Fish Mappas

| Rekha Vengalil
Fish Mappas
You need –
  • Fish – 500 grams
  • Coconut oil – 2 tablespoons
  • Onion – 1 big, thinly sliced.
  • Green chillies – 5, slit length wise
  • Curry leaves – 2 stalks
  • Shallots – 8-10 no’s
  • Ginger – minced 1 tablespoon
  • Garlic – 4 cloves, minced
  • Tomato – 1, cut into small cubes
  • Meat masala – 2 tablespoon
  • Vinegar – 1 teaspoon
  • Thick coconut milk – ½ cup
  • Thin coconut milk – ½ cup
  • Salt – as per taste
For tempering –
  • Unsalted Butter- 1 teaspoon
  • Shallot – 2 no’s
  • Curry leaves – 5-6 no’s

How to –
  • Clean and wash the fish.
  • Heat the oil in a skillet, add the Onions, green chillies and curry leaves and fry till onions turn golden brown.
  • Add in the shallots, ginger, garlic and continue to fry till the raw smell is gone.
  • Add the tomato, cook till soft. Reduce the heat; add meat masala and vinegar.
  • Add the fish and mix well. Add the thin coconut milk; cover and cook till fish is done and the gravy is thick.
  • Add the thick coconut milk; mix and turn off the heat.
  • In a small frying pan, heat the butter and fry the shallots, curry leaves. Add into the fish and mix well.
  • Serve hot with rice or roti.
Fish Mappas

Spiced walnut and chocolate cookies cake with rosewater-sugar syrup

| Rekha Vengalil

Spiced walnut and chocolate cookies cake
with rosewater-sugar syrup
How to –
  • Eggs – 6, separated
  • Caster sugar – ¾  cups
  • Ground cinnamon – 1 teaspoon
  • Ground cardamom – ½ teaspoon
  • Grated lemon rind – 1 teaspoon
  • Ground walnuts – 1 ½  cups
  • Ground chocolate cookies – ¾ cups
  • Salt – a pinch

For the syrup
  • Sugar – ½ cup
  • Water – ½ cup
  • Rosewater – 1 teaspoon

How to –
  • Pre-heat the oven to 180 c
  • Whisk together the egg yolk and sugar. Stir in the ground cinnamon, cardamom and lemon rind.
  • Add the ground walnut and cookies and mix well.
  • In bowl beat the egg whites and salt until spoke peaks. Gentle fold in the whites to the walnut-cookie mix making sure not to deflate the egg whites 
  • Into a greased cake tin, smooth the top  and bake for 45 minutes or till the toothpick is inserted into the middle of cake comes out clean.
  • In a medium saucepan combine sugar, water and rosewater. Bring to a boil, stirring, until sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool.
  • Pierce the cake with skewer; pour over the syrup and leave it to cool.

Tom Kha kai (Thai coconut chicken soup)

| Rekha Vengalil
                                                              Tom Kha kai
You need –
  • Chicken stock – 2 cups
  • Thick coconut milk – 1 cup
  • Boneless chicken meat – 125 grams
  • Lemon grass stalk – 1, bruised
  • Galangal  – 12 thin slices (if you cannot find this use fresh ginger)
  • Lime leaves – 2
  • Garlic cloves- 1 big, crushed
  • Shiitake Mushrooms (or button mushrooms)– 125 grams , thinly sliced
  • Fish sauce – 1 tablespoon
  • Freshly squeezed lime juice- 1 ½ tablespoons
  • Spring onions – 1, thinly sliced
  • Coriander leaves – 2 tablespoon minced
  • Chilies – 3 sliced.
  • Salt and pepper – as per taste
Tom Kha kai
How to –
  • In a pan, bring the chicken stock, half the coconut milk and chicken slowly to boil.
  • Add the lemongrass, galangal/ginger, chilies, lime leaves, garlic, salt and pepper, Stir well and bring to boil again.
  • Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or till the chicken is cooked, stirring occasionally.
  • Add in the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes. Add in the other half of the coconut milk.
  • Turn off the heat when the soup is about to boil. Add the fish sauce and lime juice. Mix well.
  • Into the serving bowls; season with spring onion and coriander leaves. Serve hot.

                                                                               Tom Kha kai

Pepper chicken – its spicy!!

| Rekha Vengalil

Pepper chicken

You need – 
  • Chicken – 500 grams, small-medium size pieces
  • Whole black pepper – 1 tablespoon
  • Green chili – 3 or add less if you can’t take the heat
  • Ginger- 1 small piece
  • garlic – 3 large cloves
  • Coriander leaves chopped – 1 tablespoon
  • Lemon juice – 2 teaspoon
  • Onion – 2 big, sliced finely
  • Coriander powder – 2 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
  • Garam masala – ½ teaspoon
  • Fennel powder – ½ teaspoon
  • Tomato – 1 small, sliced
  • Curry leaves – as required
  • Coconut oil – as required. (you can use vegetable oil too)
  • Salt – as per taste

How to –
  • Crush together whole black pepper, green chili  ginger, garlic, coriander leaves and lime juice . Add a little water if required; around 2 teaspoon
  • Heat oil in pan and fry the onions till golden brown. Add the crushed pepper mixture and cook till the raw smell is gone.
  • Add all the powders and continue to fry till the oil starts to separate. Add the tomato, curry leave and salt; cook till mushy.
  • Add the chicken; mix well. Cover and cook till done.  Uncover, on a low flame continue to cook for about 5 minutes or till gravy is thick. As this is semi dry gravy, you want to make sure all the water is evaporated.
  • Turn off the heat. Garnish with curry leaves and serve hot with rice or roti.
  
