Milk Peda Recipe/How to make Milk Peda with milk

Peda is a traditional Indian recipe and its also known as milk fudge. We can make peda in a very easy and quick way by using milk powder or milk maid. The traditional method of preparation of peda is very labour intensive and time taking. But these pedas are most rich, delicious and classic.  It has a smooth & silky texture and it just melts in the mouth. This time I tried with paneer. It turned out scrumptious & tasty!!

Ingredients 

Full fat milk: 1 litre

Lemon juice: 2 tbsp

Un salted butter: 50 g

Milk powder: 1/3 cup

Milk: 1 small cup

Sugar: 1 cup

Cardamom powder: 1/4 tsp

Pistachios : for garnishing

Method

1. Take milk in a heavy bottomed pan.

2. Allow to boil in medium high.

3. Squeeze lemon and take fresh lemon juice.

4. Keep stirring the milk, until it comes to boil.

5. Now turn the flame to low heat and add lime juice 1 tsp at a time.

6. Keep stirring the milk after each addition.

7. Repeat this until the milk curdles completely.

8. Now you can see the whey water separates from the solid milk particles.

9. Turn off the gas and keep aside for 5 minutes.

10. Place a thick muslin cloth over a strainer, pour the contents in the pan over the strainer.

11. Rinse the strained paneer with fresh water, hang it for half hour and remove water from it.

12. Melt butter in a non stick pan. Add paneer, milk powder and milk into it. Combine.

13. In medium flame, allow the mixture to cook with continuous stirring. Take care the mixture doesn't get burnt in the bottom.

14. Simmer the flame and stir well, until the mixture thickens. After 10-12 minutes, the mixture starts leaving the sides.

15. Once we get the texture of soft dough, remove from flame. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.

16. Once the mixture is slightly warm, add sugar and cardamom powder. Knead the mixture to smooth dough, make small balls out of it and flatten it. Repeat the same for all pedas.

17. Garnish with sliced pistachios on top, when they're moist and soft.

18. Keep it for sometime and enjoy yummy homemade Milk Pedas.

Chakka ( Jack Fruit ) Halwa

Chakka / Jack fruit is a great source of dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins. It contains no saturated fats or cholesterol, which makes it one of healthy fruits to relish. People eat it as it is. Jack fruit halwa is my hubby's favorite. Here the recipe...

Ingredients 

 

Jack fruit- 1 kg

Sugar- 400 gms

Ghee- 100 gms

Cardamom powder- 1 tsp

Method

Remove seeds from jack fruit and blend in a mixie, transfer it into an uruli ( heavy bottomed vessel ). Let it boil and get cooked on a medium heat. When water is absorbed, add sugar. Let it be on medium heat and stir in between.

After it is reduced even more, add cardamom powder and start adding the ghee and keep stirring.

When all the ghee is used up and you get a thick consistency. 

Pour it in a greased tray and allow to set. When it cools you can cut into desired shape and garnish with almond slits.

Store in airtight containers. If you wish to keep it for a longer time, refrigerate.

Chicken Macaroni Casserole With Mozzarella/Easy One Pot Meal

Ingredients 

To cook chicken:-

Chicken breast pieces: 2

Cinnamon: 1 small 

Cloves: 2

Bay leaves: 2

Ginger, chopped: 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Elbow macaroni, cooked: 3 cups

Butter: 2 tbsp

Garlic cloves: 2 chopped

Onion: 1 big chopped

Tomato: 1 chopped

Tomato paste: 2 tbsp

Chilli flakes: 2 tbsp

Flour: 1 tbsp

Chicken stock: 1/2 cup

Mozzarella cheese: 1/2 cup 

Salt to taste

Method

Cook the chicken with all the ingredients mentioned under to cook chicken. 

In a heavy skillet, heat butter then add garlic. Saute until lightly browned. Add chopped onion, saute till it turns pink. Now add tomatoes, when it becomes mushy add chilli flakes and tomato paste. 

Add flour and saute until raw smell of the flour goes. Add enough salt. 

Add cooked macaroni, shredded chicken and chicken stock. Cook covered for 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a baking dish and transfer the mixture from pan into it. Top with shredded mozzarella and bake until lightly browned on top.

