Trifle Pudding

Trifle is made from thick custard, fruit, sponge cake, fruit juice and jelly (gelatin), and whipped cream. These ingredients are usually arranged in layers with fruit and sponge on the bottom, and custard and cream on top.

Ingredients:
For Custard:

• 1 ½ liters full cream milk
• 5 to 6 tbsp custard powder (vanilla flavor)
• ¾ cup sugar

Other Ingredients:

• 1 packet - raspberry jelly
• 1 pineapple slice tin (small one)
• 1 pound sponge cake
• 2 banana chopped
• 2 fresh apples chopped
• 1 cup fresh grapes
• few cherries chopped or orange peel for decoration
• 1 cup fresh cream

Method:
For Custard:

• Boil the milk on a medium flame.
• After 2-3 boils, add sugar and mix well.
• Boil for few more minutes till the sugar dissolves.
• Dissolve the custard powder in ½-cup cold milk and gradually add it to the boiling milk, stirring continuously with another hand to avoid lumps.
• Boil until you get a thick pouring consistency.
• Cool completely and refrigerate it for 3-4 hours.

For Trifle Pudding:

• Make the jelly as per the instructions on the packet and keep to set in the refrigerator.
• Make the custard in advance and refrigerate it.
• Drain the syrup from the pineapple slices and keep aside. Chop the pineapple slices into small pieces.
• Moisten the cake with some pineapple syrup.
• Take a glass dish and cover the base with moistened cake. Cut horizontally the cake if it is thick before layering.
• Evenly pour some custard on the cake until the cake is well covered.
• Arrange a layer of all the chopped fruits on it.
• Whip up the sweetened cream and spread it all over the fruit layer.
• Arrange the jelly decorate with some nuts, cherries, pineapple slices.
• Refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
• Serve Trifle Pudding chilled.

Note:

Some trifles contain a small amount of alcohol such Port Wine, or, most commonly, sweet Sherry or Madeira Wine. Non-alcoholic versions use fruit juice instead, as the liquid is necessary to moisten the cake.

Do You Know?

• Probably one of the most controversial and emotional food topics is that of sugar. Mention the word 'sugar' and you will get the most amazing reactions.
• Some people regard sugar as poison, vastly fattening, totally forbidden and altogether a bad, bad food.
• Let's have a look at the myth propagated about sugar that ‘Sugar is fattening’.
• Sugar is a carbohydrate and, like all carbohydrates, it is low in energy when compared to other macronutrients like fat.
• Sugar and other carbohydrates contain 4cal or 16kJ of energy per gram, while fat contains 9cal or 37kJ per gram. For every gram of fat you eat, you will ingest more than twice as much energy as when you eat a gram of sugar or carbohydrate.
• If eaten in moderation and not in combination with fats (e.g. cakes, tarts, pastries etc.), then sugar, added to beverages and used to sweeten bland foods, like porridges, is not fattening.
• Top athletes, who need large amounts of readily available energy to fuel their activity, use considerable amounts of sugar and sweetened foods to ensure that they can keep going. Most of them are as thin as rakes.
• Therefore, you can certainly eat sugar as part of a balanced, low-fat diet to make cereals and grains more palatable, and as a source of energy if you are very active.

Sarson Ka Saag

Green mustard is simmered and slow cooked with spinach, methi leaves, carrot, radish and ginger. The Saag is then seasoned with fried onion, garlic and tomatoes. The dish is served with unleavened bread of cornmeal or wheat and a dollop of butter.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Sarson or mustard leaves
• 1 bunch of palak (spinach)
• 1 bunch methi (fenugreek)
• 1 carrot chopped
• 1 white radish chopped
• 2 tbsp makki ka atta (corn pounded into flour)
• 1” ginger chopped
• Seasoning:
• 4 tbsp ghee
• 2 big onions finely chopped
• 2 big tomatoes finely chopped
• 4-5 garlic cloves finely chopped

Method:

• Pluck mustard leaves, spinach and fenugreek leaves from off the stalks. Wash them well in running water. Chop finely. Add chopped carrot, radish, ginger and pressure cook it for 45 minutes on a low fire.
• Remove from the fire and pound the saag in the pressure cooker pan until it is well mixed. You can grind it in a mixer grinder to a fine paste. Put it back on a low flame and gradually add makki ka atta stirring constantly until all flour is mixed in the saag.
• For seasoning, heat ghee in a small pan. Add onion and garlic, fry until they are golden brown. Add tomatoes and fry until a thick puree is formed. Add this to saag and mix well.
• Now add dollops of fresh homemade butter and serve with Makki Ki Roti: roti made of pounded corn flour.

Do You Know?

There are certain dishes which are part and parcel of Punjab, India and their very mention conjures up the rich flavor of the state. Mah ki Dal, Sarson Ka Saag and Makkee Ki Roti, meat curry like Rogan Josh and stuffed paraunthas can be found in no other state except Punjab. The food is suitable for those who burn up a lot of calories while working in the fields and tilling their small acres. For the urban folk, however, eating even one dish is enough because life in the cities is so sedentary. The main masala in a Punjabi dish consists of onion, garlic, ginger and many tomatoes fried in pure ghee.

Lachcha Paratha (Layered Indian Flat Bread)

There are varieties of layered Parathas; all differ in the process of layering the "skins" of the dough. In Lachcha Paratha the whole process is little complicated as compared to other types of layered Parathas.

Here I have explained only one type of layering to make Lachcha Paratha, but sooner other types will also be included in my blog.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 2 cups maida
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 tbsp cooking oil
• ½ cup fresh mint (pudina) leaves
• 1 cup of ghee/cooking oil for frying

Method:

• Mix wheat flour, maida, salt, 4 tbsp cooking oil and pudina (mint) leaves. Knead into dough by adding warm water. Cover with moist cloth and keep aside for 20 minutes.
• Add 1 tbsp of cooking oil gradually to the dough, kneading constantly until soft and smooth dough is obtained. Keep aside for 10 minutes.
• Divide all the dough into equal sized balls (about 10-12).
• Flour a clean surface and roll each ball out into a circle about 6” in diameter.

• Apply 1 tsp oil evenly over upper side and dust dry maida over the surface.

• Fold disc into a finger shaped structure (fold the disc in the same way as we make paper fans).

• Coil this into a spiral conical shaped structure (Pedha or Blob).

• Flour the rolling surface lightly and very gently roll out the spiral blob (pedha) into a flat circle about 7-8” in diameter. Refrigerate these flat circles for about 15 minutes on butter paper.

• Heat a griddle and put a paratha over it. Flip the paratha when you see tiny bubbles rising on the surface of the paratha.

• Drizzle a bit of ghee on the top and spread well over the surface of the paratha. Flip again and drizzle some more ghee on this surface too. The paratha is done when both sides are crispy and golden brown.

• Serve with Chicken Masala or Fried Gosht (Mutton) or Meat Kebabs and chutney.

Do You Know?

Gali Paranthe Wali or Paranthe wali Gali, (literally "the by lane of fried bread") is the name of a narrow street in the Chandni Chowk area of Delhi, India, noted for its series of shops selling paratha, a fried Indian bread, and now a popular culinary destination.

Chandni Chowk was established in 1650 and was built along with the Red Fort under the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan.

Earlier this lane was known only for its silverware shops, before the Parantha shops moved in, first in the 1870s.

50 years back the paranthas were just of 3-4 types of the usual aloo gobi and matar (potato, cauliflower and peas respectively), but today we can find almost 20 varieties of paranthas including Kaju and Badam Paranthas. Mix parantha is something to look out for. It is stuffed with a little bit of everything, from aloo, gobi, matar, tomato and paneer to cashew, almonds, pista, radish and papad. Papad is a fried accompaniment to traditional meals, it is like chips. The paranthas are fried in pure ghee in cast iron pans and are served to the patrons steaming hot accompanied by a mind-boggling variety of chutneys, vegetable pickles and raitas.