Pepper chicken

Blueberry layered dessert

| Rekha Vengalil
Blueberry layered dessert
You need-
  • Bread – 4-5 slices, cut into small cubes
  • Butter – 2 tablespoon
  • Confectionery/icing sugar – 2 tablespoons
  • Fresh blueberries – 1 cup
  • Blueberry Jam – 1/2 cup
  • Whipping cream – 1 cup
  • Vanilla essence – 1 teaspoon
How to –
  • Melt the butter in a pan and fry the bread cubes, stirring continuously until they turn brown but careful not to burn them.
  • Move the bread cubes to a bowl; sprinkle the bread with the icing sugar and into the fridge until quite cold.
  • Rinse and dry the barriers. Combine the jam and the barriers and set aside.
  • Whisk the cream and vanilla essence till stiff peaks.
  • Layer starting with toasted bread cubes, Blueberries-jam mixture and whipping cream in serving glass or bowl;  finishing off with the cream layer and serve immediately.
Blueberry layered dessert

Dum Aloo

| Rekha Vengalil

Dum Aloo
You need –
  • Baby potatoes – 8
  • Onion – 1, paste
  • Tomato – 1, pureed
  • Garlic paste – 2 teaspoon
  • Ginger paste – 2 teaspoon
  • Cumin seeds – ¼ teaspoon
  • Asafoetida – a pinch
  • Turmeric – ¼ teaspoon
  • Garam masala – 1 teaspoon
  • Chilli powder – 1 tablespoon
  • Greek yogurt – ½ cup  
  • Almond paste – 2 teaspoon
  • Oil/ ghee – 1 tablespoon plus 2 tablespoons for frying the potatoes
  • Salt – to taste
  • chopped coriander leaves – 2 tablespoons

Dum Aloo
How to –
  • Scrape the potatoes, prick all over with a fork and soak in the water with little salt for 2 hours.
  • Dry the potatoes on a cloth and heat the ghee or oil.
  • Fry the potatoes until golden brown. Drain and set aside.
  • In pan heat oil or ghee, crackle the cumin seeds and tip in the asafoetida.
  • Add the onion, ginger and garlic paste and fry till the raw smell is gone.
  • Add the turmeric powder, chili powder and saute for a minute or till oil start to separate.
  • Add the tomato puree,  and around ½ cup water; cover and cook till the gravy is thick.
  • Beat the yogurt till smooth and add into the tomato puree.  Stir well. Add water if needed.
  • Add the baby potatoes and almond paste; cook till the gravy is thick on a low heat..
  • Sprinkle the garam masala and chopped coriander leaves. Cook for a couple of minutes.
  • Turn off the heat and serve hot with rice or roti.

Coconut-lime jelly

| Rekha Vengalil
Coconut-lime jelly
You need – 
  • Coconut cream – 2 cups
  • Caster sugar – ¼ cup
  • Vanilla essence – ¼ teaspoon
  • Lime juice – 1 ½ teaspoons
  • Gellatine powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Warm water – 2 teaspoons

How to –
  • Soak the gelatine powder in the warm water and set aside
  • In a sauce pan, bring the coconut cream, sugar, vanilla essence, lime juice to a boil; stirring constantly.
  • When the mixture comes to boil and the sugar is completely dissolved; add the gelatine and stir well, ensure the gelatine is dissolved in the cream mixture.
  • Turn off the heat and pour the mixture into moulds or serving bowls and refrigerate for atleast 3-4 hour or until set.
Serve with fresh fruits.

Coconut-lime jelly

Paneer makhani

| Rekha Vengalil
Paneer makhani


You need –
  • Paneer cubes – 2 cups
  • Onion paste – 1/4 cups
  • Tomato puree – 1/2 cup ( I use the store-brought) or puree 2 tomatoes
  • Cumin powder – ¼ teaspoon
  • Ginger paste – 1 teaspoon
  • Garlic paste – 1 teaspoon
  • Turmeric powder – ¼ teaspoon
  • Kashmiri chili powder – 1 teaspoon
  • Garam masala – ½ teaspoon
  • Dried fenugreek leaves – 1 teaspoon
  • Double cream – 1/3 cup
  • Butter – 2 tablespoon
  • Salt to taste
How to –

  • Heat the butter in a pan. Add the cumin powder, saute for a few seconds; add the onion and saute till light pink.
  • Add the ginger garlic paste and continue to cook till the raw smell is gone.
  • Add the turmeric powder and cook for few seconds
  • Add the tomato puree, ½ cup water. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. You may add more water according to the consistency desired.
  • Add the chili powder, garam masala and fenugreek leaves. Mix well
  • Add the paneer cubes; cover and cook till the gravy is thick ( appox. 5 minutes)
  • Add the cream, bring to boil and turn off the heat.
  • Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with roti.

Cinnamon pancakes with store-brought strawberry syrup

| Rekha Vengalil
Cinnamon pancakes with store-brought strawberry syrup


You need –
  • All purpose flour – 1 ½ cups
  • Baking soda – ¼ pinch
  • Baking powder – ¼ pinch
  • Salt –as per taste
  • Cinnamon – ¼ teaspoon
  • Egg – 1
  • Caster sugar – 1 tablespoon
  • Melted butter – 2 teaspoon
  • Milk – ½ cup

To serve –

  • Strawberry syrup – as required
How to –
  • Mix all the above ingredients and make a batter. Make sure the batter is not too runny.
  • Heat a flat griddle. Pour 3 tablespoon of the batter.
  • Once you see the bubbles start to appear, flip and continue to cook till golden brown on both sides.
  • On to a serving plate, drizzle the strawberry syrup and serve hot.