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Monday, April 18, 2011

Chocolate Chip Cookies



Ingredients:

1 cup flour (maida)
1/2 tsp baking powder
75 gms butter
1/2 cup chocochips
2 tbsp rice flour
6 tbsp castor sugar
1 tsp vanila essence
milk (as required)


Method:

  • Sift the maida, baking powder and rice flour and keep aside.
  • Mix the butter and sugar and whisk for 5-10 mins till its light and fluffy. Add vanilla essence.
  • Mix the maida mixture and the butter with the help of a beater.
  • Add the chocochips to the mixture and gather the flour with the help of hands to make a soft dough. Add milk if required.
  • Roll the dough of 1/8" thickness and cut with the help of a cookie cutter. Prick the cookies with the help of a fork.
  • Place the cookies on a baking tray and bake in a preheated over at 155 degree centigrade for 30 mins.
  • Remove the cookies from the oven. Place the cookies on a wire rack and let them cool.
  • Store in an airtight container once they are cooled.
Tips:

  • You can use ready-made chocochips or chop the dark chocolate.
  • Add one teaspoon of milk at a time to make the dough.
  • You can use white butter instead of butter.
  • Once the cookies are out from the oven, let them rest for 10 minutes, then with the help of spatula transfer them on a wire rack.
  • Each oven has its own way of functioning, you will have to try out a few times before you start to understand. I have a small oven. If your oven is of a medium size you may have to bake the cookies at 160 degree centigrade for 25-30 mins.
  • You can put a plastic or a cling film on the rolling board and then cover the dough again with the plastic or cling film and roll. This will make it easy.
  • You may also make small ball place them on the aking try and with help of the back of a bowl press the ball of dough to make a cookie.
  • All the ingredients should be at room temperature.
  • The above recipe makes 15 cookies.

Dahi Chivda (Beaten Rice in Curd)


Ingredients:

1/2 cup chivda (poha/beaten rice)
3/4 cup dahi
sugar 1 tbsp
pinch of elaichi powder (optional)

Method:

  • Wash the chivda and let it drain in the colander for sometime.
  • Whisk the dahi.
  • Once the chivda has soaked the water and is soft add to the dahi.
  • Add sugar and elaichi powder(green cardamom powder).
  • Serve!!!
Tips:
  • The time that the chivda should be soaked in water would depend upon the quality of the chivda. Some take very little time whereas some take a longer time.
  • You can have this very chilled. Just add chilled dahi.
  • this makes for a quick breakfast.
  • You can replace sugar with honey.
  • You can also add fruits of your choice. Fruits like mango, chikoo go well with dahi.
  • You can also add a spoonfull of cornflakes or chocos for the crunch.


Watermelon Granita



Ingredients:

1 cup watermelon cubes
2 tsp strawberry crush
2 drops of ginger juice
1/2 tsp lemon juice
sugar(optional)
salt(optional)

Method:
  • Make cubes of watermelon and discard the seeds. Place the cubes in airtight box and freeze it.
  • In a blender add the watermelon cubes, strawberry crush, lemon juice, ginger juice, salt and sugar(optional).
  • give a quick churn and serve.
Tips:
  • Watermelon cubes should be granular hence do not blend the watermelon cubes too much.
  • You can add fresh strawberry instead of strawberry crush.
  • To make the ginger juice, grate the ginger and squeeze the juice.
  • You can add black salt instead of normal salt.
  • You can also add chaat masala.
  • You can avoid the lemon juice.
  • Sugar should be added depending on the required sweetness.

Methi Matar Malai


Ingredients:

1 cup methi leaves, chopped
1 "ginger, crushed to paste
4 cloves of garlic, crushed to paste
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup green peas
1 /2 tsp shahi jeera
1 tsp fresh cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp white pepper powder
1/2 tsp kasoori methi
1 1/2 tsp oil
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1/2 tsp amchoor powder
pinch of cardamom
salt to taste

Method:

  • Heat oil in a kadai on a medium high flame, add the shahi jeera, when it crackles add onion, cook till the onion turns translucent. Add the ginger and garlic and stir well.
  • Add the methi leaves, green chilli and matar. Stir fry till the methi leaves and the green peas are cooked.
  • Add the amchoor powder, white pepper powder and salt, mix well.
  • Add fresh cream, milk and water and let the liquid reduce.
  • Once the cream and milk reduces switch off the gas and sprinkle cardamom powder and kasoori methi.
  • serve hot!
Tips:

  • To give a rich texture increase the amount of oil and the cream. Add atleast 1 cup of cream and skip the milk however if the mixture is too thick add water.
  • You can add sweet corn, baby corn instead of green peas.
  • Methi should be cooked uncovered, it would normally take around 10-12 mins to cook.
  • You can add a pinch of sugar to balance the flavours.
  • Serve methi matar malai hot with roti or paratha!!