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Tuesday, September 9, 2008

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE

Preparation Time : 15 mins.
Cooking Time : 5 mins.
Makes 1 brownie (8 pieces).
Ingredients

1 cup plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda bi-carbonate
2 cups 250 grams
chocolate, chopped
½ cup butter softened
¼ cup castor sugar
¼ cup curds, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
½ cup walnuts, chopped
Other ingredients

1 teaspoon butter for greasing
grease proof paper for lining
Method

1.
Grease and line a 150 mm. (6") diameter shallow, microwave safe bowl and keep aside.
2.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and soda bi-carb and keep aside.
3.
In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate pieces and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Remove and stir lightly to get a smooth mixture. Keep aside.
4.
In another bowl, add the butter and castor sugar and stir with a wooden spoon till the mixture is soft and creamy.
5.
Add the melted chocolate to the butter mixture and mix lightly.
6.
Add the curds, vanilla essence, flour mixture and walnuts and mix lightly.
7.
Pour the batter into the greased and lined dish and microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes.
8.
Reduce the temperature to 70% power and microwave for another 1 minute. Remove and keep aside.
Tips
To grease and line is to first grease the bowl with butter or vabaspati and then line with a piece of greaseproof paper.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

ANJEER BASUNDI

Cooking Time :15 mins.
Preparation Time :
10 mins.
Serves 4.
Ingredients

4 cups low fat milk
1½ cups finely chopped fresh figs
½ tsp lemon juice
1 tsp cornflour dissolved in 1 tbsp low fat milk
½ cup low fat mava
2 tbsp sugar substitute
For the garnish

4 fig slices
Method

1.Refrigerate the fig pieces to chill.
2.Pour the milk into a broad non-stick pan and bring to a boil. Simmer over a medium flame stirring continuously.
3.Add the lemon juice drop by drop to the milk stirring continuously. You will see tiny curdled particles, which are required for the grainy texture of basundi. Do not add the lemon juice all at once, if you do so the milk may curdle completely.
4.You will get bigger curdled particles which is not desirable.
5.Add the cornflour mixture, mava and sugar substitute and mix well and simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes.
6.Cool and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
7.Add the chilled fig pieces to the cooled thickened milk and mix well.
8.Serve chilled garnished with fig slices.

KAJU KHOPRA SHEERA

Cooking Time :
15 mins.Preparation Time : 10 mins.
Serves 4.

Ingredients

1 cup (100 grams) cashewnuts, coarsely powdered
1 cup grated coconut
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
a few saffrom strands
4 tablespoons ghee
For the garnish

4 to 6 cashewnuts

Method

1.
Heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed pan add saute the cashewnuts and coconut in it for 7 to 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring continuously. The mixture should be very lightly browned.
2.
Add the sugar with 1/2 cup of water and cook till the sugar has dissolved (approx. 5 minutes).
3.
Add the cardamom and saffron and mix well.
4.
Serve warm, garnished with cashewnuts.

MEVA PEDA

Cooking Time :
15 mins.

Preparation Time :

15 mins.

Makes 8 pedas.

Ingredients
1 cup grated mava
6 grams SugaRite or 1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
A few saffron strands
For the garnish

2 to 3 slivered pistachios

Method

1. Combine the khoya and SugaRite / sugar in a heavy bottomed pan and cook on a slow flame while stirring continuously till the SugarRite / sugar has dissolved and the mixture leaves the sides of the pan (approximately 5 to 10 minutes).
2. Remove from the fire, add the cardamom powder and saffron and mix well. Allow to cool completely.
3. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions and shape into even sized rounds.
4. Garnish with slivered pistachios. Tips Cook the mixture on a slow flame as otherwise the ghee from the khoya will separate, giving the pedas a grainy texture

AMRIT PEDA

Preparation Time :
15 mins.Cooking Time : 15 mins.Makes 8 pedas.
Ingredients

1 cup grated mava
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder
1/4 cup pistachios, blanched, peeled and chopped
a few saffron strands
For the garnish

2 to 3 slivered pistachios

Method

1.
Combine the khoya and powdered sugar in a heavy bottomed pan and cook on a slow flame, while stirring continuously till the sugar has dissolved and the moisture has evaporated (approximately 5 to 10 minutes).
2.
Remove from the fire, add the cardamom powder and mix well. Allow it to cool completely.
3.
Divide the mixture into two portions, 2/3 and 1/3.
4.
In the 1/3 mixture, add the pistachios and mix well.
5.
In the 2/3 mixture, add the saffron strands and mix well.
6.
Divide the pistachios mixture into 8 equal portions. Shape into even sized rounds.
7.
Divide the saffron mixture into 8 equal portions and shape into even sized rounds.
8.
Stuff each saffron round with the pistachio round and seal the edges completely.
9.
Make designs on the peda using a toothpick.
10.
Garnish with slivered pistachios.

DATE AND SESAME PURANPOLI

Cooking Time : 10 mins.
Preparation Time : 10 mins.
Makes 4 puranpolis.

For the dough

1 cup Whole wheat flour
4 tablespoons milk

For the filling
¾ cup finely chopped dates
2 tablespoons sesame seed
¼ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk

For the dough
1.
Make a soft dough using the flour, milk and little water (if required) and knead well.
2.
Divide the dough into 4 equal portions and keep aside.

For the filling
1.
Toast the sesame seeds over a medium flame until they are lightly browned. Cool.
2.
Grind coarsely and mix with the remaining ingredients.
3.
Divide into 4 equal portions and keep aside.

Method
1.
Roll out one portion of the dough into a circle of 75 mm. (3") diameter.
2.
Place one portion of the filling mixture in the centre of the circle.
3.
Bring together all the sides in the centre and seal tightly.
4.
Roll out again into a circle of 125 mm. (5") diameter using flour to roll.
5.
Cook on a non-stick pan until both sides are brown.
6.
Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make 3 more puranpolis.
7.
Serve hot