Last week when i decided to make paratha, I didn't have green chili in the fridge so I decided to use the sweet bell pepper instead. When I minced it in the mixer, the idea suddenly came to me to use mutter as well and make this tasty mixture. When the parathas were done and we tasted it right away it was tasty and crispy. But when we actually sat down for lunch, that's when the parathas had cooled down a bit and they had started to get soggy and somewhere too difficult to eat without creating mess. So in the evening I used the remaining mixture on the bread along with some tomatoes and cucumber and it made perfect sandwich. The taste of spread comes out better too. So I think this one definitely works better as spread on bread, burgers or as side chutneys than paratha stuffing.


Ingredients
2 Cup Muttor
1 Sweet Bell Pepper
1 Lemon
4 Garlic Cloves
Handful of the Corriander Leaves
1 Spoon Red Chili Powder
1/4 Spoon Corriander Powder
Salt to taste

Method

• Squize lemon juice in the mixie.
• Add in chopped sweet bell pepper, garlic, salt and coriander leaves and make a smooth paste.
• Add in muttor, red chilli powder, coriander powder and make fine paste in the mixer.

Notes
I used frozen peas without thawing them but fresh peas could be used too.
We had this one as one of the chutneys for burger breads when we barbequed and everyone loved it.

I had been wanting to try this for a while now. I made this almost two years ago for Diwali when mom dad were here. After that it just slipped out of radar so this time when Ajoy asked me to make these I was not sure if I will remember what I had done and the learning's from the last time. But thankfully I had rough notes from then that I had sent to mom. So it was pretty easy to recollect. This time it came out perfectly and I did big photo session of them :) so I cannot find any excuse to not post this. This recipe has to be easiest to make and something that will get you lot of appreciation in return.


Ingredients
6 Cup Cashews
1 Cup Milk Powder
2 Cup Sugar
Pinch of Cardamom Powder
Silver Leaf

Method

• Grind cashews into fine powder in the mixer
• Mix the cashew powder and milk powder together
• Heat tawa till very hot and then take off the heat
• Add the cashew and milk powder mixture into the tawa and keep stirring till the mixture is warm to touch. Keep aside in a bowl
• Heat 1.5 cup water with sugar to make 2 string syrup.
• Add in the cardamom powder and the sugar syrup in the cashew mixture and mix well. Knead to get the soft dough.
• On a baking pan or any big plate, lay out butter paper and put the dough and press it hard and spread the mixture.
• Apply the silver leaf and let the mixture cool for atleast couple of hours.
• Cut the kaju katlis and serve.

Notes
Getting the sugar syrup right and kneading well is one key for the success.
Also when spreading the mixture into a plate, pressing it hard and then smoothing it with butter paper will get you correctly set katli.

This was one of my impromptu attempt to bake something that turned out quite great. It had been long time since I had the frosting in the fridge so thought about baking something to use that one and these cupcakes worked perfectly well with the frosting.


Ingredients
2 Cup Sugar
2 Spoon Vanilla Essence
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Oil
1 Cup Milk
1.75 Cup Maida
1 Cup Coco Powder
1 Spoon Baking Powder
1 Spoon Baking Soda
1/2 Spoon Salt
2 Spoon Instant Coffee

Method

• Preheat oven at 325F/160C
• Mix together egg, sugar and vanilla essence.
• Add in oil and milk and whisk the mixture over medium speed.
• Sieve maida, coco powder, baking powder and baking soda couple of times to form homogeneous mixture.
• Add the sieved contents and salt in the egg-oil-milk mixture and whisk on low speed till well combined about 2 minutes
• Warm 1 cup of water with coffee in microwave for about a minute.
• Add the coffee to the cake mixture and whisk on low speed for another 2 minutes.
• Line around the cupcake pan with around 14 cup cake liners and fill them with the cake mixture about 3/4th level in each.
• Bake in the oven for 18 minutes.
• Allow the cakes to cool off for at least an hour and then serve with frosting and optionally filling

Notes

I didn't use the filling but chocolate ganache would be great option.
I used chocolate butter cream that I have made previously to frost another cake as the frosting and it went well.

Almost 3 years ago I took classes from Wilton about cake decoration where they taught us lots of basic plus advance decorations along with their standard recipe for icing. I modified it a bit to get this chocolate butter cream.


Ingredients
2 Cup Vegetable Shortening
1.5 Cup Coco Powder
1 Spoon Vanilla Essence
10 Spoon Milk
450g icing sugar
Pinch of salt

Method

• Mix shortening, essence and milk together till smooth
• Sieve together icing sugar, coco powder together.
• Add it to the shortening and mix well with the hand mixer till ingredients mix in properly.
• Add salt and blend for about two minutes till creamy.

Notes
Cream lasts almost half an year if stored in airtight container in the fridge.

Last Sunday when looking for making something to go along with evening tea/coffee time, I made these. They came out really good and we ate them even next day.


Ingredients
2 Fish Fillets (180g boneless)
1 Onion
4-5 Garlic Cloves
1 Spoon Ginger
1/4 Spoon Red Chili Powder
1 Green Chili
1/4 Spoon Black Pepper Powder
1/4 Spoon Cinnamon Powder
1/4 Spoon Cloves Powder
1/2 Spoon Coriander Powder
1/4 Spoon Garam Masala
1/4 Cup Cilantro
4-5 Small Sweet Bell Peppers
1/2 Lemon
Salt
Oil

Method

• Smash the fish fillets and add in black pepper powder, red chili powder, cinnamon powder, cloves power, coriander powder, garam masala and salt.
• Add in finely chopped onion, green chilies, bell peppers and cilantro.
• Squeeze lemon juice in the mixture.
• Mix well and prepare kabab rolls.
• Heat tawa and add in oil, and shallow fry the kababs over medium heat from all sides till they are brown.

Notes
I thawed the frozen fish in microwave with auto defrost for the fish this time and it works wonders. I didn't have to wait long time for fish to thaw and could easily make this as a tea time snack when we both were so hungry.
You could serve these as snacks, starters, side dish or even stuffing it in the pav.

I made these kebabs on Saturday and I felt they were so much better than earlier version. Everyone was asking for recipe so here it is. (Note I had this in my drafts for 2 months and finally getting around to put it on the blog :))


Ingredients
6 Cup Muttor
2 Big Potatoes
1.5 Cup Paneer
3 Handful Spinach Leaves
2 Handful Coriander Leaves
1 Handful Pudina Leaves
3 Green Chillies
4 Garlic Cloves
2 Spoon Chaat Masala
1 Spoon Aamchur Powder
1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs
1 Cup Cashews
Salt to taste
Oil

Method

• Pressure cook potatoes and let them cool off. Peel off cover and mash them into big bowl.
• Microwave 4 cups of muttor for 3 minutes.
• Add the muttor and spinach leaves to mixie and grind to fine paste.
• Add in coriander leaves, green chillies, garlic cloves and salt. Grind again to fine paste. Pour the paste into the bowl with potatoes
• Add grated paneer, chaat masala, aamchur powder and breadcrumbs and mix well.
• Microwave remaining 2 cup muttor for 2 minutes and add it to the bowl and mix well.
• Make small balls, flatten them, press in a cashew and shallow fry the kebabs on medium heated tawa till dark brown on both sides

Notes
The mixture was little sticky when I used it immediately. But I had remaining paste stored in fridge and when I used it directly out of fridge it was easier to fry them without disturbing its shapes.
Also note that unlike other recipes where it yields product for around 4 people, I made this for party of around 12 people as starter.
I used fresh paneer. Boiled 1 liter of 2% reduced fat milk and adding one lemon's juice in it. Drained the mixture after milk curdled on a cloth and used it by crushing it into fine powder by hand.

Since the time we started bringing Tilapia fillets, I have always grilled them. I am fish lover and its been a while since i had fish curry. Since i am trying to not eat too much coconut, I didnt want to make our traditional fish curry so I came up with this one. Turned out awesome. Reminded me of my favourite fish curry from Nandini restaurant in Bangalore that i use to have frequently around 10 years back.


Ingredients
500gm Fish
1 Big Onion
2 Tomatoes
1 Spoon Tamarind
1/2 Spoon Black Pepper
1 Spoon Red Chilli Powder
1/2 Spoon Jeera Powder
1/4 Spoon Coriander Powder
1/4 Spoon Garam Masala
1/4 Spoon Turmeric Powder
4-5 Garlic cloves
1 Spoon Ginger
Coriander Leaves

Method

• Marinate the fish with 1/4 Spoon Red Chili Powder, Coriander Powder and Salt.
• In mixie, add tamarind, onion and black pepper leaving 6-7 aside. Grind to fine paste. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in tawa and add in fish pieces. Let them cook for a minute.
• Flip the fishes and cook for another minute. Take out of the tawa and keep aside.
• In same oil add in onion paste and saute it till the raw smell from it goes away and you can only smell pepper in it.
• In mean time grind tomatoes, garlic, ginger in mixer and make paste.
• Add tomato paste, jeera powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, remaining black pepper and salt to onion and cook for 5 minutes with constant stirring.
• Add in fish and lightly mix everything together. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Sprinkle finely chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Notes
I used cleaned boneless Tilapia fillets each cut into four pieces but you can use any fish in any form but boneless has its own fun :)