ALOO SAMOSA (POTATO SAMOSA)

Samosas are one of the most tastiest Indian snacks. There are different types of samosas depending on the flour used, the vegetables and spices used for the filling, and the method in which they are made. I am giving below the recipe of the potato samosa we make at home. The outer part is crunchy while the inner potato mixture just melts in the mouth.

Ingredients

For the dough

¾ cup wheat flour
½ tbsp semolina flour (sooji) (optional)
¼ tsp salt
11/2 tbsp oil
¼ cup lukewarm water

For the filling

3 large potatoes boiled and cut into small pieces
4 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp dry mango powder
3 tbsp chopped Coriander leaves

Method

First take the potatoes, wash and cut them into halves. Then pressure cook the potatoes with water and ¼ tsp salt for about 7 minutes. Then make the dough. For this add all the ingredients for the dough in a bowl except water. Then add water little by little and keep kneading till you get a firm and smooth dough. Once done, close the bowl with a lid and set aside.

Then peel the boiled potatoes and cut them into small cubes and set aside. Now heat oil in a frying pan, and then add cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and ¼ tsp salt. Then add the boiled potatoes and mix well. Finally add dry mango powder, garam masala powder and the chopped coriander leaves. Mix well. The potato filling is now ready. Allow it to cool down.

Then take the dough, and divide it into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a circle and cut it into half. Form each semicircle into a cone and fill 1/8th of the potato mixture into it. Seal the edges of the samosa by applying water on one edge and overlapping it over the other edge. Make sure that the potato mixture does not come out. In this way make all the 8 samosas.

Then heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat and fry the samosas 2 or 3 at a time. Cook till they are golden brown in colour. Serve hot with tomato sauce.

VEGETABLE CUTLET

Cutlets are a great favourite of mine and my mother’s cutlets are simply yummy. They are very easy to make and can be made a day earlier, refrigerated and fried the next day. It is a good option especially when you have guests coming to your home. This recipe makes approximately 25 cutlets.


Ingredients

6 potatoes
2 carrots chopped
8 beans chopped
50 nos peas
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbsp chaat masala
Bread crumbs
Coriander leaves chopped

Method

First wash all the vegetables. Then cut the potatoes into half and boil them along with salt in a pressure cooker for 5 minutes. Then remove the skin and mash the potatoes. Set aside.
Then clean and chop the other vegetables and boil them along with salt for 5 minutes in a pressure cooker.

Once the vegetables are cooked, transfer them to a bowl and mix all the vegetables well with the mashed potatoes. Then add coriander leaves and chaat masala. Mix well. If necessary add some salt. When all the vegetables are mixed well with the masala, make finger sized rolls, roll them in bread crumbs and set aside. Once done, refrigerate them for at least 2 hours and deep fry them till they are cooked. Serve the cutlets with tomato sauce.

BUTTER CHICKEN

Butter chicken or Murgh makhani is a very popular dish. Traditional recipes of this dish requires long preparation process and cooking time... I have given below a recipe which reduces both but the dish tastes simply superb... This recipe is not for the calorie conscious because it is loaded with butter and oil...

Serves = 6 


Ingredients

1 whole chicken cut into small pieces

2 onions chopped

2 tomatoes pureed

1 tbsp ginger paste

1 tbsp garlic paste

10 cashew nuts, ground to paste

1 1/2 tbsp butter

3 tbsp cream

1 tsp red chilli powder

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves

3/4 cup oil

Oil for frying


For the marinade 

5 tbsp curd

1 tbsp garam masala

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp cumin powder

Method

Marinate the chicken in the marinade for an hour. Heat oil in a pan and fry the chicken until done. Keep aside. You can also use a skewer to grill the chicken pieces in an oven. This will add an extra taste to the chicken and reduce the calories.

Then heat oil in a pan, add onions, cook for some time, then add garlic and ginger paste and cook till the raw smell goes. Then add cashew paste, tomato paste and red chilli powder and cook for 10 minutes. Then add butter, cream and salt. Mix well, then add the chicken pieces and cook till done. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapathi or naan.

Tip:

If you are in a hurry and want to make this curry in a jiffy, then you can follow this method. Just take a pressure cooker, heat oil and add onions, garlic and ginger paste, saute for about 1 minute. Then add cashew paste, tomato paste, red chilli powder, salt, butter, and cream and mix well. Then add the uncooked chicken pieces which have been marinated directly along with the marinade. ( You are doing this to save time so you don't need to deep fry them). Mix well and cook for a minute. Then add coriander leaves and about 2 cups of water. Close the lid and cook for 10 minutes. Serve hot with roti, chapathi or naan.

