Kerala style Vellayappam

Ingredients :

 
 Raw rice  :2 cups
 Grated fresh coconut :1 1/2 cups
 Fresh  milk :1/2 cup (warm)
 Instant yeast  : 3/4 tsp  
 Sugar : 1 Tbsp
 Salt - to taste
 Cooked Rice :2 Tbsp
 Perum jeerakam (Fennel seeds) -1Tsp(optional)

Preparation : 

Soak raw rice for at least 3 hours. Put the drained rice along with sufficient water into the blender. While grinding, Take out 3 tbsp of coarse rice batter and pour it in a sauce pan along with a little water for kappi kachal process.Keep the pan on a stove and stir it continuously in low flame. Stir till it get thickens, and allow it to cool before adding to the rice batter. To the remaining batter add in grated coconut, cooked rice, sugar, and salt and grind to a smooth batter adding enough water.In the mean time, Mix  sugar and yeast  with fresh warm milk in a glass and keep aside for 10 minutes or until a froth appears on the surface well risen. Pour the same  into the prepared batter in a vessel, sprinkle fennel seeds (1or 2 crushed elaichi  can also be used for a particular aroma) too and  keep it for 3-4 hours or until the batter ferment and rise up.Once the batter is fermented, mix with a ladle and if the batter is very thick you can adjust with water.Place appa chatti over medium heat, and lightly grease it with a clean white cloth dipped in sesame oil. (this step will definitely bring in a different flavor to the appam)  Pour the batter with a ladle and immediately turn and tilt the pan in circle so that the batter spreads in perfect circle.Cover and let it cook for 2 min. Covering with a lid will help the center part to get cooked.

serve hot appams with curry :) 

With the same batter you can  make cute small appams too using unniappam chatti (Aappakkaara),

Kids will like it. During the process you will learn and reflect the meaning of patience too.

Pongala Payasam പൊങ്കാല പായസം

Recipe courtesy :  internet.
pongala payasam is the offering made to Devi.
Pongala is a Hindu religious festival. The name 'Pongala' means 'to boil over' and refers to the ritualistic offering of porridge made of rice, sweet brown molasses, coconuts, nuts and raisins. Generally women devotees participate in this ritual.
please check the link for the details:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pongala 

 
Ingredients :

White rice ( pachari) - 1cup
Melted Jaggery syrup (concentrated)- 1 1/2 cup
Scraped coconut - 1Cup     
Cashew nuts and Raisins - A handful each
Cardamom powder - 5 ( or as needed )
chukku (dry ginger) powder, Jeera powder -to taste
Small banana(Rasakadali or palayamkodan) sliced (optional)
Ghee - 2 tablespoon


Preparation :

Wash pachari (raw rice)and cook in 6 cup water. Please add 1 tsp ghee to the boiling water.
While cooking keep stirring.
Wait for rice to be cooked ( slightly over cook). Once rice is cooked and begin to dry, add the melted jaggery syrup. Keep stirring well and mixing when you pour the jaggery. Add grated coconut too and mix well. Add in cardomom powder, chukku and jeeraka powder and mix well. Fry cashew nuts and raisins in ghee and pour it over the payasam. Wait till the pongala becomes thick . please note that it will again thicken  before serving, so it is OK if it is not completely dry when you take it off the stove. Garnish it with sliced bananas (purely optional)

This payasam has a unique taste and easy to cook :) prepare the payasam with the devotion and dedication to Amma  and stay blessed :)

Easy snack

Super easy snack from my friend Radha's kitchen.

If you have unexpected guest at home, this instant snack will save you.




Ingredients Needed :

Dosa batter    - 2cup (small)
Besan flour    - 1or2 tablespoon
green chilly    - 2 chopped
Ginger           - small piece (optional)
Curry Leaves
Asafoetida    - a pinch

Preparation :

Please add in besan flour to the left over dosa batter till you get the desired consistency (neither thick nor thin, in between). add in green chilly curry leaves and asafoetida too.

Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry it until golden brown.
Remove it from the oil and drain excess oil on a paper towel.

serve hot with a cup of evening tea :)

Note: if you want the snack in perfect shape please use appa karal. I used normal kadai only. 

Special Fish Masala

My friend Minnu had sent this recipe to me long ago. Then I was too lazy to experiment on this since this was not a traditional fish curry recipe with kudampuli. but when i saw the video later, I was so impressed with her son's presentation and decided to make it a try in my kitchen. it turned out well. everyone in my family enjoyed the taste. Thank u Minnu for sharing this wonderful recipe! Kudos to Kunju too for his wonderful presentation !!

Recipe courtesy :Minnu & Kunju
Link for the video:
http://youtu.be/sLU3CumVM20

 
Ingredients Needed :

Fish    3/4 kg (I used King fish)

Onion  3 Nos
Tomatoes  2 Nos.
Garlic  8 pods
Green Chilly  2No.s
Curry Leaves 2-3 sprigs
Ginger 1" small piece
Pepper 1 tspoon
Mastard  1 tspoon
Chilly powder 1 tspoon
Turmeric powder 1 tspoon 
Corriander powder 1 tspoon
Fenugreek powder  1 tspoon
Salt   to taste

Make onion small pieces and put in to the mixer jar. Put Garlic ,tomato, green chilly and whole pepper along with the onions. Grind the ingredients to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a manchatti and add mustard seeds.Let it splutter, add curry leaves, switch off the flame at this stage and then add chilly powder , coriander powder , turmeric powder and fenugreek powder. Mix well. Saute it and add the paste. (Switch on the flame) Add salt to the gravy.saute well and add fish pieces (please add water to attain the desired consistency) bring it to boil and cover and cook for 10 mnts over a medium heat. Remove from fire and serve hot with rice /pathiri/ chapathi /kappa :)

HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake

Recipe Courtesy : Hersheys

Ingredients Needed

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Preparation

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 

PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

 

Since this is an easy n tasty recipe, everyone should try it :) Happy Baking !
Please find the link for the recipe https://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipe-details.aspx?id=184&name=HERSHEY%27S-PERFECTLY-CHOCOLATE-Chocolate-Cake

Puli Inji

Ingredients Needed                                                   

 
Ginger(Chopped and crushed) 200 gm
Tamarind   lemon size 
Green Chillies  2-3
Chilli powder  1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder  1/4 tsp
Asafoetida powder (kayam) a pinch
Fenugreek powder ( uluva podi) a pinch
Salt  to taste.
Jaggery syrup 1-2 Tbsp or depending on your taste

Oil 

Mustard  1 tsp
Dry Red Chillies  4
Curry leaves  a few

Preparation 
 

Peel and cut the ginger into round pieces. Deep fry it till brown and drain on a kitchen towel.  Remaining oil can be used for seasoning.

Let the fried ginger be allowed to cool and crush it  in a mixer grinder. 

Dissolve tamarind pulp in 2cups of  warm water and strain it after 20 Minuits to get the extract free of impurities .

Heat the kadai again. In the remaining oil add mustard seeds. When it splutter, add curry leaves , red dry chilly and chopped green chillies. Then add chilli powder and turmeric and salt ,mix well for 1-2 seconds.

Add crushed ginger and tamarind water to it and bring to boil. Simmer till the gravy thickens and sprinkle asafoetida and fenugreek powder before removing from fire.

Old Fashioned Pound Cake

 

Recipe Courtesy :Archana Doshi
Please follow the below link for the detailed recipe ! Happy Baking :)

http://www.archanaskitchen.com/desserts/cakes/297-old-fashioned-pound-cake

Ingredients Needed
 
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk

Preparation 

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Butter and flour the loaf pan. 
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and keep aside.
Using the large bowl or a KitchenAid Stand Mixer bowl, beat together the oil, sugar and vanilla essence, add in the eggs (eggless: condensed milk) and milk (eggless: orange juice) and beat until well combined. Finally add in the flour mixture and beat until well combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared greased pan and bake until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. The baking time will vary from oven to oven, so take care too look at it after 30 minutes.
Cool the pound cake in the pan on a rack before serving.

Fish Cutlet

Ingredients Needed                                                                                 
                                                                                

Fish fillet (I used Nile perch )  1/2 Kg
Potato         2 medium (boiled n smashed)
Onion          1Big
Green chillies   2 (finely chopped)
Ginger             1 inch (finely chopped)
Garlic              1 tsp (finely chopped)
Turmeric powder  1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2  tsp
Black pepper powder 1 tsp
Corriander leaves (finely chopped) 3 sprigs
Curry leaves (finely chopped) 1 sprig
Salt - to taste
Eggs2                                                                      
All purpose flour1tsp                                                                                  
Bread crumbs                                                                                  
Oil 

Preparation 

Boil fish fillet with a pinch of salt, turmeric powder and pepper powder. once cooked drain the water and shred it. pour oil in a pan, as the oil becomes hot put onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves and saute it for 3-4 minuits in low flame. Now add pepper powder and garam masala then add shredded fish to it and mix well. Don't add water to it. Add smashed potatoes as well and mix well. Spread some corriander leaves, salt u can ad as per the taste.

Allow to cool the mixture and then make small round balls. Make patties with it, Take a bowl beat the eggs with flour and in another plate spread the bread crumbs. Dip this patties in the egg mixture first and then coat it with bread crumbs. Now deep fry the cutlets in oil.

 

Rice Murukku

Recipe courtesy : Maya's Mother (Kamalamma Teacher)  :) :)
Thank U Maya for the easy n tasty recipe  :D

Ingredients Needed

Rice Flour                  2 Cups
Urad dal powder        3/4 Cup
Chilly powder             3/4 Teaspoon
Salt                             to taste
Sesame Seeds            1 Teaspoon
Cumin Seeds              1 Teaspoon
Fresh coconut Milk     1cup
Asafoetida powder      a pinch (Purely optional)
Boiled Water             
Oil for deep frying 
 
Preparation

Wash and drain  Urad Dal .In a pan on medium heat, fry the Urad Dal till it becomes light brown color,Once cooled, grind it into a smooth powder.

Combine Urad Dal powder, Rice flour, Chilly powder, Salt, Sesame seeds and Cumin Seeds well and make it into a smooth dough using coconut milk and boiled hot water (pls add water carefully to attain the desired consistency) . If the dough is soft then it can  easily be pressed through Idiyappam maker (Pls use the star shaped Achu )

Lay a sheet of wax paper or aluminium foil  and lightly oil it. Fill the dough in the Idiyappam maker. Press the dough onto the  paper in concentric circles. Put it in the hot Oil and deep fry till it is crispy and  a very light brown color. Let the excess Oil drain on a tissue and allow it to cool. store them in airtight containers.