Granola - Nutty n Crunchy !!!

Try this healthy and crunchy granola as a topping for yoghurt, milk, desserts and just like that.  We can add any kind of nuts of our choice.  Today, I am sharing you with my favourite combination of peanuts, almonds and raisins.

Ingredients :

1. Old Fashion oats - 4 cups
2. Sliced almonds - 2 cups
3. Raisins - 1 cups
4. Chopped peanuts - 1/2 cup
5. Brown sugar - 1/4 cup
6. Honey - 1/2 cup
7. Oil - 1/2 cup
8. Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp
9. Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp, optional
10. Salt - 1/4 tsp 

Method :

1.  Preheat the oven to 150 C.  

2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine together the oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt, peanuts and cinnamon.  Keep aside.

3.  In a another bowl, whisk together the honey, vanilla and oil.  Pour over the dry ingredients and mix everything well together.

4.  Spread the mixture evenly in the large baking pan.

5.  Bake for about 40 mins, tossing every 10 mins for even cooking.

6.  After baking, toss in the raisins.  Store in an airtight container. 

Enjoy !!!

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Cinnamon Palmiers / Little Heart cookies !!!

Puff pastry, cinnamon powder and sugar is all you'll need for some of the best treats ever !!!

Ingredients :

1. Puff pastry, thawed - 2 sheets
2. Granulated sugar - 1 cup
3. Brown sugar / Demerara sugar - 1/4 cup
4. Cinnamon powder  - 2 tsp
5. Salt - 1/4 tsp
6. Egg wash, one egg beaten with a bit of water

Method :

1.   Preheat the oven to 200 C and line up the baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.   In a bowl, mix together the granulated sugar, cinnamon powder and raw sugar.  Lightly sprinkle the sugar mixture on your work surface.  Roll out the puff pastry, and brush the surface with the egg wash.

3.   Sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the top of the pastry and pat it in with your hands.  Roll each half of the pastry like a jelly roll and meet in the centre.

4.   Cut each roll about 1" thick and place the cookies cut side down on your baking sheet.  If the pastry is too soft, freeze them for 15 mins.

5.   Bake the cookies for about 15 - 20 mins or until golden brown on both sides.  Allow them to cool completely.

Happy baking :)

How to cook : Perfect Quinoa

Quinoa is a complete protein containing all essential amino acids.  It's light and fluffy in texture.  We can store the leftover quinoa in the refrigerator and use it later. 

Ingredients :

1. Quinoa - 1/2 cup
2. Water - 1 cup
3. Pinch of Salt
4. Oil - 1/2 tsp

Method :

1.  Rinse quinoa in a fine mesh sieve until water runs clear.  Drain and transfer to a pot.

2.  Add a cup of water, salt and 1/2 tsp of oil to the pot and bring to a boil.

3.  Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until water is absorbed (it takes around 15 to 20 mins).  

4.  Set aside off the heat for 5 mins; uncover and fluff with a fork. 

Serve.

Marry Berry's Mini Apple n Almond Cake !!

This is one of the easiest mini cakes from Marry Berry's collection.  I used silicon mould for making this mini cakes.  This portion made exactly 6 mini cakes.  Enjoy this with a cup of tea !!!

Ingredients :

1. BramleyApples, peeled and thinly sliced
2. Self-raising flour - 100 gms
3. Castor Sugar - 100 gms
4. Egg - 1 no
5. Almond extract - 1/2 tsp
6. Butter, melted - 75 gms
7. Almond flakes for topping
8. Creme Fraiche, optional

Method :

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. 
2. Grease the inside of the cooking rings with a little butter and dust with flour. Arrange the cooking rings on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
3. Pour the melted butter into a large bowl. Add the sugar, flour, egg and almond extract and mix together until combined.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Spoon a little of the mixture into the base of each ring, arrange some of the apple slices over the batter and spoon the remaining cake mixture on top, levelling with the back of a teaspoon.
5. Scatter each cake with flaked almonds. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until well risen and golden-brown. 
6. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes before removing the rings. Serve warm with a dollop of crème fraîche.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Tawa Vegetable Pulao - Mumbai Street Style !!

Tawa pulao is Mumbai's popular street food.  They use butter, pav bhaji masala and red chilly paste as the main ingredients.  But, I used red chilly powder instead of paste.  Add some salt, while cooking the rice.  If you have leftover pav bhaji or cooked rice, try this tawa pulao and enjoy this with your favourite raita.

