Let's welcome this New Year with a toast-  'HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020', with my home-made Grape Wine.  Also my blog 'ESSENCE OF LIFE- FOOD' is stepping into its 4th Year of blogging.   
      Wine Making is an art by itself which requires precise tips, cleanliness & a whole lot of patience. This is a simple homemade Grape Wine with just Grapes and Sugar, making your beverage all-natural. If done perfectly the taste of your home brewed Grape Wine is sure going to astonish you.
    Grape Wine is one of our family recipes.  A call for a festival, occasion or celebration, comes along with it is home-made Grape Wine.  We always plan ahead and make this wine specifically for the occasion.  My MIL buys two varieties of Grapes for the purpose, Sweeter ones and slightly sour Grapes and combine it up together for the homemade Grape Wines.  Brew it for a few months and there you go with a fine home-made Grape Wine to brighten up the party.
     As believed, tedious looking recipes needn't be always difficult to incorporate and I have always found the fact true. I thought Pickles/Wines which has to be stored for a long time take a lot of cooking and meticulous measures to store it properly. But according to me, Winemaking is a simple procedure, but what we need is a lot of patience and simple steps to ensure that the wine is prepared and stored in a sterile manner. Choose the containers for Winemaking Porcelain/Glass Jars works perfectly well. They must be really clean and dry. I simply wash the containers, sterilize it with boiled water and wipe with a dry cloth.


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Recipe Type - Wine
Difficulty - Medium
Yields - 3-4 Bottles
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 30 -45 Minutes
Brewing Time for Wine - 3 Months - 1 Year.

HOMEMADE GRAPE WINE 

 

INGREDIENTS :

Grapes  -  1 Kg
Sugar  -  1/2 Kg
Boiling Water  -  5 Ltrs
Yeast  - 1 Pckt
Cinnamon Sticks - 8-10 big pieces (Optional)
Wheat Kernels - 1 Tbspn
Beet Root - a Small One.

METHOD :

• Select the Grapes, discard any rotten grapes.
• Wash the Grapes thoroughly.
• Remove the stems.
• Crush the Grapes to release the juice and add it into a large glass or ceramic jar.
• Add Sugar, and Pour 5 litres of boiling water into it and leave it aside for 12 hours.
• Activate the Yeast by putting it in warm water and 5 Tspns of Sugar.
• Add activated yeast to the Wine Mix after 12 hours
• Can add some extra Sugar and few sticks of Cinnamon & Wheat Kernels to add more sweetness and flavour to the Grape Wine.
• Cut Beetroot into small pieces and add it into the Wine.  This is will help you to get bright red coloured wine naturally.
• Stir it every day for a week.
• After a week strain and press the juice out of the mixture and bottle it. 
• Keep the bottles tightly closed.
• Store them in a dark and dry place for a month.
• Re-bottle the clear wine leaving the sediments behind for another one month. 
• The Grape Wine should be filtered properly at this stage.
• Taste the Grape Wine after two months, add sweetness and flavour if needed.
• Do the above process until there are no sediments left.
• Good quality Grape yield best Grape Wine. 
• Like most of the wines, it will improve with age.

NOTES :

• Crushing the Grapes will yield more flavour and body to the wine.
• Some variety of Grapes are naturally sweeter, so adjust the amount of sugar accordingly.
• I used Red Globe Grapes for the wine
• I just used normal yeast, as it is very difficult to get wine yeast in my area.
• Stirring the wine is very important for the fermenting process.
• Store them in clean and dry bottles in a moist free place.
• As I am staying in a tropical area, my wine brewed up sooner. But I strictly followed the regime.
• I did not use any artificial colours, food preservatives or enhancers in this Grape Wine.
• The colour and flavour, which I got naturally out of it were more satisfying.
• The colour of the wine totally depends on the colour of the Grapes.
• Adding Beetroot also help you to get the preferred colour naturally.  But it is purely optional.

