Meyer Lemon Bars

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I am happy that we have an early Spring this year ! But one part of me is worried that it didn't snow much this year in Colorado, and that might induce a lot of wild fires and drought in some parts of the state. But for time being, I am keeping those worries aside and enjoying the beautiful days.

Besan Ladoo and Happy 2012 !

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Hope everyone is in the best of their spirits and health. What are the plans to welcome the new year? Midnight party with some dancing ? Preparing a list of new year resolutions? Whatever your plans are,I wish you a year filled with love,happiness,hope,and cheer! May the New Year gives the power and courage to make your dreams come true !

Pumpkin Pie - A pictorial

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Hello everyone!  I’m sure the extended weekend was reason enough to give thanks!  How was your Thanksgiving dinner? How many of you filled up your houses with  Black Friday shopping? Did you  wait outside the stores to grab the door busters ?
Most of my shopping was done online or on Saturday.  I have never been to see the mad rush at the opening hours on Friday, and I don't think that I would ever do it sacrificing my precious sleep ;-)

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving Turkey dinner at our friend's place! Everybody had a great time with so much fun and lots of good food. My daughter made me promise to make a pumpkin pie for her this year and I did. It came out so well, and I'm glad to share the recipe with you all.  Next time I will try to make the pumpkin puree also at home :-)

My family loved it and I can assure you that it is much better than the store bought ones :-)And I loved the Pate Brisse



Now a pictorial of the process
Disclaimer: The pictures are not the best. I had to manage the process, the camera , a 9 year old and a toddler who is still in his terrible 2 ;-)

The first 4 steps of pie crust making.  Cutting the butter, mixing the flour with salt and sugar, mixing in the butter and adding water



Make a disc out of the dough, cover it and chill.Also rolling out



Transferring the disc and pinching the sides.



The final steps. Making the filling and baking the pie



And last but not the least, a slice for you ;-)



Ingredients

For Pie crust(Pate Brisse):

Flour- 1 1/4 cup
Salt- 1/2 tsp
Sugar- 2 tsp
Ice cold water- 3-4 Tbsp(I used 3 1/2 Tbsp)
Butter- 8 Tbsp

For Pumpkin Pie filling:

Pumpkin puree -2 cups (I used store bought organic puree)
Eggs -3
Brown sugar- 3/4 cup
White sugar -1/4 cup
Salt -1/4 tsp
Cinnamon -2 tsp
Ginger powder -1/2 tsp
Cloves -1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Nutmeg - 1/8 tsp
Heavy cream -1/2 cup

Method:

1.Whisk together the flour, salt and sugar or pulse them together in the mixing bowl of your food processor.
2.Cut the butter into 1 inch cubes and add it to the flour mixture.
3.Process till the mixture turns little crumbly, but still there is some butter fragments.
4.Add the ice cold water 1 Tbsp at a time and run the processor.Add a couple of tablespoons more and mix well.After adding 3 Tbsp, try to hold the mixture together. If it is coming together, you are done. If not add a little more water and mix again.
5.Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface using your hand, till everything comes together.Do not over knead. Make a dics out of the dough and chill it for at least half an hour or up to a couple of hours.
6.Just before you start to make the filling, take out the dough from refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 10-12 minutes.Also preheat the oven at 425 degree F.
7.For making the filling, mix together the eggs and sugars first.Addthe rest of the ingredients and mix well.
8.Roll out the dough into a 1/4 to 1/3 inch disc which is about 13 inches in diameter.I rolled it on the plastic wrap so that it doesn't stick anywhere.Or else you could flour the surface lightly and check frequently for the sticking dough.
9.Invert the greased pie pan on the top of the crust and invert everything including the plastic wrap.(This is much more easier for transferring the crust when compared to all other methods I've tried so far :-)
10.Take out the wrap and gently press in the crust to fit it inside the pie pan.
11.Now gently take out the extra sides hanging out of the pan. (I didn't have much though)
12.Pinch the sides carefully so that you get a nice pattern.
13.Keep the crust covered and let sit chilled for about 10 minutes. This helps the pie crust to retain it's shape. I didn't have time to do this step and you can see that, though I pinched the sides well the end product doesn't have a beautiful outer edge.
14.Slowly pour in the prepared filling and bake at 425 degree F for 15 minutes.
15.Then reduce the temperature to 350 degree F and bake for about 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Notes:

1.The filling is moderately sweet. If you like it sweeter please feel free to add more sugar.
2.If you do not have a food processor, use a hand blender to mix the pie crust dough.  You could use your hand too, but the warmth of your hand might make the butter melt.  If you need a really flaky crust, the butter should be in bits and pieces in the dough.

