INSTANT ITALIAN THIN-CRUST PIZZA Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Cakes and Bakes, Instant Dishes )

that too made from a scratch!, including the base, all ready in 15 minutes, what more can you ask for!, In my previous post about Instant Donuts I mentioned Instant gratification, this is again one of those recipes that gives me exactly the right dose of it and let me tell you I am very pleased with the results this recipe gives a perfect, crisp base and a delicious cheesy taste,but MAKE THIS RECIPE INTO A THIN CRUST BASE ONLY which is what I PREFER not a thick one, it is simply not designed for that and you will be disappointed., so no waiting hours for the dough to rise! Get ready to switch on the oven right now....

PIZZA-There is agreement that pizza may have been developed by peasants in Naples,Italy. This early pizza consisted of flattened bread dough with olive oil, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.NOW it is a Universal favorite.

Ingredients-

(makes 3 medium sized one's)

• Refined flour-1 cup
• Olive oil/butter- 2 tbsp.
• Salt-1/4 tsp.
• Sugar-1/4 tsp.
• Baking powder-1/2 tsp.
• Milk- 7-8 tbsp.or as required

For the Topping- use as per your requirement and liking

• Tomatoes
• Onions
• Capsicum
• Tomato ketchup
• Mushrooms
• olives
• pineapple
• sweet corn
• pepperoni/shredded chicken
• chicken/paneer tikka/chilli chicken bits
• Any kind of cheese(provolone/gorgonzola/ cheddar/mozzarella)
• Oregano/italian seasoning- as desired
• chilli flakes
• anything else you like

Method-

Pre-heat oven. Combine all the ingredients for the base together (except milk),slowly add milk to make into a soft ,pliable dough, divide into three balls, roll out thinly like a chapati, prick with a fork , bake for ten minutes.            

the rolled out pizza base

Take out the base, spread out about 2-3 tbsp. of ketchup first and then all the toppings (chopped up/sliced) that your heart desires sprinkle the oregano, or

for Pizza Margarita-use only  ketchup ,spread 1/2 cup grated cheese, sprinkle oregano and bake

.

                  grating the cheese

Bake for 20-25 minutes or till base is crisp and crunchy, and cheese is golden and bubbling.... bite in...YUM!                                                      Instant Italian thin-crust pizza

 

Good things in life-Flowers and Hot Pizza!

DEVILLED EGGS..with green chilli pickle Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks )

Enough to get you drooling right???, the mere mention of green chilli pickle does this to me specially the one's pickled in mustard seeds, yummy!, this is a cool cocktail snack with a zing, and is always a hit at all get-togethers! and to top it all it's as easy as ABC!

                                  fresh brown eggs

Ingredients-

• Eggs- 6 (hard boiled)
• Pork/chicken ham or salami- 1/3 cup, finely chopped
• cheddar cheese- 1/3 cup, grated
• mayonnaise- 1/3 cup
• pickled green chillies-2-3, (depending on how hot you want it).
• salt and black pepper to taste
• chopped cilantro/coriander for garnishing

Method-

Cut eggs into halves and remove yolks carefully, mash them up in a large bowl, add the rest of the ingredients, as well as the green chilli pickle, chopped fine ,do this very carefully, WARNING: DONT TOUCH YOUR EYES OR FACE AFTER CHOPPING THESE, PREFERABLY USE GLOVES, refill back into the egg whites, garnish with cilantro,and serve!, see I told you it was that easy!.

                           devilled eggs- ready to serve

ummm...SHAMMI KABABS (CRISP MINCEMEAT PATTIES) Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Chicken and Mutton )

After 9 days of fasting during Navratra's it's time to indulge...though the food that is eaten during that time does have a delicious charm of it's own, crisp potato tikkis, wafers and kuttu atta pakodas! No wonder the kilo's just keep piling up :)

Shammi kabab's are the hottest and most demanded snack/finger food in my house, these delicious mince meat patties, soft and meltingly tender on the inside and crisp on the outside are a sure shot hit at all parties.For these make sure that mincemeat from hind leg is used and is run through the mincing machine twice, for the outer coating I use fresh bread crumbs, that is fresh bread run in the coffee grinder to yield soft, sticky breadcrumbs. To make these you require-

