Crispy Squid | Fried Calamari - Restaurant style !!!

An easy starter that everyone will love.  We can twist this recipe by adding different spices each time.  

Ingredients :

1. Squid rings - 250 gms
2. Egg, beaten - 1 no
3. All purpose flour - 1/4 cup
4. Salt to taste
5. Dried parsley - 1/2 tsp
6. Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Cornflour - 1 tbsp
8. Red chilly powder, to taste 
9. Baking powder - 1 tsp
10. Bread crumbs
11. Curry leaves

Method :

1.  Clean the squid rings and dry them in the kitchen towel.

2.  Beat the egg and add little salt.  Add the squid rings and mix them gently.

3.  In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cornflour, salt, parsley, garlic powder, baking powder, red chilly powder and salt to taste.  Keep aside.

4.  Keep bread crumbs in a separate bowl.

5.  Heat oil in the frying pan.

6.  Take the squid rings from the egg mixture, first dip them in the flour mixture and again in the egg mixture and finally, in the bread crumbs.  Deep fry the squids in the oil till crispy on either side over medium low heat.

7.  Finally, fry the curry leaves and garnish them over fried squids before serving.

Enjoy!!!

Ribbon Pakoda

Ribbon pakoda is very simple to make and also a famous snack recipe for Diwali snacks.  This ribbon pakoda or ribbon murukku recipe needs rice flour, besan and milk spices like chilly and cumin.  

Ingredients :

1. Par Boiled rice - 4 cups
2. Red chillies- 12 nos
3. Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp
4. Garlic - 6 pods
5. Salt to taste
6. Gram flour - 2 cups (approximately)
7. Butter - 2 tbsp
8. Oil for deep frying

Method :

1.  Soak the rice for at least 4 hours.  

2.  Coarsely grind the red chillies, cumin seeds and garlic.  Keep the spice mix aside.

3.  In a wet grinder, add rice and coarsely grounded spice mix.  Grind them to smooth paste.  Add very little water.  Batter should be thick.

4.  In the batter, add gram flour, salt and butter.  Knead it as a dough.

5.  Heat oil for deep frying in the kadai.

6.  Add a portion of dough in the murukku press and make a round layer in hot oil.

7.  When it is done on one side flip this carefully to another side.

8.  When the sizzling sound subsides take it out from the oil and drain the excess oil in a kitchen towel.

9.  Repeat this for the remaining dough. 

Note :

1.  Proportion of gram flour, depends upon the consistency of the rice batter.  Add more gram flour, if the rice batter is thin.

Irish Tea Cake

This is a pretty, simple and very delicious moist cake that is great with coffee or tea.  Soaking the sultans in the tea water overnight is recommended but I made it instantly.  Try this cake with nuts for variations.

Ingredients :

1. All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups
2. Baking powder - 1 tsp
3. Tea water - 1 cup
4. Sultanas - 2 cups 
5. Eggs - 2. nos
6. Butter, melted - 125 gms (in room temperature)
7. Sugar - 3/4 cup
8. Milk - 1/4 cup

Method :

1.  Preheat the oven at 190 C.  Grease and line up the baking pan with parchment paper.

2.  Sieve the flour and baking powder.  Keep aside.

3.  In a mixing bowl, add sultanas, tea water, melted butter, eggs, sugar and milk.  Mix well.

4.  Add the dry ingredients and gently fold the mixture.

5.  Pour the prepared mixture into the baking pan.  Bake it for 1hr 10 mins or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Serve and enjoy !!

Simple n Quick Chickpea Sundal !!

Make this simple & delicious sundal using dried chick peas or canned one.

Ingredients :

1. Dried Chick pea - 1 cup
2. Oil - 1 tsp
3. Ghee - 1/2 tsp
4. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
6. Red chillies - 2 no
7. A pinch of hing
8. Curry leaves 
9. Onion, finely chopped - 1 large sized
10. Salt to taste
11. Grated coconut / Desiccated coconut - 1 tbsp

Method :

1.  Soak the chick pea in the water - preferably overnight.

2.  Pressure cook the chick pea with salt & turmeric powder.

3.  Heat oil & ghee in the pan, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, red chillies, hing, curry leaves and chopped onion.  Saute till tender.

4.  Add cooked chick peas and salt to taste.

5.  Finally, add desiccated coconut.

Yummy!!!

Pidi Kozhukattai !!

Steam cooked sweet kozhukattai made with rice flour, jaggery and cardamom as main ingredients. It is simple to make and quite healthy too. It can be made as a evening snack and also it is one of the dish (prasatham) we make for vinayagar chaturthi.

