Fluffy muffins with chocolate chips topping

Anytime I bake muffins, it will turn out to be the best.  When I was searching for the vegetables for preparing my breakfast, I saw the tiny little chocolate chips hidding behind the shelf.  Muffins with a cup of tea is my favourite breakfast & evening snack.  I dont want to mix the chocolate chips in the muffin batter rather I used it as my topping for this fluffy & spongy muffins yesterday.  It's lovely  :)

Ingredients :

1. All purpose flour -2 cups
2. Baking powder - 1 tsp
3. Salt -1/2 tsp
4. Butter (unsalted) - 1/2 cup Melted & cooled
5. Eggs - 2 large
6. Milk - 1 cup
7. Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
8. Sugar - 2/3 cup
9. Chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet) - 1 cup

Direction to bake :

#   Preheat the oven to 400 F & grease your muffin pan.

#   Sieve together the flour, baking powder & salt. 

#   In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, milk & vanilla extract.

#   Using the rubber spatula, fold the wet ingredients along with the melted butter into the dry ingredients.

#   Pour the batter into the muffin pan, filling each cup 2/3 rd full. 

#   Bake for 25 mins or until muffins turns golden brown.  Sprinkle the semi melted chocolate chips on the top & allow it to cool.

. 

 

Enjoy with tea. 

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Kheema potato fry

Mutton kheema can be cooked with all the vegetables.  Especially with potatoes are the best.  This can be served either dry or semi dry.  Perfect for rice and rotis. 

Ingredients :

1. Mutton kheema - 500 gms
2. Minced onion - 1 cup
3. Potato - 1 no
4. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
5. Cloves - 3 nos
6. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
8. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
9. Oil - 1 tsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Corriander leaves for garnishing

Direction to cook :

£   Heat oil in the pan, add cinnamon stick, cloves & finely chopped onions.  Saute till golden brown.

£   Add ginger garlic paste & turmeric powder.  Add potatoes, chilly powder & salt to taste.

£   Add the kheema.  Cover & cook till done (or pressure cook them).

Garnish with corriander leaves & serve hot.

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Aloo tikki

Perfect starter & this can be used as a patty for burger. 

Ingredients :

1. Boiled potatoes - 2 nos
2. Green chillies - 2 nos
3. Corriander leaves - 2 tbsp
4. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
5. Kastoori methi leaves - 1 tbsp
6. Chaat masala - 1 tsp
7. Dry mango powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Onions - 1 no
10. Minced ginger - 1/8 tsp
11. Salt to taste
12. Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup
13. Oil for shallow frying

Direction to cook :

#   Grate the boiled potatoes & mix the other ingredients except the bread crumbs.

#   Divide the potato mixture into equal portions & make balls.  Flatten each balls between the palms into disc.

#   Roll the patties in the bread crumbs & shallow fry them in the oil on medium heat till golden brown & crispy on either sides.

Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

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Mint methi chicken

Weekends are my adventure day.  I try new dishes which sometimes turns good or the other way round.  Recently, I made this spicy & greenish chicken masala with lotz of fresh herbs and it absolutely taste delicious.  Flavour of mint leaves, corriander leaves & methi leaves made this dish exotic.  Perfect with rice & rotis as well.

Ingredients :

1. Chicken - 250 gms
2. Green chilly - 1 no
3. Ginger - 1 inch
4. Garlic - 3 pods
5. Mint leaves - 1/4 cup
6. Corriander leaves - 1/4 cup
7. Curd - 1 tbsp
8. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
9. Onion - 1 large sized
10. Fresh methi leaves (finely chopped) - handful
11. Coconut grated - 1 tbsp
12. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
13. Cloves - 3 nos
14. Cardomom - 2 nos
15. Lemon juice - 1 tsp
16. Salt to taste
17. Oil - 1 tbsp

Direction to cook :

#   Grind the green chilly, garlic, ginger, mint leaves & corriander leaves to a smooth paste.

#   Clean & cut the chicken.  Marinate the chicken in the grounded paste & salt for atleast one hour.

#   Dry roast the coconut, cinnamon stick, cloves & cardomon.  Grind them to a fine powder.  Keep aside.

#   Heat oil in the frying pan, add oil & finely chopped onion.  Saute till golden brown in color.

#   Add the finely chopped methi leaves, chilly powder, curd & the marinated chicken.  Cover & cook till tender.

#   Once the chicken is cooked, add the spice powder & finally the lemon juice. Add water (if necessary).

Serve with rice or rotis.

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Medhu Vada

Medhu vada is south indian fried donuts.  It is spicy & best served with chutneys & sambar.  This is my menu on pongal.  Made yummy sambar & dahi vadi with the leftover stuff. 

Wish you all happy pongal !!!

Ingredients :

1. Urad dal - 1/2 cup
2. Salt to taste
3. Finely chopped onion - 1 no
4. Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
5. Black peppercorns - 1 tsp
6. Green chillies - 3 nos
7. Corriander leaves (finely chopped) - 1 tbsp
8. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
9. A pinch of hing
10. Oil for deep frying

Directions to cook :

£   Soak the urad dal in water for atleast two hours.  Drain the water thoroughly & grind them to smooth paste (without adding water).  Add salt to taste.

£   Add the remaining ingredients to the batter.

£   Heat the oil in the frying pan.  Keep a bowl of water in side to dip the hands before making the vada.

£   Wet your hands & take a dollop of batter & make a hole in the middle.  Deep fry them in the oil till golden brown in either side & crispy.

Serve hot with chutney & sambar.

