Cake House

Muttabal.. is a Middle eastern Dip made with eggplant. The eggplant is cooked on fire to give it a smoky flavor and it is then blended with other ingredients and spices to make Muttabal. Enjoy this delicious dip with Pita bread, crackers or as a sandwich spread. Here is how to make Muttabal All you need is Eggplant - 1 Onion - 1\4 cup ( finely chopped ) Tomato - 1\4 cup ( finely chopped ) Tahini - 2 tbsp Lemon juice - 2 tbsp Garlic - 6-8 Hung curd - 2 tbsp Salt to taste Olive oil - 2 tbsp Chili flakes - 1 tsp Fresh coriander - 1 tsp ( chopped ) Recipe of Muttabal Wash the eggplant and pat dry. Make a few incisions on the eggplant and roast directly on a gas stove or in an oven till the skin turns black and the flesh is softened. Remove the blackened skin of the eggplant. Add the flesh and remaining ingredients in a blender and just blend once or twice to make a coarse dip. Serve with pita or any other crackers.

Hummus is a Middle Eastern dip made with chickpeas as the main ingredient.  I was introduced to this delicious dip a few years back by one of my husband's aunt who had spent many years in middle east. I instantly fell in love with this versatile dip. Serve it with crackers or slather it over your bread slice to make sandwiches, it tastes lovely in all it's avatars. Although the ingredients are very basic to make Hummus, a few tips and tricks takes it to another level. After making it innumerable times, I have come up with a recipe which tastes delicious each time. Here is the recipe to make the best Hummus. All you need is Chickpea - 1 cup Garlic cloves - 12-14 Tahini - 4 tbsp ( mix 4 tbsp sesame seeds with 2 tbsp olive oil and little water and blend in a blender to make a smooth paste ) Extra virgin olive oil - 8 tbsp Lemon juice - 5 tbsp Salt to taste Roasted cumin powder - 1\2 tsp Chili flakes - 1 tsp Warm water from boiled chickpeas - 3-4 tbsp Method of preparation Wash and...

Vegetable Jalfrezy....This medley of vegetables in a spicy masala is a delicious option for an Indian meal. I was cleaning my refrigerator yesterday and that's when I found half a capsicum, a few florets of cauliflower and a single carrot lying in the vegetable basket. These vegetables makes for a delicious mix vegetable curry and so without much brain storming, my dinner plan was ready. Frozen peas from the freezer and a packet of paneer added to this array of colorful veggies made into a lip smacking Vegetable Jalfrezi in no time. You can enjoy this dish with laccha Paratha or Naan. Here is the recipe to make it All you need is Ghee - 2 tbsp Oil - 2 tbsp Cumin \ Zeera - 1\2 tsp Onion - 1\2 cup ( thinly sliced ) Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp Green chili - 2  ( slit into half ) Tomato puree - 3 tbsp Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp Coriander powder - 2 tsp Red chili powder - 1 tsp Turmeric powder - 1\2 tsp Garam masala powder - 1\2 tsp Salt to taste Paneer - 250 g ( cut into small pieces ) Mi...

Hyderabadi Badam ka Hareera...This drink is one among the many authentic Hyderabadi recipes which is very popular as breakfast drink and is also made during the month of Ramazan. It is very nutritious and gives instant energy and is definitely a good start for a day. I like to make this drink when the days are a little cold and just sipping on this hot and energizing drink makes me feel so much better. Here is how to make Hyderabadi Badam ka Hareera. All you need is Ghee - 1 tsp Maida \ All purpose flour - 1 tbsp Almond powder - 1\4 cup ( I blended blanched almonds in a blender to make powder ) Full cream milk - 1 liter Saffron - a good pinch Chironji - 2 tbsp Sugar - 1\4 cup Cardamom powder - 1 tsp Clove powder - 1\2 tsp Dried rose petals for garnishing Hyderabadi Badam ka Hareera Recipe Heat ghee in a pan. Add maida and roast for a few seconds till it is slightly browned. Add almond powder and milk and bring to a boil. Keep stirring. Add saffron and chironji and cook on low heat for ...

Malai kofta... Soft dumplings made with panner in a rich and creamy gravy makes a stunning vegetarian main course option. There are any ways in which you can make this dish. Some people prefers it in a white cashew nut based gravy and other swears by the onion and tomato version. I too make this dish in a variety of ways and each one is special to me. But for today, I am sharing you the one with only tomatoes and cashew nuts and I am sure you will love it. Here is how to make Malai Kofta. All you need is For Kofta Paneer - 300 g Boiled potato - 1 ( medium size ) Ginger - 1\2 tsp ( grated ) Green chili - 1 tsp ( finely chopped ) Coriander - 1 tbsp ( finely chopped ) Salt to taste Garam masala powder - 1\2 tsp Cornflour - 2 tbsp Cashewnuts - 1 tbsp ( finely chopped ) Grated dry coconut - 1 tbsp Raisins - 1 tbsp ( chopped ) Oil for frying For curry Butter - 2 tbsp Oil - 2 tbsp Cloves - 3-4 Black peppercorns - 4-5 Black cardamom - 2 Cinnamon - 1 inch stick Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp Tomat...

