Unniappam

Ingredients:

1. Rice flour - 2 cups
2. Grated jaggery - 1 cup
3. Banana - 2 small (Palayan kudan pazham preferred)
4. Coconut pieces - 1/4 cup
5. Water as required
6. Ghee - 1 tbsp
7. Black sesame - 1/2 tsp (optional)
8. Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
9. Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
10. Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Melt grated jaggery in about 1 cup water. Allow it to cool completely. Strain for any impurities.
2. Grind the  banana and keep aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, take rice flour. Add the melted and cooled jaggery and the pureed banana to it. Mix it gently. Add water little by little if required to make an idli batter consistency.
4. Fry the coconut pieces in ghee till it is golden brown . Then add this to the above batter and mix well.
5. Finally add the baking soda, black sesame seeds and cardamom powder, if you are using, to the mixture and mix well.
6. Keep this aside in a warm place for around 5-6 hours.
7. After the batter is kept for 5-6 hours, check for the consistency.If it is too thick, add a little water.
8. Now heat oil to the unniappam chatti . When the oil is hot , reduce it to medium and add about a tbsp of batter to each of its hole. The batter should fill up only till 3/4th of each hole. Deep fry for about 2-3 minutes and flip it with a fork and fry till both sides are golden brown. Remove it into a paper towel.

Thiruvathira puzhukku

Ingredients:

1.  Suran/Chena - 1 cup
2. Ratalu/Kaachil - 1 cup / 1 medium sized
3. Taro root/ Chembu - 1 cup / 1 medium sized
4. Chinese potato/ Koorka - 1 cup
5. Raw Plantain/ Kaya - 1
6. Sweet potato - 1 small/ 1 cup
7. Van payar/ Red cow peas - 1/2 cup
8. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
9. Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp(optional)
10. Curry leaves - 1 or 2 sprigs
11. Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
12. Salt to taste

To grind

1. Grated Coconut - 1 cup
2. Jeera - 1 tsp
3. Dry red chilly - 5-6

Method:

1. Soak vanpayar overnight and pressure cook it with very little water (just enough to cover it) for 3-4 whistles.
2. Peel and cut chena, kaachil, chembu, koorka, sweet potato and kaya into cubes. Pressure cook all these with just enough water(about 2 cups), salt and turmeric powder for about 2-3 whistles.
3. Meanwhile grind the ingredients under 'To grind' to a coarse paste. Add very little or no water at all.
4. Once the vegetables are cooked, add the cooked vanpayar  and ground coconut to it.
5. Bring the pressure cooker back to medium heat and mix well. Add the coconut oil and curry leaves and give a quick stir. Switch off the stove.

Serve warm!!

Carrot-Beans stir fry

Ingredients

Carrot - 2 medium
Beans - 1/2 lbs
Green chilly - 2 -3, slit lengthwise
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash, peel and cut the carrots into small strips of about an inch. Similarly cut the beans also into small pieces of about an inch each.
2. Place the carrots and beans in a pan along with the green chillies.
3. Add half a cup of water, turmeric powder and salt to it and stir.
4. Let it cook for about 15 minutes in medium-low flames till all the water is absorbed and the veggies are fully cooked.
5. Now add coconut oil to it and stir well. Switch off the flame.

Serve with rice!

Green beans thoran/poriyal

Ingredients:

Green beans - 1 lb
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Dry Red chilly - 1
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

To temper

Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig or 5-6 leaves
Dry Red chilly - 1


Method:

1. Wash the beans and cut/chop the beans into small pieces . Make sure you remove the ends of the beans.
2. Heat oil in a pan.Add mustard seeds, urad dal and dry red chilly. When  the mustard seeds splutter add the curry leaves followed by the chopped beans.
3. Add turmeric powder, salt and around 1/2 cup water. Mix it well and close the pan. Cook it in medium-low flame for 10 -15 minutes on medium flame or till the water is fully absorbed and the beans are fully cooked.
4. Meanwhile coarse grind the coconut and red chilly in a mixie/blender without adding any water.
5. Once the beans are cooked completely, add these ground coconut to it and mix well. Cook it for another one minute and switch of the flame.

Serve it as a side dish for rice!

