Irish Tea Cake

Okay, there is no tea in this cake!  It is a simple, wholesome cake that is great with tea or coffee.  I have made it several times and it has never disappointed.  It is a dense, hearty cake that will stay for several days without spoiling or losing it's taste or texture.

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk

Method:   Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Grease and flour a 9 inch round baking dish.

In a bowl cream together the butter and sugar till light and fluffy.  Whisk the eggs with the vanilla essence and add to the butter sugar mixture.  Mix well until fully incorporated. Combine the sieved flour, baking powder and salt and  add to the batter alternating with milk. If the batter is too stiff you can add little more milk. Spread batter into the pan.  Bake for 30 to 35 mins or until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.  Remove from the pan and cool cake on a wire rack and then turn onto a plate.

 A tip for those new to baking.  Vanilla essence, added to eggs, erases the smell of eggs from cake.  This is why, whatever the flavour of cake being made, vanilla essence is added to the eggs.

Coffee Walnut Cream

This is one of those handy dessert recipes that you can turn to if you are short of time.  At the heart of this recipe is the trusted custard which is combined with coffee to transform it and then layered with biscuit and topped with cream and walnuts.  Pure delight! Who says one has to labour hours to concoct a mouth watering dessert.  You can do it in minutes and wow your guests.  Then again why wait for an occasion or guests?  Make it any day and enjoy.


Ingredients:

2 cups Milk
2 tbsps Sugar
1 tbsp Vanilla Custard Powder
1 tbsp Coffee
1 cup cream
1/2 cup walnuts
1 small packet biscuit
2 tbsp choco chips


Method:  Make thick custard with milk, sugar and custard powder. Add coffee to this.  Let it cool a little.Crumble the biscuits coarsely.  Do not powder.

In a serving dish put a layer of the coffee custard. Over it gently place the coarsely crumbled biscuits. Pour the remaining custard over the biscuit layer. Now sprinkle part of the walnuts. Cover with the cream. Garnish with choco chips, remaining walnuts and biscuit crumbs. Chill for few hours in the fridge.

Instead of biscuit layer in the centre you can place cake.  If you like you can lightly sweeten the cream.  Add extra sugar to the custard if you prefer it sweeter.

Lauki Ka Thepla

For those not familiar with theplas, they are a sort of chapati/ paratha eaten in Gujarat.  Theplas can be made either plain or  with other ingredients like lauki, methi etc.  What is nice about theplas is that unlike parathas or puris, they can be eaten without any accompaniment too.  Roll it up and eat it as a snack with tea.  Another plus point with theplas is that they stay soft and fresh for several days. In Gujarat, apart from being part of regular meals, theplas are taken while travelling and on outings.  My kids used to take a huge amount of theplas when returning to college after vacations and it used to last them several days.

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 tbsp gram flour ( besan)
3/4 cup grated lauki
2 tbsp curd
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2 green chillies ( optional)
1/2 inch ginger ( optional)
Oil to fry

Method:  Peel and grate lauki. Add red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt to it. If you want you can also add green chilli and ginger paste.

Mix well with the lauki and keep aside for few minutes.  The lauki will release its juice.  Now add the whole wheat flour and besan.  Also add oil and curd.  Knead well into a firm but smooth dough. If needed a little more curd can be added.

To make thepla keep a tava on the flame and let it heat a little.  Roll out a thepla, just like a chapati. Place on the warm tava.  Let it cook on one side and then flip it to the other side.  Apply oil. Similarly apply oil on the other side also.  Remove on to a plate.

Theplas can be enjoyed either hot or cold. If  you intend to serve theplas later then you need to put little more oil to keep them soft.  For immediate use less oil is needed.

Instead of wheat you can make theplas with a combination of bajra, jowar and besan.  And in place of curd you can use water.

Kheer

Kheer is the most traditional dessert of India and it is generally made on all auspicious occasions. Most regions of India make kheer though it could be called by a different name.  In the southern states it is called payasam while in Bengal it is called  payesh and so on.

I like thick, creamy kheer, lightly sweetened, with lots of nuts and raisins, flavoured with cardamom and nicely chilled.  Without doubt, a well made kheer can stand its own among the best of desserts.  And for us Indians, kheer means home, it means festivals, it means love.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice
1 litre milk
1/2 cup sugar
1tbsp ghee
1 tsp elaichi powder
1/4 cup nuts and raisins


Method:     Soak the rice for 30 minutes.  In a heavy bottom pan, add ghee and rice.  Fry lightly.  Put the milk to boil. When it starts boiling add the milk to the rice. Lower heat and keep stirring till rice is tender and milk gets thickened to desired consistency. Remove from heat. Let it cool down a little and then add sugar and cardamom powder. Garnish with nuts and raisins.   Chill in the refrigerator.

I prefer not to add sugar in the early stages as it hampers the softening of the rice. You can add more milk if needed.  Some qualities of rice take longer to cook. The quality of milk also makes a difference.

