My Roses

Gardening was always my passion .Roses take most of my time and sunny
side of my garden. A learning process by  which  I am just learning
about climber roses,pillar roses,shrub roses .
Which roses can grow in our humid climate.
One thing I discovered about roses is that how ferocious eaters they are.
We always think what  we will feed them next.
Top photo posted is of our own kerala Rose which is the most
sweet smelling of all roses.
My next dream is to get westerland rose bareroot sapling.

Peanut Ladoo (kappalandi unda )

Ingredients

Peanuts  -  2  cups

Jaggery   -  2 cups

Rice flour  -  ½  cup

Grated coconut  - ½ cup

dry ginger    -1 tsp

cardamom   -6

Preparation

Dry  roast  peanuts  and  remove  the  skin  as much  you  can and keep aside.

Mix  rice flour and grated coconut  and  dry roast till it  looks like

bread crumbs.

Separately  grind  each ingredient .

Grind the peanuts . Run the mixie  till the peanut powder

starts to stick. 

Now grind the roasted rice flour and coconut together.

Grind the jaggery into powder .

Mix the three powdered ingredients together, add crushed dry ginger and cardamom.

Put this mixture in the grinder and run the mixie  so that all ingredients get mixed well.

Now  make ladoos  by taking  a fist full and press it in  your palm rolling

 round to get a round  - ball shape  with single hand.

This is  a healthy snack . I make these ladoos  as my grand children

demand  for it . They love it.

 Jaggery  is made from sugar cane juice and palm juice.

Jaggery from sugar cane  we get  mainly in three  varieties

yellowish  which is more refined ,  brown  and  black. 

The black jaggery  is more tasty and healthy.

Marayoor  sharkara   ( black jaggery from Marayoor) is  the best one but costly.
Outside  Kerala  mostly light coloured  jaggery is available.

Pepper- curry leaves chutney powder (chammanthi podi)

Ingredients

Grated coconut  -   4 cups

Black pepper       - ½   cup

Cashmere whole chilli  - 2

Curry leaves         - 2 cups

Urdad dal           - 1 tbsp

Shallots(small onion) – ½ cup

Methi  seeds(fenugreek) – 1 tbsp

Tamarind   - ½ cup

Sea Salt

Preparation

In a wok on low flame, fry  every  ingredient separately

golden brown.

Except  tamarind and salt.

Grind each ingredient separately .
Mix them together, add salt  and grind again.

Add tamarind to this mix  and
run the mixer till every thing is combined well.

Store in air – tight  container.
This chutney powder has a long shelf life.
This makes excellent  combination with rice and curd.

Remember to use fresh curry leaves plucked from

your back yard or reliable  sources  as curry leaves from

the market  often  contain pesticide.

Karinelika Achar (Black Gooseberry Pickle)

Ingredients

 Nellika  ( amla / gooseberry)  - 3 kg

 Sea Salt                       - 2 cups

Water   -   4 ½  cups

Sesame seed   oil   -  ¾  cup

Asafoetida    -   1 big piece (3 inch)

De-seeded dry   red   chilli  -  12

Mustard   -   ¾  cup

Fenugreek   -    3tsp

Crushed   black pepper   -  4 tbsp

Turmeric   powder  - 1tsp

Red chilli powder  - 3 tbsp

Sugar  -  2 tbsp

Garlic   - 1 cup heap

Julienned   ginger  - 1 tbsp

New  earthen pot 

Preparation

In a saucepan , boil water and add sea salt , stir and let it cool.

Wash and clean the new pot and put the amla in.

Pour salt water and close the pot with banana leaf.

Keep the pot on wood fire.

(as salt water might drip from the pot, the  metal burner stove is likely to

get damaged)

Let it  boil . Stir in between.

As the fire settles, the red hot wood will give steady low heat.

Preferably, next day, repeat the same process  till  the water is fully dried and the amla turns black .

Heat sesame seed oil in a wok  ;  fry asafoetida piece. Take it out and powder it.

(readymade asafoetida powder lacks sharp flavour)

In the same oil, fry red chilli, garlic and ginger and keep aside;

Add turmeric powder in the remaining oil. Now, add mustard and

fenugreek, as it  splutters  ,add  crushed  black pepper and chilli powder.

Finally add fried chilli and all remaining  ingredients and sugar.

Take the pot  from  fire and   let  it cool and then mix in the black  amla.

Store in clean glass jars  or (barani).

As it ages, it is really   YUM.

Even the seed of the amla  tastes  good.

This pickle is worth all the effort put in it.

The fire, the smoke, pepper, asafoetida, mustard ,garlic  all add  taste to the

Sour, sweet  amla.

Meat Samosa

Ingredients

Minced meat       - ½  kg

Chopped onion    - ¼ kg

Chopped fresh coriander leaves -  a bunch

Mint leaves             - 3 tbsp

Green chillies          - 6

Lemon                      - ½

Coriander  powder – 1 tbsp

Sauf powder            -  ½  tbsp

Garam masala         -  ½ tsp

Garlic   paste            -  2 tsp  

Ginger Paste              -2 tsp

Salt

Samosa  wraps (ready made)

Preparation

On a low flame, stir fry minced meat till it gets dry. Add

 ginger- garlic paste , chopped green chilli and stir.

Add all spices and salt.  While stirring, add chopped onion

 and  stir till the onion turns translucent. Turn off the heat and

add   butter, lemon juice chopped coriander and mint leaves

and mix well.

Readymade samosa wraps are the best,  available in all

Super market freezers.

Fold the corner of the rectangle shaped wrap into

a  triangle, then into a cone shape. Fill the cone with

 the meat filling, wrap  the other end and

 stick the end with flour and water paste.

Now ,deep fry the samosas on low flame tuning sides alternately.

Serve hot with tomato sauce or mint & coriander chutney.

Marble Cake

Ingredients

Plain Flour (maida)  -  3 ½ cup

Baking powder  - 3 tsp

Butter  -  1 cup

Powdered sugar – 2 ½ cups

Eggs   -  4 cups

Buttermilk   - 1 cup

Vanilla essence  -2 ½  tsp

Salt

Caramelised sugar  - ½ cup

Cocoa powder  - 2 tbsp

To  caramelise sugar

Take two sauce pan. In one,  pour half cup of

water and keep on slow fire.  Simultaneously in

in another sauce pan, spoon in a teaspoon of

butter and half a cup of sugar and keep on

low flame and let it caramelise. As the the

sugar caramelise, and gets dark colour, pour in

carefully - boiling water from other sauce pan.

Turn off the flame and let  it cool.

Preparation

Sieve,   flour  and  baking powder twice and keep aside.

Beat powdered sugar and butter to get a smooth

texture.  Add eggs one by one and mix well.

Now  add  vanilla essence, salt  and pour in ¾  of the

 buttermilk and reserve quarter  of the

butter milk to use later.

Now spoon by spoon fold in seived flour.

Pour half of the batter in another

mixing bowl to make a chocolate batter.

Pour in caramelised sugar and cocoa powder

and mix well.

Both vanilla and chocolate batter should have

same consistency. If needed add the reserved

buttermilk to the thicker batter.

In the baking tray in the centre pour a tablespoon

Of chocolate batter , and on top of it pour a tablespoon of

Vanilla batter. It will spread naturally as you pour on top.

Repeat the same process till both the batter is over.

Tap slowly the baking tray on the table to release

any air trapped in the batter.

Bake it in a pre- heated oven 180c for 40 to 45 minutes.

Insert a skewer in the centre of the cake and check

if the skewer has come out clean or bake till the skewer

comes  out clean.

A beautiful cake with its layers!!!