BASBOUSA ( A MIDDLE EASTERN DESSERT)

Hello everyone 

Today I am here with one more scrumptious middle eastern dessert, Basbousa. It's more like a semolina cake but with a distinct flavour. So tempting and delicious one for all sweet tooth to taste at least once. I bet you can't stop yourself from taking more and more. The most interesting thing is that it's so easy to prepare too. Recipe is given below, just try and relish on these heavenly beauties.

BASBOUSA 

Yield : 25-30 pcs

Time: 50 mins

Ingredients 

2 cup semolina ( sooji)

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup thick curd ( yogurt)

1/3 cup ghee or refined oil 

For syrup:

1 cup sugar ( I took 3/4 cup , as kept mild sweet)

3/4 cup water

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp orange essence or rose water

Method:

Mix all ingredients except for syrup ones, together to a smooth mixture. It will be neither crumbly nor liquid, just like nice wet dough.

Now evenly spread it in a greased baking tray . Let it rest for 5 mins then with the help of wet knife make cuts of your choice and decorate with almonds or pistachio. 

Now bake it in a preheated oven at 180degree C for 20- 25 mins till nice golden top appears. If you don't get golden top after 25 mins then either shift your tray to top most rack in oven or increase its temp to max and bake for another 5-10 mins or till nice golden top appears. Mine took exact 35 mins, 25 mins at 180C and 10 mins at 230C.

In meanwhile prepare sugar syrup. Add sugar and water and let it boil till sugar get dissolved. Switch off the flame and add lemon juice, let it cool. Once cool then add rose water or orange essence. Keep it aside.

Once baking is done, keep out the tray and pour cool syrup all over the hot cake ,evenly. Let it cool properly then cut though pre made cuts and serve.

Your simplest and yummiest dessert it ready to make it way to your plate. Just enjoy these palatable beauties first with eyes then gobble them one after other.

You can add more sugar in syrup if like more sweetness, I kept it mild.

Hope you all will like these easy peasy middle Eastern delicacy, please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

MINESTRONE SOUP

Hello everyone

Soup is always a comforting meal specially in winter. A bowl full of delicious soup and some bread , what you else need to satisfy your tummy in a chilling winter. Though I am not a big admirer of soups but my hubby is, so I have to prepare some for him. But this one really fascinated me too and I had a full bowl of it in one go. It's really surprising for me too as I always just taste soups. This is only to inform you , how delicious it is ☺️☺️. Step wise recipe is given below, do try and please let me know too how's it turned out for you.

MINESTRONE SOUP

Serves: 5-6

Time: 30 mins

Ingredients 

1/2 cup soaked and boiled kidney beans or black eyed beans, I used later one

1- 1 1/2 cup mix veg, finely chopped( carrots, beans,spring onion, capsicum , any leafy veggies etc)

1/2 cup elbow macaroni ( you can use any pasta of your choice)

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 medium onion, finely chopped 

2 medium tomatoes, pureed

1 big tomato, finely chopped

1 green chilli finely chopped 

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried rosemary 

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp basil , I skipped

4-5 cup water

1 tbsp cornflour ( optional)

Black pepper powder, as per taste

Salt to taste

Method:

Heat little oil in a wok, add minced garlic. Saute till little brown then add chopped onions and chilli. Saute till transparent.

 Now add mix veggies and saute for 4-5 mins . 

Add pureed and chopped tomatoes and again cook till raw smell of tomatoes goes off. Now add thyme,oregano,rosemary and black pepper powder. 

Mix well then add boiled black eyed beans or rajma and pasta. Again give it a good mix and add water and salt. Adjust water as per your choice of consistency of your soup. 

Cover it with lid and let it cook at medium heat till your pasta it nicely cooked. Now if you feel it is more watery then add cornflour mixed in little water and give it a quick stir, Otherwise skip this step. Cook for another five mins. 

