"Kerala Christmas Breakfast: A Celebration of Traditional Kerala Christian Cuisine"
Commemorating the Occasion - Blog Anniversary!
To mark the special occasion of our blog anniversary, I decided to finally share a long-pending post that I had been planning for Christmas and Easter. In a typical Kerala Christian household, breakfast for any celebration—be it a festival, family function, wedding, engagement, christening, or communion—features a unique spread.
Pongal - Harvest Festival from Tamil Nadu
Pongalo Pongal: A Celebration of Harvest and Tradition
The arrival of January marks the beginning of the vibrant Pongal Season, a time of gratitude, joy, and traditional feasting. Pongal, both a harvest festival and a dish, beautifully encapsulates the spirit of Tamil Nadu’s agrarian culture. The festival’s name derives from the Tamil word "Pongal," meaning "to boil over," symbolising abundance and prosperity. In this post, we’re diving into the world of Pongal recipes—a mix of both sweet and savoury delights that you can recreate in your kitchen to celebrate the season.
MILLET SWEET PONGAL/SARKKARAI PONGAL
Those were the days when people looked forward to eating Rice. Rice was a delicacy to the common man then, and it came to his palate only on special occasions and on festivals. Pongal is one special occasion, a four-day-long festival celebrated at the nook and
corner of Tamil Nadu. As Rice is the staple crop grown in South India,
along with other local produces comes this divine dish Sarkkarai
Pongal/Chakkara Pongal. Pongal
is a harvest festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu to commemorate the
divinity of the Sun, and its major role in agriculture and cattle
rearing. Even the most poor will try to make Sarkkarai Pongal on this day with a handful of Rice. So is the speciality of this harvest festival and the dish Pongal.
Well, coming to recent years, where the folks have turned to eating Millets, Brown Rice etc., the age-old custom of Millet culture is steadily seeping into the kitchens through health conscious minds. This Sarkkarai Pongal recipe is a twist given to the traditional Pongal where
Millets are used instead of Rice. I have used Samai or the Little
Millet in this recipe. The cooking method remains the same, with just a
mild adjustment in Millet Water ratio. I felt that Pongal made with
Millets turned out to be softer with a perfect melt in the mouth like
texture. It was tastier than the Rice version, and obviously, a
healthier version as Millets are rich in Fibre.
MILLET SWEET PONGAL/SARKKARAI PONGAL
Though, festivals calls for indulgence and good food, as a norm I would like to prepare Pongal with Rice and Dhal. If you are looking for a twist and a healthier version, then this Millet Sarkkarai Pongal falls gently into the genre. The cooking method is same as how we make Sarkkarai Pongal with Rice, where millet is substituted instead of Rice. Millet and Moong Dhal(Pasi Paruppu) are used to prepare this
Sweet Pongal and Jaggery(Cane Sugar) is used to sweeten the dish, which
gives the name Sarkkarai Pongal/Chakkarai Pongal. Though variant
methods are prevalent throughout South India, the major ingredients
stick onto the above three major ingredients along with milk, flavoured
with cardamoms, dry ginger, edible camphor or clove and garnished with
Cashews and Raisins roasted in Ghee.
This Millet Sarkkarai Pongal/Chakkara Pongal recipe is a simple version
which can be prepared at home for any occasion/festival. Above all, this
Sweet Pongal is a major Naivedhyam/Prasadham served in most of the
temples or during Poojas at home. Sarkkarai Pongal/Chakkara Pongal
served in temples have a special note of taste and flavour which is
quite divine.
