NACHOS

Nachos is a Mexican snack dish which is made of corn tortillas which are cut into triangles and then deep fried or baked.
There are various ways in which Nachos can be served. I usually serve it with ready made tomato salsa available in the market or it can be baked with white sauce, grated cheese, corn, jalapenos or minced meat etc.

Nachos can be made and stored in an airtight container and top it with salsa and grated cheese at the time of serving.

I've made a small batch you can double or triple the recipe depending upon the quantity you require. I've used whole wheat flour (aata) instead of all purpose flour (maida). It tastes well with both the flours so use the flour as per your preference. I've used dried herbs and pepper to the dough if you want plain nachos you can omit these.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup maize flour (Makai ka aata)

1/2 cup whole wheat flour (aata) or all purpose flour (maida)

1/2 tea spoon salt or to taste

1 table spoon oil fro the dough

Dry spice mix (pepper, oregano, red chilli flakes, basil) add as per your taste

Water  to make dough

Oil for frying

METHOD

1. Take the maize flour and whole wheat flour or all purpose flour in a bowl.

2. Add salt to it. Add the dry spices if using.

3. Add oil to the flours.

4. Using water knead it into a soft dough.

5. Take a big ball of dough and roll it into a big chapatti.

6. Prick it with a fork all over.

7. Cut into equal sized triangles.

8. Heat oil in a kadai and add the triangles. Fry till light golden.

9. Let them cool completely and store them in an air tight container or serve them topped with salsa or grated cheese.

PICTORIAL GUIDE

1. Take the maize flour and whole wheat flour or all purpose flour in a bowl.

2. Add salt to it. Add the dry spices if using.

3. Add oil to the flours.

4. Using water knead it into a soft dough.

5. Take a big ball of dough and roll it into a big chapatti.
6. Prick it with a fork all over.

7. Cut into equal sized triangles.

8. Heat oil in a kadai and add the triangles. Fry till light golden. Let them cool completely.

9. Store them in an air tight container or serve them topped with salsa or grated cheese.

                               HAPPY COOKING!! 😊

              

                               

DOLL CAKE

Doll cakes are a craze at our place. As soon as the birthday planning starts, both my daughters always try and convince me to get a doll cake for them. For the initial few birthdays we had ordered birthday cakes for them from bakeries thereafter I decided to give it  a try myself and with  a few difficulties did achieve a decent result.
I'm sharing the step wise process of how I did it. I've tried taking as many pictures as I could while making the cake. I might have missed out on some of the steps as I usually decorate cakes either when the kids are in school or once they are off to sleep. So basically when I decorate the cakes I'm usually alone at home and so clicking pictures along with decorating becomes a bit difficult. I've tried my best to include most of the steps.
Hope you all find it helpful.

There are two ways in which you can make the dress of the doll.
1. You can bake the same sized sponges and then carve out the shape of the dress using a knife. I find this carving a bit difficult and so i follow the second way.
2. You can bake the sponges of different sizes and place them one over the other, starting from the bigger to the smaller. The top most layer of the cake can be baked in a dome shaped mould or any small bowl. I bake it in a borosil dish that I have.

This is the borosil dish that i use to bake the top most dome shaped layer.

I've used the doll cake mould also that comes in the market but did not find it very useful and so i prefer baking my sponges in different sized tins.
I've made this cake twice, once I used the full length doll for making the cake. I cling wrapped the doll nicely and scooped the cake till the end to insert the whole doll inside.
The second time I removed the legs of the doll and cling wrapped the remaining body to insert. This time I scooped a circle only from the top most layer to insert the doll.

For the cake

2 round sponge cakes 7-8 inches
1 round sponge cake 5-6 inches
1 small dome shaped sponge cake 3-4 inches
sugar syrup for soaking the cake
1 cup heavy whipping cream (whipped to soft peaks) for icing and layering the cake
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (whipped to stiff peaks) for decorating the cake
1 doll to insert inside the cake

PREPARING THE SUGAR SYRUP

Sugar 1/4 cup

Water 3/4 cup

Boil water and sugar for 2 minutes. Switch off the gas and keep aside to cool.

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE

1. Bake all the cakes and let them cool completely. You can bake the cakes a day earlier, cling wrap them nicely and store them in the refrigerator over night.
2. Layer the cakes into two and keep aside.

3. Place one layer of the 7-8 inch cake on a flat cake board or on the base on which you want to display the cake.
4. Soak the cake with sugar syrup all over.

5. Apply the whipped cream over the cake and spread it all over.

6. Place the second layer of the 7-8 inch cake on the first layer. Soak it with sugar syrup and apply whipped cream over it.

7. With the help of a cookie cutter or a knife, cut a small circle in the center and remove it for the doll's legs to fit in.
8. I've used alternating layers of vanilla and chocolate cakes. You can use the flavours of your own choice.

