Easy recipes: October 2013

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

HAPPY FESTIVAL SEASON TO ALL

Hi All

I'll be away for some days, as last week also I was admitted to hospital for some days for investigation, when my acute asthma was treated, but as chest pain, breathlessness & pressure on my chest is continuing, the cardio wants to do an angiogram, which will in all probability will be done on Thursday. So, kindly pray that there is nothing serious & I'm back to mailing more healthy & simple recipes with you all.

Best wishes to all for a very happy festival season ahead- Diwali, Halloween etc.

Take care, be happy, keep smiling.

KESAR MALAI PEDA

INGREDIENTS
full fat milk 2 litres
sugar 1 cup
saffron strands few
cornflour 2 tsp
citric acid 2-3 pinches
cardamom pdr. 1/2 tsp
chopped almonds/ cashew nuts

METHOD
boil milk in a heavy vessel till reduces to 1/2 the quantity, stirring from time to time
dissolve saffron in little cold milk, add to boiling milk, add sugar & cook for another 5-7 minutes
mix citric acid in little water, add to boiling milk
mix cornflour in little milk, add to the boiling milk
the mixture will thicken & resemble khoya
remove, let it cool, make pedas, decorate with some nuts on top.

those interested in cancer & health related topics are free to see my blog-

http://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com/

for crochet designs, my blog, those who like a particular design are free to mail me

http://My Crochet Creations.blogspot.com

For info. about knee replacement, be free to view my blog-

http://knee replacement-stick club.blogspot.com

COCONUT BARFI/ SQUARES or MSC sweet

INGREDIENTS
milk 3 cups
sugar 2 cups
fresh coconut grated 1 cups
cardamom pdr. 1/2 tsp
nuts to garnish

METHOD

in a heavy pan, mix milk, coconut, sugar, bring to a boil, by stirring continuously
then reduce heat, let it simmer till thick, keep stirring from time to time, taking care that it doesn't get stuck down.
once it comes together,from the sides, add cardamom pdr. mix well
pour it on a greased plate, you may sprinkle some nuts on top, cut into squares once cool
this tastes a lot better than plain coconut barfi, for which the recipe follows

Ingredients
coconut grated 2 cups
sugar 2 cups
ghee 2 tsp
milk 2 tsp
lemon juice 1 tsp
cardamom pdr. 1/2 tsp
nuts to decorate

METHOD
mix sugar with 1 cup water & bring to a boil
add lemon juice, remove the scum that floats on top
keep boiling until it becomes syrup, add milk, the mixture will resemble syrup of 2 string consistency
add coconut, ghee, stir continuously till it becomes one mass & comes off from the corners
add cardamom pdr. mix well
spread on a greased plate, sprinkle some nuts on top, press it down little
once cool, cut into desired shape, store in air-tight container.

BESAN LADDU

INGREDIENTS
besan 200 gm
ghee 125 gm
powdered sugar 200 gm or less
cardamom pdr. 1/2 tsp
few strands of saffron optional

METHOD
heat ghee in a heavy pan/ kadai
add besan, keep frying on low flame till it changes colour & a nice aroma comes
add cardamom pdr. & saffron, remove & cool
add powdered sugar, mix well, make small laddu
you can garnish with nuts on top, by making a small depression with your finger

ROASTED ARTICHOKE AND FETA DIP

INGREDIENTS
fresh artichoke hearts cleaned & boiled 20 or you can use canned ones also
olive oil 75 ml
garlic cloves 2
onion cut into dices 1
small cucumber peeled, deseeded & diced 1
fresh coriander leaves 20 gm/ 4 tbsp
green chillies trimmed 2
feta cheese 50 gm
lemon juice 30 ml
salt to taste

METHOD

pre-heat the oven to 175 deg. C
in a bowl, toss the artichokes, onion, garlic, little oil
then arrange them on a baking sheet & roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes
set aside to cool
in a food processor, combine these with rest of the ingredients & pulse several times, scraping the sides each time
pulse either smooth or chunky as per your preference
serve it with crisp vegetables

note- for health benefits of artichokes, see my cancer blog

MOONG DAL AND PEAS DHOKLA

INGREDIENTS

moong dal 1/2 cup
green peas boiled 1/2 cup
green chillies 2 or to taste
ginger grated 1 "
chickpea flour/ besan 1 tbsp
sour curd well beaten 2 tbsp
sugar 1 tsp
fruit salt 1 tsp
citric acid crystals 1/4 tsp / lime juice 1 tsp
turmeric pdr. 1/4 tsp
coriander leaves a bunch
grated coconut 2 tbsp
salt to taste

FOR TEMPERING
oil 2 tsp
mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
chillies slit 3-4
curry leaves few
asafoetida a big pinch

METHOD

wash and soak dal for 4-5 hours
grind dal with 1/3 cup of peas, ginger and green chillies to a fine paste
add to the ground mixture, gram flour, rest of the peas, beaten curd, sugar, citric acid, turmeric, oil & salt, mix well
add fruit salt just before steaming, the batter should be frothy, at once pour in a greased vessel to 1" thickness & steam for 15-20 minutes.
cool, run the knife along the edges & carefully unmold onto a plate.
heat oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, chillies, asafoetida, fry till chillies turn colour
spread the seasoning all over the dhokla, garnish with grated coconut, coriander leaves
cut and serve in desired shape with chutney of your choice.

