Masala Kaju Namakpare – Holi Special

Namakpara a popular Indian Tea time snack and also made during the festival. It is a crunchy savory snack made with maida or all purpose flour mix with carom seeds, fennel, cumin seeds and flavored with spices. It is made in various shapes but mostly in long sticks. I gave them the shape of Cashews (Kaju) with help of small round cookie cutter. You can use bottle cap also to give them this shape. They are crispy and a perfect snack with a hot cup of tea in this festival. Do try!

Colourful Tea TIme Snacks

Masala Kaju Namkeen – Holi Special

Ingredients :

For White Dough:
Maida – 1 cup
Carom seeds or ajwain – 1/2 tsp
Roasted Fennel Powder – 1/2 tbsp
Water – 1/4 cup
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Curd – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

For Pink Dough:
Maida – 1 cup
Carom seeds or ajwain – 1/2 tsp
Boiled Beetroot Puree* – 1/4 cup
Roasted Fennel Powder – 1/2 tbsp
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Curd – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

For Green Dough:
Maida – 1 cup
Carom seeds or ajwain – 1/2 tsp
Roasted Fennel Powder – 1/2 tbsp
Boiled Palak Puree* – 1/4 cup
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Curd – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Spices:
Red chili powder – 1 tbsp
Oregano – 2 tbsp
Black pepper powder  1/2 tbsp
Roasted cumin powder – 1 tbsp
Chaat masala – 1 tbsp

Oil for deep frying
Ghee – 1 tbsp

Colorful Namkeen

Method :

1. White Dough –  Mix ghee and curd in 1 cup of flour. Rub well till all flour is coated with ghee and curd. Add a little water at a time and form a stiff dough. It needs to be stiffer than Chapati dough. Rub a little Oil/Ghee on the dough ball, cover and allow to rest for an hour.
2. Pink Dough – Mix ghee and curd in 1 cup of flour. Rub well till all flour is coated with ghee and curd. Add a little beetroot puree at a time and form a stiff dough. It needs to be stiffer than Chapati dough. Rub a little Oil/Ghee on the dough ball, cover and allow to rest for an hour.
3. Green Dough – Mix ghee and curd in 1 cup of flour. Rub well till all flour is coated with ghee and curd. Add a little spinach puree at a time and form a stiff dough. It needs to be stiffer than Chapati dough. Rub a little Oil/Ghee on the dough ball, cover and allow to rest for an hour.

Holi Recipe

How to make Kaju Shape Namkeen?

Grease the rolling surface and the rolling pin. Roll out the dough into an oval shape and it should be thicker than roti.

Using a cookie cutter or any bottle cap.

Starting from one end press half of the cookie cutter into the dough and cut an arch as shown below.

Separate the piece and keep on making another arch on the top of other to give kaju (cashew) shaped.

Beautiful kaju shaped.

Starting from one end to other end cut the dough in horizontally or vertically rows.

Fry these in oil until they turn a golden color.

Mixing Spices :

• Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a deep non-stick pan and all spices. Saute for a minute.
• Switch off the gas and toss fried kaju shape namkeen nicely.
• Allow to cool down completely. Store in an airtight container.

Tips :

1. Adjust spices according to taste.
2. First, fry white dough namkeen, then spinach namkeen and pink namkeen at last.

Perfect Holi Recipe

Sooji Gur Ka Halwa (Semolina Jaggery Pudding) – Healthy Dessert – No Sugar Dessert

Sooji Gur Ka Halwa is a delicious sweet dish made with ghee, sooji or semolina, jaggery flavored with fennel seeds and lots of dry fruits. It is a traditional North Indian dish, it is mostly prepared during Winters, as jaggery and ghee lend warmth to the body.

Healthy Winter Dessert

By adding jaggery this dessert becomes more nutritious and healthier. The benefits of jaggery include its ability to cleanse your body, sweeten your food in a healthy manner, and provide good amounts of minerals. I already shared Whole Wheat Halwa With Jaggery – Wholesome Dessert and Atta Sooji Halwa (Semolina Whole Wheat Flour Pudding) recipes on my blog.

