EVER TASTED SILK ? - VANILLA PANNA COTTA WITH STRAWBERRY COULIS (REPOST)

Today, I am reposting my pannacotta recipe.

This is easily the simplest recipe for a pudding.You can totally astonish anyone with it. PANNA COTTA means cooked cream and COULIS is just a fruit puree. Panna cotta is an Italian cold dessert and as always........anything Italian never fails to make me go gaga... :) To me, panna cotta is a very versatile dessert.It can be made in various flavors and can be paired with any sweet sauce.With that said, today I am making one with pure vanilla extract which I think is a universally appealing flavor. Anyone who does not like vanilla(which I think is rare) can substitute it with a pinch of cardamom powder. For those of you who are not strawberry fans , you can try chocolate sauce, or any other fruit as per your taste(like mango, rasberry,mixed berry, orange etc) .Or even better.........you can have the panna cotta just the way it is.

WARNING : Once you see the beauty you have created, you may not have the heart to serve it to your family or guests. Just console yourself with the thought that this is such and easy recipe that you can make it, any time, in a jiffy. So go ahead and dive right in :)

INGREDIENTS :(serves 3-4)
FOR PANNA COTTA:

• Unflavored gelatin 1 (o.25 ounce) envelope -which equals to about 1 tbspn
• 1/3 cup warm milk
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup white sugar
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

INGREDIENTS( FOR STRAWBERRY SAUCE)

• Fresh strawberries - 2 cups (substitute with strawberry jam or preserve)
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Lemon juice - 1 tbspn
• Pudhina( mint) leaves - to garnish
  

DIRECTIONS(for panna cotta)

• Pour warm milk into a small bowl and stir in the gelatin powder. Stir and set aside.
• In a saucepan, pour heavy cream and stir in the sugar and set over medium heat. Bring to a full boil, watching carefully, as the cream will quickly rise and overflow.
• Pour the gelatin and milk into the cream, stirring until completely dissolved. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
• Remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and pour into six individual ramekins( small cups) or tea cups or one big bowl.( I have used a ramekin).
• Cool the ramekins or the bowl uncovered at room temperature. When cool, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate(do not freeze) for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. To serve, see directions below.

DIRECTIONS (for the strawberry coulis)

• Cut the strawberrys in halves and place them in a saucepan.Add sugar and stir on medium heat till the strawberry starts letting out its juices.If you are using fresh strawberries , you may have to add 3-4 tbspns of water to get the process started.
• Stir gently, because you do not want he strawberry peices to break up and get mushy.We need a chunky sauce.Cook for a total of 5-6 mins till all the sugar has dissolved.
• Remove from heat and cool well.Once it is cooled add the lemon juice.
  

DIRECTIONS TO SERVE :
There are 2 ways to serve panna cotta.

1) you can serve the pudding in the individual ramekins itself topped with the strawberry coulis. No need to unmould.

OR

2) Unmould and serve.

Directions to unmould:

• Dip the ramekins in hot water for 3 secs.
• Run a knife gently around the sides of the pannacotta.
• Take a large dessert serving plate and hold the plate with the palm of one hand and the bowl with the other and with a swift motion turn the pudding bowl upside down. Now, remove the bowl and u will see this beautiful, appealing, creamy-white panna cotta on your plate.

Wait , wait..........Don't pounce on it just as yet. One more step to go .Take your strawberry coulis and spoon it on top of the panna cotta. Garnish with some pudhina( mint) leaves.

It's ready now .

Luv 'n' luc

Smitha

Apple Raisin Walnut Muffins (Eggless)

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY BELOVED READERS.
The Holiday Season......This is the time of the year when baking is at an all-time high. It is not surprising because baked goodies taste delectable. Homemade baked treats are a good gift idea. Baking gets you being creative. It's fun and it is such a good hobby for a number of reasons. So, last week the baking bug bit me too. But, I did some low profile baking. Made some Apple Raisin Walnut Muffins. The highlight of this trial was that it was an eggless muffin recipe. I have never tried baking cakes or muffins without eggs, so, I was a little sceptical about the outcome. But, it was a big success story and the muffins were so moist too. And so, if you ask me if I would bake this eggless muffin again.......................Yes, definitely. It is a very easy recipe and I would recommend it to a beginner as well. Prep time - 10 mins.

