Aloo Tikki

I was introduced to this dish by Shwetha bhabhi. Till then I had tried my hand with cutlets, but tikki was a whole new ball game. But once I started frying these delicacies, it turned out real easy to make them. Now these go pretty well with our regular tomato ketchup, however something even better is the raw mango pudina chutney (thanks again to bhabhi & bhaiya). So here’s my take on Aloo Tikki.

Ingredients

•  2 medium potatoes boiled
• 1 medium onion chopped finely
• 2 tsp. ginger garlic paste
• 1 tsp. chilli powder
• 1 tsp. turmeric powder
• 1 tsp. coriander powder
• 1 tsp. garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
•  3 tbsp. Coriander leaves chopped
• 2 egg whites beaten nicely
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp. veg oil plus 4 tbsp. for frying

Heat 1 tbsp. of oil in a pan and add onion, ginger garlic paste. Saute till the onion becomes translucent. Add salt. Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder and sauté for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a bowl, put the boiled potatoes and mash with a fork. (If you have a masher…. well good enough).

Add the onion mixture to the mashed potatoes and add the coriander leaves and mix well with a spoon until combined.

Make small balls and shape into small patties( disc shaped). Keep it aside.

Heat 4 tbsp. of oil in a pan; Dip the ball in the egg whites and then in the bread crumbs and shallow fry till both sides of the patty turns brown.

Tranfer it to a plate with paper towel on it and let sit for a minute or two.

Serve the tikkis with tomato chilli sauce. Yuumm!!!

Black Forest Cake

Recently I was all reminiscent about all the pastries that I have tried out & suddenly the Black Forest Cake popped up in my head. So here’s my documentation of the time when I baked my first Black Forest Cake & yes I was left licking my fingers. Ok now all this talk has got my appetite all worked up!!

Ingredients

·      1 1/3 cup Plain flour

·      2 eggs

·      ½ cup boiling water

·      2 tsp. coffee powder

·      1 cup confectioners’ sugar

·      150 gms Butter

·      ¾ tsp. baking powder

·      ½ tsp. vinegar

·      1 tsp. vanilla essence

·      2 tbsp. cocoa powder

·      For the syrup

·      3-4 tbsp.  sugar

·      2 tbsp. water

·      1 tbsp. rum (optional)

·      For the icing

·      2 cups whipped cream

·      Cherry- a handful

·      Chocolate sprinkles

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Dissolve the coffee and cocoa powder in boiling water and keep it aside.

Sift flour and baking powder. (Sifting helps to get a nice spongy cake).

In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar using an electric/ hand mixer until well combined. In to this add one egg at a time and beat nicely.

Add the vinegar and vanilla essence and blend nicely.

Rule: You should add flour and coffee mixture alternatively. If starting with flour mixture, then it should end with flour mixture.

Now add flour to this and mix gently. Then add the coffee mixture and then the flour and then the coffee ending with the flour.

Bake for 40- 45 minutes. Insert a tooth pick and check whether the cake is done. It should come out clean.

Transfer the cake into a wire rack and let it cool.

In a bowl, mix sugar, water and rum, if using, nicely.

Once the cake is cooled, level the cake and divide the cake into two equal parts. Using a fork, prick the cake and spoon the sugar syrup into the cake. Just sprinkle.

The top layer of the cake (before dividing) should be the base. With a spatula, Spread the whipping cream and place some cherries. Now take the second half of the cake and put it upside down. You will get an even levelled top and will be easier to spread the whipping cream. Top with some cherries and sprinkle some chocolate shavings or sprinklers.

Chill the cake for 1 hour. Your kids are gonna love this one!!!!!

Mushroom Pilaf

This next dish a treat for any cook – with fewer ingredients, it still manages to dish out a rich assortment in the flavour segment. To be honest I was real lazy to cook the biriyani or the traditional pulao, so I ended up cooking this pilaf. This could be a perfect dish for a lazy weekend treat. Those who are on a diet watch can try this with the brown rice.

Ingredients

•       1 cup basmati rice (soaked in water for 30 minutes)
•       2 tbsp. Veg oil
•       2 onions medium chopped
•       1 garlic clove crushed
•       3 green cardamom pods
•       2 tbsp. Butter/ghee
•       2 ½ cup button mushroom sliced
•       1 tsp. grated fresh root ginger
•       A pinch of garam masala
•      1 tbsp. chopped coriander leaves
•       Vegetable Stock- 1 ½ cubes / Salt
•       2 Cups of Water

Heat oil in a deep bottom pan. Add onions, garlic and cardamom pods and cook for 3-4 minutes until onions turn translucent.

Add butter/ghee; when melted, add mushroom and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add ginger, rice and garam masala and sauté for 2-3 minutes on a low flame. Add the veg stock cube/salt and stir gently.

Add water. Bring to boil and then cover tightly and simmer over lower heat for 10-12 minutes.

 Healthy Option-(I was out of basmati rice so used brown rice. If using brown rice, you can skip the soaking part of the rice. They cook pretty fast.)

Remove from the heat and leave it to stand, still covered for 5 minutes.

Add the chopped coriander leaves and gently fluff the rice with fork.

Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately and Enjoyy!!!

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookie

It’s cookie time. The following batch was made just because there was a small portion of white chocolate bar in my refrigerator. Like with around half of my initial attempts, the first batch turned out to be a super flop. But thereafter the next batch came out real soft yet crunchy!!

Ingredients

·      75 gms Unsalted butter softened plus extra for greasing

·      75 g Caster Sugar/superfine sugar

·      1 large egg lightly beaten

·      175 gms plain flour

·      125 gms white chocolate, broken

·      125 gms cranberry chopped (you can use cherry as well)

·      A drop of vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 325 ° F/ 160 ° F. Grease a cooking sheet.

In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and vanilla essence using a hand mixer / electric mixer until combined. Gradually beat the egg until light and fluffy.

With a metal spoon, lightly fold in the flour, chocolate and cranberries. Put a tablespoon full of mixture on the prepared cookie sheet and bake for 10- 12 minutes.

The cookie should be soft under a crisp crust. Leave the cookies to cool on a wire rack.

Optional- Dust with icing sugar.

Chow Mein Night

Being a regular Chinese buff, trying out varied noodle recipes happens to be one of my hobbies (moreover it’s quite simple too). This next dish just happens to be a result of this hobby. It’s been a long time since I cooked noodles. This chow Mein dish authentically is made with egg noodles, however I tried out this with buckwheat (soba) noodles. While in my version I have gone for shredded chicken strips, you can also substitute this with any of your favourite veggies, scrambled eggs or sausages. Now while the use of sesame oil can be avoided, if you want to have that authentic Chinese touch do go for that tablespoon & voila – you get that sweet nutty flavour. And if you like your dish to be all garnished then a little sprinkle of sesame seeds should do the trick.

Ingredients

•       250 gms- buckwheat noodles/ Chinese egg noodles
•      2 tbsp. Veg oil
• 280 gms chicken boneless and shredded
•     3 garlic cloves finely chopped
•    1 red bell pepper( capsicum) cubed/sliced
•      1 green bell pepper (capsicum) cubed/sliced
•       100 gms mushroom chopped/sliced
•     ½ cup spring onions
•      ½ cup cabbage chopped
•    3 tsp. soy sauce
•     1 tsp. hoisin sauce
•      2 tbsp. red chilli flakes( more or less according to youe spice level)
•       2 tsp. pepper powder(optional)
•       1 tbsp. sesame oil

Place the noodles in a large bowl or dish and break them slightly. Pour enough boiling water over the noodles to cover and set aside. Drain them once they are done. (Prepare the noodles according to the directions given on the packet).

Heat oil in a bottom pan. Add chicken and garlic and cook till the chicken is cooked for about 5- 8 minutes. Add the chilli flakes and sauté for a while.

Add the mushroom, bell peppers, cabbage and spring onions sauté for 5 minutes. Add soya sauce and hoisin sauce and mix completely.

Add the drained noodles and toss until thoroughly combined.

Drizzle sesame oil and toss again. If needed you can add little more chilli flakes/pepper powder at this stage.

Remove from heat; transfer it to a serving dish. Add some chopped spring onions on top and enjoyyy!!

Vegetable Jalfrezi

The first time I had Jalfrezi dish it was a chicken based version. However when I decided to go for a shot, I went with the veggie version (didn’t make my husband that happy though). For those who are conscious about the calories, paneer can be swapped with tofu. This coloured veggie dish is best complemented with pulao, plain rice & rotis.

Ingredients

·      250 gms- Paneer julienned and lightly fried in 1 tbsp. veg oil

·      1 Onion finely sliced

·      2 tsp. Ginger garlic paste

·      1 Red Capsicum julienned

·      2 Green Capsicum julienned

·      2 Carrot  medium julienned

·      4 French Beans (Cut into ½ inch)

·      1 Tomato julienned

·      1 tbsp. Tomato paste (for more tangy-2 tbsp.)

·      2 tsp. Red chili powder

·      2 tsp. Coriander powder

·      1 tsp. pepper corn

·      2-3 cloves

·      1 inch Cinnamon bark

·      3 cardamom pods

·      1 tsp. cumin seeds

·      Veg Stock-1 cube/Salt

·      Coriander leaves for garnishing

·      2 tbsp. veg Oil

Heat oil in a bottom pan. Add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorn and cardamom pods and sauté for 2 minutes. Add sliced onions and saute for 5 minutes. Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a while.

Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, kasuri methi( if you like you can add 1 tsp. of kasuri methi), coriander powder and sauté till the curry powder is done for about 3-5 minutes. Add tomato paste, veg stock and tomato and cook for 5 minutes. (You can add 1 tbsp. water at this stage).

 Add all the veggies and paneer and mix gently. Add 1/2 cup of water .Cover and cook for about 5 minutes in high flame. Reduce the flame and cook for 10 more minutes. Open the lid and cook till the gravy is almost dry. (Not too dry). Add coriander leaves and toss everything. Check for salt.

Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with roti/rice!!!!!

Coriander Chicken

This next dish is a Bengali delicacy which was introduced to me by Tannu Bhabi (Tannishta). My only tweak over here is the addition of coconut milk to make this dish richer & thicker. However if you are not a fan of coconut milk then you can give it a pass & it will still not reduce the taste of this chicken curry.

Ingredients

1 kg Chicken cleaned and cut
1 cup coriander leaves plus extra for garnishing
2 Onions medium chopped
1 tomato -finely chopped
2 tbsp. Red chilli flakes
1 tbsp. chilli powder
1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
1/4 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tbsp. veg oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
Salt to taste
100 ml thick coconut milk+ ½ cup water 

Grind 1 cup of coriander leaves to a fine paste.

Heat oil in a deep bottom pan; fry cumin seeds and red chilli flake for a minute. Then add the onions, ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a while. Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt and sauté till the raw smell of the curry powder goes off.

 Add chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes and add the coriander paste and cook for a minute while stirring continuously. Add the chicken pieces and mix completely. Add the coconut milk and water. Cover and cook for 15 minutes till the chicken is done.

 Open the lid and with high flame, cook for a 5- 8 minutes. (If u want a thicker yet dry gravy, cook for 10-12 minutes).

Check for salt and add chopped coriander leaves for garnishing. Enjoy!!!

Triple P

Paneer, Peas Pulao- that’s the Triple P. My first tryst with this dish was during my holiday at Pondicherry. As the name suggest, it’s a one heck of a pot meal. The perfect choice of rice for this dish is the basmati rice, however since I was out of basmati I tried this one with sona masoori rice & it came out pretty well. This pulao is a great alternative for boiled rice & any gravy should go well with this.

Ingredients

1 ½ cup Basmati rice (Soaked in water for 30 minutes)

½ cup Green peas

100 gms  Paneer -cubed

4-Cloves - 4

1 inch Cinnamon stick

1Bay leaf (optional)

1 Onions sliced

2 Green chilies cut into fine pieces

1 tsp. Ginger garlic paste

¼ tsp. turmeric powder

3 cup –water/vegetable stock (1 ½ cubes mixed in 3 cups of water)

A pinch of garam masla powder

Salt to taste

½ tbsp. Veg Oil

Heat oil in a deep bottom pan. Add cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf (optional) and allow them to sizzle. Add sliced onions and green chilies and saute for 5 minutes till translucent .Add turmeric and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add ginger garlic paste and stir for 3 minutes. Add green peas, paneer pieces, garam masala, salt and mix. Add the drained rice and sauté for 2 minutes. Do not over mix as the rice might break.

Add water/ veg stock and bring to a boil. Reduce flame to low and place lid. Cook till the rice and peas are cooked, for about 12-15 minutes.

Remove from the heat and don not open the lid. Let set for 5 minutes.

Remove lid, add some chopped coriander leaves and mix well.

Garnish with coriander leaves and enjoy!!!!