Creamy Peach pie

Ingredients

• 6-oz container of peach yogurt
• 16-oz tub cool whip, thawed
• 1 can sliced peach
• 1 pre-made graham cracker crust

Method

1. In a large bowel  yogurt, fold in cool whip.
2. Carefully spread in crust.
3. Garnish with sliced peach.
4. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or until set.
5. Slice and serve.

Mini Shell Dessert Treats

Ingredients

• 1 Pack of Light Mini shells
• 1/2 Pint (236 ml) Heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp. Granulated sugar
• 1 pint fresh Raspberry (you can use any berry or fruit instead)
• 1 tbsp. Sugar
• Chocolate of choice (to shave on to the dessert)

Method

1. Take out the shells from the packet and bake it for a 2 minutes, just to warm it.
2. Use an electric egg beater (or food processer on low) to mix whipping cream and granulated sugar until it becomes a soft mixture. It takes a while if hand whipping it, though it can be done.
3. In a pan, bake raspberry sprinkled with sugar for about 10 minutes.
4. Transfer to a bowl and mash the Raspberry and Sugar with spoon and keep aside.
5. In each mini shell fill 1 Tsp whipping cream from step 2 above, 1/2 tsp raspberry from 4above and top with shaves of chocolate of choice.
6. This is a bite size snack and is easy to make. Sure to be a party favorite.

 

Kerala Paruppu Vada (Masala Vada)

Ingredients 

• 2 Cups Kaddala Paruppu  (Channa Dal)
• 1 Medium Size Red onion - diced
• 1/2 inch piece ginger - diced into small chunks
• 2 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper (may adjust for spice level)
• 2 stalks of Curry leaves, separated from the stalk
• 1 Tsp Salt (you may adjust to taste)
• Oil to deep fry vada

Method

1. Soak Paruppu in 6 cups of water for 2 hours.
2. Drain water (Don't drain for too long and leave a little bit in the paruppu),
3. Too much water in the grind will burn paruppu vada and will not cook or be crisp.
4. Add ginger and curry leaves in the paruppu
5. Grind paruppu to a coarse consistency (don't make it a paste)
6. You may have to grind the paruppu in two or three batches so that if one batch becomes a paste, you can make the next batch a bit more coarse to compensate.
7. Transfer ground paruppu to a large mixing bowl.
8. Add crushed pepper, salt and chopped onion to the ground Paruppu.
9. Mix everything well. Check spice and salt levels from the raw mix. Adjust as necessary.
10. Make lime size balls, squeezing them tight and keep in the mixing blow itself.
11. Heat oil (enough to deep fry vada) on medium-high heat.
12. Take each ball and flatten it on your wet palm and gently drop in heated oil
13. Fry until vada becomes golden brown.
14. Do not fry more than 5 or 6 vadas in a batch.
15. If you drop in too many the oil will become cold and vada will absorb oil.
16. Eat one from the first batch. You may have to adjust to get it right.
17. If inside is not cooked and surface is not burnt, then increase heat a bit.
18. If inside is not cooked but surface is burnt, reduce heat a bit for next batch.
19. Medium high heat is best to cook inside and get crispy outside. It may take a couple of tries to get it perfected to your taste.
20. Serve hot and enjoy. You don't need sauces or sides for vada. Just need good company.
    

    
    

Beef Fry (Olathiythu)

 INGREDIENTS

      FOR BEEF IN PRESSURE COOKER

• 1 lb Beef
• 1/2 Big Onion sliced thin
• 2tsp. Ginger paste
• 2tsp. Garlic paste
• 2 Green chilly (More for spicy)
• 1 stalk Curry leaves
• 1 tbsp. Coriander powder
• 1/2 tbsp. Chilly powder

      FOR FRYING PAN

• 1/2 Big Onion sliced thin
• 2tsp. Ginger paste
• 2tsp. Garlic paste
• 2 Green chilly (More for spicy)
• 1 stalk Curry leaves1 tsp.
• 2tsp Coriander powder
• 2tsp Chilly powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• 4 tbsp Coconut Oil (or Vegetable Oil)

METHOD

     PRESSURE COOKING

1. Beef should be thawed to room temperature if taken out from the freezer.
2. Cut the beef into small cubes (about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch), wash and drain a few minutes.
3. Cook the beef In a pressure cooker, adding all ingredients listed in the first section.
4. Cook until cooker steams two times.
5. Turn off the stove. (don't pour water on cooker to dissipate steam instantly)
6. Cool for about 30 minutes for steam to subside before safely opening cooker.

