tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43516143360170844932024-03-13T08:45:38.131+05:30SinFoodie : For the love of CookingWith Great Food Comes Great Calories !!SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-20964352942787009492015-01-29T10:47:00.003+05:302015-01-30T15:58:52.149+05:30Beetroot and Chocolate Cupcakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLm0kYx25seH1rsJQENyj2ccooDfV9cEo3qY-ZXAIKVoDZwLUaUQhyAjrrAlz392qymCrWPmpSvGB7Mbi3dYTWIJb1iLKmUW61ijMH-BrWPR6JSGz5R3MZj9OzHNhCAXHhG5l-PZIR19NK/s1600/Beetroot+Chocolate+Cupcakes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLm0kYx25seH1rsJQENyj2ccooDfV9cEo3qY-ZXAIKVoDZwLUaUQhyAjrrAlz392qymCrWPmpSvGB7Mbi3dYTWIJb1iLKmUW61ijMH-BrWPR6JSGz5R3MZj9OzHNhCAXHhG5l-PZIR19NK/s1600/Beetroot+Chocolate+Cupcakes.jpg" height="640" width="600" /></a></div>
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Made these cupcakes for my daughter, who after wishing her cousin a Happy Birthday on a long distance call, wanted to know "Cake kahaan hai" [ Where is the Cake]. There were some beetroots lying in the fridge and I searched for a recipe for cupcakes using them. This recipe had the most positive comments , so decided to make these. And it turned out really moist and utterly delicious. These cupcakes are not pink or red, but dark chocolate colour.<br />
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Recipe for cake is from <a href="http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/14626/chocolate-beetroot-cake.aspx" target="_blank">here</a> . It makes about 20-22 regular sized cupcakes. These taste best after cooling for few hours or kept overnight refrigerated covered..<br />
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<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b>Ingredients</b></h3>
<ul>
<li>
<span data-original="250g well-drained, cooked beetroots, pureed" itemprop="ingredients">250g well-drained, cooked beetroots, pureed</span>
</li>
<li>
<span data-original="1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract" itemprop="ingredients">1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</span>
</li>
<li>
<span data-original="300g caster sugar" itemprop="ingredients">300g caster sugar</span>
</li>
<li>
<span data-original="250ml vegetable oil" itemprop="ingredients">250ml vegetable oil</span>
</li>
<li>
<span data-original="3 eggs" itemprop="ingredients">3 eggs</span></li>
<li><span itemprop="ingredients">225g plain flour</span>
</li>
<li>
<span itemprop="ingredients">1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda</span>
</li>
<li>
<span itemprop="ingredients">1/4 teaspoon salt</span>
</li>
<li>
<span itemprop="ingredients">6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder</span></li>
</ul>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
<b><span itemprop="ingredients">Method </span></b>
</h3>
<ol itemprop="recipeInstructions">
<li>Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4. Grease and flour one 20x30cm (9x13 in) or similar sized baking tin.</li>
<li>In a large bowl, combine pureed beetroots,
eggs, vanilla, oil and sugar. Mix with an electric mixer on low speed
until well combined.</li>
<li>In a separate bowl, mix together flour,
bicarbonate of soda, salt and cocoa. Add to the creamed mixture, beating
together well. Pour batter into prepared tin.</li>
<li>Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until done. Cool and frost with your favourite icing. </li>
</ol>
I have frosted with chocolate ganache. <br />
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SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-89102744331491400552014-07-14T11:14:00.000+05:302014-07-14T11:14:32.647+05:30Another birthday cake!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiBl7ELh9J3ZVoMVqqkHpeB_ttOWW7aK4F0pnOg3mskB05wQyLfZ3pJ3V1sJQ6hyphenhyphen79Y30jjgzpRXpNVG3yl5QpDXY7wLT5_7t_6YOVVUp7VYUGcKNM_8LWeSQHLftDtDCGP4rh6dOeptY/s1600/birthday+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiBl7ELh9J3ZVoMVqqkHpeB_ttOWW7aK4F0pnOg3mskB05wQyLfZ3pJ3V1sJQ6hyphenhyphen79Y30jjgzpRXpNVG3yl5QpDXY7wLT5_7t_6YOVVUp7VYUGcKNM_8LWeSQHLftDtDCGP4rh6dOeptY/s1600/birthday+cake.jpg" height="640" width="450" /> </a></div>
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While I was on the break from blogging , Had made this cake for my husband's birthday! </div>
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SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-47381689696583449562014-07-06T18:54:00.000+05:302014-07-06T18:54:00.226+05:30Birthday Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14TztrR_5vkz7yFrrSOs6fduv63kQiq8QnbDt7MfoE_LNhg8b60Ny5H7f_9GDkhfzlTfTftesceVT1S9zQAaElyY_QkRZC0rClzfbPzMOj7p2JE2ifMfK7wbg2ZzBzfAm5gyvNq2MKBEH/s1600/rainbow+birthday+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14TztrR_5vkz7yFrrSOs6fduv63kQiq8QnbDt7MfoE_LNhg8b60Ny5H7f_9GDkhfzlTfTftesceVT1S9zQAaElyY_QkRZC0rClzfbPzMOj7p2JE2ifMfK7wbg2ZzBzfAm5gyvNq2MKBEH/s1600/rainbow+birthday+cake.jpg" height="640" width="423" /></a></div>
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Hi Everyone,<br />
It's been 2 long years since I blogged. Between office work and a 2 year toddler, I am increasing finding it difficult to get back to blogging and baking. However, not to miss the chance to bake a celebration birthday cake, I made this cake for my daughter's second birthday.<br />
Recipe Source : <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/beattys-chocolate-cake-recipe.html" target="_blank">link</a></div>
SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-2152963335807700622012-07-14T09:30:00.001+05:302012-07-14T09:30:27.492+05:30I am a mommy now !!!!I am very happy to announce the arrival of Baby sinfoodie :)our cute princess is doing well. :) needless to say , I will be missing in action here for coming months.SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-79224697421818448312012-05-22T21:05:00.000+05:302012-05-22T21:06:36.297+05:30My Birthday Cake in different shades of pink<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilx8zpt1sgjlhU-jZcFQgtDF4S8zklv2kqvS1ITkXf1EJCpvsukJ3qWKOUUTs4enu3gZy0AJITn9PMafWtz1YTIB_uPTBmH_qbalxjoGSeoYp1qpvYJFu13xT-sULsed9_nkR-xb5lJbuf/s1600/Pink+gradient+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilx8zpt1sgjlhU-jZcFQgtDF4S8zklv2kqvS1ITkXf1EJCpvsukJ3qWKOUUTs4enu3gZy0AJITn9PMafWtz1YTIB_uPTBmH_qbalxjoGSeoYp1qpvYJFu13xT-sULsed9_nkR-xb5lJbuf/s640/Pink+gradient+cake.jpg" title="Pink Gradient Cake" width="425" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was my birthday last week and I had planned to treat myself by making this pink layered cake. Even though it meant a lot of effort as I have a small oven and I had to bake each layer one at a time, I was super excited. Now, buying a birthday cake has become a passe at my home, and my husband who hasn't ever baked a cake before wanted to bake one for me. Little did he know how long I had been wanting to make this cake. He wanted me to have a relaxed birthday but I was so excited that I had forbade him to bake a cake for me. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2CC8N9Hd5L8_NIckDlmJfaGUmNCRisf4XDQ5MjWjL7VfiZhL9259Ceqad3oxtwe2eg1WDFAmeTvyFBfXypkwSygjhuS3m-RmUaNmzodxmY5dqSFuCnC4ubCVKN8s2b7iD9O5-yvQd1f5/s1600/Birthday+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj2CC8N9Hd5L8_NIckDlmJfaGUmNCRisf4XDQ5MjWjL7VfiZhL9259Ceqad3oxtwe2eg1WDFAmeTvyFBfXypkwSygjhuS3m-RmUaNmzodxmY5dqSFuCnC4ubCVKN8s2b7iD9O5-yvQd1f5/s640/Birthday+Cake.jpg" width="460" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The recipe I have used is for a 6" cake for each of the 4 layers. On hindsight,I feel I should I have reduced the amount or baked it in an 8" pan. I have used 2,4,8,12 units of rose pink liquid food color for the gradient layers. I first started with 4 and 12 units, and decided that depending on the outcome after baking, I would increase or decrease the amount of colour for the next layer. The cake design is inspired by <a href="http://call-me-cupcake.blogspot.in/search?updated-max=2011-05-01T21:45:00%2B02:00&max-results=7">Call me Cupcake</a>, though the recipe did not work for me as I had to prepare the batter separately for each layer as my oven is small. Though,for my first layer I tried that recipe by reducing it proportionately, but the quantity was so less for one layer, that the outcome was bad. I had to discard it and start afresh with a different recipe of a vanilla cake from <a href="http://glorioustreats.blogspot.in/2011/07/perfect-vanilla-cupcakes-recipe.html">here</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For Frosting I used the whipped cream frosting recipe which I had earlier used for <a href="http://sinfoodie.blogspot.in/2011/12/special-cake-for-special-man-tuxedo.html">Tuxedo Cake</a>. I used 1/3rd of the quantity for frosting the 4 layer cake.</span></div>
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Pink Gradient Cake</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For one layer of a 6" cake </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />1 1/4 cups cake flour<br />1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />2 eggs<br />3/4 cup sugar<br />1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract<br />1/2 cup oil (vegetable, canola or extra light olive oil)<br />1/2 cup buttermilk</span></div>
<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Preparation</span></h4>
<ol style="line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Preheat oven to 350*F.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Grease and flour the cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> In a medium bowl, add cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together with whisk, and set aside.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">In the bowl of an electric mixer, add eggs and beat 10-20 seconds. Add sugar and continue to beat on medium speed about 30 seconds. Add vanilla and oil, beat.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly add about half of the flour mixture. Add half of the buttermilk, then the rest of the flour and the rest of the buttermilk. Add the food colour and Beat until just combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl. </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Pour batter into the cake pan</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"> Bake for 30-40 minutes till the skewer comes clean.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Let the cake cool completely. </span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><b>For making cake flour at home</b></span><span style="line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"> - Take one cup of all purpose flour and remove 2 tbsp from it. Replace the 2 tbsp flour with cornflour and sift together 2-3 times. Cake flour is ready to use.</span></span><br />
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<h4 style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Assembling</span></span></h4>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once you have all the layers ready and cooled, keep the darkest layer at bottom and apply the frosting and place the next layer.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cover the entire cake with crumb coating and let it refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Apply the final coating of frosting with a design of your choice.</span></li>
</ol>
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</div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-10126541848570825992012-05-02T23:39:00.000+05:302012-05-02T23:43:25.324+05:30Outrageous Brownies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #444444;">These delicious brownies by Ina Garten are one of the most popular recipe available online. With 500 reviews and most of them positive , I had to make them. My friends were coming over this weekend , so I thought what better occasion than this .The brownie uses a lot of butter , so it can only be indulged in once in a long while. According to the reviews, these taste better when kept refrigerated overnight and should be served after refrigeration only. Also, they cut better upon refrigeration. I have only made half the amount mentioned in the original recipe.</span><br />
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #444444;">Outrageous Brownies</span></strong></h2>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444;">Ingredients</span></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #444444;">1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />1/2 pound plus 6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, divided<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />3 ounces unsweetened chocolate<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />3 extra-large eggs<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />1.5 tablespoons instant coffee powder (I used 1 tbsp and it was sufficient)<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />1 tablespoon real vanilla extract<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />1½ teaspoons baking powder<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />1/2 teaspoon kosher salt<br style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />1.5 cups diced walnut pieces (I used 1 cup)</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;">Preparation</span></h4>
