Mini Mug Gingerbread house

As a child, I,  like many others was always fascinated with the witches house in Hansel and Gretel. I mean who will not fancy a house made of Gingerbread  and cakes with candies and chocolate all over. Having never tasted a Gingerbread cookie and a long hidden desire to put my hands on a gingerbread house, made me decide to try these adorable mini Gingerbread houses. These can perch on your mugs and look very cute. 

I added my own touch to these cookies by adding Nolen gur in the dough instead of normal jaggery. Not being a big fan of ginger myself, these cookies are not overpowering with the ginger taste (as I always thought). In fact, the spices along with jaggery and honey gives it a very unique flavour. 

Ideally the Gingerbread house calls for the use of Royal icing to join the pieces together. Having my own constraint of not wanting to use raw egg whites, I decide to try a basic icing where icing sugar is diluted to required consistency with some lemon juice and/or milk. The Gingerbread house required heaps of patience as the pieces were so fragile while joining and would fall apart. I had to join them again and again and finally said a short prayer and left them to dry. Thankfully they held themselves together finally. 

I also made some Gingerbread men with the leftover dough and decorated them with the same icing. 

Recipe source : Adapted from Taste.com.au

Ingredients : For 5 Mini gingerbread houses and 15 Gingerbread men

• 50 gm butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup jaggery, grated(I used Nolen gur)
• 1/2 egg(Beat one egg in a bowl and use half quantity) 
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tbsp ginger powder(I used saunth-dry ginger powder)
• 1/4 tbsp cinnamon powder
• 6-7 cloves, dry roasted and powdered
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• 8-10 black pepper, ground
• 1 cardamom, powdered
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt

Icing:

• 5-6 tbsp icing sugar
• few drops of lemon juice
• little milk for diluting

Procedure : 

Gingerbread dough:

Take jaggery and butter in a bowl and beat till pale and creamy. 

Mix in honey and egg.

Sift flour, ginger powder, all spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the bowl.

Knead dough using hands till it comes together smooth and soft. 

Wrap in a plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius.

Roll out dough 1/4 " thick and cut out desired shapes form it.

I used my Gingerbread man cutter and a template for the Gingerbread house.

Place on a butter paper/parchment lined baking tray and bake for 8-10 minutes or till they brown well.

Allow to cool.

Icing:

Mix icing sugar with few drops of lemon juice and some milk to get a thick consistency good enough for piping. 

Fill a piping bag/Ziplock/plastic bag with this icing and snip off the end.

Make desired design on all the pieces.

Use some icing to stick colourful sprinkles on the cookies.

Leave to dry.

Use the same icing sugar as a glue to join pieces of the gingerbread house.

Note : 

• Cut out the template on a piece of thick paper/cardboard and use it to cut out shapes from the dough.
• Keep a check on the cookies while baking to prevent overbrowning.
• You can omit the egg and use some milk for kneading the dough. 
• The joining of Gingerbread house pieces require some patience and precision as the house can fall apart. After fixing the pieces let it dry completely before touching.

Sending this recipe to 'Kolkata Food Blogger's ongoing baking event 'Baking Palooza 2013

Happy Mini Gingerbread house enjoying
Amrita

Swedish Cinnamon rolls/Kanel Snegle

I have been out from Kolkata for almost two weeks now and have been enjoying an amazing and relaxing time in Allahabad. Vaanya is enjoying the most having found a friend in Tunnu, our kitten. Its a visual treat to see Vaanya and Tunnu play and enjoy each other's company. Vaanya teases her by pulling a piece of rope and Tunnu tries to catch it which she finally does by jumping on it. Tunnu loves to sneak upto Vaanya and play with her shoe. 

I have been enjoying doing nothing and spending some quality time with Vaanya and enjoying some amazing and yummy food made by Amma. With Christmas nearing I had a tough time gearing myself for some bakes and finally managed to do so by attempting these Swedish Cinnamon rolls which was part of our November 'We Knead to bake' Challenge. It came out exceedingly well with the amazing fragrance and flavour of Cinnamon and the beautiful hint of lemon. I shaped them like a Christmas tree for some fun holiday bake.

Recipe source : Aparna

Ingredients : makes 16-17 rolls

Starter:

• 3/4 cup warm milk
• 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

Dough:

• All starter
• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cardamoms, powdered
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 cup sugar, powdered
• 45 gm butter, at room temperature

Filling:

• 55 gm butter, at room temperature
• 6 tbsp granulated sugar/brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/4 cup almonds, blanched, dried and coarsely powdered

Topping:

• milk for brushing
• granulated sugar for sprinkling

Procedure:

Mix all ingredients under starter into a sticky dough. Place in an large oiled bowl, loosely cover it and refrigerate overnight. 

The next day take it out and leave for 30 mins to come to room temperature. 
Tear the starter to large pieces and place in a bowl.
Sift flour, cardamom and salt and add to the starter.
Mix in lemon zest and sugar.
Now add butter and knead till you get a smooth and elastic dough.
Roll the dough to a rectangle roughly 20x12". 
Make filling by mixing butter, sugar and cinnamon powder.
Spread the filling all over the rolled dough.
Sprinkle the coarsely ground almonds all over.
Tightly roll the dough from the shorter end and cut into 16 equal pieces with a knife. 
Place them on a butter paper/parchment lined baking tray. I placed 11 pieces together in a tree shape and put the others on the sides. 
Let them rise for 10-15 mins.
Preheat oven to 200 degree Celsius.
Brush them with milk and sprinkle sugar on top.
Bake for 15 mins or till they brown well. 

Notes:

• You can use brown sugar for sprinkling on top for a better looking roll.
• The lemon zest adds an amazing flavour to the rolls, so do not consider omitting it. 
• Blanch almonds in boiling water for 2 minutes and remove the skin. Dry roast in a pan on medium heat. Cool and grind to get ground almonds.

Sending this recipe to Kolkata Food Blogger's ongoing baking event 'Baking Palooza 2013'

Happy Cinnamon rolls relishing
Amrita

Mummy ke Sauce Wale Chhole

Know your Kolkata Food Blogger's event comes to an end with a big bang as I proudly present a very learned and experienced blogger Indrani Dhar who blogs from Recipe Junction. I got the oppurtunity to meet her quite later and have known her as a busy Mother of three beautiful children who balances her real life and blog life with elan. Her blog is a reflection of the loving and caring person that she is with recipes that are tried, tested and approved by her family. 
I had the most difficult time trying to choose one single recipe as her blog is enriched with several interesting and yummy recipes. I finally chose to recreate her Punjabi Chhole recipe which can be viewed here
Coming from a Sikh family, Chhole has been staple to our diet along with Bhaturas and sliced onions. But today I wanted to share my mother's no fuss and very yum recipe which we lovingly call Sauce wale Chole. After the initial boiling of the chole/chickpeas, they are tempered with very simple ingredients and then are mixed with some tomato ketchup which gives the unique yummy flavor. 
I love to have them with hot puris and some tamarind chutney. That is my absolute favourite Savoury side!

Ingredients: Serves 2-3

• 300 gms Kabuli chana/White Chickpeas
• 1 Tej patta/Bay leaf
• 1" dalchini/cinnamon stick
• 2 laung/cloves
• 1 badi elaichi/black cardamom
• Salt to taste

Tempering :

• 1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
• 1 medium sized onion, chopped
• 2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp garam masala powder
• a pinch of turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp tomato ketchup

Garnish:

• Ginger julienne
• chopped Coriander leaves

Procedure :

Soak kabuli chana/chickpeas in water overnight.

Boil the kabuli chana in a pressure cooker with salt, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, black cardamom and cloves with water that should be 1" above the ingredients. 

After 1 whistle, reduce the flame to low and cook for 25 minutes.

Take oil in a pan for tempering and add cumin seeds. As they start browning, add the chopped onions. Cook till they turn brown and then add the chopped tomatoes. Cook for 2 minutes till the oil starts separating. 

Add turmeric powder,red chilli powder and garam masala powder.

Now add the boiled chickpeas and stir well. 

Cook on high flame to dry the water. 

Add tomato ketchup and stir well.

Adjust seasoning. 

