mango delight (wholewheat)

A very simple and healthy recipe. 

Makes 4 muffins

Ingredients :

• whole wheat flour                          25 gm
• refined wheat flour                        25 gm
• malai/cream (homemade)             45 gm
• caramalized sugar*                         3 tbs 
• baking powder                              1/4 tsp
• baking soda                                  1/4 tsp
• mango finely chopped                   50 gm
• cashew nut / walnut                         2 tbs 

 

Procedure :

        Caramalize the sugar by adding 3tbs of water to 3tbs of sugar as soon as it melts. Add this caramalized sugar to malai and blend well. Sieve the wheat flour , refined flour , baking soda and baking powder. Add all these dry ingredients into the malai and mix well. Add walnuts or cashew nuts to this batter. The batter should be of pouring consistency. 

Bake it at 170 degree celsius for 20- 25 minutes.

eggless donut (doughnut)

A very easy recipe . All you should know is how  to knead bread dough. Please make sure that the measurements are very accurate.

Makes 4 – 6 donuts

Ingredients :

• Refined flour   125 gm
• yeast                    1 tsp
• bread improver   1/2 tsp
• castor sugar                      3 tsp
• milk to knead dough
• fat                           2 tsp
• gulabjamun mix     50 gms ( acts as an egg replacer)
• Dark chocolate       100 gms

 

Procedure :

Sieve together dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre and dissolve yeast along with little water and sugar. Keep on adding milk until u form a smooth dough. Knead dough untul its soft and smooth. Check its elasticity. The dough should be elastic. Using a doughnut cutter , give shape and place it on a butter paper to make sure you dont touch the dough after it has proofed or fermented . Leave it to proof for around 30 – 40 mins or until it has doubled in size.

After the doughnuts have been proofed , fry them on medium heat until they change its colour to brown. Dip them in melted dark chocolate . Your donuts are ready to be served.

 

 

 

Dal Makhani

A delicious and simple punjabi dish with creamy texture.

Serves : 4

Ingredients :

• 4 – 5 tomatoes ( pureed)

• half cup black dal (whole udad dal ) soaked in water overnight
• 2-3 tsp ginger garlic paste ( 1″ ginger and 6-7 cloves of garlic )
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• red chilly powder
• salt to taste
• garam masala
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbs cream
• 1tbs ghee / oil / butter
• coriander leaves ( for garnishing )

Procedure :

Pressure cook the dal. Add a piece of ginger and cloves of garlic along with dal.Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds to it. Add ginger garlic paste and saute. Cook for 1 min and add tomato puree. Let this boil for another 4 – 5 mins. Add the cooked dal and season it with salt , red chilly powder , garam masala ( I used kitchen king) . Let it simmer for another 5 – 10 mins . The longer you cook , your dal will taste more flavourful . Add cream and cook for 2 more mins. Garnish with a tsp of cream and coriander leaves. Serve hot with kulcha , paratha or jeera rice.

jelly slice (candies style – bandra)

My brother once had bought this dessert for me from a very popular store – candies. I tried to use readily available ingredients and make this dessert. It turned out to be really well for a first timer.

Ingredients :

• 1 cup cottage cheese ( grind into paste ) (This is used as a substitute to cream cheese)
• 1 cup whipped cream
• 1 packet jelly crystals ( I used rasberry flavoured)
• 15 digestive biscuits ( britannia nutrilite digestive)
•  butter
• castor sugar (1/2 the quantity of cream cheese)

Procedure :

Crush the biscuits coarsely with a rolling pin.  Add butter to it and add this into a tin. Form a layer on the base of the tin and refrigerate it to set.

Whip cream until peaks are formed. Add  cream cheese to it and castor sugar. Mix well. Form another layer. And let it set in the refrigerator.

Make jelly according to the instructions. Let it semi set and pour this mixture onto the cream layer. Refrigerate this for 2 hours . Cut  the dessert in square pieces.

Wholewheat carrot muffins

After trying muffins for a fair number of times , this attempt turned out to be the best (texture as well as taste wise) . Here is the recipe.

Makes around 9 muffins

Ingredients :

1 cup wholewheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup castor sugar

1tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp vinegar

1 – 1/4 cup milk

Vanilla extract

carrot

raisins

cranberries

Procedure 

Sieve wholewheat flour , all purpose flour , baking soda and baking powder. Add sugar and vinegar to this mixture . Add milk as per the requirement of the batter. The consistency of the batter should not be dropping. Add vanilla extract and mix well. Add this batter into a greased muffin tray. Top it with shredded carrot , raisins and cranberries.  You can add half of the carrot , raisins and cranberries mixture into the batter and other half on the muffin after pouring the batter in the muffin tray.

Bake the muffins at 155 degree Celsius for 20mins or until your knife when inserted comes out clean.

bhaji ( pav bhaji)

One of the most popular street food of mumbai and indeed very delicious . Every one of us go through the disappointment of not being able to replicate the roadside taste of this dish . I tried various recipes and this was one of the recipe which was closest to the roadside taste.

Ingredients :

Serves 4

• 2 finely chopped capsicum
• 5 finely chopped tomatoes
• 3 finely chopped onions
• 5 boiled potatoes
• half cup boiled green peas
• pav bhaji masala
• salt
• lemon juice
• red chilly powder
• 7 – 8 garlic cloves
• 2 green chillies
• butter

Procedure :

1) Add water in a pan . Add finely chopped capsicum and let it get soft . Eventually add tomatoes and let them cook. Add mashed potatoes and green peas . Season it with butter , pav bhaji masala , red chilly powder , salt , green chilly – garlic paste. Keep on mashing and let is boil. Add water as and when required.

2) Heat butter in another pan . Add finely chopped onions , salt , pav bhaji masala , red chilly powder , asafoetida and lemon juice. let is cook completely

3) Add the onions into the potato mixture and let is cook until all the flavours are properly integrated. Keep on mashing.

Garnish it with coriander and tamper with butter – garlic chutney

For butter garlic chutney :

Add butter , cumin seeds , red chilly powder and garlic chutney , water if required. You can add this on bhaji or spread it on pav.

NOTE:

normally I add around half a beet root (boiled and shredded) to get that dark colour…Its a good way to replace the artificial colour wid beetroot juice or pulp.

Stuffed capsicum

This is a very tasty and easy recipe. Its a good recipe to be served as starter. A good substitute to the fried starters. It tastes like the kofta. If you dont like the indian taste you can replace the spices with pepper , chilly flakes and mixed herbs to give it a bland taste.

Adopted from sanjeev kapoor book

Ingredients :

For two capsicums :

• 1 boiled potato peel and mashed
• chopped green chillies
• finely chopped onion
• fresh coriander leaves
• cashews (coarsely chopped)
• raisins
• red chilly powder
• garam masala
• salt
• oil
• cheese (grated)

Procedure :

1) Wash capsicums  , slice off thinly from the top and remove seeds to make it hollow. Similarly

slice off thinly from bottom.

2) wash and chop green chillies , chop onion and coriander leaves.

3) Mix well potatoes , cashew nuts , raisins ,red chilly powder , garam masala , coriander leaves and keep aside.

4) preheat oven to 225 degree celsius.

5) Heat oil in a pan. Add onion. cook till translucent and add green chillies. Mix in potato mixture and continue to cook for 2 mins. Divide the mixture evenly and stuff them into the prepared capsicum shells. Sprinkle cheese and place it on a baking tray.

6) Bake capsicums at 225 degree celsius for 10 – 15mins. Serve immediately

• I like the burnt taste of cheese , if you dont like add cheese at a latter stage. and bake again.