Paal Payasam/ Milk Pudding

If a first prize for laziness is distributed I would be the first one to get it...:) I know onam is over a few days back and I still have all my recipes in the camera...So lazy to select pics and  process it...Typing it is the next thing..Right? Anyways I will be uploading many recipes that was cooked during previous days and months..
So here is a famous payasam/kheer from kerala known as Paal payasam(Milk payasam/kheer).

Milk- 6 cups
Rice-1/4 cup(I used broken Matta rice)
Sugar-3/4 cup
Butter-1 tbsp(unsalted)

Method of Preparation:
1. Clean and wash the rice.
2. Mix it in a clean pressure cooker with sugar and milk.
3. Place the cooker on low heat with the weights on. Cook it till it is about to whistle. When it is about to whistle switch off the flame and wait till the pressure goes.
4.  Once the pressure goes open the lid and give it a stir.
5. The rice would be cooked and the payasam/kheer would have turned creamy.
6.  Now add the butter to the payasam/kheer and mix well.
7. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes:
1. Use a pressure cooker thats big enough to fit all ingredients.
2. When it whistles there is high chance of milk flowing out through the weight.SO do not keep to whistle.
3. Cook on the lowest flame as it takes time for rice to cook.
4. If payasam turns out to be very thick add more boiled milk to it and stir well.
5. See that you never use more rice and less milk which results in uncooked rice, lumps etc. Always milk should be more, which results in lump free payasam.
6.If you want you can fry cashews, raisins in ghee and add it.In that case don't add butter.

If cooking in a vessel/uruli(Long method):

1. Boil the milk and set aside.
2. Cook the rice with enough amount of water(More than twice the amount of rice). Once the rice is cooked(soft, not mushy) drain the water completely.
3. Now cook the rice with boiled milk for about 5 to 8 mins and then add the sugar and mix well.
4. Continue cooking on low flame, stirring continuously till the milk reduces to almost 1/2 and turns creamy.This takes about 45 min.
5.Switch off the flame and add butter to it.Serve.

Notes:
1. Use a thick bottomed vessel. See that the rice or milk doesn't stick at bottom while cooking resulting in burned payasam.
2. See that the rice is cooked before adding milk and sugar. Also see that the water is drained completely.
3. Cook the payasam till its creamy(off white color, a shade of pink)
4. You can use any rice for this though unangalari is the preferred one.

Varutha upperi/Banana Chips

Traditionally varutha upperi is one of the items served in sadhya(a meal served  in south India on plantain leaf with many varieties of dishes during marriage, festival, or any other occasion). During our last visit we had brought enough of these to have for the festivals here...But it got over before the festivals came. This time during Onam we dint find any good stuffs here in Indian stores. So finally I thought of making them again. This is my 3rd attempt. After learning from each mistakes finally it was perfect.

Banana-2 nos
Coconut oil to deep fry
Salt to taste
Dry Red chili-2 no
Curry Leaves-3 to 4 leaves

Method of Preparation:
1.Grease hand with coconut oil, Cut straight through the skin of plantain without inserting the knife deep into it.
2. Peel the skin, wipe with a kitchen tissue. Cut the skinless plantain to half vertically and then each vertical pieces to half again vertically.Cut this to small pieces horizontally not too thick nor thin.See that everything is cut to same size for even frying.
3. Simultaneously heat oil in a wok on medium heat. Once oil is hot enough reduce it to medium-low,  add little amount of  plantain pieces, give a stir and fry till the sizzling sound stops and the pieces are golden yellow, light and crisp.
4. Drain on a kitchen tissue and continue the process.
5. Once it is done, heat 1/2 tsp oil in a wok and fry the dry red chili and curry leaves.
6. Mix this(don't add the oil, if any) nicely  along with salt to the varutha upperi. Cool completely and store in an airtight vessel.

Here comes the hand...:)

Notes:
1. Raw plantain is sticky(kara). It lends a black color to hand and also to the pieces if kept open for long time. To avoid this we use oil as well as we wipe with tissue paper. You can also soak for 20 minutes and wash the skinned plantain in little turmeric water.If washing do wipe the plantain properly before cutting it.
2. Oil should not be too hot nor too low. If too hot plantain pieces cook faster in the outside and will remain soft in inside. If too low the pieces will be very oily.So cook on medium low. It takes some time but you will get perfect crispy chips.
3. Cut the pieces in equal thickness, else there will be  a problem while frying.
4. Use coconut oil as these are done in it.
5. Adding of curry leaves and dry chili is not compulsory. Add salt alone and mix well.
6. Once the pieces are dropped in oil give it a good stir else they tend to stick together. Also stir half way of frying so that it is evenly fried.
7. Store in air tight box only after cooling properly.

