Dates and Walnut Cookies

These extremely delicious, chewy and nutty cookies made with whole wheat are a great option for a tea time snack.

                               

Prep Time - 5 mins
Baking Time - 18 mins

Ingredients :

Whole wheat Flour - 1 and 1/2 cup
Dates - 1 cup
Walnuts - 1 cup
Melted butter - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Soda Bicarb - 1/2 tsp

Procedure :

Preheat the oven at 350 F and grease the cookie tray with butter or oil.
Mix sugar and butter till you get a creamy mixture.

In another bowl mix Whole wheat flour, baking powder and Soda bicarb , add the chopped Walnuts and Dates and mix till the Dates and walnuts get covered in flour fully. Pour the butter- sugar mix over the flour and mix it into a dough, [ if you feel that your dough is dry, add milk or water and if you feel that you dough is a bit gooey store it in the refrigerator for 10 - 15 mins and this will firm it up ]
Taking small portions of the dough and roll them into  balls and flatten them between your palms [or you can use a cookie cutter] and place them on the tray. Bake till they turn golden brown. [ The corners should be little hard and the center should be moist]. This should take approx 15 - 18 mins.

Allow it to cool and the cookies are now ready.

Note : These cookies were a little on the sweeter side; if you prefer less sweetness you could add 1/2 cup of sugar instead.

Pav Bhaji

Prep Time - 10 mins
Cooking time - 15 mins

Ingredients :

For the Bhaji:

Chopped vegetables ( like Potatoes, cauliflower, peas, cabbage, carrots, beans, capsicum etc.) - 3 cups
Onion - 1 medium chopped
Tomato - 2 medium chopped
Ginger- Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Pav Bhaji Masala - 2-3 tbsp [ I used Everest Pav Bhaji Masala ]
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Chili Powder - 1 tsp [ or as per your taste ]
Jeera - 1 tsp
Saunf/ Sombu / Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Butter - 3-4 tbsp
Kasoori Methi - 1 tsp
Salt [ as per your taste ]

Note : The Pav Bhaji Masala already has Cumin powder, Coriander powder and Fennel seeds powder. You can avoid adding these while cooking if you want it less spicy.
 
For the Pav:

Pav/ Bread
Butter


For Garnishing (quantity as per requirements):

Chopped Cilantro
Chopped Onions
Butter
Lime Juice


Procedure :


Pressure cook all the vegetables till one whistle. Drain the water and keep it aside.

Take a large pan on medium heat and add a tbsp of butter. When hot put the Jeera and Fennel seeds and wait till they splutter. Now add the onions and stir till they turn golden brown , then add in the Turmeric and Ginger Garlic paste. Stir till the raw smell of Ginger Garlic paste goes off.
Now add the chopped tomatoes Salt, Pav Bhaji Masala, Coriander powder, Cumin Powder, Chili Powder, Kasoori Methi and the half a cup of drained water which we had kept aside. [ First add in 2 tbsp of Pav Bhaji Masala. If you'd like it more spicy you can add in more masala after you add the vegetables]

Keep Stirring till the Tomatoes get cooked and also the raw smell of the masala goes off. Add in the vegetables and water as required. [The bhaji should have a semi-solid consistency; so pour in water whenever you feel the bhaji is drying out]. Mash the vegetables properly. Once properly mixed add in the remaining butter and cook on low flame till serving.
Take a hot griddle and pour in enough butter for Pan Frying the Pav/ Butter. You can avoid this step and just dry roast your Pav but using butter adds to the taste. You can also sprinkle a pinch of Pav Bhaji masala over your Pav to make it spicy.

Serving recommendations :

Take the hot Bhaji in a serving plate and add lime juice and garnish it with a dollop of butter chopped onions and cilantro and serve it with the hot Pav.

Eggless Pineapple Upside Down Cake

 

Prep Time - 20 mins

Baking Time - 40- 45 mins

Ingredients :

Thin Pineapple Slices - 6 (I used canned pineapples)

Glazed Cherries - 6

Sugar - 3-4 tbsp 

For the cake:

All purpose flour / Maida - 2 and 1/2 cups

Sweetened Condensed milk - 400 gms ( 1 can )

Milk - 1 cup

Melted Butter - 1/2 cup

Baking soda - 1 tsp

Baking powder - 2 tsp

Yellow color - 1/4th tsp [optional]

Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Procedure :

Grease your baking dish with oil or butter. Arrange the Pineapple slices as shown in the pic above [I used a rectangular baking tray, any shape can be used ] and place the cherries in between.

Now take a clean dry, preferably, non-stick pan on medium heat and pour in the sugar and keep stirring it till the sugar melts. The melted sugar would be golden in color. This process is called Caramelizing of Sugar.

As soon as the sugar melts pour it over and around the pineapple slices evenly. This step helps the pineapple to stick with the cake after it is baked. Now, keep the baking tray aside.

Preheat the oven at 350 F (180 C). Mix the melted butter, milk, Vinegar and condensed milk .

In a large bowl, mix the all purpose flour, yellow color, baking powder and baking soda. Make a well in the center and pour the condensed milk+butter mixture and mix well. Don't use a hand mixer, just stir everything with a large spoon. Over mixing an egg less batter will cause the cake to deflate after it is baked.

Now pour this mixture over the Pineapple slices and bake it in the preheated oven. Poke into the cake with a toothpick or knife; if it comes out clean, the cake is done else you will need to bake it for some more time. The whole baking time should approximately be about 40-45 mins.

Allow it to cool. When the bottom part of the tray is still warm, flip the cake on a tray, The pineapple slices would form the upper crust.

Masala Paneer

Total Time - 1 hour
(includes boiling and setting times)


Ingredients :

Milk
Vinegar / Lime juice - 1 - 2 tbsp
Spices like Kasoori Methi, ground black pepper. You can also use chat masala
Salt to taste

Procedure:

In a thick bottomed pan boil milk along with the spices and salt on medium heat. Stir continuously.
When the milk comes to a rolling boil add vinegar / lime juice slowly. The milk should start curdling by now. Keep stirring till the whey (greenish water) and the paneer separate.

Place a wet muslin cloth over a colander and pour the whey and paneer mix over the cloth. Wait till the whey drains completely. Compact and pack the paneer into the muslin cloth and place a reasonably heavy vessel (too light would not drain enough water, too heavy would make the paneer dry and crumbly) with a flat surface over the paneer. Let it stay for an hour [this will let the paneer set]

Now cut the paneer into cubes and use it with any gravy of your choice.

Asadu - Eggplant and Sweet potato in a tamarind gravy

Prep time - 10 mins
Cooking time - 20 - 25 mins
Serves - 2 approx

Ingredients :

Eggplant / Brinjal - 1 medium, cut into small cubes
Sweet potato - 1 medium, cut into small cubes
Tamarind - one small lemon sized ball
Thuvar dal
Turmeric
Salt to taste

For Seasoning :
Mustard seeds
Urad dal
Curry leaves
Asafoetida
Green chillies - as per taste, finely chopped [ I used 3]
Oil

Procedure :

Cook thuvar dal along with turmeric.
Soak the tamarind in hot water and squeeze out the pulp into the water.
Add in the sweet potato and eggplant cubes into the tamarind water. [ You need enough tamarind water till the sweet potato and eggplant submerge]
Cook the mixture on medium heat till the sweet potato and eggplant become tender . Whisk the thuvar dal and add into the tamarind- vegetable mix along with salt.
Now in another small pan take oil, when hot add the mustard seeds. When they start to splutter add in the urad dal, asafoetida and stir for few seconds. Now add the curry leaves and chopped green chillies. Give it a quick stir and immediately remove from heat and add into the tamarind- vegetable mix. Stir well and cook for a minute and turn off the heat.

Serve with hot rice or with Chapathi.

Guacamole Salad

                                                  
Prep time - 5 mins

Ingredients :

Avocado - 2 medium
Tomato - 1 medium, finely chopped
Onion - 1/2 medium , finely chopped
Jalapeno - 1 tsp, finely chopped
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Cilantro - 2 sprigs, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Procedure :

Cut the avocado lengthwise and scoop the contents (except the seed ) out of both the halves, into the bowl. Immediately sprinkle the lemon juice over the avocado to prevent it from turning brown due to oxidation. Mash the avocado till it becomes paste- like without any large chunks.
Add in the rest of the ingredients and mix well .
Can be served as a dip for chips or as a sandwich spread.

