Coconut Lemon Scones

I love coconut so when I saw this recipe, Toasted Coconut Lemon Scones from Two Peas & Their Pod I had to make them.  These scones are so tender, loaded with coconut and a hint of lemon.  Delicious!
I did make a change to the recipe.  When making scones I like the shortcut of using a food processor.  I don't enjoy cutting the butter in the flour with a pastry blender, just takes too long.  Using the food processor helps get the butter evenly distributed in just seconds and when the butter melts while baking, it produces the air pockets that make scones so tender.  The trick is to use really cold butter.  These scones will keep in an airtight container for up to 2 days but they are best the day they're made.  They also freeze well.  

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE SCONES:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 
  
• zest of one large lemon (should yield 1 Tablespoon for scones and 1/2 teaspoon for glaze)
• 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
• 
  
• 6 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 
  
• 1 cup heavy cream, plus 1 tablespoon, divided
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon coconut extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

FOR THE LEMON GLAZE:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (If your lemon didn't give you enough juice you can use some water)
• 1/2 cup toasted coconut flakes or coconut chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
2. In a large food processor, add flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and pulse a few times until mixed.  Add lemon zest, and coconut and pulse a couple times to incorporate. Add cubed butter and pulse (about 15-20 times) just until the butter resembles coarse meal, with a feel of larger butter lumps.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup of heavy cream, lemon juice, coconut extract, and vanilla extract. Using a spatula pour mixture over the ingredients in the food processor and pulse just until dough begins to form. Don’t over mix.
4. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and gently knead the dough to form two balls.  Form each ball into a 6" round circle.  Cut each circle into 6 triangles, 12 scones total.
5. Place scones on the prepared baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush scones lightly with the additional heavy cream. Bake scones for 13-15 minutes, or until scones are light brown. Cool scones on a wire cooling rack.
6. While the scones are cooling, make the lemon glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth. While the scones are still warm drizzle or frost the glaze over the scones and top with toasted coconut. 

12 Scones - Can store in airtight container for 2 days or freeze to enjoy later.

adapted recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod

Ragi Semiya Caramel Payasam

Ragi Semiya Caramel Payasam

Today's recipe is a sweet payasam, a dessert with the goodness of finger millet/ragi.It is a healthy treat for your taste buds.When ever its time for a celebration or festival I make semiya payasam because it is the easiest and also my favorite.I never tried ragi semiya before so was excited to try this payasam for Vishu Sadya. As you know malayalee sadhya is not complete without payasam/dessert served towards the end feast.Ragi semiya caramel payasam is enticing and luscious milk and caramel sugar payasam.

Ragi or finger millet is famous for its nutritional value,it is high in iron and calcium and a good source of fiber. My mom and grandmother always made sure to incorporate ragi to our diet on a weekly basis. My favorite was ragi halwa and ragi puttu. But looking into my blog,I realized that I have rarely posted anything with ragi. Finger millet/ragi is very healthy and if you are looking for some healthy options,try incorporating it in your diet.This payasam is different and tasty.Get your ingredients together  and try this recipe,you will surely love it.


Ingredients
Ragi Semiya/Vermicelli- 1 cup
Whole milk-5 cup
Condensed milk- 1/2 tin
Sugar- 1 cup
(adjust according to your taste)
Cashews and raisins- 1/4 cup
Cardamon powder-1/2 tsp
Ghee- 2 tbs

To make caramel add three tbs of sugar in a pan and place on the stove on low medium flame. Allow it to melt. When it starts to melt stir occasionally till all the sugar is melted and it changes color to golden brown. Carefully add 3 tbs of water and allow the syrup to boil. Add one cup of milk and mix the condensed milk. Set this aside.Boil the rest of the milk and set aside.

Heat  ghee in a pan and roast cashew nut till golden brown and raisins till they pop up and keep aside.
In the same ghee roast ragi semiya in low flame for two minutes. Allow this to cool a bit and add warm milk and stir occasionally. Allow the semiya to cook. This will take about 3-4 minutes and then add the rest of the sugar, caramel syrup  and cardamom powder. When it starts thickening to the desired consistency switch off the flame. Garnish with ghee fried cashew nuts and raisins.

Check other payasam recipes  from this blog..
Semiya Payasam
Pal Ada Mambazham Payasam
Elaneer Rose Payasam
Aval Sharkara Payasam
Lychee Cashew nut payasam


Try this,
You will surely love it.

Potato Masala/ Sadhya Urulakizhangu Masala

Potato Masala/ Sadhya Urulakizhangu Masala

Today's recipe is a spicy potato masala/urulakizhangu masala that I often make as a side dish for chapathi. But this is also an integral part of Kerala Sadhya. This Sunday malayalees around the world will be celebrating Vishu/ Kerala New year. So this is the perfect time to share some Sadhya recipes. Sadhya is a hearty meal, a vegetarian feast with rice and curries ranging from mild and flavorful vegetable and lentils curries to more spicy vegetable curries like this potato masala. Due to this wide range of flavors, one can doubt whether it will be hard to appreciate each dish separately. As an ardent Sadhya lover, let me tell you each curry has its distinctive unique flavor and texture. In Trivandrum area, there is another version of potato curry. It is Vada kootu curry. Small deep-fried lentil balls cooked in potato curry.

Most of the recipes of Kerala Sadhya have been passed down generation after generation, but each region has their specialties. This is a Trivandrum style sadhya potato curry and I learned this recipe from my mom.Urulakizhangu masala is a blend of vegetables, fiery spices and roasted coconut adds great flavor and taste. You can use carrots, peas, cauliflower or mushrooms along with potatoes. Try this recipe, you will surely love it.

Cooking time - 20 minutes
Cuisine: Kerala/South India

Ingredients
Potato-4 medium size
Carrot chopped- 1 cup
Onion sliced- 2 medium
Tomato -2
Ginger garlic paste- 2 tsp
Curry leaves- 2 springs
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilly powder-2 tsp
Coriander powder- 2  1/2 tsp
Garam masala- 1 tsp
Meat masala- 1 tsp
Coconut milk- 1/2 cup
Grated coconut- 3/4 cup
Oil
salt to taste

Steps and tips to make tasty potato masala...
Roasting the coconut is an important step. Roast the coconut in a low flame. Do not rush this process. The high flame will give the coconut a burnt or charred taste. Slow roasting will bring out the real sweet nutty flavor.
To bring in some extra flavor you can roast dry red chilly and curry leaves along with coconut. You can add 4 to 5 dry chilly and avoid adding the chilly powder. Make it into a really fine smooth paste.I used Russet potatoes for this recipe. It is good for curries. When cooked inside becomes soft and creamy. It will soak up the curry sauce. But you can use potatoes of your choice.
Continue reading for full recipe...

How to make Potato Masala

Heat one tsp of oil in a pan. Add coconut and a few curry leaves. Roast till the coconut becomes brown. When it cools down make a smooth thick paste.

Heat oil a heavy bottom pan and saute thinly sliced onion, curry leaves till its golden brown. Saute ginger-garlic paste till the raw flavor disappears. Add chopped tomatoes and saute till tomato becomes soft and mushy.
Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, pepper powder and salt. Stir for a minute and add chopped potatoes and carrots.
Add coconut milk and 1 cup of water, cover and cook till the potatoes is soft and cooked. Finally add the roasted coconut paste,garam masala, meat masala and mix well. Allow to simmer and the gravy to thicken. Serve with rice or chapathi.

Like this recipe, try other potato recipes from this blog,
Vada Kootu Curry/Potato and Fried Vada Curry
Mangalore Spiced Potatoes
Potato Carrot Stew
Potato and Poori Masala
Potato Bondas (snack)
Potato and Prawns Masala

Like to try Sadhya Recipes Check my 100 Kerala Sadhya Recipes

Happy Cooking!

Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy!

Kerala Spicy Mixture

Kerala Spicy Mixture

 Mixture is a crispy and crunchy snack popular in India.  It is a snack mix or a blend of crispy fries, nuts,chips,fried lentils and  tossed with a spice powder.This is a common snack eaten anytime and at all times. You can find this in every bakery you visit, so back in India, there was no need to make it at home. This always comes handy when you have guests at home or just as a tea time snack.My Mom always stock up on mixture and there is one more reason,it is her favorite snack to this day. Because of her I also became a great fan of spicy mixture.I had never thought that one day I'll make this at home. My mom will be so proud of me when she will see this post :). I am not going to say this is easy to make,but it is definitely worth the effort. Make sure to store in air tight containers,mixture can be made and stored for a long time.

There are lot of variations for this humble snack- Bombay mix, Madras mixture, chivada,chuda- different regions have their own versions.This is the spicy Kerala style mixture made in coconut oil with lots of fresh curry leaves for extra flavor.You can add anything to the mixture along with sev and bondhi. It can be peanuts,cashew nuts, chips,fried lentils,puffed rice, beaten rice,corn flakes. Try this, you will surely love it.

Ingredients
 To make sev
Gram flour- 1 1/2 cup
Rice flour- 1/2 cup
Butter- 1 tbs
Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

To make bondhi
Gram flour- 3/4 cup
Baking powder- 1/4 tsp
salt to taste
turmeric powder

To make spice mix
Dry red chilly-5
Ajwain- a pinch
Asafoetida- 1/2 tsp
Black pepper- 1/4 tsp
Urad dal- 2 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Garlic -1 clove
Curry leaves- 4-5
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Sugar- 1 tbs

Other ingredients
Peanuts- 1 cup
Chickpeas or channa dal- 1/2 cup
Puffed rice- 1 cup
Beaten rice- 1/2 cup
Plantain chips- 1/2 cup(optional)
Fryums- 1/2 cup (optional)
Curry leaves- 2 springs
oil for frying

Soak chick peas for 4-5 hours,drain and set aside.
To make the spice powder, dry roast dry red chilly, curry leaves,ajwain ,black pepper, urad dal and mustard seeds in a low flame for 2-3 minutes. Towards the end add garlic too. Allow this mixture to cool down and make a fine powder. Mix in sugar, salt, chilly powder and asfoetida powder.Set this aside.

To make the sev you will need a string hopper or an idiyappam maker. In a bowl add gram flour, rice flour, turmeric power salt and mix. Add butter and rub the flour with the butter. Now add water little by little and knead into a smooth dough softer than chapathi. Fill the dough into string hopper maker/mold. It will have flat disc with tiny holes, select the smallest hole disc.Press the dough into the oil in a single stream ribbon into the oil.Fry one side for one minutes, turn to the other side and fry for one more minute. When it is crispy golden color, remove from oil and place on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.Continue frying in batches. Once it cools down crush the sev  into crumble and sprinkle a little of the spice powder.

To make the bondhi mix gram flour, baking soda,turmeric powder and salt. Add water to make a smooth runny batter.Place a perforated spoon/ spatula with holes just above the oil. Pour the batter into the spoon, gently shake and allow the drops to fall into the oil. Keep the spoon just above the oil and the droplets will take shape of tiny round balls.Allow this to fry till light golden.remove from oil and place on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.Sprinkle a little of the spice powder and toss the bondhi.

In the same oil fry curry leaves till crispy drain and set aside.Fry peanuts and soaked chick peas till golden and drain. Fry fryums,chips and beaten rice till crispy.
Into a large mixing bowl add crushed sev, fried bondhi,curry leaves, fried peanuts and chickpeas,beaten rice and puffed rice. Sprinkle the spice powder little by little toss and mix well.
Store in air tight containers. Serve with tea.

Like this snack, you might also like these snack
Chakka Vattal/Jack fruit Chips
Maida Butter Murukku
Kappalandi Mittayi/Peanut Ladoos
Avalose Unda/Rice Ladoos
Chicken Puffs
Sukhiyan

Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy!

Chakka Varatti- Varattiyathu- Jack fruit Halwa/Preserve

Chakka Varatti/ Jack fruit Jam

Chakka or jack fruit is a common fruit in South India. Jack fruit is a seasonal fruit and there are several delicious jack fruit recipes. Ripe jack fruit has a distinctively strong aroma and is naturally sweet. It tastes best for desserts. Chakka varatti is a popular jack fruit delicacy of Kerala which is made with fully ripe jack fruit bulbs. Chakka varatti is mainly a preserve and if made in the right consistency can be stored and used for more than a year. Never heard of jack fruit jam? Well, you're in for a treat!

Making chakka varatti was a yearly tradition back home in Kerala. The smell of varikka chakka is divine. By the way varikka chakka is the variety used to make chakka varatti. It is very sweet, tastes like honey and has a firm flesh even when it is ripe. Jack fruit is the most versatile of all tropical fruits. It has a strong fragrance when ripe and your whole house with be filled with a strong fruity aroma. Jack fruit is seasonal but you can enjoy it year-round if you make this preserve. Chakka varattiyathu is also used as the main ingredient to make Chakka pradhaman/payasam . It is used to make sweet snacks like kozhukatta, kumbilappam, and Ela ada, etc. It is mixed with coconut and used as a filling for steamed dumplings.

There are a few things etched in my memory when I think of making chakka varattiyathu. The young me sitting with the elder members of the family, grandmother, and her sisters and listening to their stories. They used to talk about their childhood happy times and the sad ones like the recession, World War II and the time when food was rationed. During those hard times, jack fruit became a sustainable food and they made several affordable recipes with jack fruit. It changed my outlook on this fruit. Long story short I have started deeply admiring this fruit and its versatility.

Making this preserve involves a lot of patience and labor. Fully ripe jack fruit bulbs have to be first cooked with jaggery and ghee and then reduced to the form of a halwa. but I promise it is definitely worth the effort. Try this, and enjoy your delicious homemade chakka varatti :)

Ripe Jack fruit recipes from Kerala
Chakka Varattiyathu
Chakka Pradhaman/Payasam
Chakka Ada
Chakka Kozhukatta
Chakk Pazham Pori
Chakka Pazham Puzhukku

Jack fruit is common in Kerala and the state fruit of Kerala. Ripe sweet jack fruit is eaten as a snack by itself just like any other fruit. Young and tender jack fruit are used to make savory curries and stir-fries. When in the season it is considered as a staple food. Mashed jack fruit is prepared just like mashed tapioca and served with spicy fish curry.

