Fish Molee

In memory of my Mother……

"There never was a woman like her. She was gentle as a dove and brave as a lioness... The memory of my mother and her teachings were, after all, the only capital I had to start life with, and on that capital I have made my way."
~ Andrew Jackson

Today is my mom's birthday and this post is dedicated to her memory….even if her body is not amidst us …. her soul will always be there to guide and help us overcome all life's difficulties ….she was a great mother and an even greater human being and she always wanted her kids to follow in her footsteps, to be gentle and compassionate, kind and loving, patient and forgiving and all that my brother and I are today we owe to our mom…. Today I am sharing with you the recipe for Fish Molee the way my mom used to make and appreciated by many….hope all of you will try this in your kitchen ……


Fish Molee

Ingredients:

Fish -1kg
Onion-4 medium, sliced thinly
Green chilly-12nos, slit
Ginger-2pieces chopped
Garlic-1 pod, chopped
Cloves-6 nos
Cinnamon-1" piece 2 nos
Cardamom- 6 nos
Black pepper-6-8 nos
Tomato-4 nos, cut in round shape, thinly
Coconut milk from 1 coconut (thick and thin milk separately)
Turmeric & salt to taste
Cashew nuts- 15 nos ground to a fine paste( you can omit this by replacing 1 tbsp maida)


Method:

• Heat oil, splutter mustard, then add pepper, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and fry.
• Add onion, ginger, garlic, green chilly and sauté till transparent. (Also you can add some thinly sliced carrots and some macaroni while sautéing.)
• Add turmeric & 1 tbsp maida if not adding ground cashew nuts.
• Add second and third extracts of coconut milk and when it starts boiling add fish pieces, and simmer on medium heat.
• When it about to get ready add tomato pieces, and some of thick coconut milk and cashew nut paste. Simmer and when the gravy thickens turn off heat.
• Serve hot with Palappam, Bread rolls or Chapathi.

I haven’t updated this humble place of mine for a couple of months…..was away for vacation and lazy after returning also busy with a pre-schooler and no helper at home …. I am thankful to all my readers who inquired about my absence from blogsphere and encouraged me to come back…..also a big thanks to all who commented on my previous posts even though I sometimes fail to return your visit ….. ….. I promise I will definitely try to find time to visit you all …..I wish all my readers and their loved ones A Very Happy Diwali!!!

Night Sky Cookies!

Ingredients:
125gm /4 oz butter softened
3/4 cup /170g /5 1/2 oz caster sugar
1/2 tsp
1 egg, light beaten
2 cups/ 250 g / 8 oz flour1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup / 60 ml/2 fl oz milk
90gm /3 oz white chocolate, melted
125gm / 4 oz dark chocolate, melted

Method:

• Place butter, sugar and almond essence in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in egg.
• Sift together flour and baking powder. Fold flour mixture and milk, alternately, into butter mixture and mix to form a soft dough.
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to 5mm/1/4 in thick. Using a star and a moon-shaped cookie cutter, cut out cookies.
• Place cookies on lightly greased baking trays and bake at 190C / 375F for 10 minutes or until cookies are golden and cooked. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
• Dip tops of moon-shaped cookies in white chocolate {I skipped this as I didn't have white chocolate with me :)} and tips of star-shaped cookies in dark chocolate. Place on wire racks to set.

Tip:

• As an alternative, brush the cookies with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugare before baking.
  

Recipe adapted from craving cookies recipe book.

This goes to Kids Delight event by Srivalli and to CFK - Chocolates guest hosted by Hema, mastermind of Sharmi

One-Bowl Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

Prep: 10mints Bake: 35 to 40 mints Serves:12

Here's a cake that's made for a party. Kids will love the chocolate chip icing, but this cake is also delicious served plain.......

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) butter,cut up and softened
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Fluffy Chip Frosting (Recipe follows)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Beat in butter with an electric mixer on low speed until mixture is crumbly. Add buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Increase speed to medium and beat until completely smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn into a well greased 13 x 9-inch pan.
• Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack. Frost top with Fluffy Chip Frosting

FLUFFY CHIP FROSTING

Prep: 5 mints, Cook: 3 to 4 mints Makes: 1 Cup

Ingredients:

1 Large egg white
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/8 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Method:
In top of a large double boiler over simmering water, combine egg white, sugar, 2 table spoons water, corn syrup, and cream of tarter. Beat with a hand-held electric mixer on high speed 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft but firm peaks form when beaters are lifted.
Remove from heat and beat in vanilla. Continue to beat until icing is very stiff, about 3 minutes longer. With a rubber spatula, fold in chocolate chips.

Let me take this opportunity to wish my dear brother on his birthday......

Your birthday brings to mind
all the reasons for which
I am proud to call you
my brother and how much
I love you for that.
It also brings to mind loving wishes,
for the best in life for you.
Happy Birthday !!

I am sending all these Cakes and Cookies to Ria's event!

Paningil (Meen Mutta) Varuthathu / Deep Fried Fish Eggs!

A very tasty cocktail snack!!!

Ingredients:

Fish Egg -250gms
Shallots- 10nos, chopped fine / 1 medium Onion
Ginger-1" piece chopped
Greenchilly-2, chopped fine
Egg-1
All purpose flour/ Maida- 4-6 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash fish eggs and tear the membrane or sack and scoop out eggs from it.
• Add chopped shallots, green chilies, ginger, beaten egg, flour and salt to taste.
• Mix well and drop a tea spoon of mix to medium hot oil and deep fry till golden brown.
• Serve hot with sauce
  
  

Purple Cabbage Salad

I tried this wonderful salad from Elanas Pantry . You can see the original recipe here with the stunning photo...Thank you Elana for this really tasty and colourful salad recipe....

Ingredients:

½ head purple cabbage

1 orange, peeled and sliced into ½ inch segments

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I used white vinegar)

1 tablespoon lemon juice

dash chili powder

I also added half tea spoon sugar.

Method:

• Slice the cabbage as thinly as possible.
• Place cabbage in a large bowl, add the orange segments.
• Toss with olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice then sprinkle with a dash of chili powder.
• Serve

Serves 4

Lime Pickle

Ingredients:

Lime-12nos
Gingelly Oil / Sesame Oil / Nallenna-1 cup
Mustard seeds-3/4 tsp
Asafoetida powder/Kayapodi -2 tbsp
Fenugreek powder / Ulluva podi -1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1 tbsp
Kashmeri Red chilly powder/ Piriyan mulagu podi-1 cup
Ginger, chopped-150gm
Garlic, chopped-150gm
Green chillies, slit-100gm-150 gm
Vinegar- 1 bottle
Salt to taste

Method:

• Sauté the limes till soft in 2tbsp of oil. Wipe the outside with a piece of cloth or kitchen tissue and cut each lime into 4 pieces and keep aside.
• Heat oil in another thick bottom pan, fry mustard, then add ginger, garlic and green chillies and sauté till golden brown.
• Reduce heat and add all the powders one by one and sauté. Then add lime and stir well.
• Add vinegar and salt to taste and simmer in low heat till thick.
• Bottle when cold.
• Keeps for a long time.
  
  

Note:
All the utensils & bottle should be clean & dry. Never add water to pickle while making. Always use clean and dry spoon to take pickle from bottle.

Allipidi

A Classic Kerala delicacy!!!

Cooking rice flour dough balls in coconut milk, sweetened with sugar and flavoured with powdered spices!!!!




Ingredients:

Roasted Rice flour-200gm
Salt- one pinch
Freshly Grated Coconut – 2 nos
Sugar- to taste
Cardamom, Cumin and Dry ginger -1 tsp (powdered together)

Method:

• Mix roasted rice flour and salt, add enough boiling water to this and make a smooth and soft dough using a spoon to blend everything well. When it is warm enough to touch knead well and make tiny balls and keep aside.
• Separate thick and thin milk from grated coconut and keep aside thick milk. Boil thin milk in a pan. (you can also add little fresh milk to enhance the taste).
• Add the shaped balls to the boiling milk one by one and let it simmer. Add sugar to taste and mix well. Lower the heat and cook till gravy thickens; about 10-15 minutes.
• Add thick coconut milk and ground spices and turn off the heat when the gravy is thick.
• Serve hot.

Tip:

• Instead of grated coconut I used coconut milk powder to make coconut milk.
  

Recipe Source: Vanitha Pachakam 2004

Sending this to Nags for her , an event started by Meeta.