Contributor: Namitha
Recipe Courtesy: Various internet sites

Candied Apple Fritters

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  Howz it going for you guys?  I have been super lazy to cook.  I have also started another walking regime which makes me very reluctant to cook, fearing I will be overdoing the calories.  None of this works though.  I walk and then eat well too.  I use all this as just an excuse not to cook.  Anyways, here is a very tasty apply recipe for you which I made when my guard was down and I craved sugar.



  I have never had apple fritters before yesterday. Today,  I am in love.  To begin with I had some apples which were sure to rot if it sat any longer in the nice glass dish I had it displayed on the kitchen counter.  My friend J called me last week and told me she was making apple scallops.  I decided to try it myself but then got the idea of fritters and then candying it and decided candied sounds like fun. A lot of recipes online suggest we make the batter with eggs, however, since we make banana fritters without it I went along with out eggs.  It came out well, if I may say so myself. 




  Making it candied was not the easiest process but if you are serving it for dessert for a party the effort is worth your while. However, if you are trying to cut down on sugar stop with the fritters and enjoy them as they are.   


Ingredients:
Red Delicious Apples                   - 4 cut into chunks or thin if you like it nicely cooked
Corn Starch                                 - 1 Tbspn
All purpose flour                          - 1/2 cup
Water                                          - to make a loose batter to dip and fry the apples
Salt                                              - to taste
Oil                                               - for deep frying

Sugar Coating
Sugar                     - 1/2 cup
Water                    - 3 Tbspn

Method:
1. Slice apples, dust with corn starch and set aside
2. Dip in batter and deep fry to golden brown and drain on a kitchen towel (paper napkin)

Coating
1. Heat the water and add sugar a little at a time dissolving after each addition
2. Bring the syrup to a golden brown color
3. Dip in ice cold water holding the apples on a fork and let it be for a few seconds allowing the sugar to solidify
4. Drain water by holding it vertically on a paper towel and set on the serving dish
5. Follow this with all the apple pieces and then sprinkle with sesame seeds
6. The sugar will become hard quickly so work in small batches
7. If sugar syrup solidifies re heat on low flame stirring continuously. 

Contributor: Sunitha 

Boondi Ladoo/Bundi Laddu - Being Festive

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Hope you all are having a wonderful day,wherever you are. I thought it's not fair if we don't share the second sweet I prepared for Diwali, before the festival is over. So here is the boondi ladoo, my most favorite of all ladoos.We would love to say that again, Happy Diwali and we love you all !

I was in Middle School when I first had home-made Boondi ladoos.  My  Iyengar girl friend, (J), used to bring stuff like this to school all the time, and it was from here that I first had  ladoos.  Most of my class mates looked forward to being invited to her house for any celebration  because we knew there  would be all these delicious, juicy sweets to gobble up.  Other than ladoos, her mother could make Kerala Jilebi(Jangiri), pedas and a host of savory snacks.  My visit to her place was always memorable and quite productive.  I could eat all the home-made sweets I wanted,  and also borrow seedlings of "kanakambaram" for my garden.   Oh yes! Her mother was a great cook and an even better gardener.  I had the orange kanakambaram for a long, long time in my garden thanks to J!  My inspiration to make ladoos at home is J’s mom, but who would have imagined it would take X years to actually try it at home!

  When I was pregnant with my son, my second child, I craved ladoos to no end.  There was not a place I could buy good ones  where I stayed, and I decided to go all the way and fry it myself.  Being huge with a belly, it was not easy, but I persisted.  I know how this might sound foolish, and I don’t recommend pregnant women trying to fry and burn their belly  unless you can be careful and get it done.  I tell you what, when desire strikes no bump is a hurdle ;)

  Now for a couple of years, I have been making ladoos on and off. I am glad to present to you a fool proof recipe.   

Disclaimer: You don’t  have to be pregnant to try this for the first time ;)

May the festival of lights brings you all the happiness in the world !



These ladoos are so delicious and exactly like the store bought one, except for their shape ;-)



This for you all,with good wishes and love, from us !




Ingredients:

Besan/Gram flour- 1 1/2 cup
Rice flour- 1 Tbsp
Baking soda- a pinch
Oil- for deep frying

For the sugar syrup:

Sugar- 2 cups
Water- 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
Cloves, crushed- 6-7
Cashews and raisins- lightly fried in ghee(optional)- 2 Tbsp each

You need a boondi strainer/a strainer with holes for making the boondis

Method:

1.Make a medium thick batter with the flours, water and soda. The consistency should be lighter than of idli batter.If it is too watery you will get boondis with a tail. If it is too thick it will not come through the strainer.So adjust it if required after you try the first time, by adding the flour or water.
2.Heat oil in a deep frying pan.Keep the heat on medium and by holding the strainer over the oil, pour a ladle full of batter onto the strainer.Make circular motions with the bottom of the ladle, just like you do when you make a dosa.The flour will drop into the oil and get fried.
3.It doesn't take long for the boondi to get fried. Also you don't have to fry the boondis till they turn brown, as you do for making mixture and other snacks.As soon as you stop pouring the batter stir the boondis well, so that they don't cluster together and burn. (it's always nice to have an extra pair of hands at this time, but I did it all myself this time !)
4.Drain them on a paper towel. Also it's wise to use a big strainer to take them out from oil, since the boondis are small but large in number.
5.Make the sugar syrup by mixing the sugar and water in a thick bottom vessel and boiling it to one string consistency.This doesn't take long if you add only this much of water.
6.When it has reached one string cosistency, add the cloves and cardamom and also the cashews and raisins. Mix well.
7.Throw in the fried boondis into this syrup and mix everything well.
8.Let it cool for a while so that you can handle it without burning your hands.
9.Make balls out of this before it gets completely cool.
10.Let the ladoos cool completely before you store them.

Do you think that it's a lot of work? But believe me, it's all worth it :-)
Once again we wish you all a very Happy Diwali/Deepawali !!



Sending this to the event "The 30 best recipes of 2010" at Chacko's Kitchen.Thanks Susan and Abraham for hosting such a wonderful event !

Contributor: Namitha

Pista Burfi and Happy Deepawali !

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Happy Deepawali!!!!!!!!!  How are your Deepawali preparations going?   I am sure you all have filled your boxes of sweets and other goodies to share with friends and family.  In this joyful festival of lights, we join to wish you all a very happy and safe Deepawali.

  Growing up in Central Travancore, Kerala, I grew up without any firecrackers and lighting of lights as part of the festivities for Deepawali.  But you better believe sweets were always a part of our Deepawali, and I continue to keep that  tradition alive.    Every Deepawali I make some for my family. 

  My most favorite Deepawalis were celebrated while I was in Hyderabad - hours together with firecrackers, partying, sweets, the works!  If you are from that part of the world, I want to tell you a special thanks for giving such great memories.

Sunitha and I wish all our friends and readers a Deepawali full of fun !!



I didn't use any food colors,that's why the color is not great



But it tastes wonderful and my lil one finished at least half a dozen pieces while I was clicking away :-)



Ingredients:

Unsalted Pistachios, blanched - 1 cup
Sugar- 1/2 cup
water- 2-3 Tbsp
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
Ghee- 1 to 2 Tbsp

Method:

1.Blanch the pistachios by soaking them in hot water for about a minute and washing in cold water,slip out the skin.
2.Dry them on a paper towel. Grind to a fine paste, without adding any water.. (I like it to be a bit coarse)
3.Prepare a cookie sheet or a plate greased with ghee.
4.Heat the sugar in a wide, preferably non-stick pan after adding 2 Tbsp of water, just enough to wet the sugar.(The more the water the more time it will take !)
5.Let it boil and come to one string consistency.If you think that you have overdone, add a little more water and do it again.If you add this amount I've mentioned it won't take long after it starts boiling.
6.Add the ground pistachios and stir well.
7.Slowly add the ghee and stir in to incorporate.If you are using a non-stick pan you need to add only 1 Tbsp ghee.
8.When the mixture starts leaving the sides add the cardamom powder and mix well.
9.Switch off the heat and spread the mixture onto the greased plate or baking sheet.Use a greased spoon /rolling pin to even the surface.
10.Let it cool a bit and cut into desired shapes. Cool them completely before storing in an airtight container.

Happy Deepawali one again !!



Notes:

1.The amount of sugar is to our liking.(In fact I added a little less than 1/2 cup!)It was perfect for us.If you like your sweets to be extra sweet you might
want to add a little more sugar.
2.If you want to add green color, add it to the sugar syrup, before adding the pistachios.
3.If you have edible silver foil/varak spread it onto the top after you even the surface.

Contributor: Namitha

Cinnamon Rolls

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  Whirl wind romance with cinnamon rolls.  Pretty, sweet swirls with cinnamony goodness a delight in your mouth and to the eyes.  The aroma wafting while it bakes puts all candles from the store to shame.  



 I have to confess though that kneading the gooey dough for a good 30 minutes was no joke.  To begin with  I measured the quantity of dough all wrong.  I use a light flour 'White Lily.'  If you are not using bread flour and this one they remember to read the fine print.  It says, add 1 cup and 2 tbspn to equal 1 cup of all purpose flour.  Bah! not being careful with the measurement made me waste a lot of time.  It took my brains 30 of kneading the gooey dough before realizing the folly.  The very wet dough I was working with proved too much for my shoulders.   However, once I got the proportions all fixed it worked like a charm.