Adjust salt and pepper as per your taste and your delicious healthy comforting soup is ready to serve. 

You can add any veggies or beans of your choice. If you have fresh basil leaves then do add , it will enhance its flavor. Always be cautious while using dried herbs , they have very strong flavours although they act as flavour enhancer but if used in large quantity then will ruin your whole dish, so always use as told. This soup is so easy to make yet super delicious and filling too. You can also add chicken or paneer cubes to make it more proteinous. It can be prepared either for dinner or to satisfy evening hunger sprang .

Hope you will love this delicious treat , so make it and enjoy with your family and pals. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

NO BUTTER EGGLESS CHOCOLATE CUP CAKES

Hello everyone

Cakes and cookies are always fascinating not only kids but elders too and specially chocolate one. Chocolate flavour is one of the most liked flavour in the whole world. Every second kid demand chocolate flavour whether he is asking for cake ,ice cream ,cookies or milk. Every where they fall for chocolate one and my lil fussy eater is also falls in the same category. For him I always have to go for chocolate flavour stuffs😃. So I planned to make some chocolaty surprise for kids on this republic day , but a cake in whole can't be finished by them and I was not in mood of indulging any more calories. Finally  I tried chocolate cupcakes and it turned out so soft and moist that he loved it too much( even I too goblled one whole cup cake beside ignoring calories 😜) .

It's step wise recipe is given below, do try and let me know too, how's it turned out for you😊

NO BUTTER EGGLESS CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Serves: 9 medium cup cakes

Time: 25 mins

Ingredients 

3/4 cup all purpose flour or chapatti flour , I used later one

2 tsp corn flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 pinches salt

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup sugar, I used little less

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

3 tbsp oil

1/2 cup milk

Method:

First of all mix all dry ingredients together except sugar. Sieve flour mix to ensure even mixing. Keep aside for later use. Now add sugar in milk and mix till sugar dissolves. 

Add oil and vanilla essence to milk and mix well. Now mix dry and wet ingredients together and fold to get a smooth lump less batter. 

Pour batter in cupcake molds lined with cupcake liners. Fill molds up to 2/3 height only as it will rise on baking. 

Now bake for 15 mins in a pre heated oven at 180degree C. Keep an eye on it after 12 mins as different oven takes different time for baking. Mine took exact 15 mins . Time may vary from 12 to 20 mins so keep checking for doneness . Insert a tooth pick or skewer in middle of cupcake , if it comes out clean then it's done other wise bake a little more😊😊.

Let it cool and serve to your lil munchkins they will sure gonna love it and ask for more. Even you too can't resist yourself from gobbling one or two of these. Either have these as it is or decorate as per your choice, in both ways it will be droolicious. I made it on republic day so decorated in tricolor with home made veg fondant 😊.This is a perfect picnic or tiffin snack. Have it with a cup of tea or serve in evening snack to kids. 

Hope you will like this kids friendly recipe and definitely give it a try. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking...

CHINESE GARLIC VEG NOODLES

Hello everyone

We all start drooling over mere mention of Chinese cuisine specially if it's noodle. Now a days kids to elders, everyone is fan of Chinese food. You can find stalls of Chinese noodles from roadside to five star hotels and from marriage party to buissness meet ups . From this it's  crystal clear that how deeply this cuisine entered in our hearts. So today I am also going to share one of the popular delicious noodle recipe, which you will definitely love. This is so easy to prepare yet super delicious and filling too. You can prepare it from breakfast to dinner, anytime. Recipe is given below, do try and let me know how it turned out for you.

