Baked Tortilla Chips

Baked Tortilla Chips

Ingredients
All purpose flour / Maida flour- 1 cup
Cooking soda - 1/4 tsp
Butter or Olive Oil or Lard- 2 tbsp
Hot water- 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

Tortilla Chips with Salsa

Method
1. In a large bowl combine flour, cooking soda, required salt and butter, mix well with your fingers until it resembles bread crumbs.
2. Add hot water to the flour little by little and knead flour for 10 mins until a smooth and soft dough is formed.
3. Set aside the tortilla dough for 5 mins. Take a lemon sized dough and roll out into thin and even circle. Prick flattened dough with fork and cut into several triangle shapes.
4. Pre - heat oven to 200c, place the triangle shaped dough pieces on a oven proof cookie sheet or tray leaving some spaces between each dough.
5. Bake until tortilla chips are crisp and golden browned.
6. Place the chips on wire rack allow to cool and store it in air tight container.
Serve with Mexican Salsa----> click for the salsa recipe

Naan Recipe - How to make Butter Naan in Oven

Naan Recipe

Ingredients

Maida / All purpose flour - 4 cups

Thick Curd - 4 tbsp

Warm milk - 1/2 cup

Dry yeast - 2 tbsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Water if required

Garnish

Butter, Chopped garlic, Chopped coriander, Sesame seeds etc to spread over Naan

How to make Naan

Method

1. In a bowl add yeast & sugar to warm milk and mix well.

2. Cover the bowl and set aside to rest until the yeast in milk ferments and becomes frothy.

3. In a large bowl add flour, salt, curd and fermented milk. 

4. Mix the flour and knead dough well for 7 mins until dough becomes soft. 

5. Cover the dough in the bowl with damp cloth and set aside for atleast 4 hours or until the dough to raise & double in size. 

6. Once naan dough doubles in size divide the dough into equal sized balls. 

7. Roll the dough into oval triangular shapes.( to get the oval triangular shape of naan, first roll the dough in oval shape then at one oval end roll the dough in opposite direction so that one end gets wider and other end gets narrow). 

8. Pre-heat oven to 180C to 200C depending on your oven, place the rolled naan on greased cookie sheet.

9. Place the cookie sheet in the top rack of the oven and bake for 3 mins on each side or until golden bubbles appear on top of naan.

10. Transfer the baked naan to a plate and generously spread butter on top on hot naan. 

Serve hot butter naan with palak paneer, butter chicken etc.

Tips

While finally rolling out naan sprinkle chopped garlic and coriander for garlic naan or sprinkle chopped dried fruits and nuts for Kashmiri naan or sprinkle some sesame seeds to keep it humble. 

Click here to learn how to make Naan in tawa or pan.

Naan Bread Recipe

Aloo Masala Sandwich

Aloo Masala Sandwich

Ingredients

Aloo tikki - click here for recipe

Green chutney - click here for recipe

Sandwich Bread

Finely chopped onion

Finely Chopped tomato

Finely Chopped green chilli

Finely Chopped coriander leaves

Aloo bhujiya or Sev

Butter

Potato Sandwich

Method

Spread butter on a slice of bread on both sides. Toast the bread on hot tawa until crispy. On one side of toasted bread spread a tsp of green chutney. Slightly smash aloo tikki and place on top of green chutney. Sprinkle some chopped onion, chopped tomato, chopped green chilli, chopped coriander and sev. Cover with another toasted bread slice and serve.

Indian Bread Sandwich

Strawberry Muffins Recipe

How to make strawberry muffins

I had adapted this easy strawberry muffin recipe from here and made many changes to suit my taste. I love my muffins to be moist and nicely browned, the outcome was excellent.

Strawberry Muffins

Ingredients

Maida/ All purpose flour- 1 and 1/2 cups

Sugar- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp

Salt- 1/2 tsp

Baking powder- 2 tsp

Egg- 1 no

Milk- 3/4 cup

Oil- 1/4 cup

Vanilla essence- 1 tsp

Strawberry chopped- 1 cup

Moist Strawberry Muffin

Method

Preheat oven to 200° Celsius. Grease an 12 cup muffin pan or use paper cups. 

Combine oil, milk, vanilla essence and egg in a bowl and beat well with fork.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in large bowl and mix well.

Now add chopped strawberries to the flour and stir to coat with flour.

Reserve some chopped strawberries to top the muffins.

Pour in the milk mixture to the flour in bowl and stir together until smooth.

Fill the muffin cups. 

Bake muffins at 200° Celsius for 12 mins or until the tops bounce back from the touch. 

Cool 10 minutes and remove from pans.

Strawberry Muffin

Sending this recipe to Valentine's day recipe contest held by Priya's Versatile Recipes

Cheesy Croutons- Kids Lunch box recipes

Cheesy croutons

Ingredients

Sandwich bread- 2 slices

Tomato sauce/ ketchup- 1 tsp

Cheese slice- 1 no

Cheese breads

Method

Pre heat oven at 180 °C.

Trim the brown sides of bread slices.

On one side of bread slice spread 1 tsp tomato sauce. Place cheese slice on top of tomato sauce spread side. And top with another slices of bread. Slightly press on top of bread. Cut the bread to nine cubes. Place the bread cubes on baking tray and toast until bread is crisp.

Mini cheese breads

Smiley Potato Sandwich- Kids Lunch box recipes Indian

Quick Potato Sandwich for Kids

Ingredients

Sweet bread slices- 2 nos

Potato smileys- 2 nos

Mayonnaise- 1 tsp

Tomato ketchup- 1 tsp

Salt and White pepper- if required

Butter- 1/2 tsp

Potato Sandwich

Method

Deep fry the potato smileys till golden brown as per the package instructions. Allow the potato smileys to cool and slightly press potato smileys between paper towel. Remove the pressed potato smileys from paper and set aside.

Trim the brown edges of the bread slices.

Take a bread slice, on one side apply the mayonnaise, place two pressed potato smileys on the mayonnaise applied bread side, season with salt and pepper if required.

Take another bread slice and apply tomato ketchup on one side, cover the potato smileys with tomato ketchup side bread slice. Slightly press the sandwich on top. Heat pan and add butter, when butter starts to melt place the bread sandwich and toast on both sides until golden brown. Halve the Smiley potato sandwich and serve.

Tips

Try using whole wheat bread instead of sweet bread.

You can bake potato smileys instead of frying.

You can replace mayonnaise or tomato ketchup with mint chutney, salsa or guacamole.

Replace olive oil instead of butter.

Eggless Banana Walnut Cake

This an basic Eggless Banana Cake recipe, this recipe can also be prepared in muffin molds to make Eggless Banana Muffin recipe. I have added chopped walnuts( akrot) to this recipe try adding chopped almonds( badam), cashew nuts or any nuts of your choice.

Eggless Banana Walnut Cake

Ingredients

Banana ripened- 4 nos( Dole or Morris variety)

Powdered Sugar- 3/4 cup

All purpose flour or Maida- 1 and 1/2 cup

Butter- 200 gms( at room temprature)

Banana essence or Vanilla essence- 1 and 1/2 tsp

Baking powder and Baking soda- each 3/4 tsp

Walnuts chopped- 100 gms

Banana Nut Cake

Method

Mash the banana well without any lumps to puree.

In mixing bowl add butter, powdered sugar, banana essence, banana puree and mix well until sugar is dissolved and everything blended well.

Sieve all purpose flour along with baking powder and baking soda, add this sieved flour to the mixing bowl with banana puree and gently fold the batter until everything blended well and creamy cake batter is formed.

Add the chopped walnuts to the banana cake batter and fold well, reserve some chopped walnuts for garnishing top of the cake.

Grease loaf pan with 1/2 tbsp butter, pre-heat oven at 350°F or 180°C, fill 3/4th of the loaf pan with cake batter and top it with chopped walnuts.

Place the batter filled loaf pan in the center rack of the oven and bake cake for 55 mins until the top of the cake is golden brown

( insert a knife in the center of the cake to check if it is done, if the knife comes out clean then cake is done).

Allow the cake to cool for 20 mins before removing it from pan, after removing the cake place on wire rack and allow it to cool again for 10 mins.

Enjoy Eggless Banana Walnut Cake with chocolate sauce if preferred.

Eggless Banana Cake

Chilli Cheese Toast.

Chilli Cheese Toast

Ingredients

White Bread Slices- 6 nos

Sharp Cheddar Cheese or processed cheese( grated)- 1 cup

Capsicum/ Green bell pepper( finely chopped)- 1 no

Onion large( finely chopped)- 1 no

Green chili( minced)- 4 nos

Green coriander leaves/ Cilantro( chopped)- few tbsp

Butter- 3 tbsp

Mayonnaise- 3 tbsp

Salt to taste

Indian Chilli Cheese Toast

Method

In a bowl combine chopped onion, capsicum, green chili, coriander leaves and required salt, mix well. Spread 1/2 tbsp butter on one side of each bread slices. On the other side of bread slice spread 1/2 tbsp mayonnaise. On the mayonnaise side, top with capsicum-onion mixture and sprinkle grated cheese on top generously.

To bake in oven

Pre- heat oven at 300 f, place the prepared bread slices with butter side down on a greased baking tray. Place the baking tray in the center rack of the oven and bake until cheese melts.

To cook in tawa/ griddle

Heat tawa/ griddle and grease with 1 tsp oil, reduce heat to medium and place the prepared bread slices with butter sided down on tawa/ griddle. Cover the tawa/ griddle with large lid, cook for 2 mins until cheese melts. 

Chilli Cheese Toast

Basic Devil's Food Cake Recipe- without frosting

Devils Food Cake

Ingredients

All purpose flour- 1 and 3/4 cups

Baking powder- 2 tsp

Baking soda- 3/4 tsp

Salt- 3/4 tsp

Unsalted butter- 11 tbsp

Sugar granulated- 1 and 1/2 cups

Cadburys cocoa powder- 2/3 cup

Egg- 2 nos

Vanilla essence- 1 tsp

Warm water- 1 and 1/3 cups

Method

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

Beat butter in a bowl until creamy with help of electric beater, add sugar, cocoa powder, eggs and vanilla essence one by one to the butter, beat until well blended.

At low speed add both flour mixture and warm water one by one to the butter mixture, mix on low speed for 30 secs.

Pre heat oven at 325 F, grease 9 x 3 inch pan.

Pour prepared cake batter to the pan.

Bake cake in the center rack of the oven for 45 mins, bake until a knife comes out clean when inserted in the center of baked cake.

Cool on wired rack and cut Devils Food Cake into desired slices.

Devils Food Cake- Basic recipe

Recipe Courtesy

The Cake Book

Tish Boyle

Masala Buns/ Vegetable Stuffed Buns.

Masala Buns

Ingredients for Bun

Flour- 5 3/4 cups( 700 gms)

Salt- 1 tsp

Butter- 30 gms

Sugar- 2 tsp

Warm Water- 1 cup

Warm Milk- 3/4 cup

Dried active yeast- 2 tsp

Egg white( beaten)- 1 no( for egg wash)

Ingredients for Vegetable Stuffing

Potato large( chopped)- 1 no

Carrot medium( chopped)- 1 no

Beans or Capsicum( chopped)- 1/2 cup

Peas- 1/2 cup

Red chilli powder- 1 tsp

Garam masala powder- 2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil- 1 tbsp

Vegetable Stuffed Buns

How to make Vegetable Stuffing

Heat 1 tbsp oil in pan, when hot add the cumin seeds and allow to crackle.

Add potatoes, carrots, beans and peas to the pan, fry the vegetables for 5 mins.

Add red chilli powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder and salt to the vegetables and saute for few more mins.

Add very little water to the frying vegetables and cook until potatoes are done and vegetables stuffing is dry.

Set the vegetable stuffing aside and allow to cool.

How to make Buns

Dissolve sugar in warm water and sprinkle yeast on top, leave this mixture until frothy.

Sieve flour and salt together in a large bowl, rub butter into flour and mix in yeast liquid and warm milk. Work to firm and smooth dough, until sides of bowl are clean.

Turn the dough on to a floured table and knead thoroughly for about 10 mins.

Place the dough in greased bowl, cover with wet cloth and allow the dough to rise until double in size.

Once the dough is raised, divide the dough into equal sized balls.

Press each dough between your palms into small discs, keep the filling in the center of dough and roll into balls( make sure the stuffing is secure inside dough ball).

On a greased baking tray place all of the stuffed dough balls and allow the balls to rest in tray for another 30 mins( once again the dough balls will double in size). 

Brush the top of the stuffed doughs with egg wash.

Meanwhile pre-heat oven at 400f, place the tray with stuffed dough in the center rack of the oven and bake until Buns are golden brown.

Place the Masala Buns on wired rack and allow to reach room temperature.

Serve the Masala Buns as snack or for breakfast.

Egg Puffs( Indian style curried eggs in puff pastry)

Ingredients

Pepperidge farm puff pastry-1 sheet

Eggs-4

Onion large( thinly sliced)-1

Tomato large( chopped)-1

Curry leaves-2 sprigs

Red chilli powder-1 1/2tsp( +/-)

Cumin powder-1tsp

Turmeric powder-1/4tsp

Salt to taste

Oil required.

Method

Thaw the puff pastry sheet for 1 hour, place the thawed pastry sheet on a floured kitchen surface and cut one sheet into 9 equal squares. Hard-boil the eggs, remove the shell and halve them. Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan, when oil is hot add the sliced onions and curry leaves, saute onions until they turn light brown. Now add the chopped tomatoes and cook until they are mashed. Next add red chilli powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and required salt. Saute for few more mins until the masala powders are cooked, remove pan from heat and allow onion mixture to cool. Pre-heat oven at 400F( or as per box instructions), place a parchment paper or a foil paper on a baking tray. Take one puff pastry square, slightly flour pastry square on both sides( so that pastry sheet do not stick to you fingers), place spoonful of curried onion mixture in the center of pastry square and place half boiled egg on the top of curried mixture. Slightly wet two corners of pastry sheet with water and bring both corners of the pastry sheet together pressing firmly with finger and place the prepared puff in the baking tray. Do the same for the rest of the pastry sheets. Place the baking tray in the center rack of the hot oven. Bake for 15mins or until the puff pastry turns golden brown and flaky. Serve Egg puffs hot with tomato ketchup or mint chutney.

Vegetable puffs( Indian style curried vegetable in puff pastry).

Ingredients

Pepperidge farm puff pastry-1 sheet

Onion large( thinly sliced)-1

Carrot( chopped)-1cup

Green peas-1cup

Tomato large( chopped)-1

Curry leaves-2 sprigs

Red chilli powder-1 1/2tsp( +/-)

Cumin powder-1tsp

Turmeric powder-1/4tsp

Salt to taste

Oil required.

Method

Thaw the puff pastry sheet for 1 hour, place the thawed pastry sheet on a floured kitchen surface and cut one sheet into 9 equal squares. Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan, when oil is hot add the sliced onions and curry leaves, saute onions until they turn light brown. Now add the chopped carrots, green peas and tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are mashed. Next add red chilli powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and required salt. Saute for few more mins until the masala powders are cooked, remove pan from heat and allow onion mixture to cool. Pre-heat oven at 400F( or as per box instructions), place a parchment paper or a foil paper on a baking tray. Take one puff pastry square, slightly flour pastry square on both sides( so that pastry sheet do not stick to you fingers), place a spoonful of curried vegetable mixture in the center of pastry square. Slightly wet the sides of pastry square with water and fold the pastry sheet into half like a triangle. Press the sides of the pastry firmly with finger and place the prepared puff in the baking tray. Do the same for the rest of the pastry sheets. Place the baking tray in the center rack of the hot oven. Bake for 15mins or until the puff pastry turns golden brown and flaky. Serve Vegetable puffs hot with tomato ketchup or mint chutney.

Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:

Unsalted butter-250gms

Cream cheese-250gms

Powdered sugar-400gms

Pure vanilla extract-2tsp

Cake Batter Ingredients:

Maida/ All purpose flour-4cups

Unsweetened cocoa powder-2tsp

Baking soda-1 1/2tsp

Sugar-3 1/2cups

Salt-1tsp

Red food color- required

Eggs-3

Vegetable oil-1 3/4cups

Buttermilk-1 1/2cups

Pure vanilla extract-2tsp

Vinegar-1tsp

Method

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Place the cupcake cups inside the muffin tray.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a large bowl beat sugar, oil and buttermilk together with a electric mixer, gradually add eggs, vanilla extract, vinegar, food color and beat well. Next gradually add the sifted flour mixture and beat at low speed or fold it with spatula until well combined( do not over mix). Fill the muffin cups 3/4th with the cake batter. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove the cup cakes and place on wire rack until they are cooled. To make cream cheese frosting, beat the butter and cream cheese to a smooth paste with electric mixer. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat until smooth and thick. Place a spoonful of frosting on a cupcake and smooth it to cover the top or add frosting to a piping bag and pipe frosting on cupcake to cover the top.

(Optional: I have decorated with dried Cranberry on top.)

Adapted from Bobby Flay Throwdown.

Brownie Home-Style.

Ingredients

Butter( thawed)-8tbsp

Chocolate( broken into pieces)-225gms

Eggs-2

Sugar-1/2 cup(+/- according to the sweetness of chocolate used)

Vanilla extract-1tsp

All purpose flour-1/4cup

Method

Grease a baking pan with 1tbsp butter. Melt rest of the butter with the broken chocolate pieces by double boiling method. In a bowl beat eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together with beater until the egg mixture reaches whipped cream consistency. Now add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat well. Add flour to this mixture and beat at slow speed until the flour is well absorbed. Pour this brownie mixture into the greased pan. Pre heat oven to 375°, bake the brownie for 30 mins or until done. Slide a toothpick in the center of brownie pan, if the toothpick comes out clean then brownie is done. Allow the brownie to cool for 1 hour and cut into desired shapes. 

Recipe Courtesy: LadyJay, Big Oven.

Soft Dinner Rolls.

I would like to thank my Blogger Friends and Visitors for your continued support and encouragement on helping me to reach my 200th post and nearing 30,000 unique visitors.

Soft Dinner Rolls

Ingredients

2 1/2 tsp dry yeast

1 cup( 250 ml) milk

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

2 tbsp sugar

2 eggs, beaten

4 cups ( 560gms) unbleached flour

2tsp salt

For egg wash

1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp milk

Method

Heat milk till lukewarm. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in half cup of milk( 125ml) and rest aside for 15 mins until yeast reacts and rise.

To the other half cup of milk, add melted butter and beaten eggs, mix well until everything is well combined.

Sieve flour with salt, make well in the center pour both the dissolved yeast and butter mixed with  milk mixture. Knead the flour until smooth and elastic.

( If the dough is too sticky, add 1tbsp of flour at a time and knead. Do not add too much of flour, as the dough should be soft, not dry and hard).

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with wet towel, rest aside for 1 1/2 hour until the dough doubles in size.

After 1 1/2 hour punch down the dough and transfer to working surface( cleaned kitchen table), and knead again for 10 mins.

Shape the dough into bow-knot rolls or snail rolls or the shape you desire. 

Place the shaped dough on buttered baking tray or buttered baking sheets and cover with wet towel. Set aside for 30 mins, proof until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 425°F/220°C, brush each roll with egg wash and bake for 15 to 20 mins until golden.

Cool the dinner rolls on wire rack and wrap them in napkins to keep them warm.

Recipe Courtesy

Ultimate Bread Book

By

Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigno

Mushroom and Spinach Pizza

Pizza Base Ingredients:

Water- 250ml

All Purpose flour/Maida- 5cups

Olive oil- 5tsp

Salt- 1tsp

Sugar- 2tsp

Yeast- 7gms

Topping Ingredients:

Onion small sliced-1

Capsicum/ Bell pepper small sliced-1

Mushroom chopped-1/2cup

Spinach chopped-1/2cup

Readymade Pizza sauce-1cup

Dried Oregano, Basil and Parsley-few tsps.

Mozzarella cheese-2cups.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Method:

Take a large bowl add warm water, sprinkle in yeast, sugar, salt, olive oil

and a cup of all-purpose flour. Mix well and let it stand covered for 10

minutes. Mix this yeast mixture into the dry flour. Knead this mixture

till soft dough for 5 mins. Set aside, cover with wet cloth for 1 hour. After an hour knead again for 3 minutes and rest it for another 30 mins. Take a lump of dough and roll into a pizza base. On the pizza base spread the pizza sauce, sprinkle pepper and salt and dried herbs as required, add enough toppings. Cover the pizza toppings with mozzarella cheese and 2tbsp of olive oil. Pre-heat oven at 450F and bake till base is crisp and light or about 10 mins.