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Showing posts from 2017

Indian Spice Roasted Cornish Hen

Indian Spice Roasted Cornish Hen Roasted Cornish hen can be a perfect recipe for any occasion, impressive and easy to make. Cornish hen often is referred to as Indian game hens, and they are truly delicious! Roasting cornish hen doesn't need to be intimidating. I have this about whole chicken and turkey, but the cornish hen is a safe bet. My family does occasionally like a more elaborate meal with fried or roast chicken. The recipe is the basic marinade that I use for roast chicken or Cornish hen. It is a spicy Indian marinade with aromatic, earthy spices, garlic, and the spice kick from dry red chilly. It is spicy and crispy outside and juicy in the center. This recipe is delicious and easy to make, and I guarantee it will be your new favorite for a simple and elegant family meal. Cornish hens are just like chicken but small, each weighing not more than a pound and half. They are just as easy to roast like a chicken and is tender, and have a milder flavor when compared to ch

Easy Coconut Pudding

Easy Coconut Pudding Coconut pudding is magical with a refreshing taste and lusciously light texture. Coconut lovers will surely love this creamy, rich, and delicious pudding. Each scoop of this delightfully tender coconut pudding will transport you back to a tropical paradise. Coconut pudding is simple but tastes exotic. Take a look at the list of ingredients, it will make you wonder- tender coconut, tender coconut water, fresh coconut milk, coconut cream, crispy toasted sweet coconut-all in one bowl. You can't get more coconut crazy than this!    Coconut pudding is delicious and perfect for any occasion. It is perfect for summertime potluck parties. If you want to make a special dinner try this comforting after-dinner treat, your guest will surely love it. In addition to coconut milk, this recipe also calls for tender coconut meat. Tender coconut has a sweet and refreshing taste. It also adds to the texture of the pudding. This pudding is an egg-less version but uses gelat

Beef Vegetable Cutlet

Beef Vegetable Cutlet Cutlet is a very popular snack in Kerala. This recipe is made with beef and vegetables. Also check my earlier posts of chicken cutlet, fish cutlet, and vegetarian version of beetroot and mushroom cutlet. Cutlet is a tempting snack and party-pleasing appetizer. The meat and vegetables are cooked in aromatic spices, breaded, and deep-fried to make this crispy snack. Beef cutlets are a must have in most Christian wedding parties and also found in restaurants and road side tea stalls. You can make this in advance in bigger batches, and it freezes well. So whenever you need cutlet just thaw them and fry. Serve this with ketchup and onion salad and enjoy with a cup of tea. Ingredients Beef- 1/2 kg Potato large-1 Green peas- 1/2 cup Chopped carrot- 1/2 cup Chopped beans and bell pepper- 1/4 cup Onion- 1 medium Green chilly-1 Ginger Garlic paste- 1 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp Pepper powder-3/4 tsp Chilly powder- 1 tsp Tomato ketchup- 1 tsp (o

Kerala Style Kada Roast/Easy Quail Roast

Kada/ Quail Roast Kada /Quail is a small-sized bird, and its meat is delicious and succulent. Quail meat roasted with earthy spices, caramelized onions, tomatoes, and coconut gives you the deep essence of a traditional, homey South Indian food. Kada roast can be served, for holiday meals especially, Christmas, and Easter. Here I usually get quail and duck during the holiday season. It comes in a pack of six, so it was perfect for this roast recipe. Earlier I shared a Kerala style spicy  Kada/quail fry .  This quail roast recipe is taking the fried quail to the next level-roasting it along with caramelized onion and spices and coconut. Do not rush with the process of caramelizing the onion. This roasting imparts a unique flavor and enhances the taste of the curry. Spicy Kerala quail roast has very little gravy, and is a semi-dry preparation. It can be paired with rice, chapati or fried rice. Try this recipe..guarantee it will provide you an exotic eating experience. Hap

Pineapple Sweet Chili Sauce

Pineapple  Sweet Chili Sauce Today's recipe is a home made sweet and spicy pineapple chili sauce made with simple ingredients. It has a right balance of flavor,sweetness and the chilies add a kick of spice. It is a perfect condiment and is an addictive dipping sauce.You can also pair it with fried rice, spring rolls or grilled meat or fish.Numerous variations exist for this condiment which is easy to make can be customized.Try this, you will surely love it. Recipe adapted from: Cooks Southeast Asian by James McNair Ingredients Pineapple juice- 2 cup Finely chopped pineapple- 1 tbs Bird eye chilly finely chopped- 1 tbs Chilly flakes- 1 tbs Minced garlic- 2 tsp Sugar - 1 1/2 cup Distilled vinegar- 1/2 cup Water- 1/2 cup Salt - 1/2 tsp Into a sauce pan add strained pineapple juice, chopped pineapple,water and sugar and bring it to a boil. Add vinegar,minced garlic, chopped bird eye chili  and dry chilly flakes and salt and stir. Reduce the flame to low a

