Chana biryani

A beautiful biryani recipe where the flavour and aroma of chana enriches the taste of rice . Just like mushroom and chicken, the chana also has an inherent power to make the biryani awesome. It is an easy alternative to the age old regular biryanis especially when there are no veggies sitting in the fridge. This biryani will taste heavenly if made more spicy .
Ingredients :

1. White chana - 1/2 cup (1 cup= 210 mL)
2. Big Onion - 1 (thinly sliced lengthwise)
3. Tomato - 1
4. Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
5. Coriander leaves - few sprigs
6. Green chilli - 2 to 3
7. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
8. Biryani masala powder - 1 tsp
9. Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
10. Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
11. Cinnamon - 1 or 2
12. Cloves - 2
13. Elachi - 2
14. Bay leaves - 1

Method :

1. Soak basmathi rice in water for atleast 20 minutes.Take a pan .Pour oil into it.
2. Add cinnamon,cloves and bay leaves.
3. Then  add onion and green chilli. Saute for few minutes until it is brown.

4. Add ginger garlic paste . When the raw smell of ginger garlic paste goes off, add tomato.
5. Then add mint and coriander leaves. Saute for a while.

6. Now add turmeric, red chilli and biryani masala powders.

7. Saute for few minutes and then add rice and saute for 2 minutes.

8. Then add Water (water and rice should be 2:1 ratio) .

9.When the water boils, close the lid and then  pressure cook for 2 whistles.

10 . Squeeze little lemon before serving. Serve hot.

Banana bread

A real banana cake should have the following qualities as it should be moist, soft , ofcourse full of banana flavour and should have nuts to enrich the taste. Both banana and carrot cakes are similar in many ways such as colour,taste and texture except for the flavours. Both would be awesome with whipped cream. I normally run away from all sorts of chocolate cakes and brownies and I have never ever touched them too. But the only brown cakes that satisfy my taste buds are these guardian angels "banana and carrot cakes"..Love u dears.. :)
         Had been partially working on banana cakes for more than 2 years . Tried half a dozen of recipes but everytime something was  mixing. One turned out dry and the other turned out without colour. Finally found this recipe from inspired taste and hats off to them as this turned out awesome and it satisfied all the qualities I specified earlier. I strongly recommend you to add brown sugar because it is the secret ingredient in this recipe. Ofcourse you can add regular sugar but forget about the color . And the bananas should be very ripe too.   I got the appreciation that "this is the best cake I ever made".  This is really a treat in brown dress. Enjoy!!!

Ingredients :

1.All-purpose flour         = 1 1/2 cups (195 grams) 
2.Baking soda         = 1 teaspoon 
3.Kosher salt = 1/2 teaspoon 
4.Ground cinnamon         = 3/4 teaspoon 
5.Medium bananas         = 3
6.Unsalted butter = 8 tablespoons 
7. Light brown sugar         = 3/4 cup (150 grams) 
8.Eggs         = 2 large 
9.Vanilla extract         = 1 teaspoon 
10.Walnuts / pecans/almond   = 1/2 cup (50 grams) (toasted and chopped) 

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven at 375F / 180C for 10 minutes.
2. Take all the dry ingredients (all purpose flour,baking soda,salt,cinnamon powder) in a separate bowl.
3. Whisk softened butter and brown sugar separately in a bowl.
4. Add in the eggs and beat for 3 minutes. Then add the vanilla extract.
5. Now add the dry ingredient mixture into this butter+sugar+egg bowl in three folds.
6. Now whisk it for 3 more minutes.
7. Mash tha bananas separately in a bowl and add it to the whisked mixture.
8.No need to whisk now. Just mix them with a spatula. Then add nuts as well.
9. Now pour this into the loaf pan and bake for 60-75 minutes.
10. Once the cake is baked, your house would be filled with a nice aroma and that is the exact time to take out the cake.
11. Leave it to cool for 10 mins. If a knife inserted at the centre comes out clean, that indicates the cake is perfectly ready to eat.
12. Enjoy with an evening tea !!

Japanese buttery cake

Sponge cakes are always so special as it requires very less time for making and they are  really really spongy without even the use of the baking powder . This recipe had been in my try-out  list for a long time. I got this recipe from the blog "japanesecooking101.com" and I simply loved it. While making this recipe please be watchful while double boiling egg and sugar mixture since the egg might get cooked if u leave it for more than a minute. And if that part is done with care, you are sure to enjoy a very very spongy wonderful cake. And while adding the flour ,it is not needed to beat the whole mixture. Just fold it so that the ingredients get to know each other. I got inspired by this recipe and am looking forward try more japanese recipes. Hope you love it too.

Ingredients :

1.Butter - 3 Tbsp
2. Milk - 1 Tbsp
3.Cake flour/All purpose flour- 3/4 cup
(1 cup = 210 ml)
4. Eggs - 3
5. Sugar - 3/4 cup
6. Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Method :

1.Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) at least 20 minutes . 
2.Line a 7" cake pan with parchment paper (bottom and side).
3. Put butter and milk in a small bowl and microwave until the butter melts.
4. In another bowl, sift the cake flour 2 times. Set aside.
5. In a large bowl , add eggs and sugar. Over a double boiler (placing the bowl over a pot with simmering water on low heat), whisk the egg mixture until it becomes lukewarm (until the sugar dissolves). Then set the bowl on the stand mixer, and whip the egg mixture until very thick and white in color . Add vanilla essence and mix.
6.Add sifted cake flour in 3 parts. Fold in the first one-third of the flour by hand with a spatula (not with the mixer). After the flour is incorporated, add the next part of flour and again fold in with the spatula. Repeat. Next, add the mixture of melted butter and milk and fold in with the spatula.
7.Put the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
8.Take the cake out of the oven and leave for 15 minutes. Then enjoy.

Pav bhaji

Pav bhaji is a wonderful Indian street food . I love this as  it combines all possible veggies in it.The very first time when i tried pav bhaji it was a big flop.  But then I learned the basic secret behind the recipe. Here it goes like the amount of onion and tomato together must be equal to the veggie combo all together. And one should be generous in adding masala powder and very important butter. 


Ingredients :

1. Carrot - 2
2.Beans - 1/2 cup
3.Peas - 1/2 cup
4.Potato - 2-3 nos
5.Capsicum - 1
6.Cauliflower - 1/2 cup of florets
7.Onion - 1 big
8.Tomato - 1 big
9.Ginger garlic paste - 2 Tbsp
10.Chilli powder - 2 tsp
11.Pav bhaji powder - 2 Tbsp
12.Butter - As required

Method :

1. Pressure cook all the veggies 1 to 6 of ingredients  with little water.

2. Take a pan and add 2- 3 tbsp of butter. Add ginger garlic paste. Fry until the raw smell goes off.Then add finely chopped onion.

3. When the onion turns translucent, add finely chopped tomato. If you are using capsicum then it needs to be fried along with tomatoes .(not to be boiled along with all other veggies) .

4. Add 2 Tbsp of pav bhaji masala powder along with 1 tsp of chilli powder. 

5. Mash the cooked veggies with a potato masher.

6. Then add the mashed veggies to the pan.

7. Add 1/4 th cup of water.

8. Leave it until the water completely dries. 

9. Meanwhile toast buns/bread with butter.

10. Serve pav bhaji with toasted buns and finely chopped onion and a slice of lemon.

Paneer Kheer

Paneer kheer is one of the easiest and awesome recipes which I tried in the recent months. This kheer has high milk content so I recommend this one for all the kids. Of course it is irresistable for adults. One more positive point is it can be made quickly without much effort. Being a standard South Indian, I was used to all kinds of payasam .But I'm nowhere in the world of kheers. Once when she shared her rice kheer with me , it really tasted heavenly. And when I tried it on my own, it gave exact wonderful result. And then started making all sorts of kheers with different ingredients and slight changes each time. And yupp !!! this time it is paneer and got amazed by its' rich texture and taste. Here goes the recipe.

Ingredients :

1. Paneer - 1/2 cup
2. Milk - 2 cups(1 cup=210 ml)
3. Sugar - 3-4 Tbsp
4. Condensed/evaporated milk - 3 Tbsp
5. Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
6. Nuts(Badam, Pistachio ,Cashew) - 7-8 each
7. Saffron(Optional) - few strands

Method :

1. Take a pan and pour milk.Bring it to the rolling boil consistency.

2. Now simmer it to low flame. Soak the nuts in water for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, take a blender and add all the nuts specified above and add little milk.

4. Blend it to the consistency as shown in figure and keep it aside.

5. Crumble the paneer with hands / blender and keep it aside. 

6.Take 2 tbsps of condensed milk and mix it with little milk and keep it aside.

7. When the milk has thickened to the kheer consistency , add the nuts paste.

8. Then add the condensed milk  to it. Check for the sweetness and then add the sugar accordingly.

9. Finally add paneer and switch off the flame.

9. Serve it hot/cold.

Here is one more click of the recipe.

Donut

 Sparkling soft and spongy doughnuts coated with lightly powdered sugar could be a great treat on an awesome day. Though it looks heavy, it is so light to fly in the sky...(yup working on rhyming words with my kidoo) . Everyone deserve a break from a routine calorie conscious life and that sweet break could be a doughnut. These balls of cakes are so nice that they melt in the mouth very soon. Going to the recipe....

Ingredients :

1. All purpose flour        = 3  cups(1 cup= 210 ml)
2. Warm milk = 3/4 cup
3. Egg = 2
4. Dry yeast = 1 pack
5. Butter         = 1 Tbsp
6. Vanilla essence = 1/2 tsp
7. Salt = 1/8 tsp
8. oil = To deep fry

Method :

1. Take a mixing bowl. Add warm milk to it.
2. Then add sugar,salt and mix it well.
3.  Now add the dry yeast and leave it undisturbed for 5 -10 minutes.
4.   The added yeast should become frothy which indicates that the yeast is successfully activated.
5. Then add softened  butter and stir well so that the butter gets mixed well.
6. Eggs and vanilla essence can be added now.
7. Once the eggs are mixed well, add the all purpose flour gradually.
8. Gently make a dough out of it just like we do for jamun .

9. Cover the dough in a thin plastic cover and keep it refrigerated overnight .
10. The dough would have become doubled in size by now.
11. Now roll the dough in a flat surface with a rolling pin.

12. Dont roll it thin as the width of the dough will be the width of the donuts.
13. Take two circle/round cutters one big and one little.It could even a cup and a bottle lid.

14. Make two impressions as shown in pics.
15. Make more impressoins and remove them and place them in a separate plate.

16. Take a pan and pour oil for deep frying.
17. Meanwhile, take a large vessel and put powdered sugar on to it.
18. Now deep fry the donuts until they are brown and coat them in the powdered sugar.

Avocado sandwich

Avocado sandwich is an effortless and healthier appetizer. It has heart healthy mono-saturated fatty acids and reduces cholesterol. It is rich in anti- oxidants too and hence very popular among health conscious individuals.I read an  article from Readers digest stating that avocado is a wise alternative for hummus and mayonnaise.  You can add grated carrots or any other veggies along with peas and avocado. And you can use multigrain/whole wheat bread slices. It is so delicious that it got included at least twice in our weekly menu.

Ingredients :

1. Bread slices - 6
2. Avocado         - 1 
3. Peas         - 1/2 cup(1 cup = 210 ml)
4. Big onion(chopped)       - 1/2
5. Tomato(chopped) - 1/2
6. Green chilli(finely chopped) - 1
6. Salt and pepper - As required
7. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
8.  Butter                               - 1 tbsp

Method :

1. Take a pan . Pour 1 tsp of oil. Add chopped onion and green chilli.
2. When the onions turn translucent, add the chopped tomato.When the tomatoes turn mushy, switch off the stove.

3. Meanwhile microwave/cook peas separately.

4. Cut the avocado into two. Then scoop out the content onto a bowl.

5. Add the avocado , peas , salt ,pepper  and lemon juice to the pan.

6. Take the bread slices.Then apply the paste to one side. 

7. Place  another bread slice on to it.


8. Toast them on a pan /oven along with a little butter.

Banana pancakes

Lovely pancakes flavored with banana and vanilla & drenched in honey are great temptations in life and it is capable of making a great day if had at morning. I love all the Indian delights made out of bananas. Likewise I tried this recipe and it got included in my weekend breakfast menu. The best part of this recipe is the little time that it takes to make. Try and enjoy. 

Ingredients :

1.All-purpose flour - 1 cup 

2. Ripe bananas(mashed) - 2

3.White sugar - 1 tablespoon 

4. Baking powder - 2 teaspoons 

5.Salt - 1/4 teaspoon  

6.Egg - 1 beaten 

7.Milk - 1 cup 

8.Vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons  

Method :

1. Combine flour, white sugar, baking powder and salt. 

2. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, vegetable oil and bananas.

3. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture.Batter will be slightly lumpy.

4. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. 

5. Scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. 

6. Cook until bubbles appear on one side.Then flip and cook the other side too.

7.Serve hot and enjoy with honey/ whipped cream/maple syrup.