A bountiful of Christmas wishes with Bounties

If you like Bounty, you will love these. :) Christmas is a time to relax, spend time with loved ones, catching up with old friends and reminisce good old times. Bounty is one of my favourite childhood chocolate bars and they are perfect to be served on occasions like Christmas and Valentine's Day. It is eggfree, gluten-free and you don't need an oven to make this. Even people who may not love bounty will be blown away by these homemade bounty balls. I could not stop licking the spoon and my fingers, while I was making these. If you want to shine with a recipe, this is it. :) And with this post, I want to wish you, one and all, a very merry Christmas!

Ingredients:
200 g desiccated coconut flakes
3/4 cup fresh heavy cream (35-40 %)
50 g butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup icing sugar

Coating:
150-200 g semisweet chocolate

Method:
In a large cooking pot, melt the butter at below medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the cream, maple syrup and sieve the icing sugar. Mix well and cook at medium heat, stirring in between, for about 6-8 minutes till the mixture thickens. Then add the dry coconut flakes and mix well for a couple of minutes till it is really thick firm and then take the cooking pot away from the stove. Allow to cool. When it has cooled down, cool enough for you to handle the mixture with your hands, take one tablespoon of the mixture and place it on a cool parchment paper or shape into small balls, and place them on parchment paper over a steel sheet. Allow the bounty balls to cool and stiffen for minimum one hour before coating them with chocolate. I put them in the refrigerator overnight to set.

Melt the semisweet chocolate over a hot-water bath or in microwave. Before melting, chop the chocolate evenly. Bring 1 inch of water to boil in a cooking pot, and place a heat-proof bowl over it. Make sure there are no water stains in the glass bowl it has to be completely dry, and the bottom should not touch the water beneath. Place the chopped chocolates in a glass bowl and let it melt. Melt the chocolate over low heat, and while melting over hot-water bath, stir frequently, until the chocolate has melted. If you melt them in the microwave, follow the same instructions. Chop the chocolates evenly and heat them in the microwave. If you heat the chocolate in the microwave, it would be a good idea to not heat all the chocolate at once. Heat the chocolate in two batches. Take the chocolate out in between and stir. Stick a tooth pick in the bounty balls and then coat with chocolate, by dipping the balls in the melted chocolate and place them back on parchment/bakery paper. Coat all the Bounty balls and let them cool and stiffen before refrigeration. Keep these goodies in the fridge and serve them cool. Good luck!

Tiramisu

Typically the winter season is a depressing one for me, with nothing much to look forward to, except the Christmas holiday, but that too passes away as quickly as it comes. Luckily this winter has not been so severe and in the blogosphere there are always some fun and eventful happenings that keeps you upbeat and on your toes. Even if you don't win a give-away, you always win a few friends. The whole experience of participating and interacting with other bloggers and readers from keeps you in good, cheerful spirit. 

Although blogging can be addictive, it has turned out to be a rewarding learning experience for me in many aspects. Like many others in the blogosphere, ever since starting this blog, I have tried my hands at making some recipes and combinations that I otherwise would not have thought of or cared much for. I have even started to show some interest in learning some traditional recipes and methods from my mother, that I hadn't earlier. While some experiments go terribly wrong and the food goes wasted, leaving you in a state of discouragement and guilt, other experiments go extremely well, making you feel on top of the world.

My most recent experiment is Tiramisu, which had been on my mind for a couple of months now but for some reason I kept postponing it. This one needs no introduction, I think. You have probably seen and read about it in umpteenth food magazines, blogs, food programmes etc. This is a classic dessert but one that I have never tasted before. Tiramisu literally means "pick me up" in Italian, supposedly from the kick you get from all the caffeine in the coffee and the cocoa powder.

I was not too keen on trying the recipes that call for using raw eggs in the cream, so I finally made up my mind on Carminantonio Iannaccon's recipe. Since Carminantonio is an Italian and a chef, and this recipe was posted in Washington Post and featured in the"Daring Baker's Challenge" last year, I felt this recipe was a safe bet. It was much easier to make tiramisu than I had thought. The most difficult and brutal part of making it was to wait for it to set. I started making the zabaglione and the pastry cream on Monday and let it get chilled overnight. Made the whipped cream and assembled the tiramisu on Tuesday and then put it back in the fridge to set overnight. I got to eat it first for breakfast today, as I could not hold myself anymore. :) The tiramisu was very creamy and spongy and tasted quite refreshing mostly from the lemon. Unfortunately, the tiramisu started to melt when I was taking pictures.