Garnish with ginger julienne and chopped coriander and serve with hot puris, tamarind chutney and sliced onions

 

Happy Sauce Wale Chhole enjoying

Amrita

Kakori kebab

Food cooked in charcoal and wood fire has an unreserved allure universally that draws its roots since the ancient of days. Being the most primitive form of cooking since the stone age, when man discovered the wonder of creating fire from sparks by striking two stones together, it has been ingrained into the genes of humankind and forms a part of the DNA of the Food-logy of our being. Even today, after centuries of existence, evolution and technological advancement, coal and wood fire continue to serve mankind with both, the exquisite range of grilled and barbecued spreads and provision in the form of the cheapest cooking alternative for countless folks worldwide struggling to make ends meet.  

Amongst the endless list of techniques and recipes from the wood fire nothing perhaps is more illustrious, loved and accepted than the middle eastern range of  kebabs and grills.

The English phrase 'all dark clouds have a silver lining' and William Shakespeare's widely quoted line from the play 'As You Like It' (Act 2 Scene 1) "Sweet are the uses of Adversity" couldn't be more true than its significance with regard to the invention of the legendary Kakori Kebabs when the adversities of the old and toothless Nawab of Awadh made his khansamas grind their teeth in order to create the kebab that literally melts and evaporates like a wafer. 

My quest, in addition to the natural attraction towards charcoal grilled food, was to replicate the Kakori Kebabs that had blown away the imagination of my mind and left me spell bound with its dramatic melting texture and softness and the subtle exquisite flavours that translates into pampered royalty incensed with the most exuberant spices and the aromatic smell of the charcoal grill. After much attempts, and a recipe, I did manage to achieve something I would categorize the likes of Kakori Kebab. 

There are many steps in the process. The key in creating the Kakori Kebab is doing those small steps right. Choosing the meat is the most vital step as that determines the ultimate outcome of the kebab even if you have got the other steps right. 

Ingredients : Serves 4-5

• Minced Mutton (Goat) Meat - 500 gms (The meat should be chosen from the raan, or the leg, without any fat or ligaments. 
• Raw Papaya - 50 gms
• Kidney fat - 50 gms
• Salt to Taste 

(A) Kakori Masala (Roast and Make Powder)

• Green Cardamom 5 pcs
• Black Cardamom Seeds 1/2 teaspoon
• Cloves - 3 Nos
• Nutmeg - a Pinch
• Mace/Javatri - 1 Small Blade
• Shahi Jeera- 1/2 Teaspoon
• Rose Petal - 1/2 teaspoon
• Kebab Chini - 5 Nos
• White Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
• Kashmiri Mirch powder- 1/2 tablespoon
• Roasted Gram Powder - 3 tbsp

(B) Kakori Masala (Make Paste)

• Dessicated Coconut - 3 tbsp
• Khuskhus (Poppy Seeds) - 1 tsp
• Khoya - 1 tbsp
• Onions (to be sliced and fried) - 4 medium sized
• Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp
• Fresh Malai - 1 tbsp
• Saffron - a pinch
• Rosewater - 1 tablespoon
• Kewda Water - 1 Tablespoon

Process:

• Mince Meat and Fat thrice to a very fine consistency in  a grinder.
• Add papaya paste, salt and Kakori Powder (A), mix well
• Add Kakori Masala (B) along with Rose water, Kewda and Saffron.
• Mix thoroughly and keep for half an hour.
• Take a portion of the meat (about 100 gms) and put it on skewers and shape it like a seekh kebab (the skewer type should be fat square shaped since they hold the minced meat the best).
• Roast on charcoal grill. Be careful to turn the seekh constantly to avoid over grilling from a particular side. Alternatively preheat oven to 200 degree Celsius and grill kebab for 15-20 mins or till browned from all sides. Remember to oil the kebabs in between for better and uniform grilling.
• Remove Carefully from the skewer on a plate. 
• Serve with green chutney and sliced onions (although it was loved without any chutney)

(Recipe Credit: Gautam Mehrish : Corporate Executive Chef at Sun-n-Sand Hotels, Mumbai)

The same recipe when experimented with minced chicken was not exactly the 'melt-in-mouth' texture but was equally appreciated.

