Vegetable Pulav

Ingredients

1. cinnamom: 1 inch
2. cloves: 2
3. cardamoms: 3
4. bay leaf: 1
5. black peppers: 6
6. cumin seeds: 1 tsp

2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
3 onions sliced
a few cashew nuts (optional)
1 cup Basmati Rice

2 big carrots chopped
2 handful french beans- trimmed and chopped 1.5 cms long
peas
mushrooms
peppers
any other veggies

For Chutney
1/3 bunch coriander
2 chillies
2 tsp coconut (desicated/ shredded frozen/ fresh)
2 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger
1/2 onion

Grind the chutney ingredients to a paste using very little water (maximum 2 tbsp)and keep aside.

In a deep pan fry the whole spices (1 to 6) in 2 tbsp of ghee for 2 minutes. Add the sliced onion and fry till light brown. Add the cashew nuts and fry more till the onion is golden brown.
Spoon out the onion into bowl. Add 1/2 tbsp of ghee in the same deep pan and fry the vegetables till cooked. Add to this the chutney and fry a bit more. Add salt and the onion and rice and let it cook till the rice is coated with the paste (about 3 minutes). Add 1.5 cups of water and cover. Keep checking and take the pan off the heat as soon as the water has evaporated.

Serve with a raita.

Quick Chocolate Fix

Another one of my google search wonders...

We make this on busy weekday nights when we crave for pudding but cant wait to bake it in the oven.

I found this on recipe Bazaar. Here is the link :

http://www.recipezaar.com/10-Minute-quick-and-Easy-Chocolate-Brownie-Pudding-Cake-88740

Thanks Fifi for this wonderful recipe.
I have also pasted it in my site because of my paranoia of never finding these good recipes again.

1 cup sugar
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup boiling water, with
3 tablespoons sugar, added

1Boil water with 3 tbsp of sugar and set aside.
2Combine all dry ingredients (first 5 ingredients) in a bowl, then add eggs,melted butter and vanilla until well blended, mixture will be thick.
3Butter a 9 inch microwavable pan or tupperware, even if its a tad smaller it's ok.
4Spread mixture evenly into the buttered pan.
5Very slowly pour water into the center of the mixture and do not stir!
6Cover well, with plastic wrap or lid.
7Cook in microwave on regular power for 5 minutes, check it to make sure it's set and if not put back in microwave for a couple more minutes.
8Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with your favorite toppings.
9Enjoy!

Chocolate Brownie

We hate dark chocolate the two of us. When the airhostess on our flight back from germany handed out Lindt Intense Dark Choceolate we carefully packed it into my hand bag with a plan to melt it into something delicious back at home.
Two weeks later, Mohit and myself scanned the internet for a good Brownie recipe that would use less than 80 g butter and about 70 g chocolate.
A careful research of 8 recipes and Mohit's recipe was born. It turned out very moist and dense.

I made this again on Valentine's day and hence the picture....

butter - 46g
chocolate - 70 g 70% plain dark lindt
mascavado 100g
caster 25 g
eggs - 1.5 big / 2 small
flour - 50 g
choco chips 30 g plain
walnuts 30 g
baking pdr - 1/3 tsp
vanilla essence - 1/4 tsp
1/5 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar syrup

Preheat the oven. Line a baking tray (I used an 8 inch) with baking paper.
Chop the butter and Chocolate into bits and melt in the microwave 10 seconds at a time. Keep mixing and stop when the chocolate has almost melted. Mix to make a smooth paste and keep aside. When cool add all the other ingredients and mix well.
Pour into the baking tray and bake at 180 for 25 mins

tips :
don't put syrup;
reduce castor and maybe increase mascavado but overall reduce sugar
may try with coffee for mocha brownies (2 tbsp strong, cooled)
can try other nuts - hazel e.g.
serve hot with vanilla icecream - yummy

Vegetable Pasty

Ingredients:
Ready Rolled Puff Pastry sheets (2) each cut into two
Finely Chopped:
2 Onion -finely chopped
3 small Carrots-finely chopped
10 Mushrooms- sliced
1 cup Peas
Brie
2 Potatoes- small cubes
Red Pepper- small cubes
Parsley
Black Pepper
Salt
Egg for the wash

Thaw the Ready Rolled Puff Pastry for 1 1/2 hours at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.

Fry Onion is a little oil. After 5 minutes add carrots and then finely add all the other vegetables.
Throw in the spices. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the cheese (grated or chopped into tiny bits). Stir well.

Brush the pastry with egg wash. Spoon the veggies onto it. Seal from all sides. Brush the pasty with egg from all sides.
Bake until golden crisp at 200 degrees.

Rest for 5 minutes when the pasty is out of the oven before serving.
Serve with ketchup.