Thandaai

Holi is supe duper fun at my place! It's bound to be when you've got a six year old boy :)! He enjoys it so much...the colours, the water ballons, pichkari!! I give him all that yummy food which he enjoys just as much as the colour and stuff...gujiyaas and laddoos appear and disappear fast from the plates ;) but these are for him so it's bound to happen! What's for us...well it's thandaai...the little one doesn't enjoy it yet...it's bit spicy for his tastebuds...so I make it just for me and hubby in large quantities.....no there's no bhaang in it before you get any ideas..it's spicy and tasty!! :)

So let's the celebrations begin with this traditional Thandaai :)

Holi hai bhai holi hai......bura naa maano holi hai :) :) 

Ingredients:

• 1 liter full cream milk
• 20-25 almonds 
• 20-25 cashews 
• 20- 25 pistachio
• 2 tbsp fennel seeds
• 3 tbsp poppy seeds
• 2 tbsp melon seeds
• 8-10 black peppercorns
• 8-10 green cardamom
• 10-15 edible rose petals
• Few strands of saffron
• Sugar to taste
  

Directions:

• Soak almonds, cashews, pistachios, poppy seeds, melon seeds and fennel seeds in  water for an hour. Peel almonds and make a fine paste of all these ingredients using some milk. Keep aside.
• Bring milk to boil, add cardamom seeds, rose petals, saffron strands and sugar to the boiling milk and simmer the flame. Add the ground paste to the milk and simmer the flame for 4-5 minutes.
• Strain and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
• Garnish with rose petals and few saffron strands.
• Serve chilled.
  
  

Gary- the snail!!

Kids Special!!
Chocolaty snails goes for a walk in the park ;) ;)
My little dude is a big fan of Rossana Pansino. He is also fond of playing in the park around our locality.But this last week was bad ...he fell ill..the viral bug got my baby :( so no parks no tv...was just tugged in his bed and very cranky...he doesn't like medicines :'( poor baby! This is where Rossana came into the picture. I showed him her videos as he always enjoys them...and he did! so when he got little better, I wanted to treat him with something special....enough of the bland food. So he got all excited and asked for Rossana's Snail Cinnamon Rolls...!!! It sounded perfect...and I fulfill his wish :-* just replaced the cinnamon with all time favourite Nutella :) 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup All purpose flour
• 1 cup Wheat flour
• 1 tsp dry active yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
• 1/4 bowl oil
• 1 Jar Nutella
  

Directions:

• Add yeast, water, milk and sugar to a bowl, stir and let sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.

• When bubbly foam starts to form on the surface add this into flour along with oil, knead into soft dough.

• Cover with a plastic wrap and let it rise for an hour, dough will double in size.
  
• Transfer the dough to a floured surface and roll into round shape.
  
• Spread Nutella evenly. 
  
• Start to roll from the opposite side till you reach the end & a cylindrical roll is formed. 
  
• Cut into 1/2 inch size rolls. 
• Unroll the end of each roll and pull it out a little to make snail head.
• Make small antennas and foot using the dough and paste them on the snail.
  
• Bake them at 180 degree C for 10 minutes or till done.
  

Strawberry Surprise

It's Valentine's week!!...do you wish to cook???
No.....I din't think so...
So why not do something immensely romantic and pretty and red!!
With minimal efforts you will be able to impress the one you love!!
Strawberry surprise...triple the love in a single course!!...
It's an appetizer....an entrèe..and lastly....the sweet something that seals the deal!!

Ingredients:
For strawberry sauce

• 500 gms fresh strawberry pureed
• 1/4 cup sugar or to taste
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 3-4 tbsp water

For grilled cheese:

• 2 thick slices of cottage cheese
• 2 tbsp  strawberry sauce
• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• Few drops of cooking oil

Other ingredients:

• 10-15 Blanched Spinach leaves
• Some fresh strawberries sliced
• A handful roasted peanuts
• Strawberry yogurt
  

Method:
For strawberry sauce:

• Combine all ingredients in a pan and cook for 15-20 minutes over medium flame.
• Sauce is ready.

For grilled cottage cheese:

• Cut thick slices of cottage cheese.
• Mix  strawberry sauce and sweet chilli sauce in a bowl and marinate cheese slices in this for 20-30 minutes.
• Place a grilling pan over medium heat, drizzle some oil and grill cottage cheese for 3-4 minutes.

Plating:

• Arrange spinach leaves in a platter, place sliced strawberries over it, sprinkle some roasted peanuts over it.
• Place grilled cheese on the bed of spinach and strawberry, top it with some yogurt dressing.
• Serve
  

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Mac & Cheese croquettes in Appe/ Aebelskiver Pan

Fix it- Freeze it- Fry it!!! 
Mac n cheese going to "Appe"ville ;)

And the superhero of my kitchen is back :). My appe/ aebelskiver pan never fails to impress me. Here is yet another lip smacking everybody's favourite Mac & cheese croquettes in appe pan.........with crunchy exterior and absolutely melt- in- mouth creamy centre !!! Yummy it was :) 
Ingredients:

• 200 gms cooked elbow macaroni
• 1 1/2 tbsp whole wheat flour/ all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 1 cup shredded cheddar
• 1/4 tsp crushed black pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano (optional)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• 2-3 tbsp water
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

• In a heavy bottom pan heat butter, add flour and stir in milk to make a lump free sauce. 
• Add salt, pepper and oregano, cook for 2-3 minutes till the sauce gets thick.
• Add cheese and cook over low heat till the cheese is melted.
• Stir in cooked macaroni and mix well.
• Let it cool and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to make it firm and sticks together.
• Mean while make a thick paste of all purpose flour and corn flour using water, add in salt. 
• After 2 hours take out from the fridge and roll into balls.
• Dip macaroni balls into all purpose flour paste and then coat with bread crumbs.
• Heat appe pan, add 2-3 drops of oil in each indent and place macaroni balls in them.
• Cook each croquette for 3-4 minutes from each side or till the outer layer is golden brown.
  
• Serve hot.