Orange Glorious

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

Ingredients:

1 cup milk
1 cup ice water
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate
12 cubes ice
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 cup white sugar

Method:

- In a blender combine milk, water, orange juice concentrate, ice cubes, vanilla and sugar.
- Blend until smooth. 

- Serve.

Ranzka (Chutney)

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM



This fiery red chutney from south western maharashtra is a combination of seasonal, red chillies, salt and lime juice. "If stored in an airtight glass jar in the refrigerator, it can be stored for a whole year. You can decant small quantities as you need them and make a fresh tempering sauce (tadka) with mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida," says saee.


Ingredients:

Fresh red chillies - 1/2 kg
Lemon juice - 1 cup
Salt - 1 1/2 tbsp
Asafoetida (hing) - 3/4 tbsp
Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

- Grind all the ingredients in a blender.
- Decant required amounts of Ranzka and top with hot tadka.
- To make the tadka, heat a few teaspoons of oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida and allow them to pop for a few seconds until fragrant. 
- Pour over the ranzka, stir to combine and serve. 

Sanna Pakoda

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM


This sindhi delicacy is made with assorted chopped vegetables dunked in a batter of gramflour and deep fried twice. "These snacks are especially popular during weddings and festivals. Big chunks are fried and then broken into small pieces and deep fried again," says food blogger pushpa moorjani who adds that the double frying keeps them crispy for a longer time. "The first round in hot oil fries the outer coating and the second round cooks them from the inside," she explains.

Ingredients:

Gram flour - 250 gms
Onion - 1 chopped
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp chopped
Green chilly - 1 chopped
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Dried pomogranate seeds - 1 tsp
Oil for frying 
Salt to taste

Method:

- Mix the gram flour, chopped onion, coriander leaves and green chillies.
- Add a little water to salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, pomogranate seeds and make a batter.
- Heat some oil in a pan. Drop large chunks of batter into it and fry.
- Drain and cut into small pieces. Fry again until crisp.
- Serve hot with chutney.

Banana Ice Cream Shake

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM


Ingredients:

1 banana, peeled and chopped
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
1 cup milk

2 egg white
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

- In a blender combine banana, ice cream, milk, egg white and vanilla extract.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour into glasses and serve.

Palachinta

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM


Ingredients:

Maida - 2 cups
Khoya - 250 gms
Grated coconut - 2 cups
Cardamom powdered - 4 pieces
Sugar - powdered - 2 cups
Refined oil - for shallow frying


Method:

- First make a batter of the maida with the same consistency as dosa batter. Keep it aside.
- Roast the khoya till golden brown and add the grated coconut to it.
- Then add the sugar powder and cardamom powder to this coconut mixture.
- Mix all the ingredients well.
- Heat a non stick tawa. Spread the batter on it.
- Sprinkle a little oil. Cook both the sides.
- Now spread the stuffing and fold one side.
- Serve this dish by sprinkling a little powdered sugar on it.

Figgy Pudding

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM


Ingredients:

225 gms dried figs
100 gms self raising flour
A pinch of salt
100 gms wholewheat flour
100 gms butter
100 gms brown sugar
50 gms walnuts chopped
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 eggs beaten
2 tbsp milk
2 tbsp honey


Method:

- Soak the figs in water for at least 3 hrs.
- Drain and chop roughly. 

- Sift the self raising flour and salt in a bowl, then stir in the wholewheat flour.
- Add the margarine in pieces, then rub into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
- Stir in the sugar, walnuts, figs and ginger, then stir in the eggs and enough milk to give a soft dropping consistency.
- Put the honey in the bottom of a well buttered 900 ml pudding basin.
- Spoon the pudding mixture into the basin and then cover the top with greased foil.
- Make a pleat in the center to allow the pudding to rise during steaming.
- Tie securely with string.
- Place the basin in a steamer or double boiler.
- Cover with lid and steam for 2 hrs.
- Remove foil and turn the pudding out on into a warm serving dish.
- Serve hot with thin custard.

