Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Thattai or Nippattu


Ingredients:
  • Besan flour – 125 g
  • All purpose flour – 275 g
  • Rice flour – 250 g
  • Dry roasted peanuts – 25 g
  • Dry roasted channa – 25 g
  • Grated coconut – 3 Tablespoons
  • Red chili powder – 1 Tablespoon
  • Asafoetida – ¼ Teaspoon
  • Melted butter – 2 Tablespoons
  • Salt – 1 Tablespoon
  • Water as needed
  • Canola oil for deep frying
 Method: 
  • Grind peanuts and roasted channa into coarse powder (or use mixie pulser for grinding).
  • In a mixing bowl, add all the ingredients together except oil and water. Mix well with required amount of water (this should be like chapathi dough).
  • Take a small lemon sized ball, smear little oil on a parchment paper and shape the ball into ¼ inch patties and deep fry in oil.
  • Fish those out and drain oil on a paper towel. Do the same for the remaining dough.
  • After they are completely cooled store them in an air tight container. 

Monday, March 14, 2011

Lemon Pickle


I got this recipe from our friend Mrs. Mangai Rathanaswami who is living here in Canada for about 20 years. She is very good in cooking.
Ingredients:
  • Lemon – 7
  • Salt – 5 Tablespoons
  • Red chili powder – 4 Tablespoons
  • Turmeric powder – ½ Teaspoon
  • Asafoetida - ¾ Tablespoon
  • Fenugreek powder (dry roasted and powdered) – ¾ Tablespoon
  • Canola oil – 150 ml
  • Mustard seeds – ½ Teaspoon
 Method:
  • Wash all lemons, pat dry and squeeze juice from one lemon and keep aside
  • Cut them into one inch pieces and remove seeds.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add cut pieces of lemon, salt, chili powder, turmeric powder and juice together and close with a lid.
  • Keep this in room temperature for three days, occasionally stir this mixture thoroughly.
  • On the fourth day, heat oil in a frying pan. When it is in medium heat add mustard seeds, when they pop up turn off heat.
  • To this add asafoetida and fenugreek power. Let this cool.
  • Then add this on lemon pieces. Mix thoroughly and adjust seasoning.
  • Store this in a clean, dry glass container.
 Note:
  • While frying fenugreek seeds, the heat should be low and if you feel the aroma, just turn off the heat, let it cool and grind in a mixer to a fine powder. If you over fry fenugreek, it tastes bitter. 

Monday, March 7, 2011

Chocolate chip - Pistachio Biscotti


Ingredients: 
  • All purpose flour – 250 g
  • Granulated sugar – 150 g
  • Semi sweet chocolate chips - a handful
  • Pistachio (dry roasted, shelled, chopped into small pieces) – a handful
  • Baking power – 1Teaspoon
  • Vanilla essence – 2 drops
  • Egg – 2
  • Salt - pinch

 Method: 
  • Using an electric egg beater, beat eggs with sugar until fluffy (for about 10 mins) and add vanilla extract.
  • Mix all purpose flour, baking powder and salt together then mix with egg mixture. To this mixture add chocolate chips and pistachios.
  • Dust your hands with some flour, roll out the mixture (dough) and make into two equal logs (about three inches wide) on a parchment lined baking sheets. Make sure that there is enough space between the logs.
  • Pre-heat oven at 350 degree F and bake them for about 20 minutes (or it should be firm while touching).
  • Remove baking sheet from oven and let it cool for six to eight minutes.
  • Then cut the logs diagonally into one inch slices.
  • Place the cut slices in the baking sheet (cut side down) and bake at 325 degree F for eight to ten minutes and turn the slices over and bake for another 10 minutes.
  • Allow them to cool and store in an air tight container.