Egg pepper chops

Its been a long time since I wrote a blog post. Thought to make a post today. And hence tried this easy egg chops recipe for lunch. Made our family favourite coconut milk veg pulao and had it with this pepper egg chops . It is very simple to prepare but tasted so good. If you want a spicy curry for roti or dosa or rice then go for this recipe, it will be an awesome combo.

 Ingredients:
Boiled eggs-4
Onion-1 ,medium sized
Curry leaves- few
Green chilly-2
Masala:
Onion- few pieces
Ginger-1 inch
Garlic pods-4
Fennel seeds-1 tsp
Pepper corns-2tsp
Coriander seeds-1 tsp

Method:

• Hard boil the eggs and peel them and chop. Chop onions finely. Slit the green chilly.
• Grind the ingredients shown under masala section,into a paste. 
• In a pan, heat il and add te green chilly and curry leaves. 
• Add onikns and saute.
• Add the ground paste and saute in simmer.
• Add the boiled chopped eggs and mix well.
• Add needed salt and mix. Switch off and transfer to serving bowl.

Step by step instructions:

• Hard boil the eggs and peel them and chop. Chop onions finely. Slit the green chilly.

• Grind the ingredients shown under masala section,into a paste. 

• In a pan, heat il and add te green chilly and curry leaves. 

• Add onions and saute.

• Add the ground paste and saute in simmer.

• Add the boiled chopped eggs and mix well.

• Add needed salt and mix. Switch off and transfer to serving bowl.

Paneer ghee roast masala

If you feel like having a spicy paneer gravy then go for this paneer ghee roast recipe. It is prepared by roasting select spices in ghee and grinding it along with tamarind. The masala is too good with rotis or dosa.

Instead of the usual paneer  recipes try this one and it will surely be a family favourite.  Here is the recipe for this easy and tasty paneer ghee roast.

Ingredients:

• Paneer cubes-1 cup
• Onion-1 medium size
• Curry leaves-1 spring
• Tamarind-small gooseberry size
• Coriander powder-1 tsp
• Ghee-1tbsp
• Curd-1tbsp

To grind:

• Pepper corns-10
• Fennel-1tsp
• Cumin-1tsp
• Red chilly-4 or 5
• Garlic cloves-5

Method:

• Add a spoon of ghee to the pan and roast all the ingredients to grind.
• Soak tamarind and extract the pulp.
• Grind the ingredients mentioned under the to grind section along with tamarind pulp and make a smooth paste.
• Add curd and coriander powder to the ground paste and mix well.
• Add the paneer cubes to the ground masala paste and mix well until the pieces are thoroughly coated.
• Put it in the fridge for 1/2 an hour.
• Chop the onion finely.
• Add a tbsp of ghee to the pan and saute the onion and curry leaves.
• Now add the marinated paneer and mix.
• Add 1/4 cup water and a spoon of jaggery powder.
• Mix and cook until gravy thickens.
• Transfer to serving bowl and serve with rotis.

Step by step instructions:
Add a spoon of ghee to the pan and roast all the ingredients to grind.Soak tamarind and extract the pulp.Grind the ingredients mentioned under the to grind section along with tamarind pulp and make a smooth paste.

Add curd and coriander powder to the ground paste and mix well.

Add the paneer cubes to the ground masala paste and mix well until the pieces are thoroughly coated.Put it in the fridge for 1/2 an hour.

Chop the onion finely.Add a tbsp of ghee to the pan and saute the onion and curry leaves.Now add the marinated paneer and mix.Add 1/4 cup water and a spoon of jaggery powder.Mix and cook until gravy thickens.

Transfer to serving bowl and serve with rotis.

Matka kulfi

Finally made the long desired relishing dessert, matka kulfi. It was so rich in taste and had a smooth creamy texture.
Used almonds and pistachios but did not add cashews,you can also add cashews to this. Saffron adds exotic colour and flavour to the kulfi.

If you wish to make fruit flavoured kulfi then you can add fruit pulps to this before freezing. Mango kulfi and chocolate kulfi are my other favourites.

This is a good dessert after a meal and  healthy one for kids. You can use kulfi moulds instead of the small mud pots.

Here is the recipe for the yummy matka kulfi with step by step instructions and pictures.

Ingredients:

Full fat milk- 1/2 litre
Sugar-1/4 cup
Saffron-a pinch
To grind:
Almonds-few
Pistachios-few
Cardamom seeds-10
Pepper corns-4
Sugar-2 tsp

Method:

• Soak saffron in a tablespoon of warm milk.

