Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:-                         

For Topping:-      

• Pineapple slices - 1 Tin
•  Glazed Cherries  - 1/2 Cup
•  Brown sugar - 1/2 Cup
•  Butter - 1/4 Cup

For Cake:-

•  All purpose`flour - 1 1/2 Cups
•  Eggs - 2 Nos.
•  Baking powder - 1 Tsp
•  Vanilla Essence - 1 Tsp
•  Butter - 1/2 Cup
•  Sugar - 1 Cup
•  Salt - 1/2 Tsp

Method To Prepare :-

• Preheat an oven to 200'C. Butter a 9-inch round cake tin.

Topping:-

•  Melt the butter and brown sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat simmer,stirring occasionally a few times.
•  Remove from heat and pour into the bottom of the prepared cake tin.
•  Arrange pineapple & cherries on top of caramel.

Cake:-

• To make the batter, mix in together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form and set aside.
• In a another bowl, cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, add the egg yolks and vanilla essence & beat until smooth.
• Add the flour mixture & beat on low until just blended,fold in the egg whites very gently without beating it too hardly.
• Pour batter over the pineapple topping and spread evenly.
• Bake in a preheated oven for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a cake platter.

Tips:-

• Serve with fresh cream or vanilla ice cream.
• Glazed cherries can be substituted by  dried raisins as well

Eggless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:-

• All purpose flour - 1 1/2 Cups
• Sugar - 1 Cup
• Cocoa powder - 1/4 Cup
• Baking powder - 1 Tsp
• Baking Soda - 3/4 Tsp
• Salt - 1/4 Tsp
• Unsalted Butter(melted) - 1/3 Cup
• Water(warm) - 1 Cup
• Lemon Juice - 1 Tbsp
• Vanilla Essence - 1 Tsp

Method to Prepare :-

• Preheat an oven to 180'C and place the rack in centre of the oven.
• In a bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder,baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
• Add melted butter, water, lemon juice and vanilla essence.
• With a fork blend all the ingredients together until well blended.
• Bake in a pre-heated oven for about 30 minutes at 150'C or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Ganache:

• 170 gm Dark Chocolate(chopped) - 150gms
• Cream - 3/4 Cup
• Butter(unsalted) - 1 Tbsp. 

Method to prepare chocolate ganache:-

•     Place the chopped chocolate , cream and butter in a heat proof bowl.
•       Place over a sauce pan of simmering water and melt until smooth.(double boiler method)
•       Remove from the heat and stand at the room temperature until it is of pouring consistency.
•       Then pour this over the cooled cake. Let stand until  ganache has thickened.

Tips :-

•  Decorate the cake with candies/decorations of your choice
• Chocolate ganache topping can be used for any cakes

RAW BANANA CUTLET

Ingredients :-

• Raw Banana - 2 Cups(peeled,boiled & mashed)
• Green Peas - 1 Cup(boiled & mashed)
• Coriander Leaves Chopped - 1/2 Cup
• Green Chilli Paste - 2 Tsp.(as per taste)
• Coriander Powder - 1/2 Tsp.
• Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 Tsp.
• Aamchur Powder - 1/4 Tsp.
• Turmeric Powder - 1/8 Tsp.
• Whole Cashews for decorating
• Salt as per taste
• Oil for deep frying - 300 ml

Method to Prepare :-

• In a bowl mix in the mashed raw banana & green peas,add in chopped coriander, green chilli paste,coriander powder,red chilli powder,aamchur powder,turmeric & salt ,mix well to form a ball
• Lightly grease your hands,make an oval or round shape and keep it aside.
• Press in a whole cashew each into each cutlet
• Heat enough oil for frying & start frying 5-6 at a time
• When both sides of cutlets are golden brown, remove from the oil.
• Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Tips :- This cutlets can  either be shallow fried in a flat pan with lesser oil.

RED VELVET CUPCAKE

Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour - 2 1/2 Cups
• Sugar - 1 1/2 Cups
• Cocoa powder - 1 Tsp
• Baking powder- 1 Tsp
• Salt - 1 Tsp
• Eggs - 3 Nos.Large
• Vegetable oil - 1 1/2 Cups
• Buttermilk - 1 Cup
• Vinegar - 1 Tsp
• Vanilla Essence - 1 Tsp
• Rasberry red food coloring- 2 Tbsps(50-60 ml)

Cream Cheese Frosting: 

• Cream cheese(softened)- 100 gms
• Butter(softened) - 100 gms
• Castor Sugar - 200 gms
• Vanilla Essence - 1 Tsp

Method to Prepare :

• Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C' for 10 minutes.
• Line cupcake pan with cupcake papers.
• In a mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder(dry ingredients)
• In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla essence with an electric mixer/blender(wet ingredients)
• Add the sifted dry ingredients into the wet and mix until smooth and well combined.
• Pour in the batter till 3/4th of each cupcake liner
• Bake in an oven for about 20-25 minutes at 165 degrees C', turn the pans once, half way through.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla essence together until smooth, add the sugar and slowly beat untill well combined, mix until very light and fluffy.

Tips:

• Decorate the cupcakes when cool with designs & decorations of your choice
• Makes about 24-25 cupcakes
• For decorations:-Use fancy chocochips, choco vermicelli,candy flowers,fresh cherries/berries etc.,

Buttermilk :- 1 Cup = 1 Cup warm milk + Juice of 1 lemon
(add the lemon juice into warm milk & let it stand for 10 minutes)

Measurement:- 1 Cup = 100 gms,1 Tsp(Teaspoon)=10 gms/ml ,1 Tbsp(Tablespoon)=25 gms/ml

CHEESE GARLIC BREAD

Ingredients:

• Bread slices - 8-10 Slices
• Green chillies - 5-6 nos.
• Coriander - 1/4 Cup
• Garlic pods - 20 pods
• Butter - 50 Gms
• Cheese Spread - 30 Gms
• Pepper powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Extra butter for frying

            
          Method to Prepare:

• In a blender make a paste with green chillies,coriander & garlic pods
• To this paste add the butter,cheese spread,salt & pepper powder and mix well
• Now take each slice,spread this prepared paste onto each slice on one side
• Heat a non-stick flat pan/tawa & grease it well
• Arrange a few pieces at a time & fry on both sides till crispy and golden brown
• Dribble with butter/ghee on both sides
• Serve hot with tomato ketchup
• I have used multigrain bread here

ALOO PARATHA

Ingredients :
 For the Dough:

• Atta - 250 gms
• Oil - 1 Tsp.
• Water as per requirement
• Salt as per taste 

For the filling:

• Potatoes(Boiled,peeled & mashed) -300 Gms
• Onion finely chopped - 1 Small
• Chopped coriander-1/2 cup
• Chilli Powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 Tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/4 Tsp
• AamchurPowder - 1/4 Tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1 pinch
• Salt as per taste

Method to Prepare:
Dough:

• Take the atta in a bowl,add in the salt and knead the dough with sufficient water,knead well with a little oil & keep it covered for some time

 Filling:

• To the boiled & peeled potatoes,add in all the filling ingredients and mix well.
• Now heat a flat pan/tawa
• Take a 2 small balls of dough and roll it into a small discs,fill one of it with a small  portion of the filling and place the other disc over it,sealing the edges firmly (keep the quantity of dough & filling equal for each paratha)
• Now take a greased/non-stick plastic sheet roll the paratha dough into a bigger disc
• Invert the rolled paratha onto a hot tawa,fry on both sides evenly by brushing on ghee/oil
• Serve hot with Pickles & Curd
• Makes about 8 small sized parathas

METHI PARATHA

Ingredients:

• Atta (wheat flour)- 200 Gms
• Boiled Potatoes - 100 gms
• Methi leaves chopped - 1 Cup
• Coriander leaves chopped - 1/2 Cup
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 Tsp
• Chilli powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Oil as per requirement
• Salt as per taste

Method to prepare:

• In a wide bowl add in the atta ,boiled & mashed potatoes,chopped methi & coriander leaves & the dry ingredients
• Mix all the ingredients well with a spoon of oil and a few tsps of water to form a dough of rolling consistency
• Now heat a flat pan/tawa
• On a greased non-stick sheet ,roll the small ball of dough each at a time and fry well on both sides by dribbling a few a drops of oil/ghee
• Serve hot with mint chutney or tomato ketchup
• Makes about 10 parathas

Chocolate Brownie

Ingredients :

• All-purpose flour - 1/2 cup
• Salt - 1/2 Tsp
• Dark unsweetened cocoa powder - 2 Tsp
• Dark chocolate, coarsely chopped - 125 gms
• Butter, cut into 1-inch pieces - 50 gms
• Coffee powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Granulated sugar - 1/2 Cup
• Brown sugar - 1/4 Cup
• Eggs - 2 Nos.
• Vanilla Essence - 1 Tsp

Method to Prepare:

• In a saucepan add in the Dark chocolate pieces,butter,granulated sugar,brown sugar & heat it over simmering water in a double boiler till the chocolate pieces and the butter have completely melted
• Bring it to cool,add in lightly beaten eggs & vanilla essence
• In another bowl sieve together cocoa powder,coffee powder,all-purpose flour & salt
• Now slowly fold in the flour mixture into the chocolate & egg mixture (do not beat the mix too much as it will turn out fluffy
•  Pre-heat an oven at 150'C
• Take a baking tray,line it with parchment paper and grease it well with butter, pour in the thick batter and bake at 160'C for 25-30 minutes
• Dust it with icing sugar on the top
• Cool it completely & and cut them into desired shapes

Tips:
Don't have to worry if the sugar granules do not melt in the chocolate+butter mix,
you will get the perfect fudgy brownie

Tangy Chicken Dry

                                                
                                                                  Tangy Chicken Dry 

Ingredients:

• Boneless chicken cubed - 500gms
• Tamarind juice from 50gms tamarind - 100 ml
• Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder -1 Tsp
• Pepper Powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Oil - 30 ml
• Salt as per taste
• A few curry leaves

Method  to prepare:

• Marinate the washed and cube cut chicken in the tamarind juice  for 10 minutes

• Heat a pan and add 1 Tsp oil(10 ml) and put in the marinated chicken pieces along with the tamarind juice.Add 200ml water into it and close with a lid and leave it to cook until its fully dry

• Heat another pan,add about 30 ml of oil when oil is hot,add a few curry leaves to it and add the cooked chicken into it and mix in the dry powders and salt,mix well

• The dish is ready to serve

Note: This dish can be prepared with chicken with bones also.   

Tips :  Chicken gets cooked & tenderized faster when marinated in tamarind juice.

Fried Florets

                                               Fried Florets  -- Best snacks for a starter
 

Ingredients :

Cauliflower - 1 large flower
Cornflour - 50 Gms
Maida - 100 Gms
Aamchur / Chaat Masala Powder - 1 Tsp
Pepper Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Oil for deep frying
Salt to taste

Method to cook:

• Cut the cauliflower into small flowers,wash and soak in boiling water with a little salt for about 5 minutes and drain the water in strainer completely

• Make a batter with cornflour,maida,masala powder,pepper powder,salt and water to make it into a coating consistency

• Heat about 300ml oil in a frying pan

• Dip each floret in the batter and drop it in oil, fry till golden color and drain out excess oil on tissue paper

Serve hot with tomato ketchup