Cucumber Kichadi/Cucumber in Coconut Yoghurt Sauce

        

               All Keralites would be a fan of kichadi.I wasnt a fan of cucumber before getting this recipe.But since I got this recipe I would love to prepare this veg item,a form of raita,with rice always.This is a simple but delicious famous recipe of Kerala for Sadhya (a veg thali of Keralites prepared during the festival Onam).This can be prepared using many kind of vegetables provided that they should be cooked with green chilly and turmeric before mixing it with the yoghurt sauce.
           
                Now shall jump on to the recipe....

Ingredients

Preparation Time :10 Minutes,Cooking Time: 2 Minutes

2 Cups Cucumber Diced

1/2 Cup Sour Cream / Yoghurt

1 Cup Grated Coconut

1/2 Teaspoon Mustard seeds

5 Small Cloves of Garlic

Salt as per taste

3 Green Chillies / 3 Kaanthari mulak(spicy small chillies)

For Seasoning

1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds

Few Curry Leaves

2 Dried Red Chilli

1 1/2 Tablespoon Coconut Oil

Method

1. Mix the diced cucumber with salt and keep it aside for half an hour.

2. Grind Sour Cream,coconut,mustard seeds,salt,green chillies and garlic until you get a smooth paste.

3. Now add in to the cucumber mixture and stir well.

4. In another wok,heat coconut oil and spoon in mustard seeds.When it splutters,add the dried red chillies and curry leaves.

5. Stir until the curry leaves turn crispier ie about 2 minutes and dump it to the cucumber mixture.

6. The kichadi is ready to be served....

         This dish of mine is linked to the Cook with Green Event and Give Away of of Mery Tummy

Creamy Fruit Pudding

            Hi friends,after long days of rejoicing,I am back to blogging.....Eid had made me busy and away from blogging.Anyways am back with a sweet dish which is vegan.Creamy Fruit Pudding is a healthy simple but yummily delicious dessert.This recipe is too good for kids.But elder ones please be careful as it carries a lot of calories and fat.One scoop will do,but not more.....But simply you cant stop yourself from digging in...Its yummy yummy and yummyyyyy.....
          This creamy delicacy would become one of your favorite dessert just because of the easiness in preparing and the creamy texture.The dessert is too creamy and delicious that you won't know the quantity you had.....

Ingredients

Preparation time 20 minutes,setting time:Half an hour

200 gm Sweetened Condensed milk

170 gm Fresh Cream

2 Cups Whipped Cream (Either by beating whipping powder with milk or by whipping whipping cream      with icing sugar.I opt the first one,anyway it should be whipped to soft peaks)

Seeds of 2 Pomegranate

2 Small bananas diced

2 Apples (Peeled and diced)

Method

1.  Whip the whipping cream powder with milk or whipping cream with icing sugar to make soft peaks.

2.  In another big bowl,beat fresh cream and condensed milk with a hand mixer to get a frothy consistency.

3.  Now fold in the whipped cream to the fresh cream mixture slowly.

4.  Fold in the fruits also.

5.  Then transfer the mixture to a setting tray and cover it with cling film.Refrigerate for 2 hours until set.

Note: You wont get the consistency of normal pudding which is set.But you would get the consistency of ice cream.Scoop it and serve.

Unnakkaaya/Kaayada

 

                           Unnakkaaya is one of the traditional dishes of Malabar.Malabar should be proud to have such a tasty dish.Hats off to the person who invented this recipe.....There wouldn't be a house in Malabar where unnakkaaya wouldn't be served for all the treats and parties for newly married grooms and for Ramadan and for any special occasion.Now not exaggerating about the dish,I would like to introduce this recipe to you....Rather than to say introducing I shall say knowing more about this recipe as you would be very familiar with this dish.
                        Unnakkaaya is prepared with plantains which is in a special ripening stage and boiled and mushed up.This is filled with either veg fillings like coconut and nuts or with non veg fillings like egg scrambled(which is the recipe I am giving you).
                        Unnakkaaya is named behind the fruit of cotton tree ie unnam means cotton and kaaya which means fruit.The shape resembles the fruit of cotton tree.And hence it is named so.But now new molds are available in the market to give various shapes to the unnakkaaya.The above one is the traditional shape which resembles the shape of cotton fruit.

Ingredients

Makes 20 unnakkaayas,Preparation time 30 minutes,Cooking time 5 to 10 minutes(for each batch)

For the outer covering ie plantains

1 Kg plantains (Not too ripe,but the newly ripened ones with its skin turned to yellow without black spots on it)

3 Tblspn Sugar (Optional)

Water to boil

Oil to rub on the hands

For the Filling

3 Eggs

3 Tblspn Sugar

1 Tblspn Ghee

1 Tblspn of crushed cashewnuts

1 Tblspn of Kismis/Raisins

1/4 Tspn of Cardamom Powder or 2 Pods of Cardamom Seeds

Method

1.  Firstly cut the stalk of plantains and put it into the pressure cooker and pour in water so as to level above the plantains.

2.  Close the lid and cook in high flame till water boils and reduce the flame to medium.

3.  Do not put the vent weight on the cooker.

4.  After 20 minutes open the pressure cooker to see if the plantains are cooked.You can understand that by observing its skin.If slits are seen on the skin at places,then it is cooked.

5.  Now peel the plantains while it is hot and transfer to a bowl.

6.  Mash the plantains while it is hot with potato masher.During this stage,you may add sugar to it if the plantains aren't sweet.Otherwise you can avoid it.

7.  Mix the plantains well with hands when warm.

8.  Now heat a pan and spoon in the ghee and roast cashews and then raisins.

9.  When done,break in the eggs and add sugar to it and mix the top with a spoon.Do not stir the layer at the bottom.It should be kept to set for sometime so that you get scrambled eggs.

10. Occasionally give a stir completely and add in cardamom powder or seeds to it.

11. Continue stirring until you get dry scrambled eggs.

12. Now filling this scrambled eggs into the plantains.Firstly oil your hands well and take a lemon sized ball of plantain.Make sure that there are no lumps at all in the mushed up plantains.

13. Flatten in it on your left palm as shown in the figure below.

14. Spoon in 1 teaspoon of the filling and close it to make a rough ball.

15. Now shape it into the shape of cotton fruit with the index finger,middle finger and ring finger of your right hand by simply holding it,the way shown in the figure and rubbing it on the palm of the left hand so as to smoothen it.Remember that there shouldn't be any cracks on it.Else it would break and the filling would go into the oil while frying.

16. You can also make this in various shapes.I have a mold with me which gives the shape of an onion.

17. To avoid cracks,after shaping it rub your nail of the thump finger of the right hand on it.This smoothens up the coating.

18. Now deep fry this in oil to give a golden brown colored unnakkaayas.

Note: 

1.  Veg fillings like coconut and nuts can be used to stuff it.For that the process is the same,but you just have to add coconut while roasting instead of eggs.Do not over roast it.You can also try various fillings like khoya and nut filling etc.

2.  You can also refrigerate it by keeping it in boxes in winter season for about 2 weeks and freeze it for about 3 weeks during summer.

 3.  The above are cotton fruit shaped ones and onion shaped ones.

Pola

    

                             Pola or proven rice cakes are very usual and of much importance to people in Malabar during Ramadan.I don't think there would be any family who won't know about Pola in Malabar region.Am not a big fan of Pola but still everyone here crave for Pola.Preparing the traditional pola is a bit tedious job and so people rarely dare to work on it.Shop bought ones does not give the authentic taste.                      My grandma(uppumma) was an expert in this dish.She was such a great cook that my mother too learned cooking from my grandma (father's mother).Hats off to her innovations and expertise in cooking.But grandma too left this world few years back.But uppumma,U were too special...I swear...Very loving and caring....mmmuaaahhh....
                     The traditional steps include fermenting of few substance in an earthen pot ie a mixture of coconut water and urad dal.And this fermenting may take 1 to 2 days.Later rice batter is poured into this pot with the older mixture and let to rise.But this is not as easy as we type.After all this hardship,it was based on luck how you get it done....But this recipe surely won't disappoint you.Its such an easy and quick recipe to substitute the traditional recipe with and for sure you would love it.
                   But traditional one has its own value in one way or the other....I value that.....Don't worry.I bet you would get the exact taste and softness in this Pola too provided that you keep the measurements right.
                  Sameera aama and Aysha dee,thanx for this recipe.....

 Ingredients

Makes 9 Polas,Preparation Time 10 Minutes,Fermenting time 3 hours,Cooking time 10 minutes for each batch.

For Pola

1 1/2 Cup White Rice/Pachari/Raw Rice

2 Tblspns Urad Dal( Black gram with skin removed,White lentil)

1 1/4 to 1 1/2 Cup Coconut Water (To get a consistency of dosa batter)

1/4 Tspn Salt

1 Tblspn Sugar

1/2 Heaped Tspn Yeast

For Dipping

Milk of 1 Coconut

4 Tblspoon of Sugar(or more)

 Bananas Sliced (optional)

Method

1. Wash and soak pachari/white rice and white lentils(black gram,urad dal) in water for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Drain the water by transferring in to a sieve.
3. Mix all the ingredients of pola and grind well to get a batter with a consistency of that of a dosa.
4. Keep it near a stove or a place where the batter gets some warmth.
5. After 3 hours,the batter is ready to be cooked,if it has risen well.
6. Take steel plates with the shape of the Polas(as shown in pic),ie plain steel plates with the sides a bit risen,rub it with vegetable oil and pour a laddle of the batter into it and steam it.
7. The polas gets cooked within 10 minutes or so.
8. Take out when done and leave it to cool so as to get it out of the mould easily.
9. Now for the dipping,add sugar to the coconut milk and if needed add in bananas and mush it up either with a ladle or with hands and mix each pola with little of the dipping and enjoyyyyy....

Note:

• Never stir the batter vigorously after proving,in a way that the bubbles break and the air in it escapes.Just give a small stir so that the mixture becomes even.
• Do not use the last ladle of pola as it wont rise to give the soft Pola.You may discard it.
• Similarly please do not add any water other than coconut water to it.
• If you want to prepare Pola the very next day also,do not discard the last ladle of batter.Preserve it and while preparing the fresh Pola batter(the second time),you may add stock of rice(rice soup) to soak and grind the rice instead of coconut water.This is an option just for the second time to mix with the first days left over.You can continue this each day by preserving a very little of the batter to mix up with the next day's batter.  

Sweet Lassi

     

                               I haven't posted any drink or juice in my blog till now...This is my first post on a drink.I don't know if this drink is famous or not,but a very tasty drink which can be prepared for ifthar or for serving guests.Sweet lassi was taught by my father.My father used to prepare this for ifthar on a daily basis for 30 days.It was one of his favorites.He would do it himself to get the right taste.
                               After uppa's demise,we rarely prepare this lassi and it was a month ago I thought of preparing it for this ramadan,when my son,Ponnu reminded me of this lassi and said that grandpa used to prepare this for ramadan(told by his dad).All those nostalgic thoughts came rushing about my father and his love for us.It was few years back just after a ramadan he left us alone......May Allah grant him Jannah....Aameen...
                              To my knowledge,I think I have justified uppa's recipe...

Ingredients

Makes 5 Glasses,Preparation time 5 minutes

500 ml Full Fat Milk

1 Cup Set Curd (Not too sour,if sour add only 3/4 Cup)

1/2 Cup Sugar (or a little more)

 Method 

Blend all the ingredients in a juicer until frothy and serve chilled.

Yummy and delicious sweet lassi is ready to be served....

Bread Coins

                     Bread coin is a simple snack that can be prepared for ifthar or as a tea time snack.Any filling can be kept in this for stuffing.Prawns filling would be best for this recipe.But today am gonna prepare this with beef filling.
                   Preparing snacks everyday for ifthar may make us lazy.And so this is dedicated to all those lazy gals like me,behind whom someone should walk nagging to start the job....me of course...hehe...

                 Now let us check the recipe.

 Ingredients 

Serves 4,Preparation time 20 minutes and cooking time 10 minutes

24 Slices of Bread(No milk breads)

2 Eggs

Pinch of Salt

Oil for Shallow Frying

Beef Filling /Chicken Filling or Prawn Filling( Shoul be spicy as the bread would be slightly sweet)

 Method

1. Cut the bread slices with a glass or with a round sharp bowl to get round pieces of bread.
2. In this way,cut all the bread slices.Do not discard the left over pieces of bread as it can be used as bread crumbs by coarsely powdering it.

  3.  Beat the eggs in a bowl with some salt.

  4.  Now dip both the sides of each round piece of bread in the egg wash and keep a teaspoon of filling over the bread piece and cover with another piece of bread dipped in egg wash.

  5.  Cover the filling well and stick the sides of the bread by pressing the sides so that the filling does not escape through the slits while frying.

  6.  Repeat the same with all the pieces and dip in bread crumbs in a way that it is fully covered.

  7.  Heat a pan and spoon in 3 Tblspn of oil and fry each coins in medium flame by flipping it over when one side is done.

  8.  Now the coins are ready to serve.

Beef Filling/Beef Stuffing

                       Various kinds of fillings are prepared for stuffing in many snacks.Beef,chicken,prwan,fish etc are used as the main ingredients in the fillings.Vegetable alone is also used as the main ingredient for stuffing snacks.Here I am going to show you how to prepare a beef filling or stuffing.

Ingredients

200 gm Beef(Cut,cleaned and drained after washing)

1/2 Tblspn Red Chilli Powder

1/2 Tblspn Coriander powder

6 Big Onions Sliced

5 Green chillies

1 Tspn Garlic diced

1 Tspn Ginger Diced

Few Curry Leaves sliced

Salt

1 Tspn Pepper

1/4 Tspn Turmeric Powder

1/2 Tspn Garam Masala Powder

1 1/2 Tblspn Oil

Few Cilantro/Coriander Leaves.

Method

1. Mix the beef with chilli powder,coriander powder and salt in a pressure cooker.Add 1 cup of water to it and cook till 3 to 4 whistles or until the beef gets cooked.
2. Now after the pressure is removed,drain the beef into a strainer.
3. Pulse it in a blender 2 to 3 times to get coarse beef pieces.
4. Now heat a sauce pan or karahi and add oil to it.
5. Saute the onions till light brown and then add green chilli,curry leaves ,ginger and garlic to it and saute well.
6. Add salt while sauting the onions so that it cooks soon.
7. Now add the coarsely minced beef to the onion mixture and add the pepper powder and the garam masala powder and simmer for 5 minutes covered.
8. Finally add the cilantro and cover it with a lid.

Note: This can be made prior and refrigerated during winter season or frozen during summer season to prepare any snack quickly.When frozen stays for so long as 2 to 3 months.

Cheesy Chicken Pockets

               You all know that its Ramadan and we all got to cook each snack daily.Repeating the same snacks is truly boring....Not only for the person who cooks but also for the people who eat it.I have got a new twist to our authentic snack named "Piriyada",which is the pockets filled with beef or chicken fillings in it.I have made it a bit more interesting for all of you all to enjoy it to the maximum.And one more thing,our new generation is mostly to like cheesy snacks...So this would be a fine one for them too.

              The cooking involves 2 to 3 steps.But it is simple and easy to prepare.Shall we move on to the recipe?

 

My pics are always a flop,but believe me the snack tastes too good.I would be trying to make my pics better.Over to the recipe.....

Ingredients

For the dough

1.5 Cup Maida/All purpose flour

Half a teaspoon Salt

1 Tblspn Oil

Water to make a smooth dough(not too smooth)