Zabaglione:
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup Marsala wine (or coffee)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Pastry cream:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
3/4 cup whole milk

Whipped cream:
1 cup chilled heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the assembly:
2 cups brewed espresso, warmed
1 teaspoon rum extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
36 store-bought ladyfingers
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Garnish:
Shaved nougat or chocolate (optional)

Method:
Begin by making the zabaglione. Have ready a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, place a pot with 1 inch of water on the stove. Place a heat-proof bowl on it and make sure the bowl does not touch the water beneath. Combine the egg yolks, sugar, Marsala wine (or coffee), vanilla extract and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until the yolks are fully blended and the mixture is smooth. Transfer the mixture to the top of a double boiler or place your bowl over the pan/pot with simmering water. Cook the egg mixture, stirring constantly, at below medium heat for about 8 minutes or until it resembles an airy, lightly thick custard. It will bubble as it reaches that consistency. Continue to whisk and incorporate air into the custard. For me it took about 15 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

Next make the pastry cream, by combining the sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla extract in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan or pot. Add half the milk and the egg yolk. Whisk until smooth. Place the saucepan or pot and cook at below medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Add the remaining milk in small amounts, stirring. After about 12 minutes the mixture will be thick, be free of lumps, beginning to bubble. (If you have a few lumps, don't worry; push the cream through a fine-mesh strainer.) Transfer to a bowl and cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight, until thoroughly chilled.

For the whipped cream, combine the cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. I prepared the whipped cream on the second day, just before assembling the tiramisu. Beat with a large whisk, hand mixer or immersion blender until the mixture holds stiff peaks. Put it in the fridge till you need it. Have ready a large rectangular serving platter to make the tiramisu. Combine the espresso, rum extract and sugar in a shallow dish, whisking to mix well. Set aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the mascarpone cheese with a spoon - this will make it easier to mix without any lumps. Add the refrigerated zabaglione and pastry cream carefully, blending until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped cream. Set the cream mixture aside.

Working quickly, dip the ladyfingers in the sweetened espresso, about 1 second per side. They should be moist but not soggy. Immediately transfer each ladyfinger to the platter, placing them side by side in a single row. Spoon one-third of the cream mixture on top of the ladyfingers, then use a rubber spatula or spreading knife to cover and even out the mixture, all the way to the edges. Repeat to create 2 more layers, using the ladyfingers that are left and the cream mixture for each layer. Clean any spilled cream mixture on the edges of the platter; cover carefully with plastic wrap and refrigerate the tiramisu overnight.

To serve, carefully remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the tiramisu with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh strainer. Cut into individual portions. You can garnish the tiramisu with shaved nougat as I did, or some shaved chocolate. Good luck! I am sending this as my entry to New Year - New Dish by UK Rasoi and Midweek fiesta 8 by Amy.

Egg Biryani

Today I made an attempt to make egg biryani, in the rice-cooker, adapting recipes from Vahchef and Sailu's Kitchen. This biryani was quite easy to make, as I did not include any meat that called for elaborate marinating and cooking. This biryani made for a hearty meal today. A biryani is as much about the flavours as it is about the aroma. Spices such as cloves, cardamom and cinnamon play an integral part in making the biryani, if you or anyone in your family don't like the pungency of whole cloves and cardamoms, you can grind these into a powder, instead of excluding them.

Rice:
1 cup basmati rice
Water (as required)
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves
1/2 tbs oil
1-2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt

Masala:
2 cloves
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 cardamom pod
1/2 star anise
1/4 tsp shah jeera or cumin

Saute:
4-5 boiled eggs
1 onion
1/2 cup salted cashew nuts
3-4 tbs ghee or oil
2 green chilis
2 tbs coriander leaves (adjust)
2 tsp garlic-ginger paste
1 tsp chili powder
2-3 tbs curd or sour cream (adjust)
Salt to taste

Method:
Boil the eggs and peel them. Put aside. Grind the masala ingredients into a fine powder. Slice the onion and green chilis. Finely chop and grind the garlic and ginger into a fine paste. In a large pan, heat some ghee or oil. Add the masala powder, chili powder, onion, green chili, salt and saute until fragrant and golden brown. Add the cashew nuts and saute. The cashew nuts have a tendency to get burnt if you add them initially with the onion so don't add the until the onion is sauted at least half way or pre-roast the cashew nuts.