Ingredients :

1. Raw rice - 1 cup
2. Water - 2 cups
3. Jaggery powder - 1 cup (to taste)
4. Coconut powder - 1 tbsp, optional
5. Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
6. A pinch of salt
7. Chopped cashew nuts - 1 tbsp
8. Oil - 1 tsp

Method :

1.  Soak the rice for at least one hour.  Grind them to smooth paste using 1 cup of water.

2.  Mix together jaggery powder and another cup of water.  Warm till dissolved.

3.  Filter the dissolved jaggery water and pour the water back in the pan.

4.  Add grounded rice paste and keep stirring.

5.  Add coconut powder, cardamom powder, pinch of salt , oil & chopped nuts. Keep stirring, until the batter leaves the pan.

6.  Transfer the batter to a separate dish and allow them to cool down little bit.

7.  Wet the hands and take a dollop of batter and shape them like kozhukattai.

8.  Stream cook them for 10 mins or until done.

Enjoy!!!

Javvarisi payasam recipe | Sago Kheer | Sabudana Payasam - Delicious & Creamy !!

Javvarisi payasam is my special and easy kheer preparation, which I make very often during the festival season.  Instead of sugar, we can use Jaggery powder for healthier version.  I used a tbsp of condensed milk for richness, which is optional.  Try this quick naivedyam, as a offerings for the pooja.

Ingredients :

1. Sago | Sabudana - 1/4 cup
2. Water - 1 cup
3. Full cream milk - 2 cups
4. Sugar - 1/4 cup
5. Sweetened condensed milk - 1 tbsp
6. Ghee - 1 tsp
7. Nuts - 2 tbsp (Cashewnuts, almonds, raisins)
8. Few strands of saffron
9. Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp 

Method :

1.  Soak the sago for at least one hour.

2.  Pour a cup of water in a pan and add sago.  Cook for 10 mins over medium flame.

3.  Add 2 cups of full cream milk and cook for 5 more mins.

4.  Add sweetened condensed milk, saffron strands and stir.

5.  Add ghee in a separate pan, roast the nuts.  Add the roasted nuts to the kheer. 

6.  Finally, add cardamom powder and switch off the flame.

Enjoy the deliciousness either warm or cold.

Paneer Bhurji

Paneer Bhurji is a popular north indian dish made from scrambled paneer.Its a very quick recipe which does not take much time to prepare.It can be relish with bread, pav, rotis, naan orparantha,It is loved by all people of all ages.

Ingredients :

1. Oil - 1 tbsp
2. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
3. Onion, finely chopped - 2 medium sized
4. Tomatoes, chopped - 2 medium sized
5. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
7. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
8. Green chillies, slit - 2 nos
9. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
10. Paneer, scrambled - 200 gms
11. Dry fenugreek leaves - 1 tbsp
12. Coriander leaves, for garnishing

Method :

1.  Heat oil in the pan, add cumin seeds and finely chopped onions.  Saute till tender.

2.  Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, green chillies and salt to taste.  Saute.

3.  Add finely chopped tomatoes and chilly powder.  Cover and cook for 10 mins over low flame.

4.  Add garam masala, dry fenugreek leaves and crumbled paneer.  Cover and cook for few more mins.

5.  Garnish it with coriander leaves.  

Enjoy it with roots/naan.

Homemade Donuts - Just delicious !!

Homemade donuts are perfect yeast doughnuts, are easy to make with this right recipe.   This soft and fluffy doughnuts can be dipped with powdered sugar glazing or cinnamon sugar or chocolate sauce or any of your favourite toppings.  This should be best eaten on the same day.  

Ingredients :

1. All purpose flour - 250 gms
2. Salt - 1/4 tsp
3. Milk - 70 ml
4. Luke warm water - 50 ml
5. Active dry yeast - 1 sachet (7 gms)
6. Sugar - 1 tbsp
7. Butter - 1 tbsp

Topping : (optional)

1. Cinnamon sugar 
2. Toffee sauce

Method:

1.   Combine luke warm water, sugar and dry yeast together.  Rest the mixture for 10 mins or until the yeast gets activated.

2.  In a mixing bowl, add milk, egg, salt, activated yeast mixture and flour.  Knead the dough until smooth.

3.  Add butter (room temperature) to the dough and continue kneading for another 5 mins over high speed.  Rest the dough in a warm place for 30 mins.  Knead the dough and rest them for another 30 mins.

4.  Take the dough and roll them flat using rolling pin.  Cut the doughnuts and rest them for another 15 mins to rise.

5.  Heat oil in a pan, deep fry the doughnuts in a slow flame till brown on either side.   Remove & drain the excess oil on a paper towel.

