Erachi Vattichathu / Lamb Fry / Dry-Fried Lamb (Kerala Style)

                 A typical Kerala recipe made by my Big mom. She is a wonderful cook with innovation in cooking. She magically transforms any vegetable or meat to tasty curries or fry. She has patience to cook and may be that is one reason she serves plate licking dishes every time. I will never forget the way she treated me with delicious dishes for 15 days after delivery of my little one. Thank you Valsala Valliamma...This post is dedicated for you.

                   "Vattichathu" in Malayalam means "Drying up all the liquid". After preparing Lamb curry in a pressure cooker, I let it cook again on stove top to get the Fry look here. It takes a bit time as we need to dry up all the water, but very simple and tasty recipe for Lamb/Mutton lovers like me. My big mom would take the pieces from the curry and dry roast it. This way you can use the curry as a gravy for rice. I did not do that but simply let it dry completely. Have some Curd rice or Lemon rice on your plate with a few pieces of lamb fry - a combo you cannot go wrong.


Ingredients:

To marinate:
Lamb / Mutton - 450 grams
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
Pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Fennel powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Salt - as needed

For Fry:
Onion - 2/3 cup (Finely chopped) or 1 medium sized
Green chilli - 2 no's
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Red chilli - 1 no
Bay leaf - 1 no
Fennel seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Water - 1/2 cup


Method:

• Take a bowl and add all the ingredients under "To marinate" column and marinate over night inside your Fridge. (1 hour Minimum marination time is required, but I did over night).

• Next day, in a pressure cooker add this marinated ingredients with 1/2 cup water and pressure cook upto 6 whistles and keep aside (Mutton/Lamb differs time from region to region...add water according to your need. The number of whistles could be as low as 5 to upto 10 as well based on the lamb purchased).

• Take a tawa, heat oil, add fennel seeds, bay leaf, green chilli, red chilli and onion. Saute till onions are golden brown. Add the cooked mutton along with water and stir well.

• We need to dry the water completing by letting it cook on slow fire. once the masala gets coated on mutton...it is completely ready!

My Notes:

• Marination should be done for a minimum of 1 hour and maximum of over night.
• While pressure cooking the Mutton/Lamb, add very less water because meat will lose water. 
• We can let it stay with little bit of water or dry them like shown here.

Apple Yogurt

This flavorful and delicious fruity dessert is simple and perfect for not only summer but for the winter too. If you love the flavor of apple then try this wonderful yogurt at home easily. I adapted this recipe from my blogger friend Kamalika of Silence Sings. Yogurt and apple make this healthy treat.

Ingredients : 

Apple - 1 big
Thick Curd - 1 cup (I used store bought misti doi)
cherries for garnishing

Method : 

Pre-heat the oven in to 150 degree C.

Peel and grade the apple.

Beat the curd and no lump can be seen.

Add beaten curd into apple paste and beat together nicely.

Take a oven proof pan and pour the mixture in it. 

Bake it for 30 mins. Keep on checking with a toothpick until it comes out smooth.

Take out from the oven then cool it in room temperature. Then placed it in refrigerator for an hour.

Apple Yogurt is ready to serve.

Serve it garnishing with cherries.

Note :
 If you want more swetness then add condence milk into it. 


 



Sending this to Viji's "SYS-5" event, Swathi's "Favorite Recipes–Eggless Baking–sweet or savory" hosting by Nivedhanam, 

Easy - One Bowl Brownies

Easy One Bowl Brownie

Recipe source:best recipes.com.You can find the original recipe here
Ingredients

1. Butter- 2/3 Cup (150 gms)
2. Light Brown Sugar- 1 Cup
3. Eggs- 2 Nos
4. Vanilla extract- 1 tsp ( optional)
5. Cocoa Powder - 1/2 Cup
6. All purpose flour- 1/2 Cup

Directions

• Preheat oven to 170 Deg C.Line a baking pan (8x8) with parchment paper.
• In a mixing bowl combine together  butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time and mix until combined.Add vanilla extract and mix well.
• Next add  cocoa powder and all purpose flour.Mix until combined.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes.( or until a skewer inserted into the brownie comes out with moist crumbs).Allow it to cool slightly.
• Cut into squares and serve it as it is or with vanilla ice cream.

Notes: 

• Use a smaller pan for thicker brownies.
• Use good quality cocoa powder for best results.

Sending this to Recipe sharing monday @ jam Hands

Oats Upma / Oats Upma Recipe

                

              I still remember the time about 7 years ago, my "American Granny" started showing off about diet, exercise and oats after her visit to the USA for the first time. The vibe started spreading slowly with people about its benefits and today Oats is in our regular menu. From an Indian kitchen to an English Restaurant we see Oats under the Breakfast banner. I fell for this "Oats mania" as well and I still wonder why I love it. My little one was once crazy about Oats porridge. She has stopped eating now but that shouldn't be credited against oats because she isn't eating anything much these days..!

                Oats upma is prepared in many ways. I use a similar method for making my Poha upma or Oats Upma. If you want to serve this for elderly people then I would suggest to cut down Peanuts and Coconut and for babies you can also try Almond-Oats Porridge powder. Oats are generally chewy so I love having them hot after preparation.

