Imarti

                                              

Imarti or Amriti or Emarti or Omriti also known as Jaangiri or Jhangri in south India, is a dessert invented in Mughal kitchen & is now popular across the Indian Subcontinent including Rajasthan, West Bengal & South India.
In North India it is often consumed with rabri (condensed milk). In South India, this sweet is served after a meal and also popular at weddings and festivals.
So what are you waiting for? Make this for Bhaidooj & enjoy it with your brother 

Ingredients
For Batter
1 cup Split black gram skinless (dhuli urad dal)
2 tbsp Rice flour or 1/4 cup Rice
6 to 8 drops Edible orange colour
Oil to deep fry

Sugar Syrup
5 cups Sugar
2 1/2 cups water
6 drops Rose essence
1 tsp Green cardamom powder
2 tbsp milk

Method
For Batter
Soak overnight dal & rice together.
Drain & grind in morning with the colour to a soft, spongy mixture with a coarse texture.
If using rice powder then add it to dal mixture & mix well.
You would need water to grind but make sure to add little by little as the batter should not become too thin.

For Sugar Syrup
Boil sugar with water till a syrup of single-thread consistency is reached. Add milk & remove scum to make a clear sugar syrup. Remove from heat & strain the syrup.
Add rose essence & green cardamom powder. Keep the syrup hot.

How to Proceed
Heat sufficient oil in a shallow flat kadai.
Beat the batter till it's light & fluffy. Now check it by dropping a drop in a bowl of water, if it floats then batter is ready otherwise you have to beat it more.
Take one ladle full of batter in the imarti cloth or zip lock bag (refer Tips), hold tightly & press the batter through the hole into the hot oil.
For the traditional design, make a small circle around which make another circle & over these two make scallops in anti-clockwise direction ending at the starting point.
Make small batches & deep fry on both the sides till crisp & light golden brown. Drain the hot imarti & dip into the sugar syrup.
Let them remain immersed just for 2 minutes & drain them. Repeat this process till all the batter is used up. Serve hot.

Tips
* Imarti is best made immediately after grinding but you can always grind & refrigerate it. Just make sure to beat it well before using.
* Imarti cloth as suggested in this recipe is a special thick canvas cloth with a round buttonhole in the center.
* For Zip Lock Bag-
Take a zip lock bag & a nail. Heat nail & insert hot nail lightly in the centre of zip lock bag. You will get a hole that would be sealed on sides & when you make imartis, it will not tear.
* Do not over soak imartis in sugar syrup or they will not remain crisp & will become soggy.

Oats Cookies with Almonds & Chocolate Chunks

                                              

 A friend brought some cookies for me & kids just loved them. So I started searching for a perfect recipe to bake some cookies myself. After trying with one batch with not so perfect result, I finally got this one which everyone liked :)

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp milk

1 cup oats

1/2 cup whole wheat 

1/2 cup plain flour

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup chocolate chunks

1/2 cup roasted almonds

 

Method

In a large bowl put in the butter, sugar, vanilla & milk.

Beat until smooth and creamy.

In another bowl, assemble all the dry ingredients, the oats, flour, cinnamon powder & baking powder and mix well.

Add chocolate chunks & roasted almonds.

Mix in the dry ingredients into the butter mixture & knead until the cookie dough comes together.

Add little more milk if you feel the need.

Preheat the oven at 175 C.

Divide the mixture into 20 equal parts & form into round balls & press to give cookie shape.

Place on a greased or non stick cookie tray at a little distance from each other.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes for a chewy cookie and 25 to 30 minutes for crisp cookies (Till slightly golden).

Tips

* Flip cookies after half time to avoid over browning of cookies from bottom.

* I used salted butter, if you are using unsalted butter then add a pinch of salt with flour.

* You can use 1 cup whole wheat & omit plain flour, but the cookies will be denser.

* Can make these without nuts & chocolate or you can replace almonds with cashew or walnuts or raisins.

* You can use 1/2 tsp baking soda in place of baking powder.

* Do not take less butter as it is needed for binding the flour.

* Do not over bake as it will alter the taste.

Chocolaty Peach Cheesecake

                            

I mostly avoid using canned fruits but someone gifted me two cans of peaches & I don't like to waste anything so used one of them up in my "mix n match" recipe (took help from my other recipes & few blogs to come up with this version). Result was good, it looked great & tasted yummy. Best is it's an easy recipe.

