Pancakes

                                                                   
What better way to start the day, right? :D I rarely wake up before 10 but on the days I manage to, I like to start my day with something nice. Pancakes are probably the most easiest thing to make but I posted this recipe  anyway.Even if you never made pancakes ever in your life I guarantee this is easy and does not require any technique... all you have to do is mix, pour and flip!

Stuff you need
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 cup milk (or a little bit more if the batter is too tight)
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tablespoon of sugar (or more if you like it more sweet but this does turn out little sweet)
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbs melted butter
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1. In a large bowl, mix in flour, sugar, salt, baking powder. Mix it a little and then add vanilla essence, melted butter, milk and egg which is beaten.
2. Gently fold it in (and not wrestle and beat the life out of it because that would just make the whole thing dense and too heavy and your pancakes won't be fluffy) until the batter is smooth.
3. On a medium to low flame,heat your non stick pan and very lightly grease it with a little bit of butter, just so that nothing sticks later on.
4.Once the pan is hot, use a ladle to pour the batter. If you hear a faint sizzle, then you know it's right. wait for a minute or two until bubbles start forming on the surface. ( the first two pancakes usually turn out a bit too pale)

5. Once you see the bubbles flip the pancake onto the other side and wait for half a minute or so until its golden brown.

If you are the kind that likes to have pancakes with maple syrup or honey, then its better you reduce the amount of sugar in the batter and increase the salt a little bit more. I love having pancakes with strawberries or cherry jam so I prefer them to be slightly sweet.
Try it and let me know how it turned out. 

Valentine Treat - Chocolate Pudding

                                                 
I am not a 'valentines day' kind of person but since love seems to be in the air today, I thought of posting a sweet delight. Hope you guys like it.

Goodies you need
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 tbs cornstarch
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
2 1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup nestle fresh cream +5-6 tbs more
5 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbs butter, cubed
1/4 tsp coffee powder dissolved in 1/3 cup water
Chocolates shavings
7 tbs of good cherry jam or cherry filling ( you can use the jam or filling of any other fruit such as strawberry, raspberry, blueberry)

1. Mix sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl. Then add 1/2 cup of milk and mix till the batter is smooth and thick after which add the egg yolks and mix until its smooth. Add the coffee mixture in.
2. In a separate pan, mix the remaining of the milk and 1/2 cup cream and bring this to a boil.
3.Pour the hot milk very slowly into the cocoa batter, while whisking the batter constantly.[ It's a bad idea to add all the milk at once because that would increase the risk of scorching the eggs in the batter and you may end up with chocolaty scrambled eggs. <gross>] At this point taste the batter and check if you are happy with the level of sugar in it.
4.In a heavy bottom non stick pan, heat this on a medium flame stirring it every now and then (I prefer using a whisk to do this). The mixture would start to thickening after 3 to 4 minutes. Keep stirring until the mixture becomes thick to the consistency of mayonnaise. To check if you got the consistency right, dip a metal table spoon into the mixture and run your finger along the back of the spoon. If the line you just made remains in place even after tilting your spoon, then you know it's done. If not, then wait till it thickens some more.

5. Turn off the flame and add the butter and vanilla essence and stir. Keep it aside for 15 minutes till it cools down slightly.
6. Now the fun part... :D Pour this into cute little shot glasses or bowls of your choice and keep it in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes. A
7. Now that the pudding has cooled down, add the cherry jam or filling on top and then add the remaining of the fresh cream on top of the jam.

8.Sprinkle the chocolate shavings and put it back in the fridge and wait for at least 4 to 5 hours.

And.. TADAAAAAAAAA...  CHOCOLATE PUDDING!
Oh.. oh.. the most important step....
9. Take a spoon and dive into it!
And while you're at it, smack some on your sweetheart's face! ;)
enjoy and Happy Valentine's Day!

Do leave your comments and queries and don;t forget to subscribe! :D

Tawa Pulao

                                                       
If you are sick of having plain rice then give this a try. It is easy to make and tastes wonderful. Tawa pulao is actually a street food in India. I saw this on TV and was so tempted to try it. I came across many versions of this. Over time I changed a thing or two to suite my taste. So guys, here is my version of Tawa Pulao. Hope you like it. :)


Goodies You Need
2 1/2 cups Boiled Rice (Basmati rice works well)
2-3 tbs Oil
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Pav Bhaji Masala
1/2 tsp Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Ginger paste
1 large Onion finely chopped
1 Capsicum finely chopped
1 Tomato finely shopped
2 Green chilies chopped
1 1/2 tbs Lemon juice
1/2 cup Green peas boiled and mashed
1 Carrot boiled and diced (optional)
Fresh coriander leaves chopped
Salt according to taste

Lets roll!
1. Heat oil in a deep non stick frying pan and add the cumin seeds till it sputters and becomes brown.
2.Add the chopped onions and fry for a few minutes till it is slightly brown.
3.Now add ginger and garlic paste, capsicum, tomatoes & green chilies and saute for a few minutes until the tomatoes becomes soft.

4.Add mashed green peas, carrots, pav bhaji masala, paprika and a little bit of water (4-5 tbs) and mix it. 5.Cook this for a few minutes until some of the water has evaporated.
6. Mix in the rice, lemon juice, coriander leaves and salt and on a high flame fry it for 2 minutes. (You may add a little bit oil at this point.)
7.Garnish with a little bit of chopped onions and coriander leaves.
And enjoy!

Note: You may add more vegetables if you like. Sometimes I like to add pieces of boneless chicken,corn and cooked kidney beans as well and it tastes awesome.
If you are not into spicy food, then this is probably not something you might want to try.

Go ahead and try your own variation. Leave you comments and subscribe to my blog. :D