Cranberry Ginger Pilaf

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Basmati Rice
• 1 cup fresh Cranberries
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger cut into julienne
• 3 green chillies slit and cut lengthwise
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground red chilli
• 1 tsp ground cumin-coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 6-7 peppercorns
• 1 -2 bay leaf
• 1-2 sticks of cinnamon
• 1 black cardamom(badi elaichi)
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 4 cups water

***You could adjust the quantity of ginger depending on your taste. Personally, I feel the flavors of cranberrries and ginger go very well together. Also you could tell, my love for ginger.

Preparation :

1. Wash and Soak 2 cups of rice in 4 cups of water. You will not need to add anymore water to make the pilaf. Just use this rice with the water. Keep this aside for around 15-20 minutes
2. Now heat some oil in a pan . Now once the oil has warmed up add Cumin seeds. When they splutter, add peppercorns, bay leaf, Cardamom and cinnamon sticks.
3. Add the freshly chopped ginger. Fry for about a minute.
4. Keep the heat on low flame and add the green chillies and the cranberries. The cranberries will begin to pop, so be careful. After about half a minute, add turmeric, salt, red chilli, cumin/coriander powder. Then add the rice with the water which we had kept aside earlier.
5. Let this cook uncovered on medium flame. Now when you see that most of the water has dried up (like 85-90%) set the stove to the lowest flame and cover the pan with a lid and cook for about 5 minutes
6. Its ready to serve. You could Serve this Cranberry Pilaf with Pineapple Raita.(The Tartness of the Cranberries could be reduced by the sweetness of the Pineapple Raita .)

Cornmeal Strawberry Pancake

Cornmeal Strawberry pancake

This is my kids favorite breakfast. Since its so easy to make, its become my favorite too. Also you could use any fruits in this recipe. Great way to make our kids eat fruits.

According to our good friend Wikipedia, A pancake is a thin, flat cake prepared from a batter and cooked on a hot griddle or frying pan. Read more about pancake here.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup yellow corn meal
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 1 egg , lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup diced strawberries
• 4-5 Sliced Strawberries for Garnishing
  

Preparation :

1. Combine all the dry ingredients(1st 5 ingredients) in a bowl.
2. Add the beaten egg and butter and mix well, followed by milk. Stir till smooth.
3. Gently fold in the diced strawberries.
4. Pour about 1/4 cup pancake batter onto a hot nonstick skillet. Soon when you see bubbles on the top and the edges look cooked, turn the pancake. Let it cook for about a minute or so until its cooked. (Since I have used cornmeal in this recipe. I let it cook a little more so its cooked properly).
5. Serve with Maple syrup and butter with Sliced Strawberries on the side.
6. This recipe makes 4-5 pancakes.

Indian Plum Cake - Kerala Plum Cake

Wish you all a happy New Year and happy blogging.

Plum Cake is our favorite cake and so thought it would be an appropriate 1st post of 2010. I don't think Plum cakes need any introduction anyways. Everybody I assume knows of this delectable delight. They are huge during Christmas and New year's Eve in India. We had such great bakeries back home and always bought it and had some friends who baked these sweet nutty delights. After coming to the US when you crave for these Indian Plum cakes I had to bake it at home and since then have fallen in love with the home baked soaked in rum cakes.

This time I have tried a new recipe from my friend Sangeetha's blog. She has a wonderful collection of recipes and her awesome presentation and step by step instructions make it so easy to follow her recipes. You could check out her recipe here. I have used the recipe as is, I did not want to mess it up. NoBody messes with the PLum cake.( I must admit though at times I'm tempted to tweak the recipe a bit). Another reason being, I had promised to get this great cake for the New year's eve party hosted by one our friends and so I baked this cake exactly as per Sangeetha's recipe which was a big hit. They all loved this plum cake and it was their first time they had tasted our Indian Plum cake.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup All purpose flour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 3/4 Butter at room temperature
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Tutti Frutti
• 1/4 cup Raisins
• 1/4 cup Cashew nuts (chopped)
• 1/4 cup Almonds and Walnuts (chopped)
• 1/4 cup Dates (chopped)
• 1 cup Rum/wine or enough to soak the fruit

To prepare the Caramel syrup:

• 1/2 cup Granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon water (to soak the sugar for the caramel)
• 1/2 cup Water ( to prepare the caramel syrup once the sugar has been caramalized)

To prepare the Spice Mixture :

• 1 tsp Caraway seeds
• 1/4 tsp Powdered Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Powdered Nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp powdered Ginger
• 1/4 tsp powdered Cloves
  

Preparation :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/180 degree C and prepare a 9 inch cake pan by greasing it or line with parchment paper.

2. This step you would do ahead of time ( 2 months to a week) before you bake this cake. Soak the dry fruits in rum/wine and keep it in a bottle at room temperature. Shake the jar once in a while. Now you guessed it right , the longer they are all allowed to soak, the more intense the flavor. (So let them get happy in there... after all they are getting ready to party for New year's eve.. ). See I was enjoying myself so much with the holidays I just had enough time to soak them in rum for a day.

3. Now we will prepare the Caramel Syrup. Heat a heavy bottomed vessel and add sugar with 1 tbsp of water on medium high heat. The sugar will begin to melt and soon you will see it changing its color as well. Its recommended to Not Stir, but you could swirl the vessel, once or twice. Turn off the heat once you get a darker golden brown color. Immediately, pour half a cup of water very carefully into the caramel and stir and mix well. Caution :(Be Very Careful, the liquid will splash when you pour the water into the hot caramel). Let the caramel cool before adding to the cake batter.

4. Sift the flour, baking powder and keep aside.

5. Now we'll Separate egg yolks from the whites. Whisk egg yolks with vanilla.

6. Cream butter and sugar till creamy and combined well.

7. Next add the egg yolk and vanilla mixture little at a time, alternating with a little (about 1 tablespoon) of the sieved flour and combine till smooth.

8. Now add 1/2 cup caramel syrup and spice mixture and beat thoroughly till well combined.

9. Next add the remaining flour, slowly and gently fold in with a wooden spoon.

10. Drain the soaked fruits and add them to the batter and mix well again.

11.Whisk egg whites till it forms peaks and gently fold into the cake batter till well combined.

12. Now pour this batter into the prepared cake pan, filling it till half the pan.

13. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted into the center of the caket comes out clean.

14. Remove from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes and invert them onto wire rack and let it cool completely.

Voila , Your cake is ready to Party...

Bunuelos - Mini Doughnuts

Bunuelos look like little miniature doughnuts and make excellent little munching snacks which could be served along with tea, coffee or hot chocolate . These are not that sweet but sweet enough. These resemble our old fashioned doughnuts. This recipe is from a book, " Mexican - healthy ways with a favorite cuisine" by Jane Milton. I had plans to make these for quite some time and with this holiday season I got a perfect opportunity to make these.

On this Sweet Note, Wishing Every one a happy, healthy and Prosperous New Year.

Ingredients :

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon ground anise
• oil for deep- frying
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• cinnamon sticks to decorate

Preparation :

1. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder and ground anise into a mixing bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the sugar. ( If you wish you could add 2 more tablespoons of sugar at this point).
2. Place the egg and milk in a bowl and whisk it well. Melt the butter.
3. Pour the egg and milk mixture gradually into the flour and stir constantly until well blended. Now add the melted butter. Mix well to make a soft dough.
4. Knead this dough for about 10 minutes until smooth.
5. Divide the dough into 10 pieces and roll into balls. Slightly flatten each ball with your hand. Then with a floured handle of a wooden spoon, make a hole in the center of the ball.
6. Heat the oil for deep -frying. Heat the oil , until a cube of dried bread when added to the oil, floats and then turns golden brown in 30-60 seconds. Fry the Bunuelos until they are puffy and golden brown, turning them once or twice during cooking. As soon as they are golden brown, lift them out of the oil using a slotted spoon and lie them on paper towels to drain off excess oil.
7. Mix the remaining sugar with the ground cinnamon in small bowl. Add the bunuelos, one at a time, while they are still warm, toss them in the mixture until they are lightly coated and serve immediatley . Decorate with cinnamon sticks.

Strawberry Orange and Pineapple Smoothie

What do Strawberries, Pineapple and Orange have in common. ?...

Well, they all taste great. What were you thinking. I know, you were thinking of the obvious..they are all loaded with vitamins(anti-oxidants) and minerals and fiber. That means they are really good for you too. So its a win-win situation. Also they are super easy to make and if you are pressed for time and need to snack on something real quick Smoothies is the way to go, atleast in my house.

I was reading a very interesting article. It marked December 29 as the day when people feel most guilty about giving into their indulgences over the last 12 months. Many felt that the day in the middle of the festive season i.e. four days after Christmas and three days before New Year was the ‘guiltiest’ time of the year. Read the entire article here.

So this gave me the idea for this guilt free indulgence(smoothie).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup diced Strawberries
• 1 Navel Orange peeled and diced
• 1 cup diced Pineapple
• 1 cup ice
• 1 tablespoon honey

*If you are using frozen Strawberries, then substitute ice for 1 cup of water or else smoothie will be too thick.

Preparation :

1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender.
2. Blend until smooth.
3. Serve immediately. This recipe makes 2 to 3 servings.

Pineapple Stir-fried Rice

After all the festivities and indulging in all the holiday cookies and sugary delights, we all look for healthier recipes and try to include more fruits and vegetables. This is that kind of recipe which will make you feel good about making it for yourself and your loved ones. Its a Thai Recipe. This rice dish goes really well with the Garlic shrimp recipe I posted earlier. It could also go well with Stir-fried vegetables. Its quick and easy to make. There are lot of variations in making this Fried Rice. You could even add chopped Chinese sausage, cooked chicken or cooked shrimp to it. I have just used Pineapple and eggs for this recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cooked rice
• 2 cups diced pineapple
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 cup red onion/5 shallots thinly sliced
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted cashews
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 green onions,thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 small fresh red chillies, seeded and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp oil
• salt to taste (optional)

*** Fish sauce is recommended for this recipe, I have not used it though as we still have'nt acquired the taste for it yet , so its upto your discretion you could use it or leave it. Also salt is added when rice is cooked , thats the reason its optional.

Preparation :
1) Heat oil in a wok or a skillet and keep it on medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds, or until light golden.
2) Add eggs and stir fry for 30 seconds.
3) Add rice, pineapple and soy sauce and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until rice has separated and all the ingredients are mixed well.
4) Garnish with green onions, cilantro, cashews and sliced chilles.

Star Shortbread Cookies

Shortbread Cookies are traditional Christmas cookies. The simplicity of the recipe appeals to me. Few ingredients and easy to make. Also they are so soft they could just melt in your mouth. So that gives me a good reason to bake them around Christmas. But these cookies you could eat any time of the year, especially in our house. Since I make Heart Shortbread cookies for Valentine's day. I make Star Shortbread cookies for Christmas. But when it comes to these cookies you could just be limited by your imagination.

On this sweet note , Wishing Everyone Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

Ingredients :

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

** Adding cornstarch to this recipe makes these cookies more tender and melt in your mouth soft. Also I did take the liberty of checking out the reason why. Here it goes- Adding cornstarch lowers the gluten content of the dough and this makes these cookies a little more soft.

Preparation :

1. PreHeat the Oven to 325 degress F.
2. Line the baking sheets with Parchment paper.
3. Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt into a bowl and keep aside.
4. Now in a large bowl, beat the butter, powdered sugar and Vanilla until creamy and smooth for a minute. ( I do it by hand but you could use an electric mixer on medium speed).
5. Now slowly add the flour mixture to the butter-sugar mixture. Keep mixing till the flour mixture is well incorporated and it forms large clumps. Knead it into a dough.
6. Flatten the dough into a disk shape. Depending upon the counter space you have t0 roll the dough, feel free to divide the dough into 2 or 4 disk shapes.
7. Lightly flour the rolling surface and rolling pin. Roll the disk to a 1/4 inch thickness. Using a star shaped cookie cutter ,cut out the stars.
8. Carefully transfer them to the prepared baking sheets and space them about 1 inch apart
9. Bake them for about 18 - 20 minutes or until the cookies are lightly brown .
10. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then carefully transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. This recipe makes about 30 shortbread cookies. You could store them at room temperature in a tightly covered container for up to 4 days. They could also be frozen and they are good for several months.