Manju's Appam Without Yeast

Ingredients:
1 cup Raw Rice
1 Cup Idli Rice
1 handful Urad
1 tsp Methi
3 tbsp Coconut  Powder
1 handful cooked rice


Method:

Soak all ingredients except coconut powder overnight.
Grind the soaked ingredients adding coconut powder at the end.
Add salt and let it ferment.
Before making Appams, add a pinch of baking soda (Optional)

Neetha's Black Bean Soup

Ingredients

For salsa
tomato 1 chopped
onion 1 chopped
garlic 1 clove chopped
coriander 1 tblsp chopped
salt and pepper to taste
jalapeno pepper 1 chopped

For soup
black bean dried 2 cups if amking in slow cooker. Else use two cans of store bought black beans.
onion 1 small chopped
garlic 3 cloves chopped
tomato 2 chopped
bell pepper 1 cup chopped
jalapeno pepper 1 chopped
cumin powder 1 1/2 tsp
redchilly powder 1 tsp (can use 1/2 tsp for less spice)
black pepper powder 1/2 tsp
salt to taste


Method

For salsa
Mix all the ingredients for salsa and set aside.

For soup

Start the slow cooker with high setting and set timer for 4 hours.
Add the beans and enough water to soak the beans and let cook.
After 4 hours add rest of the ingredients with extra water as needed and cook for 2 more hours on high.

If using store bought cans, then pressure cook all the ingredients for soup.
Using a hand blender, crush the beans slightly to get a thick texture.
Serve with a dollop of salsa on top.

Tips: If the soup tastes slightly bitter, simmering by adding 1/2 tsp of sugar and extra cup of water for the bitter taste to vanish..

Bangalore Iyengar Bakery style bread toast

Ingredients: 

8-10 Whole wheat/White bread slices
1 medium carrot,grated
1 medium onion,finely chopped 
1 small capsicum,finely chopped 
1 medium ripen tomato,finely chopped 
2-3 tbsp chopped coriander 
2 green chillies,finely chopped 
1/2 tsp red chilli powder 
1/2 tsp chat masala(optional) 
1/4 tsp jeera 
a pinch of sugar 
2 tsp tomato sauce 
salt to taste 
2 tsp oil 
1 tbsp butter

Method: 

• Heat oil in a pan and crackle jeera and then add finely chopped onions and green chillies and fry until they are translucent.
• Add chopped tomato and capsicum and fry them for 2 mins until they are slightly done(no need to make tomatoes mushy).
• Add grated carrots,red chili powder,chat masala,a pinch of sugar,salt and mix well and cook for a minute.
• Add chopped coriander and tomato ketchup and mix well.and remove from stove and keep it aside.
• Apply butter on one side of bread and keep it in ( butter side up) per heated(400F) oven for 3-4 mins
• Take the bread out, put the masala an non-toasted side and bake it for another 6-8 mins
• Serve it with tomato sauce

Farzana's Yakhni Pulao

For Yakhni (stock)

1 lb mutton (cut into pieces)

3 cups water

 1 teaspoon salt

1/2 medium onion (peeled and cut in two pieces)

1/2 teaspoon clove (laung)

1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorn (sabut kali mirch)

2 black cardamom pods (bari elaichi)

2 cinnamon sticks (dalchini)

1 bay leaf (tez patta)

6 garlic cloves (Lehsan)

 2 inches ginger (adrak)

 1 teaspoon coriander seed (sukha dhaniya)

 1 pinch ground nutmeg (jaifal)

 1/4 teaspoon anise (javetri)

2 Green Chillies

For Masala (curry)

1/4 cup oil

 1/4 medium onion (thinly sliced)

 1 teaspoon cumin seed (zeera)

 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste

 1/2 medium tomato (chopped) - optional

 1/2 cup yogurt

 1 teaspoon salt

 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder

 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder

 1 teaspoon garam masala powder

 2 green cardamoms (choti elaichi)

 1 1/2 teaspoons ground aniseed (saunf)

 1 tablespoon mint leaf (chopped)

Directions:

1.      Mix all ingredients for yakhni. Bring them to a boil and let them boil on medium high heat for 20 minutes or till the mutton gets tender. Strain the yakhni only leaving the mutton in it.

 

       As an alternate method, Make a potli of all spices and all ingredients for yakhni and drop the potli in water and meat to boil. This way you can just take the potli out and squeeze out all the juices out of potli and toss it.

2.       In a pan heat oil. Add sliced onions and fry the onions till they turn golden brown. Take 1/4 out of it and keep aside.

3.       Now add cumin seeds (zeera), ginger garlic paste, tomatoes, salt, red chilly powder & coriander powder to the remaining fried onions and stir fry for 3 minutes.

4.       Next add yogurt, garam masala and green cardamom (choti elaichi). Cook on medium high heat till the tomatoes get tender.

5.       Add anise seed (saunf) and mutton pieces to the masala and let it simmer for another 2 minutes.

6.       Finally pour the masala in the yakhni, already back in the cooking pot. Add rice and cook it uncovered on high heat for 5 minutes or till the water dries up.

7.       Sprinkle the fried onions and mint leaves. Close the pot by tightly covering the pot with foil just where the lid goes making sure no steam passes out. Cook on low heat for 15 minutes or till the rice is done.

8.       Enjoy with chutney or cucumber raita.

 

Clementine Torte

Ingredients: 1 pound (450 grams) Clementines (4 to 6 depending on size) 6 large eggs, at room temperature 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated white sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 cups (250 grams) almond flour (meal) or finely ground almonds

Method:
Place the Clementines in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer the Clementines for about two hours or until very soft. Then remove the Clementines from the water, place in a strainer, and let the oranges cool completely. (This step can be done a day ahead. Once the oranges have cooled completely, cover, and place in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before using.)

 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter and line the bottom of a 9 inch (23 cm) springform pan with parchment paper. 

 

Once the Clementines have completely cooled, cut them into large chunks, remove any seeds, and place the Clementines  (skins and all) in your food processor. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and process until you have a smooth mixture. Then, in a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, baking powder, salt and ground almonds. Add the orange mixture to the almond mixture and whisk or stir to combine. Pour the batter into your prepared pan and bake for about 45 -60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. If you find the cake over browning, cover the cake with a piece of lightly buttered aluminum foil. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely before removing the sides of the springform pan.

 

This cake is best after it has been allowed to sit overnight. Serve with whipped cream.

 

Makes about 8 - 10 servings.

 

Read more:http://www.joyofbaking.com/ClementineTorte.html#ixzz2zI8qsOFP

Lavanya's Pepper Mutton

In a pressure pan, add some oil and onion, ginger garlic paste, 2 green chillies, dhania powder and very little chilli powder(optional), turmeric, salt and mutton and fry for some time till water oozes out of the mutton. Pressure cook till mutton is soft and tender. Do not add water. Water from the mutton is sufficient to cook the mutton.

in another pan add some oil and when oil is hot add fennel seeds and curry leaves. When curry leaves splutter, add finely chopped onions and slit green chillies. when onions turn brown, add the cooked mutton and fry till the juices evaporate. In a mixer, grind pepper corns, jeera and fennel seeds to a fine powder. Add this powder to the mutton and cook for only 5 minutes. Pepper mutton is ready.

Banana Bread

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
3 ripe bananas
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.

Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the milk and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.

Spread slices with honey or serve with ice cream.
Tip: Can add walnuts for a magical twist.

Paneer Butter Masala

 

Ingredients:

250 gms paneer (cottage cheese) cubes

1/2 cup tomato puree

1 tsp ginger & garlic paste

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tbsp onion paste

1 tbsp cashew nut paste

1/2 tsp garam masala

2 green chillies chopped

1 tbsp coriander leaves chopped

1/2 tbsp kasoori methi crushed

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp butter

Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, onion paste & saute till it turns golden brown in colour.

2. Add ginger & garlic paste, green chilies & stir for 2 mins.

3. Add cashew nuts paste, tomato puree & saute further for a few minutes.

4. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, saute for a few minutes.

5. Add garam masala, salt, enough water, cook till the oil separates & gravy becomes thick.

6. Sprinkle kasoori methi & mix in lightly.

7. Add paneer pieces to the masala gravy, mix well & cook for 2-3 mins.

8. Garnish with butter & coriander lives.

9. Serve hot.