DHOKLA

INGREDIENTS

bengal gram/ chana dal 2 cups
small lemons 2
green chillies chopped 4 or to taste
peppercorns 2 tsp
oil 2 tbsp
mustard seeds 2 tbsp
grated coconut 1/2 cup
coriander leaves 2 tbsp
red chillies chopped 5 or to taste
asafoetida/ hing a big pinch
salt to taste

METHOD
soak dal for 7-8 hours.
grind it coarsely.
set aside for 4-5 hours for fermentation.
beat the paste well, add salt, green chillies, asafoetida & lemon juice, mix well.
the batter should be of pouring consistency.
grease the cooker separator or a vessel well, which can fit inside a cooker/ steamer
pour the batter, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, without pressure, on medium flame
let the cooker cool
take out the cooked mixture, cut into cubes
heat oil, put the seasoning, mustard seeds & red chillies
add to dhokla
garnish with coriander leaves & grated coconut.
serve hot with green chutney

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Soya corn Paneer Tikkis/ cutlets

Ingredients

125 gms Soya chunks
150 gms Paneer
3/4 cup boiled sweet corn
4 boiled potatoes
1 chopped onion
1 1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 cup corn flour
Green chillies, finely chopped to taste
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp chat masala
1 tsp chilli powder or to taste
1 tsp coriander powder
A pinch of turmeric powder
Salt as required
oil as needed

Method

Heat water in a pan and add the soya chunks.

Turn off the stove and set aside for 15 minutes.

Squeeze the excess water from the chunks and set aside.

In a bowl add the chopped onions, chilies, boiled potato and mashed soya chunks.

Add pannier and boiled corn kernels and mix the mixture well.

Add salt and chilli powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder, coriander leaves, and mix together adding corn flour to form a soft dough.

Put the bread crumbs in a dish.

Make small tikkis/cutlets of the dough and roll them in the bread crumbs.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Heat a pan, pour about 2 tsp of oil and shallow fry tikkis to golden brown.

Add little more oil, once you turn the cutlets, to fry well on both sides.

Serve with ketchup/ chutney.

Those who aren't calorie conscious, can deep fry, others can even bake them in hot oven at 180 deg. C for roughly 7-8 minutes on each side either spraying oil on them, or healthy way, you can put few drops on them, even after flipping them over add oil.

Sunday, October 20, 2013

sesame seed cookies

INGREDIENTS

butter - 200 gm

Sugar Powder/castor sugar - 300 gm

Eggs - 2

Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp

all purpose flour /Maida - 240 gm

Whole Wheat Flour (Atta) - 320 gm

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp or 2.5 gm

Sesame Seeds - 100 gm

Milk - 50 ml

METHOD

Sieve plain flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda together twice and add salt to keep it separately.

In another bowl add butter and stir with the help of a ladle, add sugar powder little by little and continue to stir, you will see that the cream is fluffing and becomes soft.

Once the sugar incorporates, add the eggs and essence to the creamed fat & sugar & continue to mix till evenly blended.

Once well mixed, fold in sieved dry ingredients along with sesame seeds to the creamed mixture and mix evenly to get smooth and soft dough/pliable consistency.

Evenly divide the dough into equal parts and arrange them on a lightly greased baking tray a inch apart.

Keep the tray in a pre-heated oven (OTG or Convection Microwave) at 150 deg.C for 20 minutes or more until it’s risen, and turns light brown in color.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely and store in a container .

Fruit and nut cake for Christmas

Ingredients

All-purpose flour/maida – 2 cups

Baking powder – 1 tsp.

Salt – ¼ tsp.

Unsalted butter – 1 cup /227 grams

Light brown sugar / white sugar – ½ cup

Dark brown sugar – ½ cup

Eggs – 3

Brandy or rum – 3 tbsp. plus extra for brushing the cake

Juice and zest of orange – 50 grams each

Lemon zest – 50 grams

Ground almonds – ¾ cup

Chopped nuts – 1 cup

raisins, sultanas, currants – 340 grams

Method

Preheat the oven at 160 degrees C

Add the lemon and orange rind to rum/brandy and soak the dried fruits for at least 2 days.

Beat the sugars (light brown and brown) with a beater until they are light and fluffy.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the orange juice, fold in the ground almonds, chopped nuts & the soaked fruits.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt & baking pdr & fold this into the cake batter.

Grease a pan with butter, and line the bottom and sides with butter paper.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

Reduce the oven temperature to 150 degrees C and continue to bake for another 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Insert a metal skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out moist, continue baking for a few more minutes.

Remove the cake from the oven and wait for it to cool.

With a skewer, poke holes on the top surface of the cake and brush it with a little brandy.

Let is soak well, before you cut & serve.

Eggless Chocolate Walnut Brownie

INGREDIENTS

curd 1 cup

Sugar - 3/4th cup

Baking powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Baking soda - 1 1/2 tsp

Flour - 1 cup

Cocoa powder - 1/2 cup

Vegetable oil - 1/2 cup

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Chopped walnuts - 1/2 cup

Method

Mix the curd and sugar till the sugar dissolves.

Add baking powder and soda, mix and leave to rise for 10 minutes.

Mix the flour and cocoa powder and keep it aside.

Add the oil and vanilla essence to the curd mixture and beat well.

Add the walnuts and flour mixture, and fold well.

Pour on to a greased baking tray and bake for 30 minutes or so.

You can check if it is done by piercing the centre of the cake with a toothpick or fork. It should come out clean.

Let the cake cool and serve with vanilla ice cream if preferred.

Plum cake

Ingredients

Plums (pitted and halved): 12
Castor sugar: 150 gm
Butter at room temperature: 115 gm
flour/ maida 140gm
Baking pdr 1 tsp
cinnamon pdr 1 tsp

Method

Preheat oven to 180 °C.
Beat sugar and butter until fluffy with electric mixer.
Mix flour and baking powder and sift into creamed mixture.
Add rest of the ingredients and mix everything well.
Pour batter into a greased spring form tin and smooth out.
Top with the plums (cut side up) and sprinkle with 1-2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon powder.
Bake in preheated oven on lowest shelf for 40 to 50 minutes.
Cool to room temperature and cut.

Chocolate brownie

Ingredients

Melted butter: 110 gm

Caster sugar: 200 gm

Eggs: 2

all purpose flour/ maida 60 gm

Unsweetened cocoa powder: 30 gm

Salt: 1/4 tsp

Vanilla essence 1 tsp

Chopped walnuts 60 gm

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 °C.

Grease and flour a tin.

In a medium bowl, beat together butter and sugar.

Add eggs and mix well.

Combine the flour, cocoa and salt; stir into the sugar mixture.

Mix in the vanilla and stir in walnuts.

Spread evenly into the prepared tin.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven or till the tooth pick inserted in the centre comes clean.

Cool before cutting into squares.

Moong dal halwa

INGREDIENTS

yellow/ dhuli moong dal (soaked): 1 cup

Sugar: 1 cup

water 1/2 cups

Ghee: 1 cup

Khoya/ mawa/ thickened milk (crumbled): 3/4 cup

Sliced almonds: 10 to 12

Cashew nut: 8 to 10

METHOD

Soak moong dal for few hours. Drain & grind coarsely with a small amount of water.

Make one-string sugar syrup with one cup sugar and one-and-a-half cup of water.

Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed pan and add the ground dal and fry, stirring continuously, over low heat till the dal turns golden brown.

Add the sugar syrup.

Stir till they are thoroughly incorporated and the halwa is of dropping consistency.

Add mawa (khoya) and cook till it dissolves.

Serve hot garnished with almonds & cashew nuts.

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Easy Brownies

INGREDIENTS

9 bourbon cream biscuits

9 hide ‘n’ seek biscuits

6 Marie biscuits

3 tbsp sugar powder

4 tbsp drinking chocolate powder

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup fresh cream

FOR GARNISHING

Walnuts

Cashew nuts

Chocolate sauce

METHOD

In a bowl mix all the 3 biscuits in a small pieces form well.

Next add sugar powder, drinking chocolate, cocoa powder and mix well.

Next add milk and cream and mix it in a blender for 10 to 15 minutes till it becomes smooth and creamy.

Add baking soda in mixture and blend it for 2 mins.

Take a microwave safe pan and grease it well with butter.

Pour the mixture in it and garnish it with roasted nuts.

Microwave for 4 mins in pre-heated microwave.

Take it out , cool, then refrigerate for few minutes to set

Decorate with chocolate sauce and serve.