SPICY CHICKEN

Serves = 4
Ingredients

For the marinade
500 gm chicken cut into small pieces
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 cup curd
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp salt

For the gravy
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter
1 big onion finely chopped
2 tsp garlic paste
2 tsp ginger paste
4 red tomatoes pureed
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chicken 65 masala
3 tbsp roasted gram powder (phutane powder)
1 bunch coriander leaves

Method

Mix all the ingredients of the marinade in a bowl and set aside for 2 to 3 hours. By this time the chicken would have absorbed the flavours of the other ingredients. If you wish, you can increase the marinating time to 5 to 6 hours and place it in the refrigerator. The longer the marinating time, the more delicious is its taste. But if there is not enough time 2 hours would do.

To prepare the gravy, heat butter and oil in a pan, add onions and saute till it turns golden. Now add garlic paste, ginger paste and saute till the raw smell goes. Next add cumin powder and tomato puree. Stir well and cook till oil starts separating. Now carefully add the chicken mix to the pan and stir well. Add 1 ½ cups of water and bring the gravy to a boil. Reduce the heat, close a lid and cook for 5 to 10 minutes till the chicken is done. Now add garam masala powder, chicken 65 masala and coriander leaves. Mix well. When the gravy starts thickening, add roasted gram powder. Cook for 5 more minutes stirring occasionally. Serve hot with naan, chapathi, rice or Biryani.

FISH CURRY

Fish is a rich source of proteins and Omega 3 fatty acids which  are very good for the body. It is low in fat and is also rich in calcium and minerals. Hence it is recommended over other meats like lamb and chicken meat which contain fats. I have given below a simple recipe to make fish curry. The list of ingredients is long, but it gets done really fast and tastes delicious.


Ingredients

300 gms fish cleaned and washed
2 tbsp oil
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
2 cardamoms
2 to 3 cloves
5 to 6 peppercorns
1 large onion
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp fennel powder
4 tomatoes deseeded
2 tbsp poppy seeds soaked in water for 10 minutes
½ cup curd
2 tbsp coconut paste
1 tsp garam masala powder
Salt
A handful chopped coriander leaves
½ tsp lime juice (optional)

Method

Chop the onions into small pieces and puree the tomatoes along with poppy seeds.

Heat oil in a pan, add bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, peppercorns, and cinnamon. Saute for some time. Then add onions and saute till onions turn golden. Now add garlic paste, ginger paste and mix well. Next add tomato puree- poppy seeds paste, red chilli powder, cumin powder, fennel powder and salt. Then add curd, fish pieces and mix well. Cook for a 5 minutes. Finally add coconut paste, garam masala, coriander leaves and 2 cups of water. Cook for 5 more minutes, then reduce the heat, close a lid and let it cook for 2 more minutes or till the fish is cooked. Add lime juice (optional) and serve hot with rice.

GRILLED FISH ON TAVA

Grilling is a cooking method which involves minimal utilization of oil and hence is better compared to deep frying. Grilling is commonly done in an oven, but we can also use a tava or a non stick pan for grilling. The plus point of using a tava for grilling is that the food gets cooked really fast. Moreover if we use a pan with grill marks we get a real grill effect. 

This recipe uses very few ingredients and we have added little bit of tomato sauce to increase the flavour and taste. Grilled fish on a tava gets cooked in less than 10 minutes and tastes delicious.


Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 2 to 3 hours
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

4 large slices of king fish
¾ tsp salt
2 tsp red chilli powder
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp water
Tomato sauce
1 ½ tbsps oil

Method:

Wash and clean the fish slices several times with water. Then add ¼ tsp turmeric powder and ¼ tsp salt to the water and soak the fish slices in it for few seconds. Wash and drain the excess water and keep the slices ready in a plate.

Make a thick paste using red chilli powder, salt, lime juice and water. (Adjust the proportions according to your choice). Take the fish slices and apply the paste evenly on both sides. Place it on a plate, close a lid and set aside for 2 to 3 hours.

After marinating time is over, take the fish slices one by one and apply ¼ tsp of tomato sauce on each side. Heat oil in a tava or non stick pan, spread oil evenly, and carefully place all the four fish slices leaving some space in between. Cook for about 2 minutes in high flame, then reduce the heat and close a lid and cook for 2 more minutes. Then carefully turn the fish slices to the other side and close the lid. Cook again for 2 to 3 minutes in low flame. By this time the fish would have got cooked. If not cook the fish for few more minutes. (Do not keep turning the fish repeatedly as it might break). Transfer to a plate and serve hot.

