Mango Cheesecake

This is one of my favorite fruits season... yes yummy MANGOES :) A dessert with mangoes will always be my first pick in any buffet. I got this recipe from my cousin sister. This is a very easy and yummy recipe. Doesn't require any cooking. Just mixing and setting.

Ingredients: (10 servings)

1. Cottage cheese or grated paneer - 200 gm
2. Condensed milk - 400 gm
3. Gelatin - 4 tsp
4. Water - 75 ml
5. Fresh ripe mango mashed or cut into tiny pieces - 400 gm
6. Fresh cream - 100 gm
7. Mango essence - 1 tsp (optional)

Method:

1. Choose a serving dish to set the cheesecake, fill the dish with water and keep it in refrigerator. Allow the dish to get chilled.
2. Combine cottage cheese, condensed milk, mango pulp, fresh cream and essence in a bowl. Mix it with hand or a hand mixer to combine all ingredients. Do not grind the mixture, as the small pieces of mango gives a good texture and adds to the taste. Keep this aside.
3. Heat some water in a pan. Keep a small bowl in that pan. Add the gelatin and 75 ml of water to the small bowl and mix well till gelatin gets dissolved. This is called double boiling method.
4. Add the gelatin liquid to the mango mixture and mix thoroughly.
5. Take the chilled dish from the refrigerator, throw away the water. Pour the cheesecake mixture and set it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
6. Once the cheesecake is set, it is ready to serve.

Notes:

* I used Agar- agar instead of Gelatin to set the cheesecake, as I could not get Vegetarian Gelatin.
* Soak a cup of agar-agar in water for 30 minutes, drain it and boil it in 200 ml of water till the agar-agar gets dissolved completely.
* When using agar-agar, grind the cheesecake mixture ( except mango) in pulse mode along with agar-agar mixture in the blender/mixie a couple of times. then add the tiny mango pieces.
* Then pour this in the dish to set it in the refrigerator the same way.

Chicken frankie roll

I have been a fan of Tibb's Frankie when I was in Chennai. They make yummy chicken/veg/paneer frankie rolls. When I found the recipe for frankie roll in Vahrehvah.com I became excited and tried it. Now this dish has become a regular favorite dinner in our home at least twice a month :) The recipe for the chicken frankie roll can be found here : Vahrehvah.com

I also added some extra touches to the above recipe. I followed the exact recipe for the chicken stuffing. When making the rolls I added the following:

1. A spread of 1/2 tsp store bought Coriander chutney
2. Grind 3 to 4 green chillies with 2 tbsp of vinegar. If you make this 4 to 5 hrs ahead of making rolls , it's better. When making rolls, sprinkle 1/4 tsp of this chilly vinegar and then roll the roti. (Tibb's frankie roll has these).
3. I did not use eggs on the roti. Even then it tasted equally good.

These rolls are very filling. Two roti rolls are more than enough for one person. (Note: The picture shows one roll cut into halves). You can even make paneer or mixed vegetable filling for this recipe.

Podalangai poriyal / Snake gourd fry

Adding roasted dhalia gives a very nice taste to the podalangai. I love to have this with curd rice also with sambhar rice. 

Ingredients:

1. Podalangai/ Snake gourd - 1 lb/ 1/2 kg finely chopped
2. Onion - 1 no chopped
3. Green chilly - 2 nos slit
4. Curry leaves - few
5. Pottu kadalai / Roasted dhalia - 1/4 cup coarsely powdered
6. Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
8. Salt - as needed
9. Oil - 2 tsp
10. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
11. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
12. Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
13. Turmeric powder - a pinch

Method:

1. Heat oil in a vessel, fry the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dhal. When it splutters add curry leaves, green chillies and onions.
2. Add pinch of salt and turmeric powder and saute till onions turn slight brown.
3. Add the chopped podalangai, mix well and cook for 3 mins. Add required salt, chilly and coriander powder and 1/2 cup water, close the lid and cook for 10 to 15 mins till it becomes soft and well cooked. Mix once every 5 mins.

                                                                 Before adding dhalia

4. After the vegetable is well cooked and there is no moisture left, add powdered dhalia (pottu kadalai) and mix well.

                                                                 After adding dhalia

5. Cook without lid for 5 mins until the dhalia is roasted well and raw smell goes off.
6. Serve hot with rice as a side dish.

Pineapple Rava Kesari

I have had pineapple kesari in many weddings. Always love the flavor and aroma than normal kesari. Wanted to try this for a long time. Finally made it and it came out really yummy and tasty.

Ingredients:

1. Rava/ Sooji - 1 cup
2. Milk - 1 cup
3. Water - 2 cups
4. Pineapple chopped - 1/2 cup
5. Sugar - 3/4 cup
6. Ghee - 1 tbsp
7. Cashews - 5 nos
8. Raisins - 10 nos
9. Yellow food color - a pinch

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp ghee in a pan and roast the cashews and raisins till they turn light brown in color. Remove them and keep aside.
2. In the same pan , roast the rava till you get nice aroma and turn off the stove when it starts turning light brown.
3. Boil the milk in a separate vessel and keep aside.
4. Boil the water in a separate vessel. Add the pineapple pieces, food color and let them cook for few minutes. Add the rava little by little to the water. Keep stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Immediately add the hot boiled milk and keep stirring till rava gets cooked.
5. Add the sugar and keep stirring. When it gets thick, add remaining ghee on the sides.
6. Sprinkle the roasted cashews and raisins on top and serve hot.

