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Thursday 30 June 2011

Rich cherry and almond cupcakes


Ingredients :-

Butter - 125 gms
Castor sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Self raising flour - 2 cups
Eggs - 3
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Glace cherries - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Almonds - 8 tbsp


Method :-

Beat butter until thick and creamy, add the sugar slowly, beating continuously.Add the lemon juice and the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
Sift flour and baking powder together and beat into egg mixture. Cut the cherries and the almonds into halves and add half of it and mix thoroughly.
Spoon the mixture into twelve well-greased, deep patty tins, sprinkle some of the cherries and almonds on top of each cup cake. Silver balls and raisins can also be sprinkled. Bake in a moderately hot oven for 18 to 20 minutes, or until cooked. Serve fresh.



Chicken Fritters

Ingredients:

Chicken(boneless) - 250g (cut into small pieces)
Refined flour- 1/2 cup
Cornflour - 1/2 cup
Black Pepper- 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder- a pinch
Bread crumbs- 1/2 cup
Salt- to taste
Water- 1/2 cup
Oil- for frying


For marinade-

Curd- 6 tbsp
Chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder- 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder-1/2 tsp
Salt- 1/2 tsp
Lemon juice- 1 tsp

Method-
Marinade the chickens by mixing the curd, chilli, garam masala and cumin powder, salt and lemon juice. Rub it nicely on the chicken and keep it aside for half hour. Roast it for few minutes(max 5 min) and leave it to cool.
Add the flours, salt, black pepper, chilli powder, salt and water to make a thick paste.
        Dip the chicken pieces into this batter and roll it into the bread crumbs and deep fry it into batches. Take it all out in a paper napkin and serve it hot with sauce or any dip of your liking.

Note-
1. Take care that the chicken is not overcooked. Roasting is just to enhance the taste.
2. Batter should be thick, if needed, flour can be added.
3. I used fresh brown bread crumbs and the result was excellent!!










Sunday 26 June 2011

Kathal kabab

       

                                   
                                                

Ingredients -

Raw kathal (jack fruit) - 1/2 kg
Soaked gram daal ( channa daal) - 1 medium bowl (150 gm)
Minced Ginger -1 tsp
Minced Garlic  -1 tsp
Minced green chilli - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper corns -5-6
Cloves - 4-5 
Black cardamom -1 small
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste
Oil -  for frying


 Method

1. In a pressure cooker put the kathal with 1 glass of water,
   add the pepper corns, cloves, and the cardamom, cook 
   until 2 whistles. Let it cool.
2. Take out the cardamom as it was just for flavour, 
     strain and replace boiled kathal in a big bowl, grind 
     it in a mixer smoothly. Keep it aside
3. Boil the channa dal in the cooker with 1/2 glass of water 
    until two whistle or cooked, let it cool. Grind it too, a bit
    coarsely.
4. Add the minced chilli, ginger, garlic, red chilli powder, salt
   garam masala and the bread crumbs and mix it nicely into 
  the dough. If sticky, more bread crumbs can be added.
5. Take a small ball size dough, flatten it in your palm giving 
    it a round kabab shape. Make all the kababs and deep fry 
    it in a frying pan. Serve it with mint chutney or any other
    chutney of your taste.


Note -  It is advisable to grind the kathal and channa dal      separately. If the kathal and gram daal is boiled together, it
 becomes sticky and it would not let the grinder move to 
 grind the remaining mixture.
 





Dhokla

Ingredients -

Gram flour - 2 medium size bowls (about 3oo gm)
Curd - 1 1/2 cups
turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Green chilli paste - 1 tsp

Sugar grounded -1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Bicarb soda - 1 tsp
Lemon - 1/2

For the seasoning (chaunka)-

Mustard seed - 1 tsp
Cari leaves - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
salt - a pinch
Green chillies - 3 to 4 (slit lengthwise)
Oil - 2 tbsp
Water - 1/2 cup
Chopped coriander - 2 tbsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp


 Method -

Sift the gram flour. Take a bowl and mix the flour with the curd and turmeric nicely. It should be of a thick consistency, keep it aside for overnight.


