I remember around a year back I had received a mail from a colleague here about tasting the check box cake. She had described a lot about its procedure so when I was looking for something similar yet something where I wont need those card boards etc to make those check box texture. Then I came across the very famous concept of zebra cake. So today I gave it a shot and result was very impressive :)


Ingredients
3 Cup Maida
2 Cup Sugar
4 Eggs
2 Cup Milk
2 cup Oil
1 Spoon Vanilla Essence
8 Spoon Coca Powder
4 Spoon Baking Powder

Method

• In a bowl add eggs and sugar and blend them together till the mixture is fluffy.
• Add in Milk and Oil keeping two spoons of each aside. Blend well
• Sieve in maida gradually in the mixture. Blend well for a smooth batter
• Blend in vanilla essence and baking powder.
• Separate 4.5 cup of batter into other bowl and add in sieved coca powder in the separated batter. Blend well
• In the coca batter, add the remaining milk and oil (2 spoons each) into the batter and blend again
• Preheat oven to 350F/180C
• Grease the baking pan
• Add 1/4 cup of white batter in the center alternating with half cup of coca batter. Keep adding till the pan fills in half in quantity. Repeat same for other pan. The batter would spread on its own in layers
• Bake the cakes in oven at 350F/180C for 40 minutes

Notes
If you are going to make the cake in single big baking pan, then instead of adding 1/4 cup of mixture, add in 1/2 cup to make the correct sized strips. I noticed that if the layers are too thin then after baking they wouldn't be too clear to mark out the layering clearly.

A must have dip for Chicken Satay, I had to make this. Especially for Ajoy as he is such a fan of this sauce that he sometimes asks for it in Chinese restaurant too :) forgetting that he is in Chinese restaurant instead of Thai :)


Ingredients
1 Cup Peanuts
2 Spoon Brown Sugar
1/4 Spoon Red Chilli Powder
2 Spoon Soya Sauce
1 Spoon Oil
1 Garlic Clove
2 Spoon Lemon Juice
Salt to taste

Method

• Dry roast the peanuts and let them cool
• Add peanuts, brown sugar, red chilli powder, soya sauce, oil, garlic clove, lemon juice and salt in a mixie and grind to sticky powder
• Add half cup of water and grind again till smooth paste

Notes
I had used double quantity of red chilli powder but it had become little extra hot so I have suggested only 1/4 spoon for red chilli. If you feel it is too mild for you try adding some more chilli while grinding

Chicken Satay is one of our favorite stater in Thai cuisine. So this time when we got the chicken from costco, I decided to give this a try. I had made this earlier but it was over even before I could click photo :) So now this time I made sure we click photos before making the strike.


Ingredients
400g Boneless Chicken Breasts
1 Spoon Brown Sugar
2 Garlic Cloves
1 Spoon Corriander Powder
1 Spoon Jeera Powder
1/4 Spoon Turmeric Powder
1 Spoon Black Pepper Powder
2 Spoon Oil
2 Spoon Soya Sauce
2 Spoon Lemon Juice
1/2 Cup Milk
Salt to taste

Method

• Make thin and rectangular slices of the chicken
• Add brown sugar, garlic cloves, corriander powder, jeera powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, oil, soya sauce, lemon juice and salt and mix well. Keep aside in refrigerator for 4 hours
• After 4 hours, attach the strips of chicken on to scewer sticks, 2 pieces on one stick.
• Bast the chicken with the milk.
• Heat a non stick pan and cook the chicken with scewers on medium flame by flipping them over continuously every 2-3 minutes till done.

Notes
I read in lot many recipes to add fish sauce to the marination, but I investigated a bit and found that it is some what salty liquid and usually used instead of salt. Hence instead of going to asian shop for fish sauce I used normal table salt instead.

I was looking to make something quick yet something different from the normal preparation (Prawns Masala) and then I came up with this.


Ingredients
300g Cleaned Prawns
1 Spoon Garlic Paste
1 Onion
4 Green Chillies
4 Spoon Dark Soya Sauce
2 Spoon Tomato Ketchup
2 Spoon Corn Flour
Salt to taste
Oil

Method

• Marinate the prawns with garlic paste and salt.
• Deep fry them in oil few at a time for a minute
• In same oil, add halved green chillies, onion and cook them with constant stirring
• Add soya sauce, ketchup and again cook for couple of minute
• Add prawns and stir for another minute
• Mix corn flour in two cups of water and add it to the cooking prawns
• Cook for 3-4 minutes till gravy thickens and prawns become tender

Notes
Well I didn't have spring onions to garnish otherwise I might have added it a bit for garnishing.

On the eve of upcoming Saraswati puja I decided to give this a try especially with gur because Ajoy loves that version.. It came out really well and the best part was it was not the tedious process unlike Kalakand which he keeps demanding. So now if he asks for sweet and I am tired I have something quick yet brownie point winner for my help :)


Ingredients
1 Liter Milk
3/4 Cup Jaggery
2 Spoon Vinegar
1/4 Spoon Pistachio Powder

Method

• In a thick pan boil the milk
• Mix vinegar with 2 spoon of water and add it slowly to the boiling milk
• When the milk cudles completely, take it off the heat and strain it out
• Wash it under running cold water
• Put it in the muslin cloth and drain the water. Keep it aside for 5 minutes so that it drains out water completely
• In a plate knead the chena formed till its is soft and consistent in the texture.
• Mix in grated jaggery and transfer it to the thick pan
• Cook the mixture over medium heat till it leaves the sides and is able to hold together.
• Make the small balls and press them against the chenar moulds, and if you dont have them just shape them into balls
• Sprinkle the pistachio powder for garnishing

Notes
I used the Patali Gur since I had got it from Kolkatta when I had been there last month. But you can also try it with the normal Jaggery. I also feel that Patali Gur is more of the Date + Jaggery taste. So if I try with jaggery version I am going to try adding paste of Date or something like that. Will update when I try that though.
While separating whey from the milk make sure to remove it off it immediately when you see the clear green water separated from the chena. Extra cooking can make the mixture stiff.
Key to shaping the sandesh is that you shape them while its hot. As it starts cooling down it becomes difficult to shape them up. I warmed the mixture after it came to room temperature so that I can shape the remaining ones.

Yet another attempt to make Ajoy eat Spinach without making faces ;-) Well to be honest though he doesn't like it he doesn't make faces, its me who does that :) :) Here I tried to combine his well known affinity towards paratha yet trying to be different by making it as stuffing.


Ingredients
3 Cups Wheat Flour
6 Cup Spinach Leaves
2 Potatoes
1/2 Spoon Jeera
1/4 Spoon Mustard Seeds
A Pinch of Asafoetida
1 Spoon Red Chilli Powder
1/2 Spoon Garam Masala
Salt to taste
Oil
Ghee

Method

• In a plate, mix wheat flour, a spoonful of oil and salt.
• Add water and knead a soft dough. Keep aside for 30-40 minutes
• Pressure cook the potatoes and keep them aside
• In a pan heat a spoonful of oil and let jeera and mustard splutter in it.
• Add Asafoetida and then spinach
• Keep stirring and after it leaves water from it add red chilli powder, garam masala and salt to taste
• Cook with constant stirring till water evaporates. Keep aside for cooling
• In a mixie, grind the spinach and then mix it with the grated potatoes.
• Prepare the balls of small lemon size out of this mixture
• Make same size balls from the dough and prepare the cup shape.
• Stuff the spinach ball in the cup shape dough and close the ball. Roll the paratha
• On medium flame, heat the tawa and cook the paratha from both sides till brown. Spread few drops of oil while its cooking.
• When completely done apply few drops of ghee and serve with pickle and/or curd

Notes
I didnt want to use lots of masalas or corriander(my another trick to make ajoy like the disk;-)) so that I can still retain a bit of spinach taste. Instead I used potatoes that helped in reducing the intensity of the spinach taste :)

I first started making this using the instant powder and I remember how it was such a hit with my sister. She loved it to the core. So since then cold coffee always reminds me of my sister - Seema, her affinity and some memorable stories around them (I am sure me and my family can immediately recollect them with just name of cold coffee :D) When we moved to redmond, we made ourselves familiar to the well known starbuck's cold coffee bottles. Costco's membership and deal coupons once in a while meant we consumed them a lot. But as days passed I started missing that fresh cold coffee, thick froth and here I came up with this recipe. I wanted to make this in India for Seema but then flu, cough, cold prevented me from that. Here I am going to share my recipe hoping she would try it sometime and remember those golden days when we consumed cold coffee like freak.


