16 novembre 2009
Arikadukka /Stuffed Mussels - Malabar Special
Arikadukka
Ingredients
1 cup dessicated coconut / freshly grated coconut
5 shallots ( chopped)
2 tsp fennel seeds
1 green chilli
A piece of ginger
Curry leaves
***
20 fresh mussels (medium size)
3 cups rice powder
Salt to taste
1 1/2 cup warm water
For frying
1 tsp chilli powder
1/s tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Method
Coarsely grind first six ingredients in a mini food processor.
Dilute salt in water & add to the rice powder..
Then add blended mixture & mix with a wooden spatule .
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth & keep aside for an hour.
Preparing Mussels
Shells must be scrubbed in water with a stiff brush to remove any barnacles & sand.
With a knife open the shell, cut off the beard & wash.
Take a prepared dough ball & stuff the mussels.
Repeat the process with all the mussels.
Steam cook the stuffed mussels for 20-25 mn.
Keep aside to cool.
Scoop out the mussels out of their shells.
Make a spicy mixture using chilli powder,turmeric powder & salt.
Dip each stuffed mussel in this spicy mixture & fry.
Serve this spicy snack for tea or as a starter.
Arikadukka is the speciality of the Malabar Region ( Côte du Malabar).
I'll never return from my homeland without having this favourite snack :)
11 novembre 2009
Doi Maach /Bengali Fish Curry
Bengali Fish Curry 
Ingredients
500 g salmon or any other fish
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
***
A bay leaf
3 Shallots (chopped)
2 cloves of garlic
A small piece of ginger
Coriander leaves
1/2 cup curd (whipped)
Salt to taste
Bengali Masala
2 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves
2 green cardomoms
1/2 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Method
Dry roast all the masala ingredients & then grind to fine powder.
Marinate fish with chili -tumeric & salt & keep aside for one hour.
Shallow fry & keep them aside
Heat oil & fry bay leaf.
Add chopped onions & fry till light golden brown.
Add garlic-ginger paste & fry again.
Then add the bengali masala mix .
Stir in water.Cover & cook for 5 min.
Then add fried fish pieces. Simmer & cook for another 5mn.
Remove from fire & add whipped curd.
Keep on medium heat to avoid curdling.
Garnish with coriander leaves (discard the bay leaf)
06 novembre 2009
Colombo Chicken Curry / Colombo de Poulet
Colombo Chicken Curry
Ingredients
1 kg chicken
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 onions finely sliced
1scotch bonnet pepper (asura parangi)
1 tsp ginger + garlic paste
3 potatoes (cubed)
1 courgette (cubed)
2 bay leaves
2 dried springs of thyme
Colombo Masala
2 cloves
1 tsp malabar black peppercorns
1 tsp musturd seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp coriander seeds
Method
Dry roast all the masala ingredients & then grind to fine powder.
Dunk chicken pieces in flour & fry till light golden brown.
Warm the oil in a casserole . Add bay leaves & thyme.
Then add finely sliced onions.
When it turns golden brown, add ginger-garlic paste.
Then add fried chicken & colombo masala.
Stir for a while & add water .
Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 25min, stirring from time to time.
When half cooked, add potatoes & courgettes.
When the chicken is cooked thoroughly, remove from fire.
Add lime juice & just swirl the casserole.
Garnish with freshy chopped parsely & serve with rice / any type of bread.
Colombo Curry is the speciality of French Islands - Martinique & Gaudeloupe. Colombo Curry powder / Poudre de colombo is French Caribbean Curry powder. Readymade ones are available in supermarkets. But I prefer freshly ground curry powder.
02 novembre 2009
Butter Cake
Butter Cake
Ingredients
100 g flour
30g custurd powder ( vanilla flavoured)
100 g sugar
125 g butter
4 eggs
3 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp condensed milk
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
A pinch of salt
Method
Dilute custurd powder in luke warm milk.
In another bowl beat eggs & sugar.
Sieve the flour and baking powder together and fold into the cake mixture.
Add diluted custurd powder, condensed milk & mix well.
