Aaha Oho

Dates Nut Roll

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 20:57:00 +0000

I buy these jumbo dates at Costco, which are plump, moist and absolutely divine. It is super sweet even for a sweet tooth like me. Most of the time i just stare at the box and thinking how to eat'em all. Now this recipe comes handy which makes a guilt-free goodness in every bite, making it a great dessert or even a go-to snack. The nuts adds a great deal of good fats and satisfying crunch. Feel free to fancy any your favorite nuts and dried fruits. Next time i am planning to add pistachios and dried figs to make it a richer roll. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Dates (finely chopped)

1/4 cup raw Walnuts (finely chopped)

1/4 cup raw Almonds (finely chopped)

1/4 cup raw Cashews (finely chopped)

1 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter)

How to:

Dry roast the chopped nuts together and keep aside. (You can roast the nuts whole and then chop'em.)

In a skillet, heat ghee and add the dates. Cook until it comes together for 3-5 mins at medium-low heat.

Now add the lightly roasted nuts and mix well. Continue cooking the nut-date mixture for a couple more mins. (The nuts may look a lot, but the dates can take it all so don't be alarmed.)

Transfer the mixture on to a greased plate and let cool for 10 mins.

Now gently press'em to form a cylindrical roll and tightly wrap it with plastic.

Refrigerate the roll for 3 hrs. Cut into 1/4 inch rounds and serve.

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate it.

Sweet Potato Masala Roast

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 01:47:00 +0000

A perfect roast as a side for sambar rice. Sweet potatoes are very healthy and if you don't like to eat just boiled like back at home, prepare this roast for weekday lunches and you will be hooked for sure. With our variety of spices, you never have to eat anything bland. These days sweet potatoes are a staple at my home. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

2 medium Sweet Potatoes

1 medium Red Onion (finely chopped)

6-8 Green Chili (slit)

3 Garlic pods

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tbsp Urad dal

3 dry red chili

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tsp Chili powder/Sambar powder

Cilantro chopped

Salt

1 tbsp Oil

How to:

Boil the sweet potatoes and chop'em to bite size pieces with or without skin. Crush the garlic and cumin seeds.

Heat oil in a skillet, add mustard seeds, dry red chili and urad dal.

Add the onions and green chili, saute for a min and now add the crushed garlic-cumin seeds.

Add the turmeric powder and sambar powder, mix well.

Add the sweet potatoes along with salt and cook for 5 mins in a medium heat. (Don't salt'em as you would for white/red potatoes, use sparingly.)

Switch off and garnish with cilantro.

Spicy Rice Kichadi

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Sat, 12 Jul 2014 22:14:00 +0000

One pot meal and a comfort food, perfect for those lazy days. Kichadi is prepared using rice or semolina or even cracked wheat mixed with lentils and a variety of spices and vegetables. You can also add roasted peanuts or cashew nuts for a little crunch. This recipe can easily be doubled when you have company over. With just a few ingredients from your pantry and easy to cook vegetables, this kichadi will be perfect for lunch boxes too. Hope you will enjoy the dish just like i did. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Rice

1/4 cup Toor dal

! 1/2 cups Water

1/4 cup Peas

1/4 cup Carrot (chopped)

1/2 Onion (finely chopped)

2-3 Green Chili (Finely chopped)

1 1/2 tsp Garlic (minced)

1 1/2 tsp Ginger (minced)

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Chili powder

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp Black peppercorns

1/2" Cinnamon stick

1 Clove

1 pinch Asafoetida

1 tbsp Oil

Salt

How to:

Wash the rice and toor dal together, pour the water and soak for 20 mins.

In a pressure cooker, heat oil, add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, clove, peppercorns, asafoetida and turmeric powder.

Add the onions, saute for a min. Then add the ginger, garlic and green chilies and saute for a couple of mins.

Add the carrots, peas along with chili powder and salt.

Now add the soaked rice and dal along with the water, check salt and pressure cook for 1 whistle.

Switch off, fluff the rice gently and garnish with cilantro.

Serve warm with potato fry or chips.

Rose Milk Popsicle

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Wed, 21 May 2014 02:26:00 +0000

Popsicle is made by freezing any flavored liquid around a stick. With summer around the corner, this aromatic and exotic rose flavored popsicle will be perfect to cool you down. Rose milk is one of my childhood favorite and i can't have enough of it. You can find rose milk in a few Indian restaurants menu here in the US. Freezing the rose milk in the molds is a fun way to eat with your family. Hope you will have fun making'em and slurping'em. Here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

2 cups 2% Milk

4 tbsp Rose syrup

1 tsp Rose water

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

2 tbsp Sugar or to taste

How to:

Heat the milk and let it boil for 3-5 mins. Keep stirring to avoid the skin formation.

Switch off and immediately add the cardamom powder, sugar syrup and sugar to taste.

Add the rose water and let it come to room temperature.

Now pour the rose milk into Popsicle molds and freeze them for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.

To loosen and remove the popsicle out, slowly run warm water on the outside of the mold.

Serve and enjoy it on a hot day.

Tips:

If you like milky popsicle, boil the milk for few more mins until it thickens up before adding the syrup.
You can also add finely chopped nuts or cooked vermicelli for more texture.

