Caramel Apple Upside Down Cake

Caramel and Cinnamon are wicked combinations. It entices you and you cannot stop at one. This is a wonderful autumn cake when the best apples are in season. The crisp weather ensures that we enjoy this warm cake for tea.

Ingredients

For the sauce and topping
•       3-4 Granny Smith apples very thinly sliced apples
•       115g salted butter
•       135g brown sugar
•       1 teaspoon cinnamon
•       ½ teaspoon nutmeg
•       ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
•       ¼ teaspoon dry ginger powder (optional)
•       1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•       ¼ cup toasted and chopped walnuts/ pecan nuts  

For the cake
•       115g unsalted butter
•       200g brown sugar
•       2 large eggs
•       ¼ cup milk
•       185g plain flour
•       1 teaspoon baking powder
•       ½ teaspoon cinnamon


Method
 
1. Generously grease a square 8-inch cake pan and line with baking paper at the bottom.
2. Sauce: Melt butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan until smooth and thickened slightly. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger powder and vanilla. Pour the caramel into the greased cake pan and top with the apple slices while the sauce is still hot. Top with chopped nuts.
3. Cake: Preheat the oven to 160 degree C fan-forced oven. Beat butter and brown sugar until creamy. Add eggs and milk and beat until incorporated. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Pour the batter on top of the caramel and apple layer in the cake pan.
4. Bake for 45 minutes to 60 minutes (until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean). Let cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto a plate and tap the top until the cake comes out onto the plate.

Serve hot !

Eggs in a Nest for Breakfast

Eggs baked in potato nests, served with avocado and sprinkled with coriander leaves.

I usually sprinkle my breakfast eggs with parsley. Coriander leaves together with avocado gives a fresh hint to the breakfast dish.

Serves 4: (1 egg per serve)

Ingredients

• 3 small-medium sized potatoes, shredded
• A handful of shredded cheese (a blend of parmesan and cheddar cheese)
• 1 - 1/2 tsp plain flour/ rice flour
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 4 eggs
• 4 slices of bacon
• 1 ripe avocado, chopped
• Coriander leaves, finely chopped
• Cooking oil spray

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (fan-forced).
2. Mix together shredded potatoes, cheese, plain flour, salt and pepper in a bowl. 
3. Spray the inside of 4 pie dishes with oil  so that the potato baskets do not stick. Divide potato mixture into 4 portions, fill each pie dish. Using fingers press them down the middle and onto the sides and mold the potato mixture as nests. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 160°C (fan-forced).
5. Crack an egg into each pie dish. Bake again until the egg white sets but the yolk is still soft and runny (around 15 minutes).
6. In the meantime, cook bacon in a pan.
7. Place the bacon on a plate and put the baked eggs on it. Top with chopped avocados and sprinkle with coriander leaves.

Serve hot!

Murg Mughlai

Murg Mughlai, popularly known as Chicken Korma, is very much an Indian curry; though quite surprisingly, it stands out from the other blazing, fiery curries from India. Its roots can be traced back to the cooking techniques from Persia which became an integral part of Indian cuisine during the reign of the Mughal Empire. The meat is first braised (seared using high heat) and then slow cooked for long hours in a gravy to create an exotic curry.

As the name sounds, this dish befits to be served on a King's plate. It is royal with its rich, creamy, nutty flavours yet subtly spicy which is certainly deceived by its pale looks.

Personally, this dish is reminds me of my best friend Sanee. During our early days of cooking experiments before marriage, we learned to cook this, with help from her Mom over the telephone, who herself was an excellent cook. Though we have to admit that our first trial was an utter failure, we learned from our mistakes and have been improving on the dish ever since.

