STRAWBERRY CHEESE CAKE !!!!!!

Actually this is no bake cake and easy to prepare too. I prepared it on Valentines day to impress my hubby though he don't like cheese cakes much and i gave heart shape to a piece of cake only using knife. Luckily the shape came out well :D 

INGREDIENTS:-

Digestive biscuits or any tea time biscuits (not salted)-few (i prefer Marie)

Butter

Cream cheese-200 gms (i used Amul)

Nestle cream- 170gm (1 tin)

Nestle condensed milk- 395gm (1 tin)

Vanilla custard pow- 1 tsp

Gelatin pow- 20 gm

Strawberry syrup

METHOD:-

1. Powder some digestive biscuits or any tea time biscuits (not salted) & mix in butter & line the pan with this mixture.
2. Refrigerate for 10 mins.
3. Mix cream cheese+nestle condensed milk+vanilla custard pow & whisk well.
4. Add 10gm gelatin pow in warm water & add this to cream mixture & layer this cream mixture on biscuit layer in pan.
5. refrigerate for an hour.
6. Prepare flavoured gelatin by adding 10gm gelatin pow to warm water & cool it & pour this on cake after one hour refrigeration.
7. And then again refrigerate it for 4 hrs. ( you can use fresh strawberry syrup here).

(3 layers will be like this)

HAPPY COOKING :)))))

PATHTHOLI, STEAMED SWEET COCONUT DUMPLING, KADUBU !!!!!!

Patholi is a treditional konkani dish which we especially for festivals. We use turmaric leaves to make patholi. You can grow them in your garden too. 

(here is the pic of turmeric plants which grown in our garden)

INGREDIENTS:-

Outer Covering:

White rice - 1 cup (soaked for 1 hour)
coconut grated - 1/2 cup ( fresh coconut)
jaggery - 1 tbl sp
poha (pressed rice) - 3 tbl sp
salt to taste

Turmeric leaves - 20 ( washed trimmed at stem & patten dry)

(turmeric leaves plucked from garden)

(washed)

(trimmed....cut both the sides of turmeric leaves)

(Don't throw the sides. You can use them to make CHAPPE KHEERI)

STUFFING/FILLING:-

Jaggery grated - 1/2 cup
Coconut grated - 3/4 cup (fresh coconut)
cardamom pow - 1/2 tsp


(here is step by step pictorial of making patholi)

METHOD:-

FOR OUTER COVERING:-

The trick of easy flow for paththoli covering lies in grinding. grind the pre-soaked rice along with coconut grating, jaggery (without adding much water). Now add washed poha & grind to get a smooth paste. Add salt.

FOR STUFFING/FILLING:-

In a bowl mix coconut gratings+jaggery+cardamom pow & keep it aside.

ASSEMBLING PATHTHOLI:-

1. Take turmeric leaves.
2. Spread a thin layer of the outer covering/rice paste.

3. Spread around 1 tbl sp of stuffing/filling lengthwise keeping the edges free covering majority of the leaf.

4. Fold the leaves & keep it aside. 
5. Place the paththolis in a shallow bottomed vessel or idly stand & stream for around 15-20 mins.

Unwrap the paththolis, serve the steamy hot paththolis with clarified butter. Omit this if  you want to keep this vegan.

HAPPY COOKING :)))))))

CHAYOTE/SEEME BADANE RAVA FRY !!!!!!!

Never heard of this na...actually this is my own attempt :D My hubby loves chayote tawa fry very much. But i was not able to make this properly because of  its smooth surface. One day i was making baby corn rava fry. And still some masala is left. Suddenly this idea striked to me and i tried it immediately and it tasted too good. Hubby was really happy after eating this and he liked it too. 

INGREDIENTS:-

Chayotes/seeme badane - 3

long red chillies (byaadagi menasu) - 20 no.s

raw rice - 1/2 cup

coriander seeds - 1 tsp

turmeric pow - 1/4 tsp

tamarind - peanut size

hing - 1 pinch

salt to taste

fine semolina for coating 

METHOD:-

1. Cut chayotes/seeme badane length wise & apply salt and turmeric & keep aside.

2. Grind red chillies+coriander seeds+lil hing+salt+tamarind+presoaked for 10 mins raw rice.

3. Grind to a smooth paste with very lil water.

4. Then coat this paste to the chayote & roll them in fine semolina & deep fry.

5. You can add a spoonful of chickpea flour to the chilly paste in order to bind the masala well. ( i have not added it)

6. Smoking deep fried chayotes are ready to eat. 

and here's an tip:-

You can make baby corn rava fry, gobhi rava fry etc too with this paste . I have tried these 2 too. And the pics are below. 

