Fresh tomato and carrot soup!!

Hello all, so the vacations have started and so is my little break from cooking (thats what I think)!!
But no how can I ever get relief from cooking?? as back home in India as soon as I reach,my family here,my sisters and friends all start expecting that I will treat all with variety of dishes...and so the task of cooking begins here too on India....!!
Yes,I am on vacations,in India,with my family...and very much in the kitchen...! but I enjoy it all the more as when my family here appreciates whatever I cook for them its an altogether different feeling...!!coming to today's recipe I am posting, this I made back in Dubai and when I was scrolling down my phone gallery yesterday came across this pic and remebered that I didn't post it for u all...so without much ado a simple yet yummy and of course very healthy soup for u all...

Ingredients:
Serves 4

4 big tomatoes
1 big carrot
1 small poatato
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic (optional)
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp crushed pepper
1 tbsp sugar
Salt to taste
Cream to garnish  (optional)
1 Brown bread slice

Method:
Chop all the vegies and pressure cook them with cumin seeds 1/s tsp salt until 4 whistles, remove from flame and let it sit until all the steam is released from the cooker,
Open the lid and pulp all the vegies with the stick blender (if u dont have one u can pulp all in a mixer also)..remove and strain from a strainer to remove any skin or seeds and get a smooth and silky puree...Now in a deep pan put butter and pour all the pureed mix and let it cook and thicken a bit add pepper and sugar(sugar is added as the tomato soup can be a bit sour to a lot of people's palate) to it and let it simmer and thicken to ur desired consistency (some like it very thick and some medium)
For the croutons to be served over it toast the bread in the toaster (the old school method of frying is out now)and cut in small cubes...
Served the soup in a deep dish garnish with a kittle pepper and cream and serve toasted croutons alongside...!!enjoy!!

Dry fruit Biscotti!!

There was a time when I use to be not very confident with baking...But now that I have started trying my handson it and have succeded in most of them...my confidence and interest in baking is increasing day by day....I enjoy baking a lot more than before now....there is an all together different feeling when u bake and the most special part is ur house smells devine....!!

This recipe I had saved long time back and when last week my hubby told me we have a lot of dry fruits kept why dont U use them and create something...then I decided this is the best I could do with them....plus point: it is super yummy and indulgent and minus is you cant stop eating it...!! And now I have made another batch to take to India for my family there...this time sweets and biscuits homemade...!!

RECIPE:

 

1 cup all purpose flour

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar(granualated)

3/4 cup butter(unsalted)

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup dry fruits

(I used mix of prunes,cranberry,strawberry(all dry),cashew and walnuts)

1 tsp lemon zest

1 tsp vanilla essence

 

METHOD:

Preheat oven at 180 degrees and line a baking tray with baking sheet,now take a large mixing bowl and add butter and sugar and mix them till creamy consistency,now add eggs and mix them well,add flour lemon zest baking powder to it and mix well again for a minute now add all the dry fruits finely chopped and mix them well.

The batter will become a bit thick and tight by now...which is correct so no worries..

 

now spread the batter in 2 lines or logs 5 inch away from each other and level it down so that it is about 5 cm broad and and bake it for 20-25 min...

 

after this pull out the logs and cute them into thin biscuits and aline them on the baking tray again to second bake it for 10-15 mins pull out let them cool down and crisp up

 

...store them in an airtight container and enjoy with tea or coffee!!

 

Baked Alaska!!

This is a recipe which caught my husband's interest while we were watching masterchef Canada...this was a pressure test dish....I found it interesting too...my husband asked me if I could try making it...so I accepted his request and got my hands on to it...though didn't make all the Elements at home...the icecream was store bought but the choco chip muffins and the Italian meringue was made at home....
This dessert is actually not that difficult to make but only has few layers and technique to it...and should be made with patience..

After I cut it open All of us were super excited to see the outcome....mission accomplished and I was elated with happiness....and so were my kids and hubby...

