Dussehra special..Banana Fritters

This is one of the sweet dish which is very popular in every Indian restaurant across UK.Although being from a Caribbean origin its fits so well amongst our Indian Festival delicacies.

our festive season have already started and this super easy dessert will sure be a star item for any dinner party.Its perfect being naughty sometimes and keep aside your calorie concious mind , Crisp and golden banana fritters served with ice cream will take your heart away!!! 



Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas
2 tsp baking powder
1 2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1 cup milk

For syrup

1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup water
Boil till sugar dissolves well.


Method

Mix the dry ingredients.
Add milk to the dry ingredients.
Make a smooth batter,If needed add some more milk and set aside for 10 mins.
Cut the banana into bite size pcs.
Heat oil in a deep pan ( the above has to be deep fried ) Dip each banana pcs into the batter drop into the oil and fry till golden brown.
Once fried dip into sugar syrup for 1 min.
Serve with Vanilla or kesar ice cream.
Delicious!!!

chocolate ganache cake!

Ingredients:-

1/4 lb butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 eggs, at room temperature

1 (16 ounce) can hershey chocolate syrup

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

For the ganache

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Method:

1.Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

2.Butter and flour an 8 inch round cake pan, then the bottom with parchment paper.

3.Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.

4.Add the eggs one at a time.

5.Mix in the syrup and vanilla.

6.Add the flour and mix until JUST combined (overbeating with make the cake too tough).

7.Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until just set in the middle.

8.Let cool thoroughly in the pan.

9.For the ganache, cook the heavy cream, chocolate chips, and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.

10.Place the cake upside down on a wire rack and pour the glaze evenly over the top, making sure to cover the entire cake and sides.

11.You can tilt the rack to smooth the glaze.

12.Do not refrigerate

Microwave Gazar ka halwa

Ingredients:

500gms.-Carrot-grated

1/2-cup milk

200ml.-Sweetened Condensed Milk

Sugar as per taste (as the condensed milk is sweetened)

2-3 tbspn.-Ghee/Clarified butter

25 gms- Almond coarsely powdered (Roasted almonds in microwave for 2min and powdered)

1/4 tsp.-Saffron strings

1/2 tsp.Freshly crushed cardamom powder

Raisins and cashew nut for garnishing

Method of preparation:

1. Take a deep bottomed microwaveable vessel-mix carrot and milk and microwave on high for 15 minutes. Stand for few minutes.

2. Remove and stir, mix condensed milk and microwave for 15 minutes. Stand for few minutes.

3. Remove and stir, add sugar,add ghee, cardamom powder and almond powder and microwave for 6-8 minutes.

4. Garnish with saffron, raisins and cashew nuts fried in ghee

Serve hot or chilled.

nariyal ke laddoo

Rakhi is here once again and I am so looking forward to all the wonderful dishes that are going to make their presence felt in our lives as well as our waistlines:).But who cares..I am going to forget all about calories and cholesterol and such forgetful stuff

Coconut Laddoo

Ingredients [Makes 30-32 laddoos]

Condensed milk[Milkmaid] – 1 tin
Grated coconut – 4 cups

Method
Keep aside about 50 gms of coconut aside.
In a thick bottomed kadai,add the rest of the coconut and the milkmaid and mix well.
Cook on low flame for about 5 minutes.
When the mixture starts leaving the sides of the kadai,switch off the flame and transfer the mix to another bowl and let it cool.
Grease your palms with butter and make small laddoos.
Roll them in coconut and arrange them on a butter paper.
Indulge and share the mithai with your ♥loved♥ ones too!!

malpua

You will need:

2 cups All Purpose Flour (Maida)
3 cups Milk
2 Bananas mashed
3 tbsp Fine Sooji (semolina)
2 cups Sugar
3 cups Water
½ tsp Cardamom powder
Few saffron strands
1 cup Ghee (for frying)

Mix flour, fine sooji, milk, saffron strands, cardamom powder and mashed banana in a bowl to make a thick pouring consistency batter. Keep aside for 30 mins.

Meanwhile make the sugar syrup by boiling sugar and water till it thickens to form a clear sticky syrup. Heat ghee in a pan for deep frying. Pour a small cup of batter in the centre of the hot ghee and fry on both sides till its light golden brown. Soak in sugar syrup for a minute and plate. Garnish with chopped pistachios and almonds and serve hot.

Ritually thus is served with rabdi or malai.

Cramalized Fruits with Ice cream

My First prize winner recipe in desserts in 10 mins category recipe,conducted by Tarla dalal.


caramelised fruits with vanilla ice cream
the recipe:-2 medium-small firm bananas, peeled
2 kiwis cut in thick slices
1/2 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup dark rum, or orange juice
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup low-fat vanilla ice cream

Cut bananas in half lengthwise. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar and lay the banana slices and kiwis on top, cut side up. Cook undisturbed for 20 seconds, then add orange juice and cinnamon. Cook for 10 seconds, then turn bananas carefully and cook for 45 to 60 seconds more, basting with the pan sauce. Divide the bananas and kiwi between 2 dessert plates, drizzling the sauce on top. Serve immediately, with a scoop of ice cream (or frozen yogurt) topped with cherry and raisins.

rasgulla

Ingredients:

• Milk - 1/2 litre
• Refined flour (maida) - 2 tsp
• Citric acid dissolved in water or lemon juice - 1/4 tsp dissolved in 1/2 cup water or lemon juice 2-3 tbsp.
• Sugar- 1 cup
• Water- 1 cup
• Rose essence or cardamom powder - 2-3 drops or 1/4 tsp

Method:

• Heat milk in a pan and bring it to boil. Remove from heat.
• Add citric acid or lemon juice.
• Stir slowly and gently until white curd forms on the surface and separates from whey.
• On straining this milk, the curd that is obtained is called "chenna". Wash chenna well under cold running water and twist the cloth that was used for straining to extract water.
• Knead chenna to make a smooth dough. Add flour and knead again.
• Make small balls of equal size (6-7) of the dough and keep aside.
• Next make sugar syrup. Mix sugar and water in a saucepan and bring it to boil.
• Add chenna balls to the syrup and cook for 15 minutes with lid partially covered. Chenna dumplings will puff up.
• On cooling, add rose essence.
• Refrigerate and serve chilled.

Simple and easy version of Gulab jamun

A simple Gulab jamun made with simple ingredients at home and It tastes equally good as the original one!!!

Simple & easy Gulab Jamun

Take 2 ½ cups dry milk powder. Add ½ cup all purpose flour ( maida) , 1/8 th 
tsp cooking soda and 1 ½ cups heavy cream. Knead well till a soft dough is made. 
Add the cardamom powder. Make small balls and fry in oil/ ghee till golden brown. 
Put in sugar syrup as explained Below.


 For Syrup

• Sugar : 500 gms/17.64 ounces
• Cardamom : 7-8
• Water : 2-1/2 cups

 Bring the water, rose water and sugar to boil. Add saffron to it,
remove from heat. Keep aside.

suji and maida mixed halwa.

Ingredients:
1)suji-100g
2)Maida-100g
3)sugar-100g
4)milk 2 cups
5)mixed dry fruits shredded(raisins,cashews,almond)
6)coconut dessicated for garnishing
7)ghee-3 tbsp
8)vegetable oil-4 tbsp
9)ilaychi powder-1/2 teaspoon

Method:-
1) Mix the oil and ghee and heat it in pan.
2) roast the suji till golden brown.
3)roast maida seperately with little oil in a microwave or pan till brown.
4)mix maida and suji in one pan and add ilaychi powdre
5)add dryfruits and saute 2 mins.
6)add milk and 1 cup water.
7)add sugar.
8)keep on steering.
9)cover with lid on for 5 mins.
10) remove the cover and keep on steering till oil separates.
11)garnish with coconut.
12)serve hot

my experiments with chocolate

This one is for those chocolate lovers, inspired from one of my favourite cook books and one of the TV show.


MOLTEN CHOCOLATY CAKE  WITH POACHED STRAWBERRY.....ITS YUM YUM!!!!


The cake is so  delicious and chocolaty that you cant go wrong. The use of high quality dark chocolate enhances the flavor of this delicious goodness.super moist lava cake that just melts in your mouth!!! sinful and TDF~~ :)

Chocolate Lava cake which has suddenly become popular due to an advertisement campaign by a pizza company is actually a delectable French dessert and can be made at home. Try this simple recipe.


Ingredients:-

100g dark chocolate (example, Cadbury Old Gold 70% cocoa), cut to small cubes

100g unsalted butter, cut to small cubes

 2 eggs
 50g caster sugar
 20g self-raising flour

for poached strawberry

cut strawberries and add to the hot sugar syrup.do not boil just cover with the lid for 30 mins.

Method of preparation:-

1. Melt dark chocolate and butter using either the microwave , a hot water bath or a double boiler (note: do not use direct stove heat or the ingredients will burn).
2. In a large bowl, use an electric whisk (you can whisk by hand too but it’s more tedious) to beat the eggs and sugar till the mixture turns pale and frothy. This will take a few minutes.
3. Pour melted chocolate/butter you prepared in step 1, into the egg mixture prepared in step 2. Stir in the flour. Use a spatula to mix everything evenly.
4. Grease your ramekins with some melted butter (so that the cake will come off cleanly when it is baked). Fill the ramekin almost 3/4 full with the chocolate mixture and bake in a preheated oven of 180C (356F) for about 10 minutes. Mine took exactly 11 minutes. The cake is deliberately slightly undercooked so as to achieve its ideal consistency which is runny in the middle (hence the name fondant/molten/chocolate lava) but if you over-bake it, you will get a super moist chocolate cake which is yummy too.
5. When it is baked, remove ramekin from oven and let cool for 1-2 minutes. Use a spoon to gently loosen the edges. Carefully invert the cake onto serving plate.

6.Decorate with poached strawberry.

Note:-

serve with vanilla ice-cream and some dry fruits.
:) :)


CHOCOCHIPS COOK-IS

"These cookies are great...you get a double dose of chocolate! My kid loves them."

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Method of preparation:-

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In large bowl, beat butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until well blended. Mix in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or just until set. Cool slightly on the cookie sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
:) :)

Chocolate Fondue

prepared chocolate frosting with sour cream to create a sweet dip that's perfect with fresh fruit. 'It's easy to keep the ingredients for this quick dessert on hand for kids,

''It's also decadent served with sugar cookies."

Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) container chocolate frosting

1 cup sour cream

Assorted fresh fruit

Directions

Combine the frosting and sour cream; spoon into a serving bowl. Serve with fruit for dipping. Refrigerate any leftovers.
:):)


Muffins made with drinking chocolate

since the day1 I have started watching food network channel,''Nigella lawson'' has become my favorite food anchor who is not a chef by profession but her recipes are from the heart of the home......I keep trying her recipes...sharing with u one of her classic muffins with my modified version ...with drinking chocolate instead of cocoa powder and white milk chocolate for a mild taste!!!!!!!! and gave it a tempting look with smarties which grabbed attention of my daughter:)

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons best quality drinking chocolate powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspn vanilla essence

Directions

Special equipment: Muffin tin with paper muffin cases

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, drinking chocolate, sugar, and 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips(both the varieties) into a large bowl. Pour all the liquid ingredients into a measuring jug. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together, remembering that a lumpy batter makes the best muffins. Spoon into the prepared muffin cases. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top and then bake for 20 minutes or until the muffins are dark, risen and springy.serve it topped with smarties....slurrrrrrrrrrrrpy yum!!!!!!

:):)

little doughnut with chocolate glaze!!!

Making a doughnut looks like a tedious task but its definitely not!!!!!!! believe me it was a huge hit in my first trial. This is the easiest recipe for cake doughnuts that I have used after watching Nigella's kitchen show. varying it with chocolate glaze.

Ingredients:-

• 4 1/2 c flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 c sugar
• 2 Tbs unsalted butter, melted
• 1 c milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Sift together the dry ingredients.

Beat eggs with sugar until light. Add butter, milk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough is formed. Do not over mix. If dough is too soft to roll, chill it for an hour.

Roll dough out 3/8 inch thick on a floured surface and cut with donut cutters. Fry in 370 degree oil until golden on both sides, turning once.

Remove from oil, hold over hot oil for a few minutes to drain, and then finish draining on absorbent paper. While still warm shake in sugar, dip in chocolate glaze.

 For Chocolate Glaze:-

In a mug, microwave half of cup of milk with a teaspoon of butter (you'll use this later)

use the milk mixture 

In a bowl  mix:

1 cup of powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons of Hershey or cadbury Cocoa if not available use cadbury chocolate just melt it in microwave

3 Tablespoons of the milk mixture from above.

Put a slightly warm donut face down in the chocolate glaze, turn slightly and remove. Perfect!