APPLE RABDI (Evaporated milk with apple Pudding)

Apple Rabdi

Ingredients:
Full Fat Milk - 1.5 litres
Cardamom - 7 pieces
Saffron - 2 pinch
Apple - 2.5 medium
Sugar - 3/4 cup

Preparation:
Heat milk in a saucepan and wait till it boils. Add cardamom and saffron. Then simmer and keep stirring in between till the milk is reduced to half or less than the quantity. Keep scraping the sides of the pan as cream/malai sticks to it. It took me almost 1 hour and 15 mins to reach to the thickness desired.

Meanwhile, grate the apple with a grater. I would suggest doing this while the milk is boiling or when you are ready to make apple sugar mix as apple tends to darken if grated earlier. In another non-stick pan, add in the sugar and grated apple and cook till the sides of the pan starts leaving and you literally get a big ball form.

Add this apple mixture to the reduced milk and cook for 5 mins more. Once cooled, pour to small mud glasses or to any glass. Garnish with pista slices, saffron. It tastes best when chilled :)

Cheers,
Neetz ;)

PANEER BHURJI (Scrambled Paneer)

Paneer Bhurji

Ingredients:

Paneer grated/crumbled - 400 gms
Onions - 2 medium chopped finely
Ginger -Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Green Chilli - 4 nos slit
Tomatoes - 1 big
Thawed frozen Green Peas - 1/4 cup
Carrot - 1/2 of a medium chopped finally
Capsicum - 1/4 of a medium chopped finely
Coriander leaves - a handful chopped
Coriander Powder - 1.5 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - .5 tsp
Garam masala - .5 tsp
Jeera - 2 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt

Preparation:
Heat Oil in a pan. Once hot add in jeera. Once it splutters add in the onions and saute till light pink. Then add in the ginger garlic paste  and saute till onions turn light brown in color. Add in the carrots and tomatoes and saute till tomatoes are cooked. Then add in capsicum and peas and saute for about 5 mins. Add in the masalas and saute for another 5-8 mins on slow - medium flame. Finally add in the grated paneer and mix thoroughly with ladle. Add in salt and cook on low flame for 7 mins. Add in the coriander leaves and add in slice of lemon as garnish. You can enjoy this Hot phulkas :)

Cheers,
Neetz ;)

 

BIRDS EYE CHILLI PICKLE/VELLA KANTHARI ACHAR

VELLA KANTHAARI ACHAR

This recipe was adapted from my mother in law when she came to Dubai for the first time with us. I must say that she is a very good cook especially with Achars and Namkeens :).

Ingredients:
Birds Eye Chilli/Kanthari Mullakku - 145 pieces ( I forgot to see the weight so ended up counting them)
Small Lemons - 6 nos
Garlic - 1 full head ( I had around 11 cloves)
Ginger - approx. length of your palm
Turmeric Powder - <1 p="" tsp="">Kayam/Asoefetida - 2 big pinch
Fenugreek Seeds - 1.25 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp
Sesame Oil - 200-250 ml
Vinegar - 5 tbsp.
Warm Water - 1/4 cup
Salt


Preparation:

Steam the lemons in a steamer till they are soft. Dry them and slice them in four and again into half. If you cut a lemon by this method, you will get 8 pieces.

Wash the chillis and dry them properly. Slit them through the middle keeping the head of the chilli intact. This is to make the spiciness seep through the oil liquids.

Wash, dry and slice in strips, the garlic and ginger.

Heat oil in a kadai/cheenachatti. Once hot, add in the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add in the fenugreek seeds and kaayam. As soon as seeds change slightly in color add in the sliced ginger garlic and saute till they wilted slightly. Then add in the slit chillis and turmeric powder and saute in oil for about 5-7 mins. You can see that chillis gets bigger in size (more like swelling). Add in the sliced lemons and saute further for 5 mins. Switch off flame and add salt, vinegar, water. Once cooled store in a tight container and can be used after a week. Enjoy with kanji, rice or even rotis :)

Cheers,
Neetz ;)

Notes:
There is basically not much right or wrong about this pickle. You can add in the ingredient quantities according to your wish if you have made achars before. Beginners, you will get there for sure :)
 

UNNIYAPPAM

Its been ages since I have blogged. After the arrival of the newborn it was tough for me to find time to take pix and post it here. Now that kids are able to handle themselves a bit, I started getting time trying to cook. This recipe a traditional Kerala snack, took no time while I was thinking it takes a ton of your time and energy :D. Yes, I did distribute to my friends and I did get a very good positive feedback. Even from my kids and family :). So here goes...

Ingredients:
Rice Flour - 2 cups
Chukku Podi - 3/4 tsp
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
Banana (Palayamkudam)* - 4 nos (I hope the spelling is right)
Jaggery - 200 gmsWater - 1 cup
Sesame Seeds - 3 tsp
Coconut pieces(thenga kothu) - 3 tbsp
Jeerakam/Jeera - 2 tsp
Ghee - 1/2 tbsp
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Oil + Ghee - for frying

Preparation:
Take 1 cup water in a pan and add jiggery to it. Keep it on flame for the jaggery to melt.
Meanwhile, grind the banana in a grinder till thick paste. Transfer the grinded banana to a big bowl. To this add in the chukku and cardamom powder. Then add in the rice flour. Now sieve the melted jaggery to the rice flour - banana mix. mix with a ladle while pouring in the melted jaggery slowly in batches. While I made, jaggery liquid was not enough to form the batter. So I added extra milk till I got the batter in the form idli batter. .

