Granola Bars - Stove top method

These are No bake granola bars, prepared on stove top. They are perfect snack for tea time or breakfast on the go. Super healthy and Super delicious. Key ingredients of this bar are instant oats, corn flakes, honey, almonds, dry fruits - all nutritious :)

 

 

 
Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 10 min

Total Time: 30 min

 

Yield : 4 bars

Ingredients

•  1 Cup Quaker Instant oats/ quick cooking oats
• 1/4 Cup original corn flakes
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 1/2 Cup Honey
• 1 Tablespoon brown Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Water
• 1/4 Cup chopped almonds
• 6 Apricots chopped into tiny pieces
• 4 chopped dates
• 3 tablespoon raisins cut into tiny pieces

 

Directions

1. Put corn flakes in a zip lock bag. Close the bag and using a rolling pin , roll over the cornflakes and crush them into small pieces
 

2. Grease a square baking pan and line it with parchment paper
 

3. In a large pan dry roast oats, corn flakes, almonds, apricot and raisins until nice aroma comes out and oats is toasted to light brown. Switch of flame. Transfer the content to a plate and let it cool

 

4. In the same pan add butter. Keep the flame on medium. When the butter starts to melt, add honey, brown sugar, water. When it bubbles, add roasted oats mixture and dates stir / mix well
 

4. Pour the mixture to the greased pan. Using a flat laddle spread the mixture to equal thickness. Let it cool for 5 mins. Cut into bars. Cool the bar completely and store in airtight container

 

 
 

Sambar with roasted coconut and spices ( Palakkad Special)

Sambar is a lentil based vegetable stew / Gravy dish made in Southern parts of India and Sri Lankan Tamil Cuisines. This recipe is a variation of Sambar and it is authentic dish of  Palakkad ( a district of Kerala state in India). Sambar is served in Sadhya along with steamed rice and other vegetables.This stew has a distinct flavour of roasted coconut and spices.

Prep Time: 20 min

Cook Time: 30 min

Total Time: 50 min

 

Yield : 4 servings

Ingredients

•  1/2 Cup Toor Dal / Split Pigeon peas/Thuvaram Paruppu in Tamil
• 1/ 2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 3 Brinjal - diced
• 3 Okra / Ladies Finger cut into small sized pieces
• 1 Cup diced Ash gourd
• 1 tomato chopped
• 1 lemon sized tamarind
• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil

 For Dry Roasting

 

• 1/2 Cup Grated fresh coconut
• 1 Table spoon Coriander seeds
• 5 Whole red chillies
• 1/4 Teaspoon raw rice
• 1/4 Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
• 2 pinches of Asafoetida powder
• 6 curry leaves

For Seasoning

• 1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• 2 whole red chillies
• 1/2 Teaspoon coconut oil

Directions

1.  Dry Roasting : In a pan on medium heat add whole red chillies, Coriander seeds, raw rice, fenugreek seeds and roast till nice aroma comes out. Then add grated coconut and curry leaves and keep roasting until coconut turns yellowish. Do not brown coconut. Finally add asafoetida powder and dry roast for few seconds. Remove pan from flame. Set aside , let it cool. When the mixture cools down, add the mixture to the small mixer jar and grind it into fine paste by adding 3 tablespoons of water

2. Wash toor dal and pressure cook it with 1 cup of water and 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder until dal is cooked well

3. Add tamarind to 1/4 cup warm water and extract tamarind pulp, set aside

4. In a deep pan, heat 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Saute okra and brinjal for 2 mins. Add 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder, salt as required , chopped tomatoes , diced ash gourd and 1 cup water. Let the vegetables cook on medium flame. When the vegetables are half cooked, add ground coconut paste and extracted tamarind pulp. Let it cook for 10 more min

5. When the vegetables are cooked, add cooked toor dal and let it boil for 4 min then switch of the flame

6. Prepare seasoning : In a small wok, heat 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil. Add mustard seeds. when the mustard splutters, add red chillies and switch of the flame.

