Snacks & Tiffin Items

Healthy Adai with oats and flax.

Shoba9 Comments

“Adai” is one of the most nutritious tiffin items loaded with nutrition and health. Traditionally, in our homes, adai is an come-home-after-school evening snack. But many days, its a filling dinner. Adai is a thick crepe like entree, serves with Avial in tamil nadu and other times with Idly Podi or tomato thokku. Its basically made with rice, bengal gram and toor dhal, but in the process of making it more healthier, I also add oats, flax, spinach, cabbage etc, to boost on the fibre intake. Many times, when I take stock of the daily food intake, what I miss at the most, is Fibre.

Fibre rich foods keeps the digestive system in good working order helps prevent a lot of lifestyle driven dieseases, and is packed with protiens and minerals. Its also important that one gradually increases the fibre intake and should be followed by a substantial increase in fluid intake, in order to assist the body to assimilate the fibre consumed.

Adai can be rehashed to include onions, or minus onions to include cabbage, or for those who find the aroma of cooked cabbage unagreeable, corriander and spinach, brocolli and collards etc. I also add two spoons of flax powder, which acts as a catalyst in increasing the fibre, but does not alter the taste even a wee bit.

This is a version with Oats, flax and onions.

Onion,Oats and flax Adai with Tomato Thokku.
Onion,Oats and flax Adai with Tomato Thokku.

INGREDIENTS:

Idli Rice/Boiled Rice          – 1 cup.

Bengal Gram                           – 1/2 cup.

Toor Dhal                                 – 1/2 cup.

Red Chillis                                 – 6 or 7.

Curry Leaves                           – 6 or 7.

Oats Old fashioned                – 1/2 cup

Flax Seed Powder                   – 2 tsp.

Salt                                                – 1 and 1/2 tsp – 2tsp accd to taste

Corriander                                  – 1/4 cup.

Hing                                               – A pinch.

Onions chopped                       – 1.

PREPARATION:

  • Soak the boiled rice,  and the dhals seperately and to this add the seven red chillis; Allow to soak for 3 hours. Add the oats to soak for ten minutes only.
  • Grind the rice, dhals, oats,red chillis, salt, hing, curry leaves and corriander to a coarse batter. The batter should be almost 80% ground, but not to a smooth paste. Do not make the batter watery – grind the batter with around 1/2 cup of water.
  • Keep the batter ready and add some  more chopped curry leaves for added flavour.
  • If the batter is a little too thick, feel free to add a little water to make it in to a consistency easy to make in to a dosa form.
  • Keep the tava on the stove and when hot, grease with gingely oil.
  • Pour the batter on the tava, and circle to form a thick dosa. Make a little hole in the middle of the adai, with your dosa turner and pour some oil to allow uniform cooking. We do this, as the adai is packed with pulses, which needs to be cooked well.
  • Immediately add the chopped onion pieces.
  • When done on one side, turn over to cook on the other. Keep the stove on a medium flame.
  • Serve HOT with Avial or Tomato Thokku.

HINT:

  • Vary the taste of the adai to include onions when you grind to get a light flavourful onion adai.
  • Cook the adai with chopped cabbage for a healthy alternative.
  • You can also soak soya beans, green gram dhals etc to vary the nutrition and taste.

Sending piping hot adais to Meetha`s Monthly Mingle – Ravishing Rice.

Naivedhyams/ Festival Offerings.

Ribbon Pakoda – Any time snack.

Shoba14 Comments

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Ahhh…the most loved anytime snack  – the ribbon pakoda is a family favourite. Ribbon Pakodas are an inclusion to all festivals and occasions  Those days Madurai amma would make a whole large aluminum tin, full of this delicious crunchy snack. Somehow, all of us cousins would invent reasons to visit the kitchen frequently and be extremely accommodating to the elders if they wanted us to get pickle or salt from the kitchen as it pronounced a chance to snack on the pakodas with a rock solid alibi!!!