• Mince meat-1/2 kg


• Horsegram lentils(chana dal)-1/2 cup


• Ginger -1 tbsp ground+1 tbsp chopped fresh


• Garlic-1/2 tbsp ground


• Green chillies-2 chopped fine


• Coriander- 1 bunch, chopped


• Onion-1 large, chopped finely


• Garam masala-1 tbsp


• Oil for shallow frying


• Bread slices-3

Place mincemeat, washed dal, ginger+garlic in a pressure cooker, add minimal water to let it cook through without burning, about 1/2-3/4 cup, give 5-6 whistles, and let pressure drop by itself.Now here comes in a bit of elbow grease, in a mortar and pestle, pound parts of the cooled mincemeat mixture till smooth, transfer to a large bowl, you can add 1 egg if you feel that it is too firm.Add ground ginger, chillies,coriander, onion, garam masala and salt to taste and mix well, I add all of these to the mixture together whereas my grandma used to stuff each kabab individually, whew! beats me, you can do it if you are inclined to however!, Prepare the crumbs by running bread through the grinder, shape mixture into patties, coat with crumbs and shallow fry in a non stick pan.drain on paper towel before serving.

I normally shape and bread the patties and store them for upto 3-4 days, fry and serve as needed, great as a filling for sandwiches, burgers, pita bread too. I am sure they freeze well too, serve hot with green coriander chutney and tomato ketchup.ummm...

SPICY TOMATO RASAM (CHARU) Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Dry veg.and Side Dishes, Pickles and Chutneys )

Have been looking for a recipe to send over to Asha of Foodieshope (RCI-Karnataka) for at least the past week, but my search did not turn up any results, being North Indian ,here I was treading unknown territory!....but to think about it was I really???

I can rustle up several  South Indian dishes ...and thinking about it ,Rasam is one of those, it is my comfort food..... in a class of it's own, my panacea, can't get enough of it, all in all singularly spectacular! Hope it fits the bill Asha!

Ingredients-

• Tomatoes- 3 large, sliced
• Onion- 1 medium sized, sliced
• Green chillies- 2 chopped
• Tamarind- lemon sized ball ,soaked and strained
• Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp.
• curry leaves- 5-6
• asafetida(hing)- a pinch
• top water of red-gram dal- as required
• refined oil- 1 tbsp.
• Black pepper and salt to taste
• pinch of sugar

                              ingredients for the rasam

Method-

Heat oil, add mustard seeds and curry leaves and let sputter, add tomatoes and onions, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients , simmer for another 10-15 mins. ,the Rasam is ready, serve with rice.

                                   the ready tomato rasam

Over to Asha now-

 http://foodieshope.blogspot.com/2007/08/rci-karnataka-announcing-early-benne.html

SUMPTUOUS CHEESE LOG Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks )

Another super-fabulous recipe from my mother's kitty!... and while your guest's fawn all over over it , you can prettily say-"Oh that!, that was no trouble at all!.This is one of those snacks that is effortless but looks and tastes like a professional put it together!

                                                     cheese log with salted biscuits on the side

Ingredients-

• fresh cottage cheese(paneer)-250 gms
• cheddar cheese-1/4 cup(grated)
• onion- 1 medium sized finely chopped
• green chilli- 1 sliced fine
• fresh ginger- 2' piece(finely chopped)
• roasted zeera(roasted cumin seeds)-1 tsp. coarsely powdered
• juice of half a lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh coriander(cilantro/parsley)leaves- finely chopped

Method-

Grate the cottage cheese or crumble with your hand, knead it till you get a kind of soft pliable dough, add all the rest of the ingredients except for coriander leaves and season with salt and pepper.

 

the mashed-up cottage & cheddar cheese

Take the dough into your hands and shape into a cylinderical  log ,this will be pretty easy to do (refer to first pic ),take a large piece of home foil and spread out the coriander leaves on it,make sure they are dry, moving quickly and carefully roll the log in the coriander leaves till all sides are fully coated, wrap the foil around it retaining the same basic log shape ,i.e roll it up in the foil, twist the sides of foil to seal and chill in the refrigerator for an hour at least.

              

           juicy-chopped coriander

TO SERVE-

This is the interesting part, roll open the foil ,you will get a perfectly shaped cylinderical shaped log covered with coriander leaves, place on a serving tray, add fresh salted /monaco biscuits /cheese-crackers /canapes /saltines  to the side and place a knife, guests cut out a roundel from the log place it over the biscuit and eat!

