Dates, Walnut and Nutella Laddus

 

 

 

 

Ingredients (Makes 8 – 10)

1. Walnuts – 1 1/4 cups (You can also use almonds or any other nuts of your choice)

    Dates – 3/4 cup, chopped

    Nutella – 1 tbsp

2. Fresh grated coconut / Sweetened coconut flakes / Dried coconut flakes – 1/4 cup (Optional)

Method

Grind the walnuts to a powder in a mixer. Mix it with chopped dates and 1 tbsp nutella. Use your fingers to combine everything well. Shape into balls and roll in coconut flakes. Keep refrigerated for 2 – 3 days.

 

Tips

Instead of nutella, you can use condensed milk.

 

 

Coconut and Lemon Sevai (Rice Noodles)

 

 

Coconut Sevai

 

Ingredients

1. Sevai / dried rice noodles – 100 gm (half packet)

    Salt – To taste

2. Oil – 1 tsp

    Mustard seeds – 1/4 – 1/2 tsp

    Dried red chilies – 2, broken

    Urad dal / chana dal – 1 tsp

   Cashews / peanuts – A few

   Green chilly – 1, finely chopped

   Curry leaves – 1 sprig

   Hing / asafoetida – 1 pinch

3. Grated coconut – 1/2 cup

Method

1. Cook the rice noodles as per the package instructions. OR Heat water in a saucepan / any vessel and bring to a boil. Add the dried sevai, 1/2 tsp oil and enough salt. Cook covered for 4 – 5 minutes until soft and done. Drain well and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a cheena chatti / any deep pan. Splutter mustard seeds and fry dry red chilies. Add urad dal, cashews and fry until light brown. Add green chilies and curry leaves (you can add finely chopped carrots and onions also, if you wish). Stir for a few seconds and add hing. Add the grated coconut, stir for about 10 seconds and then add the cooked sevai. Mix everything well and taste-check for salt. Serve with coconut chutney and pappad or ethapazham varattiyathu/ sweetened coconut milk etc.

Lemon Sevai

Ingredients

1. Sevai / dried rice noodles – 100 gm (half packet)

    Salt – To taste

2. Oil – 1 tsp

    Mustard seeds – 1/4 – 1/2 tsp

    Dried red chilies – 2, broken

    Urad dal / chana dal – 1 tsp

    Cashews / peanuts – A few

    Green chilly – 1, finely chopped

    Curry leaves – 1 sprig

    Hing / asafoetida – 1 pinch

    Turmeric powder – 1 - 2 pinches

3. Lemon/lime juice – Of 1 lemon

Method

1. Cook the rice noodles as per the package instructions. OR Heat sufficient water in a saucepan / any vessel and bring to a boil. Add the dried sevai, 1/2 tsp oil and enough salt. Cook covered for 4 – 5 minutes until the noodles are soft and done. Drain well and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a cheena chatti / any deep pan. Splutter mustard seeds and fry dry red chilies. Add urad dal, cashews and fry until light brown. Add green chilies and curry leaves. Stir for a few seconds and add turmeric powder and hing. Now add the cooked sevai. Mix everything well and taste-check for salt. Switch off. Add lemon juice and mix everything well. Serve with pappad.

Tips

1. Instead of dried rice noodles, you can use left-over idiyappams / string hopppers. Just tear the idiyappam into small strings/pieces and use in the  above recipes.

Sweet Sevai/ Idiyappam

2. To make sweet sevai, combine the cooked rice noodles or torn idiyappam with sugar or jaggery, grated coconut, little ghee(optional) and little cardamom powder / crushed cardamom. Combine well with your fingers. You can garnish it with ghee fried cashews and raisins. Serve as is or with fresh thick coconut milk.

 

No–bake Peanut Butter Squares

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients (Makes 36 – 48 small squares)

Recipe Source – Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess

For the base
1. Dark brown sugar – Scant 1/4 cup (I used light brown sugar)
    Confectioners’ sugar – 1 1/3 cup (I used only 1 cup + 2 tbsp, that was sweet enough for our taste)          

    Creamy peanut butter – 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp

       Unsalted butter – 1/4 cup

For the topping
2. Unsalted butter – 1 tbsp

3. Semi-sweet chocolate chips – 1.5 cups (The original recipe called for 7 ounces milk chocolate +  4 ounces dark chocolate. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips since I didn’t have them) 
 

   A 9-inch square pan, greased or lined with foil or parchment paper ( I used an 8 inch square pan)

Method

1. Stir all the ingredients for the base together until smooth. You can use the paddle attachment to the mixer or a bowl and wooden spoon. I mixed them with my fingers. (Don’t worry if some of the brown sugar stays in small lumps). Press the mixture into the prepared pan and make the surface as even as possible.

2. To make the topping, melt the chocolates and butter together (in a microwave for ease, for a minute or two on medium) in a heavy pan over low heat (or using double-broiler method) and spread on top of the peanut mixture. Put the pan in the refrigerator for about 1 hour to set. When the chocolate has hardened, cut into small squares using a sharp knife.

 

White Chana in a Ground Coconut Sauce / Thengayaracha Vella Kadala Curry

 

 

 

Ingredients ( Serves  5)

1. Dried white chana – 1.5 cup (Soak the dried chana for 6 – 8 hrs and pressure cook for 1 whistle or until soft)

2. Ginger – 1/2 inch, finely chopped

   Garlic – 2, finely chopped

   Green chilies – 2, slit

   Curry leaves – 1 sprig

   Onion – 1 small, finely chopped

3. Tomato – 1 medium, chopped

4. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

   Chilly powder – 1 – 1.5 tsp

   Coriander powder – 2.5 tsp

   Garam masala powder – 1/2 + 1/4 tsp

5. Grated coconut – 3/4 cup

   Cumin seeds – 1/4 – 1/2 tsp

6. Salt – To taste

Method

1. Grind coconut and cumin seeds to a fine paste.

2. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan/non-stick pan. Add ginger, garlic, green chilies, curry leaves and chopped onion. Saute until onion turns lightly brown. Add chopped tomato and saute until it gets mashed up. Bring down the heat to low and add the masala powders numbered 4. Saute until their raw smell is gone, about 2 – 3 minutes. Add 1.5 cup water and enough salt. Bring to a boil, add the cooked chana and cook for about 6 – 8 minutes. Add ground coconut and cook until the raw taste of coconut is gone, about 8 - 10 minutes at medium-low heat. Add 1/4 tsp garam masala powder and mix well. Switch off. Serve hot with chapatis / appam/ idiyappam/ puttu etc.

White Chocolate Bars – Happy Valentine’s Day!!

 

 

Ingredients (Makes 12 - 18)

Recipe Source - Fat Witch Brownies: Brownies, Blondies and Bars from New York’s Legendary Fat Witch Bakery by Patricia Helding

1. Coarsely chopped white chocolate – 6 ounce or 3/4 cup high-quality white chocolate chips  ( I used Baker’s white chocolate baking squares)

    Unsalted butter – 5 tbsp

2. Eggs – 2 large

    Granulated sugar – 1 cup (I used 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp, that was sweet enough for my taste)

    Pure vanilla extract – 1 tsp

3. Flour – 1 cup

    Baking powder – 1/2 tsp

    Salt – 1/4 tsp

Method

1. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan (I used an 8 inch square pan) with butter. Dust with flour and tap out the excess. Alternately line with foil or parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Melt the white chocolate and butter in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly to make sure it doesn't burn. Remove from the heat before it is completely melted and continue stirring until it is completely smooth. You can also melt the chocolate by using the double broiler method. Set aside to cool.

3. Beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla together in a large bowl until smooth. Add the white chocolate mixture and mix until well combined.

4. Measure the flour, baking powder, and salt and sift together directly into the batter. Mix until well combined and no trace of the dry ingredients remains. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan with a spatula.

5. Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is light brown and cracked. Turn off the oven, leaving the pan inside for 8 more minutes. After that time, a toothpick inserted in the center should come our clean or with only crumbs, not batter, on it.

6. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for 1 hour. Cut just before serving. Its texture is in between that of a cake and brownie and its super-yummy. Enjoy!!

 

Ethapazham Varattiyathu

 

 

 

Ingredients

Firm ripe banana / ethapazham / nenthrapazham  - 1 large, peeled and cut into 1 inch rounds

Ghee – 1 tsp

Water – 1/2 cup or as required

Method

Combine the ripe banana pieces, water and ghee in a deep pan / cheena chatti. Cook covered at medium heat, stirring in between, until the water completely evaporates and the banana pieces are done. It wont take more than 10 – 12 minutes. Check in between and sprinkle more water if required. Serve with idiyappam, puttu, upma, aval or as it is!

Tips

You can sprinkle a little sugar, if the ripe banana is not sweet enough for your taste.

Papaya / Omakka/ Kappalanga Mezhukkupuratty

 

 

Ingredients

1. Omakka / papaya - 1 medium, cut into 1 - 1.5 inch pieces lengthwise

2. Turmeric powder -  1/4 tsp

3. Chilly powder – 1/2 tsp

4. Onion – 1/2 small, sliced (You can replace it with 10 – 12 pearl onions, crushed or sliced)

5. Coconut oil – 2 – 3 tsp or to taste

6. Salt – To taste

Method

1. Peel the papaya and remove the seeds inside. Cut into 1 – 1.5 inch pieces lengthwise. Cook the pieces adding enough salt, around 1/2 cup water, turmeric powder and little chilly powder. Cook covered until done and the water completely evaporates.

2. Heat oil in a frying pan. You can splutter mustard seeds, if you want. Add onion, stir-fry for a minute. Add the papaya pieces and stir-fry for 5 – 7 minutes until lightly browned on the edges, at medium heat. Serve with rice and any gravy.

 

Honey Roasted Almonds

 

 

 

Ingredients

1. Raw almonds – 1 cup

2. Honey – 1 tbsp

   Water – 1 tbsp

   Oil – 1 tsp (I used canola oil)

3. Sugar – 1 – 1.5 tbsp

    Cinnamon powder – 1/8 tsp

    Salt – 1/8 tsp

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread the almonds in a baking tray and dry-roast for about 8 minutes. Take out and set aside to cool. Combine the sugar, cinnamon powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Combine the honey, water and oil in a saucepan. Bring to a boil at medium heat. When it starts bubbling, add the almonds. Stir until all the liquid has been absorbed by the almonds, about 4 minutes, at medium heat. Transfer immediately into a bowl. Sprinkle the sugar-cinnamon mixture and toss well. Spread on a wax paper or parchment paper, they will crisp as they cool. Crispy and delicious almonds are ready. Store in an air-tight container for 3 - 4 days. Enjoy!!

Recipe Courtesy – Slightly adapted from Cooks.com

Black Eyed Bean Curry

 

 

 

Ingredients (Serves 4)

Recipe Courtesy – Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape

1. Black-eyed beans / lobia  -  1.5 – 2 cups, dried

2. Onion – 1 large, finely chopped

   Garlic – 5 – 6, minced

3. Tomato – 2 medium-large, chopped

4. Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp

    Chilly powder – 1 tsp

    Coriander powder – 1 tsp

    Cumin powder – 1/2 tsp

5. Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp

    Cinnamon stick – 1 stick

6.  Hing / asafoetida – 1 pinch

7. Oil – 1.5 tbsp

8. Salt – To taste

9. Cilantro – 2 tbsp chopped, to garnish

Method

1. Soak the black-eyed beans in plenty of water overnight. Drain and place them in a sauce pan. Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Skim off any froth that rises to the surface. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally until the beans are tender but not mushy. It takes about 30 mts. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan at medium heat. Add the cinnamon stick and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds splutters, add the chopped onion, little salt and garlic. Stir-fry for 8 mts or until onion turns golden brown. Sprinkle little water if it burns. Add the turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Stir for a minute and add the chopped tomatoes and hing. Stir until they get mashed up and oil separates, about 7 – 8 minutes. Add the cooked black-eyed beans and leave to simmer, for about 10 minutes. Taste-check for salt. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with chapatis/rice.