Monday, May 15, 2017

Caramel payasam recipe | Payasam recipes

Caramel payasam recipe with video

Caramel payasam | caramel kheer, is similar to the paal payasam recipe, with 3 major ingredients, but with a variation of caramelising the sugar. I have this payasam tried few times but i chose to post it today to celebrate a special event. Yes, my in laws are celebrating their 50th Wedding anniversary today. Yesterday they had a small get together in Chennai. As things were planned in the last minute i couldn't join the event. But my husband and his 2 brothers were there with them on this special occasion. So this caramel payasam comes as a virtual treat for them.
Check out my rice kheer recipe.
caramel paal payasam


Caramel payasam recipe

  Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 35 Mins |Serves: 5-6

    Full cream Milk  4 cups
     Sugar  1/2 cup
     Nuts  to garnish (optional)
     Raw rice or millets or basmati rice  3 tbslp
     Salt  a pinch
                                        Video of how to make caramel payasam
          

     


Caramel paal- payasam
Method:
  For this recipe pressure cooker works out well. If needed grease a pressure cooker with ghee. Though i don't do it i have seen my mami doing this.
  • Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes. You can use millets or basmati rice. Even seeraga samba rice works out well.
  • Add 1/4 cup of sugar into the cooker. Do not add water. Keep the flame medium.
caramel paal payasam 1
  • Let the sugar caramalise and turn into golden brown, amber colour. 
  • Do not stir it often. Just keep a close eye on this. 
  • Once the sugar starts turning out golden colour, immediately pour the milk. 
caramel paal payasam 2
  • Better switch off the flame and pour the milk. You can add the raw milk. Be careful as it may splutter.
  • Stir it once. You may find some sugar sticking to the bottom but do not worry, it will be ok once it is done.
  • Drain the water from soaked rice and add it to the milk.
caramel paal payasam 3
  • Cover the lid of the cooker and give one whistle. Sometimes it may flow. 
  • After one whistle, keep the flame in the lowest possible flame.
  •  If your stove do not have this  option, heat a dosa pan and put the cooker on the top of the pan.  Keep in low flame and let it sit for 30 minutes.
  • Switch off the flame. Once the pressure completely subsides open the cooker.
  • Add 1/4 cup of sugar, If you need the caramel payasam more sweeter add few more tblsp of  extra sugar.
caramel paal payasam 4
  • Stir it well.
  • Add a pinch of salt. This balances the sweetness and the slight bitterness of the caramel. Thank you raji for giving me this tip. 
  • Garnish with nuts. I used almonds and pistachios.
caramel paal payasam 5
  • We generally don't add cardamom in paal payasam. I feel the overpowering flavour of cardamom suppress the caramel flavour. 
Caramel- kheer
Notes:
  1. When you add sugar in the beginning for caramelisation, keep the flame medium. Once you see the light golden brown colour, be alert and it will immediately turn amber /honey colour. 
  2. If you feel the basmati rice is big pulse it once in a mixie  and then soak it and add.
  3. For me 1/2 cup sugar was just perfect but if you want some more sugar add it some more.
  4. The entire payasam can be made on a heavy bottomed vessel. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour on a low flame like how we make the kerala payasam
  5. Enjoy the caramel payasam | caramel kheer, hot or chilled. Both ways it taste yum.
    

Friday, May 12, 2017

Rose milk shake recipe | Milkshake with ice cream

Rose milk shake recipe is influenced by Sri krishna sweets and MTR rose badam drink. I am a huge fan of rose milk from my childhood. Amma used to make this for us almost everyday in summer. We used to make rose milk popsicle in freezer trays and enjoy during summer vacation. Whenever i travel to Chennai, i buy this Rose badam drink bottle in Sri Krishna sweets and but Madras Mixture for kids as they are a big fan of that. I wanted to make it simple and serve it as a milkshake. I added few more nuts apart from badam. It tasted so yummy and kids loved it too. Check out my badam milkshake. 

Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Spicy Masala poori recipe | Travel friendly recipes

Spicy masala poori, i happened to taste this for the first time in our Europe trip last year. We landed in London and from there took a package holiday trip to Europe. The travel of 9 days was with a group of 40 people. Among that there is one big Gujarati family from US and also people from other parts of the world were there. The entire trip was awesome filled with joy,music and of course food. The gujarati family packed a whole lot of chivda and masala pooris and distributed to all of us during the entire trip. I have already posted the chivda recipe and since it is holiday season, i thought i will post the masala poori recipe too. It is a deep fried poori, which stays good for 2-3 days, but in the excellent weather of Europe it stayed good for 10 days. If you are making long train journeys, as khakras and dosas  this is also a perfect one.

Monday, May 8, 2017

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins | Eggless baking recipes

Whole wheat chocolate chip muffins i recently came across in a facebook forum and tried it last week for kids snack box. If you are following jeyashirs kitchen on Instagram, you must have seen this in my story. As varsha bakes a lot now a days, it has been a long time since i baked anything. This eggless muffins was loved by kids and i thought i will make it again and post the recipe in jeyashri's kitchen. As the summer holidays are on, you can make this for kids and ask them to help you out in the kitchen too. Check out my eggless baking recipes. 
Whole wheat muffins

Friday, May 5, 2017

Kadamba chutney recipe | Vegetable chutney

Kadamba chutney | vegetable chutney is a easy South Indian chutney recipe, made with mixed vegetables. When amma was living in an apartment few years agao, they used to celebrate a festival there. During that time, there will be bulk cooking in a common place for all of them. On the last the day of the festival, they made this kadmaba chutney with all the left over veggies. Hooked by the taste of chutney she asked for the recipe and noted down too. Though i have heard the recipe from her, never attempted to make it at home. Few weeks while clearing up the refrigerator, i tried out this chutney. We all loved it with idli and dosa. Yesterday made this again for the posting this recipe of kadamba chutney in jeyashirs kitchen. Check out my full collection of chutney recipes.
Scroll down to read the notes section to see tips for variation.
kadamba chutney

