Banoffee - The Diet Killer

There are few things that are good for health, and few that are not... and some that should not be classified. Just cheat on your diet for heavens sake. Banoffee for a layman is BANANA + TOFFEE. and to make it more sinful i put these in my Rich Chocolate Cake and Guess what .... the entire thing takes only twenty-five minutes to make.

Eggless cake ( microwave )

Condensed milk ½ tin

Milk ½ cup

½ cup oil

4 tbsp powdered sugar

100g maida

25 g Cocoa Powder 

½ tsp soda bi card

1 tsp baking powder

Vanilla essence few drops

• Sift dry ingredients together
• Blend sugar , condensed milk and oil together till thick
• Blend in the milk and vanilla essence
• Slowly mix in the dry ingredients
• Bake in a microwave proof dish  for 5 -6 min that has been lined with butter and dusted with flour 
• Let is rest for 5 min 

FOR LAYERING 

4 bananas sliced 

Butter 1 tbs

honey 2 tbsp 

chocolate sauce 1/2 cup

butterscotch sauce 1/2 cup

cinnamon powder 1 tsp 

Whipped cream 100 g 

• cut the sponge cake into two 
• leave to cool under a fan 
• heat butter in a pan and add honey and saute for 1 min till it begins to caramelize
• add bananas and saute for a few seconds and add cinnamon powder
• cool for a few mins and start layering as follows  

1. bottom half of the chocolate cake

2. half the whipped cream 

3. bananas 

4. half the chocolate sauce 

5. half the butter scotch sauce 

6. second half of the cake 

7. remaining cream 

8. remaining chocolate sauce and butterscotch sauce 

Chill the cake for a few hours before serving 

P.s. Layering can be done in a Pie crust and be called a banoffee pie 

Five Spice... The Magic Powder

Most People who use five spice powder know it as a flavoring that masks that meaty flavor of pork and duck. The origins of five spice come from the southern China where the roasts and braises are very popular. mostly used as a dry rub but it can also be used for some amazing stir fries.

The main ingredients of a 5 spice powder are as follows:

Pepper

Fennel Seeds 

Cinnamon 

Star Anise 

Cloves 

For braises one can also add some dried mandarin orange peel as well 

I usually like to pair it with bean sprouts as it really compliments the wild grassy flavor of bean sprouts. Sharing a recipe that has always been a hit for all my health conscious friends 

 Stir fried Bean Sprouts with five Spice

Bean Sprouts 2 cups

Sliced onions 1 nos

Spring onion ½ cup

Fried garlic 1 tsp

5 spice powder 1 tsp

Assorted bell peppers 1 cup

Lemon 1 nos juice and rind

Chili oil 1 tsp

Salt

Pepper

Sugar

Msg 

Oyster mushroom sauce 1 tsp

• Heat chili oil and sauté onion and bell pepper
• Add the seasonings and the sauce and 5 spice
• Toss the bean sprouts finish with few drops of lemon juice and lemon rind

Hope all the people on a diet will not have any complains now... Some diet food can even make people jealous. 

Apple Cinnamon Muffin

There is a barrage of cup cake makers in the market, to the extent that people have stopped focusing on the cake bit of the cup cake. considering how easy it is to make a muffin i find it lame to go buy a dry piece of sponge smothered in artificial color and sugar. Giving u a recipe of a muffin that can be used as a cup cake base too and is moist even 3 days after baking it. 

This can be topped with a white chocolate ganache as shown in the pic and decorated with sprinklers as well 

Apple Cinnamon Muffin

  

Apples 180g (grated)

Eggs 2 nos

Oil 75 ml

Sugar 120g ( powdered)

Flour 110g

Cinnamon powder 1 tsp

Green apple Crush 1 tbsp 

Baking powder ¼  tsp

Soda bicarb ¼  tsp

Salt – a pinch

Raisins 50 g (optional) 

Almonds 15 pcs chopped

• Mix in all dry ingredients together in a large bowl 
• Add the egg and oil and blend into a smooth paste with a fork don't over beat 
• mix in the green apple crush 
• Add the apples and the dry  fruits
• spoon in cup cake liners
• Baked for 25 minutes at 180 degrees celcuis

Seafood Pancakes..

Pan cakes or in this case griddle cakes to most are honey dripping butter oozing mouthfuls of goodness. On the other hand with just a few modifications one can make a really interesting party dish which is savory and sinful and not to forget super easy to cook. Bringing to you a dish that I love cooking when ever I am making a nice meal for people who don't quite like the Indian food palette. Here goes ...

Pancake Batter

250 cream cheese

100ml milk

120 g Refined Flour (Maida)

2 eggs

Baking powder

Oil or butter for grilling

• Separate the eggs
• Whisk the cheese and egg yolk together till light and fluffy
• Whist the egg whites till light and fluffy forming soft peaks. Keep Aside
• Beat the milk into the batter removing any lumps
• Sift the flour and gently fold in the batter.
• Softly mix in the fluffy egg whites
• Add baking powder
• Grill them till golden 

Seafood Filling 

Shrimps ( peeled deveined ) 100g

Diced Basa 100g

Chopepd onion 2 nos 

chopped garlic 1 tbsp 

chopped chives  tbsp 

chopped celery 1 tbsp 

olive oil 2 tsp 

salt

pepper

sugar

• Heat the olive oil and saute the seafood and keep aside
• In the same pan add remaining ingredients and saute till they are all soft and change colour 
• add the seafood back and sprinkle some white wine and cook till the moisture is dried out 

Layer the pancakes with the sea food top with either a basic white sauce or a basic tomato sauce (pasta sauce ) if u like it tangy 

Tip: I never throw away celery leaves, as when soaked in water they get nice and bright and crunchy. They make a lovely garnish .

Shahi Tukra Sandwich

Well, its Rakshabandhan and my birthday, KAPUT goes my diet . So lets ruin it just a little bit more by making an awesome and super simple recipe. Shahi tukra ... basically sweetened toast with rabri. Rabri can be a long tedious process, where as in this recipe you can make this recipe in flat 15 mins. Not just sisters who bring sweets to their brothers, I feel even brothers should cook for their sister. I sent mine Mocha Muffins. This post for my DIDI. 

Shahi Tukra

Bread 8 slices

Condensed milk ½ tin

Corn flour 1 tbsp

Milk 1 cup

Cardamom powder

Sugar 1 cup

Water 1 cup

Rose water 1 tsp

Ghee for frying bread

Almond slivers for garnish

Saffron for garnish

• Make sugar syrup with water and sugar add rose water at end
• Fry the bread and soak in soak in syrup
• Dissolve the cornflour in a little milk
• Mix the remaining milk with the condensed milk and bring to a boil
• Add the cornflour mixture and thicken.. Add Cardamom powder
• Cook till thick
• Top over the sweet toast and serve 

HAPPY RAKHI .....

Eid Ki Sevaiyan...

I have been blessed to work with some really gifted people.... and on of them is Chef Naseem, from whom i have learn a true elixir... Sevaiyon  Ka Muzaffar... and then after adding few of my personal twists i make this recipe over and over again, pleasing many friends and sending it as Eid sweet. This Eid we had a Bloggers Meet at my residence and some wonderful foodies came over for a potluck... I cooked Rajmah and Sevaiyon ka Muzaffar... Thus,  sharing the recipe.

Sevaiyon Ka Muzaffar 

Sevaiyan toasted 200g 

Ghee 100 ml 

Sugar 200 g 

Water 200 ml 

Milk 50 ml 

Cardamom Powder 1 tsp 

Meetha Itr few drops 

khoya 50 g 

Cashewnut 50 g 

Raisin 50g

Almonds 50g

dated 50g 

magaz 1 tbsp 

chironjii 1 tbsp 

glazed cherries few 

petha 50g 

ghee for frying 1 tbsp 

Silver Warq for garnish 

• Chop all dry fruits and saute in ghee 
• boil water and sugar to form a syrup 
• Saute the sevaiyan in ghee and add the syrup and cook till all syrup is absorbed
• add the milk and cardamom powder and ittr and cook till mill gets absorbed 
• add half the dry fruits and mix well 
• transfer into a large dish and spread it evenly top with khoya, warq and remaining dry fruits

Eid Mubarak Everyone ....

Pad Thai..... Soul Comforts

When we talk about soul food, mine is Thai food, yes it does hurt even thinking of this as I am on a diet and this is diet buster.... but believe me, nothing makes me happier that a well cooked Pad Thai. Fish sauce or Nam Pla is the key flavoring ingredient in Thai food and also hold importance in this recipe . For people who like meats in their pad thai one can add some sauteed prawns and chicken to it as well. Tamarind too is very important as it adds the piquant flavor way better than any vinegar .

Pad Thai

Onion 1 nos sliced

Tofu  50 g fried

Crushed peanuts 2 tbsp

Spring onion ½ cup

Tomato julienne 1 nos

Garlic 2 cloves

Ginger 1 cm piece

Chili paste 1 tbsp

Light soy 1 tsp

Tamarind pulp 1 tsp 

Fish sauce a dash  

Salt

Pepper

Palm Sugar 1tsp

Rice sticks 100g

Oil to stir fry

• Soak the rice sticks in water
• Drain and keep aside
• Heat oil and sauté ginger, garlic, and onions with the chili paste
• Add the vegetables and tofu  and sauté
• Mix chili paste, soy, tamarind pup, fish sauce with a few drops of water 
• Add the seasonings and the mixture of sauces and saute till oil appears on edges 
• Add the soaked rice sticks and stir fry till they wilt and turn reddish brown 
• make sure not to over cook them the process will not take more that 5 mins 
• Top with crushed peanuts