Gulgule aka Ram Laddu

This appetizer brings back a lot of childhood memories, every summer we spent our holidays at my grandparents in Delhi, and came along lunches, dinners, and above all shopping with roadside junk.

I have eaten this first in Lajpath nagar and ever since fallen in love with it.

But my hubby not being a big fan of radish, i never got a chance to try these, somehow one fine day i dared to serve him this and he loved it :)

Gulgule/Ram Laddu

1 cup yellow moong daal.

1/4th  cup chana dal/ bengal gram

1 tsp cumin seeds

salt to taste

oil for deep frying

1 medium size Radish grated

Mint chutney

Chaat masala

Coriander leaves

Wash and soak both the lentils for 2 hours or more. Strain well and grind the lentils to a coarse paste.(avoid using water as much as possible)

Mix the lentils  well to let air get accumulated in the batter.

The mixture should have a dropping consistency like that of a cake. Heat oil and drop small rounds of batter. Fry them on medium low heat.

Once golden in colour drain on a kitchen towel.

In a bowl take ur grated Radish, add some salt and lemon juice, leave the mix aside for some time and then squeeze the radish to remove all the excess water.

To assemble :-

Arrange your hot Gulgule on a dish and spread some radish and chutney on it. Sprinkle your chaat masala and lastly garnish with fresh coriander. 

 

This post is off to  JCO-Monsoons of India:   A Home Maker's Diary -Sayantani and Jagruti's Cooking Odysssey- Jagruti's Blog

A Big Thank You wth...Tomato Garlic Biscuits.

This post is a virtual way of thanking Srivalli @ Cooking 4 all Season who organized this wonderful event Cookie Mela.
I feel proud to be the winner of this wonderful book gifted by Valli  "taste of home" Cookies.
I received this book today and am super excited to bake each and every of the 623 recipes this book has.
From the bottom of my heart Thank You Srivalli.

This biscuit is heavenly and the best part is it is savoury and super easy to make.
You could use them for breakfast, as a evening snack or just a filler with a light salad for dinner, and i should not forget pin pointing that these biscuits are really low in calorie.
I played it a little safe this time by using AP Flour, m sure to experiment with Whole Wheat Flour soon.
You could bake them a size or two big and use them as a burger bun, a sandwich bread ....
This recipe had been bookmarked in my recipe book since really long.. and I am glad at last i gave it a try.

Tomato Garlic Biscuits
1 Cup APF

1/2 tsp Baking pwd

1/4th tsp salt

5-6 tbs Sun dried tomatoes chopped finely
1/2 cup low fat yogurt
1/3th cup olive oil

Chili flakes (Adjust to your taste )
Jalapenos (optional)
Pre-heat your oven at 180 deg C. 
Mix all the above ingredients until well combines. Line your baking tray with parchment paper.
Drop the prepared dough on the baking sheet and bake for about 12-15 minutes.. the top of the biscuits should have turned golden brown.
Enjoy them while warm.


**Note** The texture of these biscuits is cake like.

This post is off to Valli's Cookie Mela.

Vegan Challah Bread

  

The fragnance of a fresh baked bread in the house is just so satisfying, And more satisfying is eating it piping hot just baked!!

The only thing that keeps me away from baking breads at times is the time factor to proof it. But the day i give up on my constant laziness i feel proud of myself.

Challah is a special Jewish braided bread. The aroma of this freshly baked challah was really enticing.

I have used flax seeds as a substitute of egg which added amazing nuttiness to the taste.

Flax-Seed Challah Bread (Vegan)

2 1/4 tsp. or 1 package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 Tbs ground flax seed meal whisked with 5-6 Tbs of warm water.
2-2 Tbs olive oil

Pinch of sugar

1 tsp sea salt.

Mix the yeast and the warm water and set it aside for 5-10 min to activate it.