The recipe is adapted from Paula Deen's Apple Raisin Muffin recipe.

I spiked the recipe by adding walnuts and a dash of rum. My recipe is provided below.
Ingredients (makes 10 muffins)

• 1/3 cup water


• 1 cup sugar


• 1 cup grated apple


• 1/4 cup raisin


• 1/2 cup (1 stick/ 115 gms) butter


• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


• 3/4 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg


• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves


• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts


• 1 teaspoon baking soda


• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour


• 1/8 tspn salt


• 1 tspn vanilla extract


• 1 tspn rum

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) .


• Combine the water, sugar, apples, raisins, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and cool completely.


• Add vanilla extract and rum.


• In a large bowl, stir the nuts, salt and baking soda into the flour.


• Add the cooled mixture to the bowl, and stir until blended.


• Fill greased or parchment lined miniature muffin tins with batter to the top. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Luv 'n' luc'

Smitha

Nadan Chicken Curry

In Bangalore, or should I say "Bengaluru", for the past few days the stubborn clouds have been refusing to give way to the Sun. Gloomy days with chill winds..........boring, boring, boring.On one such afternoon last week, I was browsing channels when I came across a show with the recipe for nadan kozhi curry or country style chicken curry. Basically, a recipe from Kerala. It sounded and looked appealing. So, I tried the recipe. Verdict- I should say that it tasted very, very nadan and the recipe was very simple to follow. This is a nice gravy which will go well with pathiri, parotta, roti or dosa. With rice.......not so much. Cooking time was considerably less as the pressure cooker cooked the chicken in a jiffy. A quick curry.
Ingredients:

• Chicken- 1.2 kg


• Onions- sliced - 5 large


• Ginger - 1 inch piece (sliced)


• Garlic - 10 large cloves (chopped)


• Coriander powder - 2 tspns


• Chilli pwder - 1 tspn


• Eastern chicken masla - 1 tspn


• Turmeric - 1/2 tspn


• Garam masala - 2 tspns


• Ripe tomatoes(medium sized) - 5 (diced)


• Mustard – 1 tspn


• Curry leaves - one fist full


• Coconut oil- 8 tbspns


• Salt - to taste


• Water – 1-1/2 cup

For marination:

• Coriander powder - 6 tspns


• Chilli powder - 2 tspns


• Turmeric powder- 1 tsp


• Garam masala powder- 2 tspns


• Chicken curry masala - 2 tspns ( I used Eastern brand)


• Salt - 1 tspns

Directions :

• Marinate the chicken without adding any water and keep aside for 30 mins.


• Take 7 tbspns oil in a pan and fry onions till golden.


• Add ginger and garlic. Saute well.


• Add chicken and tomatoes and the rest of the masala mentioned in the ingredients.


• Add salt to taste.


• Add half the amount of curry leaves


• Let in cook for 5 mins


• Transfer the chicken to a pressure cooker.


• Add water ( For a thick gravy add just ½ cup of water).


• Add the rest of the curry leaves.


• Cover and let it cook for one whistle.


• Take 1 tbspn. oil in a tempering ladle and temper mustard and curry leaves and add to the chicken.


• Serve hot.

Luv 'n' luc'

Smitha

Homemade Vanilla Extract

I stumbled upon this recipe for homemade vanilla extract and have been wanting to try my hand at it for a while. Atlast, sometime last week, it's time had come. So, here's how I made my homemade vanilla extract.
I bought a small bottle of vodka( 180 ml) and used that bottle itself to make the extract.

Ingredients:

• Vanilla beans - 4 nos.


• Bean skins(optional) - few


• Vodka - 180 ml

Method:

• Cut the vanilla beans into halves. I did this because my vodka bottle was not tall enough to hold a full bean.


