Semiya/Vermicelli Payasam

Blogging Marathon#27 has started from today and this marathon is going to be a very special which is a 30 days marathon.
For this month Valli has chosen a 30 days marathon with 4 different themes for each week and this week,s theme is Occasion.
Under this theme we need to showcase the recipes which is prepared during occasions such as wedding,birthday,anniversary.
Today I am sharing a simple and delicious payasam with vermicelli popular in occasions.None of the South Indian occasion meal won't be complete without the payasam and vadai.
Coming to the recipe I wanted to make the payasam along with the colored sago which is usually served in the wedding menu.So I started hunting colored sago in Indian grocery unfortunately it is not available here.But for my surprise I got the colored vermicelli instead of sago,made this evergreen payasam served in the weddings.Now off to the recipe.........................

Ingredients 

Ingredient	Quantity
Vermicelli/semiya	1cup
Sugar	3/4cup
Milk	2cups
Cashews	3tbs
Cardamom powder/ellaki podi	1/4tsp
Ghee	1tbs
Condensed milk	1/4cup(optional)

Method

Enjoy....................................................

• Addition of condensed milk is purely optional but it gives a richness to the payasam,if you are not adding increase the sugar quantity to 1 cup.
• The amount of milk can de adjusted according to the consistency.
• Raisins can also be added and for extra flavor rose or vanilla extract can be added.

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Event and Giveaway Announcement-Only Legumes

Hello friends I am hosting Pari's 'Only' cooking series,please do participate in the event and make it success.The theme for this month is Legumes.
Legumes are class of vegetables that includes beans and peas.
Legumes are typically low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are high in folate, potassium, iron and magnesium. They also contain beneficial fats and soluble and insoluble fiber. A good source of protein, legumes can be a healthy substitute for meat.

Some of the common legumes are

• Adzuki beans/Red chori/Thattapayaru
• Black beans
• Black eye beans
• Chickpeas/Garbanzo beans/Channa
• Cranberry beans
• Cow peas/Vellakaramani/Alasanda
• Fava beans
• Green peas
• Lima beans
• Moth beans
• Mung beans
• Pinto beans
• Pink beans
• Red Kidney beans or Rajma

 Here are the rules to participate in the event

• The event starts from 1 -30th April 2013.
• Any number of entries can be accepted but only 2 archives entries are accepted and needs to be re posted,else it is not accepted.
• Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are accepted,only chicken,fish and eggs are only allowed.
• Use of logo is mandatory as it helps the word spread.
• The entry must be linked back to my announcement page as well to Pari's announcement page.
• Non bloggers also participate in this event send their entries to naliniskitchen@gmail.com on or before April 30th 2013.
• The winner will be selected by randomly by Pari at the end of the event for a cookbook of Tarladalal.
• The winner be make an arrangement  to provide an address in India if living in abroad as it is delivered only in India.
• I will post the roundup in a week after the completion of the event.

Looking forward for your delicious recipes......

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Goan Pancake/Elle Belle/Goan Pancakes filled with coconut and jaggery filling

Today's recipe is simple pancake stuffed with coconut and jaggery which is popular in Goa.
This pancakes resembles South Indian Surul Aapam in which finely ground rice is used as the outer layer,will share the recipe soon.
When I was talking about this recipe to one of my friend came to know that there is a similar recipe available in Kerala which is called as Love Letter.I don't know the reason behind this name.
Coming to the recipe,the batter with egg comes out thin,soft pancake and easy to spread comparatively without eggs. .Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients

For the crepe

Ingredient	Quantity
All purpose flour	1cup
Egg	1no.
Milk	1/2cup
Baking soda	a pinch
Ghee/oil	to drizzle
Salt	1/4tsp

For the Filling

Ingredient	Quantity
Fresh coconut(grated)	1cup
Brown Sugar/Jaggery	3/4cup
Cardamom powder	a generous pinch

Method 

Take the dry ingredients,maida,salt and baking powder in a bowl and mix it well.Now beat the egg with the milk till fluffy.Add this one to the flour and mix it well.Make a thin batter with water.

Keep the coconut and sugar in a microwave bowl and cook it for 2-3 minutes,stir in in between.Add the cardamom powder and keep it aside.

Heat a non-stick pan and pour a ladle of batter ad swirl the pan in a circular motion for spreading the batter. Drizzle a few drops of oil or ghee and cook it for a minute.No need to flip,remove it from the pan and transfer to a plate. Now keep 11/2tbs of filling in the center.

Tuck in both the sides and roll it from one end to make a roll. Pancake is ready.

Serve it immediately

Enjoy...........................................................................

• Using the non-stick pan is very important to get a nice and thin pancakes.
• The amount of jaggery can be increased or decreased according to personal preference.
• You can add even khoya to the filling but traditionally coconut and jaggery filling is used.

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Egg Vindaloo

Vindaloo is a spicy Goan curry which mostly made with chicken and pork or mixed veggies.I had chicken vindaloo in restaurants with flat bread and rice.
For the day 2 of Blogging Marathon #26 under the theme Goan cuisine I wanted to try the vindaloo with the eggs instead of chicken or veggies.
For my surprise it turned out super delicious and spicy,tangy,aromatic curry. We enjoyed with roti and plain rice.Now to the recipe.......................

