Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

-Courtesy Joy Of Baking

Ingredients:

Red Velvet Cupcakes:

1 1/4 cups (125 grams) sifted cake flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoons (10 grams) regular or Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3/4 cups (150 grams) granulated white sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk

1 tablespoon liquid red food coloring

1/2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8-10 tbsp  Cream Cheese 

200 gm of Whipped Cream

Preparation:

Red Velvet Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and line 12 muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.
In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly among the 12  muffin cups and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 18 -23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcakes comes out clean.

Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes and them remove from pan. Let cool completely before frosting. Either spread the frosting with a knife or offset spatula, or use a large 1M Wilton open star decorating tip to pipe the frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

Whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Add cream cheese to this whipped cream and whip again. Blend both the ingredients well. Refrigerate and use a piping bag to decorate the cupcakes. You can also use the colorful sprinkles to  make them look attractive.

For video recipe: http://www.joyofbaking.com/RedVelvetCupcakes.html

Veg Cutlets

Ingredients:

4 large potatoes; boiled and mashed
1 cup chopped carrots and french beans each
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp red chili powder
1 tbsp Garam masala powder
1-2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp juice
Bread crumbs
Salt
Coriander
Oil

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds, ginger-garlic paste, carrots and french beans. Toss the veggies properly and let them cook. This will take about 7-10 min.
2. Add red chili, turmeric and garam masala powder, salt, lemon juice and mix well. 
3. Add mashed potatoes to this and mix it properly.
4.  Take wok off the flame and add bread crumbs to it after the mixture cools down. Mix the bread crumbs with your hands and check if the mixture has reached a consistency where it can be rolled into cutlets. It should form a tight dough-like mixture. You can use maida/all purpose flour or corn flour instead of bread crumbs to bring this desired consistency.
5. Roll small balls of this mixture(lemon sized) and press them gently to give that 'tikki look'. Shallow fry on low flame.
6. Serve with mint chutney or tomato ketchup and some fresh green salad.

Cornflakes Bhel

-Courtesy Sanjeev Kapoor

Ingredients:

2 cups of plain corn flakes
1 small onion chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 cucumber chopped
1 green chili finely chopped
Half cup of pomegranate
Paprika/ Red chili powder
Chat masala
Half tsp icing sugar
Salt
1 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Mix all the above ingredients and toss well. 
2. Serve immediately after preparing or the corn flakes will become soggy. 
3. You can add some sev to it and top it off with  fresh coriander leaves.

Mushroom Lemongrass Soup

Ingredients:

4-5 large button mushrooms
2 stalks of lemongrass
4-5 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 stalk of celery
1 inch ginger
2 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp white pepper powder
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp vinegar
A pinch of sugar
4 cups water
Fresh cilantro

Preparation:

1. Boil 4 cup of water and add lemongrass and celery stalk to it. Boil it for about 30 min.
2. Strain the resulting stock and discard lemongrass and celery. (You may throw in your choice of vegetables along with these; like carrots, beans etc)
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan (preferably olive oil) and add chopped garlic to it. Add slices mushrooms and saute for 5-7 min. Then add the prepared stock.
4. Boil the soup and add the powders and sauces mentioned above. Add some sugar as per taste.
5. Finish it off by garnishing with some fresh cilantro.

Thai Omelet

Ingredients:

2 eggs
Half onion chopped finely
3-4 medium button mushrooms sliced
4 basil leaves finely chopped
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
Some chili flakes
A pinch of sugar
A blob of butter

Preparation:

1. Break the eggs and mix in onions, mushrooms, basil and the sauces.
2. Beat the mixture properly.
3. Add chili flakes and pinch of sugar.
4. Heat a pan and add butter to it. After butter melts, spread half of the egg mixture on the pan and cook it just like your usual omelet.
5. Serve with chilly sauce.

Dal Makhni

Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal (cooked in a pressure cooker)
1 small onion finely chooped
1 tomato chopped
1 green chili finely chooped
1/2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
7-8 curry leaves
1 tsp Mustard seeds+Caraway seeds
1/2 tsp Asafoetida
2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
1 tsp Garam masala powder
A pinch of turmeric poder
Coriander chopped for garnishing
1 tsp Kasoori methi powdered
2 tbsp Butter
A pinch of sugar
Salt
Water

Procedure:

1. Whisk the cooked dal lightly so that it forms a thick paste.
2. Heat butter in a pan. Add mustard and caraway seeds. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add asafoetida, chopped green chilies and curry leaves.
3. Add chooped onion and saute. Add chopped tomato and let it cook for 2-3 min.
4. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder. 
5. Add the thick dal paste. 
6. Add little water (about half a cup). Add kasoori methi powder and mix it properly. 
7. Add salt and sugar.
8. Garnish with a dollop of butter and some coriander.
9. Serve hot with Jeera rice.

Italian

Mexican

French

Continental

Lebanese 

Starters:

1. Lehsuni Rawas Tikka

Curries:

1. Goan Fish Curry

Rice:

1. Garlic-prawns rice

Goan Fish Curry

This is a recipe from HM journal and its one of the best fish curries I have ever had. So, its completely my pleasure to share this sumptuous recipe with you fine people!


Ingredients:

Do not panic looking at the huge list of ingredients. These are all basic ingredients, usually present in every kitchen. Just go through the list and thats it!

1. Pomfret/ King Mackerel- 5 pieces
2. 1 Onion sliced
3. Ginger- 2 inch
4. Garlic- 8-10 pods
5. Ginger-garlic paste- 2 tbsp
6. Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
7. Cumin seeds- 1 tbsp
8. Red chilies- 4-5
9. Turmeric powder- 2 tsp
10. Fresh coconut milk- 1.5 cups
11. 1 Tomato chopped
12. Curry leaves
13. Tamarind pulp- 1 tbsp
14. Salt & turmeric for marination
15. Kokam- 2 tbsp

Preparation:

1. Marinate fish with ginger-garlic paste, salt and turmeric.
2. Grind together coriander seeds, cumin seeds and red chilies together. Add tamarind pulp and tomatoes to this and form a smooth paste.
3. Heat oil in a fry pan and saute onions. Add chopped garic, ginger and curry leaves.
4. Add the freshly ground masala to this and again saute. 
5. Add water to this mixture and simmer for few minutes.
6. Add the fish and let it cook properly. This will take anything between 10 to 15 min.
7. Add Kokam and coconut milk followed by salt; mix well. 
8. Serve hot with steam rice.

American Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:

1.  Chicken legs- 1 kg (2 or 3 leg pieces)
2. Ginger-garlic paste- 3 tbsp
3. Worcestershire sauce- 2 tbsp
4. Orange juice- 1/2 cup
5. Pineapple juice- 1/2 cup
6. Soy sauce- 2 tbsp
7. Chilly sauce- 2 tbsp
8. Honey- 2 tbsp
9. Lemon juice- 2 tbsp
10. Salt and Pepper for seasoning
11. Oil

Preparation:

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with ginger-garlic paste, salt and pepper. Keep in fridge for 1 hr.
2. Take the chicken out of fridge and add all the sauces and juices mentioned above. Keep it immersed in this marination for another hour.
3. Preheat the oven at 210^oC. Grill or roast the chicken legs for 30-40 min.
4. Serve hot with a nice crisp salad.

Cookies

1. Lemon Cookies
2. Butter Cookies

Butter Cookies

So it was 12.12.12 and I was wondering the whole time how do I make this day special and memorable.
Suddenly a wild thought came to my mind about COOKIES. The 'terms and conditions' in my mind were not about the flavour or shape or colour. All I knew and wanted was that anyone who grabs a bite should pleasantly get lost in the cookie and "Oh wow.." should be the words he/she utters. Naturally, it has to be something like 'heaven in mouth'.
So I got this recipe from a website which I modified according to my preferences and the outcome was delightful. It truly was 'Heaven in my mouth'.

Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients:

100 gm (salted) Butter
The reason I have used parentheses is that they say use 'Unsalted' butter. But then also mention about adding salt. So instead, I used Salted butter i.e. our regular Amul Butter. 100gm is one entire small packet of Amul Butter. Remember the butter should be hard i.e. cold and not soft or melted. So put you butter in freezer for like 20min before using.
1 cup cornflour
1 cup icing sugar
1.5 cups All Purpose Flour(APF)
4 tbsp icing/caster sugar for coating

Well, the website recipe also mentioned about adding vanilla essence. But I did not use any. You can go for any flavour of your chocie though.

Preparation:

1. Mix butter and icing sugar together using a blender or your pretty long fingers (they do add to the taste) until it forms a nice creamy mixture.
2. Add cornflour and incorporate it into the creamy mixture properly.
3. Finally add APF. You can add half the APF first and mix it well and then go for the remaining half. Knead a soft dough out of this mixture.
4. Place it on a cling foil and loosely wrap the plastic around it. Then roll it into a cylindrical shaped dough with a diameter of about 3 inches or depending on how large you want your cookies to be.
5. Place this roll in fridge for about an hour so that it sets well and the butter binds up all the ingredients within.
6. Remove from the fridge after an hour and cut half inch thick discs of this roll.
7. Preheat the oven at 210^o C.
8. Place each disc on icing/caster sugar that we have taken for coating. Coat both the sides of cookie-discs with sugar. Dust off extra sugar, if any.
9. Place a cookie sheet on baking tray and place the cookies 1 inch apart on the cookie sheet.
10. Bake at 210 ^oC for about 10min.
11. Do not touch the cookies once they are out of the oven since they are HOT. Really HOT. Do not get in direct contact with them how much ever tempting that entire scenario be! Place the cookies under fan so that they cool down.
12. Once they cool down, munch on them or serve with coffee or milkshake. Enjoy. Cheers!

Tips:

• You can use decorative stamps to put an impression on you cookie-discs so that they bear that  impression even after they are baked. Here is an image for representation purpose only.           

             pciture courtesy: velvetbrown.co.uk                                         picture courtesy: kaboodle.com 

• You may also use decorative cutters if you are bored of same old round cookies. Again an image for representation purpose only.

     

                                             picture courtesy: thepartyworks.com                                    picture courtesy: gadgetsin.com

Onion Ontology

Source: Email from a well-wisher.

image source: http://www.healthcastle.com

" In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that 

visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu...

Many of the farmers and their families had contracted it and many died.

The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy. 

image source: http://static.indianexpress.com/m-images/M_Id_234675_Onions.jpg

Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser. She said that several

years ago, many of her employees were coming down with the flu, and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu. 

Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who

regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this

most interesting experience about onions: 

Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmer's story...but, I do

know that I contacted pneumonia, and, needless to say, I was very ill... I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put it into an

empty jar, and place the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the

onion would be black in the morning from the germs...sure enough it happened just like that...the onion was a mess and I began to feel better. 

Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around

the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful

antibacterial, antiseptic properties. 

This is the other note.  Lots of times when we have stomach problems we don't know what to blame.  Maybe it's the onions that are to blame. Onions absorb bacteria is the reason they are so good at preventing us from getting colds and flu and is the very reason we shouldn't eat an onion that has been sitting for a time after it has been cut open. 

LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS

image source: http://www.care2.com

I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, Makers of

mayonnaise. Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I learned from a chemist.

Ed, who was our tour guide, is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed's answer will surprise you. Ed said that all commercially-made mayo is completely safe.

"It doesn't even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but

it's not really necessary." He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at

a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment. He then talked

about the summer picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting on the table, and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick.

Ed says that, when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials

look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions came

from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it's not the mayonnaise (as long as

it's not homemade mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It's probably the

ONIONS, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES.

He explained onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked

onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion.. He says

it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your

refrigerator.

It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit,

that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you

put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!). Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you'll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both  

the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.

Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions.

Please remember it is dangerous to cut an onion and try to use it to cook

the next day, it becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and

creates toxic bacteria which may cause adverse stomach infections because of excess bile secretions and even food poisoning. "

image source: http://www.thekitchn.com

Dal Tadka Khichdi

Normally, Khichdis are cooked by mixing dal with rice grains and then putting them together on the flame. I use slightly different technique. Making khichdi my way is a lot simpler. Lets discuss the recipe:

Ingredients:

For Rice:
1 cup Basmati Rice
2 cups water
--> Wash the rice grains thoroughly. Boil the rice on medium flame with double quantity of water. Use Basmati rice specifically since its long grains add grace to your Khichdi. Once the rice is cooked properly, take it off the flame and keep aside.

