Manpasand ... From my kitchen to yours
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Thank You
Its been more than a month and haven't posted anything new. First kids fell sick, then it was us. I hope to get back to blogging in a week or two. I thank all my blog buddies for checking on me.
¶ posted by Krithika @ 4:02 PM 33 comments permalink links to this post
Its been more than a month and haven't posted anything new. First kids fell sick, then it was us. I hope to get back to blogging in a week or two. I thank all my blog buddies for checking on me.
¶ posted by Krithika @ 4:02 PM 33 comments permalink links to this post
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Ginger-Honey Toffee
This toffee combines the contrasting flavors of honey and ginger. The result is an amazingly chewy, not too sweet toffee that has a hint of ginger flavor. The original recipe had just three basic ingredients water, sugar and honey. I added ginger to give it a spicy taste.
Ingredients: Recipe adapted from 'The Christmas Candy Book'
Makes 30 pieces
Honey: 1/3 cup
Ginger: 1/2 cup ,chopped
Sugar: 1 cup
Water: 1/2 cup
Ghee: 1/2 tsp
Apply ghee on a baking sheet or back of a big steel plate.
Crush ginger to release its juices. Combine the ginger pieces with water. Boil till the quantity is reduced to half. Run this through a sieve. Use back of a spoon to press the ginger pieces to get as much extract as possible.
In a thick-bottomed pan, combine sugar, ginger-water, honey and stir to blend. Place over medium heat and bring it to a boil stirring constantly. Increase the heat to medium high and cook without stirring until the candy thermometer reaches 270 F. This should take about 5-8 mins. When you press this mixture between your index finger and thumb it should flatten. You will see no strings.
Turn the mixture onto the baking sheet and let cook until it it lukewarm.
Start needing this mixture until light and porous for about 10 mins. Apply a little ghee if the mixture sticks to your palm.
Stretch it into a rope and cut into 1-inch pieces. Store between sheets of waxed paper.
This is my entry for JFI-Ginger hosted by Rosie.
Tags:Ginger,toffee,honey,taffy
¶ posted by Krithika @ 1:51 PM 63 comments permalink links to this post
This toffee combines the contrasting flavors of honey and ginger. The result is an amazingly chewy, not too sweet toffee that has a hint of ginger flavor. The original recipe had just three basic ingredients water, sugar and honey. I added ginger to give it a spicy taste.
Ingredients: Recipe adapted from 'The Christmas Candy Book'
Makes 30 pieces
Honey: 1/3 cup
Ginger: 1/2 cup ,chopped
Sugar: 1 cup
Water: 1/2 cup
Ghee: 1/2 tsp
Apply ghee on a baking sheet or back of a big steel plate.
Crush ginger to release its juices. Combine the ginger pieces with water. Boil till the quantity is reduced to half. Run this through a sieve. Use back of a spoon to press the ginger pieces to get as much extract as possible.
In a thick-bottomed pan, combine sugar, ginger-water, honey and stir to blend. Place over medium heat and bring it to a boil stirring constantly. Increase the heat to medium high and cook without stirring until the candy thermometer reaches 270 F. This should take about 5-8 mins. When you press this mixture between your index finger and thumb it should flatten. You will see no strings.
Turn the mixture onto the baking sheet and let cook until it it lukewarm.
Start needing this mixture until light and porous for about 10 mins. Apply a little ghee if the mixture sticks to your palm.
Stretch it into a rope and cut into 1-inch pieces. Store between sheets of waxed paper.
This is my entry for JFI-Ginger hosted by Rosie.
Tags:Ginger,toffee,honey,taffy
¶ posted by Krithika @ 1:51 PM 63 comments permalink links to this post
Monday, January 22, 2007
Dalia Upma (Cracked whole wheat upma)
We got to see sun yesterday after a week long freezing rain, sleet and snow. Weather and mood was so gloomy that I didn't want to cook anything elaborate. One pot meal is what I was preparing. Dalia or cracked whole wheat upma is easy, delicious and healthy. I would say the taste is very close to brown rice. Nutty and chewy. Dalia is far more nutritional than rava/sooji. It is an excellent source of fibre and minerals. Preparation is very similar to making sooji upma. I use a pressure cooker since it speeds up the cooking time.
