Gulab Jamoon Recipe

Divali is just around the corner and my Indian friends are all exited, and I can say that the entire country is exiting about it, very soon we will have a lot of lights displayed in the houses in small bowls made of clay. The residents usually prepare nice structures in metal or wood and display the lights. 

This period for our Hindu community like Christmas for Christians, they meet together with their families and cook  a lot of traditional food and wear their traditional clothing. 

One of the dishes that I enjoy most from this period are the sweeties, so a have brought a collections of Divali recipes for you to enjoy now and for the rest of the year.

GULAB JAMOON

ingredients:
3 lbs flour
1 lb margarine
1 tin condensate milk, evaporated milk  or cold water for kneading
Spice/ginger (optional)

Sugar Syrup:
1.5 lbs sugar
3 cups water

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients with cold water or evaporated milk until dough is soft.
2. Roll into small pieces then, roll into long shape.
3. Fry in hot oil until brown , on low heat.
4. For sugar syrup, combine sugar and hot water and stir until it forms thick syrup.
5. Pour hot sugar syrup on cooled gulab jamoon until all pieces are coated.

KHURMA Recipe - Divali Celebration

Ingredients:

5 lbs flour
1 lb margarine
1 tin condensed milk evaporated
or cold water for kneading
spice/ginger (optional)

Sugar syrup:
2.5 lbs sugar
6 cups water

Method:
Combine all ingredients and knead until a stiff dough is formed, roll into 3 balls
cut into long strip then roll out and cut into desired cube sizes.

Fry in hot oil until golden brown.

For sugar syrup,combine sugar and hot water and stir until it forms thick syrup.
Pour hot sugar syrup on cooled khurma and turn until all pieces are coated.




Taken from Sunday Express Divali CookBook 27th October 2013, Trinidad & Tobago

Naan Bread a Delicious Divali Dish

I really love this bread, it is soft and can go with ll the exotic Indian  flavors.

Ingredients:
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 cup warm water, 110 F
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons natural yogurt
1 egg, beaten
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
4 cups bread flour 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup margarine, melted
2 tablespoon oil (to oil the bowl for dough)

Method:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast and one tablespoon of he sugar in warm water at 110 degrees. Let stand for about 10 minutes, until frothy.
2. Sift dry ingredients together. Stir in milk, yogurt, egg, and enough of he flower, salt, sugar and baking powder mixture to make a soft, wet dough.
3. With oiled hands knead for 6-8 minutes on a lightly oiled surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well-oiled bowl then cover with a damp cloth  and let rise for at least 1 hour until the dough has double in size.
4. With oiled hands, punch down dough and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough (about the size of a golf dough). Roll into balls, place on a tray and cover for 30 minutes until double in size.
5.  Meanwhile, pre-heat oven to 400-500 degrees; place skillet inside oven while pre-heating. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the balls of dough to about 1/2 cm thick (dust hands and rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking)
6. Brush with melted margarine then place on skillet and into oven. Cook for 3 minutes until golden brown. Remove and brush with margarine again. 
7. Repeat until all the naan has been prepared. serve immediately.

Taken from Sunday Express Divali Cooking Book 27th October 2013, Trinidad & Tobago

Get Cooking for Divali!! -PEERA

Ingredients:
 3 lbs flour
 1 lb margarine
 2  cans condensate milk
1/4 can evaporated milk
1 cup water
Sizzola Oil for frying

Sugar Syrup:
3 lbs sugar
6 cups water

Method:
Knead flour, margarine, cold milk and water until it form a firm dough.
Roll out until very thin and cut unto tiny cubes
Fry in hot oil until light brown
Grind into a very fine powder
Put the powder into a large bowl and add condensate milk.

For sugar syrup, combine sugar and boiling water and stir until it form a thick syrup.

Add sugar syrup to powder and condensate milk and turn until mixture combines.

Set in dish and cut into squares.


Taken from Sunday Express Divali Cookbook 27th October 2013, Trinidad & Tobago

Mandarin Oranges Season: Recipes

I am so happy that the 'mandarin oranges' season came back. In Trinidad we call this fruit 'portugals' that was very new for me when I reached here.  This wonderful fruit is originally from China, where grow wild and North-eastern India. The mandarin oranges came to America in the mid-1800's.