Iced Cinnamon Cookies

Iced Cinnamon Cookies  Soft and buttery cinnamon cookies with chocolate chips and glazed icing is a delicious holiday cookie. It gives you all the Christmas season joy of making and sharing treats. They taste amazing and is so easy to make.While planning to make holiday treats, I asked my kid what is his favorite one. Out of all he answered chocolate chip cookies.Now I get it, not everyone is a big fan of decadent cakes and treats.I also get cravings to eat cookies once in a while and cinnamon flavored cookies are simply irresistible.  I used the basic short bread cookie recipe recipe.What is best about short bread cookie dough is that it is very versatile recipe.You can make hundreds of adaptions and add different flavorings. Cinnamon and chocolate chips cookies is perfect tea time snack, or just with a glass of milk.If this wasn't good enough,here is another way you can make it even more amazing with cinnamon glazed icing.This recipe will yield around 16 cookies. Try t

Lychee Cashew Nut Payasam

Lychee Cashew Nut Payasam Payasam is very popular dessert in Kerala and is made on every special occasions.Payasam is a very satisfying dessert and there are several varieties of payasam. This is a flavorful fruit and nut payasam. It is made with lychee fruit and cashew milk. Lychee is a summer fruit and  is very flavorful, and has a beautiful texture, soft ,translucent and sweet. You can buy cashew milk from the supermarket. I used Silk Creamy Cashew Milk. In addition sago pearls gives this pudding/payasam the desired creamy consistency. You can substitute it with rice or ada.Try this you will surely love it. Ingredients Chopped lychee-1 1/2 cup Cashew Milk- 2 1/2 cup Condensed milk- 3/4 cup Cashew nut (to make a paste)- 10-12 Sago pearls/ chowari-1/2 cup Sugar-3 tbs Chopped cashew nuts- 8-10 Raisins- a few Crushed cardamom-3-4 Ghee-2 tsp First step is to cook the sago. In a heavy bottom pan add 5-6 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the sago pearls/cho

Vadukapuli Naranga Curry/Wild Lemon Pickle- Kerala Sadhya Recipe

Vadukapuli Naranga Curry/Wild Lemon Pickle Are you familiar with wild lemons? Today's recipe is a pickle with wild lemon.There are more than thirty varieties of lemons, and pickled wild lemon tastes delicious. Zesty and hot lemon pickle is a delicious condiment to spice up your meal. In Kerala it is called Kari Naranga or Vadukapuli naranga. I am not sure whether wild lemon and Ponderosa Lemon are the same. Wild lemons are large juicy and have a thick bumpy rind. Not many share the same enthusiasm for wild lemons as it is on the bitter side. But this pickle has a beautiful balance of spicy, sweet, and sour. In Kerala,vadukapuli naranga curry/ wild lemon pickle is a traditional recipe in Kerala Sadhya . Sadhya is our traditional vegetarian feast, made on festive occasions. It is served, on a banana leaf with rice, pickles, chips, and curries ranging from mild to more spicy vegetable curries. Lemon pickles are an integral part of Kerala Sadhya. You can also serve lemon pick

Mawa/ Milk Powder Burfi

Mawa/ Milk Powder Burfi Burfi is one of my favorite sweets and this milky fudge candy is undoubtedly one of the easiest to make. If you have mawa milk powder in hand you can make this in less than 15 minutes.This delicious milk candy/fudge is a yummy treat for any festival or holiday season. If you do not have mawa milk powder you can substitute it with full fat milk powder. Try this, you will surely love it. Ingredients Mawa powder- 250 grams (or full fat milk powder) Milk- 1 cup Sugar- 1 cup Cardamom- 3-4 Ghee- 3 tbs Sliced almond or pistachios-  to garnish Make a fine powder of sugar and cardamom and set aside. In a heavy bottom melt butter and add milk and mawa powder/milk powder. Mix well till it well combines and there is no lumps. Keep stirring in low flame for two to three minutes. Into this add powdered sugar and cardamon and mix. The mixture will start to loosen a bit, but it will soon thicken and come together. Continue to stir till it leaves the e

Artichoke Chicken Pasta Salad

Artichoke Chicken Pasta Salad This is a colorful,zesty and filling pasta salad perfect for lunch box, weekend lunch or potlucks.I often make pasta salad for my kid. The recipe is very simple and you can customize according to your preference. This artichoke pasta can be made in a jiffy, just  add cooked pasta, stir fried or grilled chicken,toss salad dressing and let it sit for the flavors to develop. Try this, you will surely love it. Ingredients Pasta- 6 oz. Chicken- cut into small pieces- 1 cup Shallots-1 Garlic minced- 2 cloves Black pepper- 1/2 tsp Artichokes hearts- 4 oz. Chopped basil- 1tsp Chopped parsley- 1 tbs Chopped tomatoes- 1/2 cup Lemon Zest -a pinch Lemon juice- 1/2 lemon Red wine vinegar- 2 tsp Olive oil- 1 tbs Parmesan cheese grated- 2 tbs salt to taste   Cook  pasta in boiling water, add salt and cook till soft. Drain and drizzle some olive oil on top and set aside. Into a hot pan add butter and oil and stir fry chicken. Season it w