• Then cut them lengthwise, splitting them in half, leaving the end connected.


• Put vanilla beans into vodka bottle. Add vanilla skins also if you have any.Cover tightly. Give the bottle a good shake every once in a while.


• Store in a dark, cool place for 3 weeks or longer. You can keep topping it off with vodka once in a while as you use it, just remember to give it a good shake.


• Vanilla extract is like wine, the longer it is stored, the better the flavor.

My Vanilla extract is just over 5 days old and look at it's intense color. It has also become so fragrant. Can't wait to use it. Will have to wait another 2-3 weeks though.

Hints:

• Avoid discarding vanilla bean skins after using the vanilla seeds. Save them for making extract.


• The skins and a split bean can also be put into a jar of white sugar and left for a few weeks to make vanilla sugar.Great way to infuse the sugar with vanilla flavor for baking.

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

THE BEST CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

I made chocolate brownies last week. They came out sooooooooo good. This really gave me that push to start blogging again because I just had to share the recipe.

I've used dark cooking chocolate and very little cocoa powder. The outcome was a chocoholic's dream. A fudge like brownie, with the richness of dark cocoa, warm, moist, not too gooey and that thin crisp crust on top was a delight. Not to forget that occasional crunch of toasted walnuts and chocolate chips.Yummo!

These are best served warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or for an overdose in chocolate, chocolate ice cream. Custard too will be a great combination.
I wanted to jazz up the recipe a little by adding a dash of rum and orange peels. But, since I was making the brownies for take away, i didn't dare try something like that and played safe. But the next time I make brownies, I'm gonna add some crushed peppermints to the above recipe and see what it tastes like. I love chocolate mint . So, I'm guessing I'll love these too.

INGREDIENTS: (Makes 24)

• Flour – 1- 1/3 cup


• Cocoa powder – 5 tbspns


• Baking Powder – 1/3 tspn


• Salt – ½ tspn


• Dark cooking chocolate – 250 grms


• Butter – 225 gms


• Sugar - 1-2/3 cups


• Eggs- 5


• Vanilla extract – 1 tspn


• Instant coffee powder – 1 tbspn (optional)


• Chocolate chips and walnuts – ½ cup each (optional)

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Toast walnuts for 5-8 mins while oven is in initial stages of preheating. Remove walnuts from oven. Let cool. Chop it and set aside.
• Line a brownie tin with parchment paper.
• Mix flour, Cocoa powder, baking powder and salt and set aside.
• Chop cooking chocolate
• Over a water-bath, melt butter and cocoa till smooth and shiny. Add coffee powder to this and stir. Let cool for 6-7 mins.
• In the mean time, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla for abt 7-8 mins till thick.
• Add this mixture to the butter-chocolate mixture and add the flour mixture and mix well with a whisk.
• Add the walnuts and chocolate chips and mix well and pour into the tin and bake for 15 mins.
• Reduce temp to 170 degrees C and bake for another 10-15 mins.
• Remove from oven and let it cool for a while. Serve warm with ice cream or custard.

Luv 'n' luc'

Smitha

Very berry breakfast smoothie

" An optimist in the human personification of spring" - Susan J. Bissonette

I Love spring for the rain. Love spring for the singing of the birds. Love spring for the first baby leaves bursting out of the bare branches of trees. Love spring for the first flowers after winter. Love spring for the tulips. Love spring for the yawning winds lifting my spirits anticipating summer. Best of all, love spring for the fresh and vibrantly colored berries found in abundance at every store and market.
Here is my very berry smoothie. A power packed breakfast. The berries make the smoothie really sweet, so sugar can be avoided. Now, isn't that SUWEEET!

Ingredients : (Makes 2 servings)

• Cold Milk - 2 cups
• Strawberries -3
• Raspberries - 1/4 cup
• Black berries - 1/4 cup
• Blueberries - 1/4 cup
• Fresh mango pieces - 1/2 cup
• Chiquita banana - 1
• Pitted bing cherries - 1/2 cup
• Ice cubes - optional

Directions :

• Blend all the ingredients in the blender and serve. (Blend in the ice cubes only if you want your drink exceptionally cold)

Luv 'n' luc'

Smitha

Vegetable patty/cutlets burger

There is a vast misconception among very many foreigners that all Indians are vegetarians. They are surprised to see us eat meat. I have had to answer many queries regarding this when I lived in Germany.

Anyway, even though we do have vegetarians and non-veggies,in India, we, ultimately, have the most number of vegetarian dishes than any other country in the world. I am sure, that is a fact.

I have an interesting tale that I want to share. Katrin, my German friend, had a male friend( who I will be referring to here as "HE") who accompanied her to India on a job transfer. It was a long term project of 2 years. German's are voracious pork eaters. Most of you would have heard of the famous German "WURST" and "WIENERS".

"HE" happened to stuff himself with all the pork, sausages and meat he could before he left Germany, and tom-tom-ed around that he was doing that because he was going to India. And because it was a country of vegetarians, he would not be able to eat meat for 2 long years. He doubted his survival in a country of vegetarians and was vexed at the thought of tasteless bland vegetarian food.

They landed in India and guess the surprise in store for him. Not one surprise, but two.
One, that there were meat eaters in India and secondly, "HE" was surprised at the variety of vegetarian foods available. " HE" absolutely, fell head over heels in love with India and Indian food. And here is a surprise for all of us............. "HE" returned to Germany, after his 2-year project, converted into a pure vegetarian since. " HE has learnt to play with spices and learned alot about Indian cuisine. He is as happy as ever.

So, the possibilities with vegetables are endless and here is one more item to prove that.

Ingredients:

• Boiled vegetables - 6 cups ( I've used 4 large potatoes, 3 large carrots, 15 green beans, 1-1/2 cup of peas, 1/2 cup chopped beetroot. You can use a few fresh baby spinach leaves too)
• Chopped Onions - 1/2 cup
• Chopped ginger and garlic- 4 tspns
• Chopped green chillis - to taste
• Garam masala- 2 tspns
• Coriander leaves (chopped)- 1 cup
• Turmeric - 1/8 tspn
• Salt- to taste
• Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup( plus an additional 2 cups for coating the cutlets before pan searing)
• Oil - scant 10 tbspns ( or more if shallow frying)
• Buns- as required
• Onion rings, tomato rings, fresh baby spinach leaves nad cheese slice-for assembling

Directions:

• In a pan, saute ginger, garlic and green chillis in 4 tbspns of oil over a low flame.
• Add onions and saute till translucent
• Add garam masala, turmeric, salt and saute for a couple of mins.
• Add the boiled vegetables and and mash lightly.
• Once the veggies and the spices are mixed well turn off the stove and add half a cup of bread crumbs to the mixture. Mix well and let the mixture cool.
• Once cooled, shape the veggie mixture into patties coating the patties with bread crumbs and pan sear them on a with a few drops of oil on each side. (If you prefer shallow frying the patties/cutlets you will need more oil)

Assembly:

• I like a double burger. So, this is how I assemble my burger. Cut buns into halves. Place one half on a platter, top it with a veggie patty, a ring of onion, a ring of tomato, a few leaves of fresh baby spinach, cheese, another patty and top it with the other half of the bun.
• I usually opt for whole wheat buns, but the white buns made it picture perfect :)
• Bon appetit
  

Note:
Here is another secret. Since, I hate ketchup, I use guacamole in my burgers instead. Believe me, it tastes scrumptious. Click here for a Guacamole recipe .
Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

Prawn Vindhali / Prawn curry

This is my very good and beautiful friend Priya, who lives in Philly. We've been friends from our college days. She visited India too, in December, when I was there. We met up with old friends and had a blast.