PAV BHAJI recipe

Buns (pav) toasted in butter and served with hot and spicy gravy (bhaji) is a very popular Indian snack. The recipe of making the delicious bhaji is given below. It is very easy to make and can also be had with chapathis.
 
Serves: 4
Ingredients

3 potatoes

¾ cup peas

½ cup carrots chopped

½ a capsicum chopped

½ tbsp garlic paste

½ tbsp ginger paste

3 tbsp oil

1 tbsp butter

2 big tomatoes washed and pureed

2 onions finely chopped

1 tsp red chilli powder

(1 tsp fennel seed powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

¼ tsp turmeric powder) or 1 tbsp pav bhaji masala powder

1 tsp Salt or to taste

3 tbsp Coriander leaves

Method

Steam the potatoes, peas and carrots, when the vegetables are slightly warm, mash them coarsely and set aside. Heat oil in a pan, add 1½ onion, sauté for some time, then add garlic and ginger paste. Mix well, and add capsicums, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, fennel seed and cumin powder. Cook for a minute, then add tomato puree and mix well. Cook till the oil separates. Then add the vegetables, 1 tbsp butter and mix. Now add 2 cups water, salt, garam masala powder, and bring to a boil. Add coriander leaves, close a lid and cook under low heat for 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped onions and coriander leaves. Serve hot with lemon wedges and butter roasted buns (not in the picture).

CAULIFLOWER/ GOBI MANCHURIAN

Cauliflower is a versatile vegetable and adds flavour and taste to any dish. It can be steamed, boiled, fried or roasted. Cauliflower Manchurian or Gobi Manchurian is very popular dish in India. It can be served as a starter or with fried rice or noodles.


Ingredients

1 cauliflower cut into small florets
4 tbsp corn flour
2 to 3 tbsp All purpose flour (maida)
½ tsp Red chilli powder
¼ tsp Salt
1 tsp Soya sauce
Oil for frying

Adjust the proportion of ingredients depending on the size of the cauliflower. 

For the sauce

2 to 3 tbsp oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
½ tbsp ginger paste
3 tbsp tomato sauce
½ tsp pepper powder
½ tsp salt (or to taste)
Coriander leaves chopped
Spring onion greens chopped

Method

Cut the cauliflower into small florets and keep ready. Boil water along with ¼ tsp salt in a pan and then add the florets. Cook for 2 minutes. Then switch off the gas, close a lid and let the florets remain in hot water for 10 minutes. Now remove the florets from the water and set aside in a bowl.

Next to prepare the batter, take a dry bowl, add cornflour, maida, soya sauce, red chilli powder, and salt and mix well. Add little bit of water and form a thick batter. Check for taste, and adjust the proportions of ingredients if necessary. Now heat oil in a pan, dip the florets one by one in the batter such that it completely covers it and deep fry till golden brown in colour. Transfer to a tissue paper to remove excess oil and repeat till all the cauliflower florets are fried.(You may have to prepare more batter depending on the size of the cauliflower. And make sure that the batter completely covers the florets.)

Now to prepare the sauce, heat oil in pan, add onions and garlic and saute for some time. Next add ginger paste and saute for few seconds. Then add pepper powder, salt, tomato sauce, coriander leaves and spring onions. Mix well and cook for a minute. Check for taste. Finally add 1/4 cup of water, mix well and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or till the sauce starts thickening. Add the fried cauliflower florets only when you are ready to serve. Stir for 2 to 3 minutes and make sure that the sauce completely covers the florets. Serve hot as a starter or with fried rice or noodles.

Note

If you wish to serve it as a gravy, dissolve 1 tbsp corn flour in ¼ cup water and add to the sauce at the end and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

PALAK PANEER recipe

Palak paneer is one of the most popular paneer dishes. It is easy to cook and tastes great with chapathi, roti and naan. 

Serves: 4
Ingredients

16 to 20 paneer cubes fried
A big bunch of Spinach leaves cleaned
1 Big onion chopped
1 Big tomato chopped
½ tbsp garlic paste
½ tbsp ginger paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
½ tsp salt
A pinch of asafoetida
Oil

Method

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan; add onion and sauté till it turns golden. Remove in a bowl and set aside. Then add tomatoes to the same pan, add oil if necessary and sauté for some time, remove in another bowl and set aside. Then add spinach leaves and little oil to the same pan and sauté till the spinach is cooked. Remove from pan into a third bowl. Allow all the three to cool down. Once they have cooled down, grind the three separately into a fine paste.