MILLET SWEET PONGAL/SARKKARAI PONGAL
You can make this Millet Pongal with any type of Millets(Siru Dhaniyam) like
Kodo Millet(Varagu Arisi), Samai (Little MIllet), Barnyard
Millet(Kuthiraivali), Thinai (Foxtail Millet). I have cooked this Millet Pongal in a Pressure
Cooker. Samai Water Ratio is 1:3 for this Millet Pongal, and the ratio
remains the same for Moong Dhal. And I substitute 1/2 Cup of Water with
Milk which yields you with a softer Pongal and yah, don't forget to add
an extra bit of Ghee. Can follow the same ratio for Kodo Millet(Varagu Arisi), Thinai (Foxtail Millet) & Barnyard Millet(Kuthiraivali) too. These Millets are nutritious
& it is truly a comfort dish that is so easy to make.
Melt Jaggery with 1 Cup of Water and 1/2 Teaspoon of Ghee until the jaggery pieces dissolve completely and start to boil.
Switch off the flame, filter the melted Jaggery to remove any impurities and keep it aside.
Grind Cardamom Pods & Dry Ginger (if using) with a Mortar and Pestle into a fine Powder and keep it aside.
Dry
Roast Moong Dhal on a low flame for about 5 minutes until the colour
changes slightly, and it turns fragrant. (Do not over roast the Dhal).
Wash Moong dhal & Samai (Little Millet) for at least 3–4 times or until water runs clear. Drain any excess water from it.
Pour in 31/4 Cups of Water & 1/2 a Cup of Milk to Samai (Little Millet) and Moong Dhal. Pressure Cook on a high flame for a whistle.
Lower the flame and cook for another 2 whistles and switch off the flame.
Once the pressure is released, open the lid.
Then slightly mash the cooked Samai (Little Millet) and Moong Dhal.
Pour the melted Jaggery to the above along with powdered Cardamom and Dry Ginger Powder and mix well.
Leave this on a very low flame until Jaggery is well absorbed into the millet and dhal mix.
Meanwhile, heat Ghee in a pan and roast Cashew nuts until golden brown colour and Raisins fluff-up.
Pour this onto the Millet Sarkkarai Pongal Mixture and mix well.
Cook this on a low flame for a few more minutes until you get the desired consistency.
Serve Millet Sarkkarai Pongal hot with a drizzle of ghee over it.
MILLET SWEET PONGAL/SARKKARAI PONGAL
NOTES:
But dry roasting the dhal enhances the aroma and gives an even texture while cooking.
Dry Roast the dhal on a medium flame until they are just hot to touch. (over roasting can alter the flavour of the dish)
Adjust the amount of water as for the millet variety.
Can substitute one cup of Water with Milk for a rich Sarkkarai Pongal
We
need the millet and dhal to be well cooked, so a bit of extra water would
be needed (more than what we use normally for cooking millets).
Do not over boil the Jaggery mix. We don't need to boil it into string consistency for Sarkarrai Pongal
Adjust the sweetness to suit your taste preference.
Adding extra ghee is strictly optional, but gives a wonderful flavour to Millet Sarkkarai Pongal/Sweet Pongal.
Adding Dry Ginger powder is optional.
Can also add edible camphor and cloves to Millet Sarkkarai Pongal if preferred.
PINEAPPLE PEEL WINE
Yet another Wine and Yet another New Year - a new beginning... or is
it the same monotonous cycle of day in, day out? Anyway, let's begin this
New Year with a Toast - 'HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023', with
my home-made Pineapple Wine. Also, my blog 'ESSENCE OF LIFE - FOOD' is
nearing its Seventh Anniversary in another 16 days on 17th January.
On the run this New Year Post turned out to be the 800th Post in Essence of Life - Food and as I noticed that the Statistics says that my Blog has crossed 1 Million Views. So, this Post, a Wine, suits well to be raised as a Toast for this occasion. With not much of overwhelming response or income, my hobby of blogging is still fuelled with my Passion. With quiet of a lot of other chores happening around me, this year turned out to be slow, and I spent very little of my quality time for my blog. Love what I am doing and Happy with what I yield out of it. I would like to Thank all my viewers on this occasion for all the support & encouragement.
Celebrating 1 Million+ Views for my Blog
Thanks for all the support and encouragement...
