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.