     FRYING (OLATHU)

1. In a large frying pan add oil and heat
2. Fry half diced onion and curry leaves until onion turns light brown.
3. Add 2tsp. each of the ginger and garlic paste and fry for a minute.
4. Add chillies, curry leaves, turmeric and garam masala.
5. Fry a minute or until the mix thickens and you can smell a good aroma emanating from the pan.
6. Add beef with all the watery gravy from the cooker into the frying pan and mix well.
7. Turn down the stove to medium heat so the beef fries slowly.
8. Stir only occasionally so you don't disintegrate the beef into strands.
9. Wait till the gravy in the beef thickens. Approximately 5 minutes should be enough.
10. Don't thicken too much. Note that after you turn off the stove, the gravy will thicken twice as much when it cools down. When you serve the beef it should be moist, not dry.
11. Fry some curry leaves at some time separately and keep aside for garnishing.
12. Garnish with fried curry leaves and serve hot.
13. If reheating later, reheat in a pan with a tablespoon of heated oil (don't microwave)

 

Kerala Chicken Roast

INGREDIENTS

• 1 small whole chicken (about 1.5 kg or 3 lbs)
• 1 large Onion, thin sliced
• 1 tbsp Ginger paste
• 1 tbsp Garlic paste
• 4 Green Chillies
• 2 stems of curry leaves
• 2 medium Tomatoes
• 1 tbsp Chilli Powder
• 3 tbsp Coriander Powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 4 tbsp Oil
• 2 tsp Gharam Masala
• Salt to taste

METHOD

1. Clean  the chicken and cut  it into about 2 to 2/12 inch chunks.
2. Wash and drain in a colander.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet.
4. Fry sliced onion, green chilly, curry leaves till onion becomes light brown.
5. Add ginger and garlic paste fry for about 30 seconds.
6. Add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and gharam masala.
7. Stir occasionally and cook for 30 seconds.
8. Add tomatoes and the mix thickens and oil begins to separate.
9. Add the chicken pieces and salt and mix well
10. Cover and cook for 45 minutes on a medium high flame.
11. Every 15 minutes open the lid and stir.
12. After 45 minutes take of the cover and open cook for another 15 minutes.
13. Stir seldom, but wait till the Chicken and mix turn brown.
14. Turn off of the stove.
15. Use water or chicken stock to make it more moist or gravy like.
16. Garnish with curry leaves and serve.
17. Tip: Tastes really good if you make it the day before you serve it.
18. When doing so, don't heat in a microwave. Heat it only in a pan.
19. Add fried potato sliced thick or as wedges. Fried onions also make great garnishing.

 

Chicken Manchuria - Desi

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 Kg (1 lb) Boneless Chicken
• 2 tbsp. Corn flour
• 2 tbsp. Red chilly powder
• 2 tbsp.Coriander powder
• 1tspTurmeric powder
• 1 Onion big (chopped small)
• 5 Green chillies
• 1 tsp Garlic paste
• 1tsp Ginger paste
• 1 Large Bell pepper (Chopped roughly 1 inch square pieces)
• 1 tsp Black pepper (preferably fresh ground)
• 3 tbsp. Oil
• 3tsp Soya sauce (dark, or regular is okay too)
• Small handful of Coriander leaves cleaned and chopped.
• Salt to taste

METHOD

1. Cut the chicken into about 1/2 to 1 inch cubes.
2. Mix it well with red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt.
3. Sprinkle mixture with corn flour, sprinkle a little water over and mix well.
4. Keep the mixture in the freezer for 1/2 hour.
5. Deep fry the chicken in 2 small batches for no more than 2 minutes each.
6. Try not to over fry the chicken as the pieces will become hard.
7. Set aside the fried chicken.
8. Heat oil in a frying pan.
9. Add onion and fry till it becomes translucent.
10. Add salt, green chillies, ginger, garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
11. Add bell pepper, stir and cook for 30 seconds.
12. Add soya sauce and stir well, while turning down the stove to a low flame.
13. Add the chicken and stir. You can add more soya sauce to taste.
14. Keep on low flame and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
15. Add 1/2 the coriander leaves stir a bit and turn off the stove off.
16. Garnish with remaining coriander leaves before serving.
17. If you want it to be wet or have gravy, add chicken stock mixed with a little bit of corn flour.

 

Spinach & Cheese Rolls

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pkg Pepperidge Farm Puff pastry sheets
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. water
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 red onion chopped small
• 1 tsp garlic power
• 1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

METHOD

1. Thaw pastry sheet to room temperature so it is pliable.
2. Beat egg and water in small bowl and keep aside.
3. Unfold pastry sheet on lightly floured surface (prevents sticking)
4. Brush pastry sheet top with egg mixture.
5. Top sheet evenly with onion, cheese, garlic powder and spinach.
6. Starting with the side closer to you, roll up sheet with topping.
7. Now cut the roll to get 1/2 inch thick wheels.
8. Place wheels on lightly greased baking sheets.
9. Brush egg mixture on the top of the wheels
10. Heat oven to 400F
11. Bake 15 mts or until golden.
12. Serve at room temperature.
13. Can be eaten by itself. Dipping sauces are not necessary.

Rack of Lamb Chops

 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 racks (4 ribs each) of lamb chops (New Zealand or Australian are the best)
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp. garlic, minced
• 1/2 tbsp. black pepper coarse ground
• 1/2 tsp Salt (or to taste, from experience)
• 2 tbsp. olive oil

METHOD

1. Create a rub with all ingredients above except the lamb and olive oil.
2. Rub the racks all over with mixture and smear with olive oil.
3. Place in a glass container and refrigerator overnight.
4. Take out the lamb from the refrigerator, 1-2 hours before you cook it.
5. The lamb should be about room temperature before baking, so it cooks evenly.
6. Wrap the exposed ribs in a little foil so they don't burn.
7. Preheat oven to 400F.
8. Place the lamb rack bone side down (flat side up) on the pan.
9. Bake for 20 minutes \
10. Lower the heat 300F, turn the racks over and bake the other side for 20 minutes.
11. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes and serve.
12. When you cut each lamb chop, the inside will be pink. That is how it should be.
13. Overcooking will make the lamb chop dry rather than soft and succulent.
14. Recommend you serve it with Garlic Bread and/or mashed potatoes.

Capsicum Rice

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Big onion - Chopped small size
• 1 Large capsicum chopped (roughly the same size as chopped onion pieces)
• 3 tbsp. Vegetable Oil.
• 1 stem Curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Kaddala paruppu (split Bengal gram)
• 1 tsp Uzhunu paruppu (split black gram)
• 1/2 tsp Coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• Handful Coriander leaves (for garnishing)
• Rice cooked from 2 cups raw rice

METHOD

1. Heat oil in a pan  (big enough to hold the cooked rice eventually).
2. Fry mustard seeds till they burst.
3. Add Kaddala parappu and uzhunu paruppu - fry 10 seconds.
4. Add curry leaf, fry for 10 seconds.
5. Add chopped onion and fry till onions turn translucent.
6. Add chopped capsicum and fry about 2 minutes or till capsicum skin wilts.
7. Add coriander powder and turmeric powder and stir for 5 seconds.
8. Switch off the stove and wait for 3 minutes.
9. Add salt to taste and mix well.
10. Add rice and mix well.
11. Garnish with coriander leaves.
12. Serve hot with rice pappads and/or a pickle of choice.

Kerala Style Mutton Stew

 

INGREDIENTS

      With Mutton

• 1/2 kg (or 1 lbs) Mutton
• 1/2 medium size red onion
• 4 green chillies
• 1/2 in piece ginger, chopped long.
• 6-8 curry leaves

      Veggies

• 1 potato diced to 3/4 inch pieces
• 2 carrot clean and cut to 1 inch lengthwise slim pieces.

