Cake Design for Bishop's 50th Anniversary

Cake Design for First Holy Communion

Pumpkin Halwa / Kaddu halwa

 

Ingredients

Pumpkin - ½ kg about 3 cup (grated)

Ghee – 3 tbsp
Sugar – 4 tbsp or to taste
Milk powder – 2 tbsp
Cardamom powder – ½ tsp
Saffron – ¼ tsp (optional)
Pistachios – 1 tbsp chopped
Almond – 1 tbsp chopped

Method
 

1.      Heat ghee in a heave bottomed pan.
2.      Put the grated pumpkin into it and cook, covered on a low flame for a 5 min.
3.      Remove cover and cook for some more time, till the ghee separates from the pumpkin
4.      Now mix the sugar, milk powder, cardamom powder and saffron.
5.      Cook till the mixture is thick.
6.      Garnish with Almonds and pistachios
7.      Serve hot.

Kaddu ka Bharta

Ingredients

Chopped Red Pumpkin – ½ kg

Onion – ¼ cup finely chopped
Cumin seeds/ jeera – ½ tsp
Fennel seeds / saunf – ½ tsp
Nigella seeds / kalongi – ¼ tsp
Fenugreek powder /methi – a pinch
Asafetida / hing – a pinch
Turmeric powder / haldi – ½ tsp
Red chilli powder – 1tsp
Amchur powder / dry mango powder – 2tsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method

1.      Heat the oil in a pressure cooker

2.      Add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, nigella seeds and fenugreek powder.
3.      When the seeds crackle, add onion and sauté till they turn transparent.
4.      Add the pumpkin, asafetida, turmeric powder, chilli powder and ¼ cup water.
5.      Cover and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles, so that the pumpkin becomes marshy.
6.      Put off the heat. Let the pressure go off by itself.
7.      Open the lid and add the amchur and salt and mix well.
8.      Simmer and cook still the oil separates.
9.      Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with parathas.

 

Gems Cookies

Here is a very attractive cookie for your kids.  They already love Cadbury Gems chocolate. Here is a way to add in something more to it.  Try it and your kids would like it.

Ingredients

Maida - 2 cups

Baking soda - 1 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Unsalted butter - 3/4 cup (170 grams) room temperature (white butter)
Granulated white sugar – 3/4 cup (130 grams
Firmly packed light brown sugar – 1/2 cup + 1tbsp (140 grams)
Egg - 1 large
Egg yolk – of 1 large
Vanilla essence - 1 1/2 tsp
Gems chocolate – 1 cup or as required. (can use M&M’s)

Materials Used

Baking sheet
Butter paper

Method :

1.      Pre heat for 180⁰C.

2.      Line baking sheet with butter paper.

3.      In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.

4.      In the bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy (about 2 - 3 minutes).

5.       Add the egg and egg yolk, beating until well combined.

6.       Beat in the vanilla extract.

7.       Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and beat just until incorporated. (If batter is soft, cover and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes or until firm.)

8.      Using a 1/4 cup (60 ml),  two spoons, form batter into large balls.

9.      Place 4 balls of dough on each baking sheet. Gently flatten each ball of dough into a 2 1/2 inch round.

10.    Completely cover the tops of the cookies with the Gems.

11.    Gently press the candies into the dough.

12.    Bake the cookies for about 14 - 17 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through the baking time.

13.    The cookies are done when they are light golden brown in color and just set around the edges. They will still seem a little soft in the center but they will firm up as they cool.

14.     Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool a few minutes on the baking sheet

Keema Mattar Pulao

I make this pulao when I have to cook for a small set of group or when there are short notice visitor, when I don’t have time but want to serve something special.  I serve this with curd salad, lemon pickle and papads. 

Ingredients

For Rice cooking

Rice – 2 cups
Water – 8 to 9 cups
Salt – 3tsp
Green cardamom – 4
Cinnamon – 1 stick
Clove – 4
Bay leaf - 3
Lemon juice – 2tsp

Main Ingredient

Chicken kemma– 400gm
Matter (fresh green peas) – (100gm)
Onion – 2 sliced
Ginger – 1tsp (finely chopped)
Garlic – 1tsp (finely chopped)
Curd – ½ cup beaten
Green Chilies – 2 (if you feel the recipe is very spicy, you can opt out)
Coriander leaves – tbsp, finely chopped
Mint leaves – 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder – ½ tsp
Haldi – ¼ tsp
Jerra powder – ½ tsp
Biryani Masala – 1-2 tsp
Oil/Ghee – 1 tbsp

Method

To cook the Rice

1.      Boil the water adding all the ingredient mention in the section “for rice cooking”, except the rice.
2.      When the water comes to boil add the rice. 
3.      Cook till it is done, strain off the excess water. 
4.      Keep aside and spread out in a tray

For the pulao

5.      Heat Ghee or oil in a pan
6.      Add ginger, garlic & onions. Cook till light brown.
7.      Add keema and cook for 5 min.
8.      Now add salt, chilli powder, jeera powder, biryani masala, haldi and peas. Mix well and cook covered for a min.
9.      Add curd and ½ cup water. Cover and cook on low flame till all the water dries (about 10 min)
10.  Now uncover and toss in the cooked rice. Also add mint leaves, coriander leave and green chilli. Mix it properly so that every this blends with each other. Cook for a min.
11.  Serve hot. 

Fudge Brownie

Brownies are something which everyone likes.  And, a pastry shop visit would be incomplete without trying brownies with chocolate sauce. The basic texture of a brownie has to be chewy, cookie like, usually made with chocolate.

I always use to wonder the deference between brownies and fudge brownie. The fudge brownie is extremely dense, having a moist, creamy and much more intense chocolate interior. Whereas, brownies possess a moist crumb along with a slightly fluffy interior as being a cake, but more dense than a cake. 
 

Ingredients

Butter – 125gm
Powdered Sugar – 125gm
Cooking Chocolate – 125gm
Egg  - 2
Maida – 125gm
Baking powder – ½ tsp
Baking Soda – ¼ tsp
Vanilla essence – ½ tsp
Baking tin – 1 8 inches square

Method

1.      Pre heat the oven for 5 min
2.      Melt the cooking chocolate in a double boiler and keep aside for cooling
3.      Sift together maida, baking powder, baking soda and keep aside
4.      Add together butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
5.      Add essence
6.      Add melted and cooled chocolate

7.      Add 1 egg, mix, and then add half the maida mix.
8.      Now add the second egg, mix and add the remaining maida mix.
9.      Grease and dust the baking tin  
10.  Bake for 25 min at 180⁰C.

Note : When you insert a toothpick to check the brownies there should be some crumbs on it.

Blackcurrant Cheesecake

This is my family’s favorite Desert.  But I make it occasionally as, it takes lots of preparation and time.  I thank Rupali ( Rupali’s cooking) for teaching me this recipe. This is always part of all are big dinner parties. I also try lots of variations with different crushes. Try it atleast ones and enjoy!

Ingredients
 

For the Base

Marie biscuit – 1½ cup / about 15 biscuits (crushed finely)
Butter – 2tbsp (softened)

For the Filling

Curd – 2 ½ cup / 400gms
Whipping cream – 200gm before whipping
Powdered sugar – 3 tbsp
Black current crush – ½ cup (I used Mapro)
Gelatin – 4 teaspoons ( soaked in 6 tbsp water)

For Topping

Black currant crush – 1tbsp
Water – 2tbsp
Gelatin – ½ tsp (soaked in 2 tbsp water for about 10)

Preparation

·         Biscuit Crush : To make the biscut crush, put the biscuts in a plastic cover and roll it with a rolling pin.

·         Hung curd : Spread a muslin cloth on the bowl, pour the curd. Tie the cloth with the curd, hang it in a place where the water from the hung curd can drip. Place this for about 3hr.  the water will be drained and a thick creamy hung curd is ready. 

·         Whipped cream : whip the cream with an electric beater for about 15 min or till a peak is formed.

·         Gelatin mixture for the filling: Dissolve the gelatin mixture on a slow flame or on a double boiler ( it should not be heated or boiled). Strain and keep it ready.

Method

The Base

1.      Mix together biscuit crush and butter with the finger tip ( don’t make it into a dough).

2.      The press and spread it evenly into the base of a loose bottom dish. Press it tightly with the back of a flat katori.

3.      Chill it till set about 15 min.

The Filling

4.      Beat together cream and sugar till slightly fluffy. It should not be very thick.

5.      In another pan beat hung curd till smooth.

6.      Add the cream and crush to the curd mixture. Beat well until smooth. The mixture should be at room temperature

7.      Add the Gelatin mixture already prepare gradually the above curd mixture. (Keep on mixing with the other hand while you are adding the gelatin).

8.      Pour this into the chilled biscuit base and let it set for at least 3 hrs, before pouring the topping.

The Topping

9.      Mix crush with water

10.  Dissolve the gelatin on slow flame. Add the dissolved gelatin to crush.

11.  Spread the above mixture over the set pudding.

12.  Again keep the in the fridge till properly chilled and set.

To Serve

13.  Remove the dessert along with the base of loose bottom dish and keep in serving dish along with the base.

14.  You can decorate it with whipped icing cream, edible pearls, edible silver balls, etc. 

15.  SERVE IT CHILLED

 

Vegetable Chicken Curry

This is a recipe which I make when I am late from work, very tired to cook and don’t want to order from outside, but still want to have a nice dinner. My family likes it and the kids eat their daily dose of veggies.

Ingredients

Chicken - 1kg

Onion – 2
Tomato – 2
Potato – 2
Carrot – 2
Peas – 1 cup
Ginger garlic paste – 1 ½ tsp
Cloves – 3
Big cardamom – 2
Cinnamon stick – 1 inch piece
Bay leaf – 2
Black pepper powder – 2 to 3 tsp
Oil – 1tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method

1.      Cut the onion length wise.  Cut the potato and carrot into big round pieces and the tomatoes into small pieces

2.      Heat oil in a pan and add clove, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf. Let it crackle.

3.      Add the onion. Sauté it till it turns slightly pink.

4.      Then add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for 1 min.

5.      Now add the chicken, potato, carrot, peas and tomato.  Mix it well.

6.      Cover and cook  on medium flame for about 10min.  Let it cook in its own water, DO NOT ADD WATER.

7.      Add salt and black pepper, cook in high flame till it is almost dry. 

8.      Serve with Instant garlic bread.

Instant Garlic Bread

Ingredients

Butter – 50gm

Garlic – 15 pods
Any Bread -  as required

Method

1.      Grind garlic to a paste

2.      To this add the soft butter and mix thoroughly

3.      Apply this to the bread and toast on a griddle/pan.

Note    :   You can get variation to this by adding 1 tsp. of cut mint leaf/ coriander leaf/ black pepper.