Posts by OCS | Saute Fry N Bake

Mango gulab jamoon

Preparation time : 20 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
Serves : 10 members

Description

In this world of food blogging and sharing recipes for free, I try my best not to share recipes that are already shared by my fellow foodie blogger’s but i fail at times when I come across a few recipes that I just cannot resist giving a try. When that try is a super duper hit, I can not stop myself from sharing it with you all. This recipe is one such that a foodie friend of mine Reema haseeb of rimsy’s kitchen shared with me. The idea of mangoes being infused into the gulab jamoon sure did excite me. I went through the recipe she shared. As I was gearing up to try the recipe, my cook comes with a packet of ready made gulab jamoon mix packet and say’s amma this is being there for quite some time, please use this. I was confused now, as I wanted to try the new version high end mango gulab jamoon recipe and finish off the ready made mix gulab jamoon mix packet. The bulb moment happened when I got the idea of adding the mango pulp to the ready made mix and making use of both the ready made mix as well getting to taste the mangoes in them. Went ahead and the results were pitch perfect melt in the mouth goodness. Served it to all at home with five jamoon’s each. Every one were like why so much? They ate one and could not stop at all.. The serving bowls were wiped out clean with no left overs. The scent of the mangoes sure did the magic here. My mission of finishing off the long kept ready mix Gulab Jamoon mix was done in style.

Ingredients	Quantity
Gulab jamoon ready mix	1 packet ( 200 grams )
Yellow food colour	a pinch
Ripe Mango	1 medium size
Ghee	1 tablespoon
Oil	to deep fry

For Sugar Syrup

Ingredients	Quantity
Sugar	2 cups
Water	1 cup

Method

Boil sugar and water together for 10 minutes. Strain and keep aside .
Puree the mango, cook it for about 7-8 minutes until a thick paste consistency. Cool completely.
Sieve the ready made gulab jamoon mix powder. Top with a pinch of yellow food colour.
Add the cooled mango purée little at a time and knead lightly to get a smooth dough.
Add 1 tablespoon of ghee and mix well. Keep covered for ten minutes.
Roll the gulab jamoon dough into small balls with out any crack’s.
Heat oil to deep fry at medium low heat. Drop the rolled dough ten at a time.
Deep fry to a light golden colour. Remove from oil and drop it into the sugar syrup.
Place it at room temperature for one hour to cool completely. Then store it in the fridge and serve chilled.

Kethandapatti mambhazla kuzhambu

Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 15 -20 minutes
Serves : 4 members
Description

Getting to try out of the box recipes that are apt to entertain for a grand feast spread or festive times is an easy go thing to be done as we get lost with the number of recipe choices to be tried but getting to find and try new every day curry recipes that can be served for lunch at home with a true blue South Indian hubby dear is a hard feet to crack. This recipe is one such trial I did with an authentic iyengar kozlambhu (curry ) that was shared to me by my fellow foodie friend Rakesh ragunathan. I was amazed with the out come of a curry that had no onion , no garlic and no coconuts.. If not for this curry trial , I was strongly itched with the myth in my mind that a perfect home style curry was impossible to cook with out these three ingredients. Well Rakesh did share his recipe which was made with white lobia ( black eye kidney beans ) but I made my twist by trying it with whole country ripe mangoes. Was a bit nervous at the lunch table as hubby dear likes his regular curries and seldom does he approve anything new specially curries. Uff , he liked it and I have added this to my regulars now at home. I did share the recipe with my friend bharathi. Her trial was another super hit with her son having raised eye brows seeing ripe mangoes in a curry. Well this is how food has its way of surprising you. which is why I am deeply, madly in love with it no matter what, why, where and when .

Ingredients for the kuzhambu powder

Ingredients	Quantity
Whole black pepper	1/2 teaspoon
Dry Red Chillies	5
Asafoetida	1 tsp
Coriander seeds	2 teaspoons
Cumin seeds	1 pinch
Fenugreek seeds	1 pinch
Oil	2 teaspoons

Roast all the ingredients in hot oil until golden brown in colour .
Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Grind to a fine powder using a coffee grinder.

Ingredients for the Kuzhambu

Ingredients	Quantity
Ripe small country mangoes	5 peeled with seeds
Tamarind	1 medium lemon size ball
Oil	3 tablespoons
Jaggery	1 tablespoon or more to taste
Turmeric powder	1/2 teaspoon
Green chilly	2 slit
Rice flour powder	1 teaspoon
Curry leaves	10 to 12
Salt	to taste

Method

Heat oil in a wide kadai. Add curry leaves and green chillies. Once they splutter, top with turmeric powder and peeled mangoes. Sauté for a minute.
Add tamarind pulp, jaggery and salt to taste. Bring to boil. Then add water and boil to done making sure the ripe mangoes are cooked through but firm at the same time.
Add the roasted and powdered spice powder. Mix well and boil. Taste and adjust seasoning. Dilute the rice flour in little water. Add it to the kuzhambu. Keep stirring until it thickens. Adjust the consistency of the kuzhambu adding more hot water if too thick.
Taste and adjust seasoning. Simmer for five minutes until oil floats on top. Serve hot with hot white rice.

Notes

The same recipe can be done by substituting ripe mangoes with black eye kidney beans which is the authentic way of making this curry.

Avacado mango smoothie

Preparation time : 5 minutes
Cooking time : nil
Serves : 5 members

Description

I have always had a liking towards this fruit.( oop’s is avocado a fruit or vegetable? Never ever had this doubt before. Googled now and found out it’s a fruit. Not bad I was right ) on my every trip to the hill stations, I would make it a point to buy them. Back home with these beauties, all I used to do was just blend it with milk and sugar and serve it as a smoothie. I was awestruck when I first got to know it’s used for savory dishes in Mexico. My mind took a while to accept that. Now a days it’s ample in all the department stores here at my home time . An opportunity to test more recipes with the mighty avocados. Fed up with the same juices, milk shakes and smoothies served at the rozza ( fasting ) table, I wanted to try something new. I just mixed what I felt might taste good and blended it all together. Tasting was done by my cook as I was fasting. She approved it. Poured it into glasses, it looked too plain so just topped it with a teaspoon of soaked basil seeds I had in hand. Those black seeds gave a popping contrast to the plain looking smoothie. Ifthar table, silent with all of us breaking our fast. After the first five minutes, my boy Afzar who is home on a two week break from London ask’s me what smoothie is this. It tastes really good. My mission accomplished to come up with another rocking recipe that did tickle my boy’s taste buds. Here after every time I get to see or think about avocados, this memory of him and this smoothie will surely flaunt me.

Ingredients	Quantity
Ripe Avocado	1 small flesh scooped out
Ripe mango	1 cheek flesh scooped out
Thick Curd	2 tablespoons
Honey	2 tablespoons
Sugar	to taste
Ice Water	as needed
Ice cubes	10
Basil seeds	1/4 teaspoon soaked in water for one hour

Method

Blend together the ingredients together except for the basil seeds to a smooth running consistency smoothie.
Taste and adjust sweetness. Add more water if required and mix well.
Chill until to be served. Serve chilled topped with a teaspoon of soaked basil seeds.

Chocolate mousse

Preparation time : 25 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
Serves : 4 members

Description

Sauté, fry n bake has introduced me to so many people. Saranya velu is one among them who is a follower of sauté, fry m bake. I got to meet her in person for the second anniversary recipe swap of sauté, fry n bake. A silent person but a true blue foodie who loves chocolate like I do . She got these chocolate mousse. I kept eyeing these jewels hoping I get left over’s to relish latter. Shameless me relished it way too much for days after the recipe swap with enjoying my moments of having it just for myself not wanting to share it with anyone. There’s a reason why chocolate is so universally loved. It’s delicious. This flavor making power can instantly elevate almost any dessert from good to mmm.. Make this mousse and sure you will end up shameless like me too.

Recipe source : Saranya Velukumar

Ingredients	Quantity
Dark chocolate	250 gms
Eggs	3
Granulated white sugar	1/4 cup + 1 tbsp for whipping cream
whipping cream	1 cup
vanilla extract	1 tsp

METHOD

Add sugar and eggs in a bowl. Fill a saucepan with 1″ water and heat on medium flame. Once the water starts to boil bring down the flame and place the eggs and sugar bowl over the simmering water and use a whisk to keep whisking the egg mixture.
Keep whisking until the mixture heats upto a bearable temperature and check with your finger.
Pour the hot mixture in a bowl, add vanilla extract and start beating on medium speed using electric beater. Increase speed and keep beating until it thickens and becomes multi fold in volume and the mixture is pale yellow in colour.
Melt the dark chocolate and allow to cool.
In a seperate bowl beat the whipping cream until the cream softens and add a tablespoon of sugar and beat on medium speed until there is no trace of sugar left. Beat until stiff peaks.
Add the melted dark chocolate to the beaten egg mixture and then the whipped cream. Gently fold until all the 3 comes together. Do not overmix.
Scoop them in individual glasses and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Viragu arisi adai

Preparation time : 2 hours for soaking and 20 minutes
Cooking time : 2 minutes or less for each Adai
Serves : 2 to 3 members

Description

The regular Adai that most tamilians have as a main course for breakfast. The twist here is adding kodo millet to this humble dish. I am addicted to a new habit of sending pictures half way through of preparing a dish and sending it to foodie friends asking them to guess the dish. I did the same with this dish as well. After the guessing game was done, I did get a suggestion to add drum stick leaves to the Adai. I grabbed the idea and did so.. Lucky me as I have drum stick trees in the back yard at home .. This elegant vegetarian main course with its contrasting flavors and textures made it an absolute hit at home. For me the best kind of cooking involves experimenting with common ingredients you are sure to find in your pantry and leftovers from elaborate weekend lunches. Umm our desi – inspired dishes are guaranteed to chase away blues. So this new experiment of mine turned to be a true hero of comfort cooking.

Ingredients	Quantity
Kodo millet / viragu arisi	1 cup
Moong dal	2 tablespoons
Thoovar dal	1/4 cup
Channa dal	1/4 cup
Urad dal	2 tablespoons
Poha / aval	2 tablespoons
Curd	4 tablespoons
red chilly flakes	3 tablespoons
Asafoetida	1/8 teaspoon
Turmeric powder	1/4 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Onions	1 medium sized chopped
Curry leaves	few chopped
Grated Ginger	1/4 teaspoon
Grated Garlic	1/4 teaspoon
Drumstick leaves	1 cup
Mustard seeds	1/4 teaspoon
Oil	1 teaspoon + to drizzle over adai
Soda - bi - carbonate	1/8 teaspoon

Method

Wash and soak Kodo millet in water for two hours. Soak washed dals and poha together separately in another bowl for two hours.
Drain the Kodo millet and grind to a semi thick coarse paste adding curd. Grind the drained dals and poha together to a coarse paste.
Mix both the ground batters together along with chopped onions, coriander leaves, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, chilly flakes , salt and turmeric powder. Mix well to a semi thick batter by adding little water.
Heat oil and crackle the mustard seeds. Top with asafoetida. Remove from heat and add to the adai batter mix. Finally add drumstick leaves. Mix well. Taste and adjust consistency. Set aside for half an hour.
Add soda – bi – carbonate mixed in 1/2 teaspoon of water to the better and mix well. Heat a greased griddle. pour a label of adai batter and spread to a circle like thick dosa. Drizzle with little oil around. Cook until crisp and golden, flip over and cook further for 50 seconds. Remove and serve hot with chutneys of choice.

Walnut and Ricotta Cake

Preparation time : 25 minutes
Cooking time : 30 minutes
Serves : 8 members

Description

Coming from a family that has excellent cooks from my grand mother to aunties to cousins to children now. ( real tough competition I say ) I do have one cousin sister Aashik who does not cook much. I alway’s wondered how can she be the odd one out being born from such a family where food is the most important part that binds us all. I remember inviting her for the second recipe swap anniversary of sauté, fry n bake. She was like Akka what will I cook and bring. Told her any thing will do. She bought this walnut and ricotta cake . Not even a crumb was left behind and the best part her cake won a prize too under the dessert category . Only then I knew she does cook, it’s just that she’s a bit lazy . As no one can just bake a cake with out having a bit of common sense in cooking. I remember I was lucky enough the next time too to get my share when she baked this cake after six months. This time also it vanished in seconds as the crazy shameless lot of us glutton cousins gobbled it up. Oops have to say we are not gluttons but explorers of food.

Ingredients	Quantity
walnut pieces ( can use toasted chopped almonds)	1 cup
unsalted butter, softened	2/3 cup
caster sugar	2/3 cup
eggs, separated	5
Ricotta cheese	2/3 cup
plain flour	6 tbsp
Orange rind	1

To Finish

Ingredients	Quantity
apricot jam/ peach jam	4 tbsp
brandy ( optional )	2 tbsp
bitter chocolate, coarsely grated	2oz

Method

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C. Grease and line the base of a deep 9 in round, loose-based cake tin.
Roughly chop and lightly toast the walnuts.
Cream together the butter and ½ cup of sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the egg yolks, orange rind, ricotta cheese, flour and walnuts and mix together.
Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff. Gradually whisk in the remaining sugar.
Using a large metal spoon, fold a quarter of the whisked whites into the ricotta mixture.
Carefully fold in the rest of the whisked whites.
Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface.
Bake for about 30 minutes until risen and firm. Leave the cake to cool in the tin.
Transfer the cake to a serving plate. Heat the apricot/ peach jam in a small saucepan with 1tbsp water.
Press through a sieve and stir in the brandy.
Use to coat the top and the sides of the cake.
Scatter the cake generously with grated chocolate.

Golden sesame fried chicken

Preparation time : 15 minutes + one hour marination
Cooking time : 5 minutes for each batch
Serves : 2 members

Description

It’s always a joy to share something that your children have done to others. This recipe trial is one such done by my daughter. I just could not take my eyes out of the picture admiring how perfectly she has costed the chicken with sesame seeds and deep fried it to a light golden colour. The next thing I did was to ask for ” RECIPE PLEASE ” . She did share it immediately . The minute I read the recipe, I knew I had to share it with you all. The journey of a recipe from one kitchen to a million.. That’s what excites me the most.

Ingredients	Quantity
Chicken boneless	250 grams
Dry Red Chilli soaked in warm water for 20 minutes	4 to 5
Garlic	5 to 6 cloves
Vinegar	1 tablespoon
Soy Sauce	2 teaspoon
Salt	to taste
Pepper Powder	1 teaspoon
All Purpose Flour	2 tablespoons
Cornflour	3 tablespoons
Sesame Seeds	as needed
Oil	for deep frying

Method

Blend red chillies and garlic into fine paste.
Take boneless chicken pieces in a bowl, add in the chilli garlic paste, and other ingredients except sesame seeds and mix well. Marinate for one hour.
Heat oil for deep frying.
Take marinated chicken and coat with the sesame seeds and fry in hot oil until golden.
Remove and serve hot.

Poached egg curry

Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes
Serves : 4 members

Description

The pain we home chefs go through to plan a menu at home on every day basis with a million things to be noted while doing so. I tell you it’s not an easy go thing to do . Here at home, I often feel the curries are repeated very often and my to go curry when pressed for time with not much ingredients in my pantry is the mighty poached egg curry. I remember, getting this recipe out of an English magazine shared by a chef under the konkani recipes. He had served this curry with neer dosa. From my first try of this recipe to till date, this curry has taken twists and turns and finally settled down to the recipe I am sharing with you all. Simple with mouth watering flavors. Easy to make aromatic curry that can be served with anything and everything. Hubby dear usually avoids eating egg yolks. So when this curry is made for him alone it’s made with the egg whites. All the yolks are scrambled and my cook at home gets to feed on it. One day she is like ” amma eppadi mutta manjal karu sapittu sapittu enakku heart attack vandhu nam sikiram suthuruvan. ” meaning ” amma , if I eat egg yolks like this , I will get a heart attack soon and die “. I just burst out laughing. Every time I make this curry .. My cook pops up in my mind ..

Ingredients	Quantity
Eggs	2
Cinnamon	1/4 inch piece one
Cloves + cardamom	1 each
Onion	1 sliced
Tomato	1 big chopped
Grated Coconut	1/2 cup
Coriander powder	2 tablespoons
Red chilly powder	1 and a 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds	1 teaspoon
Onion	1 big chopped
Curry leaves	few
Ginger and garlic paste	1/2 teaspoon each
Green chillies	2 slit
Coriander leaves	few chopped
Oil	3 tablespoons

Method

Roast cinnamon, clove, cardamom, onion, tomato, red chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and grated coconut in one teaspoon of oil until golden in colour. Cool completely and grind to a paste.
Heat oil, add curry leaves and chopped onions. Sauté to brown, top with ginger garlic paste. Fry to crisp.
Add the ground masala with green chillies and water. Boil until raw smell vanishes.
Drop raw eggs into the curry and cook undisterbed for 10 minutes. Simmer for two minutes until oil floats on top.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with anything and everything.

