OREO TRUFFLES

This takes the #1 spot on the most requested items during Christmas season from Ian. Every time I mention the word 'Christmas Party', he makes sure that I have written this item on my to-make list. I usually don't make the Christmas treats throughout the year, it's made only around the last week of November.It's just to keep the excitement going and to have some special treats around the house during the most lovely time of the year!

It's funny how they know which aisle carries the cookies when we go grocery shopping. For Ian, it's easy since he can read but Zara kind of takes a cue from her elder brother and tells us which direction to push the cart! They hold on to that precious packet of Oreo cookies as if it's the last packet on the face of this planet! I cannot blame them, I rarely buy packaged stuff for them due to the long list of ingredients that goes into making most of them.

These Oreo truffles are delectable little bites of heaven! I have to admit that I have lost my sweet tooth off late which  I am extremely happy about but that doesn't really stop me from enjoying these treats once a year. They are so easy to make and looks very pretty when served on a platter. This is a simple recipe that you can make along with your kids. To make your life easier, use a 1 tablespoon measure cookie scoop, if you have one. I use them and it makes the process really fast! You can decorate these Oreo Truffles with sprinkles, dragees, chopped toasted nuts or even drizzle them with chocolate. I have been seeing a whole lot of different ideas like making an Ornament, a Snowman, a Reindeer etc using these as a base on the internet.

OREO TRUFFLES
Makes 25-30 pieces

Ingredients:
400 grams Oreo cookies
225 grams cream cheese, at room temperature

450 grams almond bark / compound chocolate of your choice

Method: Blitz the cookies to a fine powder along with the cream. Dump the powdered cookies into a large bowl,add the cream cheese to it and mix well to combine. You can use a food processor or a hand mixer for it.
Form them into 1 tablespoon sized little balls and freeze for 25-30 minutes.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Melt the coating chocolate as mentioned on the package and dip the frozen cookie balls in it one at a time with the help of a fork. Place the dipped cookie balls carefully over the parchment paper, sprinkle with toppings if needed and let them chill in the refrigerator for an hour. Once set, transfer to a container and store in the fridge until needed. Serve cold.

If you want to drizzle melted chocolate over it, do so once the dipped truffles are fully set.
I like to use white chocolate for dipping the truffles, not only for the taste but for the contrast in colours especially when bitten into.

I wish I could pinpoint a source that I got this recipe from, it's pretty much all over the internet. When I first made them, I followed a recipe I found online but this year I went with my own proportion of what I thought would be right. I didn't want to have extra cookies lying around the house. The Oreo packages we get here are pretty big in size, so use one packet that weighs 400 grams. I've used the regular kind here, not the double stuff. I feel that might make the truffles a bit too soft with the extra filling inside the cookie.

Do give this recipe a try this year. I am sure your kids would give you an extra hug for it...I am talking from experience! ;-)

NAADAN KOZHI PIRALEN

I've been busy as a bee for the past couple weeks with all the get togethers that we've been hosting. Now that we are done with all of it, I feel like I have all the time in the World! So naturally,my first thing to do would be to come here and take a sneak peak as to what's going on. I actually had taken these photographs a few week ago to share them here but got the time for it just this morning. Once I am done with this post, I need to start packing for our upcoming vacation that we have been planning for almost a year now. Minneapolis is so cold right now so I am happily looking forward to that warm destination!

This is a life-saver of a curry. I've made this countless number of  times in the past and it turns out perfect each time. This recipe is from a cookbook 'Suriani Pachakam' by Mrs. Bava Lukose. I love this cookbook because whatever I've made from it over the last few years have been delicious! Bava aunty and I have exchanged many emails and even know many common people in between. Amma has met her twice or thrice already...I wonder when I will get to meet her finally!

It's such a quick curry to put together and goes with pretty much with everything that you can think of! I mean, chicken curry is something I like to pair with most things. Whenever a chicken curry is made at ours, it kind of gets over the same day unless I portion out some and keep it aside before it's served. Usually, that happens over a weekend when there's a movie being played on the TV and a glass of wine in hand. We rarely watch TV shows nor movies on a regular basis, it's just a weekend thing for us. I somehow don't get the time to sit in front of it to catch up on all the latest stuff, not even Food Network these days. I am also not willing to compromise on my sleep either! :-)

NAADAN KOZHI PIRALEN
Serves 5-6

Ingredients:
1 kilograms chicken, cut into medium pieces
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 cup sliced onions
1 tablespoon vinegar
3 sprigs curry leaves
Salt

2 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed powder
8 green cardamoms
4 cloves
1/4 cup sliced pearl onions
2 tablespoons garlic
1 tablespoon ginger

Method: Grind together all the ingredients from coriander through ginger to a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a large pan on medium high heat and sauté the onions until soft. Add the ground paste and sauté well for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken, curry leaves, vinegar and salt. Mix well and add 1 cup water. Cover and cook until the chicken is fully cooked and the gravy is thick. Serve hot!

The last time I made this curry, I served it alongside Chapatis. We enjoy that combination a lot and it reminded me of an incident when I was a 5 year old. I clearly remember Amma had served me something to eat for breakfast, which I now think was Dosa & Chammanthi and I refused to eat it. She tried to convince me but since I didn't budge, she told me that I will not be given anything else to eat for breakfast until I eat a bite of that. I remember crying my eyes out and that's when Mamma came home. I ran to her to complain that Amma didn't give me anything to eat. I was so excited when Mamma asked Amma to feed me something else.

Then Amma served me a plate of Chapati and Beef curry with potatoes in it. I fell in love and I am still in love with Chapathi and any non vegetarian curry! That combination is amazing!