(The above pic is of BABY CORN RAVA FRY)

(The above pic is of GOBHI RAVA FRY)

HAPPY COOKING :)))))))))

CHOCOLATE MOUSSEE !!!!

This is the yummiest dessert i have ever made...

INGREDIENTS:-

dark chocolate - 100gm

sugar - 300 gm

thick cream - 150 gm

METHOD:-

1.Break chocolate into pieces and melt it using just sufficient heat to gently melt it.

2.Stir it as it is melting.
3.Meanwhile combine the sugar with the cream and then whip the cream till it is foamy.
4.When the chocolate is melted fold it in the whipped cream.
5.Spoon the mixture into the glasses and place the glasses into d fridge about an hour before serving.

HAPPY COOKING:)))))))))))))

BELLAPPA & TOMATO FRY !!!!!

Bellappa is a dosa made for breakfast which is very soft and white in colour. And Tomato Fry is a side dish for this dosa. These two makes an excellent combo.  

INGREDIENTS:-

For Bellapa:-

Dosa rice- 250gms

Urad dal- 1 tbl sp

a pinch of methi seeds

cooked rice- 1 cup

yeast- 1/2 tsp

salt to taste

For Tomato Fry:-

Tomatoes- 3-4

Onions_ 2

curry leaves - few

turmeric pow - 1/4 tsp

red chilly pow- 1 to 1 1/2 tsp

rasam pow- 1/2 tsp

hing- lil

sugar- lil

salt to taste

corr leaves - for garnishing

METHOD:-

1.Soak 1 pav dosa rice+1 tblsp urad dal + a pinch of methi seeds for 2-3 hrs.

2.Grind it along with 1 cup of cooked rice and water. 

3.The batter should be thicker than neer dosa one.

4.Add 1/2 tsp yeast and allow it to ferment overnight.

5.Next morning add salt to taste and make bellappa in a round bottomed tawa or kadai.

TOMATO FRY:-

1.Heat oil in a pan. 

2.Fry 2 sliced onions till brown. Add a few curry leaves. Add haldi powder, red chilly pdr, hing, rasam powder and mix well. 

3.Add 2-3 chopped tomatoes, salt, sugar, little water and fry till tomatoes become soft. 

4.Garnish with corriander leaves. 

HAPPY COOKING:))))))))))))

and here's an tip:-

If you dont have 'yeast' at home add 1 tsp of 'ENO fruit salt' to the batter. I tried this one day and d result is below.

MUSHROOM-MUTTER MASALA !!!!!!

This is the side dish which i have made for maximum times. My son's and his friends fav side dish for chapati.

INGREDIENTS:-

Mashrooms - 200gms
fresh/frozen peas - 1 cup
onions, finely chopped - 2 medium
tomatoes, finely chopped - 2 medium
ginger-garlic paste - 2-3 tsp
turmeric pow - 1/4 tsp
red chilly pow - 1 tsp
coriander-cumin pow - 1 tsp each
garam masala - 1/2 tsp
salt to taste
oil- 1 tbl sp
broken cashews - 10 no.s
kasuri methi - 1 tsp

METHOD:-

1. Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed kadai. Saute the broken cashews till lightly golden.
2. Add the ginger-garlic paste & onions & cook on a low flame with a pinch of salt till they soften & turn light brown.
3. Add the tomatoes with turmeric pow. Stir well & cook for 5-7 mins till mushy.
4. Remove the contents of the kadai & blend to a fine puree in a blender once cooled thoroughly. You may use up to 1/2 cup water to aid the blending process.
5. In the same kadai, transfer the fine puree. season with spice powders(red chilly pow+cumin pow+garam masala pow) & salt. Simmer for 3-4 mins till the gravy is infused with the spices.
6. Add the boiled green peas and mushrooms (cut mushrooms into 2 equal parts) to this gravy & simmer for 5 mins or till mushrooms are cooked properly. Check the salt. Sprinkle crushed kasuri methi & give it a stir.
7. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves & serve hot with rotis.