Hello friends!!! Hope you all are doing great. I am back in action after a mad week which had so much fun and learning and travel and making new friends and loads of gifts and what not :). I will miss all the fun and madness for a few days but then it is all a part of life and hope this learning and sharing will continue for a long time. Let me also tell you that my recipe for  Ginger and Curry Leaves Martini  won the first prize at the contest held by  Urban Dazzle . I received a beautiful snack tray and gift vouchers as my prize :). Coming to today's recipe, this Badam ka sharbat is a perfect drink to be made during summers or whenever the weather is hot and humid and you wish to drink something really refreshing. The concentrate keeps good in refrigerator for up to a week and all you have to do is to add some milk in it to make a healthy and energizing drink. Here is how to make this delicious Badam ka Sharbat. All you need is Almonds \ Badam  - 250 g Water - 5 cu...

I've always been fascinated by gourmet food stores and loved when I first visited Foodhall last year. The range of product available in this store is remarkable and you can find all things gourmet under one roof.  Be it the variety of cheeses or various type of pastry sheets, fruits that are otherwise not available anywhere else or the spice mixes you have been looking for all around, Foodhall have them all.  Foodhall, a unit of Future Group is premier lifestyle food destination with stores in Bangalore, NCR, Mumbai and Pune. Having traveled through the continents, I could easily relate to the stuff they sell in their aisles appealing to international cuisine lovers as well as Indian foodies. Foodhall is an absolute delight to visit and a must do for every food lover. So when I got a bag full of goodies from Foodhall, I was quite excited and to add to the excitements, the goodies were perfect to create a fabulous Thai Meal for two of us.  I treated my family with a Thai r...

Hello friends, I am back from my Goa trip and have started the reverse counting for the Indian food Bloggers meet . I am so looking forward to meet the fellow bloggers and appreciate the effort and time taken by the organizing committee to make this meet happen. Apart from meeting the bloggers who I knew only virtually, this meet also offers some exciting contests and surprises, one of which is the Urban Dazzle Cocktail and Mocktail contest. Urban Dazzle is India's leading Home Shopping Website with a wide range of products to choose from at a very competitive price. As a food blogger who loves to buy Props which are unique and different and do not burn a hole in my pocket, Urban Dazzle is my destination and so far I have liked the service and quality they offer. From bakeware to serving platters to drinkware, they have it all.  Keeping up with the Indian theme as required for this contest, I have come up with this Ginger and Curry Leaves Martini. I had recently bought the Marti...

Life is super busy at the moment and this is what I always wanted. Learning and exploring new things each day, coming up with wild ideas and executing them and most of all enjoy what I am doing and I am glad this is exactly what I got into through the medium of blogging. This chicken pulav happened in one of these busy days when I wanted to make something very quick and interesting and this recipe is just the one. Unlike a Biryani, where a lot of preparation is required, this chicken Pulav is pretty simple to make and hits just the right spot on the palate. Here is the recipe to make it. All you need is Long grain basmati rice - 2 cups Chicken - 1 kg Oil - 4 tbsp Cloves - 2-3 Black peppercorns - 5-6 Cinnamon - 1 inch stick Onion - 2 cups ( thinly sliced ) Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp Tomato - 1 cup ( chopped ) Coriander powder - 1 tsp Turmeric powder - 1\2 tsp Red chili powder - 1 tsp Garam masala powder - 1\2 tsp Lemon juice - 2 tbsp Water - 4 cups Salt to taste Fresh coriander and fri...

Sago pudding is a favorite in my house and since it is a breeze to whip up this pudding, it's one of the dessert of choice to make when I have sudden guests at home. Kitchen Aid India has announced a contest at IFBM, a first of it's kind, bloggers meet in India and they are giving away a kitchen Aid Chopper to the winner. One of the condition to participate in the contest is to cook with plums. Keeping the theme in mind, I came up with this combination of our favorite dessert topped with a sweet and tangy Plum and Vanilla compote and it came out a real winner. Here is the simple recipe to make this delicious dessert. All you need is For the pudding Sago pearls \ Saboodana - 1 cup Full cream milk - 1 liter Coconut powder - 1\4 cup Sugar - 1\2 cup ( you can adjust according to your taste ) Cardamom powder - 1\2 tsp For the compote Plums - 8-10 ( de seeded and chopped ) Castor sugar - 1\4 cup Vanilla bean - 1 ( you can use vanilla extract if vanilla bean is not available ) Method ...

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...