Kadala Parippu Pradhaman / Chana Dal Payasam

          

Parippu Pradhaman

Ingredients:-
Chana dal – 13/4 cup
Sago pearls / Chowari – 3 rounded tbsp.
Jaggery – 600 grams ( Use the brown colored one. I used 450 g Royal & 150 g TDM brand)
Moonam paal – 1/4 cup (/use 1 rounded tbsp coconut milk powder)
Randaam paal – 3 tea mugs / 750 ml. (/ use 6 heaped rounded tbsp coconut milk powder)
Thick coconut milk – 1/2 cup / 100 ml.(/ use 1heaped rounded tbsp coconut milk powder)
Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp
Dry ginger powder – 1/4 tsp
Cashews – 2 tbsp.
Raisins – 1 tbsp.
Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp.
Coconut cuts – 2 tbsp.
Ghee as needed

Method:-
Soak the tapioca pearls in hot water for 1 hr. Put it in boling water and cook for 5 minutes till soft. Drain the water completely and reserve this cooked sago.

Heat 2 tsp. ghee and roast the chana dal till very hot for 2 minutes. Wash it several times under running water. Cook the chana dal in a pressure cooker adding 1 rounded tbsp ghee  and 3.5 cups water. Simmer for 20 minutes after 1st whistle. Open the cooker when the pressure subsides and let the cooked dal cool slightly. Mash this dal to a paste ( I used my mixer/grinder). Mix the moonam paal with this paste and make it slightly loose.

Melt the jaggery adding 3/4 cup water. Strain it to remove any dirt. Add the cooked chana paste and 1 rounded tbsp ghee. Bring it to a boil. ( I used a non- stick pan). Lower heat to medium – low & cover cook for 25 minutes, stirring occassionally. When the mixture starts to get dry keep stirring for 10 more minutes, till the whole thing gets dry.






Now add the randaam paal and mix well. Let boil. Lower heat to medium- low and cook it till it becomes thick for 20 – 25 minutes.

Finally add the cooked tapioca pearls, the thick coconut milk, cardamom powder, cumin powder and dry ginger powder. Mix well, bring it to a very slow boil & remove immediately from heat.

Toast the cashews, raisins, coconut cuts & sesame seeds seperately and pour into the payasam. Keep the payasam covered for 3 – 4 hours till it reaches the PATHRAPAAKAM.

Apple pie

          

Apple Pie

This is my favourite recipe for apple pie…
Ingredients:-

For the crust

All purpose flour – 2 cups
Salt – a generous pinch
Powdered sugar – 2 tbsp
Butter – 100 grams, frozen ( cut into small pieces)
Ice water – 6 tbsp.

For the filling

Green apple – 4 numbers, chopped (I used Granny Smith apples)
Powdered cinnamon – 1/2 tsp
Brown sugar – 1/2 cup
Water – 1 cup
Bread crumbs – 3/4 cup ( I used raisin loaf slices)
Cream cheese – 200 grams
Milk - 1/2 cup
Sugar – 4 tbsp
Mixed fruit jam/ Pineapple jam – 2 tbsp
Egg yolk – of one egg
Whipping cream – 2 tsp

Method:-

For the filling cook the apples adding water. I cooked them for 20 minutes & there was very little water left behind. Add the brown sugar, mix & cook further for 5 minutes. Finally stir in the bread crumbs & remove from heat. Grind the cream cheese adding the milk & sugar to a very smooth paste.

Mix together the flour, salt &  powdered sugar. Add the chopped butter & rub the flour with the butter till the mixture resembles bread crumbs/ wetted Puttu podi. Add the ice water & knead it to a dough. Cover the dough with a plastic wrap & refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Take 3/4th of the dough ( refrigerate the remaining) & roll it out as thin as possible into a circle. Carefully transfer this to your pie dish. Prick here & there with a fork & bake in a preheated oven at 200C for 15 minutes.Place the apple filling over the baked crust; top up with the ground cheese paste. Apply the jam at a few places. Roll out the remaining dough into a circle & cut out strips from it to make a lattice top. Mix together the egg yolk & whipping cream; brush the top of the crust with this mixture.

To be baked

Bake this pie at 180C for 45 minutes / till golden. Remove the pie from the oven & let it rest for 30 minutes.
Source :- Lakshmi Nair, slightly modified

Baked Apple Sauce Cheese cake

      

Baked Apple Sauce cheese cake

Ingredients:-

Graham crackers – 225 grams
Butter – 100 grams
Granny Smith green apples – 4 big
Powdered cinnamon – 1/4 tsp
Sugar – 2 tbsp
Condensed milk – 1 tin
Egg white – of 3 large eggs
Lemon zest – 1 tsp
Lemon juice – 1 tbsp.

Method:-

Powder the graham crackers in your mixer/ grinder. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan & mix in the cracker crumbs. Stir well till the crumbs get moist. Transfer half of the crumbs to a well greased spring form pan & press gently with hand so that it forms a layer. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Cook the peeled & cored apples adding 11/2 cups water for 30 minutes. Add the sugar & powdered cinnamon & mix well. Let cool; mash well with a ladle. Add the condensed milk, lemon juice & zest. Beat the 3 egg whites in a clean bowl till foamy & gently fold in to the apple sauce mixture. Pour over the biscuit layer.

Sprinkle the remaining cracker crumbs on top.

Bake at 180C for 30 minutes & 170C for another 30 minutes/ till firm. Let cool to room temperature. Cut into wedges & serve.

Date Loaf

Date Loaf

Few days back I came across this Eggless Date cake & tried it out with a few modifications. It tasted amazing. Here’s the modified recipe:

Ingredients:-
Dates – 20 numbers ( I had used Tunisian dates that are very sweet)
Milk – 3/4 cup + 1/8 cup
Granulated sugar – 1/2 cup
Canola oil – 1/4 cup ( Please don’t use any other flavoured oil like corn oil)
Vanilla essence – 1/4 tsp
Egg – 1, large
All purpose flour – 1 cup
Cocoa powder – 1 tsp
Baking soda – 1 tsp
Salt – a pinch
Chopped walnuts – 1 tbsp.

Method:-
Heat the milk & soak the dates in the hot milk for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a loaf tin with parchment paper & grease it.

Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda & cocoa powder.

Grind the dates & sugar using the milk in which you had soaked the dates to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Beat the egg very well; add the oil & the ground dates mixture. Mix well & fold in the sifted flour & chopped nuts.

Transfer the batter to the greased loaf tin. Bake in the preheated oven at 180C for 35 – 40 minutes.
Let cool for 10 minutes in the loaf tin before inverting the cake on to a rack for cooling completely.

Kerala Trifler – Pudding made with Kerala Banana, Sweet potato & Rice flakes!

 

This pudding is quiet unusual. It has 3 layers as the name suggests & is not at all bad with those crsipy rice flakes on top & smooth rose flavoured sweet potato layer.
Heat 2 tbsp of ghee & toast 10 cashews & 1 tbsp of spit bengal gram /pottukadala & keep aside. Chop 1/4 cup of dates & reserve.
Make a thick syrup with 2 cubes (180 grams) of brown jaggery. Powder together 1 clove, 7 cardamom, a little nutmeg & 1″ piece of cinnamon in your coffee grinder. Add this powdered spice mixture to the molten jaggery & mix well.
For the first layer:-
Steam cook 2 big Kerala Bananas till soft. When cool, peel the bananas & chop them. Add the bananas to half of the prepared jaggery syrup & leave it undisturbed for 1 hour. Also add 25 grams of butter to the banana mixture when still hot.
For the second layer:-
Powder 1/4 cup of palm sugar cubes/ panamkalkandum. Boil 1/2 cup of milk & add 2 tbsp of finger millet/ ragi powder to it. Steam cook 2 medium sized sweet potatoes & mash them well. Add 25 grams of butter & the ragi-milk mixture to the mashed potatoes. Add 1/2 cup of condensed milk & the powdered palm sugar cubes & beat well till well combined. Add 1/4 tsp of rose essence & mix.
For the third layer:-
Heat 50 grams of butter. Fry 11/2 cups of rice flakes in this butter till crisp. Pour the remaining jaggery syrup over the rice flakes & keep aside for 1 hour. Add 1/4 cup of milk to the rice flakes & cook it on low heat for 5 minutes.
To make the pudding:-
Grease a 6″ pudding dish with butter. Place the banana mixture in it & cook it on high power for 3 minutes in your microwave oven. Allow this layer to cool completely.
Place the sweet potato mixture on top of this layer & microwave for 3 minutes. Let this second layer also cool completely & set.
Arrange the rice flakes over the second layer & again cook it in your microwave oven for 3 minutes. Allow the pudding to cool completely.
Spread 1 cup of heavy cream over the top of the pudding.
Garnish the pudding with toasted cashews, pottukadala & chopped dates.
Refrigerate for 10 hours before serving.
Source:- Malaya Manorama Newspaper, Sunday supplement

Eggless Chocolate Cake with Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

      

Sift together 11/2 cups of plain flour & 1 tsp of baking soda. Grease an 8″ cake tin & keep aside. Preheat the oven to 180C.
Beat together 1 cup of cold buttermilk, 3 heaping tbsps of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tbsp of white vinegar & 5 tbsps of canola oil; add 1 cup of caster sugar to this little by little & beat well with your mixer till well combined. Add 1 tsp of vanilla essence & 1/2 tsp of salt & mix.
Fold in the sifted flour mixture & transfer the batter to the greased baking pan. Bake at 180C for 30-35 minutes.
Let cool for 10 minutes before inverting the cake on to a rack to cool completely.
Serve with chocolate sauce.
For the chocolate sauce combine 4 tbsps of unsweetened cocoa powder, 4 tbsps of granulated sugar, 4 tbsps of water & 1 tsp of butter. Cook in your microwave on high power for a minute.