Koova Payasam - Thiruvathira special

                              Koova payasam is a traditional Kerala recipe.It is mainly prepared on the day of Thiruvathira, in the malayalam month of Dhanu along with Thiruvathira puzhukku and broken wheat upma..

Ingredients:

Koova Podi/Arrowroot powder - 1/4 cup
Water -  1 cup
Jaggery - 1/2 cup grated (I used the dark
Coconut - 3-4 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Ripe Plantain / Ethapazham - 1/4 cup , cut into small pieces
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp (Optional)

Method:

1. Take a heavy bottom pan, Add all the ingredients except cardamom powder.Mix well.
2. Boil the mixture in medium heat, stirring continuously. After about 10 minutes, the mixture starts becoming thick. When the mixture has turned dark brown and the consistency is semi thick, remove it from fire .
3. Garnish it with cardamom powder. This is optional. 

Christmas fruit cake/ Kerala Plum cake

WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR !!!

My first post of the year is Christmas fruit cake or Plum cake. Plum cake is one of mine and my husband's favorite cake. This is my first attempt in baking plum cake and it was a huge success. The whole cake was finished that day itself :)

The recipe is a combination of many other recipes like Yummyoyummy, edible garden, marias menu... The recipe list seems to be very long, but believe me its not that difficult and the taste is worth the effort :)

Ingredients:

To soak dried fruits & nuts
Dried fruits - 2.5 cups
Nuts - 1.5 cups
Orange Peel - 1 tsp
Apple juice/Wine/Rum - 1 cup

For spice powder
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp
Clove powder - 1/4 tsp
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Dried ginger powder -1/4 tsp (Optional)

For caramel:
Sugar- 1/2cup
Water - 1 tbsp
Hot Water - 1/4 cup

For cake batter
All purpose flour - 2 cups
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 2 cups
Butter - 1 cup or 2 sticks ( at room temperature)
Eggs - 4 (at room temperature)
Vanilla essence - 2 tsp

Method:

Soaking the fruits and nuts
Roughly chop all the fruits and nuts. You can use any dried fruits and nuts like raisins, cranberries, dates, cherries, cashews, almonds or pecans. Soak all these fruits, nuts and orange peel in apple juice/wine/rum in an air tight container. I used apple juice here. Soak it for atleast 24 hrs to 1 week.

Caramelize the sugar 
1. Heat sugar with 1 tbsp water in a heavy bottom pan on medium heat. The sugar will first melt and slowly turns  into golden brown. Heat it for somemore time until the colour changes to dark brown. Now add the hot water to the caramel and heat it for another 2 minutes so that the sugar doesnot crystallize. Set it aside and allow it to cool down.
Note: Be very careful and keep safe distance while pouring water into the caramelized sugar.
          Donot stir until the sugar has melted completely and the colour has changed to golden brown.

Preparing the cake batter
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 8" cake pans or one 9x13" pan with butter and a sheet of parchment paper.
2. In a mixing bowl, sift together all purpose flour,baking soda , baking powder, salt and spice powders.
3. Drain the soaked dry fruits. Reserve around 2-3 tbsp of the juice/rum/wine. Add 1/2 cup of mixed flour to this so that the fruits and nuts are completely coated with flour. This will help prevent the fruits and nuts from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
4. In another mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until creamy for around 3-4 minutes with a n electric hand mixer. Now add eggs one by one, beating after each addition. Beat until the mixture is creamy and fluffy.
5. Add the flour mixture to this and beat until incorporated. Now add the vanilla essence and mix well.
6. Mix in the cooled caramel and dried fruits and nuts and gently fold in with a wooden spatula. Lastly add 2-3 tbsp of the reserved juice/wine/rum to this and mix well.
7. Pour the batter into the greased pans and bake for around 1 hr , until a tooth pick inserted at the center comes out clean. The baking time can vary from around 50 min to 1 hr 15 min, depending upon the oven. Allow the cake to cool for 10 -15 minutes.

Enjoy the Christmas fruit cake!! Happy holidays!!

