Month: December 2020

DATES ’N’ NUTS TARTS

Calin's Kitchen 2 Comments

This is an amazing recipe with dates,semolina

breadcrumbs,and nuts .

Tart baking is my favourite,and this especially

is a favourite in my home.

You could add only breadcrumbs or mix

breadcrumbs with semolina . Both variations

taste good.So,do try this recipe and post in your

comments .

INGREDIENTS

Tart shells

125 gm flour

1 tsp sugar

25 gm butter

1 egg yolk

Milk to bind

A pinch of salt

Bind all together to a firm dough,and set aside

till you make the filling .

Divide into portions ( makes 12 ).

Flatten each on a chappathi press between oil

sheets or use the rolling pin ( I find the press

easier and quicker)

Fill with filling and bake in a 180C oven for 30

minutes.

For the filling

75 gm butter

150 gm sugar ( brown )

150 gm breadcrumbs or 75 gm breadcrumbs

+75 gm semolina ( roasted)

50 gm chopped dates

35 gm candied peel

2 eggs + 1 egg white

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp baking powder

Few sultanas / raisins

1/4 cup milk

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Few chopped cashew nuts or almonds

METHOD

First slightly roast the breadcrumbs and

semolina till warm.Remove from fire.

Add the butter to it whilst warm.

Mix well,and add the baking powder and set

aside.

Beat the eggs and sugar in another bowl.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix .

Fill the pastry shells ( not till the brim ).

Bake in a 180C preheated oven for 30 minutes.

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MANGO-MINT PRAWN CURRY

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This is a mild curry with prawns,sunk in a

burst of flavours.

Can be served with rice,string hopper,hoppers..

a good match with any serve !

This too is my innovated recipe.

Raw mango in curries or kormas gives out a

good flavour, specially in seafood delicacies,

and the need to add any sour ingredients like

tamarind…is not needed as the tangy taste in it

contributes to the flavour .

This curry is one of the kind you will love to

pour oodles of spoons 🤤.

So do try this recipe and post in your

comments!

INGREDIENTS

1 kg prawn ( I like some with tail,and head on )

1 raw mango cubes

1 inch ginger cut into strips

2 onions chopped

2 green chillies +1 cup coconut ground to a

paste

A handful of mint leaves

1 tomato

1 small piece cinnamon

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 heaped tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

2-3 tbsp coconut oil/ butter/ghee

Salt to taste

METHOD

Heat oil in a clay pot ( preferably).

Add the chopped onions,cinnamon,ginger,salt

and sauté till onion turns translucent .

Next add the green chilli paste,mango,mint

turmeric,and the rest of the spice powders.

Add the prawns and cook till the prawns

change colour,and the mango is soft.

Add the coconut paste,and water . ( to the

consistency you require ).

Cook on a slow fire for 10 minutes,and remove

from fire .

BANANA LEAF KESARI

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Banana leaf kesari ??? I came across a banana

leaf halwa recipe from ‘ God’s own country

Kerala.I had not tasted anything made with

banana leaf extract,still ‘the curious me’

searched the Internet for its uses and health

benefits .I have made food wrapped in banana

leaf ,but not made with it’s extract .

After my search,I was amazed at the benefits

contained so here’s only a few benefits I would

like to point out.( Please do find the full

benefits )

•It boosts the immune system.

•Made into a juice or tea and consumed helps

in the relief of sore throats.

•High antioxidant levels .

•Applied to skin,prevents cellulite and wrinkles

in skin.

•Good for dandruff and hair growth .

• Good for skin irritation and application

regularly will make your skin glowing ..,,

( please continue hitting the google search button😀).

A line on the recipe- It’s the same kesari recipe ,

and the only difference is the addition of the

leaf extract . No colour was used .Nature shed

it’s own green glamour.

*Remove the mid stalk from the leaf .Wash and grind fine with a little water.

To the recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 cup roasted rawa ( semolina,rulang)

1 cup sugar

1.5 cups of the juice extract ( banana leaf )*

1/2 tsp cardamon powder

A pinch of salt

3-4 tbsp ghee +1 tbsp groundnut oil

A pinch of edible camphor ( optional)

Few cashews and raisins

METHOD

• Heat ghee and oil in a kadai or small wok.

•Add the cashew and raisins.

•Add the juice extract and allow to reach a boil.

•Add the roasted rawa,reduce the flame,cover

and cook till the semolina is cooked .

•Then add the sugar and mix well till it’s thick .

•Add a little ghee on the top and serve !

WHITE CHOCOLATE-CRANBERRY TARTS

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A handful of dried cranberries caught my eye,

when I was updating the nuts containers.

So …thought to create something new with

cranberry combinations.

With just a handful,added a little candied

orange,powdered almonds and made this

beautiful white chocolate tarts.

Few tarts were left plain without any icing,and

the remaining were just dabbed with white

chocolate ganache,and gratings of white

chocolate.

You could use colouring and decorate for the

season.

Fresh cranberries will be more delicious!

Do try this recipe and post in your comments,

as it’s my innovation and I would love to know

your feedback.

( photo -just out of the oven)

INGREDIENTS

For the crust

1 cup flour (100-150 gm)

50-75 gm butter

1 egg

1 tbsp powdered sugar

a pinch of salt

Method

•Bind all together to make a firm dough .

•Use milk or water if needed .

•Allow to rest in the fridge till you make the

filling .

•Divide into portions,roll out and press on

greased tart tins .

•Pour spoonfuls into tart the prepared cases.

For the filling

1 cup cranberries

2 eggs

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup flour

100 gm white chocolate melted in 1/2 cup hot

milk

50 gm melted butter ( you could add with the

chocolate)

2-3 tbsp sugar

a pinch of salt

1/2 tsp rose essence or vanilla

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tbsp orange candied peel

1 tsp baking powder

METHOD

•Beat eggs with sugar .

•Add in the melted chocolate and the rest of

the ingredients .

•Using an ice cream scoop fill the prepared

cases,and bake in a preheated 180C oven for 30

minutes.

•Decorate with white chocolate ganache,and

gratings if you like

BANANA LEAF CHICKEN BIRIYANI

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Banana leaves are used for wrapping,cooking,

and serving food in tropical countries .

The leaves, not only impart an aroma,but gives

out a fine flavour when food is cooked in it .

The leaf has anti- bacterial properties,and

antioxidants,and is widely used in Ayurvedic

treatments,and cosmetic treatments too.

I have posted recipes of biriyani,cooked with

the leaf covered only on the top,but this recipe

is cooked with the leaf at the bottom of the pan

and top of the rice almost packed like a big

parcel and cooked in a dum( slow fire).This

method of cooking avoids burning at the

bottom,and the rice is moist and the texture is

excellent.

The biriyani tasted unique and awesome,than

cooking directly in a pot !

So,do try this method and post in your

comments,and feedback!

To the recipe now

INGREDIENTS

750 gm chicken

Grind to a paste

2 inch piece ginger

2 pods garlic peeled

1 green chilli

2 potatoes quartered

1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

3 -4 onions sliced

3/4 cup curd

3 slit green chillies

Whole spices ( 1 inch stick cinnamon,6 cloves,

3-4 cardamons)

handful of mint and coriander leaves

2 big tomatoes

Juice of 1 lemon

Hot water

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chilli powder

Saffron mixed in milk or water / a pinch of food

colouring

1/4 cup ghee+oil mixed

Grind to a coarse powder

A small piece cinnamon

2 cardamons

2 cloves

1 star anise

A little sea moss

1 small mace or javitri

1 tsp white poppy seeds or khus khus

1 tsp saunf

1 tsp cumin seeds

4-5 cashew nuts

METHOD

•First marinade the chicken in curd with half of

the ground paste.

•Mix the potato with Kashmiri chilli powder.

•Heat a little oil in a pan ,and half fry the

potatoes and set aside.

•Add the remaining oil to the same pan,with

whole spices and onions and fry the onions till

golden brown.

•Add the leftover ginger–garlic paste with salt,

and sauté.

•Next add the slit green chillies,and tomatoes.

•Add turmeric,mint,coriander leaves,salt,and

cook till tomatoes are soft.

•Add the marinated chicken with 1 tsp chilli

powder,and cook in its juices for 10 minutes.

•Next add 1 cup hot water and the powdered

spices and cook till gravy looks thick.

To prepare the rice

500 gm rice ( washed and soaked)

Juice of half lemon

Few peppercorns

Salt to taste

•Boil enough water for the rice .

•Add the soaked rice with the ingredients,and

half cook (50 percent)the rice.

•Drain out the water.

Final assembly for the Banana leaf Dum

•Take the biriyani pot,and lay the slightly

heated Banana leaf at the bottom.

•Layer the chicken curry and rice ,starting

from rice at the bottom to ending with rice at

the top.

•Sprinkle colouring,or saffron only at the top.

•Add a little ghee on the top ( if you like )

•Cover with another banana leaf on the top .

•Close with a tight lid .

•Keep some hot water in a vessel on the

covered lid,and cook on a low flame for 15

minutes.( you will get the aroma of the banana

leaf😊).

•Serve with raita,and your favourite fries.

CARROT-LOTUS SEEDS HALWA

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RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

5-6 big carrots grated (2 heaped cups)

1 cup lotus seeds slightly tossed in ghee,and

powdered coarsely .

