Truvia Sweetened Indian sweet Sheera / Halva / Kesari.

Few days back I had one guest coming over for dinner who had sugar restrictions in diet.I don't wanted to skip dessert so made Sheera/Kesari with Truvia .This is zero calorie natural sweetener recently emerged in market.I tried to enhance this recipe by adding wheat flour, flax seed meal and good amount of nuts ,raisins .Sheera tasted delicious without sugar. Once in a while this can be enjoyed as good diabetic friendly sweets recipe.

Ingredients :-

• 1/2 cup Rava
• 1/2 cup Wheat flour
• 2 Tb.spoon Golden flax seed meal.
• 20 packets of Truvia
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter.
• 20 Almonds - roughly chopped.
• 7-8 cashews - roughly chopped.
• 2 Tb.spoon - golden raisins.
• 1 Tb.spoon grated jaggery. (optional)
• 2 1/2 cup hot water.
• 8-10 cardamom - finely powdered
  

Method Of Making Sheera :-

1. Heat heavy bottom pot (Anodized works best) and melt half butter stick. Add Rava and wheat flour - mix well with butter. Maintain medium heat and keep stirring with wooden spoon for about 3-4 minutes.Add golden flax seed meal and cardamom powder - Mix well. On medium low heat roast rava and flour until it leaves nice aroma - about 8 minutes. Keep stirring at regular interval.Make sure heat is low and rava is not burnt.
   
2. Now add golden raisins, crushed cashews and almonds. Mix well and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes on medium low heat.Add 20 packets of Truvia and Mix well. Set medium heat.Keep stirring with wooden spoon..after 2-3 minutes Truvia will create little moisture in flour , reduce heat to low.
3. Now slowly add hot water in the pot.Be extra careful because as you pour hot water in the pot, it will sizzle,bubble and splash . After adding two and half cup of hot water, mix all well. Now flour consistency will turn like thick batter. Reduce heat to low. Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes.Cover with lid and let it cook for 2-3 minutes on very low heat.
4. Add 1 tb.spoon crushed jaggery and mix well . Cover with lid and allow it to cook for another 7-8 minutes...make sure heat is set to lowest temperature. Do stir at regular interval. Shut off the heat and keep it covered for another 7-8 minutes. Serve warm in bowl.

Note :-

• I used only half stick butter to comply with dietary restriction. In absence of dietary restriction.. increase it to 1 full butter stick and add little melted ghee at end stage for nice glaze and flavor.
  
• It is very hard to avoid after taste sensations of such sweeteners but adding little grated jaggery helped to take away that un-natural sugar taste.
  

Cheerful 2010.....

Thanks to all of my readers and visitors
You all have a great cooking and relishing moments....

Green beans & Butter beans - Kerala style Curry in Coconut gravy.

Today for lunch, I cooked this "Beans-Combination" curry in Kerala style. Mixing fresh green beans with butter beans in coconut gravy made delicious wholesome Curry.

Ingredients:-

• 2 1/2 Cup fresh cut Green beans - cut into 2 inch long pieces.
  
• 1 Can of butter beans (14 Oz) - rinsed thoroughly under running water.
• 1 Cup - finely chopped onions.
• 1 Cup fresh grated coconut.
• 1 Tb.spoon corriander seeds - make fine powder.
• 1 T.spoon Jeera powder - make fine powder.
• 1 Tb.spoon red chili powder. ( reduce quantity for less heat)
• 1/2 T.spoon turmeric powder.
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro - finely chopped.
• 1 Tb.spoon cooking oil.
• 1 T.spoon mustard seeds.
• 12-15 curry leaves.
• 1 T.spoon coconut oil - (optional)

Preparing coconut paste

• Add fresh grated coconut with one cup warm water and red chili powder in a blender jar. Grind to fine paste. ( My blender jar is small so I made coconut paste in two batches..first batch I added half cup coconut and in next batch added remaining coconut with chili powder..this is the reason you see two types of pastes in the picture)
  

Method of Cooking :-

1. Heat 1 Tb.spoon cooking oil in heavy gauge pot. Add 1 tspoon mustard seeds, wait for few seconds till mustard seeds sizzle and splutter, quickly add chopped onions. Saute until onions turn soft and translucent - 3-4 minutes.
2. Add green beans, corriander, jeera powder, turmeric, little salt, 6-7 curry leaves - Mix all well and add half cup water. Let it cook on medium heat with covered lid for 7-8 minutes. Keep stirring at regular interval. You may add little more water if beans get too dry.
3. Add ground coconut+red chili powder paste. Mix well and let it cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.
4. Add rinsed butter beans and gently mix all well. Add remaining curry leaves, adjust salt and heat level......also add little water as per your desired curry consistency. (You may add 1tspoon coconut oil to get authentic Kerala flavor) Let it cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
5. Garnish with fresh cilantro and enjoy with rice and roti.

Spicy Indian Chicken Curry with Mexican Ancho chiles

I enjoy cooking variety of chicken curries......slight variation of spices, herbs and cooking procedure brings completely different taste to the curry.This curry is cooked in routine manner with use of Ancho Chiles to bring deep dark glow.......other variation is - use of single whole Star anise and home ground spice blend. I maintained thick rich gravy which complimented well with dark glow of the curry.

Ingredients :-

• 1 Whole skinless chicken (3.5 pound) cut into medium pieces - marinate with salt.
• 2 Large onions - finely chopped.
• 2 inch piece of ginger - finely crushed.
• 7-8 large cloves of fresh garlic - finely crushed.
• 1 Extra large or 2 roma tomatoes - diced.
• 1 Cup fresh cilantro finely chopped.
• 2 Tb.spoon cooking oil.
• 1 Big size Star anise.
• 1 T.spoon red chili powder.
• 1 Cup fresh grated coconut. ( can be replaced with half cup canned coconut milk)
  
• 2 Ancho chilies - (3 inch long) - remove stem,seeds.. wash under water and tear in 3-4 pieces.......put in bowl........cover with water and microwave for 2-3 minutes.

Preparing Ancho chili paste

Use small mixer jar -Mix fresh grated coconut and microwaved ancho chilies. Make fine paste. I first made powdered spice blend and in the same jar added coconut and chilies. Depends on your blender type you can either grind all together or separate.

Spice Blend :-

• 1 Tb.spoon - Fennel seeds
• 1 T.spoon - Cumin seeds.
• 1 Tb.spoon - whole black pepper.
• 4 Cardamom
• 12 Cloves.
• 1 Bay leaf - 3 inch long.
• 2 inch long piece of cinnamon.

Mildly roast all above spices and make fine powder.

Curry is almost cooked

Method Of Cooking :-

1. Take 4 quart heavy gauge pot and heat 2 tb.spoon oil. Add 1 star anise and saute for 15 seconds.....quickly add chopped onions. Saute on medium heat for 4-5 minutes till onions turn soft.
2. Add finely crushed ginger and garlic - Mix with onions and saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add Ancho chili +coconut paste and ground spice blend. Saute for 2 minutes on medium heat.
4. Add marinated chicken and stir well in the pot, make sure all chicken pieces get rightly coated with gravy. Increase heat to high and keep stirring with wooden spoon till chicken turns white. You may sprinkle little water to ease stirring and avoid sticking it to the bottom. This will take 4-5 minutes.
5. Add red chilli power, adjust salt level - reduce heat to medium and let it cook for 10 minutes with covered lid. At regular interval keep stirring. At this stage inside steam will create more liquid gravy.
6. Increase heat to medium high and let curry cook without lid for another 8-10 minutes. At this stage instead of stirring with spoon hold both pot handles.......lift pot and give clockwise stir to pot. (If you are not used to this method then just use wooden spoon to stir).
7. Add diced roma tomatoes and cilantro. Mix well and let curry simmer for another 7-8 minutes on medium heat without lid. Stir at regular interval. Shut off the heat and let curry stay covered for another 15 minutes before serving with rice or roti.

Christmas Greetings.....

Wish you all lots of love, Peace, joy and happiness
Merry Christmas