Thursday, December 25, 2014

BLUEBERRY CLAFOUTIS RECIPE


    

Clafoutis is a french rustic style dessert. It's somewhere between a cake, a custard and a pancake. Traditionally clafoutis is made with whole cherries, but it's taste great with berries also.

Recipe adapted from Julia Child

Ingredients 
1 1/4 cups milk 
1/2 cup sugar 
3 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp lemon zest
Powdered cinnamon a pinch 
2 cups blueberries 
1/4 cup sugar and whipping cream for serving 



Method 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees 
In a blender blend the milk, 1/3 cup of the sugar, eggs, vanilla, lemon zest, salt, cinnamon and flour.
Pour a 1/4 inch layer of the batter in a lightly and evenly buttered baking dish. Place in the oven until batter firms up a bit. Remove from heat and place berries over the batter. Sprinkle on the remaining sugar, pour on the rest of the batter evenly.
Bake at 350 degrees about 45 minutes. The clafoutis is done when puffed and a knife plunged in the center comes out clean.
Sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Great served warm.

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

Unniyappam Recipe



Ingredients

  • White Rice (Pachari): 1 1/2 cup
  • Maida (All Purpose Flour): 1/2 cup
  • Jaggery: 250-300 gms
  • Ripe Banana: 1 (I used 1 poovan pazham, if you are using njanli poovan you can use 2)
  • Coconut Bits(Thenga Kothu): 1/2 cup
  • Black Sesame Seeds: 1 1/2 tbsp(optional)
  • Baking Soda: 1/2 tsp
  • Ghee: 1 tbsp
  • Oil: For deep frying

Method
  • Add 1 cup water to jaggery and melt it. Strain the jaggery and let it cool completely.
  • Fry the coconut bits in ghee till it turns golden brown.
  • Grind the white rice with less water(here I used jaggery syrup to grind rice). No need to make this smooth paste.
  • Add maida to this mixture and just blend to mix well.
  • Grind the banana, mix with rice batter and remaining jaggery syrup. Add water little by little till you get the consistency of idli batter. Add fried coconut bits and baking soda. if you are using sesame seeds add at this time.
  • Mix well and keep aside the batter for 30-45 minutes. If the batter turns too thick after resting add extra water to make the right consistency.
  • heat oil in a unniyappakkara, when the oil is really hot, reduce the flame to medium. Drop tablespoons of batter to the pan. turn the unniyappam after one side done. Take unniyappam out after it become golden brown. Drain excess oil on tissue paper.

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Kunchi Pathil / Kakka Roti / Steamed Rice Dumplings In Meat Gravy


This exotic dish has an important role in our Malabar culinary. This is a delightful one pot meal to take as dinner or evening snack. These are small rice dumplings steamed and cooked in the tasty meat and coconut gravy. In Ramadan, we prepare various dishes for each day and share with our neighbours. Kunchi pathil is one among them. If you are someone who loves tasty food, then try this one.
Off to the recipe...

Ingredients 
For the dumplings:
Parboiled rice: 500 gm
Fennel seeds ( perumjeerakam ): 1 tsp
Shallots ( small onion ): 5
For the gravy:
Beef / mutton cubes : 800 gm
Chilli powder : 3 tsp
Coriander powder : 4 tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder : 1/2 tsp
Onion : 250 gms chopped
Ginger paste : 1 tbsp
Garlic paste : 1 heaped tbsp
Oil : 2 tbsp 
Salt to taste 
For making coconut paste :
Grated coconut : 1 1/4 cup
Fennel seeds : 1/2 tsp
Shallots : 4

Method
Soak the rice in hot water for 4 hours.
Grind it along with minimal water until you get a coarse and grainy mixture. Add fennel seeds, shallots and salt into this and grind for few seconds.
Hang this mixture in a muslin cloth to remove excess water, take a small portion of the dough and shape it.


Steam cook this dumplings for 8-10 minutes until done.
For making gravy, first pressure cook meat with half amount of turmeric, chilly, coriander powders and with little salt.
In a pot heat oil, add onions and salt, saute till it turns golden. Add ginger and garlic and saute till raw smell fades.
Add remaining powders, garam masala then add cooked meat along with stock. Stir well and cook till gravy becomes dry and meat coated with all masalas well.
Add the cooked dumplings into the masala and mix well.


Make a smooth paste with coconut, fennel seeds and shallots. Add this paste to the meat and dumpling mixture, stir well and cook for another 5 minutes. Take it off the flame.