Beef Fry

Recipe No: 26

Ingredients                                                                Serves 6

To cook

• Beef cut into small cubes, washed and drained……1 1/2 lb
• Chilly Powder……………….1 ½ Teaspoon
• Coriander Powder………..2 Tablespoons
• Turmeric Powder………….1/2 Teaspoon
• Garam Masala Powder…1 Teaspoon
• Ginger Garlic Paste……….2 Teaspoons
• Pepper Powder…………….1/2 Teaspoon
• Vinegar………………………….1 Teaspoon
• Water…………………………….1/2 cup
• Salt as per taste

To Saute

• Sliced Coconut pieces……1/4 cup
• Onion sliced…………………..2 cup
• Shallots sliced……………….1/2 cup
• Ginger sliced………………….1 Tablespoon
• Garlic sliced…………………..1 Tablespoon
• Curry leaves………………….2-3 sprigs
• Oil…………………………………3 Tablespoons
• Coconut Oil……………………1 Teaspoon
• Garam Masala Powder….1/2 Teaspoon

Method of Preparation

1. Combine Beef, Chilly powder, Coriander powder, Turmeric powder, Garam Masala powder, Ginger Garlic paste, Salt, Pepper powder, Vinegar and water in a Pressure cooker and cook till done. The cooking time varies with the Pressure cooker and the tenderness of the beef. For a tender piece of meat in a good cooker  10 minutes in a medium temperature after the first whistle will be enough. If there is extra water when you open the cooker, boil and let the water evaporate completely.
2. Heat a shallow wide pan over medium heat and add oil.
3. When the oil is hot add the coconut pieces and fry till it is golden brown.
4. Add sliced Onions, Shallots, Sliced ginger and Garlic and 2 sprigs of Curry leaves and saute till everything is golden brown. Once this is added the coconut pieces will not brown any more.
5. Dump the cooked beef into the onion mixture and on medium heat fry them till a brown color is attained.
6. When it is almost done sprinkle a teaspoon of coconut oil, half a teaspoon of Garam Masala powder and some Curry leaves.(Don’t avoid this step as that gives a good flavor) Saute for a minute more and switch off the flame. It will become dark as it sits.

Notes: This can be made using only coconut oil. But if you don’t like that, use whatever oil you are using for sauteing, but don’t forget to add some coconut oil at the last moment.

Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and
serve it to your family with love...

Dragon Chicken

Recipe No: 25

When we were in Kerala for vacation last year, my brother took us to this awesome restaurant in Kottayam where they served Dragon Chicken as an appetizer. He selected this dish specially because his family likes it and he was sure that we will like it too… Oh boy!!! It was a real winner…. I tried to recreate it in that week itself, but the dish came much closer to the real one after many trials. So here it is friends, delicious Chinese style Dragon Chicken…just for you all to taste….

Ingredients                                                     Serves 4

For frying the Chicken

• Chicken breast cut into long thin stripes, washed and drained…1 cup ( heaping)
• Egg white……………1
• Corn flour…………..1 ½ Teaspoon
• Dark Soy Sauce…..1 Teaspoon
• Pepper powder….1/4 Teaspoon
• Salt…………………….A pinch
• Oil for deep frying

For Sauteing

• Oil……………………………………………2 Tablespoons
• Celery chopped……………………….1 Tablespoon (Optional)
• Garlic chopped…………………………2 Tablespoons
• Green/Spring Onion chopped….1/3 cup (White portion only)
• Green/ Spring onion chopped….1/3 cup (Green portion only)
• Red Chilly Paste……………………….1 Tablespoon (I used Sambal Oelek)
• Tomato Sauce………………………….3 Tablespoons
• Dark Soy Sauce…………………………1 Tablespoon
• Oyster sauce…………………………….1/2 Tablespoon
• Sugar………………………………………..1/2 Teaspoon
• Cashew pieces…………………………1/2 cup
• Salt if needed

Method of Preparation

1. Drain the chicken completely before starting. Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients in the marinade section except the oil.