PINEAPPLE PEEL WINE
Well, coming back to the recipe... If you have been reading my posts, then you may all know, that making
a new wine each year and toasting it for Christmas & New Year had
been a routine at home for years. This Pineapple Wine was the one I brewed during last Christmas Season, and it is ready for the toast this year. Though there are schools which believe in making quick-fix wines, I belong to
the school where the thumb rule sticks to the norm - "Wines get better
with Age". Patience is much appreciated while brewing a homemade Wine & it gets better as it ages.
Wine making has become a routine in my kitchen, with a few varieties
of well brewed homemade wines always ready to be catered. Recently I re-bottled all my Wines from my collection. And seeing a wide range of collection, my son said, they are going to sue me for brewing Illicit Hooch! Ah! That sounded a bit gruesome. And all those bottles lined up, and used occasionally when a guest visits our house and in my baking, what was I doing with so much of Wines? As such, it all started as a hobby, backed up by my husband (but the irony is, he never drinks it just apart from tasting it.) The fact is, I
do not drink or even like to taste the Wines, I make. I have
professional wine tasters at my disposal... ha… ha… ha… just joking.
My Wine tasters are my beloved hubby & kids.
PINEAPPLE PEEL WINE
Believe it or not, I do not drink... Thinking, all the while - though it may not be a virtue of its own, it stayed as much as a preference, a personal choice.
Ah!
I never want to know The fun of a fermented liquid Which spreads joy Shrinks the Sorrows... When it flows into my mouth Slips past my tongue and
Slides down my throat I won’t flinch, nor feel the after-burn left in its wake
Nor the ecstasy of the drink ...
I may never be able to share... Stories of peers who gathered for a booze Who’s bottoms were up as was mine downing & drowning & gulping Until all were washed away & all were sloshed
Only the sane & sober Would wake up to give an exact account of what transpired
Of the untold stories And no one would fill in the blanks
For the best of all...
Imay never be able to tell... The difference between a wine, brandy, whisky, vodka, gin, tequila or a rum The volume of fluids in pegs, quarters, halves, full and a pint If the glass is half empty, or half full and “flat”, “neat”, or “on the rocks”, Whether to mix it with water, tonic, cola or an ale The intoxication of a Soma Paanam brings or the aftermath of a hangover And whether my abstinence is a gift or a curse...
SM
Here's a very simple recipe for an old-fashioned wine made out of
Pineapple Peels. This is a recipe from my old cook book which I had jotted down during my college days with an all sceptical idea, whether I would make a wine at all in my life and a wine with Pineapple Peels??? But it looked different and out of the box then. But life has taken me into a stroll where I am brewing wines in the name of illicit hooch, and it has become a hobby of my OWN!
This is a simple Pineapple Wine recipe with simple home-made wine making technique, but the
results are really awesome. And the colour which I got naturally from the brew took me offhand when I was shooting the pictures. The sunlight which probed into the wine glass gave it a wonderful and catchy spectacle with a golden hue!
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 PINEAPPLE WINE
PINEAPPLE PEEL WINE
INGREDIENTS:
For Pineapple Wine:
Pineapple & Pineapple Peels - 1 Kg
Sugar - 1/2 Kg
Lemon - 1 No. Boiling Water - 5 Litres Cinnamon Sticks - 8-10 big pieces (Optional)
To Activate the Yeast:
Yeast - 1 Packet (11 Grams) Sugar - 5 Teaspoons. Warm Water - 1/3 Cup
PINEAPPLE PEEL WINE
METHOD:
For Pineapple Peel Wine:
Using a knife, slice off the top & bottom part of the Pineapple.
Cut off the outer layer (the Peel) and reserve it.
Slice the Pineapple and then cut it into small Pieces.
Chop the Pineapple Peel into small pieces.
Add the chopped Pineapples, Pineapple Peels, Sugar, and the Lemon in a large glass or ceramic jar.
