Kheer (sweet rice dessert )

Ingredients:

* Milk  (1 Liter)

* Rice  (½ Cup)

* Sugar( 1 Cup or as per taste)

* Khoya(solid Milk)-(1 Cup)

* Green Cardamom  (4)

* Almonds  ( ½ Cup)

* Pistachios (½ Cup)

* Saffron(Optional)(1 Pinch)

Method: 

Rinse rice well and soak them into water for half an hour at least. Take them out of water and spread them to dry and then grind them well. For this purpose, you can use a rolling pin. Make sure it does not become powder.

Soak almonds and pistachios in warm water, peel the thin skin off and chop them finely. Pour milk into a pan and put it to boil. In the meantime, take a little cold water or cold milk to make a paste of ground rice. When milk is boiled, add this paste gradually into it and keep stirring. Lower down the flame and add saffron into it. Keep on stirring periodically. When u start smelling the aroma of cooked rice, add sugar and green cardamom and cook it for 20 more minutes so that the extra water gets dry and it could get athick consistency. Now remove the pan from the stove and let the mixture get cool. When it is cooled down, add Khoya (solid milk) and mix it well. Take it out in a serving dish and garnish it with finely chopped almonds and pistachios. tasty sweet dis ready .

Vanilla sweet sweet Sponge Cake........

Ingredients :

250 gms. Refined Flour (Maida)

250 gms. Butter/Cream

250 gms. Castor Sugar/Powdered Sugar

3 Large Eggs

1 tsp. Baking pwd.

1 med.sized Sour Lime

2 tbsps. Milk

1 tsp. Vanilla Essence

Method :

All the above ingredients should be at room temperature.

Pre-heat oven at 160C.

Sift flour alongwith the baking powder with a sieve about 2 to 3 times. Keep aside for later use.

In a sufficiently large bowl, cream butter/cream & sugar till light & fluffy.

Add one egg at a time & beat well till all the eggs are incorporated.

Add vanilla essence, juice of lime, milk  & mix well using a wooden spatula or spoon. Add few tablespoons of flour at a time & mix after each addition using light feathery movements of your hand till all the flour is used.

Pour the batter in a greased & lined baking tin.

If using two tins divide it equally in the tins.

Level with the back of the spoon & bake for about 20-25 mins. in a pre-heated oven at 160C.

Let the cake stand in the pans for about 10 mins. before turning it on the cooling rack. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack.

Slice the cake as desired & serve with a cup of your favorite chai or coffee.

- See more at: http://www.hildastouchofspice.com/2011/12/vanilla-sponge-cake.html#sthash.aeUwY8O4.dpuf

Potata kima chop ......

Ingredients :

*500 gms. Potatoes

*250 gms. Mince (chicken, beef, lamb)

*2 med. Onions (peeled & finely chopped)

*2 fresh red Tomatoes/ Tomato puree

*2 tbsps. fresh Garlic cloves (finely minced)

*1 tbsp. fresh Ginger (grated)

*1tbsp. Coriander pwd.

*1 tsp. Cumin pwd.

*½ tsp. Red Chilli pwd.

*1 tsp. Turmeric pwd.

*½ tsp. Pepper pwd.

*1 tsp. Garam Masala pwd.

*½ tsp. Sugar (optional)

*1 tbsp. Sugarcane Vinegar or as per choice

*A pinch each of Nutmeg & green Cardamom pwd.

*A handful of fresh Coriander Leaves (finely chopped)

*4 tbsps. Vegetable Oil

*Salt to taste

For Dipping, Rolling & Frying :

*1 Egg (lightly beaten)+ 3 tbsps. water + 1/2 tsp. Corn flour

*1 cup Bread Crumbs + 2 tbsps. Corn flour

*Oil for deep frying or pan frying

Method :

Heat 4 tbsps. of oil in a kadhai/wok/ pan till hot.

Saute the onions till soft & translucent over med. heat.

Add garlic & ginger & saute till rawness disappears.

Add all the dry spice powders, sugar, tomatoes & saute till tomatoes are soft.

Add the mince, stir & cover & cook on a low heat for about 25 mins. or until the mince is well cooked.

Add nutmeg & cardamom powder.

Stir occasionally & sprinkle some water if the mince is turning dry quickly or add a little more oil.

Add vinegar & adjust salt to taste.

The mince should be a dry filling. Sprinkle chopped coriander, mix well & keep aside to cool.

Meanwhile, wash potatoes well & boil them in their jackets in a pressure cooker till soft & tender. (Do not over cook or the potatoes will get mashed & soggy).

Peel & mash the potatoes when they are moderately hot & comfortable to the touch. (Do not cool them completely or the mash may not be smooth but lumpy) .

Take a handful of potato mash  & place it in the palm of your hand & form a ball.

Create a hollow/depression & fill in a teaspoon of the prepared mince.

