Paala Vankayalu or ( Brinjal and milk curry)

I came across this recipe recently and I started loving it . Any thing prepared with brinjal it self tasted yummy. If you are a brinjal or white gravy lover like me , you should try this recipe and I am pretty much sure that you will like it ....  

Preparation time : 20 mins 

Serves : 2 to 3 

Ingredients :

Butter : 4 Tbsp 

Mustard seeds : 1tsp

Cumin seeds : 1 tsp

Curry leaves : 4 Tbsp

Brinjal : 1/4 kg ( cut into 1/4ths or cut as 2 inch long pieces )

Onion : 1 (medium sized)

Salt : to taste

Milk : 2 cups 

Coriander powder : 1 tsp

Coriander leaves : 3 Tbsp

For paste: 

Roasted Cashew nuts : 10

Roasted Khuskhus or poppy seeds : 2 Tbsp

Roasted Sesame seeds : 2 Tbsp

Grated coconut : 1/4 cup 

Green chili : 4

Garlic : 6 

Water or milk : 1/4 cup

Method : 

Take a blender add the ingredients listed for paste , blend them into a smooth paste. Keep this aside.

Take a pan , heat it, add butter , then add mustard seeds, cumin seeds , once they fried a bit , add brinjal , mix it once. Cover and cook for 3 mins . Add chopped onion , salt and mix it well . Cover and cook until brinjal is almost cooked for 8 to 10 mins. Add the prepared paste and fry for 5 more mins.Add coriander powder , give it a mix and add in milk , once it comes to a boil add coriander leaves . Curry is ready.

When its done it may look runny a bit , but once it cools down , it will thicken ...

Server hot curry with rice or roti . Enjoy your dish :)

Cinnamon Rolls

Preparation time : 2 hours 
Makes : 30

INGREDIENTS:

Warm Milk : 3/4 cup (110 degrees F)

Yeast : 2 1/4 tsp  

Sugar : 50g (1/4 cup)  

Eggs : 1 egg and 1 egg yolk  

Butter : 1/4 cup  (soften at room temperature) 

Bread flour (or) Plain flour : 600g (about 3 cups) 

Salt : A pinch 

Cinnamon mix : 

Dark brown sugar : 2/3 cup

Ground cinnamon : 2 Tbsp

Butter : 1/4 cup

Egg and butter should be at room temperature for this recipe.

Method :

Take a blow,  add in butter , sugar and cinnamon powder and give it a mix.

Keep this aside for later use.

Warm the milk (Don't heat the milk, if milk is too hot, the yeast will die.). 

Add yeast , sugar, egg and butter to the milk. Give it a good mix.

Add in flour. Make the dough. Keep it aside at least for an hour.

Once it is risen, dust some flour on the surface and roll it into a flat square of 1/2 inch thickness. (If you roll them thin , like how i did you will get it like pin wheels)

Now take the cinnamon mix and spread it evenly on top of the rolled dough. Now make it like a swiss roll and then cut the log into one inch thick pieces. Cover and keep these aside for hour an hour to raise again. Give egg wash on top .

Bake in preheated oven at 180 C for 25 to 35 mins Or until just slightly golden brown on edges.

Remove from the sheet when they are little warm (bcoz of sugar they will stick a bit)

We had them like that only with out frosting...

For the cream cheese frosting:

Cream cheese, softened : 4 oz 
Butter, softened : 3 tablespoons 
powdered sugar : ¾ cup 
vanilla extract : ½ teaspoon 

If you want to frost them , let them cool down for 10 mins. 

To make the frosting: In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Spread over cinnamon rolls and serve immediately.

For Icing : 

Butter : 1/4 cup
Powdered sugar : 1 1/2 cups 
Vanilla : 1 tsp 
Milk : 1 Tbsp 

Cream the butter until smooth.
Add in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, alternating with a liquid. (powdered sugar, vanilla,  powdered sugar, milk,  powdered sugar)
Ice warm cinnamon rolls generously.
You can keep this icing in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Enjoy freshly baked Cinnamon rolls hot or cold , with or with out frosting :)

Custard bread rolls

Preparation time : 2 hours 
Makes : 50

INGREDIENTS:

For Preparing the custard :

 
Milk : 500ml (2 cups) 

Eggs : 2 

Sugar : 100g (1/2 cup) 

Cornstarch : 30g (3 1/2 Tbsp) 

Vanilla Essence : 1 tsp 

Salt : A pinch 

For Preparing the dough : 

Warm Milk : 200ml (1 cup) 

Yeast : 1Tbsp  

Sugar :100g (1/2 cup)  

Vanilla : 1 tsp 

Eggs : 2  

Butter : 90g (1 cup)  (soften at room temperature) 

Plain flour : 600g (about 4-5 cups) 

Topping

Egg yolk : 1 + Milk :  3 Tbsp 

Flaked :Almonds : 3 Tbsp

Method :

For preparing Custard : 

 

On the counter, take a pan add all ingredients listed for custard . Mix them well . Take it on to the stove to and Switch on the heat . Cook it for 5 mins stirring it continuously . When you think it became thick and done , take it off from heat. Pour it into a bowl and cover it. Keep it aside.