Ingredients:
Old Fashioned Oats - 1 cup (Quick oats is also fine)
Onion - 1 small sized
Peanuts/Groundnuts - 10 to 15 no's
Coconut - 2 tablespoon (Grated)
Green chilli - 1 no (small one)
Salt - as needed

To temper:
Olive oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli - 1 no (Small one)
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon


Method:

• Take a pan, heat oil and temper the ingredients given under "To temper" column.

• Add Onion, Peanut, Green chilli, Salt and saute until onions are transparent.

• Wash the oats just for a few seconds, drain the water and add that to tawa along with coconut. Stir well and cover it with a lid for 5 minutes on medium flame.(if quick oats is used then do not wash instead add direct and sprinkle needed water to cook)

• Serve hot with a cup of Coffee/Tea.

Happy to link this recipe to "Cooking healthy in a hurry" event at Archana's Kitchen

Sandwich Chutney / Green Chutney for Sandwich / Sandwich with Green chutney

                  

              I enjoyed growing up eating lot of chaat items from Sowcarpet area and also with my North Indian Friends. Sandwich was one such item introduced to me by my friends. Loved watching our "Sandwichwalla" making it and playing with his knife while spreading that "Tikka Green chutney" and butter like a drummer rolls his sticks while playing. 

           After coming to the US, I learnt that Sandwiches are possible without chutney's too...still our taste is totally Indian and love that green tangy chutney. So here goes my recipe,

Ingredients:

For chutney:

Mint leaves / Pudhina - your hand full or 1 small bunch

Coriander leaves - your hand full or 1 small bunch

Green chilli - 3 no's (increase or decrease according to your taste)

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Garlic - 1 small pod

Onion - 1 tablespoon (finely chopped)

Lemon juice - 1/2 teaspoon

Salt - as needed

For sandwich:

Onion - 4 Thin sliced pieces

Tomato -  4 Thin sliced pieces

Potato -  4 Thin sliced boiled pieces

Cucumber - 4 Thin sliced pieces

Butter - 1 tablespoon(in room temperature)

Bread - 4 slices

Salt - a pinch

Pepper - a pinch

Method:

• Grind all the ingredients together in a grinder to a fine paste and check for salt.

• Spread butter on all the four slices. Spread green chutney on one side of a bread slice. Arrange sliced vegetables, sprinkle some salt and pepper, slice and serve. We can also toast them on a toaster for making it a toasted sandwich. 

Also happy to link this to Cooking with Green event by Savorindian
http://savorindian.blogspot.com/2013/12/event-announcement-cooking-with-green.html

Ajwain Poori (Carom Seeds Poori)

Its the time to mansoon, raining outside and you want to something piping hot, crunchy-munchy snacks in evening or dinner. At that time we don't mind fried stuff to satisfy our craving. So guys I made ajwain (carom seeds) poori which came out so crunchy and aroma of fried poori's was just amazing. I serve it with Chana masala. Even can have it with pickel and raita also. 

Ingredients :

Maida - 3 cups
Ajwain (Carom seeds) - 2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
ghee - 1 tbsp
Oil for deep frying

Method :

Take all the ingredients except oil in a bowl. Mix well with your hand. Add water and start mixing, make dough.

At the end of making dough apply oil in your hand and make a tight dough.

Now take a lemon size ball.

Roll the poori in small size.

Heat oil in a vessel, slip poori in hot oil slowly. Fry the both size until brown.

Serve hot with anything you like.

I served it with Chana Masala..

Note : 

1. You can add more salt and carom seeds if you like strong flavor.
2. Check oil with small pinch of dough. Oil should not be too hot or just warm.

MELTING MOMENTS COOKIES | EGGLESS COOKIES

Recipe source: Divine taste,you can find the original recipe here
Ingredients

1. All purpose flour-3/4 cup( 100 gms)
2. Cornflour-3 tbsp( 30 gms)
3. Icing sugar-1/2 cup(60 gm) see notes
4. Butter-1/2 cup(100 gms)
5. Milk-2 tbsp( if required)
6. Vanilla extract- 1 tsp ( or use 1/2 tsp cardamom powder)

Method

• Preheat oven to 175 Deg C.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

• Sift together all purpose flour and cornflour.Keep aside.

• In a mixing bowl combine together butter and icing sugar until smooth and creamy.

• Add the flour mixture and mix until combined.Next add vanilla extract and mix well.( If the dough is stiff ,add milk as required.)

• Transfer this to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe out  rosettes on the prepared baking tray.
• Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges turn golden brown.(I prefer baking the cookies until the color turns to a pale golden.)
• Leave it on the baking tray for few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.

Notes: 

• To make 1 cup of icing sugar ,powder together 1 cup granulated sugar and  1 tbsp cornflour until it turns into a fine powder.
• Use milk only if the dough is stiff.
• You can also divide the dough into equal sizes balls and lightly flatten with your palm and bake.
• For the cookies to retain the shape ,place the piped cookies in the refrigerator for about 10 to 15 minutes before baking.
• Make sure the oven temperature is right,if the temp is high the cookies will go flat.