Almond pannacotta

When Namitha posted her mango pannacotta recipe I gave it a go and we all liked it . I made this again couple more times when we had friends for dinner and could impess them too , it's so easy to make and tastes good too.
When I saw almond pudding in Ente pachakashala ,that too attracted me a lot, so I tried that too ,even though it came out good,we didn't like the strong flavour of almond extract. I m sure it's just our taste buds,most of you won't have any problem with the flavour ,anyway since I had bit more of almond powder left I decided to make the pudding again with vanilla essence,but then for a change I decided to fuse both the recipes and it didn't let me down !!

Ingredients
Milk - 1 cup (250 ml )
Double cream - 1 cup (250 ml)
Almond powder - 30 gm
Milk - 4-5 tbs
Gelatin - 1 packet
water - 3 tbs
Vanilla extract -1 tsp
Sugar - 1/ 2 cup ( according to your sweetness)

Preparation

Make a paste of almond powder with 4-5 tbs of milk and keep it aside. In another bowl soak gelatin in few tbs of water.
In a saucepan add milk, cream and sugar and when it is about to boil add almond mixture and gelatin. Stir continously until gelatin is completely dissolved. Add vanila extract and switch off the flame.Pour the mixture to pudding bowls and when it comes to room temperature decorate with almond flakes and chill it in the refrigerartor for 3-4 hrs or until its completely set.

Sending this to Julie's Christmas Delicacy at Erivum puliyum.

Stuffed Pepper/Capsicum

Watching cookery shows or anything related with cooking , baking or dining is something that me and my Hubby love to watch together, all other times we will be fighting for remotes."Come dine with me" is a programme which airs in U.K in which four strangers go to dine at each others place and secretly score them. I have seen many contestants making stuffed pepper for their starter course .There are many recipes like that which attracted me . I even buy the ingredients but never makes it,finally when the ingredients go beyond the use by or best before date,I chuck it in the bin when S is not around. About a month ago I decided to give this a try and bought peppers but when the peppers were nearing the use by dates I used it in my daily cooking and finished it off.I bought peppers again last week and kept it in the fridge for few days but this time I got a mood to try it out as we had friends for dinner yesterday,I was not very sure about the results as I never tried this before ,but trust me we all liked it.

Ingredients
Pepper - 4
Cuscous - 3/4 cup
Vegetable stock /chicken stock - 1 cube
Water - 1 cup
Onion -1 small
Carrot- 1 grated
Paneer -1/2 cup grated
Salt
Pepper
oil for brushing

Preparation
In a saucepan add some oil and saute the chopped onions,when onions are soft add grated carrot and cook.Finally add grated paneer,season it with salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
In another saucepan pour 1 cup of water and add the stock cube.When water boils add cuscous and cook it covered until all water is absorbed. Add the cooked cuscous to the paneer mixture and mix well.
Slice the top of the pepper ,remove the seeds and core.Stuff the pepper with the filling. Brush the outer skin of pepper with oil and bake it in a preheated oven at 200 degree centigrade for 20 minutes.

Rajma and chana dal curry

Rajma was a thing which I never ate when I grew up,my mom never cooked it, but when I got my own kitchen , cooking became my passion . My h always appreciate whatever I cook which gives me even more enthu to try out new things. I first tried rajma curry 5 years ago when my mother in law came to visit us for a short time,I was trying to impress her with new things ,but I was not lucky enough with rajma,I didn't know that rajma need to be soaked overnight and pressure cooked bit more than normal dals, I tried out couple more times till that packet got finished ,but my rajma never used to get cooked properly and we had to somehow eat it.I totally ignored rajma after that until I had it from a friends place an year ago,I couldn't believe that rajma was giving such good gravy !! I asked her how to cook it and she gave me some tips. After that I have been cooking rajma regularly and never had problem cooking it.

Ingredients

Rajma - 1/2 cup
Chana dal - 1/4 cup
Onions - 2
Tomato - 1 1/2
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1tbs
Redchilly powder - 1 tbs
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Coriander leaves

Preparation
Soak rajma overnight in warm water.Soak Chana for 2-3 hrs.
Pressure cook rajma first atleast for 3-4 whistles.Then add in soaked chana and pressure cook again for 2-3 whistles.
In a saucepan add some oil and sputter cumin seeds. Add chopped onions and saute till it is light brown. Add in ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 minute.Thrown in chopped tomotoes and all the masala powders and saute till it becomes a paste .Now add this paste to cooked dal , pour some water if required and pressure cook again for 1 whistle. Check the salt and garnish with coriander leaves.

Meen pollichathu/ Baked Fish Pollichathu

Every time I do blog hoping I feel that I should try recipes from others spaces at least once in a while, I even bookmark recipes thinking that I will try it soon, most of the time I never get enough time to try the book marked one.When I saw fish polliachathu in Nisha's Look who is cooking too I thought I will give it a go later, never thought this soon, It was not planned at all,Yesterday evening I prepared sambar and mushroom stir fry,as my hubby doesnt like sambar I thought as usual I will fry a fish for him and checked my freezer to see what I have got,it was all empty except a packet of 2 whole seabreams.Thawing one is not easy so I defrosted both.Fish was looking beautiful,so I didnt feel like cutting it,suddenly this fish pollichathu striked me,I went to her space and had a look,it didnt look very elaborate to me,so I made up my mind and kept her blog opened in kitchen and followed it almost to the dot and we were so happy with the outcome ,it tasted great and is much healthier than the shallow fried ones,even though we were tempted to eat the second one too,I reserved it for today mainly for having it for lunch all by myself and for clicking it during day time....

