Faiza Ali's Kitchen

Matar Paneer

2011-12-05T18:10:00.006Z

Matar paneer is a famous south Indian curry made with green peas and Indian cheese-Paneer. I have mentioned even in my earlier paneer posts that my family loves paneer dishes....if there is anything my family loves after non-veg it has to be paneer. And thus I keep trying various dishes to see those happy smiles.

And after I learned making this curry, it has become our favourite paneer dish . Specially my 4 year old son loves this curry and I still remember that day when I cooked this for the first time and my son came to me after dinner, hugged me and said ''I love you sooo much mommy and I love your cooking. Thank you for cooking this yummy paneer for me.'' Now, that was the best ever compliment I had got from my little boy. At first I thought it was because of the conversation he had with his friend that evening, which I overheard from the kitchen :)
My son : '' what did you eat for dinner today?''
His friend: ''I had soup''.
Son: ''Soup? Again? ''
Friend: ''Yes..why ?''
Son: ''Every time I ask you, you always say soup or bread and chocolate spread. You know...my mommy cooks yummy dinner everyday.''

But then, I was wrong. He really liked this even the next time and keeps asking for this dish ever time he sees paneer in our refrigerator.

And now coming to the recipe, this is a very easy recipe which will give you the same restaurant taste at home. I have made this countless times and it has never failed to impress my family and my guests. So go ahead and give it a try.

MATAR PANEER
Recipe source : vahrevah.com
Serves-5

Ingredients:
250 grams Paneer -cut into cubes,
1 1/2 cup Green peas,
6-7 cashew nuts,
2 medium Onions- finely chopped,
4-5 large Tomatoes,
1 tbsp ginger paste,
1 tbsp garlic paste,
1/2 cup of cooking oil,
1 tbsp of red chilli powder,
1 tsp coriander powder,
1/4 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tsp cumin powder,
1 tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek seeds,
2 cloves,
1 bay leaf,
2-3 cardamom pods,
1 cinnamon stick,
1/2 tsp cumin seeds,
salt to taste,
fresh coriander leaves and
cream for garnishing (optional)

Method:
Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a wok/ kadai, add the cashew nuts and saute till light brown, add finely chopped onions and around 1 tsp of salt. Cook till the onions turn light brown in colour, now add the turmeric powder, ginger paste and garlic paste and saute for 1-2 minutes and add finely chopped tomatoes. Cover and cook till the Tomatoes become soft -around 10-15 minutes. Blend this whole mixture to a smooth paste and keep aside.

Now heat the remaining 1/4 cup of oil in the same kadai add cumin seeds, when they splutter, add the whole garam masala - bay leaf, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and saute for 1 minute. Add the grinded smooth paste back to the kadai and add chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and mix well. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring to a boil and cook on medium flame for 10-15 minutes - until the sauce thickens a little bit. Now add kasuri methi (dry fenugreek seeds), Paneer cubes and green peas and cook on low flame for further 10 minutes and switch off. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves and cream with hot and fresh rotis or naan.

Notes:
One can use either fresh shelled green peas or frozen green peas for this recipe. If using fresh add them before adding paneer and cook for 5 minutes because thay need more time to cook. I used frozen peas for this recipe.
If you don't like whole garam masala in you curry, you can skip it and add 1/2 tsp of garam masala powder instead to the gravy.

Sending this to Priya's event CWS- Peas .

Strawberry Panna Cotta

2011-10-04T13:44:00.004+01:00

Hi all,

Phew !!! Finally I managed to come back to my blog after a looooong gap of 4 months. The past few months had been very very hectic and busy with summer holidays and BBQ parties many friends and relatives visiting us and not to forget my Lil boy keeping me busy througout the day and as many bloggers out there must be aware of how hard it becomes to get back on to blogging if you stay away from it for a long period of time. I really really meant to get back to my blog every day but somehow kept procrastinating it day by day and week by week and I can't tell how much I missed blogging and all my blog friends here. But I am soo happy that I FINALLY managed to sit down and write a post today :)

Today I bring to you the famous Italian dessert Panna Cotta. Its a very creamy, yummy and a very easy dessert. I am sure most of you know about panna cotta. but if you have not heard of it before hre is a little intro about it. Panna cotta is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set. So, if you have never tried this elegant and creamy dessert go ahead and try it NOW and believe me you will be very pleased by yourselves for whipping up this easy dessert which requires only few ingredients.

STRAWBERRY PANNA COTTA

Ingredients :
250 grams fresh strawberries-pureed
300 ml fresh cream,
1/2 cup sugar and
2-3 tbsp of agar agar flakes / powder.

Method:
Strain the pureed strawberries and in a saucepan mix together the cream, sugar and the pureed strawberries. Cook this on low heat for 8-10 minutes and remove off the heat. Let it cool slightly. Meanwhile in another saucepan, cook the agar-agar in 2-3 tbsp of water until it dissolves completely. Add this to the cooked cream stirring constantly and mix well. Pour into cups or ramekins and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or overnight.

This can be eaten straight from the bowl in which it has been set or it can be inverted onto a plate and served topped with strawberry coulis.

STRAWBERRY COULIS

Ingredients:
200 grams of fresh strawberries,
3-4 tbsp of sugar and
1/2 tsp of lemon juice.

Method:
Blend starwberries in a blender(without adding any water). Add to a pan with the sugar and the lemon juice, bring to a boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Strain and let it cool completely. Spoon it on top of the Panna Cotta just before serving or you can top this sauce on the panna Cotta and let it set in the refrigerator till ready to serve.

Notes:
Gelatine is 'THE' ingredients that sets this dessert but as I don't use gelatine, I substituted it with agar agar(a seaweed), which is a vegetarian alternative to gelatine.
You can subtitute the strawberries with any other fruit of your choice like raspberries, black berries or mangoes. Or you can just make plain vanilla pannacotta by adding few drops of vanilla essence to the cream while cooking.

Fruit and Nut Raita

2011-05-06T13:47:00.007+01:00

Raitas are always served to cool the effect of hot curries or spicy Biryani. And as we all know that the cucumber and mint raita or raita with nicely cubed raw vegetable are best combinatins and and the most common raitas.But have you ever had a fruit and nut version of it? If no...then you should try this one.It has a distinctive flavour with a little bit of sweetness and and with nice flavour from the roasted cumins.

FRUIT AND NUT RAITA

Ingredients:
2 cups plain yougurt,
100 grams green seedless grapes,
2 firm bananas,
1/2 cup shelled walnuts,
1 tsp granulated sugar,
salt to taste,
1 tsp freshly ground cumin seeds and
1/4 tsp red chilli powder to garninsh.

Method:
Place the yogurt/curd in a bowl and add the grapes and wlnuts. Slice bananas directly into the bowl and fold in gently before the bananas turn brown.

Add the sugar, salt, ground cumin and gently mix together. Chill and just before serving , sprinkle the chilli powder and garnish with few extra grapes and walnuts.

Beef Vindaloo

2011-05-06T10:47:00.008+01:00

Vindaloo - yummm...just the name 'vindaloo' makes me hungry anytime. The first time I ever tasted it was when I made this Lamb Vindaloo and I can still remember the taste and the effect it left on my tastebuds :) And this beef version is equally awesome and tasty. Actually the lamb vindaloo I had posted earlier has more gravy and this is more like a dry version and also the spices used in this recipe are different. Do try it and believe me you will be craving for more.

Tradionally this fiery Goan dish is made with wine. But still substituting the wine with vinegar and blending the vinegar with aromatic spices gives this recipe a distinctive flavour.

BEEF VINDALOO
Recipe source- Best Ever Indian cookbook

Ingredients:
1 kg lean beef-cut into cubes,
1 tbsp cumin seeds,
4 dried red chillies,
1 sp black peppercorns,
cardamom seeds-from 5 pods,
1 tsp fenugreek seeds,
1 tsp mustard seeds,
1/2 tsp salt,
1/2 tsp demerara sugar,
4 tbsp white vinegar,
2 tbsp of cooking oil,
1 large onion-finely chopped,
1 tbsp ginger paste,
1 tbsp garlic paste,
1 tsp coriander powder and
1/2 tsp turmeric powder.

Method:
Put the cumin seeds,red chillies, peppercorns, cardamom seed, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds into a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Spoon into a bowl and add the salt, sugarand vinegarand mix to a thin paste. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a heavy pan and fry the onion for 10 minutes. Put the fried onions and the spice mixture into a food processor or a blender and make a coarse paste.

Now heat the remaining oil in the pan and fry the meat cubes for about 10-15 minutesuntil lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep aside.In the same remaining oil add the ginger -garlic paste and fry for 2-3 minutes, add coriander powder and turmeric powder and stir for another minute. Add the spice and onion paste to this and fry for 5 minutes.Now return the beef cubes to the pan with 1 1/2 cup of water. Cover and simmer for around 1 hour or until the meat is tender. Serve hot with plain and yellow rice or with naan/chapathi.

Note:
You can just serve this with plain rice or if you want to serve as in the picture above. Infuse a pinch of saffron strands or dissolve little turmeric in a tbsp of hot water. And stir into half of the cooked plain rice and mix the yellow rice into the plain rice.

Blueberry Trifle

2011-04-12T13:02:00.006+01:00

I am sure everyone is enjoying the beautiful and bright days of spring after the long grey winters. Spring is my favourite season of the year and I am sure its yours too. Thats because its a season of changes and it brings freshness to our lives and we see so many changes happening around us like the birds chirping happily, new leaves growing on the dry branches, beautiful beds of daffodils growing everywhere and also for me the most exciting part about this season is hosting parties and inviting friends for BBQ parties. We just had a BBQ day last weekend and I can't wait for the weather to get better so we can have more fun . And I love to end these parties with yummy and easy-peasy desserts. And this Blueberry trifle is one of my favourite spring/summer desserts. If you prepare the sauce ahead, its just a matter of assembling this.

Trifles are usually served in tranparant bowls/glasses to show the different layers in it. So make sure you are either using a big serving bowl or individual glasses for this. Traditionally alcohol is sprinkled on the layers of pound cake. But because we don't consume alcoholic drink, I have replaced it by making a vanilla syrup. So, go ahead and try this easy dessert and believe me you would be very pleased to see the pleasant smiles on your guest's face.

BLUEBERRY TRIFLE
Adapted from Joy of Baking
-serves 4

Ingredients:
8 slices of sponge cake/ pound cake,
3-4 tbsp vanilla syrup,
1 cup fresh Blueberries,
1 cup Blueberry sauce,
1 cup heavy whipping cream,
1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese,
1/2 tsp vanilla essence,
3 tbsp granulated sugar and
3-4 digestive cookies/ gingersnap cookies.

For Bleueberry sauce:
1-2 cups fresh Blueberries,
1/2 cup of sugar,
1 tbsp of cornstarch and
juice of half lemon.

For vanilla syrup:
1/2 cup of water,
2 tbsp of sugar and
1 tbsp of vanilla essence.

Method:
Using a cookie cutter cut the pound cake slices into 8 rounds according to the diameter of the glasses you are serving the trifle in. Now in a bowl, place the whipping cream, mascarpone cheese, sugar and vanilla essence and whip till soft peaks.

To make the blueberry sauce:
Combine all the ingredients listed above in a non stick saucepan and cook over a medium heat until the sugar melts, the blueberries break and cook till it reaches the consistency of a sauce. Cool in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To make the syrup:
Put all the ingredients- water, sugar and vanilla in a bowl and mix till well blended and keep aside.

To assemble:
Place 1 round slice of the pound cake at the bottom of the glass, sprinkle with 1 tsp of the vanilla syrup, And spread around 1 tbsp of the prepared blueberry sauce on the pound cake. Place some fresh Blueberries and place a dollop of whipped cream-mascarpone mixture. Now repeat another layer and refrigerate for 4-6 hours or till ready to serve. Just before serving sprinkle with some crushed cookies and top it with few fresh blueberries.

Note:
Refrigerating the Trifle will allow all the flavours to mingle and makes it more tasty. So its always better to prepare this dish in advance and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

You can replace the blueberry sauce with any jam or fruit preserve. And also if you don't have whipped cream-mascarpone mixture, you can just use whipped cream or just plain old custard between the layers.

Curried Carrot Soup

2011-03-22T12:40:00.010Z

Hi All,

I am back again with a new post after a long gap of almost 4 months and believe me it was not easy for me to stay away from my blog..but I had to because of many personal reasons. And I am sure all my blogger friends out there know how hard it gets to come out of this non-blogging habbit(specially after such a long gap). I am trying so hard to get back on the track and to post regularly like before. So, here I am with my new post or should I say my first post of this year.

Here is how I make my carrot soup.. being someone who loves spicy food, I love to have curried carrot soup instead of the bland(yet easy peasy) version , where you just boil the carrots with the stock and puree it and top it with some seasoning . So here goes the recipe for the soup...lets enjoy this hot soup one last time, before we say goodbye to cold winters and warm clothes.

CURRIED CARROT SOUP

Ingredients:
500 grams Carrots- chopped,
1 Onion-chopped,
2-3 cloves of fresh garlic -chopped,
3-4 cups Chicken stock/ vegetable stock,
1-2 tbsp butter / vegetable oil,
1 tsp red chilli powder,
1/4 tsp coriander powder,
1/2 tsp pepper powder,
a pinch of garam masala,
1/2 cup sour cream(optional)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice and
salt to taste.

Method:
Heat the butter/ oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic and saute for 15 -30 seconds over medium heat. Add the onions and the carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add all the spices- chilli powder, pepper powder, corinader powder, garam masala and mix well and add salt to taste. Now add the stock and bring to a boil. Simmer and cook till the carrots become tender.
Puree this in a blender, in small batches until smooth . Bring back to a boil on simmer and add salt if needed. Add the lemon juice and serve hot with sour cream or Crème fraiche or freshly chopped coriander leaves.

Note:
If using store bought stock, make sure you add very liitle salt, because the stock already contain salt in it. Or check and add the salt after you puree the carrots.

I am sending this to Ramana's event - Treat to eyes:Series-2.

Best of 2010

2010-12-31T22:54:00.005Z

Wishing all my friends and readers a very Happy and Prosperous NEW YEAR. I finally managed to come here and do a last post of 2010 :) This year has been like a roller coaster ride for me...I took too many breaks from my blogging and could post only few recipes compared to last year. But I am happy to say that I learned and explored many new and different cuisines this year. And I promise to back next year with many more recipes and try my best to be active every month in posting on my blog and visiting other food blogs. For now...here are the best recipes and most liked recipes of 2010 on my blog.

1. Box of Chocolate Cake

2. Classic Carrot Cake

3. Black Forest Cake

4. Sesame Naans

5. Portuguese custard tarts

And here are few of my personal favourites...

1.Shakshouka

2 Tiramisu cake

3.Baked blueberry cheesecake

4. Bread Chaat

5. Achari gosht

Cherry and Blueberry Clafoutis

2010-11-25T19:14:00.003Z

Have you ever noticed the difference in taste when you buy fruits from the supermarket and the ones that you buy from the Local farmer's market. If not.. than let me tell you that the local farmer's markets always sell fresh fruits grown locally .and organically and thus the taste is always much much better than the store bought fruits. Though they have short shelf life, I love the fresh taste of their fruits.

So, for me farmer's market is my favourite place for buying our fruits and veggies. We always make it a point to go there once in a week to buy fresh produce. And during one of my visits to the local farmer's market, I grabbed these juicy and fresh cherries.They were so sweet and tasty and not to forget about their freshness. And I had bought too many cherries that week, so I decided to make Clafoutis with them. Actually this post was looong due (more than 2 months) in summer ..but as I was not very active in my blog, I am posting this now.Anyways, its better now than never..right?

Clafoutis or clafouti pronounced kla-foo-TEE is a very famous baked French dessert made commonly with fresh cherries layered in a dish and covered by a thin batter. And served with generously dusted icing sugar.It is traditional to use the cherries with their pits as it is believed that the pits release a nice aroma to this delicious dessert.And here in this recipe, I have used the cherries with their pits. But, I know that many people out there would not like biting into the pit in their dessert. If you are among those, you can pit the cherries before baking.

CHERRY AND BLUEBERRY CLAFOUTIS

Ingredients:
400 grams of cherries
100 grams of Blueberries
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs-lightly beaten
4-5 tbsp fine sugar
250 ml milk
50 grams unsalted butter-melted
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract and
Icing sugar for dusting

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180 C/350 F. Butter a shallow oven proof dish . Place the cherries and berries in the dish. In a bowl, mix the flour, milk, sugar, eggs , melted butter and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. pour over the fruits and bake in the pre heated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. When warm, dust with icing sugar and serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or crème frâiche.

Notes:
Don't over beat the mixture. Just mix very lightly until well blended and smooth.
Like I said earlier, I have used the cherries with the pits. But one can pit them, before using for clafaoutis with a cherry pitter.
I had blueberries, so I just added them to this clafoutis. But you can entirely use cherries or with any other favourite fruit of yours.

This yummy French dessert is off to DK's event AWED hosted this month by Priya of Priya's easy N tasty Recipes and AWED is celebrating French cusine this month.

Bhindi do Pyaza /Stir-fried Okra

2010-11-19T21:44:00.006Z

As I had written in this post that,how the other I was having a good time cooking all vegetarian food when my hubby was not in town. And also was soo happy to cook food specially for myself, which I never bother to do otherwise. So...when I cooked Tawa Pulao I wanted a vegetarian side dish instead of the usual non-veg ones. And I decided on this Bhindi do Pyaza , which I had learned from one of my friend. And loved it to the core.

Bhindi known as 'Okra' in English or 'Ladies finger' as we had always known it in India has always been my fav fav vegetable of all. I just love any and every dish with Okra. And whenever I go to an Indian store for grocery, I never fail to pick some fresh Okras (ladies finger). My favourite sabzi (side-dish) with roti has always been Bhindi. And this easy Stir-fried dish goes well with roti or rice.

This dish is called 'Do Pyaza' because of the double quantity of onions used than that found in any other style of preparation. there are many variations to this famous dish.Some use tomatoes and others even use yogurt in its preparation. But I always love to cook this with just lots of onions and some simple spices. But let me assure you that it still tastes awesome and very tasty.

BHINDI DO PYAZA

Ingredients:

400-500 grams of fresh Okra /ladies finger,
3 onion- thinly sliced,
1-2 green chillies,
1/2 tsp cumin seeds,
1/2 tsp kalonji (nigella) seeds,
1/4 tsp turmeric powder,
1/2 tsp chilli power(optional),
juice of 1/2 lemon,
2 tbsp of cooking oil and
salt to taste.

Method:
Wash the okra and dry it thoroughly by wiping it with a kitchen towel. Cut them vertically into slices. Heat the oil in a wok/ kadai and add the the sliced okra to it and stir fry for few minuted until, they are half cooked. remove them from the oil and keep aside. In the same oil add the cumin seeds and nigella seeds. When they splutter, add the finely sliced onions and slit green chillies and cook, till the onion turns very light brown in colour. Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder(if using) and salt to taste, immediately add the stir fried okras, lemon juice to the wok and cook for further 5-8 minutes or until the okra is cooked. Serve hot with Roti or as a side dish with rice and curry.

Notes:
The first step of stir frying the Okras, is to avoid them from getting slimy and mushy, but one can skip that step completely but cook it for more time after adding the Okras. just make sure you don't cover the wok and cook for a long time, because it will end up as a slimy okra dish.

Also make sure that there is no moisture on the Bhindi/ Okra before you slice them. Even little moisture can make them slimy.

Tomato Souffle

2010-11-15T16:50:00.015Z

Happy Eid-ul Adha to all my friends !! And Phew !!!After much procrastination, I finally managed to write this post, which was for sweetpunch-November as I had mentioned in my previous post.... I had made 2 dishes for this month and I was supposed to post this last week..but never got time to do so. But I finally managed to post it today :)

A souffle is a light and fluffy baked cake made with egg yolks and beaten egg whites combined with other ingredients and served as a savoury main dish or sweetened as a dessert. But I had always seen and tasted souffle as a dessert. So, When I saw this recipe from Maria's Menu, I really wanted to give it a try and I must say it was a very tasty savoury Souffle. And I would definitely make this again and again. so, without further ado, goes the recipe for this tasty Tomato Souffle.

TOMATO SOUFFLE
(Recipe source : Australian Woman's Weekly via Maria's Menu)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup bread crumbs – firmly packed
45 gm Butter
1 medium Onion –finely chopped
2 tbsp Plain flour (maida)
1 cup milk
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp fresh Basil –finely chopped (optional)
3 Eggs –separated
1/4 tsp pepper powder
Grated Cheese (mozzarella)– a handful

Method:

Grease 4 souffle dishes (1/2 cup capacity), sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Melt butter in small saucepan, add finely chopped onion. Stir over low heat for 2 mins ( or MW on HIGH for about 2 mins). Cook until onion is soft, it doesn’t have to become brown.
Stir in flour and stir over medium heat for a minute. (or MW on HIGH for a min). Remove from heat, gradually stir in milk, bring back to heat and stir over high heat until mixture boils & thickens & reaches a thick sauce like consistency. (or MW on HIGH for about 3 mins).

Transfer to large bowl, stir in tomato paste & basil leaves. Cover the dish & let it stand for 5 mins. Beat egg whites in a small bowl until soft peaks from. Add egg yolks to the onion & milk mixture & mix well. Fold the egg whites into the mixture in 2 batches. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared dishes. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Bake in the preheated oven at 350 F/175C for 20- 25 mins or until lightly browned. Serve hot with garlic bread or soup.

Healthier version:

Use brown bread crumbs & low fat milk. Also use yolks of only 2 eggs & white of 3 eggs. Use only lesser qty of butter, I used only 20 grams of butter.

Notes:

The above qty serves 2 adults (main course) served with garlic bread or soup. Souffles can be baked in any oven proof dish or for individual serving, use ramekins. I baked them in small ramekins and some in an oval oven-proof dish.

The Souffle looks very puffed up wen comes out of the oven and it falls rather very quickly.So, its better to serve it hot ..just right out of the oven with some warm soup.

Verdict:

My Family just loved this to the core...specially my kid loved this. coz from past few weeks(after starting school) he has stopped eating spicy food and is always asking me to cook something less spicier than our usual India food. He was soo happy after eating this that I heard him telling his dad that night '' Dad.. I want to grow as tall as you (that would be 6.3'') so that I can beat some eggs and make tomato foushlle( for Souffle) with mommy in the kitchen :)

Instant Eggless Chocolate Mousse

2010-11-08T11:55:00.010Z

Back with yet another punch, seems like just few days back I posted Molten Lava Cake and here comes another choclatey post - an instant and eggless Chocolate Mousse.Yes !! Instant Chocolate Mousse... coz it tastes only 1 hour to set unlike the version with eggs , whick takes atleast 7-8 hours to set.

This month we were given 3 recipes to choose from..One of them was this easy peasy Eggless mousse and there other options were Chocolate mousse(with Eggs) and a Savoury Tomato Souffle. I chose to make this recipe and also tried my hands at Tomato Souffle (wil post it next).

Now this recipe need only 5 ingredients and the main ingredient that helps this mousse set is Marshmallows. As marshmallows contain gelatin, I had a hard time searching for Halal Marshmallows...but finally found them in an asian store and was soo happy to try this eggless version of mousse which I had bookmarked loooong back from Nigella Lawson's website.

EGGLESS INSTANT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Recipe Souce :Nigella Lawson

Ingredients:

150 gms Mini marshamallows (you can use regular marshmallows too)
50 gms Butter- softened
250 gms Chocolate( preferably dark Chocolate)-chopped into small pieces
60 ml Hot water
284 ml Cream and
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Method:

In a heavy-bottom saucepan, melt the marshmallows,butter,chocolate and water together, stirring every now and then, till evrything melts to form a smooth sauce. Let the Chocolate cool while you are whipping the cream. Meanwhile, whip the cream with vanilla until thick (firm peaks).

Fold the whipped cream into the cooling chocolate mixture until you have a smooth mixture. Pour or pipe into individual ramekins or glasses and let it set in the fridge for about 1 hour. Serve with whipped cream and or with strawberry / raspberry. Or just sprinkle some grated white chocolate :)

Verdict:
A smooth and divine Mousse which you will definitely fall in love with. We just loved indulging ourselves in this dessert . And this is a very easy and eye-catching dessert for any party. So do try it and see for yourselves :)

Tawa Pulao

2010-11-05T11:44:00.014Z

First of all A very happy Diwali to all the readers !! Coming to today's recipe...its a very easy and yummy rice , which can be ready in few mins if you have cooked rice or left-over rice at home..There days when I crave for pure vegetarian food for my lunch..and thats possible only when hubby dear is out of town, because even if I cook vegetarian main dish, there has to be atleast 1 non-veg side dish with it for him. So, on one such occasion, when my better half was out of town for few days, I decided to make Tawa pulao which I had bookmarked from DK's Chef In You. Though I had tried this recipe from her blog almost 2 months back, never got a chance to post it here (as you all know how busy or rather lazy I have been past 2-3 months)

And fortunately when Priya of Priya's easy n Tasty Recipes announced that she has chosen Chef In You as the blog for this months Tried and Tasted-an event started by Zlamuksha and taken over now by Lakshmi of Kitchen Chronicles , it gave a a perfect opportunity to post this recipe.

I must admit that this pulao was soo yummy and flavourful that I have sooo fallen in love with its taste and have cooked this many times after that day. I sincerely thank DK for sharing with us this tasty recipe.

I have followed her recipe except for some changes here and there..like I added some own spices because I didn't have Pav Bhaji masala at home and instead of using both butter and vegetable oil, I used only vegetable oil. For original recipe hop over to her lovely space here .

TAWA PULAO

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups of cooked rice
1 1/2 tbsp of vegetable oil,
1 large onion-chopped,
2-3 tomatoes- finely chopped,
1/2 red bell pepper(capsicum)-chopped,
1/2 green bell pepper- finely chopped,
1/2 cup frozen green peas,
2-3 green chillies,
1 tsp ginger paste,
1 tsp garlic paste,
1 tsp cumin seeds,
1/2 tsp fennel seeds,
1/4 tsp turmeric powder,
1/4 tsp garam masala powder,
1/4 tsp amchoor(dry mango) powder,
1/4 tsp of red chilli powder,
1/4 tsp black pepper powder,
Cilantro for garnishing and
Salt to taste

Method:

Heat the oil in pan or kadai and add cumin seed and fennel seed. When they splutter, add the chopped onions, salt and green chillies. Saute for few minutes and add ginger- garlic paste and saute for 5 more minutes . Now add the chopped tomatoes and the capsicum and cook till all the tomatoes are cooked and the oil separates from the pan. Add all the dry spices and stir well and lastly add the green peas, cooked rice and chopped cilantro. Toss it to coat the rice completely with the spices and cook for further 2-3 minutes on low flame. Serve hot with raita or any vegetarian side dish. I had made Bhindi Do pyaza (recipe to coom soon).

Paneer Jalfrezi

2010-10-30T23:44:00.004+01:00

If there is anything that can replace the chicken thats Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) for me. I fell in love with this cheese just 1-2 years ago and it has never failed to make me happy since then :) These days I just love to try anything that has paneer in it. The other day I spotted this recipe in one of Sanjeev kapoor's book and loved how simple it sounded..and trust me this recipe was more simple than I had thought. And the verdict was a very very tasty paneer dish. Till now Chilli paneer and Paneer Tikka was my favourite ...but now this tops them all.

Paneer Jalfrezi -a very appealing vegetarian dish. With all the colourful veggies in it.... this paneer dish is sure an eye catching food and guaranteed to tickle your tastebuds. like i said earlier its very easy to cook and tastes awesome.
In this recipe, I have used store bought Paneer. But if you want to make Paneer(Indian cheese) from scratch you see here .

PANEER JALFREZI
Recipe source- Sanjeev kapoor's book 'Recipes for Indian Kitchen'

Ingredients:
250-300 grams of Paneer,
2 onions-thickly sliced,
2 tomatoes-de seeded,
2 Green bell peppers(Capsicum),
1-2 green chillies-chopped,
2''piece of ginger-julienned,
3-4 whole red chillies,
1 tsp of cumin seeds,
1 tsp of red chilli powder,
a pinch of turmeric powder,
1/2 tsp of garam masala powder,
a few sprigs of coriander leaves(optional),
1 1/2 tbsp of vinegar,
2 tbsp of oil and
salt to taste.

Method:
Cut the paneer into 2 inch long pieces. De-seed and cut the Tomatoes and Bell peppers into 2 inch long slices.
Heat oil in a kadai/ wok and add the cumin seeds and halved whole red chillies and saute for a minute. Now add the julienned ginger and onions and saute for few minutes.Make sure you don't saute it for long, which will turn the onions very soft. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and stir well. Add the bell peppers(capsicum) and cook for few minutes(2-3 minutes). Now add the Paneer and toss well-to coat it completely with the spices. Add vinegar and salt and cook for 5 minutes.Finally add the tomato slices , garam masala powder and finely chopped coriander leaves and toss well. Serve hot garnished with some julienned ginger/ chopped coriander leaves.

Note:
The tomatoes should be added lastly.Adding it earlier will over cook them and make them soft. So..add them in the last.
Cooking this in a non-stick wok needs very less oil. I used less than 2 tbsp. One can use more (3 tbsp) if needed.

Molten Lava Cake

2010-10-07T10:41:00.015+01:00

FINALLY !! Finally, I managed to come back to blogging after exactly 3 months of break. Its been exactly 3 months, since I last posted on my blog. And my last post was something Chocolatey and here I am back with yet another irresistible choccolate cake recipe. This cake was baked for Sweetpunch-October, chosen by Divya Kudua.

The cake was sooo yummy with the gooey chocolate sauce flowing out from the soft chocolate cake. And I must say this is the easiest cake I have ever made, preparing the bater takes just few mintes and baking this delicious cake takes only 10 -11 minutes. And Voila !! your Molten Lava cake is ready in less than 30 minutes. And make sure you eat these, when they are still hot or atleast warm to enjoy the hot chcolate sauce oozing from the cake like lava :)

MOLTEN LAVA CAKE
-serves 4
Recipe source - showmethecurry.com

Ingredients:
4 oz (113g) Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate,
4 oz (113g) Butter,
2 Eggs,
1/3 cup (75 g) Sugar,
1/4 cup (40g) All purpose Flour,
Butter – for greasing ramekins

Method:
1. In a double boiler, melt chocolate.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat Eggs and Sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Once chocolate is melted, remove pan from heat and add in butter. Mix until the butter melts fully.
4. Add chocolate/butter mixture into the eggs, add all-purpose flour and mix until well incorporated.
5. Butter bottom and sides of ramekins (small glass/porcelain bowls) and pour in mixture about 3/4 way full.
6. Place ramekins on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 C) for 10 – 15 minutes. Shorter for gooey (molten) inside, longer for stiff inside.
7. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Notes:

The above recipe makes 4 medium sized ramekins.The cake is done, when the sides of the cake looks cooked, but the centre is still wobbly. Baking it longer(cooking completely) will make the inside stiff. So, keep a close eye to make sure you don't over-cook them.

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream filling

2010-07-07T01:39:00.015+01:00

The second recipe from' A Sweet Punch' was these Cupcakes. And these are the first ever cupcakes I have baked...the only time I had used my cupcake pan was to bake these Portuguese Custard tarts. Never had I thought that I would be using it to make cupcakes , but here I am with the cupcakes and I thank Divya of Easycooking for this months Challenge through which I had a very new baking experience.

I enjoyed making these cuppie cakes and when I bake this next time, the only change I want to make is to not use the wrappers for them, coz I think they will look more cute without the wrappers as these are filled cupcakes. And I didn't use the Chocolate butter cream frosting. Instead I just used my family favourite Nutella as frosting. The recipe given below yields 24 cupcakes and if you want you can halve the recipe for 12 cupcakes...but As there were some lil guests at my House I knew they would all be gone in a day. So, made 24 of these and the verdict was that they all vanished the same day coz they were so moist and yummy.

DEVIL'S FOOD CUPCAKES WITH VANILLA CREAM FILLING
Recipe source - Baking bites

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter- room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream (low fat or full) -can be substituted with yogurt or cream mixed with a tsp of yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2-oz dark chocolate
1 cup water, boiling

Method :
Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease two 12-cup muffin tins.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light.Beat in eggs one at a time, followed by sour cream and vanilla extract.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.
Add half of flour mixture to the butter mixture, followed by the sour cream and vanilla extract, followed by the addition of the rest of the flour mix.
Stir well between each addition and mix until no streaks of flour remain.Stir the cocoa powder and the dark chocolate into the boiling water in a large measuring cup.
Pour chocolate water into the rest of the batter and stir until uniform.Evenly distribute batter into prepared baking cups. Bake for 13-15 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the cakes spring back when lightly pressed. (It’s fine if you can’t fit both trays into the oven at the same time, just wait until one batch finishes before putting in the second pan)
Turn cupcakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting and filling.

Vanilla Cream Filling
3 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup milk (low fat is fine)
1/2 cup butter (or trans fat-free shortening)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 scraped vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Whisk together the flour and milk and cook in a small saucepan over medium heat until thick. This will only take a few minutes.
Stir continuously to prevent the mixture from clumping and do not bring all the way to a boil.
When thickened (consistency will be that of a thin pudding or custard), strain with a mesh strainer into a small bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool completely to room temperature.
When the milk mixture is cool, cream the butter (or shortening) and sugar together in a medium bowl until light. Add in the milk/flour mixture and the scraped vanilla bean seeds (or vanilla extract) and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for 7 minutes, until light and fluffy.
Scrape into a pastry bag fitted with a plain tip, or a large zip-lock bag with the corner cut off, and set aside until ready to fill your cupcakes.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat, with an electric mixer, until frosting is creamy, 3-5 minutes. Add additional powdered sugar as needed to achieve a thick, but not stiff, frosting that is easy to spread. Add additional milk, if necessary, to thin the frosting if it gets too thick.

Assembly
(A photo how-to of the assembly method can be found here.) Take a cooled cupcake and, using a small pairing knife, cut a cone of cake (1-inch across by 1-inch deep) out of the top. Trim off the pointy end of the cone, leaving a flat circle of cake. Set aside and repeat this process for all the cupcakes.Take the cream filling and squeeze a tablespoon or so into each cupcake cavity, filling the hole up to the top with filling. Top off with a flat circle of cake to plug the hole and keep the filling in place.
Using a butter knife or a small offset spatula, frost each cupcake with a layer of chocolate butter cream frosting. Place a dollop of icing in the center of the cupcake (on top of the cut out circle of cake) and spread from the center to the sides of the cupcake.If you have leftover filling, transfer it to a fresh Ziploc bag and cut a very small opening in one corner. Pipe a swirly line down the center of each cupcake, like the cupcakes in the pic here .
Store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

Note:
The frosting can be skipped completely and can be served with with some sugar dusted on the top. These soft and most cupcakes taste yummy, even without any frosting.

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta

2010-06-26T22:38:00.010+01:00

The weather here in UK is soo sunny and bright these days and I am loving this lovely weather and enjoying it to the fullest and thus not getting much time to post regularly and also for blog hopping.

And today's post was in drafts from more than 2 months ago..finally it got some attention and light today :)

Bruschetta pronounced as brusˈketta is an easy an eye-catching appetizer from the country of Italy. There are many variations for the toppings but, I make it this way-which is easy and ready in few minutes, and also need very few ingredients.

TOMATO AND BASIL BRUSCHETTA

Ingredients:
1 loaf Ciabatta bread or any other hard crust bread,
2-3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil,
2-3 cloves of garlic,
5-6 ripe plum tomatoes,
few basil leaves ,
1/4 tsp pepper powder andsalt to taste.

Method:
De-seed and chop the tomatoes into small cube and chop the basil leaves finely. In a bowl, mix the chopped tomatoes and basil leaves with salt and pepper powder and also add 1/2 tbsp of olive oil to it. Mix well and keep aside.

Slice the bread into 1"inch in thickness. Rub the slices with garlic clove ad drizzle some olive oil on the slices and toast them in an oven or over a griddle(tawa) until they turn crispy and light brown in colour. Spoon the tomato and basil mixture on the toasted slices and serve as an appetizer or a snack.

Variations: If you like your tomato topping to be soft and juicy, add some boiling water to the chopped tomatoes and mash slightly.
And if you want to make it more appealing, you can bake the slices after adding the topping and some grated cheese on top.

Note:
Traditionally Ciabatta bread loaf is used for Bruschetta, but one can use any Italian bread or any bread that has a hard crust.
Make sure the tomatoes used are ripe and red in colour,

Baked Blueberry Cheesecake- with blueberry sauce

2010-06-21T00:17:00.012+01:00

Creamy , yummy and gorgeous looking dessert- Yes !! I am talking about cheesecake. I am sure those have tasted cheesecake can never say 'No' to this tempting dessert. I fell in love with this dessert during my stay in New York State and let me tell you NY cheesecakes are very famous all around the globe. And if you are living in US you should definitely try cheesecakes from 'The Cheesecake Factory' atleast once.

My love for cheesecakes urged me to learn making this dessert at home..The first cheesecake I made was Strawberry cheesecake which I have earlier posted in my blog here. And this time, I baked a Blueberry cheesecake with home made Blueberry sauce. And I was so happy with the results, I just loved the gorgeous colour of the blueberry sauce on it and I was so happy that it was baked perfectly and didn't crack. And I am definitely going to bake this again and again.

BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE

Ingredients:
For the base:
1 cup digestive biscuits-crumbs,
3 tbsp of melted butter,
1/4 tsp of cinnamon powder and
1/2 cup of sugar.
For the filling :
16 oz /approx 500 grams of cream cheese,4 large eggs,
16 oz sour cream,
1 1/4 cup sugar,
3 tbsp all purpose flour,
1 tsp vanilla extract and
1 tsp lemon zest.
For the sauce:
2-3 cups fresh Blueberries,1/2 cup of sugar,
1 tbsp of cornstarch and
juice of half lemon.
Method: Preheat the oven to 325° F / 162° C. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the crust and And press this mixture firmly into a round spring form baking pan. Press in very firmly using the back of a ladle or with a measuring cu(with flat surface). When, the crust is firmly pressed, refrigerate the pan till the filling is ready.

To make the filling- Beat the cream cheese in a bowl with a hand held mixer on medium speed until fluffy.Add the sugar and beat again for 1 minute. Add the eggs 1 at a time and beat on low speed after each addition . Add the sour cream, flour, vanilla essence and the zest and beat on low speed just till all the ingredients are well combined. Pour this mixture into the chilled crust and bake in the middle rack of the oven for 45-60 minutes or until firm, but little wobbly in the center. Remove from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack . Refrigerate for ateast 7-8 hours or overnight and just before serving top it with blueberry sauce or store bought blueberry pie filling.

For the sauce:
Combine all the ingredients listed above in a non stick saucepan and cook over a medium heat until the sugar is melted, the blueberries breaks and till it reaches the consistency of a sauce. Cool in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Notes:
Special care should be taken, to prevent the cheesecake from cracking. And the main reasons for the cheesecake cracks are over beating the ingredients or over baking. So, always make sure not to over-bake the cake.
If you like the the crust even on the sides, just double the quantity given above for the crust and press the mixture firmly and evenly on the sides.

Cajun Potatoes- Spicy Potato Wedges

2010-06-18T22:33:00.011+01:00

This is for those who love spicy food. When I say spicy , I mean really really spicy. I made these the other day coz it needs only few ingredients and gets ready in few minutes and was perfect to munch as evening snacks and more importantly I had too many potatoes at who which were going bad :) But..it was tooooo spicy for me to handle..thought my husband loved them and relished these wedges coz he loves spicy(very very spicy ) food. Actually the ingredients given below are for a milder version. But if you are using really hot chilli powder, you can reduce or increase the chilli powder quantity according your your tastes.

SPICY POTATO WEDGES

Ingredients:
5-6 potatoes,
1 tbsp of olive oil,
1/2 tsp red chilli powder,
1/4 tsp crushed peppercorns,
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes,
1/4 tsp Oregano,
1/4 tsp thyme,
1/2 tbsp lemon juice and
salt to taste

Method:
Preheat the oven to 200° C. Wash and cut the potatoes into wedges along with the skin. In a bowl, mix all the other ingredients: chilli powder, chilli flakes, peppercorns,salt, oregano and thyme with olive oil . Add the wedges to this marinade and mix well to coat evenly. and keep aside for 10-15 minutes. Places these marinated potato wedges in an oven tray and bake for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked. Make sure to baste them with some olive oil or butter in between and to frequently turn them. Sprinkle lemon juice on the wedges and serve with tomato ketchup or any of your favorite dip.
Note:
I making this for kids, please reduce the quantity of the chilli powder and chilli flakes.
I used olive oil for basting the wedges in between. But butter or vegetable oil can also be used.

Chicken Shawarma

2010-06-16T00:50:00.011+01:00

Shawarma, originally a middle eastern fast-food has also become a famous food in many cities of India. Tradionally Shawarma is made using meat, beef or chicken and grilled on a rotating spit, and then, thin slices are cut from the spit and used as a filling for wraps.

And this recipe below, is soo soo easy to prepare and tasted very yummy. I have made few changes in this recipe to suit our taste buds :) and here I used Pita bread for filling the chicken shawarma, but it can be wrapped in a tortilla wrap or home made roti/ chapathi.

CHICKEN SHAWARMA
-slightly adapted from 'Middle Eastern Cookbook' by Maria Khalife

Ingredients:
500 gram boneless chicken breast,
1 large Onion- chopped finely,
3 garlic cloves-chopped,
1/4 cup vegetable oil,
1/4 cup lemon juice,
1/4 tsp ground cloves,
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder,
1/2 tsp red chilli powder,
1/4 tsp white pepper powder,
1/4 tsp Sumac and
1/4 tsp oregano.

For Serving:
Pita Bread,Garlic dip,
Salad and
French fries.
Method:
Cut the chicken into julienne Strips. In a bowl, mix all the other ingredients, add the chicken and mix well to coat the chicken completely with the spices. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.Preheat the oven to 200° C ? 400°F. Place the chicken with its marinade in an oven proof dish and cook in the oven for 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Serve with pita bread, salad, garlic dip and french fries.
For Garlic dip:
Pound 6-7 cloves of garlic with 1/2 tsp salt to a smooth paste. In another bowl, mix together 1/4 cup of lemon juice and 1/2 cup of vegetable oil. Gradually add this to this garlic, blending it to obtain a fluid with consistency of mayonnaise. Mix 1 -tbsp of mayonnaise if required.

Notes:
Instead of pita bread, one can fill the chicken in tortilla wraps or a plain Indian chapati can also be used to fill this chicken.
And instead of vegetable oil , olive oil can be used in the marinade.

Paneer Tikka

2010-06-12T02:02:00.001+01:00

Soft Indian cheese and veggies marinated in Indian spices and grilled . Yes !!I am talking about Paneer Tikka- a famous Indian starter, which is easy and quick to make and great for parties and potlucks. And its a favorite of Indian vegetarians and also the best alternative of Chicken tikka.

I started making this only few months back and I have fallen in love with this low fat appetizer. And my family loves it too. My kiddo calls it chicken cube :) believe me its so easy and tastes yummy and even those people whole don't like paneer will be tempted to eat this.

I have used hung yogurt in this use, this helps in coating the marinade evenly. But store bought thick yogurt can also be used. And if you want your tikkas to have that red tandoori look, a pinch of red food colour can be added to the marinade. So, without further ado, lets move on to the recipe.

PANEER TIKKA
Ingredients:
300 grams of Paneer,
1 large onion,
1 green bell pepper,
1 red bell pepper,
1 yellow bell pepper,1 cup thick yogurt,
1 tsp ginger paste,
1 tsp garlic paste,
1 tsp red chilli powder,1/2 tsp of garam masala powder,a pinch of turmeric powder,
1/2 tsp cumin powder,
1/2 tsp amchoor(dry mango)powder(optional),
1/2 tsp Kasoori methi(optional),
1/4 tsp of pepper powder and
salt to taste.

Method:
Cut the Paneer into 1 inch cubes. Cut the onion into into big cubes, deseed and cut the bell peppers into 1" inch peices. In a bowl, mix the yogurt, ginger paste, garlic paste with all the dry spices and mix well. Now add the cubed paneer and all the veggies to this paste and mix well and make sure that the marinade coats all the veggies.Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Arrange the marinated paneer and veggies on a skewer and grill or if using an oven use broil mode or the highest temperature of your oven. Grill for 10- 15 minutes, turning the skewer in between and brush with some oil, to retain its softness.
Paneer Tikka can be served on a bed of lettuce with some veggies or arrange them on toothpicks for individual serving.

Notes:
If using wooden skewers, soak them for 6-7 hours or overnight in water to prevent them from burning.

Tiramisu Cake

2010-06-07T00:50:00.011+01:00

Like many other bloggers out there, even I have a dream to join The Daring Kitchen someday..But, I feel I still need to learn a lot about baking, before I can join or atleast come close to those amazing and expert bakers. So, when I heard about Sweet punch , which was started to teach Novice bakers like me about baking...I knew that this group is for me :) And I am sure, I will love baking yummy goodies every month.

'A Sweet punch' is a new baking group started by Ria, Divya and Maria. This group is for all those people out there who are still learning to bake (like me) and Sweet Punch is for all those whose have a passion for baking because the mission of this group is to make baking easy for EVERYONE. And thus, our first baking challenge by Ria of Ria's collection was to bake this Tiramisu cake.

Tiramisu- I am sure everyone one knows about this famous Italian dessert. Traditionally Tiramisu is made using savoiardi (lady finger biscuit), which are dipped in coffee or rum and then layered with mascarpone cheese and whipping cream mixture and then, dusted with cocoa powder. And this Tiramisu cake is easy to bake and assemble and tastes Yummmmm.

Though I had never tasted this dessert before, I had heard a lottt about this dessert and I always wanted to make this at home. And Now,I have just fallen in love with this dessert and I am definitely going to try this again and again. TIRAMISU CAKE

Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

For the cake layers:

2 cups cake flour,

2 teaspoons baking powder,

1/8 teaspoon baking soda,

1/4 teaspoon salt,

1 1/4 sticks/10 tablespoons unsalted butter(room temperature),

1 cup sugar,

3 large eggs,

1 large egg yolk,

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract and

3/4 cup buttermilk

For the espresso extract:

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

2 tablespoons boiling water.

For the espresso syrup:

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup sugar

For the filling and frosting:

1 8-ounce container mascarpone,

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar- sifted,

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup cold heavy cream

2 1/2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, or about 1/2 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips,

Chocolate-covered espresso beans, for decoration (optional)

Cocoa powder, for dusting

Getting ready:

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9×2 inch round cake pans, dust the insides with flour, tap out the excess, and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To make the cake:

Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy.

Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don’t be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them, and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right-side up.

To make the extract:
Stir the espresso powder and boiling water together in a small cup until blended. Set aside.

To make the syrup:
Stir the water and sugar together in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Pour the syrup into a small heatproof bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the espresso extract and set aside.

To make the filling and frosting:

Put the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla, and liqueur in a large bowl and whisk just until blended and smooth.

Working with the stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it holds firm peaks. Switch to a rubber spatula and stir about one quarter of the whipped cream into the mascarpone. Fold in the rest of the whipped cream with a light touch.

To assemble the cake:

If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. Place one layer right-side up on a cardboard round or a cake plate protected with strips of wax or parchment paper. Using a pastry brush or a small spoon, soak the layer with about one third of the espresso syrup. Smooth some of the mascarpone cream over the layer – user about 1 1/4 cups – and gently press the chopped chocolate into the filling. Put the second cake layer on the counter and soak the top of it with half the remaining espresso syrup, then turn the layer over and position it, soaked side down, over the filling. Soak the top of the cake with the remaining syrup.

For the frosting- whisk 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of the remaining espresso extract into the remaining mascarpone filling. Taste the frosting as you go to decide how much extract you want to add. If the frosting looks as if it might be a little too soft to spread over the cake, press a piece of plastic wrap against its surface and refrigerate it for 15 minutes or so. Refrigerate the cake too.With a long metal icing spatula, smooth the frosting around the sides of the cake and over the top. If you want to decorate the cake with chocolate-covered espresso beans, press them into the filling, making concentric circles of beans or just putting some beans in the center of the cake.

Refrigerate the cake for at least 3 hours (or for up to 1 day) before serving – the elements need time to meld.Just before serving, dust the top of the cake with cocoa.

Notes:
The cake can be cut into small rounds and can be made as cakelettes or you can assemble them in a glass for individual servings.
I didn't use the whole syrup to moisten the cake, thinking it would become soggy. But I think the quantity given above should have been used to make the cake more moist.
And I have skipped using Kahlua or brandy for the extract and the syrup for obvious reason.
And as I didn't get chocolate covered express bean, I used choco chips to decorate.

Kiwi Ice Pops

2010-06-01T23:18:00.007+01:00

Its Summer time here in UK..is it really? Its June already and still waiting for good and bright sunny days...like it should be during Summer. Last week was so bright and sunny and hot..the temperature raised till 28° C and when we were all so happy and excited to see those sunny days we had been waiting for..it lasted only for 3-4 days and now its rainy and the temeprature has gone down to 14°C :( People living in these European countries are blessed with only few counted weeks of summer.And we try our best to enjoy it and make the most of it. So, last week, when it was hot and sunny, I made these Kiwi ice pops. My kid loved these and has been asking me to make more. The green colour of these ice pops will definitely attract kids.

KIWI ICE POPS

Ingredients:
4 kiwi fruit,
1 cup sugar,
1 3/4 cup water,
1 kiwi-sliced and
juice of 1 lime.

Method:
In a saucepan, bring 1 cup of water and the sugar to boil and keep aside to cool. Peel the kiwi fruit, cut them into quarters and remove the white core and the black seeds from all the pieces. Now place the seeded kiwis in a food processor and puree the kiwis to a liquid. In a large bowl, combine the puree, the above sugar syrup, lime juice and the remaining 3/4 cup of water. Stir well and pour this mixture into molds and freeze until they begin to set. place a slice of Kiwi on the top and insert a stick and freeze again for 5-6 hours or overnight.
For easy unmolding, dip the molds briefly in hot water and holding the stick , pull out carefully.

Note:
If molds are not available, disposable plastic cups can also be used(as I did). Actually the paper cups are more convenient and its always easy to unmold from paper cups, than ice molds.

Lamb Filled Börek

2010-05-29T13:58:00.013+01:00

The members of Walima Cooking Club are celebrating Turkish Cuisine this month. This months challenge was to make home made yufka /Phyllo pastry and stuff it with anything of our choice. And we were also given the option of using store bought yufka/ phyllo sheets. And me being very lazy and busy this whole month, didn't have the courage and time to make the phyllo sheets at home :-( Its lot of effort you know.... So, I bought the phyllo from the store and used minced lamb to stuff and make börek. But for those who are not lazy like me, here is the link to step by step guide of making phyllo at home from Nihal's Crossroads. And let me tell ya.. that I promise to try making this Y ufka at home someday :-)

And now as usual we will learn more about Turkish cuisine before we move on to the recipe:
Turkish cuisine is largely the heritage of Ottoman cuisine, which can be described as a fusion and refinement of Central Asian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Caucasian and Balkan cuisines. Turkish cuisine has in turn influenced those and other neighboring cuisines, including that of Western Europe. The Ottomans fused various culinary traditions of their realm with influences from Middle Eastern cuisines, along with traditional Turkic elements from Central Asia (such as yogurt), creating a vast array of specialties- many with strong regional associations.
Taken as a whole, Turkish cuisine is not homogeneous. Aside from common Turkish specialties that can be found throughout the country, there are also many region-specific specialties. The Black Sea region's cuisine (northern Turkey) is based on corn and anchovies. The southeast—Urfa, Gaziantep and Adana—is famous for its kebabs, mazes and dough-based desserts such as baklava, kadayıf and künefe. Especially in the western parts of Turkey, where olive trees are grown abundantly, olive oil is the major type of oil used for cooking. The cuisines of the Aegean, Marmara and Mediterranean regions display basic characteristics of Mediterranean cuisine as they are rich in vegetables, herbs, and fish. Central Anatolia is famous for its pasta specialties, such as keşkek (kashkak), mantı (especially from Kayseri) and gözleme.
A specialty's name sometimes includes that of a city or region, either in or outside of Turkey, and may refer to the specific technique or ingredients used in that area. For example, the difference between Urfa kebab and Adana kebab is the use of garlic instead of onion and the larger amount of hot pepper that kebab contains.

Börek is a family of baked or fried filled pastries made of a thin flaky dough known as yufka (or phyllo). It can be filled with cheese, often feta, minced meat or vegetables.A börek may be prepared in a large pan and cut into portions after baking, or as individual pastries. The top of the börek is often sprinkled with sesame seeds.Börek is very popular in the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire including The Northern Slavic cuisines, historically living in close contact with the Turkic peoples of Asia and Europe, also feature derivatives of the börek.

LAMB FILLED BOREK

Ingredients:
4 phyllo pastry sheets/ yufka,
500 grams(1/2 kg) minced lamb meat,
2 tbsp of cooking oil,
1 Onion-finely chopped,
1 cup chopped tomatoes,
2 tbsp of chopped flat leaf Parsley,
1/2 tsp red chilli powder,
1/2 tsp crushed peppercorns,
1/4 cup melted butter/ oil and
salt to taste.

Method:Heat the 2 tbsp of oil in a utensil, add the chopped onions and saute until translucent. Add the meat and and cook on high heat until it turns brown all over. Stir in chopped tomatoes, parley , chilli powder, crushed peppercorns and salt to taste. Cover and cook on medium heat for 20-30 minutes or till all the liquid dries up. Increase the heat to high, to reduce liquid to a thick sauce if necessary. remove from heat and keep aside.
Pre heat the oven to 350 F / 180 C. Grease a baking sheet or line with parchment paper. Spread 1 pastry sheet on a working surface, brush it with butter and fold it into half. Place 2-3 tbsp of the lamb mixture towards one end , leaving the sides clear. Fold the end of the pastry over the filling(roll once) and then fold sides in, then roll up. Place seam side down on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining ingredients and bake until light golden in colour , about 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Note:
The other way of making this Borek is by rolling the Phyllo pastry thinly and then, cutting the pastry sheet into 4 rectangles . Moisten the sides and press to seal instead of folding sides over the filling.

Bread Chaat

2010-05-24T12:32:00.013+01:00

Today's post is an easy breezy chaat. Who doesn't love chaats.....I am sure everyone have many fond memories of eating roadside chaats with friends and family. Be it the yummy and tangy Pani poori/ gol guppa or crunchy and crispy bhel poori or spicy and delicious masala poori. I am a big fan of all these chaats and even now, just writing these names makes me drool :D And one more chaat which I always make at home is this easy bread chaat. I was first introduced to this chaat by my mom-in law, when she had made this chaat for a party, where I had invited 25-30 people. And this chaat pleased all the guests present in that party. Even now, when I make this eye catching chaat for my parties, the guests get so impressed and pleased.
And also this chat is a easy and healthy alternative for dahi vada. Because there is no deep fried vadas is this chaat.....The star ingredient in this chaat is Tamarind chutney. If you make the chutney earlier or a day before and keep it handy, it will hardly take 15 minutes to assemble this chaat. So, this bread chaat can be served an easy appetizer for parties or potlucks or any other special occasions and believe me your guest will go gaga over it :-)

BREAD CHAAT
Ingredients:
10 bread slices,
1/2 cup milk,
500 grams yogurt,
1 tsp chaat masala,
1/2 tsp red chilli powder,1 carrot-grated,
a pinch of salt and
Tamarind chutney.

Method:
With a sharp knife cut the crust(sides) of the bread slices and fold them into triangle or cut them into triangles. Arrange them in a tray or a deep bowl(see the pic). Pour the milk in a bowl.Now take each triangle of the bread and dip it in the milk(just to moisten it a bit) and keep it back in the tray.
In another bowl, beat the yogurt, 1/2 tsp of chaat masala and a pinch of salt to a smooth paste using a spoon or fork. And pour this yogurt mixture over the bread slices evenly. decorate with grated carrot, remaining chaat masala, red chilli powder and tamarind chutney. Voila !! A delicious and mouthwatering chaat is ready.

Note:
Instead of dipping the bread in the milk to moisten them, you can sprinkle some milk directly on the bread slices arranged in the tray.
Sprinkling some khara sev or spicy boondi on this chaat will make it more appealing and will add a little crunchiness to this bread chaat.If using either of these, sprinkle it on the chaat, just before serving.
HOME MADE TAMARIND CHUTNEY

Ingredients:
100 grams dry tamarind,
200 grams of Jaggery or brown sugar,
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds,
1/2 tsp of cumin powder,
1 tsp of red chilli powder,
a pinch of salt and
1/4 tsp of chaat masala or black salt.

Method:
Soak the tamarind in a bowl with a glass of hot water. Cover the bowl and keep aside for 30 -45 minutes. Make a thick extract of the pulp. Bring the tamarind pulp to a boil in a saucepan with the jaggery. Cook on slow flame till it thickens. Add the remaining ingredients- cumin seeds, cumin powder, chaat masala ,chilli powder and a pinch of salt and cook for further 5 minute.Switch off the flame and keep aside to cool completely.

Note :
2-4 dates can also be added while cooking this chutney, to make it more thicker.
Jaggery can be substituted with brown sugar.

I am sending this mouthwatering chaat to Niloufer's Twenty-20 Cooking Event . And As I have used cumin seeds in the Tamarind chutney I am sending this to Cooking with Seeds -Cumin Seeds hosted this month at SARA'S CORNER, event by Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes. And finally to Think Spice- Think Tamarind hosted this month by PJ of Seduce your Tastebuds, event by Sunitha of Sunitha's World.

'Box of Chocolate' Cake - My 100th Post

2010-05-20T13:17:00.002+01:00

Finally !! Finally I have reached my 100th post :D I took soo long to reach this milestone. But I am so happy that I am writing my 100th post because I never knew I would come this far. A blog, which I started just to store the recipes that I learned from family and friends, to show my mom that her daughter is learning to cook and to show her the pics of the food I am cooking, now has become my passion. Yes !! Blogging has become my passion and I am addicted to this world of blogging. Blogging has helped me to make new friends, to learn new cuisines and to love cooking.
And for coming this far, all the credit goes to my husband first, for introducing me to this wonderful world of blogging and for patiently waiting for the food( like any other food blogger's husband) till I click and click all the photos :-). And for appreciating and encouraging me to learn new recipe.And to my parents for encouraging me through my learning process. (YES, My husband is lucky, because I had already gone through the experimenting and learning process before getting married) It was my parents, who went through it and encouraged me. I still remember how, I used to make different maps of the world with the chapathi/roti dough and my father used to eat the roti very happily. And when I was making raita for the first time, I had added lots of water with the yogurt and instead of raita for biryani, I had turned it into spicy lassi :-) but still... my family supported me and encouraged me to cook. And also my mother-in law, who introduced me to so many new recipes and for teaching me to cook with confidence.
And the most important people to make this blog successful are my blog friends and readers. I wouldn't have come this far without the encouraging comments they leave on my blog. And those appreciating and encouraging words from my blog friends urges me to do better and better every time. Thank you soooo sooo much for the lovely comments you all write on my blog.
Now, coming to today's recipe, I wanted to celebrate this milestone with something sweet. So, here is the recipe for 'Box of Chocolate Cake'. Though I didn't bake this cake exclusively for my 100th post, I had decided to post this recipe as my 100th post. I baked this cake for our 5th wedding anniversary few weeks back :-)Now coming to this cake...this is a perfect cake for wedding anniversaries, for Mother's Day and for those celebrating Valentine's day. This cake is covered with sugar paste icing. One can make the sugar paste icing on their own or the store bought ready rolled icing can be used. I first tried making the icing at home, but went wrong somewhere and I also didn't like the raw smell of the eggs in it. So, I have used the store bought Icing here, known as ready rolled icing. This cake is adapted from the book 'Cakes and cake decorating step by step' by Sarah Maxwell, Janice Murfitt and Angela Nilsen .
'BOX OF CHOCOLATE' CAKE
Ingredients:
For the chocolate cake:
175g /6oz butter, at room temperature,
175g /6oz self-raising flour,
50g /2oz unsweetened cocoa powder,
3 eggs, at room temperature,200 /6oz caster sugar,
1 tsp baking powder,1/8 tsp of salt and
1 tsp vanilla extract.

Other ingredients:
6 tbsp of apricot jam-warmed and sieved,
275 grams/ 10 oz of yellow marzipan,
900 grams/ 2 lb of sugarpaste icing,
red food colouring,
store bought hand made chocolates.

Materials and equipments:Heart shaped cake tin,
9 inch square piece of stiff card,
9 inch square / round cake board,
small heart shaped cutter.
Method:
For the cake:
Pre-heat the oven to 180 C or 350 F. Grease the tin and line the base with greaseproof paper and grease the paper. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together three times and set aside.
Place the sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat until light pale. Add he eggs and beat with an electric beater , until the mixture doubles in volume and is thick enough to leave a ribbon trial when the beater is lifted, about 10 minutes.Add the vanilla.Sift over the dry ingredients in 3 batches, folding in carefully after each addition.Spoon the cake mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the surface.bake in the centre of the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire wrack, peel off the lining paper and leave to cool completely.

Place the cake on the square piece of card and draw around it with a sharp pencil. Cut the heart shape out of the card and set aside This is for using as a support for the lid.
Using a sharp knife. cut the cake horizontally just below where the cake starts to dome. carefully lift the top section and place it on the heart shaped card and place the bottom section on the cake board.On a work surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, roll out the yellow marzipan into a long sausage shape to place it on the bottom section of the cake.place the marzipan sausage on the cake around the outside edge . Brush both sections of the cake evenly with apricot jam.

Colour the sugarpaste icing with red food colour and divide it into 3 portions - 1 for the bottom, 1 for the lid and a small portion to cut hearts for the lid. Now on a work surface lightly dusted with icing sugar, roll the icing to a 14 inch square ans use it to cover the bottom section of the cake.
Stand the lid on a raised surface like a bowl or a glass. roll out the reserves 1/3rd sugarpaste and cover the lid section of the cake. With the remaining portion of the sugarpaste, cut small heart shapes with the cookie cutter and stick them around the cake lid. carefully lift the top section on the the heart shaped card and place the bottom section on the cake board.Arrange the chocolates in the bottom section of the cake and position the lid, placing it slightly off centre, to reveal the chocolates inside. And serve with lots of love :-)

This is off to Meeta's Monthly Mingle and the theme for this month is Special Sweet Treats hosted this month by Erin of The Apartment Kitchen .