The best part about this snack is

• It's a no fuss dish, guest's help themselves so you don't have to worry about serving.
• Can be made hours ahead, no last minute panic.
• The taste of bhuna(roasted) zeera literally shines through
• people wonder how the log was made with all the ingredients inside it,since it solidifies totally into a compact cylinder shape
• Tastes wonderfully refreshing with drinks
• A totally perfect snack for vegetarians

 

a variety of crackers can be used

SIMPLY SAMBAR~VADA Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Breakfast and Brunch, Dals/Gravies and Curries, Dry veg.and Side Dishes )

South Indian aromas fill the whole house, a whiff of curry leaves here and a speck of sambar masala on the finger...lovely Sunday brunch, leaves everyone satiated for sure, here's how you can make it too...for a different flavor and much easy digestibility I chose mung dal over urad dal for these vadas.

• Mung dhuli dal-1 cup


• Ginger (fresh)-1 inch piece


• Asafoetida- a pinch


• Green chillies-1


• Salt to taste


• Refined oil for deep frying

Soak dal overnight and in the morning it should look like this- isn't it beautiful??

Add the rest of the ingredients with salt and minimal water grind to a thick paste in a coffee blender,

shape into round balls, flatten with wet palms and deep fry carefully Serve dipped in Tangy lemoney sambar...yummmmm

OPEN-FACED SANDWICHES Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Breakfast and Brunch )

open-faced sandwiches

No Tea party would be complete without them - yes! i am talking about those refreshing cucumber - tomato sandwiches , one of nature's summer gift to us ,they are quick, easy and delicious! Here I am making them open- faced just to show off those gorgeous colours because we eat with our eyes first! right!

Another thing i have discovered is that with raw tomatoes i just tend to eat around them so here I have cooked them a bit- makes a world of difference.

ingredients for open-faced sandwiches

Ingredients- serves eight

• Bread slices-8 (preferably sandwich bread)
• Butter - as per requirement
• Cheese spread- as per requirement
• Cucumber - 1 large
• Tomato - 2 large
• Black pepper - acc. to taste

Method -

Slice the cucumber into thin slices with a potato-slicer (that's the easy bit but looks so professional) , slice tomatoes into slightly thicker slices . Butter bread well on one side and spread cheese -spread , now its really important that you spread both things right to the edges so that there are no dry bits. Next cook tomato slices on a griddle just for a minute , keep aside.

Arrange cucumber and tomato slices in a decorative pattern ,let your imagination rule! Sprinkle black pepper and voila! sandwiches are ready, serve with chilled iced-tea ,beat the heat!

RICOTTA CILANTRO CHILLI DIP...PURE' DESI TASTE Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Sauces/Dips and Spreads )

Yesterday I came across some lovely Himalayan organic ricotta, made locally, otherwise good cheese is difficult to come by in most parts of India except for Delhi I think where you can get a good variety of local as well as imported cheese.The first thing that came into mind was to make a simple,refreshing summer dip, which we munched piled high on to with crackers, veggies and good ole' potato crisps...

• Ricotta cheese- 200 gms


• Onion-1 medium chopped fine


• Green chillies- 2 deseeded and sliced


• Cilantro- a handful, chopped


• Fresh, tender ginger- 1 tbsp ,chopped fine


• Salt and black pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients well in a large bowl, garnish with more cilantro, serve.Taste the dip you will feel an explosion of all the lovely fresh flavors in your mouth..totally Indian, totally desi, totally us!

CHEESE AND ONION QUICHE Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Breakfast and Brunch, Cakes and Bakes )

What is a Quiche??...an open pastry case, filled with a mixture of eggs, cream and other savoury (= not sweet) foods, which is baked and eaten hot or cold

pronounced as -/kēSH/

This delicious flaky pastry shell filled creamy savoury treat is a perfect accompaniment to your evening Tea or Coffee.

Ingredients-

for the pastry  shell-

•  Plain flour-175 gms


• Salted butter-80 g


• Chilled water- a couple of tbsp.

For the filling-

• Milk-200 ml


• Butter-1 tbsp


• Onion-1 medium chopped


• Heavy Cream-2 tbsp


• Eggs-2


• Cheese-1/2 cup grated


• English mustard-1/2 tsp


• Salt and black pepper to taste

For the pastry shell-

• Sieve flour in a large bowl.


