Pin Wheel Cookies

Recipe No: 142

This is a recipe that I got long back from a neighbor of mine who introduced me to the world of baking. This is one of my son’s favorite.

Ingredients                                Makes 20-25

• All Purpose Flour/ Maida….2 Cups
• Baking Powder………………..3/4 Teaspoon
• Salt………………………………..1/4 teaspoon
• Butter…………………………....1/2 Cup
• Sugar……………………………..1 Cup
• Vanilla Essence…………..…..1 Teaspoon
• Milk………………………….…..8 Tablespoons
• Cocoa Powder………………...4 Tablespoons
• Instant Coffee Powder……..1/2 Teaspoon

Method of Preparation

1. Sift together Flour, Baking Powder and Salt. Keep it aside till ready to be used.
2. Mix Coffee Powder with a teaspoon of Milk from the quantity  mentioned above and keep aside till ready to be used.
3. Mix together, Butter, Sugar and Vanilla Essence till light and fluffy.
4. Mix in Flour and Milk to the creamed Butter and make a soft but stiff dough.
5. Divide this dough into two.
6. Make a ball out of one, cover with a plastic wrap or Aluminum foil and refrigerate for ½ hour.
7. To the second half of the dough, mix the Cocoa Powder and the Coffee mixture and make smooth dough out of it.
8. Make it into a ball, cover with a plastic wrap or Aluminum foil and refrigerate for ½ hour.
9. Once chilled, place each Ball between two wax papers or plastic wraps and roll into roughly 12 inch circles.
10. Peel the paper from one of the sides of both the dough and place one above the other  so that the doughs are touching each other.
11. Now peel the above paper and roll the dough tightly into a log. This may be sticky so get maximum help from the bottom wax paper.
12. Once rolled, make it into a perfect round log. If the log is thick in the middle press there and evenly distribute the dough. Tap the sides also to make it as even as possible.
13. Wrap it in an Aluminum foil and refrigerator for 2 hours. Well if you don’t have so much time, keep it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
14. Preheat the oven to 350˚F/ 180˚C.

15. Line two cookie sheets with parchment or Butter paper and spread a little oil.
16. Cut the dough into ¾ to 1 centimeter thick pieces and place on the Cookie sheet one inch apart.
17. Bake it in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes for soft and chewy cookies or for 15-18 minutes for crunchy Cookies.
18. Serve at room temperature.

Notes:

•  While making the Chocolate part, if the dough is too sticky use a teaspoon more of Flour.
• Ideally it is good if you can roll the dough into rectangles. But as I have too much experience rolling round Chappaties, somehow mine will become round always!!
• The cookies should be a little soft to touch in the middle when it comes out of the Oven but it will harden up as it cools.
• My kids love soft and chewy cookies, so I used to take it out of the Oven around 15 minutes. But, if you prefer these soft ones it should be finished as soon as possible. If you want to keep it for more than 3 days do bake for 18 minutes.

Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and
serve it to your family with love…

Spinach Soup with Croutons

Recipe No: 141

Hearing the name and color don’t think that it tastes healthy…Even though it is healthy it tastes very good. This is something great when you want to have a vegetarian soup and if kids are attracted to that bright green color then you are lucky, you can get some good stuff into your kids without much effort. Croutons are an addition to this recipe and if you want to avoid that, please use toasted bread instead.

Ingredients                                     Serves 2
For the Soup

• Spinach……………………1/2 Pound or approximately 225 grams
• Onion chopped………….1/2 Cup
• Cream…………………….. ½ Cup (I used ¼ Cup Cream and ¼ Cup low fat milk)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• A Teaspoon of Cream, Croutons and some cheese for decoration (optional)

For Croutons

• Bread cubes………………..1 Cup (A crusty day old bread is most suited)
• Roasted Garlic Butter….1 Tablespoon (For recipe click here. If you don’t have that, use Butter together with some freshly mashed Garlic)
• Salt and Pepper…………..a pinch each

Method of Preparation

1. Boil washed and drained Spinach and Onion with ¼ Cup water for 3 minutes or till Spinach is wilted thoroughly. If you are using freshly washed Spinach, please avoid Water.
2. Blend this in a blender until smooth but thick. Avoid using more Water if possible.
3. Boil the blended Spinach in a pan on medium high heat and add Cream, Salt and Pepper. Let it warm through.
4. Serve it hot with the desired toppings. I used Croutons, Cream and some grated Cheese.

