Daily Archives: June 3, 2016

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.