Begun Bhaja

If there is one vegetable that most of us would have abhorred as a kid should have been brinjal / aubergine / egg plant. Oh yes, the hatred we had for bitter guard was at a different level. Surprisingly, I have developed a 'liking' for egg plants more recently and have started experimenting with this gorgeous purple beauty through south/north Indian and continental cuisines. It's interesting how this vegetable can taste differently as per each region's way of cooking and the added ingredients.  Here is an easy recipe of Begun Bhaja, a dry Bengali delicacy.  This crispy yet soft dish goes well with dal and rice or rotis.

Ingredients
1 large eggplant
1 tsp rice flour
1 tsp gram flour
1 tbsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp salt 
Mustard oil

Method
Cut the eggplant to thin slices, marinate them with a mixture of the flours,spices and salt for 15-20 minutes.
Heat a non-stick pan with mustard oil,add the marinated eggplant slices and cook both the sides on low flame for 12-15 minutes.
As mentioned, serve them hot with rice or rotis and dal.

Nutella Cinnamon Rolls

I had pinterest-ed this recipe of Nutella Cinnamon Rolls way long back and finally had my first encounter with baking bread. Was I sceptical? Yes, Yes, Yes! The recipe did look a bit complicated but as I went by baking, it was rather easier and the result didn't make me feel like a first time bread baker. The ingredients are easy to find and the process is quite interesting and I enjoyed it as it was a welcome change from that of baking a cake or a pie. The recipe is adapted from A beautiful mess' blog and it goes as below,

Ingredients

3 tablespoons warm water

3 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 cup milk (I used whole, but any kind is fine)

2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cup flour

1 cup Nutella

3-4 teaspoons cinnamon

Method

In a bowl, stir warm water and sugar and to this, stir in the yeast and let it activate for about 5-7 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in another vessel by adding milk.

To make the roll dough, combine the yeast and butter mixture with all purpose flour and knead well till the dough is well combined and shaped. Make a ball and cover it in an oiled vessel for 45 – 60 minutes.

Roll the dough to a large rectangle on the kitchen top. Once the shape is set, spread Nutella generously on it, following with sprinkling of cinnamon.

Now cut the dough to 5-6 columns, roll each and place them in a buttered tin together. Before you place it in the oven, cover and keep the tin aside for 30 minutes.

In a pre-heated oven, bake for 20-25 minutes at 190 degree c.

Once set, switch off and cool the Nutella cinnamon rolls on a rack before you pull each roll apart.

Strawberry Cake

Who is not fond of luscious bright beauties in form of strawberries? Winter in Bangalore and one can not miss out stacks of strawberry boxes being sold at the neighborhood supermarket or the local vendor calling out to you to buy them at commercial street. I picked a box or two and was thinking if i should make the usual strawberry smoothie or cheese cake and when I was searching for something new, i stumbled upon this Strawberry Summer Cake recipe on Smitten Kitchen. I instantly thought that I must give this a shot as I have never played with strawberries for a cake. Here, I followed Smitten Kitchen's recipe and instead of barley flour that she used, I used all purpose flour. It was easy, fun and visually appealing to make this strawberry cake because of obvious hints of the gorgeous berrylicious colour and oh! I completely loved the gooeyness of the berries once baked. Try this out, I am sure you and your dear ones would absolutely love it.

                                                                                  

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup powdered/castor sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup milk

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla essence 

1 cup strawberries, halved

1/2 tsp salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.

In another bowl, beat the egg and butter, adding sugar, vanilla till the batter is well combined.

Mix the dry and liquid mixed ingredients together and keep pouring in the milk till the batter is smooth enough.

Butter and sprinkle flour into the cake tin, pour in the cake batter and arrange the strawberries,half dipped into the batter.

Bake cake for about 8-10 minutes and reduce the temperature to 175 degrees C, continue baking for another 30-35 minutes. When the berries are gooey in texture and the cake is light golden brown, its time to switch off the oven.

Cool the cake tin on a rack, sprinkle some left over castor sugar, cut into square wedges and serve with cream or ice cream. 

Kurkuri Bhindi

Ingredients

Ladies fingers, 200 gms – cut vertically into thin slices

Rice flour, 2tsp

Chickpea flour, 3- 4 tbsp

Red chili powder, 1/2 tsp

Chaat masala, 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder, 3/4 tsp

Chaat masala powder, 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder, 1 pinch

Salt & oil

Method

Sprinkle all the spices over the vertically cut thin ladies fingers and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.

To this, sprinkle the chickpea and rice flour over the ladies fingers and mix slowly till they are well coated.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the ladies fingers in two batches over medium – high heat till they turn golden brown, for about 6 -7 minutes.

Take the fried ladies fingers out and place them on paper tissues to absorb oil.
Serve Kurkuri Bhindi hot with rotis or can be eaten as a snack by itself.

Brinjal Kuzhambu

Brinjal was one of the veggies I used to hate while I was a kid may be because of its mushy texture when cooked and ended up with a blocked mind about this vegetable. Strangely, have been drawn towards this beautiful looking vegetable off late and have been using them to make south, north Indian and even continental dishes. 

Brinjal Kuzhambu is that comforting curry dish that goes perfectly on a lazy Sunday afternoon which can be happily followed by a snooze. Here's the easy to make recipe!

Ingredients

2-3 brinjals, half slit

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tomato, chop7ped

2 chilies, chopped

4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 small ball of tamarind, soaked in a cup of warm water

Chilli powder, 1 tbsp

Coriander powder, 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder, 1 tsp

Mustard & cumin seeds, 1 tsp

Handful of curry leaves

Method

Heat a kadai with oil, add cumin, mustard seeds and let it splutter, add curry leaves.

To this, add onions, green chillies and garlic. Sauté till the onions turn light brown. Then add the chopped tomato and stir the brinjal in slowly.

Add the spice powders and salt to the vegetables and mix well till the brinjals are well coated.

Add half a cup of water, cover and cook the brinjal mixture on low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Next, pour in the extracted tamarind juice and cook for another 8-10 minutes till curry begins to boil.

Turn off the heat, serve the brinjal kuzhambu hot with steamed rice.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

¾ cup castor sugar

¾ cup demura sugar

1 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg

1 ½ cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 cups chocolate chips

Method

Pre-heat oven to 170 degree C

In a large bowl, beat the egg with sugar, butter and vanilla till the mixture turns creamy

Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and finally mix in the chocolate chips. The dough will be sticky and stuff

Drop cookie dough by rounded tablespoonful on to an greased tray. Leave about an inch space between each cookie

Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, till they turn light brown

Cool the chocolate chip cookies on a wire rack and then store them in an air-tight container

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients

1 broccoli, chopped

1 onion, roughly chopped

3-4 garlic pods, finely chopped

1 cup water

1 /2 cups milk

1/3 cup flour

1 cup cheese, grated

Salt

Pepper

Dried basil leaves

Method

In a deep vessel, melt butter over medium heat and sauté the onions and garlic till the onions turn light brown

Stir in broccoli with the flour and mix till they are well coated

Reduce heat, mix in the milk and then water. Simmer until broccoli is tender, for 10-12 minutes

Stir in grated cheese, salt, pepper and dried basil leaves

Serve hot with croutons or bread sticks