Cashew Brittle

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 12 ounces roasted salted peanuts, cashews, pistachios and/or pecans

• Toast nuts and keep aside to cool (I toast these in the oven at 350 F, for 10 minutes).
• In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, water, butter and corn syrup and bring to a boil. 
• Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramel is light brown and registers 300° on a candy thermometer. 
• Remove from the heat and carefully stir in the baking soda. The mixture will bubble. 
• Stir in the nuts, then immediately scrape the brittle onto a large rimmed, nonstick baking sheet. Using the back of a large spoon (oil it lightly if it sticks), spread the brittle into a thin, even layer. 
• Sprinkle with salt. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes. Break the brittle into large shards.

1. 
   

Pound Cake with Nutella Swirls

1 cup butter, softened
  1/2 cup shortening
  1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
  2-1/2 cups sugar
  5 eggs
  3 cups cake flour *
  1 teaspoon baking powder
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  1 cup buttermilk
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

* Substitute for cake flour : For every cup of cake flour, take one cup of all purpose flour, remove two table spoons of flour, and add two table spoons of corn starch.

Optional : 
 1 13 oz jar of Nutella
OR
  1 13 oz container of any fruit preserves
OR 
  Any fruit/ chocolate spread you like

• In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening, cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Combine the dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
• Warm nutella (if using nutella) for 30 seconds in microwave.
• Pour one third mixture in a bundt cake pan, apply a ribbon of nutella/ fruit preserves in the layer, pour another layer of cake mixture, apply the rest of nutella/ fruit preserves and scrape off all the cake mixture into the bundt pan.
• Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Optional : serve with fresh strawberries or ice cream.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Truffle center

2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 ounces butter, melted, not hot
7 ounces (1 packed cup) brown sugar
3 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 egg yolk, room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract
8 ounces (1 1/3 cup) chocolate chips

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit (162 C). Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and set aside for now.
• In the large bowl of a stand mixer, combine the melted butter and both sugars, and mix them on medium speed with a paddle attachment until the sugars are moist. Add the egg and mix until it is well-incorporated, then add the yolk and mix well again. Add the vanilla extract. 
• With the mixer running on low, add the dry ingredients and mix just until they are almost fully incorporated and there are just a few streaks of flour remaining. Add the chocolate chips and stir them by hand, scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula until everything is well-mixed. 
• For the best results, chill the dough for 45 minutes, until it is firmer but still able to be rolled into balls. If it’s too hard straight from the refrigerator, let it warm up on the counter for a few minutes once you’re ready to use it.
• To form the cookies, use a cookie scoop or a large tablespoon to form a 1.5-inch ball of dough. Press your thumb in the center to create an indent and spread the cookie out a little bit. Set a chilled truffle in the center of the cookie, then place a little more dough—about the size of a quarter—on top of the truffle. Pinch the bottom and top of the cookie dough together, then roll it between your palms to make it round. Place the cookie on an ungreased parchment-lined sheet, and repeat until the sheet is filled, leaving 2-3 inches between the cookies.
• Bake the cookies at 325 F for 17 minutes, rotating halfway throughout. They’re done when the cookies have spread, have a touch of color along the outer edge, and the raw sheen is off in the center. They should still be soft in the middle.

Capsicum corn masala

Ingredients:

Bell Peppers (2), cut into 1/4" cubes
Corn - 1 cup (I used frozen)
Tomatoes - 4 medium - cut into small pieces
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Garam Masala powder - 1 tsp

Preparation :
1. In a pan, heat oil (can optionally add tadka w/ Jeera), and add Bell Peppers once the oil is hot.
2. Saute bell peppers until they start loosing their bright green color (It is an indication that they're getting cooked).
3. Add corn and tomatoes and let the whole mixture sit in the flame for 20 minutes/ till oil starts separating.
4. Add salt and garam masala and let it stay on the stovetop for another 5 minutes.
5. Garnish with corriander leaves and serve with Roti!

