Swiss Roll

Ingredients :

• Plain flour : 85 gm
• Cornflour : 1 tbsp
• Baking powder : 1½ tsp
• Egg white : 4
• Salt : a pinch
• Caster sugar : 160 gm
• Egg yolks : 4
• Cold water : 1 tbsp
• Lemon juice : 1 tsp

Pre-heat the oven to 180° C. Then, grease a Swiss Roll tin and keep it aside. Sift the flour with baking powder. Then, beat the egg whites and salt until it turns stiff. Gradually, add 3 tbsp sugar and beat it again. Fold-in one more tbsp sugar. Beat the egg yolks, gradually adding the water, lemon juice and remaining sugar until the mixture drops from the spoon in an unbroken pale yellow ribbon. Carefully, fold-in the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture. Then, fold-in the flour mixture. Pour the batter into the greased tin and bake it for 12 mins.

Sprinkle a sheet of grease-proof paper with caster sugar. When the Swiss roll is baked, turn the tin upside down onto the sugar sprinkled paper. Remove the  lining paper as quickly as possible. Remove the crisp edges of the roll with a sharp knife. Then, spread the semi thick warm jam on the roll. Roll tightly and keep it aside. Cut it into pieces.

View blog reactions

Easy microwave mysore Pak

Ingredients:

• Besan flour : ½ cup
• Powdered sugar : 1 cup
• Melted ghee : ½ cup + 1 Tbsp
• Boiled milk : 2 Tsp

Sieve the besan flour well. Grease a square tray with little ghee and keep it aside. In a microwave safe bowl put the sieved besan flour and 1 tbsp of melted ghee. Stir it and heat it in high power for 1 minute. Then put the melted ghee, powdered sugar and the boiled milk into another microwave safe bowl. Mix and add the roasted besan into it. Stir all the ingredients withouts any lumps. Then heat the above mixture in high power for 1 minute. Remove it and mix it well. Again heat it for 1 minute. Now the mixture turns foamy. Pour it into the greased pan and level it with the back of a spoon. Keep it for few minutes and cut it into the desired shape before it cools down completely.

View blog reactions

Caramel Dry Fruit Tart

Ingredients:

For Tart :

• Flour : 1.5 cup
• Powdered sugar : ¼ cup
• Baking powder : ¼ Tsp
• Milk powder : ½ Tsp
• Salt : a pinch
• Cold water : 3 Tsp
• Butter : 100 gm
• Vanilla essence : ½ Tsp

Sieve together flour, baking pdr, salt and milk powder. Keep it aside. Beat the butter and powdered sugar well. Add the flour mix along with vanilla essence and cold water into the butter and knead it into a soft dough. Refrigerate it for 20 minutes. Then, make lemon sized balls from the dough and place it into the tart mould. Then, prick the base with fork and bake it for 15 to 20 mins at 180° C. Remove it from the oven and cool it well.

For the Caramel Filling :

• Milk : 1 cup
• Cornflour : 2 Tbsp
• Sugar : ¼ cup
• Cashew nuts : 20 gm
• Almonds : 20 gm
• Kismis : 10 gm
• Condensed milk : ¼ cup
• Butter : 1 Tbsp

Mix cornflour in milk and keep it aside. Melt sugar in a pan. When it turns dark, add butter into it and melt it. Then add chopped dry fruits into it and stir it for a few minutes. Pour milk into this and mix. When it starts to thicken, pour the condensed milk. Stir it well, remove it from fire and allow it to cool. Fill the tart with this filling.

View blog reactions

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:

• Carrot : 2 big grated
• Ghee : 2 Tbsp
• Cardamom : 2
• Boiled milk : ¾ ltr
• Sugar : 5 Tbsp
• Condensed milk : 3 Tbsp
• Fried cashewnut : 2 Tbsp
• Fried kismis : 2 Tbsp

Add the grated carrot and crushed cardamom into the hot ghee and saute well. When the colour of the carrot starts to change, pour the milk into it and cook well. Then, add  sugar and condensed milk into it and combine well. Stir it for a few minutes. When the mixture starts to separate from the sides of the pan, add the fried cashews and kismis and mix. Transfer it into a bowl and serve it hot or cold.

View blog reactions

Moong Dal Ladoo

Ingredients:

• Moong dal : 1 heaped cup
• Sugar : ¾ cup 
• Cardamom pdr : ½ Tsp
• Ghee : ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp
• Broken cashews : 2 Tbsp

Dry roast the dal till it turns light golden in colour. Cool it and powder it well. Keep it aside. Then powder the sugar well and sieve the sugar and powdered dal to remove any lumps. Transfer it to a mixing bowl. Fry the broken cashews in little ghee and heat the rest of the ghee for couple of mins. Add the fried cashews, cardamom powder and melted ghee little by little into the powder. Mix it well with a spatula and pour the rest of the ghee. Combine it and let it sit for a few mins. Then make the ladoos. Keep them in an air tight container.

[Recipe Courtesy : SharmisPassion]

View blog reactions

Milk Peda

Ingredients:

• Condensed milk : 1 tin
• Milk powder : 2 Tbsp
• Powdered sugar : 3 Tbsp
• All purpose flour : 1 Tbsp
• Cardamom pdr : 1 Tsp
• Paneer : ½ kg

Combine all the ingredients and grind it into a fine paste. Transfer this into a heavy bottom pan and stir it continuously for 20 minutes. When it leaves the side of the pan, remove it from the pan. Transfer it into a greased pan. Spread it and coo it well. Cut it into desired shapes.

View blog reactions

Ethappazham Payasam

Ingredients:

•  Banana : 5
• Jaggery : 175 g
• Water : 1.5 ltr
• Grated coconut of 2.5 coconut
• Cardamom pdr : 15 g
• Coconut flakes : 1 Tbsp
• Cashews : 2 Tbsp
• Ghee : 3 Tbsp

Peel off the skin and remove the black middle portion from the ripe banana. Cook it with required amount of water. When it is fully cooked and it's colour turns to dark yellow, remove it from fire. Allow it to cool and grind the cooked bananas along with the water into a fine paste. Melt jaggery in 1.5 litre of water and boil it well. Then make it into half quantity and sieve it. Pour the grounded banana into the jaggery and saute it well. When it becomes thick, add 2 tbsp of ghee and combine well. Switch of the flame and keep aside.

Add ¼ ltr water into the grated coconut, grind it and make the thick coconut milk. Then, grind the coconut with 1.5 ltr water and make the semi thick coconut milk. Then, grind the coconut with 2 ltr water and sieve it to make the thin coconut milk. Pour the thin coconut milk into the above sauted banana jaggery mix and boil it well. When it becomes thick, pour the semi thick coconut milk and heat it well. Remove it from fire. Fry coconut flakes and cashews in little ghee and add it into the payasam. Finally, add the thick coconut milk and cardamom pdr into the payasam and mix well.

View blog reactions

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:

For the top:

• Pineapple slices (canned) : 5 to 8
• Cherry : 10
• Sugar : 5 Tbsp

For the Cake :

• All purpose flour : 220 gm
• Baking powder : ½ Tsp
• Butter : 125 gm
• Powdered sugar : 220 gm
• Egg : 4
• Pineapple essence : ½ Tsp

Heat the sugar in a pan till it turns brown and melt it completely. Then, pour the caramelised sugar into the cake pan and arrange the pineapple slices and cherries on top of it. Keep it aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 180° C.  Sieve together flour and baking powder. Beat the butter and powered sugar until it turns creamy and smooth. Add eggs one by one into it and beat well after each addition. Pour essence and slowly fold the flour into it. Then, pour it over the pineapple layer and bake it for 50 to 60 mins. Remove it from the oven and empty the pan by inverting it and then placing the cake onto a serving plate.

View blog reactions

Aval Payasam

Ingredients:

• Aval / Rice flakes : ½ cup
• Cardamom pdr : ¼ Tsp
• Ghee : 1 Tbsp
• Milk : 2 1/3 cup 
• Sugar : ½ cup
• Cashews : few
• Kismis : few

Heat milk in a heavy bottom vessel or in a uruli. Meanwhile, rinse the aval  in cold water and quickly transfer it to a kitchen tissue. Then saute this aval in ghee until it is well coated with ghee and a nice aroma comes. Boil the milk in high flame for few minutes and add the above sauted aval into the it and stir it in low flame. Next, add sugar and dissolve it completely with the milk mixture. Let it sit for about 20 to 25 mins or until it reaches a thick consistency. Remove it from fire and sprinkle cardamom pdr on it. Finally, add fried cashews and kismis into it. Let it sit for a few mins.

