Aloo tikki..

Ingredients and method :

Boiled and grated potatoes : 2 cups
Cornstarch : 1 tablespoon
Chopped coriander leaves : 2 tablespoons
Salt : 1 teaspoon (adjust accordingly)
Chopped green chilli : 1/2 tea spoon (adjust if you like more spice)
1/4 teaspoon oil for greasing tray

Grease the tray with 1/4 teaspoon oil.

Take a big bowl and add all the listed ingredients. Mix well.

Transfer this to greased tray and level it.

Keep it in refrigerator for 2 hours.

*****
Take a small bowl and add 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1/4 cup water, stir well.

Keep oil for deep fry.

Take out the tray from refrigerator and mark it into desired shapes, gently take tikkis from tray and dip in cornstarch slurry and deep fry until golden brown colour in a medium flame.

***

Serve with tamarind sauce and mint chutney.

Orange pastry ..

Ingredients for pastry :

Orange buttercream frosting : 2 cups
Orange loaf cake : 1
Orange slices for garnish ( optional)

Method to arrange pastry :

Slice/cut orange loaf cake into 2 parts.
Apply buttercream frosting in between the cake slices and above the cake slice, garnish with fresh orange slice, ready to serve !!

Ingredients for orange buttercream frosting :

Unsalted butter : 100 gm ( butter needs to be at room temperature)
Powdered sugar : 1/2 cup ( increase if you like more sweet frosting )
Corn starch: 1/2 tablespoon
Fresh orange zest : 1 teaspoon
Fresh orange juice : 1 tablespoon
Salt : one small pinch

Method :

Beat the butter for 1 minute , add in sugar and cornstarch, beat it for 1 minute, add half quantity of orange juice and salt and beat again for 1 minute, then add remaining orange juice and beat for 1 minute lastly add in zest and beat for 30 seconds.

This is mildly sweet frosting, so if you want increase sugar powder.
I use a hand blender for beating/making frosting.

Orange cake loaf recipe :

This recipe I learned from my best friend Vani, and it's a super simple recipe with delicious flavour!!

Ingredients for orange cake loaf :

Self raising flour(check notes for alternative) : 1 and half cups
Sugar : 1/3 cup
Oil : 1/2 cup
Hot milk : 1/2 cup
Curd : 1/4 cup
Fresh orange juice : 1/4 cup
Fresh orange zest : 1 tablespoon
Salt : one pinch

Method :

Sieve the flour for 2 times and keep it ready.
Grease the baking tin with butter and flour.
Preheat the oven at 160 degree.

Take a big bowl, add in curd,salt and sugar beat it until sugar dissolves.

Add in orange juice,orange zest and oil and mix until everything mixes properly.

Add 1/4 cup flour at a time to the above mixture and mix gently.

Once everything mixed, add in 2 tablespoons of hot milk(make sure to use hot milk) at a time and mix gently.

Pour the batter to baking tin and tap the tin for 4-5 times and bake at 160 degree for 10 Minutes and reduce the temperature to 120 degree and bake until cake is well cooked!

My cake took around 35 minutes for baking, each and every oven temperature differs so keep an eye on cake after 25 minutes.

Take the cake out from oven and allow it to cool down for 10 minutes and invert it, keep it in a cooling rack until it cools down completely, then cut and serve as it is or make orange pastry!

Notes :

Self raising flour :
If you don't have self raising flour, you can use 1 and half cups of plain flour / maida, 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder and 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda, mix these three ingredients together and sieve it for 2 times, in this way everything mixes properly.

Make sure to tap the tin after you pour batter, in this way there will be no air bubbles inside the cake.

Please make sure to use hot milk.

Orange zest = grated orange peel.

Use a toothpick to check whether cake is baked or not.

Each and every oven temperature differs,so bake accordingly.

Use the exact measurement.

   *****

Semisweet nuts chocolate ..

Ingredients and method :

Unsalted butter : 1/2 cup
Unsweetened cocoa powder : 1/2 cup
Powdered sugar : 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon ( take a normal sugar and powder it in mixi)
Instant coffee powder : 1/4 teaspoon
Salt : one small pinch
Honey : 1 tablespoon
Roasted nuts : 1 tablespoon ( in a pan add chopped nuts (I used almonds and cashews), one drop of butter, one small pinch of salt, roast them in a low flame until crisp and allow it to cool down)

***

Use a plate or pan ( I used a cake tin, lined it with butter paper) line it with butter paper and keep it ready.

Use a double boiler method(check notes below), add 1 cup water to the bigger vessel and switch on the stove.

In the cooking/inner vessel add in butter and and let it melt, then add cocoa powder,sugar,salt and instant coffee powder. Mix everything well and make sure no lumps are formed.

Mix for 3-4 minutes or until the sugar dissolves.

Switch off the stove and take out the vessel and keep it in fridge for 30 minutes.