Moong Dal Khichdi

Rice, lentils, spices and seasonings are thrown into a pot or pressure cooker and cooked until all individual ingredients are blended well together.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup split skinned moong dal
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small onion chopped
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro leaves
• Butter or ghee to garnish
• 2 tbsp crispy brown fried onion
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Soak the rice and moong dal in water for at least one hour.
• Heat 2 tbsp of ghee (or oil) in a pressure cooker, on medium flame.
• Stir in bay leaf and onion. Add rice, moong dal, red chili powder, garam masala, salt, and turmeric powder. Stir and add 4 cups of water. Place lid and pressure-cook it up to one whistle (pressure release).
• Remove from heat. Garnish with coriander, fried crispy brown onions and butter or ghee.
  Serve hot with chutney, raita, pickle, and salad

Do You Know:

The word "khichdi" literally means "hodge-podge" or mish-mash. Hodge-podge or not, khichdi makes for a complete one-pot meal. The rice provides the carbohydrates, the lentils provide the protein, the vegetables add the vitamins and minerals and fiber. A dollop of ghee provides the right amount of fat and calories, which are as important in a diet as any other food-group

Coconut Garlic Chutney

This chutney is the perfect companion for idlis (steamed rice cakes), dosas and uttapams (south Indian rice pancakes).

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh coconut grated
• 5-6 garlic cloves
• 2 green chillies
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp urad dal
• 2 dry red chilies
• 7-8 curry leaves
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsps oil

Method:

• Grind the coconut, garlic, 4-5 curry leaves and green chilies into a fine paste in the food processor.
• In a small pan, heat the oil; when hot add the mustard seeds; when they stop spluttering, fry urad dal until they are dark in color. Now add curry leaves and dry red chilies. Fry till the red chilies turn dark in color.
• Remove from the fire and add to the coconut paste.
• Add salt to taste and serve with Idli or Dosa or Upma.

Do You Know?
The smell of garlic is caused by allicin (diallyldisulfide-S-oxide), which is derived from precursors such as alliin (S-allyl-L-cysteine sulfoxide) by the enzyme alliinase which is liberated when the clove is broken up. The active compound resembles the well known drug N-acetyl-L-cysteine (Mucomyst), which has mucolytic and antioxidant properties.

Tips:

To remove the garlic odor from your hands when working with garlic, wash hands thoroughly and then rub over some stainless steel device (it can be a faucet or stainless steel sink surface). Stainless steel contains the mineral nickel, which acts as a neutralizer for the garlic odor.

Anda Kaleji (Liver filled Deviled Eggs)

Eggs are hard-boiled and when cooled, the eggs are peeled then sliced lengthwise. The yolks are removed, leaving two egg white halves with empty "cups". The yolks are mashed with fried goat liver and filled in white cups of hard-boiled eggs. It is an Indian version of Deviled Eggs.

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 1 cup chopped goat liver
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• ½ tsp black pepper powder
• ½ red chili powder
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• Salt to taste
• ½ tsp ginger finely chopped
• ½ tsp garlic finely chopped
• 1 green chili finely chopped
• 1 bunch of cilantro finely chopped

Method:

• Heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat; add chopped onions, green chili, ginger and garlic. Stir-fry until onion is transparent. Now add chopped goat liver and fry until liver changes its color. Mix in dry ingredients and add enough water to cook liver covered. Remember cooked liver should be dry and ‘bhuna’(fried).
• Place eggs in a pot of salted water and put it on medium flame.
• Bring the water to a boil and let eggs cook in boiling water, until they are hard-boiled (approximately 10 minutes).
• Drain eggs and let them cool (at least for 10-15 minutes).
• Remove the shell from all the eggs and cut each egg lengthwise.
• Take out the egg yolks and mash them together with masala liver in a small mixing bowl.
• Mix in the chopped cilantro and lime juice.
• Now sprinkle little salt and pepper on eggs white cups.
• Spoon liver mixture into these egg white cups.
• Deviled Eggs are ready.

Do You Know?

Deviled eggs or eggs mimosa are a common dish in France, Hungary and the United States, known as "Russian Eggs" in Germany, but they actually originated in Rome according to the show The Secret Life Of….. Made with hard-boiled eggs, deviled eggs are served cold. They are served as a side dish and are a common holiday or party food.

Deviled eggs are one way of using Easter eggs after the children have found them. In the Midwestern and Southern U.S., are commonly served as hors d’oeuvres before a full meal is served, often during the summer months. Deviled eggs are so popular that special serving dishes and carrying trays are sold specifically for them. Prepared deviled eggs are now available in some supermarkets.

