Caramel filled Cupcakes

Who doesn't like moist spongy cupcakes, and when they are filled with gooey caramel and topped with nutella.... oh that is pure bliss :) :).
Made these sinful choco mocha cupcakes to pamper my Nutella lover boy. I have posted one more kids friendly recipe with nutella  Gary- the snail some time back....

Now coming back to today's recipe, let's get started :)
Caramel filled Choco Mocha Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tbsp coffee powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp refind oil
• 1/2cup butter milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

 For filling:
Caramel sauce (see recipe here)

For frosting:
1/2 jar Nutella 

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Baking Time: 10-12 minutes
Assembling Time: 10 minutes
Yields: 4-5 cupcakes

Directions

• Preheat the oven at 180 degree C for 10 minutes.
• In a mixing bowl sift together all purpose flour, cocoa powder, coffee powder, baking powder,baking soda and powdered sugar.
• Add oil, butter milk and vanilla extract to the sifted flour and fold gently.
• Pour this batter into your greased muffin tray.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes at 180 degree C.
• Let them cool for 10-15 minutes and invert onto a wired rack.
  

Assembling:
Using a round cookie cutter or a small bottle cap cut the center of the cupcake carefully keeping the base intact as shown in the picture.

Fill the cupcake with 1 tbsp of caramel sauce and cover it with the cored piece.

Frosting:

• Take some Nutella on a butter knife and spread on the cupcakes generously.
• Top them with your favourite chocolates,sprinkles and serve with love :)
  

Rajasthani Daal Baati Churma

To the most of us, we start thinking of Rajasthani cuisine with Daal Baati Churma. Traditionally, originally Daal Baati was cooked on dried cow dung cakes (in villages its still done that way

) giving it a unique and rustic taste. I had a chance to enjoy this taste during my last visit to my village (in- laws), the baatis were 'effortlessly super' and baking of baatis actually key to the success of this dish.

Since living in cities we do not have such privilege to cook in a traditional manner, thus, I'm sharing a recipe which is easy to cook, with readily available resources while maintaining the taste and quality.

Ingredients:
For Daal:

• 1 cup panchmel daal
• Salt as per taste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups water.

For tempering:

• 2 tbsp ghee/ clarified butter
• Pinch of asafoetida
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2-3 cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 green chilly chopped
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 1 tsp red chilly powder 
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder 
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala

Directions:

• Pressure cook daal with water salt, turmeric and bay leaves till 3-4 whistles and keep aside.
• In a wok heat ghee/clarified butter add asafoetida, cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon stick. When it starts to splutter add green chilly and ginger garlic paste, saute for a minute, add onions and let it cook till it is transparent. Add tomatoes and cook till soft. Put all dry spices, cook for few minutes then add the boiled daal, cover and let it cook for 15 minutes. Daal is ready.
  

Ingredients:
For Baati

• 2 cups wheat flour
• 1/2 cup ghee/Clarified butter (half for kneading and half for dipping baati)
• Salt 1/2 tsp
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• Water as required

Directions:

• Knead stiff dough using all this ingredients and let it rest for 15 mins
• Take lemon size portion and make balls of equal size
• Preheat tandoor for 5 -10 mins and keep dough ball in tandoor and cook till done 

• Alternatively preheat oven at 180 degree Celsius and cook baatis for 10-15 mins or till done.

Churma:
Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup ghee/clarified butter
• 1/4 cup Milk to knead 
• Ghee( for frying)
• Powdered sugar/ bura to taste
• 1 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• Some chopped nuts to garnish

Directions:

• In a big mixing bowl add flour, 1/2 cup ghee and mix well. 
• Knead a tight dough using milk, let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
• Divide the dough into equal parts and make lemon sized balls.
• Heat ghee/oil in a wok and fry the dough balls on low flame till they are perfectly cooked from inside and brown from all the sides.
• Let the baatis come to room temperature and coarsely grind them in a grinder.
• Next, heat 1/2 cup ghee in a wok, add churma mixture, powdered sugar and cook on slow flame for 2-3 minutes.
• Switch off the flame and garnish the churma with chopped nuts.

With as much as Ghee as you can, Enjoy a Royal Lunch with 'Daal Baati Churma'

Flax seeds & oats crackers

Crispy, nutritious, high fiber, health packed crackers with the goodness of flax seeds and oats.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp flax seeds
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp cooking butter
• 1 tbsp italian seasonings
• 1/4 cup milk

Prep time: 10 minutes+ 20 minutes resting time
Baking time: 10 minutes
Yields: 20-22 crackers
Kitchen equipments required : Oven, Grinder,2  Mixing bowls, Whisker, Aluminium foil/Parchment paper, Baking tray,Rolling pin, Knife/Cookie cutter/Pizza cutter

Directions:

• Grind rolled oats and flax seeds to a fine powder using a grinder.
• In a mixing bowl add oats flour, flax seeds flour wheat flour, baking powder, salt, dried italian seasonings and mix together well.
• In another bowl whisk together sugar and butter, now add the flour in this and mix well.
• Using milk knead into semi stiff dough. Cover and let it rest for 15-20 minutes.
• Sprinkle some flax seeds over the work top.
• Divide the dough into equal sized balls. Take a dough ball and roll over the the sprinkled flax seed. 
• Dust the work top with some flour and roll the dough ball into 1/8inch thickness using a rolling pin.
• Cut into desired shapes and prick each cracker with a fork.
• Preheat oven to190 degree C.
• Line the baking tray with a aluminium foil and arrange the crackers leaving 2 inch space.
• Bake the crackers for 10-12 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.
• Allow them to cool on the rack completely before serving.
• Serve them with your favourite dips, or tea
• Store in an air tight container.
  

Red chilli garlic dip

Fiery hot chilli garlic dip, a great side dish for your meals and perfect accompaniment to your monsoon snacks

Ingredients:

• 10-15 dried red chillies
• 4 pods garlic
• 3-4 medium sized tomatoes
• 2 lemons
• Salt to taste
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 2 tbsp Prep time: 30- 45 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes
Kitchen equipments required: grinder, a wok, mixing spoon, a knife
Difficulty level: Easy

Directions:

• Soak red chillies in sufficient water for at least 30 minutes.(deseed the chillies if you can't tolerate the heat)
• Peel garlic cloves and chop the tomatoes.
• In a grinder make a smooth paste of red chillies garlic and tomatoes, use little water if required.
• Heat oil in a wok, put fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds, when they start to crackle add garlic chilli paste along with sugar and salt.
• Add water, cover the wok and let it cook on medium flame for 5-6 minutes or till the oil starts to float on the surface.
• Sprinkle lemon juice and mix well.
• Let it cool and store in a sterilized jar in refrigerator for 2 weeks.