Home made instant caramel sauce

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

Description
My recent love for any thing with caramel is on zooming high rate. When I crave for any thing sweet, the first thing that pops up in my mind is silk, smooth, melt in the mouth golden caramel . The first time I got to taste this goodness was at my friend’s place in Exeter, United Kingdom . It was on a rare day that we both alone went shopping together wondering the very English streets, enjoying every second of our girl time in style. She took me to a chocolate shop, where I bought a few expensive chocolate boxes for home and to be gifted to my in- laws. Just before billing I grabbed a packet that was placed in the billing counter. Back home the entire family started to taste the chocolates one box after the other. Only when this packet was tasted I got to know it was caramel squares with rock salt in them. Melt in the mouth goodness that sure did hit the right spot. At that moment I just lost myself with the caramel taking over me. I made sure to hide the entire packet and eat it all by myself. Shame less, greedy, mean me… My kids were small then but even that didn’t stop me from doing so. I know each mom in this world has her own secret of doing such silly things. Ever since.. Caramel is on my top list no matter what form it is in. I always buy ready made caramel sauce and stock  it up in the refrigerator. Drizzle it over any thing and every thing possible. Once, I needed the caramel sauce to be drizzled over a dates cake and found none. But I needed the caramel sauce for sure. I remembered saving a recipe for instant caramel sauce. Searched and found it . Followed the recipe and there I had a caramel sauce that was a million times better than the store brought liquid ones. This  was  smooth, thick, gooey and like silk. A recipe for sure keeps.  Now the problem is.. A lot more of licking will be done to the caramel sauce adding tons of calories into the fat me

Ingredients
Quantity
Sugar 3 cups
Butter 50 grams
Water 1 teaspoon
Vanilla essence 1/4 teaspoon
Cream 2 cups
Salt a pinch

Method

  • Heat sugar with water over a wide pan. Do not stir. Once the sugar melts and is caramelised to a light brown colour.
  • Add butter and mix well. Remove from heat adding a pinch of salt.
  • Add cream and vanilla essence. mix vigorously to combine to get a thick gooey caramel sauce. Taste and adjust sugar and salt.

 

Shezwan sauce

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Preparation Time  : 20 minutes

Cooking Time       : 15 -20 minutes

Serving                : more than ten times to be used in any form of cooking

Description

Only in the recent have I started to stock home made sauces in my refrigerator. I always felt buying the ready made store brought sauces were more handy and hassle free. Being human, my mind never sticks to one thought.  Like a monkey it just jumps in all directions driving me crazy for sure. So here, I am making home made sauces which is so not like me at all. I  always assumed making sauces had to be done with spending hours in the kitchen trying to perfect them. I was totally proven wrong as this sauce was not time consuming and tasted much better than the store brought expensive ready made version. Happy me with no complaints at all but it’s not the same with my cook and live in help at home. They keep saying,” amma, relax and enjoy yourself instead of fiddling with things here in the kitchen. Don’t you get bored with cooking and food. ” poor females, They still have not understood what cheer food and cooking brings into my silly soul.

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Red dry chillies15
Red bell peppers3
Tomatoes 4 big
Olive oil 1/2 cup
Garlic cloves12 chopped
Ginger1 inch grated
Celery 2 sticks chopped
Light soya sauce 1 tablespoon
Vinegar 1 tablespoon
Saltto taste
Brown sugar1 teaspoon

Method

  1. Soak red dry chillies in hot water for ten minutes. Blanch the tomatoes and  peel the skin. Roast whole red bell peppers over medium flame. Place in a ziplock bag when hot for ten minutes. Peel the skin and remove the inner core of seeds and stem . Chop the red bell pepper flesh. Now grind soaked dry red chillies, blanched tomatoes and roasted red bell peppers together to a smooth paste adding very little wate.
  2. Heat olive oil , add chopped celery, garlic and ginger. Fry until a good aroma arises Making sure not to burn at the same time.
  3. Add the ground chilli, tomato, bell pepper paste and cook over medium heat until oil separates.
  4. Top with light soya sauce, vinegar, salt and brown sugar. Mix well.
  5. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat and cool completely. Store in an air tight glass container and use when required.

Notes

Keeps well in the fridge for one month.
Make sure to always use a dry spoon.

