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December 24, 2012

AGATHI KEERAI PORIYAL


agathi keera poriyal

Usually this poriyal is prepared on Dwadesi day ( next day to vaikunta ekadesi) as a special food for people who did fasting on vaikunta ekadesi as it helps to reduce the body heat & acidity levels.. Before my marriage , my paati used to make this poriyal along with gooseberry pickle or gooseberry pachadi & avial for dwadesi . I love that feast. Yesterday I got the recipe from my mom and tried this poriyal. It was very nice and we loved it a lot.. We all know agathi keerai takes more time to cook. As my mom suggested , I pressure cooked the keerai after sauting and it was perfectly cooked...Usually toor dal is used in this poriyal but I used moong dal as it gives a nice smell.. Also I used onions which is not added on Dwadesi day. So please skip onion if you make for dwadesi..Otherwise, add small onions which gives a nice taste and flavour to this poriyal.

INGREDIENTS
 1 cup - 250ml
  • Agathi keerai – 1 bunch ( 1 cup )
  • Big onion / small onions – 1/2 cup ( finely chopped)
  • Moong dal – 1tbsp
  • Grated coconut – 1/4 cup
  • Sugar – A pinch
  • Salt & water – as needed
To temper
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1 tsp
  • Channa dal – 1 tsp
  • Red chillies – 2-3 nos
Lime juice – few drops (optional)
METHOD
  • Remove the leaves from the stem , wash it & set aside.
agathi keerai tile
  • In a kadai, temper mustard seeds , urad dal & channa dal. When the dal turns golden brown add red chillies and saute for a second. Then add onions and saute till it turns transparent..
agathi keerai saute tile
  • Now add the washed leaves ( keerai) , a pinch of sugar & the required salt.
  • Saute well till the keerai shrinks.. After few minutes , add a tbsp of moong dal and saute well for a minute.Now add enough water (say 1/2 cup) and transfer the entire contents into a small box with lid and pressure cook it in high flame for 1 or 2 whistles. I dint pressure cook it directly .Remove the lid and check if there is any water..If there is any water , allow it to drain by boiling it for sometime. Otherwise, add the grated coconut , mix well and saute for few seconds..Check for salt. U can add few drops of lime juice at the end to get a tangy taste..
agathi keerai cooked tile
Serve with sambar sadam !!
NOTE
  • I have used more onions and dal to enhance the flavour and taste.
  • This keerai has a mild bitter taste. Adding more coconut helps to overcome that bitterness..
  • We are adding sugar while sauting the leaves to avoid discoloration..
  • If u dont want to pressure cook the leaves , u can add water directly in the kadai and cover cook it. But it takes longer time to cook .
  • U can also pressure cook the leaves first and then do the tempering and sautéing procedures.It tastes good in both the ways.


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December 20, 2012

KONGU CUISINE– KONGUNADU LUNCH RECIPES

KONGU LUNCH

Kongu Nadu is the most industrialised and prosperous region in Tamil Nadu. The Kongu region comprises of places right from Ooty to Dharapuram which includes Coimbatore, Salem and its a big list.  I worked in Kongu engineering college, Perundurai before my marriage. I have tasted some of their foods during my stay in Perundurai, Erode. 

As I have an interest to try other area foods, Kongu recipes were in my try list for a long time. I have bookmarked some recipes from different blogs and I gave a try. Kongu foods has more of coconut and pulses in many dishes and most of the recipes were made using freshly ground spices.. So it has a nice aroma and taste. The best thing is they use very less oil in their recipes. 

For non-veg lovers, there are a lot more recipes to try. As a vegetarian, I found these recipes are simple to try and makes a perfect meal. The most popular recipe among these is arisi paruppu sadam. I saw different versions in many blogs and long back I tried it with just sambar powder but somehow we dint like that taste. May be their sambar powder is different from mine and I missed the aroma. So this time I tried it from valarmathi’s blog in which she suggested to use freshly ground spices. It was very nice and had a nice flavour. 

Also I tried poondu kuzhambu from her blog which is very easy to prepare. We loved its taste. In addition to this, I tried potato fry from ramya’s blog and paruppu keerai from plantain leaf. To complete the meal, I made ilaneer payasam. This time I dint add condensed milk. Still there is a big list of recipes like kollu masiyal, kootu etc to try.  I’ll make one by one and post here.