For Dal:
2 tbsp Ghee
1 cup dal
1/2 Onion sliced
1/2 Tomato chopped
4-5 Cloves of garlic sliced( like flakes)
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Dry red chilies
1 tbsp Red chili powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp Garam Masala powder
1 tsp Kasoori methi powder
Salt
Water

For tempering(tadka):

2 tbsp Ghee
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Dry Red Chilies
6-7 Fresh curry leaves
1.5 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

Preparation:

1. Boil the rice as instructed above.
2. Wash the dal properly and add 1.5 times water to it and boil the dal. 
3. Heat ghee in a wok.
4. After the ghee melts completely, add mustard seeds. When mustard seeds start crackling, add cumin seeds and red chilies.
5. Add the garlic flakes and sliced onion.
6. Saute the onion for a minute and add chopped tomato. Cover the wok with a lid and let the tomato cook nicely.
7. Add turmeric and red chili powder.
8. Then add the boiled dal to this mixture followed by garam masala.
9. Add 1 tsp Kasoori methi powder.
10. Add very little water. Remember, the quantity of water in dal should be less so that the dal is semi-thick. Add about 4-5 tbsp of water. I guess that should be enough.
11. Add salt, mix well and cover it for couple of minutes.
12. Once the dal is ready, add the boiled rice to dal mixture and mix well. Check if extra salt needs to be added.
13. If dal has excess water, heat the rice and dal mixture on low flame for some extra time so that the water evaporates leaving behind a perfect khichdi.
14. Now, for tempering, take ghee in a tadka-maker ( bowl sort of thing with a long handle used specially for tadkas).
15. After it melts, add 1 tsp cumin seeds followed by 2 red chilies.
16. Add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste and ultimately, add curry leaves. 
17. Heat the tempering mixture nicely for 2 min and pour over the khichdi.
18. Serve hot with kadhi or papad or serve with chaas(buttermilk).

So if you have yesterdays dal-fry and boiled rice in the fridge and you are wondering what is to be done with it, follow these simple steps:

1. Heat ghee in a pan and add the dal-fry to it. Add some kasoori methi and mix well.

2. Add boiled rice to this dal mixture and let it cook for 2 min on medium flame.

3. Prepare tempering as suggested above and pour over the khichdi.

Nobody will ever realize that the yummy khichdi you made is a product of yesterday's leftovers! Normal dal and rice wont be in demand but the khichdi is always in! 

| Happy Diwali |

The Gourmet Diary at Busaba

A delightful experience. Thanks to  GourmetItUp organizing this one-of-a-kind cooking show where amateur chefs get to meet a talented personality, learn his techniques and style of cooking  and relish his preparation. Totally different concept! So guess who is this 'HE' I am talking about...? A self-taught chef and restaurateur- Chef Nikhil Chib.

Chef Nikhil Chib is one of the finest chefs I have seen. His style and fashion are really authentic and why they shouldn't be? After all, he is one of those passionate people who have actually visited a country and learnt its cuisine, the authentic way! 

Live cookout with such a zealous chef was blissful! The session started with an amazing Vietnamese starter-like dish called Bahn Xeo (pronunciation: Bun-Seo). A good combination of sauces along with mushrooms and garlic wrapped in pancakes was like heaven in my mouth. Then he moved on to Thai Papaya salad. The salad was juicy, crispy and spicy! If salads are this tasty, I don't mind to go on a crash salad diet!
Next was Chicken Stir Fry. Perfect blend of garlic, basil, chicken and a few sauces... thats all I can say about this dish. Then came the turn of Thai Red Curry. I suggest you to go out there (Busaba) and have this Thai red Curry. Basil and green aubergines and red Thai curry paste are the main ingredients that will decide the quality of your curry. Besides, there is coconut milk along with few sauces, garlic and fresh veggies.
Last & the tastiest one certainly: Cambodian Chicken Curry.  So sumptuous that I still cant forget what magic those ingredients created on my tongue. An amazing coconut based gravy cooked in Indian spices and yet so not Indian. Mwuaah! This is something I can die for..totally! <3
Do visit his restaurants if you wish to enjoy authentic south-east Asian cuisine.

Oh yeah! Not to forget the unlimited cocktails/mocktails that were offered throughout the cookout session. The endless Mojito, Bloody Mary, Sangria and Berry Sweetheart added to the beatitude.

All things considered, a delightful experience by GourmetItUp! Kudos. We do look forward for more such opportunities.

Have a nice time. Take care.

