Kesar And Pomegranate Shrikand

I'm using a cheat proof method in making my kesar and pomegranate shrikand. Instead of the traditional method of draining excess water from yogurt, i'm using Greek yogurt which is known for its thick and a very very less (almost no) water content. I opted for plain flavour Greek yogurt since i'm adding kesar and pomegranate to enhance their flavor.

This rich and creamy shrikand served with fruity taste of crunchy and juicy vibrant red sweet pomegranate. The gorgeous colour from the milk soaked saffron is absolutely feast for eyes. With a little hint of sweet cardamom i'm happy to declare kesar and pomegranate shrikand is a darling treat in a hot blazing sun summer.

Ingredients

1 tube plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup confectioner sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 cup pomegranate kernels
3-4 saffron threads (soaked in 2 tbsp milk)


Methods

In a bowl, add Greek yogurt,confectioners sugar,cardamom powder and soaked saffron threads. Beat well with hand mixer.

Using a spatula, stir in the pomegranate kernels

Transfer to a serving bowl/glass and garnish with more pomegranate kernels and saffron threads.


Notes

• If you are not using Greek yogurt, use a colander and lined with cheese cloth. Transfer the yogurt into the cheese cloth, Tie the cheese cloth and place a heavy object on them ans place in the refrigerator overnight to drain the excess water. 

Baked Pasta Muffins

 

This baked pasta muffins are one of my kids friendly pasta dish. This particular baked pasta can be keep in sealed plastic bag to freeze and dump in a microwave to warm up for a super quick meal. Pasta muffins are an ideal choice for a left over pasta from last night's dinner. Baked pasta muffins always come to my rescue for breakfast,brunch or for a simple weekdays dinner with a serving of green salad for a satisfying meal. The eggs and cheese mixture are so rich that you hardly miss the tangy sweet tomato based pasta. Love the aroma and flavour of the Italian seasoning, after all a pasta dish won't be complete without a touch of Italiano right....

Ingredients

4 cups cooked pasta, pasta of your choice
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded parmesan
1/3 shredded mozzarella
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup diced cooked chicken breast
1 tsp Italian seasoning


Methods

Lined a 12 muffin tins with cupcakes liner and keep aside

Preheat oven at 425'F or 218'C

In a large bowl, add beaten eggs,grated parmesan,cooked chicken, bread crumbs,Italian seasonings and cooked pasta. Stir until all the ingredients well combined.

Scoop pasta into prepared muffin tins and topped with shredded mozarella.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cheese melted and golden.

Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.

Serve with handful of greens.

Sweet Boondi

Everytime i come across sweet boondi in the glass rack of sweet shops i wonder how they make the cute little balls so perfectly round. I always attracted with their sharp and vibrant colours of red,green and yellow. Never in my wildest dream i ever thought of making boondi in my life until, i bravely decided to try motichoor ladoo last year. Even after successfully done with my ladoo, i totally forgot the idea of making boondi.

Boondi can be found in two version, sweet and kara boondi. The recepi i'm sharing today, suits my sweet tooth perfectly well. Since i remember the process of making boondi for my motichoor laddo, i confidently gathered the ingredients and start making them straight away. To my delight, the boondi falls in a perfect balls and the next process is coating them with sugar syrup. You can get the edible camphor in any Indian grocery shops. Be extra careful in adding them to your sweets as they have a very strong flavour which might ruin the taste of your sweets if added more than required...just a very very tiny pinch will do the tricks and will take your sweets to the next level. Allow the boondis sits for 2-3 hours for the sugar to crystallise. I'm satisfied how well the boondis turns out really moist and juicy and bursting with flavor of edible camphor,cloves,powdered cardamom,ghee fried cashews and raisins.

Ingredients

1 cup besan flour/kadalai maavu
1 tbsp cashews.broken
1 tbsp raisins
1 cardamom,powdered
2 cloves
1 tsp ghee
Tiny pinch edible camphor
Tiny pinch yellow food colouring
Tiny pinch of baking soda
Oil for deep frying
Water, adjust accordingly


For Sugar Syrup

1/2 cup water
3/4 cup granulated white sugar


Methods

In a pan melt the ghee and fry the cashews,once cashews turns slightly golden add cloves and raisins. Keep aside.

In a bowl add besan flour and baking soda. Gradually, add water to form a flowing batter without any lumps. Add yellow food colouring and mix well.

Heat oil in a pan. Grease a laddle with holes with ghee or oil. Pour one laddle batter over the laddle with holes by holding them just above the frying pan. Spread the batter in circular motion so that the batter flows through evenly.

Cook for 30-35 seconds. The boondi should not be crispy. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen towel

Wipe off the boondi laddle with cloth and continue with remaining batter.

In another pan, Boil sugar and water to a single thread consistency. Turn of the heat.

Add the fried boondi,cashews,raisins,cloves,edible camphor and powdered cardamom to the sugar syrup and mix well.

Transfer to a serving plate


Notes

Adjust the water level to form a right consistency. If the batter too thick the boondis will form into tails once drop into the oil for deep frying. If the batter too runny the boondis will fall flat.

Do not add too much of edible camphor as the flavor are really strong and it may ruin the taste of the boondi.

To test the single thread sugar syrup consistency, boil sugar and water in high heat. Once the sugar completely dissolved and started to slightly thickens, dip your thumb and index finger on a bowl of water. With a spoon, take a drop of sugar syrup between for fingers and if its form a single thread that's the right consistency.

Ensaymada-Filipino Sweet Bun

Ensaymada...some claimed its originated from Philipines and others says its from Spain. I'm not sure about the origin but i'm really sure this spiral shaped buns are too good too resist. Recently when i;m browsing for a good bun recipe, i came across of this tempting bun from the sweetsamsations.com. Instantly i know i have to make them. The idea of a golden baked bun topped with creamed butter and grated cheddar and finish it off with sprinkling of sugar is a "my kind" of bread idea.

Its a soft sweet bun made into beautiful spiral and placed into a ensaymada moulds since, i don't have the special moulds i used my individual tart mould and it turns out really good. The rich and creamy butter smothered on the bun gives a rich flavor to the bun and the cheddar cheese add texture to the golden treasure. Don't miss out the sugar which gives a nice crunch to the rich and soft ensaymada.

Ingredients

3 3/4 cups all purpose flour,sifted
2 tsp instant yeast
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
2/3 cup water
3 large eggs,room temperature
1/3 cup unsalted butter,room temperature
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp salt


For Toppings

1/4 cup creamed butter
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
2-3 tbsp granulated white sugar


In a bowl, add water and yeast. Stir and keep aside for 10-15 minutes for the yeast to activate

Using a stand mixer, using a hook attachment add the flour,salt and sugar in the mixing bowl. Mix at the low speed just to incorporate the mixture.

Add the activated yeast,eggs and evaporated milk. Beat for 1-2 minutes. Increase speed to medium and beat for another 4-5 minutes.

Add the unsalted butter and beat for another 2 minutes.

Slightly dust a clean working surface and knead the dough for 5 minutes until the gluten developed.

Transfer the dough into a greased large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm place and let the dough rise for about 1- 1 1/2 hours.

Punch down the dough to release the air and divide it into pieces weighing 60 grams each.

Roll out the dough pieces into 8'x5' rectangles. Brush with butter.

Roll into log and twirl into shape locking ends to seal Continue with the remaining dough.

Place the dough into a greased individual tart mould

Place the tart moulds onto a baking tray and cover them with clean kitchen towel. Place the baking tray in a warm place for the dough to rise for 25-30 minutes.

Bake in a preheated 375'F or 190.55'C for 17-19 minutes until golden.

Cool the bread in the tart mould for 10-15 minutes.

Remove from mould and brush the ensaymada with creamed butter. Top with grated cheese and sprinkle with granulated white sugar.

Serve with a cuppa

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Bundt Cake

This is my first blog for the year of 2016 and thought sharing something sweet to start the year with cinnamon streusel coffee cake. May the new year bring us all the sweet things in life. As for now, lets talk about cake.

I wanted to bake a good coffee cake for quite sometimes until i came across of this yummy cinnamon streusel coffee cake. This moist coffee cake baked in a bundt pan is something irresistible with a delicious cinnamon sugar streusel in the center. For all the cinnamon sugar lovers just like me, this cake is definitely a craze on a dinner table after a good dinner or over an afternoon tea. Love the flavour rendered by the coffee powder and the sugar glaze compliments the texture and flavor of the cinnamon and coffee.

Ingredients

For The Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups granulated white sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp instant coffee powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

For The Cinnamon Streusel

1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder

For The Glaze

3 tbsp confectioners sugar
1-2 tbsp milk

Methods

In a bowl mix the brown sugar and cinnamon powder. Keep aside

In a large bowl, sift together all purpose flour,baking powder,salt and baking soda. Stir in the coffee powder. Keep aside

Preheat oven at 350'F or 180'C. Greased a bundt pan with butter and floured the pan. Keep aside

Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and beat well.

Reduce speed to medium and beat in the flour mixture alternately with sour cream. Beat well.

Pour half of the batter into the prepared bundt pan and sprinkle the prepared cinnamon sugar mixture. Top with the remaining batter.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let it cool on the pan for 8-10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack.

In a bowl combine confectioner sugar and milk. Drizzle over the cooled cake.

Slice and enjoy with a cuppa.

Rava Payasam/Sooji Kheer

This is my last blog for the year of 2015 as we are approaching 2016 in few more hours. 2015 has its own fair share of  happiness and sadness for me just like everyone else.  In a blogging world, i shall say i learnt quite a bit compared to the year before. Enough of introduction let's talk about my blog for rava payasam/sooji kheer.

Rava payasam is one of the easiest payasam to prepare and an ideal choice for neiveidhyam. I wanted to try rava payasam for quite sometimes but not sure what holding me for so long. Finally, i found an opportunity to make them and here you are for a creamy and delectable payasam recipe. The added rava tends to thickens while in the cooling process thus, its advisable to make it a little watery to get the right payasam consistency. Condensed milk is truly optional but trust me it gives a creamy and rich texture to the payasam.

Hope 2016 will be a good one and bring abundance of wealth,pink of health and all the happiness in the world for all of us. Happy new year all. See you all next year.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups whole milk
1 tbsp condensed milk
1 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup rava/sooji/semolina
2 cardamom pods, crushed
10-12 cashew nuts
20-25 pieces raisins
Pinch of nutmeg powder


Methods

Over a medium flame, heat ghee in a pan and fry the cashew nuts and raisins. Remove from flame and keep aside.

Roast the rava/sooji in the remaining ghee for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a heavy bottomed pan, boil the milk together with the water. Reduce the flame to low and slowly add the roasted rava by stirring continiously to avoid any lumps. Stir well until no lumps for 8-10 minutes.

Once the rava cooked in the milk mixture, add sugar and stir well. Let it boil for a couple of minutes.

Add the condensed milk, fried cashews,raisins and crushed cardamom pods and nutmeg powder. Stir to combined. Cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl.

Best eat chilled.


Notes

• As rava has a tendency to thicken, please adjust the quantity of water accordingly to your consistency needed.

• The payasam thickens while its cooling its advisable to make it slightly watery.

Sweet Poha

Sweet aval or poha usually serve as neivedhyam during Gokula Ashtami for Lord Krishna. This sweet poha recipe is the simplest recipe you can make in a jiffy. Not just easy to make this dish indeed a very healthy dish for kids. You can make them for breakfast or as a tea time snack. Poha is a very versatile which can be used for both sweet and savoury snacks The ghee fried cashew nuts adds a beautiful crunch to the dish.

Ingredients

1 cup aval/poha/beaten rice
1/2 cup grated jaggery
2 tsp ghee
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp fresh grated coconut
5-6 cashew nuts


Methods

In a pan add ghee and fry the cashew nuts. Keep aside.

In a bowl, add the jaggery and 1 tbsp water. Stir until the jaggery dissolved completely. Strain to remove impurities.

Rinse the aval/beaten rice twice in a clear water and keep aside for 5-10 minutes.

In a pan, boil the jaggery and add the aval. Stir well.

Add cardamom powder and grated coconut. Mix well.

Add the ghee and fried cashew nuts. Stir.

Remove from heat and transfer to a serving plate.

Corn Flour Halwa

Indian sweets are my dad's favourite thus, i wanna dish out something new for him for the holiday and came up with this sweet and rich cornflour halwa. The halwa turns out really well at my very first trial itself which makes me really happy. Its easy to dish out and won't consume much time to get it done, just 20 minutes and you have a delicious indian sweets ready.

I shall say my dad loved the halwa so much and the sweetness was just nice for him. Adjust the amount of sugar according to you preference, as for me the suggested amount of sugar was just nice without too much on sweet side. You can make this gorgeous looking con flour halwa in a microwave since, i'm not a microwave person i made it on a stove. The lightly ghee fried cashew nuts adds a nice crunch to the soft and melt in mouth halwa. I love the beautiful orange colour of the halwa and their glossy texture.