PRAWN & POTATO MASALA

      This Prawn & Potato Masala is a simple side dish which goes along with both Roti & Rice.  This is a Spicy dish well flavoured with spices like Fennel & Pepper.  Most of the Prawn/Shrimp recipes I cook accentuate the taste of God's Own Country.  Mainly because we have grown up eating it that way.  But this recipe is a simpler version which is quite easy, prepared with simple ingredients and requires no marination. To truly say this is my husband's Bachelor Cooking version of Prawns Masala. Obviously, most of the non-vegetarian recipes come along with Potatoes at home.  It is like a taboo if I don't add Potatoes in non-veg Curries and when my husband cooks no wonder it would surely be a Non-Veg Curry with a default add-on - 'Potatoes'.
     One main factor, we have to consider while cooking Prawn is to maintain the texture.  It should turn out to be soft and succulent once cooked and not chewy or rubbery. So the trick is to cook the Prawns quickly.  Longer you cook the Prawns/Shrimps they turn out to be chewy.  This Prawn Masala is a spicy Prawn Curry cooked in an Onion & Tomato gravy along with mild spices which yield a delicious and flavour-filled Prawn Masala. I have added pre-cooked Potatoes into this Prawn Masala.


Cuisine - South Indian
Course - Side Dish
Spice Level - Medium-High
Difficulty - Medium
Serves - 2-3
Author - SM


Preparation Time - 25-30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 15-20 Minutes


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HOW TO COOK PRAWN & POTATO MASALA

PRAWN & POTATO MASALA

 

 

INGREDIENTS :

CHICKEN CURRY WITH COCONUT MILK

     Chicken Curry is the most frequented Non-Vegetarian side dish in Indian Cuisine, though it is catered with different names, flavours & tastes.  You tweak one or two ingredients into the Curry and there you go with a completely new recipe with a fresh flavour profile. Such is the versatility of these curries & especially Chicken is a flexible meat when it comes to cooking. This Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk is one of our family favourite, prepared with fewer ingredients and above all, it is my favourite dish for the most important reason being - it can be cooked within 20-30 Minutes. When you are cooking up a lot of dishes for a celebration or an occasion, then this Chicken Curry can be easily incorporated into the menu for two good reasons:

• Quick to prepare
• Fewer Ingredients
• Suitable Side Dish for both Roti, Rice etc., & etc.,

     This simple Chicken Curry cooked in Coconut Milk goes well with all types of Indian Bread like Rotis, Naan, Kulcha, Chapatis, Parathas & Parottas and Tiffin Items like Idli, Dosa, Uthappam, Vellayappam, Idiyappam and Puttu.  Also, it is a good accompaniment along with Rice, Pulaos and Biriyanis too. The best about this Chicken Curry is that it is authentic and a flavour-filled Curry justifying the very nature of Indian spices added into it. At the same time enhancing the overall taste & aroma of the Curry with a rich & creamy texture.
      This Chicken Recipe is prepared with Pan-seared Chicken Pieces, simmered to perfection in an Onion Tomato base with mild spices and richly laced with Coconut Milk. Every time I cook Chicken Curry,  I usually Pan sear the Chicken Pieces, which gives a perfectly cooked juicy and succulent chicken pieces in the Curry.


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Cuisine - Indian
Course - Side Dish
Spice Level - Medium
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 3 - 4
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 20-30 Minutes
Cooking Time - 25-30 Minutes

HOW TO COOK CHICKEN CURRY WITH COCONUT MILK

CHICKEN CURRY WITH COCONUT MILK

INGREDIENTS :

Chicken - 1/2 Kg.
Onion - 1 No.
Curry Leaves - 2 Sprigs
Turmeric Powder - 1 Tspn
Red Chilli Powder - 1 Tspn
Coriander Powder - 2 Tspns
Garam Masala - 1 Tspn
Thin Coconut Milk - 1 Cup
Thick Coconut Milk - 1 Cup
Oil - 2 Tbspn
Salt - to Taste
Sugar - a Pinch

For a detailed step-by-step process on HOW TO MAKE COCONUT MILK, Click here...

