Shrimp Noodle

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   How about more noodles?  The recipe is quite similar to the vegetarian one I posted a while back.  But the addition of shrimp and oyster sauce gives it another dimension.  The process is all similar but as you will agree it's the ingredients that makes the difference.  Most of the ingredients I have used today can be found in anybody's kitchen and also a few tips to enhance the flavors if you choose can be found in the foot note.

  Cleveland where I am right now is proving to be quite exciting.  Did I tell you there is going to be a Onam Sadya around here..  Broadview Heights Recreation Center, 9543 Broadview Road, Broadview Heights , Oh 44147.  This will be on Sep 4th, 6 PM to 10 PM.  If you are in Ohio you might want to go take a look.  I haven't decided if I am going but it sure is in my mind.

   While I go enjoy my rest of the day browsing in blogland I wish you a good day too.
  


Ingredients:

Egg Noodles - 1 packet (200 gm)
Ginger - 1 Tbspn
Garlic - 2 Tbspn
Carrot - 1 julienned
Cabbage - long slender shreds (1 cup packed)
Beans - 20 nos juliened

Soyabean sauce - to taste.  I added 2 Tbspn
Green chilies - 2

Marinate Shrimp

Shrimp - 10 or 15 in number
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tspn
Oyster sauce - 1 Tbspn
Chili powder - 1/2 tspn

Ground Pepper - 1 tspn (or sprinkle to taste)



Method:
1. Cook Noodles as per packet instruction.  I run cold water over the cooked noodle and pour and toss it in 1 tbspn of oil and set aside

Marinate Shrimp:
1. Add oyster sauce, chili powder a little soya sauce and the ginger garlic paste and marinate for 20 minutes
2.  Heat a wok or big open pan which can hold the vegetables and noodles together and heat.
3. Pour 1 Tbspn of oil and add the chopped ginger and stir for a couple of seconds and add garlic.
4. Add the marinated prawns and saute for a minute and add the green chilies, beans, carrots and cabbage
5. Once the prawns have turned white or pink (color the shrimp turns to when cooked) depending on the type of shrimp you use add capsicum and stir on high heat to cook the edges
6. Add some remaining soyabean sauce and toss in the cooked noodles
7. Check for salt and taste and add some more soyabean sauce if needed



Notes: You can add 1 tspn of the stir fried chili sauce, maggi chicken bullion 1/2 packet etc to enhance the taste.  Aginomoto about 1/4 tspn also will help to enhance the flavors.  When I need to add a little spark to the noodle I do that sometimes.  On a regular basis prefer to avoid.

Contributor: Sunitha

Pista Kulfi/ Pistachios icecream

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  Ha! Now Kulfi needs no introduction does it?  Some things evoke the child in you and kulfi definitely does that for me.  I had my first kulfi on an excursion outside Kerala and then on quite hooked. I love most Indian desserts like kalakand and burfi etc but this one has a special place.  It conquers all, takes the icing on the cake really, because its frozen.  Like most people I love ice cream and so does my children.  This is an ideal way to taste an Indian dessert and fall in love.  Hopefully, you agree. I am rambling.

  A fun of another sort I am having these days is listening to my son.  Entertainer.  His father was absolutely in splits listening to him say 'Buhmb' for Urumb (meaning: 'ants').  I adore this phase of my son.  As rowdy as he is, when he makes up these words and says it with carefree, abandon, cool as if  he is right!  Confidence.  Love it now but maybe not if he was a teenager. Worries for another time.

 Today, let's enjoy the small wonders the day brings and lick up some mouthwatering, lip smacking, rollicking goodness of kulfi. Oh.. what fun and such beautiful memories this dessert evokes.  Don't you agree?

  If you have not heard of this dessert: it's similar to ice cream except not whipped to a fluffy consistency.  Milk is cooked down and frozen to make a dense ice cream.  Pisatchio's,  I think are the most common flavoring agent but you can make many variations.  Let that imagination run wild!   I have done mine today with pistachios.