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Coconut milk pulao recipe | Thengai paal sadam

coconut milk- pulao
 Coconut milk pulao is a simple pulao recipe, where the basmati rice is cooked with aromatic spices and coconut milk, served with a spicy gravy. Amma rarely makes this thengai paal sadam, which she learnt from her friend. But we will look forward to this yummy rice and the combo at our home with be spicy aloo subzi. I still remember one of those rainy days, after i delivered Varun, i pestered amma to make this combo of coconut milk pulao and aloo subzi, and literally feasted on it. I used store bought coconut milk. You can use home made coconut milk too. 

Monday, May 1, 2017

Mixed Veg Raita | Thayir pachadi | South Indian raita recipes

Mixed veg raita | Thayir pachadi, a simple South Indian style raita made with a mix of raw veggies, pairs well with rice, parathas and can be consumed as it is too. As the summer is in peak,raitas are a part of our of daily lunch menu. I have already posted few raita recipes in jeyashris kitchen. I made this mixed veg raita today to pair with bisi bela bath, the meal i posted in my instagram page today.

Mixed veg raita

  Preparation Time : 15 mins | Cooking Time : 2 Mins |Serves: 3-4

     Mixed Vegetables*   1/2 cup
     Chilled yogurt  1 cup
     Salt  as needed
     Sugar  1/4 tsp
     Mustard seeds   1/4 tsp
     Oil  1 tsp
     Urad dal  1/4 tsp
     Green chili  1
     Curry leaves   few
     Asafoetida  a pinch
    Coriander leaves   few 
 *I used carrot, cabbage, capsicum,tomato and cucumber.
You can add onions and radish too.    
                                                  Video of mixed veg raita 
                


Mixed veg raita
Method:
  • In a wide bowl add chilled yogurt. Whisk it without any lumps. 
  • If the curd is sour, add 1-2 tblsp of cold milk.
mixed veg raita 1
  • Add salt and sugar. 
  • Finely chop all the veggies. Alternatively you can grate carrot and cucumber too.
  • Mix well.
mixed veg raita 2
  • Just before serving, temper the mustard seeds, slit green chilies, urad dal, asafoetida and curry leaves in 1 tsp oil.
mixed veg raita 3
  • Add chopped coriander leaves.
  • Mix well.
  • Serve immediately. 
mixed veg raita 4
  • You can have this mixed veg raita with any rice variety like sambar sadam, tomato rice, puliyodarai.
Thayir pachadi
Notes:
  1. Ensure that the yogurt is chilled.
  2. If it is sour add 1-2 tblsp of cold milk to this.
  3. If the yogurt is not too thick, put this in a clean cloth or a tea strainer and filter the water.
  4. Give the tempering just before serving. The urad dal should be crunchy.
  5. You can add grated ginger to the tempering.
    

Thursday, April 27, 2017

Veg saagu recipe | Mixed veg sagu

Veg sagu is a kannadiga special recipe made with lots of vegetables in aromatic gravy with Indian spices. Though i have never tasted Veg sagu in MTR restaurant here, i have tasted this in my friend's place long back but couldn't remember the taste. A reader and good friend of mine shared her traditional recipe of making Veg saagu with me. I tried it yesterday and we all loved it. This veg sagu pairs well with set dosa and poori. 


Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Teh tarik recipe | Condensed milk tea

Teh-tarik

Teh tarik, the term i heard it first when i moved to Singapore. It is nothing but our tea with condensed milk. They don't use milk for making this tea. In the local Kopitiam(cafe) language it is called Teh . This a popular Malaysian beverage. The terms they use for different beverages are quite unique and you should really know the Kopitiam language before placing the order. Though i live here for almost 9 years now, i never visited any local food court Kopitiams. Few years back i had Teh tarik, when we went with a group of friends to toast box, after a morning run. When we were kids, amma used to make tea with milk and whenever we have condensed milk at home, after making some kheers, she will pour some hot water to the tin and add it to the boiling milk tea. This tea will be thick and the taste will be awesome. Those days buying condensed milk is very rare and we will look forward to that too.
 Very recently, when i accompanied one of our friend to a hospital, after the consultation, we went to the Kopitiam inside the hospital campus. I ordered this Teh  and since it was an open kitchen, saw the guy making the tea. He made it in 2 minutes and it really tasted very nice. I had a tin of condensed milk at home and tried it this morning. I could say it tasted so perfect to the one served in the cafe. When you plan to make any payasam recipe using condensed milk, try out this teh at home.
In traditional teh tarik, after adding all the ingredients they will bring it to froth, which they call pulled tea. But i haven't seen that here in Singapore,but feel free to froth it up if you wish that way.
Disclaimer: I don't claim that it is the authentic way of making Teh tarik. If you have any tips or variations on this recipe please share in comments section

Friday, April 21, 2017

Corn kebab recipe | Corn kabab

Corn kebab | corn kabab recipe i tried for the first time during the kids term break. When i called Varun's friends for a lunch at home, i made corn kebab and paneer pizza for the boys. The kebabs were vanished in no time. I have posted corn cheese balls in jeyashris kitchen but these corn kebabs are not there. I made this yesterday and clicked the pictures. I wanted to take a video of corn kebab recipe but couldn't make it. Will upload an video when i make it next time. Check out my Hara bhara kebab recipe with video. 
Please check the notes section to see more healthy variations.
Corn-kebab