Lemon Cookies

Recipe Source:

http://www.cookeatdelicious.com/sweets-recipes/cookies-recipes/refreshing-lime-cooler-cookies-recipe.html

Chinese Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

For veg stock:
1. Select any 2-3 vegetables of your choice from onions, pumpkin, tomato, cauliflower, cabbage, green peas, french beans, carrots, mushrooms etc.
2. Chop the vegetables into medium size pieces/cubes.
3. Place 2 cups of water in a pot on flame.
4. Add these vegetables along with one maggie magic cube(optional).
5. If you do not use maggie magic cube, simply add salt.
6. Once the mixture starts boiling, add 3 crushed cloves of garlic and one inch crushed ginger.
7. Let the mixture boil for 10-12 min.
8. Take it off the flame and strain using strainer.
9. The clear water mixture what you get is your veg stock.

For chicken stock:
1. Marinate 5-6 medium chicken pieces(boneless/ with bones) with ginger-garlic paste and salt.
2. Place 2-3 cups of water on flame.
3. Add the chicken pieces.
4. Let it boil for 15min or until the chicken is cooked properly. Alternately, you may also pressure cook it for about 10 min.
5. Once the chicken is cooked, strain the water mixture and your chicken stock is ready.
6. Do not discard the chicken pieces, you may use it for salads or in chicken fried rice or in soups.

1 cup of veg stock
1 cup of tomato puree
3 tbsp tomato ketchup
4 tbsp chopped mushrooms(optional)
2 tbsp chopped french beans(optional)
1 tbsp vinegar
2 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp chopped chilies
2 tbsp chopped red onion
2 tsp black pepper powder
2 tsp Tobasco Chili sauce or 1 tsp Red Chili powder
1 tbsp corn flour + water paste
Salt
Sugar
Green spring onion for garnishing

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a wok.
2. Add chopped garlic, ginger and green chilies.
3. Add black pepper powder and chopped onion and saute for 1 min.
4. Add tomato ketchup and vinegar.
5. Add tomato pure and cook for 2 min.
6. Add veg stock and let the mixture boil.
7. Add soya sauce and tobasco sauce. 
8. Add corn flour paste to  thicken it.
9. Taste and check if salt is require. 
10. Add little sugar as per your taste. 
11. Garnish with spring onion and serve hot.

Tip: We can also add chicken to this soup to make it Chinese Chicken Tomato Soup. Follow the following steps:

1. Use chicken stock instead of veg. Shred the boiled chicken pieces used for making stock and keep aside.

2. After the mixture boils, before adding corn flour paste, add shredded chicken pieces.

3. Your chicken tomato soup is ready!

Stock for Soups

For veg stock:
1. Select any 2-3 vegetables of your choice from onions, pumpkin, tomato, cauliflower, cabbage, green peas, french beans, carrots, mushrooms etc.
2. Chop the vegetables into medium size pieces/cubes.
3. Place 4 cups of water in a pot on flame.
4. Add these vegetables along with one maggie magic cube(optional).
5. If you do not use maggie magic cube, simply add salt.
6. Once the mixture starts boiling, add 3 crushed cloves of garlic and one inch crushed ginger.
7. Let the mixture boil for 40-45 min.
8. Take it off the flame and strain using strainer.
9. The clear water mixture what you get is your veg stock.

For chicken stock:
1. Marinate 5-6 medium chicken pieces(boneless/ with bones) with ginger-garlic paste and salt.
2. Place 2-3 cups of water on flame.
3. Add the chicken pieces. You may also add carrots, onions or cauliflower or french beans or any other veggie of your choice.
4. Let it boil for 45 min.
5. Once done, strain the water mixture and your chicken stock is ready.
6. Do not discard the chicken pieces, you may use it for salads or in chicken fried rice or in soups.

" My signature Dessert and trust me its a BIG HIT! Wanna try some? Just come over.

LEMON GRASS PUDDING

"Butter Garlic Mushrooms

Ingredients:
10 Button Mushrroms
4 tbsp chopped garlic
2 Green chilies chopped
1 tbsp green chili sauce
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tsp black pepper powder
2 or 2.5 tbsp dark soya sauce
2 tbsp corn flour paste
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of salt
Finely chopped Spring onion for garnishing
Butter

Preparation:

1. Clean the button mushrooms properly and remove their stem.
2. Heat a pan and add butter to it. Toss the mushrooms on the pan for 5 min.
3. Remove the mushrooms and keep aside.
4. In the same pan add little more butter.
5. Add chopped garlic and chili. Toss it in butter for 3 min.
6. Then add black pepper powder, vinegar, green chili sauce and toss for couple of minutes. 
7. Add sugar.
8. Add soya sauce and corn flour paste. Sprinkle some water if needed.
9. Prepare a thick sauce. Add salt if required.
10. At the end, add butter tossed mushrooms and mix well.
11. Garnish with chopped scallions.