Ingredients:
Dalia/cracked whole wheat : 1 cup
Water : 2 1/2 cups
Carrot : 1, peeled and cubed
Green peas: 1/4 cup, fresh or frozen
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Chana dal: 1/2 tsp
Ginger: 2 tsp, grated
Curry leaves: 4, chopped
Hing/asafoetida: a pinch
Salt: to taste
Tomatoes: 2, finely chopped
Green chillies: 2, finely chopped
Oil: 2 tsp
Heat a tsp of oil in a pressure cooker. Add dalia and saute for 2 mins on high heat. Remove and keep this aside.
Heat another tsp of oil. Add mustard seeds. When they begin to pop add, chana dal. Saute till golden brown. Add ginger, curry leaves, hing, green chillies, tomatoes, carrot and green peas. Mix well. Add water. Bring this to a boil. Add dalia and salt. Close the lid. Pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Turn the heat off. Leave this undisturbed for 15 mins.
Serve hot with pickle.
Here is Anita's version : Twisted dalia
Tags : Dalia, cracked wheat, upma, bulghur
¶ posted by Krithika @ 8:30 PM 26 comments permalink links to this post
We got to see sun yesterday after a week long freezing rain, sleet and snow. Weather and mood was so gloomy that I didn't want to cook anything elaborate. One pot meal is what I was preparing. Dalia or cracked whole wheat upma is easy, delicious and healthy. I would say the taste is very close to brown rice. Nutty and chewy. Dalia is far more nutritional than rava/sooji. It is an excellent source of fibre and minerals. Preparation is very similar to making sooji upma. I use a pressure cooker since it speeds up the cooking time.
Ingredients:
Dalia/cracked whole wheat : 1 cup
Water : 2 1/2 cups
Carrot : 1, peeled and cubed
Green peas: 1/4 cup, fresh or frozen
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Chana dal: 1/2 tsp
Ginger: 2 tsp, grated
Curry leaves: 4, chopped
Hing/asafoetida: a pinch
Salt: to taste
Tomatoes: 2, finely chopped
Green chillies: 2, finely chopped
Oil: 2 tsp
Heat a tsp of oil in a pressure cooker. Add dalia and saute for 2 mins on high heat. Remove and keep this aside.
Heat another tsp of oil. Add mustard seeds. When they begin to pop add, chana dal. Saute till golden brown. Add ginger, curry leaves, hing, green chillies, tomatoes, carrot and green peas. Mix well. Add water. Bring this to a boil. Add dalia and salt. Close the lid. Pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Turn the heat off. Leave this undisturbed for 15 mins.
Serve hot with pickle.
Here is Anita's version : Twisted dalia
Tags : Dalia, cracked wheat, upma, bulghur
¶ posted by Krithika @ 8:30 PM 26 comments permalink links to this post
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Bhogi and Poli
First day of Pongal is celebrated as Bhogi in honor of Lord Indira. We usually make 'Pal Poli' which is basically puris made of Semolina (sooji) or maida (all-purpose flour) soaked in sweetend milk. This year I tried poli stuffed with chana dal and jaggery which we call 'tattu poli' as the dough with chana dal-jaggery filling has to be flattened with your fingertips. I used wheat flour instead of maida for the dough as my earlier attempts at working with maida have not been successful. 'Tattu poli' is also popularly known as 'Puran Poli'.
Ingredients :
Dough:
Wheat flour : 2 cups
Salt : a pinch
Water to make the dough
Ghee: 1 tblsp
Filling:
Chana dal: 1 cup
Water : 2 1/2 cups
Jaggery: 1 cup, powdered
Cardamom: 1/2 tsp, powdered
Pressure cook chana dal till done but not mushy *
Drain the excess water. Do not discard it **
Take a clean kitchen towel. Spread the cooked chana dal. This will remove the excess moisture. When cool enough to handle, grind the dal and powdered jaggery in a blender without adding water till it becomes smooth.
Heat a thick-bottomed pan, add this dal-jaggery mixture, cook on low heat stirring continuously. See Vaishali's tip here to test a well-cooked puran. Allow this mixture to cool down completely.
Dough: Add the first three ingredients, mix till the dough comes together. Add ghee and knead till dough becomes soft and pliable. Allow the dough to rest for 30 mins.