• Rub in the butter till the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.


• Add chilled water, a tbsp at a time till the whole thing comes together as a stiff dough.

• Wrap in cling film and chill for 15 minutes.

• Gently unwrap and roll out pastry, grease and flour one large tart pan or 4 individual pans.

• Fit out the pastry and trim edges, return to chill for another 15 minutes.


• In the meantime preheat oven at 200 C, bake  the cases for 15 minutes and take out.

For the filling-

• 
  Heat butter gently, and  add onions, let sweat.Turn off heat when pink.


• Add the rest of the ingredients to the cooled onions, reserving only a little egg white.


• Brush pastry cases with the reserved egg white to seal in and prevent pastry from turning soggy.

• Gently spoon in the filling in to the shells and bake for 20-30 minutes till filling is set.


• Serve warm.

SOME MEAN LEMON RICE (CHITRANNAM)! Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Breakfast and Brunch, Rice/Rotis/Noodles and Breads )

Have you noticed the spicy NEW Indian look of "In love with food"??, thought of whipping up something that India holds dear to the heart, and guess came to mind?...yes! some Lemon rice or Chitrannam, sour, hot and real good.Husband takes a bite and fondly says, "Wow! That's some mean lemon rice!".

 To make this you require-(recipe from here)

• 4 cups of freshly cooked rice.
• 2 to 3 juicy lemons 
• 6 to 8 green chillies,deseeded and slit
• 1/4 cup Chana dal (soak for an hour)
• 2 tbsp Urad dal
• 1 teaspoon each salt and turmeric
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 12- 15 fresh curry leaves. 
• Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
• 1 medium boiled potato

Method-

1. Heat ghee in a pan and add the cumin, mustard and curry leaves, fry till sizzling.
2. Add chana and urad dal as well as the potato and green chillies and cook till crisp and brown.
3. Now add haldi and salt and cook for a few more minutes.,tip in the rice and give a good stir  lastly squeeze lemon juice on top and serve hot.

TIPS-

• I prefer Basmati rice and cook it till just done, not mushy.The way to do this is to take rice in a large vessel and add plenty of water to it.Cook on medium flame for 15-20 minutes adding more water to keep rice submerged.Taste a grain or two for doneness.Drain well and leave on slow flame again to dry out any remaining moisture.You will get perfect rice like in a pulao.
• Be careful while handling chillies.Been there, done that!, wear gloves.I find the amount of chillies little high for my preference so deseed them accordingly.
• I use boiled/raw potato both depending upon what I have at hand, so can you.
• Don't skip the curry leaves, they are very important.
• To get this shape of rice press down hot rice in a bowl or katori with the back of a spoon, put a plate on top on which you would be serving and turn upside down, Voila!, you have the desired shape.Garnish with curry leaves and serve.
• Cashewnuts and peanuts are also fried till golden and added for extra flavour.
• The accompaniment of choice for Chitrannam is yogurt since it cools the palate, given that the rice is hot, spicy and tangy.

SPICY CHICKPEA SALAD ON DIET~DAY 3 Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, My Diet Logs, Soups and Salads )

Day 3 and the cravings hit hard today, I don't know whether it was because I was thinking about it or because my body was missing all the sugar it was so used to? :), I wanted something "chatpata", so I made this spicy salad-but I am STILL CRAVING CHOCOLATE!..

• Boiled Chickpeas-1 cup


• Onion- 1 large finely chopped


• Tomato- 1 large chopped


• Green chillies-2 chopped, deseeded


• Tamarind pulp- 1 tbsp


• Lemon juice-2 tbsp


• Salt and red chilli pwdr- acc. to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss well, mashing the chana's a little too, season acc. to taste, serve with kulchas if desired.I had just the chana salad.

