Achu's Recipes

Today my blog turned 1 year old.....   Thank you my friends, family and blog followers for the  love and support....  I started writing this blog as a hobby, but this become a passion for me.... The last one year helped to learn new cooking methods and recipes....... Above all I got many new friends.... Once again  Thank You  one and all from the bottom of my heart for the support..... Now its the time for recipe of Sponge Cake.... Ingredients Maida (All-purpose Flour) - 125 gm: Sugar - 125 gm: Baking Powder - 1 tsp Egg - 4 nos: Melted Butter / Oil - 50 gm: Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp   Preparation Method Stir together maida and baking powder and keep aside. Preheat the oven at 180 degree C. Separate egg yolk and white. In a large glass bowl beat together egg white and sugar till creamy and foamy. In another large bowl beat together egg yolk, vanilla essence, and oil / butter for about 3 mins: To the egg yolk mix add one spoon of egg white mix and maida and

Merry Christmas... ... Here comes Christmas special Pinwheel Cookies........ Ingredients Maida (All-purpose Flour) - 2 1/2 cups Salt- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder- 1/2 tsp Unsalted Butter - 1 cup (softened) Sugar- 1 cup Egg- 1 Vanilla Essence- 1 tsp Milk- 3 tbsp Red and Green color - as required (you can use any colors) Preparation Method Sift the maida, baking powder together and keep aside. In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar. Add the egg, vanilla, milk  and beat for 2-3 mins:. Add the maida mixture, spoon by spoon beating until combined. Divide this into 3 portions.  Add red color into one portion and green into another. Mix well till the  color is uniformly spreads. (use your fingers, if required).  The dough will be slightly wet. Take a butter paper or aluminium foil.  Take one dough portion and place on the sheet. Place another  sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough and roll the dough into 1/4″ thick rectangular shape and k eep aside. Similarly roll

Ingredients Pineapple (ripe) - 1 medium (crushed or finely chopped) Grapes (Black and Green) - 10-15nos: Green Chili - 2-3 nos: (chopped) Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp Grated Jagery or Sugar - 2 tsp (optional) Grated Coconut - 1 cup Cumin - 1/2 tsp Mustard - 1/2 tsp Yogurt / Curd - 1/2 - 3/4 cup Coconut Oil - 2tsp Red Chili - 2-3 nos: Curry Leaves - as required Salt - as required Preparation Method Grind the grated coconut and cumin seeds to a very fine paste adding water, if required. Now add 1/4 tsp mustard to this paste and give 2-3 pulses. Keep this paste aside. Add crushed pineapple, green chili, turmeric powder, salt, 1/4 cup of water to a cooking pan and mix well. Add jagery or sugar if you like more sweet. Cook till the pineapple is done and water got evaporated, for 10-15 mins: in low flame. Add grapes and cook for 3-4mins: Add the ground coconut mixture and crushed mustard to the cooked pineapple and grapes, mix well and cook for a few minutes at low heat,u

Ingredients All purpose flour(Maida) - 2 cups Baking powder - 1/2 tsp Eggs - 2 nos Sugar - 1 cup Melted butter - 100 gms: Salt - A pinch Vanilla essence - 1/4 tsp Cocoa powder - 3 tbsp Milk - 1/2 cup Preparation Method Beat the eggs using a hand held electric mixer in a large bowl.  Add sugar, butter and mix at the lowest speed again for a few mins. Mix together maida, baking powder and salt. Add maida little by little to the bowl and mix at a medium speed for 5 mins. Add vanilla essence and mix for 1 more min. (Add milk, if required, to attain the ribbon like consistency). Take 1/2 of the batter into a separate bowl and add cocoa powder to the batter and mix well (add milk if required). Preheat oven to 350 degree F (180 degree Celsius). Pour 1 spoon of the plain batter to the center of a greased baking tray.  Pour 1 spoon of the batter mixed with cocoa powder exactly on  on the top of the layer plain batter. Repeat steps 8 and 9 till it gets over (use 2 sepa