You can find the original recipe here.

Ingredients

For marination
Fish - 2 whole fish ( I used seabream)
Pepper powder - 1 1/2 tbs
Salt
Turmeric - 1/4 tbs
For masala
Shallots - 20 nos
Ginger garlic paste- 1tbs
Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tbs
Salt
Redchilly powder - 1tbs
Tumeric - 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek powder -1/8 tsp
Tomato paste -paste of 1/2 a tomato
Greenchillies -2
Curry leaves - few
Garlic chopped - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Preparation
Clean the fish and make gashes . Marinate the fish with salt ,pepper and turmeric and keep it aside for 1 hr or preferably longer.
Make a paste of all the masala powders with ginger garlic paste.
In a saucepan add oil and sputter mustard seeds,add chopped shallots and saute well.When is soft add chopped ginger and fry for 1 minute.Add the masala paste,curryleaves and saute till raw smell goes,finally add tomoto paste and saute till it makes a paste.
In a pan fry add some oil and shallow fry the fish for 30 seconds on both sides . Now coat the fish with the masala paste and bake in a preheated oven at 170 degree centigrade for 30 mins.

Note - The origianl recipe calls for coconut milk but I forgot to add it.

Pav Bhaji

One thing that I loved the most during our stay in Pune was the food ! We used to eat out every friday night and sometimes on saturdays too ! Gone are those beautiful days when we used to fly in bike enjoying the night life:( There is one more thing that I loved most,street food ! pani puri ,bel puri,pav baji etc Mhmm it was soo delicious.
We lived in a flat which was full so lively and energetic. During diwali,holi etc the celebrations was so colourful with lots of fun,games,dancing,food etc we even had a stall for all street foods during festival time,I just had to go down for my favourite chaats !!

Ingredients
Potato - 1 large
Cauliflower florets - 3/4 cup
Carrot - 1
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Beans - 5-6 nos
Tomato - 2 small
Onion -1 medium
Green pepper - 1/2
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbs
Redchilly powder - 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt
Pav baji masala - 3 tsp
Coriander leaves

Pav buns/burger buns
Butter



Preparation
Boil the potato and mash it.
In saucepan pour some oil and add chopped onions,saute till its soft,add ginger garlic paste fry for 1 minute, add tomoatoes,spice powders and cook for 1-2 minutes, finally add all the vegetables,pour some water and cook.When the vegetables are nearly done add mashed poatatoes and chopped pepper and cook .Mash the vegetables and turn off the stove.Garnsih with coriander leaves.
In a pan add some butter and fry the pav/burger buns till its toasted.
Serve the pav buns with pav baji masala !!

Note - I didnt fry the buns with butter, to be healthy I just toasted the buns in toaster :)

Chicken Liver Varattiyathu/ Chicken liver stir fry

Ingredients

Chicken liver - 400gm 

Onion -2 small 

Ginger -garlic paste - 1tsp 

Whole Garam masala -(cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, bayleaf) 

 Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp 

Pepper powder - 1 tbs 

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp 

Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp 

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Salt 

Curry leaves 

Freshly crushed pepper - as per your taste

Coconut oil

 Preparation 

In a saucepan add coconut oil and sputter fennel seeds, add whole garam masala and saute for 1 minute. Add chopped  onions and saute till it's brown.

Add ginger garlic paste and saute until raw smell goes.

A curry leaves and all the masala powders and saute till raw smell goes for a minute or so.

Finally add the chicken liver and cook covered until it's done. Takes about 20 minutes. 

Remove the lid and add some some freshly crushed pepper and cook for a bit more on high heat until liver is well coated in the masala.

Cauliflower masala

Last week I was telling all about the awesome weather here,but things have changed,its grey,chilly and miserable now,but atleast the christmas decorations and gifts all around the shops is bringing some postive energy .This time my lil one also knows more about christmas and father christmas,he has already asked for his favourite train for christmas !!
This recipe is from my friend who lives next door,she prepared this for a get together and we all loved it, I also used to make cauliflower masala but my cauliflower always gets bit overcooked,but the one she prepared was crucnhy and perfect,so this time I didnt over do cauliflower and we all loved it.

Ingredients
Cauliflower - 1 small
Carrot - 1
Green peas - 1/2 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Onion - 1
Tomato -1
Green chillies -2
Redchilly powder - 1/2 tbs
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbs
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Preparation
In a saucepan add some oil,sputter cumin seeds,add chopped onions and saute till soft. Add ginger garlic paste fry for 1 minute and then throw in chopped tomatoes and all masala powders , green chillies and saute till raw smell of masalas goes. Finally add cauliflower and carrot and when they are half done add green peas and cook .