Capsicum Rice

Ingredients :
Cooked rice - 3 cups (Each grain should be separate)
Bell Pepper/ Capsicum cut into 1/4" pieces (2)
Garlic (Optional) - 3 pods
Dry-Roasted unsalted peanuts - 1/3 cup
Bay Leaves
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Masala Powder :
Cloves - 4 florets
Cardamom - 4
Cinnamon - 1 1/2" piece
Corriander (Dhania) seeds - 4 tbsp
Jeera - 3 tbsp

Preparation :
1. Dry-roast the masala ingredients and grind to a coarse powder . (Note : this can also be made in bulk and stored for a while).
2. Mince garlic and keep aside.
3. In a pan, heat oil and add minced garlic and the bay leaves. (Flame should remain at medium)
4. Once the garlic oil mix starts emitting an aroma, add bell peppers and saute for about 5 minutes.
5. Now add the masala powder, mix thoroughly and saute for a further 5 minutes/ until the bell peppers get 70% cooked. Overcooking the bell peppers will cause the rice mix to become a paste, so try avoiding that.
6. Now add salt, and then rice and mix (while making sure that the rice grains don't get clumped together), and saute for a further 5 minutes.
7. Enjoy capsicum rice with Boondi Raita!

Tofu Peanut Satay

Again - this was something in which I used store brought ingredients. I'll mostly update this once I try this again, with the peanut sauce made from scratch.

Ingredients :

Thai Peanut satay sauce - 3/4 cup
Firm Tofu - 1 pack
Oil - 1 tbsp
Water - 1/4 cup

Preparation :
1. Heat a pan and add oil. Turn the heat to high.
2. Cut tofu into 1 inch cubes and saute them for about 5 minutes. Sauteeing them on a really hot pan ensures that the tofu does not get too dry.
3. Lower the heat to medium and add Peanut satay sauce and water and blend until the peanut sauce absorbs all the water.
4. Turn off the heat once it starts oozing out oil. This makes a very good side dish for Mushroom Fried Rice !

Mushroom Fried Rice

This was something quick and dirty I attempted. As opposed to most of the other recipes - this just uses store bought ingredients and is something that can be rustled up in less than 20 minutes!

Ingredients :
Button Mushrooms - 1 12 Oz packs.
Soy Sauce - 2 tbsp
Rice vinegar - 1 tbsp
Chili Sauce (I used ching's secret chili sauce) - 1 tbsp (or more, depending on palatte)
Cooked rice - 3 cups
Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation :
1. Wash mushrooms thoroughly and cut mushrooms.
2. Heat a pan and add oil.
3. Once the oil is hot enough, add cut mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes on medium-high heat.
4. Once the mushrooms get sauteed, they start emitting that "mushroomey" aroma and start losing a lot of water.
5. At this point, add the soy sauce, rice vinegar and chili sauce.
6. The mushrooms will ooze out more water, so keep stirring on medium-high flame till the liquid is 80% gone.
7. At this point, add rice and saute for 5 minutes.
8. Enjoy mushroom fried rice!

Aratikaya Ava Pettina Kura

Ingredients :

Raw plantains - 4
Shredded coconut - 2 tbsp (frozen is fine)
Salt to taste

Popu ingredients :
Oil - 2 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Chana Dal - 1 tsp
Heeng - 1 pinch

Ava podi :
Mustard 4 tbsp

Preparation:
1. To make ava podi, dry roast mustard and grind to fine powder - the powder should be a mix of yellow + brown-black. This can also be in bulk and stored for about an year or so.
2. Wash the plantains, Peel the skin SLIGHTLY to get the dirt off the skin, but make sure most of the skin is retained, and cut each plantain into 2 pieces breadth-wise so it fits in the pressure cooker.
3. Pressure cook the plantains - I pressure cook it till it is extremely soft, if you like the plantains to be chunks then make sure you let it stay on the stove for a shorter time.
4. Remove the skin off the plantains once the cooker is taken off the stove and cut them into 1 inch cubes / mash them depending on your preference.
5. In a small cup mix Ava podi, Shredded coconut , 2 tbsp water and 1 tsp oil thorougly. You should get a pungent odor characteristic of mustard at this point.
6. Heat a pan, and add popu ingredients.
7. Once the jeera seeds begin sputtering, add the cut/mashed plantains and saute for 5 minutes on medium heat.
8. Add salt and the Ava paste, and saute for a further 3 minutes on low heat.
9. Enjoy with plain rice and pappu charu!

