Butterfly choco cupcakes - Celebration time

    One evening my hubby told me the news of his promotion... he was double-promoted to Chief manager!  I was sooo happy and though I assumed myself on an casual form, I decided to make something special for him the other day.  My hubby likes to have all sorts of desserts, he is an cupcake-aholic guy.  I still remember the day i made five to six muffins and he ate all of it (without even giving to varsha!!)

The next moment, all I could think was chocolate, of course celebration means chocolate!!!  And in one such book, I have already mentioned as '100 Best delecious chocolate' I read about this cupcake.  Though this cup-cake required icing to be made, I went ahead and made them.  Fortunately, shame luved these cupcakes, he called them most delecious ones, he ever had!!

Kollu dosai/ Horsegram flavoured dosa

    This is my second post with respect to kollu/Horsegram.  The very idea was given by my aunty when I asked her how to incorporate horsegram in our regular cooking.  The basic principle is replacing half the quantity of rice used with horsegram, for example if you are using four cups of rice, two cups of rice can be replaced by horsegram.  Similarly, kollu idly can also be prepared.

The difference between regular dosa batter and kollu dosa is that kollu dosa batter gets fermented quickly than former one. So preparing them on small batches are advisable.

Ingredients required

• 1 cup raw rice
• 1 cup idly rice
• 2 cup kollu/horsegram 
• Handful of chana dal
• 1/2 cup of urad dal
• 2 tsp of methi seeds/venthayam
• Salt, as required

Soak the abovesaid ingredients in water for about three to four hours.  Grind them into fine paste and leave to ferment for six hours, till bubbles are seen on top and little rising of batter is observed. 

Mix in salt, and pour an ladle over pre-heated tawa, drizzling in oil over the sides.  Serve hot with side-dish of your choice. 

Low-fat/Low-calorie kofta curry

   This week I brought green plantains/vazhakkai from super-market.  Bored of making fry or usual poriyal, I tried out this kofta curry.  The result was fabulous.  To top that, the normally added cream is replaced by beaten curd and provides much healthier version from shahi kofta curry.

Let us follow the recipe now.

Ingredients required

To make kofta

• 1/2 cup steamed and grated vazhakkai
• 1/2 cup paneer, crumbled
• 1/4 cup of steamed and grated carrot
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped capsicum
• 1 Bread slice, slightly crumbled
• 2 tbspn of finely chopped spring onions green part
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp peppercorn powder

Coconut macaroon - Thengai biscuit

    I still can't forget the melting  childhood moments when one can bite into coconut biscuits (obtained from local grocery store)  The crispy pale brownish top with delecious coconut filling is, of course an delight for all those having an sweet tooth.  After all such good memories, someday before I chanced to look upon the recipe from morphy richards cookbook.  I could make out them only  through their pic, since the recipe was differently termed 'Coconut macaroons'

    The following day I made them on small batches and relished.  Though these cookies/macaroons didn't expand as much as the size of  shop-brought one ,  tastewise they comepensated the traditional form.  Also, I browned the top by spending little much temperature than usual.  In our blogging world, they can also be seen by choco-glaze over top, but I preferred them without the glaze.  I stored them in air-tight container and consumed over two weeks.

Mutton chops fry

    Chops are referred to as perpendicular cut region from lamb/pork and contain a portion of rib and spine.  This would look like an triangular piece of meat supported by bones from two sides.  Mutton chops have increasingly found as an great option, replacing regular mutton masala.  Here I have used an set of home-pound masalas and made gravy.

Ingredients required

To dry roast and made into  masala

• 3-4 whole dry red chilly
• 1 tbspn whole dhanya
• 1-2 bayleaf
• 1/2 tsp mace
• 1 Marathi moggu
• 1-inch cinnamon stick
• 2-3 clove
• 1 Black cardamon
• 2-3 green cardamon
• 1 tsp kalpasi/dagad phool
• 1/2 tsp whole peppercorn
• 1 tsp whole Jeera/cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp haldi/turmeric powder
• 4-5 garlic pods
• 1-inch ginger piece