Baklava

Baklava is a rich, sweet pastry made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and those of Central and Southwest Asia. Sticky sweet, flaky and nutty, a small slice of baklava goes a long way, especially with a tiny cup of strong coffee. Serve after a mezze feast. This could be the apt recipe for my 100th post and because of its resemblance with Indian sweets will be very suitable to celebrate the festival of colors i.e "Holi"

HAPPY HOLI !!!!

Serve:                      8-10

Preparation time:      1 hr (including baking time)


Ingredients

Ready-made filo pastry:                    14 sheets (unwrap and keep under a damp tea-towel)
Unsalted butter:                                225 grams
Almond and walnuts:                        225 grams , roughly grounded
Granulated sugar:                              2 tablespoon
Cardamom powder:                          1 tsp
Pistachio:                                          2 table spoon (chopped to garnish)

For the syrup
Granulated sugar:                              350 grams
Water:                                              300 ml
Lemon juice:                                     1 teaspoon

Method
1) Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.
2) Grease a 17cm x 28cm baking tray with butter.
3) Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over low heat or in a microwave.
4) Lay 4 sheets of filo pastry, one at a time, into the tray, brushing each sheet with butter before adding the next.
5) In a clean bowl, mix together the nuts, sugar and cardamom and spread the 1/3 mixture over the pastry in the tray.
6) Layer up the another 2 sheets on top of the nut mixture, brushing each sheet with butter, as before.
7) Repeat the step 5 and 6 twice and after that layer the remaining 4 sheet over it brushing each sheet with butter.
8) Using a sharp knife, cut a criss-cross pattern into the layers of the pastry.
9) Place baklava in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes, then decrease the oven temperature to 150C and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until the pastry is slightly puffed and golden on top. Do not allow the top to burn. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
10) For the syrup, heat the sugar, water and lemon juice in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over a medium heat until the sugar has melted and a syrup is formed. Cook for another 5 minutes after the sugar is dissolved.
11) Pour the syrup on to the baklava and leave to cool. Garnish it with pistachio and serve.

BON APPETIT..

Choco Banana Coffee cake

Coffee cakes are typically single layer cakes that may be square or loaf-shaped rectangular cakes, or they may be ring shaped. Coffee cakes may be flavored with cinnamon or other spices, seeds, nuts and fruits. These cakes sometimes have a crumbly or crumb topping called streusel and/or a light glaze drizzle. A class of cakes intended to be eaten alongside coffee as part of a breakfast meal or that may be eaten during a "coffee break" or offered to guests as a gesture of hospitality on or around a coffee table.

Ingredient:

Banana:                               1 large ( 2 small) ( mashed in a blender)
All purpose flour:                 1 1/4 cups
Sugar:                                  1 cup
Cocoa powder:                    1/4 cup
Salt:                                     1/4 teaspoon
Eggs:                                    2 medium
Butter:                                  2 tablespoon
Sunflower oil:                       1/2 cup
Milk:                                    1/4 cup
Lime juice:                            2 teaspoon
Baking powder:                    1 1/2 teaspoon
Vanilla essence:                    1 teaspoon
Walnut:                                1/2 cup (Chopped)

Method:

1) Preheat the oven at 180 degree celsius and line a baking tray with baking parchment
2) In a large bowl sieve together the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder.
3) In a separate bowl mix oil, butter and sugar using an electric whisk until pale and creamy.
4) Add egg one at a time whisking continuously.
5) Add banana, milk and lime juice. Whisk at low speed for 1 minute.
6) Add vanilla essence. Mix well.  Add all the dry ingredient and fold it.
7) Pour it in the tin and sprinkle the chopped walnut  and bake it for 30-35 minutes or until the tester come out clean.

BON APPETIT..

Kesari Bhaat ( Sweet Saffron Rice)

"Nava-ratri" literally means "nine nights." This festival is observed twice a year. This is a festival dedicated to the worship of a Hindu deity Shakti. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshiped. The 10th day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or "Dussehra.This festival is celebrated with great zeal in India. Bengali "Durga Puja" is best of its kind and center of attraction worldwide. During this period people observe fasting for seven to eight days. Today's recipe is dedicated to this festival and all the people who are fasting. Its made of rice, saffron, loads of dry fruits and sugar syrup.


Ingredient:

Basmati rice:                  1/2 cups soaked
Saffron:                          few threads (soaked in warm water)
Dry Fruits:                      1 cup (Finely chopped- walnut, almond, pistachio, cashew and raisin)
Sugar:                            1/2 cup
Clarified butter:              1 tablespoon
Cumin seed:                   1/2 teaspoon
Green Cardamom powder
Desiccated coconut to garnish

Method:
1) Dissolve saffron in two tablespoon of warm water and set aside.
2) Heat some clarified butter (desi ghee) in a pan and add cumin seed, add rice and sauté for two to three minutes.
3) Add one and a half cups of boiling water and let the rice cook.
4) When rice is 90 percent done strain it and set aside.
5) In a separate pan add sugar and saffron water over the heat until the sugar is dissolved.
7) Add cooked rice and continue to cook till all the water has been absorbed and the rice is fully cooked approximately 5 minutes. Add the cardamom powder and all the dry nuts. Mix gently. And cover it for 5 minutes
8)  Garnish it with desiccated coconut and serve hot.

BON APPETIT..

Earthy Honey Carrot Cupcake

I called it earthy because of the texture and color of the final cake which turned out to be super yummy and healthy too. Carrot cakes are quite popular in UK and North America and can be found pre-packaged in a local grocery store. Carrot cake is a cake which contains carrots. It is mixed with batter. The carrot softens in the cooking process, and the cake usually has a soft, dense texture. The carrots themselves enhance the flavor, texture, and appearance of the cake. Carrot cake may be eaten plain, but it is commonly either glazed or topped with white icing or cream cheese icing and walnuts, usually chopped. It is often coated with icing or marzipans made to look like carrots. But I am not going to do it the basic way.The twist is in the lemony and honey flavour which is added to this beautiful cake. No topping or icing for me as I like it in its basic form.

Ingredient:

Carrot:                                1 1/2 cup (Grated)
Cake Flour:                         1 Cup
Sugar:                                  1/2 cup
Honey:                                 1/4 Cup
Butter:                                  1/2 cup
Eggs:                                    2 large
Cinnamon powder:               1 tablespoon
Walnut:                                1/4 Cup (chopped)
Vanilla essence:                    1 teaspoon    
Lemon zest:                          1 tablespoon
Lemon Juice:                        1 tablespoon
Salt:                                     1 small pinch
Baking Powder:                   1/2 tablespoon

Method:
1) Using a electric whisk combine butter and sugar till creamy and pale. Add honey and mix well.
2) Add egg one at a time whisking continuously. Add vanilla essence, lime juice and cinnamon powder. Mix all together.
3) Sieve cake flour, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl.
4) Mix all the dry mixture and grated carrot to the wet mixture in 3 parts folding slowly. Add lemon zest and walnut, fold it again.
5) Put the cupcake wrapper into the cupcake tin and fill each of them till half.
6) Preheat the oven at 180 degree celcius.
7) Put the cake filled tin into the hot oven for 35-40 minutes until the cupcake are done and tester comes out clean.
8) Serve hot or cold with or without icing and enjoy it any time.

BON APPETIT..