Double Chocolate Wholewheat Brownies

                                             Double Chocolate Whole wheat Brownies 

                   Ingredients :
3/4 cup Whole wheat flour
1/3 Cocoa powder 

1 1/4  Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Water
30 gms. Semi sweet Chocolate (chopped)
2 Large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Olive oil
(Butter if you want it to

 be more fudgy)
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Baking Powder 
Pinch of Salt
1/3 cup Semi sweet Chocolate 

....

                    Directions :
1: Line an 8"×8" pan with parchment paper .Preheat oven at 180 degree celcius .
2: Combine sugar, water and chocolate in a pan.Cook on medium heat till chocolate and sugar are melted. Cool it completely. 
3. Mix Wholewheat flour, cocoa powder, olive oil,  eggs, baking powder , vanilla,  salt and chocolate chunks.Add molten chocolate and lightly stir the mixture. 
4: Spread in prepared pan and bake for 20_25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out a little moist.
5: Cut it into squares and have it with coffee or as

Mango Chia Cinnamon Pudding

Bring out the chef in you and incorporate Chia seeds in whatever you can add it into .

This SUPERFOOD is so versatile that it can be added to your salads,paefaits,  shakes and smoothies.

These tiny seeds are rich in Omega 3 , reduces signs of ageing, 

build stronger bones and muscles,  are good for heart and digestive system and help in keeping a check on diabetes .

I add it to almost everything and enjoy its benefits. 

Ingredients :

2 Mangoes' puree

2 tbsp Chia seeds

1 cup Milk

1/2 tsp Vanilla essence 

2 tsp Honey

Pinch of Cinnamon powder

Directions:

1:Soak Chia seeds into milk along with honey, vanilla essence and Cinnamon powder.

2: Refrigerate it overnight.

3: Put mango puree in glasses and pour chia seed milk on it.

Falafel/Middle Eastern Chickpea Balls

            Falafel is not only a yummy middle eastern appetiser but also a good option for health conscious people.

Once, when I was in Dubai, as a vegetarian I was bound by salads and falafel wraps.Having tasted falafel from many different places I ended up having a strong liking for this appetiser. I enquired local people about the spices they used 
in their food and ended up in stores selling these mysterious spices.Yes I bought them in abundance.

Their spices are rich in aroma and the taste they impart to any dish is just unbelievable. 

I learnt that the falafel could be baked in order to make them healthy.

This somehow clicked as I would go to any length to provide healthy food to my family.

                         Ingredients :
2 cups Canned Chickpeas
12 cup Parsley
1/2 cup Coriander leaves
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Red chilli powder
1/4 tsp Black pepper powder
1tbsp Chopped garlic
2 Lemon's juice

1/2 tsp Roasted cumin powder
1 Onion (roughly chopped)
2 tbsp All purpose flour(Maida)
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1 tbsp Sesame seeds

                           Directions:
1: Put chickpeas,  chopped onions, parsley,  coriander leaves, garlic in  a food processor and blitz it.
2: Put this in a bowl and add salt, red chilli powder, black pepper powder, roasted cumin powder, lemon juice , Maida and baking soda.

                       
3 : Mix it nicely and sprinkle sesame seeds on it and make small balls out it.
4: Deep fry or shallow fry them and serve with hummus and Pita bread.

You can even bake them or air fry them and enjoy the taste.

Mango Turmeric Lassi

   Ingredients :

      Makes 2 glasses

1 Mango

1 cup Greek yogurt 

2 tsp Brown sugar

3 tsp Pinch of Saffron

1 Glass Water

Some mint leaves for garnishing

Lots of ice

   Directions:

1: Blend mango cubes to a smooth paste.

2: Add Greek yogurt, brown sugar , ice, saffron and water and blend  again .

3: Garnish with mint leaves and serve.

Blueberry Lemonade

      A little bit of Monica in my life,
      A little bit of Erica by my side,
      A little bit of Rita is all I need,
     A little bit of Tina is what I see......

My mind was all Monica and Erica when I opened my pack of blueberries...

                         

Exhausted I was and wanted something refreshing to assuage my tiredness.

Nothing frugal but a lavish dose of all...MONICA AND ERICA...ahemmmm....blueberries,  mint , honey, lemon , rock salt.....

Only this could alleviate my tiredness, so I just jumbled all the things and there it was

......my blueberry lemonade.

Ingredients :

Makes 3 glasses:

1 cup blueberries (you can use fresh blueberries , I used dried)

3/4 cup Water

3/4 tsp Rock salt

3 Lemons' juice

3 tsp Honey

1/2 Mint leaves

3 cups Water or Sparkling water

Directions:

1: Boil blueberries in water along with salt.

2: Let it reduce to half.

3: Cool it down.

4: Blend blueberry syrup along with honey, lemon juice and mint leaves.

5: Divide it into 3 glasses and pour sparkling water over it .

6: Serve it chilled.