Ingredients
4 cup Milk
2 cup Vanilla Icecream
1.5 Spoon Coffee Powder
5 Spoon Sugar

Method

• Boil a cup of water mixing sugar in it
• Add coffee and dissolve it. Keep aside for cooling.
• In a mixie, add ice cream, coffee, and milk.
• Blend well till the icecream is completely blended.

Notes
Normally I dont keep coffee in freeze after blending it. Its at perfect temparature after the blend.

I had been meaning to make this pizza for a while now. Veggie is something that I don't prefer outside in pizza hut or any other pizza place but I wanted to make this at home so that I can use Indian veggies and make it to my taste. I completely took liberty here with veggies that I used and the outcome was really interesting.


Ingredients
4 Cup Wheat Flour
2 Cup Maida
2 Cup Milk
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Butter
1/2 Spoon Sugar
2.25 Spoon Active Dry Yeast
3 Tomatoes
2 Spoon Garlic Paste
2 Spoon Basil Leaves
1/2 Spoon Black pepper powder
2 Spoon Red Chilli Powder
3 Spoon Ketchup
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese
2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese
1 cup of Small Paneer Pieces
1.5 cup Eggplant Pieces
8 Ladiesfinger
1 Cup Sweet Corn
Salt to taste
Oil

Method

• Mix sugar and active yeast with a cup of luke warm water. Keep covered by clinging film for 10 minutes to bubble up the water which means yeast is activated
• In a plate, mix wheat flour, maida, salt, olive oil and melted butter.
• Add in activated yeast mixture and milk and knead a soft dough. Keep aside in a big bowl covered by the clinging film for around 2 hours to double it up.
• Heat oil and add garlic paste in it. Roast it till it spreads nice aroma
• Add in basil leaves, pepper powder, red chilli powder and salt. Cook for couple of minutes
• Puree tomatoes and add them along with the ketchup to the above mixture. Cook till the water that separates out is evaporated and mixture is in single consistency paste. Keep aside.
• In oil fry ladies finger(whole), paneer pieces, eggplant pieces each for a minute. Remove the head of the ladies finger and cut it into half. Sprinkle salt and keep aside
• When the dough doubles up, divide it into two portions and spread it on two Pizza Pans
• Spread in tomato gravy made above equally on each one of the pizza.
• Spread in Parmesan Cheese, fried veggies(paneer, ladies finger, eggplant) and sweet corn.
• Cover it up with the mozzarella cheese.
• Heat the oven to 400F/200C
• Cook the pizza in the oven at 400F/200C for 25 minutes

Notes
While frying ladies finger(bhendi) i fried it whole and then cut it into half instead of other way round so as to avoid its seeds being flowing out of it.
All veggies I just browned them a bit so as to give it a richer taste. I didnt cook them completely by any means otherwise it might burn out or melt away while in the oven.

Happy New Year to everyone :) Mine was quiet one as I was/am jetlaged a way lot to stay awake even till 9pm :) Guess this recipe would be special because I started working on this last year and the final dish was ready this year ;-) This was kind of impromptu one on demand of special breakfast by Ajoy


Ingredients
14-16 Bread Slices
400g Cleaned Prawns
1/2 Cup pickled cucumber
4 Spoon Curd
1 Spoon Red Chilli Powder
1 Spoon Corriander Powder
1/2 Spoon Black Pepper Powder
1/4 Spoon Chaat Masala
1/4 Spoon Jeera Powder
1/4 Spoon Garam Masala
1/4 Spoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 Cup Butter
Salt to taste

Method

• Mix curd, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, corriander powder, black pepper powder, jeera powder, garam masala, chaat masala and salt
• Slice the prawns into smaller pieces and add them into above curd mixure, mix well and store them in fridge for 4-6 hours.
• Heat a flat pan and add 1/4 cup butter and marinated prawns
• Cook on high flame with constant stirring till the masala turns dark brown in color and dry out. Keep aside.
• Make sandwitches by spreading pickled cucumber and prawns cooked earlier between two slices of breads
• Grill them with remaining butter and serve hot

Notes
Chopping prawns into smaller pieces would help in avoiding it being pulled in a single bite :)