Dear Chitra, the photos are so good that they make my mouth water! You must have taken lot of efforts for the decoration and preparation of all these dishes. Love Jaya
Mrs. Chithra.................. The photos look delicious......Mrs. Chithra. I feel there is no one like you. You are unique!!! Could I be a guest for one of those dinners (just kidding). Regards, Jaya G
welcome for dinner ! Dear Jaya, Welcome any time ! It will be really nice if I can meet you all who give me so much of love. Regards, Chithra.
Vegetarian Substitute for gelatin Many people do not prefer to use gelatin & want a vegetarian substitute.Agar - (know as agar-agar and kanten depending on the source) is a vegetarian gelatin. It's a whitish color, and comes in either sticks, flakes, granules or powder, usually in a little packet. Most health food stores seem to carry it in with the Japanese foodstuffs, or along with the more familiar seaweeds (dulse, kalp, wakame, etc.). For a gelatin dessert, you use two tablespoons of flaked agar to 3.5 cups of liquid. The granulated form is twice as strong as the flaked; the powdered is three times as strong. Play around with the concentrations to get the right 'wiggliness' for you, since too much produces some real textures. This is taken from the net.
Tips on cooking rice for “mixed rice” (kalantha saadam) Select thin long variety, as far as possible. It can be basmati, jeeraka samba or other varieties. Clean, wash & soak in water for 10 mtes. Drain well completely. In a kadai, heat 1 tbsp oil, fry rice for 4,5 mts on medium fire. Now cook with just enough water so that the grains are separate. Cool it by spreading on a plate. Then use as per the recipe.
Tips on Rava Dosai - Tasty, but Tricky! Rava Dosa - Two different Recipes Plain Rava dosai: To get a perfect rava dosai needs more patience than expertise. Rava dosa flour is prepared in many proportions, I am giving 2 different proportions separately.. To 1 cup of flour (on the whole), 2 ½ cups of water are necessary – less than that, dosais will be thick. The mixture should be soaked for not less than 1 hour. Usually, green chillies & ginger, pepper & jeera, hing & curry leaves are added. They can be minced & added or in any way you like. Mustard is tempered & some finely chopped cashews can be added to the tempering. Unless you are very confident, I suggest a big flat non-stick tava. It is best to use it exclusively for rava dosai. Because of the batter being very lose, thoroughly mix the dough before making every dosai. The tava should be very hot - this is to make sure that the batter when falling on the tava will get stuck there without running to the centre. Never pour with a ladle – it is better to use a katori. (Now, in Chennai, we get katori for this, with long handle). Photo is posted in Rava Dosa - Two different Recipes This is to make sure you are pouring the batter from the outside in a circular manner continuously without a break. Stop when you reach the centre. It is not spread from the centre to the outside like ordinary dosai – it is the reverse. If the tava is curved, the batter is likely to run to the centre, making it thick. The best taste is got by using a mixture of oil & ghee – ofcourse, this is one’s choice. After the batter is poured, dribble 2 tsp oil on it within the outer edge. Let the flame be high till the bottom starts changing colour. Then make it medium. Remember this dosai takes a longer time than ordinary dosai to cook & if you attempt to turn it over before it is cooked completely, it will break. This is one mistake, everybody tends to make. When the bottom is nicely browned, turn it over & cook the other side. The second side will cook faster. After every dosai, wipe the tava very well with a piece of cloth dipped in cold water. Wait for the tava to become very hot before pouring batter for the next dosai. Rava dosai is best served for one person at a time ! Otherwise, you must have 2 tavas simultaneously. Onion Rava Dosa: Chop onions fine. Do not mix chopped onions with the batter. For best results, follow this method. When the tava becomes very hot, smear with little oil, sprinkle chopped onions all over the (empty) tava & pour the batter over this & make as usual. This way, all the onion pieces will stick to the dosai well & will not fall off the dosai. This method is followed in hotels.
Tips on Baking Cakes The most important rule in baking is to weigh carefully & follow the recipe exactly. Preparation & baking are important for the successful appearance, texture & flavour of the cake. Wherever indicated, plain & self-raising flour should be used as per the recipe. Never attempt to interchange the ingredients. Always sieve flour before using – this ensures light texture. Margarine can be substituted for butter, but you compromise on the flavour ! Do not use salted butter. Castor (or powdered in mixi) sugar is generally used. Baking powder & soda bicarb shoud be fresh .(Whether the previous stock is used up or not, buy new stocks for best results.) When using icing sugar for decorations, always sieve before using. There is no denying that light feathery cakes can only be obtained by using eggs & eggless come second ! Select baking tins so that there is space around the tins in the oven for heat to circulate. Grease & dust the baking tins (with flour), if specified. For baking, aluminium tins are best. Before putting the baking tin, preheat the oven to desired temperature. (It will take 10-15 mins for the oven to get heated). Top shelf cooks fastest – bake plain cakes, swiss rolls, sponges there. Biscuits go to the centre. Remember each oven varies in cooking time – there is no correct time. When making a recipe for the first time, check after about 2/3 of the time given in the recipe. Do not open the oven door frequently – the cake is likely to collapse halfway through. To test if the cake is done, insert a skewer in the cake at the place where cake has risen most & if it comes out clean, the cake is done & this is a very important test for fruit cakes. Sponge cakes shrink slightly from the sides of the tin when they are baked. Creamed cake mixtures are springy to touch when done. Allow light cakes a few mts, before turning out of the tin. Never cool a cake under the fan – this will make the cake hard. If you plan to bake regularly it is worth investing in weighing scales & an electric hand mixer – It simplifies the work & gives good results. Fill cake tin ¾ with batter, allowing space to rise. Enjoy baking !
General Conversion Charts for Baking Oven Temperature Chart: Centigrade Farenheit Gasmark 110 225 ¼ 130 250 ½ 140 275 Slow 150 300 2 170 325 3 180 350 4 190 375 5 200 400 6 Fairly hot 220 425 7 230 450 8 Hot 240 475 9 Very hot Practical Conversions: - This is a general guide – weighing gives best results. Ordinary teacup measurements are given. 1 cup maida 100gms ¾ cup powdered sugar 100gms ¾ cup ordinary sugar 120 gms 1 cup oil 130 gms 1 cup butter 150 gms All spoons should be levelled carefully with a knife. 1 tbsp 15 gms 1 tsp 5 gms
Sambar & Rasam Powders Sambar & rasam powders may be prepared, packed in small ziplock covers & kept in the freezer. As & when required, a portion can be taken out & kept for use. Sambar powder: Red chillies - 350 gms Dhaniya - 350 gms Pepper - 3 ½ tbsp Gram dhal - ½ cup Tur dhal - 1 cup Varali manjal - 7,8 Dry in sun & send to the flour mill to a fine powder. Small quantity that can be powdered in the mixi: Red chillies - 1 ¾ cup Dhaniya - 1 cup Pepper - 2 tsp Gram dhal - 1 tbsp Tur dhal - 2 tbsp Haldi - 2 tsp Slightly roast in a kadai or microwave just to get hot & powder as fine as possible. Rasam powder; Dhaniya - 500 gms Red chillies - 250 gms Pepper - 100 gms Jeera - 100gms Varali manjal - 10 Dry in the sun & send to flour mill to a rava like consistency powder. Small quantity that can be powdered in the mixi: Dhaniya - 1 cup Red chillies - Slightly less than 1 cup Pepper - 1 tbsp Jeera - 1 ½ tbsp Slightly roast in a kadai or microwave just to get hot & powder like rava.