RASAGULLA

Rasagulla

This is a yummy and delicious street foods around the streets of Kolkata in India. We delibrately love rasagullas by standing in roadsides of kolkata and enjoy this mouthwatering dish.......We can make this at home with same taste. I made this post for #BM 62 under street foods theme............

Ingredients:

Milk - 1 ltr 

 flour - 1 tbsp

  whey water- 1/4- 1/2 cup*

For syrup:  

  sugar - 2 cups 

water- 4 cups  

Method:

In a deep bottomed pan add milk and bring to boil. When it boils add whey water slowly till it curdles well. Strain the paneer in a clean muslin cloth and drain completely. Now mash them  well and add flour knead them. Now make small balls and set aside.

In a big pan add sugar and water to make the syrup when the syrup begins to boil and the sugar dissolves well add the balls on by one and boil them with closed lid for 20 mins then open the lid and boil for further 10 mins till the ball rises up and becomes a spongy texture. Cool completely and serve. 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#62

 

CHOCOLATE FRUITS MUG

Chocolate fruits mug

Kids love chocolates but they sometimes hesitate to eat fruits. If we give fruits along with chocolates they will tempt to eat them. For a twist if we serve fruits in a chocolate mug with some icecream........woow superb they will grab everything. Its an interesting recipe and this is my first attempt. Truly speaking it didnt came out that much perfect for me but the taste was awesome. I ate more than my kids.............

This post is for Blogging marathon #57  week 4 day 2 I love making this yummy chocolate mugs.............

Ingredients:

Dark chocolate - 1 cup  

 Strawberries- 1/4 cup, chopped  

kiwi fruit - 1, chopped  

Apples- 1/4 cup, chopped 

 Chopped nuts- 2 tbsp

 Sugar- 2 tbsp  

whipped cream/ any Icecream- 2 scoops

 Cherries to decorate

Method:

Take a clean coffee mug and saucer cover the plates with cling film and cover cling film inside the mug ans set them ready.

In a bowl add water and boil them place a clean bowl on the top without touching the water. Add chopped dark chocolate in the bowl and keep stirring till it melts and remove from the heat and cool them slightly. Now spread a thick layer over the saucer and the mug which is covered with cling film. Cover completely without any lumps or holes. Keep them in freezer for an hour to set.

Meanwhile add chopped fruits, nuts, sugar in a bowl mix well and place in the fridge.

Take the mug and saucer and carefully remove the saucer and mug then peel the cling film carefully. Do it carefully or it will breakdown. 

Now you will get a yummy chocolate mug and saucer fill some fruits and nuts mixture and pipe some whipping cream. Decorate with cherries and serve chilled..................

MANGO MOUSSE MUGS

Mango mousse mugs

A mug treat is a comfort food  for all kinds of people. Kids will have more excitement when they have their favourite food in a mug. I made mango mousse with my leftover whipping cream and the mangoes which we can't eat as it is becoz of its sour taste. I converted it into a yummy mango mousse and got many appreciation from my family members.......

Really they won't easily appreciate my cooking as they like only traditional Indian recipes. But this mousse was a superhit they loved eating them.

This post is for blogging marathon #57 week 4 day 1 and theme is mug treats.................

Ingredients:

Fresh cream- 1 cup  

mango- 1, peeled and cubed  orange juice- 1/4 cup 

orange rind- 1 tsp  

sugar- 2 tbsp( add more if the mango is tasteless) i used nearly 1/4 cup 

 geletin powder- 1/2 tsp

 water- 1 tbsp

Method:

In a pan add mango cubes, orange rind, orange juice and sugar boil well till the mangoes cook completely and mashes well. Slightly  cool them and grind them into a thick pulp then strain them through a seive. You have to use a ladle to seive them through a strainer mash them completely and remove the husk. You can store them in a airtight container and store in freezer for an year. Until next mango season :D, this reminds me an advertisement too........

Beat chilled cream till  peaks form. Mix in the mango pulp for about 1/4 cup mix well and layer them in a glass mug half filled. Keep them in fridge for 1/2 an hour to set. Meanwhile heat gelatin with water till it dissolves and add to the remaining mango pulp. 

Gently pour them on the top of mango cream filled mugs to form a layer and set them in fridge for about an hour and serve chilled this yummy treat...........................

 

BISCUIT CHOCO ROLL

Biscuit choco roll

This is a yummy roll that can be made easily without cooking and baking. My kids love this roll for its sweetness,softness and yummy chocolaty taste. enjoy this lovely roll with your kids. even they can prepare by their own, it will be extra fun.

This post is for #BM 57 week 2 and day 3 by srivalli.

Ingredients:  

chocolate roll 

Biscuit - 1 pac  

Powdered sugar- 2 tbsp  

Cocoa powder- 1 tbsp 

Melted butter- 1/4 cup

Cream filling:

butter- 1/4 cup 

 icing sugar- 2 cups  

vanilla essence- 1/2 tsp

Beat butter add sugar and vanilla essence beat well and set aside.

Method:

Crush the biscuits in a blender till fine powder. Add sugar, cocoa powder mix well and slowly add butter and mix well till you can roll the dough. Place a butter paper and spread the biscuit dough place another paper on top and roll with rolling pin into a rectangular shape. Remove the butter paper on top and now spread the cream filling on top. Gently roll the choco roll slightly tilt the butterpaper upwards. When it rolled completely cover with the paper and freeze for 2 hrs.

Cut them into slices and serve..

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 57

  

BANANA TOFFEE

Banana toffee

Toffee is a candy made with caramelized sugar, It will get crackling on our mouth and melt down. Toffee made with bananas mmm yumm.... Kids will love to eat them. Its a yummy dessert can have with icecreams. 

Banana is rich in pectin it enhances digestion. It prevents kidney cancer, eye diseases, constipation. It controls blood sugar level and helps to cool body temperature. Even the banana peel also helps to prevent itching due to bug bites.

Banana toffee is the classic chinese dessert, soft and chewy inside and nutty and crunchy outside. Its delicious and a must try recipe.............

Ingredients: 

Batter:

Banana- 2, sliced  

 flour- 1/4 cup

 salt a pinch  

Oil for frying

Method:

In a bowl add flour, salt mix well with water to make a thick batter. Heat oil and dip banana slices in the batter and fry them in medium heat till golden brown and set aside.

Toffee:

sugar- 3/4 cup  

sesame seeds for garnishing 

A bowl of  ice cubes in water

In a non stick pan add sugar and melt till it caramelizes and turns golden brown. Now dip the banana in caramel,coat all over and immediately put them in ice water bowl. Remove from water and sprinkle sesame seeds over them and serve the crispy banana toffee with or without icecream......................

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 57

BADAM HALWA

Beetroot Halwa

Halwa is a delicious sweet dessert from India. I love halwas from my childhood, My uncle will always buy halwas for me when he visits my home. The taste and its  flavour is mouthwatering. 

Beetroot is a sweet and earthy vegetable  and its low in calories and contains vitamins, minerals and also packed with antioxidants. It gives you stamina, blood flood and increase white blood cells also  controls low blood pressure. It reduces the possibility of heart attack ans stroke. Beetroot greens also has an excellent source of folic acid and a very good source of fibre, manganese and pottasium. 

I just joined in #blogging marathon and this is my first post in that series. I feel so happy to share my favourite Halwa recipe for desserts theme in BM#57 week 2 day 1 post..............

prep time: 10 mins 

 cooking time: 20-25 mins 

 serves- 2-3

Beetroot Halwa

Ingredients:

Grated beetroot- 1 cup 

 sugar- 3/4 cup  

cardamom powder- a pinch 

milk- 1/2 cup 

 condensed milk/ khoya - 1 tbsp  

crushed nuts- 2 tbsp

 ghee- 3/4 cup

Method:

Peel and grate beetroot.

In a heavy bottomed pan add 2 tbsp of ghee and grated beetroot saute well till the beets gets glossy look and cooks well.

Add in milk stir well and cook in slow flame till the milk absorbs completely and the beets become softer. 

Add condensed milk/khoya and sugar stir continuously by adding ghee till the ghee seperate,  rolls like a ball and doesnot stick on the sides. Now add in crushed nuts and cardamom powder. Transfer them into a serving dish and serve hot..........

Notes:

you can use carrots, pumpkin or any other root vegetable to make this halwa. It can be consumed hot or cold and it will last for 3 days. 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 57

