Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies

Inspired from here

Ingredients:

For the Red Velvet Brownies:

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing pan

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon red food coloring

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white vinegar

2 eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

For the cheesecake filling:

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and grease it with butter.

In a large bowl, comine the melted 8 tablespoons butter with the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, food coloring and salt, stirring to combine. Then stir in the white vinegar.

Whisk together the eggs in a small bowl, and then stir them into the brownie batter. Fold in the flour, just until combined, then pour the batter into the prepared pan, reserving 1/4 cup of the batter for the topping.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a handheld electric mixer), blend together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and egg yolk until well combined. Spread the cream cheese mixture in an even layer over the brownie batter then top the cream cheese with dollops of the remaining brownie batter. Using a sharp knife or toothpick, swirl the cream cheese together with the dollops of brownie batter.

Bake the brownies for 30 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely before lifting the parchment out of the pan then slicing and serving.

Note: Brownies often taste better the second day after they're baked, so feel free to make the brownies in advance and store them in an airtight container.

Mango Lemonade

Serves 2 Glasses

Inspired from here

Ingredients:

1/2 cup thick mango pulp 

1/4 cup sugar (reduce if the mango pulp is sweet)

1 cup cold water

Juice of 1 lemon

Method:

Heat a small pan and boil a cup of water. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Keep aside and bring it to room temperature.

In a big container stir the sugar water, mango pulp and juice of lemons. Add cold water as required.

Serve cold by topping with ice. Don’t let it sit for long else the juice gets diluted because of the ice.

Spinach Dhokla

Inspired from Tarla Dalal
Ingredients:
Besan Flour(Bengal gram flour) - 1 cup
Semolina (Rava) - 1 1/2 tbspns
Sugar - 3 1/2 tsps + 1/4 tsp

Ginger - 1 tsp, chopped finely or Ginger Powder - 1/2 tsp

Lemon Juice - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Spinach - 2 cups

Water - 2 cups + 1/4 cup

Curd/Yogurt - 1/4 cup
Eno Fruit Salt - 1 1/2 tsp
Oil for greasing - 1/4 tsp

For Tempering;

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Sesame Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Green Chilies - 2, chopped finely (optional)

A pinch of Asafoetida (hing)

Curry Leaves - 2 to 3

For Garnishing

Cilantro/Coriander - 2 tbspns, chopped

Method:
Boil 2 cups of water and add the spinach. Now add 1/4 tsp of sugar to the water. Let it cook for 2 minutes. Now strain the spinach. Puree it in the mixer with little water (use the cooked water for pureeing). It yields approximately 1 cup puree.

Combine all the ingredients together, except the fruit salt in a bowl and mix well to make a batter.

The batter should be of dropping consistency, neither too thin nor too thick. Just before steaming, add the fruit salt. When the bubbles form, mix gently. Keep the steamer ready.

Pour the batter immediately into a greased plate. Steam for 12 to 15 minutes or till the dhoklas are cooked. Keep aside.

Heat the oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the sesame seeds, green chilies and asafoetida, mix well and sauté on a medium flame for a second, while stirring continuously.

Remove from the flame and pour the tempering over the dhoklas. Cool slightly and cut into equal pieces. Serve it with green chili chutney garnished with coriander.

Coconut Walnut Chutney

Inspired from here
Ingredients:
Walnuts - 1/2 cup
Fresh/Frozen Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup

Green Chili - 2
Dry Red Chili - 2
Curry Leaf - 1 Stalk
Red Lentil/Masoor Dhal - 2 tbspns
Garlic - 1 Large or 2 Small Cloves, roughly chopped (optional)
Tamarind - 1 Marble Size
Oil - 1 tbspn
Salt as needed

For Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tbspn
Curry Leaf - a few
Asafoetida/Hing - a pinch
Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

Keep all the ingredients ready. In a tbspn of oil, lightly brown the red lentils. A minute later add the roughly chopped garlic cloves, both the chilies and a stalk of curry leaf. Add the walnuts and saute them for a minute. Switch off the stove and add the coconut and tamarind. Mix and let it cool. Add salt and grind them to a smooth paste. Season the chutney with the above seasoning ingredients in a tsp of oil. Pour over the chutney. Enjoy with Idli or Dosa.

Papaya Halwa

Inspired from here

Ingredients:

Ripe Papaya - 3 cups, chopped into cubes

Sugar - 1 1/2 cups (adjust according to your taste)

Milk - 1 cup

Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cashew Nuts - 2 tbspns

Raisins - 1 tbpsn

Ghee - 2 tbspns

Method:

In a pan add the milk and let it boils. In a separate fry the cashews and raisins in a tbspn of ghee and keep it aside.

Mix the papaya cubes and sugar in a non stick pan and cook well (approximately 15 minutes). Now mash the papaya sugar mixture well with the back of the ladle. Keep stirring the mixture and add more sugar if needed. Now add the boiled milk in the papaya sugar mixture and keep stirring for about 25-35 minutes until it forms a sticky halwa consistency and starts to leave the sides of the pan. The milk and water content completely evaporates and looks glossy.

At this stage add a tbspn of ghee and mix well and add the cardamom powder. Add the fried cashews and raisins to the halwa.  Switch off the stove. Grease a plate and transfer the halwa to the plate.