Macaroni Patata Sabji

This is my favorite sabji. I have grown up eating it and for the longest time did not know that macaroni is actually pasta.
It is a famous Sindhi veg.
I have taken the picture from here since I did not click a picture yesterday... was too hungry :)

Ingredients (serves 2):

- 1 large potato, cubed
- 1/4 cup macaroni
-1/4 cup phool patasha (available in all grocery stores)
- salt
- 2 chopped green chillies
- 1 tsp dhania powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tsp kasoori methi (the most important ingredient)
- 2 chopped tomatoes
- Oil
- 1 cup water

Method:

- Heat oil in a cooker

- Add the chopped tomatoes and stir. Once they are completely done, add potatoes, macaroni, phool patasha and green chillies

- Add the spices- salt, dhania, red chilli and kasoori methi and mix well

- Add 1 cup water and close the cooker

- After 3-4 whistles, switch off the gas

Yummiest veg is ready.

Cranberry Molasses Cake (but without the molasses)

I came across this recipe few days back here. I had purchased cranberries for a smoothie and decided to use them for this cake instead.

Ingredients:

• Olive or canola spray oil - I used regular cooking oil
• 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour - Maida
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup plain full-fat Greek yogurt - Used sour cream instead since greek yoghurt was not available
• 1/3 cup molasses - Too expensive (400 bucks)... used castor sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cup fresh cranberries or thawed frozen cranberries

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with oil, and then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper with oil; set the pan aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and baking soda. In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, castor sugar, honey and eggs. Gently whisk flour mixture into sugar mixture just until blended and smooth. Fold in cranberries.

Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes, then remove cake from the pan and peel off parchment paper. Continue to cool completely on the wire rack.

I do not like cranberries and I realized that now. The cake turned out to be ok.

Tikkar

I think I picked up this recipe from Tarla Dalal's website sometime back. I really love it for breakfast.

Ingredients: (makes 8 tikkars)

-1 cup makai ka atta
-1 cup regular atta
-1/2 tsp ginger paste
- 1/2 onion
- 1 tsp grated garlic (I just use ginger garlic paste instead)
-2 tsp chopped coriande
-1/2 tsp green chillies
-1 tsp red chilli powder
-2 tbsp melted ghee
-salt
- I also add 1/2 tomato

Method:

- Combine flour and salt
- Add ghee, rub with finger tips till mixture resembles bread crumb
- Knead dough. Cover with muslin cloth for 20 mins
- Add all ingredients and knead
- Roll into roti and cook on tava

Yummy with curd!!!

Kiwi Banana Smoothie

The whole smoothie research started with this post. The smoothie has kiwi and banana... both are in season right now.

 Ingredients:

- 1 kiwi
-  banana
- 1 cup yoghurt
- honey

Method:

- Slice kiwis in blender
- Add bananas, yoghurt and honey
- Blend

It is yum. Must try.

Banana Oats Smoothie

I am into eating healthy these days... that does not mean bland food but tasty, filling and nutritious food. I have been looking up recipes for that.

My biggest challenge is evening. I come home by 6.15 pm and then head to the gym. It is the time when I am most hungry. I have a fruit at 5 pm so that is out. I started looking up smoothie recipes. Finding good recipes which do not need strawberry, raspberries, blueberries or cranberries is very difficult. I even decided to buy blueberries but the price (Rs 500) gave me a heart attack.

Finally, I came across good recipes on Tarla Dalal's app. Here is one of them:

Ingredients:

- 1 banana
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1 cup Danone vanilla yoghurt (original recipe mentions dahi+honey)
- 2 tbsp flax seeds (you can skip these but they make the recipe healthier)

Method:

Combine in a mixer and blend. Yum.

Beetroot Raita

So, I decided to try something new. I hate beetroot. In fact, I didn't even know what it looked from the outside when I bought it.

Ingredients:

- 1 beet
- 1 cup curd
- rai (mustard seeds)
- curry leaves
- salt to taste (if required. I didn't add any)

Method:

- Boil the beetroot
- Grate it
- Add curd and water (if required)
- Heat oil (1 teaspoon), add rai and curry leaves. Turn off gas and add it to the curd
- Mix well

Yummy and healthy beetroot raita is ready.

Oats Upma

Another healthy innovation. I had this for dinner today.

This is where I took the recipe from here

Oats Upma Ingredients: (serves 2)

• Oats – 1 Cup (e.g., Quaker Oats)
• Finely Chopped Onion – 1
• Chopped Green Chillies – 1
• Oil – 1 and 1/2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal or Split Black Bean (Gram) / White Lentils – 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Sugar – 1/4 tsp
• Lemon Juice – 1 tsp
• Coriander Leaves / Cilantro
• Salt

Time to Prepare: 15 min

How to Make Oats Upma :

1. Heat Oil in pan, add Mustard Seeds, once the Mustard Seeds splutter, add Urad Dal (White Lentils) and fry until they turn golden brown.

2. Now add Curry Leaves and chopped Green Chillies and fry for a minute. Then add chopped Onions and Turmeric Powder and fry until the Onions start to look a little transparent.

3. Add Salt and Sugar to the the above mixture and fry for a minute.

4. At this stage, add Oats to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes or till you smell a nice aroma and Oats turn light brown in color.

5. Now sprinkle about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water to the above fried Oats mixture in the pan and mix well all the ingredients with a spatulla and fry till the Oats turn soft. Make sure to not add excess water to the Oats Upma as the whole mixture can become too soggy and Oats Upma may not taste as good as it should.

6. Add Lemon Juice to the Oats Upma and mix well. Garnish with Coriander Leaves / Cilantro.

Daal Paratha

Another healthy recipe for you.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup yellow moong daal (makes 6 parathas)

- 1 onion

- haldi, salt, red chilli powder

- wheat flour (enough to make 6 parathas)

- green chillies

Method:

- Soak moong daal overnight. Most recipes suggest 20-30 mins but overnight is more convenient

- In the morning, boil the moong daal in the cooker for 1 whistle

- Take oil in a pan, add onions. Sauté

- Add green chillies, daal and spices. Mix well

- Knead wheat flour in a dough and make 6 balls

- Roll out each ball of flour, stuff it with daal mixture and roast on the pan

Tada... yummy daal parathas are ready.

Stir fried Veggies

This is what I had for dinner. It has 200 calories (according to myfitnesspal.com). What an amazing way to fuel up on veggies.

Ingredients:

- Veggies- Onion, Capsicum, Mushrooms, Beans, Baby corn, Cabbage, Cauliflower (I didn't have any at home so I skipped), carrots, tomatoes (if you want sautéed veggies you should avoid tomatoes)
- Soya sauce
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper
- White pepper
- Garlic paste
- Any sauces you have at home- I used wintergreen's salsa and Ching's chowmein powder soaked in some water

Method:

- Heat 2 spoons of oil. Add garlic paste
- Add onions and sauté till soft
- Add thick veggies like carrot, cauliflower, beans etc. Sauté on high heat for a few minutes
- Add the soft veggies. Sauté on high heat for a few minutes
- Add tomatoes.
- Add soya sauce, salt, pepper and any other paste
- Mix well

It can be eaten with roti also... tastes yum.

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Vegetable Dalia

I have started on my fitness/weight loss journey and have been researching for healthy recipes which are quick and tasty.

Here is one of them. I was surprised by how good it tastes. If only my mom would have fed me dalia like this.


Ingredients (will be enough for 2 people):

- 1 cup dalia
- Vegetables- onion, tomato, beans, capsicum, corn, cauliflower, cabbage, peas, carrots
- salt to taste
- haldi
- red chilli powder
- coriander powder (dhania)

Method:

- Wash dalia
- Take a cooker and heat 2 spoons of oil
- Sauté onions. When soft, add the other vegetables and sauté
- Add dalia and spices
- Cook on medium heat

Moong Chilla

I am reviving this blog since I have moved back to Delhi and am motivated to cook.

My colleague is on a weight loss regime and has replaced her rotis with moong chilla. It is very healthy... with lots of proteins and very less carbs. I had taken the recipe from her and tried it out earlier with a few modifications. There are many variations on this online.

Ingredients:

- 1 cup green moong daal (makes 4-5 chillas)
- 1 onion
- 1 tomato
-  1 green chilly
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder

Method:

- Soak the green moong overnight

- Crush the moong with ginger garlic paste, salt and red chilli powder in a mixer with a little water. It should be a thick batter and not very thin. It should be as thick as a dosa batter



- Add onion, tomato and green chilly to the batter. Mix. You can also add other veggies like carrots. I will try next time with carrots

- Heat a non stick tawa. Add some oil.. spread it on the tawa. Add 3-4 spoons of batter and spread it out. It will not spread smoothly but use a spoon to prevent any gaps in the middle

- Cook till it becomes brown. When the underside is cooked, it will be easy to flip. Flip and cook well. Cook on medium or low flame so that it does not remain uncooked inside



- Serve hot.

This is a time consuming recipe so not the most suitable for weekdays. If you want to have it as a roti, don't add veggies.

Healthy Smoothie

Anita tweeted the recipe for this very, tasty and healthy recipe for a strawberry banana smoothie. I tried it today and loved it.

Ingredients:

- 6-7 strawberries... it is ok if they are not very sweet
- 1 banana- a ripe one. It will give sweetness and there is no need for sugar/honey
- 2-3 tbsps of curd...

Blend in a mixer. I expected it to turn out sour but it was quite good.

Daal Bhaati

I hail from a small town in Gujarat which is 3-4 hours away from Rajasthan and so some of the Rajasthani food is available in our town... Daal Bhaati is very famous. My mom makes fabulous daal bhaati. It is made very frequently during winter. Sometimes when we are not in the mood for cooking we just order the daal bhaati from small restaurants which serve spicy garlic chutney along with it.

In November'11, I decided to make daal bhaati at home for the first time. Generally, bhaatis are made in a special cooker but I made it in the microwave and it was just as good.

How do you eat it? Break the bhaati into small pieces, pour the daal over and eat with hands/spoon.

Bhaati- nos 7 small ones

• Add 1.5 cups flour (regular one), lots of oil (triple the quantity you would use when making regular chapattis), some salt and little haldi. Knead the dough with little water. It has to be very, very hard... as hard as you can make it. Make flat oval shapes (you can even make round ones)


• Boil water in a big vessel. Put the bhaatis in them. They will be done once they come on top. It takes around 10-15 mins. Ensure that the water completely covers the bhatis


• You can either cook them in a tandoor (available everywhere) for 10-15 mins. Heat a tandoor, put the bhaatis on the grill, cook covered. Once the top becomes firm and brown, turn and cook the other side till they also become brown


• For microwave, mine has an automatic setting and cooked in 15 mins. For others, I guess the convention mode will have to be used. Put bhaatis on a tava, place tava on high grill and cook on high for 7-8 mins. Turn the bhaatis and cook for another 7-8 mins

Dal (serves 3-4 people)

• Boil 1/4 cup tuvar dal, 1/4 cup urad dal and 1/2 cup moong chilke wali dal. The idea is to use 3 types of dal in this ratio
• Crush the dal once boiled. Add the water leftover from boiling bhattis (why throw away nutrients?)
• Add 1 chopped tomato, salt, green chillies, salt. Boil
• In another pan, heat oil. Add jeera, hing, 1 small chopped onion, red chilli powder, haldi.
• Add the mixture to the dal and let it boil
• After 5 mins add nimbu/tamarind paste

Serve the bhaatis with ghee.

Jam filled muffins

I made these way back in Nov'11.

I took the recipe from Anita's blog.