Forgot to ask: Hope you are doing well and had a jolly weekend.

Now, shall we go on and have some 'njummy, ammi kulfi' like my son would say...okay!




Ingredients:

Milk- 4 cups/1 liter
Condensed milk- 1/3 cup
Sugar- to taste
Pistachios- 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp

Method:

1.In a wide and (preferably) non sticky pan boil the milk till it reduces to one third of its quantity.
2.Do keep stirring in between and scrape down the sides. It took me about 20 minutes for get this done.
3.Meanwhile grind/grate pistachios coarsely.
4.Once the milk is reduced to one third, add the ground pistachios and condensed milk and cook for 2-3 minutes.Keep stirring.Add the sugar too if you are adding any.
5.Switch off the heat and add the cardamom powder and mix well.
6.Let it cool for some time and pour into kulfi mold/pop mold and set in the freezer for at least 4 hours.If you are pouring into a big bowl ,then let it sit longer to set.
7.Serve after garnishing with pistachios slivers.



Notes:

1.Be easy on adding sugar since you are adding condensed milk.
2.This recipe gives ~6 servings.

Patties

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     How are you doing this morning.  It's finally the weekend and I am sure you are feeling as good as me.  I am dying to get out and walk in the woods somewhere.  Yes, as soon as we have had this visit I will scour the internet to find somewhere nice to take off on a day excursion tomorrow.  Guess what I have to make a neat sandwich?  Culmination of English and Indian you could say.  Kabab like patties.  I say that because I sneaked some 'Shan Kabab masala into the ground beef I had together with some more ingredients and popped in the oven.  Oh, boy! never did a spur of the moment idea turn out so well.  Tasted like kababs though the texture was not as good because I refused to grind the meat fine in my mixer.  However, if you do have a way of grinding fresh meat at home do that with the recipe that follows and you will be making some delicious kababs at home.

   It's tart and hot and will go into a wrap or sandwich bread and make a pretty good lunch.



Ingredients:

Ground Meat - 1/2 lb
Onions      - 1 small finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbspn
Salt        - 1/2 tspn
Lemon juice - a squeeze ( I am thinking about 1 tspn)  Please be careful how much you add because the quantity of meat is very little.  Also, if you are using ginger garlic paste its already salted and had a sour taste.
Mint Leaves - 3 sprigs (take out only the leaves and chop fine)
Green chilies - 3 finely chopped or 2 well ground
Shan kabab masala - 1 tspn 
paparika -  a dash
pepper   -  a dash



Method:
1. Mix all the ingredients together.  (Use a glove if you do not like to work with fresh meat)
2. Make small patties, as thin as you can with the palm of your hand and place it on an oven proof tray
4. Bake at 400 D for 20 minutes.  Turn the patties with a spatula after 10 minutes and brush the juices the meat express back on.

Enjoy it as is or sandwiched between bread or crumbled into a wrap with your favorite salad dressing.

Contributor: Sunitha

Shepherd's Pie

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 If you are a lover of shepherd's pie, today's recipe will either disappoint or thrill you.  I changed the spices rosemary, thyme and basil to cloves, cinnamon and cardamom.  I used a little garam masala in short.  I even threw a sprig of curry leaves for experiment and what do you know, it did quite well.  The only step I regret is not having drained the fat after browning the meat.  Else, I am delighted the way it turned out.

  I quite like Shepherd's pie.  The first time I had it at a friend's place was  a long time ago.  In Kerala, I doubt we were getting minced meat at that time and therefore she cooked and then ground the meat for the pie.  It was good but the texture of the pie was like that of pulled pork in sauce.  However, when cooked  with fresh ground meat its plenty different and I like it better.  Thereafter, I have had shepherd's pie in quite a few places and mostly pleased with them all.  Especially good, I  remember, is the one served at '13th floor' a restaurant in Bangalore.  Now, did I get that restaurant name right? I am talking about the one on MG Road.  The pie that evening was made with lamb and it was delicious. That is probably the last time I had pie outside home.

