Divya's culinary journey

Whole Wheat Strawberry Banana Muffins (Egg-less)

2013-06-14T18:14:00.002-04:00

Today's recipe is Strawberry Banana Muffins.I had ripe bananas and strawberries at home and My kids love muffins.So decided to bake muffins in that combination. I wanted them to be healthy so used whole wheat flour. The muffins were so soft, moist and delicious. Kids loved these muffins and they got over the same day of baking.

Whole wheat Strawberry Banana Muffins

What are the ingredients needed?

Whole wheat flour, 1 cup

All purpose flour, 1/4 cup

Baking powder, 1 teaspoon

Baking Soda, 1/2 teaspoon

Salt, 1/4 teaspoon

Low fat yogurt, 1/4 cup

Light brown Sugar, 1/4 cup

Honey, 1/4 cup

Milk,1/4 cup

Oil,1/4 cup

Vanilla Extract, 1 teaspoon

Strawberries(hulled & diced), 1 cup

Ripe Bananas, 2 nos.

Egg-less Strawberry Banana Muffins

How it is made?

Pre-heat the oven to 350 F.
Prepare the muffin pan by greasing and flouring it or just by using paper liners. Keep it aside.
Peel the skin of the bananas, mash them well and keep them ready.
In a bowl, first combine together all the dry ingredients(Whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda & salt).
In another bowl mix together yogurt, light brown sugar, honey, oil, milk, vanilla extract and mix well.
To this mixture add the flour and mix well.
Then add the mashed bananas and strawberries and mix till they are combined well.
Pour this batter in the prepared pans till they are 3/4th cup full and bake for 15- 20 minutes till they are done (to check if it is done, insert the tooth pick and it has to come out clean).
Let the muffin cool for few minutes before removing from pan.
Remove from the pan & Enjoy the muffins.

It yields 12 muffins.

Notes:

You can adjust the sweetness of the muffins as per your taste.
Oven timings varies with oven, check yours accordingly.

Mango Chocolate Marble Cake- Egg less and Butter less

2013-06-11T00:55:00.003-04:00

Today's recipe is Mango Chocolate Marble Cake. I baked this for the Home baker's Challenge started by Priya Akka. Last month I hosted the event and the challenge was Pizza . This month my friend Sangee is hosting the event and she selected Mango chocolate Marble cake for this month. She suggested both cake with egg and cake without egg. To know more about Home Bakers Challenge click here.

I chose to bake the egg less and butter less version. The Cake came out so soft and delicious, only thing is that I couldn't get the marble pattern right. We all enjoyed the cake a lot. Thanks to Sangee for the wonderful challenge.

Eggless Butter less Mango Chocolate Marble Cake

What are the ingredients needed?

All Purpose flour, 2 cups

Baking powder, 1 1/2 teaspoon

Baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon

Salt, 1/2 teaspoon

Oil, 1/4 cup

Light Brown sugar, 1/2 cup

Mango Pulp, 1 cup

Vanilla Extract, 1 teaspoon

Yogurt, 1/4 cup

Milk, 1/4 cup

Cocoa powder, 3 Tablespoon

Warm water, about 2 tablespoons

Soft and delicious Mango Chocolate Cake

How it is made?

Pre heat the oven to 350 F.
Prepare the loaf pan by greasing it and flouring it. Or you can grease and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
In a bowl sift together the dry ingredients( all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and Salt) and keep it aside.
Then in another large bowl, first add oil and sugar, mix and then add mango pulp, milk, yogurt, vanilla extract and mix well.
To this mixture add the flour mixture and mix well.
In a small bowl, take cocoa powder and add warm water and mix to make a paste.
Divide the cake batter into two and add cocoa paste to one half and mix well till it is well combined.
Then in prepared cake pan first pour the mango batter and then the mango cocoa batter and make swirls.
Bake for about 50 minutes till the cake is done. You can check the done-ness of the cake by inserting the tooth pick, it has to come out clean.
Let the cake cool for 5 minutes, remove from the pan and let it cool completely before slicing it.

Slice, serve and enjoy!

Mango Chocolate Marble cake- Egg less & Butter less

Notes

You can use fresh mango pulp instead of the canned mango pulp. Since I used the canned pulp, I got a bright color. Color may not be as bright when using the fresh pulp. It depends on the variety of mango you use.
I used sweetened canned mango pulp, so used only 1/2 cup of sugar. If you are using fresh mango pulp, adjust sweetness accordingly.
Baking time varies with each oven. My cake was ready in 50 minutes. Check yours accordingly.
Wait till the cake cools completely before slicing it.
I used 9 inch loaf pan. Instead of it, you can use other types of cake pan too.

This is off to the Home Bakers Challenge @ Spicy Treats

Thatta Payir Kuzhambu/ Karamani Kara Kuzhambu

2013-06-06T00:47:00.000-04:00

Today being the first Thursday of the month , it is time for something Vegan. I am part of the event hosted by Priya Akka -Vegan Thursdays. So I am posting thattai payir kuzhambu. It is a spicy tangy gravy made with Thatta payir which is also known as karamani. It is healthy and delicious.

Coming to the recipe

What are the ingredients needed?

Thatta Payir/Cow peas, 1 cup

Oil, 2-3 teaspoon

Mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds, 1/2 teaspoon

Pearl Onions, 5-6 nos

Garlic pods, 4-5 cloves

Curry leaves, 1 sprig

Tomatoes, 1 no

Asafoetida, a pinch

Turmeric powder, 1/4 teaspoon

Chilli powder, 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder, 1 tablespoon

Tamarind, small lemon ball sized

Salt, as needed

To grind

Grated coconut, 1/4 cup

Onion, 1 no.

Cumin seeds, 1/2 cup

How it is made?

Soak thattapayir for atleast 30 minutes and pressure cook it.
Soak tamarind in water and extract the juice and discard the pulp.
Grind coconut, onion and cumin seeds together into a fine paste.
In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and fry for a minute. Then add the chopped pearl onions, garlic and curry leaves and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Then add the tomatoes, asafoetida, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and cook till the tomatoes turn mushy.
Then add the ground coconut paste, cooked thattapayir, extracted tamarind juice mix well. Then add water to get the required consistency. Add salt mix well and bring this to boil and let it simmer till the oil starts separating (in low flame it takes around 8-10 minutes)
Turn off the heat and serve with rice and appalam or any other vegetable side dish of your choice.

Notes

Instead of pearl onions you can use regular onions too.
You can grind the tomatoes along with the coconut paste.

