Best Cocoa Brownie

I know I know , its been such a long time since I posted something .I was not even sure if I would ever come back to blogging until I meet fellow bloggers Madhs, Suma and Geetha .. Oh god what to say , they are so enthusiastic, energetic and passionate about what they do. If you are there with them for a minute , you just cant seem to be lazing around ..
So after meeting with Vibrant ladies ,  I am all set to be back , I am not sure if I can be frequent but definitely will try to be active ..Since only we two of us , I cook, bake and whatever only for Hari and for his taste .Oh yeah I must say he has got a pretty bad tongue to say only OK to almost everything I make  .. You at times feel lucky to have a husband who knows cooking but its actually the other way round .
Hari is a chocoholic , that doesnt mean he eats anything that is chocolatey ... He can have it only if it is RICH Chocolatey .. be it a cake or brownie and he likes ONLY chocolate flavor .anything other than rich chocolatey doesnt count as special .So decided to make a brownie for his Birthday .
Thankfully this Brownie turned out to be super perfect . It exactly satisfied Hari's tongue , was very easy for me to make as well and most of all you can make this with the ingredients in your hand .. I have tried a couple of times Tarla dalal's eggless brownie with Dark chocolate .though I liked the taste it always seems to be too greasy . Thats one of the richest brownies tastewise..so wanted to make something similar and with cocoa powder.. I came across best cocoa brownies at smittenkitchen and knew for sure this is what i was looking for .. It is indeed so rich and fudgy ..

I tweaked the recipe to make it even more easier .here it goes ..

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter( I used salted butter and skipped salt)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar ( I used powdered sugar)
• 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutch-process)(I used cadburys cocoa)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cold large eggs
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

Method 

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F. (I used Microwave convection mode , so just used the rack given for baking) Line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with parchment paper or foil, leaving an overhang on two opposite side

 Melt the butter in a medium sized bowl in microwave for a minute and then combine the sugar, cocoa and salt and mix it nicely and again microwave for a minute .Now the mixture will be really smooth . Even if it is not smooth , its fine go ahead ..

Stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny, and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat vigorously for 40 strokes with the wooden spoon or a rubber spatula. Stir in the nuts, if using. Spread evenly in the lined pan.

Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack.I baked exactly for 25 mins and let it cool completely for about 6 hours . 

Lift up the ends of the parchment or foil liner, and transfer the brownies to a cutting board. Cut into 16 or 25 squares.

Yumma max .. You can have the brownie as it is or can make it more sinful by adding a scoop of vanilla icecream and drizzling some chocolate sauce .. 

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 .