Brookies (Brownie Cookies)

Brookies (Brownie Cookies)

Few weeks ago I went to a dessert fest with my friend K, & we tasted an amazing cookies with brownie taste. From that day I was looking for a recipe for those. Stumbled upon a recipe from Ghayathri Kumar after few days & gave it a try. Believe me they came out better than the one we tasted. K gave it a thumbs up too :)

Ingredients

350 gm Dark Chocolate (I took 70% cocoa)

45 gm Butter 

200 gm Brown Sugar 

250 to 300 gm All Purpose Flour / Maida or Whole wheat flour

1 tsp Baking Powder 

1/2 cup Milk 

1 tsp Vanilla 

100 gm Chocolate Chips 

Method 

In a bowl melt chocolate and butter. Allow it to cool completely.

To the same bowl add flour, baking powder, sugar, milk and vanilla.

Mix to form a soft dough.

Preheat oven to 175°C.

Take a small portion of the dough and press it into a cookie.

Top the dough with some choco chips.

Arrange them in a greased tray. Refrigerate the remaining dough while the batch is baking.

Bake for 12 - 13 minutes and remove from oven.

Let it cool in tray for 10 minutes until the cookies are firm to touch.

Remove them and cool completely on a wire rack.

Store in an airtight jar in fridge. (They remain fine outside too for few days if the weather is not too hot).

Tips

*I used salted butter, I think you can use unsalted one & add a pinch of salt.

*I used just 250 gm of maida but if you find the dough too soft to handle, you can add little extra.

*Using whole wheat flour will not change the taste at all.

*Cookies will look undone or soft after 12-13 minutes, but don't bake them more. They will firm up after cooling.

*Baking them for more than required time will make them hard.

*Taste and color will depend on the quality of chocolate used (I used Lindt 70% dark chocolate).

Ripe Mango With Greens

Ripe Mango With Greens 

Lovely colourful, sweet & sour salad with Ripe mango.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups ripe mango cubes

1 small red capsicum, cubed

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

1 cup fresh lettuce (or a combination of mixed greens like wild rocket leaves & some micro greens)

1 tsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped (optional)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/ 4 cup dry-roasted peanuts or cashews (I used caramelised almonds)

1 tsp red chilli flakes (or pepper)

pinch of salt

2 tbsp finely chopped basil 

1 tsp brown sugar (optional)

Method

Rinse fresh greens and dry. Place in a salad bowl. 

Add all the other ingredients & toss well.

Refrigerate for about 20 minutes. Serve chilled.

Tips

* If you can't find mango, try it with papaya or pineapple instead!

Raw Turmeric Pickle

Raw Turmeric Pickle

 

Turmeric has many benefits and this fresh turmeric pickle is a quick and easy pickle with just three ingredients. One of my Gujarati friend told me this few years back & from than I make it every season & many times.

Ingredients 

250 gms raw fresh turmeric (kachchi haldi)

1 tsp salt

 ½ cup lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)

Method

Rinse the turmeric roots well and peel them.

Chop them into long & thin pieces.

In a bowl add the turmeric, salt & lemon juice. Mix everything well.

Spoon everything in a clean sterilised glass jar.

Close the jar & keep it in the fridge for 6 days

Shake the jar everyday. The pickle is ready to be served in 6 days ( I love it so couldn't wait & ate it in 2 days).

Serve a very small portion, about 1 tsp of the fresh turmeric pickle with any indian meal.

Tips

* Turmeric stains cloths & your hands (yellow/orange, depending on how good is the root), so please do use gloves while working on them.

* The lemon juice should completely cover the turmeric, otherwise the pickle may get spoiled.

* This pickle stays good for 2 months, refrigerated.

Benefits of Turmeric

• Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory with studies showing it to be more effective than anti-inflammatory prescription drugs (NSAIDs)
• Therefore is powerful against arthritis
• Turmeric dramatically increases the antioxidant capacity in the body
• It improves brain function and dramatically decreases the risk of developing Alzheimer’s
• Turmeric lowers the risk of developing heart disease
• Can help prevent many types of cancer
• Turmeric is very powerful at preventing and reversing chronic fatigue conditions and can also help prevent depression.

Boondi Ladoos

Boondi Ladoos

One of my favourite Indian dessert is Boondi Ladoos. So I decided to make it in my kitchen. Here is a simple recipe from Internet with some tips from my maid who makes it regularly on festivals.

Ingredients 

For Boondi

1.5 cups besan/gram flour

1 cup + 1 tbsp water or add as required (the amount of water to be added depends on the quality of besan/gram flour)

2 pinch of saffron powder

½ tsp cardamom powder

1 tbsp melon seeds

2 black cardamoms seeds 

a pinch of edible camphor (optional)

¾ tbsp ghee to be added or ghee for applying on your palms for shaping the ladoos

oil for deep frying the boondis

For Sugar Syrup

1.5 cups sugar

¾ cup water

Method

For Boondies

Take besan & saffron powder in a bowl & add water to make a smooth batter. The consistency of the batter is important, check it by frying a few boondis. The boondis should have a round shape. (Check Tips).

Take a dry perforated ladle and place it above the hot oil. Add some batter on the perforated spoon ladle & spread the batter lightly with a spoon. 

Fry the boondis till they are cooked. Don't make them crisp, when the oil stops sizzling, remove the boondis.

Strain them well with a slotted spoon and add them directly to the hot sugar syrup.

Fry all Boondies in same manner & add them to sugar syrup.

Finally add melon seeds, cardamom powder, black cardamon seeds,  I tbsp ghee & a pinch of edible camphor (optional).

Mix well & shape the boondi mixture into ladoos. Place in small muffin liners.

Let it dry in open for sometime & then store them in airtight box in refrigerator.

For Sugar Syrup

Mix sugar & water in a pan on a low heat.

cook it & switch off the flame just before getting a one thread consistency. Keep it aside.

The sugar syrup should be hot when you add the boondis. so you can keep the pan with sugar solution on a plate or tray filled with hot water. 

You can fry the boondis & prepare the sugar solution side by side.

Tips

* If boondi become flat, on frying, the batter is thin & if they get tail ends, the batter is thick. 

* If thin, then add a bit of gram flour & check by frying a few boondis. if thick, then add a bit of water & then do the same test. 

* When frying Boondies, don't keep ladle at much height, as the batter droplets, when falling from a height, do not give a round shape.

* Don't fry crisp Boondies, if boondis becomes crisp then the boondi ladoos won’t be soft and they won’t be able to absorb the sugar syrup.

* Remember that after each batch, wipe the perforated ladle with a clean piece of kitchen towel from both sides. It will help in making round Boondies.

* Adding ghee to Boondi & sugar syrup mixture, helps in binding the boondi ladoos.

* Don't wait for mixture to cool down as it will be difficult to bind Ladoos if it's not warm.

* Do let Ladoos dry before storing.

Couscous And Aragula Salad

Couscous And Aragula Salad

Couscous is a tiny pasta made of wheat, barley or rice; wheat couscous is the most widely available version and most of it is "instant" or quick-cooking. Although couscous was traditionally hand-rolled, these days it is made by machine: Coarsely ground wheat (semolina) is moistened and tossed with fine wheat flour until it forms little round balls.

You will be amazed at how versatile it can be. Couscous is more than just an accompaniment to stew. You can use it as a filler in patties (soak it in water for five minutes and use instead of breadcrumbs, add leftover cooked couscous to a salad; or use it in a bread, muffin, or pancake recipe (soak in an equal volume of warm water for five minutes or more before adding it—¼ cup couscous to ¾ cup wheat flour).

You'll find it especially useful if you are cooking for vegetarians or vegans (for whom you can omit the cheese and butter).

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups couscous

1 1/2 cups water (boiling)

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp mustard

1/4 cup olive oil (I used just a tbsp)

1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes

Kosher salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 tomato, diced

1/2 cup dried currants

1 cucumber, seeded & diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded & diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1 cup arugula or wild rocket leaves

Method

Add boiling water to couscous & cover it for 5 mins. 

Couscous will puff up & will be cooked through to the center. 

If there is extra water than drain & allow to cool. 

Prepare dressing by whisking together the lemon juice & mustard while drizzling in the olive oil. 

Once slightly emulsified, stir in pepper flakes & season with salt & cracked black pepper.

Toss the tomato, currants, cucumber, red bell pepper, onion & arugula with the couscous. 

Pour the dressing over top. 

Season with salt & pepper to taste & toss to the combine.

Serve either chilled or as it is.

Tips 

* Add same or little less amount of water to couscous so you don't have to drain it laters. 

* You can add any green leaves to this salad or mix of different leaves too.

* I added dried blueberries instead of black currents. Can also add caramelised nuts.

* You can add chopped apple or pear to get a different taste.

* You can make same salad with wheat or bajra dalia (broken wheat or bajra) if u don't have couscous. Just boil it and use.

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