Ingredients Potato - 2nos: Onion - 1no: (finely chopped) Capsicum - 1no: (cut into cubes) Chat Masala - 1/2tsp Garam Masala - a pinch Salt - as required Oil - 1tbsp Cumin Seeds - 1/2tsp Turmeric Powder - a pinch Coriander leaves - 2tbs (finely chopped)  Preparation Method Pressure cook potatoes by adding salt and turmeric powder, peel and cut into cubes. In a kadai bring oil to heat and splutter cumin seeds. Add onion and saute until golden. Add capsicum and saute for a minute. Add salt (if required), garam masala and chat masala and mix well. Add potatoes and give a nice stir. Remove from flame, add chopped coriander and transfer to a bowl. Enjoy Potato-Capsicum Roast with Roti / Chappathi.

Ingredients Beef – 1/2 kg ( cut into medium sized cubes) Ginger-Garlic Paste – 1 tsp Meat Masala  – 1 tsp Pepper Powder – 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp Salt - as required Onion – 1 big ( chopped) Ginger – 1/2 tsp ( chopped) Green Chilli – 2-3 (chopped) Garam Masala – 2 tsp Curry leaves - as required Potato – 1 medium (boiled & mashed) Bread Crumbs – 1 cup Egg White – 1 egg Oil - for deep frying Preparation Method Cook the cleaned beef with ginger-garlic paste, pepper powder, turmeric powder, meat masala and salt. Once it is cooled mince the meat using a food processor/chopper. Saute onion till it becomes golden brown. Add chopped ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Add garam masala. Add minced meat and mix well.   Add salt, if required. Saute the minced meat till it becomes dry.  Allow the mixture to cool.  Once it is cooled add mashed potatoes and mix well.  Make small balls with the mixture and roll into desired shapes.  Beat the egg white

Ingredients Banana (Ripen) - 3 nos: All Purpose Flour - 2 tbsp Rice Flour - 3 tbsp Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp Sugar - 1 tsp Salt - a pinch Oil - as required for frying Preparation Method Peel the banana skin and cut into thin slices. In a large bowl mix together all-purpose flour, rice flour,turmeric powder, cumin powder, sugar and salt. Add water to this mix and make a thick batter. In a frying pan bring oil to heat. Dip each banana slices in the batter and put into the oil. Deep fry banana slices till they become crispy and turns light golden brown. Remove from oil and keep in kitchen tissue to remove excess oil. Enjoy the crispy Pazham Pori / Banana Fritters with evening coffee / tea.

Ingredients Crab - 500 gms: Onion - 2-3 nos: (finely chopped) Ginger - 1 piece  (finely chopped) Green Chilli - 2-3 nos:  (finely chopped) Garlic - 10 petals ( crushed ) Curry Leaves - 2-3 stems  Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp Tomato - 2 nos:  (finely chopped) Coconut (grated) - 1 cup Garam Masala  - 1 tsp Coconut Oil - 3 tbsp Waster - 1 cup Salt - as required Preparation Method Wash clean crabs and keep aside. Dry roast the coconut till it become brown in color and then add garam masala to it, mix well. Powder the coconut and keep aside. In a kadai (wok) bring oil to heat. Add onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli, curry leaves and saute till the onion become golden brown in color. Add tomato, chilli powder, turmeric powder and saute tomatoes become soft. Add water, salt, crab and cook by keeping the lid closed (orange color in the legs of crab indicates that they got cooked well). Add powdered coconut to the crab and mix well. Pour 1tsp o

My dear friends & family......... With Love & Wishes.... Achu

Dear friends...... I am so happy to publish my 100th post in my blog...... It is with your support, I achieved this success..... Thank you one and all from the bottom of my heart..... Expecting your support in future also....... Ingredients Unsalted Butter - 175 gm Powdered Sugar - 175 gm Vanilla Essence - 1tsp Eggs (beaten) - 3nos All Purpose Flour (Maida) - 175gm Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp Preparation Method Preheat oven to 180 degree C Take the butter and the sugar in a bowl and beat it with a hand mixer till it become light and fluffy. Add vanilla essence to this mixture. Gradually add the beaten eggs to this. To this mixture add the sifted flour and baking powder and gently fold in.  Add 1 or 2 tbsp of milk if the mixture doesn't drop off the spoon. Put this mixture in the cup cake tray so that each is 3/4 full. Bake this at 180 degree C for about 10-12 mins until golden. Once cooked take it out of the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Enjoy th

Ingredients Raw Banana - 1 small  (cut into cubes) Yam (cubes)- 1/2 cup Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Pepper powder - 1 tsp Curry Leaves - as required Salt-  as required   Water - 1 cup Ghee - 1 tsp Sour Yogurt - 3 cups (beaten) Grated Coconut - 2 cups Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp Green Chilies - 2-3nos: Roasted Fenugreek Powder - 1/4 tsp Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp Red Chilies - 3nos: Coconut oil - 1 tbsp Preparation Method Grind together coconut, cumin seeds and green chilies to a very fine paste. Cook the vegetables adding turmeric powder, pepper powder, salt and water until they are cooked and the water is almost evaporated.  Pour ghee and stir until all the water has evaporated. Add in 3 cups of beaten, sour yogurt and boil uncovered until the yogurt thickens (about 10 - 15 minutes) at medium heat.  Bring down the heat and add the ground coconut mixture and mix well.  Cook until it just starts to boil. Remove from stove. In a pan bring oil to heat, splutter the m

Ingredients Brown Chickpeas / Kabuli Channa – 1 cup (soaked overnight) Red Chilies – 3-4 nos: Mustard Seeds – 1/4 tsp Curry Leaves – 1-2 stems Oil – 3 tsp Salt – as required Preparation Method Cook the soaked chickpeas in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles until done but not mashed. Drain the excess water from chickpeas and keep aside. In a kadai bring oil to heat, splutter mustard seeds. Add red chilies and curry leaves. Fry in low flame. Add drained chickpeas and salt. Stir for a few minutes in medium flame. healthy and easy  Chundal Kadala / Kadalai Sundal is ready to be serves either as a snack or as a side dish for rice. Note:- You can add 2-3tbsp grated coconut and / or cashew nuts to this.

This cake is a local snack available in all most all the tea shops near by road side in southern part of Kerala. Ingredients All purpose flour (Maida) – 2 cups Baking powder - 1 tsp Sugar -1 cup (powdered) Egg - 2 nos ( Beaten well) Cardamom powder - 1 tsp Water or milk - as required Oil – as required for frying. Preparation Method Mix the maida, baking powder, sugar along with the beaten egg and cardamom powder. Make it into a tight dough. (add water or milk, if require) Keep it aside for 30mins: Divide the dough into 8 - 10 equal portions. Shape the dough roughly like a square and run a sharp knife over the formed pieces to form a deep cut. Fry these in the oil till they are golden brown. Drain the excess oil with a paper towel. Enjoy the crispy and sweet Vettu Cake with evening tea / coffee.

Ingredients Bone-less Beef - 250gms (cut into pieces) Grated Coconut - 1 cup Garlic - 4-5 nos: Ginger - 1 medium piece (cut into slices) Red Chili Powder - 1tbsp Coriander Powder - 2tbsp Garam Masala - 1tsp Meat Masala - 1tsp Turmeric Powder - a pinch Salt - as required Curry Leaves - 8-10nos: Preparation Method Wash clean the beef and keep in a  strainer to remove excess water. In a pan dry roast coconut in low flame till it become light brown. Add garlic, ginger and fry for 3-4 mins: Add chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, meat masala and stir well for 2mins:. Remove from flame and allow the coconut to cool down. Grind the coconut to make a fine paste by adding 1/4cup of water. Add beef pieces to a pressure cooker. Add ground coconut, salt and mix well. (Add water if required. Water will ooze from the beef when it cooked). Pressure cook till done. (Cook in high flame till first whistle; then bring down the flame to low and cook for

