Egg Noodles

Recipe No:77
This dish makes use of egg noodles that are available in the market. Generally these come without taste makers. Here in this dish I am using only egg but it you want to use shredded Chicken, fried Prawns or Sausage go ahead. That will give a different but very delectable taste.

Ingredients                                      Serves 4

• Egg noodles (Long variety)….200 gm (2 oz)
• Garlic chopped…………………..1 Tablespoon
• Carrot……………………………….1 Small (Slice into thin long pieces)
• Beans……………………………....10 No (Slice into thin long pieces)
• Cabbage……………………………1 Cup (Shredded into thin long pieces)
• Onion……………………………….1/2 Small (Slice into thin long pieces)
• Spring Onion……………………..3 No (Slice into thin long pieces)
• Egg…………………………………..2
• Vegetable Oil………………….....3 Tablespoons
• Red Pepper Flakes……………..1/2 Teaspoon (or more if you want)
• Hoisin Sauce…………………..…2 Tablespoons
• Soy Sauce………………………….2 Tablespoons
• Sesame Oil………………………...1 Tablespoon (Optional)
• Salt and Pepper if needed.

Method of Preparation

1. Boil at least 6 cups of water in a pot over high heat with 1 Tablespoon of salt. Put the noodles into the boiling water and cook till it is done. Time of cooking will be on the back of the cover. Take care not to overcook. Drain and wash it immediately with cold water and keep it aside till ready to be used.
2. Heat Oil in a pan and saute Garlic and Red pepper flakes for 30 seconds followed by Carrot, Beans, Cabbage and Onion. Saute on high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. It should be still crispy.
3. Move all the Vegetables to the sides of the pan and crack the eggs to the middle of the pan and immediately scramble. Once scrambled, mix the Egg with the Vegetables on the side of the pan.
4. Add the cooked Noodles, Soy sauce, Hoisin Sauce and Sesame Oil and mix well.
5. Check for Salt and Pepper and add if needed.  Finish off the dish with Spring Onions.

Notes:

• Egg Noodles is available in most of the grocery stores. But I like to use the ones from Chinese stores and other International Grocery stores, where you get dry egg noodles  just like Top Ramen Noodles...but without the taste maker. Look for long and thin Egg noodles that are bundled into blocks  and not the variety that comes in all sort of shapes and sizes.
• Hoisin Sauce is present in most of the Grocery stores in the Asian Isle. This sauce is a bit on the sweeter side and it is perfectly okay to use some extra sauce if you like it.

 





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

Marble Cake

Recipe No: 76
This is one of my favorite cakes and the best Marble cake that I ever ate is from the Ann’s Bakery back in Kerala. (The one that I mentioned in one of my older posts about Chicken Sandwich) That was moist, perfectly sweet, served plain without icing and above all it had a perfect balance between the Chocolate and Vanilla.  In most of the other cases the Chocolate will be so overpowering with Vanilla falling short. This is my take on Marble cake… well I should admit that this is the result of my effort to imitate Marble Cake from Ann's.

Ingredients                                Makes two 8 inch cakes

• All purpose flour/ Maida……2 ¼ Cups
• Baking powder…………………2 Teaspoons
• Salt…………………………………1/4 Teaspoon
• Unsalted butter………………..1/2 Cup (1 Stick)
• Vegetable Oil……………………1/4 Cup
• Sugar……………………………...1 ¾ Cups
• Large Eggs……………………….2 (At room temperature)
• Vanilla extract………………….2 Teaspoons
• Milk or Heavy cream…….…..1 Cup
• Hot water……………………..…3 Tablespoons
• Chocolate Powder…………….2 Tablespoons
• Instant Coffee Powder………1/2 Teaspoon