9. Place the layers one by one on top of each other. Remember to soak each layer with sugar syrup and then add whipped cream to each layer till you reach the dome shaped layer. If putting the whole doll inside remember to scoop out a circle from the center from each layer. I've only put the upper part of the body inside the cake so scooped the top most layer only.

10. Once you've finished with all the layers start applying the whipped cream on the outer side to cover all the layers. Once the whole cake is covered with cream keep it in the refrigerator for an hour to chill.

11. Add your choice of liquid food colour to the remaining cream. Take out the cake from the fridge and apply a second layer of cream over the cake

12. Add liquid food colour of your choice to the half cup whipped cream kept aside for decoration. Mix it nicely with a spatula to get the desired shade.

13. Fill the coloured icing into a piping bag with a nozzle of your choice. Decorate it whichever way you prefer.

I covered the upper part of the doll with fondant and then inserted it inside the cake.

This was my first doll cake that i had baked. The whole icing was done with whipped cream even the bust part of the dress. I've used a star nozzle to make this design.

                                  HAPPY BAKING!! 😊

CHICKEN CURRY WITH COCONUT

Chicken dishes are loved by everyone in the family. I try and search for new chicken recipes to make the dishes different and interesting. My husband is Malayali and coconut and curry leaves make a base for most of the Malayali curries.

This recipe adds a south indian flavour to the chicken curry as it uses coconut and curry leaves. The amount of dry red chillies in this recipe can be increased as this is a spicy recipe but i have reduced the amount of chillies as we prefer the food less spicy.

INGREDIENTS

500 gms chicken

1  large onion chopped

2 tomatoes chopped

10-12 curry leaves (kari patta)

1/2 tea spoon turmeric (haldi)
1/2 tea spoon red chilli powder (lal mirch)
8-10 flakes of garlic
2 inch piece of ginger
1 table spoon poppy seeds (khus khus)
2 table spoon cashew nuts
juice of one lemon
salt to taste
2-3 table spoons oil

1 tsp saunf (fennel)

1 tsp sabut dhaniya (coriander seeds)

1/2 tea spoon jeera (cumin seeds)

3-4 sabut lal mirch (whole red chillies)

2 choti elaichi (green cardamoms)

2 laung (cloves)
1 inch dalchini (cinnamon stick)
1/2 coconut grated

METHOD

1. Soak the khus khus and cashewnuts in little warm water for 10 minutes.

2. Heat 1 table spoon oil in a pan. Add saunf, sabut dhaniya, jeera, sabut lal mirch, choti elaichi, laung, dal chini to the oil. Stir till they crackle and you get a nice fragrance.

3. Add the grated coconut and stir fry till it becomes light brown. Switch off the gas and let it cool.

4. Add the roated and cooled masala to the grinder jar.Drain khus khus and cashews, add them too along with the roasted masala in the jar. Add ginger garlic and grind everything together to a smooth paste.

5. In a kadai heat oil, add the chopped onions.

6. Move the onions to the side and add the curry leaves in the centre.

7. Add the ground paste (masala). Saute well for 1-2 minutes.

8. Add the chopped tomatoes. Add salt, haldi and red chilli powder. Cook well till the masala and tomatoes are cooked and blended well.

9. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes till the chicken and masala are blended well.

10. Add 1 cup water and cover the kadai. Cook till the chicken is tender. Keep stirring in between.

11. Open and cook uncovered till the gravy turns thick. If you want a thinner gravy you can increase the amount of water.

12. Switch off the flame. Add lemon juice to the curry. Mix well. Garnish with coriander and serve with chapatti or rice.

PICTORIAL GUIDE

1. Soak the khus khus and cashewnuts in little warm water for 10 minutes.

2. Heat 1 table spoon oil in a pan. Add saunf, sabut dhaniya, jeera, sabut lal mirch, choti elaichi, laung, dal chini to the oil. Stir till they crackle and you get a nice fragrance.

3. Add the grated coconut and stir fry till it becomes light brown. Switch off the gas and let it cool.

4. Add the roated and cooled masala to the grinder jar.Drain khus khus and cashews, add them too along with the roasted masala in the jar. Add ginger garlic and grind everything together to a smooth paste.

 

5. In a kadai heat oil, add the chopped onions.

6. Move the onions to the side and add the curry leaves in the centre.

7. Add the ground paste (masala). Saute well for 1-2 minutes.

8. Add the chopped tomatoes. Add salt, haldi and red chilli powder. Cook well till the masala and tomatoes are cooked and blended well.

9. Add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes till the chicken and masala are blended well.

10. Add 1 cup water and cover the kadai. Cook till the chicken is tender. Keep stirring in between.

11. Open and cook uncovered till the gravy turns thick. If you want a thinner gravy you can increase the amount of water.

12. Switch off the flame. Add lemon juice to the curry. Mix well. Garnish with coriander and serve with chapatti or rice.

                                 HAPPY COOKING!! 😊