tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10157574959061404112024-03-19T18:06:05.085+05:30Aishwarya EatsHealthy home food. Rich celebration treats. Impulsive weekend food projects. Simple, quick and inexpensive.Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-19456347376056273982018-01-09T16:54:00.001+05:302018-01-09T16:55:15.706+05:30Broccoli Cheese and Chicken Soup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Been a while isn't it? A stressful year at work and major life changes maketh no time to update the blog, I'll tell you that. But now I have some breathing space, and here I am. </div>
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Winters in Mumbai are a joke, especially to those of us hailing from North India. I mean we are used to situations so foggy that we can't even see the staircases, and noses threatening to fall off in the cold (and the BEST fashion and consequently an excuse to eat the richest stuff). In Mumbai, what we get is fans on at 3-speed, sweating bullets and ice cream. 😐</div>
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To at least simulate the winters, I made this soup, which is thick, not as rich as it looks, but is yet luscious and smooth. It hits 4 food groups and though it takes a bit of time, it's easy-peasy lemon squeezy. More like easy peasy <b>Broccoli-Cheese and Chicken Soup-y.</b></div>
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<b><u>Broccoli Cheese and Chicken Soup</u></b></div>
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<u>You need:</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>1 head of broccoli</li>
<li>1.5-2 cups of milk</li>
<li>1 onion sliced</li>
<li>Peppercorns</li>
<li>1.5 tbsp flour</li>
<li>6-7 large cloves of garlic, chopped</li>
<li>A few leaves of basil (optional)</li>
<li>2 breasts or things of chicken</li>
<li>Olive oil/ butter</li>
<li>Shredded cheese. You can use mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar, gouda. Cheddar and gouda go especially well with this</li>
<li>Salt, pepper, oregano and chilli flakes</li>
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<u>The How</u>:</div>
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<li>Set a large pan of water to boil, generously add salt.</li>
<li>Roughly chop the broccoli to small florets. Chop in some of the stalk as well if it's tender</li>
<li>When the water has come to a rolling boil, switch it off and chuck the broccoli in. Make sure all the florets are submerged.</li>
<li>Leave it for 2-3 min, then strain it out. This is to wash it, and to kill any pesky worms/insects in the dense leaves.</li>
<li>In a pan, boil the chicken, chop into more manageable pieces if you want. Make sure you salt it well.</li>
<li>In a separate deep, heavy bottomed pan, add a healthy pat of butter/ olive oil</li>
<li>Add the onions and garlic, then add the peppercorns. Saute on medium.</li>
<li>When the onions and garlic become soft, add the flour and mix well. Saute on low for 1-1.5 min.</li>
<li>Add 2 cups of warmed water. Chuck roughly chopped bail leaves if using it, else omit.</li>
<li>Let it simmer till the broccoli is tender, should be about 10 min.</li>
<li>Switch off and let cool a bit.</li>
<li>By now the chicken should have been boiled fully. Roughly chop into pieces or shred. Set aside.</li>
<li>Next, using a hand blender or a normal mixie, blend till nice and smooth. Some chunks are okay if you want.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, heat the milk and keep ready. Put the soup back on low heat, and just barely heat it up. Add the chicken and stir.</li>
<li>Add the milk and stir well to combine.</li>
<li>Chuck in the cheese and let it melt and incorporate well. Season after this, as cheese has salt of its own.</li>
<li>Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes till hot throughout and take off the heat.</li>
<li>Ladle into bowls, add some more shredded cheese on top, sprinkle some pepper and there you go!</li>
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If you want you can have some bread with this, but it's quite a meal on its own. You can also eliminate the chicken and make it vegetarian, maybe chop up some mushrooms in there.</div>
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That's literally it. It'll fill you up, and give you the BEST sleep you've slept in a long time.</div>
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Till the next time!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-46144640418878782582017-04-03T11:07:00.002+05:302017-04-03T11:16:59.055+05:30Eggless Mango Semolina Rava Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have a bakery dangerously near my home, that many Mumbai folks would know of. An Iyengar bakery. There are many versions of this. New Iyengar, Original Iyengar, Iyengar Returns, Iyengar the Rising, etc etc. I kid I kid.</div>
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What they're all the same in, is the heavenly baked goods. This is not a bakery where I need to rob a decent enough bank to pay for one slice of opera cake. No sir. This is the old school bakery, where we still get khari and rusk by weight, cheese straws and jeera toast and their Rava Cake. Now I can't explain the texture and flavour of this rava cake to someone who hasn't had it. It's the definition of tender, lightly sweet, tastes just as good cold as warm, and is good for breakfast, snacks and any meals (I know, I've tried it).</div>
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And if one adds mango pulp into this, I give you something that you will finish in entirety for breakfast itself. It's dense, but tender, mildly sweet, bursting with juicy mango flavour with an occasional hit of black pepper. </div>
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<b><u>Mango Rava Cake</u></b></div>
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Recipe from <a href="http://www.betterbutter.in/recipe/10993/eggless-mango-semolina-cake">BetterButter</a></div>
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<u>You need:</u></div>
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<li>1 cup of fine semolina or rava</li>
<li>1/2 - 3/4 cup of castor sugar, depending on how sweet your mango is</li>
<li>1 cup of thick mango pulp (fresh or canned)</li>
<li>about 1/4 cup of oil, plus more for greasing the pan</li>
<li>1 tsp bakingpowder</li>
<li>Flavouring: the base recipe uses cardamom powder optionally, but you can use vanilla, or omit it as well. I used a generous pinch of crushed black pepper</li>
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<u>The How</u>:</div>
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<li>Mix the semolina, sugar, baking powder, and flavouring together. If using liquid vanilla, omit at this stage.</li>
<li>In a small bowl, mix the mango pulp and oil together (add the liquid vanilla here if using), and pour it into the dry ingredients.</li>
<li>Mix well, and leave it be for 20 minutes at least. This allows the rava to soak the liquids and plump up.</li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 180 celsius. If the batter looks too thick, add a tiny splash of milk.</li>
<li>Pour into a well greased loaf pan, sprinkle with nuts if you want, and bake for about 25 min. it should be done, but if not, bake only at 5 min gaps.</li>
<li>Ba warned, the cake will not rise much due to rava being heavier than flour. Do not add anymore baking powder since it will become bitter.</li>
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Cool completely and slice and enjoy!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-83559727486154558972016-11-01T16:27:00.000+05:302016-11-01T16:30:10.866+05:30Annakoot: Easy vegetable mishmash for Poojas or lazy days!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I do hope your Diwali has gone splendidly, as did mine. I hope it was full of sweets and hugs and laughter, new memories and lights. I hope we shared our joy with those not so fortunate. I hope we were all able to laugh, and enjoy ourselves. Here's wishing you a happy Diwali and a happy year ahead, from my family to yours.</div>
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Now the day post Diwali, comes something called Govardhan Pooja, a day I have been made aware of only 2 days earlier. One version of this story goes thus: Lord Krishna had given refuge to the residents of Braj from torrential rains for 7 days, by lifting the mountain Govardhan much like an umbrella on his finger. After 7 days, when life resumed, there was not much left in the villagers' kitchens. So a dish is prepared, with whatever is there in the kitchen, and that is offered up to thank Him for His grace. The other version, more practical, suggests that the day after Diwali, either all the vegetable stalls are shut, and/or one is too hungover to go buy veggies. In either case, there aren't fresh vegetables in the larder. So, a mish-mash of vegetables, in sattvik way is prepared which becomes that day's meal. This dish is called "<b><u>Annakoot</u></b>". </div>
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Which is what I'll be describing today, and how I pulled the recipe of this put of my....hat. There is apparently no set recipe to this. All it needs to be is without onion and garlic, and made in ghee. That's what I did, sort of followed the technique of the very famous Bengali Durga Pujo dish "labra" and applied it to what I had on hand. It becomes almost like a bhaji, that you can wipe down with chapati, paratha or even a nice toasted pao.</div>
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<b>Annakoot</b></div>
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<u>You need</u>:</div>
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<li>Vegetables you have in your fridge, chopped. I has cauliflower, sweet potato, beans, beets, pumpkins.</li>
<li>Ghee</li>
<li>1 large bay leaf or 2 small ones</li>
<li>1 large dry red chilli, broken</li>
<li>Salt</li>
<li>Sugar</li>
<li>Turmeric powder or haldi, a pinch</li>
<li>2 tsp Jeera or cumin seeds</li>
<li>A pinch of heeng</li>
<li>Handful of coriander leaves, chopped</li>
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<u>The How</u></div>
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<li>Wash and chop the vegetables. Cut according to size, for instance, pumpkins and sweet potatoes should not be too big, and cauliflowers should not be too small. Avoid tomatoes.</li>
<li>In a large kadhai, add a spoonful of ghee.</li>
<li>Add the jeera.</li>
<li>When it sputters, add in all the vegetables in one go. Stir well.</li>
<li>Keep stirring for a while on medium flame for about 5 minutes.</li>
<li>Add about 1/4 cup water, and cover to cook.</li>
<li>Let this be, stirring infrequently so that it doesn't burn. Let it be till the vegetables have completely softened.</li>
<li>Take this out into a bowl. In the same pan, add another spoonful of ghee. When it heats up, add in the bay leaf, heeng and red chilli. </li>
<li>Before they burn, but it begins to smell smoky, add in the vegetables.</li>
<li>Stir well to cook, so that the ghee reaches all the vegetables. </li>
<li>If need be, and if it looks dry, add more ghee. Add salt and sugar to taste.</li>
<li>At this point, you can choose to let the pieces be whole, or mash it with a potato masher to make a bhaji. If the latter, then mash it thoroughly with a masher till it reaches the level you want.</li>
<li>Cook some more, and take off heat.</li>
<li>Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top.</li>
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And it's ready! It feels utterly soothing to the system to have this, after a hard couple of days of partying. And whether or not you do the pooja, like I didn't, it's simply delicious!</div>
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Let me know how this was!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-45724114207040604402016-09-12T18:58:00.005+05:302016-09-12T19:00:07.706+05:30Hara Masala Khumb (Mushroom in Green Masala)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Have you ever been to a supermarket frozen foods section, and fell in love?</div>
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No? Just me? Okay then.</div>
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Seriously, my MOST favourite section of the store is the freezer. pre-prepped vegetables and herbs, just waiting to be transformed. Stir fry mixes, coconut chutney mix, sambar veggies, veggie noodles, undhiyu mixes, ingredients for Thai curries, and so many more. It just gives me such an amazing feeling of the magic that's about to happen in the kitchen without me slaving over chopping and peeling. Or, you know, "YAAASS!!".</div>
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So yesterday I picked up a mix of green masala, consisting of a bunch each of coriander, curry leaves, a handful of chillies, 2 large knobs of ginger, and a lemon. I saw the box, and even though it was sealed tight, I smelled it. Oh I smelled the delicious green smell wafting off a steaming plate at lunch. All I knew was that I have to make something or the other with it.</div>
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So, presenting a vegetarian side that I made up, just because I could imagine how yummy it would smell. <b>Mushrooms in Green Masala.</b> The gravy is smooth and green, smelling fresh and spicy, just waiting to be mopped up with chapatis or appams. The best part of this side is the absolute versatility of it. I used diced mushrooms, you can use it with soya nuggets, jackfruit, cauliflower-broccoli mix, mixed vegetables, prawns, chicken, lamb, anything at all. There isn't even a fixed amount of the ingredients!</div>
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<b>Hara Masala Khumb, or Mushrooms in Green Masala</b></div>
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<u>You need:</u></div>
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<ul>
<li>A bunch of fresh coriander leaves, torn and washed</li>
<li>A branch of curry leaves, washed</li>
<li>1 2-inch knob of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped</li>
<li>Juice of 1 lemon</li>
<li>A sprinkling of amchoor</li>
<li>Green chillies, depending on how spicy you want it</li>
<li>Garlic, roughly mashed</li>
<li>2 boxes of mushrooms, cleaned and halved (or any vegetables, totalling about 300-400 gm)</li>
<li>Oil</li>
<li>Salt to taste</li>
<li>Extra chopped coriander.</li>
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<u>The How:</u></div>
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<li>In the mixer, blend the coriander, curry leaves, the ginger, chopped chillies, and a tsp of the lemon juice, till it's a rough paste. You can add a little water, controlling it so that it doesn't becomes a complete watery liquid.</li>
<li>In a kadhai, heat the oil till its is smoking, then reduce heat to low. Add the garlic.</li>
<li>Saute for a few seconds, take care it doesn't burn, and tip in the mushrooms. Saute for a bit.</li>
<li>Add the green masala. Add salt, and amchoor.</li>
<li>Cook till it begin to leave out the oil on sides. You can add a bits of war water in case it's too tight. It should not be too soupy, but nor a completely tight sabzi.</li>
<li>Adjust salt and seasoning. Turn off the heat. Drizzle the lemon juice, sprinkle the chopped coriander, stir and serve hot with rotis or appams.</li>
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That's it! Let me know how this was!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-73668812726479768572016-07-26T22:30:00.002+05:302016-07-28T18:55:23.146+05:30Butterless Eggless Easy Depression Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Quick. Chocolatey. Squidgey. Smack you on the face delicious. Using only things that you have in your kitchen already.<script type="text/javascript">
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If not, you seriously need to go shopping.</div>
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Hello, welcome to the easiest chocolate cake in the world. Which is awesome because yay cake anytime. Which is also bad because oh God cake anytime.</div>
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No matter what we put on a cake, the end product, that makes or breaks it, is the cake itself. It cannot be crumbly. It cannot be squishy (in that weird way). It cannot be dry. It cannot be soaked in oil. It cannot be too sweet. It cannot taste of flour. I must not break my back baking it. It must use as few vessels as possible. We have a lot of demands for this poor thing.</div>
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Which is when, the oven gods bestow upon us the Depression Cake. No butter. No eggs. Just flour, chocolate, water, sugar, oil and vinegar. You heard that right. There is a very interesting back story to this I suppose. During the Great Depression in the US, eggs, butter etc were heavily rationed. Which put a spanner in every homemaker's plan. But could the cake-eating stop? Nay, I say. Human ingenuity has no bounds. So, by the logic of the chemical reaction, and logical role played by each ingredient which makes a cake what it is, items were substituted, and the Depression cake was born.</div>
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So presenting. the beautiful, fudgy yet cakey, the Depression Cake.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0XwxmbZoWmRpy2-NBdJZ-k-CoNtmfDrdW0iZN5iBXjkQgNrFGMqQVuYtDLCD4VrbfxQMuMh1DzYTIFEKhvztkdLLxOR86Mc0ScvFEj8pqmsAfarNwrsbcYufr_f8S1mKq-rfaeyXA1Qd/s1600/PicsArt_07-19-04.30.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ0XwxmbZoWmRpy2-NBdJZ-k-CoNtmfDrdW0iZN5iBXjkQgNrFGMqQVuYtDLCD4VrbfxQMuMh1DzYTIFEKhvztkdLLxOR86Mc0ScvFEj8pqmsAfarNwrsbcYufr_f8S1mKq-rfaeyXA1Qd/s640/PicsArt_07-19-04.30.12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Depression Cake</b><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">I have played around with the recipe provided by a friend on facebook. It's not mine :)</span></i></div>
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Serves 2 people, or 1 very happy person :)</div>
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<u>You need</u>:</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>1.5 cups of regular flour (I used the American standard measure). </li>
<li>1 cup caster sugar</li>
<li>1 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>1/4 cup of cocoa powder, unsweetened</li>
<li>about 1/3 cup odourless oil</li>
<li>1 cup of water (see note)</li>
<li>1 tsp white vinegar</li>
<li>Any essence you want (chocolate goes well with vanilla, coffee, butterscotch, caramel, nutty flavours)</li>
<li>Optional: chopped nuts</li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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<u>The How</u>:</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the liquid ones in another.</li>
<li>Add the liquid ingredients to the dry, and mix till combined. Do not overmix.</li>
<li>Fold in the nuts if using.</li>
<li>Pour into a greased pan, and bake at 180 celsius for about 30 minutes. Check post that, if anymore baking is needed.</li>
</ul>
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That's literally it. Let it cool, demould and chop it squares. </div>
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<u>Notes</u>:</div>
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</div>
<ul>
<li>You can even frost it with a basic ganache and then serve, but to me, it's not necessary.</li>
<li>The water mentioned, can also be the same quantity of hot strong coffee. I tried it, and the cake was absolutely delicious.</li>
<li>You can sub about 1/3rd cup of almond flour for 1/3rd cup flour.</li>
</ul>
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Eat away my friends, and be merry at such a ridiculously easy cake!</div>
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Till the next time!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-71925955655094539992016-07-12T17:04:00.000+05:302016-07-12T17:04:24.046+05:30Chilli Chocolate Wholewheat Almond Tart<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I'm going to keep this short because I'm excited and I cannot wait to share this recipe with you lot.</div>
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I found it. After months of trial and more errors than I can count, I found it. <span style="text-align: left;">The perfect tart shell recipe. Whole wheat and Almond tart crust with flaxseeds.</span></div>
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What's more, it's healthy, full of awesome fibres, healthy fats and none of that white flour or white sugar thing. It's eggless, uses flaxseeds and adds another dose of Omega-3 and various minerals with it. It's perfectly chewy from the almonds, has a satisfying wholesome bite and is utterly UTTERLY delicious. Pair it with a stone fruit tart, nutty frangipane filling, apple pie fillings or a dark chocolate ganache (as I did), and it will simply blow you away.</div>
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The ganache that I filled it with was a Dark Chocolate ganache, that was spiced with red chilli, clove and cinnamon powder, making it a deep rich and smooth filling that had an underlying warmth from the spices. What an absolutely stunning dessert this was!</div>
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So here's the recipe for my Wholewheat Almond Tart, with a spicy Dark Chocolate filling.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKfm8OEU4D2wWMZauoigpq_nctgVhxsAT4_s0kW84RbXNhPwrTdZU9ZLZMneDfOj9OEw7hMnmmZRRAh1mBHPIYS_tqFUcwIrugx-6OLZWORnPpmwbkIRT6ZiWf9jFUCouDB446wMbCm4b3/s1600/Edit13600000_1115928248449435_4273354723426429621_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKfm8OEU4D2wWMZauoigpq_nctgVhxsAT4_s0kW84RbXNhPwrTdZU9ZLZMneDfOj9OEw7hMnmmZRRAh1mBHPIYS_tqFUcwIrugx-6OLZWORnPpmwbkIRT6ZiWf9jFUCouDB446wMbCm4b3/s640/Edit13600000_1115928248449435_4273354723426429621_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Wholewheat Almond Tart, with a spicy Dark Chocolate filling</b></div>
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<u>You need:</u></div>
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<br /></div>
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For the shell-</div>
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<ul>
<li>1/3rd cup powdered almonds, heaped</li>
<li>1 cup whole wheat flour</li>
<li>a tiny pinch of salt</li>
<li>a sprinkle of cinnamon powder</li>
<li>2 tbsp chilled butter, cut into cubes</li>
<li>1/4 cup brown sugar</li>
<li>2 tbsp, any white flavourless oil</li>
<li>1 flax egg, (1 tbsp flax powder with 3 tbsp water, mixed and let rest for 15 min)</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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For the ganache- </div>
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<ul>
<li>300 gms dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces</li>
<li>200 ml cream</li>
<li>3 tsp red chilli powder</li>
<li>1 tsp cinnamon powder</li>
<li>1 tsp clove powder (add it if you have it)</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u>The How</u>:</div>
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<ul>
<li>In a pan, take the cream, and add the chilli, cinnamon and clove powder in it. Stir, warm it very gently and steep it for some time away from the heat.</li>
<li>Sift together the flour, almond powder, sugar and spices, or pulse a couple of times in a food processor.</li>
<li>Add the butter and oil and pulse a couple of times more, it will become like sand.</li>
<li>Add the flax egg and pulse a couple of more times, till it sort of comes together, but won't be dry and put together.</li>
<li>Take a 9 inch tart tin with a removable bottom, and empty the crumbs into it. Press down with your fingers till the crumbs form an even layer on the base and around the edges.</li>
<li>Preheat your oven at 180 celsius and bake it for 20 minutes. Once it's done, let it sit on the countertop and let it cool for a bit.</li>
<li>Till then, make the ganache. Heat the cream till it bubbles around the edges, swirl the cream and dump it into the chopped chocolate. Let it rest for 3-4 minutes, then stir till the cream gets incorporated in, and the ganache becomes thick, smooth and shiny. If that doesn't happen, microwave it for 10 seconds (not more, the fats will separate and you will be sad) and stir.</li>
<li>To assemble, pour the ganache into the tart shell. Smooth it over with a spatula.</li>
<li>Pop into the chiller with a foil loosely covering the surface and keep it for 3-4 hours.</li>
<li>Slice and serve!</li>
</ul>
</div>
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That's it! It's easy, quick and stunning to taste.</div>
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Let me know how it goes :)</div>
</div>
Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-63104039755028114762016-07-04T16:22:00.002+05:302016-07-04T16:23:18.964+05:30Wholewheat Oats Nutbutter Brookie Bites<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Okay people, time to get real.</div>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">I have long unrealistically horrific working hours sometimes, that makes it well nigh impossible to eat right, sleep enough or wake up early enough to exercise a bit. As a result, I've been putting on some unhealthy weight. Flab around the waist, pants don't seem to fit and shirts look like they're fit to pop a button or two. And I can't have that. Especially when I've controlled a large part of my diet. </span></div>
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Except the sweet nibbles. I simply cannot seem to stop craving for it. I've applied all the hacks possible, have dates, fruits (ugh) instead. Chew a handful of almonds. Have a glass of fresh juice. Nothing seems to work. The problem compounds itself when most desserts don't translate too well into whole wheat. All desserts are APF, or white flour, something that is really not so good for health. So far, all conversions to whole grain have failed miserably. Heavy, sad cakes and cookies that don't fluff up too well and are eaten only as a last resort.</div>
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Except what I made last night. Now weekends are my time to shine and bake (or try to bake) stuff that while it's good, is also marginally healthy. So this came about, while tinkering about. Wholegrain Nut Butter Brookie Bites. Brookies are currently hugely popular thanks to Masterchef, and there are multiple recipes floating about. Essentially brookies are a cross between a brownie and a cookie. My brookies are beautiful chocolatey nuggets, crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside, made of whole wheat flour, rolled oats, Horlicks, a giant scoop of peanut butter and chocolate. Very delicious, surprisingly filling and makes the house smell like a dream!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfKMLGeUiV-8J8DsqN0WjOs8PtWLYeNUJqgzLxRcRpM0i0hdqCka-Nty3fmNNOQLKnr0OKVzb9bnUPNCXtNRTLbKcX0_iP7ko2yhwlKqJ5yq1zGnjhlGBZLnzgpnYOQ4FLFY9QR2j52Ty/s1600/78905cf6-b618-4d32-b2e5-f14475d3660d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfKMLGeUiV-8J8DsqN0WjOs8PtWLYeNUJqgzLxRcRpM0i0hdqCka-Nty3fmNNOQLKnr0OKVzb9bnUPNCXtNRTLbKcX0_iP7ko2yhwlKqJ5yq1zGnjhlGBZLnzgpnYOQ4FLFY9QR2j52Ty/s640/78905cf6-b618-4d32-b2e5-f14475d3660d.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Wholewheat Oats Nutbutter Brookie Bites</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>You need</u>:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<ul>
<li>11 tbsp whole wheat flour</li>
<li>1 tbsp chocolate Horlicks (or regular)</li>
<li>3 tbsp chocolate powder</li>
<li>a handful of oats</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>8-9 tbsp oil</li>
<li>9 tbsp sugar</li>
<li>1 heaped tbsp peanut butter (I used chunky, you can smooth if you wish)</li>
<li>1.5 tsp baking powder</li>
<li>Optional: chopped or flaked almonds</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<br /></div>
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<u>The how</u>:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<ul>
<li>Sift and reserve the flour, Horlicks, chocolate powder and baking powder.</li>
<li>Whisk the eggs and sugar till foamy. Add the oil and mix in.</li>
<li>To this add the peanut butter and gently whisk in.</li>
<li>Add the sifted dry ingredients and the oats, mix gently to form a dough.</li>
<li>Chill the dough in the fridge for 1 hour at least.</li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 180 degree celsius.</li>
<li>Grease a baking pan, or line with a silicon mat or parchment paper and place small balls of the dough, about 1/2 tbsp sized. They do not spread, so you can place them about 1/2 inch away from each other.</li>
<li>Press an almond flake on top if you're using it, else skip.</li>
<li>Bake for 15 minutes.</li>
<li>When you take them out to cool, they will feel a bit soft, but they'll crisp up in no time.</li>
</ul>
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That's it! Enjoy with a glass of cold milk and let health save the day!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-50196159458298669382016-06-13T15:48:00.000+05:302016-06-13T16:12:47.494+05:30Basa in a Mustard, Poppy Seed and Tender Coconut Gravy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We have Bengali Saturdays on each...well Saturday. I am Bengali and R is not, so I take it as an opportunity to teach him about the indescribable amount of culinary heritage we Bengalis come from. And ease my homesickness, in one fell swoop.</div>
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Bengali food is all about flavour. And not one flavour. There are as many ways to make a fish main dish, as there are fishes we eat. A warm flavoured onion garlic and ginger gravy best in winters, a soupy broth with pointed and ridged gourds, with ground mustard (even that has 2 types at least), with only the juice of the onions, with cumin, with mangoes, with rice. The list goes on. The spices that add flavour to the dish vary from dish to dish, and most have ayurvedic logic for being added in a particular order. We use multitudes of vegetables and leafy greens, in uncountable ways. Bengalis are expert in the "tip to tail" way of eating, no part to be wasted. We eat the fish heads (the brains and eyes being especially prized for its high nutritional value), all the way to the tail. We eat everything from the fruit, to the vegetable to the flower to even the runners of a plant. There is every cooking technique being used in the cuisine, and it is very important to pay heed to that.</div>
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There are stories of how the wives of the house would turn the scraps and bony pieces of fish leftover after the men of the house had their fill into something that is so delicious, we specially make it at home, and not just as a last resort. There are stories of how the widows, under draconian rules, many unfortunately self-imposed, created a cuisine of it's own that sticks to each unreasonable rule, but is unearthly delicious. This is my beautiful Bengali cuisine. A lot of thought goes into every dish, and it shows.</div>
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What I decided to make this weekend, in the middle of a working weekend, was a mix of old school Bengali food, and new age techniques. Old school, because of the smoky sweet traditional flavours of mustard and tender coconut, and new age, because it is made in the microwave, quick and in 15 min flat. Behold, my Basa in a Mustard, Poppy seed and Tender Coconut gravy. Delicate flaky basa chunks, simmered in a pulpy gravy of piquant mustard seeds, milky poppy seeds, the soft sweet flesh of the tender coconuts and the water of the coconut, with slit green chillies liberally flavouring the gravy.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxqiTPXQNhVZ8db03A6BNYkH3OWtnade_wziFz_UZkszpY3CszpVDFkhxfhA7jyhzl2sONRLNFahyIGQ-wJ3JRzaBOvq1f3QhoBeE8wvsEL3zyXa-wNe9RN2luTTNtTWeNariPXNdqMh2/s1600/13442392_10157111213835455_1111941958887122544_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXxqiTPXQNhVZ8db03A6BNYkH3OWtnade_wziFz_UZkszpY3CszpVDFkhxfhA7jyhzl2sONRLNFahyIGQ-wJ3JRzaBOvq1f3QhoBeE8wvsEL3zyXa-wNe9RN2luTTNtTWeNariPXNdqMh2/s640/13442392_10157111213835455_1111941958887122544_n.jpg" width="638" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Basa in a Mustard, Poppy seed and Tender Coconut Gravy</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u>You need</u>:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>500 gms of basa fish, or any other skinless white fish, even prawns</li>
<li>1-1.5 tbsp of black mustard seeds</li>
<li>1-1.5 tbsp of poppy seeds (you can adjust this mustard to poppy seed ratio depending on spicy you want it, more mustard is more spicy).</li>
<li>The water from 1 tender coconut</li>
<li>The flesh scraped from 1 tender coconut, roughly chopped</li>
<li>1 small onion, finely chopped</li>
<li>3 green chillies, 1 chopped fine and 2 slit lengthwise</li>
<li>Salt and chilli powder to taste</li>
<li>Turmeric powder, a pinch</li>
<li>A splash of mustard oil</li>
<li>juice of half a lemon</li>
<li>a tbsp of maida</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u>The How</u>:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>Soak the mustard and poppy seeds in hot water overnight.</li>
<li>The next morning, drain the seeds, and blend into a fine paste with the chopped chilli, a pinch of salt, half the coconut flesh and a splash of the coconut water. It should not be watery, but flow slowly.</li>
<li>Wash and marinate the fish chunks with the lemon juice, turmeric, chilli powder and salt for about 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Drain any liquid from it, and toss in the flour.</li>
<li>Lightly panfry it, it does not need to be fully cooked.</li>
<li>Take a microwave safe dish. It should preferably not be bowl shaped, preferably with a flat floor.</li>
<li>Sprinkle the onions in the dish, and add the mustard paste and the rest of the tender coconut flesh.</li>
<li>Pour a bit of the coconut water and salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder into it, mix.</li>
<li>Add the fish chunks and make sure the mix completely coats the fish.</li>
<li>Add some more coconut water, but make sure the gravy isn't watery.</li>
<li>Splash the mustard oil, and stud with the slit chillies and.</li>
<li>Cover it with a microwave safe plate, or the bowl's own cover, and cook in the microwave mode for 4-5 minutes.</li>
<li>Keep covered till planning to serve. Preferably make it immediately before serving.</li>
<li>Serve with steamed white rice.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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And that's it!</div>
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Let me know how you like it!</div>
</div>
Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-42384413926715875882016-05-27T13:54:00.000+05:302016-05-27T13:54:18.493+05:30Lemon Chicken Spinach Millet Soup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I have been going through purgatory for the last 2 months at work. And I'm loving every single second of it.</div>
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The frenzy of work, the presentations shaping up from just an idea, computers failing after not being switched off for a month, returning home every single day, without fail, at any time between 2am and 4 am, then getting back by 9am, client meetings, reworking and the cycle repeats itself. It's fun, exhilarating and couldn't love it more (though it is taking a LOT out of me).</div>
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What I'm not liking, is the everyday dinner, mall food at the oddest hours. It's a roll, a wrap or a Subway every day. What I wouldn't give for home food, healthy and hot and at the right time. Which is what I did last night. By the grace of the Spaghetti Monster, I actually got free early, and decided to make use of extra time by cooking up a light soup, that's healing and homely.</div>
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And boy what a soup did I end up with! It took a total of 20 minutes, start to stop, it was light, herby brothy yet buttery, and wholesome and filling. Tender cubes of pan-fried chicken, shreds of spinach, flavoured with thyme, coriander and mint, with a nutty burst of millets in every spoonful. It's super customizable, gluten-free and if you swap out the chicken for tofu, and butter for olive oil, it's also vegan. Presenting my 20 Minute, One Pot Lemon Chicken Soup with Spinach and Millets.</div>
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<b>20 Minute, One Pot Lemon Chicken Soup with Spinach and Millets</b></div>
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<u>You need</u>:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>3 chicken thighs, chopped into 4-5 pieces (if going veg, then swap out for paneer or tofu or boiled soy nuggets)</li>
<li>Juice of 2-3 lemons</li>
<li>Lemon zest, if you have it</li>
<li>2 cups of spinach, washed and chopped roughly</li>
<li>3/4 cup of barnyard millets, washed. You can easily swap this for pasta, or brown rice.</li>
<li>a knob of ginger, peeled and smashed</li>
<li>Thyme, fresh or dried</li>
<li>1 bayleaf</li>
<li>750 ml water</li>
<li>Butter or olive oil</li>
<li>1 onion, finely chopped</li>
<li>Garlic, powder or 4-5 cloves, smashed</li>
<li>Salt and pepper to taste</li>
<li>A few drops of chilli oil if you have it (I didn't, I left it out)</li>
<li>A splash of white wine (I didn't, I left it out)</li>
<li>If you have a green chilli, then chop it up.</li>
<li>a bunch of coriander and mint leaves, chopped roughly</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u>The How</u>:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Marinate the chicken in about half the lemon juice, half the garlic, half the ginger, salt, pepper, chilli oil and half the chopped herbs in a non-metallic bowl for about 30 min.</li>
<li>Take a deep soup pot and add a knob of butter. Let it melt but not burn.</li>
<li>Add the chicken pieces and fry till 90% done.</li>
<li>Take it out on a plate, and chop into smaller pieces or shred it.</li>
<li>In the same pan, add the onion, garlic and ginger. Fry till soft.</li>
<li>At this point, deglaze the pan with white wine, or a splash of water.</li>
<li>Add the spinach and let it wilt. Add the thyme.</li>
<li>Add the chicken and millets and stir to combine.</li>
<li>Now add most of the water, toss in the bayleaf, cover and let it boil up. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.</li>
<li>At the end of 5 minutes, the millets would have swelled up. If it needs more water, add more water, and season accordingly.</li>
<li>Once the soup is done, add a bit of extra butter (optional), the rest of the herbs, the remaining lemon juice, the zest and the chopped chillis. Cover till you plan to serve.</li>
<li>Serve warm with a wedge of lemon and additional herbs sprinkled on top.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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And that's it!</div>
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<div>
It's perfect for summer, and be careful, a little millet goes a long way, they're deceptively filling. DO try at home and let me know how it was!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-81516566929153294232016-04-14T11:07:00.000+05:302016-04-14T11:08:23.656+05:303Ingredient Eggless Nutella Wholewheat Cookies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The last year has been a year of new things and fantastic changes for me. A blissful new life with the one I love, a new city, a new home, new jobs, taking a stand and getting out of toxic environments and another job that is, till now, all about extreme hard work and even more fun. I've celebrated festivals in differently, made my Ganesh murti from scratch, gave Saraswati a new place to sit and hit it out of the park on Diwali. I've started my own tiny little chocolate-making venture, had a lovely exhibition and am taking it forward. What a beautiful year of differences it has been! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Today is a special day for us Bengalis. It's our new year, the first day of Boishakh of the year 1423. I wish everyone a wonderful year ahead! It's a day of new clothes, scrumptious Bengali feasts, sweets, music, joy and love.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now in-keeping with what I wrote above, this too im celebrating with a difference. You see, in many families, today sweets are made at home to be served and distributed. With me, I'm doing it differently. I'm celebrating with the quickest and easiest cookies I've ever made.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">That's right. I'm celebrating with 3 Ingredients Eggless Nutella Wholewheat Cookies. It's simply a matter of mixing Nutella (or peanut butter or any such), flour and 1egg, or a replacement for 1 egg. This was done in 20 min flat from organising the stuff to taking it out of the oven to cool.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgDhQP-kV0gd0-MxhQLBPk5KjBhZe2xr9KTSpKyFMxx4cdl-n3MlOXjQJPsQ514iOvuag-X5DB88FU0MZESr9tWeOO9Fwpy7pYPkdxdb_gvlc4iBz05OI9fpexVj4MDgmpB1rJpnfbEqU/s1600/PicsArt_04-14-09.17.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvgDhQP-kV0gd0-MxhQLBPk5KjBhZe2xr9KTSpKyFMxx4cdl-n3MlOXjQJPsQ514iOvuag-X5DB88FU0MZESr9tWeOO9Fwpy7pYPkdxdb_gvlc4iBz05OI9fpexVj4MDgmpB1rJpnfbEqU/s640/PicsArt_04-14-09.17.19.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Without further ado, here's the recipe for this dense chewy nuggets of nutty goodness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3 Ingredient Eggless Nutella Wholewheat Cookies</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>What you need</u>:</span></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup Nutella </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup All Purpose Flour. I used 1 scant cup of whole wheat flour.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 egg or replacer. I used a flaxseed egg (1 tbsp flaxseed powder mixed with 3 tbsp water, mixed and kept till it reaches a glutinous texture)</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>The How</u>:</span></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In a mixer or by hand, mix the 3 ingredients together. Don't use a whisk, it'll get stuck inside and it will be messy. Use a spatula.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Take out small balls of the dough and place on a baking sheet or silicon mat.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bake for 10-12 minutes. It may be slightly soft in the centre. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then cool on a wire rack, it will crisp up there.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And that's it!</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
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Have a wonderful and happy year ahead everyone!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-74930367872994016622016-03-21T16:53:00.002+05:302016-03-21T17:56:12.294+05:30Apple Thandai Gujiya and Homemade Khoya<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is going to be a short one.</div>
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Holi. And apples.<script type="text/javascript">
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The twain meet in the belly of a soft, flaky gujiya. That Holi staple, beautifully pleated, golden brown with a hint of saffron. Signalling happy times, colours, stained skin for days and weigh gain, that we don;t care about.</div>
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Which is exactly what I made, when <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonApples.India">Washington Apples</a> sent me a beautiful box of Fuji, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp and Red Delicious apples. It had been a long LONG week, starting last Monday with no weekend, a really strenuous time. But this gujiyas could not be put off, because I am going home for Holi!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JtznMgcerpheCMWPOY1Isf80J21F2NZX5faE1gcv7D3I7JmT7kHW1ADRh-uAFATcwdV7ObyPRYjlm7OTyxIgCYi5-zvHSwN3ASxm9TMnENX9Qq-vmPEvPVelXHKpC6COHr6CicY619VR/s1600/PicsArt_03-21-02.40.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JtznMgcerpheCMWPOY1Isf80J21F2NZX5faE1gcv7D3I7JmT7kHW1ADRh-uAFATcwdV7ObyPRYjlm7OTyxIgCYi5-zvHSwN3ASxm9TMnENX9Qq-vmPEvPVelXHKpC6COHr6CicY619VR/s640/PicsArt_03-21-02.40.48.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now be warned, this is not a calorie friendly recipe. I consciously made it deep-fried and in maida because the whole wheat and baked version did not scream Holi to me. It was too sanitised, too conscious. Holi is a time for absolute abandon of inhibitions. And the whole year is left to make good on our fitness and diet ambitions. Just for this day, let's let it go.</div>
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It is however, very very conscious when it comes to purity of the ingredients. Awesome apples, dry fruits. This is pure khoya or mava or evaporated milk, because I made it myself. And before you think it, no, it wasn't the long route of over the fire. It easier, made in a microwave. That recipe is up here too. You simply cannot trust the quality of the khoya you get at dairies.</div>
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So without further ado, here's the recipe for Apple Gujiya, and Homemade Khoya. You easily double or halve the recipe. There's also a variation where you dip it in 1 string sugar syrup, but I chose not to.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Apple Gujiya</b></div>
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Recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/gujiya-recipe-apple-gujiya-recipe/">Veg Recipes of India</a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Makes about 40</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u>What you need</u>:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>4 cups of maida</li>
<li>2/3 cups of ghee</li>
<li>3/4 cup of water</li>
<li>2 cups of crumbled khoya if using ready made (see notes below for homemade recipe)</li>
<li>Chopped nuts, about a cup</li>
<li>2 chopped apples</li>
<li>Ginger powder, a couple of tsp</li>
<li>Cinnamon Powder, a couple of tsp</li>
<li>Bottled Thandai concentrate (optional)</li>
<li>Sugar about 5 tbsp, depending on how sweet the apples are and how sweet you want the gujiya to be.</li>
<li>Oil for deep frying.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u>The How</u>:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>For the dough, if you're doing this free-hand, then rub the flour and ghee till it resembles crumbs. Or pulse the flour and ghee in the food processor.</li>
<li>Slowly add the water, you may or may not need the full amount, and knead till the dough comes together. Knead it for a bit till it becomes smooth, then cover and keep till ready to use.</li>
<li>Ina heavy pan, toss together the apples and sugar for about 10-12 minutes on a low flame.</li>
<li>Add the nuts, spice powders and mix, then add the khoya. After some time the khoya will begin to melt.</li>
<li>Once it comes together, add the thandai concentrate if using, mix, switch off the flame and let it cool.</li>
<li>Tear out medium sized balls of the dough. Roll out into a round that is not too thick or thin. This is because while you don't want your gujiya to be doughy, you also don't want the covering to burst or rip. Store them on a plate, covered.</li>
<li>Now take one at a time, put a couple of spoonsful (or howmuchever you see fit) on one half of the circle, leaving a good border around it.</li>
<li>Now wet the edges with a little water, and take the other half and close the gujiya. Seal the borders with your finger.</li>
<li>If you can make a pleated pattern, go ahead. If you can't like me, pressing a fork to the edges will do just fine.</li>
<li>Repeat for all, and keep on a plate, covered. Make sure they don't touch, they might and tear otherwise.</li>
<li>Now heat oil, when the oil starts smoking then reduce the heat a bit, and fry each of the gujiyas one by one or two at a time if there's enough room in the kadhai till they're golden brown.</li>
<li>Take out on a paper towel lined plate and repeat.</li>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<u>Notes</u>:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>Always keep the dough covered, they tend to dry out quickly.</li>
<li>There's tons of pleating techniques online, it would be awesome if you tried them out!</li>
<li>Recipe for Khoya:</li>
<li>You need one cup of cream and one cup of milk powder. Mix it well in a microwave safe bowl. Micro it for 1 minute at high power. Take it out and stir it. Repeat till the khoya stage is achieved. It might take 8, 9, 10 cycles. It will thicken once done, so best to leave it slightly soft. Remember to stir every single time, and do not put it for more than 1 minute to hasten the process.</li>
</ul>
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That's it!</div>
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May your Holi be absolutely glorious, yummy and totally fun!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-37932622443570714652015-10-28T15:15:00.000+05:302015-10-28T15:15:08.450+05:30Cilantro Curryleaf Green Chilli Chicken<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Chicken is my life. It's my reason for living. <span style="text-align: left;">In any form. Tandoori. Tikka. Not KFC (ew no). Kababs. Grills. Tenders. Strips. Roasts. Gravies. Bakes. Shredded. Meatballs. On the bone. Without bone. On pizzas. As sausages. As keema. In patties. In pastas. In burgers. In soups. In salads. In gravies. In rolls. In sandwiches. In a ragu. In my face.</span></div>
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And I love cooking with it. It's just so easy and so quick and so ridiculously versatile. Any gravy or sauce would do. Butter garlic? Mushrooms? Tomato? Butter chicken? Thai green? Thai Red? Green Indian? Bengali style? Soups? With that in mind, and a HUGE bunch of coriander wilting away in the fridge, I embarked upon the journey of making Coriander Curry Leaf Green Chicken. Luscious, green and consider it healthy for the amount of greens you are consuming, and how little oil there is.</div>
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Now look, in this entire debate of breast meat vs thigh meat, I will always, till my dying breath side with thigh meat. It's soft, moist and layered with its own juices, and just so amazingly flavourful. Breast meat is a piece of an eraser, unchewable and tasteless and dry. So I'm going to go with thigh meat here in this recipe. Preferably bone-in because that's the best, but boneless thighs cut up into nuggets is good too.</div>
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<b>Coriander Curry Leaf and Green Chilli Chicken</b></div>
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Recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.umaskitchenexperiments.com/2012/03/coriander-chicken-cilantro-chicken.html?m=1">Uma's Kitchen Experiments</a></div>
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<u>You need</u>:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>800 gms boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces</li>
<li>a bunch of cilantro leaves</li>
<li>2 sprigs of curry leaves</li>
<li>1 capsicum</li>
<li>1 small tomato chopped.</li>
<li>1 large onion or 2 medium onions finely diced.</li>
<li>Cumin seeds 1 tsp</li>
<li>1 tsp coriander powder.</li>
<li>A handful of fresh green chillies</li>
<li>Juice of 1 whole lemon</li>
<li>a pinch of turmeric powder</li>
<li>Salt</li>
<li>Chilli powder</li>
<li>Ginger and garlic, minced together, 4 tsp</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u>The How</u>:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Wash and drain the chicken pieces. Add the lemon juice, salt, chilli powder, 2 tsp of the ginger garlic mince and mix well. Let it marinate for at least 30 min.</li>
<li>Till then, separate the cilantro leaves from the root, wash very thoroughly and chop it up roughly.</li>
<li>Separate the curry leaves from the stem and wash thoroughly. Wash the chillies and the capsicum and dice them as well.</li>
<li>In a blender, add the cilantro leaves, curry leaves, chillies and capsicum. Add just a splash of water, and blend till very finely ground into a paste.</li>
<li>Now in a kadhai, add 2 tbsp of oil. Let it heat.</li>
<li>Once it's smoking, reduce the heat and add the cumin seeds.</li>
<li>Once they splutter, add in the onions and one slit green chilli. Fry till soft.</li>
<li>Add the rest of the ginger garlic mince and fry till the raw smell is gone.</li>
<li>Add the chicken along with any marinade, and stir to coat it.</li>
<li>Cover and leave on a low flame for about 10-15 minutes. Keep stirring once in a while.</li>
<li>Once the chicken is half done, add the tomato and the coriander powder. You can add more chilli powder if you like your food really hot. I left it out. Mix well.</li>
<li>Once the raw smell of the spices go, add the green paste. Mix well to incorporate.</li>
<li>Cover again and cook on low flame till chicken is completely done. Taste to adjust for salt.</li>
<li>And done! Serve hot with rotis or rice.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's it!</div>
</div>
Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-22659549468918192652015-09-18T11:30:00.000+05:302015-09-18T11:31:03.077+05:30Vegan Wholewheat Nutty Banana Bread<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Ah that story.</div>
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When you want to eat healthy, start eating stuff that's better for me, and you get whole grain everything, vegetables, nothing with processed sugar, good proteins, convince yourself not to pick up the giant pack of Twix bars behind the counter, and pick up a bunch of fruits, including bananas, which you read somewhere is a superfruit and eating it will solve all of life's problems including but not limited to waist expansion, despite the fact that you hate its mushy guts.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Then you end up eating everything, except those damned bananas. You're sorry, nothing can make you eat a banana. Its mushy, it's got the thread thingies and the butt of a banana is something even Satan apologizes for. Its very presence in a fruit salad lowers the TQ (taste quotient) of the whole bowl. So yes, by now you figure that I kind of don't really like bananas.</div>
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But you've bought 6, eaten 2, and 4 are left, steadily getting riper and stinking up the kitchen. You need to use those up, because yuck as they may be, you'll be damned if you let good money go into the bin. So you make a Vegan Wholewheat Nutty Banana Bread out of it, because strangely, your hatred for bananas doesn't extend to a piece of warm, pillowy wedge of banana bread. Funny.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SjsRX5C5RQGQd3szuomxkYd2kVBw5YSvOqTs4zQTfg9WEeB4Zr5OVPZgYdurkkzULkxOcqUWlI370B1OZ2Tv_tbAxpdCr0XnazjlfgDGRdo8V-tdCOJR9rQPV7KlpT9bGgo4dyUSU-oM/s1600/PicsArt_1442552869686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SjsRX5C5RQGQd3szuomxkYd2kVBw5YSvOqTs4zQTfg9WEeB4Zr5OVPZgYdurkkzULkxOcqUWlI370B1OZ2Tv_tbAxpdCr0XnazjlfgDGRdo8V-tdCOJR9rQPV7KlpT9bGgo4dyUSU-oM/s640/PicsArt_1442552869686.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Vegan Wholewheat Nutty Banana Bread</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
makes one 6-inch round cake</div>
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All measurements are American standard</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Recipe from <a href="http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/banana-bread-eggless-vegan-recipe/">Veg Recipes of India</a></div>
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<b>You need:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>4 medium sized bananas, very ripe</li>
<li>11/2 cups, or 180 gms atta or wholewheat flour</li>
<li>1/2 cup of any odourless white oil (sunflower, rice bran, or even coconut oil. DO NOT use sesame oil)</li>
<li>1/2 cup of granulated sugar</li>
<li>1.5 tsp good fresh baking powder</li>
<li>0.5 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>a splash of vanilla</li>
<li>a pinch of cinnamon powder</li>
<li>a handful of toasted and chopped walnuts preferably, or almonds. You can substitute with chocolate chips as well.</li>
<li>a handful of pumpkin seeds or whole walnuts/almonds for topping (optional)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>The How:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>Preheat your oven to 180 C. Grease a loaf pan or a round cake pan.</li>
<li>Peel and chop the bananas, and mash it well with a potato masher, or blend it in a blender. Make sure there are absolutely NO lumps. Some stringy bit are fine.</li>
<li>Add the sugar and mix it.</li>
<li>Add in the oil and mix it so it gets incorporated.</li>
<li>Add the vanilla essence into this mix.</li>
<li>Sift the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and baking soda into it. Now fold it in gently so that the batter doesn't let out the air we've put into it so far. </li>
<li>Add the nuts, fold in gently again. The texture will right now be halfway between a dough and a batter.</li>
<li>Now pour into the cake pan, and sprinkle the pumpkin seeds or nuts on top.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXDUe1xISkWTaz-LFP15AT82QDz_csJlRvlvXrvHDx1XznZSM8T45YrUR5e0wFiAsBc6iYhWTpvK5xk4hPToVcAD77lbHRfsHrQZF0F2RUgKuqNlNNSCGJGhDtQgvNyYnNUCbPUR1er8b/s1600/PicsArt_1442555664477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXDUe1xISkWTaz-LFP15AT82QDz_csJlRvlvXrvHDx1XznZSM8T45YrUR5e0wFiAsBc6iYhWTpvK5xk4hPToVcAD77lbHRfsHrQZF0F2RUgKuqNlNNSCGJGhDtQgvNyYnNUCbPUR1er8b/s640/PicsArt_1442555664477.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>Bake for at least 30 minutes. Oven differ so it might take more time. Test with a toothpick, and bake in 5 min additional bursts if necessary.</li>
<li>Unmould and let cool. </li>
</ul>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KTzDzAnS1jkuMzRk7cQkgekR2ni83cqpa9D3AupJxXzMMPdOy2hID9q-INKzEKeN3hoSD1M8cvZxeE6bFRRZNsG6xzgw_OgHG6_G2tVcIdqTwv8TeYiFTgHAbMkf2rdCcNzY2yKHKTWv/s1600/PicsArt_1442552946975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6KTzDzAnS1jkuMzRk7cQkgekR2ni83cqpa9D3AupJxXzMMPdOy2hID9q-INKzEKeN3hoSD1M8cvZxeE6bFRRZNsG6xzgw_OgHG6_G2tVcIdqTwv8TeYiFTgHAbMkf2rdCcNzY2yKHKTWv/s640/PicsArt_1442552946975.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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And that's it! Whenever you eat this, remember to warm it a bit, it tastes best then. Maybe put a smidge of butter or a scoop of ice cream? :D</div>
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Till the next time!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-80311287195879587712015-08-19T01:11:00.000+05:302015-09-02T11:36:48.933+05:30Cinnamon Clove Chunky Apple Jam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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You guys know right, what I feel about fruit?</div>
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I hate fruits.</div>
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People seem to think they're the tastiest things not to mention healthy. I seem to have an aversion to all fruits barring lychees. Especially bananas and apples. Bananas with yellow goopy insides with strings and what-not and apples with weird sandy interiors that aren't even very juicy. My hatred of fruits seem to be correlating with strange phenomena of previously well-fitted pants not fitting anymore. Strange.</div>
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With R being the exact opposite, (he loved fruits so much I swear he's a monkey), there are times when there are fruits in the house that's leftover, and I've sworn not to eat them. Bananas, apples, grapes. Overripe bananas I use in banana breads. Overripe grapes I give to the birds, that's way past redemption. And extra apples. Those I turn into my special <b>Cinnamon and Clove</b> <b>Chunky Apple Jam.</b> A bottle of 100% natural Apple Jam, chunky and spiced with warming flavours of cloves and cinnamon. You know what is going into it. Zero preservatives. Not only is it incredibly delicious (like I-can't-believe-I-made-this delicious), but it's also ridiculously easy. All you need is patience. And apples.</div>
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Presenting my <b>Cinnamon and Clove Chunky Apple Jam.</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIJFoRhe-WpNZ5H7mxYn2-bSRYhPl-dPT-FYUNHZZOr6OXwaoHoBjGFx-GYMCIvyn19SmP9_rdNtiqVnZFSGhsU8WfAFWsKHa6UlAWYrQPA9cNUjwvyPoP9ptFzmGemkgn8ioIfQg5ZLk/s1600/Jam1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIJFoRhe-WpNZ5H7mxYn2-bSRYhPl-dPT-FYUNHZZOr6OXwaoHoBjGFx-GYMCIvyn19SmP9_rdNtiqVnZFSGhsU8WfAFWsKHa6UlAWYrQPA9cNUjwvyPoP9ptFzmGemkgn8ioIfQg5ZLk/s640/Jam1.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Cinnamon and Clove Chunky Apple Jam</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You need:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>2 apples. I used 1 and a half normal sized pink-and-yellow apples.</li>
<li>Sugar. Crystal or castor, doesn't matter. It's difficult to give the quantity. If it's a sweet apple like Washington apples, you need less. For what I used, the slightly tangy apples, I used about 9-10 tbsp sugar.</li>
<li>1 large stick of cinnamon broken in half, </li>
<li>1 dash of cinnamon powder</li>
<li>5-6 cloves. </li>
<li>A teaspoon of lemon juice.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The How:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>Peel and core the apples, and chop them up as finely and small as you can. Don't make a paste of it, not even if you want a non-chunky jam. Just chop it fine. Tip into a pan. </li>
<li>Add the spices. </li>
<li>Add the sugar. Add just a touch of water. Maybe a tablespoon. </li>
<li>Put it on the flame. High for a while, then when the mix gets all watery, medium-low, on the lower side. </li>
<li>Keep stirring, not continuously, but frequently. The point is to wilt the apples.</li>
<li>After a point you'll feel "why the h*** aren't the apples melting down? Have they started? Maybe, I don't know!" But keep patience, it takes time. </li>
<li>After a long while, you'll notice some apples beginning to turn slightly brown and limp. That's what we are waiting for. That's when it starts to melt down. </li>
<li>From that point on, keep picking up the larger pieces and poking at them with a knife. Even if it feel soft, it's nor done until its brownish and limp. </li>
<li>When 95% of the pieces are wilted and cooked, take it off the flame. </li>
<li>Very carefully and keeping any exposed part of your hands or face away and covered, stick a blender in the pan to blend til your desired level of chunkiness. Please be VERY careful here, it'll throw up bits and pieces of VERY hot sugar and apple, and you don't want to get some on your hands (as I did). </li>
<li>Once you have your favoured consistency, put it back on the heat and stir. </li>
<li>You'll be able to tell when it's done as far as texture goes. It'll be all nice and sticky. Don't let it become too stiff to stir because it'll stiffen further in the fridge. </li>
<li>Add a bit of lemon juice and stir it in. </li>
<li>Keep a glass jar washed and completely dried. </li>
<li>Very carefully, ladle the jam into the jar. </li>
<li>Now keep the jar on your kitchen table, under a running fan, unlidded. We need to let it cool before we cap it. Just keep a large net or something on top. </li>
<li>Once it cools to bare warmth, put it unlidded in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes. It will completely cool. </li>
<li>Then cap tightly and store. It should be good for at least 2 weeks. Mine did in the fridge in humid Mumbai weather.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Have it with ANYTHING. Toasted bread, pancakes, toasted cake slices, or right off the spoon! It's so good, you'll get fruit just to do this!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-17963803536785335472015-08-06T10:14:00.000+05:302015-08-07T11:49:38.708+05:30No-Bake Eggless Fudge-n-Biscuit Freezer Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Everyone has that one person in their lives who, if possible, would live in a house made of chocolate, with furniture made of chocolate, and nibbling their way through it, on a planet made of chocolate, nibbling their way through that as well. I have one in my life too. The permanent roommate, R. He loves chocolate, possibly more than he loves me. And while he's not picky, for him, the darker the chocolate the better it is.</div>
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I'm not that much a chocolate lover myself. You see the way I see it......</div>
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Pfft. Nah I couldn't say that even in jest. Oh who am I kidding. I love chocolate. In any form. Bars. Chips. Hot chocolate. Chocolate milkshakes. Brownies and cakes. Ice cream. Chocolate coated strawberries and nuts. Frosting. Ganache. Compound. Coverture. Absolutely in any form. Which brings me to the best chocolate dessert I've not only ever had, but also made. It's an absolute sellout, and is my MOST requested item after my Horlicks cookies.</div>
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<b>The No-Bake Eggless Fudge-n-Biscuit Freezer Cake. </b>Rubbles of biscuits spread carelessly through dense rich dark chocolate fudge. If you want, rum, raisins, and/or nuts may be in attendance in that fudgy goodness as well. It's soft, yet dense. Chewy yet melt in the mouth. It's definitely eggless. The prep time is less than 15 minutes, the setting takes overnight. The biscuits soften but don't turn to mush when you eat it. It's the perfect birthday cake for anyone who's not too fond of cake. And it's also automatic portion control, since one slice of this is enough to satiate a person. Although, people (and by people I mean R and I, and a few friends) have been known to have more than a slice in one sitting, and finishing the rest clandestinely for breakfast. R, my love, you think I don't know, but I do. After all, half the cake couldn't have disappeared in one night!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCLm1nCprvQ7LEfyPyjQ2pwYi_c67PbLKRzDnDEOul4g0PwRA0Sv5Rgn-s0VAyZJWAnIyDbXmfSVi7Trig7Mp9sBqlWMAquHjToHQnC-wlG5gL03rFM3VFjpIAjB9Vkd2gr6g9pQtp8f7/s1600/20150408_225153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnCLm1nCprvQ7LEfyPyjQ2pwYi_c67PbLKRzDnDEOul4g0PwRA0Sv5Rgn-s0VAyZJWAnIyDbXmfSVi7Trig7Mp9sBqlWMAquHjToHQnC-wlG5gL03rFM3VFjpIAjB9Vkd2gr6g9pQtp8f7/s640/20150408_225153.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Things to remember: Every ingredient at room temperature unless otherwise specified. Always.</div>
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<div>
<b>No-Bake Eggless Fudge-n-Biscuit Freezer Cake</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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You need:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>500 gms of compound dark chocolate. I use Morde. If you want you can use milk chocolate, but the flavour doesn't pop that much.</li>
<li>250 ml cream. I've used Amul cream.</li>
<li>A full large single sleeve of Marie biscuits or ginger biscuits. These are usually eggless. Don't use sweet biscuits.</li>
<li>2 large bowls, one in the shape in which you want the cake.</li>
<li>Plastic wrap or foil, I use foil.</li>
<li>Toasted chopped nuts, rum-soaked raisins, and additional liquor or coffee if you want.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
The How: </div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Chop up the chocolate into a little less than bite sized pieces. Pour it all in one bowl.</li>
<li>In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the cream till tiny bubbles appear on the sides. Turn off the heat. If you have any additional liquors/coffee to be added, add it in the cream then heat.</li>
<li>Pour the cream on the chocolate. Let it stay like that for at least 5 minutes. Don't stir now.</li>
<li>Till then, pack all the biscuits in a ziploc bag and break them into smaller bits with a rolling pin. Don't reduce it to powder. Just break them into smaller bits. (See the picture to get an idea)</li>
<li>5 minutes later, give it a stir with a spatula. All the chocolate should have melted. If not, put it in the microwave for 15 second bursts, or heat over a double boiler.</li>
<li>When completely melted, it should have turned shiny. It will be flowing but only if pushed, but not at all runny.</li>
<li>Add the biscuits and nuts if any. Stir to combine thoroughly.</li>
<li>In the bowl which you will set this in, line it carefully with foil. Make sure there are no tears, and every corner is moulded properly.</li>
<li>Pour the ganache into the mould and push it with a spatula into every corner and to flatten the surface. Tap it a couple of times on the counter to release any air pockets.</li>
<li>Take a large piece of plastic wrap or foil, and cover the surface, touching it. As in put the wrap on the surface and flatten it with your hands to completely cover it and make a flat surface. </li>
<li>Put it in the freezer overnight or 4-6 hours.</li>
<li>At least 2-3 hours before consumption, take it out into the normal fridge area.</li>
<li>When unmoulding, take off the flat foil first. Pick out any torn bits carefully.</li>
<li>Now overturn the bowl on your serving plate. Take off the moulded foil slowly and ever so carefully. Pick out any torn bits.</li>
<li>Put it back into the fridge till consumption.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
That's it! You can divide it into individual serving bowls or smaller bowls as well.</div>
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<div>
This will be the tastiest dessert you've ever made. And it's impossible to stuff up.</div>
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Till the next time!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-29287245191768734302015-07-01T15:18:00.001+05:302015-07-01T15:18:28.594+05:30Matar Paneer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi! Here I am, again, to give ideas for quick, and non-labourious meals to chow down while watching Masterchef Australia after a hard day at work!</div>
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One of the mains that really rescues me is <i>paneer</i>.<i> </i>It's tasty, so very versatile, healthy, filling, inexpensive and readily available, or very easily made at home. And you can make it with anything. Capsicum? Done. Nuts? Done. Tomatoes? Done. Mashed up with some mayo and stuffed into a sandwich? Done done done.</div>
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My favourite is, however, the quintessential Indian paneer dish, Matar Paneer. The recipe that every non-Indian around the world replicates to mop up with <i>naans </i>and calls it Indian exotic food<i>.</i> The recipe that so many Indians, no matter where they are, replicate when they miss <i>Ma ke haath ka khana.</i> Soft cubes of paneer, fried crisp or not, in a surprisingly light tomato-and-onion based broth like gravy, studded with green peas. It takes not more than a half hour, and goes well with everything.</div>
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Presenting, <b>Matar Paneer</b>, from the Lahiri-Khanna kitchen:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWghfTNC_Elz1Z3WjAJGTR8l1f9p3GydG1AnpnLAQeCmofT7okmzJIxfJg_TGTuNj1FLS8RP_39dO9YFqkn0US5edxy8fwUwLarmnz37Dh2-0kJ02eUXL7yQf723IQLFFF98b1dbgHgqt/s1600/1_edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWghfTNC_Elz1Z3WjAJGTR8l1f9p3GydG1AnpnLAQeCmofT7okmzJIxfJg_TGTuNj1FLS8RP_39dO9YFqkn0US5edxy8fwUwLarmnz37Dh2-0kJ02eUXL7yQf723IQLFFF98b1dbgHgqt/s640/1_edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Matar Paneer</b></div>
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serves 2 for 2 meals</div>
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<b>You need</b>:</div>
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<ul>
<li>250-300 gm paneer</li>
<li>a handful of peas, washed (you can increase or decrease this to your liking)</li>
<li>1 large tomato or 2 small tomatoes, cut into cubes or ketchup <i>(please refer to recipe notes at the bottom of the post)</i></li>
<li>2 medium onions, minced into a paste</li>
<li>1/2 tsp haldi or turmeric</li>
<li>3/4 tsp kashmiri mirch or chilli powder for colour</li>
<li>1/2 tsp deghi mirch or chilli powder for heat</li>
<li>1 tiny pinch of jeera powder or cumin powder</li>
<li>Salt and sugar</li>
<li>Warm water</li>
<li>Oil</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>The How</b>:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Cut the paneer into cubes, not too small but not too large either. If you want, fry these till golden around the edges. I prefer non fried.</li>
<li>In a <i>kadhai</i>, heat oil. When hot, lower the flame to medium and add the onions. Fry till pinkish.</li>
<li>Add the cubed tomatoes or an equivalent amount of ketchup. Stir and fry on medium-high heat.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVd5p4i4e2xkOAbh8jCdB0taCgDWZiNnpKfHJYv2OJayTyubT4XCL4WlOcQoZVrW-x6PDXwrfcyT57Pz8MSMsKDAiFKoG6hgL1tAbvyX2-lhIucmXO4CoXHJTPnod9d_8t4a0X57HdfIA/s1600/3_edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjVd5p4i4e2xkOAbh8jCdB0taCgDWZiNnpKfHJYv2OJayTyubT4XCL4WlOcQoZVrW-x6PDXwrfcyT57Pz8MSMsKDAiFKoG6hgL1tAbvyX2-lhIucmXO4CoXHJTPnod9d_8t4a0X57HdfIA/s640/3_edited.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>When the raw smell of the onion leaves and it smells sweet and fried, add turmeric and chilli powders. </li>
<li>Mix well and add the peas. Toss to coat the peas in the masala. Season with salt and sugar.</li>
<li>After about 1 minute, add the paneer cubes. Very gently mix so that the masala coats the cubes well.</li>
<li>Continue gently mixing for about 3-4 minutes.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<ul>
<li>Add the warm water, stir everything and let it come to a gentle boil.</li>
<li>Let it boil for at least 2 minutes, then turn off the flame.</li>
<li>Turn out into the serving bowl, and serve hot with a dollop of butter on top.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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Recipe notes:</div>
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You can add ketchup in place of tomatoes in this and any other gravy, in case anyone in your family isn't allowed to have tomatoes for health reasons like uric acid, etc.</div>
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That's it! You can enjoy this with anything, rotis, parathas, rice, leftover pulao or even bread.</div>
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Till the next time!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-15060787163451972092015-06-09T12:21:00.002+05:302015-06-09T12:29:29.527+05:30Coffee Bailey's No-Churn Ice Cream<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So. Summer's here eh?</div>
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-_-</div>
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There isn't a minute here in Mumbai when I don't feel like I'm being boiled. It's ridiculous, and for the first time, I'm wondering what have we humans done to this planet? Seasons are all over the place, rainfall schedules are about as dependable as IRCTC, droughts and floods happening at the same time in different parts of the world, pollution simply going through the roof, ruined crops. What have we done to this world? Is there time to make it better? Or is it too late?</div>
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But then I notice the bowl of <b>Eggless, No-Churn, creamy Coffee Ice Cream with a serious hit of Hazelnut Bailey's Irish Creme</b>, and all thought goes right out of the window,</div>
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This ice cream may just be the best I've had all my life. And I'm not just saying because I've made it. I mean imagine this. Strong Kerala coffee, that you drink from that small cup, milky and frothy, being converted into a popsicle. Cold and smooth. And added to that, you spike it with a good splash of sweet nutty Hazelnut Bailey's Irish Creme. So every nibble of the popsicle introduces your tastebuds to the cold creamy flavour of strong sweet coffee and that mild warmth of Irish creme.</div>
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Now this recipe is easy. Easy peasy. You don't need an ice-cream maker. It's infinitely customizable. You don't need to use your elbow grease to churn it. It's eggless. And it uses the stuff that you will be guarantee take not more than 30 minutes to source, and that includes the phone call to the grocery dude.</div>
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Presenting, my <b>Eggless, No-Churn, Coffee Ice Cream with Bailey's Irish Creme</b>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYkLRK6O5Shs553VD9uiYLjTGoN-fiiQ0Dzc6zuOsR0mCX3RKj4p-HmX4Fl_c5TnBj2RjVnEukrjuJYWK5kS4w0hV-OJSs6zQ5ZEWSJ6ikAsv0I4N-P18S_-VnVOQ_tGLfQg6btoq4XnJ/s1600/IMG_20150609_092016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHYkLRK6O5Shs553VD9uiYLjTGoN-fiiQ0Dzc6zuOsR0mCX3RKj4p-HmX4Fl_c5TnBj2RjVnEukrjuJYWK5kS4w0hV-OJSs6zQ5ZEWSJ6ikAsv0I4N-P18S_-VnVOQ_tGLfQg6btoq4XnJ/s640/IMG_20150609_092016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.cookingandme.com/2014/05/eggless-mango-ice-cream-recipe.html">Cooking and Me</a></div>
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Makes enough for 6 kulfi-sized popsicles, and a bowl full about 500 ml</div>
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<b>You need</b>:</div>
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<ul>
<li>1 can condensed milk, that would be about 400 gm</li>
<li>2 200 ml tetrapacks, that's 400 ml</li>
<li>1 cup very strong coffee, brewed then cooled down. Add only a sprinkling of sugar in this while brewing. You can substitute this with 1 cup of fruit pulp as well.</li>
<li>2 capfuls of Bailey's Irish Creme (you can avoid this if you want to make it non-alcoholic)</li>
<li>2 tsp of butterscotch flavouring, if you have it, else ignore.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<b>The How</b>:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>In a blender with a tall jar, add the cream. Add only a little bit of the water in the pack, discard the rest. Blend it well till it's thicker than before. But don't overblend it, else it'll split. If it doesn't turn thicker, don't worry, just continue anyway.</li>
<li>Add the condensed milk. When you open the can and try to take out every drop of the liquid, PLEASE use a spoon or something. Don't use your finger, the edge of the can might slice into your finger and it'll be ugly, bloody and painful. You might even need to get a tetanus shot in case it's rusty.</li>
<li>Blend the cream and condensed milk well.</li>
<li>Add in the flavouring, the Irish Creme and the coffee. Hold the lid of the blender well and blend.</li>
<li>Turn out into a large bowl, with enough space left over. Cover with foil or cling wrap and freeze overnight. Now I say overnight because the alcohol will prevent it from completely freezing, it will be more like a frozen slush. If you're not using alcohol, 6-7 hours undisturbed might just be enough.</li>
<li>When frozen, scoop it out into the blender again, and blend it one more time.</li>
<li>Now turn it out into the bowl or moulds if you want, and chuck it back into the freezer for at least 4-6 hours.</li>
<li>Scoop out into bowls, and enjoy.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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That's it! It's easy, very low on hard work, and so indulgent that it'll knock your socks off.</div>
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Till the next time!</div>
</div>
Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-14677430499270708882015-06-01T13:28:00.002+05:302015-09-02T12:12:54.692+05:30Tamil style Chicken Coconut Stew: Chicken Kuzhambu<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Peeps!</div>
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Time for a chicken recipe!</div>
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Seeing as you know me for so long, you'd know that in my pre-married life, I did not cook. I baked. And looked fancy-a** dishes on Pinterest and tried to make them. But regular daily food? Nevah. One of the things I did cook though, was a <b>Chicken Kuzhambu</b>. A gloriously coconutty gravy, embellished with the homey flavour of curry leaves, texture from the poppy seeds, and tender, melt-in-the-mouth chicken. It takes a little time, and the list of ingredients is frighteningly long but its very very worth it!</div>
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So here's the recipe for <b>Chicken Kuzhambu</b>. Many readers requested an accompaniment to the <a href="http://www.aishwaryaeats.com/2015/05/instant-rice-pancakes-neer-dosa.html">Neer Dosa</a> recipe I put up last week, and this is it!</div>
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<b>Chicken Kuzhambu</b></div>
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.spicytreats.net/2013/01/chicken-kuzhambu-easy-chicken-kuzhambu.html">Spicy Treats</a></div>
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You need:</div>
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<ul>
<li>1 kg chicken</li>
<li>3 large onions, chopped fine</li>
<li>2 tomatoes, chopped</li>
<li>2 tbsp ginger garlic paste</li>
<li>5 green chillies, slit</li>
<li>10-12 curry leaves. Get the larger older leaves, they have more flavour.</li>
<li>10-12 stems of coriander leaves, chopped</li>
<li>3-4 sprigs of mint leaves, </li>
<li>1/2 tsp turmeric powder/ haldi</li>
<li>2-3 tsp of chilli powder</li>
<li>3 tsp of coriander powder/ dhania</li>
<li>4-5 lemon leaves cut into halves, or 2 1 inch stalks of lemongrass, bruised. (This is optional. If you can't source this, leave it out)</li>
<li>Oil</li>
<li>Salt and sugar, to taste</li>
</ul>
</div>
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For tempering</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>2 tsp mustard seeds/ rai</li>
<li>1 tsp + 1 tsp fennel seeds/ saunf</li>
<li>1 stick of cinnamon</li>
<li>4-5 cloves</li>
</ul>
</div>
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For grinding</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>Scant 1 cup shredded coconut or kopra, soaked in very little water</li>
<li>2 tsp dalia or oats</li>
<li>1 tsp poppy seeds/ khus khus</li>
</ul>
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The How:</div>
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<br />
<ul>
<li>Okay first wash the chicken very well and marinate in salt, turmeric and chilli powder (over and above what I've mentioned).</li>
<li>Grind the ingredients I've mentioned in "For grinding", with a tiny bit water to make a thick smooth paste.</li>
<li>In a pressure cooker, heat oil. When hot, add the "For tempering" ingredients one by one, then add the curry leaves and green chillies. Add the onions next and saute it.</li>
<li>Add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the weird raw smell is gone.</li>
<li>Tip in the tomatoes and fry till mushy.</li>
<li>Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder. Stir to combine, then add the chicken. Stir well so that the masala coats the chicken well. Fry for 3-4 minutes.</li>
<li>Now add the wet ground masala and stir well.</li>
<li>Now add hot water, a little less than how much you want the gravy, because the chicken is going to release moisture. Add the salt (and sugar, if you think it needs it).</li>
<li>Now add the lemon leaves or lemongrass stalks, if you have them. Else, Just add the mint leaves, coriander leaves and pressure cook this for 4-5 whistles.</li>
<li>Let the pressure calm down, then pour into a serving bowl and serve with rice, or neer dosa.</li>
</ul>
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That's it!</div>
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It goes wonderfully well with the soft dosa, or even basic steamed rice. The lemon leaves or lemongrass stalks add a different profile of flavour and aroma to the dish, and elevates this from being just a chicken dish. I made it with boneless chicken as well, and it's just as delicious.</div>
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Till the next time!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-43697669231117282842015-05-23T23:09:00.000+05:302015-05-23T23:09:20.113+05:30Instant Rice Pancakes: Neer Dosa!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My first foray into South Indian cooking!</div>
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Okay so this is one thing you must know about me. I am not a woman of patience. I can't wait. I do not have the patience to wait for dough to rise, or stuff to dry or batter to ferment. I know that completely separates from the bread-making genre, but that's okay. I don't like carbs anyway. (Don't tell bread I said that).</div>
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Which is why when I just happened to stumble upon this recipe of a water and rice powder dosa, that did not need to wait to ferment, I found my weekend project. It's called <b>Neer Dosa</b>, <i>neer </i>meaning water, because this is a water based batter. This dosa is as soft as your grandmother's saree, and is best presented folded in quarters, making it look like a well-worn (and delicious) handkerchief. It's best served with thick coconut-based stews and gravies, you can mop it right up!</div>
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Now it's not complicated to make per se, but you have to be ready for the first 2 to reduce to scrambled rice batter. It's super quick, and you have to be super quick to handle it well. For your guidance I'll provide step by step photos.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Presenting the amazing <b>Neer Dosa</b>!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QLtiAoc2d7GpLVEG2QlL3NilGbEaLx0jlM5RQMQO_JJwwkzbw1c8QsXooMe4pkDa_BrZNb4DhCnvuO2BoPKqvWXxH3wJp1e08qF9DJY95AHeSyirkURBkjqu5MldWjb4Z3Vr-0Sc0t5P/s1600/20140601_222731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2QLtiAoc2d7GpLVEG2QlL3NilGbEaLx0jlM5RQMQO_JJwwkzbw1c8QsXooMe4pkDa_BrZNb4DhCnvuO2BoPKqvWXxH3wJp1e08qF9DJY95AHeSyirkURBkjqu5MldWjb4Z3Vr-0Sc0t5P/s640/20140601_222731.jpg" width="486" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Neer Dosa</b></div>
<div>
from <a href="http://www.sruthiskitchen.com/2013/07/17/neer-dosa-indian-breakfast-recipe/">Sruthi's Kitchen</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You need:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>1 cup short grain rice, soaked in water for an hour</li>
<li>shredded coconut, if you want. I omitted this.</li>
<li>Coconut milk- 1/2 cup, if you want. I omitted this as well.</li>
<li>Salt, a bit</li>
<li>Oil</li>
<li>Water about 1 1/2 cups. If you're not using the coconut milk, use 2 cups water.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The How:</div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">Drain the rice. Put into a grinder and add about 1 cup water, 1/2 cup at a time to make into a fine liquid. Take the batter out into a bowl and add the rest of the water and salt little by little, mixing well to make one very watery batter, like this:</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7Ud9dtu7VCUsqoWFAchYBbY9hyphenhyphenIm05S3ZReH0J3p98V3I1IH6o_WuSjvPTUN_udaQ5RBaqk2CXkz71CvTa9I4PMiNcoqW1ZBzwxpfX5w7wB8yWzpkur_ge0el0m1YBmDQBM0TLkBG-zc/s1600/20140601_220716%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA7Ud9dtu7VCUsqoWFAchYBbY9hyphenhyphenIm05S3ZReH0J3p98V3I1IH6o_WuSjvPTUN_udaQ5RBaqk2CXkz71CvTa9I4PMiNcoqW1ZBzwxpfX5w7wB8yWzpkur_ge0el0m1YBmDQBM0TLkBG-zc/s400/20140601_220716%25281%2529.jpg" width="336" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">Heat a non-stick pan. Add a few drops of oil, and smear it all over with a paper napkin. This helps spread it well, and removes excess at the same time.</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Pour in one big ladle full of batter. It will automatically spread to form the circle. Cover with a lid and cook on medium heat for about 40-60 seconds. The top will sort of dry out, like this:</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6xN9O3ifcWU5WAuPqWrcbBMuYN1wqUVPOMm4J9mdE-wdz_yv3-4szyf5ayKl5eUBWWqtc_ShMKTjI5KBOGQewpRPCkvPqCvdjC6769Uv9I_4my6pW0yumUTew7mKpz5oOpvRqBe-87W4/s1600/20140601_222531.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6xN9O3ifcWU5WAuPqWrcbBMuYN1wqUVPOMm4J9mdE-wdz_yv3-4szyf5ayKl5eUBWWqtc_ShMKTjI5KBOGQewpRPCkvPqCvdjC6769Uv9I_4my6pW0yumUTew7mKpz5oOpvRqBe-87W4/s640/20140601_222531.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">In one swift move, flip the dosa to the other side and cook it on open for abut 15-20 seconds.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbnqPmmQkFf_xiCrBnOyGviMedVEvHfWbFwdTDbhattjJHiZgWxAB76cvf-AdMI7NSpRJQd2d7Z_9eP6Pz0epXN5Ug_o_vJEdBWWvbCGo0GaEOXQT8hxQPIvIQhdySy8fGQkHC8U7j-B8/s1600/20140601_222644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRbnqPmmQkFf_xiCrBnOyGviMedVEvHfWbFwdTDbhattjJHiZgWxAB76cvf-AdMI7NSpRJQd2d7Z_9eP6Pz0epXN5Ug_o_vJEdBWWvbCGo0GaEOXQT8hxQPIvIQhdySy8fGQkHC8U7j-B8/s640/20140601_222644.jpg" width="584" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">It should be done, so fold the dosa in half lengthwise first, then fold it again to form a quarter fold, like this:</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-NgWISjxIK2wgcJtmHoph06n1cCHhXyFcK3geQiQV7Jvty4OESytfYeHJYdMX1bY1-475Qll5XaQ4_0Deoth1pFyuykbOIShvKM7MfKN89VdqDHkkE7ZGJ4GDJfOr4VdQZ5urdCMy0qv/s1600/20140601_222353.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia-NgWISjxIK2wgcJtmHoph06n1cCHhXyFcK3geQiQV7Jvty4OESytfYeHJYdMX1bY1-475Qll5XaQ4_0Deoth1pFyuykbOIShvKM7MfKN89VdqDHkkE7ZGJ4GDJfOr4VdQZ5urdCMy0qv/s640/20140601_222353.jpg" width="528" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li style="text-align: justify;">Take out on the plate. Make the rest of it, and serve hot with your stew.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
And that's it! This is literally the easiest bread you can make, with minimal effort! Enjoy!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Till the next time!</div>
</div>
Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-12507111147099891322015-05-21T16:51:00.002+05:302015-05-21T16:51:28.176+05:30Mung with Spinach, Fenugreek Greens: Methi Palak Mung Sabzi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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One person I have admired forever is Tarla Dalal. The news of her passing, last year, was an utter shock. I have spent many years of my childhood reading her cookbooks, watching Cook It Up With Tarla Dalal and later, after the ease of Internet usage, learnt so many eggless bakes from her site. To know that the soft, happy, butterball of a genius isn't around anymore was, for me, a devastating blow.</div>
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And it is on her site, that I found a recipe, close to what I wanted to make. R & I have been trying to eat healthy, protein rich and iron rich foods. In between 9 hour workdays, 3 hours in transit, frequent business trips and the sheer volume of double cheese pizzas we eat while watching Frozen on the computer, our diet is severely compromised in the health department. This needed to be done.<br />
<br />
Presenting my adaptation, and my tribute to Tarla Dalal, <b>Methi Palak Mung Sabzi</b>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsQU-hnHykzi8IhJr1xlNm8rd7Kw_p2EdqIo2CMq61bopUUean9_hQ0uTMvYcEq8gcGjLK37XaEi9LmkjKKkQ98JW3K-LYp4m_o0g4Y75haZGtM_n-oAsM0KnKbqTzyX4KflMUjR9OfxJ/s1600/Methi+Palak+Mung.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPsQU-hnHykzi8IhJr1xlNm8rd7Kw_p2EdqIo2CMq61bopUUean9_hQ0uTMvYcEq8gcGjLK37XaEi9LmkjKKkQ98JW3K-LYp4m_o0g4Y75haZGtM_n-oAsM0KnKbqTzyX4KflMUjR9OfxJ/s640/Methi+Palak+Mung.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is essentially soaked and boiled split mung dal, stewed with fresh torn spinach, fresh methi leaves, cooked with ginger, garlic, turmeric and cumin. It's like an Incredible India ad eh? :D Have it with rice, have it with rotis, or have it like a stew/salad with a squeeze of lime. It's super healthy, very little oil, and full of proteins, iron and fibre. Plus it's mad delicious!<br />
<br />
<b>Methi Palak Mung Sabzi</b><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.tarladalal.com/Methi-Moong-Dal-Subzi-%28--Cooking-Under-10-Minutes%29-1737r">Tarla Dalal</a><br />
<br />
<u>You need</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>1/4 cup of yellow split mung dal</li>
<li>1 bunch of spinach leaves</li>
<li>1 bunch of methi leaves</li>
<li>1/2 tsp jeera or cumin</li>
<li>1 large potato, diced into medium to small cubes,</li>
<li>4-5 cloves of garlic, chopped/bruised</li>
<li>1-2 green chillies, chopped</li>
<li>1/4 tsp turmeric/haldi</li>
<li>1 large dry chilli</li>
<li>2-3 tsp oil</li>
<li>A bit of ginger, julienned</li>
<li>Salt to taste</li>
</ul>
<br />
<u>The How:</u><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Wash the dal till the water runs clear and soak in salted hot water for 30 minutes. They should get significantly bigger at the end of the soaking.</li>
<li>Pluck the spinach leaves. Try to avoid the torn leaves or those that have holes in it. Take it in a large bowl and fill it with tap water. Make sure all the leaves are submerged. Let it stand for 30 minutes. Rinse the leaves. Repeat the submerge-stand-rinse twice more. The last time, don't throw out the water, just rub the leaves in the water and place in a colander. Wash that under running water. Set aside to drain.</li>
<li>Do the same with the methi leaves, except you can't rub each individual leaf in water (because they're too small!). So rinse them very very well in the standing water and running water.</li>
<li>Chop up both the spinach as well as the methi.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, while the soaking thing is happening, fry the potato cubes till they're crispy.</li>
<li>Once your leaves are chopped, let's get down to business. In a kadhai, heat the oil.</li>
<li>Once hot, reduce heat and add the jeera. Once it begins to splutter, add the garlic and green chillies. Fry but don't let it burn.</li>
<li>Break the dry chilli into 2, and add into the oil.</li>
<li>Add the haldi into this.</li>
<li>Add the soaked mung dal. Stir well to combine.</li>
<li>Tip in the greens one fistful at a time. After each fistful, stir it around to mix with the oil, then add the next fistful. The flavour gets better distributed this way.</li>
<li>Now increase the heat and add warm water according to how soupy you want it. Remember the water will boil and dry so add accordingly. Add the salt into this as well.</li>
<li>Now if you want the potatoes a little melty (like I did in the photo), add the potato now. Else, add it 5 minutes before you switch off the heat.</li>
<li>If you feel the gravy is a little too thin, add a teaspoon of besan and mix well. Else, ignore.</li>
<li>Turn off the heat, turn it out into a bowl, garnish with the julienned ginger and serve.</li>
</ul>
<br />
And that's it. It's simple, albeit a little time consuming, but seriously healthy. Try it, I'm sure you'll love it.<br />
<br />
Till the next time!</div>
</div>
Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-44198107212623958622015-05-16T17:29:00.001+05:302015-07-28T09:49:09.880+05:30Omelette Curry and Home.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is the weirdest thing I've ever taught you, and I'll ever teach you. This is also one of the utterly tastiest things I've ever taught you, and will ever teach you.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Omelette Curry.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Process that. I'll say it again.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsm8EAE7qgBB1Rh5072A3C1DwCr1670fy5gk2y1ih4ZOCH848RT4O1u6MdoOeUyeZp6AoYsGGu9L0hd-fjqPkLEPAe6_1b5Bzoti1NwqNDek7kTH7RyEfzHiNZsa_9XL4byKlUBGSduS7Y/s1600/omelette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsm8EAE7qgBB1Rh5072A3C1DwCr1670fy5gk2y1ih4ZOCH848RT4O1u6MdoOeUyeZp6AoYsGGu9L0hd-fjqPkLEPAe6_1b5Bzoti1NwqNDek7kTH7RyEfzHiNZsa_9XL4byKlUBGSduS7Y/s640/omelette.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Omelette Curry. The most eclectic mix of ingredients, comes together to form a dish of fluffy cubes of omelettes, soaking up an almost juicy tomato-ginger-onion-garlic based gravy. It goes well with rice, rotis, parathas anything. It has barely 4-5 minutes of prep time. I don think I need to say more do I?</div>
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Now this was taught to me by my Mum. In fact, it was one of the first things I learnt from her post-marriage. I didn't know how to cook real home food, every day food prior to marriage. Like every single time, it was her hand I figuratively held to stepping into the kitchen of our place, R and my place here in Mumbai. Made food that was actually good and healthy. Food that was daily food, not just a celebratory cake. My Mum is My First Expert, and for that I'm grateful! This post is a part of this contest I'm taking part in, but half way through writing this, I realized that it's not just a line I'm using, I actually mean it! The link is below :)</div>
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<a href="http://godrejexpert.com/single_used_pack.php">http://godrejexpert.com/single_used_pack.php</a></div>
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So anyway, back to the recipe.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><u>Omelette Curry</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Original recipe</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
You Need:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>4 eggs</li>
<li>Any spice mix, like Peri Peri or simply a mix of equal parts haldi, jeera powder, chilli powder, ginger powder, garlic powder, and salt. (If you're having trouble finding any of them, then simply omit)</li>
<li>2 onions, make a paste out of it. If you don't own a mixie, chop it up real fine.</li>
<li>1 inch ginger, make a paste out of it</li>
<li>about 6-7 cloves of garlic, minced</li>
<li>1 medium/large tomato, cut into eighths.</li>
<li>2 potatoes, cut into eighths.</li>
<li>1/2 tsp baking powder</li>
<li>1 tsp cumin/jeera powder</li>
<li>1/2 tsp turmeric/haldi powder</li>
<li>3/4 tsp deghi mirch powder for heat</li>
<li>1/2 tsp kashmiri mirch powder for color</li>
<li>Salt and sugar, to taste</li>
<li>2 tbsp Maida. Or 2 tbsp besan if you go gluten-free.</li>
<li>Water, warmed</li>
<li>Mustard oil</li>
<li>Milk, about 3 tbsp</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The How:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>Okay first make the omelette. Whip the eggs well, making sure it gains some volume. Add the maida (1 tbsp at a time, mixing well after each addition, making sure no lumps remain), the spice mix, a little bit of the ginger paste, the baking powder and the milk. Whip well.</li>
<li>Now grease a square microwave safe dish and pour the mix into it. Microwave on high for about 4-5 minutes, but keep a check, since every oven is different. The egg will swell up like a cloud, but will collapse as soon as you switch off the oven. Cut it into whatever shape you want and leave it there.</li>
<li>If you don't own a microwave or are averse to using one, please make an omelette as you usually do in the pan. Just that it won't be as fluffy as the microwave one. But if you have whipped it well, it should still be fluffy. In that case reduce the amount of maida to 1 tbsp only. Cut it into whatever shape you want.</li>
<li>Now in a kadhai, heat mustard oil till it smokes. Fry the potato cubes till crispy on the outside. Take out onto a plate.</li>
<li>Reduce the heat to medium, add more oil if need be, let it heat and add the onion paste. Let it fry for some time on medium, then go back to high heat and fry till pink.</li>
<li>Till then, in a small bowl, take the tomatoes, cumin, chili powders and ginger paste and add about 1/2 tbsp water.</li>
<li>Add the garlic paste into the kadhai, fry well but don't let it burn.</li>
<li>Add the contents of the bowl in one go and stir well. Fry it.</li>
<li>Reduce heat to medium high, add a tiny sprinkling of salt and sugar, stir and put the cover on, leaving a little space.</li>
<li>After some time, the tomatoes should have become melty. Crank the heat back to high. Stir vigorously and mix up the tomato pulp. Fry this for a while till the raw ginger smell goes away.</li>
<li>Add the potato cubes and mi to coat well.</li>
<li>Next, add the omelette pieces, and coat well. Fry it.</li>
<li>Add the warmed water, a little more than you want your gravy. Add salt and sugar. Stir.</li>
<li>Now leave it to simmer on medium-high. Keep tasting and adjusting.</li>
<li>Take out into a bowl and serve with any breads or any rice.</li>
<li>That's it!</li>
</ul>
</div>
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Trust me on this, this is one of the most easy ways to feed kids eggs if that's a problem. It tastes magical, just like home. And Mum.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxdfwhzLj6aDlPf7RspCKSPBqMdffC2J2tRitf__4_AodTxncN4XvWeeN-fpoNQwdT1C4GAfWRq50_zX6693Ml6pSQ_kPdgB0WfJ3L55EDbk-YqbUU6FLiliI0Riyv_zfQ-D5mot9_ycm/s1600/omeltte2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxxdfwhzLj6aDlPf7RspCKSPBqMdffC2J2tRitf__4_AodTxncN4XvWeeN-fpoNQwdT1C4GAfWRq50_zX6693Ml6pSQ_kPdgB0WfJ3L55EDbk-YqbUU6FLiliI0Riyv_zfQ-D5mot9_ycm/s640/omeltte2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Till the next time!</div>
</div>
Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-40879157019461371592015-05-12T20:24:00.000+05:302015-05-12T20:27:02.135+05:30Moti Pulao: Pilaf with Spiced Ricotta Marbles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So.</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
There's a huge problem which I have no idea how to tackle. Picture this. There are two people living in the house. Neither of them have any idea of quantity. So a pan of rice either lasts them a week, or is just about enough for one meal, if supplemented with a slice of bread each.</div>
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Do you see the problem?</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Sometimes there's just SO much rice left over, that I can't make enough things to go with rice that's steadily growing staler. It is at such a point, that this recipe of mine steps in. It makes use of leftover rice, adds yummy things into it, spices it up a bit and converts it into a whole new dish that you won't even need a side for. Just pick a fork (or spoon, I won't judge) and dig in.</div>
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Presenting, my Moti Pulao. Prepared rice, spiced with onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes, studded with crisp fried tiny marbles of fresh paneer, melting like mozzarella on the inside. Slightly heavy on the prep work, but man is it one impressive dish!</div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
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<b><u>Moti Pulao</u></b></div>
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You need:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Prepared rice, 1-2 cups. It can white or brown, as you have.</li>
<li>1 L milk, if you're making fresh paneer.</li>
<li>3-4 tbsp of vinegar, if you're making fresh paneer.</li>
<li>If you're not making fresh paneer, then about 250-300 gms of paneer should do it.</li>
<li>1 large ripe tomato, chopped.</li>
<li>1 large onion, chopped.</li>
<li>1 tbsp of ginger-garlic paste, fresh and not from the packet. (That stuff is yuck!)</li>
<li>Oil, enough to deep-fry the marbles and then for the pulao.</li>
<li>1 capsicum chopped into smallish cubes, optional, though it tastes pretty killer.</li>
<li>1 tbsp chana sattu (or if you can't find that, maida is fine)</li>
<li>2-3 pinches amchoor (dried mango) powder</li>
<li>Chopped coriander leaves, about 1 fistful</li>
<li>Salt, sugar to taste</li>
<li>Jeera or cumin powder 1tsp.</li>
<li>Turmeric or haldi powder, 1/2 tsp</li>
<li>Chilli powder, kashmiri (for the colour) and deghi (for the heat), about 1/2 to 1 tsp, to taste.</li>
</ul>
</div>
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The How:</div>
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<ul>
<li>If you're making fresh rice for this, make sure you make it well in advance and lay it out under the fan, so that the grains are dry and don't stick to each other.</li>
<li>Make the paneer first. Bring the milk to a rolling boil, add the vinegar 1 tbsp at a time, and stir. Soon the milk will completely curdle, leaving behind greyish-green whey and the milk solids. Don't add more vinegar than necessary. Strain the paneer, and retain the water. That stuff is gold for making rotis. Rinse it with drinking water once. Strain the paneer for a while, enough for most of the water to drain, but not so much that the paneer completely dries out. We need some moisture in there. Once that's done, crumble it up.</li>
<li>If you're using ready paneer, then completely ignore whatever I wrote above, and just crumble it up.</li>
<li>Using a hand blender or a mixie, blend the paneer crumbles till it's completely smooth. This was why we needed moisture in the paneer. If you thing it's turning into powder and not paste, add water 1 teaspoon at a time. Turn this paste out into a bowl.</li>
<li>Add a bit of salt, just enough to cut the blandness. Add the sattu, a pinch of the deghi mirch and the amchoor. Add 3/4 of the coriander leaves. Now knead this till completely combined and smooth to touch. You should be able to make balls with it that don't fall apart. Try one, if it does, add just 1 teaspoon or so more of sattu. The ball should under no circumstance be doughy.</li>
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<ul>
<li>Make marble sized balls of this mix and lay it out on the plate, like so.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Now heat the oil till it smokes. Reduce heat to medium, and very VERY carefully, lower 2-3 balls of paneer at a time int the oil. They will splutter and threaten to fall part, but hang on. Very very gently, push around the balls, turning them in the oil. They will turn brown on the outside very quickly, and even crusty. But don't be fooled, it's like melted cheese on the inside. It doesn't take more than 1 minute for it to be done. Take out very carefully onto a plate lined with paper towels. Finish the rest.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNNbiiBnr-Pm5XjaL0fV-ZtU-tj4OCHBCWYJ0CIl0Pmi_vIm7X_EfflT1tW28f9UNHCFFx8O7UX7BJC57bqwukhb35y9mUhtoFR3XjtCIshgNvklqlKNGukOHdG6RBo48irI7QpHoi5BR/s1600/20150304_132016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="489" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBNNbiiBnr-Pm5XjaL0fV-ZtU-tj4OCHBCWYJ0CIl0Pmi_vIm7X_EfflT1tW28f9UNHCFFx8O7UX7BJC57bqwukhb35y9mUhtoFR3XjtCIshgNvklqlKNGukOHdG6RBo48irI7QpHoi5BR/s640/20150304_132016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>Most of your oil should be finished from the frying. If you think you need more, add some more oil. Heat it on high. It should be just about 2-3 tbsp of oil in there.</li>
<li>In one small bowl, take the tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, cumin powder, chilli powders. Add a little bit of water, maybe just 1 tbsp.</li>
<li>Fry the onions till about pink.</li>
<li>Add the capsicum pieces if you're using it.</li>
<li>Fry well, then add the contents of the small bowl. Stir around well to fry.</li>
<li>Add a tiny pinch of salt and sugar into the tomato. Cover the kadhai for a bit. This helps the tomatoes get all melty.</li>
<li>When that happens, stir it vigourously. The add about half a cup of warm water into it to make a smallish gravy. Season it well with salt and sugar. Remember there's a load of rice that'll come into this and neutralise the salt, so add accordingly. </li>
<li>Stir it well, and gently add the paneer balls. Reserve a few. Very delicately, stir it around so that the balls incorporate into the gravy.</li>
<li>Next, reduce heat to medium and add the rice, one ladle at a time. After each addition, stir it VERY gently, so that the balls and the gravy get distributed but don't break.</li>
<li>Once all the rice is added, mix carefully.</li>
<li>Turn off the heat and take out into the serving bowl. Stud with the remaining balls and coriander.</li>
<li>Dig in!</li>
</ul>
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This is a stunning dish, and seriously easy, if a little time-consuming. Try it, and I'm telling you, it just won't disappoint!</div>
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Till the next time!</div>
</div>
Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-42664629426578975482015-05-03T17:36:00.000+05:302015-05-03T17:39:25.416+05:30Dark Knight Cupcakes: Double Dark Chocolate Eggless Whole Wheat Walnut Cupcakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Okay, mums who are reading this. Do you or do you not have a baby who drives you crazy, up the wall and back, wanting something to eat every single hour of the summer vacation?</div>
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Fruit? No.</div>
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Chiwda? No.</div>
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Anything that doesn't cause obesity or diabetes in the first 10 years of life? No.</div>
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Chocolate cupcakes? OMG Yes you're the best.</div>
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I too have one of these in my home. Except this child here, is not a child. But a fully grown man. More specifically, he's the brand new permanent roommate of mine, R. </div>
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When an extended weekend comes a-knocking, I literally panic. I need to have something ready at home, that will be a ready munch. Something <a href="http://www.aishwaryaeats.com/2014/06/malted-dark-chocolate-chunk-eggless.html">healthy</a>, but enough to soothe that sweet tooth at 11:30 am and 4 pm (and 4:30 pm and 6 pm and 7 pm). Something with texture. Something that may just satiate for the next 15 minutes.</div>
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Look no further than these. What I have titled <b>Dark Knight Cupcakes. Eggless Whole Wheat Double Dark Chocolate Walnut Cupcakes</b>. They're chocolatey, depending on two sources of chocolatey goodness. Hershey's Cocoa and half a bar of dark cooking chocolate melted. I had to stop myself from licking that bowl clean, chucking the idea of Double Chocolate and just making Single Chocolate Cupcakes. Ya know what I mean?</div>
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These are stuffed with chopped walnuts. I prefer walnuts for multiple reasons. Firstly, I think lightly toasted walnuts are a fantastic complement for dark chocolate. Toasting the walnuts gets a slight woodsy aroma out that just gels with the dark chocolate. Secondly, walnuts are healthy. Like healthy healthy. One ounce, that's 28g of walnuts provides a solid 18g of good fats for the body, that's 2.5g of Monounsaturated fats (MUFA), 2.5g of alpha-linolenic acid, which is a plant-based omega-3 and 13g of Polyunsaturated fats (PUFA). Usually omega-3 fats are abundant in fish etc. But what of vegetarians? Yeah, this! I try to add walnuts in as many things as I can, maybe a chicken salad, maybe granola bars, and maybe this. Walnuts are also very much effective in curbing and receding diabetes, what with risk factors going through the roof for all ages.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_Bsrdzcyw_wW5zCzLQoKf_OMBVEJrC5wguyMYUIyO_g05Qg6RMvo8d4wKp3vgphHnGJhlPsvQNsJ9eLEcmuVqgqN4BzpX6Ce2aeNtJQgtucVj5F8NldIv4Bhnf4PMHyVIAw7VZRTZqqf/s1600/Cupckae.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_Bsrdzcyw_wW5zCzLQoKf_OMBVEJrC5wguyMYUIyO_g05Qg6RMvo8d4wKp3vgphHnGJhlPsvQNsJ9eLEcmuVqgqN4BzpX6Ce2aeNtJQgtucVj5F8NldIv4Bhnf4PMHyVIAw7VZRTZqqf/s1600/Cupckae.jpg" height="640" width="412" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b>Eggless Whole Wheat Double Dark Chocolate Walnut "Dark Knight" Cupcakes</b></div>
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(Adapted from <a href="http://www.funandfoodcafe.com/whole-wheat-dark-chocolate-muffins/">Fun and Food Cafe</a>)</div>
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Makes 15 regular sized cupcakes</div>
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<br /></div>
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You need:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ul>
<li>1 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour</li>
<li>3/4 cup dark compound chocolate OR 3/4 dark chocolate chips</li>
<li>3 tbsp Hershey's chocolate</li>
<li>3/4 cup granulated sugar</li>
<li>1 cup + 2tbsp milk</li>
<li>1/3 cup vegetable oil</li>
<li>2 tsp baking powder</li>
<li>1/2 tsp baking soda</li>
<li>A handful of walnuts, chopped.</li>
<li>1/2 tsp salt</li>
<li>1 tsp vanilla</li>
<li>2 tsp instant coffee</li>
</ul>
</div>
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The How:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Preheat your convection oven to 180 celsius. Keep your cupcake pan prepared with liners ready, or grease the cups if not using liners.</li>
<li>Chop the chocolate into small bits. Please don't be like me and take it out of the fridge 3 minutes before you have to chop it. It will be hell! Keep it out for a while before you have to chop it. In the end you should have 3/4 cup chocolate.</li>
<li>Melt the chocolate with 2 tbsp milk in the microwave, in short 10 sec intervals. Mix well when melted. Keep aside.</li>
<li>Lightly toast the walnuts if you want. You can definitely keep it raw too.</li>
<li>Sift together the dry ingredients.</li>
<li>Mix the milk + vanilla with the chocolate first. Add the oil into this. Blend it well.</li>
<li>Add half the dry mix into this 2 tbsp at a time. </li>
<li>Half way through, add the walnuts. Spare some if you want to top the cupcakes off.</li>
<li>Add the rest of the dry mix. Mix enough to avoid lumps, but DO NOT over mix.</li>
<li>Spoon the mix into the liners, just 3/4 of the way. Top with the remaining walnuts.</li>
<li>Bake for 20 minutes at 180 celsius. Or it depends from oven to oven. Basically bake till 15 minutes, test with a toothpick and complete accordingly.</li>
</ul>
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And that's it!</div>
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Super chocolatey cupcakes, that actually have stuff that's good for you. Such a great snack, or something to chuck into the lunch box as a treat.</div>
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Till the next time!</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">This post has been sponsored by the California Walnut Commission.</span></i></div>
</div>
Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-3385291459460987842015-04-27T16:57:00.000+05:302015-04-27T17:12:20.386+05:30Heeng Jeera Aloo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Okay so it's 12pm, you've just binge watched all 3 seasons of Sherlock, save one episode, (thinking it's 10:30am), and just realized that while you were supposed to look for a job and make lunch, you've spent the whole morning doing VERY productive stuff. At that point, you realize you only have potatoes, and a cupboard full
of spices to work your magic. A bowl of rice and <a href="http://www.aishwaryaeats.com/2015/03/life-changes-and-dal-fry.html">dal fry</a> aside. So you look online and come upon a recipe, simple and bloody quick, that can allow you to return to John and Sherlock as they find out the culprit basis which way the wind blows.</div>
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This happened to a friend of mine. Not me. Totally not me. </div>
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So my friend made this Heeng Jeera Aloo, and her husband, also named R (coincidence I know right), licked the bowl clean, sans regard for civility. It was exactly that good. Have it with a couple of misshapen and burnt rotis, or underboiled rice and an unparalleled dal, and your lunch/dinner will be sorted. It stays well in the fridge, so take it for your office lunch as well. Roll it in a paratha maybe. Turn it into a stuffing for a nice sandwich. Simple, quick, bursting at the seams with flavour, multipurpose and frankly, pretty damn good. Just the way I..er..my friend likes it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuoMgtXoAcRRJNkzL2PDYEoxT2LLVmSB0-in5dsc9rRBr74vMggzA2hebHHUsAISplRnOsjnSWdNTzaRePWdQNn6He_sJ63AWOIzL1SBa7xowR5JwuuhYVh1xw6-whB_0AqCGlJw1_BPs/s1600/Heeng+Jeera+Aloo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuoMgtXoAcRRJNkzL2PDYEoxT2LLVmSB0-in5dsc9rRBr74vMggzA2hebHHUsAISplRnOsjnSWdNTzaRePWdQNn6He_sJ63AWOIzL1SBa7xowR5JwuuhYVh1xw6-whB_0AqCGlJw1_BPs/s1600/Heeng+Jeera+Aloo.jpg" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Heeng Jeera Aloo</b></div>
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/hing-jeera-aloo-recipe-make-hing-jeera-aloo-recipe/">Veg Recipes of India</a></div>
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You need:</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>3 medium-large potatoes</li>
<li>1/2 inch ginger, chopped fine</li>
<li>2 tsp jeera or cumin</li>
<li>3-4 pinches of heeng or asafoetida, or how much you like.</li>
<li>1 green chilli</li>
<li>pinches each of turmeric powder, Kashmiri chilli powder and Kuti chilli powder</li>
<li>1 heaping tsp of coriander or dhania powder</li>
<li>1 tsp of amchur or dry mango powder</li>
<li>1-2 tbsp oil</li>
<li>salt</li>
<li>chopped coriander</li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
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The How:</div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>Boil the potatoes, whole with skin on. Make sure a knife passes through the thickest part of it easily. (This is for all my readers who too are learning to cook, and can use a few tips that make our life easier!) Try to do this: after the pressure cooker whistles sufficient number of times, don't open it. Keep it shut for another 15 min. This result in the residual heat cooking it further, without wastage of gas. Test it with a knife. If it feel resistant in the centre, put it back in the cooker. Repeat till done. It should not fall apart, buit should be easy to stab!</li>
<li>Once done, soak the potatoes in ice water. This cools it down rapidly. Change the ice water if need be. Once cooled enough to handle, peel the skin, and chop into dices.</li>
<li>In a pan or kadhai, heat the oil.</li>
<li>When hot, add the ginger.</li>
<li>Add the jeera/cumin. It will splutter.</li>
<li>Add the green chilli.</li>
<li>Before it gets burnt but is a nice brown colour, add the turmeric, chilli powders, salt and heeng.</li>
<li>Stir it well but take care that it doesn't get burnt.</li>
<li>Tip in the potatoes, and gently combine the spices with the potatoes, taking care it doesn't get all mashed up.</li>
<li>Once combined, add the coriander powder and amchur. Stir well to combine.</li>
<li>Taste, and add salt if need be.</li>
<li>There would be a nice crust at the bottom of the pan owing to the powdered spices. Scrape it up with your ladle. This is the crispiest, tastiest bit of all!</li>
<li>All in all, once all your spices are in, fry it for 3-4 minutes.</li>
<li>Turn the heat off, sprinkle with half the chopped coriander leaves, take out in your serving bowl, sprinkle the rest of the coriander and cover till ready to be eaten.</li>
<li>That's it!</li>
</ul>
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So my friend says she is very much excited for you to try it out, and to let her know how much you like it. I...she is looking forward to your comments!</div>
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Till the next time!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1015757495906140411.post-64857216421571506952015-03-24T21:37:00.000+05:302015-03-31T11:15:13.648+05:30Dal Fry and Life.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So hey! Welcome back to the brand new me. New? Me? How's that? Oh wait I'll tell you how..</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">I GOT MARRIED!</span></b></div>
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To R, yes yes. After 8 beautiful years, we finally decided to take the step. Look!</div>
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Marriage changes you. Believe me it really does. I've shifted to another city, with R, in our home. It's something we always spoke about, but now that it has happened, you can't believe it has. I've gone on a short sabbatical, enjoying domesticity for a few days before I jump into the workforce once again. It's been a mega hectic last few months, what with preparations for the wedding, and preparations of me leaving town. Learning new things. Shopping till my shoulders break off. Skin treatments. Some more shopping. Packing. Oh god the packing. The wedding itself. Rituals pre and post that. The amazing fun honeymoon to Spain. Coming back to Delhi and then shifting to Mumbai, bidding farewell to what was home for the last 12 years. Turning R's bachelor pad to a home here. So I'm more than entitled to a bit of a break.</div>
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And what else would I do in a break, than cook and experiment? Oh but there's a catch. You see, when Mum used to cook regular dal rice fish vegetables at home, I was free to do cakes and cookies and what not. Now that I'm on my own, the responsibilities of a household is on me.</div>
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Gulp.</div>
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So yes, I now make regular home food. With my twist and experimentation. Dal. Different kinds of rice. Chicken. Fish. A myriad varieties of sabzis. And the cakes and sweets of course, just lesser. So here goes: this blog will now also feature food to feed people in real life. Daily stuff that you make quickly, for you know I hate slow food. Stuff that you can whip up for lunch. Simple easy home style food. The cakes etc will always be there. But as of right now, Aishwarya Eats has grown up.</div>
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So the first thing I thought I can share with you is a dal. It's healthy, quick and one-pot. Using stuff you ALWAYS have in your kitchen. I make this almost daily! Presenting the Yellow Dal Fry, homey and comforting.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ58YxTKTxQBI3jl-Ghs7uzlHyzvP_N1D1zhylJgmCYraCZ_x7KYg6Mbt5Dv1lIq0l38QnyWdN92Z-iAu0wvGl5G_tiURkNjxzX6ud5rAPE_FMVnlq9Pj42kCeL0uL1R9mjXNn3Al7C-AM/s1600/Main.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ58YxTKTxQBI3jl-Ghs7uzlHyzvP_N1D1zhylJgmCYraCZ_x7KYg6Mbt5Dv1lIq0l38QnyWdN92Z-iAu0wvGl5G_tiURkNjxzX6ud5rAPE_FMVnlq9Pj42kCeL0uL1R9mjXNn3Al7C-AM/s1600/Main.jpg" height="402" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Yellow Dal Fry</b></div>
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From <a href="http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/lasooni-dal-recipe-lasuni-dal/">Veg Recipes of India</a></div>
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<b>You need:</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>1 cup arhar/toor dal or pigeon peas</li>
<li>Water</li>
<li>5-6 cloves of garlic, chopped. You can adjust the amount of garlic according to your liking.</li>
<li>1 medium onion chopped fine</li>
<li>1 inch ginger, chopped fine</li>
<li>1 tomato, chopped</li>
<li>1 green chilli, chopped fine</li>
<li>couple of pinches of hing or asafoetida</li>
<li>Salt</li>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">For the tempering:</span><br />
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<li>1 tbsp ghee</li>
<li>1 tsp cumin or jeera</li>
<li>4-5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped.</li>
<li>1 tbsp kasuri methi</li>
<li>1 tsp chilli powder</li>
<li>a pinch of hing or asafoetida</li>
<li>1 dry red chilli</li>
<li>A handful of coriander, chopped</li>
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<b>The How:</b></div>
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<li>In a pressure cooker, add the thoroughly washed pulses. Fill with enough water, the level should be about half an inch (more or less) above the level of pulses.</li>
<li>Add in the ginger, garlic, onion, tomato, green chilli, hing, and salt. Don't worry about the salt now, you can adjust it later. Keep it on the low side though.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKK_pyMgCWNhT5G1FMJe3YEaC_cPPanEjRZfvzVaJY-hUQXb4Watv48-bmgiz4QqdtcPtogCoODGWJox4oYGtBXW-Tc9e9DEwNzPqJeKaCreyqEwTGTBC47EhZxyAA2y002OlayoTMZyf/s1600/process1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKK_pyMgCWNhT5G1FMJe3YEaC_cPPanEjRZfvzVaJY-hUQXb4Watv48-bmgiz4QqdtcPtogCoODGWJox4oYGtBXW-Tc9e9DEwNzPqJeKaCreyqEwTGTBC47EhZxyAA2y002OlayoTMZyf/s1600/process1.jpg" height="446" width="640" /></a></div>
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<li>Pressure cook this till about 8-9 whistles. Please be careful with the cooker! Make sure the release vent has nothing stuck in it. </li>
<li>Let all the pressure go out. Once you open it (open it only when all the steam is gone), stir it with a whisk or wooden spoon to mash all the pulses.</li>
<li>At this point, add water if need be to liquify the dal in case its too thick. In case it's too thin, turn the heat back on high but don't put the lid back. Let it boil for some time, the appropriate thickness will come.</li>
<li>Adjust the salt once your thickness is achieved.</li>
<li>Now for the tempering. Keep every single ingredient ready. </li>
<li>In a tadka pan or a small pan, heat the ghee.</li>
<li>When the ghee is hot, add the jeera. When it starts to splutter, add the whole red chilli, broken into two halves.</li>
<li>Next, fry the garlic in the ghee, I like it a bit brown and crispy.</li>
<li>Once it's fried, add the hing.</li>
<li>Turn the gas off. Add the red chilli powder, stir and add the kasuri methi.</li>
<li>Immediately add this into the dal in the cooker. It should splutter wildly! In case you think the ghee has cooled, heat it back up and then add it.</li>
<li>Stir to mix.</li>
<li>Dump in the coriander. Mix.</li>
<li>Immediately turn out into the serving bowl. Cover till you're ready to eat it.</li>
<li>Preferably, before eating, add a little bit more coriander, and a squeeze of lemon if you want.</li>
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Serve with rice, roti, phulkas, parathas, anything!</div>
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And that's it. I'm telling you. If I, the one who only knew cakes and pannacottas, can make this, anyone can!</div>
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Till the next time!</div>
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Aishwaryahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05908188235208187698noreply@blogger.com2