Baked Mini Donuts

At last I have a PC that works ! And it feels so good to be using a big keyboard,the last time I tried to use my blog on my tab I ended up deleting all the comments instead of posting them.Thanks a lot for the comments ppl :) The football season is over and I really miss the excitement in the air. I'm a football fan,and honestly these days I think twice before I tell this:) .People in India seem to feel that being a football fan is something to do with staying abroad.And it's almost like you aren't patriotic if you aren't a fan of cricket :).Guess it's like the Shah Rukh Khan's dialogue in ' My name is Khan','I'm an Indian and I'm not a big fan of cricket' :). The last football world cup was very close to my heart,though most of my favourite football teams were out by the semi finals.I was in my last week of Pregnancy and every time I got excited with a goal ,hubby used to get tensed.I could see that he was scared that he might have to rush me to the hospital :) But this world cup was a real treat to watch.Most of my favourite teams made it to the last few rounds ,except for Ghana.The semi-finals where my two favourite teams Germany and Brazil were pitted again each other was something I'll never forget. I was almost close to tears with every goal that Germany scored against Brazil,well that was a match that will go down in history.The finals was a very exciting event which we got to watch along with a crowd in a big public viewing screen.We did have to get back home to watch the last extra time of the match as it was getting late and my daughter somehow managed to blow her football flute exactly when Argentina was playing well,getting us a few angry stares :p I simply love the German football team,which has nothing to do with me staying in Germany, and was happy to see them win.Guess I've ranted a lot already :)
 Coming to these Donuts,I love donuts but the frying part is a big problem with my persistent weight gain :) So when I found these cute donut pans I was more than happy to buy them,not to mention that it was on a discount sale.These are very cute and yummy and bake in not time.And they just melt in your mouth .I've just shared a basic version here and will soon be posting other versions too (hopefully:p)!



You'll need:
Makes about 15 small donuts
All purpose Flour - 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1/4 tsp
Nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/8 tsp
Egg - 1/2 a large one
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Whole Milk - a little less than 1/2 a cup
Sunflower oil - 1.5 tbsp
Vanilla essence - a few drops.
For the Glaze:
Whole Milk -  2 tbsp
Powdered Sugar - 3/4 cup
For a thicker Glaze use just 1 tbsp of Milk

Method:
-Preheat the oven to 350 F/ 175 C.
-In a bowl sift together the flour,baking powder,cinnamon,nutmeg and salt.
-In a big bowl whisk the egg and the sugar together,then add the milk,oil and essence.Whisk until the mixture is well combined.Add the flour mixture to this and mix only until there are no lumps.Be careful to not over beat.
-Grease the pan with a little oil or butter and fill each mould with 3/4 th of the batter.Bake for 7 to 10 minute,until a skewer or toothpick inserted in it comes out clean.
-Remove the pan from the oven and holding them above  a plate such that the backside of the pan faces you.Gently pat them two or three times and the donuts willf all out.If some of them remain sticking to the pan just loosen their edges with a toothpick and they will fall out.

If you love watching your cakes puff up,then watching these donuts puff up would be a real delight ..

For the Glazing:

-In a bowl whisk the milk and the sugar well.And when the donuts are still hot dip them in the glaze.You can add sprinkles on them and let them dry.They dry very quickly !

I had a helper who was very eager to help me with the sprinkles,well more than half of the sprinkles ended up in her mouth.:)

-I wanted a thin glaze so I added 2 tbsps of milk,for a thicker whiter Glaze add just a tbsp of milk.

-They are so cute and yummy that you'll find yourself reaching for more :)

Thanks for stopping by ! Have a nice day !

Verkadalai Kuzhi Paniyaram - Peanut Kuzhi Paniyaram

    I've been away for real long this time and here are my excuses :p We are just back from yet another trip to India our second one this year,a very hectic yet memorable trip.We were there for my sister's wedding and we had a real wonderful time.An Indian wedding in May can be one hell of an experience .And that too when you belong to the bride's side with the endless shopping and the scorching sun making you sweat profusely with your silk sarees and heavy jewelry :) And not to forget the beautifully decorated bridal car which somehow manages to get caught In every little traffic jam and red signal along the way to the Church.But thank God we managed to reach there on time,much to our own suprise.Hubby & I were an hour late for our very own wedding :)Luckily we had a wonderful Pastor who waited patiently for us then.Guess thast was a day I'll never forget:)

     After a real long time I got to taste traditional south Indian Christian wedding food,my all time favorite Biryani :p The food served at christian wedding varies from place to place in Tamiln adu.If u go down south to Thirunelveli or Nagercoil the menu consists of usually an elaborate vegetarian meal served on a banana leaf,with just an additional meat gravy.But in Chennai its usually the super yummy Biryani with the softest meat on earth.The menu does include a lot of other dishes but the Biryani simply steals the show :)

  I haven't posted in as long while and my blog looks so neglected.Thanks to all those kind souls who still keep visiting it.My best friend with whom I spend most of the time ,and who incidentally holds all my blog clicks is sick.Well if  you're wondering who it is,its my PC.I'm really stuck without my PC.And posting from my small tab was more difficult than I expected with the autocorrect really messing up each and every word I type. Honestly this tool really thinks that it can read our minds !

 Luckily I had a few posts in my drafts, posting them here to keep my blog going. I have a real lot to catch up with !Coming to the recipe,this a traditional south Indian tiffin with a little twist for those who love peanuts.

Makes about 10
You'll need:
Idli batter - 12 tbsp
Peanut powder. - 2 - 3 tbsp
Oil as needed
Tempering:
Oil - 2 tsp
Onion - 1/2 a medium one finely chopped
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Ginger grated - 1/2 tsp
Green Chilli chopped - 1 tsp
Coriander leaves (chopped)  - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves(chopped) - 1 tbsp
Salt as needed

Method:
-In a pan heat the oil and splutter all the tempering ingredients one after the other.After the onions turn soft add the tempering to the idli batter and mix well.
- Heat a paniyaram pan and fill all the molds with a little oil.Add about 1 tbsp of batter to each mold and let it cook.Drizzle a little  oil on top of each mold.
-Once you feel the underside is cooked, flip the paniyarams over and drizzle some more oil.When they are fully cooked on both sides,remove them from the pan.Repeat the same process for the left over batter.Done!Serve hot with Peanut Chutney!

Thanks for stopping by !Have a nice day!

Sending this to Gayathri's Cook Spot hosted by Cookingwithsapana: Walk Through Memory Lane 2014

Peanut Powder

This simple powder comes in very handy on days when you don't feel like preparing elaborate dishes.Just a spoonful of this powder with plain rice and a dollop of ghee can be real comforting.This definitely deserves a place in the kitchen next to its cousin 'paruppu podi' ;)

You'll need :
Peanuts(skinless) - 1and 1/4 cups
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Whole red chilli - 6 - 8
Sesame seeds - 2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - as needed

Method :
-In a pan on medium heat, add the peanuts and dry roast them until they are slightly browned.Remove them from the pan.
-Add the sesame seeds and dry roast until they are slightly browned .Remove them from the pan.
-Add a tsp of oil to the pan in low heat,add the whole red chillies and saute them until they puff up and turn crisp.Remove them from the pan.
-To the same pan add the coconut and saute until they are browned.
-To a blender add the whole red chillies and coconut and grind until they are coarsely powdered.Add the sesame seeds to the blender and pulse until they are powdered.Finally add the salt and peanuts and pulse slowly until the peanuts are just coarsely poweder.Be careful to not over grind as the whole mixture could become a paste.
-Transfer the contents to an airtight bottle.Done !

Thanks for stopping by !

Peanut Chutney

A simple creamy chutney that goes very well with idli and dosas.Yet another Quickie post !

You'll need:

Small onions - 5 - 8 (peeled and chopped )

Grated coconut - 2 - 3 tbsp

Peanuts (skinless) - 4 - 5 tbsp

Whole Red Chilli - 2

Oil - 1 - 2 tbsp

Tempering :

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - a sprig

Hing/Asafoetida - a pinch

Method :

-In a pan dry roast the peanuts.

-Heat a tsp of oil in the pan and when it heats up splutter the red chillies,then add the onions and saute until they just turn soft.Add the grated coconut and just saute for a few seconds.Switch off the stove.

-Transfer the contents of the pan and the peanuts to a blender and grind along with salt to a fine paste.Add water wThhile grinding, depending upon the desired consistency.

-In a pan heat oil and splutter the tempering ingredients.

-Transfer the tempering to the blender and pulse for a second.Done !

Thanks for a stopping by !
Sending this to Gayathri's Cook Spot hosted by Cookingwithsapana: Walk Through Memory Lane 2014

Vendakka Masala - Okra Masala

  Okra or Ladies Finger is one vegetable that we cook very often at home.This is one recipe that I prepare when we feel like having okra with Chapati.Okra has loads of health benefits.I still remember being told as a kid that Ladies finger is good for your brain and it helps you to be good at mathematics.I still don't understand logic behind Okra helping you with maths though :) But I really would be happy if it could help my brain with learning German.I've been here in Germany for more than 5 years now and I really wish to master the language,but I'm a real lousy student.I still manage to day dream during my German classes,something that I've been consistently doing from my school days :) The best part is my brain now sometimes get stuck with English words and comes up with an equivalent German word.I keep telling myself that It's because I'm getting older :) But then yesterday I happened to step into a Spanish language class by mistake and I noticed that almost half the students were people of the age group from 50 - 70.I was surprised as to how attentive and enthusiastic they appeared.I remember another memorable incident,before a month I happened to meet another old German lady at my language school.When I told her that I was from the southern part of India,she asked me if I was from Madras.When I said yes she asked me 'Vanakkam,eppadi irrukeenge ?'.I was really taken aback when she told me that she was doing a Tamil language course and she finds the script very interesting.Germany has a lot of immigrants from Sri Lanka and I guess that could explain the interest in Tamil.When I asked her what drives her to learn at this age,she smiled and simply answered that it makes her happy and keeps her gray cells alive :)Her attitude really touched me!
  Back to the recipe it's very simple and yumm ! This has been lying in my drafts from Christmas (as you can see from the pic:))..I hope I get to post more regularly and and clear my drafts soon :)

You'll Need:
Okra - 200 g
Onion - 1 big(chopped)
Tomato - 1 -2 big(pureed)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin Powder - 3/4 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Curd -3 - 4 tbsp
Kasoori Methi - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
oil -1 tbsp & 2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp(finely chopped)
salt as needed

Get,set,go:
-Clean the okras and pat them dry.Chop the crown and the rim.Cut them into 1" pieces.To a pan add one tbsp of oil and when it heats up add the chopped okra and salt as needed and saute on a low flame for 5 - 6 minutes until they are slightly crisp.Transfer the fried okra to another vessel.You can also deep fry the okra,it definitely enhances the taste.
-Add 2 tsp of oil to a pan and when it heats up add the onions and saute until they turn translucent.Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute until the mixture is well browned.
-Add the tomato puree and mix well.Add the turmeric powder,cumin powder,chopped coriander leaves,curd,coriander powder and chilli powder,salt and mix well.Cover and cook on a low flame for 5 -7 minutes.
-After 5 minutes when the mixture starts oozing oil,add about 1/2 a cup of water and mix well.
-Add the fried okra,Garam Masala Powder and Kasoori Methi powder and mix well.
-Let the mixture cook on a slow flame for another 5 - 7 minutes. Done !

Thanks for stopping by ! Have a nice day !

Anjappar Style Chicken Fry

'From the oven to the fridge',that's exactly how I feel.We are back from India's pleasant warmth to Germany's windy cold winter.And I've been catching one bug after the other,so couldn't spend time with my blog .Hope all of you are doing great :) This is one recipe that I came across in a magazine,the moment I saw the word 'Anjappar',I knew that I just had to try it.I simply love the non veg food at Anjappar.Honestly I don't even know if they offer veg dishes:)Well I haven't posted in a long time,so my brain is on the 'non-responsive' mode like the window browser,I can't get myself to write anything , So off to the recipe... ! 

Ingredients:

Chicken  - 200 g (boneless,cut into bite sized pieces)

Onion - 2 medium - big

Oil - 2 tbsp

Ghee -2 tbsp

Grated  ginger - 1 tsp

Grated garlic - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Cashew nuts - 5 -6 (broken into small pieces)

Green Chilli - 2

Whole Red Chilli - 1 - 2

Pepper Powder - 2 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Red Chilli powder - 2 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp

salt - as needed

Method:
-In a pan heat the oil,once it heats up splutter the Garlic,Ginger,Cashew nuts,Green chilli,Curry leaves,Whole Red chilli,Pepper powder,Fennel seeds and Cumin seeds one after the other and saute on a low flame.
-Then add the finely chopped onions and turmeric powder and saute until the onions are well browned.
-Add the Ghee and the chicken pieces and saute on a low flame.
-When it's half cooked add salt,Coriander powder,Red Chilli powder and Coriander leaves and mix well.Keep sauteing until the chicken is cooked and the gravy is well browned and dry.Done !

Thanks for stopping by ! Have a great day !

Nei Urundai - Moong Dal Laddoo

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year ! I know that I'm 20 days late,but better late than never:P This is a quickie post from Chennai,I would rather call it Madras.For those of us who love the city and its spirit it will always be Madras :)Little girl and I are happily lazing around here for a month now,filling our tummies with all kinds of good food.This is one place where I never log into the Internet, but I still don't feel cut off from the world.So off to one of the simplest yet tastiest sweets :)

You"ll Need:
Yellow Moong Dal - 1.5 cups
Powdered Sugar - 1 - 1.5 cups
Ghee - 1/4 cup
Cashew nuts (broken) - 2 tbsp
Whole Milk - 2 - 3 tbsp

Method:
-Dry roast the Moong dal on a low flame until it gives out a nice aroma.
-Grind it to a fine powder in a mixer. Sieve it to get a fine powder.
-Mix the moong dal powder and powdered sugar well.
-To a pan add the ghee and when it heats up add the cashew nuts and saute until it slightly changes in colour.
-Add the ghee and cashew mixture to the powder and when it's still warm shape them into small laddoos. If it's difficult to make ladoos or if the ladoos don't hold their shape sprinkle the milk little by little until you are able to make smooth ladoos.
-Store in air tight containers. Done !
Note:
-For a soft and smooth ladoo,grind the moong dal in a rice mill.

Thanks for stopping by ! Have a nice day !