Honey Walnut cookies

Baking can be therapeutic. I truly believe it. And you can seldom go wrong with cookies. Today I was in a mood for some really nice and chewy cookies and hence the traditional old fashioned Honey walnut cookies.

I am a weight watcher and careful about what I eat. This makes me constantly look for  treats are a slightly low in calories. These cookies do not contain butter and eggs. Though you cannot totally avoid sugar since it will not give you the desired result.

Since honey adds moisture, the cookies will tend to be soft and chewy after baking. The walnuts add a wonderful fragrance. In combination with honey, it is indeed a treat.

And what more...with just a few ingredients and a few minutes you will be ready with a batch of cookies.

Ingredients :- 

All purpose floor ( Maida ) :- 1 Cup
Demera Sugar :- 1/4 Cup
Honey :- 1/3 Cup
Baking Powder :- 1 tsp
Baking Soda :- 1/2 tsp
Salt :- a Pinch
Pure Vanila Extract:- 1 tsp
Vegetable Oil :- 1/4 Cup
Walnuts :- 1/3 cup, Roasted and Chopped

Baking Method :- 

1. In a mixing bowl add the flour, baking Soda, baking powder, salt and sugar. Whisk thoroughly such that all the ingredients are well mixed.
2. In a separate bowl whisk together the oil, honey and vanilla essence.
3.  Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and whisk. 
4. Add the walnuts and mix well so that the nuts are well distributed. 
5. Make small round balls, flatten slightly and place them on a baking tray lined with butter paper.
6. Preheat the oven to 180C and bake the cookies for about 12 minutes.

Prawn Gassi

Gassi's are traditional Mangalorean dish.Though a part of Karnataka, Mangalore boasts of distinct and diverse cuisine which is quite different from the other regions of Karnataka. Though I have lived in Bangalore all my life, I had very limited exposure to mangalorean cuisine. It is thanks to my number of colleagues  from Mangalore in the recent few years that I was exposed to some of the traditional dishes.

I have mostly tried the non vegetarian dishes and I love the spicy, flavorful outcome. The curry leaves and the coconut milk leaves  a lovely aroma that is sure to tingle your senses.


Cooking Method :-

You Need :- 

 

Prawns :- 1/2 Kg. De-shelled and deveined
Mustard :- 1 tsp
Curry Leaves :- 1 sprig
Cumin Seeds :- 1/2 tsp.
Tamarind Paste :- 1 Tbsp.
Onion :- 2, 1 Sliced and 1 Chopped
Turmeric Pd :- 1 tsp
Pepper :- 8 - 10 No.'s
Coriander Seeds :- 2 Tb sp
Dried Red Chillis :- 5 No's
Dried Kashmiri Chilli ( Byadige ) :- 5 No's
Garlic :- 10 -12 Pods.
Ginger :- 1" Piece.Diced
Green chillis :- 2 No's
Coconut :- 1/2 No.Grated
Salt to taste

Method of Preparation :-

1. Marinate the prawns with salt, turmeric pd and lime juice and keep aside for about 1/2 hour.
2. Keep a pan and dry roast red chillis ( both varieties ) , coriander and cumin seeds and pepper.
3.  Transfer the roasted items to the mixie and add the grated coconut, sliced onion and garlic. Blend with a little bit of water.
4.  Heat a spoon of oil in a wok and add the curry leaves and the mustard seeds.
5. Add the diced onions and fry well. 
6. Once the onions are translucent, add the ginger and the green chillies.Saute
7. Add the ground paste and the tamarind paste. Fry well till the oil separates.
8. Add a cup of warm water to form the gravy.The gravy should be of thick consistency.
9. Add the prawns and let it simmer for a few minutes for the prawns to cook.

Tit Bits   

• This dish goes well with Rice or the traditional Neer Dosa.

• Prawns tend to become stiff if over cooked

Spicy South Indian Chicken Curry

Kerala cuisines are a great favorite with my husband. So when ever we have non south Indian guests, he insists that I make some keralite cuisine.His argument is to feed them sometime different. 

Over the years a lot of people have told me about the number of similarities that exits between the Mallu's and the Bong's. The love for fish and food ball, leftist government, wavy hair etc etc. This comparability does not extend to the cuisines for sure. I love swinging between both the worlds...

