Saturday, December 24, 2016

GERMAN CHRISTMAS STOLLEN



Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 600 grams
Luke warm milk - 200 ml
Butter - 200 gram
Powder sugar - 50 grams
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Egg - 1
Dry yeast - 7 gram
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Lemon zest - from 1/2 lemon
Black sultanian raisin - 75 grams
Golden raisins  - 100 grams
Mixed candied peel - 75 grams
Blanched and chopped almonds - 50 grams
Orange juice - 1/2 cup (Traditionally rum is used)

Extra:
Butter and powder sugar - 2 tbsp each for single coating or more according to the layers you make.

Preparation:
Soak raisins and mixed candied peel in orange juice.

For the dough take flour in a big bowl and make a pit in the middle


Pour warm milk in the middle, add yeast, a pinch of sugar, cover with damp cloth and rest for 10 minutes.


After 10 minures add powder sugar, salt,  egg, vanilla extract and lemon zest. Make a dough, its not a matter even if all flour is not used. Allow to raise for 45 minutes.


After 45 minutes add butter and make a soft dough. Rest for 30 minutes.


After 30 minutes mix the raisin-peel mix and almond and make a soft dough.


In a tray place a baking sheet and roll in to 1 inch thick disk. Fold one side to the center to get the traditional stollen shape.


Cover with cling film and rest for 30 minutes. In this mean time heat oven at 180 degrees Celsius.
After 30 minutes bake at lower tray for 35 to 45 minutes.

When completely cooled down, melt 2 tbsp butter. Brush over the stollen and sprinkle icing sugar.
Again repeat brushing butter and icing sugar coating several times to get traditional stollen. I just made a single layer.


Soft and mouth watering stollen is ready to serve.




Note:
To get traditional taste add rum in place of orange juice and coat about 1/2 cm sugar.
Also store for a week by covering with a cling film. After 1 week you get the traditional taste.




Tuesday, November 29, 2016

MILLETS CHEESE CAKE

Ingredients:
Jowar / great millet flour - 125 grams
Kambu / pearl millet flour - 50 grams
Butter (at romtemperature)- 125 gram
Cottage cheese / soft paneer - 125 grams
Yoghurt - 2 tbsp
Eggs - 2
Sugar - 100 gram
Salt - a pinch
Baking powder - 1 tbsp
Vanilla sugar / vanilla extract - 1 tsp


Preparation:
Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees Celsius.
Cream together butter, cheese / paneer, salt and sugar.


Add eggs one by one and beat well.


Mix jowar flour, kambu flour and baking powder together.


Add little by little to the batter and beat well. Finally add 2 tbsp yoghurt and beat again.


Grease and dust a 18 cm cake pan and bake for 40 - 45 minutes.



Soft millets cheese cake isready to serve plainly with tea or with fresh cream.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

FRENCH BEANS MINI DOSA

Ingredients:
French beans (cut into small pieces) - 1/2 cup
Oil/ghee - 1 tsp
Dosa batter - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Oil/ghee to prepare dosas

Preparation:
Saute beans in oil for about 5 minutes till the raw odor is removed.
  

Grind in a mixer with little batter to a smooth paste. Don't add water. If necessary add little more batter.

Mix with the rest of the batter and add salt to taste.

Let the batter sit for about 30 minutes.

Now prepare mini dosas. Drizzle few drops of oil / ghee to the sides.

Serve with any gravy or chutney.

Mostly kids don't eat beans. In this recipe they get the benefits of beans with the main dish.

Thursday, November 3, 2016

NANJIL PARUPPU KUZHAMBU / DAL CURRY

Ingredients:
Thoor dal / yellow lentil - 1/2 cup
Small onion - 5 pieces
Green chili - 1 or 2
Dried red chili - 1
Asafoetida - 1 small piece or 1/4 tsp powder
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind - 1 small piece
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Tomato - 1 small or 1/2 big
Coconut scrapping - 1/4 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - optional
Salt to taste
Oil for seasoning

Preparation:
Pressure cook dal with green chili, onion, tomato and asafoetida for 3 minutes after first whistle.


Crush coconut, cumin seeds, tamarind and turmeric powder without water in a mixer grinder or in a stone grinder.


Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add red chili and roast for a second. Immediately pour pressure cooked dal. Add crushed coconut mix and salt to taste. Allow to boil for 5 minutes.


Season with curry leaves and serve with rice. As I currently live in Germany and i did not get curry leaves, I omitted curry leaves.



Monday, October 31, 2016

CARROT PUTTU BALLS

Ingredients:
Already prepared puttu - 1 cup
Grated carrot - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 tsp
Sugar -2 tbsp
Chopped cashews - 1 tbsp

Preparation:
Mix sugar with puttu and set aside.


Grate carrot and set aside.


Heat ghee in a pan and roast cashew nuts. Add carrot and allow to cook in ghee itself.


When carrot is cooked add puttu and cardamom powder. Mix well.


Prepare balls and serve.

Saturday, October 29, 2016

RAGI / FINGER MILLET CARROT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients:
Ragi / finger millet flour - 3/4 cup
Corn flour - 1/3 cup
Cocoa powder - 1/3 cup
Eggs - 3
Jaggery powder - 1/2 cup or Sugar - 1/3 cup (I prepared it less sweet because my son eats for his food. If you are preparing for a dessert doublw the amount)
Milk , vegetable oil - 3 tbsp each
Carrot - 2 medium sized (1 cup when diced)
Bitter almond extract - 1/4 tsp
Baking powder - 2 tsp


Preparation:
pre-heat oven at 180 degrees.
Beat 3 eggs well.


Add sugar / jaggery powder, oil and beat well again.


Mix ragi flour, corn flour, cocoa powder and baking powder in a bowl.


Add to the egg mixture and mix well.


Grind carrot with milk to a smooth paste.


Mix with the batter and add bitter almond extract.


Grease and dust 20 cm loaf pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Check after 35 minutes whether its done.
When I checked after 37 minutes its already done.


My son enjoying a piece. He finished half of the whole loaf for his lunch.


Note:
I prepared it less sweet. If you need more sweet add more sugar / jaggery.


Thursday, October 27, 2016

BHOONDHI LADOO USING PALM SUGAR CANDY

Ingredients:
Chick pea flour / besan flour / kadalai maavu - 2 cups
Palm sugar candy / panankarkandu - 2 cups
Ghee / clarified butter - 2 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Raisins -1 tbsp
Cashews - 6 (chop into small pieces)
Oil to deep fry
Other than these we need a ladle with pores or a special ladoo ladle.


Preparation:
Take flour in a mixing bowl and add 1 1/2 cups water to make a smooth batter in dosa batter consistency.


In a pan boil palm sugar with 2 cups of water. When completely dissolved filter through a clean cloth to remove dirt.


Now bring to boil until the syrup reaches single thread consistency.


In this mean time fry bhoondhis in hot oil. Hold the ladle over hot oil. Pour the batter in the ladle and allow the batter to fall drop by drop in oil. Don't fry them crispy. Just remove when bubbling reduces.

 
Also roast cashews and raisins in 1 tsp ghee.


When sugar syrup is done add 1 tsp ghee, cardamom powder and roasted cashews and raisins. Sugar syrup must be hot.


Add bhoondis in this mixture and mix well.


 Make balls when it is still hot enough (don't let it sit till warm. Must be hot to make balls) to take in hands. When cooled store in air-tight container.