If you like, you can add the boiled eggs at this stage and marinate them in this onion masala, slit or whole. Put aside the eggs and half of the onion-cashew mixture in a bowl. Now add garlic-ginger paste and the coriander. Add the curd and mix. You can adjust the amount of coriander and curd according to your preferences. Take the saute away from the stove.

Add the water required to boil the rice in the rice cooker and bring it to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse and drain the rice properly. When the water is boiling, add turmeric, salt, oil, and the spices (whole). Mix a little. Then add the rice into the rice-cooker. Add the sauted onion-curd mixture and lightly mix. Close the lid and let the rice boil with the sauted onion-curd mixture and all the spices into an aromatic one-pot meal. Serve the biryani with the boiled egg and the sauted onion-cashew nuts and other side dishes of your choice.

I have sent this post as my entry to the "Royal Feast - Biryani" event and a Giveaway at Kaarasaaram.

Cinnamon roll with almond filling

For some reason, I feel a lot like baking this month. It is probably the pre-Christmas jitters. I have made cinnamon buns many times before. However, I have never cut the cinnamon rolls lengthwise, except once, but that was many years ago. This time I also added homemade almond paste inside, just because I love almonds. This turned out absolutely divine, if I may say so myself. A cup of warm tea and some slices of a homemade cinnamon roll, is sometimes everything you need to brighten up the humdrum cold winter noons.

Cinnamon roll:
150 g salted butter
50 g compressed yeast
2 cups milk
1.4 kg flour (5 1/2 cups)
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 tsp cardamom or cardamom powder

Almond filling:
200 g blanched almonds
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup icing sugar
2-3 tbs milk or egg white

Butter filling:
100 g butter
1/2-1 tbs ground cinnamon
3 tbs sugar

Topping:
Almond flakes
Pearl sugar
1 egg (egg wash)

Method:
Blanch the almonds. Bring some water to boil, lower the heat, add the almonds and boil for about 4-5 minutes and then blanch the almonds or alternatively, pour the boiled water in a bowl with almonds and let soak in the warm water for a couple of minutes and then peel the skin off. I would advise you to do this the night before. Let them dry a little and slice the almonds roughly. Slicing them before grinding makes it easier to get a fine paste and keep them in a cool place till needed.

Melt the butter in a cooking pot. Add the milk and warm the butter-milk mixture to 37 C degrees (finger warm). While you melt the butter, measure the flour in a separate bowl and mix in the cardamom. Put aside. Crumble the yeast into a large bowl. Add the heated milk-butter into the bowl, mix and dissolve any large chunks of yeast with your hands. Then add the sugar and then the flour, all at once. Take a wooden spoon and mix until everything comes together into a dough. Place it on a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Put it back in the bowl and cover with a cloth and allow the dough to rest (and increase in size) for 30-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, grind the sliced almonds in a food processor. If you have a small grinder, grind in small batches. Grind the almonds as finely as you can. In a bowl, add the ground almonds and the sugar. Mix well. Add the milk or egg white. I used milk for the almond paste. Mix well into a paste and put aside. For the butter filling, mix softened butter, sugar and ground cinnamon and put aside. If the butter does not get soft, warm it in the microwave for a few seconds and then mix in the above mentioned ingredients.

Now, divide the dough into three equal parts. Roll it out, like you would a pizza dough, fairly thin, spread some of the butter mixture with a dining knife evenly on the dough. Add the almond paste over the butter filling and spread it as evenly as you can on the dough. Roll the dough up. Take next batch and repeat this process until you have three rolls. Let them rest for another 15 minutes or so. Cut the rolls with a scissor, not all the way down, and in equal sizes and drag the buns left and right with your hand. Whisk an egg. Give the rolls an egg wash, spread some pearls sugar and almond flakes over the cinnamon rolls.

Prepare two oven sheets by placing parchment/bakery paper on them. You can place two cinnamon rolls on one oven sheet.  Place the oven sheet in the middle part (but not on the lowest) of the oven and bake in a preheated oven at 175 C (350 F) for about 15-20 minutes. Let them cool somewhat before serving. You can refrigerate them and serve them on an another occasion, if you like. Let them cool down covered with a cloth on a wire rack, slice them and then put them in plastic bags and refrigerate. Eating them within two to three weeks is preferable.

Almond milk - Badam paal

Badam milk is a very wholesome drink enjoyed by people of all ages. This is a nourishing and soothing drink that is perfect to be consumed around this time of the year. Since many people suffer from dry skin during the winter season it's not a bad idea to consume it regularly once or twice a week. This recipe makes about 4 servings.

