Saturday, December 26, 2015

Kerala Plum Cake Recipe / Christmas Fruit Cake Recipe / Rum Flavored Plum Cake Recipe


Everyone will be busy with Christmas preparation and i cant post my plum cake recipe before Christmas. In my childhood days, my dad bought plum cake from store for every Christmas, but after marriage i miss that and i cannot find a good plum cake in my locality. so this time i searched for many plum cake recipes and found a perfect recipe. I baked it on Christmas Eve and it came out very well. My friends tasted and said that the cake is very tasty and perfect. I hope you will try this recipe and enjoy with your family
Prep time: 5 days for soaking
Cook time: 45 mins
Total time: 5 days and 45 mins

Ingredients:
For soaking:
Dates - 1/2 cup chopped finely
Dry Apricot - 1/2 cup chopped finely
Prunes / Dry Plums - 1/2 cup chopped finely
Dry cherries - 1/2 cup chopped finely
Raisins - 1/2 cup chopped finely
Nuts - 1 cup chopped finely ( Almonds, Walnuts, Cashews )
Tutti frutti - 1/2 cup
Rum Flavor Imitation - 1 1/2 cup
All purpose flour - 3 tbsp for tossing
For caramel syrup:
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/4 cup
Other Ingredients:
Butter - 1 1/4 cup
Sugar - 1 1/4 cup
Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
Eggs - 3
All purpose flour - 2 cups
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg - 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Clove powder - 1/2 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Dr ginger powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Step by step pictures:

Finely chop the dry fruits and nuts


Add Rum flavor to the dry fruits and nuts,soak them 


Soaked dry fruits and nuts


Add all purpose flour to the dry fruits


Toss the flour well


Take butter in a bowl


Add sugar to the bowl


Add Vanilla extract to it


Beat it well with a electric beater


Creamy texture after beating 


Add eggs to it


Pic after beating the eggs


Take sugar in a pan and follow the instruction in step no 5 and form a caramel syrup


Adding caramel syrup 


Add first batch of flour


pic after mixing the flour


Add in remaining caramel syrup


Add remaining flour to it


Pic after adding 2 nd batch of flour



Add in spice powders and salt


Add baking soda and baking powder


Mix it well


Add soaked dry fruits and nuts to it.


Fold it well gently


Grease the baking tray with butter


Transfer the mixture to a tray and bake for 45 minutes


Insert a tooth pick, if it come out clean then cake is ready


Method:
1.Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C
2. Combine all the dry fruits and soak them in a rum flavor for at least one day. I soaked it for 5 days.
3. Extract the rum from the dry fruits and toss it with 3 tbsp of all purpose flour.
4. Grease the baking tray with butter well.
5. Take 1/2 cup of sugar in a non stick pan and heat in a medium heat. The sugar will slowly start to melt and turn in to a brown color.  Now remove from the heat and add water. It will crystallize again so heat till the sugar dissolve and become watery. Now the caramel syrup is ready.
6. In a wide bowl, take butter, sugar and vanilla extract. Beat it well with the electric beater till creamy.
7. Add eggs and again beat it well. Now add 1/2 of caramel syrup and 1 cup of all purpose flour and beat it well.
8. Now add remaining caramel syrup and another 1 cup of all purpose flour, Beat it well.
9.  Now add baking powder, baking soda and spice powders and mix it well.
10. Add the dry fruits and mix it well by a folding method gently.
11. Transfer everything to a greased tray and bake it for 45  to 50 minutes. Insert a tooth pick inside a cake and if it comes clean then the cake is ready.


Monday, December 21, 2015

Soy Bundle Recipe


Soya chunks are odorless and tasteless food item, but this unique food is high in nutritional and full of rich proteins. Soya chunks are also called as soya nuggets. Soya nuggets provides a good amount of vitamins, minerals,fiber and protein for growing children. It also contains high amount of fiber, it helps in loosing weight as well. But it is impossible to make our kids to eat this nutritional food, so thought of preparing a attractive snack. This is very easy to prepare  and tasty with hot tea or coffee.

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hr 15 mins
Ingredients:
Puff pastry sheet - 1
Wheat flour - for dusting
For Stuffing:
Soya chunks - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Green chili - 1
Tomato - 1, chopped
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Cilantro - few
Salt to taste
Butter - 1 tbsp

Method:
1. Take the sheets of puff pastry out and thaw them at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
2. Boil water with little amount of salt, add soya chunks in water for 2 minutes. Drain the water and squeeze excess of water. 
3. Add these squeezed soya chunks in a mixer and grind it. Now shredded soya chunks is ready.
4. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and onion, saute till it turns translucent. Add curry leaves and ginger garlic paste , saute till the raw smell leaves.
5. Now add green chili and tomato, saute till it turns mushy. 
6. Add all the spice powders and Shredded soya chunks. Give a good mix.
7. Add salt and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes. Garnish with cilantro, now the stuffing is ready.
8. Preheat the oven to 350F.
9.Lay out a puff pastry sheet on a floor and using a round cutter, cut round shapes in a sheet and stuff the soya chunk masala in the center and form it into a bundle shape.
10. Brush the butter on top of it. Place them on a greased tray and bake it for about 40 minutes.
11. Now soy bundle is ready, serve it with ketchup or green chutney.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Roasted Phool Makhana / Roasted Fox nuts / Roasted Lotus seeds


Looking for a healthy and quick evening snack, try this roasted phool makhana / Fox nut. It takes only 7 to 10 minutes to prepare. Phool makhana / fox nut  is good for health.  Fox nuts are considered superior to nuts such as almonds, cashews etc. It is high on antioxidant, fiber and low on saturated fats and Sodium. 
Cook time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
Phool makhana / Fox nuts / Lotus seeds - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
chaat masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
1.Heat oil in a pan, add lotus seeds and roast till it turns crispy.
2. Add all the spice powders, salt and give a good mix till all the seeds are well coated by masala.
3. Sprinkle chaat masala before serving. Serve it with hot tea.