Ingredients Kappa ( Tapioca ) - 1Kg Grated Coconut - 1cup Green  Chili - 2-3nos:   Garlic - 7-8petals Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp Salt - as required Curry Leaves - 2-3stems Preparation Method Remove the skin of tapioca, cut into small pieces (remove the thin stem in the center part). Wash clean the tapioca pieces and cook till done by adding sufficient water. (if you are using cooker, cook till 2 whistles) Transfer the cooked tapioca into a strainer to remove excess water. Crush together grated coconut, green chili, garlic, cumin seeds and curry leaves by adding salt and turmeric powder. In a thick bottom kadai mix together tapioca and coconut mix, smashing the tapioca pieces, using a thick wooden spoon. Steam cook for 8-10mins: in low flame, keeping the lid closed. The yummy Kappa Vevichathu is ready to serve with fish curry or curd. For fish curry recipe visit the link:  http://achusrecipes.blogspot.in/2012/01/kerala-fish-curry.html

Ingredients Kada Chakka (Bread F ruit ) - 1 nos: Grated Coconut - 2 cups Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp Cumin - 1 tsp Garlic - 5 petals Green Chili - 2-3 nos: Coconut Oil - 3 tbsp Red Chili - 2-3 nos: Urud Daal - 1 tbsp Mustard - 1/2 tsp Curry Leaves - as required Salt  - as required Preparation Method Remove the outer green skin of the bread fruit and cut into medium pieces. Wash clean and remove excess water. Add salt and a pinch of turmeric powder to the bread fruit, sprinkle same water and cook for 4-5mins: in low flame. (Or you can steam for 5mins:). Let that to cool down. Take small portions of bread fruit pieces and crush them (2-3 whips will be sufficient) and keep aside. Crush together grated coconut, green chili, turmeric powder, cumin and keep aside. In a wok bring oil to heat, splutter mustard seeds, add urud daal, red chili and fry in low flame. When the urud daal become slightly brown add curry leaves and mix well. Add crushed bread fruit and mix well

Celebrating 10,000 page views with this Chocolate cake........ I started writing this blog on last week of Dec: 2011. I am so happy that my blog got 10,000 page views with in 1yr of time.... Thank you all for your support........ Ingredients Eggs - 2no: Sugar -  85gms Self Raising Flour -  40gms   Coco Powder -  15gms   Vanilla Essence -  1tsp   Melted Butter -  3tbsp   Preparation Method Grease and dust a 7" diameter cake tray. Sieve the flour and coco together. Beat the eggs and sugar very well until thick and double in quantity  (beat for 4-5 min.) Add the flour, melted butter, essence. Mix with a wooden spoon. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Bake in a hot oven at 400degree F (200degree C) for 10 minutes.  Then reduce the temperature to 350 degree F (180degree C)  and bake for a further 7 minutes (or till the tooth pick inserted comes out clean). Allow cake to cool, cut it and enjoy Chocolate Cake.

Ingredients Ash Gourd - 1 cup (thinly sliced) Green Chilly - 1-2 (slit lengthwise) Red Cow-pea Beans - 3 tbsp Thick Coconut Milk - 1/4 cup  Thin Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup Salt - as required Coconut Oil - 2 tsp Curry Leaves - 4-5 nos: Preparation Method Soak the beans in water for 4-5hrs and cook in a pressure cooker. Drain the excess water and keep aside. Cook the ash gourd and green chilies in thin coconut milk adding enough water till the vegetables are soft. Mix in the cooked beans and salt to taste and let it come to a boil. Simmer and add thick coconut milk. Switch off the flame and add a tsp of coconut oil on top and crushed curry leaves. Kerala's festive special Olan is ready to serve with rice.

Ingredients Wheat Flour - 1 cup Sugar - 1/2 cup Almonds - 1/2cup (finely chopped or crushed) Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup (melted) Vanilla Essence  - 1/2 tbsp Milk - 2 tbsp Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp Salt - a pinch Preparation Method Mix wheat flour, salt and baking soda, add butter and make a dough. Keep aside the dough for about 10-15mins: Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees C. Divide the dough in to small balls.Now press each ball between your palms to from a cookie. Repeat the procedure for the remaining balls and spread them in a cookie pan. Bake them for 15 mins. Brush milk over each cookies and bake for 5-10mins: or until cookies turn into light brown color. Remove from oven, let the cookies cool down for about 15 mins. Healthy and delicious cookies is ready to serve.

