Eggless Rich Chocolate Brownie..!!!!

Fundamentally cakes and brownies are dissimilar from each other. Brownies have chewy or cookie like consistency and they have a crackled top whereas cakes are light and fluffy with smooth top. Generally cakes tend to have more flour, while brownies tend to have more butter (melted) or oil. During baking a cake, baking powder and baking soda are used as the basic ingredients whereas in case of baking most of the brownies, baking powder and baking soda are not necessary.

But in my version, I have used baking powder and made a soft ,moist and rich chocolaty brownie. Though here  I have mentioned to use unsalted butter but you may use salted butter too. But if you are doing this just skip the use of salt stated in the recipe ingredients. To give a extra crunchiness to the brownies use of walnuts or almonds are the must but I didn’t use them as my daughter doesn’t want to eat them. For a double chocolaty taste in this recipe I have used some chocolate chips also. If you don’t want you may not have to use this.

Here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour: ¾ Cup
• Powdered Sugar: 1 Cup
• Salt: ¼ tsp.
• Baking Powder: 2 tsp.
• Cocoa Powder: ½ Cup
• Unsalted Butter (Melted/Cooled): ½ Cup
• Unsweetened Yogurt: 1/3 Cup
• Vanilla Extract: 2 tsp.
• Chocolate Chips (Optional): ½ Cup
• Chopped Walnut/Almonds (Optional): ½ Cup
• Water: ½ Cup (If required)

Process:

• Preheat the oven at 180 degree Centigrade or 350 degree Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes.
• Take a bowl and add in all the dry ingredients together i.e. all-purpose flour, sugar, salt(if using) and baking powder. Add in the cocoa powder and mix thoroughly. Make sure that there is no lump in the mixture.
• Now melt the butter in microwave or in oven and let it cool down completely.
• Take a big bowl and add the melted butter, yogurt and vanilla extract and whisk it thoroughly until you get a very smooth, creamy and, lump free mixture.
• Add in the dry ingredients gradually into the liquid mixture and mix well. But do not over mix. During this time if you find that the mixture is too tight you may add ½ cup of water and mix well.
• Add the chocolate chips and almond or walnuts if you are using. Mix well.
• Now take a baking pan and grease it with butter or oil. Line it with parchment paper with sides up. Actually with the use of parchment paper it will be easy to lift up the brownie after baking. Grease the parchment paper also with butter.
• Now pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake it inside the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes (The times actually depends on the power of the oven, it may take even 45-50 minutes).
• Check the brownie by inserting a fork or tooth pick. If it comes out clean then the brownie is ready.
• Take the pan out of the oven and let it cool completely. Once the brownie cools down completely demold it and cut it into square pieces. Dust them with some powder sugar and serve. You may serve it with vanilla ice-cream also.

                                                              Enjoy Your Food..!!!

Palak Paneer.... Cottage Cheese Cubes Cooked In Creamy Spinach Gravy..!!!

Palak paneer is one of the most popular vegetarian dishes originating from the Punjab region of the Indian Subcontinent.  Fundamentally,  in this recipe, soft paneer or cottage cheese cubes are cooked in a smooth gravy of pureed spinach and tomato. It  is mainly served with roti, naan, or boiled rice. It is very nutritious with all the goodness of spinach and paneer.

Here comes the recipe :

Ingredients:

•        Spinach: 2 Bunches
•        Paneer ( Cottage Cheese) : 400gms
•       Onion: 3 tbsp Paste
•       Ginger: 1’’ (Smooth Paste)
•       Garlic: 4-5 Cloves (Pasted or Grated)
•       Green Chillies: 1-2 (Finely Chopped)
•       Tomato: 1 Large (Finely Chopped)
•       Oil: 2 tbsp.
•      Salt: to taste
•     Cumin Seeds: ½ tsp.
•     Garam Masala Powder: ½ tsp.
•     Milk: 1 Cup
•    Water: As required
•    Fresh Cream: 1 tbsp. (Optional)
•  

Process:

• Blanch the spinach in boiling water for just 2-3 minutes.
• Drain the excess water and let it cool for some time and then blend it in a mixer grinder to make a smooth puree. Keep aside the puree.
• Meanwhile fry the paneer cubes slightly in a separate pan using little oil. While frying them sprinkle little salt on the paneer cubes. Keep the fried paneer cubes aside.
• Now heat oil in a kadhai, add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds start to splutter add the onion paste. Saute it on medium flame until the onion becomes translucent.
• Now gradually add the ginger paste, garlic paste, green chillies, turmeric powder and salt .Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the spinach puree and the milk. Cook until the gravy becomes thick enough.
• Add the paneer cubes and fresh cream.Mix carefully and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Check the seasoning. Sprinkle the garam masala powder. Give a nice gentle stir and turn off the flame.
• Palak Paneer is now ready to serve.

                                                                            Enjoy Your Food..!!

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Punjabi Chholay Masala... Spicy Chick Pea Curry In Punjabi Style..!!!!!

Punjabi cuisine is related with food from the Punjab region of India and Pakistan. Among them the most common one is Chana masala or Chole. Chana masala ,also known as chole masala or channay or Chholay  is a prevalent dish in Indian cuisine. It is popular mainly in northern India, and also remarkably in the region of Gujarat. In Gujarat and Rajasthani areas, it is commonly cooked dry, with tangy spices.

In India, it is often eaten with a type of fried bread and is known as “chole bhature”. It is commonly sold by street vendors but also can be found in restaurants.

In Kerala, white appam and Chana Masala is one of the main dishes for breakfast. Chana Masala is known as “Kadala Curry” amongst Keralites. 

In this recipe, channa or chick peas are boiled with tea powder or tea bags to get a darken color. But I usually cook this without the tea powder or tea bags as I don’t like the blackish color.

Here comes the detailed recipe of chana masala :

Ingredients :

• Chick Peas: 250 gms.
• Cumin Seeds: 1/4th tasp.
• Ginger: 1 tbsp (grated)
• Onion: 2 (finely chopped)
• Garlic: 3,4 cloves (minced)
• Tomato: 2 (finely chopped)
• Turmeric Powder : ½ tsp.
• Red Chili Powder : 1 ½ tsp.
• Coriander Powder: 1 tsp.
• Chana Masala Powder : 2 tsp.
• Oil: 2 tbsp.
• Garam Masala Powder : 1/4th tsp.
• Water : 4 cups for boiling the chana + 1 cup for cooking.

Process :

• Soak the chole or chick peas overnight and boil it with 4 cups of water in a pressure cooker upto 2 whistles. Further cook it on simmer for 30 minutes. Check whether the chick peas become very soft or not. If not cook for some more time. When it is done, drain the excess water using a strainer and keep aside the cooked chick peas.
• Now heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds start to splutter add the ginger and the garlic.
• Now add the chopped onions and tomatoes and add a pinch of salt. Fry till the onions becomes translucent.
• Now add the coriander powder and fry for sometime.
• Add the turmeric powder,chili powder, salt and the chana masala gradually and cook for sometime. 
• Now it’s time to add the boiled chhole. Add it and mix thoroughly with all the spices. Cook until oil starts releasing from the sides of the pan.
• Pour 1 cup of water and cook for few minutes until the water dries up.
• Now sprinkle the garam masala powder.
• Turn off the flame and garnish it with onion rings and coriander leaves.
• Serve it hot with puris, parathas, chapatis or rice.

                                                                    Enjoy Your Food..!!

Dhaba Style Rohu Fish Curry or Rohu FIsh Salan..!!!

What we Humans do???? It’s a big question and even having one of the brightest brains among all living species we actually end up doing the same stuff every day. Day after day the routine remains same. Having almost similar breakfasts in the morning then go to school or work, have almost similar lunches then same snacks and then the day ends with an equally unremarkable dinner. After having this routine continuously for 5 days we tend to go out on weekends to quench the thirst of our taste buds with some different cuisine. North Indians eat south Indian dishes and South Indians eat North Indian dishes and same with East and West Indian. Sometime we eat intercontinental like Chinese, Thai, Italian, and French or with ultimate boredom visit the freaking American food giants like KFC etc.

