JOIN US @ A Sweet Punch...one at a time!

A sweet punch...One at a time.


About Us:

Baking a cake or a dessert is not something only experts can do rather, it is something which each one of us can. Many of us are simply intimidated by it. All you need is a good recipe and fresh ingredients, then nothing can go wrong.

Here, we Maria Jose, Divya Kudua & Yours truly are trying to make baking as simple as possible, bringing you a tried and tested recipe every month. It could be either from cookbooks or from other food-blogs.All you need to do is, follow the recipe and create magic! Do not forget to click pictures (if possible all along the way) and post it on the reveal date. Non-bloggers are also welcome. All you need to do is to e-mail us your entries and we will include it for our round-up.

So, what are you waiting for? Don your aprons,grab your whisk and let's get baking!

Your contribution:
1.Try to stick to the recipe as far as you can but you can make changes to suit your religious/ dietary requirements.
2.You CANNOT reveal the recipe before the reveal date. Post it on your blog on the reveal date ONLY.
3.Try and bake every month, but if you cannot it's alright,just let us know.A member can miss upto 5 out of 12 months.
4.Any suggestions for improvement, do  let us know!

What we will be baking:

1.Cakes:Bundts,Filled cakes & Plain cakes
2.Cupcakes & Muffins
3.Roulades & Swiss rolls
4.Tarts,pies,quiches
5.Cold & hot puddings
6.Mousses, souffles (sweet & savoury)
7.Fruit recipes:Galettes,Cobblers,Crumble
8.Meringue cookies/cakes
9.Bars, brownies
10.Cookies
11.Breads
12.Your choice

Posting Date- 7th of every month
Reveal Date-1st of every month

So, if you would like to join us, drop in a comment or send us an email to : asweetpunch AT gmail DOT com.

PEPPER CHICKEN & ARI PATHIRI

So, finally I am doing the post on that curry on the header! I have been asked over and over by so many about what that dish was all about! That photograph did create a buzz more that I expected it to! :) It was nothing but a simple, delicious chicken curry that I made recently to go along with Ari Pathiri - a flat bread made using groud rice flour...a speciality from my hometown, Kannur.

 Ari Pathiri was my favourite in school. My friend, Shabnam , used to get it to school in her lunch box everyday.And she was so generous ...she used to give me all of it! And I used to share whatever I had.

This chicken curry is no-one's recipe, but mine. One thing I realised li'l late was, I cannot refer a cookbook for curry! I have no idea why, because cookbooks are my bed-time story books! But, when it comes to curry, yes, I can read through and drool over the pics...but, never follow one! I always want to follow my heart and throw the ingredients in together according to my heart's desire!

PEPPER CHICKEN

My own recipe

Ingredients:

Chicken- 1 kg, cut & cleaned

Onions- 2 , large cut into fine slices

Tomatoes- 2, medium chopped

Freshly ground pepper- 5-6 tbsp

Coriander powder- 1/2 tbsp

Corainder leaves/Cilantro- 1 bunch,chopped

Oil- 5 tbsp

Salt to taste  

Method:

• Heat oil, add onions and saute till soft and translucent.
• Add in the tomatoes and saute till soft.
• Add pepper, coriander powder and salt. Give it a good mix.
• Add chicken pieces, mix welll and let it cook .
• When it is halfway cooked, add chopped coriander leaves and cook till done.
• Serve hot with Pathiri.

ARI PATHIRI

My own recipe

Ingredients:

Rice flour- 1 cup

Water-1 cup

Oil-2 tsp

Salt to taste

Method:

•  Boil water with salt and oil.
• When it starts bubbling furiously ,switch of the fire,add the rice flour and stir it well with a spoon.
• Close the vessel with a lid and leave for 5 mins.
• Mix well (Be careful, it is really hot!) and divide them into portions.
• Oil your palm and rolling pin & roll them out on a piece of clingfilm (so that it doesn't stick).
• Cook them on medium heat on a tawa or a flat bottomed non-stick pan.
• Try not to over cook them (too many brown spots) so that it doesn't feel dry when you eat them.
• As soon as they are cooked, transfer them into an insulated container so that it stays warm and soft.

I am giving away an Ice-Cream maker!! Want to win? Then hop over to  Ria's Collection & More and do what is needed! Also,do not forget to check out their Entertainment Centers!

GIVEAWAY!!

I am giving away an Ice-Cream maker!! Want to win? Then hop over to  Ria's Collection & More and do what is needed! Also,do not forget to check out their Entertainment Centers!

PESAHA PAAL

For me Holy Thursday/ Mondy Thursday always meant long hours of standing outside the crowded church and then sipping on the hot Pesaha Paal from church and home.

This year, I had to call Amma to get the recipe and as usual I got a reply of 'li'l bit of this & a li'l bit of that' :) So, I decided to dance to the tune and make it! And the end result was really delicious!

PESAHA PAAL
Recipe source: Amma

Coconut milk from 4 coconuts [Both thin & thick milk]
Jaggery- 1 kg
Rice flour- 3/4 cup dissolved in 2 1/2 cups of water
Dry ginger powder- 1/2 - 1 tsp or to taste
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp

Method:

• Melt jaggery using 2 cups of water. Strain it. Let it cool.
• Mix coconut milk + jaggery and cook it over a medium flame, stirring continously. Do not let it boil.
• When it  is heated thoroughly, add the rice flour dissolved in water.Stir well.
• Let it thicken a bit.
• Add the powdered spices.
• Let the milk cool down a bit.
• Serve.

Me & my mom like this the best when chilled. We make this only once a year but would love to have it all around the year! :D So,we usually make a large quantity, send a share of it to our friends &neighbours and keep the rest for ourselves.

This is usually served with Indri Appam which is an unleavened bread. I couldn't make it this year...so we broke an Irish Soda Bread. I fell in love with that bread so much that I need to knead one very soon! :)

CHICKEN FRIED RICE ...re-kindling memories

My mom's fried rice is one of the best fried rice anyone could possibly have.It is definatley not just my testimony, but by others who have travelled around the globe and had a chance to taste all those wonderful food . It is actually an adaptation of my grandmother's. If there is anyone who does not agree to the comment I made above, it has to be my dad, because he still says, 'Mamma's is original!' :)

Today, while I was cooking with my cousin, we were talking about different tastes people have. I feel that most  women carry the taste of their own homes to the homes that they are married into, or the one they eventually set up. I am saying this because, I could see myself doing that everyday.

But, my mom, didn't know the ABC of cooking when she got married (well, she knew how to make omlettes and tea). It was my grandmother who taught her a LOT of stuff, so Amma still re-creates that taste at home... Lucky Dad but Poor Jobin! ;)

This fried rice was taught to my grandma by her cook in Malaysia...but eventually it was Indian-ised , a lot!

CHICKEN FRIED RICE
Recipe source: Mamma

Ingredients
Chicken- 100 g, boiled &shredded [ you can completely omit this or substitute with prawns/meat  etc]
Rice- 2 cups, boiled and cooled
Cabbage-100 g, shredded
Beans-100 g, cut finely
Carrot-100g, chopped fine
Soya sauce-2 tbsp or to taste and colour
Ginger -garlic paste- 2 tbsp
Spring onions- 2 stems, chopped
Salt- as needed
Oil- 5 tbsp

Method:

• Boil rice [for 1 cup rice, use 1 1/1 cups water ] and lay it out on a cotton fabric or kitchen towel so that it is cooled well.
• Heat oil, add the ginger garlic paste and saute well.
• Add the vegetables and mix well. Cover and cook for 6-7 mins.
• Add the chicken pieces and give it a quick mix.
• Add the cooled ,lump free rice and mix.
• Add soya sauce and  salt.
• Mix well and let the rice get a bit crisp {keep it over the fire for 5-6 mins , mixing well in between.]
• Garnish with spring onions & serve hot.
 

 Just incase you are wondering where the recipe for the curry is, it will be up on my blog very soon! Keep checking!! :)

FOOD BLOGGER COUSIN'S MEET!

Most of you might know Priya Soshy,but I bet you guys do not know that we are first cousins :) We both grew up together in Kannur.

We went over to her place last night for dinner and look what she served us!

While she was in the kitchen getting things ready to lay the table I suddenly thought about it and joked around with her saying, Hey! it's food blogger cousin's meet! :) And the meal was ended with her famous Mango Pudding. It was really good! I had heard a LOT about it while I was in India!

Oh yes! I did scrape the bottom of the dessert bow! It was really delicious!

So if you all want to know how to make that dessert , hop over to her place and have a look at her beautiful collection!!