Apple Pie

Merry Christmas to all my readers. What a blessed place the world would be, If we had that Christmas feeling all year. I have been cooking and experimenting a lot of dishes this Christmas season. will surely share the recipes soon.

This apple pie was baked for Christmas at home, Its a very simple, moist and juicy cake. Goes very well with ice cream.

Ingredients

Eggs - 4
Milk - 1/2 cup
Flour - 250gms
Sugar - 150gms
Butter- 150gms
Baking Powder - 1tsp
Apples - 4 (Peeled, Cored, and Chopped into bite size pieces)
Vanilla essence - 1tsp
Cinnamon powder - 1tsp
Raisins - 4 tsp

Baking Method
Preheat oven to 150C.
In a mixing bowl, Add melted butter, sugar and eggs one by one and beat till fluffy. Add vanilla extract and milk.
In a separate bowl, mix Flour, Baking Powder and Cinnamon Powder. Add this powder mixture to the egg mixture. Add chopped apples.
Grease the baking tin with butter, add the batter. Spread Raisins on the top and bake at 150C for 30 minutes or till the knife comes out clean.

 Serve it warm with vanilla ice-cream.

Brownie

This recipe is from Shalini, our neighbor.  The last time she gave me this brownie, I just could not  stop eating. I must say she is an awesome baker :) . 

I told myself that this would be one of the first cakes I would bake.... and I baked it last night. But could not call it a success unless my baking Guru (Shals) tasted and said it was right. Yipeee.... She tasted and said "YUM" . 

So here's the recipe....

Ingrediants

250gms unsalted butter

200gms Dark chocolate

75gms dries cherries - Optional

50gms chopped nuts - Optional

30gms cocoa Powder

65gms plain flour

1 tsp Baking powder

360 gms Caster Sugar

4 Large Eggs

Zest of 1 orange - Optional

250 ml Creme Fraiche - Optional

Baking Method

Set your microwave on convention mode. Preheat at 180C for 10 min.

Melt butter and chocolate in double burner and mix until smooth and creamy.

Add cherries and nuts (if you are using them) and stir together.

In a seperate bowl. Mix cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and sugar.

Add the dry powder to the chocolate mixture, one spoon at a time.

Beat eggs and mix into the chocolate mixture until you get a silky consistency.

Grease cake tin with butter. Then sprinkle some flour on it .  

Pour the cake mixture into the cake tin and bake the cake for 25 min at 180C or till a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Cut into squares and serve warm with creme fraiche and orange zest.

Note : Dont overcook. Should still have springy sponge effect.

Simple Cake

My new convention microwave has given me the courage to explore into the world of baking.

This is a simple 7 step to a yummy spongy cake. A must try if you are baking for the first time. You will soon find a lot more cake recipes in this site. :)

 Ingredients:

1 1/4 Cup Sugar
1 1/2 Cup - Maida
1 cup Butter (Room Temperature)
4 eggs (Room Temperature)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp baking powder

 Method:

   1. Set Microwave in convention mode. Preheat for 10 min at 180C.
   2. Sieve together flour and powder.
   3. Powder Sugar and beat with butter till it turns into a smooth batter.
   4. Add eggs one at a time beating it all the time. Add vanilla essence.
   5. Add flour mixture 1 spoon at a time mixing slowly.
   6. Grease cake tin with butter. Then sprinkle some flour on it .
   7. Now pour the cake mixture into this dish and bake the cake for 30min at 180C or till a tooth pick inserted comes out clean

Cooking Time : 1 Hour

Serves : 5


Note:
If you do not have oven, you can very well bake in Pressure Cooker.
Do not pour water underneath.  Just take the containers of cooker and grease it with butter and sprinkle a spoon of flour on it and without touching it, remove the extra flour if it has stuck with the butter on the container.
Now pre-heat the cooker, pour the batter only half of the container greased.
Put cashews, raisins etc if required and bake it by not closing with cooker lid with gasket but with a flat lid which can cover the cooker completely.
First 5 minutes, keep in full flame and then keep in low flame for 1/2 an hour.
Just check opening the lid by dipping with a small knife or thin long pin, if the batter sticks to it, then you need to wait for another 5 - 10 minutes.

Chicken Stew

This blog has visitors from all most all over the world and some of this credit should go to my sister Golda. If not for her I would have never complied these recipes and got the idea of a Blog. While my sister was in down south. All most everyday I used to email recipes to her and that's when the idea of compiling simple everyday recipes came to me.

Thanks Goldie for making me famous in the world of blogging :)  and If this blog has helped you in someway do leave a comment. I would love to hear from you. Even if you have request for a specific recipe, let me know, I will try to post it as soon as possible.

Chicken stew is a simple and a yummy dish and goes very well with ghee rice / appam / dosa. If you have some unexpected guest, you can put this dish together in less than 20 min.

 

Ingrediants

Chicken - 1/2 Kg (Cut into bite size pieces)

Onion - 3 (Sliced)

Green chillies - 5 (slit)

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 5

Cinnamon - 1"

Clove - 3

Elachi - 2

Bay leaves - 1

Coconut milk - 2 cups ( I used Maggie coconut milk powder)

Cashew nut - 5 (Soaked and ground into smooth paste)

Potato and Carrot - 1 cup (cubed and cooked)

Coconut oil - 5 tsp

Coriander Leaves - 2 tsp (chopped)

 

Cooking Method

Heat oil, Add elachi, clove, cinnamon, bay leaves and curry leaves followed by green chillies and onions.

Remember onions should only turn soft and it should not brown.

Once onions are soft. add ginger garlic paste and cashew paste, Fry for a minute.

Add chicken and cook till done (A little water can be added).

Once chicken is well cooked, add potato and carrot. 

Add salt.

Add coconut milk and reduce the flame & cook for 5 -7  minutes or until you get the required thickness.

Garnish with fried onions, curry leaves and coriander leaves.

Serve as soup or with Appam/ Bread.

Cooking time : 20 min

Serves - 3-4

Fish Fry

Ingredients

Fish - 1/2 kg (cleaned)
Chilli Powder - 3 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
Lemon  - 1
Salt
Oil

Cooking Method

Rub lime juice into the fish and set aside for 15 minutes.
Mix in chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, jeera powder and salt with a little lemon juice and water.
Apply the paste on the fish and rub the masala on the fish.
Refrigerate the fish for 20 minutes.
Deep fry the fish and serve with fresh cut onions.

Cooking time : 30 minutes (Including Marination time)
Serves - 4

Fish Curry

 Fish curry is a weekly delicacy in our homes. This is usually prepared  every Saturday and it tastes the best when eaten the next day. I have used Promfret for the curry which is skinned and cut into cubes. However all variety of fishes can be used for this curry. This is a typical traditional south indian style.

Ingredients

Cleaned and Cubed Fish (Preferably Promfret or King Fish) -  1/2 KG
Tamarind - Soaked in Hot Water
Curry Leaves - 5 to 6
Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Methi - 1/4 tsp
Onion - 1 (Sliced)
Garlic - 4 Pods
Oil
Salt

Masala
Onion - 1 (Small, chopped)
Tomato - 1 (Small, chopped)
Coconut - 1 cup
Dry Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste -1 tsp

Cooking Method

Masala
In a Kadai, add one spoon oil, add coconut and roast till golden brown, add Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder,Ginger Garlic Paste and roast for a minute. Add onions and tomato, Fry for a minute.
Once cooled, grind the mixture into a smooth paste.

In a wide vessel, Pour oil, add mustard, curry leaves, Jeera and Methi seeds.
Add sliced onions and garlic, Fry till golden brown, add the Masala paste and fry till the oil leaves the sides, Add tamarind pulp and salt and allow the mixture to fry for an other minute.
Now pour water and adjust the consistency of the curry.
Once the curry starts boiling, Add the fish pieces and cook for 5 minutes.

Serve hot with Rice / Dosa


Cooking Time : 30 Minutes
Serves : 3

Bottle Gourd curry

Bottle Gourd is very effective in many ailments. Specially raw juice of this vegetable mixed with lime juice is very effective in curing UTI infections. Its also very effective in curing diarrhea. I used to ignore this vegetable until i knew its medicinal properties. Now this  is a part of my die.

This is a beautiful blend of Moong Dhal and Gourd. This curry goes very well with hot rice/Chapati and ghee :)

Ingrediants
Moong Dhal - 1 cup (soaked for 1 hour)
Bottle Gourd - Finely chopped one cup
Tomato - 1
Onion - 1
Garlic - 4 finely chopped
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 5
Jeera - 1/4 tsp
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves
Oil
Salt

Cooking Method
Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard, jeera and curry leaves.
Add finely chopped onion and garlic and fry till translucent. Add tomatoes, Chilli Powder, Asafoetida.
Fry till the oil leaves the sides and the masala gives a good aroma.
Add soaked dhal, Fry for a minute. add 2 cups of water and cook till the dhal becomes soft but not mushy.
Now add the chopped bottle gourd and cook for 5 min
Garnish with ghee and coriander leaves.

Cooking time : 30 min
Serves - 3

Note

• For fast cooking, pressure cook dhal with garlic and asafoetida. Add to the onion masala, followed by bottle gourd.
• You can substitute bottle gourd with white pumkin or cucumber.

Veg Pulao with Fresh Green Masala

Simple ingredients. Freshly ground herbs. Proper dum cooking.
This is not bland white rice with vegetables — this is fragrant, mildly spiced, home-style Veg Pulao that stands on its own.

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🛒 Ingredients (Serves 3 | 45 mins)

• 2 cups basmati rice

• 200 g paneer (optional)

• 1 cup mixed vegetables (carrot, beans, potato, peas, soya beans, capsicum, mushroom — avoid beetroot)

• 2 onions (sliced)

• 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)

• 2 cloves

• 2 cardamom

• 1” cinnamon

• 1 bay leaf

• ½ tsp turmeric powder

• 1 tsp garam masala

• 2 tsp curd

• 1 tsp ghee

• 10 tsp oil

• Salt to taste

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🌿 Grind to a Smooth Green Masala

• ½ cup mint leaves

• ½ cup coriander leaves

• 4 green chilies (adjust to taste)

• 1” ginger

• 6 garlic pods

Grind into a smooth paste without adding too much water.

