BESAN LADOO

                                                       

Today I'm sharing my mom's best ever besan ladoos with all of you. After Diwali the house is full of mithai(sweet) boxes, next comes bhaidooj & if you don't want to give store bought mithais(sweets) to your brothers, surprise them with these yummy melt in your mouth ladoos. These besan ladoos are very easy to make & require a few ingredients.

 I've always loved sweets, & besan ladoos are one of my favourites. I don't like to buy besan ladoos from the market, I love melt in your mouth besan ladoos that I've been having since childhood. I could never stop after one & now my daughter does the same, so two is the minimum count that we have at a time :)

Everyone at our home likes plain ladoos so I haven't added dry fruits in it but if you like the nutty & crunchy taste you can add cashews(kaju) & almonds(badam) to the besan ladoo mixture.

INGREDIENTS

BESAN (gram flour/chickpeas flour)  500gms

My mom makes them with half mota besan(coarsely grounded) half bareek besan (finely grounded besan). That gives a better texture to the ladoos but here I could not get that so I made with regular packet besan(gramflour/chickpeas flour) that was available in the market.

SUGAR(powdered)  300gms

GHEE(clarified butter) 300gms

This quantity gives you very soft ladoos, if you want the ladoos to be a little more stiff, quantity of ghee can be reduced to 250gms.

METHOD

1. Sieve besan & keep aside.

2. Switch on the gas & keep it on low flame.

3.Take a heavy bottomed pan(kadhai). Add a little bit of ghee(clarified butter) in the pan (kadhai). Add besan & start roasting it. Keep on adding ghee slowly & keep roasting it continuously.

4. Switch off the gas once you start getting a nice aroma & it starts leaving the sides of the pan. It will turn a nice brown colour.

5. Once done, let it cool down.

6. Take powdered sugar, sieve it once & add it to the cooled besan & ghee mixture. Mix it nicely.

7. Start forming balls with the mixture using your hands.Your melt in your mouth besan ladoos are ready to eat.

NOTES

1. While roasting keep the gas on low flame & keep on stirring it continuously.

2. Add powdered sugar only when the besan & ghee mixture is completely cool.

PICTORIAL GUIDE

1. Sieve besan & keep aside.

2. Switch on the gas & keep it on low flame.

3.Take a heavy bottomed pan(kadhai). Add a little bit of ghee(clarified butter) in the pan (kadhai). Add besan & start roasting it. Keep on adding ghee slowly & keep roasting it continuously.

4. Switch off the gas once you start getting a nice aroma & it starts leaving the sides of the pan. It will turn a nice brown colour.

This picture was taken when I started roasting the besan.

This picture was taken once it was done.

5. Once done, let it cool down.

6. Take powdered sugar, sieve it once & add it to the cooled besan & ghee mixture. Mix it nicely.

7. Start forming balls with the mixture using your hands.Your melt in your mouth besan ladoos are ready to eat.

ENJOY YOUR HOME MADE MELT IN YOUR MOUTH BESAN LADOOS!!

DARK CHOCOLATE BROWNIE

                                       

This is one brownie that I’ve made umpteen number of times. I’ve made it for dinners at my place, for gifting to friends and relatives, for my brothers on rakshabandhan, I’ve actually lost count of the number of times I’ve made it. This recipe has not failed me even once and whoever tastes it surely asks for it recipe. For my family this is the perfect gooey brownie.

So now that you all have the recipe, bake it and treat yourself and your family to this GOOEY DARK CHOCOLATEY SINFUL BROWNIE :)

INGREDIENTS

All purpose flour (maida)  1 cup /125 gms

Sugar   2/3 cup /150 gms

Butter 2 table spoons less than 1 cup /200 gms

Dark chocolate  200gms

Eggs  3

Vanilla essence  1 teaspoon

Walnuts  ¼ cup

This is the dark chocolate that I've used here.

METHOD

      1.       Grease a baking tin and keep aside.

2.       Beat the eggs and sugar together nicely. Add vanilla essence to it.

3.       Melt the chocolate and butter together and let it cool.

4.       When the chocolate butter mixture is completely cool. Add it to the egg and sugar mixture and mix.

5.       Add the flour and mix it with a spatula.

6.       Dust the walnuts with flour and add them to the batter. Leave some walnuts to sprinkle on the top.

7.       Preheat the oven at 180 degrees.

8.       Pour the prepared batter in the greased cake tin and bake it in a preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Baking time differs in every oven so have a look after 30 minutes, if not done put it again for 5 minutes and bake till the skewer comes out clean.