Mullu Murukku/ Chakali- Rice Murukku and Maida Butter Murukku

 Rice murukku/ Chakali   Happy Diwali to all my friends and readers!  Are you looking for a savory snack for Diwali? Then why not try this irresistible salty, and savory snack. It is known as murukku in South India and Chakali in Northern India and is always for Diwali at home. Murukku is the perfect tea time, and at my house, murukku is everyone's favorite. My mom often makes big batches of murukku, and it can be stored at room temperature for over a month. So whenever, you are craving a snack in the evening, along with tea, try this recipe. It is simple to make. Murukku is a deep-fried crunchy and delicious snack. They are made, with rice flour and urad dal. I am also sharing a second recipe made with maida or all-purpose flour. The word murukku means twisted, and the dough is twisted in spirals or coils using a mold or sometimes by hand. The one made with the hand is called kai murukku and needs the practice to form the perfect shape. The mold makes it easier to shape. It is a f

Karal Ularthiyathu/Mutton Liver Pepper Fry

Karal Ularthiyathu/Mutton Liver Pepper Fry Spicy liver fry or masala tastes delicious.This recipe is liver/karal Ularthu, which is a kind of stir fry. The liver is cooked first and then stir fried with the masala.You can also make chicken or meat using the same recipe.Usually thin slices of coconut is added to the ularthu,but here I have used grated coconut.The star ingredients in this recipe is crushed chilly flakes  and pepper, which gives a nice spice kick. This goes well with rice and chapathi. Ingredients Goat liver  - 1/2 Kg Shallots- 10-15 Ginger- 2  inch thick Garlic-2-3 Grated coconut - 1/2 cup (or thinly sliced coconut- 3 tbs) Pepper powder-1/2 tsp Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp Whole red chilly-5 (or according to spice tolerance) Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds- 1/2 tsp Curry leaves Coconut oil Salt to taste Cut liver into small cubes. Rub with salt and turmeric powder and wash liver pieces thoroughly for at least

Pandan Butter Mochi/ Hawaiian Butter Mochi

Pandan Butter Mochi Buttery mochi cake is a comforting dessert, aromatic with the flavor of coconut and pandan in every bite. Have you ever had butter mochi before? Butter mochi is a delicious Asian-inspired dessert from Hawaii. It is full of tropical flavors that you cannot resist. Butter mochi is the Hawaiian version of the Japanese sweet rice cake/mochi. It is a gluten-free dessert made with sweet rice flour. Butter mochi reminds me of the sweet rice and coconut cakes my grandmother made when I was a kid. Butter Mochi has the same delightful chewy texture. Coconut milk gives it a rich creamy taste. This coconut-scented dessert is  pleasantly sweet and sure to leave you wanting more.  Butter Mochi is a quick recipe with simple ingredients like rice flour, coconut milk, and butter. Pandan adds vibrant color and a beautiful aroma. What is Pandan? Pandanus amaryllifolius is screw pine leaves used in Southeast Asian cuisine in sweet and savory recipes. It has a pleasant aroma lik

Bread Vada

Bread Vada Bread vada can be made with left over bread, it is an instant vada. It is a yummy tea time snack and can be made in a jiffy.This recipe is inspired from Mrs. Vahchef YouTube Channel. It is soft and spongy in the inside and crispy outside. It is mildly spiced and flavored with pearl onions,ginger and curry leaves. Try this, you will surely love it. Ingredients Bread slices- 8 Rava/Sooji- 3 tbs Rice flour- 2 tbs Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp (optional) Asafoetida/Hing- a pinch Yogurt -1/2 cup Pearl Onions- 4-5 Ginger finely chopped- 1 inch thick Curry leaves finely chopped- 1 spring Green chilly  finely chopped- 3 salt to taste Oil- 2 cup to fry   In a food processor pulse the bread till it becomes a course mixture. Transfer this into a bowl and add the rice flour,rava, salt, chilly powder and hing(asafoetida) and mix well. Into this add the yogurt and mix. Adjust consistency by adding little water. Do not add too much water,just enough to moist the bread

Kerala Beef Biryani

Kerala Beef Biryani Biryani is a glorious one pot meal,satisfying and delicious. It is an exotic dish prepared and served on all festive occasions. The rice and meat is gently spiced and flavored with earthy spices. Biryani is a one pot meal, but not easy (of course there is a quicker pressure cooker version! ), as prepping and making a good biryani is time consuming. But once in a while I do crave for Biryani  as a weekend dinner. I have already shared a lot of Biryani recipes in this blog. Here's one more to the list- it is a Kerala style beef biryani.  Ingredients To cook rice Kaima Rice- 3 cups Ghee- 1 tsp Fried onion- 2 tbs Salt- to taste Water- 6 cups Cinnamon- 2 inch clove- 4-5 Star Aniseed - 2 Green chilly -1 Chopped pineapple- 3 tbs Mint leaves- a few For the masala Beef - 1 kg Ghee- 3-4 tbs Shallots- 1 cup Green Chilly- 10 Ginger- 2 inch piece Garlic pods- 8-10 Tomato-3 small Carrot Cubed- 3/4 cup Chopped coriander leaves and mint- 1 tbs