Caramel Custard Pudding

Ingredients:
          Milk                           --   4 cups
         Eggs                            --   6
         Sugar                           --   ¾ - 1 cup (As to taste)
         Sugar to Caramelize    --   4 tbsp
        Vanilla Essence             --   ½ tsp
OR
            Milk                         --   2 cups
         Egg                             --   2
         Condensed Milk         --   1 tin
         Sugar to Caramelize   --   4 tbsp
        Vanilla Essence            --   ½ tsp
Serves  8 – 10 people.
Preparation of caramel custard pudding:
Beat the eggs well until it is smooth. Heat milk with ¾ cup sugar and let it cool. Mix the egg and vanilla essence to the milk mixture.
If using condensed milk, thoroughly mix the condensed milk with eggs and add them to boiled and cooled milk.
Either way make sure that the milk is completely cool, else the eggs will get scrambled.

Mix the left over sugar with water and heat in a pan until it turns brown. Pour the caramel in the dessert tray or ramekins and let it cool. Pour the pudding mix on to the caramel.
   
Double boil the mixture on low flame for 20 min, if you have a pressure cooker or a double boiler. This is how my mom does it. Here since I do not have a double boiler or a perfect to dish to use my pressure cooker for double boiling, I do it in the oven.
Prepare a hot water bath. i.e. pour boiling water into a large oven safe tray. Let it be 1/3 ^rd full. Place the ramekins/dessert tray in the water bath. Bake it for 30 – 40 min @ 350 F or until a skewer comes out clean.

Let it cool to room temperature. Cover it with a foil/plastic wrap and refrigerate until they are chill.
Use a knife to separate the pudding from the sides of the tray and turn it upside down into your serving dish.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
                     All purpose flour       --    1 ¼ cup
                     Peanut Butter             --    ½ cup
                     Butter                             --    ½ cup, room temperature
                     Brown sugar               --    ½ cup
                     Sugar                             --    ½ cup
                     Baking soda                --    ¾ tsp
                    Baking powder           --    ½ tsp
                    Egg                                   --    1
                   Vanilla extract            --    1 tsp
                    Salt                                  --    ½ tsp

Preparation of Cookies:

Sift together the all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a separate bowl combine peanut butter, brown sugar, sugar and butter. Mix them  together until fluffy.

   

Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and beat until everything is mixed well. Refrigerate it for 2-3 hrs.

    

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the baking tray with foil paper/ parchment paper.

Now roll the dough into small balls and arrange them on the baking sheet 2-3 inches apart. Flatten the balls with a fork or make any pattern your wish.

    

Bake for 9 - 11 mts. Let it cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 mts and then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an air tight container and enjoy…

Something Spicy for Valentines Day !!!!!!!! - Fish Cutlets

I got a set of heart shaped cookie cutters and had plans to prepare something sweet.. cookies/cakes..  And finally ended up in cutlets   JJJ

Wish you all a Happy Valentines Day !!!!!!!

Ingredients:

                Canned Tuna/any fish      --   2 cans (0.5 kg)
                Potato                                      --   2 medium size
                Onions                                      --   2 medium size
                Green chilies                          --   4-6
                Garlic                                        --   2 cloves
                Ginger                                      --   1/2 inch piece
                Black pepper                         --   2 tsp
                Garam masala                     --   1 tsp
                Coriander leaves                --   1 stalk
                Egg white                              --   1
                Bread crumbs                      --   1 cup
                Oil                                             --   as required to fry
                Salt                                           --   to taste

Yields :– 15 – 17 cutlets.

Preparation of the cutlet:

If you are using canned fish, open the can, drain the liquid and keep it aside. If using fresh fish, cook the fish with salt and a pinch of turmeric and pepper. Remove the skin and bones, flake the flesh and keep aside.

Peel the potatoes and pressure cook them for about 3 –4 whistles and let it cool. Finely chop the onions, garlic,ginger and green chillies into small pieces.  Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and add the chopped items. Saute until the onions are translucent.Add salt and garam masala and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the fish and fry for another 5 – 8 minutes. Switch off the flame and add pepper and mix well.

Mash the potatoes well, with no lumps and add to the fish mixture. Also add the chopped coriander leaves. Mix well. Check  for  salt & pepper and adjust according to your taste.

Beat the egg white and keep aside. Also have the bread crumbs in a plate.

Make lemon size balls out of the fish mixture and make it into desired shape.  Dip this in the egg white mix and then coat it with bread crumbs. 

 

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Fry the cutlets in medium hot oil.

Serve hot with a cup of tea.

Tip: If the mix is watery (this depends on the type and water content in the onions and mashed potatoes), you can add in required amount of bread crumbs into it until you get it in the required consistency. If it is not of the right consistency, it might get shredded in the oil.

