Soya pasanda

Both the kids are going through a phase where they want soya nuggets every week, and I indulge them, because it is of course full of proteins. But the same old tomato based gravy gets a bit boring, so I jazzed it up a bit this time to get a smoother gravy.

100 gms soya nuggets
6 pods garlic
1/2 large onion, chopped fine
2 large tomatoes
1 tsp dhania powder
1 tsp jeera powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp kasoori methi
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste


Method:
Soak the soya nuggets in boiling water, till soft. Drain and keep aside.
Heat oil, and saute garlic and onions till transparent.
Chop the tomatoes directly onto the onion-garlic mixture, and saute till it turns mushy. Add the spices and  cook for 2-3 minutes.
Blend the mixture till smooth, and return to the pan.
Make a paste with cornflour in 1/2 cup water, and add to the paste, with constant stirring.
Add the nuggets and squeeze a bit, so the water is drained and the gravy can take it's place.
Sprinkle kasoori methi, mix well, and let the gravy bubble till it thickens a bit.
Serve with roti or paratha.

Thumbprint cookies

Thumbprint cookies!!! Doesn't the name itself sound magical? The first time I tried it, it was a bit of a disaster, but I think I have evolved along the cookie making line since then, and I wanted to try it out again. Worked this time.

100 gms granulated sugar

100 gms butter
50 gms rice flour
100 gms maida

1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp jam

Method:

Preheat the oven to 175 degrees for 10 minutes

Cream together the sugar and butter till well incorporated. 

Sieve the flour and baking powder a few times. 

Add the flour gradually to the butter, mixing continuously, till you get a smooth dough. 

Divide into 16 or 24 pieces. Roll into a ball, press down with the back of a sketch pen to make a deep depression. 

Place on a greased baking tray and bake for 10 minutes

Meanwhile, place the jam in a double boiler and stir continuously till it melts. 

Take the cookies out of the oven. Put the molten jam in the depression, and bake for an additional 5 minutes. 

Cool on a wire rack, before storing. 

Beet root kheer

Beetroot halwa is a dish I make quite often, but beetroot kheer is not something I've tried out before. This is adapted from a carrot kheer recipe I saw, and I love it because once the grating is done, it is simplicity personified.

1 large beetroot

1/2 cup quick cooking oats

2 cups milk

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp ghee

Method:

Grate the beetroot and keep aside. 

Heat the ghee, and sauté the beetroot till the raw smell goes. 

Add the oats and milk. Stir well, being to boil, reduce flame and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes, till the volume is reduced by 25%. 

Add the sugar, mix well. 

Serve chilled. 

Bread bombs

After making the bread pakoras, I had some stuffing left over and decided to make something that my mother often made for me when I was a child.

6 slices bread

1 medium potatoes

1 beetroot

1 big carrot

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method:

Boil the potatoes. Peel, mash and keep aside. 

Peel and chop the beetroots and carrots. Steam till just cooked. Keep aside. 

Mix the potatoes, vegetables, spices, and salt. Divide into six equal parts. 

Start heating the oil. 

Cut the crusts of the bread, and moisten slightly. Put the stuffing in the middle, and fold the bread around it. Seal the edges by pressing lightly. 

Slide two balls at a time into the oil and fry till well browned and crisp. Drain on a kitchen towel and serve with ketchup or green chutney. 

Aloo tikki and chole

The kids now come home from school around 4 pm- too late for lunch, but still in need of a fairly substantial meal. Aloo tikki and chole is one of those dishes that can be whipped up in a hurry and served to them. 

For the chole:
1 cup chickpeas, soaked for 4-6 hours
2 onions chopped fine
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp jeera powder
2 tsp dhania powder

1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
Salt to taste
2 tbsp cooking oil

For the tikkis:
3 potatoes
1/2 tsp haldi powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp besan
Oil for shallow frying


Method:
Pressure cook the soaked chickpeas till well cooked
Heat oil, add chopped onions, and saute till transparent. Add ginger garlic paste, and spices, and saute till the raw smell goes.
Allow the masala to cool, then grind it till you get a fine paste.
Return to the pan, add tomato ketchup, and the cooked chickpeas. Bring to boil, reduce the flame, and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes.

Pressure cook the potatoes till soft.
Mash the potatoes. Mix well with the spices and besan powder.
Makes balls, flatten, and shallow fry, till both sides are well browned.

Serve with finely chopped onions. 

Chocolate chip cookies

I have been wanting to make chocolate chip cookies for a really long time, but couldn't get my hands in chocolate chips. So when I found myself in the vicinity of the store that does stock them, I grabbed a packet, and within 30 minutes of getting home has whipped up this batch for us!

200 gms maida

100 gms butter

100 gms granulated sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup chocolate chips 

Method:

Sieve the flour and baking powder till well incorporated

Add sugar and mix well

Rub in the butter till properly mixed 

Add milk gradually 1 tbsp at a time to bring it together into a firm dough

Add the chocolate chips and mix well. 

Roll into 16 balls, flatten slightly and place on a greased baking sheet. 

Bake in pre heated oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes

Chikoo milkshake

Sapota, is what my grandmother used to call chikoo. And maybe because I associate the fruit with her, it has always been one of my underrated favourites. So when I saw these globs of juicy brownness sitting next to the mangos I was buying, I had to pick up have a dozen.

Not sure if my kids liked it or not, I thought the best way to introduce it to them was through a milkshake. A little bit of peeling, chopping and whirling later, I was done. They loved it, and they liked the fruit just as much!

4 chikoos/ sapota

1 1/2 cups milk

Sugar to taste, though you can do without

Method:

Cut the chikoo into quarters, peel, and chop into small pieces

Blend the chikoo in a mixie till you get a smooth consistency 

Add the milk, and sugar if required. Blend till well mixed

Serve immediately.*

* chikoo spoils if cut and kept exposed, so serve right after making

Ragi cookies

In Bangalore you have these Iyengar Bakeries, where you get a variety of baked goods. Of all the varieties on offer, one that I remember most fondly is the Ragi cookies, because that is the only place I have ever tasted them. So when I ended up with a packet of ragi flour, I had to attempt some cookies. The recipe is entirely mine, and had I been more careful with the oven, I would have got a much nicer batch.

1/2 cup ragi/ nachani flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar, powdered (I used a bit less)
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method:
Powder the sugar and keep aside.
Sieve the flour and baking powder a few times till well mixed.
Add the sugar, and sesame seeds and mix well.
Add the oil, and vanilla essence, and knead to a firm dough.
Grease a baking tray, and place balls of dough on it (I got 16 balls)
Preheat the oven at 180 degrees, and bake for 12- 15 minutes.

Roasted Moong Dal

With the summer holidays going on, the kids have been eating far more junk food than I would like them to. In a bit to give them something marginally healthier, I decided to make some roasted moong dal. It was not as tasty as the Haldiram ones that they devour by the packet, but given the fact that I control the ingredients, that was a small price to pay.
The only problem is that most of it disappeared with my morning tea, and I have to make up a new batch for the kids.

1 cup moong dal
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp haldi powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste

Method:
Soak the moong dal for an hour. Drain, and dry it between two sheets of tissue to remove most of the water.
Spread on a microwaveable tray, and microwave for 1 minute
Break the moong pieces apart, coat palms with oil, and smear it over the moong dal.
Add haldi powder, red chilli powder and salt and mix well.
Microwave for 1 minutes, mix. Microwave for 1 minute.
Keep testing, to ensure that it doesn't burn. Different microwaves work differently, but I got crispy moong dal in about 1+2 minutes.

Chocolate cake in a jiffy

A friend had brought a super moist cake to office the other day, and I had more than my fair share of it. Since I am always in the quest for eggless recipes, I asked for the recipe and was stunned when she gave it.

This then is my secret recipe for an eggless cake in a jiffy. Now to teach the kids to make it themselves. 

1 packet Oreo biscuits

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp baking powder

Method:

Grind the Oreo biscuits inutile till well powdered. 

Add milk and baking powder, and mix well. 

Pour into cupcake liners and bake at 180 degrees for 12 minutes.

Eggless chocolate cookies

I baked a batch of chocolate cookies today because I was in a mood to do so. Initially, I intended to roll them in sesame seeds, but changed my mind when I couldn't find they. The batch came out really well- crispy on the outside, soft inside.

200 (1 cup) gms maida
100 gms (1 cup) butter
100 gms (1 cup) granulated sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
Mix the butter and sugar well, till it appears homogeneous.
Sieve the baking powder, flour and cocoa powder together, and add to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix well so there are no lumps. If the dough does not come together, add upto 2 tbsp milk.
Grease baking tray with oil.
Divide the dough into 16 equal parts. Roll each into a ball, and press lightly.
Arrange on the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes*.
Cool well before storing in an airtight container.

* check every minute after 12 minutes, because the temperatures may vary.

Coconut cookies

I baked a batch of coconut cookies today because I was in a mood to do so. They were browned slightly more than they should have, but tasted really good.

200 (1 cup) gms maida
1 cup grated coconut
100 gms (1 cup) butter
100 gms (1 cup) granulated sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
Mix the butter and sugar well, till it appears homogeneous.
Sieve the baking powder and flour together, and add to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix well so there are no lumps.
Add the coconut and knead to make a dough. If the dough does not come together, add upto 2 tbsp milk.
Grease baking tray with oil.
Divide the dough into 16 equal parts. Roll each into a ball, and press lightly.
Arrange on the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes*.
Cool well before storing in an airtight container.

* check every minute after 12 minutes, because the temperatures may vary.

Oatmeal cookies, variety is the name of the game

"Life, with its rules, its obligations, and its freedoms, is like a sonnet: You're given the form, but you have to write the sonnet yourself.”
- Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
One basic recipe, three variations. Can anyone ask for more?

3/4 cup quick cooking oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp milk

MethodDry roast the oats till they smell toasty.
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, and mix well.
Add the butter, and mix it so it resembles breadcrumbs.
[This is the basic mixture- you can personalize it in many ways]
Add 2 tbsp milk and mix well, so you get a dough that holds together, but breaks away when pulled- you might need to add 1 tbsp more till you get the consistency. Do not knead beyond that point.
In the meanwhile, preheat the oven at 180 degrees, and grease a baking tray.
Divide the dough into 16 parts, roll into a ball, and press down to get a cookie shape. Place on the baking tray at well spaced intervals.
Place a shallow dish with water in the lowest level, and the baking tray in the middle level. Bake at 180 degrees for 15- 20 minutes, checking after 12 minutes to ensure it doesn't get over crisp.
Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.

There can be three variations-
Add 2 tbsp roasted flax seeds, before adding the milk
OR
Add 1/4 cup raisins, before adding the milk
OR
Add 3 tbsp cheese and 1 tsp chilli flakes before adding the milk

Soft and chewy Spiced Cookies

The kids wanted cookies, and I had run out of butter. All the recipes I found online were for chocolate chip cookies, but of course, I didn't have chocolate chips either. So I adapted one of them to make spiced cookies, and they were really quite amazing. Soft and chewy, just the way cookies should be.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nonsweetened cocoa powder**
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp ginger powder


Method:
Preheat the oven to 175 degrees.
Stir together flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, ginger powder and cinnamon powder and set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix sugar, oil, egg and honey. Add in flour mixture to oil mixture a little at a time until well incorporated.

Divide the dough into 16 parts, and roll each into a ball. Place on a greased baking sheet and flatten slightly with your fingers.
Bake on an ungreased baking sheet for 8-10 minutes or until done. Enjoy!

Peanut butter

For as long as I can remember, I have loved peanut butter. The fact that Dennis the Menace ate nothing else might have something to do with it, but somehow, I think it was just the taste and the texture that I connected with! My kids love peanut butter too, and though my pantry is always stocked with it, I wondered if I could try my hand at making some myself.
After speaking to a number of people, and browsing through half a dozen recipes on the internet, I hit the jackpot. This recipe is not only easy, it is full of tricks and tips for the first timer. Apart from removing the skin (which I always hate), it was easier than expected, and I might just shift to home-made peanut butter from now on.

2 cups raw, shelled peanuts
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more as per taste
1-2 tablespoons peanut oil or other oil (optional, I used 1 tbsp, but am halving the quantity next time)
 
Optional Add-Ins: 
1-2 tablespoons honey or other sweetener
1-2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or other spice
handful of chocolate chips
a few spoonfuls of nutella

Method: Heat the oven to 175 degrees and toast the peanuts on a baking sheet until lightly golden and glossy with oil, about 10 minutes- roasting gives the peanut butter a deeper flavor and also helps make the oils looser and easier to blend into a smooth butter. Remove the skins

Transfer the peanuts to a blender while the nuts are still warm. Pulse a few times just until chopped. → For chunky peanut butter, remove 1/2 cup of chopped nuts and set aside.

Run the blender continuously for 1 minute. Stop and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. At this point, the peanut butter will look gritty and dry. 

Run the blender continuously for another minute, then stop and scrape down the sides. At this point, the butter will start clumping together. It's not quite peanut butter, but it's getting there! 

Run the blender continuously for another minute, then stop and scrape down the sides. At this point, the butter will be glossy and soft, like very thick peanut butter.

Add the salt, oil and any optional add-ins, and process for an additional minutes till it becomes completely smooth. 

If you have reserved some nuts for clunky peanut butter, add them at this stage, and pulse a few times to incorporate.

Scrape the peanut butter into a jar, and store in a cool, dry place.

Butter cookies- and back to school!!!

For the last seven days, I have been inquiring every day for icing sugar, because I have this lovely recipe for thumbprint cookies that I want to try out. But it is out of stock, and continues to remain out of stock. Finally, my craving for cookies got the better of me, and I decided to whip up a batch of butter cookies, using my mother's tried and tested recipe.
Unfortunately, however, I got over ambitious and tried to make thumbprint cookies out of them. The cookies that looked so professional when they went into the oven, lost their shape completely during the process of baking, and I ended up with cookies that were more than just slightly oddly shaped. But they tasted great, and that's all I really care about.

100 gms sugar
100 gms butter
50 gms rice flour

100 gms maida
a pinch of salt
red colouring and rasberry essence (optional)

Method:
Preheat the oven at 175 degrees for about 10 minutes
Cream together sugar and butter
Add rice flour and beat well
Add maida, salt, essence and colouring and knead to a soft dough (without adding any water)
Roll it into balls, place on a baking tray taking care to leave space for them to spread, and bake for 12-15 minutes till golden brown on top.
Remove from oven, and cool before digging in!

Aloo bonda

Ever since I had a "Eureka" moment, and used the paniyaram pan for making dahi-bhallas, I have been thinking of new ways to push the barrier. After pakodas, muffins, and sundry other stuff, one of the last bastions of "deep fried" food has been broken.

Presenting Aloo bonda/ Batata Vada made on the paniyaram pan. Since I wasn't sure if I would be able to pull it off, I made this with aloo stuffing left over from making aloo-parathas, but from now on, I am going to make it for itself.

2-3 potatoes

1 onion

1 green chilli

1/2 tsp haldi powder

salt to taste

cooking oil

For the batter

4 tbsp besan

salt, red chilli powder, dhania powder to taste

Method
Pressure cook the potatoes for 2 whistles. After it cools down, peel and mash well.
Cut the onions and green chillis into tiny pieces.
Mix the potatoes, onions, green chillies, salt and haldi powder well.

Make a batter, of dropping consistency.

Make balls a few milimeters less than the diameter of the paniyaram pan's mould. Dip the balls in the batter, and place in the paniyaram pan. Drizzle a few drops of oil in each of the moulds, and cook on a low flame till it starts coming out. Turn over, and cook the other side.

It doesn't taste exactly as good as the deep fried version does, but unless you know the difference, you may not be able to make out.

Jam roly poly

Jam roly poly.
The name itself is so tempting that the hubby and me often fantasize about having it. Unfortunately, we haven't found it anywhere in India, and haven't traveled abroad enough to be able to experience it. So, the moment I was able to make a bread roll, I decided to attempt a jam roly poly myself.

The recipes on the internet seem more like scones than like a bread, but I quite liked the idea of making a jam bread roll, and this turned out fantastic.

This particular recipe is Padma Anagol's basic bread recipe.

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup warm milk
1 tbsp sugar
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp butter, room temperature

Jam 

Grated coconut

Milk for brushing

Method

In a large bowl, combine yeast, water, milk and sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes, until foamy.  If the yeast doesn't become foamy, let it rise for 10 minutes more- unless it is foamy, you are better off throwing it out and starting afresh

Add in flour and salt and mix well. 

Cut the softened butter into three or four pieces and drop them into the dough. 

Knead for about 2 minutes. Cover the bowl and let rise for 45 minutes in a warm place. 

Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C.

Deflate the dough, and roll it into a rectangle about 1/3 cm thick. 

Spread jam evenly across the surface, sprinkle coconut, and roll, sealing the ends with water.

Cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces, place on a lightly greased baking tray, cover with a dish towel and allow it to rise for 20 minutes.

Brush tops of rolls with milk and bake for 14-18 minutes, until golden brown. 

Allow to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving. 

I made them in two flavours- mixed fruit and pineapple- the latter I called pina colada rolls!

Coconut cookies

The kids love cookies, and because they are so easy to whip up, I love making them. Win-win, don't you think? This recipe is one that I got from my mother's friend long before I started baking- a bit rich, but tastes great.

Flour - 60 gms

Sugar- 30 gms

Butter- 60 gms

Coconut- 30 gms (I used dessicated, but you can use fresh too)

Method:

Sieve flour.

Put all  the ingredients in a bowl, and knead well till it blends.

Bake at 275F for 15- 20 minutes.

Butter cookies

My mother's butter cookies, fresh out of the over, and waiting for the kids to come back home from school and gobble them up. Cooking does give so much happiness, doesn't it?

100 gms sugar
100 gms butter
50 gms rice flour
100 gms maida

a pinch of salt

 

Method:

Preheat the oven at 175 degrees for about 10 minutes
Cream together sugar and butter
Add rice flour and beat well
Add maida and salt and knead to a soft dough (without adding any water)
Spread on  a greased baking tray, and make notches with a knife. Bake for 12-15 minutes till golden brown on top.
Remove from oven, and cool before digging in!