Winter calls for a warm drink. The best drink after hot coffee or tea is hot chocolate. It is easy to make and tastes heavenly. Kids would also love it.
It can be made with dark chocolate or milk chocolate. It can be plain or flavoured with vanilla. It can be blended with whipped cream or served with a dollop of ice cream.
Ingredients:
Full cream milk -2cups
White granulated sugar - 2tsps
Grated dark cooking chocolate - 1/2cup
Method:
Boil the milk. Remove from flame. Add the sugar. Set it aside. Next, put the grated chocolate in a stainless steel or glass bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water. Heat it until the chocolate is melted. Remove from heat. Add the warm milk and whisk till it is blended well. Serve hot.
Variation:
Cold chocolate drink
Chill the hot chocolate and top it with a dollop of ice cream or whipped cream.
This sweet is easy to make and doesn't require much expertise. Even for first timers the outcome is excellent. Interestingly this sweet is prepared in many states of India, though coconut is aplenty in the Southern states. Then, there are many types of making this sweet. Some people prefer to add milk powder or milk cream to bind it well. Some even use brown sugar instead of white sugar in its preparation. It can either be flavoured with cardamom powder or rose essence. Here, I have avoided milk products and used cardamom powder for flavouring.
Ingredients:
Fresh coconut grated -2cups
Sugar -2cups
Cardamom powder -2tsps
Clarified butter -1tsp for greasing
Method:
Grease a plate with clarified butter and set it aside.
Powder the sugar and combine it with the grated coconut. Place over a medium flame and stir cook for few minutes. The sugar will melt initially and starts thickening. Keep cooking for another few seconds till the coconut mixture is blended well. Remove from the stove and add the cardamom powder. Pour on the greased plate. Tap the plate to even it out. Cool and cut it into desired shape.
Idli is still most favoured breakfast food in many South Indian homes and restaurants. It is served with a variety of chutneys and sambhar. Idli is prepared by steaming fermented batter of rice and black gram in greased moulds or cups.
The proportion of rice and black gram, the consistency of the batter and its fermentation all decides the texture of the idli. Many methods and tricks are tried on the batter to keep the idli soft and fluffy
Method 1:
This is the traditional method, where parboiled rice and black gram in the ratio of 3:1 are soaked for 5 to 7 hours. The rice is ground to a coarse paste and the black gram is ground to a smooth paste that resembles shaving foam. Then both the batters are mixed well and left overnight to ferment. Then, it is poured in greased moulds and steamed to perfection.
Method 2:
Here the ratio of parboiled rice to black gram is also 3:1. But a handful of soaked beaten rice is added to every 3 cups of rice while grinding rice. Other process remains the same that of the traditional method.
Method 3:
Here 2 cups of parboiled rice and 4 cups of raw rice are used to make the rice batter, while the quantity of black gram is 11/2 cups. Other process remains the same that of traditional method.
Method 3:
Here 2 cups of parboiled rice and 2 cups of boiled rice used for making steamed rice are used, while the quantity of black gram is 11/2 cups.
Method 4:
Here the ratio of parboiled rice and black gram are the same as mentioned in the traditional method. However, coconut water is used instead of water while grinding the batter. The shelf life of this batter is just one day after fermentation.
Then there is this practice of adding fenugreek seeds or fenugreek powder while grinding the black gram. This is perhaps to make the idlis soft. Restaurants prefer to add edible soda to the batter. This not only helps in making the idli soft but also helps in preventing the batter from becoming sour.
All said and done, I still prefer and practice the traditional method of making idli. I also do not add fenugreek seeds to the batter. The batter stays fresh for a week when kept under refrigeration. In hot and humid places like Chennai, the best time to make idli batter is in the morning. Ferment it by evening or night and store it in the refrigerator. Soaking time can also be reduced to five hours. Soaking the black gram for short hours helps in better fermentation.
Tips to make soft and fluffy idli
a) Rice should be soaked for just 7 hours and ground coarsely.
b) Black gram should be soaked for just 4 hours and ground smoothly.
c) Make the two batters separately and combine them together. This helps the batter to raise and double in quantity during fermentation.
d) Keep the consistency of the batter a little thick.
Ingredients for method 1:
Parboiled rice -3 cups
Husked black gram -1cup
Salt and oil - As required
Idli mould and steamer
Method:
Soak the rice and black gram separately for 5 to 7 hours. Grind the rice coarsely. Next, grind the black gram as smoothly as possible by adding very little water at a time. The black gram batter will increase in quantity and resemble foam in the process. Combine the two batters. Add salt to taste. Set it aside to ferment for 7 to 8 hours. Set the steamer on the cook top. Next, grease the idli mould and fill it with the batter. (Do not fill to the brim as the idli tends to rise while cooking). Place it the steamer and steam for 10 to 15 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in it comes out clean.
Cool for a while before removing the idle from the mould. Serve hot with sambhar and red chutney or any chutney of your choice.
This dumpling with the flavours of spring onion is an excellent teatime snack.
Ingredients:
Husked black gram – 2cups
Chopped Green chillies – 2tsps
Chopped spring onion greens – 1/2cup
Eating soda -1pinch (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Method:
Soak the husked black gram in water for two hours. Drain the water and grind it to a smooth paste. Rest it for few minutes. Then, mix the chopped items, salt and eating soda. Dip the fingers in water and take small quantities of the dough. Flatten and shape it like doughnut. Place a hole in the centre. Slide it in hot oil. Cook on both sides till it is crispy. Drain on to a paper towel. Serve hot with red chutney.
Chocolate truffle is a soft centered chocolate ball that resembles the tuber fungus truffle. It is traditionally made with a chocolate ganache centre, which is coated in chocolate, cocoa powder or crushed nuts. The chocolate ganache is nothing but thick double cream blended with butter and choicest flavourings or nuts. The center of the truffle is essentially soft.
I am presenting here a chocolate truffle that has a tweaked Indian dessert in the centre. It is soft in the centre but not very soft that it melts away when removed from the fridge.
Ingredients:
Dark cooking chocolate -150gms
Unsalted butter -10gms
Kaju katli - 50gms
Toasted almonds -25gm
Cashew nut – few
Butter paper – 1 sheet
Method:
Crush the toasted almonds and cashew nuts coarsely. Keep it aside. Melt 25ms of dark chocolate in double boiler. Remove from flame and add the butter and kaju katli. Stir over a low flame till is blended well. Next, add the crushed almond and allow it to cool. Then, place it in the refrigerator overnight. Next day, make small ball out it. Transfer back to the refrigerator to harden. Next day, melt the balance chocolate in a double boiler. Dip each of the prepared balls in the melted chocolate. When it is completely coated with chocolate remove and place it on a greased butter paper. Top it with crushed cashew nuts. Transfer back to the refrigerator to harden.
Almond rocks are very easy to make. They are also an ideal gift during the festive seasons of Navarathri and Diwali. It can be made for children’s birthday parties too as it is a hit with kids.
Ingredients
Dark cooking chocolate - 200gms
Almonds -100 gms
Method:
Dry roast the Almond and allow it to cool. Melt half the chocolate in a double boiler. Remove it from the boiler. Then, add the balance chocolate. Stir continuously till there are no lumps. This is known as tempering of chocolate. Next, add the roasted almonds. See that the almonds are evenly coated with chocolate. Spoon it in layers over a greased butter paper. Place it in the refrigerator to set.
Note: Any combination of nuts and dried fruits can be used make this recipe, but then it may be called chocolate rocks and not almond rocks.
American Chopsuey, which is served in most restaurants across India, is essentially a vegetarian dish. The Indian version of this American dish has crispy fried noodles topped with select vegetables cooked in sweet and tangy sauce. Interestingly, vegetable chopsuey has fried noodles with similar vegetables cooked in white sauce. A mixed version also exists, where small quantities of fried noodles are blended with the white sauce, stir fried vegetables and cooked noodles.
Ingredients:
Hakka noodles -1 packet
Pizza seasoning -1tsp
Chilli flakes - 3tsps
Tomato puree - 4tblsps
Tomato sauce - 4tblsps
Garlic paste -1tsp
Corn flour -5tsps
sugar -1tsp
Onion -2
Capsicum -1/2
Spring onion -6 to 7
Green peas -50gm
Cauliflower -50gm
Salt and oil -As required
Method:
Cook the noodles as per the instruction in the pack. Do not wash it with cold water. Drain and spread it on a plate. Keep it under the fan for 15 to 20 minutes to dry. Next, dust little cornflour over it and allow it to dry further. Then, deep fry them in oil till they are crispy.
fried noodles
To prepare the sauce:
Mix 1tsp of corn flour to half cup of water. To this add the tomato puree, tomato sauce, salt and sugar. Keep it aside.
Wash and chop the vegetables. Blanch the cauliflower and peas. In a frying pan fry the onion till they turn translucent. Then add the garlic paste, pizza seasoning and chilli flakes in quick succession. Next, add the blanched vegetables. Stir cook for few seconds. Then add the corn flour mixture. Stir cook for few seconds till the vegetables are blended and the liquid reaches a saucy consistency. Pour the hot sauce over the fried noodles and serve immediately.
