Chocolate cupcakes

Everyone in my family is huge fan of chocolates,and chocolate in a cupcake makes it even more yummier. These moist, chocolaty cupcakes are delicious and very tempting.

Ingredients

1½ cup all purpose flour / maida

1½ tsp Baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 stick (½ cup) butter

2 eggs

2 tbsp milk

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

½ cup sugar

Method

Preheat oven at 350 degree F.

Line muffin pan with paper baking cups and keep aside.

mix well all- purpose flour, baking powder and salt and keep aside

Melt chocolate chips and butter on a double boiler. Then add eggs, flour mixture and mix well.

Now add sugar and milk and mix again.

Scoop the mixture evenly into the baking cups ( makes around 10 cupcakes) and bake at 350 degree F. for 20 to 25 min.

Enjoy!

Healthy ladoos

These Energy packed ladoos are just awesome. Made with Wheat and other mix flours and lots of dry fruits makes it healthier and even tasty. Try these ladoos and I am sure you will love them :)

Ingredients:

1cup Melted ghee/ butter

1 ½ cup Wheat flour

½ cup Rice flour

½ cup Rajgira flour

½ cup singada (water chestnut) flour

½ cup mix dry fruits powder of your choice

1 ½ cup powder sugar 

1 tsp cardamom powder.

Method

Dry roast all the flours separately on very low flame till the color changes slightly.

Then heat ghee in a pan and add all the flours and roast them together till the  mixture turns golden brown.

Now mix Dry fruits powder and let it cool down a little ,then add sugar and cardamom powder when mixture is still warm and mix well.

Divide the mixture in small lemon size parts and roll them between your palms to make ladoos immediately

Store in a container and enjoy for weeks.

Cheese stuffed jalapenos

These cheesy, spicy, bite size jalapenos are perfect appetizers. Following are the ingredients to make these simple and easy appetizers.

10 to 12 jalapenos deseeded and cut into halves

½ cup cream cheese

1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

1 beaten egg

2 tbsp milk

½ cup all purpose flour

1 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp mix dry herbs

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp salt.

Oil for deep frying

Method

Mix together bread crumbs, dry herbs, garlic powder, and salt and keep aside.

Also Mix beaten egg and milk and keep aside.

In a bowl mix cream cheese and mild cheddar cheese and stuff this filling into Jalapenos. Then dip the jalapenos into egg mixture, roll in all purpose flour and let them dry for few min.

Meanwhile heat oil in a deep pan for frying

Then roll the jalapenos again in egg mixture and then roll them in the breadcrumb mixture and deep fry on a very low flame till golden brown.

Serve hot with ketchup.

Enjoy!

Ratatouille

Few days back I was watching a Disney Pixar movie called Ratatouille. It’s an animated movie and is a story about a young rat who is trying to prove his culinary skills. So for the climax of the movie a fancy layered version of the original french dish was prepared by renowned chef Thomas Keller, which looked very appetizing in the movie.I looked for the recipe but could not find one, so tried to create my own. Ratatouille is a French dish. It’s basically a vegetable stew served as a side dish accompanied with Pasta, rice or bread. This colorful dish looks beautiful and tastes delicious as well. 

Ingredients:

For Sauce

3 tomatoes finely chopped.

1 onion finely chopped

6 to 8 garlic cloves finely chopped.

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp chili powder

1 ½ tsp mix dry Italian herbs.

Salt to taste

For layered vegetables

2 zucchini thinly sliced.

2 eggplants thinly sliced

2 – 3 tomatoes thinly sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

Method:

Preheat oven at 350 ° F

In pan heat oil on medium flame, add garlic onions and sauté till they turn golden brown, and then add tomatoes and sauté till the mixture is thick.

Add salt and dry herbs and mix well. Then add pepper powder and chili powder, stir well. Once the sauce is ready remove from heat and keep aside.

Now in a baking dish pour the sauce at the base and then arrange all the sliced vegetables as shown in picture. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350 ° F for 20 min.

Then remove the foil and bake uncovered for 15 min.

Serve hot with pasta, rice or even tastes good with couscous.

Enjoy!

Murgh Badami

This rich chicken dish in almond gravy is a perfect dish for a party or for a relaxed weekend.

Ingredients:

1 ½ pound chicken cut into desired size pieces.

15 to 20 peeled Almonds (soaked in warm water for 1 hour.)

1 tbsp roasted poppy seeds.

2 tbsp Ghee or oil

2 medium onions finely chopped

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 cup yogurt

2 cups chicken stock

Pinch of saffron soaked in little water or milk.

Salt to taste.

Method:

Grind together almonds and poppy seeds to a fine paste and keep aside.

Heat ghee/oil in a pan. Sauté onions till translucent. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for few seconds. Then add almonds and poppy seeds paste and sauté for a min

Now add turmeric powder, chili powder, cumin powder and sauté for few more seconds. Sprinkle little water to avoid spices from burning.

Once the spices are cooked, add chicken pieces sauté for a min then cover and cook for 5 min on low flame. Stir in between and sprinkle little water if needed.

Now add yogurt and mix well. Add chicken stock, cover and cook for another 15 mins or till the chicken is cooked completely.

Sprinkle garam masala, saffron water, salt and mix well.

Serve hot with paratha or rice.

Enjoy!

Butter Cookies

It was winter break for my daughter’s school, and holiday season. I wanted to do something she loves doing and also something which would keep her busy for sometime. So I decided to make these simple butter cookies. These cookies are easy are very less time consuming and fun to do with your kids. I had great time doing them with my daughter.

Ingredients:



Wilton cookie press.



3 ½ cups all purpose flour,

3 sticks / 1 ½ cups of butter (room temperature.)

1 tsp baking powder.

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cookie press to make different shapes and designs.

Method:

Preheat oven at 350° F.

In a bowl combine flour and baking powder and keep aside.

Now in large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla extract. Mix well till the egg gets incorporated.

Then add flour mixture and mix well.

With the help of a cookie press make desired shape of cookies on a baking sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 min. or till the edges are golden brown. Cool for a min on the baking sheet and remove immediately on a cookie rack to cool completely.

Store in container and enjoy for weeks. Decorate with your favorite frosting just before serving or it will turn them soggy.

Enjoy!

Pohe / Poha

This is a typical Maharashtraian dish and one of my all time favorite breakfast menu. It is made from flattened rice which is called poha and is tempered with green chilies, curry leaves and served with dash of lemon and fresh coriander. 

Ingredients:

3 cups thick poha

1 finely chopped medium onion

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 ½ tsp turmeric powder

3- 4 chopped green chilies

Few curry leaves

½ inch ginger finely chopped

Handful of roasted peanuts (optional)

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp ghee

2 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Finely chopped fresh coriander

Method:

In a strainer take poha and wash tightly under running water and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds once they start to splutter add curry leaves, chopped green chilies and ginger. Sauté for few seconds and add chopped onion and cook the onions till they are translucent.

Now if u want to add peanuts u can add at this stage. Also add turmeric powder, salt and sugar and sauté till everything gets mixed properly.

Then add washed poha and mix well till it is covered with all the spices.

Now add lemon juice and ghee (ghee gives nice aroma to the dish). Give it a quick stir, and cover for a min. (sprinkle little water if they turn too dry)

Garnish with chopped fresh coriander and serve hot with a wedge of lemon.

Enjoy!

Tres Leches cake

Tres leches is three milks in Spanish.  A light and fluffy sponge cake soaked in mixture of 3 kinds of milk is moist and delicious. This is a very popular dessert in Latin America.

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups all purpose flour or Maida.

5 eggs

2 sticks/ 1 cup butter at room temperature

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup evaporated milk

½ cup condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla essence.

Method:

Preheat oven at 325° F.

Whisk together all purpose flour, salt and baking powder and set aside.

In a large bowl beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy.

Add eggs, Vanilla essence and mix well. Now slowly add flour mixture and mix well.

In greased 9 inch pan pour the batter and bake at 325 ° F for 40 to 45 min check if cake is done by inserting a knife in the center of the cake, if it comes out clean then the cake is done. Once the cake is done let it cool down for few min. now poke the top of all over the cake with a fork.

Mix together heavy cream, evaporated milk and condensed milk. Now pour this mixture over the cake and refrigerate it.

Sever with your favorite topping.

Enjoy! 

Fruits and Oats with yogurt

Start your day with this Delicious healthy Breakfast. full of fibers and nutrition. After sampling this yummy Breakfast treats at my Uncles place, I asked for the recipe. It was simple, easy, yet delicious.

Ingredients:

1 cup Quick Oats

4 cups French vanilla yogurt.

2 cups chopped Seasonal fruits like Blueberries, strawberries, grapes, apples etc. (if u like to add banana add it just before serving)

Dry fruits and Nuts of your choice.

1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)

Method:

In a large bowl mix together all the above ingredients, cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 to 5 hours. Delicious breakfast is ready in minutes.

Enjoy!