Coconut - Black & White Wednesday #90 & Colour me White Event

This click goes to the 90th edition of Black and White Wednesday created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook, now organized by Cindy of Cindystar, and hosted this week by Priya of The Humpty Dumpty Kitchen

This one goes to Colour me White Event  hosted by Priya of The Humpty Dumpty Kitchen

Kathirikkai Rasavangi - Brinjal Curry

Serves 3
This one's a traditional south indian dish . It's a cross between sambar and 'puzhikulambu'(a tangy tamarind based gravy),it has both the flavours of dal and tamarind but no onions or tomatoes.I really don't know the origin of the word rasavangi or what it means,so I was actually thinking if I should christen this dish as 'Sampuzhi' :),just kidding ! What I mainly love about this dish is that it doesn't need any sauteing or standing near the stove all the time.A very simple & easy recipe which tastes yum.

You'll need:
Brinjals  - 3 - 4 big ones(chopped)
Sesame oil -  1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Tamarind - About the size of a big gooseberry
Hing - 1 pinch
Green chilli - 1 (chopped)
Ginger - a small piece (chopped)
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Whole Red Chilli - 2
Toor Dhal -  5 tbsp
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp(chopped)
salt as needed

Method:
-Soak the tamarind in 1 - 1.5 cups of water for 30 minutes.Squeeze and strain to extract the juice.
-Pressure cook the toor dal with 1 cup of water and a pinch of turmeric powder( on high for 1 whistle and simmer for 5 minutes).Mash it well.
-In a pan ,heat the oil and when it heats splutter the mustard ,hing,Whole red chilli and channa dal. Add the Ginger and saute for a minute.
-Add the tamarind juice and mix well.Add hing and green chilli and cook for a minute.
-Add the chopped Brinjal  and salt and let it cook on medium heat until the brinjal is cooked.Takes about 5 -7 minutes,add water if needed.
-Add half of the coconut milk and let it boil for 2- 3 minutes.
-Add the cooked toor dal and mix well.Add the remaining coconut milk and the coriander leaves.Add salt and water if needed.Let it simmer for 7 -10 minutes.Done !

Thanks for stopping by ! Happy Cooking !

Orange cake

I was going through my posts the other day and realized that I didn't have a single cake post.I bake pretty often,but both hubby and I have a sweet tooth and we mostly finish the cakes when they are hot out of the oven.I do realize that cakes taste better the next day when all the flavours set in,but we have only a very little left the next day:)This is one of the most softest and moistest cake that I have had, it has a lovely orange flavour and no butter.I found this recipe in a cook book(Heavenly Cakes) that I borrowed some time back,luckily I had jotted it down :) I've slightly tweaked the recipe for the orange flavour. I love baking with orange as it fills the whole house with a beautiful aroma. This one's also a favorite of my dad and our little cat 'Chelsee'.Now don't take that lightly,Chelsee's the most choosiest cat that I've ever come across.Right from the fish she eats to the milk she drinks ,she's very particular.She loves sweets, especially cakes .She loves the cakes from Mcrennet in Chennai and whenever we buy a box,one piece of her favorite flavour would always be there.When I first baked this cake at home,my dad told me that he's gonna have a quality test done and offered Chelsee some.I was so happy when she finished it off and asked for more.I guess most of you would be laughing by now :) but pet lovers like me would realize how important a part of life they become.I miss her a lot and I thought I should mention about her in this post :) And this is chelsee :)



So off to the cake....

You'll Need:

All purpose flour/ Maida - 225 g -  2 1/4 cups

Eggs - 3 large (at room temperature)

Fine Sugar - 225 g - 1 1/4 cup

Baking powder - 3 tsp

Salt - 3/4 tsp

Whipped Cream (cold) - 350 g

Orange zest - 1.5 tbsp (from one big orange)

orange essence - 1/2 tsp

Method :

-Pre-heat the oven to 350° F / 175 ° C

-Sift the Flour,baking powder and salt together.

-For the orange zest: Clean and scrape the skin of the orange with a grater,to get the orange zest.

The poor orange after it's zest was removed

-In a small bowl slightly beat the eggs,orange essence and the orange zest.

-In a big bowl,add the whipped cream and beat until it thickens and it form sharp tips when the beater is lifted.

-Add the egg mixture and beat just until it is incorporated.About 2 minutes.

-Then gradually add the sugar while beating the batter and beat for another 2 minutes until all the sugar is incorporated.

-Now add the flour mixture in three batches , mixing well with a big slotted ladle after each addition. Just mix until there are no traces of flour.Please don't over mix.

-Butter the sides of a pan and dust it with flour.Fill it with the batter until it fills almost 3/4 th of the pan .Bake for 25 - 35 minutes,until a toothpick or skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.The batter fills a 9 " pan,if you have any leftover batter you can bake them into small cupcakes :)

-Remove from the oven and let it sit in the pan for 5 minutes ,then remove from the pan and let it cool.

-Enjoy !

Thanks for stopping by ! Happy Baking !

Onion & Coriander Chutney - Vengayam Kothamalli chutney

Serves 3
This one's from my mom's kitchen.It's a regular at home,we have it at least twice or thrice in a week with dosas and idlis. This is one of those humble & simple dishes that we take for granted,but we can't do without .My mom makes it very spicy and when paired with Ghee dosa it tastes just awesome !

You'll Need:
Onion - 1 big (chopped)
Tomato - 1/2 a big one
oil - 2-3 tsp
Garlic - 2 -3 cloves (chopped)
Whole Red Chilli - 2
Coriander leaves - 1/2 a big bunch(around 20 dense sprigs)(chopped)
Mint leaves - leaves from 10 -12 sprigs
Tamarind - a small piece
Grated coconut -  3 - 4 heaped tsp
salt as needed


Method:
-To a pan add the oil,when it heats up splutter the whole red chilli and the garlic and saute for a minute or two until they are browned.
-Add the onion & a little salt and saute until it turns translucent.Next add the tomatoes and saute for 3 - 4 minutes or until they turn slightly soft.
-Add the chopped coriander and mint leaves and saute until they cook a bit,around 3 -4 minutes.
-Add the tamarind and coconut and saute for another 2 -3 minutes.
-Take it off the stove and let it cool.Blend to a fine paste adding salt and water as needed. Done !

Thanks for stopping by ! Have a great day and Happy  Cooking !
Sending this to Walk through Memory Lane happening at Priyas's Virundhu and Gayathri's space.

Snake Gourd & Milk Curry - Pudalangai Paal Curry

Serves 4
I found this fresh snake gourd at the Asian store and couldn't resist buying it. But once I got home,I had a tough time settling on what dish to prepare with it. Found this recipe in a magazine and it was surprisingly tasty when prepared.Though the recipes calls for Dhal ,it only makes it creamier and doesn't taste like a regular Dhal dish.Makes a great side for rice and rotis. I'm still trying to figure out why,but when I cooked this the smell strongly reminded me of 'saravan bhavan' :)

You'll Need:
Snake Gourd - 250 g ( 1/2 a long one)
Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Boiled Milk - 1 cup
Onion - 1 big (finely chopped)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ural dal - 1 tsp
Ghee - 3 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
salt as needed
To Roast and Grind in 1 tsp of oil :
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Green Chilli - 2 -3
Grated coconut - 3 tbsp

Method:
-Clean the Snake Gourd and scrape the skin slightly. Cut into half lengthwise and remove the seeds.Chop into medium size pieces.
-Soak the moong dal for 30 minutes in water.
-To a pressure cooker, add the moong dal, snake gourd,3/4 cup water,little salt and cook for 1 whistle on high and simmer for 5 minutes.
-To a pan add one tsp of oil,when it heats up add the urad dal and cumin and saute until the urad dal slightly browns.Then add the green chiili and coconut and saute for 3-4 minutes on a low flame,until the coconut is slightly browned.Let it cool .Grind to a fine paste ,adding little water.
-To a pan add the ghee and when it heats up splutter the curry leaves,cumin and mustard seeds.Add the chopped onion and saute until they turn slightly brown.
-Add the cooked Dhal and Snake gourd mixture and mix well.Next add the ground paste and mix well.
-Add the boiled milk,mix well and check for salt.Add salt if needed.Check for the consistency, if you want it to be more thin add some water.
-Let the mixture simmer for 4 -5 minutes . Done !

Thanks for stopping by ! Happy Cooking !

Sending this to 'Only Traditional Recipes' Guest hosted at 'Jiya's Delicacies' and  Pari's space...

Mango Mousse - Easy Peasy Dessert

Serves 4-5
   Mr.Sun has finally decided to shine on us.We're having a  week of perfect sunshine and warmth after almost 8 months of cold winter.After too many months of staying indoors,we're finally spending most of the time outdoors.The only downside is that I don't get to spend time with my blog:)It's ironic when I think that, in Chennai at the sight of the sun I would think twice before venturing out or would take a real big Umbrella along.Now no matter how warm it gets little girl & I are at every park and play area in the neighborhood :)
    In India,the moment I think of peak summer,I remember the smell of round yellow and juicy mangoes. My Dad loves mangoes, so every summer our house would be fully stocked with them.He was very good at selecting them,one look at them and he would tell if they would be sweet or not.Dinner at home would always include a bowl of curd rice and sweet mangoes.How I miss my Dad and all those simple pleasures of life  that he taught us to appreciate:) This mousse recipe is very simple and can be whipped up in no time. Comes in very handy when you have a large crowd to feed or when you have surprise guests at home :)