Brownies

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

Ingredients:

455 gms dark chocolate
50 ml black coffee
225 gms butter
4 eggs
200 gms castor sugar
100 gms ground almonds
100 gms flour
150 gms chopped hazelnuts


Method:

- Melt chocolate with butter and coffee, and let cool to room temperature.
- Beat eggs and sugar till slightly fluffy.
- Add chocolate butter mixture and mix till it all turns evenly brown.
- Fold in ground almond and flour. Add chopped hazelnuts.
- Pour batter into greased and lined 7 inch tray.
- Bake at 180 degree celsius for 10 minutes.
- Reduce temperature to 150 degree and continue baking for another 10 minutes.

Marble Muffins

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM


Ingredients:

100 gms chocolate blocks
125 ml milk
125 gms butter
170 gms sugar
2 eggs
225 gms white flour
5 gms baking powder
65 gms cream


Method:

- Preheat the oven at 170 deg celsius and grease one large/ two small loaf tins with oil.
- Line the muffin moulds ( with baking paper on them) in the tin.
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl.
- Warm 50 ml milk and add this to the melted chocolate.
- Mix the butter and sugar until it is thick, fluffy and light in colour.
- Beat in the eggs one at a time.
- Mix together the cream and the remaining milk.
- Add this to the egg mixture. Divide this into two.
- Add the chocolate mixture into one of the halves.
- Spoon the two mixtures into molds and marble it with skewer.
- Bake for 20 minutes.

Biscotti

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM


Ingredients:

50 gms almonds
25 gms pistas
100 gms cold butter (cubed)
150 gms sugar
250 gms maida
8 gms anise seeds (saunf)
6 gms baking powder
Lemon zest of 2 lemons
2 eggs
1 egg white (beaten)


Method:

Preheat the oven to 150 degree celsius and roast the nuts till golden.
Blend the remaining ingredients in an electric mixer/blender till they forma soft dough.
Chop the nuts and add them to the dough. Refrigerate this dough for 20 minutes.
Once you take it out of the fridge , divide it into three equal portions.
Shape each portion to look like a rope.
Preheat the oven to 175 degree celsius. Use a brush to lightly coat each rope with egg white.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Once warm, use a bread knife to cut the biscotti in 1/2 diagonals.
Bake these at 150 degree celsius for another 15 minutes.

Nombu Adai

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM


Ingredients:

Rice powder - 1 cup
Jaggery (pounded) - 1 cup
Red peas or chauli - 10 gms
Coconut ( cut to tiny pieces) - 2 tbsp
Cardamom (crushed) - 4 to 5

Method:

- Soak the red peas in water for an hour and pressure cook.
- Fry the rice powder till it turns fairly brown in colour.
- Bring one cup of water to boil in a pan.
- Slowly add the jaggery in the water and allow it to dissolve.
- Next, add the rice flour and keep stirring.
- Add the cooked peas. Cook on a low flame for around 10 minutes adding the coconut pieces and cardamom last.

- Remove from fire and allow to cool.
- Smearing a little oil in the palms of your hands, mould the dough into small balls.
- Flatten out each ball onto a plastic sheet so as to produce a circular shape and make a tiny hole in the centre.
- Once this has been done with all the balls, place them all on a platter or an idli cooker and steam cook for around 20 minutes.
- Serve hot with a dash of home made butter.

Fresh Peach Cobbler

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

Makes 8 servings

Temperature 400 deg C

Ingredients:

3 cups sliced fresh peaches
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp almond essence
1/3 cup shortening
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp lemon peel
1 well beaten egg
1 1/2 cups sifted enriched flour
2 tbsp sugar
3 tsp baking powder

Method:

- Arrange peaches in a greased 8' 8 ' 2 inch pan.
- Sprinkle with mixture of ( 1 cup sugar, almond essence, lemon juice and lemon peel).
- Heat in oven while preparing shortcake. Sift together flour, baking powder, 1 tbsp sugar and salt.
- Cut in shortening till mixture looks like coarse crumbs.
- Add milk and eggs at once. Stir until flour is moistened.
- Spread dough over hot peaches.
- Sprinkle 2 tbsp sugar.
- Bake in hot oven 400 deg C for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Serve hot.

