Friday, July 20, 2012

Banana Chocochip Muffins

This was the bestest muffin or cake I ever tasted… and it was proved by all means, as my brother who make faces for whatever I make also liked it so much that he had 2 of them in a single breath..

Not just the taste even colour and texture was so gudd that I was super impressed by myself… oopsss I don’t usualy boast about myself but today I think it’s a guudd excuse…… hehhehehehe..

Posting some pics of the muffin below… the recipe will follow in some time…

  • To show you the texture from inside…

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  • This is how it looked like when taken out of the oven…

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  • Another view…

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Thursday, July 19, 2012

Vanilla & Nuts Muffins

Woowwww.. making muffins is much more easier than eating ‘em… don’t trust me!!!!!! then please go ahead and try this recipe… you’ll lovvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeee it… It’s a Vanilla muffin recipe but one can add nuts of their own choice or choco-chips…. etc etc…to make some variation to the original recipe… like I added almonds and raisins but I think walnuts would also taste really gud…

This quantity will make around 12 muffins…

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INGREDIENTS:-

Dry Ingredients:
Maida (Refined flour): 1 1/4 Cups + 2 Tbsp
Castor Sugar: 1/2 Cup
Baking Powder: 1 Tsp
Baking Soda: 1/2 Tsp
Nut/Chocochips/Tuttifruity: 1/4 Cup (optional)
Wet Ingredients
Butter or Oil: 1/4 cup
Milk: 3/4 Cup (Cold)
Vanilla Essence: 1 Tsp
White Vinegar: 1 1/2 Tsp

METHOD:-

  • Combine all the wet ingredients in a Jug and keep aside.
  • Mix with a wire Wisk all the dry ingredients.
  • Combine both wet and dry ingredients take care not to over mix it.
  • Pour in muffin moulds and bake at 180 – 200 degrees (depending on you oven) for 15- 20 mins.
  • And its doneeeee……… Smile

Straight from the oven….

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Monday, July 9, 2012

Yogurt Cake with Chocolate Glaze

Yes I have made cake with curd before but never in Microwave ( in the same mode which we heat food) so this was the first time…. and it came out really gud... it had very soft and gluee texture which I really liked… and above all was baked in just 6 mins… too good for a person like me who has zero patience…. if baked in convection mode or OTG it would have take 40 mins… so happy meeeeeee…..

I served it with chocolate glaze… same which is topped on doughnuts… and sprinkled some colourful sugar dots to make it more tempting (though my brother didn’t like it butttt I don’t care…. hehhehehe)

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  • Just out of microwave….

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  • With chocolate glaze and sugar dotsssss….

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  • Taken a bite…

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  • Closer view….

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Friday, July 6, 2012

Keema Matar (Vegetarian)

This dish is made with minced meat and peas originally but to make a vegetarian version I substituted minced meat with Soya Granule… It came out really gud and was very easy to make… had it with homemade curd and thin chapatis….. mmmmmm tasted so guuudddd…. and vikas has asked me to  make stuff parantha with the little bit which is left…

This quantity will serve 2 ppl…

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INGREDIENTS:-

Soya Granules: 1/2 Cup
Water: 1/2  Cup
Milk: 1/2 Cup
Boiled/Frozen Peas: 1/2 Cup
Chopped Onions: 1 1/2 Medium
Chopped Tomato: 2 Medium
Chopped Garlic: 4-5 Cloves
Oil: 2-3 Tbsp
Red Chilly Powder: to taste
Salt: to taste
Garam Masala Powder: 1/2 Tsp
Dry mango powder (amchur): 1/2 Tsp

Method:-

  • Mix water and milk in a bowl and soak soya granules in it for 10 – 15 mins.

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  • Heat oil in a pan, add chopped onions and cook till golden brown.

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  • Add garlic and fry for 1/2 min.
  • Then add garam masala and red chilly powder and again fry for 1/2 min.
  • Now add chopped tomatoes and cook for 4-5 mins on low flame.

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  • When the tomatoes are done add soya granules.

