Chocolate Mud Pudding.......

Mud pies and Mud puddings bring Calvin and Hobbes straight to fore.....
They are warm ,they are satisfying...they are indulgent and they are @#$%%% simple to make....
So we did a Chocolate Mud Pudding yesterday...in honour of the children ...studying their brains out, for the end of the term exams...I have only one ...the others are the neighbours kids...else you would have seen many many more photos of the kids.....
It should be served with some frozen yogurt or vanilla ice cream...but on its "gooey"own self it is nicceeeeeee...
and super easy....

There is this crust at the top and it has own sauce....ready made!How 'bout that??No more looking for the bottle of Hersheys....Its like Manna from heaven!

So for the
Chocolate Mud Pudding.......

you need

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
200 gms  caster sugar
50 gms butter+ a little extra for greasing the baking dish
90 gms flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
475 mils milk
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Grease a baking dish with butter  well.

Start your oven to preheat 180C ...this one is quick...will be prepared before you can say CHOCOLATE!
In a sauce pan place the butter ,150 mils of milk and 3/4 the sugar.

And heat gently till the sugar dissolves and the butter melts.

Sieve together the flour,2 tablespoons cocoa and the baking powder and the cinnamon well.

ON a separate sheet sieve the remaining cocoa,and remaining 1/4 part of the sugar and keep aside.

Check for the milk ,butter mix to be cool and then mix the dry flour ingredients into the wet and blend well.The mix will be like a batter,a little too " liquidy" for a cake...but no worries...Pour into the dish.

Sprinkle over this the cocoa and sugar mix.

Now take an aim into the center of the dish and pour in the remaining milk...No I Did not forget about that...that milk is what is going to make your sauce base...

Now with the finesse of a tight rope walker ,walk your pudding to the oven and place it inside even more gently than you would put a baby into a crib....
You can take a nap in the meanwhile...45-50 minutes ......and then....
Ta -Da....

And spoon out the gooey stuff...we did not have ice cream...It did well without it too...though whipped cream would have been AWESOME!

Comfort food anyone????

But beware it must be warm...it really warms your insides too....the chocolate crust...the chocolate sauce....
Again my friendly neighbour Kanchan Bhartari to the rescue...
To indulge in the cravings and to share the indulgences...
I need people to feed...So if you are in the vicinity....why don't you mail me what you would love to eat??
May be we can work something out....


Try this out ...easy, egg less and yum...

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Tandoori Chicken...Home Made

Ask a north Indian at a restaurant...what would he like to have???

I can bet you a crate full of  live chickens...the answer will be TANDOORI CHICKEN...few Punjabi's are born who can resist the aroma of the "kukkad shukkad"....I say north Indian and then move to Punjabi because ...Tandoori chicken is not a copyright of the Punjabi's anymore and there is nothing more Punjabi than a tandoori chicken....

And how it disappears....before you can say "Cock a doodle doo!!

This bird had the pleasure of being in the marinade for around 12 hours...and a midnight party called for a barbecue ....so the accompaniments were scanty only dressing the chicken with onion in Chat masala and lemon juice...the basics are always AWESOME!!!

Every one has their own secret recipes...I'm spilling my beans here...all of them...chicken needs heat -high to sear it and then ......the heat has to mellow down...for the flavours to burst in your mouth.

The marinade needs acid ..else the meat falls off....and it needs fat...some which its own...so don't throw away all the chicken fat....it only adds to the taste...it melts away and falls on the wood or coal embers or the tray in your oven......

For the 

Tandoori Chicken..... 

you need

1 Chicken approx 1 kg skinned and cut into 8 pieces

1 tbsp hung curd

1 tbsp fresh cream

1 tbsp vinegar

Salt,Red Chili powder,Coriander powder

1 tsp Tandoori Chicken Masala...(Any brand will do...just has the colour and the garam masala)

1 tbsp Kasoori Methi(Dried Fenugreek Leaves)

1 tsp ginger garlic and green chili paste.

Make small cuts on the chicken pieces...to allow the marinade paste to permeate .

In a large bowl mix the hung curd,cream,vinegar,ginger garlic chili paste and spices.

Mix well and add the chicken.

And now ,with your hands mix this well ,ensuring you coat the chicken well and try and stuff the insides with the marinade too.Cover and leave at least 4 hours.You do not need to refrigerate this if you will be cooking soon ,but here in India we tend to play it safe.

Now get your BBQ or tandoor working....high heat...I used AL foil on the grill...because the pieces will stick to the grill.If you can...use a skewer and a tandoor...otherwise your oven will do....

Just placed....

The heat is INTENSE.So you can only turn the pieces once........now we wait for it to cook.Take off the wings first...they cook the fastest.The rest will take maybe a minute or two more.

Looked better when we came inside......and it was over too soon...

You have to wait a few minutes ...for the meat to rest...

Then....
attack.

Try this with your family and friends...The company and the food will be more than enough compensation for all your efforts....

Enjoy our "desi kukkad shukkad" with or without a green chutney...

The green chutney...well that is on the agenda...another day...

And if you have left overs make butter chicken....
http://baketitude.blogspot.com/2011/10/butter-chicken.html
add all the brownie points you earn by feeding your husband nice stuff and ask him to buy you some diamonds!

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Non Fried--- French Fries

Oxymoron anybody???
Well how can french fries not be fried???

They can ..they can...
OK...technically ,maybe they need to be fried but lets make a change...
Add some texture..buzz up the taste and generally have a huge plate full without the guilt.
Because actually potatoes are not that bad....they just have a bad name...
Jon Bon Jovi did a good job educating us...only he did not want to give them "potatoes" a bad name....

love love love this song....
any way back to the potatoes..
When Michelle Obama came to the White house she came with a mission to feed the kids right...we totally copy that!This is adapted from one of her recipes....
No twist...just suited to use all that is available in India...
For the
Non Fried--- French Fries....

you need...
3-4 potatoes...If you are lucky enough to find them, use sugar free ones ...us?.we have access to all colours red,blue ,yellow...depending on the vendors generosity...
3 slices bread, a couple of days old if possible
1 tsp shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp oil
salt&pepper are all that you need.You can really kick up the taste many notches with stuff like red chili flakes,seasonings ...if you want them.....

First things first -peel and cut the potatoes into fries...

Now to partially cook them...par boil ...for those of you who wanted to know...
Put a pan of water to boil and add some salt and add the not yet "fries"...

They need 3 minutes max...you don't want Mush!
Drain all the water...

And let them cool a bit...
In the meanwhile....In your mixer jar tear up the bread and add the cheese and seasonings of your choice and whizzzzz..........

Use the oil only to coat the Al foil on the baking tray...

Now for  assembly line production...we are building BMW's see...

The first bowl has the flour and salt and pepper,second has the beaten egg and last ...are the bread crumbs lightly seasoned...I used red chili flakes....
Step one...dip the now cooled potatoes wedges into the flour....coat lightly...

Then coat with the beaten egg and drop into the bread crumbs..

Get your oven up to 180C...and place the fries onto the AL foil..

Pretty??
Now let them bask in the oven for 15 odd minutes....to crisp up...and be plated....
This is what happens when you say "Babes..Fries!"

I almost feel like the paparazzi now....judging by the reactions...sweet child o'mine is heading Prince Henry's way....

and this....

Just one smile dude!.....that's mustard on his plate by the way...

Try this out and tell me what your "Babes" have to say about this!!!

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Cinnamon Rolls -Cinnabon Style

Cinnabon...Minus the frosting.
What do we do here in Ranchi...when cravings come calling.....we head to our kitchens.If Cinnabon ever thinks of dropping anchor in this place...pigs would fly! We have to be satisfy ourselves with "pigging"out(sic) at the  Cinnabon outlets in Delhi...travel many many miles to Select CITY Walk,Saket.
And "minus" the frosting... is very good...at least like this you can have more and feel  less of the guilt.
Enjoy them at home with a few of your favourite things....A cup of coffee,sudoku and a slice from the cinnamon roll are mine....

This was not that difficult only a little messy...probably because I was taking pictures too.....so when you try these don't touch your camera......recipe for a potential disaster.
But the result was totally worth it.....sweet but not so sweet .....
By constitution, I am not very organised.... hubby dear will vouch for that.
So, it was no surprise to him when he returned from office and saw the disaster zone in the kitchen....
That not withstanding.....the rolls were totally worth the mess in the kitchen.
so for the
Cinnamon Rolls -Cinnabon Style

You need...
1 1/3 cups of milk
1/3 cups of vegetable oil
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp dried yeast
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cups melted butter
3 tsp cinnamon powder
3/4 cups brown sugar...I used Gur ki shakkar ...primarily for the colour
1/2 cup raisins and chopped walnuts

First thing first....
Mix the milk ,oil and sugar and heat till almost boiling and then cool till it is tepid.

Add in the yeast and wait for it to act for about 5 minutes.You wont be able to see that much froth so don't worry....you are in safe hands.

Into this pop in 2 2/3 cups of the flour...whisk it in.....slightly liquid here...almost batter like.

Leave it for about 20 -25 minutes to let it rise.

Forgot to take the whisk out...To this now add the baking powder and soda and salt and the remaining flour,kneading to a sticky dough.

Now you need to leave this sticky thing"y" for an hour.

Flour the work top and get beating ...you'll need about 1/3 cups of flour to be able to punch,knead and roll out the dough into a rectangular shape.
Now slather the melted butter on this

...a "could've been" rectangle....

Mix up the brown sugar/gur ki shakkar,raisins and walnuts and sprinkle on the butter.

And now roll from the longer side.

and pinch the ends.

Cut into 2 inch thick slices.

Place in a buttered cake tin.Leave to prove for about 30 Min's.The disaster...was the floury hands covering the picture of the rolls in the tin.
Lesson learnt...next time ask someone to take pictures---and then pop into an oven 180C for about 25 minutes.
You get this,

No matter the mess the rolls were totally worth it.....soft and gooey from the inside...sweet but not too sweet and they went so well with coffee..."went"...because ...they are already over.

Try them out.. absolute heaven.

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Honey-Glazed Potatoes

I'm a Rebel without a cause...always have been always will be...
Find it really difficult to stay within confines.
So its no bake again...idea was to not use flour and bake something really chatpata ...tangy and tart and spicy...something that reminds you of Bengali market Style food.
So we ended up with fried potatoes with a big twist.....Twist seems to be the buzz word,every one seems to be using it now....used and abused.....a few turns and its twisted!That's  what we see on television these days!
So I also made some turns ..almost like the hula-hoop turns...

And the small heap of fried potatoes were gone before I could say BOO!

And the twist ....you can do the same with paneer or cottage cheese,baby corn,baby potatoes.....even little fried dumplings ...the sauce will add heaps and heaps of flavour!
For the
Honey-Glazed Potatoes

you need...

3 potatoes cut into wedges and par boiled in salted water.
Oil to deep fry(you can coat in oil and fry in the microwave...but this is a better flavour...you only live once after all)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 soup cube
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp cornflour
salt and pepper to taste
Vinegar,Soy sauce,Ketchup,Chili sauce...all the sauces you can find.....and mix

These are the potatoes which were "wedged" for something else....

To the cornflour add salt and pepper and make a thick slurry

put the oil up to heat.when HOT dip the potatoes in and fry ....I could have shallow fried,but I was on a frying mission...fried many many things for dinner...so these to went to their oily grave and really crisped up.

Drain on a Kitchen towel.....fabric.It will absorb the excess oil.

Now get mixing...the soup cube, vinegar,soy sauce and ketchup are essential....the rest- raid your cupboards...even Worcestershire sauce or hp sauce or BBQ sauce will do...just don't mix too much in...you might be tasting a potential bomb...good way or bad...so the key is restraint.To the sauce mix add a little of the left over slurry and mix.

Toast the sesame seeds in a pan and remove from heat.

In the same pan pour the sauce mix and let the slurry thicken the mix.....

into this then pop in the fried potatoes and stir to coat well...you are working on super fast mode here...or the potatoes don't coat well...add the honey and mix and throw in the seeds.

Stir well....and plate.
Pretty"fy" your wedges with something green...chives,mint,coriander ,basil...whatever.....then attack....the "wet" potatoes...no need for a dip.

Indulge and enjoy.Walk an extra mile tomorrow!Make your "honey "happy with the Honey-Glazed Potatoes...after all "Real Happiness comes from Sharing!"

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