Ultra Easy Chocolate Bread Pudding

Wishing you all a wonderful and prosperous New Year....!!

Ingredients:

• Brown bread : 3 slices
• Walnuts for garnishing
• Milk Chocolate bar for garnishing
• Chocolate : 200 gms
• Milk  : 200 ml
• Butter : 2 Tbsp

For preparing the chocolate syrup, put the chopped chocolate, milk and butter in a microwave safe bowl and cook it in high power for a minute or till the chocolate melts.

For pudding, cut the bread pieces into triangles or square pieces and place it on serving plate. Then pour the chocolate syrup over the bread pieces. Cover and chill it for 1 to 2 hrs. Garnish it with chopped nuts and chocolates syrup.

White Cake For Christmas

Ingredients:
For Cake:

• Cake flour : 2 ¼ cup
• Whole milk : 1 cup (at room temp)
• Butter 12 Tbsp (at room temp)
• Egg whites:  6
• Vanilla essence : 2 Tsp
• Granulated sugar : 1¾ cup
• Baking powder : 4 Tsp
• Salt : 1 Tsp

For preparing 1 cup of cake flour, mix ¾ cup of all purpose flour and 2 tbsp of cornflour. Sieve it twice.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. In a bowl whisk together egg whites and vanilla essence. In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a separate bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Then, add butter pieces one by one into the dry ingredients and mix it on low speed until it reaches fine crumbs. Then, pour half of the wet ingredients into it and beat it for 1 to 2 mins. When it turns pale and fluffy, add the rest of the wet mixture and beat it for 30 secs. Transfer it to a greased 9 inch cake pan and bake it for 23 to 25 mins. Remove it from the oven and cool it well.

For the Whipped Cream Icing:

• 2 Bluebird whipped cream packets (any brand should do)
• Vanilla essence : 1 Tsp

For preparing the cream, chill the bowl and whipping blade for ½ hr. Then, pour 90 ml of cold water into the cream mix (for 1 packet) and whip it for 5 mins or until it turns thick, at high speed. Again cover and chill it for 15 mins.

Layer the cooled cake and fill it with whipped cream. Then, cover the whole cake with rest of the whipped cream. Chill it well. Then decorate the cake with fondant snowman, holly leaves and tree.

For Fondant Icing :

• Gelatin : 1 Tsp
• Water : 1 Oz
• Liquid glucose : 1 Tbsp
• Glycerine IP : ¼ Tsp
• Icing sugar : 400 g

Combine gelatin, water and liquid glucose in a sauce pan. Melt it well using the double boil method. Add glycerine and icing sugar into the melted mixture and knead it well until it becomes a smooth dough. Cover the prepared icing well with a cling film or keep in an air tight container. Then, add the necessary colour into the fondant and mix well.

[Recipe Courtesy for the Fondant icing: Anitha Issac, Manna - The Cookery School]

Walnut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• Butter : ¾ cup
• Cornflour : ½ cup
• All purpose flour : 1 cup
• Powdered sugar : ½ cup
• Chopped walnut : ½ cup
• Vanilla essence : ½ Tsp
• Salt : a pinch

Mix the dry ingredients and keep aside. In a bowl, beat the butter and vanilla essence using a wooden spoon. Then slowly add the dry ingredients into it in 2 to 3 batches and combine well. Mix in the chopped walnuts. Make small balls out of these and transfer to a baking tray with parchment paper. Pre-heat the oven to 150° C and bake it for 20 to 25 mins. (I baked  at 180° C and it took 30 mins to me). Transfer it to a wire rack and cool it. Dust it with powdered sugar and serve.

Vanilla Chocolate Yo-Yo Biscuit

Ingredients:
For biscuit:

• Vanilla flavoured custard pdr ¼ cup
• All purpose flour 1 cup
• Powdered sugar ¼ cup
• Vanilla essence 1 Tsp
• Butter 125 gm

For Cream:

• Butter 25 gm
• Powdered sugar ¼ cup
• Vanilla custard pdr  ½ Tsp
• Cocoa pdr 2 Tsp

Combine custard powder and all purpose flour in a bowl. Then mix the softened butter and powdered sugar using wooden spoon. Slowly, add the flour into the sugar and mix. Cover and chill it for 30 mins. Make small balls from the chilled dough and gently press the top of the balls with fork and dip in flour. Continue the process and arrange the cookies on a baking tray. Chill it again for couple of mins.
 Pre-heat the oven at 170°C. Bake it for 15 to 17 mins. Don't over bake the biscuits, it will lose the crispiness and texture of the cookies. Cool it well.

For the chocolate cream, mix all the ingredients until it turns creamy and smooth. Sandwich the cooled biscuit with cream. You can also have the biscuits without the cream. Store the cookies in an air tight container.

[Recipe Courtesy : My diversekitchen]

Easy Chilli Chicken

Ingredients:

• Chicken 1 kg
• Onion 2 big
• Garlic 2 Tbsp
• Capsicum 1 big
• Kashmiri chilly pdr 1 Tsp
• Chilly sauce 3 Tbsp
• Tomato sauce 3 Tbsp
• Soy sauce 3 Tbsp
• Cornflour 1 Tbsp
• Vinegar 1 Tsp
• Salt 
• Oil

Clean and marinate the chicken pieces with a little salt, vinegar and the 3 sauces. Keep it aside for 1 to 2 hrs. Heat oil in a pan and saute chopped garlic, cubed capsicum and onion for 5 mins. Remove it from fire and transfer it to a bowl. Add a little water into the cornflour and dilute it. Heat a little oil in the same pan and add the chilly pdr. Saute it for a couple of mins and add the marinated chicken. Check the level of salt at this stage. Cover and cook it. Then add the cornflour mixture and stir. When it starts to thicken, add the sauted onion and capsicum into this and combine well.

[Recipe Courtesy: Meera]

Vanilla Cupcake

Ingredients:

• Butter : 115 gm
• Caster sugar :115 gm
• Self raising flour : 115 gm
• Vanilla essence 2 Tsp
• Milk 2 Tbsp
• Egg 2

Pre-heat the oven to 180° C. Cream the butter (at room temperature) and sugar well. Add the egg one by one into it and beat well after each addition. Add the flour into the egg mixture and mix it. Pour the milk and vanilla essence. Combine it and transfer it into the cupcake liners. Bake it for 15 to 20 mins.

Flourless Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• Cocoa pdr 2/3
• Salt 1/8 Tsp
• Powdered sugar 3 cup
• Egg whites 2 to 4 (at room temp)
• Chocolate chips 1½ cup
• Vanilla essence 1 Tbsp

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Arrange two baking sheets with parchment paper and keep it aside. In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients except choc chips. Then add the vanilla essence into it. First add two egg whites into the above mixture and combine it. If the mixture appears dry, add the egg whites one by one until the batter is moistened. Beat well and add the chocolate chips. Drop each tablespoon full of batter into the baking tray. (Keep sufficient space between the batter). Bake it for 12 to 15 mins. Cool it and transfer it to an air tight container.

[Recipe Courtesy: ChocolatesAndCarrots.com]

Paneer Cake

Ingredients:

• Butter (melted and cooled) 1½ cup
• Paneer (Cottage cheese) 1 cup
• All purpose flour 3 cup
• Vanilla essence 1 Tbsp
• Sugar 2 cup
• Salt 1 Tsp
• Egg 3

Melt the butter and cool it. Puree the cottage cheese without any lumps. Cream the butter and sugar well. Then add the pureed cheese into it and mix till it turns light and creamy. Pour vanilla and salt into it. Then add eggs one by one and beat it. Slowly add the flour with the above mixture and beat it at low speed. Pour the batter into the greased pan and bake it for 60 to 70 mins at 180° C.

