Boondi Ladoo - Traditional Indian sweet

A traditional Indian sweet delicately flavoured with saffron and cardamom .

Ingredients:

For batter:

8 oz /240 grams Chick pea flour

1 tablespoon melted ghee (clarified butter) for batter

1/2 -2/3 cups water approx

Pinch orange food colouring ( optional)

For sugar syrup

8 oz / 240 grams sugar

3/4 cup water

1 pinch saffron

1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom powder

Pinch orange food colouring ( optional)

Other Ingredients:

1.5  tablespoons melted ghee (clarified butter) for final garnish

Oil for frying

15 almonds cut into slivers

10 almonds blanched and skin removed

2-3 drops red food colouring for colouring almonds

Method:

For the sugar syrup:

1. In a pan add the1 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water, mix and bring to boil.

2. Add the saffron, cardamom powder and pinch of food colouring.

3. Reduce the heat and simmer the syrup until all the sugar is melted and sugar syrup reaches ½ thread consistency. Remove from heat and set aside.

 How to make boondi:

1. Sieve the chickpea flour to remove lumps and add a pinch of food colouring.

2. Add 1 tablespoon of melted ghee and make a thick batter using the ½ cup water.( batter should be dropping consistency so adjust by adding more water as required)

3. Keep aside

4. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan.

5. Hold the sieve about 2 inches from the oil. Take a ladle full of the batter and pour small amounts on to the sieve with small round holes.

6.Allow the batter  to drop to form small round pearl sized balls.(If you find batter is dropping too quickly forming long strings, batter is too runny add more flour to the batter, on the other hand if batter is not dropping than its too thick so add a little more water to batter.

7. Fry these pearl sized balls in small batches. As soon as they are crisp remove them from the oil drain and add to the warm sugar syrup.

8. Repeat the procedure till all the batter is used up.

9. To make the red colour almonds, blanch the almonds by adding them to boiling water and leave for 5 mins. Remove the almonds from water and skin will slide off. Split the almonds in to halves and than quarters.

10. Add the blanched almond quarters to a zip lock bag, add 2-3 colours red food colouring, toss to coat the almonds to colour them red. Transfer them  to a sheet of  kitchen paper to dry.

11. Mix the boondi into the sugar syrup, coating evenly and leave for ½-1 hour for the syrup to penetrate the boondis.

12. After 1 hour add 1 tablespoon melted ghee to the boondis, add the almond slivers and mix well.

13. Pinch small walnut sized balls from the boondi and roll them into round balls, garnish with red coloured almonds and place them onto a serving tray.

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Churma na Ladwaa

Chilli sauce/chilli marinade a la shawarma~ Secret recipe club challenge 17th September 2012

This is my assignment with the Secret Recipe Club.The aim of the club is that you are allocated a blog from which you have to select a recipe and try  it and blog about it.
My assigned blog was Heidi's World . This blog is written in Danish but the recipes could be translated using the google translate button.I chose the easy chilli sauce/chilli marinade a la shawarma recipe to recreate as I was planning to have a barbecue and it would be perfect for marinading the vegetables.The only changes I made were that 1 added a medium ripe tomato to the sauce to add more substance to the marinade and to reduce the heat..The original recipe can be found here.

Fiery Chilli sauce marinade that will jazz up any vegetable for grilling or barbecuing,

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons ketchup
1 medium ripe tomato blended to a  smooth  puree
4 tablespoons sunflower oil
4 cloves crushed garlic
4 teaspoon of red chili flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of salt

Method:

1.In a bowl add the  ketchup, blended tomato puree, oil, garlic and chili flakes and mix  well.
2.Season with cumin, lemon juice and salt.
3. Leave the sauce to rest for a few hours until ready to use.Use as a marinade for vegetables.

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Sambal Belacan Malaysian chilli sauce.

Kenyan Spicy Black eyed bean stew.

Spicy and rich protein packed Kenyan black eyed bean stew.

Ingredients

8oz / 240 g  pre cooked blackeyed beans
1 tablespoon  sunflower oil
1 clove garlic finely chopped
2 medium ripe tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method:

1.Chop the tomatoes and pulse them in a blender to make a smooth puree.
2. Heat  the oil in a pan and when it is hot saute the garlic. Add the blended tomatoes, salt, cumin powder,chilli powder and pepper and cook the tomatoes for 2-3 minutes until oil starts to separate and tomatoes loose their rawness.
3. Add the precooked beans and 100 ml water and mix well.
4. Simmer the stew on medium heat for 6-7 minutes until the stew thickens and spices infuse.
5. Remove from heat  and stir in the lemon juice.
Serve hot with rice or flat breads.

NB- I find that this recipe works best with slightly overcooked and mushy black eyed beans as it gives the stew a rich creamy texture.

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Matoke Kenyan plantain stew.

Submitting to:
Flavours of Kenya event by simply.food

Matoke~ Kenyan Plantain Green Bananas Stew

Yield: Serves two

Author: Nayna Kanabar

Matoke~ Green Plantain Green Bananas Stew

Green Plantain Green Bananas Stew is a delicious wholesome spicy plantain stew that's delicious served as an accompaniment to a main meal. It is also eaten during fasting periods.

Prep time: 10 MCook time: 15 MTotal time: 25 M

Ingredients:

• Ingredients:
• 5 green bananas -raw plantain (Matoke)
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 green chillies.
• 150 ml water
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander for garnishing

Instructions:

1. Method:
2.  Peel the green bananas- plantain and slice them in to 5mm thick round slices with a serrated knife from your knifes set. Soak them in cold water.
3. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces.
4.  Slit both the chillies and remove the membrane and seeds and cut into 4 pieces.
5. Heat oil in a pan when it is hot add 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds and let them splutter.
6. Drain the bananas and add to the pan followed by the tomatoes, salt and pepper and chillies
7.  Mix well and add the water.
8. Bring the stew to boil , than reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until bananas are tender and sauce has thickened. Add the lemon juice and stir.
9.  Transfer to serving dish and garnish with fresh coriander.

Created using The Recipes Generator

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Cassava fries

Submitting to:
Flavours of Kenya event by simply.food

Thai Green Mango Salad ~ Som Tum ma muang

Thai Mango salad, tropical sharp and tangy mango balanced with sweet coconut in a sweet and sour and spicy dressing.

Ingredients:

I large green mango
60g / 2oz fresh grated coconut
2 red chillies cut into thin strips
1 red sweet pepper cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander leaves
1 small red sweet onion cut into very thin slices

Dressing:

1 tablespoon soya sauce(replacing fish sauce)
1 tablespoon sweet Thai chilli sauce(replacing shrimp paste
1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 red chilli finely chopped

Method:

1. Peel the mango and remove the stone, using a mandolin slice the mango into long thin ribbons (alternately you can grate it or cut it into juliennes) Add it to a large bowl.
2. Add the red chilli, red pepper, half the coriander , onion  and half the coconut to the mango and toss well.
3. Add all the ingredients in the dressing list to a jar with a screw top and mix well.
4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well.
5. Transfer the salad to a serving dish and garnish with remaining coconut and coriander.

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Thai Raw Papaya Salad

Flavours of Morocco Round Up

Thankyou to everyone who participated in this event.You can check out the round up here.

Round up ~Lets Cook with Fruits.

Thankyou to everyone who participated in this lovely event, there were some delicious entries.Here is the round up.

Lets Cook Soup Event.

Summer is nearing to an end and we are slowly approaching autumn. Autumn brings cooler weather, darker evenings and its perfect for a warm bowl of soup.Soup can be so versatile it can be a light meal or it can be a one pot hearty main meal. It can be served hot or cold as a starter or a main, the combination of flavours are numerous. Soups can be rustled up in moments, they are perfect  for using up left overs. This event is all about soup.

To Participate:

1.Prepare any vegetarian soup hot or cold (eggs allowed) please link your post using the linky below by entering your Post Name and Post URL
2. Please link this event announcement with your entry, this is mandatory.
3. Use of logo is not mandatory but usage is encouraged as it helps to spread the word visually if you can use it.
4. Multiple entries are allowed, archived are only allowed if reposted and updated with this event link.
5. In the event of problem using linky you can email me the entry at simplysensationalfood@gmail.com

Please use this format

Your Name:
Recipe Name
Recipe URL
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