View blog reactions

Palada Payasam....Onam Special

Ingredients:

• Rice Ada (the white flakes seen in the picture) : 1 cup
• Boiled milk : 6 cup
• Sugar : ¾ to 1 cup
• Cardamom pdr : ¼ Tsp
• Ghee : 2 Tbsp
• Water : 2 cup

Boil the milk and keep it aside. Wash and drain the ada. Boil  water in a vessel and remove it from fire. Then soak the drained ada  for 20 mins. Again, drain the soaked ada and rinse under cold water 2 to 3 times. Keep it aside. Heat a heavy bottom vessel (uruli) and pour 1 tbsp of ghee. Add sugar into it and melt it completely. Add the drained ada into it and saute it with ghee - sugar mix in low flame till it turns into light golden colour. Next, pour the boiled milk into the sauted ada. Boil the milk until it turns thick and it changes to a light pink colour. This process takes about 35 to 40 mins. Finally, add the cardamom pdr and combine well. Remove it from fire. Your Palada Payasam (Milk Ada Kheer) is ready.

[Recipe Courtesy: Kothiyavunnu.com]

View blog reactions

Homemade Doughnuts

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour : 2¼ to 2½ cup
• Active dry yeast : 1½ Tsp
• Unsalted butter (at room temp) : 3 Tbsp
• Granulated white sugar : 3 Tbsp
• Salt : ¼ Tsp
• Lukewarm milk : ½ cup
• Egg, lightly beaten : 1

For Topping:

• Granulated white sugar : ½ to 1 cup     OR
• Sifted powdered sugar : ½ to 1 cup

In a large bowl, mix together the all purpose flour and yeast. Then, add the butter and mix it well with the flour with a pastry blender or your finger tips. When it reaches to a coarse-crumbs texture, stir it with sugar and salt.

Make a well in the center and pour the lukewarm milk and beaten egg. Combine all the ingredients well and transfer it into a lightly floured surface and knead it well till it turns smooth and elastic. Then put the dough in a greased bowl and cover it. Keep it aside for 1½ to 2 hrs. Then on a lightly floured surface, punch the dough and roll it into ½ inch thickness. Cut the dough with floured cookie cutter or with a doughnut cutter. Place the doughnuts on a large greased tray to rise for another 30 to 60 mins.

Heat oil in large pan and fry the doughnuts well. Fry each side for 45 to 60 secs. Small one needs only 30 sec. Transfer the fried doughnuts to a tissue paper and drain the oil well. Roll it in sugar once the doughnut cools down.

[Recipe Courtesy: JoyofBaking]

View blog reactions

Watermelon Ice

Ingredients:

• Watermelon : ½ kg
• Condensed milk : ½ tin

Blend together watermelon pieces and condensed milk. Then transfer it into the ice tray and freeze it. Take it out and serve before melting it.

View blog reactions

Fresh Cream Pudding

Ingredients:

• Fresh cream : 2 cup
• Condensed milk : ½ tin (200 gm)
• Milk : 3 cup
• Gelatin : 3 Tbsp
• Sugar : ½ cup
• Vanilla essence : 2 Tbsp

Heat the milk with condensed milk and sugar. Remove it from fire and cool it. Then melt the gelatin using double boiling method and pour it into the warm milk mixture. Combine well. Add vanilla and fresh cream into it and  stir. Pour it into a bowl or to a pudding dish. Freeze it for one hour and then transfer it to the lower rack.

View blog reactions

Jilebi (South Indian Style)

Ingredients:

• Urud dal 1 cup
• Sugar 2 cup
• Water 1¼ cup
• Orange Food Colour a pinch
• Rose water 1 Tbsp
• Oil

Soak urud dal for 1 hr and grind it into a fluffy batter by adding very little amount of water. Transfer it into a bowl and add a pinch of kesari colour. Meanwhile, prepare the sugar syrup by boiling sugar and water together. Just make it a little thick (need not be one thread consistency). Add a pinch of food colour and rose water into it and mix well. 

Make a button hole in the middle of a clean cloth and fill it with the batter. Heat oil in a flat vessel or in a frying pan and squeeze the batter into it. Transfer it into the warm sugar syrup and soak it for a few mins. Then remove and arrange it on a serving plate.

[Recipe Courtesy: Lekshmi Nair]

View blog reactions

Mysore Pak - Diwali Sweet

Ingredients:

• Besan flour 1 cup
• Sugar 1 cup
• Ghee 1 cup
• Water ¼ cup

Roast the besan flour with a teaspoon of ghee for 5 to 10 mins. Sieve the roasted flour well. Transfer it into a bowl and mix with ¾th part of ghee. Keep it aside for 15 mins. Then grease a plate with ghee and keep it aside. Boil sugar and water in a non-stick pan till it reaches a one-thread consistency. At this point, pour the besan-ghee mixture and stir it well. Add the rest of the ghee in 2 to 3 times to avoid the stickiness. Stir it well. When it becomes thick and non-sticky, reduce the flame and pour it into the greased plate. Cut it into desired shape while it is hot. You can see a detailed version of the method of preparation here.