3/4 cup sugar or to taste

A pinch of nutmeg powder

1 tsp cardamon powder

1 cup milk

2 tbsp wheat flour/ all purpose flour

50 gm khova or 2 tbsp milk powder

A pinch of salt

A pinch of edible camphor ( optional)

A pinch of yellow/orange food colouring

1/2 cup ghee ( or more to your preference)

Few cashew nuts,pumpkin seeds

METHOD

Heat 3-4 tbsp ghee,and sauté carrots till raw

smell is gone .

Add the roasted and powdered lotus seeds,milk

and khova.

Mix well and allow to cook till it is partially

dry .

Next add the sugar,and the flour,and the

remaining ghee,nuts,and the rest of the

ingredients and cook till thick.

Remove from fire .

This halwa can be served warm or cold .

About the recipe

Carrot halwa an Indian dessert,is a dish no one

can resist.It is made by grating carrots and

cooking with sugar,milk,ghee,nuts and cooked

to perfection.

I have posted many variations of this carrot

halwa,carrot kesari in my previous posts.

This recipe is another unique recipe with lotus

seeds.

Lotus seeds are mostly used in the making of

Chinese desserts and Asian cuisines.

In Indian cuisine lotus seeds are used in sweet

and savoury dishes.

Lotus seeds are of nutritive value,and this

recipe with carrots is no doubt a healthy recipe.

Do try this innovation of mine,and post in your

feedback .



GINGER-CHOCONUT COOKIES

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INGREDIENTS

2.5 cups flour

100 gm unsalted butter

2 tsp dry ginger powder

1 egg

1 tsp soda bicarbonate

1 +1/4 cups soft brown sugar/ country sugar

4 tbsp honey / golden syrup

1/4 tsp nutmeg powder

A pinch of cinnamon powder

A pinch of salt

Chocolate chips

Nuts ( walnut&cashew)

METHOD

Excluding the chocolate chips and nuts,mix

the rest of the ingredients together.

Divide portions and place each on a greased

baking tray.Press each portion to make a

cookie .

I made 3 variations of cookies from the same

dough.

•A plain ginger cookie

•Ginger-chocolate and walnut

•Ginger-chocolate and cashew nut.

Festive seasons make your imaginations frisky

to try out different recipes.

My favourite childhood biscuits were ginger

biscuits.I love the taste and aroma of these

biscuits.In fact,there was a bakery close to my

parental home,which baked these ginger

cookies almost daily .When it is 3 in the

evening the aroma of these cookies captivate

the air around,and the biscuit jars will be full

instantly.😀

I have posted the recipe with 2 variations of

nuts and chocolate.You could add ginger chips

if you need the extra punch of ginger.

Any type of your favourite nuts,may be added .

So do try this recipe needed for the season.

Tip:To make mixing more easier,grate the

butter into the flour.

Do not knead the mixture .

Even if it looks like breadcrumbs,in the

process of mixing ,you will be able to make

cookie balls.

RED VELVET FRUIT CAKE

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This is my own create and innovation.!

Well,I’m not blowing my own trumpet,this cake

was really,an absolute taste of flavours!

Adorned half of the cake with cashew nut

fondant,and the flavour was rich.

With soaked fruits in brandy,and a little

beetroot wine,the aroma it spread confirmed

Christmas in the air .

Finally no colour was added,( I don’t like to use

much coloring ),and the red colour was

extracted by boiling the beetroot ( slightly

ground) till I got the required colour .

The authentic red velvet cake had no colour ,it

was ground beetroot purée or extracts.

The feedback given by my loving ‘ food critics’

was ‘It’s Awesome’ and better than the basic

fruit cake .

To the recipe now

INGREDIENTS

100 gm butter

2 eggs

150 gm flour

75 gm brown sugar

30 gm white sugar

1/2 cup almonds ground

25 gm cashew nuts chopped

15 gm ginger preserve/ ginger chips

15 gm pumpkin preserve

15 gm raisins

15 gm sultanas

15 gm black raisins

Few apricots

15 gm tutti frutti(optional )

15 gm cherries (optional)

5 gm orange rind grated

2 tbsp jam (blueberry/cherry/ marmalade/

strawberry)

1/4 cup brandy/rum

2-3 tbsp beetroot wine or red wine

1/4 cup honey

1/4 tsp nutmeg powder

1/2 tsp allspice powder

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 tsp almond essence

1 cup beetroot extract*

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp cocoa powder

A pinch of salt

1 tsp cornflour to sprinkle on the soaked fruits

before adding to the batter.

METHOD

•Mix the bold listed ingredients and allow to

soak for a few hours or 1 day .

•Beat the butter and sugars till creamy .

•Add in one egg at a time and beat lightly .

•Sieve the flour,baking powder,cocoa powder

together.