Mounds Bar

Ingredients

* 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
* 1/2 brown sugar, firmly packed
* 1/2 cup butter at room temperature
* 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
* 2 cups flaked coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
* 1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate chips, melted
* 1 tsp baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F .
2. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Mix and pat into the bottom of one 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 15 minutes. (Bake at 350 F if you want a hard graham crust. I prefer baking to 325 F). Remove from the oven
3. Wait for 20 minutes until the graham crust is less hot, sprinkle flaked coconut and then pour condensed milk evenly over the graham cracker crust + flaked coconut.
4. Bake 15 minutes @ 325 F. Remove from the oven and let cool.
5. In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips. Semisweet chocolate chips is preferable since it evens out the sweetness of the graham crust and the condensed milk. (Use milk chocolate otherwise).
6. Spread the melted chocolate chips over the top. Let cool and cut into squares once the crust + condensed milk + chocolate achieves a harder consistency.

Senaga pappu payasam

Ingredients:

* 1 cup senaga pappu (bengal gram)
* 1 cup pesara pappu (moong dal)
* 1 cup jaggery
* 2 cups milk
* 1 tsp ghee (optional)
* 2 tbsp grated coconut (preferably fresh, if not frozen will do)
* 4/5 cardamom pods
* 1 tbsp cashew nuts (for garnish)

Preparation.
1. Pressure cook senaga pappu and pesara pappu together until soft (but not mushy).
2. In a pan, heat jaggery with a little water until the jaggery has melted.
3. Now add the boiled pappu to the jaggery and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Crush the cardamom pods and add.
5. Add grated coconut into the mix and simmer for 5 minutes more.
6. Now add milk (NOTE: the milk should've been boiled and should be hot when adding to the jaggery-senagapappu combo. Cold milk might cause it to split). Mix well.
7. Roast cashews in ghee (optional) and add to the payasam.
8. Serve hot.

Chole Biryani

For biryani:
2 cups basmati rice
1 tb sp oil
salt sufficient for rice
6/7 bay leaves
6/7 cloves
3 star anise
6/7 cardamom pods, skinned
biryani phool, if available

For Chole:

2 cups garbanzo beans, soaked overnight and boiled. (I've never tried the ready to eat ones you get in cans, not sure if that gives the same flavor as the soaked and boiled ones).
1 big onion, finely chopped
4 medium/small tomatoes, finely chopped
4 pods garlic, minced
1 small slice ginger, minced
2 tsp oil for tadka
1 tsp garam masala (optional)
salt to taste
cilantro for garnishing

For masala:
2 tb spoon dhania (corriander seeds)
1 tb spoon jeera (cumin)
1 teaspoon shahjeera
1 star anise
2 tsp poppy seeds
4 cloves
1 cinnamon piece
5 cardamom pods, skinned

1. Roast all masala ingredients, grind after the spices cool down.
2. heat a pan and add oil. Once oil reaches smoking point, add ginger garlic paste and saute.
3. Next, add onions and saute till onions turn brown.
4. Add tomatoes and saute for 5 min.
5. Now add masala powder and cook everything together in medium, stirring once in a while. Cook till oil separates.
6. Add salt sufficient for chole, and then add the boiled garbanzo beans and cook for 5 more min.

In parallel:
1. Take a pan, add 4 cups water, and once it starts boiling, add oil and spices and simmer for 15 min.
2. Remove extra spices from the water (the aroma should've seeped into the water by now, anything extra will only decrease the taste). You can save it to reuse it for some other dish.
3. Wash rice well and add to the boiling water and keep stirring.
4. When rice is 90 % cooked, remove rice from stove top and run cold water through the rice in the pot.
5. Drain water from the pot, leaving a little for the rice to get completely cooked. Each rice grain should be separate by now.