This recipe triggers back memories of College days in Punjab University, where we used to eat these everyday off the roadside vendor with a huge brass vessel atop his bicycle,a very common sight in North India and a boon for the students who could, at times afford only this- Chana and two kulchas for Rs.5/- :)

Well coming to DAY 3, this is what I had today-

• Early Morning-Tea-1 cup sweetened with Sugar free Natura+handful of besan bhujia


• Breakfast- Buttermilk- 1 glass with sweetener and 1 tsp Protinex powder +1 Besan and soya chapati with bittergourd vegetable


• Lunch-2 Besan soya chapatis +bittergourd veggie


• Evening-1 large bowl Spicy Chickpea salad(recipe above)+ 1 glass Cucumber and spinach juice


• Dinner-Rajma-1 katori+1 egg cooked in non-stick pan


• Exercise- half an hour walk

CHEESY ITALIAN PASTA/MACARONI Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Breakfast and Brunch, Rice/Rotis/Noodles and Breads )

We enjoy macaroni a lot particularly with crisp toasted garlic bread, it's easy and healthy too provided you use wholewheat/ hardwheat semolina pasta/macaroni.Here I have purposefully avoided adding any cream based sauces in an attempt to make it healthy and possibly low-cal.The addition of tomatoes makes this pasta tangy and delicious not to mention upping the VIT.C, VIT.A AND LYCOPENE content,The inclusion of cheese is not that much and can easily be substituted with paneer/tofu if you are watcing your weight or for any other health reasons.

• Hardwheat semolina macaroni/pasta of choice-1 cup (boiled with salt and 1/2 tsp oil)


• Tomatoes-3 large


• Onion-1 small, diced


• Oregano-1/2 tsp


• Sugar-1/2 tsp


• Vinegar-1/2 tsp


• Freshly ground black pepper-1/4 tsp


• Olive oil-2 tbsp


• Cheese-acc. to preference

Boil tomatoes and onion till mushy and soft, let cool and puree in a blender.Heat olive oil, add the tomato puree and cook till it is a thick paste, add the oregano, sugar, vinegar, seasoning and lastly tip in the boiled macaroni cook for another five minutes, add the diced cubes of cheese and serve, the heat from the pasta will partially melt the cheese cubes, you can add fresh basil/veggies of choice too if desired.Serve piping hot.

PROTEIN PACKED SNACK~OATS CHEELA! Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks )

You all must be wondering that besan cheela/poora is what everyone is familiar with but Oats cheela, unheard of na??Well this recipe was born when I got sick of having oats with milk,I am sure you also must have felt that way :). I wanted to incorporate this cholesterol lowering high-fibre food into my daily diet so I came up with this lovely crispy snack that is great anytime and really healthy, try it!!...

• Quaker Instant oats-1/2 cup (grind to a powder in the mixie)


• Gram flour (besan)-2 tablespoons


• Curd-1 tbsp


• Green chillies-2 finely chopped


• Sesame seeds- to sprinkle over


• Curry leaves-a handful finely chopped


• Cottage cheese(crumbled)-1/2 cup

In a large bowl combine all the above ingredients and add water little by little, stirring all the time so that no lumps are formed and it turns into a smooth dosa-like batter, season with salt.Now heat a non-stick pan and smear with very little oil, spread out the prepared mixture like a pancake or dosa, let cook till coloured on both sides, sprinkle some sesame seeds and cottage cheese and fold over, serve hot with ketchup.Perfect for a rainy day! so this healthy snack is off to Shanthi for her event-Lovely Winter Recipes

TENDER GRILLED CHICKEN PITA POCKETS WITH HUMMUS AND GREEN BEANS Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Breakfast and Brunch, Chicken and Mutton, Low Cal recipes )

Lebanese style recipe- Pita bread with tender, juicy chunks of Chicken, makes for a complete meal and it is healthy to boot! Most of the prep work can be done a day ahead, then all it takes is last minute assembling and you have dinner on the table in minutes.

Ingredients-

• Pita bread- 4 (sliced in half to make 8 pita ‘pockets’)
• Boneless chicken- 500 gms (cut up into bite sized pieces)
• Ginger +garlic paste (fresh)- 1 tbsp
• Fresh yogurt- 1 cup
• Fresh French beans- 250 gms ( top and tail)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Grated cheese, sliced onions, tomatoes and lettuce- acc. to requirement
• For the Hummus-
• Boiled chickpeas-1 cup
• Lemon juice- 2 tbsp
• Garlic- 2 plump cloves (minced)
• Tahini- 1 tbsp
• Olive oil- 2 tbsp

Method-

In a large bowl combine the yogurt and ginger-garlic paste, toss in the Chicken pieces, add salt and pepper and mix to coat evenly.Leave for at least 2 hours.

Pre heat griller and grill the chicken pieces for 20 minutes or till golden, keep warm.

Boil or steam the green beans, sprinkle salt and pepper and keep warm.

