"Aroma From a Guest Kitchen"- ( Guest-Soniya Keskar)- Mango Pudding/Mango Cheese Cake

Guest = Soniya Keskar
I know Soniya, since we moved here to Coumbus,IN. Apart from being a very genuine person and a good friend, she (and I would say the whole of 'Keskar' family) is incredibly talented and enthusiastic.For 'E' and 'A's birthday party last month, they made this wonderful truck with Parle-G biscuits and chocolates.It was a big hit at the party! Kids just loved it!!!

Mango Cheesecake/ Mango Pudding in Graham Cracker Pie crust

Soniya made a amazingly delicious dessert for my friend 'S's send off party.She made this 'Mango Pudding in Graham cracker crust pie shell' It was a mix perfect between a cheese cake and a pudding. Everyone went 'head over heels' for the dessert!

Here is the recipe that Soniya shared with us:

Ingredients:

8 oz Cream Cheese ( I use Philadelphia Original Full Fat Cream cheese)

8 oz  Kraft Cool Whip (1 container)

16 oz Mango Pulp (Alphanso / Kesar Mango Pulp)

½ oz Knox unflavored Gelatin ( ½ oz = 2 envelops)

¾ cup Sugar  ( If the mango pulp is sweetened  you will need less sugar)

Few Kesar/ Saffron sprigs

1. Bring Cream Cheese and Cool Whip to Room temperature. Soften the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add Cool Whip. Blend it with the hand mixer till you get even soft creamy texture. Add Mango Pulp and blend again.
2. Mix dry gelatin powder and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add 1 cup bubbling hot boiling water over it and stir continuously till all the gelatin crystals melt. Let the mixture cool down to lukewarm temperature.
3. Combine sugar, gelatin mixture with cream cheese, cool whip and mango pulp mixture. Add Saffron for color and flavor. Blend it all together to get soft creamy mixture.
4. Pour the mixture  in a glass pie dish. Decorate it with almond halves or other dry fruits. Keep the dish in the refrigerator. It takes around 3 hours to set. 
5. I like to set it in a  ready made Graham cracker piecrust . This mixture makes two 9 inch round Cheese cakes.

Enjoy the cool smooth silky sweet Mango pudding with a hint of tartness of the cream cheese in the butteryness of the graham cracker crust.....nothing can be more satisfying to the taste buds!!!

"Appetizers"- Kothimbir Vadi / Cilantro Wedges

** Kothimbir Vadi Recipe Post from 2011 is updated with new pictures 

As we moved to Columbus, we have celebrated more 'sendoff's' than any other parties.Yeah seriously,the community is so mobile and transient here....people come and go frequently.You get to know someone, make friends and then you get to know that they are leaving Columbus in couple months. ...
So, my good friend 'S' is leaving this week.I had invited her family over for dinner. This traditional maharashtrian appetizer was on the menu.

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped cilantro along with stems
3/4 cup Gram flour/besan
1/4 cup rice flour
1 tbsp roasted Sesame seeds
1 tsp finely chopped green chilies
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Maharashtrian Goda Masala/ garam masala
Salt and sugar to taste

Water to make batter
Oil for greasing the pans and shallow frying.

Method:

1) Mix all ingredients and make batter like thick 'cake batter' consistency with only as much water as needed. Batter should not be too runny. 
2) Oil two 6 inch pans.Pour the batter in the pans. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top. 
3) Steam in a pressure cooker (without pressure) for 15-20 mins.
4) Let it cool.Cut into wedges

5) Shallow Fry in oil till golden brown.

Serve hot along with Ketchup/ Maggie Hot and Sweet sauce or just by themselves 

"Appetizers"- Deviled Eggs

Believe it or not, it is the first time I have ever made this simple appetizer. I had invited 'A's family for dinner last night and was looking for a simple side dish/ appetizer.I came across this website..dedicated solely to these tasty hors d'oeuvres.
http://www.deviledeggs.com
They have done some 'serious' work on eggs...really I mean....there is 'nutritional info on eggs',how to position the egg yolk in the center, how to perfectly hard boil the eggs, peel them, recipes..etc etc....is given step by step.I thought it was pretty neat!

Ingredients:
6 'perfectly' hard boiled eggs (visit the above website for tips)
1and 1/2 tbsp Kraft 'Chipotle' Mayo
1/4tsp black pepper
1tsp hot and sweet sauce
red chili powder for garnish
salt
cilantro for garnish

Method:
1) Hard boil the eggs.Peel after the eggs cool.Slice into halves.

 2) Remove the eggs yolks carefully with a spoon.Mash completely with a fork.Add the mayo, hot and sweet sauce, black pepper, salt etc and mix well.The filling shouldn't be too loose. You should be able to pipe in from a pastry bag/ icing gun. The filling tastes spicy and 'smoky' with a little 'tangy' flavor from the hot and sweet sauce.

