Chocolate Sponge Cake

Preparation time: 25 min
Baking time: 45 - 50 min at 350 F
Difficulty level: easy
Servings: 10 to 12

Ingredients:

Eggs – 4 (at room temperature)
Butter (melted and cooled) or Oil – ¾ cup 
Sugar – 2 ¼ cups
Flour – 1 1/3 cup
Baking powder – 2 teaspoons
Unsweetened dark cocoa - ¾ cup
Vanilla extract - 1 tspSalt – just a pinch
Water – 1/2 to 3/4 cup (hot water)
Buttermilk - 1 cup
Bake at 350 F
Pan size - 8" round/8" bundt/13"x9" rectangular/ 24 cupcakes

Procedure:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Grease the baking pans, line them with parchment paper and dust with a little flour.
2. Sieve flour, baking powder, salt in a small bowl and keep aside.
3. Stir cocoa into half a cup of hot water, until well blended. Allow it to cool.
4. In a medium blow, beat sugar and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
5. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
6. Using a spatula or stir attachment on low speed, stir in half of the flour mixture until just smooth, alternately with the cocoa mixture.
7. On low speed, mix in the buttermilk and finally, add vanilla extract.
8. Pour batter into prepared pan(s).
9. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

White cake

Preparation time: 20 min
Baking time: 30 - 40 min
Difficulty level: easy
Source: Cake Boss on Rachel Ray's show
Pan size: 13" x 9" pan or 24 regular muffins or 8" round pan

Serves: up to 25 people

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter, softened or oil

4 eggs (room temp.)

2 1/2 cups flour

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 cup milk (room temp.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour baking pan.
2. Sieve flour and baking powder. Keep aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs using wire whip, until slightly thickened, about a minute.
4. I  prefer using a spatula or stir attachment from here  on wards.Stir sieved mixture into the batter, alternately with oil. 
5. Add milk.
6. Blend in vanilla extract.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan.
8. Bake for 30 - 40  minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about half hour before tapping out to cool completely on a wire rack.
10. Frost and decorate the cake once it has completely cooled.

Strawberry cake

Preparation time: 20 min
Baking time: 25 - 30 min
Difficulty level: easy
Source: allrecipes.com, less the strawberry puree
Pan size: 13" x 9" pan or 24 regular muffins or 8" round pan

Serves: up to 25 people

Ingredients:

2  and 1/8 cups sugar

3 oz strawberry flavored jello

1 cup butter, softened

4 eggs (room temp.)

2 3/4 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup milk (room temp.)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour baking pan.
2. Sieve flour and baking powder. Keep aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar and jello using wire whip, until light and fluffy.
4. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
5. Stir sieved mixture into the batter, alternately with milk.
6. Blend in vanilla extract.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan.
8. Bake for 25 - 30  minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
9. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about half hour before tapping out to cool completely on a wire rack.
10. Frost and decorate the cake once it has completely cooled.

Paneer Frankie

Preparation time: 25 min
Cooking time: 15 min

Level: moderate
Source: self
Serves: 2 people

Ingredients:

For the wraps:

Roti atta: 2 cups 

Flour: 2 tbsp

Oil: 1 tsp

Water to knead

For the filling:

Onion, diced or finely chopped: 1 medium sized

Tomato, diced or pureed: 1 medium sized

Fresh coriander, chopped for garnishing

Garlic, finely chopped: 6-7 segments

Ginger paste: 1 tsp

Paneer, diced: 16 - 20 pieces

Red chili powder: 1 tsp

Garam masala: 1 tsp

Amchur powder: 1/2 tsp

Chaat masala: 1 tsp
Coriander mint green chutney (or Bandar cilantro sauce available at Sprouts)

Shredded cheese of your choice.

Salt to taste

Procedure:

For the wraps:

Mix ingredients of the wraps with water, just enough to knead into a soft dough.Keep closed for 10 minutes. Scoop out small balls of dough, roll them into small circles. Apply oil on each circle, fold into half and then into quarter (look live curved edged triangles). Roll out the triangles using a rolling pin into round or triangular wraps. Heat oil on a griddle pan, roast wraps until golden brown. Keep aside.

For the filling:

Heat oil in a pan/pot. Add garlic and saute for a minute till it turns golden brown. Add ginger paste, fry for a few seconds and then add 1/2 the quantity of onion. Saute till onion turns translucent. Then add tomato and cook until the oil separates out for about 4-5 minutes. Add chili powder,  amchur powder, chaat masala and finally garam masala. Fry for a minute and then add paneer. Mix well and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Turn off heat. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Frankie assembly:

Place a wrap on a plate; spread a tsp of green chutney on it. Place the filling at the center. Garnish with chopped onion, chaat masala and cheese. Fold one side of the wrap and roll adjacent sides into a frankie. You can use parchment paper or aluminum foil to roll the frankie. Serve with your favorite hot sauce or ketchup!