Pazlam Nirachathu

Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 5- 6 minutes
Serves : 8 members

Description

This snack is a family favourite. Once you have had one piece you won’t be able to stop. Their charming three layer is an impeccable burst of flavours that is to die for. The trappings of our traditional snacks made by the real chefs who cook up the perfect spreads every day at our homes. It’s all about the warmth and love put in every thing they cook. These old school favourite’s make me glow with child – like delight. It sure bring’s a shot of sunshine into me. Brighten up your staples by making this snack and give your cooking a little more chutzpah.

Ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Kerala plantain	4
Oil	to deep fry

Filling ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Flatten rice / poha	1 cup
Warm water	1/3 cup
Grated coconut	1/4 cup
Cardamom powder	1/8 teaspoon
Sugar	to taste
Cashew nuts	6 bits
Raisins	6
Ghee	1 teaspoon

Batter ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Flour	2 cups
Rice flour	1/4 cup
Sugar	100 grams
Baking soda	a pinch
Salt	a pinch
Water	1 cup or more

Method

Pour warm water to the flattened rice. Cover and set aside for ten minutes. Once it has soaked in all the water and puffs up, add all the other ingredients under the filling category and mix well. Taste and adjust. Set aside.
Peel the Kerala plantains and cut into equal halves. Take one half and cut out an oval shape with the help of a sharp knife. Take a spoon and with its handel scoop out the inner flesh of the Kerala plantain to get a deep dent with in. Do the same to all the half cut plantains. Fill each dent of the half plantains with the filling.
Mix all the ingredients together for the batter to get a semi thick flowing consistency batter. Patch up the filling in the plantains with little batter just to cover. Place in the refrigerator for ten minutes.
Heat oil to deep fry in a large vessel. Dip each half cut plantain into the batter gently making sure the filling is intact. Drop into medium hot oil in batches of 3 to 4 at a time. Deep fry to golden and crisp. Drain and serve hot.

Savory Sandwich Toast

Preparation time : 15 minutes
Cooking time : 3-4 minutes for each toast + 10 minutes for filling
Serves : 6 members

Description

Holiday evenings at home as a kid was often spent with home made snacks on the table. After a long day of playing outdoors in the hot sun to climbing trees, we cousins are given a good body wash, hair combed and a dress change is compulsory before getting to feast on the home made goodies. Fresh looking clean cousin’s sit together in the dining table. We grab our share before any one starts to serve. The noisy table out of a sudden gets to pin drop silence with our mouth’s full and indulging into the warm home made goodies. Once our bellies are lined to satisfaction then the noise gets back’s to it’s normal mad level. My grand mother used to serve us bread omelette toast which was a favorite to all us cousins. In remembrance to that I did the same with a chicken filled sandwich. The result was delicious but minus my cousins and being little was missed loads for sure. The scent of nostalgia always creep’s up into me every now and then but all I can do is take a beep breath, soothe my heart with the beautiful memories and feel blessed for being gifted with a lovely cherish able childhood.

Ingredients For Masala Filling

Ingredients	Quantity
Boneless Chicken	300-400g( you can use mutton keema , fish , prawn , mixed vegetables , paneer or soya flakes instead )
Kashmiri Chilly pwd	1 teaspoon heaped
Turmeric powder	1\2 teaspoon
Oil	1 1/2 tablespoons
Onion finely chopped	3
Green chilly finely chopped	4 - 5 or more to taste
Ginger garlic paste	1 teaspoon
Garam masala	1\2 teaspoon
Curry leaves	chopped few
Coriander leaves	chopped few

Method for filling

Marinate cleaned chicken with chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Shallow fry Chicken pieces , cool and Mince by blitzing in the food processor.
Heat oil in a board pan, sauté onion and green chilly, till transparent.
Add salt, ginger garlic paste and sauté to crisp. Add garam masala, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder, curry leaves, coriander leaves and Mix well.
Add shredded Chicken. Mix well and remove from flame and set aside.

Ingredients for the egg batter

Ingredients	Quantity
Whole Eggs	2
Salt	to taste
Pepper	to taste
Chopped coriander leaves	few

Method for egg batter

Mix all the ingredients together and keep aside.

Other ingredients

Ingredients	Quantity
Bread slices	10
Oil or ghee	1 teaspoon for each toast fried

How to proceed

Fill two slices of bread with cooled filling generously.
Do the same with all the bread slices and filing .
Heat a griddle . Add one teaspoon of oil / ghee.
Dip one sandwich into the beaten egg mixture.
Remove carefully and toast over the hot griddle to golden on all sides by turning over with the help of a tong.
Remove and serve hot cut into triangles.