How to make Salted Caramel sauce, from scratch

How I love the caramel sauce topping on Vanilla Ice cream!    Caramel sauce is done by mixing caramelized sugar with cream.  They are used on toppings of many desserts like creme caramel, flan, pudding, frosted cupcakes etc.  Making them, at home requires careful attention.

Safety precautions, like maintaining a considerable distance from stove-top or wearing gloves is advisable since there are chances of coming in contact with very hot sugar.  But, with little caution and attention - you can make these beauties in less than 30 minutes!

I have written this post with pics, if you have any queries- please feel free to post in the comment section.  If you are a beginner, do read our tips at the end to achieve this godly sauce.  <3

Ingredients required

• 100 grams of caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 45 grams of unsalted butter (If you are using salted butter, you can skip adding salt)
• 1/4 cup of Dairy cream (I used Saudia brand)

Method

Please keep all the ingredients handy.  In a deep and dry saucepan, add the sugar in a simmer flame.  Let the sugar melt on its own.

Please don't wander off, keep a close watch.  Don't stir.   You can tilt the pan, though if you find the sugar to be melting unevenly.  

As we find the sugar melts and slowly is turning into golden amber color.  

Sugar is completely melted and caramelized into a lovely golden brown color. Now add in salt.  

Add in butter cubes as well, and stir them up with a wooden spoon.  

After stirring, add in the cream.  As you add in cream, it may steam up or bubble up, so be careful.  Also, the cream should be in warm condition when you add.  One suggestion is that you may heat them up alternatively when you get all the sugar melted so that by the time you add the cream, it is warm.  

See how it splutters or bubbles.  If you find clumps of caramel, undissolved in cream, don't worry keep on stirring you will get a clear sauce.  

See, how I got a clear sauce.  Switch off the gas.  

I placed them in an air-tight container and refrigerated them.  There are times when you find your sauce to be too runny or too hard.  If you find them runny, you can reduce them in a saucepan.  If found too hard, you can heat them up with a tsp of cream to get the correct consistency. 

Happy cooking :D  :D  

Whipped ganache

 I had plans to bake an awesome cake for my wedding anniversary, and so inspected my refrigerator for my available ingredients.  With cream and white chocolate lying around, I happily proceeded to make ganache sauce...  Later, I was shocked to realize that instead of planning an icing for my cake, I had settled for an sauce :/  sigh..... So, as I started browsing around, I had,  understood that this ganache sauce can be whipped up to form an icing.  OMG, that was sooo close, an blessing in disguise, actually :)

Ganache, an sauce is used as sinful filling in truffles.  Dark chocolate and cream are usually added in 2:1 ratio, but milk and white chocolate can alternatively used too.   It is an myth to refer white chocolate as an, 'chocolate' because they have an lot of cocoa butter content in them than the actual cocoa iself.

Care should be taken that ganache should be an smooth pudding-like (ie, an thick sauce) before whipping, if they harden after refrigeration, they must be brought under room temperature till they become saucy.   Alternatively  overwhipping might also result in grainy textured output.  So, whipping till they increase in volume and become fluffier might be suggested.

Kadaai khumb

     Mushroom always has an special reserved place at my refrigerator :)  I buy them often, atleast once an week.  This is because both hubby and daughter are mushroom lovers, they love in any form.  I made this kadaai khumb one day for dinner and I must say it was appetizing, palatable and melted easily with rotis/parathas. 

 

As goes with all kadaai gravy, I made them with cashewnut paste and cream.  This is an rich gravy, and also has green peas with them.  If you prefer it milder, you can add almond paste/putane dal paste instead of cashew paste. Also instead of cream, milk can be added.  This, is derived from Punjabi cuisine, where lots of dairy products are used. 

 

 

You can also try other mushroom recipes here like Mushroom stir-fry, Mushroom theeyal, Malvani khumb curry, Khuskhuswali khumb, Laal khumb, Mushroom dopyaza, Mushroom jalfrezi. 

 

Restaurent styled Murgh makhani

Murgh makhani or Chicken butter masala originating from Punjab, is an tempting, rich and mild chicken gravy.  Loaded with khoya, cream and cashew paste,  these are heavy to stomach and delight the mind instantly. The dried kasoori methi leaves are also added along with cream/milk to top-up the flavor.  If you have any guests turning in or if it is one of your special occasions, this dish is an must-try. 