For the Sauce

1 Small Onion Sliced

1.5 Tomatoes Sliced

3 Green Chillies

2 Big Cloves Garlic

1/4 Tspn Salt

2 Pinches of Oregano

1 Tblspn Ketchup

1 Tblspn Oil

2 Tspn Sugar

For the Filling

200 gm Chicken/Breast piece of a chicken

1/2 + 1/2 Tspn Salt

1/2 +1/2 Tspn Pepper Powder

1/4 { 1/4 Tspn Turmeric Powder

3 Medium Sized Onions(Sliced)

4 Green Chillies crushed/diced

Few Curry Leaves diced

1 Tspn Garlic diced

1 Tblspn Oil

 For Assembling

Cheese

For Frying

Oil for deep frying

 Method

1. First mix all the ingredients for the dough and make a smooth dough resembling that of the dough of chappathi.
2. Now for the sauce,heat a pan and add oil to it.Saute the onions with garlic and salt.Let it become transparent and then add the green chillies and tomatoes and cook it covered.When it gets cooked,add the oregano and sugar to it.Now cool it and blend this mixture in a blender with the tomato ketchup.Keep this sauce aside.
3. Cook the chicken with salt,turmeric powder and pepper powder and shredd it.
4. Heat a karahi and spoon in oil and saute onion with green chilli and curry leaves.
5. Add garlic,salt and pepper to it.
6. Finally add the shredded chicken to it and toss well.
7. Remove the filling from flame.
8. Now divide the dough into small lemon sized balls and spread each dough into puri sized sheets,dusting some flour.
9. First apply a little sauce in the center of the sheet and spoon in 1 Tblspn of the chicken filling on top of it.Above this dollop 1/2 Tspn of cheese or more as you like and pleat the sides of the sheet and twist it resembling a bag of coins.
10. Now pinch of the pleats making sure that the sides are sealed well.Else the cheese may ooze out,blackening the sides of the snack.

6.  Keep the pockets upside down in a way that the sealed end comes down.

7.  After completing the same process with all the balls,deep fry in low to medium flame as the twisted part may remain uncooked if fried in high flame.

8.  Now the pockets are ready to serve.....

Yummy Cheesy Chicken Pockets are ready.....Do try this recipe and lemme know how it tastes...

Flavorful Chicken Crispies

              It has been quite a while since I haven't been into blogging.Now its ramadan and its a time to concentrate in prayers and seek forgiveness to the Almighty.These are days when the doors of hell is closed and the doors of heaven are opened for all believers.Believers render a helping hand to the needy and bear the difficulties of fasting and control their feelings for the sake of Allah.

             Though this is a month of indulging more in prayers,new snacks are also introduced in this month and innovative dishes are invented at this time of the year.This is because during ifthar (breaking of fast), all the believers break their fast with fruits,juices and few snacks.To avoid repetition of the same dishes again and again,few new items are also introduced and innovated in this month.

           Today am gonna introduce crispy fried chicken which is one of the best dishes of my bhaabhi,Amina.This chicken fry has got lots of flavor in it coz of the ingredients like ginger and garlic.This can be served as a snack or starter or as a side dish instead of the ordinary chicken fry.Now over to the recipe...

 

Ingredients 
Makes about 17 to 18 pieces,marination time:30 minutes to 1 hour,Cooking time:30 minutes(in two batches)
For Marinating

 1 Kg Chicken (cut into medium sized pieces)

1 Inch Ginger

6 Big cloves of Garlic (If small,take 12cloves)

1 Egg

3 Tablspn Cornflour

1 Tspn Salt

4 to 5 Green Chillies

1 Tablspn Vinegar

1 Tspn Pepper Powder

Oil for frying

For Dusting

6 Tablspn Maida/Flour

Method

1. Clean the chicken pieces well and keep it in a strainer to drain excess water in the chicken.
2.  Grind ginger,garlic and green chillies to a paste,not too fine.
3. Break in the egg to a bowl and mix in the ground paste,salt,pepper,vinegar and the cornflour.
4. Toss in the chicken pieces and mix well.
5. Keep it for about 1 hour to get marinated.
6. After 1 hour,the pieces are ready to be fried.
7. In a small plate,spread 3 tablespoon of maida/flour.
8. Now take each pieces and dust them with flour by simply tossing it in the dry flour.
9. Coat the pieces well with the flour.
10. Now deep fry the chicken pieces in medium flame,so that it gets cooked well.
11. Remove and drain in a kitchen towel.
12. Serve hot with tomato sauce or serve with main course.As such itself is a great snack.

Note: Crispy chicken should be served hot or else it tends to be soggy and cannot enjoy the crispiness.     

Vegetable Curry/Vegetables in Spicy Coconut Gravy

Ingredients

2 Tblspn Oil
1 Carrot(Cubed)
2 medium Potatoes(Cubed)
50 Gms Fresh Green peas
3 to 4 Green Chillies
1 Tomato sliced
1 Onion
1Tspn Ginger Paste
1Tspn Garlic Paste
Salt
Cilantro
1/2 Tspn Turmeric powder
! Cup First Milk of Coconut(Juice of 1/2 of a grated coconut)
2 Cup Second Milk of Coconut
1/2 Tspn Garam Masala Powder

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan and saute onion with some salt,until brown.
2. Add green chilly,ginger garlic paste to it and then tomato and saute well.
3. To this add the cubed vegetables and turmeric powder.
4. Let it cook for 5 to 8 minutes and add second milk of coconut  to it.
5. Now let it cook for about 10 minutes and then add first milk of coconut.After adding first milk of coconut,stir continuously or else it tends to curdle.
6. When it boils for 3 minutes,add garam masala powder and cilantro to it and cover with a lid.

Serve hot with naan,porotta,chappathi or battura.

Sunrise Bun Surprise

       It has been days since I haven't posted any recipe.I found myself a bit down the last few days but I am back with full on energy.After long days of high temperatures,we have got a cool breeze and drops of rain back here in Kerala.I think there wouldn't be a substitute for this hot bun surprise in a cool weather like this to munch on.
      Actually I prepared this dish with buns because I had only buns with me.Bread would be the best ingredient to prepare this snack.All the credit goes to my brother's mother in law,for she was the one who prepared it once and introduced it to us.

          Sunrise Bun Surprise can be served as breakfast and also prepared for lunch boxes.I guarantee your child would love to have this yummy delicious bun surprise daily.....
    Not keeping you to wait anymore.....Over to the recipe....

 Ingredients

7 Buns/14 Bread Slices

Whole breast piece of 1 chicken

2 Onions

4 Cloves of Garlic

1 + 1 Tspn Pepper Powder

2 Green chillies(Optional)

Salt to taste

1/4 Tspn Turmeric Powder

Sliced Cucumber

Round sliced Tomatoes

1 Tblspn Oil

1/4 Tspn Oregano(Optional)

Mayonnaise as per needed

 Method

1. First boil chicken with some salt,turmeric powder and pepper powder.
2. Then shred the chicken pieces with hands.
3. Heat a non stick pan and add 1 Tblspn oil and saute sliced onions in it until transparent.You don't have to saute till brown.Then add diced green chillies dices,garlic cloves,salt,pepper,turmeric powder and shredded chicken to it and stir well.
4. Finally add the oregano to it and close with a lid and remove from flame.
5. Now cut the buns horizontally and brush both the slices generously with mayonnaise and keep spoonful of filling in it.
6. Now keep sliced cucumber and sliced tomato on top of it and on top keep the other mayonnaise brushed slice.
7. Fill all the buns in the same way.
8. Bread slices can also be used to do the same.Infact bread slices would taste even more better than buns.
9. After filling all the buns,keep 2 to 3 filled buns on a hot non stick frying pan and close with a lid and let it get steamed for 5 minutes in low flame.And do the same with all the other buns too.You can also microwave it.
10. If using bread,either you can toast or grill it in the closed grills that we get from stores which is used to grill the bread fillings by keeping on stove.Bread slices tends to stick to each other even more faster and would be delicious when grilled.
11. Serve hot with steaming coffeeeeeee.

 

Vanilla Coconut Cream Cake

         

          My toddler was drooling for a cake after watching the masterchef of Starplus in which Chef Sanjeev Kapoor's birthday was being celebrated.He was badly craving for a cake.I felt bad for the baby.Otherwise he is least interested in cakes.I asked him if he wants a cake now.He was like yes,I want it now.
           Just after the show,I started preparing the cake for my toddler.By 11 at night I finished the work of my cake.Believe me,it tasted awesome.My toddler is too fond of cutting birthday cakes but his father seldom allow him to do so.So I thought of celebrating a fake birthday function just for kidding.We gave him a knife and clicked pics and he fed us cakes and we too fed him.It was fun with my little boy smiling happily that his wish was done. 

Ingredients

Preparation time:10 minutes;Cooking time:20-25 minutes

Cake

3 Eggs
3 1/2 Tblspn Maida
1.5 Tblspn Milk Powder
5/6  Tblspn Sugar
3/4 Tspn Vanilla Essence

Coconut Cream

1/2 Cup Coconut
3 Tblspn Milk
6 Tblspn Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 Cup Whipped Cream(Either the packet powder whipped with milk or whipping cream with some icing sugar)

Method

Cake

1. First beat the eggs and sugar till pale.
2. Add vanilla essence and beat again.
3. Sieve the flour and milk powder through a fine sieve so dat each particles get separated.
4. Add this flour milk powder mixture to the milk mixture little by little so that no lumps form.
5. Brush a baking tray with some butter.
6. And cook it ina  preheated oven in 180 C for 20 to 25 minutes.
7. Insert a skewer into the cake to see if it is done.If the skewer comes out clean,then it is ready to b taken out.
8. Flip to a plate and let it cool down to room temperature.

