How I celebrated christmas
I made cakes
vellayappam and beef curry
cutlet, fish fry, chicken biryani
Cutlet
1/2 kg keema/minced beef
or 1/2 kg beef
1/2 tsp each, chilly powder, garam masala, coriander powder,
wash beef add salt, chilly powder, coriander ,turmeriic, garam masala, pressure cook for 20 minutes after 1st whistle , with 1 tea cup water. strain water and grind in a mixer.
heat a pan add oil, saute onion, ginger garlic green chilly, add chilly, coriander ,garam masala and saute add salt and minced meat, saute and dry the meat without water add mashed potato, add 2 tb corn flour and 2 tb bread powder and mix well. make small balls and give flat round cutlet shapes to each, dip in egg beated and again dip in bread powder, shallow fry cutlets
potato beef mix will broke during frying, so add corn flour and bread flour to hold the structure.
for chicken cutlets
cook chicken instead of beef and remove bones and grind meat
for chicken it will cook in 2 whistles. waiting time is needed
for mutton cutlets
cook mutton instead of beef
Fish fry
1kg fish any big fishes
Cut fish wash and strain
add 2tsps, chillypowder, 1tsp coriander powder, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp salt, 1tsp green chilly ginger paste or crush, 2 tsp lemon juice 2tsp corn flour and mix well. after 30 minutes shallow fry.
chicken biryani
chicken fry
1 kg chicken cut, wash and strain
To this chicken add 2 tsps chilly powder, 2 tsps coriander powder 1 tsp garam masala,1tsp salt and mix well, add crushed ginger garlic green chilly 2tsps, 2 tsps lemon juice, 2 tsps cornflour and mix well. after 30 minutes fry chicken in 2 batches.
In a heated pan add little more oil/60 gm add long slice of 6 big onion and saute brown, remove this,
Use this oil for frying chicken.
for garnishing
add 1 teaspoon ghee in a pan and fry 100 gm cashew long slices/ split cashew into two
mix 1/ 2 of the browned onion with fried cashews and 100 gm raisins
grind 5 tomatoes,
grind/crush 5 green chilly, 5 garlic, 1/ 2 inch ginger
slice 1 onion with little salt and saute in 3 tb oil ,add ginger garlic, greenchilly paste, curry leaves, pudina leaves add crushed (cloves 3, blackpepper 8, elaichi 3, cinnamon 1 small piece) and saute add chilly powder 1 tsp, coriander powder 1 tsp, turmeric 1/4 tsp, garam/meat masala 1tsp saute add ground toto paste and saute, add 1/4 of browned onions, add small pieces of fried chicken to it and cook thick and little watery.
For cooking and layering rice
Wash 1kg long grain rice or 4 cups of rice
Boil 8 cups of water, to this add 2tsps salt, 1/2 tsp jeera, 3 clove, 3 elaichi crushed, 8-10 black pepper not crush, 1 cinnamon, 2 bay leaves (I have done without bay leaves and cinnamon) boil water add rice and again boil rice. after a good boiling cover with lid, and slow cook for 10 minutes and switch off flame. After 10 minutes open the lid and stir carefully. keep the lid open and cool in open area other wise the rice will cook more
For layering rice
Remove the rice to another pot, Add 2 tb hot oil /ghee to pot spread every where, Add 1-2 tbsp boiled water (other wise the gravy will burn at bottom on baking) and 1/4 of tomato gravy, layer rice and gravy 3 times, use little rice to clean the oils, and gravies of the pot 2spread this rice on the top, sprinkle 1/2 tsp sugar , 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tsps of lemon juice, 3 tbsps of ghee, 2 tbsps each of pudina leaves, curry leaves, dhaniya leaves, 1/4 of browned onions on top of rice one by one. cover
Place 2 tawas on flame and place rice for baking on tawa, and cover with lid put weight on the lid like stone mortar heat on high flame for 2 minutes and then slow the flame for 5 minutes touch the sides of the pot and check, is it very hot, after attaining a high temperature on sides of the pot switch off the flame. wait for 15 minutes and mix the rice carefully. so the flavours of the rice will mix properly. again cover the lid and bake for 2 minutes high flame and then slow the flame for 3 minutes or sides will be very hot switch off the flame and wait for 15 to 30 minutes and serve.