The same recipe experimented with chicken

Happy Kebab Dishing

Vishal

Mawa/Khoya Cupcakes

Daring Baker's challenge for this month was hosted by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen and she challenged us with some amazing Indian Bakes-Mawa cake, Bolinhas de coco(Coconut Biscuits) and Masala biscuits. Traditional Indian cuisine does not boast of baking at all but you may find some adapted recipes which were introduced by traders, invaders and colonial rulers. 
Mawa cakes are typically associated with Irani cafés found mostly in Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad.These cafés, owned by Zoroastrians who emigrated to Mumbai from Iran in the 19th century to escape persecution of non-muslims, are famous for their good, honest, reasonably priced food and beverages. Some of the very popular food sold in these cafe's are ‘bun maska’ (bread and butter) and ‘paani kam chai’ (a strong Iranian tea), or khari chai (very strong tea), mutton samosas, and Keema Pavs, akuri (a scrambled spicy egg preparation), berry Pulao,  Veg/Chicken Dhansak (a spicy broth with lentils, pulses) and Biryani, cheese khari biscuits, shrewsbury biscuits...just to name a few.
Mawa, also called khoya, is made by reducing milk (usually full-fat) on low heat until all that remain is a mass of slightly caramelized granular dough-like milk solids. This is then used to make a rich and dense cake which along with cardamom and almonds gives it the rich and milky flavour.
I decided to make cupcakes and enhance the Indian flavours with some saffron infused milk that goes in the batter. Along with chopped pista and almonds on top, these cupcakes certainly are full of the true Indian essence.

Ingredients : I halved the recipe to yield 6 cupcakes and a 3 1/2" round small cake

• 500 ml full fat milk
• 1/4 cup butter, at room temperature
• 5 tbsp packed crumbled mawa
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp sugar, powdered
• 1 egg
• 2 cardamom pods, powdered
• 1 cup cake flour (Add 2 tbsp cornflour in 1 cup measurement and fill the rest with all purpose flour)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup milk
• Cashewnuts to top
• Chopped pista-little
•  few saffron threads

Procedure :

Mawa :
Pour milk in a heavy bottomed pan and bring it to a boil. Turn down heat to medium and keep cooking the milk till it has reduced to a quarter of the original volume, stirring frequently. This can take between 30-45 mins. By now the colour of milk will be light brownish.
Keep stirring till the milk solids take a lumpy appearance. This is called Mawa/Khoya. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
This yielded around 1/2 cup mawa.
You may refrigerate the mawa for 2-3 days and bring it to room temperature while using it.

Mawa

Cupcakes :
Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius.
Line cupcake moulds with liners or just grease them well. 
Warm milk and add 5-6 saffron threads and leave aside.
Beat butter, mawa (at room temperature) and sugar till soft and fluffy. I used my electric beater for it.
Add egg and the saffron infused milk(reserving the saffron threads to top on the cupcakes) and beat well.
Add cake flour, baking powder and cardamom powder and mix. 
Pour this batter in the prepared cupcake liners. (My batter was still in excess after filling 6 cupcake liners and so I prepared a 3 1/2" round cake tin and poured the leftover batter in it)
Place cashew nuts(I halved them lengthwise), saffron threads and chopped pista on the cupcakes and the small cake.
Bake for 25-30 mins or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow to cool and serve.

Sending this recipe to the event Little Thumbs Up  which is co-hosted by my dear friend Yen from Eat your heart out  

This recipe is also a part of the amazing KFB blogging marathon that I am part of, along with my fellow members. Do drop in to check what they are doing here : 
A Homemaker's Diary
Silence Sings
My Food My Life
Recipe Junction

Happy Mawa cupcake Eating
Amrita

Gevulde Speculaas-Traditional Dutch Pastry for DB

This month the daring baker's were challenged by Francijn, who blogs from koken in de brouweri, with a traditional dutch pastry called Gevulde Speculaas which literally means Stuffed Speculaas. To me it was almost like a stuffed pie. The stuffing is an almond paste and the dough is seasoned with aromatic spices. We were challenged to prepare the spice mix, the almond paste and the dough. Sounds like a tough challenge?? Well, to tell you the truth, it was pretty simple and very satisfying. It is a delicious pastry with a simple almond paste and is something you have never tasted before. The uniqueness is in the array of the spices used, very traditional. For once, I did not change any part of the challenge to chocolate!!! And I am so happy about it. To me the dough was almost like a pie dough, the only difference being the spices used in it. 
The traditional recipe calls for the use of egg in the almond paste for binding. I skipped it and added some curd and fresh breadcrumbs for binding. The recipe also called for an egg wash but I found a simple milk wash working equally good for me. I also reduced the quantity of butter and used as much required for the dough.
So here it is, the traditional taste of Holland. This is the best part of being a Daring baker..being challenged with amazing recipes from different countries. I am so loving it!! Hope you do too.

My mini pie Gevulde Speculaas

Ingredients: I halved the recipe

Speculaas Spice mix:Yields 1 tbsp

• 3-4 cloves
• small piece of mace
• 4-5 white peppercorn
• 1 green cardamom
• 4-5 coriander seeds
• small piece of star anise
• small piece of nutmeg
• small piece of dry ginger
• 2-3 1"pieces of cinnamon/ 1 tsp cinnamon powder 

Procedure:

Dry roast all spices (except cinnamon)in a pan over low heat. Grind them to a powder and sieve them to make it fine.

Dry roast cinnamon and grind (if not using powdered form)

Mix all the spices and keep aside.

Almond paste:

• 60 gms raw almonds
• 60 gms sugar
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp curd
• fresh breadcrumbs(as required)

Procedure:

Boil some water in a pan and put the almonds for a minute. Drain and cool and peel the skin. Dry them well. Dry roast in  a pan over low heat to remove any moisture. Be careful not to burn. 

Grind them in a mixer with  sugar, lemon zest and curd. Mix them well. Add breadcrumbs as required to get a sticky paste. Refrigerate till required.

Speculaas dough:

• 125 gms all purpose flour
• 60 gms unsalted butter,cold
• 75 gms brown sugar(powdered)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp speculaas spice mix
• Little milk 

Procedure:

Put flour, baking powder, sugar and spice mix in a bowl. Cut butter in dices and add to the flour mixture. Rub butter with the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs in texture. Add some milk to knead the dough into a smooth ball. Cover with clingwrap or a plastic cover and refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Assembling:

Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius.

Grease your chosen pan. I chose my flower shaped pan and a mini pie pan. This quantity will be good for a 9" pie pan.

Divide the dough into two portions.(I made four portions as I used 2 pans) Roll out both on a lightly floured surface till as big as your chosen pan. 

Put one layer in the pan and press lightly. Spread the almond paste with the help of a greased spoon over the layer of dough. 

Cover with the remaining layer of dough. Decorate almonds on top and brush some milk on top.

Bake for 30-35 mins or till the tops are browned well. 

Cool completely and cut in pieces. 

It was a delightful treat to everyone that I served, very different and yummy.

Happy Tasting Holland
Amrita

Khejur/Nolen/Gur-er Payesh/Kheer/Date palm Jaggery Rice Pudding

Winter is definitely the Foodie season!
With the nip in the air and the days getting shorter, its  the best time of the year to make and eat winter delicacies. Its also time of the year to have the markets flooded with Notun/Nolen/Khajur Gur/Jaggery. With so many synonyms, you may well understand its popularity in this part of the world. 
This type of Gur/Jaggery is basically made from boiling the sap of  Date Palm tree unlike the usual one which is made from sugarcane.
This very easy and traditional recipe served in an earthen pot with a lone Frangipani flower is my ode to mark the sweet beginning of the wonderful winter season and the sweet end of the event I have been Guest hosting for this month-Favorite Rice Dishes. 

Ingredients:

• 1 litre milk
• 2 tbsp rice
• 3 tbsp notun/nolen gur/jaggery
• 1 crushed cardamom for garnishing

Procedure:

Pour milk in a thick bottomed pan and bring it to a boil. Lower the flame and add washed rice.

On a medium flame let the milk cook, stirring continuously, till it reduces to half the quantity. This should take anywhere between 10-15 mins.

Once the milk has thickened to your desired consistency, turn the heat off and add the slightly crushed gur. Mix well and let it cool. Adjust sweetness to your liking.

Pour the cooled Payesh/Kheer/Rice pudding in an earthen bowl and garnish with crushed cardamoms.

Sending this recipe to Favorite Rice dishes

Bon Vivant#10-Festive Feasts

Milk Sweet Recipes

60 days to Christmas

and Lets Celebrate Indian Sweets

Happy Payesh Eating

Amrita