Crab Masala

Ingredients (Serves 5 - 6):

Crab                        --   1 kg
Onion                      --   1 large
Shallots                 --   6-8
Ginger                    --   a big piece / 2 inch piece
Garlic                     --   10 cloves    
Green chilly         --   3 - 4
Chilly powder     --   1 tsp +  ½ tsp
Chilly powder     --   1 tsp +  ½ tsp
Pepper powder  --   ½ tsp +  ½ tsp
Garam Masala   --   1 tsp
Turmeric powder --    ½ tsp
Curry leaves       --   a handful
Oil                            --   2 tbsp + 1 tbsp
Salt                          --   to Taste
Mustard seeds    --   1 tsp
Red chillies           --   2

Preparation:

Clean and cut the crab.

Cook crab with turmeric powder, ½ tsp chilly powder,  ½ tsp coriander powder,  ½ tsp pepper powder and a little salt until done. As any shell fish, the water that comes out of crab will be salty, so take care while adding salt.

Chop the onions,shallots, ginger and garlic into small pieces. Alternately you can crush them in a chopper. Slit the green chillies.

   

Heat oil in a pan, I prefer coconut oil and add all the chopped ingredients into it. Add the curry leaves. Saute until the onions are light brown in colour. Add the remaining masalas and saute until the raw smell goes off.

Now add the crab along with the water if any is left. Mix well and simmer until the masala is well blend and the gravy is thick enough, if you had more water. If you don't have water left in the cooked crab, you can also add  half a cup of water so that the masala and the crab is well blend.

Heat oil in another pan. Splutter the mustard seeds and cut red chillies and more curry leaves if you like them. Pour it over the crab masala.

Serve hot with rice or any breads.

Recipe Courtesy: Amma 

Coconut Burfi

Ingredients (Yields - an 8x8 inch dish, approximately 16 pieces)

Shredded coconut --   1 cup (preferably only white part)
Sugar                          --   1 cup
Milk                             --   ¼ cup
Cardamom               --   2 - 3 powdered
Ghee                            --   as required to grease the dish.

Preparation:

Prepare a heat proof dish greased with ghee.

Add sugar and grated coconut in a heavy bottomed pan and keep it on the stove. Once the sugar starts to melt, add milk.

On a medium flame and stir continuously. Add cardamom powder when it is half done.

  

Stir till it thickens and bubbles at the edges of the pan. This is very important to notice this. If it is not done upto this stage, the burfi will be too soft.

Optionally you can add few drops of desired colour or essence at this stage.

Quickly transfer it to the prepared dish (might need some help at this stage) and let it cool. Before it is completely hard, cut it into desired shapes.

Let it cool completely.Delicious burfi is ready.

 Recipe Courtesy: Amma 

Bread Upma

Just a variety for the breakfast when I am bored of the usual Bread and Omlette.

Ingredients (Serves – 2) :

Onions                   --   ½ of a medium size
Tomato                 --   ½ of a medium size
Green Chillies     --   1 or 2
Pepper Powder --   1 tsp
Eggs                       --   2
Bread                     --   4 - 5 slices
Mustard seeds   --   for tadka
Oil                           --   1 tbsp
Salt                        --   as required

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan. Throw in the mustard seeds and let it splutter.
Add the finely chopped onions and slit green chillies. Add the chopped tomatoes. Saute until the onions and tomatoes are slightly mushy.

 

Lower the flame to minimum. Break the eggs and pour it directly into the mix. Add salt and pepper. Before the eggs are completely cooked, add the bread slices, chopped into smaller pieces. I chop a normal size slice into 9 usually.
Mix well and let the eggs cook completely. Serve hot.

Recipe Courtesy: Myself  

Dates Almond Cake

The easiest cake, I have ever made. Whenever I need to bake a cake in a jiffy, this is my option. Its damn good without any fillings or topping.

It was our anniversary and I did not have much time to invest, but wanted a cake made out of my kitchen. That's when I chose the base to be my easiest cake and tried out some fillings with some chocolate on the sides for my choco-holic hubby :)

Ingredients for the cake:

Seedless Dates      --   18 nos
Milk                           --   ¾ cup
Oil                              --   ½ cup, I ve tried with both olive oil and canola oil
Egg                            --   1, optional
All purpose flour --   1 cup
Sugar                        --   ¾ cup
Baking soda           --   1 tsp
Cashews / Sliced Almonds or any nuts -- a handful

Filling:

Heavy cream        --   1 cup
Powdered Sugar --   ¼ cup
Sliced almonds    --   ¼ cup
Vanilla Essence   --   1 tsp

Ganache:

Heavy cream        --   1 cup / 8 oz
Semi sweet chocolate --   12 oz

Preparation of the cake:

Soak the dates in milk overnight. Or you can soak the dates in boiling milk for half an hour or until the milk is cool enough.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and flour a 8 inch square pan. I have tried it in my round and heart pans as well.

In a mixer, grind the dates in milk, adding egg and sugar until you get a smooth mixture.

Sieve the flour and baking soda and keep aside.

In a mixing bowl, mix the ground ingredients and oil until oil blends well into the mixture. I used a whisk and it was an easy job.

Mix in the flour in multiple batches until they are well combined with no lumps.

Add in the chopped nuts and mix it.

Pour it into the prepared pan and bake for 40 - 45 min, depending upon your oven, until a skewer comes out clean when pricked into the cake.

Let it cool to room temperature, before you assemble or freeze.

   

Filling:

Chill the mixing bowl and the whisk in the freezer for about 20 - 25 min. Add the cream and sugar and beat until soft peaks using your mixer. Add in the vanilla essence and mix it in using the whisk with you hand. 2 - 3 rounds should be enough for stiff peaks. Make sure you do not over beat your cream, it turns into butter.

Ganache:

Pour the cream and chopped chocolate into a heat proof bowl. Boil water in a wide pan. Simmer it and place the bowl over the water, until the cream just starts to boil. Take care that water does not come into your bowl.

Easy method is to microwave the cream and chocolate for few seconds (I do it for 40 seconds), until the cream just starts to boil.

Remove from heat and using a thick spoon, mix it well until well combined. Leave it at room temperature and it should harden to a required consistency for piping. If at all, it doesn't, leave it in the refrigerator and take care that you mix it every 10 mins until you get the required consistency.

Even during piping, if your hands are hot, the chocolate melts and it might distract your designs. Leave it in the refrigerator for few mins and continue.

Assembly:

Cut the cake horizontally into two (or more according to your wish). Lightly brush the inner section of both the halves with sugar syrup ( 2 -3 tbsp of sugar mixed in 1/4 cup of warm water).

Prepare you cake board and keep the first half on it. Spread 1/3 rd. of the whipped cream. Sprinkle some sliced almonds if you would like to. Sandwich it with the other half.

   

Spread the remaining cream on the top and also do a crumb coat on the sides.

Pipe your designs on the sides or decorate as per your ideas. I did a basket weave with the ganache.

   

I like to serve it a day later so that the cream gets into the cake and makes it more soft and moist.

 

Base cake recipe courtesy: Aayi’s Recipes

Pazham Porichathu (Banana Fritters)

Ingredients:

Ripe Banana/Plantains (Nenthra pazham)   --   2
All purpose flour/Wheat flour                             --    1 cup (I like wheat flour)
Sugar                                                                              --   2 - 3 tbsp, adjust according to your taste

Preparation of pazham pori:

Mix together the flour,sugar and water and make sure there are no lumps. Make a thick batter, in the consistency of idly batter/condensed milk.

You can adjust the sugar according to your taste. Also check the sweetness of the banana.

Slice the bananas vertically into thin pieces. I cut the banana into 3 horizontal pieces as well to fit it in my frying pan.

     

Heat oil in a deep pan. Dip the sliced banana in the batter and fry both sides until golden brown.

Drain oil in a paper towel and serve hot with tea.

Recipe Courtesy: Myself  

Pav Bhaji

Ingredients(Serves 4 -5):

Potatoes                     --   2 medium / 2 cups chopped
Cauliflower               --   ½ of a medium sized / 2 cups chopped
Frozen Green Peas --   1 cup
Carrots                        --   2 medium sized / ½ cup
Lauki/Squash           --  ½ of a medium one, chopped(optional)
Bell Pepper                --   1, chopped(optional)
Green Beans              --   a bunch, chopped(optional)
Brinjal                          --   2 medium, chopped (optional)
Turmeric                     --   ¼ tsp
Water                           --   2 cups
Butter                           --   2 tbsp + additional for pav
Cumin Seeds              --   ½ tsp
Asofoetida                 --   pinch
Onion                           --   1 medium
Garlic                           --   2 - 3 cloves
Ginger                          --   1 inch piece
Tomato                        --   2 medium
Red Chilly Powder  --   ¼ tsp
Pav Bhaji Masala    --   3 tsp
Coriander Powder  --   1 tsp
Lemon Juice              --   ½ tsp
Coriander leaves     --   5 - 6 springs
Salt                                --   to taste
Pav/Buns                    --   10 - 12

Preparation :

In a pressure cooker, add potatoes, cauliflower, green peas, carrots,squash, brinjal(and any other vegetable you'd like to), salt, turmeric powder and water. Pressure cook for 1 whistle and remove from the stove and let the pressure get released completely.

     

Heat butter in a non-stick pan. Add cumin seeds and allow it to sputter. Add asofoetida. Add onions, garlic and ginger. Saute well until the onions are translucent and oil starts to separate.Add tomatoes and cook until they are squishy and oils separates again.

Add red chilly powder, coriander powder and pav bhaji masala and mix well. Saute for a min.Add the cooked vegetables and mash slightly. Add lemon juice and do a quick salt test. Let it boil. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Toast the buns with butter on both sides, until each side is lightly brown. Serve with chopped onions, butter, coraiander leaves and a dash of lemon juice.

Recipe Courtesy: Partially from the recipe on MTR Pav Bhaji Masala packet.  

Sweet Corn Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

Chicken Stock/Vegetable Stock/Water  --   6 cups
Boneless Skinless chicken breast               --   250gm, finely chopped
Sweet corn kernels                                          --   half of a medium sized corn
Corn flour                                                            --   2 tbsp
Salt                                                                         --   to taste
White pepper powder                                    --   ½ tsp
Egg                                                                         --   1

Preparation of the soup:

In a deep vessel, combine the stock,corn kernels,salt and pepper powder. Let it boil.Add the finely chopped chicken pieces and let it cook well. Stir well so that the chicken pieces are broken into small pieces.

Make a paste with the corn flour and ½ a cup of water. Add this into the boiling soup and let it boil for a minute. Meanwhile beat the egg well. Simmer the flame and slowly add the egg in a thin stream. Keep stirring in one direction.

Serve hot.

Optional: Garnish with finely chopped spring onions. Serve with a dash of vinegar and soya sauce.

Recipe Courtesy: Partially from Pachakam.com