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  • Cook till the water and milk is completely evaporated… continue cooking for 2-3 mins after that so that granules are fried nicely.
  • Then add peas, salt and amchur powder mix well and cook for another 2-3 mins.
  • Serve hot… with chapati…

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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Cheese Stuffed Broccoli Kofta/Balls

by Neetu

I have made koftas with many other veggies but not with broccoli so it was quiet exciting for me to try this one….. and it came out really gud… yes it’s a rich dish so make it for your special occasions…

This quantity will serve 2-3 ppl…

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INGREDIENTS:-

For Koftas:-
Broccoli: 1 Small
Potato: 1 Medium Boiled
Black Pepper Powder: to taste
Salt: to taste
Garam Masala: 1/4 tsp
Aamchur Powder: 1/4 tsp
Cheese Slice/cube: 1
Cornflour: 1 Tbsp
Baking Powder: 1 Big Pinch
oil : to fry
For Gravy-
Onion: 2 Medium
Ginger: 1/2 Inch
Oil: 2-3 Tbsp
Cumin Seeds: 1/2 Tsp
Asafetida: a pinch
Cashews: 10-12
Curd: 3 Tbsp
Kasoori Methi: 1 Tbsp
Garam Masala: 1/2 Tsp
Amchur Powder: 1/4 Tsp
Salt: to taste
Red Chilly Powder: to taste
Milk: 1/2 Cup
Water: 1 Cup

 

METHOD:-

For Koftas:

  • Grate broccoli  finely along with the tender stems.
  • Heat oil in a pan, add broccoli and cook for 2-3 mins.
  • Mash boiled potatoes and broccoli together.
  • Add rest of the ingredients under koftas and mix well, check seasoning and adjust if required.
  • Make balls/koftas with this mixture, stuffing cheese in between.
  • Heat oil in a wok and deep fry the koftas

For Gravy:-.

  • Grind onion & ginger to make  a fine paste and keep aside.
  • Grind cashews  and curd to make a fine paste and keep aside.
  • Heat oil in a pan add cumin seeds when it crackles add asafetida and onion paste.
  • Cook this till oil separates then remove from fire and add cashews paste.
  • Cook this till nicely thick.
  • Add spices, kasoori methi and cook for 2 mins more.
  • Remove from fire again and add milk & water.
  • Bring back to fire and cook till the gravy has nice & smooth consistency.

For Serving:-

  • At the time of serving arrange koftas in serving bowl pour hot gravy over it and serve hot with Indian bread of your choice…

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Monday, May 14, 2012

Grilled Aubergine & Cheese Sandwich

I know aubergine or eggplant or brinjal  or baingan is not everyone’s favorite… even I hated it in my childhood but now-a-dayss I really like it specially the grilled one.. It tastes so very good in pizzas, pastas… and sandwiches… if you have any more ideas to use grilled eggplant then plzzzz lemme know…. I would just love to try that…..but as of now plzz try this s/w its really gud…

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INGREDIENTS:-

Aubergine (Brinjal): 2 nos. Long ones
Tomato: 1/2 Big
Chesse Slices: 2 Nos.
Bread : 2 Slices
Mixed Herbs: 1 Tbsp
Salt & Pepper: to taste
Butter/oil: 2-3 Tbsp
Tomato Ketchup: to serve

METHOD:-

  • Slice the aubergine thinly, apply salt and keep side for 10 mins.

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  • Wash it nicely after that…
  • Apply butter/oil, salt, pepper, herbs and rub nicely all over.

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  • Keep aside for 5 mins…
  • Heat a pan and grill the slices nicely till done.. ( one can do it in oven also)

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  • Meanwhile cut the corners of the bread and toast it till crisp.

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  • Also deseed & slice the tomatoes as shown in pic.

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  • Take toasted bread and place grilled aubergine over it.

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  • Then place the cheese slice, tomato strips and sprinkle seasoning & herbs over it.

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  • Grill it in preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius for 10 mins or till the cheese melts..

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  • Serve hot with tomato ketchup…

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Thursday, May 10, 2012

Fried Egg in Bread

What to do when you are hungry n have just one egg & a slice of bread left in your fridge… this is what happened with me today… so I made this easy fried egg in bread… its as simple and easy  as a fried egg but just a li’l different in appearance that doesn't make it boring…

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INGREDIENTS:-

Egg: 1 No.
Bread: 1 Slice
Oil: 1/2 Tsp
Salt: to taste
Pepper: to taste
Tomato Ketchup for garnish

METHOD:-

  • Cut circle from bread with the help of a cookie cutter or lid of a round box.

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  • Heat oil in a pan.

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  • Put bread slice in the pan and crack an egg in the center.

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  • Cover with lid and cook till its set.

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  • If you like can serve it at this stage also but I like to cook a little from the other side as well… so I flipped it very carefully…

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  • Take out carefully from the pan, sprinkle salt an pepper over it and eat… if you like, add ketchup also… .. I don’t …did just for the pic.

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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Vegetarian Pasta Bolognese

This was my first attempt to cook Pasta Bolognese and the result was quite descent… except for the colour mine had a reddish colour where as I have seen brown coloured Pasta Bolognese in pics… may be I had added more tomatoes but still it tasted gud to me.. If you want you can reduce the quantity of tomatoes in yours..

Also I substituted minced meat with soya granules to make it vegetarian….

This quantity will serve 1-2 ppl…

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INGREDIENTS:-

Penne Pasta: 1 Cup (uncooked)
Soya Granules: 3/4 Cup
Olive Oil: 1-2 Tbsp
Garlic: 2 Cloves Chopped
Onion: 1 Small Chopped
*Capsicum: 1 Small Chopped
Tomatoes: 2 Small pureed
Mixed Herbs: 2 Tbsp
Salt: to taste
Pepper: 1/4 tsp
Red Chilly Powder: to taste
Water: 1/4 Cup8

*I was running short of capsicum so didn’t add but one should add it to enhance the taste.

METHOD:-

  • Soak soya granules in water till soft.

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  • Boil pasta in salted water till Al-Dante, apply some oil and keep aside .

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  • Heat oil in a pan add garlic & onion fry for 2 mins.
  • Drain soya granules squeeze out the water nicely add to the onions, add chopped capsicum & fry till they turn brown.

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  • Add mixed herbs, spices, tomato puree & 1/4 cup water.

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  • Cook on moderate heat till oil separates.

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  • Add boiled pasta, mix well with the sauce and cook in slow flame for 1 min.

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  • Transfer this to serving plate, top it with grated cheese & serve hot…

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Monday, April 9, 2012

Coconut Chutney

When I visited Chennai for the first time I found it so very surprising that ppl ate coconut chutney with almost everything , even with samosas, pakorars and stuff like that but later on even I developed a taste for that… yeah I don’t eat it with samosas but I do with paranthas.. :) n yes it tastes really gud… Its very simple and easy to make and there are so many versions of this as well…. so lets have a look at mine…
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INGREDIENTS:-
Freshly Grated Coconut: 1 Cup (Remove brown skin)
Roasted Peanuts: 2 Tbsp
Curd: 1 Tbsp
Curry Leaves: 8-10
Green Chillies: 1-2
Ginger: 1/2’’
Salt: to taste
For Tempering (Tadka)
Oil: 2 Tbsp
Mustard Seeds: 1/2 Tsp
Red Chilli: 1 Piece
Curry Leaves: few
METHOD:-
  • Grind all the ingredients (except mentioned under tempering) to a paste adding water as required.
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  • Transfer the paste to a bowl.
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  • In a tempering pan heat oil then add mustard seeds when it crackles add curry leaves and red chilly, stir for 30 sec.
  • Pour the tempering over chutney and serve with anything that you like.. :)

Sambar/ Tangy Lentil Preparation

by Neetu

Its thin, tangy lentil preparation without which no meal it complete in south India.. The tang in the dish is bought by adding tamarind and the awesome flavor is bought adding a time tested blend of spices… It tastes best when its served steaming hot… I made idly and sambar for the dinner but was so excited to eat that I forgot to take pics of sambar alone. : )

This quantity will serve 3-4 ppl..

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INGREDIENTS:-

Red Gram (arhar dal): 1 Cup
Onions: 2 Chopped Roughly
(Ghiya): 1/2 Small Chopped Roughly
Tamarind pulp: 4-5 Tbsp
Sambhar Powder: 2 tbsp
Water: as required
Salt: to taste

For Tempring (Tadka)
Oil/Ghee(Clarified butter): 3-4 Tbsp
Asafetida (hing): a pinch
Dry Red Chilly: 2 pieces
Mustard Seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves: Few
Red Chilly Pwder: to taste

METHOD:-

  • Wash and soak lentil for 1/2 to 1 hr. after that drain the water and pressure cook with 4 cups water and salt, give 1 whistle then reduce the flame and cook for 5 mins.
  • Mash the dal when pressure comes down and keep aside, meanwhile prepare the tempering.
  • Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds, when it crackles add curry leaves & red chilly stir for 30 sec.
  • Add onions and cook till it turns brown.

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  • Add vegetables, little salt ( take care while adding salt as we have already added salt in the dal) ,tamarind pulp, sambar powder, & water if required.

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  • Mix properly and cook till veggies are tender then add red chilly powder.

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  • Add boiled dal, 1 cup water, mix properly and simmer on slow flame for 5 mins.

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  • Serve super hot with idly, dosa, vada…. etc etc…. Smile