AVAL KALKANDU PONGAL

AVAL KALKANDU PONGAL

INGREDIENTS:

For Aval Kalkandu Pongal:

Ghee - 2 Tablespoons
Aval/Flattened Rice - 1 Cup
Powdered Kalkandu/Rock Candy - 1/2 Cup
Cardamom Powder - 1 Teaspoon
Milk - 3/4 Cup
Water - 1/2 Cup 
Saffron - a few strands
Salt - a Pinch 
Edible Camphor - a Pinch

For Garnishing:

Ghee - 1 Tablespoon
Cashew Nuts - 8-10 Nos.
Raisins - a few

AVAL KALKANDU PONGAL

METHOD:

For Aval Kalkandu Pongal - Beaten Rice & Rock Candy/Sugar Pongal:

• Wash Aval/Beaten Rice for about 2-3 times or until water runs clear.
• Then soak Aval/Beaten Rice for about 10-15 minutes.
• Once soaked drain it and squeeze out any extra water from the Aval/Beaten Rice.
• Can leave it in a kitchen towel to slightly dry for about 10-15 minutes.
  
• Meanwhile, powder the Cardamom along with Rock Candy/Sugar into a fine powder and keep it aside.
• Soak the Saffron strands in 2 tablespoons of milk and keep it aside.
  
• Heat 1 tablespoon of Ghee and roast the Cashew nuts & raisins.
• Remove the Cashews & Raisins from the Ghee & keep them aside.
• Now, add another 2 tablespoons of Ghee and roast the Aval/Beaten Rice on a very low flame for about 3-5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the milk & water.
• Pour in the boiled milk & water to the Aval/Beaten Rice and cook this on a very low flame for about 5-8 minutes or until it is cooked.
• Now add in the powdered Rock Candy/ Sugar & Cardamoms and mix well until well combined.
• Pour in the  Saffron soaked milk and give a quick stir.
  
• Cook this on a low flame until it reaches the desired consistency.
• Finally, garnish Aval Kalkandu Pongal with ghee roasted Cashew Nuts & Raisins.
• Serve Aval Kalkandu Pongal hot.

AVAL KALKANDU PONGAL

NOTES:

• Use the thick variety of Aval/Beaten Rice for this recipe.
• I have used the White Aval.  You can use the red variety too.

RED AVAL/BEATEN RICE/FLATTENED RICE

• Rock Candy/Sugar takes some time to melt, so adding it directly to the cooked Aval can make the pongal mushy.
• Alternatively, can melt the Rock Candy/Sugar in 1/2 a Cup of water and then add it into the Pongal.
  
• Can substitute Rock Sugar with normal White Sugar, Jaggery or Palm Sugar.
• Adjust the sweetness to suit your preference.
• You can add a few teaspoons of grated coconut if you prefer. Alternatively, can roast small bits of sliced coconuts in Ghee and add it along with Cashew Nuts & Raisins.
  
• Can substitute Milk with Coconut Milk too.
  

Traditional Nendhra Pazha Appam

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Discovering the Tradition of Moonu Raja Pongal for Epiphany: A South Indian Surprise

    I have to admit, I was a complete novice when it came to the tradition of making Pongal for Epiphany. A few years ago, I stumbled upon a television programme that shed light on the unique celebration of Epiphany by the people of Karaikkal and Pondicherry, the charming French town in India. To say I was intrigued would be an understatement! Imagine my surprise when I learned that there was a dish crafted specifically to mark the day—a recipe that was as traditional as it was uniquely South Indian. Who knew that humble ingredients like raw rice, coconut milk, and sugar could hold such significance?

