No Bake Cheese Cake (blueberry topping/caramel topping/ blueberry glaze topping/both toppings together)

Cheese Cake with Caramel Topping

Cheese cake with blueberry flavoured glaze topping

Cheese Cake with blueberry topping

For the crust:

Digestive Biscuits : 1-1/2 cups 

Granulated sugar: 1/3 cup

Butter: 1/3 cup 

For the filling:

Unflavored gelatin: 2 tablespoons

 Water: 1/2 cup

Cream cheese: 1 225-gram bar

 Cream, cold: 200 ml

Condensed milk: 1 tin
Lime Juice: of 1 lime

For the topping:

1 cup blueberry pie filling, Or blueberry flavoured filling or caramel sauce

Caramel Sauce:

Sugar: 1/2 cup

Salt: a pinch

Fresh cream: 1 tub

Heat the sugar, salt and water till it is golden brown in color. Make sure it doesn't get too brown as it will turn bitter. Also, do not meddle with spoon- just swirl the pan. When it reaches golden brown color, switch off and add in fresh cream and mix well. Allow it to cool.

Method

Line the bottom of a nine-inch by three-inch high springform pan (with a removable bottom pan) with foil or wax paper.

For the crust, in a food processor, pulse the digestive biscuits, granulated sugar and butter. Pour into the prepared pan. Press on the bottom with a spoon.

For the filling, dissolve the gelatin in the water over a low fire. Set aside.

Put in a bowl and beat until creamy the cream cheese,  cream, and condensed milk. Add the lime juice, melted gelatin and beat at high speed until blended. Pour immediately into the pan. Level off. Refrigerate for atleast 6 hours or until ready to serve.

Cheesecake before adding the topping

Top with the blueberry filling or caramel filling or blueberry flavoured filling.

You can also do half the cake with blueberry topping and the other half with caramel topping

Another option is to divide the filling, to one portion beat in the blueberry filling. then pour the plain filling on top of the biscuit base, followed by the blueberry mixed filling and then allow to set.

here, half the filling is beaten with the blueberry filling and set as top layer.

Yummy Vanilla Cake

Maida: 2.5 cups

Granulated Sugar: 1 3/4 cups

Butter: 200 grams

Eggs: 3 large

Egg yolks: of 3 other eggs

Milk: 1 cup

Baking Powder: 2.5 tsp

Vanilla Essence: 2.5 tsp

Salt: 0.5 tsp

Nutmeg Powdered: 0.25 tsp (This is optional)

Preheat your oven to 180C/Gas mark 4

All your ingredients shoud be at room temperature.

Grease and dust a cake pan/ 2 cake pans and keep aside

Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Add the eggs and egg yolks one by one and continue beating.

Add the vanilla essence and beat again

Add the flour mixture alternating with milk little at a time

 Fold in until incorporated.

If the batter is thick, add a few tbsp. of milk and make the batter thin (not too thin, but it should fall like a ribbon, or something like our dosa/Appam batter.

Bake in the prepared pans for 35 minutes (Oven temperatures vary, also it depends on the size of the pan- so keep an eye after 25 minutes)

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely before taking it out of the pan.

Slice and Enjoy.

Recipe Source: Sumod Toms fav vanilla cake

Buttery Garlic Herb Loaf

This is a bread I baked last week that got over in one meal. I am sure will be making this again and again. Ive taken the recipe from 2 sites. Filling recipe here and bread recipe from Cooking from Heart

For the Dough

All Purpose Flour/Maida: 3 cups

Instant Yeast: 2 tsp

Butter: 1.5 tbsp

Oil: 3 tsp (for coating and greasing)

Milk: 1 cups

Sugar: 2.25 tbsp

Salt: 1 tsp

For the Filling:

Unsalted Butter: 1 stick or 100 grams

Salt: 1/2 tsp

Garlic: 2 cloves minced

Oregano or pizza seasoning: 3 tsp

Chilli Flakes: 3 tsp (you can increase or decrease according to your tolerance level)

Mix everything together and keep aside after the dough is ready.

Combine maida, yeast, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl.

In a sauce pan heat milk and butter till butter is melted. Milk should be just warm.

Add the milk mix to the dry ingredients.

knead it well with your hand or with a stand mixer till it is smooth.

Place it in a greased bowl and cover with a cling wrap.

leave the dough in a warm place till it doubles up in size.

Now when it doubles up, keep the filling ready.

Punch down the doughand knead again with your hands.

Take a ball of dough and roll into a large circle.

Using a bottle lid, cut small circles on the rolled out dough.

Take a piece of the cut dough and place a tsp of prepared butter filling and fold the circle in half and place it in a loaf pan.

Repeat this with the rest of the dough.

leave this in a warm place till it doubles up in size.

Sprinkle left over filling on top.

Bake this i a preheated oven at 180c for 30 minutes.

Serve warm with any Soup or Non veg sides.

Beef Kuruma

Beef: 1 cup (cooked in pressure cooker)

Oil: 2 tbsp

Cumin: 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves: a sprig

Onion: 2 sliced

Ginger: 1 inch chopped fine

Garlic: 5 cloves chopped fine

Green Chillies: 3 slit

Tomato: 1 chopped fine

Chilly powder: 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder: 4 tsp

Garam Masala: 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp.

Mint leaves: 4 tbsp

Coriander leaves: 2 tbsp

To grind:

Coconut grated: 1/2 cup

Fennel/Perumjeerakam: 2 tsp

Cumin: 1/4 tsp

Grind this with half of the sauteed masala to a paste and keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadai, Splutter cumin and curry leaves.

Add onions and saute till brown.

Now add the garlic, ginger, green chillies and saute for a minute

Add the tomato and saute till oil separates

Take half of this and grind with the coconut.

To the rest, add chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder. Saute till raw smell goes.

Add the ground coconut masala, mint leaves and coriander leaves, a little water and saute till oil separates.

Add  enough water, required salt and let it boil

Take off fire and serve with rotis/dosa etc

Kumblanga/Winter Melon/Ash Gourd curry with yoghurt/ Moru curry

Kumblanga/Ash Gourd: 2 cups cut into chunks

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Chilly Powder: 1/2 tsp

Green Chillies: 3 slit

Place this in a pressure cooker, Add enough water (about 3/4 cup) and cook for 2 whistles on high

Coconut Grated: 1/2 cup

Shallots: 5 or 6

Garlic: 2 cloves

Cumin: 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder: a pinch

grind these into a smooth paste.

Yoghurt: 500 gms

Take about a tbsp of yoghurt from this and grind with the coconut mix so that you get a smooth paste.

 

Now open the pressure cooker and add the ground mix and cook on a low flame for sometime.
Now beat the remaining curd just for a second in the mixie and add to the curry. You can add a little water to the beaten curd.
Turn off stove.

To Temper:
Mustard: 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek: 1/4 tsp
Shallots: 2 sliced
Curry Leaves: a sprig
Dried Red Chilly: 1
Coconut oil: 1 tbsp
Heat oil in a pan, and splutter mustard, fenugreek, shallots, red chilly and shallots.
Pour over the curry.
Serve with rice.

Chilli Prawns

Prawns: 20 medium

To marinate:

Soya sauce: 1 tsp

Corn flour: 2 tbsp

Salt: a pinch

Pepper: 1 tsp

Oil: 1/2 cup for frying

Keep the cleaned prawns in a bowl.

Add all the ingredients under "to marinate" list except oil

Mix it thoroughly.

Fry it in oil and keep aside.

For the Sauce:

Onion: 1 cubed

Green Chilly: 2 chopped

Dried Red chilly: 2 chopped

Ginger: 1 tbsp chopped fine

Garlic: 5 cloves chopped fine

Spring onion: chop the leaf for garnish and chop the onion for the sauce.

Red Chilly sauce: 1 tbsp

Green Chilly sauce: 1 tbsp

Soya Sauce: 1 tsp

Sweet Chilli Sauce: 1 tbsp

Vinegar: 1 tsp

Salt: as needed

Sugar: 1 tsp

Pepper: 1 tsp

Corn flour: 1 tbsp

red food color: a pinch

Heat oil (You can use the left over oil from frying prawns-just take as much as needed)

Throw in the cubed onion, onion from the spring onion, ginger, garlic, green chillies and red chillies

saute for 2 minutes,  and then add all the sauces.

Immediately add the vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar.

Add the fried prawns to it.

Now add corn flour and red food color mixed in half cup cold water

Let it simmer for a minute.

Take off fire and garnish with chopped spring onion leaves.

Serve warm with Fried rice/Noodles

Kuzhi Paniyaram

Idly batter: 2 cups

To temper:

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves: a sprig

Onion: 1 medium diced

Ginger: 1 tsp chopped

Green chillies: 2 thinly sliced

Hing/Asafoetida: 1/2 tsp

Oil: 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard and curry leaves.

Throw in the onions, ginger and green chillies and saute till wilted.

Add the asafoetida and take off fire.

When it cools slightly, pour it to the 2 cups idly batter.

Take a non stick paniyaram chatty and just pour a drop of oil in all the holes.

Pour the batter in tablespoonfools till 3/4th full

(if you add cooking soda to the batter (1/2 tsp you will get very fluffy paniyarams...but this is optional)

in medium flame, let it get cooked.

When one side is done, carefully turn over with a skewer.

Let it get cooked.
Once done, serve warm with chutney or sambar or both.

How to make dum Biriyani in Oven

Basmati rice: 2 cups
Garam masala ( cinnamon, cloves, star anise): 1 each

To make rice:
Wash and soak in water for 5 minutes.
Drain.
Boil a big pot of water. Add salt and whole garam masala to it.
Cook the rice till 90% done.
That is it should be hard yet mashes when you press it.
Drain and keep aside

To Marinate Chicken:
Chicken: 600 gms
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder: 1/2 tsp
Curd: 1 tbsp
Lime juice: 1 tsp
Salt: as required
Marinate and keep aside.

To make the chicken masala:
Oil: 4 tbsp
cloves and cinnamon: 1 each
Onion: 2 sliced thinly
Tomato: 2 chopped
Green chillies :2 (or 3 if you like a little more hot)
Ginger garlic paste: 2 tbsp
Chilly powder: 1/4 tsp
Garam masala: 1/4 tsp
biriyani masala: 1/4 tsp (optional- for an extra punch!!.Ive made it with and without, both tastes good)
Coriander and Mint leaves: a handful chopped

Heat oil in a pan
Throw in cinnamon and cloves
Add the onion and saute till light brown.
Add the ginger garlic paste and green chillies and saute for a minute.
Add the tomatoes and cook till soft.
Add the garam masala powder and chilly powder and the marinated chicken.
Let it get cooked on low flame.
Add the coriander and Mint leaves and again cook till done.
Take off fire.

Steps for Dum in Oven.
Preheat oven 180 C
Take an oven proof dish and apply ghee.
divide the rice into three portions and chicken masala into two portion.
layer the rice and chicken masala alternately in the dish...rice first, followed by chicken masala and then rice,chicken masala and on top, rice.

Pour 4 tbsp milk evenly on the rice.
Do a slight mixing with your spoon so that masala gets evenly coated on the rice.
cover with aluminium foil
Bake for 20 minutes.
Serve with raita and chips.

Beetroot Carrot Gooseberry Juice

Beetroot: 1

Carrots: 2

Goose berries/ Amla: 3

Peel the beetroot and carrots and chop them to small pieces.

Chop the gooseberries and discard the seeds.

Place all this in a ggrinder with quarter cup water and run your mixie till everything is crushed well.

Using a Strainer , extract the juice.

Enjoy your healthy drink.

Summer Salad (Fruits and veggies salad)

Fruits:

Mango: 1 fruit diced

Pomegranate: 1 fruit

Pineapple: 1 fruit diced

Apple: 1 fruit diced

Green Grapes: 1 cup sliced

Veggies:

Carrot: 1 carrot grated

Cabbage: 1 cup grated

Cucumber: 1 peeled and diced

Onion: 1 medium Diced

Tomato: 1 small seeded and diced

Salt: as required

Vinegar: 2 tbsp

Pepper: 2 tsp

Sugar: 1 tsp (optional)

Dump all this in a big mixing bowl and mix properly.

Keep in the refrigerator for half an hour and enjoy this super yummy healthy salad without guilt.

Recipe Courtesy: My aunt, Leelakochamma

Easy Jam Tarts (Baking for Kids)

Its the holidays and wondering how to keep your kids occupied? Well, why not ask them to join you in the kitchen??? I know, I know, it might look a herculean task.... No, Iam not asking you to make them do a whole dinner. Do something together which is easy and fun for the kids. Like these Jam tarts which are so easy to make and kids will get a satisfaction that they accomplished something on their own. It is very very easy to make and they can click pics and brag to their friends when school reopens.

All Purpose flour: 500 grams

Salt: a pinch

Butter: 200 grams

cold water: 1/4 cup

Jam: your choice.... strawberry/ mango/ orange/ Mixed Fruit

In a mixing bowl, Mix the butter, salt and flour till it resembles bread crumbs.

Now add the butter and add watter little by little to make the dough.

Wrap the dough in a cling film and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes.

Preheat oven 180C

Take out the dough and with the help of a rolling pin, roll out the pastry to 1/2 cm thickness.

With the tart mould cut out the pastry and again roll slightly and press one disc into each hole.

Spoon a heaped tsp of orange jam/mango jam/strawberry jam to each pastry case.

Bake for 15 minutes or till the edges of tarts are brown.

Cool completely before consuming as jam gets real hot.

Mayonnaise and Veggies Pinwheel Sandwich

Bread Slices: 15

Homemade Mayonnaise:  1/2 cup (or more to spread)

Cabbage Grated: 1 cup

Carrot Grated: 2 medium carrots

Tomato diced: 1 small

Onion diced: 1 medium

Pepper and Salt: as needed

Mix the diced veggies with pepper and salt.

Mix in the mayonnaise.

Remove the crust from the bread slices

Now take 3 slices of white bread  and place it in such a way that, just the edges overlap.

Now apply a little water on the overlapping edges and press it slightly to keep it together.

Take a rolling pin and flatten out the slices a little.

Spread the filling on each slice of bread.

Roll from one side tightly to create a pin wheel.

Wrap tightly in a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or more.

Take out the plastic wrap, and cut it into smaller pinwheels.

The edge pieces will not look good, so you can eat it and serve the rest.

 Notes:
Make sure the bread slices are fresh otherwise you won't be able to roll without breaking.
In case if the slices are a little dry, just microwave it for a few seconds to make it soft.