KASHMIRI PULAO

Rice can be an extremly versatile grain.. pulao or pilaf is equally versatile ... same rice grain can taste really different with addition of different ingredients and spices.
This kashmiri pulao uses some very basic ingredients yet is very yummy. the best part is the chopped fruits and nuts which add crunch to the pulao.

You Need
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2-3 cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
• 2-3 green cardamom
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 green chilli, sliced thinly
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• few tbsp of ghee
• 1 cup of mixed nuts ( almonds,cashews, walnuts and raisin)
• 1 cup milk + few strands of saffron
• 1 cup water
• chopped fruits (grapes and apples )

How to Make
In a pan roast dry fruits using little ghee. Set aside
In another pan add ghee . Add all the spices ( nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, bay leaf and cumin)
Add ginger garlic paste and chillies.
Add washed rice and saute rice till aromatic.
Add milk and water. Cover and cook.
Add nuts just before rice is fully done.
Serve hot garnished with fruits

Home Made Brown Bread

We were planning to bake bread at a friend's house.. her mom in law said" why work so much when you can easily get a bread for 15 bucks at the bakery." quite famously I told her " coz we are wonder women.. baking, working, nappy changing, house keeping all at one go..;).."
On a more serious note i feel baking bread at home has more to do with satisfaction than taste.. since we don't generally have enough muscle power to knead the atta well.. resulting in a heavier bread than commercial bakery breads. so if you can build bread muscles bread baking is for you..:)
This one is a good recipe that I have adapted from http://www.chefinyou.com/

You need
2-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/ tsp salt
2 tbsp brown sugar( can use normal sugar color wud be lighter though)
1 tsp active dry yeast
4 tbsp butter
7/8 cup lukewarm water ( almost a cup of water)
How to Proceed
Mix salt in the flour and Rub in the butter with your fingertips making it grainy mix.
In about 1/4 cup water out of the total , mix sugar and yeast. Be careful about water not being more than 26 deg Celsius. Let the mixture stand until it becomes frothy.
Add the yeast mixture to the flour and make a soft dough using rest of the water.
The dough has to be soft and not sticky..knead using all the muscle u can develop :)
Put the smooth dough in a oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap or towel.
Let it rise until doubled in a warm air draft free space.
Once doubled punch down the dough and knead again.
Make it into a smooth cylinder shape and place it in a loaf pan and again cover and let it rise again in the pan until almost double in height.
Bake in a preheated oven at about 200 C or 425 F for 25 to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden. Make sure not to over bake or the bread will be hard and brittle.

The Coffee Cake

The name coffee cake can be deceptive. This wonderfully soft cake does not use coffee at all. It is essentially a coffee/ tea time cake which doesn't need any dressing/ icing .. thanks to the nutty top of the cake.. Though the use of sugar in topping does tend to darken the top, but who minds it as long as the cake's tasty.. You can add or subtract the topping ingredients as per personal choice. Want nuts, don't want chocolate etc etc..

For Coffee Cake Topping
1 cup (100 grams) walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup (50 grams) light brown sugar
1/3 cup (50 grams) mini chocolate chips
1 tablespoon (15 grams) all purpose flour
For Coffee Cake:
2 cups (200 grams) sifted cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons (140 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup (160 ml) sour cream or plain yogurt

Making the Topping:
In a small bowl stir together the sugar, chopped nuts, chocolate chips and flour. Set aside.

Making Cake

Butter and flour spring form pan.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until softened .

Gradually add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy .

Add the eggs. Beat in the vanilla extract.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in three additions) and sour cream (in two additions) alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until combined.

Spoon half of the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the nut topping on top of the batter.

Bake for about 40 - 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

THAI RED CURRY PASTE

You Need

7-8 fresh or dried red chillies
1 cup chopped french shallots ( u can use white of spring onions)
about 2" long fresh galangal chopped
8-10 garlic cloves, chopped
about 3-4 tbspoon fresh coriander , leaves and stem
few kafir lime leaves ( can use dried ones available in super markets)
3 stems lemon grass , white only
Grated lemon rind ( grate a lemon using simple grater. taking care only the rind is grated)
Spices
1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp oil

Paste
Lightly roast coriander and cumin seeds in a pan and grind them along with all other ingredients adding a little water in a processor. Process till it becomes a fine chutney/ paste.
This paste can also be stored in freezer and used whenever needed.

To make the curry.
• Heat oil in a wok and add chopped onions. Saute.
• Add curry paste( 2-3 tbsp) and cook over medium heat.
• Add 2 cups coconut milk ( ready available or fresh milk out of grated coconut)
•To extract coconut milk. Make a fine chutney of a fresh coconut. Squeeze juice using a sieve.
• Reduce heat and simmer
• Add some sliced galangal and kafir lime leaves.
• Add 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 tsp lime juice.

You can add any vegetable/ mushrooms or meat ( steamed or boiled a bit ) to this curry. and cook.

ALOO UDAIGIRI

These days wherever I go and eat something different i tend to ask for recipes.. i don't know if people find it irritating :) but I can't resist the question." how did u make it?"
This particular recipe given by my chef friend Preetika has been quite a hit. Since aaloo ki sabji is considered such a simple dish. This variation makes it very presentable.. It goes really well with poori .. I don't know if the name has any significance but i call it Aloo Udaigiri coz Preetika called it so...:) I will not give any quantity particulars since the recipe is all about ingredients’ and not the quantity.

You need

Tempering
2 Whole Red chilies
8-10 Black peppercorns
1 Tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds
Few Curry leaves
1/2 tsp Coriander seeds crushed.

For gravy
Chopped onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes and few fresh mint leaves.

Dry masala
Red chilli powder, Tumeric powder, Coriander powder, Salt and Dry fenugreek leaves.
AND Boiled mashed potatoes..

Method
Heat oil in a pan and add all the ingredients for Tempering till they are aromatic.
Add onions and tomatoes, garlic and ginger and sauté.
Add all the dry masalas and let them cook.
Add some hot water and potatoes.
Cook well till fat separates.
Garnish with mint leaves.

APPLE PIE

Apple Pie is America's favorite dessert. ..personally I am no great fan of apple as a fruit but I absolutely love the apple pie..
When I tried baking it the first few experiments resulted in very tough crust... guess the trick was making of dough and not the recipe.. to have a flavourful flaky crust it is very important that we don't knead the dough much.. the dough needs to be handled only enuf to gather.. also the ingredients have to be icy cold. the dough can be wrapped and refrigerated for 30 min or so .. i also noticed that instead of mixing the dough with hand, using a chutney maker or a food processor helps.. it gives an even sandy texture to flour..
The given recipe has two parts.. the dough for the pie and the apple filling...

The Dough ( pate brisee) short crust pastry
2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp fine sugar
1 cup unsalted butter (chilled and cubed)
1/4 to 1/2 cup cold water

The filling
about 2 cups finely chopped apples
1/4 tsp powdered cinnamon
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp honey
2 tsp lemon juice

How to proceed
Pre heat oven to 200*C. if using smaller pie or tart tins then u may need 3-4 or use 1 large 9-10" pie dish.
In a food processor blend flour, salt, sugar and cubed butter till it has a sandy texture.
Take in a bowl and pour some icy water and mix using a fork .. add more water if needed ..till it forms a rough ball. Do not Knead..
Wrap it in a plastic cling foil and refrigerate for 30 min.

Now make the filling .. mix the apple with honey , sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice.

Take the dough out of fridge.. dust a surface and gently roll into a flat roti about 5 mm thick.
Adjust the roti size as per your pie mould.
Line the mould with the roti taking care not to press in the tin. Put the apple mixture .. make another roti and cover the apple . u using the whole roti you will have to make slits for steam to come out.
u can also cut stripes out of the second roll as i have done and make designs as per your choice.
bake it in a pre heated oven at 200*C for -
small tart moulds 20-25 min
big glass pie dish 40 mins
enjoy :)

The Sour Cream Chocolate muffins

This is a Nigella lawson recipe. Though a little heavy on fat contents it is a really soft and yummy cake. The best part is the taste of sour cream making it flavourful.

You Need
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

How to bake

Preheat the oven
Whisk sugar , butter and eggs till fluffy.
Add sour cream.
Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.
Mix the two.
Add vanilla extract.
Line a muffin pan with paper cups.
Pour the mixture.
Bake for 18-20 min at 180* C.