Baked Apple Cinnamon French Toast

I got a pack of King's Hawaian sweet rolls in Costco, saw this breakfast recipe in their website and followed the same.

Ingredients

King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread - 9 (If using normal bread, take 4-5 slices, cut into 1-inch cubes)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
1/2 of a large apple, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tbsp. butter
Method

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Place bread cubes in greased 8x8-inch baking dish.
3. Combine eggs, milk, 2 tbsp. of sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon in medium bowl; mix well.
4. Pour half the egg mixture evenly over bread cubes. Cover top with apple slices.
5. Pour remaining egg mixture over apple slices.
6. Mix remaining 2tbsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon together in small bowl; sprinkle evenly over apples. Dot with butter.
7. Bake 40-45 minutes until knife inserted in centre comes out clean.

Serve warm with syrup or honey or plain. We got some left-over, and personally I felt the toast was more tastier the next day! ;)

Drumstick Leaves Adai / Indian Style Protein Crepes

Ingredients
Brown rice/ Boiled rice - 3/4cup
lentils, combined -3/4cup ( I've used toor dal,channa dal, whole masoor dal, whole moong dal, whole urad dal, red beans, mattar ki dal [split yellow peas] and black eyed peas)
Red chillies -4
Cumin seeds - 1teaspoon
Drumstick leaves - one fist full
Chopped onion - 1/4cup (optional)
Chopped green chilly-1(optional)
Chopped cilantro - 1tablespoon (optional)

Hing/Asafotida -1/4 teaspoon
Oil
Salt

Method
Wash and soak the dals, rice and red chilly to gather for 2-3 hours. Grind it with cumin seeds and little water to a thick batter.

(You can continue the process right away. But I kept the batter for 2 hours then proceeded) Add cleaned and washed drumstick leaves, chopped onion, g.chilly, cilantro and hing. Add enough salt, add little more water,mix everything well.

Heat a griddle on low medium heat. Pour one big laddle of Adai batter and spread it into thick crepe. (It won't come as thin as dosa). Sprinkle oil, once it turns golden in colour at the bottom, flip it over. Sprinkle little more oil (if desired! ;) ) and take it out once its cooked on both sides.
Crisp and yummy drumstick leaves adai is ready to serve. Traditionally adai is served with avial / butter / Jaggery. You can have them with chutney of your choice.

I served it with mild avial and spicy chutney!

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Linking this to "Show me your Hits" , event started be Sangeetha and presently hosted at Julie's "Erivum Puliyum"

Gulab Jamun

Ingredients
Non-fat dry milk powder - 1/2 cup
All purpose flour - 3 tablespoons
Baking soda - a pinch
Baking powder - a generous pinch
Half & half milk - 1/4 cup (approximately)
Sugar -1 cup
Elaichi -2
Oil - to deep fry the jamuns

Method
Mix the milk powder - all purpose flour - baking powder - baking soda. Sieve it once or twice.
Sprinkle half & half milk little by little, don't knead it too much..just mix it and keep aside for 5-10 minutes.

Now pinch small portion of dough and make smooth balls. Now you can press the dough to bring it to a smooth pieces without cracks.

Heat oil on low medium heat. Fry the jamun's carefully by swirling the pan often for the uniform golden colour on the jamuns.

Take them out and keep it on a paper towel to absorb excess oil for about a minute.
Before you start frying the jamuns, make the sugar syrup by combining sugar with 1/2 cup of water. Reduce the flame to low once the syrup starts boiling, and put off the flame after 5 minutes. Keep an eye that syrup is warm all the time.
Add the warm jamuns to the warm sugar syrup. Note that the syrup should also be warm/hot.
Repeat and finish off all jamuns. Let them soak in the syrup for 2-3 hours.
Enjoy it as such, or chilled or with ice-cream. If serving with Ice-cream, take the jamuns in the serving bowl, warm it in microwave for 10 -15 seconds, and serve it ice-cream on top.