 

They look lovely,isn't it?? Got the red colour from degi mirch masala.   Chicken, marinated in curd and other spices is pan-friend, cooked on kadaai with onion, garam masala, khoya, cream and cashews.   But don't hesitate to make them  due to richness and high priced ingredients.  Check out my home-made khoya recipe here  Interestingly, here I used an quick version of khoya.  In an vessel with 1/4 cup of milk powder, I stirred in 11/2 tsp of hot water and  got an instant-form of doughy khoya, roughly around 1 tbspn.  I used them in this preparation. 

 

 And replacing cream, I used full fat milk.  (using low fat milk also is not an problem)  Also, lastly added green chillies for an spicy murgh makhani (which traditionally remains mild).  You can avoid them if you want creamy, non-spicy type.

 

You can check other murgh recipes like Karahi chicken, Murgh pasanda, Kolhapuri taambda rassa, Nattukodi pulusu, Chettinadu chicken gravy, Piri piri chicken, Chicken vindaloo, Kozhi kolambu etc   

Dairy cup-cakes/ Non-butter/ Non-oil cup-cakes

  Hi all!!!  First of all , I am very proud to present you these diary cup-cakes, my first successful baking experiment.  It happened once, when Shama had asked me to make some cup-cakes and I noticed that all left in my refrigerator was some fresh cream and milk.   Wasn't heart-broken, tried with available ingredients at hand and hurrayy!!!!, results were fantabulous.

Diary cup-cakes are made with milk and fresh cream as key ingredients apart from regular ones.  The advantage of non-butter or non-oil makes it an healthy alternative for adults, from regular cup-cakes.    Also I integrated a lots of chunky, healthy stuffs like grated apple, tutty-fruity, sliced almonds, finely chopped dates, which also makes it ideal as an tea-time snack (therefore, doesn't remind us the absence of buttery frosting).   So, it can  delight any kid at home, also be party booster or for surprising guests at home, this cup-cakes is quick to make and hence can find a special place on ur baking session. 

Fruits Charlotte Cake

   Charlotte cake is an dessert that can be had hot or cold.  Invented by French chef Marie-Antoine Careme and named after the chef's former employer's only child (Charlotte) this has sponge cake or ladys finger cake arranged over in a dish and is topped with fruit puree or custard.

    I had to make this as member of honourable group, potluck party, cyber style challenge hosted by Jagruti mam.   Adapted original recipe from tangy minds, kindly take a look as the preparation is made very professionally, thanks to tangy minds blog I am able to make this!!

   To begin with I was holidaying at chennai in order to attend my sister's marriage.  At chennai's residance there was no oven available, hence I was not able to prepare my own lady's finger cookies!!  And to top with lots of marriage preparations, confusions delayed my preparation and post a loongg, now I am back but still feeling tired and feverish from journey and marriage tension.  Hope I recover soon!!

Watermelon icecream

This watermelon ice-cream was an perfect summer treat.  Everybody will luv it and that too when watermelons are available frequently.  Preparation is also easy.  

Ingredients required

• 1 cup full cream milk
• 1/2 cup fresh cream
• 1/2 cup watermelon juice (Made by blending 1 cup water melon pieces with 1/4 cup water and straining the same)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup of powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup of small watermelon pieces

Shahi khumb

      Before goin to recipe, let me tell you that I recently bought Everest shahi paneer masala packet in a nearby supermarket.  At 100 gm costing about reasonable 54 rupees, the ingredients present were as follows:  coriander, black pepper, chilly, turmeric, cumin, cassia leaves, garlic, dry ginger, dry mango, dry tomato powder, black cardamon, green cardamon, cloves, cassia, nutmeg, fenugreek, salt, star anise, fennel seeds etc.  This range of masalas and spices provides a complete dish, leaving the cook to add onion, tomato and one special ingredient (like paneer/ mushroom/ murgh etc)

    This special masala reduces the need for adding any other spices, I strongly recommend you guys to go for it.  This shahi khumb, is of course one special output of Everest shahi masala ;)

Palak paneer

   This gravy tasted like heaven, the green paste made here was so simple and amazing.  For making green paste I sauted 300 gm of finely chopped palak along with one chopped onion, one chopped tomato, 2 tsp ginger paste, 1 tsp garlic paste, 2 green chillies finely chopped, 1/2 tsp punjabi garam masala and 1/4 tsp salt.  I cooled the mixture down and blended it ..

Other ingredient added was, of course fried panner and heavy cream.  If you find it difficult to add cream, better buy full cream milk and reduce them by half through constant stirring,  Add half reduced milk as an alternate for cream.  

Ingredients required

• Palak paste
• Panneer cubes- 9-10
• Heavy cream - 100 ml
• Salt, as required