SMILE BISCUITS (Just Bakes)

This is my mother’s recipe, given by her Chinese neighbour, probably, the first thing she made after she bought her round baking oven in the mid 60's. As a child, I used to love the smell that wafted in the air when she baked this. She had a particular mould for this. I had never been able to identify “that” flavouring & she didn’t remember the recipe either.  After so many years my sister, Faby, found the original recipe from my mother’s old recipe book.  It’s rose essence which made all the difference. The measurements were listed in “glass & tin”, which I converted to cup size. Try this, if you love baking, very simple & the flavour..... AWESOME!

INGREDIENTS:

 Unsalted butter: 200 g

Clarified butter/ghee: 25 g

Sugar: ¾ cup (measure in a 200 ml cup)

Plain flour/maida: ¾ cup

Whole wheat flour/atta: ¾ cup

Rose essence: 1 tsp

Baking powder: a pinch

 METHOD:

Sieve both flours with baking powder & keep aside.

Powder sugar & cream together with butter & ghee till light & fluffy.

Add flour & essence.

Bring all the ingredients to form a dough.

Roll into small balls & place them a little apart on a baking tray.

Bake at 170⁰ C for 15 minutes or till it browns slightly on the sides.

Cool & store. 

Duck Roast (Traditional Fare)

We, in Kerala, are familiar with very spicy, masala coated duck cooked in coconut milk.This recipe is very different. The brown colour of the dish is because of the initial roasting with flour. 

Photo courtesy: Priya Abrao

INGREDIENTS: 

Duck: 1 whole with skin on

Maida/plain flour: 2 tbsps

Onion: 3 sliced & deep fried

Oil: 3 tbsps

1. Pepper powder: 2 tsps

2. Worcestershire sauce: 2 tbsps

3. Garlic paste: 1 tsp

4. Ginger paste: 1 tsp

5. Garam masala powder: ½ tsp

6. Salt: to taste

METHOD:

Keeping duck whole, wash & pat it dry.

Grind 1 to 6 to a paste & marinate duck with this for at least 6 hours (overnight is better)

In a wide pan (uruli is ideal), heat oil & put in the whole duck.

Turn around & roast till it browns evenly.

Sprinkle flour on the duck & roast further till the flour gets a golden hue.

Remove duck from pan & cool it.

When cool, cut the duck into 6 to 8 pieces.

Pour 2 cups of water & make a sauce with the flour & oil left in the pan.

Put the duck back into pan, cover & cook till done.

Before taking off the fire, add half the fried onions & stir well.

Serve garnished with the remaining fried onions.

CHICKEN MOLEE (Traditional Fare)

We are very familiar with fish molee. The word “ MOLEE”, I think, is derived from the Portugese word “MOLHO” meaning sauce/gravy.

Kerala tourism popularises this dish almost exclusively using Karimeen/pearl spot, Sear fish or Pomfret. These fish are however seasonal & hence, fresh fish is hard to find.

And it is here that, this recipe becomes relevant. Juices from the chicken flesh gels well with coconut milk just as gracefully & the result is amazing & is there for you to try for yourself.

  

INGREDIENTS:

Chicken: 1 kg

Coconut milk: 1 cup thick

Coconut milk: 3 cups thin

Onion: 1 chopped

Green chilli: 8 to 10 slit

Ginger: 1 tbsp sliced

Garlic: 1 tbsp sliced

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Cinnamon stick: 1” piece

Cloves: 4

Cardamom: 2

Pepper powder: 1 tsp

Vinegar: 1 tbsp

Tomato: 1 sliced

Curry leaves: a few

Salt to taste

Coconut oil: 2 tbsps

METHOD:

Clean & cut chicken into medium sized pieces, smear a little turmeric & salt & keep aside for half an hour.

In a kadai, heat oil & add the whole spices, after it splutters add the sliced onion.

When light brown, add the slit chillies, ginger & garlic. Fry for a while.

Put in the chicken & sauté till the chicken flesh turns white.

Now, pour the thin milk, stir, cover & cook.

When chicken is done add salt, thick coconut milk & pepper powder.

Last, add the vinegar & curry leaves.
Arrange the sliced tomatoes over the molee.

Take off fire & serve. 

PAPAYA "MATHURA" CURRY (Maami's Corner)

With Onam around the corner I thought it is just apt to publish a very different sweet & spicy curry. Usually, ”Mathura “(Sweet) curry for a sadya is made with ripe banana or pineapple. This recipe is with papaya, not too ripe or raw.

