Jelly Belly Ice - cream

Preparation Time : 4-5 hours
Servings : 4
INGREDIENTS
Strawberry jelly
1 cup
Milk
1 cup
Milk powder
1 cup
Fresh cream
1 cup
Sugar
1/2 cup
Vanilla essence
1/2 teaspoon
METHOD
Place the jelly crystals in a pan, add one cup water and heat stirring till the crystals dissolve. When the mixture boils, take it off the heat and set aside to cool. Take a clean tray and fill half with jelly mixture and place in refrigerator till set.To make the ice cream, mix together milk, milk powder, fresh cream, sugar and vanilla essence in a bowl and whisk till sugar dissolves. Pour the mixture on top of the set jelly till the tray is filled. Place the tray in the freezer till set. Cut the prepared jelly ice cream into squares and serve.

KADAI PANEER - Cottage cheese cooked in spicy kadai masala

KADAI PANEER

Preparation Time : 25-30 minutes
Cooking Time : 12-15 minutes
Servings : 4
INGREDIENTS
Cottage cheese (paneer) 1 inch triangles
500 grams
Oil
3 tablespoons
Whole dry red chillies, broken
2
Cloves
2
Coriander seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons
Onion , sliced
2 medium
Cinnamon one inch sticks
2
Bay leaves
2
Garlic paste
2 teaspoons
Ginger paste
2 teaspoons
Red chilli powder
2 teaspoons
Tomatoes, chopped
5-6 medium
Salt
to taste
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons
METHOD
Heat oil in a kadai, add broken red chillies, cloves, crushed coriander seeds and onions and sauté for two minutes. Add cinnamon and bay leaves and stir. Add garlic paste, ginger paste and red chilli powder and stir. Continue to sauté for two minutes. Add tomatoes and salt and sauté till the tomatoes become soft. Add paneer and stir gently. Cook on low heat till the paneer is heated through. Garnish with coriander leaves, toss and serve.

HYDERABADI BIRYANI - Rich rice non vegetarian preparation from cuisine of Hyderabad

HYDERABADI BIRYANI

Preparation Time : 2 hrs
Cooking Time : 40-45 mins
Servings : 4
INGREDIENTS
Mutton, a mix of chops,marrowbone and shoulder pieces
500 grams
Basmati rice
1 1/2 cups
Salt
Bay leaves
2
Green cardamoms
10
Black peppercorns
25-30
Cinnamon
3 inch stick
Oil
1 tablespoon + to deep fry
Onions, sliced
5 large
Caraway seeds (shahi jeera)
1/2 teaspoon
Cloves
10
Ginger paste
1 tablespoon
Garlic paste
1 tablespoon
Red chilli powder
1 tablespoon
Yogurt
1 cup
Fresh coriander leaves, torn
2 tablespoons
Fresh mint leaves, torn
2 tablespoons
Pure ghee
4 tablespoons
Black cardamoms
2
Saffron (kesar), mix in 1/4 cup milk
a few strands
METHOD
Heat five to six cups of water in a deep pan. Add drained rice, salt, bay leaves, five green cardamoms, seven to eight black peppercorns, one cinnamon stick and cook till three fourth done. Drain and set aside. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep-fry half the onion slices till golden. Drain and place on an absorbent paper. Grind caraway seeds, one cinnamon stick, remaining black peppercorns, cloves and remaining green cardamoms to a fine powder and set aside. Take mutton pieces in a bowl. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and salt and mix. Add the spice powder, red chilli powder, half the fried onions crushed, yogurt, coriander leaves, half of the mint leaves and one tablespoon oil and mix. Let it marinate for about two hours in the refrigerator. Heat two tablespoons ghee in a pan, remaining cinnamon and black cardamoms and sauté till fragrant. Add remaining onions and sauté till light golden. Add marinated mutton, stir and cook on high heat for three to four minutes. Cover, reduce heat and cook till almost done. Heat the remaining ghee in a thick-bottomed pan. Spread half the rice in a layer. Spread the mutton over the rice. Sprinkle remaining torn mint leaves. Spread the remaining rice. Sprinkle saffron milk. Cover and cook under dum till done. Serve hot with a raita of your choice.

LAZIZ TIKKA MASALA - This is something that will cause a few raised eyebrows

LAZIZ TIKKA MASALA

Preparation Time : 2-3 hours
Cooking Time : 30-45 minutes
Servings : 4
INGREDIENTS
Chicken Tikka
Boneless chicken , cut into 1½ inch pieces
800 grams
Kashmiri red chilli powder
1 teaspoon
Lemon juice
1 tablespoon
Salt
to taste
Olive oil
4 tablespoons
Marinade
Yogurt hung
1 cup
Lemon juice
1 tablespoon
Ginger paste
1 tablespoon
Garlic paste
1 tablespoon
Kashmiri red chilli powder
1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder
1 teaspoon
Mustard oil
2 tablespoons
Onion tomato masala
Onion , chopped
3 medium
Tomatoes, chopped
4 medium
Oil
3 tablespoons
Cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon
Garlic, chopped
7-8 cloves
Ginger paste
1 teaspoon
Garlic paste
1 teaspoon
Roasted cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder
1 1/2 teaspoons
For gravy
Butter
2 tablespoons
Ginger paste
1 teaspoon
Garlic paste
1 teaspoon
Tomato puree
1/4 cup
Onion tomato masala
1 cup
Kashmiri red chilli powder
1 teaspoon
Garam masala powder
1/2 teaspoon
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons
Dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi), roasted and crushed
1 teaspoon
Cream
1/4 cup
Ginger, cut into thin strips
1 inch peice
METHOD
Mix together the chilli powder, lemon juice and salt. Add the chicken pieces and marinate for about thirty minutes. For the marinade mix together hung yogurt, lemon juice, ginger amd garlic pastes, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt. Add the chicken pieces and mustard oil and mix well. Let the chicken marinate for about three hours in a refrigerator. Thread the chicken onto skewers. Heat four tablespoons oil on a tawa and place the skewers on it. Cook, turning the skewers a few times, so that the chicken gets cooked and evenly browned on all sides. Take the pieces off the skewers and place on a plate For the onion-tomato masala, heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and when they begin to change colour, add the onions and sauté till well browned. Add the garlic and sauté till lightly browned. Add the ginger and garlic pastes and continue sautéing. Add the cumin powder and coriander powder and mix well. Add the tomatoes and continue to sauté on low heat till the tomatoes are completely cooked and the oil separates. Add salt and mix. Remove from heat and set aside. For the gravy heat the butter in a separate pan and add the ginger and garlic pastes and tomato puree and sauté for two minutes. Stir in half a cup of water and cook for two to three minutes. Add the chicken and onion-tomato masala and simmer till the gravy reduces a little. Adjust salt and add the red chilli powder, garam masala powder and half the coriander leaves. Mix well and cook for two minutes. Stir in the kasuri methi and cream. Remove from heat and serve hot, garnished with the ginger strips and the remaining coriander leaves.

SCHOOL BAG CAKE - Sponge cake in shape of a school bag.

SCHOOL BAG CAKE
Sponge cake in shape of a school bag.
Preparation Time : 15 - 20 minutes
Cooking Time : 20 - 25 minutes
Servings : 4
INGREDIENTS
Sponge cake, Square
1
Butter icing
100 grams
Sugar paste
1/2 kilogram
Royal icing
50 grams
Icing sugar
for dusting
Paste colors
as required
METHOD
Slice the sponge cake horizontally and apply a little butter icing on the sliced side of one slice. Place the other over it. Apply a very thin coat of the butter icing on the top and the sides of the cake. Add pink colour paste to 2/3 of the sugar paste and mix well. To ¼ of the remaining paste add yellow colour paste. Add blue colour paste to the remaining. Sprinkle a little icing sugar over a flat surface and gently roll the pink coloured paste to a square shape about ¼ cm. in thickness. Make sure the rolled out paste is large enough to cover the cake fully.Place the cake over an icing stand. Gently lift the rolled out paste and place it over the cake. Gently push in the sides towards the cake, first at the corners then in the sides. Smoothen out the surface with a smoother. Cut out the extra paste using a plain knife. To make the flap, roll out the blue coloured paste similarly. To cut it in shape, use a template cut on a card paper. Dip a paint brush in boiled water and brush lightly over the area where the flap is to be placed. Place the cut out blue coloured flap and gently press it in place. Cut out two finger sized strips in blue and stick half over the flap and half over the pink bag to resemble the buckle straps. Over this place two small buttons made out of yellow paste. For the name tag cut out a small rectangle of yellow paste and paste in place over the blue flap. To make the belt, roll out the remaining pink coloured paste like a long sausage. Flatten it with a rolling pin. Cut in shape and keep it in place, sticking the two edges to the sides of the bag. Take blue coloured royal icing in a piping bag, using a medium thick nozzle write a name over the name tag. In another piping bag, take yellow coloured royal icing, using a thin nozzle pipe out tiny strips at the edge of the blue flap to resemble stitches. Now the school bag is ready.

PAPAD ROLLS - Papad stuffed with potato and spices and fried in oil

PAPAD ROLLS
Papad stuffed with potato and spices and fried in oil.
Preparation Time : 20-25 minutes
Cooking Time : 15-20 minutes
Servings : 4
INGREDIENTS
Papad
8
Potatoes
200 grams
Red chilli powder
1 teaspoon
Cumin powder
1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon
Chaat masala
1/2 teaspoon
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped
a few sprigs
Ginger
1/2 teaspoon
Salt
to taste
Oil
to deep fry
METHOD
Boil potatoes, peel and mash. Add red chilli powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, chaat masala, chopped coriander leaves, chopped ginger and salt to the mashed potatoes. Mix well. Divide it into eight equal portions. Place one portion on one side of a papad and apply water on the edges of the papad. Roll the papad and fold the edges inwards. Seal them with water so that the potato mixture does not come out. Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and deep fry the papad rolls on moderate heat for about a minute. Drain onto an absorbent paper and serve hot.

Vegetable Balls in Garlic Sauce..wow..yummy!!!!!

                                                     Vegetable Balls in Garlic Sauce

                  

Ingredients:

For the Vegetable Balls- 1/2 cup grated carrot, ½ cup cauliflower, grated, 1/2 cup finely chopped french beans, bread crumbs, 1 tbsp cornflour, 1 tsp oil, salt and black pepper powder to taste, oil for deep-frying

For Garlic sauce: 1 tsp Smith and Jones Ginger Garlic paste, 1/2 tsp finely chopped green chilli, 1 tsp Ching's Secret Vinegar, 1 tsp Ching's Secret Soy sauce, 1 tsp Ching's Secret Oyster sauce, 1/4 cup finely chopped spring onions whites, 1 tsp sesame oil, ¼ teaspoon pepper, crushed, 1/4 tsp cornflour, 1½ tablespoons Ching's Secret Schezuan sauce, 1 tsp sugar

Method:

Heat oil in wok and stir fry the vegetables for 2-3 minutes.Turn of the gas and keep it aside to cool.To these vegetables add salt, soya sauce, pepper powder, bread crumbs, corn flour and mix well. Add water only if required.Make small sized balls and deep fry in oil till they turn golden brown. Drain them in paper tissue and keep them aside.

Heat oil in wok and add all ingredients of the Garlic Sauce. Keep stirring the sauce till it thickens. Usually it takes 5-7 minutes.Dip veg balls into the hot garlic sauce just before serving.Garnish with finely chopped spring onion greens.