Pumpkin kheer (pudding)

• Preparation Time: 10 mins 
• Cook Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 25 mins 

INGREDIENTS
Pumpkin - 1/4 part
Madhuramruth vacuum evaporated sugarcane juice powder (jaggery) (healthy sugar) or any other form of sugar - For every cup of boiled mashed pumpkin 1 cup jaggery
Cardamom powder - 2 pinch
Clarified butter or ghee - 2 tsp
Milk -  2 cups for 1 cup pumpkin
Chopped nuts/dry fruits (optional)

PREPARATION

1. Peel the pumpkin and cut into cubes of 1 inch
2. Pressure cook the pumpkin
3. Once ready mash it coarsely 
4. Add the powdered jaggery and mix well
5. Add ghee in a deep pan 
6. Once it melts and heats up, pour in the pumpkin and allow to boil
7. Now add cardamom and cook for 2min
8. Now add milk and bring to boil
9. You can add chopped nuts and raisins if you like. This is totally optional but makes it healthier
10. Serve hot

Spiced turmeric latte

• Preparation Time: 2 mins 
• Cook Time: 45 seconds
• Total Time: 3 minutes 

INGREDIENTS
Turmeric powder - 1-2 tea spoon
Any dairy or non-dairy milk - 1 cup
Organic powdered black pepper - 1/4 tea spoon
Organic powdered Jaggery - as per your taste

MAKING THE LATTE

1. Take a cup with milk
2. Add powdered jaggery. Mix well
3. Add the turmeric powder 
4. Add black pepper
5. Either heat on the cooktop or microwave for 40seconds or more

Serve every morning for better health and growing immunity. Can be served with breakfast like pan cake or anything else.

Quick Eggless Whole Wheat pancake

• Preparation Time: 10 mins 
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 20 minutes 
• Yield: 6 pancakes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup Organic Whole Wheat Flour*
• ¼ tablespoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup almond milk or any milk of choice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or melted coconut oil
• 2 tablespoons organic jaggery (I used Madhuramut jaggery)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• More oil to grease your pan/skillet, if necessary

MAKING THE PAN CAKES

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or another mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract until thoroughly blended. (If your coconut oil solidifies on contact with the cold milk, gently warm it in the microwave just until it liquifies again.)
2. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture. Stir until combined, so only a few lumps remain (don’t over-mix or your pancakes will be tough!). If you’d like to mix in any totally optional add-ins (like chocolate chips or blueberries), gently fold them in now. Let the batter rest for 5 minutes so your pancakes will be nice and fluffy.
3. If necessary, lightly oil the cooking surface with additional oil (I don’t oil the surface of my non-stick griddle and my pancakes turned out great).
4. Using a ¼-cup measure, scoop the batter onto the warm skillet. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until small bubbles form on the surface of the pancakes (you’ll know it’s ready to flip when about ½-inch of the perimeter is matte instead of glossy), and flip. Cook on the opposite sides for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown.
5. Repeat the process with the remaining batter, adding more oil as needed. You may need to adjust the heat up or down at this point. Serve the pancakes immediately.
6. Can we served with a hot golden milk (http://houseofmasala.blogspot.com/2018/03/spiced-turmeric-latte.html)

Here is the awesome jaggery used:

Spicy Navratan Korma

Ingredients:

Total time: 45 - 60min    Serves: 6 people

• 225 g - Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
• 1/4 cup - Milk
• 15 g - Ginger
• 6 flakes - Garlic
• 1 cup - Coriander leaves
• 3 - Green chillies
• 3/4 cup - Water
• 1/2 cup - Ghee or Oil
• 300 g - Cauliflower cut into small pieces
• 2 cups - Peas shelled or frozen
• 1/4 kg - Potato peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
• 1/4 kg - Carrots peeled and cut into thin strips 4 cm long
• 1/4 kg - French beans cut into thin strips 3 cm long
• 1 tsp - Turmeric
• 2 tsp - Cumin Powder
• 1 tsp - Red Chilli powder
• 1 tsp - Garam Masala
• 300 g - Tomatoes pureed
• 1.5 cups - Curd beaten
• 2 slices - Canned Pineapple cut into 1 cm pieces
• 2 tbsp - Cashewnuts broken into pieces
• 12 - Almonds blanched and sliced
• A pinch Saffron dissolve in 1 tbsp hot Milk or hot water
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Grind ginger, garlic, coriander leaves and green chillies into a paste, adding a little water from time to time. 
• Divide the paneer into two batches. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan for 3 mins and fry each batch till golden brown and remove. 
• To the remaining oil, add ground paste. Stir-fry till golden brown, sprinkling a little milk from time to time. 
• Add all the vegetables, salt, turmeric, cumin, red chillies and garam masala powders. Stir-fry for about 2 mins. 
• Add tomato puree, curd and remaining water. Mix and cook covered on low flame till all the vegetables are cooked. 
• On medium heat, add paneer, pineapple, cashewnut and almonds. Stir and simmer for 3 more mins. 
• Add saffron and serve hot.

