Brownies cupcakes

 I just love to bake....!!!  I have a blog dedicated to baking home of cupcakes. I am reposting this post from my home of cupcakes blog.  As I baked them once again.....its just to lovely...!!


I am also sending this post to Divya's blog where she is conducting a month long brownie celebrations...!!

Ingredients:

• 200 grams of butter
• 1/2 cup of cocoa ( i used only 3/4 qty of cocoa and rest with flour)
• 3 large eggs
• 1 heaped cup of sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 cup of chopped cashew nuts

Method :

1. Cut the butter into pieces.
2. Place the butter into large pan. Add heat it.
3. Once melt turn off the heat.
4. Add sugar and mix well.
5. Add cocoa when it is warm and let it blend.
6. Let it cool.
7. Beat the eggs lightly and add into it.
8. Add vanilla essence.
9. Mix in flour and cashew nuts.
10. Preheat the oven to 175C.
11. Pour into cupcakes liners.
12. Bake for 20 minutes.  When a toothpick inserted comes out clean the it is done.
13. Remove the cupcakes brownies and cool.

Prawns Kaka Roti

I am posting this for an event a blogger Magpiesrecipes is hosting. so here this goes to Kerala kitchen. Thanx for hosting such a event. I may be a bit late to post... n this is due to todays's match...!!!

As for the dish... its something we enjoy... the coconut gravy with the pindi( We call it pindi no idea what others call...). 

(Steamed rice dumplings in prawn gravy)

For the rice pindi

2 cups parboiled ponni rice

1 cup of ammis rice powder

3/4  onion

1 tsp fennel seeds

4 tbsp coconut

For the gravy

1/2 kg prawns

3/4 cup coconut

1/4 tsp small jeera

1 onion

1/2 tomato

4 green chilles

1 tsp corinader powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

3 tbsp coriander leaves

2 tbsp oil

To make the pindi:

Soak the rice in hot water for 30 minutes.

Grind it to a coarse paste.

Add the fennel seed,, coconut and onion and just grind it until all is mixed.

But Not a fine smooth paste.

In a large bowl add the rice powder and rice paste.

Knead it .

The rice dough should not be too sticky.

Keep aside for 20 minutes.

Make small balls and steam it in a steamer.

To make the gravy:

Roast the coconut with salt, small jeera, 1/2 onion,  1tsp coriander powder and few curry leaves until light brown.

Once cooled , grind the coconut mix with 1/2 cup water to a fine paste.

Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a deep big pan.

Add onion and tomato  and saute until soft.

Then add green chillies, tumeric, red chillie powder and coriander leaves

Add prawns, 1/4 cup water and cover the lid  cook until prawns are cooked.

Then add coconut paste and boil just once.

Once the pindi is cooled , add them to the gravy.

Warm it until all is mixed.

Rava Puttu

365 days .... for morning breakfast... this is something you will find it at my grandma's house. I enjoy having with sugar and fried kerala banana.  I bet that's a deadly combination....!!!


1/2 coconut
200 grams fine rava
salt to taste.

Roast rava lightly, without turning it into brownish.
Remove and cool.
Grate the coconut.
sprinkle salted water and mix till it looks like bread crumbs.


















Heat water in the 'Puttu Vessel'.(The 'puttu'- or steamed rava cake : vessel is fitted with the 'Kutti' { a cylindrical contraption} at its mouth. The half filled water in the main vessel is boiled and the steam escapes through the 'Kutti', threaby cooking the puttu)


Sprinkle little grated coconut in the 'Puttu Kutti' and put two handfuls of the preapread rava.
Again sprinkle coconut and rava in two layers.
Keep it in the vessel and cover with the lid.
Cook till steam comes out.
Remove the 'Kutti' from the vessel till steam comes out.
Remove the 'kutti' from the vessel and push out the contents to a plate.

Serve hot with sugar and plantain or stew.

Devil's Food Cupcake

During my college days,  the only cooking class I attended ....was Aunty Vimala's . The only reason I attended was my mom wanted me to learn cooking...:) 
I used to admire the way she used to  prepare and never thought I will be able too. This recipe was originally baked as a cake ,I wanted to try in cupcakes. Devil Food cake is  from her collection....!!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 2/3 cup white flour
• 1 cup milk
• 11/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/4 tsp soda -bicarbonate

Method:

1. Sieve  together flour, cocoa, soda-bi carbonate
2. Beat the butter, add sugar.
3. Drop in the eggs one at a time and beat.
4. Add milk and flour .
5. Bake it preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Baked Alaska

1 basic recipe sponge cake, ( the recipe I used for the cake is linked)  baked in a 10 inches round tin.
1 litre vanilla ice cream
1 tin mixed fruit tin.
5 egg whites + 10 tbsp fine sugar



Make sponge cake and cool.

Cut horixontally  1/3 of the cake from top and keep aside.
Keep a steel plate upside down and cover it with foil and place the 2/3rd part of the cake on top.
Fill the center of the cake with fruits.
Cover the ice cream with the 1/3 of the cake.
Beat the egg whites till soft peaks form, then add 1 tbsp sugar at a time  and beat to a smooth, glossy meringue.
Spread the meringue on top of the cake.
Sprinkle fine sugar on top.
Preheat the oven to 220C and bake for 5 to 10 minutes until the meringue is light brown.

Banana & Date muffins

For a change, I wanted to try some healthy muffins...!!!
This recipe is adapted from "muffins & bakes " book.

Ingredients

• vegetable oil or cooking oil for spraying
• 225 plain grams
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp all spice
• 5 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 large egg white
• 2 ripe bananas
• 55 grams no-soak dired dates, pitted and chopped
• 4 tbsp skimmed milk
• 5 tbsp maple syrup

Method:

1. Its important to spray with vegetable spray or cooking spray since there is no oil or butter used in the recipe.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and all spice into a mixing bowl.
3. Add the caster sugar and mix together.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites together. 
5. Mash the sliced bananas in a separate bowl, then add them to the egg whites.
6. Add the dates, then pour in the milk and maple syrup and stir together gently to mix.
7. Add the banana and date mixture to the just combined.
8. Do not overstir the mixture -it is fine for it to be a little lumpy.
9. Divide the muffin mixture evenly between the cups in the muffin pan.
10. Bake in a preheated oven 200C/400F for 25 minutes or until risen and golden.
11. Remove the muffins from the oven and serve warm.

Meen Mulakittathu

(chili-hot fish curry)

Meen Mulakittathu is usually prepared with rice. This is one of the side dishes for a typical plain rice at Malabar or coastal Karnataka. The way it is prepared may differ from home to home . 

Usually Mackerel or Sardines  fish is used to make this but I did not have either of them , I used King fish.

4 mackerel or sardines or king fish

6 small onions

6 cloves garlic

1 tomato

2 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Small ball  of tamarind

1/2 tsp mustard

1 tsp fenugreek

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 springs of curry leaves

salt to taste

Clean and remove the heads of the fish and wash well.

Chop the onion and green chillies

Crush the garlic.

Soak the tamarind in a little water and squeeze out the juice.

Chop the tomato.

Heat the oil.

Add mustard.

When it starts to crackle, add the fenugreek, onion, green chilli's and garlic.

Fry for a few seconds.

Add chili powder, turmeric powder and tamarind water.

Simmer for a few minutes. 

Add the fish, curry leaves and salt.

Cook till the fish is done.

Meen Porichathu

(Fish fry)

     We call the fish as Meen.

Fish fry is something which used to be included in our day to day lunch. May be coming from a coastal region  that must have been a  practice....:) Now I fry them once a week. 

Here I used ready mix masala , this comes handy when u r in hurry...!!

• 4 black pomfret fish
• 4 tsp of eastern fish masala powder or ( mix of 2 tbsp chillie powder, 1tsp of coriander powder and a pinch turmeric powder)
• 1 tbsp of tamarind water
• salt
• coconut oil  for frying

Clean , cut and wash the fish.

Mix the masala powder with tamarind water and salt.

Apply to the fish and put it aside for some  time.

Shallow fry in oil and remove

Veg n Egg Fried Rice

When you look out for fried rice ... you end up getting confused to which one do you choose. I have my way which is quick n easy. This recipe is quite easy n don't follow the actual fried rice recipe. I used mixed frozen vegetables since I needed to make in 15 minutes.

• 1 cup basamti rice or leaf over ghee rice 
• 1/4 cup mixed vegetables
• 1 tbsp ginger chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp green chillies chopped
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp each pepper n salt

Heat oil in a wok and add ginger, garlic n chillies chopped. 

Toss and fry for 2-3 minutes.

Then add the boiled and drained vegetables.

Saute it for few minutes.

Add egg, salt and pepper and stir in continunely to scramble it till it is cooked and dry.

Add soya sauce and rice .

Mix it well, if needed add salt n pepper. 

Combine all well.

Chicken Sukha

Chicken sukha was something I was missing coming from a place mangalore. My friend gave me the recipe , the proper long way... I wanted to make it something quick and but still have the taste of chicken sukha. I was also lazy to saute onion , so here I ended up with my version of sukha.


Ingredients:

• 1/2 chicken
• 1 onion large chopped
• 1/2 tomato chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger n garlic chopped
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 3 tsp coriander 
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp or more coconut oil

Method:

Grind the chopped onion, tomato, ginger and garlic. 

Boil the chicken with 1/2 cup water,coriander powder, the grind mix and coconut.

Add coriander leaves and gram masala.
Cook till the water is absorbed.

Add the oil and fry for few minutes.