Rice Paysam : Onam Special

Ingredients -
Rice - 1 cup
Milk - 1 + 1/2 cup
Jaggery grated - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Cashew nut - 6-7
Grated coconuts/ flakes - 1/2 cup 
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1/4 cup + 1 cup to boil rice

Method - 

1. Cook the rice in 1 cup water and 1/2 cup of milk until
     it is cooked nicely and is mushy, you can add more 
     water to cook the rice if it's needed.
2. Melt the jaggery into 1/4 cup of water until it reaches 
    boiling point.
3. Take a kadhai with ghee in it and light fry the cashews 
    and coconut flake into it separately, keep some for garnishing.
4. Add 1 cup milk in the rice and mix it well, add the 
    melted jaggery too and keep stirring it to avoid burning.
5. Add the cardamom powder, roasted coconut and cashews, 
    cook on low flame until it's thick and all mixed well. You 
    can add some more milk if it's too thick.
6. Garnish it with the remaining nuts and serve it hot.
    Enjoy the essence of Onam with this sumptuous delight.

Chicken Mushroom Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients -
Chicken boneless - 250 g cut in small pieces
Capsicum - 2 med size chopped in cubes
Carrot - 2 med, chopped in cubes
Onion - 3 med size cut in cubes
Tomato - 1 med chopped
Mushroom - 1 pack ( 100 g) cut and sauted in 1 tsp butter
Lasagna sheet - 6
Cheddar cheese grated - 1 cup
Mozzarrella cheese grated - 1 cup
Bechamel sauce - 1 cup
Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 5 tbsp + 1 tsp

For Bechamel sauce -

butter - 4 tbsp
All purpose flour - 3 tbsp
Milk - 1 cup 
Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
Nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - a pinch

Heat a non stick pan with butter in it on a medium heat, 
add the flour and stir it continuously until it is smooth 
and bubbly and the raw smell of the flour has gone. Reduce 
the flame to low and add the milk in it, stir it continuously
to avoid any lumps, season it with pepper, nutmeg and salt. 
if you find it thick, little milk can be added to it to give it a 
desired consistency.

                                     left to right, from above
Method -
1. Take a large pan and boil water in it, when it comes 
     to a boiling point, add 1 tsp oil and salt in it. Put the 
     lasagna sheets in it and let it boil on a medium heat 
    for 8-10 minutes until it is aldente.Take it out carefully
    on a dry kitchen towel, keep it aside for later use.
2. Take a frying pan and heat oil in it, add the onions and 
     fry it until translucent, add the carrots and chicken and 
     fry it for five minutes on a medium heat, add tomato,                        capsicum, black pepper, red chilli powder and salt.
     Mix all, cover and let it cook for few minutes. Add
     the mushrooms and sauté it for some time until  it is
     cooked. Take it off the heat.
3. Grease a square 9 inch baking dish. Divide the chicken
    mushroom mix into three portion. 

4. Spread the first portion of chicken mix over the greased 

    baking dish, spread some bechamel sauce over it, sprinkle 
    grated cheese and mozzarella cheese, arrange two lasagne
    sheets over it. Repeat again with the chicken mix over the 
    sheets, followed by bechamel sauce, cheese and mozzarella.
5. Arrange all in the same manner, the uppermost layer 
    should be of lasagna sheets only, then finally spread the 
    bechamel sauce, grated cheese and mozzarella over the 
    sheets. Sprinkle extra pieces of mozzarella also over the 
    dish before baking to give it an extra taste.
6. Cover it with a foil taking care it does not touch the 
    cheese and bake it on a preheated oven on 200 degree 
    Celsius for 25 - 30 minutes, remove foil and again bake 
    it for 10 minutes or until the upper layer turns to a golden 
    brown. Allow to stand for some minutes before serving. 
    Serve it hot and enjoy the heavenly taste of it.

Peach Cobbler

Ingredients -

Filling 

Peach fresh, peeled n pitted - 1/2 kg
Brown sugar - 3 tbsp
White Sugar - 3 tbsp
Cornflour - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon powder - 1/3 tsp
Nutmeg powder - 1/3 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tsp

Topping

All purpose flour - 1 cup
Cornflour - 1 tbsp
White Sugar - 3 tbsp
Brown sugar - 3 tbsp + 1 tbsp
Baking powder - 1tsp
Salt - a pinch
Butter chilled - 6 tbsp 
Half n half - 1/3 cup

Method -
1. Slice the peaches into thin wedges, put it in a big bowl, 
    add the lemon juice, white and brown sugar, cornflour,
    cinnamon - nutmeg powder, mix it all together carefully.
2. Grease a baking dish, put the peach mix into it and bake 
    it in a preheated oven for 10 minutes, keep it aside.
3. In a big and dry bowl put the dry ingredients, flour, 
    cornflour, white and brown sugar, baking powder,
    salt, mix all.
4. Cut the butter in cubes and mix it into the flour mix 
    with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs, 
    pour half n half and mix it all together with a spoon 
    until all are incorporated well.
5. Drop the topping over the peach carefully  with a 
    spoon until all the peach is covered evenly.
6. Sprinkle 1 tbsp brown sugar all over it and bake it on
    a preheated oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Serve it with any ice cream of your choice or whipped cream.

Instant Coffee Cake with Butter Glaze Coffee Icing

Ingredients -

All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cup

Brown sugar - 1 cup

Eggs - 3

Butter - 75 g

Coffee - 1 tbsp,  mixed with 4 tbsp water

Baking powder - 1 tsp

baking soda - 1/2 tsp

Butter Glaze Coffee icing -

Icing sugar - 3/4 cup

Butter - 2 tsp

Coffee - 1 tsp
Milk or water - 2-3 tbsp

Method -

1. In a big bowl put the butter, sugar and eggs and beat it 
    with an electric mixture on a high speed for five minutes.

2. Sieve the flour with baking powder and baking soda.

3. Add the flour in two batches to the butter mix alternating 
    with the liquid coffee, beating it continuously on low speed.

4. Grease and line a round baking tin and pour the batter
     in it evenly.

5. Bake it on a preheated oven on 180 degrees for 1/2
    an hour or until done.
6. let it cool down and come to room temperature.

Butter glaze Coffee Icing -
1. Melt butter in a small saucepan, on a low heat, add icing 
    sugar, coffee, gradually add the milk, stirring it with a 
    spoon until smooth.
2. Spread it evenly all over the cake. It is ready to be 
     served...cut it and enjoy the rich taste of coffee.

Methi Matar Malai Paneer : Holi Special!

        

Ingredients -

Peas (Matar) boiled - 1/2 cup

Paneer (Cottage Cheese) [cut in cubes and slightly fried] - 200 g

Methi leaves fresh, finely chopped  - 1 cup

Onions chopped coarsely - 2 med

Tomato - 1 med

Garlic paste - 2 tbsp

Ginger paste - 1 tsp

Cashews soaked - 10 - 12

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - according to taste

Bay leaf - 2 small

Fresh Cream/thick Malai- 3 tbsp

Dry fenugreek leaves - 1 tsp

Oil - 4 tbsp

Water - 2 cups

        

Method-

1. In a pan put 1/2 cup of water. Simmer the methi leaves

    and a pinch of salt in it for five minutes in a low heat.

    Drain the water and keep it aside. It is to remove the

    bitterness out of it.

2. Boil the onions and tomato in 1/2 cup of water until 

    tender and the water is reduced. let it come to room 

    temperature, grind both separately and make a paste.

3. Grind the cashews after they are soaked for good 

    about 10 - 15 minutes.

4. Put the oil in a med karahi (wok), let it heat, put the bay

    leaf and onion paste and fry it on a med flame until light 

    brown in color, keep stirring it to avoid burning.

5. Add the cashew paste n stir it for five minutes, add the 

    ginger-garlic paste, boiled methi leaves and all the dry

    masalas like chilli, turmeric, cumin and coriander 

    powders and fry it until the oil separates.

6. Put the tomato puree and matar in it and stir it for five 
    minutes until it is incorporated well in the masala.

7. Heat 1 cup of water and put it in the masala to make 
    gravy. Let it boil for 5 minutes. 

8. Put the paneer cubes, dry fenugreek leaves and 2 

    tablespoon cream, let it simmer for 5 minutes or until 

    it's done.

9. Place it in a serving bowl and garnish with remaining

    cream and you can serve it with naan, paratha or rice. 

      

           

  

Cinnamon Roll with Coffee Glaze

  

Ingredients 
All purpose flour -  350 g
Sugar - 3 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Yeast - 3 tsp
Water - 1/2 cup
Egg - 1 large
Milk toned - 1/4 cup
Butter - 3 tbsp

Filling -
Cinnamon ground - 1 tbsp
Butter - 3 tbsp ( Melted)
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Dessicated coconut, walnut and raisins chopped - 2 tbsp each

Coffee glaze - 
1 cup sugar, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 3 tbsp coffee, 
2 tbsp milk/cream

Method -
For the dough-
1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 tsp sugar in 
    1/2 cup warm water and set aside for 10 minutes. 
2. Remove half cup of flour from 350 g and keep it 
    for later use.
3. In a large bowl take rest of the flour and put the 
    remaining sugar and salt in it. 
4. Heat the milk and butter together until the butter 
    is melted. Stir the butter mixture into the flour 
    mixture and mix it evenly. 
5. Add the egg and mix it thoroughly with your 
    palms to make a soft dough until it is pliable and
    has an elastic consistency. Use the reserved 1/2 
    cup flour gradually if the dough is wet.
6. Knead the dough for about 3-4 minutes, on a lightly 
    floured surface. Replace it in a lightly greased bowl, 
    cover and let rise until doubled in size, usually 1 to
    1 1/2 hours.
7.When doubled in size, Take out the dough. Roll out
    and shape on a floured surface into a 15 by 9-inch 
    rectangle. Spread melted butter all over the dough.
8. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over buttered
    dough. Sprinkle walnuts, dessicated coconut and 
    raisins.
9. Roll up dough tightly and pinch the edges together
    to seal. Cut into 12 to 15 slices.
10.Take a 9 inch baking dish and  grease the bottom 
     with butter. I used an oval dish.
11. Place cinnamon roll slices close together in the pan,
      loosely cover it with aluminium foil and allow to 
      rise in a warm, draft-free place for 60-90 minutes or
      ( heat the oven to (93°C).Turn it off. Place the baking 
      dish inside oven and allow to rise.)
11. After the rolls have doubled in size, remove it from 
      the oven,  preheat it to 190°C. Bake for 25-30 minutes
      until lightly browned. .
12. Cover the rolls with aluminum foil after 15 minutes to 
      avoid heavy browning.
Make the glaze -
1. Mix the sugar, vanilla, milk/cream and coffee together
    in a pan over medium heat until smooth. Drizzle over
    rolls. If it seems too thick, add 1 more Tablespoon 
    of cream. 
2. Enjoy the freshly baked home made rolls, it stays fresh 
    and soft in a covered container at room temperature 
    or in the refrigerator for 5 days.