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Ghee pongal recipe / Ven pongal recipe/ Khara pongal recipe


Venpongal is a most popular south Indian dish hat we often prepare for breakfast. In temple, they offer venpongal as prasadham and also most of them offer venpongal as neivedhiyam to God in festival days. In most restaurants, they have a combo of venpongal, sambar, chutney and vada in their menu. The taste of rice and dal with ghee and seasonings will give a excellent taste. Try in your home and pour your comments.
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
Raw rice - 1 cup
Moong dal - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Ginger - 1 inch piece (chopped)
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Peppercorns - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Cashews - few
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt to taste
Water - 6 cups

Method:
1. Heat i tbsp of ghee in a cooker, Roast the moong dal for 2 minutes and then add rice to it.
2. Add 6 cups of water and enough salt, close the lid of cooker.
3. Cook for 3 whistles. Remove the lid after pressure gone.
4. Heat remaining ghee in a pan, Temper with ginger, asafoetida, cumin seeds, peppercorns, cashews and curry leaves.
5. Add it to the cooked rice and dal. Mix it well.
6. Serve hot with sambar.

Monday, December 14, 2015

Semiya Payasam / Vermicelli kheer / Sweet Vermicelli Pudding


Last Saturday afternoon, I thought of preparing a small veg feast for my family. My husband always like veg dishes especially the combination of sambar, Avial, Tomato Pachadi and Appalam. So i prepared all these dishes, moreover how it can be a feast without a dessert. I prepared my favorite Semiya payasam. It is the easiest dessert to prepare with awesome taste. I always prepare MTR vermicelli kheer mix which i like very much but this i tried on my own without any mix and it came out very well too. I hope you prepare this on any special occasions and enjoy with your family:-)
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Total time: 45 mins

Ingredients:
Ghee - 4 tbsp
Cashews - few
Raisins - few
Vermicelli / Semiya -3/4 cup
Milk - 2 cups
Cardamom pods - 2
Sugar - 1 1/4 cup

Method:
1.Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a pan, roast the cashews and raisins. Remove them from a pan and keep it aside.
2. In a same pan, roast the vermicelli / semiya for 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Add 1/2 cup of boiled milk to it and allow the vermicelli to cook. 
4. When the vermicelli is cooked well, add another 1 1/2 cups of milk to it.
5. Add cardamom pods and sugar to the milk and cook in low flame for 20 to 25 minutes.
6. The milk will get reduced to certain amount. Now add the remaining ghee, roasted cashews, raisins and Saffron.
7. Give a good mix and switch off the flame. Serve hot or chilled.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Chocolate Coffee Cupcake Recipe


One day evening, suddenly i felt craving for chocolate but i don't have any chocolates in home:-(. I had cocoa powder so thought of making chocolate cup cake. While taking my cocoa powder container from my shelf, coffee powder also sitting next to it and i got an idea of combining cocoa and coffee powder which resulted in delicious and moist chocolate coffee cupcake. It is very easy to prepare and the taste is awesome with tasty whip cream. Kiddos will sure fall for it and ask you to make it often. 
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
All purpose flour / Maida - 1 cup
Cocoa Powder - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Powdered sugar - 3/4 cup
Melted Butter - 1/2 cup
Milk  - 1/4 cup
Coffee powder - 2 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Whip cream for topping

Method:
1.In a large mixing bowl, Combine milk and coffee powder. Add butter to it and mix it well.
2. Now add all the dry ingredients and beat it well with spoon or use electric beater.
3. Preheat the oven to 350F.
4. Grease the cup cake moulds and place it in a muffin tray
5. Now pour the batter into each mould and bake it for about 12 - 15 minutes.
6. Serve with whip cream topping.

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Fish Tikka Recipe


Last night I planned Fish for dinner, thought of something spicy and healthy. So tried Fish tikka and it came out very well. Seriously it is a very easy recipe and i used just 1 tsp of oil to prepare this.  Those who are looking for healthy at the same time tasty recipe, prepare this fish tikka and enjoy it. 
Prep time: 2 mins
Marination time: 2 hour
Cook time: 15 mins

Ingredients:
Tilapia fish fillets - 2 ( cube into small pieces)
Bell pepper / Capsicum - 1/2 ( cube into small pieces)
Onion - 1/2 ( Cube into small pieces)
Thick Yogurt - 2 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
Red chili powder - 1 1/2  tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Chaat masala - 1 tsp
salt to taste
Oil -1 tsp

Method:
1.In a large mixing bowl, add yogurt, all the spice powders, salt and lemon juice. Mix it well.
2. Add Fish pieces, onion and bell pepper to the masala and give a good mix till the fish pieces are coated well with masala.
3. Refrigerate it for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 350F.
4. In a tray, Place the silver foil and grease it with oil. 
5. Put the fish,bell pepper and onion on to wooden skewers alternatively. Place the wooden skewers on tray and bake it for 15 mins.
6. Sprinkle chaat masala over it and Serve hot with green chutney.