The mandarin oranges are often smaller and flatter than oranges, and has a bright , loose orange skin with is easy to peel.  There are seeded, seedless and some thing in between also. And he inner segments are easily separated and usually are very sweet, with some exceptions.

In Venezuela, we call them 'mandarina' and in the Filipines it is called 'naranjita' -little oranges.

This fruit contain phosphorus, potassium and magnesium in small amounts. It also contain vitamin C (ascorbic acid), A (anti-oxidant), B and E. Making this fruit not only delicious but nutritious (and low calories)

Mandarin orange skin ca be candied. The small segment are also great for deserts and salads. This fruit contain soluble and insoluble fiber which prevents cholesterol absorption and act as laxative.

I think , I have given you enough reason to go to the market and buy some mandarins, in this part of the wold you have the chance to get them fresh, but you can also find them canned. What ever is your options, add this fruit to your menu.

I got some good recipes from the Express Woman, 3er March 2012, one of the local newspaper. I hope you enjoy them. By Shirley Hall.

MANDARIN CAKE

Ingredients:

2 cups mandarin oranges pieces, seeded and chopped small, or one can drained.
1/2 cup sugar.
1 cup bakers flour.
1 egg beaten.
1 tsp. baking soda.
2 tbs. vegetable oil (preferably canola)
1 tsp vanilla.

Topping:
2 tbs. firmly packed brown sugar.
2 tsp. milk.

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Combine sugar, flour, mandarin pieces, baking soda, salt, oil and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pour into a greased 9-inch square pan. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. To make the topping, combine sugar and milk in a saucepan, constantly stirring. Remove from heat when it begins to boil. Drizzle over hot cake.

MANDARIN RICE PUDDING

Picture fore reference, click to get the recipe for this Mandarin Rice Pudding

Ingredients:
2 cups mandarin oranges sections, seeded and chopped.

1 cup evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed).

1/2 cup orange juice.

1/2 cup light brown sugar packaged.

3 tbs. melted butter.

1 tsp. vanilla extract (not essence).

3 eggs beaten.

3 cups cooked white or brown rice.

1/2 cup raisins (preferably golden)

Method:
In a large bowl, combine evaporated milk, orange juice, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs. Stir rice and raisins. Pour into greased 12-inch glass sbaking dish. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degree F for an hour. Carefully remove foil and stir in the mandarin orange pieces and bake undercover for another twenty minutes. Let sit and cool for half an hour before serving.


The following recipe is a sauce that is great  on fish, chicken or pork dishes, whether baked, fried or grilled.

PONZE SAUCE

Method:
Combine a quarter-cup of fresh mandarin orange juice, half-cup soy sauce (better low sodium), two (2)  tbs fresh lemon juice, one (1) tbs water, one tbs sweet rice wine (optional) an a pinch of hot pepper, or carefully squeeze the pepper juice so there are no tiny pungent pieces. Use as a marinade or add after cooking.

Try Some Fine Dining at Home: Baked Whole Red Snapper

Last scotiabank adverstaisement  all over Trinidad say, "save money... entertain at home", yes that's is a good idea, but what happen when you like fine dining stuff ...well here I  have brought you a fine dining fish recipe with a twist of Caribbean flavour for you.

This recipe is the Angostura Night at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in collaboration  between the Port of Spain Hotel and Angostura House.


Baked Whole Red Snapper Stuffed with Angostura 1919 Rum and Raisin Bread Fruit:

1 piece whole red snapper (4 - 6 lb)
120 ml Angostura 1919 rum
4 tbsp lime juice
salt and pepper to taste.

Stuffing:
1 cup raisin
1 breadfruits
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 egg whites
2 tbsp celery, chopped
2 tbsp carrots, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
1 tsp pimentos, chopped
1 tbsp chadon beni, chopped
1,4 cup vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Soak the raisins in the rum the night before.
2. Clean the read snapper and take the middle bone out, cutting thought the center
3. For the stuffing, peel the breadfruit and cut into cubes. Heat oil in a pan, add garlic, pimentos, celery and carrots, saute for few minutes, add the breadfruit and cook till the breadfruit is half cooked. Add soaked raisin, salt and pepper.
4. Stuff the red snapper wit the above stuffing, then marinate with 1919 Rum, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
5. Place the stuffed fish on a baking try, wrap with foil and bake at 300 degree F for 30 minutes.
6. To serve, place the fish on a platter, garnish with mile wedges and chadon beni.
7. Served with baked potatoes and chunky veges.

