Sunday, April 27, 2014

Cream Cheese Pound Cake




Ingredients
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
150 gms unsalted butter, brought down to room temperature
150 gms cream cheese( room temperature)
200 gms castor sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
grated zest of a lemon

Method
  • Grease and line an 8 inch round cake tin.
  • Preheat the oven to 175 degree Celsius.
  • Sift together the flour,baking powder, baking soda and salt. Keep aside
  • Beat the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
  • Add the sugar little by little, beating well after each addition. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy.
  • Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  • Add vanilla extract and lemon zest. Beat well for around 3 minutes.
  • Add the flour mixture and mix until well incorporated.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top and bake for 40- 45 minutes or until a skewer poked into the cake comes out clean.
  • Remove cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack before serving.




Sunday, April 20, 2014

Nutella Biscuit Pudding




 Ingredients
150 grams arrow root biscuits
3-4 tablespoon butter(brought down to room temperature)
1 cup nutella
1 + 2 cups fresh cream
10 grams china grass
2 cups milk
3 tablespoon custard powder
400 grams milkmaid
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 teaspoon sugar(optional)
Grated chocolate for garnishing
Roasted nuts for garnishing

Method

  • In a pudding bowl,crush the biscuits using your hand.Add butter to it and mix well.
  • Press the mixture tightly to the base of the bowl and keep in the freezer for 10 minutes.
  • In another bowl add 1 cup nutella and 1 cup fresh cream.Mix well or beat with an electric mixer.
  • Pour the mixture on top of biscuit layer and freeze it again for another 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile,in a pan,add 3 tablespoon custard powder in 2 cups of milk.Stir and cook  until it thickens.Allow it to cool.
  • Cook 10 grams of china grass in 1 cup of water.
  • Stir continously until it melts.Strain the mixture and add to the custard.
  • Add milkmaid,vanilla extract,sugar (optional) and 2 cups fresh cream(optional) to the custard and beat with the electric mixer for 4-5 minutes.
  • Pour the mixture on top of  the nutella layer.
  • Garnish with grated chocolate.
  • Refrigerate for 2-3 hours and garnish with roasted nuts before serving.





Sunday, April 13, 2014

Aviyal


Ingredients
100 gms each of carrot, yam, raw banana, snakegourd, beans; cut into 2 inch sticks
1 drumstick, cut into 2 inch sticks
3 Tbsp sour yoghurt or 1 raw mango(sour) cut into thin sticks
3 shallots
3-4 green chillies
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 cup grated coconut
2 sprigs curry leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp chilli powder
salt
2 Tbsp coconut oil

Method


  • Cook the vegetables in little water adding turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt until three fourth cooked.
  • Add the yoghurt or mango pieces and mix well. Cover and cook for 3 minutes or until the mango is cooked.
  • Crush the shallots and green chillies and add it to the vegetables.
  • Coarsely grind the coconut with the cumin seeds. Add this to the vegetables and mix well gradually, taking care not to mash the vegetables. Cover and cook on a low flame for 2-3 minutes.
  • Switch off the flame. Add the curry leaves(crushed slightly with your fingers). Drizzle the coconut oil on top and serve.

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Fusilli in tomato sauce



 Ingredients
2 cups fusilli pasta
3 +1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup minced chicken(*Vegetarians can skip the chicken and proceed with the recipe.)
2-3 tomatoes
1 large onion chopped
4-5 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 yellow capsicum chopped
salt to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper powder
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon or more oregano herbs
2 tablespoon tomato sauce
3 tablespoon grated mozzarella/parmesan cheese
black olives for garnishing
Method
  • Cook pasta in boiling water by adding 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt until al dente.
  • Drain the pasta and keep aside.
  • In a separate pan,boil water and blanch the tomatoes.
  • Remove the skin carefully,deseed and roughly chop the tomatoes.
  • Heat a pan and add 3 tablespoon olive oil.
  • Add onion and garlic and saute until golden brown.
  • Add minced chicken and stir on high flame for 5-8 minutes until the water drained  from chicken is dried completely.
  • Now add yellow capsicum,tomatoes,salt,oregano,chili flakes,pepper powder,tomato sauce and cook for 5-8 minutes.
  • Now add boiled pasta and cheese and mix well.
  • Remove in a serving plate and garnish with black olives and some more cheese.


Wednesday, April 09, 2014

Pepper Chicken

Ingredients
500 gms chicken, cleaned and cut into small pieces
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp lime juice
4 shallots
5 green chillies
2 onions, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
1 inch ginger piece
few curry leaves
5 garlic cloves
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp crushed whole black pepper 
salt
5 tsp oil

Method
  • Marinate the chicken pieces with turmeric powder, pepper powder, lime juice and salt for 30 minutes.
  • Coarsely grind the shallots, green chillies, ginger and garlic.
  • Heat oil in a pan. Add the sliced onion. Fry the onions until they turn crisp and golden brown. Transfer the fried onions into a plate and keep aside.
  • Now to the same oil add the marinated chicken pieces and fry until brown on all sides. Transfer the chicken pieces also into a separate plate.
  • Add the grounded shallots mix to the same oil and saute well until the raw smell goes off.
  • Add the chopped tomatoes and curry leaves to this and saute on a medium low flame until the tomatoes turn mushy.
  • Now add the fried chicken pieces, soya sauce, fried onions, crushed pepper and coriander leaves. Mix well. 
  • Check the salt, and add more if required. Cover and cook for 4- 5 minutes on a low flame.
  • Switch off the flame and serve hot.


Sunday, April 06, 2014

Brinjal Patiala

Ingredients
1 kg brinjals, cut into cubes
1 tsp fenugreek/uluva/methi seeds
3 large onions, sliced
2 tomatoes, sliced
2 inch ginger piece, cut into juliennes
5-6 green chillies, slit lengthwise
20 cashewnuts, split into halves
20 raisins, soaked in water
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp fennel/perumjeerakam seeds
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp garam masala powder
3 Tbsp oil+ extra for frying
coriander leaves, chopped for garnishing
salt


Method
  • Fry the brinjal cubes in oil until golden and drain onto a kitchen tissue and keep aside.
  • Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok. Add the fenugreek and fennel seeds.
  • When they splutter, add the sliced onions and saute till transparent.

  • Now add the cashewnuts, raisins, green chillies and ginger. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
  • Add the chilli powder, salt, garam masala powder, tomatoes, lemon juice and sugar. Mix everything well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the fried brinjal cubes and mix well.
  • Cover and cook on a low flame for 5-6 minutes, so that the masala blends well with the brinjal pieces.
  • After 5 minutes, mix well, remove from the flame and serve garnished with chopped coriander leaves.