Banana Halwa (with jaggery)

Banana Halwa (with jaggery)

Makes: 1 steel thali (7 - inches in diameter)
Preparation Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 teaspoon ghee
500 g (4 big size) well ripe bananas
200 g (1 cup) melted and sieved jaggery
2 pinches cardamom powder
Extra 1 teaspoon ghee (to grease thali)

Method

Cut well ripe bananas into small pieces and make a smooth paste in a mixer. Do not water when making paste.

In a non stick pan, heat 2 teaspoon ghee.  Add banana paste and stir continuously for 10 minutes on a low to medium heat or until the banana mixture leaves from the sides of the pan and also you can find some bubbles.

At this point add melted and sieved jaggery and stir continuously for 1 hour or until the mixture thickens / reduction in quantity / leaves from the sides of the pan and dark brown color (see the photo below). Sprinkle cardamom powder and mix well.

Switch off the heat and keep aside to cool for 1 hour.

Grease a steel thali with 1/2 teaspoon ghee.

Spread the banana mixture into a greased thali and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon ghee on the top. Spread evenly with a flat spatula. Later cut into desired shape and sizes or serve in dessert bowls.

Homemade Biryani Masala (Spice powder for Biryani)

Homemade Biryani Masala (Spice powder for Biryani)

Here’s a simple method to prepare biryani masala at home. You need the following ingredients.

Makes: 4 tablespoon (60 g)

Cardamom - 12 nos
Nutmeg - 1 nut
Mace (Javithri / jaathipathri) -2 nos
Shahjeera - 2 tablespoon
Cloves - 8 nos
Cinnamon - 2 piece (each 2 - inch in size)
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 1 teaspoon
Saunf (Fennel /perumjeerakam)- 1 teaspoon

Method

In an iron kadai (flat frying pan), dry roast above ingredients on a low heat till fragrant and crisp (approximate roasting time 10 - 12 minutes). Transfer these ingredients into a mixer bowl and grind to a smooth powder. Store in an airtight container to retain its freshness.

This powder can be used to make biryani with chicken / mutton / egg / prawns / veg. One can even make biryani with tapioca and jackfruit (raw / tender).

Normally the ideal proportion for biryani is 1: 1 . For eg: 1/2 kg rice (uncooked rice) and 1/2 kg mutton or chicken (or what ever other alternatives - prawn, mix vegetables etc).

Add this powder to prawns / mutton during cooking (along with coriander powder, green chillies, ginger garlic paste, coriander and mint leaves...) and not to be added to the rice.

The exact quantity of this powder to be added to the biryani depends on ones taste. If one need spicy biryani add more - as required. For medium spice - 1 1/2 teaspoon is sufficient for half a kilogram meat /chicken / prawns / vegetables .

Make in smaller quantity - ie for use for a few times. The fragrance / freshness may be lost if one makes in large quantity and store for longer duration.

Wish you all to become experts in tasty biryani :)

Grilled Fish

Grilled fish

Makes: 8
Serves: 3 - 4

You will need

8 pieces of fish

For the marinade:

1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
3/4 teaspoon pepper powder
3/4 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds) powder
1 1/2 teaspoon chopped and crushed garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt

Mix all the ingredients well and keep aside this thick paste.

Method

Wash and clean fish pieces. Add 1 teaspoon salt (or kalluppu ) and wash well ( till you get a clear water ). Drain out water completely and wipe each piece with a kitchen towel.

Marinate fish pieces with above ingredients evenly (do not add extra water) and keep aside for one hour and grill for 10 - 12 minutes or till done and golden brown color.

Tawa method:

In a flat non stick pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Reduce heat to medium and shallow fry fish pieces ( 4 - 5 at a time ) in batches till golden brown on both sides. Sprinkle very little oil when frying.

Serve with tomato, onion and lemon wedges.

Milkmaid Phirni

Milkmaid Phirni

Makes : 3 flat earthen bowls / shikoras

Phirni is a popular dessert in North India ( especially in Lucknow ). You can prepare and set it in normal dessert bowls. But traditional method is in earthen bowls.

Cooking time: 35 minutes

You will need

150 ml milk (75 ml milk + 75 water)
2 tablespoon rice flour
2 teaspoon sugar
4 tablespoon milkmaid condensed milk
3 pinches cardamom powder
1 tablespoon pistachio or almond slices (optional)
3 flat earthen bowls / shikoras
1/2 teaspoon saffron ( optional )

Method

Arrange earthen bowls and keep aside.

Boil diluted milk in a thick bowl / vessel.

Add rice flour (2 teaspoon at a time), stirring constantly on a low heat; repeat till all the rice flour has been added. Keep stirring on low heat for 12 - 15 minutes (you can find a reduction in quantity and milk mixture well mixed with rice flour). At this point add 2 teaspoon sugar and stirring constantly for 5 minutes on a low heat. Now the rice mixture is like porridge (very thick in consistency). Switch off the heat. Add 4 tablespoon milkmaid condensed milk and stir well for 3 minutes.

Pour 1 ladle spoon ( 50 - 75 ml ) rice mixture in each earthen bowls. Decorate with almond or pistachio slices and saffron ( optional ) and sprinkle cardamom powder on top. Keep aside to cool and later keep in freezer for 3 hours or until set.

After it is fully set and cold, if you turn it upside down the phirni won’t fall out. That’s is the perfect setting.