Jalebi for ICC August

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Yess!! I am back into ICC after 2 months.  I missed the previous 2 months. I was really stuck with many other things. When I saw this month's Indian Cooking Challenge, I was not much happy thinking that making Jalebi at home is not an easy task.

But again as it is a challenge I have to accept and do it. Again the time was my enemy. But I overcame it and here are clicks of my Jalebi.

And for some percent I was right, I could not get the perfect jalebi shape and my sugar syrup was thick.

Thinking that I will make the syrup again, I started on the second batch. But..... again I had to rush for some important work which took my whole day. When I came back my dough was sour and watery. So I had to throw the whole thing into the dustbin.

Luckily I took the clicks of first batch I prepared.

I used half the quantity from Srivalli's given quantity.

 The ingredients easy to get and the method is super easy. I loved the making of Jalebis but was not happy with myself, as I could not get the proper shape. But the taste was really good. My jalebis remained crispy even the next day :-)

 Ingredients:

To make the batter:

All purpose flour  - 100 gm or 7/8 cup

 Yoghurt - 1 cup Lime juice - 1 tsp Cornstarch - 30 gm or 1/8 cup Hot oil - 1 tbsp a large pinch of saffron color, It was not useful, I thought of adding some food color to it.

To make syrup

Sugar - 1 cup Water - ½ cup

Oil for deep frying

For the batter,

Take all the ingredients under "to make batter". Mix all together to make it thick batter. Keep it to ferment for overnight.

Before making jalebis

take the sugar and water to make the syrup till one boil.

Keep it warm.

Heat oil in a kadai. THE OIL SHOULD BE REAL HOT.

Use the zip bags( I used milk packet). Snip off one corner(very thin hole) Fill it with the batter.

Pipe the batter into hot oil and fry till golden. Drop these into syrup for a minute or two.

Remove and serve hot. 

Keep Smiling,

CELEBRATE SWEETS -FRUITS & VEGGIES WITH RAKS

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

SO HOW IS LIFE GOING ON? BUT PLEASE DON'T ASK ME!!! I AM NOT ABLE TO MANAGE MY TIME WELL. ITS LIKE THE WORK NEVER ENDS. NO SLEEP, NO REST... I HAVE BECOME A JUGGLER TO BALANCE ALL THE WORK ALL ALONE. HOPE TO BE BACK SOON TO MY REGULAR BLOGGING.

TODAY I AM HERE TO ANNOUNCE MY EVENT "CELEBRATE SWEETS" WHICH IS GUEST HOSTED BY RAKS  OF "RAK'S KITCHEN"

PLEASE VISIT HER SITE TO CHECK THE DETAILS AND SEND THE ENTRIES. 

• SWEET POTATO BUNS / ROLLS AND ANNOUNCING AN EVENT!...
• 

Keep Smiling,

ABSOLUTELY NO KNEAD BASIC WHITE BREAD(FOOD REMAKE)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

HOW ARE YOU? I KNOW I AM NOT ABLE TO POST HERE REGULARLY. HOPEFULLY I WILL BE BACK TO MY REGULAR BLOGGING SOON. 

THERE ARE SOME TIMES WHERE YOU DON'T GET THE THINGS YOU WANT. AND ITS VERY COMMON WITH ME.. LIVING IN A SMALL CITY, I ALWAYS FACE THIS PROBLEM OF NOT GETTING FEW COMMON INGREDIENTS ALSO.

I WAS SEARCHING FOR INSTANT DRY YEAST FROM PAST 15 DAYS. I WAS NOT GETTING TIME TO GO TO THE CITY TO SEARCH FOR IT. AS THE LAST DATE OF EVENT IS COMING NEAR, I HAD TO RUSH TO THE MARKET(15 KM AWAY) TO GET THE DRY YEAST.

AND I WAS NOT AT ALL SURE ABOUT BAKING THE BREAD. I ALWAYS THOUGHT ITS ONLY THE  BAKER'S JOB.

SO WITH LOT OF HESITATION, I STARTED THE PROCESS. THINKING THAT THE END PRODUCT WILL BE NOT COME OUT GOOD, I DID NOT BOTHER TO TAKE THE PHOTOS...

BUTTTTTTTT.........

MY FIRST EVER BAKED WHITE BREAD WAS JUST PERFECT, EXACTLY OR MORE TASTIER THAN THE BAKERY PRODUCT(VERY PROUD TO SAY). IT WAS SOFT, SPONGY, WITH PERFECT TASTE OF LITTLE SWEET BREAD........ YUMMMMM. I COULD NOT STOP SEEING AT IT BEFORE I CLICKED THE PHOTOS. AND I COULD NOT WAIT TO HAVE A BITE WITH BUTTER ON IT AT NIGHT 10 o'CLOCK.

