Saturday, March 27, 2010

Vegetable Korma

 

Vegetable Korma is a spicy and creamy gravy of mixed vegetables.I am sure everyone would have their own version of preparing kurma.
Here is another interesting version.I found this recipe in Dheeraj Paul's Indian Menu Planner Book.The speciality about this recipe is, it uses homemade freshly ground spice powder instead of whole spices which are normally used for seasoning.No garlic is used.Still I found no difference at all and the aroma was heavenly
Pardon me for the hazy picture.It was shot at night.It would have been better if my korma was basking in the sun:).Anyways here's the recipe.
Ingredients:
Butter - 2 Tbsp
Cumin seeds - 2tsp
Pressure cook the following for 1 whistle.
Beans - 6 snapped at ends and chopped into 2 inch pieces
Carrot - 2 peeled and diced  into big chunks
Potatoes - 1 peeled and diced into big chunks
Peas - 1/2 cup frozen
Tomato - 1 big quartered
Bay leaf - 2
For the paste:
Blend the following to a smooth paste
Onions - 2 roughly chopped
Ginger - 2 inch piece
Coriander leaves - a handful
Coconut -  4 tbsp grated
Green chillies - 2 chopped
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
For the spice powder:
On a hot griddle dry roast the following ingredients one by one and grind it into a fine powder.You can double the quantity and store it in airtight box and use it for other gravy or even in biriyani.
Cardamom - 2
poppy seeds -2tsp
Cinnamon-2 inch piece
Cloves - 2
Star Anise -2
Fennel seeds- 1tsp
Method:
Heat butter / oil in a tava.When hot,add cumin seeds.
When they splutter,add the ground paste.Saute till raw smell goes off.
Then add the boiled vegetables along with a little bit of water in which the vegetables were cooked.Simmer for about 5 minutes.
Then add the spice powder and allow it to boil for 2 minutes.
Serve with rotis/rice.

Monday, March 1, 2010

Blondie Cupcakes


I hope most of you would be familiar with blondies.These are same except they are baked in a muffin pan.
Recipe is taken from  Martha Stewart's Cupcakes.I made some changes.I didnt have tofee bits.So I added same quantity of chocolate chips.


Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2  cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1  cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

1/2 cup unsalted cashews

3/4  cup tofee bits (I used chocolate chips )

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line muffin pan with liners; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Add flour mixture, and beat just until combined (do not over mix). Fold in chopped toffee (or other add ins).

Divide batter among prepared cups, filling each about halfway. (Mine were filled a little more than halfway)

Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes.

My blondie cupcakes as against Martha's

Transfer to wire rack; cool 10 minutes in pan. Turn out blondies onto rack; cool completely.