Basbousa / Semolina Cakes With Syrup

Basbousa is a delicious dessert, a sweet cake made with semolina flour, coconut and lemon flavored sugar syrup. Traditionally, it was cut in diamond shapes and decorated with almonds. The cake itself is not too sweet but it is soaked with sugar syrup. It is very easy to prepare and the best thing I like about it is that we can make it ahead and serve it as a no-fuss dessert. We can prepare the batter a day before and bake it just before the guest arrive.

 Basbousa is a pretty famous dessert recipe in the Middle East and Egypt. In Turkish this dessert is known as Revani.

   

Ingredients 

Eggs: 3

Sugar: 1 cup

Yogurt: 1 cup

Oil: 1/2 cup

Semolina: 1 cup

All purpose flour: 1 cup

Grated coconut: 1/2 cup

Baking powder: 2 tsp

Vanilla essence: 2 tsp

Zest of an orange 

Almonds for garnishing 

For sugar syrup:-

Sugar: 2 cups 

Water: 1 1/2 cups

Lemon juice: 1 1/2 tbsp

Method

Prepare syrup first. Dissolve sugar in water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and add lemon juice. Reduce heat and allow to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking dish.

In a mixing bowl add eggs and sugar and mix well. Add yogurt and oil to this and mix to combine. Swift flour with baking powder and add to the mixture. Combine all other ingredients ( semolina, grated coconut, vanilla essence and orange zest ) to this.

Pour mixture into the baking dish and smooth with a spoon. 

Refrigerate for 1-2 hours ( optional ).

Boil some water in a pan, soak almonds in it. Transfer into cold water and slip off the skin.

Take a butter knife and make diagonal lines, place an almond in the center of each diamond. Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove cake from oven and cut through the lines. Pour the syrup over cake until no more can be absorbed.

Allow to cool and serve!

Roasted cherry tomatoes, baby carrots & red bell pepper soup

I had a lot of cherry tomatoes here, a soup seemed like a good way to put these tomatoes into use. Found a recipe for Roasted cherry tomato and baby carrot on web and decided to make that. I made a few changes to the original recipe, including cutting it down to feed fewer people. 

Ingredients 

Cherry tomatoes- 1 cup

Baby carrots- 5

Red bell pepper- 1/2 

Garlic cloves- 2, crushed lightly and skin peeled 

Olive oil- 1 tsp

Crushed pepper- to taste

Salt- to taste

Vegetable stock- 1-2 cups

Method 

Pre-heat oven at 250 deg. C for 10 minutes.

Wash, and towel-dry carrots, tomatoes and pepper. 

Line a baking tray with foil, and spread 1/2 tsp olive oil. Place the tomatoes, carrots, garlic cloves and pepper. Sprinkle some olive oil, salt and pepper.

Bake in center rack, reducing the temperature to 220 degrees for 30 minutes, till the tomatoes break into juice.

Cool and blend in a mixer to smooth consistency. Remove in a saucepan, and add vegetable stock to thin. Adjust salt, and pepper. 

Recipe adapted from tongueticklers.com

Kappa Biriyani Recipe

Ingredients 

To prepare beef masala:-

Beef: 1/2 kg

Garam masala: 1/2 tsp

Chilly powder: 2 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder: 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder: 2 tsp

Garlic: 1 tbsp finely chopped 

Ginger: 1 tbsp finely chopped

Curry leaves: 2 stems

Salt to taste

To prepare  kappa:-

Kappa / tapioca: 1 kg, peeled and cut into medium cubes

Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

 To prepare the Biriyani:-

Pearl onions (shallots): 15-20, thinly sliced or 1 medium onion, chopped

Green chillies: 2-3 

Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder: 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder: 3/4 tsp

Garam masala powder: 1 tsp

Curry leaves: 1-2 sprigs

Salt to taste

Coconut oil: 1-2 tbsp

For the seasoning:-

Coconut oil: 1-2 tsp

Pearl onions: 2-3, thinly sliced

Curry leaves: a few

Coconut: 1/4 cup 

Method

Marinate the beef with all the ingredients listed for beef masala.

