Tomato Fry

This is a simple and spicy side dish served in small local restaurants in Kerala.It takes hardly 10 minutes to prepare this curry and so i prefer cooking it ,whenever i’m in a hurry.

Tomato fry served with roti

Here’s the recipe for you to try out..

Ingredients:-

Diced Tomato – 3
Sliced Onion – 1 big
Kashmiri Chilly powder – 2 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Green chilles slit – 2
Curry leaves – a sprig
Water – 1/2 cup
Salt – to taste
Coconut Oil – as needed

Method:-

Heat oil in a pan,add onion,salt and curry leaves into it.Saute it until onion turns translucent.Take care not to brown the onions.Stir in ginger garlic paste and green chillies and saute it for few minutes.Now add chilly powder and turmeric powder and fry it for a while.Throw in tomato dices and saute until it turns soft .Add water and allow it to boil.Simmer it till the oil starts to seperate and the gravy gets thick.Garnish with 1/2 tsp coconut oil and serve with roti,appam,idiappam etc.

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Learning Series 2 – Tea Time Fancies

The first step in a cake decorating is applying the icing to cover the cake surface,before adding any other decoratives.There are so many icings made with butter,egg whites, chocolate and many other flavourings but they are all made with confectioner’s(icing) sugar beaten together.The icing may also vary from thick fluid type to stiff peak consistency,which can be spread smoothly,swirled,piped etc..Whatever the choice of covering for the cake,the base cake has to be prepared well and cool to room temperature before applying any type of icing over it.

 

Click on the image to enlarge it

Here I’ve used simple glace icing to cover these tiny cakes and the base cake is prepared using store brought Pillsbury cake mix.

Method:-

1.Prepare your choice of base cake.
2.Allow it to cool to room temperature.
3.Prepare Apricot glaze and keep aside.
4.Cut the cake into desired shapes using cookie cutters.I’ve used simple knife here.

5.Brush the cake pieces with prepared apricot glaze.
6.Place the cake on a cooling rack,well spaced apart and place some almonds or cashews on top of the cakes for decoration.

7.Spread aluminium foil or grease proof paper under the cooling rack,to collect the unwanted icing.
8.Make plenty of glace icing,ensuring the consistency is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon with a transparent coat of icing which does not run off.
9.Take one quarter of icing and add contrasting icing color into it.(i’ve used Wilton Icing color(red) here).Learn how to color your icing here.

 

10.Using a palette knife lift and support each cake,and pour the icing over the top of the cake and allow the frosting to fall freely over the side.

11.Gently tap or shake the cake to encourage the frosting to fall evenly from top.
12.Keep it back on the cooling rack.

13.Once the frosting has stopped falling,carefully run the palette knife around the cake to neaten the edge.
14.Allow the covering to dry.
15.If you think the coating is not thick enough,you can apply one more coat after the first one is dried well.
16.Carefully transfer the cake to serving dish.Remember,once the glace icing is set it has a tendency to crack when the cake is moved.So extra care should be taken while moving.
17.Now put the colored icing in a piping bag and pipe simple threads over the top of the cake to complete the decoration.Learn how to use piping bag here

Recipe Source : First Steps in Cake Decorating by Janice Murfitt

Glace Icing

Glace Icing can be poured over the cake to give a smooth glossy finish.By introducing another color icing,it is also used in making feathered icing.

This recipe is enough to coat an 8″ cake.

Ingredients:-

Icing Sugar – 2 cups or 225 gm
Hot water – 2-3 tbsp

Method:-

1. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl.Using a wooden spoon ,gradually stir in enough water to make a mixture in the consistency of a thick cream.
2.Beat the mixture un til white and smooth,and the icing thickly coats the back of the spoon.Color it with a few drops of food coloring,if desired.
3.Use immediately,to cover the top of small or large cakes.

Flavourings

Replace the water with a strong solution of instant coffee,or with freshly squeezed orange,lemon or lime juice.

Sift 2 tsp cocoa powder with the icing sugar for chocoalte icing.

Recipe Source : First Steps in Cake Decorating by Janice Murfitt

Uzhunnu Vada

Uzhunnu Vada,a popular South Indian snack is very perfect for this cold and dull weather.Its been long since I’ve prepared this snack and was craving for this .

Uzhunnu Vada served with coconut Chutney

Finally I made it and here’s the recipe for you..

Ingredients:-

Urad dal soaked in water for 2 hours – 2 cups
Finely chopped shallots – 10
(I used Onion as I didn’t have shallots)
Green chillies – 3
Chopped Ginger – 1 tsp
Chopped curry leaves – 2 tsp
Crushed pepper – 1 tsp
Baking Soda – 1/4 tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil – to taste

Method:-

Grind urad dal and salt together adding very little water,into a coarse paste.It would be better if you don’t add water at all.But if you think,your grinder won’t coperate,just add necessary water little by little.
Now add shallots,ginger,curry leaves,pepper and baking soda into the ground paste and mix them together.

Pat your hands with water and make a ball with the paste.Flatten it and make a hole in the center like a doughnut.Wet your hands with water,when ever needed.

Drop the vadas into hot oil and deep fry till golden brown in color.Serve with chutney or Sambar.
(If you’ve accidently added more water while grinding,you can always use Urad dal powder to compensate it.I had even tried Uzhunnu vada with urad dal powder itself,and it came out good ,of course not as perfect as with soaked dal,but you could satisfy your taste buds,with much less effort.And its perfect for other bye products of Uzhunnu Vada,like Dahi Vada,Sambar Vada,Vada Koottu curry etc. )

Thick Coconut Chutney

Here’s the recipe for thick coconut chutney ,which is usually served with UzhunnuVada.

Ingredients:-

Peanuts – 5
Grated Coconut – 1 cup
Chopped Ginger – 1/2 tsp
Green chillies – 3
Salt – to taste

For popping:-
Oil – as needed
Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
Red chillies – 3
Curry leaves – a few
Chopped shallots – 1

Method:-

Grind together peanuts,grated coconut,chillies,ginger and salt adding little water into a smooth thick paste.Transfer it into a serving bowl and keep it aside.Heat oil in a pan and allow mustard seeds to splutter.Now add red chillies,curry leaves and shallots until brown.Pour the seasoning over the ground mixture .Mix`well and serve.