To make the Croutons

1. Mix Bread, Butter, Salt and Pepper in a pan and heat it on low heat. Don’t let the Bread cubes pile up. Use a pan which is wide enough, so that the bread forms a single layer.
2. Fry this till the bread is toasted and crispy, turning now and then.
3. This will take anywhere between 20 to 30 minutes. 
4. Once cooled thoroughly, store it in an airtight container.

Notes:

• Those who want to have the low fat version, use Milk instead of Cream, but Cream gives that thick texture of this Soup. I usually use half milk and half Cream. But if you can get some fat free evaporated Milk that will be a very good substitute for Cream.
• Please don’t rush the making of Croutons because if you do, the bread will burn and the Croutons will lose its crispiness fast.
• A day old Bread is best for this. If you don’t have old Bread, just let the Bread cubes sit on the counter top for 1 or 2 hours.
• It is not advised to make this with soft white bread as it is difficult to make it crispy. Use crusty Breads like Sourdough or a French loaf.

 






Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…

Paneer Methi Pulav

Recipe No: 140

Last week, when I called my Mother in Law she mentioned about this recipe, which, I gave a try and... it definitely tasted very different and distinct. This is very versatile too as you can substitute Paneer with any sort of protein…say shredded cooked Chicken. With a slight taste of Kasoori Methi and Coriander leaves, this surely will tickle your taste buds…

Ingredients                                               Serves 5-6

• Basmati Rice………………………..2 Cups
• Paneer cubed……………………….200 grams or 4 Oz

To make the Masala

• Oil………………………………………1 ½ Tablespoons
• Ginger Garlic paste……………….1 Teaspoon
• Red Chilly Powder………………..1 Teaspoon
• Tomato Chopped………………….3 Medium
• Kasoori Methi………………………1 Tablespoon
• Chopped Coriander Leaves…….1/2 Cup
• Salt……………………………………..1/2 Teaspoon

To Saute

• Oil………………………………………1 ½ Tablespoons
• Whole Garam Masala……………4 Cardamom pods, 6 Cloves, 1 inch Cinnamon piece
• Onion cubed………………………..1 ½ Cups
• Indian Green Chilly slit………....2-3 no

Method of Preparation

1. Wash and soak the rice in warm water for 20 minutes.
2. Boil at least 8 Cups of water in a deep pan on high heat. Once boiled, add the soaked Rice and cook till it is almost done.
3. Drain it in a Colander for 5 minutes and dump it into a wide pan and let the Rice cool down.
4. Heat 1 ½ tablespoons of Oil in a wide pan on medium high heat and saute Ginger Garlic paste till the raw smell is gone.
5. Add Red Chilly Powder and fry for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
6. Add Tomato and cook till everything is mashed up nicely.
7. Add Kasoori Methi, Salt and Coriander leaves and mix well. This should be of a pasty consistency.
8. Take the mixture from the pan and keep it aside till ready to be used.
9. In the same pan add 1 ½ Tablespoons of Oil and shallow fry the Paneer cubes.
10. Once golden brown on all the sides, take it away with a slotted spoon, leaving all the Oil back in the pan itself and keep it aside till ready to be used.
11. Into the remaining Oil add thoroughly crushed whole Garam Masalas and fry till fragrant.
12.  Add Onion and Green Chilly and saute till the Onion cubes are translucent.
13. Add Rice, the Tomato mixture, Fried Paneer and enough Salt and mix thoroughly taking care not to break the Rice.
14. Lower the heat to minimum, cover the pan and let it heat for 5 minutes.
15. Mix once more, switch off the flame and let it stand covered for 20 minutes before serving it warm.

