NEW YEAR SPECIAL CHOCOLATE CAKE

• Flour 2cups (sieved)
• Baking powder ( 2tsp)
  
• Cocoa powder 1cup
  
• 2 cups sugar (finely ground)
  
• 4 duck-eggs (well beaten)
  
• essence of vanilla
• 1/2 cup milk
• Margarine (2 tbsp, melted)
• Refined oil (2tsp)
  
• Dry friuts (cashews, raisins, cherries ... almonds , soaked in orange juice for overnight)
  

Place sugar and the egg and beat it with the help of a fork (approx 100 times). Add the sieved flour ,along with cocoa powder, baking powder, butter and milk into the mixture and again beat at least 200 times. Grease the cake pot with butter uniformly, and pour the mixture into it, and refreigerate for 1/2 an hour, after covering it.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven at 180 deg Celsius, take the cake-pot out of the refrigerator and place it immediately in the pre-heated OTG, on the middle rack (keep both, the top and the bottom heaters on) for 30 minutes.

Ensure that the full cake is baked, by using a dip-stick ... see that nothing liquidy sticks to it.

This new year I have made this Chocolate cake for my friends and family.

Wishing you all a very HAPPY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.

Keema Burger

Ingredients:
* Minced Mutton (Keema) : 250 gms
* Onion (finely chopped) : 200 gms.
* Ginger-Garlic (grated) : 4tsp.
* Red Chilly powder : 2tsp.
* Salt
* Sugar :1tsp
* lemon juice : 2tsp
* Turmeric powder
* Refined oil.
* Finely chopped Corriander leaves.
* Finely chopped spring onion
* Garam Masala Powder.
* a little cornflour and bread crumb as a binder.



Procedure:

* Boil the Mutton Keema along with salt and turmeric powder in a pressure cooker by adding water that is just sufficient to cook the keema.

* Then add the onion and fry till it becomes golden brown in colour.
* Add ginger-garlic and lemon juice
* Saute for 5 minutes.
* Then add salt, sugar, turmeric powder garam masala powder.
* Finally add the boiled keema and mix thoroughly with the masalas.
* Sprinkle Chopped dhaniya and spring onion from top.
Add a little corn flour and bread crumb to make it dry.
Make large balls and flatten keeping inside your palm to make keema patty. Take a non stick pan and grease with 1 tsp refined oil. Place each keema patty on the nonstick and keep for 20 mins. Place the patty inside the burger bread.
Heat on a OTG for 10 mins. Serve with french fries.

PAO BHAJI

A Simple Sheet Kaler LUNCH

Let us talk about very simple food. Just imagine the critical kitchen scenario. I am talking about a day when your maid is absent. Your mixie is not working. You have piled up outside work. You have to go for dinner with you friends.

This trio is simple and easy to cook. Try this for lunch.
Plain Rice along with Spinach (palak) Ghanto and Shrimp (chingri) Bati-chochhori.

Here is the recipe.

Palong Shaker Ghanto

Ingredients:

• Spinach(Washed and cut into medium size)
• Potato (Cut into small cubes)
• Brinjal (Cut into small cubes)
• Raddish (Mulee) (Cut into small cubes)
• Coconut (grated) and fried and coaresly crushed Bori(made from lentil paste(Mator Dal)
• Salt, Sugar and Turmeric Powder
• Green Chillies
• Bayleaf
• Cummin seeds
• Ghee and Mustard Oil
  
• Wheat Flour (1tsp)

Procedure:

Heat oil and add Cummin seeds, a few green chillies and a bay leaf to carckle and add all the vegetables except the spinach.Saute for a few minutes and add the spinach, salt and turmeric powder.Close the lid and cook on a high flame (as you know that Spnach looses lots of water when boiled). Then Open the lid after 5 minutes and add sugar .When all the veggies get cooked sprinkle the wheat flour on top to ensure complete drying and add Ghee. Switch off the burner.

Spread it on a shallow serving dish and garnish with grated coconut and Bori.


Shrimp(chingri) Batichochhori

Ingredients:

• Shrimp ( marinated with salt and turmeric powder )
• Potato (Cut into small pieces)
• Capsicum (optional)
• Onion (finely chopped)
• Green chillies (slit)
  
• Red Chilly Powder
  
• Salt
• Turmeric Powder
• Mustard oil

Procedure:

Heat oil and fry the onion and potato for 5 minutes. Add the shrimp,salt and turmeric powder. Add water (not too much). Then cook till the potato is cooked. Add red chilly powder and quite a lot of green chillies. Finally add 2tsp Mustard oil on top.
Serve hot with rice.

CHICKEN SOUP

Boneless Chicken [cut into small pieces]
Grated Carrot (1/4 cup)
Finely chopped Cabbage (1/2 cup)
Finely Chopped Garlic (1tsp)
Dry red Chillies (cut into two halves)
Black Pepper Powder
Salt and a little sugar
Tomato Ketchup(2tsp)
White vinegar (1tsp)
Soya Sauce (1tsp)
Maggi Soup Powder (4tsp)
Butter (1tsp)

Boil the chicken pieces along with salt and black pepper by adding 3 cups of water (that serves 3 people)
Mix the maggi Soup powder along with all the ingredients except the veggies.
Add this mixture to the boiling soup and stir continuously.
Add the vegetables.
Boil again for just one minute.
Add the butter and remove from heat.

