Mini Custard Cookies

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 50 g
Custard powder - 15 g
Unsalted butter - 50 g
Powdered Sugar - 30 g
Milk - 1 tbsp
Elaichi powder - a pinch

Method:

• In a bowl add in butter and sugar.
• Cream this well.
• Add in custard powder, elaichi powder.
• Add in flour and gather the dough.
• If it crumbly add in a tbsp of milk and gather the dough.
• Use nozzle of your choice and fill the dough in piping bag.
• Pipe the cookies on a lined baking tray.
• Bake this in a preheated over (OTG) at 180°C for 8-10 mins.
• Yields 12-15 mini cookies.

Almond Tutti Frutti Cantucci / Biscotti

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 125 g
Tutti Frutti - 55 g
Almonds - 20 g
Butter - 3 tbsp
Sugar - 65 g
Vanilla Esc - 1 tsp
Egg - 1
Baking powder - 3/4 tsp

Method:

• In a bowl cream butter and sugar.
• Add in esc.
• Add in egg and whisk well.
• Add in flour, baking powder and whisk well.
• Add in tutti frutti, almonds and fold it.
• Gather the dough.
• Shape this to a log.
• I made two logs as I wanted small sized cantuccis.
• Place them in lined baking tray.
• Bake this in a preheated oven at 180 °C for 25-28 mins.
• Set this aside to cool completely.
• Once cooled, cut them into slices.
• Arrange them in lined baking tray.
• Bake this in a preheated oven at 180 °C for 7 mins.
• Flip the cookies and bake for 7 more mins.
• This is to ensure even baking(crispness) on both side.
• Yields 24 cantuccis.

Vazhakaai / Plantain Vadai

Ingredients:

Vazhakaai - 1
Onion - 1 (fine chop)
Moong dal - 1/2 cup
Channa dal - 1/2 cup
Dry Red Chilly - 3
Green Chilly - 1
Ginger - Small piece
Garlic - 4
Fennel seeds - 3/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - a sprig
Salt, Oil, Water - As reqd

Method:

• Roughly cut and pressure cook plantain for a whistle.
• Carefully peel the skin off and add the plantain pieces to a bowl.
• Add these pieces to strainer to remove excess water.
• Now add this to bowl and mash it.
• Soak the dal in water for.
• To the blender add in chilly, garlic, crushed ginger.
• Add in salt and fennel seeds and blend it.
• Strain the water from dal completely.
• Add this to blender and blend coarsely.
• Add this to mashed plantain.
• Add in fine chopped onion, curry leaves.
• Mix this well.
• Heat oil in pan and fry these vadas.
• Server hot with chutney or sambar.
• Yields 20-22 vadas.

Banana Halwa

Ingredients:

Banana - 3
Jaggery - 45 g
Milk - 1 tbsp
Elaichi powder - a pinch
Cashews - 4-5 (fine chop)
Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method:

• In a pan add in jaggery and little water.
• Let it boil till jaggery melts.
• Stain this and set aside.
• To the blender add in peeled bananas and blend it.
• Add in a tbsp of milk and blend it to smooth paste and set aside.
• The puree weighed app 160 g.
• Heat little ghee in pan and add in banana puree.
• Cook in low flame for 2 mins.
• Add in jaggery syrup and mix well.
• Add in ghee and add in rostsed casshews.
• Mix well.
• Once it starts to leaves edges (will take only few mins), add in elaichi powder.
• Mix well and serve hot.

Note:

• Use ripen bananas.
• Adjust sweet according to your taste.

Leftover Idly cutlet

Ingredients:

Idly - 5
Onion - 1 (fine chop)
Carrot  - 1 (grated)
Peas - 1 tbsp (boiled)
Sooji - 2 tbsp
Kashmiri Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/8 tsp
Coriander leaves - Little (fine chop)
Salt, Oil - As reqd

Method:

• In a bowl add in idly and mash it.
• Heat oil in pan and add in onion and saute for a while.
• Cook in medium flame.
• Add in spice powders and salt and mix well.
• Add in grated carrot and boiled peas and mix well.
• Mash well using a spatula or a masher.
• Add this to bowl.
• Add in mashed idly.
• Add in fine chopped coriander leaves.
• Add in sooji and mix well.
• Make small balls and gently press it.
• Heat oil in pan and fry them in medium flame.
• Server hot with ketchup.

Note:

• I used leftover idly, you can also use fresh idly.
• Can also use rava idly, in that case skip adding sooji.
• I also added a pich of spicy idly podi.

Speculoos Chocolate Shell

Ingredients:

White Chocolate - 70 g
Chocolate covered hazelnuts - 3-4
Biscuits - 4
Cake

Method:

• Melt the white chocolate using double boiler method.
• Set aside to cool a bit.
• Use the small Kozukattai mould.
• Pour the chocolate and swirl it such that it coats all sides and edges.
• Refrigerate and then repeat again.
• Carefully demould the shells.
• This qty yields 5 shells app.
• Now crush the biscuit and spread that on board.
• Top it with bite size cake and sliced chocolate hazelnut.
• Cover it with white chocolate shell.
• Decorate as you wish.
• Inspired by CWC Darshans Dish.

ChocoMocha Frosting #1

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter - 170 g 
Sugar - 263 g
Cocoa powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
Instant Coffee powder - 3/4 tbsp
Fresh cream - 34 ml
Salt -  a pinch

Method:

• In a bowl cream the butter.
• Add in cocoa powder and instant coffee powder.
• Whisk well.
• Add in sugar in parts and whisk well.
• Add little salt and then add cream.
• Whisk till you get stiff peak consistency.
• Use it in cakes or cupcakes of your choice.

Gobi/Cauliflower Pakoda

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 (medium size)
Onion - 1
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Chat masala - 1/4 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/8 tsp
Kashmiri Chilly powder - 3/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 3/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - a sprig
Coriander Leaves - Little
Besan flour - 1/2 cup
Rice flour - 2 tbsp
Salt, Oil, Water - As reqd

Method:

• Boil water in a pan.
• To this add in turmeric powder and little salt.
• Once it boils turn off the range and add in cauliflower florets.
• Cover and let it sit for 5 mins.
• Strain this and set aside.
• Drain water if any.
• Now use a grater and grate the florets.
• Add this to a bowl, add in fine chopped onions.
• Add in fine chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves.
• Add in ginger garlic paste, spice powders and salt.
• Add salt acc, as we add chat masala too.
• Mix this well.
• Now add in flours and mix well.
• You can also add a tbsp of corn flour too.
• Heat oil in pan and fry these pakodas.
• Serve hot.

Sago/Javvarisi Halwa

Ingredients:

Sago - 1/2 (nylon javarisi)
Brown sugar - 1 cup Or Jaggery - 1 cup 
Water - 1/2 cup + 2 cup (app)
Cashews - 8
Elaichi powder - a pinch
Ghee - 3 tsp

Method:

• Dry roast sago for 2-3 mins.
• It will turn like pearls then transfer to plate.
• If using big variety, then roast for 2-3 mins and transfer to plate.
• Let it cool and blend it coarsely and set aside.
• If using jaggery, do the following steps

1. To the same pan add in jaggery and water.
2. Let the jaggery melt, no consistency required.
3. Turn off , strain and set aside.

• In a pan and add in blended powder.
• Add in 1/2 cup of water at a time and mix well without lumps.
• Used app 2 cups of water and place this in stove top.
• Cook in medium flame and add in a pinch of salt.
• Once it is cooked, it will look transparent, add in jaggery syrup and mix well.
• If using sugar, can sugar at this stage.

              In that case add 1/2 cup extra water while mixing sago and water.

• Add in elaichi powder and roasted cashews and mix well.
• Once it starts to thicken add in 2 tsp of ghee and mix it.
• Once it leaves edges, transfer to plate.
• Serve hot.

TomatoMalli Soup

Ingredients:

Tomato -  3 
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Small onion - 2
Garlic - 2 (with skin)
Ginger - Small piece
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon stick - small piece
Black pepper corns - 2 
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander stem - Little
Coriander leaves - Little
Salt, Water - As reqd

Method:

• Crush the coriander seeds and set aside.
• Heat oil in pan and add in garam spices.
• Add in crushed coriander seeds and saute in medium flame.
• Add in crushed garlic and ginger and saute.
• Add in tomatoes (roughly chopped) and saute well.
• Add in coriander stem, salt and spice powders and mix well.
• Add in 2 cups of water and cover with lid.
• Let it cook in medium flame for 10-15 mins.
• Or you can pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.
• Once done, strain the soup and use a laddle and squeeze out the extract.
• Check for salt and spice.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
• Adjust spice acc to our taste.

Potato Pakora / Laccha Pakora

Ingredients:
Potato - 3
Mint Leaves - Little 
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
All purpose flour - 2 tbsp
Corn flour - 2 tbsp
Besan flour - 1 tbsp
Salt, Oil - As reqd

Method:

• Peel the skin and grate potatoes.
• Use the big holes to grate and add this to water.
• Wash twice in water and squeeze the water.
• Add the squeezed potatoes to a bowl.
• Add in ginger garlic paste, spice powders and salt.
• Add in flour and mix well.
• It should not be watery.
• Add in chopped mint leaves and mix well.
• Heat oil in pan and fry pakoras.
• Serve hot with sauce.

Leftover Poori Kothu / Kothu Poori

Ingredients:

Leftover poori - 6
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Kashmiri Chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
Pav Masala - 1/8 tsp
Coriander Leaves - Little (fine chop)
Salt, Oil, Water - As reqd

Method:

• Roll each poori and cut it thin and set aside.
• Heat oil in pan and add in onion and saute for a while.
• Add in ginger garlic paste and saute in medium flame.
• Add in tomato and saute till it turns mushy.
• Add in spice powder and salt and mix well.
• Sprinkle 2 tbsp of water and mix well.
• Add in poori pieces and toss well.
• Cook well in medium flame till everything is mixed up.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Macaroni Veggie Soup

Ingredients:

Macroni - 1/2 cup (50 g app)
Onion - 1 (fine chop)
Garlic - 1-2 (fine chop)
Tomato - 3 (puree)
Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Sweet Corn - 1/4 cup
Green Capsicum - 1/4 cup (fine chop)
Corn flour - 1 tbsp
Water - 2 tbsp
Oregano - 1 tsp
Chilly flakes - 1/2 tsp
Salt, Oil, Water - As reqd

Method:

• Heat oil in pan and add onions and saute.
• Add in garlic and saute in medium flame.
• Add in tomato puree and required salt.
• Add in pepper powder or if you want you can add chilly powder instead.
• Add in sugar and mix well.
• Add in corn, capsicum and 3 cups of water.
• Cover with lid and cook in medium flame for 7-8 mins.
• Or till macroni is cooked.
• Now add in corn flour slurry and mix well.
• Add in oregano and chilly flakes(optional).
• Let it boil for 2-3 mins.
• Serve hot.