BAKLAVA #WORLDFOODGUIDE

Baklava #worldfoodguide

Baklava #worldfoodguideBaklava From these records we know that baklava which was well known in every part of the Ottoman empire was consumed more in the mansion houses, ceremonies and the banquets.It can be said that baklava has been elaborated from a simple pastry into a dessert which needed skill in order to please the dignitaries and the rich people. Some researchers like Bert Fragner from Bamberg University claim that the culinary tastes in the Ottoman Empire has been shaped according to the tastes and preferences of the İstanbul high society. It is known that in places and mansion houses to be a master of baklava was a reason for being preferred as a cook and that it was very important that the layer of dough was very thin.Arabian cusine has its unique flavour and variety of dishes. The Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula relied heavily on a diet of dates, wheat, barley, rice and meat, with little variety, with a heavy emphasis on yogurt products, such as labneh (لبنة) (yoghurt without butterfat). As they wander so did their tastes and favored ingredients. 1. Meat: lamb and chicken are the most used, beef and camel are also used to a lesser amount, other poultry is used in some regions, and, in coastal areas, fish. Pork is completely prohibited—for Muslim Arabs, it is both a cultural as well as being prohibited under Islamic law; many Christian Arabs also avoid pork as they have never acquired a taste for it.2. Dairy products: dairy products are widely used, the most of which is yogurt and white cheese. However, butter and cream are also used extensively.3. Herbs and spices: mint and thyme (often in a mix called za'atar) are widely and almost universally used; spices are used much less than the Indian cuisine but the amount and types generally varies from region to region. Some of the included herbs and spices are sesame, saffron, turmeric, garlic, cumin, cinnamon, and sumac. Spice mixtures include baharat.4. Beverages: hot beverages are used more than cold, coffee being on the top of the list, mostly in the Gulf countries, although tea is also served in many Arab countries. In Egypt and Jordan tea is the more important hot beverage than coffee for instance.5. Grains: rice is used for most dishes; wheat is the main source for bread, as well as bulgur and semolina, which are also used extensively.6. Legumes: lentils are widely used as well as fava beans and chick peas (garbanzo beans).7. Vegetables and fruits: this cuisine also favors vegetables such as cucumbers, aubergine (eggplant), courgette (zucchini), okra and onions, and fruits (primarily citrus), are often used as seasonings for entrees. Olives are a large part of the cuisine as well in addition to dates, figs and pomegranate.8. Nuts: almonds, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts are often included.9. Greens: parsley and mint are popular as seasonings in many dishes, while spinach and Corchorus (called "molokhia" in Arabic) are used in cooked dishes.10. Dressings and sauces: The most popular dressings include various combinations of olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, and/or garlic, and tahini (sesame paste). Labaneh, thinned yogurt, is often seasoned with mint and onion or garlic, and served as a sauce with various dishes.I am blogging here about Arab cusine for our world food guide. We are organizing an event in that space to join hands with people to explore the culinary world. Bloggers and Non-bloggers can participate in the event. The active participant will get an award named "AWESOME CHEF OF WFG"For further details just logon to our fb group https://www.facebook.com/groups/worldfoodguide/ or our g+ community https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/101286972637891836002Here comes my recipe for A series- Arabian delicaciesBaklava is the queen of Arabian dessert. Almost all the peoples of the Middle East, Eastern Mediterranean, Balkans, Caucasia; Turks, Arabs, Jews, Greeks, Armenians, Bulgarians introduce baklava as their national dessert. Whether baklava came from ancient Greek or from Byzantine or whether from the nomadic times of Arabs and Turks , it is clear that what we now define as classical baklava had taken its elaborate form during the Ottoman period.The oldest reports about baklava is Topkapı Palace kitchen notebooks from the Fatih period. According to this report baklava was baked in the Palace in 1473. Evilya Çelebi has written that in the middle of the 17th century he as a guest in the mansion house of the esquire of Bitlis has eaten baklava.These are the story of BAKLAVA . Now lets go into the recipe sectionPhyllo dough:Flour- 11/3 cups  water-1/2 cup  oil-2 tbsp vinegar/lemon juice- 1/2 tspIn a large bowl add Oil, Water and Vinegar/lemon juice mix well add the flour in slowly and knead to form a smooth dough. After kneading well cover them with damp cloth and rest them aside for 2 hrs. Meanwhile make the syrup and pistachio filling.Pistachio filling:pistachios- 1/2 cup  sugar- 1/4 cupIn a mortar and pestle add the nuts and sugar grind them till coarse and set aside.Usually they will prepare a honey syrup but I made it with oranges and a dash of honey. Syrup:Sugar- 1 cupwater-1 cuphoney-1 tsporange rind- 1/2 tsporange juice- 1/2 tspcinnamon stick-1/2 inchBoil all together for 10 mins till it forms a thick syrup.To glaze:Clarified butter- 1/4 cupMethod:Take a ball shaped dough out of phyllo dough and roll them into thin sheets dusting with flour. The sheet should be ultra thin then cut them into the shape of the baking dish. Grease the baking dish with clarified butter and then grease the sheet also on one side. place the greased side above on the baking dish and roll out another one, repeat the same to form 4-5 layers of phyllo sheets. You can use more layers also. Spread the pistachio filling to cover  the sheet. Then again arrange the layer of phyllo sheets greased with clarified butter and then spread the filling then do vice versa. End with sheets greased over and then cut them into diamond shape.Preheat oven in 200°c Bake the baklava dish at 200°c for 25 mins and pour the syrup over the baklava still its warm. Leave them for few mins and enjoy your crispy baklava. I assure you that you will melt along with your bakalava when you have your first bite............ 

SALTED CARAMEL POTS DE CREME

Salted caramel (pot de creme)

Caramelization is the tasty form of sugar  salted and mix with yolks and cream.......creamy saucy dish in a pot...mmmmmm yummy to eat.....I love its taste and natural color due to caramelization of sugar. Its an easy and tasty dish for kids and elders. It is a traditional french dish and delicious to have.........

After a long gap I'm posting this recipe for Baking partners by Swathi iyer. I made a slight difference from the recipe that enhanced its taste......

prep time-10 mins

Baking time-40 mins

serves-4-5

Recipe source:epicurious

Ingredients:

Sugar-3/4 cups

  Water-2 tbsp

  Salt- a pinch  

Cream-1/2 cup

 Milk powder-1/4 cup

  Egg yolks- 3

 Flaked salt- 1/2 tsp

Method:

In a non-stick pan add sugar melt them till it changes its colour add in water and salt boil till it attains caramelization. whisk in cream and milk powder to the mixture and heat till it dissolves and slightly cool them.

In a clean bowl beat yolks till it thickens and changes into pale colour add the caramelised mixture and whisk well.

Preheat the oven in 180°c

Pour the caramel cream into the greased ramekins/silicon cupcake moulds/ greased aluminium cups. In a large baking pan add 1/2 water and place the filled moulds in water bath. Bake at 180°c for 40 mins and cool them in fridge for 3-4 hrs and serve with Icecream or caramel sauce................

 

SWEET BREAD STICKS

Sweet bread sticks

My kids wants something to eat when they return from home. They love to have bread with variations of bread masala, bread shahi tukda or even bread spreaded with jam, nutella, mayo anything can do.......... My friend suggested this recipe with simple ingredients  yummy sweet bread sticks. I share this recipe with you for shh.....secretly challenge by priya. This time she is my partner and suggested me milk and bread. Even kids themselves can try this recipe and enjoy.....!!!!!!

Ingredients:

Bread - 5-6 slices,any kind of bread 

 Milk - 1/2 cup  

Eggs -2 

 sugar- 2 tbsp Can add more for sweetness  

 Light cream- 1 tbsp (optional)

Butter to toast

Method:

In a large bowl add eggs,milk,cream and sugar whisk them together till it combines well, cut the bread into long strips. Heat griddle/pan add 1 tbsp of butter and dip the bread sticks into the mixture and arrange them in the griddle. Toast them well till it crisps and serve hot. No need of side dish or any dips for this bread sticks. You can have it as dessert/ snack.Enjoy this snack with your kids.....!!!!!!!

BASBOUSA(SEMOLINA CAKE)

Semolina cake(Basbousa)

Semolina is a coarse form of wheat and used in pastas,puddings,couscous,south Indian Rava dosa and in many desserts too.....This semolina cake is made in middle-east countries.It tastes like our kesari but in a baked version.A yummy and sugary treat to all my viewers........... 

BASBOUSA(SEMOLINA CAKE)

Ingredients:For Syrup:

  sugar-625 gms

       water-200 m

lemon few drops

  orange blossom water-1 tsp I used orange essence      

   rosewater-1 tsp I used orange juice

For the cake:

semolina-400 gms

sugar-200 gms

desiccated coconut- 40 gms(optional)

 baking powder-1/2 tsp

 milk -200 ml(this is the minimum you will need, but you may need more, according to your semolina)

vanilla essence-1 tsp

melted butter-30 gms 

 tahini (sesame paste)(I haven't used) 

 blanched almonds to decorate

Method:

To make the syrup:

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Bring to heat and cook, stirring until it boils. Add drops of lemon and boil for 3 minutes. Let cool and mix the  orange essence and juice.

To make the batter:

Grease a baking dish with butter and set aside.In a large bowl, mix semolina, sugar, coconut and baking powder. Make a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the butter, vanilla, syrup and milk gradually. Mix with your hands. The semolina will absorb the milk ,so add milk little by little, until the batter looks like a porridge. Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish then cover and  rest aside  for about 12 hours or over night.

Preheat oven to  200°C 

 Mark the cake into  squares with a knife and place a blanced almond in each square.Bake for  about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cut the squares into pieces.Bake somemore time till browned on top.Heat the syrup. Soak the hot cake with the syrup,cool them and remove from tin.Serve the glazing cake with some more syrup on top and enjoy............!!!!!!!!!!!!

Note:

I've avoided coconut you can use it if you want.