(That's my little one reaching for one :D )

In a shallow pan, add in ghee, and fry the coconut pieces, sesame and jeera. Pour this over the mixed batter. Now add the baking soda and cover and let it stay to ferment about 1-2 hours. (I did for 2 hours)

In a 'unniappam chatti', add in ghee in the holes provided. You can even use oil. I mixed ghee with oil. Once the oil is hot add tbsp of batter to each holes. Keep rotating the appams when one side is done. Take out when done to a plate with tissue to drain the excess oil out.

Enjoy while its warm. You will be saying hmmmmmmmm.... ;)

Cheers,
Neetz ;)

NOTES:
In case the small banana (palayakudam) is not available, you can substitute with 2 large robust bananas.

Frying in ghee is purely optional.
 

BIRIYANI CHAMMANTHI (Grated coconut with coriander and mint leaves)

Biriyani Chammanthi

Ingredients:
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 4 - 5 tbsp
Mint Leaves - 2 tbsp
Ginger - a small piece
Green Chilli - 2-3
Yogurt - 2 tbsp
Salt

Preparation:
In a grinder except yogurt grind rest of the ingredients. Then add in the yogurt and grind to a smooth thick paste. If you want in a thick liquid form you can add more curd or else round it to a ball form.
Best side dish for biriyanis.

Cheers,
Neetz ;)

NO BAKE CHEESECAKE!!! X'MAS SPECIAL

No Bake Cheeeeeeessssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeee Cakeeeee!!!

 
Ingredients:
 
For the Base :
Marie Biscuits - 15 nos
Butter - 40 grams
 
 
For the Middle part:
Whipping Cream - 1 sachet of dream whip (total of 500 ml of whipped cream)
Sugar - 1/4 cup powdered
Cream Cheese - 300 ml (any brand will do)
Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp
Mango Puree / mango pieces - see notes
 
For the Top part:
Mango - 3 big
Gelatin - 1 tbsp

Preparation:
 
Powder the biscuits using chopper. Then add in the butter and again run the chopper in three pulses. Transfer equally to the glasses you plan to serve as base layer. Press lightly with spoon and place the glasses in the fridge to set.
 
Meawhile peel and chop mangoes roughly. Puree them in a grinder.
 
In a bowl beat the whipping cream tiff. Add in vanilla essence and sugar. Beat cream cheese in a seperate bowl till soft and fluffy. Add to the whipped cream and mix properly. Add in half of the mango puree to the mix and stir till all is mixed well.
 
Take the glasses out of the fridge. Now on the top of the biscuit layer, layer the cream based mixture on top (almost 3/4 of the glass) and keep it fridge to set for atleast 2-3 hours.

 
After 3 hours, prepare the gelatin as per instructions written (Boil required amount of water and add gelatin to it). Once the gelatin had cooled a bit, add rest of half  of the mango puree to the prepared gelatin. Pour over top of the set cream part filling all the glasses till top (every glass will have 1/4th of this mango part). Keep again fridge to set for about 4 hours. It would be best if kept overnight. Garnish with chocolate shavings, pista or almonds. (refer pics for layering)
 
Except for the setting time, this dessert is very delicious and easy to make. I can bet you will be a star in front of guests ;)
 
Cheers,
Neetz ;)
 
Notes:
The amount ingredients mostly depends on the amount of serving glass and its quantity. So adjust accordingly.
Add required amount of powdered sugar to the gelatin mix if mango is not sweet.
China grass can also be used in place of gelatin.
For the cream base, instead of mango puree you can even add roughly chopped mango pieces.

(The mix of ingredients i have found in many of my fellow bloggers and otherwise. So I really cant pin point the recpe from so and so :) )

Cherupayar Koombu Thoran (Lentil with banana flower)

Cherupayar Koombu Thoran

Ingredients:

Green moong dal - 100 gms
Banana Flower - 150 - 200 gms
Shallots - 7 nos
Green chilli - 2
Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 spring
Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation:
Remove out few leaves of the flower from the outer part. Then chop the rest of the flower finely( I used a chopper). Rub 1 tbsp coconut oil into the chopped flower and keep aside for atleast 20 mins.

Soak moong dal overnight and wash and boil the dal till done.

Grind roughly shallots, coconut, green chilli and turmeric powder.

Now in a pan, add rest of the coconut oil and once hot add in the mustard seeds. Once seeds splutter, add in the curry leaves. Then add in the chopped banana flower and saute till its done. Then add in the boiled moong dal and cocnut mixture with salt and mix nicely. Cover and cook over low flame for about 10 mins. Check for salt, if needed add more.

Easy and fast isnt it :) ? Very high in protein and goes excellent with rice.

Cheers,
Neetz ;)