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March 17, 2010

Devil's chocolate cake


Moist, intensely flavoured chocolate cakes are a favourite of mine and I'm always experimenting with different mixtures. I am really pleased with this one. Flavour of coffee when combined with chocolate makes it outstandingly good. These would make a delicious accompaniment topped with chocolate sauce.

Ingredients :
  1. Strong coffee - 3/4 cup
  2. Butter - 60 gms
  3. Brown sugar - 1 cup
  4. Eggs - 2 no
  5. All purpose flour - 200 gms
  6. Cocoa powder - 60 gms
  7. Baking soda - 1 1/4 tsp
  8. Yoghurt - 3/4 cup
  9. Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Method :

1. Line a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper and lightly oil the sides.

2. Beat the softened butter, sugar and eggs together until thick and creamy. Add the cooled coffee, yoghurt and vanilla essence.

3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda together. Add the liquid ingredients to the sifted dry ingredients and mix together until well combined.

4. Spoon into the prepared cake tin, smooth the top and bake in an oven preheated to 180 C for 45-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes.

Serve it with chocolate sauce.


March 11, 2010

Samosa


One of the most popular snacks available everywhere yet the taste differs wherever it is found. Variety of stuffings can be made with the homemade pastry or ready made stuff. Makes a great after school snack & great appetizer. Very easy to make & perfect snack with a cup of tea.

Ingredients :
  1. All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
  2. Rava (Semolina) - 1 tsp
  3. A pinch of salt
  4. Oil - 2 tbsp
  5. Luke warm water
  6. Smashed potato - 2 nos
  7. Onion - 1 no
  8. Shahi jeera - 1/2 tsp
  9. Green peas - 1/4 cup
  10. Corrainder powder - 1 tsp
  11. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
  12. Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
  13. Dry mango powder - 1/4 tsp
  14. Green chillies - 2 nos ( as per ur spice)
  15. Corriander leaves - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
  16. Salt to taste
  17. Oil for deep frying

Direction to cook :

1. Heat oil in the pan, add shahi jeera & onion. Saute till tender.

2. Add green chillies, smashed potatoes, green peas, corriander powder, chilly powder & salt. Cook till done.

3. Finally, add garam masala, corriander leaves & dry mango powder.

4. Meanwhile, mix flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well into the centre and add the oil and enough water to make a firm dough. Knead the dough and roll into a ball. Set aside for 30 minutes.

5. Divide the dough equally & roll it into a not too thin round. Divide these circle into two equal pieces. Brush each edge with a little water and form a cone shape around your fingers, sealing the edge.

6. Fill the cones with the potato mixture & seal the edges. Deep fry the samosas in hot oil until crisp and brown. Take out and drain on a paper towel.

Enjoy with hot chutneys or tomato ketchup.

March 7, 2010

Methi Dal curry


We rarely get fresh methi leaves here. When I get those little leaves, I make this simple & tasty dal curry which taste good with rice & chapathis too. Methi leaves can be used as additional ingredientens in non-veg dishes & veg dishes as well, which brings additional flavour to the dish. One of my comfort dish & pravin just like this preparation very much. Like to serve this with some yam fry.

Ingredients :
  1. Methi leaves - 1 cup
  2. Toor dal - 1/2 cup
  3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
  4. A pinch of hing
  5. Oil - 1 tbsp
  6. Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
  7. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
  8. Urad dal - 1 tsp
  9. Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
  10. Onion - 1 no
  11. Tomatoes - 1 no
  12. Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
  13. Tamarind extract - 1 tbsp
  14. Salt to taste
  15. Ghee - 1/2 tsp

Method :

1. Combine the dal, 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder & a pinch of hing. Pressure cook them.

2. Heat oil in the kadai, add fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, urad dal & curry leaves.

3. Once splutter, add finely chopped onion. Saute till tender.

4. Add finely chopped riped tomato, red chilly powder, salt & finely chopped methi leaves.

5. Finally, add the cooked dal & tamarind extract. Cook for 5 more mins on medium flame.

6. Before switching off the flame, add ghee & corriander leaves.

Serve with rice.

March 4, 2010

Chicken Tikka Masala


The popularity of Chicken Tikka Masala is testament to Britain's centuries. Simple to make, big on bold flavour & this curry also embraces other ingredients. For a vegetarian version, cut a block of paneer or tofu into large cubes and add the pieces, without marinating to the tomato sauce at the end of cooking.
.
Ingredients :
  1. Chicken breast - 500 gms
  2. Lime juice - 1 tsp
  3. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
  4. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
  5. Corriander seeds - 1 tsp
  6. Shallots - 2 nos
  7. Garlic cloves, roughly chopped - 4 large
  8. 4 cm piece fresh ginger
  9. Green chillies - 2 nos
  10. Plain yoghurt - 1/4 cup
  11. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
  12. Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp

For sauce :

  1. 400 gms canned chopped tomatoes
  2. Corriander leaves, handful
  3. Grated ginger - 1/2 tsp
  4. Caster sugar - 1/2 tsp
  5. Unsalted butter - 50 gms
  6. Cream - 1 tbsp ( or milk)

Method :

1. Cut & clean the chicken. Dry roast the cumin seeds & corriander seeds & grind them to fine powder. Grind the shallots, garlic, ginger & chillies to smooth paste.

2. Marinate the chicken pieces in the onion mixture, yoghurt, lime juice, chilly powder, garam masala & 1/2 tsp of corriander- cumin powder for atleast one hour, preferably overnight.

3. Grill the marinated chicken to its hottest setting. Drizzle with the oil & grill for about 10 mins on each side.

4. Heat the butter in the pan, add the chopped tomatoes, corriander leaves, ginger, sugar & remaining corriander - cumin powder & cook .

5. Add the cream & the cooked chicken pieces. Cover & cook till done.

Serve with naan.

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