Then heat 3 tbsp oil in the same pan, add garlic paste and ginger paste and sauté for some time. Then add red chilli powder, salt and the onion paste. Mix well and cook for a minute. Then add tomato paste and ½ cup water. Cook till the raw smell goes. Now add the spinach paste and mix well. Cook for a few seconds. Finally add the fried paneer and bring the gravy to a boil. Reduce heat, close a lid and cook for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

MUTTER PANEER recipe

The mutter paneer that my mother makes is simply delicious. I am sharing it so that others could also make and enjoy.

Serves = 4 
Ingredients

16 to 20 paneer cubes
1 cup green peas
4 tomatoes puréed
1 onion chopped
2 onions made into a paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp pepper powder
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1 cup curd
1/2 tsp salt
Coriander leaves

Method

First cut the paneer into small cubes and then fry it till they are slightly golden in colour. Then take a pan and add 4 tbsp oil and sauté the chopped onion. Then add garlic and ginger paste. Cook for some time. Then add the tomato paste, onion paste, red chilli powder, and salt. Cook till the oil starts leaving the surface. Then add curd. Mix well. Then add the peas and 3 cups of water and bring to a boil. Then add garam masala powder, pepper powder, and the fried paneer cubes. Mix well and sprinkle coriander leaves. Cook in a slow flame for about 10 minutes. Serve hot with chapathi or naan.

How to make CHANA MASALA

Chana masala or chole is a very popular dish often served with pooris or batura. It is very easy to cook and tastes delicious.

Ingredients

100 gms chana/ chickpeas (soaked in water overnight)
3 tbsp oil
1 onion chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tomatoes pureed
¾ tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
2 tbsp chole masala
½ tsp salt
Chopped coriander leaves

Method

Boil the chana in a pressure cooker with water and ¼ tsp salt for 10 minutes. Then heat oil in a pan, add onions and saute for a few minutes. Then add ginger garlic paste and cook till raw smell goes. Now add tomatoes, red chilli powder, coriander powder and cook till oil starts separating. Then add the boiled chickpeas, chole masala and salt. Mix well and cook for a minute. Finally add coriander leaves and 1 to 2 cups water. Bring the gravy to a boil, then reduce heat, close a lid and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot.

FRIED POTATO GRAVY

This is the result of the cooking experiment I did recently. I used many ingredients just to see how they taste together. The end product was really good and surpassed my expectations.

Serves: 4
Ingredients

3 medium potatoes peeled and cut into cubes
1 tomato roughly cut
1 onion roughly cut
1 tbsp sesame seeds (til)
1 tbsp fennel seeds (sounf)
2 red chillies
2 tbsp oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
A pinch of asafoetida
1 ½ tbsp gram flour (besan)
2 tbsp coconut paste
½ cup yoghurt
½ tbsp garlic paste
½ tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¾ tsp red chilli powder
¾ tsp garam masala
Salt
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves


Method

First heat a pan and roast the sesame seeds. Close a lid otherwise they will sputter out. Once done, set aside in a bowl. Then roast the red chillies. When they have cooled down, deseed them and add them to the bowl. Now grind the fennel seeds, cut pieces of onion and tomato, and the roasted sesame seeds and red chillies into a fine paste and set aside.

Then heat oil in a frying pan on medium heat and fry the potatoes till they are slightly golden in colour. Remove on a tissue paper to absorb the excess oil.

Then heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds, asafoetida and gram flour. Mix well. Then add garlic and ginger paste and sauté for some time. Then add the grounded paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. Mix well and cook for about a minute. Now add yoghurt, coconut paste, garam masala powder, coriander leaves and about 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. When it has started boiling, add the potatoes and mix well. Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat, then reduce the heat, close a lid and let it cook for about 10 minutes. Serve hot with chapathi.

STIR FRIED VEGETABLES WITH NOODLES

This is a very simple and easy to cook noodle recipe that can be served either for breakfast or dinner. It gets done in less than 20 minutes and tastes delicious. I have used carrots, beans and capsicums but you can use any vegetable of your choice.


Ingredients

1 packet Hakka noodles (200 gm)
3 to 4 tbsp of oil
1 onion sliced
1 capsicum chopped
1 carrot cut into thin strips
¼ cup chopped beans
1/2 tbsp ginger paste
1/2 tbsp garlic paste
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp chilli sauce
1 tsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder
Salt to taste

Method

Boil water in a pan with 1/2 tsp salt. Add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes. Then close the lid and switch off the gas. Let it sit in hot water for about 5 minutes. Drain the excess water and run it through cold water. To prevent the noodles from sticking, add ½ tsp oil and mix well.


Heat oil in a pan and saute the carrots, beans and capsicums till cooked. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Heat oil in the same pan, add onions and saute till they turn golden. Next add ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes. Now add all the sauces, red chilli powder, pepper powder, and salt. Mix well and add the vegetables. Finally add the cooked noodles and combine everything well. Stir fried vegetables with noodles is ready to be served.

HOW TO MAKE NAAN WITHOUT AN OVEN

Naan is usually cooked in an oven. But it can also be cooked over the regular non stick tava. Naan differs from chapathi, roti and parathas due to the presence of yeast, curd and milk which give a distinct flavour to the naan. Given below is a very easy recipe to make naan at home.

Makes: 8 Naans
Ingredients
2 cups maida
2 ½ tbsp curds
1 1/3 tsp active dry yeast
¾ tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
¾ cup milk
2 ½ tbsp water

Method

Heat water to Luke warm (warm water which you can touch without feeling any burning sensation), take 2½ tbsps of it in a large bowl, then add yeast, sugar and salt. Stir for a few seconds, close a lid and leave it aside for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, check if the yeast has fully dissolved in the water (If not, stir again by adding ¼ tsp Luke warm water) and has formed a froth (we did not find any froth but the naan came out perfect). Now add curd and maida. Add milk little by little and knead several times to form a smooth dough. Cover with a cloth and then close a lid, set it aside for 2 to 3 hours till the dough doubles in size. If you want to speed up the process, place the bowl closer to the stove where you are preparing the curry for the naan. The heat waves from the stove will decrease the fermentation time.

After the dough has doubled in size, divide it into 8 equal balls and set aside. Heat a non stick tava on high heat. Roll one ball into a naan, apply little bit of water over the surface of the naan and place it over the tava with the water applied part of the naan touching the tava. Close a lid for a few seconds and then remove the lid, the naan would have puffed up by now, turn the naan and cook on the other side. Apply butter on both sides (optional). In the same way make all the other naans. Serve hot with any curry of your choice.

How to Make Black Forest Cake

Black forest cake or Black forest gateau is a very popular and delicious cake in which several layers of chocolate cake are assembled with cream and chopped cherries in between. The cake is then decorated with cream, chocolate shavings and whole cherries. In some places, it is made using liquor obtained from tart cherries. But it can also be prepared using either sugar syrup or orange juice. 

Black forest is one of the easiest cakes to make. Just bake a chocolate sponge cake and assemble with other ingredients. This recipe makes 2 cakes.  It tastes so much like the one you get in bakeries. You can reduce the ingredients to half to make 1 cake. And increase or decrease the quantity of cream or cherries according to your preference and serve cold.

Ingredients

2 chocolate sponge cakes 

Cherries

Cream

Sugar syrup

1 bar of Cadbury chocolate

Chocolate Cake (makes 2 small cakes)

2 cups all purpose flour (maida)

½ cup cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp baking soda

2 cups powdered sugar

½ tsp salt

½ cup unsalted butter

2 eggs

1½ cups milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

Cream

2 cups Amul fresh cream refrigerated for at least 2 hours

2 cups powdered sugar

¾ tsp vanilla essence

Sugar syrup

¾ cup water

½ cup powdered sugar

1/3 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Step 1: Preparing the Chocolate cake

Powder the sugar in a mixer, check that the eggs are at room temperature and keep the butter outside the refrigerator so that it can soften a bit. Softened butter is easier to beat but do not allow it to melt.

Now sieve together maida, baking soda and cocoa powder twice and set aside. Then take a large bowl, add butter and sugar and mix. When both the ingredients are mixed well, add eggs one at a time and beat well. Now add salt, vanilla essence, milk and beat till all the ingredients are well mixed. 

Now preheat the oven at 170 degree Celsius with both rods on for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, grease two aluminium cake pans with butter and then flour with maida. Dust away any excess flour and keep the pans ready. Then add the maida-cocoa mix little by little to the egg-butter-sugar mix and mix well either with a wooden spoon or with your hands. Make sure that there are no lumps. Divide this equally between two cake pans such that they are half full and place them in the central rack of the oven. Cook at the same temperature with upper and lower rods on for 20 to 25 minutes or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

This recipe makes two cakes of 5 ½” diameter and 1 ½” height. 

Step 2: Whipping the Cream

While the cake is getting cooked in the oven, prepare the cream and sugar syrup. To prepare cream, take cold Amul cream in a bowl, add powdered sugar and vanilla essence and beat well using an egg beater, whisk or hand mixer. Place it in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes. Then take it out and beat again till it thickens. Once done place it again in the refrigerator. 

Step 3: Preparing the Sugar syrup

Now to prepare sugar syrup, boil water, powdered sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl till the sugar dissolves completely. Allow it to cool.