Ingredients :

1. Cooked rice - 1 cup
2. Butter - 1 tbsp
3. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
4. Onion, sliced - 1 no
5. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Green chilly - 1 no
8. Tomato - 1 large sized
9. Vegetable (carrot, beans, potato, green peas, capsicum), chopped- 1 cup
10. Red chilly powder, to taste
11. Pav Bhaji masala - 1 tsp
12. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
13. Salt to taste
14. Mint leaves 
15. Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

1.  Heat butter in the wide bottomed tawa, add cumin seeds and finely chopped onion.  Saute till tender.

2.  Add slit green chilly, ginger garlic paste, salt and finely chopped tomato.  Saute till tender.

3.  Add chopped vegetables and sprinkle some water.  Cover and cook.

4.  Add red chilly powder, pav bhaji masala and cook for few more mins.

5.  Add cooked rice, mint leaves, lemon juice and adjust the salt, if necessary.  Cook for few mins. Garnish it with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with onion- tomato raita.

Eggless Basbousa - Mediterranean Treat !!

Basbousa is most popular all over the Middle East and every country makes it slightly different.  This cake like sweet is made using semolina & coconut as a main ingredient and soaked in sugar syrup.  This dessert is supposed to be really sweet and it tastes best that way, but you can adjust the quantity of sugar that goes into the syrup, if you want a less sweeter version.  In fact, it is an extremely tasty one and the recipe is very easy to follow.  You are going to love it :) 

Ingredients :

1. All purpose flour - 1/2 cup
2. Semolina - 1 1/4 cup
3. Desiccated coconut - 1 1/2 cup
4. Almond essence - 4 drops
5. Baking powder - 1 tsp
6. Butter,melted - 110 gms
7. Milk - 1 cup
8. Saffron, few strands
9. Sugar - 3/4 cup
10. Blanched almonds. whole

For the sugar syrup :

1. Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
2. Water - 1 1/2 cup
3. Rose water - 1 tsp
4. Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp

Method :

1.   Mix together flour, semolina, desiccated coconut, almond essence, saffron, baking powder, butter, sugar, milk and make a smooth dough.

2.   Spread the dough in the greased baking pan & refrigerate for 30  mins.  Cut the dough in the desired shapes. 

3.   Bake them at 180 C for 30 mins.  

4.   Meanwhile, prepare the sugar syrup by boiling the water & sugar for 5 mins.  Add lemon juice while boiling and finally rose water.

5.   Remove the Basbousa from the oven and pour the sugar syrup and arrange almonds on top.  Bake for another 10 mins or until done.

Serve them warm.

Keerai Vadai | Spinach Fritters | Masala Keerai Vadai

Enjoy this simple, crispy and healthy spinach fritters with a cup of hot tea.

Ingredients :

1. Channa dal - 1 cup
2. Salt to taste
3. Spinach, chopped - 1 cup
4. Onion, chopped - 1 no
5. Green chillies - 2 nos, optional
6. Red chilly powder, to taste
7. Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
8. Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
9. Finely chopped ginger - 1/2 tsp
10. A pinch of hing
11. Curry leaves
12. Oil for frying

Method :

1.  Soak the channa dal for atleast two hours.  Grind them coarsely without adding water. 

2.  To the mixture, add finely chopped onions, spinach, green chillies, fennel seeds, hing, salt to taste, garam masala, ginger and red chilly powder.  

3.  Heat oil in the deep frying pan.  Take a small portion of batter and flatten them with hands.  Drop them in the oil and fry them till crispy and done.  

4.  Drain the excess oil in the kitchen towel.

Serve warm.

Note :

1.  Don't add water while grinding the mixture.  If necessary, add a tsp of water.

2.  Retain a tbsp of soaked channa dal and mix them in the grounded mixture, for crunchy texture.

3.  We can also add finely chopped mint leaves and coriander leaves for additional flavour.

Chicken Corn Soup - Home style !!

Enjoy this healthy and nutritious chicken soup with your favourite bread.

Ingredients :

For Chicken Broth :

1. Chicken, cleaned - 750 gms 
2. Water - 10 cups
3. Onion, big sized - 2 nos
4. Green chillies - 2 nos
5. Garlic - 7 pods
6. Bay leaf - 2 no
7. Cloves - 3 nos
8. Star anise -  1
9. Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
10. Ginger, chopped - 1 inch 
11. Spring onions - handful
12. Carrot - 1 small sized
13. Cabbage - 1/4 cup

Mix all the ingredients together and bring it to boil until the chicken broth is half the quantity (Around 5 cups).

For soup :

1. Chicken broth - 5 cups
2. Corn kernels - 1/4 cup
3. Salt to taste
4. Black pepper powder
5. Spring onions for garnishing
6. Lemon juice
7. Coriander leaves for garnishing
8. Egg white - 1 no (optional)
9. Cornflour (optional)  - 1/2 tsp

Method :

1.  Filter the chicken broth and remove the chicken pieces separately from other ingredients.  Slowly remove and shred the chicken pieces from its bone.   Keep aside.

2.  Now bring the clear chicken broth to boil.  Add corn kernels and salt to taste.  Cook till done.

3.  Garnish it with black pepper powder, coriander leaves, spring onions(green part) and lemon juice.

Serve warm.

Note :

1.  If you wish to use egg whites :  Beat the egg whites and slowly pour them in the soup once the corn is cooked.  Keep stirring continuously while the soup is cooking.

2.  If you want the soup to be thick  :  Dissolve the cornflour in water and slowly add them in the soup  , once the corn is cooked thoroughly.

Homemade Indian street style Egg Bread Omelette

Bread egg omelette is a very popular Indian street food.  This healthy, easy, quick, tasty and simple bread omelette can be served as a breakfast or snack with green chutney or just with tomato ketchup.  

Ingredients :

1. Eggs - 2 nos
2. Bread - 2 slices (White / Brown)
3. Salt to taste
4. Onion, finely chopped - 1 small sized
5. Coriander leaves
6. Green chillies, finely chopped - 1 no 
7. Black pepper powder to taste
8. Oil for greasing

Method :

1.  Bread 2 eggs in a bowl and add finely chopped onion, chillies, pepper powder, salt to taste and finely chopped coriander leaves.  Beat well until foamy.

2.  Heat oil in the pan, pour half the quantity of egg mixture.  Spread the egg mixture evenly on the pan.  

3.  Place a slice of bread over the egg mixture and cook for a min.  Slowly, flip the omelette along with the bread to another side and cook till done.   Repeat the process for another bread.

Serve immediately.

Mushroom Kurma | Kaalan Kuruma

Easy, delicious and rich mushroom korma taste great with rice, jeera rice, rotis and parathas.  We can add potatoes or peas for variations. 

Ingredients :

1. Mushroom - 250 gms 
2. Onion, chopped - 1 no
3. Tomato, chopped - 2 nos
4. Garlic - 2 nos
5. Garlic - 1/2 inch piece
6. Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp
7. Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
8. Coconut grated - 1/4 cup
9. Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp
10. Oil - 2 tbsp
11. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
12. Cloves - 2 nos
13. Salt to taste
14. Chilly powder
15. Coriander powder
16. Turmeric powder
17. Pepper powder
18. Green chilly - 1 no
19. Coriander leaves for garnishing
20. Lemon juice - 1 tsp12§

Method :

Preparing the Masala Paste :

1.  Grind together onion, tomato, garlic and ginger to smooth paste.  Keep aside.

Preparing the Spice paste :

2.  Soak poppy seeds, fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp, grated coconut and cashew nuts in the water for 15 mins and grind them to smooth paste.  Keep aside.

3.  Heat oil in the pan, add cinnamon stick, cloves, fennel seeds (1/2 tsp) and saute.

4.  Add grounded onion-tomato masala paste.  Cover and cook for 5 mins.

5.  Add halved mushrooms, turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, one slit green chilly, grounded spice paste and salt to taste.  Add water if necessary.  Cover and cook till done.

6.  Finally, add lemon juice and garnish it with coriander leaves.

Serve with rice or rotis.

Spiced Paneer Fried Rice - Indo Chinese !!

Ingredients :

For Paneer :

1. Paneer - 1/4 kg
2. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
3. Coriander powder - 1 tsp
4. Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Cumin powder - 1 tsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Oil - 2 tsp

For Rice :

1. Basmati Rice, cooked and cooled - 2 cups
2. Oil - 1 tbsp
3. Ginger, chopped - 1/2 tsp
4. Garlic, chopped - 1 tsp
5. Onion, sliced - 1 no
6. Capsicum, chopped - 1 no
7. Carrot, thinly sliced - 1 no
8. Cabbage, sliced
9. Spring onions
10. Salt to taste
11. Soy sauce - 1 tsp
12. Pepper powder - 1 tsp
13. Red chilly flakes, to taste

Method :

For Paneer :

1.  Mix all the ingredients together and marinate the paneer mixture for 15 mins.

2.  Heat oil in the pan, toast the marinated paneer till crispy.  Keep aside.

For Rice :

3.  Heat oil in the pan, add chopped ginger, garlic and onion.  Saute.

4.  Add carrot, cabbage, capsicum, spring onion and salt to taste.  Cook till crispy.

5.  Add soy sauce, pepper power, red chilly flakes and rice.  Simmer the heat and gently mix together.

6.  Finally, add paneer to the rice and garnish it with spring onions.

Serve warm.