Plum and Blackberry Filo Pizza !!

Hi folks !!!
How are you all?  Hope you all and your family well and enjoying lovely weather... yes I'm back after my 2 weeks break from bloogywood....and back in action now with these simple, attractive tarts..crisp filo pastry base and a luscious fresh fruit topping....

You will need:-

• 10 Sheets filo pastry, thawed if frozen(12x8 in)
• 30 g unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tsp ground almonds
• 5-6 plums
• 150 g blackberries
• 2 tbsp vanilla caster sugar

Method:-

Preheat the oven to gas mark 6.  Place a sheet of filo on the work surface and brush very all over with melted butter.~  Top with the another sheet and brush with butter.~  Layer on 3 more filo sheets, brushing with butter each time, and finally brush thetop surface. ~ Using a saucermeasuring about 13 cm as a guide, cut out 2 discs from the layered filo.  Transfer to a baking tray. ~ Repeat with the remaining filo pastryand butter to make 4 layered discs in total.~ Sprinkle each filo disc with 1/2 tsp of the ground almonds, then set aside.~ Cut the plums in half and remove the stone.~ Slice the plums thinly.~ Place plums slices on the filo pastry discs, arranging them so they leave a little of the pastry edge uncovered all round.  Divide the blackberries among the pizzas.~ Sprinkle 11/2 tsp sugar over each pizzas.~ Bake for 15 minutes or untill the pastry is golden brown and the plums are very tender and lightly caramelised.~  These filo pizzas are best served within 15 minutes of coming out of oven as the pastry will quickly lose its crispness.  Enjoy it as much as my family did!!

Garlic Kachori(Spicy Small Golden Balls) to keep the Vampires away!

My daughter really wanted to see New Moon on DVD in her Easter holidays,but because we were both afraid of the vampires in the movie we decided that I would make these garlic kachoris to keep us safe..;0)!!lol...and we really kept them away... years ago I had these Garlic Kachori in Leicester(from london around 99 miles north) at our relatives house...Since then I always wanted to make it myself.  So many times I didn't suceed, past one or two years I'm doing ok with kachories! Making kachori is time consuming, so I don't make very often..maybe once a year!!! The small golden balls filled with Tuvar (Lilva) mixture are very tasty and can serve as perfect appetizers or a snack for a pot-luck party .

"Kachori or Kachauri or " Kachodi" is a spicy snack popular in various parts India and Pakistan including Uttar Pradesh , Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Punjab region in India and Punjab region of Pakistan


A kachori served in New Delhi, IndiaKachoris of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are extremely well known and popular. It is supposed to have originated in one of these states.

In Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh it is usually a round flattened ball made of fine flour filled with a stuffing of baked mixture of yellow moong dal or Urad Dal (crushed and washed horse beans), besan (crushed and washed gram flour), black pepper, red chili powder, salt and other spices.

Additionally in Rajasthan, the Pyaaz ki Kachori (Onion Kachori) is very famous.

In Gujarat, it is usually a round ball made of flour and dough filled with a stuffing of yellow moong dal, black pepper, red chili powder, and ginger paste.

In Delhi it is often served as a chaat. Also delhi's has another kind of kachori called as 'Khasta kachori' or 'Raj Kachori'.

A variant includes sweet upwas (fast) kachori, made with potato, coconut, and sugar. Kachoris are often served with a chutney, often made from tamarind, mint, or coriander.

Some of the variants popular in North India includes a version similar to the Rajasthan version accompanied with a curry made of potatoes and varied spices or even chana (chole), similar to one served in chole bhature
(Source: wikipedia)

You will need:-(Stuffing)

• 1 cup frozen pigeon peas
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 2 tbsp garlic, ginger and green chilli paste
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp mustard seeds
• pinch asafoetida
• 1 tsp seasame seeds
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp dry coconut powder

• Dry mango pwder or lemon juice(according to your taste)
• 1 tsp Garam masala
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp cumin and coriander seeds powder
• 1 tsp fennel seeds(crushed)
• 2 tbsp oil
• More oil to fry

You will need;-(pastry)

• 1/2 cup Plain flour
• 1/2 cup Chappati flour
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp oil
• Water to knead dough......Mix all the ingredients and make a semi stiff dough.  Leave a side to rest for half an hour. 

Method:-
Defrost pigeon peas and green peas.  Now Grind coarsley in a grinder.  In a haevy bottom pan heat oil and add mustard seeds and asafoetida.  After spultter add peas and cook for 6-7 minutes on a very low heat.  Now add all the masala and seasonings.  let it cook further about 5-6 minutes.  Switch of the heat and let it cool.Now divide the dough into small portions, and roll into a small circle. put a large spoonful of the filling into the center, then fold the dough over the filling to form a ball and seal the edges with a peak at the top. You can grease your palms a little and roll the ball between them to form an even ball if that's easier. Repeat for all the kachoris.   Now heat oil in a wok and deep fry 3-4 kachoris at a time over medium-to high heat till they are golden brown in color. Serve hot with Green Chutney or Tamarind chutney. I served with both..Enjoy as much as my family did!!

Also I am taking break  from bloggywood..about two weeks, not going on holiday, still here.... I shall meet U all again with all new recipes and new event.. Yeehaaaaa! Till we meet again, take care all!!! Forget me Not..;0))!!

Rich Chocolate Cake and Eggless too!

Hi all,

you all already know that I made chocolate cake on a very special occasion! You also know that I am not good at baking cakes and biscuits..:-( still I tried..there is a saying that "Practice makes perfect!" and it actually came out good...I was happy with the results, my family loved it..that's what mattered to me the most..

Recipe Sources:-Asda Magazine

You will need:-
Serves 10

• 425 g Organic Dark Chocolate(70% cocoa solids)

• 225 g unsalted butter
• 1 tsp Instant Coffee
• 100 g self-raising flour
• 100 g plain flour
• 25 g cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp bicarb of soda
• 375 g  caster sugar
• 4 tbsp milk
• 60 g whole Egg Replacer(recipe said 3 eggs)
• 300 ml double cream
• 150 ml water
• Grated or Shaved chocolate(I used white chocolate)

Method:-

Grease and line the base of a 20 cm deep round loose-based tin.  Preaheat the oven to gas amrk 3. Break  200g chocolate into a bowl with the butter, coffee and 125ml water.  Stand over a pan of simmering water for 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat, leaving the bowl on the pan.  Stir untill smooth, then leave to cool.
Stir together the flours, egg replacer, cocoa and bicarb, then add 350 g sugar.  Stir into the chocolate mixture with the milk and 150 ml water untill evenly mixed(don't overbeat).  Turn into the tin and bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or untill the top springs back when pressed.  Leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack.  Break the remaining chocolate into a bowl.  Heat the craem and remaining sugar untill simmering, then pour on to the chocolate.  Stir untill smooth.  Leave untill cool but spreadable.  Spread the mixture over the top and sides.  Decorate with grated chocolate.   Enjoy!!

♥ ♥ Something Sweet (Barfi) ♥ ♥ ~For my Better half ♥ ♥

That doesn't mean I'm bad half..;0).....man of my life, caring and loving father of my kids, celebrating his birthday today!(10th April)  Generally whenever anybody's birthday comes in the family the kids gets excited, specially our daughter...getting cards and gifts and cakes and   planning gets underway.  what to cook or where to go?  Since I started my blog 3 months ago I've been seeing lots of cake recipes, I must say people are masters in baking cake! whereas I'm not...not a baker..:( i am always worried that what if without using egg, the cake won't rise or something..So we always used to order Eggless cake from Shops..but after seeing lots of cake recipes, specially girls are making for their hubby or kids..I felt some guilt, and I thought to myself I should make an effort.  So this time with I baked a cake for my hubby..and it's eggless too!  Very please with my results..followed a recipe from our superstore magagine Asda(Wall-Mart)...But here I am not posting a cake recipe, posting a Barfi recipe which I made for my hubby's birthday too.In India we always wish Happy Birthday with something sweet...so Indian sweet in the morning and cake in the evening! Double treat...

"Barfi or burfi (Hindi: बर्फ़ी) is a sweet from the Indian subcontinent. Plain barfi is made from condensed milk, cooked with sugar until it solidifies. There are many varieties of barfi, which include besan barfi (made with besan (gram flour)), "kaju barfi" (made with cashews), and pista barfi (which is a milk barfi containing ground pistachio nuts). The name is derived from Hindi Word baraf which means snow since barfi is similar to ice/snow in appearance. Barfi is often flavoured with fruit (such as mango or coconut) or nuts (like cashew and pistachio) and spices such as cardamom. They are sometimes served coated with a thin layer of edible silver leaf (varak). Visually, they are typically cut into square, diamond, or round shapes. They sometimes (but not always) resemble cheese, and may have a hint of cheese scent to it. For this reason, barfi is sometimes called "Indian cheese cake".[who?] They vary greatly in their colour and texture, depending on type."(wikipedia)

You will need :-

• 3 cup Whole milk powder
• 1 cup Ground Almonds, Cashews and Pistachioes
• 3 tsp Ghee(unsalted butter)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 3-4 tbsp more milk
• Few threds of Saffron
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder

Method:-
Mix milk powder with 3-4 tbsp milk and ghee and leave a side for 1/2 hour.  Now heat 1 cup milk and sugar on a low heat untill looks like condensed milk.  Add saffron and cardamom powder and leave a side.  Meanwhile place milk powder mix in a microwave and cook for 1-2 minutes, keep an eye on the mix, it can easily burn..now add ground ACP and condensed milk.  Mix well and cook for another 1 minutes.  Now spread evenly over the greased plate and allow it to cool.Now with the knife, cut it into desired shapes....and Enjoy!!

♥ ♥ Happy Birthday Raj ♥ ♥

  I want to dedicate this song to you....."What else can I give you except than my heart,I can give my whole life too"  I'm sure you will love it Raj ! BTW meaning of Raj is King....

Sending this to Priya's event Cooking with Seeds-Cardamom Seeds 

Cool New Graphics - MySpace/Friendster

Potato Gnocchi !

Hey Friends!
How are you all?
Hope fine....Spring is here, weather is getting little bit better.  Hoping for good summer this year!  Kids are at home for two weeks Easter holiday!  Getting very busy with them...lots of cooking and indulging...;0)...OK coming to my recipe, Potato Gnocchi made last week..something new for kids to have also to challenge my cooking skills too...So what is Potato Gnocchi ? 

Gnocchi (pronounced "nyo-kee" and derived from the German word for "knuckle") are tasty little dumplings, one of Italy's oldest pastas dating back to the 12th century.  Gnocchi can be made from a variety of ingredients, including cheese gnocchi, but potato is the most common.  This recipe is very straightforward and simple, can be made with your choice of sauce.  We had with sun dried tomato and olive pasta sauce..Found recipe here


You will need for Gnocchi:-

• 3 large baking potatoes
• 1-2 cups unbleached white flour
• salt to taste
• dash paprika
• dash grated nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

You will need for the sauce:-

• 140 g sun-dried tomatoes in seasoned oil(used jar once)
• few leaves of fresh besil
• 8-10 olives(used jar once)
• Salt to taste
• 2-3 Garlic cloves..........Place all the ingredients in a food processor and make a fine paste.  Leave a side..

 Method:-
Boil the potatoes, peel and mash.  Now mix all the other ingredients with mashed potatoes and knead on a floured surface just untill dough is mixed and not sticky.  Let it rest for 12-15 minutes. Roll chunks of dough on floured board into logs about 1 inch thick. Cut into diagonal slices about 3/4 inch thick. Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add gnocchi, After they rise to the surface, adjust heat and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered. Drain well and cover with your favorite pasta sauce.  Garnish with Parmesan cheese and Enjoy!

Sending this dish to event hosted by Tobias Cooks-6th mediterranean cooking event-Italy 

P.S. Could anybody give me a link for any fish recipes, which you may have posted on your blog...My daughter requires it for her school research project.  ( As I'm unfamiliar with fish recipes, so your help would be most welcome)...Thanks a lot!! 

Baby Potatoes in Green Masala!

The other day I was talking to my Sister over the phone..and some how we came on the cooking topic!  She reminded me about this dish, which I once saw on a TV cookery programme in India..I made it about 2-3 times there, and then after that I totally forgot about it till now...Thanks to my lil sis! So I made it today and want to share the recipe with you all...

You will need:-

• 8-10 baby potatoes
• Oil
• Pinch Asafoetida
• 1 tsp Cumin and Coriander seeds

You will need for the masala:-

• 3-4 Green Chillies
• 1 cup fresh coriander
• small piece of Ginger
• 1 tbsp dry coconut

• 1 tbsp poppy seeds(khus khus)not(Cous Cous)
• 1 tbsp Raisins
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp cumin and coriander seeds......Mix everything and make a paste with little water.  Leave a side.

Method:-
Boil potatoes in salty water about 8-9 minutes or till just tender.  Peel the skin and prick them.  Mix half masala into the potatoes and leave it for about half an hour.  Heat the oil in a pan and add cumin and coriander seeds and asafoetida , after spullter add the remaining masala and potatoes.  Mix well cook about 3-4 minutes more and ready to serve. Great as a side dish, we had it with our pasta meal.. Enjoy!

Sending this dish to the event Cooking with seeds-Coriander Seeds hosted by Radhika, started by Priya

Sanskari Wife and Muthiya(Indian Steamed dumplings)Kem Cho?

"Biwiya apne pati ko"A. G." kyon kehti hai? Kyonki Biwiya SANSKARI hoti hai.........Bhare Bazar mein "ABE GADHE" nahi kahe sakti, isliye short mein A.G. kehti hai"         let me translate this in English for my friends who doesn't know Hindi!

"Why wives call their husbands "A. G."? because women are Sanskari.....In crowded bazar they can't call them  "ABE GADHE", that is why they say it in a short A.G....

SANSKARI is a hindi word, meaning culture, upbringing, a deep and pure reason to create a good human being, a good family, a good Society, a good nation and thus a good world to live in.

ABE means in hindi Oi, like you can say to your friend

GADHE means in hindi DONKEY..now you will get this joke, which I received early 6 o'clock in the morning from my sister in India, it was forward text joke...I read it out to my husband and we went hysterical...;0)), I thought I should share this joke with you all.....Now coming to my recipe....MUTHIYA

Indian gujrati style snack made by using your fists,(Muthi means fist) A very healthy.nutritious and very satisfying dish, way of cooking a mix of Vegetables and multigrain flours together and steamed. Instead of Bottle Gourd one can substitute Fenugreek Leaves/Spinach/Amaranth/Pumpkin and use the method to cook it.If so desired it can be eaten without seasoning it in the Oil preparation...It can be made from left overs, like rice and vegetables...most of the time, I use my left overs to make this snack...I hate wasting food and always look for ideas to make something else out of it...it's heart breaking that in some parts of the world food is very scarce....:-((...I just add whatever I find in the fridge and whatever I can find in my pantry...

So what do you need to make this snack?  I can't give you exact measurment...I never follow in this dish..

Left over rice, Chapatti flour,Semolina, rice flour,Gram flour and Millet flour(we gujarati use this flour) any vegees like mentioned above(grated). Pinch of sodabi carb,  Ginger-chilli paste, Sour yougurt, Oil, Salt to taste, fresh coriandar,red chilli powder, Tumeric powder, Garam masala and dhana jeera powder, Sugar, Lemon juice or dry mango powder.  sometimes I add pickle masala...Take all the ingrediants in a bowl and mix really well.  Use little water to knead a soft dough like chapatti dough. Apply a little oil on your hands and divide the mixture into 2-3 parts. Then pressing in your fists into cylindrical shapes and place in a steamer. Whichever method you prefer.   Insert a knife after 20 mins and see that it comes out clean, meaning its cooked. Let it cool a little and slice each roll into thin oval-shaped pieces.



 Heat more oil for tampering and add 1 tsp mustard seeds, Sesame seeds and asafoetida.  When they start spulltering add steamed muthiya pieces and saute them for few minutes or untill they get slightly golden brown.  Ready to serve.. Enjoy with Tea or any type of chutney or dip..You can serve as a breakfast too..

Wish you all HAPPY EASTER and JOYFUL HOLIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!