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 teaspoons of Sugar.
Add activated yeast to the mix after 12 hours
Can add some extra Sugar and few sticks of Cinnamon to add more sweetness and flavour to the Pineapple Peel Wine.
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 about 3 months.
Re-bottle the clear wine, leaving the sediments behind for another one month.
The Pineapple Wine should be filtered properly at this stage.
Taste the Pineapple Wine after two months, add sweetness and flavour if needed.
Do the above process until there are no sediments left.
Good quality Pineapples yields the best Pineapple Wine.
Like most of the wines, it will improve with age.
NOTES:
Cutting the Pineapples & its peels into small pieces will yield more flavour and body to the wine.
Pineapples are naturally sweeter, so adjust the amount of sugar accordingly.
I just used normal yeast, as it is very difficult to get wine yeast in my area.
If you can get hold of Wine Yeast, go ahead with it and also can add Campden Tablets.
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 Pineapple Wine.
The colour and flavour, which I got naturally out of it, were more satisfying.
PINEAPPLE PEEL WINE
WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!
SM
KERALA EGG ROAST - NADAN MUTTA ROAST
Kerala Egg Roast is an authentic Kerala Style Egg Recipe cooked with spices is a hot & spicy gravy. Kerala's cuisine is a multitude of Vegetarian and
Non-Vegetarian dishes, but Egg takes a special place along with its counterparts. This Egg Roast recipe is a simple recipe
whatsoever. This is easy to incorporate and takes very less time to cook, and it can come as a rescue when you are in short of time.
This Nadan Egg Roast
is a simple Egg recipe cooked in a hot and spicy masala. It is prepared
in a typical Kerala style with local spices and undoubtedly cooked in
Coconut Oil, which gives an authentic touch to this Egg Roast. The finishing touch of this Egg Roast is undoubtedly the Coconut
Milk, which elevates the taste and flavour of this Nadan Egg Roast.
When it comes to Kerala's iconic Appams, one recipe I’ve always wanted to highlight is Vattayappam – a soft, spongy, and deliciously unique fermented rice cake. While it shares ingredients with its cousin Vellayappam, Vattayappam stands out for its texture and cooking method – it’s steam-cooked to perfection, giving it a fluffy, melt-in-the-mouth quality. For those wondering, Vattayappam translates to “Round Rice Cake” in Malayalam!
ORANGE MARMALADE
This gorgeous brightly hued Orange Marmalade is loaded with fresh citrusy flavour
and a wonderful texture. This Jam is quite easy to make and has no
preservatives or artificial pectin in it. This recipe is for a small
batch prepared with just a few Oranges. The best thing about this
preparation is that it yields you with a Fresh & Sweet Orange Marmalade full of texture and do not forget, your kitchen would be overwhelmed with a wonderfully addictive citrusy aroma.
Marmalade, though similar to Jam or a Jelly, when prepared with Citrusy fruits comes to be called as Marmalade. Well, In the Old French language, an orange was referred to as a 'marmalatice' & In Portuguese, 'marmelada' is the name for a fruit preserve made using quinces (looks like a pear, ripe quince fruits are hard, tart, and astringent). The words'marmalatice' &'marmelada' combined together to form a word'marmalade.'
While writing this post, I remember the lines about Orange Marmalade from Dan Brown's Novel Digital fortress -
- The patio, Jardin de los Naranjos, was famous in Seville(Spain) for its
twenty blossoming orange trees. The trees were renowned in Seville as
the birthplace of English marmalade. An eighteenth‑century English
trader had purchased three dozen bushels of oranges from the Seville
church and taken them back to London only to find the fruit inedibly
bitter. He tried to make jam from the rinds and ended up having to add
pounds of sugar just to make it palatable. Orange marmalade had been
born.
***The word Naranjos which means Orange Trees in Spanish, reminded me that in Malayalam we call Lemons, Naranga and could be that the word would have been derived somewhere from either of the word???
