Nutty nutty ….Coconutty !!!!
A break from the busy bee schedule is something that I have been longing for the past months.With all the cooking at home I have been longing for my mom to cook for me.I guess theres no age bar to crave for your moms food…isnt it true ??Its funny how the days fly when you dont want to end your holidays so soon.The school reopens by the 16th and its back on wheels…
We Keralites are so very much into coconuts and when I came across this recipe with all the goodness of coconuts how could I stop myself from sharing. Baked with the coconuty goodness of everything coconut from scraped coconut to coconut milk…
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- 4tbsp of butter
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¾ cup scraped coconut
- Preheat oven at 180 degree Celsius. Heat the coconut milk with butter so that it
- melts and turn off the flame.
- Sift baking powder, flour and salt together. In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar for
- about 3 minutes till they go pale in colour or they double in size.
- Mix in the warm coconut milk and vanilla essence.
- Slowly beat the flour mix into this without any lumps.
- Mix in the scraped coconut.
- Grease a bundt pan and pour in the cake mix and bake the cake for about 60
- minutes or till done.
Fall in love…… with chocolate shots!!
Strawberries , Mulberries …I can never get over them. My munchkins are now equally crazy about them. Living in Munnar ..the best part is to get the best fruits in the best seasons. I remember reading the recipe in a food magazine. This was a post that I was very keen on posting …as it was all set long back.
A very easy recipe that will be a sure hit with guests at home or even with kids. These chocolate shots are best with fruits like raspberries and strawberries.
- 284ml fresh cream
- 150ml milk
- 450g chopped white chocolate
- 1 tsp of vanilla essence
- 6 egg yolks
- 150 g strawberries sliced into halves
- Heat cream and milk together.
- Put the chocolate in a bowl and pour over the cream mixture.
- Stir until all the chocolate pieces are melted and stir in the egg yolks.
- Pour back into the saucepan with the vanilla essence and stir on low heat, stirring all
- the time until the mixture thickens enough to lightly coat the back of a wooden spoon.
- Take care that you don’t boil or the eggs might scramble.
- Then strain into a jug.
- Divide the strawberries for around 8 small glasses.
- Divide chocolate mix between and cover glasses with cling film and refrigerate till
- they are set.
- They have to just set not go firm.
Milky milky milkelicious ..Milchreis!!!
Are you a rice fanatic? I like rice but not to an extend where I would choose it over breads and chapathies….may be that would be the routine of my mom avoiding rice for dinners as my dad was a person who would least prefer rice when it comes to dinner time.But my rice stories have no connections to me having in puddings..Cooking at home my sons are always head over heels over the white payasams/kerealan milk puddings.Me and hus crave for the jaggery one so its more of a weird face that he would put up when i choose the “white ” one.
Now todays post is of a German pudding which was passed on to me by Julian Kloos & Kathrin…which was an equal hit with my hus and kids.The pudding is told to be the best thing to bribe your kids on …:P you have to have your tricks and trades,well thats what I have learnt with my sons..:D
Rice puddings are famous all around the world. Milchreis , the traditional rice pudding from Germany is a very famous pudding. Made with cinnamon , milk and rice it’s a simple recipe that tastes heavenly.The word “Milchreis” basically means Milkrice. This is a pudding basically served to children .It can be topped with any fruit compote. Here I have a recipe with apple compote.
- 200gms of white short grain rice
- 2 cups of milk
- 1 cup of water
- ½ cup of fresh cream
- 70gms of brown sugar
- 1 tsp of vanilla essence
- For the Apple Compote
- 2 apples peeled cored and cut in small cubes
- 2 cups of water
- 1 tsp of lemon juice
- ½ tsp of vanilla essence
- 1/3 cup of brown sugar
- In a heavy bottomed pot cook pour in the milk and water.
- Wash and add in the rice, brown sugar and vanilla essence.
- Cook the rice in the milk on low flame stirring it constantly till it is well cooked and stir
- in the fresh cream.
