Peanut Ladoo/Sweet Balls

Here's another addition to my Toddler Treat Series and Toddler Lunchbox Series! Becoming a mother has made me delve even deeper into the wealth of information that's out there in books, the Internet, magazines, people, television, etc...Peanuts/groundnuts are something I've had all my life and known are a high source of protein, but it's only now that I went deeper into it and discovered the following facts-they are higher in antioxidants than fruits like strawberries and vegetables like carrots and beetroots, have a very high content of niacin which is good for brain health, are high in fiber and vitamin E, and have more than 30 nutrients in them! And did you know that roasting them increases the antioxidant level by more than 20%?! Of course, there's no use rattling off all this to a 2+ year old toddler! My son doesn't like peanuts and so I had to find ways to include them in his diet. I first tried the obvious choice-peanut butter, which he rejected outright....I was looking around for other ways when I found this recipe on a popular TV show (Lakshmi Nair's Magic Oven). This seems to have hit all the sweet spots with my son, who gobbles them up with glee, much to his mom's relief and delight! So now that I've got one more nutritious and delicious snack/sweet to include in his school snackbox, I'm sharing this here hoping it might be of help to some other moms out there. Even if you don't have any toddlers to feed, I can assure you that this will be a winner with adults too! So here goes....

Easy Peasy Chocolate Fudge-A Father's Day Special

On the occasion of Father's Day, I'd like to share this recipe for a chocolate fudge that would make anyone feel special, not just your dad, but for any of your loved ones (if they have a sweet tooth!). Again, this is one of those keepers that I've blogged about before. It's totally effortless and has very basic ingredients. This recipe could also be a potential lifesaver for many unexpected situations...How is that, you may ask? Well, let's consider a few scenarios that could happen to anyone!

Malabar Special Fish Biriyani and Malabar Pudding

Today, April 15, marks the start of a new year according to the Malayalam calendar for us in Kerala (and for Keralites around the world). The day starts first by looking at auspicious and sacred objects arranged in the living room (which have been arranged the night before by the matriarch of the house) in a ritual called "vishukkani". Usually, the eldest in the house wakes up the next younger person and leads him/her to the vishukkani blindfolded and so it continues until everyone is awake. The next ritual, which everyone looks forward to, is "vishukaineetam" where the younger ones get "pocket money" . often in substantial amounts, from the elders. Of course, there's the "vishukkodi", new clothes to wear, and all the fireworks to burst and the temples to visit and.....the food! Vishusadya! This is usually a grand feast laid out on banana leaves, with almost 24 to 28 vegetarian dishes served on it.

A Sweet Surprise Gift, an award, and a Coconut Milk Mousse to celebrate!

Today, when I checked my email, there was one that literally made my day-from Katerina, a lovely lady who I’ve only “met” online, through her blog called Culinary Flavors. She wrote in to say that I’d won the giveaway on her blog!

Party Menu Series#1-Strawberry Cheesecake

Over the weekend, as mentioned before, I had a cozy little lunch party for my friend and her two lovely kids. This is the last post in my series on the menu I cooked that day. I did indeed save the dessert for last-and that too a dessert that is light and healthy and easy to make. How could anything be sweeter than that?

First off, what is a cheesecake exactly? There are as many different types of cheesecakes as there are cheeses! They could be baked or unbaked, made with eggs or eggless, could have a base of crushed biscuits, pastry, or sponge, and may have a topping of fruits or could be flavored with chocolate or fruit.

I think this recipe must be one of the healthiest cheesecake recipes I've ever come across. As I mentioned in the first post in this series, this recipe was given to me by my friend Priya. It's one of her favorites and now that I've made it, I can easily see why. It is healthier because it is made with curds/yogurt. And it is easier because it has a base made of just bread slices, and not a pastry or sponge or even crushed biscuits. So what are you waiting for?

To serve 6 to 8 (or even just 4, if all your guests have a terrible sweet tooth!)

1. 500 g thick curds/yogurt (I used Nestle)
2. 200 g thick fresh cream (I used Amul) or 200 g cream cheese
3. 1/4 to 1/2 cup strawberry fruit crush (not juice or squash, but specifically crush-I used Mapro)
4. White bread slices-enough to cover the bottom of your dessert serving dish

• First off, you have to transform your ordinary curds into hung curds or Greek yogurt. All you have to do is transfer the curds into a muslin cloth, tie it up tightly, squeeze out as much water from it as you can, and hang it under your kitchen tap or somewhere else (making sure you have a pan under it to catch the water/whey dripping out). Leave it like that for 30 minutes.
• Now open it-it should have become a hard block, like cottage cheese/paneer. Put this into your blender jar.
• Pour the thick fresh cream also into your blender jar. Make sure there is no residual water in it. Discard the water, do not mix into the cream.
• Now pour the fruit crush into it and blend for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Pour this mixture into a bowl and place it into your freezer compartment for 30 minutes, covered.
• Now take your dessert serving dish, see how many bread slices would be needed to cover the bottom in one layer (with the crusts removed). Take out that many slices of bread and cut out the crusts.
• Place the bread slices in one layer to cover the bottom of the dish and press down with your hands to flatten the slices well.
• Spread the fruit crush over this, like spreading jam.
• Now take the bowl from the freezer and pour the contents on top of the slices, covering everything.
• Place the dish, covered, in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours before serving.
• Decorate with strawberry slices (if in season) or cherries or blobs of the fruit crush.

TIPS:

You could actually use any flavor of fruit crush that is your favorite, but strawberry makes for a delicious and safe bet that everyone would like!

In case you're insecure of the mixture setting properly, you could always add a little gelatin to it (mix 2 tablespoons in 1/4 cup hot water and mix into the curd-cream mixture before freezing it). However, if your hung curd had become a hard, waterless block, then there is no need to worry!

The liquid that is leftover from the hung curd, called whey, is actually very nutritious and can be used instead of water to knead dough for rotis, pizzas, or even as a stock for curries and soups.


The other recipes in this party menu series were:
Parsee-Style Coconut and Cashewnut Rice
Chicken Mixed Masala
Mother's Day Cauliflower-Potato Dry Fry


I am linking this to the Weekend Wrap Up Party hosted by Patty at her lovely home decor blog (motivated by my friend Emreen, at Liven Things Up, who herself has a lovely home- and who is a big fan of Patty's!)

Stewed Apricots

This recipe is an easier, literally effortless version of the more complicated Qubani-ka-Meetha. Qubani means apricots and qubani-ka-meetha is a traditional Hyderabadi sweet delicacy that is served with fresh cream or, in the modern version, with ice-cream. It's a personal favorite, but I have never made it myself because the thought of stewing the apricots, mashing them, pitting them, and sieving them-as needed in the traditional recipe-used to put me off.

That is, until today, when I had a version of it that tasted divine, just the same as the ones you get traditionally in Hyderabad, but made absolutely effortlessly, by Liz (Koshy) aunty. That is her trademark anyway-that of simplifying cooking and not breaking into a sweat even if she had to host a party for 50 people (check out her Greengram Pulao). So here's her recipe for stewed apricots.

Since we are not taking the trouble of deseeding the apricots, its left to the guests to remove the pits themselves after eating-so you might do well to provide an extra plate for the seeds to be put in (they actually look like mini-almonds and can be eaten, if you have super-strong teeth!).

To serve 6, or more

1. 300 g dried apricots
2. 1-1/2 cups sugar
3. Water

• In a pan, tip in the apricots, sugar, and water-the water level should ideally be about 2 inches above the apricots.
• Cover with a lid and simmer for about 45 minutes until the apricots become soft (if you are planning a party, you can cook the other dishes within this time!).
• Just check from time to time to make sure the water has not evaporated. Add more water if necessary.
• Let the apricots continue soaking in the sugar syrup after you take it off the flame, and through your dinner party (the apricots should be floating in a thick sugary syrup at the end).
• Serve with a dollop of fresh cream or vanilla ice cream on top.

TIPS:

For best results with this dish, buy the whole dried apricots (with seed), which is brown in color. You will not get the same taste with the Turkish dried and pitted (seedless) apricots, which have a bright orange hue.

Chocolate Fudge

Wow! Today when I opened my blog, the stats showed it had crossed 1000+ in viewership. A more detailed analysis showed that in the last 14 days (I started this blog on September 2nd, but installed the stat counter on 4th), it has been viewed 1000+ times, by exactly 396 different visitors, and from 10 different countries (including India). I'm overwhelmed and overjoyed...never expected this for something I started as a creative outlet, something I get to do only when my lil' man is sleeping! Thank you all so much for visiting, reading, commenting, emailing me, browsing around-even those who are shy/hesitant/too busy to comment or don't comment for whatever reason :-). And a special thanks to those who've subscribed-I'll make sure it's worth your time!

So let's have a sweet dish featured on this post, in keeping with the occasion, shall we?

This is a chocolate fudge recipe that I found in a book given to me by mom, a book called "The Ladies Club of Cannanore Exotic Recipes". This book's pages are now yellowing and tattered, there's no publication date on it, and it seems to be recipes contributed by the club's members-and I reckon it must have been published prior to 1982, because of the 4-digit phone numbers printed in it. This recipe was contributed by a Vanaja Lakshmanan. It's very easy to make and I often make it when I have a chocolate craving and there are no chocolates in the pantry!

The only trick is to know when to remove it from the fire after reaching the correct consistency. I've never been to a cooking or baking class, and have only learnt from my mom/grandmother/aunties /cousins and friends, so when this recipe says "one-thread" consistency, I've been told it means to dip a spoon into the boiling mixture, take it out, and when the sugar drips down like a single thread, then it has reached the correct point. If you boil it beyond this point, the sugar somehow re-crystallizes and the fudge doesn't turn out to be smooth. Also, this recipe produces a very small quantity, so you might want to double it!

    Ingredients:

1. 3/4th cup Sugar
2. 3 tablespoons Cocoa
3. 5 tablespoons Milk powder
4. 2 tablespoons Butter
5. 1/4th teaspoon Vanilla essence
6. 2 tablespoons Water

• Mix the sugar and water and melt it over a very slow fire.
• When the sugar dissolves, let it bubble rapidly until it forms a one-thread consistency.
• Immediately remove from fire and add the butter and vanilla essence.
• Then add the cocoa and the milk powder and combine well.
• Spread onto a buttered plate/tin.
• Cut into squares when slightly warm.

      Indulge!

TIPS: You could also add chopped nuts and raisins if you like.
You'll get a smoother fudge if you use castor sugar or powdered sugar.

Apple Crumble

I'm starting a new tag on this blog-Toddler Treats or kid-friendly recipes. I had this idea when some of my friends asked me to put up recipes of dishes I cook up especially for Riyaan. This recipe, apple crumble, is a quick dessert that is generally made with refined flour and served with fresh cream or icecream. Here, I've modified it only slightly to use wheat flour or multigrain flour instead of the refined flour.

It's funny how becoming a parent can suddenly make you health conscious, reading up on vitamins, food groups, organic foods, multigrain flour, etc.! There have been days when I have survived on macaroni alone...but now after becoming a parent, I find it imperative to feed my little one something from all the food groups daily (even if my own food habits are still somewhat erratic!). While I know that being a good role model is more important, I'm keeping that on hold for the time being, at least until he gets to be 2 years old :-). 

For Riyaan, I make sure that, on a daily basis, he gets his carbohydrates (doesn't matter if it's from rice, wheat, pasta or a mashed potato!), proteins (as of now, only eggs, chicken, lentils/pulses and paneer), vegetables, fruits, dairy (doesn't matter if he doesn't like milk-lots of smoothies, yoghurt, and cheese will also do!), and of course, fats (ghee, butter). Plus lots and lots of water (no harm in starting good habits too early, is there?). This recipe, by the way, is a great way to serve both a fruit and a carbohydrate together. Its super quick to make and delicious to boot!

For two servings

For the base:

One apple, peeled, cored, and diced roughly.

1 tablespoon sugar (I used brown sugar)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

For the topping:

Half cup wheat/multigrain flour (you could also add a couple of tablespoons of crushed wheat/corn flakes or crushed quick cooking oats)

2 tablespoons sugar ((I used brown)

25 grams butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder

First, tip in all the ingredients for the topping in a mixing bowl.

Rub the butter into the flour with your fingers, to make it into a bread-crumb like consistency (or if you've made "puttu", then puttu consistency!).

In the baking dish, add the ingredients for the base.

Sprinkle the topping on it.

Preheat your oven to 180 C and bake 20 minutes, or until brown on top, or until a wonderful apple aroma wafts out of your oven.

Serve as it is, or with milk, custard, or cream.

TIPS:

If you are cutting the apple beforehand, sprinkle with lime juice to prevent browning.

I cut the apples directly into the baking dish, only at the last minute (some kids don't like the tangy lime taste on the apple).

I also mashed the apples using a potato masher, just to make it smoother.

Caramel Custard (Steamed)

This post is dedicated to my grandmother-my dad's mom, as it is her version of making this popular dessert. Caramel custard is a well-known, easy-to-make recipe, which almost all of us would have had, at one point in our lives or other! While other caramel custard recipes normally have just milk, eggs and sugar as their basic ingredients, this one has other goodies like honey and cream as well, which makes it all the more delicious!

I made this dessert-with her recipe-for the first time today and admit I was feeling nostalgic and missed her while making it. She was someone who loved trying out new recipes and was a culinary expert herself. Even though she lived in a time when there was abundant domestic and kitchen help, she herself not only cooked but also micromanaged the kitchen, overseeing things so that delicious food was always prepared for the family. I remember that right to the end of her lifetime, she used to watch cookery shows on TV, read recipes from magazines, note them down, try them out, and share them with us. No wonder my dad and all his brothers and sisters are such foodies!

My grandmother used to have a recipe diary of her own, one that she started in 1960 (at least, I remember that the diary was a 1960 one, with a hardbound dark blue cover). I have copied many recipes from her book to mine, and this is one of them. This recipe book of hers was a treasuretrove of recipes from curries to pies, bakes to desserts, tandoori to Chinese, duck to drumstick!

Since this post is dedicated to my grandmom, a word (or paragraph!) about her-She definitely was not the traditional grandmother! She was a petite, elegant lady whose frame belied the strength she had. She was definitely not the docile, old-fashioned type. She had a mind of her own, was strong-willed, convent-educated to the 10th grade (Sacred Heart Convent, Tellicherry), spoke and wrote English beautifully, an avid watcher of The Bold and the Beautiful :-), witty and bright! She loved the arts, from music and movies, dance and fashion, and loved animals and gardening. She may not have been easy to handle, but she sure is unforgettable!

Now, onto her recipe:

1. Milk                  500 mL
2. Sugar               4 tablespoons
3. Cream              3/4th cup
4. Honey              1/2 cup
5. Eggs                4
6. Vanilla Essence  To taste
7. Nutmeg powder  To taste (this is optional).

For the Caramel Sauce:

1. Sugar               5 to 6 tablespoons
2. Butter               1 teaspoon

• First grease the dish in which you plan to steam this.
• Boil the milk first. Keep aside till lukewarm.
• Stir in the sugar, cream, and honey.
• Transfer again to the stove and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Keep aside to cool.
• Beat the eggs lightly.
• When the milk mixture is totally cooled, add in the eggs, vanilla essence and nutmeg powder.  Mix well.
• Transfer this once again to the stove and simmer for another 2 minutes. Keep aside.

Meanwhile, to make the caramel sauce:

• Heat a nonstick pan.
• Lower the heat and put in the sugar.
• Add the butter.
• Do not stir with a spoon. The trick I have learnt to caramelize sugar is never to stir with a spoon and keep it on the lowest flame. Just tilt the pan with the handle and shake lightly every once in a while. Wait patiently. The sugar will caramelize without any help from you.
• As soon as the sugar granules have disappeared and it takes on a nice dark brown tinge, pour onto the greased dish.
• Pour the prepared milk mixture on top. Don't worry if some of the caramelized sugar rises to the top.
• Place this dish, covered with aluminum foil, in a steamer pot and steam for 45 minutes.
• Serve as it is or serve upturned onto a dessert plate.

TIPS:

I made the mistake of steaming this in a deep dish. It is  always better to do it in a flat dish.

You could also steam this in ramekins or individual custard moulds.

In the recipe book, she states that it can also be baked, but as usual, no instructions were written down for that. I think my grandmom assumed that anyone would have the commonsense to know the temperature and timings. I don't  have a clue about that though, so stuck to the  safer option of steaming (which is how it is generally made, but even for this, no timings were given in the book!).

Grilled Figs (Anjeer)

Figs, whether fresh or dried, are one of my favorite fruits. They are high in fiber, potassium, and good for digestion. I puree' dried figs for my son and use it as a sweetener instead of sugar (and alternate this with dried apricot puree' and dates puree'). If you are a yummy mummy with a child above 6 months of age, try this out-I bet your little angel (or imp!) would love it.

This particular recipe is loosely inspired from a Karen Anand one, but I have cut short the ingredients to just two, including the figs. You can eat it as it is, straight out of the oven, or you could add some fresh cream (yummy!) or even ice cream or honey (or both!) and serve it as a dessert.

1. Fresh Figs     As many as you want (wash, cut off the stalks-if needed-and split into two halves).
2. Sugar           Enough to sprinkle on top.You could use white sugar or castor sugar or powdered sugar. For this, I used demerara (brown) sugar as it gives a lovely golden glaze when grilled (and of course its healthier since its extracted from sugarcane).

• Arrange the fig slices on a bake-n-serve dish. 
• Sprinkle the sugar on top, as much as you want.
• Grill in a preheated oven for 4 to 5 minutes or till sugar turns golden brown.
• Serve and slurp!