Here goes a simple Kerala Chicken Curry. This various is without the coconut milk -

You Need :- 

Chicken :- 1 Kg

Curry Leaves :- 1 sprig

Onions :- 2 Large 

Ginger :- 1.5 inch

Garlic :- 20 cloves

Flannel Seeds :- 1 tsp. 

Cardamom :- 4 No's

Cloves :- 4 No's

Cinnamon :- 1 inch

Regular Red chilli Pd :- 1.5 tsp

Kashmiri Red Chilli Pd :- 2 tsp

Coriander Pd :- 1 tsp heaped.

Turmeric Pd :- 1/2 spoon

Pepper Pd :- 2 tsp

Garam Masala :- 1tsp

Tomatos :- 2 No's

Whole Chilli :- 2 No.

Mustard Seeds:- 1 tsp

Tamarind Pulp :- 1 Tb sp

Salt :- As per taste

 

Preparation Method :-

1. Marinade the chicken with Salt, both variety of Chilli Pd, Coriander powder, Flannel Pd ( Dry Roast the flannel seeds and powder), Garam Masala. Keep it aside for 2 hours.

2. In a kadai, add 2 tb sp of oil and heat. Add curry leaves, Red Chillies, Mustard seeds, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.

3. Fry for a few minutes and add finely chopped onions. Fry till the onions are translucent.

3. Add grated ginger and garlic. Fry well.

4. Add the diced tomatoes and pepper powder. Fry till the tomatoes are mushy.

5. At this stage add the marinated chicken and mix it well with the masala. Do not add any water.

6. Add the tamarind paste/pulp.

6. Continue stirring. Check on the salt. If needed add more salt. The chicken will release some water as it cooks.

7. Cover and cook till the chicken is done.

Titbits

1. You can cook it in the pressure cooker if you want to reduce gas consumption. But it is tastier cooked in the kadai.

2. Can be served with Rice, Chappatis, Appam.

3. I prefer it dry. You can add a cup of warm water while cooking the chicken, if you like more gravy.

Chettinad Fish Curry

I simply love fish. Any type.. any size. It's in my DNA. I happen to find really fresh white Pomfrets this weekend and I simply couldn't resist buying them.

Fish has been an integral part of my growing up years. Mom ran a typical Bengali Kitchen where no meal is complete without some form of fish dish.

I have of course expanded my horizon and cook all kinds of fish curry with no regional bias. I like spicy food and Chettinad cuisine has a special place in my heart...

You need :-

1. Fish ( Pomfret ) :- 1/2 Kg
2. Onion :- 2 Medium sized
3. Tomato :- 2 No.
4. Curry Leaves:- 1 twig
5. Green Chillis :- 2 no. slit.
6. Garlic :- 8 pods. finely chopped.
7. Mustard seeds :- 1 tsp
8. Red chilli Pd :- 1 tsp
9. Turmeric Pd :- 1/2 tsp
10. Tamarind paste :- 1 Tb Sp
11. Cooking oil :- 4 tb sp
12. Salt :- as per taste

 For Grinding:- 

 

1. Coriander seeds :- 2 tsp

2. Cumin seeds :- 1 Tsp

3. Fennel Seeds :- 1 Tsp

4. Pepper :- 10 No.s

5. Fenugreek Seeds :- 1/2 Tsp

6. 2 Dried Kashmiri Chillies :- 3 No.s

Preparation Method :-

• Clean the fish. Wash thoroughly. Add salt and turmeric powder and marinate it for about 1 minutes.
• Chop the tomatoes, Onions and Garlic and keep it aside.
• Dry Roast the masalas for grinding and then powder them.
• Heat Oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot add the fenugreek seeds followed by mustard seed.
• Add Curry leaves and onions. Fry till the onion turns light brown in color.
• Add garlic, followed by the ground masala powder . Fry for a few minutes.
• Add the chopped tomato and tamarind paste and cook till the tomatoes become mushy.
• Add a cup of hot water to make some gravy. Add salt.
• Once the gravy is boiling, add the fish, cover the vessel and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or till the fish is cooked.

Tit Bits :-

1. This gravy can be cooked with fish of your choice. I have used White Pomfret.
2. My gravy was medium spicy. Add more red chilli if you want it more spicy.
3. This dish is best eaten with rice but can be a good accompaniment for idli, Dosa or appam.