Spicy Avocado Chutney

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Wed, 30 Apr 2014 19:46:00 +0000

Avocado is a rich, buttery fruit but very bland to eat it by itself. You must be familiar with the guacamole(a dip made out of avocado) found in the Mexican cuisine. Just by adding a few spices you can amp up the flavor, increase the heat and blend it to an unbelievable tasting indian style chutney. With a healthy dosage of heart-healthy fats in every spoonful, you can gobble up the chutney as a spread for crackers or as a dip for vegetables. I actually prepared this chutney to accompany my Dosa . It tasted out of the world and I am sure you will love this chutney just like we did. Here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1 ripe Avocado

5 pearl onions

2 green chili

3 Garlic cloves

1/4 cup Cilantro packed

Few Curry leaves

1 tsp Tamarind

Pinch Asafoetida

2 dry red chili

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tbsp Urad dal

Salt, to taste

1 tsp +1 tsp Oil

Seasoning (optional)

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Urad dal

1 pinch Asafoetida

Few Curry leaves

How to:

Cut the avocado in half, twist and open. Carefully remove the seed. Now score vertical and horizontal lines without piercing the skin and gently scoop out with a spoon.

Roast the dry red chili, cumin seeds and urad dal in 1 tsp of oil.

Let cool, grind to a coarse powder and keep aside.

In the same pan, heat the remaining oil, add the onions, green chili, garlic, curry leaves and tamarind and saute for 3-5 mins.

Finally add the cilantro, saute for a min.

Switch off and let it cool.

In a blender, add the onion-cilantro mixture along with avocado, salt and grind coarsely.

Now add the ground spice powder and pulse it until smooth (or bit chunky if you like it).

Transfer it a bowl and add the optional seasoning.

Serve the chutney with idly or dosa.

Baked Spicy Chicken Wings

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 23:20:00 +0000

A perfect party favorite appetizer baked to crunchy outside, moist and juicy inside. This is actually my husband's recipe. Well i wouldn't say a recipe exactly, because his spice mix was prepared by adding some of this and some of that from the pantry. And it worked. He is familiar with those spice powders during his bachelor cooking times. (Check my No Name Chicken recipe for more details) So he experimented out with the the same mix and later i started measuring out ingredients and came up with a share-able recipe. Even now, i like the way he cooks (ahem! which happens rarely) casually without measuring any of the ingredients. Anyways here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

12-14 Chicken party wings (drumettes and wingettes)

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Chicken curry powder

2 tsp Tandoori chicken powder

1/2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Oil

How to:

In a bowl, marinate the chicken wings by mixing in all the spice powders, salt and oil.

Massage the wings and let it marinate for at least 2 hrs or better overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and arrange the marinated chicken wings.

Bake for 20 mins, flip once and bake for another 20 mins.

Place the baking sheet on the counter for 5 mins before serving.

Serve warm with ranch sauce.

Walnut Date Cake (Flourless)

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Mon, 17 Mar 2014 23:09:00 +0000

This walnut cake is prepared with ground walnuts instead of flour and so its a great way to get all your healthy fats in every bite. The dates gives the cake ample sweetness that is absolutely devour-able and keeps it nice and moist. If your dates are too sweet, you can even cut down the sugar. You can have it for your breakfast with some fruits or as an dessert with a dollop of your favorite ice-cream. One more thing, if you hate to eat the whole dates, then this is a must try for you. Yup, you read it right. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

3 cups raw Walnuts

3/4 cup Dates (finely chopped)

4 Eggs (separated

1/2 cup Sugar

2 tsp Orange zest (finely grated)

3/4 tsp Cinnamon powder

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 pinch Salt

How to:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a spring foam cake pan with the cooking spray.

Separate the egg yolks and egg whites.

Pulse together the walnuts, cinnamon powder and 1/4 cup of sugar. (Fine ground, not powdery ground)

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, orange zest and vanilla test.

In a stand mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy and add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until soft peaks form.

Now fold the yolk mixture and dates to the beaten egg whites.

Then add the walnut mixture in thirds and fold until evenly mixed.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 22-25 mins.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 mins. And then gently run a knife around the edges and loosen the cake.

Let it cool completely before slicing. Serve the cake with some whipped cream and garnish with chopped walnuts.

Chewy Walnut Brownie

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Wed, 04 Dec 2013 00:05:00 +0000

A rich, moist and chocolatey dessert mixed with walnuts that is perfect for a chocolate lover. The texture of the brownie is like a cross between cake and cookie. This shiny and cracked top of the brownie shows that you baked it just right. You can achieve the chewiness by letting the brownie cool completely before slicing. A fool proof dessert that will be hit for sure. Here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups All Purpose flour

2 cups granulated White Sugar

1 cup Walnuts

1/3 cup Dutch-processed Cocoa

2 oz 60% Ghiradelli Bittersweet Chocolate (finely chopped)

1 1/2 tsp Instant Espresso

4 tbsp Unsalted Butter (melted)

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Vegetable/Canola Oil

2 large Whole Eggs

2 large Egg yolks

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Boiling water

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

3/4 tsp Salt

How to:

Spread the walnuts in a sheet pan and roast'em for 6-8 mins in a 350 degree oven. Let it cool, chop and keep aside.

Place oven rack to the lowest position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Fit aluminum foil into a 13 x 9-inch glass baking pan by pushing it into the corners and up sides if the pan, allowing excess foil to hang on the sides.
Sift together the flour and salt and keep aside.
In a large bowl with boiling water, whisk the cocoa powder and espresso until smooth.

Add the unsweetened chocolate and whisk until its completely melted.

Whisk in butter and oil, followed by eggs, egg yolks and vanilla until smooth.

Whisk in sugar until fully incorporated.

Mix the flour and salt with a rubber spatula until well combined and fold in the chopped walnuts.

Scrape the batter into the foiled baking dish and bake for 30-32 mins.

Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 mins, then remove it from the pan to avoid over baking.

Let cool for 1 hr before slicing into any desired size.

Store in a airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Marble Loaf Cake

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Wed, 02 Oct 2013 23:32:00 +0000

A marble cake is a cake with a streaked appearance like marble, prepared by swirling chocolate batter into vanilla batter. Every bite is so light, moist and oozing chocolate goodness, which goes perfectly with a cup of hot coffee. So go ahead and try this cake, you will not be disappointed. Thanks to Roxana for this wonderful recipe. Here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups All purpose flour

1/4 cup unsweetened Cocoa powder

1 1/4 cup Sugar

5 Eggs, separated

1/4 cup Canola Oil

1 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Vanilla extract

1 pinch Salt

3-4 tbsp Water

How to:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan and keep aside.
Separate the egg whites into stand mixer bowl and egg yolks into a small bowl.

Sift the flour along with baking powder and keep aside.

In a small bowl, add the cocoa powder and water, mix until smooth.

Fit the stand mixer and beat the egg whites along with a pinch of salt at medium speed until soft peaks form.
Slowly add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.

Beat the egg yolks along with the canola oil and vanilla extract.
Now gently fold the egg yolks mixture to the egg whites mixture.

Once it is completely incorporated, add the flour mixture little at a time to the egg mixture making sure not to deflate the beaten egg whites.

Then add the cocoa into the prepared batter and mix gently making swirls.

Pour the swirled batter into the greased pan and bake for 45-50 mins.

Cool the baked loaf cake completely on a cooling rack before slicing.

Serve the slice drizzled with good old chocolate syrup.

Murungakkai Kara Kuzhambu (Hot Drumsticks Gravy)

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 23:57:00 +0000

After years of using frozen drumsticks, I laid my hands on fresh ones at the Indian store yesterday. Immediately, i planned on cooking kara kuzhambu which i normally prepare with Indian eggplants (brinjal). It is a south indian dish served with cooked rice. This spicy and tangy kuzhambu is a variation from your usual sambar or rasam. So, go ahead and give this kuzhambu a try, i am sure you will love it. Here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

2 Drumsticks (14-16 pieces)

14-16 Red Pearl Onions

2 small Tomatoes

10-12 Garlic pods

6-8 Curry leaves

1 1/2 tbsp dried Tamarind

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Urad dal

1 pinch Fenugreek seeds

2 tbsp Sesame oil

Salt, to taste

To grind:

2 tbsp shredded Coconut (frozen & thawed)

1 tbsp Sambar powder

2 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Fennel seeds

How to:

Chop the drumsticks to 3" pieces and mince the tomatoes and onions.

Soak the tamarind in a cup of water and keep the juice aside.
Grind the 'to grind' ingredients with 1/4 cup water and keep aside.

Heat oil in a deep pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, fenugreek seeds and turmeric powder.

Add the onions, little salt and saute until it turns translucent.

Then add the tomatoes and cook with lid closed for 4-5 mins.

Now add the drumsticks, garlic and curry leaves, mix well and cook for a min.

Pour 1 1/2 cups of water along with tamarind juice and cook with lid closed until the drumsticks cook.

Add the ground coconut mixture and cook until desired consistency.

Check salt for taste and switch off.

Serve hot with rice.

Gujarati Methi Thepla (Flat-bread)

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Thu, 11 Jul 2013 20:12:00 +0000

Thepla is a Indian flat bread just like roti, but spiced up and flavored with herbs or greens. This bread can be eaten as it is for snacking or served with simple dal or pickle for dinner. It also stores well for 3-4 days at room temperature. The addition of yogurt not only makes the bread softer, it also brings down the heat from the spices. Next time i would like to add minced green chili and garam masala to my theplas. Feel free to add your favorite spices and enjoy'em warm. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Chapathi Flour

1 tbsp Canola Oil

1/2 cup Plain Yogurt

1 tbsp dried Fenugreek Leaves

2 tbsp fresh Cilantro (minced)

1 1/2 tsp minced Garlic

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

3/4 tsp Salt

2-3 tbsp warm Water

How to:

In a big bowl with whole wheat flour, pour oil and mix well with your hands to incorporate the oil into the flour.

In another bowl, add the yogurt, and mix together the fenugreek leaves, cilantro, garlic, turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin powder and salt.

Now pour the yogurt mixture to the flour and start kneading gently. Slowly add water 1 tbsp at a time and knead to bring the dough together.

Prepare a smooth and well-hydrated dough, smear oil on top, cover it with plastic wrap and let rest for 20-30 mins.

Take a lime-size dough dusted with flour and flatten the dough with a press or rolling pin, meanwhile heat the tawa/griddle.

Place the flattened dough on the hot griddle (smear oil if you want to) and gently press with the back of the spatula.

Let cook for a couple of mins and flip the bread and cook for another min, until you see golden brown spots on the bread.

Serve hot with pickle or thokku. Store'em in a thermal food container until ready to eat.

Hot Carrot Chutney

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Tue, 25 Jun 2013 05:54:00 +0000

If you are not a big fan of carrots, then this chutney is definitely for you. Yup! you read it right. This is a simple chutney made from not-so-favorite vegetable for most of us, but it doesn't taste like it at all. I have prepared it really hot with a bit extra thai chilies, because that is how it quickly disappears in my home. Also, i have skipped the final tadka which you can always add at the end, if you prefer. The color and chunky texture adds another dimension to the chutney. Bring carrots to your 'really good' list by preparing this chutney. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

3 medium Carrots (shredded)

1/4 cup Coconut (shredded)

6 green Chilies (chopped)

1 tbsp dried Tamarind

2 Garlic pods (chopped)

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

1 sprig Curry leaves

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1/2 tsp Urad dal

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tsp white Sesame seeds

1 tbsp Oil

1/2 cup Water

Salt

How to:

Heat oil in a skillet at medium heat, add the mustard seeds, urad dal, asafoetida, cumin seeds and sesame seeds and splutter'em.

Then add the green chilies, curry leaves, garlic and tamarind, and saute for a couple of mins.

Now add the shredded carrot, mix well and cook until the raw smell disappears, for 3-4 mins.

Allow the mixture to cool completely and then grind together with the coconut and salt for taste.

Add water while grinding for desired consistency of the chutney.

Serve as a side for dosa or idli.

Honey Wheat Pull-Out Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 02:38:00 +0000

This hearty, nutty and wholesome rolls would make a perfect mini sandwich for picnics and parties. The rolls are light and soft with a slight sweet bite from the honey. Usually, breads with higher whole wheat content tends be denser, but in this recipe the dough is highly hydrated with excess liquid ingredients. The stand mixer has to used for kneading such a hydrated stickier dough, else you will end up using more flour resulting in a dry bread. So go ahead and enjoy the pull-out rolls. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

3 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 cup All purpose flour

1 3/4 cups + 1 tbsp lukewarm Milk (i use 2%)

6 tbsp liquid Honey

4 tbsp Coconut oil (or Butter)

1 large Egg

1 tbsp Active dry Yeast

2 1/4 tsp Salt

How to (Stand-mixer Method):

Grease a 13x9 baking dish and a large bowl and keep it aside.

Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk and keep aside until foamy. (If using instant 0r rapid-rise yeast, you can add it straight to the flour. And add the milk to the honey, coconut oil (or butter) and egg mixture.)

Mix together the honey, coconut oil (or butter) and egg.

Mix the milk and yeast mixture to the honey and egg mixture.

Using the stand-mixer fitted with dough hook, mix the flours, yeast and salt together.

Slowly add the milk mixture to the flours and mix until dough comes together for a min.

Increase the speed to a medium and knead until the dough is smooth and satiny, for 8 mins. (Don't panic, the dough will be really sticky. Do remember, 'the stickier the dough, the softer the bread'.)

Use an oil-sprayed spatula to transfer the dough from the mixer to a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap.

Let it rest for 45 mins in a warm place until doubles in volume.

Punch the dough on a lightly floured surface and make it to a rough square.

With a bench scraper or pizza wheel, cut'em into quarters and cut each quarter into 4 equal parts. (Now you have a total of 16 equal dough pieces.)

Smooth each piece by pulling the edges and pinch sealing'em at the bottom.
Place the smooth dough rolls into the baking dish arranging in 3 rows. (Arrange in a way that it has 6 rolls in the middle and 5 rolls in the top and bottom rows.)

Let the rolls rest for 20 mins covering with a plastic wrap.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and brush the rolls with the remaining 1 tbsp milk with a pastry brush.

Bake the rolls for 18-20 mins or until golden brown, rotating half-way through baking.

Let it cool on a wire rack for 10 mins and serve warm.

Store it in a dry and cool place.

Chicken Keema Matar

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 22:23:00 +0000

Keema means 'minced meat'. It is typically made with minced lamb or goat and is a south-indian favorite. This is such a simple and quick curry with lots of flavor. The curry is not dry, but moist enough and a perfect accompaniment for roti and parathas. You will be surprised at how easy it is to make with different meats with the same base. If you are using any kind of red meat for the dish, make sure you pressure cook. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1 lb ground Chicken(minced)

2 medium Onions (finely chopped)

2 medium Tomatoes (finely chopped/puréed)

1/2 cup Green Peas (frozen & thawed)

2 tsp Ginger (minced)

2 tsp Garlic (minced)

2 Green Chilies (minced)

2 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Cumin powder

1 tsp Red Chili powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala powder

1 Bay leaf

1 inch Cinnamon stick

1 Black Cardamom

2 Green Cardamom

2 Cloves

1/2 - 1 cup Water

2-3 sprigs Mint leaves (chopped)

4-5 sprigs Cilantro (chopped)

2 stalks Green onions (chopped)

2 tbsp Oil

How to:

Heat oil in a pan at medium heat, add bay leaf, cinnamon. cardamoms and cloves followed by onions.

Add green onions and green chilies, and saute along with little salt until it softens.

Add ginger and garlic and cook until raw smell disappears.

Now add mint leaves and cilantro and cook until onions are slightly browned.

Add tomatoes and cook covered with lid until completely mashed up for 6-8 mins. Remove and cook until oil separates.

Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Cook for a couple of mins.

Add the ground chicken and mix well with the masala.

Add salt and green peas, mix well and saute for couple of mins.

Add curry leaves, stir and pour the water and cook for 3-5 mins. Check salt for taste and switch off.

Serve hot with roti or paratha.

Tips:

Ground chicken or turkey can be cooked in an open pan. But red meat like lamb or beef has to be pressure cooked.

Falooda Drink

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Tue, 21 May 2013 23:56:00 +0000

Falooda is a dessert drink infused with rose flavor that is refreshing with sweet surprises in every sip. The drink is prepared by layering and it looks like a floating ice-cream sundae. I have used vanilla ice-cream here, alternatively you can use kulfi or kesar ice-cream for a richer tasting falooda. You can find all the ingredients at the Indian store.

When you crave something icy-cold to beat the heat, this is the drink for you. This summer perfect rose scented drink is hard to resist, so go ahead make yourself one and stay cool. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

2 cups Milk

5 tbsp Rose Syrup

2-4 tsp Sugar (to taste)

1/2 tsp Basil seeds (Takmaria)

1 pinch Cardamom powder

1/2 cup Vanilla Ice cream

2 cups Water

1 handful Falooda sev

For garnish:

2 tsp chopped Pistachios

2 scoops Vanilla Ice cream (divided)

How to:

Soak the basil seeds in water for a minimum of 1 hr. (I soaked for 6 hrs)

Heat the water in a sauce pan and let it boil.

Cook the falooda sev for 3-5 mins and strain the liquid.

Boil the 2 cups of milk at medium heat.

Switch off and add cardamom powder, sugar and rose syrup.

Now add the strained falooda sev to the milk and refrigerate the milk mixture for 3 hrs.

Add the soaked basil seeds to the chilled milk mixture along with 1/2 cup vanilla ice cream and mix well.

To serve:

In a tall glass, place 1 scoop vanilla ice cream and pour the chilled milk mixture.

Garnish with the chopped pistachios and serve.

No-Knead Brioche Rolls

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Thu, 02 May 2013 23:59:00 +0000

Brioche is a highly enriched French bread, with a rich tender crumb. The eggs and butter makes it light and gives the rolls its fluffiness with a golden brown flaky crust. Brioche is generally eaten as a breakfast or as a snack with coffee. This recipe uses a no-knead technique which is a non-traditional way of making it. As the dough sits in the fridge for a longer time, it forms the gluten slowly without the need of mixer. The traditional way is a long and painstaking process. So there you go, a simplified brioche recipe to try for yourself. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups Bread Flour

2 1/4 tsp Instant Yeast

7 Eggs (1 egg beaten with a pinch of salt)

1/2 cup Water (room temperature)

1/3 cup Sugar

16 tbsp melted Butter

1 1/2 tsp Salt

How to:

In a bowl, mix together the flour, yeast and salt.

In another large bowl, whisk together 6 whole eggs, water and sugar, until the sugar is all dissolved. Whisk the butter until smooth.

Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until no dry flour remains. (It is going to be a sticky dough, so don't panic.)

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 10 mins.
Holding the edge of the dough and fold the dough over itself to the middle. Turn over 45 degrees and fold the dough 6 more times (a total of 8 folds).

Cover and let rise for 30 mins. Repeat folding and rising every 30 mins, 3 more times. After 4th set folds, cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 16 hrs or up to 48 hrs.
Transfer the dough to a floured counter and divide into 2 pieces. Now remove golf balls-size pieces (approx 6) and gently apply pressure in circular motions to make the dough smooth.

Lightly dust the dough balls with flour if it sticks to your hand. Now cover the dough loosely with plastic and let rest for 5 mins.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the rolls leaving space in-between the rolls.
Cover and let rise at room temperature for 2 hrs or until doubled in size. Half-an-hr before baking, adjust the oven rack to the middle position, place baking stone on rack and heat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove plastic and brush the rolls with 1 egg beaten with salt. Bake until golden brown for 15 to 20 mins, rotating and switching sheets halfway through.

Transfer the rolls to a wire rack and serve warm.

Tips:

Make sure you wrap the dough tightly with plastic before keeping it in the fridge.
Do no add more flour to the dough if it sticks, rather lightly dust your hands with flour and apply gentle pressure and smoothen the rolls.

Butter Paneer Masala

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 01:09:00 +0000

Butter paneer is one rich creamy dish you can prepare as a treat to yourself. This is definitely not the time to go low fat or no butter. This is a fool-proof recipe and tastes just like the one they serve at the restaurant. You can wow your spouse or your friends with this super rich and quite easy dish. Great for parties too. So go ahead and try it today. Here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

14 oz Paneer (bite-size pieces)

4 tbsp Butter

2 tsp Oil

1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1 cup ground Tomatoes

1 1/2 tsp Garlic paste

1 1/2 tsp Ginger paste

1 tsp Coriander powder

1 tsp Chili powder

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Garam masala

1 cup Water

Salt

How to:

Heat oil in a deep pan at medium heat and then add butter. (This prevents butter from browning. Btw, i used only half the butter.)

Now add the ginger and garlic paste and saute for a couple of mins.

Once the raw smell disappears, add the tomatoes and cook until the oil separates for 4-5 mins.

Then add the coriander powder, chili powder, paprika and garam masala along with salt and cook for a min.

Now add the paneer pieces and mix well to coat completely.

Then pour the water, mix well and cook for 5 mins with lid closed.

Check salt for taste, lower the flame and add the cream.

Let come to a boil and switch off.

Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with naan or rotis.