Ingredients

To marinate and braise

• 1/2 kg boneless chicken thighs
• 3 tsp ginger paste
• 3 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp Greek yogurt
• salt to taste
• 3 tbsp ghee/ clarified butter

For the Sauce/Gravy:

• 2 tbsp ghee/ clarified butter 
• 3 cups brown onions, sliced
• 1 1/2 tbsp ginger paste
• 3/4 tbsp garlic paste
• 8 green chilly, whole
• 1 aniseed
• 8-10 small green cardamom pods
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 5 cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 2-3 tbsp almond flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp white pepper powder
• 1 - 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
• a generous pinch of saffron
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup - 1 cup of hot water
• sliced almonds to garnish
• salt to taste

Extra

• 1/2 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 large onion, thinly sliced into half moons
• a pinch of sugar
• 1-2 tbsp raisins 
• Slivered almond, to garnish
• Coriander leaves, to garnish

Method

Extra
1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil. Add a pinch of sugar and add the sliced onions. Fry the onions till they brown and caramelize. Remove onions and set aside.
2. Fry raisins in the same oil and set aside.

Marinate
1. Sprinkle salt on the chicken pieces and rub in along with lemon juice. Combine the rest of the ingredients for the marinade and marinate the chicken and leave in refrigerator overnight or for at least 2 hours.
2. Grill chicken pieces on high for a few minutes until chicken is just done and brown on all sides. Baste chicken with ghee in between grilling and turn over the chicken pieces. Use 3 tbsp ghee for this.  

The Gravy
1. Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a pan, add aniseed, cinnamon, cloves, green cardamoms and bay leaves and sauté. Add onions, green chili pepper and salt and sauté at medium heat till the onions starts to get light brown.
2. Add ginger paste, garlic paste  and sauté the onions at low to medium heat till oil separates. Add ½ cup of hot water and salt and bring it to a boil. Cook/simmer till the paste thickens a bit and there is no extra water floating on the top.
3. Add grilled chicken to the gravy and toss well to combine. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Lower the heat and let the temperature of the pan come down a bit. Whisk the yogurt together with sugar and almond powder till smooth and creamy. Add this mixture to the gravy and let it simmer at low heat for about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of hot water and simmer it down to your desired consistency of the sauce, if required.
5. Add half of the caramelized onions (set aside some for garnish), heavy cream, saffron, white pepper powder and garam masala. Stir everything in, partially cover it and allow it to gently simmer at low – medium heat for 6-8 minutes or until you see a thin film of ghee appear as the top most layer above the sauce.

Garnish with slivered almonds, caramelized onions, raisins and coriander leaves. Serve hot with pulao or roti. 

Fish Curry with Canned Sardines

I am sure that you all would agree to life being a race now. We are all, either running after something or running for something. Even when cooking is your passion there are times when you look around for some easy to prepare meals that leave you satisfied at the dining table.

Chicken, Bean and Vegetable Soup in Pressure Cooker

Soup is synonymous with cold to me. Soup is quick. Soup is easy. Soup is nutritious. Soup is comforting. So is warmth. Soup is whole. Soup is hearty. Soup is complete. Soup is contentment.

Orange and Almond Cake

You look high and low for recipes when you fall in love with a food. And sometimes it is hard to satisfy your palate with what you make because your hand creations cannot match the great taste that you enjoyed for that food the first time. The Orange and Almond Cake is one such recipe for me. It was a sweet yet refreshing and light dessert. I've been working to perfect this recipe for a long time and I stroke it rich when I landed on the Food Safari show in SBS one day where they presented this exhilarating dessert as a classic Passover confection from the Mediterranean, Morocco and the Middle East.

Heuvos Rancheros Con Frijoles Al Horno

This Mexican-style Baked Beans and Eggs makes a scrumptious and flavourful breakfast for those who love to break into their day like a king. Yet, the benefits are more than sees the eye. It is low-GI, which means you have sustained energy for a longer time during the day. It is packed with proteins which helps in muscle development. The tomatoes have lycopene which is a powerful anti-oxidant.

 

Vada Kootu Curry

Busy cooking. But yet couldn't let this day pass without the Trivandrum-style Vada Kootu Curry...

