Honey Cake (with walnuts)

Looking for a way to have honey!!! Then go for the honey cake…

The taste, texture and the aroma will leave you mesmerized and with the drizzle of honey on it, the savoring becomes all the more heavenly…

Ingredients

All purpose flour – 150 gm

Honey – 125 gm plus about 2 tbsp extra to glaze

Butter (salted) – 110 gm

Sugar – 50 gm (granulated)

Eggs – 2 medium size

Baking Powder – 1 ½ tsp

Walnuts – ½ cup (coarsely grinded)(optional)

Method

Sieve all purpose flour and baking powder and set aside.

Preheat the oven.

Grease the cake pan with butter and dust it with flour or line it with parchment paper.

Cut the butter into pieces and drop into a pan/kadai with honey and sugar.

Melt slowly over a low heat with continuous stirring. When the mixture looks quite liquid, increase the heat and boil for about half a minute.

Leave it to cool for about 15-20 mins in fan. (This is done to prevent the eggs from cooking when they are mixed in).

Beat the eggs and put them one at a time into the melted honey mixture and beat well.

Now put the sifted flour and baking powder into the above mixture and fold in nicely so that the flour is well incorporated and you get a smooth lump free batter.

Pour it into the greased cake pan.

Sprinkle walnuts on the top of the batter just before putting the cake pan inside the oven. (This step is optional).

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

Take out the pan and after few minutes invert it on a plate for the cake to come out. Let it cool on a wire rack.

Pour a little honey on the cake before having it. This gives a glaze along with the super delicious taste of honey.

One more compiled shot for you all to enjoy the views of the super delicious cake from different angles!!!!

You can also try steamed banana cake (eggless), if you are looking for a simple yet tasty baking recipe.

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Ragi Paratha/Roti (with carrot)

Ragi also known as finger millet has miraculous health benefits for all age groups. It is a rich source of calcium, fiber, protein, iron and different minerals.

Being an excellent source of natural calcium, it helps in strengthening bones for growing children and aging people.

Presence of fiber in Ragi, helps in controlling blood sugar levels in diabetes. Also fiber gives a feeling of fullness, which controls excessive food consumption and helps in controlling weight. It has more fiber than rice and wheat.

Ragi is a very good source of natural iron. For those suffering from anemia, consuming ragi can be really beneficial.

Now when it’s so good for health lets quickly see the recipe…Have it in breakfast or brunch or lunch or dinner…!!!

Ingredients

Ragi Flour – 2 cups

Carrot – 1 medium size (finely grated)

Onion – 1 medium size (finely chopped)

Green Chilli – 1 (finely cut)

Salt – as per taste

Water – to prepare the dough

Preparation

Take the sifted flour in a big bowl, mix all the ingredients very well and prepare the dough by putting water, little by little. The dough should not be very soft.

Cut two plastic sheets (preferably transparent or white) in a round shape of a diameter of about 8 inches.

Divide the prepared dough into 6 equal sized balls.

Method

Grease the plastic sheets with little oil. (This is done to prevent the roti from sticking on the sheet). Put a ball in between the plastic sheets with the greased part inside and roll it like a roti with a very soft hand with a rolling pin. Don’t make it very thin.

Heat the tawa/flat pan. Remove the above sheet slowly and place the other sheet on your hand with the roti facing your hand. Now slowly remove the top sheet and place the roti on hot tawa.

Cook it on tawa by putting little oil/ghee on both sides.

Ragi paratha is ready to be served with raita/chutney/pickle/sauce.

Check out stuffed paneer kulcha, if you are looking out for something stuffed with Paneer.

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Keep looking for lots of interesting recipes.

Paneer Makhmali

Yes, the name speaks for the delicacy!!! And when it comes out of the kitchen, the rich and creamy taste would tuck you to it and you would be the shine at the dining.

I had this at a restaurant and just loved it. I made this by my own thinking and the taste followed!!! So here is the recipe for Paneer Makhmali…

Ingredients

Paneer (Cottage Cheese) – 200gm

Onion – 2 (medium size)

Garlic - 4-5 pods

Green Chili – half (medium size)

Cashew nuts – fistful

Cinnamon Stick – 1 (half inch)

Oil- 1tbsp

Sugar – 1 tsp or as per taste

Salt – As per taste

Preparation

Divide paneer in two parts. Grate one part and cut small cubes of the other half.

