Kerala Style Ladoo / Laddu Recipe

Here at home all three of us love Ladoo. The only difference is my son and I love the soft and dry Kerala style ladoo and my hubby is a fan of the soft and soggy Motichoor ladoo from North India :) :).... Whenever we try store bought ladoos, we find something or the other that does not appeal to our taste buds. Finally I started making Ladoos at home and I find it far better than the colour loaded, oil tasting Ladoos that we get from the store. Now I have completely stopped buying Ladoos and have started making it at home whenever the craving starts. It’s simple, so do try theses Ladoos and share it with your friends and family this Diwali....

 Wishing You All A Very Happy, Prosperous and Safe Diwali!!!

Kerala Style Ladoo / Laddu Recipe

(Around 35-40 small ladoos)
Ingredients:

For the boondi batter:

Bengal Gram flour/ Kadala Mavu / Besan - 2 cups

Water – around 1 ½ to 2 cups

For the sugar syrup:

Sugar - 2 ½ cups

Water - 1 ¼ cups

Cardamom powder – ½ tsp

Cloves -6 nos

Cashew nuts – 3 tbsp, chopped

Raisins – 2 tbsp

Ghee -2 tbsp

Kalkandom / Sugar Candy - 1 tbsp, broken into small pieces

Yellow food colour – as needed (optional)

Pacha karpooram / Edible Camphor – a small pinch (optional)

Oil for deep frying the boondis

Method:

• For making Sugar Syrup: Melt sugar and water in a pan and keep stirring on medium fire till it reaches one thread consistency. Remove from fire and add cardamom powder, food colour and camphor mixed in a little water. Keep the syrup warm.
• For making the Boondis: Mix gram flour with enough water to make a smooth pancake like batter.
• Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat.
• Pour the batter through a dry perforated ladle or boondi plate and let the boondi fall into the boiling oil by gently spreading the batter with a spoon.
• Drain the boondis before it gets browned and drop into the warm sugar syrup. Repeat with the rest of the batter.
• Fry the cashew nuts, raisins and cloves in ghee and spread these with the ghee over the boondi.
• Mix all the ingredients together pressing the boondis with the back of a spoon to absorb all the sugar syrup.
• Add Kalkandom/ sugar candy and mix well.
• To make ladoos, gently squeeze some of the warm boondi mixture between both palms and shape into Ladoos.
• Ladoo will become firm when it cools down to room temperature. 

Notes:

• Sugar syrup should be one thread consistency.
• Gram flour batter should neither too thick nor too thin.
• Wash perforated ladle or boondi plate and wipe it clean and dry before pouring the next batch of batter.

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Triple Chocolate Brownies / Best-ever Chocolate Brownies

This would probably rate as the best brownies I have ever baked. All the delicious goodness of dark, white and milk chocolate are combined in one dish. This gooey brownie undoubtedly will become a chocolate lover’s delight! Be careful with the baking time, if you over cook the brownie it will take on a cake like crumbly texture whereas it should be gooey. If you wish you can add half cup of chopped cashew nuts along with the chopped chocolates. I served the warm brownies with coffee ice cream and it was heavenly, of course very fattening too! But once in a while an indulgence like this is ok ;)

Triple Chocolate Brownies / Best-ever Chocolate Brownies

(Recipe from here) 

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter - 185 gm, cut into small cubes

Dark chocolate - 185 gm, chopped

All-purpose flour / Maida - 85 gm / ¾ cup

Cocoa powder - 40 gm / ⅓ cup  

White chocolate - 50 gm, roughly chopped  

Milk chocolate - 50 gm, roughly chopped  

Eggs - 3 large

Golden caster sugar / brown sugar - 275 gm / 1 ⅓ cup

Method:

• Melt the butter and dark chocolate in a large heavy based pan over a low flame. Alternatively, cover the bowl loosely with cling film and put in the microwave for 2 minutes on High.
• Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.
• Pre heat oven to 180˚ C. Line the base of a shallow 20cm square tin with non-stick baking parchment paper.
• Sieve flour and cocoa powder together to get rid of any lumps and keep aside.
• Break eggs into a large mixing bowl and add in golden caster sugar. Whisk the eggs and sugar on medium speed until they look thick and creamy or the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume.
• Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula, without knocking out the air.
• Gently fold in flour-cocoa mix and stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks until they’re just combined.
• Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top with the spatula.
• Put in the pre heated oven and bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. Take out of the oven.
• Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold. Cut the brownies into triangles.
• Serve as it is or slightly warm the brownies and serve with a dollop of vanilla or coffee ice cream.

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Ethakka Wine Recipe / Ripe Plantain Wine Recipe

It’s been a long time since I have posted a new wine recipe. Today’s wine is with Kerala Ethakka / plantain and it is a sweet wine. I have used one orange and two grapefruits in this recipe. If you cannot find grapefruit, you can substitute it with oranges. Please make sure to go through my earlier post “Tips on making Kerala Homemade Wine” before you attempt making wine at home, which will help clear lot of doubts and save your time and my time spent on clarifications!

Ethakka Wine / Ripe Plantain Wine

Ingredients:

Ripe Ethakka / Plantain - 3
Orange -1
Grapefruit -2
Raisins - ¾ cup
Water – 6 cups
Yeast – ¾
Sugar – 500 gms

Method:

• Cut Ethakka / Plantain in small pieces. Put ethakka pieces in a large pan and 6 cups water and bring this to the boil and simmer for approximately 15 minutes. Strain and pour the mixture into a clean large pan, while the mixture is hot making sure not to squeeze the ethakka / plantain pieces. Discard the ethakka pieces.
• Wash orange and grapefruit and wipe it with a kitchen tissue or clean cloth. Take out the zest from one grapefruit and orange with a citrus peeler or vegetable peeler. Add orange & grapefruit zest along with orange and grapefruit segments making sure not to add white pith or seeds, raisins and sugar to the hot boiled ethakka / plantain water.
• In a small bowl, mix ½ cup lukewarm water, ¾ tsp yeast and ¾ tsp sugar and keep aside for 10 minutes. When the mixture becomes frothy add it to the cooled mixture and mix everything well.
• Transfer the mixture to a sterilized glass bottle / bharani, cover it and leave for 21 days stirring daily. After 21 days, strain the mixture through a cheese/muslin cloth in to a clean dry bottle. Keep this again for 14 days untouched. After14 days strain the wine again, pour it in to clean dry bottles and use.

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Wine Barrel Cake

I made this cake a couple of months back for my husband’s birthday and somehow forgot to post it over here....

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BMW Theme Cake

Hi everybody, It’s been a long time since I updated this space. I am finding it hard to resume blogging regularly after my summer vacation solely due to laziness ;) ;) ....  Trying my level best to restart blogging with this BMW themed cake I made for my son on his birthday.... Promise to be back with a new recipe post soon....

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Brazilian Coffee Cookies Recipe

I have been trying a variety of cookies recently. We really loved this coffee flavoured cookies. While baking these cookies our flat is filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee…. If you are a coffee lover I am sure you will love these cookies…

Brazilian Coffee Cookies Recipe

(Recipe from here)

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour / Maida - 2 cups

Salt - ½ tsp

Baking soda - ¼ tsp

Baking powder- ¼ tsp

Butter- ⅓ cup (75 gms)

Brown Sugar - ½ cup

White sugar - ½ cup

Egg - 1

Vanilla essence – 1 ½ tsp

Milk - 1 tbsp

Hot water - 1 tbsp

Instant coffee powder - 2 ½ tbsps

Method:

• Sieve together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Keep aside.
• Add hot water to the coffee powder and keep aside.
• In a bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the milk, vanilla essence and egg until light and creamy. Add the coffee mixture and mix.
• Mix in the sieved ingredients until just blended. Cover with plastic foil and place in refrigerator for 10-15 miniuts.
• Prepare small lemon sized balls and place on baking sheet that has been lined with butter paper. Place each ball about 2 inches apart as they spread. Lightly flatten the balls with a fork. Sprinkle some sugar on top of each ball.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 200˚C for about 10-12 mts till the edges are slightly toasted or till done. Once baked, the cookie will feel soft on touch but once cool it will harden.
• Cool on a wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough. Store in airtight container.

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Palak Paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese in Spinach Gravy

Palak Paneer is a popular paneer dish served in road side dhabas and in restaurants. Lightly fried paneer is cooked in a pureed spinach-tomato gravy. Goes well with boiled rice, chapathi or Nan.

Palak Paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese in Spinach Gravy

(Recipe adapted from NitaMehta's Paneer All the way)

Ingredients: 

Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) - 200 gms, cut in to 1" cubes

Palak (Spinach) - 1/2kg (1 bunch)

Onions - 2

Ginger - 1" piece

Garlic  - 5 cloves

Tomatoes - 2 medium, chopped

Green chillies - 2, chopped

Red chilly powder -1 tsp

Cardamom powder - ¼  tsp

Ghee - 3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and chop palak. Cook with 1/2 cup water for 10 minutes on low flame after the first boil. Cool and grind to a smooth paste.
• Grind onions, garlic and ginger together.
• Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a non-stick pan and slightly fry cubed paneer. Drain and keep aside.
• Heat rest of ghee in the same pan. Add onion paste and cook till onions turns golden and ghee separates.
• Add chopped tomatoes and green chillies. Cook for 5-6 minutes on slow fire, till ghee separates.
• Add ground palak, add a little water if too thick.
• Cook for 6-8 minutes on slow fire. Add salt.
• Add cardamom powder and fried paneer. Mix well and remove from fire.
• At the time of serving, heat 1 tbsp ghee,add 1 tsp red chilly powder. Remove from fire and pour this over the heated palak paneer.
• Mix well and serve at once with Rice,Chapathi, Paratha or Nan

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Kerala Chicken Stew Recipe / Kozhi Stew

Stew or Ishtew is a mildly spicy and creamy Kerala special delicacy which goes very well with appam,bread, puttu, chapathi etc. In most Kerala Christian families, Christmas or Easter breakfast is incomplete without appam and chicken or mutton stew. Stew has to be white in colour and you have to make sure not to brown the onion while sautéing. Cashew nut paste will enhance the flavor and make the gravy thick and creamy.

Kerala Chicken Stew Recipe / Kozhi Stew
Ingredients: 

Chicken - ½ kg (cut in to medium pieces, I used boneless chicken)

Potato - 1 small, cubed

Carrot - 1 small, cubed

Onion - 1, thinly sliced

Green chillies - 4, slit

Ginger - 1 tsp, finely chopped

Garlic - 1 tsp, finely chopped

Cinnamon sticks - 1 inch x2 pieces

Cardamom - 4

Cloves - 4

Black peppercorns - 1 tsp

Medium thick coconut milk - 3 cups

Thick coconut milk - 1 cup

Cashew nuts - 6 - 8 ground to a fine paste

Curry leaves - few

Salt - to taste

Coconut oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan and add cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves, black peppercorns and sauté. Add onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies and curry leaves and stir fry until they becomes soft and translucent. (make sure not to brown the onion).
• Add chicken pieces and stir fry for 2-3 minutes until the meat is lightly seared.
• Add cubed potatoes and carrots, medium think coconut milk and salt, and cook for 15-20 minutes over medium heat until the chicken, carrot and potatoes are fully cooked.
• Add cashew nut paste, thick coconut milk and vinegar, mix well and simmer for 2 minutes or until you get the required thickness.
• Serve hot with palappam, vellayappam, Idiyappam, Puttu, Chapathi or bread.