Goan-Style Prawn Curry

It is a cool Sunday morning. There is nothing better on a day like this than to wake up early, when the rest of the house is still in deep slumber from which, it seems, they may not wake up. This is the time I enjoy the most because I can be for myself without any "Where?"s, "Whats?" and "Hows?".

The day looks perfect for a bake. But I am lazy. Should I cook? May be not. Sundays are meant to be lazy, right?

The sun's rays stream through the windows right into my eyes and though I cannot see the ocean, it reminds of home. It is a perfect day to take a stroll down the beach, watching the ladies waiting for their men to return from the sea. Hoots and hows from the fishermen from their boats in the sea fill the air. I think they have a great catch today. They are passing signals to the men on shore to be ready for them. There are children playing in the waves oblivious to what is going around them.

And then I suddenly remember that my home is still miles away from me. Can I catch a glimpse of "my ocean" in all its glory ever? I hope the innocence of those people still lingers in their hearts.

Back to where I am now - I have a recipe that is not from home but from a place that is very similar to home: Goa - the land of beaches. It is a Goan-style Prawn Curry (credits to Sonia D'souza from Goa for her recipe) which stands out from the Kerala-style inspite of the similar spices used.

Serves: 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: around 20 minutes
(The recipe follows rough estimations. Please make changes to suit your taste)

Ingredients

• 500g prawn meat
• 3/4 cup dessicated coconut
• 3 green chilly
• 1 tsp garam masala, adjust to taste
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1" ginger, crushed
• 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground fenugreek
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 - 2 tsp kashmiri chilly powder (adjust to taste)
• 1 - 2 tsp white vinegar
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp cooking oil

To temper

• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 3 - 4 dry red chilly
• 1 tsp mustard seeds

Method
1. Place a pan over medium heat and add oil. Stir in onion, ginger, garlic and salt and continue to cook until onion becomes light brown in colour. Add ground cumin, fenugreek, pepper, turmeric and kashmiri chilly powders and mix well. Remove from flame and let it cool. Grind this very little water to make a thick and creamy paste.
2. Dry roast dessicated coconut until it starts to change colour to a light brown. Set it aside to cool. Then add green chilly, garam masala and just enough water to make a thick creamy paste.
3. Add prawns in a deep pan over medium heat with salt and no water. Cook until half done. At this stage the prawns will shrink in size and there will be liquid in the pan. Mix ground onion paste and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Then add ground coconut paste and continue to cook until done. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Pour in vinegar just as you remove the dish from heat and mix well.

Set aside for at least 8 hours.

4. Heat remaining oil to temper in a pan. Splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves and dry red chilly. Pour it onto reheated prawn curry and serve hot with rice.

Spicy Apple Pecan Tea Cake

Apples, in my opinion, are the most versatile of fruits. They are crunchy when eaten fresh; this makes a very good addition to a refreshing salad or can be eaten as is. Cooked - they are soft and can be made into pies or tarts. Make them into a juice which can be served fresh in a glass or can be turned into cider or vinegar. With flavours that run from sugary sweet to ones that raises your eye-brows, apples can find a place in every dish - tagines, cakes, cookies and the list is endless.

Grilled Salmon with Lemon Risotto topped with Creamy Prawn Sauce

Today is the first Sunday of September, a special day for us Australians because we are celebrating Father's Day. Interestingly, Father's Day was not started to show the children's love to their fathers but only to complement Mother's day which was widely celebrated to honour motherhood. Personally, I feel that fathers and mothers should be honoured and thanked for all the sacrifices they do for their children and grandchildren everyday day of their lives, until they part from us.

But who are we to blame the chance for a celebration. Most of you may have already planned for a great day; but there could be a handful of you still looking out for something to surprise the special person in your life. What about cooking something for him? If he loves seafood and happy to go Italian, here is a recipe for you - Pan Grilled Salmon with Lemon Risotto served with a Creamy Sauce of Prawns and Sun-dried Tomato.