ARISI PARUPPU SADAM

My mom makes Tirunelveli special thuvaram paruppu sadam. The taste of arisi paruppu sadam reminded my mom’s recipe..We  enjoyed this rice with vadagam/vathal & potato fry..

ARISI PARUPPU SADAM

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml
  • Rice – 1/2 cup ( steamed rice/ boiled rice / puzhungal arisi)
  • Water – 1.5 cups ( add as per your rice) ( I used 1:3 ratio, please use the ratio you follow in your daily cooking )
  • Toor Dhal  - 1/8 cup i.e. 2 tbsp
  • Onion – 1 no (medium , slice cut)
  • Tomato – 1/2 no (finely chopped)
  • Coriander leaves – few ( to garnish)
  • Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
  • Cashew nuts - few (optional)
To temper:
  • Oil –1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
To grind
  • Garlic - 3 cloves
  • Dry Red Chilli – 2-3 nos
  • Curry leaves – few
  • Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Black Pepper Corns - 1/4 tsp

METHOD
  • Grind the ingredients said above to a coarse paste adding water and keep aside.
  • Wash Rice and dal. Soak for 15 mins.
  • Heat oil in a pressure cooker & add mustard seeds to it and allow it to splutter.
  • Then add the onions and fry until golden brown.
  • Now add chopped tomatoes to it and fry till the tomatoes are mushy.Then add the ground paste to it and fry till the raw smell goes. Now add rice and dal to it and add water.
  • Now add turmeric powder, coriander leaves and salt.
  • Pressure cook for 2 or 3 whistles. Fry the cashew nuts in ghee and add to the rice and serve.

As valarmathi suggested, I enjoyed this rice with vathal/appalam and potato fry.. This rice tastes good with potato chips too..

POONDU KUZHAMBU/ GARLIC GRAVY

Its very easy to prepare and a simple recipe.!! Thank you so much valar.

POONDU KUZHAMBU

INGREDIENTS
  • Garlic cloves – 1/4 cup
  • Big or small Onion, chopped – few pieces
  • Tomato – 1 no ( small, chopped )
  • Tamarind – Big gooseberry sized
  • Red Chillies – 2 nos
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Coriander powder – 1.5 tsp
  • Chilly Powder - 3/4 tsp
  • Coriander leaves – few ( optional)
  • Jaggery –a pinch (optional)
  • Oil – 2 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
  • Salt & water – as needed

METHOD
  • Soak tamarind in water and extract a cup of tamarind juice from it and keep aside.
  • Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds to it, after it splutters add pinched red chillies to it.
  • Add the chopped onions and garlic fry till they are golden brown.
    Then add tomatoes and fry till they become soft.
  • Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder to it and mix well. Then add tamarind juice, water and salt to it.
    Add  jaggery if you use. Cook the gravy till it becomes thick and garlic are soft.
    Garnish with coriander leaves and serve !!

PARUPPU KEERAI

It tasted more like dal palak. It was a nice combo for poondu kuzhambu..


INGREDIENTS
  • Greens / Spinach – 1 cup chopped  ( I used arai keerai)
  • Toor dal  – 1/3 cup (you can use split pigeon peas or yellow lentils)
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Oil – a drop
  • Onion – 1 no (medium chopped)
  • Garlic --- 6 cloves ( chopped)
  • Green chillies – 2 nos (slit)
  • Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Salt to taste
For seasoning
  • Oil – 1 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
  • Asafetida – 1/8 tsp
  • Curry leaves – few


METHOD
  • Pressure cook dal adding turmeric powder & oil. Mash the dal and set aside.
  • In a kadai, temper all the ingredients and add the chopped onion, garlic cloves. green chillies and saute well.
  • Now add the washed & chopped green and saute for sometime. Add water and cover cook till the greens are cooked well. Then add pepper powder, cooked dal and required water, salt.
  • Allow it to boil for few seconds, remove & serve hot !


POTATO BRINJAL FRY

POTATO FRY

For this recipe, Ramya used brinjal & potato.  As my hubby doesn't like brinjal , I used potatoes alone. I din't use much oil , first I roasted potatoes in little oil and I added little water to cook them.. It was not much oily and was tasty too..