Step 4: Chocolate shavings and cherries 

Then take a bar of chocolate and cut it into strips using a knife. Refrigerate this till the time you assemble the cake otherwise the chocolate will begin to melt.

Wash and wipe dry the cherries and keep ready. You can also chop a few cherries to place it in between layers with cream.

Step 5: Assembling (Final step)

Once the cakes have cooled down completely, cut each cake into 2 or 3 layers. (You can make 2 small cakes or 1 tall cake by placing one on top of the other.) Apply 2 to 3 tbsp of sugar syrup on each layer and keep ready. Place the first layer, apply cream on top and spread well. Then add chopped cherries and place another layer of the cake. Repeat this step till you reach the top. On the topmost layer, spread cream and garnish with chocolate shavings and cherries. You can serve as it is or refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours and serve cold.

how to make Chicken Biryani Recipe

Chicken Biryani is by far the most popular Indian rice recipe around the globe.

Biryani and Pulao are the two types of Indian rice recipes that form an integral part of any formal or even informal lunch or dinner. The main difference between the two is the cooking technique.


The Ingredients required for a chicken biryani are

7-8 Onions (very thinly sliced and deep fried until light brown)
10-15 Cashews (fried in a little desi ghee/clarified butter)
1 Kg Chicken on the bone cut into 12 pieces
1 cup yogurt
2 Tsp Garlic paste
salt to taste
500 gm Basmati Rice (washed and soaked in salted water for at least half an hour)
3-4 Tbsp oil
Oil for frying the onions
6-7 cloves
2 (1 inch) Cinnamon
4 green Cardamoms
3 Bay leaves
1/4 Tsp Caraway seeds (shahi jeera/black cumin seeds)
4 large Tomatoes (chopped finely)
1/4 Tsp of mace powder
1/4 Tsp of grated Nutmeg
1 Tsp Coriander powder
1 Tsp red Chili powder (to taste)
1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
2-3 green Chilies (to taste, chopped)
1 Tbsp Ginger (chopped)
1 Tbsp Garlic (chopped)
6-7 dried, pitted prunes
1/2 cup of milk
a few strands of Saffron (kesar)
3-4 Tbsp Desi ghee (clarified butter)
2 cups of fresh green Coriander (chopped)

STEP 1

Marination

Marinate the chicken pieces in 1 cup yogurt, 2 Tsp garlic paste and little salt, for a good 8 hours.

STEP 2

Making Barista (fried onions) for chicken biryani

Slice the onions very thinly (almost paper thin) using a sharp knife. Heat oil in a pan or kadai.
Separate the sliced onions using your finger tips. Put the onions in the oil and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Keep stirring the onions, so that they get evenly browned. The trick is to evenly and slowly brown the onions. If the flame is very high the onions will burn on the outside and remain watery on the inside.

Once a uniform color is obtained, drain on thick layer of kitchen paper, so that maximum oil is soaked. Keep these aside.
As they cool down, the onions will become crispy.

STEP 3

Boiling the rice

Boil the rice. For this take a BIG vessel (deep and wide), put lots of water in it, tip in the soaked rice along with 1 stick cinnamon, 3-4 cloves, 2 green cardamom, 1/4 tsp of Shahi jeera (caraway seeds) and more salt.

Remember that you should boil the rice in lots of water and salt (pretty much like a pasta). The rice should absorb the salt otherwise the biryani will be tasteless. Boil on a high flame and let the it boil vigorously on high flame for about 5-7 minutes.

You have to par cook the rice (meaning 3/4 cooked and rest will get cooked later). Do not over boil the rice. To check if the rice is done you can take a grain of rice out and press in between your thumb and forefinger. If the grain breaks into 3 parts, it means your rice is cooked just right. Now strain the rice and spread it out on a flat tray or surface, so that it cools faster.

STEP 4

Preparing the chicken

Heat oil in a deep pan, add the remaining bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and green cardamoms. When they crackle, add the ginger, garlic and chilies. Saute for a minute and add the marinated chicken, along with the marinade. Cook on a medium heat till all the water dries up (water from the chicken and yogurt).

Add the tomatoes, 1/3 of the fried onions, all the powdered spices, salt and cook till all the water from the tomatoes dries up. If the chicken is cooking too quickly then either cook on a high flame to fasten the evaporation or remove the chicken pieces aside.

The chicken should be just cooked and dry (because it will get
cooked further in the final step and if any water is left in it the rice will become soggy).

Once done, sneak a taste, adjust the seasoning. Mix in the dried prunes.

STEP 5

Make saffron milk

In 1/2 cup of warm milk crush a pinch of saffron strands and put some whole strands. Wait till it turns yellow. Keep on one side.

