Vanilla heaven cupcakes

Rithvik want to make this cup cake all by himself,and he did. I helped him in the baking and blending process, his main aim in this cup cake is sprinkles....lot and lots of sprinkle.

This mixture makes 15 normal size cup cakes.

Ingredients

For cake

2 ¼ cup plain flour

1 cup milk(room temperature)

¾ egg whites(about 6 large egg)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 ¾ cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

12 tbsp butter(cut into pieces)

Preheat the oven at 350degree.

Beat slowly the milk, eggwhites, sugar, baking powder and salt ,add the butter piece by piece until it forme crumbs. You can also use your hand to make this mixture to crumb consistency.

Now add ½ cup milk and beat well and add the remaining half.

Line the muffin cups with colourful muffin holder and pour the mixture ¾ of the cup.

Bake this for 15 to 20 minutes.

Allow to cool completely at least for 1hour before icing.

Vanilla buttercream frosting

100gms butter

2cups icing sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2tbsp heavy cream(thickened or double) or milk

Pinch of salt.

Beat all the ingredients slowly until well combined,if you feel it is not thick enough keep it in the fridge for sometimes .

If you want color icing mix a drop of required color while the mixing process.

You can decorate it as you want...

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Pavlova

4 egg whites

200g of caster sugar

10ml vinegar(plain white)

10g cornflour

Salt a pinch

 

 

Method

 

Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff.

Add the sugar gradually, then add the vinegar, vanilla essence and beat well.

Sift the cornflour and fold lightly with the wooden stick.

Bake in the preheated oven on 130 degree C, for 1.5 to 2hours.

(line the baking tray with baking paper, spoon the pavlova mix in the baking tray, no need to press the mix.).

Garnish

200ml thickened cream

25g icing sugar

2ml of vanilla essence

Sliced ripe mango flesh.

Method

Whip the cream and add sugar and vanilla.

Cover the pavlova with this cream and top it with fruits.

NOTE: you can also use kiwi, passion fruit or mixed berries .
Can store this in fridge for a week.

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Pumpkin and sultana muffin

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups Self raising flour, sifted

1tsp baking powder

½ cup of brown sugar

¾ cup milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup sultanas

1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin

Method

Preheat oven to 180deg cent .

Combine flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg and oil.

Add this to flour with sultanas and pumpkin.

Mix until combined.

Fill prepared cases, bake for 20-25mins,or until cooked

Cool on a wire rack. Store in an air tight container.

NOTE: this muffins can be frozen and thaw when required.

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Chettinad Chicken

This south Indian chicken recipe goes well with rice or with any type of breads ,

Ingredients

½ Kg chicken

2 big onions(finely chop)

2 tsp of finger garlic paste

2 tomatoes(finely chop)

2 green chilli

Curd 2 tbsp

1tsp turmeric powder

½ tbsp chilli powder

½ tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

2 tbsp of oil

2 bay leaves

½ cinnamon stick

Curry leaves

Salt

Preparation

Chicken

½ tsp of salt

1 tsp of ginger garlic paste

 chilli powder , coriander powder, curry powder,

Curd.

Mix everything together and marinate overnight.

Marinating in curd

Method

Heat oil in pan, add cinnamon stick ,bay leaves ,green chilli and onions.

Fry onions until the raw smell goes, then add ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder.

Now add the tomato, chicken with curd masala and fry for five minutes.

At last add the remaining powders(chilli, coriander, garam masala)and salt to taste.

Simmer and close cook the pan until the oil separates.

Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.

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Spinach Patties

Makes20 to 25:Preparation time 30min

Ingredients

One bunch of fresh spinach(discard the stem)

Three medium sized potatoes

One garlic clove

1 cup peas

1 cup corn

½ cup plain flour

1 cup bread crumbs

Salt

Oil to fry

Grounded pepper 2tsp

First step

Wash the spinach properly .

In a small saucepan boil 5 cups of water and add this washed spinach .

In two to five min take the boiled spinach , drain the excess water .

Chop it finely.

Boil the potatoes ,peel the skin off and mash it coarsely.

Separately Cook the corn and peas .

Finely chop the garlic.

Add some water to the plain flour ,mix and keep it separately.

Direction

Mix the potato, garlic, spinach, peas and corn together with some salt and pepper.

Flatten this mix into patties .

Dip this in flour mixture then in bread crumbs.

Heat some oil in pan and cook this patties for5 min on each side.

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Parupu usli(dhal and lentis crumble)

My kid  love this recipe, protein rich and most tasty, we can do this using beans or on finely chopped cabbage.It tastes great with banana flower, if you have patient to clean and chop....:)

For crumble

Channa dhal -1 cup

Dry red chillie-2

Green chillie-1

Jeera -2 tsp

Salt ½ spoon.

Method

Soak the dhal for 2 to 3 hours.

Grind it with remaining ingredients.

Note: The mixture should be dry ,don’t add water while grinding just grind by mixing often, the mixture should be coarse not like a fine paste.

Now steam the mixture using a steaming plate or using Chinese dumpling steamer as shown on picture.

Cool and crumble it using hand or by blender .

Beans-1/2 kg

Turmeric powder- ½ spoon.

Mustard seeds
Curry leaves

Oil -1tbsp.

Chop the beans add water and cook it by adding turmeric powder.

Filter the water and keep the beans aside.

Procedure

Heat oil in a pan and sauté the mustard seed and curry leaves .

Now add beans fry for two minutes then add the crumble and salt to taste.

Simmer it and allow to sit  until the crumble combines with beans .

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Sugar Candy Rice -Kalkandu sadam

1 cup Basmati Rice

1 cup candy(any size)

3 cups milk

1 cup water

2tbsp ghee

1 tsp cardamom powder

Cashews and Raisins to garnish

Gently cook the rice with water and 2 cups of milk.

Once the rice is cooked mix the candies or allow to dissolve ,once dissolved add the remaining one cup milk.

Fry cashews and raisins in ghee and mix this with rice.

It looks watery but once cold the rice will be perfect to serve.

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Homemade Pizza

Making Pizza is really easy, only thing is  time-consuming but it’s worth waiting for the best result.

My son Rithvik loves any kind of Pizza, Monthly once I make this for dinner. Here is the lovely recipe we enjoy....:)
This Recipe is for two 12inch pizza.

Making dough:

1 tbsp dry yeast.

3/4  cup warm water.

2 tbsp olive oil.

1tsp sugar.

2 cups pplain flour.

½ spoon salt.

Mix all the above ingredient except the flour and salt, cling wrap ,in ½ an hour the yeast lift and looks frothy.

First process.........                          

coming up....now add the flour&salt.....knead nicely...

Again cling wrap ,allow to sit until it is double the size.

The dough raised up...now divide it into two

Again cling wrap, allow to raise..

Worth waiting ...now We can start the cooking process in 10min

Now flat the dough on a floured surface or you can use your hand to stretch the dough....

Oil the pizza tray ,keep the flatten dough and pierce it in some places with fork.....

I made one veg and one salami pizza....here i have shown the salami photo...

Topping ingredients

Pasta sauce

Mushrooms thinly sliced

Black olives(optional)sliced...

Salami slices(optional)

Mozzarella cheese(shredded)

Red and green capsicum thinly sliced....

Spread the sauce and arrange the toppings as you wish...remember too much topping destroys the taste...

At last the mozzarella......on top ......yummy...

Preheat the oven for about 180deg C.....for 10min

Cook until the top is lightly brown or the dough looks crusty......

Delicious homemade pizza is ready to try now.....

Note: the olive gives the pizza smell actually.....like shop bought one and it gives oil to the pizza while cooking, if you don’t want to use olive just drizzle some olive oil above the toppings then spread the cheese.

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Apple Crust Pie

Pastry dough

           

For The Crust

Apple Mix

First Layer

Layering Apple

Crust Above Apple Layer

 

For the Pastry:

1 ½ cup all purpose flour

½ cup caster sugar

125 gm of butter(cut into cubes)

3tbsp cold water

a pinch of salt.

For the crust:

1 cup all purpose flour

½ cup Brown sugar

1tsp cinnamon powder

1tsp nutmeg powder

125gm butter(cut into cubes)

A pinch of Salt to taste

For The Apple Fillings:

3 normal size granny smith apples

¾ cup brown sugar

1 tsp nutmeg powder

1tsp cinnamon powder

 Pastry Dough:

Shift flour ,place it in a cold bowl(if possible).

Add butter and mix using both of your hands until it become  crumbs.

Now add sugar and salt.

At last sprinkle the cold water, mix immediately to form a dough.

Cling wrap it, allow to sit in fridge for ½ an hour.

For Apple Filling:

Cut apples and add all the other ingredient mix nicely and allow to sit aside.

For The Crumbs:

Sift flour ,add all other ingredients and mix the butter using hands to form crumbs as shown in the picture.

METHOD:

Flat the dough on a floured surface  about 1cm thick.

Grease the tin , layer the dough, and trim the edges.

Arrange not more than one layer of apples .

On the top add the crumbs without any gap.

Bake it in a preheated oven for about 15min or until brown.

Serve with Cream or icecream.

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Fenugreek Paratha(Methi Paratha)

Methi paratha

1 cup Whole-Wheat Flour

½ cup fenugreek leaves

½ spoon ground pepper

1 garlic grated

Salt to taste

Ghee or oil to fry

½ cup extra flour

Before starting

Discard the stem and allow the leaves to sit in water so that the mud settles properly.

Chop the leaves finely.

Garlic is optional.

Recipe

Dry Mix the flour, leaves ,pepper, garlic and salt.

Make a non sticky dough using water(add flour if required).

Make small balls and flatten it by dusting some flour .

Fry it in a flat pan using ghee or oil.

Serve it with natural yogurt.

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