Plum Juice

My two year old loves shopping fruits...He runs around and picks/grabs  things that he sees..He puts them in a cover and drops it in the cart..So we would be running behind him to see that he doesn't run into other carts or bring any damage to his dads pocket by damaging stuffs around..:)
In this whole process I get a little chance to see to things thats in the cart..To check for its freshness and ripeness.Though I do it, it never goes to the ultimate check ending up with some over ripe fruits at home.
As for plum..we enjoy it when its firm and not over ripe..But last time we ended up with many over ripe fruits that had to be used in some way...

Thus this drink was made..
Loved the color and taste of it..

Plum-2 nos.
Water-1 cup
Sugar-4 tbsp

Method of preparation:
1. Wash, pit and chop the plum to small pieces with skin on.
2. Boil the water and sugar and when sugar disolves add the plum and cook for 5 to 8 mins.
3. Slightly mash the plum pieces to extract juice from it.
4. Turn of the heat and sieve the mixture using a fine mesh.Strain such that there is no flesh in the strained juice.
5. Add about a cup of chilled water to the drink.Serve chilled.

Notes:
1. Plum skin add the sourness to this juice.If you need more tangy taste to the drink add a spoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice.
2. Add sugar according to taste.

Dates Ball- A Guest Post

Hi friends..

Priya of Cook like Priya is one of the friends I got to meet through baking group..She is a lovely gal with a cute space where she has a variety of recipes.. When Priya contacted me for the guest post in her space as she is totally busy with her shifting...I agreed to help her...Since this is the first guest post in her space I thought of making a sweet...A simple and healthy preparation to indulge in..

Do visit her space for the delicious recipe...

Here is a recipe card visit Priya's space for the other one...

Photography exercise-Just one ingredient.

This time, a photo post for a difference..:)
This post is just about clicks...Hmmm my effort at learning to click...Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen has Started a photography exercise to improve photographs by clicking, learning and telling your opinion. Its the forth series now. Though I have been thinking of participating from first exercise, it never happened..Anyway from this time I decided to join them and help myself to improve.

Here are a few snaps with single ingredient. Your comments and criticisms are invited...;)

So first I started off with turmeric powder...
settings:
Camera: D3100, 55-200mm
on ground near the patio window..Clicked from right..A black board on the left side and behind..Camera on hand
Time: ~ 1.30 pm

Manual mode | f/5 |  1/60s | ISO- 400 |  150mm |

Chocolates:
Camera: D3100, 55-200mm
On ground near patio window, Clicked right above, No tripod
Around 1.30 pm
Manual mode| f/4.2| 1/60s| ISO-200| 82mm

Kale leaves:
Camera: D3100, 55-200mm
On ground, Near patio window, White board on left and back, shot from right with tripod
Around: 1.30 pm
Manual mode|f/5| 1/30s|ISO-200| 135mm

Quinoa:
Camera: D3100, 55-200mm
On ground, Near patio window
Around:1.30 pm
Manual mode, f/5, 1/50s, ISO-400, 135mm

Grapes:
Camera:D3100, Lens 18-55mm
On table set near patio window, Clicked from right, Black board on left , right and back. Camera on hand.Directly out of camera(No post processing)
Time around 1.30 pm
Manual mode, f/5.6,1/20 s, ISO-200 , 48mm

Mango Lemonade

Summer is coming to an end with slight cold breeze at nights...No longer would the heat of sun be enjoyed here with cold and refreshing drinks.....Sooner the days will be short and nights long...With strong winds that will strip the tree off its beautiful leaves leaving behind shadows of its existence..So before all this starts I need to put some more drinks that I have tried this summer..Got this drink recipe from a recipe card while shopping..

Mango -1(1 small mango-I used champagne mangoes)
Lemon juice-1/4 cup
Sugar-1/4cup/to taste(add according to the sweetness required)
Water-2 cups

Method of Preparation:
1. Heat 1 glass water and dissolve sugar in it.Let cool.
2. Blend mango, lemon juice and 1/2 cup water to smooth liquid. Strain and mix it with the sugar mixture.Add more water if needed.Chill and serve.

Kale chips

If you are addicted to chips...then give a try to this....

Kale Leaves-4 to 5 stems
Olive oil-1 tsp
Sea salt to taste
Chili flakes to taste

Method of Preparation:
1. Wash the kale leaves and dry them thoroughly.Remove the thick veins and tear the leaves to bite sized pieces.
2. Drizzle the olive oil and sprinkle salt and chili flakes as needed.
3. Mix well and place on the baking sheet without crowding and overlaping them.
4. Place this into a pre-heated oven to 375 F. Bake for 15 minutes(turning the sides in between) or till brown(not burned) at the edges.
5. Serve as a snack or as side.

Notes:
1. Adding more olive oil will result in greasy kale chips.Just add enough to coat the leaves sightly.
2. Season according to your taste.
3. Be sure to remove thick veins from leaves.