• Grind all the ingredients mentioned under the to grind section and keep it ready.
• Take milk in a wide pan and start boiling it. Simmer once done and keep stirring until it shrinks to half the quantity.
• Now add the saffron milk and the ground mixture and keep stirring until milk turns thick and creamy.
• Switch off once done. Let it cool.
• Transfer to mud pots. Garnish with pista and saffron.
• Cover the pots with aluminium foil and freeze for 10 hours or overnight.
• Serve chilled.

Step by step instructions:

• Soak saffron in a tablespoon of warm milk.Grind all the ingredients mentioned under the to grind section and keep it ready.

• Take milk in a wide pan and start boiling it. Simmer once done and keep stirring until it shrinks to half the quantity.Now add the saffron milk.

•  add the ground mixture and keep stirring until milk turns thick and creamy.

• Switch off once done. Let it cool.

• Transfer to mud pots. Garnish with pista and saffron.

• Cover the pots with aluminium foil and freeze for 10 hours or overnight.

• Serve chilled.

Tutti frutti

Got one big papaya from mom's garden, so tried this tutti frutti recipe which I kept pending for a long time. It has come out so well and my son is too excited. Planning to make a tutti frutti cake shortly ,using this yummy home made tutti frutti.

Cutting it into tiny cubes is bit time consuming but it is all worth it in the end. I used two colours that is orange and apple green and kept few without adding any colour,so I got three different colours. Add colours according to your choice. 

Here is the method for preparing tutti frutti at home. 

Ingredients:

Raw papaya cubes-2 cups

Sugar-3/4 cup

Water-as needed

Vanilla essence-1 tsp

Food colours

Method:

• Wash and deseed the papaya. Remove the outer skin Cut into tiny cubes. Boil the papaya cubes in water until half cooked.
• Drain the water and allow it to cool down.
• In a pan add the sugar and two tablespoons of water to prepare sugar syrup. Do not add more water just wet the sugar.
• Add the papaya cubes and stir until it reaches one string conistency.
• Switch off flame. 
• Add a teaspoon of vanilla essence and mix well.
• In separate bowls add your favourite food colour.Add the cubes along with sugar syrup and mix well with separate spoon for each colour.
• Leave it for 8 to 10 hours for the colours to be absorbed.
• Squeeze extra syrup and let it dry on paper towels for 4 to 5 hours.
• Once it is completely dry, mix all the colours together and transfer to air tight containers.
• Refrigerate it and use as a topping for desserts or use it in cakes and cookies.

Step by step instructions:

Wash and deseed the papaya. Remove the outer skin completely.

Cut into tiny cubes. Boil the papaya cubes in water until half cooked.

Drain the water and allow it to cool down.

In a pan add the sugar and two tablespoons of water to prepare sugar syrup. Do not add more water just wet the sugar.

Stir on medium flame and melt the sugar.

Add the papaya cubes and stir until it reaches one string conistency.

Switch off flame. 

Add a teaspoon of vanilla essence and mix well.

In separate bowls add your favourite food colour.Add the cubes along with sugar syrup and mix well with separate spoon for each colour.

Leave it for 8 to 10 hours for the colours to be absorbed.

Squeeze extra syrup and let it dry on paper towels for 4 to 5 hours.

Once it is completely dry, mix all the colours together and transfer to air tight containers.

Refrigerate it and use as a topping for desserts or use it in cakes and cookies.

Pirandai thuvayal

Pirandai is a creeper that is easily grown in houses. It has so many unbeleivable health benefits. It is said to be rich in calcium and hence helps strengthen bones, it cures stomach related diseases and allergies, helps in reducing cholestrol and controling diabetics and asthma. It has many more health benefits.

This is  bit tricky to handle and needs more patience. It can cause high itching sensation or irritability in your hands while chopping so, grease your hands with sesame oil before handling this pirandai. It should always be cooked with tamarind else you will have an itchy throat after consuming.
To chop the pirandai first, cut them along the nodes and remove the sharp edges from all sides and remove the fibre  too. Chop it into one inch slices. In local markets you will get chopped pirandai too, you can get that to make work lighter.
Ingredients:

• Pirandai -1 cup ,chopped
• Coconut-1/2 cup,shredded
• Curry leaves-1/2 cup
• Urad dal-1tsp
• Channa dal-1tsp 
• Tamarind-gooseberry size
• red chilly-4
• Oil-2 tsp
• Salt

Instructions:

• In a pan add 1tsp oil and saute the urad dal and channa dal until it turns s brown. add the red chillies and curry leaves and saute. Remove and keep aside.
• In the same pan add another teaspoon of oil saute the pirandai and tamarind until it turns pale green. Switch off the stove. 
• Add all the ingredients  along with coconut a d salt into a mixer jar and grind to a thick paste by adding little water.
• Now transfer to serving bowls
• This can be had as a side dish or mixed with rice.

