CHENNAI :Munthiri kothu (Cashew sweet) by Nivedita Louis
Ingredients
For batter : Rice flour: 1 cup, Maida: 2 tbsp, Baking soda: a pinch, Salt: a pinch, Turmeric powder: a pinch
For stuffing: Green gram: 2 cups, Coconut (grated): 1 cup, White sesame seeds: 1 tbsp, Sugar: 1 tsp, Cardamom: 5, Cashew nuts: 1 tbsp, Ghee: 1 tbsp, Jaggery: 2 cups, Dry ginger powder: 1 tsp (optional), Oil: ¼ litre to fry
Method
● In a pan, drop in little ghee and fry the cashews. Pop in cardamom.
● Once it cools, grind the cashew, cardamom with a spoon of sugar in mixer to a fine powder and keep it aside.
● Fry green gram till its colour changes to golden brown. Let it cool. Dry grind the green gram into a slightly coarse powder.
● Fry finely grated coconut to light brown and when colour changes, add sesame seeds and stir for few seconds. Put off the stove and let it cool.
● Add coconut mix and cashew powder to gram flour. If required, you can add dry ginger powder for flavour to the flour mix.
● Prepare jaggery syrup in a pan by adding little water to the jaggery. Let it boil and once it reaches the single string consistency, filter the same.
● Add filtered jaggery syrup to the gram flour mix and knead the dough. Roll it into small marble-sized balls.
● In a vessel add rice flour, maida, baking powder, salt and turmeric powder. Add little water to it and whisk it to a thick batter.
● Take three rolled balls, dip in the batter together and fry in oil. You may add a drop of batter over the balls frying in oil to keep them sticking together.
● Flip and let it cook. Remove from pan and cool it for storing. (The name munthiri kothu comes from the fact that the delicacy comes as a bunch (kothu), like that of grapes (munthiri). Remains fresh for a week.)
Plantain wine by C A John
Ingredients
Boiled water: 2 litres (cool it down to room temperature), Peeled plantain: 10
(cut the plantain in round slices), Sugar: 750 gms, Yeast: 1 tsp, Cinnamon: 1 stick, Cloves: 4 pieces
Method
● Clean the jar, add the first layer of sugar in it. Add the sliced plantain in the second layer and repeat this process till the jar is half filled.
● Add two litres of water to it, dilute the yeast in a small amount of water and then add it to the jar.
● Add cloves and cinnamon into it. Do not add extra yeast or fill the contents of the jar till it brims.
● Close the jar tight and store it in a dark place away from light and heat. Do not open it for 10 days.
● On day 11, open the jar and filter the juice.
● If you want to add colour to the wine, then melt 150 grams of sugar till it turns into a dark brownish liquid form. Cool the melted sugar and add it to the prepared wine.
Shepherd’s pie (an Anglo-Indian special) by Trilysa Reinhardt
Ingredients
Finely minced meat (mutton): 500 gms, Children bouillon: 500 ml (one cube of Maggi chicken stock mixed with hot water), Fresh or frozen peas: one hand full, Carrots: 2 (finely diced), Celery: 2 stalks (finely diced), Onion: 1 medium (finely diced), Garlic: 4-5 cloves, Mint leaves: 1 small tea cup, Kashmiri chilli powder: 1 tbsp, Powdered pepper: 1 tsp, Cumin powder: 1 tsp, Dried thyme: 1 tsp, Dried oregano: 1 tsp, Worcestershire sauce: 2 tsp, Tomato ketchup: 2 tsp, Potatoes: 650 to 700 gms, Butter: 1 (100 gm) pack, Cheddar cheese: 200 gms, Milk: 1 tea cup, Eggs: 2, Salt to taste
Method
(Disclaimers)
● This dish is high in calories and not for the fainthearted, literally and metaphorically
● It is quite painstaking and involves the use of a convection oven so oven-noobs, pay close attention.
For the meat
● Add oil to a deep pan and fry minced onion, finely chopped celery stalks, garlic and carrots for about five minutes.
● Add minced meat and ketchup, and fry till the meat is nicely browned.
● Add chilli powder, pepper, cumin, oregano, thyme, mint leaves and Worcestershire sauce and fry for five minutes. Add chicken stock while on a high flame, and wait for sauce to start bubbling. Cover pot, turn down the flame and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. (Do not add any extra salt).
● After 20 minutes, season. Turn off the stove when sauce has evaporated.
For the pie
● Cut potatoes into halves, immerse them in water and pressure cook for 20 minutes or till the potatoes get soft.
● Cool the potatoes under a fan for.
● Peel off the skins and mash them with a ricer or pass them through a cheese grater till you have finely mashed potatoes.
● Throw in the cube of butter, two egg yolks and salt. Grate cheddar cheese with a cup of milk and continue mashing till you get to a thick consistency.
● Take a baking tray or oven-safe vessel (You can make one big pie or
individual portions, depending on
your preferences and what crockery you have).
● Spread out the mincemeat mixture on the baking tray evenly. Top it up with a thick layer of the mash till it reaches the brims of the baking tray. Even it out.
● Take a fork and make superficial criss-cross lines for a pleasing aesthetic.
● In a pre-heated convection oven set at 170 Celsius, bake the pie for 15 minutes to half an hour, depending on if it’s an individual portion or not.
● Once you see a lightly singed, brown crust form on top, take it out of the oven and cut out a slice.
● Best eaten when piping hot.