Milk powder Gulab Jamun

Gulab jamuns are milk-solid based popular sweet/dessert in India. Usually I have tried gulab jamuns using instant ready made mix available in market. I always wanted to try gulab jamuns using milk powder. It is much tastier than ready made gulab jamuns. Please do try and see.

Preparation Time: Under 15 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 15 minutes
Yields : 25 no.s of gulab jamuns

INGREDIENTS:

FOR GULAB JAMUN:
Milk powder - 1 cup
Semolina/Rava -2 tablespoon
Maida/All purpose flour - 2 tablespoon
Baking powder -1 teaspoon
Cardamom powder -1/2 teaspoon
Ghee/Oil - 1.5 tablespoon
Lukewarm Milk -1/4 cup

FOR SUGAR SYRUP:
Sugar -1 cup
Water -1.25 cup
Saffron threads - few no.s

Cardamom - 2 no.s

Lemon Juice - Few drops


METHOD:

1. In a bowl, add milk powder, rava, maida ,baking powder and cardamom powder and mix well. Now add lukewarm milk and oil/ghee and mix well to a dough. Remember that, dough should not be too dry or too wet. If very dry, add another few drops of milk. If too sticky, add some more milk powder and mix well. Use sufficient oil or ghee to mix the contents well to form the dough. Cover it and keep aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a vessel add 1 cup of sugar, 1.25 cups of water, cardamom seeds and saffron threads. Once the sugar dissolve in the water and starts to boil , turn off the stove. When  you touch the syrup, it should be sticky. Now add few drops of lemon juice.

3 . Now apply some ghee or oil on your hands, and make smooth marble sized balls from the dough.

5. Heat oil in a tawa. Keep the flame in low. This is very important because, the jamuns get burnt easily as they are made of milk powder. Deep fry the balls .

6. Once they turn golden brown, take and place them on a plate with tissue paper. Allow them to rest there for 1 to 2 minutes, until the oil from that is absorbed by the tissue paper. Then put them in the sugar syrup.

7. Tasty milk powder gulab jamuns are ready !!!.

NOTES:


. SEE ALSO: Poori Payasam, Asoka Halwa, Rava Kesari

Masala Bun

Easy and tasty tiffin or snack item - Masala Bun !. Filled with potato masala inside !

Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Yields - 6-8 no.s of masala buns

INGREDIENTS:
Plain Bun - 6 no.s
Potato - 1 medium sized
Green Peas -1/4 cup
Onion - 1 cup finely chopped
Tomato - 1 no. chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder -1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder -1/2 teaspoon
Garam masala -1/2 teaspoon
Salt - as required
Lemon juice- few drops
Butter -1 tablespoon
Oil - 1 table spoon
Water - 1 cup

METHOD:

1. Cut Potatoes,onion and tomatoes very finely. Prepare ginger garlic paste.

2. In a pan, add some butter and oil. Add onions. Sprinkle little salt and fry for few minutes till it changes to brown. Now add ginger garlic paste and fry for 1 or 2 minutes, till the raw smell is gone.

3. Now add potatoes, green peas and tomatoes. Add required salt,turmeric and red chilli powder.

4. Now add 1/2 cup of water. Keep the flame in medium, and cover the lid. Cook for 5 minutes. Now open, add another 1/2 cup of water and cook for another 5 minutes, till the potatoes and green peas are very soft and mushy. Open , and using back of a wooden ladle, mash the contents well. Now switch off the stove and add some garam masala and squeeze some lemon juice and mix well. Potato filling is ready.

5. Take medium sized buns.Add butter in pan and toast  them on both sides.

6.  Cut them in the middle, but do not make in to two halves .

7. Now place the potato filling on one side.

8. Close it and serve !. Tasty masala bun is ready !.. You can add some tomato ketchup on the top of potato filling , before serving .

SEE ALSO: Pav Bhaji, White Sauce Pasta, Rava Toast 

Easy Chocolate Cake

Here is an easy recipe to make egg less chocolate cake using pressure cooker !

Preparation Time: under 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 to 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
Maida/All purpose flour - 1 cup
Powdered white sugar - 1 cup
Cocoa powder - 2 tablespoon
Baking soda -1/2 teaspoon
Baking powder -1/2 teaspoon
Milk -100 ml
Butter -50 ml
Yogurt/Thick curd - 60 ml
Chopped cashews - 1/4 cup

METHOD:

1. Prepare all ingredients and set ready.

2. Sieve maida , powdered sugar and cocoa powder and mix well. Sieving is to remove any big solid particles and to get smooth powder. Also add baking powder and baking soda. Mix all the dry ingredients well.

3. Now add the milk,butter and yogurt to the above dry mixture and mix well fast with a spoon, without any lumps. Keep stirring for a minute, so the mixture is as smooth as below.

4. In the meantime, take aluminium cooker of any size. Add about 1 to 2 cups of salt in the bottom. Place a small plate above it. Cover the lid without weight and keep the flame in medium high and allow it to get heated for about 5-7 minutes. This is similar to preheating oven.

5. Now take any vessel and grease it with butter. Pour the cake batter , which you prepared in step 3. Spread evenly.

6. Now, place it in the cooker above the plate. Cover the lid and dont put the weight. Keep the flame in medium flame. Keep changing the flame between medium to sim every 5 minutes, so that your cooker doesn't get burnt or spoil. In between open and check the cake with inserting a tooth pick, to see if it is completely cooked till the bottom. It may take approximately 30-35 minutes for the cake to get cooked well.

7. Allow the cake to cool completely. Remove the cake from sides and slowly take it from the container. Garnish with cashews or any nuts of your choice.

SEE ALSO: Egg less wheat cake, Chocolate brownie, Choco burfi

Kanchipuram Idly

This is a type of idly famous in a place called "Kanchipuram" in Tamil Nadu. It is also called "kovil(temple) Idly" , as it is served in famous "Sri varadarajaperumal" temple at Kanchipuram.

Kanchipuram Idly with peanut chutney

Preparation Time: Under 15 minutes(Not including fermentation time)
Cooking Time: Under 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
Riceflour- 600 gms
Urad dal- 3 cups(120 ml cup)
Salt- As required
Water - as required
Fenugreek powder - 2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds -3 teaspoon
Grated ginger -1 teaspoon
Black pepper powder -1 teaspoon
Mustard-1 teaspoon
Ghee - 1 tablespoon

METHOD:

1. Prepare/grind your regular idly/dosa batter. Before allowing it to ferment, take some batter in bowl. Add some grated ginger,cumin seeds and black pepper powder and mix well.

2. Keep it aside and allow it to ferment. It may take 8-10 hours. Now, in a pan add some ghee. Add mustard and cumin seeds and allow it to splutter . Pour it over the batter and mix well.

3. Now take a flat bottomed vessel with sides. Grease it with oil or ghee. Pour the batter in that for 1 to 1.5 cms in thickness.

4. In a pressure cooker , add some water in the bottom and allow it to boil. Place the vessel with batter inside and cover the cooker lid without the weight. Allow it to steam for about 10-15 minutes. In between check with a tooth pick whether the batter is cooked completely.

5. Now cut them into desired shapes you want. Serve with peanut chutney/coconut chutney/tomato chutney !.

NOTES:

SEE ALSO:  Dosa batter, Morkuzhambu, Dosai/Idly podi 

Besan Curry

This is an easy side dish for poori or chapatti . It is made of chickpea flour/besan/kadalai maavu with some onions ,tomatoes and chilies .

Preparation Time: Under 10 minutes
Cooking Time: Under 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
Besan/Chickpea flour/kadalai maavu - 1 cup
Plain yogurt - 1/2 cup
Ginger green chilli paste - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon
Salt- as required
Water -1.5 cups
Onion -1/2 cup chopped
Tomato - 1/2 cup chopped
Mustard -1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds -1/2 teaspoon
Sesame seeds -1 teaspoon
Green chilli -1 no. slit length wise
Oil -2 teaspoon

METHOD:

1. In a bowl, add besan,ginger green chilli paste ,yogurt,turmeric powder,salt and water . Mix well without any lumps. You can use hand blender to mix it well.

2. In a pan, add some oil. Add mustard, cumin seeds and green chilli. Saute for sometime. Now add sesame seeds and fry for another minute. Now add onions and fry till they change color. Now add tomatoes . Add some salt and fry till they turn mushy.

3. Now add the besan paste which you prepared in step 1. Keep stirring continuously. It would take 8-10 minutes for the mixture to thicken. Switch off and sprinkle generous amount of asafoetida powder.

4. Besan curry is ready . Serve with rotti or poori !.

NOTES:

SEE ALSO: Navratan kurma, Bindi kadhi, Peas butter masala

Oreo Brownie

Brownies are tasty chocolate flavored cakes . It is one of my all time  favorite. I tried making these brownies in microwave oven, from referring through many websites. This is one of the easiest way to make brownies and in just 2 minutes, you will have hot brownies to satisfy your sudden cravings for sweet !.

Preparation Time: Under 10 minutes
Cooking Time : Under 2 minutes
Serves : 2 people

INGREDIENTS:
Oreo biscuits - 12 no.s (Can use any flavor. I used original Oreo with white cream inside)
Whole Milk - 4 table spoon
Butter - 1 tablespoon
Baking soda - A pinch
Ghee - few drops

METHOD:

1. Crush Oreo biscuits in mixer to a fine powder without any lumps. Sprinkle some baking soda on it. Take some butter in bowl and and melt it. Prepare all ingredients and set ready.

2. Before adding the wet ingredients, mix the baking soda and Oreo biscuits powder well. Now add the milk and butter and mix well without any lumps.

3. Take microwave safe bowl. Grease it well with ghee. Now pour the batter to just half the bowl. Because when we cook , the cake would rise up.

4. Now place the bowl in microwave oven. Keep the setting to full heat and cook for just 2 minutes only. Not more than that. If cooked more, the cake would get burnt inside. Now take it out.

5. The cake will be too soft and spongy. So dont try to transfer to other container. Now sprinkle some powdered sugar on the top. Delicious, lip smacking egg less brownies are ready to treat you !. Believe me, this cake will be so tasty, that you cant stop with just one bite ...

SEE ALSO: Egg less Wheat Cake , Mysore Pak, 7 cup Cake

Bread Uthappam

This is an instant dosa recipe and requires no fermentation or soaking of urad dal,rice etc. Can be made in few minutes.

Preparation Time: Under 20 minutes
Cooking Time : Under 7 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

White bread - 6 slices
Rava/Semolina/Sooji - 1/2 cup
Rice flour - 2 tablespoon
Yogurt or plain curd - 1/4 cup
Water - as required
Salt - as required
Capsicum,Onion,Carrot - chopped finely

METHOD:

1. Take white bread and cut the edges and remove it. Now crush the white part of the bread to  pieces. Add rava,salt,rice flour,yogurt and 1 cup of water and mix well. Allow it to rest for about 20 minutes.

2. In the meantime, cut onions and capsicum finely. Grate carrot.

3. Now blend the batter smooth in mixer. When you blend, you can add some water. But do not make the batter too watery, because it will become difficult to flip the dosa. Make the batter little thick. Now heat the pan, pour batter over it. As it is uthappam, no need to spread the batter. Now add chopped onions,capsicum and carrot.

4. Keep the flame in medium low. Now wait for 4 to 5 minutes, and flip the dosa to other side.

5. Take from the pan. Serve the uthappam with any chutney or idly podi !.

Bread Uthappam with idly podi !

NOTES:

1. If you added extra water in the batter by mistake, add equal proportion of rice flour and rava to the batter. The batter would get thick and it will be easy to make dosas.

2. SEE ALSO : Dry fruit and nut rava dosa, Vermicilli biryani, Barnyard millet khichdi