This is off to Vegan Thursdays. To know more about the event click here

Soft and Moist Chocolate Cake (Eggless) with Chocolate Ganache

2013-06-04T00:18:00.001-04:00

Today I am sharing with you egg-less version of Chocolate cake. Recently my Mom's birthday came and I wanted to bake a cake for her. Though she is India and am here in US, at least wanted to give her a visual treat, She loves chocolate a lot, so baked a chocolate cake. I have already posted Chocolate cake with egg but this time tried an egg less version. The cake came out so soft and moist. I baked a single layer cake and covered it with chocolate ganache. It is definitely a treat for the chocolate lovers.

Recipe Source: Chow times

What are the ingredients needed?

All Purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups

Baking soda, 1 teaspoon

Salt, 1/4 teaspoon

Cocoa Powder, 1/4 cup

Brewed coffee, 1 cup

Sugar, 1 cup

Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon

Lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon

Oil, 1/4 cup

How it is made?

Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Prepare the cake pan by greasing it and flouring it or instead line it with parchment paper.
In a large bowl ,sift the dry ingredients( All purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt) together. Keep it aside.
In another bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients (brewed coffee, vanilla extract, lemon juice and oil) with sugar, till the sugar is completely dissolved
Add this mixture to the flour mixture and mix well.
Pour this batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 15- 20 minutes till the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool and remove it from pan.
The cake is ready for decorating. If not decorating, can slice and serve now.

Chocolate Ganache:

Ingredients required

Semi sweet chocolate chips, 1/2 cup

Heavy whipping cream, 6 tablespoons

Butter, 1 tablespoon

How it is made?

Cook the chocolate chips and whipping cream in the top of a simmering water, add butter, stirring occasionally till it is warm, smooth and shiny.
Let this ganache cool down lightly, then spread this evenly on the cake.

Notes:

You can double the recipe, if you are planning for a double layer cake.
The original recipe used vinegar instead of lemon juice. You can use vinegar too.
If you don't prefer adding brewed coffee, you can add water instead. But I feel coffee enhances the chocolate flavor.
You can decorate as per your personal preference.

Linking this to Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party @ Walking on Sunshine

Chicken 65- Indian Style Fried Chicken

2013-06-01T12:56:00.003-04:00

Today's recipe is Chicken 65- Indian style Fried Chicken.I used to wonder earlier how the dish got the name. There are different stories for that. If you know, you can share it here. Though every one at home love chicken 65, the biggest obstacle is deep frying. So I prepare this very rarely at home. But recently when I prepared this, kids really enjoyed eating chicken 65. So I thought it is time to blog about this and here I am with the recipe.

Chicken 65

Coming to the recipe

What are the ingredients needed?

Boneless Chicken, 1 lb

Ginger garlic paste, 2 teaspoon

Turmeric Powder, 1/4 teaspoon

Chilli powder, 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder, 2 teaspoon

Cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoon

Pepper powder, 1/2 teaspoon

Curd/yogurt, 2 tablespoons

Lemon juice, 2 tablespoons

Salt, as needed

Corn flour, 2 tablespoon

Rice flour, 1 tablespoon

Egg, 1 no

Food colour, as needed

Oil, to deep fry

To garnish

Raw onions

Lemon wedges

Curry leaves, deep fried

Restaurant style Chicken 65

How it is made?

Wash, clean and cut the chicken into small bite size pieces about 1" to 11/2" cube.
Mix together ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, pepper powder, yogurt, lemon juice and salt. Apply this mixture to the chicken pieces till it is well coated and let it marinate for atleast 2 hours- 3 hours. Leave it in the refrigerator.
Take this out and to this add corn flour, rice flour, one egg (well beaten) and food color and mix well till all the pieces are well coated.
Then heat oil, and deep fry this chicken in batches.
When all the chicken are fried, you can fry 1-2 sprigs of curry leaves and use them to garnish.
Garnish with raw onions, lemon wedges and deep fried curry leaves and serve it.

Notes:

The more time you marinate the better. I usually marinate it overnight.
Before deep frying, will let it sit in room temperature for 10- 15 minutes and then will deep fry it.
The temperature of the oil is more important for getting the crispy fried chicken.It should be neither too hot nor less hot. Test by adding a small piece and then Fry the chicken in batches.
When one batch is taken out, temperature of oil will come down, wait till it increases and then add the next batch.

Aval Upma/ Poha Upma- Simple South Indian Breakfast Recipes

2013-05-30T12:37:00.001-04:00

I am part of a group of bloggers who participate in an event started by Priya Akka called Vegan Thursdays, where we post Vegan dishes every first and last Thursday of a month. Today being the last Thursday of May, it is time for a Vegan dish. My recipe for this Vegan Thursday is Aval Upma.

Aval Upma / Poha Upma is a simple breakfast recipe. It is very easy to prepare and is ready in minutes. So when there is crunch for time, surely this dish comes in handy. There are lot of variations that can be made with this aval/poha. Today I am posting the basic upma recipe. I have posted another poha recipe with variation-Peas Pohe, some time back.

Aval Upma

Coming to today's recipe

The ingredients needed:

Aval/ Poha/ Flattened Rice Flakes - 2 cups

Oil, 2-3 teaspoons

Mustard, 1/2 teaspoon

Urad dal/ Ulutham paruppu/ Black gram, 1 teaspoon

Peanuts, a handful (as needed)

Large Onion, 1 no

Green Chillies, 2-3 nos

Grated Ginger, 1 Tablespoon

Curry leaves, 1 sprig

Salt as needed

Poha Upma

How it is made?

Wash Poha in running water and drain the excess water and let it aside.
Heat oil in a skillet, add mustard seeds, when they crack add urad dhal, Peanuts and fry for a minute.
Then add chopped onions, slit green chillies, grated ginger and curry leaves and saute for few minutes, then add the soaked poha and salt to taste, mix well and serve.

It serves 2-3 persons.

Notes:

If the poha is thick, then let it soak in water for 5 minutes, then squeeze and drain the excess water and use.
If poha is thin, washing will be enough. So depending on the variety of the poha you use follow the procedure.
I have used roasted peanuts. If using raw peanuts, roast before and use. If you dont prefer peanuts you can omit them.
Instead of Urad dhal, you can use channa dhal/kadala paruppu too. You can also use a combination of both.

This recipe is off to Vegan Thursdays , to know more about the event click here

Naan Recipe using yeast -Cooking on Stove top

2013-05-28T00:49:00.001-04:00

Naan is a leavened flat bread usually cooked in the clay oven(tandoor). Everyone at home just love this naan and I make it often at home in the stove top using yeast. The naans come out really soft and fluffy. I wanted to share this recipe for so long, but couldn't get the pictures. So finally I am posting this recipe here.