CHINESE GARLIC VEG NOODLES

Serves: 3-4

Time : 30 mins

Ingredients 

300- 350 gms noodles ( spaghetti)

 2 cup length wise cut carrots and long cut beans

2 cups mixed veg ( shredded cabbage, sliced colored capsicum, long cuts spring onions)

2 onions, round sliced

1 tbsp minced garlic

2 green chilies, slit

2 tsp soy sauce ( or as per taste)

2-3 tsp garlic chilli or simple chilli sauce ( or as per taste)

1 tsp black pepper powder

1 tsp garlic powder ( optional)

Salt to taste

Oil

Method:

First of all boil enough water in a big vessel, add 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp oil to it. Now add noodles in it and boil till it is cooked. Keep checking in between, as soon as it is cooked , drain it in a sieve and wash under running tap water to wash all starch to get non sticky noodles. Keep aside for later use. You can also rub 1 tsp of oil on noodles  after washing to ensure non sticky noodles on cooking. But I skipped as if it is washed properly then will not stick at all. But be careful to not over cook your noodles otherwise it will kill all the flavours, that you will never appreciate.

Heat oil in a wok, add minced garlic and fry till little golden. Add sliced onions and fry till transparent. 

Now add carrots and beans, saute for 2 mins and cover the lid and further cook for 2-3 mins. Now add mix veggies and saute for 3-4 mins.

 Add garlic powder, black pepper powder , some salt and both sauces. Mix well. 

Now add boiled noodles and salt , saute for 3-5 mins. Adjust salt and sauces according to your taste. 

Switch off the flame and serve your delicious noodles hot.

You can use any veggies as per your choice and availability. If you want to add some tomato sauce then can, I skipped as I got sufficient sweetness from sweet soy sauce. 

I kept my veggies crunchy, but if you like nicely cooked one then can cook for little longer to get your preference. But believe me crunchiness of veggies increase its taste double fold .

You can prepare these noodles either for breakfast or for lunch or dinner, it's filling and delicious too . 

So enjoy these Chinese delicacy with your pals and please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

SPICY CHEESE STUFFED CHILLI

Hello everyone

Chatpata dishes always fascinate us, are you agree with me? Of course yes, who don't like some spicy tangy pickle or chutney along with their regular meal. They definitely increase the taste of a normal meal to double. So to satisfy our this fascination I prepared spicy tangy cheese stuffed chillies as cottage cheese is also one of the favorite ingredient of mine , ummmmm I can feel the zing of its taste still in my mouth. Absolutely delicious and yummy side dish you can prepare and keep it for later use also. 

Stepwise recipe is given below, do try and tell how's it turned out for you.

SPICY CHEESE STUFFED CHILLI

Serves: 4-5

Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

400 gms broad green chillies 

1 cup crumbled cottage cheese( paneer)

2 medium onion, finely chopped

3/4 cup grated raw coconut 

2 - 3 green chilies 

2 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 small lime size tamarind ( soaked)

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp asafetida ( heeng) powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 cup water

Salt to taste

Spices to dry roast

2 tsp whole coriander seeds

1/2 tsp fenugreek ( methi) seeds

1/2 tsp fennel (saunf) seeds

1/2 tsp nigella ( kalouji) seeds

1/2 tsp carom ( ajwain) seeds

Method:

Dry roast all spices mentioned under dry roast column, till aromatic.

Now grind them with coconut, green chilies, ginger garlic paste, tamarind, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and salt , to make a coarse paste.

Now heat some oil in a wok, add asafetida and mustard seeds. Let it crackle then add chopped onions and little salt.

 Fry till little golden , add remaining turmeric powder and saute . then add crumbled cheese and above made coarse paste , adjust salt .

 Fry for 2-3 mins and switch off the flame. Let it cool. 

Till then slit chillies lengthwise , so that they are attached from one side. 

Stuff cheese mixture in each chilli. Now heat some oil in wok and arrange stuffed chillies so that filling will not spill.

 Now add 1/4 cup water and cover with lid. Cook at medium flame till all water is evaporated and chillies get cooked with nice golden color on it. 

Don't forget to turn chillies in between to ensure even cooking of it. Be careful not to spill its stuffing. Your yummy tangy spicy stuffed chilli is ready to serve.

 Cut it in desired size, garnish with some grated coconut and serve with roti, rice and dal. A perfect side dish for spicy food lovers. You can increase or decrease ingredients according to your taste.

You can also serve it in your home party as it can be prepared a day before too. 

Hope you will definitely give it a try, please pour your valuable comments and suggestions, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

BAKED FALAFEL

Hello everyone

Middle East is not only known for its oil reserves but also for its richness in cuisines. In middle eastern cuisine not only non vegetarians but vegetarian section also attains a wide range of delicacies. From chatpata starters to tempting mains, from delicious snacks to sinful desserts  you have countless varieties to choose from .And one of them is falafel , you can either have it with sauce and dips as snack or pair it with pita bread , hummus and salads to have as mains. It's equally delicious in either ways and can be prepared in little time. Recipe is given below , do try and let me know too how's it turned out for you.

BAKED FALAFEL

Serves: 2-3

Time : 30 mins

Ingredients 

2 cups boiled chickpeas

2 tbsp besan(chickpea flour)

1 big onion finely chopped

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

2 green chilies finely chopped

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp chat masala

2tbsp chopped green coriander leaves

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp baking powder

Salt to taste

Method

First of all coarsly grind boiled chickpeas. 

Mix all the ingredients together and make tikki shapes .

 Arrange them on a baking tray lined with butter paper. Brush some oil on each falafel .

 Bake at 230 degree C in a preheated oven or grill them in oven till golden on both sides. It may take 10 - 15 mins each sides depending on oven. 

If you are not comfortable with baking option then can deep fry it at medium heat and enjoy hot. In both ways it tastes delicious, choose whatever suits you. I served it with mint dip and tomato sauce, you can have it as per your preference.

Make these easy peasy healthy yet tasty snacks and enjoy with any chutney or sauce. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

MANAKISH ZATAAR BREAD

Hello everyone

Breads are loved by nearly everyone in the world and when it comes to Arabic breads then it's just like icing on cake. I like almost all type of breads, one of them is freshly baked manakish bread. It's light tanginess and unique flavour of Zataar spice mix will leave you speechless. I love this bread and can have at any meal of the day, nothing more is needed to accompany it. It's perfect in itself, full of flavour. It's so yummy and kids friendly too that my fussy eater gobbled a couple of it without nakhrey 😊😊. Recipe is given below , hope will come up to your expectations. Do try and let me know how's it turned out for you.

MANAKISH ZATAAR BREAD

Serves: 3-4

Time: 1 hr ( leaving resting time)

Ingredients 

3 cup chapatti flour or all purpose flour
1 tsp active yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup luke warm water
1 tbsp oil
Water to knead ( if needed)

1/2 cup Zataar spice mix store bought or you can make at home( 2 tbsp of each dry basil leaves, oregano, sumac, roasted sesame seeds and 1/2 tsp coarse salt, mixed together)

1/4 cup olive oil, I used less

Method:

First of all mix zataar mix and olive oil and keep aside.

Add sugar in warm water and then mix yeast in it and let it rest for 10-15 mins or till it become frothy.

Add salt and oil in flour and knead with yeast and warm water till it become soft, shiny and nonsticky dough. It will take 8 to 10 mins. apply some oil on it and cover with damp cloth, let it rest for 2 hrs in a warm place like in closed microwave/oven or till it doubles it volume. 

Now punch the dough and cut in eight equal pieces. Take one piece of dough and roll into thick chapatti using dry flour. 

Make indents on it using your fingers.

spread 1 tbsp of zataar mix all over it , leaving little border space. 

Place it on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Cover it and place at a warm place for another 15 mins. Till then preheat oven at 200 degreeC. Now bake it for 10 mins or till you see little golden colour on its borders. 

Similarly bake all the eight breads and serve warm.

You will definitely love this spiced bread, do try and enjoy a new range of flavours. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....