For a bright morning !!

So you see I have been a teacher about half my life ( not exaggerating) . Started out very young but now I believe ( maybe think) cooking  is my calling in life. Learning new things and trying them out always was my interest but now I have found what a big world it is and Oh!! how fulfilling. The smell of a freshly brewed coffee and a healthy breakfast awakens your senses and energizes you for the day..
So let's kickstart our day with the  breakfast of freshly baked banana bread, some oats and almond cookies and sunny side up with garlic toasts ...  I love the aroma wafting out from the kitchen . Here is my special banana bread ( incidentally v popular with my son and his gang). Now this recipe is eggless
A quick and easy bread which is moist and soft.
 BANANA BREAD
4 medium bananas (preferably ripe)
1 cup wheat flour
1/2 cup refined flour ( We can go with only wheat flour as well)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup honey or regular sugar ( I prefer honey as its healthier)
1/2 cup butter or any neutral flavored oil
1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder
Some walnuts chopped and tutti frutti
Method:
Preheat your oven at 180 degrees . Meanwhile sift together the dry ingredients through a sieve
Peel the bananas and give them a quick whisk in a blender. take the out in a large bowl, add sugar/ honey oil and vanilla extract. whisk with a hand blender till it is smooth and creamy.now fold the dry ing. and add chopped walnuts and tutti frutti .Pour the batter in a lined loaf pan.
Tap it slightly and bake at 180 degrees for about 35-40 mins or till the toothpick inserted in comes out clean.
rest it for a while , slice it and then serve it with cinnamon cream .
PS: The bread may take a little time depending on the temperature of your oven. A clear indicator is a clean inserted toothpick.  So get set go...

Freshly baked banana bread

Strawberry sauce and cinnamon cream 

Thandai mousse cake... My Holi special

Hi folks
catching up after a loooooooong time, wat with a sudden move to a new ,place settling things and finally with things settling I'm back with some recipes that i tried but was not able to post...   So here is my Holi Special tried to be innovative with our favorite thandai giving it a twist...
THANDAI MOUSSE CAKE

1 cup fresh curd
1/2 cup refined oil
3/4 cup sugar
1tsp cardamom powder
A few drops of cardamom essence
Method:
Sift together the dry ingredients, in a big bowl whisk together curd,oil sugar, cardamom essence till it reaches smooth consistency. Bake it in a round tin at 180 degrees for about 35-40 mins. ( or till a toothpick comes out clean). Once baked leave it on the wire rack to cool. Meanwhile prepare the mousse.
For Thandai Mousse:
I cup fresh cream
1/2 cup white chocolate compound
Thandai powder( I made it at home, you can use marketed product also)
A few strands of saffron
11/2 cup whipped cream
A bit of rose essence
Pistachios and almonds to decorate. Some rose petals too
Method:
For the ganache: Heat fresh cream for about 2 mins , then add melted chocolate to it( melt on a double boiler) , a few strands of saffron, whisk till smooth. Add the thandai powder to it.

 Now whisk the whipped cream and slowly fold in the cold ganache ( prepared earlier) . Add a few drops of rose essence.

 For Assembling:Take a spring foam base. Put the cake and pour the mousse mixture onto it. Now decorate with slivered pistachios and almonds and few rose petals.. Cover it with a foil and refrigerate for 5-6 hours or till set ( preferably overnight) . Demould it by slightly moving a knife around it and you are good to go. The final product👇🏻hope you'll enjoy baking and eating it. Like I say You can have your cake and eat it too.. till next time Happy cooking

Karwa Chauth Special....

For all the ladies fasting for their soulmates well being and long life and all the husband's wanting their wives fast to end on a feast... Here's something to appease the taste buds...

LAUKI- MOONG ROLLS.....
Ingredients:
1 cup shredded bottle gourd
2 cups of full cream milk.
1 cup dried milk (Khoya)
3/4th cup sugar.
2 Tbsp of clarified butter (desi ghee)
Pistachio's  and Almonds (soaked and slivered)- 1 cup
Cardamom Powder -1 tsp
1 cup moong dal (soaked overnight) and coarsely grounded
1/2 cup dried milk
1/2 cup sugar.
Clarified butter ( For roasting the dal paste).
Method:
1. Take a wok ,slightly roast shredded bottle gourd, then put milk in the wok and let it cook till the bottle gourd is softened.
2. When the milk starts drying add sugar,and cook till it dries .
3. Now add dried milk and keep stirring till completely dried.
4. Add a tbsp of desi ghee and roast it.Add cardamom powder.
5. Let it cool and keep aside.
For the Moong dal mix:
1. Take a wok. put it on fire,put 2-3 tbsp of desi ghee in it.
2. Add coarsely grounded dal in it and keep roasting it on low heat .
3. Once roasted to perfection add sugar and keep stirring it.
4. Now add dried milk and stir till  it dries out.
Let it cool and keep aside.
(For enhancing taste a little saffron water can be added to the roasted dal mix before adding sugar)
TIP; Before adding the moong dal mix to ghee, put a tbsp of Semolina( Suji) to it, It won't stick.

Now to assemble it ; Take an aluminium foil. Put a layer of lauki mixture on it. Sprinkle a lil dry fruit mix. Now on top of it arrange a layer of moong dal mix. Now start rolling the foil from one side and tightly  roll it. Let it set in refrigerator from an hour or so. Take it out , roll the mix in pistachio and almond slivers and cut in small roundels.
Voila! The rolls are ready to be served to loved ones... Serve with Fig Apricot Sauce.

Munch munch.....

PANEER RICE ROLLS....

1/2 kg paneer (Indian cottage cheese), Shredded

1-1/2 cups cooked rice

1/2 tsp Soda bicarb

1 cup cornflour

2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste

1 tsp white sesame seeds (Til)

1-1/2 tsp poppy seeds (khus-khus)

1 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp chili paste

2 tsp buttermilk

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

Fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

2 tbsp green spring onions, finely chopped

Salt to taste 

Oil to deep fry

How to make Paneer Rice Rolls:-

• Take a big bowl and combine cornflour, buttermilk, salt and soda bicarb.
• Gradually add water and make a smooth batter.
• Make sure, the batter should be lumps free.
• Keep this batter aside for 2 hours to set.
• After keeping the batter for 2 hours, mix the remaining ingredients and make a soft dough
• Heat good amount of oil in a frying pan.
• Now make desired shapes and dip into batter.
• Coat from all the sides and drop into hot oil.
• Fry one medium high flame, till the rolls turns crispy and crunchy.
• Drain on oil absorbent paper and serve immediately with green chutney and tomato sauce.

Gorge on...

Bright and sunny dawns the day with a hint of cold ... a perfect day to enjoy our breakfast
So lets start the perfect day with some healthy and filling breakfast to last us for some time to face the daunting tasks of the day....
Shared here is a recipe of Soy and Dal Puris and Tofu and tomato curry...
For the Puri's we need
Wheat flour : 1 Cup
Soy Flour : 1/2 Cup
Cooked Pulse : 1/2 cup ( preferably moong or urad dal)
* You can use leftover dal of last night also.
Dried Fenugreek ( Kasuri Methi): 1 tbsp
Salt and black pepper powder to taste.
A pinch of Asafoetida.
1 tsp oil.
Knead all the ingredients into a dough . Cover it with a muslin cloth and let it rest for some time.
For the Tofu Curry:
Tofu : 150 gms
Tomato :2 pureed
Green chilli: 1 chopped finally
Ginger : a small piece chopped finally
Curry leaves: 4-5
Oil to cook
Salt, red chilli powder, turmeric,garam masala, dried mango powder and Kitchen king (optional)-as per taste
Method: 1. Heat oil in a wok, add mustard seeds,green chilli and chopped ginger and curry leaves. Let it spultter
2. Add tomato puree, let it cook till it leaves the sides.
3. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder,dried mango powder and salt .
4. Let it cook for some time , add tofu and a little warm water. Let it boil and then take it off the fire.
 5. Sprinkle garam masala and chopped coriander leaves.

Roll the puri's , Fry them in hot oil and serve with the curry. Enjoy with fresh curd or raita !!

ENJOY!!

Hey Folks .. been a long time
Today we finished with Navmi puja and fasts so let our taste buds revive with a sumptuous  Palak Khumb Biryani.... A complete meal in itself and yummy...

PALAK KHUMB BIRYANI

Yet another Prize winning recipe of mine... hope you'll all enjoy this.. Recipe follows...

                                        

A Little something to pep you up :FIG & APRICOT PUDDING...

Here I'm back with another pudding to pep you up after a hard day...
All we need is 250 grams of Figs and same amount of apricots. We need to pressure cook them with a little water for about 15 mins (3-4 whistles). Once its cooled we need to blend them into a fine puree (after taking out the seeds )and sieve it. Now blend about a 100 gms of cream and about 100 gms of condensed milk with a tablespoon of honey , Add a little gelatin and the puree of figs and apricot . Let it set for about 2hrs in a freezer and before serving keep it in refrigerator for about 15 -20 mins.
Enjoy the light dessert and pep up your spirits...