INGREDIENTS

  • Potato – 3 nos (medium sized , cut into pieces)
  • Brinjal - 1 (chop into small cubes)
  • Big onion – 1 no, chopped ( original recipe used small onions )
  • Sambar powder – 1-2 tsp
  • Grated coconut / dry coconut – 2 tsp
  • Salt – as per taste
To temper
  • Oil – 2 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Channa dhal – 1 tsp
  • Green chilli - 1 no( finely chopped.)
coriander leaves for garnishing.

METHOD
  • Heat oil in a pan and once its hot, add the mustard seeds.
  • When it splutters, add the chana dal. Saute until it turns light brown in color and then add onions. Fry till transparent.
  • Add the chilli, curry leaves and turmeric powder and saute well.
  • Now add the potato pieces and sambar powder /red chilli powder and the salt needed and cook it covered until the potatoes are cooked by sprinkling little water ( If you don’t want to add water, add more oil and allow it to roast and cook in oil itself)
  • Just before turning off the flame, add the grated coconut and gently stir. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve it hot.

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December 17, 2012

EGGLESS ORANGE BISCUIT CAKE RECIPE WITHOUT BUTTER, MAIDA




I have tried this cake many times with different flavours. Its a fool proof recipe. It never went wrong. I have tried with chocolate , pine apple and orange flavours too. It tastes great. Its very easy to make with just two steps. There is no butter, no maida and no egg in this recipe. This cake comes out really soft n spongy. Do try this cake, you’ll love it for sure. 

ORANGE BISCUIT CAKE -HANDS

INGREDIENTS
  • Marie biscuit – 6 nos ( I used marie oats)
  • Orange cream biscuit – 6 nos ( I used tasty treat)
  • Sugar – 2 tsp ( adjust)
  • Baking powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Cooking soda – 1/4 tsp
  • Milk – 1/2 cup ( at room temperature, boiled & cooled milk)

METHOD
  • In a mixie jar , take the biscuits , sugar, baking powder & cooking soda. Grind well to make a smooth powder.. Then add the milk and grind it again to make a paste.The cake mixture should fall like a ribbon.
  • Line a baking pan with butter paper and pour the mixture. Preheat oven in convection mode ,180c for 10 mins and bake the cake for 15-20 mins. Check with tooth pick and remove. Allow it to cool completely and remove the butter paper. Cool the cake completely before removing the butter paper else the cake will break.Cut into pieces and enjoy !!
orange cake

ORANGE BISCUIT CAKE - BITE

NOTE
  • If you want, you can replace cooking soda & baking powder with a tsp of Eno fruit salt ( plain, blue color packet). Result will be the same.
  • U can add orange zest & orange juice for more flavour. In that case , adjust the amount of milk. The cake mixture should fall like a ribbon.
  • If you want different flavours, replace orange biscuit by pineapple  cream biscuits OR chocolate cream biscuit. The quantity would be the same. I have tried with all marie biscuit varieties. So use any.
  • Please check after 10 mins, if its not done, bake for 5 more minutes.
  • Cool the cake completely before removing the butter paper else the cake will break.

