Hot Chocolate

Ingredients

• 565 ml full cream or semi-skimmed milk
• 2 tablespoons good-quality drinking chocolate
• 1 handful marshmallows
• Sugar to taste

Steps

• First put the milk into a pan.
• Bring to a simmer – not a boil.
• Put a tablespoon of choccie powder and sugar to taste into each mug.
• Add a little warmish milk from the pan to each mug – you just need enough to dissolve the chocolate powder.
• At this point, plonk a few marshmallows into each mug.
• When the milk is at a simmer, carefully pour it into a plastic jug or flask.
• I normally do this over a sink as I always end up spilling a bit (have a big jug or flask so that milk is only half filled – you need the extra space for shaking and frothing).
• Screw the lid on tightly, place a cloth over the lid for safety, and shake well for a minute.
• Remove the lid, and pour the milk into your mugs.

A little stir and you can slurp your way to heaven!!!!

Orange Rosemary Sorbet

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 2 to 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 3 cups orange juice
• 1/3 cup lemon juice

Steps

• In a large saucepan, bring water, sugar and rosemary to a boil.
• Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
• Cool. Strain, discarding rosemary.
• Stir in orange juice and lemon juice.
• Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze.
• Allow to ripen in ice cream freezer or firm up in the refrigerate freezer for 2-4 hours before serving.

Banana Foster Sundae

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 large firm bananas, sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
• 3 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1/2 teaspoon rum extract(optional)

Steps

• In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat.
• Stir in the brown sugar, orange juice, cinnamon and nutmeg until blended.
• Add bananas and pecans.
• Cook, stirring gently, for 2-3 minutes or until bananas are glazed and slightly softened.
• Remove from the heat.
• Stir in rum extract (optional)
• Serve with ice cream.

Do you know???

• Brown sugar is a product with a distinctive brown color due to the presence of Molasses.
• Molasses is a viscous by-product of the refining of sugarcane.
• The word comes from the Portuguese 'melaço' ultimately derived from 'mel' , the Latin word for 'honey'.

Rice Kheer

Ingredients

• 1 litre milk
• 1/4 cup rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes.
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
• 10-15 strands saffron, crushed, soaked in 1 tsp. warm milk
• 10 almonds
• 10 unsalted pistachios

Steps

• Crush almonds, pistachios coarsely, keep aside.
• Boil rice in plenty of water till half done.
• Drain, spread on a plate, to cool grains.
• Heat milk, bring to a boil.
• Add rice, stirring continuously, till boiling resumes.
• Simmer, stirring occasionally, to keep rice from sticking to bottom.
• Add sugar, cardamom, saffron, almonds and pistachios.
• Allow rice to cook fully, but not get mushy.
• Stir, simmer for 2 minutes.
• Serve piping hot.

Chicken Tikka

Ingredients

• Chicken 1 Kilo (or 4 boneless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces)
• Green capsicum,   cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1 medium
• Red capsicum,   cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1 medium
• Yellow capsicum,   cut into 1/2 inch pieces 1 medium

For Marination

• Garlic    3-4 Cloves
• Ginger    10  Grams peeled
• Onion    1 Small peeled
• Curd (Yogurt)    150  ml
• Chilly Powder    1 Teaspoon
• Coriander Powder    2 Teaspoons
• Garam Masala    2 Teaspoons
• Lemon Juice    (1/2 Piece Lemon Juice)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil    2 Tablespoons
• Salt    To Taste

For Garnishing

• Onion    1 Piece peeled and thinly sliced
• Lemon    1 Piece halved length wise and thickly sliced
• Coriander Leaves    1 Fist full washed and chopped

Steps

• Grind onion, ginger and garlic ; make a thick paste.
• Add this to all other ingredients (For Marination) and mix well.
• Then add each chicken piece and mix well.
• Keep in an air-tight container. Marinate overnight (or at least for 6 hours) in a fridge.
• Preheat oven to maximum, 240 C or 475 F.
• String the chicken and capsicum pieces alternately onto skewers.
• Skewer the chicken pieces not too tightly or they will not cook well on all sides.
• Cook in an oven for 10 minutes or so, turning over once. 
• It can also be grilled or on a barbecue.
• Serve on a plate, garnished with thinly sliced onions, coriander leaves and slices of lemon.