"Kasoori Murg Tikka

Ingredients:
500 gm boneless chicken(medium pieces)
2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
1/2 cup hung curd
1/2 cup cream
2 tbsp Kashmiri Red Chili powder
1 tbsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tbsp Roasted and powdered Kasoori Methi
Few drops of Orange red color (optional)
Chat masala
Salt
Oil for basting

Preparation:

1. Marinate the chicken pieces using salt, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder and garam masala. Refrigerate it for 4 hours.
2. After that, add hung curd and cream to the chicken pieces, cumin powder, freshly roasted and powdered kasoori methi, sprinkle some chat masala and salt.
3. Add food color if you wish.
4. Keep this mixture aside for another hour.
5. Pre-heat the oven at 200-220 deg. celsius. Put the marinated chicken pieces on skewers and roast for around 15-17 min.
6. Alternately, you may use a charcoal tandoor or an oven to roast the chicken pieces.
7. Use oil for basting,
8. Once cooked, serve with salad and chutney.

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:
2 cups grated coconut
3-4 tbsp gram dal(soft one)
1/2 inch ginger
1/2 onion (optional)
3-4 green chilies
Salt
Tempering:
3 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp urad dal
3-4 red chilies
Few curry leaves



Preparation:

• Roast the grams properly.
• Add green chilies, ginger, onion and roasted gram in grinder and grind them into a coarse mixture.
• Add grated coconut and grate them into a paste by adding little water. Add little salt as well. Make a smooth chutney-like paste.
• For tempering, heat oil. Add the mustard seeds. When mustard starts crackling, add urad dal. Then add red chilies. Turn the burner off when the urad dal just starts turning brown. Add curry leaves and then add this tempering to the chutney. Mix well and serve with dosa, idli, medu wada etc

Sambar

Ingredients:


1 cup Toor dal (boiled)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
Asafoetida
Few Curry leaves
1 cup sliced onion
1 cup chopped tomato
3 tbsp Kokum juice OR 2 tbsp Tamarind pulp
2 tbsp Sambar Masala Powder
1 tbsp Red Chili powder
2 tsp Turmeric powder
Water
Salt
Oil


Preparation:

• Churn the boiled dal to form a smooth paste.
• Heat oil in a wok.
• Add mustard seeds.
• When they start crackling, add asafoetida.
• Add the onion slices and sweat them.
• Add chopped tomato and curry leaves.
• Cook the tomatoes properly.
• Then add the red chili and sambar powder followed by turmeric powder.
• Add kokum juice or tamaring pulp to this and saute.
• Add salt as per taste.
• Add the smooth dal paste and water to obtain a required consistency. Do not add lot of water. Approx 1-2 cups water is enough for 1 cup dal.
• Boil this sambar and serve with crispy dosa.

Dosa- Indian Pancakes

Ingredients:
Idli Rava : Urad Daal : Split Green Moong Daal in ratio 3 : 3/4 : 1/4
Few fenugreek seeds
Salt
Water

Preparation:

• Soak the idli rava in water for 5-6 hrs. 
• Soak the mixture of Urad and Moong daal for 2-3 hrs.
• Grind them separately in a mixer until they for a smooth batter.
• Mix both the batters, salt and water to obtain a flowing consistency.
• Let the batter ferment and rise. This will take approx 12hrs depending on the climate of the place where you reside.
• Then, heat a pan. After its hot, put some batter and spread it across the pan in a round shape.
• Once the dosa is turned light brown and cooked properly, serve it with chutney or sambar.

Goan Fish Curry

Grilled Chicken

Ingredients:
Chicken(boneless pieces)- 200g
Garlic paste-4 or 5 pods
Worcestershire sauce- 1 tsp
Tabasco sauce- 2 tsp
Tomato ketchup- 1 tbsp
Honey- 1/2 tbsp
Mustard sauce- 1/2 tbsp
Brown Vinegar- 1/2 tbsp
Fresh basil- 5 or 6 leaves
Mixed herbs- 1 tbsp
Black pepper powder
Olive oil


Preparation:

• Marinate the chicken pieces using above mentioned ingredients.
• Pierce the chicken with a fork or a knife and keep aside for 2 hrs.
• Arrange the chicken pieces on skewers and grill them in oven/microwave for 15 min.
• Serve with a crisp salad.

