Fresh Orange Margarita

I love a good margarita and making it with fresh squeezed juice is the way to go.  I make this batch for Kevin and I but if making for more I'll double or triple.  It's nice to make these ahead and squeeze all the juice that way the mess is out of the way.  Sometimes, instead of using regular oranges, I'll juice blood oranges, clementines, **red grapefruit and even use can **pineapple juice in place of the orange juice.  It's just a great basic, fresh tasting margarita.

Makes 4 small glasses 

INGREDIENTS:

Kosher salt, for the glass rim

8 oz (1 cup) freshly squeeze orange juice

4 oz (1/2 cup) freshly squeezed lime juice

2 oz (1/4 cup) Triple sec

4 oz (1/2 cup) Silver, Anejo or Reposado tequila (*use a good quality)

2 tablespoons sugar (use less to taste)

Ice cubes

METHOD:

1.  Rim the glasses with salt.

2.  In a pitcher combine the orange juice, lime juice, triple sec, tequila and sugar.  Stir well until the sugar dissolves.  Can make ahead and keep in fridge until ready to serve.

3.  Fill the glass with ice and pour the margarita over.  Enjoy!   

*I really like Patron tequila but lately for the price we've been buying the Costco Kirkland brand and like it a lot.  

**If using pineapple juice use less sugar and if using grapefruit juice you may need to use more sugar.

Kadachakka Payasam

Kadachakka Payasam

Kadachakka/ breadfruit payasam is a quick dessert . You can make this with coconut milk and jaggery or with sugar.This is my mom's recipe. Here I have used sago pearls along with bread fruit to make this payasam. My mom some times makes it with small rice dumpling called kozhukatta.Give this recipe a try, you will surely love it.

Ingredients
Bread fruit sliced- 3 cup
Sago pearls/ chowari-1/2 cup
Thick coconut milk- 1 1/2 cup
Thin coconut milk- 3/4 cup
Powdered jaggery- 1 cup
(Adjust according to sweetness you prefer)
Water- 3/4 cup
Cardamom crushed- 5-6
Chukku/dry ginger powder- a pinch (optional)
Sliced coconut- 3 tbs
Raisins and cashew nuts- a few
Ghee- 2 tbs

 

To cook the sago boil 5-6 cups of water. Add the chowari and allow it to boil for two to three minutes, drain and add fresh batch of boiling water (again 5-6 cups) and continue cooking till it is clear and translucent.  Strain and run under cold running water and set aside.
 
In a heavy bottom pan bring 3/4 cup of water and jaggery to a boil. Simmer till it is completely dissolved.Strain the impurities and return to the stove and allow to thicken.

Chop bread fruit into thin slice. Heat one tbs of ghee in a pan. Add the sliced bread fruit and saute for two to three minutes or till it changes color to golden. Add the thick coconut milk and cook for two minutes or till it is soft. Pour the jaggery and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes or till the payasam  thickens. Add cardamom powder, dry ginger powder and thick coconut milk and simmer in low flame for one minute.

Heat one tbs of ghee in a separate pan and fry sliced coconut,cashew nuts and raisins till it turns golden brown. Add this to the payasam and mix.Allow to cool and serve.

 Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!

Chakkakuru Ularthiyathu/Jack fruit Seeds Stir-Fry

Chakkakuru Ularthiyathu/Jack fruit Seeds Stir-Fry

Chakkakuru ularthiyathu is a quick and yummy stir fry made with jack fruit seeds. Jack fruits is a common fruit in south India. It is seasonal fruit and is available this time of the year. Back home in Kerala mom used to save the jack fruit seeds to make curries and stir-fries. It is just like any other vegetable and is used to make oyichu curry or in aviyal or to make upperi.

Yellow edible plump bulbs are the fruit. Jack fruit seeds are nutritious just like the fruit. It is rich in protein, iron, vital minerals, and antioxidants. It is easy to add jack fruit seeds to your diet. Treat it like any other seeds and it is a yummy snack by itself. It can be baked or steamed. Chop them up to make stir-fries. This stir fry is tasty and spicy with the flavor of fennel seeds, curry leaves and coconut oil. It is a perfect side dish for rice

Cooking time 30 minutes
Recipe type- side dish- vegetarian
Cuisine- Kerala- Indian

Ingredients

Chakkakuru/jack fruit seeds- 1 lb

Pearl onions- 10-12

Garlic pod- 2 

Ginger chopped- 1/2 tsp

Sliced coconut- 3 tbs

Dry red chilly- 3-4

Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp (optional)

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Fennel  seeds- 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala- a pinch

Curry leaves- a few

Coconut oil- 1 1/2 tbs
Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp

salt to taste

Wash chakka kuru/jack fruit seeds. Peel off the top white skin and scrape the bottom red skin. Cut into 3-4 small pieces. Cook jack fruit seeds along with turmeric, salt and one cup of water. Cover cook for 15 minutes in medium flame till it is soft and tender.
Method number 2 is to the jack fruit seeds. Pour water same level and cook for 20 minutes till the seeds are fork tender (just like potatoes ). Peel off the top white skin and cut into small pieces.

In the mortar pestle crush the dry red chilly, fennel seeds,shallot,garlic and a few curry leaves.

Heat coconut oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When it splutters add the sliced coconut and saute till it turns golden brown. Next add the crushed shallot mixture and a few curry leaves  saute till it turns golden brown. Add chilly powder, garam masala and the cooked jack fruit seeds and stir fry in medium high heat for two to three minutes.  Serve as a side dish for rice.

You might also like,
Achinga Payar Chakkakuru mezhukkupuratti
Chakkakuru Muringakka Thoran
Chakka vattal/ Jack fruit chips
Chakka Ada
Chakka Varattiyathu
Chakka Puttu

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!

Jathikka Achar/Nutmeg Fruit Pickle

Jathikka Achar

Today's recipe is a spicy and tasty pickle-Jathikka Achar.It is made with of nutmeg fruit/Jathikkathodu. This is a guest post .Today I am extremely delighted, to have as a guest,  my dear mother-in-law. She is wonderful cook and a big supporter of this blog from the beginning.  A few days backs we were discussing over phone about various recipes and she agreed to share this recipe.She made this pickle and clicked pictures . Thanks Ammachi for sending this recipe to share.

Nutmeg is a popular spice used in cooking and baking .The nutmeg fruit is the fleshy outer covering. It splits open when the nutmeg is ready for harvesting. The nutmeg seeds/kernel is  wrapped with a lacey red covering or aril (mace) which is also used as a spice. Both nutmeg and mace are extremely aromatic spices with a mildly sweet flavor.Nutmeg is rich in antioxidants and is used in traditional medicine to enhance digestion,as a pain reliever, anti depressant and also used for  skin care.Just like the seed the fruit also has great nutritional value. In Kerala it is used to make chutney/chammanthi, pickle and wine.The fruit is candied in Indonesia and iced nutmeg juice made with the fruit is a famous beverage in the streets of Penang. This is a simple and easy to make pickle.

Recipe courtesy: Mrs. Beena Murali
Cooking time- 25 minutes
Recipe type- Pickle/preserve
Cuisine- Kerala/Indian

Ingredients
Jathikkathodu/Nutmeg fruits- 10
Garlic - 10-12 pods
Ginger sliced- 2 inch thick piece
Mustard powder- 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri chili powder - 3 tbs
Fenugreek powder- 3/4 tsp
Asafoetida- 3/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Gingerly oil- 1/3 cup
Vinegar- 1/3 cup

 Cut the jathikkathondu/ nutmeg fruit into thin slices and set aside (you can also steam it to make it soft, but it will reduce the shelf life of the pickle). Dry roast mustard for two minutes and make it into a coarse powder.
 Heat gingerly oil in a pan add the sliced garlic and ginger and saute for a minute  or till the raw flavor disappears. Add the sliced nutmeg fruit and saute for three to four minutes or till it becomes soft. Add the spice powder and salt and mix for a minute. Switch off the flame and mix vinegar. When it cools down store in air tight jars. It will be ready to use within two or three days.

You might also like,
Andra Mango Pickle/ Aavakaya
Pineapple Achar/Pickle
Dates Pickle
Naranga Achar/Lemon Pickle
Chemmeen Pickle

Try it,
Hope you will all enjoy!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish

Raspberry Cream Cheese Danish

Cream cheese danish is one of my favorite pastry. It is quick and easy to make if you have store brought puff pastry sheets. Cream cheese with fresh fruit makes a delicious filling. But you can also make sauce or use jam filling.The flaky buttery puffs with creamy fruit filling is super delicious. Try this, you will surely love it.

Ingredients
Puff pastry sheet- 2
Cream cheese - 8 0z.
Powdered sugar- 3/4 cup
Fresh raspberries- 3/4 cup
(or any fruit jam)
Flour- 1 tbs
Vanilla essence- 1 tsp
Chopped nuts- 1 tbs
Egg white-1

Using a hand mixer whip cream cheese till soft and creamy. Add confectionery sugar and whip till well blended. Finally add vanilla essence and flour and whisk till it is creamy.Add raspberry and fold in. Refrigerate till ready to use.

Thaw puff pastry sheet according to package instructions. Pre heat oven to 375 degree F.
Spread the puff pastry on an ungreased baking sheet. Spread the filling towards the center of the dough leaving 3 inches on both sides. Cut 1 inch thick diagonal strips on both sides of the filling. Fold and seal top and bottom. Take each strip and fold over the filling in an angle, alternating sides each time to create a braid pattern. When you reach the bottom tuck the last strip underneath the pasty to seal.Brush the top with egg white and sprinkle chopped nuts like almonds or walnuts.Bake this for 15-18 or till the top turns crispy and golden. Allow the pastry to cool down.
Dust with confectionery sugar or drizzle icing over the danish, slice and serve.

Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy!