Cake House

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...

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...

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...

And the mango mania continues :). This time it's a very simple dessert Shikhand which is made with hung curd flavored with different flavoring. Srikhand is a very popular Gujarati and Maharashtrian dessert and the flavors that are most commonly added in it are saffron and cardamom and mango.  Silky smooth curd with a crunch from dry fruits is a delight to eat and a breeze to make. The Mango flavored srikhand is also called amarkhand and it is usually savored with hot poories ( Indian puffed breads ). Here is how to make this simple dessert. All you need is Yogurt - 1 kg Mango puree - 1\2 cup Cardamom  powder - 1\2 tsp Saffron - a good pinch Powdered sugar - 1\4 cup Almond and pistachio slivers for garnishing Method of preparation Take a muslin cloth and spread it on a big bowl. Pour the curd in the cloth. Now bring the ends of the cloth together and hang it on a support to drain the water from the curd. Let the curd hang for 2-3 hours. The thick curd that is collected now is c...

Chocolate ganache is a sauce made with chocolate mixed with cream and butter. It is an excellent topping for cakes, desserts, ice creams and pastries. It is very easy to make at home and can be refrigerated for a few days in the refrigerator. Dark, milk or white chocolate can be used to make ganache. I am sharing a recipe of ganache which is excellent for pouring on cakes and desserts. Here it is. All you need is Dark chocolate - 120 g Unsalted butter - 1 tbsp Fresh cream - 1\2 cup Granulated sugar - 1 tbsp You can also use semi sweet chocolate to make the Ganache but then skip using sugar. Method of preparation Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Transfer it in a bowl. Heat fresh cream and butter in a bowl. Add sugar. Heat till it just starts to boil. Pour the cream mixture over the chocolate and whisk vigorously till the chocolate melts and the mixture is shiny and smooth. Your ganache is ready. Store it in an airtight jar for up to a week in refrigerator. Heat or microwave the gan...

All you need is Noodles - 150 g ( I used Chinese egg noodles ) Peanut butter - 1 tsp Sesame oil - 1 tsp Red chili paste - 2 tsp ( If red chili paste is not available, soak a few dry red chilies in warm water for sometime. Grind them in a grinder to make a paste ) Dark soy sauce - 1 tsp Vinegar - 1 tsp Sesame seeds - 2 tsp ( dry roasted till slightly browned ) Spring onion greens - 2 tbsp ( chopped ) Peanuts - 2 tbsp ( crushed ) Method of preparation Heat water in a large pot. When it comes to a boil, add 1 tsp salt and noodles and cook till noodles are done. Meanwhile, heat peanut butter and sesame oil in a wok. Add red chili paste. Cook for 30-40 seconds. Add soy sauce and vinegar. Drain the noodles and add them in the wok. Mix everything with 2 forks. Transfer in the serving bowl. Garnish with sesame seeds, crushed peanuts and spring onion green.

Who doesn't love chaat? Most people whom I know are big fans of chaat items and keep visiting their favorite outlets for devouring this Indian street food. The only drawback with eating chaat outside is the low level of hygiene which is not good for our health. But do you know that it is very easy to make all the chaat items at home without compromising on taste and hygiene. Today I made a simple chaat, Dahi puri which is basically puri or the gol gappa topped with various chutneys, masalas and dahi or yogurt. The taste was  outstanding and with all the ingredients prepared beforehand, it was assemblds in just a few minutes. Here is the recipe. All you need is Gol gappe \ Puri - 30-40 Boiled potatoes - 1\2 cup ( cut into small cubes ) Boiled black gram \ kale chane - 1\2 cup ( soak for a few hours before boiling ) Boiled whole moong - 1\4 cup ( soak for a few hours before boiling ) Curd - 1 cup Salt - 1\2 tsp Chaat masala - 1\2 tsp Roasted cumin powder - 1\4 tsp Red chili powder - ...

This spicy Garlic and red chili chutney is a traditional Rajasthani recipe. It's quick to make and take any Indian meal to a different level. Here is the recipe. All you need is Garlic cloves - 1 cup Ginger - 2 tsp Amchoor powder - 1 tsp Salt - 2 tsp Red chili powder - 3 tsp Method of preparation Grind all the ingredients in a blender to make a smooth paste.

Phirni is an Indian rice pudding made by cooking ground rice with milk. It's usually flavored with saffron, but I love this Mango variation a lot. I have used canned mango puree to make this phirni. If mangoes are in season, you can use fresh puree as well. Here is the recipe. All you need is Full cream milk - 1 lt Rice - 1\4 cup Ghee - 1 tsp Saffron - a pinch Sugar - 3\4 cup Rose water - 1\2 tsp Mango puree - 1 and 1\2 cup Dry fruits for garnishing Method of preparation Wash and soak rice for an hour. Drain the water and blend the rice in a blender to make a coarse powder. Add very little water if required. In a heavy bottom pan, add ghee. When the ghee is hot, add the milk. Let the milk come to a boil. Add the rice and saffron to the milk. Simmer the heat and cook till the milk is reduced to 1\2 and phirni has reached the desired consistency. Keep in mind that it will further thicken on cooling. Add sugar and rose water. Cook for a minute. Switch off the heat and add mango puree....