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Festive Christmas Fruit Cake with Royal Icing

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    The aroma of caramelised sugar and spices wafting through the house signals the arrival of Christmas. For my family, this isn’t just baking—it’s a legacy steeped in culture and tradition.  Making Christmas Fruit Cake, also known as Rich Fruit Cake or Kerala Plum Cake, is more than just a recipe in our household — it’s a heartfelt tradition. Married into a Christian family with roots in the culturally rich Cochin - Fort Cochin, influenced by Portuguese heritage, I embraced this legacy with open arms. Being a devoted daughter-in-law, I strive to perfect family recipes, ensuring they are preserved for the next generation. Many of these traditional recipes, featured on Essence of Life - Food, are my way of ensuring our family’s culinary traditions live on.

SUJI COOKIES

      School days & School bus hold quite a lot of memories to me.  Even my final year of schooling and the school bus holds a life-changing story. But this write-up is all about the memory of goodies or the so-called Bakery favourites, so synonymous to those days.

    Every evening after school, I used to come back home by School Bus.  The routine happened until I finished my Secondary School.  It was a routine that my brother & I followed which has loads of trailing nostalgic memories.  My mom meticulously walks all the way to the Bus stop(which was just a street away from our house) to pick us up. The highlight of this story is the Bakery(Krishna Bakery) in the Bus Stop. Most of the days she would cook some Snacks for us, but even then my Brother would ask whether he can buy something from the Bakery.  The time would be so apt that the Bakery would be stacking up with fresh & hot bakes(right from the oven) which would equally appeal to my mother.    

    Each day we would buy something like Puffs, Cakes, Coconut Bun, freshly baked hot Milk Bread etc.,  I have always loved their variety of Cookies(Butter Biscuit, Coconut Biscuit, Salt Biscuit etc., & etc.,).  When I started baking I had always wanted to replicate those cookies rather than anything else.  Mainly my favourite were those cube-shaped Butter Biscuits - white, soft with a melt-in-mouth texture.    

    But when I tasted a similar Cookie from a local Bakery in JB, I instantly fell in love with it.  And  they were sold in the name of Suji cookies. Suji Cookies with variations like Cashew Suji Cookies, Almond Suji Cookies and plain Suji Cookies.  Then my next step began by searching for the recipe.  To my dismay, I never found any Suji in the ingredient list/(Suji in Hindi means Semolina), which made me search and research to find a perfect recipe.  This recipe is adapted from a Singapore based Travel & Food Blog Miss Tham Chiak.  This Suji Cookies just nailed me down with its perfection. If the Cookie is prepared without any addition of Nuts, then it tasted quite similar to my favourite bakery-style Butter Biscuits. I have already published Cashew Suji Cookies, Almond Suji Cookies recipes earlier here in the blog.
     

SUJI COOKIES

    Suji Cookie is an easy make cookie recipe with simple ingredients. These Suji Cookies are an utter treat with a light, crumbly & melt-in-mouth texture.  And above all, it has a wonderful nutty aroma, which comes mainly from GHEE. Ghee makes a lot of difference in these cookies.  These are absolute festive favourites and also best suits to be served as a Tea Time Snack.  This is a remarkable cookie recipe - the one & only Suji Cookies, which is my benchmark when it comes to Bakery goodies. My ultimatum achieved in search of perfect Bakery style butter cookies alias Butter Biscuits.

     Please do read all the tips & tricks given under the "NOTES" section below for perfectly textured, round, white coloured Suji Cookies.


For more COOKIE RECIPES, Click here...

Recipe Type - Cookies, Snacks
Difficulty - Easy
Yields - 12 - 15 Cookies
Author - SM

Preparation Time - 10 -15 Minutes
Baking Time - 12- 15 Minutes for 1 Batch

HOW TO COOK SUJI COOKIES

SUJI COOKIES

For Suji Cookies:

For Toppings(Optional):

METHOD:

For Suji Cookies:

• Preheat the oven at 160° Celsius for about 10 minutes.
• Sift the All-purpose Flour Sugar once & keep it aside.
  
• The Butter should be Cold.
• Let the Ghee be at room temperature.
  
