Tomato Soup

Wanted to post soups for a long time... But some how it got skipped...  Better late than never... So posting first soup recipe now... Starting with favorite of all, Tomato soup.....Lot more to come........

Ingredients:

Ripe Tomato - 3-4 nos

Onion (roughly chopped) - 1/2 cup

Garlic clove - 2-3 nos.

Bay leaf - 1 no. (optional)

Water - 3 Cups

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cream - for garnish

Oil - 2 tsp

How to make it:

1. In a pan, add oil and saute garlic and onion till it becomes transparent. Remove it keep aside. Saute tomato for 2-3 mins. Allow it to cool.

2. In a mixer add onion garlic, tomato and 3 cups of water and grind it smoothly.

3. Strain it and add it back to pan. Add bay leaf and and allow it to boil for 4-5  mins.

4. Now remove the bay leaf and add salt & pepper powder.

5. Serve in soup with cream garnish...!!

Milk Peda ( Microwave)

As I told in my previous post, here is one more sweet recipe for Diwali.... Milk Peda... Made in microwave in jiff of time... If you are running out of time to make some quick sweet, this is the answer for you.. In microwave it just takes 5 mins for cooking time. But you can make on gas stove as well.. Then also it takes not more than 10-12 mins. I have used cookie cutter to make these shapes. If you don't have a cookie cutter just make a round ball  and flatten with your palms (as shown in the upper right corner picture).

Ingredients:

Milk Powder - 2 Cups

Butter (Unsalted) - 100 gms (1 stick)

Condensed Milk - 1 Can (390-405 gms)

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Saffron (soaked in 10 ml of warm milk) - 4-5 strands

Food colour - your choice  (Optional)
Chopped / Full nuts - For decoration

How to make:

1. Melt the butter in microwave by keeping for 30 secs. Add condensed milk, milk powder and blend well. Make sure no lumps are not formed.

2. We will have to cook in microwave for 5 mins. But after every min, we have to remove and give a vigorous stir, so that it forms a smooth peda.

3. After 4th min while giving stir, add cardamom powder, milk with saffron  and keep for the last min.

4. Now you can divide the mixture and add food colour to it and mix well. To check if the consistency is right, take small quantity in hand try to make ball out it. if the ball is formed the consistency is achieved.

5. Allow it to cool down a bit and while it is warm, grease the rolling pin and roll it to the desired thickness and cut into desired shape. If you don't have a cookie cutter just make a round ball  and flatten with your palms (as shown in the upper right corner picture). You can decorate with nuts of your choice. I have used only almonds.

P.S: You can also make layers with different colors and cut into shapes (as shown in upper left corner of the picture).

Raspberry Cupcake (Eggless & Microwaved)

 Now its time for baking some fresh cup  cakes... Tried egg less raspberry cake... Believe me it came out so soft and fluffy.... I used silicon moulds which is so easy to use and clean.  In case you didn't get raspberry, replace it with strawberry . The seeds of raspberry gave nice crunchy taste to the cup cake.

 

Ingredients:

All purpose flour (Maida) - 1 Cup

Sugar - 1 Cup

Milk - 1/2 Cup

Melted butter - 3/4 Cup

Raspberry(crushed & pulped) - 3/4 Cup

Baking powder - 1/4 tsp

Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Almond / Cashew flakes - 1/2 Cup (Optional)

 

How to make:

 

1. Mix the melted butter and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Now mix all other ingredients 1 by 1.

 

2. Pour the mixture in the mould to half of it, so that there is enough space to raise. In case you don't have silicon moulds, you can any ceramic or microwaveable bowls also...

 

3. Microwave it for 2 mins. Generally it will be done in 2 mins. But each microwave is different. So check if it is cooked. If not microwave it for another 30 seconds. Allow it to cool for 5-10 mins and demould it....

Orange Cake (Microwave)

Wanted to try some different cake other than vanila or chocolate and ended up with orange cake. It was different and tasty.... Came out so soft and nice... Tea time cake is ready in few mins......