The reason we add milk later is to avoid curdling of milk. You can also avoid adding milk and use only water.

Yummy and Easy Fish Pulav

Ingredients:

1. Fish fillets - 250 gm / 1/2 lb
2. Basmati Rice - 1 cup
3. Onion - 1 small or medium thinly sliced
4. Green chilly - 1 slit
5. Mint/Pudina leaves - 5 (optional)
6. Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
7. Garam masala - 1 tsp
8. Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Briyani masala (Store brought) - 1/4 tsp (This is optional)
11. Salt - as needed
12. Coconut milk - 3/4 cup
13. Tomato puree - 1/4 cup
14. Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. You need fish fillets without any bones (I used Tilapia fillet). Or choose some fish which has less bones and more flesh like Spanish Mackerel (Vanjaram meen in Tamil) or Pompano (Vavvaal meen in Tamil).
2. Add garam masala, chilly powder, cumin powder, briyani masala (optional), salt (enough for the fish alone) to the fish pieces and mix well. Keep them aside to marinate.

                                                               Marinated fish pieces 

3. Heat oil in a vessel which is big enough to cook the rice. When oil is hot add the green chilly, mint leaves, sliced onions and saute till onions turn translucent. Then add ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell goes off.
4. We need 2 cups of liquid to cook 1 cup of rice. So add 1 cup water + 1/4 cup tomato puree + 3/4 cup coconut milk = 2 cups liquid. Add all these to the onions. Add 1 tsp salt for the rice.
5. Add rice into the vessel and give a quick mix. Now place the fish pieces on top of the rice. Do not mix.

                                                       Fish pieces places on top of rice

6. Let them come to a boil. Now reduce flame to low and close the lid. Cook for 15 to 17 mins. Do not open or mix in between.
7. Once rice is cooked, remove the fish pieces into a cup. Just chop them into small pieces using a spoon. (If you used fish with bones, make sure you remove the bones and skin before this step)Add this to the rice and mix carefully without breaking the cooked rice.
8. Serve hot with raita and fried fish.

This dish can be made in less than 30 minutes. And it tastes so good. I learnt this recipe so many years back from a TV cookery show. This recipe can also be cooked in a electric rice cooker, which has a steam attachment on top. You can place the fish in the steamer attachment above the rice. The juices in the fish will fall down through the holes in the steamer. Since I don't have an electric cooker, I cooked it in a normal vessel. 

Meen Varuval - Fish fry

Ingredients:

1. Fish slices - 4
2. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
3. Coriander powder - 3/4 tsp
4. Turmeric powder, Cumin powder - a pinch
5. Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
6. Salt - 1/2 tsp
7. Oil - 1.5 tsp

Method:

1. Clean the fish slices, drain excess water.
2. Mix all ingredients except fish with few drops of water and make a thick paste. Apply on the fish slices on both sides. Marinate for 30 mins to 1 hour.
3. Heat a pan with oil. Coat it well with oil. Once the pan is hot, place the fish slices on it. Cook on medium flame.
4. After the fish starts turning white on top, flip the fish to other side. Fry until it gets cooked and becomes little crisp on other side too.
5. Place on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve hot.

I used Vavvaal/ Vaaval meen (also called Pomfret/ Pompano). This is one of the most tastiest fish. The ginger garlic marinate goes well with this fish especially. For other fishes, you can avoid ginger garlic paste and add the remaining spices if you like.

                                

                               

Banana parfait - Healthy low fat dessert

This is a recipe which I created by combining ideas from 2 recipes - Banana flambe and Parfait. It is a healthy, guilt- free dessert. So enjoy :-)

Serves - 2

Ingredients:

1. Ripe banana - 1 no
2. Sugar - 2 tbsp
3. Butter - 1/2 tsp (optional)
4. Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Granola - 5 tbsp
6. Honey - 2 tsp
7. Greek yogurt or Thick normal yogurt - 6 tbsp

Method:

1. Peel and slit the bananas lengthwise and then into halves. You should have 4 pieces totally.
2. Heat a pan with butter. Add the sugar, give a quick mix and allow it to start caramelize. You can add few drops of water.
3. Add the banana slices in the caramel. Sprinkle cinnamon powder. After 2 mins flip the bananas. Make sure you don't mash them. Once it gets coated with the caramel and softens, remove it from the stove.
4. Take a serving cup. Add 2 slices of the cooked banana on the bottom. Then add a layer of granola. Then a layer of yogurt and drizzle honey on top. Can decorate with a cherry on top and serve.

Note: Parfait is usually made with fresh fruits. My husband and I usually have parfait with fresh banana slices (Not sauteed) when we have cravings for dessert at nights. I wondered how caramelized banana will taste. It was really good with yogurt. You can add more richness to this dessert by substituting ice-cream for yogurt. Kids will love that :)