Friday, March 27, 2009
APPLE CUSTARD | EGGLESS CUSTARD
This one is a very simple one,first I tasted in my Sis-in-law's place...we liked it very much
.If you are looking for any dessert thats very easy to make and yet tasty to impress the guests,try this,they sure will be satisfied...![]()
There are custard powders available in stores...in various flavours,buy your's favorite and add your favorite fruit too(can add more than one kind of fruit,mixed) and enjoy a delightful dessert!
Don't you have custard powder
? You can substitute 2 tablespoons of cornflour,1/2 a pinch of food colour of your choice and 1/4 tsp of vanilla essence, for the given below recipe...essence is also your choice and can change it according to the fruit you use..
To my taste,I like apple the best
.
Ingredients:
| Apple | 1 no.chopped finely(skin peeled & de-seeded) |
| Milk | 500 ml (2 cups) |
| Custard powder | 2 tblsp |
| Sugar | 4-6 tblsp (adjust as per ur taste) |
| Elachi | if desired 1 powdered(I dint add) |
(updated picture)
Method:
- In a small bowl take the custard powder and add a 5 tblsp of milk from the 500 ml and dissolve it into a smooth liquid without any lumps.
- Boil the remaining milk in a heavy bottomed/non stick vessel.
- Add the custard powder dissolved in milk,slowly and stir well continuously.
- It will get thick immediately,so be careful.After few minutes,remove from heat and cool down.
- Refrigerate it and at the time of serving,chop apples finely and add it to the cold custard..mix well and serve cold!
- I topped with caramel syrup I had
.
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Thursday, March 19, 2009
TAMARIND RICE - PULIYOGARE
My version,I learnt from my mom...I have always been with her in kitchen and watched her making this for gazillion times
. This is the perfect recipe that clicked to me...though I have tried many. I somehow don't like coriander seeds(smell) in the powder part
.
For Puliyogare,we make pulikaichal in advance and can store for long time,say a week,even no need for refrigeration!!![]()
Whenever we go for a day's picnic,or we travel,my mom makes puliyogare and packs in banana leaf.And the moment we open for our lunch,it tastes heavenly! ![]()
A week back when we went to Phuket, even I made this pulikaichal and carried in a container and as we were staying in a villa,we were able to cook rice,so we made tamarind rice and carried for a trip within the Island!![]()
I dint took step wise picture that time,so excuse me...![]()
Everybody,including my friends liked very much ! So here's the recipe,of pulikaichal!
Ingredients:
| Tamarind | 1 big lemon sized |
| Turmeric | 1/4 tsp |
| Asafetida | 1/4 tsp |
| Jaggery/sugar | 1/2 tsp |
| Salt,water | As needed |
| Curry leaves | 1 sprig |
| Peanuts | 1 fist full |
To Temper:
| Mustard | 1 tblsp |
| Red chillies | 10-15 |
| Urad dal | 4 tblsp |
| Channa dal | 3 tblsp |
| Asafetida | 1/2 tsp |
| Curry leaves | 2 sprigs |
| Sesame oil & cooking oil | 5 tblsp |
To Roast and grind:
| Channa dal | 2 tblsp |
| Red chillies | 4 nos |
| Fenugreek seeds/vendhayam | 3/4 tsp |
| Urad dal | 1 tsp |
| Pepper(optional) | 1 tsp |
Method:
- Extract tamarind juice from the tamarind by soaking in warm water for half-an-hour or by your way of extraction. (My way is here: Usually if too much tamarind to extract means,its difficult for me ...so what I do is, I will pressure cook tamarind with little water,for a whistle and cool it down and after it cools down I add water,mash nicely with my hands and extract the juice using a strainer. All the pulp comes out with an ease leaving behind only the fibre part!!
)Keep aside. - Roast all the ingredients(individually) under the To roast and grind table with a teaspoon of oil,to golden brown and powder it and keep aside.
- Dry roast Peanuts till nice aroma comes(golden brown)and remove the skin after it cools down and keep aside.
- Heat a heavy bottomed vessel/Kadai with oil and add the ingredients under to temper table in order.
- Then add the tamarind juice,turmeric,salt,curry leaves and asafetida(curry leaves and asafetida-here we are adding raw).
- Add enough water,it has to boil for long time so let the consistency be thin like rasam.
- After you boil for som 15-20 minutes,the volume gets reduced by half and at this stage,add jaggery and the roast&ground powder.
- Now again boil for 2 more minutes and you may see the mixture getting thicker.
- Now boil more time to get a thick paste and switch of the gas(takes less time after adding the powder,so keep an eye)
- Lastly after removing from fire,add the roasted peanuts and mix well. Cool down and store in a clean container.
- You can keep this for 15-20 days in fridge and use when ever you want,even stays good when kept out for a week.
To make puliyogare:
- Cook rice(basmati or long grained variety)with 1:2 ,rice:water ratio.
- Cool down completely,with added 2-3 tsps of sesame oil.
- Add the pulikaichal how much ever needed and adjust according to your taste.Add salt if only needed.
| Notes:
Warning:This puliyogare will be hot and not sweet like the puliyogare mix we get readymade!! |
I am very glad to send this pulikaichal recipe to Lakshmi's event Meals On Wheels...
I am desperately waiting for the round-up as it would be really useful for many people...A hearty thanks to her for organizing this event!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
RAVA IDLY
HOW TO GET SOFTEST RAVA IDLY
Sorry for disappearing just like that for some days from blogging!!I was out for a holiday trip
with friends
From now I think I would be able to be regular like before!
After I started cooking, I have tried making rava idli two or three times,but I was not much impressed with the results...Then one day,my friend S,asked me to try MTR instant mix for rava idli,which I liked so much!They say,that MTR only invented rava illi!! Then some period I was a big fan of that and even I have served my guests,and they also liked it so much...
Another day,I was feeling like eating rava idlies for dinner and I was not having any of this MTR instant mix,then since I have tasted bite by bite MTR rava idlies,I thought why not I try my own...(after so many years ;D).And I tried with one important ingredient,that I have never used before...That secret ingredient is "ENO FRUIT SALT" !!!! And since it was for dinner and I was all alone at my home,I was too lazy to browse for recipe too...So I made my own approximate recipe:)
The same day only I bought a bottle of ENO FRUIT SALT,for trying dhoklas....(okay,I had rava idlies also in my back of my mind...I agree).
And I made the mixture ready and was steaming and desperately waiting for the results...And when I sat down and took one piece in my hand,it was too soft and moist,and it just melted in my mouth!!!
I know you all would have got exhausted ...why this creature is telling like a thriller story?!!Come on....! I like rava idlies and this was the first time I got a perfect recipe:) Thats y!!! A rava idly lover can understand me...;D
So here's the recipe for you all who love to enjoy the spongy,moist,soft...... rava idlies!
Ingredients:(for making 10 - 12 Idlies)
| Rava/Sooji/semolina | 1 cup |
| Curd(sour or not sour depending upon ur taste) | 1/2 cup |
| Eno fruit salt(plain or lemon flavor) | 1 tsp |
| Lemon juice | 1/2 tsp |
| Ginger(chopped very fine or paste) | 1 tsp |
| green chillies(chopped very fine or paste) | 4 nos |
| curry and coriander leaves | 1 tblsp (chopped very fine) |
| Water | 1/2 cup(adjust to reach consistency) |
| Salt | As needed |
To temper:
| Mustard | 1 tsp |
| Urad dal(Ullutham paruppu) | 1 tsp |
| Channa dal(Kadala paruppu) | 1 tsp |
| Cashews | 1 tblsp (broken into small pieces) |
| Oil and ghee | 1 tblsp |
To decorate (optional)
| Carrot gratings | 1 tblsp |
| coconut gratings | 1 tblsp |
Method:
- Heat a kadai and add ghee and oil,splutter mustard and add the rest under To temper table.Then add the finely chopped ginger and chillies.( you can grind ginger and green chillies and use the paste too).
- Then add the sooji with curry leaves and coriander leaves to it and fry in a low flame taking care to not to change the colour of rava.
- After two min,transfer to a bowl,cool down and add the curd,enough water,lemon juice,salt mix well.(the consistency should be like our idly batter consistency,light and loose not too thick)
- Heat the idly cooker with water and let it be just ready for steaming and grease the idly plates with ghee/oil.
- At this time add the ENO salt to the batter and mix well( the eno salt should be active enough,so that when you add and mix the batter,small bubbles will be coming,which makes the batter frothy)
- Immediately,pour into the idly moulds and steam for 5-7 minutes.(to check if its done,insert a knife or spoon back and it should come clean)

- Your spongy,moist,soft rava idlies are ready now! Garnish if desired and Serve with coconut chutney or your choice of chutney!!!
To get the perfect idlies:
|
These Idlies stay soft till you eat...i.e; for long time,so you can make it for your guests and keep,no worries...it will be soft as when you take out from the idly mould!!
Any doubts,feel free to ask me,I am here to help you out to get a perfect idly!! I assure you :)
And now coming to the exciting moments to share with you all...!![]()
- My blog has been featured in Times Of India(New Delhi edition),Friday supplementary What's Hot,Blog-e-binge, section on February last week Friday edition!! Hurray!!
Here's a screen shot!!
2. After I came back from a short trip,I opened my mail box,I had a surprise mail from Nags of Edible garden,saying that my entry Suzhiyan Recipe had won the "The Super Chef" title for the Recipe Diary contest and she have asked me to choose a cook book as a prize from her list!!!
I am so grateful to her and her mom,who acknowledged my recipe!!