Now mix in the salt, ginger-chilli paste, sugar very gently so that 
the air doesn't go out.
Mix the soda and lemon juice in a small bowl and when it starts bubbling mix it in the flour and curd mixture.
Keep a steamer or a cooker ready, grease a dish which fits into the steamer thoroughly and pour the content into it.
Steam it until done (put an oiled knife through it after 12 minutes
 to see). Let it cool for sometime and cut into big cubes.

For seasoning-

In a frying pan heat oil and put the mustard seeds, when it splutters put the curry leaves, salt, sugar, chillies and stir it for a moment, pour the water into it and boil it for a while, remove it and pour it over dhoklas, garnish it with chopped coriander and grated coconut. Serve it with chutney.

Note - Curd should not be sour and if it is, mix milk in it.
           Batter should be thick and of equal consistency.
           Gas flame should not be low otherwise it will not rise.




Thursday 23 June 2011

Matar paneer

Ingredients -

Paneer - 250 gms
Ginger paste -1 tbs
Garlic paste - 1 tbs
Onion grated - 2 medium size
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Cumin powder -   2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt   - to taste
Tomatoes chopped - 2 large
Peas -  1 cup
Coriander chopped 1 tbsp
Oil -  6 tbsp
Water - 1/2 cup

 Method -

Heat  a deep frying pan and put the oil in it. Cut the paneer into small cubes and fry them till  they turn light brown and  keep them aside.
In the same frying pan add the onions and fry till they turn golden brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste, stir for  a few seconds, and then add turmeric, cumin , coriander powders , salt and keep stirring  on a low heat, then put chopped tomatoes and peas, and keep frying till the oil separates. Keep adding little bit of  water till the peas are cooked. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring it to boil , after that add the paneer and simmer it for about 5 minutes, mix in the garam masala powder and take it off the gas, garnish it with a bit of cream or coriander leaves and serve it hot with rumali roti, chapati or paranthas.





Baghare Baigan

  
Ingredients  -
  
Baigan (Brinjals) small - 10-12
Onions Chopped - 3 large
Jaggery grated -2 tbsp
Tamarind pulp -2tbsp
Coconut grated - 1 small
Cumin powder - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder -1/2 tsp
Oil  - for frying + 4 tbsp
Rai (mustard seed) - 2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds -1 tsp
Cumin seed - 1 tsp

Method -

1. Wash the brinjals and wipe them dry. Make a cut in 
    the middle, taking care that it should not split into two. 
    Deep fry them and keep them aside.
2. Heat 4 tbsp oil in a deep frying pan and put the cumin                             seeds, mustard, fenugreek and when it has spluttered 
     then put the onions in it and fry it until light brown .
3. Put the cumin powder, coriander, garam masala, turmeric
    and chilli powder and stir it for a while. 
4. Sieve the tamarind pulp, add it in the pan, stir it again 
    for 5 minutes, add the grated jaggery, salt and grated 
    coconut into it and mix it nicely. Now add the brinjals
    one at a time, carefully opening it vertically and  putting
    the masala inside it. 
 5. When all the brinjals are mixed into the masala, cover it 
     and fry it little more on a low heat until the brinjals are 
     done nicely.
Note- The sweet and sour taste of the brinjals are superb!! It goes very well with parathaas or roomali rotis.












































































































































































Tuesday 21 June 2011

Stuffed White Brinjals: The Instant Way!!



Ingredients:-

White brinjals  -6
Garlic cloves minced - 10-12
Onions chopped - 3
green chilli minced -1
Achaar masala -2 tablespoon (recipe given below)
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt  -1/2 tsp

Method:-

First wash the brinjals and wipe them dry. Slit the brinjals into two taking care the other end is intact, coat it with turmeric and salt.
Take a deep frying pan and put all the brinjals in it carefully,  not overlapping each other.


Cook it for 5 minutes and  turn it around and cook the other side also for five minutes.


Let it cool down a bit. In the meanwhile mix the fine chopped onions, minced garlic, chilli and the achaar masala and salt ( instead using achaar masala.  you can also use the masala of stuffed red chilli pickle) .Now take the brinjals one at a time and open it , flatten it a bit by a spoon and put the stuffing inside it.