INGREDIENTS:

Papaya: 500 g

Dry red chilli: 5

Coconut: 1 cup

Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp

Salt: to taste

 For tempering:

Coconut oil: 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds: ½ tsp

Dry red chilli: 3

Shallots: 2 sliced

Curry leaves: a few

METHOD:

Cube papaya & cook with turmeric & salt. Mash a little with the back of a spoon.

Grind coconut with dry red chilli & pour into cooked papaya.

Let it simmer till thick.

In another Kadai, pour oil, splutter mustard seeds & add sliced shallots. Fry till brown.

Put in dry red chilli & curry leaves.

Pour into prepared curry & serve.

Fudge Tarts (Just Bakes)

Tarts cases are made with short crust pastry & the filling can be anything, sweet or savoury. Here, I have filled the tarts with a caramel fudge. The simplest filling for a sweet tart is Jam.

INGREDIENTS:

For tart case:

Plain flour: 250 g

Butter: 115 g

Sugar: 1 tsps

Baking powder: ½ tsp

Salt: a pinch

Cold water: to knead (about 2 tbsps) 

For the fudge:

Condensed milk: 200 g

Butter: 2 tbsps

Sugar: 2tbsps

Nuts & raisins: 2 tbsps each

METHOD:

 Grease & prepare tart tins or use paper cups.

Sieve flour with salt & baking powder.

Rub butter lightly into flour with finger tips till they resemble bread crumbs.

Add sugar (preferably powdered)

Add enough cold water to form dough with minimum handling.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Roll out on a floured board & cut into small rounds to fit the tart tin.

Line tin with the tarts & prick base with a fork (so that it doesn’t rise while baking)

Bake in a hot oven at 205⁰C for 15 minutes.

Remove from tin & cool. Store in an air tight tin till required.

 Fugde filling:

Make a caramel with butter & sugar. Pour condensed milk & stir till thick.

Add nuts & raisins.

Cool well & fill each tart case with a tablespoon of the fudge.

Duck Fry

This a dry duck preparation, which can be served with almost anything.

INGREDIENTS:

Duck: 1 kg

Onion: 2

Ginger-garlic paste: 1 tbsp

Oil: 1 tbsp + ½ cup

For the masala paste:

Pepper: 1 tsp

Coriander seeds: 1 tbsp

Dry red chilli: 10

Cinnamon stick: 1’ piece

Cloves: 5

Vinegar: 1 tbsp

Salt: to taste

METHOD:

Clean duck well, wash & dry it before cutting into big pieces

Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan & fry onion brown, along with ginger –garlic paste.

Grind with other ingredients for masala paste, using vinegar.

Smear this on the duck pieces & keep aside for 4 to 5 hours.

Now, heat half cup of oil & fry the duck pieces, a few at a time, till golden brown & remove.

When all are done, put the pieces into a pressure cooker along with a cup of hot water & cook for 10 minutes.

Open cooker & evaporate excess gravy & fry up the pieces well.

Serve with fried potatoes.

Oats cookies (Just Bakes)

INGREDIENTS:

Oats: 75 G

Butter: 125 g

Honey: 50 g

Dessicated coconut: 50 g

Castor sugar: 100 g

Plain flour: 100 g

Bi carb of soda: 1 tsp

METHOD:

Mix dry ingredients, except sugar, in a bowl.

Melt honey, sugar & butter in a sauce pan

Cool.

Add the syrup to the dry ingredients in the bowl & mix well.

Form into small balls & place on a baking tray with a gap between each.

Flatten them a little.

Bake in a pre heated oven at 170⁰ C for 8 to 10 minutes.

Cool well before serving.

Note: Do not add hot syrup to the dry ingredients, the biscuit may not spread while baking & may become tough.

Papaya Cheese

 I had this recipe with me for a very long time, but I did not ever want to try it, even though I remember tasting guava cheese, which was definitely worth trying.

 I have often wondered why they named it “cheese”, I guess it’s because of the smooth texture & cheesy flavour.

If anyone can give more info on this, please do write.

INGREDIENTS:

Papaya pulp: 2 kgs

Sugar: 1 ½ kg

Lime juice: juice of 2 medium limes

Ghee: 100 g

METHOD:

In a heavy bottomed pan, put in the papaya pulp & sugar. Heat till it boils & lower the flame.

