Dulce de leche Chocolate Burfi~A Guest Post For Priya Ranjit

Dulce de leche Chocolate Burfi

Today I am extremely delighted and honored to do a guest post at Priya's space Cook Like Priya. Priya Ranjit is a great friend, encouraging and lively. Her space has lip-smacking recipes and I adore the way she presents and writes about her recipes and experiments. We first came to know each other through baking partners and became friends instantly. I feel lucky to have wonderful friends like Priya in the blogging world.So when Priya offered me a  guest post I was more than ready. She gave me time and also the choice of recipe. Thanks so much Priya for this wonderful opportunity.

Today's recipe is a Dulce de leche Chocolate Burfi. Burfi is one of my favorite sweets and there are different types of burfi's available. You can tweak with different ingredients and flavors and yet you will never go wrong. Recently I tasted chocolate burfi and really loved the taste. This fudge has chocolate and the intense flavor of caramel from dulce de leche.

Please hop over to Priya's space for the recipe.

Have a nice day!

Suja Manoj

Chemmeen Muringakka Manga Curry/Prawns Drumstick and Mango Curry

Chemmeen Muringakka Manga Curry/Prawns Drumstick and Mango Curry

Today's recipe is yet another simple yet super delicious combo. Prawns,drumsticks and mangoes goes so well together. It is an absolute comfort food. My mother used to make this every time we get prawns and mangoes.Drumsticks/muringikka adds a lot of flavor to the dish and mangoes gives a tanginess which makes this curry irresistible. You can also make this with dry prawns and is equally delicious.

Ingredients

Prawns - 250 grams
Raw mango- 1 medium
Drumsticks pieces-12- 15
Grated coconut- 1 cup
Shallots- 7-8
Ginger- 2 inch thick
Green chilly -2
Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp
Chilly powder-  1 1/3 tsp
Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves- a few
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilly-2
Coconut oil

Cut mangoes into cubes. In a pot add the cut mangoes, cleaned prawns, drumsticks,sliced shallots,salt,slit green chilly and turmeric powder . Cook till the prawns is done and the mangoes and drumsticks and soft.
Make a fine paste of coconut and ginger coriander powder and chilly powder and then pour this over the cooked mangoes and prawns and mix well. Simmer this in a low flame for about 2-3 minutes and switch off the flame.
Heat coconut oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and when they splutter add sliced shallots,fry till golden brown. Add curry leaves and 2 dry red chilly and fry. Pour this over thecurry and mix. Close it with a lid till it is ready to be served.

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!

Avocado Honey Muffins

Avocado Honey Muffins

Muffins are perfect breakfast and this combination of avocado and honey is really delicious,especially when it is nice and warm and fresh from the oven.Avocados and honey keeps the muffin soft and moist. It is oil free and tastes really good and is healthy too. I have used  avocados in chocolate cup cakes in place of butter and it came out really soft with no after taste. I added a little of butter scotch chips, you can add chocolate chips of nuts according to your preference.

Ingredients
Flour- 2 cup
Baking powder- 1 tsp
Salt- 1/3 tsp
Egg-1
Avocado- 1 whole+ 1/2
Honey- 1/4 cup
Sugar- 1/4 cup
Vanilla essence- 1 tsp
Butter scotch chips- 1/3 cup
Milk- 1/3 cup

Mix flour,salt and baking powder and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degree f and line muffin tins with liners.
Cut avocado an scoop out the flesh. Using a fork mash it really soft or make a puree of it using a mixer. Mix in honey and keep aside.
Beat egg and sugar till it is light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients along with the mashed avocado,vanilla essence and milk and fold in till all come together is combined. Mix in the butter scotch chips and fold in once more. Divide the batter equally among the muffin tins and bake for about 15- 18 minutes till it is slightly golden on the outside and the tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Try this..
Hope you will all enjoy!

Uzhunnu Vada/Urad Dal Vada

Uzhunnu Vada/Urad Dal Vada

Uzhunnu vada or medu vada is a very common snack in south India and is a perfect accompaniment with a cup of hot piping tea.I like it as a snack but again cannot resist when it is served with idli,sambar and chutney as breakfast. Where does all the aroma come from? The  plain deep fried lentils is by itself flavorful because I make them often for  vada curry. But in uzhunnu vada the addition of pearl onions,ginger and curry leaves imparts a wonderful aroma that is irresistable.This is something I really missed when I came here to the US until I started making my home made version. Try this you will surely love it.