Agra Petha

Ingredients

• 1 kg White Pumpkin (Firm)
• 2 tsp Calcium Hydroxide (Kitchen Lime) 
• ½ tsp Alum Powder (Fitkari)
• 3 drops Screwpine Essence (Kewra)
• 800 gm Sugar
• 1 tsp Rose Water
• 2 cups Water

Steps

• Dissolve alum powder in water (½ cup) and keep it aside.
• Dissolve kitchen lime in 1 litre water, strain with a clean cloth twice if required, and keep it aside.
• Wash, peel and deseed the pumpkin.
• Cut it into 25 mm. (1") squares and prick each piece with a fork all over.
• Soak the pieces in lime water for 30 minutes.
• Drain the lime water and wash the pieces thoroughly under clean running water for 2-3 minutes.
• Put the pumpkin pieces in a bowl. Pour alum water on the pieces and shake the bowl so that all the pieces get evenly coated.
• Drain the alum water.
• Take sufficient amount of water in a heavy bottomed pan and boil the pumpkin pieces till they become soft and transparent.
• In the meantime, make syrup of sugar and water of 2 thread consistency.
• Put drained pumpkin pieces in the sugar syrup and boil till syrup becomes thick again.
• Turn off the flame and take out the pieces.
• Keep covered the syrup with a mesh, overnight.
• Again boil the syrup and add the pieces.
• Cook it for 3-4 minutes and turn off the flame. Let the pieces cool.
• Now sprinkle Kewra and rose water over the pieces.
• Allow petha to cool completely. Refrigerate it.

Petha is ready to serve!!!!!

Fresh Fig and Honey Ice cream

Ingredients

• 1 litre brick of vanilla ice-cream
• 8 fresh figs
• 3 tbsps honey

Steps

Leave the vanilla ice-cream out in a bowl till it softens

Finely chop half the figs and puree the other half

Mix together both types of figs and honey to the semi-solid vanilla ice cream. Adjust the amount of honey depending on how sweet you like your ice cream)

Empty into a plastic box and refreeze

Scoop out and delight your guests with this “home-made” (well almost!) ice cream

Note: Use this quick method to make ice cream with any fruit, nuts or even cookies!

Watermelon Sorbet

Ingredients

• 1 Watermelon, cut into cubes and seeds removed
• 2 tsp Castor Sugar (the quantity of sugar can be varied depending on the sweetness of the watermelon

Steps

Puree the watermelon cubes with sugar in food processor until smooth.
Add more sugar if required.
Remember that the cold will dull the flavour a little.Freeze the puree for 2 hours.
Crush it in the food processor again and freeze again.
To serve, blitz the sorbet in a mixer or scrape it out with a spoon.

Kulfi

Ingredients

Full fat milk 1.5 ltr
Corn flour 3 tsp
Sugar ¾ cup
Cream 1½ cup
Saffron a few strands
Chopped dry fruits ½ cup
Green cardamom powder 2 tsp

Steps

Boil milk in a non-stick deep pan. Reduce flame
Take out 1 tbsp hot milk in a small dish and soak saffron
Dissolve corn flour in another 2 tbsp of hot milk in a separate dish and to the entire milk.
Add sugar
Simmer milk on low flame until the milk reduces to half it’s original quantity (this takes a long time… around two hours.. so you can leave the milk on low flame and do other stuff around home. Remember to stir in between so that the milk at the bottom doesn’t get burned.)
Cool the mixture, add cream, saffron and cardamom powder
Mix well and pour into kulfi moulds
Sprinkle chopped dry fruits from top in each mould.
Set in freezer.
Kulfi will be ready in 5-6 hours! (now you see why there is no preparation time! )


Note: you can try other variations by adding fruits, fruit essence or some squash

Navratan Korma

Ingredients

• 3 cups - Boiled vegetables (9 varieties-potatoes, carrots, green peas, french beans, cauliflower, capsicum, cabbage, bottle gourd, cluster beans)
• 150gms - Grated paneer
• 3 - Tomatoes
• 2 - Grated onions
• 1 1/2 tsp -Ginger paste
• 1 1/2 tsp - Garlic paste
• Salt To Taste
• 1 tsp - Turmeric Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp - Red chilli powder
• 1 tsp - Coriander powder
• 2 tsp - Garam Masala Powder
• 2 tbsp - Cream
• 6 tbsp - Vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp - Ghee
• 1 cup - Milk / water
• 1/4 cup - Dry fruits (cashew nuts, raisins)
• Coriander leaves for decoration

Steps

Boil tomatoes till tender.
Allow them to cool.
Then peel off the tomato skin to make puree.
Readymade tomato puree can also be used.
Take 1 tbsp ghee and slightly fry the dry fruits for about 1 min on medium heat.
Heat oil in a pan.
Fry onions and ginger-garlic paste till golden brown.
Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Next add tomato puree and dry fruits.
Stir well and cook the mixture for 4 minutes.
Ensure that the mixture doesn't stick to bottom of pan.
Add milk (use water alternatively).
Bring it to boil.
Reduce the heat and cook until the gravy becomes thick.
Add paneer to the gravy and stir well.
Finally add all the vegetables to the above gravy and cook for 5-7 minutes.
Put cream and chopped coriander leaves on the navaratna korma decorate.
Serve the navratan korma hot.

Chicken Biryani

Interesting Facts

There are two ways of making Chicken Biryani

• Pakki Biryani  -  In which you cook the meat separately and then layer it with the rice, seal and cook on a very low heat.
• Kacchi Biryani -  In which you marinate the meat, place it at the bottom of the pot and cover it up with par boiled rice, seal and cook on a very low heat.

This recipe is the layered chicken biryani in which chicken is cooked separately.

This recipe will easily serve 4-6.

Ingredients

• 7-8 Onions (very thinly sliced and deep fried until light brown)
• 10-15 Cashews (fried in a little desi ghee/clarified butter)
• 1 Kg Chicken on the bone cut into 12 pieces
• 1 cup yogurt
• 2 Tsp Garlic paste
• salt to taste
• 500 gm Basmati Rice (washed and soaked in salted water for at least half an hour)
• 3-4 Tbsp oil
• Oil for frying the onions
• 6-7 cloves
• 2 (1 inch) Cinnamon
• 4 green Cardamoms
• 3 Bay leaves
• 1/4 Tsp Caraway seeds (shahi jeera/black cumin seeds)
• 4 large Tomatoes (chopped finely)
• 1/4 Tsp of mace powder
• 1/4 Tsp of grated Nutmeg
• 1 Tsp Coriander powder
• 1 Tsp red Chili powder (to taste)
• 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
• 2-3 green Chilies (to taste, chopped)
• 1 Tbsp Ginger (chopped)
• 1 Tbsp Garlic (chopped)
• 6-7 dried, pitted prunes
• 1/2 cup of milk
• a few strands of Saffron (kesar)
• 3-4 Tbsp Desi ghee (clarified butter)
• 2 cups of fresh green Coriander (chopped)

Steps

Step 1 : Marination

Marinate the chicken pieces in 1 cup yogurt, 2 Tsp garlic paste and little salt, for a good 8 hours.

Step 2 : Making Barista (fried onions) for chicken biryani

Slice the onions very thinly (almost paper thin) using a sharp knife.

Heat oil in a pan or kadai.

Separate the sliced onions using your finger tips.

Put the onions in the oil and reduce the heat to medium-low.

Keep stirring the onions, so that they get evenly browned.

The trick is to evenly and slowly brown the onions.

If the flame is very high the onions will burn on the outside and remain watery on the inside.

Once a uniform color is obtained, drain on thick layer of kitchen paper, so that maximum oil is soaked.

Keep these aside.

As they cool down, the onions will become crispy.

Step 3 : Boiling the rice

For this take a BIG vessel (deep and wide), put lots of water in it, tip in the soaked rice along with 1 stick cinnamon, 3-4 cloves, 2 green cardamom, 1/4 tsp of Shahi jeera (caraway seeds) and more salt.

Remember that you should boil the rice in lots of water and salt (pretty much like a pasta).

The rice should absorb the salt otherwise the biryani will be tasteless.

Boil on a high flame and let the it boil vigorously on high flame for about 5-7 minutes.

You have to par cook the rice (meaning 3/4 cooked and rest will get cooked later).

Do not over boil the rice.

To check if the rice is done you can take a grain of rice out and press in between your thumb and forefinger.

If the grain breaks into 3 parts, it means your rice is cooked just right.

Now strain the rice and spread it out on a flat tray or surface, so that it cools faster.

Step 4 : Preparing the chicken

Heat oil in a deep pan, add the remaining bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon and green cardamoms.

When they crackle, add the ginger, garlic and chilies.

Saute for a minute and add the marinated chicken, along with the marinade.

Cook on a medium heat till all the water dries up (water from the chicken and yogurt).

Add the tomatoes, 1/3 of the fried onions, all the powdered spices, salt and cook till all the water from the tomatoes dries up.

If the chicken is cooking too quickly then either cook on a high flame to fasten the evaporation or remove the chicken pieces aside.

The chicken should be just cooked and dry (because it will get cooked further in the final step and if any water is left in it the rice will become soggy).

Once done, sneak a taste, adjust the seasoning. Mix in the dried prunes.

Step 5 : Make saffron milk

In 1/2 cup of warm milk crush a pinch of saffron strands and put some whole strands. Wait till it turns yellow.

Keep on one side.

Step 6 : Assembling the chicken biryani

Use a deep heavy bottom pan with a lid.

First spread some desi ghee at the bottom of the pan.

Second a layer of rice, followed by a layer of chicken. Now sprinkle a generous handful of chopped coriander and fried onions.

Repeat the layers with rice being the top most layer. Sprinkle the leftover onions and all the cashews.

Pour the milk and saffron on the top using a spoon, evenly covering the whole area.

Once all layers are set, take melted desi ghee and with a spoon pour it around the rim of the vessel and a little on the rice.

Close the lid and seal.

There are 2 ways to seal the lid in order to prevent the steam from escaping.

Take a large foil, cover the pot/vessel with it and place the lid on top.

Take some dough made from whole wheat flour. Roll it into a thin strip and stick it going around the rim of the pan half on the lid and half on the pan in order to seal the whole pan.

Keep this pot on a very low heat for 45 minutes. Place this pan on top of a cast iron tawa (on which chapatis are made) or another heavy bottom pan in order to prevent the bottom layer of rice from getting burnt.

After 45 minutes turn off the heat.

Let it stand for 5 minutes and open.

Enjoy the delicious chicken biryani!!!