Wheat Laddu / Sweet wheat flour balls

Ingredients
1 cup Wheat Flour 1/4 cup Gram Flour 11/2 cup Sugar Powder 1/4 cup Grated Coconut 1/4 cup Dry Fruit almonds, raisins, cashew nuts 1 cup Ghee
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
» Method of cooking
Heat the ghee. Put both the flours in the heated ghee. When nearly roasted put coconut and sliced dry fruit in the mixture. Now put the ground sugar in the mixture and stir thoroughly. Take off from the heat quickly and make laddus. You may also put the mixture in a greased plate and cut into small pieces those interested in cancer & health related topics are free to see my blog- http://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com/ for crochet designs, my blog, those who like a particular design are free to mail me http://My Crochet Creations.blogspot.com For info. about knee replacement, be free to view my blog- http://knee replacement-stick club.blogspot.com

Doodh Pak- Almond- Milk Pudding

Ingredients
1/2 Cup Almonds 1 Litre Milk 250 Grams Sugar 1 tsp Cardamom Powder 1 tsp Saffron 1 tbsp Pistachios 11/2 tbsp Raisins

» Method of cooking
Soak the almonds in warm water for 1 hour. Peel and grind to a fine paste. Dissolve the saffron in 1 tablespoon of warm milk and keep aside. Boil the milk in a heavy bottomed pan, stirring constantly. Add the almond paste and simmer for 30-35 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the saffron, sugar, pista and raisins. Cook on a very low flame till thick. Sprinkle cardamom powder. Serve hot/ cold. those interested in cancer & health related topics are free to see my blog- http://cancersupportindia.blogspot.com/ for crochet designs, my blog, those who like a particular design are free to mail me http://My Crochet Creations.blogspot.com For info. about knee replacement, be free to view my blog- http://knee replacement-stick club.blogspot.com

Friday, October 18, 2013

Chocolate Cake In A Cup- Microwavebutt

INGREDIENTS

4 tbsp unsalted butter
28 gm/ 1 ounce bitter-sweet chocolate, chopped, + 1 ounce/ 28 gm broken into 4 equal pieces
less than 1/4 cup sugar is what I'ld use, so use 1/4 cup, if you prefer it sweeter
2 large eggs
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup all-purpose flour / maida
1/2 tsp baking powder

METHOD

Microwave butter and chopped chocolate in large bowl, stirring often, until melted, about 1 minute. Whisk sugar, eggs, cocoa, vanilla, and salt into chocolate mixture until smooth.

In separate bowl, combine flour and baking powder.

Whisk flour mixture into chocolate mixture until combined.

Divide batter evenly between 2 large coffee mugs.

Place mugs on opposite sides of microwave turntable.

Microwave at 50 percent power for 45 seconds.

Stir batter and microwave at 50 percent power for 45 seconds (batter will rise to just below rim of mug). Press 2 chocolate pieces into center of each cake until chocolate is flush with top of cake.

Microwave at 50 percent power for 35 seconds (cake should be slightly wet around edges of mug and somewhat drier toward center). As it rests in the microwave, it will get well cooked all over.

Let cakes rest for 2 minutes. Serve.

NOTE- if the power of your microwave is around 800 watts, then increase the time between stirring to 90 seconds. As the time can vary according to the power of the microwave, so use your imagination & intuition to check the time. After all it is just 2 mugs of cakes, so, we all can learn through trial & error method . All the best.

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Green Dosai

Ingredients

Green moong dal, soaked - 1 cup
suji/semolina - ¼ cup
Soy flour - ¼ cup
Flax seed powder - 2 tsp( optional)
salt to taste
Green chilli 3-4 Finely chopped or to taste
Oil as needed
finely chopped coriander leaves 2 tbsp
Method

Grind the soaked green moong dal, soy flour and rawa to form a batter of dosa consistency.
add salt, flax seed powder, green chilli, coriander leaves to the batter.
Make dosas on a non-stick pan or on a heavy tawa, grease it well, make sure it is hot before you pour the batter.
cook well on both sides, serve hot with chutney or milagai podi/ ketchup.

ps= this is a very healthy dosai, as it is full of proteins, Vitamin C from green chillies, coriander leaves

Easy recipes

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

HAPPY FESTIVAL SEASON TO ALL

KESAR MALAI PEDA

COCONUT BARFI/ SQUARES or MSC sweet

BESAN LADDU

ROASTED ARTICHOKE AND FETA DIP

MOONG DAL AND PEAS DHOKLA

DHOKLA

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Soya corn Paneer Tikkis/ cutlets

Sunday, October 20, 2013

sesame seed cookies

Fruit and nut cake for Christmas

Eggless Chocolate Walnut Brownie

Plum cake

Chocolate brownie

Moong dal halwa

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Easy Brownies

Wheat Laddu / Sweet wheat flour balls

Doodh Pak- Almond- Milk Pudding

Friday, October 18, 2013

Chocolate Cake In A Cup- Microwavebutt

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Green Dosai

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