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.

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.....

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.