Geethu's Caramel Custard - Guest post

How true are these words !! When you are feeling totally down to cook anything that is worth putting on the blog , when your blog is slowly dying starving for food and when you dont even bother to keep it alive and suddenly somebody calls you and says she has a good recipe that can be posted on your blog .. oh I dont really know how to explain how much those words lifted my spirit up. 

Thanks a lot Geethu for coming up with my favourite dessert .Hugssss and muahhaaas sweet heart ...

She infact has given better narration of the recipe than me and am sure you will all love this melting Caramel custard.Over to Geethu ...

Ingredients:

For the custard

1 glass milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence

For the caramel
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water


Method for the caramel
1. Melt the sugar on low heat until it turns a deep brown.
2. Add the water carefully and cook on slow heat until a thick honey-like syrup is obtained. This is the caramel.
3. While still hot, pour the caramel into a mould and gradually turn the mould so that the sides get coated with the caramel. Leave aside.

For the custard:
1. Beat the eggs with the sugar thoroughly.
2. Boil the milk.
3. Pour the milk into the egg-sugar mix and blend it well.
3. Add the essence, beat once again and pour into the mould.
4. Cover the mould with a piece of aluminium foil/brown paper. Seal it with a cellophane tape
5. Steam cook the custard on very low heat for 20 minutes minutes. (A fine needle pierced through should come out clean).
6. Remove the cover from the mould. Cool and refrigerate it.
6. Just before serving, cover the mouth of the mould with a plate. Quickly turn the mould over on to the plate and remove the mould. Serve immediately.

Note: The topping can vary based on your interest. You can use honey, melted chocolate etc.
          you can use cherry/scrapped chocolate/honey and nuts to garnish.

Arisium paruppum saapaadu - Thoor dal rice

If you were born in coimbatore belt , you would have never missed this rice.This is one such simple rice which the recipe looks very similar to kichdi made in north india or our own pongal but it never tastes anywhere like the both .
Hari was cooking on his own until marriage for about a year and whenever I ask him what is to eat, he invariably says arisium paruppu .He likes it so muchhhh and I am happy that he likes it because this is one of the most easiest and fastest one pot meals that can be prepared in hardly 5 mins.
The taste of ghee with the aroma of garlic and jeera is heavenly .

Ingredients :

1. Boiled Rice/ ponni rice - 1 cup
2. Thoor dhal/ moong dhal/ masoor dhal - 1/4 cup
3. Water - 3 cups
4. Gingelly oil / Ghee - 2 tbsn.
5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
6. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
7. Small onion -5 nos.
8. Garlic pods - 5 nos.
9. Curry leaves - few
10. Red chillies - 5 nos.
11. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
12. Sambhar powder - 1 tsp.
13. Salt to taste.

Method :

1. Soak the rice and dhal together for about 15 mins . you can totally skip the soaking process as well . 
2. Heat a pressure pan, add oil and once hot enough , let the mustard seeds and cumin seeds pop out.
3. Add onion and garlic ( no need to be chopped) , chillies, curry leaves and saute until onion is fried .
4. Now add sambhar powder, turmeric powder and water . let the water reach boiling point to add rice and dhal mixture.
5. close the pan with lid and give one whistle at high and then simmer it for 10mins .
6. Now the mushy arisium paruppum is ready .

Notes :

1. If using raw rice , i think you should reduce the water by 1/2 cup.
2. No need to chop onion and garlic .
3. Serve it by drizzling ghee and roasted papad . 

Badusha with Diwali Wishes

I just tried this Badusha for its beauty from Raks blog.. it turned out so beautiful ... Thank you raji .. 

I was little skeptical about the shape before but after rolling 4 , i was able to get it perfect .. Though I dint get it so flaky you can just not beat the taste ...

Wishing each one of you a very happy and prosperous deepawali. May this year brings you lots and lots of happiness in life and fulfill all your dreams.

As the candlelight flame,

Ur life may always be happiness' claim;

As the mountain high,

U move without sigh;

like the white linen flair,

Purity is always an affair;

As sunshine creates morning glory,

fragrance fills years as flory;

with the immaculate eternal smile,

attached to u mile after mile;

All darkness is far away,

As light is on its way;

Wish all of u a very happy diwali.

Pistachio chocolate fudge

I saw this Fudge in Suma's blog first and when I went through the recipe , it was like could be made within a blink of eye .Oh yeah should I say how it would taste if Dark chocolate and condensed milk go into a fudge. I without a second thought then decided that this is one I am going to try for sure .

Thanks a lot Suma ...

Ingredients :

1. Dark Chocolate : 175 gms.
2. Condensed milk - 200 gm.
3. Butter - 2 tbsn.
4. Pista - 75 gms.
5. Salt a pinch.

Method :

1. Grate the chocolate and put all the ingredients except pistas into a heavy bottomed pan.
2. Place it on a stove and give a gentle stir on low flame , once the chocolate is completely melted that should not take more than 3 minutes mix in the pistas .
3. Pour it into a 6 inch rectangular pan lined with foil .
4. Let it cool and then keep it in refridgerator for about 2 hours. by then fudge would have all set well.
5. Cut it into desired shapes. Immediately put it back into the freezer. 
6. It should be served straight from freezer and need not thaw it . 

Here is my chocolatey fudge going in for Madhuri's The chocolate Fest.

Whole Moong Dal Ladoo

Initially planned not to make any sweets or savories for Diwali but then after seeing posts coming from all around the world , I couldnt resist myself from making something .

After bursting a session of crackers wearing our newly bought dresses, we all step out armed with sweets and savories to meet our near and dear ones. This is the festival of joy.

Electric lamps have been hung at almost all the houses and the nice aroma of making sweets coming to my nostrils through the windows and the blog posts with so many wonderful pictures and recipes .. Wow Diwali has already started for me .

Here is my part too ..

Ingredients :

1. whole monng dal : 1 cup
2. Sugar - 1 cup 
3. Ghee - a little less than half cup
4. Dry fruits of choice .. I have used cashew nuts

Method :

1. Dry roast moong dhal in a heavy bottomed pan until nice aroma comes and immediately turn off the gas.Cool it off completely and powder it.
2. Powder the sugar and keep it aside.
3. Heat a pan and add ghee , once the ghee is hot enough add the moong dhal mixture and give a stir. Turn off the stove and add powdered sugar and mix nicely.
4. Make balls out of the above mixture . 

Yes, this blog is all about easy peacy , low fat ( though it is not completely low fat but this is one of the low calorie sweets right ;) )