Bread Gulab Jamun

Ingredients:

5 Slices of Fresh white bread
4 tbs Fresh Milk 

3/4 cup Sugar

1 cup WaterFew strands of Saffron

1/2 tsp Cardamon powder
Oil to fry

Finely sliced Almonds and pistachio (for garnishing)  

Method:

• Trim off the brown edges from the bread and soak them in milk for a few mins.
• Now knead the bread to a soft smooth dough and shape into marble size balls.
• Take sugar, water and cardamon powder in a pan. Boil it and make a thick syrup. Keep on very low flame.
• Add the saffron strands to the syrup.
• Meanwhile heat oil in a deep bottom pan on medium high flame and fry the bread balls till golden brown.
• Drain the bread balls on the kitchen towel and immediately drop them into the syrup.
• Let them soak in the syrup for atleast an hour. The balls would have doubled in size by now.
• Serve it hot or cold garnished with finely sliced almonds and pistachio.

Spicy Pan Grilled Salmon

Ingredients:

2 Salmon fillets

1 tsp Freshly ground black pepper

11/2 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Roasted ground cumin

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

salt to taste

1/2 tsp Olive oil

Method:

• Wash and clean the salmon fillets. Pat it dry and place on a wide plate.
• In a small bowl, combine the spice powders with salt  and rub everything together to mix well.
• Rub the spice mixture on the salon fillets, making sure that all sides are well coated. Marinate for a couple of hours in the refrigerator.
• Heat an outdoor grill or heat olive oil in a grill pan over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, place the salmon skin side up.
• Cook for about 5 mins each side till the salmon fillets are opaque and cooked thoroughly.
• Serve it pipping hot with salad or pasta dishes.

Kuzha Puttu

Ingredients:

2 cups Red rice puttu flour

water

salt to taste

3/4 cup freshly grated coconut

A pinch of Cardamon powder

Ripe bananas

Sugar

Method:

• Heat a wide non stick pan and dry roast the red rice flour on low flame till it emits a nice aroma. Cool the flour and sieve it.
• In a big bowl, add the red rice flour, cardamon powder and salt and rub well to mix.  
• Sprinkle water little by little into the rice flour and mix well till it resembles bread crumbs. 
• In the meanwhile, boil water in the puttu maker base pan.
• Now fill the puttu maker's top with 2 tbsp of grated coconut followed by the puttu flour till you reach half of the puttu maker. Then again fill it with 2 tbsp of coconut  followed by the puttu flour till you reach the brim of the puttu maker. 
• Make sure you don't press the puttu flour and pack it loosely in the puttu maker. 
• Now place the top of the puttu maker to its base and steam for 6-8 mins. Remove and carefully push the steamed puttu out of the puttu maker.
• Serve the puttu hot with ripe bananas and fine sugar.

Urulai Varuval/Spicy Potato Roast

Ingredients:

3 New Potatoes

1 Onion (Chopped)

5 cloves of Garlic ( Chopped)

4 strands of Curry leaves

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

11/2 tsp Red Kashmiri chilli powder

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp Urad dhal

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

2 tbsp Cooking oil

salt to taste

Method:

• Wash and scrub the skin of the potatoes and cut it into semi thick even size pieces. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a non stick pan, splutter the mustard and urad dhal then add the fennel seeds followed by onion, garlic and curry leaves. Fry for 2 mins.
• Then add the potatoes, stir fry, cover and cook till the potatoes are almost done. The potatoes should retain their shape and must not become mushy.
• Now add the salt, turmeric and chilli powder and stir fry on low flame till the potatoes are roasted.
• Serve it hot with rice and sambar or rasam.

Stuffed Bread Rolls

Ingredients:

8 Bread slices 

2 Potatoes (Boiled, peeled and mashed)

1/4 cup Cooked Green Peas

1 onion (Finely chopped)

1 tbsp Garlic Ginger paste

2 Green chillies (Deseeded and finely chopped)

1 stalk Coriander leaves (Finely chopped)

1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/4 tsp garam masala

A pinch of Hing

Oil for deep frying

Salt to taste

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan, splutter the cumin seeds. Then add the garlic ginger paste and fry till the raw smell leaves.
• Then add the chopped onions, green chillies and fry for 2 mins.
• Now add the mashed potatoes, peas, turmeric powder, salt and the hing. Fry for few mins.
• Finally, add the chopped coriander leaves and garam masala, Stir fry to mix everything and switch off the stove.
• Let the potato stuffing cool down completely before making the rolls.  
• When the stuffing is cool enough to handle, make 8 oblong shape rolls from it. Keep aside.
• Now remove the brown edges from the bread and dip it in water lightly and squeeze out the excess water by pressing it between the palm.
• Then take the stuffing and place it in the center of the bread slice and shape it around to get the oblong shape.
• Make sure all the sides are completely covered and the ends are sealed. Repeat the same with the rest of the bread slices. 
• Now heat oil in deep pan for frying. 
• When the oil is hot, carefully slide the bread rolls into the pan and fry them till they are golden brown and crisp. 
• Place them on kitchen towel to drain off the excess oil.
• Serve the hot bread rolls with tomato ketchup and Chai.

Rice Pudding with Apple and Plum Sauce...My 100th Post !!!

Rice Pudding:

Ingredients:

1 cup Long grain rice
21/2 cups Water
A pinch of Salt

1 cup Fresh Milk

1/2 cup Caster sugar

A pinch of Nutmeg

A pinch of Cinnamon

Method:

• Bring water to boil in a deep non stick pan. Add salt to the water.
• When the water has come to rolling boil, add the washed rice, cover the pan and let it simmer for 30 mins till the rice is well cooked. 
• Now add milk and continue to simmer till all the milk has been absorbed into the rice.
• Then add the sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Stir till all the contents are well mixed together.
• Cover and chill in the refrigerator till serving.

Apple and Plum sauce:

Ingredients:

5 Ripe Plums
1 Red Apple
1 tbsp Butter
1/4 cup Water

1/4 cup Brown sugar

A dash of Vanilla essence

A pinch of Nutmeg

1 Cinnamon stick

Method:

• Peel, core and dice the apple into 1 inch cubes. Likewise, stone the plums and cut it into wedges. Keep aside.
• Melt butter in a non stick pan. Add the brown sugar, water, cinnamon stick, nutmeg and vanilla essence.
• when the sugar has melted, add the fruits to the pan and let it get coated with the butter sugary mixture.
• Now add the water, cover the pan and let it simmer on medium low heat for about 20-30 mins till it reaches a saucy syrupy consistency. Switch off the stove.
• Serve the chilled rice pudding in a bowl topped with the rich warm apple and plum sauce.
• Serve immediately and enjoy.

Falafel

Ingredients:

1 cup kabuli chana 

1 cup onion (chopped)

1 tbsp Garlic (chopped)

1/4 cup Fresh Parsley (chopped)

1/4 cup Coriander leaves (chopped)

1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp Baking powder

Oil for deep frying

Salt to taste

For roasting and grinding:

1/2 tbsp Coriander seeds

1/2 tbsp Fennel seeds

1/2 tbsp Cumin seeds

3 Dry chillies (Deseeded)

Method:

• Soak the chana in tap water for 8 hours or overnight. In the morning, drain and rinse the chana and pat dry with kitchen towel. Keep aside.  
• Heat a dry small pan in a medium low flame and roast the dry chillies, coriander, fennel and cumin seeds till it is fragrant. Switch off the stove.
• Cool the roasted content and grind it to a coarse powder in a dry grinder. Keep aside.
• Now place the chana in a food processor and grind it till it is coarse.
• Then add the rest of the ingredients (including the grinded powder) except oil and whiz it till all the contents are coarsely chopped and well mixed together.
• Check and adjust the seasoning accordingly. Transfer the content to a big bowl.
• Now heat oil in deep pan for frying. 
• when the oil is hot, make small lime size balls out of the grounded content and fry them till they are golden brown and crisp. 
• Drain them on kitchen towel to drain off the excess oil.
• Serve the falafels hot with pita bread and garlic mayo.