Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Sweet Dishes

Pal Ada

Ingredients

Ada - 250 gm
Milk - 2 Litres
Water - 3 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Condensed Milk - 1 tin
Butter - 150 gm

Method

Boil 5 cups of water. When it boils add the Ada to it and boil it.

Drain this and wash the ada in cold water.

In another pan add 3 cups of water to 2 liter of Milk. Boil this on a medium flame. When all the water evaporates and it reduces to 2 liters add the Ada and Sugar.Keep stirring and when it turns slightly golden color add the condensed Milk and boil. Next, add Butter.

The Payasam is now ready.

Parippu Payasam

Ingredients

Moong Dal - kilo
Grated Coconut - 1 full coconut
Jaggery - kilo
Ghee - 4 tbsp
Cashew Nuts - 2 tbsp (fried)
Coconut Pieces - 2 tbsp (fried)
Resins - 1 tsp
Cardamom Powder - tsp

Method

In a hot frying pan fry the Moong Dal for 10 mins. till slightly brown.

Next, wash the Dal and boil it.

Put the Jaggery in a pan and add cup water. Melt the Jaggery and drain the mixture to remove the impurities from it by draining. Squeeze Milk from the grated Coconut to get 1st Milk around 1cup.

Add water to the squeezed grated Coconut and mix it in a mixer. Drain this to obtain 2nd Milk around 3-4 cups.

In pan pour Ghee, boiled Dal and the melted Jaggery and mix till it is completely free of water and dry.Add half of the 2nd Coconut Milk to this and mix well. When it reduces to half add the remaining 2nd Coconut Milk.

Mix this very well. When it becomes thick lower the flame and adds the 1st Coconut Milk. When it starts to boil remove from flame.

Add Cardamom powder, fried Cashew Nuts and Coconut pieces and serve hot.

Finger-licking delights

Duck Roast

Karimeen Pollichathu

Ingredients


1: Pearl Spot Fish
3-4: Chopped Curry Leaves
2: Red Chillies
3-4: Chopped Shallots
1/4 tsp: Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp: Lime Juice
1 tsp: Chopped green chillies
1: Banana Leaf
1/2 tsp: Chopped Ginger
1: Thin banana stem
1/2 tsp: Chopped garlic
1 tbsp: Coconut Oil
Salt to taste.

Preparation

Grind red chillies, turmeric powder, chopped green chillies, chopped ginger, chopped garlic, chopped curry leaves, chopped shallots, salt and lime juice to a coarse paste.

After cleaning the fish, apply a thick layer of the paste on the inside and on the outside. Wrap the fish in a banana leaf and tie it with the banana stem. Heat oil in a pan and place the wrapped fish in it.

Cook on each side for 5-6 minutes. Serve hot with rice.

Spicy sauted Lamb with fresh coconut

Malabar Mutton Biriyani

For Garam Masala - Cinnamon (2 pieces), Cardamom (3-4 "), Cloves(3-4 "), Nutmeg (quarter), Aniseed (half tsp), Cumin seed (half tsp), Mace (2 strands)

1. Cut and clean mutton in big pieces.

2. Slice the muttons; grind green chillies, ginger and garlic.

3. Grind poppy seeds and fresh coconut and keep aside.

4. Chop coriander leaves and mint leaves.

5. Heat a pressure cooker and add oil and 3/4 of sliced onion and fry.

6. Add ginger, garlic and green chillies and fry for 2-3 minutes

7. Add the coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala and saute for some time and add the chopped tomatoes and fry for some time.

8. Add mutton and fry for a few minutes and add curd and salt.

Special Christmas Cakes

Ingredients

Raisins 2-1/4 lb.
Currants 1 lb.
Dates, stoned and chopped 6 oz.
Prunes (4 oz.)Cooked, stoned and chopped.
Almond flakes 8 oz.
Butter 14 oz.
Raw brown sugar 14 oz.
Eggs 8
Grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange
Molasses 1 tablespoon
Flour 1 lb.
Salt 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon each of : ground nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon & ginger
Sherry 5 tablespoons

Preparation
When you remove the cake from the oven leave it in the cake tin and allow to cool overnight - the cake can stay warm for up to 24 hrs. When cool remove from the tin and wrap in a double layer of aluminium foil until it is decorated. Occasionally unwrapping and treating with sherry or an alcohol of your choosing can ensure a moist flavourful cake but be careful not to overdo this and create a soggy cake! The cake will improve with keeping.
Decoration

The traditional method of decorating a Christmas cake is with almond paste or marzipan and icing. You will need about 2 lb of marzipan to cover the cake.

Place the cake on the cake plate on which it will be presented.

Roll the marzipan out as thinly as possible and cover the top and sides of the cake. A thin layer of strawberry jam spread over the cake will help to 'glue' the marzipan to the cake.

To make the Royal Icing sift 12 oz. of icing sugar (confectioner's sugar for Americans) into a bowl. Beat two egg whites then fold them into the sugar. Add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Brush the marzipan with a little egg white to help the icing stick to the cake then add the icing in a thin layer. The icing can be thickened if necessary with additional icing sugar.

A flat metal spatulla dipped in hot water will help to spread the icing but in general best results are obtained if the icing is 'worked' as little as possible.

Chocolate Cake

11. Remove from the oven and allow cooling for a long time. When the cake is all the way cool, you can frost using any of our frosting types- vanilla or chocolate
Fruit Cake



Chocolate frosting


1) 1/2 cup margarine (1 stick)
2) 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
3) 1 teaspoon vanilla
4) 4 or 5 tablespoons milk
5) 4 cups powdered sugar
6) Good dash salt