Vinayaka Chavithi 2010

Priya

Dal Makhani

Happy Vinayaka Chavithi

Ingredients:
Whole Urad Dal - 1 cup
Rajma - 1/2 cup
Green Chillies - 6
Onion paste - with 1 onion (optional)
Tomato puree - with 4 or 5 tomatoes
Ginger - Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp (or you can use ginger and garlic pieces)
Fresh cream/Milk - 1/2 cup
Garam Masala - 2 tbsp
Butter/Oil - 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt to taste
Cilantro - handful

Method:
Soak the washed Urad dal and Rajma in lots of water overnight.

Pressure cook the dal with lots of water and along with little salt until fully cooked.

Later drain the water and keep aside.

Heat the butter in a pan, add the cumin seeds, asafoetida andlater add in onion paste.

After 3-4 mins add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2 more mins.

Add in the tomato puree. Cook this mixture on medium heat for 5 mins. And turmeric at this point.

Add the cooked urad dal and mix well. Add 1 cup of water if it is too thick.

Add cream/milk and garam masala now and check for salt.

Let it cook on low-medium heat for atleast 30 mins.

Lastly add cilantro for garnishing.

Priya

Rajma Masala

Hi folks,

Sorry for the long absence, been a lil busy doing nothing.

Ingredients:
Rajma - 2 cups (soaked and pressure cooked)
Onion - 1 big
Tomatoes - 3 (I used Roma tomatoes)
Green chillies - 4 small
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Coriander Pwd - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Pwd - 1 tsp
Rajma Masala - 1 tsp (optional)
Channa Masala - 1 tsp (optional)
Turmeric - a pinch
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves - 1 few
Cilantro - handful
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Take a heavy bottomed pan, heat 1 tbsp oil in medium flame, add in cumin seeds and curry leaves, after they are done, add in onions and green chillies.
After the onions turn translucent, add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute.
Then, pop in the tomatoes along with 1/2 of water and close the lid.
After the tomatoes are fully done remove from heat and let it cool and grind this mixture into a smooth paste.

Take an other pan, heat the remaining oil, and add the Rajma, salt, turmeric and chilli pwd. Fry for a while.
Add in the onion-tomato paste, all the masalas and let it cook until everything comes together.
Lastly, add in chopped cilantro and you are done.

It's fun Decorating my Cakes - Cake 3 - Presentation Cake

And here I am with yet an other cake....a Final Cake or Presentation Cake as my Instructor calls it.....Me n my DH (Darling Hubby) are so proud of how this cake turned out.....OMG its so cute ;)
Everyone in my class were like "Wow, thats a cute one"...

My Sweet Peas on the sides of the cake...looking cho cute

Here is the shell border along with some Swirl Flowers.....

Different angel view of my presentation roses... :)

Initially I planned to use White color for the dots...but later changed my mind

n am happy with it....

The Beautiful Rose....

I liked the Ruffled leaves more than the basic or stand-up leaves....

I used to think that making a rose with icing pretty easy coz I made roses with ceramic...

but it wasn't that easy as the icing was falling off all the time....I had to practice a lot...

This Cake is going to My friend Jaya's surprise b'day party........
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JAYA GARU

I hope she doesn't see this post until thursday....

Priya

It's fun Decorating my Cakes - Cake 2

Here is my 2nd Cake that I have decorated in my class....this was much like practice than presentation...So, I wudnt dig much into it...

A close up view of the Swirl Flowers....

Another View

Priya

It's fun Decorating my Cakes - Cake 1

Hey all...its been a while that I have posted something on my blog...Am I busy? No I am not...but I am lazy :)
I like decorating anything and everything...When I went to India I learnt Ceramic Work (will post the pictures of my work soon)...Recently I started taking Cake Decorating classes...n I am loving it ;)

So here is the first Cake that I have decorated all by my self :)

I know I need to improve my cake frosting skills........

I used a star tip for this rainbow thingy......

A close up of the border......

I dedicated my very first decorated cake to 2 of Ajay's colleagues as they were going to new projects...

The outcome of my cake was different to the one that we actually had to make....but well I liked what I did n am very happy about it :)

Priya

My First Blog Award

I am very excited to announce the awards that I got from one of my blogger frnds Suhaina of My Singapore Kitchen. She is very generous to pass on these awards that she received to all new food bloggers. She has yummy dishes in her blog...Do check out when you get some time...

I would like to pass these awards to Shilpa of Anita's kitchen.

Happy Blogging!!!

Badam Ladoo

Ingredients:

Blanched Almonds - 2 cups
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1 can 14 oz (I used fat free)
Butter - 2 or 3 tbsp

Process:


Heat a pan...dry roast almonds for 4 mins...remove from heat and cool...grind n make into a powder.

Take a microwavable glass bowl...add all the ingredients and keep in the microwave for a min...

Remove and mix well...repeat the process until it is thick and can be transferred...

Make sure u put in just for a min and remove to mix.

It took around 7 mins for me to cook in the microwave.

Now grease a plate with butter and pour the mixture on it...let it to cool for some time

Grease your hands with lil butter or use a cooking spray.

Make small ladoos out of this mixture. You might get around 30 ladoos.

You might be thinking what Blanched Almonds are....Here is how you can Blanch your Almonds

• Place Almonds in a bowl
• Pour boiling water to barely cover almonds
• Let the almonds sit for 1 minute and no longer.
• Drain, rinse under cold water and drain again
• Pat dry and slip the skins off. (I didn't have time to peel the skin off

Note: Don't let almonds sit in hot water too long or they will lose their crispness.

Marble Cake

Ingredients:
Self-rising Flour - 1 3/4 cups
Sugar - 1 1/4 cups
Cocoa Powder - 2 tbsp
Vanilla Essence - 2 tsp (optional)
Butter - 1 stick (microwave the butter about a min and keep aside)
Milk - 1/2 cup (preferably whole milk)
Eggs - 2

Process:
Take a large mixing bowl, put in eggs and sugar, mix thoroughly using a hand mixer.

Then add flour and butter little by little to this and mix until everything is mixed thoroughly and add milk and mix well into a smooth paste.

Separate this batter into 2 equal portions and pour 1 portion into an other bowl. In this, add Cocoa Powder and mix well. Add Vanilla essence to the other portion.

Now grease (bottom and sides) an 8" cake pan with a little butter or use cooking spray.

Pour a laddle full of Vanilla batter (don't spread, it will spread by itself), on top of this pour a laddle full of Cocoa batter. Do this alternatively until all the batter is used up.

Make swirls in the batter using a spatula or a knife.

Put it in the oven for 40 mins on 350 degrees.

Note: Pre-heat the oven for about 10 mins on 200 degrees.

Tepala Chekka

Ingredients:

Rice Flour - 2 cups
Onion - 1 small chopped
Green Chillies - 4 chopped
Cilantro - handful
Salt to taste
Water as needed
Oil

Process:

Mix all the ingredients except oil to form a smooth dough & leave aside for 10 mins.

Make medium sized balls out of the dough similar to the ones in the picture.

Heat a pan with little oil or use cooking spray.
Place this ball on the pan and spread by using your hand.

Or use a plastic sheet & roll out using your hand.

Cover & cook if you want it to be soft or else leave it until it is crisp enough on both sides.

Can be a great evening snack.

Chakkara Pongal

Ingredients:
Raw Rice - 1/2 cup
Moong dal - 2 tbsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Jaggery - 1 cup
Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cashews - 10
Raisins - 1 tbsp

Method:

Pressure cook rice and moong dal together with milk and water (1.5 cups) for 5 whistles.

In a kadai, add jaggery and 1 cup of water, heat till it dissolves completely and gets the consistency of a syrup and add it to the cooked rice.

Turn on the heat and keep stirring till the mixture thickens on low flame. Add cardamom pwd and mix well.

Garnish with roasted cashews and raisins (roast cashews & raising in ghee).

Tomato Pulao

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Water - 3 cups
Roma Tomatoes - 3 (chop 2 tomatoes & grind 1 tomato)
Onion - 1 big chopped
Cloves - 3
Garlic - 1 pod
Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch stick
Shah Jeera - 1 tsp
Bay Leaf - 1
Cardamom - 2
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil

Process:

Heat 2 tsps of oil in a pan, roast rice for a few minutes and keep aside.

Add some more oil (if needed) and put in cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaf, shah jeera, garlic to the pan and fry till nice aroma comes out.

Add finely chopped onion and fry till translucent.

Grind 1 tomato into a smooth paste & add it to the pan and add 2 chopped tomatoes and till done. Add turmeric, red chilli powder and salt.

Add water and allow it to come to a boil.

Add rice into boiling water. Cover and cook till done.

Pala Kova / Doodh Peda

Ingredients:
Dry Milk Powder - 2 cups (I used Non-fat dry milk pwd)
Condensed Milk - 1 can 14oz. (I used non-fat)
Butter - 1 stick (I couldn't use non-fat for this :) )
Saffron - few
Water - 1 tbsp
Cashews - a few (Roasted)

Process:

Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl, add in condensed milk, dry milk powder, mix well and microwave for a min.

Take out, mix well and microwave for another 2 mins.

Mix water and saffron and it to the mixture and microwave for a min.

Take out and let it cool (not completely...but until it is good enough for you to handle)

Make desired shapes and garnish with roasted cashews.

I made small balls and placed a cashew on each ball and pressed them firmly.

Peanut Potato Masala

Its real simple to prepare and tastes great......

Ingredients:

for Gravy:
Potatoes - 3 big (or baby potatoes - 15)
Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 1 big
Green Chillies - 4
Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves - handful

for Masala:
Roasted Peanuts - 1/2 cup
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Poppy Seeds - 1 tbsp
Dry Coconut Powder - 2 tbsp
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon Stick - 2 1" pieces
Star Anise - 1
Cardamom - 4
Shah Jeera - 1 tsp

Process:

Grind all the masala ingredients into a paste.

Boil the potatoes in the microwave for 5 mins with 1 tsp of salt.

Heat oil in a pan, fry the onions and green chillies, then add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for a min.

Add tomatoes and fry till they become soft (add water if needed), then add the masala paste, red chilli pwd, turmeric and fry for a while.

Add the potatoes, salt, some water. Cover and cook until done.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice or rotis........

Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken Drumsticks - 2 lbs (about 6-7 leg pieces)
Yogurt - 1 cup
Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
Tandoori Chicken Masala - 1 tbsp
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
Red food color - 2 drops mixed in a tsp of water (optional)
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt as per taste

Process:

Take a large bowl, put yogurt, red chilli powder, ginger-garlic paste, tandoori chicken masala, lemon juice, turmeric, salt, red food color (I did not use color) and mix well.

Clean the drumsticks and make 2-3 slits on each piece.

Add the drumsticks to the above mixture until it coats all the pieces. Cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hrs.

Take a baking tray, cover it with aluminium foil and prick all over the aluminium foil with a toothpick (you might wanna use a cooking spray...just in case if it sticks...I didn't).

Place the pieces on the tray and broil them for 45 - 55 mins on 400 degrees (it took 50 mins for me).

Mouth-watering Tandoori Chicken is ready to eat....it tasted great....Ajay n one of my frnds daughter (Stavya) loved it.... in fact she asked me to make it for her this coming weekend :)

Kheema Pulao

Ingredients:

Kheema (Mutton/Chicken/Turkey) - 1 lb
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Water - 3 cups
Onion - 1 big (chopped)
Green Chillies - 4
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala (Any Store bought Curry Masala) - 2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - as required
Salt as per taste
Cardamom - 2
Cloves - 4
Sajeera - 2 tsp
Cinnamon Stick - 2 1" sticks
Bay Leafs - 2
Star Anise - 1
Coriander leaves - handful
Oil

Process:

Heat oil in a pan, add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick, bay leafs, sajeera, star anise and fry for a min or so.

Add onions and green chillies, fry until onions turn transparent and add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2 mins.

Add Kheema (washed and cleaned), red chilli powder, garam masala, salt. Close the lid and fry until the Kheema is well cooked.

Now add rice and fry for 2 mins and add water (Ratio 1:1 1/2) and mix well and check for salt.

Cook covered until the rice is done. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves.

Yummyyyy Kheema Pulao is ready within less than an hour.

Serve hot with Raita or Kurma of your choice.

Pineapple Cake

Ingredients:

Self-Rising Flour - 1 3/4 cups
Eggs - 2
Sugar - 1 1/4 cups
Unsalted Butter - 1 stick (microwave the butter for about a min & keep aside)
Milk - 1/2 cup (preferably whole milk)
Pineapples - 8 slices (slices similar to the one in the picture)

Method:

Take a large mixing bowl, put in eggs and sugar, mix thoroughly using a hand mixer.

Then add flour and butter little by little to this mix until everything is mixed thoroughly and at last add milk and mix well into a smooth paste.

Add 7 pineapple slices and mix them with the batter. Keep a slice for garnishing.

Now grease (bottom and sides) an oven safe dish with a little butter or use a cooking spray.

Transfer all the batter into this dish & put it in the oven for 40 mins on 350 degrees.

Note: The oven safe dish must have flat bottom & pre-heat the oven for about 10 mins on 200 degrees.

Moong Dal Snack

Ingredients:
moong dal/pesara pappu - 1 cup
cumin seeds - 1tsp
curry leaves - 5
red chilli pwd - 1tsp
oil - 2tsp
salt to taste

Process:

Wash n soak moong dal anywhere from 1 - 4 hours. I only did for an hour and the drain the water.

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, followed with curry leaves

Add the moong dal and fry on medium flame till the dal stops sticking to the pan.

Lower the heat and add red chilli pwd and salt and fry for an other 5-10 mins.

Set aside to cool.

Palak Paratha

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Flour - 2 cups
Palak (Spinach) - 2 cups (chopped)
Cilantro - handful (chopped)
Green Chillies - 4
Salt - as per taste
Oil - few drops

Process:

Grind the Palak, Cilantro and Green Chillies together to form a smooth paste.

Add this paste to the whole wheat flour. Knead well to make a smooth dough. Make small balls out of the dough and roll it to get a circular shape (or any shape you want).

Heat a griddle and fry the paratha (use cooking spray or just normal oil or ghee). The paratha is done when both sides are crispy and golden brown.

Serve hot with yogurt.

This goes to JIHVA - Breakfast Event hosted by Suma and the main JIHVA event started by Indira of Mahanandi.

Semiya Upma (Bambino Upma)

This is a very easy and fast cooking recipe. If you are in a hurry...you need not add onion.....Whenever I feel lazy, I cook this. Ajay loves this dish and its my all time favorite :)

Ingredients:
Semiya/Vermicelli - 1 cup
Onion - 1 small (chopped)
Green Chillies - 4 small
Water - 1 cup (1:1 ratio)
Garlic - 1 pod
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 2 tsp
Urad dal - 2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Curry leaves - handful
Coriander leaves - handful

Process:

Take a wide pan, use some cooking spray and fry the semiya until it turns golden brown in color. This way they don't stick to each other (It is optional though).

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, channa dal, urad dal, green chillies, garlic and fry for a minute, then add onions and fry till they turn transparent.

Add water, salt, red chilli powder and close the lid. After a min pour in the semiya. Mix well so that semiya dissolves in the water and close the lid. After 5 mins remove the lid, there wouldn't be much of the water left. But cook uncovered for 3-4 mins to remove stickiness.

Sprinkle with Coriander leaves.

Delicious Semiya Upma is completed within 15 mins. Since a long time I wanted to try this using Angel hair pasta.

Sending this to JIHVA - Breakfast Event hosted by Suma and the main JIHVA event started by Indira of Mahanandi.

Vankaya Tomato Chutney

Source: Mom

Ingredients:
Brinjals - 3
Tomatoes - 2
Tamarind - 1"
Salt - as per taste
Green Chillies - 4
Jeera - 1 tsp
Garlic - 1 pod
Cilantro (Coriander leaves)

for tampering:
oil, cumin seeds, jeera, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves

Method:

Cut Brinjals and Tomatoes in small pieces and fry them in a pan (with lid) with very little oil. Keep aside and let cool.

Put this brinjal-tomato mix into a grinder, add green chillies, jeera, garlic, tamarind and grind to a smooth paste (add water it needed).

Heat oil in the same pan, add cumin seeds, jeera, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves and fry them. Mix this with the brinjal-tomato paste.

Sprinkle some chopped cilantro on the top of the chutney.

Serve with hot rice or yogurt rice.

This is my first entry to any food event and this dish goes to Silpa's Eggplant Marathon Event

Carrot Rice

Ingredients:

Cooked rice - 1 cup
Shredded Carrot - 1.5 or 2 cups
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 1
Cinnamon Stick - 1 small
Bay leaf - 1 (optional)
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Salt - as per taste

Method:

Heat oil in a pan, add cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, bay leaf and fry for a min.

Add shredded carrot and fry for 4 mins. Then add red chilli powder and salt and fry for an other min. Add the cooked rice and mix well.

You are all set to have your delicious carrot rice within 15 mins :)

Kalakand (Microwave Style)

Ingredients:

Ricotta Cheese - 1 tin 15oz
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1 can 15oz
Elaichi (Cardamom) - 3 (Ground them)
Sugar - 1/2 cup (optional)
Grated Pistas and Cashews for dressing
Cooking Spray or butter for greasing

Method:

Take a microwave safe bowl with a flat bottom (like the one in the picture). Grease the bowl with cooking spray or butter.

Fill the bowl with the Sweetened Condensed Milk and mix all of the Ricotta cheese. Add sugar (optional) and stir well. Sprinkle the Ground Elaichi on the top.

Microwave it high for 15 mins stirring for every 5 mins. At the end of 15 mins, check for the consistency. If wanted microwave it for an other 2-3 mins .

Sprinkle the chopped Pistas and Cashews on top. Allow it to cool for 15 mins.

Cut into desired shapes and serve.

Chicken Masala Curry

Ingredients:
Chicken - 2 lbs
Onions - 3 small
Tomato - 1 (optional, I didn't use this time)
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 1 or 2 tbsp (optional)
Cardamom - 1
Cloves - 5
Cinnamon Stick- 1 small
Turmeric - a pinch
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tbsp (as per taste)
Chicken Curry Masala - 2 or 3 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Coriander - handful

Method:

Clean and cut the Chicken into small cubes (use a pinch of turmeric while cleaning).

Heat oil in a pan, add cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon stick, green chillies, onions and fry till they become translucent. Add Ginger-Garlic paste, fry for a min then add tomato and fry for 2-3 mins.

Add the Chicken pieces, salt, red chilli powder. Mix well and add some water if required. Cook covered.

When the Chicken is cooked, add chicken curry masala, lemon juice and check for salt.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Saucy Chicken Masala is ready to be served.