Scones

A scone is a single-serving cake or quick bread. They are usually made of wheat, barley or oatmeal, with baking powder as a leavening agent, and are baked on sheet pans. They are often lightly sweetened and are occasionally glazed.

They are a part of the English high tea.

‎ Ingredients:

Wheat flour or maida   - 250 gm (for 12 scones)

Baking powder - 1½ tsps

Salt a pinch, but not needed if you are using salted butter

Butter   - 20 gm, cut into small pieces

Powdered sugar (optional)        - 2 tsps

Milk     - 75 ml

Water   - 50 ml

Extra milk for brushing

Method:

-         Preheat the oven to 220 degrees

-         Sieve the flour with baking powder

-         Rub the butter into the flour

-         Blend in milk and water and lightly knead

-         Spread it out to 2 cm thickness

-         Cut into small rounds

-         Arrange them on a lightly greased tray and brush their tops with the extra milk

-         Bake at 220 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. Scones need to be baked at a very high temperature - the hottest part of your oven will give the best results.

-         To test whether they are done, tap the center of scones firmly with fingertips, they should sound hollow and look evenly browned.

-         Turn the scones onto a wire rack to cool. They remain crispy like this

-          If you want scones to be soft, wrap them immediately in a clean towel.

-         Serve them with jam and cream.

Rajma (Kidney beans) curry

Kidney beans offer outstanding benefits for brain. It contains high amount of vitamin K which provides essential nutrition for both brain and nervous system. Kidney beans are also a good source of vitamin B, which is essential for brain cells. It nourishes the brain nerves and cells which prevents age related disease like Alzheimer's.

Ingredients:

Rajma              - 1 cup soaked for 12 hours

Water   - 3 cups

Bay leaf            - 1

Big black cardamom     - 2

Coriander leaves to garnish

Onion               - 1 large

Tomatoes         - 2 medium sized

Garlic               - 5,6 flakes

Ginger              - 1 inch piece

Oil                    - 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder          - ½ tsp

Red chilli powder          - ½ tsp

Coriander powder        - 1 tsp

Dried mango powder    - ½ tsp

Garam masala powder  - ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Method:

-         Pressure cook the soaked rajma with salt, bay leaf and black cardamoms for 15 minutes. Cool and open

-         Meanwhile, grind the onion and tomatoes

-         Crush the garlic and ginger

-         Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, add the crushed ginger garlic. When it browns, add the onion tomato paste. While the rajma is being cooked, do this.

-         Let the onion tomato paste cook on low fire, till it thickens and starts separating from the sides of the pan.

-         Add all the masala powders, stir well and add the cooked rajama and let it simmer for about ten minutes

-         Garnish with cut coriander leaves,

-         Goes with chapattis, but rajma and steamed rice is an awesome combination.

Stuffed Ridge gourd

Ridge gourd contains good content of cellulose and high in water content that helps to relieve from constipation and healing piles.It is extremely rich in dietary fiber and enriched with all the vital elements that include Vit-C, Zinc, Iron, Riboflavin, Magnesium, Thiamin and traces of another minerals.

It is low in saturated fat, cholesterol and contains insulin like Peptides and Alkaloids that helps to reduce the sugar levels in both the blood and urine. It is high in Beta-carotene which is good for enhancing eye sight.

Ridge gourd acts effective in purifying blood. It boosts up and nourishes the liver health and protects the liver from alcohol intoxication. Ridge gourd juice is used to heal jaundice and to strengthen your immune system against any infection.

It is good for skin care, as the blood purifying qualities in it ensures you to stay clear from pimples and acne. Ridge gourd helps to manage acidity as well as ulcers.

Ingredients:

Ridge gourd      - 8 lightly scrape off the ridges, slit partially and cut into two

Oil        - 2 tbsps

For stuffing:

Aniseeds          - ½ tbsp

Turmeric powder          - 1tsp

Red chilli powder          - 1 tsp

Coriander powder        - 2 tsp

Garam masala powder  - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Method:

-         Mix all the powders and salt and fill them into the slit ridge gourd.

-         Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, add the stuffed ridge gourds.

-         Cook them covered, on medium flame, stirring in between.

-         Remove from fire when done

Poha

This is a very quick and delicious breakfast item. It is made with beaten rice (rice flakes or flattened rice), which needs to be washed and kept for at least ten minutes (preferably half an hour) before making the dish. Three types of beaten rice are available and the soaking varies with each one.