In a bowl add the all the ingredients and add yest to it, If using a stand mixer knead on medium for about 10 min or by hand for about 15 min.
Once the dough is well kneaded brush with olive oil, cover with a wet kitchen cloth and keep it in a warm place to proof for about 2-3 hours.

After 3 hours punch down the dough and knead again for a few minutes. Make a ball, cover and keep it aside for another hour. The dough should double. 

Divide the rested dough into 3 parts and make rolls. Dust them well with flour and braid them.

Transfer on a baking sheet and bake for about  30 min or until the top is golden brown at 160 deg C

This post is off to Bake Fest- The Pumpkin Farm, Vardhini's -Cooks Joy, & Kalyani’s ”Kitchen Chronicles – Only Vegan” event @ Cook's Joy.

Almost Mediterranean salad platter

Simply love Mediterranean food, what more to ask for a low calorie platter which has your favourites.
You could choose from a variety of dressings and sides on your platter.
I call this a Almost Mediterranean salad platter because i have substituted a lot of ingredients but kept the theme and flavors Mediterranean.

My version has....
Falafel's Turnovers (No fry Falafel)
Spiced Tofu (Used this instead of feta)
Red rice and chickpea salad (Used Red rice instead of Bulgar wheat)
Hummus (Made a low calorie version by reducing the oil content)
Baba Ghanoush
Olives & Jalapenos

 Falafel turnovers
1 can chickpea
1/2 onion
2-3 tbs rice flour
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp tahini paste (i used sesame oil instead)
salt to taste
Few drops of sesame oil
Green chilies (as per your taste)

Grind the above ingredients in a food processor with no water.
Heat a non-stick pan on medium flame and spread the mix and cook on slow flame on both sides until cooked.
If you wish u could add a few drops of oil to cook it a little more crisp.
Sprinkle with red pepper.



Spiced Tofu
1 Block firm tofu
Yogurt dressing for the marinade.
Parsley for garnishing

Cut the tofu into desired size pieces and marinade them in the yogurt dressing for about a hour or more.
Garnish with parsley and red pepper



Red Rice and Chickpea Salad
1 cup cooked Red rice **
1 can Chickpea
1/2 red onion chopped
1/4th cup chopped Black olives
1/4th cup chopped Green olives
1/4 cup Yogurt dressing
Parsley
Red pepper

Mix all the above ingredients and toss well. Adjust spice and salts according to your taste



Yogurt Dressing
2 cups whisked yogurt
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tsp Garlic powder
Few springs Chopped Mint
1/2 tsp sesame seeds
Salt
Black Pepper


Hummus
You can find the recipe here.

Baba Ghanoush
You can find the recipe here.

Assemble the above things on a platter. Chill and serve.

**Note- You can use Couscous, Bulgar Wheat, Brown Rice - Instead of Red Rice.


This post is off to Simply Food  and  Show Me Your HITS -Legume and Lentils Event, happening @ Nalini's Kitchen, Event by Sangeetha of Spicy Treats and 

Baba Ghanoush

This bizarre sounding dish is a awesome Mediterranean dip. I adore Middle eastern food. The flavour's are mild yet robust.
The basic preparation of this dip is similar to Baingan Bharta -(Smoked Eggplant Curry).
Do give it a try.

BABA GHANOUSH 

• 3 aubergines Roasted and peeled
  2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  1 tbsp tahini
  1/2 chopped onion 
  2-3 tbs lemon juice
  1 tsp ground cumin
  1-2 tbsp olive oil and little extra to pour on top
  Chili flakes to sprinkle on top
  Salt
  Finely chopped parsley (optional)
  
  
  Roast the aubergines over a open flames until the skins are blackened and the flesh soft. Cool and 
  peel.Put all the ingredients along with the roasted aubergines in a chopper/blender and blend till a coarse paste.Dish it out and pour some olive oil and garnish with chili flakes and chopped parsley (optional)
  You can serve this with toasted bread, salad sticks.. or simply use it as a sandwich spread.
  
  
  
  This post is off to Serve it -Blended on Oh Taste and See, and to Krithi.
  
  And to.... Sorisha & Surabhi for their event Fusion Food.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Hummus

 This creamy dip is heavenly. I could eat it any time of the day. I would name it as convenient food, always have it in my fridge. 

You could use this High -Protein versatile dip with any kind of sandwiches, salads, breads, or just chopped carrot and celery sticks. 

The best part about making hummus is .. its just a Whizz away !!

You could choose to do a regular version or a low calorie version. The oil here is totally unavoidable. 

I am posting a regular version here... in Oder to do a low calorie version just cut down the oil to your convenience.

Hummus

• 1 can canned chickpeas/Garbanzo, drained & rinsed
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2cup olive oil
• 2 tbs tahini paste*
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Paprika

Place the chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, tahini paste, cumin and lemon juice in a food processor and process until combined. If its a very thick paste add little water to make it a smooth paste.

Garnish it with poured olive oil and paprika.

** If you do not have tahini paste you could use 1tsp roasted sesame seed or 1/2 tsp sesame oil.

This post is off to a amazing event Serve it -Blended on Oh Taste and See and to Krithi.

And...  Sorisha & Surabhi for their event Fusion Food

Choco-Vanilla Cup Cake

Happy Birthday Maa! ..
Having Internet makes it so much easier to make your loved ones feel special.
Here i take the full advantage.. and thought of presenting virtual cupcakes for my Moms Birthday.
Hope you like them.
I shall post the recipe soon.... for now do have a virtual taste of these Choco-Vanilla Cuppies :)

Happy Birthday Maa! - With loads n loads of love~

Vermicelli and Semolina Upma

  

Mum, I am hungry!! I get overwhelmed when i hear these words from my lil 5 yr old. She loves junk and only junk. I have to keep trying new recipes to fit into her criteria of "LIKE IT"
I guess all kids are hooked onto Noodles, So being very diplomatic here i made Vermicelli Semolina Upma. Looks like Noodles and healthy to eat. I load it up with a lot of colour,, (veggies ofcourse)

1 cup Semolina
1 cup Vermicelli
1 cup Chopped Parboiled veggies ( i used corn, carrot,  green peas)
1/4th cup chopped onions
1 or 2 whole red chilies (mine were not spicy)
Few curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1/4 th tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
1 glass water
Ghee/oil

In a pan add Ghee , once hot crackle the mustard, whole red chilies and add the curry leaves, add the chopped onions and saute till transparent. Add the semolina  and Vermicelli. Roast till the rawness goes off. It will start giving out fragrance and the colour will start getting little brown.
Add the parboiled veggies, season it with turmeric and salt. Saute for a few more minutes and add water. Cover and cook on slow flame for about 5-10 min. Squeeze in some lemon juice and serve warm.

This post is of to Valli's ”Kid’s Delight – Evening Snacks/Tiffin” event  hosted by Cook's Joy.

Decorated Cakes

Cakes.... m obsessed to them~ well not just eating them but making them as well. If  I have to bake a decorated cake i start planning for it months before and trust me i NEVER make what i plan. The end result is absolutely altered.

The urge to reach perfection keeps on aggravating with every cake Ive made. Here is a sneak peak to my recent requisite. 


I have used a basic chocolate cake in all these 3 cakes. Here is the recipe for the sponge:


Eggless Chocolate Cake

1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar (add 1/4 cup more if not using frosting)
1/2 cup plain yogurt / curd
1/4 cup butter
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt if using unsalted butter
Milk (as required)


 Pre-heat oven to  max  for about 15 min. Grease a your cake pan,. Sift together flour, salt , cocoa powder and baking powder 
 Mix sugar and butter at room temperature whisk well until frothy. Once frothy, add yogurt and vanilla. Mix well.
 Fold in the flour mixture and whisk until combined. The batter should be free flowing paste.. if it look thick at this stage add milk gradually until u reach the desired consistency. 
 Transfer batter to the greased tray and bake for 45 mins or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. 
Cool completely and frost if required.

Here i have used whipped cream for the frosting, and just changed the essence in them for a different flavor.

The characters were made of Fondant.

Angry Birds Scene Cake.

Angry Birds (Yellow Bird Cake)

Princess Belle Cake

Bluberry Almond Crumble.

A crumble is a dish of British and Irish origin that can be made in a sweet or savoury version, depending on ingredients used, although the sweet version is much more common. (Wikipedia)

Fresh Blueberries were not quite easily available around where i live,.... recently Ive been finding them a lot around and got hooked on to the lil purple balls :)

These Sweet and tangy berries are a amazing snack, there are a lot of thing you could try with this lil fruit. I decided to do a Blueberry Almond crumble, and the result was a yummy subtle delicate dessert.

Almond Blueberry Crumble. (Optionally Vegan)

3 Cups fresh Blueberries*(check note)
1/2 cup Sugar
Few drops of Lemon juice
1 Tbs cornstarch
2 Tbs hot water
21/2 cups Oats
11/4th cup All Purpose Flour
1 cup Packed Brown Sugar
11/2 stick Butter/ 1/2 cup Vegetable oil *(check note)
1 cup silverd  roasted almonds
Pinch of salt.

Preheat oven to 180 deg C, and grease you ramekins or you dish that you are using.

In a saucepan set over medim heat, combine the blueberries, sugar and lemon juice, bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to simmer and cook untill the berries are tender. This might take up to 10-15 min.
Whisk in your constarch mixed with warm water until a smooth paste is formed. Cook for about a minute.
Cool this sauce covered, to avoid a skin forming on top.

In a bowl stir in oats, flour and sugar, and a pinch of salt.
Cut in the cold butter with the above ingredients. If making it Vegan and using oil pour in oil little by little to make a crumbly texture. You might need more or less of oil.

Press 2/3rd of the mix on your prepared pan. Spread the cold blueberry mix over the top and sprinkle some roasted almonds.
Sprinkle with remaining mixture of the flour and roasted almonds.
Bake until golden brown or about 45 minutes.
Decorate with fresh blueberries or blueberry sauce. I swished on some caramel sauce too which tasted yum!

You could serve this warm or cold. Choice is your.

*NOTE:  
*If you donot get fresh blueberries you could defrost frozen ones. And if you using a readymade bluebery sauce just cut down on you sugar and boil untill thick.
*Opt for oil instead of butter to make this recipe Vegan.

This Post is off to- Tamalapaku Fruit/Veggie of the Month (This months choice is Blueberries.),  brain child of Priya 

Vegan Almond Coconut Cookies.

You sometimes need motivation to get something kickstarted in your life, and cooking vegan for me was totally inspired by my adorable brother Abhinav. Being Vegan can be difficult... but cooking Vegan really isnt. Since really long Ive just been thinking of trying my hands on some Vegan recipes , and atlast i did it today just for you abhi.

This recipe is super easy and hardly takes any time, Almost all the ingredients will be in your shelf. While they were baking in my oven the house smelt buttery, coconutty, almondy.... In short Heavenly.

Vegan Almond Coconut Cookies.

2 cups Unbleached Flour
2 cups Roasted Almonds
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1/4 cup Cane sugar
1 tsp Coconut essence
1/2 tsp Baking pwd
1/4 tsp Salt.


Pre-heat your oven at max temperature for about 10 min, Spread your almonds on a baking try and roast for about 5 min until crunchy. Cool down to room temperature.


Add your roasted almonds, Maple syrup, cane sugar, coconut essence in a chopper/grinder n blend to a coarse paste.
In another bowl sieve the dry ingredients and then add the wet paste to this. This should turn out to be a sticky dough like consistency.

Spread a sheet of parchment paper on your baking tray,  make balls out of the dough and press them down with the help of a fork to make them little flat. Spread them at a distance to give them space to expand.

Bake a 180 deg for about 10 min.

Enjoy them with a hot cuppa coffee or tea  :)

This post is off to Cookie Mela @Cooking 4 all seasons. & Cooks Joy - Kalyani’s ”Kitchen Chronicles – Only Vegan” Event.

Mukundwadi

Walking through the Memory Lane brings in a lot of Recipes shared by my elders ... honestly i could put down 'N' number of recipes but i choose one.. Passed on by my Mother in law to me.
Never heard before i was shocked and confused when i heard how Mukundwadi is made.
I had to see it to register how its done.
Before flying to Tokyo for the first time after my marriage Mummy made this for my Hubby... and that's when i learnt.
It does have a peculiar taste to it People who love cant get over it. It looks and tastes a bit like Non-veg.
We need a lot of dough for this, at times it gets difficult to knead a lot of dough, so what i do is as when there is any leftover dough with me, I store it in the Freezer. and when its enough to carry on with the dish i make it.

Mukundwadi.

For the wadi.

1kg Kneaded dough. (wheat flour)
Salt
Water to boil.
1 tbs chickpea (chana daal)
Oil to fry.

Take a fine mesh colander and put your dough in it. Keep it under a running tap and knead it with your hand until the dough reduces to 1/4th the quantity, and gets to a elastic texture. Yes! you need to wash the dough, the water that flows will be milky white and gradually to know its does the water should get clear.
Once your gluten is ready form a loaf like and put it in a pressure cooker with a pinch of salt and 1tbs of chick pea. Cook for about 3-4 whistles on medium low flame.
Once the steam vents out, let it cool and cut into small pieces. Deep fry until golden brown.

Note:- You can store the fried wadi's in the freezer for about a month.

  

For the Gravy....


4-5 Tomatoes pureed.
2 Medium Potatoes cut into chunks.
1tsp turmeric
1 tsp coriander pwd
1 tbs cumin seeds
1 tsp red chili pwd
Pinch of garam masala
Pinch of asafotedia
Few green chilies slit 
Few curry leaves
1/4th cup whisked yogurt
Fresh coriander for garnish.

In a pressure cooker heat oil, add cumin, asafotedia  and curry leaves. Add the tomato puree and cook for about 5-10 min. Once semi cooked add all the dry masala's and cook till the oil starts to split.
Add your fried wadi's and chopped potatoes to the tomato mix and saute them for about 10 min or so. Add about 1 glass of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles on slow flame. Add the whisked yogurt and cover.
Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with hot Roti or Paratha.

This post is off to Gayatri's cook spot and The Pumpkin Farm for the wonderful event.. Walk Through Memory Lane.... :)

And

Learning to Cook

Whole Wheat Olive Thyme Walnut Loaf

Baking bread ... or say a good bread has always been a dream.  I am in love with the fragrance of a bread baking in my oven. I haven't really tried a lot of them yet mainly because of the use of yeast. It takes time to proof the bread and at times i do not have a lot of patience. So i looked up and found out that breads can be made without yeast too :)

This bread takes absolutely no time assemble. Just throw in your ingredients in a big bowl, knead it and put it in the oven ...

You can mix and match your choice of herbs and flavours... u really have a lot of scope to play with your flavours here, so do not hesitate to create your own combination.

Whole Wheat Olive Thyme Loaf.

21/2 cup whole wheat flour
21/2 tsp Baking pwd
3 tbs Ground Flax seeds
1/2 cup water
1 tsp Fresh Thyme leaves
1/4th cup olives chopped
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/4th cup olive oil

Preheat the oven at high for about 15-20 min.
Blend the flax seeds with warm water in a blender to a frothy foam,
In a bowl mix in the dry ingredients along with olives, walnuts and herbs.
Add the flax seed mix and then gradually add milk to make a little sticky dough.
Spread it in a greased loaf pan and bake for about 45 min, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Let it get down to a room temperature and enjoy!!

This post is off to Daily Cuppa & Cook's Joy for Bake Fest event.