Ingredients Capsicum( Bell Pepper) - 2nos: Onion - 1 no: (chopped) Tomato - 2 nos: (chopped) Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tsp Pepper Powder - 1 tsp Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp Salt - as required Oil - 2tbsp Fresh Cream - 1/2 cup Coriander Leaves - 10-12  nos: Preparation Method Wash and cut capsicum into medium pieces. Heat oil in a frying pan and splutter cumin seeds. Add chopped onions and fry till golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute till the smell goes off. Add chopped tomatoes and mix well. Close the lid and fry till they are mashed and pulpy. Add capsicum and fry till they soft and cooked ( before they turn mushy and are firm). Add salt and pepper powder. Mix well and fry together for 2-3mins:. Bring down the flame to low, add fresh cream and mix well. Switch off the flame when it starts boiling. Add coriander leaves and mix well. The creamy Capsicum Masala taste good with Roti / Chappathi.

Ingredients For Mint Chutney Grated Coconut  - 1/2 cup Green Chilies - 2-3 nos: Mint Leaves -  8-10 leaves Salt - as required For Veg Filling Potato - 2 small (boiled and mashed) Onion - 1 small (finely chopped) Carrot - 1 medium (grated) Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp Oil - 2 tsp Salt - as required For Sandwich Bread (white or brown) – 10  slices  Preparation Method Add all the ingredients for chutney into a mixer,  grind to a smooth paste without adding water and keep  aside. Bring oil to heat in a pan  and saute chopped onion. Add grated carrot, salt and saute for 2mins: Add mashed potato, pepper and mix well. Remove from flame and keep aside to cool. Cut the edges of the bread slices with a wet knife. Spread the mint chutney onto one slice and the potato filling (thick layer)onto the other slice. Place one over the other and cut into triangles.  Enjoy the yummy, healthy Veg and Mint Sandwich!!!

I was thinking about a different baking idea to welcome home my hubby dear, who was broad for 3months.... After some research I decided to do this  one and I, myself named it as  Layer Cake / Cold Cake. I got inspired from the ideas of making chocolate cake and black forest cake. Hope you all will enjoy this  Layer Cake / Cold Cake. Ingredients For Cake Eggs - 3 nos: Sugar -  170 gms Self Raising Flour -  80 gms   Coco Powder -  30 gms   Vanilla Essence -  1tsp   Melted Butter -  6tbsp   For Layering Egg White - 3nos: Fresh Cream - 100 ml Sugar - 3 tbsp Powdered Sugar - 5 tbsp Vanilla Essence - 1/2 tsp Melted Mixed Fruit Jam - 4 tbsp Chocolate Vermicelli - as required Preparation Method Grease and dust a cake tray and keep aside. Sieve the flour and coco together. Beat the eggs and sugar very well until thick and double in quantity  (beat for 4-5 min.) Add the flour, melted butter, essence. Mix with a metal spoon. Pour the mixture into the prepared

Aviyal is a typical Kerala dish and is made with variety of vegetables. Ingredients Carrot - 2 nos Long Beans - 5 nos Raw plantain - 1 nos Drumstick cuts - 10 nos Cucumber (sliced) - 1/2 cup Yam (sliced) -1/2 cup Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp Green Chili - 2 nos: Chilli Powder - 1 tsp Small Onion/Shallot - 5 nos:  Cumin Seed - 1/4 tsp Grated Coconut - 1 1/2 cup Thick Curd -2 tbsp Salt - to taste Coconut Oil -2 tbsp Curry leaves -2 stem  Preparation Method Slice all the vegetables in finger size length . Put the sliced vegetables in a pan along with salt, turmeric powder and 1/2 cup water . Close the lid and cook the vegetables. Crush together coconut, cumin seeds, small onions and green chilies. Once the vegetables are 90% cooked add the crushed coconut mix and chilli powder, mix well and cook for few minutes. Turn off the stove, add curd and mix well. Add coconut oil and curry leaves and keep the lid close for 5mins: Mix well and serve hot with rice. Notes: