Cauliflower Pulao (Oil free, gluten free)

Ingredients:

• Mustard seeds/ Rai: 1 tsp
• Chana daal: 1 tbsp
• Urad daal: 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves: a few
• Vegetables (Potato, carrots, peas, beans, corns etc): 1 cup
• Cauliflower( grated): 1 cup
• Salt
• Red pepper pwd
• Desiccated Coconut pwd: 1 tbsp
• Coriander leaves ( chopped)

Method:

1. Heat pan. Add rai and curry leaves. Cook for few mins.
2. Add chana daal and urad daal. Cook until light brown.
3. Add all vegetables, salt , red pepper pwd and mix well.
4. Cover and cook for few mins until all vegetables are done. (If needed, add 2-3 tbsp water)
5. Add grated cauliflower and cover. Cook for 2-3 mins.
6. Turn off the flame.
7. Add desiccated coconut and mix well.
8. Garnish with coriander leaves.
9. Ready to serve.

Eggless cookies (Kaju pista, Marble and jeera cookies)

Ingredients:

• Butter: 100 gms (1/2 cup)
• Powdered sugar: 50 gms (1/4 cup + 1 tbsp)
• Maida: 130 gms (1 cup + 1 tbsp)
• Baking paper
• Varieties:
• for Jeera cookies:
• Salt: 1/2 tsp
• Roasted Jeera (whole): 1.5 tsp
• for Tutti frutti cookies : 1/4 cup
• for Kaju Pista cookies: Cashew and Pista (chopped ): 1/4 cup
• for Choco chip cookies: Choco chip: 1/4 cup
• for Marble cookies: 1.5 tbsp Cocoa pwd 

Method:

•  In a pan, add butter and sugar. Whisk until light and fluffy. (~ 1-2 mins)
• Sieve maida and add it to the butter and sugar mixture. Knead a soft dough (It should not be sticky)
• Put  baking paper on the baking tray and keep aside.
• Now, divide the mixture in 5 equal portions to make 5 varieties of cookies. Roll each portion in a ball. (In below pic, there is jeera cookie dough, kaju pista cookie dough and marble cookie dough- divide in 2 parts)

• For Jeera cookies:
•  Take one dough ball and add jeera and salt and mix well. 
• Roll in the shape of log and wrap in baking paper.
• Keep it aside on baking tray..
• For Tutti frutti cookies: 
• Take one dough ball and add tutti frutti and mix well. 
• Roll in shape of a ball.
• Put this ball in between the baking paper. Roll it in the form of chapati.
• Remove the baking paper and cut in the desired shape (e.g square- for this you might need to remove edges)

• Place them gently on the baking tray.
• For Kaju Pista cookies:
• Take one dough ball and add Kaju Pista and mix well.
• Roll in shape of a ball. Make small balls and roll them .
• Press gently between your palms to give a cookie shape. (I made a square shape though)
• You can press gently with fork to give design.
• Garnish with pistachio on the top.
• Place them gently on the baking tray.

• For Choco chip cookies:
• Take one dough ball and add choco chips and mix well. 
• Roll in shape of a ball.
• Put this ball in between the baking paper. Roll it in the form of chapati.
• Remove the baking paper and cut in the desired shape (e.g circle - with help of any bowl/ cutter)
• Place them gently on the baking tray.
• For Marble cookies:
• Take one dough ball and  divide it into 2 parts.
• Add cocoa  pwd to one part of the dough . Mix well.
• Put on ball on top of other.
• Put this ball in between the baking paper. Roll it in the form of chapati.

• Remove the baking paper.
• Roll in the shape of log and wrap in baking paper.

• Keep it aside on baking tray..
• Now, refrigerate all the cookies for atleast 1 hour. (You can do overnight as well)
• Bake at 180 deg C for 8-10 mins until light golden at the edges.
• Ready to serve.

Banana muffin

 Made by my kids and my husband..It was simply yumm!!

Quantity: ~ 6 muffins

Ingredients:

• Wheat flour: 1/4 cup
• Maida: 1/4 cup
• Baking soda: 1/4 tsp
• Sugar: 1/6 cup
• Ripe Banana: 1 (mashed)
• Milk: 1/8 cup
• Oil: 1/16 cup (~ 3tbsp)
• Vinegar: 1/4 tbsp
• Vanilla essence: 1/2 tsp
• Choco chips

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients.
• Line the muffin cases in muffin tray. 
• Pour the batter in all cases. (Fill only 3/4th of the case.)
• Sprinkle chocolate chips on each muffin.
• Bake for 15-20 mins at 180 deg C.

Chocolate muffins

Quantity: ~ 6 muffins

Ingredients:

• Maida: 3/4 cup
• Sugar: 1/2 cup
• Oil: 1/6 cup
• Milk: 1/4 cup
• Cocoa pwd: 1.5 tbsp
• Baking soda: 1/4 tsp
• Vanilla essence: 1/2 tsp
• Vinegar: 1/2 tbsp
• Instant Coffee pwd: 1/2 tsp 
• Choco chips

Method:

• Add milk to a large bowl and add oil. Add sugar (fine or powdered, preferably) and add vanilla essence. Mix well.
• In a separate container add Maida (all purpose flour), add baking soda, cocoa powder to the maida. Mix them. 
  
• Now put a large sieve over the bowl (containing milk, oil and sugar). Sieve the maida mixture into the bowl (so that fine powder mix is added to the milk bowl without any lumps).
• Beat coffee in milk and warm for 30 sec in microwave. Add it to the bowl.
• Mix all the ingredients well. Make sure you get a nice batter paste - not too flowy and not very thick either. You may add a little milk if the paste is too thick.
• Finally add vinegar, mix well and let the batter rest for 5 minutes.
• Line the muffin cases in the muffin tray.
• Pour the batter in the cases. Fill only 3/4th of the case. Sprinkle small pieces of choco chips on top.
• Bake for 15-20 mins at 180 deg C.

Blueberry muffins

Ingredients:

• Curd: 2 tbsp
• Oil: 2.5 tbsp
• Sugar: 8 tbsp
• Vanilla extract: 3/4 tsp
• Fresh blueberries: 10-12
• Plain flour/Maida: 3/4 cup
• Baking soda: 1 tsp
• Vinegar: 1 tsp
• Milk: 1/4 cup

Method:

1. In a bowl, add curd and oil. mix them.
2. Add sugar and mix well.
3. Add maida, baking soda and milk.
4. Mix well.
5. Add vanilla extract and mix.
6. Add vinegar and mix.
7. The consistency of the batter should be a bit thick (semi- viscous)
8. Add blueberries. Mix well.
9. Bake at 180 deg C for 15-20 mins.

Shahi Tukda

This is healthy version where I didn't fry the bread. My kids really loved it.

Ingredients:

• Bread slices : 3-4
• Butter
• Sweetened milk (Warm it slightly)
• For Rabdi:
• Milk: 1 cup
• Cornflour: 2 tsp (Prepare a mixture in little water)
• Vanilla essence
• Kesar ( you can soak in 2 tbsp milk beforehand, if you want)
• Sugar: 4-5 tbsp
• Green cardamom pwd
• Bread slices (powdered)- optional
• For Garnish: chooped pistachios, almonds

Method:

• Rabdi:
• Heat milk in pan. Add kesar, cornflour paste and sugar.
• Cook on low flame until it starts to thicken. Stir continuously.
• Add powdered bread (optional, though).
• Once the mixture thickens and is ready, turn off the flame.
• Add cardamom pwd and vanilla essence. Mix well.
• Let it cool a bit.

• Meanwhile, apply good amount of butter on bread slices and toast them in toaster or on tawa.
• Cut them diagonally and arrange in a pan.
• Lightly brush the bread slices with sweetened warm milk.

• Spread rabdi on top and garnish with chopped dry fruits.
• Keep in fridge for 3-4 hours and ready to serve.

Chocolate cake from Bourbon biscuits

This cake was made by my husband and my kids (without my help). It came out really nice and really YUMMMM!!

Ingredients:

• Bourbon biscuits: 25-30
• Baking soda: 1/2 tsp
• Sugar: 4-5 tbsp
• Eno: 1/2 tsp
• Milk: 1 cup- 1.5 cup
• Baking paper, baking tin
• For Icing:
• Milk chocolate: 2 bars (100 gms each) (If using Dark chocolate, then add 2-3 tbsp of powdered sugar)
• Milk: 1/2 cup

Method:

1. Grind biscuits and sugar to form a fine powder.
2. In a big bowl, add ground biscuits and sugar powder.  Make a lump free batter by gradually adding milk and stirring it. (Don't add milk in one go). The mixture should be of thick but flowy (not too liquidy) consistency. If needed, add some more milk.
3.  Preheat oven at 180 deg C.
4. Line the baking paper in the baking tin.
5. Add eno to the mixture and stir well.
6. Immediately, pour batter in baking tin and bake for 15-20 mins.
7. Once done, remove from oven and let it cool.
8. Chocolate sauce for icing:
• Melt chocolate with milk in microwave for 2 mins.
• Stir it well to get a nice sauce. Add more milk, if needed. It should be thick flowy consistency.
• While it is still warm, spread it evenly on the cake.
• Biscuit rose: Grind biscuits and with very little milk make dough . Make petals and make rose. You can put it on the cake for decoration.
9.  Keep it in fridge for 1-2 hours.
10. Ready to serve.

PS:

You can also microwave for 3-5 mins.

Kale and Spinach Soup

Ingredients:

• Kale leaves : 1 pack (Wash )
• Spinach: 1 bunch (Wash)
• Carrots: 2 (Peel , wash and chop)
• Beet root: 2 ( Peel, wash and chop)
• Ginger: a small piece ( peel, wash and chop)
• Tomatoes: 3-4 (Wash and chop)
• Salt: to taste

Method:

1. In a pan, add all the above ingredients with 1 glass water. Cover and cook on low flame for 8-10 mins.
2. Turn off the flame. Let it cool.
3.  Now grind it to form a smooth puree. Add 1- 1.5 glass of boiled water and cook on low flame for 5 mins. (Add more water, if needed)
4. Ready to serve.

Tomato chutney (for dosas, idli)

This is amazing tangy chutney that goes well with everything- dosas, idlis, pesarattu, paranthas.

Ingredients:

• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaf - 1 sprig
• Hing- 1 tsp
• Ginger - 3-4 inches (chopped)
• Green chilli- 1-2
• Chana Dal - 2 tbsp
• Salt - as per taste
• Tomato - 2-4
• Tamarind - a small ball (deseeded) (Don't miss it)
• Jaggery/ sugar - 1 tbsp (Don't miss it)
• Water - as per need
• Red chilli - 1 tbsp
• Oil- 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in pan and add the ingredients.
2. Cook for few minutes.
3. Grind all the ingredients.
4. Ready to eat.

Instant Green chilli pickle (by my mum)

Ingredients:

• Thin Green chilli (10-15) - washed and dried/ wiped

• Ground rai- 1tsp (heaped)

• Coriander pwd- 1tsp

• Salt- 3/4 tsp

• Ground fennel pwd- 1tsp

• Amchur- 3/4 tsp

• Oil-1 tbsp

Method:

• Heat oil, add Rai. Cook for 1 min.

• Add all other mandalas and green chilli.

• Cook on low flame for 2-3 mins. Don't cover. 

• Turn off the flame. Let it cool and store in container (only once it is cool).

• Shelf life: 7 days ( in fridge in summers and outside in winters)

Vegan Chocolate Indulgent Cake

My kids just love this soft and moist cake. It's simply yummm.

Ingredients:

• For Cake:
• Maida: 2 cups (300 gms)
• Cocoa pwd (unsweetened): 1 cup (100 gms)
• Baking soda: 2 tsp
• Coffee: 2 tsp
• Vinegar: 1 tbsp
• Oil: 1/2 cup
• Boiling Hot water: 2 cups (500 ml)
• Sugar: 2 cups (400 gms)
• Salt: 1 tsp (optional- I usually skip this ingredient)
• Vanilla essence: 2 tsp 
• For brushing:
• Non-dairy milk: 1/4 cup
• For Icing:
• Vegan butter: 1 cup
• Cocoa pwd: 1 ⅓  cup
• Icing sugar: 6 cups
• Non-dairy Milk: 2/3 cup
• Vanilla extract: 2 tsp
• Salt: 1/2 tsp (optional- I usually skip this ingredient)

Method:

1. For cake:
• Preheat oven to 180 deg C.
• Grease  two 8 inch tins or line with butter paper.
• In a bowl, add wet ingredients and mix together (water, oil, vinegar)
• Now add dry ingredients(coffee, baking soda, sugar, salt, cocoa pwd and maida). Mix dry and wet ingredients together properly ensuring there are no lumps.
• Add vanilla essence and mix again.
• Pour in both the tins and bake for 20-25 mins.
• Let them cool.
2. For Icing.
• Slightly soften the butter on low flame or in microwave for 5-7 secs. (We are not melting it)
• Add cocoa pwd, salt, vanilla essence and sugar. Mix well
3.  The Final Bit:
• Place one cake on the plate. Gently brush it with milk to soften the upper layer.
• Spread 2 tbsp of icing on the top.
• Place second cake on it and again gently brush it with milk.
• Spread icing on all sides of cake and decorate it using piping bag.
• Ready to serve. (you can make this cake day before as well- stays fresh and soft)

Amti (Daal Soup)

I learnt this recipe from my dear friend Urvi. It goes really well with Pooran poli

Ingredients:

• Chana daal:  1/2 cup  (Wash and soak in ample water)
• Turmeric/ haldi
• Salt: to taste
• Tomatoes: 5-6 (Boil and Puree them)
• Fresh coconut pieces - 2 tbsp
• Ginger: a small piece
• Green chilli: 1-2 
• Mustard seeds: 1 tbsp
• Jeera/ cumin seeds: 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves
• Hing/ Asafoetida
• Degi mirch: 1- 2 tbsp
• Fresh coriander leaves (chopped)
• Oil: 1- tbsp

Method:

1.  In pressure cooker, add chana daal in 4 cups water, salt and haldi. Take a whistle and cook on low flame for 10-15 mins. Turn off the flame and mash the daal.
2. Tomato puree: Boil and puree the tomatoes. (Boiling part is optional)
3. Coconut paste: Grind coconut pieces, ginger and green chilli  to form a paste.
4. Heat oil in pan. Add rai, jeera, curry leaves and hing.
5. Add coconut paste, degi mirch, tomato puree and mashed daal. Add salt if needed.
6. Take 1-2 boils and turn off the flame.
7. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Gajar Shalgam ka Khatta Meetha Achar (My mom's recipe)

I love this pickle since my childhood days. This is my Mom's recipe. :)

Ingredients:

• Carrots (Gajar): 10 (peeled and chopped in long strips)
• Turnip (Shalgam): 1 medium sized piece (peeled and chopped in long strips) (If using big sized turnip, then take half)
• Cauliflower(Gobi): 1 (Cut in florets, cut the stalk in thin long strips)
• Potato (Aloo): 1-2 ( chopped in long strips)
• Salt: to taste ( ~3 tbsp)
• Green chilli: 2 medium sized (cut in thin long strips)
• Ginger:  a medium size piece( peeled and cut in long thin strips)
• Oil: 1-2 tbsp
• Rai (ground): 3 tbsp (To grind rai, just put in blender and grind) 
• Jaggery: 1 small bowl (~200gms) (grated) (or to taste)
• White Vinegar: ~ 2-3 tbsp (optional)- I didn't add it though
• Turmeric pwd: 1/2 tsp
• Ground cumin: 2 tbsp

Method:

• Overnight, spread all the vegetables (carrot, cauliflower and turnip) on the newspaper/ piece of cloth to dry them. Don't cut potato.
• Heat oil in pan.
• Add ground Rai, green chilli and ginger. Splutter for a min.
• Add all vegetables, salt, ground cumin and turmeric pwd.  Cook for 5-7 mins.
• Add jaggery.  Cover and cook till done. (If there is still water after the pickle is cooked, uncover it and cook for few more minutes until the water evaporates.)
• If adding vinegar: 
• Cook for another 10-15 mins on low flame until the vegetables are half- cooked.
• Add vinegar . Cook for 3-4 mins on low flame. (A little quantity of water will be there in pickle but if it's too much, then cook until excess water evaporates)
• Turn off the flame and let it cool.
• Store in air tight container . No need to refrigerate.
• You can keep it for a month.

Eggless Cake in cooker

Serves: 10-12 people

Ingredients:

• Maida/ Plain Flour: 1 ¼  cup
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: 200 ml
• Baking pwd: 1 tsp
• Baking soda: ½ tsp
• Cardamom pwd: ¼ tsp
• Sugar: 3-4 tbsp (optional, as we are adding condensed milk)
• Oil: 3-4 tbsp (to keep the cake moist)
• Salt: ¼ tsp
• Unsalted Melted Butter: ½ cup (~100 gms)
• Pineapple crushed (Tinned): ½ cup (Seive the juice and keep aside for later use)
• Pineapple Juice: ½ cup (Seived above from the tinned pineapple slices) [You can use any other juice as well. But it needs to be sweet]
• Pineapple Juice: 3-4 tbsp (Seived above from the tinned pineapple slices) (for brushing on the cake)
• Baking paper
• For icing:
• Double Extra Thick Cream: 300 ml
• Powdered sugar: 5-6 tbsp
• Vanilla essence/ Pineapple essence: 2-3 tsp
• For decoration:
• Grated chocolate/ glaced cherries
• Fruits: Pineapple pieces, cherries, peaches, kiwi, pomegranate etc.
• Gems/ Choco chips
• Chopped nuts

Method:

• Take a cooker and add salt (~200 gms) to it. Preheat the cooker at low- medium flame.
• Put a stand on the salt and a plate.

Cooker with stand

Cooker with stand and plate

• Place the baking paper in the greased baking dish (in which you want to pour cake batter)
• In a pan add all the dry ingredients: Maida, Baking soda, Baking pwd, cardamom pwd, salt. Mix well.
• Now add condensed milk, melted butter, pineapple crushed, pineapple juice (1/2 cup). Gently fold it. Don’t stir rigorously. Pour the mixture in the greased baking dish.
• Place the baking dish on the plate in the pre-heated cooker.
• Remove the whistle of the cooker and bake it for 35- 40 mins on low- medium flame. (Check after 15-20 mins ).
• To check if the cake is ready:
• Put the knife in the centre of the cake and the knife should come out clean. Also, the cake will start leaving sides once it's ready.
• Run a knife around the edges of the cake to separate the cake from the dish.
• Now put a plate on the baking dish (having cake).Turn the dish upside down on plate.
• Tap gently on the top (at the back of the dish). The cake will come out on plate.  

• Let it cool.  Cut in 2 halves.

• Brushing with pineapple juice: While the cake is still warm, prick it with fork gently (make sure that you don’t break the cake). Now spread the pineapple juice (3-4 tbsp) on the cake with spoon/ brush. (This will keep the cake moist)
• For icing:

• Beat the cream till it becomes thick. (I did with handmixer)
• Add powdered sugar and vanilla essence. Mix properly.
• Spread the cream on the cake on all sides.
• Decorate with pineapple pieces, fruits, gems or choco chips.
• You can stick nuts on the sides of the cake. (Take a handful of chopped nuts and gently stick them to the edges of cake)
• Sprinkle some grated chocolate on the top.

PS:

• Brushing the cake with pineapple juice is an important step that helps to keep the cake soft and moist.
• The salt used for baking can be reused for baking again. Store it in separate container.
• The cake made in cooker is more softer than the oven version.

Pav Buns

Ingredients:

• Plain Flour / Maida - 2 Cups 
• Milk - a little less than 1 cup 
• Salt - 1 Tsp 
• Butter - 4 Tsp 
• Instant Yeast - 2 Tsp 
• Sugar - 1 Tbsp 
• Milk & Butter - For Brushing
• Maida- for dusting
• Oil - for greasing

Instructions

• Warm the milk, Add the sugar, yeast. Mix well, cover and keep aside for 10 minutes. After 10 mins, the mixture will become frothy.
• In a flat pan (prant) or on kitchen shelf, put maida and salt. Mix well.
•  Add frothy yeast mixture to the plain flour. It will look like a sticky mess :) (The moisture in the dough will make our buns soft, so we need the dough to be sticky)
• Now add the butter to the sticky paste and start kneading. Use flat spatula or spoon to bring mixture together while kneading. In this process, rub the mixture with palms as well. It will turn from sticky mass to a dough. Knead it for 15-20 mins atleast. (Time for kneading is important)
• The whole idea of kneading is to activate the gluten. It will take 15 mins for the gluten to get activated and at that time, the sticky mess will start coming together to form a sticky dough. 
• DO NOT add any thing else while kneading. 
• After 15 mins of kneading, transfer this dough to a big bowl, cover and keep aside for  1.5- 2 hours (atleast keep it for 1 hour ).

• It will double in volume after one hour, (using dry plain flour only IF NEEDED), knead the dough for 2-3 mins. (Don't add too much maida else the pav won't be soft).
• Now divide this dough in equal parts and roll them to form nice round balls using your palm and hand.
• Grease the cake baking tin, place the balls in it. Keep the balls very close to each other. (Else they wont rise up, rather they will spread sideways and become flat).

• Now cover the tin with damp cloth and keep aside for another 40-45 mins.

• Preheat oven at 200 deg C.
• Carefully remove the damp cloth after 30 minutes so that they dont stick to the cloth.
• After 45 minutes, brush the pav gently with milk. Place the cake tin in the oven and bake for 15 minutes at 200 C.
• If the buns dont look brown, bake for some more time. 
• Take them out immediately and brush the top part with butter. 
• Keep aside till they cool and cut them with knife.
• Ready to serve.

Medu vada

Ingredients: 

• Washed Urad daal: 1 cup
• Rice: 2-3 tbsp (to make outside layer of vadas crispy)
• Cumin seeds: 1 tbsp
• Hing: 1/2 tsp
• Baking soda: a pinch
• Curry leaves: a few( chopped)
• Fresh coriander leaves
• Ginger: a small piece (chopped)
• Green chilli: 1-2 (chopped)
• Salt: to taste
• Red chilli pwd: optional
• Oil: for frying

Method:

• Wash and soak Urad daal over night( or 6 hours).
• Grind rice and daal with minimum water to make a thick batter. (If batter becomes thin, add semolina)

• Now, beat the batter with hands/ spoon for 6-8 mins to make it fluffy. This step will ensure soft vadas from inside.
• Add cumin seeds, hing, baking soda, curry leaves, fresh coriander leaves, red chilli pwd, ginger and green chilli. Mix well.

• Heat oil in pan.
• Take water in a big bowl (to wet your hands while giving shape to vadas, also to slide vadas in oil)
• Wet your hand and put 1-2 tbsp batter on fingers and while thumb make a hole in it.

• Immediately drop vadas in oil. Cook until golden brown on both sides.

• The vadas which are crispy from outside and soft from inside  are ready to serve with sambar and coconut chutney.