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This happens to be my 200th post! A big thanks to all my readers and friends for your continuous support and encouragement! Enjoy these yummy jamuns as a small note of Big Thanks!
:) :) :)
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Spicy Egg fry

Ingredients
Hard Boiled eggs-3
Onion-1
Tomato(small)-1
Curry powder-11/2teaspoons [I've used MDH Madras curry powder]
Salt
Few curry leaves

To coarsely grind
Cumin seeds-1teaspoon
Coriander seeds-1teaspoon
Pepper corns-1teaspoon

Method
Heat oil in a pan, add the onions-curry leaves and sauté for a minute. Then add the tomatoes and cook till it becomes soft n mushy.
Add the curry powder-salt and mix it well.
Now add the hard boiled (eggs cut into half), mix it gently and cook on low heat for 3-4 minutes.
Finally add the powdered spices, gently mix it, reduce the heat to low, put off the flame after a minute or two.
Hot n spicy egg fries are ready! Enjoy it with your rice/roti/pulao of your choice.
We had it with vegetable biriyani.



Sending this recipe to Bachelor's Feast event happening at Jaleelaa akkaa's Samaiyal attakaasam

Coconut Bun / Thenga Bun

This is a famous snack back home, you can find these soft and sweet coconut stuffed buns in almost every bakery. I have tried it several times at home and finally this time am satisfied with the outcome, and here comes the egg-less version of the coconut bun from my kitchen. :)

Ingredients
All purpose flour/ Maida -11/4cup
Rapid rise yeast-1teasppon
Sugar-4teaspoons
Salt-1/2teaspoons
Warm milk-1/2cup
Warm water - 3 tablespoons
Olive oil - 2teaspoon
Butter -2 teaspoon

Stuffing
Sweetened coconut flakes -1/2cup
Sugar -1/4cup
Nuts (Cashew, Almond)- 1/4cup
Raisins- 15
Ghee-2teaspoons
Method
Heat ghee,roast the nuts n raisins, keep it aside.
Combine the coconut flakes and sugar, cook on low heat,till the sugar melts down and put off the flame.

Combine flour, yeast, sugar, salt in a wide bowl. Add the warm milk and
start kneading. Add water little by little and make soft,elastic
dough. Add the olive oil n knead for few more minutes. Keep the dough
in a greased bowl and let it rise for about 90minutes.

Punch the dough, flatten it into a round disc.(say 12-15cm diameter),
spread the stuffing, pull the edges of the disc together and make a
ball. Flatten it to fit an 8x8 greased pan, let it rise for one more
hour.
Preheat the oven to 375F, brush the raised bun with little butter,
bake the bun for approximately 35 minutes. Take it out, give a quick
butter/ghee wash, let it cool half an hour. Cut into desire shapes n enjoy!

Note

• Here I have used sweetened coconut flakes, instead you can use desiccated coconut flakes, in that case increase the quantity of sugar according to your taste. If using fresh coconut flakes, roast them to make dry and use it.
• Usually tutty-fruity & dried cherries are added in the stuffing. I didn't add them, as I didn't had them in hand...instead added almonds! ;)
• You can add couple of crushed cardamom in the stuffing for a nice aroma! :)
  
  

Carrot Beans Stirfry / Carrot Beans Poriyal

Ingredients
Carrots-2
Beans- 15
Onion(small)-1
Green chilly-1
Few curry leaves (which I didn't add, as I was not having it! ;))
Grated coconut -1tablespoon
Turmeric powder-1/8powder
Chilly powder -1 teaspoon
Sugar -1/4teaspoon
Salt
Oil
Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon
Channa dhal-1teaspoon
Urad dhal -1teaspoon

Method
Wash and cut the veggies into small pieces.

Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds and let them crackle. Then add the channa & urad dhal, fry till they turn golden in colour.

Add the chopped onion-green chilly-curry leaves and fry till the onion becomes translucent.

Add the veggies with 1/4th teaspoon of sugar.

..and turmeric-chilli powders, salt and 1/4 cup of water.

Mix it well, close the pan and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat.

By now the veggies would have become soft. Add the coconut and put off the stove.

Quick & Delicious colourful stir-fry is ready.
I served it with Meal maker kuzbambu, rice and rasam. Goes well with roti's too!

Onion-Tomato & Mint chutney

Ingredients
Onion-1
Tomato-1
Mint Leaves- a small bunch

Cilantro leaves - a small bunch (optional)
Tamarind- a tiny piece
Red chillies-4
Urad dhal-1tablespoon
Mustard seeds-1/2teaspoon
Grated Coconut - 3tablespoons
Salt
Oil

Method
Chop the onion and tomato into big pieces. Clean and wash the mint leaves.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds followed by urad dhal and red chillies and tamarind. Roast them without burning..

Remove them and let it cool. Add the Onion-tomato chunks in the same kadai and sauté them for 3-4 minutes. Finally add the mint & cilantro leaves and switch off the flame. They will get wilted in the heat of the pan itself.

Now combine the roasted items with salt and coconut in a mixer jar and grind it to a nice paste.
Add the onion-tomato-mint and give it a few quick pulses. Tasty chutney is ready.

You can temper it with little mustard seeds-urad dhal and curry leaves(which I haven't done while taking the picture!;) ). It goes well with Idli/dosa/Oothappam/roti.

Recipe Inspiration : Here

Rasmalai

Ingredients

2% Milk / Whole Milk -8cups

Lemon-1

Sugar- 1 3/4cups

Chopped nuts-1/4cup

Elaichi-3

Method

Squeeze the juice from the lemon n keep it ready.

1.Boil 4cups of milk in a heavy bottomed pan.

2.Slowly add the lemon juice and mix it gently. Put off the flame once the milk is curdled.

3.Strain the milk solids using a cheese cloth/muslin cloth. Wash it 2-3 times in the (cold) running water.

4.Squeeze out all the water from the milk solid(paneer). Try extract the water as much as possible.

5.Tie the paneer in the cloth and hang it for an hour.(so that the the leftover water, if any drips down).You can use this whey water while making roti's, n you will get amazing soft Roti's.

6.Take the paneer, knead it for 7-8 minutes. By then paneer will become a smooth,soft dough.

7.Make uniform sized balls out of the paneer.

8. I've flattened the paneer balls a bit, but purely it's optional! ;)

9. Combine 5 cups of water with a cup of sugar, bring it to boil. Carefully add the paneer balls, close the cooker, after one whistle and reduce the flame. Continue cooking for 5more minutes on low heat, and put off the stove.

10.Open the cooker once the pressure has gone, paneer balls would have doubled in size and they will be delicate when hot. So let it cool for sometime.

11. Keep the nuts ready. Boil 4 cups of milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Reduce the heat to medium after the milk has boiled, and stir it often to avoid it getting burned.

12. Simmer the milk till it becomes half in its quantity, then add 3/4 cup of sugar (adjust to your preference). Let it melt, then reduce the heat to low.

13. Take the rasgullas from the water, press them gently...
14. ....and add it in the simmering milk. Let the rasgullas soak the milk, say 3-4 minutes.

15. Add half of the sliced nuts, mix it gently. Add the crushed cardamom, and turn off the stove. Sprinkle the reserved nuts while serving.

Refrigerate the rasmalai after an hour. Refrigerate over night for BEST results, but they taste awesome while warm/room temperature/cold..any form though!! ;)))

I prepared this for a fare well party for one of my hubby's colleague. Here are the items from my kitchen to the party...

Capsicum Curry

Ingredients
Capsicum -2
Onion(big)-1
Tomato-3
Chilli powder-2teaspoons
Coriander powder-2teaspoons
Garam masala-1teaspoon
Cloves-2
Cinnamon Stick-1
Salt
Oil

Method
Cube the capsicums.
Grind the onion-tomatoes into a fine paste.
Heat oil in kadai, sauté the capsicum for a few minutes, keep it aside.

Add some more oil in the same kadai, throw in the cloves and cinnamon pieces. Once they splutter, add the onion-tomato paste.
Fry on medium flame till the raw smell of onion-tomato are gone. Then add chilli-coriander and garam masala powders with salt.
Take care without burning the masala and cook for couple more minutes. Now transfer the masala and capsicum chunks together and cook for 4-5 minutes.
Garnish with cilantro and put off the flame.
This capsicum curry will be a perfect side dish for roti's n rice. That day I prepared this curry in the morning, could not take elaborate pictures. So, here is a look of my hubby's lunch-box! ;)
Usually I prepare the Capsicum curry with tamarind & coconut-sesame seeds-peanut powder/paste. Got bored of them this time, and searched for a new recipe. Finally I landed Here. The curry turned out to be super duper hit!! Use different colours of capsicum for an appealing look and enhancing the taste.