Ingredients

Urad Dal/Black lentil skinless- 1 cup
Rice flour- 2 tsp
Pearl Onions- 4-5
Ginger finely chopped- 1 inch thick
Curry leaves finely chopped- 1 spring
Green chilly  finely chopped- 3
Whole black pepper- 5-6
salt to taste
Oil- 2 cup to fry

Wash and soak urad dal for about 4-5 hours.
Drain and using a food processor or mixer  make this into a smooth thick batter. Do not add more than two to three tbs of water. It should be a thick to form shape.
 Add  chopped ginger, green chilly, curry leaves and whole black pepper. Mix in salt and get all this well combined with the urad dal batter. Keep this aside for about 10 minutes
Heat oil in a pan. Just before frying add the chopped shallots and two tsp of rice powder. (A little rice flour will make it crispy but too much will effect the softness of the vada)
Drop a small portion of the batter to check the oil. If it sizzles then the oil is ready to fry.
Take a small bowl of water and wet your hands first. Take a lemon sized portion of the batter mixture and shaped into a  ball and then press a finger in through the middle to  make a depression in the center. Drop into hot oil and fry in medium flame till both sides turns golden brown. You can fry three to four vadas in each batch. Serve with coconut chutney.

Try this...
Hope you will all enjoy..

Sun-Dried Tomato and Onion Tart~ Baking Partner's Challenge#6

Sun-Dried Tomato and Onion Tart

For this months baking challenge Swathi put forward the suggestion  to makes PIES. I love pies and tarts and was so excited with the theme.There were four recipes to select from~ two sweet pies and two savory tarts. I wanted to try savory tarts for some time. So I choose the Sun-dried tomato and onion tarts suggested by Samantha. Tamy suggested a beautiful recipe of an up-side down pie. I wanted to try that one too but was short of time. So will try that some other time.  This recipe suggested by Samantha was quick and easy. I reduced the recipe into half and made only with one pastry sheet.It has layers of flavors which blend well with the cheese. The cheesy center with caramelized onions and sun-dried tomatoes  together with a crispy and buttery crust tastes wonderful.Thanks Samantha for suggesting this recipe.

Ingredients

Thawed puff pastry- 1 sheet
Olive oil- 1 tbs
Sliced shallots/onions- 1 cup
sprigs thyme-3 springs
Salt-to taste
Dijon mustard- 3/4 tsp
Heavy cream- 1tsp
Grated Gruyère- 1/2 cup
Sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped- 3 tbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place puff pastry sheet on on a baking tray.
Prick surface with a fork, leaving a ½-inch border untouched. Bake until pastry bottom is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Meanwhile thinly slice onions. Set a large saute pan over medium heat. Swirl in oil and add onions,thyme and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions turn golden and sweet, about 15minutes. Season with salt.

In a small bowl, mix mustard with cream. Once pastry is slightly cool, return it to baking tray and spread mustard-cream sauce over top, leaving ½-inch border untouched. Scatter half of cheese over sauce and top with onions. Add remaining cheese and tomatoes over top.

Return tray to oven and bake until cheese melts and browns in spots, about 15 minutes.

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!

Chettinad Pepper Chicken

Chettinad Pepper Chicken

Chettinad pepper chicken is a delicious,hot and spicy chicken. It has an aromatic spice blend which is unique in Chettinad dishes.It is a dry version which you can also make with gravy.This pepper chicken is a perfect accompaniment with rice,appam or chapathi.

Ingredients

Chicken-1 Kg
Shallots/Onion- finely chopped- 1 cup
Ginger garlic- finely chopped- 3 tbs
Tomato-finely chopped- 3 medium
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Coriander powder- 2 tsp
Pepper powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder- 1/2 tsp
Fennel powder- 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves- 2 springs

For tempering
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
Crushed garlic- 3 cloves
Cumin seeds- 1/3 tsp
Whole black pepper- a few
Bay leaf-1
Cinnamon- 1 inch thick- 2 pieces
Cardamon -3
Cloves- 4-5

Cut and clean chicken and keep aside. Finely chop onion and tomatoes and set aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and when the splutter add the rest of the ingredients listed under 'to temper' and fry till there is a nice aroma.
Next add chopped shallots,curry leaves and a little salt and fry till shallots changes color. Add finely minced ginger garlic (or make a paste) and saute till all this turns slightly brown.
Add turmeric powder and the clean chicken and mix well.  Stir and continue cooking for around 3-4 minutes till the chicken changes color and outside gets slightly browned up.
Add coriander powder, chilli powder,pepper powder,fennel powder and cumin powder to the chicken and mix and coat well. Cover and cook the chicken in medium flame. No need to add water.the chicken will ooze water and will get cooked in its own juice. Cook for about 20 minutes or till the gravy thickens or if you like the dry version cook till the masala gets well coated on the chicken.

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!

Paneer Pizza

Paneer Pizza

Pizza is my kids favorite and I often make pizza at home. Some times,when I do not have pizza dough,I tweak the recipe a bit and use naan or bagel as the crust. In this recipe I have used naan instead of the regular pizza dough and is light and crispy. This is a fusion variety but still tastes exotic.It has with paneer and touch of tikka masala. In addition to this it has the regular pizza tomato based sauce and a cheese blend of Mozzarella,Asiago Romano and Parmesan. This is a vegetarian version but you can also use meat or pepperoni as topping.