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup water
3 tbs sugar
A pinch of saffron powder
A pinch of cardamom powder

Method:
Blanch the almonds. You can either bring some water to boil, add the almonds and boil for about 4-5 minutes and then blanch the almonds or let the almonds soak in warm water for a couple of minutes and then peel the skin off. Slice the almonds. Slicing them before grinding makes it easier to get a fine paste. Grind them in a food processor or in a wet grinder with some of the milk and grind into a fine paste. Grind it as finely as you can. I think the food processor grinds it more coarsely than the wet grinder. If you like it more nutty, you could use the wet grinder. 

In a cooking pot, add milk and the almond paste and bring it to boil in below medium heat while continously stirring. This might take about 15-20 minutes. Then add the sugar, saffron powder and cardamom powder. Stir for about 5-10 till the milk gets a nice colouring from the saffron. Typically the badam is made over the stove till it thickens somewhat. The milk that you get here tends to have more water in it. If you want it thick, you can stir till you get your desired consistency. Take it away from the stove and pour it into glasses or another bowl and allow to cool. Serve this drink cool.

Tekaka

These buns are called tekaka in Swedish, meaning tea-time buns. They are a cross between flatbread and buns, sweet and fluffy, so fluffy that they melt in your mouth while you eat them. Everyone in my family loves these buns. We love tekaka so much we fight over the last one. :) It is that good. We typically buy tekaka at the local store-cum-bakery nearby because it is more convenient but for Christmas I decided to make these for breakfast.

Yesterday morning, I woke up to read that I had received an "Inspirational Award" by Sonali at OnlyFishRecipes. I was and still am ecstatic about it. It's such a nice way to wrap up this year and my 3 months of blogging adventures. Thank you Sonali for the award. The awardee is suppose to answer 8 questions as well, and I have answered them down below, please scroll down if you are interested in reading them. The awardee is also supposed to pass down the award to fellow bloggers and I have listed the names and blogs of people I would like to pass on this award to.

Ingredients:
50 g compressed yeast
2 cups water
100 g butter
1 tsp of salt
10 tbs caster sugar
5 1/2-6 cups all-purpose flour

Method:
Heat the water to 37 C (fingerwarm) in a pan. In a separate pan, melt the butter at low heat. Measure the flour, add sugar and salt and mix. Put aside. Crumble the yeast in a large bowl. Pour the finger-warm water over it. Mix and dissolve any large yeast chunks with your hand. Add the butter and mix. Add the flour. Mix with a wooden spoon till everything comes together. Place the dough, on a floured surface. Knead and work it for about 10 minutes. Place it back in the bowl and let it rest, covered with a cloth, for 35 minutes. Do not let it rest for more than 35 minutes because the yeast thrives on sugar and if you let the dough yeast for more than 35 minutes the first time (you have to let them rest again after shaping them), the tekaka may not turn out sweet at all.

Knead the dough lightly and press out the trapped air in the buns. You can either roll out the flour and knife out flat-bread like buns or divide the dough into equal portions/balls and then flatten them out. Stick the buns with a fork, all the way down. Let them rest for 10 minutes. Bake them in the middle part of a preheated oven at 200 C (400 F) until they get a nice colour. Let them cool covered in a cloth and keep them in an airtight container. Now, more about the award. :)

My congratulations to you, Sonali, and thanks a bunch for passing on this award to me. I would like to pass on this "Inspirational Award" to the following bloggers:

Amy of FoodCorner
Mahi of Mahi's Kitchen
Reva of Kaarasaaram
Sangeetha of Spicy Treats
Sudha of Wit, wok & wisdom

Egg toast

For me this makes for a quick, scrumptious breakfast. I like soft white bread, but you could make these toasts with a fibre-rich bread varieties as well.

Ingredients:
5-6 slices of white bread/loaf
2 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
Salted butter

Method:
In a pan, melt some salted butter. Beat eggs in a soup plate, add some salt and whisk. Take a slice of loaf and dip it in the beaten eggs. Coat both sides of the loaf with the egg mixture. Place the egg in the heated pan and "toast" both sides. The butter has a tendency to turn brown, so adjust the heat as required. I slightly press the bread against the pan with a spatula to make sure it gets toasted properly. Toast both sides until golden brown. Serve warm and crispy with butter, cheese, maple syrup, marmalade and/or fresh fruits!

