Apple pie

 










Ingredients: For 1 apple pie [Serves 6]
Pillsbury pie crust for 9 inch pan (2 sheets)
Assorted apples - 7 peeled, sliced
Brown Sugar – 1 cup
All purpose flour -2 tbs
Almonds – 1/4 cup crushed (for crunch)
Lemon juice -2 tbsp
Cinnamon ground -1 tsp
Nutmeg ground -1 pinch
Cardamom powder -1/2 tsp
Salt – 1 pinch
Butter  -2 tbsp

 Method:    

• Thaw the frozen pastry sheets to room temperature.    
• Peel and slice apples.    
• In a large bowl, toss the sliced apples with lemon juice.    
• Combine sugar, flour, crushed almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and salt. Add apples and toss well to coat evenly.    
• Line the pie pan with one of the thawed pastry sheet.    
• Fill pastry lined pie pan with apple mixture. Add butter on the top.    
• Place second crust on a plain surface and cut into strips.
• Now arrange the strips on the top of pie filling in criss-cross manner. Seal the edges of the crust by hand.    
• Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.    
• Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 40-45 minutes more or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.

Serving suggestion:
Serve warm with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream after any meal.

Chana dal-Lauki Stew: Comfort in a a bowl

Ingredients:
For Chana dal Lauki: [6 servings approx.]
Chana dal (Split yellow) – 3/4 cup
Lauki (Bottle guard) – 1

Dry Spices:
Whole garam masala - 1 tbsp
Red chili powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder - ½ tsp
Kasoori Methi -1/2 tbsp

Wet Ingredients for tadka:
Onion -1/2 (finely chopped)
Tomatoes -1 cup (finely chopped)
Ginger - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
Garlic - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)
Green chili -1 tsp (finely chopped) [Optional]
Olive oil - 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method:

• Wash dry chana dal a couple of times. Keep aside.
• Peel and cut Bottle guard (Lauki) in medium size cubes and keep aside.
• Pressure cook it with turmeric powder, salt and 2.5 cups of water for 10 minutes on medium heat.
• Now open the pressure cooker (when all the pressure is released), and add cut bottle guard (lauki) to it.
• Pressure cook the above for 10 more minutes.
• For tadka, heat olive oil in a pan. Add whole garam masala. Let it crackle. Then add chopped onions and sauté it, till turns light golden. Add ginger, garlic and chopped green chilies (optional). Cook for 2 minutes.
• Add chopped tomatoes, red chili powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder in the gravy and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes on medium-low heat.
• Add the tadka to the cooked chanadal lauki and add 1/2 cup water and simmer it on low heat 4-5 minutes.
• Finally, add kasoori methi and let it simmer for 2 more minutes.

Garnish:
Garnish the Chana dal Lauki with freshly chopped cilantro and serve with halved lemons.
Enjoy with fresh naan, paratha or steamed basmati rice.

Eggless Sponge Cake

 









Ingredients: For eggless sponge cake
Sweetened condensed milk – 1/2can
Self raising flour- 140 gms (5 oz.) or 1.25 cups
Baking powder – 1 tsp (leveled)
Baking soda or soda bi-carb – ½ tsp
Melted butter – 60 ml (2 fl.oz.)
Water – 75ml (2.5fl.oz.)
Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

Method:

• Preheat the oven at 400 degrees (F).
• Grease 8 inches diameter cake pan.
• Sieve the flour, baking powder and baking soda together.
• Mix the flour mixture, condensed milk, melted butter, vanilla essence, water and beat well.
• Pour the mixture in the greased cake pan.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees (F) and bake for further 10 minutes or until cake starts leaving the pan from sides and an insert knife in the center of the cake come out clean.

• Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool off for few minutes.
• Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake and place a flat plate over the cake pan and turn it over to transfer the cake on to the plate.
• Cool the cake completely before decorating.

Bhutte ke bhajiye [Corn fritters]

Rainy or gloomy weather calls for something hot, something crispy. What will be the better option than Spicy Fritters: Garma garam bhutte ke bhajiye with a cup of tea. Enjoy this easy recipe for corn fritters.

Ingredients;
For Corn fritters [Approx. 4 servings]
Corn kernels [Bhutte] -2 cups (frozen or fresh)
Gram flour [Besan] – 2 tbsp
Green chilies -2
Cilantro -1/2 cup (leaves only)

Dry spices:
Cumin seeds [Jira] – 1 tsp
Garam masala powder-1 tsp
Salt as per taste

For Garnish:
Chaat masala -2 tsp
Freshly squeezed Lemon juice -1 tbsp

Method:

• Thaw frozen corn kernels in microwave for 2 minutes. For fresh corn, carefully cut the kernels using sharp knife.
• In the food processer, add corn kernels and green chilies and pulse 4 times till it becomes coarse mixture. Keep aside.
• In a large bowl, add processed corn mixture, besan, cilantro and all dry spices. Mix well. Do not add water or it will make the batter runny.
• Heat cooking oil in a frying pan. Drop fritter batter by spoonfuls into the hot oil, and fry until golden. Drain on paper towels.

Garnish:
Sprinkle chaat masala on the fritters and also add some lemon juice. Serve immediately. Enjoy with green chutney and a cup of hot tea.

Note: You can also make chaat of these fritters, just add green chutney, tamarind chutney, finely chopped sweet onions, finely chopped tomatoes, chopped cilantro, nylon sev and some chaat masala. Viola! Chaat is ready.