NEW RECIPE THREAD 3 - Page 16

Banana Berry Dizzy

2 cups fresh strawberry and 1 ripe banana, cut into chunks
1 container vanilla low-fat yogurt
1 cup ice cubes
1 cup water
2 tsp. low calorie soft drink mix, any flavor

Toast the bread slices until crisp. Cut each slice into cubes and keep aside. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, milk and tomato ketchup. Keep aside. Put the potatoes, capsicum, lettuce, cheese and bread pieces in a large serving bowl. Add the ayonnaise mixture and mix well.

Sieve the flour with the baking powder and a tbsp of powdered sugar. Mix together the beaten egg, milk and the vanilla essence. Rub the cooking fat (butter or margarine) into the flour and add the milk mixture. Lightly oil the inside of your doughnut maker and fill with the batter. Press out doughnuts directly into hot oil and deep fry till golden brown. Cool and serve, sprinkled with powdered sugar.

Ingredients

6 large green bananas or plantains, skin on
500ml/18 fl oz vegetable or groundnut oil, for frying

For the filling

2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, chopped
2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
3 tbsp seedless raisins
2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
1 tbsp roasted cumin seeds
2 tsp salt

For the sauce

500ml/18fl oz plain yoghurt
1 tsp roasted ground fennel seeds
1 tsp roasted ground coriander seeds
tsp chilli powder
salt
splash of single or double cream

Garnish
1 tbsp roasted desiccated coconut
1 tbsp pomegranate seeds
chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method

1. Cut the plantains into thirds or quarters depending on their size, leaving the skin on.

2. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add the plantain slices and cook until tender. Drain and allow to cool. Peel and mash the plantains.

3. In a separate bowl combine all the filling ingredients.

4. Oil hands liberally and lightly press one tablespoon of the mashed plantain into the palm of one hand, make a well in the centre and add a generous pinch of the filling mixture.

5. Close the plantain mixture over the stuffing and very lightly roll into a ball. Continue with the remaining mixture until used up.

6. Heat the oil in a frying pan or wok over a medium heat and add the plantain koftas.

7. Fry until crisp and golden then remove and drain on kitchen paper.

8. Make the sauce in separate bowl. Mix the yoghurt with the spices and salt to taste. Add a little cream to the mixture until it has the consistency of double cream.

9. Pour half of the sauce onto an oval dish with sides. Place the koftas on top and then cover them with the rest of the yoghurt mixture.

10. Garnish with the toasted coconut, pomegranate and the chopped coriander.

Originally posted by: eljay

Jenim, that was the best recipe for laughter when I read your report on the vadais! ?I don't know how you did the grinding, but I do mine on the grinder. ?If you don't have one, you can use a food processor and use very little water when blending. ?Then I shape the vadais on a ziploc bag, which is moistened with a little water. ?If the vadai batter is too watery, you can add a little rice flour to make it thick. ?If even that doesn't work, add some chopped spinach or cabbage. ?You should be able to get the vadais to slide off the ziploc bag. ?A piece of banana leaf works, but since we cannot always find banana leaves here in the US, I find the ziploc bag a good substitute.

As regards the paagu, yes, it can be tricky at first, but you will get it in time. ?I test the paagu by taking a little bit out on a flat karandi, then I use two moistened fingers (or else I run the risk of burning them!), take a little bit of the syrup between forefinger and thumb and gently try to draw it out. ?If the syrup is too thick, you will get two or more strings, if it is not thick enough, you won't get any strings, and if it is just right, voila! ?You have your one string. ?If it becomes too thick, add some more water, and let it just come to a boil, and test again! ?Don't give up, you will definitely master this with time and practice. ?Good luck! ?

By the way, the flakiness comes with the amount of butter added, or so I have been told, the more you add, the flakier it becomes! ?However, it also means a lot more fat is added, so I tend to add the minimum amount possible.

Originally posted by: jenim

Gee.. I'm glad that you had fun reading my samayal misadventures 😊

Jenim, I was not laughing at your misadventures, I was laughing at your descriptions of the vadais as roasted pigs!

I tried to slide it out the ziplock too, but definitely something else must have been wrong. The batter was too sticky and tight to be sliding off easily. Plus I oiled the ziplock, next time I'll moisten it with water.

If the batter was too tight, it probably needed a little water. One trick is to add a little water, and then beat it with an egg beater till it becomes light and fluffy.

With re: to the sugar syrup, I tried to lift some with a ladle and pour it back, at the same time observing how it fell back in the pan - one string, two string etc., Next time, will try the finger technique (naughty ones, stay away).

Are u saying, if the stove had been turned off at the right consistency, the syrup would still be semi-watery.. ie. with the same one-string consistency for about a half hour or so? Or should I continue to keep the syrup on low heat till I dunk the badhushas? I've had this problem earlier while making gulab jamuns as well.

Well, if it cools, then the string consistency will change. I usually keep it on a very low flame and test every ten minutes or so, adding a little water when needed.

With the addition of the chopped nuts, today it even tastes like baklava. Do you have an easy recipe for that as well? Just wishful thinking..

All right, the baklava recipe is next. Your wish is my command.

Baklava:

Ingredients:

2 lbs. walnuts, ground

4 cups sugar

2 tsp cinnamon powder

a pinch of nutmeg powder

2 lbs. melted butter (I use unsalted)

2 lbs. fillo dough sheets (Use the Athens variety, if available)

Cloves (optional)

3 cups water

Juice of 1 lemon

Method:

Combine nuts, 1 cup sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and blend together. Grease 11 x 6 inch pan with melted butter. Place 12 fillo sheets in pan, brushing each with butter. Sprinkle 2 cups of the nut mixture over this. Cover with 5 sheets of fillo, brushing each with butter again. Top with more nut mixture and more fillo sheets, brushing with butter as you go. Continue until all the nut mixture is used, finishing off with 12 sheets of fillo. Chill thoroughly for about 2 hours, then cut pastry into diamond shapes. Using a toothpick, poke a hole in each diamond and insert a clove in each hole. (My family does not like the taste of cloves, so I usually skip this step.)

While pastry is chilling, combine remaining 3 cups sugar, water and lemon juice. Cook for about 5 to 7 minutes and let it cool.

Bake pastries at 300 degrees for 1 and 1/2 hours or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and pour cool syrup over warm pastry.

This recipe makes about 75 pieces, so I usually halve the amounts.

Happy eating!