[Recipe Courtesy: BakersRoyale.com]

Muringa Ila Thoran

Ingredients:

• Drumstick leaves (muringa ila) 2 cup
• Coconut ¾ cup
• Shallots 3
• Green chilly 3  
• Turmeric pdr ½ Tsp
• Mustard seed 1 Tsp
• Curry leaves
• Water
• Salt
• Oil

Separate the leaves from the stem and dip it in turmeric water for a few mins. Squeeze it well and keep it aside. Crush together grated coconut, shallots, green chilly and turmeric pdr. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Put the leaves into it and stir it for a couple of mins. Reduce the flame and add the crushed coconut mixture, rqd amount of salt and a few curry leaves. Gently press it with a spoon and sprinkle some water over it. Cover and cook it in low flame. 

White bread

Ingredients:

• Maida 1 kg ( 7½ cups)
• Yeast 2 Tbsp
• Sugar 4 Tbsp
• Salt 2 Tsp
• Oil 4 Tbsp
• Water 4 cup

Transfer all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour oil and water into it. Knead it till it becomes soft and has combined well. Rub the dough with a little oil. Cover and keep it aside for 1 hr or till it doubles in size. Then, punch down the dough in a well floured surface and again knead it for another couple of mins. Transfer it to a greased bread tin and keep it for 30 mins (without shaking the tin). Egg wash the top portion. Bake it for 1hr 20 mins at 220° C.

I halved the recipe and it took around 35 to 40 mins to me.

[Recipe Courtesy: Magic Oven, Lekshmi Nair]

Jilebi (South Indian Style)

Ingredients:

• Urud dal 1 cup
• Sugar 2 cup
• Water 1¼ cup
• Orange Food Colour a pinch
• Rose water 1 Tbsp
• Oil

Soak urud dal for 1 hr and grind it into a fluffy batter by adding very little amount of water. Transfer it into a bowl and add a pinch of kesari colour. Meanwhile, prepare the sugar syrup by boiling sugar and water together. Just make it a little thick (need not be one thread consistency). Add a pinch of food colour and rose water into it and mix well. 

Make a button hole in the middle of a clean cloth and fill it with the batter. Heat oil in a flat vessel or in a frying pan and squeeze the batter into it. Transfer it into the warm sugar syrup and soak it for a few mins. Then remove and arrange it on a serving plate.

[Recipe Courtesy: Lekshmi Nair]

Mysore Pak - Diwali Sweet

Ingredients:

• Besan flour 1 cup
• Sugar 1 cup
• Ghee 1 cup
• Water ¼ cup

Roast the besan flour with a teaspoon of ghee for 5 to 10 mins. Sieve the roasted flour well. Transfer it into a bowl and mix with ¾th part of ghee. Keep it aside for 15 mins. Then grease a plate with ghee and keep it aside. Boil sugar and water in a non-stick pan till it reaches a one-thread consistency. At this point, pour the besan-ghee mixture and stir it well. Add the rest of the ghee in 2 to 3 times to avoid the stickiness. Stir it well. When it becomes thick and non-sticky, reduce the flame and pour it into the greased plate. Cut it into desired shape while it is hot. You can see a detailed version of the method of preparation here.

Paneer Butter Masala

Ingredients:

• Paneer : 250 gm ( fried )
• Onion : 2 big (blanched and pureed)
• Ginger garlic paste :1 Tbsp
• Redchilly pdr : 1 Tsp
• Tomatoes : 3 big (blanched and pureed )
• Cashewnut paste : 3 Tbsp
• Coriander pdr : ½ Tsp
• Turmeric pdr : a pinch
• Kasuri methi : ½ Tsp
• Garam masala 
• Fresh cream : 2 Tbsp
• Butter : 3 Tbsp
• Salt

Heat butter in a pan and add the onion paste. Saute till it turns brown. Then add the ginger garlic paste. Mix it and add chilly powder followed by cashew paste. Saute all the ingredients. Add tomato puree, coriander pdr, turmeric pdr, garam masala and salt. Stir and roast it well. Add the paneer and cook it for a few mins. Pour a cup of water and cook it for another 10 mins till it reaches a thick consistency. Remove it from fire and add the fresh cream and butter. Keep it aside for few mins and garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.

[Recipe Courtesy: Sailusfood.com]

Banana Cake

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat flour : 1 cup
• Vegetable oil ½ cup
• Sugar : ¾ to 1 cup
• Banana : 3 to 4 medium
• Baking soda : ½ Tsp
• Baking powder : ½ Tsp
• Vanilla essence 2 Tsp
• Walnut : ½ a cup
• Egg 2

Beat the sugar and oil. Add eggs one by one and beat well after each addition. Slowly add the dry ingredients into it. Finally add the vanilla essence, mashed banana and chopped walnuts. Mix well and pour it into the greased pan. Bake it for 30 to 40 mins at 180° C.

Chicken Peshawari

• Chicken 1 kg
• Chilly pdr 1 Tbsp
• Coriander pdr 1 Tsp
• Pepper pdr 1 Tsp
• Cumin ½ Tsp
• Saunf ¼ Tsp
• Fenugreek ¼ Tsp
• Cardamom 3
• Clove 3
• Cinnamon 2 piece
• Turmeric pdr ½ Tsp
• Chopped onion 2 med
• Ginger 1 big piece
• Green chilly 6
• Curd ¾ cup
• Lime juice 2 Tsp
• Ghee ¼ cup
• Salt

Clean and cut the chicken into big pieces. Grind the ingredients from chilly pdr to turmeric pdr using little water. Slightly crush the onion, ginger and green chilly. Marinate the chicken pieces with above grounded ingredients, curd, lime juice, ghee and salt. Cook it in medium flame. Garnish it with fried onion. 

Mango Mousse

Ingredients:

• Mango 2 (400 g)
• Gelatin 1 Tbsp
• Powdered sugar 1 cup
• Egg whites of 2 eggs
• Whipping cream 150 ml

Melt the gelatin using double boil method and keep it aside. Puree the chopped ripe mangoes and powdered sugar. Pour the melted gelatin and combine well. Refrigerate it. When it's half set, whip the cream well and mix it with the mango. Beat the egg whites and slowly add it into the mango. Cover it with a plastic wrap and refrigerate it again.

Pakkavada

Ingredients

• Besan / Gram flour 2 cup
• Rice flour 1 cup
• Oil 1 Tbsp
• Baking soda ½ Tsp
• Asafoetida 1 Tsp
• Chilly pdr 2 Tsp
• Curry leaves few
• Water
• Salt
• Oil

Combine the rice flour and gram flour. Add oil into this and combine well. Put rest of the ingredients into it and knead it well using required amount of water. The dough should be little looser than the chappathi dough. Transfer this dough into the idiyappam mould. Heat oil in a frying pan and squeeze the dough into it. Fry it till it turns golden colour. Transfer it to a tissue. Reduce the heat and fry a few curry leaves. Add it into the drained pakkavada and store in an air tight container.

Strawberry Cream Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• Large eggs 3
• Plain flour 75 g
• Caster sugar 75 g
• Vanilla essence 1 Tsp

Preheat the oven to 180° C. Grease and flour the cake tin and keep it aside. Break the eggs into a mixing bowl and add the sugar and vanilla. Whisk it until the mixture is pale, thick, creamy and doubles in volume. Fold in the flour carefully. Avoid scraping the bowl, as it will alter the consistency of the mix. Pour it into the cake tin and bake it for 20 to 25 mins. Cool it completely. Cut it into 2 layers.

For the filling and decoration:

• Blue Bird Instant Whipped cream 2 envelopes
• Vanilla essence 1 Tsp
• Strawberry 350 gm

Prepare the whipped cream according to the instruction on the cover and add the vanilla essence. Refrigerate it. Chop the half of the strawberry and mix it with ¾ to 1 cup of the whipped cream. Place the top layer of the cooled cake on the cake stand and fill it with the strawberry cream mix. Then place the bottom layer on to the top of it. Decorate it with the whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Chill it well.