  About three or four years back I started cooking it at home using a recipe from an Australian cook book.  It's an old book and I had a photocopy from a friend.  A darn good one I dare say but cannot remember the name.  Now that I have been cooking a while, I finally created my own version today.  I am rather glad the way it turned out like I mentioned earlier.  Moist and spicy it's a meal in itself and I can already think of  possibilities with the left overs.  Enjoy!      



Ingredients:

For the first layer:
1. Minced meat (I used beef) - 3/4 lb
2. Onions - 2 small size chopped fine
3. Ginger - 1 Tbspn
4. Garlic - 1 Tbspn
5. Green Chilies - 5 - 6 thai
7. Paparika - 1/2 tspn
9. Black pepper - sprinkle
10. Curry Leaves - 1 Sprig
11. Garam Masala - 1/2 tspn
12. Tomato - 2 medium size chopped fine

For the Topping
Potato - 2 russet potato
Butter - 2 Tbspn
Sour Cream - 3 Tbspn
Milk - 2 to 4 Tbspn (use it accordingly when creaming)
Parmesan cheese - to spinkle on top
Paparika - to spinkle



Method:
1. Brown the meat in a skillet or any cooking vessel. Here, we are only looking for change of color of the meat from pink to brown
2. Oil will clear at this time unless you are using 100% lean meat
3. Drain some or all the fat
3. Add chopped ginger, garlic, onions and green chilies and continue to cook. Wait for cooked garlic smell and onions to be translucent
4. Add curry leaves and stir
5. Add paparika and pepper if you want it to be spicier or you may not use them also
6. Add 1 1/2 tspn of all purpose flour and stir into the meat and cook for a couple of seconds
7. Add chopped tomato and cook
8. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring to boil
9. I take around 20 minutes for the whole process from the time I start browning the meat
10. You may use 1/2 cup of beef broth too if you like. I don't, I think water is just fine.
11. Set aside



Topping:
1. Dice the potato and cook in about 3/4 cup of water
2. Check with a fork to make sure potato is well done and drain off any excess water or cook it dry
3. Add the butter and sour cream and whip using a blender.
4. Add salt to taste and milk to soften if the potato is too pasty. You do not want it running and not too stiff either.

Layering:
1. Butter a oven safe dish
2. Add the cooked meat and then the potato over it. Sprinkle cheese and paparika and cook in a preheated oven at 400 D for 20 minutes.
3. The meat mixture will boil and bubble at the sides and this is okay.



Server it with rolls, steamed vegetables or even with rotis.
This will serve 4 people.

Contributor: Sunitha

Pinacolada

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   Kerala, Onam and off I go to Puerto Rico.  Yes, Pinacolada was apparently concocted by a bartender named Ramon Marrero in Puerto Rico.  Coco Lopez( cream of coconut) mixed with rum, pineapple juice and ice. Cool and smooth it glides down, you will agree.  Sit out on your deck, sip at a glass and wish real hard.  Who knows, it may even take you  to a beach in Hawaii, just, maybe!  No harm dreaming, right? :)

  My husband is the inspiration for me to try cocktails.  Since the time I started blogging he has been persistently forwarding cocktail petitions.  I am only glad to indulge.  The bright colors and the chill drink is fun and easy to make.  




Ingredients:

Unsweetened Pineapple Juice- 6 ounces
Coconut cream- 2 ounce
Heavy Cream - 1 ounce
Light rum- 2 ounce
Crushed ice- 1 cup

Method:

1.Blend everything together in a blender.
2.Garnish with a pineapple wedge and serve.

Notes:

1.You could reduce the amount of pineapple juice a bit,if you wish.
2.This gives you 2 servings.
3.You could also use a shaker to mix up everything.
4.The original recipe calls for Coco Lopez,the cream of coconut.



Contributor: Namitha

Boli with Paalpayasam to wish you all a Happy Onam !!

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Happy Onam to you!! This day brings back good old memories and my tongue tingles with the taste of good food.  It takes me to the fastest swing my late Grandfather made for us children.  It reminds me how we pestered him until the swing was made.  How, being the eldest amongst my cousins I decided who gets to swing the swing first.  Those were the days.

  Onam meant family reunion.  Cousins from all over the state and country made it to our little town where my grandparent lived.  I next door.  The time other than summer vacation I met my cousins.  We exchanged secrets, played hide and seek and hopping and skipping.   Onam morning we headed out at dawn to pick flowers and make "athappokkalam" the flower carpet  The front yard would be embellished so to speak.  I don't see those flowers anymore in our neighborhood.  Those days are past.  The days of "thumbapoovu"( white beautiful small flowers)"mukkutti"(yellow small ones) "onappovu"(lilac with big petals).  However, the memories are etched in me to never go away.

  It's a day of abundance, color, food and and merry making in my small town.  I hope to spread that cheer to you.



It has been ages since we had celebrated Onam with all the family members and I miss that a lot.But still I make sure that my small family gets a miniature version of it, every year.This time I decided to make this special dessert which goes perfectly well with paalpayasam, Boli, which is usually served in marriage feasts/sadya.

Boli/Holige/Obbattu/Bobatlu/Puran poli is all the same, Boli being the name of this dessert in Tamilnadu and Kerala.

Ingredients:

Channa dal/kadalapparippu- 1 cup
Sugar- 1 cup
Ghee/clarified butter- 2-3 Tbsp
Nutmeg powder- 1/8 tsp
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
All purpose flour/Maida- 1 cup
Yellow food color- a few drops
Salt
Gingely Oil- 2 Tbsp
Rice flour- enough to roll the dough



Method:

1.Pressure cook the channa daal with a pinch of salt.
Knead the dough with salt and food color to a smooth dough. (the dough should be looser than the poori dough.)Bring together the dough to form a big disc, and pour the gingely oil on the top of it so that the dough is completely covered in the oil.Keep it aside for at lest half an hour.
2.Drain any excess water from the cooked daal.
3.Heat a tablespoon of ghee in a nonstick pan. Saute the cooked daal with sugar until all the water gets absorbed.
4.Now add the nutmeg and cardamom powders into this and mix well.Switch off the heat and let it cool.
5.Grind this mixture in a mixer grinder without adding any water to a smooth paste.
6.Make lime sized balls out of it.
7.Take a small portion of the dough, say gooseberry sized, and press it on the palm to get a small poori and keep the daal ball in it and cover it up.Just like you would do to make parathas.
8.Now roll it carefully on a floured surface. It's best to use rice flour for flouring.
9.Cook this on low heat on a tawa until both sides are cooked.
10. Do not overcook or let the sides brown.While turning the sides brush a little ghee on both sides.
11.Seve with paalpayasam or serve as it is.



Notes:

1.This recipe gives you around 15 boli.
2.You could also add 1 tablespoon of gingely oil in the ghee and knead it all together and cover up the dough before you roll them out. But I have found that this method is more easier.
3.Check here for the paalpayasam recipe, which I posted a couple of weeks back.

Here is the picture of an "athappokkalam" which was taken during the Onam celebrations in Hyderabad a few years back, to wish you all a Happy and Proseperous Onam !!!



Contributor: Namitha

Thaalu Thoran/Taro Stem Sauteed with coconut and spices

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  Thaalu thoran is made out of Colocasia stem.  Have you heard of this one before?  I am asking because my friend from Kottayam (my home town) says she has never had this before. You should, if you haven't.  The thaalu and deep friend rice grains together gives this thoran a nice crunchy texture.  I hope I could explain the taste better.

  Everyone at home know how much I like this one.  Not so easily available in the US my sweetest granny made sure I had enough.  She made up for all the missed times.  Oh! she is quite old now and she spoils me.

  Back to the recipe.  It is quite simple.  Though rare you can buy the stems in Chinese super markets in the US.  Exorbitantly priced when the urge hits I indulge.   This used to happen especially when I was carrying my son.  Now, you will agree those are times when you can just let go. I have to say this in closing you need no  excuses to spend on this one.  Once you taste it I guarantee you will go back for more thaalu.



Ingredients:

Stem of colocasia/Taro/thaalu- 4
Cocnut grated- 1/3 cup
Green Chillies- 2-3
Turmeric powder- a pinch
Salt

For seasoning:

Raw rice- 3 Tbsp
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Coconut oil/Any cooking oil- 1 Tbsp
Shallots- 2-3,chopped finely
Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Dried red chillies- 2



Method:

1.Chop the stem finely into slender pieces.Sprinkle a few tablespoons of water and salt over it and squeeze out this completely to remove the juices from the stem that cause itching.This also keeps the thoran dry and crisp rather than mushy.(You could apply some cooking oil on both your palms,or wear some disposable gloves so that it will not make you itchy !)
2.Heat the oil in a pan and do the seasoning starting with mustard seeds.Once they splutter add the rice into it and let it brown slightly. Trow in the shallots and red chillies and saute for a couple of minutes or until the shallots turn brown.Now saute the curry leaves too
3.Meanwhile grind the coconut and green chillies coarsely.
4.Throw in the chopped stem and coconut mixture along with turmeric and salt into the seasoning and cover to cook on low heat. Stir every 2-3 minutes until it is cooked. This won't take more than 5-6 minutes.
5.Keep the pan open and let all the moisture get absorbed.Serve warm with pulissery or sambar .



These pictures of Taro is from my father's vegetable garden.As a child (and also now) I love to see the water droplets on a taro leaf :-)

Contributor: Namitha

Chembu Varutharacha Kari

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        How is it going?  For me, it has been quite a busy day chatting up with my family and friends.  Nevertheless I spun a very tasty, tongue tingling curry.  I have made a variation of this earlier and shared it on the blog.  However,  this one makes me quite excited because its not a usual dish I make and yet it turned out to my taste.

       I am sure you have had a variation or maybe even the same curry before.  It will be interesting to hear from you and know what you call it.  Tart and spicy it goes well with rice.  I am thinking it won't be too bad with rotis either.  Give it a go and tell me how you like it.



Ingredients:
Chembu/Taro - 5 nos

To Fry:
Onion - 1 small size
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Chili powder - 1/2 tbspn
Coriander Powder - 1 Tbspn
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tspn
Oil - 1 tspn

Tamarind - lime sized ball soaked in a cup of water

For Tempering:

Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Shallots - 1 big or 2 small
Red Whole chilies - 2 broken in pieces
Pepper corns - 4
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Oil - 1 Tbspn



Method:

1. Pressure cook the chembu, skin on and some salt. Peel once cooked and set aside. It takes about 3 whistles on medium flame in a pressure cooker.

Grinding:
1. Heat oil and fry the chopped onions till translucent
2. Add the coconut and fry till you get the fried coconut aroma. Wait till the color changes from white to light golden hue
3. Add in the three powders and stir cooking the powder and you the raw smell of the ingredients changes to a cooked aroma of the coconut and spice mix
4. Set aside and once it cools some add some water and grind it to a fine paste.

Combine:

1. Take the juice of the soaked tamarind using your fingers and throw away the fiber.
2. Add another cup of water and bring the tamarind juice to a boil in a gravy pot and add the cooked chembu and check for salt.
3. I let this mix boil hoping to let this root get some of the salt and tart taste
4. Finally add the ground gravy and let the curry boil and mix
5. Add the tempering and serve



The reddish brown pot you see in the above picture is 'chatti' the earthen pot used in a lot of cooking in Kerala. When cooked in this over a log fire and coconut oil wherever you are in the world you can taste a little Kerala.

The pot is courtesy a very dear friend. She packed it to the US from Kerala and then had it transported from Chicago to Ohio just for me. It will be cheap to just say thank you because the gesture is priceless. Love you J for who you are and for being so thoughtful and kind! Need to also thank another friend who helped bring this from Chicago. I will write all about it when I can get a better decent picture of the chatti and thavi. Love it!

Contributor: Sunitha

Cheerios Banana Muffins

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  Hello friends, how is it going?  I just came back after a long needed walk with my son.  We went to a park nearby, he played and I walked around.  It gave us both some fresh air and exercise.  Blessings of a summer morning.  We came home and enjoyed this delicious muffin.  This one is quite an interesting mix you will agree with me.  Read on if you don't believe.  Cheerios and banana; a breakfast by itself go in to make another, muffin.  Yeah! I thought incredulous too, but it's true. 

  As cliched as it may sound the truth is I have had Cheerios hatching in my pantry for a while.  It came easy, free from our local supermarket.  However, it's proved not so easy to feed my family.   Therefore, I had them all fooled with this ingenious concoction of mixing it up to make some spongy, melt in the mouth muffin.  The recipe is courtesy the 'Cheerios' site.



Ingredients:

Cheerios/ Any plain cereal- 1 cup
All purpose flour- 1 1/4 cup
Baking powder- 2 tsp
Brown Sugar- 1/4 cup
Granulated white sugar- 2 Tbsp
Mashed ripe bananas- 1 cup( 2 or 3 bananas)
Raisins- 1/2 to 1 cup
Walnuts (optional)- 1/2 cup
Milk- 2/3 cup
Vegetable oil- 3 Tbsp
Egg,lightly beaten- 1
Pure vanilla extract(optional)- 1 tsp



Method:

1.Preheat the oven at 400 degree F and line the muffin pan with paper liners or grease it.
2.Crush the cereal.Stir this with the flour,baking powder and sugar.
3.Throw in the other ingredients ,one by one and mix well using a wooden spoon.Do not overdo this step.
4.Spoon into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 17-18 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Notes:

1.I haven't tried this with other cereal,but I guess it should work fine with the normal corn flakes and other plain cereal.
2.This recipe will give you 12 medium sized muffins.
3.You could replace the white sugar with brown sugar for a more healthy muffin.



Recipe adapted from : cheerios.com

Contributor: Namitha

Pork Ularthiyathu

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    How are you ladies?  I am settling in well with the help of a lot of hookie activity (crochet).  It's been quite therapeutic, crocheting.  All the counting helps to take my mind off of everything else.  It is a much calmer me sitting and talking to you now about all the foodie indulgences of the past weekend. I made some pork ularthiyathu with a lot of other favorites of mine.

  We had a guest over.  He was craving Indian home style food and ever ready for some myself I went all the way and fixed a fare of rice and moru kachiyathu, thoran, meen curry and ularthirachi.  This is a typical lunch at my home in Kerala.  Oh.. it was all very good.  Eating and reminiscing about holidays in Kerala.  We puttered around home eating, chatting,  watching mal flick etc recreating a true holiday.  It felt close to being home on a summer vacation.  Blissful.

  So, about this pork I made.  It came out well.  Not very dry, coated in a generous gravy which was not dripping leaving the meat succulent I was quite pleased with the way it turned out.  We talked away into the night forking up pieces clean off the bowl without dripping or dirtying the carpet.  It's ideal to have with rice and a wet gravy or just as a snack.  It's pungent so adjust the chili powder if you are going to eat it as a snack.    You can do the same with any meat of your preference.  The shallots and curry leaves gives the dish the perk it needs to stand out as a Mal dish.  