I CAN'T STOP WRITING ABOUT IT... 

COMING TO THE RECIPE,

MY HUNT STARTED ON THE RECIPES IN BLOGGING WORLD. I ENDED UP WITH 3 RECIPES AND I CHOSE ONE FROM THEM,  Its from Vaishali's Zestyflavors.

CLICK Gorgeous White Bread! for the original recipe.

I have followed the exact procedure only skipping the use of electric mixer. 

Absolutely, I did not knead it....

AND TO BAKE I FOLLOWED THE METHOD FROM Suma Rowjee's  Batter White Bread - One Easy Loaf!

READ IT IN HER OWN WORDS:

Once the dough doubles, gently deflate and transfer it to the greased loaf pan. You can oil your hands to pat the dough into shape. Cover with a greased aluminum foil and let rise again till double in volume. Its important to grease the foil or it will stick to the top of the risen dough. When you feel away the foil...aaagh!!! some part of the dough will come along with it. It happened to me..the torn loaf broke my heart :-) so I am telling you to learn from my mistake...

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 3cups(sieved and measured, this is from Suma's recipe)

Warm Water - 1 Cup 
Sugar - 1/3 Cup 
Active Dry Yeast - 2.5 Tsp 
Salt - 1/4 Tsp 
Oil - 2 Tbsp 
Warm Milk - 2 Tbsp 

Method: 1. In a bowl, mix yeast and sugar in 1 Cup of Warm Water. Allow it to proof atleast 10 minutes. It will become frothy.2. Now add Oil, Warm Milk and Salt. Mix well. Keep it for few minutes.3. Take the flour in a big wide vessel. Add the yeast mix and start kneading it. Knead till you get soft dough.4. Place dough in a well oiled bowl. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until it is doubled, about 1 hour. I kept it for one hour.5. Take the dough and Punch it down. Knead for a few minutes and shape into loaf and place into well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pan. 6.Allow to rise for 45 more minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above.7.Bake at 175degree C for 35 minutes. 8. Once the bread is done, take it out from the pan. Brush some butter on the top (It gives a nice glaze) and let it cool on wire rack completely. 

I have copied the exact recipe from Vaishali.

I can't wait for my kids to get up in the morning and have this bread for the breakfast :-)))))

Sending this to Shama's event 

CELEBRATE SWEETS - SWEET BREADS/BUNS/CROISSANTS EVENT

which is started by ME

Keep Smiling,

Chocolate Chip Chocolate Bread(Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

My first ever baked bread. Yuppieeeee, I loved baking this. I never thought I can bake the bread. 
This month all my dreams are coming true. I learnt to drive the car :-))))))) It was my daughter's dream and my mothers's wish that I should learn to drive the car. Now I am waiting to get the permanent licence to take my kids for a long drive :-))

I have followed the recipe from Champa's blog. She is my first teacher when it comes to baking. Her blog is like one baking class where you feel that she is standing in front of you and teaching you.

Click here for the original recipe. Only change in my recipe is I have used half the quantity from the original recipe.

Sending this to Shama's event 

CELEBRATE SWEETS - SWEET BREADS/BUNS/CROISSANTS EVENT

which is started by ME

Keep Smiling,

MINI IDLY TIKKA

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

When it comes to breakfast we all in the family are 100% South Indians. We all love idly, dosa, paddu, uttappam, upma, wada.... the list goes on. We enjoy even the Parathas, Puri, but my both the kids love to have idly and dosa for breakfast on alternative days.

Here one more type of idly which is perfect for all the kids, from 1 year baby till the teenage.

Today morning when I was making idly, it just flashed in my mind to try these.

But after making and taking the photos, now when I came to post this recipe, I thought of searching for the idly tikka on google and I got it :-), so There are many like minded of like thinking people in the world. The idly tikka is not new(as I first thought with so much proud that its my original recipe) but the method and ingredients are different.

Here goes my recipe

Ingredients:

Mini idly -12

Carrot - 1 small cut into circles

Potato - 1 small cut into circles

Tomato Ketchup - 1 tsp for each tikka

or

Sambhar - 1 tbsp for each tikka

or  

Coconut Chutney - 1tbsp for each tikka

Click Idly, Sambhar and Chutney for the recipe.

Ghee or butter to roast the tikkas

Tooth pick - 4 for making 3 tikkas

Method:

Bake the carrot and potatoes in M/W for 3 minutes. Sprinkle some salt on it evenly.Keep it aside.

Take one tooth pick. Arrange the potato, idly, carrot for three times or till the tooth pick is covered.

Repeat for other tikkas.

Heat tawa, spread the butter or ghee. When hot, keep the ready tikka on tawa and roast on all the side till brown.

Transfer the tikkas on serving plate.

Spread one tbsp of  either the chutney or ketchup or sambhar and serve immediately. 

Keep Smiling,

CELEBRATE SWEETS WITH SHAMA

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

My event "CELEBRATE SWEETS" is going on successful. All thanks to all the wonderful bloggies who have participated and supported me.

This month, Shama of EASY2COOK RECIPES is hosting the event and the theme she has selected is Sweet breads/Buns/Croisants. 

Here is the detail of the event.

CELEBRATE SWEETS - SWEET BREADS/BUNS/CROISSANTS EVENT

'

I hope this time also you will participate and support the event. 

Waiting for your entries..

Keep Smiling,

Til Ladoo(Sesame Seeds ladoo)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

As I said in earlier post, many recipes are common in whole India. Ladoo is one more recipe which is prepared everywhere. This til ladoo is the must food to make during Nagapanchami in North Karnataka. 

Gujarat menu also has til ladoo in sweet section so here is my recipe for the same.

Til or Sesame seeds - 500 gm

Roast the sesame seeds on a low heat. Allow it cool and keep aside.

To make jaggery syrup, we need

Jaggery - same as Til(Measure  in a cup, and take the same amount of jaggery)

Salt  - a pinch

Water -1/4 cup or less

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Click Here to make the Jaggery syrup. But boil the syrup for few more minutes to make the syrup more thick.

Other ingredients:

Dalia powder - 1/4 cup

Dry coconut - 1/4 cup, grated

Nutmeg and cardamom powder 1 tsp

Take the sesame seeds  in a big and wide plate. 

Add  dry coconut, Nut Meg  powder and dalia powder to it. Mix it well and keep it ready.

Now you should be quick:

Put this syrup to the Sesame seeds plate. Spread it slowly so that the the sesame seeds gets the syrup evenly. 

Now take a small quantity and make balls by mildly pressing with both the palms to give proper ball shape.

This will make around 30 ladoos.

Keep it to cool for sometime. Store it in a jar or box.

Sending these to

Announcing the Celebrate Sweets Event 

focusing on "Gujarati Sweets"

                                                             (Which is started by ME)

Keep Smiling,

Sweet Potato Puran Poli

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

The Shravan Month has started and the sweets are here:-), I love sweets.. 

One more delicious sweet from Gujarat. As per my knowledge, puranpoli is very common in all the parts of India. But when I was browsing for Gujarati sweets, I saw this sweet in all the sites I visited. Then I thought of making the puran poli with sweet potatoes. And they were yumm.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

For Stuffing

Sweet potatoes - 3 to 4

Jaggery - as per the quantity you get from mashed potatoes

Salt a pinch

Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

For the cover or poli

Wheat flour - 1/2 cup

Maida or APF - 1/4 cup

Oil  - 1 tbsp

Salt - a pinch

Water to make the dough

Oil to shallow fry the poli.

Method:

Take the flours, oil and salt in a plate or a bowl. Add water to make soft dough. Keep it aside for half an hour.

Boil the sweet potatoes and allow to cool.

Grate the jaggery and keep.

Mash the boiled potatoes. Add the jaggery, salt and cardamom powder. Mix well. Divide into equal small size balls.

Take the ready dough, divide it into tiny balls.(half the size of normal small lemon)

Take dough ball and roll into a small puri.

Take the potato ball and keep in the middle. Cover it and make the stuffed ball ready.

Use oil to roll into small puran poli.

Heat tawa and roast the poli on both the sides till golden color.

Serve hot with ghee, pickle and fried dry stuffed chillies...

sending it to..

Announcing the Celebrate Sweets Event 

focusing on "Gujarati Sweets"

                                                             (Which is started by ME)

Keep Smiling,

Kansar(Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Being a South Indian, trying new recipes from other part of India is always a fun. But I have always seen that most of the recipes are very similar with a little alteration and a different name. 

The sweet I am posting today also comes in the same category. We South Indians( mainly North Karnataka) people make this sweet often for the puja or on new moon day. I have already posted the recipe with the name Broken wheat(or thick rava) and jaggery Halwa.

But again thought of making it the Gujarati way and post it here.

After browsing many sites, I have taken the recipe from here which is easy to make.

Please click the link for the recipe.

A very quick, easy and tasty and healthy (too) sweet for everyone. This is very good for kids.

Sending this to two events:

Bookmarked Recipes - Every Tuesday (Volume 52) event of Aipi and Priya

and

Announcing the Celebrate Sweets Event 

focusing on "Gujarati Sweets"

                                                             (Which is started by ME)

Keep Smiling,

Microwave 2 minute wonder cake with oats and nuts

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I am really sorry for not posting since many days. I got stuck with many things and was not in position to write for a blog.

Coming to the recipe,

This 2 minute wonder cake is a real wonder cake which is ready in exactly 2 minutes(plus 5 minutes for ingredients) and perfect for the evening snack for kids with a glass of milk. 

First time I tried this Microwave Chocolate Cake and it was just superb.

This time (promoted from Beginner to middle lever baker!!!) I thought of adding something else to this and try.

Here is the recipe

Ingredients:

APF OR MAIDA- 1 tbsp

 Wheat flour - 2 tbsp

Oats - - 1 tbsp

Sugar - 4 tbsp

Unsweetened Cocoa powder - 2 tbsp

Egg - 1

Milk - 3 tbsp

Oil - 3 tbsp 

Baking Powder - 1 pinch

Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

Chopped nuts - 1 tbsp(I used almonds and walnuts)

Choco chips- 1 tbsp

Method:

Sieve the APF, Cocoa powder and baking powder in a plate. 

Mix egg, milk, oil, Essence and sugar in a bowl. 

Add the sieved flour and mix well till everything gets mixed and you will get one flow batter.

Add the nuts. 

It takes 2 to 3 minutes.

(Mix well with egg beater or with a fork.(don't use blender))

Grease a mug or any Microwave safe bowl and dust it with APF. Pour the batter into it.

I used the rectangle box.

Microwave on full(I have 800 power) for ONE minute.

Take it out and add the chopped chips without touching or disturbing the cake.

Microwave exactly for ONE MORE MINUTE.

Let it stand in the M/W for few minutes

your yummy, healthy cake is ready to serve.

This is my last minute entry to

which is a brain child of Pari and this time guest hosted by Harini

"Only - Baked" ~ Event Announcement

 

Keep Smiling,

Caramel Custard (Microwave)(Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

There are days where you crave for some particular sweet, that happens with me many times. And some days are unlucky as I don't get the ingredients to make what I want to eat. 3 days back I really really wanted to make a cheese cake and have it too. I browsed many blogs for an easy way to make cheese cake. But the problem was to get the ready cream cheese in my place :-(. I got the ideas to make cream cheese at home by my few FB friends. Thanks Ria Mary Mathew, Saritha Ap and ‎Veena Aravind. But that needed a time to make. Planned to make the next day. While searching for the Cheese cake recipe, suddenly I saw this recipe and that was it, I wanted to make it then only.I always loved Caramel custard. We used to get the small long  ready made cups in UAE. And my daughter loved it that time. Thought of giving her surprise I entered the kitchen. 

But as my mom always says me" Even after you are born after full 9 months and 9 days also, why are you always in a hurry to make the things?" Thats what happened. Being little careless, I used wrong vessel to bake and my custard broke in the middle. 

But the taste was so good that I could not control to finish my portion in the night at 11 :-)

I always love to watch Vicky Ratnani's shows on TV and my favorite is "Do It Sweet".. 


I followed his recipe Caramel Custard and its awesome. Easy and quick.
 Ingredients:
for Caramel
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Cold water - 1/4 cup
For the custard
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Eggs -4
Milk - 2 Cups
Vanilla Essence - 1/2 tsp
Nutmeg powder - a pinch, grated

Method:
to make Caramel,

Keep the sugar in a M/W Safe bowl with water.(the vessel in which you are going to set the custard)

Boil it on HIGH for 1 1/2 to 2 minute(depends on the power of your M/W)

Open and stir so that the sugar dissolves fully.

Keep in the M/W back again and boil on HIGH for 3 to 5 minutes, keep on checking. Other wise the caramel will burn off. Wait till it become light golden color. 

Remove and keep it aside.

For Custard:

Beat the eggs and the sugar together. 

Add Vanilla and milk. mix well. 

Don't allow the bubbles to come up or while transferring discard the bubbles OR ELSE  you will not get the even surface)

Transfer this on the cool caramel bowl.

Keep in the M/W and cook for 10 to 12 minutes on HIGH(KEEP WATCHING)

Once done, remove, cool and unmould.

Refrigerate before serving.

Now my daughter is grown big, she won't like it anymore:-(, its ok, I liked it, now she has ordered me to make Chocolate custard without egg... 

I did not take the whole picture of my custard as because of my mistake, it broke in the middle. Want to see that photo, it looks very dirty( its like a brain kept open in a plate :-), I don't want to show the ugly part.) Sorry..

I want to send this to the event

which is a brain child of Pari and this time guest hosted by Harini

"Only - Baked" ~ Event Announcement

Keep Smiling,