Sooji Gur Ka Halwa (Semolina Jaggery Pudding) – Healthy Dessert

Ingredients:
Sooji or Semolina – 1 cup
Grated Jaggery – 3/4 cup
Water – 2 cups
Ghee – 5 tbsp + 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Fennel seeds – 2 tbsp
Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp
A pinch of salt
Chopped dry fruits – 1/2 cup

Sooji Gur Halwa

Method :

1. Heat 1 tsp of ghee in a deep non-stick kadai. Roast all chopped dry for a minute and keep them aside.
2. Heat 5 tbsp of ghee in a deep non-stick kadai and roast sooji till the color turns brown.
3. Boil water in another pan and add jaggery, a pinch of salt. Boil water until jaggery dissolves completely.
4. Sieve the boiled jaggery water and add in the roasted sooji. Mix it quickly and make sure there are no lumps.
5. Cook for another minute on low flame, stirring continuously.
6. Keep on stirring until the whole mixture starts thickening and starts to leave the edge of the kadai.
7. Add fennel seeds, cardamom powder, remaining 1 tbsp of ghee and mix well.
8. Garnish with chopped dry fruits and serve hot.

 

Choco Coffee Kit Kat Cake – Its Our Son’s Birthday

14 February yes, it’s Valentine Day. The Day of love but WE have one more special reason to celebrate. This day is more special for us because it is our son Reyansh’s 7th Birthday.  This Choco Coffee Kit Kat Cake is perfect for this occasion because he loves GEMS. This cake is made with whole wheat flour and it is soft, moist, filled with lots of gems and chocolate.

Choco Coffee Cake

Choco Coffee Kit Kat Cake – Its Our Son’s Birthday

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Flour – 1 cup
Baking Powder – 1 tsp
Brown sugar – 1/2 cup
Oil – 1/4 cup
Vanilla essence – 1/2 tsp
Milk – 3/4 cup
Cocoa powder – 1 tbsp
Instant Coffee Powder – 1 tbsp
Water – 2 tbsp
A pinch of salt

For Forsting:
Chocolate Sauce – 1/2 cup

Others
Kit Kat chocolate
Gems
Satin Ribbon

Method:

1. In a saucepan add water, coffee and boil for a minute. Now switch off the flame and keep this mixture aside.
2. Dry ingredients: Sieve Whole Wheat Flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and keep it aside.
3. Wet ingredients: Now grind milk, brown sugar, oil, vanilla essence, boiled coffee-water mixture in a grinder until smooth.
4. Now mix wet and dry ingredients well. Put batter into a greased pan and tab the cake pan on a countertop to release any large air bubbles.
5. Put the cake pan into the preheated pressure cooker and bake it for 1 hour.

Coffee Kit Kit Cake

Tips:

1. Adjust sugar according to your taste.
2. Baking time may vary.
3. If baking in Oven: Bake in the preheated oven at 180 deg Celsius or around 360 Fahrenheit for about 1 hour. The baking time may vary. So keep checking the cake after 40 to 45 minutes.

Gems & Kit Kat Chocolate

Pressure Cooker Method:
Grease the baking tin with oil and dust it by sprinkling whole wheat flour over greased surface evenly. Pour the mixture into the greased baking tin.

Important Notes:

• Use the baking tin of 6 inches in diameter, so that it can easily get into the pressure cooker.
• Use a 5-liter pressure cooker. It should be big enough to hold the baking pan.
• Baking Tin should be made of Aluminium.
• If baking tin comes into direct contact with the base of the pressure cooker, it can burn ( overbake ) the cake. So use pressure cooker container which has big holes in it or any aluminum small stand.
• No gasket and whistle are needed. Remove them before baking.
• Don’t add water to the pressure cooker.

How to Bake In A Pressure Cooker?

1. Heat the pressure cooker on high heat for 2 minutes. Use sea salt or sand as a layer inside a cooker. Put a steel stand on a layer of salt or sand.
2. Now put the cake tin containing the cake batter ( Do not put water inside the pressure cooker).
3. Close the pressure cooker lid and do not put the whistle on the lid. Remove the gasket (rubber ring) from the lid.
4. Lower the flame after 2 minutes. Let it bake for 50 -60 minutes on low flame. After 60 minutes check cake with a knife, if the mixture does not stick, it means the cake is done.
5. If batter still sticks to knife then again bake for another 10 minutes. Do not open the lid immediately.
6. Eggless Pressure Choco Coffee Cooker Cake is ready.

Perfect Birthday Cake

Assemble The Cake:

1. Let cool down the cake completely.
2. Cut the cake into two layers from the middle using knife or thread.
3. Place the one layer of cake on the cake board and spread the chocolate frosting using a spatula and place the second layer of cake over the first.
4. Spread the remaining frosting over the second layer and the sides of the cake.
5. Split the Kit Kat’s and start sticking Kit Kat around the cake( leave very little space between chocolate), pressing gently into the chocolate frosting.
6. Wrap a ribbon around the cake to secure the Kit Kat’s and fill the top of the cake with gems.
7.  Keep the cake in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
8. Now the cake is ready for the party. Remove the ribbon, slice it and Enjoy.

Birthday Cake

Whole Wheat Flour Cake With Brown Sugar – Tea Time Cooker Cake

Whole Wheat Walnut Cake with Brown Sugar – Tea Time Cake

It’s a simple whole wheat flour cake, I just replaced white sugar with brown sugar. It has wholesome goodness, crunchiness of walnuts and pistachios. With very few ingredients you can make this super moist, delicious tea time cake.

Brown Sugar

Whole Wheat Flour Cake With Brown Sugar

Ingredients :
Whole Wheat Flour – 1 & 1/2 cups
Brown Sugar – 3/4 cup
Milk – 1 cup
Baking powder – 2 tsp
Vanilla essence – 1/2 tsp
Chopped Walnuts & Pistachios – 1/2 cup
Refined Oil – 1/4 cup
A pinch of salt

Whole Wheat Brown Sugar Cake

Method :

1. Dry ingredients: Sieve Whole Wheat Flour, baking powder, salt. Now add chopped walnuts and pistachios. Mix them well and keep it aside.
2. Wet ingredients: Now add milk, brown sugar, oil, vanilla essence in a grinder and grind them until smooth.
3. Now mix wet and dry ingredients well. Put batter into a greased pan and tab the cake pan on a countertop to release any large air bubbles.
4. Put cake pan into the preheated pressure cooker and bake it for 1 hour.

Tips:

1. Adjust sugar according to your taste.
2. Baking time may vary.
3. If cake batter looks dry, add 2- 4 tbsp of milk.
4. If baking in Oven: Bake in the preheated oven at 180 deg Celsius or around 360 Fahrenheit for about 1 hour. The baking time may vary. So keep checking the cake after 40 to 45 minutes.

Tea Time Cake

Pressure Cooker Method:
Grease the baking tin with oil and dust it by sprinkling whole wheat flour over greased surface evenly. Pour the mixture into the greased baking tin.

Important Notes:

• Use the baking tin of 6 inches in diameter, so that it can easily get into the pressure cooker.
• Use a 5-liter pressure cooker. It should be big enough to hold the baking pan.
• Baking Tin should be made of Aluminium.
• If baking tin comes into direct contact with the base of the pressure cooker, it can burn ( overbake ) the cake. So use pressure cooker container which has big holes in it or any aluminum small stand.
• No gasket and whistle are needed. Remove them before baking.
• Don’t add water to the pressure cooker.

How to Bake In A Pressure Cooker?

1. Heat the pressure cooker on high heat for 2 minutes. Use sea salt or sand as a layer inside a cooker. Put a steel stand on a layer of salt or sand.
2. Now put the cake tin containing the cake batter ( Do not put water inside the pressure cooker).
3. Close the pressure cooker lid and do not put the whistle on the lid. Remove the gasket (rubber ring) from the lid.
4. Lower the flame after 2 minutes. Let it bake for 50 -60 minutes on low flame. After 60 minutes check cake with a knife, if the mixture does not stick, it means the cake is done.
5. If batter still sticks to knife then again bake for another 10 minutes. Do not open the lid immediately.
6. Eggless Pressure Cooker Cake is ready.

Brown Sugar Cooker Cake

Whole Wheat Halwa With Jaggery – Wholesome Dessert

Whole Wheat Halwa With Jaggery – Wholesome Dessert

This yummy dessert is made with whole wheat flour and jaggery or gur. Jaggery is loaded with antioxidants and minerals such as zinc and selenium, which in turn help prevent free-radical damage and also boost resistance against infections. It also helps increase the total count of hemoglobin in the blood. You can add white sugar or brown sugar too.

Jaggery or Gur

Whole Wheat Halwa With Jaggery – Wholesome Dessert

Ingredients :
Whole Wheat Flour  – 3/4 cup
Powder Jaggery – 3/4 cup
Water – 1 & 1/2 cup
Ghee – 5 tbsp + 1 tbsp
Roasted Fennel Powder – 1/2 tsp
Cardamom powder – 1/2 tsp
A pinch of salt
Sliced almonds for Pistachios

Whole Wheat Dessert

Method :

1. Heat 5 tbsp of ghee in a deep non-stick kadai and roast whole wheat flour till the color turns dark.
2. Boil water in another pan and add jaggery with a pinch of salt. Boil water until jaggery dissolves completely.
3. Sieve the boiled jaggery water and add in the roasted wheat flour. Mix it quickly and make sure there are no lumps.
4. Cook for another minute on low flame, stirring continuously.
5. Keep on stirring until the whole mixture starts thickening and starts to leave the edge of the kadai.
6. Add roasted fennel powder, cardamom powder, remaining 1 tbsp of ghee and mix well.
7. Garnish with sliced pistachios and serve hot.

No Sugar

Tips:
Adjust Jaggery according to your taste.

Rasbhari Jam (Cape Gooseberry Jam) – No Preservative Fruit Jam

Cape Gooseberries are a small orange berry that is full of good nutrition and has many health benefits. Also known as ground cherries, Physalis minima, pygmy ground cherry, Inca berry, golden strawberry, and many other names. Cape gooseberry is rich in fructose and good for the diabetic patient. Rasbhari is rich in vitamin A and provides 14% of daily requirements of vitamin A. Vitamin A is good for eyes, prevent cataracts, and protect muscular degeneration.

Cape Gooseberries

Rasbhari or Cape Gooseberry Jam is a golden delicious fruity delight that smoothly spreads on the toasted bread. The golden berry has a good proportion of pectin, which helps jam to set. So, no preservatives are required.

Sunshine Color jam

Rasbhari Jam (Cape Gooseberry Jam) – No Preservative Fruit Jam

Ingredients :
Cape Gooseberry – 250 gms
Sugar – 1/2 cup
Water –  1/2 cup
Juice of half lemon

Method:

1. Chop cape gooseberry and put in a deep non-stick saucepan with 1/2 cup of water. Cook, it covered for 10 minutes on medium-high flame.
2. Now add sugar and cook on medium-low flame for 10 minutes. Once jam starts to thickens switch off the flame.
3. Allow jam to cool down. Then add lemon juice and mix well.

Healthy Spread

Tips :

• Lift jam with a spatula and pour jam, it should flow together and not in drops.
• Pour a few drops of prepared jam on a plate if it spreads then it’s not ready if it stays firm without moving then the jam is ready.
• Allow jam to cool completely. Then store in a clean and dry glass jar.
• Keep jam in the refrigerator after every use. Use a clean and dry spoon. It last long for 3 months.

Homemade Pure Jam

Three Ingredients White Chocolate Glaze

Three Ingredients White Chocolate Glaze

This white chocolate glaze is ready in 10 minutes and is perfect for topping cakes, cupcakes, or muffins.

White Chocolate Chips

White Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:

White Chocolate Chips – 1/2 cup
Milk – 1/4 cup
White Powdered Sugar – 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Place white chocolate chips and milk in a saucepan on low flame. Allow white chocolate chips to melt, stirring regularly.
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the powdered white sugar. Mix until glaze is smooth. Spread on cakes while still warm and enjoy.
3. It yields 1/2 cup of White Chocolate Glaze.

Cake Glaze

Angoor Kishmish Chutney (Black Grapes Raisins Dip) – Fruit Dip

With just a few ingredients, you can make this grapes raisins chutney. This chutney is sweet and spicy. You can serve this chutney with paratha or samosa or any chaat. The best thing about this chutney it has very less sugar because all sweetness comes from grapes and sourness from raisins.

Black Grapes

Angoor Kishmish Chutney (Black Grapes Raisins Dip) – Fruit Dip

Ingredients :
Black Grapes – 250 gms
Raisins – 1/4 cup
Water – 1/4 cup
Sugar – 4 tbsp

Spices:
Roasted cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Black pepper powder – 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder – 1/2 tsp
Black salt – 1/2 tsp

Method :

1. Put all black grapes, raisins, and water in a deep saucepan. Cook for 10 minutes on a medium-low flame.
2. Put all spices, sugar and cook chutney on low flame till to right and little thick consistency.
3. Keep aside to cool. Grind it into a smooth paste and store in a glass jar.

Fruit Dip

Tip :

You can have the consistency of the sweet chutney as per your choice. Simply alter the amount of water and make the chutney thin or thick as per your requirements.

Tangy & Sour Chutney

 

Sarso Ka Saag – Winter Recipe

Green leafy vegetables like palak (spinach), mustard greens (sarso), methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) these all are winter vegetables. These vegetables are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Sarso Ka Saag – It is a famous recipe from North India made with the combination of these green vegetables. I grew up in Chandigarh – Sarso ka saag teh Makki ki roti with homemade white butter is my all-time favorite meal in winters.

Sarso Ka Saag

Sarso Ka Saag – Winter Recipe

Ingredients:

Green Leafy Vegetable
Mustard leaves – 250 gms
Spinach – 200 gms
Fenugreek Leaves – 100 gms

Masala Ingredients
Finely chopped onion – 1 big
Finely chopped tomato – 2 big
Finely chopped garlic  – 2 tbsp
Finely chopped ginger – 1 inch
Finely chopped green chili – 1
Maize flour – 3 tbsp
Mustard oil – 2 tbsp
Cumin – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Clean all green leafy vegetables, remove stalk and separate the leaves from it. Wash the leaves thoroughly with water, drain out the excess water and chop the leaves finely.
2. Now add all chopped green leafy vegetables in a pressure cooker with 1/2 cup of water. Close the lid and cook until one whistle. After it simmers once, turns off the flame and let the steam escape on its own.
3. Heat mustard oil in a pan on low flame and add cumin. Allow it to crackle.
4. Then add chopped onions and sauté on a medium flame until translucent. Now add ginger, garlic, green chili and cook for 5 minutes on the medium-low flame.
5. Add coriander powder, red chili powder, tomato puree and cook until masala leaves oil.
6. At this stage add maize flour and stir constantly to roast.
7. Open the lid of pressure cooker and mash the boiled green leafy vegetables with a ladle or spoon.
8. Now add mashed green leafy vegetables and salt into the cooked masala. Mix them well.
9. Now add 1 cup water and cook on low flame for 10 to 12 minutes. Do stir the sabzi after every 1 to 2 minutes.
10. Garnish with homemade white butter and serve.

Winter Special

Indian Cappuccino | Hand Beaten Coffee | Two ways – Hot Cappuccino & Hot Chocolate Cappuccino

People’s preference for either tea or coffee is rooted in their genes. Being a Pahadi, Chai is like a drug to us – “One cuppa chai is all we need”.

Beaten coffee is very different from the regular coffee which we make using instant coffee powders. This coffee is deliciously creamy, rich and frothy. I am not a big fan of coffee but I had beaten coffee at my friend’s place and I loved it.

Thank you, Isha Dabral for this wonderful beaten coffee recipe.

The reason it is called Beaten Coffee as the process involves beating the coffee and sugar mixture to incorporate air into it. When hot milk is added to this frothy coffee mixture, it releases air making a thick froth on top of the cup.

The process of beating the mixture though takes a good 20 minutes if using your hands. I used hand blender to beat my coffee mixture and all it takes is 5 minutes for it to reach the perfect light and foamy consistency and the taste is just perfect and no muscle work.

Hand Beaten Coffee | Two ways – Hot Cappuccino & Hot Chocolate Cappuccino

For 2 cups

Ingredients :
Coffee – 2 tsp
Powdered Sugar or Brown Sugar – 4 tsp or ( as per your taste )
Water – 1 tsp
Hot milk – 2 cups
Cocoa powder – 1 tbsp

Method :

1. Mix all the above ingredients ( except hot milk & cocoa powder ) in a cup.
2. Now beat this mixture with a spoon or with hand beater. Beat the mixture continuously for 4 to 5 minutes.
3. After a while, the mixture will be light brown in color and also so thick that it will not drop off the spoon if turned over.
4. Now boil the milk and add 2 tbsp of beaten coffee mixture in a cup and add hot milk. Stir and enjoy.
5. For chocolate flavor, add 1/2 tsp cocoa powder beat the coffee gain for a minute. Then add add 2 tbsp of beaten chocolate coffee mixture in a cup and add hot milk. Stir and sprinkle some chocolate chips.