6.  Glaze the doughnuts with cinnamon sugar or toffee sauce or chocolate sauce or your favourite topping.

Serve them immediately. 

Jackfruit Halwa (Using Canned Fruit) - Delicious treat !!!

Try this yummy and simple halwa using canned jackfruit.  Jackfruit is pureed and them cooked along with the milk and sugar.  Adding nuts and saffron makes this sweet rich, creamy and extremely delicious.  Special thanks to Madhu for sharing your mom's recipe.

Ingredients :

1. Jackfruit - 500 gms, canned
2. Ghee - 2 tbsp
3. Cashew nuts
4. Whole milk - 2 cups
5. Sugar - 1/4 cup
6. Saffron - few strands
7. Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Method :

1.  Strain the Jackfruit from the can.  Puree the jackfruit.

2.  Heat ghee in the pan, fry cashew nuts and keep aside.

3.  In the same pan, add pureed jackfruit and saute.

4.  Add Milk and cook them over medium low heat for 15 mins or until thickened.

5.  Add sugar and cook them for few more mins.

6.  Once the halwa consistency has reached, add cardamom powder and roasted cashew nuts.  Serve.

Enjoy warm or chill.

Nutella Popsicles - Delicious treat !!!

Try this new way to indulge in Nutella.  It's creamy, silky and smooth Nutella goodness frozen into popsicles.  Make them right now and enjoy the deliciousness with your kids.

Ingredients :

1. Nutella - 3/4 cup
2. Sweetened condensed milk - 1 cup
3. Whole milk - 2 cups
4. Heavy cream - 1 cup

Method :

1.  Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

2.  Pour mixture into popsicles moods and freeze them overnight.

Enjoy....

Green beans stir fry - Mildy spicy!!!

Simple, delicious and healthy green bean stir fry is perfect with rice.  By adding more red chillies, will make this dish more spicy.  Addition of coconut makes this simple dish exquisite.

Ingredients :

1. Green beans - 200 gms
2. Water - 1/2 cup
3. Oil - 2 tsp
4. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
6. Urad dal - 1 tsp
7. Red chillies - 3 nos
8. Curry leaves
9. Onion, finely chopped - 1 no
10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Grated coconut - 2 tsp

Method :

1.  Boil 1/2 cup water in the pan. Add chopped green beans and salt to taste.  Cook until done.  Keep aside.

2.  Heat oil in the pan, add urad dal, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and finely chopped onion.  Saute till tender.

3.  Add curry leaves, turmeric powder and salt to taste.

4.  Add cooked green beans and saute.

5.  Finally, add grated coconut and switch off the flame.

Serve with rice.

Grated Ginger and Garlic Pickle !!!

This simple and spicy pickle is packed full of fresh garlic & ginger chunks blended with tangy spice powder.  

Ingredients :

1. Garlic pods, chopped - 1/2 cup (peeled)
2. Grated ginger (peeled) - 1/2 cup
3. Oil - 1/3 cup
4. Vinegar - 2 tbsp
5. Salt to taste
6. Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp (or to taste)
7. Mustard powder - 1/2 tsp ( Dry roasted & grounded)
8. Fenugreek powder - 1/2 tsp ( Dry roasted & powdered)

Method :

1.   Heat oil in the deep frying pan, add garlic and fry them until half cooked.  Remove the garlic and set aside.

2.   In the same oil, deep fry the ginger and keep aside along with the fried garlic.  Switch off the flame.

3.  When the oil is luke warm, add red chilly powder, salt, fried garlic, ginger,  mustard powder and fenugreek powder.  Cover the pan and set aside for few hours.

4.  Once the pickle is completely cooled, add vinegar and store it an air tight container.

Enjoy the pickle with rice.

Hot n Sweet Mango Chutney (using Jaggery) - Healthy Version !!!

This sweet and spicy mango chutney will add a kick to any favorite dish of yours. Indulge in this seasonal delicacy!

Ingredients :

1. Raw mango, cut into pieces with skin on - 1 cup
2. Jaggery - 3/4 cup
3. Water - 1/4 cup
4. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
5. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
6. A pinch of salt

Method :

1. Pressure cook the mango pieces in 1/4 cup of water along with red chilly powder, cumin powder and salt.

2.  Meanwhile melt the jaggery in 1/4 cup of water and filter them.

3.  Add the melted jaggery to the mango mixture and cook them over medium heat until the mixture resembles like a jam.  

4.  Allow the mixture to cool completely before storing them in the air-tight container.

Serve with rice, rotis or bread.