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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.