aloo dahi wale

  500gmaloo (potatoes) boiled and peeled
1 tbsp ginger-finely sliced
a pinch asafoetida
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 cup yogurt (curd)
3-4 green chillies
2 tbsp clarified butter
1 tbsp coriander leaves-chopped

Preparation:

• Break the aloo (potatoes), by holding each in the palm of your hand and closing the fist. Keep these unevenly broken potatoes aside until further use.
• Heat the ghee, add cumin and asafoetida. When the cumin splutters, add ginger and sauté till slightly fried.
• Lower the flame, add yogurt 1 tbsp at a time, stirring vigorously until all of it is well blended.
• Add garam masala, coriander, salt, turmeric and chilli powder. Stir a few times until well mixed, add potatoes and green chillies, turn around over high heat, until they look slightly fried.
• Add about 2 cups water, bring the mixture to a boil, and then simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes.
• Serve aloo dahi wale hot, garnished with coriander leaves.

spiral cookies

Lightly beat an egg yolk and set aside. We will later halve this.

Melt (or bring to room temperature) 1/2 cup unsalted butter and add 1/2 cup sugar to that. Beat until well combined.

Add 4 drops of vanilla essence to this along with a pinch of salt. Mix well. Now add half the beaten egg yolk and 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour.

Mix well to form a soft dough like so. Don't knead, just incorporate with fingers and bring together.

For the chocolate dough, do the same with the butter and sugar, but omit the vanilla and add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder. Mix well.

To this, add 1 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour. If you find the dough too soft, you can add a couple of spoons of flour. I didn't have to add extra though.

Again, combine well with fingers to form a soft dough. No need to knead. Heh.

Now, refrigerate both doughs for 30 mins. Take out your book and read while you wait. If you are impatient like me, go take a nap and you won't feel the time pass.

After 30 mins, take out the chilled dough, transfer to a floured surface and roll out as above. This is not going to be the easiest thing to do. I later heard that if you do the rolling between plastic sheets or butter paper, it makes things very easy. Do try that cuz in this method, there were a lot of broken pieces that I had to patch in later.

Gently transfer the chocolate layer and place it over the vanilla layer. I used a spatula - say hi to my fave steel spatula!

I know this doesn't look perfect. That's ok. Trust me on this and let's carry on.

Now, roll the flour from the short end, gently, covering up as many split areas as you can. Its ok even if the layers are not ultra-smooth and imperfect. Like I said, wait for the end-result and you'll see.

SJ mentions refrigerating at this point but I was super-charged after my nap so I ignored that.

Cut gently into 1/2" discs. Look at that!!

Are they pretty or what?! I didn't use a sharp enough knife which is why the biscuit sides are not as smooth as I'd have liked them to be. Anyway, lesson learned.

Here's another look. I couldn't get over how pretty they looked. It was almost like when I saw the Taj Mahal for the first time. Almost.

Note the huge hole on the top of my dough log. It doesn't matter. Keep cutting and ignore that. Everything will turn out fine.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350F/180C for 15 mins until the white part of the cookies turn a light golden brown.

Now that you ask, I have no clue how'd I find out if this cookie is done if it were all chocolate. I guess I'd go by the smell and time on original recipe as I did for my chocolate melting moments.

Here's the recipe again, all in one place.

Recipe for Spiral Cookies

Source: SJ

Makes: 28 cookies (approx.)

What I Used:

Vanilla Dough:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 egg yolk, beaten

4 drops vanilla essence

A pinch of salt

Chocolate Dough:

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 egg yolk, beaten

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

How I Made It:

1. Start with the vanilla dough. Beat the until and sugar until well incorporated. Add the egg yolk, salt and vanilla essence to this. Mix again.

2. Add the flour next and mix well to form a soft dough.

3. For the chocolate dough, beat butter and sugar, add the cocoa powder and mix well without any lumps. Then add the egg yolk and mix well. Finally, add the flour and mix well to form a soft dough.

4. Refrigerate both doughs for 30 mins.

5. After 30 mins, roll out gently into flat squares (as square as you can make it). Place the chocolate layer over the vanilla layer. Roll out from the short end gently.

6. Cut into discs of 1/2" thickness and bake and transfer to a greased or lined cookie sheet.

7. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350F/180C for 15 mins until the vanilla part turns a light golden brown. Keep an eye on the cookies starting from 10 mins, just to be on the safer side.

These cookies, my friends, will wow your friends. Guaranteed!

butterscotch blondies

This is before melting, by the way

So now, let's start with butter. 1/2 cup butter, melted. I gave it a turn in the microwave for about 45 seconds on medium-high.

Next, let's measure 1 cup brown sugar. I am not sure if regular sugar will work too, but I used what was in the recipe. I am nothing if not obedient.

Mix throughly. You don't need any fancy shmancy electric beater or anything for this. Just good old mixing with hands until well blended.

Next, add an egg.

Mix well, gently, until you get a nice watery batter like this that's ready for the flour that you are going to add in next.

But wait! Before we measure out the flour, let's add 1 tsp vanilla extract/essence to this and mix well.

Finally, its time for the flour. Measure out 1 cup of all purpose flour or maida. I just dunked the whole thing in. Don't forget to follow the flour with a pinch of salt.

Mix well until the flour is well combined with no lumps.

Now, its time for the star ingredient - Butterscotch Chips!

I didn't find any in the baking supplies store near my house but they had these really cute caramel drops that were really tiny chips of caramel, so I used these instead. We will need 3/4 cup of chips.

Dunk those in too, and blend gently without mashing the chips too much.

There you go. We are done! Well, almost. This is when you call your husband over to help transfer the batter to a greased cake tray so that you can click that as well. Like so.

Of course, you have to do the spreading and making it look pretty bit.

Transfer this to an oven pre-heated at 350 F / 175 C.

Yes, that's my oven. Its very old-fashioned but works like a charm.

The one my mom owns doesn't have a temperature regulator, yet, she used to make the most amazing cakes, different kinds - not to mention puddings and other stuff too!

Mine has a regulator and the highest setting is 220 C. I rarely need a hotter oven than that.

The dome-like lid lets you take a peek into what's baking. You see those tiny holes near the edge of the glass disc? That's where I insert my 'toothpick' to check if my cakes are done. Though, when I say toothpick, I actually mean an extra long skewer!

After about 30-40 mins of baking, your butterscotch blondies should look like this. If you are anything like me, you would have to resist the temptation to just dig your hands in and remind yourself just in time that you baked these for your cousin and family.

Its quite easy after that..


Cool, cut into squares.

Pack it in a container...

.. and get ready for the compliments :)

Oh, this should easily get you about 18-20 squares if you use an 8 by 8 cake tray so you will have enough for yourselves too!

Here is the recipe again without the annoying pictures meddling with it:

ButterScotch Blondies Recipe
What I Used:

1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup butterscotch chips
1 pinch salt

How I Made It:

1. Cream the melted butter and sugar until well blended.

2. Add the egg and mix well. Then add the vanilla extract.

3. Dunk the flour and salt in. Mix well until combined, with no lumps.

4. Add the chips and mix gently.

5. Transfer to a greased cake tray to a pre-heated oven at 350 F / 174 C and bake for about 30 mins or until a toothpick/skewer comes out clean.

6. Cool, cut into squares and enjoy!

mixed vegetable koftas

Mixed Vegetable Koftas

Koftas with mixed vegetable, deepfried and served with ketchup!! yumm yumm, who will say no!!...i prepared this mixed vegetable koftas with all leftover veggies who were sleeping in my fridge, i used potatoes, carrots, zucchinis, french beans, cauliflower etc...its quite a better n best way to finish all the leftover veggies laying in our fridge, coz i was bored to prepare those veggies as stir fries, gravies..This koftas took just few minutes to prepare and with plenty of veggies they are very delicious also  prefect as starters r snacks..This is my entry for RFRU-Starters guest hosted by Sunshinemom of TongueTicklers , event by One Page Cookbooks...

2 cups Cooked potatoes, any vegetables(grated)
handful of Gram flour
1tsp Lemon juice
2tbsp Corn flour
1tbsp Chopped green chillies
Coriander leaves n curry leaves
Salt
Oil

Take a large bowl, add the cooked potatoes,salt, grated vegetables, gram flour, lemonjuice, corn flour,chopped green chillies, chopped coriander n curry leaves n mix everything together as thick paste, heat the oil for deep frying, drop the small balls of vegetable mixture n fry until they turn brown..

Serve hot with ketchup!

mixed vegetable saag

Mixed Vegetable Saagu Recipe

Serves: 2

Recipe adapted from Mane Adige

What I Used:

1 cup chopped mixed vegetables (I used beans, carrots, peas and potatoes)

4 tbsp thick coconut milk

4 shallots, finely chopped (or use 1 small onion)

A generous pinch of hing /asafoetida / perungaayam

A pinch of turmeric

Salt to taste taste

For Masala:

2 tbsp grated coconut (fresh or frozen)

A 1" cinnamon stick

3 cloves

4 black peppercorn (or 1/2 tsp crushed pepper/pepper powder)

1 tsp grated ginger

2 shallots / small onions

2 tsp Pottukadalai / chana dahlia / split chickpeas

2 green chilies (adjust to taste)

For Tempering:

1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

A few curry leaves

How I Made It:

1. Cook the vegetables in a closed pan until soft with very little water. Don't cook them too mushy.

2. Grind the ingredients listed under 'For Masala'.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add the ingredients listed under 'For Tempering'. When the mustard seed start spluttering, add the chopped shallots or onion. Fry until golden brown. Add turmeric powder and hing to this.

4. Next add the ground masala and fry for another minute or so before adding the cooked vegetables.

5. Add 1 cup water and let the curry simmer for about 5 mins. You can adjust the consistency at this stage by adjusting the water. Add salt.

6. Turn off heat and pour the coconut milk over the curry. Mix well.

Serve hot with poori, chapati, roti or rice.

vegetarian burger

Vegetarian Burgers

4 burger buns

A box of baby greens

4 cheese slices or shredded cheddar cheese

2 tbsp mayo (any kind)

Half an onion, cut into rings

One tomato, sliced into circles

For the patties:

1 large potato

1 onion

1 carrot

10 French beans

1/4 cup green peas

1/4 cup sweet corn

2 green chillies or 1 tsp red chilli powder

Fresh coriander leaves

1 tsp jeera

1 tsp masala powder (any kind)

6 tbsp oil to shallow fry

Salt

For the French fries:

2 large potatoes

Salt

Oil to deep fry

TH: "Err.. that's a lot of stuff just to make us two burger meals each".

Nags: "You want it or not?"

TH: "I do, I do! Ok, let's get started"

Nags: "As always, let's use a picture of the final dish to keep us motivated"

TH: drooool

First, boil all the vegetables except onion until soft. Pressure cooking them for about 2 whistles should do the trick.

Mash up the potato real nice. Cut the other vegetables into tiny pieces. Mix in salt, jeera, green chillies/red chilli powder, chopped coriander leaves and the masala powder. Shape into big-ish patties.

Shallow fry the patties until golden brown on both sides. Set aside.

Now comes the bit where we assemble the vegetable burgers.

We start with a burger bun, of course.

Cut it into half. Hopefully you can do a better job of cutting it evenly than I did.

Grab the box of baby greens or any lettuce you have in the fridge.

Lay it out on the lower half of the burger bun.

Top it off with some shredded cheddar cheese or one cheese slice. This is beginning to get yummier, eh?

Take one vegetable patty and place it on the cheese and greens, pressing down gently without crumbling it.

Spread some mayo over this. Between you and me, I ran out of mayo so I used thousand island dressing here. Use whatever you fancy, its your burger.

Onion rings are next. Aren't they pretty?

Tomatoes. TH's burger has an extra slice and mine has just one because raw tomato really doesn't do it for me.

Now bring in the other half of the burger, place it on the pile and press down gently. You can use a toothpick inserted through the center to hold it all together. We didn't really do all that. Just bite, chomp, gulp and go for the next bite if you're anything like us.

If you feel there is no burger experience without French fries, quickly make some. All you need to do is peel and slice potatoes into long thin slices. Mix in some salt.

Deep fry in oil.

There you go, a homemade vegetarian burger meal.