  Like in all relationships misunderstanding once worked out everything falls in place.  The cinnamon rolls out of the oven was perfect.  I was tearing at it in delight as soon as it was cool.  They are great as an evening snack with tea or breakfast with a strong cup of Nescafe.



Ingredients:
1. Bread Flour (or all purpose flour which is bleached and enriched) - 2 1/2 - 3 cups
2. Sugar      - 1/4 cup
3. Salt         - 1/4 tspn
4. Vanilla Essence - 1 tspn
5. Eggs - 1

6. Milk   - 1/2 cup
7. Butter 1/4 cup
8. Yeast - 2 tspn dry active
9. Water - 2 Tbspn (warm at 110 DF)
10. Sugar - 1 pinch

Method:

1.  Take ingredients 8, 9 and 10  and mix and set aside till yeast froths
2. Mix ingredients 1 to 3 in a bowl large enough to knead the dough. (Use only 2 1/4 cup to begin with and as needed add the remaining flour)
3. Mix all the wet ingredients 4 to 7
4. Make a well in the flour and pour the wet ingredients
5. Add the frothy yeast
6. Start stirring in with a spatula slowly incorporating the wet and dry ingredients
7.The dough will be sticky but will come together to make a smooth dough with kneading
8. After 10 minutes of kneading in the bowl lightly flour a surface and working a little flour in if gooey knead the dough until you have a smooth dough
9. Place in the bowl cover with damp cloth or cling sheet and set aside for the dough to double in size

Cinnamon Filling
Brown Sugar - 1/4 cup packed
Cinnamon Powder - 1 1/2 tspn
Butter                    - 3 Tbspn melted

Rolling:
1. Once the dough has doubled (it takes about 1 1/2 to 2 hours) punch down the dough and roll it out into a rectangle shape.
2. Brush the melted butter on and add the mixed sugar and cinnamon powder evenly
3. Roll and pinch the top
4. Using serated knife cut 1 inch pieces and place in a 9 inch or any tin dish
5. Keep it covered to rise and the rolls should stick to each other
6. Bake at 350 D F for 15 -20 minutes or until golden brown

Entering this for Champa's Bake off Event. To find more click here.

Contributor: Sunitha

Pista Kulfi/ Pistachios icecream

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  Ha! Now Kulfi needs no introduction does it?  Some things evoke the child in you and kulfi definitely does that for me.  I had my first kulfi on an excursion outside Kerala and then on quite hooked. I love most Indian desserts like kalakand and burfi etc but this one has a special place.  It conquers all, takes the icing on the cake really, because its frozen.  Like most people I love ice cream and so does my children.  This is an ideal way to taste an Indian dessert and fall in love.  Hopefully, you agree. I am rambling.

  A fun of another sort I am having these days is listening to my son.  Entertainer.  His father was absolutely in splits listening to him say 'Buhmb' for Urumb (meaning: 'ants').  I adore this phase of my son.  As rowdy as he is, when he makes up these words and says it with carefree, abandon, cool as if  he is right!  Confidence.  Love it now but maybe not if he was a teenager. Worries for another time.

 Today, let's enjoy the small wonders the day brings and lick up some mouthwatering, lip smacking, rollicking goodness of kulfi. Oh.. what fun and such beautiful memories this dessert evokes.  Don't you agree?

  If you have not heard of this dessert: it's similar to ice cream except not whipped to a fluffy consistency.  Milk is cooked down and frozen to make a dense ice cream.  Pisatchio's,  I think are the most common flavoring agent but you can make many variations.  Let that imagination run wild!   I have done mine today with pistachios.

Forgot to ask: Hope you are doing well and had a jolly weekend.

Now, shall we go on and have some 'njummy, ammi kulfi' like my son would say...okay!




Ingredients:

Milk- 4 cups/1 liter
Condensed milk- 1/3 cup
Sugar- to taste
Pistachios- 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp

Method:

1.In a wide and (preferably) non sticky pan boil the milk till it reduces to one third of its quantity.
2.Do keep stirring in between and scrape down the sides. It took me about 20 minutes for get this done.
3.Meanwhile grind/grate pistachios coarsely.
4.Once the milk is reduced to one third, add the ground pistachios and condensed milk and cook for 2-3 minutes.Keep stirring.Add the sugar too if you are adding any.
5.Switch off the heat and add the cardamom powder and mix well.
6.Let it cool for some time and pour into kulfi mold/pop mold and set in the freezer for at least 4 hours.If you are pouring into a big bowl ,then let it sit longer to set.
7.Serve after garnishing with pistachios slivers.



Notes:

1.Be easy on adding sugar since you are adding condensed milk.
2.This recipe gives ~6 servings.

Paal Payasam/Rice Kheer to say "Happy B'day Sunitha" !

