Rendezvous 2011

First thing first, a very warm Birthday wishes to dear Mr & Mrs. Parsai. Happy Birthday sweetest Sonal....Tum Jeeyo Hazaron Saal, Yeh Meri Hai Aarzoo ~~
One more year coming to end and overall it has been a fabulous year, towards the end of year things started to fall in place @ work front, new challenges which is actually exciting and I am all gear up for the coming year.  But here we are talking about 2011, few changes happened & I came out of my comfort zone.  And for blogging it has be a great year.  In my 3 and half years of blogging this 2011 is the year I blogged the most with less breaks and posted around 100+ recipes way ahead of my normal posts per year.  Like every year this year also I planned to do a roundup posts, but for a change discussed the same with Prathibha, Lubna and Deepa and come up with idea of posting a recipe of each month. 
Joyful January
After a long break in 2010, I started blogging for Jan with a bang, I posted few of my favourite recipes like Kofta Makhani, Beetroot Dal but then the highlight has to be Litti a traditional recipe and must during winters, served with lot of ghee and chokha it’s a wonderful meal, have it once you will become fan. 

Fabulous February
Almond Chocolate Puff pastry  is a simple recipe which looks and taste delicious.  It’s a easy recipe, can be prepared in a jiffy, try this n impress your family and friends.

Marvellous March
 Savoury Barley Cookies is eggless, made wheat flour & barley flour and no sugar, can it get better than this?  A perfect tea time partner. 

Awesome April
During Cricket Worldcup we had fun @ facebook and a bunch of gals decided to post some snacks to munch during finals, I made Palak Dhokla along with Beets n Carrot Juice for guilt free munchies and yahh we won the world cup, what a joy!

Mighty May
Next up is Vegetable Momos a famous Indo-Chinese recipe and it’s difficult to say no to this.  Another my favourite recipe of this month is Aam ka Achar.

Juicy June
This year Jun I celebrated blog 3rd anniversary with this butter/ghee free, sugar free and delicious sweet Anjeer Khajoor Roll aka Dry Figs, dates and nuts roll. It’s yum and yet so healthy, a must try.

I can’t help but also mention Vanilla Cake with Cream Frosting which I made for my friend’s anniversary, a simple n beautiful cake.

Just July
This year I posted 4 soup recipes, quite a achievement for me and in all I love Spring Onion & Peas Soup, a wonderful combo results in delicious soup, my trial well paid off.  The cute little biscuit on side is Italian Pepper Biscuits, it goes so well with any soup, tea/coffee and if you like savoury biscuit then you have to try this as it’s so simple and delightful.

Adorable August
Though I like few recipes from Aug but Apple Compote Financiers is special, it’s pretty, delicious, something different and trust me it’s so easy to make. 

Sweet September
When I posted Murukku Sandwich little I knew that it will become so famous, I received so many query and feedback.  It’s a fabulous party finger food.

Overdose October
True to the name Oct month was overdose with all my favourite post and few very near to my heart. For the festive season, Diwali, Karwa Chuath, Navratri along with the colourful fruit trifle, traditional and very famous Tirunelveli wheat halwa the one recipe that I took proud was Badam Katli, so easy yet so rich.

Nostalgic November
Yet again as the name November was nostalgic for me as I was back from my India trip and with the hangover didn’t blog much but manage to post our personal favourite chat recipe ~ Radga Patties.  It’s difficult to say no to this…just yum!

Delightful December
A delightful month for me for sure, along with my birthday and our anniversary December month also has lot of family members birthday too plus I always love the festive mood, to continue the mood presenting Paneer Butter Masala.

This was year 2011 and wish to be back with more interesting and colourful recipes in 2012.

Have a nice day ~~

Merry Christmas

Wishing all reader Merry Christmas

And to my sister Happy Birthday

Eggless Tutti Frutti Cookies | Icebox Cookies Recipe

I baked these tutti fruitti cookies for friends as I said in my previous post along with the Orange Marble Cake.  Either I won’t bake atall and if I start then I will do couple of things in one shot.  And being Christmas festive season baking extra doesn’t hurts what you say?  I like Christmas very much, the mood is so festive not to mention most of the people at work on leave and I can relax a bit .  

