Tiramisu / Eggless Tiramisu

Tiramisu is very popular Italian dessert made with lady fingers dipped in coffee, marsala wine and layered with a mixture of mascaporne cheese, eggs,cream.
I made this recently for a get together and avoided the raw eggs and alcohol. It is very easy to put together and is crowd pleaser.

This can also be made ahead, say a day before and will taste good. I was rushed to get everything ready for the party and could not get very good pictures.
Don't get carried away by the not so great pictures, the final product tastes very very good!


Get Ready

• 1 tub/ 8 oz Mascaporne cheese ( I used Trader joe's)
• Lady finger cookies ( I used whole foods brand, 1.5 packets)
• 1 small carton of heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup Powdered sugar ( adjust sugar as per taste)
• 1 & 1/2 cup warm Coffee/ Coffee decoction to soak the lady fingers ( used Kothas coffee)
• Unsweetened Cocoa powder for dusting the top layer

Go

• Keep the mascaporne cheese on the counter to get soft for about 15- 20 mins

• Make your coffee and add about 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and mix
• Beat the heavy whipping cream and remainder powdered sugar till soft peaks. Took about 10 -12 mins

• Fold the mascaporne cheese into the beater whipped cream mixture.
• Take the bowl/ casserole in which you are going to make the Tiramisu.
• Gently dunk the lady fingers one by one in the slightly warm coffee and arrange on the bottom of the dish. Don't over soak the lady finger s in coffee as they get way too soggy.

• Spread a layer of the cheese and cream mixture over them

• Repeat the lady finger cookies and cheese till the top

• Cover with saran wrap and refridgerate for 6- 8 hrs

• Before serving or 1-2 hrs before serving,dust cocoa powder with a sieve on the top.

Make slices and serve!

How easy is that to make, and trust me it is very easy to eat a lot!

Kalyana Rasam

Kalyana Rasam is very popular in Tamil Nadu, served for wedding feasts. It is much thinner than the paruppu / Dal rasam made every day in households. It is very aromatic, spicy and tangy.This rasam is served in a separate cup and will be very yummy to just drink it as well.

My mother makes this same rasam without any dal/ paruppu. I have used some dal in this one.

Get Ready

• 1 tomato cut into big pieces
• 1/2 tomato finely chopped in small pieces
• 1 tbsp cooked toor dal, mashed and diluted with water
• water as needed to dilute the rasam
• 1/4 tsp asafetida
• Chopped Cilantro as much as you want
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp Ghee
• 1 tsp mustard seeds

To Roast and Grind

• 1 tsp toor dal
• 1tsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 red chilli
• 1/2 tsp black pepper corn ( use more of needed)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Go

In a pan, add a drop of ghee and roast all the ingredients under roast, except cumin seeds. Roast them on medium flame till they are aromatic. Add the cumin seeds at the end, toss and turn the heat off. You want to add cumin at the end to avoid a burnt taste of cumin.

Once cooled, add the big piece of tomato to the roasted ingredients and grind them fine.

Transfer this ground paste into the pan you are going to make rasam.

Add the asafedita, salt to taste and let it boil for 10 -12 mins.

Add the diluted dal mixture, finely chopped tomatoes to the above cooked rasam.

Check salt to taste, add more water if your rasam is thicker.

Add chopped cilantro and let the rasam come to a frothy boil.

Take off from the heat.

In a pan,add the ghee and do the tempering/ tadka with mustard seeds and pour it on the rasam.

Enjoy with rice, ghee and any side dish.

You can check out my other Mysore, Gottu, Lemon rasam varieties on the link.

Broccoli Moong dal Stir fry

Broccoli is one vegetable which some may like it or hate it. I am not a big fan of raw broccoli, but if cooked i can eat it like nobody's business. I tried broccoli with moongdal during our recent potluck party made by a friend. She had used lots of garlic and cooked them slow in an electric skillet. Even the broccoli haters at the  party enjoyed it.

To me the garlic was very overpowering and I tried making my own just with onions and no garlic.
Of course, if you are die hard fan of garlic, go for it.

It tasted very good with rice, sambar, rasam or curd rice. My 6 year old couldn't wait to get her hands in it while I was taking pictures of it.

That, means a lot to me...!

Mild nuttiness and crunch of  moongdal and broccoli makes this a very flavorful side dish.

Get Ready:

• 1 & 1/2 crowns of broccoli, washed and chopped into small florets with stem
• 1/2 onion thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp of moongdal soaked in little water for 20 mins and drained ( this helps in faster cooking of dal)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp sambar powder
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
• salt to taste

To temper/ Tadka/ Thalikka

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp urad dal

Go:

• In a pan, add oil and do the temering with mustard seeds and urad dal. The seeds pop, and urad dal turns light brown.

• Add the sliced onions and saute till soft  and translucent.

• Add the chopped broccoli, moong dal, all spices and salt to taste.
• Toss them all well, reduce flame to low, cover and cook till the broccoli florets are soft, but still has a mild crunch. if you like yours to be cooked softer, keep it till the right consistency. Yes, you can open the lid and toss them once in a while. We don't need to add any water for the broccoli to cook. Covering the pan will help them steam and cook faster. too much water can make it all a big mush.
• Once the florets are cooked, adjust salt or other spices and cook of medium flame uncovered.
• Saute till all the water is absorbed and the curry is dry.

Turn the heat off and enjoy with rice, chappathi or buttered toast.