Baklava

Baklava is a popular and very tasty sweet pastry in Middle Eastern,Persian and Arab cuisines.

Ingredients:

Almonds - 1 cup fine chopped
Walnuts - 1 cup fine chopped
Phyllo dough package- 1 (16 ounce)
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 1 cup
Sugar- 2 tbsp

For the Syrup:


Water - 1cup
Sugar - 1cup
Honey - 1/2 cup
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Vanilla Essence or Rose water - 1 tbsp

Preparation Method:


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C).
2. Mix almonds, walnuts,  cinnamon powder and sugar. set aside.
3. Melt butter  for brushing the filo sheets.
4. Unroll phyllo and cut whole stack in half to fit the dish.
5. Cover phyllo with a damp cloth while assembling the baklava, to keep it from drying out.
6. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9*13 inch baking pan.
7. For the first layer,Place one sheet of dough in pan,brush with butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets  layered .  Fold it over if necessary to fit in the pan.
8. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture on top.
9. put 2 sheets on top of this mixture,brush with butter  and sprinkle the mixture.Repeat this process until all the mix is used ending with 8 sheets for the top layer.
10. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan.Bake for 40  to 50 minutes or until the baklava gets crisp and golden.
11. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
12. Remove the baklava from the oven and immediately spoon the syrup over it. Let it cool completely before serving. No need to refridgerate.Can be stored for 10 days.

Cabbage kootu

Ingredients:

Cabbage : 2 cups(finely chopped)

Channa dal : 1/2 cup

Onion : 1/2(finely chopped)

Tomato : 1 medium

Green chilies : 3(according to your spice level)

Curry leaves : few

Oil : 2 tsp

Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp

Fennel seeds : 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds : 1 tsp

Asafoaetida : a pinch

Ghee : 1 tbsp

Coconut : 2 to3tbsp(grated)

Ginger : 1 tsp (crushed or finely chopped)

Salt : according to your taste

Method of Preparation:


1.Soak the channa dal for 30 minutes.

2.Pressure cook the soaked channa dal with onions ,chopped tomato, green chilies, ginger, turmeric powder , salt and a cup of water in to it.Add a 2 tsp of oil on top of it and close the lid .

3.Pressure cook the dal for 2 whistles ,now add cabbage to the dal and pressure cook again for 2 more whistles.

4.Add the grated coconut.

5. Now heat 1tbsp ghee or oil in a pan,add mustard seeds,fennel seeds.curry leaves,asafoetida and let it spultter and add this to the chandal and cabbage mix.

Goes well with chapathi and rice.

Spicy Vegetable Pulav

Method:
Basmathi rice - 1 cup
Mixed dced vegetables - 2cups
 (Potatoes,carrot,beans,cauliflower etc.)
Fresh peas - 3Ttbl. sps.
Oil and ghee - 3 Tbl.sps
Onion - 1 big cut lenthwise
Coconut extract - 1 cup
Tomato pulp - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Salt - as required
Ginger - garlic paste - 1 tsp

Grind Together :1
Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch
Cashews - 10
Grind Together :2
Green Chillies - 6 to 7(small)
poopy seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Garlic - 3 flakes
Ani seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Grated fresh coconut - 2 Tbl.sps.
Cardamoms - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
Cloves - 2
For garnishing:
Cashewnuts - 1 Tbl.sp
Mint leaves - 2 Tbl.sps.
Lemon - 1
Method:
wash and soak rice for 10 min.Drain water completely.Heat a tsp of ghee and fry rice for 2 min.peel and cut vegetables.Mix coconut extract,tomato pulp and water.

                             Heat a pressure cooker,add ghee and oil.Fry masala spieces and then onions.Add ginger-garlic paste and other vegetables.fry until vegetables become tender.Sprinkle little water if necessary.Continue frying with masala paste-2,till good smell comes.Pour coconut extract,tomato juice and water.When it starts boiling add salt and masala paste 1,rice and pressure cook for 10 to 12 min in low flame.(here u can use rice cooker also by transferring all in to it).After removing the lid gently mix cut mint ,lime juice and little bit ghee.Serve hot garnished with fried cashewnuts

 

Pappu Pulusu without vegetables

Ingredients:


Toor dal- 1/3 cup

Cumin seeds/jeera- 1 tsp

Peppercorns- 10 nos

Fenugreek seeds-1 tsp

Red chillies- 5 nos

vadiyam- 1/3 ball

Medium  Onion -1

Tomato- 1

Garlic- 3 cloves

 Oil- 1 tbsp

Tamarind – Lemon size

In a pressure cooker , heat the oil, sputter the vadiyam, pepper, jeera, fenugreek seeds,chillies in the order mentioned. Then , add the dall and fry it till golden yellow. Add adequate water , cook with onion, garlic and tomato. When cooked well, add salt and tamarind and give a stir with hand blender . The tasty pappu pulusu is ready.

Beetroot Halwa

Ingredients:

Beetroot, grated - 3 cups

Milk or half and half - 1 1/2 cups

Ghee - 3 to 4 tbsp

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Cashew nuts broken - 10-15

Raisins - 10

Salt - pinch

1/2 tsp cardamom powder



Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan over medium high heat. Add the grated beetroot and fry until the raw smell goes away.

2. Now, add the milk, salt and sugar. Lower the heat to medium and allow it to cook until all the liquid is evaporated. Stir occasionally. This may take around 15-20 minutes, As the mixture thickens, add 1 tbsp of ghee .

3. Turn  off of the pan. In another pan, heat 1 tbsp ghee and fry the raisins and cashews until the cashews are golden and the raisins plump up. Add to the halwa with cardamom powder. Stir well and serve hot!