Coconut and lime lassi

| Rekha Vengalil



You need –

  • Coconut milk – 200 ml
  • Yoghurt – 200 ml
  • Lime juice – 2 tablespoon
  • Sugar – 3 tablespoons or as required (else use honey)
  • Ice cubes – 6-8

How to-

Blend together the coconut milk, yoghurt, lime juice, sugar and ice cubes until well combined and the ice cubes are well crushed.

Pour into serving glasses, garnish with lemon zest and serve chilled.


Potato and zucchini curry

| Rekha Vengalil
You need –
  • Potatoes – 2 medium size, cut into bite size cubes.
  • Zucchini – cut into bite size cubes, 1 cup
  • Tomatoes – chopped ½ cup
  • Onion – 1 small, finely chopped
  • Grated garlic – 1 teaspoon
  • Grated ginger – 1 teaspoon
  • Curry powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Chilli powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Coriander powder – 2 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder- ¼ teaspoon
  • Coconut milk – ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons
  • Water – ¼ cup
  • Salt as per taste
  • Oil – 1 tablespoon
  • Cumin seeds – ½ teaspoon
  • Fresh parsley – to garnish
How to –
Cook the potatoes in boiling water. Strain and set aside.
 
 
 
Heat oil in a pan, splatter the cumin seeds. Add the onions, ginger and garlic and saute till the onions turn light brown. Add the powders, salt and fry till fragrant. Add the potatoes, zucchini ; mix well and fry for 2-3 minutes.
 
 
 
Add the tomatoes, ¼ cup coconut milk, and water. Cover and cook for 6-7 minutes or till the gravy is thicken. Uncover add 2 tablespoons of coconut milk mix well. Turn off the heat and garnish with fresh parsley.
 
Serve with rice or flat bread.
 
 

Pork curry

| Rekha Vengalil


You need –

  • Pork – ½ kilo, boneless & cut into bit size cubes
  • Onions – 2 large, thinly sliced
  • Dried chili flakes – 2 teaspoon or add more if you want to
  • Oil – 2 tablespoons
  • Grated ginger – 2 teaspoons
  • Grated garlic – 2 teaspoons
  • Ground  Coriander– 2 teaspoons
  • Ground turmeric – 2 teaspoons
  • Ground cumin – ½ teaspoon
  • Ground pepper – 2 teaspoons
  • Dark soy sauce – 2 tablespoons
  • Vinegar – 1 teaspoon
  • Chopped parsley – for garnish

How to –

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and brown the meat on all sides. Set aside. In the same pan fry the onions till they caramelize a bit. Add the ginger garlic and continue to cook till the raw smell is gone.  Stir in the ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, chili flakes, pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add soy sauce and 1 cup water. Cover and cook for 45 minutes or till the meat is done.



Uncover and Stir in the vinegar. Cook till the gravy thickens a bit about 4-5 minutes or as per your choice on the consistency of the gravy. 

 
Garnish with parsley and serve with rice or flat bread.


Chocolate-orange cake with cream cheese frosting

| Rekha Vengalil


Cake recipe from goodtoknow.co.uk. 

You need –
For the cake
  • Eggs – 4
  • Caster sugar – 150 grams
  • All-purpose flour – 190 grams
  • Cocoa powder – 50 grams
  • Baking powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Olive oil – 100 ml
  • Grated zest of 1 oranges
  • Juice of 1 orange

For the cream cheese frosting
  • Cream cheese – 8 oz
  • Unsalted butter – ½ cup
  • Icing sugar – 2- 2 ½ cups 
  • Vanilla essence – 1 teaspoon

How to –

Cake

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Line a 20cm (8-inch) round cake tin with lightly oiled baking parchment paper.


In a heat proof large bowl place the egg and sugar over a pan if simmering water. Whisk the egg mixture with an electric whisk till creamy and thick
Place the eggs and sugar in a large bowl, over a pan of simmering water. Use an electric whisk to whisk the eggs until creamy and thick, enough to leave a trail when you lift the whisk from the mixture.


Sift in the flour, cocoa baking powder and gently fold in. When the flour is almost mixed in, add the olive oil, orange zest and juice and continue to fold in gently till well combined.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 20-25 mins or till done.  Cool in the tin for 10 mins before transferring to a wire rack to cool.



Frosting

In electric beater beat the cheese ,butter and vanilla essence till light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating well after each addition till you get the desired thickness.
Once the cake is completely cooled, frost the cake as per your choice and serve.