Make onion, garlic, green chili paste.

Soak cashews in little water and grind it to paste.

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Put cinnamon stick and then add onion, garlic, green chili paste to it. Cook till it leaves the raw smell and the oil oozes out.

Now add cashew paste and salt to it and cook for few more mins. Add little water if the gravy is too thick. Put little sugar in it and stir nicely to get smooth gravy.

Put grated paneer into it and stir well then finally add paneer cubes and let it simmer for few seconds.

Paneer Makhmali is ready to be savored. Garnish with coriander leaves and onion rings and serve hot.

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Kulfi Kesar Badam – Dry Fruits Ice Cream – Candy

Summer is on its way. Searching for something quenching from the scorching Sun…So here you find the right delight! Kesar badam Kulfi (Ice Cream) is super simple to make and equally satisfying.

Ingredients:

Milk – 4 cups

Sugar – ¾ cup

Cashews – fistful

Pistachios – fistful

Almonds – fistful (soak in hot water and remove the skin)

Saffron strands – few (soak in little milk and keep aside)

Cardamom Powder – ¼ tsp

Corn Flour – 1tsp

Preparation:

Grind the blanched almonds, cashews and pistachios together by putting little milk to get a coarse mixture.

Method:

Take milk in a pan. Boil it, till it reduces to half, on low flame. Keep stirring in between.

Put sugar in it and cook little more till it gets dissolved.

Now add the dry fruit mixture, cardamom powder and the dissolved saffron and cook  for 2-3 mins and stir nicely.

Now dissolve corn flour in 1tbsp water and add it to the above mixture and cook for 2-3 mins till it starts thickening. The final mixture should be really thick.

Let the mixture cool and then fill it in the kulfi moulds or put it in an aluminum container with lid and put it in the freezer. It will take around 6-7 hours to set.

To take the kulfi out from the mould, put the mould in a bowl of water for few seconds. Enjoy!!!

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Instant Paneer Kulcha

Kulcha had always been a mystery to me before I made this “instant paneer kulcha”…So here is the mystery demystified!

Ingredients:

All purpose flour (maida) – 200gm (2 cups)

Semolina (suji) – 50 gm ( ½   cup)

Water – (¼  + ½ )cup

Baking Powder – 1 ½ tsp

Salt – 1 tsp

Sugar – 1 tsp

For stuffing (filling):

Cottage Cheese (Paneer) – 100gm (grated or mashed)

Coriander Leaves – 2 tbsp (finely chopped)

Green Chilly – 2 tsp (finely chopped)

Red Chilly Powder – ½ tsp

Black Pepper Powder – ¼ tsp

Salt – to taste

Method:

Soak semolina and sugar in ¼ cup water. Mix well and keep it aside for 15 mins.

Sift maida and baking powder. Add salt and sugar semolina mixture to it. Bind it into a soft dough using ½ cup water. Do not knead.

Brush some oil on the dough, cover it with a moist cloth and leave it for at least 30 mins.

Prepare the stuffing/filling by mixing all the ingredients mentioned above.

Heat the tandoor for 2-3 mins on high flame.(I used bati tandoor, you can also use electric oven)

Divide the dough in 8 equal sized balls. Take a ball, flatten it a little and fill the stuffing inside it and close it. (Like the way we do for stuffed paratha.) Now flatten it like a chapatti/roti using maida. Dust off the extra maida. Remember not to make the kulcha very thin.

Place it in the hot tandoor and cook on low flame. Cook from both the sides till light brown specks appear.

Grease with butter and serve with any side dish.

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Steamed Banana Cake (Eggless)

Yes, you can bake by steaming method also!!! It is really quick and easy way to make a spongy and moist cake which is delicious and yummy. When I read about it, I was so excited to make it as it was super simple and less messy. And after I baked by this method, my family keeps on demanding it more and more!!!

It is actually a Chinese way of making cake.

So enjoy the super tasty and healthy, steamed banana cake –

Preparation Time – 10 min              Cooking Time – 20 mins

Ingredients:

All purpose flour (maida) – 100 gm

Sugar- 50 gm (powdered)

Ripe Banana – 1 big or 2 small (mashed)

Milk – ¼ cup

Water – 2 -3 tsp

Oil – 1 tsp (any flavourless oil)

Baking Powder – 2 tsp

Raisins or choco chips or tutti fruti– 1tsp (optional)

Pan – greased and dusted with flour

Method:

 Sieve baking powder and flour together, twice and keep it.

Keep the steamer ready. (You can use any utensil like cooker, deep pan or kadai 
for steaming.) Put water in it and bring it to rolling boil.

In a bowl mix all the ingredients except flour and raisins or choco chips.

Beat them all until well combined.

Now add flour and mix gently. Add raisins or choco chips. Check for no lumps in 
the batter. It should be smooth.

Now pour the batter in the greased pan and steam for 15-20 min. Check with a 
toothpick by inserting in the center of the cake. It should come out clean.

When the cake is done, remove from the steamer and allow it to cool for about 20 
mins. The cake will leave the sides of the pan by itself and then invert it on a plate.

 Serve warm. 

It can be stored only for a day in the fridge.

Tips:

Bring all the ingredients to room temperature.

Put enough water in the steamer so that it doesn’t get all dried up in between.

Do not beat after mixing the flour. Just mix it slowly so that no lumps are there.

Do not cover the cake pan. Only cover the utensil in which you are steaming.

Do not open the lid while steaming.

 If using cooker, don’t use rubber ring (gasket) and whistle.

You can top it up with butter frosting, or just have it plain and enjoy the divine taste!

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Baby Corn Capsicum Masala (Stir Fry)

Looking for a delicious treat for dinner!!! Or something new for children which has the goodness of veggies in it…Then the crunchy taste of baby corn capsicum masala will only get you a lot of compliments and the finger licking moments!!!

Ingredients:

·   Baby Corns – 10-12 (cut in pieces)

·   Capsicum – 1 big or 2 small (cut in pieces)

·   Onion – 2 medium size (finely cut)

·   Tomatoes - 2 medium size (pureed)

·   Ginger Garlic Green Chilly Paste (3G paste!)–  2 tbsp

·   Cloves – 2

·   Cinnamon – 1 inch stick

·   Oil – 1+1 tbsp

·   Cumin (jeera) – ½ tsp

·   Coriander powder – 1tsp

·   Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp

·   Red chilly powder – to taste

·   Salt – to taste

·   Cashew nuts – fistful

Method:

·   Soak Cashew nuts for 15-20 mins and make a smooth paste.

·   Heat oil in a pan. Put cumin seeds, turmeric powder  and then add baby corn to it. Sauté for 3-4 mins on low flame. Then add capsicum and a pinch of salt and again sauté for 3-4 mins on low flame. Transfer it in a plate.

·   Again heat oil in a pan and put cloves and cinnamon in it. Add the 3G paste and sauté for a minute.

·   To this add the onions and sauté for 2-3 mins.

·   Now put the tomato puree into it and cook till it leaves the raw smell of tomatoes.

·   Now add cashew nut paste, red chilly powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix well and cook till the masala is really uniform. If the gravy is too thick, add little water to it.

·   Now at the end, add baby corn and capsicum. Mix well and cook for 2-3 mins.

·   Do the taste test for salt and spices.

·   Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapatti, paratha, naan, or rice.

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Walnut Chocolate Fudge (Homemade chocolate)

The best way to satisfy your chocolate tooth cravings!!!

I bet, you will only be left with that heavenly taste of chocolate and walnuts in your mind. And you will always desire to make it more, so that it lasts for more.

It was really difficult to stop myself from having it all at one go!!!

Super simple to prepare…

Preparation Time – 5 mins.

Cooking Time – 5 mins

Ingredients:

·   Sweetened Condensed Milk - 200gm

·   Cocoa Powder – 1tbsp

·   Butter (unsalted) – 1tbsp

·   Walnuts – ¼ cup (coarsely grinded)

·   Vanilla Essence – ¼ tsp

·   Greased Plate – to set the fudge

Method:

·   Take a deep pan. Put butter, condensed milk, cocoa powder and vanilla essence in it.

·   Cook on high heat for 1-2 mins, while stirring all the time.

·   Cook till soft ball consistency. (A blob of it dropped in a cup of cold water should set at the bottom and spread.)

·   Take it off the heat and mix in the walnuts.

·   Put immediately in the greased plate to set.

·   Leave it to cool for about 6-7 hrs.

·   Cut it in desired shapes or just have it like that!!!!

It should be stored in the refrigerator and taken out at the time of eating.

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