For Masala Paste :

Shallots - 8-10 Nos.
Ginger - 1" Piece
Garlic  - 6-8 Cloves
Green Chillies - 3-4
Fennel Seeds - 1 Tspn

Spices:

Cloves - 3 Nos.
Cinnamon - 1" Stick
Bay Leaf - 1 No.
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 Tspn
Cardamom - 2 Nos.

To Garnish :

Coriander Leaves - Few

PREPARATION:

• Clean, Wash and Cut Chicken into small pieces.
• Grind the ingredients mentioned under 'For Masala Paste' into a fine paste and keep it aside.
• Finely chop the Onions & keep it aside.

METHOD:

• Heat Oil in a Pan, splutter the ingredients mentioned under 'Spices' and Curry Leaves on a very low flame.
• Add Chicken pieces to the oil along with a dash of salt and pan sear the pieces.
• Toss the Chicken pieces once or twice and cook until the colour changes and it is evenly coated with oil for about 5-8 minutes.
• Then add finely chopped Onions and saute until onions turn translucent.
• Pour the ground 'Masala Paste' to the above and give a quick stir.
• Leave this on a low flame for about 5-7 minutes & fry until aromatic.
• Add Turmeric Powder, Red Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder and Garam Masala to the above and fry for a while until the raw flavour goes.
• Add a dash of Salt, a pinch of Sugar and mix well.
• Pour in the Thin Coconut Milk and cook on a low flame until Chicken pieces turn soft and well cooked.
• Once the Chicken pieces are well cooked, pour in the Thick Coconut Milk.
• Cook this on a low flame until the Chicken Curry reaches the desired consistency.
• Switch off the flame and garnish Coconut Milk Chicken Curry with finely chopped Coriander Leaves.
• Serve Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk hot. 
• Goes well with Vellayappam, Idiyappam, Chapatis, Rotis, Parathas and Rice too.
• Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk can be paired with Pulao, Ghee Rice, Vegetable Brinji Rice etc.,

 NOTES :

• Adjust the amount of Spices as per your taste preference.
• Can add Boiled & Cubed Potatoes to this Chicken Curry.
• Pan searing yields soft & succulent Chicken Pieces.
• Grinding Onions along with Spices gives you a rich gravy.
• Adding Sugar is totally optional.
• I have used homemade fresh Coconut Milk in this Curry.

VEGETABLE BRINJI RICE

     Vegetable Brinji Rice - aromatic, flavour-filled, rich rice dish cooked with ample of spices,  Coconut Milk and ground Coconut paste.  This is a deliciously rich dish, a sibling of the one & only Biriyani.  But what makes this Brinji Rice unique and different from Biriyani is that the Rice is cooked in Coconut Milk/ground Coconut Paste. Usually, Brinji Rice is cooked as such or along with Vegetables.
     The first time I came across with this Brinji Rice was during our House Warming Ceremony. I still remember the aroma and richness of the dish.  Though being a simple Vegetable Rice Dish, it had done complete justice in capturing my taste buds. The cook had added ground Coconut & Spice paste.  They had added a tinge of the same Coconut paste in Onion-Curd Raitha which was served along with this Vegetable Brinji Rice. It tasted awesome and to date, I remember the wonderful taste of that Brinji Rice & Raitha.  Then when I came across with a recipe of Brinji Rice in a Tamil Magazine.  I tried it and I felt it similar to the Vegetable Biriyani, but with a unique flavour and an incredible texture.
     After few corrections, until I thought I got the same taste as the Brinji Rice cooked for our House Warming Ceremony, I finally got stuck to the recipe which fancied my taste buds.  I usually cook this Brinji Rice with Jeeraga Samba/Basmati Rice. I recently got a packet of Chinigura Rice from Indian Stores and was waiting to cook something with that rice.  Then it occurred to me that Vegetable Brinji Rice would be a good choice. So this recipe is cooked with Chinigura Rice and the Rice: Water Ratio I used was 1:11/2 Cups.
     I often cook this Vegetable Brinji Rice in a Rice Cooker. I sauté all the ingredients in a pan, then transfer it into the Rice cooker along with the boiled Water & Coconut Milk. It can also be cooked in a Pressure Cooker.  Allow it to cook for a whistle on a high flame and then lower the flame and cook for another 10–12 minutes. The Rice Water Ratio - 1: 11/2 cups, suits well for both the methods.  But cooking in a Sauce Pan is more flexible.  Fewer ingredients and very less time to cook is the highlight of this one-pot meal.  Prepare some Curd-Onion Raitha or Vegetable Salad or simply pair it up with hard-boiled eggs and there you are with a wonderful & wholesome Rice Dish.