Ingredients
For the curry

Egg	4nos.
Onion(finely chopped)	2nos.(medium size)
Tomato	2nos.(medium size)
Green Chilly(chopped)	2nos.
Coriander leaves(chopped)	2tbs
Salt	to taste
Oil	2tbs

For the Vindaloo paste 

Red chilly	6-7nos.
Corianderseeds/vara kothamalli	11/2tbs
Cumin seeds	1tsp
Cloves/lavangam	4nos.
Cinnamon/pattai	1 inch piece
Ginger/inji	1 inch piece
Garlic/poondu	6-7 cloves
Turmeric powder/manjal podi	1/2tsp
Vinegar	1tbs

For the tempering 

Cardamom/ellaki	1no.
Cumin seeds	1/2tsp
Cloves/lavangam	2nos.
Cinnamon/pattai	1 inch piece
Black pepper corns/milagu	1/8tsp

Method 

                Boil the eggs and halved it and grind the ingredients given, to a fine paste with water and vinegar,keep it aside.
Heat a pan with the oil crackle the cumin seeds then add the cinnamon,black pepper,cloves.Add the onions and green chilly,saute till transparent.Then add the ground paste and fry it till the raw flavor vanishes.

Now add the chopped tomatoes,cook till mushy.Add a cup of water and salt,cook it till it becomes thicken.

Now add the boiled eggs and cook it for 2 minutes,finally add the chopped coriander leaves,mix it gently.

Egg Vindaloo is ready. Serve it with roti and rice.

Enjoy.............................................................................

• This same recipe can be made with chicken and mixed veggies even soya nuggets can also be used.
• After adding the eggs gently mix it otherwise the yolk will separate from the white.
• Add the tomatoes after the paste is completely fried and the raw smell vanishes.

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Baath cake/Semolina cake/Goan Semolina and Coconut Cak

For the final week of Blogging Marathon#26 I chose the Goan cuisine as theme and today,s recipe is going to be a flavorful cake called Baath Cake.
Goan cuisine is influenced by Portuguese colonization,famous for sea food and lots of unique vegetarian dishes.
The baath cake or semolina cake has a very unique flavor which is prepared during the Christmas time in Goa.
This is a simple cake which doesn't need of fancy ingredients and the cake comes out fluffy and light if it soaks for altleast 8 hours or overnite.
The recipe I adapted from Priya's blog and tweaked slightly.The original recipe calls for 3 eggs but I used 2 as we don't like too much of egg flavor in cake so added an extra one tbs of butter.Here is the recipe................................  

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Semolina/rava/sooji	1cup
Powdered sugar	11/2cups
Coconut(grated)	2cups
All purpose flour/maida	3tbs
Corn flour	1tbs
Butter(room temperature)/vennai	5tbs
Egg	2nos.
Baking powder	2tsp
Salt	a pinch
Milk	1/2cpp
Vanilla extract	2tsp
Finely chopped nuts	to garnish
Milk	1/2cup

Method 

Mix well all purpose flour,finely grated coconut,powdered sugar,semolina,corn flour and baking powder in a bowl and keep aside. Beat the eggs with an electric hand blender till it becomes fluffy.

Then add the butter and beat it well. Now to the egg mixture gradually add the dry ingredients and mix it well with a spatula.Add milk as needed to get a pouring consistency. Cover the mixture and keep it for 8 hours or overnite in a room temperature or refrigerator depending upon the climate.

After 8 hours of soaking take the batter and add the vanilla extract and mix it. Pre heat the oven to 340 degree Fahrenheit and transfer the dough to a greased pan,garnish it with the chopped nuts..Bake it for 30-35 minutes or a tooth pick comes out clean.

Cool it on a cooling rack and cut into desired shape. Baath Cake is ready.

Enjoy.................................................................

• Use the room temperature butter and if you r keeping it in the refrigerator then take it out an hour before and keep it the room temperature,then bake it. 
• Instead of fresh grated coconut,dessicated coconut can also be used but the flavor will be better with the fresh coconut. 
• Do not over bake the cake as it turns hard and after 25 minutes check it every other minute to get a perfect cake.
• The coconut can be grated finely or it can be grind to a coarse paste.

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Corn and green Peas Kurma

For the final day of blogging marathon#26 under the theme pick one ingredient I made the kurma with my ingredient sweet corn.Along with sweet corn and peas I added potato,the taste was so good and paired up with rotis for dinner.Now to the recipe.......................