       For Sautee

• 1/2 tbsp whole pepper
• 1 onion sliced thin
• 4 chillies sliced lengthwise
• 1/2 tsp ginger, sliced
• 6-8 curry leaves
• 1 tbsp uppma rava
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1 can coconut milk or milk of 1 grated coconut.
• 1 tbsp oil

METHOD

1. Cut mutton into chunks, wash and drain for a few minutes
2. Cook all ingredients under "With Mutton" in a pressure cooker (2 steams)
3. Cook Veggies in boiling water for a few minutes until cooked, drain water.
4. Cook potato and carrots in boiling water for a few minutes until cooked.
5. Heat oil in a large pan (large enough for whole stew)
6. First fry whole pepper and ginger for 30 seconds
7. Add onion, chillies, curry leaves and fry till onion is a golden
8. Add uppma rava, garam masala and fry for 1 minute.
9. Now add mutton, cooked veggies and stir to mix it all
10. Add coconut milk and bring the whole mix to a boil on low flame
11. Boil for 5 minutes.
12. Turn off the stove, let it sit for 5 minutes and serve.

 

Thrissur Vellai Appam

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups basmathi rice (for 20 appams)
• 1/2 can coconut milk or milk of 1/2 a grated coconut
• 1tsp Yeast
• 1/2 cup cooked rice
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• Tapered bottom appam making pan

METHOD

1. Soak rice for 2 hours.
2. Soak yeast in warm water.
3. Drain water from rice and mix all ingredients.
4. Grind in a blender until mixture is very smooth.
5. The mixture should not feel coarse or sandy.
6. Ferment overnight or at least 4 hours. It must rise nicely for fluffy appams.
7. Refrigerate after the dough rises, if not making appam immediately.
8. pour about 2 ice cream scoops of dough into the appam pan.
9. Lift pan and swirl so you coat dough from the bottom, upward to top.
10. This will give you the lace thin outside and thick center of the appam.
11. Cook on stove for about 2 to 3 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.
12. Remove appam and place on a cooling grid.
13. Cooling each appam is so it wont stick when you stack them for serving.
14. Serve with sweetened coconut milk or egg curry or mutton stew.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

Kerala style Noolappam (Iddiyappam)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup rice flour
• Boiling water about 2 cups
• Salt (in the water)
• Iddly making steam pot with dipped trays
• Iddiappam presser

METHOD

1. Bring the water to boil and add some salt.
2. Slowly pour the hot water into rice flour and mix with spoon.
3. It will be a bit difficult to mix but do try to bring it all together.
4. Place cover and keep aside for 15 mts.
5. Grease the iddly trays.
6. Fill dough in the iddiappam press
7. Squeeze out the dough in swirls into each pit in the iddly trays.
8. Steam for 10 mts, remove iddly trays and allow to cool a bit.
9. Remove each iddiappam and keep warm in a casserole container
10. Clean iddly trays of sticky dough remains and grease to reuse.
11. Serve warm with either sweetened coconut milk or egg curry.

Kerala Style Egg Curry

INGREDIENTS

       Main

• 4 Eggs
• 1 Onion finely sliced
• 2 Green chilli
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1 large Tomato
• 8 to 10 Curry leaves (1 stalk)
• Cooking oil
• Salt to taste
• 1 can Coconut milk or water instead.

      Masala

• 1 tbsp.  Chilli Powder (lesser to make it less spicy)
• 2 tbsp Coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala

METHOD

1.     Heat oil in a pan.
2.   Add onion, green chillies and curry leaves fry few minutes till light brown.

3.     Add ginger and garlic paste to the mixture and fry for 2 minutes .

4.     When the mixture cools down, grind it to paste.

5.     Put the mixture back into the pan and fry on medium heat.

6.     Fry the paste until it becomes brown and oil being to seep out of the paste.

7.     Add all masala powders to the paste and stir for a minute.

8.     Add tomato diced small. Wait until the mixture becomes like a gel.

9.     Then add water or coconut milk and cook until the gravy becomes thick.

10. Turn off the stove.

11. Add boiled egg cut in half, lengthwise.

12. Garnish with curry leaves and serve.