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Cuisine -South Indian
Course - Main
Spice Level  - Low
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 3- 4
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 10-15 Minutes
Soaking Time - 15 - 20 Minutes.
Cooking Time - 20 - 30 Minutes

HOW TO COOK VEGETABLE BRINJI RICE

VEGETABLE BRINJI RICE

INGREDIENTS:

For Vegetable Brinji Rice:

Chinigura/Jeeraga Samba Rice/Basmati Rice - 2 Cups
Carrot - 1/2 Cup
Beans - 1/4 Cup
Green Peas - 1/4 Cup
Potato - Few Pieces
Onions - 1 No.
Green Chillies - 3-4 No's.
Coriander Leaves - Few
Mint Leaves - Few
Coconut Milk - 1 Cup
Water - 2 Cups
Salt - To Taste
Ghee -  1 Tablespoon

For a detailed Recipe on HOW TO MAKE COCONUT MILK, Click here...

For Coconut Paste:

Coconut - 1/4 Cup
Fennel Seeds - 1 Teaspoon
Green Chillies - 2 No's.
Garlic - 7–8 Cloves
Ginger -1" Piece

Spices:

Ghee - 3 Tablespoons
Cinnamon (1") - 2 Stick
Cloves - 5-6 No's.
Cardamoms - 3 -4 Pods
Bay Leaves - 2 Leaves

PREPARATION:

• Wash the Jeeraga Samba/Basmati rice until the water runs clear.
• Soak the rice for 20 minutes.
• Boil the water and keep it aside.
• Peel and dice Carrots & Potatoes into small Cubes, Cut Beans into 1/2" long pieces & keep it aside. 
• Wash and drain the Green Peas.
• Grind the ingredients mentioned under 'For Coconut Paste' into a fine paste.

METHOD:

• Heat Ghee in a pan, fry the ingredients mentioned under 'Spices' on a very low flame until aromatic.
• Add finely chopped Onions and Green Chillies, slit into two, to the above and sauté until onions turn translucent.
• Add the ground Coconut Paste and sauté until the raw flavour goes, and it turns fragrant.
• Now add in the chopped Vegetables and give a quick stir.
• Drain the soaked Rice and add it to the above.
• Fry this for about 5–7 minutes on a very low flame.
• Pour in the Coconut Milk, boiled Water, Salt and mix well.
• Allow it to boil.
• Add finely chopped Mint & Coriander Leaves.
• Cover the pan and cook the rice on a low flame until the water is totally absorbed, and the rice is well cooked.
• Allow it to cool for a few minutes.
• Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of Ghee to the cooked Brinji Rice and fluff it up.
• Serve Vegetable Brinji Rice with Curd-Onion Raitha along with any kind of vegetarian or non-vegetarian curries.

VEGETABLE BRINJI RICE

NOTES:

• I have used Chinigura Rice in this recipe. Can use Basmati Rice / Jeeraka Samba(Kaima)* rice for this dish.
• Can substitute half the amount of Ghee with Oil.
• Adding Mint and Coriander Leaves are purely optional.
• Adjust the number of Green Chillies to suit your spice preference.
• I have added both Ground Coconut Paste & Coconut milk to cook this Vegetable Brinji Rice.
• If you do not prefer to add Coconut Paste, avoid Coconut & grind the other ingredients into a fine paste and follow the process.

    *Jeeraga Samba/Kaima/Jeerakasala rice is a short-grain rice, commonly used in some parts of South India & Sri Lanka for making biriyani and ghee rice. This rice makes the Biriyani unique. It is called as Jeeraka Samba Rice in Tamilnadu. You can use Basmati rice/Chinigura Rice instead. If the rice is old enough, then the perfect Rice Water Ratio would be 1:11/2.  But some quality of rice requires 13/4 Cups of Water for 1 Cup of Rice. Adjust accordingly.