Something to make you drool over!

"Lamb Kheema Masala made my Sunday afternoon perfect. Fresh lamb mince marinated in Mumma's Special Mutton Masala, cooked to perfection and served with bread makes my Sunday, a special Sunday.
Cooking method for meat is not at all difficult. Its all about getting that Masala rightly prepared and more than half of the task is done! This Masala is a treasure! Mom has been using it since past so many years to flavour our meat and chicken. In fact, mom is famous for her tasty mutton and chicken and all the aunties in family are after the recipe. But mumma always kept it to herself! As a kid whenever I used to go to my relatives, say for dinner or lunch, after the meal, I was always asked, "Did that taste similar to what your mom makes?". This proved that my mumma was like a milestone they were after achieving.
Now she has passed on the recipe to me but I will follow the tradition of keeping the secret. The recipe wont be shared, but yes, the food will be.
So ever you wanna taste this lip-smacking mumma's special recipe, just come over!

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Egg 65

Ingredients:
2 hard boiled eggs
3 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tsp mustard seeds
10-12 curry leaves
1 tsp Asafoetida
1/2 cup Tomato sauce
3 tbsp red chilli sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp soya sauce
few drops of Tabasco sauce
1 Capsicum diced
1 onion diced
2 tbsp corn flour
Red food colouring
Oil
Salt
Sugar
Pinch of garam masala
Freshly Ground Black Pepper


Preparation:

• Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When it starts crackling, add asafoetida. Add chopped garlic and diced onion. Saute for 2-3 min. Add the curry leaves.
• Add the Tomato sauce, red chilli sauce, tabasco sauce, soya sauce, & vinegar.
• Add little water if required and cook the sauce for 5min. Add red food colour.
• Add corn flour paste to thick the sauce. Add diced capsicum.
• Add salt and sugar as per taste.
• Sprinkle some garam masala and finally add the boiled eggs cut in half.
• Garnish using some spring onion.

(To make a gravy, you may use chicken or veg stock or just normal water and then thicken it slightly using corn flour paste.)

Chicken Manchurian

Ingredients:
Boneless chicken 300 gm
2 tbsp garlic chopped
1.5 tbsp ginger chopped
1 big onion sliced
1 tsp white pepper powder
1 egg
Vinegar 3 tbsp
Corn flour 4 tbsp
Soya sauce 2 tbsp
Green chilli sauce 1 tbsp
Ajinomoto/ Maggie magic cube
1 small green chilli finely chopped
2 cups Chicken stock
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
Sugar-a pinch
Oil


Preparation:

• Marinate the chicken with little salt, 2 tbsp corn flour,egg and 2 tbsp vinegar
• In a pan, heat oil. Add chopped ginger and garlic.
• Add the green chillies n sauté for 2 min.
• Add the sliced onion and saute till it cooks. Add the sauces(Green chilli and Soya) one after other. Add the remaining vinegar.
• Add ajinomoto or Maggie magic cube powder and white pepper powder.
• Add Chicken stock and let it boil. Once it starts boiling, release the marinated chicken pieces in it.
• Let chicken cook perfectly. Thicken the sauce with corn flour paste. Add salt if necessary and a pinch of sugar.
• Garnish with some spring onion and freshly ground black pepper.
• Serve hot with fried rice.

(For making chicken manchurian dry, do not add lot of chicken stock. Add very little (about half or one cup). Thicken it nicely using cornflour paste)

Pan Noodles

Ingredients:
1 pack of flat noodles
half cup wine
4-5 button mushroom sliced
2 tbsp garlic chopped
1 cup sprouts(moong sprouts)
2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp green chilli sauce
ajinomoto(optional)
sugar to taste
salt to taste
chopped spring onion -1 spring
oil

Preparation:

• Boil and cook the noodles. Hold them under cold water so that they do not stick to eachother.
• Heat oil on a flat pan. Add garlic and moong sprouts. Add wine and cook till the sprouts become soft.
• Then add the soya sauce,vinegar, green chilli sauce and mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 min.
• Add salt and sugar as per taste. To this sauce add the noodles and toss them well so that sauces mixes with noodles evenly. Cook for another 3 min and turn off the burner.
• Garnish with fresh spring onion.

(Along with mushrooms you may add other veggies of your choice like carrots, pok choi etc. Not Capsicum. You may add egg, chicken or prawns as well.)

Jacket Potato

Baked Potato is known as Jacket Potato in UK.
It has a very soft and tender interior and a crispy skin. The outer crispy skin is like a jacket for the soft interior and hence the name, Jacket Potato.

                                             

Ingredients:
2 large potatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
Rock salt

Preparation:

• Pre-heat the oven at 210 deg cel. 
• Wash the potatoes very well and dry them by rubbing against a dry and rough cloth. Prick all over using a fork or a knife.
• Apply oil all over the potato and rub rock salt on its skin.
• Keep aside for 15min.
• Then bake these potatoes in oven for 1.5 to 2 hours till the interior is cooked and the skin has become crispy.
• Remove from the oven and make a slit lengthwise. You may also put two more slits perpendicular to this slit. Then press the potato inwards from the two ends of the lengthwise slit so that the soft interior spurts out. Then using a spoon or a fork, stuff it back into the potato and make some room for extra stuffing. You may add your choice of stuffing.
• Serve hot. Make sure that once potatoes are removed from oven, all other activities are performed quickly as the skin will lose its crispness and soon become soggy.  

Stuffing: 

• You may add cheese or combination of 2 or more cheese and make the potatoes again so that the cheese melts.
• Baked beans with some cheese also will taste good.
• You may use mayonnaise with some herbs or cheese with herbs.
• Butter and garlic powder
• Garlic (finely chopped) and cheese
• Noodles
• Some exotic vegetables cooked in a spicy sauce
•  Chicken or ham with herbs

      etc.

( I have used butter and garlic as a stuffing in first picture. And in second picture, I used fresh thyme and some onion powder)

Continental

Veg:

•  Jacket Potato

Non Veg:

• Grilled Chicken

Garlic Prawns Rice

Ingredients:

7-8 Jumbo prawns

200 gm rice (basmati preferred)

1 tbsp giner-garlic paste

3 tbsp chopped garlic

1 onion (sliced)

1 tbsp vinegar

2 tbsp soya sauce

1 tbsp tomato ketchup 

1 tbsp green chilli sauce

2 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 tsp ajinomoto(optional)

1 tbsp garlic powder

Spring onion chopped (1 spring)

1 tbsp cornflour (make a paste in water)

Oil

Salt

Preparation:

• Marinate the prawns with gineger-garlic paste and salt. Keep aside for 30 min. Then, place them in microwave and cook for about 15 min.
• Prepare rice: Wash the rice grains properly-add double quantity of water-add 1 tbsp vinegar-little salt.  Cook on a low flame. Once cooked, remover the rice from vessel into another container.Let it cool. 
• In a wok, add oil. Add chopped garlic. When garlic becomes slightly red or pinkish, add onion. Sauté.
• Add soya sauce, vinegar, green chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, and freshly ground black pepper. Add half cup water and let the sauce cook for 3-4 min. Add salt if required. 
• Add ajinomoto(optional). Thicken it with corn flour paste.
• Add the cooked prawns to this mixture and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
• To this mixture, now add cooked rice. Mix well. Add garlic powder & again mix well.
• Heat it for 3-4 minutes  and den garnish with chopped spring onion.
• Serve hot.

Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
1. 4 Bread slices cut in cubes
2. 4 cups of milk
3. 3/4th cup milkmaid
4. 4 tbsp Caster sugar
5. 2 tsp baking powder
6. 1 egg
7. 1 tbsp Sultanas 
8. 3-4 Cashew nuts
9. Butter
10. Cinnamon powder -a pinch
11. Nutmeg powder- a pinch
12. Vanilla essence

Method:
1. Take milk, milkmaid, caster sugar and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Blend these ingredients using a hand blender.
2. Add one egg & vanilla essence to this mixture and then blend again.
3. Cut the sides of bread slices and divide then into smaller cubes.
4. Soak the bread cubes in the above prepared mixture for 15 min. Add sultanas and cashew nuts and cinnamon powder as well.
5. Grease a baking tray with butter. Preheat the over at 200 deg cel.
6. Pour the mixture of milk n bread cubes and bake for 15-20 min.
7. Check by inserting a knife.
8. Remove from the oven, let it cool. After it cools down completely, refrigerate for 2 hours minimum.
9. Serve with chocolate sauce or caramel.