Recipe world

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Fruit Biscuits from Karachi Bakery situated at Hyderabad are one of our family favorites. These biscuits are unique in taste and flavor. They just melt in your mouth and are truly addictive. Since these goodies are not available for us here in Australia, we always had missed them.

Ever since I started my baking journey, I was trying to replicate the taste of these fruit biscuits. After some experiments and guess works, finally I got it perfect!
Here is my version of Fruit Biscuits or Tutti Frutti Biscuits. Try these delicious biscuits and enjoy with your family :)

Preparation time: 15 - 20 minutes
Refrigeration time: 30 minutes or more
Baking time: 20 - 25 minutes
Yield: 40 - 45 pieces (depending on the size)

Ingredients:

All purpose flour / Maida - 5 cups (1 cup = 70 gm approx)
Unsalted butter - 185 gm (at room temperature)
Sugar - 1 cup (110 gm)
Milk powder - 1/2 cup (25 gm)
Custard powder - 1/4 cup (13 gm)
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Rose water - 3 tsp
Tutti frutti - 100 gm

Method:

Take the sugar and make a fine powder in a mixie. Alternatively, you can use the caster sugar available in stores.
Beat the butter in a mixing bowl till creamy. I have used the electric beater to ease this process.
Add the powdered sugar in 2 - 3 batches to the butter. Continue beating till the mixture is fluffy and creamy.
Now, add the vanilla essence and rose water and mix gently.
Pour in the custard powder and milk powder and mix it nicely.
Add the all purpose flour in small batches and keep mixing till you get a soft, non - sticky dough. If needed, you can add little more extra flour than mentioned above, absolutely no probs!
Finally, add the tutti frutti and mix it nicely.
Divide the dough into two equal parts. Take each part of dough, and make it into the shape of a log or as you like.
Wrap it in a butter paper and keep refrigerated for 30 minutes or more.
Pre heat the oven to 175°C. Line the baking tray with butter paper.
Take out the dough from the refrigerator. Cut them into slices of 1 cm width.
Arrange them on the lined baking tray. Leave some space in between for the biscuits to expand.
Bake them for 20 minutes or till done.
Enjoy the delicious biscuits with a cup of tea or just like that!

Tips:

You can keep the dough refrigerated even for more than 30 minutes. For me, it took 5 minutes more to bake when I kept the dough in the refrigerator for 1 1/2 hours.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Banana is one of those healthy fruits which is commonly available everywhere. This nutritious fruit can be eaten as it is and also can be used in preparing ice-creams, cakes and delicious desserts. It works as egg re-placer for some cakes and hence, is good for egg-less baking.
When I find over ripened bananas in my pantry, either I will prepare Banana Rotti or go for baking something. Over ripened bananas are perfect for preparing cakes and muffins. I had posted Banana Cupcake / Muffins recipe some time back. Here is the recipe of perfect Banana Bread..hope you like it!

Preparation time: 10 - 15 minutes
Baking time: 45 minutes
Yield - 1 loaf (serves 5)
Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:
Over ripened banana - 1 (equal to 2 cups of puree)
All purpose flour - 2 1/2 cup (175 gm)
Salt - pinch
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
Curd - 1/2 cup
Melted butter - 1/2 cup
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 175°C.
Cut the peeled banana into medium size cubes. Combine sugar and banana pieces in a blender or mixie and prepare the puree.
Melt the butter in a bowl and allow to cool.
Sieve together all purpose flour, salt and baking soda and keep aside.
Take the banana puree in a mixing bowl. Add melted butter, baking powder and vanilla essence. Mix it gently.
Fold in the flour mixture little by little and mix it well without lumps.
Transfer the batter onto the greased loaf pan and spread it evenly.
Bake it for around 45 minutes or till done. Keep an eye on the loaf after baking for 35 minutes.
Take the loaf out of the pan before it cools down completely. Put the loaf on a cooling rack to allow proper air circulation.
Cut down into slices once it is completely cool and enjoy it with a cup of hot coffee or tea!

Tips:
If you want to avoid using butter, just replace it with cooking oil.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Hibiscus is one of the most common garden plants which is easy to grow and lasts for years. We can find varieties of hibiscus plants everywhere. This plant has got lot of uses. People use hibiscus flowers for offering to God. Hibiscus leaves are good for hair growth and remedy for all hair problems. We can prepare Juice and Tea using hibiscus flowers, which is good for health.