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December 13, 2012

Veg Kurma For Chapathi - Hotel Style Vegetable Kurma


MIXED VEG KURMA
I got this recipe from my friend. I have tried this kurma many times with many combinations and finally hooked up with this recipe. I always love hotel kurma and when u dig it , u’ll find only some onions and vegetables and not any spices.As my friend’s recipe was similar to the one i expected , i tried it..It was very flavourful & tasty .. It is a best pair for roti, poori , parotta and idiyappam..I’ve already posted a mixed veg kurma , mom’s version..If interested click here..
INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml
  • Carrot – 2 nos (small)
  • Potato – 1 no (big)
  • Beans – 8 - 10 nos
  • Peas – 1/4 cup
To temper & saute
  • Jeera – 1 tsp
  • Bayleaf –1 no (optional)
  • Big onion – 2 nos
  • Tomato – 2 nos ( small)
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp ( I used 1/4 tsp)
  • Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Kasuri methi – A pinch (optional)
To grind
  • Grated coconut – 1/4 cup
  • Fried gram dal – 2 tsp
  • Cashews – 5 nos
  • Green chillies – 2 - 3 nos ( I used 2 ) 
  • Dhania / coriander seeds – 1/2 tsp (optional)
  • Fennel – 1/2 tsp
  • Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
  • Cardamom – 1 no
  • Cloves – 2 nos
  • Ginger – 1 inch piece
  • Garlic – 6 cloves
METHOD
  • Grind all the items given under “to grind” to make a paste by adding water..Chop tomatoes finely and set aside.You can also use 1/4 cup of thin tomato puree instead.
  • Wash and chop all the vegetables , pressure cook adding little salt , 1.5 cups of water in high flame for 2 whistles and set aside..Make sure the vegetables should not be mushy.
veg kurma step 1
  • In a kadai , heat oil ,add jeera & bayleaf.. Then add the onions and saute till it turns transparent. Now add the tomato puree or tomato pieces and saute till raw smell leaves or till the pieces turns mushy.Add little salt to make it faster..
veg kurma step 2
  • Then add the ground paste and saute well .. Now add the turmeric powder , red chilli powder and garam masala powder & kasuri methi. Mix well and saute for few mins. Finally add the cooked vegetables along with the water. Add salt if necessary and some more water. Allow it to boil for sometime till u get a nice aroma. Adjust the consistency..
veg kurma step 3
Garnish with coriander leaves if u wish. Serve hot with roti/poori !

MIXED VEG KURMA PLATE

NOTE
  • I wanted the kurma less spicy , so i added less chillies. U can add more based on ur requirement..
  • Instead of cooking vegetables in prior , i have tried cooking it along with the spices .It gives a different taste and smell.Try any method based on your wish.
  • Adding red chilli powder is optional. If u want , u can avoid green chillies while grinding and add red chilli powder alone..
  • No need to use mint , curry leaves or coriander leaves for flavour. I don’t use any..
  • If u r using dried peas , soak it overnight and use ..


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December 11, 2012

Corn Cheese Balls Recipe | Kids Snacks Recipes

cheese balls copy
  
I tried this corn cheese balls recipe without breadcrumbs after watching an Youtube video by chef Harpal singh. I found it easy and I prepared this for my daughter’s evening snacks. She loved it a lot. Usually cheese balls are made with white sauce and coated with bread crumbs or panko crumbs. But I followed this quick and easy method. I halved the recipe and added masala as per my need. For the last batch, I added little garam masala powder which is not in the original recipe. I loved it. It takes just 10 minutes to prepare when you have boiled sweet corn ready in hand. We all find difficult to remove the corn kernels. So  I have suggested a very simple and easy method which I saw here in road side shops. I’ve given step by step pics too. Some of you may know this already. Do try this method and let me know friends. Soon I will try to share Bangalore famous masala corn recipe :)

Check out my another version of corn cheese balls too.

cheese balls 1 copy

Corn cheese balls recipe - Masala corn cheese balls


Corn cheese balls recipe - Masala corn cheese balls How to make Indian style masala corn cheese balls recipe
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Snacks
Serves: 10
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 200ml
  • Boiled Corn kernels – 1/2 cup ( GRIND COARSELY)
  • Grated Cheese – 3/4 cup ( i used mozzarella ,any cheese is ok )
  • Corn flour –1/2 tbsp
  • Maida – 1 tbsp
  • Chopped ginger bits – 1/2 tsp
  • Chopped green chillies – 1 tsp
  • Pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Cooking soda – A pinch
  • Chopped coriander leaves – 1/2 Tbsp
  • Lemon juice – 1/2 – 1 tsp
  • Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp (optional)
  • Water – 1-2 tbsp
  • Oil – for frying + for greasing ur hands
  • Bread crumbs - as needed ( optional, I dint use it)
  • Salt – As needed
HOW TO MAKE CORN CHEESE BALLS - METHOD