Divide the filling and the dough in equal parts. Take a small portion of the dough. Roll it into a circular disc. Place the filling in the center. Stretch the dough from the sides to cover the filling and form a ball. Flatten this ball with the seams side down and roll it into a medium circle. It is very similar to making stuffed paranthas.
Transfer this to a hot griddle/tava. Cook till light brown spots appear on both sides. Smear a little ghee and cook till you see golden brown spots on both sides. Serve hot with ghee.
* I used Prestige hi-dome. Cooked dal for 1 whistle and lowered the heat and let it cook for 20 mins.
** I used the water to make the dough.
¶ posted by Krithika @ 4:26 PM 28 comments permalink links to this post
First day of Pongal is celebrated as Bhogi in honor of Lord Indira. We usually make 'Pal Poli' which is basically puris made of Semolina (sooji) or maida (all-purpose flour) soaked in sweetend milk. This year I tried poli stuffed with chana dal and jaggery which we call 'tattu poli' as the dough with chana dal-jaggery filling has to be flattened with your fingertips. I used wheat flour instead of maida for the dough as my earlier attempts at working with maida have not been successful. 'Tattu poli' is also popularly known as 'Puran Poli'.
Ingredients :
Dough:
Wheat flour : 2 cups
Salt : a pinch
Water to make the dough
Ghee: 1 tblsp
Filling:
Chana dal: 1 cup
Water : 2 1/2 cups
Jaggery: 1 cup, powdered
Cardamom: 1/2 tsp, powdered
Pressure cook chana dal till done but not mushy *
Drain the excess water. Do not discard it **
Take a clean kitchen towel. Spread the cooked chana dal. This will remove the excess moisture. When cool enough to handle, grind the dal and powdered jaggery in a blender without adding water till it becomes smooth.
Heat a thick-bottomed pan, add this dal-jaggery mixture, cook on low heat stirring continuously. See Vaishali's tip here to test a well-cooked puran. Allow this mixture to cool down completely.
Dough: Add the first three ingredients, mix till the dough comes together. Add ghee and knead till dough becomes soft and pliable. Allow the dough to rest for 30 mins.
Divide the filling and the dough in equal parts. Take a small portion of the dough. Roll it into a circular disc. Place the filling in the center. Stretch the dough from the sides to cover the filling and form a ball. Flatten this ball with the seams side down and roll it into a medium circle. It is very similar to making stuffed paranthas.
Transfer this to a hot griddle/tava. Cook till light brown spots appear on both sides. Smear a little ghee and cook till you see golden brown spots on both sides. Serve hot with ghee.
* I used Prestige hi-dome. Cooked dal for 1 whistle and lowered the heat and let it cook for 20 mins.
** I used the water to make the dough.
¶ posted by Krithika @ 4:26 PM 28 comments permalink links to this post
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Happy Holidays !
Don't forget the milk and cookies.
See you all in the new year !
¶ posted by Krithika @ 8:45 PM 27 comments permalink links to this post
Don't forget the milk and cookies.See you all in the new year !
¶ posted by Krithika @ 8:45 PM 27 comments permalink links to this post
Tengai Pal Poritha Kuzhambu (Coconut Milk Fried Kuzhambu)
When Ashwini announced the theme for JFI, I thought this would be the perfect time to post a traditional family recipe. My in-laws are from palghat and coconut is used almost daily in their cooking. I have seen this being made for family gatherings or when guests are expected. I changed the recipe a little. My mother-in-law's version does not have dal in it. I think the reason its called Poritha Kuzhambu is because fried paste of urad dal, rice and peppercons is added. You can add any vegetable of your choice but I prefer to make this with onion.
Ingredients: Serves 4-6
Arhar dal/Toor dal: 1 cup
Red Onion : 1 big, sliced
Tamarind paste : 1 tsp, dissolved in 4 cups of water
Turmeric powder : 2 pinches
Thick coconut milk : 1 cup (homemade or store bought)
Sambar powder : 1 tblsp (homemade or store bought)
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
Ghee: 1 tsp
Oil: 1 tsp
Salt to taste
To be made into a paste:
Urad dal : 2 tsp
Rice : 1 tsp
Black peppercons : 7-8
Tengai Pal Poritha Kuzhambu with rice
Pressure cook Arhar dal till soft. Mash it well and keep it aside.
