24 August 2011

APPAM AND KERALA STYLE VEGETABLE STEW

Everyone who have tasted authentic Kerala dishes will love appaam n puttu. Appam is the one dish which my mother and grand mother have never tried. 

Always i was in love with these appams.. with crispy edges n soft pillowy inside. A big bowl of coconut milk goes well with these appams.. But my love for veg stew has no limits.. A very quick to make side dish if all ingredients are in hand..
Ingredients for Appam:
1 cup - Raw Rice
1 cup - Idli Rice
1/2 cup - Urad dhal
1/4 tsp - Fenugreek seeds
1/2 cup - Coconut milk (which i did not add)
Water - as req


Method:
Wash and soak the above ingredients for 3 hrs and grind them to smooth and thin batter. Add salt mix well and ferment overnight.


Next day morning mix the batter well and make appams in appam pan.


Ingredients for Vegetable stew: 
3 – Potatoes, cubed
1 – Carrot, cubed
¼ cup – Frozen Green Peas 
1 no – Onion, sliced (white onion preferred)
½” – Ginger, thinly sliced
4 no - Cloves 
1/2” - Cinnamon 
4 pod - Cardamom 
6 no - Black pepper corns (slighlty crushed)
8 no - Green chillies, slit
½ cup – Thick Coconut milk 
2 sprig - Curry leaves 
1 tbsp - Coconut oil or any cooking oil
Salt 

Method: 

Pressure cook potato and carrot for 1 whistle with ¼ tsp salt.


In a pan heat oil, add onion, ginger, chillies, curry leaves, cloves, cinnamon n cardamom jus mix them and add the veggies to it add salt add ½ cup water and close the lid. (Onions should not be fried the color should be retained)


In 4 min the vegetables will be cooked add coconut milk and simmer for another 3 min and switch off the stove. Serve hot with appam!!!

17 August 2011

MW Paal Kova / Thiratti Paal for Krishnashtami


Chanting the mantra ‘Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.’ and offering tulsi leaves on Krishnashtami connects us to the Supreme Being.  

Krishna Jayanthi is a function liked by all of us. Lot of sweets and savories are made for this function. Microwave Paal Kova is the simplest sweet but the yummiest. Lord Krishna's favorite milk, ghee and yogurt are used to make this yummy sweet so lets serve n get the Lords blessings!!!

Ingredients:(Recipe source from my friend)
1/2 can - Sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp - Yogurt
6 tbsp + 1 tsp - Ghee
1 tbsp – Chopped Cashews, Pista, Badam

Method:
In a microwave safe glass bowl pour in condensed milk, yogurt and 2 tbsp ghee mix it and microwave for 4 minutes.

After 1 min standing time remove the bowl using hand gloves and mix it gently add 2 tbsp ghee and microwave for 2 minutes.

After 2 min standing time remove it and stir it gently. Now you can find that the color has started to change. Add 1 tbsp ghee and then cook for another 2 minutes.

Now after 1 minute standing time you can jump up because the consistency has started coming up. Stir slowly add the remaining 1 tbsp ghee and cook for 2 minutes.

After standing time you can find that the ghee is bubbling need to be very careful in handling it because it was damn hot n ensure that kids are not around. Now add just a tsp of ghee and microwave for one more min.

Now you can find the perfect sweet shops made paal khoa in minutes. Add in the chopped nuts and do the neivedhyam!!!

NOTES:
1. Ensure to prepare in glass ware microwave safe bowl.
2. Kitchen gloves a must and resting stand is a must.
3. Kids not allowed while preparing this.
4. Measure the ghee and keep it aside.
5. Initially it may look loose once it becomes cold it thickens up it can also be sliced up.
6. Microwave settings differ so it’s better to try it with lesser timings to avoid burnings.

Serve to the lord n get his blessings!!!!