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Dear Sunitha,

I wish for you to have people to love, people in your life who will care about you as much as I do. Happy birthday dear !



Dear Readers,

I wanted to make something special for Sunitha to wish her on her birthday and to let her know how special she is to me .So here is her favorite payasam and I would love to share this virtual treat with her and also with you all. I hope you all will join me in wishing her a very happy Birthday.

Everyone in my family likes pal payasam and I'm sure you will also love it. I am giving you the easiest and simple pressure cooker method and the original method.Believe me, both tastes the same. But it is all up to you, whether to follow the contemporary or authentic approach:-)

Ingredients:

Red Rice (unakkalari) - 1/2 Cup
Milk (whole milk)- 5 Cups
Sugar- 1 Cup
Ghee (optional)- 2 tsp

Method:
In pressure cooker:

1.Clean the rice by rubbing it on a cloth.If you are a cleanliness freak, wash the rice (quickly, don't soak it even for a minute!) and dry it completely before making payasam.
2.Throw in everything together in a cooker and let it boil, without the weight on.
3.When the steam starts coming keep the weight on and reduce the heat to medium low/simmer.
4.Let it sit on this heat for about 40 minutes.(no single whistle during this time)
5.Switch off the heat and let it sit for at least 2 hours before opening and transferring the payasam to serving dish.The more you keep the more pink color you will get.



On Stove Top:

1.Clean the rice as I have explained above.
2.Heat the ghee in a thick bottom pan and trow in the rice to saute for 4-5 minutes on medium heat.
3.Add 3 cups of milk and 1 cup of water and let it boil.
4.Once the milk starts boiling reduce the heat and let the rice cook well, but not mushy.This takes about 30-40 minutes depending on the variety of rice you use.
5.When the water is almost absorbed, add the sugar and keep stirring till you get a clear path behind the spatula you use to stir.This takes about 15 minutes on medium low heat.The more the time the more tastier it will get .(Then you should keep it on medium low heat )
6.Pour the remaining milk slowly after keeping the heat on medium high and let it boil after each addition.
7..If you want to have more watery consistency then you may add more milk.



Notes:

1. The authentic recipe doesn't call for any cardamom, cashews or raisins.But feel free to use it.
2.You could replace the red rice with Basmati/Sona Masoori/Long Grain rice varieties.But you will not get the dark pink color.
3.After preparing the payasam gets thicker once it cools down. You could adjust the consistency at any time by adding boiled milk into the payasam.

Carrot Halwa

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I thought I will start with a sweet note to say hi to all of you. God, how much I missed you all and your yummy delights. India was wonderful with rains and lots of food.Still we are unpacking and settling back to normalcy.Kids are sick and we may not be able to upload everyday for some more days. Sunitha is shifting to a new place this weekend and she needs some time to settle in. I wish her all the very best in the new place and hope she will find out some new friends soon.



Ingredients;

Grated carrot- 2 1/2 cup
Milk- 2 Cups
Sugar- 1/3 cup or to your taste
Ghee/Clarified butter- 1/4 cup
Cardamom- 1/2 tsp
Nuts- for garnishing



Method:

1.Boil the milk in a pot till it gets reduced to 1/3rd of its quantity.Stir in between while doing this.
2.Heat a non sticky pan and add the ghee, throw in the grated carrot into this and saute for a few minutes on low heat.Keep stirring for a few minutes, until the carrot is cooked. This takes around 7-8 minutes.
3.Pour the evaporated milk over this and cook ,keeping the lid on for a few minutes.
4.Add the sugar and mix well.Continue to cook for some more minutes, or until tall the water content is evaporated.
5.Sprinkle the cardamom powder and mix well.
6.Take this in a serving plate and garnish with slivered almonds or any nuts and raisins.



We are happy to send this to Nivedita's event "celebrate sweets- Halwa "
Thanks for hosting such a cool event Nivedita :-)

Contributor: Namitha

Microwave Peda

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I have tried this at several occasions especially when I have surprise visitors.  It is quick and easy to make and super delicious.  Who will not love a dessert that can be made in 10 minutes.  I got the idea for this recipe from the internet a long while back.  I would like to give the credit to the blog which I have misplaced now but as soon as I have it will update this page with the link.



Ingredients:

Sweetened condensed milk- 1 can
Ghee- 1 Tbsp
Yogurt- 3 Tbsp

Method:

1.Mix all the ingredients in a microwave safe bowl .
2.Keep this in the microwave oven at high for 2-3 minutes and mix well.
3.Put the bowl back and repeat this mixing every 2-3 minutes until the peda is done.
4.This will take 10-12 minutes depending on the efficiency of your oven.
5.Let it cool for a while and roll out the peda, or make desired shapes.