German chocolate crave

Preparation time: 30 min
Baking time: 30 - 35 min
Difficulty level: moderate
Source: www.bettycrocker.com with some modification
Pan size: 13" x 9" pan or 24 regular muffins or 8" round pan

Serves: up to 15-17 people

Ingredients:

Cake

Bitter sweet German chocolate: 4 oz 

Water: 1/2 cup

All purpose flour: 2 14/ cupBaking powder: 2 tspSalt: 1/4 tspGranulated sugar: 2 cupsButter at room temperature: 1 cup4 large eggs, separatedVanilla essence: 1 tspButtermilk: 1 cup

Chocolate Ganache
Bitter sweet or semi-sweet chocolate: 4 oz
Whipped cream: 1.5 to 2 cups

Procedure:
Cake

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Grease the baking pans, line them with parchment paper and dust with a little flour.
2. Sieve flour, baking powder, salt in a small bowl and keep aside.
3. Coarsely chop chocolate and stir it into half a cup of hot water, until chocolate melts into a well blended mixture. Allow it to cool.
4. In a medium blow, beat the 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy.
5. Separate the eggs; save the whites in a bowl while you beat in the yolk, one at a time into the butter - sugar mixture. Allow yolk to completely blend in before adding the next yolk.
6. On low speed, beat in the melted chocolate and 1 tsp vanilla.
7. On low speed, beat in half of the flour mixture until just smooth, then beat in half cup of buttermilk. Repeat beating in flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk just until smooth. Do not over beat.
8. Using a clean mixer beater, beat the egg whites until light and fluffy. Mix this into the batter by hand, by cut and fold technique. Do not beat.
9. Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake for 30 - 35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
10. Let cake cool completely before topping and filling with ganache.

Chocolate ganache

1. Heat cream in a saucepan until just starts to boil.

   Turn off heat and drop chocolate cubes into it.

   Stir to melt chocolate completely.

   Let cool for about half hour before topping it on cake.

Modaka

It's been a tradition at my mom's place to make modakas for Ganesh Chaturthi every year. I made my first modakas two years ago and have now continued this tradition of making them every year for the festival. Who would mind a dash of these sweet momos to the festive season. They can either be steamed or fried or baked. Make your pick based on your calorie intake!

Preparation time: 50 - 60 min
Cooking time: 80 - 90 min (includes rolling out dough and frying modak)
Difficulty level: moderate to difficult
Source: Mom
Servings: Makes about 25 modakas

Ingredients:

For the filling:

Shredded coconut: 4 cups

Jaggery (coarsely ground or powdered): 2 cups

Cardamom powder: 1 tsp

Cloves: 2 – 3

Roasted Bengal gram/dahliya/putani (powdered): 1/4 cup

Poppy seeds/khus khus: 4 tsp

For the dough:

Rava/Sooji/Semolina: 1/2 cup
Oil: 2 -3 tblsp
Maida/all purpose flour: 3 cups
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Saffron: 3-4 strands

Procedure:

For the filling:

Add jaggery and coconut to a non-stick pot or wok; cook until the mixture melts and just starts to boil. Turn off heat. Let cool for about 15 - 20 minutes. Add cardamom powder to it. Keep aside. Now, heat a saute pan/thawa, and roast the poppy seeds for a couple of minutes. Grind cloves and roasted poppy seeds. Add this ground mixture to the jaggery - coconut mixture in the pot. Finally, add powdered dahliya.

For the dough:

Soak sooji and salt in a little water (just enough to completely soak) and keep aside for 15 minutes. Add flour and saffron to this. Knead into a dough adding as much water as needed for a stiff consistency (slightly harder than chapati dough).

Put it all together:

Make small balls of dough (8 to 10 at a time). Roll them into small (poori-sized) circles. Cup filling at the center of each circle. Moisten the sides of the circle with a little water  and then fold from points on the circumference  such as to meet at a pointed dome in the center (shape to a modaka). Heat oil on medium high, in a kadhai and fry modakas to golden brown. You can alternately steam modakas or bake them.

