Cranberry Lemon Bundt Cake

Overview
This is a good cake to make during thanksgiving. The filling of the cake is made with cranberries and sugar which adds a distinctive sweet and tart taste. The cake is soaked in lemon syrup to add a extra layer of flavor. Decorated with sugar coated cranberries this cake makes a very elegant presentation. I have been making this cake for thanksgiving ever since I got this recipe from a magazine.

Cranberry Lemon Bundt Cake

Ingredients for the cake
3 cups self rising flour
1 3/4cups of granulated sugar
6 tablespoons milk
4 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons Lemon Zest
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the syrup 
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup Lemon juice

For the filling
12 Oz bag of fresh cranberries
3/4 cup granulated sugar

For the glaze
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar

For sugar coated cranberries for decoration
30 - 40 fresh cranberries washed and dried
1/4 cup sugar with 3 tablespoon water to make a thick syrup
4 - 5 tablespoons granulated sugar to coat the cranberries

Steps
1. Heat oven to 350 degree F.  Coat the bundt cake pan with butter and flour and keep aside.
2. Heat the cranberries in a pot until they start to release juices. Add 3/4 cup granulated sugar and cook over medium heat until the mixtures is thick and reduces to about 1 1/4 cup. turn off heat and let this cool to room temperature.
3. Whisk together the milk, whole eggs, yolks and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside.
4.Whisk together 3 cups flour, 1 3/4 cups sugar, the lemon zest, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl.
5. Add 3 1/4 stick soft butter( at room temperature) and beat  till the mixture is smooth.
6. Add the milk mixture little at a time and  to make a smooth batter.
7. Transfer 2/3 of the batter to the bundt pan. Spoon in the prepared cranberry filling in a ring around the middle of the batter with out touching the pan. Top with remaining batter and smooth evenly
8. Bake until toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean about 45 - 55 minutes.
9. Make the syrup by dissolving 1/4 cup granulated sugar in 1/2 cup lemon juice in a sauce pan., Heat on low flam till the sugar dissolves. Let it cool to room temperature.  Poke holes on the cake once it is at room temperature and drizzle with this syrup little at a time.
10. Carefully invert the cake on a cake stand.
11. Make a thick syrup with 1/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoon water. Once this cools down dip each cranberry in it and roll in granulated sugar and keep aside.
11. Mix the lemon juice and confectioners sugar to form a thick glaze and drizzle over the cake.
12. Decorate the base of the cake with the sugar coated cranberries.

Top view of Cranberry Lemon Bundt Cake

Kalathappam

Overview
Kalathappam is a traditional Kerala unleavened bread usually made during Easter celebration. This is made with Rice and Urdu Dal. It can be baked in Oven or prepared in a heavy bottom pan. The fried shallots, curry leaves and coconut chips mixed with this Rice and Urdu Dal batter adds a very nice aroma and texture to this Kalathappam.

Kalathappam

Ingredients
2 cups long grain rice
1/4 cup Urdu Dal
1 cup shallots thinly sliced
1/4 cup coconut chips
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
4 - 6 curry leaves sprigs
1/2 cup oil for frying the onions and coconut chips and coating the pan
Salt o taste

Steps
1. Soak the rice and Urdu Dal separately  for 4 hours and grind to a smooth paste adding water as needed. The consistency should be that of idly batter Add salt mix well and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
2. Heat oil in pan and fry the coconut chips till they are golden brown. Drain and keep aside till it cools to room temperature.
3. In the same oil fry the curry leaves and keep aside too. Then add the sliced shallots and fry them till they are golden Brown. Drain the shallots from oil and let it cool to room temperature.
4. Add the fried coconut chips, curry leaves, fried shallots and cumin to the Rice and Urdu Dal mixture and mix well
5. Take 3 tablespoons of the oil used to fry the shallots and coconut and heat in a heavy bottom pan.
6. Pour the prepared batter to this heavy bottom pan and cook on low heat for about 30 minutes till one side is golden brown. Flip the Kalathappam and cook the other side too for about 20 minutes on low flame.
7. Turn off heat cut into slices and enjoy

Chilly Gobi (Chilly Cauliflower)

Overview
A very good vegetarian dish that can be served as an appetizer or as a side dish with fried rice. Florets of cauliflower are dipped in a batter made with chickpea flour deep fried and then coated with fresh made tomato sauce made with cherry tomatoes. Using fresh cherry tomatoes in place of tomato sauce does bring up a tangy flavor and freshness to this dish.

Chilly Gobi

Ingredients
One head of cauliflower cut into bite size florets
1 1/2 cups of chick pea flour
Red chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida 1/4 teaspoon
4 - 5 green chilly split in center for garnish
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro for garnish
Salt o taste
Oil for deep frying

For the tomato sauce
Cherry tomatoes 1 cup finely chopped
2 medium size red onions finely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger finely chopped
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 green chilly finely chopped
Black pepper powder 1/2 - 1 teaspoon
4 - 5 green chilly split in center for garnish
Salt to taste
3 - 4 tablespoon oil

Steps
1. Take a bowl and mix all the dry ingredients for the batter - Chickpea flour, red chilly powder, turmeric, asafoetida powder and salt. Add water a make a thick batter and keep it aside.
2. Heat oil for deep frying the cauliflower florets. When the oil gets hot.dip each floret in the batter and fry on medium heat till it is golden brown. Fry all the cauliflower florets in batches drain oil and keep aside.
3. Fry the green chilly split in center and keep aside
4. In another pan heat 4 tablespoon oil. When the oil gets hot add the finely chopped onions, garlic, ginger and green chilly to this.
5. Saute few minutes add the pepper powder saute well and add the finely chopped cherry tomatoes and salt . Mix well and cover with lid and cook on low flame till the tomatoes are cooked well and a thick sauce is formed.
6. Add the fried cauliflower florets to this and mix well till all the florets are coated with this tomato sauce. Turn off heat and transfer to a serving dish
7. Garnish with the fried green chillies and chopped cilantro. Serve Hot

Vegetable Cutlets

Overview
A very popular appetizer in India made with a variety of vegetables. I have used beetroot, carrots, green  peas, green beans and potatoes to make this cutlet. Any vegetable of your choice can be used to make this cutlets. All vegetables should be finely chopped so that they cook evenly. The base that binds the cutlet is the mashed potatoes.

Ingredients for Cutlet - Beetroot, Carrots, Green Beans, Green Peas, Mashed Potatoes,
Red Onions, Ginger, Green chilly and Cilantro

Vegetable Cutlets with Onion Salad

Ingredients
Mashed potatoes - 2 cups
Finely chopped beetroot -1 cup
Carrots finely chopped - 1 cup
Green beans finely chopped - 1 cup
Green peas - 1 cup
Red Onions finely chopped - 1 cup
Ginger 2 inch piece finely chopped
Green chilly 4 - 6 finely chopped
Cilantro - 1./2 cup finely chopped
Black pepper powder - 1 teaspoon
Fennel seed powder  - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Bread crumbs to coat the cutlets
Egg whites 2 to coat the cutlets
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying the cutlets

Steps
1. Boil two large potatoes peel and mash it  and keep it aside.
2. Heat two tablespoons oil in a pan. Add the finely chopped red onions, ginger green chilly to it a saute few minutes till the onions become light brown. Add turmeric and saute few more minutes.
3. Mix all the finely chopped beetroot, carrots, green beans and green peas to this  and mix well. Add salt and cook on low flame by covering the pan till the vegetables are fully cooked about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Once cooked turn off heat and let this cool to room temperature.
4. Take a big mixing bowl and add the mashed potatoes and the cooked vegetables to it. Add cilantro, black pepper powder, fennel powder and salt as needed and mix well
5. Take a lemon size ball of the mixed vegetables and flatten with hand to make a smooth round patty.
6. Dip each vegetable patty in lightly beaten egg whites and coat in bread crumbs.
7. Deep fry the bread crumbs coated vegetable patty in hot oil

Serve hot with Onion salad and Ketchup

Puff Pastry with Spicy Potatoes

Overview
Puffs is a very common Indian snack found in all bakeries in Kerala. Puff pastry is stuffed with all different kinds of fillings like meat, egg and potatoes. I have made these Puffs a little different than the traditional way. Puffed pastry sheet is covered with spicy potato filling rolled spirally and then cut into slices and baked.

Puff Pastry with Spicy potatoes

Ingredients 
Frozen Puff pastry sheet 2
Potatoes medium size - 4
Green peas frozen - 1/2 cups
Red Onion - 1 medium finely chopped
Ginger 1 inch piece finely chopped
Garlic 3 cloves finely chopped
Green chillies - 2 -4 finely chopped
Cilantro leaves chopped 1/2 cup
Red chilly powder 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1
Lemon juice 1 tablespoon
Cumin - 1 teaspoon
Oil - 3 tablespoon
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Cook the potatoes whole in 1/2 cup water in a pressure cooker or in a heavy bottom vessel till it is cooked well. Peel the potatoes and  mash it well and keep aside.
2. Cook the frozen green peas and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the cumin seeds to it followed by the chopped onions, garlic, ginger and green chillies. Saute few minutes till the onions turn light brown. Add the chilly, coriander and turmeric powder to this and saute few minutes.
4. Add the mashed potatoes, green peas, lemon juice and salt to this and mix well.
5. Add chopped cilantro to this and mix well. Let this potato filling cool to room temperature.
6. Thaw the frozen puff pastry sheet to room temperature.  Spread the pastry sheet flat and add half the potato filling on it and spread all over the surface.
7. Roll the pastry sheet spirally and then cut into thick slices. Spread on a baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 10 minutes till the pastry sheet turns light brown.

Serve hot as an appetizer

Olan

Overview
A simple a delicious vegetarian dish made with ash gourd and coconut milk. This is an easy to make staple dish of Kerala. Fresh coconut milk mixed with the ash gourd, ginger, green chilly, onions and spices make a delicious gravy. There are several recipes for Olan through our Kerala, this is the recipe I got from my mother.


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Olan

Ingredients
Ash Gourd   - thin sliced square pieces 2 cups
Ginger 2 inch pieces thin sliced
Green chilly - 3 - 5 split at center
Red onion - half of
one medium size thin sliced
Curry l;eaves 2 sprigs
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon
Thick coconut milk - 1 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

To garnish
Oil 3 - 4 tablespoons
Red Onion  one half thin sliced
Curry leaves one sprig

Steps
1. Mix the ash gourd with half cup water, ginger , green chilly, red onions, chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric, curry leaves and salt and bring to boil. Simmer heat and cook till the ash gourd is cooked well about 6 - 10 minutes.
2. Add the thick coconut milk to this and bring to boil. Turn off heat
3. In another pan heat the oil. When the oil gets hot add the thin sliced onions for garnish to this. Saute till the onions are golden brown, add the curry leaves and saute  and pout over the prepared curry

Serve hot with plain rice