Rava Idly/ sooji Idly/ Semolina Idly

Rava/Semolina: 2 Cups

Yoghurt: 1 cup

Water:3/4 cup

Carrot Grated: 4 tbsp

Coriander Leaves: 1 tbsp

Baking Powder: 1 tsp

Salt: to taste

Hing/Asafoetida: a pinch

To Temper: Mustard: 1 tsp

Curry leaves: a sprig torn

Ginger: 1/2 inch chopped fine

Green Chillies: 2 chopped fine

Cashew halves: 10 +10

Oil: and Ghee: 1 tsp each

Dry Roast the rava on medium flame and keep aside

Mix the rava with the curd and water and keep aside. Add water little by little. the consistency should be right.

Take 10 cashew halves and fry in a thsp of ghee and keep aside.

Take the other 10 halves and chop finely.

Heat oil in the same pan, splutter mustard, curry leaves, green chillies, chopped cashews and ginger.

Add the hing and take off fire.

Mix this in the batter.

Add the carrot grated and coriander leaves.

Add required salt. make sure the batter has our regular idly batter consistency, if not add a little more water to get that consistency.

Grease the idly mould and place the ghee fried cashew on it (1 per mould)

mix in the baking soda in the batter and Pour the batter on top of the cashew in the mould.

Steam for 10 -15 minutes on medium flame.

Let it cool.

Run a knife and invert these idlies onto a plate.

Serve warm with coconut chutney.

Recipe got from here. Thanks Julie... :)

Peppermint Fudge for After Eight Fans....:)

For the Love of Chocolates and peppermints..... 

Dark Chocolate: 500 grams

Condensed Milk: 1 tin

Peppermint crushed: 10

Line a square/rectangle pan with aluminium foil.

Grease with butter.

Combine the dark chocolate and condensed milk in a bowl and keep it over a pan of simmering water. make sure the bowl doesnt touch the water boiling in the pan.

Heat until melted stirring.

Pour it into the foiled pan and smooth the surface.

Sprinkle crushed peppermint on top (I used my small jar of the mixie to crush the peppermints)

Refrigerate till set.

Cut into desired shapes.

Recipe Courtesy: The Pioneer Woman

King Fish Grilled with Indian Masala and Carrot Salad.

The taste of the fish masala brings back lot of happy memories of my childhood, of summer vacations at my moms place. Fresh catch of the day marinated in this delicious masala for an hour and fried in coconut oil. Well, over the years, I had forgotten this taste and then it was my cousin, Nischchechy who gave me the recipe a few days back. Wow, I made it and all I can say is....WOW!!!! 

Fish Masala

King Fish: 1/2 kg sliced

Kashmiri Chilly Powder: 3 tsp

Pepper Powder: 1/4 tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Fenugreek: a pinch

Pearl Onion/Shallots: 20

Garlic: 8

Ginger: 2 inch

Vinegar: 2 tsp

Salt: to taste

Curry leaves: a few.

Grind these in a mixie and apply it on the fish and keep aside for half an hour.

Take a grill pan, Add a tbsp coconut oil.

Place one fish and cook on medium flame, both sides.

Serve warm with salad.

Carrot Salad

Carrot: 1 grated

Onion: 1 medium sliced thin

Green Chilly: 1 sliced

Mint Leaves: 4

Salt and Pepper: to taste

Lime Juice: of half a lime

Mix the carrot, onion, green chilly and mint leaves with lime juice, salt and pepper.

Prawns Pan Grilled.

Prawns: 200 grams.

Oil: a tbsp

For Marination:

Kashmiri Chilly Powder: 1 level tbsp

Sweet Chilli sauce; 1 tsp

Soya Sauce: 1 tsp

Ginger Garlic paste: 2 tsp

Salt as needed

Turmeric Powder: a pinch

Vinegar: 2 tsp

Marinate the prawns with these ingredients and keep aside for an hour.

Heat your grill pan with a tbsp oil.

Thread the prawns on the skewer.

Place it on the grill pan. the flame should be low.

Once cooked, turn over and cook the other side too.

Serve Warm with sliced onions and lime as an appetizer.

Vanpayar Ularthu

Vanpayar/  Red Cow Peas - 200 grams

Coconut grated; 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp

Salt and Oil: as needed

Curry leaves: a sprig

Mustard: a tsp

To pulse:

Pearl Onion/ Shallots: 12

Garlic: 8 cloves

Dried red Chilly: 4

Pulse these ingredients for 2 to 5 seconds in your mixie. keep aside

Pressure cook the vanpayar  with turmeric powder and salt till done. 5 whistles on high.

In a kadai/wok, heat oil and splutter the curryleaves.

Add the pulsed ingredients and saute till raw smell is gone. Now add the grated coconut and give a toss.

add the cooked vanpayar and let it get sauteed and the masalas get mixed thoroughly.

Serve warm with rice.

Figs in Honey Sauce (Dessert)

Figs: 10

Butter: 2 tbsp

Honey: 2 tbsp

Rum: 2 tbsp

Cinnamom Powder: a pinch.

Wash the figs properly. Pat dry.

Cut them in half lengthwise.

In a pan, heat butter and honey and place the figs, cut side down.

Keep on low flame, shake the pan from time to time and keep spooning the sauce on top of the figs.

When the sauce bubbles and almost dried up and the figs softened and browned, add in the rum and the cinnamon powder.

let it boil again.

Remove the figs from pan and place it on the serving dish, cut side up.

Pour the remaining sauce over the figs and serve with icecream.

Mughalai Chicken (beaten egg in chicken gravy)

Chicken: 500 grams

To Marinate:
Curd: half cup whisked
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp

To grind first and then add to the marinade:

Ginger: half inch
Garlic: 6 cloves
Dried redchillies: 6
Pepper powder: 1 tsp
Onions: 2 medium sauteed to a golden brown.

Grind this in a mixie and take half of it and apply it on the chicken pieces long with curd and turmeric powder and required salt.

Keep the other half for the sauce.


Tempering to add to the marinated Chicken
Oil: 1 tbsp
Cinnamon: 1 stick small
Cloves: 3
Star Anise: 1
Cardamom: 2

Heat oil and saute the whole garam masala in it and pour it over the marinated chicken.


For the sauce:
The marinade you have kept aside.
Egg: 2 beaten with salt.
Coriander Leaves: a handful

Heat 1 tbsp oil and saute the rest of the ground paste till oil separates.
Add the marinated chicken and saute on low flame for a few minutes.
Now add a cup of water and cook in a pressure cooker on high flame for 3 whistles.
After sometime open the lid and boil the gravy again and add the beaten egg to it and take off fire.
Mix in the coriander leaves.
Goes well with any Indian bread.

Recipe courtesy: Pachakam.com

Kathrikka Kolambu/ Brinjal Curry

Brinjal: 6 small
Onion: 1 large diced
Garlic: 6 cloves minced
Mustard: 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves; 1 sprig
Dried red Chilly: 1
Coriander Powder: 2 tsbp
Kashmiri Chilly Powder: 3/4 tbsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Jeera Powder: 1/4 tsp
Oil: 4 tbsp
Tamarind: half a lime sized soaked in water.
Jaggerry/ Sugar: 2 tsp



Make 2 vertical cut on the brinjal leaving the stem intact.
Heat 4 tbsp oil and fry the brinjal till it is half done.
Keep it aside.
In the same oil, splutter mustard curry leaves and dried red chilly.
Saute the onions and garlic till brown.
Add all the masala powders and saute till oil separates.
Add the brinjal and tamarind water and add one more cup of water and let it cok on medium flame.
When it is almost done, add the jaggerry or sugar.
wait for a minute more and then take off stove.
Serve with Rice.

Beef Kababs (Oven Baked), Mushrooms & Peppers Grilled on stove top, Steamed Broccoli &Cauliflower in White Sauce

Beef Kebabs:

Beef: 1 kg

Onion: 2 large

Ginger: 1 inch

Garlic: 6 cloves

Green Chillies: 2  (more if u like more spicy)

Chilly Powder: 1 tbsp

Corinader Powder: 2 tbsp

Garam Masala: 1 tsp

Salt: as needed

Pepper: 1 tsp

In a food processor mince all this together.

Whisk 2 eggs and mix with this.

Make patties, (any shape- oval, round, or even you can shape it onto skewers)

Preheat oven 220C

place these patties on a baking sheet lined with aluminium foiled and lightly greased.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Turn over half way through.

Serve with vegetables grilled and vegetables steamed and mixed with white sauce.

For the grilled veggies
Veggies of your choice: Capsicum, paneer, mushroom, onion, tomato.
Mix all this with readymade kebab masala (o yes, i use ready to buy kebab masala) curd, ginger garlic paste.
arrange on a skewer (mushroom followed by peppers, onions, paneer, tomato--- your choice)
Heat your stove top grill with a tbsp of olive oil.

Place the skewers and grill on low heat.
Turn over once and cook through.


Broccoli and Cauliflower: 1 each
Clean well and steam it for a few minutes till done.

White sauce:
Butter: 1 tbsp
Milk: 2 cups
Maida/All Purpose Flour: 2 tbsp
Pepper and salt: 1 tsp each

Heat the butter in a saucepan and saute the flour making sure it doesnt burn
Add a little milk and whisk so that no lumps are formed.
Add rest of the milk, pepper and salt.
Boil till it thickens and bubbles up.

Place the steamed veggies on a platter.
Pour the white sauce over it and serve warm.

Chicken Teriyaki (Oven Baked)

Chicken: 1 kg breast and leg pieces

For the marinade:

soya sauce: 1/4 cup

corn flour: 1 tbsp

Vinegar: 1/4 cup

Brown sugar: 1/2 cup

Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp

Pepper: 1 tsp

Water: 1 tbsp

Mix everything together and simmer till it is thick and bubbles form.