What are the ingredients needed?
Warm water (@temperature of 110F), 3 Tablespoons
Active dry yeast, 2 1/4 teaspoon (1 packet)
Sugar, 1 teaspoon
Warm milk, 1/2 cup
Yogurt, 1/4 cup
Melted Butter, 4 Tablespoons
All Purpose flour, 3 cups
Baking Powder,1/2 teaspoon
Salt, 1 teaspoon
Melted butter, as needed

How it is made?

In a bowl, mix sugar dry yeast and warm water and let it sit for 6-7 minutes till it is frothy.
In another bowl combine All purpose flour, baking powder and salt.
To this add the warm milk, yogurt melted butter and mix well and keep kneading, then add the yeast mixture continue to knead, (if water is required add little) keep kneading until the sticky dough turns out to be pliable dough and is not sticky.
Take a bowl and grease it with butter and place this dough in the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or damp kitchen towel and let it rise for 3-4 hours or until it is doubled in size.
Then punch the dough and knead for few minutes. Divide the dough into equally sized balls and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Then using rolling pin roll the balls into the shape of the naan.
Heat tawa/griddle on high heat , apply melted butter on the naan and gently lay it on top of the griddle and cook till bubbles start to appear on the surface of the naan, then apply butter to that side and flip it to the other side and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Repeat the process till all the prepared naans are cooked.
Serve it warm with side dish of your choice

Butter Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting - Birthday Cake Ideas

2013-05-24T00:55:00.001-04:00

Today's recipe is Butter Cake with Chocolate Butter cream Frosting, the cake I baked for my son's second birthday. Actually my son cut 3 cakes for this birthday. Cake 1 was baked by Thaara with little help from me, though the decoration is all hers. It was cut in the midnight. Cake 2 is this cake, We cut in the evening of his birthday after coming from temple. Then Cake 3, for the Party, which we got from store.

The recipe of the cake I got from Wilton site. I just halved the recipe, since I didn't want a large cake. I made a 2 layered 9 inch diameter round cake, filled it with chocolate whipped cream and then covered it with chocolate butter cream frosting.

Butter Cake

Recipe Source: Wilton

What are the ingredients needed?

Butter, 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks)

Sugar, 1 cup

Eggs, 3 nos

Vanilla Extract, 1 teaspoon

Almond Extract, 1/4 teaspoon

All Purpose Four, 1 1/2 cup

Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon

Salt, 1/4 teaspoon

Milk, 1/3 cup

How it is made?

Pre heat the oven to 325 F.
Prepare two 9" dia cake pans by greasing and flouring it.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together till it is light and fluffy.
Add eggs, one by one and continue to beat and add vanilla extract and almond extract and mix well.
In another bowl, Sieve together all purpose flour, salt and baking powder.
Add the flour mixture little by little to the butter mixture, alternating with milk and mix well to form a homogeneous mixture.
Divide the batter equally in the prepared cake pans and bake for 17-20 minutes till it is done.
Cool the cakes for atleast 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Chocolate whipped cream (for the filling & decoration)

Recipe Source: Joy of Baking

What are the ingredients needed?

Heavy whipping cream (cold), 1 cup

Un-sweetened Cocoa powder, 2 Tablespoons

Sugar, 3-4 Tablespoons

Vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon

How it is made?

Place the mixing bowl and the whisk in the freezer for atleast 15-20 minutes.
In the bowl place sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract, to this add 2-3 tablespoons of heavy cream to form a thick paste.
Then add the rest of the heavy cream and start to beat it till it forms stiff peaks.
Cover and refrigerate it till it is ready to use.

Chocolate Butter cream frosting

What are the ingredients needed?

Butter, 1/2 cup

Powdered Sugar, 1 1/2 cup

Unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 cup

Vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon

Milk, 2 tablespoon

How it is made?

In a mixing bowl beat the butter till it is smooth and creamy.
Then add the cocoa powder and vanilla and continue to beat.
Then gradually add sugar little by little and continue to mix and add milk and whip till the frosting is light and fluffy.

For the final assembly

Butter cake
Chocolate whipped cream
Chocolate Buttercream frosting
White candy pearls (for decorations)

How it is made?

Level the cakes, if required. The domes formed in the cake is sliced to give a even surface.
Place one layer of cake and spread chocolate whipped cream then place the other layer of the cake.
The spread the chocolate butter cream frosting on the cake till the cake is fully and evenly covered in all the sides.
Then fill the piping bag with whipped cream frosting and using star tip made stars all around the cake in the bottom and also in the top. Place candy pearls on top of each star.
You can use any other decoration of your choice.

Notes:

I used two 9 inch dia cake pans. you can also use 8 inch dia cake pans.
You can double the recipe for a thicker layer. then accordingly the baking time increases.
The whipped cream I prepared was right enough for the filling and the star tip decorations in the cake. You can use whipped cream for frosting the cake too.

My Son's Birthday Party Menu- Indian Party Menu Ideas

2013-05-22T00:11:00.000-04:00

My Son turned 2 last week and we had a birthday party at home. Just thought will share the party menu here. We had invited around 35 guests with 50% of vegetarians and 50% of non vegetarians. So I wanted options for both. So accordingly did the menu planning. I cooked for the party and of course my friend Geetha helped me by preparing rasam and with frying the pakodas. I was so satisfied with the way the dishes turned out and the guests loved it too.

Party Menu Ideas

The Menu for the Party is as follows:

Starter/Appetiser:

Main Course:

Vegetable Biryani
Chicken Dum Biryani (recipe to be posted soon)
Raitha-accompaniment for biryani
White Rice
Paruppu Rasam(recipe to be posted soon)
Thayir Semiya/ Curd Vermicelli(recipe to be posted soon)

Desserts

Mambazha Payasam/ Mango Kheer/ Aam ki Kheer

2013-05-20T19:22:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends,

You might wonder where I disappeared suddenly. It has been more than a week since I posted anything, blog hopped or even I haven't been active in Facebook. My son turned 2, last week and we had a party this weekend. Preparing for the party and cooking took up all my time so couldn't spend time for blogging. Now that the party is over, I am back to blogging and will be sharing the recipes I made for the party in the coming days.
Today's recipe is the Mango Kheer I made for the party and I am so glad that everyone loved this kheer.

Mango Kheer

What are the ingredients required?

Vermicelli, 2-3 Tablespoons
Milk, 3 cups
Condensed milk, 1/4 cup
Sugar, 2-3 tablespoons
Mango Pulp, 1 cup
Ghee, 2-3 Teaspoons
Raisin, 7-8nos.
Cashews, 7-8 nos
Cardamom, 4 nos.
Pistachios, for garnishing.
Fresh mango, (peeled and diced), 1 no. (optional)

Mambazha Payasam

How it is made?