Baby Potatoes in Spinach Gravy

This recipe is a slight deviation from the traditional aloo palak so popular in North India.  Instead of using regular potatoes I have cooked whole baby potatoes in  a spinach gravy.  It makes it at once different and yet retains the charm of the original recipe.

Ingredients:

 1 cup Spinach puree
 10 -12 Baby Potatoes
 1 cup onion
1 cup tomato puree
1 inch ginger
4-5 cloves garlic
1 green chilly
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp all spice( garam masala) powder
Whole spices:  2 cloves, 1 black cardamom, 1/2 inch cinnamon, 1 bayleaf
2 tbsps cream or milk ( optional)
3-4 tbsps oil
Garnish: ginger juliennes

Method:   Pressure cook potatoes.  Don't overcook and make them mushy.  When boiled, peel skin and fry lightly in 2 tbsps of oil.  Keep aside. Blanch tomatoes and make puree.  Put the spinach in boiling water with a pinch of salt and pinch of sugar.  Remove just the leaves after a minute or so and puree with green chilly.  Keep the water in which spinach has been boiled for use later.  Now grind the onion, ginger and garlic to a fine paste.  Once we have these three pastes ready and the potatoes fried we come to the actual cooking.

Take a heavy bottom pan.  Add the oil and then put the whole spices - cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf.  Now add the onion ginger garlic paste.  Fry till  all the water dries up and then add the dry spice powders like turmeric powder, red chilly powder and salt.  Immediately after that add the tomato puree and fry well till oil separates from the masala.If you like you can add the cream or milk at this stage and fry a few minutes further till it is incorporated into the masala.  Now add the spinach puree, the water in which spinach was boiled and the potatoes. Cover and let it  simmer on low heat for a few minutes.Sprinkle the garam masala powder.  Serve hot garnished with ginger juliennes.

Instead of cream or milk you can add a tbsp of gram flour( besan) or maize flour ( makki ka atta) dissolved in little water to balance the gravy and give it a tinge of sweetness.  But this you would have to add just after you add the spinach.

Namak Para

                                                                       
                                                                               

Namak paras are an excellent tea time snack popular across India. Prepared from  flour and deep fried in oil, these diamond shaped  savoury crispies are fairly easy to prepare and store.  It is a good idea to make these Namak Paras and keep for guests or for those odd times when hunger pangs strike.

Namak Paras are also prepared in a lot of households during festivals to balance the overdose of sweets.  I used to find that many a guest would refuse sweets but wouldn't mind taking a few Namak Paras.

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour ( maida)
1 tbsp  ghee
1/2  tsp salt or as per taste
1/4 tsp kalonji ( nigella  seeds)
Pinch of baking soda
Water to knead

Method:   Sieve the flour with the baking soda and salt.  Add kalonji and ghee.  Mix well.  Rub the ghee and flour thoroughly with fingers to incorporate the ghee into flour.  Add water gradually to form a firm but smooth dough.  Keep aside for 15 to 30  mins covered with a damp cloth.  Take a medium sized ball  from the prepared dough and, with the help of a rolling pin, roll  it out  into a circular shape on a floured board. Make sure that the rolled out round is neither too thick nor too thin.  

 

Now  using a knife make criss cross marks and  cut out diamond shapes.

Heat oil in a wide pan, add the diamond shapes or the namak paras, and fry on medium heat. Lower heat after a couple of minutes and continue to fry till light golden and crisp.  Remove on absorbent paper.  Store in airtight container once completely cooled.

Dhabe Ki Daal

                                                                         

This dal recipe is dedicated to the wonderful highway dhabas (small rustic restaurants) of India.  If you have not eaten at a dhaba, believe me, you have missed something.  The dhabas of Punjab especially, are well known for their excellent food.  Next time you are travelling through India give the fancy restaurants a miss and try the rustic fare offered by the dhabas; food that is steeped in tradition, food  which is close to India's rich culture, that brings alive the warmth of India's hospitality.  The dhabas may not be much to look at but don't go by appearances, the food will be finger licking good.

 Ingredients: 

1/4 cup rajma (Red kidney beans)
1/4 cup chana dal ( split chickpeas)
1/2 cup urad dal, ( whole black gram lentils)
2 medium onions
8 cloves garlic
2 green chillies
3 medium tomatoes
4 tbsp oil
1tsp red chilly powder
1 tsp cumin powder
3 tbsp butter
Salt to taste
1/4 cup coriander leaves
1 tbsp kasuri methi ( dried fenugreek leaves)

Method: Soak the urad dal, chana dal  and rajma in plenty of water overnight or at least 6 hours. Finely chop onions, garlic, green chillies and tomatoes.  Drain dals and rajma, add six cups of water and pressure cook for half hour or till cooked.

Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and add chopped garlic, stir fry till light brown.  Add the chopped onions and green chillies and saute for 5 mins or until the onions are golden brown. Add the red chilly powder, cumin powder and stir lightly.  Add the chopped tomatoes and cook on high heat for 3 to 4 mins stirring continuously.  Pour the cooked dals, rajma and butter and mix well.  Add salt, chopped coriander leaves and cook on low heat for 10 mins, stirring all the while.  Crush kasuri methi between the palms and sprinkle on the dal.  Serve hot.

Mutton Korma

                                                                             

I find youngsters these days are reluctant to try out mutton recipes. The reason, they say, is that chicken is easier to cook.  This is not so.  Mutton is equally simple to cook.  I am sharing here an easy but delectable mutton recipe which, I hope, will find some takers.

This recipe has its roots in  Mughlai cuisine.  Traditionally it comprises of meat cooked with a combination of spices including coriander,blended with yoghurt and cooked over a low flame to incorporate all the juices into the meat.

Ingredients:

500 gms mutton
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 cups yoghurt
2-3 onions
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1tsp cumin powder
1 tsp all spice ( garam masala) powder
Salt to taste
Oil to fry onions
3 tbsps oil to cook
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:   Peel and slice onions finely.  Fry them till they are brown and crisp.  Remove on to an absorbent paper.  Grind the fried onions in blender with yoghurt.  Marinate mutton with onion yoghurt mixture, ginger garlic paste, salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and  all spice powder, Keep aside for 15 mins to an hour. Always marinate in the refrigerator. Do not leave outside.

In a heavy bottom pan put oil and add the mutton with the marinade.  Let it cook on low heat till all the water dries up and oil separates from masala.The mutton should be well fried by this time but if it isn't then sprinkle some water and continue to cook. When mutton is nicely fried  add 1 1/2 cup hot water and cover and let it cook on low heat till mutton is cooked. Or you can pressure cook. Before serving adjust seasonings as per taste and garnish with green coriander leaves.

Unlike other recipes where coriander powder is the minor player, here it is the star player. I dry roast whole coriander and grind to get fresh coriander powder which further enhances the taste.

If you like you can add fresh cream and cashew paste to get a really rich gravy turning this recipe into a Shahi Korma!!

Masoor Dal Soup / Red Lentils Soup

                                                                             

What do you do when you catch a cold?  Get medicine? Take rest? Wrong! I look for recipes to pamper myself with! I take the saying "feed the cold..." quite literally!!

Here is what I made while nursing a wretched cold.  A spicy soup which is nutritious and tasty.  Aah! Already feeling better :)

Ingredients: 

1 cup red masoor dal
3 sliced onions
3 tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
3 tsp curry powder ( or sambar powder)
1 tbsp ghee
Salt to taste
1 Lemon


Method:  Heat the ghee in a heavy bottom pan and fry the onions for a little while till they become translucent.  Do not brown.  Add the crushed garlic, red chilli powder and curry powder.  Fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes,washed red masoor dal and 6 teacups of water and transfer to a pressure cooker. When cooked, pass the mixture through a sieve.  Boil for few  mins.  Add salt.  Sqeeze juice of a lemon. Serve hot.

Instead of curry powder I use sambar powder.

Paneer Tikka Kathi Roll

If you thought healthy stuff is dull fare check out this recipe! Whole wheat chapatis are stuffed with a spicy and tangy paneer filling to make this kathi roll.  Even a person with the most picky appetite will not be able to resist it, that is for sure!  The recipe is simple enough but the presentation makes the difference. It is always a good idea to keep introducing changes in the daily menu.  This will make it challenging and fun to the person doing the cooking and also enjoyable for the members of the family. Monotonous food can kill the most robust of appetites!

Ingredients:

1 cup paneer
1/2 cup onion cubed
1/2 cup capsicum cubed
1/2 cup tomatoes cubed, deseeded
2 tbsp oil

Marinade
1/4 cup thick curd
1tsp besan
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1/2 tsp chaat masala
1/2 tsp kasuri methi
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste

Chapati
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup milk
Salt to taste

Method:   Make chapati dough with whole wheat flour, salt and milk.  The dough should be like normal chapati dough.  Cover and keep aside.

Marinate paneer with all the above given ingredients namely yoghurt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, besan, kasuri methi, chaat masala, garam masala powder and salt to taste. Keep aside for at least 10 mins.

In a non stick pan add the onion cubes and fry lightly.  Also add capsicum and tomato and fry.  Do not overdo as the vegetables should retain their crunchiness.  Take out and keep aside.  In the same oil add the marinated paneer and fry on medium heat till the water dries up and oil separates.  Again, do not fry too much and let paneer get hard.  Close the flame and add the fried onions, capsicum and tomato.  Mix.

Take a medium sized ball from the prepared dough and roll out a thin chapati on a floured board.  Heat the tava and cook the chapati on both sides till cooked.  If you want you can add little oil on both sides of the chapati.  Take care that the chapati is soft and pliable.  Remove and keep aside. Continue to make the other chapatis in the same way.

To assemble the paneer tikka kathi roll,  place few spoonfuls of the paneer filling in the centre of a chapati and roll it up tightly.  Serve hot.