But one food which always fascinates us and which always pushes us to wanderlust in the highways is to eat some Dhaba Foods. They are always unique and each dhaba has its own signature method of cooking the regular day to day meals which makes it unique enough to lure us to visit them. We love to have the same chicken or fish curry there and it still makes our faces childlike happy after having them. But it is always not possible to go a Dhaba due to multiple reasons.

But you can change this dismal mood by bringing the Dhaba to your home. You can still have the same dish at your home and indulge your taste buds and your wanderlust mind. So let’s see how to make a Dhaba Style Fish Curry below:

So here comes the recipe for the Dhaba Style Fish Curry or Fish Salan :

Ingredients:

• Fish Fillets or Steaks : 5/6 pieces
• Ginger-Garlic Paste: 4 Tsp.
• Tomatoes: 2 Large (Chopped)
• Mustard Oil : 3 Large Table Spoon.
• Coriander Powder : 3 tsp.
• Turmeric Powder : 1 tsp.
• Red Chili Powder : 3 tsp (Change according to your tolerance)
• Salt : To taste
• Lemon Juice : Juice of a 1/2 lemon
• Coriander Leaves (Optional) : To garnish.
• Fenugreek Seeds :3/4 seeds only
• Mustard Seeds : a few
• Cumin seeds : 1 tsp.
• Water : 2 Cups

Process:

• Marinate the fish pieces with turmeric powder, salt and 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste along with little oil and lime juice and keep it for 10-15 minutes.
• Heat oil in a non stick pan and shallow fry the pieces for few minutes from both sides. Once done take out the fishes and keep separately.
• Heat oil in a separate wok and temper with cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds. When the cumin starts to splutter add the remaining ginger garlic paste, chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes become mushy.
• Now add the turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder and salt and mix well. You may add little water to mix the spices well.
• Cook till oil starts to release from the sides of the wok. Pour 1 cup of water into the wok and cover it up and cook until all the species mix very well and the gravy becomes smooth.
• Now uncover and add the fish pieces and mix the spices with the fish very well. After cooking 3-4 minutes add another cup of water  from the sides of the wok. Cook for another 7-8 minutes in very low flame. Remember the curry doesn't have a watery gravy. Now check the seasoning and turn off the flame. 
• Add the lemon juice now and give a very nice stir carefully so that it can be mixed up with the gravy.
• Dhaba Fish curry is now ready to serve. Enjoy It with Steaming hot rice. 

                                                                       Enjoy Your Food..!!!

No Onion No Garlic Paneer Butter Masala..!!!

Cooking meals on Fridays seems to be a tough task for me as it is considered to be complete vegetarian day at my home. The other two members of my tiny family can’t even imagine a single day without some non-veg stuff. To us, the Bengali people vegetarian day means absence of onion and garlic even as we consider them as non-veg item. So it turns out to be really a great deal for me to cook some veg dish which will be tasty so that my husband and the little one don’t have to negotiate with the taste.

For cooking any veg dish,paneer (Indian cottage cheese) is the best choice. So, today I am going to share my version of “Paneer Butter Masala” recipe which I prepare mostly without onion and garlic. The whole recipe entails of very few simple steps but the taste is no less than the paneer cooked with onion and garlic.

So , here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Fresh Paneer: 250 gm
• Tomato: 2 (chopped) (large and juicy, make a smooth paste of the chopped tomato with little water)
• Ginger Paste :11/2 tsp.
• Turmeric Powder :1 tsp.
• Cumin Powder :1 tsp.
• Coriander Powder:1 tsp.
• Salt: to taste
• Sugar: 1 tsp.
• Asafoetida (hing) : a pinch
• Cumin Seeds (Whole) : 1 tsp.
• Red Chili Powder : 1tsp.
• Garam Masala Powder : 1/4 tsp.
• Cashews : a handful (Soaked in warm milk)
• Milk:1 Cup
• Fresh Cream : 2 tbsp
• Butter :2 tbsp.
• White Oil :1 tbsp.
• Water: 1/2 Cup (if required)

Process:

• Cut the fresh paneer in your desired shapes and soak these in warm water with pinch of salt for sometime.
• Make a smooth paste of the milk soaked cashews and keep it aside. 
• Make a smooth paste of the chopped tomato.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed vessel and temper with whole cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds starts to crackle add the butter. Then add the ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, asafoetida, red chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder,salt, sugar and mix thoroughly.
• Pour the cashew paste into the vessel and cook until the oil start releasing from the sides of the vessel.
• Once oil starts releasing from the sides of the vessel pour the milk into it and let it boil for 2 minutes.
• Now add the paneer and the fresh cream and mix well. At this time if required you may add little water. Cover the vessel and cook for 5-6 minutes. Don't over cook it unless the paneer will be hard.
• Uncover the vessel and sprinkle the garam masala powder and cover the vessel again for 1 minute only so that the aroma could be absorbed by the curry.
• Turn off the flame. Paneer butter masala is ready to serve. Serve it with roti, paratha or polao.

                           

                                                                         Enjoy Your Food!!

Summer Special Vegetable Curry With Watery Gravy...!!!!

“SUMMER” – the word itself brings a lot of heat in INDIA. But heat itself is not the core thing which brings worry to this side of the world. Heat brings many sidekicks which are even bigger reason to raise your heart beats. Dehydration, indigestion, stomach upset, infections are few to name. Spices are something which highly need to be avoided as they create the above mentioned issues if not used appropriately. So the question comes what to eat?? Without spices the food seems blunt and no one wants to eat a healthy food which is not tasty. Then the bigger question comes to find exactly what spices to eat and exactly how much amount so that a food can be healthy enough to beat the heat and tasty enough to beat the tongue.

As I mentioned in my earlier posts that the Mother Nature provides a huge set of fruits and vegetables during this summer season to cope with the extreme heat. So here comes the recipe of a mix vegetable gravy which is not only tasty but also extremely healthy and can be eaten daily without harming either the health or tongue.

So, here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:

• Potato: 2 (Peeled & Cut into wedges)
• Raw Banana: 2 (Peeled & Cut in small Pieces)
• Pointed Gourd: 4 (Peeled and cut in small pieces)
• Ridge Gourd: 2 (Peeled & Cut in small Pieces)
• Cauliflower: 1 Cup florets
• Tomato :1 large and juicy ( cut in cubes)
• Ginger Paste: 2 tsp.
• Coriander Seeds Paste : 2 tsp.
• Cumin Seeds Paste:2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder :1 tsp.
• Salt: to taste
• Sugar : 1/2 tsp.
• Cumin Seeds (Whole) : 1 tsp.
• Green Chili :3-4 nos.
• Coriander Leaves
• Oil: White or Mustard (3-4 tbsp)
• Water: 3-4 Cups

Process:

• Heat oil in a deep bottomed vessel andd temper with cumin seeds and green chili. Once the cumin seeds start to crackle add the tomato pieces and stir well. Cook until the tomato becomes little mushy.
• Now add all the vegetables and fry them in medium flame with salt and turmeric powder for few minutes.
• Add the ginger paste, cumin-coriander seeds paste, sugar, coriander leaves and mix thoroughly with all the vegetables.
• Cook until oil starts releasing from the sides of the vessel.
• Pour the water now, increase the flame and cover the vessel with a lead and cook until the vegetables are done properly.
• Uncover the vessel and taste the seasoning. Add salt or sugar if required.
• As it is a watery gravy add some more water if required and cook for some more time.
• Turn off the flame. Summer special vegetable curry with watery gravy is ready . Serve it with steaming hot rice and enjoy with a slice of lemon and a wedge of onion.

                                               

                                                        Enjoy Your Food..!!!