Spanish caramel custard

Spanish caramel custard

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 orange with 2 long, thin pieces of rind removed
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
Butter for greasing the dish
3 large eggs, plus two egg yolks
4 tablespoons of water

 

Preparation:

step 1
Pour the milk into a pan along with orange rind and vanilla extract. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and stir in half the sugar; set aside for at least 30 minutes to infuse.

step 2
Meanwhile stir the remaining sugar along with water in another saucepan over medium high heat. Once the sugar has melted, let it boil without stirring till it becomes deep golden brown. Immediately remove the pan from heat and squeeze in a few drops of orange juice. Pour into a lightly buttered 1 litre/5-cup soufflé dish and swirl to cover the base; set aside.

step 3
Return the pan of infused milk to the heat and warm it. While it is getting warm, beat the whole eggs and egg yolks together in a heatproof bowl. Pour the warm milk into the eggs, whisking constantly. Strain into the soufflé dish.

step 4
To serve, run a metal spatula round the soufflé, then invert onto a serving plate, shaking firmly to release. 

Meen varathathu - kerala style fried fish

Meen varathathu - kerala style fried fish

Ingredients:

500 grams sardines/mathi
3-4 tablespoons red chili powder (or according to your tolerance level)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon pepper corns
5 shallots
1 teaspoon each of chopped ginger and garlic
Salt to taste
A sprig of curry leaves
Coconut oil, to shallow fry

 

Preparation:

step 1
Wash the sardines well. To clean, remove the scales by moving your knife from tail to head of the fish repeately. Cut off the fins and tail and make a slit along the side of the fish. Remove the gills and guts. If you wish to, you could cut off the head as well. Wash repeatedly in salted water, changing the water after each wash.

step 2
Make 3-4 shallow slits on both sides of the fish.

step 3
Grind together all the remaining ingredients except oil to a smooth paste. Apply all over the fish, and let it rest for half an hour in the refrigerator.

step 4
Heat oil in a wok or frying pan over a medium flame. Place the fish in the hot oil without overcrowding the pan. After one side is done, flip over the fish and fry the other side. I like my fish to be almost crisp, whereas my dad likes it to be just cooked. Your frying time depends on how you want the fish to be.

step 5
Once done, remove from oil and drain excess oil on an absorbent paper. Enjoy your mathi varathathu with kuthari choru or brown rice. 

Antipasto lasagne stack

Antipasto lasagne stack

Ingredients:

4 fresh lasagne sheets
320g purchased chargrilled capsicum, cut into thick strips
12 slices prosciutto, halved lengthways,
1/2 bunch watercress, sprigs picked
400g fresh ricotta
110ml Neil Perry balsamic dressing

 

Preparation:

step 1
Cut 4 fresh lasagne sheets into thirds crossways. Cook in a large saucepan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until al dente. Drain well and set aside.

step 2
Use 320g purchased chargrilled capsicum, cut into thick strips and 12 slices prosciutto, halved lengthways, 1/2 bunch watercress, sprigs picked, 400g fresh ricotta, and 110ml Neil Perry balsamic dressing.

step 3
Place a lasagne sheet on each serving plate. Spread over some ricotta. Top with half of each of the watercress, capsicum and prosciutto. Drizzle with dressing. Repeat, finishing with a layer of pasta.

Lemon tutti frutti cake

Lemon tutti frutti cake

Ingredients:

2 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 cup tutti frutti
4 eggs
1/4 cup lemon juice
Melted butter ? half cup
Powdered Sugar ? 1 cup + 1 tbsp
Baking powder ? 1 tsp
Baking soda ? half tsp
Milk ? 1/4 cup
Salt to taste

 

Preparation:

step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease the cake pan.

step 2
Sieve the dry ingredients i.e. flour, powdered sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Add salt to taste and keep it aside.

step 3
Melt the butter in microwave and let it cool down completely. Add eggs into mixing bowl and beat them nicely. Add butter and milk to it and again beat this mixture for about 10 minutes.

step 4
Then start adding little quantity of dry ingredients at a time and beat slowly. Now , add lemon juice. Dust the tutti frutti in a 1/4 tsp of flour and add into batter. Mix gently.

step 5
Now, pour batter in a pan and bake the cake for about 30-35 minutes. 

Chicken pot roast recipe (roasted in less oil)

Chicken pot roast recipe (roasted in less oil)

Ingredients:

Chicken(cut in 8 pieces) 900 gms.
Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsps.
Soya sauce 2 tbsps.
Chilli sauce 1 tsp.
Ajinomoto 1/4 tsp.
Vinegar or lemon juice 2 tbsps.
Chilli powder 1/2 tsp.
Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsps.
Tomato sauce 4 tbsps.
Oil 2 tbsps.
Salt and pepper to taste

 

Preparation:

step 1
1.Wash and dry the chicken.

step 2
2.Mix all the ingredients and marinade the chicken in it for 4-6 hours in the refrigerator.

step 3
3.Heat oil in a heavy bottom kadai and cook on low heat till chicken is done and dry.

step 4
4.Garnish with coriander leaves and Serve hot with boiled vegetable and bread rolls. 

Cheese roll ( tortilla roll )

Cheese roll ( tortilla roll )

Ingredients:

8 Burrito style tortilla
8 oz of cream cheese
1 packet of Ranch powder dressing
1 small can of pimentos
8-10 Olives
2-3 green chilies
Small bunch of Cilantro

 

Preparation:

step 1
1. Take out cream cheese in a bowl and let it Soften at room temperature.

step 2
2. Finely chopped pimentos, olives, green chili and cilantro.

step 3
3. Mix ranch dressing and other ingredients in cream cheese blend it very well.

step 4
4. Apply cream cheese mixture on one tortilla and start rolling from one side. Make sure to roll tightly.

step 5
5. Finish applying on all the tortilla. Wrap all the rolls in plastic wrap and keep it in refrigerator for an hour.

step 6
6. Take out from the refrigerator and cut in slight angle and decorate in plate.

step 7
7. Keep it in the refrigerator and take out when its time to serve. 

Tiger cake - lemon and chocolate sponge cake

Tiger cake - lemon and chocolate sponge cake

Ingredients:

200 g butter
2 1/2 dl sugar
3 eggs
4 dl flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 dl milk
2 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp vanilla powder
zest from 1 lemon

 

Preparation:

step 1
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C.

step 2
Mix melted butter and sugar add one egg at a time and mix until the batter turns white.

step 3
Blend flour and baking powder in another bowl and add to the batter. Add the milk and combine carefully. Don't mix to much as it will make the cake dense.

step 4
Pour 1/3 of the batter into another bowl, add cocoa and combine carefully.

step 5
Add vanilla powder and the lemon zest in the other batter bowl, combine carefully.

step 6
Pour half of the light batter into a loaf tin, then pour the cocoa batter and finally the rest of the light batter. Use a fork and stroke the batter a little bit to create a marble batter.

step 7
Bake in the oven for about 1 hour. Until the stick comes out clean when picking the cake.

Serve the cake with vanilla custard, ice cream or like I did, with melted dark chocolate, or just the way it is.
Bake in the oven for about 1 hour. Until the stick comes out clean when picking the cake.

Serve the cake with vanilla custard, ice cream or like I did, with melted dark chocolate, or just the way it is.

Kottayam style fish curry - meen curry

Kottayam style fish curry - meen curry

Ingredients:

1 kg fish, sliced and cleaned
2 teaspoons mustard powder
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
2 tablespoons ginger, julienned
1 bulb garlic, each garlic pod sliced into two, lengthwise
10 shallots, sliced lengthwise?
?4 pieces kudam pulli/fish tarmarind/gamboge (sun dried and smoked to a black colour)
2 tablespoons red chili powder
2 sprigs curry leaves
To taste, salt
As required, water
2 tablespoons coconut oil

 

Preparation:

step 1
Soak the kudam pulli in a cup of water for atleast 15 minutes.
Add two tablespoons of water to the chili powder, and make a thick paste.

step 2
Heat oil in a mann chatti or earthen pot. (Meen curry is always made in an earthen pot in Kerala, which contributes to the flavour of the dish. But you can use a normal non stick pan if you do not have an earthen pot). When the oil is almost smoking hot, add the mustard seeds, followed by the fenugreek seeds.

Once the mustard seeds have stopped spluttering, add the shallot slices and fry for a minute. Add ginger, and saute till the onions slices are golden brown.

step 3
Add the chili paste and saute on a low flame for a minute. (Expect to sneeze and cough at this point.) Add the kudam pulli along with water, the sliced garlic, curry leaves and one more cup of water. Mix well. Add salt, followed by fish pieces.

step 4
Once the curry comes to boil, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered till fish pieces are completely cooked.

step 5
Do not use a spoon to stir the curry while it is cooking because the fish is very soft. Instead, you can swirl the pot once in a while.

step 6
The fish curry tastes better the next day, enough time for all the flavours to be absorbed into the fish. Infact, as a rule, fish curry to be served at marriage receptions, is made the previous day itself.

step 7
Enjoy your fish curry with plain rice or brown rice.

Pepper potato

Pepper potato

Ingredients:

Potato 400 gms
Onion chopped 25 gms
Dry Red chilli 1 nos
Pepper 2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Garlic 3 - 4 medium flakes
Salt to taste
Oil 1 tbsp

 

Preparation:

step 1
1. Cook potatos in a pressure cooker adding salt to it. Keep aside and let it cool.
2. Peel the skin and cut the potato into small pieces.

step 2
3. Grind pepper, cumin, dry red chilli, garlic into a fine paste.

step 3
4. Heat oil in a thick bottom kadai. Add chopped onions and fry in a slow flame.
5. Add the ground paste, salt and turmeric powder when onion raw smell reduces and continue frying in a slow flame for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Add potato and fry for 2 minutes. Add some water and cook till it becomes almost dry.

step 4
7. Serve hot with rice, variety rice and any Indian breads.