Cake House

With the onset of Monsoon, the weather has become a little cold and there is a slight nip in the air. This is the time to sip on some thing warm and soothing and that's exactly what I did for today's dinner. A bowl of this hearty plum and chicken soup with a crunch from fried garlic in every bite and a few slices of Herb and Garlic bread to dunk in the soup is just what I needed to enjoy the weather. This combination of Plums and chicken is sure to impress your taste buds. Here is the recipe to make this Plum and Chicken Soup with Crispy Fried Garlic. This recipe also goes to the Kitchen Aid Contest held by IFBM, a food bloggers meet that is happening in Bangalore. All you need is Olive oil - 2 tbsp Garlic - 8-10 cloves ( chopped ) Onion - 1\2 cup ( sliced ) Celery - 1\4 cup ( chopped ) Plums - 5-6 ( de seeded and chopped ) Chicken breast - 1 ( cut into pieces ) Bay leaf - 1 Chicken stock - 4 cups Butter - 1 tbsp All purpose flour - 2 tbsp Freshly ground black pepper - 1\2 tsp ...

You all are well aware of my love for the stone fruits and how I am desperately trying to make the most of them while they last. After I posted the Spiced Peach and Rum Galette on my other Blog Whisk Affair, I was well convinced that it is my last post on stone fruits for this season. But then this twist in the plans came up when IFBM, the first ever Blogger's meet in India which is happening in Bangalore announced the Kitchen Aid Contest  . The winner of the contest wins a Kitchen Aid Chopper, so there is no way I was going to miss it. I am a big fan of Kitchen Aid Gadgets and very proudly owns a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer and a Meat Mince Attachment and will not leave any opportunity to have that gorgeous Chopper in my Kitchen.  So I have come with this Dessert Dip recipe using Plum as the main ingredient. You can serve this dip with apple wedges, marsh mellows, crackers, strawberries and pretzels and a healthy yet delicious dessert option is ready in no time. Here is the recip...

With the summers comes the stone fruits and I get obsessed with cooking and baking with them. This obsession is not irrational as you just get a few days to enjoy these and then have to wait for an entire year for them to come back. So please bear with the upcoming recipes which will be featuring a lot of stone fruits :) Made this not so common combination a few days back and it was loved by all in the family. The sweet and tangy plums gives a characteristic flavor to the gravy which goes very well with the spicy mutton. This recipe need both dried plums and fresh plums but if fresh plums are not available, you can add a few teaspoons of lemon juice.The thing that you should always keep in mind while cooking with plums is to add them at the end of cooking. If they are added in between, they make the gravy a bit bitter. Here is how I made this curry. This recipe goes to the Kitchen Aid Contest organised by IFBM, the first f it's kind, food Blogger's meet that is happening in B...

You think of Indian snacks and the first thing that pops up is Samosa. Samosas have made a big name for themselves and for Indian snacks in the foreign world. During our days of travel, lot of Mohit's colleagues requested me to make samosas for them and it was always a joyous sight to see them devour the humble samosa with much Oohhs and aahhs. With the easy availability of samosa patti these days, it has become my snack of choice whenever I have guests at home and I keep experimenting with the filling. This time, I ditched the regular potato filling and instead whipped up a delicious chicken and cheese filling for my samosas. Needless to say, it was a hit and is definitely going to be on the menu when ever we are entertaining for the next time. So here is the recipe to make these super easy and delicious Chicken and cheese samosa. All you need is Samosa patti - 12-15 All purpose flour - 1 tbsp Water - 2 tbsp Oil - 1 tbsp and for frying Garlic - 3-4 cloves ( thinly sliced ) Onion -...

A couple of days back, we enjoyed a lovely evening with friends, good food and drinks at my place. I was in charge of food and we decided to use our newly acquired gas grill and a barbeque was set up. With a lot of  food and drinks around, I ended up with a big batch of grilled vegetables as left overs. Now to use up all those vegetables was a challenge and that's when this Veg Tikka Masala came to my mind. The gravy is the same that I make for my Chicken Tikka masala and the beautiful smoky flavor from the grilled vegetables made it even more amazing. Although I used the left over vegetables to make this curry, you can specially marinate the veggies, grill them on a gas grill or a grill pan and then add them in the curry. Here is the recipe to make this very delicious Veg Tikka Masala. All you need is To marinate the vegetables Capsicum - 1\2 ( cut into cubes ) Onion - 1\2 ( cut into cubes ) Baby corn - 3-4 ( cut into half ) Mushroom - 10-12 Paneer - 150 g Cauliflower - 10-12 smal...

This Chicken Dahi Wala recipe is very close to my heart as it's my Dad's to go recipe and I remember him making this dish week after week on our demand as we never got over this flavorful, spicy curry with a lovely texture. The recipe is quite easy to make as all you have to do is to brown the onions. All the other ingredients are basically dumped in the pan and cooked till they blend beautifully with each other. Serve it with rice or pair it with laccha paratha or naan, this recipe is surely a keeper. Here is the simple recipe to make this Dahi Wala Murgh. All you need is Chicken - 1 kg ( with bones ) Oil - 1\4 cup Cloves - 3-4 Black peppercorns - 5-6 Black cardamom - 2 Cinnamon - 1 inch stick Dry red chili - 2-3 Onion - 1 and 1\2 cups ( thinly sliced ) Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp Yogurt - 2 cups Coriander powder - 2 tsp Turmeric powder - 1\2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder - 2 tsp Garam masala powder - 1 tsp Salt to taste Honey - 1 tsp lemon juice - 1 tbsp Fresh coriander for g...

Breakfast is a very important meal for us and I am always on a lookout for breakfast recipes which makes a good lunch pack option for my kiddo as well. This Paneer Moong dal Chila has always been a family favorite and I love how it can be prepared with so much ease and the health benefits associated with it. It also keeps good till the lunch time for kiddo and rolled and packed in an Aluminium foil, it is easy for him to munch on it without much fuss and dirty hands and cloths. Here is how I make my Paneer and Moong dal chila. All you need is For the batter Dhuli Moong dal \ Split skinned green gram - 1 cup Salt - 1 tsp Ginger - 1 inch piece Green chili - 1 Oil for frying For the filling Oil - 1 tbsp Cumin \ Zeera seeds - 1 tsp Onion - 1\4 cup ( chopped ) Green chili - 1 Salt to taste Turmeric powder - 1\4 tsp Paneer - 1 cup ( grated ) Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp ( chopped ) Method of preparation For the filling Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add cumin seeds. When the seeds start...

Everyone in my house loves chole and since they are also a great source of protein, I end up making them at least once a week. The recipes I usually use to make Chole are either Pindi Chana Masala or Chole in an onion tomato gravy. This time I gave a little twist to my regular recipe and made Shahi Chole instead. The gravy was enriched with Khoya and milk and a little lemon juice and honey at the end gave it a wonderful taste and flavor. The recipe was very well appreciated and now I have another winner in my collection. Do try this Shahi Chole masala to give a change to your regular Chole gravy. Here is the recipe. All you need is Chole \ Chickpeas - 2 cup Oil - 4 tbsp Onion - 1 and 1\2 cups ( chopped ) Ginger paste - 1 tsp Garlic paste - 1 tsp Tomato - 1 cup ( chopped ) Coriander powder - 3 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder - 2 tsp Turmeric powder - 1\2 tsp Garam masala - 1 tsp Roasted cumin powder - 1\2 tsp Salt to taste Khoya - 100 gm Milk - 1\2 cup Lemon juice - 2 tsp Honey - 1 tbsp S...

Murgh Malaiwala or Chicken in a cream based gravy is an easy to make yet very delicious preparation of Chicken where Chicken is cooked in cream and milk and is very mildly spiced with garam masala powder, cardamom powder, saffron and some green chilies. Enjoy Murgh Malaiwala with some laccha paratha or naan. Here is the easy and simple recipe to make this Chicken delicacy. All you need is Boneless chicken - 500 g ( cut into small pieces ) Hung yogurt - 2 tbsp Lemon juice - 1 tbsp Ginger paste - 1 tsp Garlic paste - 1 tsp Salt - 1 tsp Garam masala powder - 1 tsp Oil - 1 tbsp Ghee \ Clarified butter - 1 tbsp Cloves - 3-4 Black peppercorn - 5-6 Onion - 1 and 1\2 cups ( chopped ) Green chili - 2 ( slit into half ) Fresh cream - 100 ml Milk - 1\2 cup Saffron strands - a pinch Cardamom powder - 1\2 tsp White pepper power - 1\2 tsp Kasuri methi \ dried fenugreek leaves - 2 tbsp ( crushed ) Almond flakes for garnishing Method of preparation Mix hung yogurt, lemon juice, ginger paste, garlic pa...

Potato is the most common vegetable in the world and is one of the most versatile one too. It is also the most liked vegetable in my house and when I am confused on what to make for the meals, potato becomes the saving grace and each time a new recipe is created and relished. Til Vale Sookhe Aloo is a childhood favorite of mine and I can still smell the aroma of it coming from my mom's kitchen while we eagerly waited on the dining table for our occasional lunch of Poori and this Til vale aloo. The Sesame seeds are slightly roasted and then either pounded or ground to make a coarse powder. The potatoes are then mixed with this sesame seed powder and other spices and is cooked till done. This recipe is very mildly spiced and requires minimum ingredients. Here is how to make these delicious TIl Vale Sookhe Aloo. Serves - 2-3 All you need is Potato - 3-4 ( medium sized ) White sesame seeds  3 tbsp Oil - 1 tbsp Cumin seeds - 1\2 tsp Heeng \ Asafoetida - 1\4 tsp Dry red chili - 2-3 Gree...

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.

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...