Saffron Phirnee

My mom makes the best kheer in the world.. Everybody at home loves it the most and its my dad's favourite dessert.. And so, mom makes this once a week for sure.. And so, making phirnee for me has been challenging as it had the same ingredients as kheer and also i had the responsibility of making it taste divine as my mom's dish, as i knew this would be compared with the kheer my mom makes.. And so, there were definitely a few trial and errors before i could finally get the perfect texture and taste of phirnee right.. First time i made, it was not as thick as phirnee should have been.. Second time i made, while adding ground rice to milk, lumps were formed and so it was a complete failure.. Again, after looking at few of the recipes online and also asking one of my aunts who made it frequently, i could succeed in making a perfect phirnee finally... Everybody at home loved it once i mastered making phirnee.. But still, even today, my mom's kheer is preferred over my phirnee, which even im fond of.. After all, mother's love which reflects in all that she cooks for us, can never be compared.. And so, i would definitely post my mom's kheer recipe also sometime in future.. As of now, presenting recipe of phirnee for you all to relish..

Ingredients:

1ltr milk

1/4 cup basmati rice

1/4 cup + 2tbsp sugar

8-10 strands saffron

Method: Wash basmati rice and soak in milk (take milk from the total 1ltr milk only) for an hour.. Add only so much milk as to cover the rice while soaking.. Then grind it into a coarse paste along with the milk.. It will be a bit runny paste with rice granules.. Next take another 3-4tbsp milk from the remaining milk and soak saffron in it and keep aside.. Now boil the remaining milk.. Once it has boiled add the rice paste and keep stirring continuously to avoid formation of lumps.. Cook this on medium flame for 10mins, stirring frequently.. Add in sugar and saffron milk and again cook another 10-12mins stirring frequently till it gets thick and coats the ladle.. Remove from gas and let it cool at room temperature.. A skin will be formed over phirnee.. Its ok.. You can mix it in the phirnee itself.. Fill it in individual bowls and chill for atleast 3-4hrs... Garnish with more saffron and serve...

Note: Can add almonds and pista also while adding rice paste in the phirnee.. It will give an added flavour and extra crunch.. I like my phirnee to be plain..

                                          Soak basmati rice in enough milk to cover the rice

                                           Grind it to a coarse paste

                                          Soak saffron in 1/4 cup milk and keep aside

                                          Boil milk and add the rice paste

                                          Add sugar and saffron milk and cook

                                          Phirnee ready to serve

Hung Yoghurt Bread Spread

Hung Yoghurt Bread Spread.. For people who want to take a break from the everyday buttered toasts and experiment with something new.. A very healthy, tasty and low calorie spread... Its creamy texture leaves you wanting for more everytime..

                You can experiment with the flavours of the dip.. Add in chopped olives, jalapenos, basil or any herb for an italian version of the spread or just keep it simple with our very own ginger and green chillies... You will love it..

Ingredients:

2 cups yoghurt

1/2 bunch coriander

1 green chilli

1tsp ginger grated

Salt to taste

Method: Tie yoghurt in a muslin cloth and leave it overnight hanging for the water to drain out completely.. Alternatively, you can line a sieve with muslin cloth and keep it on a bowl for the water to drain, leaving overnight. In this case put the bowl in fridge, so that it doesnt turn sour... Note, the more the water drains, the easier it is to make the yoghurt balls for the spread.. Next day morning you wil find that there is approximately 1 cup very thick yoghurt left in the muslin cloth, with all the water drained out.. Mix in coriander, green chilli, ginger and salt.. Now grease your hands with oil and make small balls of flavoured yoghurt.. Keep it in a greased bowl and refrigerate till you serve.. Toast breads, spread the yoghurt ball and enjoy.. You can store it for not more than a day..

                                            Hung Yoghurt in muslin cloth

                                           Added  coriander, green chilli, ginger and salt

                                                Make balls and put them in greased bowl

                                            Serve with toasted bread

Drommekage Fra Brovst.... Danish Dream Cake

A classic vanilla sponge cake with rich coconut topping.. This cake's origin is from the "Brovst region of Denmark" and so the name "Drommekage Fra Brovst" ie "Danish Dream Cake from Brovst".. A simple yet delectable cake, which lingers on your taste buds for long.. You wont be able to stop yourself at just one piece.. Its the first time i made this cake. And while i added the topping to cake and baked, my home was filled with the aroma of coconut and vanilla.. It was a soothing smell.. True to its name, its completely a dream cake..

                All the while i have been making eggless cakes without egg replacer, using baking powder and soda.. But seeing so many people use egg replacer these days i too was tempted to use it atleast once and so i planned to go ahead with the usage of egg replacer in this cake.. Egg replacer is basically a combination of potato and tapioca starch powder.. The cake was very moist and spongy.. The results of the cake were amazing after using the egg replacer.. I think everyone must try it atleast once..

Recipe Source - here

Ingredients:

For the cake batter:

1 cup + 2tbsp all purpose flour

1.5tsp baking powder

2tbsp unsalted butter at room temp

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

3tsp egg replacer mixed with 4tbsp warm water

For the topping:

1tbsp unsalted butter

2tbsp milk

3/4 cup dessicated coconut

1/2 cup fine brown sugar

Method: Preheat oven to 180c.. Line a baking dish with parchment paper on the bottom and also the sides with the paper hanging out a bit..Grease it with butter.. Sift flour and baking powder and keep aside.. Melt the butter and add in sugar and vanilla essence.. Whisk well for a minute.. Add in milk and whisk again.. Add in egg replacer mixture and whisk again.. Now add the flour and whisk slowly to incorporate everything.. See to it that there are no lumps formed.. Bake at 180c for 25mins.. Meanwhile mix all the ingredients of topping and keep aside.. Once the cake is baked, check with a toothpick.. Insert it in the centre of cake and remove.. If it comes out clean the cake is done... Otherwise bake for another 2-3minutes.. After this spread the topping on the cake evenly and again bake at 180c for 10mins.. Remove from oven.. Cool.. Unmould by lifting the parchment paper.. Cut and serve..

Note: I used ccd egg replacer for the recipe..

If you donot want to use egg replacer, the use any recipe available to you for vanilla cake.

Once you remove the final cake out of the oven, the topping will still be gooey and soft to touch.. Let it cool for the topping to set..

Noodles Salad

A very tempting, delicious and also healthy salad.. Also known as chinese bhel.. I always have fried noodles available ready at my home, so that it can be made in a jiffy whenever i feel like eating anything tangy.. A wholesome meal in itself.. You got to eat it to believe it...

Noodles Salad

Ingredients:

1/4 cup onion long julienne

1/4 cup cabbage long julienne

1/4 cup tomato without pulp long julienne

1/4 cup colored bellpeppers long julienne

1.5 cups fried noodles

3-4tbsp tomato sauce

2tbsp green chilli sauce

2tbsp vinegar

1tsp salt

Method: First mix all the vegetables in a bowl.. Then add in tomato sauce, green chilli sauce, vinegar and salt... Mix well.. Can make this in advance and leave in fridge also.. Just before serving add in fried noodles and mix well.. Serve..

Notes: To fry noodles, first boil the noodles and drain them.. Mix 1tsp of oil so that it doesnt stick and leave them to dry for an hr... Then fry in small batches in hot oil till crisp and golden brown in color.. Be careful while adding noodles in hot oil as the oil tends to come up and splutter out..

 Vegetables cut in juliennes

 Mixed in the sauces

 Fried Noodles

 Added the fried noodles and ready to serve

Chocolate Pudding

Anything is good if its made of chocolate...

Who doesnt love to have chocolate pudding.. And that too when it becomes so easy to cook and have anytime you want.. Have it warm or cold, the way you like, it will always taste delicious than ever before.. This recipe is a keeper.. Always!!

Ingredients:

3tbsp custard powder (vanilla) / cornflour powder

2tbsp cocoa powder

3tbsp sugar

Pinch salt

1.5 cups milk

2tbsp chocolate sauce ( Hersheys chocolate syrup or melt chocolate chips/dairy milk/chocolate slab and use)

1/4tsp vanilla essence

For garnish:

Whipped Cream

Chocolate Chips

Method: Mix custard powder, cocoa powder, sugar and salt in a bowl.. Add in 1/2 cup milk and mix well to avoid any lumps and form a smooth paste.. Now boil remaining 1 cup milk in a pan. Reduce heat and mix in the custard and cocoa paste and keep stirring.. It will get thick in a minute.. Be careful it doesnt stick to the bottom.. Keep whisking for another minute till it coats the back of your ladle/spoon your using to whisk your pudding.. Its an indication that pudding is cooked and of desired consistency.. Now switch off the gas and add chocolate sauce (i melted a chocolate slab and used it) and vanilla essence.. Whisk it well for 2mins till it becomes smooth and fluffy.. Pour the mixture in individual bowls and set in fridge for atleast 3hrs.. Garnish it with chocochips and whipped cream before serving..

Note: You can melt chocolate in microwave at very low temperature ie 180watts for around 2mins, stirring every 3osecs

You can add chocolate chips/ walnuts or any nuts in the the pudding while setting to get an extra crunch..

                              Dry ingredients - cocoa powder, salt, sugar and custard powder

 Added milk and made a runny paste

 Melted Chocolate

 Mixed the runny paste in boiling milk

 The mixture thickened

 Added melted chocolate

Set chocolate Pudding

Cheese Layered Braided Flower Brioche

A very interesting recipe which i came across in one of the food shows... Its basically a pizza serve in a different way, in the form of a braided flower... Brioche is a french bread rich in butter.. This is the base of the recipe..

Making this dish from the scratch was an amazing experience.. I have never made pizza dough or bread at home before.. Kneading the dough and then seeing it rise double in size, gave me the confidence that my recipe was going in the right direction... And then when i saw how to braid the flower shape, i was skeptical if i would be able to make it right.. But as i proceeded with it,, it was even more fun and interesting to work with.. It gave me a very artistic feel.. Its a must try atleast once.. Here in the recipe i may not be able to explain the steps that goes in flower making really well, so im attaching a link also which will guide you with it...

I have used my own home made pizza sauce.. You can either make your own or even use a store bought.. For the filling if you donot have variety of cheese, you can still proceed with any cheese that is available to you

You can experiment with the fillings of your choice and liking.. I have mentioned the variations that you can make in this ...

Filling variation 1 - greek yoghurt/hung yoghurt as base and filling of shredded cheese, onions, red pepper flakes, mustard paste, salt and pepper

Filling variation 2 - pesto sauce as base and filling of mozarella cheese and tomatoes

Filling variation 3 - Nutella for a sweet version.. Warm it in microwave so that it is easier to spread on the layers..

For the brioche dough

2 cups all purpose flour / maida

1tbsp sugar

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2tsp instant yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup luke warm water

For the filling

1 1/2 cup pizza sauce (click here to get the recipe)

1/2 cup gouda cheese

1/2 cup cheddar cheese

1/2 cup montery jack cheese

2tsp oregano

2tsp red chilli flakes

1tsp garlic powder (optional)

1tsp all purpose flour

Method: Mix all the ingredients of filling except pizza sauce and keep aside.. All purpose flour is added so that the cheese does not stick to each other and it is easy to handle the filling.. Keep aside..

For the dough - Add yeast and sugar in water and keep aside till it froths.. Mix butter and milk, heat if necessary to mix it well.. Cool.. Add salt in all purpose flour and mix well. Add in the yeast mixture and the milk mixture and knead well to form a soft dough.. Knead it well for 10mins and then place it in a bowl greased with oil.. Cover it with a muslin cloth and keep it in warm place for around an hour till it doubles in size.. Take out the dough onto the flour and knead again for a min.. Cut it into 4 equal parts and roll out into a 9 inch round chapati.. Make all four in similar way..

Preheat oven at 200c.. Now grease an oven proof plate... Place one chapati in plate and spread generous amount of pizza sauce evenly.. Top it with 1/3rd of cheese filling.. Place another rolled chapati on top and again spread pizza sauce and cheese.. Again place a rolled chapati and again top it with pizza sauce and cheese.. Finally cover it with the last rolled chapati.. This way you get 3 stuffed layers of pizza sauce and cheese filling between 4 chapatis.. Now put a small glass or cup in the centre and press it slightly to make a round mark.. From this mark till the end, first divide it into 4 parts.. Then again divide this into 8 parts and then in 16.. Remember to make the incisions only from the round mark till the outer end.. Donot cut it till centre.. Now that it is divided in 16 equal parts, take 2 parts and twist it in outward direction twice and then pinch the ends together.. Handle it with care as it is the most delicate part in the whole process.. This is one petal.. Make all 8 petals the same way.. Brush it lightly with milk and bake at 200c for 25-30mins till the top turns golden.. Remove from the oven and rub butter all over for the extra glaze.. Serve hot..

                                        After kneading the dough

                                          After 1 hr it has risen double in volume

                                           Cut it into 4 equal parts

                                                    Home made pizza sauce

                                                    Mixture of cheese filling

                                         Spreading pizza sauce and cheese filling on first layer

Made all 4 layers and making a mark with a bowl

                                               Divided into 16 equal parts

                                                           Making petals by twisting 2 parts at a time

Cheese layered braided flower brioche ready to be baked

                                          After baking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxaDxiqTiT0 - Click to see the video of braided flower

Mushroom Biryani

Mushroom biryani.. The easiest and tastiest biryani i ever had.. I always wanted to make this, but never tried to attempt it as i was not sure of the outcome.. I saw many recipes online for the same, but nothing satisfied me or tempted me to try out one, until i came across one of my neighbour who made it very frequently.. I had to ask her for the recipe and finally try it out.. Trust me, I never believed it would come out so well and taste so good.. Now this will always be on my frequent list of recipes to be made..

Ingredients:

For the paste

1 mace (javitri)

2 laung

2 big elaichi

2 small elaichi

1 tej patta

1 medium onion

1tbsp ginger garlic paste

1tsp red chilli powder

For biryani

3tbsp oil

1 tejpatta

2 laung

2 small elaichi

1/2 tsp shah jeera

2 onions long chopped

3 green chillies slit lengthwise

2 tomatoes grinded

Salt

1tsp garam masala

1 pack ie 200gms mushrooms quartered (12-15 mushrooms)

1 cup basmati rice soaked in water for 20mins and drained

1 bunch coriander chopped

Method: To make the paste, grind all the spices to fine powder first. Then add onion, ginger garlic paste and red chilli powder and grind again to a smooth paste.. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan in which biryani is to be made.. Add in tejpatta, laung, elaichi and shah jeera.. Add in the paste and cook for few minutes till the raw fragrance fades away.. Add in onions and green chillies and cook again till translucent.. Add in tomato puree and cover and cook on sim for around 10mins till oil seperates.. Then add in mushrooms, red chilli powder and garam masala.. Mix and cook for 2mins.. Add in 1 1/2 cup water and salt.. The water should taste a bit more salty.. Once it boils add the soaked rice, mix and cover and let it cook on sim for around 15-20mins till rice is well cooked.. Stir only once in between.. Off gas and keep it covered for another 10mins allowing all the flavours to blend.. Finally add coriander and mix lightly and serve with raita of your choice...