Shakshuka

Shakshuka- A hearty, easy recipe made with eggs that are gently poached mixture of tomatoes, bell peppers, onions & garlic with a hint of spices and some fresh herbs complete this satisfying one-skillet dish! Goes well with Pita Bread
My twin sister Mini shared this recipe. thank you mini for the recipe

Ingredients

* 1 tbsp olive oil
* 1/2 red onion, peeled and diced
* 3 clove garlic, chopped
* 2 bell pepper- chopped (I used half of red and half of yellow)
* 2.5 cups ripe diced tomatoes,
* 2 tbsp tomato paste
* 1 tsp chili flakes
* 1 tsp cumin
* 1 tsp paprika
* Salt and pepper- to taste
* 5 eggs
* 1/2 cup baby spinach finely chopped
* 1/4 cup yogurt (whisk well and add 2 tbs water)
Method
1. Heat a large pan on medium. Pour olive oil, Add chopped onion, sauté for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften. Add garlic and continue to sauté till mixture is fragrant.
2. Add the diced bell pepper, sauté for 5-7 minutes over medium until softened.
3. Add tomatoes and tomato paste to pan, stir until blended. Add spices and stir, and allow mixture to simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until it starts to reduce.
4. At this point, you can taste the mixture and spice it according to your preferences. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add yogurt and stir well.
5. Crack the eggs, one at a time, directly over the mixture, making sure to space them evenly over the sauce.
6. Cover the pan. Allow mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked and the sauce has slightly reduced. Keep an watch on the skillet to make sure that the sauce doesn't reduce too much, which can lead to burning.
7. Some people prefer their shakshuka eggs more runny. If this is your preference, let the sauce reduce for a few minutes before cracking the eggs on top-- then, cover the pan and cook the eggs to taste. Garnish with the chopped spinach.
Tastes best when eaten with pita bread.

You can serve the shakshuka with crumbled feta cheese.

Satori

My mami shared her "best kept secret" recipe of Satori- A rich delicacy made from Khoya. Satori has a distinctive texture, flavor &richness. Thank you Mami for the detailed recipe.

Ingredients
for the filling 
2 cups Khoya
1 tbsp poppy seeds**
1 tbsp dry dates powder (Kharik pud)
1 cup powdered sugar or according to sweetness of the sugar

1 tbsp ghee
milk if needed 
for the Cover
1½ cups Maida
½ cup semolina
2 tbsp Besan
2 tbsp hot ghee (Called Mohan in marathi)
Method

1.  Make a thick dough from maida, semolina & besan. keep aside for
   ½ hr. in the mean while you can make the stuffing.
2. In a shallow pan add ghee and fry the khoya until it starts getting leaving ghee on the sides, this may take around 5-8 minutes. Stir it continuously as the khoya may burn very easily. keep aside to cool.
3. Add some more ghee and fry the poppy seeds, dry dates powder one after the other. keep the poppy seeds & dry dates powder separately.
4. after the poppy seeds cool down grind them into powder.
5. Mix the khoya, dry dates powder, poppy seeds & the powdered sugar and make the filing for making the Satori. grind the mixture to make a homogeneous mixture. If the filling is too dry add some milk (may be 2-4 tbsp or as needed to make it moist)
6. Make a small ball from the dough, roll it to make a small puri and stuff the stuffing inside the puri, just the way you would make a stuffed paratha or Puranpoli
7. Using a rolling pin roll the Satori into a thick chappati of 1" thickness & 5" in diameter.
8. On a medium flame, fry the satori from both the sides, using ghee. The satori should puff up, when you fry them.
9. Keep the satori to cool on a kitchen towel, you can store them upto 7-10 days in a air tight box.

This is the picture I sent to my mami after the satoris were made. 

**Note: 

1. I replaced poppy seeds with almond powder as poppy seeds are banned in gulf.
2. Quantity of sugar may vary according to its sweetness.

Fish Curry by Sarah

A big shout out to my best friend Sarah for making this fish curry for me, she has pampered me by feeding this fish curry during my pregnancy so many times, I loved the sour, spicy taste of the rich fish coconut curry served with boiled rice. So far this has been the best fish curry I've ever eaten. Thank you once again Sarah for the ready made recipe, I just copy pasted n clicked the picture to be uploaded on my blog.

Ingredients 

6 pieces of King Fish
1 coconut (grated)
3 medium size Onions
4 tsp oil

2 red whole chillies
2 tsps roasted whole coriander & roasted cumin seeds
1 whole garlic

2 inch ginger
3 tbsp fish masala (Priya brand)
1 tsp red chilli powder

3 pieces of kokum

3 tsp warm water to grind the paste
3 cups water for gravy

turmeric powder to apply on fish
Salt as per taste 
4 tbsp Tamarind pulp

Method
Wash the fish pieces and apply turmeric & salt over it, keep aside for an hour.

Dry roast coriander, cumin seeds and red chillies. Slice 2 onions.

Grind coconut, roasted coriander & cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, red whole chillies, one onion, Kokam, warm water to make a smooth paste
Now in a deep bottom pan add oil, add in the sliced onions, saute. Add the coconut paste and cook well till the paste leaves oil.
Now add in salt, fish masala, red chilli powder, tamarind paste. after a while add in water and let it boil for 5-7 mins
Add in fish pieces & cook for 10 mins
Ready to serve with steam rice

Apple, Rum & Raisin Cake

My friend Radhika is on a baking spree these days and she shared recipe of Apple, Rum & raisin cake, its on my  top priority on the "to bake" list. Here she used olive oil but it an be substituted by butter. thanks a ton Rads for the wonderful recipe!

Ingredients

1/4th cup (60 ml) Overproof (dark) rum

120g raisins

2 cups (300 gm) plain flour

1.5 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4th tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch ground cloves

3 cups (440 gm) castor sugar (i took little less as i dont like it too sweet) 

1 cup (250 ml) light olive oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

3.5 cups peeled cored & diced apples (roughly 3-4 depending on their size)

100g roasted pecans or walnuts coarsely chopped

icing sugar for dusting

Luscious homemade caramel sauce optional to serve.

Method

Soak rum & raisins together in a small bowl & leave them to sit at least 30 mins (or keep it overnight).

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Butter a cake tin, line the base with butter/wax paper or dust the tin with flour. Set aside.

Put the flour, baking soda , salt, nutmeg, cinnamon & cloves into a bowl & whisk them together for 40 seconds with a balloon whisk.Keep this dry mixture aside

Put the sugar & oil into the mixer bowl & beat them on medium-high speed for 5 mins. Until they're thick; splash in the vanilla extract towards the end, add the eggs, one at  a time, beating well after each one is added.

Now use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir the dry mixture into the egg mixture until they are thoroughly combined (batter will be very thick). Stir in the rum & raisin mixture, chopped apples & nuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin & smooth the top.

Bake for 1hr 15 mins to 1 hr 30 mins or until a fine skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake in the tin on a wire rack for 15 mins. Carefully loosen the cake around the sides, with butter knife & invert it onto the rack. Leave it to cool completely.

Before serving dust it with icing sugar. Serve with homemade caramel sauce if you liked

Paneer rolls

I would like to thank my co-sister Shilpa for sharing her paneer roll recipe with me, I remember eating these rolls during my college days from kapila - a famous food joint in Pune. But I guess I had almost forgotten about it for many years until Shilpa re-introduced these yummy rolls in my recent trip to Pune. This post goes to all the fans of "Kapila  kababs" I am not sure whether that joint still exists or no!

Ingredients
For chappati

Wheat Flour/Atta - 2 Cup

Warm Water - To make dough

Salt- To taste

oil

make chappati as usual and keep aside
For mint chutney

1 bunch of mint leaves (washed )

1 green chilli

1/2 bunch of coriander leaves

salt as per taste

lime juice

Mix all the above ingredients in a grinder and make mint chutney, keep aside 

For the Filling

½ kg Paneer (cubed)

2 tsp giner-garlic paste

3 tsp curd or as required

1 big capsicum

1 big tomato finely chopped
2 tsp gram flour
5 tsp water to mix gram flour

Oil

Salt to taste

red chilli powder as per taste

3 tsp kitchen king masala (or as required)

slices of onion soaked in salt water (to be used as garnish)