View blog reactions

Mango Mousse

Ingredients:

• Mango 2 (400 g)
• Gelatin 1 Tbsp
• Powdered sugar 1 cup
• Egg whites of 2 eggs
• Whipping cream 150 ml

Melt the gelatin using double boil method and keep it aside. Puree the chopped ripe mangoes and powdered sugar. Pour the melted gelatin and combine well. Refrigerate it. When it's half set, whip the cream well and mix it with the mango. Beat the egg whites and slowly add it into the mango. Cover it with a plastic wrap and refrigerate it again.

View blog reactions

Carrot Payasam

Wishing all readers a Happy Onam...!!

Ingredients:

• Carrot 3 big grated
• Sago ½ cup
• Sugar 5 Tbsp
• Whole milk 2¼ cup 
• Condensed milk ¼ cup
• Cardamom pdr 1½ Tsp
• Ghee 1 Tbsp
• Cashews 10
• Kismis 10

Clean and grate the carrot. Fry the kismis and cashews in little ghee. Cook the sago and keep it aside. Saute the grated carrot in ghee for five minutes. Pour the milk into sauted carrot. When it boils, add the sugar, condensed milk and cooked sago into it. Reduce the heat and cook it for 25 to 30 mins. Stir it occasionally. Combine it well and add the cardamom pdr. Keep it aside for a few mins and add the fried cashews and kismis. Mix well.

View blog reactions

Nurukku Gothambu Payasam

Ingredients:

• Cracked wheat 1 cup
• Jaggery  ½ kg
• Water 1 cup
• Thick coconut milk 1 cup
• Semi-thick coconut milk 2 cup
• Thin coconut milk 2½ cup
• Roasted cumin pdr ¼ Tsp
• Cardamom pdr ½ Tsp
• Dry ginger pdr ¼ Tsp
• Ghee 4 Tbsp
• Cashews 15
• Kismis 15

Clean the cracked wheat well. Melt jaggery with 1 cup of water and sieve it. Mix cumin, cardamom and dry ginger powder with little semi-thick coconut milk and keep it aside. Pressure cook the wheat with thin coconut milk. Reduce the flame and pour the melted jaggery into this. Mix and stir till it reaches a thick consistency. Add 2 tbsp of ghee into this and combine well. Pour semi-thick coconut milk and again make it into a thick consistency. Finally pour the thick milk and heat it for a few mins. Remove it from fire and pour the powder mix and fried cashews and kismis. Keep it unstirred for 10 mins and then  mix it well.

View blog reactions

Mango Cheesecake

Ingredients:

For base:

• Biscuit 200 gm (25) 
• Melted Butter 3 Tbsp

For Cheese layer :

• Paneer 200 gm
• Condensed Milk 1 tin
• Fresh Cream 200 ml
• Gelatin 2 Tsp
• Mango Pulp  ½ cup

For Mango glaze:

• Mango Pulp 1 cup
• Water ½ cup
• Gelatin 2 Tsp

For the base, powder the biscuit well and mix it with the melted butter. Put it inside the spring form pan or arrange in the individual serving glass and press it well using the back of a spoon or hand. Refrigerate it for ½ an hr.


Soak the gelatin in ¼ cup water for 15 mins. Grind paneer and milkmaid into a fine paste. Double boil the gelatin well. Add the melted gelatin, fresh cream and mango pulp into the grounded paneer and combine well. Slowly pour it over the biscuit base and again refrigerate it for 3 to 4 hrs (Keep it in the freezer for first ½ an hr and transfer it to the lower rack and set well).

For the mango glaze, soak the gelatin in ½ cup of water for 15 mins. Then double boil it and mix it with the mango pulp. Pour it over the cheese layer and refrigerate till set. 

View blog reactions

Ethappazham (Ripe Plantain) Halwa

Ingredients:

• Ripe plantain 8
• Cardamom pdr ½ to 1 Tsp
• Sugar 1½ cup
• Water ½ cup
• Ghee 1 cup

Boil water and sugar in a heavy bottom pan and add the chopped ripe plantain. Combine well with sugar and cook it. Mash it with the back of a big spoon. Slowly add ghee into it. Stir and add cardamom pdr into this. Then transfer it into a greased plate or to a tray and spread it evenly using a spoon. Cool it and cut it into desired shape.

[Recipe courtesy: Lekshmi Nair, Magic Oven.]

View blog reactions