You'll need:
Mango -  1 big
Condensed Milk - 125 ml
Whole milk - 2 -3 tbsp
Sugar -  2 -3 tbsp ( adjust according to taste)
Cream Cheese - 125 g
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Pistachio  - 1 - 2 tsp (chopped)
Nut Powder - 2 - 3 tsp (Almonds or Cashews or any nut of your choice)




Method:
-Clean the mango,remove the skin and the seed .Chop it and add to a blender along with the sugar.Pulse until it's well blend.
-Cut the cream cheese into pieces and add to the blender.Pulse for a few seconds.
-Add the condensed milk ,nut powder,whole milk and cardamom powder to the blender.Pulse until every thing is well blend.
-Transfer the contents of the blender to another vessel.
-Check for sugar.If you feel that it needs more, add some more and pulse again.
-Sprinkle the pistachio nuts and let it chill in the refrigerator.Done !



Note :
-You can replace the cream cheese with pureed paneer.If using paneer,replace half the quantity of  condensed milk with thick yogurt.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day !

Sending this to  Cook Yellow Event announced at Merry Tummy

Spicy Chicken Gravy - Kozhi Thokku

Serves 4
      I'm back to blogging after a short break.After a real long time we got to visit some beautiful places and taste different food.I really want to share about the food ,or actually the Bakeries that I found in Porto,a small town in Portugal.I had some  muffins there which tasted exactly like the cakes that I've tasted in small 'tea kadais'(roadside eats)  found in southern Tamil Nadu and Kerala .I wonder if Vasco da gama brought it with him to India or carried it back with him from India.The bakeries are a lot like the ones we find in our small towns,they have an assortment of baked goods,both savories and sweets displayed in their big windows.One can pick one or more of each kind according to their taste and they were not at all pricey. I found something that looked like our samosas,the shell  tasted exactly like our samosas but the filling was made of prawns.Most of the savories had crusts similar to the ones that we make but the fillings were made of different sea foods. I really wanted to click a lot of pics but travelling with a toddler can be a real challenge,so we were always on the move. But it has its upside too,previously when hubby and I used to travel we found that people were pretty aloof,most of them thought that we were students .But with a toddler i was really surprised with the amount of help we were offered.Everyone was ready to lend a helping hand, i was really touched.Our next stop was at Lourdes ,I'll bug you with that in a different post :)
      Coming to today's post, I'm totally a chicken person ,I simply love it. My blog looks so much like a pure vegetarian blog with no non-veg recipes.I had quit eating non veg for a short time,just checking my will :) This is my all time favorite chicken dish,it's one that I prepare when I have guests at home.Mainly because of its ease in preparing and it's a reliable recipe.It's a dry spicy gravy and tastes great with almost any mildly spiced rice or roti or idli. But I somehow love to have it with rice & sambar,tastes fabulous when paired up with plain rice & drumstick sambar.




You'll Need:
To pressure cook:
Chicken - 400 g
Tomato - 1 big
Ginger Garlic Paste from - 7 -8 cloves of Garlic and ginger - 2" piece
Red Chilli powder - 1.5 - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
salt - 1 tsp or as needed
For Sauteing:
Oil - 3 -4 tsp
Onion  - 1 big( sliced thinly lengthwise)
Curry leaves - 3-4 sprigs
Green Chilli - 3-4(slit)
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp(chopped)
For the Spice powder - Dry roast & Grind:
Cloves - 5
Black Pepper corns - 8 - 10
Green Cardamoms - 2
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon - 1" stick
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Cashew nuts - 3 - 4

Method:
-Dry roast all the ingredients for the spice  powder together on a low flame and grind to a fine powder.
-Grind the tomatoes to a fine paste.Mix the ground tomatoes,red chilli powder,ginger garlic paste,salt and turmeric powder well.Add the chicken pieces to this and mix well.Let it marinate for 20 -30 minutes.
-Then add it to a pressure cooker with 1/2 - 1 cup of water .Let it cook for one whistle on medium flame and simmer for 5 -6 minutes or until when the chicken is cooked and soft.If you want a thinner gravy ,you can add more water.
-To a pan add the oil when it splutters add the slit green chillies and curry leaves.When they splutter add the onions and a pinch of salt.Saute until the onions are well browned.
-Add the contents of the pressure cooker and the spice powder and mix well.Let the mixture cook on a low flame for 5 minutes.Add the chopped coriander leaves and mix.Check for salt adding some if needed.If you want a thick gravy then let it cook until all the water evaporates and mixture gets dry. Else you can take it off the stove.

Thanks for stopping by.Happy Cooking !