- For the Apple Compote
- In a sauce pan combine sugar, vanilla essence, water and bring it to boil.
- Add the apples, lower the heat and cover and cook.
- Stir occasionally.
- When the apples are soft add in the lemon juice and let the mixture thicken.
- Remove from heat and cool.
- Serve the milchreis pudding in bowls topped with the apple compote.
- Sprinkle cinnamon powder over it before serving.
Made with love , for the celebration of love..velvety delight!!
The celebration of Valentine’s day gets popular with every passing day .A day dedicated to your loved ones..that’s how its been captioned ..so dedicating this post to my family and my dearest ones ..with loads of love 🙂
The best recipe to try out on Valentine’s day are the Red Velvet cupcakes. Red velvet cupcakes are super moist cupcakes which are mostly dark red, bright red or red-brown in color. The red color is often with adding beetroots or food color.
- 1 ½ cup flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup oil
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp vinegar
- ¾ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
- 1 tsp of red food colour
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup cream cheese
- ½ cup butter
- 2 ½ cup icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp of vanilla essence
- Preheat oven to 180 degree C.
- Line pans with cupcake liners.
- Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa and salt set aside.
- In a mixing bowl beat egg, oil, buttermilk , red food colour and vanilla essence.
- Fold in the flour mix without any lumps.
- In a small bowl mix baking soda and vinegar till the mix is bubbling, add it to batter
- and mix.
- Pour the batter into cupcake liners bake for 15 mins or till a skewer inserted comes
- out clean.
- Let it cool and top the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium bowl add with electric mixer combine cream cheese and butter till
- creamy.
- Mix vanilla &powdered sugar.
- Mix till everything is combined.
- Use frosting to frost the cupcakes.
Sago Gulu Melaka..the easy peasy pudding!!
Off with all the birthday celebrations of my munchkins..both happy to have their birthdays celebrated with their friends…the best part is making time for their wishes and never-ending menus…the twinkle of happiness that their eyes have is so very mystical. They can be the most naughtiest, the best friends worst enemies when stubborn..he he ..its all in the game ..I was the same 😉
Today’s recipes credit goes to Khairul from Malaysia who is a foodie and blogger. I remember the day he had whatsapped me on the availability of classes. It was when he had dropped in with his friends for the class that I knew that he had been for long a follower of my blog…an avid and very much talented foodie! The first time I read about the pudding was long back …it was one afternoon that it struck me that Khairul would have more info on this dessert…
“Sago Gulu Melaka” a local Malaysian dessert. This is a really quick and easy recipe for dessert with just 4 main ingredients. The pandan leaf is known as the vanilla of the east because of its unique aroma. These leaves are used in Indonesian, Singaporean, Filipino, Malaysian, Thai, Bangladeshi, Vietnamese, Chinese, Sri Lankan, Khmer, and Burmese foods, especially rice dishes, cakes, and desserts.
- 300 GMS of Sago (Sabudana)
- 100 GMS of Sugar
- 80 GMS of Palm Sugar (Gulu Melaka)
- 1 tbsp of Vanilla Essence / 1 pandan leaf
- 3/4 cup of Coconut Milk
- Boil 2 litre of water with sago until the sago cooks well.
- Strain the sago in a sieve and lightly wash off the starch under cold running water.
- Place the sago in small bowls, level the top and freeze for about 30 minutes.
- In a saucepan heat the coconut milk till it starts boiling and keeps aside.
- In another saucepan cook palm sugar with sugar and the ¾ cup of water till the sugar
- dissolves with the vanilla essence / pandan leaf and makes syrup.
- While serving separate the sago shapes on to plates and pour coconut milk and
- sugar syrup over it.
Fusioned Bliss-Chettinad Chattipathri & Choondu chutney!