Method

In a big sauce pot add curds, kitchen king masala, ginger garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder & paneer & keep this to marinate for 15 minutes, add more curd if required.
in a sauce pan add oil & cook onion until it turns transparent, add capsicum cook for 2 mins switch off the flame. Keep aside. In the same sauce pan add paneer pieces, cook for 10 mins until the curd gets absorbed and the paneer is well cooked, add onions & capsicum, the gram flour, mixed in water so that the paneer & vegetables are mixed well. cook for 2 mins.

Now spread the mint chutney on the chappati and spread the paneer filling in the middle of the chappati, add the sliced onions and roll the chappati

grease the iron griddle (tawa) and cook the roll from both side until it become brownish

Serve immediately!

Black salmon with mixed herbs & garlic

My sister shared this sumptuously yummy looking recipe.I'm surely giving it a try this weekend.

Ingredient

Black salmon fillet 4 pieces medium size

10-12 garlic cut into small pieces

1 tsp of freshly grounded cumin seeds

1 tsp mixed herbs (rosemary,lemongrass,basil oregano,sage)

2 tsp olive oil 

salt as per taste

Method

add all the above ingredients in olive oil and mix well. Marinate the fillet and keep aside for 2-3 hrs

take a large pan and steam the fish. No need to add oil (the marinated olive oil is enough to cook the fish)

sidelines
boiled veggies

1 cup of green pea

1 carrot (cut into dices)

few cauliflower pods

Method-

steam the above veggies with little bit of salt as garnishing

Mash potatoes

2 potatoes

1 tsp salt

6-8 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup half and half freshly ground black or white pepper, to taste

Method-

Cook the potatoes until tender.

Mash with salt, butter 

Season with freshly ground pepper

Risotto

approx 1 ltr vegetable stock 

1 knob of butter

2 tbp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

400 gm risotto rice

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

butter as per taste

2 tsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese 

Method

Heat the stock. In a separate pan, heat the olive oil and butter, add the onions, garlic and fry very slowly for about 15 minutes without colouring. When the vegetables have softened, add the rice and turn up the heat

The rice will now begin to lightly fry, so keep stirring it. After a minute it will look slightly translucent.

Keep adding the stock,stirring continuously for 10-15 minutes. If you run out of stock before the rice is cooked, add some boiling water. (Risotto rice take more time to cook than the normal rice)

Remove from the heat and add the butter and Parmesan. Stir well. Place a lid on the pan and allow to sit for 2 minutes

 Serve hot

Bakarwadi Chaat

The popular crunchy, crispy, delicious tea time snack Bakarwadi from Pune need no introduction. It is famous all over the world now. A friend of mine described it as a Fiery hot Swiss roll :-)

I visited my sister-in-law during my recent India trip and she prepared this amazingly yummy, 'to die for' bakarwadi chaat, thanks a ton swarada and bagshree for sharing the recipe with me. I prepared the chaat the very next day after I landed here in Muscat. The taste of the bakarwadi chaat is still linguring on my taste buds. 

here's the recipe of the  "King of the chaats" :-)

Ingredients

250 gms bakarwadi

2 medium size onions (finely chopped)

1 big tomato (finely chopped)

1 small bowl zero number shev

5 tbsp tamarind chutney
Chaat Masala as required

salt to taste

coriander for garnishing

Method

Crush the bakarwadi into smaller pieces, add the above ingredients mix well and serve immediately.Garnish with coriander

Its Christmas time !!

Special thanks to my dear friend Supraja for contributing these Christmas Special recipes for my blog ! I had the "Death by Chocolate " & "Sugar Cookies" made by supraja and I asked her to share these for my blog..The cake and the cookies were out of this world.


Gingerbread men recipe:

Christmas baking at our home wouldn’t be complete without a batch of these cute little gingerbread men. When we were kids we would each take turns decorating our gingerbread men with a happy smile, grumpy look etc. A lovely aroma of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves fills the whole house while baking these cookies. It’s truly an experience. The original recipe calls for molasses but since I couldn’t find it here in the stores (in muscat) I substituted it with brown sugar.

INGREDIANTS:

3 cups all purpose flour

¼ tsp salt

¾ tsp baking soda

2 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp cinnamon powder

¼ tsp nutmeg powder

¼ tsp clove powder

½ cup butter

½ cup sugar

1 large egg

2/3 cup [160ml] molasses

[Substitute for molasses:

1 cup molasses =1 cup honey OR

=¾ cup brown sugar plus ¼ cup water. Boil water and add the brown sugar. Stir till sugar dissolves]

METHOD:

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and all spices in a separate bowl

In another separate bowl beat butter and sugar till fluffy

Add egg and molasses [brown sugar + water or honey] and beat till well combined.

Add flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix till well incorporated and it forms a dough.

Divide the dough into small parts and cling wrap them and refrigerate for about 2 hours or so.

Preheat oven to 180 deg cel.

Place rack in the centre of oven

Roll out the dough on a well floured flat surface to ¼ inch thickness and use a well floured cookie cutter to cut the desired shape.

Place them on the baking tray about an inch apart.

 Bake for 8-10 minutes till the edges start to brown.

Remove from oven to and transfer the baked cookies to a cooling rack

Basic Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are one of the easiest and simplest cookies to make, especially since all the ingredients are right there in your kitchen. You can have them either frosted or plain. Although they were once made during the holiday/Christmas season only they are now a year round favorite. Decorating them can be fun as well :-). You can have them at birthday parties as well where you can ask the kids to decorate their own cookie [just something to keep them all entertained and occupied :-)]

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups (390 grams) all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Method

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat until you have smooth dough.

Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about one hour or until firm enough to roll.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven

Remove one half of the chilled dough from the refrigerator and, on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/4 inch (1 cm). (Keep turning the dough as you roll, making sure the dough does not stick to the counter.) Cut out desired shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter and transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheet.

Bake cookies for about 8-10 minutes (depending on size) or until the edges are just starting to brown.

Remove from oven and let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

You can either frost the cookie using a simple sugar glaze or have it plain.

Makes about 36 - 4 inch cookies

Sugar glaze:

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

2-3 tbsb milk

1 tbsp light corn syrup [the corn syrup adds an extra glossiness to the frosted cookie. You can do without it as well]

1 tsp vanilla essence

Food colouring of your choice

METHOD:

• In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and vanilla extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup/milk and if it is too thin add sum confectioner’s sugar.

• Don’t let the icing get too runny. The proper consistency is when you lift the spoon, the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface of the icing for a few seconds before disappearing.

Divide into separate bowls, and add food colourings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or flood them with a spoon/knife.

DEATH BY CHOCOLATE

The first time I had this was at “The Corner House” ice cream parlour in Bangalore. The moment I tasted it, I knew I was in love - in love with the combination of rich chocolaty cake and the yummy chocolate sauce. It goes really well with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. I always wanted to recreate this at home and I finally found a recipe of a cake which did taste like the one they have in corner house.

This recipe is a sure guarantee to make your heart sing and your stomach happy. The actual work involved in this is very less. After u finish making the chocolate ganache, you will realise that you should have made double the quantity as it is so yummy, you couldn't stop tasting it :) (You can also make double the quantity and keep half of it to be used as a sauce along with the cake and ice cream).verdict: my little family loves it…..SO there’s no better way to enjoy this holiday season than to treat yourself with a nice rich piece of chocolate cake and chocolate over again……and oh don’t forget the ice cream.

INGREDIANTS:

225 grams dark semi-sweet chocolate

140 grams butter

210 grams [1cup] sugar

4 eggs

4 heaped tablespoons of all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons of cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

4 tbsp sour cream [I couldn’t find sour cream here in the super markets so I substituted it with 4 tbsp yoghurt and 1 tsp baking powder]

METHOD:

Pre-heat oven to 180 deg.cel

Prepare baking tin [8X2 inches]

Break chocolate pieces and melt along with butter in a pan over hot water.

Beat eggs with sugar till they turn pale yellow

Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and vanilla essence.

Add the sour cream [or yoghurt with 1 tsp baking powder]to the above mixture and mix well

Finally add the melted chocolate-butter mixture.

Pour it in the prepared cake pan.

Bake for at least 40-50 minutes or till the toothpick inserted in come out clean

Cool cake to room temperature.

GANACHE:

2/3 cups heavy cream or whipping cream.

260 grams semi sweet chocolate

METHOD:

Heat 2/3 cup of heavy cream or whipping cream in a sauce pan.

Remove it from the heat and add the semi-sweet chocolate pieces. Keep stirring it until it becomes smooth and let it cool till it thickens.

Pour it evenly over the cake, and keep some aside for the topping to go with ice cream as well.

I used an ice cream cone to make the christmas tree on top the cake….it just adds an extra touch to the cake….piped it with a regular buttercream frosting using the STAR tip.happy baking and wishing you all a merry christmas and a happy new year :-)

Prawns curry in coconut milk

My twin sister who is an expert in preparing sea food delicacies shared this one for my blog!

Ingredients

1/2 kg de-veined prawns

200 ml coconut milk

15-20 garlic

3 inch ginger

salt as per taste

red chilli powder (as per taste)

1/2 tsp turmeric 

2 medium size onions- finely chopped

corinder leaves for garnish

1 tsp garam masala

Method

de vein prawns- add salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and ginger garlic paste- marinate for 1 hr.

heat oil in a pan add crushed garlic(5-6), chopped onions, saute for 2 minutes add marinated prawns bring it to boil (u may add water if necessary)

when prawns are cooked add coconut milk, salt garam masala red chilli powder

Do not boil it as coconut milk might get spoil

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. serve hot with boiled rice

Choco Chips cookies

Special thanks to my dear friend Meenal for sharing her recipe of Choco Chips cookies.these cookies are made from wheat flour. Choco chip cookies are a much loved treat by kids and adults too. I loved the texture of these cookies crunchy, soft, chocolaty, nutty. these cookies can be a perfect tea time snack, I think it's perfect gift for kids for children's day, birthdays or may be a surprise in their lunch boxes !

Ingredients

3/4th cup chocolate chips

60 grams low fat butter

1 egg white

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

½ cup wholewheat flour

1/4 cup refined flour

½ teaspoon soda bicarbonate

1/4 teaspoon salt

5 teaspoons sugar

½ cup coarsely crushed walnut kernels

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degree C/350 degree fahrenheit.Grease a baking tray

Place the butter in a bowl and cream it.Add the egg white and vanilla essence and continue to cream for some time.Set aside

In a seperate bowl,sift together both the flour,salt and soda bicarbonate.Fold the butter mixture and mix well.

Add the sugar,walnuts and chocolate chips reserving a few.Mix well.

Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and shape into a round cookie

Place the cookies in the greased tray,keeping enough distance between them.Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top and bake for 25 mins.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before serving.

Yields: 12 cookies

Chicken ceaser Salad

My twin is an excellent cook, this is one her "signature recipe".CS is my all time favourire salad, and I’ve been hooked ever since I had it for the first time.I eat it v often, its a perfect way for me to start a meal. To many, including myself, this is the King of salads
Sharing Mini's Chicken ceaser Salad recipe. 

For the Salad:

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 medium garlic clove, crushed

1 pinch salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

3 tsp extra virgin olive oil

few iceberg lettuce leaves

1/3 cup cheese cubes or grated parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Shredded chicken pieces
few green olives

For the Croutons:

2 large garlic cloves

Pinch of salt

3 tsp virgin olive oil

2 cups French baguette (cut up into 1/2 inch cubes) (white bread works too)

Method

Preparing the croutons - Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crush the garlic cloves with the side of a knife or with a garlic press. Slice up the baguette and cut them into 1/2 inch cubes.

Meanwhile, mix the Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, garlic, oil, salt & pepper in a bowl.Whisk until smooth.

to serve:

Tear the lettuce into 1-2 inch pieces and add them to a large bowl (wooden if you have one). Add half the dressing, toss, add remaining dressing, cheese, shredded chicken,olives and croutons and toss again. 

Serve chilled!