Milk Toffee

Ingredients

1 Can Condensed Milk
350 g Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
50 ml water
2 Cardamoms
50 g Cashew (optional )

1. Roast Cashew until golden brown in a pan (you can use the Microwave, medium power for 45 seconds, leave 30 seconds and put it for further 45 seconds) Once the Cashew has cooled down, crush into pieces and set aside.

2. Finely grind Cardamom seeds and set aside.

3. Apply a thin layer of butter to a flat dish (Pyrex preferred).

4. On a fairly deep non-stick pan dissolve sugar with water (add more water if required).

5. Slowly heat the pan and add condensed milk and stir continuously for about 15 minutes

6. Add 1 tsp of Vanilla and Cardamom stir well.

7. When the mixture starts to crystallize (mixture should be in a nice golden color) add chopped cashew and mix well.

8. Pour the mixture into the dish and flatten with a spatula or a spoon.

9. Leave it for some time and cut into squares or diamonds with a sharp knife (wipe the knife with a cloth damped with cold water each time to help cutting easy)

Can make about 50 pieces of average size.

Enjoy :)

Eggless Sponge Cake

Ingredients

1/2 can (400 grams for full can) condensed milk
140 grams (5 oz.) self-raising flour
1 level teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda bi-carb
60 ml. (2 fl. oz.) melted butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Method

1. Sieve the flour, baking powder and soda bi-carbb together.

2. Mix the flour mixture, condensed milk, melted butter, essence and 75 ml. (2 1/2 fl. oz.) water and beat well.

3. Pour the mixture into a greased and dusted 150 mm. (6") diameter tin.

4. Bake in a hot oven at 200 degree C (400 degree F) for 10 minutes. Then reduce the tempreture to 150 degree C (300 degree F) and bake for a further 10 minutes.

5. The cake is ready when it leaves the sides of the tin and is springy to touch. When ready, take out from the oven and leave for 1 minute. Invert the tin over a rack and tap sharply to remove.

6. Cool the cake.

Masala Vadai (Parippu Vada)

Masala vadai is a very famous snack that can be found in all South Indian and Sri Lankan tea shops. This is a very easy vadai compared to Ulundhu vadai. Even beginners will be able to make this perfectly.

Ingredients

Yellow split peas: 1 cup
Salt: 1 tsp
Red or green chillies: 2 or 3
Ginger finely chopped: 1 tsp
Onions chopped finely:1/4 cup (small onions tastes better)
Curry leaves: a sprig
Coriander leaves: a sprig (optional)
Asafoetida : a pinch

Procedure:

Step1:
Soak the dhal in enough water for atleast 2 hours

Step2:
Grind it coarsely along with red or green chillies and asafoetida with very little water.

Step3:
Add salt and mix well. Add chopped curry leaves, chopped ginger, chopped Onion and coriander leaves as well.

Step4:
Heat the oil in a pan.Make a lemon sized ball out of the batter and slightly press it to a round shape.

Step5:
Fry 3 or 4 at a time in oil in medium flame until golden brown.

Sri Lankan Kottu Roti

This is one of the meals we enjoy the most from our culture. I remember as we were kids, we would always get excited when we heard our parents say that we were having Kottu Roti.

It’s not something that people have regularly and this dish originated from my country Sri Lanka. There are different meats that can be used in Kottu Roti such as beef, goat, chicken, or it can be made with just eggs.

This dish is prepared with curry and spices that we put on the roti on an iron sheet. The mixing part is done by clashing two blunt metal blades on the sheet. The unique sound that is created by this clashing can be heard a lot coming from roadside restaurants in Sri Lanka, mostly in the evening.

Presently, this dish is so popular that it is made worldwide even in Washington, USA.

THE RECIPE

Part 1

The Curry

Ingredients:
- 500 grams of beef, cubed (whatever meat you like)
- ½ onion, finely sliced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 6 cups of water
- 3 chilies
- 3 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp of paprika powder
- 1 cup of coconut milk
- Curry leaves (Optional)
- salt & white pepper to taste

Method :

1. Place skillet or wok with about 3 table spoons of cooking oil on medium heat fire.
2. Saute garlic, Curry leaves, Chillies and sliced Onion. Add Curry Powder, Paprika powder and pepper.
3. Put the beef into wok and add salt to taste, gently turn over until the beef has been coated all through (two minutes would do).
4. then add water and let it cook until the Meat is tender (about 40-45 mins).
5, You can add coconut milk and let it cook another 10 mins. now the curry is ready.

Part 2

Kottu Roti

Ingredients:
- 3 fresh Parottas/Roti or 5-6 Tortillas (cut into small pieces)
- leeks 3 cups
- carrot 1 1/2
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 thinly sliced/chopped red or white onions
- 5-6 green chilies chopped
- a handful of fresh curry leaves
- Small piece of ginger, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 tomato chopped
- salt to taste
- 2-3 eggs
- 1 cup meat curry (mutton/beef/chicken)

Method:

1. In a wok heat oil and add curry leaves and green chilies fry for 10 seconds.
2. Add sliced/chopped onions, chopped ginge and chopped garlic, saute about 30 seconds
3. Add leeks and carrot, saute 1 min and then add eggs, Once the egg becomes hard add chopped tomato and pinch of salt (already added salt to the curry)
4. Now add the Parottas/Roti or Tortillas.
5. Add the meat curry with gravy and keep stirring until all the gravy stick to the parotta (the out is dry but moist) Now the Kottu is ready to serve.

Apple Butter Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoon soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 cup softened butter or margarine

1 1/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 cup apple butter

1/2 cup softened butter or margarine

1/4 cup evaporated milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 pound powdered suga

Directions:

Stir together flour, soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Beat butter and sugar (3/4 cup) together until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

Combine buttermilk and apple butter. Add alternately with the flour mixture, mixing well after each addition. Pour into 2 greased 9" round pans or one 9x13" pan.

Bake at 350degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from layer pans. Cool on cake rack.

Frost cooled cake with creamy vanilla frosting, made as follows: In small mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup butter, evaporated milk, vanilla and powdered sugar.

Mix until frosting is smooth and shiny. If too thick, add a few drops of evaporated milk.