  • Grate the cheese,boil the corn and remove the kernels.To remove the kernels, cut the boiled corn into two pieces. Take one piece and keep it on a plate.Hold the corn with one hand. Keep the knife on top of one side of the corn. Cut through the end. The kernels will fall down. Rotate the corn and do the next side. Repeat until all the kernels are removed.(click on the image to c a large picture)
    cheese balls step 1
  • Grind the kernels coarsely just by pulsing once or twice.
    balls step 2
  • In a bowl , take the ground kernels , cheese , flour and all the ingredients except oil and water. Mix & make a crumbly mixture. This itself forms a non sticky dough but u should add little water otherwise the mixture will separate when u deep fry. May be just 1-2 tbsp water is enough.
    balls step 3
  • Now add water to make a dough. It will be sticky. Grease your hands with oil and make small balls. Dip the balls in milk and then roll in bread crumbs(optional). I din't do this step. Cover the remaining balls while you deep fry. Do not let it dry.
  • Heat oil to deep fry and fry one for the first time. Oil should not be too hot. U should fry like gulab jamun by stirring the oil and the ball continuously for uniform frying. The ball will come up once done. Remove when golden brown
    balls step 4
Enjoy !

NOTE
  • Adding water is very important otherwise the mixture will separate while deep frying..
  • I din’t use milk or bread crumbs to roll. But still it was crispy. If you want, you can roll the balls in milk and then in bread crumbs to get more crispy balls..
  • Do not deep fry in high heat because the balls will get browned and remains uncooked inside.
  • Keep stirring the oil using a ladle when you deep fry. This helps for uniform cooking & browning.
  • Adding garam masala powder is optional.

Enjoy this crispy corn cheese balls with ketchup !cheese balls- tooth pick


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December 8, 2012

Idli Sambar Recipe - Saravana bhavan Hotel Tiffin Sambar

Saravana bhavan sambar

When I was searching for idli sambar recipes, I got this one titled as Saravana Bhavan sambar in many blogs & sites. Saravana bhavan is one of the hotels in which I am longing to have my breakfast and dinner and very recently I had a chance to visit it. As I have tasted this sambar, I wanted to try in my kitchen because this recipe is totally new from my usual hotel sambar recipe. No need to make additional powder for sambar. Our usual sambar powder is enough. I have tried the original recipe many times and I felt its less tangy because of Bangalore tomato. So I changed the recipe according to our taste buds. Nowadays I am making this sambar regularly for idlirice upma. It tastes great !

Idli Sambar Recipe - Hotel Style


Idli Sambar Recipe - Hotel Style Hotel Saravana bhavan style Idli Sambar Recipe
Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Side dish for Idli,dosa
Serves: Serves 4
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes


INGREDIENTS
1 cup =250ml 
To pressure cook
  • Toor dal – 1/3 cup ( less than 1/2 cup)
  • Hing /Asafetida – a pinch
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Cooking Oil – few drops
  • Vegetables – Brinjal , carrot , potato & drumstick ( cook separately and add if using)
  • Tamarind – a small gooseberry size
  • Sugar or jaggery – 1/4 tsp
To saute
  • Sambar onion/ small onion – 10 nos
  • Tomato – 1 no
  • Green chillies – 1 no ( slit)
  • Curry leaves – few
To grind
  • Grated coconut – 2 tbsp
  • Fried gram dal – 1 tbsp
  • Sambar powder - 1 tbsp ( any sambar powder is fine ) OR ( chilli powder – 1.5 tsp + dhania powder – 1.5 tsp)
  • Tomato – 1 no
To temper
  • Cooking oil - 2 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
  • Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Red chilly – 1 no ( pinched )
  • Hing – 1/4 tsp
To garnish
  • Coriander leaves – few chopped
HOW TO MAKE SARAVANA BHAVAN SAMBAR - METHOD

  • Pressure cook all the ingredients given under “pressure cook”  till mushy. Remove & mix well.( Cook drumstick seperately in a bow. and place inside the cooker without adding water. Use drumstick for best tasting sambar). 
Saravana Bhavan sambar
  • Grind all the ingredients adding little water to make a smooth paste.( given under “to grind”)
Saravana Bhavan sambar
  • Add this ground paste and the tamarind extract ( do not add tamarind extract if you are using tangy tomatoes), salt  to the cooked dal mixture and allow it to boil well till the raw smell emanates. It will thicken. Add water when necessary.
Saravana Bhavan sambar
  • Heat oil and add onions and green chillies , curry leaves and saute till onion turns transparent. Add tomato pieces and saute until mushy. Add this to the boiling sambar. Boil for some more time. Add sugar or jaggery while boiling. Finally temper the ingredients given under “To temper” and add to sambar. Garnish with coriander leaves and close it with a lid. Serve after 30 minutes. For guests , add a tsp of ghee before serving : ))
    Saravana Bhavan sambar


