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

Japanese Cheese Cake

Ingredients:

• Milk - 125ml
• Cream Cheese - 125g
• Butter - 30g
• Egg Yolks - 3
• Cake Flour - 30g
• Corn Starch - 10g
• Egg Whites - 3
• Cream of Tartar -  1/4 tsp
• Sugar - 60g

Method  to Prepare :

•  Melt cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler,Cool &  fold in the flour, cornstarch, egg    yolks,and mix well.
•  Whip egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy. Add in the sugar and whip until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg white mixture into the cream cheese mixture.
• Pre-heat oven at 190'C for 10 minutes
•  Pour into a lightly greased square pan lined with parchment paper and bake at 160'C in a water bath for 45 minutes or until set and golden brown.
•  Refrigerate for 2-3 hours & serve cold

Tips:

• A very tasty,soft,light & moist cake,
• A bit of a process but end product is worth a try,
• Tastes best when consumed within 24 hours

Lemon Chicken Oregano

Ingredients:

•    Tender chicken  - 500 Gms
•    Lemon juice - 1/4 cup
•    Olive oil - 2 Tsps
•    Garlic clove minced - 2 pods
•    Ground oregano - 1 Tsp
•    Ground Chilli flakes - 1/2 Tsp
•    Ground black pepper - 1 Tsp
•    Salt as per taste

Method to Prepare :

• Mix lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano,chilli flakes, salt, and black pepper in a bowl, add the chicken to the marinade,mix well & marinate for 2-4 hrs
• Preheat a grill for about 10 minutes
• Line it with aluminum foil and grease it lightly,place the chicken pieces on the tray & grill for about 10 minutes on each side at 170'C(degrees)

Tips :
Serve hot as a side dish or a starter.