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👩‍🍳 Method

1️⃣ Prep the Rice
Wash and soak basmati rice for 20 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

2️⃣ Build the Base
In a thick-bottomed wide vessel, heat oil.
Add clove, cardamom, cinnamon, and bay leaf.

Add sliced onions. Fry until light brown.
Add tomatoes and cook until soft and fully mashed.

3️⃣ Add the Green Masala
Add the ground green paste.
Cook patiently until oil separates. This step gives depth.

Add turmeric and garam masala. Fry for a minute.

4️⃣ Balance the Flavour
Add ghee, then curd.
Cook until the curd blends smoothly into the masala.

5️⃣ Vegetables & Paneer
Add mixed vegetables. Cover and cook till ¾ done.
Add paneer cubes gently. Do not overmix.

6️⃣ Rice & Water
Add soaked rice.
For every 1 cup rice, add 2 cups water.
Add salt and mix lightly.

7️⃣ Dum Cooking
Once it starts boiling, cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Place a hot tawa on the stove.
Keep the pulao vessel on the tawa and cook on low flame for 20 minutes undisturbed.

Drizzle ghee before serving.

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🍽 Serve With

Cool cucumber raita or simple onion salad.

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📝 Notes

• Always use basmati rice for better aroma and texture.

• Avoid beetroot — it changes the color and flavor profile.

• Paneer breaks easily, so mix gently.

• If using a pressure cooker: after adding rice and water, cook for 3 whistles.

• Prefer crispy paneer? Lightly fry and add at the end.

• Adjust green chilies to match your spice tolerance.

Mattar Paneer

Its been over 6 months since I posted something here..... I wanna rekindle my cooking spirits and be more regular here. :)

This might not be an authentic way of cooking this dish but I will stick to this recipe for its taste and simplicity.

Mom got me this new clay pot and I love to cook in them, As clay pot are supposed enhance the flavour of the dish.

Ingrediants

Panner - 200gms
Green Peas - 1 Cup (Pressure cooked)
Onion - 2
Tomato - 2
Ginger - 1"
Garlic - 6 pods
Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Jeera Powder - 1tsp
Cashew Nut - 5
Badam - 5 (Peeled)
Curd -  3tsp
Clove - 2
Cinnamon - 1"
Cardamom - 1
Oil
Salt

Cooking Method

In a kadai, heat oil, add paneer cubes and fry till they turn golden brown. Remove Paneer pieces and set aside.

In a kadai, heat oil, add finely chopped onions, once onions turn translucent, add chopped ginger, garlic once they are fried, add tomatoes. Fry till oil leaves the sides and tomaotes turn pulpy. Remove this mixture from the stove, grind into a smooth paste and set aside.
Grind Badam and cashew into a smooth paste.
Heat oil in a kadai.
Add clove, cinnamon and cardamom, add the onion - tomato paste, fry on slow flame till the masala is well cooked.
Add chilli powder and coriander powder along with salt. Fry this mixture for a minute.
Add curd and mix till it blends well with the masala.
Add cashew paste and fry for a minute.
Add the cooked mattar and boil the mixture.
Finally add fried panner pieces and garnish with coriander.

Serve hot with rotis.

Cooking time : 25 min
Serves : 3

Srilanka Chicken

At the outset i would like to wish all my readers a very happy and a blessed 2010. I know i have been away for a little too long than expected. :)

All of a sudden i don have time for something i enjoyed so much :). My laptop has given up on me and has developed all kinds of technical problems an other reason for not blogging :)

I will surely post the recipes as and when i get time.

"Srilanka Chicken" i have no clue why this recipe has this name. I learnt this from my friend Naveen, he is know for this recipe :) This is a very tasty n yummy chicken preparation goes very well with Chapathis. 

Ingrediants

Chicken - 1 Kg

Pepper - 4 tsp

Jeera - 1tsp

Chilli Powder - 21/2 tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Salt

Onions - 4 Sliced

Gartlic - 10 pods (Finely chopped)

Clove - 5

Cinnamon - 2"

Oil

Cooking Method

Make a fine powder of pepper and jeera.

Wash chicken and marinate in a table spoon of vinegar for half an hour.

Mix Pepper and jeera powder with chilli powder, salt and turmeric. Rub this mixture into the chicken. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Cook marinated chicken in the pressure cooker for 2 whistles.

Heat oil or butter, add clove and cinnamon, Once they crack, Add onion and garlic, Fry till tranx\slucent, Add cooked chicken, Fry untill you get the desired consistency.

Serve hot with rotis or rice.

Tip : Since you are adding both pepper and chilli powder check spice level.

Cooking time : 30 Minutes (Excluding marination)

Serves : 5