Chocolate Walnut Bars

  I would love to share the recipe for chocolate walnut bars today. These chewy bars are made with a walnut crust and a rich chocolate layer for topping. They were yummy right from the oven. You wont believe how easy this bar recipe is until you try it!! I am sure you will fall in love with this delicious, chocolatey dessert Enjoy!!

Ingredients (Makes 24)

From The Cookie and Biscuit Bible  Pg 353

 

1. Walnuts - 1/2 cup /  2 oz / 50 g
2. Granulated Sugar - 1/3 cup / 3 oz / 75 g
3. Plain ( all purpose ) flour, sifted  - 2/3 cup / 3 oz / 75 g
4. Cold unsalted (sweet) butter, diced - 6 tbsp / 3 oz / 75 g ( I used plain, unsalted butter)
5. Icing sugar (Confectioners’) - For dusting

For the topping

1. Unsalted (Sweet) butter - 2 tbsp / 1 oz / 25 g
2. Water - 5 tbsp / 75 ml
3. Cocoa powder (unsweetened) - 1/3 cup / 1 1/2 oz / 40 g
4. Granulated Sugar - 1/2 cup / 4 oz / 115 g
5. Vanilla essence - 1 tsp / 5 ml
6. Salt - A pinch
7. Eggs - 2

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / Gas 4. Grease a 8 inch square cake pan.

2. Grind the walnuts with a few tablespoons of the sugar in a food processor, blender or nut grinder.

3. Mix the ground walnuts, the remaining sugar and the flour in a bowl. Rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Alternatively, process all the ingredients (that is the already ground walnuts, remaining flour, sugar and diced butter) in a food processor.

4. Pat the walnut mixture into the base of the prepared pan in an even layer. Bake for 25 mts.

5. Meanwhile, to make the topping, melt the butter with the water in a small pan over a  low heat. Whisk in the cocoa and sugar. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the vanilla essence and salt and leave to cool for 5 mts. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, until thoroughly blended.

6. Remove the cake pan from the oven ( after  25 mts) and pour the chocolate topping evenly over the cooked walnut mixture.

8. Return the pan to the oven and bake for about 20 mts, until set. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool. Once cooled, cut into bars and dust with sifted icing sugar. Store the bars in the refrigerator.

 

Unniyappam

 

  

 

  Unniyappam (literally means small ricecake) is a popular snack in Kerala and is usually made using rice flour, jaggery and banana. They are usually offered as prasadam at Ganapathy temples. You need a special mould(unniappa chatti) to make these round-shaped unniyappams. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients
 
1. Raw rice flour(pacha aripodi) - 2 cup or soak idli rice for 4-5 hrs and grind it in a mixer to form a batter
2. Small banana - 2 ripe, mashed well (kadhali pazham or palayam kodan)
3. Jaggery - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
4. Cardamon powder - 1/4 tsp

5. Black sesame seeds - 1 tsp
6. Coconut bits(thenga kothu) - 3 tbsp (Fry them in oil or ghee until golden brown)
7. Ghee - to fry the coconut bits
8. Salt - a pinch
9. Coconut oil or ghee- For deep-frying
 
 
Method
 
1. Melt the jaggery in little water(around 1/2 - 3/4 cup). Strain to remove any impurities. Mix the rice flour, mashed banana, cardamom powder, fried coconut bits, melted jaggery and salt together to form a thick batter. You can mix it with your hands. Keep it aside for  about 4 - 5 hrs ( or until it ferments. It takes only 1-2 hrs during summer). If the batter is too thick add little water or milk. Consistency should be similar to that of an idli batter.
2. Heat the unniyappam pan and fill it with oil. When the oil gets hot, fill  3/4th of each depression with the batter and fry them at medium heat, uncovered. When one side is cooked, flip over using a fork and fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove and drain onto a tissue paper. Serve warm.

 

Palappam

 

 

Ingredients

 

1. Idli rice - 3 cups (You could also use long grain or sona masoori rice)
2. Tender coconut flesh - 1 (or 1.5 cup grated coconut/Around 1 cup thick coconut milk)
3. Sugar - 1/4 cup
4. Yeast -   1/2 tsp   (Combine sugar and yeast in lukewarm water(around 1/2 cup) and leave aside to rise. If you wish to add tender coconut water, add only a pinch of yeast to rise. If you wish to use toddy, you don’t need to add tender coconut water and yeast. Just add 1/4 cup toddy.

5. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Soak the idli rice in water for at least  4 -  5 hrs.

2. In a bowl mix the tender coconut water with a pinch of yeast and 1/4 cup sugar. Keep aside to ferment. OR If you are using toddy, mix it with sugar and keep aside to rise. OR If you are using only yeast, mix 1/2 tsp yeast with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup lukewarm water and leave aside to rise.

3.  Grind the idli rice to a fine paste adding sufficient water. Reserve 3 tbsp of this batter, now add in the tender coconut flesh ( or grated coconut / coconut milk) and the sugar-yeast mixture and grind again to a very fine paste.

4. Heat a pan and add the 3 tbsp reserved batter or 3 tbsp rice flour (pacha aripodi mixed in around 1 cup water) and stir it for a few minutes (pavu kachuka or kappi kachuka) until you get a thick paste. This is done to make extra soft appams. Leave aside to cool. When it is completely cooled, mix it well with the batter. Allow it to ferment in a warm place ( You can keep it inside your oven after heating it for 20 - 30  seconds or leave the oven light on) for at least 6 - 8 hrs. Remember to transfer the batter to a large container otherwise it may overflow. When fermented, the batter will almost rise double.  If the yeast is of good quality, fermentation might take place in lesser time. Before making appams, add little salt and check for sugar. If it is thick, dilute it by adding milk or coconut milk. We need a loose batter .