Ingredients

-1 and 3/4 cups Flour
-1/2 cup sugar
-1 tablespoon baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-2/3 cup milk
-1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
-2 eggs
-1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
-1/2 cup jam  ( I used peach jam)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400F
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. In another bowl, lightly beat eggs, milk, butter and lemon rind.
4. Pour into the dry ingredients and the stir until moistened.
5. Spoon half batter, make a well, add jam, spoon the remaining batter and bake in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden.

Tutti Fruti cup cakes

I posted this in Feb'12.

I went shopping for groceries at Modern Bazaar in Gurgaon which stocks a lot of imported stuff... came across tutti fruti.

Few months back I was looking for tutti fruti to add in cupcakes and could not find them anywhere. What a bummer. This time I was inspired- reached home at 8 pm and started making cupcakes batter. The recipe was taken from Maria Goretti's blog (she was a VJ on MTV and is the wife of Arshad Warsi). The batter looked fab and I was looking forward to devouring the cupcakes. Unfortunately, I left the microwave on preheat for a very long time. It conked off and wouldn't turn on. I had to throw away the batter. I was planning to get it repaired on Sunday and resume baking.

But I tried turning the microwave on in the morning and it worked. Yoohoo. I returned from work, did the whole thing again and baked a bunch of lovely cupcakes.
Below is the recipe taken from MG's blog.

Cupcakes
1 1/4 cup , self rising flour
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 cup whole milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
6 tbsp butter
1 cup sugar
3 large egg whites
Tutti Fruti (not in original recipe- added by me)

Method:

Pre heat oven to 250 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.. Mine took 10 mins only and then I turned it off.

1.Sift the flour and salt in a bowl and set aside.
2.In another small bowl, stir the milk, vanilla and almond extracts together. I used essence instead of extract.
3.In a large bowl, with the hand mixer on medium, beat the butter and sugar, until it lightens in colour about 3 minutes.
4.On low speed, add the flour to the butter mix in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions, till its just about blended and set aside.
5.In another large bowl , beat the egg whites with an electric beater till it is nice and shiny white , smooth and nice and stiff. Stop beating when it starts looking like snow... you will see the peaks. This is the hardest and most boring part.
6. Stir about 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter, with the electric beater , then stop and with a spatula , just fold the rest of the beaten egg whites in.
7. Take the tutti fruit on a plate... sprinkle some flour and mix them together. This will prevent them from settling at the bottom. Add into the batter with a spatula.
7. Put the batter into your muffin moulds , they make about 6 and cook them at 160 degrees for 17 minutes, and the little white poppykins are ready , take them out and leave them to cool....

Chikoo Shake

I am trying to eat as healthy as possible these days and scouting for new recipes in that regard. I drink milk everyday. When I was a kid my mom would force me to drink milk every morning. I never liked it... and now it has become a habit. I feel uneasy on mornings when there is no time to drink milk. I hate plain milk and need to add flavor. But is that healthy? Not as healthy as I would like it to be.
I have switched to chikoo shakes. It is the healthiest option in summers.

Ingredients:
- 1 chikoo
- 1/2 glass skimmed milk
- 2 drops of honey (I do not use sugar... honey is a healthier option)

Method:
- Cut the chikoo. Put it in a mixer jar. Add some milk and honey
- Turn on the mixer
- Add rest of the milk. Turn on mixer
- Serve

Nutella Lave mug cake

This is the easiest cake I have made. It was quite a rage last year with many food blogs featuring it.

Ingredients:

 - 4 tablespoons self rising flour (maida), sifted

- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

- 4 tablespoons caster sugar

- 1 medium egg

- 3 tablespoons Nutella

- 3 tablespoons milk

- 3 tablespoons olive oil

- 2-3 teaspoon chocolate chips

Method:

- Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips.
- Beat well with a whisk till smooth and blended.
-  Put the batter in 2-3 mugs 3/4th full. Mine was enough for 2 small mugs.
- Add 1 tsp of chocolate chips in each mug and push it through the batter.
- Microwave on high for 1.5 mins. I did it for 1 min and the bottom half was not completely cooked... which was ok since I liked the oozing chocolate. If you microwave for a longer time, it will become completely cooked and lose the oozing chocolate.

