Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Savory Semolina Cake


Ingredients:
Semolina/Rava - 1 cup
Curd - 1 cup(not sour)
Carrots - 1/4 cup, grated
Peas - 1/4 cup
Green Beans - 6, chopped 
Ginger - 1 tsp, grated
Green Chili - 1, finely chopped
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

To Temper:
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbspns
White Sesame Seeds - 1 tsp

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a loaf tin with a non stick spray.
Mix rava and curd in a mixing bowl. Add grated ginger, grated carrot, beans, salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder and mix it well. The mixture will be very thick.
Heat a pan and add 2 tbspns of oil. Add the mustard seeds and when they pop, add cumin seeds and let it sizzle. Pour the tempering over the mixture and mix it well.
Finally add the baking soda to the batter and mix well. Immediately pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. Sprinkle the white sesame seeds on the top. Bake for 30 minutes or a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
Remove the loaf from the pan and let it cool for 5 minutes. Serve hot with ketchup.


Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Tomato Peas Pulao



Serves 2

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Tomatoes - 2 small or 1 big, chopped finely
Onion - 1 medium, chopped lengthwise
Green Chili - 2, slit lengthwise
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp
Green Peas - 1/4 cup
Turmeric - 1/8 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 3/4 tsp
Coriander Leaves - 2 tbspns, chopped finely
Salt as per taste

To temper;
Oil & Ghee - 2 tbspns
Elachi -1 (optional)
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
Clove - 1
Bay Leaf - 1


Method:
Soak basmati rice for at least 1 hour. Heat a pan or pressure cooker with oil, ghee and temper with elaichi, cinnamon, clove and bay leaf. Add green chilies, onions and fry till onion turns translucent. Add ginger garlic paste, green peas and fry for a minute. Then add tomatoes. 
Now add salt, turmeric, garam masala powder and red chili powder. Fry till the tomatoes turn mushy. Drain the soaked rice and add it to the pan. Fry for a minute and add 1 cup of water. Bring to boil and pressure cook for 2 whistles in low flame.
If using rice cooker, transfer the entire content to the rice cooker.
Once the rice is cooked garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with raita and chips.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Non Fried Moong Dal Dahi Vadas



Inspired from Tarla Dalal
Makes 8-10 Vadas
Ingredients:
For the Vadas;
Split Green Moong Dal or Whole Urad dal - 1 cup 
Green chilies - 2, roughly chopped
Asafoetida (hing) - a pinch
Salt to taste
Eno Fruit Salt - 1/2 tsp
Oil for Greasing and Cooking - 1 1/4 tsp

For the Curds;
Low-fat curds - 2 cups, made from 99.7% fat-free
Salt to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - a few

Other Ingredients:
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Cilantro - 2 tbspns, finely chopped
Boondi - 2-3 tbspns

Method: 
For the Vada;
Clean, wash and soak the moong dal for 3 to 4 hours. Drain, add the green chilies and blend in a mixer to a smooth paste, using a little water. Transfer the paste into a bowl, add the asafoetida and salt and mix well. Sprinkle the fruit salt and add 1 tbspn of water over it. When the bubbles form, mix gently. Grease a non-stick tava (griddle) using ¼ tsp of oil. Pour ladleful of the batter on it to make 3 to 4 vadas at a time. Cover with a lid and cook on a slow flame for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn upside down, cover again and cook on a slow flame using ¼ tsp of oil for 2 to 3 minutes(not more than that). Repeat with the remaining mixture to make more vadas. 
Soak the vadas in hot water for 2 minutes and squeeze out the water and keep aside.

For the curds;
Combine the curds and salt in a bowl and mix well using a whisk. Heat the oil in a small non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds.
When the seeds crackle, add the cumin seeds and curry leaves. Pour this tempering to the whisked curds and mix well.

How to proceed;
Place two vadas on a serving plate and spread the tempered curds over the vadas. Sprinkle ¼ tsp of cumin powder, ½ tsp of chili powder, boondi and cilantro.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients.


Tuesday, July 9, 2013

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cup Cake


Serves 30 Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Sugar - 2 cups
All Purpose Flour - 1 3/4 cups
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 3/4 cup
Baking Powder - 1 1/2 tsps
Baking Soda - 1 1/2 tsps
Salt - 1 tsp
Eggs - 2
Milk - 1 cup
Vegetable/Canola Oil - 1/2 cup
Vanilla Extract - 2 tsps
Boiling Water - 1 cup

Method:
Heat oven to 350°F. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups.
Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.
Frost with PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows). 

Note: 
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2 - inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.
THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.
BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.  Frost.
ROUND CAKE: Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; 



"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING
Yields 2 cups frosting
Ingredients:
Butter or Margarine - 1/2 cup(1 stick)
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 2/3 cup
Powdered Sugar - 3 cups
Milk - 1/3 cup
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp

Method:
Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.
Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. 



Monday, July 1, 2013

Sweet Potato Paratha



Ingredients:
Sweet potato - 1 medium sized
Wheat flour / Atta flour - 3 cups
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp(increase according to the spicyess level)
Cumin Powder - 3/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tbspns + more for cooking
Ginger Paste - 1/2 tsp or less(optional)
Water - as needed

Method:
Boil and mash the sweet potato until smooth without lumps. Mix the flour, salt, red chili powder and cumin powder well. Add the oil and ginger paste and mix until the oil is well incorporated. Add the pureed sweet potatoes and knead to a soft pliable dough sprinkling water as needed. Set aside for 30 mins. Take golf ball sized dough and flatten it with a rolling pin. Make circular parathas dusting with flour. Heat a tawa and place the rolled out parathas on it. When the top of the parathas change color, flip over and spray some oil over it. After about 20 secs flip over and press and rotate the parathas with a kitchen towel. The parathas would puff up. Serve hot with a dollop of butter or with curd and pickle.