2. Heat at least a cup of oil in a deep pan and deep fry the Chicken pieces in batches. Separate the pieces while you put it into the oil or they will stick together. Don’t crowd the oil, so make it in batches. If some of them are clumped, separate them once they are out of the oil. Frying will take only a few minutes as the pieces are very thin.
3. Toss the cashew pieces in a dry pan on a medium heat until a nice aroma comes. If you are using roasted Cashews then please avoid this step. Keep it aside for later use.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a shallow pan and saute Celery and Garlic for a minute. Follow this with the Spring onion whites. No need to saute it for long.
5. Now add Chilly sauce and fry for 30 seconds and add Tomato, Soy and Oyster sauces.
6. Mix well and add the fried Chicken and Cashew pieces. Toss well.
7. Adjust the salt and add the sugar.  Mix in half of the spring onion greens.
8. Serve hot decorated with the rest of the spring onion greens.

Notes: If Oyster Sauce is not available for, substitute it with one Tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce. That will taste good too.

Don’t use Ketchup instead of tomato sauce because of there sweetness. If you don’t have tomato sauce, use tomato puree. For that put a medium sized tomato in hot water till the skin cracks.  Peel off the skin and blend it.

Add more salt if needed only in the last stage as most of the sauces in this recipe contains salt.

Frying the chicken and making the sauce can be done ahead of time. But mix them together only just before you serve it.

 Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and

serve it to your family with love…

Okra/Lady's finger/Bhindi/ Vendakka Stew

Recipe No: 24

This is a dish from my mother’s kitchen. Back in the days she used to have many vegetables growing in her back yard. One of them was Okra/ Vendakka. I still remember her drying the seeds from ripe Okra to grow plants in the next season.

Ingredients                                                       Serves 4

• Okra/ Vendakka/ Lady's finger/ Bhindi washed, wiped dry and cut into 1cm. rounds……..1 ½ cup
• Onion sliced into thin long pieces………..1/2 small
• Ginger minced………………………………….1 Teaspoon
• Green Chilly sliced lengthwise…………….3-4
• Curry leaves……………………………………..2 sprigs
• Coconut oil………………………………………..2 Tablespoons
• Mustard seeds…………………………………..1/2 Teaspoon
• Chilly Powder…………………………………….1/4 Teaspoon
• Coriander Powder……………………………...1 Tablespoon
• Garam Masala Powder……………………….1/2 Teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder………………………………1/4 Teaspoon
• Water ………………………………………………..1-11/4 Cup
• Thick Coconut milk……………………………..3/4 Cup
• Salt as per taste

Method of Preparation

1. Preparing Okra needs a bit of a care. Wash them well, wipe and dry at least one hour before cutting. The best way is to wash and dry them when you bring them home from the market itself. Completely drying them will reduce the slime considerably.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and allow spluttering.
3. Add Okra, Onion, Ginger, Green Chilly, Curry leaves and salt and saute till the slime disappears completely.
4. Lower the heat to medium low and add Chiily powder, Coriander powder, Garam Masala powder and Turmeric powder and saute till the raw smell is gone for a minute.
5. Add water so that it covers the okra pieces, close the pan and let it cook on medium heat for 10-12 minutes.
6. Once cooked add coconut milk and let it boil along the sides.
7. Turn off the flame and serve it hot with Chappathi. 

 

 Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and

serve it to your family with love...

Naan

Recipe No: 23

Ingredients                                                    Serves 6

• All Purpose Flour/ Maida…..3 Cups
• Milk…………………………………….160ml
• Yeast…………………………………..1 Teaspoon
• Egg……………………………………..1
• Curd……………………………………2 Tablespoons
• Sugar…………………………………..2 Tablespoons
• Salt as per taste
• Butter as needed
• A few drops of oil