For the Hummus-

Combine the Chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic and tahini and blend in a blender, add salt to taste.Dish out in a serving bowl, drizzle olive oil on top.

To assemble and serve-

Lightly roast pita and fill pockets with the tender chicken, lettuce and onions, top with grated cheese and grill for a further 10 minutes till cheese is golden and bubbling.

Serve with the warm beans and Hummus.Enjoy!

RIDICULOUSLY EASY CHEESY PASTA Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Breakfast and Brunch, Dry veg.and Side Dishes )

Don't we all love easy, quick dinners?? I sure do, this is one such pasta recipe which is ready from scratch to the table very quickly!.. and is nutritious to boot...

To make this ridiculously easy pasta you need-

Ingredients-

• Pasta of choice (I used tubes)-2 cups boiled till tender but not mushy, if you are a first timer, follow instructions here
• Frozen mixed chopped veggies of choice(carrots, beans, broccoli, cauliflower)-1 cup (u can use fresh too)
• Fat free/reduced fat mayonnaise-1/2 cup
• Ready tomato puree-1/2 cup
• Oregano-1/2 tsp
• Garlic- minced-1/2 tsp
• Sugar-1 tsp
• Onion- 1 small diced
• Olive oil- 1 tbsp
• Grated cheese- 2-3 tbsp 
• Salt and black pepper

Method-

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, saute garlic and onion for a minute till fragrant.
2. Add the tomato puree and fry till oil leaves sides of pan.
3. Microwave the mixed veggies on high for 5 minutes till tender, or simmer in open pan till tender but still crunchy even upto 1 day before.
4. Add the sugar and oregano to the tomato puree and mix well.
5. Now add in the vegetables, the pasta and mayo along with salt and pepper, combine thoroughly and cook till heated through
6. Sprinkle grated cheese (I skimped on the cheese but really you should not) on top and serve with toasted garlic bread.

CHEESY, MELTY CAPSICUM TOMATO PIZZA from a scratch! Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Breakfast and Brunch, Cakes and Bakes )

I am always amazed and awed when baking with yeast, I think it is the most satisfying of all my baking experiences.The aroma of fresh pizza baking in the oven is unparalleled and makes everyone's tummy growl.You can only imagine how difficult it was to keep the wolves at bay while I clicked photographs :)
Baking the pizza base is so easy and effortless and the results are delightful, crisp on the outside yet tender bread inside, the toppings can be altered according to preference.
makes 3 large pizzas
for the pizza base-

• Flour-315 gms
• Fresh yeast-2 teaspoons
• Warm water-180 ml
• Salt-1 teaspoon
• Olive oil-2 tbsp
• Sugar-1 tsp

for the topping-

• Sliced tomatoes-2
• Sliced capsicum-2
• Sliced onion- 1 large
• Oregano
• Tomato ketchup
• Pizza cheese

1. Method-Sieve flour in a large bowl, add oil and salt.In another bowl pour in warm water, add sugar and yeast , leave for a few minutes, knead a dough with this warm water, yeast mixture till a smooth, silky result is achieved.
2. Leave in an oiled bowl covered with cling film for an hour.
3. To assemble- roll out dough into discs and leave on baking tray or half an hour, bake this base for 15-20 minutes till just beginning to colour, remove and spread ketchup as well as other toppings as desired, top with grated cheese and oregano, bake in a hot oven till cheese has melted and sides of the pizza are golden.Enjoy!

CELEBRATING MY 200th POST WITH TENDER BUTTERMILK SCONES! Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Biscuits and Cookies, Breakfast and Brunch, Cakes and Bakes )

"I am happy and grateful that this is my 200th post and I hope to continue to post more in the coming days, months and years...I will not say that I never knew where time flies, I felt every moment of it, yes, everytime I cooked, baked, fried, everytime I created a setting for the perfect photo and everytime I sat down to write a post, I felt every minute of it...that is why there is so much of me all over these pages..."
Scones are an integral and traditional part of an English Tea though they are of Scottish origin, these tender, buttery bite-sized treats are delicious with clotted cream and jam.Buttermilk scones are salty and can be enjoyed split and simply buttered, with cream cheese spread, with jam or even on their own, dunked in a cup of sweet Tea.
The recipe below is from my favorite book-Complete baking by Martha Day
To make these you require-
makes 15
Ingredients-

