Nutty Flapjacks

Ingredients:-

Quick rolling oats 1 cup

Roasted and chopped nuts 1/2 cup (almonds,walnuts and cashewnuts)

Raisins 2 tbsp

Brown sugar 1/2 cup

Butter 1/4 cup

A pinch of salt

Method:-

Cream the butter,sugar and salt in a bowl until soft and creamy.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Grease a shallow square tin with butter.

Pour the mixture into the tin and press it evenly.

Bake in a pre-heated microwave oven at 180 degrees for approx.20 minutes.

Remove from the microwave and allow to cool slightly.

Mark into thick pieces using a knief.

Loosen around the edges.When firm break into pieces.

Kids will like these.

Recipe source:-Healthy snacks for kids by Tarladalal

Chicken Methi

Ingredients:-

Chicken 1 medium sized

Onions 2 chopped

Ginger and garlic paste 2 tbsp

Green chillies 2

Yogurt 1 cup

Oil 2 tbsp

Bay leaves 2

Green cardamoms 2

Black cardamoms 2

Cloves 3

Cinnamon 1 inch stick

Peppercorns 5

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder 1 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tbsp

Garam masala 1 tsp

Kasoori methi 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Method of preparation:-

Clean and cut chicken into medium size pcs

Whisk yogurt well.

Heat oil in a pan.Add bay leaves,green cardamoms,black cardamoms,cloves,cinnamon and peppercorns.Saute till cardamoms start to crackle.

Add onions fry till translucent and soft.Add ginger garlic paste,turmeric powder,red chilli powder,coriander powder and chopped green chillies.Saute for a minute.

Add chicken pieces and yogurt and cook on high heat for 5-6 minutes.

Add kasoori methi and 3/4 cup water.

Cover the pan and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.Add garam masala powder,salt and mix well.

I served this curry with veg fried rice and the recipe of veg fried rice is here

A Day To Celebrate with Gulab Jamoons

25th Jan 2009 is the day when i started my blog.It's been a wonderful year.Posted 181 post with 200+ recipes.My blogging all started when i met my classmate in a social networking site.The journey so far has been wonderful and entertaining.In this virtual world met so many like minded people and brought close to few of them.Hugs to all my readers and friends and special hugs to Padma rekha of plantain leaf and Lubna of yummy food,without support from you both i don't think i would have completed one year of blogging.

I am celebrating my blog anniversary with gulab jamoon.The recipe i got it from a omani friend.I have tried making gulab jamoons many times and not once i got it right.Then one day i was cleaning my old hand bag and i got a paper which has this recipe written by my omani friend 7 years back.7 long years the recipe was laying with me and i was searching for a perfect and easy recipe to make jamoons.The jamoons came out very well with this recipe and i am making them again on 1st feb on my daughter's birthday.

Ingredients:-

Milk powder 2 cups

Maida 2tsp

Oil 1tsp

Eggs 2

Baking powder 2tsp

Sugar 2 cups

Water 1cup

Method:-

Beat egg and keep aside

Mix milk powder,maida and baking powder

Slowly add egg to the milk powder and make a soft dough (don't just add the entire egg to the milk powder,slowly with tablespoon add the egg and if egg is left discard it)

Apply oil to the hands and make small balls.

Heat a pan with enough oil for deep frying.Once the oil is hot,minimise the heat.

Fry jamoons in low heat only carefully turning them.When they are fried on high,inside of the jamoons are not cooked,so always they have to be fried on low heat.

Meanwhile mix water and sugar and let it come to one boil.Remove from the stove.

Once jamoons are light brown in colour transfer them into the sugar syrup.

Can be served immediately or can be served later.

I love to eat gulab jamoons hot and with vanilla ice cream.

I am grateful to you all who visit my blog,read and comment.Your comments are like back bone to my blog,without your comments i don't think i would have completed one year of blogging.

Kashmiri Dahi Baingan

Brinjal is my favourite veg and no one eat this veg at home.When ever i am with my mom she makes brinjal curry for me.This recipe i got it from Sanjeev Kapoor's book and the picture tempted me to attempt this curry.The taste is wonderful and goes very well with hot parathas or rotis.Here is the recipe..

Ingredients:-

Brinjals (long variety) 6-8 medium sized
Yogurt 2 cups
Salt to taste
Oil 2 tbsp + to deep fry
Asafoetida 1/4 tsp
Green cardamoms 3-4
Fennel (saunf) 1/2 tsp
Dry ginger powder 1/2 tbsp
Kashmiri red chilli powder 2 tsps


Method of preparation:-

1.Wash and cut brinjals into lengthways and keep in water until further use.
2.Wisk yogurt and salt together.Pat dry brinjals on kitchen towel.
3.Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry brinjals until golden light brown.
4.Heat 2 tbsp and add asafoetida and green cardamoms.Stir fry briefly and immediately add the wisked yogurt.
5.Stir in fennel,dry ginger and red chilli powders.
6.Cook on medium heat for two to three minutes and add fried brinjals.
7.Reduce heat and cook covered for three to four minutes.
Serve hot with parathas or roties.

Gobhi Kasoori

Ingredients:-

Cauliflower 1 (medium sized)
Dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) 1/4 cup
Onions 2
Ginger and garlic paste 1 tbsp
Green chillies 4
Tomatoes 2
Oil 1 tbsp + to deep fry
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Yogurt 1/2 cup
Salt

Method:-

Wash and cut cauliflower into florets.Keep in salted water for 10 minutes.

Chop onions and tomatoes.

Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep fry the cauliflower florets until golden brown.Remove onto an absorbent paper to remove excess oil.

Roast kasoori methi on a tawa on medium heat.Cool slightly and powder.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan,add mustard seeds,when they crackle add onions and cook until golden brown in colour.Add green chillies and saute along with onions.

Add ginger garlic paste,stir for a minute.

Add tomatoes and stir for 2-3 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup water,cover and cook.

Add coriander powder,turmeric powder,salt and mix well.Add yogurt,stir and cook on high heat for 5 minutes.

Lastly add fried cauliflower and mix well.Add kasoori methi powder and mix.

Cook for 5-7 minutes and serve hot with paratha and roti.

Beetroot Cake

Belated happy new year and pongal wishes to all my friends and readers.This is the first time that i took a long break in this one year of blogging.Went for a short vacation to my home town and it was short and sweet.Kids had a great time with ammamma(granny) and my sister family.Kid one cried a lot when we were coming back which i do very often and this time i controlled myself but kids couldn't.

This cake was supposed to go to mahima's event but i was away and didn't had net connection at mom's place.

Ingredients:-

Plain flour 1 cup

Beetroot 1/2 cup (grated)

Sugar 1/2 cup

Egg 2

Butter 1/4 cup

Baking powder 1 tsp

Salt 1/2 tsp

Almonds 5 (peeled and grated)

Milk 1/2 cup

Method:-

Mix all the dry ingredients.

Beat egg until fluffy and add butter.Mix throughly.

Slowly add egg and grated beetroot in the flour.Mix throughly.

To get thick and pouring consistency add milk.Don't just add the entire milk,slowly add milk to get the proper consistency and if still milk is left just dont add it to the batter.

Spoon the batter into the tin (baking tin buttered and dusted with flour)

Sprinkle grated almonds and bake for 45 minutes at 180 degrees in microwave convention mode.