Final STEP Assembling the chicken biryani

Use a deep heavy bottom pan with a lid.

First spread some desi ghee at the bottom of the pan.
Second a layer of rice, followed by a layer of chicken. Now sprinkle a generous handful of chopped coriander and fried onions.

Repeat the layers with rice being the top most layer. Sprinkle the leftover onions and all the cashews.

Pour the milk and saffron on the top using a spoon, evenly covering the whole area.

Once all layers are set, take melted desi ghee and with a spoon pour it around the rim of the vessel and a little on the rice.
Close the lid and seal.

There are 2 ways to seal the lid in order to prevent the steam from escaping.

1) Take a large foil, cover the pot/vessel with it and place the lid on top.

2) Take some dough made from whole wheat flour. Roll it into a thin strip and stick it going around the rim of the pan half on the lid and half on the pan in order to seal the whole pan.

Keep this pot on a very low heat for 45 minutes. Place this pan on top of a cast iron tawa (on which chapatis are made) or another heavy bottom pan in order to prevent the bottom layer of rice from getting burnt.

After 45 minutes turn off the heat. Let it stand for 5 minutes and open.

Enjoy the delicious chicken biryani!!!

Note:- Please don't eat the bay leaves and the other whole spices. They are used to add flavor. You can remove them to one side.

how to make Homemade Hamburger Buns

Homemade Hamburger Buns

Makes 8 buns

1 tablespoon active-dry yeast
1/2 cup (4 oz) warm water
1/2 cup (4 oz) milk (whole, 2%, or skim)
1 large egg
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups (15 oz) all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon butter

In the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large bowl, if mixing by hand), stir the yeast into the warm water and let it sit until dissolved.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, oil, sugar, and salt. Add this to the yeast mixture and stir until combined. Add all the flour and stir until it forms a shaggy dough. Knead at low speed, or by hand against the counter, for 10 minutes. The finished dough should be smooth, feel slightly tacky, and spring back when poked.

Return the dough to the mixing bowl and cover. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about an hour.

Dust your work surface with a little flour and turn out the risen dough on top. Divide the dough into 8 pieces and shape each into a tight ball. Transfer the balls to a baking sheet and let rise until they look puffy and hamburger-sized, roughly 30-40 minutes.

Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.

Melt the butter and brush it over the risen hamburger buns. This helps the tops to brown and keeps the crust soft. Bake the buns until golden, 15-18 minutes.

Let the buns cool to room temperature before slicing and using. They are best if eaten within the next day or two, but will keep in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week.

Additional Notes:

• For Whole Wheat Buns - Substitute 1/2-1 cup of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour and prepare the recipe as usual. The texture of the buns will be a bit more dense, but still very delicious and burger-worthy.

• Doubling the Recipe - Double all of the ingredients except for the yeast. To make even more buns, it's best to prepare separate batches as the dough becomes too cumbersome to work with easily.

• Freeze Buns for Later - Wrap the buns in aluminum foil and then store in an air-tight container or freezer bag. Let them thaw in their packaging overnight on the counter. Foil-wrapped buns can also be thawed more quickly or re-warmed in a 300°F oven for about 10-15 minutes.

HOW TO MAKE Dominos pizza AT HOME BY TODD WILBUR

"Todd Wilbur's Version of Domino's 
® Large Cheese Pizza


To create a dough that is most like the stuff you get at Domnino's, you should let it rise for 48 hours in your refrigerator. If you don't want to wait that long, at least let the dough rise overnight. If you can't find high-gluten flour, use 25 ounces of bread flour. And if you want the absolute best clone, bake the pizza on a 14-inch perforated pan or pizza screen. This recipe makes two plain cheese pizzas, but feel free to add the toppings of your choice before baking.

Dough
16 ounces bottled water (room temperature)
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon yeast (not rapid-rise yeast)
13 ounces bread flour
12 ounces high-gluten flour (such as Bouncer)
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup cornmeal for tossing dough

Sauce
½ cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 ½ cups Hunt's or Contadina tomato puree
4 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon ground oregano
¼ teaspoon dried basil
¼ teaspoon dried marjoram
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

6 cups shredded mozzarella-provolone cheese blend

Garlic Oil Spread (for crust)
½ cup (1 stick) margarine
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon dried parsley (crushed)
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in water.

2. Combine flours and salt in a mixer using a paddle.

3. When yeast solution begins to foam, pour into flour along with oil. Use a dough hook to mix until all ingredients come together. Knead with dough hook for 5 minutes. Place dough in a plastic bag and then into your refrigerator for two days.