Method of Preparation

1. Heat milk till a lukewarm temperature is reached. It should be warm to the touch and not hot. Dissolve Sugar and Yeast in the milk and keep covered for 5 to 10 minutes. By this time the mixture should be frothy showing yeast activity. If it is not, either your yeast is not good or you killed the yeast by putting it in hot milk. In both  of the cases it is better to start over again.
2. Mix Flour, Egg, Yogurt, Salt and the Yeast mixture and knead it for about 5 to 10 minutes. If you have a stand mixture, knead it on 2nd speed for 5 minutes. If you don’t have one, after mixing everything dump it onto a floured surface and  knead for 10 minutes.
3. Keep this dough in a big lightly oiled bowl covered with a damp cloth in a warm place till it is doubled in size for 1 ½ to 2 hours.
4. Once it is doubled in size, punch it down and let it rise for another half hour.
5. Divide this into 8 to 10 equal portions. Roll each of them into 1/4th of a centimeter in thickness. Place it on a paper towel, cover with another towel and let it rest for 5 minutes.
6. Heat a flat pan really hot. Reduce the flame to medium and place the Naan on the pan. Once you see the bubbles turn it and wait for some more bubbles. Then crank up the heat to the highest possible on your stove and turn the Naan once more. Press the top with a spatula.  At this stage the Naan will really puff up turn once more and let it finish cooking. (Till you get a nice brown color here and there.)
7. Take the Naan out of the pan and rub with cold butter and serve hot.

Notes: The doubling time for the dough will depend on the power of the yeast and the temperature of the surroundings. So please wait till the dough doubles in your cooking conditions.
After rolling the Naan out you can put some chopped coriander leaves and garlic and roll lightly and then cook to get a garlic Naan. If you want only a slight Garlic taste, cut the top of a Garlic clove and rub it on to the Naan when it is still hot.
You can make Naan in the oven at a very high temperature but I like this because it can be made without an oven.

If this amount of the dough is too much for your family take the extra dough after punching it down, store it in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. Thaw it and allow it to rise for the second time whenever you want.

If your Naan somehow went cold before serving heat it in a microwave for 30 seconds.
 



 Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love.....

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Recipe No: 22

Ingredients

• Mushroom Caps sliced……15 big ones (If the mushrooms are small use more. I used

                                                         Button Mushrooms. Separate the Caps and the stems)

• Butter…………………………….3 Tablespoons
• Flour/ Maida…………………..3 Tablespoons
• Mushroom stock…………….2 ½ cups (Recipe follows)
• Cream…………………………...1 cup
• Spring Onion chopped……..2 Tablespoons (optional)

Method of Preparation

1. Wash, peel and slice the Mushroom caps. Reserve the stems and the peels to make the stock.
2. Heat butter in a pan on medium high heat and saute the mushroom slices till brown. Mushrooms tend to absorb the butter. If you add more Butter it will absorb more. But once fried it will release the butter back into the pan. So I will advice not to add more butter than said in the recipe.
3. Add the flour and saute on medium heat till the raw smell is gone for around 4 minutes.
4. Add the Mushroom stock and mix well so that there are no lumps. Allow it to boil for 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Add cream and spring onion (if using) and allow boiling along the edges.
6. Switch off the flame and serve hot.

Ingredients to make Mushroom stock

• Oil………………………………..2 Tablespoon
• Onion chopped……………1/3 cup
• Celery chopped……………1/2 a stalk
• Spring Onion………………..5 no
• Mushroom stems………..15 no. (Chopped)
• Water…………………………..3 cup
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and saute Onion, Celery, Spring onion and Mushroom stems till the mushroom stems are brown in color. Sauteing till brown is essential as it imparts the rich brown color to the stock.
2. Add Salt, Pepper and Water, close the lid and allow the pressure cooker to whistle once. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 30 to 45 minutes. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, simmer it for one hour. In that case add more water.
3. Once the pressure is cooled strain the stock. Don’t squeeze the vegetables very hard.
4. This will yield around 2 ½ cups.

Notes: Instead of Cream it is perfectly okay to use half and half or fat free evaporated milk. Using regular milk or reduced fat milk will make the soup a bit on the brown side, but still that too will taste good.