Pressure cook the marinated beef pieces adding 1/4 cup water for 3-4 whistles or until done. Set aside.

Cut the tapioca to small dices and cook in water by adding salt and turmeric powder. When done, switch off and drain the water completely.

Heat coconut oil in a pan and add the thinly sliced pearl onions and green chillies. When onion starts to turn brown, bring down the heat to low and add turmeric powder, chilly powder, pepper powder and garam masala. Saute for 8-10 seconds and add the prepared beef gravy.

Cook for 3-4 minutes until the gravy is thick and add the mashed tapioca and a few curry leaves. Mix well. Check for salt.

Meanwhile heat coconut oil in a small pan,  add curry leaves and sliced shallots. When shallots turn brown add grated coconut and fry till coconut turn brown. Pour this over the prepared kappa ( tapioca ) Biriyani and serve.

 

Tomato Bruschetta Recipe

Bruschetta is a classic Italian appetizer. It's just a mixture of chopped tomatoes, balsamic, basil, and garlic, spooned over olive brushed slices of toasted baguette or rustic bread. Plum tomatoes are best for bruschetta because they have thicker flesh with fewer seeds and less juice than regular tomatoes.

Ingredients 

Plum tomatoes: 5 diced small

Garlic: 1 clove, finely chopped 

Extra-virgin olive oil: 4 tbsp

Red pepper flakes: a pinch

Fresh basil leaves: 1/4 cup chopped 

Balsamic vinegar: 1 tbsp

Baguette, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds: about 14 slices

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the tomatoes, garlic, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, red pepper flakes, basil and balsamic vinegar to a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature while you toast the bread.

Slice bread and add to a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast in the oven until golden brown about 5 minutes. Top the bread with tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil right before serving.

Pumpkin Thogaiyal (Tamil Recipe)

                        

Ingredients 

Pumpkin: 1/2 cup (cubed)

Urad Dal: 1tbsp

Red Chilli: 4

Asfoetida: a pinch

Tamarind: a small piece

Oil: 1tsp

Coconut (scrapped): 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method

Take out the hard skin of the pumpkin and chop them into small cubes.

In a pan add oil and saute the urad dal and red chilli, till the dal turns golden brown.

Keep it aside and Saute the cubed pumpkin in low flame for 10 minutes till the pumpkin shrinks.

When done, allow this to cool and grind it to a smooth paste along with roasted urad dal, red chilli, salt , asafoetida, tamarind and coconut.

Do not add water while grinding. The pumpkin will ooze out water.

If needed sprinkle little water.

Pumpkin Thogaiyal is ready to serve.

Goes well with plain rice and dosa.

Kannu Vecha Pathiri/Madakki Chapathi/Malabar Style Roti

This dish is very common in our area (Kozhikode). We make this for dinner for a change from usual Chapathis. The name comes from the multiple folds that gives it it's distinct layers. Either you can deep fry in oil or cook just like normal chapathi in a non stick tawa by adding only little ghee. I always prefer to cook this in a tawa because of health reasons. It's so flaky and delicious and goes well with almost every curries....

      My friend Fayi asked me to post this recipe, she is an expert cook and loves to try different cuisines. She always brings something special for our get-togethers. She is from Kannur, so she doesn't  know how to make this Kozhikkodan special. So Fayi, this post is especially for you! 😘

Ingredients 

All purpose flour/maida: 1 cup

Wheat flour: 1 cup

Oil: 2 tbsp

Pure ghee: 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Note:- You could make also it fully out of whole wheat flour.

Method

Add salt and lukewarm water to the flour to make a soft dough. Divide into balls bigger than chapathi balls.

Roll it out thick and smear oil over it. Fold as shown in the pictures.

Fold inside from for corners.

Roll again into a 4-5" square.

Heat a griddle or non stick tawa and cook each side for a minute, spread little ghee and flip over to let the roti puffed up.

Serve hot.

Netholi Thoran / Netholi Peera Vattichath

Netholi / Kozhuva / Anchovies is a small fish which is popular in Kerala.

