar  in.
• Serve after cooling.
• 
  

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Coconut chutney pomphet fry

After a long time I have a confession to make...I have this huge craze for seafood., we are back with the tour ..that is every month I go out and have something new. It is always a challenge to see to see if I get to admire new cooked recipes for the  month. Recently, we have been looking at far of places and I chose Cochin to get a bit of excitement. How much that fun has helped, I have to confess  it was a total disappointment I  don’t want to comment or speak of the experience because faiz ,my little one fell terribly sick. I told Aj we coul go alone but he insisted we go with kids as it was no fun at all without then I do agree. That we need to have kids around .about the tension that it involves around them is so rectic that I myself cannot handle. We have started doing this for two years of traveling to places new and now it is fun  great to have new food to taste.  Mostly we have been doing the same for the past two years and so far, I have been successful. As bloggers I need to keep exploring so I just have to wait and see what's going to come out of it .

Coming back to my special fry recipe , the tamarind chutney for this fish  is smothered on the fry , So that the tanginess is the ultimate ingredient for this recipe , it is something ultimate on anything that classifies as perfetc blend of spices. Before, it used to be just  in curries  before the fish is submerged in curry whether it is marinated or not depends on personal  preference. Having said that, I never over soon my fish. I would just marinate fish in tamarind water and turmeric salt and cook in gravy directly and serve. Leave it alone my crowd , at home would never have time for the curry to cook for more than 5 minutes as they say, “why to spoil the fun of having a perfectly cooked fish . .

As of lately , I ran through this recipe Last minute I had it actually at a restaurant and it was done with chicken and I was so badly craving to be done for something like  fish . That is when I got pomfret I decided  this recipe should be given a try, have been wanting to make since so long.

Ingredient

For the chutney

• 1/2 cup coconut grated
• Few curry leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon tamarind pulp
• 2  teaspoon Coconut oil

Marination.

• 500 gms fish ( I used pomphret)
• 2 tablespoon red chilli powder.
• Salt to taste.

Method

• Heat oil in frying pan.
• Add the ingredients for chutney . except for the pulp.
• Cook till brown. Cool aside. Course grind the coconut with tamarind pulp
• Cook marinated fish till done on both sides.
• After which add the coconut chutney and cook for few second coating the whole fish with the chutney.
• Serve hot.

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Chickpea masala curry

After hummus comes this masala that we endure very much and the kadala masala curry  is the easiest to make  . Actually I was planning to peas but the chickpeas happened by mistake .  I had forgotten to soak the peas , and I had asked zehna to soakn.she mistakenly soaked the chickpeas. After having my morning tea I was so hooked up with the chores that after opened the lid I saw the difference. I thought let's try it out anyway and this masala happened .there was no time to think ..so I did the planned recipe the only difference being the chickpeas. Instead of peas. This is something similar to the black kadala masala post..

Kadala (white chickpeas)masala  is a dish very comforting in itself to all  Malayalees these days . It’s a very popular dish served for parties to serve with chapathis.

We usually make kadala  curry with coconut milk and just have it rotis or chapathis . When I wanted to try this recipe with this masala mix the option was endless ....u can have it with anything even white rice.  Last week, my kids have fallen sick with the  flu and I was stuck with two sick ones . I just couldn't get the time to post or do some planned cooking for the blog . But if you don’t have time, or your in a hurry to get this recipe done on busy days , Just make the masala and refrigerate it and boil the chickpeas and set aside for the next morning. Finish it off with rest of the cooking and it's easy to go..

Ingredients

• 2 cup chickpeas
• 3 Tablespoon coconut oil

For the paste

• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• 2  medium onion chopped.
• 1 inch ginger chopped
• 2 medium tomatoes chopped
• 1 green chilli
• 1 red chilli
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder.
• 1/2  teaspoon turmeric powder.
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder.
• Salt to taste

Method

• Soak chickpeas overnight .
• Cook in pressure cooker , after the whistle , reduce the heat and cook for another 15 minutes. Set aside once it's done.
• Heat oil and all the  ingredients and cook til it's done. It will turn mushy and then cool .
• Grind to paste .
• Heat oil 2 tablespoon in a heavy bottom vessel . Add the grind paste. Add the spice powders. Stir well.
• Add the chickpeas and add little ( chickpeas cooked water) water only if needed.
• It will be a semi-thick soup consistency at this point,  cook till stew like consistency .
• Cook  for 15-20 minutes, or until thick and stew-like. Stir often .
• Add  garam masala  and set aside.
• Once  the chana masala has thickened , check the seasons and adjust the salt if needed.
• .

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Achappams recipe

Each time I sit to write a post I wish I could have the time to know and sort out as to what to write whenz but that is the most tough one I guess . I love reading posts as some of the  are so witty. What I read early morning is what I become that day. If I read something sad I feel sad the whole day just thinking about. It boggles my mind and I so off  recently just stopped reading papers . But then when drinking tea with Mom who is an  avid reader, she reads so loud that I have to gulp down my chai and cribble on my buscuit like as if I have a plane to catch . I never told her my plight that I do not want to hear sour news so early in the mornings.  She would think I may not normal. as  I have enough of problems everyday to handle already, I never bothered to say anything till now, sometimes it's better to keep numb on certain matters.

  Umma is a big fan of achappams and. She loves making them too . I am also a lazy cook but I wanted to try it too. If she is interested to do so I was super delighted as I get to post one for the blog 
The first Kerala snack on blog  I chose to make was the achappam . It is very well known all throughout  Kerala . In fact, it is the sign that some things are so beautifully done .I asked as to who ever found out this delicacy would have been very creative... Every  home would have made or have bought this at least once in life . – the peculiar shaped mould which is a rosette shaped which you can see in my pictures is commonly bought in stores. Now all you have to do is to follow theethod below  and you are good to go.

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw rice
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup Thick Coconut milk
• Salt
• 3/4 cup Sugar
• Cardamom powder.
• 2 teaspoon Black sesame seeds

Method

• Soak rice in water from  4 hours.
• Grind rice and milk  in grinder to a thick batter .
•  Beat the eggs and add the eggs, sesame seeds, cumin seeds, salt, and mix well
• Heat oil in a pan /kadhai. Place an achappam mould in the oil.
• Dip the mould in hot oil before dipping in the batter or else the achappam may not come out of the mould and will be awful as it will be stuck to it 
• . Now dip the batter immersed mould in hot oil. When the batter is cooked it will come off  itself from it and fall apart into the oil or just shake it a little bit so it will be easily off mould . I used a fork to get off the ring the first place . After two trials it came out well.
• Repeat till batter is over and serve crispy achappams .

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Hakka noodles

I had a packet of spaghetti waiting for its expiry date to come after two months . And I made this dish with intended feeling that AJ would love it. He is not a fast food kind lover..he loves his Pathal and curries especially fish  being his favorite. But my kids and myself get bored with usual and we try to get along some Sundays with different menu so came this dish . Zehn loves pasta and she is the pasta girl of our home . Zami needs cheese and his spicy sauce to go with it . Otherwise all love the pastas which are made for dinners. 

When I come  home from work I always find and easy way for meals as I will be in no mood to do late  cooking .  Zehna calls and  ask me if she could prep up to cook pasta . As she knows a little of how to go about it. so I told her, I would be very late . Sometimes I do come home late so often that I feel guilty for leaving my kids to umma, to care for .What she cooks is also spicy and tasty but most of the time we don't want our pastas to be spicy. ! The ones we get from restaurants are spicy and too much saucy – not that we don't dine such meals but making  at home – smells so yummy to apt for us  that you could sit and enjoy .

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon oil
• 1 cup boneless Chicken cubed
• 1 tablespoon Ginger Garlic Paste
• 2 Green Chilli chopped
• 1 Onion sliced thinly
• 1 Carrot  juliened
• 1 Bell Pepper  juliened
• 1 cup Cabbage  shredded
• 150 grams Noodles
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoon Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Black Pepper Powder
• 1 /4 cup Spring Onion  chopped

Method:

• Boil water , add salt and 1 tsp oil to it. Now add in noodles and cook till done. Drain and rinse in cold water. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoon butter, now add chicken, add ginger garlic paste, salt and mix well.
• Add in carrot, cabbage, onions, bell pepper, along with salt  and toss well.
• Add noodles and mix well.
• Now add in all sauces, vinegar and mix well.
• Keep stirring for 5 to 7 minutes on high heat .
• Add pepper and spring onion green. Mix well.
• Serve.

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Caramel shortbread recipe

I hope you  are enjoying my recipes  which are  super simple and easy to cook recipes..  I just wanted to boost my spirits which is at a phase where I feel like I am stuck at a point .   So , here is a recipe ,one that is so simple but is usually ignored for sweeter options…

I was intending to make this  easy  recipe, since it badly needs an innovation in its pictures. Unfortunately, nothing works as per my  plan , I wanted to post this recipe last week but the chocolate  in my pantry was stuck ,till I found it out while I was rearranging my stuff for cleaning and reorganizing .

I always have chocolate bars for baking as I bake a lot with cakes  but I wasn’t in a mood to leave it alone. On top of it, I had some partly used stock of cream  which needed to be finished.

When I feel clouded as I don't  know what to cook and plan I go about checking menus and come googling helps . I used to cook a lot of pastries as trying out new recipes with pastry and baking is always interesting. Chocolate off late has become come a curse for my daughter . She has issues with migraines and some catogary of foods are not permitted soft her. But she has begun to hate the same and so no problems with it.
The beauty of this recipe is that you can do it your way. You can use  fruits and custard instead of chocolate . You can mix and match what you want to pour on to the pastry.

FOR SHORTCRUST:

1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour

1/2 cups Butter (100 grams)

½ tsp salt

FOR CARAMEL:

11/4 cup sugar

¼ cup (50 grams) butter

¼ cup cream

½ tsp salt

1)2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

FOR CHOCOLATE:

2 tblsp butter

1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Method

Preheat oven to 190 degree C. Take a  square pan with parchment paper , keep aside.

Add flour and salt in a bowl then mix well. Add cold butter and rub it into the flour so it resembles a wet sand.

Press this into the square pan and bake for 15 to 20 mins till light golden. Remove and set aside.

Now make caramel. Take sugar in a heavy bottom sauce pan and heat till it starts to bubble and caramlelize.

Swirl the pan but dont stir it. Swirl till the sugar gets nice and golden.

Now add in butter and mix well. Add in cream and mix well. Add salt and vanilla and boil this for 2 mins.

Remove and cool for 5 mins.

Now pour this over the shortcrust and cool this completely.

Melt butter in non stick pan

Add chocolate chips and melt fully.

Pour this over the caramel and chill for 1 to 2 hours.

Now slice into bars.

Serve.

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Tomato cheese sandwich

If I say I am still moody past few days, I am not lying it's true . My mood took me to another level nor work or cooking helps out  because  my magrain attack came severe this time . I have come back to being normal today after one week's attack  even though I would say things have got back to normal routine and I believe it will  move well. My concern is my weight . I let it go actually. If happiness brings weight gain then it's really something to think about it right? . I have to sooner than later get my charts in track as to what my menu has for on daily basis . Also  pushing as much as I can to slow health diets should help  I think  My couple of years of working out on my thyroid has never made me fat like  this ! Now the siblings in the family too think I am putting on weight .,they are gain watchers  they know when to say what , I have  had my ease as I think I mentally waited for them to to say it. Till then I would eat healthy . But at last whatever you eat is what you take along with you in your life .

We are all foodies at  home and i have been happily dining  without much thoughts that I  might go wrong . My cravings for spicy food and new gen sweets have taken it's way and I didn't care at all. I have come back to a part  where I must be seriously thinking of putting things in place. You just need to give yourself time to work things  out, mainly because the instances of life isn't  going to let you do  with it as such and lots of patience is needed here . I guess all have the same issues.

The sandwiches  made with tomatoes and cheese is very eat simple  snack . As soon as it is done, the tangy cheese is slathered on top, and sprinkled with maggi masala, coriander leaves and green chutney. I do add but not too much since I don't want to r . so I just add a couple of drops here and there.  You can add some onion (optional) .

Ingredients

• 2 sandwich  Bread
• 1 teaspoon schezwan sauce
• 1 large tomato sliced
• Cheese as needed
• Salt to taste
• Butter as needed

Instructions

Take bread slices, spread schezwan chutney.

Add in tomato slices, salt and cheese slices.

Cover with other bread.

Butter the sandwiches on both sides till it gets a golden brown colour .

Serve

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