4. Make the sauce by pureeing the crushed tomatoes in a blender until smooth, then combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. When mixture begins to bubble, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool, then chill in a covered container until you make your pizza.

5. When you are ready to make pizza, preheat a convection oven to 450° (or conventional oven to 475°).

6. Divide the dough in half. Form half of the dough into a dough ball on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle cornmeal on a clean flat surface and begin to stretch out the dough, using your hands until you have stretched it enough to fit on a 14-inch pizza screen. Lay the dough onto the screen, and stretch it to form a perfect circle to the edge of the screen.

7. Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the pizza dough leaving about a 1-inch margin at the edge.

8. Sprinkle about 3 cups of the shredded cheese blend over the sauce. Don't worry if some falls onto the edge of the dough.

9. Bake pizza for 8 to 9 minutes or until cheese and crust begins to brown.

10. While the pizza bakes, make the garlic oil spread by melting margarine in microwave oven or in a small saucepan over low heat. Use a mortar and pestle (or your fingers and a small bowl) to crush the dried parsley into smaller bits. Remove melted margarine from the heat and add Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic and salt.

11. When pizza is done, remove it from the oven and brush crust with garlic oil spread. Use a pizza wheel to cut pizza into 8 slices. Repeat process for second large pizza.

Makes 2 large pizzas.

HOW TO MAKE KFC CHICKEN AT HOME BY TODD WILBUR

TO MAKE KFC CHICKEN AT HOME BY TODD WILBUR
(We can attribute a lot of that famous flavor of KFC chicken to MSG. Dr OZ challenged me to replace the MSG without losing the flavor we have come to love. You may be shocked at what I came up with - but you will not be disappointed.)


INGREDIENTS 
8 small pieces of chicken, breast, thigh, and drumsticks, with skin removed
Brine
 8 cups water 1/3 cup salt 2 tbsp premium, MSG-free fish sauce  Breading 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/4 cups plain bread crumbs  4 1/4 tsp salt 2 tsp granulated sugar 2 tsp finely ground tellicherry pepper 1/2 tsp ground white pepper 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp ground savory 1/2 tsp ground sage 1/4 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground marjoram 1/4 tsp onion powder 1/8 tsp garlic powder 1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Dredge
4 eggs 2 cups skim milk Vegetable oil cooking spray
INSTRUCTIONS 
1. Dissolve 1/3 cup salt in 8 cups water. Stir in fish sauce. Add chicken and marinate for 2 hours. Remove chicken from brine, rinse with water, and blot dry. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Make the breading by combining all ingredients in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and then stir in the milk. When the oven is hot, dip each piece of chicken in the egg and milk mixture and then press into the breading. Toss each chicken piece in the breading until well-coated. Let chicken sit for 2 minutes in the breading. Shake off the excess breading and arrange on a baking sheet that has been thoroughly sprayed with vegetable oil non-stick spray.
4. When all of the chicken has been breaded, spray each piece with the oil spray until the breading is completely moistened.
5. Bake chicken for 40 to 45 minutes or until it’s nicely browned.

how to TANDOORI CHICKEN RECIPE

TANDOORI CHICKEN RECIPE

Ingredients:

4 skinned Chicken Quarters
2 tblsp Lemon Juice (Nimbu Ka Raas)
1 Garlic Clove (Lasun)
1 inch piece peeled and coarsely chopped Fresh Ginger (Adrak)
1 Green chilli (Hari mirch)
1 tblsp Water
4 tblsp Natural Yogurt (Dahi)
1 tsp Grouna Cumin (Jeera)
1 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Salt (Namak)
A few drop of Yellow Food Colouring
2 tblsp melted Ghee
For garnishing:
Lemon Wedges
Onion (Pyaj) rings

How to make tandoori chicken:
Make 3-4 cuts in each chicken quarter using a knife.
Put the chicken in an ovenproof dish.
Combine lemon juice.
Rub it into the incisions.
Cover it.
Let it marinate for about 30 minutes.
Combine garlic, ginger and green chilli and water in a blender.
Grind to make a smooth paste like mixture.
Combine the paste to yogurt, ground cumin, garam masala, paprika, salt, food colouring and the melted ghee.
Mix all the ingredients well.
Spread them over marinated chicken pieces.
Coat the pieces with the yogurt marinade.
Cover it.
Let it marinate at room temperature for about 5 hours.
Turn once or twice maximum.
Place chicken in a oven at 325 F.
Let it roast for 1 hour.
Bast frequently and turn once.
The chicken should be tender and most of the marinade should be evaporated.
Then grill the chicken over hot charcoal.
Garnish it with lemon wedges and onion rings.