Tiramisu

A classic Italian dessert.

Ingrdients:
Mascarpone cheese(or Cream cheese)- 1 cup (250g)
Heavy whipped creme - 1 cup
Expresso or any other coffee - 1/2 cup
Any liquor (preferably a coffee based liquer like Kahlua or marsala wine) - 3 tbsps
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Cocoa powder/Chocolate powder- 1/2 cup
Chocolate bar -1
Sponge cake / lady finger cookies - 1 packet

Method:
1. Make strong dark coffee and let it cool.
2. Add 2 tbsp of the liquor to this.Keep aside
3. Blend thoroughly cheese and sugar on a bowl.
4. Fold in with the whipped creme.
5. If using the sponge cake, make 2 or 3 layers of it by cutting it horizontally
6. Take a flat dish and pour the coffee liquor mix.
7. Dip the lady finger/sponge into the cofee mix , dont make it too wet so that it can break
8. Plate the cake/cookies in a dessert bowl.
9. Add a layer of of cheese mix and spread it.
10. sprinkle a layer of cocoa powder
11. repeat the steps 7,8,9,10 for all the layers.
12. Refrigerate it at least for 2 hours.
13. Serve it adding some more cocoa powder and a layer of grated chocolate and on top.

Reshmi Kabab

Ingredients:
* 1 kg boneless chicken cut into 2" cubes
* 2 tbsp garlic paste
* 1 tbsp ginger paste
* 1 cup fresh coriander leaves
* 2 large onions chopped
* 1/2 cup fresh yogurt
* 1/2 cup almonds
* Juice of 1 lemon
* Salt to taste
* Butter or cooking oil

Method:

1. Soak the almonds in hot water for 10 minutes and remove the skin.
2. Mix the almonds, coriander leaves, onion, ginger and garlic pastes and grind in the food processor to form a smooth paste. Add salt to taste, the lemon juice and mix well.
3.Pour this paste and the yogurt over the chicken and mix well to coat all the pieces. Cover and keep to marinate in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
4.Put the marinated chicken pieces on skewers and grill. Lightly brush with oil to keep from sticking.
5.When the chicken is cooked, remove from the skewers and serve with Mint-Coriander Chutney and thinly sliced onions

Chicken Cutlet

Ingredients:

Ground chicken – ½ kg
Onions – 2 chopped
Potatoes – 3 big
Green chillies – 5 chopped
Ginger– 2 tbsp chopped
Garlic – 2 tbsp chopped
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Black pepper – ½ tsp
Bread crumbs – 2 cups
Egg(beaten) – 1 no
Lemon Juice -1/2 lemon
Oil - for frying

Method:

1)Mix the chicken with turmeric powder, salt, pepper and little bit of ginger-garlic paste and half cup of water and cook.
2)Boil potatoes and mash.
3)Heat oil in a pan.
4)Splutter mustard seeds and sauté onions, until light brown.
5)Add curry leaves, coriander leaves, green chillies, ginger and garlic.
6)Add the mashed potatoes and the cooked chicken. Keep it on low flame, until the entire water is absorbed.
7)Allow the mixture to cool thoroughly.
8) Add lemon juice
9)Take a handful of this mixture and make small patties out of it.
10)Dip it in the beaten egg and then roll in the breadcrumbs.
11)Shallow fry it in oil, till both the sides turn golden brown.

Green Bean Casserole

A perfect side dish for a thanksgiving dinner.

1 can  Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tbsp butter
1 teaspoon soy sauce
ground black pepper
4 cups cut green beans
chicken broth-2 cups
1/2 medium onion
1 1/3 cups  French Fried Onions--(recipe below)

• cook greean beans in chicken broth for 10 mins
• saute onions in butter
• Stir soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, beans and sauted onions and half of FF onions in a  casserole.
• Bake at 350°F. for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling.  Stir the bean mixture.  Sprinkle with the remaining onions.
• Bake for 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

French Fried Onions

Ingredients 

1 large onions sliced into thin rings

  3/4t cups milk

3/4 cups all purpose flour

oil (for frying) 

salt

Directions 

Soak the onions in the milk for 5 minutes.

 Heat the oil in a large skillet or deep fryer. 

Take a handful of onions and run them through the flour with a fork to coat

 Fry in batches in the oil, stirring as needed to brown evenly. 

Drain on paper towels and season to taste.

 

Thanks Giving Turkey

Turkey 12- 14 pounds

Marinade:

 1/2 Cups chicken broth
 1/2 Cup lemon juice
 3/4 Cups soy sauce
 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
 1 1/2 Cups water
 1 tsp Pepper
 Salt to taste

Basting:
 Butter 1 tbsp
 garlic paste- 1/2 tsp
 soya sauce 1/2 tbsp
 salt
 lemon juice-1/2 lemon
 herbs- dry rosmary, thyme and basil [optional]

Stuffing:

 1 ½ onions, chopped into quarters
 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
 2 garlic bulbs, cut in halves
 1 lemon, cut into quarters
 A few celery tops
 some rosemary
 some thyme
 40 ml olive oil
 salt and pepper.  

1.Mix the ingredients of the marinade, put it in a resealable bag, place the thoroughly washed turkey in the bag and keep in fridge overnight turning the sides several times.
2. Take out of refrigerator one hour prior to roasting, discard the marinade.

3. Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F

4. Prepare the Stuffing
American:     
Add to a bowl the onions, garlic, carrots, lemon, rosemary, rock salt, thyme, celery tops, and a little olive oil. Mix them all together by hand and set aside.
Indian:

Stuffing the turkey with Biriyani!!!
Cook the basumathi rice with 1:1.5 rice water ratio. Mix  yougurt, cilantro,mint leaves and biriyani masala.Mix rice with the masala. 
5.Prepare the basting mixture-mix the ingredients for basting 

6. Fill the bird
Place the stuffing  into the main cavity of the turkey, stuffing it lightly. 

7. Tie the bird
Start with a 1 metre piece of string.
Place it around the turkey's neck and wings. Cross the legs together .Wrap one side of the string around the legs and then wrap the other side. Pull them together and tie a knot. 
8. Prepare for oven
Place the bird on the rack. Pour some olive oil over its skin and rub it in well, covering the entire surface. Season well with salt and pepper. Turn the bird onto its side and season again. Repeat until the whole bird is coated and leave it on the rack, breast-side down.

9. Roast
Allow for 10-15 minutes for each pound. After 30 minutes, lower the temperature to 180°C/360F and cook for about 1.5 to 2 hours more.Apply the basting mix in ever half an hour.
10. Check the turkey
At this time, test your turkey with a meat thermometer. Place it into the thigh first and then into the breast. The temperature should exceed 80 C /175 °F for the thigh and at least 75 C/165°F in the breast. Once these temperatures are reached, remove the turkey and turn it breast-side up so it will brown. Increase the oven to 220°C /430 F and let it cook for 10 minutes more. At this time, remove the turkey from the oven, cut the string, and let it rest for 20-30 minutes
Don't forget to save the drippings for the gravy from the oven tray!

11.Carve and Serve

Newyork Style Cheese Cake

For Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2  tablespoons ground cinnamon(optional)
 
For Filling:

2 (8 ounce) packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour creme
2 eggs at room temperature, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla

For Topping:
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 325 0F.
2.Mix incredients for crust.
3.Line the baking pan with foil with ends of foil extending over sides of pan and press the crust mix to firmly to the botton of the pan..
4. Bake for 10 mins,set aside to cool.
5.Reduce oven temp to 300 0F.
6.Blend creme cheese,sugar and vanilla essence to a smooth paste.Add sour creme and blend
7.Add eggs one by one and blend.
9.Pour the mixture to the crust.
 10.Bake for 45 minuts.
11.Mix topping mixture.
12.Add to the cake and bake for 10-15 minuts.
13.Let it cool on counter,after that refrigerate for 3 hors or overnight.

Unniyappam

Rice Powder(Ari podi) - 2 cups
Allpurpose flour(Maida) - 1/2 cup
Jaggery(Sharkkara) - 1 cup
mashed banana - 1 cup
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Rosted sseasme seeds-1/2 tsp
Roasted coconut pieces- 2 tsp
cardamom - 2-3(powder)
Salt -1/3 tsp
baking powder -1 pinch (optional)


1)Heat 1 cup of water.

2)Add jaggery and melt it.

3)In another bowl, mix together rice powder and maida and baking powder.

4)Add the melted jaggery to the mix.

5) When the batter cools, add banana.

6) Add more water if needed and make it a idli batter consistancy.

6)Add  sesame seeds and coconut  and cardamom powder to it.

7)Keep this batter for 3-4 hrs.

8)Take the `unni appam kara` and add oil to 3/4th of each hole.

9)When it boils, pour the mix.

10)Turn each sides and remove the unniappams from the holes, when they are golden brown.

Chilli Chicken

Chilli Chicken, the taste you get in kerala fast food shops....

Chicken - 1 lb(bite size pieces)
Onion - 1 Big
Capsicum -1 small
Ginger -1 tbsp finely chopped
Garlic  - 2 tbsp finely chopped
Scallions/Green Onion-few stems
Green Chillies - 2 - 4 nos
Red coloring - 1 drops (optional)
Soy Sauce- 1 tbsp
Tomato Ketchup/Tomato Sauce- 2 tbsp
Oil - 2 - 3 tbsp

For the marinade:-
Red chilly powder - ½ tbsp or as reqd
White vinegar - 2 tbsp
Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Black pepper - 1 tsp
Salt - As reqd


1.Marinate chicken in the above mentioned marinade for about 30 mins.
2. Cook the marianated chicken without adding water.Keep aside
3. Heat oil in a skillet and add chopped ginger and garlic when the oil is hot.Saute for 1 minute,untill the raw smell goes away.
4.Cut onion into 1 inch sided cubes.(Dont chop)
5.Saute onions and chopped green chillies in a  for about 2 mins. Untill the onion is of  light pink color, but still crispy.
6.Add cubed capsicum and  chopped scallions,  and saute for another 2-3minutes.
7.Add ketchup and soy sauce and saute for a minute.Add the color if you wish to.
8.Add the cooked chicken to keep simmer for 5 more minutes, untill the sauses cover the cooked chicken well.
9.Garnish with some scallions.

** Alternate method is that instead of simply cooking the chicken you may fry it. Add 1 egg,1 tbsp of all purpose flour and 1 tbsp of  corn flour along with the above mensioned marinade, if you are frying it.

** If you want gravy, add 2 tbsp of corn flour  to 1/2 cup of water and add  after step 7.

Palappam/Vellayappam

Rice Flour (slightly fried) - 3 cups
Cooked long grain rice (Choru) - 2-3 tbsp
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Water - As reqd
Salt -1 tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Yeast - 1 tsp
Luke warm water - As reqd to dissolve yeast
Milk - 1/4 cup

1) Take 2-3 tbsp of flour and boil it adding water to make it soup like batter, by stirring continuously.

2)Mix coconut milk and cooked rice in a blender.

3) Add 1 and 2 to rice flour and mix it adding enough water.

1)Dissolve yeast in a little lukewarm water and add sugar. Mix well.

2)Add this to 3 and stir it well.

3)Place this in a warm place overnight for fermentation.

4)Add salt and milk and mix well.

4)Make appams on an appakara.Serve hot.

Thandoori Chicken

8 number chicken legs
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp garam masala pdr
1 piece Ginger garlic paste
1 tsp kastoori methi (dry fenu greek leaves
1 tbsp Lemon Juice 2 tbsp oil
1 tsp pepper pdr
1 tsp Red Chili Powder
1 tsp red color
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp turmeric
Yogurt 4 tbsp

1.Clean and Cut 2 or 3 long slits on each piece. Apply salt ,chilli pdr and lime juice all over the chicken and keep aside for 15 minutes.
2. make marination with coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilies, kastoorimethi ,turmeric garam masala pdr red color to a smooth paste. Add 1/2 tsp salt to the paste and mix well with yogurt.(1 tsp yourt for 2 legs)
3. apply it all over the chicken, making sure to apply well between all the slits and inside. Keep it refrigerated for atleast 4 hr.
4. Preheat your oven to 425 degree Fahrenheit. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes till the chicken is tender. Broil both side 3-5 mins after that.
5. Remove from oven and serve hot, garnished with sliced onions and lime wedges.