Let it cool and then marinate the chicken with this sauce.

Refrigerate for a few hours.

Preheat oven 220C

Grease a baking dish and place the marinated chicken and bake at 220C for an hour.

Every 15 minutes, take the dish out, apply the marinade with a brush, turn the chicken over and keep back.

once done, serve warm with any breadof your choice.

Got the recipe HERE

Halloween Chicken... :) from Maya's Kitchen

This recipe is coming from my friend, Mayas kitchen. She wishes all my readers a happy Halloween and with that her Halloween recipe for children.

Chicken: 1/2 kg boneless bite sized.

Oil: 3 tbsp

Mustard: 1 tsp

Curry leaves: a handful

Minced garlic: 1 tbsp

Kashmiri Chilly Powder: 3/4 tbsp

Jeera Powder: 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder: 1 tbsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Salt: as needed

Heat oil. Splutter mustard and curry leaves.

To this add the minced garlic and saute for a minute.

Add the chilly powder, coriander powder, jeera powder and turmeric powder and mix everything properly.

Add the chicken to it and saute well so that chicken is well coated.

Sprinkle a little water and keep the lid and cook on low flame.

keep stirring in between.

Once done, serve warm as an appetizer or with rice.

Garlic roasted chicken.

Chicken breasts and legs: 8

For Marination:

Garlic Paste: 2 tbsp

Chilly Powder: 1 tbsp

Oregano spice mix: 1 tbsp

Cumin Powder: 1 tsp

Salt: as needed

Chicken Cube (Maggi) : 2

Boil this in a cup of water and keep aside.

Marinate the chicken pieces with those ingredients.

Preheat oven 200C

Place the marinated chicken in an oven proof dish.

Pour the chicken stock in to the dish.

Bake at 200C for 30 minutes or till done.

Raise the temp to 220C and bake again for another 5 minutes.

Serve warm with Bread and baked french fries.

Avoli Pollichathu/ Pomfret pollichathu

Pomfret; 3

Chilly Powder: 1 tbsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Salt as needed.

Marinate pomfret with these ingredients and lightly fry in oil and keep aside.

Take 3 banana leaf, wash and dry it and move it over an open flame for a few seconds. keep aside.

 Mustard: 1 tsp
Onion: 2 diced
Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp
Tomato: 1 large diced
Chilly Powder: 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder: 1 tsp
Salt: as needed
Pepper: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: a few sprigs.
Thick Coconut milk: 1/4 cup
Oil: 1 tbsp


 In a kadai, heat oil and splutter mustard.
 Add onions and ginger garlic paste and let it brown along the edges.
 Now add the tomatoes and all the spices and saute for a few minutes on low flame.
Now add the thick coconut milk and cook till the water dries up.
on one banana leaf, spread the masala, on top of it, place the fried fish. Again on top, spread the masala.
Now tie up the banana leaf like in the pic below.

In a pan, add a few tbsp oil and place the banana leaf parcel on it.
Keep a lid and let it cook over low flame.
After sometime, turn over the parcel and again keep the lid and cook for sometime.

once done, open the parcel and serve with salad and bread.

Kerala Pancakes

For the Pan cake:

Maida: 2 cups

Egg: 1

Milk: 3/4 cup

Sugar: 1 tbsp

Salt: as needed

Water: to make a thin batter

For the filling:

Coconut: 2 cups

Sugar: 1/4 cup

Cardamom: 1/2 tsp

Form a thin batter with all the ingredients under pancake.

Heat a tawa and pour the batter, spread it...cook both sides.

Mix all the ingredients under the filling and place it on the pancake like in the picture below.

Roll it

Serve warm.

Dal Makhani (tastiest ever!!!)

This is the tastiest Dal Makhani Ive ever had.... I had to post it...... 

Ingredients 

Black urad dal-120 grams

Rajma- 50 grams 

Chana dal-20 grams

 

 

 Soak these for atleast 6 hours or overnight.

Dump it in a pressure cooker and cook for 20 minutes on low flame after the first whistle (till the first whistle it should be high flame).

This is how it will look after the pressure cooking of Dals.

First tempering:

Heat oil in a pan and saute onions till light brown and then add ginger and garlic and saute till brown.

After that add chilli powder

And the tomatoes.

And saute till oil separates and you get a paste consistency. You can add water to facilitate the process.

Pour this over the cooked dal.and pressure cook again for 15 minutes.

Second tempering-

Heat oil and splutter cumin and add garlic to it. When brown, add it to the cooked daland then add a pinch of asafoetida and a tbsp of kasoori methi. Check for salt and add as needed.

Lastly add 75 grams fresh cream and 50 grams butter to it. 

This recipe is from my sister in law, sophys kitchen.  This is the recipe.