Ingredients 

For Biscuit Crust

5 Digestive Biscuits

5 Oreo cookies

1 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp sugar syrup (from can)

2 tsp melted butter

For Peach Sauce

4 canned peach halves 

1 tsp Sugar syrup (from can)

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

For Cheesecake

1 1/2 cup fresh cottage cheese (Without whey)

3/4 cup sugar (according to taste)

Centre cream of Oreo biscuits 

4 peach halves

1/4 tsp vanilla essence 

Method

For Biscuit Crust

Grind the biscuits till coarse. Add cocoa powder, sugar syrup & melted butter &

mix gently.The mixture will resemble dough like.

Grease individual bowls with little butter.

Spread the biscuit mix evenly & gently level the surface using back of spoon.

Refrigerate the bowls for about 15 minutes.

For Peach Sauce

Blend canned peaches & pour in the saucepan.

Stir in sugar syrup & cook over medium heat until thickened.

Remove from heat & mix in cinnamon & keep aside.

For Cheesecake

Put the cottage cheese in a big bowl and using a mixer, churn until it turns slightly fluffy. Or use electric beater.

Add the sugar and churn some more. You will see that the filling has increased in volume.,

Now add in the cream & churn.

Mix 2 peach halves & churn again.

Take out in a bowl & mix the remaining peach halves (after chopping them) in 1/2 of the cream cheese.

Pour the mixture into the cooled crust & using a spatula level the mixture.

Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

Pour the cooled peach sauce on top of the cream cheese mixture & level it once again.

Place the bowls in the refrigerator to chill overnight.

Ice the remaining cream cheese on top & Serve chilled.

Tips

* I used canned peaches here that were already in sugar syrup, you can easily replace them with fresh peaches - Peal peaches & cook them in sugar. Use as desired. 

* I used sugar syrup from can but you can use powder sugar instead.

* I always make cottage cheese or paneer at home from low fat milk, using curds.

* I used less butter in biscuit crust as syrup helped in binding.

* Do taste cheese cake mixture to adjust sugar.

* This recipe is without gelatine, so it's always better to set in individual cups or bowls. They are easy to serve and looks nice too.

* You can garnish with peach pieces.

* The leftover cream cheese can be used as topping for fruits or as spread on toasts.

Peppermint Cheese Brownie

                                      

Chocolate & Brownie. Those words alone could make anyone happy. But what happens when you add peppermint? Very happy times ahead :) .... so here is the beautiful & yummy recipe.

Ingredients

For Brownie

1 cup plain flour (maida)

2 tsp cocoa powder (preferably unsweetened)

1 1/2 tbsp dark chocolate

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp soda bi-carb

1/2 tsp baking powder

6 tbsp curds (dahi)

5 tbsp milk

5 tbsp melted butter

1/2 cup chopped mint chocolate (optional)

1/2 tsp peppermint essence

For Cream Cheese

3/4 cup fresh cottage cheese

1 cup sugar (according to taste)

1/2 tsp peppermint essence

For Ganache 

1/2 tsp butter

1 tbsp heavy cream

4 tbsp chopped dark chocolate

1/4 tsp peppermint essence

Method

For Brownie

Pre-heat the oven to 180˚ C

Sieve together flour, Cocoa, soda & baking powder.

Melt dark chocolate & butter over double boiler

Add sugar & peppermint essence & mix well. Add curds & mix really well.

Mix chopped mint chocolate with flour so it wont settle down after baking.

Fold milk & flour alternately but end with flour. Make sure there are no lumps.

Pour brownie mixture into a greased & dusted baking pan.

Place in the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

For Cream Cheese

Churn all ingredients in a mixer.

For Ganache

Pour the heavy cream into a small saucepan.

Heat the cream over medium-high heat, & bring it just to a boil. 

Pour the hot cream over the chopped dark chocolate. Add butter & peppermint.

Gently whisk the mixture together until it is smooth & shiny.

Cool & use for your icing.

How to Proceed

Cool brownie & spread cream cheese mixture over brownie.

Refrigerate for an hour.

Cut into 2" x 2" pieces. 

Spread the chocolate ganache on the pieces & return the brownie to refrigerator for setting.

Serve like that or with vanilla ice-cream.  

Tips

* Cool the brownie completely before spreading cheese layer.

* If ganache starts hardening then use double boiler method to melt it.

* You can omit cream in ganache & just melt butter & half dark chocolate on double boiler. When it's melted, remove from boiler & add remaining dark chocolate & mix well.

* If you have any mint candy, chop that & sprinkle on ganache before it sets.