Super Moist Cheese Cake

Another cheese based cake for birthday celebration. 1 made 2 same cakes and was practicing my making of the roses.

This time the recipe is from Hana Memories

Ingredients

6pieces of slice cheese (I used Cheesedale)
250ml of fresh milk
100gm of butter
100gm of fine sugar
110gm of flour
6 eggs - separate yolk and white
2tsp of essence vanilla

For Topping
250gm cream cheese
1/2 tin condense milk.
1/2 kraft cheddar cheese - grated

Method

1. Grease, lined and flour the 8" round pan.  Preheat oven at 160C
2. For the cake - Tear small pieces the slice cheese and put in a pan.
3. Add fresh milk and stir till cheese melts.  Add in butter.  Remove from fire and let it cool (Need not let it to boil)
4. Beat egg white with sugar and till stiff peak.
5. Beat egg yolk for about 1-2minutes at medium temperature.
6. Add in the cheese mixture, mix with whisk.
7. Add flour little at a time till well incorporated.
8. Take 1/3 of egg mixture and fold into the cheese mixture. Add the rest little at a time. don't over do it.
9. Pour mixture into pan and bake using waterbath. (Waterbath method is where you place the pan onto another pan that is filled with hot water.
10. Bake at 160C for about 50-60minutes (depending on your oven)
11. When done remove from oven, let it cool on wire rack for about 10mins and then remove from pan.
12. For the topping.  Beat well cream cheese and condensed mil.
13. Once cooled, divide the cake into 2, spread the cheese mixture, cover the cake with the remainder cream cheese and sprinkle the grated cheese. (I put blueberry filling as the filling instead of cheese cream mixture and covered with cream cheese and grated kraft cheese

Enjoy

7 roses covering the cake.

this one with 2 roses

the slice cake with blueberry filling.

Vanilla and Chocolate Chips Cheese Cake

My nephew loves cheesecake and I made this for him when he visited us with his parents for Divali visit recently.  He had a go with the cutting and a small bite of the cake and the rest of the cake you know the what happened.

Lets look at this simple and yet delicious cheesecake.

Recipe courtesy of Yatt's Lil Kitchen's FB page

Vanilla & Choc Chips Cheesecake

Ingredients
10pcs of oreos biscuit
3tbs of butter
250gm of chream cheese
3 tbs of castor sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp of vanilla essence
5tbs of thickened cream
1 cup of dark choc chips

Method

1. Crushed biscuit into fine powder and mixed with butter. 
2. Pressed evenly into a 6inch round loose cake tin.
3. Beat cream cheese with castor sugar till fluffy.
4. Add in egg and mix well. 
5. Next thickened cream and essence vanilla.  Beat till smooth.
6. Add choc chips and mix
7. Pour mixture into the loose tin
8. Bake at 150C for 20-30mins (depending your oven)
9. Remove from oven and let it chill in fridge/chiller for 4hours before serving.

Note :
1.  You may decorate with ganache once the is cooled.
2.  The cake is done when it jiggles in the centre like pudding.  Need not check with a tester.


Enjoy

Japanese Cotton Cheese Cake

I did this cake a few weeks ago for a friend who is pregnant with her second baby sort of a baby shower.

Japanese Cotton Cheese Cake
adapted from : www.dairimama.blogspot.com

Ingredients

250gm cream cheese
50gm butter
100ml heavy whipping cream (can use milk)
60gm superfine flour (I used all purpose flour)
20gm cornflour
6 egg yolks
1 tbsp. of lemon juice
1 tsp of lemon zest
1/4tsp of cream of tartar
140gm fine granulated sugar ( divided into 2 half into egg yolk, other hall for egg whites)

the surface looks not appetizing at lot but it sure taste good....

Method

1.  Preheat oven at 150C and a kettle of water to a boil.
2.  Lightly grease and line the bottom and sides which should be 1 ½@ above the rim of an 8@ pan with greaseproof paper.
3.  Melt cream cheese, butter and whipping cream in a double boiler.
4.  Cool the mixture over an ice bath.
5.  Fold in the flour, egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, salt and zest and mix well.
6.  Whisk egg white until foamy, them add in cream of tartar and whisk on the highest speed.
7.  Add in the sugar gradually and whisk until soft peaks form. ( if lifted with the whisk, the white should have a curve tip)
8.  Add 1/3 of the whisked egg white into the cream cheese mixture in 4.  Mix it really well with the biggest spatula available.
9.  Fold in the rest of the egg white and then fold in, from the center to the sides and not forgetting the bottom of bowl. Do not over mix.
10.  Pour into the pan.  Line a roasting pan with a kitchen at the bottom and place cake on the cloth.  Place the roasting pan in the oven and pour boiling water into the roasting pan.  Water level should be half way of the cake.
11.  Bake cake for 1½hours or until set or golden brown.
12.  Leave in the oven with door ajar for an hour until cake cools.
13.. Take it out of oven and turn cake out of cake pan.  Wrap with aluminium and leave in the fridge.


Enjoy

Biskut Samperit/ Biskut Dahlia - Dahlia Biscuit

One biscuit that we used to do when we were young during Deepavali.

Ingredients

225gm butter
110gm icing sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp essence vanilla
70gm corn flour
120gm custard flour
170gm flour
chopped red cherry for decoration

Method

1.  Beat butter and icing sugar well.
2.  Add egg and essence vanilla and mix well.
3.  Sieve all the flours and add into the butter mixture little by little.
4.  Use dahlia
5.  Decorate with red cherry in the middle.
6.  Bake at 170C about 15-18mins
7.  Let it cool and store.

No Bake Oreos Cheese Cake

I found this recipe from you tube - cooking with Karma

Easy peezy lemon squeezy - that's how easy this cheese cake was and it was also delicious.


No Bake Oreos Cheese Cake
Source - You Tube - CookingWithKarma

Ingredients

1 pkt sweet plain biscuits, 250g 
1 pkt oreo cookies (14 cookies)
1 pkt mini oreos
100g butter
2 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp gelatine powder
2 x 250g pkts cream cheese (room temperature)
1 cup thickened cream
3/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 cup of condensed milk

How to prepare:

1. Crushed biscuits to fine pieces and add melted butter to it.  Mix well and press firmly onto a 9" springform pan and chill it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
2. Crush 1 packet of oreos.
3. Dissolve gelatin with hot water and set aside.
4. In a bowl add cream cheese, thickened cream, and sugar, mix well until thick and creamy.
5. Add in gelatin and condensed milk and crushed oreos
6. Mix well, spread into pan, give a gentle tab to release any bubbles. Decorate with oreos and chill over night or minimum 6 hours

Enjoy...

Birthday Mania...Carrot Rice, Oreos No Bake Cheese Cake & Snowy Cheese Cake

After a gap of 2 months for summer holidays, we are continuing the tradition of celebrating birthdays again.  This time I decided to bake too for the celebration.  

I thought for a change have a cheezy month - Oreos No Bake Cheese Cake, Snowy Cheese Cake and Strawberry Cheese Cake.  Yes it is cheese mania month...The first 2 cake turn out very well but was not so successful of strawberry cheese cake.  Need to CSI further where I went wrong..

I also made Carrot Rice for my part of the pot luck.  My sister and her husband made this carrot rice when we visited them during our holidays.  It has this nice orangy yellowish colour to it - no additional colours required.  Sort of ghee rice.

Thank you Gowri and Guna for sharing the recipe

Carrot Rice
Courtesy of Gowri & Guna

Ingredients
4 cups of basmathi rice ( or any long grain rice) - washed and soaked for 10 mins, the drain
6 cups of water (inclusive of the carrot juice)
2 cups of grated carrot - squeezed the juice but don't discard
1 big onion - sliced
2tbs of ginger garlic paste
1 bay leaves
2  cinnamon stick - break into 2 or 3
2-3 cloves
2-3 star anise
2 green chillies - slit lengthwise
2 tbs heap of ghee (you can use oil or even butter)
salt to taste

How to prepare
1.  Wash and soak rice for about 10 mins, then drain
2.  Grate carrot, squeeze out the juice.  Keep the juice
3.  Heat ghee and when hot, sauté bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cloves, start anise till aromatic.
4.  Next add in onions and sauté till soft and pink. Add in the chillies too and sauté for a few more minutes.
5.  Put in the grated carrot and salt and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
6.  Add in the rice, stir well and fry for another 2 -3 minutes.
7.  Pour in the water and the juice of the carrot. stir well, and bring water/rice to slow boil
8.  As soon the water/rice starts to boil, cover the pot and cook on medium flame till all water has been absorbed.  Turn off the heat and let the rice sit for 5minutes.
9.  Use a fork to get fluffy rice and it is ready to serve.

Note
Basmati rice is a type of aromatic rice that originates from India, has an elongated grain and a unique flavor. It cooks in less time and with less effort than long grain white rice, and you won’t need a rice cooker to get it right. The finished product looks slightly different than long grain rice, but it is unlikely your guests will know the difference until they taste the flavor -- which is sure to delight their senses.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/how_2159533_cook-basmati-rice.html#ixzz2hyzMSGsR

Basic rule of cooking basmathi is 1cup of rice to 1½cups of water.

Hope you enjoy just like we did...

Long Beans with Chilly Powder

 

Long Beans with Chilly Powder

Ingredients

a handful of long beans
1 medium size onion
1tbs chilly powder  - adjust to your likeing (I used Kashmiri chilly powder- this can be spicy)
1tsp turmeric
1 tbs of ginger garlic paste
1tsp mustard seed
1 sprig curry leaves
Salt to taste

Direction

1.  Heat oil.  Add in mustard seeds, once it starts to pop, add in onion and sauté till soft.
2.  Add in ginger garlic paste, turmeric, salt and curry leaves and stir for a few 1-2mins.
3.  Add in the beans and stir well,cook for 5-8 mins
4.  Add in chilly powder and a little water just to cover the beans and cook further another 5-8 mins till the beans are cooked well.  You may want to add water if turns dry before the beans are cooked.

Fresh Blueberry Muffin - Worth to try

I got this recipe from http://aziejaya.blogspot.com .  I had all the ingredients including fresh blueberries, very quick and required very few ingredients.

Azie's recipe yield about 9 normal size muffin.  I thought I will use smaller ones.  I got about 24 pieces of small ones and 2 normal size muffin.

I guess you can also try with any other fruits like raspberries, blackberries or even mango, peaches etc.  I should try with mango in future.

Lets look at the recipe.

Grandmother Hinckley's Blueberry Muffin

Ingredients

3 tbs butter
2/3 cawan castor sugar
1 egg - whisk lightly
1/2 cup milk
1.5 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1- 1.5cups of blueberries - washed and dried completely
1 tsp vanilla extract - (Azie added, I did not though)

Direction

1.  Beat butter together with sugar.  Next add in egg beat well and followed by milk.

2.  Sieve flour + baking powder, add into batter, followed by salt.  Mix well.

3.  Finally add in blueberries, scoop into muffin tray or into cup cake.

4.  Bake at 170C for 20-25minutes. Remove from oven.

5.  While still warm brush with melted butter and sprinkle some sugar.  Its optional - I did not do it.

6.  Cool on wire rack.

Lets savour Grandmother Hinckley's Blueberry Muffin

Moist Cheezy Banana Cake

I had 2 bananas that is slowly turning black and I had better do something with it before it ends up in the bin.

I goggled and found this yummy, moist and soft cake from www.tiffinbiru.com  I have tried a few of his recipes and they always turn out fantabulous.

The ingredients are simple and easy to make.  Surely another keeper.

Moist Cheezy Banana Cake

source : http://www.tiffinbiru.com/2012/09/kek-pisang-lembap-berkeju.html

Ingredient

125ml corn oil
3 eggs
115gm flour
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
60gm brown sugar
1/4tsp salt
1 tsp ovallete
drops of banana essence
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
125gm banana - mashed
2 extra bananas- 1 chopped and another slice for decoration

Direction

1.  Pre-heat oven at 175C, greased 8inch tin, lined with parchment paper and grease again.
2.  Mix sugar, salt and ovallete.
3.  Add egg and beat at high speed till it becomes thick and fluffy.
4.  Slow speed, add mashed banana and essence - mix.
5.  Add flour little at a time and mix.
6.  Add oil, cheese and diced banana - mix well with spatula and pour into tin.
7.  Bake for 45mins or so till cook.
8. Remove from oven, cool for a short while, removed from tin and let it cool on a wire rack.  Let it cool down completely.

Enjoy this lovely banana cake...




before ready to be bake



after baking after cooling



Yummy and moist banana cake

Saturday's Vegetarian Menu

Saturdays are always vegetarian for us.  We do it for religious purpose.  It is also good to give your intestines/digestion system a break from meat and the like.

Being vegetarians on saturdays for the hindu month of Puratasi is considered highly auspicious (September-October) and which my family and I observe diligently for many years.

Today I made another version of whole green mung dhall  and yellow masoor dhall combo, long beans with chilly powder (click here) and radish raita.

Ingredients

1cup whole green mung dhall
1 cup yellow masoor dhall
1 big tomato - chopped small
1 tbs of ginger garlic paste
3-4 green chilli
1 tsp of turmeric powder
2 tsp of fennel powder
1 tsp of cumin powder
1 tsp of amchoor (dried mango) powder

For tempering
1 tsp mustard seed
1/2 tsp of urad dhall
a dash of hing
1 sprig curry leaves
1 bay leaves
2 tbs of ghee
3-4 dry chilli
2 big onion - sliced
ginger thumb size - sliced thin
salt to taste


Directions

1.  Wash and soak the dhalls for 1-2hrs (over night will be good)
2.  Boil dhal with tomato, chilli, ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder till the dhalls are soft and mushy.  If using pressure cooker, let it whistle for 4-5 times.  Use the back of a spoon to mash the dhalls.  Set aside
3.  In another pan, heat ghee, add in urad dhall and mustard seed.  Once it starts to splutter, add hing.
4.  Fry for a few seconds, add in onions, sauté till soft.
5.  Add in bay leaves, dry chilly, ginger and curry leaves.  Saute for a few more minutes.
6.  Add in fry item into dhall, add salt to taste, fennel, cumin and amchoor powder.  Add water to desired consistency if the dhall is too thick.
7.  Give it one boil and remove from fire.

Serve with rice or chapatis.

Whole Green Mung and Masoor Dhall

Todays' Dinner - Oven Fried Chicken & Tagliatelline Pasta with Cheese and Herbs

My son has been asking for chicken chop for days now.  I remembered making this oven fried chicken just before summer holidays.  But never got to post it. The other time I made the chicken with black pepper sauce and mash potato.

Both kids were really happy with that version.  I thought I will make the same chicken however paired it up with a pasta that was given to by my friend when she went visiting her daughter in Italy.  And also I had a packet of McCormick's Herbs and Cheese that soon will be expiring.

It is quite simple to do this.  You need three different bowl.  Fillet dip into flour, next into egg mixture and then to breadcrumbs and place in a lined baking tray and bake.  And you get a beautiful baked chicken - it reminds me of like production line....

Oven Fried Chicken
Source :- http://www.laurenslatest.com/oven-fried-chicken-the-best-coleslaw-ever/

Ingredients

for the chicken-
4 chicken thighs, skin and extra fat removed & rinsed - I used about 800gm of chicken breast
1/2 cup all purpose flour + salt & pepper, to taste
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
3 dashes hot sauce + salt & pepper to taste
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1/2 teaspoon paprika
salt & pepper, to taste
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil

Note - my bread crumbs had herbs to it so I did not add any Cajun or paprika only salt & pepper.

Directions
 

1.  Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Line baking sheet with foil and set aside.

3. First bowl, add in flour, salt and pepper, mix well and set aside

4. Second bowl whisk egg with mil, pepper and salt, hot sauce .

5. Third bowl add bread crumbs, Cajun seasoning and paprika, salt and pepper and oil - mix well

6.  Dredge prepared chicken in flour, next dip into egg mixture and finally into bread crumb mixture and place on prepared baking sheet.

7. Bake 40-50 minutes or until crust is golden and chicken is completely cooked thoroughly.

My version of Pasta with Cheese and Herbs

Ingredients

1 packet of pasta (about 250gm) - boil al dente
1 packet of McCormick's Herb and Cheese
4-5 pip of garlic - minced finely
a handful of broccoli - sliced into small size
2-3 tbs of olive oil

Direction:

1.  Heat olive oil.  Saute the garlic till fragrant

2.  Add in broccoli.  Mix well - fry for 4-5 minutes.

3.  Add in the pasta and the cheese and herb packet. 

4.  Stir well and cook for another 3 -4 minute and ready to serve.




Tagliatelline Pasta
 

Chicken all ready to be baked

 

Crunchy and golden brown and well done



Pasta with broccoli and herbs and cheese all ready

All ready with the pasta and chicken -
Really need to improve on my photography - the chicken looked burnt although it is not.



Prawns with Hoisin Sauce

Ingredients

1/2kg big prawns - peeled and deveined
1/2 medium sized onion - sliced
1 tsp of ginger garlic paste
3 tsp of hoisin sauce - you can get this from Chinese store or big supermarkets
1 tsp of  hot sauce
1 bird eye chilli - chopped (optional) for added spicy
1 tsp of light soya sauce
a dash of freshly cracked black pepper
2 tbs of sesame oil

How to prepare

1.  Marinate prawns with hoisin sauce, ginger garlic paste, hot sauce and light soya sauce.  Set aside for a few minutes

2.  Heat oil, sauté onion till soft.  Add in chilli. Fry for another minute or son.

3.  Add in prawns and stir in well with onions.  Cook till the prawns turn it turn pink and curled for about 4-5 mins.

4.  Prawns with Hoisin Sauce ready to be served.

Prawn with Hoisin Sauce

Mix Vegetable Stir Fry

For this stir fry mix vegetable, I used a combo of asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, carrot and capsicum . 

You can also add in lightly fried tofu, seafood or chicken. I normally like to steam the vegetables so that they look fresh when stir fry and you need only minutes before you can serve them.


A bowl of mix of vegetable steamed
1/2 onion - sliced
6-7 garlic pips - pound finely
1-2 tsp light soya sauce
2 - 3 tsp of oyster sauce - optional
2-3tsp if sesame oil

How to prepare

1.  Heat sesame oil.  Once hot add in garlic, fry for a few seconds till aromatic. Add in onion, fry till soft.
2.  Add in the steamed vegetable, soya sauce and oyster sauce if using, mix well and cook for a few more minutes and serve while it is still hot.

Chinese Feast for Dinner - Chilli Paste Steam Fish, Mix Vegetable & Prawns with Hoisin Sauce

Yesterday we had a Chinese feast not so much of actual preparation ,Red Snapper Chilli Paste Steam Fish, Stir Fry Mix Vegetable (Click Here) and Prawns with Hoisin Sauce (Click Here)

The ready made sauce that I used for the fish was a product from Mas Food. It is called Kam Heong Chilli All Purpose Paste.  It is made of blended red chilli with dried shrimps, shallots, garlic and lemon grass.   I guess I should try the same when I am done with my supply.

I used red snapper, it was about 800gm.  You can also use sea bass, tilapia


Chilli Paste Steam Fish

What you need
1 mid size fish
1 tbs ginger garlic paste
1 tbs of sesame oil
1 packet of Kam Heong Chilli All Purpose Paste
3- 4 birds eye chilli
1-2sprig of curry leaves
1 tsp of soya sauce
2 tbs of milk


How to prepare

1.  Prepare your steamer.   If you do not have one, you can actually setup a deep pan/wok, fill in with water, a small stand that can hold your bowl of fish and a cover enough to cover the wok.

2.  Prepare the fish by cleaning, make a cut over the fish on both side, marinate the fish with sesame oil and with ginger garlic paste.

2.  In a different wok, heat oil, add in the paste, stir fry on slow fire for a few minutes, then add in chill and curry leaves, keep stirring till you get nice aroma from the chilli paste.

3.  Finally add in soya sauce and milk, stir for few more minutes and add in to steamed fish and allowed to be steamed for another 5 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Marinated with sesame oil, salt and ginger garlic paste in a wok steamer

MasFood Kam Heong Chilli All Purpose Paste

The final product - Red Snapper Chilli Paste

Our dinner complete with rice, vegetable, fish and prawns

My mother's version of Fish Fry

Fish fry

Ingredients

4 small cut barracuda
2 tsp of ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp of turmeric powder
2tsp of fennel powder
1 tsp of chilly powder - optional - I don't normally use
salt to taste
juice from 2 lime

fish of your choice, either fillet or whole

How to prepare

wash and drain fish
Mix well with ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, fennel powder, salt and lime juice. 
Let it marinade for to 10-20mins
Heat oil and shallow fry till cook.
Remove from oil, drain and serve.

Sodhi - Thin Coconut Milk Gravy

Whenever I make sodhi it always takes me down memory lane -  The first time I cook this  simple, light and very mild spicy thin coconut gravy was after I got married (before that it was always my mum's - never actually cared to learn much before marriage).

Turmeric gives this nice yellow colour and I keep adding heaps of turmeric powder as it was not turning yellow as yet.  There goes the SOS call to Amma - "Why is my sodhi not turning yellow as it should be?", "Has it started to boil"? "Nope", "Then it will be when it is boiling".  And then I realize that I have this very very yellow colour sodhi.  You just learn from your mistakes don't you...

I normally like to pair them with something spicy and dry like chicken perathal, dry potato masala or even anchovy sambal, even fish fry will be good and some stir fry vegetable. Actually any kind of side dish goes well with this gravy.#

There are others who also some vegetables like cabbage, carrot or some powdered fried dry anchovy -  I personally have

Lets look at the recipe

1/2 of a medium size coconut grated squeeze into 1 cup of thick coconut milk and 2 cups of thin coconut milk
1 mid size tomato - chopped small pieces
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 small size onion - sliced
1 green chilly - half lengthwise
3/4 tsp of turmeric
1 tsp of fenugreek seeds
1 sprig of curry leaves
1-2 tsp of lime juice (optional) - I normally don't use them

How to prepare

1.  Heat oil in a pot. 
2.  When the oil is hot enough, add in fenugreek, let it turn colour slightly though don't burn it
3.  Tip in onion - sauté till it turn pink and soft.  Add a little salt in order to make it soft quick.  Add in curry leaves.
4.  Add in chilly and ginger garlic past and stir for a few more minutes.
5.  Add in tomato and stir till till the tomato turn mushy and really soft. 
6.  Pour in the both thin and thick coconut milk as well as turmeric powder. Add salt to taste and stir well
7.  Let it boil slow for 1 to 2mins.  Once it boils remove from fire. Add in the lime juice, give it a stir and you are ready.

