Mutton curry for my 50th post....:)

Ingredients:

1. Mutton - 1 kg

2. Onion - 2 (sliced)

3. Shallots - 6 (sliced)

4. Ginger - 2" (chopped)

5. Green chillies - 3 (chopped)

6. Garlic - 4 cloves (chopped)

7. Chilli powder - 1 tsp

8. Coriander powder - 2 1/2 tsp

9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

10. Garam masala - 1 tsp

11. Tomato - 2 (chopped)

12. Cilantro - 4 tbsp (chopped)

13. Water - 1 cup

14. Coconut oil

15. Salt to taste

To temper:

1. Mustards seeds - 1/2 tsp

2. Shallots - 6 (sliced)

3. Dried red chillies - 2

4. Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

1. Saute ginger, garlic and green chilli.
2. Add onions and continue till it gets light brown in color.
3. Add tomato and mix well. Move everything from the center to the side and pour some coconut oil in the middle. Add the powders and stir in the center till the raw smell goes.
4. Combine everything and stir well. Continue cooking till the tomato are all mushed up.
5. Add and cup of water and mutton into this. Cover and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
6. Add garam masala and pressure cook for one or more whistle depending on the meat.
7. If the gravy is watery, cook open on high flame. Continue till the gravy has become thick and dark brown in color.
8. In another pan splutter mustards and dried red chillies. Add shallots and curry leaves. Saute till it gets brown in color and pour over the curry. Mix well.
9. Garnish with cilantro and cover the dish and let stand for 30 minutes.

Tuna sandwich

Ingredients:

1. Canned Tuna - 12oz drained (I used chunk light tuna in water)

2. Mayonaise - 4 tbsp

3. Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp

4. Onion - 1/4 onion(finely chopped)

5. Cilantro - 3 tbsp (finely chopped)

6. Green chilli - 1 (chopped)

7. Pepper

 Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and make a sandwich. Enjoy it with some chips!

Bruschetta

Ingredients
1. French bread or any Italian bread - 1 (Sliced 1 inch thick)
2. Fresh Basil leaves- 4 springs(I did not have fresh basil in hand and used dried basil instead, around - 1 tsp)
3. Red bell pepper - 1 (finely chopped)
4. Plum tomatoes - 2( deseeded and finely chopped)
5. Rosemary - 1 tsp(fresh or dried)
6. Mozzarella cheese - 1/4 cup(shredded)
7. Garlic - 2 cloves
8. EVOO - 2tbsp
9. Ground pepper
10. Salt to taste

1. Preheat the broiler. Slice the baguette and line them up on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with some extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2. Broil the bread for a min on the upper shelf till it turns light brown, be careful not to burn the bread, remove and set the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. In a bowl, mix the basil leaves, remaining olive oil, rosemary, chopped tomatoes and red bell pepper and season with salt and pepper.
4. Rub garlic on one side of the bread.
5. Spread one tablespoon of the tomato mixture on each piece and top it with shredded mozzarella. 
6. Place bread back in oven and melt cheese slightly.
7. Serve hot.

Strawberry cream cake for our 4th Anniversary!

Thrissur style Pork Varattiyathu

Ingredients :

1. Pork - 3 lbs (Choose meat with significant amount of fat)

2. Onion - 1/2 of a big onion

3. Garlic - 3 cloves(chopped)

4. Ginger - 2 inch (sliced)

5. Green chilly - 2(sliced)

6. Coriander powder - 2 tbsp (heaped)

7. Garam masala - 1 tbsp

8. Chilli powder - 1 tsp

9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

10. Salt to taste

To Roast and grind:

1. Shredded coconut - 4 tbsp

2. Cinammon - 2 2"stick

3. Cardamom - 3

4. Cloves - 5

5. Fennel seeds - 1 tbsp

6. Pepper- 1 tsp

To fry:

1. Garlic - 4 cloves

2. Poppy seeds - 1 tsp

1. Marinate the Pork with ingredients 2 to 10 and set aside for minimum 1 hour.
2. Cover and cook the pork till the meat is done.(Do not use pressure cooker)
3. Dry roast the coconut with the spices till get becomes a dark brown  color and grind to a fine paste without using water. Use a spice grinder for this. You will get a dark brown oily paste.
4. Once the meat is cooked, put the flame on high and reduce the liquid.
5. When all the liquid has evaporated, turn down the flame and add the roast coconut- spice paste.
6. Continue cooking on low flame till the meat has browned well.
7. If you have more fat in the dish, remove some into a pan and saute the garlic and poppy seeds and pour it back to the dish. Mix well and saute again for 10 minutes.
    If there is not much fat in the dish, use coconut oil to saute the garlic and poppy seeds.

Whole wheat Banana Bread

Ingredients

1. Ripe banana - 3
2. Whole wheat flour - 2 cups
3. Sugar - 1 cup
4. Eggs - 2
5. Butter - 1 stick
6. Baking soda - 1 tsp
7. Baking powder - 1 tsp
8. Milk - 2 tbsp
9. Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
10. Chopped Walnuts/pecans- 3/4 cup(optional)
11. Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp
11. Salt - 1/2 tsp


1. Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
3. In another bowl, mash the bananas with a fork with milk, cinnamon powder and vanilla essence.
4. Add this to the butter mixture.
5. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
6. Add to the wet mixture and combine well with a spatula.
7. Add the nuts. Mix well.
8. Pour the mixture into a buttered loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes or till a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.