Idiyappam /Noolputtu/ String hoppers

Ingredients:

Roasted rice flour  - 1 cup
Water - 1 - 1.5 cups (depends on the rice flour)
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup


Method:

1. Boil water in a pot. Add oil and salt to it.
2. Take rice flour in a mixing bowl and add water to it little by little, stirring continuously. After it cools down slightly, use your hands and make a smooth dough . Set this aside for 15-20 minutes.Fill the idiyappam maker with this dough.
3. Grease the idli moulds with oil and sprinkle 1 tsp of coconut . Now press the idiyappam maker onto the idli moulds in circular motion. You can add some coconut on top of it ,if desired.
4. Steam cook it for about 10-12 minutes. Allow it to cool slightly and transfer it to a serving bowl.

Enjoy hot idiyappams with kadala curry or vegetable stew or egg curry!!

Palmiers / Little hearts

Ingredients:

Puff pastry sheets(like Pepperidge farms) - 1
Sugar - 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Remove the puff pastry sheet from the refrigerator and bring to almost room temperature. It should still be cool and not very soft.
2. Preheat oven to 400 F.
3. Sprinkle about 2 tbsp of sugar on to the counter.Unfold the thawed pastry sheet onto the counter and sprinkle another 2 tbsp of sugar on to the sheet.
4. Now with a rolling pin , roll the pastry sheets with sugar on it . Just roll it 1-2 times so that the sugars are incorporated into the sheets.
5. Fold the sheet from the opposite sides so that they meet at the center.  Again fold the same side of the sheet so that they meet at the center.
6. Fold one half of the sheet over the other. Now cut the sheet into 1/2" pieces and place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
7. Sprinkle remaining sugar on top of all the pieces .
8. Bake it for 5 minutes. Then turn over all the pieces and bake for another 5 minutes or until the pieces turns golden brown.

Potato poriyal / Potato fry

Ingredients:

Potato - 3
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves -1 sprig
Dried Red Chilly - 2
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Peel off the skin of potatoes. Wash and cut them into small cubes.
2. Take a bowl and add these potato pieces, salt , turmeric powder and red chilly powder and mix well so that all the masala gets coated onto the potatoes.
3. Heat oil in a non - stick pan and add mustard seeds, Once the mustard seeds splutter add red chilly and curry leaves. Then add the potato pieces and the masala. You will find little water at the bottom of the bowl, add that also to the pan.
4. Reduce the flame to low and cook for another 10 - 15 minutes till the potatoes start turning to golden brown.
5. Make sure to stir the potatoes every 4-5 minutes. Switch off the flame.
Serve hot with rice!

Carrot cake

Source: Joy of baking

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour - 1/2 cup
All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
Carrot - 1 - 1 and 1/2 cups
Nuts(Walnuts or pecans) - 1/2 cup chopped
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking soda - 3/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Oil - 1/2 cup
Eggs - 2
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Method:


1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9" cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
2.Peel the carrots. Grate or finely chop the carrots .
3. In a mixing bowl, add the wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk it together.
4.In another mixing bowl, add the eggs and beat it for about 1 minute until frothy. Add the sugar slowly and beat till the batter is thick and lightly coloured, for about 4-5 minutes.
5. Add the oil while beating the mixture.Now add the vanilla extract and beat for a minute.
6. Mix in the flour mixture and beat until incorporated.
7. Fold in the grated/chopped the carrots and nuts.
8. Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until the tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Allow it to cool for 10 -15 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Onion Chutney

Ingredients :

Shallots - 10 - 12, cubed
Dried Red Chilly -  3
Oil  - 2 Tsp
Salt to taste

To temper:
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly - 1
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add onion and red chillies. Fry till onion starts turning colour.
2. Allow the mixture to cool down and transfer it to a blender . Add salt to it.
3. Grind it to a smooth paste . You can add 1 or 2 tsp of water if you want.
4. Heat oil in a pan . Add the items under 'To temper'. Add the ground paste to it.

Serve it with dosa or idli!

Notes:

1. Shallots works best for this chutney. But you can use 1 medium onion(chopped/cubed) as well.