Chicken Keema Kulcha

Ingredients for Kulcha:

1 1/2 cup Whole wheat flour

1/2 cup Refined flour

1/4 cup Curd

1/2 tsp baking Soda

1/4 cup Warm Milk

1/4 tsp Salt

2 tbsp Oil

Warm water for kneading

Nigella seeds for applying on top of kulchas

Ingredients for keema:

500 gms chicken mince
3 tbsp Oil or Ghee
2 Cinnamon sticks
3-4 Cardamom
3-4 cloves
1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Garlic paste
1 tsp green chillies ( chopped )
4 Onions ( chopped )
3 Tomatoes' puree 

1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1 cup Water
1 tbsp chopped coriander
2 tbsp Milk
Dollop of butter

Directions:
1: Heat oil over medium heat.
2: Add bay leaf.
3: Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and let it release aroma.
4: Add ginger paste, Garlic paste and chopped green chillies and sauté till golden brown.
5 : Add chopped onions and sauté till translucent. 

6 : Add tomato puree and cook till it leaves oil.
7 : Add salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder and sauté.
8 : Add minced chicken and cook for 5 mins. 9: Add 1 cup water and cook for 5 mins on high flame till it leaves oil.
10 : Add milk and cook for another 2-3 mins.

11: Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and add a dollop of butter.

For Kulcha:

1: Sift both the flours.

2: Add salt and baking soda and oil.

3: Add curd and mix it.

4: Make a well in centre and add warm water and milk. Knead it into a soft dough.

5: Cover it with wet cloth and keep it aside for 2-3 hours.

6: With oily hands divide it into balls and roll them into discs.

7: Place keema in centre and seal the edges together and again roll it into a roti .Wet your Kulcha and spread some Nigella seeds on it. 

8: Again wet your hands and hold the Kulcha.

9: Place the wet side in hot tandoor and let it cook.

10. When there are brown specs on the Kulcha remove it from tandoor with tongs and cook on direct flame from both sides.

11: Apply ghee and crush it a little.

12 : Serve with pickle and curd.

Death By Chocolate Cake(2nd Anniversary special)

                  2 years gone and I still yearn to learn so many things from my food blogger friend's. 

              Blogging has given me wings to explore the world of different cuisines and
Gastronomical  delights; to meet new people and to channelize the energy which was lying hidden like a treasure within my body and soul.
                     Gradually , I think I have been able to achieve what I aimed for....

              I can't expatiate on what all I did to turn it into a helpful resource for recipes but many big names in the blogging world have been preponderant over me since I love their work and aspire to reach that position some day.Only then I would say my labour has got fruition.

Ingredients :

3/4 cups Refined Flour 

3/4 cups Whole wheat flour

2/3 cup Cocoa powder, extra for dusting

                1 1/4 tsp Baking powder
                1 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
                3/4 tsp Salt
                1 1/2 cups Brown sugar
                 2 Eggs (at room temperature)
                  3/4 cup Milk
                 1/3 cup Oil
                 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla essence
                  3/4 cup Strong brewed Coffee

Chocolate ganache:

200 gms. Dark Chocolate 

3 tbsp Butter (melted )

200 ml Cream 

Directions :

1: Preheat oven at 180 degree Celsius.

2: Grease and dust an 8 " pan.

3: Sift flour, Cocoa powder, baking powder,  baking soda and salt.

4: Add sugar 

5:In a separate bowl, beat eggs.

6:Add oil, milk and vanilla essence.

7: Slowly add dry ingredients to it and then coffee.

8: Pour the batter in pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.

9: For frosting , heat cream but do not boil.

10: Add butter and stir.

11: Pour it over broken chocolate pieces and stir to mix properly.

12: Keep it refrigerated for 4-5 hours.

13: With electric beater , whisk it nicely till it is stiff.

14: Cut cake from centre and slather half of frosting on it .

15: Put another piece over it and cover with rest of the frosting.

16: Decorate with chocolate shards. 

Kandhari Chicken Tikka

       This sweet and tangy Chicken Tikka doesn't need any introduction. With the sweetness of pomegranate and tanginess of dry pomegranate seeds, this name is truly justified.

My family can ingurgitate these delicious tikkas within minutes and without any doubt I can say it can mollify their palate.

                            Ingredients :
500 gms Chicken breast (boneless, cut into tikkas)
1st marinade:

1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Red chilli powder
1/4 tsp Degi mirch
1/2 cup Pomegranate juice

2nd marinade:
1/2 cup Hung curd
1 Lemon''s juice
2 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Ginger paste
1 tsp Garlic paste
1/2 tsp Dry pomegranate seeds (Anardana)
Oil for basting

                          Directions:

1: Marinate chicken in salt, red chilli powder, degi mirch and pomegranate juice.
2: Keep it marinated for an hour.

3: Make a marinade of hung curd, lemon juice, oil , ginger garlic paste and dry pomegranate seeds.

4: Add chicken to this marinade and keep it aside for at least 4 hours. 

5:Put it into skewers and grill over charcoal bar be que or grilling pan; often basting it with oil. 

6:Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with mint yogurt dip.