• Plain flour-200gms
• Salt-1 teaspoon
• Baking powder-1 teaspoon
• Bicarbonate of Soda-1/2 tsp
• Cold butter-4 tablespoon
• Buttermilk-175ml

Method-

1. Preheat oven to 220C.Grease a baking sheet.
2. Sift the dry ingredients into a bowl.Rub in the butter with your fingertips till it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
3. Gradually pour in buttermilk, stirring with a fork to form a soft dough.
4. Roll out doug to 1/2 inch thickness and stamp out rounds with a 2-inch biscuit cutter.
5. Place on prepared baking sheet and bakeuntil golden, 12-15 minutes.Serve warm or at room temp.

I ate three of these in one go, one fresh out of the oven, soft and meltingly tender, on it's own, the second warm and slathered with butter, mmm... and the third buttered and spread thickly with marmalade...delicious!

GUJARATI NAMKEEN-in under 5 minutes! Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks )

My ma-in-law comes from Gujarat and has a knack for dishing out particularly delicious snacks, she is a pro at making dhokla, patra, khandvi et all, will be posting recipes of all that yummy stuff soon, in the meantime you can try out this crispy, crunchy, addictive, ready in a snap namkeen, to be enjoyed over tea/coffee or when unexpected guests arrive or as a light snack on it's own.This namkeen is ready in 5 minutes provided you have all the ingredients at hand, and I am sure these ingredients are already sitting in your pantry begging to be made into this gorgeous, simple snack,... so get moving!!For this you require-

INGREDIENTS-

• Raw peanuts-2 tbsp


• Readymade poppadums-2, roasted


• Curry leaves- a handful


• Green chillies-2, chopped fine


• Puffed rice-2 cups


• Salt to taste


• Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp


• Sugar-1/2 tsp powdered


• Citric acid- a pinch


• Oil-2 tbsp

Method-Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy bottom pan, add the curry leaves and green chilli, tip in the peanuts, fry for a minute next add the turmeric and cook for 30 sec add puffed rice, stirring well.Add the rest of the seasoning and mix well, cook for a minute more, in the end crush the readymade roasted papads and mix in, your namkeen is ready to serve!You can take it a notch higher and serve with chopped onions, tomatoes ,cilantro and a twist of lime.

Celebrating my 100th post with MOM'S SPECIAL MUTTON PICKLE Filed under ( Appetizers and Snacks, Chicken and Mutton, Dry veg.and Side Dishes, Pickles and Chutneys )

I am so happy today, this is my 100th post, and what a ride it has been but I think I am happiest cooking and then blogging about it, really!

This pickle is one of my mom's signature dishes, (did I tell you she used to take cooking classes), it is a classic and is soooo delicious, anyone who tastes it once always keeps asking for more, it is Gagan's absolute favorite too and wins hands down over any other non-veg dish.

The pickle is spicy, sour and has a touch of Goan vindaloo style to it I think, it is full of flavor and is very good with paranthas and rice as well as on its own, it is actually my mom's secret recipe and it took a huge amount of coaxing and cajoling to get it out of her!

INGREDIENTS-

• Boneless mutton-1 kg


• Garlic-3 and a 1/2 whole heads peeled and ground to a paste


• Mustard oil-1 cup


• Red chillies whole-5


• Black cardamom-5


• Cinnamon sticks-3


• Cloves-7


• Cumin seeds-2 tbsp+1 tsp


• Cayenne pepper(deggi mirch)-1 tbsp


• Vinegar-1/2 to 3/4 cup


• Salt to taste

Method-

With a sharp knife chop boneless mutton into bite size pieces, DO not wash the mutton, dry roast and grind all the dry masalas together except for red chillies, marinate mutton pieces in about half head of garlic and 1 tsp dry masala, leave for an hour.Now after an hour, heat oil in a pressure cooker add the cumin seeds and let crackle, next add the garlic paste, marinated mutton and all the rest of the ingredients except vinegar, dry roast the mutton for 5 minutes then close lid and give 4-5 whistles, let pressure drop by itself, DO not add any water.Open the lid and on medium flame dry roast the mutton, stirring all the time and adding vinegar little by little, till oil leaves sides of pan , add salt, keep frying till totally dry.

This pickle can be transferred to a clean container and will keep stored in the refrigerator for several weeks,IF it lasts that long!