Note

    • The actual recipe did not use tamarind. As I used Bangalore tomatoes, I felt its bland. So I added little tamarind extract. If you use Tamil nadu tomato( Naatu thakkali) , tamarind may not be necessary. Make sure the sambar should be mild in tanginess.
    • Tempering at the end gives a nice flavor. If you want, you can do this step while sauteing onions.
    • Adding sambar onion gives  a nice taste. U can replace with big onion if you don’t have it.
    • If you wish, you can use moong dal or a combination of toor dal & moong dal.

Try this yummy Saravana bhavan style Idli sambar at home and enjoy your breakfast/dinner !!

Saravana Bhavan sambar

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December 6, 2012

Eggless Christmas Fruit Cake Without Alcohol | Eggless Plum Cake For Christmas Without Rum

Eggless-fruit-cake

This is my first post on Eggless Christmas Fruit cake recipe without alcohol/ without rum and condensed milk. Though I’ve tried some eggless plum cake recipes earlier, I couldn’t post any. I wanted to post a perfect eggless fruit cake recipe for christmas. I googled & found this eggless plum cake is the one which is mostly prepared for Christmas.

 I got this recipe from  “Divine taste “. As this is an alcohol free, eggless dry fruit cake,  I decided to give a try. As the original recipe has exact measurements, I just halved the recipe  and tried it in my convection oven. It yielded 10 pieces.

 I gave some to my neighbour , she told it tasted exactly like the one they get in Kerala & she took the recipe from me. I was so excited to hear a good comment for my baking.  I’ve tried to give step by step pictures. Please follow the same quantity mentioned here. I used less dry fruits n Nuts than mentioned. Make your choice . 

As I used less dry fruits , I added more sugar. Boiled & Mashed potato is used as an egg replacer. To avoid fruit sinking, we cook the dry fruits while making the caramel sauce. No one can find this is an eggless plum cake..It takes nearly 1 hour baking time. But its worthy. So lets see how to make Eggless Christmas fruit cake recipe without rum in convection oven.

Don't forget to check out my Eggless plum cake in Pressure cooker. This is for people without convection oven at home.

Also check out my easy eggless plum cake in microwave if you want to make it quickly under 3 minutes.

eggless Christmas cake

Eggless dry fruit cake recipe for Christmas


Eggless fruit cake recipe Eggless dry fruit cake/plum cake recipe without alcohol for Christmas.
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Cakes
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 Minutes
Cook time: 60 Minutes
Total time: 80 Minutes


INGREDIENTS

For batter
  • All purpose flour – 1 cup
  • Baking powder – 3/4 tsp
  • Cooking soda – 1/8 tsp
For Fruit mix/sauce
  • Mixed dry fruits & nuts – 200 gms / 1 cup ( cashews , badam , Pista , dates , dry grapes , Tutti fruti , Plum/ cherries , angoor, dried apricot , black raisin)
  • Sugar / Brown sugar – 1/2 cup ( I used 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp )
  • Butter – 1/2 cup ( at room temperature )
  • Lion Dates syrup  / Maple / golden syrup – 1/2 tbsp
  • Water – 1/2 cup ( 125ml)
  • Cooking soda – 1/2 tsp
  • Vanilla essence – 3/4 tsp
  • Yogurt/curd – 2 tbsp
  • Cooked & Mashed potato – 1/2 cup 
  • All spice powder ( 1 clove , 1 small piece cinnamon & a small piece of nutmeg) - 1/2 tsp ( Cardamom is optional)
  • Grated orange zest –   2 tbsp (optional)
  • Blanched Almonds – 20 nos (for decoration )
 

METHOD


  • Sieve the all purpose flour, cooking soda & baking powder in a wide bowl and set aside. Chop all the dry fruits & nuts separately and set aside..
  • In a saucepan,mix the fruits, sugar, butter, dates syrup & water. Heat in low flame till the sugar dissolves. Then increase the heat to medium and mix well. Butter will dissolve & let it boil.
Eggless christmas fruit cake

