Desserts & more, Recipes

Pina Colada Tiramisu

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Pina Colada Tiramisu

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 16

Ingredients
  • 1 7 oz. packet of lady fingers
  • ¾ cup pineapple juice
  • 8 oz. Mascarpone cheese
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ Container (9 oz.) of Coconut whipped topping (defrosted for an hour)
  • ¼ cup coconut cream
  • ¼ cup confectioners sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or rum extract or rum
  • 1 cup pineapple (fresh or canned (drained)), ¼ inch diced
  • ½ cup sweetened coconut flakes
  • ½ cup toasted sweetened coconut flakes
Directions
  1. In a stand mixture, whip mascarpone cheese on medium speed until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Add heavy cream, coconut cream and whipped topping. Whip them on medium speed until everything is well combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Add confectioners sugar and extract or rum. Whipped mixture for 4 to 5 minutes, initially on low speed and then on high speed until light and fluffy.
  2. Add diced pineapple and sweetened coconut and whip for 30 seconds.
  3. Soak ½ of lady fingers one by one in pineapple juice and arrange in single layer in 8 inch sqaure glass baking dish. Adjust the size of lady fingers to fit into single layer if needed. Layer evenly ½ of cream on top of lady fingers.
  4. Repeat step 3 on top of cream one more time. Sprinkle toasted coconut flakes on top evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate alteast 4 hours before serving.

 

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Flat Breads, Recipes

Puran Poli

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Puran Poli

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 6

Puran (filling) Poli (flat bread) is one of my husband and his family's favorite dishes. During a holiday/festival you are bound to find it during meals at his family home in Gujarat, India.
Ingredients
For filling (puran):
  • 1 cup toover dal (split pigeon peas)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
For dough:
  • 2 cups chapatti or whole wheat flour
  • 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon neutral oil
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ cup or less all-purpose flour, for rolling and dusting
  • ¼ cup or less ghee (clarified butter), for brushing
Directions
  1. Wash split pigeon peas few times. For oily dal make sure all the oil is washed off. Soak in about 2 cups of water for 1 to 2 hours or until peas are soft in a medium size soup pot. (Soaking is optional).
  2. Cover dal with a lid and cook it with water on a medium heat until peas are very soft, about one hour. Dal can also be cooked in a pressure cooker, according to manufacturer’s direction.
  3. While dal is cooking make dough. Put chapatti or whole wheat flour in a medium mixing bowl. Add salt and 2 tablespoons oil and mix it with hands. Gradually add water and knead until it makes soft and smooth dough. Cover the dough with a plate or a kitchen towel and let it rest while dal is cooking and you make the filling.
  4. Once dal is cooked, add sugar and cook until mixture thickens, stirring frequently, about 25 to 30 minutes. (You can also cook filling in microwave uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes). Let filling cool for 45 minutes to an hour or until cool to handle. Add cardamom and nutmeg and stir to combine. Divide filling into 12 to 15 equal portions and roll into balls.
  5. Pour 1 teaspoon oil on top of the dough and knead it few times until smooth. Divide the dough into 12 to 15 equal portions and roll into balls.
  6. Put about half a cup of all-purpose flour into a flat dish. Dip the ball of dough into flour and flatten it on a smooth cutting board (wooden or marble). Dip the flatten dough into flour again on both sides. First roll out a biscuit size (about 3 inch in diameter) small circle. Put one ball of filling in the middle. Gradually make folds around the edges to cover filling. Pinch the folds together, twist the dough on top and press the dough down so that it makes small circle. Dip the circle into flour on both sides .Roll out into a circle about 6 inches in diameter, dusting with flour if the dough starts sticking to the board. If some stuffing comes out or dough breaks, it’s fine.
  7. Heat a griddle or a flat non-stick pan on a medium heat. Transfer puran poli on to heated pan. Let the first side cook for 30 seconds to 40 seconds or until small bubbles appear on surface and flip to the other side. Let the other side cook for one minute. Remove from the heat. Brush the first side with about 1 teaspoon of ghee. Repeat the process with all the remaining dough and filling balls. Stack cooked puran poli. Serve warm with a shaak (vegetable) like okra, tindola or bataka ni sukhi bhaji.
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Desserts & more, Recipes

Blueberry and Peach Egg less Cake

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Blueberry and Peach Egg less Cake

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 16

Ingredients
For Blueberry Cake:
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ⅓ cup ground freeze dried blueberry (fine powder)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 12 to 15 drops of blue food color
For Peach Cake:
  • Same ingredients as blueberry cake except ground freeze dried blueberry and blue food color
  • ⅓ cup ground freeze dried peaches (fine powder)
  • 12 to 15 drops of yellow food color
For Icing:
  • ½ stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 12 to 15 drops of yellow food color
For decorating:
  • 1 to 1 ½ cups blue berries
  • 1 peach, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon apricot jam with 1 teaspoon water
Directions
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Prepare 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking pan by spraying non-stick spray or baking spray.
  3. Make blueberry cake: Combine flour, ground freeze dried blueberry, baking powder, salt in a medium mixing bowl.
  4. In a measuring cup, whisk together buttermilk, vanilla and baking soda until well combine, 1 minute.
  5. In another medium mixing bowl whisk together sugar and oil until sugar is dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ⅓ of flour mixture and ⅓ of buttermilk mixture and whisk to combine with sugar and oil, 1 minute. Repeat the process for two more times. Stir the batter with spatula to combine everything.
  6. Repeat steps 3 to 5 for peach cake.
  7. First pour blueberry batter into baking pan and level it with offset spatula. Next pour peach batter and level it. Since the batters are thick, they remain separate. Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cake cool down in pan for 15 to 20 minutes. Invert cake on a cake stand and let it completely cool, at least 3 hours.
  8. Whisk together ingredients of icing in a stand mixture.
  9. Once cake is cool, ice the cake. On top of icing, on one triangle arrange blue berries and another triangle arrange peach slices. Warm apricot jam with water in a microwave for 30 seconds. Brush blueberries and peach slices with apricot glaze. Refrigerate cake for at least 2 hours before serving. Keep left over cake refrigerated and serve within 2 to 3 days.
Notes
You can also other freeze dried fruits to make this cake. To make fine powder of freeze dried fruit, use spice or coffee grinder.

 

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Desserts & more, Recipes

Tri-Color Cake

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On January 26, India celebrates Republic Day with a parade in New Delhi. This year’s parade was very special for all of my family, the city of Vadodara, and the state of Gujarat. For the very first time the parade was led by a Gujarati Lt. General, who also happens to be my cousin. To mark this day I made a cake which represents the three colors of Indian flag. I adapted the recipe of Italian Rainbow Cookies to reflect the three colors of the Indian flag: orange, white and green. I used apricot jam and omitted the chocolate coating on top in the recipe.

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Recipes, Sweets

Tea Masala Cookies with Candied Ginger

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Tea Masala Cookies with Candied Ginger

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 24

During Diwali festival, variety of snacks including cookies are made to share with family, neighbors and guests. I developed this recipe during that time.
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ cups AP flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons tea masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted soften butter
  • 1 large egg or ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup candied ginger, roughly chopped in bite size pieces
Directions
  1. Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, tea masala and cardamom in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
  3. In a bowl of stand mixture, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add an egg or heavy cream and beat for 30 seconds or until combined. Scrap sides of bowl to combine everything.
  4. Add flour and beat to combine on low speed for 30 seconds or until flour is just combined. Remove the bowl.
  5. Add candied ginger and stir to combine with dough.
  6. Using a small ice cream scoop, drop cookies on parchment paper lined cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches of space in between.
  7. Bake for 9 to 10 minutes or until edges are turning light golden brown.

 

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Recipes, Sweets

Gulab Jamun

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Gulab Jamun

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 8

Donuts soaked in sugar syrup
Ingredients
  • ½ cup whole milk ricotta cheese, drained
  • ½ cup milk powder
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon arrowroot flour or corn starch
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons whole milk yogurt
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons ghee or unsalted butter
  • Vegetable oil or vegetable shortening for frying
Syrup:
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar
  • ¾ cup water
  • 3-4 threads of saffron
  • 3 whole cardamom pods
Directions
  1. Make Syrup: Combine water and sugar in a large sauce pan. Bring to boil on a medium high heat. Open cardamom pods slightly. Turn heat to low; add saffron and cardamom pods to syrup. Let it simmer on low heat for 10 to 12 minutes.
  2. While syrup is cooking, first combine milk powder, flour, arrowroot flour (or corn starch) and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl. Add ricotta, one tablespoon of yogurt and with your hands knead into soft dough. If mixture is too dry, add one more tablespoon of yogurt. To avoid dough sticking to hands, spread butter or ghee on your hands.
  3. Divide the dough into 30 or so equal portions and form into balls (gulab jamun). Keep it covered with a kitchen towel.
  4. Heat oil or shortening in a frying pan on medium-high heat until hot enough for frying. Reduce heat to medium. Fry 6 to 7 gulab jamun at a time, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain excess oil on paper towel and immediately drop them into sugar syrup. Repeat process for rest of gulab jamun. Let gulab jamun soak in sugar syrup for at least 3 hours before serving. Can be served warm or at room temperature as a sweet or a snack.
Notes
Gulab Jamun in made with milk fudge, known as mava, in India. Replacing it with ricotta cheese and milk powder gives same flavor and texture.