Ingredients
Garlic naan/regular naan- 2
Pizza sauce- 4 tbs
Cheese shredded- 1/2 cup
Sliced onion- 1/2 an onion
Thinly sliced bell pepper- 1/2
Sun dried tomatoes- 3-4 pieces ( optional)
Olive oil- a few drops

To marinate the paneer
Paneer- 3/4-1 cup cubed
Tikka masala- 1/2 tsp
( store brought or a blend of the following
a pinch of turmeric,pepper powder, chilly powder,
cumin powder,garam masala and chaat masala)
Ginger garlic paste- 1/3 tsp
Yogurt- 1 tsp

Cut paneer into cubes. Mix all the ingredients listed under 'to marinate' with the paneer and keep aside for an hour or in the fridge for three to four hours. Drizzle a few drops of oil in a pan and slightly toast the paneer to till it is slightly golden brown on the outside (or put in the oven at 400 degree F). In the same pan slightly saute onions and bell pepper for about two minutes.Brush the naan  with olive oil. Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce over the naan. Arrange fried paneer, sauteed onion,  bell pepper, sun dried tomato( or any vegetables of your choice) and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 400  degree F for about 10 minutes or till the cheese on top melts and is slightly bubbly.

Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy!

Chicken Pouch/Potli

Chicken Pouch/Potli

 Chicken pouch is a bite size appetizer and perfect for parties. It has a spicy meat and peas filling and the dough is shaped like a pouch.This recipe is inspired from the beggars Pouch/purse recipe which is normally bundles made with crepes or phyllo dough with different types of filling. Hear I have deep fried so that it will retain crispiness for longer time.You can try veg or non vegetarian fillings.

Ingredients
All Purpose flour- 2 cup
Egg white-1
Ghee- 1 tsp
Oil- 1 tsp
Salt- 1/3 tsp
Sugar- 1/2 tsp

For the filling
Minced chicken- 250 gms
Green peas- 1/2 cup
Onion- 1 medium
green chilly- 1
Ginger garlic paste- 1 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder- a pinch
Garam masala- 3/4 tsp
Chilly powder- 1/3 tsp
Pepper powder- 1/3 tsp
Coriander  leaves chopped a little
Lemon juice- 1 tsp

Take flour in a bowl and mix in sugar and salt. Pour ghee and oil and mix and rub the flour till it resembles wet sand. Beat egg white separately and pour into the flour along with 1/3 cup of water. Mix till you get a smooth and stiff dough. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rest for 15 minutes.

To make the filling- Heat a pan with two tsp of oil and saute chopped onions,chopped green chilly and after a minute add salt and ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw flavor disappears.Add minced chicken and green peas and stir fry for about two minutes.Add turmeric powder and mix well. Cover and cook for another two minutes.  Add the rest of the spice powders,lemon juice and coriander leaves and stir fry till it is completely dry. Transfer into a bowl and allow to cool.

To make the pouches-Divide dough into lemon sized balls. Using a rolling pin flatten and make into circle,just like pooris. Wet your finger tips with water and go around the filling and the edges. Using your thumb and index finger make a circle in your hand and place the dough circle and gently press down a bit to make a depression. Place the filling inside and gently squeeze with the thumb and the index finger to seal close to the filling leaving  the outer edges to fall loosely. Fry in medium hot oil for about 5-6 minutes till it becomes golden brown on all side. Serve with tamarind chutney or tomato ketchup.

Try it
Hope you will all enjoy!

Mango Mousse

Mango Mousse

Happy New Year to all my friends, readers and well wishers!

Wishing you all a wonderful 2013!

Starting this New year with a delicious treat, a wonderfully light and fluffy mousse. This is an egg less luscious dessert with made with mango puree and whipping cream.You can make it ahead and it is perfect for a dinner party especially if you do not want a overtly sweet desert. It is a light dessert and I love the color and flavor of mangoes. Try this,you will surely love it.

Ingredients

Mango puree- 2 1/2 cup
Whipping cream- 2 cup
Granulated sugar- 1/2 cup
( Add according to mango sweetness)
Gelatin- 1 packet
Salt- a pinch

lemon juice- 1/2 lemon

 Soak the gelatin in ice cold water for approx. 5 minutes.
Make a fine puree of the mango and put through a sieve before proceeding with the recipe.
Take 1/3 of the mango puree in a sauce pan and heat it in a low flame. When it is warm add the gelatin and mix well till it completely dissolves. Take off from the flame and mix in the rest of the mango puree and lemon juice and 1/3 cup of sugar. Put this in the refrigerator and allow to cool and slightly thicken.
 In the meantime whip the cream until soft peaks form, then drizzle in the remaining sugar and whip till incorporated and continue to whip till stiff it becomes stiff peaks. Remove the mango mixture from the fridge and gently fold in the whipped cream. Pour into dessert bowls and allow to set in fridge for 3-4 hours before serving.

Try this..
Hope you will all enjoy!