ORANGE MARMALADE
The patio, Jardin de
los Naranjos, was famous in Seville for its twenty blossoming orange
trees. The trees were renowned in Seville as the birthplace of English
marmalade. An eighteenth‑century English trader had purchased three
dozen bushels of oranges from the Seville church and taken them back to
London only to find the fruit inedibly bitter. He tried to make jam from
the rinds and ended up having to add pounds of sugar just to make it
palatable. Orange marmalade had been born. https://digitalfortress.bib.bz/chapter-98
Well coming back to Marmalades, it is usually made with Citrus fruits like Oranges, Lemons, Kumquats, Grapefruits etc., ThisMarmalade recipe is made withthe citrus fruit peel. It has an aromatic sweetness without the bitterness as it is commonly known for.
Marmalades are mostly made with fruits like orange, kumquat, and
grapefruit.
This homemade orange marmalade is a wonderful combination of sweet and
bitter taste, and it has a fresh, addictive aroma. With a little bit of work, time and patience you would have a jar or two full of orange deliciousness.
This recipe is similar to all other marmalade recipes, but I have used the Peels for the texture & without the bitterness of a traditional marmalade. Traditional marmalade recipes call for removing the peels and then boiling it once or twice and then again to removing the zest from the white pith etc., & etc., It seemed to be tedious according to me. So went with an idea of just peeling off the zest with a vegetable peeler, then I cut off the ends of the oranges, & removed the white pith. The next step is to cut the oranges into sections, removing the membranes & seeds.
Pectin is one main ingredient in the preparation of Jam, which
helps to thicken the Jam. The membranes and seeds of the oranges acts as a natural pectin. And I have used the Seeds and membranes to add the natural pectin to the
Marmalade by tying it up in a muslin cloth. So I
have not used any Pectin powder in the recipe, you may just have to boil
the jam a little longer with the membranes and seeds tied up in a muslin cloth. This way, you can make sure that the marmalade is Sweet and not bitter.
And with the Peels in it, it is full of texture. I know, the steps take a bit of time & needs patience, but it's worth the work.
ORANGE MARMALADE
Also, I
have not used any preservatives in this Orange Marmalade. I made only a small
batch with just 4 Oranges, which yielded about 250-300 Grams of Marmalade. And as I live in a humid place, and as there are no preservatives in this recipe, I leave them in the refrigerator. Refrigerate it and consume within a months time.
It tastes great over a toast, or spread it over your favourite
bread or for a real treat have it with some warm croissants. I could just
have a slice of toast, slathered with my homemade Orange Marmalade for my breakfast and waiting for a good piece of Croissants to slather it on it. This Orange Marmalade could be used to fill layers of a cake or in
thumbprint cookies. I usually add a teaspoon or two of Orange Marmalade
while beating up my Christmas Fruit Cake and with all homemade goodies
for the cake, this orange marmalade too lined up the suit.
Cuisine - Around the World
Recipe Type - Preserve/Jam
Difficulty - Medium
Yields - 2- 21/2 Cups
Author - SM
Preparation Time -
HOW TO MAKE ORANGE MARMALADE - HOMEMADE ORANGE MARMALADE
ORANGE MARMALADE
INGREDIENTS:
For Orange Marmalade:
Oranges - 3 No's
Sugar - 3 Cups Water - 2 Cups
METHOD:
Wash and dry the oranges.
Using a sharp vegetable peeler or paring
knife, peel the Orange zest. Make sure that you do not peel it with the white pith underneath it, which makes it bitter.
Cut the zest into thin strips and keep them aside.
Cut off the ends of the zested oranges. Then remove the thick white pith from the oranges. Discard the ends and the white pith.
Cut out each segment between the membranes from the peeled oranges.
Squeeze any left out juice from the membranes and add the juice into the segmented oranges.
Save the membranes and the seeds.
Tie them up in a clean muslin cloth into a 'potli' like bag and keep it aside. This is the Pectin Bag.
Now in a heavy bottomed pan combine the thin strips of orange strips, segments and juice.
Pour in the water and add in the Sugar.
Bring this to boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Once the sugar is completely dissolved, stop stirring.
Let it cook on a medium low flame for about 15-20 minutes.
Add the "pectin bag" to the pot and cook the mixture until it boils.
Meanwhile, place a couple of small plates in the freezer to chill.
Cook the marmalade until it turns like a jelly. Be patient, this can take quite a while. Do not stir.
Put a dollop of the marmalade on a chilled plate. Swirl the plate to
spread the marmalade and gently drag a chilled spoon through it.
If the
marmalade is set, the spoon will leave a trail, and you'll still be able
to see the plate where you dragged the spoon.
If it has set, then remove the pectin bag.
Squeeze out any extra marmalade sticking on to the pectin bag and then discard the bag.
Switch off the flame and hold it for about 5 minutes on stove top.
Mix well until the zest is evenly spread through the marmalade.
Use a ladle to transfer the marmalade into the clean & sterilized jars.
Ladle the hot marmalade into clean and dry, sterilized jars.
Allow it to cool and then cover the jars tightly before refrigerating.
ORANGE MARMALADE
NOTES:
Can use a pinch of sodium benzoate as a preservative, if you are storing it for a long time.
Can also add a teaspoon of pectin powder, few drops of Orange food colour and artificial orange essence if you prefer.
Adjust the amount of sugar to suit your sweet tooth.
This marmalade recipe is without any artificial colouring, pectin powder and preservatives.
Store them in clean and dry, sterilized jars.
Allow it to cool down completely before refrigerating.
For a traditional method of Canning, process the Jars using the hot water bath method for 10 minutes.
You can also freeze the marmalade, but make sure to leave a little space at the top of the jar, as it expands in the freezer.
CANDIED GINGER
Most of the Traditional Christmas Cakes, Puddings, Cookies call for
Candied Citrus Peels, Fruits & Ginger. Simmer a few slices or pieces of Ginger in Sugar Syrup and
there you go with flavourful Homemade Candied Ginger. All you need is
just a few cups of Ginger, Sugar, a bit of time &
patience. It is so easy to make and much more flavourful than the
store-bought Candied Ginger.
All these years, I was literally skipping on to the idea of adding Candied Ginger into any of the recipes which called for candied ginger. The reason was I didn't have any & couldn’t find any in the store, or
should I say I didn't bother to buy it? Then, thinking of making it... wasn't sure how and had always thought it was a tedious process. Only until I figured out how to make Candied Fruits and Candied Peels. Since few years I have been making Candied Fruits and peels all by myself and this year planned to get my hands with Candied Ginger. I can hear some of you asking, "Why would I want Candied Ginger and above all why I should go to the length and breadth of making it at home?
CANDIED GINGER
Homemade Candied Ginger is indeed the best, fresher with a stronger flavour, and it has no additives, preservatives or artificial food colouring. Also, you can also reap the health
benefits of ginger. Ginger has been used medicinally for centuries.
Ginger is an extremely healthy herb with a variety of benefits.
Research has shown it to be effective in treating upset stomachs,
nausea, motion-sickness, pregnancy, lowering cholesterol and
inflammation, preventing clogged arteries and may even kill cancer
cells.
Anyway, we are not here to talk about the all known health benefits of Ginger. But this Candied Ginger is literally so tempting that you may want to gobble up a few at the go. Keep in mind to eat it in moderation. Though it's loaded with health benefits, it also has the Sugar in it. Candied Ginger is a versatile ingredient that will liven up so many dishes and drinks.
CANDIED GINGER
The Candied Ginger were a Sweet, flavourful treat perfect
for adding into Christmas Fruit Cakes, Puddings, Cookies, Muffins, Pancakes, Pies,Pear/Apple Crumble, Jams, Fruit Loaves,Cocktails, Mocktails and the list goes on and on!.
It was worth the effort. I could even eat some Homemade Candied Gingers as
such.
And one bottom line note: Don’t discard the drained Ginger Water & Syrup. It yields you with two delicious by products: GINGER WATER & GINGER SYRUP! Use the ginger water while making tea or a drink. Add a teaspoon or two of Ginger Syrup to your drinks for a refreshing ZING!
Chop the Ginger into small cubes or into thin slices & keep it aside.
I used about 3 Cups of Ginger.
Boil enough of Water in a pan. Once it starts to boil, add chopped Ginger into it.
Boil it on a medium-low flame for about 3-5 minutes.
Switch off the flame, Reserve 1/2 a Cup of Water and drain the remaining water. (Reserve the water and it can be used for making)
Reserve the blanched Ginger cubes.
Add the blanched Ginger Cubes along with 1/2 cup of reserved Ginger into a pan.
Add 2 Cups of Sugar and 1 Cup of Water to the above ingredients.
Boil the Sugar Syrup on a medium-low flame, stirring occasionally.
Cook until the Sugar is completely dissolved and the Ginger Cubes are cooked, and it has absorbed most of the Sugar Syrup.
The mixture would start to slightly thicken up at this stage(sugar syrup shouldn't get crystallized).
Cook until it reaches one-string consistency.
I cooked until the Sugar Syrup got completely absorbed by the Ginger cubes.
If there is any extra Sugar Syrup, drain it well through a colander.
Leave it aside in a wire rack to dry for 12-15 hours/overnight.
Candied Ginger Cubes would have absorbed the Sweetness and would have turned dry.
Soak it up in a Paper Towel for a few minutes if you feel the Candied Ginger to be moist.
Mine was totally dry and had the perfect texture.
I made Ginger candies to be used in Christmas Fruit Cake and to add them to Cocktails.
If you prefer to eat them as a Candy, gently toss the ginger slices in a bowl of sugar, so they are coated all over. Place
the ginger slices back on the cooling rack to sit overnight.
Store it up in clean Airtight containers.
For longer shelf life, store it in a refrigerator.
Can use it in Cookies, Fruit Cakes, Buns, Puddings, Crumbles, Bread Loaves, Ice creams etc.,
CANDIED GINGER
NOTES:
I have used the young & small Ginger Roots while making Candied Ginger. They're less woody and tender. Learnt it after a prior trial that old ginger are not best while making Candied Ginger.
Cut the Ginger into slices or into cubes. I made small cubes out of it,
as I made it specifically to be used in the Dry Fruit Mix for X'mas
Fruit Cake.
I cooked until the Sugar Syrup got completely absorbed by the Ginger Cubes.
If there is any extra Sugar Syrup, drain it well through a colander.
Save the Syrup & use in cakes, sauces and drinks. Goes well while making Teas.
Stays good stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Candied Ginger can be stored for up to 3-4 Months in the refrigerator.
I have made this Candied Peel for baking purpose.
I live in a humid area, so even if I toss them with Sugar, it tends to turn moist after a few hours. So, I left it as such and stored them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Alternatively, if you are using the Candied Ginger as a SNACK. Strain
and dredge the Cubes/Slices in finely granulated Sugar and place them on a
rack to dry overnight.
If you live in a Humid area, you can dry the candied ginger in the oven. Set the Oven
to the lowest temperature and leave this for about 20-30 minutes, or
until the Candied Ginger turns dry and crisp. While cooking it in
the oven, make sure to leave the Oven door slightly open.
Essence of Life - Food is all about daily cooking with a simple sense of taste and health. It is all about food. Not a day goes by without eating for most of us, so what we eat matters on the whole. Food in the mode of goodness increases the duration of life, purifies one's existence, and gives strength, health, happiness, and satisfaction. Above all ingredients, the most vital one in my kitchen is love.
