Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

Super Easy, Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes

Have you ever encountered a chocolate cake recipe that used neither eggs nor butter, but relied on vinegar and baking soda for leavening? Apparently, the recipe has been around for ages. We first discovered a version of it in a magazine called Cuisine at Home, but you can find other versions at Epicurious and other places online. The thing about this cake recipe is not only is it incredibly easy to make, with ingredients that you likely already have in your pantry, but it produces a surprisingly moist and delicious cake (and cupcakes). All without eggs or butter. (There's butter in the frosting I'm using, but we're talking about the cake.) I even tried adding an egg to the recipe and it wasn't nearly as good as the batch without it. Over the last week I've made several batches of cupcakes following this method, including a couple for my mom's book club. (Waving hi to mom's friends!) I used a frosting recipe from Hershey's, and instead of loading the cupcakes with frosting, decided instead to just simply drizzle frosting in patterns on the top. But do what you will with the frosting. I think the cupcakes are perfectly delicious without any frosting at all.

Super Easy, Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes

• Cook time: 20 minutes

The coffee (and the salt) help intensify the flavor of the chocolate. If you don't have or don't want to use coffee, just skip it and use water instead. If you do use coffee, just use what would be considered regular strength coffee in America, not something super concentrated like espresso. If caffeine is an issue, use decaf. If you want to make a cake instead of cupcakes, use 2 8-inch round cake pans and cook for 35-40 minutes.

Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1 Tbsp baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 cup brewed coffee (or 1 cup of warm water mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons of espresso powder or instant coffee granules)
  
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• 6 Tbsp (1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp) olive oil

Frosting:

• 4 Tbsp butter
  
• 1/3 cup cocoa
  
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  
• 3 tablespoons milk
  
• 1 tablesppon vanilla extract

Method

Cupcakes:

1 Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2 In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt until there are no visible clumps (cocoa tends to clump up).

3 In a separate bowl, mix together the coffee (or water plus coffee granules), vinegar, vanilla extract, and olive oil.

4 Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until they just come together. The mixture should be thin and rather lumpy.

5 Ladle the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about two-thirds of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a bamboo skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

6 Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on a rack. Once cool, you can eat plain, sprinkle with powdered sugar, or drizzle or coat with frosting.

Frosting:

While the cupcakes are cooking, make the frosting. Melt butter in a small saucepan and remove from heat. Stir in the cocoa until smooth. Sprinkle in about a third of the powdered sugar, stir, then sprinkle in about a half of the milk. Keep alternating with the powdered sugar and either milk or vanilla, stirring after each addition, until the frosting is the consistency you want, and smooth. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar. If too stiff, add a little more milk or vanilla extract.

To pipe in a decorative pattern, scoop the frosting into the corner of a ziplock freezer bag. Use scissors to cut away 1/4-inch or so from the tip of the corner. Then just squeeze the frosting out of the bag onto the cupcakes in any design you like.

Yield: Makes 12 cupcakes.

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Pepper Egg Masala

Pepper Egg Masala

An egg dish that tastes well with steamed rice. Easy to make, this spicy dish is a personal favorite egg recipe of many foodies.

Ingredients

Oil - 1 tbspn
Garlic coves (crushed) - 2
Onion (thinly chopped) - 1
Green chillies (slit length wise) - 3
Tomato (chopped) - 1
Soya sauce - tspn
Pepper Powder - tspn
Salt, to taste
Coconut powder 1 tbspn
Water - glass
Eggs - 3
Coriander (cilantro) leaves, a few

Preparation

Heat oil in a heavy bottom sauce pan.
Add garlic and saute just until fragrant.
Add onion, green chillies and tomato and saute for a few more minutes.
Add soya sauce, pepper powder and salt.
Mix coconut powder in water and add this mixture to the prepared masala and stir.
Break the eggs into it. But do not stir after that.
Lower the heat and cook till the eggs are done.
Turn off the heat and garnish with coriander leaves

   

 Roopesh Nair

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Curried Chicken Livers

Curried Chicken Livers

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs chicken livers, cut into bite 1-2-inch pieces (I use kitchen shears)
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons canola (or any vegetable) oil
garlic salt, to taste

Preparation

In a small bowl, whisk together: flour, curry powder, tumeric, garlic powder and pepper.

Roll chicken livers one by one in flour mixture and place on a plate.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

Place chicken livers in a single layer in skillet.

Sprinkle garlic salt over the chicken livers.

Let cook about 5 minutes and flip livers over. Sprinkle them with more garlic salt.

Let cook about 5 more minutes more and test for doneness. Some people like them pink in the middle. I like them well done and browned through. I usually flip them one more time and cook them until the coating is browned all over and no more blood seeps out (about 15 minutes total). 
Some of the coating will crumble off or stick to the pan. 
I just scoop it up and serve it all together. Yum!

 Roopesh Nair

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Chicken stir-fry

Chicken stir-fry

Ingredients

2 blocks egg noodles
2 tsp sunflower oil
2 cooked chicken breasts , shredded
3 carrots , finely sliced into rings
2 tbsp clear honey
1 tbsp soy sauce
juice 2 limes
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
handful coriander leaves

Preparation

Boil the noodles according to pack instructions, then drain and toss with 1 tsp oil.
Heat the remaining oil in a wok and add the chicken and carrots.
Stir-fry for a few mins.
Add the honey, soy and lime juice, bubble for 30 secs, then add the noodles and sesame seeds.
Mix well, heat through and sprinkle with coriander to serve.

Roopesh Nair

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Ada Pradhaman

Ada Pradhaman

Ingredients

Short grain rice(Unakkalari) – 250 gm
Jaggery – 750 gm
Ghee – 200 gm
Coconut oil – 50 gm
Cardamom(Elakka) – 10 gm
Coconut – 3 nos
Plantain leaves(Vazha ela) – 8 pieces
Cashewnuts – 50 gm
Raisins(Onakkamunthiri) – 25 gm

Preparation

1)Soak unakkalari in water for 30 mins. Later, strain it.

2)When it becomes dry, grind it to a very fine powder.

:- Make sure you don't have any lumps in the powder.

3)Place the plantain leaves directly on the gas flame till the colour changes.

:- This is done to make the leaves more flexible and more aromatic.

4)Add coconut oil, 100 gm of jaggery(diluted in water) to the finely powdered rice and mix well.

5)Add sufficient water and knead the whole thing very well.

:- You can check the consistency by dropping a portion of the dough from your hand. It should not be too thick or too thin. The consistency should be that of dosa batter.

6)Pour the batter through your hands very thinly on the plantain leaves. Roll them and tie them up on both sides with the plantain threads/strings.

7)Boil water in a big vessel.

8)Place the tied plantain leaves filled with ada batter, in the boiling water for 30 mins.

9)Remove from the hot water and strain it.

10)Pour cold water over it and make it cool.

11)Take out the adas from the leaves and place them in a strainer.

12)Dissolve jaggery in a pan (preferably Urali).

13)Cut the ada into fine pieces.

14)When the jaggery solution thickens, add the ada pieces.

15)Stir well and add ghee in between.

16)Grate the coconuts and extract 2 cups of thick coconut milk, 4 cups of thin coconut milk and 8 cups of very thin coconut milk.

17)When the payasam gets reduced, add 8 cups of very thin coconut milk and mix well. Allow it to thicken.

18)When the ada gets cooked and the payasam gets reduced, add the 4 cups of thin coconut milk and mix well.

19)When it too gets reduced and thickens, add the 2 cups of thick coconut milk.

20)Add powdered cardamom and mix well.

21)Heat it through.

:- Do not boil.

22)Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee.

23)Add it to the payasam and mix well.

Roopesh

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Banana bread

This delicious banana bread recipe combines fruit
with nuts to make a tasty snack or afternoon treat

Ingredients:
500 g ripe bananas, mashed up

120 g soft butter
85 g sugar
85 g brown sugar
2 beaten eggs
2 tbsp dulce de leche or condensed milk
220 g self raising flour
65 g walnuts
70 g chocolate chips

1 Mixer with the flat beater attachment
1 Rubber spatula
1 loaf pan buttered
1 wooden skewer

Serves: 6 to 8
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes

Method:

1. Set the oven to 180 degrees centigrade or gas mark 4.

2. Using your spatula spoon the butter into the mixer bowl, follow with the brown sugar, white sugar,
then lower the whisk attachment into the bowl and blend on medium speed for a few minutes.
Then slow down the speed and slowly add in the eggs, the mashed bananas,
the dulce de leche and slowly begin to add the flour, shaking it in little by little then
add in the chocolate chips and finally the walnuts.

Switch off the blender, lift up the whisk head, scrape the mixture off the attachment,
take it off and remove the bowl. And using your spatula give it one final quick mix by hand.

3. Pour the batter into the tin using your spatula spread the mixture into the side of the tin.

4. Place the baking tin into the centre of the preheated oven and bake for roughly 55-60 minutes.
You can check to see if it's ready by piercing into the centre of the cake with a skewer.
It should come outdry and if so, remove the banana bread from the oven.

5. Allow to cool before cutting and serve with fresh cream!

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Basic Corned Beef Dinner

Basic Corned Beef Dinner
This is a delicious basic corned beef dinner, made with a variety of spices and vegetables. Feel free to add turnips or cut-up rutabagas to this recipe.
 
Ingredients:

8 allspice berries
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves, crumbled
2 fresh thyme sprigs or about 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
1 corned beef, about 4 pounds
3 cups beef broth
Water
1 medium onion, cut in 6 to 8 wedges
1 clove garlic, minced
2 1/2 to 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, washed and quartered (peel if desired)
4 large carrots, halved and cut into 3-inch lengths
1 small head Savoy cabbage or green cabbage, cored and cut into 6 to 8 wedges
Chopped fresh parsley, optional
 
Method

Combine the allspice berries, peppercorns, bay leaves, and thyme in a cheesecloth bag; tie tightly.

Put the corned beef in a 6- to 8-quart saucepan or Dutch oven; add beef broth, the seasoning bag, and add water just until beef is covered. Add garlic and onion. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Remove the corned beef to a platter, cover with foil, and keep warm.

Skim fat from the broth and add the potatoes and carrots to the broth (remove some of the broth if there is too much liquid). Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes. Add cabbage wedges and continue cooking for about 20 minutes, or until cabbage and vegetables are tender.

Slice the corned beef and serve with the vegetables. Sprinkle parsley over the potatoes and cabbage, if desired. Serves 6.

To make Corned Beef

Corned Beef 1 corned beef brisket (about 4 pounds)
Prepared mustard
1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
2 Tbsp. vinegar
4 medium potatoes
1 large onion
1 medium head of cabbage

Trim excess fat from brisket.
Spread mustard on top of beef. Sprinkle pepper and parsley flakes over the mustard. In this country a corned beef brisket usually comes with spices and juices in the package. Add the spices and juices from corned beef brisket package. Place meat in Dutch oven. Add vinegar and just enough water to almost cover meat, but don't put in so much water that you cover the mustard and spice topping. 

Heat just to boiling and then reduce heat, cover pan and simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender. Quarter potatoes and chop the onion and add both to pan. Cover and return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Core the cabbage, cut it into wedges and add to pan. Cover and cook for 20 minutes more until veggies are tender. Place meat and veggies on a platter and season with salt and pepper. You may serve this with a little extra vinegar to be sprinkled on the cabbage.

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Punjabi Chole

Punjabi Chole
I have tried so many recipes for Punjabi Chole or Amritsari Chole none was so delicious then this recipe, I think this is the original recipe for Punjabi Chole, tried and tasted.

Ingredients:
250 gm: Kabuli channa
50 gm: Rajma
2 tsp: Tea powder
2 pieces: Clove
1 piece: Cinnamon
1/2 tsp: Black pepper
2-3: Green chillies (or according to taste)
1 piece: Ginger
1/2 tsp: Eating soda
3 tsp: Annardana paste
1/4 tsp: Mango powder (aamchur)
1 tsp: Garam Masala
3 no: Potato (boiled medium sized)
1/2 cup: Tomato (chopped
2 tsp: Ghee
Salt to taste (half Black salt and half Sea salt)


Ingredients for Masala:
1-2: Bay leaf (tej patta)
2 tsp: Mustard seed
2 tsp: Jeera
1 tsp: Fenugreek seed (methi dana)
2-3: Clove
1-2: Red chilli

Mixing Masala First:
1. In a big vessel pour water, add eating soda and salt. Now add kabuli channa and rajma. Soak this over night.
2.Next morning in that same water drop a small pouch (potali) containing tea leaves.
3.Cook this chana, rajma mix along with tea leaves pouch till channa and rajma becomes soft. When cooked discard the tea leaves pouch.
4.Prepare a another dry-wet paste out of cloves, cinnamon (dalchini), black pepper, two green chillies and ginger.
5.Mix this dry-wet fine paste with cooked channa and rajma. Take care that this masala is just mixed not kept in flame.
6.Take an iron kadhai (iron kadhai will give a special flavour) or a deep pan. Pour left- out water from cooked channa and rajma, now keep the pan to flame.
7.Now add that dry Masala, garam masala, annardana paste, aamchur powder, black pepper powder to that left-out water. Sim down the flame to in between low and warm.
8.Cook all ingredients till water evaporates and masala stick to the channa and rajma. This is very very important for next step.
9.In the pan itself spread the cooked chhole to corners, make a space in center of pan.
10.In a separate regular pan heat ghee till you see smoke and your smoke alarms you.
11.Pour this ghee in the (made) center space in iron deep pan, and cover it with chhole. Warm it with closed lid for a while.
12.Decorate with slices of potato, tomatoes and long cut green chilli.

Roopesh Nair

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Steak with Porcini butter and sweet potato

Steak with Porcini butter and sweet potato

(To finish top the steaks with a slice of the chilled porcini butter )

INGREDIENTS

2 large sweet potatoes, cut into wedges length ways

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp rock salt

1tsp dried porcini mushrooms

4 sirloin steaks

Freshly ground black pepper

50g (1¾oz) unsalted butter, softened

2tbsp fresh chopped flatleaf parsley

125g (4½oz) mushroom antipasto

Fresh rocket to serve.

METHOD

1 Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6.


2 Toss the sweet potatoes with 2tbsp olive oil and arrange on a baking tray.
Season with 1tsp rock salt and roast for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, whizz the porcini mushrooms to a powder in a processor,
mix in the remaining salt and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of this mixture over the steaks.

3 Season the steaks with freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
Mix the remaining porcini salt with the butter and parsley and roll in clingfilm.
Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

4 Preheat a chargrill pan and cook the steaks for 3-4 minutes on each side.
Leave to rest for 2 minutes. Add the mushroom antipasto to the pan and warm through.
Top the steaks with a slice of the chilled porcini butter and the mushroom antipasto.
Serve with the sweet potato wedges and fresh rocket leaves.

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Arugula Salad with Walnut Croutons

If you don't know what to serve for dinner tonight ...

Top this quick and tasty salad with walnut croutons and enjoy a rich concentration of health-promoting omega-3 fatty acids from your green salad!

Arugula Salad with Walnut Croutons

Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  
• 1 cup hot water
  
• 2 TBS light vinegar
  
• 1 bunch arugula 

Dressing:

• 2 medium cloves garlic, pressed
  
• 2 TBS chopped fresh parsley
  
• 1 TBS fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
  
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
  
• 2 oz gorgonzola cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Press garlic and let sit for 5 minutes.
   
2. Slice onion thin and soak in hot water and vinegar while preparing rest of salad.
   
3. Whisk together the dressing ingredients, adding olive oil at the end, a little at a time.
   
4. Wash and dry arugula. Squeeze out excess liquid from onions. Combine onions and arugula and toss with dressing. Sprinkle salad with walnuts just before serving. Top with cheese (optional).

Serves 2

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In-Depth Nutritional Profile for Arugula Salad with Walnut Croutons

Healthy Food Tip

If I add sesame seeds to a bread recipe, will their nutrients stay intact even though the seeds will be heated?

The nutrients in sesame seeds do stay largely intact when you add those seeds to a bread recipe. Databases like the U.S. Department of Agriculture's SR19 foods database (http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/) often provide profiles of foods in various forms. For example, this database provides a profile of dried sesame seeds (non-roasted) as well as roasted/toasted sesame seeds. You'll find these two profiles to be essentially the same in terms of all nutrient categories (vitamins, minerals, fats, etc.).

Unlike plant seed oils (like sesame oil) that are no longer protected by their whole food structure, seeds themselves (including sesame seeds) are fairly stable to relatively low heats. I would not hesitate to add high-quality, preferably organically grown, sesame seeds to your bread recipe. It is important, of course, to chew your bread and seeds well because non-chewed, intact sesame seeds can often be excreted without undergoing further digestion or absorption and therefore not delivering most of their health benefits.

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Quick and Easy Chocolate Pudding

Quick and Easy Chocolate Pudding

This is a quick and easy chocolate pudding recipe that is great to make with your kids.

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons cornstarch
4 cups milk
4 teaspoons vanilla

Method

In a microwave safe bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa, & cornstarch. Whisk in milk a little at a time so the mixture does not have any dry lumps.

Place in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on HIGH.

Stir. Then cook at 1 minute intervals, stirring between cooking times for 2 - 4 minutes, or until shiny and thick. Stir in vanilla.

Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the chocolate pudding to prevent a skin from forming (the chocolate pudding will be HOT, so be careful!) No, the plastic wrap will not melt.
Chill in the fridge. Serve cold. Enjoy!

 Roopesh Nair

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Stuffed Sardines

Stuffed Sardines
 

Make a special meal with this impressive idea of stuffing Sardines with a tangy and lightly spicy mix. It can be cooked in advance and perfect for a dinner date or a Sunday family meal. 

Sardines are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which helps reduce occurrence of cardiovascular disease and reduce blood sugar levels and Alzheimer’s disease*.

Things You’ll Need:

• Sardines – 8 medium size
• Yellow Bell Pepper – 1
• Red Bell Pepper -1
• Tomato – 1
• Onion – 1
• Coriander Leaves – 1 bunch
• Garlic – 5 cloves
• Chilli Powder – 2 tsp
• Pepper Powder – ½ tsp
• Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Lemon – 1
• Mustard Seeds – ¼ tsp
• Oil – 4 tbsp

Golden Touch Mis-en Place [5 mins ]

• Clean pat dry the Sardines.
• Chop the Yellow and Red Peppers, Tomato, Onion and Coriander leaves and store separately.

 

Golden Touch Process [ 20 mins approx]

• Heat 1 tbsp Oil in a frying pan, add the Mustard seeds and allow to pop.
• Add Onion and sauté for about 2-3 mins till translucent.
• Add Tomato, Red and Yellow Pepper, sauté till cooked and Oil separates.
• Add Chilli, Pepper and Turmeric Powder, Salt and sauté for 1 minute till you get the earthy flavours of the roasted spices.
• Remove from flame. Squeeze in the juice of ½ a Lemon and stir in the Coriander leaves.
• Allow to cool. Stuff in the Sardines. Tie with a cotton string if necessary. 

In a separate pan heat 3 tbsp Oil and arrange the stuffed Sardines and cook along with the whole peeled Garlic and ½ Lemon. Turn the sides after 5 minutes interval and it is ready to be served, pipping hot, garnished with fresh Coriander Leaves and chopped Peppers. Cooking with the Garlic and Lemons lends a lot to the Garlicky flavour and the fine aroma of Lemon to the Sardines.

Souece: chackoskitchen.com

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Chicken pepper fry.....!!!!

Chicken pepper fry

Ingredients

1. Chicken -1 kg. (Cut into big pieces ),
2. Curd (not too sour) - 2 dessert spoons,
3. Coriander powder-2 spoons, Ginger paste and garlic paste) - 2 teaspoons each, Pepper powder- 1 teaspoon, Salt-to taste,
4. Oil -1/2 cup,
5. Soyabean sauce-2 dessert spoons.

Method

Grind ingredients (3) well, add to curd, apply well on the chicken pieces and marinate for two hours. Later keep to boil, till all the water evaporates. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, when it splutters add the pepper powder and fry well. Add the soyabean sauce and when done, add the boiled chicken and saute well. The masala must coat the pieces well.

Roopesh Nair

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Okra (Lady's Finger, വെണ്ടയ്ക്ക) Masala Fry and Curry

Okra  (Lady's Finger)  Masala Fry and Curry

Vendakka (Okra) masala, which can be made as a masala fry or as a curry by adding coconut milk.

Ingredients

to make masala fry

1/2 lb - Okra / Vendakka
5 big - Shallots, chopped
3 - Green chili, slit in center
4 big - Garlic flakes, crushed & minced
1/2 '' piece - Ginger, grated
1 medium - Tomato, chopped
1/2 tsp - Red chili powder
1/2 tsp - Turmeric powder
2 tsp - Coriander powder
1 sprigs - Curry leaves
Oil, preferably coconut oil

Method

1 ) Wash and dry okra. Trim off the top and bottom. Slit in center and cut to two parts and cut each part into two and set aside.

2 ) Heat oil in a pan, add okra in small batches and fry very lightly. Don't have to brown it. Take out of the oil and drain.

3 ) After okra is done, add curry leaves, shallot, green chili, garlic and ginger. Fry in oil for 2 minutes in simmer. Add tomato and fry for a minute.Then add red chili, turmeric and coriander powder. Fry the powders, then add fried okra, salt to taste and mix with the masala. Stir and cook okra in the masala for 2 minutes. Let the masala coat the okra well. Take off the stove and serve.

Serve as a side dish with rice or roti.

To make this masala fry into a curry:



Add 1 cup to 1.5 cup coconut milk and bring to a boil. Cook for minute and take off the stove. Coconut milk depends on how much of gravy you want.

Serve with steamed white rice.

Roopesh Nair

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Yogurt Chicken (Indian Style)

Yogurt Chicken (Indian Style)

An Indian-style chicken dish with yogurt and red pepper.
This fail-safe recipe yields a delicious Indian-style chicken dish. Serve it with rice and you have a meal. It makes wonderful leftovers-in fact, it tastes much better as leftovers.!

INGREDIENTS:

(Serves 4)
1 frying chicken
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 medium onions
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp cayenne (red pepper)
1 Tbsp coriander (or less to taste)
2 tsp masala seasoning (see note)
2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 cup clarified butter
2 tsp salt (or less to taste)

PREPARATION:
(1) First prepare the sauce: Slice or chop the onions. Using a large heavy frypan that has a lid, saute' the onions in the oil. When they are translucent and beginning to brown, add the garlic. When its moisture evaporates, add the cayenne, coriander, and masala seasoning. Add the yogurt. Lower heat and simmer 7 minutes, partly covered. Remove from heat.

(2) Cut the chicken into chunks. If you are feeling decadent, then remove the bones from the chicken to make this a boneless-chicken dish.