After putting the stuffing inside all the brinjals , arrange it again in the frying pan and  and cook it for 5 minutes  or until done. serve it with rice, rotis or paranthas.



  Achaar masala:-


   Ingredients: -

   Fennel seeds ( saunf)  - 2 tbsp
   Carom seed (Ajwain ) - 1/2 tsp
   Fenugreek seed (methi) - 1/2 tsp
   Black cumin seed  (  kalounji or mangrail) -  1/2 tsp
    Cumin seed - 1 tbsp
    Black mustard ( rai)  -1 & 1/ 2 tsp

Method: -

   Take a frying pan or tawa and put all the masala in it , warm a bit so the moisture is gone and it becomes crisp, now grind it in a grinder and its ready to use.


Sunday 19 June 2011

Rainbow Cake

                                           Father's Day Recipe  



On this occasion of Father's Day, bring smile on your father's face with a beautiful Rainbow cake. 


 

Ingredients:-

Eggs - 4
Castor sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Self raising flour - 2 cups
Cornflour - 2 tbsp
Salt - a pinch
Butter - 100 gm
Milk - 1 cup
Baking powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Yellow food colour - 1 drop
Pink food colour - 2 drops
Dark cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
Warm milk - 2 tbsp

Butter cream for icing (recipe given below)
Dessicated coconut - 2 tbsp

Method :- 


1. Beat butter until light and glossy with an electric mixer or                 blender.
2. Gradually beat in the castor sugar for few minutes. 
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each edition.
4. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. 
5. Fold the flour to the butter mix, alternating with the 
    milk.
6. When the flour and the milk are thoroughly mixed,
    divide the batter into three equal portions.
7. Add pink colour into one portion.
8. Mix cocoa with the 2 tablespoon warm milk. Add to
    the second portion.
9. Mix yellow food colouring to the third one.
10. Pour the mixture into three medium sized tin, buttered 
     and lined on the base. Bake in a moderate oven until done.                Carefully turn out on a rack and allow to cool.
11. When cold join the cakes together with the butter cream.
      Spread it on the top also and sprinkle with dessicated 
      coconut.

Butter-cream icing recipe

Whisk together 2 egg whites and 1 cup sifted icing sugar in a bowl over hot (not boiling) water. When firm and glossy, remove from hot water and whisk until firm enough to pipe. (You can also use electric blender for beating) Cream 100 gm unsalted butter lightly and fold in the meringue (egg white and sugar mixture) until smooth. (Home made butter can also be used.)

If made carefully, this butter-cream icing comes out great!! You all will really love it!!!








Saturday 18 June 2011

Healthy Burgers


Ingredients

Carrot grated- 1 cup
Boiled potatoes- 5
Minced garlic- 2 cloves
Ginger grated -1 teaspoon
Green chilli minced -1
Salt- to taste
Bread crumbs -1/2 cup
Oil- 2 tablespoon
Butter- 1 tablespoon
Mayonnaise  -3 tablespoon
Tomato slices  -3
Onion rings -6
Cucumber slices -1 whole
Lettuce leaves-  6

Method

Mash the potatoes and mix all the ingredients including the grated carrots and the crumbs nicely.
Make  balls out of it and flatten it in your palm. It will make around three balls as it should be big enough to fit into the burgers.

      Now take a shallow non stick frying pan and fry the tikkis(cutlets) untill golden on both the sides, take it out and prepare for the burgers


.In the same frying pan put the butter and  slit the burgers in two equal portion and fry it until light brown.




     In a plate arrange the lower part of the burger and spread one tablespoon of mayo in it then arrange the lettuce leaf, cucumbers slices, onion rings, slice tomatoes. Now put the tikki above all and drop some tamato ketchup on it, cover it with  the lettuce leaf and put the upper cover of the burger. Make all the three burgers in the same manner.


    Now sit back and enjoy it in the rainy weather. Very easy to make it a healthy way at home and I am sure children are not going to complain either.

