Nimmy's Kitchen

Easy Homemade Bread

2020-03-28T19:08:00.003+05:30

Blogging after a long long time...

Had been busy with my family and business, that i was finding very less time to write a blog post.

You all are aware that we are going through a tough situation now. Because of this critical situation, we all are forced to stay home. Some of you might be utilising this time to spend with your family, while some others might be feeling depressed. Whatever it is, please stay home and stay safe. Social distancing is very much needed. We can overcome this situation together, by staying separate.

Take this opportunity to brush up your hobbies, spend time with your family and learn new things.

To ease your boredom, i thought to write down an easy bread recipe, so that u can try at home and feed your family. This simple recipe doesn't have lot of ingredients, so as we have very limited resources now because of the lock down, we can try this one out. Baking is a stress buster, bread making is even more relaxing. Moreover, this will give your hands some workout 😊

Lets get into the recipe...

Ingredients

All Purpose Flour/ Maida - 225 gm (1 1/2 cup)
Warm Milk - 165 ml
Yeast -1 tsp ( or 1 1/2 tsp of normal yeast)
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Milk Powder - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Butter (room temperature, not melted) - 1 tbsp

Method

Take a big bowl. Pour warm milk into it. Add 1 tbsp sugar and instant yeast into it. Mix well and keep it aside for 10 mins. This will bubble up a bit.
Now, add milk powder, salt and the remaining sugar. Mix well.
Now add maida, little by little, mixing in between, using a spoon. Use your hand towards the end to mix properly. It will be sticky. Mix for 2-3 mins. Cover and keep it aside for 10 mins.
After 10 mins, add butter, mix well and take this slightly sticky dough out onto a clean surface.
Now, you have to knead well by stretching and kneading method for minimum 15 mins. If you find that its sticking to your surface or hands, add little bit of maida, 1 tbsp at a time. Don't add too much of maida at this time, or your bread will become hard. (see video to see stretching and kneading)
Don't skip this step. Kneading is the key to a soft and tasty bread. This activates gluten which is very crucial in bread making.
After kneading for 15 mins, your dough will be very soft and not sticky.
Now grease a bowl with little oil and place this dough into it. Cover and keep it in a warm place for 1 hour or till it becomes double in size.
Once its double, take it out onto a clean surface. Dust little bit of maida and just knead for 1 min. We just want to knock out the air trapped in the dough.
Take a rolling pin and roll the dough till it spreads nicely. Now, from one end, start rolling inwards tightly. Pinch the dough when it reaches the end. Tuck in the sides too. The dough will look like a log now. (see video for reference)
Place this log into a greased loaf tin, pinched portion downwards. Cover with a damp cloth and keep it in a warm place for 1 hour.
After 1 hour, when the dough rises, place it in a preheated oven at 160 degree Celsius for 40-50 mins till its brown on the top and cooked completely. When u hear a hollow sound on knocking on the top of the bread, then u can make out that its cooked completely.
Every oven temperature is different, so bake according to your oven.
Once its baked, take out and place the tin on a wired rack for 5 mins. Smear some butter on top of the bread.
After 5 mins, overturn the tin and take out the bread and let it cool down completely. Don't let the bread cool down completely in the tin itself as it will become soggy.
Slice the bread only after it is completely cool down.
Enjoy!!

Baked Donuts / Doughnuts (No-Knead)

2016-06-08T16:49:00.000+05:30

Who doesn't love donuts? We all do, right?

I love baked donuts more than the fried ones.... I know, fried ones tastes more yummy than the baked ones.

But iam a person who try to avoid or lessen the use of unhealthy stuffs in my cooking or baking. Somethings cannot be changed to get the required result, but some ingredients or method can be changed. Thats how i ended up baking donuts....

This is not the first time iam attempting to bake donuts....No....I tried many times and was not at all satisfied with the texture or taste of the end product. But, this one is just right...A sure keeper in my recipe book. So, here iam sharing this with all my friends out here.

The main attraction of this recipe is that, no workout needed for your hand muscles, to make these yummy ones... In short.......No kneading required. Just mix and let the yeast do its work...... Isnt it a relief?

Do try it out and let me know...

Ingredients

Maida 3 ¾ cups (575g)
Dried yeast (active or fast action) 2 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
Milk (warmed) ¾ cup (200ml)
Butter (melted ) ¾ cup (170g)
Eggs 4 (room temperature)
Honey ¼ cup ( 80g)
Vanilla extract 1 tsp

Method

1. In a large bowl add maida, yeast and salt. Mix well together. (Dont put salt on top of the yeast)
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, honey, melted butter and vanilla extract.
3. Mix the wet into the dry with a spatula until you get a wet loose dough. Cover tightly with cling film and lay a towel over the top. That’s it, no machine needed!! You may have some lumps in the dough but don’t worry, they will disappear.
4. Leave it at a warm place and let it rise for 2-3 hours.
5. Once doubled in size, place the dough in the fridge overnight, roughly for 12 hours. The dough will be loose but will firm up when chilled. Don’t try to knead after 3 hours, it needs to be chilled
overnight.
6. Next day, to form your Donuts: On a floured surface, roll out your dough to ¼ of an inch thick. Using a round cutter cut out round pieces of dough. To cut the hole in the middle , use a smaller sized cutter. Even the small rounds also can be baked as such.
7. Place them on a baking tray lined with butter paper.
8. Cover your donuts with a towel and leave to rise again at room temperature for 20-30 minutes. You will know when they are ready, because they will puff up.
9. Gently brush the donuts with melted butter.
10. Bake at 190 degree celcius for 15 minutes. Keep a close eye on them, so they don’t get too brown.
11. Once out of the oven, dip them in the glazes. Do this straight away, because it soaks into the warm donut and creates a lovely crisp glaze.
12. Enjoy them fresh.

Note:

1.The dough can be kept for 3 days in the fridge.

Vanilla Glaze

Ingredients

Powdered sugar 1 ½ cup (187g)
Milk 2-3 tbsp
Vanilla extract 1 ½ tsp

Method

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients.
2. Whisk until silky and smooth.
3. If you want it thinner add a little more milk
4. Store the icing at room temperature in an airtight container for 2 weeks.

For Chocolate Glaze, add 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, along with the other ingredients mentioned for the vanilla glaze.

Thanks for visiting

Happy Baking!!

S'mores Cookies

2016-02-29T11:19:00.001+05:30

A s'more is a traditional night time campfire treat popular in the United States and Canada, consisting of a fire roasted marshmallow and a layer of chocolate sandwiched between two pieces of graham cracker. (Wikipedia)

My elder daughter is a big fan of marshmallows and she was telling me to bake s'mores cookies for a very long time. Searched in net and saw that there are many ways to bake them. The traditional one is much different from the ones people bake.

Couldn't get hold of graham crackers, which is to be used in these cookies. But, it didn't stop me from trying these cookies. Tried baking them with easily available ingredients.... So, these are the ones which I baked for her. Do try out and enjoy!!!

Ingredients

1-1/3 cups All Purpose Flour/Maida
1-1/4 cup Crushed Graham Crackers (I used digestive biscuits)
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter (softened at room temperature)
1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Grated Chocolate (optional )
Marshmallows
Chocolate (cut into little squares)

Method

In a bowl, mix together the flour, grated chocolate, salt, baking soda and biscuits. Keep this aside.
Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together the butter with both kinds of sugar, add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
Add the dry ingredients and mix until your dough has come together.
Preheat your oven at 180 degree Celsius.
Take small portions of the dough, roll it between your palms and flatten it a bit. Place them on a baking tray, lined with baking paper.
Bake them for about 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly golden brown around the edges, remove from the oven.
Place a small piece of chocolate on top of each cookie, followed by a small piece of marshmallow and pop them in the oven, just for about a minute or until the marshmallows start to lightly brown.
Remove from the oven and immediately top them with another little piece of chocolate. Allow to cool slightly, before removing from the tray.
Serve and Enjoy!!!

Thanks for visiting

Happy Baking!!

Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biriyani

2016-02-21T14:42:00.001+05:30

This time its a rice dish that iam sharing. Everyone love biriyani. But have you tasted a Dum Biriyani?

Dum is the process of making biriyani. Hyderabadi Dum Biriyani is one of the famous among them.

Dont be alarmed by seeing the list of ingredients :) Iam sure all of them would be easily available in your pantry. Its a bit lengthy process but believe me, its worth it....

Hope you will love it. Do let me know how you liked the taste...

Ingredients

2 Onion (thinly sliced for deep frying)

½ cup Oil

For cooking rice:

1 ½ cup Basmati rice (soaked for 30 minutes)

2 Green Cardamoms

2 Black Cardamoms

2 Cloves

1 inch Cinnamon Stick

1 Bay leaf

2 Mace strands

3 cups Water

Salt to taste

For the Vegetable Gravy:

½ medium sized Cauliflower (cut into florets)

1 medium sized Carrot (cut into cubes)

1 medium sized potato (cut into cubes)

1 cup French Beans (cut into pieces)

½ cup Peas (optional)

2 medium sized Onion (thinly sliced)

1 Green chili (slit into half)

2 tbsp Ginger (julienned)

1 tbsp Garlic (finely chopped)

1 tsp Shah Jeera

2 Green Cardamoms

2 Black Cardamoms

2 Cloves

1 inch Cinnamon stick

1 Bay leaf

2 Mace strands

100 gms Curd (whisked)

¼ tsp Turmeric powder

½ tsp Red chili powder

2 tbsp Cashew nuts

1 tbsp Raisins

2 tbsp Almonds (sliced)

3 tbsp Ghee

Salt to taste

¾ cup water

Herbs for the assembling:

½ cup Coriander leaves (chopped)

½ cup Mint leaves

100 gms Curd (whisked)

Method

Wash basmati rice and soak it in water for about 30 minutes.

Heat oil in the a cooker for deep frying. Add the sliced onion in it and fry for 2 minutes or till it becomes golden brown colour. Transfer the fried onion onto a tissue paper and keep aside.

Put the soaked basmati rice along with 3 cups of water, salt, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and mace strands in a thick bottomed pan. Mix and keep it on high flame. When the water starts to boil, reduce it to low flame and cover it with a lid. Let it cook till the rice is half done. Transfer the rice on to a bowl and keep aside.

Heat ghee in a cooker and add shah jeera, green cardamoms, black cardamoms, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf and mace strands. Saute for 1 minute and then add the sliced onion. When the onion starts to change its colour (it might take 2 minutes), add green chilli, ginger and garlic. Mix well and sauté for 1 minute. Now add turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Mix well. Add the vegetables and and sauté for 2 minutes. Adjust salt. Add curd and mix again. Pour 3/4^th cup of water and mix well. When the water starts to bubble, reduce it to low flame and cover it with the lid. Let the vegetables cook for about 3 - 4 minutes. Now add the chopped almonds, cashew nuts and raisins. Let it cook uncovered for another 1 minute. Transfer the contents into a bowl and keep aside.

For assembling Dum biriyani:

Spread half of the vegetable gravy in the cooker. On top of it spread half of the cooked rice. Pour little curd on it. Spread little fried onion, coriander leaves and mint leaves on its top. Spread the remaining half of the vegetable gravy. On top of it spread the remaining cooked rice. Pour little curd, fried onion, coriander leaves and mint leaves. Place an aluminium foil on top of the cooker and place the lid on it to create the dum effect. Heat a tawa on high flame. When it becomes really hot, reduce the flame to low. Place the super cooker on the hot tawa for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and the aluminium foil and serve it hot.

* I usually take the quantity of the spices as per my taste. So you can always adjust it as per your taste*

Thanks for visiting

Happy Cooking!!

