EGGLESS ALMOND CHOCO COFFEE COOKIES

Hello everyone

Today I have a very delicious crisp chocolate cookies recipe with goodness of almonds and depthness of coffee flavour. If you are a chocolate as well as coffee lover then it is surely for you. you can have it any time without guilt as it is loaded with almond. Most intrestingly it's eggless too. Not only elders but kids too love this cookie.
You don't need any fancy equipment to prepare it. It is a wonderful gift for your loved ones.
Stepwise Recipe is given below. do try and share your experience with me.

EGGLESS ALMOND CHOCO COFFEE COOKIES

Time: 30 mins
Yield: 25-26 medium size cookies

Ingredients


1 1/2 cup all purpose flour / chapatti flour
1/2 cup butter ( at room temp.)
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated white sugar ( you can increase as per taste)
2 tsp instant coffee powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp freshly ground flaxseeds + 3 tbsp warm water ( leave for 10-15 mins)
1/2 cup chocolate chips


Method:

First of all preheat oven at 180°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Mix almond powder, flour and baking powder well . keep aside till needed.

Take butter in a bowl and cream it. Now add coffee powder and both sugar. Again beat till mixture become creamy.
Now add flaxseed gel and again beat till well incorporated.

Add flour and just fold. Now add choco chips ( reserve some for decorating) and just mix to get nice dough. Don't over mix the dough.

Make small balls of dough and flatten like peda. Place on baking tray at 2 inch distance between each cookie.

Place some Choco chips on each flattened cookies and place the tray in refrigerator for half an hour or in freezer for 10 mins.

Now bake it in preheated oven @180°C for 12-20 mins as different oven take different time for baking. So keep an eye after 12 mins.

When its base starts getting brown , remove from oven and let it rest for 5 mins. Then transfer on a wire rack and let it cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

It will remain good at room temp for .a week ( If left) and for a month in refrigerator.

* You can add more sugar if want more sweeter cookies, as mine are mild.

* If you dont have brown sugar then replace it with white one.

* If baking for small kids then you can omit coffee powder, as some kids don't like it's flavour.

*If using strong coffee like expresso then add only 1 tsp. as it may turn cookies bitter.

So bake these divine cookies at home and surprise your loved ones. It's perfect snacks for your morning/evening tea or for kids tiffin. Enjoy whenever you want. Hope you all will love this simple yet delicious recipe and will definitely give it a try.

Do share your experience with me, as your feedback motivates me to serve more and more interesting delicacies to you. Your comments and suggestions meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....

MOONG PALAK PANEER BIRYANI

Hello everyone 

Biryani is a tempting treat for all who love rice dishes. Even I am too fond of biryani , especially veg version. This time thought to try something different , so tried moong palak paneer biryani. It is full of protein , iron and fibre to fulfill our nutrient needs with deliciousness. It is as spicy as hyderabadi biryani and so tempting to lure any biryani lover.  Though my way of cooking don't call for too much oil or butter hence this one is also one of the low calorie and healthy biryani compared to regular ones. This is also simple to cook and don't need any special utensil or technique, even then you can get quiet authentic taste. Step wise recipe is given below hope you all will definitely give it a try.

MOONG PALAK PANEER BIRYANI 

Serves: 4-5

Time: 1 hr

Ingredients 

2 cup soaked whole moong dal
2 cup spinach , finely chopped
2 cup cottage cheese ( paneer), cubed
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4-5 green chillies , slitted
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 big tomatoes, finely chopped or pureed
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 tsp Kashmiri red chili
1 1/2 tbsp biryani masala powder
Oil
1 tbsp ghee
Salt to taste

For veggie tempering:

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
4 green cardamom
4 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 bay leaves

For rice:

3 cup basmati or biryani rice, soaked for at least 30 mins

water

1 tsp salt

1 star anise

1 black cardamom

4 green cardamom 

4 cloves

2 inches piece cinnamon 

1 inch piece mace
2 bay leaves

For layering:

1/4 cup milk

 1 cup mint and corianderleaves, chopped

1 tsp Kewda essence or rose water

2 tsp ghee 

Few strands of saffron soaked in little milk or red and yellow edible colors 

1 big onion, thinly sliced and deep fried till golden brown 

Fried dry fruits ( almonds, cashew, raisins) for garnishing

Method:

Heat oil in a wok and fry onion till brown for layering .Fry dry fruits in the same oil and drain on a tissue paper. Keep aside for later use. 

Now add ghee and oil in same wok and add all veggie tempering spices and saute till aromatic, then add thinly sliced onions .

 Saute till nice golden, add ginger garlic paste and green chilies ,saute for 2 mins.

 Add all dry spice powder and saute for a minute. 

Add moong and salt, saute for 3-4 mins. Now cover to cook till moong is cooked till done but still crunchy. 

Now add chopped spinach and saute for few minutes till spinach srinks. Add chopped or pureed tomatoes and saute till raw smell of tomatoes goes off .

 Now add paneer cubes , adjust salt and saute for 2-3 mins on high flame to evaporate all extra moisture. switch off the flame and keep aside till layering.

In the mean while start preparing rice too. Boil enough water in a heavy bottom vessel, add all whole spices and salt in it. Add drained rice. 

Let it cook till 80% done but not completely soft. Drain rice in a sieve or colander , may be some liquid will drain. You can use this in your veggies or for kneading dough.

* Don't overcook otherwise you will end up with veggie khichadi. Use water as per requirement, as different rice needs different quantity of water. I don't add too much water to drain but it should be enough to boil your rice till right consistency.

Now for layering, first of all make layer of round sliced tomatoes in the base of the vessel. It will prevent veggies from burning while put on dum.

 Now divide veggies and rice in two to three equal parts. Spread one layer of veggies then spread some of mint leaves all over it then sprinkle, red color or saffron strands soaked in milk. 

Now spread next part of rice on it evenly so that it cover whole veggies.Sprinkle 2 tbsp of milk on it, then sprinkle 1/2 tsp of Kewda or rose water ,spread half of fried or grilled brown onions and some of mint leaves on it. Similarly make another layer of veggies on it and rice layer. 

Finally pour 2 tsp ghee all over it. You can make 2-3 layers of each veggies and rice, as per your convenience and quantity. 

* Reserve some fried onions for garnishing while serving.

Finally cover it well with an aluminum foil so that it can be put on dum. You can also seal it with dough.

Now keep a tawa on low flame and put this biryani pot on it and dum it for 25-30 mins. 

Switch of the flame and let it rest for at least 10-15 mins so that all the flavours and aroma of spices and essences get infused in whole dish. 

Then open the lid and flip biryani with fork or skewer to get nice fluffy rice. Garnish with fried onions and dry fruits.

Your aromatic,easy, yummy and flavourful biryani is ready to be served with tomato onion raita.

* Add some water to moong while cooking, if needed.

* Always try to cook rice and veggies simultaneously so that you will get nice fluffy biryani. Never cook rice too early otherwise it may stick. If it's not possible to cook both at a time then first cook veggies then go to rice. Or add a little ghee in rice and keep aside open to stop further cooking .

* Never mix biryani with spatula, always use a fork or best to flip it by tossing.

* If you ran out of fresh mint leaves then can use crushed dry mint also.

It's a one pot meal that none of the biryani lover can refuse. Its aroma is sufficient to bring you to the dinning room. 

This can be a hit dish for any get together or family party. You need not to serve too many dishes with it only simple raita is enough to accompany it.

Hope you will definitely give it a try, it might be looking a long recipe but believe me it will not take your much effort and time . 

At last you will never regret for trying it, it's a must try recipe for all biryani lovers.

Please stop by and pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....

MATAR MUSHROOM IN HEALTHY CURRY

Hello everyone

Mushroom is also one of those ingredients, which hit at my home anytime and in any form. Mushroom is a very healthy ingredient as contains almost zero fat and is enriched with lots of nutrients in it. That's why I prefer it to prepare at my home very often. I used to prepare matar mushroom frequently but never managed to draft its recipe. So this time thought to share this super delicious as well as healthy, yes you read right, it's healthy too. I never use cream in my curries to make it creamy but add almonds paste instead. Which makes my curry creamy as well as healthy at the same time. 

Stepwise recipe is given below. Do try and share your experience with me.

MATAR MUSHROOM IN HEALTHY CURRY

Serves: 3-4

Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

250 gms button mushrooms, sliced

2 cup green peas, I used frozen

12-15 almonds , soaked in hot water for 30 minutes

2 big tomatoes , roughly chopped ( I made puree along with almonds till nice creamy and smooth)

3 medium big onions, finely chopped

3-4 green chiles, finely chopped

1 1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp black pepper powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp kasoori methi, crushed between Palm

Salt to taste

For tempering:

4 green cardamom

2 cloves

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 inch cinnamon stick

1/4 tsp asafetida ( heeng)

Method:

First of all make paste of almond and tomato till nice smooth and creamy. Keep aside for later use.

* You can make these pastes separately too. I made together as didn't have too small jar for almonds.

Now heat oil in a wok, add all tempering spices and fry till they become aromatic, 1-2 mins.

Now add chopped onions and chilies, fry till nice golden. 

Add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 mins then add tomato almonds paste followed by cumin powder, red chili powder, black pepper powder , turmeric powder and coriander powder.

Now saute till it starts leaving oil. Add sliced mushrooms, green peas and some salt.

 Saute for 4-5 mins and add water as per your choice of gravy consistency. 

Adjust salt ,Let it come to boil and cover to cook till mushrooms and peas are cooked well, approx 7-8 mins.

Now add garam masala powder and mix well. Finally add kasoori methi and mix well.

Your delicious and healthy matar mushroom curry is ready to be served with roti/paratha/poori/naan or rice. 

You can also prepare as a get together menu too. Every mushroom lover will love this delicious treat from you. Even kids love it's flavour .

** If you all using fresh peas then boil it first then use. I used frozen, which take less time to cook.

* You can also use some cream at the end, to make your curry more rich.

Hope you all will love to try this so easy yet droolicious curry with healthy twist and don't forget to share your experience with me.

Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

MUGHALAI CHICKEN CURRY WITH HEALTHY TWIST

Hello everyone

Few days back I made mughalai mushroom curry and it was a great hit at my place . Just like Mushrooms My kids are a big fan of chicken curries too. Even my fussy eater love to relish on different curries made with chicken as main ingredient . But as I never loved to repeat same typed recipes every time that's why keep on changing the base curries . This time thought to try my mughalai mushroom curry recipe with chicken but with some healthy twist as my kid don't like any dry fruits. So I use to substitute unhealthy or fatty ingredients with healthy dryfruits to give my dish richness as well as healthy touch. This was my first trial to mughalai chicken recipe but it turned out perfectly delicious and lip smacking. 

Stepwise recipe is given below, do try and don't forget to share your experience with me.

MUGHALAI CHICKEN CURRY

Serves : 4-5

Time: 45 mins ( leaving marination time)

Ingredients 

1 kg chicken breast , cubed ( I used boneless)

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1/4 cup tomato puree 

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

2 tsp black pepper powder

2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp honey ( as per taste, depend on tartness of tomatoes)

1 tbsp kasoori methi , crushed between palms

Salt to taste

Oil

2 tsp ghee

For marination:

1/2 cup thick yogurt ( curd), fresh

4-5 big onions, thinly sliced

1 tbsp garam masala powder

1 tbsp chicken masala 

1 tsp turmeric powder

3/4 cup green coriander leaves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp salt

For paste:

2-3 big tomato, roughly chopped

Handful of almonds ( you can also use cashew instead)

4-5 green chilies

For tempering:

4 green cardamom

4 clove

2 bay leaf

2 inch piece cinnamon

1 tsp cumin seeds

Method:

First of all fry sliced onions till nice golden brown and drain on a tissue paper. 

*Take care , not to burn onions otherwise your curry will become bitter.

Now marinate chicken cubes with all ingredients given under marination section. Cover and keep aside for atleast 1-2 hrs or maximum, overnight in fridge.

Now boil or cook all the ingredients given under for paste section till tomatoes are nicely cooked and mushy. Let it cool down and make smooth puree of it using minimum water. Keep aside for later use.

Heat oil and ghee in a wok, add all tempering spices and fry till aromatic. Now add prepared tomato puree , ginger garlic paste and tomato paste. 

Fry for 2-3 mins then add all dry spice powders . Fry till all spices are nicely cooked and it starts leaving oil. 

Now add marinated chicken along with all the marinate. Fry at high flame , stirring constantly till chicken pieces become white from all sides. 

Now lower the flame, add salt and cover to cook till chicken pieces are cooked and tender.

Add 1 - 1 1/2 cup water  and let it boil .

** Don't add too much water to gravy otherwise all the flavours will be killed. You can also serve it without adding water.

Now add kasoori methi and mix well. Cook for another 5-8 mins. 

Switch off the flame and add honey , mix well and your royal curry is ready to be served with roti/naan/paratha/kulcha or rice/pulao.

** If you don't want to use store bought tomato paste then can use 1 more tomato while making puree and skip tomato paste in your recipe. I added to give my curry a good colour as my tomatoes were not bright red.

* You can also use cashews instead of almonds if don't like almonds . As I added to make my curry more healthy for my kids.

This is not only delicious but Royal curry recipe to please your guests and family members on any special occasion. 

You can also prepare it for any get together or potluck party and earn everyone's praise.

Hope you all will love this delicious treat and will definitely give it a try. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions, they meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....