In a pan heat 1/2 tsp oil. Add urad dal, rice and black peppercons. Saute till urad dal is golden. Let it cool. Grind these to a thick paste adding a little water.
In the same pan heat 1/2 tsp oil. Add sliced onions, saute till translucent.
Add tamarind water, sambar powder, turmeric and salt. Cook till raw smell of tamarind disappears.
Add mashed dal and ground paste to tamarind water, mix well.
Let it come to a full boil. Kuzhambu should thicken at this point.
Add coconut milk, mix well. Turn the heat off when it is about to boil.
Heat ghee in a pan, add mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to pop, add these to kuzhambu.
Serve hot with rice.
Tengai Pal Poritha Kuzhambu with rice and vazhakkai podimas (green banana podimas)
This is my entry for JFI-Coconut.
Tags: Coconut, South Indian, Soup, Kuzhambu
¶ posted by Krithika @ 9:29 AM 17 comments permalink links to this post
When Ashwini announced the theme for JFI, I thought this would be the perfect time to post a traditional family recipe. My in-laws are from palghat and coconut is used almost daily in their cooking. I have seen this being made for family gatherings or when guests are expected. I changed the recipe a little. My mother-in-law's version does not have dal in it. I think the reason its called Poritha Kuzhambu is because fried paste of urad dal, rice and peppercons is added. You can add any vegetable of your choice but I prefer to make this with onion.
Ingredients: Serves 4-6
Arhar dal/Toor dal: 1 cup
Red Onion : 1 big, sliced
Tamarind paste : 1 tsp, dissolved in 4 cups of water
Turmeric powder : 2 pinches
Thick coconut milk : 1 cup (homemade or store bought)
Sambar powder : 1 tblsp (homemade or store bought)
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
Ghee: 1 tsp
Oil: 1 tsp
Salt to taste
To be made into a paste:
Urad dal : 2 tsp
Rice : 1 tsp
Black peppercons : 7-8
Tengai Pal Poritha Kuzhambu with riceIn a pan heat 1/2 tsp oil. Add urad dal, rice and black peppercons. Saute till urad dal is golden. Let it cool. Grind these to a thick paste adding a little water.
In the same pan heat 1/2 tsp oil. Add sliced onions, saute till translucent.
Add tamarind water, sambar powder, turmeric and salt. Cook till raw smell of tamarind disappears.
Add mashed dal and ground paste to tamarind water, mix well.
Let it come to a full boil. Kuzhambu should thicken at this point.
Add coconut milk, mix well. Turn the heat off when it is about to boil.
Heat ghee in a pan, add mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to pop, add these to kuzhambu.
Serve hot with rice.
Tengai Pal Poritha Kuzhambu with rice and vazhakkai podimas (green banana podimas)This is my entry for JFI-Coconut.
Tags: Coconut, South Indian, Soup, Kuzhambu
¶ posted by Krithika @ 9:29 AM 17 comments permalink links to this post
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Baking with kids
Baking with kids can be fun. That's what I discovered when my twins insisted on making holiday cookies with me this year. Their logic was "hey, if Elmo can help Emeril why can't we help you ?".
First I went hunting for the right sized cookie cutters. I found mini Christmas cookie cutters at Target very similar to these.
Next the challenge was to choose a simple recipe that will not fail and I won't lose my cool in the kitchen. Martha Stewart came to my rescue. I think last year she had released a special edition of Martha Stewart's Everyday for holidays that has a recipe for Cocoa Shortbread cookie. This recipe is real simple. No refrigeration , no beating eggs, just make the dough, roll it and hand over the cookie cutters to kids and bake. They were thrilled to see the baked cookies.
Last night while they were at the library I was busy watching gingerbread challenge on Food Network. When they returned and saw me glued to the TV, they dropped their books to join me. They sat with their legs curled up on the couch till the winner was announced. Before going to bed they told me they want to try gingerbread next :-)
Cocoa Shortbread cookies:
1 cup all-purpose flour, more for work surface
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar (also known as icing sugar)
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 300F. Pulse flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter and vanilla and process until mixture comes together. Shape the dough into a ball.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick; cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on wire racks.
Melt white chocolate, stirring, in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Drizzle chocolate over tops of cookies. Decorate with sprinkles. Let set before serving.