Homemade Custard For Fruit Salad

For Custard:

• Egg 3
• Milk 1 ltr
• Sugar ½ cup
• Cornflour 1 Tbsp
• Vanilla Essence 2 Tsp

Dissolve cornflour in a little milk and keep it aside. Beat the eggs, sugar and milk. Boil it using double boiling method. Stir it continuously. When it boils well, reduce the heat and pour the cornflour into this and combine well. Again stir it, till it reaches a thick consistency. Remove it from heat and cool it. Add vanilla essence into the cold custard and mix well.

• Pineapple 1 small
• Mango 1 small
• Apple 2 
• Banana 4
• Dates 5
• Sugar 1 Tbsp

Chop the pineapple and cook it with sugar till it becomes soft. Allow it to cool. This is to prevent the pineapple from giving a bitter taste. Chop the rest of the ingredients and mix it with the cold pineapple. Mix together the custard and fruits. Serve it cold.

Mutta Muringapoovu Thoran

Ingredients:

• Egg 2
• Coconut ½ cup
• Muringappoovu 1 cup
• Turmeric pdr ½ Tsp
• Green chilly 2 to 3
• Shallots 2 to 3
• Mustard seeds
• Curry leaves
• Water
• Salt
• Oil

Put the drumstick flowers in turmeric water for 15 mins. Squeeze the water and keep it aside. Crush together grated coconut, green chilly, shallots and turmeric pdr. Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add sliced shallots, curry leaves, crushed coconut and required amount of salt. Combine it well and put the flowers into this. Sprinkle little water over this and cook. Reduce the heat. Make a well in the center and break the eggs into it. Slowly scramble it and mix it with the cooked flower. Serve hot with rice.

White Chocolate Mud Cake

Ingredients:

• Egg 2
• Salted butter 200 gm
• White chocolate 300 gm
• Caster sugar ¾ cup (165 gm)
• Milk 1 cup (250 ml)
• Self raising flour 100 gm  (2/3 cup)
• All purpose flour 150 gm (1 cup)
• Vanilla essence 2½ Tsp

Melt butter, sugar, chopped white chocolate and milk in a sauce pan over low heat. Stir it continously. When it melts completely, remove it from fire and stir it for a few more mins. Allow it to cool at the room temperature. Slowly add eggs and vanilla essence to the melted mixture and mix well. Transfer the seived dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Pour 1 cup of wet mixture into it and mix. Continue the process and make it into a smooth batter. Transfer it into a greased pan and bake it for 1 hr 10 mins at 160° C. Transfer it to a wire rack and cool well.

[Recipe Courtesy: Exclusivelyfood.com]

Vegetable Pulav

Ingredients:

• Rice 1 cup
• Onion 1 big
• Carrot 1
• Beans 3
• Green chilly 1
• Potato 1 small
• Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
• Water 1½ cup
• Ghee 1 Tbsp
• Cinnamon 1 small piece
• Bay leaf 1 small
• Clove 2
• Salt

Clean and soak the rice for 20 mins. Then drain it. Heat ghee in a cooker and add the whole spices. Saute it for a couple of mins and add the chopped onion, green chilly and ginger garlic paste. When it is void of its raw smell, put the vegetables and salt. Saute it for a few mins. Next, add the rice and combine well. Pour water and  stir it. Cook it in high flame and after the first whistle, reduce the flame and cook it for 5 to 10  mins. Fluff it with a fork and transfer it to the serving bowl.

Carrot Payasam

Wishing all readers a Happy Onam...!!

Ingredients:

• Carrot 3 big grated
• Sago ½ cup
• Sugar 5 Tbsp
• Whole milk 2¼ cup 
• Condensed milk ¼ cup
• Cardamom pdr 1½ Tsp
• Ghee 1 Tbsp
• Cashews 10
• Kismis 10

Clean and grate the carrot. Fry the kismis and cashews in little ghee. Cook the sago and keep it aside. Saute the grated carrot in ghee for five minutes. Pour the milk into sauted carrot. When it boils, add the sugar, condensed milk and cooked sago into it. Reduce the heat and cook it for 25 to 30 mins. Stir it occasionally. Combine it well and add the cardamom pdr. Keep it aside for a few mins and add the fried cashews and kismis. Mix well.