Note : You do not want to over boil as the coconut milk will break into oil.

Stiry Fry of Lauki (Bottle Gourd) with Curd

Stir Fry Bottle Gourd with Yogurt

1 small sized bottle gourd
1 small onion - sliced
2 -3 small chilly - chopped small
1tsp ginger garlic paste
1 sprig of curry leaves-optional
1/2 tsp of urad dhall
1/2 tsp of fenugreek
1/2 tsp turmeric
1tsp fennel powder
1/2 tsp of cumin powder
salt to taste
1/2 cup curd - beat well
chopped coriander leaves-optional

Method
Remove skin and chop to small bite size
Heat pan with some oil
Once hot, put in urad dhall and fenugreek, wait till pops
Next add in onion and fry till soft
Add in ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and chilly, fry for 1-2 mins
Next add in bottle gourd, mix well and let it cook for about 4-6mins on medium fire
Add in water if it tends to be too dried otherwise it is just nice as the bottle gourd oozes out some water
Add in turmeric, fennel and cumin powder as well as salt - stir well
Cook for a few more minutes till the bottle gourd is soft
Off the flame and add in curd and coriander leaves and mix well

Best with rice or chapatis...

Banaras and Banaras Style Stir Fry Ladies Finger with Mustard Powder

I was blog surfing and found this blog www.banaraskakhana.com - It brought back memories of my trip to Banaras.

Banaras is an old name for Varanasi the holy city for Hindus.  It is located in Uttar Pradesh where my in -laws have roots from...Click here for more about Varanasi http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-485488-varanasi_vacations-i?showmore=1

We have been there twice in the last 3 years.  There is just this kind of aura that always makes me to feel I should go there again and again.. Hopefully will make more visits in the future...Some of the pictures and then a Banaras style stir fry ladies finger  http://www.banaraskakhana.com/2013/06/sarson-wali-sookhi-bhindi-baby-okra.html.



Temples and Ghats along River Ganges

Fresh vegetables along the walk path

Mother in Law looking at the fresh vegetables

Just love to look at the radish and its leaves, so refreshing, lean and slim...



This recipe calls for baby ladies fingers.  However I had only medium sized ladies fingers.  I guess it does not really matter.  Nevertheless will try with baby ladies fingers in the future.   I made this subzi together with whole green mung dhall, click here for recipe,  lauki with curd  and raita with pappad and a big dollop of curd.... Wow what a lunch.

 

 

 

Lets look at the recipe Sarson Wali Sookhi Bhindi - Stir Fry Ladies Fingers with Mustard Powder

 

Ingredients



500gm baby ladies fingers- I used only about 200gm normal size
tomatoes 150 gm or 2 large - I used 1 large tomato
2tsp of finely chopped green chilies or to taste
2tsp of garlic or to taste - mine was ginger garlic paste
1.5 tbsp or little more yellow mustard powder  ( I grinded whole mustard into powder)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder 
salt to taste
1 tsp of amchoor powder - this I add
 2 tbsp mustard oil 

Method

Chop the head and tail of ladies fingers. Cut into about an inch long pieces.

Chop tomato in small pieces.

In a deep pan heat mustard oil.  Then add the chopped green chillies and garlic and immediately tip in the ladies fingers.  Add salt and turmeric powder and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes on medium heat.

Add the sliced tomato as soon as the okra get blistered.  Don't overcook or mushy with the ladies fingers.  Stir fry till the tomato are soft.  Add the mustard powder and stir fry for another 3-4minutes more.  Stir fry on low fire so that the flavours mix well together.

You can add water if you like but this dish is already moist and soft.  I would definitely make this again for chapatti side dish.  The next time however I would like to make it spicy and probably blending the garlic and chillies.

Now lets savour...

My lunch today, bottom left to righ - pappad, curd, bhindi, raita, and lauki with curd.

Stiry Fry Ladies Fingers with Mustard Powder

Banana Chocolate Rice Cake

I made this cake for my year group's farewell party.  When I brought over it was still warm.  It has this moist kind of an appearance and I personally felt it would be heaven to have it with a dollop of vanilla ice cream when it is lukewarm.

A yummy cake, definitely a keeper's recipe from http://www.tiffinbiru.com/2012/01/kek-pisang-coklat-uraiserius-sedap.html


Ingredients
150gm butter
200gm cake four (I used all purpose flour)
¼ tsb bicarbonate soda
100gm brown sugar (original recipes calls for 150gm)
3 egg
100ml fresh milk
100gm mashed banana
A few drops of banana essence
50gm chocolate rice
1/3 cup of diced bananas
1/4 cup of chopped cashnew nuts ( I used walnut flakes )

Method

• Preheat oven at 170C, greased and lined tin.  I used a 7in x 3in x 3in tin.
• Cream butter and brown sugar till mix well.
• Add egg one at a time, mix till creamy.
• In a low speed, add flour alternate with milk till finish.
• Add in mashed banana, essence, stir well, add in cubed bananas and chocolate rice ( I put the chopped bananas after filling the tray) and followed by cashnew nuts.
• Bake approximately 40-50mins. check cake done, remove from oven, let it cool for about 10mins, then remove it from tin and let it cool down.

Try them and let me know...

Aloo Puri - Punjabi Style...

I have been literally in "sabbatical" from blogging for almost a year now. Am simply overwhelmed with so many things and though I still cook almost everyday, I just find blogging a big task and keep pushing it away.

Keep telling myself I should start before I can see cobwebs on my blog and here I am today - hoping to post it before the end of the day.

Its the usual Ladies and Children monthly birthday party - and this month I am suppose to make a side dish that goes well with Puri - Aloo Puri or some called it as Puri Bhaji.

I wanted to make something different with it and look around and found this http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/aloo-poori-punjabi-aloo-poori/#comment-85081  Thanks Dassana for sharing  a wonderful recipe.

What made me to try this recipe is the only use of ajwain and nothing else..Ajwain is something I have only used when making muruku to give the aroma.  I also know every indian household use to have a bottle of omathani - ajwain water for digestion and stomach discomfort.

Believe me frying the ajwain in the hot oil ( I had mine mixed with ghee and oil) just was so brilliant. The whole house was filled up with this nice aroma.

Ajwain = ஓமம் (omam) in tamil
 

Lets look into the recipe. I actually used a kilo of potatoes for this party.

Aloo Sabzi

 

4-5 medium size aloos (potatoes), peeled and diced

1 medium size onion, finely chopped

2-3 garlic, finely chopped (optional)

1 inch ginger, finely chopped

2-3 tomatoes, chopped

1 or 2 green chili, chopped or sliced (optional)

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp ajwain/carom seeds

a pinch of asafoetida

1 tsp dry mango powder/amchur

3 tbsp oil

2 to 3 cups water

a few coriander leaves for garnishing

 

Method

 

1. Heat oil.
2. Add ajwain and fry them
3. Add onions and fry till it is soft.
4. Add ginger, garlic and chilli till the rawness smell of the ginger/garlic disappear.
5. Add tomato and stir till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
6. Add the turmeric, red chilli powder and asafoetida, mix well
7. Add potato, mix well
8. Add salt to taste and mix well.
9. Add water to the potato and pressure cook it for about 3-4 whistles till the potatoes are cooked and soft.
10. Remove lid and let it simmer for a few more minutes at the same time with the back of a spoon press a few of the potatoes sort of  to mash it.
11. Once you get the right thickness according to your preference, sprinkle some amchur and garam masala
12. Mix well and garnish with coriander leaves
13. Serve with hot puris

Info on Ajwain - thanks to following

http://www.onlyfoods.net/ajwain.html

http://indianfood.about.com/od/thebasics/p/ajwain.htm