You can even add whipped cream... or strawberries and jazz it up a little bit.

Birthday Cake

I made this cake for my hubby's b'day in June last year. I have never tried a cake of this level... with frosting and everything. Instead of the usual cakes I wanted to try something new. I decided on a 2 cakes- one on top of another and red velvet cake. I used a heart shaped pan and a round pan.

Please don't mind the juvenile looking frosting. It is my first attempt.

Cake: Recipe taken from here 

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 cups of sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 tbsp liquid red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cider vinegar

Method:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
- Grease and lightly flour 2 or 3 round 9" cake pans.
- Sift flour and salt together, set aside. 
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar.  Mix until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time.  Mix well after each addition. 
- Add the flour mixture to the bowl alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  - - Blend in vanilla.
- In a small bowl, mix the 1 1/2 tbsp red food coloring and 1 tbsp cocoa powder until a paste forms.  Add to the sugar and butter mixture.  Mix well.
-  In a small bowl or condiment cup, stir together the baking soda and cider vinegar.  This will foam and should be put into the batter immediately after well mixed.  After adding the foam mixture, blend on medium-high speed until batter is consistent.

- Spoon batter evenly into pans - batter will be very thick!  Level  top of batter with an offset spatula.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

- 1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

- 1 - 8 ounce (227 grams) tub of Mascarpone cheese, room temperature

- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

- 1 cup (115 grams) confectioners' (icing or powdered) sugar, sifted

- 1 1/2 (360 ml) cups cold heavy whipping cream (double cream)

METHOD...

- In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and mascarpone cheese until smooth.
-Add the vanilla and confectioners sugar and beat until smooth.
-Using the whisk attachment, gradually add the heavy cream and whip until the frosting is thick enough to spread. Add more sugar or cream as needed to get the right consistency.

The cream cheese frosting was perfect for it since the cake was sweet and the cheesy, not so sweet frosting balanced that. A regular frosting would be a bad idea with this.

I used red readymade icing (or is it marzipan) in a tube for the decorations. Too tacky, I know. I do not like marzipan and will avoid it in the future.

Egg Masala Toast

I have been looking for healthy and tasty b'fast options which are quick to make in the morning. I came across masala bread online. It is fried in very little oil... so, does not feel oily but very tasty.

Ingredients:

- 2 eggs (original recipe mentions 1 egg but I needed 2 small eggs)
- 1 slice brown bread (If you are not dieting, regular bread can be used)
- 1/2 ginger garlic paste
- paste of 1 onion (its ok if it is not completely crushed)
- Garam masala
- Red chilli powder
- Salt
- Haldi

Method:

- Break 2 eggs in a bowl
- Add all the ingredients and mix them together
- Dip the bread in the mixture
- Heat a non stick pan with a little oil. I add 1-2 teaspoon oil and then spread it out
- Put the bread in the pan... fry on both sides till done

Quick and easy.

Chocolate Cookies

I came across the recipe for chocolate cookies online. It is extremely simple and made with ingredients at home. I came home and within half an hour had a plate of beautiful, tasty, soft and gooey cookies.
I am posting the recipe below... will have to search where I copied from.

Ingredients:
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup ground almonds
- 3 tbsp cocoa
- 1 and half cup powdered sugar

Method:
- Preheat oven to 400 degree F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. I did not have any so used oil. I think parchment paper would have been better. I used a muffin tray since I did not want the batter to spread out and become one flat cookie.
- Mix all the ingredients till it becomes a cohesive mixture.
- Fill a large bowl with cold water and wet your hand before rolling the mixture into small balls.
- Arrange on the tray and bake for 11 mins.

I prefer the soft and gooey texture compared to hard one. Must try.

Carrot Cake

I baked this cake in August. The recipe has been taken from Anita's blog.