Healthy Moong Dal Roti

After blogging non stop for 30 days, I had real problem on the last day. It is such an irony! But I was saved by this Roti I had made for dinner as a health diet but never got around posting as I was busy with the many cakes that were getting experimented. This healthy rotis had to take a back seat. See how it came to save the day for me!

These were made the regular way as I do with Pesarattu. Except no rice was added nor was it diluted as a Dosa batter. Instead the batter was stored as a thick paste. Just before making the dinner, we had all the chopped vegetables added to the paste, patted down on a plastic sheet and cooked on a hot tawa on both sides.

I will come back to write the proper recipe as I am having internet connectivity problem. Please enjoy the pictures until them.

Check out my Blogging Marathon buddies in action! Priya Suresh, Jay, Gayathri, Monika, PJ, Priya Vaasu, Azeema, Reva, Ayeesha, Veena, Usha & Soumya.

Kid's Delight ~ Chocolate Feast Round up

Chocolate Feast was the best thing to happen in a long time for me. Yes for many too I guess, with the many indulgence that came about. As usual I don't want to give reasons, there is no point actually. It's been a busy month and what with making so many chocolate craving dishes, I didn't want to end it completely.

You can understand how it must have been if I got entries the same day I announced it. That explained many are crazy about chocolate and its creations and adaptions. 

So get ready for a treat and many many efforts to control yourself!

Akila's Eggless Chocolate & Chocolate chip cookies
Cham's Midnight Chocolate Cake
Denise's Double chocolate bread pudding
Dershana's Peanut and chocolate cookies
Krithi's Choco Banana Milkshake
Nivedita's Marie Biscuit Chocolate balls
Meena's Chocolate Chaud
Mehnaz Kapadia's Chocolate cupcakes
Monika's Apple Chocolate Clafouti &  Choco Chip Muffins
Nithi's Eggless black forest cup cakes , Home made chocolates & Perfect chocolate cake
Priya Srinivasan's Eggless Sugarless Chocolate Cake

Priya Suresh's Chocolate mocha cake , Chocolate Mousse Swiss Rolls , Chocolate truffles ,
Cranberry chocolate bread , Eggless Chocolate butter cookies , Eggless Chocolate cookies sandwich & Layered Brownies Sandwich

Radhika's Chocolate Cup Cakes & Chocolate Halwa
Reshmi's Choco Lava Cake
Sameena's Chocolate fudge &  Mocha Truffles
Smita's Basic Chocolate Cake 

Sumi's Short Bread Cookies with Chocolate Dipping
Supriya's Molten Chocolate Cake
Veena Aravind's Carrot, Apple Cupcake with white chocolate Butter Icing &  Eggless walnut,banana and chocolate muffins
And finally from me,  One Minute Microwave Cupcake with Chocolate Frosting , Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies , Chocolate Poli ,  Chocolate Ice Cream , Homemade Chocolates ,  Biscuits with Chocolate Chip ,  Chocolate Biscuit ,  Chocolate Butter Cookies ,  Chocolate Coconut Burfi ,  1 Minute Microwave Eggless Chocolate Cake in Mug  ,  Eggless Chocolate cupcakes

Thank you everybody for your lovely contribution. Please check out the next Kid's Delight theme which is Street Food. 

Hopefully I haven't missed out any entry by mistake, please let me know if so.

Check out my Blogging Marathon buddies in action! Priya Suresh, Jay, Gayathri, Monika, PJ, Priya Vaasu, Azeema, Reva, Ayeesha, Veena, Usha & Soumya.

Weekly Menu for Kids ~ Week 4

It's been an eventful weekend for me, with most of the work getting done. Saturday was off and I ended up working on all the pending work. I gave the boys a new pack of sketch pens and they didn't get up until late in the afternoon for lunch, while Konda was busy playing games. Peddu was so tired that he conked off to sleep saying he was tired. 

I worked on the Chocolate Feast and I was so tempted to make something chocolate, but resisted the urge and had other things done. Finally with hubby dear going off on a day's trip left me with too much time on hand and I attempted some rolls which have been on my to do list for a long long time! They are rising right now, will update on them once they come out baked.

For now, let me share what I might do for Konda this week. I made most of them listed items, trying to follow the plan to the maximum. But then what's fun if I don't break it in between right?

This was an unplanned one last week, I packed Sambar Rice with Aloo Roast

Week 4	Breakfast	Lunch
Monday	Garlic Pull apart Rolls	Fried Rice
Tuesday	Dosa with Chutney	Paneer Paratha
Wednesday	Garlic Bread	Curd Rice with Aloo Roast
Thursday	Potato Cheese Sandwich	Jeera Rice with Dal
Friday	Aloo Paratha	Tomato Pasta

Check out my Blogging Marathon buddies in action! Priya Suresh, Jay, Gayathri, Monika, PJ, Priya Vaasu, Azeema, Reva, Ayeesha, Veena, Usha & Soumya.