These days, as is the family tradition, I also include it as a part of the “Bakshanam” for any festival, specially Deepavali. It`s a great snack to have on long drives or simply when the family gets together for a movie or a chat…My daughter loves it a lot, and I am sure you would too…

INGREDIENTS:

2 Cups Store Bought Rice Flour, sieved

1 Cup Besan, sieved.

2 Tsp  Urad Flour.

1 and 3/4 Cups (approx) Water.

1 Heaped Tsp Chilli Powder.

2 Tsp Salt.

1/4 Tsp Hing .

1.5  Tbsp Butter.

PREPARATION:

  • Take a heavy flat bottomed vessel and pour in canola or refined oil and switch on the stove on medium low.
  • In a mixing bowl, add the butter, hing, red chilli powder and  salt and cream/mix  it together with your hands. This is the base of this snack so make sure that its creamed and mixed well.
  • If you overdo the butter, it gets too greasy that it does not get pressed out as ribbons. They would all fall out in little pieces…So more is not always good!
  • Measure out the flours and add them to the bowl of creamed spices. Mix it in dry for a couple seconds.
  • Add the water little by little and knead the dough in to a soft homogenous ball.
  • The ball should slightly soft and  moist.
  • Dole out a big piece on to the hand press and when the oil is hot enough, slowly press out the dough on to the oil in to a circle.
  • Try to press them in to a flattened circle taking care not to clump them up at any time.
  • When one side is a done to a golden yellowish brown,  turn over to fry the other side and place on a soft tissue to allow the excess oil to drain.
  • Store in an air tight container and enjoy lazy afternoons with hot coffee or chai!!!

HINTS:

  • The main hint for this snack is that it should be crisp but melt in the mouth.
  • One the oil needs to be hot when you put in the item to be fried. Keep your flame on medium high and put in the Ribbon Pakoda. When one side is well done, turn it over and fry on the other side too. Between putting the next bunch of ribbon pakoda to be fried, allow the oil to get heated again.
  • When you finish one bunch, drain it on a collander, allow it to come to room temperature, taste it, adjust salt, spice levels  etc and then proceed to store it in an air tight container.
  • In case the  “Acchu” has a thicker hole,  allow it to cook well. but not brown. It is preferable to have thin crisp Ribbon Pakodas.

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Kerala / Palakkad Recipes. · No Need of Onions!!! · Poriyals / Kootu Varieties.

Kathirikkai Podimas – Eggplant/Brinjals sauted in oil and coated in curry powder.

Shoba3 Comments

Brinjals are an all time favorite and render themselves to be cooked in a hundred different ways. It`s always been a pleasure for me to cook with good tender brinjals as they get done in minutes. I always pick up tender tiny brinjals from the Indian store or better still, use the Japanese Eggplant.  You can make Yennai Kathirikkai, Kathirkkai Podimas, Brinjal Pepper Kuzhambu , Kathirikkai Curry with  minimalistic masalas, vangibath, baingan bartha, baghara baingan, and Kathirikkai Poricha Kuzhambu. Each of them take a different taste because of the way they are concocted. My husband  loves the way, brinjals are cooked slowly over a medium flame and slathered with the mix of roasted spices. It`s also a favorite among my friends and a regular addition to all potlucks and get-togethers.

Brinjal Podimas.
Brinjal Podimas.

INGREDIENTS:

Brinjals/Eggplant            – Medium (10-12) or 1 Big Japanese Eggplant.

Salt

Hing

Seasoning:

Mustard, Oil, Urad Dhal, Curry Leaves.

ROAST IN OIL:

Boiled Rice          – 3 spoons

Bengal Gram      – 2 spoons

Dhania                  – 1 spooon

Red Chillis          – 4

Curry Leaves    – 3-4

Hing                      – A pinch.