7. Add this seasoning to the cooked sambar

8. Serve sambar warm with steamed rice and vegetables

Tomato Soup

Prep Time: 12 min

Cook Time: 20 min

Total Time: 45 min

 

Yield: 2 Serves

Ingredients

•  4 large ripe tomatoes
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 1 small onion
• 1 Tablespoon butter
• 1 Teaspoon corn starch+ 2 Tablespoon water
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1and 1/2 Cup water
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Cream
• 1/2 Tablespoon granulated Sugar
• Salt as required
• 4 to 5 Bread Croutons

Directions

1. Rinse the tomatoes well and keep aside

2. In a pan take water enough to immerse 4 tomatoes. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the water and bring it to boil

3. Add tomatoes to the boiling water and switch of the flame. Cover the pan with a lid. Let the tomatoes rest in the hot water for 30mins

4. Meanwhile finely chop onions and garlic

5. After 30mins, remove tomatoes from hot water, peel and remove skin. Chop tomatoes and put it in a blender and blend it in to a smooth puree

6. In a pan melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add bay leaf to the butter and sauté for few seconds. Now add garlic and sauté for ten seconds. Then add onion and sauté till they turn soft

7. Add tomato puree to the pan. Add required salt and 1 and 1/2 cup water to the puree and bring the soup to boil on low flame

8. Mix corn starch in 2 tablespoon of water and add this mixture to the soup

9. Reduce the flame to low and let the soup thicken for about 3 minutes

10. Add Sugar and stir

11. Finally add fresh cream to the soup and let it boil for a minute

12. Switch of the flame. Serve hot soup with grated cheese and croutons

 

Beer Spiked Churros with Dark Chocolate dip

Churros are perfect finger food for tea time , especially churros spiked with beer. Grab, dip , drench them in dark chocolate sauce/dip and devour !!!  I tried both versions with beer and without beer. I loved beer spiked churros better than the no beer version. Beer is the secret ingredient in this recipe that makes them super delicious. Good thing is you can not taste the beer in the churros, its subtle :)

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Total Time: 30 min

 

Yield: About 20 Churros

Ingredients

• 1 Cup beer (I used Heineken)
• 3  Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2  Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2  Teaspoon salt
• 1 Cup all purpose flour
• 1 Egg at room temperature
• 1 Teaspoon clear vanilla extract
• Vegetable oil, for deep frying

For serving churros:

• 1/4 Cup granulated sugar
• 2 Teaspoon cinnamon powder 

Dark Chocolate dip:

• 1/2 Cup grated dark chocolate
• 3 Tablespoon fresh cream/ milk

Directions 

1. Make the chocolate dip: In a small microwave safe bowl add 1/2 cup of grated dark chocolate. mix 3 tablespoon of fresh cream and microwave in 30 seconds interval until the chocolate melts and the mixture turns smooth. Set aside, let it cool

2. To make Churros : In a medium saucepan, add 1 cup beer, butter, brown sugar and salt. Bring it to boil over medium heat. Add the AP flour all at once and keep stirring. Stir until the mixture forms into a ball and starts leaving the side of the saucepan. At this stage , remove from heat and let it cool completely

3. To the cooled mixture add beaten egg and vanilla extract and mix well

4. Now we are ready to pipe churros. Transfer the mixture to the piping bag fitted with star nozzle

5. Heat oil in a deep pan for frying churros. When the oil is hot , turn down the heat to medium. Now start squeezing 3 inch long strips of batter into hot oil. I used a kitchen scissor to cut down the strips from the piping bag. You can directly squeeze strips also into oil

6. Fry on medium heat for 4 to 5 min until it turns golden brown, flipping side half way through

7. When they are done, remove from oil and place it on a plate lined with paper towel

8. Mix 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 2 teaspoon cinnamon powder in a plate. Roll the warm churros into this mixture and coat all sides

9. Serve warm with chocolate dip

 

Pan Fried Fish

Pan fried fish - Fish fillet / pieces are coated with spice powder mix and fried. These are spicy and moist. They are crispy outside, soft and tender from inside.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cook Time : 10 min
Prep time : 5 min
Marinate : Overnight

 Ingredients

• 500 grams Fish fillets / Fish Pieces cut into 1 inch lengthwise (I used red snapper )
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon lemon Juice
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
• Salt to taste
• 3 tablespoon vegetable oil for frying

Directions 

1. Mix turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, lemon juice, salt in a small bowl with 2 teaspoons of water

 

 

 

2. Apply the spice mixture on the fish pieces on both sides and on the sides

                                     


3. Keep the fish pieces in a plate and cover with cling wrap. Refrigerate overnight or marinate for 1 hour at room temperatre

                                   


4. Bring the fish to room temperature before frying if you are refrigerating overnight

5. Add 3 tablespoon oil in a frying pan. Once the oil is hot, drop the fish in oil and fry on medium flame

                                   


6. Flip sides once and fry until fish turns light brown and crispy

7. Remove from the oil and place it on a plate lined with paper towel

8. Serve hot with steamed rice and tangy fish curry

                                        

 

Sweet Mango Chutney with Panch Phoron

 Sweet Mango Chutney is Bengali style chutney where raw mangoes are cooked with Jaggery and Panch phoron. Panch Phoron is a five spice mix used in Bengali cuisine. This is the first time I am preparing panch phoron. When I read this recipe from Hamaree rasoi , I was too curious to taste this pickle since I never had pickle with panch phoron. We make sweet aam chutney with Jaggery and red chillies and other spices.

 

This pickle is sweet , tangy and spicy. It has a nice aroma of fennel seeds and fenugreek seeds. I made this chutney yesterday night and I wanted to click pictures today during day light. But guess what, I finished eating more than half of the pickle yesterday night. In fact, its my 2 year old daughter who ate more than I did. She loves raw mangoes. I know most of kids don't like sour taste. But our little lady is crazy for mangoes , esp super sour mangoes.

 

Since this chutney is tangy and sweet at the same time, she loved it. When we went for vegetable shopping today, she is grabbing raw mangoes and adding it in my basket :) BooBoo rocks !!!

With all those raw mangoes I am going to make a Maharastrian style sweet aam chutney. Will post that recipe soon

 

 

Total Time : 20 min
Prep : 5 min
Cook : 15min

Recipe Source : http://www.hamareerasoi.com/2011/05/raw-mango-chutney-kancha-aamer-chutney.html

Yield:  about 1 cup of chutney

Ingredients

• 1 raw mango about 1 and 1/2 cup - Cut in lengthwise or diced into small pieces
• Jaggery -  1/2 cup
• Dates - 1/4 Cup
• 2 whole red chilly
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil ( original recipe calls for mustard oil, I used sesame seed oil instead )
• 1 tablespoon panch phoron powder ( recipe follows)

For Panch phoron :  

• 2 tablespoon black mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoon Jeera
• 2 tablespoon Fennel seeds ( Saunf )
• 2 tablespoon Kanolji (onion seed)
• 1 tablespoon Fenugreek seeds

Directions

1. Dry roast all the ingredients listed under panch phoron until nice aroma comes out. Do not burn the seeds. Let it cool for 10 to 15 mins. Grind it to a fine paste in a small mixer jar. Do not add water. This is called panch phoron powder. It means 5 spice mixture. This powder is used in Bengali Cuisine for making various dishes. Store this powder in a airtight container. I stored this in deep freezer in a zip pouch.

                       
 

2. Heat oil in a pan, add cut mangoes when the oil is hot. Sprinkle a pinch of salt an 1/2 teaspoon red chilly powder to the mango and  sauté till mangoes turn light brown

                   
 

3. Remove mango pieces and put it in a plate lined with paper towel

4. In the same pan add mustard seeds to the oil. When the mustard splutters, add whole red chilly. Immediately add mango pieces followed by 1/2 cup of water

                    
 

5. Cook for 2 to 3 min till mango pieces soften. Now add Jaggery and stir till jaggery dissolves completely

                    
 

6. Continue cooking till the mixture reaches desired consistency
7. Remove seeds from dates and puree it with 3 tablespoon water in a food processor. Add this dates puree to the cooked mangoes. Cook for 5 more minutes

8. Remove from heat . When the chutney is cooled, add 1 tablespoon of panch phoron powder the chutney and mix well
9. Store in airtight container and refrigerate. This chutney stays good for 4 to 5 days when refrigerated. If left outside, it should be consumed within 2 days, otherwise it gets spoiled easily
 

Chocolate Birthday Cake with Whipped Chocolate Buttercream

Cake ? What is the occasion ? Yay ! Its my birthday today , Feb 1st :)  Woke up to a sunny day (oops , I got up at 11 o clock in the morning). No No, actually I got up at 7 in the morning and went back to sleep at 8.30 because everyone else were sleeping happily.
 
Later I have been talking to friends who called to wish me Happy Birthday. It feels so good when you are treated special and everyone says good things to you. Cake cutting ceremony will be held in the evening when my son comes back from school. My son had been reminding me about my birthday almost everyday for the past one week. He wanted to bring his friends home for the celebration. He suggested chocolate cake since all his friends like only chocolate cake it seems. So I was planning ahead for this cake. I made this chocolate cake day before yesterday and kept it in the fridge with clip wrap around. Yesterday I made the whipped butter cream frosting and dark chocolate ganache. Completed the cake today. Its a rich three layer chocolate cake with whipped butter cream frosting and drizzled with dark chocolate ganache.
 
This recipe is from Tieghan's http://www.halfbakedharvest.com , I book marked this recipe long back and wanted to make this for the birthday. Her recipes are fool proof and works magically for me. I can blindly follow her recipe. Chocolate cake is rich and it has very nice coffee taste to it. This one has egg and it definitely tastes better that those eggless version of chocolate cake I tried previously. Instant coffee actually enhances the flavour of chocolate.
 
Total Time: 1 Hour
Prep:  10 min
Cook : 25 min

 

Yield:  One 8 inch Three layer Chocolate cake

Ingredients

• 2 and 1/4 cup All purpose flour
• 2 and 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 and 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 eggs at room temperature
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoon buttermilk ( add 1 tablespoon lemon Juice to milk and leave it for 10 mins. Milk will get curdled. Use this curdled milk for buttermilk)
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoon plain thick curd/ hung curd
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoon clear vanilla extract
• 1 cup hot water+ 2 tablespoons instant coffee powder 

Whipped Chocolate Buttercream For 3 Layers

• 2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 and 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4-5 tablespoons fresh cream

Dark Chocolate Ganache

• 1 cup grated dark chocolate
• 1/2 cup amul fresh cream

Directions

1. Pre heat Oven to 180 C. Grease three 8 inch round cake pans and keept it ready

2. Mix AP Flour, Sugar, Cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt  in a mixing bowl. Set aside

3. In a separate bowl add eggs, buttermilk, hung curd, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and beat together with a hand mixer

4. Now slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and mix together with a hand mixer on low until there are no lumps of flour or cocoa powder

5. Add the instant coffee powder to the hot water and mix well until coffee powder dissolves. Now add this hot coffee to the cake batter and mix well. This batter will be slightly thin

6. Pour this batter among the three prepared greased pans and bake at 180C for 30 min until toothpick inserted comes out clean

7. I do not have a big oven , so I baked the cakes one after another

6. Let the cake remain in the pan for 10 min. After 10 min invert the cake on a cooling rack lined with parchment paper and let it cool

8. When the cake is cooled completely, you can frost the cake or cover it with cling wrap and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready for frosting. I made the cake one day in advance. so refrigerated the cake for 24hrs

Preparing the frosting :

1. Add softened butter and icing sugar in a deep bowl and mix it with a spoon

2. Using a hand mixer beat butter and sugar for 4 to 5min until its fluffy

3. Add cocoa powder and vanilla extract and beat again. scrape down the sides if required

4. Add fresh cream and whip the butter for 2 to 3 min until its fluffy

 

Preparing dark chocolate Ganache :

1. Grate dark chocolate in a microwave safe bowl

2. Add fresh cream to the dark chocolate and mix

3. Microwave for 30 seconds, stir the chocolate and microwave it again for 30 seconds

4. Continue this for 15 to 30 seconds more until the mixture turn smooth without any chocolate pieces

5. Keep it overnight; no need to refrigerate

Assembling the cake :

1.On a cake board, place 1 layer of prepared chocolate cake with flat side up. If you have refrigerated the cakes then keep it outside the fridge and bring it to room temperature

2. Apply frosting over the flat side of cake using a spatula

3. Place the second cake on top and spread the frosting on the top

4. Place the third cake on the top of the frosting. Spread frosting on the top and on the sides of the cake

5. Using a star nozzle and piping bag decorate the cake however you wish to decorate

6. drizzle chocolate ganache in the center of the cake and along the sides