Vanilla Pound Cake

Ingredients for the cake

Maida-2 cups

Baking powder-1tsp

Salt-1/4tsp

Grated nutmeg-1/8tsp

Butter-1 cup

Sugar-1 & 1/4 cup

Eggs-4

Vanilla essence-5tsp

Method

Pre heat the oven to 325 deg.C.Mix all the dry ingredients together & keep it aside.Cream butter,sugar & essence till fluffy.Slowly add eggs one by one & beat it well.Add the dry ingredients & fold it.Pour it in a greased baking tin & bake it for at least 45 minutes or till done.Cool it completely & cut.

Couscous Puliyohara/Puliyodharai

Ingredients
Cooked couscous with salt-1 cup

Ready made or home made puliyohara mix-required quantity

(I used home made)

Tempering(optional)

Oil,Mustard,red chillies,cashew nut,curry leaves

Method

Put the couscous in a bowl,add the required amount of the puliyohara mix/paste & mix it well.Temper & pour it on top,mix & serve.

Fig & Carrot Halwa

Ingredients

Dried big figs-7

(soaked in water till soft)

Big carrot-1

Milk-1/2 cup

Sugar-3tsp

Ghee-2 tbsp

Cardamom powder-1tsp

Fried almonds in ghee-2tsp

Method

Grind figs,carrot & milk to a smooth puree.Heat ghee in a non stick pan & fry the puree till raw smell disappears.Add cardamom powder & sugar ,fry till it is thick & leaves the sides of the pan.Garnish it with nuts & serve warm.

Award

Once again Thanks sangeetha for the lovely award,Friends pl. accept this from me..........A great New Year gift to one & all.

Easy Cheese Cake

My friend's hubby made this tasty cheese cake when he had called us for lunch......Excellent wanted to share it ....

Ingredients
8 ounce cream cheese (room temperature)-2
8 ounce sour cream -1
Sugar-1/2 cup
Lime juice-1tsp
1 large or 2 small pie crusts (graham cracker)
Eggs-2
Method
Blend all above ingredients together with out any lumps.Pour it in the pie crust & bake it at 350deg.C for 30 minutes & then reduce it to 275 deg C for again 30 minutes or till its cooked(Oven temperature may vary).Cool & keep in fridge & serve it cold with any filling.
Courtesy:cooks.com with a slight change

Baked Lotus Stem Chips

Ingredients

Lotus stem-1

(skin scraped out well & cut into thin slices)

Salt & pepper to taste

Melted butter-2 tsp

Method

Arrange the lotus stem slices on a baking tray lined with a foil.Bake it at 375 deg.C till crisp & brown on both sides.Keep checking periodically otherwise will get burnt fast.Mix butter & seasoning in a bowl,put all the baked chips & toss it well.Serve it as a snack.

Groundnut Kuzhambu / Verkadalai Kuzhambu / Peanuts Gravy Recipe / Ver Kadalai Kulambu Recipe / Nilakadalai Kulambu Recipe

Ingredients ground to a smooth paste

Ginger & Garlic paste-1/2 tsp

Tomato-1

Grated coconut roasted till brown-3tsp

Tempering

Oil-3tsp

Mustard-1/2tsp,Cloves-1,Cinnamon-1/4'',Jeera/cumin-1/2tsp

Other ingredients

Raw Groundnuts/Peanuts/Verkadalai/Nilakadalai-1/2 cup

(soaked overnight)

Chopped onion-1/4

Curry leaves-little

Turmeric powder-1/4tsp

Chilly powder-1tsp

Coriander powder-1/2tsp

Tamarind paste-3tsp

(diluted in water)

Method

Heat oil in a pressure cooker temper it.Add onion & curry leaves fry till light brown.Add the dry masala powders & the ground paste.Fry till raw smell disappears& masala leaves the sides of the pan Pour the tamarind paste & soaked ground nuts,give a stir & pressure cook till done.Garnish with curry leaves & serve it with rice,idli or dosa.

Thanks for visiting !

Couscous Dum Biriyani

Ingredients
Couscous cooked with little salt-2 cups

Salt to taste

Lime-1/2

Cubed tofu-1/2 cup

Sliced mushroom-10

Tomato chopped-1

Onion sliced-1/4

Sliced green chillies-1

Chilly powder-1/4tsp

Turmeric powder-little

Curd-3tsp

Mint-1/4 cup

Coriander leaves-little

Ginger & garlic paste-1/4tsp

Garam or Biriyani masala-1/8tsp(optional)

Tempering

Oil-2tsp,Ghee-1tsp

Cloves-1,Cinnamon-a small bit,Cardamom-2,Jeera-1/4tsp,Shajeera-1/4tsp,Bay leaf-1

Garnishing

Fried onion,raisin,cashew nut,almonds-little & Chopped coriander leaves.

Method

Heat oil & ghee in a pan temper it.Fry the onions,mint,coriander leaves,ginger & garlic paste & green chillies till light brown. Add other ingredients one by one & fry till all the masalas are well cooked.Put the masala at the bottom of a heavy vessel & spread the cooked couscous on top of it.Add the fried onion,raisin,cashew nut,almonds,chopped coriander leaves & lime juice on top.Keep it in low flame covered with a tight lid for 10 minutes,till all the aroma gets into the couscous & gravy is a bit dry.You can also keep it in oven for 10 minutes at 200 deg.C.Before serving just mix it once or twice & serve it hot with raita.

Note:You can make this dish even with chicken,shrimp or mutton.
To learn more about couscous read here....

Oats & Lentils Kozhukattai

Ingredients ground coarse

Soaked American lentils-1 cup

Salt to taste

Red chillies-4

Other ingredients

Quick oats-1 & 3/4 cup

(dry roast it slightly)

Tempering

Oil-2tsp

Mustard-1/2tsp,Urad dhal-1/2tsp,Channa dhal-1tsp

Chopped onion-1tbsp

Chopped green chillies-1

Grated ginger-1/2 tsp

Curry leaves-little

Hing-1/4tsp

Method

Heat oil in a pan temper it.Fry the onion,green chillies,ginger & curry leaves till light brown.Switch off the gas ,now add the oats & ground paste.Sprinkle very little water & make balls.Grease idly plates & steam it till cooked.Serve it hot with any chutney.

Note:Instead of making balls you can also just crumble & steam it & serve it like uppuma.For extra taste you can also add grated coconut.You can use any other lentils of your choice.

Couscous Vegetable Uppuma

Ingredients
Couscous-1 cup

Mixed Vegetable-1 cup

Salt to taste

Chopped onion-1/2

Slit green chillies-3

Chopped tomato-1

Curry leaves-little

Grated ginger-1/2 tsp

Boiling water-2 & 1/2 cup

Tempering

Oil-3tsp

Mustard-1/2tsp,Urad dhal-1tsp,Channa dhal-1tsp,Jeera-1/4tsp

Method

Heat oil in a pan temper it.Add onion,green chillies ,curry leaves,tomato,ginger & vegetables.Fry it till light brown.Add couscous & salt fry for 2 minutes.Pour water cover & cook it in medium flame till done.Garnish it with curry & coriander leaves.

Learn more about couscous here.....