Ice cream

Recipe

Milk 1 cup, condensed milk(milkmaid) 1 cup, Heavy cream 2 cups, vanilla essence 2 tspn, food color -green color and for strawberry flavour  i used nesquik. This is optional, you can prepare without adding food color. I didn't add sugar, if you need more sweetness add powdered sugar.

In a bowl put all the ingredients , except food color. Using a hand mixer beat it for 1 minute, divide the mix into two. To one bowl i added nesquik strawberry flavour, and to the other one added green food color.
Now beat them until it becomes double, atleast for 2-3 minutes. Pour this mix to air tight containers and keep in freezer for min 5 hrs.
Once set, you can serve with toppings of your choice. I added chocolate chips and some strawberry jam as topping.

This came out perfect, exactly like store bought, not at all flaky. Enjoy!

Prawns/shrimp/konju Masala - Kerala style!

This is a very spicy dish, you can adjust the spiciness according to your tolerance :))


prawns - 250gms, ginger:garlic-finely chopped 1 tsp each, chopped onion -1 cup,slited green chillies 2-3,  chilli powder- 1tbsp, pepper powder -1 tsp, turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp, Kudampuli(kokum/malabar tamarind)- 1-2 pieces,coconut oil, curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt to taste.

https://youtu.be/GwJL3heHj_Y recipe for prawns rice

Marinate prawns with pepper, turmeric powder and salt.
Heat  coconut oil, put  mustard seeds and curry leaves. Saute onion,ginger,garlic,green chilli until it turns brown.  When this is half done add chilli powder,kudampuli(kokum) and salt.
To this add marinated prawns and mix well. Now cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes, no need to add water as prawns itselt has water in it.  Once cooked, open the lid and put the flame to high and saute until you get the desired consistency. Lastly sprinkle coriander leaves and 1 tsp of coconut oil and mix well. Serve it with rice/chappathi

Chocolate love

Chocolate lava cake


Ingredients

1 stick  unsalted butter
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate
3 whole eggs
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
2 tbspns all-purpose flour(Maida)
1 tspn vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 450 F, and grease the ramekins with butter/oil

In a bowl beat egg and sugar until sugar completely dissolves(i used whisker to mix all the ingredients no need to use hand mixer).

Using double boiling method melt chocolate and butter, whisk until smooth. 

Now add this chocolate mixture to egg and sugar mix along with maida , salt and essence. Mix thoroughly, spoon this batter into ramekins and bake 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes take it out and cool for few seconds,say for a minute. Edges would be hard and center portion will be soft. Now carefully turn it over to dessert plate, top with whipped cream or ice cream. I don't have both in stock, so just dusted with powdered sugar. Serve immediately then only you can see the warm chocolate flowing out like lava. 

Fruit/Plum cake

Fruit Cake

1/4 cup each red and green candied cherries (you can use tutti-frutti also)
1/4 cup black raisins
1/4 cup yellow raisins
1/4 cup apricot
Rum or brandy to soak. *** IF you don't like adding alcohol you could soak dry fruits in orange juice as well.

In a glass bottle put all the above ingredients, pour rum/brandy to cover dry fruits. Let this sit for atleast 2 days.

Also - take 1/4 cup each of cashew nuts, pista,walnuts - chop these and dust it with flour to prevent sinking to the bottom while baking.

Dry ingredients

All- purpose flour - 1 3/4 cup, baking powder - 1 tsp, salt- 1/2 tsp. Mix all these well.

Wet ingredients

Whole eggs -3, brown sugar - 1 cup, butter - 1 stick/cup, v.essence- 1 tsp, 1/4 cup-orange juice

Powder brown sugar, add butter and beat using a hand mixer until it is fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and continue beating until you get a soft and creamy mixture. Add vanilla essence and orange juice, combine well.

Once the wet ingredients are combined very well, slowly add flour and mix. Do not use hand mixer. Folding it gently, mix all the ingredients well.

Now the last part- empty the dry fruits bottle into the batter (need not strain, as the rum/orange juice gives all the flavours a fruit cake is expected to have) Again mix it very well.
Lastly add in the chopped nuts and stir once more. That's it.

Preheat the oven at 300 f(USA)/ 180 C and bake this for atleast 45 minutes. Always keep an eye on it as the oven temperature may vary . You can google for temperature conversions.

If sugar is high, always good to bake in lower temperature as it may turn brown faster and you get a burning smell.

Vattayappam (Steamed Rice Cake) - Kerala's traditional tea time snack !

You need

1 1/2 cups of soaked raw rice/idli rice
1 1/2 cups grated coconut
A handful cooked rice
1 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
2-3 tbsp sugar
4 to 5 cardamom seeds
Roasted nuts and raisins
water as required
coconut oil/ghee to grease

Soak raw rice for atleast 3 hours. Into a blender or mixie put  rice, coconut, cooked rice, sugar,salt,cardamom seeds and instant yeast. Add water, just to cover the ingredients. Take care not to add more water, we need thick batter like that of idli batter. Grind this well. Now pour this to a bowl and let it sit for 2-3 hours to ferment/rise.
Grease a round/flattened pan with coconut oil/ghee.

Pour batter into the greased pan, almost 3/4th full.Sprinkle the roasted nuts and raisins on top. Now place this pan into steamer/pressure/idli cooker and steam for 15- 20 mins.I used Idli steamer .

After 20 mins insert a tooth pick or fork to see if it is cooked. If it comes out clean switch off the flame and allow it to cool. Once cooled, run a knife around the edges and invert the pan. Your delicious Vattayappam or Steamed rice cake is ready. 

You can prepare this without adding sugar, nuts and raisins too. Sometimes i preapre this for breakfast without adding sugar and serve it along with Chicken curry or vegetable stew. Enjoy!!!