Dates Walnut Mug cake... Microwave cake in 2 mins

I am not a big fan of dates but a very big fan of walnuts. So I thought of using them both in one cake and check if I liked it. This mug cake just took a couple of mins to get ready and I couldnt believe how good it turned out. It was awesome with the sweetness from the dates and a little crunch from all those walnut bits. The cake was soft and moist and I enjoy every spoon of it. Truly amazing

I love mug cakes and this one is one of my new favourites. Made it twice this week and I am sure I would love making it again. It is so quick to make that even a lazy bug like me would not say no to making it. I am sure this recipe is a keeper

All the ingredients used are day-to-day ingredients that you would find in your kitchen pantry so no waiting ... you can make it any time you feel like eating something sweet

Basic white Bread.... easy method

I have posted recipes for different kinds of bread but missed out on the most basic recipe that I first followed to bake my first bread. I got it all wrong the first time I made it but then went through a lot of recipes and read about techniques and tips and tricks and finally made my very own decent loaf of bread. After some continuous trials overcame the problems and then could get really good loaves of bread

This recipe is very simple to follow. Just stick to the measurements and follow the tips and tricks. I have tried to share some of experiences here as to where I went wrong and then how I corrected it. There are few things to get right - say proofing yeast, waiting for first rise and second rise and finally baking it right

There are millions of recipes on the internet. I looked into so many of them and then finally after some trial and error ended up with this recipe that I loved. The loaf rose just as I wanted it to and the slices came out very soft. We loved every bite of the bread. I might try a lot more recipes but this one is my first and best recipe

Note: I have included pictures from 2 batches 

Mushroom manchurian

Mushroom manchurian is a great appetizer to make your meal more enticing. Serve this as an appetizer in a special evening meal or even at a get-together and I can assure that it will win everyones hearts. Soft mushroom coated with a spicy covering and then tossed in some peppers and sauce makes this really interesting. It is very quick and easy to make so you can serve even when you have last-minute guests

This recipe takes very little and the best part is that it can help you make a very big batch with no extra troubles. Quick to make and very yummy to eat is the speciality that will sure pull you towards this dish next time you have some mushroom in hand

  

Taco Potatana... a little treat for hungry kids

Well I told you how much my kids love taco mexicana served at dominos. This one is something in that style but then entirely different too :) One day when I made some whole wheat parottas and fried potatoes(as they like) for dinner they said they wanted to eat something special that day as they were very happy. A simple parotta and side wont do mamma was the chorus. But then I tried convincing them saying I was already done making dinner and it was time to just serve it. They asked me not to serve right away but just wait for a few minutes. They went to the living room to discuss something really important ;)

The kids came back with a beautiful smile and said dinner will be served.... say the same but with style that day. The only thing was that they just needed a little help from me. I told them I would offer them the little help they wanted. With a big smile and lots of giggles they said they would love to have "Taco Potatana". And I asked how should we make it. They immediately detailed out instructions as a smart chef and asked me if its ok.  I got what they wanted. A week before I made them taco mexicana... made specially our style and now they were with the same plan but added a little twist. I got it and agreed 

Thats it ... we had a wonderful dinner (as per the kids and I felt so too). They arranged the table and set everything up. Placed small bowls for each of us with rasgullas we made that evening. A small tea light candle was placed in a beautiful and fancy candle holder. When I came to the living room to serve dinner I was really surprised how happy they were to see me smiling at what they had done for me. The dinner was very simple yet the kids made it a very special one. Forgot to mention that we also made some cold cappuccino (cold coffee) and cold boostocino(cold boost) to go with the meal. Loved the evening, loved the meal and loved the cuteness overloaded in the kids minds

Try making this for your kids snack or meal and see how they enjoy it. You can even make these when you have some whole wheat parottas

 

Butter Cookies .... soft and melt-in-the-mouth texture

Made these for my parents almost an year ago but never got a chance to post the recipe. It came out perfect and we enjoyed it so much. These butter cookies are very soft and have a melt in the mouth texture. Just need a handful of ingredients to pull this recipe together. If you have some flour, sugar and butter then you are good to go

The only trick is to cream the sugar and butter very well before adding the flour. And once you add the flour just stir around for a few seconds to pull the entire flour into the butter mixture and no more. No kneading as it will harden the cookies or make them chewy. You can add nuts or any favourites to make the cookies more interesting

  

Achari Paneer ... or Pickled Paneer :)

Achari Paneer.... the name itself says everything. Its the pickley taste paneer. Hmm... yummy ... it is perfect as a wonderful side for chapthis / rotis / naans to make your simple meal really tempting. Kids and adults both will like it. I followed the recipe from vahchef's video. Its loaded with a wonderful spice blend that makes the dish taste nice and spicy and tangy... the pickle style

Just to push myself to get into the kitchen my son gave me the idea to try something new with paneer. Checked out this recipe and tried and loved the outcome. I am not sure if I tweaked the recipe anywhere but the dish turned out perfect. Lots of spices in but it definitely for a purpose. If you like a lot of spices in your meal then I can assure this one would be a great addition to our wish list

Dry Fruit Caramel Candy... Dry fruit Brittle

I love chikki, the ones made with jaggery and I love brittle too, the ones made with sugar. They both are almost the same when making but taste entirely different. This mixed dry fruits brittle is made up of caramalized sugar mixed with nuts.When you bite into the brittle it tends to crackle a wonderful flavour in your mouth. I know sugar is not healthy and the better option is the chikki made with jaggery. But its ok to sometimes eenjoy wat you like. This is one of my favourites and I love it any time

I tried making this once couple of years back and it turned out bitter so never bothered to try again. I did not know the reason for the bitterness and so took out the thought of trying again. A few months back was reading someones post on making til chikki. The blog had lots of tips and tricks. Tried it and yes got it right... from then on this recipe has been my go to recipe

Have it any time and enjoy the taste. I make in small batches and store them in airtight containers to enjoy whenever we feel like

  

Steamed Sandesh

Some time back I posted Sandesh recipe. I tried a small batch and it was gone in no time. This here is a steamed version of the same which I loved as much and even more. Again I tried a very small batch here. This recipe is quick and easy to make and also involves very few ingredients. If you have some excess milk at home then you can try this recipe immediately. I loved all paneer/chena related desserts .... say rasgulla, rasmalai, gulab jamun, sandesh, paneer ladoo and the list is never ending :)

The best part in making these desserts is that you can make a big batch in just no time and am sure you will win everyones hearts for the love you show them by serving this :) 

Chicken Kathi Roll... Chicken Frankie

Chicken kathi roll or chicken frankie brings in wonderful flavours to your plate all wrapped up nice and clean that you can never deny to have. All of us at home love chicken frankie. We have it whenever we get a chance. Sometimes when we are not in a mood to eat rice with chicken for lunch I just go ahead and make these rolls to keep it simple and satisfying. Also dont want to forget mentioning that it makes a great after school snack. Kids will enjoy their serving when you surprise them with this in the evening after they are back from school. Those hungry little tummies will sure love it

Make the chicken stuffing and rotis ahead of time. Finally assemble everything together just before eating. Well you can get kids to kelp too when making the final wrap as they would love to stuff their wraps to their own liking.... well my kids sure love to

I make lots of wraps as my kids love to eat it better and faster and less messier that they would normally do with their chapathi and sabji. As they can handle it better they tend to be less fussy and messy about eating and since I get to stuff a lot of veggies/stuffing inside the wrap it it easier to make them eat more veggies than when the sabji is served on the side. So a double plus for a mommy :)
  

Dragon chicken .... a lip-smacking starter

Dragon Chicken is a favourite for all of us in our home. The kids are a big fan of this starter and when I made them at home last week they loved it so much. Its pretty easy to make and came out delicious. It turned out so good that we made it again the very next day but with little changes to the recipe. Well .... the second I made it I did not deep-fry the chicken as the recipe calls instead tried the shallow fry method. To be honest... I felt it was easier to handle and mess-free and best of all consumed very less oil. So I should say shallow-fry method worked like a charm. I havent used any food colour as the recipe calls so you wont get the restaurant-style colour effect here

Talking about the recipe... I checked out a couple of recipes over the internet and the recipe sounded very simple. Marinate chicken, fry them, toss them in with peppers and other spices... finally garnish with fried cashews and thats it you are done. I had all the ingredients needed so gave it a shot and I should say this recipe is definitely a keeper

Sorry about the pics.... poor lighting so they are looking a little darker in the pic than they actually were

  

Madatha kaja...a perfect festive sweet. You will love these mini sized ones :)

I made kajas for the first time this diwali. Of course I did not want to try out a very big batch so planned on making some mini kajas and used very little flour (1 cup) to start with. They turned so yum that they were almost gone within a couple of hours. Finally ended up making some more to share with friends. They are very easy to make and are sure to please the crowd. I found the recipe interesting and the look of this festive sweet was interesting too so that was the drive for me to try it out

Simple dough rolled out and shaped, then deep fried till crisp and then finally dipped in sugar syrup makes it an interesting and tasty sweet. The dough is the main part so if you get it right  then you are good to go. I know I am posting the recipe very late but its ok to archive for later use :)

  

Olive Garden Potato Gnocchi soup.... not chicken and gnocchi but just vegetarian

Olive garden is a perfect place to try out some delicious flavor-filled Italian delicacies. The best part or I should say my favourite part is the fresh, soft and warm bread along with a bowl of creamy soup made with traditional Italian dumplings, chicken and spinach. Yes.... I love Olive garden's Chicken and Gnocchi soup and I have been in love with it from the first time I tried it. Its rich, creamy, bursting with flavors in every spoonful

Its been very very long since I had some so was really eager to make some at home and enjoy a big serving. When checking out some video on youtube I stumbled upon a video saying "olive garden copycat gnocchi soup". I was really tempted to have some so just went through the video to check out the recipe. The recipe was pretty much very simple and I had almost all the ingredients except celery. But I remember from of the tv food shows that we can use coriander stalks chopped finely as an alternative to celery if not as an exact substitute. So I thought y not giving it a try. Now the next part was the gnocchi part. The recipe called for store-bought ones which ofcourse I did not have so did a quick search for homemade potato gnocchi too. The recipes were simple and I could bring the soup together in no time

This soup recipe is definitely a keeper. I enjoyed it till the last drop ;) But next I am planning to make some breadsticks as well to go with the soup.... say .. I want it to eat it the Olive garden way ;)

  

Soft and delicious naan... using yeast

Who loves naan?????  Well..... I guess almost all of us do. And if I say homemade naan is very simple to make and much tastier too then who would not love to try it. Our family loves to eat naan and we all have different liking when it comes to brushing the toppings. A rich gravy with soft and buttery naan makes an awesome and royal dinner. If planning a special evening dinner then why not make naan to make everybody happy. This recipe yields very soft naans which no one will be able to resist

My kids wanted to help me out when I wanted to roll out the naans so dont mind the odd shaped ones.... that was a lot for those little hands to make. They are just made with love so no complaints. And yes what a proud moment they felt when I took pictures of the ones that they rolled out. Love my kiddos for all that they are 

Coming back to the recipe, hands on time is almost the same as making chapathis or rotis but the dough-resting time is a little longer than usual. This is what makes it specially soft and tasty. Plan it a little in advance and enjoy a great dinner