A Sweet Divali - Kurma, Gular Jamoon and Barfi.

Typical Indian sweets

Kurma, gulab jamoon and barfi are some of the most popular sweet dishes served in Divali time.
Trinidad is a multicultural island, and we all celebrate Divali regardless of the religion the everyone practice. We celebrate with the Indian community the victory of goodness over evil and light over darkness.

This celebration is very colorful and people decorate their houses with light, people dress the colors of devali and the women in particular enjoy the time wearing really bright color, shine and light, a lot of jewelery ... it is just beautiful.

Devali is like Christmas for the Indus, people get together around a table full of good food, sweets and lights.  In this post I brougt three recipes of ome of the most popular sweets for the season, I hope you enjoy it.

Happy Diwali to Everyone, Deepavali Valthukka!! Shubh Diwali!!!

Decoration lights

Typical women outfit to celebrate Devali, I just love it!!

Kurma
Yield: 300 sticks

2 lbs. all purpose flour.
200 gr. butter.
2 oz. fresh ginger, grated.
1 tsp. Cardamon (elychee), ground.
1 tsp. Cinnamon, graund.
1/2 tin. condensate milk.
4 fl. oz. evaporated milk.
3 fl. oz. water.
vegetable oil for frying.

Syrup (Phaag)
16 fl. oz. water.
250 gr. granulated sugar.

1. Combine flour, butter, ginger, cardamom and cinamon, rubbing to create a consistancy like fine bread crumbs.
2. Combine  all liquid ingredients. And add it to the mixture made in the step one (1) to make a soft dough, allow o rest for 20 minutes.
3. Divide dough into two equal parts: roll dough 1/2 in. thick.
4. Heat oil in an iron pot over medium heat.
5. Cut dough into 3-in strips.
6. Fry until golden brown , drain on absorbent paper and place in a large bowl.

Syrup: In a pot pour water and sugar to boil until mixture become slightly thick in consistancy. Pour over fried dough , turning continuosly until sugar crystalises.


Gulab Jamoon
This dish is commonly knowns as "Fat Kurma", the trinidadian version of this sweet is a deep fried flour mixture drizzled with a sugar glaze. In autentic Indian cusine, the Gulab Jamoon is deep fryed milk dough soaked in heavenly sweet syrup.

Yield: 50 units
450 gr. white flour.
8 oz. butter.
450 gr. powdered milk.
1 tin condensed milk.
4 fl. oz. evaporated milk.
4 fl. oz. water.
1 tsp. cardamon (Elychee), ground.
1 tsp. cinnamon, ground.
2 tsp. fresh ginger, ground.
Vegetable oil for frying.

Sugar Glaze
12 oz. icing sugar.
1/4 cup. warm water.

1. In a large bowl mix flour, butter and powdered milk.
2. In a separate bowl, mix condensed milk, evaporated milk, water and spices.
3. Add the milk and spices mixture to the dry ingredients.
4. Mix to stiff dough, cove with a damp cloth to keep dough fiirm and prevent craking.
5. Heat oil in an iron pot.
6. Brak dough into small pieces and form into almod shapes (3" length and 2" thickness)
7. Fry over low heat until golden brown; rmove and drain on absorvent paper.

For sugar glaze:
Mix together icing sugar and water to a thick glaze. Dip the fried Gulab Jamoon into the glaze and layout on a baking sheeet, to dry.


Milk Barfi (Barfee)
Barfi is a very popular sweet in Trinidad in special for weddings and Divali. The main ingredients for theis sweet is milk and sugar topped with sweet cake sprinklers.

Yield: 2 dozen
16 oz. cream (tin).
500 gr. powdered milk.
450 ml. water.
250 gr. granulated sugar
1 tsp. fresh ginger, ground.
1 tsp. cardamom (elychee)
few drops of Rose Water.
100 gr. butter.
2 oz. cake sprinklers for garnish.