9.       Let it cool down for 10 minutes. Remove from the cake tin and let it cool down completely.

10.   Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

NOTES

1.       Baking tin has to be greased nicely by applying oil and then dusting nicely with flour. If making the first time use parchment paper at the base of the tin, parchment paper will make it easier to remove from the tin.

2.       Dusting the walnuts is done to prevent them from sinking at the bottom. Just sprinkle a little bit of flour on them and mix so that it covers them completely.

3.       Every oven has different temperature settings and hence baking time is different in each oven.

4.       Do not open the oven before 30 minutes thereafter keep checking it till the skewer comes out clean.

PICTORIAL GUIDE

1.       Grease a baking tin and keep aside.

2.       Beat the eggs and sugar together nicely. Add vanilla essence to it.

3.       Melt the chocolate and butter together and let it cool.

4.      When the chocolate butter mixture is completely cool. Add it to the egg and sugar mixture and mix.

5.       Add the flour and mix it with a spatula.

6.       Dust the walnuts with flour and add them to the batter. Leave some walnuts to sprinkle on the top.

8.       Pour the prepared batter in the greased cake tin and bake it in a preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. Baking time differs in every oven so have a look after 30 minutes, if not done put it again for 5 minutes and bake till the skewer comes out clean.

9.       Let it cool down for 10 minutes. Remove from the cake tin and let it cool down completely.

Once baked, just dig into it with a scoop of ice cream & chocolate sauce, I'm sure you will experience chocolatey bliss.

HAPPY BAKING!!! 😊

BANANA CHOCOLATE WHOLE WHEAT LOAF

BANANA CHOCOLATE WHOLE WHEAT LOAF WITH WALNUTS AND CHOCOCHIPS

Who doesn't have overripe bananas at home. This comes out as a perfect recipe for utilising those bananas and the whole wheat adds to the health quotient. Both my daughters love cakes and this serves as a perfect recipe as both of them love the mushiness of bananas and the crunch that walnuts and chocochips add to it. I love baking it often as I don’t  have to worry about feeding them  maida cakes. So get ready to bake this whole wheat banana cake.

TASTE BHI HEALTH BHI :))

INGREDIENTS

Whole wheat flour(aata)  1 1/2 cup
Baking powder  1 tb sp 
Cocoa powder  2 tb sp 
Cinnamon powder & salt a pinch 
Ripe Bananas  3
Milk  1 cup
Sugar  1/2 cup
Oil  1/2 cup 
Baking soda  1/2 tsp
Vanilla essence  1/2 tsp 
Chocochips & walnuts  2 tb sp (optional)

METHOD

1.Grease & dust a loaf tin & keep aside.

2. Sieve whole wheat flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon powder & salt thrice.
3. Put bananas in the mixer to make a puree.
4. Add milk & sugar to it. I used granulated sugar so I put it in the mixer so that it dissolves completely.
5.  Add vanilla essence.
6. Take this banana milk sugar in a bowl. Add oil to it. Mix.
7.  Add baking soda. Mix
8.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to it & mix lightly with hand till everything gets incorporated.
9.  Add dusted chocochips & walnuts to the batter. Keep some aside to sprinkle on top.
10.  Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 45 minutes or till the skewer comes out clean.
11.  I checked first after 30 minutes then again after 10 minutes & finally baked for another 5 minutes to get my perfectly done  banana chocolate whole wheat loaf.

NOTES

1.       Sieve the ingredients nicely three to four times.

2.       You can increase the amount of sugar a little, if you prefer extra sweetness. For our family this ratio turns out perfect. When using granulated sugar, first measure it according to the recipe, then grind it.

3.       Dust the walnuts and chocochips nicely so that they don’t sink to the bottom. You can omit walnuts and chocochips too if you don't prefer them.

4.        Mix the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients only till everything comes together. Overmixing will alter the cakes texture as it contains whole wheat. 

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING GET READY TO BAKE YOUR OWN  BANANA CHOCOLATE WHOLE WHEAT LOAF AND ENJOY WITH YOUR EVENING CUP OF TEA.