Coming back to these cookie it was very soft and delicious, I added little fresh orange zest and that gives wonderful fragrance.   These cookies are eggless, with few ingredients, it’s so easy to bake and looks so pretty that it’s a must try.   If you want to gift your friends and family then these cookies fits the bill perfectly.  As you can see in above picture cookies get these beautiful tasty layers.  I followed the Icebox Cookies recipe from joyofbaking and changed the red cherries with tutti frutti and halved the recipe to suit my need. 

Ingredients: [Makes around two dozen cookie]
Plain Flour -  1 cup
Tutti Frutti/candied red cherries – 1/3 cup
Butter – 1/2 cup [at room temperature]
White Granulated Sugar – 1/2 cup
Vanilla Extract/Essence – 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder – 1/4 tsp
Salt – a pinch
Fresh Orange Zest – 1/2 tsp [optional]

Method:
1. In a bowl beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy around 2-3 minutes.  Add vanilla extract and mix well.
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder together and mix to butter mixture and mix until it forms dough.
3. Add cherries or tutti fruitti , orange zest and mix again well to combine everything well. 
~  If the dough is dry then you can add 1-2 tbsp of milk or if it’s sticky then add little flour and mix again. 
4. Divide the dough in to 2 portions and form a log, wrap in parchment or wax paper, seal the edges well and refrigerator at least for 3 hours and upto 3 days.  You can also freeze it for 45 minutes in case you are in hurry. 
5. Preheat oven at 375F/190C, meanwhile take out the log, unwrap wax paper and using a sharp knief and cut the logs into 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick slices or roll the dough in to and cut in any desire shape.  Line baking tray with parchment sheet and place cookies 1-2 inch part from each other.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges starts to get light brown (keep a eye after 10 minutes). Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack.  
~ As I was in time crunch I didn’t refrigerated dough so couldn’t get the neat shape. 
Store the cookies in air tight box and use up to 6 days, relish the cookies with tea or coffee or as it is.

These cookies goes to Simply Food Christmas Red & Green Event and also to Sangeetha’s Bake Fest.

Have a nice day ~~

Eggless Orange Marble Cake

This orange marble tea cake I baked for friends and also for my in-laws.  I adapted this easy recipe from Prathibha’s Orange Cake and made it orange marble cake as Prathibha mention in her post it’s a very easy recipe, a must try for beginners with simple basic ingredients.  Chocolate & fresh orange gives the cake unique taste and refreshing flavour making it perfect for this Christmas season baking,  today is my sister-in-law birthday so it’s perfect for me to post this cake recipe, Happy Birthday Gudiya. 

Ingredients:
Plain Flour – 1 1/4 cups
Baking Powder – 1 tsp
Baking Soda – 1/2 tsp
Condensed Milk – 1/2 cup/can
Butter – 1/2 cup [at room temperature]
Fresh Orange Juice – 1/2 cup
Powdered Sugar – 3 tbsp [ to taste]
Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp
Apple Cider Vinegar – 1 tsp [optional]
Orange Zest – 1/2 tsp
Cocoa Powder – 2 tsp

Method:
1.  Sift flour, baking powder and soda and keep aside.
2. In a bowl add butter, condensed milk, orange juice, sugar, vanilla essence and apple cider vinegar and mix everything well.
3. Now fold in flour in 2-3 batches and after each addition mix gently so there is no lumps formed. 
4. Divide 1/2 of cake batter in another bowl, add cocoa powder and mix well.  In the remaining cake batter add orange zest and mix well too.
5. Preheat oven to 180g C and grease a 8 inch round or square pan, whatever you like.
6. In the prepared pan add 1tbsp of orange batter followed by 1tbsp of cocoa batter, continue doing it until you run out of both batters. 
You can use a toothpick or knife and make swirls on the cake, I didn’t do that.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the crust is golden brown in color or if the tooth pick comes out clean when inserted in centre of cake.  If required bake for 5 more minutes.
8. Cool the pan on a wire cake, after 5 minutes invert and remove the cake from pan and let it cool completely now.  Cut in desire shape.
Enjoy orange marble cake with hot or cold drinks. 

And this goes to Sangeetha’s Bake Fest.
Have a nice day ~~

Paneer Butter Masala | Restaurant Style Recipe

Most of us like panner and paneer butter masala recipe is no exception.  Piping hot naan and paneer butter masala is such popular dishes that most people order in restaurant and re-creating the same magic is home is one such bliss.  I don’t have to worry if the gravy will be too sweet for me or if the panner is hard!  There was a time I would order paneer dish always and now I don’t order or I cook much since DH doesn't like! But once in a while I make paneer and whenever I does I make sure that I am doing something good. 

I made this paneer butter masala for our anniversary lunch and it came out so perfect, my I’m-not-paneer-fan DH also went for 2nd helping. This recipe is easy and simple but the end result is creamy, delicious paneer butter masala which makes a simple meal into feast.


Ingredients:
Panner/Cottage Cheese Cubes – 2 cups
Onion – 1 large
Tomato – 1 small
Tomato Paste – 1 tbsp
Ginger-Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds Powder – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – 1 tsp
Kasuri Methi – 1 tbsp
Tomato Ketchup/Sauce – 1 tbsp [optional]
Cashew nuts – 10-12
White Sesame – 1 tbsp
Orange Food Colour – a drop [optional]
Salt – to taste
Butter – 3 tbsp (you can use oil too)
Water – 1.5 cups + as needed


Method:
1.  Peel, wash and chop onion, tomato.  Grind onion along with ginger-garlic if not using ginger-garlic paste with less or no water, then puree tomato keep aside.
2. Soak sesame and cashews in little water for 10 minutes and grind into smooth paste use little water, keep aside.
2. In a pan or wok heat 1 tbsp of butter and sauté paneer until golden brown in all sides or 2 sides, remove from flame and keep aside.  This is optional step, if you don’t like then don’t sauté paneer.
~ Soak the fried paneer in little hot water so it doesn’t becomes chewy. 
3. In a same pan add remaining butter or oil and add onion paste, ginger-garlic paste and sauté until raw smell goes off.  Now add red chilli and coriander seeds powder mix well and fry until oil/butter starts to separate.
4. Add tomato puree, paste, sauce (if using) mix everything together and cook for 2 minutes in medium flame.  Add 1.5 cups of water and bring it to boil.
5. Add salt and crushed kasuri methi, cashew-sesame paste, food colour (if using) and mix everything well and let it come to a boil again.  Now add paneer, garam masala and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until the consistency you like.  Adjust salt if required, off flame and let the dish stand for 10 minutes before serving.
Our paneer butter masala is ready, have it with naan, paratha, roti or any pulao.

Note:
~ Instead of cashew-sesame paste you can use 3/4 cup fresh cream, I personally don’t like to add cream much.  Cashew-sesame paste makes the dish very creamy.
~ I didn’t added tomato sauce, you can if you wish.
~ Food colour is optional, I just added a drop.
~ If you add extra water by mistake don’t panic, in 2 tbsp of water add 1tbsp of corn flour form a smooth paste,  add to the gravy and simmer for 2 minutes.
Have a nice day ~~

Beetroot Masala Recipe

Beetroot is one of my favorite vegetable and I must have said this umpteen times by now, you have to see the beets recipe I posted, Beetroot Juice, Beets  Soup, Beets Cutlet, Beetroot Stir Fry, Beetroot Paratha, Beetroot Rice, Beetroot Dal, so now what you think?

Babycorn Pulao | Pilaf

Babycorn manchurian is one of my favorite babycorn recipe and most of the time I end up doing the same, but once in a while I try to do different things and this babycorn pulao or pulav is one of such attempt for a Saturday lunch.  I like to do one pot meal and I did the same for this pilaf too.  The flavours are mild & perfect for kids, makes this as lunch box and they will be happy or to make this a grant meal pair it up with some rich spicy gravy and you are done.  A very simple and delicious babycorn pulao recipe for you.    I made cucumber raita and yum pan fry along, I know yam fry with pulao, you must be thinking but spicy yam fry with mild pulao and raita was a wonderful combo.



Ingredients: [ Serves 3-4]

Basmatic Rice - 1.5 Cups
Baby Corn - 10 pieces
Peas - 1/4 Cup [optional]
Onion - 1 medium
Green Chillies - 3
Ginger - 1/2 tsp minced
Bay Leaf - 1
Cardamom - 1
Cinnamon - 1" pieces
Cloves - 2
Shah Jeera - 1/2 tsp [or cumin seeds]
Crushed Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil/ghee - 1 tbsp
Water - 2 1/2 - 3 Cups



Method:

1. Wash and soak rice for 15-30 minutes or until ready to use.
2. Wash and halve baby corn or cut into bite size pieces, I like to halve so I did the same here.  Slice onion and chilli.
3. In pressure cooker heat oil/ghee add whole garam masala & sauté for 30 seconds, add shahi jeera or cumin seeds and allow to splutter.  Add minced ginger and sauté until light brown.  Add onion and chillies and sauté until onion become pink.
4. Add baby corn and sauté for 2-3 minutes, followed by peas and sauté for a minute too.  Now add rice, salt, pepper and mix well.  Sauté for a minute then add water, adjust salt if required close cooker lid and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Simple right?  Our pulao is ready to have it hot/warm with any raita of your choice. 



Note:
~ You can add minced ginger 1/2 tsp if you wish.
~ Water needs to be added in 1:2 ratio ie for 1.5 cups of rice 3 cups of water, normally I add 2 3/4 cup water
~ You can do the frying part in open pan and cook it later in rice cooker.

Have a nice day ~~

Ragda Patties | Chaat Recipes

Ragda Patties is one of the popular street food or chaat item in North India and it’s one of the chaat items that I make the most and never really got the chance to post the recipe for the simple reason that it’s get’s over so fast before any clicking can be done!  So this time I made this for a friend and decided to post the recipe.  Slowly ragda pattices has been one of our favorite chaat cause it’s works perfect as a chaat/snack and also as a meal, I mostly do this for dinner. List of ingredients looks long but it's actually quite easy to prepare and if we have the chutney ready then it's quick too.


Bursting with so many flavors and spices, ragda pattice is a treat.  I have made this couple of times for guests and they started to love these too.  Ragda here is almost same as sundal that we get in Chennai from street hawkers, it was fun to eat hot piping sundal on raining days! I do the same some times too just make the ragda/sundal and relish it.  And ya ofcourse I did disappear for some time now but that’s was not a planned break, let's checkout the recipe now.



Ingredients:

For Ragda: [Serves 3-4 people]
White Dry Peas/ White Vatana – 1 1/2 cups
Water – 4 cups or as required
Salt – To taste
Oil – 2 tbsp
Asafoetida/Hing – 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
White Sesame Seeds – 1 tsp
Crushed Peanuts – 2 tbsp [optional]
Curry Leaves – 1 sprig
Fresh minced ginger-garlic – 1 tbsp [or ginger-garlic paste 1 tbsp]
Onion – 2 medium
Green Chillies – 2
Tomato – 1 large
Red Chili Powder – 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Amchur/Dry Mango Powder – 1 tsp Or Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp
Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder – 1/2 tsp
Cilantro – to garnish

For Patties (Aloo Tikki)
Please refer the recipe here

For Serving:
Green Chutney – To taste
Sweet Chutney – To taste
Chopped Onion
Chopped Cilantro
Sev



Method:
1. Wash and soak vatana/dry peas over night.

2. Drain, rinse and pressure cook vatana with water and salt for 2 whistles.
 
3. Meanwhile finely chop onion, green chillies, tomato and cilantro, keep aside.

4. In a pan or wok heat oil add Asafoetida/Hing, cumin, mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Followed by peanuts (if using), curry leaves and sesame seeds, allow it to pop. (keep a lid handy, after adding sesame seeds over the pan or it will pop all over) Add ginger-garlic and sauté until light brown.



5. Now add onion, green chillies and fry until onion becomes translucent, Add all powder spices except amchur powder and give a good stir.



6. Add tomato and  cook until tomato mashes well or oil starts to leave side of pan.  Now add boiled vatana/peas and mix everything well.



7.  Add more water if required and adjust salt, add amchur powder or lemon juice, bring it to good boil and simmer in slow for 5 minutes.  Garnish with cilantro.


Our ragda is ready.



To Assemble/Serve
1. In a bowl or flat plate keep 2 pattices/tikki and pour radga over. 
2. Add green and sweet chutney, sprinkle onion, sev and cilantro.
Have it warm and enjoy. 



Have a nice day ~~

Urad Dal Bada | Ulundu Vadai Recipe

Urad Dal Vada, ulundu vadai, bada is medhu vada or vadai popular snack all over time with different names. Made with urad dal batter and deep fried into delicious vada or vadai is treat either as snack or served along main course specially during festival treat. Like Medhu vada or urad dal bada cabbage vada is made in similar way with just extra addition of finely chopped cabbage which I have posted some time back.

Wagh Bakri Tea Review

Yes, it’s a review! A plan that was overdue for years now.  I wanted to write reviews for so long but it didn’t materialize until few friends forced me to do it.  I am starting with Wagh Bakri Strong CTC Leaf Tea review, I am tea person and like to have tea more than coffee.  Only recently we started using Wagh Bakri tea and totally loved it, love for wagh bakri started from having plenty of tea @ Mumbai Domestic Airport. 



Product: Wagh Bakri Strong CTC Leaf Tea

Price: SGD 6.90 for 500 gms

Product Claim: A legendary brand with extraordinary brand loyalty built and preserved painstakingly for more than 5 years.  It’s the best selling brand in Western India.  Customers are known to carry along supplies on long and overseas journeys!
A blend of select Assam teas, WaghBakri is high on strength and instantly refreshes a person.  Consistency of quality through the years is another feather in our cap.  It is available in Leaf, Dust and Fanning varieties.

About Wagh Bakri: Waghbakri tea house is a premium tea house in inception since the year eighteen ninety two. The tea baron, Sir Narandas Desai started the company in Ahemadabad being experienced in the art of blending and tea growing which he learned while owning a tea estate in South Africa. Sir Narandas Desai was praised by Mahatma Gandhi for his commendable work. The generations that followed gave boost to his pioneering efforts and developed the business to its present status of being one of the largest tea houses in India.
During childhood days  Wagh  Bakri ads used to be famous.  This is the first tea brand that we liked very much and so quickly. The quality is consistent, the blend is just right for the aroma, for the taste and strength well balanced.  



Aroma of this tea is very good, rich & refreshing and it’s taste like  tea we get in hotel, restaurants which is always different from homemade tea.  The tea base is a granular CTC black tea.



This is pure Assam tea/chai in blend and bring a wonderful colour to the tea too, brew the tea with milk and it will be same colour as shown on Wagh Bakri website. Just a little tea leaves and it does the trick, I have reduced the amount of tea leaves I used while brewing by 1tsp and the tea comes more strong and better than all the tea brands I have been using so far, isn’t that wonderful?  Now my tea pack will run for long. 



A side note is if you making black tea/laal chai don’t boil it for long as just a minute or 2 and it becomes very strong and might give little bitter taste but if you add milk then it’s perfectly fine. 

Overall I would rate it 3.5/5

Note:  This is not a paid review and all views expressed here are my personal thoughts. 

Eid Ul Adha Mubarak with Aloo Tikki | Potato Patties Recipe | Chaat Recipes

Wishing Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating.

Now a days there is no festive for any particular Religion, most of us celebrate everything or at least enjoy the holiday coming along with festive.  I wanted to do a sweet post for today but then it didn’t happen, never the less I am here with Aloo Tikki, one of the easy chaat recipe.  The good thing about these tikkies is; it can be a dish by itself or compliments any other chaat items so well, if you ever notice any road side chaat wala hot smoking tawa, there will be always aloo tikki align so beautiful in the corner.  Aloo tikki or patties makes a good party appetizer, a quick snack or breakfast and perfect for kids snack/lunch box. 

Ingredients: [Makes 6 medium size patties]

Potato – 3 medium size
Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
Corn Flour – 2 tbsp
Cilantro Chopped – 2 tbsp
Mint Chopped – 1 tbsp [optional]
Salt – to taste
Oil – For pan fry
To Serve
Green Chutney
Sweet Chutney



Method:
1. Wash and pressure cook potato for 3 whistles or boil in water until cooked.
2. Once pressure released from cooker, remove potatoes, rinse in tap water and remove skin.
3. Mash potato (avoid any lumps).  Add all the ingredients except oil and mix well to form a smooth dough.  Add more corn flour if needed. 
4. Divide the dough in equal portion and make medium size tikki/patties.


5. Heat a tawa or pan and drizzle little oil around 1 tsp, place patties and cook until golden brown in medium flame.  Flip to other side, drizzle some more oil and cook until golden brown.



Serve hot with Green or Sweet chutney or with tomato sauce/ketchup.  Enjoy these with hot tea or coffee or as breakfast. 


Have a nice day ~~