Meen Thoran/ A Stir-Fry with Shredded Fish and Coconut

Thoran is a style of stir-fry prepared using a main item like vegetables or fish together with crushed coconut and spices. Though thoran is usually prepared by using vegetables are usually chopped very thin, this is a variation where cooked fish is finely shredded after removing the bones to prepare a thoran. Do not mistake this for what is generally called a Meen Peera, where small fish like white bait or sardine is used with their bones.

Vendakka Theengapaal Curry/ Okra in Coconut Milk

Time to break my silence!

The last few months have not been very good for me. I was trying to find myself, which I guess is hard. Especially when you have forgotten what you are! There were changes happening to me - physically and mentally. It was hard for me to compose and collect myself. So I decided to let go of myself! Let go of my singing and dancing, but most of all my cooking. Cooking turned out to be a necessity for me rather than passion.

Cong You Bing / Chinese-style Spring Onion Pancake with Ginger Dipping Sauce

Cong You Bing is a Chinese-style unleavened flat-bread, commonly referred to as Spring Onion Pancakes. It uses very few ingredients and is quite easy to prepare and yet has a very remarkable flavour. The dough is a combination of water, salt and flour. This combined with sesame oil, spring onions, salt and pepper and then being toasted in very little oil creates a delicious snack. The recipe here is from a Chinese colleague from years back.

Prawn Pakora/ Prawn Fritters

Pakoras, also known as Bhajias, are a very popular fried snack in India. Ask any Indian, and this unbelievably addictive fritter is always associated with the cool monsoon weather. It is not very uncommon for Indians to sit down with a hot cup of tea in the verandah, enjoying the beautiful monsoon rains and munching into some crispy pakoras. Originally, a tea time snack, pakoras are nowadays served as an appetiser in an Indian food menu.

Tharavu Mappas/ Duck in a Spicy Coconut Gravy

Cooking has not been at its best for the last few months with the summer heat killing my boys' appetite. But with a cool change, I can see their love for and request for food growing. Today's recipe was a special Easter breakfast request from them and though I am down with flu and fever, I simply couldn't ignore it.

Char Siu Bao/ Chinese BBQ Pork Bun

Char Siu Bao is a Cantonese bbq pork filled steamed bun and is the most popular street food in China. Char Siu is bbq pork and Bao is covered or wrapped. Pork meat is marinated in a maltose-hoisin-rose wine sauce and then grilled over the bbq to a charred, savoury, sweet perfection. Then are then chopped and filled inside a yeast-dough, shaped into buns and steamed. They are served hot, straight from the steamer.

Kallumakkaya Ularthiyathu / Mussels Fry

Mussels, commonly referred to in Kerala as Kallumakkaya or Kadukka, is a very popular seafood in the coastal regions of Kerala. It is harvested from the rocks found on the coastal lines. There are different recipes that Kerala has to offer to savour these shell meat. Here is one of the recipes - a lip smacking simple, yet spicy preparation - Kallumakkaya Ularthiyathu. The rich flavour of the mussels are enhanced by the use of chilly powder, pepper powder and fennel powder. And you can't the forget the coconut pieces that you bite into in between. Nothing much can be said about this dish, except that you have to taste it to fall in love with it.

Garlic-Herb Chicken, Spinach and Spring Onion Pizza

Friday evenings are synonymous with lazy evenings. You simply want to gather round with your family for a long chit chat or sit in front of the television to watch some exciting movies. More importantly, you want to wind down yourself after a hectic and heavy week.

Aloo Tikki: Potato Cutlets

Aloo Tikki is a North Indian street food, prepared with mashed potatoes, some herbs and spices. It is a very popular snack found in Chaat stalls. It is usually served with tamarind sauce and coriander-mint sauce and also at times relished, topped with chick peas, yoghurt, onion, green chilly sauce, tamarind sauce, coriander-mint sauce and sev to make a complete Chaat.