Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Ginger Ale / Ginger Beer


Source: Magazine
Ingredients:
Ginger – 1 cup (grated)
Water – 2 cups
Sugar – 1 cup
Black Pepper – 1tsp
Lemon Zest - few

Preparation:


Wash and peel ginger and  grate it using a grater. Take a bowl  add 2cups of water, black pepper, lemon zest & bring this to boil.  Boil this for 10 minutes & switch off the flame and let it sit for 20 to 30 mins. Then strain this using a strainer.

Pour this into the sauce pan. Add  sugar and boil this again. Mix well so that the sugar is dissolved. Now the ginger syrup is done. Allow this to cool down and store in bottle. Keep it refrigerated.

To make ginger ale, take a glass pour some ginger syrup ( 3 to 4 tsp) then squeeze some lemon juice and pour water mix well, put some ice cubes & serve.

Enjoy the drink…………..



Monday, September 23, 2013

Spicy dry chicken



Ingredients:
Chicken  - 1kg
Onion – 2 medium size
Tomato – 1 small
Ginger, garlic paste – 2 tsp
Red chili powder – 2 tsp
Kashmiri chili powder –  2 to 3 tsp (This is optional)
Coriander powder – 1 ½ tsp
Turmeric powder  - ¼ tsp
Black pepper  - 1tbs ( nicely crushed
Curry leaves – 1 twig
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 to 3 tbs

Preparation:
Clean and cut the chicken into small pieces &  marinate it with the  red chili powder, salt, coriander powder, turmeric &  Kashmiri chili powder. Keep it for half an hour.  Heat a pan  add oil and sauté ginger garlic paste & the sliced onion till it turns light brown and  add chopped tomato into it. Roast it till it turns soft. Then add the marinated chicken and combine it well with sautéed onion and tomatoes. Cook it in medium flame  without adding water. When it is half done, add the curry leaves and  mix well. Cover and cook till it turns soft. Remove the lid and stir till it turns dry and well coated with the masala.

Serve with rice, chapathi

Monday, September 16, 2013


                                                                         Onam

Onam is a festival celebrated by the people of Kerala in India. The festival takes place in the month of August-SeptemberIn Malayalam this month is called as Chinga masamPookkalam (flower decoration), is an important part of Onam festival. Pookkalam is put in front of  every house to welcome King Mahabali.   

                                                                      Pookalam



Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Carrot Payasam



Ingredients:
Carrot – 3 no’s
Milk – 2 ½  cups
Condensed milk – 2 tbs
Sugar – ¾ cup
Ghee – 2tbs
Cardamom – 4 no’s
Saffron strands - few
Pistachios -  few

Preparation:
Wash the carrots, peel the skin off  and chop it.   Heat a pan, add  1 tbs ghee  & add the chopped carrots to the pan and fry for 5 mins. The color will change slightly at this stage add 1 cup of milk and boil the carrot.  Then grind the carrots along with sugar in a blender into a smooth paste and keep aside.

Boil the remaining milk  on low flame for 15 to 20 minutes, add condensed milk and stir occasionally, finally add saffron strands and switch off the flame.  Now add the  carrot puree to the milk and mix well. Garnish with fried pistachios and serve chilled.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Beetroot Cake


Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 2 cups
Butter -  1 ½ stick
Sugar - 2 cups
Egg - 4 no's
Beetroot - 3 small
Chocolate syrup - 1 to 2 tbs
Baking powder - 2tsp
Salt a pinch

Preparation:
Take a large bowl add butter and sugar into it and beat till smooth with cake mixer. Then add eggs and beat until fluffy. Sift flour, baking powder & salt and add to this along with chocolate syrup. Blend  all the ingredients to get a smooth batter.  Finally add beetroot & mix well. Preheat the oven to 350 degree c. Pour the batter into a greased baking pan and bake. When it is done, remove cake from oven, and allow it to cool, cut into slices and serve.


Friday, September 6, 2013

Plantain chips



Ingredients:
Raw banana  -  3 no's
Turmeric powder  - 1 tbs
Salt  - 1 ½ tsp  
Water  - 2 cups
Oil for frying  (I used vegetable oil)


Preparation:
Remove the top and bottom portion of the banana and make a long slit on the skin with a knife and peel the skin.  In a large bowl add water, turmeric powder, salt.  Slice it into thin round slices into the turmeric & salt water for 30 minutes.  Then drain the sliced pieces nicely and dry in a kitchen tissue.

Heat a heavy bottom pan with oil in a medium flame and slide the sliced plantain pieces into the oil & deep fry the slices till the sizzling sound stops.  Keep stirring occasionally.  To see whether its done take one  and crush it, if its crispy then its done. If it is soft then fry again until it attains crispy.
Take it from the oil and drain it on an absorbent paper. Fry the rest of the banana slices the same way.

Store it in an air tight container after cooling. Serve it as snack or can have with steamed rice also.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Cucumber parippu curry




Ingredients:
Cucumber – 1 cup
Moong dal – ½ cup
Onion – 1 small
Coconut – ½ cup
Curry leaves – 1 twig
Green chili – 1 or 2
Turmeric powder -  ¼ tsp
Red chili powder – ¼ tsp
Asafetida/Hing - a pinch
Oil – 1tbs
Salt as required

Preparation:
Pressure cook the dal, cucumber, onion, green chili, turmeric powder, red chilli powder & salt  with just enough water. Let it cook for 3 whistles.  Meanwhile grind the grated coconut and keep aside. When the steam vends out, open the cooker and pour the  ground coconut paste, mix well. Heat a kadai (pan) adding oil, when it heats up add curry leaves & hing and transfer to the curry.

Serve with  steamed rice. Potato fry will be nice combination for this.