Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from June, 2023

Almond cupcakes with Shrikhand frosting

 I included eggs to the original recipe instead of yoghurt, replaced some of the flour with almond flour, added some sugar, and made a double batch to take to work.  Previous night - drain out a large pack of greek yoghurt in the fridge.  Soak, peel and chop about 1/2 cup raw Almonds in a chopper. Soak a big pinch of saffron in a tbsp of milk. Crush a teaspoon of cardamom. Pre heat oven to 350. Line and spray cupcake molds. In a mixer bowl, cream a stick of butter with a quarter cup sugar. Add two eggs, one at a time and mix. Add 3/4 can of condensed milk, and half a cup of oil. Add 1 tsp almond extract and a small splash of vanilla. Mix everything. In another bowl, mix 1 cup AP flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (optional - can use AP instead), and 1/2 cup Almond flour. I really did this since I was running out of flour at home, lol.  2 tsp of baking powder, 1 pinch of salt. Mix dry ingredients to the wet. Add the chopped almonds and half of the soaked saffron. And mix the batter. Add t

Aam wali Bhindi Do Pyaza

Wash, wipe and cut bhindi into large pieces (about two pieces per bhindi). Heat some mustard oil, let it smoke, and then add bhindi and cook till semi-cooked. Add a pinch of salt. Remove bhindi and set aside. Peel and slice some onions, some tomatoes and some raw green mangoes. Also slice some whole cloves of garlic and ghinger. In the same pan, add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, a few methi seeds and hing. Add onion, ginger and garlic and saute for a minute or so.  Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, dhania powder and some amchur. Add a tablespoon of yoghurt and let the spices roast. Add tomatoes and mango and cook for a bit (tomatoes shouldn't soften). Add salt, and then add bhindi. add lots of chopped cilantro and serve with rotis.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt-VjvnzM6o&t=85s

Berry Meloni

 In a blender, add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 pack strawberries (washed and stemmed) (leave a few and slice for garnish), 1 whole cut up mini-watermelon (also leave a few cubes for garnish), juice of one lemon (keep some peel aside for garnish), and blend. Transfer to a pitcher, add the garnish pieces, and serve over ice. 

Kothimbir Vadi

 Super easy and yummy. Heat a pressure cooker with some water (remove ring and whistle), and put a steel ring on the bottom (can also use a steamer). Grease a small plate (I used dhokla plate) with some oil. Wash and chop cilantro - about 3 cups. Mix 1 cup besan (I used a bit more, since I had a bit more cilantro), 1/4 cup rice flour, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala, a pinch of amchoor, roasted cumin seeds powder (I used some homemade chat masala - Ranveer Brar recipe), 3 tbsp sesame seeds, and a tablespoon of oil. Mix everything and massage for a bit. Then add a few splashes to water to make a firmish dough. Note I don't use any soda. Press it into the greased plate, and steam for about 10 minutes, until done. Let cool, cut into pieces, and shallow fry on both sides until crispy. Serve with chutneys and dips of your choice.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYO2e40nbIg

Aloo Bhaji + Raita (Patal bhaji)

 Soak about half cup of chana dal for about two hours. Wash and remove vains from a bunch of Aloo leaves. Chop them fine. In a pressure cooker container, Add chana dal and aloo leaves with a bit of water and some salt. Also put a small vati (bowl) with some raw peanuts and some water. Pressure cook for three whistles (along with rice, etc.).  In a pot, heat oil, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, hing, and add the boiled daal, leaves and peanuts. Add more salt, pinch of haldi, green chilli-ginger paste, jaggery, and tamarind pulp (add more pulp if the aloo leaves are slightly itchy. Boil for a few minutes and serve with rice.  Raita - peel the stems, chop and boil in salted water for a few minutes until they soften. Let cool. Whisk some yoghurt, add salt, a pinch of sugar, the cooled stems and some cilantro. Heat oil, add mustard seeds and hing and add to the raita.  This version is slightly different, but the video is informative:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-csYW06j_A&t=144s