Notes:

• Cooking rice will not take much time, so don’t walk away from it even though you don't have to baby sit it. Don't over cook or the Rice will get mashed while mixing. Very slightly undercooked Rice will be perfect.
• Dumping the drained Rice into a big pan will prevent the Rice from the bottom of the Colander from getting over cooked (due to the heat from the upper layers) and mashed.
• Onion should be cut as slightly large cubes. Sauteing this till translucent makes it sweet and biting into it now and then with the Rice, enhances the enjoyment of eating this dish.
• There should be enough Salt in this dish so that it can be eaten alone with a Raita. I would say ¾ to 1 more Teaspoon of Salt (apart from the Salt that was added to make the tomato mixture) should be enough. But this depends entirely up to your taste.
• This dish can be eaten by itself, but will be good with a spicy side dish too.

Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and
serve it to your family with love…

Mushroom and Onion Pepper Fry

Recipe No: 139

This is a recipe that I got from Vanitha, which I borrowed from a very dear friend. But I made some adjustments to suit our taste and as we are all fried Onion fans, this indeed became a real treat for us.

Ingredients                                     Serves 4

• Mushrooms…………………………8 Oz or 225 grams
• Red Chilly Powder………..………1 Teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder………………....3/4 Teaspoon
• Coriander Powder…………………1 ¾ Teaspoon
• Salt…………………………….……….1/2 Teaspoon
• Rice Flour……………………………3 Teaspoon
• Oil…………………………..………….2 Tablespoons
• Mustard Seeds…………….……….1/2 Teaspoon
• Onion sliced thin………….……….1 ½ Cups
• Garlic Sliced thin…………...……..2 Teaspoons
• Ginger sliced thin…………..……..2 Teaspoons
• Curry Leaves…………..……………2 Sprigs
• Freshly Crushed Pepper…..…….1 ½ Teaspoon (Crush to a course consistency)
• Salt as per needed

Method of Preparation

1. Wash and drain the Mushrooms. Cut each of them into quarters.
2. Mix Red Chilly Powder, Turmeric Powder, Coriander Powder and ½ Teaspoon Salt.
3. Take half of the above mixture (keep the rest for later use) and mix with the Rice Flour and sprinkle it on the quartered Mushrooms. Let it coat the Mushrooms. The water on the Mushrooms will help the spice mixture stick to it, if not, sprinkle some Water but don’t make it watery.
4. Heat at least 2 inches of Oil in a pan on high heat and deep fry the Mushrooms until golden brown and crispy. (Be ready to get amazed to see how much it reduces)
5. Heat 2 tablespoons of Oil in a shallow pan on medium high heat and saute Onion, Ginger, Garlic, and Curry leaves until golden brown.
6. Lower the heat to low and add the reserved Masala mix and saute for a minute till the raw smell is gone.
7. Add the fried Mushrooms and crushed Pepper and mix well.
8. Let it fry together for a minute and switch off the stove.
9. Serve hot with rice or Chappathi.

Notes:

• Mushroom requires a lot of Turmeric. The anti toxic property of Turmeric will help the Mushroom get rid of any toxins if present.
• Try to use Mushrooms as fresh as possible.
• The coating is meant to be a dry one and before deep frying, get rid of all the excess coating  or it will spoil the Oil.

 





Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…

Egg Masala Stuffed Bread

Recipe No: 138
This recipe makes use of the same Bread dough that was made for Bread Sticks. So if you have tried it with good results then this will be a breeze.

Ingredients                                 Serves 3

• Bread Stick Dough……………1 batch (for recipe click here)

For the Stuffing

• Hard Boiled Egg…………….…3
• Oil……………………………..…..2 Tablespoons
• Onion sliced thin……………..1 ½ Cups
• Ginger- Garlic Paste………...1 Tablespoon
• Green Chilly chopped……….1 small
• Red Chilly Powder…………...1/2 Teaspoon
• Coriander Powder…………….3/4 Teaspoon
• Turmeric Powder…………..…1/4 Teaspoon
• Garam Masala Powder………1/2 Teaspoon
• Pepper Powder………………...1/4 Teaspoon
• Tomato sliced……………….....1/2 Large
• Coconut milk……………………1/4 Cup
• Coriander Leaves chopped...2 Tablespoons
• Salt to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Make a batch of Bread stick dough. Let it double as mentioned in the recipe.

To make the Stuffing

1. Heat Oil in a pan on medium heat, and saute Onion, Green Chilly and Salt till Onion starts to brown along the edges.
2. Add Ginger-Garlic paste and saute till the raw smell is gone.
3. Reduce the temperature to low and add Turmeric Powder, Red Chilly Powder, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala Powder and Pepper Powder and saute for a minute till the raw smell is gone.
4. Add Tomato and cook till it is mashed thoroughly.
5. Add Coconut Milk and the Egg and let it dry out. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed.
6. Switch off the flame and sprinkle Coriander leaves; mix well.

To Make and Bake the Stuffed Bread

1. Roll out the doubled Bread dough into a 12 inch circle.
2. Place the Egg mixture on one end in a row leaving an inch of the  sides. (Please take a look at the picture)
3. Fold the end over the Egg followed by the two sides.
4. Roll it tightly into a log and place in an oiled 9 ½ / 5 inch bread tin, cover it with a damp towel and let it rise for 45 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350˚F/ 180˚C with a small pan filled with 2 cups of Water in the bottom rack.
6. Place the Bread on the top rack and bake for 30- 40 minutes or till its top is lightly browned and the internal temperature (Temperature at the middle of the Bread) is 165˚F/ 74˚C
7. Let it cool down slightly on a wire rack .
8. Slice and serve while still warm.

Notes:

• The pan filled with water will produce water vapor that will keep the Bread from drying out.
• If you try to slice the bread while still piping hot it will be very crumbly.

 





Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love….

Chilly Potato

Recipe No: 137

Ingredients                                Serves 4

• Potato…………………….2 Big (Slice into long big pieces or 3 Cups)

For the Marinade

• Corn Starch………………2 Tablespoons
• Soy Sauce…………………1/2 Tablespoon
• Salt………………………....3/4 Teaspoon
• Red Chilly Powder……..1/2 Teaspoon
• Egg………………………….1 small beaten (Vegans use water instead)

To Saute

• Oil………………………..1 Tablespoon
• Garlic minced…………2 ½ Tablespoons
• Spring Onion……….…3 (slice and keep Whites and Greens separately)
• Onion…………………....1 ½ Cups (Cut into cubes)
• Green Capsicum……..1 small (Cut into cubes)
• Indian Green Chilly...1 (Chopped)
• Sambal Oelek………….1 teaspoon (If not use Red Chilly paste or even Red chilly flakes)
• Chilly Garlic sauce.....1 ½ Teaspoon (Red)
• Tomato Ketchup….…2 Tablespoons (or tomato sauce)
• Dark Soy Sauce………2 Tablespoons
• Vinegar……………..….1 Teaspoon
• Water…………………...1/4 Cups
• Corn Starch…………..1 Teaspoon (Dilute with 1 Tablespoon Water)
• Salt…………………..….as needed

Method of Preparation

1. Add enough cold Water to the Potatoes so that the water will stay above the level of the Potatoes and boil. Once boiled off the flame, drain the Potatoes, wash it in cold water and pat it dry.
2. Mix all the ingredients to make the Marinade and marinate the Potatoes.
3. Heat at least two inches of Oil in a pan on high heat and deep fry the Potatoes.
4. When the Potatoes attain a golden color and are cooked  take it out of the Oil and drain the excess Oil on a paper towel.
5. In another pan heat a tablespoon of Oil on high heat and saute the Garlic and Spring Onion Whites.
6. When it starts to brown, add Onion, Green Chilly and Capsicum and saute for a minute.
7. Add Sambal Oelek and fry for 30 seconds and add Chilly Garlic Sauce, Ketch up, Soy Sauce, Vinegar and Water.
8. Once it starts to boil add the Potatoes and mix well.
9. Once boiled, add Corn Starch diluted in water and mix well.
10. Add Salt if needed followed by the Spring Onion Greens and off the heat.
11. Serve hot with rice or Chappati.

Notes:

•  While boiling the Potatoes don't overcook it. If you do, it will disintegrate when you cook them later. Once boiled, wash it in cold water to prevent further cooking.
• Deep fry the Potatoes in batches to prevent overcrowding. When you drop the Potatoes into the Oil try to drop it one by one to avoid them sticking together and try to separate them if they clump.
• For those who want to reduce the intake of Oil, broil the Potatoes under the Broiler in the Oven.
• Sambel Oelek is Dry Red Chilly made into a paste with Vinegar and is available in most of the stores that sells Asian groceries or the Asian section of the supermarkets.
• Red Chilly Garlic Sauce and Dark Soy Sauce (I use Ching’s secret Dark Soy Sauce) are available in most of the Indian stores.
• Add Salt only towards the end as the sauces contains a lot of Salt. 
• This dish is only mildly hot, but if you want to make it hotter and more of Sambal Oelek or Chilly Garlic sauce.

Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and
serve it to your family with love...

Broccoli- Green Gram (Cherupayar) Thoran/Stir Fry with Coconut

Recipe No: 136

Back in California, every Sunday after Church we used to have dinner… which was such a nice time to mingle with others, that indeed gave an awesome feeling of being in a Community, especially when you have no one from your family around. On one such night someone brought this Broccoli and Green Gram thoran. The first thing you notice about this dish is that it doesn’t have that characteristic strong taste of Broccoli which many people especially the kids hate. So when I tried it, my kids were just unaware of what they were eating… I decided to share it so that it may help some people who are desperately trying to make their kids eat Broccoli with constant failure, just like I used to, at times. Thanks to the one who made that dish that night in the Church……..

Ingredients                                    Serves 6

• Dry Green Gram…………...1/3 Cup
• Broccoli chopped finely….2 heaping cups
• Oil………………………….…..2 Tablespoons
• Mustard Seeds……………..1/2 Teaspoon
• Dry Red Chilly………..……1 or 2 (broken into two)
• Shallots sliced thin…….…2
• Curry Leaves………….…...2 Sprigs

To Grind

• Grated Coconut…………..1/3 Cup
• Indian Green Chilly..……2 no
• Garlic………………….……..1 Big
• Shallots sliced…..…………1/3 Cup
• Turmeric Powder…………1/4 Teaspoon
• Salt…………………………….as needed

Method of Preparation

1. Wash the Green Gram, add 1 cup Water and boil till it is ¾th cooked.(Once boiled lower the heat and let it cook)  It shouldn’t be overcooked, but if it is under cooked we can definitely cook it together with Broccoli. If there is extra water, drain it.
2. Grind all the ingredients given in the 'to grind' section to a coarse consistency.
3. Heat Oil in a pan on medium heat and splutter the Mustard Seeds.
4. Add Dry Red Chilly, Shallots sliced and Curry leaves and saute till it is golden brown.
5. Add the chopped Broccoli and saute for a minute.
6. Make a well in the middle and put the ground Coconut mixture and cover it with the Broccoli.
7. Add the Green Gram on top and cover the pan. If needed, add one or two tablespoons of water (or the excess water from  cooking Green Gram). Lower the heat to minimum and let the Broccoli and Green Gram cook completely.
8. Once cooked uncover the pan and saute till it is completely dry.
9. Serve hot with Rice.

Notes:

• I chopped Broccoli finely in a food processor so that it will not be recognized easily by the kids. But if you want to see the pieces then you don't have to chop that finely. 
• If you are using the stem parts that are near to the florets, please do take the skin off before chopping.
• Be gentle when you stir it in the end. Vigorous stirring and over cooked Green Gram will make the dish mushy.

 






Make it, enjoy the deliciousness and 
serve it to your family with love…