Egg roast

Here is a very simple egg roast recipe that is a good side dish for pulao or ghee rice. If you don't like eating boiled egg,then try this ,you will surely love it.

I used sambar powder for the masala but you can also use red chilly powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder separately.

Ingredients:

• Boiled eggs-3
• Green chilly-1
• Curry leaves- few
• Oil-1tbsp
• Salt-as needed
• Sambar powde-2 tsp

Instructions:

• Peel the shell of boiled eggs and cut into slices.
• In a pan,heat oil and add chilly and curry leaves.
• Add the sambar powder and salt a d simmer and mix quickly.
• Add the egg slices and gently roast it on both sides for few seconds.
• Switch off  the stove a d transfer contents to a serving bowl. 
• Serve with pulao or ghee rice.

Aviyal

Kerala special aviyal recipe including mixed veggies cooked in a coconut paste is simple and delicious side dish. Usually served as a side dish for parupu or kara adai in restaurants.  It is also good to have as a side dish for rice. The flavour of coconut oil is an added bonus  in this dish.

There is no restriction for the veggies that you can use in aviyal. Add all your favourite veggies or those that are available in your fridge. I used carrot,beans,potato,raw papaya,raw banana,brinjal and flat beans. I never used raw papaya in my cooking before but after trying it with some home grown papaya I really decided to make it a regular. Raw papaya is also good to make kootu or sambar and tastes delicious. 

Ingredients:

• Mixed vegetables-1 cup
• Water-2 cups
• Onion-1
• Curry leaves-1 spring
• Red chilly-1
• Mustard seeds-1tsp
• Cumin-1 tsp
• Coconut oil-1tbsp
• Curd-2tbsp
• For the paste:
• Coconut-1/2 cup
• Green chilly-1
• Cumin-1 tsp
• Turmeric1/2 tsp

Instructions:

• Cut the veggies into thick and long slices
• Boil until the veggies are well cooked and firm
• Grind the coconut paste 
• Add oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,cumin,red chilly and curry leaves
• Saute the onion
• Now add the boiled veggies and coconut paste.add needed salt and mix well
• Add the curd and mix again.
• Switch off the stove and transfer to serving bowl.

Home made paneer

Everyone in our house loves paneer. And occasionally I make paneer at home when I have excess milk sitting in the fridge. This is really fresh and tastes too good compared to the store bought ones.

This time I had about 11\2 litres of milk and wanted to make paneer with it. Here is how i make home made paneer cubes. Try it and relish in the rich taste.the whey water that you filter can later be used in other dishes or the paneer gravy that you will be making. You can refrigerate the paneer for upto a week or freeze it and use for an even longer time.

Ingredients:

• Milk
• Lemon

Instructions:

• boil the milk and simmer.
• Add few drops of lemon juice and let it curdle.
• Switch off the flame and filter the whey water completely.  
• Add the mass to a clean muslin cloth and squeeze remaining water completely. 
• Tie it in the cloth and place it under some weight or heavy object.
• Leave it to rest overnight.
• Remove the weight,open the cloth and your paneer is ready.
• Cut into desired shapes. Store in a container and keep refrigerated.

Kara chutney/poondu chutney/garlic chutney

Kara chutney is our family favorite and a best combo for idli or dosa. It can be prepared in a jiffy. The dominant flavour of garlic is the highlight of this chutney. This paste can also be added while making Kara kuzhambu or it can be spread on bread for making spicy sandwiches. Piping hot idlis with Kara chutney is such an awesome combination.

Ingredients:

Garlic- 10 pods

Onion-1 medium size

Tomato-1 small size

Red chilly-4 or 5 nos ( medium spiced)

Salt- as per taste

Oil -2 spoons

Mustard-1 tsp

Urad dal -1 tsp

Preparation

• Peel the garlic, cut onion and tomato into big chunks.
• In a movie jar add the onion,tomato,garlic and red chilly and salt and grind to a coarse paste.
• Add oil in a pan. Add mustard and when it splitters add the urad dal.
• Finally add the ground paste to the pan and mix well for 1 to 2 mins in low flame.
• Switch off and serve with idli or dosa.

Herbal cough and soar throat remedy

Ginger extract with a spoon of honey is a more effective cough remedy for children above 1 year and is also effective in adults. This should be taken in empty stomach early morning for effective relief. This can be given before bed time too to reduce night cough in children. Take 2 tea spoons of honey and add one teaspoon of ginger extract got from freshly crushed ginger and take this once or twice a day as needed.