" Cheesy Desire "

Well this recipe was invented by me :) If you are looking for a tea time snack which is just apt for this rainy season then these cheese balls are just perfect. An ideal appetizer to go with your favourite cocktails or evening tea. These cheese balls are tasty and so easy to make  that you just can’t stop popping them into your mouth. The best part of this recipe is you can pick the spices of your choice, like I picked Italian herbs used in making pizza. You can give it a Desi twist by adding pinch of garam masala or all spice. For cheese I used mozzarella for that stringy texture and that was the only cheese available to me but I’m sure other cheese like parmesan would add a great taste to this. 

Ingredients

Boiled potatoes – 4 medium

Mozzarella cheese shredded – 50 to 100 gms (as per requirement)

Salt – as per taste

Black pepper – as per taste

Italian seasoning – as per taste

Red chilli flakes – as per taste

Cornflour – 1 tbsp

Bread crumbs – 1 to 2 tbsp (optional)

Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Peel the boiled potatoes and mash them. Make sure they are at room temperature otherwise they will scatter in oil while frying.

2. Now add shredded cheese and other ingredients in potatoes.

3. Make small balls of this mixture and keep aside.

4. Now dissolve cornflour in half cup water. Make sure there is no lump.

5. Further dip these cheese- potato balls in the cornflour solution and then crumb coat in bread crumbs if you are using any.

6. Now deep fry them in piping hot oil until golden brown.

Serve hot with the dip of your choice and a cuppa of hot coffee or tea.

Enjoy!

" Lavender cookies "

My friends know how much I love cooking, especially baking and they never forget to buy ingredients while travelling, keeping my interest in their mind. Yes, I’m blessed, blessed to have such friends. Thanks to the technology I’m connected with almost all my friends. From 1st standard to this date I’m in connection with almost my every friend and we have groups on facebook and whatsApp and we still pull each other’s legs, make fun and remember our carefree childhood days when we loved to eat raw mangoes straight from the trees, buying those ‘prohibited’ ice-creams sold at school gate and eating candies from the shop outside the school gate. Loads of things have changed, most of us are married now and a few have kids too, still our hearts cling to those beautiful memories. This story is just not about those few friends but to all my friends who are part of my beautiful journey called life. For those friends who are with me at my each and every step. They offered their shoulder when I cried whole night and bugged them again in the morning. They were there when I had my best moments of life. Life is just unfair at times but then it also gives you the best thing of the world called friendship.

Coming back to this particular recipe a friend of mine gifted me dried lavender flowers and I wanted to use them in a special recipe. I love lavenders and I’ve a dream to visit those spectacular lavender fields of Provence, France (sigh!!!!). So, here comes the recipe for lavender cookies…

Ingredients

All purpose flour - 2 1/4 cup
Unsalted butter – 1 cup
Powdered sugar – ¾ cup
Egg- 1
Vanilla extract – 1tsp
Dried lavender flower or seeds – 2tsp
Salt – ½ tsp

Method

1. Pre-heat oven at 170 degrees Celsius. Line a cookie tray with butter/ parchment paper.

2. In a big bowl, beat the sugar and butter on medium speed until the butter is creamy and fluffy. Now add the egg and beat it.

3. Now fold in the flour and mix them well.

4. Further add in the vanilla extract and lavender flowers. Mix everything till well incorporated.

5. Now take equal and small ball size portions, give them cookie shape and place on lined baking tray

6. Bake them for 18-20 minutes or when they start getting brown.

Enjoy these warm cookies with your evening tea :) .

" The triple J trip "

The Exquisite Hawa Mahal

Nature manifests its beauty in countless forms, shapes and colours and some lucky enthusiasts get the opportunity to explore more and more from this vast menu.

I consider myself lucky in the sense that I’ve explored various aspects of nature’s beauty such as the myriad mountains, scenic oceans, dense rainforests, vast grasslands and running rivers which are young and vivacious in mountains and are calm and serene in plains.

Somewhere in between 

My untouched aspect was visiting a desert and feeling that warm sand underneath my feet which mysteriously keeping folded many mysteries in their vast nothingness since thousands of years. India is a beautiful country and one cannot touch every part of it in a lifetime. But yes people like me are lucky. To see the sand dunes was one of my childhood dreams.

Amer Fort and desert moon

Finally in January ’15 we grabbed the opportunity to set off on a spell binding road journey to the “Thar”. The journey started with the new age city of Delhi and kept unfolding the chapters of history as we crossed the ‘Pink city Jaipur’, ‘city of Sun Jodhpur’ and finally our destination ‘the Golden city of Jaisalmer’ spending a night each in these great cities.

Beautiful Jalmahal

Jaipur doesn’t need any introduction. Named after its ruler Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, Jaipur is a blend of modern society and their deep rooted traditional culture. We reached Jaipur in the evening and were awed by the Magnificent Jal Mahal. It is built in mid of Man Sagar Lake and looks stunningly beautiful with its reflection in serene water of the lake. Before that it was Amer fort which grabbed our attention but unfortunately it was closed for the day (Please note that all forts and palaces in Rajasthan are open from 9:00am to 5:00 pm only). In night we went to Chokhi Dhani, a place where you can get a glimpse of Rajasthani culture, taste their food and enjoy their folk dance and music.

Amer fort from another angle

one more angle of the fort

Chokhi Dhaani at night

Rajasthani traditional food 

We started our onwards journey with a fresh enthusiasm on the second day and reached Sun city Jodhpur. Mehraangarh fort of Jodhpur is my personal favourite of this whole journey. The view from fort is breath taking and you can just sit there and watch the city or the skyline for hours and we actually did that.

Mehraangarh Fort

Can you see those blue houses? That's why Jodhpur is also called blue city 

The next day we started for our destination Jaisalmer. Believe me the feeling of entering the ‘Thars’ was more like entering Al-dorado with sprawling view of golden sand expanding upon the horizon. The beautiful dunes with golden ripples and footmarks of camels seem to have imbibed everything in their vastness except the vibrantly coloured dressing of the natives and enthusiasm of tourists which touches the peak even at the first glimpse of desert.

A camel all dressed up for desert festival

No wonder why those mighty kings preferred to settle in these isolated heavens and to create some of the most amazing and beautiful palaces on this planet. We reached Sam sand dunes which is 50 kilometres ahead of Jaisalmer. The beauty of dessert starts from there. 

Marching camel troop of BSF returning from Delhi after performing in Republic day parade

We sat on the warm sand for few hours and it was quite refreshing to feel the warm sand beneath your feet. Kilometres of land was covered with sand and all you can see people riding on back of camel going deep inside the desert. 

Ripple Effect

There were arrangements for the night stay in tents but I’m not that adventure kind so we returned back to the city but I’m sure if you are in a group you can take a chance. 

Everything available there was a bit on costlier side as we can understand there were no vegetation and everything has to be transported and the tourism is seasonal. Life is tough but at the same time it’s vivid. 

Playtime :)

Camel Safari

Jaisalmer Fort

Yes that's me and Jaisalmer fort in background :)

While travelling through Rajasthan one can easily get an impression that after seeing nothingness for hundred kilometres, it seems that we have reached the end of the globe and that nothing lies ahead, but the deeper you explore, the bigger is the reward as the history is lying everywhere in Rajasthan waiting to be explored.

" Fresh Strawberry cake "

Everyone knows that I’m crazy about strawberries. I do remember those days when my friends made fun of me for eating strawberry flavored ice cream. Sometimes in 2003 or 2004 I ate these berries for the first time in my life and you can say since then I’m madly in love with these. Shakes, ice creams, lemonade, cookies and many more. 

I searched for the recipe of strawberry cake but almost every recipe has box mix or jello and I needed a recipe which doesn’t have any artificial colors, flavors etc. So finally I got a recipe which requires everything from scratch and fresh. I’ve added more puree for that extra taste and flavor. I didn't add cornflour, if you want you can add it. I baked this cake for Surprise/hidden heart cake whose recipe will be the next on blog.

For strawberry puree

Strawberry – 200gms

Granulated Sugar – 2 tbsp

For the cake

All purpose flour – 1 1/8 cup

Unsalted butter – 6 tbsp or 78 gms

Strawberry puree – ¾ cup

Vanilla extract – 1tsp (optional)

Milk – ¼ cup

Powdered Sugar – ½ cup + 1/3 cup

Baking powder – 2tsp

Egg – 2

Salt – ½ tsp

Cornflour – 1 tbsp (optional)

Method

1. Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees and grease a baking sheet or even you can use muffin mould too.

2. In a bowl chop strawberries and mix it with sugar and leave it for an hour.

3. Blend the SBs in a blender and make a puree.

4. Sift Flour with salt and baking soda and keep aside.

5. In another big bowl cream the butter with the help of a beater. Add powdered sugar into it and blend again till fluffy and light.

6. Now add Eggs one by one while blending. Now add vanilla extract, SB puree and milk into the mixture.

7. Now fold the flour slowly into the wet ingredients. 

8.Now pour this into the prepared baking sheet or muffin mould. Bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

I bet you can’t stop eating this cake. It is so flavorful and tasty.

Enjoy!

" Cranberry- orange-nuts cookies "

I started this blog with an intention to scribble my thoughts, but of late it became my food blog but I want it to be more like my journal where I can put my thoughts. Last 2 months were mess and I’m not going to talk about it. I thought I will stop baking and writing. But life is something which goes on and on whether you want or not. If you are breathing you are alive and if you are alive you’ve to move on. I’m not going to bore you with my stupid thoughts but just to break the block this post is necessary. 

Cranberries! Personally I never tasted cranberries. But while purchasing the groceries, my eyes picked few packets of some dried fruits on a shelf of a small departmental store. These were packets of dried cranberries, blueberries, prunes and mixed berries. The thing which grabbed my attention most was cranberry. The first thing came to my mind was to bake cookies but in my first attempt of baking, cookies were a bit hard. This time I used my vanilla cookies recipe and it came out well.

Ingredients

All purpose flour – 1 ½ cups

Vinegar – 1tsp

Butter at room temperature – 120 grams

Powdered sugar – ½ cup

Vanilla extract – 1 tsp

Milk – ¼ cup

Dried cranberries – 1/3 cup

Orange zest – 1 tsp

Salt – 1 pinch

Crushed mixed nuts – Almonds, cashew and walnuts (1 handful)

Method

1. Pre-heat oven at 170 degrees Celsius. Line a cookie tray with butter/ parchment paper.

1. In a big bowl, beat the sugar and butter on medium speed until the butter is creamy and fluffy.

2. Now add the vinegar, vanilla, cranberries and orange zest. Mix them well.

3. Add in the flour, salt and milk. Mix everything till well incorporated.

4. Now take equal and small ball size portions, give them cookie shape and place on lined baking tray



5. Bake them for 18-20 minutes or when they start getting brown.

" Saffron and Cardamom cookies "

The spice saga continues :) and this time the world’s most delicate spice. Saffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. It has a distinct flavour and gives a beautiful yellow tint to anything cooked with it.

I got some saffron from the market and since then I wanted to use it in my kitchen. I never used saffron in any recipe so I thought why not to bake some cookies with it. 

But the recipe I selected for baking contains cardamom also, so the strong aroma of cardamom suppressed the mild flavour of saffron. So may be next time I will bake with only saffron flavour :).

Ingredients

All purpose flour -1/2 cup

Unsalted Butter – 3tbsp (softened)

Powdered Sugar - 4 tbsp

Saffron Strands - A pinch

Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp

Milk - 1 tbsp

Sliced Almonds for Garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

2. In a small bowl soak the saffron in hot milk and keep aside.

3. In a bowl, add the softened butter and powdered sugar and mix well.

4. Now add the saffron milk and mix.

5. Add the flour and cardamom powder to the butter and sugar mixture then mix everything to make dough. The dough will be very soft and delicate.

6. Now make round balls, flatten them to give shape of cookies and place them on lined tray. Garnish the cookies with almonds.

7. Bake them in the preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes.

Remove them from the oven and place them on a wire rack and cool. Enjoy with your evening tea.

Enjoy!

"Chilli & ginger pickle - Indian ishtyle :) "

Spices and India are synonymous to each other. From Kashmir to Kerala, India is too rich when it comes to spices. From world costliest spice 'Saffron' to black gold ‘Black pepper’ India produces almost each and every spice world knows. Yes, yes I’m in boastful mood and why shouldn't I?  My country India has a magnificent history of producing different variety of spices. You name it; we have it. Even the colonization of India started with the trade of spices only. 

Spices in Goa, India

Indian culinary culture is heavily influenced by various spices grown in the country. People love eating spices in their food. Each and every state has their own list of spice production and every house hold in India has their own stories and recipes to share. There are secret ingredients and recipes of Granny, running from the generations. People swear on their ‘Masale ka Dabba’ (spice box). 

Ok, no more spice tales :).What I’m telling you is a simple Pickle with chilli, ginger and mustard powder. Its hotness depends upon the type of chillies one uses in it and I love spicy. Mustard powder is strong and aromatic, which is bitter initially but when it starts blending with time it becomes tangy. I used powdered mustard, you can use paste too. We east Indians love mustard oil but you can use any oil like sesame oil, sunflower oil etc.

Ingredients

Green chillies – 200 gms

Slice of ginger – 50 gms

Mustard powder (yellow or black) – 4 tbsp (adjust as per taste)

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp (adjust as per taste)

Coriander powder – 1 tsp (adjust as per taste)

Red chilli powder – ½ tsp (optional)

Paste of garlic – 1 tbsp (adjust as per taste)

Salt - adjust as per taste

Mustard Oil – 4 tbsp (adjust as per taste)

Method

1. Wash chillies and slit them so that the spices can enter into it.

2. Take the chillies in a bowl, add ginger pieces, mustard powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, garlic paste. Sprinkle salt as per taste. Mix them well with help of a spoon.

3. Now transfer the chillies and all the spices of bowl in a glass jar.

4. Top up with oil and close the lid.

You can keep the jar in sun for 3-4 days till the mustard turns tangy, just remember to shake it well or add 2 tbsp of vinegar and start consuming immediately. But be aware that it’s too ‘Hot’. In fact, hotter the chilli, better will be the taste of this pickle :P



Enjoy!