Shortbread cookies are a ubiquitous part of the Christmas cookie platter. A traditional, classic Christmas cookie recipe that is one of the simplest and best cookie I made this Christmas. I adapted this recipe from Joy of Baking website. The shortbread cookies were not too sweet, had a buttery aftertaste and absolutely melt in the mouth.

For soft cookies, roll them slightly thicker. For a crisp cookie, roll them thin and lower the baking temperature. Well, there are endless possibilities/flavors you can work around the basic shortbread cookie. You can flavor the shortbread cookies with lemon zest, vanilla, saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves or herbs like rosemary. Nehal loves shortbread cookies that are dunked in chocolate and I like them plain with my evening cup of masala chai.

Want to try something different other than sugar cookies and fruit cake for Christmas? How about a classic Indian sweet recipe, Doodh Peda aka Milk Fudge, that makes for an ideal Christmas treat for family and friends. Pedas are rich, sweet and quick to make with hardly any preparation time. I made them over stove top which took a couple of minutes of cooking compared to Microwave.

I have taken the short cut method to prepare Doodh Peda using condensed milk and milk powder. The traditional version of Doodh Peda is labor intensive but has a flavor and texture that is creamy and absolutely melt-in-the-mouth. You can look forward to the traditional Pala Kova aka Doodh Peda recipe in a couple of weeks.

I accidentally added more than required milk powder hence the cracked look of the pedas. The key to a soft and smooth peda is to lightly grease your fingers and palm and roll out into small balls and go slow on milk powder.

Vegetable Pakora with a cup of masala chai is comforting food on a pleasant winter evening. A vegan recipe that makes for a great party finger food. The standard Vegetable Pakora recipe calls for the use of mixed vegetables, chick pea flour and carom seeds. But I tend to tweak the recipe and add a few more spices to pep up the flavor.

In today’s Vegetable Pakora recipe, I used carrots, beans, cabbage and potatoes but you can also add raw plantain, eggplant, caulilfower and pumpkin. Make sure to use fresh firm vegetables. Chickpea flour and carom seeds are essential ingredients that make the pakoras visually appealing and appetizing. But do add an extra ingredient, dry fenugreek leaves aka kasoori methi to your pakora batter which will elevate the flavor of the pakoras by leaps and bounds. It adds depth of flavor and keeps you coming back for more.

A fantastic and flavorful chicken curry that is a regular at our home. This favorite chicken curry recipe is usually prepared as a side with flavored rice like Tomato Pulao. Coconut milk and poppy seeds are essential in the preparation of the curry. The chicken simmers in a concoction of yogurt, coconut milk, poppy seeds and garam masala to yield a rich creamy textured curry. Tomato Pulao with Chicken curry made for a deliciously comforting meal.

Our friends sent us loads of farm fresh tomatoes they harvested in their farm. Last week saw the making of a lot of tomato based recipes namely, tomato pickle, tomato rasam, tomato soup and Tamatar Pulao. Tomato Pulao is an extremely flavorful rice dish using ripe red tomatoes and rice. The key to this recipe is in the spices and the use of mint leaves. With raita as an accompaniment, it makes for a great one pot meal. I made coconut chicken curry along with Tamatar pulao which made for a delectable combination.

Tamatar Pulao Recipe

I like to feed Nehal healthy desserts made from nutrition rich ingredients rather than a fat-rich cake or mithai. Sesame seeds Laddu falls under the category of a healthy dessert. Nuvvula Unda or Nuvvula Laddu is a classic Andhra style sweet prepared for festivals like Nagula Chavati. At home, we make this calcium rich sweet often. I usually make small laddus (compared to the size of the sesame seeds laddus you see in this post) and serve as an after lunch dessert to Nehal.

Very simple to prepare with only two ingredients going into the making of traditional Nuvvula Laddu recipe. I tend to add roasted almond meal or roasted and powdered oats to boost the nutritional profile. The taste of Nuvvula Unda will depend on the quality of jaggery and sesame seeds. Use fresh sesame seeds and good quality jaggery to enjoy the chewy nutty taste of sesame seeds and the sweet flavor of jaggery. A unique combination of flavors that is bound to get you addicted.

1 Dry roast sesame seeds in a heavy bottomed vessel till the rawness disappears and a nutty aroma emanates the kitchen. Roast on low flame and do not burn them. Remove onto a wide plate and allow to cool.
2 In the same vessel, add the oats and dry roast on low flame for 5 mts. Remove onto a plate and cool.
3 In the same vessel, add the almonds and dry roast on low flame for 5 mts. Remove onto a plate and cool.
4 First grind the almonds till coarse. Remove onto a bowl. Next grind the oats to a powder (5 seconds). Remove onto a bowl with almond powder.
5 Next blend the sesame seeds for 5-6 seconds. You have to make a coarse powder of the sesame seeds. Add the grated jaggery and blend till combined. Add 1-2 tbsps of milk and blend. You can see the oil (sesame seeds) oozing out of the mixture.
6 Remove onto a plate and add the oats powder and almonds powder. Mix and make small balls with this mixture.
7 Store in an air tight container and they stay good for a week to ten days. You can store in the fridge too for longer shelf life.

Little pearl onions aka shallots have an intense flavor and give curries an immense flavor, be it vegetarian or meat based. I use them a lot in my regular cooking and today’s vegan recipe has shallots as the star ingredient. You cannot make this recipe with the regular white or yellow onions.

The combination of tamarind, spices and jaggery meld with the shallots to yield an amalgam of flavors that are addictive making you want to eat more and more. Seriously. Eat it with rice, brown rice, roti or dosa, you will love it.

1 Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add the mustard seeds and let them jump around. Add the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chili and fry for few secs till they turn brown. Don’t burn them. Lastly add curry leaves, followed by the shallots.
2 Saute the shallots for 5-6 mts. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for another 4-5 mts. Add red chili powder, coriander pwd, cumin pwd and roasted methi pwd. Mix.
3Add the tamarind extract along with 1 1/2 cups of water, salt and jaggery and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let it simmer for 10-12 mts, till the rawness of the tamarind disappears.
4 Towards the end of the cooking process, add the besan water and mix. Cook for 2 mts and turn off heat.
5 Add half of the fresh coriander and keep covered for a few minutes before serving.
6 Remove onto a serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining fresh coriander and serve with hot steamed rice, vadiyaalu and appadam (papad).

We Andhras love our Pachadis (chutney/condiment) and in our home pachadis are revered. Seriously. Mom makes the BEST pachadis you can ever imagine. The aromas that fill the kitchen during the preparatory process is something that has to be experienced. For instance, take today’s pachadi which calls for green chilies. The intoxicating aroma of roasted green chilies and the sizzle of tempered spices hold promise of an eternally pleasing meal to come.

Most of the pachadi recipes you will find on my blog are simple and straightforward with minimal ingredients. The key is to use farm fresh vegetables and good quality ingredients.

1 Heat 2 tsps oil in a vessel, add cumin seeds, let them splutter. Add the green chillis (remove the stalks) and fry for 3-4 mts. Remove from heat and cool. In the same pan, add a tsp of oil add the urad dal and saute till the dal turns red. Remove from heat and cool.
2 Grind the sauteed green chili mixture, urad dal, jaggery, tamarind and salt to a paste. Add few tbsps water while grinding.
3 Heat oil in a pan, add the mustard and let them splutter. Add curry leaves and turn off heat. Pour this seasoning over the chutney and serve with any tiffin like idli or dosa.

Its time to announce the winners of the Apron Giveaway. A whopping 1100 readers participated in the giveaway. I wish I could give each of the 1100 readers, a Kalamkari Apron. I really wish I could.

The 4 lucky winners are Sharmi Komal, Sunayana Roy, Jovita Dsouza and Sarita. Congratulations to the winners. All four winners will receive an email shortly.

Thank you, dear readers, for participating in the giveaway. Your love and support towards Sailu’s Kitchen is much appreciated.

Mocha brownies are to die for. With deep notes of expresso, fudge like texture, mocha brownies have decadence written all over them. An indulgent treat with hardly any preparation time, you will need to bake them for a good 40 minutes till the edges and top turn crack-y.

Do use good quality dark chocolate and make sure you use coffee granules when making these brownies. Its the addition of coffee granules which gives it a nice bitter flavor. A great way to end a meal is with chocolate, serve Mocha Brownies as a party dessert and you will wow your guests who are sure to ask for the recipe.

1 Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and flour square pan and line with butter paper, leaving a 2 inch overhang on the two sides so that you can lift the cake from the pan easily once done. Grease the paper and keep aside.
2 In a bowl, add flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder. Mix and keep aside.
3 Place a medium heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Place butter in the bowl and let it melt. Remove the bowl from the simmering water and stir in the expresso and chopped chocoate and stir till chocolate melts completely.
4 Whisk in eggs and add the vanilla essence before adding the sugar. Mix well.
5 Mix in the flour-cocoa powder mixture until no trace of flour is left, using a wooden spoon. Do not over mix. Pour batter into prepared pan.
6 Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. When you find that the edges have gone slightly dry and the top is cracked, you know its cooked.
7 Cool on a wire rack for 30 mts. Use a dampened serrated knife to cut into squares. Store in an airtight container.