Cake House

Basundi is a famous Traditional Indian dessert mostly made in the states of Gujarat and Maharashtra. It is basically thickened milk flavored with cardamom and rose water. A lot of variations of this dessert can be made giving it a new twist each time. Mangoes being in the season are my current favorite and I try to use them in different ways while cooking and baking. Tried this Mango basundi today and it came out superb. The combination of thickened milk and mango puree with a crunch from the dry fruits are perfect for a dessert. Here is the recipe to make Mango basundi. All you need is Full cream milk - 1 and 1\2 liters Saffron - a generous pinch Sugar - 2 tbsp ( you can adjust the sugar according to your taste ) Cardamom powder - 1\2 tsp Mango puree - 1 cup Slivered almonds, pistachios and cashew nuts - 1\4 cup Method of preparation Put the milk in a heavy bottom pan. Heat till it comes to a boil. Take 2 tbsp milk from it in a bowl. Add saffron and keep aside. Simmer the heat and let...

Raita is basically whisked curd flavored with any type of flavoring and either some fruits or vegetables are then added to it. Curd is an integral part of the meals at my home and I try to make a variety of Raitas to make it interesting. Now that the Mangoes are in season, this Mango Raita is a regular in my house and everyone seems to relish it. Here is the recipe to make this quick and delicious Mango Mint Raita. All you need is Fresh curd - 1 cup Mango puree - 1\4 cup Mango cut in cubes - 1 cup Sugar - 1 tsp Salt to taste Roasted cumin powder - 1\4 tsp Mint leaves - 5-6 ( chopped ) Method of preparation Whisk the curd till it is smooth and creamy. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Chill for a few hours before serving.

Green chutney is nothing new to Indian house holds, yet each home has it's own way to make it. The proportion of the ingredients and addition of a few different ones make a huge difference in the taste of this humble dish. My Mom's recipe for this chutney has always been a talk of the town and whoever tasted it claimed that it was the best chutney they have ever had. So this time when she was visiting me, I stood next to her with a pen and a notebook and measured all the ingredients, she dumped into the blender and now when I made the chutney following her recipe, it came out exactly as hers. Sharing her recipe to make kairi aur dhaniya ki chutney. Do let me know how it turned out for you :) All you need is Fresh Dhaniya \ Coriander - 3 cups Fresh pudina \ Mint - 1 cup Green chili - 2-3 Ginger - 2 inch piece Garlic - 6-8 cloves Kairi \ Raw mango - 1 ( medium ) Salt to taste Heeng \ Asafoetida - 1\4 tsp Zeera \ Cumin seed - 1 tsp Method of preparation Clean mint and coriander an...

Jal Jeera is a very popular Indian drink which is made from fresh coriander, mint leaves and roasted cumin powder. It is very refreshing, have a cooling effect and is good for digestion as well. Here is the recipe to make a delicious and refreshing Jal Jeera at home. All you need is Fresh mint leaves - 1\2 cup Fresh coriander leaves - 1\2 cup Ginger - 1\2 inch piece Lemon juice - 2 tbsp Roasted cumin powder - 1\2 tsp Heeng \ Asafoetida - 1\4 tsp Black salt - 2 tsp Salt - 2 tsp Black pepper powder - 1\4 tsp Sugar - 1 tsp Dry mango powder - 2 tsp Tamarind pulp - 1 tbsp Water - 4 cups Method of preparation Wash the mint and coriander leaves. Blend them with ginger in a blender to make a smooth paste. Add little water if required. Transfer the paste in a big bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving. It is important to keep jal jeera for a few hours before serving for the flavors to develop.

After the huge success of the Gosht Aloo bhukahra and the Mango Chicken that I made last year, I was tempted to try more Fruit and Meat combinations and so came this Lychee Chicken. Very Unusual but a winning combination, this is a must make if you are fond of Chinese style gravies. I have used fresh litchies in the recipe as they were available in the market, but you can use the canned ones as well. Here is the recipe to make this Chinese style Lychee Chicken. All you need is Chicken breast - 400 g Maida \ All purpose flour - 1\2 cup Salt to taste Black pepper powder - 1\2 tsp + 1\2 tsp Vegetable oil - 2 tbsp and for frying Garlic - 2 tsp ( chopped ) Ginger - 1 tsp ( chopped ) Onion - 1 cup ( cut into squares ) Capsicum - 1 cup ( cut into squares ) Lychee \ Litchi - 15-20 ( peeled and de seeded ) Soy sauce - 2 tsp Green chili sauce - 2 tbsp White wine vinegar - 2 tsp Red chili paste - 2 tsp Litchi juice - 1 cup ( I used canned juice ) Cornflour - 2 tbsp Spring onion greens for garnish...

Although Dum Aloo is a traditional Kashmiri dish, a lot of variations have come up in this recipe. A few days back, I shared the recipe to make Dum Aloo in Authentic Kashmiri style, which is very different from what we get to eat in restaurants in the name of Dum Aloo. The gravy that we get in the restaurants is much rich and creamy and although it's not the traditional way of making the dish, tastes really good. Use of fresh cream and cashew nut paste in a onion based gravy makes this dish really special and it goes very well with Indian breads. Here is the recipe to make this delicious restaurant style Dum Aloo. All you need is Cashew nut - 4 tbsp Baby potato - 1\2 kg ( if baby potatoes are not available, use regular potatoes cut into small pieces ) Vegetable oil for frying the potatoes Mustard oil - 4 tbsp Cloves - 3-4 Cinnamon  - 1 inch piece Black cardamom - 2 Black peppercorns - 5-6 Onion - 1 and 1\2 cup ( finely chopped ) Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp Green chili - 2 ( slit in...

There are a few things which are always there in my refrigerator, handy to be used when there are sudden hunger pangs and the kiddo wants something delicious too. This Pizza sauce is one of those things. Just a good slather on either a whole wheat pizza base or on a whole wheat bread slice, topped with a generous dose of Mozzarella, a pop in the oven for a few minutes and a delicious snack is ready in no time. While coming up to this recipe, I have tried a lot of combinations and proportions in the past and finally have settled down on this one. Here is how to make a delicious Pizza sauce at home from scratch. All you need is Olive oil - 2 tbsp Unsalted butter - 1 tbsp Garlic - 2 tbsp ( chopped ) Dried oregano - 1 tsp Fresh tomato - 1 kg ( cut into small pieces ) Tomato puree - 1\4 cup Salt to taste Black pepper powder - 1\2 tsp Fresh basil leaves - a handful ( roughly torn ) Method of preparation Heat olive oil and butter in a pan. Add garlic and fry for a few seconds. Add dried orega...

B ack to Bangalore after a long vacation from Kerala. In the scorching heat of Kerala, I have seen a lot of road side stalls where they sell this amazing drink. I was told that this is an excellent drink to cool yourself. I wanted to try this from one of the stalls but wasn’t sure about the water. So I tried it at home and realized why this drink is so popular in Kerala. This is a perfect thirst quencher. There are so many names for this drink like “taste of Kochi” or “new generation drink” and so on. A perfect blend of lemon, green chillies, sugar and ice cubes. We can also add little crushed ginger and also basil / sabja seeds. Just you need some simple ingredients and an amazing magical drink will be ready within minutes. Ingredients: Lemon- Half a lime Sugar- 1 tbsp Green Chilli- 1 no Water- ½ a glass Ice Cubes- few Method: Squeeze the lime in a glass along with sugar, green chillies, water and ice cubes. Cover the glass tightly with another glass and shake well for about 30 sec. S...

Summer time and we all want some thing cold and chilled to eat. Ice creams, sorbets and kulfis are the most enjoyed dessert in my household during the summers and I make sure my freezer has a generous supple of these. So this time it was Mango Kulfi to keep up  with the mango Mania. Here is how to make it.                                                                                                All you need is Full cream milk - 1 liter Saffron - A pinch Condensed milk - 250 g Cornflour - 1 tbsp Fresh cream - 1\4 cup Almonds - 1\4 cup ( blanched and skin removed ) Cashew nuts - 1\4 cup  Pistachio - 2 tbsp ( blanched and skin removed ) Mango puree - 1 cup Almond and pistachio slivers for garnishing Method of preparation Heat milk in a hea...

As I have told you all before, Indo Chinese food is an all time favorite in my house and I keep on experimenting with new flavors each time I make it. This time I added a few pineapple chunks in the regular fried rice that I usually make to go along with the gravy and it was very well received. We enjoyed the sweet and sour vegetables that I posted yesterday with this super awesome pineapple fried rice. Pineapple gives a lovely texture and flavor to the rice and goes very well with the savory flavors. This rice is a perfect accompaniment to any Chinese style Gravy. Here is how to make it. All you need is Cooked rice - 2 cups Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp Sesame oil - 1 tbsp Garlic - 2 tsp ( finely chopped ) Ginger - 1 tsp ( finely chopped ) Onion - 1\2 cup ( finely chopped ) Pineapple - 1 cup ( cut into small chunks ) Lemon juice - 2 tbsp Soy sauce - 1\2 tsp Salt to taste White pepper powder - 1\2 tsp Green onion for garnishing Method of preparation Heat oil in a wok. When the oil is hot, add...

Indo Chinese food has always been a favorite at home and with so many variations which can be done in this cuisine, there is no dearth of recipes to come up with. This sweet and sour vegetables is a very old recipe of mine and I have been making it since a long time. Every time I clean my refrigerator and the half of that red bell pepper or a few of those mushrooms needs to be cooked soon, this recipe comes in handy. Throw in which ever vegetable you have at hand and a few sauces along and you have a delicious meal ready with no effort. This dish gets it's sweet taste from the brown sugar and the sourness comes from the vinegar and lemon juice. Pair it with some steamed rice and trust me you will have a restaurant style Indo Chinese dish to relish in the comfort of your home. Here is how to make this recipe. All you need is Red capsicum - 2 ( cut into cubes ) Yellow capsicum - 2 ( cut into cubes ) Green capsicum - 1 ( cut into cubes ) Mushroom - 200 g ( sliced ) Carrot - 2 ( sliced...