Kadala (Chickpeas) curry

Chick peas or garbanzo is a great source of protein and fiber. Black channa or garbanzo is smaller and hardier. It is also dark brown in color. Last week I made Kadala Curry for Puttu. This combination is one of  the most popular dishes in Kerala.  

Ingredients for 4 Servings:

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 green chili, slit

3-4 curry leaves

1 Onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 Cups pressure cooked kala channa 

salt to taste

For Masala:

1 Tablespoon coriander seeds

1/2 inch cinnamon stick

1-2 clove

1-2 green cardamom

4 dried red chili

2 Tablespoons coconut

                                                              

Method:

1. Soak kala channa for 6 hours. Pressure cook. Strain water and keep channa aside.

2. Roast the ingredients for the masala with 1 teaspoon oil. Cool and grind to a paste. Keep aside.

                                             

3. Heat coconut oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, slit green chili and curry leaves.

                                                             

4. Add onion when the mustard seeds pop. Cook till translucent. Add turmeric powder.

                                                              

5. Add cooked channa. Add 1/2 cup water, add more if needed. Add salt and cook for 5 minutes.

                                                               

6. Stir in the ground masala. Bring it to a boil. Add water if needed. The curry should be thick. 

                                   

7. Remove from heat. Serve hot with steaming kuzha puttu.

                                               

 

 

Nutella Cupcakes

 My kids love Nutella on everything. A few months back my friend had posted picture of Nutella cupcake on Instagram. She shared the recipe with me and I made it in November when my kids were home. Just found the time to write the recipe. I adapted the recipe from Cupcake Jemma. These beauties are moist and rich in taste. My daughter couldn't keep her hands off these lovelies.

Ingredients for 12 cupcakes:

For the cupcakes:

1/3 Cup Hazelnuts, roasted, skinned and pulverized

1/2 Cup + 2 Tablespoons self raising flour

1/4 Cup Cocoa powder

5/8 Cup white sugar (125 g)

1/4 baking soda

Pinch of salt

5/8 Cup unsalted butter, softened

2 Large eggs

1 1/2 Tablespoons whole milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

                                                         

For the butter cream:

1/4 Cup + 3 Tablespoons Unsalted butter, softened

2/3 Cup Nutella

1 Cup Confectioner's sugar, sifted

3-4 Tablespoons whole milk

More Nutella and hazelnuts for decoration 

Ferro Rocher chocolates for decoration

                                                        

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 340 degrees F. Blitz roasted hazelnuts to a fine bread crumb consistency.

2. Place powdered hazelnuts in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer.                               

3. Sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda and salt into the bowl.

                                     

3. Add butter and eggs.

                                            

4. Beat everything together for 30 seconds on medium speed.

                                                            

5. Slowly add milk and vanilla while the mixer is running. Continue to beat for 1 more minute.

                          

6. Spoon equal amount of batter in cupcake mould lined with paper cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

                                                      

 Remove from the oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing them from the pan and cool completely on cooling racks.

                                                          

7. While cupcakes are cooling make the butter cream.

8. Beat softened butter, and Nutella on high speed for 4-5 minutes to a smooth silky consistency.

                                                            

9. Add the sifted confectioners sugar in two stages, beating  well between each addition. Add 3-4 tablespoons milk and mix to make the icing spreadable.

                            

10. Take a large piping bag with a round nozzle. Paint the insides of the bag with Nutella. Dip a large spatula in the Nutella and spread the insides with it for streak.

11. Spoon the icing into the bag. Pipe the icing on the cupcakes. You can see the stripes of Nutella along with icing.

12. Decorate the cupcakes with roasted hazelnuts or top them with Ferro Rocher  chocolate.

                                                 

Jowar (Sorghum) Dosa

 Sorghum is a popular food  grain used in Africa and Asia. It looks similar to wheat berries.  Looking for something new to make for dinner last night, I came upon a dosa recipe on a Face Book group I am a part of. It looked crispy like rava dosa. It was actually made of Sorghum flour. 

Ingredients for 8 dosas:

1 Cup Sorghum (Jowar) flour

2 Cups water

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 onion, chopped

1/4 Cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 green chili, chopped

salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon asafoetida

Method:

1. Take sorghum in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 cups water and whisk to a batter without any lumps.

                                          

2. Add cumin seeds, onion, chili, cilantro, salt and asafoetida. Mix well. Cover and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

                                            

3. Add 1/2 cup water to the batter to make a really thin batter.

                                                             

4. Heat the griddle. Spread 1 teaspoon ghee on the entire surface of the griddle. 

                                                       

5. Mix the batter well and pour 1/2 cup of batter over the entire surface of the griddle.

                                                         

6. Cover and cook for 3 minutes on low flame. Uncover and spread 1/2 teaspoon ghee.

                                                             

7.  Place the cover back and cook for  3 minutes or until the dosa is crisp. Gently fold and slide onto a plate.

                            

 8. Repeat the process with the remaining batter. Make sure to stir the batter well every time before pouring it on the griddle. Serve hot dosa with coconut chutney.

Sweet Potato Kuzhi Paniyaram

 I came upon this interesting dish on my Face Book feed a couple days ago. My friend likes to experiment with different dishes. Kuzhi paniyaram or unniappam is deep fried balls (sweet or savory) made with a dough of wheat flour, rice flour, jaggery, banana and coconut. These little guys can be deep fried in ghee or in kuzhi paniyaram pan (Aebleskiver pan). Thanks to my friend, I made this sweet dish with grated sweet potato. 

Ingredients:

1 Cup whole wheat flour

1/2 Cup rice flour

1/2 Cup grated coconut (fresh or frozen)

1 Cup jaggery (country brown sugar), dissolved in one cup water

1 teaspoon cardamom powder

1/2 teaspoon dry ginger powder (sukku) 

1 Cup peeled and grated sweet potato

ghee for frying

Method:

1. Mix wheat flour, rice flour, coconut, spices, and grated sweet potato in a large bowl.

                                                         

2. Stir in the jaggery water and mix well to make a thick batter, adding water as required. 

 

                                        

3. Heat the paniyaram pan or aebleskiver pan. Add a half teaspoon of ghee in each of the mold. Drop a tablespoon of the batter in each mold.

                                                               

4. Cook both sides on low flame to golden brown. Remove from the pan. Repeat process with the remaining batter. 

                                                              

5. Serve warm with tea or with ice cream as a dessert.

                                                    

Note:

You can deep fry the paniyaram in ghee by dropping spoon fulls of batter into hot ghee. 

You can make savory kuzhi paniyaram with idli batter.

Kathirikai Gothsu (Mashed eggplant)

 Gothsu is a perfect side for pongal or broken rice upma. Smoked eggplant, mashed and cooked with onion in tamarind water to a spicy tangy dish. When we were kids, my sister would not eat pongal if it was not served with gothsu. I made rice upma and gothsu for dinner last night.

Ingredients:

1 Italian eggplant

1 Tablespoon oil 

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon channa dal

1/2 teaspoon urad dal

1/4 teaspoon asafoetida

1 Onion, chopped

2-3 green chili, chopped (adjust to taste)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon sambar powder

1/2 cup tamarind extract (from large pebble size tamarind/use tamarind paste)

salt as required

water

Method:

1. Wash and dry eggplant. Roast it over the flame until charred. Or, pierce the eggplant all over with a fork. Spray with oil and broil in the oven for 20 minutes, turning in between. Cool the eggplant in a plastic bag for a few minutes. Peel the skin and remove the pulp. Mash it in a bowl. Keep aside.

2. Heat oil a large pan over medium flame. Temper mustard seeds, urad dal and channa dal. Add 3-4 curry leaves.

3. Add chopped onion and green chili. Cook till translucent.

                                                        

4. Add turmeric powder, sambar powder, salt and asafoetida. Cook for couple minutes to combine.

                                                        

5. Stir in mashed eggplant. Add tamarind water. Combine. Cook for 10 minutes or until tamarind smell leaves.

                                           

6. Check for salt. Add water if required. The curry should be a little thick. Remove from stove when done. 

                                                          

7. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro. Serve hot with rice upma or ven pongal.

                                     

Note: You can make this with regular Indian purple eggplant if you do not have Italian eggplant.

You can use chopped eggplants and potato with onion and follow the directions given above.