Thin Poha Chivda (Flattened Rice Snack Mix)

Thin Poha Chivda (or Flattened Rice Snack Mix) is a gujarati snack very near and dear to my heart. I love it since my childhood days. Here is my mom's recipe that I'd like to share with you all today! Do give it a try.. It is addictive and you'd always want more!

Ingredients:

• 6 cups Thin Flattened Rice/Thin Poha
• ¹/₂ cup Oil
• 1 cup Peanuts
• 1 cup Roasted Split Bengal Gram/Daliya
• 2-4 green chillies - chopped into small pieces.
• 18-20 curry leaves
• 1 ¹/₂ tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 ¹/₂ tsp Cumin Seeds
• 2 tsp Powdered Sugar/Granulated Sugar
• ¹/₂ tsp Turmeric Powder
• Salt - to taste

Method:

• Dry roast the Poha until they are crispy. You can do this over cooktop or in the oven. If you choose the cooktop method, make sure you keep stirring the poha to avoid burning the bottom layer. For the oven method - pre-heat the oven to 300 F; lay the poha on a cookie sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes. They are done when you feel the crispness upon tasting. Empty the poha into a mixing bowl (big enough to stir them later on) and set it aside.
• Now in a medium skillet, over medium heat, add the oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chillies and peanuts. Keep stirring constantly. Here we are shallow frying the peanuts and the serrano peppers while the mustard and cumin seeds crackle. If you like your chillies to retain its heat in the chivda, add them in the next step instead of now.
• When the peanuts are nearing completion, about 3 minutes, add the roasted split bengal gram and curry leaves; stir for another minute. 
• Now switch off the flame and quickly add the curry leaves, salt, sugar, turmeric powder and asafoetida and after giving it one last mix, add it to the poha and mix well until all the poha turns yellowish green in color. It's important to ensure this step is completed as quickly as possible.
• Let it cool and come to room temperature and then store it in a clean, dry air-tight container.

Enjoy this with tea/coffee or just by itself!!

Eggless Vanilla Cake with Buttercream Frosting

Eggless cake is something that has been so frequently requested and it prompted me to try the eggless cake. There are so many different recipes that are available on the Internet and so vividly different from one another making the hunt even more difficult

Finally after a few attempts that I wasn't very happy about, I am finally satisfied with this recipe that I'd like to share with you all..

Below are the pictures of the cake I baked on the occasion of Mother's Day and it was a super hit.. Everybody absolutely loved it! Unfortunately, I did not get a chance to take a cross sectional picture!

It is very simple and I hope you guys give this a try.. Do let me know your feedback in the comments section below.. Happy cooking

Ingredients:

• Cake:
• 1 cup hung yogurt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ¹/₂ tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ¹/₂ cup oil
• 1 ¹/₂ cup all purpose flour (Maida)
• 2 tbsp Semolina/Sooji
• ¹/₄ cup warm milk (I used half and half; regular milk can be used as well)

• Butter-cream Frosting:
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup shortening
• 5 cup confectioners sugar
• ¹/₄ cup half and half milk (you can use regular milk but I feel half and half adds to the creaminess)

Method:

• Cake:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180 degrees Celsius.
• In a mixing bowl, mix the hung yogurt and sugar; beat well.
• Add baking powder n baking soda, mix well and let it stand for 5-10 minutes. The mixture will bubble up.
• Add vanilla extract and mix well.
• Add oil and mix well.
• Add the sieved all purpose flour and Sooji and mix to combine; do not over mix.
• Finally add 1/4c warm milk (I used half and half; regular milk can be used as well) and mix well.
• The mixture should be of dropping consistency.
• Pour in the prepared tin. (I split the batter into two tins for the sake of incorporating more layers..)
• If you are splitting into two tins, bake for 20-25 minutes - or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
• In case you decide to choose the single tin method, the baking time will increase by about 10 minutes; total bake time of 30-35 minutes (or of course until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean).

• Butter-cream Frosting:
• Cream butter and shortening together
• Add the sugar half cup at a time Remember to sift the sugar if you see it has lumps in it.
• Add the milk towards the end about a tbsp at a time; stop when you feel you've reached the desired consistency.
• Now add the color of your choice and give it one last mix. For the rosettes, I added 5 drops of red and 2 drops of blue.
• Frost the layers (if you have them) and the cake to just make a crumb coat (yes crumb coat because we are going to cover the entire cake with rosettes the coating doesn't need to be perfect!!..).
• I used white colored frosting for layers and the crumb coat and then colored for the rosettes (unfortunately this is not visible in the pictures). You can go with whatever your heart desires :)
• I used Wilton 2D tip and used a swirl motion to create the rosettes. I worked my way from edges to the center.

Enjoy!! 

Death By Chocolate

Now this has been long due to post here.. Made this to surprise and impress my valentine... Turned out very well.. Super moist cake layered with decadent chocolate mousse and topped with chocolate ganache; garnished with chocolate rose and petals.. Inspired by café coffee day's chocolate fantasy.. This is what I call "death-by-chocolate"..!

Ingredients

• For the cake:
• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 cup Unsalted Butter at room temperature 
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar 
• 4 large Eggs
• 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract 
• 1 tsp Instant Coffee Powder 
• 1 tbsp warm Water 
• 1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Baking Powder 
• 1 tsp Baking Soda 
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• For the mousse:
• 1 1/2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 
• 1 cup Heavy Cream/Whipping Cream
• For the Ganache:
• 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 
• 1 cup Heavy Cream/Whipping Cream

Method

• For the cake:
• Spray two 9" round cake pans with nonstick cooking spray and dust it with all purpose flour; keep aside. 
• Pre-heat the oven to 350 F. 
• Mix together the instant coffee powder and the warm water; set it aside. 
• Melt the chocolate chips using a double boiler method or in a microwave (whichever you are comfortable). I personally prefer the double boiler method. Set it aside.
• In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients, viz. - all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set it aside. 
• In a bowl, beat together the sugar & butter until they are well incorporated. 
• Add the vanilla extract, give it a quick stir. 
• Mix in the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each one is well incorporated before adding the next one. 
• Next, incorporate the instant coffee mixture. 
• Mix in the dry ingredients. 
• Now stir in the melted chocolate and sour cream; mix just enough to incorporate. Do not over-mix. 
• Divide the batter equally between the two cake pans and flatten it if needed using a spatula. 
• Bake on the center rack for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
• Let the cakes sit out at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, un mould and place on wire-rack to cool.  
• For the mousse:
• Melt the chocolate chips using a double boiler method or in a microwave (whichever you are comfortable). I personally prefer the double boiler method. Let it come to room temperature.
• Whip the heavy cream (as a prep to this step, I like to chill my beaters, the bowl in which I'll be whipping as well as the heavy cream - this helps reduce the whipping time). Once whipped, place it back in the refrigerator until the chocolate comes to room temperature.
• Fold the chocolate into the whipped cream in batches (I did this in about 4-5 batches). 
• Keep it in the refrigerator until ready for use.
• For the Ganache:
• It is best if the ganache is prepared when the layering of chocolate mousse is complete and the layered cake has cooled in the refrigerator for atleast an hour (I kept it in the refrigerator overnight). 
• In a saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer on medium heat.
• Take the saucepan off the heat and pour the cream on the chocolate. 
• Leave it aside for 2-3 minutes.
• Using a whisk, combine the cream and chocolate to a smooth finish
• Assembly:
• Using a serrated knife even out the top surface of the cakes (if needed). 
• Using an offset spatula, evenly apply the chocolate mousse on the top side of the cake (the one we flattened in the previous step). Place the top layer of the other cake on top of the mousse topped cake. This way you avoid the the uneven surface from being on the top. 
• Keep the cake in the refrigerator for atleast an hour. 
• Now prepare the chocolate ganache following the steps in the section above and let it sit for ~5 minutes. 
• Place a wire rack on top of a cookie sheet or similar (you might want to cover the cookie sheet with wax paper or foil to avoid cleanup later). 
• Carefully put the cake on top of the wire rack; wipe away any cake crumbs. 
• Ladle the ganache on the cake making sure all the visible area is covered by the ganache. 
• Let it settle for about 5 minutes. 
• Carefully lift the cake and place it on your final serving plate.

Enjoy!!!

Vegetarian Thai Red Curry

Presenting - Vegetarian Thai Red Curry..
Made this yesterday.. It was my parents' wedding anniversary yesterday and they both love Thai food (though they don't stay with me and are thousands of miles away - in India - this did make me feel so connected) I never knew I could cook it myself (and yes from scratch).. And I was amazed at how simple it was to cook..

Here is my inspiration for this wonderful DIY experience (This is a little longer than on my other recipes; you may skip to after the picture to see the recipe) -
Most of my friends and family know that I love Thai food SOOO much.. When asked where I'd want to dine out - my answer would always be Thai (to an extent that they stopped asking me ).. But lately I've had mixed experiences while dining at different Thai restaurants.. At times the food has been heavenly but more often than not - it has been a complete disaster.. Even after eating the whole plate I would still remain hungry and dissatisfied... That's when I decided to try to make Thai curries - that I so dearly adore and love - at the comfort of my home.. I started my analysis and checked multiple videos and blogs... The best I found was Pai's hot-thai-kitchen... Although all her recipes include meat, her explanation is so easy to understand and besides it gives me a sense of satisfaction from learning the authentic cuisine (unlike the Indian fusion taste that most people tend to like - I'm a sucker for authenticity)..
Having said all this, I'd like to add that during my journey of finding Thai recipes, I never ever knew that I could do it and that too with the end result which will be oh-so-amazingly mesmerizing.. Oh and by-the-way - I made the curry paste from scratch too.. The recipes are inspired from Pai's hot-thai-kitchen... I've adapted it to make it vegetarian..

The last time I felt this way was when I tried my hands at baking THE dulce de leche cheesecake

Ingredients

• For the curry paste:
• Approx. 15 large red chillies - deseeded (I used fresh but if you are using the dried ones, soak overnight or at least for 2-3 hours until you see the chillies bloat. Also, if you are using the smaller variety of chillies, you might want to consider reducing the quantity as those are much more hotter compared to their larger counterparts)
• ¹/4 cup lemongrass - minced
• ¹/3 cup chopped onion
• 3 tbsp garlic - grated
• 1 tbsp galangal - grated
• 7-8 black peppercorns (traditionally the recipe requires white peppercorns but I didn't have them on hand so used black peppercorns instead)
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1.5 tbsp cilantro stem - finely chopped (traditionally, most of the recipes I've researched mentioned the use of roots but I couldn't get my hands on any at my local grocery store so I used the stem instead. However, if you are using the roots, reduce the quantity to half as the roots are packed in flavor compared to the stems)
• Salt - to taste
• For the curry:
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 1 cup vegetable stock (or water)
• Assorted veggies; I used the below:
• Red bell peppers - diced large
• Green bell peppers - diced large
• Tomatoes - diced large
• Snow peas - veins from both the ends removed
• Bamboo shoots
• Baby corns - cut to 1" pieces
• Cayenne pepper (optional) - to taste (This is optional; in case, yes just-in-case, after you taste your curry and you find it to be not hot enough!)
• Salt - to taste
• 10-12 Basil leaves
• 3-4 Mint leaves

Method

• For making the curry paste:
• Crush the peppercorns using a mortar & pestle (this is because if you add these to the food processor together with the other ingredients, because those ingredients are so-to-say - mushy, chances of these getting crushed well are fairly thin)
• Now add all the ingredients listed for making the curry paste into a food processor and process until you get a smooth paste.
• For making the curry:
• Take 1 cup of coconut milk in a wok and heat it on high heat until it thickens.
• Stir in ¹/₄ cup of curry paste (you can adjust to your taste - this is just the amount of heat I prefer in my food...) and cook for 3-5 minutes.
• Now add the red & green bell peppers, snow peas, bamboo shoots and baby corns; simmer covered for 20 minutes.
• Add tomatoes and simmer for 5-7 minutes.
• At this point, taste for your seasoning. Adjust the salt and the heat according to your likings. If you do add either of these, simmer covered for another 5 minutes.
• As a last step - stir in the basil and mint leaves and simmer for a minute and take it off the flame. Your Vegetarian Thai Red Curry is ready to be served and yes, you made it from scratch (yayyy!). 

Serving Suggestion

Serve this curry piping hot with a side of brown rice (this is what I prefer) or jasmine rice (choice is yours!)

Enjoy!

Potato Onion Poha

Potato-onion poha is a traditional gujarati dish - relished as an appetizer or a main meal too (yes I love it so much!). It is made from flattened rice - the thicker kind. It is very quick easy to make this poha... Go into your kitchen and give it a try!

 

Ingredients:

• 4 cup thick poha/thick flattened rice
• 2 medium potatoes - finely diced
• 2 medium onions - finely diced
• 1 medium tomato - finely diced
• ¹/₂ tsp ginger paste
• ¹/₂ tsp garlic paste
• 2 tsp serrano pepper - finely chopped
• 4 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• ¹/₄ tsp asafoetida
• 6-7 curry leaves
• 2 tbsp roasted unsalted peanuts - coarsely crushed
• ¹/₄ tsp cinnamon powder
• 2 tsp lime juice
• ¹/₄ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• Salt - to taste
• Garnishing
• 1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro 
• Fine sev

Method

•  Wash the poha in a colander and set it aside. The poha will puff soaking the water that it has retained in the colander while you washed it. Remember, do not soak the poha in water - this will make your end product very mushy.
• In a pan, heat the oil on medium-high heat and add mustard seeds; allow them to crackle. When the mustard seeds start crackling, add sesame seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida. Add serrano pepper, ginger paste and garlic paste and saute on medium-low heat for 30 seconds.
• Add the diced onion and potatoes and season them with salt (salt helps reduce cook time), cook covered until onion and potatoes are cooked thru (you can check by splitting a piece of onion and a potato using a saute spoon - it is done if you can feel a soft split). Sprinkle little water if needed.
• Add the poha, turmeric powder, cinnamon powder, peanuts, sugar, salt for the poha's portion; mix well. Let it cook covered for 2-3 minutes. 
• Add diced tomatoes, lime juice and cilantro; mix well one last time and cook for about a minute.
• take it off the heat

Serving suggestion:
Poha can be relished by itself or served with fine sev sprinkled on top.
Enjoy!!

Bow-tie Pasta in Artichoke and Sun-Dried Tomato flavored Pesto

Pasta for our family is the quick and easy go-to comfort food that is both easy and quick to cook and needs very few ingredients. Quick recipe that can be prepared within 30 min... Who doesn't like that?

The sun-dried tomatoes and marinaded artichoke hearts bring in a lovely tangy flavor to the dish which gets well balanced with the usual basil-pesto flavor. End result is just divine! If you like pesto, I bet you'll like this too.

 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb Bow-tie (Farfalle) pasta
• ³/₄ cup Pine Nuts - roasted
• ¹/₄ cup Walnuts - roasted
• 4 oz. Fresh Basil Leaves (approx. 2 cups)
• 1 - 10 oz. can of Sun-Dried Tomatoes
• 1 ¹/₄ cup Marinaded Artichoke Hearts
• 1 tsp Garlic - minced
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
• Ground Black Pepper - to taste
• Salt - to taste
• 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano - freshly grated (Traditionally pasta dishes are incomplete without cheese in them but since this was loaded with nuts and olive oil, I didn't use it in my preparation).
• Water - to boil the pasta

Method:

• To make the sauce:
• Add the pine nuts, walnuts, basil leaves, sun-dried tomatoes, marinaded artichoke hearts, garlic, dried oregano, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper (Reserve 4-5 pieces of tomatoes and ¹/₄ cup of artichoke hearts for later use) to a food processor and process until well combined. Make sure you use all the oil from the can of sun-dried tomatoes (you'll not need any extra oil)
• To cook the pasta:
• Boil water in a pot and add a generous amount of salt to it (remember this is the only seasoning opportunity your pasta has and not all salt that you add to the water will get absorbed by the pasta). I also like to add about a tsp of oil to the water while it is boiling - this helps in the pasta not sticking to each other when you drain them.
• Cook the pasta for about 10-12 min (or as per your package's instructions). Our family likes it cooked thru but you can remove it sooner or later depending on your liking.
• Drain the pasta (reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water to use during our final step).
• Dice the reserved tomatoes and artichoke hearts. In a pan, roast the tomatoes and artichoke hearts for about 30 sec. Add the sauce and the drained pasta and half of the reserved pasta water. Stir to combine (add more of the pasta water as required).

Serving Suggestion:

The pasta goes well with nicely toasted garlic bread but can be relished just by itself too! :-)
Enjoy!!

Punjabi Chhole

Punjabi Chhole is a mouth watering curry prepared with Chhole (garbanzo beans) in aromatic onion-tomato sauce/gravy.. Follow this recipe and I assure you this will be the best Chhole you've had so far :-)

Ingredients:

• 3 - 15 oz. cans of Chhole (garbanzo beans) - rinsed (you can alternatively soak the beans overnight and boil the next day if you don't want to use canned ones)
• 4 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1¹/₂ tbsp ginger - grated
• 1¹/₂ tbsp garlic - grated
• 3 large onions - puréed
• 5 large tomatoes - puréed
• 5 tbsp chhole/chana masala (I used MTR)
• 1 tbsp chilli powder
• ¹/₄ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp kasuri methi (crushed between your palms)
• ¹/₂ cup tomato purée from can (optional use if your tomatoes are not very red and tangy)
• Water - as needed (I used about 1/4 cup)
• Salt to taste
• Whole masala
• 1-1¹/₂" cinnamon stick
• 4-5 cloves
• 8-10 black peppercorns
• 3 pods cardamom peeled
• To garnish
• Cilantro - 2 tbsp

Method

• Using a mortar pestle coarsely ground the whole masala
• In a frypan, heat the oil and ghee; add the coarsely ground whole masala and sauté for about 30 sec.
• Add grated ginger and garlic and sauté again for 30 sec.
• Add puréed onion and let it cook covered on medium to medium-low heat until the smell of raw onion disappears (add water if necessary - I like to be frugal with water addition)
• Now add the puréed tomatoes and let it cook covered until the oil separates at the edges
• Now add all the masala and mix well
• Let it simmer for a few minutes - this will ensure the masala flavor is infused in the gravy
• Add Chhole and mix well
• Add this mixture to the pressure cooker (add water if the gravy is less) and pressure cook on medium low flame for 1 whistle. Don't be in a hurry to open the pressure cooker, rather let the pressure release on its own.
• Open the pressure cooker and mix well one last time. Remove to a serving bowl and garnish with cilantro

Serving suggestion:

Chhole is traditionally served with bhature; I however prefer the whole wheat paratha :-)

Enjoy!!