Palak rice with mixed vegetables

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

20 mins

TOTAL TIME

35 mins

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cup

Oil - 1.5 tb sp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tb sp

Chopped onion - 1 large

Chopped tomato - 2 large
Spinach - 2-3 cups

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Dhaniya Jeera powder - 2 tsp

Garam masala - 2 tsp
Chopped green chillies - 1
Mixed vegetables (Beans, peas, Cauliflower, Carrot,
Curry leaves - few

Salt as per taste

Cashew - 10 - 15

Cilantro

Ghee - 2 tsp

Procedure:

1. Palak paste:
• Chop spinach coarsely
• Grind to paste: Spinach, ginger, garlic, Green chillies, little water to grind
• Keep aside 
2. Making the masala for rice:
• In a Kadhai, heat oil 
• Add Kadipatta
• Now add Jeera, mustard seeds, Haldi and hing
• Add chopped onion and fry till golden brown
• Add chopped tomato and fry till oil leaves from the sides in the kadhai
• Add Garam masala and Dhaniya Jeera powder
• Add Cashew nuts
• Add mixed vegetables and fry for 5 min
3. Making the rice
• Wash rice and keep it ready
• Add above masala and mix well
• Add salt
• Add the palak paste by measuring it as it is watery. Minus that much water. (i.e. if you use 1 cup of rice and the paste is half cup use a little more than half cup water)
• Add chopped cilantro 
• Cook it normally using pressure cooker or electric rice cooker
• Once ready add 2tsp ghee and mix well
• Serve hot garnished with some fresh coconut and cilantro with raita

Mumbai Mast Tomato Pulao

PREP TIME

10 mins

COOK TIME

20 mins

TOTAL TIME

30 mins

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 3/4 cup

Oil - 1.5 tb sp

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tb sp

Chopped onion - 1/2 large

Chopped tomato - 1 large

Tomato ketchup - 1.5 tb sp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Pav bhaji masala - 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Chopped Red or green bell pepper - 1/2 

Paneer - 20 cubes

Cilantro

Ghee - 2 tsp

Procedure:

1. First wash and cook the rice in any method you prefer. Add few drops of oil while cooking to get well separated strands. Bring to room temperature and keep aside.
2. In case of using store bought paneer, soak it in hot water for about 10 minutes. Remove it from the water and keep aside.
3. Now, heat a pan with oil, add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 30 secs. Follow it by onion and saute until translucent.
4. Now, add the tomato and give a stir. Then add the ketchup and give a quick stir. Follow it by turmeric powder, chilli powder, pav bhaji masala powder, salt and mix well.
5. Add the capsicum, give a nice stir and add 1/2 cup of water. Mix well and turn the flame to low-medium. Cook for a minute and then add the paneer cubes. Stir once and continue to cook until the mixture gets thickened up. By now all the raw smell of masala would be gone. 
6. Finally, add the cooked rice to the mixture and mix well until combined. Make sure not to break the rice strands. Turn off the flame. Garnish with coriander leaves, ghee and mix well.
7. Serve hot and enjoy with a simple papad or raita.

Healthy kacche/dadpe pohe with masala chili

One of my most favorite dishes. I remember whenever I used to go home from where I was working, my mom always asked me "What do you want me to prepare?" I always had this on my list. Mom's immediate reaction "Such a simple dish?". My all time favorite and very very simple and healthy to eat.

Now I am passing on to my son. He loves it as much as I love it 😃

Ingredients:

Poha:
Thin Pohe - 6 cups
Buttermilk/curd chili - 4 nos
Oil - 4 tsp
Jeera (cumin seeds) - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
Sesame seeds - 2 tsp
Asafoetida - 3 tsp
Curry leaves - 5 leaves
Raw Peanuts - 4 tb spoon
Black salt to taste
Sugar - 1 tsp

Toppings for the poha:
Chopped tomato
Chopped onion
Chopped Spinach
Chopped Cucumber
Grated carrot
Chopped cilantro
Lemon
Grated fresh coconut



Finally making and serving:

1. Heat oil in kadhai. 
2. Add Jeera, mustard seeds and sesame seeds. Allow to splutter.
3. Add asafoetida and Curry leaves
4. Now add the curd chili by roughly breaking them into halves or smaller (based on the size)
5. Allow the chili to be hard and fried well. 
6. If the chili are done, take them out or else can leave in the oil for more time to be fried
7. Add the raw peanuts and fry till they are fully roasted
8. Turn off the gas and allow to cool
9. Now add the poha to the oil 
10. Add salt, sugar and mix well
11. NOTE that this mix can be made and stored for long time as these are all dry ingredients

Serving:

1. In a separate bowl, take as much as needed to be served
2. Add all or any toppings mentioned above per liking
3. Give it a good mix and serve.
4. NOTE this dish is served cold and not to be warmed

Bean soup

• Prep
  15 m
• Cook
  30 m
• Ready In
  45 m

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp - Olive Oil
1 large Onion - chopped (an inch size)
2 Carrots - chopped
4 Garlic cloves
Chili powder as per taste and spice level of the chili
1 Tbsp - Ground cumin
Black pepper freshly crushed
4 Cups - vegetable broth (or water from boiled beans)
2-3 cups of mixed beans (e.g.: Black and chick peas)
1 cup - corn kernel
Kale (Spinach can be used instead)
onions chopped
2 medium sized - Tomatoes
Avocado - optional

Dried thyme - per taste

Dried oregano - per taste

Dried basil - per taste
Salt to taste

Lets start cooking:

NOTE: Soak, dry black beans or chickpeas for atleast 5-8 hours.

Normal cooktop cooking:

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Saute onion, celery, carrots and garlic for 5 minutes. Season with chili powder, cumin, and black pepper; cook for 1 minute. 
2. Add in chopped onions and kale. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in vegetable broth, 2 cups of beans and corn. Bring to a boil.
4. Meanwhile, in a food processor or blender, process remaining 1 cup beans and tomatoes until smooth. Stir into boiling soup mixture, reduce heat to medium, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add salt and other spices to taste.
5. Enjoy the yummy soup on a chilly day!!

Instant pot cooking:

1. Turn on instant pot on sauté mode
2. Once hot, add oil and allow to heat
3. Add chopped garlic and sauté 
4. Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent 
5. Add chopped kale or spinach and sauté for 2min
6. Add chopped or circular carrots and corn kernels
7. Now add the soaked beans and/or chickpeas
8. Now add all the spices and salt
9. Turn off the sauté mode and turn on pressure cook mode for 20min
10. Once pressure is released, serve hot with sliced avocado (optional)

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Preparation Time: 15 minutes


Ingredients:
1/2 Cup - softened butter
4-1/2 Cup - confectioners' sugar
1-1/2 tea spoon - Vanilla essence
5 to 6 tablespoon - 2% milk

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Yield: About 3 cups.

Change up the flavor. Prepare the recipe as directed making the following substitutions:

Almond: Add 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon almond extract instead of the vanilla. 
Chocolate: Use 4 cups confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup baking cocoa and 6-7 tablespoons milk. 
Lemon: Use 5-6 tablespoons lemon juice instead of the milk and 1 teaspoon grated peel. 
Orange: Use 5-6 tablespoons orange juice instead of the milk and add 1 teaspoon grated orange peel. 
Peanut Butter: Use 1/2 cup peanut butter instead of the butter and use 6-8 tablespoons milk.
Peppermint: Use 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract instead of the vanilla. 

Egg-less Butter-less Orange Muffins With Whole Wheat Flour and Jaggery

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking time : 45 minutes


Ingredients: Measurements used - 1 cup =200 ml

• 2 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup orange pulp 
• 1cup powdered jaggery
• 1 cup curd
• 1/2 cup refined oil
• 2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• Pinch of Salt

Method:

1. Preheat the oven at 180 degree Celsius or 350 degree Fahrenheit for 10-12 minutes. Grease the cake pan with butter or oil or line them with paper cups.
2. In a bowl sieve the whole wheat flour along with baking soda, baking powder and salt twice. Add orange zest to it and set aside.
3. You can use store bought orange pulp if you wish to. I have used fresh oranges. To extract the pulp, cut 2 oranges in quarters , peel and cut the segments into small chunks. While doing do remove the seeds. Put the orange chunks into a grinder and get the puree. Do not strain the puree.
4.  In a large mixing bowl, take this orange puree and add powdered or grated jaggery to it and stir well with a wire whisk until the jaggery dissolves completely in the puree.
5. To this add curd followed by oil and stir well. Lastly add vanilla essence and give a quick stir. Our wet ingredients are ready.
6. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and blend with a spatula. Do not over beat. Just fold in to get an even and lump free batter.
7. Spoon the batter into the cake pan until 3/4 full. Tap the cake pan and transfer it to a preheated oven (PRe-heat the oven at 180 Celsius / 350 degree Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
8. Bake the cake at 180 degree Celsius / 350 degree Fahrenheit for 45-50 minutes or until the tester tooth pick comes out clean. Keep a watch after 20 minutes as temperature may vary from oven to oven. 
9. Let the cake cool down on a wire rack. Cut and enjoy them as it is or with a cup of tea or coffee.

Make the frosting at home:

http://houseofmasala.blogspot.com/2017/03/vanilla-buttercream-frosting.html

ALMOND BUTTER OATMEAL BREAKFAST COOKIES.

ALMOND BUTTER OATMEAL BREAKFAST COOKIES.

PREP TIME

15 mins

COOK TIME

20 mins

TOTAL TIME

35 mins

 

INGREDIENTS

• Wet:
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp milk
• ⅓ cup ground raw sugar
• 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp flax seed meal
• ¼ tsp salt
•  
• Dry:
• ½ cup oat flour (ground Oats)
• ½ cup almond flour (ground almonds)
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch or other starch
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1 or more cup Oats

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a bowl, add the ingredients under wet. mix briskly until well combined. In a bowl, whisk in or sift the flours, baking powder and soda. Add the oats and mix.
2. Add the dry to wet and mix to combine. Add more oats if the mixture is too wet. The dough will be sticky, but will set after chilling. Chill the mixture for 15 minutes or longer.
3. Using slightly wet or greased hands, take 3 to 4 Tbsp of the dough and shape into somewhat balls, then flatten on parchment lined sheet(wet your hands to flatten if the dough is still sticky). Flatten well as the cookies will rise during baking to make fat cookies. I made medium-large cookies. Wet hands in between for easy handling.
4. Press almond slivers, seeds, or granulated sugar on top.
5. Bake at pre-heated 375 degrees F for 13-15 minutes (depending on the size of the cookies), till the edges are golden and the center is dry. Do not over bake as the cookies will get too crunchy. Let them cool completely as they will continue to cook for a few minutes once out of the oven. Store in an airtight container. 
6. Note: You can taste the dough and add more sugar to taste. The cookies get sweeter as they sit. So right out of the oven, warm might taste more nutty and less sweet.

Eggless Red velvet cookies

Eggless Red velvet cookies with Beetroot

Prep time

  10 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Time to Make It

25 mins

Yield: 24 cookies                                    

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup cooked beet puree (2 beets)            
  
• ⅓ cup coconut oil, softened
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon Lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup Almond flour
• ½ Tablespoon baking powder
• 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• ½ cup  chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In a large bowl, whisk beet puree, coconut oil, brown sugar, maple syrup, lemon juice, and vanilla extract together, everything is mostly incorporated.
3. Stir in wheat flour, almond flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder. The cookie dough will be thick and sticky. Make sure to completely mix in the flour.
4. Fold in the ½ cup chocolate chips.
5. Using a 1-2 Tablespoon cookie scoop (or your hands) roll dough into balls. Place 12 on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Don't bake any longer than that. Remove from oven and let cool.
7. Repeat step 6 with remaining cookie dough balls.
8. Enjoy!

For Beet Puree:

1. Cut leafy ends off of the beets and scrub
2. Peel the skin of the beets
3. Cut the raw beet and puree it in a processor or juicer. Use the pulp and the juice.

 

Aussie Bites

Homemade Aussie Bites

 

Prep time

8 mins

Cook Time

12 mins

Time to Make It

20 mins

 

Yield: 24 muffins                                    

Ingredients

• 1¾ cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup dried apricots
• ¼ cup raisins
• ¼ cup ground flaxseed
• ¼ cup unsalted sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• ¼ cup cooked quinoa
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ cup canola oil
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 24 count mini-muffin pan.
2. Pour 1 cup of rolled oats into a food processor. Process for about 1 minute until oats are pulverized into oat flour.
3. Add in the remaining ¾ cup rolled oats, sugar, dried apricots, raisins, flax seed, sunflower seeds, coconut, quinoa, chia seeds, and baking soda. Pulse until apricots and raisins are in small bits.
4. Pour in honey, melted butter, canola oil, and vanilla extract. Pulse just until combined.
5. Divide batter among the prepared muffin tin.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.
7. Remove pan from oven and let cool in pan on a wire cooling rack in the pan.
8. Once completely cooled, remove from pan and store in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.