Papaya Blancmange

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

Ingredients:

2 cups ripe papaya pulp
2 tbsp rice flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp butter
4 tbsp water
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 tbsp cashew nuts chopped

Method:

- Put the papaya pulp and sugar into a mixer and blend on high speed.
- Put this homogenous mixture into a saucepan, add cashew nut flakes and a pinch of salt and stir over low fire until the mixture thickens.
- Dissolve rice flour in water to a pouring consistency.
- Add this to the mixture in the pan, and keep on stirring over the fire until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
- Now add butter, spices and nuts and stir and stir for a few more minutes.
- Spread on a greased plate and allow to cool.
- Chill in the refrigerator for an hour.

Creamy Saffron And Cardamom Infused Shrikhand

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

Strained yoghurt - 8 cups ( approximately made from 2 ltrs milk or 2 kg yoghurt)
Powdered Sugar - 6 cups
Saffron - 1 tsp ( soaked in 2 tbsp hot milk)
Cardamom powder - 3 tsp
Chopped nuts - optional

Method:

- Mix the strained yoghurt with the powdered sugar thoroughly.
- Add the saffron and the cardamom and mix again.
- Serve chilled garnished with chopped nuts.

Orange Sesame Screens

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

Ingredients:

Sugar - 1 kg
Unsalted butter - 500 gms
Refined flour - 500 gms
Sesame seeds - 500 gms
Orange juice and orange zest (grated) - 500 ml

Method:

- Cook butter and sugar together on low flame until sugar melts.
- Add flour and sesame, cook for ten minutes.
- Now add orange juice and cook it for five more minutes.
- Take it off the flame and transfer into a cooling pan, chill this for 12 hours
- Now remove from refrigerator and spread this paste smoothly on a butter paper.
- Bake it at 180 degree for seven minutes and once golden in color remove it from the butter paper.
- Best with Chocolate cakes, cheesecakes.

Strawberry Shrikhand

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

Ingredients:

Strained Yoghurt ( with all the water drained ) - 4 cups ( approximately made from 1 ltr milk or 1 kg yoghurt)
Powdered sugar -3 cups
Fresh Strawberries - 1 cup + 2 tsp sugar
A few extra strawberries to serve - optional

Method:

- Strain the yoghurt completely by leaving to drain overnight or place a weight over it if you are running short of time.
- Puree the strawberries with the sugar.
- Mix the strained yoghurt, pureed strawberries and sugar properly.
- Serve chilled with fresh strawberries.
- You can substitute the strawberries with other fruits like sitaphal, chikku etc.
- While varying the sugar quantity in proportion with the sweetness of the fruits used. 

Dodmaaz

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

Ingredients:

1 kg leg or shoulder of mutton, cubed
3 cups / half ltr full cream milk
30 almonds, blanched, skinned and then ground to paste in a cup of water used for blanching
2 tsp aniseed (saunf) powdered
2 tsp ginger powder ( saunth)
Few strands of saffron
Half tsp of shahi zeera
Salt to taste
Oil
A pinch of asafeotida ( hing)

Coarsely Grind:

1/2 tsp pepper
4 green cardamoms
4 cloves
1 stick dalchini

Method:

- Heat 4 tbsp of oil, and add a pinch of asafeotida to it.
- Then add, the meat cubes, salt and shahi zeera.
- Cook on a medium flame till the meat is completely dry but not yet begun to brown.
- Add the powdered aniseed, ginger and half a cup of water.
- Keep stirring the meat so that it doesn't stick or start browning.
- To the milk, add the strands of saffron, and after a few minutes, add to the meat.
- Add the coarsely ground spices. If necessary, add water to prevent drying out, and cook until the meat is tender.
- If using a pressure cooker, use your judgement depending on your pressure cooker, but typically, you should let two whistles blow and then cook for 15 to 20 minutes on a slow fire.
- Serve with plain rice.