• Sift the Icing Sugar once & keep it aside.
• Combine it with Butter & Ghee and beat it well in a hand mixer until creamy & combined.
• Add the All-purpose Flour Mixture to the Ghee-Butter mix.
• Gently mix it to form a soft dough.
• The texture of the dough should be firm so that you can shape it into balls.
• Otherwise, can leave it in the refrigerator for about an hour/freeze it for about 10-20 minutes, or until the dough is firm enough.
• Meanwhile, line up a baking tray with baking sheet/parchment paper.
• Scoop 1 Teaspoon of Suji Cookie Dough and shape it into a ball. 
• Arrange them 2 cm apart on the tray.
• Cookies will spread a little during baking but should retain the ball shape.
• Bake at 160° Celsius for 15-20 minutes or until firm and just mildly start to colour but should be white in colour.
• Allow Suji Cookies to cool completely.
• Store the Suji Cookies in an airtight container.
• Suji Cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

SUJI COOKIES

NOTES:

• Use cold butter for the recipe.  Take it out from the refrigerator just before beating it.
• Let the Ghee be at room temperature.
  
• The texture of the dough should be firm so that you can shape it into balls.
• The Climatic condition of the region you live also affects the firmness of the dough.
• You can leave the dough in the refrigerator in between to get the desired firmness.
• Otherwise, can leave it in the refrigerator for about an hour or freeze it for about 10-20 minutes or until the dough is firm enough. 
• This will help prevent the cookies from spreading – they’ll bake up thick and retain the ball shape. 
• If the dough is not firm enough the melted butter may turn the Cookies crunchy, which is not the needed texture of  these Suji Cookies.
  
• Can use the same recipe and make Cashew Suji Cookies or Almond Suji Cookies.
• If doing so, substitute 130 grams of All-purpose flour with Cashew Powder or Almond Powder.
• Ghee adds a wonderful flavour and gives a beautiful texture to the Suji Cookies.
• The Cookie dough should be soft and not crumbly.
• Can shape the Suji Cookies into Balls or into cube-shaped, or flatten it up slightly and make imprints with a fork over it.
• Can top it up with halved Cashew or glazed Cherries or Tutti Frutti pieces.
  
• Baking time totally depends on the type of Oven used.  Adjust accordingly. 
• Adjust the baking time  depending on the size of the Suji cookies.
• These are Small Suji Cookies of 1cm Diameter(before baking) & it took just 15 minutes of baking.
• Bake until firm and just mildly start to colour but should be white in colour.
• And the most important fact - take it out from the Oven when it starts to become firm but yet slightly under cooked(soft to touch), if you prefer a melt in mouth Suji Cookies.
  

APPLE CRUMBLE

    Crumble Recipes following its suit this month. Wonderfully warm  and apt for the season.  Truly, I am yet not out from the Crumble hangover, I am making it back-to-back at home.  The reasons being I always have ready stock of Apples & Pears in my refrigerator and I need some way to fruitfully use-up the fruit.  Rather than just eating it or making juices out of it.  Yet another major reason is that a Crumble recipe is easy to make, a quick dessert and all the more you can never go wrong with a Crumble recipe. Warm Crumbles - Crunchy with hearty Apple fillings, topped with Vanilla Ice cream are indeed a treat to the senses.

APPLE CRUMBLE: 

APPLE CRUMBLE

    While making an Apple Crumble.  The two main steps which has to be done while making a Crumble are:

• Spiced Apple Filling

• The Crumble Mixture

  
  

Apple Filling:  

    After all, this is Apple Crumble, so we require loads of Apples.  I had a few varieties of Apples lying in my refrigerator, Royal Gala & Granny Smith. I used both to get the complex flavour in each bite. Crunchiness and flavour all got together.

THE APPLE FILLING

Anyway, let's see what makes a great Apple Filling, 

• Apple – Make sure to slice the Apples into uniform sizes. The amount of filling is as your heart desires. So use loads of Apples if you prefer a whole lot of Apples in your Apple Crumble.
• Spices – The warmness of Spices is all about Apple Crumble. Some recipes call for Cinnamon, some add Nutmeg/Clove/Allspice. I love the aroma of Cinnamon & Nutmeg in a Crumble Recipe.
• Lemon – Lemon prevents the Apples from oxidizing(browning). What you need is just a bit, which will help keep the flavours intact and also keeps the apple slices white.
• Sugar – Sugar sweetens the Apple filling. I have used Brown Sugar. And have cooked it along with the Apples & Spices, until the apples are half cooked and all the sugar turns out into a caramel-like sauce along with the juices from the Apples.

The Crumble:

CRUMBLE MIXTURE

     Making Crumble is so easy & you may hardly go wrong.  It is too straight forward. I love to add some slivered and toasted Almonds along with flour for that nutty and crunchy Crumble topping.

    As I live in  Tropical regions, the weather is mostly humid.  So I always use COLD BUTTER. Cut butter into small cubes and keep it refrigerated until use.  I don't have a food processor, so I use my hands to make this crumble.  So, I suggest keeping your hands cold. While mixing the flour, sugar & butter, the heat may melt way the butter making the topping a bit of a dough like.   

       So using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour and sugar. You want the texture to be like streusel mixture or breadcrumbs. Then stir in those toasted almonds for extra crunchiness & texture.

     And when it comes to Sugar, I would recommend for Brown sugar or light Brown sugar, which gives the needed texture in a Crumble.  

APPLE CRUMBLE

For more CHRISTMAS RECIPES, Click here...

Cuisine - Around the World

Recipe Type - Crumble

Difficulty - Medium

Serves - 6-8

Author - SM

Preparation Time - 30 - 45 Minutes

Cooking Time (Apple Filling) - 7-10 Minutes

Baking Time - 30-45 Minutes

For more BAKED GOODIES, Click here...

HOW TO MAKE APPLE CRUMBLE

APPLE CRUMBLE

INGREDIENTS:

For Apple Filling:

APPLE CRUMBLE

METHOD:

For the Crumble:

 

• Blanch the Almonds, Sliver them into thin slices, and toast them on a low flame until crispy.
• Chill the bowl in which you are going to prepare the crumble. 
• Cut butter into cubes and leave it in the refrigerator until use.
• In a bowl, combine All-purpose Flour, Almond Slivers, salt & brown sugar.
• Mix until well combined.
• Add chilled butter cubes to the flour. 
• Gently toss it up with a fork until it crumbles. 
• Alternatively use your fingertips, gently rub the butter into the flour until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs/streusel mixture. 
• Make sure that your hand & finger are cold while doing this step. Can dip your hands in ice-cold water and wipe off any moistness before doing the process.
• This is to avoid melting the butter, which will alter the texture of the crumble.
• If you have a food processor, the job gets easier. I do not have one & did the step using my hands or simply toss-up the ingredients using a fork.
• If using a food processor, place the flour, butter and process, using the pulse button, for 10-15 seconds until the mixture is crumbly.
• Leave this in the refrigerator until use.

 
 
 

For Apple Crumble:

 

• Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
• Take an ovenproof dish, big enough to hold all the ingredients.
• Grease the baking dish with a bit of butter.
• Now, spread out the Apple Filling in the baking dish.
  
• Pour in any sauce left in the pan & even it out with a spatula.

• Now, sprinkle the crumble in an even layer over the top of the Apple Filling.
• Place the dish on the middle rack in the Oven.

• Bake for about 30 Minutes.  Then turn the baking dish around halfway through cooking.
• The Crumble would be ready when the topping turns golden, and the juices starts to bubble out.
• It took around 30-45 minutes for me to bake this Apple crumble.
• Serve Apple Crumble warm, topped with  a hearty dollop of Vanilla Ice cream or Custard. 

 

APPLE CRUMBLE

NOTES:

• I have used slivered and toasted Almonds in the crumble mixture.
• Can swap it with your preferred nuts.  
• Can use Light Brown Sugar or Brown Sugar. Suit your preference.
• Can make the same recipe with fruits like Apple, Pear, Peach, Plum, Apricot, Rhubarb, Berries etc.,