Ingredients:

Pork Ularthiyathu

Pork - 2 lbs
Shallots - 2 - 3 cups sliced (I added 3 cups sliced)
Ginger - 3 tbspn coarsely chopped
Garlic - 3 tbspn coarsely chopped
Garam Masala - 2 tspn
Chili Powder - 2 Tbspn (bring it to 1 tbspn if you don't want it it hot; you adjust at the end if you prefer by sprinkling ground pepper)
Coriander - 1 Tbspn
Turmeric - 1/2 to 1 tspn
Curry Leaves - 3 - 4 sprigs
Vinegar - 1 tspn
Oil - 2-3 Tbspn
Salt - to taste



You could pressure cook all of this with 1/2 cup of water until two whistles and then simmer and slow cook till dry. Or you can saute shallots, ginger and garlic followed with the powder masala. Once done add pork stir till the flesh turns white and then add 1 cup of water and slow cook for an hour. Once it has cooked for an hour stir fry until water dries and oil expresses.



Contributor: Sunitha

Cream Cheese Brownies

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  This summer seems really hot, congenial for weeds but a lot of work in the yard.  I wish it were flowering weeds than the terrible other kind that received me home from my vacation. If so, my yard would then have been a flower haven.  I don't know if I am making sense, the thing is there is too much weeds and I am afraid my neighbors are looking down with disdain.  Not for long though, with the help (sometimes, but otherwise a bother) of my kids we are getting them down.  However, involving means I have to bribe them.  I am sure you will agree.  But who is complaining, this pushes me to make sweet treats which I enjoy eating as well as sharing with you. Today I am following the recipe from "the joy of baking" site.  I follower her to the T this time, though I generally improvise and give my own twist.  My brains were too fried after all that sun to put in any more effort.  The brownies were delicious and I recommend this recipe highly.  Thank you 'Joy of Baking.'



Ingredients:

For the Brownie layer:

Unsalted Butter- 1/2 cup
Unsweetened chocolate- 4 ounces
Granulated white sugar- 1 cup
Pure vanilla extract- 1 tsp
Eggs- 2
Flour- 1/2 cup
Salt- 1/4 tsp

For the Cream cheese layer:

Cream cheese- 8 ounces
Granulated white sugar- 1/3 cup
Pure vanilla extract- 1 tsp
Egg- 1



Method:

1.Melt the butter and chocolate together in a microwave oven, stopping and stirring every 30 seconds or so.Mix well with a wooden spoon.
2.Add the sugar and vanilla extract, mix well.
3.Add the eggs one at a time and stir well with the wooden spoon.
4.Now add the flour and salt and mix with the spoon till the batter becomes smooth.
5.Line a baking pan (9 by 9 square or 9 by 2 round) with aluminium foil.
6.Pour this batter into the pan after saving about 1/3 cup of the batter.
7.Process the cream cheese until smooth using your hand mixer or food processor.
8.Add sugar and mix well followed by egg and vanilla extract.Mix again.
9.Spoon this over the brownie layer and even out the top.
10.Spoon out the left over brownie batter oven this to get a marble effect.
11.Bake for about 25 minutes in a preheated oven at 325 degree F.
12.cool on a wire rack and chill in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours before cutting into pieces.
13.The cake is quite sticky, so you may have to wipe your knife quite often to get clean pieces.



Recipe courtesy: Joy of baking

Kumbilappam/ Jackfruit dumplings

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   This is another special dish made from jackfruit.,also known as "chakkayappam" or "theraliyappam".  The flavors from jackfruit and the leaves blend together to give a fabulous taste to these dumplings.  Some things I quite miss from home. Even before leaving for vacation this summer, every time I spoke to my mom I kept asking her if 'vazhanyila' (the leaf used to wrap the dumpling) was available.  I knew they were cos they always are found in our back yard.  Attribute my anxiety to the desire to have some of this deliciousness. 

  My desire was fulfilled and the crowning glory is I even managed to take some pictures.  See the basket in the picture, a 15 year old boy from my sister's class made it for her. (My sister is a teacher)  It looks great doesn't it?  I simply loved it and decided the best way to have it, if not the real one, was a picture.  Did I tell you I had a great vacation? I know I did, but going down that path again even if only in my mind brings a smile I am sharing that with you too.  :) Have a good one!



Ingredients:

chakka varattiyathu/Jackfruit Halwa aka preserve/Jackfruit mashed- 1/2 kg
Rice flour (mixture of puttu and appam flour)- 1/2 kg
Coconut grated- 2 1/2 cup
Jaggery- 1 cup/ to your taste
Water
Jeera- 1/2 tsp
Cardamom- 1/4 tsp
Vazhanayila/Tejpatta



Method:

1.Mix the jackfruit halwa, coconut,jeera,cardamom and jaggery well.
2.Now add the flour and mix well. Slowly add water ,just enough to make a smooth dough.
3.The consistency should be little more watery than the chappathi dough.
4.Make cones using the "vazhanayila".You could use the stem of Coconut leaves (eerkkil) to pin it up.Leave the upper edge to close the cone.
5.Fill up the cones with the dough mixture and cook on steam.This takes at least 30 minutes. If you are using jackfruit instead of halwa steam it even longer. Jackfruit needs more time to get cooked.



Notes:

1.You could also use plantain leaves for making this.
2.I will add the recipe for making jackfruit halwa in the near future :-)

Contributor: Namitha

Vegetarian Chow Mein

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     I am still working at settling in this new place.  Actually I am all set with regards to setting up the apartment, the kitchen being functional etc. and yet there is something missing.  You will not believe when I say I miss the noisier complex I lived in Tennessee.  Every other hour you could hear the fire engine roaring past since we lived next door to the fire station.  Yeah, it was a nuisance at times but in some strange way I miss them too.  Can you see what I mean?  My new apartment complex is so quiet it borders eerie.  I know its just that its taking time to gel in here but this morning trying to photograph the food I was going crazy.  I am just not understanding why the room is bright and yet I am not getting the light to fall on the food like I want it to.  It will all come in time and I will adjust but moving doesn't seem to be my cup of cake.

 
  Yesterday I made some chow mein. It's simple and yet quite tasty.  You can do a whole lot of variations with different sauces but today's recipe is the simplest with the least number of ingredients. I hope you will enjoy it.


Ingredients:
Noodles - 1 pack (200 gms)
Beans - 30 nos
Cabbage - 1/8th of a regular size cabbage
Carrots - 1
Capsicum - 1/2 of a big one
Celery - 1 stalk
Spring onions - 2
Garlic - 1 tbspn heaped, finely chopped
ginger - 1/2 tspn finely chopped
Soya Bean Sauce - 2 Tbspn
Black Pepper - to taste
Green chilies - if you need it spicy hot
Oil - 2 Tbspn
Method:

1.Cook noodles as per instructions on the cover
2. Heat oil in a pan and add the vegetables starting with the beans
3. Add each vegetable according to the time it takes for it to cook and I like my beans a little well done so they go in first.
4. Once the beans is getting cooked add the garlic and ginger saute and follow up with cabbage, carrots and celery and finally capsicum.  Make sure to cook each vegetable a little, like a couple of stirrings before you add the next
5. Once all vegetables are cooked where I leave the capsicum add soya bean sauce.
6. I have been finding the strength of soya bean sauce to be different for each brand and hence depending on the brand and how thick or thin it is add some, mix and check for taste
7. Add the cooked noodles and if needed add more soya bean sauce
8. Chop the spring onions and top it and when serving you can scramble eggs and top each plate or simply mix it in.

Notes:
1. I add salt and oil in plenty of water to cook the noodles and run it under cold water once cooked and splash some oil to keep the noodle moist

Contributor: Sunitha