Blondies

Blondies are indulgent desserts that are hard to resist.  The brown sugar gives the blondies their distinctive molasses flavor and they are rich, chewy and extremely delicious. Since brown sugar is the critical flavor, I used a combination of light and dark brown sugars.  This original recipe is from Bobby Flay. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Butter - 1 1/2 stick
All-purpose Flour (Maida) - 1 1/2 cups
Light Brown sugar - 1 cup
Dark Brown sugar - 1/2 cup
Eggs - 2
Chocolate chips (milk) - 1 cup
Toasted Almonds (optional) - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla extract - 1 1/2 tsp

Method

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9x9 baking pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt and set them aside.

Melt butter in a saucepan and add both the brown sugars and whisk until the sugar is melted.  Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let it cool. Add the eggs and vanilla extract until combined.  Add the flour mixture and whisk until just incorporated.  Fold in the chocolate chips and the almonds.  Transfer the mixture to the buttered pan.

Bake until the top cracks slightly and is firm to touch and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (about 30 minutes).  Remove the bars and let it cool completely and cut them into 2-inch squares.

Easy Cream cheese pound cake (box recipe)

The original recipe is from Duncan Hines website. It is a keeper of a cake recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Duncan Hines Butter Cake mix

Cream cheese- 8 oz

Eggs - 4

Canola oil - 1/2 cup

Hot water - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Butter - 2 tbsp

Vanilla - 1 tbsp

Method

Heat oven to 325ºF.
Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, butter, oil and vanilla in a large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each until blended. Gradually beat in flour and hot water on low speed until blended.  

Pour the batter into a greased bundt pan.

Bake for about an hour at 350, until it is light brown and starts to pull away from the sides.

Enjoy!

Mango Pound cake

It's summer and mangoes are abundant. If you like mangoes, then you will definitely like this cake.  It's hard to believe that finely chopped mangoes can give a homemade pound cake this much flavor. The cake was delicious!

Ingredients

All-purpose Flour (Maida) - 2 cups
Baking powder - 11/2 tsp
PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese - 8 oz 
Butter - 3/4 cup (11/2 stick) 
Sugar - 2 cups
Eggs - 4 
Vanilla - 1 tbsp 
Mangoes - 2

Method
 

Heat oven to 325ºF.

Beat cream cheese, butter, granulated sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each until blended. Gradually beat in flour and baking powder on low speed until blended.
 
Pour 1/3 of the cake batter into 12-cup tube pan sprayed with cooking spray. Toss mangoes with remaining flour; stir into remaining cake batter. Pour over batter in pan.

Bake for an 1 hour and 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool cake in the pan for 10 min. Loosen cake from sides of pan with knife. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove pan. 

Enjoy!

Chilli Parotta

Chilli Parotta is a popular dish served in restaurants in Tamil Nadu, India.  You can use the leftover Parottas and turn it into a scrumptious dish. Chilli Parotta is usually served with raitha in restaurants.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

Parathas (Frozen) - 4

Onion - 1 big

Green chillies - 3-4

Tomato - 1 

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 3/4 tsp

Salt

Curry leaves

Cilantro leaves

 

Method

Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan and add some mustard seeds and urad dhal. When mustard seeds splutter, add the chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves.  When the onion become translucent, add ginger and garlic paste and fry for 3 minutes.  Add the chopped tomatoes and the spices and salt and saute the mixture till the onion and tomato blend well with the spices.

Cook the parathas and cut into bite size pieces.  Add the paratha pieces  to the onion - tomato mixture. Mix the ingredients until the parathas are well coated with the spices.

Garnish the chilli parotta with Cilantro. Enjoy!

Optional : You can add an egg towards the end.

Masala Vadai (Lentil Fritters)

Masala Vadai (Lentil Fritters) is a popular South Indian snack.  It is available in all the hotels and road side shops in TamilNadu, India. Here is a simple recipe for a crispy and crunchy masala vadai. Masala vadai is served with coconut chutney and a cup of masala chai. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Bengal gram (Channa dhal) - 2 cups
Onion - 1
Curry leaves
Mint leaves
Cilantro leaves
Salt

 To grind

Green Chillies - 4-5
Fennel seeds - 11/2 tsp
Garlic - 5 pods
Ginger

Method

Soak the Bengal gram (Channa dhal) for 3-4 hours.  Grind the green chillies, fennel seeds, garlic and ginger and keep it aside.  

Drain the water completely from the Channa dhal and grind them coarsely. You can leave some whole channa dhal in the mixture. Add the chopped onions, cilantro leaves, curry leaves and the ground chilli mixture to the ground dhal.  

Make small balls and shape the balls as small patties and fry them in the oil and let the Vadai cooks on medium heat.

Drain the Vadais using a paper towel and serve the Vadais with coconut chutney. Enjoy!

Note : Soak the dhal for at least 3-4 hours. You don't need to add any water. If you feel that the dough is watery, you can add a teaspoon of rice flour. 

Spicy Meatballs (Kola Urundai)

Spicy Meatballs (Kola Urundai) is an authentic South Indian dish. It can be prepared with ground meat with a blend of spices, onion, ginger, garlic, cilantro and curry leaves. Spicy Meatballs can be served as an appetizer. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Minced Meat - 1 lb
Onion - 1
Coriander Leaves
Curry Leaves
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Coconut - 3-4 tbsp
Tamarind - little
Egg - 1
Salt

To grind

Red chilies - 5
Garlic - 3-4
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Moong dhal - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 stickCardamom - 3
Cloves - 3-4

Method

Roast the spices listed under "To Grind" and grind the spices with tamarind and coconut into a smooth paste and set it aside.

In a bowl add the minced meat, chopped onion, turmeric powder, curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt, the ground spices and the egg.

Combine all the ingredients and make lemon sized balls. If the balls are too big, then the meat balls may not get cooked properly.

Heat oil in a pan and carefully drop the meat balls into the oil. Fry the meat balls on  medium flame and fry till it turns nice brown in color.  Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Soup

If you need a break from the heavy food, prepare a pot of chicken soup on your stove and serve it with warm dinner rolls. A bowl of chicken soup will sooth a sore throat and a welcome meal on a cold day!

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 whole
Onion - 1 big
Green chillies (optional) - 3
Carrots
Celery
Curry leavesCilantro leaves
Bay leaf
Cumin powder
Pepper powder
Salt

Method

Place the Chicken in a pan and add enough water (you can use chicken broth + water) and add the vegetables (carrots and celery). Add enough salt, turmeric powder and cumin powder.

Cover and simmer for 30 - 40 minutes or until chicken is done and vegetables are tender.

Take the chicken and remove the bones and cut into small pieces and add the chicken back to the soup.

In a pan, add 3-4 tsp of oil and saute the onions, green chillies and curry leaves. When the onion becomes translucent, add the soup with the vegetables and chicken. Garnish the soup with cilantro leaves.

Serve in a bowl, then sprinkle black pepper over the top. Enjoy!

Shrimp Biriyani

Biriyani is a rice dish cooked with a combination of spices and cooked with some meat.  It is usually an elaborate process to cook biriyani with chicken or lamb. But, when it is shrimp Biriyani, the rice dish can be prepared in 30 minutes. This is an easy recipe for Shrimp Biriyani and it goes well with Fish Fry. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Shrimp (Peeled and Deveined) - 1 pound
Basumathi Rice - 2 cups
Onion - 1 big
Tomatoes - 2
Green chillies - 3
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Yogurt - 3 tbsp
Salt
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Bay leaf
Mint
Cilantro leaves

To Grind
Cinnamon - 2"
Cloves - 5
Cardamom - 4
Star Anise - 2
Marati Mokku - 2

For marinating Shrimp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Method

Marinate the shrimp with salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder for 30 minutes. Soak the Basumathi rice in water for 30 minutes.

In a pan, heat 3-4 tbsp of butter and when the butter melts, add the chopped onions, mint and cilantro leaves.  Add the ground biriyani spices (ingredients under to grind) and saute the onions for 2-3 minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger paste and saute until the onion becomes translucent.  Add the marinated Shrimp and saute the shrimp for 3-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, green chillies, salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder.  Let the tomatoes blend well with the onion and Shrimp mixture. 

Set the flame to medium and add the rice and stir until the rice is coated with the butter-onion mixture. Add 31/2 - 4 cups of water and cover the pan with a lid and let the rice cook well.

Switch off the stove when the water is absorbed by the rice and the rice is cooked well.

Enjoy!

Easy sour cream pound cake

This is an easy and quick recipe for a super moist delicious pound cake.You can use fresh or frozen strawberries for the cake topping. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Cake Mix - 1
Sour cream - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Oil - 2/3 cup
Eggs - 4
Vanilla - 2 tsp

Method

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Grease a Bundt pan and set aside. Combine the cake mix, sour cream, sugar and oil in a large bowl and mix gently using a mixer at medium speed.

Add eggs one at a time until mixed thoroughly.  Add the vanilla essence and pour the batter into the bundt pan.

Bake at 350 deg for 45-50 minutes or until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting the cake. Enjoy!

Vazhaipoo Vadai (Banana Flower Fritters)

Vazhaipoo Vadai (Banana Flower Fritters) is a popular snack in South India. It is made with bengal gram and banana flowers and the addition of the banana flower enhances the taste of the snack. The only drawback is cleaning the banana flower is a time consuming process. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Channa Dhal - 1 cup

Banana Flower 1 cup (Cleaned and Chopped)

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

Onion - 1 medium

Green Chillies - 3-4

Ginger (crushed) - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves

Cilantro leaves

Salt

Method 

Soak Channa dhal for 3-4 hours. Drain the water completely and grind coarsely. Combine the rest of the ingredients to the dhal and form a thick dough.

Make small patties from the dough.

Deep fry the patties in oil. Enjoy!