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No-churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream / Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

Making a very rich and delicious Salted Caramel Ice Cream without an ice cream maker and with only three ingredients. An extremely easy to make dessert if you have dulce de leche ready in your kitchen. You can either use store bought dulce de leche or can easily make at home. I have explained 3 different methods of boiling the can of condensed milk. You can follow the method you are most comfortable with :)  Do try it at home, I am sure you will love this!

No-churn Salted Caramel Ice Cream / Dulce de Leche Ice Cream
(Recipe from here)

Ingredients:

*Homemade or store-bought dulce de leche - 1 can or 1 1/3 cup

Flaky sea salt - 1/2 teaspoon (or 1/8 teaspoon table salt) 

Very cold heavy whipping cream - 2 cups

Method:

• Combine dulce de leche with salt in a large bowl and keep aside.
• Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat cream in a large bowl until stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.
• Stir about 1/3 of the whipped cream into dulce de leche until just combined.
• Gently fold remaining whipped cream into dulce de leche mixture, then pour into 9x5" loaf pan.
• Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 6 hours.

How to make Dulce the Leche at home.

• Traditional Method ~ Put the can of condensed milk, unopened, in a large pan, cover with water, bring to boiling point and boil for 3 hours, topping up with boiling water from a kettle as needed. Ensure that the can remains covered in water. Remove and leave to cool completely.
• Pressure cooker method without weight  ~ Fill a pressure cooker with water. Immerse the can into the pressure cooker and close the lid. Switch on the gas on high and wait for steam to come and reduce to medium flame and cook for 1 hour.
• Pressure cooker method with weight, easiest and less time consuming ~  Fill a pressure cooker with water. Immerse the can into the pressure cooker and close the lid. Switch on the gas on high. Wait for steam to come and then put on the weight. When you hear the first whistle, simmer the flame and let it cook for 30-45 minutes Switch off the gas and let it cool down to room temperature.

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Fish Tikka

Tried this recipe after seeing a popular cookery show, Annie’s Kitchen.  It came out really well so thought of sharing it with you. You can either grill or bake tikkas in the oven, use an electric toaster grill or on stove top. It’s a very easy and hassle free recipe. You can marinate the fish pieces and keep it overnight in the fridge before grilling. It is a perfect recipe to serve as a starter or as a main or side dish. A great addition to a party menu :) :) ...

Fish Tikka

Ingredients:

Boneless Fish - 1kg {can use Neymeen (Seer fish),  Motha (King fish) or any thick boneless fish pieces}

Onion -1 cup, cut into 1 ½“pieces

Tomato -1 cup, cut into 1 ½“pieces (remove seeds)

Capscium – 1 cup, cut into 1 ½“pieces

Butter – 3 tbsp

For the marinade:

Ginger paste - 2 tsp

Garlic paste – 2 tsp

Green chilly paste- 4 tsp

Mint leaves paste – 2 tsp

Ajwain powdered / Ayamodakam podi -1 tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Dried fenugreek leaves / Kasoori methi- ½ tsp

Lightly roasted Besan/ chickpea flour/ kadala maavu - 2 tsp

Hung Curd (yogurt) - 4 tsp

Vegetable oil – 1 tbsp

Lemon juice -2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method:

• Cut into 1 ½ inch pieces and rub the fish with little salt and vinegar to remove the fishy odour. Keep aside for 5 minutes. Wash well and pat dry on a kitchen towel.
• Mix all the marinade ingredients in a big bowl and add fish pieces and mix well to coat all the marinade to the fish pieces. Keep aside for half hour. (you can keep this marinated fish overnight in the fridge).
• Just before grilling, add onion, capsicum and tomato pieces to the marinated fish and well.
• Skewer the fish and vegetables alternately on skewers or tooth picks.
• If you are using an oven, place the skewered tikkas on the wire rack. Brush tikkas with melted butter and grill for 10-15 minutes overturning them every few minutes.
• If you are using stove top, melt little butter in a non-stick tava, add skewered fish tikkas and grill on medium flame until all sides are lightly browned and fish is cooked well.
• Serve hot decorated with lemon wedges and pudina chutney or sauce.

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