Jack fruit has recently gained much interest as a plant-based meat alternative. It is starchy and rich in fiber. It is rich in antioxidants, vitamin c, magnesium, and potassium. It is good for your skin and boosts the immune system. The best place to find fresh jack fruit in the US is specialty markets like Whole Foods or Asian and Indian Stores.

How to make Chakka Varatti

Cooking and Prep Time- 2 hours

Recipe type- preserve/dessert

Cuisine- Kerala/ Indian

Ingredients
Ripe Jack fruit chopped-7 cups
Jaggery powdered-1 kg
Ghee- 1/2 cup
Cardamon powder- 2 tsp
Dry ginger powder- 1 tsp( optional)

Prepping the Jack fruit 

Use varikka chakka variety for this recipe. It is very sweet and firm flesh even when it is ripe and has a chewy texture. This variety has less fiber and is good to make chakka varatti

Cut it into half and then into four quarters. The pale-yellow, plump bulbs, which are edible and joined at the core. Slice off the core and use your hand to pull it away from the white fibers, discard the fibers and the rind. Save the seeds for curries and stir fry.

To make the chakka varatti 

Boil jaggery with one cup of water till completely dissolved and strain out the impurities. Put it back to the stove and simmer on medium flame till it thickens to one thread consistency.

Chop the jack fruit into small pieces. Add this into a blender and make a puree.

Take a heavy bottom pan and add the jack fruit puree. Cook it on medium flame and stir occasionally. Let it cook completely and thicken. This will take about 10 minutes. If you do not like the puree method, you can cook the chopped jack fruit and when it cooks mash well with the aid of a potato masher. 

Add in jaggery and let it cook and reduce. Stir continuously at this stage as the mixture will tend to stick to the bottom of the pan. 

Add in ghee little by little and when the mixture thickens add cardamom and dry ginger powder and stir continuously till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and roll to form a dark softball. Let it cool down completely. It will thicken as it cools. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

You might also like,
Chakka Pradhaman/Jack fruit Payasam
Chakka Ada
Chakka Vattal/Chips
Chakka Kuru Ularthiyathu
Chakka Puttu
Sweet Kozhukatta


Try this...

Hope you will all enjoy.

Pepper Prawns Fry

Pepper Prawns Fry

Deep fried spicy and salty prawns is irresistible and one of my favorite ways to eat prawns. This crispy fry will be a perfect treat for your family. Pepper Prawns fry is crispy fried prawns with exciting flavors of garlic,butter,zesty lemon and kick of pepper.It is my take to butter garlic shrimp,but a little spicy.This recipe is so versatile and easy to prepare.

If you get fresh prawns try frying it head on, it has an irresistible delicate crispness to it, juicy and equally tasty.Thanks to hubby who convinced me that the head is the most flavorful part of prawns...so true.If you are not a fan of the head,no worries, it is still tasty and irresistible.

The spicy marinade has black pepper,roasted bell pepper and bird eye chili. Bird eye chili is  hot spicy one,if you cannot handle the heat you can skip it or substitute with a less spicy one.Roasting pepper enhances the flavor and bird eye chili and black pepper contributes a little heat which is the key to this recipe. You will find this a perfect appetizer or serve it as a snack.

Ingredients
Prawns large- 12-14 large
Turmeric- 1/4 tsp
Garlic- 4 pods
Ginger- 1 small piece
Green bell pepper cubes- 4-5
Bird eye chilly- 2-3
Pepper powder- 3/4 tsp
Chilly powder- 1/2 tsp
Egg white- 1
Corn starch- 1 tsp
Butter- 1 tsp
Curry leaves- a few(optional)
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying
Lemon juice- 1 tsp

Wash the shrimp with its head on. Trim the long whiskers and the pointy part of the head. Remove the shell but keep the head and tail intact. Using a sharp knife make a slit and remove the vein.Wash thoroughly under running water and set aside.
In a pan heat one tsp of oil and saute cubed bell pepper (1/4 of a small bell pepper will be enough), ginger and garlic and a few curry leaves. Saute till changes color and has a good aroma. Allow this to cool down and make a fine paste. Mix in butter,turmeric,chilly powder,pepper powder,salt,egg white and corn starch. Marinate the prawns and set aside for 10-15 minutes.
Heat oil in a pan. Add curry leaves and then fry the prawns in batches.Deep fry the prawns for two to three minute till it is crispy and golden.Drain on paper towels.Drizzle lemon juice before serving.

Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy!