Chocolate and Almond Torte

A big hello to all my dear readers and a big apology for being out of touch for so long. My weekend Culinary School Baking courses have been really keeping me busy and the baking practice thereafter which leaves me with no time and energy for blogging. To top it all, the blogger app on my phone mysteriously disappeared and I could not find it again on the Apple Store again. Finally, I got my husband to buy a iPhone to laptop connector so that I can access my phone pictures and start blogging again. With this small glitch taken care of, I hope to get back to active blogging now and beginning it with a Superhit Dessert recipe which has got me rave reviews every time I have made it. A simple recipe that it is, the only hard part is baking the meringue and while I am still struggling to bake a clean base meringue, the final dessert does not actually change whether or not you have a perfectly baked meringue.
So go ahead and make this dessert and enjoy the superb compliments that come your way!
Recipe Source: From one of my sessions at the ICCS cook off

Ingredients

6 egg whites

1.5 tbsp cocoa powder, sifted

250 gms fine sugar (can bring it down to 200 gms if you like less sweet)

90 gms ground almonds (almond meal, almond flour)

For the filling and topping

300 ml whipping cream

100 gms dark chocolate, melted

Direction

Pre-heat the oven at 140 degree celcius and keep two oven safe 7" baking plates (I used oven safe ceramic dinner side plates for baking) ready. The plates do not need to be greased or lined. The size is actually not so important. The meringue discs just need to be baked big enough to fit into your final serving dish.

Take the egg whites in the bowl of your stand mixer or hand mixer and add the sugar. Beat the whites to stiff peaks such that when you hold the whisk up the peak should hold its shape and the bowl inverted upside down doesn't drip down. Now fold in the sifted cocoa powder and the ground almonds and take care not to over mix. A few specks of unmixed cocoa powder here and there is fine. You must take care not to deflate the meringue.

Scoop out equal portions of the meringue into the plates and bake at 140 degree Celsius for 40-50 minutes until the top is dry to touch. Now slightly open the oven door and let the meringue discs cool inside the oven until completely cooled.

While the meringue cools in the oven, prepare the cream. Whisk the cream to soft peaks using your hand mixer or stand mixer. Now slowly pour in the chocolate and whip to stiff peaks. Keep aside in the fridge covered until ready to use.

Now, take your preferred serving dish (preferably of the same size as the meringue discs) and place one of the discs carefully on it. It is possible that the discs may break as you try to lift it or it may just stick at the bottom. That is completely fine. The shape of the meringue does not really alter the dish as it will be covered in cream. Scoop out the meringue keeping most of the crunchy part equally spread across the dish. Top it with a generous amount of cream and spread it out evenly. Layer it with the other layer of meringue disc following the same procedure as the previous one. Top it with the remaining cream and smooth out the top. Cover the dish with clingwrap and let it set in the fridge for 2-3 hours.

Garnish with fresh Strawberries or chocolate shards and serve chilled!!

Fudgy Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake in any form and any recipe is always a delight for kids and adults alike. This is again a recipe I learnt at the cooking group I have joined recently and I am happy to say that it is delightfully easy. You can use this recipe to make a chocolate tart, as a base for fruit truffle, or to make an ice cream cake. Make it once and you will know how to use this recipe further. Enjoy!!

Ingredients

100 g salted butter

250 gms brown sugar (I used roughly 200 gms as I like it less sweet)

2 eggs

150 gms plain flour

45 gms cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract 

30 ml of strong coffee (optional but recommended)

Frozen Raspberries/Strawberries (fresh can be used as well)

1-2 tbsp almond meal/semolina/desiccated coconut/plain flour for greasing(whatever is available but one of the first two options are recommended)

Direction

Grease and flour a 6" pan (I used almond meal). Pre heat the oven at 175 degree celcius. 

Melt butter in a bowl in the microwave and let it cool slightly. Add the eggs and beat. Now add sugar and mix well. Add the coffee if using.

Add rest of the ingredients and mix well making sure there are no lumps.

Pour some batter in the prepared pan and in an artistic way push raspberries into the batter.  

Pour the rest of the batter on top. Put in the middle of the oven at 175 degree celcius for about 15-20 mins. Use a toothpick to check if it is done. Batter should not get stuck on the toothpick. It should be just cooked otherwise the cake will be too dry (I went wrong here and overbaked it by about 3-4 minutes). 

Note that there’s no baking powder so cake will not rise. It should be quite flat and compact.

Serve warm with whipping cream or vanilla ice cream. The cake is well suited for freezing. Do try and experiment different recipes and tarts that you can use this recipe for. 

Vietnamese Fresh Rice Spring Rolls

These rolls are as fresh as fresh can be. Prepared in a jiffy and so refreshing to eat, these rolls are a perfect starter on a hot summer day. I have recently joined a cooking group which meets fortnightly and consists of members from across the globe. There are over 300 members from across 73 countries divided into 26-27 groups of 10-12 members each. The members of each group meet fortnightly or weekly or monthly and one of them hosts the session each time with a cooking demo and followed by a lunch thereafter. Not only do you get to learn and taste different cuisines free of cost, you also meet wonderful people from across the globe and get to know different cultures and eating habits. Isn't that a wonderful group to be in? I am completely loving being a part of it and this recipe is just the beginning of many such sessions (read recipes) that I shall be attending (tasting and trying) in the future. So stay tightly tuned!! 

Ingredients 

Fot the rolls

Rice paper sheets preferably 8" (else it gets too small and fat to roll)

1/2 cup Rice flour vermicelli 

Few leaves of lettuce and cilantro 

Few slices of mango cut lengthwise 

Few slices of baby cucumber cut lengthwise 

Handful of shrimps 

1/4 cup boiled and shredded chicken 

Few pieces of an omelette cut lengthwise (optional, I skipped)

For the sauce 

3 cloves of garlic finely chopped 

1" piece of ginger finely chopped 

2 tsp brown sugar

5 tsp sesame oil

5 tsp extra virgin olive oil 

6 tsp light soya sauce 

2 tsp lime juice (or 3/4 tsp vinegar)

2 extra hot chillies chopped 

Direction

Prepare the sauce first. One thing to note about this sauce is that it can and is better prepared little ahead so that the flavors are well blended and infused for maximum taste. The left over sauce can be enjoyed with boiled noodles (or the vermicelli if left over) or even with steamed rice. It is simply delicious! Just mix all ingredients under sauce and keep it aside until used. If storing for the next day, keep it in the refrigerator. The vinegar/lemon juice helps keep it fresh for longer. 

Next get the vermicelli ready. Soak the rice vermicelli in tap water for 10-15 minutes till slightly soft. Now take a bowl of boiling water (off the stove) and dip the soaked and drained vermicelli in the hot water and keep it soaked for a maximum of 10 minutes or until just soft. Take care as too much soaking in the hot water will make them soggy. This is how they should look. 

Now time to prepare the rolls. Take a huge bowl of room temperature drinking water and set your station with the filling well arranged in one plate and the dry sheets and the bowl of water on one side. 

Dip a rice sheet in the big bowl of water and quickly take it out and place it in your kitchen counter or plate. Fill it up with all the ingredients starting with the lettuce, cilantro, mango, cucumber, shrimps, chicken, omelette strips, and the vermicelli. Now roll it up carefully from one end and tucking the filling in as you proceed. When you reach the end, just fold in the two edges from both ends. They will stick to the surface. Place the roll on a plate and proceed to make the next one. It is possible that the sheets tear in the process of rolling. That is when you soak them too long or the sheets are not too fresh. Don't worry, just procced and a few torn edges do not really matter. 

Serve with the sauce and enjoy this popular Vietnamese delicacy!! 

Strawberry Crumble

With loads of strawberries packed in the freezer and not really keen to indulge in high calorie desserts, this extremely easy Strawberry Crumble recipe was such a delight. The best part about this recipe is its low calorie count and equally delicious output. I adapted the recipe from Nigella Lawson's website with very minimal changes in the sugar content. Prepare this dessert just ahead of your guests and be ready to enjoy the compliments. 

Ingredients 

500 gms strawberries quartered (I used frozen and a little less than 500 gms)

50 gms fine sugar (my strawberries were already quite sweet when bought and so I added around 30 gms or 2 tbsp)

3 tbsp ground almonds

5 ml vanila extract

Topping

110 gms plain flour

1 tsp bsking powder

60 gms chilled butter (original recipe called for 75 gms)

50 gms brown sugar

60-70 gms finely chopped almonds (increase or decrease or skip as per choice)

Whipped cream for topping (optional)

Direction

Pre-heat the oven at 200 degree celcius. Place the strawberries, sugar, ground almonds and vanilla in a medium baking dish and mix well to coat. Make sure the baking dish is deep enough not to let the strawberry juices to seep off the edges. 

In a separate bowl, rub the flour, sifted with baking powder, with the chilled butter till the mixture resembles bread crumbs. To this add the sugar, chopped almonds and mix well. Gently place the flour mixture on top of the strawberries in the baking pan and cover all edges and spread well to cover evenly. 

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or until the strawberry juices start seeping up from the edges reaching on to the top of the crumble and the top is golden and crunchy to touch. 

Remove from oven and serve warm with a dollop of ice cream, whipped cream or just like that! 

Kesar Mango Kulfi

Summers are here and so is the craving for ice creams. Sadly, my daughter has a sensitive throat and tends to go down with a cough or cold whenever she eats one and so we need to avoid eating it as well. However, you cannot do much when you crave for something so dearly and so this weekend I decided to prepare a small batch of kulfis for my guests for dinner. It was a big hit and everyone including my little one enjoyed it and kept asking for more. It takes a little time to prepare this as I did not add any thickening ingredient to the milk and kept reducing it on a low flame till it reached desired consistency. Result was a delicious and rich milky goodness and flavored with my favourite fruit. Only thing that I will do differently next time is use fresh mango pulp instead of canned! Pure deliciousness!!

Ingredients 

1 litre full cream milk (if in India, do not separate the cream/malai once boiled)

1/2-3/4 can condensed milk (I used low fat and little less as my mango pulp was sweetened already)

1/2 tsp cardamom powder 

Few strands of saffron/kesar

1/2-3/4 cup mango pulp (depending on how strong flavor you want)

Chopped pistachios/dry fruits for garnishing (optional)

Direction 

Take the milk in a heavy bottomed pan and bring it to a boil. Now mix the condensed milk and cardamom powder and saffron and stir well. Keep the flame on medium low and let it simmer while stirring in between. You can do this along with other cooking that you may have  so that the job doesn't feel too tiring. You will be amazed to see how easy it is when you finish cooking and reducing the milk at the same time. Keep mixing in the layer of cream that forms on the top into the milk each time you stir. 

Once the milk is reduced to almost one-third the volume, remove it from heat and let it cool. Keep stirring again in between so that the layer of cream is constantly mixed into the milk. Once cooled completely, mix in the mango pulp. Add the pulp little at a time and stop when you are satisfied with the flavor. Pour the mixture into kulfi/popsicle moulds and freeze covered until set. 

To de mould, hold the kulfi moulds in running water for a few seconds and then release using the stick. Enjoy!!!

Seyal Paneer

Once during one of my conversations with a lady in my condominium, she mentioned how much she relished the "Seyal Paneer" she had ordered at a local Indian restaurant over the weekend. I wasn't even sure I heard the name right and on my next trip to that restaurant (intentional) I made sure the dish was ordered. It indeed was very delicious but a little too spicy for my palate. I came back home and tried to search for the recipe and interestingly, there were no recipes at all. All I could find out was that it was a Sindhi dish. Thankfully, I have a few Sindhi friends from Facebook and they helped me out with their mother's recipes and with a little tweaking from my end, the "Seyal Paneer" was finally prepared. I am still not sure if that's the actual name of this dish or just a name given by the restaurant. Whatever it may be, I can assure you that this is the easiest paneer you would ever make and one of the most delicious too. I put everything in a pan, lowered the flame to minimum, covered it, and went for my shower. When I came back after 20 minutes, my masala was ready (without any stirring) and the paneer cubes were ready to go in and ready to eat in 5 minutes!! It is this unbelievably easy. Now go make it!

Ingredients 

300 gms paneer cubes

3 big onions finely chopped 

2 tbsp chopped garlic (green garlic is used traditionally, use it if you can find it)

1 medium tomato 

2 tbsp tomato puree (or 1/2 medium tomato)

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp garam masala powder 

2 tsp coriander powder 

1 tsp cumin powder 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

3 tbsp Fresh coriander leaves chopped 

1-2 green chillies (optional)

Salt

1-2 tbsp ghee 

Direction 

Take a pan and heat the ghee. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle. Now lower the flame and add the finely chopped onions, garlic, tomatoes, puree (if using), dry spices, coriander, green chillies and salt. Mix them all together. There is no need to make anything soft or fried. Just mix and cover and leave it on the lowest flame for 15-20 minutes. This is how the masala gets it's taste and flavor through undisturbed slow cooking. When you see the oil droplets appear on top and along the sides, give a stir and add the paneer cubes. You can add 1/4-1/2 cup water at this point if you find the masala too dry or you intend to eat it with rice. Once the paneer is added, give a stir, and then cover again and leave again for 5-7 minutes till the paneer is well soaked and the gravy looks good to serve immediately. Serve hot with rice or roti/naan/paratha. 

Veg Korma

Everyday, I am pressed with this responsibility to prepare a vegetarian dish for my husband to take to office for his shared lunch. Although I am pleased with the thought that he will be eating healthy this way, the stress of cooking something new (at least 2-3 times a week) is hard to handle. So yesterday as I was discussing the food ideas with him, he suggested making Veg Korma and since I never tried it before, I liked the idea. I served some of it to my daughter as well and she loved it too. Hope his office colleagues love the taste as much as I do. 

Ingredients 

For the spice paste

1 tsp poppy seeds

6-7 whole cashews

1 tsp fennel seeds

3/4 tbsp coriander seeds

3-4 whole Kashmiri red chilli

1 tbsp roasted chana daal

3 cloves garlic

1" piece ginger

1" piece cinnamon, 3 cloves, 3 cardamom 

Water to grind

Other ingredients 

1 large onion chopped 

1 large tomato chopped 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

1/2 cup coconut milk (you can adjust as per your taste)

Salt to taste

10-12 curry leaves

3-4 cups mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, beans, cauliflower, button mushrooms, potatoes) chopped into equal pieces

Water as required 

Direction 

Start with the spice paste. First grind the poppy seeds to a fine powder followed by the cashews and then the rest of the ingredients one by one to achieve a smooth paste. Keep aside. 

Now, heat oil in a pan and add the curry leaves. Now add the onions and fry till translucent. Next add the turmeric powder and tomatoes and fry till soft. 

Tip in the spice paste and fry till oil leaves the side of the pan. Now add the salt and veggies and fry till they are well coated with the masalas. Add the coconut milk mixed with 1/4-1/2 cup water depending on how much gravy you want. Simmer and cook covered till the vegetables are tender. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with either roti (less gravy) or rice (more gravy). 

Shakshouka--An Irresistible Arabic Breakfast

Shakshouka! The dish is as simple to make as complicated as it sounds. I have been hearing and seeing this dish popping up on my FB timeline almost every weekend and while the dish didn't entice me first as I don't quite enjoy poached eggs, the curiosity around this dish kept on increasing with every passing post. Recently, a very dear friend and his wife came to visit us. Serving breakfast is a bit challenging for me and that was when Shakshouka came to my rescue. It is the same Bread and Eggs breakfast but with a delicious makeover. You must try this for your next weekend breakfast and let me know how addictive it is!!

Ingredients 

3-4 eggs as per your requirement 

2 large tomatoes chopped 

1 medium onion chopped 

3-4 fat cloves of garlic finely chopped 

1/2 red bell pepper cut into strips

1-2 chillies chopped (optional)

2 tsp fresh parsley chopped 

2 tsp lebanese 7 spices (you can substitute this with 1 tsp freshly ground cumin powder, 1 tsp coriander powder)

1/2 tsp garam masala powder (you can skip this if using lebanese 7 spices)

1 tsp cayenne pepper 

Salt and pepper to taste 

2 tsp oil

Direction 

Heat oil in a frying pan and add the onions. Fry till soft and then add the chopped garlic. Keep stirring until the raw smell disappears. Now add the bell pepper and fry just until little soft. Next add the tomatoes and the spices and keep stirring till the tomatoes are mushy and soft and start leaving their juices. Check for seasoning as you won't be able to stir once you add the eggs. Now gently break the eggs on top of the tomato base and reduce the flame to minimum. Let the eggs cook till no clear liquid remains. Sprinkle fresh parsley on top with a dash of freshly ground pepper.   Enjoy with your favourite bread. Goes especially well with challah bread. 

Shortbread Chocolate Chip Cookies

First of all, a very happy new year to all my readers. I know I am quite late in wishing but due to health reasons I was quite tied up in the first week of the month. Nevertheless, I couldn't stay away too long from blogging and cooking and so with a very dear friend visiting us this week, I thought it was the perfect time to get back to routine and bake some yummy cookies for them to enjoy with their tea and coffee. These cookies are amazingly easy and eggless too!! You must try these if you have been looking for a quick way to heaven!! 

Ingredients 

1 cup butter, just soft enough to beat but not melted

1/2 cup sugar 

2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp lemon extract (you can use Vanila, orange, or any flavor of your choice)

Chocolate chips for the toppings 

Direction 

Best the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Now add the extract and beat for a second. Lastly add the flour little at a time and beat until incorporated. You may use your hands at this time instead of the beater. 

Pre heat the oven at 175 degree celcius and line a baking tray with parchment paper. With the help of an ice cream scoop, scoop out small portions of the dough and drop on the prepared baking sheet. Once you have spaced all the cookies 1" apart, using your hands, smooth the cookie drops to an even top and sprinkle some chocolate chips on top. Bake in the pre heated oven for 12-15 minutes till the bottom is slightly golden and the tops spring back lightly when gently pressed. Remove from oven and let them cool in the tray for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in air tight containers. 

Eggless Christmas Fruit Cake

Wishing all my readers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I know it's a little too early to wish but I'll be gone for my annual holiday in a day's time and so this delicious Christmas Cake recipe seemed to be the perfect post to end this wonderful year. Yes, it has indeed been a lovely year for me. I never imagined the kind response and appreciation that I have received for my classes and the feedback of my happy clients. I don't know what the new year will bring for me but whatever it is, I will certainly try and enjoy every single day and live each day like there's never tomorrow. That's my New Year resolution and I truly wish that the New Year brings to each one of you all that your heart desires and may everyone be safe and healthy and stay blessed. 

Ingredients 

1 cup mixed fruit (tutti fruity bits)

1/4-1/2 cup orange juice (can be substituted with 50-50 rum and orange juice or entirely rum)

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature 

1/2 cup powdered sugar 

3 tsp egg replacer mixed in 2 tbsp water (can substitute with 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp whipped greek yogurt or hung curd; to make with eggs, simply add 3 eggs)

1 tsp orange extract 

1/4 tsp almond extract 

11/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup almond meal/ flour/ ground almonds 

1 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda (use only if you are using yogurt instead of egg replacer)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup milk

Direction 

For this recipe it is best to keep the fruit bits soaked in the Orange juice for at least 3 days for best results. 

If you are using egg replacer, prepare it first. Beat 3 tsp of the egg replacer powder with 6 tbsp water till foamy. If using yogurt, add 1/2 tsp baking soda and whip it till smooth and creamy. Let it stand for 5 minutes. 

Pre heat the oven at 180 degree celcius for 10 minutes while you prepare the batter. 

Now in the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar till creamy. Now add the egg replacer liquid or yogurt or eggs (if not making eggless) and beat till the mixture is foamy, smooth and creamy. Now add the extracts and beat again. Now add the flour mixture (flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt) and add the milk in alternate additions. Once the flour us well incorporated, add the fruit bits along with the liquid and fold in. Do not over mix at this stage. Transfer the batter to two loaf pans of medium size or a single big loaf pan. Bake in the pre heated oven for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

Aam Sondesh

A big apology to all my readers for the long hiatus in posting a recipe and while it was always on my mind to post something here, my schedule had become so hectic that I hardly found any time to cook at home leave aside cooking something new and interesting. Today however I made up my mind that I will definitely post a recipe, whatever it takes! I tried this delicious Aam Sondesh today in preparation for a Sondesh Cake order this week and while I have tried making Sondesh many times in the past, it was never this perfect. With today's success I now know where I had been going wrong all this while and hence this post. 

Ingredients 

1 litre full cream milk

1 tbsp vinegar 

2-3 tbsp powdered sugar

4 tbsp mango purée 

Direction 

Bring the milk to a boil and churn it with the vinegar. Drain the whey and collect the chenna in a muslin cloth. Wash it well with drinking water to remove the taste of vinegar. Squeeze out the excess liquid   and let it hang for 5-10 minutes. Now  knead the chenna till smooth, about 5-7 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix  again till the sugar dissolves. Now add the mango purée and mix till well combined. Now transfer this mixture to a pan and stir constantly on a low flame for exact 4 minutes. Switch off the flame and transfer to a greased plate with ghee. While the mixture cools to a little bearable temperature, you can quickly grease the Sondesh moulds (if using) with a little ghee. Then take little portions out of the mixture and press against the moulds. Then remove gently and place on another greased plate and cool completely before serving. You can also chill them until served. If you do not have the moulds,you  can just shape them with your hands. 

Langar Waali Daal

I have never had this daal at the Gurudwara (been only once or twice till now) and had never heard of it obviously until I saw Jaspreet Nirula Ji's post some time back on my regular food group. I had forgotten all about it until this last weekend when I didn't have anything special to offer my family for a nice lunch. Quickly searched for the recipe (couldn't find his and then googled and then found his), did some changes here and there and I served the most amazing daal I had made in recent times!! If this daal made by a person who has never tasted it can be so yummy, I wonder how that daal would taste which is made with so much love and positivity and that too in such a huge quantity. Can't wait to make it again!! 

Ingredients 

1 cup whole black urad daal (you can use split black urad daal as well)

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp chana daal

6 big cloves garlic

1 tsp turmeric powder 

1 tbsp ghee

Salt to taste

For masala

1 1/2 large tomatoes chopped 

1 tsp ginger grated

2 green chillies chopped 

1 tsp Kashmiri Chilli powder 

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp cumin powder

2 tbsp + 1 tbsp ghee

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp garam masala

Salt to taste

Chopped onions to serve (optional) 

Fresh chopped coriander to garnish 

Direction 

Wash and soak the lentils overnight. If you forget this step or decide to makr it at the nth hour, put the urad daal in the pressure cooker and after 1 whistle, switch off the flame and let it soak in the water for 2-3 hours. Otherwise, a soaking time of 5-6 hours is good enough if you have time but overnight soaking is best. For the channa daal, either soak it overnight or if you forget, one hour soak is good enough. 

Pressure cook the lentils with all the ingredients except for the masala for 5-6 whistles till the lentils are mushy. You can also slow cook the lentils in an earthen pot or deep bottom vessel on a medium flame and covered. 

Now, heat 2 tbsp ghee and crackle the cumin seeds. Add the grated ginger and the chopped chillies followed by the tomatoes. Add the dry spices and stir constantly till the tomatoes are mushy and oil droplets appear along the sides. Now pour the boiled and slightly mashed daal (with a potato masher) and mix well. Add salt as required, garam masala, and sugar. Add a bit of the chopped coriander and stir. Reserve the rest for final garnish. Just before switching off the flame add the remaining ghee and stir. Need not dissolve it completely. Remove from heat, add the remaining chopped coriander and the chopped onions (if using). Serve hot!!

Hara Bhara Kabab

Probably the most popular vegetarian kababs, these are packed with nutrition and yet so easy to make. These are great served hot from the pan to enjoy the crunchy crust and soft inside. Serve these with a sprinkle of chaat masala and a fierry green chutney or sliced onions with a squeeze of lemon. Just yumm!!

Ingredients 

200 gms spinach, stems removed 

1/2 cup green peas

2 large potatoes boiled

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 tbsp gram flour or besan

1 tsp red Chilli powder 

1 tsp cumin powder 

1/2 tsp chat masala or more to taste

Salt to taste 

Oil to fry

Direction

Boil the peas and potatoes till soft. Drain and keep aside. 

Blanch the spinach and squeeze excess water and finely chop. 

In a bowl, mash the potatoes and peas with a potato masher as fine as you can and add the chopped spinach. Add all the dry spices, ginger garlic paste, and besan and mix well. If your spinach wasn't squeezed well and there is still excess moisture, you can add 1 tbsp more besan and mix. Now pinch out small quantity and make a small smooth ball and flatten it with your palm. Arrange on a plate and repeat for the rest of the mixture. 

Now heat a grill pan and fry the kababs, with a little drizzle of oil, till golden on both the sides. Serve hot!!

Classic Chicken and Mushroom Pie with Cheddar Cheese Short Crust Pastry

Conducting cooking and baking classes also means that I need to do my homework really really well. I like to give my class participants the best of all I know and so I do a lot of reading and experiments before I announce my next class. A pie and tart class has been long due and repeatedly requested and so here is my homework for the next schedule which is in November. There are three more recipes that I will need to try. Stay tuned!! Do read my notes at the end for vegetarian options.

Ingredients 

For the filling 

1 chicken breast, about 150 gms, cut into medium pieces

200 gms white button mushrooms quartered 

1 large onion chopped 

2 cloves garlic chopped 

1 tbsp chopped parsley 

1 tbsp chopped rosemary 

1 tbsp olive oil plus more if required 

2 tbsp butter 

2 tbsp flour

200 ml milk

200 ml chicken/vegetable stock 

Salt and pepper to taste

For the pie crust (for a 22 cm pie plate)

1 cup all purpose flour/maida

2 tbsp butter, chilled 

2 tbsp vegetable shortening , chilled 

Pinch of salt

4 tbsp grated cheddar cheese 

1 egg (I used a little less than 1 large egg)

Direction 

Start with making the pie crust first. Take the flour, salt, butter and shortening and start rubbing the fat into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. There should still be some traces of butter and shortening visible in the mixture. Do not overmix. 

Now add the grated cheese and the egg, little at a tine, till the dough just comes together. We don't need a smooth or fine dough. Just the one which holds everything together. I used little less than 1 large egg. 

Cover the dough with cling wrap and refrigerate till further use. 

Now start preparing the filling. Heat oil in a pan and add the chicken pieces. Fry till they turn white. Now add the mushrooms and fry on high heat till the moisture evaporates and the chicken and the mushrooms turn slightly golden. Remove from the pan and keep aside. 

Now, in the same pan, add a little more oil if required and fry the chopped onions and   garlic till translucent. Remove from pan and keep with the chicken. 

Now, to make the sauce, you can either use the same pan or use a new one. Heat the butter and add the flour. Stir till you get a lovely aroma and the flour looks pasty. Now mix the milk and the stock and add it to the pan along with salt and pepper. Stir on a medium flame till the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. 

Now add the chopped parsley and rosemary and mix and remove from heat. Put the chicken mixture into a pie plate and pour the sauce over it. Spread to evenly cover the chicken beneath. Keep aside and let it cool. 

Preheat the oven at 200 degree celcius for 10 minutes. Now, take a parchment paper and spread it out on the kitchen counter. Take the dough out of the fridge and remove the cling wrap. Put another sheet of parchment paper or cling wrap and using a rolling pin, roll out the dough gently from all sides to a uniform thickness of about 3 mm and just enough to cover the top of the pie plate. 

Brush the sides of the pan with egg wash. Gently lift the rolled out dough and place it on the pie dish covering the edges and sitting on top of the filling. Seal the edges with your fingertips and filling in any edges with scrap dough. Make some cuts in the center to let the steam escape. 

Brush the top with egg wash and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes till the edges and top and browned and crisp. Remove from oven and let it cool for sometime before serving. 

Notes:

1. You can use any assorted veggies instead of the chicken like broccoli, sweet corn, carrots, beans, spinach, or cottage cheese as well. 

2. You can use 2-3 tbsp ice cold water instead of the egg while kneading the dough. 

3. You can skip the egg wash if you are a pure vegetarian. You can use milk wash instead but the shine won't be there. 

Simple and Easy Egg Biryani

Biryanis are always meant to be elaborate and royal which undoubtedly calls for a little planning. However, on some days, you just get that Biryani craving and you know you can't sit in peace unless you have satisfied your craving. This is what exactly happened to me this Sunday when we were exploring and discussing different food options for lunch. I had just this tray of eggs and nothing else in the pantry and within 1 hour quick and easy Egg Biryani was ready to be served. I made my own Biryani masala here, but you can use any store bought masala if you have even lesser time to get the biryani done. 

Ingredients 

For the masala 

1 tsp cumin seeds 

1 tsp fennel seeds 

2 tsp coriander seeds 

3-4 Kashmiri whole red chillies 

4 cardamoms 

4 cloves 

1 black cardamom

1 bay leaf

1/2 mace

1/2 tsp nutmeg powder 

1 tsp black peppercorns 

1" cinnamon 

Dry roast all and grind to a fine powder 

For the rice

2 cups basmati rice, soaked for 1/2 hr

1 tbsp ghee

1 tsp shahjeera 

2 pods cardamom, 1" cinnamon 

1 tsp salt 

Rest of the ingredients 

1 large onion sliced finely 

11/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 

2 large tomatoes chopped 

1 tbsp ghee + 1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Freshly chopped coriander and mint leaves 

1 cup warm milk (may require more)

3 hard boiled eggs

3 tbsp cornflour 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp salt

Direction 

Start with preparing the eggs. Peel the hard boiled eggs and cut them into half. Make a thick paste with water, cornflour, Chilli powder, salt and turmeric powder. 

Dip the egg halves one at a time and shallow fry in hot oil until golden. Remove from heat and keep aside. 

Now, heat the oil and ghee in a deep bottomed pan and add the shahjeera. Add the whole spices and the rice (reserve the soaked water) and fry till the rice becomes translucent. Now add warm water till just about covering the rice 1" above. Cover and let the rice cook till about 90%. 

Heat oil and ghee in another pan and fry the sliced onions till golden. Next add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell disappears. Tip in the tomatoes now and fry till mushy. Now add the freshly ground masala and mix well. Fry the onion masala till oil appears along the sides of the pan. Now add 1 cup milk and stir and bring to a boil. You can also add chopped vegetables to the masala and  fry a bit before adding the milk. Now add the cooked rice and mix well. Add coriander and mint and any birista or fried onions if you have ready. Mix well and drizzle some ghee from the sides and cover and simmer the flame. Let the biryani cook on dum for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and serve hot with the fried eggs and onion slices. 

 

Chocolate Mango Mousse Cake

In my family we have back-to-back birthdays starting with mine and ending with my father-in-law with the exception of my kiddo who is January born. Three back-to-back birthdays mean lots of cake baking but relatively fewer mouths to feed. So when it came to baking the last birthday cake of the year, I knew for certain that it has to be not just a cake. A mousse cake was on my mind since long and I got the perfect opportunity to get that wish fulfilled. A soft and spongy Chocolate Cake layered with sinful Mango Mousse and neatly finished off with a beautiful Mango Glaze! A perfect dessert cake, you can also make it in individual portions by crumbling/cutting  the sponge and layering with alternate layers of the mousse. Do refer my notes at the end of the recipe.

Ingredients 

For the sponge 

2 egg whites

2 tbsp plus 2 tbsp fine sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

2 egg yolks 

50 ml milk (roughly 1/4 cup)

24 ml (roughly 1/8 cup) unflavored oil (I used extra light olive oil)

1/4 cup flour (preferably cake flour for a light sponge)

1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder sifted 

 

For the mousse 

1 cup whipping cream 

1 1/2 cup sweetened mango pulp (I used canned alphonso pulp)

2 tbsp icing sugar

1 tbsp gelatin/agar agar powder 

4 tbsp water

For the glaze

1 cup sweetened mango pulp

1 tbsp gelatin/agar agar powder 

4 tbsp water 

Direction 

Start with making the sponge. Beat the egg whites with 2 tbsp sugar and cream of tartar until stiff peaks are formed. 

Now beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl along with the remaining sugar until pale yellow in color and creamy. Add the milk and the oil and beat further. Now add the sifted flour and cocoa mixture in two batches and mix well till no lumps remain. Now add half the egg whites into the yolk mixture and fold in till combined. Pour this mixture into the remaining egg whites and fold in to incorporate. Do not overmix. 

Preheat the oven at 180 degree celcius (should do halfway through the preparation) and grease and line a 6" round pan. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and the pan (after 5 minutes) and cool completely on a wire rack. 

While the cake cools, we can start with the mousse. Take a chilled bowl with chilled beaters and put the whipping cream along with the sugar and beat till stiff peaks form. The peaks should be able to hold their shape even when you tilt the bowl. 

Keep this bowl in the fridge (not freezer) while you prepare the mango puree. Sprinkle gelatin or agar agar in cold water and let it stand for 5 minutes. Now heat the mixture in the microwave for 30 seconds till completely dissolved and you get a clear liquid. Mix well and let it come to room temperature before using. Make sure you continue stirring it so that it doesn't set. Now add the cooled gelatin liquid to the mango puree and mix well till no lumps remain. 

Take the whipped cream out of the fridge and fold in the mango puree until combined. Now line a 7" spring form pan (I used an 8" pan and so got a slightly bigger outer mousse layer; would highly recommend using a 7" instead) or cake ring with parchment paper on the bottom and the sides for easy release later. Slice the completely cooled cake (very important) into two and put one half into the prepared pan. 

Now spread half the mousse on top of this evenly and let it set slightly in the fridge for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, take the pan out and gently keep the other layer of cake on top and spread the remaining mousse as evenly as possible. Smooth out the top and keep it to set in the fridge for at least an hour or till it feels set to the touch. 

Once the mousse has set, start preparing the glaze. Again, prepare the gelatin in the same way like you did for the mousse. Pour the cooled gelatin into the mango puree and mix well. Pour this mixture gently on top of the set mousse and let it set for 1-2 hours or overnight. Decorate the top as you like and serve chilled!

Notes:

1. You can make it as individual portions by cutting the cake with a cookie cutter or crumbling the cake and layering it using the same procedure like you did for the cake. 

2. The procedure for making the mousse with agar agar powder will be the same. 

3. If you are a vegetarian, you can make an eggless cake using your recipe or any of my chocolate eggless cake recipes here and follow the rest of the procedure accordingly.