APPLE SMOOTHIE

     Apple Smoothie is an absolute bliss to taste buds, a delicious way to treat yourself in the morning. is a tasty and nutritious way to start your day.  It will help you feel fuller and all the more it is a guilt-free drink less in Calories. This kids-friendly fresh fruit smoothie recipe is a simple blend of Apple, Dates, Milk, Almond and Honey. This is a quick fix drink, comfortable and refreshing.  The natural sweetness of this fruit serves best to be served as an after-meal fruit and when it is in the form of a dessert or a smoothie it would be more perfect. Apple Smoothie I have used a Red Apple and have sweetened the Smoothie with Dates and Honey.  I usually use Milk in my smoothie recipes, can substitute Milk with Almond Milk/Yogurt too.

RED APPLE

      Apples as such are loaded with nutrients and is loaded with Minerals, Proteins & Fiber. They help prevent digestive problems, help regulate blood glucose and good cholesterol. Apples are loaded with dietary fibre, which helps to decrease the chance of Constipation & Colon Cancer. Apples also help Lower Cholesterol Levels, ease Digestion, reduce Liver and Digestive tract issues. Apples are rich in Antioxidants, including Flavonoids and Polyphenol. Antioxidants are disease-fighting compounds. Because of this, Apples are believed to prevent various forms of cancer and DNA damage.  Scientists believe these compounds help prevent and repair oxidation damage that happens during normal cell activity. Apples are also full of a fibre called pectin. Pectin is classed as a soluble, fermentable and viscous fibre, a combination that gives apples a huge list of health benefits.

To read more about the HEALTH BENEFITS OF APPLE, Click here...


Recipe Type - Smoothie
Difficulty - Easy
Serves - 3 - 4
Author - SM  

Preparation Time - 15 - 20 Minutes


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HOW TO MAKE APPLE SMOOTHIE

APPLE SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS:

Apples - 2 Fruits
Almonds - 4-5 Nuts
Milk - 2 Cups
Dates 3-4 Nos.
Sugar/Honey - 1/4 Cup
Ice Cubes - 1 Cup

METHOD:

• Peel, core and discard the seeds.
• Cut the Apples into cubes.
• Blend the Apple Cubes, Dates, Milk, Ice cubes and Sugar/Honey in a blender. 
• Puree until all the ingredients are smooth, creamy, and sugar is well dissolved.
• Pour it out into serving glasses.
• Served Apple Smoothie chilled.

NOTES:

• Grinding the ice cubes with the fruit yields a perfectly chilled and thick smoothie.
• Can substitute Sugar with Honey.
• Apples are naturally sweet, can prepare the smoothie without any additional sweeteners.
• Adjust the amount of Sugar/Honey to suit your taste preference.
• Adding Almonds to this Smoothie is purely optional.
• Substitute Milk with Yogurt/Almond Milk, if you prefer.
• Can add a tinge of Cinnamon in your Apple Smoothie, if you prefer.
• Drink it immediately for better taste because it will turn brown within half an hour.

Selecting & Storing the Apples

• While buying Apples look for the firm, brightly coloured apples having no bruises, damages, shrivelled skin etc., 
• It is always better to prefer individual apples over the pre-packed ones. This way you’ll be able to smell the apples. 
• Never buy the apples that smell musky.
• Store Apples in your refrigerator. Wrap the apples up in a plastic bag and place them in the coldest area of your refrigerator after sprinkling them with water.  If you store the apples properly, it will stay fresh for almost 2-3 weeks.
• Normal room temperature can also be quite suitable for storing apples for a short time. Just make sure to check them regularly since they will ripen more rapidly at room temperature.
• Apples can speed up the ripening process of other fruits as it emits a natural gas called Ethylene. To use these ‘ripening’ benefits of apples, wrap it up along with the unripe fruit in a plastic bag.