Ingredients:

All purpose flour (Maida) - 1 1/2 Cup
Orange juice(fresh juice) - 1/2 Cup
Orange rind / zest - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1 pinch
Sugar - 1 Cup
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Baking Powder - 1/4 tsp
Egg - 1 no. (optional)

Milk - 1/4 cup

Butter / Ghee - 1/2 Cup

 

 

How to make:

 

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and orange zest, egg and milk.

 

2. Mix well and add the melted butter/ghee. Mix faster with spatula for 2-3 mins.

 

3. Greese the microwavable bowl and pour the cake batter in the bowl and microwave it at high for 3 mins.

 

4. Cool it and turn it over, cut into slices and serve.....

 

P.S. If you don't want to use egg, add 1/4 tsp of baking powder and soda more and 20 ml of milk more. And if you wannt you can add some orange colour too.......

 

Pasta Augratin

Oh here again one of my favorite dish..... I love anything that's made with bechamel sauce / white sauce.... Many don't like as its blunt in taste... But I just love the creamy cheesy taste.... The same dish when prepared with just vegetables, its Veg au gratin.... Since I added pasta to it, i named it pasta au gratin.... You can use any type of pasta... I have used Corni pasta...

Ingredients:

Pasta - 1 Cup

Carrot and Capsicum (cut into thin strips) - 1 Cup

Onion (Sliced) - 1/2 Cup

Sweet Corn - 1/2 Cup

Cheese Spread - 1 tbsp (optional, it gives more cheesy taste)

Mozeralla Cheese - 1/2 Cup

Chili flakes - 1 tsp (you can adjust according to your taste)

For Bechamel Sauce

All purpose flour (Maida) - 1 tbsp

Butter - 1 tbsp

Milk (boiled and warm) - 500 ml

Garlic cloves (crushed) - 2-3 nos.

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Oregano - 1 tsp

Bay leaves - 1-2 no.s

How to make:

1. Boil 800 ml of water with 1/2 tsp of salt and add the pasta to it. Allow it to boil for 8-10 mins so that the paste is cooked well. Drain the water and keep the pasta aside.

2. In the mean time we can make the bechamel/white sauce. In a pan melt the butter and add the flour to it. In simmer keep roasting the flour in the butter.  Make sure the colour is not changed.This is our thickening agent and its called "Roux" in french.

3. After 2-3 mins nice biscuit flavour aroma comes out from  the roux. Now add the milk little by little. make sure no lumps are formed.

4. Add crushed garlic, bay leaves, salt and oregano now. Keep in simmer for 5-6 mins stirring often. Finally add the chili flakes & cheese spread and off the stove.

5. Half cook the vegetables and mix with the pasta. and arrange in baking tray. Pour the white sauce on top and give it a blend. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top.

6. Bake this in pre-heated oven at 180` C for about 15-20 mins. Or keep in microwave for 5-6 mins in half temp.

Besan Ladoo (Microwave)

And now its time to celebrate as this is my 100th blog recipe.... So of course its a sweet..... Generally besan ladoo when made made on gas takes atleast 15-20 mins (making ladoo shape timing is not included)..... Now here its made so simple in just 5 mins...

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Besan Flour - 1 Cup

Sugar (Powdered) - 3/4 Cup

Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 3-4 tbsp

Cashew nut (broken) - 3 tbsp

Almonds - for garnish

 

How to make:

 

1. In a micro wave bowl add the ghee and keep for 30 secs, so that the ghee melts.

 

2. Now add the besan flour and mix well. Make sure no lumps are formed. Keep in microwave for 2 mins in high.

 

3. Remove it and mix well again. Break out any lumps. Again keep it for a minute. Now you will start getting the nice aroma of besan cooked in ghee.

 

4. Again remove it and mix well. Add the cashew nuts and blend well. Keep in microwave again for 90 secs.

 

5. Remove it, add sugar and cardamom powder now and mix well. Allow it to cool for a while and while its warm, start making the ladoos and garnish with almonds...

Easy Potato Fry (Microwave)

Who doesn't love potato ? Can you imagine a nice crispy potato fry with very less oil ? Now its possible, very easy and that too in less than 10 mins.... You will love this....

Ingredients:

Potatoes (Cut into small cubes) - 1 Cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Sambhar powder - 1 tsp (Adjust according to your flavour)
Oil - 1 tbsp


How to make:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a microwave bowl. Keep in microwave for 5 mins.

2. Keep stirring in between once in 2 mins. Your nice crispy potato is ready....

Cup Cake

This cuppy cake is prepared in less than 5 mins (including mixing time) people... Trust me... So easy and kids will love it... Why only kids, everyone will love it... A quick snack to make and impress... Try it out...

 

 

Ingredients:

 

All purpose flour (Maida) - 2 tbsp

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Cocoa Powder - 1 tbsp

Baking powder - 1 pinch

Baking Soda - 1 pinch

Egg - 1 (Small one)
Milk - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Vanilla Essence - 1/2 tsp

Chopped Nut - As preferred

 

How to make:

 

1. Take a microwaveable tea cup and mix all the dry ingredients in that.

 

2. Add the milk, oil, egg and vanilla essence and mix well with help of spoon for 30 secs.

 

3. Once all the ingredients are bend well, add some chopped nuts on top. Keep in microwave on high for 2 - 2.30 mins.

 

4. Hot cuppy cake is ready to smack...! now wasn't it too easy one to make ?

Gajjar ka Halwa (Carrot Halwa)

Yipee..... This is my 50th post and I'm so excited... Thanks to all my friends who have been encouraging me, which push me to do more... .... As a celebration I wanted to post something sweet and delicious. So presenting you the carrot halwa... Its one of the easiest recipe again, not much of strain other than grating the carrot. I used microwave because its takes much lesser time than cooking on gas.

Ingredients:

Carrot (grated) - 2 Cup

Milk - 1 Cup

Sugar - 3/4 Cup

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cashewnut - 10-15 nos. (broken into small pieces)

Raisins - 15-20 nos.

How to make:

1. In a microwave bowl add the carrot and milk. Put this in microwave for10 mins...

Incase you are cooking on gas, pressure cook the grated carrot with milk in cooker for 20 mins.

2. Now add the sugar, stir well and keep for another 5 mins.

In a thick bottom pan, add the cooked carrot and sugar and cook till the sugar dissolves and is completely absorbed by the carrot.

3. In a small bowl, add 1 tbsp of ghee and cashewnuts and raisins, keep for about 1-1 1/2 mins...

4. Add this to the carrot hawa and the balance ghee. Keep for another 2 mins.

5. Hot hot gajjar ka halwa is ready... Serve it hot with vanilla ice cream.... !

Veg Delite Pizza

In Junk food category this is one favorite item for many of us... What made me try this Pizza at home... I couldn't find any other better reason than this... Gas was over at my house last week and couldn't get one the same day. Shop fellow told that he will able to deliver only the next day.... Thankfully i finished making some gravy for the afternoon which we ate during lunch along with Kuboos (which is famous in gulf country - tastes like a combination of naan and bread ). There were few Kuboos left and didn't know what to make for dinner.... Finally came up making Pizza with kuboos as base... Of course needless to mention, its so easy to make.....

 

 

Ingredients:

 

Pizza Base - 1 (If you have Kuboos, pls use that... ;-)...  )

Sliced Onion  - 1 tbsp

Sliced Tomato - 1 tbsp

Sliced Capsicum -  2 tbsp

Sweet Corn - 1 tbsp

Sliced Olives - 1 tbsp

Chilli flakes - as much as u like

Salt - just to sprinkle (Even if you dnt use salt, its ok... bcos cheese will be slightly salty)

Mozzarella Cheese - 4 tbsp

Sweet & Sour sauce / tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp

Oregano - as much as u like

 

How to make it :

 

1. In the Pizza base, first spread the tomato ketchup and sprinkle 3 tbsp of mozzarella cheese..

 

2. Spread all the veggies on top the mozzarella cheese and sprinkle the balance 1 tbsp of cheese on top of this... (You can use many more veggie or non veg as well.. In case of non veg, pls pre cook the non veg before). If you are using salt, pls sprinkle now.

 

3. Set the microwave at 20 % (180` C). Place the Pizza in the microwave and cook it for 10 mins now... The mozzarella cheese will melt and all veg will be coated with cheese...

 

4. Sprinkle oregano & chilli flake as per ur taste and enjoi the mouth watering melting pizza........