<ol style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-align: left;">
<li><span style="color: #444444;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13 baking pan. (325 degrees if using a dark non-stick pan)</span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #444444;">Melt together the butter, chocolate chips[1/2 pound], and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler (I did this step in a glass dish in the microwave at 30 second intervals). Cool slightly.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #444444;"> Stir together [Do not beat] the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla and sugar.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #444444;"> Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #444444;">Stir together the 1/2 cup flour, baking powder and salt.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #444444;"> Add to cooled chocolate mixture. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #444444;">Toss the walnuts and 6 ounces chocolate chips with 2 tbsp flour to coat.Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #444444;">Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Do not overbake.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares. Cut only after refrigeration.</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> </span></span></li>
</ol>
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Recipe Source:Original Recipe:</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">(Source:</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> </span><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_32314,00.html" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" target="_blank">Ina Garten</a><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">)</span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', 'Lucida Grande', 'Lucida Sans Unicode', 'Lucida Sans', Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;"> Half recipe by Brown eyed baker[</span></span><a href="http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2007/10/09/outrageous-indeed/" style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;">Brown eyed baker</a>]</span></div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-15332256586138768812012-04-04T22:37:00.001+05:302012-04-04T23:47:30.038+05:30Swedish Visiting cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnNVFojq0tg9jCcQSslZbW5X_AWgDnPXaa0YRE9jJMff6-m3caKMZq3rxSTt2aUTSC8ES5DQafoaROfzpkoYk9tupm4tMP4nlkaEJsWAfTT0cNDWoUtzGpLwd3r3HOf3VEPUz9sZ8ZCVN/s1600/almond+cake+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnNVFojq0tg9jCcQSslZbW5X_AWgDnPXaa0YRE9jJMff6-m3caKMZq3rxSTt2aUTSC8ES5DQafoaROfzpkoYk9tupm4tMP4nlkaEJsWAfTT0cNDWoUtzGpLwd3r3HOf3VEPUz9sZ8ZCVN/s640/almond+cake+3.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>This one is the last one from the baking bonanza I had while my sister was here. My other sister complains that all I send her are cookies, so this time I decided to parcel this simple tea cake for her. I can't say much about the taste , as I just tasted the crumbs :)) , but my sister called up to say that she loved it. The recipe is simple and easy. The only issue was getting slivered almonds, which is not available here . Maybe it is available in some speciality store, but I haven't seen them yet. So, I did a bit of hard work in making these slivers from whole almonds.I don't have a pie pan or a 9"inch pan, so I divided the batter into a 6" pan and a tart pan. On hindsight, I should have reduced the baking time by few minutes since I divided the batter into smaller pans. The cake is supposed to be moist and it did lose some of it because of that. But , it didn't affect much.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbGY0VZzoRXxkX01XI0ubljfiqrJKefGzJikZaq5YOK6RzYV8hqaFxZz-ntn9qTNJAmqmZMZU9XVVeG_ECv4fXgWFXMu42RHWbWYT5MrHQvP3suKQAKEB8s-_znofOIqr6EO-UYEI6INi/s1600/almond+cake+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="617" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfbGY0VZzoRXxkX01XI0ubljfiqrJKefGzJikZaq5YOK6RzYV8hqaFxZz-ntn9qTNJAmqmZMZU9XVVeG_ECv4fXgWFXMu42RHWbWYT5MrHQvP3suKQAKEB8s-_znofOIqr6EO-UYEI6INi/s640/almond+cake+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling <br />
Grated zest of 1 lemon<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract<br />
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract<br />
1 cup all-purpose flour<br />
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled<br />
About 1/4 cup sliced almonds (blanched or not)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Preparation</span><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof skillet, a 9-inch cake pan or even a pie pan.</li>
<li>Pour the sugar into a medium bowl. Add the zest and blend the zest and sugar together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and aromatic. \</li>
<li>Whisk in the eggs one at a time until well blended. </li>
<li>Whisk in the salt and the extracts. </li>
<li>Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour. Finally, fold in the melted butter.</li>
<li>Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Scatter the sliced almonds over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar. If you're using a cake or pie pan, place the pan on a baking sheet.</li>
<li>Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is golden and a little crisp on the outside; the inside will remain moist. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool for 5 minutes, t</li>
<li>Then run a thin knife around the sides and bottom of the cake to loosen it. </li>
</ol><div style="text-align: left;">You can serve the cake warm or at room temperature, directly from the skillet or turned out onto a serving plate. </div>Recipe Source : <a href="http://doriegreenspan.com/2007/03/swedish-visiting-cake.html">Dorie Greenspan site</a><br />
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</div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-70151527010958743692012-04-01T16:22:00.000+05:302012-04-01T16:22:48.974+05:30Dimpled Apple Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20VqDS7CaoVfeFd9FKxHlAH6XNNjMqQy-f9fWixIa-owQHSWeXleDWrBAjpd9Gx0o3ZrZw9X2vzOVO28kOdWlpsUusiUVueHARv_4FkbK7-l-FAHbuVglAoSQfvIfkDyDPy9MBSN8CVXD/s1600/dimpled+apple+cake+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi20VqDS7CaoVfeFd9FKxHlAH6XNNjMqQy-f9fWixIa-owQHSWeXleDWrBAjpd9Gx0o3ZrZw9X2vzOVO28kOdWlpsUusiUVueHARv_4FkbK7-l-FAHbuVglAoSQfvIfkDyDPy9MBSN8CVXD/s640/dimpled+apple+cake+2.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
Apple cake is one of my favourite cakes, especially when flavoured generously with cinnamon. I had been craving for it for some time and would drag my husband to cafes just to have a piece of the apple cake. But as my luck would have it none of the cafes which earlier used to keep it, had it. So, finally I gave in to my temptation and baked this cake. I have baked apple cupcakes during my pre-blogging days and this time I wanted to try a recipe for moist cake . <br />
The recipe I tried did have some problems, it took too long to bake and the people who had tried this recipe had listed those problems under the original blogger. But I reached the original blog only when I was almost done with the baking ,so I missed those tips.<br />
In spite of the increased baking time, the cake turned out very delicious. It was a moody cake, tasted different every time I had it. I liked it best when it was just out of oven, though it was difficult to cleanly slice it . I like my apple cake warm, but when I reheated it after storing it overnight, it didn't taste as good. Without heating, and just out of the refrigerator it again was very delicious and my sister and husband liked it more when it was cold. It also got cleanly sliced after being refrigerated overnight. <br />
The best part of the cake was the crunchy cinnamon brown sugar streusel which also gave the cake sweet little dimples and hence the name.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
<br />
<b>For the Cake</b><br />
1-1/2 cups Greek- yogurt, well-stirred [ I used homemade curd]<br />
2/3 cup olive oil [ I used vegetable oil]<br />
1/4 cup lemon juice<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
3 large eggs<br />
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla<br />
4 small tart apples, such as Granny Smith, [ I used regular red apples]<br />
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
3/4 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg<br />
1/2 tsp powdered cinnamon<br />
<br />
<b>For the Cinnamon Streusel</b><br />
2 teaspoons cinnamon<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Preparation</span><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Heat oven to 350 F/176 C. Generously grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with baking spray or olive oil.</li>
<li>Whisk together yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl.</li>
<li>Peel and core apples, and chop into chunks about 1/2-inch across. You should end up with 3-1/2 to 4 cups of apples. Stir chopped apple into the liquid ingredients.</li>
<li>Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon right into the liquids and stir just until no lumps remain.</li>
<li>For the cinnamon streusel : In a small separate bowl, mix remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon with the brown sugar and butter.</li>
<li>Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Cover with half of cinnamon-brown sugar mixture, dropping it on batter in small lumps. Cover with remaining cake batter, then top with last half of cinnamon-brown sugar mixture.</li>
<li> Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, covering with foil if top gets too brown. When a tester comes out clean, transfer pan to a cooling rack and let it sit for at least 15 minutes before cutting.</li>
</ol>Now the problems that were encountered by others and me.<br />
<ul><li>Baking time: In my case It took 30 minutes more for tester to come clean. The <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-apple-yogurt-cake-with-141995">original blogger</a> attributes that this could be if the yogurt was liquidy and she suggest draining. My curd was liquidy and as I said before I reached the original blog only after I finished baking. Since I had to increase the baking time, I covered it with foil to avoid too much browning. The browning was perfect once I did so.</li>
<li>Slicing Difficulty: I still had the difficulty in slicing after having left it for more than hour. It sliced clean only after refrigerating. </li>
<li>The photo is of the next day , so you can see that I didn't face the issue of cake turning like a bread pudding which some other users faced.</li>
<li>Some users suggested cutting olive oil I didn't face any issues with vegetable oil.</li>
</ul><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">Recipe Source: <a href="http://oneperfectbite.blogspot.in/2012/03/dimpled-apple-cake.html">One Perfect Bite</a> and the <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-apple-yogurt-cake-with-141995">Original recipe at the Kitchn</a></div></div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-57714980634004277542012-03-30T18:52:00.000+05:302012-03-30T18:52:50.029+05:30Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Collar<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBIgxgRKPvJ_1gpdcUCaT-tv029RfA49UGiiX7TT9XLQkmWqmlAatBsyw0lD-0rSkqavQqrWl9esNhLxZnMRv7H_HcHgViqLbut0kYPZW7_WsbDmTVIJZPYNcsu7o5Yz_IigMnGj2vf4m/s1600/chocolate+cake-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVBIgxgRKPvJ_1gpdcUCaT-tv029RfA49UGiiX7TT9XLQkmWqmlAatBsyw0lD-0rSkqavQqrWl9esNhLxZnMRv7H_HcHgViqLbut0kYPZW7_WsbDmTVIJZPYNcsu7o5Yz_IigMnGj2vf4m/s640/chocolate+cake-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I had been wanting to try my hand at the chocolate collar after recently noticing several birthday cakes in the cake shops having them. Chocolate decorations was the other thing I had been postponing trying. So, when my sister came visiting from Delhi just few days after her birthday, it gave me a perfect opportunity to bake a belated birthday cake for her and at the same time try my hand at chocolate decorations. For the cake, I again used the same recipe as the <a href="http://sinfoodie.blogspot.in/2011/12/special-cake-for-special-man-tuxedo.html">Tuxedo Cake</a> which is currently my favorite chocolate cake base.I kept it simple this time with just 2 layers of cake with the sides and the insides filled with chocolate coffee ganache.<br />
<br />
It was unfortunately a very hot Sunday in Mumbai when I made this chocolate collar, so the chocolate took a lot of time setting up. I tried to hasten the process by keeping it in the refrigerator for 30 secs which was a bad idea as the chocolate hardened in that short time. I had to apply a thin layer of melted chocolate to make it stick around the cake. Thankfully, it was not that hard that it couldn't take the round shape of the cake.<br />
<br />
I am just sharing the recipe of how to make the collar, for the cake recipe, you can refer to <a href="http://sinfoodie.blogspot.in/2011/12/special-cake-for-special-man-tuxedo.html">Tuxedo Cake</a>.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
<br />
Cake, frosted and assembled.<br />
White chocolate [ For making patterns, decorations]<br />
Dark/milk chocolate<br />
Parchment paper.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Method</span><br />
<b>Measure the Cake </b>:<br />
Determine the height and circumference of the cake. This needs to be done after the cake has been frosted , as frosting will increase both of them and we don't want our chocolate collar to fall short.<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li>The height can be measured with a ruler/scale . You can either keep the height of the cake same as that of cake or add some more centimeters if you want to cover your cake with fruit toppings. </li>
<li>The circumference can be measured using a thread/yarn.Wrap the thread loosely around the base of the cake and add an additional inch to ensure that there are no gaps when you wrap it around. </li>
</ol><br />
<b>Cut the Parchment Paper: </b><br />
As per the measurement , cut the parchment paper.<br />
<br />
<b>Make Chocolate Collar and Wrap around the cake</b><br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Melt both the chocolates separately. </li>
<li>Fill the melted white chocolate in a piping bag and cut a small tip. </li>
<li>Place the parchment paper on your work surface. Make a pattern with the white chocolate. Since this was my first time at chocolate decoration too, I used the simplest zigzag pattern.</li>
<li>Once the white chocolate is set completely, apply the dark chocolate over the entire parchment paper using an offset spatula.Spread evenly.</li>
<li>Leave the chocolate collar to set, so that it is sticky/pliant and is not fully hard/brittle. This is the step where the Mumbai weather played a spoilsport.</li>
<li>Pick up the band and carefully put one end on the cake and press it to the frosting, wrapping it around the cake.</li>
<li>Transfer it to the refrigerator for 30 mins to get it completely set. Once it is set, peel the parchment paper. It comes off easily :)</li>
</ol><br />
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</div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-75885201708585655072012-02-05T11:47:00.000+05:302012-02-05T11:47:40.276+05:30Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgHaeuT55KeASl9Bmns4GHeqdt_WKFj_rqo0FQVJhXc1tjinteFawO2J1vW7sWGc15Ydbza-aAQ_qV2hRV-AalE4lUDtNTGbFLHtY5c4El0gNm6QjBQVHbC-SBpq02cjomg2S2tdUg6Pa/s1600/Carot+Cupcake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgHaeuT55KeASl9Bmns4GHeqdt_WKFj_rqo0FQVJhXc1tjinteFawO2J1vW7sWGc15Ydbza-aAQ_qV2hRV-AalE4lUDtNTGbFLHtY5c4El0gNm6QjBQVHbC-SBpq02cjomg2S2tdUg6Pa/s640/Carot+Cupcake.jpg" width="513" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">I haven't blogged in a month and I haven't baked anything too since Christmas. I had made these Carrot Cupcakes during Christmas for my husband's colleagues and have been procrastinating since then to blog about it. The cupcakes turned out delicious and the feedback was great. Since I got to taste only a bite of it, I think maybe I should bake them again till the fresh red carrots are in market. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The cupcake recipe is from <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/12/carrot-cake-with-maple-cream-cheese-frosting/">here</a> and for the frosting I have modified the recipe which I used for <a href="http://sinfoodie.blogspot.in/2011/02/red-velvet-cupcake.html">Red Velvet Cupcake</a> , by excluding White Chocolate. It tastes equally good. I remember, I had to use white chocolate then,as the cream cheese tasted sour, so white chocolate balanced the taste. The brand was different and now I stick to Philadelphia Cream cheese, which doesn't have a sour taste.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Makes 24 cupcakes </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>For Cupcake </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">2 cups all purpose flour<br />
2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
1 teaspoon ground ginger [ I didn't use it]<br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1 1/4 cups canola oil<br />
4 large eggs<br />
3 cups grated peeled carrots<br />
1 cups coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)<br />
1/2 cup raisins (optional)</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>For Cream Cheese Frosting</b></span><br />
<div><span style="font-size: small;">4 oz cream cheese</span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">2 1/2 tbsp butter</span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp vanilla extract</span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;">1 1/4 cup icing sugar sifted</span></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Preparation</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>For the Cupcake</b></span><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Preheat oven to 350 F/177C. Line 24 cupcake molds with paper liners, or butter and flour them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in medium bowl to blend.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"> Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Add flour mixture and stir until blended. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Stir in carrots, walnuts and raisins, if using them. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Divide batter among cupcake molds, filling 3/4 of each.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Bake cupcakes 14 to 18 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Let cool in pan for five minutes or so, then transfer cakes to a cooling rack.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Let cool completely before icing them.</span></li>
</ol></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>For the Cream Cheese Frosting</b></span></div><ol style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Beat Cream cheese and butter till light</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Add vanilla extract</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Add icing sugar and beat till smooth.</span></li>
</ol><br />
<div></div></div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-32502334184321081892012-01-04T20:45:00.000+05:302012-01-04T20:45:59.749+05:30Chole Bhature<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bbco6ojAww8/TwRCUYeBk-I/AAAAAAAAAso/RqoGcS2826Q/s1600/chole+bhature+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="482" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bbco6ojAww8/TwRCUYeBk-I/AAAAAAAAAso/RqoGcS2826Q/s640/chole+bhature+12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
After a long time there is savory recipe on the blog and that too is not cooked by me, but by my dear husband. And this time, It is my fault that I didn't put it up earlier, though it was made during Diwali. My husband mostly cooks non-vegetarian food and I am the one who cooks the vegetarian . This time, he decided to give me a full day break and I was not even allowed to enter the kitchen. It was a blessing, as I was already very tired making Diwali sweets. Though I have only put the Coconut Pistachio laddus on the blog, I had also prepared Churma Ladoo and Kalakand. I decided not to put these recipes on the blog, as Churma ladoo though very delicious, was very tiresome to make. And I don't want anyone to go through that ordeal : -D . And the Kalakand didn't turn as good as it is available in market. Maybe , I will try a different recipe for it and then post.<br />
<br />
The Chole Bhature came out very delicious and everyone loved it. Usually the Bhature are very heavy and oily and you can't eat more than one .These were one of the best Bhature I had, light and not oily at all.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients </span><br />
<br />
<b>For the Chole :</b><br />
<br />
250 Gm Chickpeas (<i>Chole/Kabuli Chana</i>)<br />
1 teabag ( this is used to give the black color)<br />
4-6 Big Black Cardamom <i>(Badi Ilaichi</i>)<br />
Salt acording to taste<br />
1 tsp Black Salt<br />
3-4 Green Chilies finely chopped<br />
1 piece Ginger finely chopped<br />
2-3 Tomatoes finely chopped<br />
2-3 tsp Coriander Leaves finely chopped<br />
1 Onion finely chopped<br />
1/2 tsp Mango powder (aamchur)<br />
1 Tbsp Garam Masala<br />
Red Chillies accoding to taste<br />
2 tsp dry Coriander Powder (<i>Dhania powder</i>)<br />
oil to cook<br />
2 Bay Leaves<br />
2 tsp Chole masala<br />
<br />
<b>For the Bhature:</b><br />
<br />
<br />
2 cups All purpose flour (<i>Maida</i>)<br />
1 cup curd/yogurt<br />
Vegetable oil to fry<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Preparation</span><br />
<br />
<b>For the Chole:</b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Soak chickpeas overnight.</li>
<li>Add Chickpeas along with salt and teabag in the cooker .Add enough water. Cook it in a pressure cooker till 3-4 whistles. Do not over cook. The tea bag gives it the black color.</li>
<li>Drain the Chickpeas and do not throw the water. It will be used later.</li>
<li>Heat oil in the pan .Add bay leaves,Cardamom. </li>
<li>When they crackle, add ginger,green chilies and onion. When onion is light brown, add tomato and coriander powder,chilli powder garam masala.</li>
<li>Add Chickpeas and mix well for 2-3 minutes, Then add chole masala, amchur and ginger and black salt.</li>
<li>Add the water in which Chickpeas was cooked and cook it for 10 minutes</li>
<li>Mash some chickpeas , it will make the gravy thicker.</li>
<li>Before Serving you can add some butter or <i>ghee</i> and garnish with Coriander Leaves /Paneer Cubes</li>
</ol><br />
<b>For the Bhature:</b><br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li>In a large bowl ,mix salt, baking soda and all purpose flour.Add 2 tsp oil and mix it well. </li>
<li>Knead a soft dough using Curd/Yogurt.</li>
<li>Cover the dough with a wet cloth and let it ferment for around 7-8 hours.</li>
<li>Heat oil in a deep pan. </li>
<li>Divide dough into 12 equal parts. Roll it in a thick round or oval shape.</li>
<li>Deep fry till it is slightly brown .</li>
<li>Serve hot with Chole,onion rings salad, sliced lemon and some pickles<i>/achaar</i> :)</li>
</ol><div>Recipe Source: Adapted from <a href="http://www.cookhealthy.in/2010/09/panjabi-chole-bhature.html">CookHealthy</a></div><br />
</div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-91960411930788260872011-12-23T19:05:00.001+05:302011-12-23T22:36:06.258+05:30A Special Cake for the Special Man - Tuxedo Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjWtsw52hm0/TvS03nj6UQI/AAAAAAAAAsc/f9anGs6CUtc/s1600/Birthday+Cake++Tuxedo+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zjWtsw52hm0/TvS03nj6UQI/AAAAAAAAAsc/f9anGs6CUtc/s400/Birthday+Cake++Tuxedo+Cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I drool every time I look at this gorgeous cake which I made last week, a special cake for the special man's birthday !! I get very few occasions to bake a celebration cake and usually I spend a lot of time searching and finalizing the cake to bake. I don't know how I came across this one, but one look and it was decided. With so little experience in baking cakes, I was not sure If I could replicate it exactly, But I am really proud the way it has turned out. Quite Close !! I was working with the whipped cream too for the first time, so the fear was manifold. The whipping did give me lot of troubles, muscle aches, and the quantity went wrong and I had plenty of whipped cream left, but no complains after the way it looked and tasted :-) Since the birthday was falling on a week day, I planned to make it over two days. The first day I made the cake, and the 2nd day I did the whipping and assembling.<br />
<br />
By the way hidden besides all this whiteness is 4 layers of moist dark chocolate cake. And is called a Tuxedo Cake.<br />
<br />
I am sharing the original recipe here though I made it by halving it. That gave me two 6" cakes, which I sliced into four , making it a 4 layered cake. As I mentioned above the quantity of whipped cream didn't work for me. I had halved the recipe for it too, but plenty was left, so I think 1/4th would have been enough . I also didn't have the corn syrup, so I made the ganache which I have earlier used in <a href="http://sinfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/01/dark-chocolate-bundt-cake.html">Bundt Cake</a>.<br />
I am also sharing the chocolate dipped strawberries recipe.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients:</span></b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>For the cake:</b><br />
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter<br />
2 cups water<br />
1 cup canola oil<br />
4 cups sugar<br />
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
4 large eggs<br />
1 cup buttermilk<br />
1 tbsp. baking soda<br />
½ tsp. salt<br />
1 tbsp. vanilla extract<br />
<br />
<b>For the frosting:</b><br />
4 cups chilled heavy whipping cream<br />
1¼ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>For the Chocolate Strawberries:</b><br />
10 even sized strawberries, washed and pat dried<br />
3 oz. dark chocolate, finely chopped<br />
some white chocolate<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>For the chocolate glaze:</b><br />
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped<br />
½ cup heavy whipping cream<br />
¼ cup light corn syrup<br />
2 tsp. vanilla extract<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Preparation</span></b><br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>For the Cake</b><br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line three 9-inch round cake pans (or two 10-inch round cake pans) with parchment paper. Butter and flour the inside edges of the pan, shaking out the excess flour. </li>
<li>In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, water and canola oil; heat until the butter is melted</li>
<li>In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, and flour; whisk to blend.</li>
<li>Pour the melted butter mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth.</li>
<li>Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then whisk in the buttermilk. Add the baking soda, salt and vanilla to the bowl and whisk just until incorporated.</li>
<li> Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.</li>
<li>Let cool in the pans for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of each cake layer and invert onto a wire cooling rack. Allow the cake layers to cool completely before frosting, at least 2 hours.</li>
</ol><br />
<b>For the frosting</b><br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li> Ensure that the bowl and the whisk of the electric mixer are chilled. This is for ensure the cream whips well.</li>
<li>Add the heavy cream to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and continue to whip until thoroughly combined and stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-beat!</li>
</ol><br />
<b>Assembling the cake</b><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Place one cake layer on a cake platter and spread a layer of the whipped cream frosting over the top. Top with a second cake layer, more frosting (and the third cake layer, if using). Frost the top and sides of the assembled cake. Refrigerate until the frosting has stabilized, at least 1 hour.</li>
</ol><b>For the Chocolate Strawberries:</b> <br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><ol><li>Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. </li>
<li>Melt the dark chocolate and stir it smooth. </li>
<li>Hold the strawberries by stem and twist and swirl it in the melted chocolate.Take it out ,swirl and let excess chocolate drip. Place it on the parchment paper and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes for the chocolate to set</li>
<li>When the chocolate strawberries is set, melt white chocolate in a bowl. Put it in a piping bag. Cut the tip and make patterns over the strawberries</li>
</ol><b>For the chocolate glaze:</b><br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.</li>
<li>Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 1-2 minutes.</li>
<li>Whisk until the mixture is smooth and homogeneous. Blend in the corn syrup and vanilla. Pour the glaze into a pitcher or measuring cup and let cool for 10 minutes. (Do not let the glaze cool longer or it may become difficult to pour over the cake.) </li>
<li>Slowly pour the glaze over the cake, ensuring that the top is covered and the glaze drips over the sides.</li>
<li>Place the chocolate dipped strawberries on the glaze immediately</li>
<li>Refrigerate the cake until the glaze is set and the whipped cream frosting is firm, at least 1 hour. </li>
<li>For Serving Slice with a long, sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between slices. </li>
</ol><div>The Recipe is from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pastry-Queen-Royally-Recipes-Countrys/dp/1580085628/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294368387&sr=8-1">Pastry Queen</a> and <a href="http://annies-eats.com/2011/01/07/tuxedo-cake/">Annie Eats</a>. The chocolate strawberries is from numerous resources available on the web.</div><br />
<div><br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-51827626871203844072011-12-06T20:08:00.001+05:302011-12-06T20:17:48.368+05:30Coconut Pistachio Laddus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-E5nG_W1PksZPnijsesHy_pNhcj-IDQFresEEyl7IrAwiKCgwyP1THnxFF9LA1w7l03Xl8z99dvLyrtBbEz-zF2wgx4Sqf49RHWhrXQKrTRK320lWPBWzNpJuRliH-ha1eQl0sIy182Gw/s1600/Coconut+Pistachio+ladoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-E5nG_W1PksZPnijsesHy_pNhcj-IDQFresEEyl7IrAwiKCgwyP1THnxFF9LA1w7l03Xl8z99dvLyrtBbEz-zF2wgx4Sqf49RHWhrXQKrTRK320lWPBWzNpJuRliH-ha1eQl0sIy182Gw/s640/Coconut+Pistachio+ladoo.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> No excuses for being invisible for so long on the blog. You know me and my frequent absenteeism due to laziness well now :)) I had made these coconut laddus for Diwali. It is a fairly simple recipe and very delicious. I anyway love coconut sweets and had been wanting to make them and was very ecstatic when everyone who had them loved it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I made two versions. The second photo is the one which is light pink [not peach] in colour. The 2nd photo doesn't look great in comparison with the first photo ,but it looked better than the first to the naked eyes. The only difference is the amount of beetroot used. For the first one I used an entire medium beetroot. And for the 2nd one ,I used half the beetroot.Now coming to the recipe, It is adapted from <a href="http://smart-snacks.blogspot.com/2011/10/pistachio-stuffed-coconut-ladoo.html">Alpana's blog</a>.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFNViwheNak0NB6YVh8kU4Yr1fXUTY6rDS5OTYp9Y_UhKKgqGtRP4LSVW5kHTNI7MvRfjoyn_FQT8LRVMBZakkmaAhb8jQsB7bBXlLeTew_GxI7RExwMEtSshCVDNCtRD9i-IMTx9Uw0V/s1600/coconut+laddu+balls+12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFNViwheNak0NB6YVh8kU4Yr1fXUTY6rDS5OTYp9Y_UhKKgqGtRP4LSVW5kHTNI7MvRfjoyn_FQT8LRVMBZakkmaAhb8jQsB7bBXlLeTew_GxI7RExwMEtSshCVDNCtRD9i-IMTx9Uw0V/s640/coconut+laddu+balls+12.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;">Ingredients:</b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">[For 15 laddus]</span><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For The Pistachio Filling :</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 cup blanched, deskinned and coarsely ground Pistachios</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 tablespoon Sweetened condensed milk</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Pinch of cardamom powder</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For Coconut balls</span></b></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup desiccated coconut + 1/2 cup for rolling the ladoos</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">200 Grams sweetened condensed milk ,half tin</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup Milk </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 tsp <i>Ghee</i>/ Clarified butter</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 tsp cardamom powder</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3-4 slices of fresh medium Beetroot [ light pink] <u>or</u> 1 medium beetroot [dark pink]</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>Preparation</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For the Pistachio Filling:</span></b><br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Mix all ingredients under the Pistachio filling to make a dough. Make 15 small balls and keep aside.</span></li>
</ol><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For the Coconut Balls:</span></b><br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Heat 1 tsp of ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the desiccated coconut and stir for 2-3 minutes till the time you can smell the fragrance of the coconut. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Add milk & beetroot slices and stir till the milk is all absorbed in the coconut.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Add condensed milk & cardamom powder & stir continuously on low heat till the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan . </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Switch off the heat as soon as the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. Let this mixture cool for 10-15 minutes . </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Remove the beetroot slices and mix well so that color is evenly spread. When the mixture cools off divide 15 equal portions . </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Flatten each Coconut ball in your palms. Place one pistachio ball into the center and close it from all sides and shape it into round balls. </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Take the 1/2 cup dry desiccated coconut and roll these balls in it .</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Refrigerate it before serving as they taste best after it. You can store them in refrigerator for 1 week.</span></li>
</ol><br />
<br />
</div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-12585407481014039102011-10-20T18:04:00.000+05:302011-10-20T18:04:22.910+05:30Makhane ki kheer /Foxnut Seeds Pudding<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2c65FrdVv9TZ1vUWBN-iwHXdPtgWTby9J04lPZFVtRLAo6u8l6X_CFYIK34Ma_2WnzC085enm-1Zicb0LTEJSXZ5-tck4VCxQX3yKCgJHnipjBXS01IUQFsb_FHrXCiCZ9GeLqFE2wX4-/s1600/makhana+Kheer+Lotus+seeds+22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2c65FrdVv9TZ1vUWBN-iwHXdPtgWTby9J04lPZFVtRLAo6u8l6X_CFYIK34Ma_2WnzC085enm-1Zicb0LTEJSXZ5-tck4VCxQX3yKCgJHnipjBXS01IUQFsb_FHrXCiCZ9GeLqFE2wX4-/s640/makhana+Kheer+Lotus+seeds+22.jpg" width="611" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<i>Makhane ki Kheer</i> is another variety of Indian <i>kheer</i>/Pudding. It is fairly popular and is usually made during fasting as Makhana is considered as an auspicious ingredient in offerings to the Lord during festivals.<br />
<br />
Makhana/Foxnut seeds is often called as Lotus seeds. I am not sure whether it is correct as Wiki says that Makhana is from water lily and not Lotus. A less known fact is that <span class="copyright">around 90% of the world's total Makhana production comes from Bihar.[<a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report_cracking-the-tough-nut-and-packaging-it_1529480">reference</a>] </span> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCCKkx-mqfoYFhKD0LnjqjYm3ldVLCWw6DwdyG_WT-yf5CzXWq0-fGgRkuEBrv8N-xNHxzfjGiWfiM1x-iG4OLI2Fwz6NoGdRLZqfHro9vDUwa2v4PWjZwBsMUi10fYgQuNuP68q_0KEX/s1600/makhana+Kheer+Lotus+seeds+31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="547" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCCKkx-mqfoYFhKD0LnjqjYm3ldVLCWw6DwdyG_WT-yf5CzXWq0-fGgRkuEBrv8N-xNHxzfjGiWfiM1x-iG4OLI2Fwz6NoGdRLZqfHro9vDUwa2v4PWjZwBsMUi10fYgQuNuP68q_0KEX/s640/makhana+Kheer+Lotus+seeds+31.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
<div style="font-family: inherit;">[For 3 people]</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><i>50 gms Makhana /</i>Foxnut Seeds</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">2 tsp Ghee /Clarified Butter</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">1 litre milk [ I use toned]</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">2-4 tbsp Sugar [ I like my kheer less sweet, had added only 2tbsp]</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Kesar</i>/Saffron, few strands</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">3 cardamom, powdered</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">1 & 1/2 tbsp <i>charoli/chironji</i></div><div style="font-family: inherit;">1 tbsp chopped pistcachios</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Pistachios/ Almonds for garnishing</div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Preparation</span><br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Heat the ghee in a pan and saute Makahanas for 4-5 minutes till they are crisp. Keep aside and once it is cool enough, crush them coarsely.</li>
<li>Soak saffron strands in 1 tbsp warm milk</li>
<li>Heat milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Add saffron milk and boil the milk on low heat till it reduces to almost half the amount. Keep stirring in between to prevent burning.</li>
<li>Add the crushed makhanas and simmer for about 10-15 minutes on low heat. The milk should be thick and runny, and not dried. You can reduce the simmer time, if you feel that the milk is drying up.</li>
<li>Add the charoli/chironji ,sugar,cardamom powder and pistachio and mix well. Keep on heat for 2-3 minutes more.</li>
<li>Remove from heat, and garnish with the pistachios, almonds and serve it cooled.</li>
</ol></div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-78276252544555826582011-10-18T22:21:00.000+05:302011-10-18T22:21:59.350+05:30Something for Diwali - Moong Dal Ladoo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOESd4d-kS69fU9H_jZOBFAmS5PjonAUMJ6EOHunmkWIqSv9QyjY58rPh9LHIad5QzR5Mi4HQ1F8UiL_6Yl0M22lSmjOoYSAqoBUe2pArL9xGnQwCiW7trq0tnUjmb2E08Ff0aRWfS7fZ/s1600/Moong+Dal+Ladoo+3_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCOESd4d-kS69fU9H_jZOBFAmS5PjonAUMJ6EOHunmkWIqSv9QyjY58rPh9LHIad5QzR5Mi4HQ1F8UiL_6Yl0M22lSmjOoYSAqoBUe2pArL9xGnQwCiW7trq0tnUjmb2E08Ff0aRWfS7fZ/s640/Moong+Dal+Ladoo+3_2.jpg" width="617" /></a></div><br />
It is Diwali time, and I should be making sweets. But, I don't know what has got into me, suddenly I don't feel like having anything sweet. Must be due to eating excess of gond ladoos that a relative brought few weeks back. My brother who is in town for couple of months, has an equally sweet tooth as mine,maybe a bit more. So, I thought of making these quickfix ladoos for him. Looking at how easy and quick they are to make , I will make them again for Diwali. It must have been decades since I tried binding the ladoos . Had forgotten how difficult it is to deal with the warm mixture :-) Anyone, any suggestions for reducing the burning in hands?<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
<br />
The recipe is from <a href="http://food-forthought.blogspot.com/2006/10/festival-of-eats-moong-dal-ladoo.html">here</a><br />
(makes 12 ,size as in the photo)<br />
1 cup yellow moong dal (split green gram-husk removed)<br />
3/4 cup sugar , powdered ( it was a bit sweet, can reduce few tbsp)<br />
3-4 cardamoms, peeled and powdered<br />
8-10 chopped cashews,<br />
10-12 tsp<i> ghee</i>/clarified butter<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Preparation</span><br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Toast <i>moong dal</i> in a wide pan on low heat till it has a uniform reddish brown color. Remove from heat and spread on a plate to cool.</li>
<li>Heat a teaspoon of ghee and saute cashews until light brown. Keep aside.</li>
<li>When the<i> moong dal</i> cools, grind it to a fine powder and mix with cashews, sugar and cardamom powder.</li>
<li>Heat about ten teaspoons of ghee in a wide pan. Add <i>dal/sugar</i> mixture and stir until well combined. </li>
<li>Remove from heat and shape into lemon sized balls when the mixture is still warm.</li>
<li>In case the mixture cannot be easily shaped. ,add teaspoons of hot ghee gradually.</li>
</ol><br />
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</div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-55363817634786019802011-10-17T22:38:00.002+05:302011-10-17T22:59:26.145+05:30A day at MasterChef India Kitchen<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbYxfzrWOzP0570ZNS5QqkfTlsaWfshl80gS9k9TqohcAkBmU9hW96E1acxBGBCRacDw6Qcglj4WY5dhz_dU_5BhakBqqDijHXPbjI9zxZliz6JZS15JvDTmsdLOpdDu2qkL8TVSf9V0-/s1600/424238797.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQbYxfzrWOzP0570ZNS5QqkfTlsaWfshl80gS9k9TqohcAkBmU9hW96E1acxBGBCRacDw6Qcglj4WY5dhz_dU_5BhakBqqDijHXPbjI9zxZliz6JZS15JvDTmsdLOpdDu2qkL8TVSf9V0-/s400/424238797.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy : via @starplus_indya</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: inherit;"> </div><div style="font-family: inherit;">When<b> <a href="http://www.indiblogger.in/">Indiblogger</a></b> announced it's blogger meet at the MasterChef India Kitchen, I was one of the first ones to register. Which food blogger in right mind would miss such an opportunity. I have always been wary of going to the actual Masterchef auditions, though my friends keep encouraging me and they have more belief in me than I have in myself :) .</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">This meet at the Masterchef Kitchen was something I didn't need to fear . I didn't know what to expect and when my husband asked me if he could pick me up in the evening from the venue, I told him most probably I would leave midway,so he didn't need to come. And how wrong I was !! Just as I entered the sets, I had a huge smile, I was so happy to be there and at the same time repenting why I didn't bring a camera. I had to do with my cellphone camera, so the photo quality is going to be bad :-( . The few good photos I have borrowed from <i class="at">@</i>starplus_indya tweets. </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">The event began with blogger introductions.There were bloggers from all fields , the geeks and the techies, personal ,fashion, photography and ofcourse few food bloggers too. </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuffOr0MC88qVew1HwxwGm-LRYk-cGUChIVY7A2NWfGwo8vtarv45Wd3GExjj4230Qu6A8aEfnS4pjI_5bhUHax6hBErfrD0x7kanZylzX6b3GGBwvPyZP5-5ZaSeva01MEu4ZZ-yKhcP/s1600/424268879.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuffOr0MC88qVew1HwxwGm-LRYk-cGUChIVY7A2NWfGwo8vtarv45Wd3GExjj4230Qu6A8aEfnS4pjI_5bhUHax6hBErfrD0x7kanZylzX6b3GGBwvPyZP5-5ZaSeva01MEu4ZZ-yKhcP/s400/424268879.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy : via @starplus_indya</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="font-family: inherit;">Then it was time for Masterchef Judges introduction. We are already familiar with Chef Ajay Chopra and Kunal Kapoor , who were the judges in the last season too. I was eagerly waiting for Chef Vikas Khanna , I had read many tweets gushing about his good looks. But more than good looks, I was surprised to find how humble and down to earth he was, and he has such a cute punjabi accented Hindi :-). His restaurant Junoon has recently won a Michelin Star . During a group interaction, I was even more impressed when he told us that he was opening his next restaurant in Bodhgaya in Bihar [my home state] due to spiritual reasons . It didn't make sense initially.Only later , did I come to know about his series of documentaries <b>Holy Kitchens</b> about his journey to discover the spiritual foods in the World's Holy Kitchens.</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"> Here are some photos from the event. </div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b> MasterChef Kitchen with the Clock always hanging on the head</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBQ15i2H2TPeG9QL8B2BNmjMLPVO85SWfHpFAKw3wNt-LRWoqEIgnKmYZAP804SdoSLI3YNRrtf0NPtJSdciR6qnJzJ9EIdykL9Ffx52vKFgM-UNBlfNULCd-p4mw_HuAWPCEocavb4Sq/s1600/Image0720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBQ15i2H2TPeG9QL8B2BNmjMLPVO85SWfHpFAKw3wNt-LRWoqEIgnKmYZAP804SdoSLI3YNRrtf0NPtJSdciR6qnJzJ9EIdykL9Ffx52vKFgM-UNBlfNULCd-p4mw_HuAWPCEocavb4Sq/s400/Image0720.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWAQv1nwUs7OgpbK78hczM2jJ-drD7aamTuoO89oCvC2rx4RyY_nuEClDTVkJOzE4QJK0z4p-uJVHlyhMxLtkhKIWmn_9eWOdUfyUCS0VQOvwiknz4VB1EwBUbzQtsJq0w3ttDWC6sW-z/s1600/Image0722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJWAQv1nwUs7OgpbK78hczM2jJ-drD7aamTuoO89oCvC2rx4RyY_nuEClDTVkJOzE4QJK0z4p-uJVHlyhMxLtkhKIWmn_9eWOdUfyUCS0VQOvwiknz4VB1EwBUbzQtsJq0w3ttDWC6sW-z/s400/Image0722.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The Plates and Cutlery Section : A food blogger only knows the values of these.</b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9RhztMaJLAayPQmlbbTHBWtZXXz1XrcLa6pgeRM9AW8hAyxORcdJmFFRhWkn3dOV3HTCOVh2PvGujQt3paF17u2o3AYQIa1JPX19ilvCGNs-c4u171epnMWOJCDISLifvbEEydaeAUFf/s1600/Image0725.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje9RhztMaJLAayPQmlbbTHBWtZXXz1XrcLa6pgeRM9AW8hAyxORcdJmFFRhWkn3dOV3HTCOVh2PvGujQt3paF17u2o3AYQIa1JPX19ilvCGNs-c4u171epnMWOJCDISLifvbEEydaeAUFf/s400/Image0725.jpg" width="300" /> </a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qnccIX9FmIeLGyPFxfj7Y_PwUTKQgrRoDDQFwvyiR8BFqfAcSkUY4I1t6RNiQoGZcCwQWo0CBXa4t-drF_aPjVO8Ztp3KkEAo3TSH62VDFSG4gKkm-sYd47EGzQwUKfEwzcTVZ3G9GLf/s1600/glasses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9qnccIX9FmIeLGyPFxfj7Y_PwUTKQgrRoDDQFwvyiR8BFqfAcSkUY4I1t6RNiQoGZcCwQWo0CBXa4t-drF_aPjVO8Ztp3KkEAo3TSH62VDFSG4gKkm-sYd47EGzQwUKfEwzcTVZ3G9GLf/s400/glasses.jpg" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Courtesy : via @starplus_indya</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mljxy6t5XD87q1RjEq3n0ooViurWvoQw5uJOKrXHswwiTeQQ3Qyl33lrnfxpak8jWR7LVeDyjwrvV35rb6DOSBP5lEvosKag2x5a11yOw2N85T6dBW9AGYPSJLhr8EhrrD56WKMlNbhP/s1600/Image0719.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5mljxy6t5XD87q1RjEq3n0ooViurWvoQw5uJOKrXHswwiTeQQ3Qyl33lrnfxpak8jWR7LVeDyjwrvV35rb6DOSBP5lEvosKag2x5a11yOw2N85T6dBW9AGYPSJLhr8EhrrD56WKMlNbhP/s400/Image0719.jpg" width="400" /> </a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><b>Masterchef's</b><b> table and the oven I . I wish I had this oven ! </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9f7zS9oQ8gzsVB0MBfnBRlyOlCr3b3FN5Owqw9MNAlfCedDLLo_HmF9Xag3lFOYuTW_ffOMj9dm1lWdSuyaeJE3WeaaK213OAi-qmcEBv5mC7WxYAz2UV5i4O-VLprOUYof41LAx7aPN/s1600/Image0729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb9f7zS9oQ8gzsVB0MBfnBRlyOlCr3b3FN5Owqw9MNAlfCedDLLo_HmF9Xag3lFOYuTW_ffOMj9dm1lWdSuyaeJE3WeaaK213OAi-qmcEBv5mC7WxYAz2UV5i4O-VLprOUYof41LAx7aPN/s400/Image0729.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b>The judges tasting section </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvS3AVFfwz30WaiWZRaXbNEw0rJeombZdUNPJeyZHq80Hi5YyQie0OVemJBG6J8KXORMR77bROWimkf1yoLr4M1mZhzIlohmvxs3ViENA6AROtU0c_-2jSBIz1ecADPUlYUj7uM82zMLSA/s1600/Image0721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvS3AVFfwz30WaiWZRaXbNEw0rJeombZdUNPJeyZHq80Hi5YyQie0OVemJBG6J8KXORMR77bROWimkf1yoLr4M1mZhzIlohmvxs3ViENA6AROtU0c_-2jSBIz1ecADPUlYUj7uM82zMLSA/s400/Image0721.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;">The mystery box. The bloggers had to conceptualize a recipe based on the mystery ingredients in 1 minute. By the time I reached my table back after looking at the ingredients, that one minute was already over so I could only write 2 lines :D </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6ylsDAv6BNwHY1zrUiG3E8q7faXjPW-WX2fO4IzFcLl3n7zHo0yPRKZfnRoZUQFFWmbf1MOTu5tjce07yxTW55ISt5t0g8rMeZuDiNGBOAKQGJr_btzHYWCQ4sCuCQmEoOF4pxnpA22I/s1600/Image0728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF6ylsDAv6BNwHY1zrUiG3E8q7faXjPW-WX2fO4IzFcLl3n7zHo0yPRKZfnRoZUQFFWmbf1MOTu5tjce07yxTW55ISt5t0g8rMeZuDiNGBOAKQGJr_btzHYWCQ4sCuCQmEoOF4pxnpA22I/s400/Image0728.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before beginning the skills challenge,Chef Ajay Chopra giving a Masterclass : How to dice a perfect 1cm*1cm apple square. Chef Kunal Kapoor showed us how to cut ginger julienne . And Chef Vikas Khanna showed us how to cut potatoes for french fries.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VOx8M0ZWK8nWnLY9tzHvy4pr7H-4W8hOvcoB3fWsrSqOZgUVtWU6LpV6V4RNbrAs6V7hdZMq7yMIQRrYVgMNUH8mLyoAlyVvEyZwew4IHumqhw8rSBfg5TOEjWvkklkcJ44MQuAfpQGy/s1600/Image0733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7VOx8M0ZWK8nWnLY9tzHvy4pr7H-4W8hOvcoB3fWsrSqOZgUVtWU6LpV6V4RNbrAs6V7hdZMq7yMIQRrYVgMNUH8mLyoAlyVvEyZwew4IHumqhw8rSBfg5TOEjWvkklkcJ44MQuAfpQGy/s400/Image0733.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZjAgoEp_Pcvw0ttnUqHlNYn69BZtkKbHwxoH6zwf9TabEVv3IiAp_YhJJ59nZAgprveg_Ej0eHPJjSdBZH8EDLmq2TsiJ1CtsvnsLyhmsvfwEOx8mN4q_GRQZjmuOmF5b9e8bxu9EWOO/s1600/Image0734.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ZjAgoEp_Pcvw0ttnUqHlNYn69BZtkKbHwxoH6zwf9TabEVv3IiAp_YhJJ59nZAgprveg_Ej0eHPJjSdBZH8EDLmq2TsiJ1CtsvnsLyhmsvfwEOx8mN4q_GRQZjmuOmF5b9e8bxu9EWOO/s400/Image0734.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">Few lucky bloggers got a chance to participate in the skills challenge. The winner got Rs 5K shopperstop voucher. And there was one lucky blogger who got 10K as his french fries were perfect!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GXnG4g5saPbryl-wYuwh6wit3d7L6BKvUZG7hFnQs5g9KAxdoaxZWM8vpi-LCe-niAv6kY0IC1m0bVA2pELCv_iiQxvNFG-ccFyn2WLKxrYqf4KHTpAWsao8ru8_-PUm4bEPbaSB7QnS/s1600/Image0731.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1GXnG4g5saPbryl-wYuwh6wit3d7L6BKvUZG7hFnQs5g9KAxdoaxZWM8vpi-LCe-niAv6kY0IC1m0bVA2pELCv_iiQxvNFG-ccFyn2WLKxrYqf4KHTpAWsao8ru8_-PUm4bEPbaSB7QnS/s320/Image0731.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">And that was not the end of it. Each blogger got a masterchef apron.I got one more for being a food blogger. masterchef thermal mugs, and an indiblogger t-shirt! I made few friends , Sharmila, a personal blogger, Sindhi Rasoi, a food blogger and Mariam Dholkawala, a tech blogger. Sharmila was very kind to drop me off midway and I almost told her all my history & geography in the very first meeting which is very unusual of me :) :)</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="font-family: inherit;">It was a lifetime experience and thanks to Indiblogger team to give us this opportunity .Kudos to the Indiblogger team for organizing such an outstanding event.</div></div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-78294517225890056952011-10-16T09:40:00.000+05:302011-10-16T09:40:25.794+05:30eBook - 100 Yummy Diwali Recipes is Available for Free Download Now<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvduYnmiILvHprakFV57OCXRmN7dMY0mFOU7OfkApzm8RiDCntDM3jTRXqJj4CsBDu3GfBRHm-v6ECLvUh4Vy3ggZ-eANHrJBya900wcKPIAWM61lZlSD4ucO1z7BfyNYAgxLZDfZAojP/s1600/Diwali2011_100recipes_coverpage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLvduYnmiILvHprakFV57OCXRmN7dMY0mFOU7OfkApzm8RiDCntDM3jTRXqJj4CsBDu3GfBRHm-v6ECLvUh4Vy3ggZ-eANHrJBya900wcKPIAWM61lZlSD4ucO1z7BfyNYAgxLZDfZAojP/s320/Diwali2011_100recipes_coverpage.jpg" width="246" /></a></div><br />
<br />
The E-Book by IndusLadies for 100 Diwali Recipes is available for Free Download. My <a href="http://sinfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/03/pistachio-and-white-chocolate-burfi.html">Pistachio and White Chocolate Burfi</a> has made it to the E-book. It is on Pg 109.<br />
You can dowload the free e-book from <a href="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/announcements/148569-free-download-100-yummy-diwali.html">here</a>.<br />
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Have a sweet Diwali !!<br />
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</div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-25114597104537276132011-10-11T19:42:00.000+05:302011-10-11T19:42:42.836+05:30BBC GoodFood India Launch and a Chance to Win a trip to Italy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgD86nAQ-4WFp7vcBpJ2hdTwicdOiMECWLKNj8gl0qC9IDmbto_Wz5H7C_hle9KsYjHyLmqAM3HwQW4QlqaoqU4TwW3YRjK5PIuV5c4jhgx_bTI6PHERfuYCWUIq34iH4HN5rplzfBI0M/s1600/Good-Food-Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgD86nAQ-4WFp7vcBpJ2hdTwicdOiMECWLKNj8gl0qC9IDmbto_Wz5H7C_hle9KsYjHyLmqAM3HwQW4QlqaoqU4TwW3YRjK5PIuV5c4jhgx_bTI6PHERfuYCWUIq34iH4HN5rplzfBI0M/s640/Good-Food-Cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">The good news for all food lovers in India is that BBC GoodFood is launching their Indian edition on 22nd October 2011. BBC GoodFood is a magazine internationally famous for its devotion to fine dining.<br />
The magazine comes with great recipes for home cooking, and entertaining. Their triple-tested handpicked recipes make the magazine a must have for every kitchen. Each recipe is also paired with great food photos. Each issue also reveals culinary secrets from Internationally renowned chefs., BBC GoodFood India also comes packed with restaurant reviews and news on India’s dining scene. For the globe-trotting food-lover, they have recommendations for eating well across the world.<br />
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As India’s first international food magazine, BBC GoodFood have introduced the GoodFood survey to decode how India eats. TheGoodFood survey has been at the forefront of gauging the dining habits of food-lovers around the world, and is now keen to replicate the same in India. <br />
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The survey comes with the promise of great rewards –<b> one lucky participant stands to win a culinary holiday to the Fontanafredda vineyards in Italy</b>. Other prizes include a gift pack containing a voucher for two for a great dining experience at any of three fabulous restaurants in Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore - Olive Bar & Kitchen, Manchester United Café and Aromas of China.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Don't miss the chance to win these awards. Take the survey at <a href="http://goodfoodsurvey.in/">http://goodfoodsurvey.in</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>And Get ready to get your first copy of the Indian edition this October !</b><br />
To know more about BBC GoodFood and the GoodFood survey please visit:<br />
<a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/">http://www.bbcgoodfood.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/BBCGoodFoodIndia">http://www.facebook.com/BBCGoodFoodIndia</a><br />
<a href="http://goodfoodsurvey.in/">http://goodfoodsurvey.in</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-42762726688039617062011-10-06T22:55:00.000+05:302011-10-06T22:55:11.057+05:30100 Yummy Diwali Sweets Recipes - Ebook By Indus Ladies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">Indusladies.com is the largest online community for Indian Women.It has verious forums and communities about family and relationships, marraiage and spouses,kitchen and household, beauty and fashion, health, diet and fitness etc.</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">For the upcoming Diwali on October 26th, 2011, Indusladies are compiling an E-Book called <b>“100 Yummy Diwali Sweet Recipes”.</b> They are <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6">collecting</span> sweet/dessert recipes from various bloggers to be featured in this E-Book. You can submit your blogpost too before <b>Oct 8th.</b> The details are here on <a href="http://www.indusladies.com/forums/announcements/147072-100-yummy-diwali-sweet-recipes.html">100 Yummy Diwali Sweet Recipes</a></span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">I am sending my <a href="http://sinfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/03/pistachio-and-white-chocolate-burfi.html">Pistachio and White Chocolate Burfi</a> Recipe for the E-Book.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpZsDO_787j7YsZ1Cg5NMFcp7qd1P0-HjNu1zq5SI_qA5zc_QgGBQyUbrK7eVpc2f8xjBAaowDOpDEq14rC-MIPUKwo_NT7_-0qHV-XiJQ0-bXB1eIB_XGqiKO8-6UK3LfLN0oHuSC353/s1600/pista_burfi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCpZsDO_787j7YsZ1Cg5NMFcp7qd1P0-HjNu1zq5SI_qA5zc_QgGBQyUbrK7eVpc2f8xjBAaowDOpDEq14rC-MIPUKwo_NT7_-0qHV-XiJQ0-bXB1eIB_XGqiKO8-6UK3LfLN0oHuSC353/s640/pista_burfi.jpg" width="566" /></a></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
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If you are interested in making some other Indian sweets from my blog, here are some of them.<br />
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<a href="http://sinfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/04/lauki-halwa-bottle-gourd-doodhi-halwa.html">Lauki Halwa </a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5szYGF_BRTcDd2y1LiNfmUcogE3CaHzGSzOFsX9ohyaMQam0Sl1y3bX4KNFaTLgpUZtPOzvwp9Dt4BhZrdKHSoSTyi7aRy644r6OiN8Xwv1jhfqIFbuy_CYDW4-KHmELDK1vpf-py9zlZ/s1600/Lauki+halwa.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5szYGF_BRTcDd2y1LiNfmUcogE3CaHzGSzOFsX9ohyaMQam0Sl1y3bX4KNFaTLgpUZtPOzvwp9Dt4BhZrdKHSoSTyi7aRy644r6OiN8Xwv1jhfqIFbuy_CYDW4-KHmELDK1vpf-py9zlZ/s640/Lauki+halwa.JPG" width="632" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://sinfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/05/parwal-ki-mithai.html">Parwal ki mithai </a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFb_YMPZ1FSrcQzbpjptP7H7mPKuTUn64XPQjNDz1HNcVnTJJhhgZeBoJiBMf82Nqghztd2DGtOR4938XvyHU6QwKg5n_ZjzmoMa62C9YeegtAOQTfpYWTW17wYzmCgs-p2KqozmuTH3uY/s1600/parwal+mithai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFb_YMPZ1FSrcQzbpjptP7H7mPKuTUn64XPQjNDz1HNcVnTJJhhgZeBoJiBMf82Nqghztd2DGtOR4938XvyHU6QwKg5n_ZjzmoMa62C9YeegtAOQTfpYWTW17wYzmCgs-p2KqozmuTH3uY/s640/parwal+mithai.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<a href="http://sinfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/08/cream-chop-malai-chop.html">Cream Chop</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFxKzxDaqRZsesmUH_1M_mpL4cMrk6BHNVdR7Z56WmuOyxIDKHTvzbqjSinibqnrawIPubN6m4yA6r_cBwb3Y-LEXrq5vWywTuwDcPghGJ8qDeNw_rFsCr0BilP3XyruiZ1bhSIoZDQ2B/s1600/malai+chop+cream+chop+indian+sweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJFxKzxDaqRZsesmUH_1M_mpL4cMrk6BHNVdR7Z56WmuOyxIDKHTvzbqjSinibqnrawIPubN6m4yA6r_cBwb3Y-LEXrq5vWywTuwDcPghGJ8qDeNw_rFsCr0BilP3XyruiZ1bhSIoZDQ2B/s640/malai+chop+cream+chop+indian+sweet.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div></div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-75010176880515737782011-09-30T00:54:00.001+05:302011-10-03T19:49:43.060+05:30Sugar Cookies for someone special<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhb_EP0WuzA8ML2OT2kLbM-71xDIa-r_Lk64Wx6mQc2DZ0BEka_6HbgSnzXBvGjyCyLHBoi4EDNvxRZDGM3I09omlv4JPn3LHDGUIqdQPJyhdSxgpPcATYXMRbgiBycA2UW2i8Kv5DNdCo/s1600/Sugar+Cookies+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhb_EP0WuzA8ML2OT2kLbM-71xDIa-r_Lk64Wx6mQc2DZ0BEka_6HbgSnzXBvGjyCyLHBoi4EDNvxRZDGM3I09omlv4JPn3LHDGUIqdQPJyhdSxgpPcATYXMRbgiBycA2UW2i8Kv5DNdCo/s640/Sugar+Cookies+1.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was my first attempt at sugar cookies, and first attempt at decorating them too..and tasting them too. :-) I have learned how common they are in other parts of world, now that I have started baking so frequently. This was the second kind of cookie that I parceled to my friend, chosen again due to its crispiness and ability to last longer. The recipe was again from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baking-Home-Yours-Dorie-Greenspan/dp/0618443363">Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From my home to yours</a>" and this time I faced more troubles than with <a href="http://sinfoodie.blogspot.com/2011/09/chocolate-almond-biscotti.html">Chocolate almond biscotti</a>. But this time the fault was mine. I had halved the recipe and assumed that the small size eggs will be half of the "large sized eggs". The dough became unmanageable because of that. But thankfully it didn't impact the taste or texture. The only thing I had to do was to refrigerate for more than 2 hours, so that i could work with the dough.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I decorated the cookies with home-colored sugar, which gives it a nice crunch. For next time, I am thinking of adding either spices or citrus zest to give them some additional flavour.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here is the original recipe from the book.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">2 cups all-purpose flour</div>1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1 large egg<br />
1 large egg yolk<br />
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract<br />
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Colored sugar/cinnamon sugar [optional] <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> Preparation</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together.</li>
<li>Working with mixer, beat the butter at medium speed for a minute or so, until smooth. Beat in the sugar and continue to beat for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and pale. Add the egg and yolk and beat for another minute or two; beat in the vanilla. </li>
<li>Reduce the mixer speed to low and steadily add the flour mixture, mixing only until it has been incorporated — because this dough is best when worked least, you might want to stop the mixer before all the flour is thoroughly blended into the dough and finish the job with a rubber spatula. When mixed, the dough will be soft, creamy and malleable.</li>
<li>Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a disk and wrap in plastic.Chill the dough for at least 2 hours. </li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper</li>
<li>Working with one packet of dough at a time, roll out the dough between sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper to a thickness of 1/4 inch.</li>
<li>Cut the cookies with a cookie cutter and place them on the baking sheet 1 and 1/2 inch apart. If you feel butter s melting, chill it for some time.</li>
<li>Sprinkle colored sugar just before you place the cookies in oven.</li>
<li>Bake the cookies one sheet at a time for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the sheet at the midpoint. The cookies should feel firm, but they should not color much, if at all.</li>
<li> Let them rest for 1 minute before carefully lifting them onto a rack to cool to room temperature.</li>
<li>Repeat with the remaining dough, cooling the baking sheets between batches.</li>
</ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Storing: The cookies will keep at room temperature in a tin for up to 1 week. Wrapped well, they can be frozen for up to 2 months.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdHmzZ2_5bdIiwNJ7KIlWR0mU7NNdhWXR1aaY1JjnRJZ_YFhUinV56Q9N2pSJqGWjl24OmmDBmyS-1g51PMRolkJ64qLMDhJcIyZKQs8iqjtL52jUxIXDqtk2JJ3ZklW6vik1ZgPv6jYL/s1600/Sugar+Cookies+2_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzdHmzZ2_5bdIiwNJ7KIlWR0mU7NNdhWXR1aaY1JjnRJZ_YFhUinV56Q9N2pSJqGWjl24OmmDBmyS-1g51PMRolkJ64qLMDhJcIyZKQs8iqjtL52jUxIXDqtk2JJ3ZklW6vik1ZgPv6jYL/s640/Sugar+Cookies+2_2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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</div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-7769684051679580712011-09-28T00:23:00.003+05:302011-10-03T19:48:43.751+05:30Chocolate Almond Biscotti<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5l3Q-AIlRalj-_CW1TlyC9cnqdWXciwPfRZHKdszTCx_yFxs7l11gnR8nMr4UdSXMCjQLDfUFTmzxg_1DYpDfIvJ3HSptgVX3nvh0kaK3yBlaEGJXbqy3Rhf3_ZPSyF03TknlELjvWxf5/s1600/Chocolate+Almond+Biscotti+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5l3Q-AIlRalj-_CW1TlyC9cnqdWXciwPfRZHKdszTCx_yFxs7l11gnR8nMr4UdSXMCjQLDfUFTmzxg_1DYpDfIvJ3HSptgVX3nvh0kaK3yBlaEGJXbqy3Rhf3_ZPSyF03TknlELjvWxf5/s640/Chocolate+Almond+Biscotti+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
Biscotti are twice baked cakes, which are crispy and crunchy and can last for a longer time as they become dry due to baking it twice. I was exactly looking for something like this ,which could last longer, as for the first time I was parceling them to another city, to a friend.<br />
It was about time i made something from the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Baking-Home-Yours-Dorie-Greenspan/dp/0618443363">Dorie Greenspan's book</a> which I had gifted to myself for my birthday few month's back :) For any baking , I usually go to the internet for reference. It makes me easier to follow a recipe which has review comments and suggestions incase someone faces a problem. This time , I didn't. Later on ,while slicing the biscotti after first bake , I faced an issue as it was crumbling. I think I almost had 1/3rd of them broken. I searched if others faced the same issue with the recipe and someone did face the same. That apart, these are delicious. My husband who is not so much a sweets person, is munching on the broken ones, while the good ones were packed and sent :)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-awmqeCQztqksAmecEhrtaRaNj6T7ljBH8sqZyo8ArpTSFTfnBtQeh8oII3W6MaVlY1mZ7pfjnX0S-JptzJor6bTEea6_VvCJ78hQF_9t_zbtbtqjkvuzHgnTtDizrG7ihwhah9bHoDht/s1600/Chocolate+Almond+Biscotti+2_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-awmqeCQztqksAmecEhrtaRaNj6T7ljBH8sqZyo8ArpTSFTfnBtQeh8oII3W6MaVlY1mZ7pfjnX0S-JptzJor6bTEea6_VvCJ78hQF_9t_zbtbtqjkvuzHgnTtDizrG7ihwhah9bHoDht/s640/Chocolate+Almond+Biscotti+2_11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
[about 40 cookies]<br />
2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
2 tbsp instant coffee or instant espresso powder<br />
3/4 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
2 large eggs, lightly beaten<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds </div><div style="font-family: inherit;">4 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped ( or 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips)<br />
Sugar, for dusting</div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Preparation</span></div><ol style="font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><li>Preheat oven to 350 F/176 C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.</li>
<li>Sift together the flour, cocoa, coffee powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.</li>
<li>With a mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes until pale.</li>
<li>Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla; beat for another 2 minutes.</li>
<li>Decrease the speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until a dough forms. </li>
<li>Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in the chopped nuts and chocolate chunks/chips.</li>
<li>Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead a few times just to incorporate any dry ingredients that didn't get mixed in before. </li>
<li>Divide into two portions ,shape each portion into a 12 x 2 inch log and 1/2 to 1 inch high. </li>
<li>Place them on baking sheet,sprinkle the tops with a little sugar.</li>
<li> Bake for 25 minutes till they are slightly firm.Logs will spread and crack which is fine.</li>
<li>Remove the sheet from the oven and let it cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Then, with a very sharp, serrated knife, slice the logs into about 3/4 - 1 inch slices and leave the slices standing up on the baking sheet </li>
<li>Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes of baking.</li>
<li>Transfer biscotti to a rack to cool.</li>
</ol><br />
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Linking it to Almond Event at <a href="http://anuzhealthykitchen.blogspot.com/2011/08/almonds-september-event-giveaway.html">Anu's healthy kitchen</a> and <a href="http://www.cookeatdelicious.com/">cookeatdelicious</a></div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-50971873151643825042011-09-22T23:05:00.002+05:302011-09-28T14:09:48.092+05:30Frozen Chocolate Bananas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-my_Mn7nmErqLx2kQdQbO7YarkCfNPa6Q8ftwk197DFLLeRofqBO3_bBVDzhHNJ9lLG7a1xlFoBebBi1j22vPcBrHu86ewHDjqgB3CNKIVyVCt0js0pWJOfThrrSOa5BwyfEbBajM4NAm/s1600/Frozen+Bananas+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-my_Mn7nmErqLx2kQdQbO7YarkCfNPa6Q8ftwk197DFLLeRofqBO3_bBVDzhHNJ9lLG7a1xlFoBebBi1j22vPcBrHu86ewHDjqgB3CNKIVyVCt0js0pWJOfThrrSOa5BwyfEbBajM4NAm/s640/Frozen+Bananas+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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I have always wanted to make Chocolate Frozen Bananas when I first saw them. It was something very new for me and was surprised that it is even packaged and sold in shops abroad, just like ice creams. I have come closer to make them many times in past, but every time, by the time I came out of laziness, the bananas would become overripe. Thankfully, not this time. </div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">I had also been wanting to try making colored sugar,which I did last night , to sprinkle it over the chocolate covered bananas. The sugar looked really nice, but when sprinkled over chocolate, most of it was sucked inside. The chocolate over the bananas freezes super fast, within seconds, so , in this case colored sugar was not a good idea. The other toppings I tried, was chocolate sprinkles and roasted almonds. I haven't yet tasted the chocolate sprinkles one, but the roasted almonds is super duper awesome. I would suggest everyone to try that. You can make them in different sizes , by cutting them accordingly. Having made them in smaller bite size too, I prefer the smaller version for ease of popping :)</div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><br />
</div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadrL71rU851W0DPBVp7aVMDqwuKDSu49QMU-GOYgrru0qyuS3tTngqeqS2Fypa1UMweW6SrsaPRGQDhyphenhyphen1FOKqqb9Z-nUMIwKARpUxx-p7XmELUADM62G5E9fdQqKWk3nCHVDyOIHRd2LC/s1600/Frozen+Bananas+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgadrL71rU851W0DPBVp7aVMDqwuKDSu49QMU-GOYgrru0qyuS3tTngqeqS2Fypa1UMweW6SrsaPRGQDhyphenhyphen1FOKqqb9Z-nUMIwKARpUxx-p7XmELUADM62G5E9fdQqKWk3nCHVDyOIHRd2LC/s640/Frozen+Bananas+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Adapted from <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Frozen-Chocolate-Bananas-240064">Epicurious.com</a></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><b>Ingredients</b></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">2 Ripe but firm bananas</div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">6 oz dark chocolate</div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">2 tbsp olive oil</div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">1/2 cup roasted almonds, chopped</div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><b>Preparation</b></div><ol style="color: black; font-family: inherit; text-align: left;"><li>Line a baking sheet or a plate with wax paper/parchment paper.</li>
<li>Cut the bananas in halves, or as per your wish. I also cut the tip of the bananas at both the ends. For bigger size bananas, insert an ice cream stick ,for smaller ones, you can use toothpicks. Place them on the baking sheet.</li>
<li>Freeze them uncovered from minimum 15 minutes. I read people freezing for more than that,overnight too. So, I increased the freezing time to 1 hour. It is important to keep them uncovered. </li>
<li>When the bananas are about to complete their freezing time, start the preparation for chocolate coating.</li>
<li>Melt the chocolate with the oil in the microwave at 30 sec interval or in a half-full pan of simmering water (about 2 minutes). Stir until smooth. </li>
<li>Take the bananas out of freezer and working quickly dip each banana piece in the chocolate, and quickly sprinkle with your topping . This has to be done very quickly as chocolate sets within seconds.</li>
<li><div style="background-color: transparent; border: medium none; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;"><div class="instruction"> The frozen bananas are ready to eat, right away. You can store them for 1 week, covered , in the freezer. If it is stored frozen, before serving, take out from freezer and keep in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.</div><div class="instruction"><br />
</div><div class="instruction">I loved how the roasted almonds came out, so sharing the way I did too here. It is more for my reference when I do them again. :)</div><div class="instruction"><br />
</div><div class="instruction"><b>How to roast Almonds in oven</b></div><ol><li>Preheat oven at 170C.</li>
<li>Spread 1/4 cup almonds on an aluminum baking dish . Each almond should be spread evenly.</li>
<li>Bake them for 18 minutes, turning them over at every 6 minutes. </li>
</ol><div class="instruction"><br />
</div></div></li>
</ol><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"></div><div style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><br />
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Linking it to Almond Event at <a href="http://anuzhealthykitchen.blogspot.com/2011/08/almonds-september-event-giveaway.html">Anu's healthy kitchen</a> and <a href="http://www.cookeatdelicious.com/">cookeatdelicious</a></div></div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-76211575637578910642011-09-19T14:24:00.000+05:302011-09-19T14:24:04.656+05:30Chocolate Truffles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadTtlby1Pmlj2I7Ke1cwGPPGpEO1Z1_vA1ZpQxXtX5hFiTlfCHNpibHXDHFgq4rOTVdkqMsM7nS0aoRutYaoN_TbLqWnJzcC_Ujx1x5oXf22UM7hg9O0pFcyECjuk1QTcNx3jb8T56j9T/s1600/chocolate+Truffles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadTtlby1Pmlj2I7Ke1cwGPPGpEO1Z1_vA1ZpQxXtX5hFiTlfCHNpibHXDHFgq4rOTVdkqMsM7nS0aoRutYaoN_TbLqWnJzcC_Ujx1x5oXf22UM7hg9O0pFcyECjuk1QTcNx3jb8T56j9T/s640/chocolate+Truffles.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I had some leftover chocolate ganache which I wanted to reuse . I had seen chocolate truffles on many blogs earlier, so that was the first thing that came to my mind. Truffles are named as they resemble the truffle fungus and the cocoa coated truffles is the traditional way of making them to resemble the dirt on the fungus truffle. I had initially thought of doing it the non traditional way, coating with melted chocolate and making some beautiful designs. I had my brother and his friend over at home, so to make something sweet and quick , I went ahead with cocoa coating. The first bite was unimaginably bitter, I had never tasted so much of cocoa and was a bit naive to expect something else instead of bitterness. However subsequent bites was into the chocolate heaven. Good quality chocolate needs to be used for truffles, and you can add flavours ,spices like cinnamon and nuts of your choice too.<br />
Since I had reused the ganache which was already referigerated , it was quick for me. But if you are doing it for scratch, you would need to wait for few hours for the ganache to become firm enough to form into balls.<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></b><br />
For 30-40 truffles<br />
<b>Ganache</b><br />
1 cup or 8 oz of semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate , chopped<br />
1/2 cup of heavy cream<br />
<b>You can add any of these flavours to the ganache</b><br />
Cinnamon and cardamon <br />
Almond extract <br />
Coffee/espresso powder<br />
Citrus zest [ lemon/orange<br />
<b>You can add any of these Truffles Coatings</b><br />