Chettinad Chicken Kuzhambu

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 23:01:00 +0000

Chettinad cuisine is famous for using various spices and one of the most aromatic food in India. This is one such spicy chicken dish that wakes up all your senses. You can adjust the water to make it a thick curry or more of a kuzhambu. If you have red pearl onions (small onions) substitute that for more authentic taste. I have used chicken thighs as it has much flavor and meat is tender, you can use bone-in or boneless chicken breast. And here goes the hot recipe,

Ingredients:

2 lbs Bone-in Chicken thighs (bite size pieces)

2 medium Red onions (finely chopped)

2 small Tomatoes (chopped)

2 tsp minced Ginger

2 tsp minced Garlic

1 tsp Red Chili powder (or to taste)

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

6-8 Dry Red Chili

2 tsp Coriander seeds

3 Cloves

1 inch Cinnamon stick

1 tsp Fennel seeds

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1 tbsp Poppy seeds

1/2 cup grated Coconut

15-20 Curry leaves

2 tbsp Sesame oil

Salt

How to:

Heat a small skillet and dry roast together the dry red chili, coriander seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, poppy seeds and coconut.
Once the coconut is dehydrated and turned slightly brown, switch off and let the mixture cool.

Grind the cooled mixture along with 1/2 a cup water to a smooth paste and keep aside.

Heat sesame oil in a deep pan, add the onions with a sprinkle of salt and cook until it releases oil.

Now add the ginger and garlic and cook until raw smell disappears.

Add the ground paste along with 1/2 cup water and cook for a min.

Now add the turmeric powder and red chili powder and cook for another min.

Add the tomatoes and cook until completely mashed up or until the oil is released with the lid open.

Add the chicken pieces along with curry leaves and more salt and mix well to coat the chicken completely.

Adding more curry leaves :)

Cook for 4-5 mins or until the chicken turns white and gets lightly seared.

Now pour 1-2 cups water depending on the consistency you need and let come to a boil.
Transfer the curry to a pressure cooker and cook for a whistle. Alternatively, you can cook the chicken in the same pan with lid closed for 15-20 mins. (I prefer pressure cooking the bone-in chicken.)

Switch off and serve hot with rice, dosa or paratha.

Buttery Croissant (from scratch)

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 21:27:00 +0000

Croissant is a flaky buttery bread roll made from yeast-leavened dough and they are a staple in French bakeries. Well, making croissants are a bit time consuming but well worth it eod. As the dough has to be rolled and folded several times, it takes around 10 hrs from start to finish including refrigeration and freezing time. So i divided the process by laminating the first day and shaping the next day. Also make sure you have a measuring ruler and not tape, this way you can shape the rectangles with straight edges. Measuring as you roll is the key to perfect croissants so go ahead sink your teeth into these flaky rolls. Here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

4 1/4 cups All purpose flour
3 tbsp + 24 tbsp Unsalted Butter, very cold
1 3/4 cups Milk
4 tsp Rapid rise/Instant yeast (or 5 tsp Active dry yeast)
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tsp Salt

1 large Egg
1 tsp cold Water

How to:

Melt 3 tbsp of butter in a saucepan over low heat, remove and immediately stir in the milk. Whisk in yeast and transfer the mixture to a bowl of stand mixer, add the flour, sugar and salt.

Using dough hook in a stand mixer, knead on low speed for 2-3 mins or until dough starts to come together. Increase speed to medium-low and knead for a min. Wrap the bowl and let sit for 30 mins.

Transfer dough to parchment paper–lined rimmed baking sheet and shape into 10 by 7-inch rectangle about 1 inch thick.

Wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Making Butter block:

While dough chills, fold 24-inch length of parchment in half to create 12-inch rectangle. Fold over 3 open sides of rectangle to form 8-inch square with enclosed sides. Crease folds firmly.

Place 24 tablespoons cold butter directly on counter or the parchment and beat with rolling pin for about 60 seconds until butter is just pliable but not warm, then fold butter in on itself using bench scraper. Beat into rough 6-inch square.

Unfold parchment envelope and transfer butter to center of parchment, refolding at creases to enclose.

Turn packet over so that flaps are underneath and gently roll until butter fills parchment square, taking care to achieve even thickness.

Refrigerate the rolled butter for at least 45 minutes.

Laminating the dough:

Transfer dough to freezer. After 30 minutes, transfer to lightly floured counter and roll into 17 by 8-inch rectangle with long side parallel to edge of counter.

Unwrap butter and place in center of dough. Fold sides of dough over butter so they meet in center. Press seam together with fingertips. With rolling pin, press firmly on each open end of packet.

Roll out lengthwise into 24 by 8-inch rectangle. Starting at bottom of dough, fold into thirds like business letter into 8-inch square. Turn dough 90 degrees counterclockwise. Roll out lengthwise again into 24 by 8-inch rectangle and fold into thirds.

Place dough on sheet, wrap tightly with plastic, and return to freezer for 30 minutes.

Transfer dough to lightly floured counter so that top flap opens on right. Roll out dough lengthwise into 24 by 8-inch rectangle and fold into thirds. Place dough on sheet, wrap tightly with plastic, and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 24 hours. (I refrigerated overnight.)

Shaping the dough:

Transfer dough to freezer. After 30 minutes, transfer to lightly floured counter and roll into 18 by 16-inch rectangle with long side of rectangle parallel to edge of counter.

Fold upper half of dough over lower half. Using ruler, mark dough at 3-inch intervals along bottom edge with bench scraper (you should have 5 marks).

Move ruler to top edge of dough, measure in 11/2 inches from left, then use this mark to measure out 3-inch intervals (you should have 6 marks).

Starting at lower left corner, use sharp pizza wheel or knife to cut dough from mark to mark. You will have 12 triangles and 5 diamonds; discard scraps. (Actually i did not discard the scraps but rolled'em and baked for a lesser time. Yields 4 mini croissants.)

Unfold diamonds and cut into 10 triangles (making 22 equal-size triangles in total).

