Sanoli's Kitchen

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

OKRA IN YOGURT / TAKATLI BHENDYACHI BHAJI

This is a traditional Maharashtrian dish or Konkani dish. Here, okra cooked in spicy buttermilk. Very nice flavored, simple and easy to cook. The cuisines of Maharashtra is highly influenced by the crops grown in its different regions or landscapes. Peanut oil, peanuts and cashewnuts have wide usage in various dishes. A lot of variety in dishes from mild to highly spicy dishes of Maharashtrian cuisine, now-a-days popular in everywhere. Not only for food, they are famous for their hospitalities too. Here okra cooks with very less spices and takes a very less time to cook, but tastes delicious.
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb Okra
1/2 tsp Asafoetida (hing)
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds (Methidana)
10-12 Curry Leaves
3-4 Green Chilli (chopped)
1 & 1/2 tbsps Chickpea Flour (besan)
1 cup Plain Yogurt
1 cup water
2 tbsps Grated Coconut
2 tbsps Roasted Peanuts (coarsely pounded)
2 tbsps finely chopped Cilantro (coriander leaves)
1 & 1/2 tbsps Clarified Butter (ghee)
Salt to taste
METHOD:
Wash okra, make it pat dry.
Cut okra in 1/4" round pieces. Keep aside.
In a medium bowl, beat yogurt with chickpea flour. Mix well. Add 1 cup water in it. Mix nicely. Set aside.
Heat clarified butter in a pan. Add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and green chilli. Saute for 40-50 seconds.
Add okra and salt in it. Fold nicely.
Let it cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat till it tenders.
Now add yogurt mixture in it. Mix thoroughly. Keep stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add grated coconut and pounded peanuts in it. Fold nicely. Saute for another 2 minutes.
Switch off the heat and add chopped cilantro in it. Again mix nicely.
Serve hot with chapati, Bhakri or paratha.

Monday, September 17, 2012

CREAMY CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

This is a wonderful dark chocolate cupcakes, that you do not have to share. It has a mild chocolate flavor with moist texture. No need frosting, just dusting with liberal coloured sprinkles. I like this plain chocolate cupcake with chocolated chips inside. I made cookies similar with this dough, got addicted on it, so this time just try for cupcakes with little changes in ingredients and it turns out amazing!

Servings : 14

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup + 1 tbsp All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tbsps unsweetened Cocoa powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
A pinch of salt
1/2 cup unsalted Butter
2 OZ / 55 gm Cream Cheese at room temperature
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 tbsp Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1.5 OZ Chocolate cubes, melted and cooled
4 OZ Chocolate Chips

METHOD:

In a bowl shift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl combine butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat about 3 minutes with electric hand mixer till fluffy.

Beat egg, vanilla and heavy cream in it, till blended.

At the low speed, beat all the dry ingredients and melted chocolated. Add chocolate chips.

Fold it just until incorporated.

Preheat oven to 350 F / 175 C. Line a pan with paper or foil liners. Fill the cupcake mould 1/2 full with the batter.

Bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake and comes out clean.

Let cupcakes cool for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

You might like:

REINE DE SABA AVEC GLACAGE AU CHOCOLAT (CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE)

CARROT PINEAPPLE CAKE

Sending to: Cooking made easy with chocolates / Cocoa @ Spice n Sugar Tales

Sunday, September 16, 2012

TOMATO GARLIC FISH

 
Rui Mach or Rohu Fish is supposed to be one of the regular diet in every Bengali household. There are lots of variety in recipes of Rohu fish in Bengali cuisine. If you like a light fish curry, this is a truely delicious and all time hit fish recipe. Not only for regular basis, it can be a scrumptious party dish also. Such a delectable dish is Tomato Garlic Fish, which will tickle your tastebuds and make your lunch or dinner delightful.

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb or 4 Steaks of Rohu Fish / Buffalo Carp
2 tbsps Freshly Grinded Garlic paste
1-2 Green Chillies (paste)
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder (as per taste)
1 Medium Sized Tomato (pureed)
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Lime Juice
1 tbsp finely chopped Cilantro (coriander leaves)
4 tbsps Mustard Oil (preferably)
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Clean and wash the fish steaks nicely. Make it pat dry.

Marinate the fish steaks with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, lime juice and little salt. Set aside for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
 
Heat mustard oil in a pan. Fry the marinated fish steaks till light brown. Remove from oil by using a slotted spoon. Keep aside.

Add cumin seeds in the remaining oil. After 30 seconds, add green chilli paste and garlic paste in it. Fry for 1-2 minutes on medium low heat or till the raw smell of the garlic disappeared.
 
Add red chilli powder, remaining turmeric powder in it. Saute for a minute then add tomato puree and salt in it. Keep stirring for 3 minutes till spices leave oil from the side of the pan.

At this time add 1 cup warm water in it. When it starts to boil, add fried fish pieces in it. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes on medium heat.

Add chopped cilantro in it. Fold nicely.

Serve hot with steamed rice or pulao.