Remove 1/3 of plain rice before layering.add this to whenever necessary to get white color between colors of biryani, or to adjust flavors of biryani for those who like plain rice or less biryani flavor
how to serve biryani
Dry plates with a towel,
serve biryani to plates, top of it, sprinkle/spread with a mix of brown onion cashew raisin mix with 2 fried pieces of chicken, 1 fish fry, 1 cutlet ,1 tsp mango pickle, 2tb curd or raita on sides
with 1 tsp mango pickle, and curd or raita
This biryani is easy to make and flavors are best than any other biryanis.
I had tested many varieties of biryani but this has the real flavor of biryani and easy to make,
Beef curry and vellayappam
Beef curry
wash 1kg beef add 1tsp salt 1/4 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp chilly powder, 2 tsp coriander powder, 1tsp garam masala, 2 tsp ginger garlic green chilly paste, 2tsp oil mix all well. wait for 10 minutes and cook with 1cup water, after 1st whistle cook in slow flame for 20 minutes.switch off flame. after 10 minutes open the lid.
Heat a pan add 3 tb oil saute 1 onion brown, add ginger garlic green chilly, curry leaves, pudina leaves of 2 stem crush 2tsp, and saute add crushed masalas (elaichi 2, clove 2 , black pepper 8, 1 inch cinnamon ) 1 bay leaf teared, add 1 tsp chilly powder, 2 tsp coriander powder,(if like less masala only add 1 tsp coriander) 1/4 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp garam/meat masala, then add a paste of 5 tomatoes (grind 5 tomatoes) and saute add 1potato cut into squares, and cook till gravy is thick add this to cooked beef and boil well. After 10 minutes serve, so the flavors will mix properly.
Vellayappam
soak 4 cup rice for 8 hours or overnight
Microwave a small bowl of water for 20 seconds or take luke warm water to this add 1tsp sugar and 5 gm/1tsp yeast mix and cover keep inside oven or in a warm place, after 15-30 minutes it will be bubbled on top
grind 1 coconut/2 cup grate with 1/2 cup water
grind rice with little water, for 1 cup rice 1/4 cup water is maximum, for 4 cup rice water content is 1 cups
can add coconut water also
From this batter take 4tb batter to 2 cup water and mix well and cook slowly not burn, cool this kappi add 4 tb sugar,2 pinches of salt and yeast water mix with ground coconut and again grind smooth
Mix this with rice ground with hand, cover and keep in hot place for 8 to 12 or 24 hours depend on temperature
cold countries it will take 2- 3 days depend on climate/temperature
To reduce this time keep in preheated oven, or keep in hot sun or covered with wool clothes and keep in air tight non used plastic buckets with lid,
After rising mix the batter add necessary sugar, elaichi powder, for making vattayappam wait for 1-2 hours for to rise again, this will give soft vattayappam, grease a plate and pour the batter and steam for 20 minutes or microwave in a microwave safe bowl with a shape of vattayappam grease and pour and steam at 720 w for 5 to 10 minutes , after microwave cooking it will detach from the sides of the bowl. cool 15 minutes
For making vellayappam, not add sugar, if necessary add little sugar and a pinch of salt add water as necessary like dosa batter and make vellayappam
starter options for yeast
1 bowl of sour buttermilk or
last batter of vellayappam or vattayappam kept in fridge
coconut water with 1tsp sugar keep for 3- 4 days
coconut water, sugar yeast can also keep for 3-4 days
vattayappam with rice flour
Christmas cakes
how to bake a cake detailed
do's and don'ts of a cake
1 cup/250 gm flour
1 cup sugar powder
1/2 cup oil/butter/ghee
1 cup milk/buttermilk
1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup eggs( 2-3eggs)
or
1 cup eggs (5-6eggs)
1 cup dry fruits and nuts chopped mix
1/4 tsp coffee powder
1tsp bakingpowder
2 pinch soda
2 pinch salt
1 tb cocoa powder
1/4 tsp spice mix
Mix and sieve all dry powders
mix all liquids in a grinder and grind thick
mix wet and dry mix slowly with a whisk or (in a mixer or in a food processor, or use electric beater)
grease a baking pan spread some flour above it or place a parchment paper/trace paper at bottom and pour the batter to the pan and decorate on the top with some nuts and colored tutti fruity or cherries
preheat oven at 200 degree centigrade or 180 degree my oven is big not work in
bake at 200 degree centigrade for 25 to 35 minutes or till cook, check the centre with a pointed stick or knife, if cooked, it will not be sticky.
