meetha madra(a himachali dessert)

Hi there........this is something that got made in my mom's ancesteral home.....normally during the changing of the seasons a meetha madra,khatta madra, khatta meat and boiled rice would be served.I love this,and don't really wait for the seasons to change....its a great dessert to serve anytime.Before I proceed anyfurther,those who are educators or for that matter all those who have small kids....do check out this site called HAMARA SANSAR,Paridhi is doing some really good work and we should encourage her.

back to the dish

INGRDS

1 1/2 ltrs milk

1 tsp fennel seeds(saunf)
5 caradomom crushed
1 tablespoon ghee(clarified butter)
300 gms paneer(can use cottage cheese)
1 copra (dried coconut)cut into thin 1/2 inch long pcs
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup cashewnuts
1/2 cup raisins
8-10 tablespoons of sugar
METHOD
1.In a heavy bottomed pan/wok/kadai,heat the ghee and add the fennel seeds and cardamom,fry for a min then add the dry fruits,including the copra.....fry till the coconut turns a light golden......now add the milk...let it come to a boil,then reduce it to a simmer.

2.After the milk reduces to half in quantity and has becone a nice golden color add the sugar,let it boil away for a few min.......then add the crunbled paneer.....boil for another 5 mins,switch off the heat.

3.Let it come to room tempreture to serve....I serve this hot in winters,cold in peak summers and room tempreture in this rainy weather.

sending this to sharan's event..celebrating-independence-day-sharans.........because my great grandather was a very active freedom fighter.......this particular dish is from his household....so I think its perfect for this event:)  

Malt cupcakes with malty buttercream

First and foremost a very big thank you to all the people who commented on my previous post.............I'm really touched by the kind words and feel really blessed to know such wonderful people..........I know I've not even met most of you........but you guys make the world a better place.

Onto this recipe.........a friend had asked me what to make chocomalt,well one recipe is the
  malty-walty-banana-cake..........and this would be another that I thought of ,when I should have been doing some other work!(for example studying!)Anyway I tried it out...and I'm sorry if I sound a little immodest when I say this...but they were superb!Do try out the whole thing NOT just the cupcakes...........it has to be with this yum buttercream...I completely agree that the icing is not going to win any beauty contest.....BUT..it has character....and character is good!
INGRDS
3 eggs
1 cup wholewheat flour plus1 cup all purpose flour sieved together with 1 tsp baking pdr
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup chocomalt(maltova,ovaltine,nutramul,horlicks..whatever)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM ICING
50 gms butter
2 tablespoons powered sugar
4 tablespoons choco malt(or any of the other malt products)
2-3 tablespoons milk
THE WAY TO DO IT!
1.Put ALL the ingrds for the cake(eggs etc)in a bowl,use your hand held mixer and beat till nice and smooth,3-4mins.
2.Put the cupcake wrappers into the muffin pan........now put spoonfulls of the batter into the wrappers till 3/4th way up(if you don't have the wrappers,simply butter the muffin moulds and dust with flour...then pour the batter 3/4th into each mould...........its easier and less messy with the cupcake wrappers)

after the heat treatment!

3.Bake in a preheated oven (180degC)for 20-25 mins.(put a shewer in /or a toothpick....if there is no batter sticking to it...your cupcakes are done)
ICING
1.Beat,with your hand held mixer the  softened butter and sugar,till light and fluffy,add the chocomalt and the milk...beat again....the texture should be spreadable.

2.Ice with a tsp.....put onto the cooled cupcakes.....decorate with whatever you have....I had mini marshmallows......I don't get malteasers in my neck of the woods....but if you can lay your hands on it ...then one malteaser on each cupcake would look awesome....grated chocolate would be nice too.sending this to http://www.alittlenosh.net/2012/08/tastetastic-thursday-89/#comment-8559..........tastetastic thursday.

lazy cooks macaroni salad

Hi folks.....finally time to put the recipe of the macaroni salad........quite simply because this time I remembered to take the pics ..........this miserable heat is kinda evaporating my brain cells!

This is a lovely summer salad,even my dear husband who likes only really hot and spicy dishes...likes this....its actually a complete meal in itself.......paired with a cool fizzy drink...perfect!
macaroni -2 pkts(I used 1 shell and 1 elbow pkt)
1 big mango(chopped-diced)
1 cup corn(cooked)
1 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced cheese(cheddar)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup of hung curd/quark(take approx. 2 cups of curd...put this in a muslin cloth and hang for an hour....you'd be left with 1/2 cup of hung curd.........can also be called quark)
2 tablespoons mayonaise(I used eggless)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp of Italian sesaoning
1 tblsp of honey(optional)
METHOD
1.In a huge pan of boiling salted water,cut open and topple the contents of the two pkts(Of pasta).Cook till al dente,(should not be mushy....your pasta should have a bite in it),drain,and rinse in cold water.
2.Take the mayo,hung curd,salt,pepper , italian seasoningand honey...mix it well.
3.Take the macaroni,mango,cucumber,onion, cheese,corn....toss the dressing into it,taste and now refrigerate till its nice and cold.........perfect to have for lunch on a hot sunny day.

On a completely unrelated note.......does anyone know how to reduce blood sugar in dogs,my poor Casper has been detected with diabetes,and its a bit of a mystery out here..the docs want to put him on insulin....I've got a week left to get his blood sugar down(I'd asked for 2 weeks to work some magic),I've got this chap eating lauki(bottle gourd),paneer,and baba ramdev meds..........does anyone know anything else that might help reduce the blood sugar?

lazy cooks mustard fish

Hi there!.....has this ever happened to you?a song or tune gets stuck in your head,keeps going round and round and you can do nothing about it!it might be something that you might not even like!..but  it remains stuck like a bad tape recorder...the jingle that remained stuck in my head was.....hold your breath...tobu cyles!if you were a wee thing in the 80's or early 90's you won't even remember it....there was a bunch of kids on their ..what else?..tobu cycles..and the jingle playing at the back.If this was something that I really loved,it was a different thing....but I don't even like the jingle..why on earth is it going on in my head??

Along with "tobu cycles" playing in my head..I made mustard fish.I have no bengali blood in my veins...and am  not related to any bengali either...but I make this pretty often..learnt this from my mom,the only touch that I added was the crushed garlic(mom doesn't add any)

INGRDS

1 kg of boneless fish(you can def use fish with bones..I just find it extremely painful!)

1 full pod of garlic(crushed)
1 green chilli
3 big tomatoes chopped fine

some cilantro chopped fine

soak and then grind-1 tablespoon of khus khus(poppy seeds)+1 1/2 tsps of mustard seeds
1 tsp nigella seeds

salt to taste,1/2 tsp turmeric pdr,1/2 tsp chilli pdr,1 tablespoon corriander seeds powder...make a paste of this with water(about 1/2 cup water) 

mustard oil-as required

METHOD

1.Marinate the fish in a little salt+turmeric pdr+chilli pdr,at least for half an hour.
2.Heat mustard oil in a wok/kadhai.....deep fry the marinated pcs.Drain on an absorbent towel.
3.In another wok/kadhai,add about a tablespoon of  mustard oil...once it heats up..addthe nigella seeds,the garlic and green chilli.....fry for a few mins..then add the chopped tomatoes.now add the spices(which we've made a paste of in water).cook this till you see oil leaving the masala.(about 7 mins or so).Add 1 cup of water,let it come to a boil.
4.Once the gravy has bubbled away,add the khus khus-mustard seeds paste.I add the cilantro at this stage too,reserving a little for the garnish.Taste the seasoning.
5.Add the fried fish to this.Serve hot with plain bolied rice.Its yum!I just realised something....have you noticed how bengali girls are so beautiful...its because they eat fish...all those omega 3's working! 
sending this to Akila's event.

lazy cooks orange cake with sticky marmalade glaze

Hi guys....howz the heat treating you?Its become unbearably hot out here...and to top it all I'm playing "college student".I have to go to Jammu which is 60 kms from here.....the distance is not much...but the terrain is mountainous ....and I travel by rickety buses,which are, at times,driven by suicidal drivers......so I travel for 2-2 1/2 hours,attend practical classes for 3 hours,then get back to Udhampur.By the time I get back I'm incapable of liftingeven a pencil.This is going to continue till the 12th of June(I'm bunking today....YAY!)...so guys I'll be posting the recipes(mango cake,focaccia,coookies)post that and visiting all your blogs after the 12th of June.......unless I skip another day (which is veeeeeeerrrryy possible!)or I simply drop out of the course which is also very possible!
This is ,sadly ,the only photograph that was worth putting up(can you imagine the state of the rest of them).....but beauty is only skin deep..remember that.The cake is really nice.Its the regular pound cake, modified.You can also juice and zest fresh oranges..I just took the easy way out...I used tetrapack juice and maramalade.
INGRDS
2 cups flour
2tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
3 eggs
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tblsp orange marmalade
a couple of drops of orange colour(optional)
1 tsp of orange essence
GLAZE
4 tblsp orange marmalade
1/2 cup orange juice
METHOD
1.Sieve the flour,baking pdr and salt.
2.Beat the butter and sugar till light and fluffy,add the eggs..one by one..beat well.Now would be the time to add the essence and colour(if adding)
3.Alternate the flour and juice into the butter mix.....lastly add the orange marmalade.....pour into a prepared tin(greased and dusted with flour.......I'm not big on lining tins with butter paper...but if that what you like then please stick to that)
4.Bake in a preheated oven at 180degC for 35-40 mins(till a skewer comes out clean)
5.Take it out of the oven,once it cools down,take it out onto a seerving plate.Poke holes (with a skewer)all over the cake.Now pour the hot glaze(I used a spoon)over the cake.The cake is ready.
GLAZE
Put the orange marmalade and juice in a pan and heat till the marmalade melts(you need to keep stirring)......glaze ready!
NOTE

You will need to refrigerate the cake.........this heat is not good for anything left out on the table.Inc....I put up more pics....the colour in these is washed out due to the over efficient flash..please look at the first pic for the colour of the cake.
Like I mentioned earlier..I used a tetra pack juice and orange marmalade.....please feel free to zest and juice 2 oranges.
If you're still in the mood for something more orangy try out   lazycooks-orange-sponge-drops

lazy cooks mango ice cream

 



Hi guys..........here I go destroying all the good will  I garnered because of those two fat free posts.This is not fat free..by a long shot but it is velly..velly goood....and velly ..velly easy.It's ice cream the way my mom used to make it(before the ice cream maker) ....Actually its a kulfi masquerading as ice cream, but,since it was called ice cream when I was little....ice cream it is!

INGRDS

condensed milk-1 tin

1 lt milk
2 slices of white bread
2 cups mango pulp
METHOD
1.Put the milk to boil in as heavy bottomed pan,till it reduces to 1/2.Add the slices of bread and condensed milk...stir a bit,let it come to a rolling boil,then take it of the heat.
2.Puree the mango pulp ,when the milk mix is cool enough to put into the blender....blend with the mango pulp(you'd probably need to do this in batches...unless you have a really huge blender!)
3.Pour this creamy mess into a freezer safe bowl..with a tight fitting lid..and freeze.
4.It's ready to serve when it sets!
NOTE
1.See me trying to cut some calories!........if you want ,when you're pureeing the whole mix together.you can add a cup of cream..I didn't and it still tasted great.
2.If you want a few drops of colour can be added......I didn't add coz I  wanted this to be totally natural(OK...who am I kidding.....I forgot)
3.If you wait 24 hrs to serve this...then you'll need to put your bowl in the refrigertator for a bit to soften the ice cream.

a bowl of mango ice cream

All fellow food bloggers do read this.
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lazy cooks neiman marcus cookies and award

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!!!!!
Hi all........please get the background of these cookies from here neiman-marcus-cookies....so, I tried them out and they are awesome!!!!!!!!the only thing I would do the next time is def. reduce the sugar...the kids thoroughly enjoyed the sweetness..I personally felt it needs to go down....I made 1/4th of the orignal recipe and I got about 38 cookies.(I think !..because while I was busy clicking pictures..some cookies from the other tray vanished into thin air!!!!!so my count could be a cookie or two out)

INGRDS

1/2 cup butter

170 gms chocolate chip(i used dark and white)

1 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cup oats

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup chopped nuts(I used walnuts)

125 gms dark chocolate ..........grated

METHOD

1.In a bowl,beat the butter,essence and both the sugars with an electric beater..add the egg..beat again.

2.Add the rest of the ingrds.......butter the baking trays,then  spoon the mixture at equal intervals(it will spread on baking)......put into a pre heated oven(180 deg C)for 10 mins...let it cool down..then taste...DIVINE!!!!!!!!!!!!
3.Guys do try them out...Those in New York...do tell if the taste is the same as the famous(infamous????)Neiman Marcus cookies.:)

I have to thank Ambreen of simply sweet n savory.and Reena of achus amma s kitchen for passing on the award.....do check their blogs out..their recipes are simply great.......Thank you guys for thinking of me:) I have to pass it on.....I would love to name all my wonderful blogger friends...but I'm supposed to name 5...and two people have passed it on ..that makes10...so here goes 1) maayeka

2)http://konkanikitchen.blogspot.in/
3)priya easy n tasty recipes
4)aromatic-cooking.
5)noe lcollections
6)my italian kitchen
7)

Spice up the Curry

8)thoughts of paps

9)erivum puliyumm.
10)treat n trick
10)mahas lovely home.

lazy cooks kheer(creamy rice pudding)

Hi guys..I was all set to try out those cookies(neiman marcus)but I had to buckle down and concentrate on completing an order for cake and chocolates,which is when I decided to make kheer....because its the easiest thing in the world......and soooo very tasty!

Before I start with the recipe..I must tell you,taday was the day I decided to start my new diet(I just want to lose a little weight....OK...make that a lot of weight).Starving..aka..dieting is beyond me...so I decided that I would have a late breakfast....an early dinner  and fruits for lunch.There I was .9am..breakfast for a king....1.30pm..lunch time..a big bowl of watermelon....and I walked off for my a'noon siesta(Horrid...I know)..3.30pm I helped myself to lunch....and I'm seriously looking forward to dinner!Why.....why doesn't praying help to shed the extra tyres???I promise to pray each and every day..dear god..please make me slim!BTW...........this kheer is great as a dessert............or even as a snack!
INGRDS
3/4 cup basmati rice...wash and soak the rice for atleast half an hour
2 l milk(full fat.....please I insist)
4-5 cardamom pods
12 teaspoons of sugar
a few saffron strands soaked in half cup of warm milk
1/2 cup of almonds(blanched)(dipped in boiling water..left for a while...then peel the skin off)
1/2 cup of cashewnuts(soaked in 1 cup of water)
a handful of raisins
METHOD
1.Put the rice and milk together in a heavy bottomed pan,stir once in a way..let it come to a boil..then reduce the heat and let it simmer away...........just remember to stir once in a while.
2.Grind the almonds and the cashew(without water)...I normally do not grind this smooth...keep it granular..with some biggish pcs.
3.After what seems like an eternity,the rice would've cooked and the milk reduced...we're looking for a nice and creamy kheer.....add the ground nuts,raisins and the sugar...keep stirring...now would be a good time to taste and see whether more sugar is needed or not...add the soaked saffron..stir again.
4.Refrigerate....and serve cold.Garnish with some almonds

Another garnish that looks really nice is some chopped up desi gulab(an edible and extremely fragrant rose variety)

 These are the cakes that I had done recently.

They are both dark chocolate cakes,sandwiched with whipped cream(with a hint of rum).....the icing on the first one is whipped cream sprayed with wilton's golden spray.............the second one is covered in truffle icing..and whipped cream..and golden spray.

One reason why this goes to this event ......because both the cake and the kheer were taught to me  by my mom!

sending this tosrav's culinary concepts