Madras mother base gravy

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Preparation Time   : 15 minutes

Cooking Time        : 20 minutes

Serving                 : 4 servings

Description

Just imagine….With just one gravy you could create around 7 to 8 different gravies.I know, this sounds like a miraculous thing to happen to all of us… The so called” home chefs”. The first thought on all our minds each morning is what to cook for breakfast, lunch, dinner or brunch ??? This is an universal mind breaking stress that we home chefs go through each day. I can feel all of you reading this go” YES, YES, YES”. Now, this gravy serves a solution to all of us with a magical boon. As it can be used to make 7-8 or more gravies with your imagination taking over. I came across this recipe through a foodie group in face book by mrs Radha nadarajan s and made note of it. Tried it out, made different gravies and chutneys with this mother base  gravy and every time I did… It resulted in eye brows raised by all at home. My gal immediately wanted a huge share to be packed for herself. Every time her stock of this chennai mother base gravy is over, she makes sure to replace them soon enough. Umm the pleasure of having mothers around :-)). I guess this masala base is also called mother base gravy as it lends ease and  warmth to us like all our mothers do..

Ingredients

Ingredients
Quantity
Tomatoes2 cups chopped
Small onions2 cups
Sambar powder2 tablespoons
Turmeric powder1 teaspoon
Asafetida1/2 teaspoon
Green chillie3 slit
Ground Coconut paste1/2 cup
Coriander powder2 teaspoons
Red chilly powder2 teaspoons
Fried gram / pottu kadalai 1/4 cup powdered
Oil 4 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Method

  1. Heat oil in a non- stick vessel. Add small onions,green chillies and sauté to a golden brown color.
  2. Add tomatoes and sauté until oil floats on top.
  3. Add all the other ingredients one after the other and mix well . Cook , covered for five minutes to get to a thick paste.
  4. Cool completely. The madras mother base gravy is ready.
  5. Divide into portions of your convenience and freeze in zip lock bags.
  6. Thaw before use and use as desired.

Ways to use the madras mother  base gravy

1.serve as it is as a side dish as it is.

2. vegetable masala koottu :
add boiled vegetables,channa or rajma to the madras mother base gravy . Add water to the desired consistency wanted .bring to boil and serve garnished with chopped coriander leaves with idli,dosa or chapathis.

3. hotel style sambar:

Blend the madras mother base gravy to a coarse paste. Add boiled dhal , tamarind pulp little , jaggery little , salt to taste . Mix well bring to boil.Taste and adjust seasoning.Heat oil,add mustard seeds , curry leaves . Once they crackle , add to the sambar . Mix well and Garnish with chopped coriander leaves . serve hot with idli and dosa .

4. tomato chuntney

Grind the chennai mother base gravy to a thick smooth paste . Heat oil , add mustard seeds , curry leaves , torn dry red chillies . Once they crackle , pour over the chuntney and serve .

5. tomato panner / egg bhurji

Heat oil , add 1/2 teaspoon of Ginger and garlic paste . Once crisp , top with 2 teaspoons of pav bajji masala powder . Pour the chennai mother base gravy with little water . Bring to boil , simmer until the raw smell vanishes . Grate panner over with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot . ( I grate boiled eggs at times and on lazy days just serve with whole boiled eggs)

6. dum aloo

Blend the madras mother base gravy to a smooth paste . Grind cashew – 2 teaspoons, cumin powder- 1 teaspoon, cardamom-2 , fennel powder- 1 teaspoon , tomato -2 together to a smooth paste . Deep fry baby potatoes to crisp . Heat oil , add Ginger and garlic paste 1/2 teaspoon . add the ground chennai mother base gravy with the ground cashew paste and bring to boil with enough water for a gravy . Once the raw smell has vanished , add the deep fried baby potatoes with 1/4 cup cream , a few pinches of kasoori methi . Serve hot . ( I do the same with panner , chicken and egg omelet’s made in a panniyaram pan / appe pan )

7.pav bajji masala

Grind the chennai mother base gravy to a smooth paste.Grind mixed boiled veggies to a coarse paste.Heat butter add the madras mother base gravy with the ground veggies . Mix well , bring to boil.Remove,garnish with chopped onions , chopped coriander leaves and lemon wedges . serve with butter toasted buns,chapathis , idlis or Dosas .

8.grind the madras mother base gravy to a smooth paste.Mix with hung thing curd or mayonnaise with no lumps . Taste and adjust seasoning . Serve as a dip with chips , veggie sticks etc …

9.Let your imagination rule and create more wonders with this chennai mother base gravy.