Thursday, December 29, 2011

Baklava Rolls

Baklava is a sweet pastry with chopped nuts inside.To know more about baklava go here
Ingredients
Phyllo sheets - 6(In US, you can get this in frozen section of any grocery store)
For Filling
Almond - 1/2 cup(crushed)
Cashews - 10 nos (crushed)
Sugar - 5 tbspn(adjust to your taste)
Powdered cloves & cinnamon - 1/2 tsp(substitute with cardamom powder also)
Melted unsalted butter - 4 tbsp
For Syrup
Sugar -1/4 cup
Water - 1/4 cup



Procedure
Mix all the ingredients under filling and keep aside.

Take 2 phyllo sheet at a time and place it on working surface and cover the remaining sheets with wet cloth.Handle the sheets very carefully, it will tear easily.

Brush the sheet with butter and place the filling at one end and roll the sheet. Then again place the filling and roll it.Repeat it until the end of the sheet.


Similarly do it for all sheets and place it in baking tray and apply butter on top.

Then cut the rolls into pieces.

Cover the baking tray with foil paper(it prevents the top layer turning color very easily).Preheat the oven at 325F,place the tray in oven and bake  it for 20 mins.After that remove the foil paper and bake it for another 10 mins.

In the mean time make the sugar syrup.In a sauce pan add the sugar and water and boil it for around 15 mins in medium flame or until it become thick consistency(dont make one sting consistency).

Now remove the baklava from oven and pour this syrup and allow it to soak for atlest 2 hrs before serving.

Now the tastiest baklava rolls are ready.This rolls are very addictive. you cannot stop by one.


Continue Reading »

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Moor Kuzhambu

Ingredients
Onion(medium) - 1
Tomato(medium) - 1
Ladies finger - 6-7 nos
Toor dal - 2 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
Green chili - 4 nos(adjust to your taste)
Fresh Curd - 200ml
Turmeric powder - pinch
Oil
Salt
To Temper
Oil -  1 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few




Procedure
Soak the toor dal for 30 minutes.Chop the onion lengthwise and tomato into small pieces.Cut the ladies finger into  2cm pieces approx

First shallow fry the ladies finger in 2 tbsp of oil and keep it aside(make sure that ladies finger is cooked well). Heat oil in a sauce pan,add onion and saute it.Once onion become translucent, add the ginger garlic paste and  tomatoes and fry for 5 min

In the mean time grind the toor dal,coconut & green chili into paste and add it along with enough water(approx 250ml),turmeric powder and salt.

Once it comes to boil, the gravy starts to thicken,so mix it well. After the raw smell goes off,add the fried ladies finger and keep it in low flame.

Finally add the curd, mix it well and switch off the flame(Dont allow to boil after adding the curd and also keep the flame in low while adding the curd,otherwise it curdles).

Then heat oil for tempering in another pan and add the mustard,once it splutter add urad dal and curry leaves and add it into gravy. 

Serve with hot steamed rice. 

Continue Reading »

Monday, December 19, 2011

Keerai/Spinach poriyal

Ingredients

Spinach - 1 small bunch
Onion  - 1/2
Red chili - 2 nos
Garlic - 2 pods
Grated coconut - 2-3 tbsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt


Procedure

Wash the spinach and chop it finely.Cut the onion and garlic into small pieces.

Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard ,once the mustard splutter add urad dal and red chili.

Then add the garlic and onion, once onion turns translucent, add the enough salt and spinach.

When spinach starts to cook,it reduces in volume and also leaves water, so no need to add water.

Once the spinach cooked well, add the coconut and mix well.

Serve this as a accompaniment for steamed rice.



Continue Reading »

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Aviyal

Ingredients
Carrot - 1 no
Beans - 6-7 nos
Potato - 1 ( medium size)
Banana(raw) - 1/2
Brinjal - 1
Channa Dal - 1 1/2 tbsp
Curd - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - pinch
Salt
To grind
Coconut (grated) - 4 tbsp
Green chilli - 2 nos(if your green chili is less hot,you can add more)
Garlic -1 pod
Cumin seed - 1 tsp
Tempering
Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard  - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 7-8 leaves


Procedure
Soak the channa dal for 30 mins.

Cut all the vegetables lengthwise.After chopping put the brinjal and banana into water (it prevents the color changing).



In a sauce pan,heat the water (around 150ml) and add the channa dal.Once the channa dal is half-cooked add the vegetables except brinjal & banana.

Once the added vegetables is half-cooked add brinjal & banana.Adding the brinjal and banana at this stage prevents this vegetables from over cooking.

Once all the vegetables is 3/4 cooked, grind the chili,garlic & cumin and add into vegetables and also add turmeric powder. After the vegetables is cooked completely, grind the coconut into paste and add it.Leave it in the flame for 5 mins.

Finally add the curd,mix well and transfer it into another bowl.In the same pan , heat coconut oil and add mustard and urad dal.Once mustard splutter,add curry leaves and pour it into the aviyal and mix well.

Now the delicious aviyal is ready.


PS : you can add / remove water from the vegetable before adding chili paste for right consistency. 



Continue Reading »

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Kalkandu Bath/Pongal/Satham

First time i made this, so i made it very little and turns out yummy.
Ingredients
Rice - 100 gms
Kalkandu/Sugar candy - 100-125gms(depends on your sweet tooth needs)
Water - 150ml
Milk - 100ml
Cardamom - 2 nos
Ghee - 3-4 tbsp
Cashews and Raisins - few pieces

Procedure
Wash the rice with water and then put rice,milk and water(you can skip milk and use water as 250 ml or skip water and use milk as 250ml ) in a cooker and cook it for 4-5 whistles or till it mushy.

Once the pressure released from cooker,open it and keep it in medium flame,then add kalkandu(may use sugar and kalkandu as 1/2: 1/2 ratio) and allow it to melt.

Once all kalkandu melts,crushed the cardamom and add it.Then roast the cashews and raisins in 1 tbsp of ghee and add it.Mix it well and add the remaining ghee and keep it in low flame for 5 mins and then switch off.

Kalkandu  Bath is ready and serve hot.
Continue Reading »