Eggless Cashew Nut Cookies

This cashew cookies are simply delicious and easy to make with very few ingredients. Cashew nuts have a very special creamy flavor, which manifests very pleasingly in the cookie too. Plus, the coarse cashew powder also gives the cookie a melt-in-the-mouth texture that is unbeatable. This delectable combination of cashew nuts and melted butter is enough to make you drool and go perfect with a cup of tea.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour/Maida - 1 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Baking powder - 1/2 tsp

Unsalted butter -  1/2 cup

Coarsely ground cashew nuts - 1/2 cup

Chopped cashew nuts - 1/4 cup 

Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp

 

Method:

1.Grind the 1/2 cup nuts using a blender into a course powder., put these to the side in a separate dish.

2.In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and ground cashewnuts  powder until thoroughly incorporated.

3.In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla beating until completely combined.

4.Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined then Add chopped cashew bits and mix well.

5.Fold through until it forms a stiff dough Take a small portion of dough, shape it into balls

6. Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Bake until lightly golden and just lightly browned around the edges, about 15-18minutes.

7.Once the cookies are cool, store them in an airtight container.

Varavarisi/ Varu Payaru

Varavarisi/ Varupayaru is one of the traditional iyer seer dish in Seemandhan & Valagappu Festival in Tirunelveli.  This dish made for my daughter's seemantham as seer. It is made in my village  in huge amount exclusively for this function. Varu payaru (soaked, dried, roasted pulses) is a combination of two tamil words. “Varuththal” means Dry Roast. “Payaru” is a common name for all Legumes. Legumes are a very healthy food because it is low in fat and high in protein and  also very high in fiber and other nutrients and oil free snack. So it gives during the pregnancy. 

Ingredients:

Whole Green Gram - 1 cup
Chick peas - 1 cup
Horse Gram- 1 cup
Black eyed peas- 1 cup
Verkadalai/ Peanuts – one cup

Seedai  1 Cup

For seedai:

Processed rice flour - ¾ cup (roasted lightly)

Roasted urad dhal flour - 1 tbsp

Salt, butter, hing

Knead, adding little water to tiny balls & deep fry in oil.

Ingredients for masala :

Red Chilli powder -according to taste

Hing-1tsp

Salt-as per taste

Turmeric-1tsp   

Mix well and keep aside.

Method:

1. Wash and Soak  the lentils separately for overnight. Next morning drain off the water and dry the grains separately.

2.Drain well and tie in damp cheese cloth separately. Allow them to sprout. Rinse once or twice during the sprouting period.

3.When the legumes sprout, spread them in a dry cloth/towel and keep them in a warm place. The legumes will air dry.

4.Take the salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and asafetida in a small cup and moisten it with 1/2 teaspoon of water.

5.After the legumes are ready slowly roast each of the dried pulses separately one after the other in a heavy bottomed pan, till they turn light brown in color.

6.When they are nearly roasted, add a spoonful of the masala mixture to each of the pulses, and roast till all the water is absorbed.

7.Remove from fire, and cool separately. Meanwhile prepare the seedai and add the seedai and mix well.When everything is really cool, mix all together and store it in a air tight container

8.The Varavarisi is now ready for Seer. This is very healthy snack too..

Apple Cinnamon Braided Bread

Apple Cinnamon Braided Bread

Apple and cinnamon both flavours goes wonderfully together. The fruity aroma of apples and the delicate smell of cinnamon fill the entire house with their magic. It's an easy recipe,especially I tried without yeast with common ingredients yet so delicious and very tempting. The smell in the house while baking is divine .The inside of bread is soo soft with crusty top, . Hardly could someone resist this rich and buttery, juicy mouth-watering braid looks to be unbelievably delicious .and it makes it perfect for breakfast /teatime snack or even for holiday season.

Ingredients:

APPLE FILLING:

Apples, peeled and diced-2 medium

Unsalted butter-1tbsp

 Granulated white sugar-1tbsp

 Brown sugar-1tbsp

For Dough:

All-Purpose Flour-2 cups

Granulated sugar-2 tbsp

Baking powder-1 1/2 tsp

Baking soda-1tsp

Unsalted butter-3tbsp

Milk-1/4 cup

Unsweetened applesauce-1/2 cup

(Combine the chopped apples, water and cook it until tender Remove it from heat and cool it out the apples and blend it smooth in a blender adding little water if needed. adding sugar is optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

Prepare the apple filling:Peel, core, and slice the apples into thin slices, then cut the slices in half. On the stove top, melt butter in a medium skillet. Add apples and sugars. Saute until apples are slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Prepare the cinnamon-sugar filling: Mix ingredients in a medium bowl until mixture is combined and lumpy.

Prepare the cinnamon roll dough: Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl.

1.In a separate bowl, use a whisk to combine the butter, applesauce, milk . Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and use a wooden spoon to combine until well mixed.

2.Remove the dough to a well-floured surface, sprinkling in more flour as needed to make sure the dough isn't sticky.

3.When the dough was ready, rolled it out into a big rectangle, then cut each side into strips. .

4. Spread the apple filling down the uncut center of the dough, and then Fold strips of dough into the center, crisscrossing the filling by alternating strips from each side.

5.Lightly press ends to seal, and straighten out the braid with your hands to create a braided effect.

6.Bake the braid in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and Brush braid with remaining melted butter, let the braid cool for several minutes.

Then Slice and serve.

Erisseri

Chena Vazhakkai Erissery is a healthy vegetable made from raw bananas and yam. Erissery is a popular dish of Kerala and is relished in some parts of Tirunelveli dist. For any feast, be it for marriages or festivals like Onam ,Vishu and samradanai we prepare erissery In our home. Today I prepared ths dish for OnamSadhya. It is flavored with coconut, black pepper, cumin, and turmeric. The tempering of fried coconut, mustard seeds, urad dal, red chillies and curry leaves is what gives this dish all its flavour and aroma. Serve Chena Vazhakkai Erissery with steamed rice and Tomato Rasam .

Ingredients:

Senai kizhangu(Yam )   -1 cup cut intopieces

Vazhaikka(Raw banana) -1 cup cutinto pieces

Pepper  -  ¾ tsp

Jeera - ½ tsp

Coconut    ½ cup

Red chilly-2                                                     

Salt -   as per taste

Turmeric powder  -1/4 tsp                                                

For Tempering

 Fresh scraped coconut – ½ cup

 Urad Dal – 1 tsp

 Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp

Curry Leaves – 8 to 10 leaves 

 Coconut Oil – 1 tbsp
 

Method:

1.Cut senai & vazhaikkai into small pieces, wash and Boil in water (to cover and a little more) with salt and tumeric  or pressure cook for 2 whistles with salt and turmeric powder.

2.In the meanwhile, grind the coconut black pepper , cumin and redchilli into a fine paste adding some water.

3.When it is cooked add the ground masala ,boil for a couple of minutes adjust consistency add water now if needed. Remove from heat after about 2 to 3 minutes

4.Now for the seasoning heat the coconut oil add the mustard seeds , once it sputters add the curry leaves and 2 tbs of grated coconut and fry till golden brown then add to eriseri.

5.Stir to combine. Turn off the heat. Transfer the Chena Vazhakkai Erissery to a serving bowl.