Fish Biriyani

 

Ingredients:

Marinade:

Fish                                  --   ½ kg
Turmeric powder      --   ½ tsp
Chilly powder             --   1½ tsp
Biriyani masala         --   1 tsp
Oil                                    --   to fry
Lemon juice                --   1 tsp
Salt                                  --   to taste

      For the Gravy:

      Yogurt                         --    1 cup
      Biriyani masala       --    2 tsp
      Mint leaves                --    a bunch
     Coriander leaves      --   a bunch
     Dhill leaves                 --   2-3 stalks
     Ginger Garlic paste --   2 tsp 
     Green chillies             --   3 -4 depending upon the 
     Lemon juice                --  ½ a medium lemon
     Fried onions               --   1 onion

  For the Rice:

      Basmati Rice              --    2 cups
      Whole spices             --    2 cardamoms, 2 cloves, 1inch piece of cinnamon, 2 bay leaves,few whole pepper corns
      Ghee/Oil                      --    3 tsp
      Salt                                --   to taste
   

Preparation of Fish Biriyani:

Mix the ingredients in the marinade and marinate the fish. Keep it for 15 – 20 minutes.  Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes.

Chop the onion into thin slices. Heat a heavy bottomed pan, add oil and fry the onions until golden brown.  Drain the oil and keep the onions aside.

   

 

Add more oil and fry the fish. Be careful not to break the fish as it would be very tender. Once done, switch off the flame, drain the fish from oil and keep it aside.

Into the same pan with the left over oil of fried fish, add all the ingredients, except half of the fried onions, for the gravy.

   

Boil 3 – 4 cups of water. When boiled, add the drained rice and condiments. Cook until it is 80% cooked. Drain the excess water. While draining, preserve half a cup of rice water. Add this into the gravy and bring to a full boil.

   

Pour half of the gravy on to the fried fish and ‘kind of ‘ soak it in the gravy. Let the rest of the gravy remain in the pan itself and let it be on a low flame. Add the hot rice into the pan on top of the gravy. Spread it evenly. Spread the fried onions kept aside on top of the rice. Arrange the fish pieces with the gravy on top of the rice. Close the pan with a tight lid and let it cook on very low for 8 – 10 minutes.

   

Carefully remove the fish into a separate dish. Mix the rice with the gravy & serve hot.

Mutta Marichathu (Egg-Plantain cake)

This is an easy and delicious dish from the Malabar area, North of Kerala. I’ve had this from my friends’ and neighbor's place, usually during the Ramadan days.

This is a very easy one to prepare, especially when you have unexpected guests.  A good combination with evening tea….

Kids will love this and this special cake with high protein is an easy one for the parents too.

 

Ingredients:

       Ripe plantains          --   2 medium
       Extra large eggs      --   6 large
       Sugar                            --  12 tbsp
       Cardamom                 --  4-5 crushed
       Ghee                              --  1 tbsp
       Cashew nuts             --   10-12 crushed

Preparation:

Cut the plantain lengthwise into four pieces. Slice the pieces into medium thin slices.

Heat a saucepan,add ghee and plantains and saute on medium heat until the plantains get cooked and turn slightly golden in colour. Keep aside. Fry the broken cashews and keep aside.

   

Meanwhile in another dish, break eggs, add sugar and cardamom powder to it and beat lightly for a couple of minutes.

     

Add the cooked plantains and fried cashews in the egg and sugar mixture and stir well until uniformly distributed. Pour it back to the same pan.

Cover and Cook it over very low flame until the top part is set.It should take 10-20 minutes depending on the saucepan used.

Carefully transfer this to a plate and cut into small squares and serve with tea.

Swing Sets

Spring is approaching and the market is full of great swing sets for your little ones to eventually play on. CSN Stores has a great website where you can find all the best backyard gear from a variety of well known manufacturers. If you have shopped with them before on one of their other sites, then you know what a great experience it is to buy from one of their many stores. I have placed many orders and have always been satisfied with their service and wide selection of products. So take a peek and see the swing set there !!!

 

Chocolate Profiteroles

Hello friends….. Happy New Year to All… Wish you all a great year ahead !!!!!!!!!!!    I know I am late.. But better late than never…  right ??  JJJ    So how are your new year resolutions going on?  One of my resolutions is to peek into my friend’s blogs, and of course mine too, atleast once in a fortnight. Hope I can keep it for the whole of 2011 and later too.

Ingredients:

              All purpose flour            --   ¾ cup
              Salt                                       --   ¼ tsp
              Grated nutmeg                --   a pinch
              Unsalted butter               --   6 tbsp
              Eggs                                      --   3
             Semi sweet chocolates  --   ½ cup
            Vanilla ice cream             --   4 cups

 

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Grease and prepare a baking sheet.

Sift together the flour , salt and nutmeg. In a medium sauce pan, add the butter and ¾ cup water and bring to boil.

Remove from the heat and add the dry ingredients. Mix well with a wooden spoon for about a minute , until well blended and the mixture starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Now keep the pan over low heat and cook the mixture for about a couple of  minutes stirring constantly.

    

Remove from the heat. Add the eggs, one at a time to the flour mixture, beating well, until the dough is smooth and shiny.

 

Pipe the dough onto a baking sheet. You can also drop the dough onto the baking sheet, using a tablespoon.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the pastry is well risen and browned .Turn off the oven and the let the puffs cool with the oven door open.

Split the Profiteroles in half and put a small scoop of ice cream in each. Serve with melted chocolate.