Sabudana Vada

Sabudana Vada

I first had this eons ago in Nasik. My friend was keeping a fast and she had made sabudanan vada and sabudana khichdi. 
The white pearly grains of sabudana or sago is a rich source of carbohydrate and specially beneficial for those keeping fast as it gives them energy to work while they fast. 
But all such technicalities aside Sabudanan Vadas are great as snacks. Deep fried, you can have them with green chutney, anytime you want, fast or no fast.

Ingredients

4 large potatoes, peeled and boiled
1 ½ cup sabudana, soaked for an hour
2 green chillies, chopped fine
Few coriander sprigs, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/ 4 cup peanuts, roasted, chopped
Salt to taste
1 tsp chaat masala
½ cup breadcrumbs, if required

After soaking the sabudana for an hour drain the water and spread the sabudana on a kitchen towel for 10 minutes. This will soak up the extra water.
 Now mash together boiled potatoes, sabudana, green chillies, chopped coriander, chaat masala, chopped onion, chopped peanuts and salt to taste. 
If you feel the mixture is a bit too sticky you can add some breadcrumbs. Now make small balls of the mixture, flatten them a little and deep fry. 

Eggless Orange Almond Cupcakes

Eggless Orange Almond Cupcakes

I am not a fan of jam. So what to do with the jars of jam sitting in the pantry? One good option is to make jam cookies. Yumm!! Another is cake or cupcakes. 

Marmalades are different from jams because they have chunks of fruits or peels in them that give an added body to the marmalade or the cake you use them in. 

Orange marmalade is an excellent option to use in cakes. Combine it with chocolate and you have an awesome flavor feast. Orange and chocolate combination is simply irresistible and unbeatable. 

However today I am going in for a simpler combination: orange and almonds. The almond flavor is mild and so it complements the stronger orange flavor. And cupcakes are much easier to make mainly because they take less time to bake and even lesser time to eat.LOL! 

Ingredients

1 cup castor sugar
1 cup flour
½ cup butter
¼ cup yogurt
¾ cup milk
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ cup orange marmalade
1 tsp orange essence (optional)
4 almonds, flaked

Mix the milk and yogurt well. Keep aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda. 
Beat the butter and sugar till pale and fluffy. Add the essence and beat again. Now using a spatula, fold in the flour and milk-yogurt mix alternately.

First fold in flour then add some milk-yogurt mix. Keep repeating till all the ingredients are used up.
 Now add the marmalade and mix well ensuring that no lumps remain. 

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Line a cupcake tin with paper cups. Pour the batter into the paper cups ensuring that you fill only halfway through. 

The cupcakes will rise and you do not want spillage. Sprinkle flaked almonds on top. Bake for about 22-25 minutes. 

Chicken Rezazla

Chicken Rezala

A royal Bengali dish, this chicken recipe has all the royal ingredients like cashews, poppy seeds, cream, yogurt. Anything with a poppy seed and cashew combination is always lip smackingly delicious. And remember you should not count calories while eating the rezala. 

Ingredients

700 gm chicken
2 onions, blended
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
10 cashews, soaked and blended
4 tbsp poppy seeds, made into a paste
1 cup curd
2 tbsp garam masala
3 green cardamoms
2 black cardamoms
4 cloves
1” cinnamon
6 black peppercorns
6 white peppercorns
Salt to taste
A pinch of sugar
3 tbsp ghee
½ cup cream

Marinate the chicken with onion paste, ginger garlic paste, curd and salt for 1 hour. 

Heat some ghee. Add the cloves, cinnamon, green cardamoms, black cardamoms and both peppercorns. 

Add the marinated chicken pieces and bhuno or saute on high heat for 5 minutes. 
Add the cashew and poppy seed paste and saute some more. Add the garam masala, salt and sugar. 
Cover and cook for 20 minutes till done. Before taking it off the heat add the cream and mix well. 

Pina Colada Cupcakes

Pina Colada Cupcakes

Its Diwali time. The mathris, gujiyas, shakkarparas are ready. As a Bengali we have Kali Puja on this day. At midnight the puja starts and we get down to an elaborate non vegetarian bhoj at around 2 in the morning. It’s a night long celebration. Evening time is for bursting crackers, meeting friends and relatives and basically hogging. Don’t you just love this festival!!

Apart from the traditional sweets and savories I decided to do something different too. What’s Diwali if not an excuse to be a little tipsy? And this Pina Colada Cupcake recipe sounds just perfect. Don’t worry even though it does have vodka in it you won’t be under the effect. 

The pineapple chunks are soaked in vodka to infuse that particular flavour. Then the vodka concoction is drizzled over the warm cupcakes. Even though you are not used to liquor you will still enjoy this cupcake. 

Ingredients

for the cupcakes
100 ml white rum
4 pineapple rings, chopped fine
120 gm flour
170 gm sugar
1/2 cup milkmaid
40 gm butter
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
120 ml coconut milk

for the icing
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp coconut liqueur (optional)
Chopped pineapple for garnish

Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius.
Boil the chopped pineapple in the rum and 30 gm sugar for about 5 minutes. Be careful because liquor catches fire very easily. Turn of flame and let the pineapple seep in the rum  while you prepare the batter. 

Mix together flour, butter, baking powder and remaining 150 gm sugar till they resemble breadcrumbs. 

Beat together milkmaid, coconut milk and vanilla essence. Slowly add it into the flour. Drain the pineapple pieces and add to the flour. If the batter seems too thick add a few tablespoons of milk. 

Pour the batter into cupcakes cases. Spoon in the batter till it is 2/3 rd full. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Once done let it cool slightly. Poke few holes into the cupcakes with a tooth pick. Drizzle the white rum concoction on them. 

Now prepare the icing. Whip the cream, coconut milk and liqueur together till stiff peaks rise. Pipe the icing on the cupcakes as you desire. Garish with a small piece of pineapple. 

Kolhapuri Chicken

Kolhapuri Chicken

Brrrr!!!! Its freezing outside with the temperature dipping to about 5 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. This is the first time I have been in such a cold place.

 The dark clouds on the horizon promise a further dip in temperature. The nearest peaks are all snow clad and the mere sight sets my teeth on edge. The best place to be in is under the quilt with a hot water bottle warming the cockles of my heart..
No way am I going to cook something elaborate. I just might drag myself out from under the quilt to cook some chicken. And you know what!!! I am in the mood for something very hot, spicy and lip smacking. Something drenched in oil. Something that will make my eyes water and my mouth too. I have spiced up this Kolhapuri Chicken to suit the mood and to combat the weather.

Ingredients

500 gm chicken
For marination
6 green chillies, pounded
6 cloves garlic, pounded
Salt to taste
2 tbsp curd
1 tsp lime juice

For the Kolhapuri masala
1 tbsp oil
2 bay leaves
5 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick, broken
1 tsp black peppercorns
3 onions, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp desiccated coconut

1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp Kashmiri Chilli powder
Salt to taste

Marinate the chicken in the marinating spices for two hours.

Meanwhile prepare the Kolhapuri masala. Heat the 1 tbsp oil. Add the bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and peppercorns.

 Now add the onions and sauté till they become translucent. Add the coconut. Sauté for 2 minutes. 

Add the chopped tomatoes, cover and cook till they are soft. Cool the mixture and then blend it in a mixer. The masala is ready. 

Heat some oil. When it is hot add the marinated chicken and fry for 15-20 minutes. 
Add the Kolhapuri masala, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt. Fry for 2 minutes. Add some water, cover and cook till done. Garnish with green chillies. 

Cinnamon Sugar Bread

Cinnamon Sugar Bread

My favorite past time is to surf through the internet looking for cake recipes. I am really amazed by the innovations people come up with. It is really tempting to try all of them. However due to exigencies of my situation I am unable to get most of the materials..and I can only look longingly at those wonderful cakes. 
Cinnamon is a miracle spice. It controls blood sugar and high blood pressure. It relieves stomach problems. It is anti bacterial and anti microbial. It is very common in Bengali cuisine to sprinkle a pinch of cardamom cinnamon powder along with a teaspoon of ghee to the dishes before taking them off the flame. I realize the combination is a strong ayurvedic concoction which is good for the stomach. 
This cake calls for a liberal usage of cinnamon. Combined with sugar it gives a rich and nutty taste to the whole cake.

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup sugar for sprinkling
2 tsp cinnamon powder

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a loaf tin. 

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon powder for sprinkling.
Mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. 

Add the egg, milk and oil to the flour. Pour half the batter in the loaf tin. 

Sprinkle half the sugar-cinnamon mix. Now pour the rest of the batter on top. sprinkle remaining sugar-cinnamon mix. 

Bake for about 50 minutes. 

Chocolate Dump Cake

Chocolate Dump Cake

Vanilla and Chocolate is an awesome combination. The fruitiness of vanilla complements the richness of chocolate every time. I call this a chocolate dump cake because I wanted to layer the two flavors and so I simply dumped the heavy chocolate batter into the vanilla batter. Rest of the magic happened on its own. While baking the heavy chocolate batter sank down and the two distinct layers were formed. 

Ingredients

4 eggs
300 gm sugar
1 cup milk
110 gm butter
1 tbsp vanilla essence
21/2 cups cake flour
5 tbsp corn starch
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees celsius. grease a square cake pan. 
Gently heat the butter and milk till the butter melts. Remove form heat but keep it warm. 
Whisk the eggs and add the sugar a little at a time. Keep whisking on high speed for about 5 minutes till it is white and foamy. 
Add the flour, salt, baking powder and corn starch. Now slowly add the milk-butter mixture whisking well after each addition. 
Divide the batter into two. To one half add the cocoa powder. pour the white batter into the cake tin. Pour the cocoa batter on top. Swirl the two gently using a toothpick. 
Bake for about 25-30 minutes until done. 

Chicken Rogan Josh

Chicken Rogan Josh

The rogan Josh is an aromatic dish from Persia. It was introduced into Indian cuisine by the Mughals when they came and settled down in India. The word ‘rogan” means “ghee “in Persian. It is also popular in the Kashmiri cuisine and that is where it gets its popularity today. It is a curd based dish cooked with onions, ginger, garlic and khada masala/whole spices. The mutton stewed in the gravy imparts its own flavour to the dish. 

I have adapted the dish using chicken instead of mutton. Red meat, though very tasty, is not quite healthy as it leads to cholesterol and blood pressure problems. 

Ingredients

700 gm chicken
½ cup curd
2 onions, chopped
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 ½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 tsp garma masala
1 tsp saunth/ginger powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp peppercorns
7 cloves
5 green cardamoms
2 “ cinnamon
Few threads of mace
2 tbsp cream

Marinate the chicken in curd and salt for 1 hour. Heat some ghee. Add the khada masala or whole spices. 
Add the chopped onions and ginger garlic paste. Sauté till the onions start browning.
 Add all the masala powders. Sprinkle a few drops of water or the masalas will stick to the pan. 
Sauté for a minute and then add the chicken and curd. Sauté or bhuno on high flame for about 5 minutes.
 Add some salt and water and simmer till the chicken is cooked. Just before taking it off the flame add some cream. 

Safed Murg

Safed Murg

Having spent almost two years in Rajasthan I had developed a liking for Rajasthani cuisine. I specially loved the Gatte ki sabzi and Ker Sangr. Infact I was quite amazed to realize that Ker is so expensive. These little wild berries cost as much as Rs 900 per kg. The Sangri itself was in the range of Rs 500 per kg. But once cooked it tastes awesome. I have already posted a Gatte ki Sabzi recipe. Ker Sangri will follow soon. 

The non-vegetarian cuisine is no less awesome. The Lal Maas needs no introduction. However today I am tweaking another mutton recipe to suit my palette. The safed maans is rich and creamy. Unfortunately mutton is not good for your heart and cholesterol. So, inspired by this mutton delicacy I am making Safed Murg.

Ingredients

500 gm chicken
2 onions, boiled
1 tomato, boiled
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp kasuri methi 
3 tbsp cashews, soaked in some hot water
4 tbsp cream
1 cup milk
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
3 green cardamoms
1 inch cinnamon
1 tsp peppercorns

Wash the chicken pieces and pat them dry. Apply some salt and keep aside.
Boil the onions and tomatoes. Cool and make a paste.

Heat some oil. Add the green cardamoms, cinnamon and peppercorns. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute. 

Add the onion paste and cook on low heat till oil starts leaving the sides. Make a paste of the soaked cashews and add to the onion paste. Saute for a minute. 

Add the coriander powder, cumin powder and salt. Saute for a minute. Add the kasuri methi and cream.

 Now add the chicken pieces and cook on medium for about 10 minutes till the chicken is well coated with the masala. Now slowly add the milk stirring all the while. 

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. The Safed murg is ready. Garnish with kasuri methi. 

Spinach Paneer Momos

Spinach paneer momos

One of the best things about Delhi is the abundance of Momo vendors. Every little market has at least a few cycle momo vendors. They have these momo steamers strapped to the carrier, with paper plates and napkins hanging from the handle bars.
 Momos, dumplings, wontons, are popular street food nowadays. Of Nepalese and Tibetan origin they are now a staple of every market in North India. 

When I moved to Leh I was happy in the knowledge that I was going to Momo land. With a strong Tibetan influence on the Ladakhi cuisine momos are aplenty here. 

Though I am a staunch non vegetarian I fell in love with the vegetarian variations of momos found here. The best I liked were the Spinach paneer momos and the Butter potato momos. 
The spinach paneer momos w
ere especially tasty mainly because of the kind of spinach found here. Unlike the light green long variety of palak we are used to, the palak here looked more like a distant cousin of the bok choy. The short, stubby leaves are a deep deep green and are liberally used in noodles, soups and other Chinese cuisine. 

Ingredients

For the filling

2 bunches spinach (you can use the local variety), chopped fine
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp ajinomoto (optional)
200 gms paneer, crumbled
2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the butter. Add the garlic and onions and saute till he onions are translucent. Add the chopped spinach. Saute, cover and cook for 5 minutes till the leaves are wilted. Add the crumbled paneer. Saute. Season with salt and pepper. Your filling is ready. 

For the momos

2 cups flour
Pinch of salt
Water to knead

Mix the flour and salt. Make a hard dough using the water. Knead for 10 minutes. Coat with some oil, cover and keep for 20 minutes.

 Make small balls of the dough. Roll out into thin chapatis. Cut roundels. Put the filling in the middle of the roundel and bring the dough together to enclose the filling. Pinch or pleat as desired. 

Steam the momos in a momo steamer for 20 minutes. 

Donuts

Eggless Donuts

So is it Donuts or Doughnuts? I have often wondered which is the actual spelling. But then who cares..right? Donuts or Doughnuts..its nuts!! All I care about is the sweet rings of dough fried or baked, plain or sugared, with chocolate or sprinkles..MMMM I love Donuts in all forms. 

Donuts are pretty easy to make too. The only precaution I have to take is to make them when nobody is at home. with hubby and sonny around by the time I am done with the frying the Donuts stack is considerable lessened. I have to either keep swatting away their hands or shooing them out of the kitchen. So the only criteria for me is Solitude. 

This time I faced a major problem while making the Donuts. I have recently shifted base. From a desert region i have climbed the mountains to a height of almost 11, 000 ft. Lovely experience all around except for the temperature. With an outside temperature of -5 degrees Celsius I found it very difficult to proof the yeast.

 Yeast blooms well in a hot and humid environment. Here not so. I first did a trial run to know whether yeast will work in such cold temperature.  I swathed the container in layers of woolens like a wee new born, ran around in the sun looking for a warm spot and kept checking every few seconds. Finally it bubbled and so did my happiness. 

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt

Warm the milk to lukewarm. Melt the butter. Take a big bowl and mix together flour, sugar  salt, yeast and melted butter. Make a soft dough using the milk. You might not need all of the milk. So use a tablespoon to add the milk as you knead. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes. Roll out the dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut out shapes using a doughnut cutter.

 Put them on a greased tray. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise for about an hour. 

Heat some oil really well. Turn down the heat and then deep fry the donuts. 
You can decorate the donuts as you wish. I have done it two ways: roll them in castor sugar or dip them in chocolate ganache.