Peel the cardamom, discard the skin and Powder the seeds with a tablespoon of sugar and keep it aside.
In a pan heat a teaspoon of ghee and fry the vermicelli till it is lightly golden.
Then add the milk to it and let it simmer till the vermicelli is cooked.
Then add the sugar and condensed milk and bring it to boil and let it simmer for few minutes.
Then add the powdered cardamom mix well and turn off the heat.
Then let it cool completely, then add the mango pulp and mix well.
Fry cashews and raisins in ghee and then mix with this and also add the diced mangoes and mix well and serve.
It tastes best when served cold.

Mango Payasam

Notes:

I have used canned sweetened mango pulp so used less sugar. In case if you are using fresh mango pulp adjust the sweetness accordingly. If you prefer less sweet you can omit the sugar too.
Instead of vermicelli you can use sago/javvarisi too. I have prepared this combo once before and i just loved the combo.
The kheer can thicken up after sometime, so before serving dilute it with milk to the required consistency.
The amount of cashew and raisins can be added as per your personal preference.
Adding fresh fruit is purely optional. But I would recommend adding it.

Naan+ Pizza = Naanizza (Pizza with Indian Touch)

2013-05-13T16:55:00.000-04:00

Today's recipe is Naanizza. You might wonder what naanizza is? With naan as a base, paneer gravy as sauce and with bell pepper and mozzarella made these pizza. It tasted awesome and everyone at home just loved this.This is so easy to make and is ready in few minutes. This is a great way to use leftover naan too. I made this naanizza for the Home baker's Challenge started by Priya Akka. I have already posted Basil Pesto Pizza for the challenge.

Naanizza

Recipe Source: US Masala

What are the ingredients needed?

Naan Bread, 2 nos.

Paneer masala, 1/2 cup - 1 cup (depending on the size of the naan)

Bell pepper, 1/4 (diced)

Shredded mozarella, 1/4 cup or as needed

Olive oil, as needed

Pizza with Indian Touch

How it is made?

Preheat the oven to 425F
Brush olive oil in one side of the naan and place it on a baking sheet and bake for 3 minutes.
Then take out, spread the paneer masala as needed, leaving 1/4 inch border around the naan. Then arrange the diced bell pepper, and then sprinkle mozzarella and bake for 6-7 minutes.
Then take out, slice and enjoy.

Notes:

You can use home made or store bought naan.
Depending on the size of the naan the requirement of gravy varies. My naans were on the smaller side and they required less than 1/2 cup of the masala.
You can use any other gravy of your choice too.
You can use different toppings of your choice too.
The quantity of cheese is also based on your personal preference.

This is for the Home baker's Challenge . If you are interested to join this challenge this join our Facebook group

Basil Pesto Pizza with Tomato & Mozzarella (Personal Pan Pizza)- For Home Baker's Challenge

2013-05-09T23:51:00.002-04:00

The much awaited time is finally here. The reveal date of the first Home Baker's Challenge started by Priya Akka. To know more about Home Baker's Challenge, click here. This month I am hosting the event and the challenge for the month is Pizza. We gave 4 different pizzas - One pizza with pizza sauce, One without pizza sauce, then a pizza with pesto and the fourth is pizza with Indian touch, Naanizza. The bakers can pick the pizza of their choice and bake. The choice of topping is theirs. The idea is to familiarize them with baking pizza.

For this Challenge, I picked Pesto Pizza. The pesto is used instead of the regular pizza sauce. I made basil pesto pizza with tomato and mozzarella and also made them as personal pan pizza. The pizza crust was so soft and pesto was full of flavor. Everyone at home loved this pizza. I am going to bake pizza quite often from now on.

Basil Pesto

Coming to the recipe,
For Basil Pesto

Recipe Source: Martha Stewart

What are the ingredients needed?

Basil, 2 cups

Walnuts, 1/4 cup

Olive oil, 1/4 cup

Garlic, 2-3 cloves

Ground pepper, 1 teaspoon

Salt, to taste

How it is made?

In a food processor, pulse the walnuts first.
Then to that add garlic and pulse. Then add basil leaves, salt and ground pepper and pulse.
Then add olive oil and run till it is smooth.

Notes:

You can use blanched almonds instead of walnuts too.
You can use this pesto to the pasta too. Cook the pasta as per package instructions, mix this pesto and serve.
This can be prepared in bulk and frozen too. Thaw and use as required.

Basil Pesto Pizza with Tomato & Mozzarella- Personal Pan Pizza

Personal Pan Basil Pesto Pizza

Recipe Source: Martha Stewart

For the pizza dough,

Warm water, 1 1/4 cup
Sugar, 1/4 teaspoon
Dry active yeast, 2 1/4 teaspoon
Salt, 1 teaspoon
All purpose flour, 2 3/4 cup+ more for dusting
Olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoon + more for the bowl

For the assembly

Fresh mozzarella (thinly sliced),8 oz.
Basil Pesto from the above, half the quantity
Tomatoes, 3 no's (thinly sliced)
Grated Parmesan, 1/2 cup

Basil Pesto Pizza with Tomato and Mozzarella

How it is made?

Making pizza dough:

Take warm water, mix the sugar and yeast and let it sit for 7-8 minutes till the yeast becomes frothy.
In a bowl combine all purpose flour, salt and to this add the yeast mixture and start kneading.
Then add the olive oil and continue to knead. The dough will be sticky knead till the dough is not sticky anymore.
Take a bowl, oil the surface and place the dough and cover it with plastic wrap and place the set up in a warm spot till the dough has doubled, almost 45 minutes.
Then punch on the dough, knead for few minutes and let it rise for another 40 minutes.
Now again punch the dough and knead for 3-4 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts.
Roll them into balls and let it sit for another 5 minutes

Making Pizza - Assembly

Preheat the oven to 450F.
Take a round cake pan, oil the surface and take one dough ball and roll out and place on the cake pan such that it fits the cake pan with the raised edges.
Then spread the basil pesto, arranged the sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and sprinkle grated parmesan on the top and bake till the edges turn golden brown and the cheeses are melted, approximately 15 minutes.
Take out and slice and serve immediately.

It yields 4 personal pan pizzas.

Notes:

I made personal pan pizzas so used round cake pan of size 8" diameter.
You can also make 2 regular pizza of 14"- 16" diameter. It depends on the thickness of the crust.
If using pizza stone, pre-heat the pizza stone for at least 30 minutes before transferring the pizza on it to bake.
Also while using pizza stone, sprinkle/dust corn meal all over the base of the pizza so that it slides from the pizza stone.
You can add toppings of your choice too. Increase or decrease the cheese as per your personal preference.

Please find below the pizzas baked by the other home bakers.

Note: Persons part of the Home Baker's Challenge only link your pizzas here. If you are interested to know more about the Challenge and want to be a part of it click here

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2013-05-08T02:10:00.000-04:00

Today's recipe is Pineapple Upside Down Cake. It has been a while since I baked a cake and I had a pineapple sitting at home. So tried this Pineapple upside down cake and it came out really wonderful. My kids loved it and it was over so soon. I am looking forward to bake it again.

Recipe Source: Joy of Baking

What are the ingredients needed?

For the Topping:

Butter(unsalted), 1/4 cup

Light Brown Sugar, 3/4 cup

Pineapple, 1 (peeled, cored and sliced)

Candied Cherries/ Maraschino cherries (optional)

For the Cake

All Purpose Flour, 1 1/2 cup

Baking powder, 2 teaspoons

Salt, 1/4 teaspoon

Butter(room temperature), 1/2 cup

Sugar, 1 cup

Vanilla Extract, 1 teaspoon

Eggs, 2 nos.

Milk, 1/2 cup

Cream of tartar, 1/4 teaspoon

How it is made?

Preparations.

Prepare the 9 inch cake pan by greasing and flouring it.
Break open the eggs, separate the egg whites and yolks and set them aside.
Preheat the oven to 350F

For the Topping

In a saucepan, add butter and sugar and stir in a medium heat till the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.
Then continue to cook without stirring until the bubble starts to appear around the edges. Now turn off the heat and pour it into the prepared pan.
Next arrange the sliced pineapples on top of the mixture. You can also arrange cherries, if you want.

For the cake Batter:

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
In another bowl beat butter and sugar till they are fluffy.
Scrape the sides of the bowl and add vanilla extract and mix well. Continue to beat adding one egg yolks at a time.
To this add 1/2 of flour mixture and 1/2 of milk mix well. Then add the rest of the flour and milk and mix well.
Take a clean bowl whisk the egg whites with cream of tartar until it forms a stiff peak.
With a spatula fold the egg whites gently with this mixture.
Pour this batter to the prepared cake pan, smooth the top evenly and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the tooth pick inserted comes out clean (make sure the toothpick doesn't get inserted all the way through the fruit)
Let it cool for 10 minutes. Then run a knife around the edges and turn it upside down on a serving plate.

Slice the cake and serve.

Notes:

You can also use canned pineapples instead of Fresh Pineapples.

Aloo Methi - Announcing Vegan Thursday

2013-05-02T11:58:00.004-04:00

We a group of food bloggers started a new event and named it as Vegan Thursdays, this event starts from today. The main motto of this event is to share vegan dishes from any cuisine. Most of our Indian foods are vegan, obviously most of our daily routine foods we make or eat are vegan without our knowledge.

Vegan'ism means abstaining from the use of animal products. Vegan peoples do not use dairy products,eggs,and any other animal derived substances like honey in their cooking.So we a bunch of food bloggers will be showcasing our vegan foods during Thursdays this event will held twice a month. We will be posting the first week's Thursday and last week's Thursday of every month. This Vegan Thursday do not have any theme and the choice of the recipes prepared by each blogger being part of this event depend upon their choice.

Anyone interested in joining us, please leave your email id in the comment section and we will contact you.

So for this event, I made Aloo Methi- Potatoes cooked with Fenugreek leaves. Who does not like potatoes? The potatoes get an incredible flavor from the fenugreek leaves. Also these are healthy. They can be a wonderful side dish almost for anything, be it rice or rotis.

What are the ingredients needed?

Potatoes- 3-4 nos (medium sized-peeled & chopped to cubes)

Fenugreek leaves- 2 cups (cleaned & Chopped)

Onion - 1 small sized (chopped)

Oil, 1 Tablespoon

Cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon

Dry red chillies, 2-3 nos.

Asafoetida, a pinch

Garlic, 3-4 cloves(finely minced)

Ginger, 1 small piece(finely minced)

Turmeric Powder, 1/4 teaspoon

Chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon

Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon

Salt, to taste.

Amchoor Powder, 1/2 teaspoon(optional)

How it is made?

Heat oil in a skillet, add cumin seeds and then add red chillies and fry for a minute.
Then add chopped onion, ginger, garlic and asafoetida and saute for few more minutes.
Then add the turmeric powder, Chilli powder, Coriander Powder and chopped potatoes, mix well. Then add salt to taste, mix well, sprinkle some water and cover and cook till the potatoes are half cooked.
Then add chopped and cleaned fenugreek leaves, mix well and sprinkle some more water(if needed), check the salt and cover and cook till it is completely cooked.
Then add amchoor powder, mix well and serve.

Notes:

If you dont prefer onion, garlic, ginger you can avoid them.
Adding amchoor powder is optional.
You can also prepare aloo methi in this method-

Boil, peel and cube the potatoes.
Heat oil in a skillet, fry cumin seeds, chillies, asafoetida and other listed ingredients.
Then add the fenugreek leaves, mix well, cover and cook.
To this add the chopped potatoes and mix well, cook for 2 more minutes and then turn off the heat.

Please Hop on to check what our other friends have cooked for Vegan Thursdays

1) Sangee 2) Manjula 3) Nalini 4) Vardhini 5) Viji 6) Priya Akka 7) Nayana 8) Sujitha

Linking this Viji's Show your style to the world- Series 4

Mango Kulfi

2013-05-01T00:27:00.003-04:00

Today's recipe is Mango Kulfi. The weather is getting warm here and It feels nice to have something cold. Recently I came across this recipe from Nalini's site. I had all the ingredients and was easy to make. So decided to give it a try. Wow! It was so yummy & we all loved it.

Recipe Source: Nalini's Kitchen

What are the ingredients needed?

Milk, 2 1/2 cups

Condensed milk, 1/2 cup

Milk powder, 1/4 cup

Cardamom, 3-4 nos.

Sugar- 2 Tablespoons

Mango Pulp, 1 cup

How it is made?

Powder the cardamom along with sugar and set it aside.
In a heavy bottom pan, mix milk, condensed milk, milk powder without any lumps, heat it and bring it boil, and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes, add the powdered cardamom mix well & Turn off the heat and let it cool down.
Once it is completely cooled, mix mango pulp to this and pour the mixture into the kulfi/popsicle mould and freeze it for 6-8 hours for it to set completely.
Un mould the kulfi and serve.

Notes:

I have used sweetened condensed milk and sweetened canned mango pulp, so except for powdering the cardamom, I have not added any extra sugar.
In case if you are using fresh mango pulp, then add sugar according to your taste.
To un mould the kulfi, run it in tap water for 30 seconds and pull them gently.

Linking this to Viji's Show your Style to the world - Mango.

Bisi bele Bath

2013-04-28T18:53:00.002-04:00

Today's recipe is Bisi bele Bath. It is the rice cooked with lentils and vegetables with some aromatic spices. Being a South Indian, I love Bisi bele bath a lot. I have had them in restaurants and functions but have never tried making at home. I wanted to try at home and was googling for the recipe, most of them had a lengthy process, but I wanted a simple and easy to make version, mostly as a one pot meal. Then I came across this recipe at Sangee's space. I tried this and absolutely loved it. If you are looking for easy to make, simple version of bisi bele bath recipe, here it is.

Recipe Source: Spicy Treats

What are the ingredients needed?

To roast & Grind

Methi seeds, 1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon

Peppercorn, 7-8 nos

Coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon

Red chillies, 3-4 nos

Cinnamon stick, 1 small piece

Cloves, 3- 4 nos

Cardamom, 3 nos

Poppy seeds/kasa kasa, 1 teaspoon

Grated coconut, 2 tablespoon

To temper

Oil, 2 teaspoons

Ghee, 2 teaspoons

Mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon

Red chillies, 2 nos.

Curry leaves, 2 sprigs

Asafoetida,a pinch

Other ingredients

Rice, 1 1/2 cup

Toor dhal, 3/4 cup

Mixed Vegetables, 3 cups (3 carrots, 2 potatoes, 12-15 beans)

Capsicum/Bell pepper, 1/2

Pearl onions, 8-10 nos.

Tomatoes, 1 no.

Tamarind, a lemon ball size

Chilli powder, 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon

Turmeric Powder,1/4 teaspoon

Sambhar powder, 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

How it is made?

Soak rice and toor dhal separately for at least 30 minutes.
Then take all the ingredients listed under ' to roast & grind' and roast them and let them cool and grind them to powder.
Soak the tamarind and extract the juice. Keep it aside.
Pressure cook the dhal till its half done and set them aside.
In a pressure cooker, heat oil+ghee, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and when they crack, add red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida and fry them for a minute.
Then add onions and fry till they turn lightly golden brown. Then add bell pepper,tomatoes and fry for a minute, then add sambar powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and mix well and saute for a minute.
To this add the vegetables mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Then add around 8 cups of water and bring it to boil.
To this add the half cooked dhal, rice and mix well, then add the tamarind extract and mix well. Then add the ground masala, required salt and mix well and close the lid and pressure cook it for 1-2 whistles.
Then wait till the pressure releases and then stir well and serve it warm.

It serves 4 persons.

Notes:

You can add any vegetables of your choice. I have added carrots, beans and potatoes.
Since the vegetables are being pressure cooked, I cut them in big chunks.
The amount of water added depends on the quality of your rice and dhal and also the consistency of rice you require. If you like the rice to be less mushy, reduce the water. So adjust it accordingly.

Fish Biryani /Meen Biryani/ Machli ki Biryani

2013-04-27T01:04:00.002-04:00

Today's recipe is Fish Biryani, which I prepared specially for my brother. Few days back I got a mail from my brother asking for the recipe of Fish Biryani. So I was determined to try and post it before the weekend. He is staying too far from me that I cant cook for him, at least can give him a virtual feast. Since Fish is so tender, it might break into pieces if cooked as a one pot meal in a pressure cooker.So prepared this fish biryani using dum method. First I fried the fish, prepared gravy, Cooked rice and assembled them all together in layers cooked in Dum and it was ready. Though it is a long process, it was worth the effort. I was so happy with the outcome. It was so delicious and flavorful.

What are the ingredients needed?

To marinate the fish

Fish , 1 lb

Ginger garlic paste, 1 teaspoon

Chilli powder, 1/2 teaspoon

Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder, 1/4 teaspoon

Garam masala, 1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Lemon juice, 2 Tablespoon

For the rice

Oil, 2 teaspoon

Fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon

Cardamom, 3 nos.

Cloves, 3 nos

Cinnamon stick, 1 inch small piece

Bay leaves, 1 no

Star Anise, 1 no

Green chillies, 2 nos.

Ginger Garlic paste, 1 teaspoon

Water 6 cups

Rice, 2 cups

Salt to taste

For the Gravy

Oil, 2 teaspoon

Fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon

Cloves, 3 nos

Cinnamon stick, 1 small (1" long)

Bay leaves, 1 no.

Tomatoes, 2 nos.

Ginger garlic paste, 1 teaspoon

Mint leaves, a handful

Cilantro, a handful

Turmeric powder,1/4 teaspoon

Chilli powder, 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder, 2 teaspoon

Yogurt, 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Other ingredients

Onions, 1 no (large)

Oil (to shallow fry fish, frying onions)

Saffron food color

Cilantro, 2 hand fulls.

Lemon juice, from half lemon

How it is made?

Preparations:

Chop and fry the onions and keep them ready.
Dissolve the food color in 2 tablespoon water and keep them ready.
Soak rice for 30 minutes.

Preparing the fish:

Clean and wash the fish and marinate them with the ingredients listed and set them aside for at least 30 minutes.
After that, shallow fry them on both sides and keep them aside.

Now for cooking rice:

Take a pan heat oil, add fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leave, star anise and fry for a minute or two.
Then add green chillies and fry then add water and bring it to boil.
To this add the soaked rice, reduce the temperature and cook till the rice is 90-95%.
Then drain the excess water and keep it aside. (save a cup of water drained from this for future use).

To prepare the gravy:

Heat oil, add fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon & bay leaf and fry for a minute or two.
To this add tomatoes, turmeric Powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and ginger garlic paste, mint leaves and cook them for few minutes.
Then add yogurt and cook them for few minutes.
To this add the reserved cup of water from rice and simmer for few more minutes and turn off the heat.

Final assembly:

Take a heavy bottomed pan. Grease the pan with oil.
First add the gravy on the base, then a layer of rice, sprinkle some fried onions, small handful of cilantro, then arrange fish in this layer , sprinkle some gravy on the fish then another layer of remaining rice and again sprinkle the fried onions, cilantro and gravy. Finally drizzle the dissolved food color on the top equally over the rice. Cover it with a heavy lid.(such that steam cannot escape)
Cook this set up on low flame for 10-15 minutes .

Then open the lid, squeeze some lemon juice, gently fluff it up and serve.

Notes:

I have used King fish. You can other fishes too which doesn't have much bones.
While frying the fish take care not to fry it too crispy.
Use the same pan prepared for frying the fish to make the masala gravy too. So that the fish flavors are incorporated into the gravy too.
Soak the fish in little bit of gravy for few minutes before starting the layering process.
Take care the rice is not fully cooked (just a tad under cooked) and make sure to drain the water properly from rice.
If you want you can fry some cashews in ghee and use them as garnish too.
Drizzling the food color is optional.
Adjust the spice according to your personal preference.

Spinach Pasta- Easy Pasta Recipes- Healthy & Vegan

2013-04-24T22:19:00.000-04:00

We are pasta fans and I keep trying different combinations each time. Since I make pasta often at home, I keep it simple and mostly make them without cheese. Recently I posted another easy pasta recipe- Lemon Garlic Pasta. Today's recipe is Spinach Pasta. I have posted Spinach Rice too with similar combination.

What are the ingredients needed?

Pasta, 1/2 lb

Olive oil, 2-3 teaspoon

Cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon

Onion, 1 no.(small)

Garlic, 3-4 cloves

Dried red chillies, 2-3 nos.

Spinach, 1 1/2 cup (cleaned and chopped)

Ground pepper, 1/2 teaspoon

Salt, to taste.

How it is made?

Cook pasta as per package instructions. Once they are cooked, drain them and set them aside.
Chop the onions and mince the garlic and keep them ready.
Heat oil in a skillet, add cumin seeds and dry red chillies fry for a minute. Then add the chopped onions and minced garlic and saute for few minutes.
Then add the spinach and salt to taste and cover and cook in low flame till the spinach is cooked.( It takes only few minutes)
Then add the cooked pasta to this and add the ground pepper mix well and serve.

Notes:

I have used angel hair pasta. You can use other types of pastas too.
While cooking pasta, add salt and oil to the water.
Adding dried red chillies are optional. You can omit it if you don't prefer it.
Instead of fresh spinach, you can use frozen spinach too.

Linking this to Julie's Flavors of Italy hosted by Priya Akka

Channa Pulao /Chickpeas Pulao

2013-04-23T00:07:00.003-04:00

Today's recipe is a easy one pot meal made with Channa/ Chickpeas- Channa Pulao. It is so flavorful and very healthy. Though it is very easy to make, it requires planning ahead, so that the chickpeas are soaked and are ready in time for cooking. It is perfect for packing lunch.

What are the ingredients needed?

Channa/ Chickpeas, 1 cup

Basmati rice, 2 cups

Oil, 2-3 teaspoons

Fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon

Bay leaf, 1 no.

Star Anise, 1 no.

Cloves, 3-4 nos.

Cinnamon - 1" long

Onion, 1 no.

Green Chillies, 2 nos

Tomatoes, 2 nos.

Mint leaves, one handful

Ginger garlic paste, 2 teaspoons

Turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon

Chilli powder, 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder, 2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Lemon juice, from half lemon

Cilantro, handful

How it is made?

Soak Channa overnight, preferably 6-8 hours. Drain and keep them aside ready for cooking.
Then in a pressure cooker, heat oil add fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and star anise and fry for a minute or two.
Then add onions and green chillies and saute till the onions turn translucent.
Then add tomatoes, ginger garlic paste and mint leaves and saute till the tomatoes turn mushy.
Now add Turmeric, Chilli and coriander powder and cook for couple of minutes.
To this add the soaked channa, rice and water (4 cups), cover and pressure cook till it is done.
Wait till the pressure is released, open the lid, gently fluff the rice,squeeze lemon juice, mix well and garnish with Cilantro and serve it.

Notes:

Instead of Kabuli Channa, you can use black chickpeas too.
Adjust the chilli powder based on your taste.
If you like to have more channa you can increase the channa quantity, for one cup of rice you can add 3/4 cup of channa.

Linking this to Pari's Only Legumes event guest hosted by Nalini

Boondi Laddu/ Boondhi Ladoo

2013-04-19T11:15:00.000-04:00

Today I am posting Boondi laddu recipe. As the Tamil New year and vacation came, me and my friend Geetha planned to make sweets. When we asked the kids, they wanted halwa and Laddoo. So made them and kids enjoyed it. The newest fan for Laddu is Tejas and he calls them 'LATTA'. We have made this laddu once before too together, that is for Diwali.. Actually she made this as I watched her. ;) She is a very good cook and I am lucky to be near her to enjoy her cooking often. The Laddu tasted awesome and so I wanted to post this in the blog too.

What are the ingredients needed?

To make Boondi

Besan flour/ Kadalai maavu- 1 cup

Water, as needed

Oil, as needed for frying.

To make sugar syrup

Sugar, 2 cups

Water, 1 cup

Other ingredients

Ghee, 2-3 Teaspoons

Cashew, 7-8 nos

Raisins, 10-12 nos.

Cardamom, 4 nos. (powder them with 2 tablespoons of sugar n keep them ready)

How it is made?

First prepare the sugar syrup by mixing 2 cups of sugar with a cup of water and boil till you get one string consistency and turn off the heat.
Mix besan flour and water, such that the batter is in the consistency of dosa batter.Take care not to add too much water, so add water little by little.
Heat oil in the kadai. Hold the boondi karandi or a perforated laddle on top of the hot oil and pour the besan batter on the laddle and spread the batter in that, so that the batter is dropped in the oil in form of small balls/ Boondis. Fry them and remove them once they are done.Drain them and transfer them to the bowl with prepared sugar syrup.Sugar syrup should be still warm when the boondis are added.
Repeat the process and for the rest of the batter.
Fry raisins and cashews in ghee and add to boondi- sugar syrup and also the powdered cardamom. Mix them well and let them rest for half an hour. Sometimes for an hour or two till its easy to form the ladoos.
Then apply ghee to hand and roll them into balls and let them rest for few more minutes and then store them in airtight containers.

Note:

To check the one string consistency of the sugar syrup, when they are boiling, drop a little in a small cup of water and the syrup shouldnt be dissolved in the water, but when you touch it with two fingers(thumb and index finger) together then a string has to be formed when you move them apart.
While frying check the temperature of the oil. Once you remove a batch, if the oil is not hot enough then wait for the temperature to rise, before adding the new batch.
Also regularly wipe the back of the boondi karandi/ perforated laddle regularly to get the proper shape of boondis.

Mini Mango Cheesecake - Eggless & No Bake

2013-04-16T20:40:00.001-04:00

Spring is here, so is the vacation for Thaara. She is at home, so keeping her occupied and doing referee job between her & Tejas takes up most of the time. So I hardly get time for blogging. This week it is going to be like that. Hopefully next week, as school starts, things should be back to normal, so is my blogging.

Today I am posting the recipe of Mango cheesecake, I prepared for Baking Partners. Thanks to Swathi and Sweatha for the selection of recipe. Loved this yummy cheesecake. I halved the recipe and made it in mini spring form of 4" dia. and got 2 mini cakes. The cake came out wonderful, but was in a hurry to click pictures before the sun went down, so even before the glaze set well, clicked pictures. Will update new pictures soon. And even before I finished clicking my son was ready to dig in.

Recipe Source: Divine Taste

What are the ingredients needed?

