Green Apple Pachadi

We Malayalees have very few festivals when compared to the rest of the country, and Onam is one of them. Like any Indian festival there is always food involved in the celebration and we too had a modest sadhya (feast) at home, with a couple of friends.

A few tart green apples have been sitting on my kitchen counter for over a week and  when the menu planning for the sadhya was going on, I told my husband that I might make apple pickle instead of the traditional mango pickle. He wasn’t too thrilled about the idea because he loves the mango pickle I make. The idea was in the back of my head when we went shopping, and to his joy, the store had fresh mangoes. With the mango safely in the shopping basket, he happily says, “Why not make both?”

Anyway, on the day of the sadhya, I was contemplating about making a pachadi with okra when he suggested making it with the apples instead. I thought it was a brilliant idea and the result…an absolutely delicious pachadi, with crunchy apple pieces and a mild pungency of the ground mustard. Here’s what I did.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

Chopped green apple – ¼ cup

Grated coconut – 3 tbsps

Mustard seeds – 2 tsps

Curd – 2 tbsps

Salt to taste

Method

Grind together the coconut and mustard seeds to make a smooth paste. Remove into a bowl, add salt, and curd. Mix well to combine.

Add the chopped apples and mix.

Though I served it at room temperature for the sadhya, I realized that it actually tastes better chilled. So you could make this ahead and enjoy with a sadhya or simply with rotis. Tastes great either way. Bon Appètit.

 

Note: Raw mustard has a slightly pungent taste, which some people may not savor.

Anniversary Special: Coconut Choco-Chip Cupcakes

It was our anniversary yesterday and because I did not have time to buy him anything I decided to do what I do best, bake/cook something for him.  Unfortunately, I had some left overs that I had to finish so we had all that for lunch and were planning to go out for dinner…so baking was my only option. He brought me a bunch of gorgeous flowers when he came for lunch and I made him these dainty cupcakes...there ended our gift exchange for the day :-)

I had imagined this cupcake in my mind (inspired by the Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies) and decided to go for it because he had liked the flavor combination in the cookie form.

The result: absolutely delicious little cupcakes.

Ingredients

For cupcakes

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Baking powder – 1 tsp

Salt – a pinch

Brown/white – 3/4 cup

Milk – ¾ cup

Oil - 3 tbsps (I used canola)

Nutmeg – a pinch

Toasted coconut – ½ cup

Chocolate chips – ¼ cup

For frosting

Cream cheese – ¼ cup (approx.)

Confectioner’s sugar – to taste

Coconut flakes for garnish

Method

For cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 350^oF.

In a pan set to low-medium heat, toast grated coconut until it turns medium brown. Stir occasionally to avoid burning. *You can use store bought dried coconut. I used frozen grated coconut.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and keep aside. Mix wet ingredients in a bigger bowl. Slowly add the dry to the wet and mix well.

Pour into cupcake liners and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick poked in comes out clean. *You could of course bake a bigger cake with the batter; I chose mini cupcakes because they look really cute.

Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before applying the frosting.

For Frosting

For best results, use cream cheese at room temperature. In a bowl, whip together the cream cheese and sugar until you have a smooth mixture. Slather the cupcakes with the frosting. Sprinkle some toasted coconut flakes and devour. 

Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies

It was during one of my visits to the Williams-Sonoma Cooking demos that I walked by Paradise Bakery. It was the only store open in the huge food court, and there was long line. That was no surprise, especially with the aroma of freshly baked goodies wafting in the air.

I decided to check out their ware on my way out. An hour and a half later, I walked past and there was still a long line. This made me even more curious, and I joined the queue. As I neared the counter, I kept peeking at their display to find out what all they had. There were about 10 varieties of cookies and a few breakfast pastries. There was also the smell of freshly brewed coffee to complement the goodies. It was finally my turn and after taking a few moments to decide, I ordered one coconut-chocolate chip cookie and one white chocolate macadamia nut cookie. Both were fresh, warm and oh so inviting. But I decided to wait until I got home to indulge in the goodness…you see, I did not want to end up eating both the cookies and leaving only crumbs for my husband!

Fast forward 30 minutes, I was home and taking my first bite of the coconut cookie…bliss!!!

Ingredients (Makes 2 dozen)
Wheat flour – 1 cup

All-purpose flour – 1 cup
Olive oil – 3/4^th cup
Light brown sugar – 1 ¼ cups
Baking Powder – ½ tsp
Milk – 6 tbsps

Toasted coconut – 1 cup

Chocolate chips – ½ cup

Method
In a pan placed on low to medium heat, toast the coconut until it turns light brown. Remember to keep stirring at regular intervals to avoid burning.

Add all the ingredients, except milk, to a bowl and mix well. Slowly add the milk and knead to soft dough. Refrigerate it for 20 minutes. As the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a cookie sheet/baking tray with parchment paper or foil (takes the hassle out of cleaning burnt on stuff).

Remove the dough from the fridge and roll out into balls. Flatten with your palms, place on a lined sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them though; the cookies might get done faster in your oven. 

Don’t worry if they feel soft when just out of the oven, they will harden a bit as they cool.

Even though these weren’t as sinfully delicious as the ones from the bakery (considering the fact that these don’t have butter), they were still really really good. Bon Appétit.

NOTE:

• I used frozen grated coconut but dried coconut flakes would be a better option.
• You can make it with all-purpose flour only too. But making it with whole wheat alone may not give it the desired texture.
• If you like crunchier cookies, leave them in the warm oven for a few minutes longer.