Notes :
My kids rolled the dough after I placed it between 2 sheets of waxed paper.
Gather up any scraps of dough and repeat until all dough is used
Please do not let children place the cookie sheets in the oven.
Tags: Cookies,Christmas,Baking, baking with kids
¶ posted by Krithika @ 5:59 PM 31 comments permalink links to this post
Baking with kids can be fun. That's what I discovered when my twins insisted on making holiday cookies with me this year. Their logic was "hey, if Elmo can help Emeril why can't we help you ?".
First I went hunting for the right sized cookie cutters. I found mini Christmas cookie cutters at Target very similar to these.
Next the challenge was to choose a simple recipe that will not fail and I won't lose my cool in the kitchen. Martha Stewart came to my rescue. I think last year she had released a special edition of Martha Stewart's Everyday for holidays that has a recipe for Cocoa Shortbread cookie. This recipe is real simple. No refrigeration , no beating eggs, just make the dough, roll it and hand over the cookie cutters to kids and bake. They were thrilled to see the baked cookies.
Last night while they were at the library I was busy watching gingerbread challenge on Food Network. When they returned and saw me glued to the TV, they dropped their books to join me. They sat with their legs curled up on the couch till the winner was announced. Before going to bed they told me they want to try gingerbread next :-)
Cocoa Shortbread cookies:
1 cup all-purpose flour, more for work surface
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar (also known as icing sugar)
1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped
Preheat oven to 300F. Pulse flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt in a food processor to combine. Add butter and vanilla and process until mixture comes together. Shape the dough into a ball.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick; cut out shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake until firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on wire racks.
Melt white chocolate, stirring, in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Drizzle chocolate over tops of cookies. Decorate with sprinkles. Let set before serving.
Notes :
My kids rolled the dough after I placed it between 2 sheets of waxed paper.
Gather up any scraps of dough and repeat until all dough is used
Please do not let children place the cookie sheets in the oven.
Tags: Cookies,Christmas,Baking, baking with kids
¶ posted by Krithika @ 5:59 PM 31 comments permalink links to this post
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Tostones
I got this recipe from the produce sticker. I was drawn to this recipe because of its similarity to Nendrangai/plantain chips. Since I wasn't sure of its authenticity I quickly googled for the recipe of Puerto Rican Tostones and I came across this site. Research revealed that this is a popular snack in Puerto Rico and many South and Central American countries.
Mine looks slightly different as I did not have tostonera the tool required to flatten the fried plantains. I really liked the taste, very crisp, perfect as an afternoon snack. I think it would taste equally good with rasam and rice.
Ingredients:
Unripe plantain : 1, peeled, cut in chunks
Oil for deep frying
2 cups cold water
Salt and red chilli powder to taste
Heat the oil in a kadhai/pan. Fry the plantain slices till golden brown.
Remove the plantains from the pan and flatten the plantains by pressing down each with flat-bottomed glass.
Dip the plantains in water, drain well, then return them to the hot oil and fry 1 minute on each side.
Add salt and chilli powder and serve hot.
Tags: Plantain,tostones
¶ posted by Krithika @ 3:09 PM 26 comments permalink links to this post
I got this recipe from the produce sticker. I was drawn to this recipe because of its similarity to Nendrangai/plantain chips. Since I wasn't sure of its authenticity I quickly googled for the recipe of Puerto Rican Tostones and I came across this site. Research revealed that this is a popular snack in Puerto Rico and many South and Central American countries.
Mine looks slightly different as I did not have tostonera the tool required to flatten the fried plantains. I really liked the taste, very crisp, perfect as an afternoon snack. I think it would taste equally good with rasam and rice.
Ingredients:
Unripe plantain : 1, peeled, cut in chunks
Oil for deep frying
2 cups cold water
Salt and red chilli powder to taste
Heat the oil in a kadhai/pan. Fry the plantain slices till golden brown.
Remove the plantains from the pan and flatten the plantains by pressing down each with flat-bottomed glass.
Dip the plantains in water, drain well, then return them to the hot oil and fry 1 minute on each side.
Add salt and chilli powder and serve hot.
Tags: Plantain,tostones
¶ posted by Krithika @ 3:09 PM 26 comments permalink links to this post