Stir fried garlic noodles with chutney

Ingredients

Hakka noodles -1 packet
Onions sliced - 2
Garlic -  5 cloves
Dry red chillies -2
Salt - to taste
Ajinomoto - a pinch


For the chutney
Finely chopped onions
Garlic cloves- 3
Dry red chillies- 2
Salt - to taste

 Method

   Boil the noodles .Take it out when a bit aldente and drain the excess water. Put one tablespoon of oil so it does not stick.
Take a wok (kadhai) and put 3 tablespoons of oil, when hot put the sliced onions in it and stir fry. After that mince the garlic and stone ground the red chillies coarsely. Now put the minced garlic,red chillies with the noodles in the wok.
Toss in the ajinomoto, salt and stir fry it for a minute. Serve it hot with the chutney!!!!


Chutney:-

Take the onions and stone ground it with the dry red chillies and garlic. Put salt and mix it and serve it in a bowl with the noodles.



Note:
1. Take care that the noodles should not be too thick.
2. Ensure that the noodles are not overcooked while boiling.
3. While making chutney, the onions should be grounded coarsely, and not turned into a paste.




Thursday 16 June 2011

Macaroni

Ingredients:-

Macaronis-   2 medium size bowls
Oil-  4 tablespoons
Onion- 2 medium size
Ginger paste -1 tsp
Garlic paste- 1 tsp
Chilli paste -1 tsp
Tomatoes -  2
Tomato ketchup- 2 tbsp
Tomato puree -2 tbsp
Ajinomoto -1/2 tsp
Salt according to taste

Method:-

Boil the macaronis in water and put some oil and salt while boiling. Drain the excess water.


Heat a pan and pour oil in it. Cut the onions and put in it and fry until its light brown. Put the ginger, garlic and chilli paste in it and stir a bit. Put the cut  tomatoes, salt, tomato ketchup, tomato puree and ajinomoto and fry it for a while. Now add the boiled macaronis in it and mix it nicely. Serve it hot.





Wednesday 15 June 2011

Scottish Eggs




Hi, friends....you may have eaten or seen Scottish eggs made of meat or sausages....but have you ever thought that it can also be made of boiled potatoes!!!! Yes, it can be which is truly an eggitarian's delight!! Here's how: 

Ingredients:-
 
Hard boiled eggs- 6
Bread slices- 2
Minced garlic- 1 teaspoon
Minced ginger- 1 teaspoon
Minced green chilli- 1
Ground pepper - 1/4 teaspoon
Salt- according to taste
Red chilli powder (optional)
Beaten egg- 1or 4 tbsp all purpose flour mixed in 1/2 cup water
Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup
Medium sized boiled potatoes- 8

Method:-

1. Boil the eggs and take off the shells and keep them aside.
2.Take the boiled potatoes and mash them nicely. You can
   also grate them so that it becomes crispier when deep fried.
3. Mix ginger, garlic, green chilli, pepper and salt. Moist
    the 2 bread slices slightly, squeeze it nicely and add it to
    the mashed potatoes. Mix it thoroughly so that it takes
    a dough like shape.
4. Take a round ball out of it, flatten it in your palm, put the 
    boil egg in it and cover it nicely so that no gap is left.
5. Now dip it into the beaten egg or mix 4 tbsp all purpose
    flour in 1/2 cup of water and dip into it and roll it into
    the crumbs and deep fry it.
6. Before serving cut it into two equal halves and serve it hot.

























Egg on Toast

A very popular and easy to make snack, what we call here in the army mess as Egg on toast. Every party begins with this snack and its my daughter's favourite too. Make it and I am sure your kids will also love it.

Ingredients:-

Breads- 4
Eggs- 2 (beaten slightly)
Salt-  (according to taste)
Milk- 1/2 Cup

Method:-

First take the bread and remove the edges and cut each bread into four pieces.

Deep fry it and keep it aside. You can also roast it to make it a healthy snack.



Take the milk in a pan and boil it. When it starts boiling, put the eggs and the salt and stir it continuously until its thick and ready to be spread.


Take the deep fried slices of the bread and spread the mixture on them evenly. Drop a bit of tomato ketchup or any chutney of your liking and serve it hot or cold.








