Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Tandoori Chicken





This Thanksgiving we had tandoori chicken with stuffing. I used 2 cornish chicken for making this dish. It’s really easy , if you can marinate it over night that would be great . The yogurt should be thick so that the marinade holds on to the chicken, for that what I do is put it on my tea stariner and let it sit for atleast an hr. That really does the trick, it comes out really thick. Hope you all will like it.


Ingredients:

Chicken- 4 Lbs

Marinade 1:

Chilli powder- 1Tbs
Lime Juice- 1Tbs
Ginger-Garlic Paste- 2Tbs
Salt- as needed

Marinade 2:

Thick Yogurt- 10Tbs
Ginger Garlic Paste- 2Tbs
Lime juice- 2 Tbs
Pepper- ½ Tbs
Chilli powder- 1 Tbs (or as needed, mine is extra hot chilly powder)
Kasoori Methi- 1 Tbs
Garam masala powder- 1 Tbs
Cumin powder- ½ tsp
Turmeric Powder- ½ tsp
Coriander Powder- 1 Tbs
Salt – as needed
Red Food Color- a pinch
Stuffing – store bought (optional)

Method:




Wash and pat dry the chicken well. Slit the chiken on breast, thighs and also the joints. In a bowl mix all the ingredients under Marinade 1. Rub this mix into the slits ( just the slits). Let it sit for 30 mns.

In a big bowl mix all the ingredients that comes under marinade 2. Check for seasoning. Put the chicken in this marinade and rub the marinade all over the chicken, into the slits and cavities. Coat the chicken with little oil and let it sit for 2-3 hrs or atleast an hr . If you don’t have time an hr will do .

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.




On a baking tray place the chicken back side up and bake for 30 mns. Take the tray out and turn it. Since it was thanksgiving I stuffed the chicken at this point. Bake the chicken breast side up for another 30 mns. Take it out and dig in .

Note:

When the chicken cooks it leaves a little bit of sauce, I wanted my chicken tobe a little dry and not soggy . So I used a cookie cooling rack, I placed it on the baking tray and put the chicken on top of it. Or you can put a bed of cut vegetables on the tray and put the chicken on top of it.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Blackberry Crisp




Hmm looks like I am back after my disappearing act. It’s been 5 months since I left my blog alone. If you ask me what happened, I might say my son’s vaccation is the culprit. Hmm but the the truth is that only half of it is true and the other half was my lazziness or I guess I was bored for a while. Well I started new things, I am a farmer and cafĂ© owner, who can grow or cook things in 2-8 hrs, how nice. I am talking about Face book and it’s endless applications.

Well coming back to our blackberry crisp, I made this for my husband’s office party. They were hosting a baby shower for a collegue . I had a big list of things ,but narrowed down to this one. The funniest part is that this is the first time I am making this dish and after he left with the dessert I was really worried about how it would taste. Luckily they liked it, the next day I made the same at home and we enjoyed it barely warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Tangy ,sweet ,warm blackberry filling with crisp,cinnamony ( is it even a word?) sweet topping with creamy vanilla ice cream , the rest you can guess…….

Ingredients:

Filling:

Black berry- 4 cups
White sugar- 1/3 cup
Lemon juice- 2 tsp
Corn starch- 1tsp
Cinnamon- ½ tsp

Topping:

Flour: ½ cup
Packed Brown sugar: 1/2 cup
Cinnamon: ½ tsp
Quick cooking rolled Oats: ¾ cup
Salt: a pinch
Softened Unsalted Butter:4 tbsp/ 1 stick


Method:





Preheat oven to 375 degree.

Wash and drain berries. In a bowl mix dry berries , sugar, lemon juice and cornstarch well (all the ingredients under fillings).



Empty the contents along with the juices into a well buttered baking pan . Press it down with a spatula , just be careful not to mush the berries



In another bowl mix all the contents for the topping either with a fork or hands. It will resemble coarse crumbs. Empty the contents evenly on the filling .



Bake it for 45 mns. Once it’s done cool it ,serve it barely warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Jangri or Jalebi??





Hmm as usual our (mom and i) talk ended up in food. Almost 99% of the time it’s the same thing. The other day I came across a name “ Jangri”, I thought it’s some new dish , when I opened the recipe I realized it’s our old Jalebi. Pardon me if I am wrong, in Kerala I have never heard a sweet by name Jangri, it’s Jalebi there. So I started telling my mom about this and she started telling me the story about how she learned to make Jalebi.

In my mom’s house when they had a wedding they used to bring the Brahmins famous for making sweets and stock up on all these goodies. She used to go near the work place and watch them make ladoos, jalebis etc. My grandmother never allowed them to enter the kitchen, so when she takes a nap, my mom would sneak in and make all these. So for tea the whole family will relish on the snack and later comes my mom’s punishment for entering the kitchen. Even when we used to make something my grandmother was so concerned at the same time proud, hmm miss those days.

My mom used to stitch special clothes for making jalebis, she’ll make a small hole in between the cloth and stitch around. This will make sure that cloth won’t tear, or I have seen her heating up metal skewer and making hole in the center of plastic bags.

All these details made me so excited that I decided to give it a try. The result was really good, I made almost 2 dozen. After making the batter try the design (Draw two circles, over it draw small circles ) on a plate, this helps a lot when you are making them. I hope you will also like it, enjoy………

Ingredients:

Jangri:

Whole white urad dal-  1 cup
Rice flour (optional)-  1 tbsp
Orange food color/ Jalebi Color-  a pinch
Water- Less than ¼ cup
Salt - a pinch

For Sugar syrup:

Sugar- 3/4 cup
Water- Just to cover the sugar
Lemon juice- 1/2 tsp
Rose essence/ crushed cardamom pods/ saffron strands-  4 drops/4 pods/ a pinch
Orange food color/ Jalebi Color-  a pinch

Method:

Soak urad dal for atleast 2hrs. Grind with very little water ( Add little water at a time to make smooth batter, it shouldn’t be watery). Make a smooth and fluffy batter. To this add salt, color and rice flour. Mix well.

In a shallow pan heat the sugar with water, Let it boil for 3-4 minutes. Add lemon juice, food color and essence or cardamom pods or saffron .Mix well and switch off the stove.

Take a zip lock bag and make a small hole with a thin nail or metal skewer.


Heat oil in a flat bottomed pan. The heat should be low .The oil should not get fully heated, when it starts forming small bubbles in the bottom put a drop of the batter. If the batter rises fast then the oil is too hot. If it stays there for sometime and then rises up then the temperature is perfect. Using the batter in ziplock bag make jangris.

Once the jangris gets cooked on both sides, take out carefully and put them in the sugar syrup.

Remove the jangris from the hot sugar syrup after 4-5 minutes .

Note:

If you are using mixer grinder, stop it in between grinding, this will avoid the batter from getting hot.

If you are using food processor it just takes 15mns to grind the batter and no need to stop in between.

If you are using wet grinder, you can avoid adding rice flour. Again this is optional. Without rice flour it becomes too crispy and more of urad dal taste.






I am sending this to Celebrating Mom Event started by Shabitha Karthikeyan

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Fresh Fruit Tart




Recipe Courtsey : Laura Carmen

I am dedicating this dish to all the wonderful mothers out there. My mom loves fruits and custard, so I made this for her on Mother’s Day. Light crispy crust, flavorful custard and fresh bright fruits made it a very elegant dish. She loved it and so did my husband and son. My baby had made some gifts for me and so this Mother’s Day was Extra Special for me. I hope you all had a great day and enjoyed it well.

Tart crust:

Butter, cold- 8 tablespoons
Sugar- 1/4 cup
Flour- 1 1/2 cups
Salt- 1/8 tsp
Egg yolk- 1 large
Half & Half/ Milk- 2-3 tablespoons

In a bowl add the flour, sugar, salt and combine well. Grate or cut the cold butter. Add this to the bowl and mix well. Add the yolk and cream/milk and mix well. The dough should be crumbly (not wet) but should hold together when pinched.

Transfer the dough into a 9 .5 by 1 inch tart pan or pie plate and press into the pan with your palms, working the dough up the sides with your fingers and pressing it evenly around the rim. Trim any overhanging bits of dough. Chill for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 325 F. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crust is golden. (I used a pie plate and it took like 25mns for me, for tart pan may be it will take only 10-12 mns. Keep an eye on the crust while baking and wait till it becomes golden)

Custard:

Large eggs- 2
Cornstarch- 3 tablespoons
Half-and-half- 2 cups
Sugar- 1/2 cup
Pinch of salt
Vanilla extract- 1 teaspoon
Butter- 1 tablespoon

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and cornstarch until the cornstarch is completely absorbed. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the half-and-half. In a saucepan, combine the remaining half-and-half, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Whisk 1/2 cup of the hot half-and-half mixture into the eggs, then pour all of the egg mixture back into the boiling half-and-half, whisking constantly. The mixture will become very thick. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla and butter.

Transfer to a bowl and immediately press a piece of greased plastic wrap over the top of the cream to prevent a “skin” from forming.



Assemble the tart:

When the custard and tart crust have cooled, spoon the cream into the crust and spread evenly with a spatula. Arrange slices of strawberries, kiwi, apricots, and whole berries on top of the cream in circles, starting along the outer edge. When assembling is complete, brush the fruit gently with melted fruit jelly. (Place 1/4 cup in the microwave in a small glass bowl, then brush on with a pastry brush. If all you’ve got is jam, melt it and strain it.)



Note:

The crust can be prepared using a food processor, put the dry ingredients and pulse it few sec. To this add the wet ingredients and pulse it for few seconds.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Peas Pulav/ Peas Pulao


An easy way to jazz up rice. This is a perfect dish for parties and fun tiffin for kids

Ingredients

• Basmati rice – 1 cup
• Onion sliced -1/2 medium
• Green chillies slit - 1-2
• Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
• Cloves- 2
• Cinnamon- 1/2 inch
• Cardamom- 2
• Frozen Green peas- 1/2 cup
• Water- 2 cups
• Salt- to taste
• Oil - 1 tbs

Method:

1. Wash rice and set aside to drain

2. In a pan heat oil,add cumin seeds,cloves,cinnamon, cardamom,green chillies and saute well. To this add onions and sauté till onions turns translucent . To this add frozen peas

3. Add the rice and mix well

4. Add water, salt and bring it to a boil. Cover the pan. On low- med heat cook the rice for 15- 20 mns

5. Once it’s done remove from heat and fluff the rice slowly and serve warm with curry of your choice.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Shrimp Fry



This is a quick fix when I am out of time or when I am lazy to cook :). This can also be served as an appetizer.

Ingredients:

Shrimp/ Prawn- 1 lbs (cleaned and deveined)
Chilli Powder- 1 Tbs
Tumeric Powder- ½ Tsp
Salt- as needed
Curry Leaves- 1 spring (optional)
Oil- to fry

Method:

Clean and devein the shrimp. Pat dry the shrimp and marinate it with chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and crushed curry leaves. Marinate for atleast 30 mns. In a pan heat some oil and add the marinated shrimp and cook it on low –med heat until the shrimp turns golden, 10- 15mns.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Eggless Naan



My little one loves Naan, he can have it for bf, lunch and dinner. I always thought it involved lot of work, last Friday night I was thinking about week end breakfast. Somehow Naan just came to my mind and thought of trying it. I first thought of baking it, but felt like experimenting. Heated up my cast iron tava ( skillet, pan anything will do, but it needs to cast iron) and just 2-3 mns per side and it came out all puffed up and soft. This week I made Naan twice, my little one was so happy. I made it eggless, if you want you can add 1 egg and it makes it rich.

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour- 2 cups
Yeast- 1 tsp
Luke warm water- ½ cup
Sugar- 1 tsp
Salt- 1 tsp
Milk- ¼- 1/2 cup (room temperature)
Minced Garlic, onion, Kalonji ( for topping , optional)

Method:

In a bowl mix the luke warm water, yeast & sugar, mix well. After 5-10 mns it will rise. In a mixing bowl add the flour, salt and mix well, to this add the yeast mixture and mix well. Add milk to this little at a time, the dough will be very sticky. Drizzle some oil on top of the dough and close with a lid or towel. Let it rise for 30 mns - 1hr.