Shop your groceries online

2016-01-13T11:04:00.001+05:30

Groceries Online in Hyderabad

If you are tired of going to those crowded supermarkets every week and buy a handful of products after long traffic hours and the never ending lines at the billing counters, try another option that is getting very popular these days which is known as the online supermarkets Hyderabad. There are many sellers these days who have started up this business and are supplying everything that you need in your kitchen to your home needs right at your doorstep at great offers and discounts. With the lifestyle that people these days have especially in the tier one and two cities, they hardly have anytime to go to the supermarket or the regular vegetable vendor to bring items for home and food. As a solution, they either rely on the packaged food or stuff the entire refrigerator with fruits and vegetables that do not stay fresh after a day or two. Nevertheless, when you shop online all you have to do is to make purchase from the options that are available on the website. In addition, with the ease of choosing the time of delivery, the concerned deliveryman will not go back without delivering the things in any case.

On most of the websites, the customers are offered either free delivery or charged something nominal for it. However, with the advantages of saving all your time, if you have to pay a few bucks in terms of delivery charges, it looks completely worth. For people all over the world these days, online shopping has become an important part of their life. Also with the guarantee of the goods you buy and the proved freshness and quality of the products like veggies, fruits, bread, milk, etc and all the other items that you need on a daily basis, it becomes quite easy to make a purchase of all these things without having to go to the market and search for something that is perfect in terms of price and the quality.

It has been often seen that when people go to do the grocery shopping, they either do not get the things they want or if they get, the rates are very high. A simple solution to this is to rely on the stores that sell online grocery Hyderabad. Moreover, with all the exciting offers and schemes that are continuously offered by the sellers to their customers, you would definitely save a big deal of money as well. Investing money on only those things that are needed rather than bringing the entire shop to your home and finding your pocket empty at the end of the day would not happen when you shop online. When you select the most suitable of all the online super markets as per your needs and the products that you want, all you have to do is to choose the filters to find the products that you need, add them to your cart and make the purchase and get sorted with all your needs without having to step out of the house.

Thanks for visiting

Happy Cooking!!

Diya Aur Bati

2015-11-03T11:16:00.000+05:30

After a long time, iam posting a recipe on my blog. Had been busy on and off with my baking and chocolate orders, that it was finding difficult to sit down and write in my blog. I missed my blog a lot, but it happens sometimes, that when we need to concentrate on some things, we unknowingly miss on something else, which we loved the most. But in my case, I was not missing on my passion for food, as I was doing stuffs related to food, just that i couldn't blog. While creating new designs in cakes and making chocolates, I felt myself so happy and lively. You can check my works on my FB page : Nim's Choco Fantasy

Ok, now that's it for my re-entry into my blog :) Just wanted to tell you all that I was not away from my passion, but yes, i was a bit away from blogging.

Diwali is round the corner. All might be busy making yummy and awesome sweets. I would like to share a recipe, which you all might be knowing, just that I gave a slight twist, and gave a new look and feel of festivity to it.

Enjoy Diwali with your loved ones and stay safe.

Ingredients

1 cup Desiccated Coconut

1 cup Khoya

¼ cup Sugar (powdered, adjust as per your taste)

3 tbsp Cocoa powder

8 – 10 Almonds

A pinch of Lemon yellow colour

Few drops of Rose water

Silver warq for garnishing

Method

Cook khoya in a fry pan till it turns slightly pink in colour. Now add desiccated coconut and sugar. Mix well and let it cook for about 2 minutes till the sugar is nicely combined with the mixture. Switch off the flame.
Keep aside 5-8 tbsp of the mixture in another bowl and add lemon yellow colour and rose water. Mix well.
In the rest of the mixture, add cocoa powder and mix well to form a smooth dough.
If the dough is too dry, add little milk to it and if it is too wet, add little desiccated coconut.
Shape the cocoa mixture in the shape of a diya and fill in the yellow coloured khoya mixture in the center.
Place an almond as flame and garnish with silver warq.
Your Diya aur bati sweet is ready to be served.
Enjoy!!!

Thanks for visiting

Happy Cooking!!

Nim's Choco Fantasy (Some of my works)

2015-07-13T15:05:00.000+05:30

Customized cakes pictures

These are some of my works. To see my other works and to keep updated, please do join my FB page : Nim's Choco Fantasy

Dal Dhokli

2015-02-24T19:13:00.000+05:30

This is a one pot meal and is a west indian dish. The soft dhokli in dal, gives a yummy taste with lot of flavours in it. Try it once and you will love it for sure.

Ingredients

½ cup Toor Dal (washed and soaked for 30 minutes)

2 tbsp Raw Peanuts

2 cups Water

Salt to taste

¼ tsp Turmeric powder

For Dhokli

1 cup Whole wheat flour

1 tbsp Besan flour

¼ tsp Ajwain

¼ tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

½ tsp Red chilli powder

1 tbsp Oil

Water as required

For Seasoning

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Ghee

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1/8 tsp Methi seeds

½ tsp Cumin seed/Jeera

1 pinch Asafoetida

1 tsp Ginger (grated)

1 tsp Green chilli (finely chopped)

10 Curry leaves

¼tsp Turmeric powder

For Garnishing

1 tbsp Lemon juice

1 Onion (medium, finely chopped)

2 tbsp Coriander leaves (finely chopped)

Method

Put toor dal, raw peanuts, water, salt and turmeric powder in the pressure cooker and place it on high flame. Pressure cook till one whistle and then reduce to low flame till 4 whistles. Once done, take off from heat and when the steam completely escapes from the cooker, take off the lid. Transfer the dal into a bowl and whisk it using a whisker. Keep this aside.

For making dhokli, take a large bowl and add whole wheat flour, besan, salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, ajwain and oil. Mix well and add water little by little to make a stiff dough. Spread little oil on top of the dough, cover and keep this aside.