 

Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and
serve it to your family with love…

Fish Sticks With Yogurt- Mayonnaise Dipping Sauce

Recipe No: 21

Ingredients

• Fish without bones (Fillet)…….1/2 lb
• Lemon Juice………………………..1 Tablespoon
• Salt………………………………….…1/2 Teaspoon
• Pepper………………………………..1/4 Teaspoon
• Egg………………………………….….1
• Water………………………………….1 Tablespoon
• Bread Crumbs…………………...…1/2 cup
• Oil for deep frying

Method of Preparation

1. Cut the fish into thin strips, approximately the length of a finger. Wash and drain.
2. Marinate the Fish with Lemon Juice, Salt and Pepper and keep in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours. Keeping the fish that long in the marinade will help the fish absorb all the flavors. More than 8 hours will make the fish tough.
3. Beat an Egg with a tablespoon of water.
4. Dip the fish in the Egg and then in the breadcrumbs. Repeat this with all of the fish pieces.
5. Heat the oil on medium high heat and fry the fish fingers till golden brown.
6. Drain the excess oil on a paper towel and serve hot with the dipping sauce.

Ingredients for the dipping sauce

• Mayonnaise………………………..….1/4 cup
• Yogurt…………………………………..1/4 cup
• Green/Spring Onion chopped…..2 Tablespoons
• Dried Dill (Optional)………………..A Dash
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Mix all the ingredients together.
2. Serve it with hot fish sticks.

Notes: Any fish that has a thick flesh can be used. Here I used Tilapia fillets.

The fish sticks in the picture are a bit on the darker side as I used homemade Whole Wheat bread crumbs. Use white bread crumbs for a lighter color.

Use Panko Bread Crumbs (Japanese bread crumbs) for a more crispy texture.

Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and

serve it to your family with love....

Red Velvet Cup Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe No: 19

This is a kind of chocolate cake that happened to be my son’s favorite. It’s one of the few cakes that use a combination of Baking soda and Vinegar as the leavening agent.  Apart from the striking color of this cake, it’s mildly flavored with a real good frosting.  The Red Velvet Cupcake tastes the best with the Cream Cheese frosting. It can be made easily without any fancy electric equipment.

Ingredients For The Cake

• All purpose flour………………1 ¼ cup
• Sugar……………..………………..3/4 cup
• Baking Soda……………………..1/2 Teaspoon
• Salt…………………………………1/4 Teaspoon
• Cocoa Powder…………………..2 Tablespoons
• Vegetable Oil……………..…….1/2 Cup
• Thin Yogurt……………………..3/4 cup (Combine ½ cup Yogurt with ¼ cup                                                                                                                 water) 
• Egg………………………………….2 Large
• Red Food Coloring…..………..1/2 Tablespoon (Beet juice from a can also works                                                                                                    perfect)
• White Vinegar…………….……1/2 Teaspoon
• Vanilla Extract…………..…….1/2 Teaspoon

Method of Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F/180˚C.
2. Line a large Muffin/Cup Cake pan with baking cups. (Paper cups that usually holds cup cakes) Spray all the cups with a non stick spray (butter or canola oil based) evenly.
3. Sift flour. Combine together Flour, Sugar, Baking Soda, Cocoa and Salt and keep aside.
4. Beat together Oil, thinned Yogurt, Eggs, Vinegar, Vanilla Extract and Food Coloring.
5. Combine both Flour and Oil mixture till just combined without any lumps. Don’t over mix. The cake will become dry and tough.
6. Pour equal amounts of the batter into the prepared cups. Don’t fill more than 3/4th
7. Bake till a toothpick inserted into the middle of each cupcake comes clean.
8. This will take 18 to 22 minutes depending on your oven.
9. Let the cakes cool before applying the frosting.

Cream Cheese frosting
Ingredients

• Cream Cheese………………….One 8 oz packet (at room temperature)
• Butter……………………………..1 Stick/ 8 Tablespoons (at room temperature)
• Vanilla Extract………………….1 Teaspoon
• Powdered Sugar………..………2 cups (sifted)

Method of Preparation

1. Beat together Cream Cheese, Butter and Vanilla Extract till light and fluffy.
2. Add the powdered sugar slowly. When the sugar is almost combined, beat everything on a medium speed until fluffy.
3. Spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes and decorate as you wish.
4. Serve it at room temperature.

Notes: Always use room temperature ingredients.
After adding flour don't beat too much. That will develop Gluten in the flour which makes the cake more bread like.
This will yield around 15 Cupcakes or one 8 inch cake.
Don’t put this cake in a refrigerator. It will stay at room temperature for at least 3 days. Try to finish it before that. In case if you chill it, let it come to the room temperature before serving.

 



Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love....