After an hr open the lid and punch down the dough and mix well. Oil your hands well before that. Take some oil and flour in separate bowls. Oil your hands well, take a ball of dough and make a smooth ball. Dust it with little flour. Dust the work station with flour and put the dough and press it down with your palm. When it reaches a small round disc shape, you can either toss it between both palms or roll it. Make a tear shape by dragging one end of the dough.

Heat the skillet or pan to the highest , once it’s hot bring the heat down a little bit and put the naan, 2-3 mns per side, turn the naan and you can apply little butter. Continue the same process with rest of the dough. You can add toppings before putting the naan on the tava. Enjoy….



Note: If you don't have a cast iron tava or pan, you can bake it in oven. Pre-heat the oven at the highest heat (500/ 550). If you have Pizza stone , keep it in the oven while preheating the oven. Once the oven is heated take the stone out place the naan on the stone and place it on the top rack close to the source of heat .If it's a  cookie sheet ,lay them on the sheet and place on the rack close to the heat .                                              




Tuesday, April 6, 2010

No Knead Ciabatta Bread


Recipe courtesy: Food Wishes

I always wanted to bake bread , somehow I didn’t have the courage. May be it’s my previous experience with bread had stopped me. Back in india, before my marriage Sundays used to be my culinary experimental days: white rats? My parents and two dogs :). Once I came across this awesome honey bread recipe, I decided I am gonna make it. My mother being wiser told me to use half the quantity since it’s an experiment. Well no , I was very sure that this will be a success and I some how convinced her. The ingredients were 1kg all purpose flour, honey and blah blah blah. I made it according to the instructions and a golden brown loaf was the result. I made tea and invited my parents to the table. Hmmm you should have the seen the look on my father’s face, as if his daughter has conquered the world. They both sat down and I started slicing the bread, well the knife was not moving. How do you cut a chicken? Yeah I had to use the same butcher knife and the force. My mother was hesitant on trying the piece like thing I had served, but my dad somehow managed to nibble something from the sides and he was so happy that his daughter made “BREAD AT HOME”.

The saddest part is that since I didn’t want to hurt my parents tooth anymore I happily gave the bread to my dogs and they rejected it. After the first bite they gave me a stare that I will never forget. From that day I never went near them alone, who knows whether they will take the revenge???

Anways this Ciabatta bread came out well and my family loved, especially my little one. I made it one V- Day. Because of his curiosity he started poking the bread which I had kept on the table to cool down. I was trying to keep him away from my bread and forgot to switch of the oven with my Parmesan chicken and nearly burned it. Well life is not that easy!!!

Ingredients:

Bread flour / All Purpose Flour- 4 cups
Yeast- 1/4 tsp
Water- 2 cups
Salt- 1 1/2 tsp

Method:

In a mixing bowl, mix together flour, yeast, water and salt together. It comes out as a very sticky dough. Cover the bowl with silver foil and keep it at room temperature to rise for 18 hrs.



After 18 hrs, you’ll get a very bubbly sticky dough. On a silver foil or plastic sheet sprinkle some flour and scrape down the dough. Sprinkle some more flour on top of the dough and slowly punch down the air. Stretch it into long flat loaf. On a baking sheet spray some oil and sprinkle corn meal generously. Transfer the dough to the sheet and shape the loaf once more. Cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 3 hrs.



Pre-heat the oven to 425 C. Fill a loaf pan with water and keep it inside the oven. Steam from this will give the bread a nice crust and chewy inside. Bake the loaf for 35- 45 mns. Cool it over a wire rack and enjoy….


My little one having fun !!!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Molten Lava Cake





It feels so good to be back and alive……. Last 3 weeks were terrible, we all were sick. Thanks to my son for bringing home the flu & cough. The best part is that after 3-4 days he was fine and jumping up & down. I really missed all your awesome creations.

So to celebrate my coming back I thought of posting this molten lava cake which I had made for V-Day. If you are a chocoholic like me, trust me this is all you need to hit the spot. If you want a smaller portion you can use muffin tray with paper cups and reduce the baking time (10-11 mns) , done that too. This batter can be made in advance and frozen, thaw it to room temperature 1 hr before using and bake it. Enjoy……..

Ingredients:

BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate- 4 squares
Butter- 1 stick
Powdered sugar- 1 cup
Eggs- 2
Egg yolks- 2
Flour- 6 Tbsp

Method:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter four 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins. Place on baking sheet.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Blend in eggs and egg yolks with wire whisk. Stir in flour. Divide batter among prepared custard cups.



Bake 13 to 14 min. or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 min . Carefully run small knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert dishes. Serve immediately, topped with whipped topping or ice cream .

Recipe Courtesy: Kraft Food

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Cream Cheese Filled Strawberries




This is a light, yet elegant and romantic dessert. After a heavy V-Day meal I thought of serving a simple dessert and this worked well. This recipe is from Paula Deen Show, but I tweaked a little. The original recipe called for full pack of cream cheese and Pecans. To make it light I used half pack of Fat Free Cream Cheese and added little Marsala wine to make it more flavorful. It tasted like Tiramisu in a Strawberry topped with chocolate.
I am sending this Priya's Heart For St. Valentines Day & PJ's No Cook Event

Ingredients:

Strawberry- 14-16
Cream Cheese- ½ packet
Confectioner Sugar- ¼- ½ cup
Vanilla Extract- 1 tsp
Marsala wine- 1-2 Tbsp
Magic Shell- as needed (optional)

Method:



Clean and dry the strawberries. Cut a thin slice from the bottom of each strawberry so the berries stand upright. Carefully make “X” incision on the berries , half the way. Fan wedges just slightly, taking care not to break them. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, wine and vanilla until combined. Using a Ziploc bag or pastry bag, fill the strawberries with the cream cheese mixture. Drizzle the stuffed strawberries with magic shell. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Chicken Tikka & an Award



This is a semi home made version, there are days when you feel like having something spicy but not in a mood to get into the kitchen. This is my fix for those days, yep i used Shan Tikka masala to make this spicy chicken tikka . It pairs well with roti , rice or a simple salad for a low carb meal. I am sending my chicken Tikka to Rahin’s Semi Home made - Indian Recipes Event



Ingredients:

Chicken- 800 gms
Shan Tikka Masala- 1 packet
Ginger- Garlic Paste- 2 tsp
Lime/Lemon Juice- 1
Oil- 1-2 tsp

Method:

Clean and cut chicken into desirable size. With knife make slits on chicken. In a shallow bowl mix all the ingredients, to this add the chicken and mix well. Marinate for atleast an hr.

Pre-heat oven to 400 F

In a baking tray spray oil and arrange the chicken. Bake it for an hr, turning once. Serve immediately



Aparna from Ladies Special Adukala has passed this award , thank you Aparna for considering me. As a rule I am passing this to my Blog buddies. Please accept this award an post it in your blog.

Jagruti

Sarah

Adukkala vishesham

Swathi

Saraswathy

Cicily

Malar

Friday, February 12, 2010

Guacamole



A healthy & tangy dip,perfect for parties. If you want chunky style , you can mash 3 avocados and cut one into cubes and add at the final stage. Sending this Guacamole to Siri's Healing Foods-Avocado, PJ's No Cook Event

Ingredients:

Ripe Avocado- 4
Chopped Tomatoes- 2
Chopped Onion- ½
Lime/ Lemon Juice- 1
Minced Garlic- 2 cloves
Salt- 1 tsp or as needed
Chopped Jalapeno- 1
Chopped Cilantro- ½ cup

Method:

In a bowl add all the ingredients and mash it to desired consistency. Serve immediately with chips.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Avocado Juice



Yes!! You read it rt. I had 2 avocados left and was thinking of what to do. Google has once again saved the day. I came across this Indonesian jus alpukat or Avocado Juice recipe. At first I was little hesitant, but thought what’s life without a little risk.

But the result was good, so buttery, nutty flavoured juice. It has a taste similar to the flesh of tender coconut. So here is the recipe.


Ingredients:

Simple Syrup:

Sugar: 5 Tbsp
Water: 5 Tbsp

Juice:

Avocado: 2 ripe
Cold Milk: ½ cup
Chocolate Milk- 1 Cup ( I made it adding 2 tbsps Hershey’s cocoa powder to 1 cup milk)
Crushed Ice- as needed

Method:

In a sauce pan add the sugar and water and heat it till the sugar dissolves. Removes from the heat and cool it.
In a blender add the flesh of avocados, ½ cup cold milk and grind it well. Add 1-2 tbsp of simple syrup and mix well.
In a tall glass pour the avocado juice, then add a layer of ice and then pour the chocolate milk. Enjoy!!!

Sending this delicious avocado juice to Siri's Healing Foods-Avocado

Simple Fruit Salad

Fruits are good for health and if eaten before a meal, it really helps to control the portion. I think this fruit salad is perfect for summer. Very refreshing and filling, I really mean it, when we had this we skipped our lunch. Lightly sweetened with honey, it satisfies your sweet tooth. 



Sending this to PJ's No Cook Event and Divya's Show Me Your Salad

Ingredients:

Cantaloupe cubes - 1 cup
Honey dew melon cubes- 1 cup
Pear cubes- 1 cup
Apple cubes- 1cup
Grapes- 1cup
Watermelon cubes- 1 cup
Honey- 2 tbsp
Lemon/Lime juice- 1 tsp
Chopped mint – 1 tsp (optional)

Method:

Mix together honey, lemon juice, and mint well, reserve. In a big bowl add all the fruits, pour the dressing on top and toss well to coat all the fruits. Serve immediately.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Chicken Wings


This is a perfect appetizer for parties, if there is a potluck my dish would be wings. There are 2 ways to prepare wings, either fry it or bake it. If you are planning to make a large batch, baking would be a better idea. For my son’s 1st b’day I did the mistake of frying the wings and I never thought I will be able to finish it on time. Luckily I did.



INGREDIENTS:

Chicken wing pieces- 2 1/2 lbs.

FRANK'S HOT Sauce- 1/2 cup

Butter, melted- 2 Tbsp

Paprika- enough to sprinkle on wings

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degree F

Clean and dry the wings. Cut the wings into 3 parts and discard the tip. In a bowl put all the wings and sprinkle some paprika and mix it well. Spray a baking sheet with pam or oil. Arrange the wings on the sheet and bake the wings for 30 min. Turn it once and bake again until crispy, another 30 mns.

Take the Baked wings out and remove it from the baking sheet, In a bowl mix the hot sauce and butter. Pour it over the wings and toss it well to coat the wings

Serve with chunky Blu Cheese sauce and celery sticks.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Eggless Sponge Cake

Sorry i forgot to take pics after cooling.



I wanted to make an eggless cake for my Tiramisu and I was in a crunch for time. I came across many recipes with baking soda, baking powder, soda etc. I was surprised when I saw one of the ingredients, little bit hesitant in the beginning. Finally I gave it a try and proved my self wrong. My family also agreed the same and my husband kept asking for more cake and THAT is a green signal for me.
Ingredients:

All purpose flour- 1.5 cups
Baking Soda – 1tsp
Sugar- 1Cup
Salt- ½ tsp
Oil- 5 tbsp
White Vinegar- 1 tbsp
Vanilla essence – 1 tsp
Cold water – 1 cup


In a mixing bowl sift flour, salt, sugar and baking soda. Mix well. Add in Oil, Vinegar, Vanilla Extract and Water. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together with a hand blender until there are no lumps. Pour batter into a greased baking pan . Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 mns. Poke a toothpick or fork into the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready. Remove pan from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes before flipping it over onto a platter.


Now I know Vinegar is good for cakes too. After mixing the batter, I tried it and I couldn’t taste the vinegar, that gave me some hope. But waited to confirm on that till the end. The result is good.

Biscotti


This is the second posting i am planning to send to Respost event started by Desi soccer Mom. My posting looked like this. Atleast now my blogger friends would see my work.

Actually this batch was my second attempt. The first batch was totally burned, i write down all the recipes before i make, just outline. Hmm so the baking time got mixed with another recipes and instead of 350, i baked it at 450. So you can imagine how it would have turned up. I was getting excited since i planned on starting a blog and posting this. So the first batch went staright to trash, had to start over and the 2nd attempt turned out good.

My husband and mom love biscotti and the second attempt was worth. The result: they loved it and i am happy.






Since it’s holiday season I made cranberry and almond biscotti, you avoid these and you will get the plain ones. It’s very similar to shortbread cookies in versatility. You can add almost anything to it and alter to your taste buds. To make it more rich, melt some semi sweet chocolate or white chocolate and dip them. It pairs well with tea or coffee.

Ingredients

• all-purpose flour- 2 cups
• baking powder -1 1/2 teaspoons
• sugar- 3/4 cup
• unsalted butter, room temperature -1/2 cup (1 stick)
• grated lemon zest ( i used pure vanilla essence)- 1 teaspoon
• salt- 1/4 teaspoon
• large eggs- 2
• almonds, coarsely chopped ( toasted) -3/4 cup
• dried cranberries- 2/3 cup

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, butter, lemon zest (or essence), and salt in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the almonds and cranberries.

Form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 30 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.

Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.


Eggless Tiramisu


When Desi Soccer Mom announced the reposting event, this is one of the postings that came to my mind. Initial postings are those that never get any comments or the spot light. I remember how I used to get up in the morning and run to laptop, just to see the comments. So let me try introducing my Tiramisu once again. My earlier post looked like this. In my first posting i forgot to add the Eggless Cake Recipe, which i have added here. Also i thought of using cake fingers cause i couldn't find eggless lady finger in store, so just thought of experimenting with cake fingers instead.

I wanted to make it eggless cause my mom was fasting on Friday and X'Mas happened to be on that day.
So keeping mommy dearest in mind i made this, unfortunately my mom had it only the next day cause it has Kahlua and Marsala wine.
If you don’t want to add alcohol, pls don’t .This won’t drastically change the taste, In the original recipe, there was no liquor as the cake was originally aimed at children and the elderly

Ingredients:

Eggless Sponge cake – 40 Slices

Soaking Syrup

Coffee Powder ( instant)- 5Tbsp
Hot Water- 1Cup
Kahlua or any coffee liqueur - ¼ cup

Cheese Mixture

Mascarpone cheese- 3 cups (24 OZ)
Cream Cheese - 8 OZ
Vanilla Essence - ½ tsp
Marsala Wine- ½ Cup
Confectioner Sugar - ½ Cup

For Dusting

Cocoa Powder

Cream Topping:

In a bowl, with a wooden spoon or hand mixer, beat the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese until it is soft and smooth. Add marsala wine , sugar and vanilla essence and beat until smooth.

Coffee Soaking Syrup:

In a large shallow bowl combine the coffee powder (instant), hot water, and Kahlua. Set aside.

To Assemble:

Dip sponge cake slices in the coffee mixture and place them side by side in a single layer over the bottom of the pan. Spoon 1/2 of the cream filling over the cake layer, making sure they are completely covered. Repeat with another layer of cake slice by dipping them in the coffee mixture and placing them on top of the cream. Again, cover the cake layer with rest of the cream. Sift the cocoa powder over the cream cheese. Cover the Tiramisu and refrigerate at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

I am sending this Repost event hosted by Desi Soccer Mom

Monday, February 1, 2010

Stuffed Chicken Lollipop in Manchurian Sauce


This is another appetizer for parties. When you cut the wings, there will be 3 pieces. One is the drum stick; second one that looks like wings and the third is the tip. The wing piece (with two bones) is good for stuffing; I have used the wing piece for this recipe.

This can be served with or without sauce. I made a Manchurian sauce and tossed the fried lollipops.

Ingredients:

Chicken wings- 2 lb

Marinade:

Garlic Paste or minced- 3 Tbs
Soy sauce- 2 Tbs
Chilli Powder- According to taste

Filling:

Paneer chopped- 100gms
Onion chopped: ½
Coriander Leaves chopped- 6-7 springs
Green Chillis: 1 chopped
Ginger- garlic chopped – to taste (optional)
Salt- to taste

For Dipping & Coating:

Egg- 2
Bread crumbs: 1 cup
Oil: for frying

Sauce:

Garlic chopped – 5 tbsp
Green chilies chopped – according to taste
Onion Chopped- ½
Capsicum cut into cubes- ½ (optional)
Soya Sauce – 1 tbsp
Green Chilli Sauce – 1 tbsp
Tomato Ketchup – 3 tbsp
Salt – add only if needed
Oil – as needed
Coriander leaves – for garnishing
Spring onion chopped- a small bunch
Cornflour- ½ tsp
Water- ½ cup

Method:

Clean and dry the wings. Cut the wings into 3 parts and discard the tip. The second piece has two bones, cut the flesh around the bone. Hold it down on the cutting board and slowly push the meat down. Then slightly twist one of the bones and take it out.

In a bowl mix garlic, soy sauce and chilli powder. Add the clean wings and marinate it for 30 mns.

In another bowl mix chopped paneer, coriander leaves, g.chillis, onion, garlic ginger chopped and salt.

Fill the meat pockets with stuffing.

Whisk egg in a bowl. Dip the stuffed lollipop in egg and coat with bread crumbs and gently put it into the oil. Fry it in 4- 5 batches .Fry it until golden brown in color. Drain into a tissue paper and keep them aside and allow it to cool.

Sauce:

Heat little oil in a pan, add chopped onion,green chillies,garlic and saute them for a while. Add capsicum and saute. Now add soya sauce,chilly sauce and tomato ketchup. Mix them well, check for salt. Mix ½ tsp cornflour to ½ cup water and simmer it. Once it’s cooked well add the lollipops . Slowly mix them together until all the lollipops are well coated with the sauce. Add spring onion and coriander leaves and toss it well for few minutes. Serve immediately.


Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Award Time





Wow !! My first award ,I am really excited to receive this award from Saraswathy and Swathi.

Thanks Saraswathy & Swathi.


This Kreativ Blogger Award comes up with some set of rules and here are the rules


1.Thank the person giving the award.

2.Copy the award to your blog.

3.Place a link to their blog.

4.Name 7 things people don't know about you.

5.Nominate 7 bloggers

6.Place a link to those bloggers

7.Leave a comment letting those bloggers know about the award.




7 things about me


I love snow.

I am scared of spider.

I love to watch cartoon.

I love cooking and eating.

I love to play games with my son.

I love long drives.

I hate summer.

Now I pass this award to my fellow bloggers:-

Sangeetha

Shabs

Nisha

Priya

Padma

Priya

Rachana

Broccoli Stir Fry/ Broccoli Thuvaran



Ingredients:

Broccoli Steamed – 2 cups
Chopped onion- a small piece
Shredded coconut- ¼ cup
Cumin seed- 1tsp
Garlic- 2 Cloves
Curry Leaves- 1 spring
Chilli powder- to taste
Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp
Salt- to taste
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Urad daal- 1 tsp

Method:

Grind coconut,cumin seeds, garlic, chilli powder, turmeric powder and few curry leaves coarsely. In a pan heat a tsp oil and splutter mustard seeds and urad daal. Then add chopped onion and saute’ till translucent. Add the ground coconut mixture and fry for 2 mns. To this add the steamed broccoli and mix it well. Add salt. Serve with rice.

Monday, January 25, 2010

Chicken Lollipop



This is a great finger food and a perfect appetizer for parties. When you cut the wings, there will be 3 pieces. One is the drum stick; second one that looks like wings and the third is the tip. The drumstick piece is good for this recipe and I have used that piece in this recipe. The wing piece (with two bones) is good for stuffing, well I tried that too.


Ingredients:

Chicken wings- 2 lb

Marinade:

Garlic Paste or minced- 3 Tbs
Soy sauce- 2 Tbs
Chilli Powder- According to taste

Batter:

Egg- 1
All purpose flour: ½ cup
Cornflour: ¼ cup
Garlic Paste or miced: 3-4 tbs
Salt: to taste
Chilli powder: to taste
Soy Sauce: 2: Tbs
Oil: for frying

Method:


Clean and dry the wings. Cut the wings into 3 parts and discard the tip. Take the piece, cut the flesh around the bone. Hold it down on the cutting board and slowly push the meat down. The second piece has two bones, follow the same method and push the flesh down. Then slightly twist one of the bones and take it out.

In a bowl mix garlic, soy sauce and chilli powder. Add the clean wings and marinate it for 30 mns.

In another bowl mix together all the ingredients with water. The batter should be thick enough to coat the lollipop. Heat oil in a big wok, dip each lollipop in the batter and gently put it into the oil. Fry it in 4- 5 batches .Fry it until golden brown in color. Drain into a tissue paper and keep them aside and allow it to cool.

Serve with ketchup.
All recipes are on Petitchef

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