Saturday, July 15, 2006

Standard Chartered: UAE economy supporting Dubai house prices | Dubai Property

Standard Chartered: UAE economy supporting Dubai house prices | Dubai Property: "UAE economy supporting Dubai house prices
In a briefing on the bank's latest economic forecast for the UAE its economists spelt out just how supportive the local economy was for the real estate sector. This is an argument worth examining in some detail as it sheds considerable light on the outlook for Dubai property at a time of year when inevitably sales are slack."

Ginger Pear Crisp

Ginger Pear Crisp

Ingredients:

Ingredients:

Topping:

6 Pears, peeled and sliced

1/4 Cup flour

1 Tablespoon finely chopped ginger

3/4 Cup rolled oats

1/2 Cup brown sugar

1/4 Cup brown sugar

1/2 Cup raisins

1/4 Cup sugar

2 Teaspoons cinnamon

1 Teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons butter, cut into bits

6 Tablespoons butter

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss first six ingredients together in a bowl. Pour into a buttered baking dish. Using a fork combine the remaining six ingredients. Spoon topping across pears. Bake for 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Spinach Quiche

Spinach Quiche

Ingredients:

1 Small onion, chopped

1 Unbaked 9 inch pie crust

½ Cup butter

4 Eggs, beaten

3 Cloves garlic, chopped

1 Cup milk

1 (4.5 oz.) Can mushrooms,
drained

1 (8 oz.) Package shredded cheddar cheese

1 (10 oz.) Package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 (6 oz.) Package herb and garlic feta, crumbled

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion in butter until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in spinach, mushrooms, feta and ½ cup cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into pie crust. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into pastry shell, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with spinach mixture. Bake in preheated over for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining cheddar cheese, and bake an additional 35-40 minutes, until set in center. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

Friday, July 14, 2006

Karimeen Pollichathu

Ingredients
1: Pearl Spot Fish
3-4: Chopped Curry Leaves
2: Red Chillies
3-4: Chopped Shallots
1/4 tsp: Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp: Lime Juice
1 tsp: Chopped green chillies
1: Banana Leaf
1/2 tsp: Chopped Ginger
1: Thin banana stem
1/2 tsp: Chopped garlic
1 tbsp: Coconut Oil
Salt to taste.

Preparation

Grind red chillies, turmeric powder, chopped green chillies, chopped ginger, chopped garlic, chopped curry leaves, chopped shallots, salt and lime juice to a coarse paste.

After cleaning the fish, apply a thick layer of the paste on the inside and on the outside. Wrap the fish in a banana leaf and tie it with the banana stem. Heat oil in a pan and place the wrapped fish in it.

Cook on each side for 5-6 minutes. Serve hot with rice.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

Ingredients

Plain vegetable oil - 1/3 cup
Chicken(diced) - 1/3 lb
or
Meat(cooked, cubed or shredded) - 2 cups
Onion - 1 no
(diced)
Salt - As reqd
Pepper - As reqd
Garlic pods - 3 nos
(finely chopped)
Fresh ginger - 2" piece
(peeled and finely chopped)
Whole scallions - 3 nos
(thinly sliced;white and green separated)
Frozen corn, peas, carrots - 1 1/3 cups
Eggs(large) - 4 nos
(lightly beaten)
Cold cooked long-grain rice, white or jasmine rice, grains separated - 4 cups
Preparation Method

1)Heat a tbsp of oil in a large heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet on a high heat.

2)Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned.

3)Add onions, salt and pepper.

4)Cook for 1 - 2 mins, until onion is fragrant.

5)Add the garlic, ginger and scallion whites and stir-fry, until fragrant, for about 30 secs.

6)Add the frozen vegetables.

7)Cook, until just defrosted, but still crisp.

8)Transfer contents of the skillet to a large bowl.

9)Heat 2 tbsp of oil in the same pan.

10)Add the eggs and season with salt and pepper.

11)Stir the eggs constantly and cook, until almost set, but still moist.

12)Transfer the egg to the bowl.

13)Heat up the remaining oil in the same pan.

14)Add rice and use a spoon to break up any clumps.

15)Add salt and pepper and stir-fry the rice to coat evenly with oil.

16)Stop stirring and then let the rice cook undisturbed, until its gets slightly crispy, for about 2 mins.

17)Stir the rice again, breaking up any new clumps.

18)Add the scallion greens.

19)Transfer to the bowl.

20)Stir all the ingredients together with the rice.

:- Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary.

:- Serve hot.

Chicken Manchurian


Ingredients

Chicken - 1/2 kg
(Boneless, preferably breast meat)
Corn flour - 150 gm
Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
Onion(medium) - 3 nos
(finely chopped)
Green chillies(split) - 4 nos
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
or cut into small pieces
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
or cut into small pieces
Black pepper(crushed) - 1 tsp
Olive oil
Soya Sauce(Black) - 2-3 tsp
Salt - As reqd
Preparation Method

1)Cut the chicken into small sized pieces.

2)Mix it well with chilly, turmeric and
coriander powder and salt.

3)Add the corn flour and mix well with enough water.

4)Keep the mixture on the freezer for 1/2 hour.

5)Heat oil in a frying pan.

6)Add onions and fry, till it becomes light brown.

7)Add enough salt, green chillies, black pepper, ginger and garlic and fry.

8)Add 2 tsp of soya sauce and keep on low flame.

9)Once the chicken mix is settled, fry the mix in oil, in a separate pan, until
the chicken is cooked well.

10)Transfer the mix with the oil to the onion - soya mix and add extra sauce, if needed.

11)Keep on a low flame and cook for 10 minutes.

12)Add coriander leaves, just before switching off.

13)Decorate with extra coriander leaves, once the dish is transferred to the serving bowl.

:- Serve hot with chappathis.
:- A pinch of ajinomotto would
be nice too.

Chemmeen Cutlet Naden Style

Ingredients
Prawns(Chemmeen) – 500 gm
Onion – 2 nos
(finely chopped)
Potato – 250 gm
(cooked and mashed well)
Green chillies – 6 nos
(finely chopped)
Salt – As reqd
Turmeric powder – A little
Egg – 1 no
Bread crumbs – As reqd
Curry leaves – As reqd
(finely chopped)
Coriander leaves(finely chopped) – A little
Oil for frying
Preparation Method

1)Clean prawns well.

2)Cook it well with salt and turmeric powder. Keep it aside.

3)Heat oil in a pan or a kadai.

4)Add onion and sauté well.

5)Add green chillies, curry leaves, coriander leaves and sauté well.

6)Remove from flame.

7)Add mashed potatoes and cooked prawns and mix well.

8)Make small balls off the above mixture and shape them into cutlets.

9)Dip them first in beaten egg and roll them in bread crumbs.

10)Deep fry them in hot oil, till they turn brown in colour.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Special Christmas Cakes



Ingredients
Raisins 2-1/4 lb.
Currants 1 lb.
Dates, stoned and chopped 6 oz.
Prunes (4 oz.)Cooked, stoned and chopped.
Almond flakes 8 oz.
Butter 14 oz.
Raw brown sugar 14 oz.
Eggs 8
Grated rind of 1 lemon and 1 orange
Molasses 1 tablespoon
Flour 1 lb.
Salt 1 teaspoon
1 teaspoon each of : ground nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon & ginger
Sherry 5 tablespoon
Preparation

Grease and line a 10 inch round cake tin with a double thickness of greaseproof paper. Wrap a double layer thickness of brown paper around the outside of the tin and secure with string. Make sure the paper is twice as high as the depth of the cake pan.Combine the raisins, currants, dates, prunes and almonds in a large bowl. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the lemon and or the black treacle. If the mixture looks like it is starting to curdle stir in a little flour. Mix together the flour, salt and spices. Fold the flour mixture and the fruit mixture into the batter mixture a little at a time alternating between the flour and fruit mixtures. Stir in the sherry and ensure everything is well blended.

Traditionally all the members of the family take turns in stirring the cake and each makes a wish while doing so.

Put the mixture into the cake tin being careful not to create any air holes and remembering to smooth the top surface before placing the cake in the oven.

Bake in the oven at 300F for 1 hour and then reduce the heat to 275F and cook for a further 4 hours. If the top starts to overbrown then cover with greaseproof paper.

When you remove the cake from the oven leave it in the cake tin and allow to cool overnight - the cake can stay warm for up to 24 hrs. When cool remove from the tin and wrap in a double layer of aluminium foil until it is decorated. Occasionally unwrapping and treating with sherry or an alcohol of your choosing can ensure a moist flavourful cake but be careful not to overdo this and create a soggy cake! The cake will improve with keeping.

Decoration

The traditional method of decorating a Christmas cake is with almond paste or marzipan and icing. You will need about 2 lb of marzipan to cover the cake.

Place the cake on the cake plate on which it will be presented.

Roll the marzipan out as thinly as possible and cover the top and sides of the cake. A thin layer of strawberry jam spread over the cake will help to 'glue' the marzipan to the cake.

To make the Royal Icing sift 12 oz. of icing sugar (confectioner's sugar for Americans) into a bowl. Beat two egg whites then fold them into the sugar. Add 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. Brush the marzipan with a little egg white to help the icing stick to the cake then add the icing in a thin layer. The icing can be thickened if necessary with additional icing sugar.

A flat metal spatulla dipped in hot water will help to spread the icing but in general best results are obtained if the icing is 'worked' as little as possible.

Tuesday, July 11, 2006

Fish Curry Recipe

Ingredients

Fish - 450 gm
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Salt - As reqd
Fish masala - 3 tsp
Mango powder - 1/2 tsp(Amchur)
Coconut milk - 1/3 cup
Green chillies - 2 nos
Shallot(Kunjulli) - 1 no
Onions
(medium sized) - 1 no
Oil - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 stems
Fenugreek(Uluva)powder- A pinch
Tomato puree - 3 tsp
Tomato
(medium sized
sliced thin and long) - 1 no
Ginger - 1/2"

Preparation Method

1)Heat oil and add mustard seeds. Let it splutter.

2)Add onions and sauté.

3)Once it turns to golden brown, add green chillies, ginger, shallot pieces and curry leaves. Fry for a few minutes.

4)Then add tomato pieces and tomato puree. Mix well.

5)Add salt, fenugreek powder, mango powder and fish masala. Stir well.

6)Add coconut milk and when it boils, add the fish pieces and cover it. Cook on low-medium heat.

:-Serve hot without breaking the fish pieces.

Kozhi Curry Recipe

Ingredients
Chicken pieces - 1kg or 2.2 lbs
Oil - 3 tbsp
Chopped onion - 1-1/2 cups
Chopped ginger - 2 tbsp
Chopped garlic - 1/2 tbsp
Slit green chillies - 4 nos
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Chilly powder - 1/2 -1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds(Jeerakam)- 1 tsp
Aniseeds(Perinjeerakam)- 1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Cloves(Karayampoo) - 5 nos Cardamom(Elakka) - 2 nos
Cinnamon sticks(Patta) - 3 nos (Powder these together. Instead one and a half tsp of garam massala powder can also be used.)
Curry leaves - A few
Coconut milk - 2 cups
Lime juice - 2 tsp

Preparation Method

1)Clean the chicken pieces.

2)Mix it with 1 tbs of salt and 2 tsp of lime juice (or half cup of curd) and keep aside for half an hour.

3)Make a paste of the coriander, chilly and turmeric powder.

4)Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel.

5)Add chopped onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies and brown it.

6)Add the masala paste and fry for a minute.

7)Add the chicken pieces together with the juice that comes out of it. Stir it for about five minutes.

8)If the coconut milk is taken from fresh grated coconut add about 2 cups of the second milk to the curry. Otherwise add about 2 cups of hot water. Cover and cook for about half an hour till the chicken pieces are cooked.

:-If you like potatoes in the curry, about one and a half cups of potato pieces can be added to the curry half way through.

9)Add the thick coconut milk and the garam masala powder and curry leaves.

:-If you want more gravy or the gravy is not thick enough dissolve a tsp of corn flour in milk or water and add to the curry and just boil again stirring well and bring the curry to boil.

Chemmeen Curry Recipe

Ingredients
Prawns(Chemmeen) - 250 gm
Onion - 1 no
Ginger - 1 piece
Green chillies - 2 nos
Garlic pods - 5 nos
Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Fenugreek(Uluva) powder - A pinch
Pepper powder - ¼ tsp
Kukum Star(Kodampuli) - 4 nos
Oil - ½ cup
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt - As reqd
Preparation Method

1)Clean the prawns very well.

2)Cut onion, ginger, garlic into very small pieces.

3)Heat oil in a pan.

4)Add mustard seeds and when it splutters, add onion, ginger, garlic and curry leaves.

5)Fry well till onion turns light brown.

6)Add all the other powders and mix well.

7)Add kukum star, salt and 3 cups of water. Close it with a lid and allow it to boil.

8)When it boils, add green chillies and prawns.

9)Cook for 15 minutes till it forms a gravy.To make the gravy thick, u can cook for a few minutes without closing the pan.

Fish Biriyani Recipe

Ingredients
For Rice:
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cardamom(Elakka) - 4 nos
Cinnamon(Karugapatta) - 4 sticks
Cloves(Grambu) - 4 nos
Pepper - 4 nos
Onion(sliced) - 1/2 cup
Basmati rice - 3 cups
Boiled water - 6 cups
Salt - 2 tsp

For fish masala:
King fish or seer fish - 1/2 kg
Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 cup
Onion(sliced) - 3 nos
Ginger-garlic-green chillies paste - 2 tbsp
Toamto(chopped) - 1 no
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Curd - 1 tbsp
Thick coconut milk - 1/4 cup
Coriander leaves(chopped) - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp

For garnishing:
Cashew nuts(roasted)
Raisins(Onakka munthiri)(roasted)
For preparing rice:
1)Heat ghee in a pan.

2)Add cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and pepper. Stir them.

3)Add onions and fry for 5 min.

4)Add rice and stir for 5 min.

5)Pour boiled water along with salt and cook till it done.

For making fish masala:
1)Marinate fish pieces with chilly powder, turmeric powder and salt
for 1 hour.

2)Fry the marinated fish pieces in oil.

3)Heat the same oil used to fry the fish in a pan.

4)Add sliced onions and fry on a low flame, till it becomes slightly brown.

5)On medium flame, add ginger-garlic-green chilly paste and tomato.

6)Stir it for 6 min.

7)Add curd, coconut milk, coriander leaves and salt and stir it for 5 min.

8)Add fried fish pieces and reduce the flame.

9)Cook till it starts to boil.

For making fish biriyani:
1)Take a deep bottom vessel and layer rice and fish masala.

2)Pour 2 tbsp of ghee and tightly cover with a lid.

3)Keep it on a very low flame for 10 min.

4)Garnish with roasted nuts and raisins.

:- We can use fish with not much bones like tuna, salmon, akoli.........etc, but it will be tastier when we use king fish.
THANKU VERY MUCH FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS.....

Monday, July 10, 2006

Mutton Olathiyathu Recipe

Ingredients
Mutton - 1 kg
Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
Black pepper seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Cumin seeds(Jeerakam)- 1 tsp
Garlic(chopped) - 1 tsp
Ginger(chopped) - 1 tsp
Cinnamon sticks
(Karugapatta) - 2 nos
Cloves(Grambu) - 3-4 nos
Cardamoms(Elakka)
(green) - 2 nos
Onions(sliced) - 1/2 cup
Curry leaves - 8-10 nos
Coconut pieces
(finely chopped) - 1/2 cup
Vinegar - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Onions(medium) - 2 nos
Oil - 1/2 cup
Salt - As reqd

Preparation Method

1)Grind together the chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, peppercorns, cumin seeds, cinnamon, cloves and cardamoms.

2)Chop the 2 medium sized onions.

3)Boil 3-4 cups of water and add to it chopped mutton, ground masala, sliced onions, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, vinegar, coconut pieces and salt. Cook till the meat is tender.

4)Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter.

5)Add chopped onions and curry leaves.

6)When done, add into the mutton gravy and boil for 2-3 minutes.

:- Serve hot with steamed rice.

Vegetable Fried Rice Recipe

Ingredients
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Beans, Carrots,
Potatoes,
Green peas,
Capsicum - 1/2 kg Salt - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/4 tsp
Ghee - 3 tsp
Cloves(Karayampoo)- 8-10 nos
Cashewnuts - As desired
Cinnamom(Patta) - As reqd
Garam masala powder- As reqd

Preparation Method
1)Cook rice adding 1 and a half times water and allow it to cool by spreading on a large bowl.

2)Cut all the vegetables into long pieces.

3)Pour ghee in a frying pan.

4)Add cloves and cashewnuts and fry them till they are brown.

5)Add the vegetables and fry until they are cooked fully.

6)Add salt, chilli powder, ground cinnamon and garam masala powder to taste.

7)Add rice and fry until all the items are mixed well.

8)Add some extra ghee while serving.

Side Dish-: Onion Curd Pachidi or Tomato ketchup with vadam.