This is the thinnest variety and you have to put it over a sieve, and let the water run over it. Shake off excess water and let it stand for ten minutes.

The medium variety needs to be washed once, then drain excess water and let It soak and swell up.

The thicker variety should be washed, then leave some water, just above the beaten rice and let it stand to absorb the water and swell up.

Ingredients:

Beaten rice       - two fistfuls for two people, soaked for at least ten minutes.

Onion   - I small cut fine

Green chilli       - 1 cut small

Curry leaves     - a few

Tomato (optional)         - 1 small cut fine

Oil        - 2 tbsps

Mustard seeds  - ½ tsp

Roasted ground nuts – 2 tbsps (you may peel them too)

Turmeric powder          - ½ tsp

Garam masala powder  - ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Sugar   - 2 tsps

Green peas cooked (optional)   - 1 tbsp

Coconut scrapings (optional)     - 2 tbsps

Lemon  - 1/2

Method:

-         Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the cut onion, green chilli and curry leaves.

-         When the onions turn transparent, add the roasted ground nuts and stir a little.

-         Add the soaked beaten rice, to which the turmeric powder, garam masala powder, salt and sugar are added.

-         Add the cooked green peas, stir well for about a minute, remove from the fire.

-         Squeeze the lemon over it and mix well

-         Garnish with the coconut scrapings while serving.

Brinjal Potato quick sabzi

The nutritious eggplant, also called brinjal or aubergine, belongs to the nightshade family of fruits and vegetables that includes potatoes, peppers and tomatoes.

They are highly beneficial for regulation of blood sugar levels and also to control the absorption of glucose, making them a good option for people suffering from type 2 diabetes. The cholesterol levels are brought down to a great extent by the brinjal, which helps to stabilize the level of blood pressure.

Brinjal contains phytonutrients which keep the cell membranes protected from any kind of damage and facilitates the message transfer from one part to another, thus preserving the memory function.

Ingredients:

Brinjals             - 4 medium size, cut lengthwise

Potato              - 2 medim size, peeled and cut lengthwise

Oil                    - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds  - ½ tsp

Udad dal          - ½ tsp

Garlic flakes     - 4,5

Whole Red chilli           - 2 break into 1 cm pieces

Curry leaves     - a few

Turmeric power            - ½ tsp

Red Chilli powder                     - ½ tsp

Coriander powder        - 1 tsp

Garam masala               - ½ tsp

Salt  to taste

Water               - 3 tbsps

Method:

-         Heat the oil in  thick bottomed pan, add mustard seeds

-         When the seeds splutter, add udad dal and stir till they brown lightly

-         Add red chilli pieces, crushed garlic and curry leaves.

-         Add the cut brinjals and potatoes.

-         Stir and when they soften a bit, add all the masala powders, salt and mix well

-         Add the water, cover and cook for about ten minutes. Check in between and add more water if required.

It is a good accompaniment for rice or chapatti. I found it good as a filling for rolled chapattis for packed lunch.

Coconut biscuits

Here is an item which is very easy and fast to make and is an excellent accompaniment for tea or coffee.

Ingredients:

-  Maida (Refined flour) - 200 grams (1 cup). Makes 20 biscuits

-  Baking powder - 1 tsp

-  Grated Coconut - 1 cup

-  Ghee - 1/2 cup (100 grams)

-  Powdered Sugar - a little more than 1/2 cup (125 grams powdered)

-  Vanilla essence - ¾ tsp

-  Raisins – 1 tbsp

Method:

- Sieve the maida with the baking powder

- Take the ghee in a vessel, add the powdered sugar and mix well.

- Put flour in the ghee-sugar mixture and mix well, without any lumps.

- Add the coconut, vanilla essence and raisins to this mixture and knead to make dough.

- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees

- Grease baking tray with Ghee.

- Take small portions of the dough, roll it between the palms into a ball, flatten it and place it on the tray.

- Place the biscuits away from one another as they double in size during baking.

- Place the tray with biscuits in the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes

- When they are baked, take them out from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.

- They may look very soft after baking, but after cooling, they become very crispy.

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3 Sept 2015  Today I wanted to bake more healthy biscuits. Instead of refined flour I took 3/4 glass wheat flour and 1/4 glass oats lightly powdered, and two tablespoons of whole oats. This time I added cinnamon powder 1/4 tsp and  pinch of nutmeg powder in place of vanilla essence. Here's the result:

Keep using all your vessels

I was visiting a friend, when she brought tea and biscuits. The tray in which she brought was looking dirty, there were ants crawling in its corners and the handles of the cups also had dust on them. Would you feel like drinking that tea? But I had to; we have to do certain things for social reasons.

This is the reason that I keep using all my trays, tea cups, glasses, plates etc., in rotation. Otherwise dust will settle and invariably, when guests arrive, you are not going to give too much attention to the cleaning of the vessels in which you are going to serve, at least the tray..  My principle is, if you have things, enjoy them yourselves too. Why should we think that the nice things should be used only for the guess?

Banana Cake

Ingredients:

Refined flour (maida)    -2 cups

Baking powder - 2 tsps

Eggs     - 3

Bananas           - 3, mash with forks

Sugar   - 1 ½ cups, powder it, keep I tbsp aside to sprinkle on top of the cake later

Salt      - a pinch
Milk cream       - ½ cup

Refined oil        - ½ cup

Vanilla essence- ½ tsp

Raisins and cashew nuts 50 gm each, mixed with a bit of maida

Method:

-         Sieve the maida and baking powder; mix with the powdered sugar and salt.

-         Beat the eggs lightly, add the mashed bananas, milk cream and oil

-         Add the maida mix to the above, 2 tablespoons at a time and mix in.

-         Mix in the vanilla essence, raisins and cashew nuts.

-         Pour into a ring vessel.

-         Bake in a preheated oven, at 170 degrees for 40 minutes, or when a tooth pick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

-         Cool the cake a little bit, invert it into a plate, and sprinkle powdered sugar over it.

Green chilli chatpati

There are many health benefits of Indian green chillies that we are not aware of. They can protect the body against free radical damage giving you natural immunity to cancer and also slow down the ageing process. Indian green chillies are rich sources of Vitamin C. You might have noticed that having chillies helps you open up your blocked nostrils. The Vitamin C in green chillies strengthens your natural immunity to diseases. Green chillies can balance the blood sugar levels. They are a natural source of iron.

Ingredients:

Green chillis      - 5 wash, dry and cut into small pieces

Husked and coarsely ground mustard seeds (Rai Dal)  - 1tsp (if you don’t have this, just rough grind some mustard seeds)

Fenugreek seeds roughly ground           - ½ tsp

Turmeric powder          - ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil        - 1 table spoon

Method:

Heat the oil till it smokes. Switch off the gas and let the oil cool down. Add the musard dal, fenugreek powder, turmeric powder and salt, mix well. Now add the cut chilli pieces and mix. Keep for a day before serving. If it has to be kept longer, refrigerate.

Jal Brahmi chutney

Pennywort, Indian Pennywort, or Jal Brahmi as it is called in Hindi, is used as a medicinal herb in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. The plant pacifies vitiated vata and pitta in the body. It is known to enhance the memory and is very effective in treating Alzheimer's disease, learning skills, anxiety, depression, stress, and ADHD in children. When eaten raw as a salad leaf, it is thought to help maintain youthfulness.

Ingredients:

Jal Brahmi        - take the whole plant, wash and clean and cut – 1 cup

Scraped coconut          - ½ cup

Red chilli powder          -    ½ tsp

Ginger  - ½ inch piece

Tamarind          - a small ball

Salt to taste

Method:

Grind all of them together. Goes great with curd rice.

Shallots and fenugreek sabzi

Shallots have a milder taste and odor than onions. They contain vital nutrients like vitamins B & C, calcium, iron and potassium. They are great for your hair and are widely used as an ingredient in hair treatment products. Both onions and shallots contain allicin, which helps lower blood sugar levels in diabetics. Onions are also a rich source of chromium, which helps tissue cells respond appropriately to insulin.

Fenugreek contains saponins that help reduce the body’s absorption of cholesterol from fatty foods. An unusual amino acid (4HO-Ile), so far found only in fenugreek, has possible anti-diabetic properties such as enhancing insulin secretion under hyperglycemic conditions, and increasing insulin sensitivity. 

Ingredients:

Shallots            - ½ cups, peeled. If they are very large, cut into two pieces

Fenugreek seeds           - 1 heaped tablespoon, soaked for about 4 hours

Oil        - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds  - 1/3 tsp

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder          - 1/3 tsp

Red chilli powder          -1/2 tsp

Water   - 2 tbsps

Method:

-         Heat oil, add the mustard seeds.

-         When the splutter, add the fenugreek seeds. Stir for a few seconds, add the shallots.

-         Stir on high flame for about half minute, add salt, turmeric powder, and red chilli powder.

-         Mix well, add water, cover and cook for 6 minutes, or till done.

-         Goes well with rice or chapatis

Boiled sweet potato for breakfast

Ingredients:

Sweet potatoes - 3 medium sized for two persons

Salt to taste

Oil        - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds  - ¼ tsp

Cut onion         - 1 bsp

Curry leaves a few

Red chilli pieces            - 4,5

Scraped coconut          - ½ cup

Method:

- Wash and dry the sweet potatoes, smear them with oil, put in a container.

- Pour two cups of water inside the pressure cooker, keep the container inside the cooker and pressure cook for 8 minutes.

- Cool and open the cooker. Peel the sweet potatoes and cube them.

- Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the red chill pieces, onion and curry leaves.

- When the onion turns dark brown, add the sweet potato pieces and salt, mix well and finally add the coconut.

- Stir and remove from fire.

- Serve with coconut dry chutney made by grinding coconut, red chilli, onion, curry leaves and salt

Roasted pumpkin curry

A cup of cubed pumpkin contains almost twice the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, which promotes good vision, especially in dim light, according to the National Institutes of Health. Pumpkin is rich in beta-carotene and other antioxidants with cancer protective properties, and its fiber content protects the heart.

The following recipe is inspired by the Ethiopian kitchen - an adapted version of the pumpkin wat/wot using their combination of spices called "berebere" like we have garam masala.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin, cleaned and cut into 1 inch cubes          - 3 cups

Onions            -3 peeled and sliced thin

Tomatoes       - 2 big

Capsicum      - 2 medium size

Oil       - 2 tbsps

Milk     - 2 cups

Cinnamon powder

Clove powder,

Ginger powder

Nutmeg powder

Coriander powder,

Black pepper powder,

Pinch of turmeric powder and

Red chilli powder,

Fenugreek powder,

Garlic powder, if available

Sugar to taste

Salt to taste

Method:

-          Mix the cubed pumpkin pieces with some oil and salt, put them in a pan. Keep a small vessel of water in the center of the pan and bake it at 250 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes.

-          Put the tomatoes cut into half also inside the oven in another vessel. They will be roasted in about 20 minutes.

-          Meanwhile, roast the capsicums over open flame, remove the skin and cut into pieces

-          Take the roasted tomatoes, peel off the skin and grind them with the capsicum pieces into a smooth paste.

-    Dry roast sliced onions for about 20 minutes.

-          Add all the spices to the dry roasted onion, stir for about a minute.

-          Add oil to the onions and spices; allow the oil to process this for a while.

-          Now add the tomato capsicum paste, milk, salt and sugar, let it simmer for about 5 minutes

-          Add pumpkins (roasted) and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes

-          Serve with rice or chapatis

Courtesy; Anisha Goel

Tips and Tricks

1. Boiled sweet potatoes

Usually we boil sweet potatoes in a pan of water or  cook them inside the pressure cooker with water. For some recipes, we may like to get it boiled without the sogginess. Just wash, dry, apply oil over the sweet potatoes. Cut them into two or three pieces if they are large. Put them inside a vessel which will sit inside a pressure cooker. Pour water inside the pressure cooker, put the vessel with sweet potatoes inside the cooker and pressure cook for about 6 to 8 minutes. Let it cool and open.

2. Easy way to cook jackfruit seeds

Pressure cook the seeds for five to six minutes. Cool and open. Drain the seeds and spread on a plate. Within a few seconds, the upper parts of the seeds will dry. Now cover it with another plate and invert it so that the wet side of the seeds are now up and that will also dry in  a few seconds. It will be difficult to peel the seeds while wet as they will be very slippery.

Cut the seeds longitudinally into two and remove the outer skin. Now this can be done very fast.

Breadfruit (Seema chakka) preparations

Breadfruit tree has many similarities to jackfruit in all respects except that their fruits emerge from the terminal ends of small branches. Its pulp has more fiber than in jackfruit, which makes it a good bulk laxative. Dietary fiber helps reduce blood cholesterol by preventing its absorption in the gut, reduce obesity, blood pressure and help protect the colon mucous membrane by warding off cancer-causing chemicals from the colon.

For us, it is a delicacy and my husband will get it whenever he sees in the market. I make thoran with breadfruit to be eaten with rice and another curry, to have with chapattis.

Bread fruit thoran

Ingredients:

Bread fruit, skin and remove the center portion and cut into small pieces            - 3 cups

Salt to taste

Water   - ¾ cup

To season:

Oil                    - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds              - ½ tsp

Red chilli pieces            - 5,6

Cut onion                     - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves     - a few

To rough grind :

Coconut scrapings                    - ¾ cup

Turmeric powder                      - 1/3 tsp

Chilli powder                - 1/3 tsp

Jeera                - 1/3 tsp

Garlic flakes                 - 4, 5

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add the chilli pieces, curry leaves and cut onion. Keep the flame low and when the onion turns brown, add the bread fruit pieces and salt. Stir, add water and cover and cook for about 10 minutes.

Open and check whether the pieces are cooked. Now add the ground coconut mixture, stir well and remove from the fire after two minutes.

Bread fruit curry

Ingredients:

Bread fruit, skin and remove the center portion and cut into small pieces            - 3 cups

Salt to taste

Red chilli powder          - ½ tsp

Turmeric powder          - 1/3 tsp

Coriander powder        - 1tsp

Garam masala powder  -1/2 tsp

Oil        - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds  - ¼ tsp

Curry leaves     - a few

Onion   - 1 small sliced

Garlic   flakes   - 5, 6, cut fine

Ginger  - ¼ inch piece, cut fine

Water   - 3 cups

Coconut milk    - ½ cup

Method:

- Mix all the masala powders and salt with the bread fruit pieces and keep it aside for some time.

- Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add cut onion and curry leaves.

- When the onion turns transparent, add the ginger and garlic. Let it cook a bit, then add the bread fruit pieces with the masala. Stir on medium flame, add salt and water and cook on low flame for about ten minutes.

- Add the coconut milk, stir well and remove from fire after two minutes.

Malai Kofta

Here’s a rich and creamy dish, the taste of which lingers in the mouth long after you have eaten it. You can have it with roti, paratha or puri. Today we had it with makke ki roti, that was also awesome!

Ingredients:

Potatoes           - 3 medium size (for 12 koftas), pressure cook, peel, and mash

Bread slices      -2

Maida  - 2 tsps

Paneer  - 150 gm

Khoa    - 150 gm

Tomatoes         - 5 medium size. Pressure cook for one whistle, remove skin, and grind

Yoghurt            - 1 cup

Salt to taste

Sugar   -2 tsp

Water   - 1 cup

To season:

Oil        - 2 tbsp

Cloves  - 3 nos

Jeera    - ½ tsp

Asafoetida – a pinch

Chilli powder    - ½ tsp

Coriander powder        - ¾ tsp

Garam masala   - ½ tsp

To garnish:

Coriander leaves and grated paneer

Method:

Dip the bread slices in water, take out,squeeze, mash and add to the mashed potato. Add the maida, salt and 50 gms of grated paneer and knead into a soft mix. Make 12 balls. Flatten each ball, put ½ tsp of khoa in the center and wrap around it to shape it. Deep fry them on medium flame and drain, keep aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a thick bottomed pan, add jeera and cloves. Reduce the flame and add asafoetida, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt, sugar, and garam masala. Mix the yoghurt to the ground tomatoes and add this to the pan. Keep stirring in between. Grind 50 grams of paneer and the remaining khoa with some water and add this to the tomato yoghurt mixture. Add water according to the required consistency and bring it to a boil. Add the fried koftas to the gravy and after two minutes, remove from the fire. While serving, garnish with cut coriander leaves and grated paneer (the remaining 50 grams).

The fried koftas can also be eaten as a good snack with mint and coriander leaves chutney.

Coconut Rice

I have found that indrayani rice is very good for this preparation, as it gives some amount of stickiness. Indrayani rice is an aromatic rice, perfect for khichdi and pulao.

Ingredients:

Rice, preferably Indrayani rice   - 1 cup

Coconut milk    - 1½ cups

Water   - 1 cup

Salt to taste

Pepper powder            - ¼ tsp

Garlic   - 5 flakes finely cut

Method:

Wash and soak rice for ½ hour. Take the coconut milk and water in an earthen pot and put the drained rice. Add salt, finely cut garlic and pepper powder. When it boils, cover and reduce the flame. Cook for 15 minutes. The fragrance of this dish is so divine, so also the taste!