Tip of the Week

For all of you bake a lot, this is useful one. Sometimes when you bake with egg, cakes or cookies smell like egg. For this add one tbsp. of honey while beating or making the flour dough. It will also be good substitute for sugar. If you want to use honey instead of sugar, you have to check the measurements.

Honey one of natural sweetener, consists of several components: fructose, glucose, maltose and sucrose. It is 25 to 50% sweeter than sugar, and has a distinctive flavor. The flavors and colors of honey can vary depending upon the bees' diet--buckwheat honey, for example, is darker and stronger than clover honey. Baked goods made with honey are moist and dense, and tend to brown faster than those made with granulated sugar. Use ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon honey in place of 1 cup sugar, and reduce the other liquid ingredients by 2 tablespoons. Unless the recipe includes sour cream or buttermilk, add a pinch of baking soda to neutralize the acidity.

Brownie Biscotti

This semi-homemade biscotti is worth a try. Its amazingly good with coffee and tea or even iced tea.

Ingredients

1. 1 Pack of Brownie Mix (Chocolate Cappuccino)

2. 2 eggs

3. ½ cup of sliced almonds

4. 1 ½ cup of all purpose flour

5. 1 stick i.e. ½ cup of butter or margarine melted (unsalted)

6. ½ cup of chocolate chips (optional)

7. 1 tsp of vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat the oven at 350.

2. In a mixing bowl add flour and brownie mix ( I used Archer Farm’s Chocolate Cappuccino flavor with chocolate chips)

3. Add chocolate chips and almonds, sift it.

4. Now in a separate bowl add butter and eggs and whisk.

5. Then add vanilla extract to egg mixture.

6. Now add wet ingredients in dry slowly and mix with hand or mixer.

7. Mix it well to the extent of firm dough.

8. Form it in a ball and cut in two halves.

9. Now take the first half and make it as vertical stick and press it lightly to form a long thin rectangle.

10. Do it for the second and place both of them on baking sheet on the parchment paper or foil.

12. After baking it for 30 minutes remove them from oven and let it cool for 6-8 minutes.

13. Now cut them diagonally for about 1 inch.

14. Place them on the baking sheet again and bake them for another 10 minutes.

15. Now turn off the oven and let the biscotti’s sit there in warm oven for about 30 minutes. This will crisp the biscotti’s.

16. Take them out now, and cool them for 2 hours before serving.

17. Store in air tight container and serve with coffee and milk.

-Chitra

Tip of the Week

Whenever you cook your red meat (mutton) add a piece of pineapple and a piece of raw papaya, in this way it will be cooking fast and soft and adds different natural sweet flavor to it.

Velvet Mashed Potatoes with Read Beans

Ingredients

1. ½ cup of medium boiling potatoes

2. ¾ cup milk

3. ½ pack of cream cheese (cubed and softened at room temperature)

4. ½ cup of butter (softened at room temperature)

5. ½ tsp of salt

6. ½ tsp of freshly grounded black pepper

7. 1 tbsp of finely chopped dill.

Directions

1. Peel the potatoes and cube them and keep them in bowl.

2. Heat 2 cups of water and boil it.

3. Add 1 tsp of salt and add potatoes.

4. Cook them on medium heat for 30 minutes or till tender.

5. In a large bowl add the boiled potatoes and mash them very well.

6. In a separate bowl add milk, butter, cream cheese, dill and salt and pepper.

7. Now start adding the wet ingredients in potatoes by stirring well in between to make the mashed potatoes light and fluffy.

8. Put the mashed potatoes in centre of plate and pour the beans soup all over it.

9. I used the beans soup which I had some leftover from my lunch; you can make any gravy item for this like chicken soup of vegetable soup or serve like that also as a side with grilled fish or chicken.

-Chitra

Tip of the Week

For keeping paneer in refrigerator for longer time, cut in smaller pieces and add warm water. Keep on changing water every day. By this way you can store for 4-5 days.

Mung Daal Pakoras/Green Gram fritters

Ingredients

1. 1 cup of mung daal / split green gram lentil soaked for 30 minutes – 1 hour

2. Salt to taste

3. A pinch of turmeric

4. 1 tsp of eno fruit salt (if you cannot find from any Indian store let the batter ferment overnight)

5. 5 green chilies

6. 1 grated reddish with its leaves / mooli

7. ½ cup of chopped fresh mint leaves

Directions

1. Grind the soaked daal and make it thick batter add water if it is really thick.

2. Add salt to taste, turmeric and eno while grinding so that it mixes well.

3. In the mean while in a deep dish pan add 3 cups of oil for frying the fritters.

4. Now when the oil is hot take a small ice cream scooper (1 tbsp size) and dip in warm water.

5. Keep on dropping the batter in oil. Do small batches. Keep dipping scooper in warm water in between so that batter does not stick so much.

6. Now dip green chilies in the batter and fry them too.

7. Serve them hot with grated reddish and chopped mint leaves on sides and spicy mint chutney and some sweet chutney.

-Chitra

Tandoori Chicken Kebabs

Ingredients

1. ½ kg of boneless , skinless chicken pieces thoroughly washed

2. 2 tbsp of tomato ketchup

3. 3 tbsp of hung curd

4. 2 tbsp of tandoori chicken masala / chicken masala

5. Salt and red chili powder to taste

6. 1 tbsp of mango/amchoor powder

7. 1 tbsp of cilantro/dhaniya leaves chopped up

8. 1 tbsp of ginger and garlic minced

9. ½ cup of lemon juice

10. 2 tbsp of oil

Directions

1. In a zip lock bag add all the dry spices and shake it well.

2. Pierced the chicken pieces well with fork for all the spices to blend in.

3. In the zip lock bag add ketchup, curd, ginger garlic, and oil and lemon juice.

4. Shake it well and then add chicken pieces.

5. Toss it well with tongs and let it marinate for 4-8 hrs or overnight.

6. Preheat the oven at 350 for 10 minutes.

7. Take the foil paper and set the grill on it.

8. Take out the chicken and let it sit on grill for 5 minutes so that juices come down on foil paper.

9. Now grill the chicken for 40-50 minutes, until it is golden brown.

10. Serve hot with pudina/mint chutney, onion rings and lemon wedges.

-Chitra

Almond Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

1. ½ cup of granulated sugar

2. ½ cup of brown sugar

3. ½ cup of peanut butter (chunky optional)

4. ¼ cup of shortening

5. ¼ cup butter softened

6. 1 egg

7. 1 ¼ cup of all purpose flour

8. ¾ tsp baking soda

9. ½ tsp baking powder

10. 1 cup of sliced almonds

11. ¼ tsp salt

Directions

1. Mix wet ingredients peanut butter, shortening and egg and butter in a bowl.

2. In a bigger bowl add sugar, salt and flour and almonds.

3. Add baking powder and baking soda into the dry ingredients.

4. Now mix all wet ingredients in dry ingredients, add slowly and mix well.

5. Form the dough, cover it and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

6. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

7. Take the dough in 1 tsp of round spoon and keep dropping on ungreased cookie sheet.

8. After all the balls are made, flatten with fork in crisscross pattern.

9. Bake the cookies for about 9 – 10 minutes or until the sides are golden brown.

10. Cool for 5 minutes and then remove from cookie sheet.

11. Store in air tight containers and serve with milk, tea or coffee

-Chitra

Butter Tangri Chicken / Butter Drumsticks

My husband and my brother love butter chicken, so I had to learn this. I went through all the recipes and combined few and came up with my version. It came out so yummy that even the bowls were licked…hope you will like it too.

Ingredients

For Marinating

1. ½ kg (500 gms) skinless Chicken(you can use boneless if you want, I used the Chicken thigh and drumsticks only)

2. 1 lemon (juice)

3. ½ tsp of red chili powder / cayenne pepper

4. Salt to taste

5. 1 ½ cup of fresh hung curd

6. 2 tbsp of heavy cream

7. 1 tbsp of ginger minced

8. 1tbsp of garlic minced

9. 1 tbsp of kasuri methi/dried fenugreek leaves

10. Pinch of red –orange food color

11. 1 tsp of garam masala

For Gravy Paste

1. 4 medium fresh red tomatoes

2. 1 cup tomato ketchup

3. 2 big red onions puree

4. 2 tbsp ginger paste

5. 2 tbsp of garlic paste

6. 3 tbsp white / unsalted butter

7. 1 tbsp fresh cream

8. Salt to taste

9. 1 tsp red chili powder

10. 3 tbsp fresh cashew nut paste

11. ½ tsp turmeric powder

12. 1 tsp dhania / coriander powder

13. 1 tbsp kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves

14. 2 tsp garam masala powder

15. 1 bay leaf dry or fresh

16. 2 cloves

17. ½ tsp of sugar

Directions

1. Wash the chicken pieces well; poke them with fork for marinating well.

2. Take a zip lock bag and add marinating wet and dry items and shake it well.

3. Now add the chicken to it and toss, keep this in fridge aside(minimum 6-8 hrs or overnight)

4. Grill the chicken pieces for 40 minutes, 20 minutes each side by rubbing oil on each side.

5. For gravy paste now take 2 cups of water and boil now add fresh tomatoes (halved).

6. When they turn little soft remove from flame and throw the water in another bowl.

7. Cool the tomatoes and peel them and puree them. Keep it aside.

8. Now dip the cashews in warm water for 15 minutes and then make the paste of it.

9. Puree the blanched onions.

10. In a non stick pan heat the butter on low heat. (Let it melt slowly)

11. Add the bay leaf and cloves.

12. When they change little color add ginger and garlic paste. Let the garlic cook for two minutes.

13. Add Onion paste and sauté till light brown.

14. Now add fresh tomato puree.

15. Stir it well and then add tomato ketchup.

16. Let it cook for 10 minutes so that it reduces down.

17. Add red color and chili powder.

18. Add crushed kasuri methi, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala.

19. Now sugar and add the cashew paste and stir for two minutes.

20. Add salt to taste and a ½ cup of water (which was left for tomatoes to blanch) and let it cook on medium heat till you get the desired curry consistency.

21. Add the chicken pieces and simmer for 10 minutes on low heat with closed lid.

22. Garnish with fresh cream.

23. Serve the Butter Tangri Chicken with Naan (Indian flat bread) or plain steamed rice.

TIP :- To puree the onions for curry, skin the onions and blanch them in hot water for 3 - 4 minutes then puree them to form a paste. It will give good paste rather dry oinions.

-Chitra

Egg Pasta

Ingredients

1. 3 boiled eggs

2. 2 cups of colored pasta al dente

3. Salt and black pepper to taste

4. 1 tsp of chili flakes

5. 2 tbsp of tomato sauce

6. 1 tsp of garlic minced

7. 1 tsp of garlic powder

8. 1 tsp of red chili sauce

Directions

1. While pasta and egg get boiled you can make the sauce ready.

2. In a non stick pan add 1 tbsp of olive oil, on low flame adds garlic and chili flakes so that it does burn, just flavors the oil.

3. When garlic turns little pink add tomato sauce, and garlic powder, salt and pepper.

4. Mash one egg in the pan and add the pasta to it.

5. Toss it well add the chili sauce to it.

6. Garnish with thinly cut slices of boiled egg.

-Chitra