PREPARATION:

  • Chop the brinjals in to slightly longer pieces as they cook very fast and you dont want them to get mushy.
  • Slow roast the mentioned ingredients in a spoon of oil, allow to cool and grind them to coarse powder and set aside. You can proportionately increase the measurements two fold depending on the number of eggplants. Extra powder can always get stored in an air tight container doubly sealed with cling film to contain the freshness and aroma of the ground powder.
  • Pour 2 spoons of oil in a kadai, season with mustard , urad dhal and curry leaves and throw in the chopped brinjal pieces.
  • Add salt, turmeric and hing and cook on medium flame for about ten minutes till the brinjals are cooked well.
  • Switch off stove and add ground powder for flavouring.
  • Garnish with chopped cliantro and serve HOT with Lemon rasam or Spinach Morkuzhambu.
Travel

Katy Trail, Cycling & My Grandpa`s Farm.

Shoba7 Comments
Lovely auburn flowers in winter???
Lovely auburn flowers in winter???

Exploring Katy Trail in Missouri was something that we always looked forward to,  as many travelogues and  magazine, waxed eloquence on the beauty of this place. When we sought out  information, on the internet, we could not find any site, that gave us consolidated information on the facilities, views, points of interests etc. This blog, is an effort towards just that – A write up on the beauty of the Katy Trail, as seen through my eyes….

Katy Trail State Park is built on the former corridor of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas (MKT) Railroad (better known as the Katy). When the railroad decided to cease operation on its route, it presented the chance to create an extraordinary recreational opportunity — a long-distance hiking and bicycling trail that would run almost 200 miles across the state. This was a completely ingenious idea as it presented itself as a milestone in hiking and bicycling for many nature enthusiasts. As this corridor, runs all along the banks of the River Missouri, its very scenic during all the seasons of the year. In summer, the trail bursts with wildflowers and the trees are filled with ripe fruits and leaves and its really a pleasure to walk or cycle along the trail.  The visitors to this area, have many options to explore the beauty along the trail. One can drive up to Defiance, Missouri and rent bicycles at Katy Bike Rental. The cycles are well maintained and parents have options of child-carts and tag-a-longs for the kids. Thee are also kids bicycles which enables a full outing for the entire family. The tag-a-longs are closed so the child is protected from the sun and wind.

Tag-along for kids.
Tag-along for kids-Pic courtesy Katy Bike Rental.

The trail allows users to travel through some of the most scenic areas of the state. The majority of the trail closely follows the route of the Missouri River so hikers and bicyclists often find themselves with the river on one side and towering bluffs on the other. The trail travels through many types of landscapes including dense forests, wetlands, deep valleys, remnant prairies, open pastureland and gently rolling farm fields. In the spring, the trail is brightened with flowering dogwood and redbud, while the fall is colored with the rich reds and oranges of sugar maple, sumac and bittersweet. The summers are of course very beautiful where one can see all the forest areas in full bloom.  You could also see scurrying bunnies and little baby turtles, walking along the trail, at their own pace. The Klondike State Park spread across 250 acres, between the cities of Defiance and Augusta, on the historic highway 94, is a place to be visited on its  own. Once a site for silica sand quarry, now offers trail enthusiasts many options for family get-togethers, with a scenic lake, picnics, parks, tent camping, trekking, trails and play areas.

Ice frozen on the Klondike Park Lake.
Ice frozen on the Klondike Park Lake.

Another of my favourite spots along the Katy Trail is “My Grandpa`s Farm”. Its a small quaint farm, originally owned by the Daniel Boone run by a couple, who live there. The farm runs all through spring from the 15`th of March up until  Thanksgiving.  In spring and summer, the farm supplies refreshments like” Sno-cones” – crushed ice flavoured with berry, lemon syrup to the parched bicyclists. They also serve quaint lunches and dinners. They grow organic tomatoes, pears, apples, raspberries, peaches and lemons. They also raise ponies, horses, chickens and hens and get fresh eggs from them.

My Grandpa`s Farm
My Grandpa`s Farm

They make Apple Butter, peach Butter and strawberry and raspberry preserves,  which are bottled and sold at their lovely little store. The salas, made from the organic home grown tomatoes, are extremely tasty and also available to buy. A drive to Augusta, is never complete without a visit to “My grandpa`s Farm”, and we never miss the home made delicious hash browns served with Meduim Salsa.

Augusta also comes under the Missouri Wine Country, so the Highway 94 is filled with so many quaint lovely wine tasting outlets. A fall drive along this lovely highway, is a feast for the eyes, as one ambles across miles and miles of plains and hills dotted with trees, all coloured with fall foliage. On a drive along this wine country, during fall, you  can see many grape vineyards, laden with bunches of juicy heavy grapes, ready to be picked, sorted and made in to wines. One wonders at the many lovely hues of orange, yelllow, amber and red, in a fall drive on this scenic road.

Grapes ready to be picked in a vineyard in Augusta, MO
Grapes ready to be picked in a vineyard in Augusta, MO

Fall, again is the month of apple picking, so farms along this trail, get busy with this season. The Centennial farms, where we visitd for instance, claimed to grow 24 varieties of apples which ripen through August to September and get ready to be picked in fall. The farm also grows summer vegetables like squash, acorn, sweet potatoes and make them available for sale. Its also a place for family fun, during October, as they offer pumpkin mazes, hay ride, tractors etc for children and adults. There are a variety of nurseries along this region, which grow a multitude of flowers and plants like roses, hibiscus, jasmines, sunflowers, chrysanthemums etc. The Wine Country Gardens offer wine tasting, a lovely nursery and outdoor dining overlooking the lovely stretch of plains, filled with vineyards, trees and offering an uninterrupted view of the spectacular highway and beyond.

The Katy trail is a hitherto unexplored territory for me, in my one and a half year stint in Missouri, but every trip to Defiance and Augusta, bring with it, new experiences and newer insights to this scenic part of the state. We have made it a point to visit this place, as much as we can, as it brings so many opportunities of experiencing nature and being one with it. This region is almost beautiful. no matter what the season….Little did Lewis and Clark realise that their expedition opened the doors for so many more….today and everyday …

Highway 94...
Highway 94...

♥

Eggless Cakes

Banana Walnut Eggless Cake.

Shoba4 Comments

Bananas are one of the most commonly availabe fruit. It comes in a variety of colours  green, yellow, red and in India ,a myriad of hybrids are now available. It also the most versatile fruit as its used in many different forms – fried, frittered, frozen, mashed, pureed, boiled to be made in to puddings, preserves, or in its original form. Bananas are rich in Vitamin C and also a good source of dietary fiber and potassium. Many times, when I buy even half a dozen, I always find I would have to throw at least one if I am not extremely careful. This time, I decided to make an egless  cake with the over ripe bananas. I also threw in a little flax seed powder as it increases the fibre intake. It is also better to skim down the sugar a little bit, as bananas are  high in sugar content on their own.

Banana Walnut Eggless Cake.
Banana Walnut Eggless Cake.

INGREDIENTS:

All Purpose flour          – 1 cup

Sugar                                  – Brown/White 1 cup.

Bananas                            – 2 ripe.

Oil                                        – 1/2 cup (Only Canola/Mazola/ Vegetable Oil and not Olive Oil)

Baking Soda                     – 1 tsp

Walnuts                             – 1 /3 cup

Vanilla Extract              – 1 tsp (Always use pure vanilla extract with  no alcohol). For better flavor you can use Banana Extract too.

Flax seed                           – 2 tsp.

PREPARATION:

  • Preheat the oven to 350F and pour out the walnuts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toast for 5 mins or so.
  • Cool the nuts and chop them up roughly.
  • Measure out the flour, add the baking soda abd set aside. The dry ingredients are now ready.
  • In a mixing bowl, add the ripe bananas and mash it well with a masher or ladle. Add oil, sugar, extract and whisk briskly.
  • Slowly add the dry ingredients little by little and mix it in,. Do not overmix as this may rob the batter of air and the end result would not be a spongy cake.
  • Add the toasted chopped nuts and the flax seed and mix it in too. The toasting of the nuts is completely optional as it brings out the flavour of the nuts and makes it crunchy. You can also add them as they are.
  • Grease a 9 nch round cake pan or loaf pan  with oil spray and slowly pour in the cake batter and lightly flatten with a spatula.
Banana Cake batter in the cake pan.
Banana Cake batter in the cake pan.
  • Bake at 350F for 30 mins or until a fork inserted comes out clean.
Snacks & Tiffin Items

Quick Besan Dhoklas.

Shoba11 Comments

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The best ever dhoklas that I remember having eaten are at The Saravana Bhavan – Gujrati Restaurant in T.Nagar, Chennai. They have the most amazingly soft dhoklas that can melt and come together in your mouth, along with the sweet chutney agog with tamarind and tang, and the green pudina chutney. Ever since, I ve always been on the lookout for recipes on how to make this easy snack. What I like about it, is the fac that it could be whipped up in a few minutes, with no need for prior planning. This is my version of this dish and I hope you will like it too. Posting for the Sweet Tamarind Chutney follows at a later post.

INGREDIENTS:

Besan                        – 1 1/4 cups

Buttermilk/Curd – 1 cup.

Ginger Paste          – 1 tsp

Green Chilli Paste- 1 tsp

Eno Fruit Salt         – 1 tsp.

Lemon Juice          – 1 tsp

Salt                              – 1 tsp.

Turmeric Powder – A pinch

Seasoning:

Oil, Mustard Seeds, Slit Green Chillis (2), Curry Leaves, Hing.

Garnish:

Dry Coconut Powder, Chopped Corriander.

PREPARATION:

  • In a bowl, take the besan and use your hands to remove all the clumps. Add the buttermilk and gently whisk to mix. Now also add turmeric, salt, ginger paste, green chilli paste and mix them all together.
  • Mix a spoon of Eno Fruit salt with 1 spoon of lemon juice and mix it in to the besan batter.
  • Let is stand for 20 mins.
  • Take a low flat bottomed cooker vessel, resembling a 9 inch round cake pan and grease the insides with cooking spray or oil.
  • Pour the besan batter in to the cooking pan.
  • Fill the cooker with 1 cup of water and gently place the vessel in to the cooker.
  • Allow it to steam on high for 12-14 mins.
  • Switch off and wait for 5 mins and cool it for 20 mins or so.
  • Cut it in to diamond shape and season with mustard , chilli, hing  and curry leaves.
  • Garnish with coconut and corriander.
  • Serve with chatpata-sweet  tamarind chutney.
....Served with Tamarind Chutney.
....Served with Tamarind Chutney.
Kerala / Palakkad Recipes. · Side Dishes for Rotis/Dosas/ Naan.

Instant Keerai Masiyal. (Quick Greens Gravy with Seasonings)

Shoba5 Comments

Spinach and other forms of greens have been an excellent source of vitamins and iron for the body. It is of no wonder that we discover novel methods of ingesting greens so that we can derive the intrinsic rich sources of vitamins for our benefit. This instant keerai masiyal is an express method of cooking and flavouring the greens so that a twist in the taste would make us feel we are eating a different vegetable in a different form.

Its also a quick addition to the regular vegetable everyday, specially for kids and toddlers, to be eaten along with their course. Traditionally, its made with “Ara Keerai” or Mola Keerai in our homes, but I use any green leafy vegetable that I have. Today I`ve used a combination of Spinach, collards and turnips.The variation in the taste is in fact,  the effect of the seasoning.

INGREDIENTS:

Spinach/Collards/Turnip/Kale     – 1/2 a packet or a bunch cleaned.

Salt

Hing

Seasoning:

Coconut Oil, Mustard/Curry Leaves. Broken Urad Dhal, red chillis (3).

PREPARATION:

  • Take the washed and cleaned greens and pop in to a microwave safe dish and microwave on HIGH for 5 mins. Optionally, you could also sprinkle water and cook it on the oventop stove for 5 mins .
  • Do not allow the leaves to get bruised, but cook it only 60% or so.
  • Pulse the cooked and cooled greens along with salt in the mixer to a smooth paste. There is NO need to add water, as cooking itself brings out the inherent water in the leaves.
  • If you feel that there is still some raw smell of the greens, that is not agreeable, pop in in to the microwave for an extra 2 mins.
  • Warm a seasoning kadai on the stove and add 2 spoons of coconut oil.
  • When hot, add broken urad dhal, allow to slightly brown, red chillis, add mustard, hing, curry leaves and pour over the ground greens paste.
  • Serve as a side with rice, or over dhal rice, or as a course in itself to mix with rice.
Poriyals / Kootu Varieties.

Avaraikkai, Mochai and Koorkai Poriyal.(Broad Beans,Lilva and Chinese Potatoes Poriyal)

Shoba8 Comments
Avaraikkai, Mochai & koorkai Poriyal.
Avaraikkai, Mochai & koorkai Poriyal.

Koorkai is a favourite for me even when I was in Madras, as this was a pretty seasonal root, that you would get only during december/january. It is an important addition to the vegetables that we use in “Thiruvadharai Upperi”. My mum would soak it for some time and rub is against a rough surface so it would get clean. Cleaning the Koorkai is the most difficult portion of  labour before relishing its taste. Then you would have to painstakingly remove the skin and chop it before you cook it in steam, AND THEN it becomes ready to be used in Mozhukkuperati, or upperi or molagootal….So much for this rare tuber!!!

I was really missing it when I moved to the U.S, but when I visited my aunt in PLano, in December `08, I found cleaned, cut and frozen koorkai in in indian store near her place. I was delirious with joy and I guess I bought 4-5 packets, as my husband was darting looks that very clearly spelt “baffled”. Not that I minded. I knew this was a seasonal vegetable and I had to stock  up for the year! Today was an exceptionally cold day and I really felt like having this fragrant vegetable, so I combined to make a  Poriyal with Avaraikkai and Mochai. In my mind, I guess I was trying to make up for the root, by adding a pulse and a high fibre vegetable.

It`s a pretty simply recipe, so here you go…

INGREDIENTS:

Avaraikkai             – 1 cup (Valor/Broad Bean) chopped in to 1 inch pieces.

Koorkai                   – 1 cup. (cleaned and chopped in to small pieces)

Mochai                   – 1 cup ( Valor Lilva)

Coconut                 – 3 tsp.

Salt.

Hing.

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds, Broken Urad dhal, Curry Leaves, Red Chillis (2-3)

PREPARATION:

  • Take a kadai and pour in two spoons of oil and allow to get hot. Slip in the urad dhal and the red chillies and allow it to get a little brown and now drop in the mustard seeds and the curry leaves and a dash of hing.
  • Add the chopped vegetables and add sufficient salt and sprinkle water and allow to cook on a medium low flame.
  • Allow to cook for a good fifteen minutes and sprinkle dessicated coconut.
  • Serve HOT with Vengaya Sambar.
Pickles & Thokku.

Tomato Thokku (Pickled Tomatoes)

Shoba14 Comments

Tomato Thokku is a form of pickle (read delicacy) that`s so often made in my home…but then one never gets enough of it. Its such a versatile side, you can have it with idli, dosa, upma,curd rice, parathas, bread, tortillas and virtually anything else you can think of. Whenever tomatoes are down to 99c a pound, or If I have a few getting ripe, tomato thokku it is…

Here it goes, for the benefit of the others…

INGREDIENTS:

15 Medium Sized Tomatoes.

2 Tsp Fenugreek

2 Tsp Salt

3 Tsp Red Chilli Powder

Hing

1/2 cup of Concentrated Tamarind Extract.

Pinch of Turmeric.

1 Tbsp of Jaggery.

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds, Curry Leaves.