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Little pudding cake & my 100th post

I feel very happy to post my 100th recipe today.  Thanks all for making this to happen.  Celebrations never end without a piece of sweet or cakes.  Yes, today I made this delicious little pudding cake with little chocolate shavings on top.  Even, I dont want to remove the excess pudding arround the cake, it looks like my cake is floating in the white chocolate sea.  Its really a delectable cake.  Just love this :)

Ingredients :

1. Eggs - 6 nos
2. All purpose flour - 1 cup
3. Sugar -1 cup
4. Baking powder - 1 tsp
5. Melted butter - 1/4 cup
6. Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
7. Vanilla pudding - 1 packet
8. Cocoa powder for garnishing

Directions to bake :

#   Seperate the egg yolks and whites.  Beat the egg whites seperately until stiff.

#   Beat the egg yolks seperately until thick & pale yellow colored.   Gradually add the sugar & vanilla essence.

#   Sift the flour & fold them in the egg yolk mixture gently.  Finally, fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites.

#   Bake at 325 F for 15 to 20 mins.  Allow it cool.

#   Meanwhile, prepare the pudding as per the instructions given & allow it to cool.

#   Once, the cake is cooled pour the pudding mixture over the cake & refrigerate them for 2 to 3 hrs (preferably overnight)

#   If required, remove the excess pudding mixture arround the cake & serve just like that :)

Sprinkle some chocolate shavings or cocoa powder.  It taste delicious.

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Chicken puff

Mcrennett is my favourite bakery till now  for its chicken & egg puffs.  I made this spicy chicken puff with the puff pastry sheets available in stores.  Perfect for evening snacks & my son just loved this.  Brushing egg over the puff will make it crispy & shiny.  Nobody can believe its homemade, it taste delicious :)

Ingredients :

1. Puff pastry sheet
2. Oil -  1 tsp
3. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
4. Cloves - 2 nos
5. Boneless chicken - 250 gms
6. Onion - 1 no
7. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
9. Corriander powder - 1 tsp
10. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
12. Salt to taste
13. Corriander leaves
14. Egg - 1 no

Direction to cook :

£   Heat oil in the pan,  add the seasonings & finely chopped onions.

£   Add turmeric powder, chilly powder, corriander powder & shredded chicken (or cut them in tiny pieces).

£   Once chicken is cooked, add cumin powder & garam masala.  Cook for 5 more mins & sprinkle some finely chopped corriander leaves.  Allow it to cool.

£   Break the eggs & beat them.  Keep aside.

£   Cut the pastry sheets to the desired shapes like circle / rectangle / triangle / square.   Stuff the chicken mixture & brush the edges with egg and seal them.

£   Finally, brush the egg over the puff on either side & bake them as per the instructions given.  I baked it at 200 C for 10 to 12 mins.

Serve warm.

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Cornflour sponge cake

Little different cake made with cornflour as the main ingredient.  It is very soft & spongy.  Once in a while, this can be tried.   It taste unique.

Ingredients :

1. Chilled water - 2 tbsp
2. Sugar -3/4 cup
3. 4 eggs, seperated
4. Cornflour - 11/2 cups
5. Plain flour - 2 tsp
6. Baking powder- 1 tsp
7. Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
8. Whipped cream and jam for filling
9. Icing sugar for dusting

Direction to bake :

#   Preheat the oven to 190 C.  Lightly grease the baking pan.

#   Warm water and sugar in saucepan.  Beat egg whites until stiff.  Add sugar mixture and beat well. 

#   Add yolks one at a time, and beat until thick.  Stir in sifted cornflour, flour and baking powder.  Lastly add vanilla extract.

#   Pour into prepared tins and bake for 20 to 25 mins.  Fill with whipped cream and jam.  Dust with icing sugar.

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Aval / Poha mixture

 Yesterday, my man came little early from work & that was the biggest surprise in this year beginning.  He asked me for something spicy & crispy snack along with tea.  Immediately, I started turning my cooking diary & finally ended up in making this crispy & spick aval mixture.  It just took 15 mins to make & it was the best evening yesterday :)

Ingredients :

1. Thin Aval / Poha - 1 1/2 cup
2. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
3. Channa dal - 1 tsp
4. Green chillies - 5 to 6 nos
5. Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp (optional)
6. Curry leaves - 1 tbsp
7. Fried groundnut - 1 tbsp
8. Fried cahewnuts
9. Fried chana dal / Pottukadalai - 1 tbsp
10. Oil - 1 1/2 tsp
11. Coconut grated / Dessicated coconut powder - 1 tsp

Direction to cook :

#   Heat oil in the frying pan, add cumin seeds, channa dal, green chillies & curry leaves.

#   Then add fried chana dal & aval.  Fry till crispy.

#   Finally add the remaining ingredients & fry for 2 mins on low flame. (dont roast too much)

Store it in airtight container.

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Bread pizza

Simplier & easier version to make & eat.  Tomato with little italian seasoning & cheese make this snack perfect for evenings. 

Ingredients :

1. Bread slices - 3 nos
2. 2 medium sized tomatoes
3. Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp
4. Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
5. Garlic (finely minced) - 1/2 tsp
6. Oil - 1 tsp
7. Onion (shredded) - 1 no
8. Capsicum (shredded) - 1/2 no
9. Oregano
   
10. Pizza seasoning (optional)
    
11. Shredded cheese
    

Directions to cook :

£   Heat oil in the pan, add garlic & finely chopped tomatoes.  Cover & cook for 5 mins.

£   Once tomatoes are nicely cooked, add tomato ketchup, pepper & salt to taste.  Allow the sauce tocool.

£   Spread the tomato sauce over the bread slices & sprinkle the shredded onion, capsicum, oregano, pizza seasoning & finely the cheese.

£   Bake the bread slices at 200 C for 10 mins.

Serve immediately.

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