Sago Jelly

Agar agar is the "vegetarian gelatine". It is sometimes also referred to as "kanten" (the Japanese term). It is derived from a South East Asian seaweed (indeed, its name is Malay for jelly, so in effect we say "jelly jelly" when we say agar agar). This article sets out how to use agar agar.

Understand the differences between agar agar and gelatine. Agar agar has several advantages over the traditional gelatine, namely:

It is derived from a plant source rather than an animal source, meaning that it is suitable for vegetarian and vegan diets, and also for diets with restrictions for moral, ethical, and religious reasons
It has no taste, no odour and no colour
It sets more firmly than gelatine
Agar agar is able to set at room temperature; it also stays in jelly form even as the temperature heats up
Agar agar helps to bring on a sensation of feeling full, which can aid dieting
It is used as a digestive aid by some people, to ease stomach upsets.

Use agar agar for your cooking needs. Here is how to use it:
Dissolve 1 tablespoon of agar agar in 4 tablespoons of hot water; this may need up to 10 minutes
Bring it to the boil
Simmer for one to five minutes for powder and 10 - 15 minutes for flakes
Mix well with warmed ingredients
Put aside to set. As the ingredients cool, the agar agar will set.

Note that the same amount of powdered agar agar can be substituted for powdered gelatine in a recipe. One teaspoon of agar agar powder is one tablespoon of flakes.


Ingredients

70 gm sago
2 tbsp agar agar powder
220 gm caster sugar
½ tsp salt
300 ml thick coconut milk
1000 ml water
a bit of green and red colouring (I used 4 colours)

Cook sago until transparent. Wash and drain dry. Divide into 2 portions and color one portion red and one portion green. (Because I used 4 colors, I divide into 4 portions.)

Boil ingredients and sieve. Divide above into 4 portions. Add each colour sago into each portion. Pour first portion into a mold. When slightly harden, pour second portion in. Let is set a little and followed by third portion. Do this until you finish all four portions.

Chill well before remoulding.

Fruit Pastry

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups (210 gr.) flour
140 gr sugar + 2 tablespoons
3/4 stick (100 gr.) butter
2 tablespoons (50 gr.) sour cream
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon or orange peel
3 eggs
500 gr. fruits (apricots, peaches, pears, cherries, plums, orange, pineapple, or any other fruit not too juicy)

In a strainer place the prepared fruits (pit removed and cut in not too big pieces) sprinkle them with 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C).
Beat butter, sour cream and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time.
Add flavorings. Flour and baking powder and mix until everything is smooth.
Butter and flour a baking pan (18x27 cm or 7x11 inch). A round 9 inch will do the same. Place batter in the pan and level nice.
Place fruits on top (don’t press). Bake for 60-70 minutes. I bake mine 70 minute. But that depends of your oven.
Let cool on a rack and sprinkle with sugar or not… and serve.

Pita Bread

Ingredients
2 tsp. dry yeast
1 cup warm water
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt

Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup warm water. Sift together the flour and salt and mix the yeast and water. Work the mixture into a dough and knead for several minutes. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Divide the dough into 6 equal portions and roll into balls. With either your hand or a rolling pin, pat and press each ball of dough into a 5-inch circle about 1/2-inch thick. Place on an un greased baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the pita are light golden brown.

Rice pudding from Middle East

Ingredients
Condensed Milk or 794 g
5½ cups water or 1375 ml
¾ cup white rice flour or 105 g
1½ teaspoons vanilla powder
½ teaspoon rose water
½ teaspoon blossom water
½ cup almonds or 50 g, grated

Preparation

In a casserole, bring to boil Sweetened Condensed Milk with ¾ of the water.
In another bowl, dissolve the remaining water with the rice powder and vanilla powder.
Slowly pour the rice mixture over the hot milk constantly stirring and cook on low heat for 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens.
Add the rose and blossom water and mix well.
Pour the mixture into small bowls, and garnish with the grated almonds or pistachio.

Prawns in Spicy Onion and Gravy

ingredients
Prawns - 200 gms (cleaned and de-veined)
finely chopped onion - 300 gms
coriander powder - 2 tbsp
chilli powder - 3/4 tbsp
turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp
chopped coriander leaves, 3 tbsp
mustard - 1/4 tbsp
curry leaves - a few
oil - 3-4 tbsp
salt to taste


Preparation:
Cook the ingredients from 2 to 7 together in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles with salt and very little water as onions leave water after cooking. Then add the cleaned prawns to the cooked masala and stir it for 10 mins till the prawns are cooked. Heat oil in a fry pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves and then the cooked prawn masala and keep stirring till the gravy is thick. Add little black pepper powder and chopped coriander leaves if required.

Prawn Masala

Ingredients
1/4 kg Prawns
1 Onions
6 tbsp Oil
2 Green Chillies
1 tsp Garlic paste
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Chilli powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
a bunch of Mint leaves
a few Fenugreek leaves
4 Tomatoes
a bunch of Coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Heat oil add onion, fry till slightly golden then add ginger and garlic paste, chilli powder, salt and chopped tomatoes then cook well till tomatoes are tender.
Add in prawn with half cup of water and cover cook till prawn are tender.
Add in green chillies and the remaining ingredients, stir well and remove.
Add lemon juice before serving.
Enjoy your Prawn Masala.

இறால் வடை

தேவையான பொருள்கள் :

இறால் - 10
உடைத்த கடலை - ஓரு ஆழாக்கு
பச்சை மிளகாய் - 5
வெங்காயம் - 200 கிராம்
சோம்பு - 1 தேக்கரண்டி
பூண்டு - 5 பல்
இஞ்சி - சிறிய துண்டு
கறிவேப்பிலை - 1 மேஜைக்கரண்டி
கடலை எண்ணெய் - 400 கிராம்
மஞ்சள் பொடி - 1/4 தேக்கரண்டி
உப்பு - - தேவையான அளவு

செய்முறை :

இறாலை உரித்துக் கழுவிச் சுத்தம் செய்து அதில் பாதி அளவு உப்பையும், மஞ்சள் பொடியையும் கலந்து 1 கோப்பை தண்ணீரில் வேக வைக்கவும்.வேக வைத்த இறாலை நன்றாக அரைத்துக் கொள்ளவும்.உடைத்த கடலையை சிறிதளவு தண்ணீர் சேர்த்து அரைக்கவும்.வெங்காயத்தையும், பச்சை மிளகாயையும் பொடியாக நறுக்கவும்.
இஞ்சி, பூண்டு, சோம்பு ஆகியவற்றை நசுக்கிக் கொள்ளவும்.
அடுப்பில் வாணலியை வைத்து, எண்ணெய் விட்டு, நறுக்கி வைத்துள்ள வெங்காயம், பச்சை மிளகாய், நசுக்கி வைத்துள்ள மசாலா ஆகியவற்றை அதில் போட்டு சிவக்கும் வரை வதக்கவும்.
வதக்கிய வெங்காயம், அரைத்து வைத்துள்ள இறால், உடைத்த கடலை, மீதமுள்ள உப்பு, மஞ்சள் ஆகியவற்றை ஒன்றாகப் பிசையவும்.
அடுப்பில் வாணலியை வைத்து, எண்ணெய் விட்டுக் காய்ந்ததும், பிசைந்து வைத்துள்ளதை சிறு வடைகளாகத் தட்டி எண்ணெயில் போட்டு சிவக்கும் வரை வறுக்கவும்.
இறால் வடை தயார்.