1. Rub the cream into the powdered milk, to create a consistanncy of fine breadcrumbs.
2. In a heavy sauce pot bring water to boil, sugar, ginger, cardamom and rose water.
3. Allow sugar mixture to formlight syrup.
4. In a large bowl, please the milk mixture and add the sugar mixture, turning constantly to avoid lumps.  The mixture should form a ball not too soft and crumbly.
5. Grease a flat square dish with butter.
6. Using a spatula, spread mixture evenly, smooth the top and add sprinklers.
7. It's important to cut into squares before it completly cools.

Recipes from: Premchand Malloo, Malloo's Catering Services, Trinidad & Tobago.

Trinidad food

Put it in a box

Hi, I was checking some wonderful cakes and cupcakes websites and I found that some of them deliver the cakes and cupcakes in beautiful boxes. You know, it is not the plain white box that everybody is accustom to get from the bakery next door. These people, a new generation of bakes and entrepreneurs, are taking in consideration the WOW factor in the presentation of their product.

You can click in each picture and you will be taken to the website of each of the owner of the boxes.

For this Christmas bake some cupcakes, bars, cookies or just make something with your hands and put it in a beautiful box as a present, you can buy the box or you can make it and put some beautiful tags, you can see some free tags here, use it for your presents and favours.

The I just could not resist to put this picture here, it is so beautiful,  even the box is a present.

I love these boxes, very colorful, you can make them and use them to give to your guest in your party.

Frosting a Cup Cake: Beautiful Ideas

I was looking for some new ways to decorate my cupcakes, and I stoped by stumbleupon, to make easier my search, and I found a lot of cupcakes designs, simples, complicated, elaborated, colorful, in other words, there is lot of creativity out there and this mini-cake or cupcake have enough room to do many designs.

I took some ideas from the net, here my favorites, this is a drop on the ocean, because there are so many beautiful things and techniques that it is impossible to even reproduce 10%v  of them.

I hope you enjoy may selection, if you click on the picture you will be taken to the website where I took the picture from, the good thing is that some of them have "How's to"

Blessings.

Cupcake decorated with fondant

Cupcake decorated with butter cream

Cupcake decorated with butter cream and fondant

               

Cupcakes for formal wedding

This look very delicious

Perfect for baby shower

a sweet way to say thank you

Simple but Effective

My favorite, it is simply cute

    



           

Eating Phoulorie and Sahiena in Savanha Park

A while ago, I went to the Queen's Savanah Park in Port of Spain, with my son and husband, wee do not go out often, so that made this occasion memorable.
I carried my camera with me to take some pick of the street food that you can find around the Savannah, real Trinidadian food, more Indian style, like phoulorie and sahiena. We stop ed by the Phoulorie man and buy some to go.

It is nice to see that  here you do not need much to make business as long as you have your food batch and a permit to place your stand (temporary) on the Savannah park. all food is fresh made right there in front of your eyes. Check the advertising above....

Sajina & Polourie

Phoulorie, just coming out from the fryer.

Phoulorie with some mango sauce, yummy!!!

Sahiena

If you cannot come to the Queen's Savanah Park in Trinidad, but you  want to enjoy these Trinidadian treats, check our recipes here.

Trinidad food

Chocolate Cake Recipe for Beginners

Chocolate Cake -  only for reference

I really wanted to share this recipe with my readers. I really enjoyed making this chocolate cake last weekend in house of my friend Francisco. I own you the pictures, but my camera was without batteries at the time of the making (I was taking pictures of my son the entire day).

Francisco's wife called me early last week to help her making a cake for Francisco's birthday, that we were going to celebrate over the weekend. My friend Francisco is Venezuelan  and a chef, and he wanted a chocolate cake Venezuelan style. Venezuelan style means for us very soft and moist, the sponge cake from Trinidad is a little bit heavy for what we are use to.

This cake was fantastic, I borrowed the recipe from my mom, she found the recipe I do not where, and the result was fantastic. Even more I can call it the foolproof Chocolate Cake. This is the perfect cake for whom do not have much expericen baking.


CHOCOLATE CAKE (difficulty: NONE)

2-1/4 cup of flour
1-2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cacao (powder)
1-1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1-1/4 cup of water
3/4 cup of butter
2 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla
2 tbsp of butter to grease the molds
2 tbsp of cocoa in powder to cover the molds.
Pre-heat oven at 350 F (180 C)

1. Prepare two cake molds (6" x 2") with the butter and sprinkler with cacao.  Another way to prepare the molds is grease the molds with butter and line them with wax paper.
2. Measure carefully all ingredients.
3. Put all the ingredients together in the mixer's bowl with the exception of the eggs. Do not break the eggs on the bowl's mixer, break them on another bowl and then add to the rest of the ingredients.
4. Beat the mix for half minute at low velocity; increase the velocity to medium speed and beat the mix for three (3) more minutes.
5. Pour half of the the mix in each mold.
6. Bake for 30 minuts or push a skewer in the centre, it should come out clean and the top should feel firm.
7. Leave to cool in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completly.
8. when the cake is cold, decorate it with buttercream.

See recipe for buttercream here. I did a variation of this buttercream recipe (coffee buttercream, I love tha coffee flavour with chocolate)  adding 2 tsp of instant coffee disolved in 2 tbsp of water.

I hope you enjoy it!!!

Romantic Cake

My very own "Sweet Heart" Cake

Hi, It has been a while since the last time that  I wrote in my blog. Things have been busy around here. I finished my Cake Decoration classes. I was struggling with the Gum Paste flowers, we had an exam and an exhibition.

We were requested to make basically three (03) cakes, one decorated with Butter cream, one decorated with Royal icing and another with fondant. We had about one week to prepare everything. The exhibition was last July 30, 2011. You may think that one week is more than enough, but when you reach home at 6:30 everyday and have to see a baby and the house, then you soon realize that you do not have one week.

Let me tell you that was stressful. My oven had the thermostat damaged and I found that when I was baking, so I got some burned cakes after 15 minutes in the oven, and baking at 10 pm. So imagine, how frustrating and painful it was. Finally I made my cakes and I was ready for the exhibition. that's important.

I was very much under stress that I went to my books to get inspired because my mind was in blank to create anything new, from the book Romantic Cakes by Peggy Porschen  I got some ideas and I started to decorate my cake.

I made my own version of one of the cake "American Sweet Heart"  You can see below.

American Sweet Heart by Peggy Porschen

I love Peggy's work, it is first romantic, well done and it is not complicated. She has wrote three books, Pretty Cakes, Romantic Cakes and  Beautiful Cakes. If you like romantic, beautiful and colorful cakes her books are excellent to get inspiration.

I did not make the heart in flowers due to the lack of time. Next time I will try to put more details. People see a cake and they do not think how many our take to finish a cake that you will eat in seconds, my small cake took me like 3 hours, from the time that I started to make the fondant to the time that I said, no more, I finish, let's go ... Decorate a cake is not "a piece of cake".

My work below.

How to Make Gum Paste

This Gum Paste recipe is the one given by my teacher in the Cake Decoration Course Level 1, that I am taken in UWI (University of the West Indies) Open Campus in  Trinidad.

I has done this gum paste a couple times an the result is very good.  And the best thing is that you may find all the ingredients right in your kitchen or just in the super market without any need to go to an Cake Decorating Shop.

Ingredients:
4 tbs. water - measured
1 tbs. gelatin
1 level tbs. of shortening
1-1/2 tbs. corn syrup.
1 lb. icing sugar + 1 pot spoon


Method:
 

Some of the Ingredients used



1. Set stove on medium to low heat.





Mix of Gelatin, shortening & water





My double boiler technique

2. Using a double boiler, add water and sprinkler the gelatin  and dissolve completely, using a wooden spoon. Then add the shortening and the corn syrup. Keep stirring until mixture melt.

All ingredients dissolved

3. Gradually add the icing sugar, until it rich the consistency of a paste, and you can make easily a ball and nothing stick in your hand, the mixture most be soft, smooth and easy to work with, like "play doh".

Adding Sugar little by little



More sugar and more sugar



...And more sugar



This is how the mix look ... you may have to put it on the counter to work it



Almost ready, just one more step

4. Put the gum past in an airtight container, damp the top with a small amount of water. Put it in the refrigerator and leave for 24 hours to mature.

5. Next day the mix is ready to be colored as needed.





I colored my gum paste and I put it in a plastic bag



I was trying to make flowers, this is  my first one