Mixture (Mixer)

Mixture or "mixer" as I have been fondly calling it since childhood :) is a very popular snack in Sri Lanka and India. In our family, we prepare mixture with fried chickpeas, yellow lentils, dry-roasted cashews, salty peanuts and gram murukku. Making mixture is a time consuming process that requires copious amounts of oil but this snack has a long "expiry" date and is usually enjoyed by everyone in the household. It has been ages since we made this but with the upcoming festive season, it was about time we made this protein-packed snack.

Mixture:
2 cups chickpeas
2 cups yellow lentils
1 cup salty peanuts

Cashew nuts
4-5 sprigs of curry leaves
500 ml coconut oil for deep frying
Salt and ground chili powder to taste

Murukku:
2 cups gram flour (ground yellow lentil flour)
1 cup all purpose flour or rice flour
1/2 tsp ground ajwain
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2-3 tsp ground chili powder
Salt to taste
Hot water

Step 1: Soak the chickpeas and the yellow lentils for 10-12 hours. Wash them again and drain from excess water. In a large pan heat the oil. Deep fry the yellow lentils. Deep-fry them in 2-3 batches. When you place them in the oil they will sink to the bottom. Once they are properly fried, they will start to float to top (see pictures). It will take about 10 minutes to deep fry them. Take some out and taste. They should be medium crunchy (they will get more crunchy once you have taken them out). Place them on tissue paper to drain the excess oil. Add salt and ground chili powder and mix while the lentils are still warm. Taste and adjust spices.

Step 2: Drain the chickpeas from water. This is very important as some of the chickpeas tend to "explode" and fly off in different directions while you deep-fry them. Place the chickpeas in a spoon and put them in the oil. Don't stay or sit close-by because one or two chickpeas always tend fly out in different directions. Deep-fry the chickpeas for about 15 minutes in 2-3 batches. Taste the chickpeas. They should be crunchy. Take them out and place them on a tissue paper. Add salt and ground chili powder while the chickpeas are still warm and mix with a spoon. Taste and adjust spices.

Step 3: To make the murukku, mix both flour types in a bowl. Add salt, turmeric, ground chili powder and dry roasted, ground ajwain and mix. Heat some water. Pour a small quantity of the water in the flour och wait for 3 minutes and then mix with a spoon and repeat this process until you get the same batter texture as seen below. 

Stuff an idiyappam/murukku maker with this batter and press it into the oil (see picture below). You'll have to repeat this process many a times till you finish the batter. Fry the murukku on both sides until golden brown. Take it out and place it on a tissue paper.

Step 4: Crush the murukku. Mix the deep-fried chickpeas, yellow lentils and the murukku in a large bowl. Dry roast some cashews and add them to the mixture. You can use store-bought salted peanuts or you can dry roast raw peanuts (I used a combination of both) and add them to the mixture. Lastly, add fried curry leaves and mix. Taste and adjust spices, if needed. Good luck! 

I am sending this as my entry to "Snacks Mela" by cooking cooking4allseasons.

Kothu Roti

This is the ubiquitous street food 'kothu roti' recipe. Kothu roti literally means chopped roti, but from what I have observed at the roadside kothu huts, it is usually paratha. There are many different types of kothu rotis. When we make kothu roti at home, we usually make "chicken kothu".

To make the chicken kothu, you need to prepare the chicken curry separately and the roti/paratha separately. These two items are then chopped and fried together with various vegetables and egg. At the kothu huts a heated iron sheet and blades that look like dough scrapers are typically used to make this. We prepare kothu roti in a large pan and it works just fine. 

Roti:
2 1/2 cups flour
Water (as required)
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
Oil

Chicken curry:
1 chicken
1 onion
1/2 tsp cumin
3-4 garlic cloves
2-3 green chilis
1 tbs curry powder
2-2 1/2 cups water
Lemon juice to taste
Salt to taste

Stir-fry:
Pinch of mustard seeds
Pinch of cumin
Curry leaves
6 green chili
2 small onions
2 cups cabbage/leeks/spring onion
2 carrots
2 eggs
Salt to taste

In a bowl, add flour and mix flour and salt. Then pour 1 cup of water in small quantities and knead the dough. Add some more water if needed. If you are inexperienced when it comes to kneading doughs this may be a troublesome step for you but don't give up. With some will you can get it together. When you are finished kneading the dough, add some oil and roll the dough in oil. Wrap up the dough in a plastic sheet so that it doesn't get dry and let it rest while you prepare the chicken curry.