3) Pipe the filling in the center in the egg whites(where the egg yolks originally were) with a pastry bag or a icing gun.Fill the cavity completely.
4) Sprinkle some red chili powder and garnish with cilantro.Serve at room temperature.

"Sweet Treats"- Fruit Custard in Filo cups

For last weeks Potluck, I was in charge of making the dessert.Potlucks are a lot of fun, especially since, you get to meet everyone and also taste variety of good food. Needless to say, it adds 'happy pounds' on you!!!
So the menu for this weeks potluck was...2 types of pastas, a soup, a salad and then a dessert.Everything tasted good and we had a satisfying meal at 'V''s new house.

Ingredients:
For Fruit Custard

Milk
Custard powder of your favorite brand and flavor
Fruits cut into bite size pieces: Apples,peeled oranges,Pineapple, grapes, bananas
Handful of chocolate chips
Vanilla essence
Sprinkles for decoration

1) Make the custard according to directions on the custard powder can.Let it cool
2) Add the Vanilla essence,chopped fruits,chocolate chips and chill in refrigerator.

Phyllo/Filo Dough Cups:
6 Phyllo sheets
2tbsp melted butter
muffin pans
1) Thaw the filo dough as per packet directions
2) Place 1 rectangular sheet of filo on cutting board. Apply melted butter gently with a brush.Apply through the whole sheet. Be gentle, otherwise the sheets will tear.

3) Place next sheet on top of this buttered sheet.Apply butter.Repeat the same and stack all sheets on top of one another.Cut into 6 squares and place them in muffin pans.

 4) Bake at 350F for 8-10 mins till golden brown.Check packet for exact baking time for that brand of filo dough.

5) Let the filo cups cool before filling with fruits custard.

6) Just before serving, fill the cups with cold Fruit custard till the top and garnish with sprinkles.

The crisp buttery filo along with chilled creamy fruit custard gives a wonderful explosion of textures in every bite!

"Appetizers"- Black- Eyed Beans Fritters/ Chavali che Vade/Vada

 'M' is out for work for 2 weeks, and my friends have been taking good care of me!!!!Almost everyday I have been going to lunch or dinner at some friends house...love you all for being so nice!!!
"A" had invited me over for dinner a couple days ago. I decided to make these fritters to take over, which I had been wanting to try out for so long.This is my friend Manisha's recipe.She says it was passed onto her by her 'in -laws'. The fritters/ vadas are crisp on outside, soft and spicy on the inside and have an 'irrestible' taste.
You got to try these out!

Ingredients:
1cup Black-eyed beans
1-2 green chilies
2 clove garlic
1tsp ginger paste
1tsp cumin seeds
1/2tsp Turmeric
salt
oil to fry

Method:
1) Soak the black eyed beans for 5-6 hours in water. Drain all the water.
2) Grind the beans along with ginger,garlic, green chilies,cumin,salt etc with minimal water into a coarse paste.
3) Add the turmeric and mix well.

4) Add small lemon size batter into hot oil and fry on medium heat till golden brown.
5) Serve hot along with a 'tangy' sauce like 'Maggie hot and sweet chili sauce' or plain ketchup.

My version of 'Hot and sweet' sauce:

1/4 cup Plain ketchup
1tsp Red chili-Garlic paste (store bought)
1/2 tsp sugar add more for more sweeter taste.
1/4 tsp salt
water to thin out the sauce
Mix everything together to get Spicy-Tangy-Sweet Sauce that goes well with anything and everything!!

"Appetizers"- Eggplant Rollatinis

Are there any 'food choices' that are different between you and your significant other? They say that....after years of living together, a couple becomes 'like' each other. Do their food preferences change too???

Between me and 'M', there are many 'food differences'. I love Rice and dishes made with rice.He eats rice in the form of 'Biryani' only. I like eggplant.He hates eggplant.I like bananas.He can't stand bananas.I like prawns....he can hardly taste them....

So, when he is out for work..I indulge into my favorite foods!!! 

This was one such 'Eggplant' indulgence for me....

Ingredients:
8 Eggplant slices(about 3/4th cm thick, cut from center of a large eggplant)
1/4cup Cream cheese
1/4 cup pepper jack cheese shredded
2tbsp Parmesan cheese
1/2tsp red pepper flakes
1/4th tsp ground black pepper
1/4tsp garlic paste
1/4th cup chopped cilantro
salt
oil
Maggie hot and sweet sauce/ Marinara sauce/ ketchup

Method:
1) Apply salt and pepper on the eggplant slices. Rub a little oil.Grill on a 'grill pan' for a minute on both sides to cook the eggplant and get those gorgeous 'grill marks'.
( I love to eat the grilled eggplant just by itself too!!!!)

2) Mix the cheeses, red pepper, black pepper, salt, cilantro,garlic. etc to get the filling.
3)  Place the filling in the center of the grilled eggplant and roll it up into 'Rollatini'

4)  Serve along with Maggie hot and sweet sauce ( this one is my favorite.I can eat anything and everything with it!!!)  or Marinara sauce or Plain ketchup.

5) You can also bake the Rollatinis before serving with extra sauce and cheese on top.

                Enjoy the cheesy,spicy eggplant rollatini warm or hot!!

"Sweet Treats"- Brownies

Brownies brownies and more brownies....

The theme for 'A's 1st and 'E's 4th birthday party was 'Candyland'.

Along with the various other types of candies and chocolates....I made these brownie squares and brownie pops to go with the theme.
I started with "Betty Crocker' Brownie mix and then jazzed up the brownies..my way.

Brownie Squares

1 Box Betty Crocker brownie mix ( plus water, oil, eggs etc mentioned on the box)
3/4th cup all purpose flour
1 Unsweetened Apple sauce can(4oz)
Icing writer/icing gun/ pastry bag
flower candy for decoration

Method:
1) Mix brownie mix, water,oil,eggs, all purpose flour, apple sauce.
2) Grease a cookie sheet and spread the brownie mixture onto the cookie sheet to get 'thin' brownies.
3) Bake as per box directions
4) Let the brownies cool for 1/2 hour. Cut into squares.
5) Decorate each individual square with icing and decorative candy

Brownie Pops
These are a fun way to eat brownies!

1 Betty Crocker brownie mix
Icing writer/tube in pink and white
Sprinkles for decoration
Lollipop sticks
plastic wrap
ribbon
Muffin pan
Wilton 'flower' shaped brownie pan

Method:
1) Bake the brownies in flower shaped pan and in muffin pans.
2) After cooling, decorate as desired with icing gun/pen etc.
3) Decorate with sprinkles

4) Wrap with plastic wrap, insert lollipop sticks and tie a ribbon

"Pat a Cake"- 'Truck' shaped Eggless Chocolate Cake

Last week my little 'E' turned 4 years old.In these 4 years, his mind has mostly been pre- occupied by 'Trucks,cars, bulldozers, diggers,dump trucks,monster trucks,Big mighty machines and yeah how can I forget......Trash can trucks i.e Garbage trucks!!!! All he thinks, dreams, talks about is.... these things. He told me once..'he is filling 'gas/petrol' into 'Ganapati bappa' to make him stronger!!!
Needless to say..for his b'day the cake had to be 'this' shaped!

Ingredients:
I doubled the following recipe to get 1- 9x9 inch square cake and 6 cupcakes.
1 and 1/2 cup all purpose flour (sifted)
3/4th cup Granulated Sugar
1/3rd Cup Canola oil
1/4 th cup Cocoa powder
1tsp Baking soda
1/2tsp salt
1 and 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tbsp Vinegar
1 cup cold water

Icing:
1 can Pillsbury white whipped icing
Food colors-red,yellow,blue
Cocoa powder for brown icing
M and M's, other candies for decoration.
Icing gun/bag
toothpicks


Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 350F (preheating is very imp). Grease the 9x9 inch pan and muffin pan with vegetable shortening. Apply liberally in all corners.Dust with all purpose flour to coat the pan.
2)First sift flour, sugar separately.Then by a spoon add to the measuring cup to measure exact amounts.Level with a knife.DO NOT pack the flour into the cup.The ratios will change and the cake will not come out as good.
3) Mix wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls.
4) Mix them together in a single direction.Bubbles will appear as vinegar reacts with baking soda.Do not over mix.But all the lumps should be gone
5) Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 mins.Do not open the door for first 20 mins atleast.
6) Check with a tooth pick, if the cake is done.The inserted toothpick should come out clean.
7) Flip on a serving platter carefully
8) Let it cool for 1/2hr or so before icing.

9) Cut off the cup cake tops to makes them smooth and look like tires.
10) Cut a ' big rectangle' of about 6x4in from the square shaped cake.This will be the trucks main body.
11) For the trucks upper body cut relatively small..about 4x3inch rectangle/ cut 2 small rectangles to give that 'hood' shape.
12) Assembly: Place 2 cupcakes on the tray.Place a small rectangular strip of cake on the cupcakes and on the sides to give more support.

Place the big rectangle on top.The small rectangular piece on top of the big rectangle. Use the white icing to stick all these pieces together.Place the 4 cupcakes like wheels to the 4 sides.Secure with toothpicks and stick with white icing.

 13) Mix the white icing with desired colors.I used 'red' for main truck body.Yellow for the windows.Brown/chocolate icing for the tires.I used 'flower'/star' tip of the icing gun to make the patterned icing.Use m and m's/ spice drops as lights.For the treads on the tires, I used a toothpick to draw the lines and pattern. Decorate as desired.You can crush some chocolate cookies on the base pan to show 'dirt' on the road.

From back side: