X MAS SPECIAL BOOZY DESSERT

Dear all,

There is no excuse for my vanishing act from time to time. But i have been crazily busy.

But am back with a boozy treat on this christmas eve for you all as a bribe for the vanishing act that i have been doing.

So get ready to make a cake with the fresh produce of the season and pair it with an equally amazing boozy sauce to cut the chill that the Delhi winters is bringing in for all of us.

The Li'l Princess is off to school for the XMas carnival and am thawing myself with a big mug of hot hot steaming coffee.

CARROT & BEETROOT CAKE WITH WHISKEY SAUCE

Ingredients-

2 cups grated carrots
2 cups grated beetroot
2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup vegetable oil
4 no eggs
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon powder

Method-

* Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl.
* Add in the eggs and the oil and mix until just blended.
* Add the carrots, beetroot, nuts and fold well.
* Grease a 1 kg cake tin.
* Put the batter in the prepared cake tin.
* Bake at 200C for abt 35-40 mins.

For the whiskey sauce-

Ingredients-

100 gms cream
100 gms milk maid
20 gms chocolate
100 ml whiskey
a pinch of salt

Method-

* Mix the cream and the milk maid in a pan and bring to a slow boil.
* Add in the chocolate and let it melt.
* Add the salt.
*. Take it off the fire and add the whiskey.

NARKOL NADU OR BENGALI COCONUT LADDOO

These nadu remind me of my school days, when we would go to meet our paternal grandparents on vacations. These would be the first thing that would come out of my granny's treasure trove. I had never made these myself before but had sat wid granny and observed her making these. So here's to her sweet memories. And these came out just like hers.

Ingredients-

1 coconut, grated fine
250 gms jaggery

Method-

* Break the jaggery into small peices and melt them in a thick bottomed pan.
* Add the coconut and mix well.
* Keep stirring continously till the mixture forms a soft doughike ball and leaves the sides of the pan.
* Take it out on a plate.
* Let it cool for exactly 5 min. If you let it cool for longer it will start to harden and will not form laddoos easily.
* Apply little ghee on the palms of your hand and form small laddoos of about 25-30 gms each.
* Let them cool and enjoy. Dont serve hot or even warm ones to children, as the caramel formed by the jaggery will be to hot to handle for the kids.

DIWALI SWEETS

Mysore pak
Sooji laddoo

CHICKEN DHANSAK

Hi,
Today is Parsi New Year. They say "Navroz Mubarak". And on this day i made chicken dhansak. I know traditionally it is not made with chicken. But this is just my variation. Hope u all enjoy it.

Ingredients-

1/2 cup tuar dal
1/2 cup moong dal
1/2 cup urad dal
1 cup egg plant, diced
1 cup potatoes, diced
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 cup onions, chopped
2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric pwd
2 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
2 tbsp coriander, chopped

Method-

* Wash all the dals.
* Cook the dal with 1/2 the onion, potatoes, brinjal, turmeric and salt till they are all mashy and no veggies are visible.
* Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds till they splutter.
* Add the onions and brown them.
* Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute till brown.
* Add tomatoes and cook till a homogenous mix is formed.
* Add the chicken and coat in the mix and cook till brown.
* Now add the dal and veggie puree.
* Add 1/2 cup water and cook till the chicken is done.
* Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with bown rice.

TEQUILA PRAWNS

Hi,
Today is RAKSHA BANDHAN, a day when a sister ties a thread on her brother's wrist and the brother promises to take care and protect her all through his life.
I dont have any brothers so no celebration for me.

Ingredients-

500 gms prawns, peeled and deveined
1/2 tsp garlic, chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chilli flakes
Salt to taste
3 tbsp coriander, chopped
pepper to taste
1 tbsp basil, chopped
2 tbsp tequila

Method-

* Put all the ingredients, except the prawns, in a bowl and mix well.
* Marinate the prawns in the marinade for about 20 min.
* Heat a non-stick pan and grill the prawns 3-4 min on each side.
* Serve with a salad or can be used in a salad.

HAPPY 61st INDEPENDENCE DAY

Hi,
Today we are all celebrating India's 61st Independence Day so no cooking for me also. I also want independence just for 1 day from the hot and humid kitchen. So just this snap that i clicked from my terrace of these 2 guys selling balloons in the tri-colour on the intersection in-front of my house since 5am. And another image that i downloaded from yahoo india. And another excuse for not cooking today is that my daughter is not well.