Mango Cheese Mini Cake

What I like most out of this recipe is that it is not very hard to make and looks so cute. No Baking involved and no eggs too :). Make a day before and you can chill it overnight. Mango cheese cake is very delicious and impresses everyone and for sure it will be the winner in a party.

Ingredients:
Mango puree - 3/4 of a cup (Fresh or canned)
Cream cheese - 250gm
Cream - 170 gm
Sugar - Half a cup (Powdred)
Gelatine - 1 Tbsp
Hot Water - 1/4 cup
Graham cracker crumbs - 1.5 to 2 cups
Melted unsalted butter- 75 gm

Preparation:
Give a pulse to the graham crackers in your mixie. Add melted butter and mix well until the mixture comes together. Press into the bottomof individual glasses. Refrigerate while preparing the rest of the cheesecake. Mix the cream cheese, cream, and powdered sugar in a bowl until well combined.Double boil the gelatine and stir till it completely dissolves. Add it to the mango puree and stir well. Keep half of this mixture aside and add the rest to the cream cheese mixture. Mix well so that it turns a pale yellow shaded uniform mixture.Pour on top of the graham cracker base. Return to fridge for another 10-30 mins. Pour the mango mixture as the third layer. Do this gently so that the layers don't combine. Refrigerate overnight and it will be ready to serve. I swear you that mango cheese cake is heavenly beautiful and Yummy too.

Awaiting your comments..
Nitha

Puli inji

Ingredients :

Ginger : 1/2 cup /200grms /0.55lb (finely chopped)

Tamarind pulp (concentrated) :1 cup or Tamarind : 250grms /2 lemon sized

Green Chilly : 4 /100 grms (finely chopped)

Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp

Red Chilly Powder : 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp

Small onion : 5 (finely chopped) (Optional)

Dry Red Chilly : 2-3 (broken)

Jaggery : 1/4 cup /50 grms or according to taste

Curry leaves : 2 sprig

Coconut Oil  : 3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method of Preparation :

1. Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of hot water for a 10-15 minutes then squeeze the tamarind to extract the juice and filter the tamarind juice to get the extract.

2. Peel the ginger and chop finely, pour the chopped ginger into salt water and keep it there for 5 minutes,and drain it.

3. Heat coconut oil in a kadai and fry the ginger until its brown.

4. Remove the fried ginger on to tissue paper to remove the oil and keep it aside.

5. Grind the fried ginger in a mixer grinder to get it finely crushed.

6. Take a kadai and pour the tamarind juice,add salt,chilly powder and turmeric powder and combine well.

7. Bring to boil,Reduce the flame to low and cook for 10 minutes,so that the gravy gets thick.

8. Add 1 cup of hot water with jaggery and mix well,filter it and keep that aside.

9. Heat oil in a pan,add mustard seeds, when it splutter add chopped onion,chopped dry red chilly,chopped green chilly and curry leaves and saute till brown colour.

10. Pour this mixture to the cooked tamarind water

11. Add the crushed ginger and jaggery water ,reduce the flame allow the mixture to boil to a thick consistency.

12. Cool and transfer to a bottle and Enjoy!

Awaiting your comments..

Nitha

Cashew and rice sweet balls (Andiyunda)

This is a simple snack having added only 4 ingredients. The unique flavour of cashews, jaggery and roasted rice is truly wonderful.And mostly this reminds me memories of my grandmother...Summer holidays!!! the season of cashews, during the daytime when we cousins play around, we pick the fallen cashews and take it to grandma. In the evening she will roast this cashew in charcoal..Aroma which spread on burning raw cashew in charcoal- I cannot explain in words..Those who experienced it will not forget in life time..next step is removing the burnt shell and taking the cashew out..using this cashew she make this snack

In the old days the rice was roasted and then pound into a fine powder on a giant sized version of the counter top mortar and pestle called Urall um Olakka. Nowadays most people use their mixies, grinders or grain mills.

Ingredients:
Raw Cashews(unsalted): 1 Cup
Matta Rice :Half Cup
Grated Jaggery: 1 cup
Grated Coconut: 1 Cup

Preparation:
Roast the rice in  a heavy bottomed kadai medium low flame. Do not use your non stick pas as the grains would create scratches in your pan.Stir often till the the rice starts turning slightly reddish or darker shade with a splitting sound. Ensure that Your are stirring well so that rice gets roasted uniformly.Keep it for cooling.Meanwhile in the same Kadai roast the cashew till it is golden brown colour.Grind the roasted rice when it is cool to fine powder. Similarly you can grind the roasted cashew also.Mix well the powdered roasted rice and cashew with grated jaggery and coconut. Or you can give a pulse in mixie with all the ingredients in powdered form.make smalls out of this mixture. Its ready to serve any time.

Notes:
If the mix is reluctant to form a ball, you can add some more grated coconut.Also you can add flavours like cardamom powder or cumin powder to enhance the taste. But personally I don't like adding any flavours to this snack.This tastes best within 2-3 days of make or store it in fridge for few more days

Awaiting your comments..
Nitha

Naadan mutta roast

 Ingredients :
    Eggs - 5

    Onion - 2.5, medium-sized, thinly sliced

    Tomato - 2 small, chopped    

    Ginger - 1 tbsp, finely chopped

    Garlic - 1 tbsp, finely chopped

    Green chilies - 3, slit

    Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

    Chili powder -  1 - 1.5 tsp

    Coriander powder – 1 tsp(Optional)

    Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp (Optional)

    Garam masala powder – 1/2 - 1 tsp

    Curry leaves - 1 sprig

    Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

    Salt - To taste

    Oil – 1.5 - 2 tbsp or as required

    Cilantro - 2 tbsp chopped, to garnish (Optional)

Preparation:

1. Boil the eggs in water for about 11 - 14 minutes or until they are done. Rinse under cold, running water and remove their shells. Cut them into halves. Keep aside.

2. Heat 1.5 - 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick wide pan at medium heat and splutter the mustard seeds. Add ginger,  garlic and green chilies. Saute for 20 - 30 seconds and add the sliced onion, curry leaves and little salt. Stir-fry until onion turn golden in color. Now add the chopped tomatoes. Cook covered for a few minutes at medium heat until they get mashed up and the oil separates. Now add all the masala powders. Stir for 20 - 30 seconds or until the oil separates. You can sprinkle a little water to avoid the masala powders from getting burnt. Add 1/4 cup water (adding water is optional). Mix well and taste-check for salt. Now add the egg halves. Mix them carefully with the masala. Cover with the lid and cook for one minute at very low heat. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Remove from fire and serve hot.

Awaiting your comments..
Nitha

Mutton Chops-Dried version

Here goes the weekend special..Mutton Chops. My Husband's favourite!!!

Ingredients:
Mutton (with bones) : 3/4 kg (cut into large cubes)
Onion : 2 (medium)(thinly sliced)
Garlic : 4-5 cloves (crushed)
Ginger : 1" piece (crushed)
Red Chili Powder : 1 tbsp or to your spice level
Whole Pepper Powder : 1 1/2 tbsp or to your spice level
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Lemon juice : 1 tbsp
Curry Leaves : 1 sprig
Coconut oil or Cooking  oil : 1 1/2 tbsp (Preferably coconut oil)
Hot Water : 1/2 - 1 cup
Salt to taste




To roast and grind the Spice Powder:
Fennel seeds : 1 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1/2
Star anise: 1
Cardamom Pods : 4
Cinnamon : 1/2" stick
Bay Leaves : 1


Preparation:
Wash and cut mutton in to large cubes, and place in a pressure cooker. Add 1/2 cup of hot water and salt to taste and cook for about 8 minutes after the first whistle (after it comes to full pressure) reduce the fire to medium and then switch off the flame and let it cool naturally. In a small frying pan lightly roast all the ingredients listed " To roast and grind the spice powder" and powder it using a mortar and pestle or your smar jar of mixie.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil and add half of the grounded spice powder (leaving half behind for final sprinkling) and saute for a minute. Do not burn the spice, stir continously to avoid burning.). Add few curry leaves and the onions till it turns to translucent and brown in color.Add the crushed ginger paste and garlic paste and sauté for a few minutes.Mix chili powder, pepper powder and turmeric powder with a tbsp of water to make a paste. Add this paste to the pan and saute for a few minutes till the whole mixture turns to dark brown colour.

Remove the cooked mutton pieces with a slotted spoon and add to the pan. Reserve the stock.Mix well and keep sauteing till the mutton pieces are well coated with masala and becomes dry and change the color to light blackish/dark brown.Pour the reserved stock (or add water if not enough stock) into the pan and mix well. When the gravy starts to thicken, add the remaning curry leaves, the rest of grounded spice powder and stir well . Continue cooking for another 5 minutes or till almost all the liquid is gone from the pan and the mutton pieces are well coated with the remaining gravy.Add the lemon juice and mix well and immediately remove from the stove.The dish will get a darker shade once it rests.



Awaiting your Comments..

Nitha

Coffee Pudding

Here goes my second attempt in pudding...First one was a 4 layered pudding..So now the question is "Where is the recipe for first one??". Missed to take a photograph..Hence will be posting the recipe when photograph is ready..

INGREDIENTS:
Instant coffee Powder: 2 tsp
Sugar: 4 tbsp
Water: 2 Cup
Milkmaid: Half tin
Fresh Cream: 1 Cup
Agar Agar: 5g

PREPARATION:
Soak agar agar in half cup of water.
Next step is making coffee. Boil 1.5 cup of water and add 4 tbsp of sugar. Remove the bowl from stove and add 2 tsp of instant coffee powder and mix well. To this black coffee add half tin of milk maid. Take one cup of fresh cream and mix it with some quantity of coffee+ milkmaid mixture to make it loose. Then add this loosened cream to coffee+ milkmaid mixture. Take a pan and add soaked agar agar with water and boil it till the solution is clear without any residue. Sieve the contents into the coffee mixture and mix well. Now transfer all the contents to a wide bowl and place in refrigerator to set. After half an hour your delicious coffee pudding will be ready to serve.
 

Awaitng your Comments..

Nitha

Stuffed okra

Okra/Bindi/Vendakka Stuffed

This is some what time consuming, but still  everyone will enjoy this stuffed okra

Ingredients

Vendakka- 10 Nos
Onion- 1 chopped
Green Chilli- 2 Chopped
Red Chilly powder- 3/4 tsp
Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
Kadala podi- 1.5 tbsp
Turmeric powder - Half tsp
Lime juice- Half tsp
Cumin Powder- Half tsp
Garam Masala Powder- 3/4 tsp
Hing- small pinch
Salt- as per taste
Oil- As required

Preparation

 
For stuffing:
Chop green chilly and onion as fine as possible
Heat pan with lil oil and add chopped onion and green chilli and fry well
Add all dry powders except besan and fry for few seconds.
Add besan now and fry in low flame
Now stuffing is ready

Wash and wipe okra so that it is dry.
slit bindu lengthwise (Do not remove the seeds)
Now stuff all okras with masala mi

Stuffed okra is ready but not to serve

Heat a pan with lil oil and place okras on the pan and cook in low flame.
Gently turn the okras to all sides to cook evenly-Cook till okras are soft
Colur will change to light brown from green as it is cokked

Serve hot with rice or chappathi.


Awaiting your comments

Nitha

Chicken Liver Fry

 

Liver fry is one of the famous recipes in Non-veg section.People usually love to have chicken liver recipes as a side dish when having beverages or alcohol. Because of its spiciness, people of all ages like to have it during winter season. Chicken was never in my list of favourites. I usually keep it aside for my brother or husband :). But I swear this will be a treasure for liver lovers

Ingredients:

Chicken Liver: 1/2 kg

Shallots (or Onion) : 1/2 cup (finely sliced)
Garlic : 1 tbsp (crushed)
Ginger : 1tbsp (crushed)
Green Chillies : 6-7 (slitted) or to your tolerance level
Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp
Red Chill Powder : 1 tbsp (or to your spice level)
Black Pepper Powder : 1 tbsp (Freshly grounded, add or reduce according to your taste & spice level)
Garam Masala Powder : 1 tsp
Cumin Powder : 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves : handful
Coconut oil : 1 tbsp
Salt to taste



Preparation:

1.  Cut liver into medium sizes
2. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder.
3. Soak it for some minutes.
4. Clean and wash well for 2-3 times.
5. Drain it in a strainer so that all blood and water drains out-Keep it aside
6. Heat oil in a pan, add curry leaves and crushed garlic, ginger
7. Saute for couple of minutes.
8. Now add the sliced shallots and green chillies, saute until it turns to translucent and golden brown in color.
9. Add all the dry spices powders and fry till oil separates.
10. Add the cleaned liver pieces, salt; mix and toss it till all liver pieces combines well with masala (3 minutes approximately).
11. Pour in 1/4 cup of water, cover and cook on medium heat for 6-8 minutes or till all the water evaporates. (Liver should not be cooked for too long or in too much water. so care should be taken when cooking the liver. Once it is overcooked the liver pieces will become rubbery)
12. Optional - Add some freshly ground pepper if you want it little spicy and some more flavor.
13. Add coconut oil and fresh curry leaves and dry roast it in medium heat till browned up. (5 minutes approximately)

Delicious and spicy liver fry is ready. 


 

Awaiting your comments

Nitha

Fish Biryani

Hi all,

This is my first attempt in Biryani. But somehow it went well ;). This is prepared in Malabar style with lots of sauted onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes with a touch of spice and spicy fried fish. The outcome is a slight tangy fish masala that pairs well with the ghee rice making a wonderfully aromatic and rich Fish Biriyani.This post is dedicated to my father in law-who is lover of Fish and Fish dishes :)

Ingredients :

For Rice :
Basmati rice : 2 cups
Water : 4 cups
Cloves : 4 nos
Cardamom pods : 3 nos
Cinnamon stick : 2 (1" pieces)
Bay leaves : 1no (optional)
Onion : 1 big (finely, sliced)
Lemon juice : 1 tsp
Salt to taste

For Marinating Fish :
Fish (I used Hamour): 1/2 kg
Red chilly powder : 1 tsp
Coriander powder : 1 tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste : 1 tsp
Fennel seed powder : 1/2 tsp
Lime juice : 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Ghee/Oil for frying

For Fish Masala :
Onion : 4 (medium, thinly sliced)
Tomato : 2 (medium, chopped)
Green chillies :6-7 nos
Ginger : 2 pieces (big)
Garlic : 8-10 cloves (big)
Yogurt : 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder : 1 tsp
Coriander powder : 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Briyani Masala : 1 tsp
Mint leaves : 1/4 cup (chopped)
Coriander leaves  : 1/2 cup (chopped)
Lime juice : 1 tsp
Ghee /Oil : 2 tbsp

For Garnishing :
Cashew nuts : Handful
Raisins : Handful
Ghee : 3 tbsp
Onion : 1/2 cup (thinly sliced)
Coriander leaves : Handful
Saffron : 1-2 strand
Warm milk : 2 tsp 

Preparation :

Fish Masala:

1. Clean the fish and marinate with above mentioned ingredients
2. Apply it on fish and keep it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
3. Make a paste of garlic,ginger and green chillies and set aside.
4. Heat a Ghee/Oil in the frying pan and shallow fry the fish flipping both the sides- keep it aside.
5.  In same frying pan, add thinly sliced onion to left over oil and saute until it is translucent
6. Add the ginger,garlic,green chilli paste, saute until brown color
7. Add tomatoes,saute for few seconds
8. Now add chopped corainder,mint leaves and combine well.
9.  Add briyani masala,turmeric powder,red chilli powder,coriander powder,salt to taste and combine well until the raw smell is gone.
10.  Add fried fish, yogurt and mix well; if the gravy dry then add some water. (if needed).
11.  Cover and cook on low flame for about 5mins and wait till oil starts to separate and adjust salt.

Cooking  the Rice:

1. Soak the rice for 30 mins and drain keep it aside.
2. Heat the ghee/oil in the pan,add sliced onions,all spices and saute for few mins; now add the drained rice and saute till rice combines well with all spices.
3. Boil the required water,add flavored rice,and cook the rice for 8-10mins.(uncovered)
4. When rice is done, drain the excess water immediately. 
5. Sprinkle the lime juice and set it aside.

Garnishing :

1.  Heat ghee and fry the thinly sliced onion till golden colour and crispy for 15 minutes sprinkle little sugar to caramelize, remove and drain on to the paper towel.
2.  Now fry cashews and then raisins until they turn golden colour, drain and remove on to the paper towel and keep it aside.
3.  Mix saffron strand in warm milk and keep it aside.

Layering :

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degree F/180 degree C.
2. In a oven proof dish, grease your cooking dish and spread half of the fish masala and with some cooked rice.
3.  Sprinkle biryani masala, fried cashews, raisins, fried onions and chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves, sprinkle left over ghee and few drops of saffron milk over the rice as the final layering. Repeat this process.
4.  Close with tight fitting heat resistant lid or close it with aluminium foil, crimp along the side and and bake it for 20 mins.
5. When it is done, remove and keep the dish covered until serving 

 

Awaiting your Comments

Nitha