Choco Crunchies

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

Ingredients:

Double boiled chocolate paste
Raisins - 100 gms
Sugar - 100 gms

Method:

- Caramalise the sugar by pouring it into a kadai or tawa..

- Keep stirring until it melts and turns brown, and turns into a pouring consistency. 

- Pour the caramel onto a greased plate and wait until it cools.

- Tilt the plate onto a platter. 

- Break the caramel sheet into teeny, crunchy pieces. 

- Mix in the raisins. 

- Add this mixture into the double boiled chocolate paste. scoop out a spoonful of the paste at a time and drop it into each mould. 

- Refrigerate. Set. 

- Take them out. And wrap.


- Another variation would be the fruit and nut, which could be had if the ingredients were crushed and roasted almonds and raisins, instead of caramalised sugar. 

- And if its the orange tart that you are musing about, just add a dash of orange based oil essence into your double boiled chocolate. 

- And repeat the process of dropping the paste into your moulds.

Little Heart

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

Ingredients:

2 cups cashew nut powder
1 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon ghee
3 spoons strawberry syrup
1/4th cup grated almond
7-8 strands kesar

Method:

- Take a thick bottomed vessel. 

- Take icing sugar in it. 

- Add 1/4th cup water and heat on medium flame. 

- To test if the syrup is ready, pour a drop on a plate. 

- The syrup drop should not spread when the plate is slanted. - Then add one teaspoon ghee to the syrup and all the cashew powder to it. 

- Knead this dough with hands to smoothen it.

- Take heart shaped mould and prepare little hearts. 

- Sprinkle grated almonds over them and press. 

- Pour 1/2 teaspoon strawberry syrup on each heart and serve.

Chocolate Leaves

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM


Ingredients:

Chocolate (chopped) - 1 block
Water - accordingly

Method:

- Fill bottom of a double boiler so that hot water does not touch the bottom of the upper pan.
- Do not let the water boil, just let it be plain hot .
- Stir chocolate while melting to ensure complete smoothness in the chocolate.
- Replace the hot water with same quantity of lukewarm water.
- Stir until the chocolate reaches room tempereature.
- Now replace luke-warm water with simmering water of the same quantity, melt the chocolate again.
- Take a leaf and brush it with chocolate and keep in a cool place. 

- After chocolate is set remove the leaf.
- Chocolate leaf garnish is ready.
- Best with Mousses and cakes.

Pineapple Cream Rose

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM


Serves 5

Ingredients:

Fresh Pineapple
2 - 3 tsp castor sugar
1 mug of milk cream
2 tsp rose water
1 tsp rose essence and rose petals to garnish.


Method:

- Dice the pineapple into small pieces.
- Blend milk cream and sugar in a mixie and add to the diced pineapples.
- Sprinkle rose water and rose essence.
- Garnish with rose petals and serve chilled.

Ice Cream Sandesh

BISMILLAH HIR RAHMAN NIR RAHEEM

Ingredients:

Paneer - 700 gms
Sugar Powder - 200 gms
Vanilla essence - 4 drops
Almond - 10 crushed.

Method:

- Strain paneer overnight in a soft cloth so that no water remains.
- Blend paneer, sugar and vanilla essence in a blender.

- Grease a square baking vessel with white butter. 

- Pour the whole mixture in the vessel, cover it, and put it inside a pressure cooker with half filled water. 

- Pressure cook with 3 - 4 whistles. 

- When it cools down, keep it in the refrigerator and set for 3 - 4 hours.
- The sweetmeat is ready. 

- Take it out and cut into small squares, garnish with crushed almonds and serve chilled.