For the base:

Digestive biscuit/ Graham crackers (powdered), 3/4 cup

Butter, 1/4 cup(room temperature)

For the filling

Yogurt, 1 1/2 cup

Paneer, 1 cup

Agar Agar, 7.5 gms

Water, 3/4 cup

Mango Pulp, 1/2 cup

Vanilla Extract, 1/2 teaspoon

Powdered Sugar, 3/4 cup

For the glaze

Mango Pulp, 1/4 cup

Water, 1 Tablespoon

Sugar, 1 Tablespoon

Lemon Juice, 1/2 Tablespoon

Preparation:

Place yogurt in a cheesecloth lined strainer/ colander, with a vessel underneath to collect the whey water. Place this set up in the fridge overnight. The hung yogurt would have almost reduced to half (compared to the original quantity).

How it is made?

The base:

In a food processor powder the graham crackers, add the butter and process again till they are well blended. Equally divide the mixture into 2 mini spring form pans and with the spoon spread & press the base evenly and let them set in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.

The Filling:

In a food processor, process together hung curd and Paneer till they are well blended and set them aside.
Break the required agar agar filaments and soak them in water for about 10 minutes till they are soft. Then heat them in low flame till they are well melted.
In the meantime heat the mango pulp in medium flame.When it is still hot, add this mixture to hot agar agar solution little by little, constantly stirring till they are well blended.
In a mixing bowl, transfer the cheese mixture and add the mango- agar agar solution little by little and mix well. Then add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix well.
Divide the mixture equally and pour them in the prepared pans and let it set for at least 3-4 hours.

The Glaze:

Place all the ingredients listed for 'the glaze' in a sauce pan and heat it. As it comes to boil, lower the heat and let it cook for another 3-4 minutes.
Then turn off the heat and let it come to room temperature.
Spread this on the cheese cake and let it set for another 3-4 hours and then slice and serve.
Make sure that the cheese cake is properly set before spreading the glaze.

It yields 2 mini cheese cakes of 4" diameter.

Notes:

I have used canned mango pulp. You can use fresh mango too.
Instead of paneer, you can use cottage cheese too, but make sure that you strain all the liquid before starting the process.
You can also use powdered unflavored gelatin (5gm) instead of agar agar.
Adjust the sweetness of the cake as per personal taste.
If you want you can double the recipe to make a regular size cheese cake in 8 inch dia spring form pan.

Also linking this to All my bloggy friends# 49 @ Love Bakes Good Cakes

Strawberry Pancakes

2013-04-12T11:34:00.001-04:00

Today when I asked to Thaara what she wanted for breakfast, she said PANCAKES. We had picked a box of strawberries while we went for grocery shopping and there were some left waiting to be used and also its her favorite fruit. So made Strawberry pancakes. It was soft and fluffy,with strawberries in each bite- they were too good. The pancakes are not very sweet but you can enjoy drizzling some honey or maple syrup for sweetness.

What are the ingredients needed?

All purpose flour, 1 cup

Baking powder, 2 teaspoon

Salt, 1/2 teaspoon

Egg, 1 no (lightly beaten)

Honey, 2 tablespoon

Melted butter, 2 tablespoon

Milk, 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoon

Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon

Strawberries, 1 cup (hulled and chopped)

How it is made?

In a bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt and add egg, milk, honey, butter & vanilla extract and mix till they are well blended.Then fold in the strawberries.
Heat griddle. Apply butter and pour a laddle full of batter on the griddle and lightly spread it.
When the bubbles start appearing on the surface of the pancakes, turn them to the other side and cook for few more minutes till its lightly golden brown.
Serve warm drizzling honey or maple syrup.

Serves 3-4 persons.

Notes

You can replace honey with sugar too.

Kothamalli Chutney/ Coriander Chutney- Side dish for Idly, Dosa

2013-04-10T10:31:00.001-04:00

Today I am posting a simple chutney recipe- Kothamalli/Cilantro chutney made with coconut. It is my favorite chutney. I love cilantro flavor a lot and also its color. Also it is very easy to make and it is a wonderful side dish for Idly & Dosa.

What are the ingredients needed?

Cilantro, Cleaned & Chopped, 1 1/2 cup

Grated coconut, 1/4 cup

Green chillies, 2 nos.

Tamarind, a small piece

Oil, 2-3 teaspoons

Mustard seeds, 1/4 teaspoon

Urad dhal, 1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

How it is made?

Grind cilantro, green chillies, grated coconut and tamarind into a fine paste. Add little water if needed while grinding.
Add the required salt, adjust the thickness/ consistency of chutney adding water as per your preference.
Then heat oil in a skillet, add mustard seeds and when they crack add urad dhal and fry for a minute or two till they are lightly brown. Turn off the heat and add this tempering to chutney, mix well and Serve.

Carrot Soup - Easy and Healthy

2013-04-08T19:44:00.003-04:00

I was once a person who was not so fond of soups. But recently I have developed liking for soup and every now and then I make it at home. But of course I have not blogged about them. Yesterday I made carrot soup for my guests and they were so good I couldn't resist myself from blogging about it. This is a very healthy soup and also very easy to make.

What are the ingredients needed?

Carrots, 4 nos.

Olive oil, 2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon

Onion (large), 1 no.

Ginger(grated), 1 tablespoon

Green chillies, 2 nos.

Water, 2 1/4 cup

Milk, 1/2 cup

Cilantro, to garnish

How it is made?

Wash, clean and cut the carrots into small cubes.
Peel the onions and chop them too.
Slit the green chillies.
Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and fry for a minute or two, then add onions and green chillies and saute till the onions turn slightly brown.
Then add the grated ginger and carrots and add salt for the carrots and 1/4 cup of water and cover & cook in low flame till the carrots are cooked.
Then add another 2 cups of water and boil for few minutes and add 1/2 cup of milk and continue to simmer for another 3-4 minutes and turn of the heat.
Then transfer the contents into a blender, puree them.
Serve garnished with Cilantro.

Serves 4 persons.

Announcing Home Bakers Challenge

2013-04-08T08:30:00.000-04:00

We are a group of friends who love baking have joined hands together. Our motive is to learn and excel in baking, helping each other. One fine day, we were discussing about Baking and its techniques and suddenly we got an idea what if we start a group and bake together, so that we can learn things together. Thus this group, Home Bakers Challenge was born. This is how it works, every month one person of the team will suggest a recipe and all the members have to bake the recipe and reveal it on the said date. By doing this we get to learn new techniques and explore the side of baking which otherwise we would not have ventured so. With the support and suggestions from the group members this is possible. Do you find this interesting? Do you love baking? Do you want to learn new techniques? If your answer is yes, then come and join hands with us.

We have created a group in Face book, do join us there, for more information on the our Facebook group.