Contributor: Namitha

Ari Payasam/Rice kheer with Brown Sugar

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I have never made ari payasam before.  Last week during one of my conversation with Nami about sadya  the topic of payasam came about,  You know what a lot of talk about food can do.  Craving.  Yes, big time.   She had not posted her delicious payasam at that time so I had her on the phone and insisted she help me through the process.  She did and it came out quite well.  I am definitely happy to have been part of the whole Vishu deal this year.  I used brown sugar instead of jaggery hence the different color.  However, the taste was quite close.  Either ways,  if you feel like having some payasam and don't have all the traditional ingredients please feel free to try this recipe. 

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice -1/2 cup
Brown Sugar-1/3 cup/to your liking
Jeera(cumin) powder- 1/8 tsp
Cardamom powder- 2
Coconut Milk(canned)- 3/4 + 1/4 cup
Ghee (Clarified Butter)- 1 1/2 Tbsp

Method:

1.It's the same like we have explained here, except that you need to cook only rice for this recipe.
2.Once the rice is cooked add the ghee and the brown sugar and stir continuously till you get the one thread consistency. I found that brown sugar takes less time compared to jaggery.
3.Then add the diluted coconut milk (add 3/4 cup and 1 1/2 cup water to get this) while keeping on high heat and stirring and let the mixture boil well.
4.Switch off the heat and add the coconut milk with spice powders mixed and mix well.
5.Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and garnish.

Contributor: Sunitha

Biscuit pudding ?

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   I am not sure what to call today's recipe.  A recipe I am revisiting after almost 8 years ! I got the basic recipe from the cocoa powder packet when I was still newly married. I made it often then and friends and family equally liked it.  Recently, I had a craving for some and made it for you and me.  I hope you will enjoy it as much as I do.  Also, let me know if you can think of any other name for this pudding and leave your suggestion in the comments.  I will update the name with the most innovative and apt suggestion.



Ingredients:

Marie biscuits- 25
Milk- 1 cup
corn starch- 2 tsp
cocoa powder- 2 tbsp
sugar- 2-3 tbsp




Method:

1.In 2-3 tbsp of milk, mix the cocoa powder and corn flour without any lumps and keep aside.
2.Boil the remaining milk in a pan.
3.Add the sugar and stir to mix in well.
4.Add the cocoa corn starch mixture to this while stirring and continue stirring the entire mixture till it starts thickening.
5.When you see that it has thickened enough switch off the heat. (it shoul be little more thicker than dosa batter at this point)
6.Place one biscuit in a plate and pout a tbsp of mixture on top.
7.Place the next biscuit on top and continue for 5-6 more biscuits. Finally pour on the sides to fill any gaps.
8.Make 3 more piles like this.
9.Let it come to the room temperature and keep in a refrigerator for 1-2 hrs.
10.Serve chilled, after slicing the block.




Contributor: Namitha

Rice &Greengram Payasam

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Hello there! We hope you all had a blessed Vishu.  It was kind of you to leave your good wishes and as always I enjoyed reading them all.  Today I am sharing the recipe for payasam (a dessert) which is served in Sadyas.  I was confused and undecided about which payasam to make this Vishu.  If I ask for suggestions to my husband and kids I will have as many different requests.  You will agree in this scenario it's best to make something everyone enjoys, as well as memorable of some great Vishus celebrated with family back home (India).

  When it comes to payasam my father is the guru.  He is a master at it and makes various kinds.  Recently, for a family function all the men decided to get together and under his guidance make payasam, for a party of around 400.  I mean, my dad is no Chef.  His profession was with the education board and at this age to take up a challenge like this?  I am sure my mom was anxious and fretted till the whole thing was over but from the reviews I have heard it was a success.   When I talk about payasam and discuss recipe with my dad and sister they are all information about how to go about it.  I am not as good as my dad but the recipe you can believe is coming from the right hands.  Tried and tested a million times you will not be disappointed. Enjoy a sweet treat and wish you have a pleasant weekend.



Ingredients:

Rice (preferably Red)- 2/3 cup
Moongdaal/cherupayar parippu (dry roasted)- 1/3 cup
Coconut Milk(canned)- 1 cup+ 1/4 cup (see the notes if you are using fresh coconut milk)
Jaggery (melted)- 2cups/to your taste
Ghee- 2 Tbsp+ 1Tbsp
Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp
Cumin Powder- 1/2 tsp
Ginger Powder- 1 tsp
Raisins- 1tbsp
Cashews(raw)- 2 Tbsp
Coconut slices(preferably copra)- 2 Tbsp




Method:

1.Dry roast the moong daal till it turns slight golden brown and let it cool by spreading on a paper.
2.Wash and drain the rice and keep aside.
3.In a thick bottom pan cook the roasted daal after adding 3-4 cups water.Once it starts boiling, reduce the heat and allow to cook till it is half done. This took me about 11 minutes.The time varies depending on how much you have roasted it.
4.Now add the rice and boil again .Reduce the heat and let it cook completely.
5.The trick is to get both the daal and rice done at the end, without overcooking any.
6.This took me around 16-17 minutes.Stir carefully in between. If you think water is less add a little more and boil before reducing the heat.
7.The water should be a little bit on the higher side, compared to cooking rice for fried rice or for lunch.
8.Meanwhile keep the coconut milk ready.If you are using canned one, take 1 cup and add 2 cups of water in it and mix well.
9.In the remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk add the spice powders and mix well, so that there won't be any lumps.
10.Once the daal and rice is cooked add 2Tbsp of ghee and melted jaggery into it and stir well.
11.Once it starts boiling the mixture will start splattering, so be careful, and don't forget to reduce the heat while stirring continuously.
12.You have to continue stirring till it gets one thread consistency.
13.At this point slowly add the coconut milk water mixture and continue stirring. Now you could keep the heat at maximum.
14.One it boils well, say 3-4 minutes switch off the heat.
15.Add the coconut milk-spice mixture ad mix well.
16.Heat 1 Tbsp ghee in a frying pan and fry cashews, raisins and coconut slices, one by one, till they turn golden brown and garnish the payasam.



Notes:

If you are using fresh coconut milk, first you have to add the 3rd pressed milk followed by 2nd milk.Use the first pressed milk (without any water)for mixing the spice powders.

Contributor: Namitha

Toffee Bar

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  Oh the fun I had today.  It's been a while since I baked or made anything sweet.  This morning I knew it was time.  Couldn't make up my mind if it will be chocolate cake my usual or something different/ new.  The sensible side kept saying with gravity, chocolate cake.  I whip it up quite often and both my husband and I love it.  Not too sugary, very rich with chocolate, soft and crumbly I knew it was my best bet.   However, this irksome other side of mine which wins over the better of me with its usual emphatic clamour and relentless pushing persuaded me to bake TOFFEE.  This recipe is from J who assumes I am good at cooking and mostly avoids details when she shares her recipe with me.  She will jot down the recipe on a smart checkered top recipe card and in a matter of fact way put down the ingredients and say bake it.  It's great!  She is always right and I do know her ways cos we have baked together.  But not on a groggy morning when my mind is counting the dogwood flowers that are in bloom.
                            
  I still wanted to bake and it's not easy to explain to you why I am like what I was this morning.  I got the mix together and dumbed all the dough in a baking pan and roughly spread them out.  Now Toffee's are easy peezy.  To my utter chagrin when I popped the oven half way through baking I thought meringue pie was baking.  Yeah! My short bread dough looked bumpy.  (Meringue is an exaggeration so don't worry)  I scratched my head like 'Supandi' and waited for the bulb to light.  No luck.  I am running out of time.  I pulled out the dough half way through baking and patiently patted down the dough.  Evened out.  Phew! Only if I did that first time around.  Disclaimer: Never try patting down dough half way through cooking chances are you might burn yourself with the edge of the pan.
  Long story short I was reminded again do baking when you have the time and you are thinking clearly not in a hurry.  Or you should have a friend like J or M or Namitha who will listen patiently and help you think clearly when you call them.  Even though they are themselves juggling 101 things in the morning.  Did I tell you about the taste.  Butter scotchy.  My favorite flavor.  Yes!   When I envision butter and caramalized sugar or brown sugar blending together.. hmmm ecstasy! 

Ingredients:
Butter/Oleo - 1 Cup
Brown Sugar - 1 Cup
Egg yolk - 1
Vanilla - 1 tspn
Flour - 2 Cup
Salt - 1/4 tspn

Method:
1. Cream butter/oleo
2. Add all the other ingredients and mix one at a time to make a dough
3. Spread the dough evenly in a baking tray (9 inch square pan)
4. Bake at 350 F for 20 min
5. Spread chocolate chip on top once short bread is baked and keep it in the oven again to melt it.  At this time oven can be off because chocolate will melt with the warmth it already has

Contributor: Sunitha

Mango Pannacotta & Happy Easter !!

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Panna cotta is one of the easiest yet elegant desserts from Italy. A friend introduced this delightful dessert while I visited her and I have been hooked thereon. Let's call it a case of 'love at first taste.'  I have improvised the dish to make it my own.  A blend of milk cream and mangoes the taste cannot go wrong.   I assure you, you'll love it and so your guests who will go ga! ga!



Ingredients:

Mango Puree- 1/2 cup
Heavy cream- 1 cup
Sugar- 1/2 cup/ to your liking
Milk/half n half- 1 cup
Unflavored Gelatin- 1 packet
Water- 4Tbsp
Pure vanilla extract- 1 tsp
Pistachios/Walnuts- for garnishing



Method:

1.Divide the puree equally among 4-5 serving glasses and freeze it.Take the water in a bowl and sprinkle gelatin over it and let it bloom.
2.Meanwhile mix the heavy cream ,milk and sugar in a pan and heat it while stirring.
3.you must heat it till all the sugar is dissolved and switch off the heat when it is about to boil.
4.Mix the vanilla extract and mix well.
5.Now add and mix the gelatin until it is completely dissolved.
6.Let the mixture come down to room temperature and pour it over the frozen mango.
7.Allow to set it in a refrigerator for 2-3 hours and serve after sprinkling pistachios on top.

Notes:

1.I used store bought mango pulp for making this.
2.Vegans could replace gelatin with cornstarch.You may have to use 1 to 1 1/2 tsp for the above quantity.But you will have to set the pannacotta in the serving dishes, since it will not retain the shape if you demould it.

Easter eggs

  Easter Sunday is around the corner and we decided to have some fun at home.   It was absolute fun.  My little imp enjoyed it so much he was rolling with laughter every time he beat his sister to find an egg.  He found 3 eggs. Guess what he did when he found the first one! He ate it! I encouraged him to go find more but he did not budge until he had one down in his stomach.  His sister and I had a good laugh but nothing deterred him.  But as soon as he had a fill of one egg he was out and about looking for more.  Hope you have a good time too over the extended weekend.



Happy Easter Everyone !!

Contributor: Namitha

Badam burfi/Almond candy

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What do you do, when your toddler outsmarts you by spitting out the almond in the choco-almond, after licking up all the chocolate ? I made burfi.  Almond is ground to a paste, this way he cannot spit it out and get the protein he needs.  Mamma outwitted her baby.

So, here is a simple and healthy (when taken in moderation !) dessert for you to enjoy. Many of you might know how to make it.  This is just a reminder for you and for those who haven't tried yet, believe me you'll love this.



Ingredients:

Almonds (blanched)- 1 1/2 cup
Sugar- 1/2 cup or to your liking
Milk-enough to grind the almonds (lesser the better)I used 1/3 cup
Cardamom-a pinch
Ghee (clarified butter)- 2 Tbsp

Method:

1.Blanch and skin the almonds.Grease a tray with ghee.
2.Grind it in your blender or mixer-grinder, adding milk, until it becomes a paste.It's up to you whether it should be a nice butter-like paste or a bit coarse paste. But do not make it too coarse.
3.Heat ghee in a wide pan.
4.Mix the paste with the sugar and cardamom and add to the ghee.
5.Continuously stir the mixture until it starts leaving the sides and becomes thick.
6.Transfer it to the greased tray and level the top with the bottom of a spoon or a glass.Garnish with Almond slivers and allow to cool for 4-5 minutes.
7.Cut into the desired shape while it's still warm.
8.Allow to cool the burfi completely and store in an airtight container.
9.This stays good for a week in the room temperature and longer in the fridge.




Blanching Almonds:

I have already written this in my Almond- Chocolate chip biscotti post here.

Notes:
1.If you prefer to soak the almonds in advance and peel off the skin, then do it at least 5-6 hrs in advance in hot water.
2.Adding cardamom is optional, my family likes it without cardamom or saffron.

Contributor: Namitha

Bread Halwa

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  If you have been following our blog you know how we are influenced by Hyderabadi cuisine. Hyderabad has an interesting cuisine, I should say, located in a South Indian state with North Indian food culture.

Well, it was not my intention to load you with trivia but it is to share a sweet dish. A dear colleague of mine introduced me to today's dish on one of our trips to Charminar, the most famous architectural interest of this city.  Bread halwa is served in weddings and parties and agreeably nawabi (kingly).  When I heard the sweet is made from bread it took me by surprise.  It never occurred to me while gorging it down that it could be a product of bread!  



Ingredients:

Bread slices- 9-10
Ghee (clarified butter)- 4-5 Tbsp
Sugar- 1/3 cup/ to your liking
Milk- 1 Cup
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
Slivered almonds- to garnish


Method:

1.Chop the bread slices coarsely. You could leave the brown sides or take out.I left it on the bread and that's what you see as the dark spots. Also I used whole wheat bread.
2.Heat 3 tbsp of ghee in a thick bottom pan and throw in the bread pieces and fry for 4-5 minutes or until they start turning golden brown color.
3.Add the milk and sugar and stir continuously till all the water is absorbed.
4.Add the remaining ghee and the cardamom powder and stir for another couple of minutes.
5.Spoon into a serving dish and garnish with slivered almonds and serve warm.
6.Usually this is served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream in Hyderabad



Contributor: Namitha