Cover it with the mash to form a smooth, well shaped round cutlet.

Flatten slightly & make sure that the potato chop does not ooze out the filling.

Prepare all the mince potato chops in this way & place on a tray.

First lightly & evenly dip & coat each potato chop in the above prepared egg mixture & drain to remove excess.

Roll in the prepared bread crumbs mixture & again place on a tray.

Prepare all the potato chops in this way.

Place the tray in the fridge for about 20 mins to set.

Either pan fry or deep fry till lightly golden on all sides. Transfer to a plate lined with absorbent tissue.

Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce or chutney.

Egg halwa yame yam

Ingredients:

* Eggs 12

* Ghee 1/2 kilo

* Sugar 1/2 kilo

* Khoya/Condensed milk 100 gm

* Elaichi 8-10

* Almonds, Pistachio and                   * Cashewnuts 1/2 cup finely     chopped.



Procedure:

* Break all the eggs in a measuring jug. Note the mesurement. Empty it in a thick base saucepan.
* Measure equal amount of melted (not hot but at room temperature) ghee and add it to the eggs.
* Measure equal amount of sugar and add it to the ghee n egg mixture.
* Blend it with a blender so that everything turns into a smooth liquids.
* Put this liquid on low heat and keep stirring from the minute you put it on the stove.
* After around 30 minutes, minute balls of egg will be formed in the liquid and it will turn a bit dark.
* Add khoya/condensed milk and elaichi powder, again keep stirring.
* After another 20 minutes, it will turn into a thickish paste with ghee separating from the mixture.
* Add this mixture into a big tray and it will level itself cleanly. Sprinkle the chooped nuts over the mixture.
* Drain excess ghee into a pan and can be reused.
* Cut the halwa into pieces of your choice.
* Enjoy the egg halwa before/after/during meals.
* I like to warm it a bit before eating.

Coconut Halwa

Ingredients : 

1)1 Medium Coconut, grated
2) 1/4 cup Clarified Butter
3) 1-1/4 cup Sugar
4) 3/4 cup Rice
5) finely cut coconut  


Method:

1) Wash and soak rice for about one hour.
2) Remove kernel from coconut and cut into small pieces.
3) In a food processor, grind soaked rice, coconut pieces and along with 1 cup of water until soft.
4) In a heavy bottomed pan, add the above coconut and rice paste, sugar and clarified butter.
5) Mix well and cook on medium heat until thick.
6) Keep stirring because coconut and sugar mixture can stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
7) Cook until mixture becomes thick/lumpy and sticky.
8) At this point it starts to leave the sides of the pan.
9) Remove from heat and spread on a greased, round plate.
10) Garnished with coconut 
11) When it is cooled, cut into diamond shaped pieces.

Dosa crispe

Ingredients:

1 cup raw rice  

1/3 cup urad dal (split black lentils) 

2 tbsp beaten rice 

5 to 7fenugreek (methi) seeds 

salt to taste

oil for cooking 

To Serve coconut chutney sambhar

Method:

1.Wash the raw rice, urad dal and fenugreek seeds. Soak in a little water along with the beaten rice for at least 2 hours.

2.Grind to a smooth paste with a little water. Cover and keep aside for at least 4 hours. Add salt and mix well.

3.Heat a non-stick tava and grease it lightly with oil. When hot, pour a ladelful of the batter, spread using a circular motion to make a thin dosa and cook on one side.

4.Pour a little oil along the edges while cooking. When crispy, fold over and serve hot.

5.Repeat with the remaining batter.

Barbecued Buffalo Wings

Ingredients:

4 lbs chicken wings, cut into wingette and drumette sections, tips discarded

3 teaspoons kosher salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

Wing Sauce :

• 1 stick of butter, melted (4 ounces)

• 1/2 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce (traditional for Buffalo wings)

Directions:

1. Dry brine the wings: Toss the wings with the kosher salt and baking powder in three batches - 1 tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/3rd of the wings per batch. Spread the wings out on a sheet pan with a rack over it, so they aren't touching each other. Refrigerate, uncovered, for eight hours to 24 hours before cooking.

2. Prepare the grill: Set your grill up for indirect high heat cooking. For my Weber Summit, this means preheating for 15 minutes, then turning off all the burners except for the two outer burners (burners 1 and 6) which I leave on high.

3. Prepare the wing sauce: Melt the butter, then whisk in the Frank's Red Hot.

4. Cook the wings: Put the wings on the grill grate, over the unlit section, so they are cooking with indirect heat. Cook with the lid closed for twenty minutes. Flip the wings, then cook, lid closed, for another ten to twenty minutes, until the wings are well browned. Move the wings to a large bowl, pour the sauce over them, and toss until the wings are well covered with sauce. Let them rest in the sauce for a few minutes, toss them again, then serve.