Baklava

This is one of Greek dessert told by my friend...I was so worried to try this kind of dessert, because it will take lot of time and if doesn't turn out good.. it spoil all the ingredients and my confidence..but this dessert change my entire thought.. and scored me good name. Try this and see the experience in me.


Ingredients -1

clarified butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup hot water
2 cups chopped blanched almonds or walnuts
1 lb fillo pastry (pastrysheet pic.shown below)
powdered cinnamon

Ingredients -2

For the syrup

1 cup sugar
1 cup honey
1 cup water
juice of one lemon


Instructions

Step1. Heat 4 tablespoons of melted butter in a pan with the sugar and 1 cup of hot water.
Step2. Add the chopped nuts.
Step3. Grease a baking tin large enough to take the fillo sheets. Put in 3 sheets, brushing each sheet with melted butter.



Step4. Spread on a thin layer of the nut mixture, sprinkle with a little cinnamon and cover with 2 more sheets of buttered fillo.
Step5. Keep adding alternate layers of filling and pastry and cover with 3 sheets.
Step6. Brush the top with melted butter and score a diamond pattern on the top to aid serving. Step7. Bake in the oven at 375 until crisp and golden, about 30 minutes.


Meanwhile make the syrup.


Step1. Boil the sugar, honey, water and lemon juice for 5 minutes.
Step2. Allow to cool a little then pour over the cooked pastry.


Note


This tastes best the next day because the syrup has had a chance to soak into the pastry. Baklava is also delicious eaten hot with some aromatic rosewater or orange blossom water sprinkled over it and served with chilled cream. A real treat!


Source

My friend laurie...
From greek cookbook

Cooking Photos

This picture is taken in my friend laurie's kitchen - with susan ,with me. I enjoy cooking in her kitchen it remains me of my home..




I made traditional south indian dish that day...typical sambar,rasam one poriyal , one varuval and vadai with appalam..everyone enjoyed my meal , am so happy to cook for others.

Vengayathaal Karakulambhu

One of my favorite dish.....everyof my friends in spiceindiaonline tried and appreciated....am so happy to share the recipe with u.

Ingredients-1

4 stks -Green onion(finely choped)
1 no-Tamarind (lime size)
1 no -Tomato
1 tsp -Salt
¼ tsp -Turmeric powder
¾ tsp -R.chilli powder
½ tsp -channa masala powder or fish masala powder
1½ tsp -Corriander powder
½ tsp -Cumin powder

Ingredients-2

1 tsp -mustard seed
½ tsp -fenugreek seeds (venthayam)
1 tsp -Vadagam
4 strands -Curry leaves
4 T -oil

Ingredients-3

1 tsp -Butter
4 stks -Cliantro( chopped)
2 stks -Green onions (finely chopped)

Instructions

step 1. In a bowl mix tamarind in to a thick paste.
step2. then add tomato and make puri out of it.
step3. take all the pulp from tamarind and tomato. add some water
step4. in that puree add chillipowder, corrianderpowder,cumin powder ,channa masala powder,salt and turmeric powder.check for the taste
step5. meanwhile heat oil in a kadai or wok and add mustard after it splutter add fenugreek ,curryleaves and vadagam.
step6. fry for few seconds then add green onion.(cut the leaves and the onions into small pieces)
step7. fry green onion for more then 15 mintues
step8. it should be 1/3th of the quantity that we put in the wok fry occassionally and see to that it does not burn
step9. now we can see the oil get seperated from green onion now add the puri
step10. it has to boil for 15 mintues or until it is in semi solid state (it should ty. a day old kulambu like just perfect (like meen kulambhu)

step11. after it all done add 1 tsp butter for rich texture and flavor
step12. garnish it with corriander leaves and green onions.
step13. do it before one day then it will taste really good.

Notes
old tamarind taste really good
butter is optional. we can add ghee but ghee dominates the taste.if u like ghee can add some
i actually forgot should add 3garlic pods and fry along with green onions
the green onion stalks should have onions in their root.

Fried Chilli Crab

Crab is one kind of seafood i love the most, nowadays its becomes my daughter's favorite too. I remember, my grandma use to cook crab and bring it home to me.

Ingredients

2 Medium Size - Raw crabs

1/2 cup - Peanut oil

2 Tsp - Finely grated fresh ginger

3 no - garlic cloves(finely chopped)

3 no - Fresh red chilies, seeded and chopped

1/4 cup - Tomato sauce

1/4 cup - Chili sauce

1 Tbs - Sugar

1 Tbs -Light soy sauce

1 Tsp - salt(or to taste)

Instruction

Step1 . Wash crabs well, scrubbing away any mossy patches on the shell.

Step2 . Remove hard top shell, stomach bag and fibrous tissue and with cleaver chop each crab into 4 pieces, or 6 pieces , if they are large.

Step 3. Heat a wok, add oil and when oil is very hot fry the crab pieces until they change color, turning them so they cook on all sides.

Step 4. Remove to a plate. Turn heat on low and fry the ginger, garlic and red chilies, stirring constantly, until they are cooked but not brown.

Step 5. Add the sauces, sugar,soysauce and salt and bring to the boil, then return crab to the wok and allow to simmer in th e sauce for 3 mins, adding very little water if sauce reduces too much.

Step 6. Serve with white rice.

Source

The complete Asian cookbook - Charmaine solomon.

Cranberry Tea

Basically tea is very good for health compare to coffee. There are Hundreds and hundred's of variety of tea all over the world. Cranberry Tea is one of the special tea.

Ingredients

1 litre water (approx)

12 nos -Cloves
2 nos -Cinnamon sticks
80 ml -Sugar
4 nos -Tea bags
1 can -Frozen cranberry juice

Instructions

step1. Bring the first four ingredients in to boil.
step2. Pour over tea bags and steep for 3 minutes.
step3. Remove teabags, squeezing gently. Strir in cranberry concentrate and chill.
serve over ice.

Source

Good Friend Great Taste Book