Position 1 triangle on counter. (Keep remaining triangles covered with plastic.) Cut 1/2-inch slit in center of short side of triangle.

Grasp triangle by 2 corners on either side of slit and stretch gently, then stretch bottom point. Place triangle on counter so point is facing you. Fold down both sides of slit. Roll top of triangle partway toward point.

Gently grasp point 1 hand and stretch again. Curve ends gently toward each other to create crescent. Repeat with the remaining triangles.

Place 12 croissants on 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets at least 21/2 inches apart.

Lightly wrap with plastic and let stand at room temperature until nearly double in size, 2 1/2 to 3 hrs.

(Shape the croissants ahead and refrigerate for up to 18 hours. Remove from refrigerator to rise and add at least 30 minutes to rising time.)

After croissants have been rising for 2 hours, adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 425 degrees.
In small bowl, whisk together egg, water, and pinch salt.

Brush croissants with egg wash. Place croissants in oven and reduce temperature to 400 degrees.
Bake for 12 minutes, then switch and rotate baking sheets. Continue to bake until deep golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes longer. (Every oven is different, i baked mine for a total of 16 mins rotating halfway.)

Transfer to wire rack and cool about 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tips (Make ahead):

After shaping, place 10 croissants 1 inch apart on parchment-lined sheet. Wrap with plastic and freeze until solid, about 2 hours.

Transfer to zipper-lock bag and you can freeze for up to 2 months.

Bake the croissants by allowing them to rise at room temperature for 3-3 1/2 hrs.

Brownie in a Mug

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 00:17:00 +0000

Within 2 mins and with very little effort, your late night sweet/chocolate cravings will be satisfied by this warm and decadent brownie. This totally-divine dessert is ready to devour with just a few staples from your pantry. Mix in a mug, microwave and serve it in the same mug.

Btw, make sure you finish up the brownie when it is still warm, because once cooled it really hardens up and we don't want that. So, go ahead and enjoy your evening with a warm mug of ~~coffee~~ brownie. Here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1/4 cup All purpose flour/Maida

3 tbsp white Sugar or more to taste

2 tbsp Cocoa powder (unsweetened)

2 tbsp Canola Oil

3 tbsp Water

1 pinch Salt

How to:

Mix together all the dry ingredients in a coffee mug; the flour, sugar, cocoa powder and salt.

Pour the oil and water to the dry mixture and mix well.

Microwave the mug for 1 min and 40 secs.(Every oven is different, so keep an eye and do not over cook.)

Remove and serve warm with a scoop of your favorite ice-cream.

Wheat-Oat-Flax Buns

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 23:47:00 +0000

Easy to whip up theses tender rolls which are high in fiber and a great whole-grain alternative for your white breads. If you are worried about the bitterness from using the whole wheat flour, that's where our orange juice comes into picture. Feel free to use all whole wheat flour and make sure you increase the amount of orange juice as it mellows any potential bitterness and you are good to go.

Ingredients:

2 cups Unbleached Bread Flour

1 cup white Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup Old-fashioned rolled Oats

1/2 cup Whole Flax meal

1/4 cup Canola Oil

1/4 cup Orange juice

3 tbsp Honey

1 large Egg Yolk

2 1/2 tsp Instant Yeast

1 1/2 tsp Salt

3/4 to 7/8 cup Lukewarm Water**

1 Egg White, for topping

Rolled Oats, for topping

**Use the greater amount of liquid in winter or in drier climates; lesser amount in summer, or in a humid environment.

How to:

Beat the egg white with 1 tbsp of water and keep aside.
Add the dry ingredients together; bread flour, wheat flour, oats, flax meal, yeast and salt.

Add the wet ingredients together; canola oil, orange juice, honey, egg yolk and water.

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix until cohesive.

Let rest for 20 mins for the grains to absorb the liquid. Then start kneading by hand or mixer until the dough is soft and smooth.

Pour 1 tbsp water at a time while kneading if the dough seems a bit dry.
Place the dough in a greased pan and let rise for 1 1/2 hrs.

Gently deflate the dough and divide into 12 pieces. Shapen the dough into a circle about 3" across.

Place the buns on a parchment paper and let rise for 90 mins, until doubles again.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Brush the buns with egg white mixture and sprinkle with oats.

Bake the buns for 20 mins or until golden brown and transfer to a cool rack.

Serve warm slathered with butter or with tea, just the way my hubby prefers.

Chicken-Egg Kothu Chapathi

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 23:50:00 +0000

Looking for reviving up the leftover rotis or hungry for a hot and spicy roti dish, either way this is for you. Make your own tweaks by adding more of this or leaving out that. This kothu chapathi satisfies you craving equally to kothu parotta without much calories. So there you go, an appetizing hot dish that won't destroy your waistline.

Ingredients:

6-8 Chapthis/Rotis (cooked)

2 Eggs

1/2 cup shredded Chicken (cooked)

1 1/2 medium Red onion (sliced)

1 big Tomato (chopped)

1/2 Green Bell Pepper (thinly sliced)

3 Green chilli (finely chopped)

2 tsp minced Ginger-Garlic

1 sprig Curry leaves

2 tbsp Cilantro (chopped)

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tsp Tandoori Chicken powder

1 tsp Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds

1 inch Cinnamon stick

2 Cloves

Salt

2 tbsp Oil

How to:

Tear the cooked chapathis into bite size pieces and beak the eggs with a pinch of salt.

Heat oil in a wide skillet at medium heat, add cloves cinnamon, fennel seeds and cumin seeds.

Now add the turmeric powder followed by the onions.

Cook for a couple of mins and add the ginger-garlic. Let cook until raw smell disappears.

Now add the bell pepper, green chilli, curry leaves and 1 tbsp cilantro and saute another couple of mins.

Add the tomato followed the tandoori powder and chilli powder along with the salt.

Saute for a min, then add the cooked chicken and cook for 2-3 mins.

Now add the torn chapathi pieces and mix well until the masala coats every single piece.

Finally pour the beaten eggs and cook until they are cooked. Check salt for taste.

Switch off and garnish with the remaining cilantro.

Serve hot with onion raita.

Baklava

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 21:34:00 +0000

Baklava is a sweet pastry made of layers of phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with honey. A Greek favorite that makes everyone's mouth water. It is the yummiest and finger-licking sweet that i am up for at any time of the day. With a few ingredients it is easy to make a whole batch at your home. Everything tastes better when it is homemade. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) package Phyllo dough

4 cups whole raw Walnuts

1/2 cup melted Butter

1 tsp ground Cinnamon

1 1/2 cups Water

1 1/2 cups + 1/4 cup White Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

3/4 cup Honey

1 tsp Rose water

How to:

Thaw the phyllo dough according to the directions on the package.
Meanwhile, make the sauce by boiling water and 1 1/2 cups sugar until the sugar is melted.

Reduce the heat, then add vanilla, rose water and honey and simmer for 20 mins until it thickens slightly.

Let the sauce sit in the refrigerator until you finish baking.
Roast the walnuts on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 mins. Let cool and finely chop'em.
In a bowl, toss the nuts along with cinnamon and 1/4 cup of sugar and keep it aside.

Coat a 9x13 baking pan lightly with butter and set aside.

Unroll the thawed phyllo dough and with the nuts and melted butter ready, let's start layering.
Place two sheets of dough in the pan, butter thoroughly with a silicone basting brush. Repeat this until you have 8 sheets layered.

Now sprinkle 3-4 tbsp of nut mixture on top, place 2 sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. Keep aside 8 sheets for the top layer.

Once layered, place the pan in the refrigerator for 15 mins.
With a sharp knife, cut the layers deep enough but not all the way through and brush the top with butter.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake for 40 mins, until golden on top.

Immediately spoon the cooled syrup all over the hot baklava.

Let cool completely and rest overnight before you serve.

Store at room temperature by loosely wrapping with a newspaper.

Tips:

Allowing it to rest for 4-5 days before serving really soaks up the goodness of the syrup.
It takes time to get comfortable with phyllo dough. Cover the unwrapped phyllo dough with a plastic wrap and lay a slightly wet paper towel over it to prevent drying.

Roasted Eggplant and Garlicky Dip

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 23:04:00 +0000

This is such an easy and healthy dip that would go well with pretty much everything. It tastes great with dosa, cooked rice, toasted bread, pita chips and crackers. The garlic adds so much flavor, the red onions give it a nice crunch and the chunky eggplants adds a great texture. And last but not least, you will get a guaranteed '~~good~~ great job' pat from your spouse just like i did. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

2 medium Eggplants (or 1 large)

10-12 Garlic pods

4 small Green Chilli (finely chopped)

1/4 cup Red onion (finely chopped)

1/4 cup Cilantro (finely chopped)

2 tbsp Olive oil

Salt

How to:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Wash the eggplants, cut the stem off and make 4 slits lengthwise.

Open the slits gently and stuff the garlic and green chilli.

Place the eggplant on a foil, sprinkle salt and drizzle olive oil over it.

Wrap the eggplant tightly and place it in a oven safe dish and bake for an hour.

Once baked, remove the foil immediately and carefully slide the roasted eggplants into the dish.

Cut the eggplants and mash'em along with the skin and check the salt for taste.

Let it cool completely, add the onions and cilantro, mix well.

Serve at room temperature or chilled with chips or crackers.

Badam Kulfi (Almond Ice cream)

noreply@blogger.com (NIDHYA) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 22:39:00 +0000

Kulfi is a frozen dessert which is not whipped like the regular ice cream. It is more richer, more denser and hence it takes more time to melt. I found this recipe at Manjula's Kitchen and was very excited to try it. Thanks Manjula for this scrumptious dessert.

A cold treat to end the summer! This lusciously smooth kulfi takes you to your dreamier world. It is infused with cardamom and added almonds for a nice crunch. The kulfi dissolves in your mouth and you just can't keep your spoon down. Do enjoy this Indian ice cream at your home. And here goes the recipe,
Ingredients:

4 cups Whole Milk
1/4 cup Sugar
1 White Bread Slice
1tsp Cornstarch
1/2tsp Cardamom (Coarsely ground)
10 Almonds (chopped)

How to:

Remove the crust off of the bread and slice'em into squares.

Blend together 1/2 cup milk, bread pieces and cornstarch to a smooth paste.

In a wide pan, boil the remaining milk at medium-high heat by stirring the pan continuously.

Once it comes to boil, let the milk cook for another 12 mins until it is reduced.
Now reduce the heat to medium and pour the bread-cornstarch mixture and cook for 4 mins, until it thickens.

Then add the sugar and chopped almonds, mix well and cook for another couple of mins.

Finally switch off and add the cardamom powder.

Let it cool completely and pour the mixture in to a bowl. Wrap the bowl with a plastic wrap, making sure it touches the top of the milk mixture.

Freeze it overnight and serve cold garnished with more almonds.