in love with food

August 18, 2013

PANEER SHASHLIK(LOW CAL AND FAT FREE)

A definite party pleaser and a tantalising snack especially if you have vegetarian guests coming over. Guilt free but full on taste and flavour, its colourful and light...must try!!!

Ingredients-

Cottage cheese(paneer)- 250 gms

Red and yellow Bell peppers (capsicum)- 1 each

Onion- 2 (chopped into largish bite size pcs)

Thick low fat Curd- 250gms

Ginger+garlic paste(fresh)- 1 tbsp

Garam masala- 1tsp

Lemon juice- 1 tsp

Finely chopped green chillies-1-2

Mint leaves- a handful, finely chopped

Coriander leaves- a handful, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Chaat masala to sprinkle on top

Wooden skewers(soaked in water so that they don’t burn)

Method-

Whip the curd well.
Add ginger+garlic paste, garam masala, lemon juice, green chillies, garam masala, coriander, mint and salt/pepper to the whipped curd.
Cut paneer into largish squares and marinate in the above mixture for 2 hours or overnight.
Cut onion and peppers into bite size pieces.
Final assembly-
Take a wooden skewer , alternately thread the onion then the marinated paneer, bell pepper, keep repeating, finishing with the onion in that order.
Grill/ Pan roast the skewers till brown and done.
Sprinkle chaat masala and serve hot.

August 15, 2013

August 11, 2013

An utterly gorgeous cake, made extra tender with the use of buttermilk..seems like the old adage -"We eat with the eyes first".. comes true, whoever I have served it to seem first to fall in love with the attractive red colour and then the chocolaty tenderness of it. A great hit at parties and birthdays!

Ingredients-

Ground white sugar- 1 and ½ cups

Eggs-2

Cocoa- 4 tbsp

Butter- 1 cup, softened

Salt-1/2 tsp

Vanilla essence- 1 tsp

Buttermilk- 1 cup

Plain flour- 2 and ½ cups

Baking powder- 2 tsp

White vinegar- 1 tbsp

Red food colour- 4 tbsp

Baking soda- ½ tsp

For the icing-

300 ml heavy cream//Cream cheese( whatever is available, original recipe calls for cream cheese)

½ cup castor sugar

½ tsp vanilla essence

Method-

Preheat oven to 200 degree C
Grease and flour two 9- inch cake pans
Cream butter and sugar together very well. Add eggs and beat well.
Add the cocoa, food colour, salt, vanilla to the creamed mixture.
Now alternately add flour and buttermilk, mix well, in the end add the vinegar.
Pour batter into the prepared cake pans and bake for 30 minutes.
Cool completely.

For the icing-

Take a clean mixing bowl and combine cream/ cream cheese along with the rest of the ingredients, beat well till light and fluffy.

For assembling-

Sandwich the cake with a quarter of the prepared icing , spread the rest on top and sides.

Chill well before serving.

July 19, 2013

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July 14, 2013

READY TO EAT MANGO PICKLE IN UNDER 5 MINS!

Fresh mangoes are all over the place, sweet and sour delicious juicy goodness! After having my fill of sweet , I got my hands on some small sour raw ones and decided to make a super quick, fresh, ready to eat pickle...so here goes the recipe...

Ingredients-

Raw mangoes- 1 kg (washed and peeled)
Mustard oil-1\2 cup
Onion seeds (kalonji)- 1tsp
Fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)-2 tsp
Aniseed (saunf)- 2 tsp
Turmeric powder-1 tsp
White til- 1/2 tsp
Sugar/ jaggery-2 tsp
Whole red chillies-4-5
Green chillies- 4-5 slit
Asafoetida (hing)- 1 pinch
Cumin seeds-a pinch
Cayenne pepper ( deggi mirch)-2 tsp
Redchilli powder- acc.to taste
Salt- acc. to taste

Method-

Take the peeled mangoes and slice into small pieces.

Heat mustard oil in a heavy bottom pan and add mustard oil, after 2 mins, lower flame and add all the ingredients in the order listed.

Fry the spices for a minute.

Add the sliced mangoes, and mix well to coat evenly, cook for a minute.

Cool and transfer to an airtight container, keep refrigerated.

Will keep for upto 2 weeks.

Enjoy with hot parathas, dal- rice...basically to spice up any meal!

June 16, 2013

TRADITIONAL ENGLISH BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING

The weather has changed dramatically...fresh, sunny, summery salads have given way to more substantial, heavier comforting foods as it rains incessantly outside...comfort food calls out..
Can we leave indulging the sweet tooth behind? Todays recipe is perfect for misty monsoon showers...sweet, cinnamony, thick, buttery and warming...

Ingredients-
8 slices white bread with crusts- cut in halves
(Any type of leftover bread can be used)
2 large tbsp soft yellow butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups full cream milk
2 large eggs
A large pinch cinnamon
A pinch of nutmeg
Handful of raisins/ sultanas
1/2 tsp vanilla essence ( optional)

Method-
Butter the bread and arrange half of it in an overlapping way on to a buttered ovenproof dish. Preheat oven to 180 C.
In a large bowl combine eggs and sugar and beat well, slowly pour the milk and then the rest of the ingredients.
Pour over the arranged bread slices and cover with remaining buttered bread, pour rest of milk and egg mixture on top, bake for half an hour till browned and bubbly.
Serve warm with clotted cream.