EASY BAKED POTATOES



You wanna impress someone with your baking skills…this is the dish for you.

Potato is the last thing I would like to cook. To me it seemed to be a vegetable that should be cut out of the diet altogether. But the humble vegetable has no contribution towards it’s reputation. It gets it’s calories from the way it is prepared.

I came across this recipe in a magazine. It’s photograph caught my attention. When I made this dish I realized that it required some minor changes to get the desired output. There is hardly any preparation required, no cutting and chopping required.

Easy to do recipe with gorgeous results.

Recipe for Baked Potatoes


Ingredients


  • 4 large potatoes
  • 6 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
  • 1 tbsp butter (chilled)
  • 100 gms fresh cream
  • 100 ml milk
  • ¼ tsp black pepper (crushed)
  • A pinch of chilli flakes
  • Olive oil for smearing
  • 1 fresh sprig rosemary
  • 1 tbsp parmesan cheese (grated)
  • Salt to taste

How to make


Wash and scrub the potatoes. Make cuts into the potato leaving 1 cm at the bottom. Do not cut all the way through.

Tuck in the garlic slices and rosemary leaves in between the slices. Smear generously with olive oil.


In a bowl put the cream and milk. Add salt and chilly flakes. Mix well and pour it over the potatoes. 
Sprinkle some pepper and parmesan cheese over it.



Preheat the oven at 230 degrees C. Bake for 10 minutes. Lower the temperature to 180 degree C and bake further for 30 minutes or until done.



Serve hot with sour cream.

KHEEMA MATAR


Kheema matar is the one of the popular non vegetarian dishes in my home. It also serves as a filling for my kathi rolls. Kheema sandwiched between the pav tastes very good. I love enjoy my kheema pav with a cup of tea…

I have grown up having this wonderful preparation made by my mother. She prepares a variation of this with methi or fenugreek leaves. The procedure remains the same, just add the methi towards the end and mix well.

I prefer the handmade kheema than the packaged one available in super markets. The handmade kheema gives the granular type of texture whereas the packaged kheema is very fine and pasty. It tastes good either ways.

Spicy and mouth watering kheema  with little green jewels…. Looks good…Tastes even better.

Kheema Matar/ Minced meat with Green peas


Ingredients


  • 250 gms kheema or minced meat
  • 150 gms green peas (shelled)
  • ½ cup onions (finely chopped)
  • 4 green chillies (finely chopped)
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 ½ tsp chilly powder
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • Salt to taste


For masala


  • ¼ cup fresh coconut (grated)
  • 1 ½ inches of ginger
  • 10 cloves of garlic
  • 1 inch piece of cinnamon
  • 4 cloves


How to make


Wash and drain the excess water from kheema.

Put all the ingredients for masala in a grinder. Make a fine paste by adding little water.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the green chillies followed by the onions.

When the onions turn translucent add the masala paste. Sauté for a minute.

Add turmeric, coriander and chilly powders. Mix well. Add quarter cup water. Saute for a minute.

Add kheema and sauté on high heat for about a minute.

Now add the peas and salt . Mix again.

Add half cup of water. Cover with lid. Let it cook on low heat for atleast 15 minutes or until it is done.

Remove the lid. Saute till all the water gets evaporated.


Serve hot with chapati or enjoy with soft pav.

PANEER KOFTA CURRY/ MALAI KOFTA CURRY/ COTTAGE CHEESE BALLS IN SILKY GRAVY



Koftas belongs to the Mughlai cuisine. Mughlai cuisine known for its rich flavour and taste lays stress on good ingredients.

The sweetness of the gravy comes from the onions and cashews. I have used full fat milk in place of cream. Also some amount of clarified butter is replaced with refined oil. Use of garam masala
powder is not mandatory as I feel the curry doesn’t require it.

Because of its Mughlai characteristics the recipe calls for use of lots of cream and clarified butter or ghee which I have balanced according to my health conscious mind.This dish is much lighter than the regular Mughlai dishes. The silky gravy, soft koftas and the subtle flavours are simply addicting…

Recipe for Paneer kofta curry/ Malai kofta curry


Ingredients for kofta



  • 1 cup paneer (grated)
  • ¾ cup potatoes (boiled and mashed)
  • 1 ½ tbsp plain flour (maida)
  • ¼ tsp black pepper (crushed)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • Oil for deep frying

Ingredients for  curry paste



  • 1 cup onions (sliced)
  • 4 green cardamoms
  • 8 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 1 inch ginger (chopped)
  • 8-10 cashews
  • 6 black pepper corns (whole)
  • 1 tbsp oil

Ingredients for gravy



  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 cup full fat milk
  • ¼ cup cream
  • 1 tsp red chilly powder
  • A pinch of garam masala (powdered)
  • 1 tbsp clarified butter or ghee
  • 3 tbsp oil
  • Salt to taste
  • Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing

How to make the kofta


In a mixing bowl transfer all the ingredients for kofta and knead to combine well.


Divide in 8 equal portions. Shape to form small balls.


Slide in the kofta one at a time in the hot oil. Reduce the heat (like it is done for gulab jamuns).

Flip the koftas to get an even golden colour on them.


Drain the excess oil. Remove in a absorbent paper lined dish.

How to make the curry paste


Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan.

Add green cardamoms, garlic, ginger, cashews and onions. Stir-fry till onions are golden in colour.

Grind to get a fine, smooth paste (add some water).


How to make the gravy


Heat some oil+clarified butter in a kadhai.

Add a bay leaf. Transfer the onion paste into the kadhai and stir.

Add the tomato puree, red chilly powder and salt. Saute for another minute.

Now add milk to it and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle a pinch of garam masala powder and the gravy is ready.

For serving


Place the koftas in the serving dish. Pour the gravy over it to coat the koftas evenly from all sides.


Lightly beat the cream and generously pour it over the koftas.

Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with lachha parathas.

Tips



  • Use of garam masala is optional. Curry tastes good even without it.
  • To avoid breaking of koftas it is suggested to put the koftas in the gravy only at the time of serving.
  • This gravy goes very well with chicken. Just add the chicken pieces at the stir frying stage of the gravy.







CHOCOLATE PEANUT CHIKKI



In my childhood days chocolate chikki was a premier thing. While preparing chikkis for Sankranti a thought ran through my mind to try preparing my childhood fantasy. I did succeed to achieve my aim and it attracted a lot of attention and got appreciation from my family members and relatives. What else does a food lover like me want..

Use of jaggery and peanuts makes this a healthy snack to be consumed. In northern parts of India roasted peanuts are had with a piece of jaggery as this gives heat to the body.

The amount of chocolate can be increased or decreased. Though the procedure is easy one should take care that the final chikki mixture should be quickly spread in the plate before it cools down. 

This is an healthy option for the chocolate lovers. Traditional chikki with a chocolaty twist….

Recipe Chocolate Peanut Chikki


Ingredients



  • 200 gms jaggery (crushed)
  • 100 gms dark compund (roughly chopped)
  • 200 gms peanuts (dry roasted)

How to make


Grease a plate (diameter 8”) with some oil. Keep aside.

Grind the peanuts to get a coarse powder.

Melt the jaggery in a nonstick pan on low heat. Let it cook further for another minute stirring continuously.

Melt the cooking chocolate in a microwave or on a double boiler.

Add the powdered peanut to the jaggery. Mix well. Remove from heat.

Fold in the melted chocolate in the peanut and jaggery mixture.

Once well combined transfer the mixture to the greased plate. Spread evenly with a oiled spatula to get even thickness.

Make light marks with a butter knife in square or diamond shape. This will later help to make pieces easily. Let it cool for an hour at room temperature before cutting them into pieces.



Tips



  • Be careful while roasting the peanuts as over roasting may make the sesame bitter to taste.
  • To avoid burning, jaggery should be melted and cooked on low heat only.
  • Once the chocolate is added to jaggery and peanut mixture do not keep it on direct flame.

PEANUT DISCS/ PEANUT CHIKKI



Chikki a healthy snack, can be had at any time. It is an instant energy booster.

As a child I believed that Lonavla is the only place on this earth where one can get Chikki. Whenever we used to drive down to Mumbai my father would stop by to pick up some chikkis to be munched on the way and also gifted to our relatives.

Different types of chikkis were made with peanut, coconut, sesame, dry fruits, chocolate. In my recent visit to this place I got know about more different varieties of chikkis available like the low calorie types, sugarfree types, the list is quite long…

Jaggery is rich source of iron, eases digestion, good for bones, and excellent antioxidant. It is also known to be a very good cleanser for our body. Peanuts are rich in energy and a good source of dietary fiber. They are packed with Vitamins and minerals. Also when roasted the antioxidant properties of peanuts gets enhanced.

This is a very basic, easy and popular type of chikki. Instead of whole peanuts one can use them in crushed form also.


Peanut discs/ Peanut chikki


Ingredients



  • 200 gms peanuts (roasted)
  • 200 gms jaggery (crushed)
  • 1 tbsp ghee or clarified butter
  • ¼ tsp cardamom (powdered)




How to make


Grease two plates (diameter 8”) with some ghee. Keep aside.

Melt the jaggery in a nonstick pan on low heat. Add the ghee to it. Let it cook further for another minute stirring continuously.

Add the peanuts and cardamom powder to the jaggery. Mix well. Remove from heat.

Once well combined transfer the mixture to the greased plate in form of dollops. Then gently press with oiled spatula or a flat spoon to shape them into small discs.

I did a little variation to the same mixture by just dropping spoonful of the same mixture on the greased plate. When cooled they appeared like little rocks.

Let it cool for an hour at room temperature before transferring them into an air tight jar.



Tips



  • Be careful while roasting the peanuts as over roasting may make the sesame bitter to taste.

  • To avoid burning, jaggery should be melted and cooked on low heat only.

SESAME CRACKERS/ TIL KI CHIKKI/ TILWALI GAZAK



 Sesame crackers also called as til patti, til ki chikki or til ki gazak in different parts of India.

Chikki from Lonavla (a small hill-station) is very popular. Lonavla reminds me of beautiful sceneries, bunglows on the hilltops and hillslopes, eating places on those curly-swirly roads, big and small shops of chikki almost everywhere. Once one enters these shops it becomes difficult to make a final choice from the endless varieties of chikkis that are available...

Sesame good source of copper, manganese and many other minerals.It gives our body the required fibre and also helps in lowering the cholesterol level. It is beneficial for our bone health too.

Til ki chikki or sesame cracker is a very nutritious winter snack to be eaten at any time of the day. 

The sesame imparts a nutty flavour to the chikki or cracker. Very quick and easy to make….


Til ki Chikki/ Sesame Crackers


Ingredients

  • 1 cup sesame or til (dry roasted)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ½ tsp cardamom (powdered)
  • Oil for greasing


How to make


Grease a flat surface or back of a big plate with some oil. Keep aside.

Put sugar in a nonstick pan on medium heat. Keep stirring.

When the sugar melts completely remove from heat. Add the sesame and cardamom powder. Mix well.

Once well combined immediately transfer the mixture to the greased platform. With the help of an oiled rolling pin roll the mixture to the desired thickness.

Make light marks with a butter knife in square or diamond shape. This will help to make pieces easily later. Let it cool for an hour at room temperature before cutting them into pieces transfer them into an airtight jar.


Tips


  • Be careful while roasting the sesame seeds as over roasting may make the sesame bitter to taste.
  • Do not keep the melting sugar unattended as it may burn within a matter of seconds.
  • Quickly transfer the sugar and sesame mixture to a flat surface and roll it. If the mixture cools down it may become difficult to roll it.

CHIKKI FOR MAKAR SANKRANTI



Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun into the zodiac sign of Makara rashi on its celestial path. The day is also believed to mark the arrival of spring in India and is a traditional event. Makar Sankranti is a major harvest festival celebrated in various parts of India. Makara Sankranti commemorates the beginning of the harvest season. 

Since the festival is celebrated in mid winter, food prepared for this festival is such that it keeps the body warm and gives high energy. Laddoo of til or sesame seeds made with jaggery is a speciality of the festival. In the state of Maharashtrait is called 'Tilgud'.


The laddoos can also be made in the form of chikki or gazak as it is called in North India. Adding peanuts to the chikki gives a nice twist and also enhances its taste. Jaggery, peanuts and sesame, all are rich in vitamins and minerals.

The proportions are very easy to remember and thus one cannot go wrong with this recipe.

Do read the tips for better results.

Recipe  for Chikki


Ingredients

  • 100 gms sesame seeds or til (dry roasted)
  • 100 gms peanuts (dry roasted)
  • 200 gms jaggery (crushed)
  • ½ tsp cardamom (powdered)
  • 2 tbsp clarified butter or ghee


How to make


Grease two plates (diameter 8”) with some ghee. 

Keep aside.


Crush the peanuts and sesame seeds in a dry grinder to get a coarse mixture.

Transfer this mixture to a mixing bowl and add the jaggery.


Put this mixture in the dry grinder (in small batches).

Put a nonstick pan on low heat. Add the ghee to it. Transfer the above mixture to the pan. Keep stirring till the jaggery melts and the whole mixture becomes like a dough. Let it cook further for 
another minute stirring continuously.


Add the cardamom powder. Mix well. Remove from heat.

Once well combined divide the mixture into equal portions and transfer it to the greased plate. Spread evenly with an oiled spatula to get an even thickness.


Make light marks with a butter knife in square or diamond shape. This will help to make pieces easily later. Let it cool for an hour at room temperature before cutting them into pieces transfer them into an airtight jar.

Like chikkis, laddoos can also be made from the same mixture.

Just divide the mixture in equal portions.

Shape them in bite size laddoos.

Tips


  • Be careful while roasting the peanuts and sesame seeds as over roasting may make the sesame bitter to taste.
  • To avoid burning, jaggery mixture should be cooked on low heat only.
  • Tranfer the hot jaggery mixture to the plates and spread them before it cools down or else it may become difficult to do so.

FUSSILI IN SPINACH SAUCE



Winter time is the time when pastas, soups and breads dominate in my kitchen. Their aroma is always welcoming……

Spinach, rich source of iron is the main ingredient of this dish. This super sauce goes very well with almost all types of pastas. The high point of this recipe is I use whole wheat flour for making the basic sauce. I also call it as my brown sauce which becomes all the more healthy as I use olive oil in place of butter. Butter lovers are free to use butter. After all a little bit of cheating can always be done…

Keeping beginners in mind I have also given the procedure for boiling the pasta perfectly and blanching the spinach leaves. So definitely this recipe is worth a try…

Recipe for Fussili in spinach sauce


Ingredients


  • 1cup fussili pasta
  • 1 litre water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • For sauce
  • 2 cups spinach leaves (finely chopped)
  • 2 cups water (for blanching)
  • 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
  • 2 cups cold milk
  • A pinch of red chilly flakes (optional)
  • Salt and crushed pepper to taste


How to boil the pasta


Boil one litre of water. Add salt to it.

Now add the pasta to the boiling water. Give a quick stir to avoid any pasta sticking to the bottom.

Let it boil for 8 minutes. Check the pasta. If it is white from inside let boil for another minute. Drain the excess water. Add a tablespoon of olive oil. Toss to coat the pasta evenly. Keep aside.

How to blanch the spinach


Heat the water almost to the boiling point.

Put the chopped spinach leaves in the hot water. Give a quick stir. Drain the excess water and immediately refresh in cold water. Keep aside.

How to make the sauce


Melt the butter in a pan. Add the garlic. When it becomes golden in colour add whole wheat flour to it. Saute for a minute.

Add cold milk to it stirring continuously on medium heat. As the sauce thickens add salt and pepper. 

Lower the heat.

Add the spinach puree. Mix well.

Toss the fussily in this green sauce. Sprinkle with chilly flakes. Serve hot.

Tip


  • It is advisable to mix required quantity of pasta and sauce only. The pasta may absorb all the liquid in the sauce making it thick and lumpy.
  • As the pasta cools it may become thick. Add half a cup of milk or water and reheat.

TOMATO SOUP



Tomato soup is considered as the simplest soup of all. It is all about the right balance between salty, sweet and sour tastes. I have liked very few of the many versions of this soup that I have tasted.

This recipe is very basic and that is what I like about it. The cream is the only form of fat that has been used. It is the safest option as is liked by most of the people. 

Recipe for Tomato Soup


Ingredients


  • 4 ripe tomatoes (medium sized)
  • 1 tsp Sugar (optional)
  • 2 tsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp cream
  • Salt and Pepper to taste


Blanching the tomatoes


Boil 500ml of water. Make a small slit in the tomatoes. Drop these tomatoes in the boiling water, cover with lid. Remove from heat. Leave aside for 10 minutes.

Peel the tomatoes.

How to make


Roughly chop and puree the tomatoes in the blender.

Put the tomato puree in a vessel. Add 2 cups of water and let it simmer for at least 8 to 10 minutes.

Taste the soup. If required add the sugar to it.

Mix the cornflour with 2 tablespoons of water. Add this solution to the simmering soup stirring continuously.

The soup will thicken. Let it boil for half a minute.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with some cream.


Tip


  • Avoid the overripe and raw tomatoes.




EGGLESS PLUM CAKE


I have tried this particular recipe for my friends who do not prefer the egg cakes. On my last Christmas I was glad to gift plum cakes to my vegetarian friends.  It took me few trials to come to this perfect recipe. This cake comes out moist and tasty. And in no way it can be considered less than the original plum cake.

The dry fruits should be soaked in rum for minimum two days. I soak them for a week. The myth that eggless cakes are not very tasty can be easily denied. Try it to believe it!

Recipe for Eggless Plum Cake


Ingredients


  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup dry fruits (raisins, sultanas, cashews, almonds, walnuts, plum), orange peel, candied ginger
  • 3 tbsp caramel syrup
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon powder
  • ¼ tsp grated nutmeg
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla essence
  • ½ cup dermerara sugar or cane sugar
  • 2/3 cup oil or melted butter
  • ½ cup milk
  • 1 ½ tbsp cider vinegar or synthetic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp rum (optional)


How to make Caramel Syrup


In a saucepan heat 3 tbsp of sugar and 1 tbsp of water on low heat. Initially avoid stirring.

When the sugar changes its colour from golden to amber add 1 ½ tbsp of boiling water and stir to get a shiny syrup. Remove from heat and set aside.

How to make the plum cake


Chop the dry fruits roughly.

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees C. Grease and line a baking tin (7”x 7”) with butter paper.

Beat the melted butter or oil, sugar, vanilla essence and caramel syrup to get a smooth, shiny, dark coloured  mixture.

In a separate bowl sift all the dry ingredients accept baking soda.

Add the dry ingredients dry fruits, peels and candied fruits to the butter mixture and fold gently till combined well.

Add vinegar to the milk. Also add baking soda to this mixture. Stir gently and add this frothy mixture to the cake batter.

Fold the batter till you get a light, homogeneous mixture. This step should be done quickly to avoid any loss of air from the batter.

Transfer the batter to a greased baking tin. Bake at 180 degree C for 35 minutes.

Let the cake cool for 5 to 7 minutes. Sprinkle the warm cake with 2 tablespoon of rum (optional).

Enjoy your eggless plum cake with a hot mug of coffee.

Tips


  • If you want to avoid rum add rum essence.
  • Soya milk can be used in place of dairy milk.
  • The amount of sugar is enough to make it just sweet. If you like it more sweet add ¼ cup sugar.

SWEET FRUITY BUNS



Recipe for Sweet Fruity buns


Ingredients (yields 12 small buns)

  • 3 ¼ cup plain flour or maida
  • 10 gms fresh yeast
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3 ½ tbsp sugar
  • 1 ¼ cup lukewarm  milk
  • ¼ cup lukewarm water
  • ¼ cup tutti fruity
  • 1 tbsp melted butter


How to make


Crumble the yeast in a small bowl. Add ¼ cup lukewarm water and ¼ teaspoon sugar to it. Keep it aside till the mixture froths.

Dissolve sugar in lukewarm milk.

Sift the flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Make well in the center. Add the yeast mixture to it and mix well.

Add sugar solution and lukewarm milk to the flour little at a time till all the milk it used to get a sticky dough.

Add the butter and transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by stretching and folding till the dough becomes soft and smooth. This process may take upto ten minutes.

Cover with damp cloth and keep aside for proving. Once the dough is double the size knock back the dough on the floured surface. Add tutti fruity and knead again.


Divide in 12 equal portions and shape them. Place on a greased tray for 15 minutes to rise again.


Preheat the oven at 240 degrees C. Bake for 10 minutes till well risen and golden brown from top.

Remove from oven. Brush with a glaze made from sugar dissolved in one teaspoon of water.

Tips


  • Care should be taken that the yeast should not be stale.
  • The process of kneading the dough is very important. It will help the dough to prove nicely.
  • The duration of proving depends on the warmth in the work area.

NO CHEESE MACARONI


Macaroni without cheese…… does not sound normal? This macaroni tastes yummy without the cheese. It is not essential to have cheese in each and every macaroni dish. I have prepared this dish several times for my kid`s tiffin box. They have never missed the cheese in it. Their friends also enjoy it equally.

This is a simple, easy-to-make recipe. The just correct balance of salt and pepper is needed.

Recipe for No Cheese Macaroni


Ingredients


  • 100 gms macaroni
  • ½ cup onions (finely chopped)
  • 1 cup tomatoes (finely chopped)
  • 8 cloves garlic (crushed)
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp black pepper (crushed)
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp oil
  • Salt to taste


How to make


Add the macaroni to 800ml of boiling water. Add a little salt to it.

Once the macaroni is almost done drain the excess water. Add one tablespoon of oil to macaroni and toss so that macaroni gets evenly coated with it and prevents it from sticking to each other.

Melt the butter in a pan. Add oil to it.

Add garlic to the hot oil followed by onions and tomatoes. Saute for a minute.

When the tomatoes become soft add salt, pepper and oregano to it and mix well.

Add the macaroni and mix well.

Stir for two minutes and remove from heat.

Tips


  • Macaroni should not be fully cooked in boiling water as it continues to cook even after the water is drained from it.
  • This recipe doesn`t require any baking as we are not using any cheese in it.
  • Capsicum can be added to give more colour to the dish. It should be added only towards the end to retain its fresh colour.