It’s the 31st of Jan and in Munnar the nights have been pretty much cold..well although we haven’t had snow the temperature had dropped down to -3/-2 a few days back. Tomorrow it’s my little ones bday and he’s super excited..of course how would he not be excited… I too was very much the same. He’s been advising me for the past few weeks of how his cake should be …he was more into getting me to make Ben 10 figurines for him. Hmm..but I wasn’t able to strain much and did him a cake .When I just got over with the frosting part the icing bag slips and falls on the edge of the cake causing a havoc on the frosting. Hearing me squeak ..he came near me and voiced smiling at me,”Amma ..Don’t worry its still a very beautiful cake ..I am so happy you made it for me.” I felt my heart sink at that moment…I hugged him and told him I would do the best I could. And I could do justice to an extend to his cake…really happy that I could.Tomorrow it’s the first time he has some of his friends for his birthday and so it’s a Big day for my boy as he’s turning 7!
“Mother’s Recipe”, the market leader in After accepting their invite in a Indian Pickles has a Product range that now consists of Pickles, Condiments, Blended Spices, Papads, Appalams, Curry Pastes, Curry Powders, Ready to Cook Spice Mixes, Ready to Eat meals (Canned and Retort Packing), Mango Chutneys, Ethnic Chutneys, Canned Vegetables, & Mango Pulp. It was indeed pretty much exciting to have an invite from them to participate in their Mother’s Recipe: Innovative Recipe Challenge’!
After accepting their invite in a week or so I have my hamper of their variety goodies at my doorstep.So heres my entry for the challenge.I took up the pack of the ready mix of “Chicken Chettinad “ and the pack of “Gujarati Choondo pickle”.I wanted to bring in a traditional fusion to the recipe. The pickle was very sweet compared to the normal pickle with a had a wonderful tangy taste. I infused the chettinad chicken with the Chattipathiri a traditional keralan Lasagne and popped up a dip with the pickle.Heres the recipe..
- Chettinad Chatti Pathiri
- 2 cups of Wheat flour
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup of thick coconut milk
- ½ tsp of black pepper powder
- Salt to taste
- For the filling
- 1 pack of Mothers recipe Chicken Chettinad mix
- ½ kg chicken (boneless) pieces
- Make a batter of flowing consistency with wheat flour adding water and salt.
- With the batter make 6-8 dosas on a hot flat pan and keep them aside.
- Fry the chicken pieces in 2 tbsp of oil till the chicken goes golden in colour.
- Take it off the pan and shred the chicken pieces in a chopper/mixer.
- Now as per the directions on the pack, mix the contents of the pack to 1 ½ cup of the
- water without any lumps.
- Add this into a pan, let it simmer, add in the shredded chicken and cover and cook till
- the chicken is cooked.
- Evaporate the stock once cooked so that it coats the chicken well and dry fry it in the
- pan and keep aside.
- Beat the eggs well with black pepper powder and salt.
- Dip all the dosas in the egg mixture.
- Place a dipped dosa on a plate and on the top lightly coat the coconut milk on thee
- dosa with your fingers.
- Spoon in and spread the filling on the dosa and place another dipped dosa on top
- smear coconut milk , the spoon the chicken filling and place another dipped dosa
- making a sandwich Stack at the least 6 to the max 8 dosas in the stack.
- Heat a wok /a heavy pan with 2 tbsp of oil, place the stacked dosas and cover it with
- a lid and cook on medium flame.
- Remove from flame once cooked.
My kids were very much fascinated by this version of the lasagna .In an hour there was nothing left. ..
Basbousa -the Mediterranean delish!!
Born and brought up in Abudhabi ..I have always had my flair for the Mediterranean cuisine .I still remember how I craved for my Dads parcel of special packed food during the month of Ramadan during his night shifts.This time round when I went to a shopping mall in Cochin I pointed out to my husband the “Basbousa” telling him all stories of what it was.Back home and how could resist myself from baking it..these are some hardcore facts of being a foodie..
Basbousa is a very popular and tasty Mediterranean sweet cake. Cooked with semolina and soaked in simple sugar syrup this cake has different regional names ..in Arabic its Basbousa/Harisa , Turkey its Revani/Ravani, Lebanon its Nammoura , Armenian its Shemali … the roots or the origin of this cake is told to be Turkey .
- For the Syrup
- 1 ½ cup of sugar
- 1 ½ cup of water
- 1 tsp of rosewater
- Juice of ½ lemon
- For the cake batter
- 1 cup of semolina
- 1 cup of flour
- 1 cup of sugar
- 2 tsp of baking powder
- 2 tsp of vanilla essence
- 1 cup of yoghurt
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup of scraped coconut
- ½ cup of oil
- Almonds for garnish
- In a saucepan boil the water to make the syrup, add in the sugar and stir till it
- dissolves completely.
- Mix in the lemon juice and rosewater and let it cool.
- Preheat oven at 180 degree Celsius.
- In a bowl, beat egg and sugar.
- Add in the yoghurt, oil and sieve in the flour.
- Mix in baking powder, vanilla essence and coconut.
- Transfer to a greased baking dish and bake till the cake is done or for about 30
- minutes.
- Garnish with almonds.
- Pour the sugar syrup over the cake when the cake is still hot.
- Serve when cold.
A kickstart with the Cornish Soft Roast!
The start of the new year is the start new resolutions. The first resolution of mine..was to update my blog!!!After 14 whole days with the start off the new year …theres been things that I am back to ..and one is that I’m back to baking 😉 But not that I would have time for orders…but just for my family and friends!Have heard on different types of roast chickens but had never dared to try out recipes just a bit sceptical on how it would turn out to be 😛 So when Ali dropped in for one of my classes and gave me a wonderful recipe on his mom’s fav recipe…I really had a reason to try it out …and it was a hit!
The traditional British and Irish meals mainly consists of roasted meat , vegetables and puddings. The English roast is also a main part of the Christmas dinner. The roasts can be done with beef , chicken , lamb and turkey. As it’s the Christmas time, today’s recipe is the Cornish Soft roast chicken which has a crispy skin and the meat is soft and tender on the inside.
- 1 whole chicken (cleaned with skin)
- 2 large onions sliced in circles
- ¼ cup of chopped celery
- 1 lemon
- 3 potatoes cubed
- 3 tsp of flour
- 2 cups of chicken stock water
- Salt to taste
- For the Filling
- 3 big onions chopped
- 30 g of butter
- 3-4 sausages sliced
- 1 egg whisked
- Fresh Bread crumbs from 3 slices of bread
- 2 tsp of parsley chopped
- 2 tsp of sage leaves chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- For the Glaze
- 2 tsp of soy sauce
- 1 tbsp of butter
- 4 tbsp of chicken stock
- Heat butter in a pan and sauté the chopped onions till pale in colour on low heat stir
- in sage and parsley along with the sausage pieces.
- Add in the egg and bread crumbs and keep stirring.
- Pour about ¼ cup of chicken stock water, cover and cook for around 10minutes.
- Add a salt to taste and pepper as needed for the spice.
- Fry the mix till the water evaporates and keep aside.
- Rub and marinate the chicken with the juice of a lemon and a generous amount of
- salt.
- Stuff the inside of the chicken with filling and place it in a roasting dish.
- Pour in some of the chicken stock until the stock sits about a quarter of the way up
- the chicken.
- Place the onion rings into the stock around the sides of the chicken.
- Place the cubed potatoes on top and in between the onion rings.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onion rings and potatoes to help to thicken the stock.
- Preheat the oven at 180 degree Celsius.
- Place the roasting dish in the centre rack of the oven and keep checking every 20
- mints or so to ensure the stock doesn’t become too dry, the stock should reduce but
- not dry completely.
- When the chicken is half way cooked start preparing the glaze.
- Melt butter in a small pan, mix in the soy sauce and chicken stock.
