Vazhuthananga Varuthathu/Crispy Eggplant Fry

Vazhuthananga Varuthathu/Crispy Eggplant Fry

Aubergine/eggplant fry is quick and easy side dish that goes well with rice and sambar/rasam. Eggplant is a wonderful vegetable but I like it best when fried. Are you a fan of eggplant fry? Eggplant sometimes tastes bitter and soggy when fried.Adding salt and keeping aside for a few minutes will release the water from the eggplant making it perfect for crispy fries. Earlier I shared another version of breaded eggplant fry that can be served as an appetizer. This is a home style crispy fry. Try this you will surely love it.

Ingredients
Egg plant- 1
Chilly powder- 1 tsp
Turmeric powder- 1/3tsp
Pepper powder -1/4 tsp
Fenugreek powder- a pinch
Cumin powder- a pinch
Garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
Rice flour- 2 tsp
Potato starch- 2 tbs
(or a combination of rice flour and corn starch)
Lemon juice- 1/2 tsp
salt to taste
oil for frying

Cut eggplant into half inch thick round pieces and sprinkle a little salt after let it rest for 3-4 minutes. Place them on  paper towel and gently press down and take off the excess water.
Make a paste of chilly powder, turmeric powder,pepper powder, cumin powder, fenugreek powder, garlic paste,lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Spread this paste as a thin coating on the eggplant.
 In a bowl mix rice flour and potato starch.Take the eggplant pieces one by one and roll them in this flour and set aside for five minutes.
Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the eggplant till both sides are crispy. Drain to paper towels. Serve with rice.

You might also like
Vazhuthananga Theeyal
Spicy Eggplant Masala Fry
Mediterranean Spicy Stuffed Eggplant 
Pavakka Varuthathu/Bitter Gourd Fry
Chena Varuthathu/Yam Fry

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!

Chicken Croquettes

Chicken Croquettes

Chicken croquettes are tempting delicacy that can be served as fun finger foods in kids parties or as an appetizer/ snacks. It is deep fried breaded meat patties. You can make it with left over chicken,meat,fish or potatoes.Along with chicken/meat Béchamel sauce/white sauce is added to this recipe. This sauce is a mixture of butter,flour and milk.This recipe will make around twelve to fourteen croquettes. Give this recipe a try,you will surely love it.

Ingredients

Chicken- 1 lb

Onion- 1 small

Garlic 2 cloves

Pepper powder-to taste

salt to taste

Ground thyme- a pinch
Ground nutmeg and clove- a pinch

Chopped parsley- 2 tsp

Lemon juice-a few drops

For the white sauce

Milk/3/4 cup

Cream-1/4 cup
Butter-  3 tbs
Chicken stock - 1/4 cup (optional)
All purpose flour- 3 tsp

Bread Crumbs- 3/4 cup

Egg whites- 2
Flour- 1/2 cup

Oil for frying

To make the sauce,heat a pan and add butter, when it melts add the flour and cook the butter and flour in low flame, till the raw flavor disappears and  the flour changes color. Do not allow it to brown up. Add chicken stock, milk and cream and whisk till it thickens to sauce consistency. Switch off the flame.

Cook chicken along with salt and pepper powder. You can also use left over cooked chicken.Once cool add  chicken,white sauce,onion, garlic,lemon juice,ground thyme,nutmeg and clove ,chopped parsley into a food processor. Process till it turns into a course and crumbly mixture. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.

Beat egg whites in a bowl. Spread bread crumbs on a plate and flour in another plate.

Take the chicken mixture and make small balls and using your palm flatten into patties. Dip first into flour and then in egg whites and then roll on bread crumbs and set aside for another ten minutes. You can put it back in the fridge till you are ready to fry.
Heat one and half cup of oil in a pan. Fry 4 to five croquettes at a time. Fry for 3-4 minutes or  till both sides are evenly brown. Serve with  mashed potatoes, vegetables, cream sauce/aioli sauce or any sauce of your choice.

Try this
Hope you will all enjoy!

Pandan Mango Cake

Pandan Mango Cake

I always love making cakes with fresh fruits. Today's recipe is a mango cake with fresh cream. This is a cake to celebrate the mango season. This summer we got ripe, juicy mangoes that are perfectly sweet. Is it not a perfect reason to celebrates? Especially if you love and adore mangoes. This cake is a die for! Each slice of fruity goodness, creamy luxurious and rich will surely satisfy your sweet tooth cravings.

Now coming to the other star ingredient- Pandan extract. Now you may ask what is pandan? Pandan or Pandanus amaryllifolius is screw pine leaves. If you are from Asia you might already be familiar with it.Pandan is a familiar ingredient in southeast Asian cuisine. It has a sweet aromatic leafy flavor and is extensively used in Asian cuisine. So this cake is a blend of western and Asian cuisine. There are many many recipes out there that combine pandan flavor and mangoes. I have been eying on a few pudding recipes, but finally decided to make a cake for my husband's birthday. He loves mangoes and I am so glad I tried this recipe. Pandan and mango go so well together, it is like a match made in heaven!

 It looks and tastes exotic with the beautiful flavor.  Pandan leaves imparts a rich vibrant color and a pleasant aroma. The mangoes I am using is the Alphonso mangoes. It is very sweet and has a rich creamy texture. It is easily available in supermarkets during summer. Give this cake recipe a try and let me know how it turned out for you :)

What is Pandan?

Pandan or Pandanus amaryllifolius is screw pine leaves. Pandan is a familiar ingredient in southeast Asian cuisine. It is a tropical plant and is a native of Southeast Asia. It has a pleasant aroma and is widely used as a flavoring agent. It is the plant's leaf that is extensively used for flavoring rice and desserts. It has a sweet aroma that goes perfectly well with desserts. So it is like the Asian vanilla. But it is also used for savory dishes. You can buy pandan online or from an Asian store both fresh and frozen. Pandan extract is also sold in Asian grocery stores. It is like a thick concentrate and you will need around 1/2 tsp to make the cake. You can also get the fresh extract from leaves. To get the extract chop pandan leaves and blend it in a blender. Strain using a mesh strainer or cheesecloth and use it for the recipe. Add around a half cup of the juice to make the cake.

How to make Pandan Mango Cake

Ingredients
For the cake
All purpose flour-1 1/2 cup
Baking powder- 1 tsp
Baking soda- 1/2 tsp
Salt- 1/2 tsp
Sugar- 1/2 cup
Butter- 1 stick
Egg-5
Pandan extract- 1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence- 1/2 tsp

For the cream
Cream cheese-  5 oz.
Heavy whipping cream- 2 cup
Vanilla essence- 1/2 tsp
Powdered sugar- 1 cup

Mangoes- 3

To make the whipped cream. Bring cream cheese to room temperature. Whip this soften cream for two minutes. Now into this 2 cup of chilled heavy whipping cream and vanilla essence and whip. Beat this at low speed for one minute and then increase the speed to high. Add powdered sugar little by little and beat till the cream turns into soft stiff peaks. Cover and keep in the fridge till it is time to assemble the cake.

To make the cake. Allow butter and eggs to come to room temperature. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt 2-3 times and keep aside.

Grease 8 inch round pan with butter. Line bottom with a strip of parchment paper and keep aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a hand mixer or a standing electric mixer cream butter until it is soft and creamy for about a minute. Add sugar one tbs at a time and continue mixing for three to four minutes. Once all the sugar is incorporated, scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula and cream the butter and sugar for another 5 minutes till it is fluffy, light and creamy white.

Add eggs one at a time and mix. Make sure it is completely incorporated before adding the next egg.

Whip till the batter is thick and light. Add vanilla essence and the pandan extract and whip for a few seconds. Add flour little by little and fold in till smooth and velvety. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 30- 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool down completely.

To assemble the cake: Slice the cake into two equal parts. Peel and prepare 3 mangoes. I sliced the mangoes for the top and chopped some into cubes to go in as filling with the cream. Place one sheet and spread a layer of whipped cream and then some chopped mangoes. Place the second layer and spread the cream on top and the sides and decorate with mango slices. Refrigerate for one hour and enjoy it!

You might also like,

French Chocolate Gateau
Medovik/Russian Honey Cake
Victorian Pound Cake
Orange Marmalade Cake
Chocolate Cheesecake
Pistachio Cake with Lemon Curd Filling

Try this,
Hope you will all enjoy!

Karikku Payasam/Tender Coconut Payasam

Karikku Payasam/Tender Coconut Payasam

Tender Coconut/karikku is a favorite among Malayalees. The water of tender coconut  is refreshing and is a thirst quencher on hot summer days. It is available year around and is used to make several tasty desserts and puddings. Karikku payasam is a simple and quick dessert made with the fleshy meat of the tender coconut along with coconut milk and jaggery. Try this you will surely love it.