We had a Hibiscus plant in our backyard. It was full of flowers all the time except during peak winter. We used to pick the flowers daily for offering to God. Kiddo also wanted some flowers for playing and she never missed her share :) Even after picking so many flowers, we could see many flowers still on the plant.

These days, I have learned a new recipe using hibiscus flowers. Hibiscus Juice is damn easy to prepare and tastes really yum! I just love that sparkling red color of this juice. Ingredients for this juice are also simple..one can give it a try anytime!

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

Red hibiscus flowers - 3
Ginger - 2 inch (sliced)
Sugar - 4 tbsp or according to taste
Water - 1 1/2 cup (1 cup = 400 ml)
Lime - half piece

Method:

Heat water in a vessel. Add the ginger slices and hibiscus petals and boil it for 8 - 10 minutes.
Filter the boiled water using a tea strainer.
Add sugar and lime juice according to taste. You can see the color of juice changes to sparkling red now.
Make it cool before serving. Also, you can refrigerate it or add ice cubes if desired.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Ganike Soppu, also known as Kage Soppu in Kannada, is a medicinal plant which is not familiar to many people. Scientific name for this plant is Solanum Nigrum (Black Nightshade). Leaves of this plant are used as a good remedy for cold, cough, mouth ulcer and stomach related problems. Kids love to eat the small, black colored fruits of this plant.

I use Ganike soppu as medicine for my daughter whenever she gets cold. I will crush the leaves with little water, collect about 2 table spoons of extract, then mix it with sugar / jaggery and make her drink. This works really well for her. I have few Ganike Soppu plants in my backyard just for kiddo. She loves to pick and eat those small berries from these plants daily!

Few days back, I was talking to Mom something about my plants. She told me that delicious Chutney can be prepared using Ganike leaves. I just tried her recipe and it tasted really well. Its so easy to prepare and also good for health.

Sharing the Ganike Soppina Chutney with you now..hope you like it!

Time required: 10 minutes

Servings: 6 - 7

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

Ganike / Kage leaves - handful (I have used 30 - 32 leaves here)
Grated coconut - 1 1/4 cup
For seasoning:

Oil - 3 tsp (divided)

Green chillies - 2 (adjust according to taste)

Cumin seeds - 1 1/4 tsp

Sesame seeds - 1 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Tamarind - gooseberry size (around 1 1/2 tbsp)
Salt to taste
Water for grinding

Method:

Heat 1 1/2 tsp of oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add cumin seeds and sesame seeds and roast them till nice aroma comes.
Then add the cleaned Ganike leaves. Saute them for 1 - 2 minutes till it changes the color and switch off the flame.
Grind together the roasted ingredients along with grated coconut, tamarind and salt to taste into fine paste. Add water as required.
Heat oil in a heavy pan. Add mustard seeds and when they start crackling, switch off the flame. Add this seasoning to the ground paste.
Delicious Chutney is ready now. Serve it as a side dish with rice.

Tips:

Instead of 2 green chillies, 2 red chillies and 1 green chilli can be used here.
If you don't want to preserve it in the refrigerator, heat the Chutney nicely and it will be good for few more hours.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Carrot Halwa also called as Gajar Ka Halwa, is a delicious sweet prepared on festivals and such special occasions in India. Being prepared using healthy and rich ingredients like carrot, milk, sugar, Khoya, Ghee, dried fruits and nuts, it tastes delicious!

Carrot Halwa is one of our family favorite sweets. My daughter is not crazy about eating the sweets..but she loves to have this Halwa anytime! Since its made of all healthy ingredients, its good for kiddos health as well. Adding of khova is not a must for this Halwa, but it increases the taste. I had tried adding some quantity of paneer when I had a small quantity of Khoya with me. It was truly delicious and nobody could make it out that I had replaced some quantity of Khova with Paneer!
There are different versions of preparing Carrot Halwa and here is the one which I usually follow. Hope you like this recipe :)

Preparation Time: 1 1/2 hour

Servings: 10 - 12

Difficulty level: Difficult

Ingredients:

Carrot - 1 kg
Sugar - 800gm (adjust according to taste)
Salt - a big pinch
Milk - 1/2 litre
Ghee / clarified butter - 6 tbsp
Khova / Khoya - yield from 1 litre milk (or around 200 gm)
Cardamom powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Raisins, Almonds and Pista - handful

Method:

Wash the carrots cleanly and grate them using a vegetable grater.
Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan. Add the grated carrots and saute them for 5 minutes or till the raw smell is gone.
Add half litre of milk to the carrot mixture and cook it partially covered. Stir it regularly.
When the carrot mixture is cooked and the milk is almost evaporated, add sugar and pinch of salt.
You can notice the mixture becoming watery after adding the sugar. Continue cooking on medium flame, it will thicken after some time.
When the mixture becomes thick, add the Khova and mix it nicely. Cook it for 10 - 12 minutes and turn off the flame.
Finally add the cardamom powder and mix well.
Garnish with ghee roasted raisins, and pieces of almonds and pista.
Serve it warm or cold.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Khoa or Khoya, also called as Mawa, is a product of milk which is widely used in Indian cuisine. This is prepared by boiling the milk till it gets thick. For preparing Indian sweets like Halwa, Barfi, Pedha, Gulab Jamoon, etc., Khoa is used to make them rich in taste.

In India, Khoya is easily available in most of the supermarkets and grocery stores. When I was in Bangalore, I always used the store bought Khoa for my sweets. I had tried preparing Khoa at home sometime back and it was really good. These days, I am making Khoya at home whenever needed. Preparing Khoa at home is not at all difficult. The only thing is it takes lot of time to prepare.

Here is the recipe to prepare your Khoa at home..

Time required: 1 hour

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

Full cream milk - 1 litre

Method:

Transfer the milk into a wide pan with thick bottom and bring to boil. I prefer using non-stick pan to avoid milk sticking to the bottom.

Keep stirring the milk with a spatula occasionally.

Slowly, the water content in the milk gets evaporated and milk starts thickening.

Keep stirring the mixture, and when it starts leaving the bottom of the pan and comes to ball stage, its time to turn off the flame.

Once it cools down completely, knead the Khoa nicely. Transfer to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator. Use when required.

Khoa gives a richer taste to Indian sweets like Barfi, Halwa, Gulab Jamoon, Pedha, etc.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

When its summer, something cold would be perfect to have when we feel thirsty. I prepare varieties of milkshakes, juices, smoothies, Lassi, etc. healthy n refreshing drinks at home using fresh ingredients. Since its the mango season now, we all love to have mango milkshake and juice whenever mangoes are there at home. Mango Milkshake is my daughter's all time favorite. She will be happy to have this drink anytime!

Try this easy and delicious milkshake and let me know how you liked it!

Time required: 10 minutes

Cooling time: 1 hour

Servings: 3

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

Ripened mango (medium size) - 2 nos
Sugar - 5 tbsp (adjust according to taste)
Full cream milk - 300 ml (see Tips)
Water - 100 ml
Salt - a big pinch

Method:

Peel and chop the mangoes roughly into medium size cubes.
Blend the mango pieces along with sugar and pinch of salt into fine paste. Add little milk if required.
Once it becomes a fine paste, add the remaining milk and water and adjust the consistency.
Blend it for one more minute so that everything is combined well.
Check and adjust the taste.
Serve it chilled.

Tips:

You can reduce the quantity of milk by adding more water.
If the milkshake need to be served immediately, use the chilled milk for preparing it!

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Fenugreek / Methi seeds, even though used in very small quantities, are very much necessary for our day-to-day cooking. Without fenugreek seeds, preparing Dosa, Sambar Powder, Methi Powder, etc. will not be perfect. These seeds are having some health benefits as well. For all sorts of hair problems, fenugreek seeds works as a good remedy. Not only the seeds, fresh fenugreek leaves are also good for cooking. Roti, Paratha, Stir Fry and various rice items can be prepared using Fenugreek / Methi leaves.

Sometimes, I need fresh methi leaves for my cooking, but we get them very rarely in the convenience stores here. So, since the summer has started, I am growing the fenugreek leaves in our backyard and using the same for cooking. Every week, I will sow the seeds in 1 - 2 rows and within the next 3 weeks, it will be available for cooking.

Both fenugreek leaves and dill leaves can be interchanged for some variety of dishes. I had posted the Dill Leaves Stir Fry recipe long back. The same way, you can prepare the Fenugreek Leaves Stir Fry. Since fenugreek leaves are slightly bitter in taste, it tastes better if we add little more sugar to this stir fry.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Servings: 2 - 3

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

Fenugreek leaves - 3 big bunch
Urid dal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Sambar powder - 2 tsp or according to taste (see Tips)
Sugar - 1 tsp or to taste (see Tips)
Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Grated coconut - fistful
Oil - 4 tsp

Method:

Wash and clean the fenugreek leaves. Chop them finely including the tender stems.
Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan. Add urid dal, asafoetida and mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, add the sambar powder followed by chopped fenugreek leaves.
Add salt, sugar and amchur powder according to your taste. Cook the mixture half covered.
Saute the mixture regularly. Cook it for around 7 - 8 minutes or till its dried out fully and looks too dark.
Add grated coconut and cook for 2 - 3 minutes more and switch off the flame.
Serve this delicious stir fry along with Roti, Chapathi or rice.

Tips:

Any type of sambar powder, saarina pudi or palyada pudi can be used for this recipe.
Since the fenugreek leaves are bitter in taste, I have made this stir fry slightly sweet in taste. Those who won't like sweet taste, can add less sugar for this recipe.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

If there are any special occasions like birthday or anniversary of near and dear ones, it calls for a celebration. Baking a cake at home is not a big deal, but decorating the cake needs some thinking and more efforts. Depending on the type of cake, we need to decide which type of frosting will be suitable.
I tried chocolate frosting for my chocolate cake few days back. Chocolate cake with layers and yummy frosting..it was divine! You can remember my earlier recipe of Egg-less Chocolate Cake which I shared sometime back. I just prepared 2 chocolate cakes in that way, layered and decorated them and finally, here is the outcome!

Time required: 45 - 50 minuted
Cooling time: 2 - 3 hours
Servings: 10 - 12
Difficulty level: Difficult

Ingredients:
- Egg-less chocolate cakes - 2 nos (prepare and keep them ready)
- For Frosting:

Unsalted butter (at room temp) - 1 cup
Icing sugar - 3 cups (adjust according to taste)
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Dark chocolate - 200 gm
Milk - 1/2 cup
Big pinch of salt
Chocolate shaves - as needed (see Tips)
Chocolate coated peanuts (or any other chocolate bytes) - few

Method:
- How to prepare frosting:

Melt the dark chocolate and allow to cool.
Beat butter using a beater or hand mixer till creamy.
To this, add melted chocolate, salt and 1 cup of icing sugar. Beat them for a minute.
Add 2 - 3 tbsp of milk and one more cup of sugar. Beat the mixture again.
Continue adding milk followed by sugar till you are done.
Adjust the consistency and taste.
Beat the mixture for 2 - 3 minutes or till its light and creamy.

- How to assemble the cake:

Slice each cake carefully into two layers. You will have 4 separate layers in total now.
Keep the first layer on the cake base or on a plate. Cover it with one layer of chocolate frosting.
Put the second layer of cake upon that and cover with frosting.
Fix all the four layers in the same way and cover the top and sides with frosting.
Decorate the sides with chocolate shaves. Arrange the choco-coated peanuts / your favorite chocolates on the top. Sprinkle some chocolate shaves as you like.
Refrigerate the cake for 2 - 3 hours before cutting.

Tips:

Dark chocolate which I used for frosting was sweet and hence, 3 cups of icing sugar was enough. If using unsweetened chocolate, add more sugar accordingly.
You can prepare the chocolate shaves easily at home. Refrigerate the chocolate block and once it becomes really hard, peel them using a peeler. Your chocolate shaves are ready to use!

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

There are some well known areas for shopping in Bangalore and one of them I like most is Gandhi Bazar. Evening time will be really good to roam around there, and our shopping will be complete only after having some food, preferably chat food. You can see so many chat shops serving various chat food to the never ending crowd. I had been to Gandhi Bazar with my sister quite a few months back. She knows that area very well and we did plenty of shopping. We were really tired and feeling hungry. She took me to a chat shop in Gavipuram Area. Mango - Sweet Chat from that shop was her all time favorite. So, we ordered the same enjoyed eating. It was so good and so yummy!

Unripened Totapuri mangoes are perfect for this chat recipe. Grilled sweet corn and finely chopped mangoes are really a wonderful combination. This chat food has become one of our favorite snacks for the evenings. Here is the recipe of Mango - Sweet Corn Chat for you!

Time required: 20 - 25 minutes

Servings: 3

Difficulty Level: Medium

Ingredients:

Sweet corn cobs - 2
Totapuri mango (medium size) - 1
Green chilli paste - 1 tsp (adjust according to taste)
Lime juice - for taste
Salt - for taste

Method:

Roast the corn cobs on direct flame. I did this on my stove top. Separate the kernels when its still hot. You can do this job easily using a knife.
Chop the raw mango finely. I prefer cutting them to the same size as of corn kernels.
Combine corn kernels and chopped mango in a mixing bowl. Add salt, chilli paste and lime juice according to taste.
Toll them quickly and serve immediately!
This delicious chat can be served as salad for the lunch or as evening snacks.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

When its mango season, raw mangoes are generously used for cooking in most of the Indian homes. Raw mangoes are perfect for preparing tangy and spicy Indian side dishes like Chutney, Gojju, Appehuli, etc. Here in Australia, whenever we get raw mangoes, I will prepare these yummy dishes. These days, frozen raw mango cubes are available in Indian convenience stores and hence, we are able to enjoy raw mango dishes whenever we feel like.

During my last visit to native, I had got a nice tip from one of my relatives. She told that she will cut the raw mangoes into cubes in mango season and preserve them in the freezer. They will be good for months and when needed, they can be used for cooking. Hope this tip will be useful for you as well!

I had shared another version of Mango Chutney long back. That was using green chillies and, here is one more version of Mango Chutney. For this recipe, we use dry red chillies and it tastes delicious with the nice aroma of fenugreek and asafoetida. Try this Mango Red Chutney with rice and let me know how you liked it!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Servings: 5 - 6

Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

Raw mango, chopped into medium size cubes - 1 1/2 cup
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Dry red chillies - 2 or 3 (adjust according to taste)
Fenugreek seeds - 3/4 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing - big pinch
Cooking oil - 3/4 tsp
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Water - 3/4 cup approx.

For Seasoning: Oil - 1 tsp, Mustard seeds - 1 tsp, Pinch of asafoetida

Method:

Heat 3/4 tsp of oil in a small wok. Add broken red chillies and fenugreek seeds. Once they are roasted nicely, add big pinch of asafoetida and turn off the flame.
Grind the roasted ingredients along with grated coconut, mango cubes, salt and sugar into a fine paste. Add water as required while grinding. But don't make it too watery.
Check and adjust the taste of Chutney.
Heat 1 tsp of oil for seasoning. Add the mustard seeds and asafoetida. Once the mustard seeds start crackling, turn off the flame.
Add this seasoning to the Chutney. Serve with rice and see how delicious it is!

Tips:

Peel off the green skin of mango if it tastes bitter. If not bitter, no need to peel off the skin.

ಕನ್ನಡ ಆವೃತ್ತಿ

Happy new year to everyone! I was planning to post this recipe on the first day of new year. But it was time to enjoy the long holidays and I couldn't find any time for blogging. We were busy with shopping and roaming around here and there. Holidays got over like that and now, I am back to my routine!

First recipe for this year is dedicated to all the chocolate lovers! I have adopted this recipe from a fellow blogger's site. Few years back when I started my baking journey, I used to keep browsing for varieties of cake recipes. I think, this was the first chocolate cake I prepared. It was so yummy and we just loved it! Then onwards, I have prepared this soft and delicious chocolate cake many a times. I have tried few other versions of chocolate cake recipes, but very much addicted to this recipe.

This recipe is from Raks Kitchen. She has a wonderful collection of recipes with mouth watering picks. I have tried this recipe exactly the same way she wrote and didn't make any changes. Try this yummy cake and let me know how it turned out!

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 35 - 40 minutes

Servings: 10

Difficulty level: Medium

Ingredients:

All purpose flour / Maida - 1 1/2 cup
Cocoa powder - 3 tbsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Oil (vegetable oil or sunflower oil) - 1/4 cup
Lime juice / vinegar - 1 tbsp
Vanilla essence - 1/2 tbsp

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
Grease the baking tray and dust with some flour. Dusting with flour is to avoid the cake sticking to the vessel.
Combine all purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Sieve it once so that everything will be mixed properly.
Powder the sugar and mix it with water. Once sugar is diluted, add lime juice, oil and vanilla essence. Mix it well.
Fold in the flour mixture into this water and mix it nicely.
Transfer the batter onto the greased baking tray and bake it for 35 - 40 minutes. To check whether its done or not, insert a tooth pick upto the bottom of the cake. If batter is not sticking to the toothpick, its clear that the cake is done.
Allow the cake to cool down. Then, cut it into pieces and enjoy!