Heat oil and ghee in a kadai on medium flame. Add mustard seeds, methi seeds, jeera, ginger, green chilli, asafoetida, curry leaves and turmeric powder. When it splutters, add the cooked dal mixture into it. Keep it on high flame and add more water as required because this dish is very thin in consistency. Adjust salt if needed. Reduce the flame, when it starts to boil. Let it boil for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, take small portions of the dhokli dough and roll it thin just like we roll for chapathi. Cut it into diamond shapes using a knife. Do the same procedure to the remaining dough. Put the pieces one by one into the boiling dal. Mix gently and let it cook till the dhoklis are done or for 10 minutes.

Serve it hot by adding onion, coriander leaves and juice of lemon.

* I usually take the quantity of the ingredients as per my taste. So you can always adjust the spices as per your taste*

Thanks for visiting

Happy Cooking!!

Singhare Ki Poori

2015-01-06T12:58:00.000+05:30

Ingredients

1 cup Singhare flour

¼ cup mashed Potatoes

¼ tsp Cumin powder

3 tbsp Oil

2 Green chilli (finely chopped)

1 tbsp Red chilli powder

Salt to taste

Water as required

Oil for deep frying

Method

Pressure cook the potatoes and keep them aside to cool. Later, peel out the skin and mash them nicely.
In a bowl, put singhare flour, salt, cumin powder, mashed potatoes, green chilli, red chilli powder and oil.
Add water little by little and knead it into a soft and smooth pliable dough. It should not be sticky.
Take small portion of the dough and roll them into balls.
Sprinkle little singhare flour on the rolling board and roll the balls into small or medium sized pooris.
The rolled poori should not be too thin or too thick. Keep them aside.
Heat oil in a kadai and drop the pooris gently into the hot oil. Press it slightly with a slotted spoon. When one side is done, turn the poori on to the other side and let it cook. Do the same procedure for the rest.
When both sides are golden brown colour, transfer them onto a tissue paper or kitchen towel.
Serve them hot with any subji of your choice.

* I usually take the quantity of the ingredients as per my taste. So you can always adjust the spices as per your taste*

Thanks for visiting

Happy Cooking!!

Meetha Chawal

2014-12-10T20:31:00.001+05:30

This is an easy sweet dish with loads of nuts and dry fruits. When you are in a mood to eat something sweet and at the same time lazy to prepare a full fledged sweet dish, this is the one you can indulge in. Kids would love it too.

Ingredients

1 cup Basmati Rice (soaked for 30 minutes)

¾ cup Sugar

¼ cup Mixed nuts and raisins (Almonds, Cashew nuts, Pistachios)

2 tbsp Ghee

2 Cloves

1 inch Cinnamon stick

3 Cardamoms

1 tsp Fennel seeds

2 cups water

3 tbsp Milk

1 pinch Saffron/Kesar (optional, instead you can add food colour)

3 tbsp Dry coconut powder

Method

Add saffron in the milk and keep this aside. If adding food colour, add food colour in the milk.
Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed deep pan. Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamoms and fennel seeds.
Saute till it starts to change its colour ie. for ½ a minute.
Now add the soaked and drained basmati rice. Saute for 1 minute.
Later, add water and saffron milk in it. Mix well and when the water starts to bubble, cover with a lid. Let it cook for 10 minutes.
Later, when the rice is half cooked, add sugar, chopped nuts and raisins. Mix well and add dry coconut powder also.
Cover again and let it cook for another 5 minutes.
Once done, serve it hot by garnishing with some chopped nuts, raisins and dry coconut powder.

Thanks for visiting

Happy Cooking!!

Kashmiri Pulav

2014-10-30T18:25:00.000+05:30

A tasty Pulav which has slight sweetness and lots of flavours in it. Fruits and nuts added in this pulav takes the entire dish to a totally another level.

When I thought to make this dish, I was wondering how the fruits added in it will complement the dish. But when everything came together, it amazingly complemented each other and it was YUM!!!

Try it out friends, its really different from our day to day normal pulav.

Ingredients

2 cups Basmati Rice (soaked for 30 minutes)

3 Cloves

1 Bay leaf

1 inch Cinnamon stick

2 tsp Fennel powder

1 tsp Dry ginger powder

3 Cardamoms

2 Black Cardamom

Salt to taste

3 tbsp Oil or Ghee

4 cups Water

1 pinch Saffron

1 Onion (large, thinly sliced)

3 tbsp Cashew nuts

3 tbsp Almonds

3 tbsp Raisins

½ cup Grapes

½ cup Pomegranate kernels

Oil for frying onion

Ghee for frying dry nuts and raisins

Method

Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry the onion till it becomes golden brown colour. Transfer it onto a tissue paper. Keep it aside.
Heat ghee in a kadai and fry nuts and raisins till golden colour. Once done, transfer them onto a plate. Keep aside.
Heat ghee or oil in a pressure cooker. Once it is hot, add cloves, green cardamom, black cardamom and bay leaf. When aroma comes out from it, add fennel powder and dry ginger powder. Mix well and add the soaked basmati rice. Saute for 1 minute and add saffron. Mix well.
Add water and salt. Mix well and when the water starts to bubble, keep it in low flame. Put the lid on with the whistle and let it cook for 10 minutes. Make sure that the cooker should not release any steam ie. it should not whistle.
Turn off the flame and allow the steam to escape on its own.
Take off the lid and puff up the rice. Add the fried nuts and raisins. Mix gently and serve it hot by garnishing with sliced grapes, pomegranate kernels and fried onion.

* I usually take the quantity of the ingredients as per my taste. So you can always adjust the spices as per your taste*

Thanks for visiting

Happy Cooking!!

Sesame Poppy Seed Crackers

2014-10-18T12:52:00.003+05:30

Crackers are flat, crisp and known to be a nutritious snack which is baked. They are always salted and can be made in different flavours. They are made in different shapes, commonly in round or square. Crackers can be enjoyed on its own or can be topped with Cheese, Dips, Soft Spreads, Jam, Butter or Peanut Butter or any thing you like :)

My husband and my kids love crackers and we usually buy from the stores. I thought to give it a try at home and it turned out to be really good.

Give it a try and you will love them for sure.

Recipe Source: Click here

Ingredients

250 gms All purpose flour/Maida
2 tbsp Poppy seeds
2 tbsp Sesame seeds
1 tsp Black pepper powder1 tsp Baking powder
½ tsp Salt60 gms Butter (Unsalted, cold and chopped)

Method

Sieve maida, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add poppy seeds, sesame seeds and black pepper powder. Mix well.
Add butter and using your fingertips rub it until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Make a well in the center and add 100ml cool water. Mix well until a firm dough forms. If needed add more iced water. Don’t over mix.
Cut the dough into half and wrap one half in a cling film. Chill it in the fridge.
Roll the other half out between 2 sheets of baking paper until 1-2mm thick. Using a round cutter, cut out rounds. Place on a baking sheet and prick all over with a fork. Repeat with the rest of the dough. Chill for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven at 180 degree Celsius.
Place the baking tray in the preheated oven for 20 - 35 minutes till the crackers turns light golden colour.
Once done, take out from oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.
Serve them with hot coffee or tea.

Thanks for visiting

Happy Cooking!!

Chilli Potato Cakes

2014-10-05T12:04:00.002+05:30

An easy and tasty snack with a simple yummy dip. Nothing more to tell about this simple snack. Try it out and you will know :)

Ingredients

4 nos Potato

1 Egg yolk

3 tbsp Coriander leaves

4 Spring Onion Bulbs (finely chopped)

3 – 4 Green chilli (finely chopped)

1 tsp Lemon Zest

100 gm Dry Bread Crumbs

2 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

3 tbsp Mayonnaise

1 tbsp Black pepper powder

1 tbsp Mixed herbs

Method

Boil potatoes in a cooker till one whistle (takes 5 minutes). After one whistle, keep it on low flame and let it whistle for 3 times.
Later, switch off the flame and when all the steam escapes from the pressure cooker, take off the lid.
Transfer the potatoes onto a plate and let it cool down completely. Peel off the skin and mash the potatoes.
In a bowl, put egg yolk, coriander leaves, spring onion bulbs, green chilli, lemon zest and salt. Mix well till everything is nicely combined.
Add the mashed potatoes and combine well. Spread the bread crumbs in a plate and keep aside.
Take small portion of the potato mixture, roll them between your palms and place them on the bread crumbs. Coat the potato cakes firmly with the bread crumbs and keep them aside.
Heat oil in a fry pan. Place the potato cakes gently in the medium hot oil. After 1 minute, turn the other side and let it cook for another 1 minute. When both sides turn golden brown colour, transfer them onto a tissue paper.
Serve the Chilli Potato Cakes hot with the Mayonnaise Herb Dip and Enjoy!!!

For the Mayonnaise dip: In a bowl, put mayonnaise, black pepper powder and mixed herbs. Mix well.

* I usually take the quantity of the ingredients as per my taste. So you can always adjust the spices as per your taste*

Thanks for visiting

Happy Cooking!!

Homemade Khoya/Mawa

2014-09-18T16:02:00.001+05:30

Khoya/Mawa is used as the base for a wide variety of indian sweets. Khoya is made by simmering full-fat milk in a heavy bottomed vessel for a long time, till it becomes thick. They are used in gravies too.

This time I used khoya for making mawa cup cake and it was yummy and delicious. You can click on the link to know the recipe for Mawa Cupcake

Ingredients

6 cups Full Cream Milk

Method

Pour the full cream milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Keep stirring in between and scrap out the sides.
Stir continuously and keep scraping the sides. Keep a close eye on the milk as it tends to burn in the bottom. Let the milk boil for 30 minutes. Now the milk will reduce to half the quantity.
After 15 minutes, the mixture will start to thicken. Keep stirring. At this stage, the mixture tends to burn easily, so keep stirring and scrap the sides constantly.
After 5 minutes, you can see that the mixture forms into a lump and comes off easily from the sides. At this stage, switch off the flame and let it cool down completely.
Once the khoya is cooled, it will become thicker. Khoya is used for making many indian sweets or you can even add it in curries.

Thanks for visiting

Happy Cooking!!

Whole Wheat Pasta in White Sauce

2014-09-12T16:44:00.000+05:30

Pasta is a staple food in Italian cuisine. It comes in various sizes and shapes. Now-a-days, you get pasta made in whole wheat which is more healthier than the regular ones. Pasta is prepared in different types of sauces. The famous of them all is the white sauce. Though white sauce is not that healthy, it tastes amazing... very creamy...

Pasta is an all time favourite among kids and mine is not an exception. I always make whole wheat pasta in tomato gravy with variations. My elder daughter likes white sauce, so once in a while I prepare it to make her happy.

Try this easy recipe and let me know how you liked it.

Ingredients

3 cup Whole Wheat Pasta

1 Onion (large, finely chopped)

1 cup Carrot (grated)

10 nos French Beans (finely chopped)

3 tsp Black pepper powder

2 tsp Chilli flakes

1 tbsp Italian Spice Mix

3 tbsp Olive oil

Salt to taste

6 cups Water

For White Sauce

½ tbsp. Cornflour

½ tbsp. Maida/All purpose flour

4 tbsp Cheese (grated)

3 cup Milk

Method

Boil water in a kadai. Add salt in the water. When the water starts to bubble, add the pasta. Stir in between and let it cook for about 8 minutes or till the pasta is cooked Al dante. Strain the pasta and add little oil in it. Mix well and keep this aside.
In a small bowl, add cornflour, maida and milk. Mix well and keep this aside.
Heat olive oil in a kadai. Add onion and sauté for 1 minute or till it becomes soft.
Now add carrot and beans. Saute for about 2 – 3 minutes or till the vegetables are half cooked.
Keep on low flame and add the milk mixture into it. Add Italian spice mix, salt, chilli flakes and black pepper powder in it. Mix well.
After 1 minute, add grated cheese into it. Mix well. When the sauce starts to bubble, add the cooked pasta into it. Mix well.
Adjust the seasoning if required. (If the sauce is thickened, add milk as per your requirement) After 2 minutes, switch off the flame and serve it hot.

* I usually take the quantity of the ingredients as per my taste. So you can always adjust the spices as per your taste*

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Banana Peanut Butter Milkshake

2014-09-11T12:13:00.000+05:30

This is a healthy and yummy drink which gives instant energy. If you are not a fan of peanut butter, you can omit that. I am sure this milkshake would be loved by all kids. If needed, you can add a scoop of ice cream and it gives a creaminess to the drink. Do any additions to this drink and enjoy as per your taste.

Ingredients

2 Banana (large, roughly chopped)
1 tbsp. Peanut Butter
1 tbsp. Cocoa powder
3 tbsp. Sugar
3 cup Full Cream Milk (chilled)
Ice Cubes (optional)

Method

In a blender, add chopped banana, peanut butter, cocoa powder, sugar and 1 cup of milk.
Blend till everything is nicely incorporated.
Now add the rest of the milk and pulse for a second.
Add ice cubes if needed and serve it in tall glass.
Enjoy!!!

* I usually take the quantity of the ingredients as per my taste. So you can always adjust them as per your taste*

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Nuts Chikki | Dry Fruit Chikki

2014-09-02T10:39:00.000+05:30

This is a healthy and tasty snack. Iam sure kids will not say "No" to this yummy treat. Very easy to make and will stay fresh in an airtight container for long. You can add any nuts of your choice.... Its all up to you....Try it out and let me know how you liked it.

Ingredients

1 cup Almonds (chopped)

1 cup Pista (chopped)

1 cup Cashew nuts (chopped)

¼ cup Jaggery (grated or finely chopped)

Kesar/Saffron (few, soaked in milk)

2 tbsp Ghee

Method

Heat ghee in a kadai and add jaggery in it.
When the jaggery is completely melted and becomes slightly thick, add dry fruits and Kesar. Mix well.
When the mixture starts leaving the sides of the pan, switch off the flame.
Pour the mixture on to a greased plate. Spread nicely.
Cut into pieces when it cools down a bit. Serve and Enjoy!!!

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Kaalan

2014-08-31T12:41:00.002+05:30

Kaalan is a thick preparation with curd and vegetables like yam and raw banana. It is a traditional Kerala dish served along with steamed rice and is one of the dish served in any Kerala Sadya/feast. This dish is sour in taste. A healthy and must try side dish.

Ingredients

1 Raw Plantain/Pachakkaya (medium sized)

100 gm Yam/Chena

Salt to taste

1 tsp Turmeric powder

½ tsp Red chilli powder

2 cup Curd (sour, beaten)

For making Black pepper water

2 tbsp Black Peppercorns

¾ cup Water

For Grinding

1 cup Coconut (freshly grated)

3 – 4 Green chilli

For tempering

3 tbsp Coconut Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

2 Dry Red chilli

20 – 30 Curry Leaves

Method

Wash and cut the raw plantain and yam in medium sized irregular square pieces.
Cook yam in 3 cups of water along with salt, in a Kadai, till it is slightly cooked.
Now add raw plantain in the kadai and let it cook for about another 20 minutes or till both the vegetables are nicely cooked, but not mushy.
If you want to add water while cooking, make sure to add hot water.
In the meantime, grind coconut along with green chillies into a fine and smooth paste by adding very little water. Keep this aside.
Grind black peppercorns coarsely and then add ¾ cup of water. Grind again and strain the mixture. Keep this black pepper water aside.
When the vegetables are cooked, add the beaten curd and black pepper water into it. Let it cook for 25 minutes or till the mixture is slightly thickened.
When it is thickened, add the ground coconut mixture into it. Let it cook for 3 minutes or till it bubbles a little. Adjust salt.
Switch off the flame and keep the kadai aside.
In a fry pan, put oil and add mustard seeds. When it splutter, add dry red chilli and curry leaves. Saute and pour it on top of the Kaalan.
Stir well and serve it with steamed rice.

* I usually take the quantity of the ingredients as per my taste. So you can always adjust the spices as per your taste*

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Til Ladoo (with Jaggery)

2014-08-28T11:14:00.000+05:30

Til Ladoo is a traditional maharastrian sweet made using til, jaggery and ghee. This is generally served in festivals. This is very healthy sweet, loved by both adults and kids. Try it out this Ganesh Chaturthi and Enjoy!!!

Ingredients

2 cups Til

1 cup Jaggery

2 tsp Ghee

2 tbsp Cashew nuts and Almonds (optional)

½ tsp Cardamom powder

Method

Dry roast til in a kadai for about 5 minutes or till it start to change its colour. Once done, transfer it on to a plate.
Grind half of the roasted til, coarsely. Keep this aside.
In a kadai, heat ghee and add jaggery. When jaggery is completely melted, switch off the flame and let it cool down a bit.
Add the roasted til and the cashew nuts, almonds. Mix well and transfer the mixture onto a plate.
When the mixture is still warm, take small portions from the mixture and roll it between your palms to make ladoos.
Enjoy or store it in an airtight container for later use.

* I usually take the quantity of the ingredients as per my taste. So you can always adjust as per your taste*

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Aviyal (Mix vegetable in Curd)

2014-08-27T14:45:00.001+05:30

Aviyal is a mix of different vegetables cooked in curd gravy, seasoned with coconut oil and curry leaves. This is an essential part of any Kerala Sadya/feast. This dish can be a semi-solid side dish or made into a gravy. This is a very healthy dish and is best enjoyed with steamed rice.

This side dish is very easy to prepare. The only hard part is the cutting of vegetables. But once it is done, you can prepare this dish within no time. A perfect combo of health and taste.

Ingredients

2 Carrots (cut into 2 inch long thin pieces)

1 cup White Pumpkin (cut into 2 inch long thin pieces)

10 French Beans (cut into 2 inch long pieces and sliced horizontally)

10 Long Beans (cut into 2 inch long pieces)

1 cup Yam (cut into 2 inch long pieces)

1 Drumstick (cut into 2 inch long pieces)

1 Raw Banana (cut into 2 inch long pieces)

¼ tsp Turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Curry leaves for garnishing

2 tbsp Coconut Oil

1 cup Water

For grinding

2 cups Coconut (freshly grated)

½ tsp Jeera/Cumin seed

3 – 4 Green Chilli

2 cups Curd (sour)

Method

Put all the vegetables (except white pumpkin) along with salt, turmeric powder and water in a Kadai and place it on high flame. When the water starts to bubble, reduce the flame, cover and let it cook for about 15 minutes.
Now add the white pumpkin and again cover and cook for another 5 minutes or till all the vegetables are cooked. They should not become mushy.
Coarsely grind coconut along with jeera, green chilli and curd. Keep this aside.
When the vegetables are cooked, add the ground coconut mixture into it.
Mix gently so that the vegetables are not mashed. Let it cook for another 2 minutes or till the gravy starts to bubble.
Switch off the flame and pour coconut oil on top along with curry leaves.
Serve and enjoy along with steamed rice.

* I usually take the quantity of the ingredients as per my taste. So you can always adjust the spices as per your taste*

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Dragon Chicken

2014-08-22T15:29:00.000+05:30

I have heard about dragon chicken long back, but never thought to try it at home. Not because it was a difficult recipe, but whenever I buy chicken, I end up preparing a normal chicken curry or any other usual Chinese dish. I somehow forgot about trying this recipe. This time, I didn't forget to make this one and I regret why I didn't try it earlier. My kids just loved it a lot.

I served this dish along with flavoured rice (my kids favourite). Also, reduced the spiciness as my kids don't eat spicy food.

The cashew nuts added, gives a nuttiness and crunchiness to the entire dish. Toss the fried chicken in the sauce on high flame and you won't loose the crispiness of the chicken too. This dish has a spicy and sweet taste, loved by kids. Try it out and let me know.

Ingredients

500 gms Chicken (boneless, cut into long thin strips)
Oil for deep frying
Spring onion greens or coriander leaves for garnish

For Marination :

1 tsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Red Chilli paste
1/2 cup Maida/All purpose flour
Salt to taste
1/4 cup Corn flour
1 Egg
1 tbsp. Ginger Garlic paste
1 tsp Black pepper powder

For Gravy :

1 tbsp. Oil
3 Dry Red Chilli
10 - 15 Cashew nuts (broken into half)
1 Onion (Large, thinly sliced)
1 Capsicum (thinly sliced)
1 tbsp. Ginger Garlic paste
1 tsp Red chilli paste
1 tsp Soy sauce
2 tbsp. Tomato sauce
Salt to taste
1 tsp Sugar

Method

Take a bowl and add chicken pieces along with the marination ingredients. Mix well and keep this aside for 15 minutes.
Later, heat oil in a kadai. Put the marinated chicken pieces in it and fry till they become golden brown colour. Once done, transfer them onto a tissue paper. Keep aside.
To make the gravy/Sauce : Heat oil in a kadai. Add dry red chillies and cashew nuts. Fry till the cashew nuts start to change its colour.
Now add the onion and capsicum. Saute well.
Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
Now add soy sauce, tomato sauce, red chilli paste, salt and sugar. Mix well.
Cook it for sometime, till the sauce thickens a bit.
Now add the fried chicken into it. Toss well and if needed, add little bit of water.
Sprinkle coriander leaves of spring onion greens for garnish.
Serve it hot and Enjoy!!!

* I usually take the quantity of the ingredients as per my taste. So you can always adjust the spices as per your taste*

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Whole Wheat Fruit and Nut Cookies

2014-08-13T15:15:00.003+05:30

These cookies are healthy and yummy. Loads of nuts, dry fruits are added to it and moreover, it is made with whole wheat flour. Flax seed added to this recipe makes it even more nutritious and healthy. A perfect snack box goody for your kids.

It has a rustic look, with crispy texture. It remains fresh for days, if kept in an airtight container and moreover, if anything is left :) Try it out and let me know.

My kids are a big fan of these cookies that by now, I have made them two times and each time, it lasted only for a day. I could hear my kitchen cupboard open and close when I was not around....when asked, they would say... "Amma, only one" :) Kids are kids... Didn't stop them for the first time.... "sshhh....don't tell them that it is healthy" ;)

Recipe Source : Full scoops

Ingredients

3/4 cup Whole Wheat flour
1/2 cup Oats
1/4 cup Flax seed powder
1 tsp Baking soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 cup Oil
1/3 cup Sugar (add upto 2/3 cup as per your taste)
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 cup Dry fruits and Nuts (chopped)
1/2 cup Choco chips (optional)

Method

Dry roast oats and keep this aside.
In a bowl, mix whole wheat flour, flax seed powder, oats, baking soda, salt, choco chips and chopped nuts and dry fruits.
In another bowl, beat sugar, oil, egg and vanilla extract till everything is nicely incorporated and sugar is completely dissolved.
Add the dry ingredients into the bowl and mix well using a wooden spoon.
Preheat the oven at 180 degree Celsius.
Take small quantities of the dough and make balls of it. Flatten a bit and place them on a baking tray lined with butter paper.
Place the baking tray in the preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes till they are done.
Once done, take out from the oven and let it cool on the tray for about 10 minutes.
Later, transfer them onto an airtight container for later servings and Enjoy!!!

Note:

I added 1/3 cup of sugar and was satisfied with the sweetness as the raisins added in it gave that extra sweetness. If u have a sweet tooth, add bit more of sugar.

I added only about 1 tbsp. of choco chips. I felt, you can totally omit it if you don't have them in hand or don't like them in these cookies.

Don't powder the roasted oats. It totally gives a different texture when they are added just like that.

I added dry fruits like black raisins, green raisins and nuts like almond, cashew nuts. You can add any dry fruits and nuts you have at your home like cherries, dates, prunes, walnuts etc. Feel free to make these cookies more healthier.

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Cherry Coconut Muffins (No Sugar)

2014-08-01T14:47:00.000+05:30

The name says it all.... its a muffin with cherries and coconut flavoured.

You might be thinking... how come muffins are not in a cup cake liner. It so happened that I kept a batch of muffins in the oven and after 10 minutes, power went off. I was tensed as to what to do with the batter. My Gas Oven Tandoor came to my rescue :) Poured rest of the batter in it and baked them at one go. I must say that the cake turned out to be soft and yummy.

Ingredients

2 cups Self Raising Flour (check here for substitute)
125 gms Butter (cold)
1 cup Cherry (pitted)
1 cup Desiccated Coconut
1 cup Coconut Milk
2 tbsp. Milk
1 Egg

Method

Cut the cherries into small pieces. Keep this aside.

Cut butter into small pieces.

In a bowl, add self raising flour and butter. Mix gently using your fingers or put in a food processor and pulse for 30 - 60 seconds till it becomes the consistency of bread crumbs.

Into this mixture, add all the rest of the ingredients and mix well using a wooden spoon or silicon spatula till everything is nicely combined.

Preheat the oven at 220 degree Celsius.

Spoon the batter into cupcake molds and place them in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until it is cooked.

Once done, take off from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.

Later, Enjoy!!!

Note

You might have noticed that no sugar is added in this recipe. Still the muffin tastes light sweet as we have added cherries in it. If you need the muffins to be more sweet, add about 1/4 cup of sugar in it.

These muffins are best to be packed as snacks for kids.

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Vanilla Scones with Strawberry Cream Filling

2014-07-25T11:56:00.003+05:30

A scone is a single-serving cake or quick bread. They are usually made of wheat, barley or oatmeal with baking powder as a leavening agent and are baked on sheet pans. They are often lightly sweetened and are occasionally glazed. The scone is a basic component of the cream tea or Devonshire tea. It differs from a teacake and other sweet buns, which are made with yeast. A scone is in some senses a type of pastry since it is made with essentially the same ingredients as shortcrust, though with different proportions of fat to flour. (WiKi)

It is originated from United Kingdom.

I had tasted scone once and somehow I didn't like the taste of it that I never thought to try it out at home. I had some left over fresh cream with me that I wanted to use it up. Didn't want to do the usual side dish, I wanted to try out a different dish.... as usual :) That's how I thought to try out an easy scone recipe... moreover, my little one is attracted towards cream buns these days... thought that this one would taste somewhat similar.

So here iam.... with an easy recipe for scones.... Try it out, you will like them for sure.

Ingredients

4 cups Self raising flour (check for the substitute here )
1 tbsp. Powdered Sugar
1 cup Thickened Cream
1 cup Milk
2 tsp Vanilla extract

For Strawberry Cream

1/4 cup Strawberry Crush or Jam
1 1/2 cup Whipped cream
1 cup Strawberry (chopped, optional)

Icing sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)

Method

Sieve self raising flour, sugar and a pinch of salt and keep aside in a big bowl.
Mix thickened cream, milk and vanilla extract in a bowl. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix using a flat spatula to combine everything together.
Put this dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth. Don't over knead it.
Preheat the oven at 190 degree Celsius.
Pat the dough into a 2.5 cm thick round. Using a 5 cm scone cutter or a normal round cutter, cut out the scones from the dough. Place them on a greased baking tray.
Place the baking tray in the preheated oven for about 12 to 15 minutes or till the top turns golden brown colour.
Once done, take out from the oven and cover the tray with a clean towel for 10 minutes.
In the mean time, prepare the strawberry cream by adding the strawberry crush or jam into the whipped cream. Beat well using an electric hand beater or using a wire whisk until stiff peaks.
Add strawberries if required at this stage. Gently fold using a spatula. Keep aside.
After 10 minutes, take the scones and split them into half. Put some strawberry cream filling on one half and cover with the other half. Another small scoop of strawberry cream on top with little strawberry crush. Sprinkle little icing sugar....
Enjoy these yummy and tasty scones.

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Pumpkin Soup

2014-07-04T06:59:00.000+05:30

This tasty soup is not only yummy, but healthy too. My elder daughter, who doesn't like most of the soups, liked this a lot and whenever, I buy yellow/Red pumpkin, she makes sure that I make this soup for her.

A very light and filling soup for all... Try it out and let me know.

Ingredients

2 tbsp. Butter
2 tbsp. Onion (finely chopped)
3 cups Red Pumpkin (skin peeled and thinly sliced)
1 - 2 tbsp. Black pepper powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp Oregano (optional)
3 cups Water or Vegetable stock
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

Heat butter in a non stick pan. Add onion and the thinly sliced pumpkin. Roast till it slightly gets burnt or changes its colour.

Remove from heat and keep aside to cool. Put it in a mixer and grind into a smooth paste by adding little water or vegetable stock.

Put the ground pumpkin paste into the pan. Add the remaining water or vegetable stock in it. Mix well and let it simmer for 2 - 3 minutes.

Adjust salt, black pepper powder and oregano. If needed add more water as required.

Once everything is nicely combined, take off from heat and serve it hot by garnishing with coriander leaves.

Note:

If you don't like the burnt taste of the pumpkin, just roast them slightly till they start changing its colour.
You can even season this soup with little bit of oregano. That too tastes good...

* I usually take the quantity of the ingredients as per my taste. So you can always adjust the spices as per your taste*

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