First clean and chop the chicken in small sizes. In a large cooking pot, heat some table spoons of oil. Add cumin seeds, chopped onion, garlic and green chili and fry until light brown. Add the chicken chunks, mix and fry. Close the cooking pot with a lid and let it cook for about 10 minutes on medium to high heat, but take the lid off and stir every once in a while until it's half-cooked and has changed colour. Then add the curry powder and mix well. Drizzle the water, salt and let the chicken curry cook for about 30-40 minutes. Add the lemon juice last before taking the chicken curry off the stove. Taste and adjust spices before taking it away from the stove.

Chop the vegetables needed to make the kothu roti. I like cabbage but you could also use leeks or the green part of spring onions depending on your preferences. I would advise to make the kothu roti in 2 batches. Chop all of onion, green chilis, carrots, curry leaves and cabbage at once and then divide into two batches.

Roll out the roti on a lightly oiled surface. Heat a pan and heat the roti on both sides. Then cut the rotis into small pieces with a knife or a food scissor. In a large pan heat some oil, add mustard seeds and let splutter. Then add cumin. In the same pan, fry onion, curry leaves, and green chilis. Then add the cabbage and stir-fry well. Lastly, add the carrots and salt. Shove the vegetables to the side in the pan or take it out and place it in a plate. Whisk an egg and add some salt in it. Pour the egg in the pan and scramble it. Mix the vegetables and the scrambled egg, add the roti pieces and mix. Then spoon in the chicken curry (chicken chunks as well as curry) and mix. Serve warm!

Mango chutney (mangai pachadi)

I have been wanting to make mango chutney for a long time but it has been very difficult to find raw, sour mangoes in the stores. I found some sour mangoes at the Chinese store, and although expensive, they looked decent enough to serve the purpose. I wanted something tangy to tickle my tastebuds. This actually tastes like a sweet-sour tamarind sauce. Typically, neem flowers are also added, to lend some bitterness, but I have excluded it.

Chutney:
2 raw mangoes
1 cup brown sugar (or jaggery)
1 cup water
1 green chili
Salt to taste

Tempering:
Mustard seeds

Peel the mangoes and cut it in small pieces. In a pan, add water and bring it to a boil. Add the mango slices, slit green chili, and salt. Cook at medium heat. Add the brown sugar after 15 minutes and cook until it looks and gravy-like. In a separate pan, heat some oil, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Top the mango chutney with the tempered mustard seeds and serve.

Lemonade

I had a craving for lemonade today. In Sri Lanka, you typically prepare lemonade with lime. You just blend fresh lime juice, water and sugar (and sometimes salt) with a spoon and consume it fresh in the hot months. There's nothing like a home-made lemonade. It's so refreshing and you always end up craving for one more glass.

1 large lemon
2 cups water
1/3 cup caster sugar (adjust)

Roll the lemon on the kitchen counter with your palms, to loosen up the lemon cells. Cut it into halves and squeeze the lemon juice. I pressed out the juice with my hands intially and then used a manual juice squeezer to squeeze out as much as possible. Boil the sugar and the water at below medium heat till the sugar dissolves and stir continuously. Add lemon juice and stir. Taste. Add more sugar if needed and stir but don't keep the lemonade on the stove for too long after adding the lemon juice. Let it cool before serving.

Mushroom curry

Ingredients:
200-250 g fresh field mushrooms or button mushrooms
1 onion
3 garlic cloves
10 cashew nuts
A pinch of cumin
1 tsp chili powder (optional for more heat)
1 tbs curry powder
3 cups water
1 spring curry leaves
Salt to taste


Method:

I wash the mushrooms under cold water first. Some say you should not wash mushrooms in water. The common guide is to gently rub them with a paper towel or quickly brush them. I personally think it doesn't feel clean without washing them, so I give them a quick cold shower. You can do as you like. 

Slice the mushrooms. Cut the onion and garlic finely. In a large pan, heat some oil and add the cumin, onion and curry leaves. Fry until golden brown. Add chili powder, turmeric, garlic, and curry powder. Mix well. Then add the mushrooms and enough water to allow them to cook. Add salt. Grind the cashews coarsely and add to the curry. You can add more water later, if needed. Cook for about 30 minutes. Mix and taste. Serve hot with rice or anything of your choice!

Lentil curry

1/2 cup masoor dhal 

1 1/2 cups water
2-3 garlic cloves
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2-1 tsp chili powder
1/4 ground coriander powder
Salt to taste

Tempering:
A pinch of cumin
1/2 onion
2 springs of curry leaves
3 dry red chilis

Lentil curry is a very common side-dish in South Asia and it is known as an easy curry to make, but there are some rules and things you need to know about how to prepare this dish. Firstly, wash and rinse the lentils under cold water till the water becomes clear (the first few times it will appear foamy) and remove any impurities. You need not soak the lentils before cooking.