For  preparing Dough :

Warm the milk (Don't heat the milk, if milk is too hot, the yeast will die.). 

Add yeast , sugar, vanilla, egg and butter to the milk. Give it a good mix.

Add in flour. Make the dough. Keep it aside at least for an hour.

Once it is risen, dust some flour on the surface and roll it into a flat square of 1/2 inch thickness.

Now take the custard and spread it evenly on top of the rolled dough. Now make it like a swiss roll and then cut the log into one inch thick pieces. Cover and keep these aside for hour an hour to raise again. Give egg wash on top and sprinkle almond flakes .

In my house they felt these are less on sweet , thats why sprinkled sugar instead of almonds for second batch - so if you want to increase the sweetness , increase the amount of sugar that needs to be added in the recipe. 

Bake in preheated oven at 180 C for 35 to 40 mins Or until golden brown.

Enjoy freshly baked custard rolls hot or cold :) 

Cheesy Garlic Bread

Preparation time : 10 mins + one hour + 15 mins - 1 1/2 hour

Serves : 4 people

Ingredients :

Yeast : 3/4 tsp

Sugar : 2 tsp

All purpose flour or maida : 1 1/2 cup

Salt : 1 tsp

Garlic paste or garlic powder : 1 tsp 

Water to knead the dough : Around 1/2 cup

Oil : 2 tsp 

Mozerilla cheese and Cheddar cheese : 3/4 cup

Boiled corn : 1/4 cup

Sliced Onion : 1/4 cup

Jalapeno / chili : 2 - 3 Tbsp

Garlic powder / chopped garlic : 1 tsp

Oregano : 1 tsp

Melted Butter : 1/4 tsp

Chili Flakes, Oregano, Garlic Flakes and PeriPeri mix - For Seasoning

Method: 

Take warm water, add in sugar and yeast, mix it well. 

Keep it in warm place for 10 mins for it to proof.

Take a big bowl. Add in all purpose flour , garlic paste 1 tsp or garlic flakes and salt , mix it well.
Add in the yeast mixture to flour make it as a dough.
knead it for 4 mins.
Add oil and knead it for one more minute.
cover with a damp cloth and leave it in warm place for one hour.
After one hour , take the dough, punch it out, knead for a minute or two.
Divide the dough into two equal parts.
Roll the dough , not too thin or not too thick and make 8 in circle.
on top of the rolled dough add cheese, garlic powder, oregano, corn or onion, chili or jalapenos .
Apply water around the edges and seal the dough.
Apply butter on top of the dough.
Sprinkle Garlic powder, oregano, red chili flakes and peri peri spice mix .
Make creases, just make ridges on top don't cut it all the way down.


On Stove Top :


Take a cooker, add salt about 1 and 1/2 cup ... Over salt place in a cup , wire stand or any thing to give it a little height.
Cover the lid of cooker without gasket and whistle .
Preheat it for 10 mins .
After 10 mins , place the bread sticks in hot cooker, cover it with the lid.
Bake it for 15 mins.


In Oven:


Preheat oven to 190 degrees C.
Place it in middle rack and bake it for about 15 mins.


Take it out , cut it after 5 mins.
Enjoy your Hot Garlic bread sticks ....

Quinoa dosa

Quinoa is one of the world’s most popular health foods.
Quinoa is gluten-free, high in protein and one of the few plant foods that contain all nine essential amino acids.
It is also high in fiber, magnesium, B-vitamins, iron, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin E and various beneficial antioxidants.

Quinoa dosa with lentils is a healthy dosa. These dosas are easy to make immediately after grinding the batter without fermenting.

Missing photo :P ....

Preparation time : 5 hours + 10 mins

Serves : 8

Ingredients :

Quinoa uncooked : 1 1/2 cup
Urad dal : 1/2 cup

Moong dal : 1/2 cup 

Toor dal : 1/2 cup 

Chana dal : 1/4 cup

Masoor dal : 1/4 cup
Green chilis : 6

Cumin seeds : 1 tsp

Salt : 1 Tbsp

Turmeric powder : 1/8 tsp

Method :

Rinse quinoa several times with water until the water runs clear to take off the natural bitter coating called saponin from quinoa. If you are not rinsing the quinoa thoroughly then the dosa will taste bitter.
Wash all dals together. 

Soak quinoa and dals together in water for 5 - 6 hours.

After 5 hours, drain the water from soaked quinoa and lentils. In a blender or grinder add the quinoa and lentils together with green chili and cumin seeds. Add water little by little and grind it to a smooth batter. Add salt and turmeric powder , mix well.
(If you want nice and crispy dosa, you can add half a cup of rice flour to the batter.)

Heat skillet and pour a laddle full of batter and spread it in a circular motion. Drizzle oil on sides of a dosa cover and cook until the bottom side of a dosa becomes crispy. Transfer it to a plate and serve. Repeat the same with a rest of the batter.
Enjoy your dish :)

Eggless chocolate cake

Preparation time : 30 mins
Makes : serves 6 people

Ingredients :
 
All purpose flour or maida : 2 1/2 cups
condensed milk or plain milk : 200 ml 
Powdered sugar : 1 1/2 cup
Melted unsalted butter : 1 1/2 cup 
Cocoa powder : 1/2 cup
Baking powder : 1 Tbsp
Soda like coke or pepsi : 1 1/2 can

Method : 

Preheat the oven for 15 mins 400 F.

For this cake we have to use cookie sheet so prepare them by spraying with nonstick spray and keep aside.
In a bowl or mixer take 200 ml of condensed milk or plain milk, add powdered sugar and mix it
with whisk until well mixed, melt the butter and add it when warm to the sugar mixture and beat until mixed well.
Now take the dry ingredients 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour add 1/2 cup of cocoa  pwdr, add 1 tbsp
of baking powder and mix everything well.now add the wet ingredient in the flour mixture and just mix it.
now add the soda i.e. coke and mix everything well it should be not be too thick.
now divide the batter evenly on the two prepared sheets, just tap the sheets in order the spread evenly and
remove the air bubble.
Put these sheets in the preheated oven at 400'F for 15mins and switch of immediately and let it be in the oven for next 15 mins.do not remove them let them cook in switched off oven.remove them and let them cool
completely before doing any icing.

Loose Prawns

Loose Prawns is that starter on the menu which will always have most of the eyes looking for...If you have nailed it then there won't be any better dish around to enjoy with a bowl of Hot Soup! Here I present to you the recipe to enhance your taste buds for that lovely evening !!

Ingredients

Cleaned and Deveined Prawns - around 30 Medium ..(Deveining is very much important)

TIP 1: To remove smell of prawns, clean the prawns with some milk... Put Prawns in milk and keep washing them in that milk

After washing the prawns, fully dry them with Kitchen towel.. Do not forget this part.

Salt around - 1- tsp - For Taste.. Remember usually prawns are usually salty so be careful while adding salt

Black Pepper Powder - 1 TBSP ( You can add more if you want)

White Pepper Powder - 1 TBSP 

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 TBSP

1/2 Egg

Vinegar - 1 teaspoon

1 lemon

Corn Flour - 2 TBSP

Maida - 3/4 TBSP

Rice Flour - 1/2 TBSP

Mix them throughly and apply the marinade to all the prawns.. The consistency should be thick

Leave it for 1/2 rs...

Chopped Garlic - 20

Chopped Green chillies - 8

Preparation

Take oil in pan and put it in medium flame... The Oil shouldn't be too hot..If its too hot just switch off the flame and let it cool down... The temperature of oil is very important.

Now put the Prawns in the oil slowly such a way that entire Kadai is full of pieces.. This way pieces fry evenly.. Do not touch the prawns for 30 secs... Keep mixing the pieces intermittently until they are 3/4 th  cooked ( They should curl and also have slight golden brown color).... Typically takes 1 to 1.5 Mins of deep frying .. Now take them aside

After entire prawns are 3/4 th cooked take them out.  increase the flame to High for 2nd time frying... Now take pieces in small batches ..and put them in Hot Oil...The Oil should be very hot...Don't touch them until 20 secs... Now cook them for only 1 minutes... Prawns cook really fast so be careful about that...Don't over cook..

The colour will change to good golden brown colour.. Take them out.. 

Take a pan, add little oil and once the oil is hot put little turmeric ( You can add Turmeric while Marinating if you want and avoid here ) , garlic and green chillies... They will fry within 15-20 secs.. After that put the prawn pieces and toss them... The Prawn pieces will get a slight coating of garlic and chillies...

You can very well eat them on its own and relish each and every piece of goodness!!