Chenna Poda

A delightful cottage cheese aka Paneer dessert. It's light and mildly sweet.
Chenna Poda is a very traditional dessert from the state of Odisha. When a member shared it in  one of the food groups that I follow, I wanted to try it immediately.
Since my husband and I have a sweet tooth, I am always on the lookout for simple, light and mildly sweet desserts.
It's best to use fresh homemade Paneer for this dessert. You can increase the quantity of Jaggery if you like it sweeter.

For 250 gms of Paneer you will need 1.5 lit. of milk.
Do try it. You won't be disappointed.
RC: Ashish Panda

Ingredients
Chenna (Paneer)              250 gms
Jaggery pd                         6 tbsp + 2 tsp
Semolina                            2 tbsp
Cashew                               1 tbsp
Raisins                                1 tbsp
Cardamom pd                   1/2 tsp
Ghee                                    1 1/2 tsp
Water                                  1 tbsp
Vinegar                               1 tbsp

Method

1. Heat a tsp of ghee and fry cashew nuts and raisins until golden.
2. Remove them on a paper towel.
3. Heat the milk in  a heavy bottom pan.
4. Once it reaches a boil, lower the flame, and add a tbsp of vinegar.
5. Stir, you will see the milk curdling.
6. Place a colander over a bowl and pour the curdled milk.
7. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Don't squeeze the Paneer. We want the Paneer to be juicy, so a little bit of whey will be helpful.
8. Now mash the Paneer with the heel of your palm till it becomes smooth.
9. Add in semolina and Jaggery pd.
10. Knead well again.
11. Mix in cardamom pd and half of the nuts.
12. In the pan in which you had fried nuts, add a few drops of ghee and 2 tsp of Jaggery pd.
13. As soon as the Jaggery pd starts melting add a tbsp of water.
14. Heat it till it thickens a little.
15. Now pour it in two ramekins, swirl so that it coats the bottom fully.
16. Place the fried cashews and raisins.
17. Divide the Paneer mixture into two.
18. Roll into smooth balls.
19. Place them in the ramekins, press lightly.
20. Cover them with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.
21. Insert a toothpick, if it comes out clean, remove them else bake for a few more minutes.
22. Let them cool for a while, then refrigerate for an hour.
23. Carefully unmold on a platter, slice and serve.

Notes: Don't throw away the whey. Use it in gravies, soups or for kneading dough.

Chocolate Baileys Ice-cream

Chocolate Baileys Ice-cream is a delight for those who love Baileys and chocolate. 

The taste depends a lot on the quality of cocoa pd used. I must say Kalya Cocoa Powder did take the taste a notch up. 

I have used Amul cream. Please don't use whipping cream if you want real taste of ice-cream. Keep the cream in the fridge overnight. Chill the bowl and the whisks also before you start beating the cream.

 Ingredients

Milk.                  1/4 cup

Cocoa pd            20 gms

Fresh cream       200 gms

Condensed milk 200 gms

Baileys.              1/4 cup 

Method

• Mix cocoa pd and milk.. 
• Beat cream till its really thick.
• Add the cocoa pd  and milk mixture. 
• Beat to mix well. 
• Add in condensed milk and beat again.
• Add Baileys and mix well.
• Now freeze it for four to five hours. 
• The sides would have frozen but ice cream would be still soft in the centre. 
• Beat it well. 
• Now pour it into a flat container. Cover with cling films and close the container tightly.  
•  Freeze it overnight. 
• Serve it next morning. 

Chocolate Walnut Cinnamon Buns

I used to make these often when my son was in school. The twinkle in his eye as he would assemble the whole dessert gleefully would make my day. 

He would put a large scoop of ice cream and then pour oodles of homemade chocolate syrup before digging in. 

I stopped making these once he left for college. 

When I was asked by Plattershare to review Kalya brand of cocoa powder and showcase some recipes using it, the first thought that came to my mind was to recreate these chocolate walnut Cinnamon Buns. 

Irony is that my not so young son is coming back home in two days time. Hoping to see the same twinkle in his eyes. 

Ingredients

For the filling

Butter                     50 gms

Brown sugar          50 gms

Walnuts                  50gms chopped finely

Cinnamon pd         1 tsp

For the buns

Flour                      185 gms

Cocoa pd                18 gms

Brown sugar          15 gms

Baking pd              1 tsp

Cinnamon pd         1/2 tsp

Butter                     15 gms chilled

Milk                       100 ml

Banana                   1 small.

Method

Filling

• Beat butter and Cinnamon pd till creamy.
• Add sugar and beat till light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
• Mix in the walnuts.
• Keep it aside.
• Do not refrigerate.

For the buns

• Take a six inch round pan. Line the base with a parchment paper.
• Grease and dust with flour.
• Churn banana and milk in a blender.
• Strain it and keep it aside.
• Take all the dry ingredients and whizz them in a food processor.
• Cut butter into small cubes and add it to the flour mixture.
• Churn again to evenly distribute the butter through the flour.
• Take it out into a bowl.
• Now slowly add the banana milk mixture and using the tips of your fingers bring together the flour.
• If it feels dry add a tsp of water at a time.
• I used 1 tbsp water.
• Dust a parchment sheet with some cocoa powder and place the dough ball on it.
• Cover with another parchment sheet.
• Using a  rolling pin, roll it out into a 12 by 10 inch rectangle.
• This will require some patience.
• Spread the filling evenly all over.
• Now  with the widest end facing you, roll up the dough away from you so that it resembles a Swiss roll.
• Using a very sharp knife or a bench scraper cut the roll into six equal parts.
• Place the buns, cut side up in the prepared tin with very little gap between them.
• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.
• Now reduce the temperature to 180 degrees celsius and bake them for 20-25 minutes.
• Mine took 25 minutes.
• If you have a bread thermometer, then check, their internal temperature should read 190 degrees fahrenheit.
• Remove the pan to a wire rack.
• After ten minutes carefully remove them to a serving platter.
• Enjoy them plain with coffee or serve them warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream and a drizzle of homemade chocolate syrup. 

Note : you can easily double the recipe. 

Cucumber Plum Salad

In this heat and humidity salads are God send. I made a quick salad today with Cucumber, carrot and plum with some seeds, nuts and raisins. 

Raisins are my new found love in salads. 

I like the way they cut the tartness of the dressing. 

Ingredients

Cucumber.          1 very small

Carrot.                1 very small

Plum.                  1

Baby spinach      8-10 leaves

Raisins.               1 tbsp

Sesame seeds      1 tsp

Walnuts               1 tbsp 

Dressing

EVOO.                1 tsp

Lemon juice        1 tsp

Pepper pd.           1/8 tsp

Salt                      1/2 tsp

Mint leaves          2 

Method

Wash and peel carrot and Cucumber.

Chop cucumber into very small cubes.

Using a peeler peel thick strips of carrot. Now cut them into small pieces.

Cut plum also into small pieces. 

Mix Cucumber, carrot, Plum and raisins and keep it in the fridge. 

The juices from the salad will help the raisins to plump up.

Roast walnuts and Sesame seeds.

Wash baby spinach and pat dry.

Mix the dressing ingredients with a whisk . 

To plate: 

Arrange baby spinach. 

Arrange the Cucumber mix on top.

Pour the dressing and toss lightly.  Sprinkle walnuts and Sesame seeds. 

Garnish with mint leaves and serve immediately. 

My One Tablespoon Cookies

The name sounds weird, right?  I was trying a recipe with millets. So I took One Tablespoon of each ingredient so as to make a small test batch. Hence the name.

These cookies have all the healthy ingredients. Please don't be frightened by long list of ingredients. You can use whatever is available with you. Primarily you must have peanut butter and Tahini.

Do a test batch like me and if you like the taste, you can make a large batch. 

I have made these with 1 tbsp oil and without. With oil they are richer where as without oil they were slightly crumbly. 

Ingredients 

Bajra Flour                1 tbsp 

Ragi Flour                 1 tbsp 

Jowar Flour               1 tbsp

Oatsmeal                   1 tbsp

Dessicated coconut   1 tbsp

Peanut butter             1 tbsp

Tahini                        1 tbsp 

Jaggery pd                 1 tbsp

Raisins                      1 tbsp

Dates                         1 chopped

Crushed Peanuts       1 tbsp

Pumpkin seeds          1 tbsp

Baking powder          1/2 tsp

Oil                             1 tbsp 

Water                         1 tbsp

Method 

Whizz all the flours, coconut,  Jaggery pd and baking pd in a food processor. 

Now add peanut butter, Tahini Dates, raisins. 

Whizz again. 

Now add seeds and crushed peanuts. 

Add water and whizz to bring the dough together. 

Check if you need more water. Add a tsp at a time. 

Let the dough rest for atleast 30 minutes. 

Divede the dough into 6 equal parts. 

Press to flatten. 

Keep the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Bake at 180 degrees for 8-10 minutes till the edges  become slightly dark. 

Let them sit on the baking sheet for five minutes, then remove them on a wire rack. 

Store in an airtight container once completely cool. 

The name sounds weird, right?  I was trying a recipe with millets. So I took One Tablespoon of each ingredient so as to make a small test batch. Hence the name.

These cookies have all the healthy ingredients. Please don't be frightened by long list of ingredients. You can use whatever is available with you. Primarily you must have peanut butter and Tahini.

Do a test batch like me and if you like the taste, you can make a large batch. 

I have made these with 1 tbsp oil and without. With oil they are richer where as without oil they were slightly crumbly. 

Ingredients 

Bajra Flour 1 tbsp 

Ragi Flour 1 tbsp 

Jowar Flour 1 tbsp

Oatsmeal      1 tbsp

Dessicated coconut 1 tbsp

Peanut butter 1 tbsp

Tahini 1 tbsp 

Jaggery pd 1 tbsp

Raisins 1 tbsp

Dates 1 chopped

Crushed Peanuts 1 tbsp

Pumpkin seeds 1 tbsp

Baking powder 1/2 tsp

Oil 1 tbsp 

Water 1 tbsp

Method 

Whizz all the flours, coconut,  Jaggery pd and baking pd in a food processor. 

Now add peanut butter, Tahini Dates, raisins. 

Whizz again. 

Now add seeds and crushed peanuts. 

Add water and whizz to bring the dough together. 

Check if you need more water. Add a tsp at a time. 

Let the dough rest for atleast 30 minutes. 

Divede the dough into 6 equal parts. 

Press to flatten. 

Keep the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 

Bake at 180 degrees for 8-10 minutes till the edges  become slightly dark. 

Let them sit on the baking sheet for five minutes, then remove them on a wire rack. 

Store in an airtight container once completely cool. 

Zucchini Hummus aka Zummus

I am slowly but surely falling in love with this vegetable. Earlier, for me zucchini would always end up only in a stir fry. Then I chanced upon zucchini Fritters, and then zucchini Lasagna and now Zucchini Hummus.
Zucchini hummus or zummus is quite versatile. Have it with pita chips or lavash. It goes very well as a spread in sandwiches.
It's better to make it a day in advance for the flavors to develop really well.
You can increase the quantity of oil as per your taste.
We at home were very impressed with zummus.

Ingredients

Zucchini                             250 gms
Garlic                                  4  large cloves
Cilantro                              1/4  cup
Salt                                      to taste
Pepper                                to taste

Lemon juice                       1 tsp
Extra virgin olive oil        1 tbsp or more
Tahini                                 2 tbsp
Paprika pd                         1 /4 tsp

Method

1. Wash and slice zucchini. Brush it with oil.
2. Sprinkle some salt.
3. Now roast it on a hot girdle till its soft.
4. Let it cool completely.
5. Now blend all the ingredients except oil and lemon juice together into a smooth paste.
6. Mix in oil and lemon juice.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning.
8. Garnish with some extra virgin olive oil and paprika pd
9. Keep it in the fridge. Stays fresh for a week.

Strawberry Ice-cream

Wanna beat the heat try out this easy strawberry ice cream. You need just three ingredients. It's eggless yet very creamy. Homemade Strawberry Ice-cream ice so different from store bought. You just can't stop at one scoop.

I have used Amul cream. Please don't use whipping cream if you want real taste of ice-cream.
If using frozen strawberries like I have done, then let them thaw completely. There should not be a  speck  of ice on them else icicles will find their way into the ice cream.
If you are using fresh strawberries then chop them very fine, mix in  2 tbsp sugar and refrigerate it for a few hours, preferably overnight. They will soften completely. Mash them and mix in the cream mixture.

Ingredients

Fresh cream         100 gms
Condensed milk  100 gms
Strawberry            150 gms.

Method

1. Beat cream till its really thick.
2. Add in condensed milk and beat again.
3. Chop the strawberries and then mash them with a potato masher.
4. Fold it in the cream mixture.
5. Now fr
6. 
   
7. eeze it overnight in an airtight container.
8. Next morning enjoy it.

Mango Ice-Cream

Before the mangoes disappear from the market let's make mango ice cream. I have been meaning to post this recipe for a long time but some how could never click pictures .It used to get over so fast. Today morning I clicked a pic before announcing to the family that I have made ice-cream. You need just three ingredients. It's eggless yet very creamy. Homemade Mango  Ice-cream  has a very tantalizing flavor . One bite and you know the difference between homemade and store bought. Oh boy!! That strong essence spoils all the fun. 

I have used Amul cream. Please don't use whipping cream if you want real taste of ice-cream. Keep the cream in the fridge overnight. Chill the bowl and the whisks also before you start beating the cream.

Use the best quality mangoes. While pureeing them don't use water at all.

Whip it a couple of times when it's half set to avoid  icicles in the ice cream. 

Ingredients

Fresh cream          200 gms

Condensed milk   100 gms

Mango puree        200  gms.

Vanilla extract      1 tsp

Method

Beat cream till its really thick.

Add in condensed milk and beat again.

Fold in  mango puree into the cream mixture.

Taste and add more condensed milk if you find it less sweet. 

Now freeze it for four to five hours. 

Beat it well. 

Repeat the process again after four to five hours. 

Now freeze it overnight. 

Serve it next morning with a sprig of mint.