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Monday, July 29, 2013

Bliss Cravings .... Dark Chocolate Tea Cake !


There are a very few things that can make one as happy as a dark... Bitter-sweet.... Rich .... Chocolate cake...

Sharing a  recipe that have won many hearts and is the gift I give to most people ... Eat it as it is.... Or with some Whipped Cream and Chocolate sauce.... Tastes Brilliant all the time .

Chocolate cake

100g salted butter
2 tbsp hung curd 
120g sugar
80g Flour
40 g cocoa
½ tsp baking powder
¼ cup choc sauce
3 eggs
1 cup Chocolate Chips 


  • Beat the butter and sugar till light and fluffy and till it turns really pale 
  • beat in the hung curd 
  • Beat in eggs one by one
  • Beat in chocolate sauce
  • Sift all dry ingredients together
  • Gently fold dry ingredients into the mixture
  • Pour the mixture into a lined cake tin and bake like a loaf at 180 degrees  Celsius for 30 minutes
  • Serve Warm or microwave for a few seconds before serving 

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Mushroom Claypot Rice.... Monsoon Comforts .....



Mushrooms, have a natural mood uplifting quality about them. It is said that they have natural MSG like substances in them that intoxicate your taste buds and improve the flavor of anything that they are cooked with. I simply  adore their versatility. However the recipe i am sharing today is a classic and is pure elixir when u have a cold or it is raining cats and dogs outside. well i am blessed to have a kitchen which has no doors or windows and i can enjoy cooking this recipe wile i can smell the whiff of the first rain on the grass.
and this is my favorite monsoon recipe . it also does wonders to a misty glum winter lunch.





Mushroom Claypot  Rice 


Rice Boiled 1 cup

Stock:
Water 1 L
5 mushrooms
2 shitake mushrooms
Carrot ½
Bay leaf
Star anise
Pepper

Boiled shitake mushrooms 6
Fresh mushrooms 6
Fried garlic 1 tsp
Fresh garlic 1 tsp ( grated)
Salt
Pepper
Sugar
MSG
Spring onion chopped 1 tsp ( garnish )
Sesame oil for garish
Oil for cooking
Chinese Cooking wine 1 dash 

  • heat all ingredients for the stock for 30 mins on high heat covered.... (till it becomes half) 
  • strain and put aside 
  • Heat oil sautĂ© garlic and sliced mushrooms till they wilt 
  • Add boiled rice and the stock.
  • Add the seasonings and cook till the stock gets thicker
  • Finish with sesame oil chinese wine and chopped spring onion
P.S. serve with chili oil and chopped spring onion greens on the side.















Monday, July 22, 2013

Aloo.... SIGH !

It seems everyone loves ALOO... Aloo, potato, is one vegetable i have never been able to favorite (although, looking at me you would refuse to believe so ). My family is forever after me to make, Dum Aloo Kashmiri, Cripsy Honey Chili Potato, Tandoori Aloo, Tikkis, and a many more such things... Sharing with you one the the recipes that i teach in the first session of my Indian cooking class.... The trick behing a perfect, semi sweet, Kashmiri Aloo Dum ...

If you are an ANTI- ALOO like me , feel free to make this recipe with  fried plantains (kacha kela ) or Kachhe Kele ke Kofte , Plantain Koftas



Dum Aloo Kashmiri 


Small Potatoes 250g
Onion 3 nos ( make into fine paste)
Tomato ketchup ½  cup
Sugar 1 tsp
Honey 1 tsp
Kashmiri Red chili powder 2 tbsp
Almond powder 2 tsp
Cream ½ cup
Curd ½ cup
Water ½  cup
1 tsp besan  ( gram flour)
Dhania powder 1 tbsp
Turmeric ½ tsp
Ghee 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
cream for garnish


  • Peel and fry the potato
  • Heat ghee and add sugar and honey
  • Caramelize the sugar and add dry spices
  • Add the onion paste and cook till dry
  • Add the ketchup and cook till ghee leaves sides
  • Beat the curd with besan and remove all lumps
  • Add the cream and curd to the spices with ½ cup water
  • And add the potatoes
  • Cook on a slow flame and covered.
  • Garnish and serve hot






Monday, July 8, 2013

Guilty Pleasures .... Paneer tikka ....


There are very few things that get me salivating... ( that's a lie) Well there are some that make me salivate more than others... Just like every Punjabi, I love paneer.... and i love it even more if its paneer tikka.... 

Its a very simple recipe but there are a few point that one needs to keep in mind in order to make a good paneer tikka a brilliant one ... sharing a recipe that has never disappointed me hope everyone else loves it too








Paneer Tikka

Paneer 250g
Capsicum 1
Tomato 2 Deseeded

For marinade
Salt
Pepper
 Red Chili paste 1 tbsp
Ginger 1 cm piece
Garlic  3 -4 cloves
Yogurt ½ cup
Mustard oil 1 tbsp
Ajwain 1 tsp
Dhania powder 1 tbsp
Meat masala 1 tsp
Chat masala 1 tsp
Sattu 1 tbsp


·        Mix all ingredients for the marinade together in a blender till a smooth paste is formed
·        Add paneer and marinate for some time save some marinade for tomato and capsicum
·        Arrange in skewers alternating paneer and capsicum and tomato
·        Grill at 250 degrees ( both grillers on ) on grill till golden  baste with butter at end (optional )


 P.S. Top Quality Paneer means Top Quality Paneer Tikka 

 P.S. It is best if the paneer is left in the the marinade for 3 - 4 hours 


Saturday, July 6, 2013

Vegetable Au Gratin.... Simple and always Sinful


There are a few simple dishes that cannot be substituted with even the most awesome gourmet dishes.... 
Vegetable Au Gratin is one of them. The creaminess of white sauce .... the fresh vegetables .... and sinful cheese... Gatinee ( or Au Gratin ) is a classic cooking term which means flashing of dry heat in the surface to give a golden crust. Guilty pleasures of cheating on my diet with the pretext makes me make this things in my cafe ... Bon Appetit - The Cafe.... 





Vegetable Au gratin


White sauce (béchamel)

Butter 50g
Flour 50g
Milk 500ml
Double Cream 50 ml
Cloves 10 nos
Onion 1 nos
Nutmeg 1 pinch
Salt to taste
White pepper powder
Cheese grated  for baking 50g

  • Heat milk with onion studded with cloves and strain
  • Melt butter in a pan and add flour
  • Add milk and whisk so that no lumps are formed
  • Add the nutmeg and season with salt and white pepper powder
  • Finish with double cream 

Corn 50g
Carrot 50g
Green peas 50 g
Beans 50g
Potato 50 g
Broccoli 50g

  • Blanch all vegetables after cutting them into small dices
  • Mix all vegetables in the white sauce top with cheese and bake till a golden crust if formed.

 All done this golden cheese is too hard to resist.... to hoots to the diet... I DIG IN !!! 

Adios ... till we meet again 

Bon Appetit 


Goin' Grapes .....

I simply love what fruits do to desserts .... and if one gets nice round chunky grapes.... the sky is the limit....
was wondering what fruit i should use on a red velvet cake, as strawberries are not in season and i didn't want to use plums ... Went to the market and saw huge red grapes and got a brain wave ... Whipped some cream and iced mt red velvet into a yummy-licious grape gateaux....

used the trimmings and made Grape Trifle Puddings as well





P.S. I AM ON A DIET ! so i cook to satiate my taste buds... cooking satisfies me way more than eating

See you soon ...