Palak Paratha (Pan-fried Flat Bread with Spinach)

This leafy-layered paratha is made with spinach. You may incorporate boiled and pureed spinach leaves or finely chopped fresh spinach leaves in making dough.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup boiled and pureed spinach leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp garlic paste
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• ¼ tsp asafetida
• 2 tsp oil for kneading the dough
• 1 cup ghee/oil to pan-fry

Method:

• Put 2 cups of whole-wheat flour in a large bowl. Add all the ingredients except ghee or cooking oil for pan-frying and knead the flour. You may not require water to knead the flour if pureed spinach is thin. Knead until you get smooth, medium-soft dough. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky or too soft.
• Add 2 tbsp of oil now and continue to knead. Once the dough is done, put it in a closed container and keep it in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
• Knead remaining 2 cups of wheat flour with ½ tsp of salt and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
• Divide the spinach dough into equal sized portions and roll each portion into a ball between your palms. Use dry flour or oil to make smooth balls.
• Lightly flour a rolling board and roll out each ball into a 6-7” circle. Make balls of plain wheat dough also and roll them out into 6-7” circles.
• Now place one circle of spinach dough over rolling surface and place one circle of plain dough over it. Roll both the circles into one finger shaped structure. Coil this into a spiral.
  Flour the rolling surface again lightly and very gently roll out the spiral into a flat circle about 5-6” in diameter.
• Heat a griddle and put a paratha over it. Flip the paratha when you see tiny bubbles rising on the surface of the paratha. Drizzle a bit of ghee/oil on the top and spread well over the surface of the paratha. Flip again and drizzle some more ghee/oil on this surface too. The paratha is done when both sides are crispy and golden brown.
• Serve hot crispy paratha with Rajma or Aloo sabji and green coriander chutney.

Do You Know:

A paratha (or parantha) is a flatbread that originated in the subcontinent (South Asia). It is made with whole wheat flour / Maida/ Besan and pan-fried in ghee or cooking oil, and sometimes stuffed with vegetables, such as boiled potatoes, radishes, cauliflower and/or paneer (lamented South Asian cheese).

A paratha (especially a stuffed one) can be eaten simply with a blob of butter spread on top but it is best served with pickles and yoghurt, or thick spicy curries of meat and vegetables. Some people prefer to roll up the paratha into a tube and eat it with tea.

The paratha was first conceived in ancient Punjab (which now forms Eastern-Pakistan and Northern India), but soon became popular all over South Asia and is now available in every South Asian region.

Coriander Amla Chutney (Indian Gooseberry Chutney)

Grind Amla fruit with green chilies and fresh cilantro leaves and serve with snacks or main vegetarian meal.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh coriander leaves chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3-4 green chilies
• Salt to taste
• 2 Amla or Indian Gooseberry

Method:

• With the help of knife cut the Amla and remove the seed.
• Grind all the ingredients, along with raw Amla, into a smooth paste in a food processor.
• Chill it before serving with snacks or meal (dal and roti or rice).

Do You Know:
Common name of Indian Gooseberry is amalaka in Sanskrit, amla in Hindi, amlaki in Bengali, Nellikkai in Tamil, usiri in Telugu, and amala in Nepal Bhasa.

The fruit is nearly spherical, light greenish yellow, quite smooth and hard on appearance, with six vertical stripes or furrows.

The taste of Indian gooseberry is sour, bitter and astringent, and is quite fibrous. In India, it is common to eat gooseberries steeped in salt water and turmeric to make the sour fruits palatable.

According to Ayurveda, it may be used as a rasayana (rejuvenative) to promote longevity, and traditionally to enhance digestion (dipanapachana), treat constipation (anuloma), reduce fever (jvaraghna), purify the blood (raktaprasadana), reduce cough (kasahara), alleviate asthma (svasahara), strengthen the heart (hrdaya), benefit the eyes (chakshushya), stimulate hair growth (romasanjana), enliven the body (jivaniya), and enhance intellect (medhya).
According to Unani System of Medicine the Mizaj of Amla is Sard Khushk so that it is very good remedy for Haar Amraz (Hot Diseases).