Eggless Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Chips | Step By Step Recipe

After my venture with those delicious short cakes, I wanted to make something else right away. Though the recipe is very similar, I modified slightly and used more proportion. Not sure what but these sure came out differently. I want to record all the experiments so that I can resort to whichever proportion I need when the situation arises. 

I baked these in a bread loaf and it very much looked like a bread to me, like those tea cakes or sponge cakes texture. Maybe I need to increase the proportion of corn flour next time, but the cake sure came out moist and soft. I added quite an amount of chocolate chip and it tasted heavenly in each bite. 

One thing I love baking in convection mode is the way the entire house smells heavenly. Nothing beats a fresh cake being baked.

I couldn't wait for this to get cooled. Imagine Konda saying it tasted great, I loved seeing her expression change, Chinnu of course sniffed his nose. He doesn't like anything else but a chocolate flavour. If he had his way he would have removed all the chocolate chip from this. So didn't show him the tin. I delicately sliced the cake into small pieces. Each went into the snack box for the next day.

Athamma was again saying I should bake those chocolate biscuits as the boys like them a lot. I was much too involved admiring this cake, nodding absently that I will bake them soon.

I had the day off today, but I took off saying I have work. Kids were busy with their new pack of sketch pens. So much so that an entire colouring book was completed and they hadn't budged from their spot.

Ok let me show you the steps in making this delicious cake!

Shift the flour with Corn four, Baking soda, Baking powder.

Measure 1/2 cup of curds

Melt the butter.

Add all the wet ingredients to the flour, mix well.

Finally add the olive oil.

Add in as much as Chocolate chips you want, if you are like me, you will add quite some!

Grease and dust the loaf pan with butter and flour. Pat the pan down so that excess flour falls off.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Pat the pan down so that the batter spreads well. Don't spread it with spoon, cake will not rise well.

Top the batter with more chocolate chips

Pre Heat the oven before baking the cake at 185 degree C for 25 minutes

Don't open the door between the first 15- 17 mins. Insert a tooth pick in the center to check the doneness.

When the toothpick comes out clean like this, you know it is almost done. Bake for the rest of the time for more complete baking.

Allow it to cool in the oven for 5 mins, before taking it out.

Again let it cool completely before you slice it.

Eggless Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Chip

Flour - 1 cup
Corn Flour - 1 tbsp
Icing Sugar - 3/4 cup
Baking Soda - 1 & 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp

Curds/ Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Butter - 2 tsp
Milk - 1 - 2 tbsp

Chocolate Chips - as required
Vanilla Essence few drops

Extra flour and butter for dusting

Method to prepare:

Butter and dust the baking pan. Gently pat it down to remove excess flour from the pan.

Shift the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Melt the butter, beat the curds. Add the butter and curds to the dry ingredients. Using a spoon/ fork gently mix the mixture. Finally add the olive oil

Add the chocolate chips to the batter and gently mix in well. Don't beat at this stage.

Pre heat the oven at 185 degree C.

Check consistency, it should be pouring, else add 1 tbsp of milk.

Pour into the prepare tin, tap the pan down for the batter to spread on its own. Don't use spoon.

Bake at 185 degree C for 25 minute. Don't check for done ness until the first 15 mins.

Use a toothpick to see if the cake is done. Insert the stick in the center and if it comes out clean, the cake is done.

Once the full time is done, allow it to cool in the oven for 5 mins, then remove and cool outside for a while.

Slice the cake into small serving pieces when it is completely cooled.

Was a great snack for Konda's School snacks

Check out my Blogging Marathon buddies in action! Priya Suresh, Jay, Gayathri, Monika, PJ, Priya Vaasu, Azeema, Reva, Ayeesha, Veena, Usha & Soumya.

Vanilla Short Cake Eggless - Quick Nirvana!

As years pass by, I think it is natural to end up having a myopic attitude towards holidays. Holidays for me, by far are very less, even those that come my way are spent without realizing it went by. And those holidays no longer have a meaning attached anymore, sorry to say that! I remember during childhood when on Republic day we used to do either the drill or March at school. Few years later, it was at least simply attending the school for either Republic day celebrations or Independence day parade.

Then during early years of marriage, I made sure I caught up the celebrations in TV. Sadly now it has boiled down to mean a holiday when I can either catch up with pending work at home or on the blog. Or even better cook something new. This was my original plan for this 26th, but just as I know, plans get changed so easily. I was at home, trying to do some work but boy my boys! Gosh they know tactics how not to make one work. It was either Peddu complaining or Chinnu complaining all the time. I had plans to make buns, only at the last moment realized my yeast of many months old had died on me. I went to buy but it was not in stock.

 

Came back resigned to do whatever I could. But in the end couldn't do much. So at least thought I should make the lunch special on account of the holiday. And I was happy to get hubby dear appreciating a feast that was laid out. Guess what I forgot about the dessert! It stuck me that dessert was missing and asked if he could wait for 15 minutes. I immediately set out to make these Vanilla Short Cakes.

 

I actually baked them in muffin trays, but the batter and method were more of a ShortCake.  I had a great confusion on what to call these. Though these didn't come through clear off the bottom, they were so soft and delicious. I had made Chocolate Icing, hoping I will make muffins. Whatever these tasted great.

Spot solution for quick Nirvana is what I will call these!

Vanilla Short Cake

All purpose Flour / Maida - 3 tbsp
Cornflour - 1 tsp
Soda - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Icing sugar - 3 tbsp
Vanilla essence  few drops
Olive oil - 2 tsp
Curds - 2 tbsp
Butter - 2 tsp
Chocolate chips - handful



Method to prepare:

Mix the dry ingredients together in bowl.
Next add the melted butter, curds, oil to the dry ingredients

Pre heat the oven at 185 degree.

Then grease the muffin tray with butter and bake for 10 mins.

To make the Chocolate Icing,

Icing Sugar - 2 tbsp
Cocoa powder - 1 tsp
Butter - 2 tsp
Mix everything together until it is creamy

Once it is baked, allow it to cool down. Then scoop down a spoon over each of them before enjoying them!

These were really very delicious, I know I can't tag it as one particular bread or cake. But really tempting ones!

Vanilla essence really added quite a drama as the bakery baked cakes.

Check out my Blogging Marathon buddies in action! Priya Suresh, Jay, Gayathri, Monika, PJ, Priya Vaasu, Azeema, Reva, Ayeesha, Veena, Usha & Soumya.

1 Minute Microwave Eggless Chocolate Cake in Mug | Eggless Microwave Cakes | Step by Step Recipe

It was 8 pm when I returned from office when I suddenly had this urge to bake a cake. Naturally it had to be an eggless one. And if it was to be quick it naturally had to be baked in Microwave. Some ages back I had baked in a coffee mug but never came around posting the recipe. I don't remember it came out much like the buttery soft cake. Still it was good.

When this passion for baking got kindled again, I was in search of getting the perfect crumble, soft texture to my cakes, even those baked eggless and in Microwave. When I was chatting with Simmi, she enlighten me on how to get the perfect crumble, by adding cornflour. Wow it was so simple. I knew Cake flour was a flour with corn flour added, but never knew we can get around preparing it at home. Simmi suggested I add 1 tbsp of corn flour to 1 cup of All purpose Flour. 

I have been experimenting with this combo to get the perfect texture. But before that my attempt to bake with my kids around really turned out to be a big hilarious adventure. First I combined everything off very quick while both the boys were pulling around to see what was going next. Luckily I just tasted it and it was really so bitter! I forgot to add sugar. I had already added it to the mug, so hurriedly removed and add the icing sugar. Baked it

Since I felt the first one may not have been right, I wanted to try a new batch, so mixed again. But this time after popping into the oven I realized I forgot to add the Baking Soda! Wow I was really jinked. I was not about to give up, so again blended another batch. It almost sounded like a never ending saga. I got out these cute cups that Raji gifted me when we met. 

In my haste filled it more than needed and by 1 minute it over flew! Whatever the cake that remained at the bottom was very crumbly. 

 

 

Step by Step Recipe to bake Microwave Eggless chocolate Cake in a Mug

Take the butter in a non stick bowl.

Melt it at 1 melt.

In a bowl, take 1 tsp corn flour

 Add 2 tbsp All purpose flour

Add 1 tsp Baking Soda

Next goes 1 tsp of Cocoa powder

Add the melted butter to the bowl.

 I used some bitter sweet choco chunks

Melted it for 1 min at microwave.

Then add 2 tbsp curds/yogurt tot the bowl

Next goes 2 tsp of cooking oil.

Mix everything together but not very briskly

As I said I added the sugar finally!..

 

This was mug I used.

Grease the mug with butter, pour the batter

Bake it at 1 minute microwave

I made another batch in these cute small coffee cups.

Eggless Chocolate Cake in Mug in 1 minute

Ingredients Needed:

Dry ingredients

All purpose flour - 2 tbsp

Corn Flour - 1 tsp

Baking Soda - 1 tsp

Cocoa powder - 1 tsp

Icing Sugar - 2 tbsp

Wet Ingredients

Butter - 2 tsp

Curds/ Yogurt - 2 tbsp

Cooking Oil - 2 tsp

Bitter Sweet Chocolate chunks - 4 pieces.

Method to prepare:

To make the dry ingredients

In a bowl, shift the dry ingredients keep it aside.

Melt the butter in a bowl. Melt the chocolate chunks.

To the dry flours, add the melted butter, curds, oil mix well. then finally add the melted chocolate 

Grease a mug and pour the prepared batter.

Microwave for 1 minute.

Let it rest for 5 minutes before enjoying it.

I served chocolate sauce over it.

Peddu and Chinnu enjoyed it very much. I was trilled to get a quick dessert in as short as 5 mins.

Hubby dear did say that it was very moist though I liked it very much. Maybe since it was baked in microwave mode it came out this way. I baked another version which was really very crumbly and moist still..up next!

Check out my Blogging Marathon buddies in action! Priya Suresh, Jay, Gayathri, Monika, PJ, Priya Vaasu, Azeema, Reva, Ayeesha, Veena, Usha & Soumya.

Chili Cheese Toast | Quick Breakfast for Kids | Tasty Street Food

Imagine dieting and in the same breath you end up making a Chili Cheese Toast. Well that's what happened this morning. Many things worked against me planning a proper breakfast. That only made me resort to the saver breakfast, something with bread. I decided on cheese sandwich, then seeing those tender green chilies from last nights Rice rottis, I remembered those delicious Chili Cheese Toast from one of Street shops that offer wide range of Sandwiches.

These Sandwich wallas are famous for their many varieties they offer. The aromas that sniff past as you cross them takes you heaven. I remember once ordering these Chili Cheese Toast from them and couldn't stop with just one. These were delicately wrapped in an aluminum foil, which made them soft yet crisp on sides and the succulent generous cheese spiced with green chilis are just enough to take you to the next level.

When I made these some time back when my sils family visited us, I couldn't get hold of them enough to take pictures. Moreover I had made with matured green chilies and couldn't offer to the kids. As we now had tender ones which were not spicy at all, kids didn't notice them at all when I added couple of them to their toast.

I was planning on sending Jeera Pulao with Rajma Masala for Konda's lunch. But after eating for breakfast, she insisted that her lunch be the same. Then Peddu had and it was the same request. Finally both of them carried these delicious Chili Cheese Toast for lunch and came back asking this to be sent again.

Chili Cheese Toast

Ingredients Needed:

Bread Slices - 4
Cheese - 2 cubes
Tender Green Chilies - 4 small
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Ghee - 1 tsp

Method to prepare:

Trim the sides of the bread. Place them on a plate, spread the grated cheese, finely chopped chilies on top. Press another slice over this.

Grease the top with little ghee.

Get the sandwich maker ready by pre heating it. Then grease the top plate with little ghee, place the prepared sandwich on top, close down the lid.

Grill till the light goes. Check if it is golden in colour, else keep it for few more minutes.

Another one for my Kid's Delight Event themed this month on Street Food.

Check out my Blogging Marathon buddies in action! Priya Suresh, Jay, Gayathri, Monika, PJ, Priya Vaasu, Azeema, Reva, Ayeesha, Veena, Usha & Soumya.

Rice Tikkis | A twist to the Indian Street Food

These Rice Tikkies were a twist to the regular tikkis that we make. We wanted to make it more healthy by not adding maida to the dough. The crunchy onions added taste and this was a quick snack for the kids. 

The special thing about these were the fact that they can be kept on the tawa and be forgotten. Well not quite literally though. Unlike the starchy potato Tikkis, these don't get overcooked or need immediate attention.

Ingredients Needed:

Rice - 3/4 cup
Wheat Flour - 1/2 cup
Fried Gram - 2 tbsp
Onions - 1 medium
Coriander leaves - handful
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Ajwain seeds - 1/4 tsp
Bread Crumbs as required.
Oil for shallow frying
Salt to taste
Water litte to knead to a dough

Method to prepare:

Chop the onions and coriander fine. In a bowl take the flours together, add the chili powder, onions, ajwain seeds to the flour.


Slowly add the water little to knead to a stiff dough. Divide into balls. Flatten into thin discs, roll them on bread crumbs.

Heat a tawa, grease with oil. Place the tikkis and cook on both sides by sprinkling oil and cook on slow flame. 

These are off to my Kid's Delight Event themed this month on Street Food.

Check out my Blogging Marathon buddies in action! Priya Suresh, Jay, Gayathri, Monika, PJ, Priya Vaasu, Azeema, Reva, Ayeesha, Veena, Usha & Soumya.