Coming to the recipe 

This has 3 elements 

ICE CREAM (any flavour)

CAKE ( any flavour)

ITALIAN MERINGUE 

INGREDIENTS:

Serves 5-6 

6 chocolate muffins

(https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=835381613169736&substory_index=0&id=678263308881568)

Mango icecream  (store bought)

4 egg whites 

50 grams sugar 

50 ml water 

6 inch diameter bowl 

Cling film 

METHOD: 

In a glass bowl place a layer of cling film and layer 2 cm thick slices of chocolate muffins then place Mango icecream layer on it again a layer of chocolate muffins and then layer Mango icecream and then cover with muffins again...make sure all layers are packed nice and tight...cover the layer with cling film so that it doesn't dry them and keep in freezer to set for atleast an hour..Now start making meringue ...

In an electric mixer whip the egg whites on medium speed and simultaneously in a pan add sugar and water and put on medium heat let the sugar dissolve and start bubbling...now when half way through whipping whites slowly pour the dissolved sugar so as it does not scramble the whites and only cook it with a slow process and gives a nice glaze to the whites...

Now once u achieve stiff peaks put the meringue in a piping bag ...pull out our icecream cake which would be set firm out from the freezer and invert it out on a plate and remove the cling wrap now pipe the meringue over it and caramelize it with a blow torch...if u do not have a blow torch then put it under the grill for 5-10 Mins or until the meringue turns golden....

Put it back in the refrigerator for 30 Mins and serve cold...!!enjoy!!

Paani poori with pineapple flavoured water!!

 

Now this one needs no introduction at all....as it is one of the most common street foods of India,North ,south ,east or west in  all regions it is I guess one of the favourite snacks of all ladies...and as far as I feel no lady would say no to paani poori....

This is not only known by Paani poori but have several names to it like...gol gappe,poochka,paani ke batashe and I remember once hearing it being called padake also...!!

 

 

This snack taste amazing in its original form but now as the food industry keeps creating things so how could this be left aside and so there have been a lot of innovations in the flavours of its water....

And for me I make it like the original mint/coriander flavoured water but last time when I made it, I tried the variation of pineapple Water and it tasted amazing so decided to share it with you all...

but before the paani recipe ,the pooris also play an equally imp role, so te  recipe of both is as follows:

 

             For the pooris-  

             (makes 25-30)   

1 cup fine unroasted sooji or rava or semolina, 160 grams

3 to 4 pinches of baking soda or ⅛ tsp

1 tbsp maida/all purpose flour

6 tbsp water or as required

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp oil

oil for deep frying  

 

Method:

Knead the dough medium (neither tight noe loose) slowly adding the ingedients in portions and water too..the dough should be done with a lot of care .the pani puri dough should be elastic. gluten needs to be activated and that is only possible by kneading it nicelyand for a little longer period than a usual dough, which gives a structure and shape to the pooris and also helps in puffing pooris. knead very well. elasticity helps rolling the dough easily without any cracks and smoothly. you should be easily be able to lift the rolled dough without it tearing or breaking and falling apart.

cover the dough with a moist kitchen napkin and allow it to rest for atleast 30 minutes,after 30 minutes, knead the dough again.Now take a part of the dough begin to roll. avoid adding any dry flour while kneading. keep the remaining dough covered with the moist kitchen towel.Roll to a large round thinly rolled. if not thin, the base becomes thick and remains soft even after frying also if the dough is not rolled evenly, then the pooris won't puff up.
now cut them with a small roundcookie cutter and drop them one by in medium hot oil the oil should neither be hot nor be warm...fry pooris with all the patience you have (and i bet the results will make you super happy)  Once all the dough is used and pooris are done put them in an airtight contaner but after it has cooled down.

Pineapple water..!!

Ingredients:
1 tin pineapple slices
1/2 bunch coriander
1/2 bunch mint
4 green chilis
2 tbsp black salt
2 tbap chaat masala
1 tsp full salt
2 tbsp cumin powder roasted
1 tbsp mango powder
2 tbsp ginger juice
1 ltr water

Method:
Blend the slices in a blender along with its pineapple juice along qith coriander, chili and mint...mix rest of the ingredients in a large bowl or jug ..add the water and lots of ice cubes so that we get chilled water...
taste and adjust the sweetness or the spice and salt according to your taste..
Serve with boiled chickpeas/potato/cucumber tomato salad or for that matter ,make fruit chaat and serve it with the pooris filled..
I am sure you will enjoy making and finish eating it much faster than that...enjoy!!