Kitchen Corner-Try It

French Chocolate Gateau This cake is for all those passionate chocolate lovers out there. There is a general enthusiasm for chocolates treats and it is an integral part of every happy occasion.Can you imagine any happy occasion without chocolate? I am an ardent chocolate fan and so is my kid. We both share the same passionate fondness for chocolates. Rich and luscious chocolate cake like Gateau, will definitely top the list as the most favored chocolate desserts. What richer and more delicious taste can you think of than a rich and gooey chocolate cake.This French classic is impressive and surprisingly easy to make cake.The moist interior of this chocolaty cake is due to the generous quantity of chocolate and butter. I am so glad I tried this French chocolate gateau/Gateau au chocolat and the texture was wonderful..gooey,moist and tender cake..absolutely divine chocolaty goodness. This cake is flour less, double chocolate cake and is definitely worth a try. It is ideal as...

Middle Eastern Jeweled Pilaf with Chicken This pilaf is aromatic and flavorful one pot dish, which brings in the exotic flavors of east.This rice and chicken dish is popular in Turkey and Jordan. It is called jeweled rice because it is garnished with shining raisins,dates, almonds, pistachios and pomegranates. Fried onions and saffron take this dish to a new level. I saw this recipe in a cook book and instantly loved it. Tried it as our Sunday lunch and my family enjoyed. This is a two step recipe. First you cook the chicken and then you cook the rice in the chicken broth and finally layer it with rice,nuts,fried onion and chicken. Try this,you will surely love it. Recipe Source:Tom Kime, Street Food: Exploring the World's Most Authentic Tastes , DK Publishing,London. Ingredients Chicken- 1 medium chicken, cut into large peices Basmathi rice/long grain rice- 2 1/2 cups Cinnamon sticks-3 Green Cardomon-6 Olive oil- 3 tbs Pepper corns- 1/2 tbs Onions finely chopped-...

Fish Vindaloo I love the hot and spicy vindaloo curry, the popular Goan delicacy. Fish is an integral part of our meal and recently I have been trying a lot of recipes with fish. Vindaloo curry is often made with meat (pork/beef) cooked in spices and vinegar.I tried cooking fish in vindaloo paste and it tastes yummy. You can use any meaty/thick flesh fish like king fish or tuna. Ingredients Tuna/king fish- 1 1/2 lb Onion finely chopped- 2 medium Kashmiri chilly whole- 8 ( adjust according to spice tolerance) Turmeric powder- 1/3 tsp Pepper powder- 1/3 tsp Cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp Ground Mustard - 1/2 tsp Garam masala- 1/2 tsp Ginger- 2 inch thick piece Garlic- 7-8 pods Vinegar-3 tbs Thick coconut milk- 1/3 cup Sugar -  a pinch Cloves-2 Cinnamon stick-1 inch thick Oil and salt Take off the seeds ( if you want it less spicy) from the dry chilly and soak it in vinegar and coconut milk for about half an hour. Make a fine paste of this along wit...

Neipayasam/Sharkara payasam Today's recipe is a delicious sweet/pudding with rice. Rice payasam is comforting and has a divine appeal to it, and sweet rice puddings are often associated with the temples.Nei payasam/ Aravana payasam/ Kadum Payasam is a cherished offering of Kerala temples. For many Malayalees, when they think of Prasadam, the first image would be Aravana payasam. It is a sure treat for all those with a sweet tooth. It has a richness and unique taste that is magical! Now I warn you, this dessert is quite addictive, but it is calorie-rich and extremely sweet. It is also called Kadum Mathura payasam because of its sweetness.  My memories of having the tastiest Nei Payasam/ aravana payasam is when my dad or my cousins go on their yearly pilgrimage to Sabarimala temple and bring home  Aravana prasadam in canned tins. This payasam has a long shelf life and there is a time-honored technique in making Nei payasam. This is my humble attempt to try to recreate th...

Kofieebroodje (Dutch Coffee Buns) Baking partners challenge for this month is a sticky and sweet raisin pasty bun. Thanks to Swathi   and Kaveri for suggesting this beautiful recipe.Kaveri send two Dutch recipes to try- Kofieebroodje/coffee bun and Apple tart. Both are beautiful recipes, but I decided to try the Dutch coffee buns. Bread or buns with toppings are common for Dutch breakfast.But coffee time which usually around 11 am and 7 pm is special time to indulge in rich pastries along with hot coffee.These type of pasty bun have rich filling of cream,custard or fruits and are integral part of Southern Dutch cuisine. The coffee bun are soft and buttery and filling  is vanilla pudding and raisins.Thank Kaveri for sharing this recipe. The recipe source is from here Ingredients All purpose flour – 3 cups Instant Yeast – 7gm/1 pkt Milk – 1 ¼ cup (lukewarm) Butter – 3 tbsp Sugar – 4 tbsp Vanilla – 1 tsp Salt – 1 tsp Raisins – 1/3 cup For the cream 1 p...

Orange Ginger Loaf A quick fruit bread with the zesty flavor of ginger and orange. I love baking quick breads as you can experiment with different flavors and ingredients.This spongy loaf  is a perfect  breakfast option around the holidays or just a snack with hot cocoa. Use nuts,dried fruits or cranberries to give a real festive look. I had some candied ginger and decided to  try baking with it. Try this you will surely love it. Ingredients All purpose flour- 3 cup Eggs-2 Butter- 1/2 stick/4 tbs Baking powder- 1 1/3 tsp Baking soda- 3/4 tsp Salt- 1/2 tsp Sugar- 3/4 cup Candied Ginger- 1/3 cup (chopped) Orange juice- 3/4 cup Orange zest- 1 tsp Banana-2 Vanilla essence- 11/2 tsp For the glaze Juice of one orange Sugar- 1/4 cup powdered ginger-1/3 tsp Shredded candied ginger- 1 tsp  Pre heat oven to 375 degree F and grease and prepare loaf tin. In a bowl mix together flour, baking powder,baking soda,salt and set aside. Whisk but...