Ingredients 

Anchovies / Netholi: 1/2 kg

Grated Coconut: 1 cup

Ginger: 1/2 inch piece

Green Chillies: 2 nos

Curry Leaves: 2 stems

Shallots: 5

Red chilli powder: 2 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp

Tamarind: 2 tbsp

Coconut oil: 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method

First cut and clean the fish and then again clean it by adding some crystal salt. Wash it nicely by changing the water 2-3 times and then allow it to drain.

Add coconut, ginger, green chillies, curry leaves, shallots, red Chilli powder and turmeric powder in a small jar of mixer grinder and just grind it for just 2-3 pulses by adding 1 tbsp of water.

In a earthen pot ( Munchatti ), mix fish with crushed coconut mixture and add tamarind paste to it. Cook in medium flame by adding little water till it boils, then reduce the flame and cook covered for about 10 minutes. Then cook uncovered till almost all the water is evaporated. Finally add 2 tbsp of coconut oil and few curry leaves. Serve hot with plain rice!

FALOODA RECIPE

Falooda is a mixture of falooda sav, basil seeds, jelly crystals, nuts, fruits and ice cream. This is a perfect drink to beat the summer heat...

This recipe serves two...

Ingredients 

Falooda sev / Vermicelli : 1/4 cup

Chilled milk : 1 cup

Rose essence : few drops

Basil seeds : 3 tbsp

Sugar syrup : 4 tbsp

Strawberry jelly : 4 tbsp

Mixed fruits : 1/4 cup ( apple, banana, pineapple, mango etc )

Vanilla ice cream : 4 scoops

Chopped nuts : 1 tbsp

Method

Prepare slightly thick sugar syrup.

Make the strawberry jelly as per the directions given in the packet and keep it ready.

Soak the falooda seeds ( basil seeds ) in water till it bulges. Drain the excess water and keep aside.

Boil the falooda sav in milk till it cooks. Make sure it should not be mushy. Add few drops of rose essence, mix well and set aside.

Cut all the fruits into small pieces.

For serving, take a long glass, add 2 tbsp of sugar syrup in the bottom. Then add a spoonful of basil seeds on top of sugar syrup. Add falooda sev, strawberry jelly, chopped fruits and nuts on top one another...add chilled milk in between, top with ice cream. 

BEEF VARATTIYATHU - Malabar style

I think this recipe doesn't need much introduction. This is popular in Malabar region. People from other regions of Kerala are also familiar with this dish. BEEF VARATTIYATHU is always a big hit at our home. Whenever I made this for my guests, they loved this and finished it off. I made this for a Friday feast along with Jaipuri Pulao and Raita. If you used to make beef in another style, then definitely tryout my version.

Ingredients

Beef: cut 500 gms into cubes 

Ginger-Garlic paste: 1 tbsp

Whole pepper: 1/4 tsp

Chilly powder: 3 tsp

Coriander powder: 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder: 1 tsp

Coconut oil: 3 tbsp

Fenugreek seeds: 1/4 tsp

Fennel seeds: 1/4 tsp

Onion: 2 big

Green chillies: 3

Tomatoes: 2

Pepper powder: 1/4 tsp

Garam masala powder: 1/2 tsp

Shallots (Small onion): 5

Curry leaves: 2-3 sprigs 

Salt to taste

Method

Firstly mix together washed and drained beef with 1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp chilly powder, 1 tbsp coriander powder, whole pepper and salt. Pressure cook the beef by adding little water. Do not add more water. 1/4 cup of water is enough to cook the beef. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the beef cubes are done.

In an earthen pot (Munchatti), heat 2 tbsp of coconut oil and add fenugreek seeds. When it browns, add fennel seeds. When it starts to crackle, add sliced onion and saute till it becomes transparent. 

Add remaining ginger-garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes. Now add green chillies followed by remaining chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Saute in low flame and take care not to burn the masala powders.

Add chopped tomatoes, saute till it become mushy. Now add cooked beef with the water, mixwell and cook for 8-10 minutes covered. Open the lid and add pepper powder, garam masala powder and stir well.

In a small pan, heat remaining coconut oil and add chopped shallots. When shallots turns brown, add curry leaves and pour this to the beef gravy.

Beef varattiyathu is now ready to serve.