Bring the water to a boil and then add the lentils. When cooking lentils you need to add 3 times as much water as lentils. If you want a more watery lentil curry, you could add some more water. Another thing is, do not add salt until the lentils have been cooked or at least early on, as the curry will stiffen a little. Add all the other ingredients, except the salt and the ground coriander seeds. Add them last. Take the lentil curry away from the stove. In a separate pan, heat some oil and fry cumin, onion and curry leaves until golden brown. Then add the dry red chilis and fry. Split the red chilis before adding them in the curry. Mix these with the lentil curry and serve warm!

Pomegranate smoothie

Smoothie:

2/3 cup vanilla yoghurt
3/4 banana
3 tbs pomegranate seeds
Sugar (if needed)

In a mixer, add sliced bananas and vanilla yoghurt and mix until the mixture reaches your desired level of smoothness. Add the pomegranate seeds and mix. Taste the smoothie. If needed, add sugar (as required). Pour the smoothie in a glass and serve immediately or place it in the fridge if you want to serve it later. Smoothies can be enjoyed as part of breakfast or evening snack.

This smoothie was featured on Midweek Fiesta 6. Thank you for the badge, Amy.



Panna cotta

This is a white chocolate panna cotta recipe. Panna cotta means cooked cream and it is a classic Italian dessert, seen and shown on many food programmes and magazines around the world. I did not bother to try panna cotta for long simply because I did not find it tempting enough. It kind of looks like frozen yoghurt. It doesn't make your mouth water and tempt you like many other desserts do. However, I love white chocolate, so when I came across this recipe on ICA's website, I had to give it a try. Since panna cotta is quite heavy, it's usually served in small portions and this recipe makes about 4 servings.

Pannacotta:
1 cup fresh cream (35-40 %)
3 tbs milk (3-4 % fat)
125 g white chocolate
1 tsp gelatine powder
1 vanilla pod

Chop the white chocolate. Heat the milk and put it in a small bowl, add the gelatine powder and whisk vigorously till there are no lumps. Put it aside to cool. Slit the vanilla pod and scrape the vanilla out. In a pan, boil the cream and vanilla along with the vanilla pod. Stir continously till it starts to boil. When you see the first few bubbles appear in the cream, take the pan away from the stove. Take the pod out and add the gelatine and the white chocolate and whisk until everything melts and gets dissolved in the cream. Pour the panna cotta carefully in four small cups or glasses. I let the panna cotta cool for awhile in room temperature and the put it in the fridge for about 1 hour. Serve the panna cotta cold with fresh fruits or berries!

Almond paste

In Sweden, almond paste is different from marzipan, because almond paste has a higher content of almonds than marzipan. Typically almond paste is made with egg white or milk. If you want the almond paste to last longer, you can replace the above mentioned ingredients with bourbon (and some drops of almond essence, if you want to downplay the smell of bourbon). These can be used in pastries, cakes, cinnamon rolls or relished with bread. You can also, after some refrigeration, add some food colouring to the almond paste and make various shapes associated with Christmas, for this Christmas. I am sending this as my entry to Back to Basics event conducted by Aqua, initiated by Jaya.

200 g blanched almonds
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup icing sugar
1 egg white or 2-3 tbs milk

Blanch the almonds. You can either bring some water to boil, add the almonds and boil for about 4-5 minutes and then blanch the almonds or let the almonds soak in warm water for a couple of minutes and then peel the skin off. Allow to dry in a towel and then slice the almonds. Slicing them before grinding makes it easier to get a fine paste. Grind them in a food processor. If you have a small grinder, grind in small batches. Grind the almonds as finely as you can. In a bowl, add the ground almonds and sugar and mix. Grind it again with the sugar. In a bowl, mix the almond mixture with the egg white or milk. Mix well into a firm paste and your almond paste is ready. Wrap up the almond paste tightly in a plastic sheet, like you would a sausage, and keep it in the fridge until needed.

Danish pastries

Pakoda

Pakora/pakoda is a crispy snack made of chana dal. Typically, ready made flour (gram flour) is used to make them. My mother grinds soaked chana dal into a semi-coarse batter to get that crispiness.

2 cups chana dal
1 onion
1 whole garlic bulb
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2-1 tsp ajwain seeds (dry roasted and ground)
2 tsp chili powder/chili flakes
Salt to taste
Curry leaves
Water
Oil for frying

Soak the chana dal for 3-4 hours. Chop the onions, curry leaves and garlic finely. You could also grind the onion and garlic, which is what I did. Grind the chana dal semi-coarsely, add some water if needed. Add the onion, curry leaves and garlic to the grinded dal and mix. Add fennel seeds, chili powder, salt and ajwain seeds that have been dry-roasted and ground finely, to the mixture. The ajwain seeds are added for fragrance, you could exclude them if you want to or don't have them. Heat oil for deep frying. Take a handful of the pakora mixture and drop it carefully in the hot oil in small quantities with your hands. Fry them on both sides. After making the first batch, taste and adjust salt and spice, accordingly. Pakodas are best when eaten on the very first day, when they are still crispy.

Sauteed Chickpeas - Kadalai Sundal

Today is Saraswati puja. Most Hindus prepare and offer a variety of food to Goddess Saraswati today. One of the many items found at the offering table is sauteed chickpeas (kadalai sundal). I have been thinking about posting this recipe for a very long time and finally got the opportunity today. If you disregard the hours spent to soak and boil the chickpeas, this is an easy recipe with few basic ingredients. Apart from finding its place on the festival tables, sauteed chickpeas also make for a healthy snack and breakfast.

1 1/4 cup chickpeas

Oil (as needed)

1 onion

1/2 tsp cumin

3-4 dry red chilis

2 springs of curry leaves

Salt to taste

Soak the chickpeas overnight or for about 10-12 hours. Boil the chickpeas with salt for about 50 minutes, or until soft, at medium to high heat. Cut the onion finely and split or cut the red chilis. In a pan, heat oil and add cumin. Let the cumin darken a little bit. Then add onion, curry leaves and red chilis and fry until fragrant and light golden brown. Add the chickpeas and saute for 5-10 minutes. Ready to be served!   

Potato curry (Dry)

2 large potatoes
2 medium onions
2 large green chili
3 tbs oil
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tbs curry powder
3 spring curry leaves
Salt to taste

Peel the potatoes and the cut them into halves (to allow them to boil faster) and boil them. Slice the onions, green chili and the boiled potatoes into small pieces. Heat 3 tbs of oil, temper the cumin. Add the onion and chili and fry until golden brown. Then add the potatoes, spices and the curry leaves and mix well for about 10 minutes at medium heat. Can eaten as a side dish or a filling for patties and samosas.

Jam cookies

200 g unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup potato flour
3/4 cup sugar

Filling:
Raspberry jam

Mix both flour types and add sugar. Cut in the butter and work it to a dough. Shape them into small balls, flatten them first with your hands and then with a fork. Take a round teaspoon and make a pocket in the middle to place the jam, but don't make holes (all the way down). Take some jam and place it in the pockets. Bake the cookies in the middle part of a preheated oven at 175 C (350 F) for about 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool on a wire rack. Yummy jam cookies are ready!

Peanut brittles

3/4 cup of lightly roasted peanuts
1/4 cup of lightly roasted cashew nuts
1 cup sugar
1 tbs ghee (optional)

Greasing:
ghee/oil

Dry roast the peanuts lightly and peel off the skin, divide them into halves/chop the peanuts roughly. You can replace 1/4 cup of the peanuts with other nuts such as cashew and pistachio, if you like. Grease a plate and a kitchen roller with ghee/oil. Choose an oil that is odourless. In a steel bottomed wide pan, add sugar and let it caramelize at below medium heat. If the pan is too small, the sugar on the bottom may get a little burnt/bitter taste while the sugar on top has not yet melted, so it's better to melt the sugar in a wide pan. Do not stir the sugar at all, because it will trigger the crystalization process. The caramelization process will take some time, about 15 minutes, so please be patient. Also, don't let this process go to the extreme. If it caramelizes too much (turning really brown) it can taste bitter and outright burnt. You can add some ghee to sweeten the peanut brittles, when you see that the sugar starts to caramelize.

When all the sugar has melted/caramelized, take a small amount of the caramel and throw it in a cup with cold water. If the caramel turns out firm and not saucy/soft, the caramel is ready and you can add your peanuts. Add peanuts and mix fast. Pour the mixture on the greased plate. Roll over the mixture with the greased kitchen roller as even as you can. Wait one or two minutes and then cut. Try to take out the peanut brittles before cooling down completely. Good luck!