Pasta salad

Preparation time: 15 min
Cooking time: 25 min

Difficulty level: easy
Source: allrecipes.comwith certain alteration
Serves: 2 people

Ingredients:

Pasta (penne/bow tie/rotini): 3 cups

Celery: 4 stalks, finely chopped

Spinach: about 20 leaves

1/2 of 1 big cucumber, julienne cut

Tomato: 1 medium size, diced

Bell pepper: 1/2, julienne cut

Olive oil: 1 tblsp to saute & 2-3 tblsp for dressing

Balsamic vinegar: few drops

Dried basil: to garnish

Salt, pepper, lemon juice: per taste

Croutons: as much as you like

(optional) Cashews: 4-5 roughly chopped

Procedure:

Boil water with a little salt. Add pasta & cook till al dente. Drain & keep aside. Toss the pasta with a little olive oil to avoid sticking. In a wok, add a little olive oil, saute celery, bell pepper & spinach on high heat for a couple of minutes till just soft but crunchy. In a salad bowl, toss in the pasta add the sauteed veggies; mix in tomato and cucumber; dress with dried basil leaves salt pepper and lemon juice. Garnish with croutons and cashews.

Balti paneer

Preparation time: 20 min
Cooking time: 40 min

Difficulty level: moderate
Source: foodviva.com with certain alteration
Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:

Paneer, cubed: 20 - 24 (1/2 inch) cubes

Bell pepper: 3 large, cut into 1-inch square pieces

Tomato, pureed: 2 medium sized or 2 tblsp tomato paste

Onions: 2 medium sized, finely chopped

Ginger paste: 1 tsp

(optional) Shredded Dry or fresh Coconut: 1 tblsp

Dry Coriander Seeds: 1/2 tbsp

4 Cashew Nuts, roughly chopped

(optional) Poppy Seeds (khus khus): 1/2 tsp

1 Dry Kashmiri Red Chili, halved

Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/8 tsp

Red Chili Powder: 1/2 tsp 

Garam Masala Powder: 1/4 tsp

Water: 1 cup

Kasuri Methi: 1 tsp

Fresh cream or milk: 2 tblsp

Oil: 3 tblsp

Salt to taste

Chopped coriander for garnishing

Procedure:

Heat 1/2 tblsp oil in a heavy based pan or pot over medium heat. Add chopped bell pepper and sprinkle a little salt over it. Saute until bell pepper is slightly cooked but crunchy. Transfer it to a plate and keep aside. Heat 1½ tblsp oil in the same pan over medium hear. Add ginger paste, shredded coconut, dry coriander seeds, cashew nuts, poppy seeds, dry kashmiri red chill and cumin seeds; sauté for 30-40 seconds. Add chopped onion and sauté until it turns light brown. Turn off heat and let it cool for 3-4 minutes. Then, transfer it to a grinder jar, add adequate amounts of water and grind to a medium coarse paste. Return the ground paste to the same pot, and stir-fry to light brown, 3-4 minutes. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder and mix well. Add tomato puree. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Add garam masala, salt and 3/4 to 1 cup water for a thick gravy consistency. Bring mixture to boil over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Add bell pepper and paneer cubes to this. Rub the kasuri methi between your palms and sprinkle over the gravy. Cook for 2 minutes. Stir occasionally. Turn off heat. Let stand for 5 minutes and then add milk or fresh cream. Transfer to your prepared balti or any serving dish; garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot, with roti, naan, chapati or jeera rice!

Tips:

• If using frozen shredded coconut and/or frozen paneer, let adequate thawing time before you start.
• Do not boil after adding cream or milk.

Pineapple quinoa

Preparation time: 35 min
Cooking time: 35 min

Difficulty level: moderate
Source: self
Servings: 5-6 people

Ingredients:

Quinoa: 3 cups

Water: 4 cups 

Pineapple: 2 cups (ripe fruit, diced)

Pineapple juice: 3/4 cup (you can use the juice drained from cutting pineapple)
Oil: 1-2 tsp
Cashews: about 12 (coarsely chopped)

Green peas (fresh or frozen): 1/2 cup
Bell pepper: 1, julienne cut
Red chili powder: 2 small tsp

Turmeric powder: 1 small tsp

Chili garlic paste: 1 1/2 tblsp

Salt: to taste
Coriander leaves: for garnishing
Mint leaves: for garnishing

(optional) for additional spice, Thai chilies: 1 green & 1 red chilly

Procedure:

Slice a whole pineapple vertically, such that the whole stem is on one portion (slice at a slight offset from the center). Scoop out the pulp using a sharp narrow knife. Dice the fruit into 1/2" cubes. Keep aside the drained juice from chopped fruit.

In a pot or deep pan, add quinoa and water. Bring to boil, then cover with a lid until the water is almost drained, then cook uncovered until quinoa is completely done. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pot, add cashews and fry until golden brown. If you're using Thai chilies, fry them in now; then add peas, saute for a couple of minutes until almost cooked. Add bell pepper and continue to saute for a few minutes until done but still crunchy. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt; cook for a minute. Add  chili garlic paste; cook for a minute. Pour in pineapple juice; cook for a couple of minutes. Finally add quinoa. Mix well. Turn off heat. Mix in the pineapple cubes. You can use the scooped out pineapple bowl as your serving dish! Garnish with coriander and mint leaves.

Tips:

• Use 1 1/3 cups of water to cook 1 cup of quinoa.
• Use pineapple juice while cooking quinoa for a dryer texture for your dish.

Mirch ka salan

Preparation time: 30 min
Cooking time: 40 - 50 min

Difficulty level: moderate
Source: self
Servings: 6 people

Ingredients:

For paste:

Oil: 1 tsp (and more for the gravy, see below)

Onions: 1 large (chopped)

Peanuts: 1 cup (roasted)

Sesame seeds: 2 tblsp (roasted)

Shredded coconut: 1 cup

Ginger: 1/2 inch (chopped)

Garlic: 8 pods (minced)

Cloves ('lavang'): 5-6

Tamarind juice: 7 tblsp

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp (and more for the gravy, see below)

For gravy: (tsp == small spoon in your Indian spices box!)

Oil: 1 tsp

Anaheim chilies: 6-7 (long)

Curry leaves: 5-6

Dried red chilies: 2 (hand crushed)

Cumin seeds: 2 tsp

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Cumin powder: 4 tsp

Coriander powder: 1.5 tsp

Turmeric powder: 1 to 1.5 tsp

Black pepper: 2 tsp

Salt: to taste

Lemon: 2 1/2

Chili powder: 4-5 tsp

Garam masala: 6 tsp

Procedure:

For paste:

Heat oil in a saucepan, add mustard seeds & cloves. Once you hear them sputter, add chopped onion and saute until golden brown. Then, mix in the coconut and fry for about 1 or 2 minutes. Add chopped ginger and garlic. Fry for another minute. Turn off heat and let cool for a few minutes. Transfer this to a blender jar. Add the roasted peanuts and sesame seeds to the jar. Add little water and grind to a fine paste (add water as required).

For gravy:

Slice chilies on the sides but, letting the ends stay in tact (refer to pic). Keep chilly stock if you'd like to. Heat oil in a pot, add cumin and mustard seeds. Once they sputter, add curry leaves and crushed dried red chilies. Add paste from the blender jar and bring to boil. Add tamarind juice, boil for a minute. Then, add cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt, black pepper and squeeze in lemon. Mix well and let cook for about a minute. Add water to create a thick pasty liquid. Now would be a good idea to taste this before you add chili powder so you could adjust salt and lemon as required. Add chili powder, continue to cook for a minute and then add the sliced chilies. Let cook for about 15 minutes till the chilies are completely done. Finally, add garam masala. Mix well and turn off heat. Cover pot for about 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy mirch ka salaan with naan, jeera rice or biryani.

Kitchen cheat chit

My quick guide to measures:

1 tomato = 1/2 cup diced tomato
4.2 oz puree = 1 tomato
8 oz =  1cup
1 medium onion = 1 cup diced onion


Baking guidelines:
12 cupcakes: bake at 350 F for 25 min
3 icing bags: ice up to 12 cupcakes

Bread sticks

Preparation time: 30 min
Dough raising time: about 40 min

Baking time: 20 min at 350 F
Difficulty level: easy
Source: tasteofhome.com with slight modification
Servings: makes about 20 bread sticks

Ingredients:

Bread flour: 3 cups
Dry yeast: 2 tsp
Garlic powder: 3 tsp
Sugar: 2 tblsp
Parmesan cheese (grated): 3 -4 tblsp
Dried basil: 1/2 tsp
Salt: 1.5 tsp
Evoo: 2 tblsp
Water: 4
Butter (melted): 1 tblsp (to glaze bread sticks)

Procedure:

In a mixing bowl, add bread flour, yeast, garlic powder, sugar, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, Evoo and water. Using the dough hook attachment of a stand mixer, kneed into a dough. If you don't have stand mixer, you can kneed by hand. Add a little water if the dough is too hard. It must be of a soft consistency. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 9 or 10 portions. Shape them each into a ball and roll each into a 9" rope. Place them on a greased baking sheet with about 1" spacing between each. Cover and let raise in a warm place for at least 40 minutes or until doubled.

Pre-heat oven to 350 F and bake for about 20 min or until the bread sticks turn golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Brush warm bread sticks with butter and serve hot. Sit back and enjoy break sticks with marinara sauce or dip of your choice!