easy method of mixing
put sugar/jaggery powder in a mixer and grind and soda , salt, baking powder, cocoa, coffee powder , spice mixes, and flour grind again remove it to a bowl
again blend eggs and add oil and milk and blend well
add liquids slowly to the dry mix and whisk properly add dry fruits and nuts and mix with a flat laddle/big spoon
drop the batter to prepared pan and tap it and rotate to left side slowly,small bubbles will be seen, do it 3-4 times, so the cake will rise uniformly on baking.
microwave cake
grease a microwave bowl
pour this batter to microwave safe bowl with cake shape/ round/square and microwave for 720W or 900W for 6- 10 minutes, or less look at the sides of the bowl , the cake will detach from the side of the bowl, is rightly cooked, don't cook more
720 W is the best temperature, 900W also works
cool the cake and detach from the bowl
Can serve this kind of cake,
combination of microwave and grill or bake cakes
grill or bake the microwave cooked cake for 5-10 minutes will give cake dry cake texture
it reduce timing for making cake
pressure cooker cakes
for this remove rubber and whistle from the lid of pressure cooker
pre heat pressure cooker with salt or clean sand in high flame for 5-10 minutes with a flat plate or stand for baking tray
pour the cake batter in prepared tin and tap properly and put in pressure cooker, and cook in slow flame for 25 to 30 minutes check with a knife in the centre, if not cooked, increase cooking time and check after 10 minutes.
for cutting trace paper
for this take back round of pan and put the paper on it, and cut on its round, or cut square paper for the length and width of the pan, and fold it in the centre again and again 4 times and measure from the centre of the pan to edge and cut, it will also give round shape to the paper.
Can increase baking powder upto 1.25 tsp for 1 cup flour
deep brown color to cakes
for deep brown color, burn 1/4 cup sugar in a pan add 1 cup water to it slowly, be careful doing this, other wise splash to face and eyes, or keep spectacles
to this add 1tsp coffee powder and mix well.
and use this 3tsp for each cake
can add cake spice 1/4 tsp
cake spice mix
Itsp clove, 1 tsp dry ginger, 1 tsp elaichi, 1 tsp cinnamon, grind to powder and store use 1/4 tsp or less per cake mix
can use 3/4 cup jaggery powder and 1/4 cup sugar powder instead of 1 cup sugar
dry fruits mix
add cherry, raisin, tuttifruitty, figs, dates,
dry nuts mix
melon seeds, til seeds, badam, cashew, walnuts any nuts in your hand
normally melon and tils are not using but using it will give a crunchy taste to the cake
chop big fruits and nuts
add 1tsp maida/flour to the nut fruit mix and mix well add this to the cake batter, so the nuts will not sink to the bottom of the cake
for 1 cup flour add 1.5 cup liquid total , it will be milk, egg , oil
the liquid combination will be milk and oil, or egg and oil or egg milk oil
adding more cocoa powder increase the chocolate flavour of the cake
for this 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cocoa powder or 3/4 cup flour and 1/4 cup cocoa powder, or simply increase the cocoa powder to 2-3-4 tbsp
adding more soda increase biggest bubbles/biggest pores in cakes, and more spongy texture
adding baking powder only give small pores/and give real cake texture.
adding more cocoa powder increase flavor of the cakes
grind one orange or take orange juice, and add to cake in place of milk, soak dry fruits and nuts in orange juice minimum for 24 hours to 1 week and slice orange skin to small pieces 1 tb also add to cakes.
some people use alcohol rum/brandy/ whisky/ or use orange juice to soak dry fruits and nuts for months or minimum 2 weeks and also pour alcohol after baking cakes repeating it after 2- 3 days for 3 times and stores well for months.
c