(3) Pure* the onion-and-spice mixture in your food processor or food mill. Don't make it into baby food, but make sure there are no stringy pieces of onion left in it.

(4) Over medium-high heat, heat the clarified butter until it starts to smoke, then dump in the cut-up chicken all at once. Stir continuously for 2 minutes, then saut* for 3 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

(5) Add the onion-and-spice pur* to the cooking chicken. Add salt. Stir the mixture until it starts to bubble, then lower heat, cover, and sim- mer for 30 minutes.

(6) Let cool until ready to serve. The longer you wait, the better it will taste.

(7) Cook some rice to go with it. Reheat over low heat, and serve.

NOTES Masala seasoning is an Indian "general-purpose" seasoning. Serious Indian cooks make their own, and no two are quite the same. The word masala means something like "blend of spices". Since this dish isn't trying to be authentically Indian, you can use most any store-bought mixture that you like, including "Tandoori" mixtures, ``curry powders'', etc. If you want to make your own, try some mixture of cardamom seeds, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, cumin, and coriander, suit- ably mixed and ground.
If you don't want to use clarified butter you can use any cooking oil, but the clarified butter is very Indian.

Roopesh Nair

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Filipino Beef Stew

Filipino Beef Stew
 

This well-known Filipino stew, called kaldereta, is made all over the archipelago, often with beef (especially in Manila) but usually with goat. It's characteristic of the hybrid Spanish-Filipino style of cooking, a result of more than 400 years of Spanish rule and trade. As with all Filipino dishes, serve this stew with rice.


Ingredients

3 lbs (1.5 kg) beef shank with bones, or beef brisket
1/2 tsp (2 mL) black pepper
5 tbsp (75 mL) olive oil
3 tbsp (45 mL) fish sauce
1 onion, quartered
1 inch (2.5 cm) piece gingerroot, smashed
8 whole cloves
3 bay leaves
2 inch (5 cm) piece cinnamon bark
2 oz (60 g) beef liver or 2 chicken livers
1 lb (500 g) potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup (125 mL) thinly sliced shallots
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup (60 mL) tomato paste
1 tsp (5 mL) paprika
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground cumin
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) cayenne pepper
1 tsp (5 mL) annatto powder or 1 tbsp/15 mL annatto seeds soaked in 3 tbsp/45 mL boiling water (optional)
3 carrots, cut into chunks (2 cups/500 mL)
1-1/2 red bell peppers, cut into chunks
2 hot banana peppers or mild green hot peppers or 2 cubanelle peppers, seeded and cut into chunks
1/2 cup (125 mL) pitted green olives

Preparation

Sprinkle beef with pepper. In skillet over high heat, in batches, brown beef in 2 tbsp/30 mL of the oil. Transfer beef to large saucepan; deglaze skillet by adding 1 cup/250 mL water to hot skillet and, with wooden spoon, scraping up brown bits. Pour liquid over beef.

Add 2 cups/500 mL water, fish sauce, onion, ginger, cloves, bay leaves and cinnamon; bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until almost tender, about 90 minutes.

While beef is simmering, poach liver in the same saucepan until no longer pink in centre. Remove liver from pan; let cool and chop. Set aside.

Cut potatoes lengthwise into wedges. In nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp/15 mL of the oil; fry wedges until golden brown all over. Set aside.

Drain and reserve liquid from saucepan; skim off fat and remove whole spices. Set aside 2 cups/ 500 mL of the liquid. Pour remaining liquid into blender and add liver; purée and set aside.

In Dutch oven, heat remaining 2 tbsp/30 mL of the oil over medium heat; add shallots and fry until light golden. Add garlic and fry until garlic is golden. Stir in tomato paste and fry, stirring, for 1 minute; stir in paprika, cumin, salt and cayenne.

Mix annatto powder with 1 tbsp/15 mL water until smooth (or strain water from annatto seeds); stir into Dutch oven. Stir in reserved beef cooking liquid, beef, carrots, bell and hot peppers, and potatoes; cover and simmer until meat and vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in olives; simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in liver mixture and simmer until thickened, about 1 minute.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Variation: Goat or Lamb Kaldereta

Replace beef with 3 lb/1.5 kg bone-in or 2 lb/1 kg boneless goat or lamb. Marinate meat in 2 tbsp/30 mL Filipino vinegar (coconut, nipa or cane) or rice or cider vinegar, and 3 cloves garlic (pressed or minced) for 30 minutes to 2 hours before browning. Proceed as above.
 

Roopesh Nair

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Red Wine Beef Stew

Red Wine Beef Stew

This traditional European-style stew is wonderful served over egg noodles, spaetzle (small German-Swiss dumplings) or potatoes.

Ingredients


4 oz (125 g) smoked bacon
2 lbs (1 kg) boneless stewing beef
1/2 tsp (2 mL) black pepper
3 carrots, cut into chunks (2 cups/500 mL)
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tbsp (30 mL) tomato paste
1 tsp (5 mL) granulated sugar
2 cups (500 mL) dry red wine
1 tsp (5 mL) (approx) salt
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
1 pkg (10 oz/300 g) pearl onions, peeled
8 oz (250 g) white mushrooms or cremini mushrooms, halved
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) arrowroot starch or cornstarch
1/4 cup (60 mL) parsley
Bouquet Garni:
1 inner stalk celery, with leaves
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh thyme
3 sprigs fresh sage
3 sprigs fresh parsley

Preparation


Bouquet Garni: With kitchen string, tie celery, bay leaf, thyme, sage and parsley into bundle. Place in Dutch oven.

In skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until lightly crisp; remove skillet from heat. With tongs, remove bacon; chop and add to Dutch oven.

Sprinkle beef with pepper. Return skillet with bacon fat to heat; increase heat to high and, in batches, brown beef. Transfer beef to Dutch oven; mix in carrots and garlic.

Reduce heat under skillet to medium-low; add tomato paste and sugar and fry, stirring, until slightly darkened. Pour in wine and 1 tsp/5 mL salt; bring to boil, stirring. Pour into Dutch oven; bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until beef is almost tender, about 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, in skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat; brown onions. With slotted spoon, transfer to bowl. Add mushrooms and pinch salt to skillet and saut until lightly browned; add to onions and set aside.

Remove bouquet garni from pot. Stir in onions and mushrooms; continue simmering, covered, until meat and vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Dissolve arrowroot starch in a little water; stir into stew and simmer for 1 minute. Stir in parsley.

Makes 8 servings.

Variation: Red Wine Beef Stew with Lardons


Replace bacon with 6 oz/175 g salt pork, cut into strips (lardons) about 2 inches/5 cm x 1/2 inch/1 cm x 1/2 inch/1 cm each. Blanch lardons in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and pat dry. Fry in skillet until at least 2 tbsp/30 mL fat is rendered and lardons are lightly browned. Add lardons to Dutch oven, leaving fat in skillet. Proceed as above.

 Roopesh Nair

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Peri-Peri Chicken

Easy Portuguese Peri-piri chicken recipe is perfect for the barbecue - and ready in 30 minutes. Ingredients   1 whole chicken (about 1kg/2lb 3oz), spatchcocked salt and freshly ground black pepper For the piri-piri sauce 6-12 fresh red chillies, depending on how hot you want it 1 tbsp garlic, blanched and chopped 1 tsp salt flakes ½ tsp oregano ½ tbsp paprika 100ml/3½fl oz olive oil 50ml/1¾fl oz red wine vinegar To serve Chips And Salad  Preparation method .To make the piri-piri sauce, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Place the chillies on a roasting tray and roast them for 10 minutes. .Cool and roughly chop the chillies. Place the chillies, garlic, salt, oregano, paprika, olive oil and vinegar in a saucepan, and simmer for 2-3 minutes. .Allow the mixture to cool, then blend it to a purée in a jug blender or food processor. Store in a lidded container at room temperature; it will keep for about a month. Shake before using. .Place the spatchcocked chicken in a sealable plastic bag. Add half the piri-piri sauce, spreading it evenly over the chicken. Seal and marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Technique: Spatchcocking chicken and poultry . .Preheat the oven to 200C/390F/Gas 6, and preheat a large griddle pan on the hob. Alternatively, light your barbecue. .Season the marinated chicken, and cook it on the griddle pan for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. .Transfer the grilled chicken to a roasting tray and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until cooked through. Alternatively, place the chicken on a medium heat barbecue, covered, for 10-15 minutes on both sides or until cooked through, basting regularly with the remaining piri-piri sauce.

.Serve with chips and salad.

ISMAIL CHOHAN

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Egg Pulav

Egg Pulav

Ingredients

Basmati rice - 2 cups
Eggs - 2 or 3
Ghee/ Butter/ Oil - 2 tblsp
Cilantro – for garnish
Onion - 1/4 (Sliced)
Green Chillies - 5 (Slitted)
Tomato -1 small size (chopped)
Ginger Garlic Paste - (1 1/2 spoon)
Whole garam masala - (1 bay leaf, 3 cloves, 2 inch cinnamon, 1 star anise)
Salt - to taste
Water - 3 cups

Method

1. Heat the ghee in a pan and splutter the whole garam masala.
2. Saute the onions with ginger garlic paste, tomato, green chilli's and salt.
3. Break the eggs and sauté it along with the above mixture.
4. Scramble the eggs until it is cooked and now add the water.
5. Once the water begins to boil add the soaked rice and let it cook on low flame. You can also cook the rice with water, the above sauteed mixture and required salt in a rice cooker.
5. Garnish with cilantro and serve with any curry. It is a very easy to make and its done in minutes.

Tips
- Soak the Rice when you put the kadai on the stove for sautéing your ingredients. So that Rice will not break while cooking .

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Roopesh Nair

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Cheese Cake

Cheese Cake
(Indian Style)

Chenna poda is a Oriya dish made with paneer (white cheese). Fresh paneer is mixed with sugar and kneaded into very soft dough. This paneer is then baked till its golden brown outside and thoroughly cooked inside. Here is a home version of the famous Orissa chenna poda made with small quantity of paneer.
Makes: Two 5 X 1 Paneer Cakes.

Ingredients
Home Made Paneer (white cheese) 2 Cups
Sooji 1 tbsp
Sugar 1 1/4 Cups
Cardamom 2
Salt a small pinch
Ghee 1/2 tsp

Method
Bruise the cardamom and remove the seeds.
Thoroughly grind the seeds into fine powder and keep aside.

In a mixing bowl, add fresh paneer and mash it thoroughly with help of a spatula.
Add sooji, sugar, salt and cardamom powder to the paneer and knead the mixture into very soft dough.
Divide the dough into two portions.

Take two of around 5 – 6 inch wide and inch height oven safe dishes or ramekins.
Grease the ramekins with little ghee.
Sprinkle quarter tsp of sugar on both the ramekins.
Put the ramekins in microwave for few seconds until the sugar melts and caramelizes a little.
Rotate the ramekin to let the caramelized sugar stick to the sides of the dish as well.
Take each portion of the paneer dough and place it in the ramekin.
Carefully press the paneer into the ramekin with help of fingers and level it.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Bake for half an hour and reduce the heat to 300 F and bake for 10 – 15 more minutes.

Test the cake by inserting a toothpick into the cake.
If the toothpick comes out clean, the cake is done.
Let the cake cool off inside the oven if necessary before removing.
Cool the cake to room temperature and turn the ramekin upside down to remove the paneer cake onto a plate.
Serve paneer cake immediately or you can refrigerate it for upto a week.
Notes: Use a pound cake tin or cake tin to bake a bigger cake, which takes more time to bake.

Suggestions: Taste the paneer mixture and adjust the sugar according to your preference. Make sure to test the cake very often during the last stage to prevent it from burning.
Variations: Also add cashews and raisins to the paneer before baking. A quarter tsp of baking powder can also be added for better results.
Other Names: Cheese Cake, Paneer Cake, Chenna Poda Peetha.

 

 Roopesh Nair

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SAMBAR

SAMBAR


The chief ingredients are dhal and vegetables such as, brinjal, drum-stick, bitter gourd (pavakkai), ladies finger etc. It is a favorite dish in South India.

Ingredients - Serves 10

1. Bitter gourd - 1/2

    Brinjal (egg plant) - 1no

    Drum Stick - 1no

    Ladies finger - 4nos

    Red chillies - 4nos (split into2)
2. Sambar dal (Red gram dal) - 1cup

    Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp

    Curry leaves - 1sprig

    Water - 3cup

3. Tamarind - size of a golf ball

    Water - 1cup

    Red chilli powder - 1tsp

    Salt - to taste Curry leaves - 1sprig
    Asafoetida powder - 1/4tsp

    Grated molasses - 1/4tsp

    Coconut oil - 2tbs

    White gram dal - 1/4tsp

    Fenugreek - 1/4tsp

    Dried chilli - 4nos

    Coconut oil - 1/2tsp
4. Dried coriander seeds - 2tbs
5. Coconut oil - 2tsp

   Mustard - 1tsp

   Dried chillies split into 2 - 2nos 6.

   Coriander leaves - few

Method of Preparation :

Clean the vegetables and slice into long pieces.

Wash the dal. Boil 3 cups of water and cook dal in it. Add turmeric powder and curry leaves into the dal. Keep it aside.

Fry the 4th ingredients in 1/2tsp coconut oil. Grind it to a smooth paste and keep aside.

Mash the tamarind in 1 cup water and strain. Boil the tamarind water with red chilli powder, salt, curry leaves, asafoetida and molasses. When it boils, add 2tbs of coconut oil. Add the vegetables except the ladies finger into it. Cook till done and add the prepared dal into it. Bring to a boil and add the ladies finger and the ground masalas. Remove from fire after boiling.
Season with mustard seeds and dried chillies. Sprinkle the Sambar with chopped coriander leaves.

Note : Various vegetables like potato, carrot, radish, tomato etc can also be added to the sambar.

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