Keep stirring till the mix thickens.

Add ghee a little at a time.

Add lime juice & stir till the mix forms a soft ball & ghee starts oozing from the sides.

Transfer onto a greased plate & let it cool well before cutting into pieces.

The natural colour of the papaya gives the cheese a pleasant eye appeal.  

The Sadya

We all take trouble to learn how to manage with the inadequate fork, knife and spoon, to conform to the norm. The more adventurous, amongst us, even venture to balance strands of those un-obliging & slithery noodles between chopsticks, whilst carrying on a casual conversation, all the while wearing an indifferent look...... been there.....done that, sort of...

 Wonder though, how many of us Keralites, know the art of serving & relishing a “SADYA”. It is not just about putting it all there on the leaf.... and then polishing it off.

 There apparently is a science as to what is being served where... and when.

 Timing the consumption of each delicacy, some individually, and others in strict combinations, is another matter that merits serious attention and rigorous discipline.

So here’s the when, how & whys of the Sadya delight .

History:

The grandiose saying “Naalum Kootty Unnuka” essentially implies that the 4,(repeat four)  accompaniments were all that was required to complete a  sumptuous sadya. Those were the modest Kaalan & Olan and the unassuming Erissery & Pulissery.

With time, came the changes we now know.

Even where vegetables are concerned, yam(chena), ash gourd (kumbalanga), colacassia (Chembu), red pumkin (Mathanga), snake gourd (Padavalam), long beans (achinga),bitter gourd (pavakka), drumstick, raw banana (pacha kaya) was all that we required to make a sadya. Now, the “English” vegetables have sneaked their way in. 

Serving:

  First, let us learn to lay the leaf –tender banana leaves are picked for this. The narrow end of the leaf should be on your left.

Start serving the fried items like chips, sharkaravaratti, pappadum & a small banana on the left hand lower half of the leaf, closer to the diner.

Starting from the left on the upper part of the leaf, place the pickles, Puli inji, Inji thayir, Pachadi, Kichadi,Kaalan, Olan, Erissery, Aviyal, Mezhukkupuratti &Thoran in that order, from left to right.(There are local variations like the Vada curry in South, Potato stew(prounced ISHTU) in the Travancore region & Theeyal in North Kerala, which finds it space between the erissery & aviyal.)

Rice is served on the lower half of the leaf.

Ingestion

Now, the diner separates a little rice to be eaten with dhal, ghee & a small pappadum crushed into it.

Next, is the Sambar. A little more rice can be taken aside for this & a depression is made in the centre, so that the sambar doesn’t flow out of the leaf. With this course, the thoran, erissery & the other dishes can be tasted.

Munch on the chips & sharkaravaratti in between.

It’s the turn of the rasam now. Rasam is watery, so be careful when it’s being served. (Folding the lower end of the leaf inward will help restrain its flow.)

After this, the first prathaman is brought. Generally, a white & brown prathaman will be on the list.

First the brown jaggery based one-either ada/wheat/banana/jackfruit payasam is served. To enjoy this, crush a pappadum & a small banana into the payasam, mix & enjoy. After this, you are expected to eat a little Olan (which is bland) to get rid of the sweetness of the first payasam. A lick of the Puli inji also helps.

Next, the sugar based payasam is served. It can be anything from Ada,rice or vermicelli.

Now a days people prefer to drink the payasam from a cup, but then you don’t get the full satisfaction of licking your hand from the base of your wrist band  to the very ends of your  finger tip---in one loud, long, lingering slurp! ...please do look around though....., lest you might offend those that are less immune to culture shocks, the way we do.)

Burp ...  (a little  ... to express your satisfaction  ... and not so much as to elicit disgust!)

To finish the Sadya, a little more rice is served to be eaten with Moru (butter milk).  

 Finish whatever is left on the leaf & fold the leaf inward, before you leave the table. 

The Sadya is washed down with a glass of warm “ Karingali  or jeeraka wellam” which aides digestion.   

PS : Just in case, I’ve taken all the joy of polishing a sadya .... Just go ahead and do what your heart tells you to do. I’ll still justify you... Thats what ONAM is all about.

Eat while its harvest time !

ORANGE CAKE WITH A DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE.(Just Bakes)

This is an eggless cake, very easy to prepare. The dark chocolate ganache gives it a rich royal taste.Use regular milk chocolate if you like it sweeter. 

INGREDIENTS:

Orange juice: 150 ml

Orange rind: 1 tsp

Plain flour: 225 g

Sugar: 150 g powdered

Curd: 250 g

Oil: ½ cup (measured in a 200 ml cup)

Vanilla essence/orange essence: 1/ 2 tsp

Baking powder: 1 ¼ tsp

Baking soda: ½ tsp

METHOD:

Pre heat oven to 180⁰C & grease & dust an 8” cake tin.

Sieve flour with baking powder & baking soda & keep aside.

Whisk curd, sugar, oil, orange juice, rind & essence.

Fold in flour & pour into prepared tin & bake at 180⁰ C for 40 minutes or till a tooth inserted in centre comes out clean.

Cool cake in the tin for 5 minutes & then on a wire rack.

For the ganache:

Fresh cream: 150 ml

Dark chocolate: 150 g grated

Butter: 1 tbsp

Heat cream & butter, pour it over grated chocolate.

Stir well till all the chocolate dissolves.

Cool it & pour over the cake.

Let it drip down on its own.  

Place a tray, under the wire rack with the cake, to collect the dripping.
Chill cake before serving.

Brinjal Pickle (Maami's Corner)

INGREDIENTS:

Brinjals: 1 kg

Mustard sauce: 3 tbsps

Ginger –garlic paste: 1 tbsp

Green chilli: 10 slit

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Vinegar: 100 ml

Sugar: to taste

Salt: 1 tbsp

Oil: 200 ml 

METHOD:

 Cube brinjal, rub with turmeric & a little salt.

Heat oil in a pan & fry the brinjal brown. Keep aside.

In the remaining oil, fry the ginger-garlic paste & green chillies.

When fragrant, add mustard sauce & vinegar.

 Add a little sugar & remaining salt.

Stir in the fried brinjal.

Cool well & bottle.

Pineapple upside down cake (Just Bakes)

INGREDIENTS:

Pineapple: 6 slices remove stem in centre

Butter: 150 g unsalted

Sugar: 150 g + 5 tbsps

Maida/plain flour: 150 g

Eggs: 3

Vanilla essence/pineapple: 1 tsp

Milk: 2 tbsps if required

Baking powder: 1 ½ tsp

Salt: a pinch

Cherry: 3

METHOD: 

Grease a 10” cake tin.Pre- heat oven to 180⁰C.

If using fresh pineapples, stew them (cook in half a cup of water & 2 tbsps sugar.)  

Cool & line the cake tin with it. Place a halved cherry (cut side up) in the centre of the pineapple slices.  

Burn 3 tbsps sugar in a pan till golden brown & add 2 tbsps water to make a caramel syrup. Cool & pour over arranged pineapple slices. Now, cake tin is ready.

In a bowl, cream butter & sugar till fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time & whisk again.

Fold in sieved flour & baking powder.

Add a pinch of salt & essence.

If the batter is too thick, mix in 2 tbsps of milk.

Pour batter over the pineapple very carefully, taking care not to upset the arrangement.

Bake for 45 minutes or till top is brown. 

Let it sit in the tin for 5 minutes, then, unmould when still hot.

Kappa Puzhukku/Tapioca

This is how tapioca is usually made in Kerala.

An important point to keep in mind when cooking tapioca:-

Cook tuber in boiling water for a minute.

Strain.

Pour more water & cook the tapioca again till done. Strain again.

This is to remove the cyanide components in tapioca, which gives it a bitter taste.

INGREDIENTS:

 Tapioca/ kappa: 1 kg

Coconut: 1 cup

Cumin seeds: ¼ tsp

Green chilli: 6 /Kandari

Garlic: 2 pods

Shallots: 5

Curry leaves: a few

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp

Salt to taste

For tempering:

Mustard seeds: ½ tsp

Dry red chilli: 2

Curry leaves: a few

Coconut oil: 1 tbsp

METHOD:

Cook tapioca as mentioned above. Keep aside.

Coarsely grind coconut, cumin, green chilli, garlic, shallots, curry leaves& turmeric powder.

Make a well in the centre of the cooked tapioca, put in ground masala, salt & cover.

Let it steam till raw smell of the ground masala goes.

Mash with a spoon.

Heat oil in a frying pan & splutter mustard seeds, add dry red chilli cut in two & a few curry leaves. Pour over the mashed tapioca & serve with a spicy red fish curry.