  • Keep the flame low & allow the mixture to boil for 10 to 15 mins. Stir now & then to avoid burning. Dry Fruits will be cooked well and soft. In the mean time, grate the orange zest, blanch the almonds & make the all spice powder& mash the potato. Switch off the flame & mix the cooking soda. Mixture will become foamy. Set aside to cool completely. The consistency will be thick.
fruit cake tile2
fruit cake tile3[4]
  • After the fruits sauce cools down, mix the orange zest, yogurt/curd , vanilla essence, well mashed potatoes & all spice powder. Whisk well to become a smooth paste. Then add the chopped nuts, mix well. Now add the flour little by little to this paste while stirring in the other hand. It will form a thick mass. The final batter will be of spooning consistency.
fruit cake tile4
  • Grease a baking pan with butter and sprinkle maida. Then spoon the batter & fill the pan. Level the batter smoothly using a spatula. Place the blanched almonds for decoration. Cover the pan with a butter paper/thermal foil. Preheat the oven @180c for 10 mins. Bake for 1 hour and check with the tooth pick or Knife for doneness. 
  • If it comes out clean, then your cake is ready.. If not keep another 10 mins and try it. Please keep an eye after 50 minutes.  Remove the cake from the oven after its baked well and set aside for 3-4 hrs to completely cool down. I left the cake overnight and the next morning i removed the cake from the butter paper. It came out very easily without sticking. This setting time is suggested for all the taste to blend well in the cake..Then Serve it!!
fruit cake tile5


Note

  • To avoid fruit sinking to the bottom, usually the dry fruits will be coated with maida. I din't do that. I just added everything to the sauce mixture.
  • Demrara brown sugar is completely optional. U can use powdered white sugar too.
  • The original recipe called for 1.5–2 hrs baking. Please keep an eye after 50 minutes otherwise your cake may be burnt. The outer layer of cake looks blackish brown but the inside will be cooked soft.
  • Please give minimum 3-4 hrs of setting time and then remove the cake from the butter paper. The cakes should cool down completely.
  • U'll find crunchy taste in the cake which is because of dry apricots and nuts..
  • We can sprinkle some icing sugar on top of the cake to have a nice look.

Eggless christmas fruit cake

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December 3, 2012

CHILLI GARLIC FRIED RICE | CHINESE RECIPES


I took this recipe from a magazine & made in a weekend along with veg momo. Its a very simple recipe and tastes good. If u r a garlic lover and if u want to try chinese cuisine, then this recipe is for u.. It tastes great with tomato sauce …Smile with tongue out
INGREDIENTS
  • Basmati rice – 1/2 cup
  • Garlic cloves – 4 nos (Small)
  • Red chillies – 3-4 nos
  • Finely chopped spring onion – 1/8 cup ( i used stem of coriander leaves )
  • Ajinomotto – 1/4 tsp
  • Soya sauce – 1/2 tsp
  • Cooking oil – 2-3 tbsp
  • Salt – as needed
  • Water – 1 cup (to cook the rice)
METHOD
  • Wash and soak the rice for 30 minutes in 1 cup of water . Add little salt and cook till its done.Spread the rice in a plate..
  • Grind 2  red chillies along with garlic cloves with little water & set aside. ( It may not ground smooth , but try the max)
  • Heat oil in a a kadai and add the remaining 1 or 2 red chillies ( pinch into two)  and the ground paste. Saute till raw smell leaves it..
  • Now add the cooked rice ,ajino motto , soya sauce & the required salt ..Mix well for few seconds. Add the finely chopped spring onions , mix well and switch off the flame.
  • Serve hot with sauce/ketchup !!
NOTE
  • U can also try the same adding finely chopped vegetables to make it healthy..
  • Adjust the amount of red chillies according to ur taste buds.
  • U can also replace sesame oil instead of cooking oil.

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December 1, 2012

Kathirikai Gothsu - Chidambaram Brinjal Gothsu - Side Dish For Idli Dosa


Chidambaram Kathirikai gothsu
(Updated picture)
I got this Chidambaram Kathirikai gosthu / brinjal gosthu recipe from my friend Swarna. She had learnt it from a Chidambaram cook. I have tried this 3 times so far. Recipe for Kathirikkai gothsu powder is so simple. We can make it once & store for weeks. 

Basically I am a big fan of brinjal but my husband hates it. But the good thing about this recipe is he liked it a lot and gave approval to make it often. The consistency of this gothsu should be very thick like a paste but we love to have it in semi gravy consistency. As I haven't tasted the original authentic gosthu in hotel & temple style gosthu, I tried in both the ways and shared the pictures here. Please make it as you like. It tastes the best when made with sambar onions. So use small onions only. I heard this is the best side dish for Pongal. But we like to have it with idli. 

For gothsu powder, I followed my friend’s recipe but I saw so many variations in this recipe like adding methi seeds, toor dal etc. Anyways it tasted great. Please have a look at the notes section too. Do try and let me know how u like it. Lets see how to make Chidambaram special Kathirikai gothsu.

Check out my another easy, one pot brinjal gosthu version HERE.

Here is the old picture !
 Chidambaram brinjal gothsu

Chidambaram special Kathirikai gothsu / Brinjal gothsu


Chidambaram special Kathirikai gothsu Chidambaram special Kathirikai gothsu recipe for idli, dosa. 
Cuisine: Indian
Category: Side dish for idli pongal
Serves: Serves 3
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes
INGREDIENTS

  • Brinjal – 5 nos (medium sized)
  • Tamarind – Big gooseberry size (adjust)
  • Small onion – 15 to 20 nos
  • Salt & water – As needed
For gothsu powder ( to dry roast & powder)
  • Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
  • Red chillies – 4-6 nos ( long variety)
  • Chana dal - 1/2 tbsp
For large quantity (to grind n store)
  • Coriander seeds - 1/4 cup
  • Red chillies - 12-15 nos (long variety)
  • Chana dal - 1.5 tbsp
To temper
  • Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal – 1 tsp
  • Hing – 1/8 tsp (optional)
  • Curry leaves – few ( pinched)
Gingely oil/Nalla ennai – 1 tbsp( to add at the end)
HOW TO MAKE CHIDAMBARAM GOSTHU - METHOD

  • Dry roast dhania , chana dal & red chillies (1/2 tsp methi seeds – optional) in low flame for 2-3 mins till dhania starts to splutter. Make sure you dont burn them. Then grind them to a fine powder and set aside. Please add the mentioned amount of red chillies while making gotsu powder because if you reduce the chillies, gothsu powder may taste bitter and it will spoil the taste of gothsu. 
  • In that case , add little red chilly powder and proceed. Cut brinjal into small pieces and keep in water to avoid brinjal turning black in color. Cut small onions into cubes and set aside. Soak tamarind in little water.brinjal gothsu
  • Heat a kadai with oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves & hing. Now add the small onions and saute till it turns transparent.. Then add the finely chopped brinjal pieces.  Add the required salt. Saute till it shrinks and becomes mushy. Add little water if needed and cover cook the brinjal for sometime. brinjal gothsu
  • Add the tamarind extract and cover cook till the brinjal is cooked well. Mash the brinjal with ladle but still some pieces should be visible.Now add 2 tsp of gotsu powder,mix well. Add little water if necessary. Boil it for sometime. The gravy thickens. yoAdjust the water if u want in thin consistency OR enjoy as it is !!  Add coriander leaves for garnishing but it is not needed. Lastly add 1 tbsp of sesame oil on top of gravy. Close it with a lid to retain the aroma.brinjal gothsu
    Enjoy with hot idlies / pongal adding sesame oil/ ghee. Sesame oil enhances the taste. For pongal , no need to add sesame oil. Check out my easy Brinjal gosthu recipe HERE 
Note
  • I’ve given the gothsu powder for larger amount which you can store and use. U can use 2 tsp of this powder for one time..
  • My friend told that the authentic version calls for burning the brinjal in flame with skin and they mash it & add. But nowadays everybody follow this easy method.
  • If you feel the gravy is bitter, you can try adding more tamarind extract because the bitterness completely depends on the brinjal we use.

Enjoy this yummy side dish with Idli or pongal. Tastes yumm !!
Kathirikai gosthu
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