Month: October 2013

Kadai Tofu

| Rekha Vengalil


You need –

  • Tofu – 150 grams, cut into thick strips
  • Bell peppers – 2 small, chopped into chunks (I used Green and yellow peppers)
  • Onions – 1 medium, sliced
  • Tomatoes – 1 large, finely chopped
  • ginger- garlic paste – 1.5 teaspoons
  • Paprika – 1 teaspoon
  • Dried fenugreek leaves – 2 teaspoons
  • Whole spices –
    • Coriander seeds – 2 tablespoons
    • Red dried chilies – 3-4 or to taste
    • Cloves – 1
    • Cumin seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
    • Peppercorn – 1/4 teaspoon.
    • Cardamom – 1
    • Cinnamon – 1 small stick
  • Fresh coriander leaves – to garnish
  • Oil – as required
  • Salt to taste

How to –

Blend to fine powder all the ingredients under “Whole spices”. Pan fry the Tofu  slices till light golden on both side.
 
Heat the oil in a kadai/skillet, add the dry spice powder, paprika and sauté till fragrant. 
 
Add the onions and cook till translucent. Add garlic-ginger, tomato and salt. cook for 3-4 minutes or till the oil start to separate.
Tip in the  Tofu, fenugreek leaves.  Turn the heat to high and mix well for about 3-4 minutes. Add about 1/4 cup of hot water.reduce the heat to medium-low for 4-5 minutes or till the gravy is thick stirring frequently.
 
Add bell pepper, coriander leaves and mix well to combine. Cook briefly.

 

 
Turn off the heat and serve hot with Indian flat bread or rice.
 

Chorizo & mushroom rice

| Rekha Vengalil


You need –

  • Chorizo – 2
  • Long grain rice – 1 cup (I used Basmati)
  • Chicken stock – 1 & 3/4 cups
  • White button Mushrooms – 8-10, quartered
  • Bell pepper – 1 small, finely chopped. I used red.
  • Onion – 1 medium, finely chopped
  • Garlic cloves – 2, minced
  • Paprika – 1.5. teaspoons or as per taste
  • Olive oil – 2 tablespoons or as required
  • Salt to taste
  • Fresh coriander leaves to garnish

How to –

Wash and drain the rice well. Remove the chorizo from its casings and with a wooden spoon break the meat and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan, add the garlic and saute for a minute. Tip the chopped onions and continue to cook till golden, Now add the paprika and fry till the oil starts to separate.
 
Add the chorizo and cook for 5 minutes. Add rice, mix well and fry for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and mix well. Stir in the stock, salt to taste. Cover and cook till rice is done.
 
 
Once done, turn off the heat, Add the chopped bell pepper, cover and leave to stand for 5 minutes.Remove the lid, fluff the rice with a fork. Transfer to a serving dish. 
 
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with raitha.
 
 

Lemon glaze bundt cake

| Rekha Vengalil

 

I was quite excited about this cake, as it was my first time with the Bundt. The steps were followed religiously – batter done, poured into the cake pan, and finally placed in the oven; only to realize that I did not grease/buttered the pan before the batter went in.  Almost gave up to the thought that the cake wouldn’t come off clean. The choice was made – if it does not come off clean, the recipe is not going up here 🙂
 
Once done, with bated breath I inverted the tin. The cake did slide off well, albeit a bit messy (definitely not as bad as I thought it would be). Poured the glaze over and yes the final outcome was worth the effort – light and fluffy, with the nice zing from the lemon zest and glaze. 
 
Recipe courtesy: Taste of Home


You need

  • All purpose flour – 3 cups
  • Unsalted butter – 226 grams
  • Caster sugar – 2 cups
  • Low fat milk – 1 cup
  • Eggs – 4
  • Lemon essence – 1.5 teaspoons
  • Vanilla essence – 1.5 teaspoons
  • Baking powder – 2 teaspoons
  • Salt – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Zest of 2 lemons or 1 tablespoon

For the lemon glaze

  • Lemon Juice – 2 tablespoons
  • Icing sugar – 1.5 cups

How to –

Pre-heat the over to 180 C. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
 
In a mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter till light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs one at a time. Beating well after each addition. Add the essence.
 
Now gradually add the flour and alternately with milk. Beat well after each addition. Finally stir the zest in.
 
Pour the batter into the greased and floured 10-inch  bundt cake tin and bake for 50-60 minutes or till the toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool the cake on wire rack completely.
 
Lemon glaze
 
In mixing bowl, add the lemon juice and the icing sugar and mix with a wooden spoon till smooth. Spoon the glaze over the cooled cake and serve.
 
 

Sandesh–A Bengali sweet

| Rekha Vengalil
 
Like many of you there, I love this time of the year – the festive season in India! It’s time for family gatherings, friends, fun, and some great food. Good time to try out some homemade sweets!
 
Here’s my first recipe for the season. I am trying my hand in doing up a Bengali favorite – Sandesh. Made from fresh cottage cheese/paneer, it is indeed a delicious treat. One big plus of making sweets at home is that you are in complete control of the sugar that goes in. 
 

You need –

  • Whole milk – 1 liter
  • Lime juice – 2 teaspoons
  • Powdered sugar – 1/3 cup or to your taste
  • Warm milk – 1 tablespoon
  • A good pinch of saffron
  • Few drops of Vanilla essence
 

How to –

Soak the saffron threads in the warm milk and set aside.
 
In a heavy bottom pan, bring the milk to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat to low and add the lime juice. The milk will start to curdle and the whey will separate. As soon as you see the greenish water on top, turn off the heat.
 
Line a colander with cheesecloth and strain the chenna. Rinse the chenna under running tap water to remove the citric flavor. Now gather the corners of the cheesecloth, twist and squeeze to remove any excess water in the chenna. Hang the cheesecloth on the tap (as shown in the pic) or put it on a flat plate and weigh  a heavy object on top to drain all excess water. Leave this for an hour.
 
Now remove the chenna from the cheese cloth and  kneed with the your palm to a no lump and smooth ball (5-6 minutes). Now add the sugar (please add the sugar gradually to get the sweetness you desire), Vanilla essence and continue to kneed till chenna and sugar is well blend and smooth.
 
Heat a non stick pan over low heat and cook the chenna stirring continuously for 3-4 minutes or till it starts to leave the sides of the pan.
 
Turn off the heat and while still warm shape the chenna into desired shapes.
 
Garnish with the soaked saffron threads and drizzle little milk over the sandesh. You can also use some dried fruits or nuts to garnish.
 
 
Note : 
  • Shape your sandesh while the chenna is still warm else the the chenna will harden and they will not hold the shape.

Potato stir-fry

| Rekha Vengalil
 
A long pending post! I make this very often, but never made into this space. One of my favorite from childhood, indeed the first recipe I learnt from my mom. An easy and uncomplicated recipe, we normally savor this with Rice, sambar/Rasam.  

You need –

  • Potato – 2 nos, cut into bite size cubes
  • Onion – 1 small, finely chopped
  • Garlic – 1 small clove, minced
  • Chili powder – 1/2 teaspoon or per taste
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
  • cumin seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
  • Dried Kasoori Methi– 1 teaspoon
  • Garam masala – 1/4 teaspoon
  • Oil – 1 tablespoon or as required
  • salt to taste
  • Coriander leaves – to garnish

How to –

In a pot boil the potatoes with turmeric powder till done. Make sure not to over cook and mushy. Drain the water and set potatoes aside.

Heat oil in pan, add the cumin seeds. Once they start to pop, add the chili powder and fry for a minute. Add the onion and garlic and saute till the raw smell of garlic is gone and onions are soft and start to brown.

Add the cooked potatoes salt and mix will. Sauté for 2 minutes. Now add the Kasoori Methi, garam masala and stir fry for a minute.


Turn off the heat and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice and curry.

 

Kerala restaurant style egg curry

| Rekha Vengalil


You need –

  • Hard boiled eggs – 4
  • Onion – 3 medium, thinly sliced
  • Coriander powder – 2 tablespoons
  • Chili powder – 3 teaspoons
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
  • Fennel powder – 1/4 teaspoon
  • Vinegar – 1 teaspoon
  • Coconut milk (thick) – 1/4 cup
  • Curry leaves – 2 twigs
  • Salt to taste
  • Mustard seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
  • Coconut oil – 1 tablespoon
  • Bay leave – 1 small
  • Cardamom pod – 1, crushed
  • Cinnamon stick – 1’inch piece
 

How to –

Heat oil in heavy bottom pan. Add the whole spices and cook till fragrant. Add the mustard seeds and allow to crackle. Add one twig of curry leaves followed by the onions and saute till they turn golden brown.
 