You might like:

FISH IN SPICY TOMATO SAUCE

MACHER JHOL

DOI MAACH / FISH IN YOGHURT GRAVY
 

Saturday, September 15, 2012

HOMEMADE OREO COOKIES: FAUXREOS


Baking Partners, a baking group created and hosted by Swathi Iyer, I am a part of this group, this time Baking Partners decided to go with the theme cookies. Being part of the 'Baking Partners - A Group of Home Bakers' , our challenge for this month, suggested by Reeni of Cinnamon spice and everything nice is Homemade Oreo Cookies: Fauxreos adoted from Serious Eats.

Very delightful and crunchy, with an intensely chocolate, not too sweet taste, very dark in colour; this cookie tastes divine. This homemade version comes close to matching the taste of those wonderful cookies. The texture here little different, as I wanted to give a square shape. it tastes really awesome!

INGREDIENTS:

FOR COOKIES:
3 OZ / 85 gm/ 6 tbsps Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup Sugar
3 tbsps Dark Brown Sugar
3/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp Baking powder
1/4 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Instant Coffee powder
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Egg Yolks
3/4 cup All Purpose Flour, sifted
3 OZ / 85 gm / 1 cup Cocoa powder, sifted

FOR THE FILLING:
2 OZ / 56.7 gm / 4 tbsps Unsalted Butter at room temperature
5 OZ / 141.7 gm sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
A pinch of Salt

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: If you cut cookies in round shape, cookie cutter is required (but here I cut cookies in square shaped so I didn't use cookie cutter) and ziploc bag or pastry bag.
METHOD:

TO MAKE COOKIES:
Using a hand mixer set to medium speed, cream together butter, both sugars, salt, baking powder, baking soda, instant coffee powder and vanilla extract until combined. With mixer still running, add in egg yolks one at a time.
Once incorporated, shut off mixer and scrape bowl down with a rubber spatula.
Turn mixer to its lowest setting. Dump in flour and cocoa powder all at once. The mixer will be stiff. Continue mixing until uniform. Shut off mixer.
Use a spatula to scrape the dough from the bowl and knead lightly to form a smooth ball.
Use your hands to flatten into a disc.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Sift some cocoa powder onto the counter (using cocoa instead of flour gives the fauxreos their uniquely dark colour). Use a rolling pin to roll the dough in 1/8" thickness. When finished, slide a metal spatula between the dough and counter to be loosen. This will prevent the cookies from sticking.

Here, I cut with my knife and try to give each cookie in a square shaped. Use a metal spatula to lift and transfer to cookie sheet. The cookies will not spead during baking, so they may be arranged quite close together. Set the sheets aside. Gather up, knead and re-roll the remaining dough scraps, likewise cutting and arranging on a cookie sheet.

Do some design a top of each cookie. Once the cookies have been decorated, bake for 12 minutes or until firm to touch. If your oven has an uneven heating element, rotate the cookie sheets after 6 minutes. Once the cookies have baked, cool thoroughly directly on the cooling rack.

TO MAKE THE FILLING:
With a hand mixer, cream together butter, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla extract. Cream on medium speed for 5 minutes; use a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl down periodically. Using a spatula to transfer the filling to a pastry bag or ziploc bag with the corner snipped off.

TO ASSEMBLE THE COOKIES:
Flip half the wafers upside down. Onto each pipe 1 tsp of filling directly into the center. To finish, top with remaining wafers and press down with your fingers, applying very even pressure so the filling will spread uniformly across the cookie.

Transfer cookies to an airtight containter and refrigerate for several hours. This is crucial. After whipping the filling, it will be quite soft. Refrigerating it will solidify the filling, restoring its proper texture and bonding it with the wafers. Serve and enjoy!

If you want to either share or enhance your baking skills, join us for a monthly baking adventure at Baking Partners.
 
 
You may like these recipes too:
 
 
 
 
 
 


Friday, September 14, 2012

ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE CREAM CHEESE COOKIES

Baking Partners, a baking group created and hosted by Swathi Iyer, I am a part of  this group, this time Baking Partners decided to go with the theme cookies. Being part of the 'Baking Partners - A Group of Home Bakers', our challenge for this month, Suggested by Tina of  http://www.pinaycookingcorner.com/ suggested, Ultimate Chocolate Cream Cheese Cookies from 'Food & Wine Best of the Best Cookbook Recipes Vol. 14.'

Here it is a simpliest and most favourite cookies recipe, the best ever chocolate cream cheese cookies. These cookies truely are as good as they look, with a soft dense inside, and little harden from outside. These cookies are every bit of comfort you could possibly need and they are as good as they sound.

INGREDIENTS:
2 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa powder
2 tsps Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
2 sticks / 226 gm Unsalted Butter (soften)
4 Oz Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs
2 tbsps Heavy Cream
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
3 OZ Bittersweet Chocolate (melted and cooled)
8 OZ / 225 gm of Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips 


METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 350 F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, shift the flour with cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat about 3 minutes, with a electric hand mixer until fluffy.

Scrap down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the eggs, heavy cream and vanilla until blended.

At low speed, beat in the dry ingredients. Add the melted chocolate and chocolate chips and beat just until incorporated.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes or upto 2 hours.

Scoop heaping tablespoons of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookies are just set. Shift the baking sheet for top to bottom and front to back half way through. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for upto 3 days.

If you want to either share or enhance your baking skills, join us for a monthly baking adventure at Baking Partners!

You might like: