Baltimore Restaurant Week is starting next week! So check out this website http://www.baltimorerestaurantweek.com/, to see if your favorite restaurant is listed in there or try a new one, its the perfect time.$ 30 for 3 course meals! How awesome is that!
So come on, what are you still doing here, call your friends, make some plans, have fun!
We like to mix up things, so why should we not experiment with fruit juices. We love mixing 1 part guava juice to 2 parts orange juice. Its phenomenal. Now recently when the company which produces Simply Orange juice in US introduced Simply Grapefruit and Simply Apple, an idea popped in our head.
So we thought the bitter-y flavor of grapefruit and the sweet flavor of guava should complement each other. And guess what, it does! So, dear friends, try combinations of your favorite, most likely they will be good. And if you happen to accidentally find a combo, please share it with us.
I found this recipe from Kraft Food magazine. I followed the recipe exactly as they had suggested, and if you do that, there is just no way you can mess this recipe up!
Just be careful though, if you are like me, and love fresh baked cakes, then you are in big trouble! When it was all done, we had 4 pieces each, and almost half the cake disappeared in a few minutes. We had to skip our dinner after that. In India, we call this type of cake, a sponge cake.
I have a recipe for making a basic cake which is much more healthier, so incase you are watching your calorie intake, then stop right here, do not bother reading ahead, because its a high fat heaven from now on!
Ingredients:
2 sticks butter softened (if you dont have time to soften at room temperature, pop it in the microwave for about 20-30 secs)
2 cups sugar,
1 (8 oz) cream cheese softened,
6 eggs,
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour,
1 tsp salt,
1 heaped tsp baking powder
Method:
First take your largest mixing bowl (I used a medium sized one, and it was very messy). First start with the butter, using a mixer, beat for about 3-4 minutes. Add the sugar, and beat for about 5 minutes, till fluffy. Add the cream cheese, and beat it again till it is thoroughly mixed. Now add the vanilla, mix again. Now add the flour, salt, and baking powder, stir it in gently with a spatula, then use a mixer for about a minute. Check for any lumps.
Now grease your baking pan (a fluted-tube pan is recommended, because this is a big size cake). I would suggest using a small round pan and a muffin tray for making a few muffins, with the same cake batter.
Pour in the batter (this is a thick consistency batter, so you may need to scoop it out). And bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, at 350 deg F. till its golden red in color.
Using a tooth pick, see if the innermost area is baked thoroughly.
Wait for a few minutes, cut a few slices, and enjoy!
(Optional: serve with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries)
Do you have expensive taste buds but low on your budget? Then next month is perfect for you. During the week of February 24, 2008 – March 01, 2008, you can dine in some of the most pretigious restaurants across town.
Every city celebrates this; in bigger cities, more restaurants participate. It ranges about $ 20-$40 for a 3-course lunch/dinner.
For more details on the participating restaurants in the Cleveland area, go to the website http://www.downtownclevelandalliance.com/restaurant_week.asp.
For other cities across US, search google using search words “‘city name’ restaurant week”
Bon apetit.
I cannot believe I haven’t put up my recipe for making chole. Since Nirmla (my husbands college friend), and Afreen asked for this recipe, I was looking up my blog, and I couldnt find it here! Sorry, my bad!
There are tons of recipes for chole/chana, I know. But this one works, and though it was given to me by Rudaba aunty, I have a secret ingredient, which makes it special every time.
Ingredients:
1 can chick peas (chole), or soak overnight and pressure cook with salt next day
whole spices: 1 big cardomom ( the brown colored one), 2 sticks cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cumin (akha jeera) seeds
spices: 1/2 tsp corriander (dhania) powder, 1/2 tsp red chilli (mirchi powder), 1/2 tsp cumin (jeera) powder and 1 tsp chole masala ( a blend of spices, especially to make chole)
1/2 tsp tomato paste,
1 handful or more fried onion,
2 tsp ginger garlic paste,
1 -2 green hot peppers for flavor (optional)
1 and half tbsp yogurt, (yes the secret ingredient, shhhhhh!)
oil and water for cooking
Method:
In a cooking pot, heat oil. Add the whole spices to it, and wait till it sizzles. Add the ginger garlic paste to this, and roast for a minute. Add the powdered spices (except the chole masala), and carefully roast it (again; be careful, dont burn the spices). Add the tomato paste and crushed fried onions to this, cook for sometime, add a little water if it starts to dry out or burn. Finally whisk the yogurt and add to this. When this is done, add the chick peas, hot peppers and the chole masala. Mix well. Add enough water, to get the right consistency, and cook till the chick peas are nice and tender. (Since I use a pressure cooker, I bring it to one whistle and it cooks quickly).
I love eating this with Puris or steam rice.
Really really simple recipe for making lentils(daal), any kind of lentils (daal). Daal is usually eaten with rice in South East Asian countries; India, Pakistan, Bangladesh.
For some reason I messed up daal every single time I made it; sometimes too thick, sometimes too watery.Last time my mom was here, she taught me this super easy recipe.
We use green lentils, I think they are basically whole tuar daal with the cover (chilka).
Ingredients:
green lentils (1 small bowl)
spices: 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp dhania powder, 1/2 tsp haldi, 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1-2 green hot peppers (as per your taste)
1 tsp tomato paste,
1 handful fried onions,
1/2 tsp tamarind concentrate
salt
about 2 1/2 cup water and couple tbsp of oil for cooking
Method:
In a pressure cooker, steam the lentils with water ( I wait for 1 whistle, then turn the heat off). In a small pan, heat the oil, add the spices to it, let it roast for about a minute (watch out; don’t let it burn), then add the tomato paste, and the tamarind concentrate. Crush the fried onions and add to this. Let it cook for a couple minutes, till you see oil floating on the surface.
Add this to the cooked lentils. Add salt, get it to a quick boil. And voila, its done!
Serve hot with steamed rice.
p.s. Hi Nirmla, I hope you get a chance to try this one.
I hope people like this, I made it last night for our friends. Its a creamy white sauce, made with almonds or cashews, and it has mushroom and peas in it. It is an Indian recipe given by my friend Tehsin. It is very easy to make it, and it goes best with Tandoori Roti, or naans. But it also goes well with rice.
So here it is:
Ingredients:
Mushroom 8-10 oz chopped
Peas (frozen or fresh) 1 cup
3/4 cup cashews or almonds, soaked in water, and ground to a paste, or ground dry in a coffee grinder
spices: 3/4 tsp corriander (dhania) powder, 3/4 tsp cumin (jeera) powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala
1 hot green pepper/chilli
1 onion chopped
oil for cooking
1 tbsp sour cream
salt as per taste
Method:
In some oil, fry the onions till they are translucent. Add the spices, and cook for a few minutes. Now blend the onion and the cashew nut/almond mixture till you get a smooth paste.
Add the chopped mushrooms and the peas to the ground paste, and cook till oil separates out. Add salt.
Finally, when it is ready, stir in the sour cream.
Note: If the sauce gets too thick, add some milk while cooking.