5. Make palappams using appachatti.

Heat the appachatti at medium flame and pour a ladle full (thavi or around 1/4 cup) of appam batter into it. Remember to smear the appachatti lightly with oil if its not nonstick. Hold both the handles of the appam chatti, lift from the stove and gently swirl it to spread the batter around, in one direction. You need to swirl it only once for a thin lace on the edges. Now bring down the flame and cover with its lid. Cook until done on one side only. It will take around 2 - 3 mts at low flame. Remove and repeat until the batter is finished. Serve warm with any stew/kadala curry/vegetable korma/ egg curry/ fish moli or any curry of your choice. 

 

 

Tips:

1. Instead of using rice flour or the ground idli rice batter in step 4, use 3 tbsp semolina. Add around 1.5 cup water to it, bring it to a boil, lower the flame and stir continuously until it becomes thick at medium flame, cool down completely and add it (kurukku) to the ground idli rice-yeast-sugar batter.

2. Palappams can be made without coconuts too and there are several ways to make the palappam extra soft. Click here for the tips.

 

 

Clam/Kakka Irachi Fry

 

Ingredients

1. Kakka Irachi / Clams - 250 gm
2. Pearl onion - 25 - 30
3. Garlic - 10, chopped or crushed
4. Ginger - 1.5 inch chopped or crushed
5. Green chilli - 3-4 chopped fine or crushed
6. Chilly powder - 1/2 - 1 tsp
7. Pepper powder - 1.5 - 2 tsp
8. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Fennel powder - 1 - 1.5 tsp
10. Garam Masala - 1 tsp (Click here for home-made garam masala recipe)
11. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
12. Curry leaves - 2-3 sprigs
13. Oil - As required
14. Coconut slices - 1.5 tbsp (We have not used it here, it gives more taste to the dish)

Method

1. Clean and wash the mussels. Cook them adding salt, turmeric powder.

2. Heat some oil in a pan. Add coconut slices and brown them. Now add pearl onions and saute until light brown. Add chopped or crushed ginger, garlic and green chillies.

3. Saute for a few minutes and then add the masala powders. Saute for a minute and add the cooked clams. Stir fry until they turn brown and crispy, adding more oil(and pepper powder or more fennel powder) if required. Check for salt. Serve hot with rice.

 

 

Anchovies/Netholi/Chooda Peera Pattichathu

Ingredients

1. Chooda/Anchovies - 250 gm
2. Grated coconut - 1/2 - 3/ 4 cup
3. Pearl onions - 8 - 10 sliced
4. Green chillies - 6 - 7 sliced diagonally
5. Ginger - 1 inch finely chopped lengthwise
6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
7. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
8. Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Fenugreek powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Kudam puli - 2-3 or to taste
11. Curry leaves - 1-2 sprigs
12. Salt - To taste
13. Coconut Oil - 2 tsp

Method

1. Clean and wash the fish.

2. Combine grated coconut, chilly powder, turmeric powder, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and salt in a claypot/manchatti. Crush everything together with your fingers(njeruduka) and add the kudampuli and fish pieces. Add around 1 cup water, cover with the lid and cook until all the water is used up, at medium heat and the fish is cooked. It will take only about 15 mts. Be careful while stirring it, this fish will break down easily. Finally add coconut oil. Mix well and switch off. This goes well with rice or even with idli/dosa.

 

Mixed Sprouts Stir Fry / Thoran

Ingredients

1. Sprouts of green gram, black chick peas, red chori (van payar), fenugreek (uluva - 1 tsp) - 3 cups (You need only 1 tsp fenugreek sprouts)
2. Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
3. Garlic - 6-7
4. Pearl onions - 5-6
5. Black pepper corns - 6-7
6. Green chillies - 3-4
7. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
8. Curry leaves -  2 sprig
9. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
10. Oil - 2 tsp   

11. Mustard seeds - 1/ 2 tsp
12. Dry red chillies - 2
13  Urad dal - 1 tsp
14. Salt - to taste
 
Method

 
1. Cook the sprouts adding salt and turmeric powder. You can also steam them.

2. Crush the grated coconut with garlic, pepper corns, pearl onions, green chillies and cumin seeds. You can pulse them together in a mixer.

3. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add the dry red chillies, urad dal and brown them. Now add the curry leaves, cooked sprouts and the ground coconut mixture. Stir fry for a few minutes and switch off.

 

Tips:

 

You could also use horse gram sprouts for this recipe.

 

Recipe Courtesy - Vanitha

 

To grow sprouts

  

Wash the seeds well and remove any discolored ones.  Soak them in water for around 12 - 15 hrs.  Drain the water and keep them covered in a jar. They will sprout in 1-2 days. Rinse and drain them at least once a day to prevent them from drying out.  The sprouting process takes more time during winter season than summer season.

    

Greek Style Garbanzo Salad

Ingredients

1. Garbanzo Beans - 1.5 cups cooked(1/2 cup dry - soaked overnight and cooked) or 1 can, drained
2. Red onion - 1/2 cup, thinly sliced and chopped
3. Tomato - 1/2 cup chopped
4. Green bell pepper - 1/2 cup chopped
5. Rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar - 3 tbsp (I used only 1 tsp vinegar)
6. Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
7. Olive oil - 2 tsp
8. Garlic - 2 tbsp, minced
9. Fresh parsley -  2 tbsp, chopped (I used dried parsley)
10. Salt and pepper - To taste

Method

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Let marinate at room temperature for several hours, then refrigerate.

 

Recipe Courtesy : Premera Health Magazine