Chocolate and Caramel ice cream

Nothing can beat a homemade Ice cream made with dark chocolate, caramel and cookies. Did I just said cookies? Yes! Believe me, I received the very raised eyebrow look from my family, until they tried and finished the entire tub, licking till the end! 

When I made this ice cream, I wasn't really referring to any particular recipe. I just saw a big tub of plain vanilla ice cream in my freezer, and I couldn't resist to flavor it. Honestly I never thought this dessert will become a new staple in my household.

All the ingredients are easily available in your pantry. I reckon you will rush in your kitchen to experiment this recipe! Trust me! It's tried and tested.

You will need, Ingredients:

• 1000 ml vanilla ice cream
• 100g butter/chocolate cookies
• 100g dark chocolate
• 8-10 chewy toffees
• 100ml caramel

Step 1:

Grind the cookies in a mixer grinder until it turns into a gritty powder.

Mix powdered cookies in the ice cream. I used a dough cutter to spread evenly just to avoid messy work. You can also use a large flat spoon.

Melt dark chocolate. Bring melted chocolate to room temperature and drizzle it over the ice cream. The drizzled dark chocolate will harden immediately. Use a dough cutter or a flat spoon to break the chocolate into fine bits.

Step 2:

Chop chewy toffees.

Transfer half of the vanilla ice cream in a deep container. Pour the entire caramel and spread the chewy toffee evenly.

I used my homemade caramel in the ice cream, you can either buy from supermarket or from any confectionery store.

Fill the remaining ice cream and cover it with a lid or a foil paper. 

Sometimes the ice cream melts while flavouring, that happens due to rise in the kitchen temperature, but not to worry. Be confident and carry your work until you get done, it will set eventually.

Freeze the ice cream for 4 hours at least to set it completely. 

You can also serve by drizzling some melted dark chocolate on top of each ice cream scoop. It's yum!

Enjoy!

Mutton Korma

Eid al-Adha Mubarak to everybody. It's the time to bid goodbyes to all the goats whom we've been treating as our pets since few days. Oh I will miss them so much!....

Coming to the significance of this day, besides getting to see meat everywhere, is the celebration of the day with your loved ones. Each year drive excitements and leave behind memories to reminisce. And not to miss an unforgettable taste which is bound to this day, the delectable Mutton Korma.

On this day, you will find mutton korma at almost everybody's place. I guess it's the compelling taste which makes it appealing to everyone in each year. This dish is simply authentic and easy to prepare.

You will need, Ingredients:

• 1 kg meat
• 2 large onions, finely sliced 
• 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 4-5 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 stick Cinnamon
• 4-5 peppercorns 
• 2 green cardamoms
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 staranise 
• 1/2 cup oil 
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 tbsp red pepper powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander 
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 bunch coriander leaves, chopped

Step 1:

Heat oil, add chopped onions and fry it briefly. Add ginger garlic paste and all the whole spices (cumin seeds, cloves, bay leaves and others) followed by 1 tsp of turmeric powder. Then add half cup of water and cover the top with a lid. Cook until the onions become soft and starts to melt. 

Note: For faster result, use a pressure cooker and cook till it whistles twice.

Step 2:

Uncover the lid and add meat. Then add red pepper powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and salt accordingly. 

Mix beaten yogurt and stir well. Add 1/2 cup of water and cover the top with a lid again. Cook until the meat becomes tender. 

Note: For faster result, use a pressure cooker to cook meat. As the pressure cooker whistles twice, lower the flames and leave the pressure cooker undisturbed for 12-15 minutes on low flames.

Step 3:

Once the meat turns tender, turn the heat off. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 

Serve hot with Basmati rice or naan.

Enjoy! 

Shami kabab

Hey guys, you must be wondering where did I disappeared. Well, I've been busy lately, but I definitely have many recipes awaiting for you'll. I am very excited to share each of the recipes, especially for Eid al-Adha. 

First of all, Eid Mubarak to all my Gulf friends. Like I stay in India, I will celebrate Eid al-Adha tomorrow. And I am all excited to make this Eid delightsome and flavorful.

Recently I tried Shami kababs, an Afghan origin kabab, which is a popular widespread in Asian countries, mostly in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Treat yourself with scrumptious and palatable Shami kabab in this Eid, it's delish!

This kabab almost appear like a patty or cutlet, which is pan fried and served with mint or coriander chutney, sliced onions and lemon juice. I like to serve with tomato ketchup too. 

You will need, Ingredients:

• 500g Minced mutton 
• 100g Bengal gram, soaked in cold water for an hour 
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• 10 pods Garlic, chopped
• 1 inch long piece Ginger, chopped
• 1 tbsp Aniseeds
• 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
• 1 inch long Cinnamon stick
• 4 Green cardamoms
• 6 Peppercorns
• 4 Red chillies 
• 1 medium sized Onion, finely chopped
• 1 Egg, well beaten
• 6 Green chillies, chopped
• Oil as required
• Salt to taste

Note: You can replace Mutton with minced chicken, only if you like to make Chicken Shami kabab.

Method:

Boil minced mutton in 4 cups of water with salt, turmeric powder, bengal gram, ginger and garlic until half of the water is absorbed.

Grind cumin seeds, aniseeds, cinnamon, cardamoms, peppercorns and red chillies into a fine powder. Add this fine powder into the minced mutton mixture and cook till the water is totally absorbed and meat is tender.

Allow the meat mixture to cool and grind it into a fine paste. Add finely chopped onions and green chillies with beaten egg in the kabab paste and it will appear like a dough. 

Shape the kababs into small round flattened balls or cutlets size.

Heat sufficient oil in a non-stick pan, and shallow fry each kababs until it turns golden-brown and crispy.

Note: If you like to deep fry the kababs, then dip each kabab in beaten eggs and deep fry until it turns golden-brown and crispy.

 

Serve hot with mint or coriander chutney or tomato ketchup.

Enjoy!

Kokum Aloo

Kokum is one of the exotic ingredient from southern India. It's got tamarind like taste, which gives sour twist to any dish, popularly used in Goan curries and pickles. Kokum in potatoes, recipe originated from Maharashtra, makes a perfect mouthwatering appetizer.

The binomial name of kokum is Garcinia Indica. This exotic ingredient doesn't have any English name as it didn't quite go to places. 

Kokum aloo is one of my favorite dish. I can never keep a track on calories when I make this dish. It tastes best when served with Dal tadka and rice, my all time favorite combination. 

It also takes very less time to prepare, that's the yummiest part of this dish! Yes! Spice up potatoes with sour and lip-smacking flavor.

You will need, Ingredients:

• 8-10 small potatoes 
• 5-6 pieces of kokum
• 1 red dry chilli
• 2 green chillies, chopped
• 1 sprig curry leaves 
• 1/2 tsp red chilly powder (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp oil 
• 1/4 bunch of coriander leaves
• Salt to taste 

Method:

Boil potatoes in a pressure cooker until cooked. Be careful to not to overcook potatoes. 

Peel and halve each potatoes. Grind kokum into a thick paste with dry red chilly and 2 tbsp of water.

Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped green chillies and curry leaves, and stir for a minute. Mix kokum paste and stir. 

Add red chilli powder if you want to make it more spicy. Add salt as required and mix boiled potatoes. Stir well and sprinkle chopped coriander.

Serve hot. Enjoy!

Oreo Delight

Hello folks! It's weekend already, time to make something sinfully delicious. I made Oreo delight when one of my cousin said she's coming to meet me in 30 minutes. I made in a hurry and honestly I didn't thought that it would turn this palatable that I myself just couldn't get enough.

I didn't followed a recipe to be honest, I just followed my kitchen instinct. I guess it's the magic of Oreos, they make anything deliciously decadent. 

Oreo delight is simple, quick and not to forget, it's unbelievably delectable. You don't have to wait long for it to set, unlike chocolate mousse, it just need an hour to chill in a refrigerator.

It's my new favourite dessert to be found in my fridge. The only problem with this dessert is to keep yourself away from over-indulging. By now I believe that you recognized my love for this dessert. Ahhh... It's delightful!

You will need, Ingredients:

• 200g Oreo cookies 

• 100g dark chocolate

• 250 ml whipping cream (sweet)

• Chocolate sauce (optional)

Makes 6 servings.

Step 1:

Chop dark chocolate into small pieces. Heat half of the whipping cream in a microwave bowl or in a saucepan for a minute or until it starts boiling. Pour hot whipping cream on chopped chocolates, and stir with a spoon until chocolates are melted.

Note: heat the whipping cream and chocolate again if the chocolates are not melted completely. Use microwave for best results.

Step 2: 

Beat melted chocolate in cream with an electric beater until it starts getting thicker. Mix the other half of the cream and keep beating until it gets stiff enough to form soft peaks. 

Transfer it to a piping bag with a star nozzle.

Note: Add 1 cup of icing sugar if your whipping cream is sugarless. Beat well.

Step 3:

Grind 150g of Oreo cookies, until it turns into a powder. Reserve 6 whole cookies for topping.

Now make a fairly thin layer of powdered Oreo cookies in a serving glass. 

Using a piping bag with a star nozzle, make a layer of whipped chocolate cream. 

Form another layer of powdered Oreo cookies followed by whipped chocolate cream layer.

Again repeat the procedure.

Drizzle chocolate sauce on top and place a whole Oreo cookie in the centre.

Cover each glasses with an intact plastic to maintain the freshness. Place in a refrigerator for an hour atleast before serving. You can store in a refrigerator for 3 days maximum.

Enjoy!

Vegetable upma

Bored with boring cereals in breakfasts? I know how exactly food affects mood and behavior, especially on the start of the day. A healthy breakfast is a best way to prep your day. 

Upma (spicy semolina) is widely popular in southern India. It is considered very healthy for breakfasts. It is rich in carbs and other nutrients. Also it is filling and gives satiety. Make your breakfast special and more healthy with goodness of vegetables in upma.

It takes approximately 12-15 minutes to prepare vegetable upma. There is no limitation for adding vegetables, color your plate with as much of vegetables you like. Make it healthy, have fun.

You will need, Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup semolina/rava/sooji
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds 
• 1/2 sprig curry leaves 
• 1/4 cup cabbage, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium sized carrots, grated
• 1/2 capsicum, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp green peas (optional)
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• Salt to taste 
• 1 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

Method:

Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add mustard seeds and let them sputter. Add cumin seeds and curry leaves and sauté them till a nice aroma emanates the kitchen.

Add carrots, cabbage, capsicum and green peas. Keep sautéing with a wooden spoon and sprinkle ground black pepper and salt. 

Add 1/2 cup water and cover with a lid for 2-3 minutes until all vegetables are cooked.

Uncover the lid and mix semolina in the sautéed vegetables. Maintain medium heat and sauté semolina for 3-4 minutes with vegetables.

Add 1 cup of water and stir. It will quickly soak and become thick solid, add again 1/2 cup of water as required. Mix well and cover with a lid for 7-8 minutes.

Uncover the lid in between to stir and check whether it's cooked or not. Add little water if required.

When it's done, sprinkle chopped coriander and serve hot, immediately.

Enjoy!

Atte ka halwa

It's been long I haven't posted something authentic and traditional. I lately made Atte ka halwa, (wheat flour sweet dish) one of my favorite Indian sweet dish. It has soft and warm, sheera like texture, which instantly melts in your mouth and makes it impossible for you to say a No for this dish.

It is one of the most delicious and iresistable sweet dish I have ever made. It is delectable, healthy and simple to prepare. I bet once you make this dish, you will be amazed how easy it is to prepare.

There are two ways to prepare this dish, either use sugar or jaggery, both yield great results. I always use jaggery, it is healthier than sugar. 

You will need, Ingredients:

• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1 cup ghee/oil
• 150g jaggery/sugar
• 1/2 tsp cardamon powder 
• Dry fruits to garnish

Step 1:

Boil jaggery/sugar in 1 cup water, until melted. 

In a saucepan, heat ghee/oil and add flour. Keep stirring for 10-12 minutes. Cook until the flour changes to brown in color. Sprinkle cardamon powder.

Note: maintain medium heat, keep stirring to avoid burning.

Step 2:

As the color changes to brown, mix melted jaggery/sugar in the four.

Now stir faster until the texture turns thick and smooth. Turn the heat off immediately.

Note:  Stir faster when adding melted Jaggery/sugar to avoid lumps. 

Top with dryfruits. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Banana canapés

I keep on experimenting with bananas, this time it's banana canapés. Canapés served with banana filling, cooked in sugar and milk, and with goodness of cashews and coconut. Yummy, isn't?

Prepare this banana delights in no time. Each flavor blends well the other and makes this snack nectareous, scrumptious and sweet.

It approximately takes 10 minutes to prepare the banana filling. It tastes best when it's served warm.

You will need, Ingredients:

• 10-12 small canapés 

• 2 large bananas, mashed

• 3 tbsp sugar

• 1/2 cup milk 

• 2 tbsp desiccated coconut

• 13-15 cashews, halved

Step 1:

Heat a non-stick pan, add mashed bananas and sugar. Cook until sugar is melted.

Keep adding milk, 1 tbsp at a time. Keep stirring with a wooden spoon.Add desiccated coconut and turn the heat off. 

Chop 4-5 cashews and mix in the banana mixture.

Step 2:

Fill each canapés with 1 tbsp banana filling. Place 2 halved cashews on each canapé.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Chilli chicken rolls in herbs & celery

Wow! These rolls are amazing. The picture speaks for itself! Simply delicious and scrumptious. 

I wanted to share this recipe two weeks before but I was caught up in some work and I totally forgot to post this super delicious recipe.

So this rolls are not only delicious but they are extremely easy to make. When I say easy, I mean it! I made in 20 minutes, may be less than that. 

Garnish with fresh celery to make it more palatable. It's perfect for evening snacks. All kiddos will go crazy for sure, they will relish till the end.

If you like you can add some grated cheese on top. baby corns,carrots and more veggies are welcomed to enhance the taste. Serve with hot and sweet tomato sauce.

You will need, Ingredients:

• 10-12 medium sized foot long buns

• 2 tbsp cooking oil

• 500g boneless chicken, small pieces

• 7-8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 

• 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

• 1 medium sized capsicum, chopped 

• 1 small onion, chopped, 1/2 inch sized

• 1/2 tsp ajinomoto 

• 1 tsp white pepper

• 1 tbsp green chilly sauce

• 1 tbsp soya sauce 

• 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce 

• 1 tsp thyme

• 1/2 tsp rosemary 

• Salt to taste

• 1/2 bunch celery, chopped 

Step 1:

Heat oil in a non-stick pan, add ginger and garlic, and sauté for sometime. Add chopped chicken and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add onions and capsicum. Add white pepper, ajinomoto and all sauces one after each other. Keep sautéing until chicken is cooked. 

Sprinkle thyme and rosemary. Turn the heat off, sprinkle celery.

Step 2:

Slit one side of each foot long buns. Fill each buns with sautéed chicken. 

Serve with hot and sweet tomato sauce.

Baby corn soup

Oriental soups are best, they are healthy and simple to make. Baby corn soup in oriental style is a delight on a wintery night. It's filled with goodness of chicken and mushrooms and garnished with fresh cilantro, making it a perfect well balanced soup.

I never made baby corns soup before, and in my first attempt it turned great. Best thing about this soup is most of the ingredients will be easily available in your pantry. You can even add extra vegetables as you like, to make your soup flavorsome. 

If you are looking for delectable and flavorful soups to be served in dinner for your family, then this soup is perfect. Make this rich and healthy soup in less than 30 minutes. Here's the recipe below.

You will need, Ingredients:

• 200g boneless chicken 

• 1 cup baby corn, sliced

• 1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
• 1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp green chilies, finely chopped
• 1/4 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
• 4-5 mushrooms, finely chopped

• 1/4 cup cabbage, finely chopped (optional)

• 1 small green capsicum, finely chopped

• 1 tsp pepper

• 1/2 tsp ajinomoto
• 1 tsp soya sauce
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 3 tbsp oil
• Salt as required

Note: Skip chicken to make vegetarian soup.

Method:

Boil chicken in 5 cups of water. Shred the chicken and keep the stock aside.

In a saucepan, stir fry the ginger, garlic, half of chopped cilantro and green chilies for about 2 minutes.

Add baby corns and all the vegetables with shredded chicken in the mixture. Add pepper, ajinomoto and salt and stir fry 2-3 times.

Add the soya sauce, stock ( or water if making vegetarian soup) and let it boil, reduce the heat and add the cornflour mixed with half cup of water and stir constantly till it thickens slightly. Sprinkle remaining cilantro.

Remove from heat and serve immediately. 

Enjoy!