Method of Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F/180˚C.
2. Butter and Flour (Or use cooking spray) two 8 inch pans.
3. Swift Flour, Baking powder and Salt together and keep aside.
4. Dissolve Chocolate Powder and instant Coffee Powder in hot water and keep aside to cool.
5. Mix together Butter, Oil and Sugar till creamy.
6. Add Eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add Vanilla essence too. Do scrape the bottom of the mixing bowl as there are chances of butter sticking to the bottom without mixing.
7. Add Flour and Milk alternating with each other, starting and ending with flour.
8. Once everything is mixed well remove 3/4th of a cup of batter to another bowl and mix in the Chocolate mixture.
9. To the prepared pans add a large scoop of Vanilla batter followed by a drizzle of Chocolate mixture. Continue this is both pans till all the batter is used.
10. Shake the pans to make the batter even. Insert a butter knife into the batter and holding straight up make swirling movements. This will give the marbling effect to the Cake.
11. Bake in the center of the oven till it is just done. This will take approximately 30 minutes. Take care not to over bake.
12. Let the cakes cool in the pan itself before taking it out.
13. Serve at room temperature. Don’t refrigerate.

Notes:

• Use a good quality Chocolate powder. That will make a whole world of difference. If you can get Dutch processed Cocoa then that will be great. If you don’t have good Cocoa Powder then use Semisweet Chocolate chips. Melt together 2 once of Semisweet Chocolate Chips with ½ Teaspoon of Instant Coffee Powder and a Tablespoon of water on a double boiler.
• To prepare a cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and then spread a thin layer of butter and sprinkle some flour. If there is excess flour dust it away.
• Once the flour is added don’t over mix.  If you do, that will develop the Gluten in the flour which will make the cake tough.
• By any chance if you are using salted butter, then avoid using extra salt.

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

Orotti

Recipe No: 75
I am not so sure about the authenticity of this name... whether this is called by any other names in other parts of Kerala. My mother called it this way…and so do I. Made with coconut and roasted rice flour; this is one of my favorite breakfast items. This is the best when eaten with Black Chickpea (Black Channa) Curry.

Ingredients:                                         Makes 10

• Roasted rice flour……..1 ½ Cups
• Grated coconut………...1 Cup
• Salt………………………...1/3 Teaspoon
• Boiling water................Enough to make soft dough
• Oil for deep frying

Method of Preparation

1. Mix Rice flour, Salt and Grated Coconut well.
2. Add enough boiling water to the flour mixture and mix with a spoon.
3. When cold enough to knead, knead it to make smooth dough.
4. Divide this into 10 equal parts and  roll them into balls. Cover it with a moist towel and keep aside till ready to be used.
5. Heat ½ cup of oil in a deep round bottomed pan with lid, till hot on medium high heat. (A Kadai or a Palappachatti is desired) There should be enough oil in the pan to cover the Orotti.
6. Working with one rice ball at a time, flatten it between your wet palms and then continue to flatten with your fingers till you get a flat disk of about 3 inches in diameter and uniform thickness.
7. Slide it into the hot oil and cover the pan with its lid and fry on both sides turning once till golden brown.
8. Once brown on both sides take it out of the oil and let it drain on a kitchen towel.
9. Serve hot (while it is still crispy) with Black Channa Curry.

Notes:

• If the temperature of the oil is too high, then this may brown fast without cooking the inside. If the temperature is too low then this may absorb a lot of oil. So it is necessary to keep the temperature on  medium high in order to get a good crispy Orotti.
• If freshly grated coconut is not available for you, it is perfectly okay to use unsweetened dessicated coconut.

 




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

Black Channa/ Chickpea Curry (Karutha Kadala Curry)

Recipe No: 74
Black Chick pea is said to have more nutrients than the white ones. Growing up this was the regular Chick pea at ours and goes well with Puttu and Orotti. Even though this takes more time to cook than the white ones, it is more nutritious and very easy to make.

Ingredients                                             Serves 4-5
For cooking in Pressure Cooker

• Black Channa……………………...1 Cup (Washed and soaked for at least 6 hours)
• Coconut pieces…………………….2 Tablespoons
• Curry leaves………………………..1 sprig
• Turmeric Powder…………………1/2 Teaspoon
• Red Chilly Powder……………….3/4 Teaspoon
• Coriander Powder………………..1 ½ Teaspoons
• Garam Masala Powder………….3/4 Teaspoon
• Water………………………………...3 Cups
• Salt………………………………….…as needed

For Tempering

• Coconut Oil………………………...2 Tablespoons
• Mustard Seeds…………………….1/2 Teaspoon
• Shallots sliced thinly…………….1/4 Cup
• Curry Leaves……………………….1 Sprig

Method of Preparation

1. Mix all the ingredients to pressure cook in a cooker and cook till done. The time varies according to the Pressure cooker. For me it took about 20 minutes on medium flame after the first whistle to cook. The Channa should be soft yet not mushy.
2. In a pan heat coconut oil and crack the mustard seeds. Add sliced Shallots and Curry leaves and let it become golden brown.
3. Add the cooked Channa to this and let the gravy reduce to a desired consistency. Don’t forget to mash a couple of Channa during this time to get some thickness for the gravy.
4. Serve hot with Puttu or Orotti.

 




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

Wheat (Gothambu) Dosa and Idli

Recipe No: 73
This is not the regular instant wheat Dosa. It’s fermented like the traditional Dosa but uses only wheat instead of rice. So what’s the importance? Well this is very good for people who are on low carbohydrate diet including those who suffer from diabetes. Dilute the Idli batter with a bit more of water, you got Dosa batter. Above all, you have to grind only one ingredient…Urad dal…..

Ingredients                               Makes 15-16 Dosas

• Urad dal seeds………1 Cup (Wash and soak in water for at least 6 hours)
• Wheat flour…………..2 Cups (Can use regular Atta)
• Fenugreek seeds…..1/4 Teaspoon (soak together with Urad dal)
• Water…………………..As per needed
• Salt……………………..As per needed

Method of preparation

1. Grind soaked Urad and Fenugreek seeds till almost smooth. (It should be slightly grainy.)
2. Mix Wheat flour, Salt and ground Urad dal into a thick consistency batter using extra water if needed.
3. Close the vessel and keep it in a warm place to ferment for at least 12 hours or till it slightly increases in volume.
4. Pour the batter into Idli molds and steam for 10-12 minutes.
5. To make Dosa, dilute the batter to a pourable consistency, spread ¼ cup each on a pan to desired thickness, cook on both sides and serve hot.

Notes:

• This is best when served with Chutney or Sambar.
• Even though this batter ferments in warm places, it may not rise so much like that of regular rice dosa batter. But mostly these will rise while cooking.
• In cold climates if fermenting is really hard, warm up the oven to 180˚F/80˚C, off the oven and keep the batter inside it. This may speed up the fermenting process.
• If you are a frequent Dosa maker then you can reserve one or two tablespoons of old already fermented batter in the fridge and mixing this to the new batter will also speed up the fermentation process. Old batter will stay good in the refrigerator for at least a week.
• If you fail in all these process, add a pinch of baking soda just before cooking.

 




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

Chicken Egg Drop Soup

Recipe No: 72
This is a very light and refreshing soup that should be served hot. It’s perfect for cold winter nights. This is one of my family’s must order when we visit Chinese restaurants.
 I usually make homemade stock from Chicken bones whenever I make this at home. Apart from the other soups there are only very few ingredients in this one other than the stock. So a strong tasting Chicken stock is essential in this particular recipe. In order to attain that strong taste, I usually add some extra bones when I make stock for this soup to my usual  stock recipe.(For the original homemade Chicken soup recipe click here) If the ingredients are ready it will practically take only a few minutes to put together this fabulously comforting soup.

Ingredients                                                Serves 3

• Homemade Chicken Stock……............…3 Cups (Don't forget to add some extra bones)
• Cooked and shredded Chicken pieces….1/4 Cup
• Egg…………………………........................…2 (Beat with 3 Tablespoons of water)
• Soy sauce……………………........................1 Tablespoon(or as per taste)
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the Stock and shredded Chicken pieces together till boiling.
2. To this boiling stock, add beaten egg in a very thin stream form some distance above with one hand while you continuously stir the soup with the other hand. The egg that falls into the boiling soup will cook so fast that it will form tiny threads which are very much a characteristic feature of egg drop soups.
3. Add soy sauce and adjust salt and pepper to your taste and serve hot.

Notes:

• The amount of Soy sauce depends on your taste. Add more or less to suit your palate.
• Diluting the egg with some water is important as it helps the egg flowing in a very thin stream. If not there is a tendency for some of the egg white to fall together that will result in huge lumps of cooked egg which is not so desirable.
• It is very essential to stir the soup while dropping the egg. This will separate the threads from each other. Also continue to stir the soup really good for a few minutes after dropping the egg. This will help to cook the egg well and will keep them from clumping.

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

Sloppy Joe (Indian Style)

Recipe No: 71

Even though the concept of the Sloppy Joe is western, this particular one is loaded with Indian flavors. Served on a bun like our Pav Bhaji, this is made usually with minced beef giving an excellent chance to sneak in some veggies to your kids and your stubbornly non vegetarian husband!!! Keep your table manners aside and don’t quarrel with your kids if they have some on their face, or some fell back into their plate or even they lick their fingers….because this is meant to be sloppy…after all this is Sloppy Joe!!!

Ingredients                                              Serves 5
To make the meat mixture

• Minced beef……………………..….1 ½ cups
• Oil………………………………….…..2 Tablespoons
• Onion chopped………………..…..1 cup
• Ginger- Garlic paste…………......1 Teaspoon
• Finely chopped vegetables…...1 cup (I used Carrots, Beans, Frozen Green Peas and Green Onion)
• Pepper powder………………..…...1/4 Teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder……….............1/4 Teaspoon
• Red Chilly Powder…...…………..1 Teaspoon
• Coriander Powder……………......1 ½ Teaspoons
• Garam Masala Powder……….....1/2 Teaspoon
• Roasted Cumin Powder……......1/4 Teaspoon
• Tomato Sauce……………….….....8 oz or 1 cup
• Water ………………………………...1 Cup
• Coriander Leaves chopped……..2 Tablespoons (Also known as Cilantro)
• Chopped Roasted Cashew nuts...2 Tablespoons (optional)

To assemble

• Burger Buns……………………….....5 No
• Lettuce Leaves............................5 (Washed and dried)

Method of preparation

1. In a pan on medium high heat, add oil followed by Chopped onion and salt. Saute it till translucent.
2. Add the minced meat and fry till slightly brown. Add Ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell is gone.
3. Mix in the veggies and fry for a minute.
4. Lower the heat to medium low and add Pepper powder, Turmeric powder, Red Chilly powder, Coriander powder, Garam Masala powder and roasted Cumin powder and saute till the raw smell is gone for about 2 minutes.
5. Mix in the tomato sauce and water. Transfer this mixture to a Pressure cooker and cook till two whistles.
6. When the Pressure cooker is cooled open it and let it dry out until it is thick but still wet. Add Cashew nuts and minced coriander leaves and switch off the flame after checking the level of salt.

To assemble the Sloppy Joe

1. Split the burger buns into two.
2. Place a lettuce on top of the bottom piece and then place the meat mixture.
3. Cover with the top of the bun.
4. Serve hot.

Notes:

• In order to make roasted Cumin Powder either roast store bought Cumin powder in a dry pan on medium heat till slightly dark and fragrant or Roast whole Cumin seeds till dark and fragrant and then powder it.
• Please do not misinterpret tomato sauce with Ketch up or tomato paste. Ketch up is generally used as a dipping sauce and is slightly sweet and tomato paste is thick and strongly flavored. Tomato sauce is generally used for cooking and to make pasta sauces. If this is not available, puree tomatoes without skin and cook till thick and use.
• Frying the meat is important as it develops the flavor of the dish.
• Start cooking in a pressure cooker itself so that you will have only one less dish to wash.

Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 

serve it to your family with love…