Tandoori chicken with mint-yogurt dip

| Rekha Vengalil

You need – 

  • Chicken thigh – 2

For the marinade
  • Yogurt – 3 teaspoons
  • Ginger paste – 2 teaspoons
  • Garlic paste – 2 teaspoons
  • Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon
  • Red chili powder – 2 teaspoons
  • Garam masala – 1 teaspoon
  • Coriander powder – 2 teaspoons
  • Cumin powder – ½ teaspoon
  • Pepper powder – ½ teaspoon
  • Red food colour – a pinch
  • Salt – as per taste
  • Vegetable oil – 2 teaspoons


How to –
In bowl mix all the ingredients under marinade. Clean, wash and dry the chicken with paper towel.  with a sharp knife, cut slashes in the flesh.  Rub the mixture onto the chicken well. Make sure the mixture is well rubbed into the slashes.  Cover and refrigerate for atleast 12 hours.


Pre-heat the over to 200 C and Place the chicken on a rack in a roasting pan, brush with oil, and cook, turning once for 25 to 30 minutes until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced near the bone with a knife.

Mint-yogurt dip
  • Mint – 8 springs fresh leaves
  • Coriander leaves – 2 fresh sprigs
  • Green chili – 2 or as desired
  • Yogurt – 1 cup


In blender, blend the mint leaves, coriander leaves and green chili to a smooth paste with little water. Beat the yogurt and add the mint paste and whisk till well combined.


Lychee-strawberry juice

| Rekha Vengalil
 
You need –
  • Lychee – 150 grams
  • Strawberries – 10-12 nons
  • Lemon juice – 2 teaspoons
  • Honey – 1-2 tablespoon(s) or as required
  • Ice cubes – 5-6 nos
  • Cold water – 1 ½ cup
How to –
In a blender, blend all ingredients till smooth. If you wish to you can pass it through a sieve. Cover and refrigerate until very cold before you serve.
 
 

Creamy lime pie

| Rekha Vengalil


You need –
  • Creamy lime pie
  • Fresh lime juice – ¾ cup
  • Cream cheese – 500 grams @ room temperature
  • Condensed milk – 400 ml
  • Pastry shell – 1
  • Double cream – 250 ml
  • Confectioners/icing sugar – ¼ cup
  • Lime – 1 to garnish


How to –

In a bowl, beat together the lime juice, cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth.  Pour this mixture into  the pastry shell and refrigerate.

In another bowl, whisk together the cream and icing sugar till soft peaks form. Spread this mixture to the pie. Create swirls and peaks.

Garnish with thinly sliced lime. Cover the pie loosely and chill for 6 hours or over night before serving.


Watermelon-pineapple cooler

| Rekha Vengalil

You need –
  • Watermelon, cut into cubes – 2 cups
  • Pineapple, cut into cubes – 1 ½  cups
  • Lime juice – 2 teaspoons
  • Lemon grass stalk – 1, cut off the lower bulb and remove tough, outer leaves.
  • Sugar – as required
  • Cold water – ½ cup

How to –

In a blender, blend all watermelon, pineapple, lime juice, lemongrass and sugar till smooth. Pass though Stir in the cold water, cover and refrigerate until very cold.



Serve chilled .

Palak Paneer

| Rekha Vengalil


You need –
  • Fresh spinach – 1 bunch
  • Paneer cubes – 1½ cups
  • Onions – 1 cup, chopped
  • Tomato – 1, chopped
  • Garlic paste – 1 teaspoon
  • Ginger paste – 1 teaspoon
  • Green chillies – 1 , slit
  • Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
  • Chili powder – ½ teaspoon
  • Salt to taste
  • Garam masala – ½ teaspoon
  • Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
  • Heavy cream – 2 tablespoon

How to –

Blanch the spinach in a sauce pot with boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove and puree the spinach. In a pan heat the oil and fry the paneer pieces until the sides becomes slightly brown.  Set aside.

In the same pan add more oil if need be, add cumin seeds and onions and sauté on a medium flame till they turn translucent. To this add fresh tomato and cook once again until it become mushy. Then make puree of this onion and tomato and set aside. Heat a medium sauce pot and add tomato onion mixture, ginger -garlic paste, green chilli, turmeric, garam masala and red chilli powder and cook oil starts to saperate.



Add the spinach purée and little water mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes. Add the salt, cream and mix well. Tip in the paneer, mix gently and cook on a medium flame for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Serve hot with Roti.