Sunday 29 December 2013

Moong Dal Khichdi ( Gujarati Recipe)


Moong dal khichdi is very popular as a comfort food. It is sure to soothe you and make you feel better when you are off colour, especially if you are down with a fever or stomach ache!
dal and rice cooked together with peppercorns and flavoured with ghee, it is a light and healthy meal despite the rich texture that the ghee and dal impart to it. In many gujarati houses, friday is khichdi day.











 Ingredients
1/2 cup boiled yellow moong dal (split yellow gram)
1/2 cup rice (chawal)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
5 pcs black peppercorns (kalimirch)
1-2 red chilli pieces (optional)
salt to taste
1 1/4 tbsp ghee


For Serving 

kadhi,lemon pickle
 papad


Method

1.Wash and soak the moong dal and rice together. Drain.

2.In a pressure cooker heat the oil, add cumin seeds and asafoetida and fry them for 1 minute then add red chili pieces and fry them for 1 minute or until chilies and cumin seeds become brown.


3.Now add rice, dal, salt, turmeric powder and 4½ cups of water, and mix, close the lid of the cooker and cook on medium heat.Pressure cook for 5 to 6 whistles and set aside for 20 minutes till the steam has been released.

4.Once the steam of pressure cooker releases open the cooker, with the spoon mix the dal and rice so that there are no lumps


5.If the khichdi is too thick then add more water if, it is watery then cook it little longer.khichdi tends to get thicker as it cool down. Remove from the pressure cooker, add the ghee and mix well.

6.Serve hot with ghee , kadhi,lemon pickle and papad.




Variation:
1.Use green moong dal (split green gram) instead of the yellow moong dal, and use 2 cloves (laung / lavang) and a small piece of cinnamon (dalchini) instead of the peppercorns.
2 Cook khichdi in pressure cooker, otherwise it takes too long too cook khichdi.
3 can add red chili pieces along with cumin seeds in step 2 and fry them for 1 minute

Methi mathri recipe

Methi mathri is a perfect tea time Indian snack, simply made with all-purpose flour, and fenugreek leaves.

we are using dried kasoori methi leaves in this recipe .

You can store them for many days in an air tight container or you can also take away them while traveling or for picnic






If you like methi can check my methi poori , methi matar masala ,and methi thepla ,bajra methi thepla

Ingredients:

Refined flour (maida) 2 cups
Salt to taste
Carom seeds (ajwain) 1/2 teaspoon
pepper powder  1 tsp
Kasoori methi 2 tablespoons
Ghee 5 tablespoons
Oil


Method:

1.Take the flour in a bowl, add salt, carom seeds,pepper powder,kasoori methi and mix well. Add melted ghee and mix in well. Add cold water and knead into a hard dough. 

2.Cover the dough with damp muslin cloth and keep aside to set for 10-15 minutes.

3.Make small lemon size round balls with the dough.

4.With the help of rolling-pin, roll each ball into a thick round shape about 3 inches in diameter.

5.Pierce every mathri randomly with the help of a fork so that they do not puff up while frying.

6.Heat the oil in a frying pan then put 4-5 mathri in hot oil, deep fry on low to medium flame, till light brown. If you fry on high flame the mathris will remain uncooked from inside. Keep turning them occasionally.

7.Drain them on a kitchen paper towel and bring to room temperature before storing.

8.Crispy methi mathri is ready to be served.


Monday 16 December 2013

Eggless Black Forest Cake Recipe|How to make easy Black Forest cake in pressure cooker

As christmas is approaching posting BLACK FOREST CAKE recipe today

I guess everybody must have tasted the famous BLACK FOREST CAKE which is my favourite .Its everyone’s favorite isn’t it??  Mine too



Made this Eggless Black Forest Cake for my marriage anniversary .It was like a dream project for me .

This black forest is chocolaty, creamy, juicy, moist, cherry(ish), and also has a bite from chocolate shavings!! 




It is an easy eggless ,liquorless ,black forest cake made in pressure cooker .It does need some extra effort but its worth trying the same.And also it tasted exactly like bakery black forest cake.




Black Forest gâteau (British English) and Black Forest cake (American English and Australian English) are the English names for the German dessert Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (pronounced [ˈʃvaʁt͡svɛldɐ ˈkɪʁʃˌtɔʁtə]), literally "Black Forest cherry torte". Black Forest cake originated in Germany.




Typically, Black Forest cake consists of several layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and cherries between each layer. Then the cake is decorated with additional whipped cream, maraschino cherries, and chocolate shavings. In some European traditions sour cherries are used both between the layers and for decorating the top.




Traditionally, Kirschwasser (a clear liquor distilled from tart cherries) is added to the cake although other liquors are also used (such as rum, which is common in Austrian recipes). 

Ingredients

CAKE BASE


Dry Ingredients:
All purpose flour(Maida) - 1 and 1/2 cups 
Cocoa powder - 3 tbsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Baking powder - 1/8 tsp (optional)
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Granulated Sugar - 1 cup 
Chocolate Chips - 2 tbsp


Wet Ingredients:
Water - 1 cup 
Vanilla essence - 1/2 tbsp
Lemon juice / White Vinegar - 1 tbsp (I used lemon juice)
Oil - 1/4 cup 

OTHER INGREDIENTS

WHIPPED CREAM - 1 bowl ( i had used Weikfield whipped cream powder for making whipped cream )

red cherries - 1 cup

sugar syrup -1/4 cup

cadbury silk chocolate



Method:

CAKE BASE


1.Grease the cake tin with a little butter or oil.Preheat a pressure cooker as follows.Remove the whistle/regulator of cooker  you wont need it throughout the process.



2.Place a pressure cooker on flame and place a separator and close the cooker with its lid. Remove the whistle/regulator you wont need it throughout the process. (you can either close the cooker with the lid as you normally do or place the Lid upside down too)Then place the cooker set up on high flame for 10 minutes. till the cooker is being preheated lets prepare batter.


3.Take water in a mixing bowl, add vanilla essence, sugar, vinegar and oil. Mix well till sugar completely dissolves . Keep aside.

4.Now sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and coco powder  twice atleast .slowly add the the sifted flour mixture to the wet ingredients mixture part by part.using a whisk Gently mix in one direction, break the lumps.The batter should be runny 
5 Pour the batter into the 6 inch cake pan. Do not pour up to the brim, stop when the pan is 3/4th full. . Now cake is ready to go in cooker 




6.Now open the cooker and place the cake pan with batter carefully on the separator plate and close the lid.(whistle or regulator is not needed )




7.Now switch the flame to low mode and cook for 35-40 minutes on low flame. To Check  if your cake has got cooked after half an hour insert a knife or toothpick in centre of cake if it comes out clean that means cake is done. my cake  took 35 minutes to cook.




11 When the cake is ready,remove from flame and set aside. Do not open the lid immediately. Open after 10 minutes. •You will find that the cake has puffed up well 






12. Allow the cake to cool down for 10mins.•transfer the tin onto a wet cloth for easy unmoulding.Just tap the cake tin and the cake would come out easily. But in case if you find difficulty in tapping the cake out, just run a knife through the sides of the cake and tap it out.



13.Leave aside on a wire rack until it cools down. till the cake is cooling lets prepare the other ingredients.make sure to cool cake completely before trying to cut it or else it can break



WHIPPED CREAM

Pls click on whipped cream link for detailed recipe of whipped cream













SUGAR SYRUP

Heat 1 tbsp sugar in 2 tbsp water until sugar melts .keep aside to cool

CHOCOLATE SHAVINGS

Take dark chocolate bar and peel it with a potato peeler! After peeling, freeze for 10 mins or more so that they get stiff and its easy to crush and apply!

FILLING: Take the cherries and chop them lightly .reserve few for top garnishing

ASSEMBLING CAKE

Lets Assemble: Take a bowl and keep a plate over it. Or simply use a turn table

Cut cake into two or three layer( i cut into 2 layers) horizontally by turning the table. Transfer the layers to a plate.




keep the bottom sponge layer in a plate .Sprinkle suagr syrup on it . Spread a good ½ inch layer of cream to it. Then some chopped cherries. 








Now place  cake layer on top of cream. Sprinkle sugar syrup on cake layer.spread whipped cream on top as well on four sides uniformly with a spatula.





Keep the cake in freezer for 10 mins(optional). Makes easier to transfer to serving base!Sprinkle chocolate shavings all over sides and top of cake.garnish with cherries on boundary of cake and top.keep in fridge for 1 hour.




Transfer the cake to serving plate using palette knife. Be careful! now enjoy this heavenly cake 





Tips:

Please remove cooker ring and whistle while making the cake or else your cooker can get damaged,.use an old cooker for making this cake.

Do not forget to line the pan or else the cake might stick to the pan.

After the batter is ready, don't allow the batter to sit for more than the preheating time as cake can turn hard.

while inserting fork or toothpick try checking in the center if its cooked completely or not.If  the center of the cake isnt cooked and is slightly sticky, cover the top of the cake with butter paper and bake it for 5 more mins,it will be perfect. The butter paper covering will avoid more browning on top at the same time the centre will be cooked perfectly.

Can use tinned cherries .you can even use maida +wheat flour in 50:50 ratio in above cake.

The mixing and measurements matters the most for the perfect moist cake. Have updated the recipe again with measurements after 2-3 trials.



Usually Kirsch(Cherry Rum) is used in this cake as a syrup. We are making at home, you can use the cherry syrup from tin or plain sugar syrup as i did

You can use tinned cherries also .

You can even add the remaining cream to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Pipe with circular motion on top which makes rosettes.And pipe and lift on bottom.A cherry on the top of each rosette!









Eggless Marble Cake Recipe|How to make pressure cooker marble cake with chocolate vanilla flavour


I am sure most of you will be loving cakes just the way i do.Now after started baking cakes in pressure cooker i wanted to try marble cake.

Marble cake is a classic childhood cooking memory. Whether using lurid colours for a psychedelic finish, or just chocolate and vanilla, it's a teatime treat.



A marble cake is a cake with a streaked or mottled appearance (like marble) achieved by very lightly blending light and dark batter. It can be a mixture of vanilla and chocolate cake, in which case it is mainly vanilla, with streaks of chocolate. 

Other possibilities are strawberry or other fruit flavors, or (particularly in marbled coffee cakes) cinnamon and/or other spices.

Followed recipe from sharmispassions and baked it in a pressure cooker.

This pretty Marble Cake is a combination of vanilla and chocolate batters that are swirled together just before baking to give that wonderful marbled effect.



This cake is very soft, with the blend of chocolate and vanilla flavours 

The best part is it is a pressure cooker marble cake.







Ingredients:

Recipe Reference : sharmispassions

Maida - 1 and 1/4 cup 
Condensed milk / Milk powder - 3 tbsp
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Butter/oil - 1/2 cup
Powdered sugar - 3/4 cup 
Milk - 1 cup
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
Hot water - 2 tbsp




Method:


1. Grease the cake tin with a little butter or oil.Preheat a pressure cooker as follows.Remove the whistle/regulator of cooker  you wont need it throughout the process.

2.Place a pressure cooker on flame and place a separator and close the cooker with its lid. Remove the whistle/regulator you wont need it throughout the process. (you can either close the cooker with the lid as you normally do or place the Lid upside down too)Then place the cooker set up on high flame for 10 minutes. till the cooker is being preheated lets prepare batter.














3. Sieve maida with baking powder and baking soda atleast twice and keep aside. In a bowl whisk oil and sugar till sugar is dissolved. next add milk and mix well until creamy.





4. Now add vanilla essence, condensed milk / milk powder and mix well .Then add maida, mix well to form a creamy batter.in a small bowl mix hot water with cocoa powder and keep aside.




5. Take 1/4 of the prepared batter, add to coco powder paste , mix well and keep aside. Now both batters are ready lets start with cake.






6. First pour half of the vanilla batter in cake next add half of the chocolate batter in circles with a spoon as shown below. Then with a fork make swirls to create marble like patterns - dont overdo.




7. Again add the remaining vanilla batter , chocolate batter in circles and make marble like patterns with a fork / knife.Do not pour up to the brim, stop when the pan is 3/4th full. 





8. Now cake is ready to go in cooker ,Can you see the swirls? .


9.Now open the cooker and place the cake pan with batter carefully on the separator plate and close the lid.(whistle or regulator is not needed )




10.Now switch the flame to low mode and cook for 1 hour on low flame. To Check  if your cake has got cooked insert a knife or toothpick in centre of cake if it comes out clean that means cake is done. my cake  took 35 minutes to cook.




11 When the cake is ready,remove from flame and set aside. Do not open the lid immediately. Open after 10 minutes. •You will find that the cake has puffed up well and would have browned nice and evenly too.






12. Allow the cake to cool down for 10mins.•transfer the tin onto a wet cloth for easy unmoulding.Just tap the cake tin and the cake would come out easily. But in case if you find difficulty in tapping the cake out, just run a knife through the sides of the cake and tap it out.



13.Leave aside on a wire rack until it cools down. Once fully cooled cut cake into slices and enjoy with tea



Tips:

Please remove cooker ring and whistle while making the cake or else your cooker can get damaged,.use an old cooker for making this cake.

Do not forget to line the pan or else the cake might stick to the pan.

 After the batter is ready, don't allow the batter to sit for more than the preheating time as cake can turn hard.

while inserting fork or toothpick try checking in the center if its cooked completely or not.If  the center of the cake isnt cooked and is slightly sticky, cover the top of the cake with butter paper and bake it for 5 more mins,it will be perfect. The butter paper covering will avoid more browning on top at the same time the centre will be cooked perfectly.
.
 make sure to slice only when completely cooled. Cooling time of 4-5 hrs is highly recommended.

You can even use 2 tsp of orange zest / peels along with the dryfruits.

you can even use maida +wheat flour in 50:50 ratio in above cake. The original recipe called for orange zest for extra flavour but I skipped it as I wanted a plain chocolate vanilla flavoured cake.


You can just pour whole of the vanilla batter then the chocolate batter fully and make swirls. the proportion of chocolate : vanilla batter is purely your choice. 
The cake is very soft and is not of the firm type of cake. The texture is more like the vanilla sponge cake •The cake rises well so make sure to pur only till 3/4 of the cake pan.

Friday 13 December 2013

Paratha Recipes| Indian paratha varieties| 28 different easy stuffed paranthe

Parathas are a wholesome meal and also filling.you can enjoy them as breakfast ,lunch or dinner.

can make them for lunch box or when you are not in mood to make chapati sabji

you can fill it with any stuffing you like or can make them plain  or You can even add ingredients to the dough while kneading to  end up with some really tasty versions of the basic Paratha!

Pair  Parathas (plain or stuffed) with yogurt and pickle  or mint chutney and you're done 

Presenting a collection of various parathas both plain or stuffed  from my site annapurna 



Matar Paratha |stuffed green peas parantha




















Aloo Methi parathas |Methi aloo ke paranthe






Sweet Corn Paratha recipe|stuffed corn makai parantha |stuffed parathe recipe





Bajra methi paratha






Spring onion paratha |ha patickanda (pyaj) ke stuffed parathe





Achari paratha |Stuffed pickle paratha |loncha paratha








Paneer Onion paratha  |Stuffed pyaz paneer ke parathe 




















Aloo Palak paratha |Stuffed Aloo  spinach parathe |easy stuffed paratha recipes






Green Peas cheese paratha |Stuffed cheese Matar Parantha | Stuffed paratha recipes





Palak Paneer paratha |Stuffed paneer spinach parathe |easy stuffed paratha recipes





Gobhi ka paratha |Stuffed cauliflower (gobi) parathe |Easy stuffed paratha recipes





















MOOLI KA PARATHA|Stuffed RADISH PARANTHA| Daikon Paranthe







Beetroot Paratha |Red colourful paranthe -








Paneer paratha  |Stuffed paneer ke parathe |stuffed paratha recipes




















PALAK STUFFED PARATHA |BHARWAN PALAK (SPINACH)PARANTHA







PATTA GOBI KA PARATHA |CABBAGE (kobi) PARATHA -THEPLA






















DUDHI KE PARATHE  |BOTTLEGOURD PANCAKE







TRIANGULAR PARATHA RECIPE |  SIMPLE  EASY PLAIN BUTTER PARANTHA







LACCHA PARATHA | SPIRAL ROSE PARATHA | layered paratha





ALOO PARATHA RECIPE|PUNJABI STUFFED ALU KE PARATHE







METHI - PARATHA





Aloo gobhi paratha


















Methi paratha
















Red pumpkin paratha




Carrot stuffed paratha













Palak Paratha





Carrot green peas paratha Gajar matar parathe



Dhaniya Paratha








Mixed vegetable stuffed paratha