Pour the batter into the greased cake pan.
Bake for 40 mn - Th 180°C .
28 octobre 2009
Potager du Roi / King's Kitchen Garden, Versailles.
Potager du Roi
In 1670, King Louis XIV appointed Jean-Baptiste La Quintinie (1624-1688) as the director of the royal fruit & vegetable garden. As per his request he constructed a vegetable garden in a swampland popularly known as "l'Etang puant / Stinky Pond. The site was drained & filled with the rich soil from the Satory hills . The renowed architect, Mansart constructed the garden's terraces & walls. The garden is structured around a cental area called "Le Grand carré / Grand Square. The Grand square is again divided into 16 small squares organised around a circular fountain. Behind the walls there are 12 fruit tree gardens ( Apple & Pears).
The King's Kitchen Garden covers 9 hectares of fruit & vegetable gardens at the heart of Versailles. Every year, this garden produces 40 tons of fruit & 25 tons of vegetables. At present this garden is conserverved by National School of Horticulture- ENSP. This garden is in the UNESCO's World Heritage List.
The Potager du Roi and the Cathedral Saint-Louis 
Beans Garden
Pumpkin Garden
Tubers & Salads
Tomatoes & Chillies
To see the enlarged pictures just click - Album photos suburbs of Paris o
http://aarathi78.canalblog.com/albums/__photos_des_yvelines___/index.html
26 octobre 2009
Koki - Sindhi's Roti
KOKI
Ingredients
500 g flour
2 tbsp ghee
1 tsp salt
2 green chillies (chopped)
2 shallots (chopped)
1 tbsp crushed coriander seeds
1 tbsp crushed cumin seeds
1 tbsp crushed dried pomegranate-anardana seeds(optional)
Chopped coriander leaves
200 ml water
Oil
Method
Mix all the ingredients & keep aside 1 hour.
Make evenly sized balls.
Take a lemon sized ball & flatten it using a roller.
Heat non stick pan . Spread oil on it .
Cook the roll out paratha.
Spread some oil & press the edges.
Flip & cook the other side.
Repeat the process with other balls.
Serve hot with veg / non veg curry.
This is the traditional breakfast item of Sindhi's.
23 octobre 2009
Enjoy Street Bharathanatyam by Jai Khalsa
Ganesha Pushpanjali by Jai - A dance in honor of Lord Ganesha, the elephant God, who is the remover of obstacles.
Click & appreciate this talented non desi dancer
Apple Fondant / Fondant aux Pommes
Apple Fondant
Ingredients
4 apples (peel,core & thinly sliced using a mandoline)
20g butter
50g sugar
50g flour
20g custurd powder
10 cl milk (luke warm)
2 eggs
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
A pinch of salt & cinnamon powder
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Cream together the butter, sugar & salt .
Add beaten eggs.
Sieve the flour and baking powder together and fold into the cake mixture.
Dilute custurd powder in luke warm milk.
Add this along with apple alices & mix well.
Pour the batter into the greased cake pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, about 30-35 mn.
Serve with tea.
16 octobre 2009
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam - dhol taro dhol
Movie : Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999)
Actors : Salman Khan & Aishwarya Rai
Song : dhol taro dhol by Vinod Rathod & Kavita Krishnamurthy
Coconut Almond Rolls - Happy Diwali !
Coconut Almond Rolls
Ingredients
225 g dessicated coconut
125g icing sugar
3 tbsp condensed milk
A pinch of saffran / yellow colour
1/2 tsp cardomom powder
Filling
10g butter
25 almonds
2 tbsp sugar
Method
Heat a sauce pan & mix the first four ingredients.
Stir continuosly on medium heat.
When the mixture becomes thick add cardomom powder.
Remove from heat & let it cool for 15mn.
Coarsely grind almonds alonsg with sugar.
Add butter & cardomom powder.
Roll as shown in the photo.
Pat the coconut mixture on a plastic wrapusing a spatule.
Place the roll out almond mixture in the middle.
Roll in the plastic wrap & place in the refrigerator for 5 hours.
Cut in slices & serve your loved ones.