PICTORIAL GUIDE

1. Grease & dust a loaf tin & keep aside. I forgot to take the picture of the cake tin that I had prepared for this recipe. So I took this picture when I baked it the next time.

2. Sieve whole wheat flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon powder & salt thrice.

& that's my daughter's hand who's helping me in sieving the ingredients :)

3. Put bananas in the mixer to make a puree.
4. Add milk & sugar to it. I used granulated sugar so I put it in the mixer so that it dissolves completely.
5.  Add vanilla essence.
6. Take this banana milk sugar in a bowl. Add oil to it. Mix. Add vanilla essence.

7.  Add baking soda. Mix

8.  Slowly add the dry ingredients to it & mix lightly with hand till everything gets incorporated.

9.  Add dusted chocochips & walnuts to the batter. Keep some aside to sprinkle on top.

10.  Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 45 minutes or till the skewer comes out clean.

11.  I checked first after 30 minutes then again after 10 minutes & finally baked for another 5 minutes to get my perfectly done  banana chocolate whole wheat loaf.

HAPPY BAKING!!!  :)))

LEMON RICE

Lemon Rice

Lemon rice is an easy rice recipe from South India. Though I had always heard of lemon rice as a dish  but I started exploring South Indian Cuisine only after marriage to my malyali better half. Lemon rice though is not particularly a malyali dish but belongs to the southern region of india.  It can be made with fresh rice or left over rice. It is a quick recipe & involves mixing the cooked rice with a few spices & lemon. It is very light on stomach & gives a distinct tangy flavour. So if tangy is your kind of flavour,do try this recipe.

Lemon rice is best served with south Indian papadams, pickle & curd but tastes good as it is too.

Cuisine – south india

Ingredients

Rice – ¾ cup basmati recipe

Lemon juice – 2-3 table spoons or juice of 2 lemons

Mustard seeds/ rai – 1 tea spoon

Urad dal/ white split gram – 1 tea spoon

Dry red chillies – 2

Green chillies (optional) – 1 (slit into half)

Curry leaves – 10-12

Turmeric/haldi – ½ tea spoon

Peanuts (optional) – 2-3 table spoons

Salt for taste

Oil – 2 table spoons

Method

1.       Wash & cook rice in about 3-4 cups of water till completely cooked. Drain the excess water & let the rice cool by spreading it on tray or plate. Left over rice can also be used to make lemon rice.

2.       Take a table spoon of oil & roast the peanuts till light brown. Keep aside. Adding peanuts is optional, it adds a bit of crunch to the recipe but if you are not fond of peanuts, the recipe tastes equally well without them too.

3.       In the same pan add another table spoon of oil, add the mustard seeds & let them crackle/splutter. Add the urad dal, let it brown a bit.

4.       Add the dry red chillies. I added one dry red chilli & one green chilli.

5.       Add the curry leaves, fry for a few seconds.

6.       Add the roasted peanuts. Lower the flame add turmeric/haldi. Fry for a few seconds. Switch off the gas. Add lemon juice & salt. Mix nicely.

7.       Add rice to this mixture & mix very nicely.

8.       Serve the prepared lemon rice with curd & pappadams. I didn’t have papadams so served with onion & tomato curd. It can be served plain too.

PICTORIAL GUIDE

1.       Wash & cook rice in about 3-4 cups of water till completely cooked. Drain the excess water & let the rice cool by spreading it on tray or plate. Left over rice can also be used to make lemon rice.

2.       Take a table spoon of oil & roast the peanuts till light brown. Keep aside. Adding peanuts is optional, it adds a bit of crunch to the recipe but if you are not fond of peanuts, the recipe tastes equally well without them too.

3.       In the same pan add another table spoon of oil, add the mustard seeds & let them crackle/splutter. Add the urad dal, let it brown a bit.

4.       Add the dry red chillies. I added one dry red chilli & one green chilli.

5.       Add the curry leaves, fry for a few seconds.

6.       Add the roasted peanuts. Lower the flame add turmeric/haldi. Fry for a few seconds. Switch off the gas. Add lemon juice& salt. Mix nicely.

8.       Serve the prepared lemon rice with curd & pappadams. I didn’t have papadams so served with onion & tomato curd. It can be served plain too.