My Experiments With Food

Mississippi Mud Pie Ice cream Churned in an Ice cream maker

2022-08-04T15:26:00.001-07:00

It's vacation time and my kids were bored of doing nothing. They were bored of playing in the pool, watching television even going out. So one fine day my daughter got this idea of making ice cream rather than sitting idle. As the ice cream bowl was already frozen, she wanted to try something different rather than making a vanilla or chocolate ice cream. So when she was searching for ice cream recipes she stumbled on a website which has lots of different varieties of ice creams. She read about this and told me what all ingredients are required. I bought all the ingredients and we started making the ice cream.

This recipe is so easy that if you have an ice cream maker at home kids can make this on their own. This website has not only ice cream recipes but also milkshakes, sorbet and so on. We thought this is a perfect thing to make and enjoy during a hot sunny day.

This is a Philadelphia style churned ice cream which is very easy to make and can be made within minutes. In this recipe we are adding chocolate in 3 different forms and adding oreos will take this to another level. Hope you all will like this and please try this out before the summer ends.

Ingredients:

Adapted from: Ice Cream From Scratch

Heavy cream- 2 Cups
Whole Milk- 1 Cup
Sugar- 3/4 Cup
Cocoa Powder- 1/4 Cup
Hershey's Chocolate syrup- 2 tbsp
Vanilla Extract- 1 tsp
Oreos ( crushed)- 1 Cup
Instant Coffee powder- 2 tbsp
Chocolate Chips- 1/2 Cup

Method:

Freeze the ice cream bowl for 24 hours before making this ice cream.
In a sauce pan pour heavy cream, milk, sugar, cocoa powder and coffee powder, mix well and heat it up on a low flame till everything gets blended well.
Remove from flame and add the chocolate chips in the hot mixture. Whisk well and add the vanilla extract.
Transfer to a mixing bowl, press a cling film on top of the mixture and chill in the refrigerator for about 2-3 hours.
Take out the ice cream mixture and add the Hershey's chocolate late syrup. Churn this in the chilled ice cream bowl according to the instructions and until the mixture turns to a softy consistency.
When it is done, transfer it to a glass bowl and decorate with chocolate syrup and crushed Oreos and enjoy to your hearts consent.

Rice Paper Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

2022-06-14T18:57:00.006-07:00

These rice paper spring rolls are also called as Vietnamese spring rolls. These taste amazing with the peanut sauce. I make these spring rolls all the time as my family loves them. Usually we can add any filling of our choice. These spring rolls are a refreshing change from the regular fried ones. They are a perfect appetizer for any occasion and will be a hit among family and friend. These are so delicious, easy to make and healthy.

These spring rolls are so easy to make that you just have to gather all the ingredients and there is no need of cooking except the shrimp that you can cook long before making these rolls. We can fry these spring rolls in oil but it wont be healthy.

I highly recommend to consume these spring rolls within several hours of making them. If they are refrigerated they will become hard and difficult to chew. Try this recipe and let me know.

Ingredients:

Rice Paper- 12 numbers
Shrimp- 20-25
Pickled Carrots - 1 Cup
Lettuce Leaves- 2 Cups
Rice Noodles- 2 ounces
Red Chilli Powder- 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
salt- as required
Oil- 1 tbsp

Method for marinated shrimp:

Mix the shrimp along with salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and fry in the 1 tbsp of oil till done. Remove on a kitchen towel and keep it aside.

Meanwhile boil water and cook the rice noodles till al dente. Drain, rinse them under cool water and drain again.
Heat water in a pan and when it becomes warm switch off the flame and place the rice paper in the warm water and let it rest for 20 sec. Wait till the rice paper is pliable but not super floppy. Carefully lay it flat on a towel.
Place a few pieces of sliced carrots, lettuce, rice noodles one on top of the other and fold it tightly, now line the shrimp about 1 1/2 inches below the toip edge of the rice paper. By leaving a gap between the shrimp and the vegetables, the shrimp will look vibrant in the final roll.
Grab the lower edge of the rice paper with thumb and pointer finger, lift and roll up the spring roll. Use the other fingers to hold the filling. Fold the left and right edge and finish the rolling. It now looks like a rolled envelope.
Repeat the same with the remaining.

Peanut sauce

Peanut Butter- 1/2 Cup
Soy sauce- 2 tbsp
Vinegar- 2 tbsp
Sesame oil- 1 tbsp
Garlic- 2 tbsp
Water- as needed

Method:

Mix all the ingredients except water in a small bowl till combined and if the dip is too thick add 1 tbsp of water. The sauce should be creamy and dip-able.
Enjoy the spring rolls with peanut sauce.

Chicken Kabsa Rice/ Arabian Chicken and Rice

2022-04-27T14:23:00.001-07:00

Chicken Kabsa, is an Arabian style chicken and rice dish which can be prepared for any occasion. This dish is considered one of the national dishes of Jordan and Saudi Arabia. This is one method of cooking chicken along with rice the other method is after half cooking the chicken, remove the chicken pieces and grill them separately and at last place them on top of the prepared Kabsa rice.

This classic recipe is from Saudi Arabia. Chicken and rice are cooked in a beautiful spice mix making this one pot dish that can be prepared in a zing. As there are lots of Arabian restaurants in my home town Kerala, I got a chance of tasting this amazing dish during my stay a couple of weeks ago. I tasted this dish which I fell in love with the first mouthful. It's a dish that will be loved by all.

As the fasting is going on, one day my husband asked me to make this dish for Iftar. I searched for recipes and the combination of different websites which ended in a delicious mouth watering one pot Iftar meal. We will get Kabsa masala from the middle eastern store or you can make it at home with the spices you have. I had all the spices so I used them.

While serving, add lots of roasted nuts and raisins. I didn't add as I made this for Iftar and I didn't get time to roast the nuts. This dish is much easier to make than it looks. Please try this recipe and let me know.

Ingredients:

Kabsa Masala:

Coriander Powder- 2 tsp
Cinnamon powder- 1/2 tsp
Cardamom powder- 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
Chili Powder- 1 tsp
Cumin Powder- 1 tsp
Pepper powder- 1 tsp
Salt- as required

For the gravy:

Oil-2 tbsp
Ghee- 1 tbsp
Chicken- 2 lb
Onions- 2 (chopped)
Tomatoes-2 (chopped)
Tomato Paste- 2 tbsp
Crushed Tomatoes- 2
Ginger and Garlic paste- 2 tbsp
Dry Lemon-3
Cinnamon Sticks- 1
Cardamom- 4
Cloves- 1 tsp
Bay Leaf- 2

For Rice:

Basmati rice- 2 Cups
Water- 3 1/2 Cups

Method:

Heat oil and ghee in a deep bottomed pan. Drop the cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaf, stir well. Add the dry lemons along with the whole spices.
Add the chopped onions, stir till it turns translucent, add ginger- garlic paste, mix well.
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato paste and ground tomatoes, mix till everything gets blended well.
Add the cleaned chicken pieces and add the kabsa masala. Season with salt and fry the spices for a minute.
Close it with a lid and let the chicken pieces are half cooked on a medium flame. Just mix in between.
Meanwhile soak the washed rice for 30 minues and drain.
When the chicken pieces are half done add 3 1/2 cups of water and let it boil.Once the water starts boiling add the soaked rice, stir, cover and cook for 20 minutes on medium- low flame. After 20 minutes switch off the flame. Mix after 10 minutes and serve and enjoy.
When it is half done add 3 1/2 cups of water and let it boil, add the drained rice.

Kerala Style Kozhi Pidi/ Rice Dumplings in Chicken Gravy

2022-04-15T08:33:00.003-07:00

As fasting is going on, watching the food related videos online makes us crave to try all the dishes. One such dish is this rice dumplings in chicken gravy. My daughter saw this on a food channel and asked me about this dish. As I grew up in Andhra, I ate mostly Andhra dishes and I just heard about this dish but never tasted it, so when she asked I thought of giving it a try and here I am today with the recipe in my blog.

This is a very delicious and delightful dish which is popular in the northern region of Kerala. This dish has carbs and proteins all packed in one making it a one pot meal.

Steamed Pidi

This Kerala delicacy consists of steamed rice dumpling that is soaked in the chicken gravy which can be relished as a dinner or a snack which will be very filling. Some people will just cook the pidi (rice dumpling) separately in coconut milk gravy and will have it along chicken curry, here I mixed both which formed as a delicious, thick dumpling gravy. My daughter tried it for the first time and loved it, hope you will also try and let me know how it turned.

Ingredients:

For Rice Dumplings:

Rice Flour- 1 Cup
Water- 1 Cup
Salt- a pinch
Coconut- 1/4 Cup
Garlic- 1
Cumin Seeds- 1tsp

Method:

Grind the coconut, cumin seeds and garlic to a fine paste. Keep this aside.
Boil water with a pinch of salt and the ground paste. Mix well.
When the water starts boiling add the rice flour slowly and mix using a wooden spoon without forming lumps.
Mix it well on a low flame and close with a lid. After 5-10 minutes switch off the flame. Mix ones again and let it cool.
Knead it well to make a smooth dough. Oil your palms and make small balls, when done steam all the rice balls in a steamer till done. Keep this aside.

Ingredients for Chicken Gravy:

Chicken- 2lb
Onions- 2
Green Chillies- 3-4
Ginger-Garlic Pate- 1 tbsp
Tomatoes- 1
Red Chili Powder- 2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
Coriander Powder- 1 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder- 1/2 tbsp
Oil- 2tbsp
Salt- as required
Water- 2 cups

To Grind:

Coconut (grated)- 1Cup
Fennel Seeds- 2 tbsp

Method:

Clean and wash the chicken and keep this aside.
Grind the coconut and fennel seeds to a fine paste.
Heat oil in a pan add the onions and saute till they become translucent. Add the green chillies, ginger-garlic paste and chopped tomatoes. Mix well till everything blends together.
Add salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder, mix and add the chicken pieces.
After stirring for about 5 minutes add water and coconut paste. Close it with a lid and let it cook for 10- 15 minutes on medium flame.
When the gravy is done, mix the steamed rice balls keep over low flame for 4- 5 minutes till it combined well. Serve hot and enjoy.

Malpua with Rabdi- a deadly Combination!!!

2022-01-15T17:18:00.001-08:00

Malpua with Rabdi is an deadly combination and ones you eat them you will never forget the taste and crave for more. This is a traditional, rich dessert that is made during festivals in India.

Recently my friend was talking about it and I remembered how we used to go to a restaurant called "Mast Kalandar" in Banglore to eat Thali and at last they used to serve "malpua with rabdi". That's the first time I ate and instantly fell in love with the flavors. From then on we used to go to that restaurant just to eat this dessert.

Malpuas dipped in sugar syrup

In US, it's very difficult to get this sweet delicacy as it is available only during special occasions. The thought of making malpua with rabdi came to me long back and so here it is today in my blog post. I am so happy that I tried making this dessert as I thought it's impossible to make this amazing combination of rabdi and malpua.

Here in the recipe I have used milk- mava powder instead of that we can use khoya too. Milk- mava powder is perfect to make Indian sweets. We can use whole wheat flour to make the malpuas but I want the authentic taste and so I made it using flour.

Soft and fluffy inside and crispy outside. These sugar dipped pancakes are a real treat. Hope you all will try this delicious finger licking dessert.

Sugar Syrup:

Ingredients:

Sugar Syrup:
Sugar- 2 Cups
Water- 1 cup
Cardamom Powder- 1 tsp

Method:

Heat water along with sugar and cardamom powder. Stir well and let it reduce till one string consistency. Switch off the flame and keep this aside.

Malpua:

All Purpose Flour- 1 Cup
Semolina- 1/2 Cup
Milk-mava Powder- 1/4 Cup
Fennel Seeds- 2 tsp
salt- a pinch
Baking Powder- 1tsp
Milk- 2 Cups
Oil- for deep frying

Method:

Mix all the ingredients with required amount of milk in a mixing bowl. the batter should not be too thick or thin. It must be free flowing. Keep this aside
Meanwhile heat oil in a deep pan. On medium flame, pour a ladle full of the batter into the hot oil. Make 3- 4 malpuas in the oil depending upon the pan size. Ones the sides become light brown, flip it and fry till done. Take out the malpuas and dip in the above made sugar syrup and keep it in a bowl.

Rabdi:

Ingredients:

Whole Milk- 8 Cups (1/2 Gallon)
Saffron- a pinch
Sugar- 2 tbsp

Method:

Reduce the milk by boiling on low flame till it reaches a slight thick consistency.
Stir in between and add the saffron and sugar, mix till it dissolves.
Ones the color of the milk turns light yellow and when it becomes thick switch of the flame and keep this aside.

Arranging:

Arrange all of the malpuas in a bowl, sprinkle pista powder and drizzle the rabdi (reduced milk) on top and enjoy hot and yummy malpuas.

Checkered Cookies- A Christmas Treat!!!!

2021-12-20T18:04:00.001-08:00

My friends came over for a Christmas party and we had a potluck lunch, then we made ugly sweaters together and did white elephant by stealing and keeping the gifts. It was so much fun with them. While they were leaving I wanted to give them some christmasy gifts and cookies, so I wrapped snow globes and I was googling for cookies. I wanted to make some cookies which I never posted in my blog and so I made these checkered cookies which is very different from the normal cookies and which will be liked by all because of the cakey texture of the cookies.

I got the recipe from here and I double the ingredients as I have to make a big batch to give to my friends and save some for my kids. These cookies look tedious to make but it can be done within no time if you make these with your friends or family. My kids were helping me in making these and it was so much fun. These cookies are buttery, festive, delicious and a simple one with a choice of chocolate or vanilla. Try this out and let me know.

Ingredients:

Butter- 2 Cups
Sugar- 1 1/2 Cups
Eggs- 2
Vanilla Essence- 2 tsp
Baking powder- 2 tsp
All purpose Flour- 4.5 Cups
Cocoa powder- 1/3 Cups

Method:

Cream the butter along with sugar and add the eggs one by one and mix well.
When they are combined add the vanilla essence, mix then add all purpose flour and baking powder in small quantities and mixing in between.
When everything gets combined well, divide the dough in half and in one half add the cocoa powder and give it a nice mix.
Form each dough in a square log and wrap both the dough in cling film and place it in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Make sure both the cookie dough should be of the same shape and length.
After 30 minutes, take it out of the refrigerator, using sharp knife slice the dough into thirds longwise, turn it ones and cut into thirds again. We will get 9 strips.
Repeat the process with the other dough. Whole together we will have 18 strips of dough.
Place one stripe of vanilla dough, chocolate and then vanilla on a flat surface. On top alternating with the strips and then on top repeat the same process till we get a square log. Press this dough together tightly, keeping the square shape.
Meanwhile place a parchment paper on a baking tray and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Refrigerate again for 15 minutes. Take it out and slice into 1/4th inch pieces. You can see nice checkered pattern.
Place them on a parchment paper and bake for 12- 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!!!

Air-Fryer Crispy Potatoes- A simple & elegant side dish with rice!!!

2021-12-13T16:37:00.000-08:00

My friend (Subha), who is a great cook always makes these fried potatoes but not in air-fryer. She used to saute the cubed potatoes in little oil till they turn golden and crispier. Ones, when I went to her house, I had it which reminded me of my mom's potatoes, who makes exactly like these. But whenever I tried making them at home, they would never turn out perfect. Either I had to add lots of oil as potatoes absorb oil or they got burnt. I used to think, the dish which doesn't take much time to make has become complicated for me.

Then one day I tried making them in air-fryer which doesn't require much oil and ta-da, they turned out perfect. I started making them frequently as my family loves the dish. Air-fryer does some kind of magic on potatoes. Crispy out side and perfectly soft inside. These are the most addicting side dish. I am sure that everybody might know how to make these but I realized that with less/ no oil we can make these perfect. Try this easy dish and let me know.

Ingredients:

Potatoes( washed & cubed)- 3Cups
Red Chili powder- 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
Salt- as required
Oil- 1 tbsp
Sambhar powder- 1 tbsp

Method:

Toss all the powders along with cubed potatoes and oil in a bowl.
Place these potatoes in the air-fryer basket and cook at 370 degrees F for 15- 20 minutes. The potatoes will turn golden in color.
Enjoy this with warm rice and rasam.

leftover Turkey Potato Cutlets

2021-12-06T12:59:00.004-08:00

Our friends came over for Thanksgiving and together we cooked a thanksgiving dinner by baking the turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes and Apple pie. The turkey was huge, mostly we finished within 3- 4 days but the remaining I kept it frozen as I was thinking of making something later. Then as the kids take lunch for school, one day I decided to finish the turkey by making cutlets which I usually make with chicken.

Ones it's done, the cutlets came out delicious with the right amount of spices and the potatoes. We can add any spice powders from the pantry. These can also be used as patties for burgers or can be stuffed into wraps. In which ever way, these cutlets taste delicious and will be liked by all. Try this recipe and let me know.

Ingredients:

Minced Left over Turkey- 2 Cups
Onions ( cghopped)- 1
Ginger Garlic pate- 1tbsp
Red Chili Powder- 1tsp
Turmeric Powder- 1tsp
Garam Masala powder- 1 tsp
Oil- 1 tbsp
Salt- as required
Boiled Potatoes - 3

For Coating:

Egg- 2

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. When hot add the onions, fry till they become translucent.
Add the ginger garlic paste, stir till the raw smell disappers. Add the red chili powder, salt, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and the minced turkey. Mix well and switch off the flame. Let it cool.
When cooled add the boiled mashed potatoes in the turkey mixture, mix well and make small balls and flatten the balls. Flatten the remaining turkey potato mixture.
Break eggs in a bowl and mix with salt and keep it ready.
Heat a griddle with 1 tbsp of oil, dip each flattened mixture into the eggs and place them on the hot griddle and cook till done. 5-8 minutes on each side. Enjoy warm cutlets along with evening tea or as a side dish with rice or simply just like that.

Haritha's Stuffed Brinjal Roast/ Vankaya Kaaram Koora

2021-11-17T21:52:00.001-08:00

Today's post is a dish made with brinjals. A very popular dish from Andhra. My friend Haritha, who has a YouTube channel in the name of "Haritha's Home and Kitchen" made this dish when we had a get together at my place. She is an amazing cook and you can visit her channel which has lots of cooking videos and authentic recipes.

I love brinjals but you all might know by now that my husband doesn't like brinjal and so ones in a blue moon I will be making brinjal dishes. As my friend knows about this, she made the delicious roast just for me.

This is a simple dish with minimum ingredients. My mom prepares amazing Andhra dishes, the most famous one is gutti vankaya koora/ Stuffed brinjal curry. In this dish, you have to grind the masala and stuff it in brinjal and roast till done. Within minutes yummy brinjal roast will be ready. Please try this dish and let me know.

Ingredients:

Brinjal- 7-8
Oil- 2tbsp

Masala:

Grated Coconut- 1Cup
Cumin Seeds- 2tbsp
Red Chili Powder- 3tbsp
Garlic Cloves-4
Salt- as required

Method:

Cut the brinjal length wise keeping the stem intact. Immerse them in water for 5- 10 minutes.
Grind the masala to a paste. Stuff this masala in brinjal. Repeat with all the brinjals till done.
Heat a deep bottomed vessel and pour oil, when it becomes hot, add the stuffed brinjals and mix well. Stir well till everything is mixed and the brinjals become soft and tender. Enjoy with hot rice.

Maaladu/ Fried Gram Dal Laddu- A festival delicacy

2021-10-29T14:45:00.001-07:00

It's festive season in India and I can see many of my friends on Instagram making different varieties of Indian sweets which made me craving for sweets. I checked my pantry and with the ingredients I got from my kitchen, I made these amazingly delicious maaladu which I used to eat often as a kid in Andhra. This laddoo is the easiest dessert which can be made within no time. A rich, delicious, perfect one for any festive occasion.

There are so many dessert recipes among which these laddoos will stand out and will be a perfect crowd pleaser. Just three main ingredients and theses laddoos are ready. Hope you all will try and let me know how it turned out.

Ingredients:

Gram Dal- 2 Cups ( Roasted)
Sugar- 3/4 Cup
Ghee- 1/2 Cup
Cardamom Powder- 1 tsp
Broken Cashew- 2 tbsp

Method:

Grind together gram dal and sugar to a fine powder.
Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the cardamom powder and broken cashews.
In this add the melted ghee and shape into small balls. If the balls are not forming, add little amount of ghee till it forms a firm laddoo.

Peanut Chikki/ Peanut Brittle/ Kadala Muttai

2021-09-13T17:51:00.000-07:00

Chikki/ Peanut Brittle is a traditional Indian candy made with jaggery and peanuts. This one is loved by everyone in my family. My mom used to make this when we were kids but I never tried as I was not sure of the syrup consistency.

We buy this when we go shopping at Indian store, but nowadays we are not getting good quality ones and so I gathered courage and made this by asking my mom and watching some channels regarding the syrup consistency. It came out perfect. You can cut them into pieces by spreading them on a greased surface. This is a very healthy snack, rich in protein and iron.

Jaggery is an important ingredient for perfect chikkis. Also make sure the syrup reaches the right consistency by dropping a little bit in water and checking whether it turned into candy consistency. Act fast while rolling. Hope my friends will try this and please let me know how it turned.

Ingredients:

Peanuts- 2.5cups
Jaggery- 1cup
Water-1/4 Cups

Method:

Roast the Peanuts till nice aroma comes and till it starts to change golden in color. Keep this aside and ones it is cooled remove the skin by crushing gently. Separate the skin and keep the peanuts aside till the jaggery syrup is ready.
Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add the jaggery along with water. Let it dissolve on low heat.
Begin to boil and keep stirring until it thickens well. Check the consistency by dropping few drops into water. When it reaches the right consistency the jaggery syrup will harden immediately and it forms brittle.
If you are unable to get the syrup brittle then cook for few more minutes.
Turn off the stove and add the roasted peanuts, be quick and stir the peanuts well till everything gets well incorporated.
Grease your hands with ghee and roll them into balls. Ones it gets harder place it in an airtight container. and enjoy.

Instant Crispy Jalebi

2021-09-01T23:15:00.000-07:00

Jalebi is a popular Indian dessert which makes an appearance in almost all the festivals and marriages. The best combination that goes well along with hot jalebis are rabdi. These jalebis can be made with different ingredients and they all have variety of names like the paneer Jalebi, Khoya Jalebi, Jaggery Jalebi, jaleba which is king size, jhangri which is made using urad dal, imarti and so on.

I love all the varieties. In my blog, long back I have posted a jalebi recipe which is made instantly using yeast, today I tried using curd and baking soda. The consistency of the batter matters, as it shouldn't be too thick nor thin.

The thought of making jalebis came to me when yesterday my son after coming back from school saw the jalebi on youtube and started asking me to buy or to make as Jalebi being his second favorite dessert (first one is always Gulab jamun). Today after my morning walk, I gave it a try by preparing the batter and as the jalebis were done, it took only 30- 45 minutes. Using these quantity I made 20-25 Jalebis. As the shape and taste were delicious, I thought of sharing with all my friends here in my blog. Hope you all will try and let me know.

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour- 1 Cup
Corn Flour- 2 tbsp
Ghee-4 tsp
Curd- 4 tbsp
Baking Soda- 1 tsp
Salt- a pinch
Yellow/ Orange Food Color- a drop
Water- required to make a batter- 1/2 Cup
Oil- for deep frying

Sugar Syrup:

Sugar- 1 Cup
Water- 1/2 Cup
Lemon Juice- 1 tbsp
cardamom Powder- 1 tsp

Method:

Mix the all purpose flour, corn flour, curd, ghee, baking soda, food color and salt in a mixing bowl. Combine these using little amount of water by using a whisk. The batter should be neither thick nor thin, it should be free flowing. If it feels thin add a tbsp of all purpose flour, if it is too thick add small amount of water.
Pour this batter into a squeezer or in a zip lock bag and seal it.
Heat oil for deep frying, when it is hot cut a small end of the zip lock and pour the batter in the shape of Spirals. Make 4-5 rings and let it become crisp on both the sides. Repeat with the remaining batter.
Meanwhile make the sugar syrup by adding the ingredients in a deep bowl on a low heat. Mix and boil till the sugar syrup forms 1 string consistency. Keep this aside.
Add the made jalebi rings into warm sugar syrup, flip it on both the sides for a min and remove. Continue with the remaining.
Enjoy hot jalebis.

Shirin's Special Goat Biryani- A delectable combination of spiced meat & rice!!!!

2021-07-19T14:08:00.001-07:00

Eid Mubarak my friends!!!!

We visited our friend's house for the weekend and they celebrate bakrid one day before us, so we got to celebrate Eid with them. We enjoyed spending time with our friends. Kids had lots of fun time playing, all nighter, watching movies and so on.

Usually we make some easy breakfast and then start the biryani process but at my friend's house they prepare the biryani in the morning and will have it for breakfast. We thoroughly enjoyed the biryani for breakfast. It was a new experience. As my friend Shirin, made this in her version, I gave this biryani her name.

My friend, marinated the meat with spices and yogurt, cooked the rice separately and deep fried the onions. She then assembled it by layering and adding lemon juice and saffron milk in between. For breakfast, a delicious, scrumptious, finger licking and mouth watering biryani was ready. We relished the biryani the rest of the day.

I noticed a thing that this biryani doesn't require too many ingredients like a normal biryani. Hope you like the recipe and try it out. Please let me know how it turned.

Ingredients:

Marination:

Goat- 3 lbs
Green chillies (slit)- 10-15 numbers
Ginger- Garlic Paste- 3 tbsp
Yogurt- 2 Cups
Garam Masala- 2 tbsp
Salt- as required

Basmati Rice- 6 Cups
Water- 11 Cups
Fried onions (sliced)- 8 numbers
Garam Masala- 3 tbsp
Lemon Juice- 1/2 Cup
Saffron with Milk/ Orange food color with milk- 1/4 Cup

Method:

For Marination:

Marinate the goat, yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, slit green chilies, garam masala and salt. Keep this aside for almost 3-4 hours or overnight. Cook this on medium flame for almost 2 hours or the meat gets tender.
Deep fry the sliced onions in oil till it gets golden brown. Keep this aside on a kitchen towel. Reserve the fried oil for assembling.
Rinse and soak the rice for 30minutes. After 30 minutes, drain the rice. Heat water required for the biryani and when it gets boiled add the drained rice and salt, mix and keep the lid and let it cook for 20 minutes on low flame. After 20 minutes switch off the flame and keep it for 10 minutes without mixing. Slowly fluff the rice using a fork.

For assembling:

In a deep bottomed vessel layer with a tbsp of fried onions, spoonful of goat masala, tbsp of garam masala and cooked rice and repeat the process and make sure that the top layer is of rice.
Poke holes and pour the lemon juice and saffron milk in each hole and close with a lid. Let it cook on low flame for about 15- 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, open the lid, mix and enjoy with raita.

Thumb Print Cookies- An Ultimate Indulgence!!!

2021-07-06T00:05:00.000-07:00

Buttery short bread cookies filled with jam is a a perfect dessert for any occasion. It's a hit among friends and family. These are perfect holiday treats which can be gifted to friends.

I baked these cookies along with my kids and my 6 yr old was very excited to fill the cookies with jam. As most of my friends know that, we have moved to our own space, to meet and greet our neighbors, I baked these cookies.

These cookies are so easy to make and just needs a handful of ingredients which is easily available in your pantry. These cookies can be baked within 30 minutes and because of jam, this becomes a super hit among kids. I filled these cookies with strawberry and blueberry jam, you can use any jam of your choice and it won't go wrong.

Make sure that while shaping the balls, it should be smooth and firm, or else the cookie dough can crack (like mine). Some recipes call for adding the jam after baking the cookies, but adding the jam pre baked will be nice and warm and bakes into the dough. Hope you all will try this recipe and if so, let me know. So, lets get started..

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour- 2 Cups
Corn Flour- 1/r4 Cup
Salt- a Pinch
Butter- 1/2 Cup
Eggs- 2
Vanilla Essence- 1tsp

Method:

Sieve the all purpose flour, corn flour and salt. Keep it aside.
Meanwhile beat the softened butter and sugar. Add the eggs and beat till creamy.
Add the above mixed flour mixture into batches and mix till it forms a smooth dough.
If it feels sticky just keep this dough in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, mine was perfect so started to shape them into balls and place them on a tray lined with parchment paper.
Use your thumb to make an indentation into each ball of cookie dough. Spoon 1/2 tsp of jam on each of the indentation.
Bake for about 10- 12 minutes or when the bottom turns light brown. Remove and cool completely and enjoy the jam filled cookies.

Creamy Mushroom Toast- Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy!!!

2021-06-24T16:18:00.003-07:00

This creamy mushroom toast is an easy and a simple dish which the kids as well as the adults will enjoy. This will be a perfect lunch box dish or as an evening snack or as a breakfast dish. This is so easy to make and a dish which can be made with less ingredients. Instead of sour dough bread, you can also use thick slices of regular bread, ciabatta, country bread and so on.

This recipe requires only mushrooms, but as we like spinach and so added it. Using variety of mushrooms will increase the flavor and also gives great texture. Pan fry the mushrooms till it is browned.

In my house this is a hit and whenever we have mushrooms at home, this is one dish that is for sure to be made. Hope you all will try this and let me know how it turned.

Ingredients:

Sour Dough Bread- 1

For Creamy Mushroom:

Mushrooms- 1 Cup (cleaned and chopped)
Garlic- 3-4 (chopped)
All Purpose Flour- 2 tbsp
Butter- 1 tbsp
Milk- 1/2 Cup
Oregano- 1 tsp
Red Chilli Flakes- 1 tsp
Salt- as required
Pepper Powder- 1 tsp
Chopped Spinach- 1/2 Cup

Method:

Slice the sourdough bread and toast the slices and keep this aside.
In a pan heat 1 tbsp of butter, add the chopped mushrooms, garlic and spinach, stir well for a min on high flame. Add little salt. Stir on low flame for about 5-10 minutes till the mushrooms are cooked. Transfer this to a bowl.
In the same pan add another tbsp of butter, add flour and stir for a minute till the raw smell disappears , add milk and whisk well till everything gets mixed well.
When it starts to thicken, add the salt, pepper powder, oregano and red chili flakes. switch it off and stir in the mushrooms and spinach. Mix well.
Place a spoon full of the creamy mushrooms on top of the toasted sour dough slice and enjoy a warm bite.

Chef Pillai's Coconut Milk Prawns Fry (Venad Paal Konch)

2021-03-20T11:35:00.004-07:00

Last week I was going through my instagram feeds and I stumbled upon Chef Pillai's Prawns fry recipe. This is also called as "Venad Paal Knoch". I love all his recipes and the way he explains his recipes are so amazing and crisp and clear. As we all love prawns in our house, I thought of trying this dish as soon as he posted it. The next day I tried and it was a huge hit in my house.

I know that it’s been a month since I posted a recipe, am so sorry. I am becoming very lazy or it might be because of my busy schedule but I will make sure that I will try to post once in a week. But Please try this dish as it is a guaranteed delicious which any seafood lover will love.

This is a perfect dish/ appetizer for gatherings. The prawns that is fried in coconut milk is an absolutely dish to try for. I never fried prawns in coconut milk, but I know that when coconut milk is reduced it tastes yumm..

Today I am here with the recipe which will be a super hit among friends and family. The ingredients for this recipe is easily available in your pantry. Any variety of prawns can be used for this recipe. This dish is filled with flavors with basic spices. Here in US we always get frozen prawns but once in a while we get the best fresh prawns and this tastes amazing with fresh prawns. Hope you will try and please let me know.

Ingredients:

Prawns- 15- 20 numbers
Red Chili Flakes- 2 tbsp
Pepper Powder- 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
Salt- 1 tbsp
Crushed Garlic- 8-10 cloves
Crushed Ginger- 1 "
Green Chillies- 3 numbers
Coconut Milk- 1/2 Cup

Method:

Devein and clean the prawns and marinate with salt, pepper, red chili flakes and turmeric powder.
Heat a pan with 1 tbsp of oil and spread the marinated prawns and let it cook on both the sides for about 5 minutes.
Pour the coconut milk little by little till it gets over and spread the crushed garlic, ginger and green chillies.
Stir well till everything gets well mixed and the mixture becomes dry. Serve this prawns fry along with hot steaming rice.

Homemade Pickled Jalapeños

2021-02-17T10:50:00.002-08:00

I am so excited to share with you all that I made these spicy, crunchy and tangy Jalapeños which I never thought I would and I always had the store bought ones. This can be made within minutes. I am promising you that once you try making these you wont go back to the canned ones. My daughter and myself like the pickled things so this was a hit.

Sometimes you can toss in some veggies like the carrots or bell peppers, they taste delicious. This is the best recipe for pickled jalapeños. Options are endless, you can have these with burgers, nachos and so on. Usually we buy this from store, but when the last one got over, I thought of giving it a try and made them. It came out perfect. I am becoming a fan of refrigerator pickling, it’s very easy and this recipe is simple to make. Please try this recipe and let me know how it turned out.

Ingredients:

Jalapeños- 10- 12 numbers
Garlic- 2 cloves
Vinegar- 1 Cup
Salt- 1 tbsp
Water- 1 Cup

Method:

Cut the jalapeños peppers into slices and put it into mason jars.
Note: While cutting Jalapeño peppers use gloves or wrap your hands using cling wrap.
Mix the water, vinegar and salt in a bowl and heat it on a medium flame till it gets boiled.
Pour this into the mason jars filled with sliced jalapeños and when it cools down, close with lid and keep refrigerated.

Opera Cake- A scrumptious French Dessert

2021-01-27T23:09:00.000-08:00

I made an Opera Cake!!!! I was thinking of making this cake from many months and I thought our anniversary is a perfect occasion to bake this cake. This cake surprisingly came out perfect though this was a little time consuming. The delicious taste of coffee and chocolate make this opera cake recipe well worth the time investment.

This cake has different layers of almond Joconde with buttercream and chocolate ganache which is topped with chocolate glaze. The effort you put into this showstopper is well worth the result. Authentic opera cake has opera piped on top of the cake but as this was our anniversary, I left it plain. This cake is a super hit among my family and friends and can be made in any occasion. This cake would be liked and loved by all. Here is the recipe, try this out and please let me know.

Ingredients:

For the Almond Cake:

Eggs White- 4
Sugar- 2 tbsp
Almond Flour- 2 cups
All Purpose Flour- 1/2 Cup
Sugar- 2 Cups
Whole Eggs- 3
Butter- 3 tbsp

Method for Almond Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Beat the egg whites slightly and add the 2 tbsp sugar. Beat till they form creamy and holds stiff peaks.
In another bowl, beat the almond flour along with the whole eggs and confectioners sugar till they become creamy.
Add this into the above made egg mixture, gently fold and add the melted butter at last. Mix and pour this in a greased square baking pan and bake till done, for about 30 minutes or a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Coffee Syrup:

Instant Coffee Powder- 4 tbsp
Sugar- 3 tbsp
Water- 1/4 Cup

Method:

Add the coffee to the boiling water and add sugar. Mix well to incorporate. Keep this aside.

Coffee Buttercream Frosting:

Ingredients:

Confectioners Sugar- 1 1/2 Cup
Butter- 2 sticks (1 cup)

Method:

Beat the butter and sugar with a tbsp of coffee syrup. Beat till smooth, fluffy and well incorporated. Add little cream or milk if the buttercream is thick.

Chocolate Ganache:

Chocolate- 1 Cup
Cream- 1 Cup

Heat the cream and pour this onto the chocolate chips. Keep this for 5 minutes and stir well to form ganache. Keep this refrigerated until lightly set.

Method for assembling the cake:

Cut the cake horizontally into 3 thin layers of cake using a floss thread.
Separate the layers. place the bottom layer on a cake board, soak the coffee syrup all over the cake using a brush, so that the cake layer absorbs the syrup well.
Spread the buttercream on top of the layer using a spatula, Place the second layer on top of the buttercream and soak it with coffee syrup, spread the chocolate ganache in a smooth layer.
Place the last layer of cake over the chocolate ganache, soak this layer with the remaining coffee syrup, spread a thin layer of buttercream frosting properly . Even if it drips to the sides no need to worry.
Chill the cake till you make the chocolate glaze.
For Chocolate Glaze, melt 1/4 cup of butter and pour this into the remaining chocolate ganache. Mix well.
Take the cake out of the refrigerator and pour the chocolate glaze on top of the cake. Spread evenly and refrigerate again for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, take the cake out of the refrigerator, cut the side using a warm knife and enjoy a rich and delicious opera cake.

Barbecued Grilled Fish- Kerala Style

2021-01-18T13:31:00.005-08:00

The thought of eating a grilled fish was lingering in our minds from the time we saw many youtube videos, in which they grill the whole fish, or wrapped in banana leaf and baked or in foil. This time we decided to cook as soon as we bought without keeping it in the freezer. Believe me it tasted heavenly!!!

The place where i came from (Kerala) is a place where fish is staple food and Kerala cuisine has a lot to offer to fish lovers. In this coastal state you will discover a variety of seafood delicacies.

This grilled fish has all the flavors seeping through and once it gets cooked well, it's so juicy and bursting with flavors. Fish cooks very fast and it's preparation is less time consuming. We can do this using pieces of fish but I wanted to try the whole fish and here it is, in my blog. Try this out and let me know.

Ingredients:

Marination:

Red Snapper Fish- 1 Medium size
Red Chilli powder- 3 tbsp
Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tbsp
Ginger and Garlic Paste- 2 tbsp
Pepper Powder- 1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves- a bunch
salt- as required
Lemon Juice- 1

Method:

Mix all the ingredients except curry leaves in a large mixing bowl and keep this aside.
Clean and wash the fish and make slight gashes on both sides of the fish.
Rub this marinade well onto the fish and make sure to coat inside of the fish properly. Keep this for about 15- 20 minutes.
Place an aluminum foil, spray oil and spread the curry leaves and place the marinated fish on top. Place lemon pieces on top and more curry leaves (optional) and seal the fish in the foil tight. We can seal with another foil paper on top, so that the fish doesn't get burned.
Pre heat the barbecue grill, place the fish and close it. Grill for 10-12 minutes using tongs until beautifully charred.
Enjoy with a splash of lemon, and vinaigrette onions.

PS: Fish cooks very fast, so always keep an eye on it while grilling.

You can use any fish and also the grilling time can vary accordingly.

Stained Glass Cookies- Holiday treats

2020-12-21T22:59:00.003-08:00

These sugar cookies are buttery, crisp with a candy center. This tastes as good as it looks. A perfect holiday classic. This is the first time I am trying to make these cookies. Actually my daughter made these from scratch for her youtube channel as Christmas cookies. She decorated the cookies using royal icing and the second time, I thought of giving it a try by making them as stained glass using Jolly Ranchers. This was a hit among family and friends.

You cut a shape from the cookie dough, transfer it on the baking sheet and cut a smaller shape and fill it up with crushed jolly ranchers. Bake them and when the sides turn light brown in color, take it out of the oven and an evenly baked striking cookies are ready to be served.

This is a perfect treat to make and gift to your friends. For making the perfect stained glass cookie is the time. I kept them exactly for 12 minutes a minute her or there it would end up over cooked or under cooked. These cookies make beautiful Christmas tree ornament by just hanging them using a ribbon. My kids enjoyed making these and they also enjoyed eating them.

I have only seen these cookies in magazines and other blogs but now these cookies are here in my blog which I never thought I could make. If I can make these, so can you. Try this out and let me know how this turned out.

Ingredients:

All Purpose Flour- 3 Cups
Baking Powder- 1 tsp
Butter- 1 Cup
Sugar- 1 1/2 Cup
Egg- 1no
Vanilla essence- 1 tsp

For Stained Glass Effect:

Jolly Ranchers- few

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a baking paper on the tray and keep this aside.
Cream the butter and sugar till they blend well. Then add the egg and vanilla essence and beat well.
Mix the baking powder to the all purpose flour and add this little by little in the wet mixture and beat slowly.
When all the flour mixture is added to the butter mixture, it will form a dough. Roll these using a rolling pin and using a cookie cutter shape cut into desired shapes. Cut a smaller portion in the center and arrange them in the baking tray.
Keep this tray in the refrigerator for 15- 20 minutes, then crush different colored jolly ranchers in a zip lock bag and add this in the middle of the cookie and bake for about 12 minutes.
Enjoy the stained glass cookie.

Stained Glass Cookie Ornament:

Before placing the cookies in the refrigerator, make a small hole in the top of the cookie by using a straw, then follow the next steps to bake.
When the cookie is baked, hang it as an ornament by tying with a rope on the Christmas tree.

Simple Apple Pie- For Thanksgiving and to celebrate 10 years of blogging!!!!!

2020-11-27T19:26:00.001-08:00

First of all a BIGGG THANK YOU to each and everyone of you for showing so much love, support and encouragement. Thank you for everything. It's been 10 years since i started blogging. I couldn't believe that the blog space which I started on a Tuesday morning would finish 10 years, which wouldn't be possible without any of you. And also a best way of celebrating my blog's birthday is on a thanksgiving and making an apple pie!!!!!

Apple pie is a dish which I never tried before. I wanted to make this but thinking about the work involving making the filling, then the crust was a big job for me. But once I started making the pie, it was done very quickly. Now I have the confidence of making pecan pie, pumpkin pie and many other pies.

This is the recipe which I made for our thanksgiving dinner along with our friends. This is the first time we are doing the thanksgiving dinner, me and my friend shared the work of making the dishes. My friend made the turkey and boiled veggies whereas I made the mashed potatoes, boiled corn and apple pie. I was little hesitant to make the apple pie, but surprisingly it came out well.

In this recipe I cooked the apple filling, there are some recipes in which it is not required. We can just keep the filling mixed for an hour and it will release the juices. Just add this on the crust and bake.

This recipe has become a favorite and am going to bake this again tomorrow. The crust can be made in advance and can be refrigerated, the same with the filling. Hope you all will try this and if you do please let me know.

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

All Purpose flour- 2 3/4 Cups
Salt- a pinch
Butter- 1 Cup
Cold Water- 3 Tbsp

For the Filling:

Apple (peeled, cored and sliced)- 4Cups
Sugar- 1/4 Cup
Cinnamon Powder- 1 tsp
Nutmeg powder- 1 tsp
Butter- 1tbsp

For Egg wash:

Egg- 1
Milk- 2 tbsp

Method for egg wash: Mix the egg and milk and keep it ready.

Method:

For the crust:

Place the all purpose flour and cubed butter in the food processor and Pulse for a couple of seconds.
Then slowly add the cold water and pulse until the dough barely begins to hold. The dough will be ready when you pinch the crumbly dough together with your fingers. Be cautious with the amount of water you add, too much of water and the dough will be tough.
Empty the crumbly mixture on a clean and dry surface. Use your hands and knead until it forms a dough ball. Wrap it in cling film and store it in the refrigerator till the filling is done.

For the filling:

Add the apple slices, sugar, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder in a pan and mix well. Place it on a stove with medium flame. Stir well and mix till all the water gets absorbed. At last add the butter and mix well and keep this aside.
Take the pie crust from the fridge and let it rest for 10 minutes to soften the dough.
Roll the dough using rolling pin on a slightly floured surface. while rolling make sure that the dough is not sticking to the surface, add some flour if necessary.
Place this carefully in a greased baking pan and cut around the excess of the dough using a kitchen scissors. Place the apple filling and spread evenly now for the pie to cover roll out the excess dough and cut into long strips and lattice the top. Trim the edges and brush the top using egg wash.
Bake the apple pie for about an hour and the top should be lightly brown in color. If the top is browning too quickly, cover the top using an aluminum foil. this will slow the browning.
When the pie is done, let it cool and cut into slices and enjoy along with ice cream.

Crispy Baked Shakarpar

2020-10-26T23:11:00.000-07:00

Shakarpar is a delicious Indian bite-sized cookies that's a Must during festive time. This is usually deep fried in oil but as I wanted a healthier version, I made them in whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour and baked them till crisp.

This is one of my favorite snacks, which were so good to eat with evening tea. I see this always in Indian stores here but didn't want to buy because of the fried version, and so one day I couldn't resist and I thought of trying them and so I baked them and they turned out perfect.

These are crunchy from outside and tender inside. this is a very easy recipe which can be made in a very less time. These will be liked by all.

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Flour- 2 Cups
Melted Butter- 2 tbsp
Salt- a pinch
Jaggery- 1/4 Cup (powdered)
Milk- 1/2 Cup

Method:

Add the butter, jaggery, and milk in a sauce and heat on a low flame. Stir occasionally till the jaggery melts. Let it cool. (If you want, you can first melt the jaggery and sieve it to remove the impurities).
Add the whole wheat flour, salt in another mixing bowl, gradually add the warm milk mixture and mix well to form a dough.
Allow the dough to rest for 20 minutes. Divide the dough into 4 parts. Take one dough ball at a time and roll it using a rolling pin, cut into one inch squares using a knife or a pizza cutter. Place them on a baking tray separately without touching each other using a flat spatula.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the baking tray and bake for about 9- 12 minutes. They will continue to cook after baking because of the heat. Enjoy the crispy baked mouth watering treats.

Arabian Chicken Mandi

2020-09-20T18:18:00.000-07:00

A traditional mandi is authentically cooked in an underground oven called Taboon. Coal is used to cook the meat hence the smokey flavor. My version is an easy and a simple way to make at home which is healthy as well as tasty.

I googled around many recipes of chicken mandi and made this dish which surprisingly turned out the perfect one that we had when we were in India last time. I have marinated the whole chicken for overnight, if you plan well before you can do that or else it can be marinated for 2- 3 hours. I wanted the perfect mandi flavor so I marinated overnight.

The rice is prepared by adding all the whole spices and the dried lemons which gives a flavor to the rice. Then this rice is transferred into the oven and the whole chicken is placed on top rack so that the water from the chicken directly falls into the rice by this the flavor of the meat lingers on in the rice.

As Kerala has wholeheartedly welcomed yummiest of dishes from across the seas, one such dish is "mandi". In Kerala, which ever restaurant you go this dish is available that too they prepare in the traditional way of digging a hole in the ground and filling it up with coal.

At first I thought it is a long process of preparation but once i started the step by step everything came of quickly.The perfect combination along with this rice is "dakkous" a mixture of tomatoes, green chilies, onions.

I will be posting some step by step pictures which I managed to capture while making this dish. Hope you all might really enjoy and try this dish.

Ingredients:

Whole Chicken- Cleaned and washed

Mandi Spice Mix:

Cumin Seeds- 1 tbsp
Coriander Seeds- 1 tbsp
Cardamom- 3 nos
Cloves- 5
Cinnamon Stick- 1"
Black Pepper powder- 1 tsp
Lemon Juice- 2tbsp
Turmeric Powder- 1 tsp
Olive Oil- 1 tbsp

Basmati Rice Mix:

Basmati Rice- 3 Cups
Water- 5 Cups
Dried Lemons- 2
Whole Spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, star anise)- 1tbsp
Salt- as required

Method:

Preheat the oven 350 degrees F.

For the spice mix. Heat a pan and roast the cumin seeds, coriander seeds. When cooled transfer to a dry grinder along with cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper powder and turmeric powder into a fine powder. Rub this mix along with salt, olive oil and lemon juice onto the chicken well and marinate for about 1 hour/ overnight. ( I marinated the chicken overnight as I had some time).

For the rice: Heat a pot, add oil, whole spices, mandi spice mix, dried lemon and add the rice, fry for a minute. Add water and let it boil by putting a lid. Once it starts boiling, switch off the flame and move the pot of rice into the preheated oven.

Place the rice on the bottom rack and place the marinated chicken on top rack just above the rice so that when it gets baked the water from the chicken falls into the rice.

Bake this for 10 minutes and reduce the heat to 200 degrees F and bake for about 1 and half hour. After the time, switch off the oven and open the door for about 5- 10 minutes so that the chicken retains its flavor and juices. Once done, keep the rice outside along with the baked chicken on top of the rice. Enjoy the delicious dish.

Doukkous:

Ingredients:

Tomatoes- 2
Onions- 1
Green Chilies- 3
Garlic Cloves- 3
Salt- as required
Olive oil- 1 tbsp

Method:

Grind all the ingredients and transfer to a bowl. Enjoy with chicken mandi.

Mint Chocolate Chip Pancakes

2020-08-18T23:13:00.000-07:00

This is a great recipe for all those who like mint chocolate chip pancakes. We usually make the regular pancakes as my kids are big time pancake lovers. I just tried these as my son likes the mint chocolate chip ice cream. There is nothing delightful as towering a stack of fluffy pancakes.

The green food coloring and adding the ground mint leaves are optional as you can add the mint essence. Making pancakes from scratch is easier and doesn't take much time. As toppings you can have whipped cream or chocolate sauce or cut berries or maple syrup.

If you like pancakes, you must try this recipe....

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Flour- 1/2 Cup
All Purpose Flour- 1/4 Cup
Baking Soda- 1 tsp
Egg- 1
Milk- 1/2 Cup
Butter- 2 tbsp
Sugar- 1 tbsp
Salt- 1 pinch
Vanilla Essence- 1 tsp
Mint Leaves- 1 Cup
Green Food Coloring- 1-2 drops
Chocolate Chips- 1/2 Cup

Method:

Grind the mint leaves adding little water to a fine paste.
Add this paste along with the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, egg, baking soda, milk, butter, sugar and salt.
Mix well and add little water and vanilla essence until it becomes a pouring consistency. add the chocolate chips and stir.
Heat a griddle and pour/ scoop the batter onto the griddle. Serve hot with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Chocolate Lava Cake- Easy Peasy....

2020-08-02T12:58:00.003-07:00

Avery easy, simple, delicious, fudgy and a gooey recipe with just 6 ingredients and baked in a very less time is what is required to celebrate any occasion. This chocolate lava cakes are enjoyed by every chocolate lover with the desired toppings. These chocolate lava cakes made in ramekins are perfect for single servings. A perfect chocolate lava cake is the one with gooey in the middle.

I made these in ramekin bowls, you can also use muffin tray if you don't have ramekin bowls. This is made within 25 minutes. These cakes are easier than you think. These became famous because they are cakey on the outside with an irresistible center of dark warm chocolate flowing. This will be a super hit among guests and no need of spending too much time for preparation.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Chips- 6 ounce
Unsalted Butter- 1/2 cup
All purpose Flour- 1/4 Cup
Sugar- 1/2 Cup
Eggs- 2 nos
Egg Yolk- 1 no

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray the ramekins with oil and dust with cocoa powder. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the butter and chocolate chips together on a double boiler and let it melt. Mix well until smooth consistency. Set aside.
Whisk the eggs and egg yolk until combined. Add the flour and sugar in the bowl along with egg mixture. Stir everything together using a spatula without any lumps.
Spoon the batter in the ramekin bowls. Bake for about 12 minutes. The side appear firm and the top will look soft.
Allow to cool for a minute and invert on a pan and enjoy the steaming hot lave cake along with icecream.