PREPARATION:

  • Wash the tomatoes, dry them by wiping them  and chop them in to tiny pieces.
  • Dry roast the fenugreek/venthayam on a slow flame until you get the aroma. Its very important that its roasted on a medium low flame as this slow release of flavour adds to the taste. cool it and powder it well in the mixer.
  • Take a heavy bottomed pan and pour in 8-9 spoons of oil, add mustard and when it starts to splutter, add curry leaves and hing.
  • Quickly add the tomatoes, hing, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and the tamarind extract.
  • Stir in the ground venthayam/fenugreek and jaggery  also in to the pan.
  • Allow the tomatoes to cook and simmer on a medium-low flame with constant stirring so that it does not stick to the bottom.
  • Keep on stirring until the oil seperates from the “thokku”…this should approximately take about 40-45 minutes.
  • Switch off the stove and allow to cool for 2-3 hours and store in an airtight glass jar.
  • Enjoy with Rotis, Parathas, Idlis, Doasas, Venn Pongal or yummy curd rice.

Cakes / Pastries / Cookies/ Bread/Muffins.

Baklava…Pastry filled with nuts and sweetened with honey.

Shoba4 Comments
Delicious Baklava.
Delicious Baklava.

Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry featured in many cuisines of turkish, persian and arab countries. It is a pastry made of layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. Many other Middle Eastern nations have pastries which are very similar, thanks to a long running tradition of sweet desserts which feature flaky, delicate pastry. While baklava was originally considered a food for the wealthy, today it can be found in many pastry shops and Greek specialty stores all over the world. The first time ever that I had Baklava was in a quaint Mediterranean restaurant in Phoenix, Arizona. I bit in to the delicacy and found my mouth bursting with the flakiness of the phyllo dough, the crunchiness from the nuts,  all coming together with the sweetness of the honey dripping from it. I was awed completely by the experience. The next time around that I remember was in the summer of 2008, at The Chateau on the Lake, resort spa in Branson, Missouri. This  amazing resort has a lovely patio overlooking the scenic Table Rock Lake and we had this delectable pastry right there and suddenly it was so beautiful all around me…

My inspiration of the twist on the baklava, is from the way we make “Modhakas” and steam them…and of course from Giada…Here they are for you to try and taste…

INGREDIENTS:

Walnuts          – 1/4 cup.

Almonds         – 1/4 cup.

Raisins             – 1/4 cup.

Coconut            – 1/8 cup.

Sugar                  – 2 Tbsp.

Cinnamon         – Powdered a pinch.(Optional

Melted Butter- 1/2 a stick.

Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp.

Honey

Phyllo Dough       – 6 sheets.

Muffin Pans

PREPARATION:

  • Preheat the oven to 350F.
  • Place the walnuts, almonds, raisins, coconut, sugar and cinnamon in a mixer and pulse well so it grinds well. Transfer to a bowl and add 2 tbsp of melted butter and honey and stir it to combine in to a homogeneous mixture.
  • Take the phyllo dough very carefully as they are extremely thin.Use a dry working surface and spread out one sheet of the dough. Slowly brush this sheet with butter and place the second sheet on the face of the first and lightly press it so they stick together. Repeat with brushing the melted butter on the second phyllo dough and slowly place the third sheet on the second. Care should be taken while working with phyllo dough as they tear very easily. Continue until all the 6 sheets are pressed and stacked  firmly on one another.
  • Now slowly slice this stack of sheets with knife or scissors   in to 12  pieces.
  • You could make little balls from the filling so it makes the process much more simpler.
  • Use the smaller pieces of phyllo, fill it with the nut-honey ball and close it as you would do a little dumpling and twist it, and place it in the muffin compartment.

  • Phyllo Dough filled with Honey-Nut Mixture.
    Phyllo Dough filled with Honey-Nut Mixture.
  • Use the melted butter to seal the edges if you are having difficulty closing the  pastry.
  • Continue and complete all the 12 pieces and place them on a muffin pan.

  • Baklava baked golden...
    Baklava baked golden...
  • Bake for 15-20 mins or until all the baklavas are golden colour.
  • Cool and serve dripping with honey.
  • dscf1056

(Optionally, the honey-nut mixture could be flavoured with orange zest and orange essence instead of vanilla and cinnamon for a warm citrus twist and served with Orange Blossom Honey).