She gave me this wonderful recipe for prawn vindhali. She says it's a recipe from Thirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. It is a very simple and delicious dish. I tried it and loved it. Thought I must give her the credit for the recipe. So, kudos to you, Priya. And thanks a bundle pal :)




Ingredients:

• Cleaned prawns - 1 pound (abt. 1/2 kg)
• Vinegar - 4-5 tbspns
• Onion - 1 large (chopped)
• Garlic - 6-7 cloves (chopped)
• Ginger - 1 inch thick piece (chopped)
• Oil - 4-5 tbspns
• Red chillis - 10
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tspn
• Mustard seeds- 1-1/2 tspn
• Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
• Water - 1/4 cup
• Salt to taste

Directions:

• Lightly dry roast the red chillis, mustard and cumin seeds in a pan.
• Grind this to a paste with a 2-3 tbspns of vinegar (do not add water at all to this mixture)
• Marinate the prawns in this paste for about 30 mins.
• Heat oil in a pan and add onions, garlic and ginger and saute for 4-5 mins.
• Add turmeric powder.
• Add the marinated prawns, salt and vinegar and fry well.( For about 4-5 mins)
• Pour 1/4 cup of water, add curry leaves and allow it to simmer till the gravy becomes thick.
• Serve hot. Pairs well with rice .

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

An eye on your waist.........Guacamole with oven baked tortilla bites

I never make resolutions because they are hard to keep. All you strong-willed folks may be smirking at me. But, I do plan to stay active and fit this year. How about you guys? What have you planned for 2010? (Maybe, I'm too late in asking you this question, but just inquisitive)


These days , we hear so much about staying fit, eating healthy, reducing fat and sugar intake and so on. All this is important for the kind of stressful lifestyle we lead.

But, where do you start? And, how do you follow all the rules? You have to figure it out yourself. Personally, for me, it's all about portion control. I don't deprive myself of good food. But, I try to understand what's on my plate and how it will affect me. So, when I see cake, I don't run and hide. I enjoy a small slice rather than a large one. Similarly, fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains point fingers to good health. So, I opt for that kind of food too now a days.


With all due respect to those of you who have resolved to live healthy, here is the recipe for a very healthy snack.It is very comforting and helps you stay on track. It's scrumptious too. Avacadoes are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and monounsaturated fat that helps lower bad cholesterol.Guacamole is a mexican avacado dip.



Stay fit, stay healthy and Happy 2010.


Ingredients :(Serves 2)

• Whole wheat tortillas - 2 ( can substitute with chapatis)
• Ripe avacado - 1 ( avacado will be dark green when raw and black when ripe)
• Onions - 2 tbspns(fine chopped)
• Tomatoes - 1 tspn(fine chopped)
• Coriander leaves - 2 tsps
• Lemon juice - 1 tspn
• Low-fat yogurt - 1 tbspn
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tspn
• Salt and pepper - to taste.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F(149 C)
• Place tortillas or chapatis side by side on a tray. Do not let them overlap. Bake for 10 mins or till they are crisp like chips.
• Remove from oven.Let cool. They will be completely crisp. Break them into bite size pieces and set them aside on a serving platter.
• Peel and cut the avacado into small peices and coarsely mash with a fork.
• In a small mixing bowl, add the avacado and all the other ingredients and mix well.
• Transfer to a dipping bowl and serve.

Note: Never cook an avacado.Because of its high tannin content, the flesh turns bitter.
Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha

A BIG FAT HELLO TO ALL MY FRIENDS AFTER A LONG, LONG TIME

Hi everyone,

How have all of you been? Waiting to hear from all of you.

Me back after a very very short break ;) [ just 4 months]
My India trip was like one huge roller-coaster ride. It was a mix of fun and tension and alot of road trips and leisure and sunshine and intense heat. The best part was being with family and friends after a long time. And great news is that recession has not hit India as badly as it has here. India is booming. All I saw there was development, development and more development. Hurrah!

Now, being back here, and having just gotten over my jetlag, I've settled back to routine. Phew!
And happy to have missed the winter and come directly to spring.

Hopefully, I should be back to blogging soon . But truth is that laziness is taking over. I should push myself to get started. Will start that processs with immediate effect.
Ciao!

Luv 'n' luc'
Smitha