Strawberry Jam

Fresh Strawberry jam....homemade..

Ingredients:

Strawberry - 1 kg

Sugar - 600 gms

Lemon juice - 1/4 cup

Method:

Wash and clean the strawberry and dry on a clean cloth.

Puree and add to a thick bottomed large cooking vessel.

Add the sugar.

Add the lemon juice....

And start cooking on a low flame. Do NOT increase flame until all the sugar melts.

Once the sugar melts, increase flame and bring to a steady boil.

Sterilise the vessels to be used for storing the jam by boiling the vessel and lid in water for 10 minutes.

If you have a candy thermometer, the temperature at which jam sets is 220F or 105C.

Or else, keep a plate in the freezer and you will know if your jam is set, when it stops being runny on the frozen plate.

Too runny, not set..

Continue cooking...

And set!

Store in the sterilised jars and boil the filled jars for 10 minutes to prevent any moulds.

Chocolate Truffles

Last night 2017 ended and 2018 started. New Promises, New Resolutions and New Ideas.
We celebrated this new year's entry at midnight with a tasty midnight treat.
How can you go wrong with Chocolate?

Recipe Source : Jamie Oliver

The recipe is very easy and you just need to use the BEST ingredients to make it.

Ingredients:
Cooking Chocolate (70%) - 250 gms
Cream - 125 gms
Butter - 25 gms
Roasted and powdered nut (I used Almonds)* - 50 gms

Method:
Grate the chocolate (FINELY) and place in a glass bowl.
Heat the cream to boiling point and add in the butter. Let the butter melt.
Pour this over the chocolate and mix well.
The chocolate will melt.

Mix again after 2 - 3 minutes to be sure that all the pieces have melted.
Put this mixture is the fridge for 2 hours to set it.
After 2 hours, scoop out a small ball, roll it in your hands and coat with the nut powder.
Truffles are ready!!
* Place the nuts in a single layer in an oven proof vessel and bake at 190 for 6-10 minutes. Cool and powder.

Instant Jalebi

My Jalebi

Store bought jalebi

Ok, My jalebi does not look as perfect and beautiful as the ones from the store....But in my favor, these 'Halwai' have years of experience. Come on, it was my first try. And they tasted excellent.

It is very easy to make and recipe is straight forward.

Ingredients:

Maida / All purpose flour - 1 cup

Rice flour - 1 tbsp

Food colour - 1 pinch

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Curd - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Lemon juice to taste

Oil / ghee for deep frying.

Method:
Heat the sugar with 1 cup water.

Make a sugar syrup which is quite thick (nearly 1 string). 

And add lemon juice to add flavor and zing.

You can some colour to this too.

Mix the maida, rice flour, baking powder and food colour.

Add the curd and make a batter.

Add water if necessary.

The batter should be of drop consistency and have no lumps.

Heat the oil in a flat pan , 1 inch thick.

Fill the Batter into a squeezy bottle with a slightly thicker spout.

Now is the part where you try to make swirls in the oil...

Fry both sides and soak in the sugar syrup for 30 seconds.

And it is ready!!

Taste the first batch and if the sour is not enough add more lemon juice to the sugar syrup.

I will post some better pictures when I have mastered the art of Jalebi making. Till then You too try out this recipe and send me some of your pictures.

Mysurpa / Mysore Pak / besan sweet with loads of sugar and ghee

Sree Krishna sweets is eponymous with Mysurpa. They do not call it Mysore Pak, as they say that it melts in the mouth before the 'k' is pronounced!

This sweet is a must in all Tam-Bram marriages and other functions. It is supposed to be very easy to make but thinking of the ghee and sugar used.....please do not count the calories, when you indulge in this luxurious sweet!!

I saw Vijaya mami make this sweet for a function organised in my maternal home. This recipe is hers and the photos have been taken at my home. Please excuse the lighting.

There are only 3 ingredients used, but it is time consuming process. I must add that the dish is quite forgiving. You can stop the cooking process and start cooling the mixture. If it does not set, reheat. But once it crosses the point of actual setting.....oops!! You will be left with a powdery sweet. So, be careful.

Ingredients:
Besan / Kadala mav / Chick pea flour - 1 measure
Sugar - 2 1/2 measure + some more for dusting
Ghee / Clarified butter - 2 1/2 measure
Milk - 1/8 measure (to remove impurities from sugar syrup)

Method:
Heat the besan in heavy bottomed vessel for 2 minutes and keep aside to cool.

Melt the ghee and divide the into 2 parts.

Spread some ghee on a large plate and keep aside.

Add the Besan to 1 part of ghee and keep aside.

Boil the sugar in ample water and 1 tsp ghee.

Once it melts, add some milk to remove the impurities.

When all the impurities are removed, heat the syrup till 1 string consistency.
Add the besan + ghee mixture and start boiling.

Keep adding more ghee as you continue cooking. (not all in one go, but in installments). You must finish the left over 1 measure ghee.

When the mixture starts leaving the sides of the vessel and you can draw a line in between, transfer to the buttered vessel.

Tap vigorously to remove air bubbles.

While still warm, spread some sugar on top. Then cut into desired shape.