 

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Recipes, Vegetable Forward

Veg. Thanksgiving 2016

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Tandoori Cauliflower
This delicious recipe of tandoori cauliflower with spiced yogurt by Kelsey Nixon made a great center piece for a vegetarian Thanksgiving.

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Spicy Potatoes

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 8

Ingredients
  • 2 lb. bag of assorted color baby potatoes
  • 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 2 serrano chilies, thinly sliced
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, finely minced
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon asafetida
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground cumin and coriander)
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 3 tablespoons cilantro, for garnish
Directions
  1. Wash potatoes and cut them in half.
  2. In a large cast iron pan or non-stick pan, heat oil on a medium-high heat until shimmering, 2-3 minutes. Add cumin seeds once oil is hot and let them sizzle. Add asafetida, shallot, green chili and ginger. Sauté them for 2-3 minutes.
  3. Lower heat to medium. Add turmeric, chili powder and dhana-jeeru. Stir in spices with shallot mixture. Add potatoes, season with salt and stir everything so that potatoes are covered with spices. Cover the pan and let potatoes cook until tender, 7 to 10 minutes, stirring few times.
  4. Once potatoes are cooked, uncover the pan and let potatoes brown and become crispy for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with any Indian flat bread.

 
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Mixed Mashed Potatoes

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 8

Ingredients
  • 2 large russet potatoes
  • 2 large Yukon gold potatoes
  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Directions
  1. Peel and cut potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Transfer them to a Dutch oven or a large pot. Cover the potatoes with water and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover the pot and let potatoes cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile combine milk, heavy cream and 3 tablespoons of butter in a small pot and warm it.
  3. Drain potatoes once they are cooked and transfer them to same pot. On low heat, mash the potatoes with a potato masher or a ricer. Stir in milk mixture and cheese with mashed potatoes. Save some milk if you are not going to serve mashed potatoes immediately. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Just before serving, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pan. Add cumin seeds and paprika in melted butter, let it toast for 30 seconds and pour over mashed potatoes.

 
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Tomato and Pumpkin Gravy

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 8

Ingredients
  • ½ 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree
  • 2 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • 1 medium shallot, roughly chopped
  • 1 medium tomato, roughly chopped
  • 2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 Jalapeno pepper, roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon dhana-jeeru (spice blend of ground coriander and cumin)
  • 2 tablespoons kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves), see Note.
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon sugar or to taste
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
Directions
  1. Combine tomato sauce, pumpkin puree, almond butter, corn starch, shallot, tomato, ginger, jalapeno and garlic in a blender bowl. Blend all the ingredients until smooth sauce. Set it aside.
  2. Heat butter and oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Once butter is melted, add the pumpkin-tomato sauce. Add all the dry spices and stir the sauce. Season with salt and sugar. Cover the pot and let gravy cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. If gravy is too thick add some water.
  3. Uncover the pot, stir in heavy cream. Let gravy cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly until cream is well combined.
Notes
Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) can be purchased from Indian grocery stores.

 
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Paella with Roasted Vegetables

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 8

Ingredients
Roasted Vegetables:
  • 1 green bell pepper, 1 inch diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, 1 inch diced
  • 1 small zucchini, 1 inch diced
  • 1 small yellow squash, 1 inch diced
  • 1 medium carrot, 1 inch diced
  • 1 15oz. can baby artichokes, well drain
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
Tofu Chorizo:
  • ½ of 10.5oz. package of extra firm tofu
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • Pinch of cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
Paella:
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 leek, thinly sliced, white and light green parts
  • 1 large red onion, ½ inch diced
  • 4 plum tomatoes, ½ inch diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon Spanish paprika
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 cups basmati rice or short grain rice
  • ¼ teaspoon saffron
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, for garnish
Directions
  1. Roasted vegetables: Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine vegetables for roasting in a large mixing bowl. Toss the vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to a large baking sheet and arrange vegetables in a single layer. Roast the vegetables for 30 to 35 minutes or until vegetables are slightly brown. Keep them aside.
  2. Tofu Chorizo: Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick spray. Combine dry spices and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Crumble tofu on top of spices in tiny pieces. Drizzle oil and vinegar over it. Stir tofu with spices until well coated. Transfer tofu to a baking pan and make a single layer. Bake tofu in the same pre-heated oven until tofu is brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Keep it aside.
  3. In a medium sauce pan warm stock. Add saffron to stock and keep it warm.
  4. In a large cast iron pan or paella pan, heat oil on a medium high heat. Sauté leeks and onions with pinch of salt until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes and sauté them until tomatoes break down, 3 to 4 minutes. Make a space for tomato paste and sauté it for a minute. Stir everything and sauté for a minute.
  5. Add rice, paprika, black pepper and sauté with onions and tomatoes until rice is well coated with oil, 2 minutes. Add warm broth and let rice cook until almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
  6. Remove artichokes from roasted vegetables, add rest of the vegetables to rice and stir. Add tofu chorizo and stir rice. Level rice and arrange artichoke and green peas on top. Let rice cook for another 4 to 5 minutes.
  7. Before serving, garnish with cilantro.

 
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Brussel Sprouts and Green Apple Slaw

Prep time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 8

Ingredients
  • 1 lb. Brussel sprouts
  • 1 delicious green apple
  • Seeds from ½ pomegranate
  • ¼ cup mint leaves
Dressing:
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, finely minced
  • ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil
Directions
  1. Make dressing: Combine all ingredients of dressing in a small mixing bowl except oil. Whisk everything until salt is melted. Slowly drizzle oil while whisking until dressing emulsifies. Set it aside.
  2. Wash and drain Brussel sprouts. Cut them in half and thinly sliced them. Remove core of apple and cut it in matchsticks roughly same size as Brussel sprouts. Combine them in large salad bowl and dress the slaw. You can dress the slaw up to two hours in advance.
  3. Just before serving, spread pomegranate seeds and mint leaves on top.

 
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Cranberry Orange Chutney
Click on chutney to find recipe.

 
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Eggless Pecan Pie
I tweaked recipe of Chocolate Caramel Crunch Pie from Giada De Laurentis to make it as an eggless pecan pie. I replaced walnuts with pecans, semi-sweet chocolate with dark chocolate and 24 oz. dulce de leche with 8 oz. dulce de leche and 8 oz. salted caramel sauce. For a crust, I used 1 ½ cups of honey nut cheerios cereal instead of graham crackers. I forget to buy graham crackers, the crust with cereal turned out great.

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Recipes, Sweets

Ghughra

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Ghughra

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 20

This sweet snack (Empanadas) is made during the festival of Diwali.
Ingredients
For Filling:
  • ⅔ cup or more Ghee (clarified butter)
  • 1 cup fine ravo (crème of wheat)
  • ¼ cup coconut or almond flour
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup confectioner sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
For Dough:
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons Crisco Shortening, cold and cut into ½ inch dice
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, cold and cut into ½ inch dice
  • ¾ cup or more cold water
For Frying:
  • 1 ½ cups Crisco shortening (or neutral oil)
Directions
  1. Make dough: In a bowl of food processor combine all-purpose flour, salt, Crisco and butter by pulsing 10 to 12 times, until mealy. With a processor running, gradually add water until soft dough comes together. Remove from bowl and knead the dough until smooth. If dough sticks use some flour. Transfer to a bowl and cover with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour while you make filling.
  2. Heat ghee in a wok or a frying pan on low heat, 1 minute. Add crème of wheat and combine with ghee. If the mixer looks dry, add more ghee, one tablespoon at a time. Increase heat to medium high. Sauté crème of wheat until it becomes very light, fluffy and light golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. You will also see separated ghee, which is fine. Off the heat, add coconut or almond flour and cardamom. Let it cool down for 30 minutes. Add both sugars to filling. Adjust sweetness. If the mixer looks dry, add more ghee, one tablespoon at a time. The filling should stay together.
  3. Knead the dough couple of times. Divide the dough into 25 to 26 equal portions. Make rounds by rolling between palms and keep them covered with a kitchen towel. Roll it out one round into a thin circle, about 3 inches in diameter. Put about 1 tablespoon of filling on one side and fold it into a semi-circle. Seal the edges either with a fork or a hand and create a scalloped edge with fingers. Transfer to a plate and cover with slightly damp kitchen towel. Repeat the process for the remaining rounds, about 1 hour.
  4. Heat Crisco or oil in a frying pan. Deep fry the Ghughra, in batches of 4 to 5 until they are light golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Can be served as snack or light dessert at room temperature. Store in an air tight container. It can last for a week with coconut and two weeks with almonds.

 

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Recipes, Sweets

Rice Pudding

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Doodh Pak

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 4

Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole milk (doodh)
  • 2 cups half and half
  • ½ cup uncooked basmati rice
  • 1 tablespoon ghee (optional)
  • ½ cup sugar or more
  • ⅛ teaspoon saffron (kesar) threads
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom (elaichi)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (jaifal)
  • 2 tablespoons slivered almonds (badam), for garnish
Directions
  1. Rinse rice with water until water is clear. Let excess water drain and combine with ghee if using in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a small mixing bowl combine saffron with 1 tablespoon of milk and set it aside to dissolve.
  3. Combine milk and half and half in a large non-stick pot or a Dutch oven and bring to a boil on medium heat, 8 to 10 minutes. Lower the heat and let milk simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in between so that milk does not boil over.
  4. Change heat to medium. Add rice and immediately stir to keep rice kernels separate. Let rice cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring in between.
  5. Add sugar, saffron milk and let doodh pak simmer for 10 minutes or so to let sugar dissolved and the liquid from sugar to evaporate, stirring frequently. Add more sugar if needed.
  6. Off heat add cardamom, nutmeg and mix. Garnish with almonds and before serving. Can be served warm or chilled with Puri.

 

 

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Kheer

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 4

You will find this recipe in most region of India.
Ingredients
  • 1 cup uncooked basmati rice
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, if needed
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1 tablespoon slivered almonds, for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted pistachios, finely chopped, for garnish
Directions
  1. Rinse rice with water until water is clear. Let excess water drain and set aside.
  2. In a non-stick medium pot or a Dutch oven bring milk to a boil on medium heat, 7 to 8 minutes. Stir in between so that milk does not boil over.
  3. Add rice and immediately stir to keep rice kernels separate. Let rice cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring in between.
  4. Once rice is cooked add condensed milk and let kheer cook for 10 more minutes to make it creamy, stirring frequently.
  5. Add more sugar if needed. Off heat add cardamom and mix. Garnish with almonds and pistachio before serving. Can be served warm or chilled.

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Desserts & more, Recipes

Lemon Pepper Cupcakes with Gauva Filling

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Lemon Pepper Cupcakes with Gauva Filling

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 12 cupcakes

This recipe is in honor of one of my uncle. During gauva season in India, he would always eat gauva with salt and pepper.
Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 stick (8 oz.) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
For Filling:
  • 4 1 oz. packets of Gauva paste
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
Frosting:
  • ½ stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, soften
  • 2 oz. cream cheese, soften
  • 2 to 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon ground pepper
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup medium size muffin pan with liners and set aside.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
  3. With an electric hand mixture or standing mixture whisk together butter and sugar until well combined. Add eggs, milk, lemon zest and lemon juice and whisk until smooth.
  4. Add flour mixture and whisk until everything is just blended. Stir the batter with a spatula to combine any remaining lumps at the bottom of bowl.
  5. Pour about ¼ cup of batter into each muffin cup. Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes or until top is light golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer to a wired rack and let it cool for 30 minutes.
  6. While cup cakes are baking make gauva filling. Cut each guava paste packets into thirds. Heat gauva paste with lemon juice and pepper either in a microwave or stove top until loose, like a jam consistency, 7 to 8 minutes.
  7. With an apple corer or a knife, remove small piece (about 1 cm.) of cake from middle of cupcakes. Fill the cupcakes with guava paste, about 1 tablespoon, with a small piping bag or a zip lock bag.
  8. Make frosting: With an electric hand mixture or a stand mixture, beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and pepper. Beat on low speed until smooth. If frosting is too loose, add more confectioners’ sugar. Frost the cupcakes using a spatula or a piping bag. Let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes for frosting to harden.

 

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Desserts & more, Recipes

Lemon Cardamom Cupcakes

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Lemon Cardamom Cupcakes

Prep time: 

Cook time: 

Total time: 

Serves: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 stick (8 oz.) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Frosting:
  • ½ stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, soften
  • 2 oz. cream cheese, soften
  • 2 to 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup medium muffin pan with liners and set aside.
  2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and cardamom.
  3. With an electric hand mixture or standing mixture whisk together butter and sugar until well combined. Add eggs, milk, lemon zest and lemon juice and whisk until smooth.
  4. Add flour mixture and whisk until everything is just blended. Stir the batter with a spatula to combine any remaining lumps at the bottom of bowl.
  5. Pour about ¼ cup of batter into each muffin cup. Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 18 minutes or until top is light golden brown and toothpick inserted comes out clean. Transfer to a wired rack and let it cool for 30 minutes.
  6. Make frosting: With an electric hand mixture or a stand mixture, beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Add 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and cardamom. Beat on low speed until smooth. If frosting is too loose, add more confectioners’ sugar. Frost the cupcakes using a spatula or a piping bag. Let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes for frosting to harden.

 

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