Ingredients

1/2 cup corn flour
1-2 pinches orange food colouring
1 1/3 cup granulated white sugar
2 tbsp ghee/clarified butter
8-10 cashew nuts, roughly chopped
2 1/2 cup water


Methods

Slightly grease a plate with ghee and keep aside.

In a bowl add the 1 1/2 cup water,corn flour and orange food colouring. Stir until no lumps.

In a pan, add a tsp of ghee and fry the chopped cashew nuts until golden. Remove from heat and keep aside.

In  a non stick pan, add the remaining 1 cup of water and granulated white sugar. Stir until sugar dissolved completely.

Reduce flame to medium-low and add the corn flour mixture.  Stir continuously.

Add 1 tbsp of ghee and continue stirring until the mixture thickens  and reach a glossy and transparent texture.

Add the fried cashew nuts. Stir well.

Add the remaining ghee and keep stirring until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.

Remove from heat and transfer into the greased plate.

Cool completely for 1-2 hours and cut into pieces before serving.

Semolina Cookies/Sugee Cookies

Semolina cookies also known as sugee cookies is a regular during Diwali at my household. This melt in mouth cookies reminds me of my childhood home kitchen watching my mom tiredlessly making it batch by batches to a ever waiting greedy hungry kids. Me and my siblings will be waiting to lick the mixing spoon and the bowl whereas my brother and my youngest sister obidiently mark the cookies with their signature red dots. Yes, there are no sugee cookies without the red dots at my household.

This semolina cookies made rich with pure ghee or clarified butter which is easily found in most Asian stores. The ghee contributes to the soft texture and a beautiful fragrance to the cookies. Sugee cookies can be kept in an airtight container up to 1-2 months.

Ingredients

200g pure ghee
3/4 cup semolina flour
3/4 cup + 2 tbsp all purpose flour
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Few dots of red food coluring


Methods

Preheat oven at 350'F or 175'C and line a baking tray with parchment paper

In a large bowl, add semolina flour,all purpose flour,baking soda,confectioners sugar,ghee and salt.

Mix all the ingredients to a soft dough.

Using a teaspoon, drop the cookies on the prepared baking tray and using a toothpick mark the top of the cookies with red food coluring  .

Bake for 12-15 minutes.

Cool completely on wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Turmeric Smoothie

Turmeric are known for its antioxidant properties and has been used for years in treating liver disease,cancer,tumour and many more illness caused by free radicals. Turmeric are packed with antiviral and anti-bacteria which makes it a popular spice in Indian cooking. Curcumin found in turmeric works as an important ingredient to assist in liver detox.

I'm getting my turmeric mixture supply from a friend of mine to boost my liver detox. I'm taking it every night before bedtime by boiling it with fresh milk. Out of nowhere i decided, to modify the turmeric mixture into my morning smoothie and the final product really made me proud.

Ingredients

1 cup almond milk/fresh milk
1 fresh banana,sliced
1/2 cup mango chunks
1 tsp grated fresh turmeric
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp brown sugar

Garnishing

Mint leaves


Methods

In a blender, add all ingredients and process until fine puree and smooth

Pour into a serving glass and garnish with mint leaves.

Consume immediately

Authentic French Meringue

A very simple and basic recipe for French meringue which can be used for baking pavlova,pie toppings and baked meringues, You just need only three ingredients and three simple steps to come up with a rich and glossy French meringue to top up your lemon meringue pie or to bake soft and chewy summer pavlova.

Some recipes did not call for cream of tartar but trust me a little pinch of them goes a long way to create a soft and chewy meringue and it helps to stabilise the meringue to attain the stiff peak as well.
To make sure the egg whites are beaten to full volume, make sure the mixing bowl and the mixing attachment are very clean without a single tint of oil or any other elements. This is to make sure a full bodied meringue that bakes perfectly crispy in the outside, soft and chewy inside. Fresh meringue have to be used immediately it's not advisable to store them for later use. To test the perfect stiff peaks, lift you whisk or beater attachment and if the meringue stand tall peaks that do not curl at the tips, stop beating further.

Ingredients

3 large egg whites (room temperature)
3/4 cup superfine white sugar
Pinch of cream of tartar


Methods

In a very clean large mixing bowl, whip egg whites on low speed until frothy. Add a pinch of cream of tartar.

Add the superfine white sugar and beat and continue beating until sugar completely dissolved and the mixer turns to glossy and stiff peaks.

Use immediately