Caramalized Semolina (Suji) Halwa

After testing lots of recipes with my lovely ammi jaan, we finally reached a consensus that this is the most sondha (fragrant) and mouth-watering halwa recipe ever! Sharing the secret with you all... its also a hit with my 20 month old... Enjoy...

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup butter
1 cup semolina
1 cup sugar
6-7 cardamom pods
1 cup boiling water
1 cup milk
dry fruits of your choice
pinch of zarda powder (color)

Directions:

1. Melt butter in 1/2 cup oil and add the cardamoms. Without heating the oil too much, add semolina (suji) and on low heat cook it till it changes color to light pink and is fragrant.
2. Add sugar and on medium heat keep cooking till it further changes color to light golden brown. You will be able to smell a signature caramel fragrance.
3. Add cup of boiling water (do not use cold water or the sugar will crystallize and become crunchy) and whisk quickly till the mixture is smooth.
4. Add milk and color and keep whisking. The mixture will now start thickening and will become super sticky. Without losing heart keep stirring for a few more minutes.
5. After some good exercise the mixture will finally give up and start loosening up. Keep cooking and stirring till oil separates and the back of the spoon is clean.
6. Spread in a shallow dish and garnish with dry fruits. Serve with tea or with puris.

Chocolate Chunk Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cup self raising flour
1/2 cup + 3 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
100 gm butter+ 30 to 40 ml vegetable oil
few drops of vanilla extract
chocolate bits of your choice
pinch of salt

Directions:

mix all dry ing together.
add butter and oil and mix well.
add eggs and vanilla essence
mix till a dough is formed.
lastly add chopped chocolate or choc chips.
make balls of your preferred sizes and flatten and shape as cookies.
grease and sprinkle cocoa pwd instead of flour on a baking tray non stick. bake on gas mark 4 for 40 mins.
cool on wire rack nd serve with a glass of milk. or store in an air tight jar :)

JUST MIX EVERYTHING WITH A SPOON OR HAND... No need for any whiskers or beaters

Crispy Crunchy Ginger Snaps

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Cream together butter and sugar, add egg and beat until fluffy. Stir in honey and mix well.
Sift all dry ingredients-twice, then add to honey mixture and mix well
Using a cookie scoop or spoon scoop out spoonfuls of dough and form into round balls. Roll tops of balls in sugar.
Place the round balls on a cookie sheet, these cookies flatten as they bake.
Bake for exactly 9 minutes in a preheated 350 degree (175 degree C) oven. Remove from baking sheet and cool. Store in an airtight jar

Delicious Chicken Ginger Curry

Ingredients:

1/2 KG Boneless Chicken julienne
1/2 cup oil
1 TBS Garlic Paste
1 TBS Ginger Paste
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1/2 cup yogurt
2 medium tomatoes chopped
2" Ginger Julienne
2-3 Green Chilies chopped
1/4 bunch of fresh green coriander
1/2 cup water
salt to taste

Directions:
1. Combine ginger and garlic paste, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric, salt, ginger powder with about 2 TBS water to make a paste.
2. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a sauce pan and add the spice paste and fry for a few minutes till the raw smell disappears (sprinkle some water a few times during the cooking to ensure that the spices do not burn and are yet cooked through).
3. Add chicken and fry over high heat till juices are dry.
4. Add yogurt and fry till oil separates.
5. Add chopped tomatoes, green chilies and ginger and simmer over low heat till tomatoes are softened.
6. Add half cup of water, bring to a boil, add fresh coriander and simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Sprinkle fresh ginger and green chilies and serve.

Super Moist Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
1 3/4 Cups Flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup good quality coco powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 cup boiling water or coffee
2 large eggs
dash of salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 160 C (it is not a typo, it is a slow bake cake)
2. beat eggs, vanilla, oil and milk
3. Sift flour, coco, baking powder and soda, salt and sugar
4. make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Using a hand held whip combine till no traces of flour, do not use a machine
5. Pour hot coffee all over the batter and stir. Batter will be thin.
6. Bake in prepared pans for 50-60 minutes.
7. Let the cake cool down in the pan for 10 minutes before turning over a wire rack to cool completely. This cake is best served when baked a day before.

Chocolate Ganache:
400 gms chocolate of your choice (i have various types including cadbury milk and toblerone and they all taste yummy)
200 gms heavy cream
1 TBS butter

Melt together chocolate and cream in microwave in 10 seconds interval till completely combined. Quickly add in butter and stir. Pour over cake for a glaze or refrigerate and whip to get a light fluffy texture that is excellent for piping

Super Moist Spiced Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves powder

1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

2 cups fine white sugar
4 eggs separated
1 cup vegetable oil
4 cups grated carrots or 500 gms
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla essence

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C and prepare two 9" pans or one 11" pan
2. Beat together sugar and egg yolks till it is pale and drops in a ribbon form
3. Add vanilla, oil and carrots and stir till well combined.
4. Sift together, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.
5. Stir dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
6. Beat egg whites separately with 2 TBS of sugar till soft peaks form.
7. Gently fold eggs whites into the cake batter till white traces of egg whites disappear but taking care not to overmix.
8. Stir in walnuts and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

Cream Cheese Icing:
8oz Package cream cheese
2 cups icing sugar
2 tbs butter

Blend together butter and cream cheese. Add sugar till icing reaches a stiff and dry state. Refrigerate icing a little bit to get a spreadable consistency or pour as is to get a dripping affect and then refrigerate (like i did in the picture).