Ingredients

Karikku/Tender coconut meat- 1 cup
Tender coconut water- 1 cup
Thick coconut milk- 1 cup

Powdered jaggery- 3/4 cup
(Adjust according to sweetness you prefer)
Water- 3/4 cup
Cardamom crushed- 5-6
Raisins and cashew nuts- a few
Ghee- 2 tsp

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.

Cook tender coconut meat in coconut water till it becomes soft (note if it is too tender you can skip this step). Pour the jaggery and continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes till the payasam  thickens. Add cardamom powder and finally pour the thick coconut milk and simmer in low flame for one minute.

Heat ghee in a separate pan and fry 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!

Ahi Poke Napoleon

What is Ahi Poke?  It's a raw (sushi grade) tuna salad served as an appetizer.   I ordered this appetizer at Tommy Bahama Restaurant in Florida, it was so good!  I wanted to try and make it at home and was so excited to find the recipe on Tommy Bahama's website.  Check it out here, and I also came across a youtube video, here.  So now that I had the recipe, I went shopping for the ahi tuna.  I tried Whole Foods first.  The seafood guy was so nice and helpful.  I didn't really know what I was looking for but told him what I was making.  He let me know that I needed sushi grade tuna and where I could get it (Seafood Center) as they didn't have any at the moment.  He did say that he can always get it in if he had a couple days notice.  

  We went to the Seafood Center and they had a beautiful piece of ahi tuna.  It's pricey, $34.99 per lb but you only need 1/2 lbs for 8 servings.  I got 1/4 lb and made two generous portions but for an appetizer size, it would make 4 servings.

So FRESH!

It was fun to make a restaurant dish at home.  Especially because we don't have a Tommy Bahama restaurant in Wisconsin!  Delicious, we enjoyed every bite!

*  I followed the recipe for the tuna and dressing but made my own guacamole.  I also didn't use all the dressing, you just want to use enough dressing to lightly dress the tuna.  Find the recipe here and the YouTube video here.

                                                           

Tuna Stuffed Avocado

I'm getting a lot of inspiration from FaceBook lately as all these food pictures and videos are popping up.  This recipe comes from The Stay At Home Chef.

I got all excited when I realized I had every ingredient to make this for lunch today.  It only took about ten minutes to make, so easy and healthy.  I love tuna but I usually load it with mayo and make it into a cheesy grilled tuna melt.  I won't be giving up my tuna melts but these deliciously stuffed avocados will be making an appearance often! 

This recipe is easily made for one, two or more.  For a light lunch, I could see just eating one of the halves BUT I could have easily eaten two, so light and fresh!

• Ingredients:
• 1 avocados, halved and pitted
• 5 oz. pkg. solid white tuna (albacore packed in water)
• 1 tablespoon red onion, finely diced
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon jalapeno, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• salt and pepper

1. Combine tuna, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and cilantro to the mixing bowl.  Pour lime juice over.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.   Lightly toss all together until everything is mixed.
2. Scoop the tuna into the avocado bowls. 

Hasselback Chicken

My Aunt Mary reminded me this weekend that I haven't blogged in a long time.  Thanks Aunt Mary, it's nice knowing someone is following my blog!  It's not that I've stopped trying new recipes and I admit I don't cook as much as I used too but I've found something else to keep me busy.....

My Granddaughter, Reagan.  For her first year I got to watch her three days a week.  She's now 13 months old and started day care.  On those days that I get to pick her up from day care I need something quick and easy to make for dinner and this Hasselback Chicken is perfect.  
I saw the recipe from Tip Hero on my cousin Tami's Facebook page.  She said it was delicious so I had to give it a try.  We liked it as is but next time I will saute some shallot or green onion to give it a little more flavor.  It was a perfect recipe for two but can easily be doubled/tripled.  You can find the recipe and video here.  

splash of olive oil
4 heaping cups fresh spinach (about 4 oz)
1/4 cup cream cheese
2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup sharp white cheddar cheese or asiago cheese, shredded
Smoked Paprika (Penzeys Spices)
Salt
Pepper

1.  Preheat your oven to 400 degree.

2.  In a sauté pan heat olive oil and cook the spinach, 3 to 5 minutes, until it is slightly wilted.

3.  Stir in the ricotta until combined.  Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

4.  Slice slits along the chicken breasts, 3/4 of the way through the chicken.  (be careful not to cut chicken all the way through)

5.  Stuff all of the spinach mixture into the cuts.

6.  Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the white cheddar on top. Then sprinkle the paprika, adding color and flavor.

7.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the juices are clear.  (don't overcook)