Desi Fiesta

Recipes

Recipes Tested and Tried from my Kitchen.The recipes will include appetizers, sweets, main dish, side dish,vegan recipes all around the world.

Yellow Pumpkin cutlets

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I was just  thinking to prepare dinner so opened my refrigerator  and found pumpkin without knowing what am doing i picked it up and so started, with approximation added all the ingredients listed below,plated  and served to my dear hubby ..To my surprise  he loved it and ate all the cutlets i served him :),  then I named it as pumpkin cutlet.. It was a surprise recipe even for me he he 🙂 ..lets see the ingredients and method for these yummy n crispy cutlets 🙂

Ingredients

Chopped Yellow Pumpkin – 11/2 cup heaped
Potato – 1 medium sized
Chopped Green chilli – 1 no
Cumin pd – 1
Red chilli pd – 1/2 tsp
Rice flour – 2 tbsp (I added rice flour to make my cutlets more crispier you can also substitute them with cornflour)
salt to taste
Dry Bread crumbs to coat
Oil for frying

Method

  • Boil chopped pumpkins and potatoes till they are well done , Mash them together and mix well with other ingredients excluding bread crumbs till well combined .
  •  Now make the mixture in to desired shapes either circle or any other shape . I made them in a triangular shaped cutlets .
  •  Nicely coat the shaped cutlets in dry bread crumbs so that they are fully covered with bread crumbs.
  •  Heat oil in a pan and when they are hot enough to fry the cutlets slide in the coated cutlets on by one and fry them both the sides till golden brown .
  • These cutlets taste good with tomato ketchup, you can also dip them in green chutney and enjoy .

Sending to Priya’s versatile recipes
Sending to Hema adugemane
Sending to Lemon Kurry 
Sending to merry tummy and gayathri
Sending to eniniyeillam
Sending to Nivedhanam and UK rasoi

Tutti Frutti Milk Shake

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As suggested by a reader in my tutti frutti post I made this yummy “Tutti frutti milkshake” . Thank you so much S Swineetha Geetha Murthy. This is my first reader suggested recipes ..Am glad to try this and me and hubby loved this…

Ingredients

Tutti Frutti 1/4 Cup  ( click here for Home made tutti frutti recipe)
Fresh cream 1 Cup
Milk 1 Cup
Sugar 2 Tablespoon (optional)

Method

Mix all the ingredients in a blender . Blend them till they are well combined . Serve chilled.

Tips
You can also top them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream in it .

Sending to Priya’s versatile recipes

Sending to  Foodabulous Fest- Celebrate “February Month”

Sending to Hema adugemane

Sending to merry tummy and gayathri

Sending to eniniyeillam
Sending to Ghar ka khana and zesty south Indian kitchen

Bouquet cake (Vegan choco beet cake )

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This cake was my valentines day spl surprise for my hubby .. He was delighted to see this edible bouquet cake and loved it.. As i already made too many cakes wanted to try something fat free and healthy so made a vegan cake for this valentines day .. So with out any further ado lets see how to make a “vegan choco beet cake” .

Ingredients

1 cup Plain flour
1/4 cup oil
2 tbsp beetroot ( boiled and pureed)
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup soy milk
1 tsp Vanilla essence

Method:

  • Pre heat the oven at 200 F.Add butter and sugar in a mixing bowl.
  • Beat till the sugar dissolves completely.
  • Shift the cake flour,coco powder,baking powder and baking soda. Add beet puree to the flour
  • Mix the flour mixture with butter mixture and blend well.
  • Mix the vanilla essence with the soy milk and add in with the mix and blend well.
  • Grease the tin with oil / butter and then line it with grease parchment  paper.
  • Transfer the cake mix into the tin.
  • Bake it for 30-40 minutes at 250 F or till the wooden skewer inserted in the middle.Cool down .Level the cake from top with a sharp knife .
  • Now cake is ready for frosting. Frost the cake with butter cream or whipped cream frosting and decorate it as you like 🙂 
I made a bouquet cake so i made colorful roses on top after crumb coating my cake ..
I also filled a small amount of cake batter in ice cream cones and made cone cake  which i’ll post it separately .  
                                      
I wanted to make a rose cake for a long time .. now had a reason to make one 🙂 

Spicy Gavarfali dhokli/ cluster beans with wheat flour dumplings

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Gavarfali  dhokli/ cluster beans and wheat flour dumpling come together in this delicious recipe, making it a really healthy and delicious treat! serve hot with phulkas or can be had as is.  String and boil the cluster beans before use.The Rajasthanijasthani dish and my favorite, mom thought me this recipe . They taste really yumm when had piping hot and spicy 🙂

 

 

 

Ingredients

For The Dhokli
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp carom seeds
1/2 tsp red chilli pd
1/4 tsp turmeric pd
1/2 tsp cumin pd
1 tsp oil
salt to taste

Other Ingredients
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
2 cups cluster beans (gavarfali) chopped
salt to taste
1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp red chilli pd
1/2 tsp cumin pd
1 tsp dhania/ coriander pd
1 sprig curry leaves
salt to taste

Method

  • Combine all the ingredients together in a bowl and knead into firm dough using enough  water.
  • Divide the dough into 20 equal portions and shape them into rounds.
  • Press each portion into a flat circle by pressing between your palms and then a small hole in between with your thumb (  this helps them cook evenly and faster). Cover and keep aside.
  • In a saucepan fill plenty amount of water to cook the cluster beans and dhokli . After the water starts boiling add the cluster beans and dhokli and cook them till they are done.
  • Now strain cluster beans and dhokli and store the water.Add  the red chilli pd, turmeric, cumin, dhania pd and salt to the strained cluster beans and dhokli.
  • In a pan heat oil add cumin seed and mustard seeds and when they crackle add the cluster beans and dhokli mixture.
  • Now add a little amount of store stock to the mixture so that they are well combined. Mix well.them piping hot as is or it goes well with roti/ chapathi

Tips
The rest of the stock can be used for making soups.

Sending to sara’s tasty buds

 

Heart beet whoopie pie cake

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After looking many yummy looking goodies especially red velvet cake and whoopie pie’s from my dear bloggers,  I wanted to try them badly but with a difference.. Whoopie pies are small, flat sponge cakes sandwiched between cream – or in this case cream frosting. These sweet little cakes are just delicious, mostly healthy and looks fantastic.These whoopie pies are delicious and healthier than most desserts—they’re made with vitamin-rich beets!!!The beet flavour is extremely subtle and also gives the cake a lovely color . Just loved this cake… As they  are made using beetroot and named them as ” Heart beet whoopie pie cake ” perfect impress my valentine isn’t it 🙂

Ingredients

For cake:
All purpose flour- 1 cup
Beetroot -3 tbsp( Boiled and pureed)
Butter milk 1 cup ( To make butter milk : Take milk in a bowl add lemon juice to it and keep it for 30 mins without disturbing and you butter milk is ready to use)
Vanilla Extract – 1/2 tsp
Butter- 3 tbsp
Sugar- 1/2 cup
Cocoa powder- 2 tbsp
Baking powder-1/2 tsp
Baking soda – A pinch
Salt  – a pinch
Red food color – 2-3 drops (optional)

For Filling :

 1/2 cup white sugar
 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 2 cups heavy cream

Method 

For red velvet whoopie pie cake :

Preheat the oven to 200 F. Combine butter , Butter milk , beetroot puree, food colour till frothy. If there is any lumps don’t worry it will let mixed when combined to flour.Sift the All purpose flour , cocoa powder , baking powder and baking soda .Divide the flour mixture to 2 equal parts. Add each part of flour mixture into the butter milk mixture by whisking  them continuously.Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Now you can either spoon them on the baking tray to form a round cookie shape or just pour all the batter in the tray . Bake this flat cake in preheated oven at 350 F for 10 min or till when a toothpick inserted should come clean.Give them a standing time of 10 mins and using a cookie cutter cut them into desired shape, I made them heart shaped as it is valentines day :).

Filling 
Beat the heavy cream and sugar to form a soft peak. Add vanilla essence and mix .

Assembling

Now take piece of heart shaped cake and apply the frosting in one side of the cake and then place another piece of heart on top of it like a sandwich . You can either use a spoon or pipe the frosting using piping bag.

Heart beet Red velvet whoopie pie cake is ready to serve!! 🙂

      

Royal short bread cookies

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I tried these shortbread cookies today and they came out very well ..My hubby was so happy after having this delicious cookie.Origin of these cookies are scotland, this rich, tender and crumbly straw colored biscuit (cookie) was once only served during Christmas and New Year’s Eve. In its most basic form, shortbread’s are made with just four ingredients, butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and flour. While today they are made in various shapes and sizes, at one time the dough was baked in a round mold and then cut into wedges that were given the name “petticoat tails”.  They are called royal short breads bcoz they are dipped in melted chocolate .

Another valentine treat from my kitchen  :)..

 

 

Short breads  are yumm as is but  chocolate added to it makes them yummier and add all good ness to the cookie.. perfect with a with a cup of hot coffee or Tea..

 

 


Ingredients 

1 cup all-purpose flour

A pinch of salt

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

1/2 cup  powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Chocolate Dipped Shortbread:

1 cup semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Method
In a separate bowl whisk the flour with the salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl , beat the butter until smooth and not too creamy fora minute or so. Add the sugar and beat until smooth for 2 min or so.  Beat in the vanilla extract. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until incorporated.  Flatten the dough into a disk shape, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill the dough for at least an hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F  .  Line the baking trays with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a 1/4 inch (.6 cm) thick circle.  Cut into rounds or other shapes using a lightly floured cookie cutter.  Place on the prepared baking sheets and place in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.Refrigeration helps the cookies to maintain the shape while baking.  Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, or until cookies are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

For Chocolate Dipped Shortbreads:

Place the finely chopped milk or dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place it over a saucepan of simmering water. Melt the chocolate. Add the remaining chocolate and stir with a wooden spoon until it has completely melted and is smooth and glossy. Taking one cookie at a time, dip one end of each cookie in the melted chocolate and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dip all the cookies halfway and place it on a parchment paper till the chocolate sets.

Store in air tight container for 15 days .

Tips:
Temperature is really important for this cookie as if the room temperature is very hot it may be tricky to handle the dough. . Shortbread’s can also be cut into various shapes and sizes using your favorite cookie cutter.

 

Red Borscht soup

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Borscht is a hearty soup that also looks extremely delicious and yumm. Its origin is from russia, it is known as red borscht because the beetroot used adds a deep red hue to the soup. You could add in all the vegetables you want, and simmer it until it is thick and gives out a wonderful aroma of cooked vegetables, onions, tomatoes and pepper. Borscht tastes absolutely delicious with toasted whole wheat or multi-grain bread. Perfect for valentines day bcoz of the red color   …

Ingredients


3/4 cup peeled and grated beetroot
2 tsp oil
5 tbsp thinly sliced onions
1/2 cup chopped carrot
3/4 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup thinly sliced tomatoes
salt and freshly ground black peppercorns (kalimirch) to taste

For The Garnish
Finely chopped parsley or coriander

Method

  • Heat the oil in a deep kadhai, add the onions and sauté on a medium flame for 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Add the beetroot, carrots, cabbage and tomatoes, mix well and cook on a medium flame for 2 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
  • Add 3½ cups of hot water and salt, mix well and cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or till the vegetables are soft, while stirring occasionally.
  • Add the pepper powder and mix well.
  • Serve immediately garnished with parsley or coriander .

Chocolate kalakand (microwave )

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Kalakand is a famous indian sweet which are made for any festivals or occasion . Traditionally they use fresh paneer , milk and sugar and are made by heating them together in a wide pan, But today we are going to see the microwave version of it . They are made so quick with simple ingredients.

I just made plain microwave kalakand for an event and thought of making innovation in that recipe . As you all know am a great fan of chocolate in any form i thought of making chocolate kalakand and turned out really yummy . This is an easy and quick way to make kalakand . I dedicate  this recipe to my cute lil daughter for this valentines day . Valentines day  is a day not only for lovers/ married ppl  but also for are loved ones like i love my daughter a lot i wish you all have fun and enjoy love with your loved once 🙂 … Okay now coming to the recipe … Let look for the quick and easy Ingredients and method to make these kalakand

All set to surprise my daughter with this cute valentine card and treats for her 🙂

Ingredients:
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1 tbsp Cocoa pd
Ghee 1 tsp + for greasing
Vanilla essence few drops
About 2 tbsp pistachios
Vrak /silver leaves for garnish

Method:
In a large greased bowl empty out the can of condensed milk. Add ricotta cheese little by little and mix well with a whisk.

Microwave (uncovered) as  totally for 10 mins stirring them occasionally after  every 5 min. Now mix cocoa pd and microwave for last 5 mins.The time may vary depending on your microwave and the type of container you use.

The reason you keep stirring in between is that the sides can get burnt  because of uneven heating in the microwave. Specially towards the end, stir every minute. The mixture should appear dry, but still have some moisture.

After removing from the microwave, Add vanilla essence, mix well and spread the mixture across a  greased dish. With the back of a spatula, press it down. Allow to cool for atleast half an hour. Cut into squares / rectangles/ diamonds. Leave aside for another 30 to 50 mts, till it sets well. Remove, transfer to a container and refrigerate.Before serving, sprinkle chopped nuts on top. Tastes great without nuts  too! For garnish you can also use vrak.

To give them a festive look i gave them heart shape by just triming a square shaped kalakand 🙂

Happy valentines day to all my readers !!! 🙂

Sending to sara’s tasty buds
Sending to Priya’s versatile recipes

Sending to  Foodabulous Fest- Celebrate “February Month”

Sending to Hema adugemane

Sending to cuisine delight

Sending to Lemon Kurry 

Sending to merry tummy and gayathri

Sending to eniniyeillam

Sending to Virunthu unna vanga and gat’s samyal
Sending to nivedhanam and jagruti 

Nutella stuffed Eggless French toast hearts

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I love nutella a lot can scoop and have them whole day its such an sinful ingredient  ..I love eggless french toast as well and  now am in love with this delicious variation .. Yes ” nutella stuffed french toast” are easy to make and they are yummm . As  you all know valentines day is nearing i would love to impress my hubby starting from breakfast to dinner with my culinary art 🙂 so here is a breakfast option for this valentines day , but this can be  served any time in day as a snack or brunch they are just perfect filler. Now without any further ado lets look how to make these easy nutella stuffed eggless french toast.

Here is a collage on all the pics from the preparation to the end product 🙂

Just love them when topped with honey or chocolate syrup …

Ingredients

Bread slices 4-6
Custard powder(vanilla) 3 tblsp
Sugar 3  tblsp(heaped)
Milk 1/2 cup
Butter/ghee (As needed to toast)
Nutella spread – 2 tbsp ( keep nutella in refrigerator for about 30 min- 1 hr so that they become little  firm )
 Honey – 1 tbsp                      
Note: If you don’t have custard powder, then you can use corn starch and few drops of vanilla essence

    Method                                                      

  • Boil milk and mix it well with custard powder and sugar in a wide bowl.
  • Heat a non stick pan and grease with ghee/butter. Using a heart shaped or any shaped cookie cutter cut the bread slices now and dollop of nutella in a slice of bread and then cover it with another slice of bread and press gently .  
                 
  • Dip the bread slice in custard mixture very quickly both sides and toast it both sides in low flame until it gets cooked and golden in color.           
  •  Serve hot immediately with butter brushed over. You can also serve with honey or jam or chocolate syrup or maple syrup.
So run to your kitchen and just try and let me know how you enjoyed this yummilious  hearts  🙂

Crunchy chocolate cups

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A very simple and delicious recipe for chocolate lovers .. Quick yet yummy perfect for the upcoming valentines day 🙂 Valentines day is nearing, all our co-blogger are coming up with so many delicious treats and ideas to impress some one special for this valentines day .. I just love this day bcoz  i got engaged with my life partner on 11th of feb and we had our first outing on valentines day @ coffee day, chennai 🙂 .. we had milkshake and some cookies with some funny chatssss and then exchanged our gifts for each other on valentines day …unforgettable moment 🙂 ..


Lets quickly peep in to the ingredients and method to prepare this quick dessert ..

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 tablespoons butter
2 tbsp Roughly chopped Nuts ( almonds , pistachoes , cashew’s or any nuts you like)
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Method

In a pan heat cream and bring it to a boil  . Remove from heat and add chocolate chips, nuts and butter and give a nice stir till the mixture becomes nice and smooth .Put the mixture in any small size cups or bowls  freeze till  they are firm.. Garnish them with some whipped cream or nuts you used 🙂

Variations:
You can even crush some chocolate sandwich cookies like Oreo or bourbon to the mixture and made truffles out of them .