Pav Bhaji

Hope all you out there having a nice, fun-filled holidays. For us it's being a relaxed holiday, not much cooking, lot more shopping. Here is my quick last post for this year :) See you all next year.
Wishing all a peaceful new year 2011.

Ingredients:
1 big onion finely chopped
3 tomatoes
1/2 cauliflower
1 big green pepper
1 carrot
2 small potatoes
3 green chilies
1 tbsp ginger-garlic (homemade)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriender powder
1 1/2 tsp pav bhaji masala
Cilantro chopped for garnish

Pressure cook all the veggies except onion & tomatoes for 7-10 mins and let it cool.
Smashed the veggies and keep aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat 2-3 tbsp of oil(mix of butter and oil), add chopped onions and fry until golden brown, add ginger-garlic paste & saute for 1 min.
Add all the powders, mix well and add tomatoes cover & cook until the tomatoes are smashed in medium flame.
Now add the 1/2 tsp pav bhaji masala and mix well. cook for 2-3 mins until the masala blend with onion & tomatoes.
Add smashed veggies and 1 tsp pav bhaji masala and salt for taste and cook for 5 - 10 mins in the medium flame,stir occasionally.
Turn off the flame and garnish with cilantro.
Serve the bhaji with chopped onion & slice of lemon and Pav.

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

A blasting news in Seattle right now is "Cold"... we having a super super icy weather from Sunday night.. It snowed just 1-2 inches and outcome was terrible... for about 50000 people no power from past 48 hours or so , you can imagine how we all dependent on the power. Hoping for a better temperature for the long weekend.

It's been a month I haven't bake...got some baking cookbooks from a book fair and indulge to this recipe..A morning cuppa coffee and a choco biscotti on a freezing cold....

Ingredients:
1 cup hazelnuts
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 granulated sugar
1 tsp coarse salt
3 large eggs
1 handful of bittersweet chocolate chips
1 large egg white for brushing
coarse sanding sugar

1. Set the oven rack in the middle position. Preheat the oven at 350F. Line a baking sheet and set aside.
2. In a small baking tray, place the hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until they are lightly colored and the skins are blistered and cracking, 5 to 10 mins. Wrap in a kitchen towel and let steam for 1 min. Rub the nuts in the towel as many of the skins as possible, set aside to cool completely. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts.
3. In a medium bowl,whisk together flour, cocoa powder and baking powder, set aside.
4. In a large bowl, beat the butter,sugar and salt to medium speed until light fluffy 2-3 mins, scraping down the sides of the bowl, Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until blended.
5. With the mixer on low speed,add the dry ingredients and beat until the flour is absorbed. Fold in the chocolate and the chopped hazelnuts.
6. On a lightly floured work surface, gently roll with lightly floured hands make a 17 inches long and 11/2 inches wide. Carefully, transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Bake for 20 mins.
7. Remove the logs from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 mins, Using the knife, cut the logs on the diagonal into slices about 3/4 inch thick. Return the slices to the baking sheet, laying each one on its side, and bake until the biscotti are completely fried and crisp, about 10-15 mins.
8. Cool the biscotti for 10 mins on the baking sheet on a wire rack. The n transfer them to the rack with a metal spatula and let cool completely.

9. Store in a covered container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Rose Jam Bars

Last week while shopping groceries at international market I came across something that I was wanting for longtime  "Rose Jam" and wanted to make use of it in a different way instead of just spreading on the bread, did some reaserch on web, found something similar recipe "starberry jam bar", subsituted "rose" instead of strawberries and I should admit 'The Bars' came out pretty well.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Butter
3/4 cup Sugar
1 Egg
1 tbsp Honey
1-1/4 cup of All purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon, nutmeg
2/3 cup of Rose Jam
1/4 cup of Almonds chopped

Preheat the oven at 350 F
In a large mixing bowl, mix butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and honey.Combine the flour,baking powder, ground spices.
Gradually add to the butter mixture.
Divide the dough in half, spread one portion into a lightly greased 9 inch sqaure baking pan.Spread with jam.
Drop remaining dough by teaspoonfuls over jam, Sprinkle the chopped almonds.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Note: You can store the cut bars in a airtight container for a week.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Other day I was watching Paula deen's 'Honey it's ready' episode on Food network and episode is all about the honey. She shared this breakfast-snack recipe 'Sweet Potato Biscuits'. 
This was my first time baking biscuits from scratch and was bit worrried but believe me it tasted so nice sweet and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 heaping tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter
2 to 4 tablespoons milk (depending on the moisture of the potatoes)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
In a another medium bowl, mix the sweet potatoes and butter.
Add the flour mixture to the potato mixture and mix to make a soft dough. (If required add tablespoon of  milk).
Turn the dough out onto a floured board and toss lightly until the outside of the dough looks smooth. Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter.
Place the biscuits on a greased pan and coat tops with melted butter. Bake for about 15 minutes. (Watch your oven: If the biscuits are browning too fast, lower the temperature)

Spicy cookies - Khara biscuits

Ingredients:
1 cup All purpose flour
1/2 cup melted Butter
1/4 tsp Sugar
Salt to taste
5 Green chilies
2 tbsp Curry leaves chopped
2 tbsp Yogurt
1 tsp Ajwain seeds
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tbsp dried Mint leaves
1 tsp Cumin powder

Method:
Preheat oven at 350 F.
Sieve the all purpose flour, baking powder and sugar. In a Medium bowl, mix the melted butter, green chilies, mint leaves, cumin powder, ajwain seeds, curry leaves, yogurt.
Slowly add the all purpose flour mixture till everything mix together. Knead the dough to a smooth ball. Roll out dough till it’s a ¼ of an inch thick. Use the biscuit cutter to cut the dough and repeat the same with remaining dough. Place it on the baking plate and bake for about 15-20 mins till it turns light golden brown on edges.