Oreo Cookie Balls

 This recipe is an inspiration from the website: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/oreo-cookie-balls/


INGREDIENTS:

Oreo Cookies- 1 packet- 18 sandwich cookies for the balls and 2 cookies for crumbs for garnish.
Chocolate Chips- 2 cups
Cream Cheese- 4 oz or half a pack of Philadelphia brand cream cheese

Servings:

16-18 nos

PROCEDURE:

1. Remove the cream from the oreo cookies and powder the cookies alone using a pin or a food processor.
2. Now mix in cream cheese with the cookies into a smooth paste.
3. Make balls and refrigerate for at least 1 hour until the balls are firm.
4. Now in a microwavable bowl, add the chocolate chips and melt for approximately 2 minutes stirring it for every 30 seconds until the chips are melted into chocolate.
5. Drop the oreo cookie balls into the melted chocolate and smother it with chocolate until fully covered. You can use a spoon if you need to. Remove the cookie balls from the chocolate using 2 forks and remove excess chocolate and place in a wax or parchment sheet.
6. Garnish with some cookie crumbs or sprinkles or any other chocolate syrup for decoration.
7. Refrigerate for 2 hours until firm. Enjoy!

Microwave Doodh Peda

INGREDIENTS:

Milk Powder(Mawa Powder)- 2 cups
Condensed Milk- 14 oz, 1 can
Butter- 1 stick or 8 tbsp or 1/4 cup
Cardamom- 1/4 tsp or to taste
Saffron- A pinch

PROCEDURE:

1. Take a big glass microwaveable bowl and put the butter in it. Microwave for 1 minute until the butter is melted.
2. Now add the milk powder and condensed milk and mix well.
3. Microwave for 5 minutes. Stir every minute taking care not to let the mixture overflow from the bowl. The consistency of the mixture should be a thick paste.
4. Add Saffron and Cardamom powder.
5. Allow to cool for 20 minutes until you are able to touch with bare hands.
6. Grease a plate with butter or ghee so the pedas dont stick to plate.
7. Make balls and flatten them in the middle.
8. Garnish with craisins. cashew nuts or pistachionuts.
9. Refrigerate for a few hours or serve in room temperature as per your choice. 
   

Note:

Microwave heating may vary for different brands and power watts. Time of cooking may vary accordingly. 

Beetroot Halwa

INGREDIENTS:

Beetroot- 3 small nos
Sugar- 6 tsp or to taste
Mawa Powder aka Milk Powder- 2.5 tsp
Milk- 1/4 cup
Ghee- 4 tbsp
Cashew nuts- 1 tbsp
Cardamom Powder- 1/2 tsp

PROCEDURE:

1. Peel the beets and grate finely using a chopper or a grater.
2. In a separate pan add a tsp of ghee and saute some cashewnuts until golden brown. Keep aside.
3. In a pressure cooker, Add 2 tbsp of ghee and saute the chopped beets until raw smell is gone.
4. Now add the milk and cook for a whistle in sim. Make sure that the beets do not get burnt.
5. Open the pressure cooker and add the sugar and mix well until the sugar is incorporated well into the beets.
6. Add the Milk powder, one spoon at a time and mix well. 
7. Add more ghee if needed.Keep stirring until ghee separates from the beet halwa.
8. Add the cardamom powder and the sauteed cashew nuts into the halwa. Serve warm.

Vegetable Puffs

INGREDIENTS:

Puff Pastry sheets- 1 box- Pepperidge Farms brand
Potatoes- 2 big, boiled well

Frozen carrot peas- 1/2 cup
Onion- 1/2 small,Diced into small cubes
Green chillies- 4 nos, cut into small pieces
Ginger Garlic Paste- 1 tbsp
Cumin Seeds- 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder, Coriander seed powder, Chilli powder,Fennel seed powder, Garam Masala- To taste
Chat Masala- Optional, 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice- 1/2 Lemon
Cilantro- To Garnish
Milk- 2 tbsp for rubbing over the pastry sheet for shine and crispiness.
Salt- To taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Boil potatoes in pressure cooker until well done. Once the pressure is off, remove the peel and mash well.
2. In a pan with little oil, add cumin seeds, onions, ginger garlic paste, green chillies and saute well till raw smell is gone.
3. Add the frozen or boiled carrots and peas and mix well.
4. Now add all the masala powders, salt  and mix.
5. Add the mashed potatoes and stir till well done.
6. Turn off stove.Add the lemon juice and cilantro and mix one more time.
7. Now after the puff pastry sheets are thawed, spread the sheet in a cutting board and smother with milk using a pastry brush.
8. In the middle of the sheet, uniformly spread the potato masala.
9. Now cover the potato masala with the puff pastry sheet from below and spread the milk using the brush.
10. Then take the puff pastry sheet from the top portion and cover. Now brush the sheet with milk again.
11. Cut the sheet into four pieces and place them in a cookie sheet tray.
12. In a preheated oven with temperature of 400 degree Fahrenheit, place the cookie tray and bake for 20-25 minutes until the puffs are golden brown in color.
13. Serve with ketchup.

Aloo Paratha

My grandma makes the best aloo parathas and I used to crave for her aloo parathas that inspired me to make them at home by myself. The taste and texture is not as good as her but I have tried my best. I dedicate this post to her.My hubby loves them too and I make it for him on special days.

INGREDIENTS:

Aloo Stuffing:

Golden Potatoes- 2 or 3 boiled well.

Green chillies- Finely chopped

Oil-1tbsp

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Chilli powder-1 tsp

Coriander seed powder-1/2 tsp

Saunf powder- 1 tsp

Cumin seed powder- 1 tsp

Garam masala-1 tsp

Salt- according to taste

Cilantro- A handful chopped finely

Paratha:

Wheat flour-  3 cups

Water- Enough to mix into dough

Oil-2 tbsp

Salt- to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker. Peel and mash into a fine paste.

2. In a pan add oil, green chillies, salt, all the spice powder and mix well.

3. Add the mashed potatoes and mix till well done. 

4. Garnish with cilantro and allow to cool.

5. Make Chapathi dough by mixing well.

5. Now make balls of aloo separately and Chapathi separately.

6. Roll the Chapathi ball a little bit and place the aloo ball.

7.Pull the sides of the rolled out dough and make a pocket.

8. Pat it down and rub some dry Chapathi flour on top and roll out into uniform aloo parathas.

9. Put it in hot pan and turn till done. You can add oil or ghee to keep the moisture.

10. Serve with mango pickle and yogurt.

Baingan ka Bharta

INGREDIENTS:

Eggplant- 1 big
Onion-1/2 a small, cut finely
Tomato-1 small, cut finely
Ginger Garlic Paste-1 tsp
Green chillies- 1 , cut finely
Peas- 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp
Red chilli powder- 1 tsp
Coriander seeds powder- 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala- 1/2 tsp
Kasoori Methi- 1 tbsp, crushed with hand before adding
Turmeric Powder- 1/2 tsp
Honey- 1/2 tsp
Cilantro- For garnish

PROCEDURE:

1. Quarter the big eggplant. Rub the outside and inside with some olive oil and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until tender at 425 F
2. Remove the eggplant from the oven once done. Allow to cool. Remove the skin by pulling it out. Try to mash with hand. I prefer, blending them into a paste with a mixie for uniform texture.
3. In a separate pan, add oil and once heated, add cumin seeds. Allow to splutter and add the onions and ginger garlic and cook till raw smell is gone.,
4. Now add green chillies and tomatoes and pour some water to cook it completely. 
5. Add the green peas and saute for a min or two. Add all the masala powders and salt. 
6. Add the mashed eggplant mixture. Allow to cook.
7. Add the kasoori methi and honey and mix and cook for a minute.
8. Turn off stove and add lemon if needed and cilantro for garnish.
9. Serve hot with rotis.

Masala Vada

 Masala Vada are also called as Dal Vada and is a good evening time snack served along with tea or coffee.  They are basically lentil fritters almost similar to the Mediterranean Falafels.

INGREDIENTS:

Channa dal-1 cup
Rice Flour-1 to 1.5 tbsp
Fennel Seeds- 4 tsp
Red Onion-1 small cubed
Green chilli- 1 big
Red chilli-1 no
Ginger-1/4 of an inch
Garlic- 2 pods
Cilantro- A handful, chopped
Curry leaves- 1 string, chopped
Salt- To taste

PROCEDURE:

1. Soak channa dal for 3-4 hours or overnight.
2. In a mixie, add green chilli, red chilli, ginger, garlic, fennel seeds and grind them into a paste. 
3. Now add the channa dal without any water to the mixie and grind coarsely.
4. Add chopped onions, cilantro, curry leaves, rice flour,salt to the ground mixture and mix well with hand.
5. In a pot with oil, deep fry vadas by making small balls and flattening out with hands in medium flame.
6. Serve with your favorite chutney or eat just like that. Yummy :)