Bisibelabath

Prep time - 30 mins
Cooking time-  20- 25 mins

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 and 1/2 cups
Thuvar dal - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil
Shallots / baby onions
Water - 6 cups
Ghee - 1- 2 tbsp
Cashew nuts - 2 tbsp
Coconut - 3 to 4 tbsp
Tamarind - one small lemon sized


Vegetables:

Potato - 1 cut into cubes
Carrot - 2 medium, cut into cubes
Peas - 1/2 cup
Beans - 1/2 cup cut into 1 inch
Chow chow / Chayote - 1/2 cup cut into cubes
Any other vegetable of choice can be added except okra / ladyfinger , beetroot


For the paste:


Chana dal - 2 tsp
Thuvar dal - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 3 tsp
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds / Saunf - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilies - as per taste ( I used 7)
Cinnamon stick - 2 inch stick
Cloves- 5 pieces

For the seasoning  :

Mustard
Urad dal
Chana dal
Asafoetida 
Curry leaves

Procedure 

Boil all the vegetables  and cook rice, thuvar dal and turmeric in 6 cups of water .
Soak tamarind in hot water ( 2 cup ) and squeeze the pulp into the water.

Take a large pan and heat oil. Once hot add in the mustard seeds, let them splutter and then add urad dal , chana dal and asafoetida. Give it a quick stir and add in the curry leaves and baby onions and keep stirring till the onions become translucent. At this stage add the tamarind water and boil till the raw smell of tamarind goes off.

Now in another small pan take a tsp of oil and add all the ingredients mentioned under "for the paste" section and roast till the dals turn light orange in color. Cool and grind this mixture along with coconut and little water.

Add this paste to the boiled tamarind water and cook till there is enough water for both vegetables and rice .
(Bisibelabath should have a semi-solid consistency; so you should add enough water considering the quantity of both the vegetables and rice)

Now add the vegetables and salt and mix it properly..

At this stage take the rice and tuvar dal mix. Take a large spoon and mix the rice and thuvar dal so that they both get mashed enough and add it to the vegetables. Mix it nicely.Turn the heat to low.

The following step adds to the taste of Bisibelabath:

Heat ghee in a small pan and add cashew nuts, fry till they turn golden in color. Switch off the heat and add this ghee-cashew nut mix into the Bisibelabath and mix .

Serve hot with onion raita and papad/vattal.

Adi Vellikizhamai Special Lunch

Beginning of Adi month in Tamil calender year is celebrated with a  special lunch.

Beginning with Rice and proceeding clockwise the items are Appalam / Papad, Cabbage masala vadai, Ellumichampazham / Lemon Rasam , Okra morekuzhambu , Carrot kosmalli / Carrot salad , Vazhakkai / Plantain podi pota kai and Tenga paal. The detailed recipe of each of the above  would follow soon.

Berry Banana & Soy Milkshake

Prep Time - 5 mins
Serves - 3 ( 1200 ml approx )
 
Ingredients

Raspberries and blueberries - 1 cup
Banana - 1 large
Flax seed Powder -  2 tbsp
Dates - 5
Dry fruits (Walnut, Raisin and Almonds) - 1/2 cup
Soy milk- 2 and 1/2 cup

Procedure :

Place all the above ingredients in a blender, blend till smooth and serve.

How to cook pasta Al dente

Pasta "Al dente" means that the pasta is cooked enough to be firm but not soft.

Here's the method to cook your pasta "Al dente" . I used approx 450 grams of Barilla's Penne pasta

1.Take the pasta in a bowl and wash it once or twice, add water to it such that the pasta is well submerged. To this add add a tsp of olive oil and stir it with a spoon.

2. Microwave it for 10-11 minutes approx and stir it once halfway.

3.To confirm that the pasta is "Al dente",  take one piece and press it - it should be pliable yet firm enough. If it is hard then microwave for an additional minute and repeat the press test.

4.Take the "Al dente" pasta and drain the excess water in a colander  immediately and wash it with cold water. Traces of the oil will be present on the drained pasta.


Note: The microwaving time varies with the type of pasta and the microwave setting. I would advise using shorter intervals and checking with the press test if you are not sure of the exact cooking time for your type and quantity of pasta.

Serving tip: Spread the "Al dente" pasta loosely on a flat plate and pour the sauces as per choice and  requirements  just before serving .