Combining chole and rice:
1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
2. In an oven resistant container, place a layer or rice. Can be about 1.5 to 2 inches thick.
3. Add a layer of chole on top of the rice layer.
4. Continue this till you get atleast 2 sets of rice + chole layer.
5. Cover with foil (to make sure rice cooks well. leaving it open will dry the rice on the topmost layer) and bake for 30 min.
6. Serve with raita and mirch ka salan (recipe coming soon).

Alternates : Milk combined with saffron can be added to the rice + chole mix before baking in the oven to get a richer taste. Make sure that water is COMPLETELY drained from the semi cooked rice though, else it'll get really soggy.

Pudina Rice

(source : http://www.nandyala.org/mahanandi/archives/2005/06/21/pudina-pulao-mint-fried-rice/)

Ingredients
* 1 bunch of mint- Rinsed and leaves and tender stems plucked
* 2 cups of Basmati rice, washed and soaked in 4 cups of water
* 3 green chillies and one onion - sliced thinly, lengthwise
* ¼ cup of fresh coconut - chopped
* 1 inch piece ginger and 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
* 4 each - cloves, cardamom, small cinnamon pieces, bay leaves & 1 star anise
* ¼ cup - roasted cashews
* 1 tablespoon - ghee
* 1 teaspoon - salt, or to taste

Preparation
1. Take mint leaves, coconut, green chillies, ginger and garlic in a mixer. Add a pinch of salt and blend to fine consistency without adding any water.
2. Put the Rice cooker pot on stovetop on medium flame. (To make it a one-pot meal, usually what I do is - I would saute the masala for pulao in rice cooker pot first, then I would add the soaked basmati rice along with water to the same pot and cook.)
3.Heat ghee on medium heat in rice cooker pot. When it is hot, add the spices (cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves and star anise), saute them first. Then the onions, saute until onions start to brown.
4. Now, add the pureed mint-green chilli-coconut paste. Fry until the mint paste changes color from bright green to light-green color. Take care not to burn/brown the masala paste.
5. Into this sauteed masala, empty the Basmati rice and the water it soaked in. Add salt; stir the whole thing, so that all the ingredients would mix together. Now remove the pot from stovetop, put it back in rice cooker and switch on the plug to cook. Once the rice cooks to tender, remove the lid and add cashews.
6.Mix it once. Put the lid back and let it stand for another five minutes. Then turn off the plug.

Louki ka Halwa/ Payasam

Ingredients :
* 4 Cups grated Louki/ Milk gourd.
* 1 Cup Khoya
* 1 can condensed milk (about 250 gms)
* 1 Tsp sugar
* 5/6 cardamom pods.
* 3 Tbsp ghee

(For payasam - optional)
* 400 ml milk

Preparation:
1. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan.
2. Once the ghee melts, add the grated louki and saute until the louki turns transparent.
3. Add khoya to the sauteed louki and mix well. The khoya tends to form small chunks which ought to be broken apart and blended into the louki khoya mix. Heat the mixture in medium flame for about 5 minutes.
4. Now slowly add the condensed milk while mixing it thoroughly. The louki-khoya-condensed milk will now form a semi-solid mix.
5. Powder the cardamom seeds with a tsp of sugar and add it to the mix and keep stirring until it thickens.

For Halwa :
6. Pour the solidified mix into a dish and cut into square cubes and serve chilled.

For Payasam:
6. Add some milk once the mix has thickened (and not before it, because the louki will not get the milk flavour if diluted too early).
7. Chill the payasam and serve.

Aloo Gobhi

Ingredients :


Cauliflower 1 No.
Potatoes 4 Nos.
Salt Acc to taste.
Tumeric 1/2 Tsp.
Cumin Powder 2 Tsp.
Coriander Powder 2 Tsp.
Red Chilli Powder 2 tsp.
Catch Kitchen King Masala 1 Tsp.
Cilantro Few sprigs for Garnishing.
Oil 1 Tbsp.


Method :
Seperate the florets from Cauliflower. Wash & drain.
Cut Potatoes into Chunks. (either boil them before or cook them for a longer time).

Heat Oil in a Pan , add Onions & fry till translucent.
Add ginger, garlic Paste, stir, Mix in Potatoes , cover to cook.

When the Potatoes are half done , add the flowrets,
tumeric & salt. Cover to Cook. Open afer a few minutes,
add all the dry powders & mix. Garnish with Cilantro leaves
& Serve hot with Breads, Rice, Rotis or as a side dish.

Spinach Rice

Ingredients
- Rice (Preferably basmati) : 2 Cups
- Onion, chopped : 1 medium
- Spinach, coarsely cut : 2 or 3 cups
- Peas : 1 Cup
- Salt to taste
- Garlic cloves, finely minced.
- bay leaves : 2-4
- Garam Masala : to taste

For tadka
- Oil : 2 tbsp
- Jeera : 1 tbsp
- Heeng : 1 pinch

preparation
1. Place a pressure cooker bowl on the stove, Add oil when hot.
2. Add jeera to the oil, and once it starts sputtering, add minced Garlic.
3. Mix in the chopped onions once the garlicky aroma starts emnating from the oil-jeera-garlic mix.
4. Saute onions till they are transparent-brown and then add spinach and peas.
5. Once the spinach acquires the wrinkled texture due to the oil and heat, add rice to the mix.
6. Mix thoroughly and add salt and garam masala.
7. Add water (1.3 to 1.5 cups per cup of rice) and put the lid on the pressure cooker.
8. The meal is ready after 3 whistles. Serve with raita/ pickle.

Paneer Curry (Dry)

Ingredients
* Paneer cubes (200 gm, optionally sauteed lightly)
* 1 green capsicum (chopped)
* 1 red capsicum (chopped)
* 2 tomatoes (medium)
* 100 gm curd
* 8 cashewnuts (soaked in water for about 8 hours)
* 4/5 Garlic cloves
* Kitchen King Masala
* 2 Tbsp oil
* jeera for tadka.

Preparation
1. Heat a heavy bottomed pan and add a table spoon of oil, once hot.
2. Add jeera and the garlic cloves.
3. Once the cloves get aromatic, add the tomatoes and the cashewnuts and saute for a few minutes.
4. Take the pan off the flame once the tomatoes become semi mushy.
5. Grind the mix (tomatoes, cashewnuts, garlic) and keep aside.
6. Clean up the same pan (lightly wipe with a tissue) and add another tbsp oil. Once the oil is hot, add jeera.
6. Once the jeera begins to crackle, add the red and green chopped capsicum (bell peppers).
7. After about 5 minutes in a medium flame, add the tomato mixture.
8. Lower the flame even further and slowly add the curd while constantly stirring the mix.
9. Let the mixture seep into the peppers for about 10 minutes, once the peppers are semi-soft, add the kitchen king masala and salt to taste.
10. Stir once, and add the paneer cubes.
11. Keep stirring on a low/medium flame until the flavour seeps into the paneer. (consistency can be dry/ gravy like. We made it dry).

Dal Makhni

Coming Soon....

Palak Paneer

Coming Soon

Sweet German Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
• 4 (1 ounce) squares German sweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 4 egg whites

For Frosting
• 12 fluid ounces evaporated milk
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 (8 ounce) package flaked coconut
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line bottom of 9x13 pan with parchment paper.
2. Microwave chocolate and water on high for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Stir halfway through. Stir until all is melted and smooth.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, soda and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, cream 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Add 4 egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in chocolate and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Beat after each addition until smooth.
5. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites on high until soft peaks form. Gently fold into batter. Pour into 9x13 inch pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool completely, then frost with coconut-pecan frosting.
7. Combine milk, 1 1/2 cup sugar, 3/4 cup butter, 4 egg yolks and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla in large saucepan. Cook and stir on medium heat for about 12 minutes, or until thick and golden brown. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut and pecans. Cool to room temperature, and spreading consistency.

Black Magic Cake

Ingredients
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans or one 9x13 inch pan.
2. In large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center.
3. Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed. Batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pans and finish cooling on a wire rack. Fill and frost as desired.