Swiss Roll Recipe

Ingredients

• Eggs - 4
• Sugar - 3/4 cup, fine granulated sugar
• Buttermilk - 2 tbsps
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Cider vinegar - 1 tsp
• Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
• All purpose flour - 1 cup
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - pinch
• Filling:
• Jam of your choice or Whipped cream
• Cherries for garnish (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease a 9x13 jelly-roll pan and line with parchment paper and grease over the parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs with a hand mixer for 5 minutes. Do not skip this part. The whipped eggs will have a pale light color and have volume like cake batter.
3. Continue to beat with hand mixer while slowly adding sugar and oil to the whipped eggs. Next, add buttermilk, vinegar and vanilla extract
4. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredents slowly and fold. Do not beat or overmix.
5. Pour batter into the prepared pan and tilt pan to distribute the batter evenly. Bake for 12 to 15 mts. Check after 10 mts. The cake will be golden brown, well risen and spongy on touch.
6. While the cake is baking, sprinkle some powdered sugar over a cotton tea towel and rub the sugar into the towel with your hand.
7. Once the cake is baked, immediately turn it over on the tea towel. Peel off the parchment paper, sprinkle some powdered sugar all over and immediately roll cake into the tea towel, beginning at the narrow end. Roll tightly and as evenly as possible. Place the rolled cake on a wire rack seam-side down and allow to cool completely.
8. Once the cake has cooled, carefully unroll the cake and spread any fruit jam of your choice or whipped cream leaving 1/2" along the edges and top of the cake. (I used mixed fruit jam). Roll the cake away from you tightly, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and set in the fridge for an hour or two.
9. When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar and cut into pieces with a serrated knife
10. Garnish with sweetened whipped cream and maraschino cherries.

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Mawa peda

Ingredients

• Mawa - 1 cup, fresh and crumbled or grated
• Milk - 3 tbsps, warm
• Saffron - 6-7 strands
• Ghee - 1 1/2 tbsps
• Sugar - 1/4 cup (you can ncrease by another 1 to 2 tbsps)
• Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp (green cardamom)
• Pistchios - 7-8

Method

1. Prepare khoya by following khoya (mawa) recipe link provided above.
2. Add saffron strands to the warm milk and set aside.
3. Heat ghee in a wide shallow non-stick pan. Once it turns hot, add the crumbled mawa and saute for 3 mts on low flame, stirring continuously .
4. Add the milk and sugar and mix. It will get liquidy. Keep stirring on low flame. Add cardamom powder and mix.
5. Soon the mawa will thicken and leave the sides of the pan and form a large lumpy mixture. Turn off flame and allow the mixture to come to room temperature or warm enough for you to handle.
6. Grease your hands, make small balls and lightly flatten. Place a pistachio in the center and serve.

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Kalakand recipe

Ingredients

• Chenna - 1 cup (recipe link provided above)
• Khoya - 1 1/4 cups (mawa) (recipe link provided above)
• Ghee - 1-2 tbsps
• Sugar - 1/2 cup, powdered (you can increase by another 1/4 cup sugar)
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Pistachios or almonds - fistful, sliced

Method

1. Crumble the khoya and chenna in a non stick pan and cook on low flame. It will become soft. Keep stirring it for 10-15 mts.
2. Add ghee, powdered sugar and cardamom powder and keep mixing till it is well combined. Cook for another 15 mts. Keep stirring vigorously till it leaves the sides of the pan.
3. Add another tbsp of ghee and mix. Turn off flame and pour it into a greased shallow dish and flatten it to 3/4" thickness with the help of a greased ladle.
4. Garnish with slivered nuts and set for half an hour at room temperature. Cut into squares and serve.

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Chiroti

Ingredients

• Plain Flour - 2 cups (maida)
• Ghee - 2 tbsps, melted
• Salt - pinch
• Sugar - 3/4 cup, powdered and mixed with 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• For paste:
• Rice flour - 2 tbsps
• Ghee - 1 1/2 tbsps, melted
• For sugar syrup: (if using syrup to dip the chiroti)
• Sugar - 1 cup, granulated
• Water - 1 cup
• Cardamom powder: 1/2 tsp

Method

1. In a bowl, add the flour, salt and melted ghee and mix well. Slowly add enough water to make a smooth yet firm dough like puri dough. Cover the dough and keep aside for an hour.
2. While the dough is resting prepare the powdered sugar mixture. In a bowl, add the powdered sugar and cardamom powder and mix well. Keep aside.
3. If using sugar syrup to dip the fried chiroti, prepare the syrup. Heat water and granulated sugar in a vessel till sugar is melted and then continue to simmer till the mixture thickens to single thread consistency on low flame. Add cardamom powder and mix. Turn off flame. Keep aside.
4. In a small bowl, mix rice flour with melted ghee and keep aside. This paste is used to bind the layers of rotis.
5. Pinch off dough such that you have 6 large lemon sized balls. Roll each into thin rotis. Place a roti on your work surface, smear a tsp of the prepared rice flour paste all over the roti. Place another rolled out roti over it and again smear with a tsp of rice flour paste. Again repeat the process by placing another roti over the second roti and smear with rice flour paste. Now gently roll the pilled up rotis into a log and cut into 1/2" thick circles. Make another log following the same process using the remaining three rotis.
6. With the help of the rolling pin roll out each of the thick circles into thin rotis of 4" to 5" in diameter.
7. Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel. Once hot, reduce flame to low medium and place 3 or 4 rolled out chirotis into the hot oil. Deep fry the chirotis on a medium flame, flipping them gently to cook all over. Once they turn to a golden shade, remove onto an absorbant paper. Immediately sprinkle a heaped tbsp of the powdered sugar over each of the hot chirotis so that the sugar adheres to them while it is hot.
8. If using sugar syrup, place the hot chirotis that have been removed from the oil into the prepared sugar syrup. Allow them to absorb the syrup. (DO NOT add powdered sugar to the chirotis that you are dipping into the sugar syrup)
9. Deep fry the rest of the rolled out chirotis and sprinkle with powdered sugar OR dip them in the prepared sugar syrup.
10. Store in an airtight container and they stay fresh for at least one week to ten days.

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Badusha

Ingredients

• Maida - 2 cups (all purpose flour)
• Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
• Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Curd - 2 tbsps
• Ghee - 1/4 cup, melted
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Water - as required
• For sugar syrup:
• Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
• Water - 1 1/2 cups
• Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp
• Cardamom powder - pinch (elaichi)

Method

1. In a wide bowl, sift maida, baking powder and baking soda. Add sugar and mix well. Make a well in the center, add curd and ghee and mix with the maida. It should resemble bread crumbs. Add a little more curd if required. Now slowly add little water and make a soft and pliable dough. Leave aside covered for at least an hour.
2. In a stainless steel vessel, add sugar and water and allow the sugar to dissolve on medium flame. Reduce flame to low, allow the sugar syrup to thicken lightly. The syrup should be sticky on touch and it should reach one string consistency. Add lemon juice and elachi powder and turn off flame.
3. After the dough has rested, do not knead. To prepare badusha, pinch off lemon sized dough and roll into balls. Flatten the balls lightly and make a depression in the center using your thumb. Making the depression is crucial, so do not skip this step. You can also make another shape of the badusha similar to the ones shown in the image above. Lightly flatten along the edge of the flattened ball using the tips of your forefinger and thumb and pinch it inwards to form a pleated edge. Make a slight depression in the center of the badusha.
4. Heat oil for deep frying in a heavy bottomed vessel till hot but not smoking hot. Add a small piece of dough into the oil and if it sizzles and comes to the surface, the oil is ready for deep frying. TURN OFF FLAME. Now slowly add 3 to 4 badushas into the hot oil and allow them to rise to the surface of the oil. Do not skip this step. It is similar to how we would fry gulab jamuns.
5. Once the badushas surface to the top of the oil, turn on flame to low and cook on both sides till golden brown. The key to a good badusha is in the deep frying. The badushas have to cook slowly and do not rush through the process by trying to cook them on high flame as they will remain uncooked inside. It has to reach golden brown color. Do not over cook it to a darker golden shade.
6. Using a slotted ladle, remove the badushas from the hot oil and place them gently in the warm sugar syrup. Once the badusha sits in the syrup, use a ladle and allow it to sink inside the syrup such that it is coated all over. Allow to sit in the syrup till the next batch of badusha is done. In between do flip over to the othe side so that the badushas absorb the syrup evenly. Remove from the syrup and place them on a plate and allow to come to room temperature.
7. Store in an air tight container. They stay fresh for at least 3 to 4 days at room temperature. You can refrigerate them for longer shelf life.

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Bread Halwa

Ingredients:

3/4 cup – 1 cup ghee (clarified butter)

1 loaf bread

6-8 cardamoms (elachi)

2 tbsps almonds (badam)

2 tbsps cashewnuts

1 lt milk (low fat)

1 ¼ cup sugar (increase or decrease as per your taste)

1 Tear the bread into bit sized pieces. Heat three fourth cup of ghee in a cooking vessel and add the bread pieces and fry them till they turn a golden brown.
2 Grind elachi, almonds and cashewnuts (leave a few toasted almonds and cashewnuts aside for garnish) to a fine paste.
3 Meanwhile boil the milk, add sugar and keep stirring it till it blends into the milk. Add the fried bread pieces and the remaining ghee to this mixture.
4 Let it simmer till the bread pieces turn soft and cook in the milk mixture. Combine the nuts paste. Garnish with the toasted almonds and cashewnuts.
4 Serve warm or refrigerate until chilled and serve. It tastes good both warm and cold.

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Chilli Cheese Toast

In a bowl grate a cheese cube (about 2 tbsps). Add 2 finely chopped green chilies, finely chopped small green or red bell pepper, finely chopped small onion, 2 tbsps chopped coriander leaves, pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp pepper pwd to the grated cheese and mix lightly.

Take a slice of brown bread or whole wheat bread, spread 2 tbsps of the prepared filling and sprinkle some cheese on top. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 175 C till cheese melts and the bread it toasted, approx 5-6 mts.

You can use Amul cheese, Mozzarella or Cheddar cheese.

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Vegetable Masala Toast

Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a cooking vessel. Add a chopped onion and a chopped green chili and saute for 4 mts. Add one chopped capsicum and one grated carrot and saute for another 6 mts. Add salt to taste, 1/2 tsp red chili pwd and pinch of turmeric pwd. Mix well. Add a tbsp of tomato ketchup, a tbsp of lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves and mix. Turn of heat and remove onto a plate.

Toast whole wheat or brown bread on one side, spread some tomato sauce, spoon some of the vegetable masala all over and toast the other side of the bread in a few drops of ghee or butter.

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Vegetable Kati Roll

Ingredients:

For rotis:

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour/atta

1/2 cup maida/all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

water to knead the dough

For filling:

2 cups julienne mixed vegetables, beans, carrot, capsicum, beans and cabbage

1 tsp ginger-green chili paste

pinch of turmeric pwd

1/2 tsp chaat masala pwd

1 tsp Kitchen King Masala (optional)

2 eggs, beaten (optional)

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 onions, finely sliced

few tbsps of green chutney

few tbsps of guacamole

2-3 tbsps olive oil

salt to taste

1 Add salt to the wheat flour and maida, combine, slowly add water to form a soft yet slightly firm dough. Cover and let it rest till you get the stuffing ready.
2 Blanch the french beans for 3 mts and keep aside. Heat a tbsp of olive oil in a vessel, add the ginger-green chili paste and saute for few secs. Add carrots, cabbage and capsicum and saute for 7-8 mts. Add the blanched beans and saute for another 3 mts. Add turmeric pwd, kitchen king masala and chaat masala pwd and combine. Turn off heat.
3 Add the lemon juice and salt to taste and mix. Keep aside.
4 In a separate bowl, combine the raw sliced onions with 2-3 tbsps of  green chutney and keep aside.
5 Beat eggs in a bowl, add salt and pepper and keep aside. (Vegetarians can omit this step)
6 To prepare rotis, pinch a large lemon sized ball of dough, dust the working surface with some atta and roll out the stuffed dough to form 6″-7″ diameter circles.
7 Heat a iron tawa and once its hot, place a parantha and let it cook lightly on both sides. Prepare all the rotis and place them in a casserole to keep soft.
8 At the time of serving, drizzle some oil on a tawa, fry the roti on one side for 4-5 secs and on top pour 2-3 tbsps of the beaten egg and flip over the roti so that the egg gets cooked.
9 Remove from tawa, place the egg coated side of the roti up and sprinkle some lemon juice on the egg coated side. Spread some guacamole or you can skip this part if you do not have guacamole. Place 3-4 tbsps of vegetable filling in the middle of the roti and sprinkle the onion-green chutney filling over it and roll the roti tightly to form a roll. To serve, wrap the lower part of the rotis in a butter paper or tissue. Enjoy!

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Quesadilla

Ingredients:

For flour tortillas:

1 3/4 cups flour

2 tbsps butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking pwd

approx 1/2 cup warm milk or water

For the vegetable filling:

onions, cabbage, beans, carrots, capsicum, baby corn, sweet corn, green peas, mushrooms, spring onions or any vegetables of your choice

salt to taste

red chilli flakes

3/4 – 1 cup grated cheese

1/2 cup sour cream (optional)

1 First combine all the ingredients except milk. Now slowly add the warm milk or water to knead to a soft dough, kneading well for 4-5 mts. Keep aside for 15 mts and during this sitting time of dough, prepare the vegetable filling.
2 Make lemon sized balls of the dough and using a rolling pin to roll out like very thin rotis of approx 8″-9″ size.
3 Pre-heat a griddle and place each tortilla on the hot griddle for only 4-5 seconds on each side and remove. They shouldn’t be roasted brown at this stage. Keep aside all the lightly toasted tortillas.

For the vegetable filling:
4 The vegetables I used were grated carrots, finely chopped cabbage, capsicum, baby corn, onions, sweet corn, grated paneer, tomatoes and coriander leaves. Saute the garlic first followed by the vegetables in olive oil for 3 mts, season with salt and red chilli flakes. (you can skip the saute part).

5 Take the vegetable filling and place in the centre of each tortilla, spread a tbsp of sour cream, sprinkle grated cheese and wet the edges of the tortilla with water. Place another tortilla on top and press the edges. Take a fork and press along the edges as shown in the picture above.
6 Pre-heat a griddle and on medium heat roast both sides of the quesadilla flipping over to toast both sides. Ensure that you cook it over medium heat, you want the cheese to melt inside. Drizzle some oil if you want while frying the quesadilla. Remove quesadilla onto a serving plate, slice into triangles with a pizza cutter and serve hot with salsa or tomato sauce.

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Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani

Ingredients:

1 kg chicken, washed and drained completely

2 large onions, finely sliced

2 tbsps chopped coriander leaves

1 tsp saffron

1/2 cup luke warm milk

salt to taste

2 tbsps ghee + 5 tbsps oil

For marination:

3/4 cup thick curd/yogurt

8-10 green chillis, make a small slit in them

1 1/2 tbsps ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp red chilli pwd (adjust)

1/4 tsp turmeric pwd

3/4 tbsp coriander pwd

1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves

3/4 cup pudina leaves

juice of 1 lemon

1 3/4 tsps salt

Biryani masala, make pwd:

8 cloves

1″ cinnamon stick

4 elaichi/cardamom

3/4 tsp shah jeera

12 pepper corns

Ingredients to cook rice:

4 cups Basmati rice

6 cloves

3 cardamoms

1″ cinnamon stick

3 bay leaves

1 marathi mogga

1 star anise

10 mint leaves

1 tbsp oil

1 1/2 tbsps salt

water as required

1 Marinate chicken with the ingredients called for ‘marination’ along with biryani masala pwd. Keep aside for 4 hrs or a min of 1 1/2 hrs. While the chicken is marinating, work on the rest of the preparation.
2 Cook basmati rice in lots of water along with bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, marathi mogga, elaichi, oil, salt till its half cooked. Strain the water and spread the rice on a large wide plate. Allow to cool.
3 Heat 1 tbsp oil + 1 tbsp ghee in a vessel, add sliced onions, saute for 8-10 mts till caramelized. Remove and keep aside.
4 Add the saffron to the luke warm milk and combine well. Keep aside.
5 Take a wide deep vessel to prepare the biryani. Add 3 tbsps oil, add the marinated chicken and spread out over the vessel. Cook on high for 2 mts. Add a tbsp of oil over the chicken pieces. Reduce flame.
6 Spread half of the rice over the chicken layer, pour half a tbsp of ghee all over the rice, add half of the caramalized onions and spread over the rice. Next sprinkle a tbsp of coriander leaves and pour about one fourth cup of saffron milk over the rice. Over this layer, spread the remaining rice. Again pour half a tbsp of ghee all over, add remaining caramelized onions and spread over the rice. Finally sprinkle a tbsp of coriander leaves and pour remaining saffron milk over the rice.
7 Place lid and over the lid place a heavy weight and seal the edges with wheat dough. Cook on high flame for 2 mts. Remove the vessel from the stove and place a iron tawa. Allow to heat. Reduce to low flame and place back the biryani vessel on the iron tawa and cook biryani for 20-25 mts. Turn off heat and do not remove lid for 10 mts.
8 After 10 mts, remove lid, combine gently and serve hot with raita and curry of your choice.

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