Add the coriander, chili, turmeric, fennel powders and saute till the oil start to separate. Add the 1/2 cup water, salt to taste and mix well, Add the boiled egg, remaining curry leaves, cover and cook till the gravy is thick.
 
Add the coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer.
 
Turn off the heat; add the and serve hot with rice, appam, roti or idiyappam
 
 
 

Gongura Mamasam / mutton / lamb

| Rekha Vengalil

 

The Gongura/Sorrel leaves are popular in India especially in Andhra, a southern state of India. It is a very vital part of Telugu cuisine. The leaves are used for various preparations like pickle, pachadi, Dal (Lentils) curry, meat and seafood.
 
 
 
The recipe I share today is a spicy, hot and tangy lamb/mutton curry with a very unique flavor, which of course comes from Gongura/Sorrel leaves. Like said this is a very spicy, hot curry. So please adjust the heat to suit your taste.
 

You need – 

  • Lamb/Mutton – 500 grams, cut into bite size pieces
  • Gongura– 150 grams, roughly chopped
  • Ginger-garlic paste – 1.5 tablespoons
  • Chili powder – 3 teaspoons or to taste
  • Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Coriander powder – 1 tablespoon
  • Garam masala – 1/2 teaspoon
  • onion  – 1 large, grind to a paste
  • salt to taste
  • oil – as required

How to –

Wash and clean the mutton well. Drain the water completely. In a large bowl, put the mutton  ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt, 2 teaspoon of oil and Mix well. Marinate the meat for 15-20 mins.

 

Heat oil in pressure cooker pan, add the onion paste and cook till the oil start to separate. Tip in the marinated mutton and sauté for a few minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water, cover and pressure cook till the meat is done.

 

In sauce pan add the sorrel/gongura leaves with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes or  till the leaves are mushy.

 

Once the mutton is done, uncover the pressure cooker and add the sorrel/gongura leaves. Add the garam masala  and mix well. Cook till the gravy is thick or adjust the consistency of the gravy as per your choice.

 
Turn off the heat and serve hot with rice.

 

Sending this recipe for the The National Curry Week celebrations by 

Nectarine & Apple Jam – A guest post

| Rekha Vengalil

 

I have been quiet about inviting my blogger friends and co-bloggers for guest posting. Now, after a long gap I have a guest over to share a lovely recipe with us. 

She was the first one who dropped a comment on my blog and my first blogger friend.  Though I met her here in the blog world, it feels like we have known each other for ages. A friend I dot on for every little thing be it about blogging, photography or where to download new fronts from. She has been always there to help. 

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Meena from elephants and the coconut trees, a blog featuring some mouth watering recipes with very crispy & creative photography. I truly admire her style and the way she plates her dishes. Her food stories that are woven around her childhood/growing up years sure takes you through the memory lanes. 
 
All her recipes get me drooling, yet here’s a few of my favorites from her blog that came quickly to my mind. Do Visit her blog for great recipes.

 

Meena, I can’t thank you enough for doing the guest post and so excited about sharing this wonderful recipe and so so beautiful pictures with my dear readers.
 
Now, over to Meena…
 
Hello lovely people,
 
This is Meena, the hand behind the blog  elephants and the coconut trees . I am from Kerala, India currently living in California with my techie husband and tween. I am a big time foodie and  enjoy most cuisines barring a few meats. 
 
My cooking is the reminiscent of the comfort food I grew up eating and some that are newly acquired .The blog  becomes my food memoir in the making where like minded people come , we laugh and we literally converse which I think is the best part of having a blog. Never thought I would make so many friends virtually.
 
 Love spending time photographing food , a learning process and a challenge I happily take up. I click until I am pleased .Sometimes a  post can  wait for months to get the right set of pictures .I am self taught and not an expert in food photography but I judge my work I should say very harshly.If it is not appealing to me then the  blog does not see it. I think that pushes me a lot. I am very passionate about the blog and love to write what is in my heart and not go by dates,deadlines or keep up with Joneses:).Perhaps that is the reason so many of us are having a blog, nothing dictates right!
 
 
Coming to the recipe, I have never made jam till this year nor did it ever strike me to make at home until my daughter repeated asked for a bottled one every time we were in store I was reluctant as I knew jam would be the main meal and bread would be name sake  :)).. So just decided to make some without preservatives,dyes or additives. This is my third attempt of jam making u see here :). I totally understand why women in the West brag about the homemade jams and preserves I mean it tastes awesome when compared to store bought ones.
 
My ancestral home in India has big backyards and large farm lands so every year summer vacation was spent eating  jack fruits, mangoes and tamarind. Can you imagine the state of the stomach !:))) Tamarind pods would leave the mouth so sore that finally even water burns :)). It was beyond our capacity to finish all this  in raw state so only those went for preserves and pickles.We were also sent a large chunk of those in every form possible :))
 
 At home mango,guava,banana, rose apple, mulberry etc were eaten only fresh.There was no excess… come on! what are friends for, to share the produce right !! More over my folks never approved of bread and jam as a satisfying breakfast. Bakery bread used to be served only with stews.Indians by large go for a savory breakfast, their preference of  fiery spice could be the reason behind the wide variety of pickles available there than jams.

 
 
How about some bread, butter and homemade jam!! Ya !there is a glass of milk in the background but you will need a torch to see that lol..
 
 
Apple is used here to get the jelly like end product as it contains high amounts of pectin..Use just ripe fruits for best results.
 
Ingredients:
White nectarine-5
Apple -1(any kind)
Sugar- 3/4 – 1 cup
Lime juice- 1/2 of 1
 
Method
  1. Wash and wipe the fruits . Discard seed need not remove the peel as it becomes soft and not visible in the jam.Slice nectarines into bigger pieces and chop the apples as nectarines cook faster than apple.
  2. In a heavy bottom pan combine all the ingredients and cook on a low to medium flame till the juices from the fruits come out then reduce flame and allow it to thicken by stirring often.If u stir for too long then the jam will lose its thickness and become watery. See all the water!all that came from the fruit!So don’t be tempted to add even a drop of water.

 

 
 
 
   3. Do not mash the fruit too much as the elasticity of pectin is lost and tends to become        watery.
   4. A good rule of thumb is when you separate the jam with the spatula it should part in          the middle and form a path (see bottom pic)then the jam is ready.
  5. Pour the jam into a clean dry jar while it is still hot and let it cool then put the lid and       enjoy for breakfast or like my daughter does scoop whenever  she wants some 🙂
 
 
Note:
  • Any fruit that you like could be used to make jam.
  • As the jam cools down it will thicken a bit more.
  • It tastes best when made in small quantities.
  • Since no sealing and canning is done store the jam in the fridge after 2 days for up to 3 weeks.
  • Make the jam on slow flame only .Don’t hurry up:)
 
Thank you Meena for a wonderful recipe and I can’t wait to make this 🙂 Here’s wishing you all the very best and stay blessed always.
 
Dear friends/readers, hope you liked the post and recipe what Meena has shared. We are looking forward to hearing from you and thank you for your time. 
 
See you soon with a new recipe.Till then…

Take care

Oats and walnut muffins

| Rekha Vengalil
 
I have to say, I am not an oats fan (oh yes I like them in my breakfast smoothies); but when I baked my Apples slices with crumbled topping, I quite liked it. And so here’s another oats recipe.
 
These light and fluffy muffins are so easy and quick to whip up.  They are so perfect for your breakfast. Serve freshly baked while still warm and yes don’t forget to butter them.
 

You need –

  • Almond Milk – 1 cup (You can use fresh milk too)
  • Instant cooking oats – 1 cup
  • All-purpose flour – 1 cup
  • Caster Sugar – 1/4 cup
  • baking soda – 1 teaspoon
  • Egg – 1
  • Vegetable oil -1/4 cup 
  • Salt – 1/4 teaspoon
  • Ground cinnamon – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Vanilla extract – 1/2 teaspoon
  • Chopped walnuts – 1/3 cup
 How to –

Preheat oven to 220°c. Grease the muffin tins or line 12 paper muffin liners . Sift the flour, cinnamon, sugar, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.

In a bowl, combine milk and oats. Let it soak for 10 minutes.

In a another bowl, beat together egg, vanilla essence and oil for a minute or till well combined. Add the oat-milk mixture and mix well. 

Stir flour mixture and chopped walnuts into wet ingredients and mix till everything is well combined. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups until cups are 2/3 full.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean.