Month: July 2010

Cakes / Pastries / Cookies/ Bread/Muffins. · Kid Friendly Recipes. · Snacks & Tiffin Items

Bangalore Iyengar Bakery Style Tutty Fruity & Coconut Dilpasands. (Puff Pastry Sheets filled with sweet coconut and tutty fruitty and everything thats nice!)

Shoba36 Comments

All my childhood memories of snacks simply bounce back to Bangalore Iyengar Bakery and their sweet smelling Dilpasands chok filled with crunchy coconuts flakes and tutty fruity, redolant with the aroma of a tingling cardamom and sugar and everything sweet. Whenever we had a slice of Dilpasands, we would be transported to heaven and back!  Every summer, when all my cousins would meet at my grandmother`s home in Madras, special occasions would come by when an aunt or uncle went shopping to R/Street and an unwritten rule would be to buy the Iyengar Dilpasands for the kids at home. Biting in to the crunchy flaky dilpasands and tasting coconuts, tutty fruity at once, would bring forth a burst of sweetness in the mouths and our days were made.

Recently I had really started craving for this Iyengar Dosa, as we would call it back then!! As I was in the baking aisle yesterday at the grocers, I saw the coconut flakes and tutty fruity and bulbs flashed in all directions. I grabbed them and I already knew I had puff pastries in the freezer at home. I decided to put an end to my craving once and for all…I also got some direction from here for this…

INGREDIENTS:

2 Puff Pastry Sheets thawed.

1 cup tuitty fruity.

1 cup Sweetened Coconut Flakes. (Please increase the measurement of sugar to 1/2 cup if using regular fresh coconut).

1/4 cup Fresh Grated Coconut.

1/4  cup Brown Sugar.

1/4 cup Water.

1 Tsp Crushed Cardamom.

Melted Butter for brushing the puff pastry sheets.

PREPARATION:

  • In a sauce pan add the 1/4 cup water and add brown sugar and allow to melt completely for a couple of seconds.  Switch off the flame and add crushed cardamom, tuitty fruity  and all the coconut flakes.
  • Use a ladle and mix it all completely. The consistency would be a mixture that`s very lightly holding to each other, on account of the brown sugar.
  • Preheat the oven to 350F and butter the cookie tray. Set aside.

  • Flour the surface and open the thawed puff pastry sheets. Using a vessel, make a big circle on one sheet.
  • Make a slightly smaller circle on the other sheet. Use a sharp knife tip to make the circles. Save the corners.

  • Place the bigger circle on the buttered baking tray.  Using the melted butter, brush the pastry sheet. This would help the stuffing to stick to the sheet.
  • Spoon out the coconut-tuitty fruity filling on to the puff pastry sheet and gently spread it leaving a small border around the stuffing.

  • Now place the smaller sheet cut in to a circle over the stuffing and close the edges and seal them using the melted butter.
  • Brush the melted butter all over the top to help in baking to a lovely golden brown colour.

  • Using the remaining pieces, I made smaller little pockets of pastry holding the stuffing and sealed them.
  • The pastry sheet that I used to make the smaller circle, had a little more dough left on the corners. I collected them and kneaded them in to a firm ball.
  • Using my rolling pin, I rolled that in to a circle. Buttered the circle, spooned out the filling, brought the corners together and sealed it by pressing with a fork.
  • Once the oven is pre-heated, bake the Dilpasands at 350F for about 12-20 minutes depending on the strength of the oven.
  • When the dilpasands swell in size and bake to a golden colour, its time to take it out and cool it.
  • Enjoy the Sweet and aromatic Dilpasands which bring forth the flavour of coconuts and sweet somethings all in one  burst …..

HINTS:

  • With the leftover dough, use your imagination to fill it with savory fillings – Alu Mutter, Sandwich fillings, Cheese & Spinach fillings etc.
  • Using brown sugar makes the filling a little more dense because of the higher molasses content in the brown sugar . Also helps the filling to stay together.
Sambar / Rasam / Kuzhambu Varieties.

Yennai Kathirikkai Araithu Vitta Kuzhambu (Baby Eggplants simmered in coconut tamarind gravy)

Shoba21 Comments

This post was lying in my drafts for such a long time…I am guessing four months….I thought it was really time I pulled it out to see the light of day. In my ever growing love for eggplants, this experiment was born in my kitchen, after eating something similar at a south indian restaurant nearby…The delicate flavour of the poppy seeds linger long enough and combined with the flavours of the spices, shallots and coconut milk…its a burst of earthy flavours in your mouth….

INGREDIENTS:

10 Baby Eggplants. Tender Brinjals.

1 Medium Onion Chopped or 10 shallots.

2 1/2 – 3 cups Tamarind Water.

3 Tsp Poppy Seeds.

1/3 cup Grated Coconut.

Handful of Raw Cashew.

2 Tbsp Coconut Milk (Optional).

1 1/2 spoons of Red Chilli Powder.

1/2 Spoon of Dhania Powder.

1 Spoon of Sambar Powder.

Salt.

Turmeric.

3 spoons of Gingely Oil. (This departs flavour to the dish so try not to substitute with Canola Oil or Refined Oil)

Mustard, Curry Leaves for Seasoning.

Cilantro to garnish.

PREPARATION:

  • Grind the coconut, cashew and poppy seeds with a little coconut milk and water to a smooth paste. Keep aside.
  • In a kadai, add the 3-4 spoons of Idhayam Gingely Oil and allow to heat.
  • Add Mustard, curry leaves a dash of hing and pop in the chopped onions. Allow to saute well.
  • Slice the brinjals in to four slices leaving the calyx intact. Sprinkle a dash of salt and microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes. This is render then half cooked.
  • When the onions are sauteed well, slowly add the brinjals and saute for a couple of minuted.
  • Now pour in the tamarind water.and add  salt, turmeric, sambar powder, dhania powder, red chilli powder and stir in well.
  • Cover and cook on medium heat for at least 20 minutes until the brinjals are soft and well cooked.

  • It is imperative that the brinjals are completely cooked until soft, as any hard portions would spoil the richness and taste.
  • After the 20 minutes, add the ground coconut-poppy seed paste and stir in well.
  • Allow the entire pot to come to a boil and the oil seperates from the gravy.
  • Switch off the stove and garnish with chopped Cilantro.
  • Serve kuzhambu with Urulai Fry or Sepangkizhangu Fry.


Cakes / Pastries / Cookies/ Bread/Muffins.

Coffee Sponge Cake with Coffee Buttercream icing sprinkled with Toblerone Chocolate Shavings.

Shoba29 Comments

My family at home, and my uncles, aunts, mom, cousins, and everyone I know have an eternal love affair with this delectable ingredient – “Coffee”. We love our morning cuppa and enjoy the freshness and zing that it adds in to our mornings! I am also eternally trying to add coffee in to our everyday snacks….Coffee Cookies and Cold Coffee with Ice Cream were born out of efforts in that arena!  I had my Kitchen Aid stand mixer and I wanted to try a real cake with eggs and my first cake had to be a Coffee Cake. I had earlier chanced on this recipe in Divya`s blog and I knew I had to make one of my own….Imagine the aroma of a coffee cake in the entire home!!! I was a goner! and Divya…this recipe is a keeper!!!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup All purpose flour.

3/4 cup sugar.

3/4 cup butter softened at room temperature.

1 tsp baking powder.

1 Tbsp Boiling Water.

2 Tbsp Instant Coffee Powder.( I used Folgers Instant)

2 Eggs at room temperature.

1Tsp Vannila Essence.

1/4 Cup Milk at room temperature.

INGREDIENTS FOR COFFEE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

1/3 Cup Butter softened at room temperature.

1 Cup levelled Icing Sugar .

Dash of vanilla essence.

1 Tbsp Boiling Water with a dash of coffee powder dissolved in it.

1 Tbsp Heavy Whipping Cream.

2 Mini Toblerone Chocolate Mounds.

PREPARATION:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a round 9 inch cake pan.
  • Measure out one cup of all purpose flour and mix in the 1 tsp of baking powder. Set aside.
  • Dissolve the instant coffee powder with boiling water.  I used Folger`s Instant Coffee Powder that is 100% coffee. The Indian brands of  instant powders have at least 40-48% chicory so please keep that in mind, as you might have to slightly increase the measure to 3 Tbsps.
  • In a bowl, cream the sugar and butter under slow speed until they are fluffy.
  • Slowly add the eggs one by one with the mixer on and incorporate the eggs in. Do not overmix as this might rob the mixture of the air, which is an essential ingredient  for the sponginess of the cake.
  • Now add the vanilla essence, and the coffee dissolved in water. Beat well.
  • Next start adding the flour and the milk alternatively, starting with the flour, then milk, then flour and continue and finish with the flour.
  • Slowly pour on to the greased cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes approximatelty, or until a toothpick thats inserted, comes out clean. Please keep a watch on the oven after 28 minutes or so, to make sure that the cake does not get burnt, over baked!
  • Allow to cool well before frosting the cake.

PROCEDURE FOR PREPARATION OF COFFEE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING:

  • In the mixer, add the whisk attachment and keep all ingredients at room temperature.
  • Add icing sugar, butter first and combine on low speed until well mixed. Increase the speed to medium and whisk for another 3 minutes.
  • Add the vanilla essence, coffee powder dissolved in water anf heavy whipping cream in the proportions mentioned above.
  • Keep whisking the mixture well for another 2-3 minutes until it reaches a spreading consistency.
  • Spread the coffee buttercream frosting on the cooled cake with a butter knife to make a smooth layer. Cream the sides of the cake if needed.
  • Grate dark chocolate toblerone over the cake. You can combine chocolate with the buttercream and pipe out designs on the cake if needed.
  • Chill for an hour for the frosting to set.
  • Delicious Coffee Cake with Coffee Buttercream frosting is ready.

Indo-Chinese Cooking. · Rice Varieties.

Restaurant Style Indo Chinese Veggie Fried Rice.

Shoba66 Comments

All my life my favourite order in any restaurant would almost always be “Veggie Fried Rice and Gobi Manchurian. Unfailingly, my mom and cousins would throw up their hands in despair….”Why don`t you even want to try anything else”?? In my opinion, If a restaurant would make fantastic Veggie Fried Rice, they would get notched up a few more stars in their ratings with me!!! Not that my ratings had anything to do with the overall rating of the restaurant. But almost always, this would most definitely work.  One of my favourite haunts in the last few years has been “Ginger Capsicum Fried Rice” from Mainland China. I would order Vegetables in Chinese Parsley Sauce on the side and order their amazing Black Pepper Sauce on the side. I simply love their black pepper sauce which was a side with their soft and tasty Veggie Dumplings….I had been craving for this Veggie Fried Rice for a long long time and I decided it was really time to take matters in to my own hands….I must say I was extremely pleased with the results and all of us were up for seconds and “thirds”…

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups Basmati Rice.

1 Cup Red/Yellow/Green/Orange Pepper sliced thin and long.

1 Cup thinly shredded Cabbage.

2 carrots sliced thinly.

2 stems of Spring onion shredded finely.

1 inch Ginger chopped very fine.

4 Garlic Pods chopped fine.

Salt to taste.

1 tsp Pepper Powder.

A pinch of Ajinomoto.

1 Tsp Soy Sauce.

Sesame Oil / Canola Oil.

PREPARATION:

  • Cook the basmati rice with just 1 1/2 cups of water. Totally for 2 cups of rice, use 3 cups of water, add a spoon of oil to the rice and cook using rice cooker.
  • Set aside to cool when done.
  • Meanwhile take a wide mouthed wok and add 3 spoons of oil.  I used the oil leftover from frying the manchurian balls for making Veggie Manchurian. I am sure that would have worked its own magic in adding tons of flavour and taste.
  • When  the oil is hot enough, add the diced ginger and garlic. This is what adds the flavour and authentic indo chinese taste to the fried rice. The more finer you chop the ginger and garlic, its better as it flavours and perfumes the oil, which is the base for sauteing all the other veggies.
  • After a few seconds, add the thinly sliced peppers, cabbage and the carrots. Stir fry in the oil for a few minutes.

  • Add salt for the veggies, pepper powder and a pinch of ajinomoto. Stir well.
  • Dont allow the veggies to get mushy and lose their crunch so dont cook the veggies too much.
  • In a few minutes, add the cooked rice and carefully stir all the ingredients.
  • Add 1 tsp of soy sauce, salt and mix well.
  • Garnish with chopped spring onion and enjoy the aroma wafting around you.
  • Enjoy hot Veggie Fried Rice with Vegetable Manchurian Gravy.