- Brush it on the chicken and continue with the roasting of the chicken.
- Cook until the chicken is thoroughly cooked for about one and half hours.
- Garnish with chopped celery.
Christmas bells n Scones!!!
There’s the end of another year….. 2014 is slowly winding up..and it’s time for new resolutions !!!! .The holidays for Christmas have started ….break till the 5th of Jan 2015 when the new term is going to start off at school .My elder one Surji is off enjoying his break with his cousins at his father’s house and Siva with me my nonstop blabbering companion. It’s better to hear that my health is catching up from last week’s review at the doc..but the craziest thing is when everyone who meet up with me after a few days have been asking me , ”Oh Nimi u seem to be enjoying your break from school ..You have put on weight!!!” Ha! And the actual truth I feel quite bloated up and tired …an effect from the medications. A worried me asks my doc once in a while ..if I would become my actual self ..She smiles and says ….”all will be well once the course is completed!!”Hmm ….Hope for the best ! So before I get too lazy and sleepy in writing this post ..let me hop on to the recipe of Scones…and thank u Sylvia….here’s picking out and trying recipes from your book 😉
Scone is a single serving cake or quick bread. They are often lightly sweetened and are occasionally glazed. These are different from the normal sweet buns which are normally made from yeast. There are different types of scones and the variants differ from the places .In some countries they also have the savory scones. Scones are normally served with tea or coffee.
- 200ml fresh cream
- 3 cups of flour
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- 4 ½ tsp of baking powder
- 1 cup lemonade
- Flour for dusting
- For Lemonade
- 1 ½ cup of water
- 4-5 tbsp of sugar
- Juice of 3 lemons
- To make the lemonade first boil water, stir in sugar till it dissolves well and then
- remove from heat.
- Let the syrup cool and mix in the lemon juice and keep aside.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt twice into a bowl.
- Make a well in the center and pour in the lemonade and cream.
- Use wooden spoon and slightly fold in to make slightly sticky dough.
- Dust flour on your counter; roll the dough slightly mixing the dough to keep it from
- sticking.
- Pat out the dough about 4cm thick with your hands, sprinkling flour when kneaded.
- Use a scone cutter or a circle shaped cutter to cut out circles.
- Place these shapes on to a baking tray and leave them to rise for about 10 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 230 degree Celsius and bake these scones for about 15-20 minutes
- or until they are golden in colour.
- Eat them warm /cold topped with jam, butter or cheese.
So Wishing all a very Merry Christmas!!!
Kulfi time !!!
Its been like ages since I have posted …..really wanted to do a post for Childrens day…but couldn’t make it .As my kids had their always loved Kulfis. The past two months have been totally head raking for me classes, school , book , kids, home….things wouldn’t have been more or less worser with me being diagnosed with pneumonia…sheesh….. its like being chained …!!! The curtain raiser for the whole melodramatic experiences started off with Siva’s hand fractured…then with the viral and then with me all sick…hoping to get things sorted out and fine…
The kulfi recipe goes on to one of my students and dear friend ….Lindiwe Richer..sorry Lindi for being snail late..in posting this recipe…
- 2 cups of full cream milk
- 1 tbsp of corn flour made into a thick paste adding cold water
- ½ cup of chopped dates
- ¼ cup of almonds roughly chopped
- 4-5 strands of saffron
- Seeds of one cardamom
- 1 tin of condensed milk(400g)
- Mix in the milk and condensed milk and bring to boil.
- On boiling, reduce the flame to low stir in the corn flour paste, cardamom seeds,
- almonds, dates and saffron.
- Stir the mix on low flame till it thickens.
- Let it cool and pour into kulfi moulds and freeze till they are firm.
- Please take care while de moulding slightly pour hot water on it (take care that water
- doesn’t seep into the mold).
Hi! I am Nimi Sunilkumar…an award winning cookbook author /culinary demonstrator/freelance writer / food photographer/food blogger …spiced with the flavors of food..
