Dates Pickle

Even though we don’t eat pickle on a daily basis I love to make and store pickles. I always have a stock of dates pickle and Lime pickle in my pantry. Dates pickle goes very well with Biriyani and also with Aloo Parathas.

Dates Pickle

Ingredients:
Dates –1/2kg

Green chillies-15, cut into thin rounds

Garlic – 3 pods, minced

Ginger –2 tbsp, minced

Turmeric powder-1tsp

Chilly powder-4 tbsp

Fenugreek powder / Uluva podi-1 tsp

Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp

Curry leaves – 2-3 sprigs

Gingelly Oil / Sesame Oil / Nallenna – ¾ to 1 cup

Asafoetida / Kayam - 1/2 tsp

Salt - As needed

White vinegar-2 cups

Sugar – 1 tsp

Method:

• Deseed the dates and cut into small pieces.
• Heat ½ cup oil in a pan and fry chopped dates and keep aside.
• Add some more oil in the same pan and sauté green chillies, ginger, garlic and curry leaves and keep aside.
• Now add mustard seed to the remaining oil and when it splutters, add turmeric powder, chilly powder and fenugreek powder and sauté on low flame.
• To this add fried dates and ginger, garlic and chillies and mix well.
• Add sugar, salt and vinegar and bring it to a nice boil on medium flame.
• Turn off the flame and allow the pickle to cool down.
• Store in clean dry bottles.

Note: For longer life of pickles never add water in pickle, always use vinegar instead of water. Use clean and dry bottles to store pickle and always use dry spoon.

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Baked Potato and Corn

Baked Potato and Corn 

Recipe Source: Vanitha
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
Potatoes – 6 medium (sliced)
Sweet corn kernels – 1 cup
Garlic – 1 tsp finely chopped
Celery – 2 tbsp chopped
Cheese – 1cup grated
Italian seasoning 1 ¼ tsp
Salt- ½ tsp
Butter – 3 tbsp
Olive oil – 1 tbsp
Bread crumbs – 2 tbsp
Method:

• Boil sliced potatoes in salted water. Remove and drain.
• Heat 2 tbsp of butter and olive oil in a pan, add the garlic and celery and stir for 1 minute.
• Then add the sweet corn kernels and stir in 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Stir and remove from heat.
• Layer the sliced potatoes in a greased baking dish and add ½ the corn.
• Spread well over the potatoes and add ½ cup grated cheese.
• Then again layer with sliced potatoes, add the remaining corn and cheese.
• Layer finally with sliced potatoes.
• Sprinkle the bread crumbs and remaining Italian seasoning on the final layer of potatoes.
• Melt 1 tbsp of butter and pour over this and then bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees centigrade.
• Serve hot with garlic bread / or any other bread.

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Sprouts and Cereal Bread

This is one of the healthiest breads I have ever made.... off course being a health food it is not all that tasty but definitely good once in awhile..... For all those of you who dig health food.... here you go.....

Sprouts and Cereal Bread

(Recipe Source: Vanitha)

Ingredients:

Sprouted beans-100gm

Whole wheat flour / Atta -400 gm

Salt-2 tsp

Yeast-1 ½ tsp

Oats-2 tbsp, coarsely powdered

Corn-2 tbsp, coarsely powdered

Method:

• Mix yeast in 1/4 cup of water and keep aside for 10 minutes till it becomes frothy.
• In a large bowl, mix wheat flour, salt and yeast add enough water and make dough.
• Then add sprouted beans, coarsely powdered oats and corn and knead well to make smooth dough.
• Divide the dough into 250 gm balls and roll each ball into a long rectangle shape.
• Cover with a damp cloth and let rise until it doubles in size.
• To get the thorny effect give several cuts on top of the dough with a scissor.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 20 minutes.
• Serve warm.

How to Sprout Beans

• Wash beans well and soak in water overnight.
• Next morning drain all the water from the beans.
• Wet a cheese cloth or a muslin cloth, place soaked beans in the cloth and gently tie sides of the cloth and keep it in a covered container.
• Leave the Beans for 2 days checking on them occasionally. If the cloth seems to have dried up, lightly sprinkle water on it to re-moisten it.
• Within 2 days, the sprouts will appear. Rinse the sprouts and use.

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Moroccan Carrot and Orange Salad

Found this very refreshing and colorful salad at Soma’s e-curry blog. This slightly sweet and tangy salad can be served as it is or as a side dish with grilled dishes. This can be made ahead of time.

Moroccan Carrot and Orange Salad

(Recipe Source: Soma’s e-curry blog)
Ingredients:

5 Big Carrots, grated
3/4 Cup Golden Raisins
1/3 Cup Almonds / Pine nuts, lightly toasted
3 Clementines / Oranges, Peeled and segments halved
2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp Orange Juice
1tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Honey
Fresh Mint Leaves
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds, crushed
1 tsp Paprika
Pinch of Salt
1 tbsp Orange Blossom Water

Method:

• Soak the raisins in hot water for 30 minutes, then drain.
• Peel the carrots and grate/shred them. Mix the carrots, oranges, nuts, raisins and mint leaves in a bowl.
• Combine Orange blossom water, lemon juice, orange juice, honey, olive oil, salt, paprika and cumin and whisk well.
• Combine the dressing with the carrots, oranges and other ingredients in the bowl. Cover, and refrigerate for half hour or more to allow the salad to macerate.
• Serve in bowls along with the juice.

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Ultra Moist Chocolate Cake

I am taking a break for two months. We are leaving for our much awaited holiday in Rome, Venice, Paris and a 7 day Mediterranean cruise and after that I will be away in Kerala for a month. I will be back in Kuwait only by September. I won’t be able to visit your blogs or answer any of your comments or queries on time, but will do so as soon as I am back. I have tried to schedule some posts to keep this space alive. Wishing you all a wonderful summer vacation!

When Maria posted this recipe for Ultra Moist Chocolate Cake; she said she had waited 6 years to get this recipe. And her pics and descriptions were so tempting I really wanted to make this before I leave for my vacation and I got the perfect reason to finish off the left over butter :).  Made this over the weekend and no wonder the amount of butter and oil that went into this cake made it extremely moist and tasty!!! I didn’t do the icing and this is a perfect cake to serve with a scoop of ice cream!

Ultra Moist Chocolate Cake

(Recipe Source: Maria’s Menu) 

Ingredients:

Milk – 1 1/2 cups

Butter – 100 gms (1/3 cup + 2 tbsp approx)

Oil – 1/4 cup (I used sunflower oil)

Cocoa Powder – 1/2 cup
Self Raising Flour – 1 cup
Egg – 1 beaten, room temp
Baking Soda – 1/2 tsp

Sugar – 1 cup + 2 tbsp (250 gms)

Method: 

• Preheat the oven @ 180 C/350-375 F, 10 mins before baking.
• Heat together milk, butter, oil & cocoa powder till the butter melts. Let it cool to room temperature.
• Add flour, baking soda, sugar & beaten egg to the cooled wet ingredients.
• Beat it well using an electric beater or hand whisk till it is mixed well.
• You can either use it to make cupcakes or cake. (I made 24 cupcakes with the above qty).
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15- 20 mins for the cupcake & 25- 30 mins for the loaf cake. The baking time can vary depending on each oven.

For cupcakes: Line your cupcake tin with paper liners pour 3 tbsp of batter in each case.
For cake: Grease your cake tin well & line with parchment/baking paper. Pour the batter.
Substitution for self raising flour ~ to get 1 cup self-raising flour, add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder+ 1/4 tsp salt to 1 cup all purpose flour.

For Ganache:
Ingredients:
Whipping cream – 1/2 cup
Baking chocolate – 3/4 cup
Method:

• Place the baking chocolate/ chocolate chips in a bowl.
• Heat the whipping cream on low flame till small bubbles start appearing around the edges.
• Pour the heated cream to the bowl with choc chips. Let it rest for 5 mins.
• Whisk it using a manual whisk. This will give you a liquid consistency ganache. If you want to thicken the ganache for spreading, place the bowl on some ice & whip it. It will start thickening.
• Spread the ganache on cooled cupcakes/cake.

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The Perfect Pound Cake

July Sweet Punch challenge is to make a Pound Cake. The recipe is from The Cake Bible, where Rose has come up with a new method of baking the cake, very different from the butter-sugar creaming and wet+dry ingredients, the usual cake route. This method, according to Rose ensures a tight crumb.

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Apricot and Cherry Mini Crisps

I first made these crisps two years ago as soon as Deeba posted the recipe on her blog. Since then I have tried this recipe several times with different combination of fruits. Other than Apricot and Cherry I have tried apple and strawberry and with the left over fruits from our fruit diet that we have once a week :) (a mixture of mango, apple, strawberry, banana, kiwi & orange). I love this Apricot and Cherry combination the best and then the strawberry and apple combo. I have served these crisps in several parties and our guests loved it. Try this with the seasonal fruits of your choice!

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Passion Fruit Wine

I had referred to my passion fruit wine in some of my earlier posts and many had requested the recipe…. Made this wine about 2 years ago….. I wanted the wine to mature so that I can click the rich and clear picture and I think it’s worth waiting this long :)…. As you all know by now that I love anything which has passion fruit in it and this wine is not an exception! This is one of my favorites :)… if you get your hands on some passion fruit do try this recipe….

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