Lauki Halwa

Over the weekend, I made a few sweets for Diwali. Lauki halwa was one of the sweet dishes I made for our small Diwali celebration that I hadn’t made before. Since it turned out pretty well, I’m making a note of the recipe here.

Ingredients:

• 1 big bottle gourd/lauki, about 5 cups, peeled, grated, and excess water removed
• Ghee/clarified butter- 1 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp
• ¼ cup cashewnuts
• A handful of raisins (I used dried cranberries since I realized at the last possible moment that I was all out of raisins!)
• ½ -3/4   cup sugar (adjust according to taste)
• ½ tsp cardamom powder

 Method:

In a large saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp ghee over medium-high heat. Add the cashews and raisins and fry the cashews till they are lightly browned and the raisins plump up a bit. Set aside.

In the same pan add 2 more Tbsp ghee and add the grated bottle gourd. Cook for 10-15 minutes till all the water evaporates.

Add the sugar, mix well and continue cooking for another 10 minutes or so till the sugar melts and the mixture comes together. Add the cardamom powder, raisins and cashews. 

Cook, stirring constantly till the mixture is almost dry. Serve hot or cold.

Blueberry - Lime Loaf Cake

Sometime last year, I followed an Ina Garten recipe and made a lemon yogurt cake. The recipe was a huge hit and the cake became very popular in our household. Since then I've made this lemon cake many times and it has always been well-received by all those who have tasted it. I tried Deeba’s very similar recipe recently- her recipe called for limes instead of lemons and buttermilk instead of yogurt. I also used blueberries in my version of the recipe since lime and blueberries go together so well.

Dry ingredients:

• 1 ½  cups all-purpose flour (reserve 2 tsp of this for  later)
• ½  tsp baking powder
• ½  tsp baking soda
• A pinch of salt

Wet ingredients:

• 1 stick/8 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½  cup buttermilk
• Juice of 2 limes
• Zest of 1 lime

• ¾ -1 cup blueberries, tossed in about 2 tsp flour

For the syrup:

• Juice of 2 limes
• 2-3 tsp sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9x5- inch loaf pan and set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In another bowl cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, buttermilk, lime zest, lime juice, and vanilla extract, mixing well after each addition.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients and mix well.

Toss the blueberries in about 2 tsp of flour, add to the batter and fold in gently.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

For the syrup, mix the lime juice and sugar in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves.

While the cake is still warm, poke holes all over its surface, brush the solution all over the cake so that it can be absorbed while still warm. Slice and serve.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Although an upside-down cake is traditionally made with pineapple, fruits like peaches, pears, plums, apples or berries work just as well. I always thought that an upside–down cake was too challenging and complicated to make until I saw this simple recipe on Joy of Baking.

This was my first time making a cake like this and I was very pleased with the results- this is a cake that tastes as good as it looks.

I did make some minor changes to the recipe by cutting down on the butter, sugar and milk and the cake still turned out fine. The proportions I've mentioned worked well for me.

Ingredients:

For the topping:

• 3 Tbsp butter, melted
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 pineapple (peeled, quartered, cored, and sliced ¼ inch thick)

 For the cake batter:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 5 Tbsp butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup milk

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease the bottom and sides of a round cake pan.

In a small bowl, melt the butter and brown sugar in the microwave. Mix well and heat for another minute or so till the sugar melts and the mixture turns bubbly.

Pour this mixture into a round cake pan and spread it around a bit so that it coats the bottom of the pan and arrange the pineapple pieces in a single layer over it.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix well.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients together. Add milk to loosen the batter a bit and mix well.

Dump the batter into the pan over the pineapple layer and spread to get a uniform layer of batter. Smooth the top and place in the oven. Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. (I let the cake sit in the oven for another 10 minutes after turning it off.)

Cool the cake in the pan for about 5 minutes, run a knife around the sides of the cake to loosen it and invert onto a serving plate. Slice and serve warm.

Update: I made this cake again but used plums this time. I also added the zest of one orange to the batter. The cake was a big hit and was gone in just 2 days! 

                       Plum upside-down cake

Microwave Potato Chips

I saw these homemade, crispy potato chips  on FatFree Vegan Kitchen and had to make a batch right away. 

These microwave chips are very easy to make and take about 5 minutes from start to finish. They are a healthier alternative to the store-bought potato chips. I make this very frequently especially when I need a quick snack to go with my cup of tea. I've tried a variety of seasonings but my favorite for these chips is red chilli powder and salt.

Here’s how it’s done:

Slice a medium potato into very thin rounds, smear some oil on the slices, sprinkle with  salt, spices and/or dried herbs,  arrange on  parchment paper and microwave for  4-5  minutes turning the rounds over once in between, until the chips are lightly browned and crisp. Cool for a minute and serve. 

Pateta par Eeda (Eggs on Potatoes)

Pateta-par-Eeda, which translates to "eggs on potatoes" is a traditional Parsi dish served for breakfast. I first saw this on One Hot Stove many years ago and my version of the original recipe has undergone many changes with time. I like to  make this for brunch over the weekends especially when my grocery shopping for the following week has not yet been done, and all I have with me to make a decent meal are a couple of eggs and potatoes. Sometimes, when my vegetable bin is well-stocked, I like to jazz up the recipe a bit by using spinach, mushrooms and red peppers. Recently I've started adding  quinoa too.

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
• A pinch of turmeric
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and finely diced
• 4 eggs
• Salt
• Pepper

 Method:

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the ginger, garlic and green chillies followed by the onions, salt and turmeric powder. Cook till the onions soften. Add the potatoes and cook, mixing everything occasionally, until the potatoes are almost done. Flatten the top, press the potatoes down gently to form a single layer and cook till a crust forms at the bottom. Flip over to let the other side get nice and crispy.

Beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. Pour all over the potato mixture. Cover and cook on low heat till the eggs are set.

Run a rubber spatula around the edges to loosen the potato cake from the skillet, and then slide it out onto a plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Watermelon, Feta and Quinoa Salad

I've been having this cool and refreshing salad all summer long. It's  quick, easy, and the ingredients work really well together.

Here's what I do-

(for 2-3 servings)

• ¾  cup cooked quinoa
• 3 cups diced watermelon
• 1/3  cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 Tbsp  olive oil
• Juice of 2 limes
• A handful of   chopped walnuts
• ¼   cup  dried cranberries    

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Serve cold.

Aloo & Quinoa Tikkis (Potato & Quinoa Patties)

Recently, I’ve been trying to incorporate quinoa into my predominantly rice-based South Indian diet. I add quinoa to my dosa batter, use it as a substitute for rice and  also add it to soups, salads and casseroles.

While aloo tikkis have been an all-time favorite in our home, I have only recently started mixing  cooked quinoa in with the mashed potatoes while making tikkis.      

 Ingredients:

(For 8 tikkis)

• 3 medium potatoes, boiled, peeled and grated
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp roasted coriander powder
• 1 tsp amchur powder
• 1-2 Tbsp corn starch
• Salt
• Oil for shallow frying

 Method:

Mix the grated potatoes with the cooked quinoa. Add the salt, green chillies, roasted cumin & coriander powders, amchur and corn starch. Mix well. Divide the mixture into 8 portions. Make balls of the mixture and flatten them into thin discs.

Shallow fry the tikkis  in batches till they’re brown and crisp on both sides. Drain the excess oil on paper towels and serve hot. 

  

Sometimes I also use peas while making tikkis. In the picture below, I’ve used black quinoa and peas along with the potatoes and shaped the mixture into patties that were about ½- ¾ inch thick.

Besan Chilla (Chickpea Flour Crepe)

Besan chilla, sometimes referred to as an eggless “omelet” is a savory pancake made using chickpea flour. The flour is mixed with water, spices and vegetables like tomatoes and onions to make a thick batter.

 This is a simple and healthy preparation, perfect for breakfast, and can be made in less than 15 minutes.

I like my chillas thin, so I add a lot of liquid while making the batter so that it spreads out while cooking. I’ve used a combination of buttermilk and water here. The chillas taste best when they are eaten as soon as they are made.

Ingredients:

(makes 7- 8 thin chillas)

• 1 cup besan (chickpea flour/ gram flour)
• ½ cup rice flour
• 2 Tbsp rava/sooji (cream of wheat)
• ½ cup cooked quinoa (optional- I only used it because I had leftovers)
• ½ medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, finely diced
• A handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 3-4 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1 tsp roasted coriander powder
• 1 tsp ajwain (carom seeds)
• 1 cup reduced fat buttermilk
• ½ - ¾ cup water
• Salt
• Oil

Method:

Add the besan, rava, rice flour, cooked quinoa, chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander leaves, green chillies, cumin powder, coriander powder, ajwain and salt to a large bowl. Add a cup of buttermilk and enough water, mixing well to get a smooth and lump-free batter.

Heat a non-stick griddle or a cast-iron pan. Pour a ladleful of the batter in the center of the pan. Tilt the pan around to spread out the batter.

Add a few drops of oil around the edges of the chilla and also a little in the center. Cook till it turns golden brown on the bottom, then flip over and cook the other side till you see a few golden brown spots. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Serve hot with chutney. 

 

Gianduia Brownies

I’ve tried a lot of brownie recipes over the years and have posted a few of the ones I’ve liked here. Although I found my perfect brownie recipe a while back, I just can’t seem to stop looking for new recipes to try out!

I recently made a batch of Gianduia brownies using a recipe I saw on Epicurious. Here is the recipe with my modifications-

Ingredients:

(For 16 squares)

• 4 Tbsp butter
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate (I used Baker’s)
• 2 Tbsp Nutella
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
• Salt

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with foil and grease well.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl in the microwave in 30 second increments. Mix well. Add nutella, vanilla extract, salt and brown sugar and mix well. Add the eggs, stir in the flour and mix again. Add the chopped hazelnuts and combine to get a smooth batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool and cut into squares.

Tomato Curry with Coconut Milk

 I saw this dish being made on an episode of Taste of Kerala a few months back and have been making it regularly since then.  

 This preparation is simple and delicious, and it only takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. It goes well with rotis or parathas. 

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• A pinch of asafoetida
• A sprig of curry leaves
• 2-3 green chillies, minced 
• 8-10 shallots or 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• ½  tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 6 Tbsp coconut milk powder mixed in 1-1 1/2 cups of water
• Salt to taste

Method:

In a large pan, heat the coconut oil. Temper it with the mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves. Add the green chillies and onions and cook till the onions soften. Add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes.

Stir in the chilli powder and coriander powder and fry for a minute. 

Add the prepared coconut milk and mix well. Simmer for 5-10 minutes.