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!

Courtesy: Rosaline Xavier

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. 

Courtesy: May Solomon

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.

Courtesy: Mrs. Sudha Kartha.

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.