COCONUT SWEETS

 

COCONUT SWEET / COCONUT CANDY 

A simple and easy recipe for a timeless Anglo-Indian Delicacy. Bursting with the goodness of fresh grated (scraped) coconut, sugar and milk and a hint of vanilla essence. This baby pink sweet will rekindle nostalgic childhood memories of helping to stir the sweet while its being prepared to greasing the big plate the molten pink lava would be poured on to and finally to scraping and licking the residues left in the dekshi!!!

Makes 30 pieces    Time required: 1 hour 

Ingredients 

2 cups grated coconut                            

3 cups sugar                                          

1 cup milk 

1 teaspoon ghee

½ teaspoon vanilla essence                   

½ teaspoon food colour either pink or green

Melt the sugar with the milk in a thick bottomed vessel. Add the grated coconut and mix well. Cook till the coconut is soft. Add the vanilla essence, pink or green food colour and ghee and mix well. Simmer on low heat till the mixture becomes thick and leaves the sides of the vessel. Pour on to a greased plate and cut into squares when slightly cold

RUM BALLS

 

RUM BALLS

Rum balls are a truffle-like confection of sweet, dense cake or biscuit material flavoured with chocolate and rum. They are roughly the size of a golf ball and often coated in chocolate sprinkles, desiccated coconut, or cocoa. Rum Balls are rich in flavor and have a fudgy texture. 

Rum balls are one of the Christmas season's easiest and most delicious treats. Fruit cakes are normally used as they are already packed with fruits, nuts and spices. However chocolate cake or vanilla cake could also be used. The Rum balls can also be made with digestive biscuits instead of cake

Ingredients

300 grams Fruitcake (or chocolate or vanilla cake)
100 grams Icing sugar for binding and rolling 

3 or 4 tablespoons condensed milk 
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons dark rum
Cocoa powder for dusting
Chocolate sprinkles or desiccated coconut for decoration (optional)

Crumble the cake into smooth crumbs without lumps.
Mix the butter and condenses milk with the cake crumbs and Rum and mix well. 

Refrigerate for 20 minutes if mixture is too runny or until just firm enough to handle.
Take small portions of the mixture and roll into balls using the icing sugar to bind them
Now roll the balls in the cocoa powder to coat them well.
You can serve the rum balls like this or coat them with Chocolate sprinkles or desiccated coconut for decoration (optional) 

Place each Rum Ball in mini muffin cups if desired 
Refrigerate till required to serve.

SALTED OX TONGUE

 Ingredients

Ingredients 

2 Ox Tongue weighing about 3 kgs 

1 teaspoon saltpeter or lime salt

10 tablespoons table salt or powdered rock salt

3 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

6 tablespoons lime juice 

Mix the saltpeter (black salt / lime salt), table salt, sugar, lime juice and vinegar together. Rub this mixture on the Tongues and prick all over with a fork.

Keep in the fridge for 10 days turning it over and rubbing it well every day

On the 10th day boil in a suitable pan or pressure cooker with all the residue, 2 Bay Leaves, 6 or 7 cloves, 1 teaspoon pepper corns, 2 pieces of cinnamon  and a little water till soft.

Remove the white skin when cool and then cut into slices. 

Use as a filling for sandwiches 

BRINJAL BAKE (BRINJALS/ AUBERGENES STUFFED WITH MINCE)

 

½ -kg beef / lamb / mutton mince
4-big seedless Brinjals
4-tablespoons oil
1 -big onion sliced finely
1-tomato chopped finely
4-tablespoons oil
1-tablespoon flour
1-teaspoon salt
1-teaspoon pepper powder
4-green chilies chopped finely
2-pods of garlic chopped finely
2-eggs beaten well
4-tablespoons breadcrumbs or semolina
Wash the Brinjals and put them whole into boiling water with ½ teaspoon salt and cook for about 5 minutes till they are half cooked. Cut the brinjals into halves lengthwise dividing even the stalks. Scoop out the insides and keep aside. Heat 2-tablespoons oil in a pan and add the onions, mince, tomato, salt, pepper, green chilies, garlic and cook on low heat till the mince is cooked and all the water is absorbed. Add the cooked insides of the brinjals and mix well. Keep aside to cool for some time. When slightly cold, fill this cooked mince in the scooped out brinjal halves and press well. Coat with the beaten egg and sprinkle the breadcrumbs or semolina on the top. Brush the sides with oil and place in a baking tray. Drizzle the remaining oil all over the stuffed brinjals and shallow fry like cutlets