Crumble topped cake

I dislike wasting anything and I am called the " bacha- kucha queen" for what I can do with leftovers. I use all my skills to use things to make new dishes specially if there is a risk of wastage.Here I used the sides of multigrain bread which had all kinds of full corn like oats,flaxseeds,wheat etc. Here I combined two types of cakes and the result is fantastic! I was hugely complimented.

Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup apple juice

1/2 cup milk, use more if needed

2 cups crushed multi corn bread

1/2 cup almond crushed

1/4 cup walnut crushed

1/4 cup raisins

2 tbsp butter

3 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp vinegar

Vanilla flavoring 

Method

Mix flour , 1 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, oil, milk , juice , baking powder and vinegar. Pour in a greased tray.

Mix bread crumble with 1/4 cup sugar, almond and walnut crush , butter and raisins. Liberally put in the cake and bake at 180 deg till knife comes clean and too is golden brown. Keep for an hour before cutting. Could also add grated apple , chopped berries in the bread and baked! Enjoy the goodness.

Garlic peanut healthy fingers

My passion and romance with healthy food continues. Baked some mathris but you could fry them too.love the flavor of garlic and crunch of peanuts.

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup crushed oats

1/2 cup suji

1/2 cup oil

200 ml curd

1/4 cup crushed peanuts 

2 tbsp crushed flax seeds

2 tbsp crushed garlic

2 tbsp grated ginger

1 tsp crushed saunf

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp salt

Method

Mix all the ingredients into a tight dough, add water if needed.Keep for 30 mins.

Roll and cut into thick fingers.

Brush with buttermilk.

Bake at 150 deg till golden brown.

Enjoy with a yogurt dip or just pig out as they are.

Energy cake bars

My continuous efforts to make healthy food keeps me pretty busy and helps me to push my edges a bit more. My feelings when I see happy faces after my efforts make me so content with my life. People often tell me that my recipes and adventures in the kitchen are successful with no compromise on taste.. Which is all we try to achieve.So here is one such recipe for an in between snack at work for my weekend hubby with his cup if coffee. This is a bit drier and crumbly than the regular cake. Sharing the goodness.

Ingredients 

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup whole wheat flour( next time I would do almond meal)

1/2 cup suji

1/2 cup dehydrated fruits of your choice

1/2 cup mix of raisins,chopped almonds and walnuts

1/2 cup oil

25 gms butter

3 tbsp honey

1/2 cup sugar.. Add more if you like 

1/2 cup apple or orange juice.

15 gms baking powder

1 tbsp vinegar

Cinnamon or flavoring of your choice 

Milk as required. 

Method 

Mix all the ingredients well in a mixing bowl and keep for few mins.

Add more milk if required to adjust the thickness to cake batter consistency.

Pour in a greased and lined baking tray.

Give it a slight thud to remove any air bubbles.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180deg on the middle rack till done. Enjoy the goodness with no guilt.

Onion pickle

I  came across this recipe on a group I subscribed to.. Ghar ka khana.i twisted it to my liking a bit and the result was amazing. Goes well with mah ki daal, daal maharani,rajma or missi roti.

Ingredients

2 sliced onions

4/6 crushed garlic

3/4 chopped red or green chillies

3 tbsp vinegar

Salt

1 tbsp panch phoran crushed

3 tbsp olive oil

Method

Mix vegs with vinegar and salt.

Heat oil and add the panch phoran mixture. Heat thr ought for 10 secs or so.

Pour on to the vegs , stir well.let the flavors blend and serve.... Chathkhedaar!

Suji dhokla

My mum seems to cook like a magician. I  have the passion for cooking from her.As a kid of 6 , I saw her cooking with so much passion that I joined her and stood on a little stool by her and watched and helped her where I could. By age 10, I was making a full meal. 

Suji ke dhokle has been her left hand job. I think no one can make them like her. Today I share her recipe here. 

Ingredients

1.5 cups suji

2 tbsp besan ( optional)

1 cup sour curd

1 tbsp oil

1/4 tsp haldi

Pinch of hing

15 gms / 1 tbsp Baking powder 

Salt

For tempering

2 tbsp oil

Pinch of hing

1 tsp mustard seeds

Curry leaves

1 tsp sesame seeds

Few slit green chillies

Lime juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp sugar 

Method

Mix all the ingredients for dhokla exceot baking powder. Add enough water to make a thick batter.keep for 30 mins.

Now adjust the thickness of batter and add baking powder and mix well.

Grease a 24" round dhokla tray and keep to steam. Pour the batter and steam on high for about 15 mins.

Stick a knife to see if it comes clean.

Cool for about an hour.

Cut into small squares in the tray.

Heat oil in a pan, add hing, mustard and let them splatter.

Add curry leaves, sesame seeds and green chillies and let them give out aroma.

Pour half a cup of water in it and add heat through with sugar.

Add lime juice and pour over the dhoklas.

Keep for an hour, sprinkle chopped coriander and serve with chutney of your choice.

Baked spicy Bhakharwadis

Crisp, crunchy, golden , spicy treats. 

Baking is something I really enjoy and if I can get a fried food as close to frying by baking, it gives me a good high. Bhakharwadis are a delight to the palate wit their various tastes tingling on the tongue. My love for them started years ago on a train journey and the love hasn't stopped since then. The frying bit bothered me and decided to try baking them ...and lo....they came out really very well.So sharing my recipe here. I even went a step ahead and made them with atta instead of maida. Hope the affair with these beauty continues.

Ingredients

1 cup Atta/ whole wheat flour    

1 tbsp suji

3 tbsp oil

1-2 tsp baking powder

Salt 

Filling 

4 tbsp desiccated coconut

3 tbsp crushed peanuts

2 tbsp sesame 

2 tbsp Crushed garlic

1/2 tsp haldi

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp saunf pwd 

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp vinegar

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tbsp amchur 

Pinch of hing

Salt

Method 

Mix all the ingredients for the dough and mix with warm water to a tight dough and keep for an hour.

Mix ingredients for the filling.

Roll the dough, spray a bit of oil and spread this filling well.

Roll into a roll and press well.

Cut into pieces and press them well such that the filling stays inside.

Put on a baking sheet, brush with oil and bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg till golden brown. 

Serve as a snack hot or keep in airtight container.

Makki ka kees / Corn curry

Corn is such a versatile vegetable. I have heard so much about makki ka kees but never tried it. Here I am with a can of cooked corn and tried making it according to my taste and availability of ingredients , a little off the recipe. Of course since it was cooked , it was jhat pat, fast and yummy.Try this yummy dish which we all loved!

Ingredients

1 cup Crushed corn

1 chopped onion

1 tbsp ch garlic

2 ch spring onion

1/2 chopped bell peppers

2/3 cup milk

2 chopped gr chillies

1/4 tsp haldi

1/4 tsp chilli powder 

1/3 tsp garam masala

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Salt to taste

Lime juice

Method

Heat oil and add mustard seeds, let them crackle.

Add chopped chillies and garlic and sauté.

Add chopped onions and sauté till golden .

Add spring onions and bell peppers and sauté.

Add the dry spices and sauté ,be careful not to burn it.

Put in the crushed corn and sauté well. 

Pour the milk and on slow flame cook till it's thick.

Squeeze lime juice and enjoy it hot with bread, rotis or just the way it is.

Baked masala Mathris/ baked spicey Crackers

My family loves mathris but the thought of frying puts me off. The calories, , heat and then the heaviness of having one too many is too much. So have learnt to bake them. Easy , simple and less pain. Now that is what cooking should be.

Ingredients
Whole wheat flour                        2 cup
Crushed rolled oats                       1 cup
Crushed peanuts,sesame, fax seeds     1 tbsp each
Curd                               150 ml
finely chopped spring onions      3 nos
garlic powder                              1 tsp
Oil                                              1/4 cup
Chilli flakes                                 1/2 tsp
Ajwain                                        1 tsp
baking powder                            1 tsp
Grated cheese( optional)              1/4 cup

Method
Knead all the things well and keep aside for an hour.
Roll into mathris or shapes of your choice.
Bake at 180 degrees till golden brown.