• YOUR YUMMY CHICKEN SOUP IS READY!!!!

I never use CORN FLOUR while making soup...as you know that too much corn flour is not good for health.

Cheesy Garlic Toast with Hot Soup !

As you know that my son Shubhayan is a student of BITS Pilani and stays in a hostel attached to the college. He is not only fond of all that I cook at home but he is even more enthusiastic about getting my recipes -- including the pictures -- into this blog. So I miss him a lot while I cook and my own enthusiasm about cooking and blogging takes a hit. What this means is that on most evenings I generally make do with this Cheesy garlic Toast along with a soup -- a combination that includes vegetables/chicken/egg and is a complete dinner of sorts for me and my husband ! Please try this Cheesy Garlic Toast and I will be back in this week end with a lovely Chicken soup recipe for all of you!!!

Ingredients :

• Any kind of fresh Bread of your choice [these are now available in all super markets/bakeries. please do not use the standard sliced bread...]
• Finely chopped Garlic
• Sandwich Spread [I often use the FUN FOOD brand ]
• Oregano
• Black Pepper Powder
• Grated Cheese

Procedure :

• Cut the Bread loaf according to your choice [ I love to do this...because presentation is more important !!]
• Put the sandwich Spread with the help of a knife uniformly over the braed pieces.
• Arrange grated cheeseand chopped garlic together.
• Sprinkle Oregano and black pepper powder on top.
• Toast the bread pieces on a OTG at 180 degree Celsius for 10 minutes till they are light brown in colour and crispy!!
• Serve with any soup of your choice.

I will be back with the soup recipe shortly...please bear with me.

A VERY SPECIAL BENGALI MEAL

Brinjal Bharta

Ingredients

• Brinjal
• Onion : finely chopped
• Ginger : grated 1/2tsp
• Green Chillies : finely chopped
• Fresh coriander leaves : finely chopped.
• Spring onion : finely chopped
• Capsicum : finely chopped.
• Tomato : cut into thin slices
• Salt and a little sugar.
• Lemon juice.
• Refined oil : 2tsp

Procedure

• Roast the Brinjal over a high flame of your gas burner.
• Peel off the skin and mash properly with a fork.
• Fry onion, capsicum in oil an add the mashed brinjal along with all other ingredients.
• Saute for 2 minutes.
• Sprinkle fresh coriander on top.
• Serve with Hot TAWA ROTI/CHAPATI

Mutton Keema Ghugney

• Minced Mutton (Keema) : 250 gms
• Matar (soaked in water for overnight) : 250 gms.
• One Large Potato (cut into small cubes)
  
• Coconut (finely cut into small pieces)
• Onion (finely chopped) : 200 gms.
• Ginger-Garlic paste : 4tsp.
• Tomato puree : 2tbsp
  
• Red Chilly powder : 2tsp.
• Salt
• Sugar :1tsp
• Amchur powder : 2tsp
• Turmeric powder
  
• Mustard oil.
• Finely chopped Corriander leaves.
• Bayleaves.
• Garam Masala Powder.

• Boil the Mutton Keema along with salt and turmeric powder in a pressure cooker by adding water that is just sufficient to cook the keema.
• Boil the Matar in the pressure cooker till it is just cooked.
• Fry the potatoe cubes in mustard oil along with coconut pieces.
• Then add the onion and fry till it becomes golden brown in colour.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and tomato puree.
• Saute for 5 minutes.
• Then add salt, sugar, amchur powder, turmeric powder garam masala powder and bayleaf.
• Finally add the boiled keema and matar and mix thoroughly with the masalas.
• Add a little water.
• Sprinkle Chopped dhaniya from top.

Serve hot with paratha/puree/dalpuree or simply with toasted bread.

You can also make this delicious Ghugney without mutton keema. In that case that will be SIMPLY VEG GHUGNEY!

DAL PURI @ DININIG TABLE!!!

Flour : 500 gm
White Refined Oil
Chana Dal :1cup.
Matar Dal : 1cup
Ginger 2 inches
Red Chilly Powder: 1tsp
Dry fried jeera, dhaniya, mouri and black pepper-(coarsely powdered)
Green chillies: 6
Asafoetida (Hing) : a little
Salt and sugar to taste.
Mustard oil : 1tsp

• 

Soak the two kinds of Dal in water for at least 6 hours. Place the soaked dal in a
grinder along with ginger and green chillies and make a fine paste - be careful ! Do not add too much water. Add the Asafoetida (Hing), salt and sugar. Take a pan, grease it with mustard oil and heat it. Now put the dal paste into the heated pan and stir continuously with a spatula in medium heat till the mixture gets dried till the required consistency. Transfer the mixture to a flat metallic plate and pat it down with your palms till it forms a cake about half inch thick. Sprinkle the dry fried masala powder along with red chilly powder. Keep aside and let it stand for 10 minutes. Make small balls from the dal mashup.

In the meantime, make the dough with flour along with a pinch of Asafoetida (Hing) salt and white oil with requisite amount of water to make it very soft. Cover with a wet cloth for one hour. Make balls from the dough for the parathas and stuff each ball with the dal mashup. Roll the balls in your palm, then flatten with a rolling pin to produce the requisite circular shape. Heat the tawa and pan-fry the DALPURIS till golden brown.

Serve hot with /Alur Dum/Ghugney/Pickle

Fillet-O-Fish N Chips

Ingredients

• Becti fillet-6 pc, cleaned, pat dried, marinated with 1tsp lemon juice,salt and pepper.
• 1 inch ginger, 8-9 cloves of garlic, one small onion, 6 green chillies and a hand full of fresh coriender leaves –coarsely pasted in a grinder
• an egg
• 2tsp corn flour
• bread crumb
• refined oil for frying

Procedure

Marinate the fillet with the ginger-garlic-onion-coriander-green chilly paste for at least half an hour. Then add the egg and the corn flour. Coat each fillet uniformly with bread crumbs by placing it between the palms. Deep fry and serve with french fries and tartar dip.

Mutton Monohara

Ingredients :

• Mutton : 500 gms
• Fresh curd : 100 gms.
• Ginger paste : 2 tsp
• Garlic paste : 2 tsp
• Red chilly powder : 2tsp
• Onion : 100gms, fineley chopped length wise
• KK's Special MUTTON MASALA : made with slightly roasted and coarsely ground cloves, cinnamon, cardamom - both the green and black variety, black peeper, shah jeera, white pepper, nutmeg (jayphol) and javitri (jayeetree)
• Butter : 4tbsp
• White oil of any kind : 2tsp
• Bayleaf : A few
• Whole red Chillies
• Whole Black pepper
• Sugar : 1tsp
• Salt to taste

Procedure:

• * Marinate mutton in curd, KK's special MUTTON MASALA, salt, sugar, ginger-garlic paste, chilly powder, whole red chillies and whole black pepper for two hours.
• * Cook the mutton in a pressure cooker, only in the marinade -- without adding any additional water for 20 minutes.
• 
  
• * Fry the chopped onion in the ghee-oil till golden brown and keep aside.
• Fry 2tsp maida in 1tsp butter; let it cool and make a fine paste with 1cup water.
• Pour it into the mutton mixture. Bring it to boil and stir so that no lump is formed.
• *Sprinkle the fried onions on the cooked mutton.
• Serve hot with Chapatis/Parathas/Rice.

Try TANGRA this week end !!

• Tangra Fish : marinated with salt, turmeric powder and a pinch of red chilly powder.
  
• A fine paste made from black mustard and a few dry red chillies.
• Mustard oil.
• Panch forone.
• Finely chopped corriander leaves.
• Finely chopped tomatoes.
• Green chillies.
• Green peas
  

• Heat mustard oil and fry the Tangra fish till golden brown. Close the lid while frying. Keep aside.
  
• In the remaining oil add panch forone to splatter.
• Then add the tomatoes,green chillies and green peas.
• Add the mustard paste and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add a little water and then add the fried fish.
• Close the lid and bring it to boil on a slow flame to ensure complete cooking.
• Add 2tbsp Mustard oil and chopped corriander leaves on top.
• Serve with hot rice.
  

Prawn Malai Curry

• 
• Prawn: shelled, deveined and cleaned thoroughly
• Coconut: grated and ground in a mixie along with green chillies, nutmeg and javitri.
• Ghee and Mustard oil
• Ginger paste
• Onion paste
• Garlic paste
• Garam Masala: Coarsely ground
• Green Chillies
• Kismis and Bay leaf
• Salt, Sugar and Turmeric powder

Heat oil in a pan. Fry the onoin paste till golden brown. Add garlic and ginger paste, bayleaf, and a hand full of kismis (rasins). Saute for a few minutes. Then add the coconut paste along with salt and sugar as per choice. Sprinkle turmeric powder into the mixture. Then add the Prawns. Fry them in the thick gravy for five minutes. Add a little water and bring it to boil. Add ghee on top along with Garam Masala. Garnish with green chillies.

Serve hot with rice/chapati/fried rice.

Refresh your mind with this week-end BRUNCH at the end of Festivals!!-

• COLD COFFEE MOCHA with a hint of fresh HONEY...in vanila icecream with sprinkled chocolate chips on top,served with waffers.
• CHEESE BURGER ...made with cheesy-veggiies tossed in a white sauce made from butter,black peeper, milk and a little Mayonise.
• PAPAD WRAP..made from roasted Papad with a grated cocoanut, finely chopped fresh corriander leaves...served with black Tamarind Chutney.