Take out the chocolate mixture add in roasted nuts and 1 tablespoon honey, mix it well and transfer the chocolate batter to tray and keep it in freezer for 45 minutes.

Take out the tray and cut/mark the chocolate and keep it back in freezer for another 2 hours.

Homemade chocolate is ready to serve!!


Notes :

 * Double boiler method :
Take a bigger vessel add 1 cup water and keep another vessel (2 size smaller than the bigger vessel) inner vessel gets heat from the boiling water below.

* Don't skip any ingredients.

* You can increase the sugar if you like more sweeter chocolate.

* Honey gives shiny texture to chocolate.

* Use your choice of nuts.

* Follow the recipe.

Chole Bhature ..

Ingredients for Bhature :

Self raising flour : 2 cups
Semolina : 1/4 cup
Curd : 1/4 cup
Oil 2 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon to grease the dough
Salt : 1/2 teaspoon
Sugar : 1/2 teaspoon
Water : approximately 1/4 cup

Oil for deep fry

Method :

In a bowl mix semolina,flour,salt and sugar mix it well and then add curd,oil mix it and use a water to make soft dough .. (dough needs to be softer than normal chapathi dough)

Knead the dough for 5 minutes, then drizzle oil on the dough and cover the dough and let it rest for 2 - 3 hours .

Make a small lemon sized ball from dough, and use oil to roll the dough and deep fry them..

Serve it with Chole .

Ingredients and method for Chole :

Soaked black chana : 2 cups(soak it for 8-10 hours)
Tomato puree : 3/4 cup ( use 4 small tomatoes and make a paste )
Chopped onion : 1 cup
Chopped garlic and ginger : 1 teaspoon each
Chopped green chilli : 1/2 teaspoon
Kasoori methi : 1 teaspoon
Salt : 1/2 tablespoon
Sugar : 1/2 teaspoon
Oil : 2 tablespoon
Turmeric powder : 1/4 teaspoon

Chole masala powder : adding it in notes below

Pressure cook black chana, and 1 cup water with 1/2 teaspoon salt in pressure cooker for 4 whistles.
Once the pressure settles, transfer it to a bowl.

Heat a pressure cooker add oil, add in ginger,garlic, green chillies, turmeric powder and saute for 2 minutes in medium flame.

Then add chopped onion and saute until it's translucent.

Add salt and sugar , add in tomato puree and cook until oil leaves from sides. Add in Chole masala powder,kasoori methi. Saute for 1 minute.

Mash 1/4 of black chana , and add all cooked chana and 1/2 cup water, close the cooker lid and cook for 8 whistles.
Let the pressure settle and let it sit for minimum 2 hours, then heat and serve it with Bhature.

Notes:
Chole masala powder :
2 byadagi chilli q(increase if you like more spice)
1 tablespoon of tamarind
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dessicated coconut
4 cloves
2 green cardamoms
1 inch piece cinnamon

Roast everything in a medium flame until the spices leave nice aroma and let it cool down and make a powder of it.

*******

Benne dose ..

Ingredients and method for batter :

Dosa or idly rice : 2 cups
Urad Dal : 1/2 cup
Fenugreek seeds : 1 teaspoon
Poha : 1/2 cup ( I used thick poha )
Rice flour : 1/2 cup

Wash and soak dosa rice,urad Dal and fenugreek seeds in a separate bowl for 4-5 hours.

In a small bowl wash and soak poha for 4-5 hours.

First in a mixer jar blend poha till smooth using 1/8 cup of water and transfer it to a big vessel.

In the same jar blend the rice ,urad dal and fenugreek seeds using 1/2 cup water(add water in between).

Transfer the batter to poha batter vessel, add in rice flour and mix everything well and close the lid and let it ferment for 8-9 hours ( whole night )

While preparing dose add 1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon sugar, mix it well. If the batter is too thick add 1/4 cup water and mix well.

Heat the tawa (I use iron skillet), sprinkle water and wipe it using paper towel or onion, pour one laddle full of batter and make dosa.. make sure to decrease the flame once skillet is heated enough.

Cook dosa in low flame, add butter, flip it and cook for 30 seconds and again flip dose and add 1 tablespoon of butter and spread it on dose and cook until the bottom of the dose turns golden brown.

Use generous amount of butter while preparing this dose..
Make sure to cook this dose in low flame.

While making next dose, sprinkle water on skillet and clean it with paper towel and repeat the same process..

Serve hot with chutney!

Apple & ginger juice..

Ingredients :

Chopped apple - 1 cup
Chopped ginger - 1 tablespoon
Sugar - 5 teaspoons
Fresh lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
Water - 2 cups

Method :

Add apple,ginger,sugar into juicer/mixer jar, blend it for 1 minute add in fresh lemon juice and water and blend it for 10 seconds.

Sieve and serve the juice !!

Tips :

Use sour apple (granny smith) if available..