Snackable Aval

Feeling lazy in d evening but still feel like a spicy-salty-sweet snack? Then this is for you. Best part is that this can be stocked up.

Ingredients:

Aval / Rice flakes - 1 cup (substitute with pori/puffed rice)

Peanuts - 1/2 cup

Cashew nuts - 2 tsp

Raisins - 2 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Chilli powder - A pinch

Turmeric powder - A pinch

Heing (Kayam) - A pinch

Sugar  - 1 tsp

Salt - As per taste

Method:

Roast Aval in oil for about 3 mins. By then it will become a lil crisp. Now transfer it to a plate and roast peanuts n cashewnuts in about 1 tsp oil.   After a couple of minutes, add curry leaves. Once it turns stiff, add raisins. Stir fry for a minute. Add salt, heing and turmeric powder. Mix well. Add the previously roasted aval to this and mix again. Sprinkle chilli powder and sugar. Let cool. Time for tea :)

Apple Jam

We always stock up on bread at home, and I never do prefer it much. But today, I really fancied a bread-jam sandwich. And there was no jam. Phew! I googled for easy jam recipes, and came across this super-easy apple jam recipe.

Ingredients

Apple - 1 medium-sized

Sugar - 4 tbsp

Lime  - 1 tbsp

Method:

Peel and grate the apple. Mix this with sugar in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 2 mins. Take it out, mix well and microwave again for another 1 minute. At this point, it became one of 'jammy' consistency for me. If not, microwave again (upon close watch!).

Once done, add the lime juice, mix well and let it cool. 

And my first jam was ready. Though I have taken a pic of it, I have not uploaded it. Will soon do that. Meanwhile, my bread-jam combo is waiting for me :)

Shrimp Masala

Had some shrimp in the freezer, and really wanted to try something with it and ended up with shrimp masala for lunch.

Ingredients:
Shrimp - 25-30 medium sized
Onion - 1 medium
Tomato - 1 small, cubed
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - one spring
Coriander leaves - For garnish

Method:
Saute onions until brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for another minute. Add tomatoes at this point and saute again until tomatoes are cooked. Once this mixture is ready, let it cool and then blend it without adding water(or minimal water).
In the meantime, stir fry the prawns adding the powders in a tbsp of oil. You may even add a slit green chilly if you feel like it. Once the raw smell is gone, add the blended mixture and let it cook. Once the prawns are cooked, add the curry leaves and let it simmer for a minute. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Little Hearts

Ingredients :
Puff Pastry sheet - 1
Sugar - 4 tbsp

Roll out the puff pastry sheet. Sprinkle sugar on top. Roll it gently so that the sugar gets incorporated and do the same on the other side. And now its time for rolling. Roll as per the image below and cut them with a knife.
Bake at 400F for 8 minutes. Let them cool for 5-6 minutes and then turn them around and bake again for additional 4-5 minutes. And lo, little hearts are all set to be devoured :)

The above image is something I found online,  and this is how my own lil hearts turned out to be :)

Easy Parippu Curry

Well... do you forget to but tomatoes every now and then and then think of what curry to make for lunch? This one is a saviour. Very simple and very Kerala-ish.

Ingredients:
Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
Grate coconut - 1/4 cup
Jeera - 1/4 tsp
Green Chilly - 2
Pearl onion - 8-10
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - Half a spring
Salt - As per taste

Recipe
Pressure cook dal with turmeric powder, green chillies, 4 pearl onions and salt.  Blend coconut with jeera. Once dal is cooked, add blended coconut mixture and bring it to a boil. Once cooked, add tadka with mustard seeds, curry leave, remaining pearl onions and red chillies.

And lo, you are done :)