HAPPY COOKING :))))))

PANEER PARANTA !!!!!!!!!

I adapted this reciepe from the blog "Indian food forever".

INGREDIENTS:-

100 gms Grated Paneer
1 finely chopped Onion
Coriander leaves finely chopped
Small piece of Ginger (grated)
1 or 2 finely chopped green Chilies
Salt, Red Chili powder and Garam masala as per taste
1/2 tsp Ajwain (optional)
Butter / Oil for frying

METHOD:-

1.Make dough out of whole wheat flour, as you would do for any parata/roti.

2.In a bowl mix all the stuffing ingredients.

3.Make two medium size chapati, add the filling to the one chapati and cover it with the second one. Now roll it slightly.

4.Cook on a pre-heated Tawa.
5.Turn it and pour half tablespoon oil or butter.
6.Spread it on the paratha and shallow fry over low heat. Turn it and again pour oil or butter on the other side.
7.Cook on a low heat till golden brown.

8.Serve paneer paratha hot with curd and your favourite chutney or with pickle.

and here's a tip:-

Do not add salt to the filling before, as it will leave water. Add salt only at the time of preparation.

HAPPY COOKING :))))))

EGG PHANNA UPKARI !!!!!!!

This is my moms recipe. She is extremely good in cooking this dish. Here i tried my level best to match her.

INGREDIENTS:-

eggs - 4

onion - 2

tomato - 2

red chilly pow - 1 to 2 tsp

turmeric pow - 1/4 tsp

rasam pow - 1 tsp(optional)

salt to taste

oil- 2tbl sp

METHOD:-

1. Take wide mouth tawa. Fry chopped onion in oil. Add chopped tomatoes and fry well.

2. Add  red chilly pow+turmeric pow+rasam pow(optional). Add 1/2 cup water+salt to taste. Boil till masala blend well.

3. Break eggs side to side, without any disturbance flip the eggs after 4 mins. Bake again for 3 more mins.

4. Switch off the burner & enjoy the dish with rice/chapathi.

HAPPY COOKING :))))))

GOBHI MANCHURIAN !!!!!!

I adapted this recipe from the blog EDIBLE GARDEN.

INGREDIENTS:-

gobhi, cut into florets - 2 cups
oil to deep fry

For the batter:-

maida - 5 tbl sp
cornflour - 3 tbl sp
red chilly pow - 1/2 tsp(optional, depending on heat level preferred)
pepper pow - 1/4 tsp
garlic flake, minced - 1
salt - a pinch
water - 1/4 cup

For the sauce:-

small onion, finely chopped - 1
capsicum, finely chopped - 1/4 cup
garlic flake, minced - 4
green chillies, slit midways - 2
tomato ketchup - 2 tbl sp
green chilly sauce - 1 tsp ( optional but recommended)
soy sauce - 2 tsp
vinegar - 2tsp
cornflour - 2 tsp (mix it with 4 tbl sp water)
salt- check before adding

For garnishing:-

Chopped coriander leaves/or chopped green onions



METHOD:-

1. For sauce, heat oil and fry the onions, capsicum, green chillies if using & garlic until the onions turn golden brown.
2. Add the ketchup & the green chilly sauce to the onions & mix well. Fry for 30 secs.
3. Turn the heat to high & add the soy sauce & vinegar. Mix well for 5 secs & lower heat back down. Fry for 30 more secs.
4. Now add the cornflour-water mixture & mix until sauce thickens. Check salt & more only if necessary, since the soy sauce & chilly sauce may have salt. Set sauce aside.
5. Mix ingredients for the batter until you get a slightly loose batter of pouring consistency. Heat oil until its just short of smoking hot, coat each gobhi floret with the batter & drop it into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown & drain on kitchen towels

6. Once all the gobhi florets have been fried, add to the sauce & mix well. 

7. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves/green onions.

HAPPY COOKING :))))))