Beetroot pickle

Ingredients:

Beetroot - 2 medium
Green chilly -  12- 14
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
White Vinegar - 1/4 cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 2 sprig
Salt to taste


Method:

1. Wash and peel the beetroots. Thinly slice the beetroot and cut the green chilly into 2-3 pieces.

2. Heat oil in a pan. Fry the green chilly for 3-4 minutes. Then add curry leaves and fry for a minute.
3. Add the sliced beetroot pieces and fry for 2 minutes. Then add turmeric powder and salt and saute for a minute.
4. Finally add vinegar and boil for a minute. Switch of the stove.
5. Keep aside for 5-10 minutes.

Serve with rice!!

Rice vermicelli upma

Ingredients:

1. Rice vermicelli - 200 gm
2. Onion - 1 medium
3. Tomato - 1
4. Carrot - 1
5. Cabbage - 1/4 cup, chopped
6. Green chilly - 1-2
7. Ginger garlic paste - 1.5 tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Garam masala - 2 tsp + 1/2 tsp
10. Oil - 1tsp + 2 tbsp
11. Jeera - 1 tsp
12. Salt to taste
13. Coriander leaves - to garnish

Method:

1. Boil water . Add salt and a tsp of oil to it,
2. Then add the rice vermicelli to the boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes. Turn of the heat and loosen the vermicelli with a fork.
3. Drain and rinse under cold water. Keep aside.
4. Meanwhile chop all the vegetables.
5. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add jeera followed by chopped onion and carrots. Saute till the onions are are translucent.
6. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry for another minute.
7. Now add the chopped tomatoes and cabbage and fry till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
8. Add the turmeric powder , garam masala and salt and fry it for another 1-2 minutes.
9. Now add the cooked vermicelli to the above mixture and mix well.
10. Garnish it with coriander leaves.


Notes:

1. Add oil to the boiling water and rinsing under cold water helps to remove the stickyness of the vermicelli.
2. You can add any vegetable of your choice like beans or capsicum.

Chocolate butter cake with chocolate frosting

It was my daughter's 5th birthday on October 10. She wanted chocolate cake with chocolate frosting with flowers on it :)

Source : Joyofbaking

Ingredients:

For chocolate cake

1.  All purpose flour - 2 and 1/4 cups
2. Sugar - 2 cups
3. Eggs - 3, at room temperature
4. Unsweetened cocoa powder - 3 tbsp
5. Semi sweet chocolate pieces - 1 cup , chopped
6. Baking soda - 1 tsp
7. Baking powder - 2 tsp
8. Salt - 1/2 tsp
9. Hot coffee - 1 cup
10. Butter - 1 cup ,at room temperature
11. Milk - 1 cup, at room temperature
12. Pure Vanilla extract - 2 tsp

For Chocolate frosting

1. Butter - 1 cup, at room temperature
2. Powdered sugar - 2 cups
3. Semisweet chocolate chips - 1.5 cups
4. Pure vanilla extract - 1.5 tsp

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Butter the bottom of a 9 x 13" cake pans (or you can use two 9" pans).Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease it with butter.
2. In a bowl, add the chopped chocolate pieces, chocolate powder and hot coffee and mix till the chocolate pieces are fully melted. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
3. In a large mixing bowl , combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. In another bowl, beat the butter until soft . It will take around 1- 2 minutes.
4. Gradually add sugar and beat for another 5- 6 minutes till it is very light and fluffy.
5. Add eggs one at a time , beating after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for another 1-2 minutes.
6. Add vanilla extract and melted chocolate and beat until combined for about 2-3 minutes.
7. Alternatively add the flour and milk and beat on low speed, like add 1/3rd flour, then half the milk, then 1/3rd flour, half the milk and the remaining 1/3rd flour. Beat till the mixture is well combined.
8. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate frosting

1. Place the chocolate chips in a bowl on top of simmering water. Melt the chocolate chips and allow it to cool to room temperature.
2. In a large mixing bowl, place the butter and beat till the butter turns soft, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat on high till the mixture turns very soft, light and fluffy, for about 4-5 minutes.
4. Then add the melted chocolate to it and beat on low for about 1-2 minutes and then beat on high speed for another 2-3 minutes till the mixture is very smooth.

Decorate the cake with frosting and enjoy!!