Whole Spice Potato Pulao (Steamed Fragrant Rice)

This recipe does not use any powdered masala and hence is very healthy for anyone on a spice free diet. The whole spice add a very nice fragrance. Its a small serving for 2 people, you can double the recipe for more...

Ingredients:

1 Small Onion chopped
4 green cardamoms
10 black pepper corns
1 tsp cumin seeds
3-5 cloves
1 black cardamom
1 piece cinnamon
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
1 large potato sliced
1 medium tomato chopped
3.5 cups water
1 cup rice
1 green chili slitted
1/4 cup oil

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a pan and add the whole spices. Once they start spluttering add the onions and fry till transparent.
2. Add ginger and garlic paste and fry for a few minutes adding few drops of water till the raw smell disappears and the mixture is nice and fragrant.
3. Add potatoes and fry for 3 minutes
4. Add chopped tomato and fry over low heat till tomato juices dry off a bit.
5. Add water and green chili and bring to a boil. Add rice and let them cook over high heat till rice come up to the surface of water. Cover and let simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes.
6. Serve as is or as a side to any kind of chicken entree.

Hearty Lauki (Bottle Gourd) Bhurta

Ingredients:

1 KG Lauki (Bottle Gourd) Sliced
5-6 Garlic Cloves
2 tsp roasted cumin powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
2-3 green chilies chopped
1/4 bunch fresh green coriander
1 small onion chopped
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
5-6 whole red peppers
1/3 cup oil
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Place sliced lauki in a sauce pan and pour enough water to cover the vegetable and an inch above it. Add peeled garlic cloves
2. Boil for half an hour, then reduce heat, cover and let it cook for a couple of hours till water is almost dry and lauki is soft and tender.
3. Mash lauki with the spoon, add cumin powder, red chili powder, green chilies, coriander and salt. Cook a bit further till spices are a bit cooked.
4. In a frying pan heat 1/3 cup oil. Add zeera and red whole peppers till they start spluttering.
5. Add chopped onion and fry till it is soft and transparent.
6. Add baghaar/tarrka to the bhurta and serve with chapati.

Baked Chicken Steaks with Coriander Mashed Potatoes and Green Chili Sauce

Ingredients

STEAKS
1/2 kg Chicken Breast halved

For marination:
1 TBS Soy Sauce
1 tsp Vinegar
1 TBS Ginger paste
1 TBS Garlic paste
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper

Prepare the marinate in a bowl and rub it all over the chicken pieces and leave for 30 minutes.

Pour 1/4 cup oil in a non-stick frying pan and bring to high heat. Brown all steak pieces and place them in a baking tray. Bake the steaks in a preheated oven for 15 minutes at 190 degrees C.

MASHED POTATOES
5-6 Boiled potatoes
2 cups milk
1/4 tsp fresh crushed garlic
60 g butter
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 bunch fresh coriander finely chopped

Placed boiled potatoes in a sauce pan with milk and butter and mash over low heat. Add seasoning and mix well. Add coriander in the end and combine.

GREEN CHILI SAUCE:
50 g butter
2 TBS oil
1/2 tsp crushed fresh garlic (optional)
4 TBS all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
1 cup chicken stock
60 g cheddar cheese
60 g mozeralla cheese
1 tsp oregano crushed
1 tsp black pepper crushed
2 tsp green chilies finely chopped
1/2 tsp thyme
salt to taste

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, add butter and melt, add garlic and saute without browning
2. Add flour and cook on very low heat till it is fragrant
3. Add hot milk and stock to the flour mixture and bring to a boil
4. Add the cheeses and whisk till combined
5. Add seasonings. The mixture will thicken further when cooled

Beef and Mushroom Lasagna

Ingredients:

 
Bolognese Sauce:
1 KG Minced Beef
1 TBS Garlic paste
1 TBS Ginger paste
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 cup oil
1 cup pizza sauce
1/2 tsp crushed red chili flakes
4 large tomatoes blanched and pureed
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp crushed black peppers
1 tin mushrooms sliced

White Sauce:
50 g butter
2 TBS oil
1/2 tsp crushed fresh garlic (optional)
4 TBS all-purpose flour
3-4 cups milk
60 g cheddar cheese
60 g mozeralla cheese
1 tsp oregano crushed
1 tsp black pepper crushed
salt to taste

precooked lasagna strips
2 cups shredded mozeralla

Directions:
1. Start preparing the bolognese sauce. Heat oil in a wok and fry onions till transparent. Add mushrooms and fry a bit.
2. Add beef and brown well with ginger and garlic paste
3. Add pizza sauce and tomato puree and cook till oil separates
4. Add oregano, black pepper, red chilies and salt
5. If the sauce is too dry, add 1/2 cup water, bring to a boil and bring to desired consistency.

6. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, add butter and melt, add garlic and saute without browning
7. Add flour and cook on very low heat till it is fragrant
8. Add hot milk to the flour mixture and bring to a boil
9. Add the cheeses and whisk till combined
10. Add seasonings. The mixture will thicken further when cooled

ASSEMBLY:
In a wide baking dish start by spreading a layer of white sauce. Cover the layer with lasagna strips. Add a layer of beef sauce. Cover the beef layer with another layer of white sauce and continue till the entire dish is filled. Sprinkle cheese generously over the top and bake at 200 degrees C for 20 minutes.

Enjoy :) !!!