Coconut Cream

1. Grind the freshly grated coconut,milk and sweetened condensed milk in a grinder and blend till a smooth paste is formed.
   

   
   Presentation
   
   1. First cut the cake horizontally.
   2. Then apply the coconut cream on the lower cake piece.
   3. Now keep the other piece on top and Cover it with whipped cream.
   4. Serve chilled after refrigerating for 1 hr.
   
   
   
   I did not get time to decorate it well and moreover you can see areas where Ponnu did slide his finger for the cream.....

Cheesy Chicken Ravioli in White Sauce

              It has been so long since I have got the interest in making creamy pastas.I have tried the normal penne pastas but not ravioli(pasta pockets filled with stuffing).It was from Masterchef of Starplus that I got the inspiration to try it.But lagged just because I am not at all a pasta lover.One is that I dont eat pastas too much and the next is that I don like creamy foods.

                But today I had my bhaabhi and my toddler to finish it.So I thought of preparing pasta.To my wonder,ravioli came out superb and bhaabhi and my toddler certified that it was finger licking good.I was satisfied when I heard that coz first when I tasted it,I din find it so impressive just because all pastas seems to be the same for me.I was on air when my toddler craved for more,when I gave him the next day.It is a hectic and time consuming process but the taste is truly worth the hardship.
            Now over to the recipe...

Ingredients 

Serves:3 to 4;Makes:20 raviolis;Preparation time:1 hour;Cooking time:45Mnts

Ravioli

Dough

1.5 Cups All Purpose Flour/Maida

 1/2 Tspn Salt

2 Large Eggs

2 Tblspn Olive Oil

1/2 Tspn Oregano

Water to make a smooth dough

Filling

Half a Chicken Breast

1 1/2 Onion Sliced

Salt

1/2 + 1 Tspn Pepper Powder

Water to cook Chicken breast

1 Tspn Garlic Diced

1/2 Tspn Oregano

Mozarella Cheese Grated(as per needed)

1 Cup Water

1 1/2 Tblspn Butter

  White Sauce

25 Gm Butter

1 1/2 Tblspn Maida /Flour

1/4 Tspn salt

2 Cups Milk

1/4 Tspn Oregano

1/4 Tspn Thyme(Optional)

1/2 Tspn White Pepper /Black Pepper Powder

Method

Dough

First mix the flour with dry ingredients and make a well in the center and pour in the eggs,olive oil and water to knead it to a smooth dough.

Make chappathis out of it and cut into squares or rectangles and  keep the filling and some grated cheese on one square and cover it with another.Be careful that you stick the sides well.

 Now boil some water with salt and olive oil/veg oil. 

When water boils,put 2 to 3 raviolis in a batch and cook till done and drain in a colander.You can also steam the raviolis which I find is more convenient coz there is no risk of water getting into the pockets and spilling the filling outside the pockets.

Stuffing

1. First boil chicken with some salt and 1/2 tspn pepper powder and water.
2. Cook until the stock evaporates.
3. Now remove from flame and shred the chicken when cooled.
4. In a pan,spoon in the butter and fry the garlics and then the onions with some salt,until transparent.
5. Now add the shredded chicken meat and pepper powder and oregano. 
6. While stuffing in each pocket,after  spooning in a litte of the filling,spoon in 1/2 tspn mozarella cheese too. 

White Sauce

1. First melt Butter in a non stick pan.
2. Then remove it from flame and add in the flour and saute it well so that it mixes up well.Now place the pan back on very low heat and pour in the milk immediately or else you will burn the flour.
3. Add salt,pepper,oregano and thyme.
4. Cook by continuously stirring the sauce until it comes to the consistency of custard.
5. Remove from flame.

Asssembling

First spoon in some sauce into the serving plate and keep 2 to 3 raviolis on it and generously pour the sauce on top too.

Enjoyyyy!!!!!!

Anyway I tasted the raviolis fried,without any sauce on it,ie without boiling it in water,fried it in oil.Believe me it tasted awesome.It was truly yumm,with a cheesiness inside and a crispiness outside.I liked it rather than the original boiled raviolis.
Just for a demonstration,posting a pic of the fried raviolis.

It tasted like cheesy chicken nuggets!!!!!