Cocoa powder<br />
Finely chopped roasted nuts walnuts/almonds/hazelnuts<br />
White or dark melted chocolate coating<br />
Toasted grated cocout<br />
Chocolate shavings<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Preparation</span></b><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li> In a small, heavy saucepan bring the cream to a boil.</li>
<li>Stir in any of the flavors that you want.</li>
<li>If the chocolate is too hard, melt it in microwave. Pour the cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for a few minutes then stir until smooth. This is called Ganache.</li>
<li>Let it cool and then refrigerate it for two hours. </li>
<li>Once it is firm enough, scoop out 1 tbsp of firmed ganache ,roll it into balls with your hands. and immediately roll them over the coating of your choice. </li>
<li>Place it on a parchment paper and refrigerate till you are ready to serve.</li>
</ol><br />
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</div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-48244173103621647002011-09-11T19:53:00.003+05:302011-09-15T00:08:55.073+05:30Hazelnut Nutella Thumbprint Cookies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qCNbT5FayuCNnbVPU6acgXYc-yXPWHU9Vka5u2B_S7G2YOHlzARoTmeTUkT_OMhxcR7Qe80IRaCLBPGrTbqSd9WK9-bfPGtrcgw1C3HXTUPAmv3521LiKgJSpore03tXUaD3FwGIQMOh/s1600/Nutella+Thumbprint+Cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qCNbT5FayuCNnbVPU6acgXYc-yXPWHU9Vka5u2B_S7G2YOHlzARoTmeTUkT_OMhxcR7Qe80IRaCLBPGrTbqSd9WK9-bfPGtrcgw1C3HXTUPAmv3521LiKgJSpore03tXUaD3FwGIQMOh/s640/Nutella+Thumbprint+Cookies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am guilty of lying low in the blogword these days, not posting anything, not visiting any of the fellow bloggers blogs that frequently.Mumbai monsoon continues. It has been raining everyday, leaving a sense of melancholy on weekdays and to add to that office hours have been hectic, leaving me uninspired to cook anything special. The only good thing is when we go out on weekends, to explore the beauty that monsoon brings.</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here are some of the photos from our recent trip to Matheran, a beautiful hill station near mumbai, where no vehicles are allowed. There are no concrete or tar roads. You have to go from a place either on foot or horses. The photos are taken by my husband, who is an amateur photographer. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/antimesh/sets/72157627403885661/">Matheran Photos</a> </b></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/antimesh/tags/mumbai/">Photos of Mumbai's Marine Drive in Monsoon</a> </b><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/antimesh/tags/mumbai/"></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Enjoy the photos of greenery and rains :))</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My sister was here for a couple of days. She had made of list of few things for me to bake. Unfortunately, due to lack of time I couldn't make anything. To make up for that I baked some of these thumbprint cookies that she could take home. The baking time that the original recipe had did not work for me , maybe because I use a microwave convection oven. It was too crumbly and was breaking even if I tried to lift them. I increased the baking time considerably to get a harder texture. The cookies came out delicious and exactly of the same texture I wanted. </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The recipe is from <a href="http://bakersdaughter.typepad.com/the_bakers_daughter/2010/06/nutella-thumbprint-cookies.html">BakersDaughter</a> .OMG, You can imagine how much office work is on my mind. I was going to write ," Please find the recipe attached" . :-D </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBxqXUphGdCFonEySzK9URJ947V6n2tLUrtllslAz28EgIZLuOlibG3iUC5krH26Lm9WXCKGY-5EefHgDbwi465EXsJ2j_0aJs1jLE9K_aH9e75a4mMiBSq9q8lqQo7fs-vWCunkRRfxF/s1600/Thumbprint+Cookies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBxqXUphGdCFonEySzK9URJ947V6n2tLUrtllslAz28EgIZLuOlibG3iUC5krH26Lm9WXCKGY-5EefHgDbwi465EXsJ2j_0aJs1jLE9K_aH9e75a4mMiBSq9q8lqQo7fs-vWCunkRRfxF/s640/Thumbprint+Cookies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></b></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"> [25-30 cookies]</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">12 tbsp butter, softened<b></b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 cup powdered sugar<b></b></span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 tsp vanilla extract</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 1/4 cups all purpose flour</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 cup Nutella</span></div><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">1 cup hazelnuts toasted</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Preparation</span></b></span></div><ol style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">Preheat your oven to 350F/180C. Line 2 baking trays with parchment paper. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Finely chop the hazelnuts. Set aside. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Using a hand or stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar. Beat for a few minutes until smooth.<b></b> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Add the flour,vanilla extract and mix until combined. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Form the dough into tablespoon sized balls. Roll each ball into the chopped nuts and place on the baking trays 1 inch apart. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Bake for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and press a round teaspoon into the center into each cookie to make an indentation. If you can bear a bit of heat, you can use your thumb ,like I did :) <span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;"> Using a pastry bag,fill in nutella in the indentation. The original recipe had this step once the cookies were completely baked. But , I wanted to harden Nutella a bit as I was packing them, so I did this step before.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The first photo above is after this step.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Place back the cookies in the oven for another 20-25 minutes till they are slightly brown [ <span style="font-size: x-small;">The original recipe had 7-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are lightly browned. </span>]</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Place the cookies on a wire rack to cool.</span></li>
</ol><div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ib3mq1bIbpQCwUwDIXsYnhUOU5wkOIWgHsHjQkQghOIMaozgpcm9gyPHhAM_gVCj1SA30PPfwrERxaJ5154NSxjKjxdLTCeNl7Qi36G7p7YF_apHOojlUXXbQOliexUgDRRraQBFUPHg/s1600/DSC_0131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_ib3mq1bIbpQCwUwDIXsYnhUOU5wkOIWgHsHjQkQghOIMaozgpcm9gyPHhAM_gVCj1SA30PPfwrERxaJ5154NSxjKjxdLTCeNl7Qi36G7p7YF_apHOojlUXXbQOliexUgDRRraQBFUPHg/s640/DSC_0131.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4351614336017084493.post-21224726817822288692011-08-15T15:13:00.000+05:302011-08-15T15:13:44.925+05:30Cream Chop / Malai Chop, Raksha Bandhan Celebrations and BlogAdda Notable Newbie Award<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis91iseK4mzx3H7oeScug5OsZyXOwdjignD_x3fwa-EWa9Zp8hYkAfXqq1OtG96qseRsoShw2lTp3eT5YRkK8D5bqJKCc2Bdd7mvBYgtPpa7yKL9eIpKRqYzMpebdlo5ZAhyphenhyphenv8vcKdU0Mq/s1600/malai+chop+cream+chop+indian+sweet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis91iseK4mzx3H7oeScug5OsZyXOwdjignD_x3fwa-EWa9Zp8hYkAfXqq1OtG96qseRsoShw2lTp3eT5YRkK8D5bqJKCc2Bdd7mvBYgtPpa7yKL9eIpKRqYzMpebdlo5ZAhyphenhyphenv8vcKdU0Mq/s640/malai+chop+cream+chop+indian+sweet.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
The seasons of Indian festivals have started, beginning with Raksha Bandhan. It is day to celebrate the bond between brothers and sisters. It was a big day for us during our childhood days, when all of us siblings were still living together. Having grown up in a small town which didn't have an English medium school after 10th, we had to leave the town one by one as we passed our 10th class , for further studies. It became increasingly difficult to gather together on the Raksha bandhan day and now we just manage to celebrate the day by sending rakhis to our brother by post. Anyway to mark this special day, I wanted to make an Indian sweet. <br />
<br />
<i style="background-color: purple; color: white;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span>And I have another big reason to celebrate too . Last Week <a href="http://www.blogadda.com/">BlogAdda</a> annouced the notable newbies for the month, And my blog was also conferred this award. Thanks a lot to the BlogAdda team for giving my blog this recognition.</i><span style="background-color: black;"></span><br />
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This <i>mithai</i> / Indian sweet is easily available in sweet shops , but I wanted to give it a different shape and look ,so decided to make it at home. In my town it was called Cream Chop / <i>Malai</i> Chop . I don't know what it is called at other places , but it is from the same family of chum chum and Rasgullas . Their Sibling :)) <br />
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Usually this sweet is a round or rectangular shape. The sweet is sliced into two and filled with sweetened reduced milk / <i>Rabdi .</i>Since I wanted to make a flower shape, I thought slicing would be difficult, so I made them thinner. This way, I could put two pieces together instead of slicing one.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
[For 6 -8 sweets]<br />
<br />
<b>For Homemade Paneer</b><br />
1 litre whole milk [about 5 cups]<br />
2 tsp vinegar/lemon juice<br />
<br />
<b>For Sugur Syrup</b><br />
1 cup sugar<br />
3 cups Water<br />
<br />
<b>For Malai/Rabdi</b><br />
<br />
1/2 litre whole milk<br />
2 tbsp sugar<br />
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkEAHnleBRfRNne-uJ5ANO529dX3SrSR3_BEDwuONmul4Ae5-mXu2_zX7XuV6WNyMF8EYw2_awPM_sNufzjp0Oc49qhukrRylu1ZHozY9EVJf1m9RNnXuJuXGIa8NVv_e9vpFz519GWiF/s1600/malai+chop+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtkEAHnleBRfRNne-uJ5ANO529dX3SrSR3_BEDwuONmul4Ae5-mXu2_zX7XuV6WNyMF8EYw2_awPM_sNufzjp0Oc49qhukrRylu1ZHozY9EVJf1m9RNnXuJuXGIa8NVv_e9vpFz519GWiF/s640/malai+chop+2.jpg" width="578" /></a></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Preparation</span><br />
<b>For Homemade Paneer</b><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Bring milk to a boil. When it comes to a boil, add Vinegar or lemon juice. Stir until milk separates into curds and whey completely. Add some more vinegar/lemon juice it it doesn't seem to separate. </li>
<li> Pour this paneer on a muslin cloth or cheesecloth lined colander. Drain all water and then wash it with cold water to remove the sourness. Gather all sides of the muslin cloth and twist and squeeze to drain all water. Put a heavy pan on top of this wrapped paneer for an hour to drain any remaining water.</li>
<li>After an hour, knead the paneer well to make a smooth dough for about 4 minutes. If you are making flower shape, make 12-16 small balls and flatten it and cut the shape using a cookie cutter. If you are making a round or rectangle shape, make only 8 balls and shape them accordingly. </li>
</ol><b>For the Sugar Syrup</b><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li> In a pan, bring water and sugar to boil till all the sugar dissolves. </li>
<li>Add the paneer balls/flowers and cover the pan with a lid and cook for 25 minutes. The balls will get double in size. </li>
<li>Turn the heat off and let the balls remain in the sugar syrup for 4-5 hours.</li>
</ol><b>For the Malai /Rabdi </b><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Heat milk in a wok/<i> kadhai</i> . When a cream layer forms on the top, remove the layer with a spatula and spread it on to the sides of the wok. Repeat this process till the milk reduces to 1/3rd. </li>
<li>Scratch the cream layer that you have collected on the sides of the wok and mix in with the reduced milk. You can add some food colour if you wish.</li>
<li>Add sugar little by little and when it is sweet enough for your taste stop, and add cardamom powder . Stir for a minute or two and turn off the heat. Let it cool and then refrigerate it. </li>
</ol><b>Assembling</b><br />
When the paneer balls are ready after having been in the syrup for several hours, take it out from syrup and slice it horizontally. Fill in the malai /rabdi between the two slices of the paneer balls/flowers.Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Garnish with chopped pistachios/<br />
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</div>SinFoodiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12806791143806844194noreply@blogger.com18