Tuesday 14 June 2011

Plum Cake

Hi, my dear friends...here I am with my first blog recipe, which truly came out with the idea of making cooking fun and something on the net about good cooking where you can always check out the best recipes. Moreover, my loved ones don't have to call me to learn about any particular dish because I intend to put here everything which I have tried my hands on.


Ingredients

1. self raising flour- 2 cups
2. castor or granulated sugar- 2cups
3. baking powder- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons
4. baking soda- 1/2 teaspoon
5. butter -125 grams
6. eggs -3
7. milk -1/4 cup
8. plums deseeded and cut into small pieces- 1 cup


Method        
                                                     
Take the butter and mix it until it turns light and fluffy. You don't need to mix it  for more than five minutes if you are using an electric mixture.

Now put 2 cups of sugar little at a time  mixing it all the while.
When the sugar is mixed nicely, put eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition.
Now take the flour and put the baking powder and the baking soda and sieve it so that it is mixed properly in the flour.  Mix the flour about 2 tablespoons at a time in the butter and egg mixture, if the batter is too thick add the milk in small quantities until it becomes of right dropping consistency.



After all the flour and the milk has been mixed thoroughly, put the plums and mix gently. Put it into a baking tin lined with butter and a little bit of flour.
Place it in an oven until it's baked brown. Put the plum icing over it when the cake is at room temperature, or you can eat it just like that!!!



Plum Icing

Cream- 150 gms
Icing sugar - 6 tablespoons
Ripe Plums cut into two halves

Take one pan and put 3 tablespoons of water into it. When it starts boiling, put 2 tablespoons of sugar and let it boil for a minute. Then put the cut plums into it and let it simmer for 2 minutes and take it off the stove and let it cool for an hour. You can also refrigerate it for half an hour.
Take the cream in a bowl and put the remaining sugar into it and start beating it over a bowl filled with ice. When it becomes thick, spread it on the cake evenly. After that take out the refrigerated plums and line it up nicely on the cake. You can pour the plum syrup on the cake. Now, the cake is ready to be devoured!!!!



Monday 13 June 2011

Easy and delicious Donuts!!!


 Ingredients:-

1. Vegetable oil - enough for deep frying
2. Dry yeast - 4 teaspoons
3. 1 Big potato - forked, roasted.
4. Salt- 1/2 teaspoon
5. Self raising flour- 2 cups
6. Sugar- 3 tablespoons

Method:-

1. First take the warm milk and put the yeast with 1 teaspoon of sugar into it so that the yeast becomes active. 
2. In the meanwhile take the roasted potato and peel the upper layer and mash it, it will give you around 1/2 cup of mash potato.
3. Take the flour, salt, sugar, mashed potato and mix it all . Now add the yeast-milk mixture and let it sit for five minutes.
4. Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and mix it with a spoon, knead it nicely on a platform and make a nice dough. If it feels a bit wet, you can add a little flour to it.
5. Roll it out with a pin so that rolled out dough is 1/2 inch thick. Take a sharp edged bowl and cut the rolled out dough into round shapes and again make small holes in the middle of round shaped donuts with a bottle cap or else use a donut cutter.
6. Take a pan with oil. Fry the donuts till golden brown and keep it aside. Now dip the donuts in sugar or chocolate glaze. Recipes' are given below:

Sugar Glaze

Powdered sugar- 1 cup
Milk- 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence -1 drop
Butter- 1 teaspoon
Take the milk in a pan and bring it to a boil. Add the sugar, butter and vanilla essence. Boil it until the mixture becomes thick and of dropping consistency. Now dip the donuts into it and let it cool.

Chocolate Glaze


Milk- 1/2 cup
Butter- 1 teaspoon
Powdered sugar- 1 cup
Cocoa - 2 tablespoons
Take a pan and put milk in it.  When it starts boiling add the butter and sugar into it.  After a while put cocoa into it which has been mixed with 2 tablespoons of warm water, when it becomes thick put the slightly warm donuts face down in the chocolate glaze turn it around spread on the other side also.

You can sprinkle castor sugar or small silver balls on the glazed donuts. Voila!! The donuts are ready to eat!!!!