Cardamom Coconut Cookies

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

CARDAMOM COCONUT COOKIES
(COPYRIGHT 2011)

Makes 30 cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large egg
1/2 cup raisins, chopped
1/3 cup cashew nuts, chopped
1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat butter with a hand mixer until smooth. Slowly add granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.

Add vanilla extract, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. Beat for 1 minute.

Add egg and beat until incorporated.

With the hand mixer on slow, gradually beat in flour mixture. Add raisins, cashews and coconut. Beat until just incorporated.

Spoon dough onto baking sheets two inches apart.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Susan Pachikara (COPYRIGHT 2011)

Sihi Kumbalakai Tovvae - Spicy Mashed Pumpkin

SIHI KUMBALAKAI TOVVAE

Tovvae is basically cooked and mashed dal with a light seasoning and a squeeze of lime juice. Sihi kumbalakai tovvae which my mother prepared often, is a tovvae without the basic ingredient - dal! To be precise it is a 'dal' without dal! I have argued with my mother several times regarding the inappropriate name whenever she prepared sihi kumbalakai tovvae. The flavour and taste of this tovvae is something out of the world and the argumentative mind is shut down the moment the taste buds start approving of it!

                                             

INGREDIENTS

Sihi Kumbalakai / Prangi kottai /Pumpkin - 1 small 

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Tamarind - 1 small marble size

Salt - 1 tsp

Sesame oil - 2tsps

Bengalgram dal - 1 tbsp

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 4 + 1 for seasoning

Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Cinnamon - 1'' piece

Dry coconut gratings / Copra - 2 tbsps

Mustard seeds - 1 pinch

Curry leaves - a few

Cashew nuts - a few

METHOD 

1. Peel and chop the pumpkin into big cubes.( Roughly four cups of cubes )

2. Soak tamarind in warm water and extract the juice.

3. Add turmeric powder and cook the pumpkin cubes in tamarind juice on medium flame. Add little more water if necessary to cover the vegetable.

4. In the mean while heat 1/4 tsp of oil and add cinnamon, bengal gram dal, coriander seeds and red chillies. Roast till it becomes golden in colour giving out a pleasant aroma.

5. Add asafoetida and switch off flame.

6. Grind the roasted ingredients into a fairly smooth powder adding copra in the end.

7. When the pumpkin is thoroughly cooked add salt and mash well using the back of the ladle.

8. Add the ground powder and cook for one more minute till the spice blends well with the pumpkin and switch off flame. The consistency should be thick like a gravy.

9. Heat the remaining oil in a seasoning ladle and add mustard seeds.

10.When the mustard seeds splutter add the cashew nuts and fry till they become golden in colour.

11. Add one broken red chilly and the curry leaves and pour the seasoning on the tovvae.

(If you still want the name Tovvae to be justified, add one scoop of cooked and mashed dal while mashing the cooked pumpkin cubes.)

Enjoy the delicious Sihi Kumbalakai Tovvae with hot rice. It tastes best with Raagi Muddae topped with a liberal helping of fresh ghee.

Semolina Cookies

I have bookmarked few baking recipes from treat and trick blog and tried few of them. I find all her baking recipes are simple and easy to make at home with
available ingredients what we usually have at our pantry. They also worked out well. As a first step, I am posting one of her simple, very easy but delightful semolina cookies.

The authentic recipe calls for equal quantity of butter/ghee and sugar. but I have tweaked it to satisfy my family's taste buds. The cookies are also called as ghee cookies/biskut suji and they can be prepared with or without the semolina. They melt in your mouth when you taste them. If you are newbie baker, then I would suggest you to go for this cookies. Even your children can bake this. It is such an easy recipe!

Basic Information:

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes

Makes: 25 cookies



Ingredients:



Butter/Ghee - 1/2 cup

Self raising flour - 1 cup

Semolina - 1/2 cup

Caster sugar - 1/4 cup

Glazed cherries- 12 numbers (Optional)

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 160C(320F). Place the baking paper in on baking tray.

2) In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar.

 

3) Add semolina and flour to this mixture.

4) Initially, it looks like bread crumble, but you can form a soft dough. Use your hand for making this.

5) Divide the dough into a big gooseberry size balls. Place them in baking paper by leaving an inch of space between them. Place the cherries on top of it.

6) Bake it for 15-20 minutes or until the cookies very slightly change in colour.

7) Transfer to a wire rock and cool completely.

8) Store in a air tight container.

Note:

1) Cut the glazed cherries into 4 and use them to decorate. As I used less sugar, I used half cherry to decorate.



Sending this recipe to Bake Fest #2 hosted by Sangee of Spicy treats!