Prawn Thokku, a delicious and flavorful masala made from the prawn and the exotic Indian spices. It tastes great as a side dish for rice and rasam combo. It's so easy to make with just a handful of ingredients  and the taste is simply awesome. 

Though i eat prawns regularly at restaurants, making them at home has never been a thing until a year ago. I thought cleaning prawns would take a lot of time so never attempted to cook at home. 

Now that my little one likes prawns a lot, i jumped in to cook the prawns at home because you know that the prawns available at Indian restaurants here are mostly too spicy or/and oily. Hence i prefer to give him home cooked prawns.

Like me, if you're new to cook the prawns at home, i highly recommend you  give this recipe a try . It's such a beginner friendly recipe and i guess no one can mess up this recipe. For the past few months, this prawn thokku has been a regular in our weekend lunch menu. 

As i said earlier, i usually make prawns for my little one so the spices are very mild but you can adjust the spices as per your liking. Here are some key points to make yummy prawn thokku

• Make sure to use coconut oil for this thokku, it gives a wonderful flavor and taste to the thokku.
• Adding a lot of onions and sauteing them well add more taste to the thokku so be generous with the onions.
• Make sure to cook the masala till you can see the oil around the edges before adding the prawns.
•  Once you add the prawn, don't cook for a long time, it will make the prawn rubbery.

For those who live in Canada, currently i'm buying the prawns from the T&T store and i prefer the shelled prawns over the unshelled prawns and i do the un-shelling and deveining the prawns at home. 

It's a little bit tricky to get the knack of cleaning the prawns quickly. I had tried a few methods of cleaning prawns and found the fork method is quite easy and have been following it for a couple of months now. You can google it on how to do it. 

Ok, now let's check out how to make this delicious prawn thokku.

Prawn Thokku | Spicy Prawn Masala

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 15 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Curry | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Prawn thokku, Spicy prawn masala, Indian prawn masala Prawn Thokku, a delicious and flavorful masala made from the prawn and the exotic Indian spices. It tastes great as a side dish for rice and rasam combo.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Prawn (unshelled & deveined ) - 250 gms

Onion (medium size ) - 1

Tomato( medium size )  - 2

Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

Cumin Seed - 1/2 tsp

Fennel Seed - 1/2 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 & 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chili powder - 3/4 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Coriander leaves - a few

Procedure

First clean the prawn twice or thrice in the water. Before the final wash, add a little bit of turmeric powder in the prawn, mix well and then wash & keep it aside.

Heat a thick bottomed pan with coconut oil, add the cumin seed and the fennel seed, let them splutter.

Then add the finely chopped onions and saute till they are translucent.

Next add the ginger garlic paste and saute till it's aromatic and then add the finely chopped tomatoes, all spices(turmeric, red chili and coriander powder) and salt.

Give it a good mix and then cover the pan with lid cook till the tomatoes are mushy. 

Next add the prawns and mix it with the masala and cover the pan with lid and cook the prawn for 8-10 mins or until it's done. 

Finally add the pepper powder and the finely chopped coriander leaves. Give a good mix and then switch off the flame.

Delicious Prawn Thokku is ready.

Related: How to make South Indian Style Salmon Fish Curry 

Notes:

• If you have curry leaves, add a spring while sauteing the onions,  it gives a nice aroma.
• Coconut oil gives a great flavor to the thokku, so i  highly recommend to use it.

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How to make Idli and dosai from the Kavuni Arisi / Black Rice 

Black Rice is also known as Kavuni Arisi in Tamilnadu which is mainly used to make sweets in Chettinad Region of Tamilnadu. Other than that, to my knowledge, i never seen anyone using the black rice for any other dishes in Tamilnadu.

Recently i have seen a lot of recipes online for making idli & dosai using the black rice, so i too got interested in trying out idli batter using the black rice. To make the batter, i have used a combination of idli rice and black rice and the result was too good. 

I didn't expect such an amazing output for the first attempt itself. The idli was so soft and spongy and the dosai also turned out  super crispy. In addition, it looks so appealing and that purple color is really eye-catching. So i was super thrilled !!  In the past three months, i made this batter for about 4-5 times and every time it turned out so good. 

Black Rice 

Black rice is rich in antioxidants and high in fiber so include them regularly to keep your diet balanced. I'm not a dietician but i strongly believe that including varieties of foods in moderation truly benefits your health. 

In addition to the health benefits, i personally love the color of this rice when it's cooked. It's so vibrant and kids would love it for sure. 

There are different types of black rice  available in the markets nowadays; some are glutinous and some are not. It's difficult to differentiate unless you're well familiar with it.  So to make the idli/ dosa batter, always use the mix of idli rice and black rice so that the idli and dosa won't be sticky. 

Making the idli/dosa batter

Black rice is a little hard to grind compared to regular idli rice so soaking it overnight helps to grind the batter smoothly without running the mixie/blender/wet grinder for a longer time.

I have used my blender to grind the idli/dosa batter, but you can use the Indian mixie or wet grinder to make the batter. 

Depending on the rice varieties, the batter color would change from mild purple to dark purple-brown. So don't worry if your batter doesn't look like mine!

For more tips on how to grind the idli batter in general or how to ferment the batter in cold temperature, do check out this post. It has tons of information and it would be really useful if you're a beginner in cooking.

Idli and Dosai

Like regular idli/dosai batter, i have used the same batter for making both the idli and dosai. Once the batter is fermented, it's good to make idli right away ! The idli would be soft and spongy. 

For the dosai, dilute the same batter with little water and make the dosai as usual, the dosai would be crispy and super delicious.

Storing the Batter

The batter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Once the batter is fermented, take the needed amount of batter for use and keep the remaining batter in the refrigerator immediately. 

Also don't mix the whole batter with the ladle once it's fermented. It will deflate the batter. Making idli with deflated batter would be hard. However the dosa would still turn out crispy.

Now, let's check out how to make Black Rice / Kavuni Rice idli dosa batter.

Kavuni Arisi Idli & Dosai | Black Rice Idli & Dosa

Preparation Time : 12 hrs | Cooking Time : 15 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Breakfast | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Kavuni Arisi Idli Batter,Kavuni Arisi Idli,Kavuni Arisi Dosai,Black Rice Idli Batter,Black Rice Dosai Batter, Black Rice Idli, Black Rice Dosai Kavuni Arisi makes a soft and spongy idli as well as crispy dosa. With one batter, you can make both idli and dosai.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Kavuni Arisi / Black Rice - 1 cup

Idli Rice - 1 cup

Urad dal - 1/2 cup

Salt - to taste

Water - as needed for grinding & soaking

Procedure

In a bowl, add the black rice, idli rice and urad dal. Wash the rice and dal well in the water for thrice and then add enough water to soak the rice and dal. Let it soak for 6-8 hrs or overnight.

Next day, discard the soaked water and then add the soaked rice and dal in a mixer jar/wet grinder, add water as needed and grind into a smooth batter. 

Pour the batter in a large bowl(make sure that the bowl is large enough and have enough room to ferment and raise the batter) and add the salt.

Mix the salt into the batter with your hand and then cover the bowl with a lid and let it keep it in a warm place for 6-8 hrs to ferment.

Once the batter is well fermented, grease the idli plate with sesame oil and pour the batter in the idli plate and steam it for 8-10 mins.

Soft and spongy kavuni arisi idli is ready.

In the same batter , add a little bit of water to dilute and make dosai like regular dosai. Delicious Kavuni Arisi Dosai is also ready.

Serve Kavuni Arisi Idli and Dosai with Sambar and/or Chutney.

Related : Side dishes for idli/Dosai

Notes:

• The batter stays well for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
• As always, take the needed batter in a separate bowl and store the rest in the refrigerator once it's fermented so that the batter stays well for a longer time.
• I didn't use any fenugreek seed for this batter, but the idli turns out so soft.

Look how spongy the idli is !! 

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Coconut Macaroons, delicious and flavorful cookies made with just two main ingredients such as dried shredded coconut and condensed milk. 

It's one of the easiest bakes that i have made so far. If you have been following me for a while then you may already know that how much i love coconut or anything with coconut. I had been wanting to make these macaroons for a while and finally made them a couple of months ago. As expected, the cookies are so delicious! 

Ever since, i have been making these macaroons regularly at home and it's been my favorite now. It tastes and reminds me of the coconut cookies from the Indian bakeries. If you like coconut flavor then do give it a try !  

Life has been so busy with running around the toddler lately. So everything takes a back seat and i have been struggling to post a recipe in a month :-) But i love to cook/bake with my little one and he's so curious about mixing, pouring and everything that i do in the kitchen. 

Though it takes time and a lot of energy to bake along with the kids, sometimes i do love it. Lastly, he happily poses for the pictures whenever i ask him to hold the food :-)  The below picture has my whole heart ❤️  It's always the little things that make the most beautiful memories, right?

Now coming back to today's recipe, let' see what type of coconut to use 

Coconut Flakes vs Shredded Coconut vs Desiccated coconut. 

All these varieties are dried versions of coconut that's usually available in packets under the baking section in the grocery stores. These dried versions are available as both sweetened and unsweetened. I have used unsweetened coconut. 

Also for this recipe, we want finely shredded coconut. Both finely shredded and desiccated coconut works but desiccated coconut may need little more of condensed milk for the below mentioned quantity in the Ingredients section. 

If you find only coconut flakes that are thick or long stripes then pulse it for a couple of times in a blender/mixie that will help to shape the macaroons better. I have used dried finely shredded coconut flakes  in this recipe.

Ok, now let's check out how to make these delicious macaroons. 

2 Ingredients Coconut Macaroons | Coconut Macaroons with Condensed milk

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Curry | Recipe Cuisine: Indian
Coconut Macaroons,Coconut Macaroons with Condensend milk,2 Ingredients Coconut Macaroons Coconut Macaroons, delicious and flavorful cookies made with just two main ingredients such as dried shredded coconut and condensed milk.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Dried Shredded Coconut(unsweetened) - 1 cup

Condensed milk - 1/4 cup*

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Candied Cherries - a few(optional)

*You can use up to 1/3 cup for more sweetness

Procedure

Preheat the oven at 350 F 

In a bowl, add the dried shredded coconut(unsweetened), condensed milk and vanilla essence.

First mix it all with a spatula and then switch to your hands and mix it well until it all combines together.Check whether you're able to make balls from the coconut mixture. If not, add a couple of tsp of condensed milk at a time and check again. Do this until until you're able to form the ball. Even with the same brand of all ingredients, sometimes 1/4 cup of condensed milk is enough for 1 cup of coconut and sometimes it needs more. So depends on the ingredients, you may need more or not.

Next cut the candied cherries into half and keep it aside. Make a small ball out of the coconut mixture and flatten it a bit in your palm.

Place it on the parchment lined baking sheet and then place the cherries on the center for each macaroon. Candied cherries is totally optional. So you can skip it if you don't have it.

Place it in the oven and bake it for 18-20 mins.

Delicious Coconut Macaroons are ready. Let them cool completely and store it in airtight container.

Related: How to make Almond flour Cookies

Notes:

• Macaroons would be soft when they are out of the oven. It firms up once it's completely cooled.
• These macaroons stay crispy for a day or two, after that it became soft. 
• Cherries are totally optional, so you can skip that if you don't want to use them.

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How to make Greek Yogurt at home | Homemade Greek Yogurt

Greek Yogurt is nothing but plain yogurt that has been strained so that it becomes so creamy and spreadable. 

Making Greek yogurt at home is so easy if you're already familiar with making yogurt at home. Even if you don't make yogurt at home, don't worry!! Here i'm guiding you to step by step methods to make perfect yogurt as well as greek yogurt.

Yogurt culture

First thing first, to make yogurt at home, first you will need yogurt culture. Yogurt culture is nothing but a small amount of plain yogurt. If you have a favorite store bought yogurt, then store a couple of tbsp of that yogurt aside before finishing it off :-) Because we're gonna use that as a starter to make our yogurt at home. 

Make sure to use good quality yogurt as a starter because the yogurt is gonna taste exactly like the starter we're going to use.

Milk

Second, we need milk. For making yogurt , you can use full fat, 2% or 0% milk. Yogurt made from the full fat milk obviously tastes so rich compared to the low fat version. 

If you're making it for growing kids, i would recommend to use full fat milk. Because you can use this as spread(on bagels) or dipping sauce(for patties) or as dessert( with berries and a splash of maple syrup) and kids would absolutely love it. And for adults, you can use whatever the milk as per your diet requirements.

Pro Tips

• Depending on how thick you want the greek yogurt, you can strain the yogurt between 12- 24 hrs. I strained mine around 14 hrs.
• While boiling the milk, make sure that the bottom won't get burnt. So keep an eye and stir the milk now and then especially if you're using the full fat milk because the chances of burning at the bottom is high when using high fat content milk.

Ok, Now let's check out how to make the perfectly creamy Greek Yogurt at home.

How to make Greek Yogurt at home

Preparation Time : 24 hrs | Cooking Time : 15 mins | Serves : 2 
Recipe Category: Diary | Recipe Cuisine: Greek
Homemade Greek Yogurt, Greek Yogurt,How to make Greek Yogurt at home Greek Yogurt is nothing but plain yogurt that has been strained so that it becomes so creamy and spreadable.

Sandhiya https://www.facebook.com/SandhiyasCookbook https://www.instagram.com/sandhiyascookbook/

Ingredients

Milk - 2 cups
Yogurt - 2 tsp

Procedure

Pour the milk into sauce pan, let it bring into boil.

Once the milk is about to boil, switch off the flame and let it cool a bit.  Take the yogurt in a bowl and whisk it well without any lumps and keep it ready. 

Pour the yogurt into bowl which you're gonna set the yogurt, check the milk temperature by placing your finger in the milk. It should be hand bearable but still it's warm, that's correct temperature. Pour the milk into the yogurt culture. 

Mix it all well together and partly cover the bowl with lid and place it in the warm place. I kept it in oven with lights on. 

After 6-8 hrs, the yogurt would be set beautifully.

Next take a colander and line it with cheese cloth. Add the yogurt into that colander. 

Place the colander over a bowl to catch the dripping water and then cover the yogurt with the hanging cheese cloth and keep it inside the refrigerator for 12-24 hrs.

After a day, take the colander out and you can see how much is dripped from the yogurt in the bowl. 

That's it. Delicious and creamy Greek Yogurt is ready to use. For later use, transfer the yogurt to the refrigerator save bowl and store it in the refrigerator.

Related: Homemade Soft Paneer

Notes:

• Keep the yogurt in the refrigerator once it set to avoid the further sourness.
• Cheese cloth works better for straining. But you can't find it near you, use any cotton cloth like idli cloth.
• It stays well in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

 

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