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Sweet corn kernels	3/4cup
Green peas	1/2cup
Potato(cubed)	1no.(medium size)
Onion(finely chopped)	1no.(medium size)
Tomato(finely chopped)	2nos.(medium size)
Green Chilly(chopped)	2nos.
Coriander leaves(chopped)	2tbs
Curry leaves(chopped)	1 sprig
Ginger&garlic paste	2tsp
Red chilly powder/milagai podi	1tsp
Coriander powder/dhania podi	11/2tsp
Garam masala powder	1/4tsp
Turmeric powder/manjal podi	1/8tsp
Salt	11/2tsp
Oil	11/2tbs

To grind

Ingredient	Quantity
Coconut grated	1/4cup
Fennel seeds/sombhu	1tsp
Cinnamon/pattai	1/2 inch piece
Cloves/lavangam	2nos.
Poppy seeds/kasakasa	1/2tsp
Cashews/mundiri	2nos.

Method

• Grind the ingredients given to a fine paste with water and keep it aside.
• Heat the oil and saute the onion and green chilly till transparent then add the ginger garlic paste.Fry it till the raw smell disappears.
• Add the tomatoes and cook it till mushy,then add the green peas and corn.Saute it for a minute.
• Now add all the powders,salt and mix it well,add a cup of water to it.
• Add the cubed potato and cook it covered in a medium flame for 4-5 minutes.
• Then add the ground paste and cook it for 2-3 minutes.
• Finally add the coriander leaves.
• Serve it along with roti and pulkhas.

Enjoy...................................................

• Instead of coconut paste coconut milk can also be used.
• Other veggies such as green beans and bell pepper also added for extra flavors.

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Sweet Corn Halwa

For the day 2 of blogging marathon#26 under the theme pick one ingredient and make 3 recipes is a tempting sweet made with corn.
I have already posted a halwa made with corn flour which is known as Karachi halwa but today's recipe is with the sweet corn kernels.
I saw this recipe in a T.V cooking show competition and the measurements were not clearly mentioned.So with those ingredients I recreated the recipe according to our taste buds.
The taste of the halwa is almost like the badam halwa with the flavor of saffron.As I made this one for the first time I used only one cup of corn and the output was just enough for 3 people for a serving.Now off to the recipe..............

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Sweet corn kernels	1cup
Sugar	3/4cup
Unsweetned khoya/mawa(grated)	1/2cup
Ghee/nei	3-4tbs
Milk	2-3tbs
Saffron	4-5 threads

Method

                         Cook the corn kernels with a cup of water in a microwave oven for 5-6 minutes.Drain the water completely after cooling grind it to a fine paste with the milk as needed.
Now heat a pan with 2tbs of ghee and add the corn paste and stir it well till the smell goes away.Add the sugar and mix well.Stir it till the mixture becomes glossy and thick.

At this point add the grated khoya and mix it well.Add the remaining ghee.

Stir it till everything comes together and the ghee leaves the sides of the pan,put off the stove.Finally crush the saffron threads to it and give it a mix.

Delicious and mouthwatering Corn Halwa is ready.

 Serve it warm.

 Enjoy.................................................................

The halwa doesn't need any fried nuts and cardamom powder the flavor of the saffron is enough.But if you want you can add fried cashews and almonds.

Make sure the corn is grind smoothly to a fine paste,thats is very important for the texture of the halwa.

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Corn and Soya Croquettes

For the blogging marathon#26 I chose the theme pick one and make 3,the ingredient is going to be sweet corn.
So today's recipe is with the sweet corn and soya nuggets which is a starter/snack which I adapted it from a T.V show.Her goes the recipe.................

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Potato	2nos.(medium size)
Corn kernels	1/2cup
Soya nuggets	15nos.(bigger size)
Onion(chopped)	2nos.(medium size)
Green Chilly(chopped)	4nos.
Ginger(grated)	1tsp
Garlic(grated)	2tsp
Coriander leaves(chopped)	2tbs
Lemon juice	1tbs
Garam masala powder	1/2tsp
Maida/all purpose flour	4tbs
Salt	11/2tsp
Oil	as needed for frying

Method 

• Cook the soya nuggets in a boiling water,squeeze the excess water and pulse it in the blender to a coarse paste.Boil the potatoes and mash it.
• Cook the corn kernels in the microwave or boiling water and mash coarsely it,keep aside. 
• Heat couple of tsp of oil in pan and saute the onions and green chilly,once the onions turn transparent add the grated ginger &garlic.Saute it till the raw smell disappears.
• To this add the soya,corn and salt,mix it well,cook it for a minute or two.Now add the mashed potato and mix it well.
• Finally add the garam masala powder,lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves give it a mix.Let the mixture gets cool down.
• Add the all purpose flour and mix it well.Pinch out a small lemon sized ball and make it to a oblong shape.
• Heat the pan in a medium heat and deep fry 4-5 croquettes for a batch till golden and crisp.
• Drain it on a kitchen towel.

Serve it warm with tomato ketchup or mint chutney.

• The  original recipe is with the soya granules if you are using soya granules use 1/2cup.
• The taste of the croquettes is nice if it is deep fried but it can be shallow fried.The taste will be slightly different.
• Mash the corn slightly,to prevent popping and the green chillies can be substituted with the red chilly powder.
• Maintain the temperature in a medium flame otherwise the croquettes will separate.
• Do a trial fry if it is separated then add little more of all purpose flour and mix it well or roll the croquettes in all purpose flour.

Enjoy...............................................  

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