•Now fold in the flour,nuts ,soaked fruits,

beetroot juice and the rest of the ingredients

alternatively into the butter mixture and mix

till well corporated .

• Line the baking tray with parchment paper.

•Transfer the cake batter into the prepared

cake tray and bake in a preheated 175C oven

for 35-40 minutes.

•Insert a skewer,and if it comes out clean,it’s

done.

•Poke holes and pour brandy (2-3 tsp) on the

top after baking.

For the cashew fondant

1 cup finely ground cashew

1 tsp glycerine

A little egg white to bind

1 cup icing sugar ( depends on the binding)

2 drops rose essence

2 drops almond essence

Bind all the ingredients to a soft dough

consistency.

Roll out on a board dusted with icing sugar

or cornflour.

Place the rolled dough on the cooled cake ( Put the fondant the next day )

You can add sliced pistachios if you like.

*Beetroot extract

3-4 beetroot peeled and ground coarsely.

Cook in 2 cups water,till it is reduced to 1.

Strain and use.

BAKED PALAK MEAT CAPSICUM

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Capsicum baked or grilled is a favourite in my

home menu.

I have posted recipes of stuffed capsicum

before,but this create is a fusioned one.

The filling was a kebab filling with

palak,and the top had a cubed cheese and

breadcrumbs.

You can use any meat for the filling .The cheese

can be your choice too.

To the recipe now

INGREDIENTS

Capsicum cut into half,seeds removed and

smeared with a little oil and salt inside

For the filling

200 gm meat

A handful of gram dal

1 inch piece ginger

3-4 cloves garlic

1 tbsp coriander seeds

1 tsp peppercorns

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 inch piece cinnamon

3-4 cloves

1/4 piece nutmeg

1/2-3/4 cup water

Salt to taste

METHOD

Put all the ingredients in a pan,and cook till dry.

For the spinach paste

A handful of Palak/spinach leaves

2-3 green chillies

•Few cheese cubes to fill in the centre

•1 beaten egg or flour mixed in water to

brush the tops

•Breadcrumbs

Grind the Palak leaves and green chillies with

the meat coarsely,and stuff into the prepared

capsicum.

Press in the cheese cubes in the centre of each

stuffed capsicum .

Egg wash,and sprinkle breadcrumbs on the top.

Bake in a 180C oven for 20-25 minutes.

Note:Excluding the capsicum ,the recipe can be used to make Palak meat kebab . You could shallow fry,or deep fry .

MALAI GULAB JAMUN

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This is a dish I recreated with leftover gulab

jamun.

It was a treat to your taste buds I should say ,

amazing as it looks .

The sweet gulab jamun is one which no one

will resist ,and this recipe I think is another

unique and richer one .

So,let’s get to the recipe right away

For the gulab jamun recipe- click link

https://calinskitchen.wordpress.com/2014/10/13/gulab-jamunwith-rawasooji/?preview=true

For the malai (thick milky cream)

1 cup milk

1 tbsp milk powder /mawa/ khova

1/2 tsp cardamon powder

METHOD

Heat milk,milk powder,cardamon till it reaches

a rigorous bubbling boil.

Remove the gulab jamun from the syrup.

Add some ( according to your sugar taste)syrup

to the milk and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add the gulab jamun to the hot liquid.

Garnish with pistachios and nuts of your choice

Serve warm after a soak of 30 minutes.

CORN -MAYONNAISE BUNS

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This is a bun made with wheat flour and a

handful of white flour .

The bun was baked first,slit in the centre and

the filled with corn filling !

Home made mayonnaise,+simple ingredients

resulted in an elegant,and awesome breakfast.

To the recipe now

INGREDIENTS

2 cups wheat flour+1 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp yeast

1 tblsp.sugar ( preferably brown)

2 tblsp milk powder/ milk

1 egg ( optional)

50gm butter

Lukewarm water to bind the dough

METHOD

You can mix all the ingredients together and

bind to a sticky dough.

Allow to rise,knead for 10 minutes on a floured

board (count to 50 turns of dough for best

results).Divide into portions you prefer.

Let it rise for another time .

Brush the tops with egg yolk , and bake in a

200C oven for 20 -30 minutes .

Remove from tray and allow to cool .

For homemade mayonnaise

1 egg

Oil ( 3 times the volume of eggs )

A tsp of lemon juice

A pinch of salt

1/4 tsp yellow mustard powder

Method

Blend all together till thick .

For the filling

Corn pellets

Capsicum

Tomato

Salt to taste

Mayonnaise

Method

Boil the corn (2-3 minutes is enough).

Cut capsicum fine .

Add mayonnaise.

Fill in buns,and serve .

A sprinkle of coarsely ground almonds will be an added flavour !