nitu didi

GIGANTIC CUPCAKE FILLED WITH CARAMEL

Posted on September 11, 2012 by nituchugani

Imagine a giant cupcake…. with a candle on the top for a birthday party or a celebration!
I have these silicon moulds that let you assemble a giant cupcake with a cavity so you can fill it with anything you desire.
I did not beleive this would work…but as they say trying is believing and thats what i did !
I made this eggless almond cruchie batter and then just topped it with ready made canned whipped cream.
Simple and easy and i know all of you are just waiting for this recipe so here you are.
You can also make this cake in any mould you like. If you want to buy this gigantic cupcake mouold do contact me
FOR THE CAKE:
250 ml of milk ( i took a glass that measured 250 ml of milk and used that glass as a measurement ok??)
2.5 measurements of white flour
1.5 measurements of sugar
125 grams of melted butter
1/2 measurement of ground almonds in caramel (please see the recipe on my page too)
1 teaspoon of good quality vanilla or almond essence
2.5 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of soda bicarbonate OR 2 eggs
a little extra milk if the batter is too dry ( i used semi skimmed milk)
1 teaspoon of vinegar
a pinch of salt
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees-
Add the sugar to the melted butter and mix well. Add the flour and the milk alternatively till both are used up. Add the ground almonds, the vinegar, the essence, the salt, and the baking powder and soda bicarb or the EGGS…. mix well. The batter should be smooth. I mixed it by hand.
Put it into thepregreased gigantic cup cake mould and bake till done, this will take about 35-40 minutes. Insert a toothpick in and if it comes out clean means your cake is done. Put the moulds into a wiring rack and cool completely.
Fill the hollow part when its absolutely cool with the filling of your choice. I filled it with caramel (dulce de leche)
To make caramel at home just take an unopened can of condensed milk and put it in a pot and cover it with water and boil it for two hours OR in the pressure cooker for 45 minutes. Cool completely and here you have home made cost effective caramel!!
You can fill it with nutella, chocolate…anything you like…marmalade of your choice, fresh whipped cream…etc
I then topped it with canned sweetened whipped cream and a few raspberries.
NITU DIDI TIP: If your allergic to nuts omit them and add the same amount of flour instead
To make it healthy you can make it with whole wheat flour and some oat flour.
You can even make the bottom part of the cupcake in vanilla flavor and the top part in chocolate flavor by separting the batter and flavoring one part with cocoa powder.
I am showing you a pic of the gigantic cupcake cut and filled with caramel too!
Happy baking, happy eating and lots of smiling 🙂

To buy the gigantic cupcake mould send an email to cookingwithnitu@gmail.com

Posted in A Piece of Cake???, Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Jain recipes | Tagged . almonds, cupcake, eggless cake | 2 Comments

GLUTEN FREE GULAB JAMUNS

Posted on September 10, 2012 by nituchugani

Gluten free gulab jamuns? Low fat milk jamuns? Possible??? Oh yes!! This recipe and pic has been sent to me by my dear friend Elodia Lopez whos spanish and loves our indian food and culture! She made these gluten free gulab jamuns and gave it her own very touch by adding some distinctive flavors. She has used my saffron to make this dish. I yet have to try this recipe out in my home.
This recipe will be a boon for those who have a gluten allergy.
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup (125 grams) of skimmed milk powder
2.5 tablespoons of corn starch or corn flour
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
3.5 tablespoons or a lil less of coconut flavoured thick yougurt or natural yogurt (please put the yogurt in a cloth for an hour and remove all the water from it)
1.5 teaspoons of ghee (clarified butter) or butter and a little extra to smear on your hands
Oil as needed for deep frying
For the syrup : 1 cup sugar, 2 cups water, a pinch of Nitu Didi pure saffron, cardamom pods or cinnamon sticks
METHOD:
Put the milk powder in a bowl with the cornstarch and baking powder and mix well. Add the ghee/butter and the yogurt bit by bit and knead into a smooth dough. Knead well till its smooth and not sticky. Keep covered for half an hour and then make balls.
In the meantime while the dough is resting make the syrup by boiling the sugar and water together with Nitu Didi Pure Spanish Saffron and the cardamom or cinnamon (use whichever you like for flavor). Boil it for five minutes and then take it off the heat.
Heat the oil for a few mintues on low heat for deep frying. Make balls out of the dough and make sure they have no cracks in them and each ball (about the size of a marble or slightly bigger) is smooth in surface. This is only possible if you knead your dough well.
Fry them on slow fire so they cook slowly and that way are soft inside. Once fried put them into the syrup and let them soak for an hour.
Here your lovely gluten free gulab jamuns are ready!!
NITU DIDI TIP:
You can use even a vanilla flavored yogurt for this… its just trying different flavors and experimenting
You can omit the cinnamon and use rose essence in the end.
You can garnish it with chopped nuts of your choice or roll each gulab jamun in dessicated coconut.
If you dont want a gluten free recipe just replace the cornflour with white flour
To buy Nitu Didi saffron send an email to nitudidi@outlook.com
Thank you Elodia for such a wonderful recipe .

Health benefits of Saffron :

Posted in Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Gluten Free, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Jain recipes, Saffron | Tagged gluten free, gulab jamuns, saffron | 3 Comments

SIMPLE MEAT BIRYANI

Posted on September 9, 2012 by nituchugani

Much has been said about using food colors in ones cooking and i wont go into all that. I can only talk for myself, i try to use as little food coloring as possible when i can. This meat biryani has been made in a jiffy and its a real simple, uncomplicated recipe with simple ingredients which you can find at home always. One can always enrichen it with nuts, and almond paste etc. I do not tend to eat such rich food so i will give you my simple recipe.
INGREDIENTS FOR 2:
For the meat
350 grams of meat of your choice with bones, cut into cubes
2 onions chopped, one sliced and deep fried and the other sliced and kept raw
1 tablespoon of ginger garlic paste
1 tablespoon of green chilli paste, if you like it hot
1 tablespoon of Nitu Didi garam masala powder (you can see my youtube recipe or buy it from me)
1 cup of sour yogurt
4 tablespoons of home made restaurant style tomato paste (please see my recipe)
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste
4 tablespoons of butter or ghee
For the rice
1 cup of basmati rice, washed, and soaked for 30 minutes
4 cups of water
5 green cardamoms, 5 cloves, 1 inch piece of cinnamon, 6 peppercorns, 2 bay leaves
salt to taste
a pinch of Nitu Didi pure spanish saffron to give the rice some color and aroma
METHOD STEP ONE:
In a blender ( i used my magic bullet) add the yogurt, salt, ginger garlic paste, green chilli paste and the sliced onions and make into a paste. Marinate the meat overnight or for 6-8 hours in this paste.
Step two:
Make the rice : Bring the water to a boil with the whole spices for about five minutes till the water is lovely and fragrant. With a strainer remove all the spices once the water is fragrant and add the saffron and boil for five minutes till the water has a lovely colorthe rice and cook til the rice is 75% done. Once done , strain the rice and keep it in a tray so it doesnt get over cooked and the grains remain separate. You can grind the spices and keep for further use in your dishes , please do not throw. Waste not want not!!
Step three:
Heat the ghee in a pan and add the sliced onions and cook till transparent. Add the marinated meat and cook till the meat is dry . Add the garam masala and the tomato paste and cook. If the meat is not tender ( depends on what meat you are using) Add some water and boil till the meat is tender. If you have a pressure cooker you can make the meat in it,saves time and energy. Once the meat is cooked time to layer your biryani.
Last step:
In an oven proof dish apply some butter or ghee on the bottom. Add a layer of rice and then meat with the gravy and so on ending with a layer of rice. Now you can “personalise” your biryani by adding fried nuts, decorating it with chopped coriander and mint leaves, adding kewra essence, some saffron soaked milk….etc…rose petals…
Cover it with aluminium foil and put in a hot oven for about 20 minutes till the rice is heated through,
NITU DIDI TIP:
You can increase the amount of onions and tomato paste in the gravy and add boiled eggs, and potato cubes to it.
If you want to add colors please do…separate the rice and add the colors you want.
The spices you used to boil the rice can be ground and added to the meat also for more flavor.
If you want to enrichen it with almond paste add it when your cooking the meat.
You can use this recipe for chicken and vegetables too, you can use tofu, paneer etc
Do make this and share the picture of your biryani with me…Id love to see it 🙂
Happy cooking and even happier eating
If you want to buy the amazing bullet please email me on nitudidi@outlook.com

Posted in Gluten Free, Ideas for meals, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Magic Bullet, Nitu´s Spicy Delights, Rice is Nice, Saffron | Tagged basmati rice, biryani, meat, ovenbiryani, rice, saffron, simple biryani | 2 Comments

FENUGREEK RICE (METHI CHAWAL/RICE)

Posted on September 7, 2012 by nituchugani

Fenugreek (methi)rice is one of my favorite ways to eat rice. Fenugreek leaves are good for heath ( i will give you the benefits later) and this rice is delicious on its own or eaten with yogurt or a simple vegetable or some pan fried fish (thats how i eat it!!): Its a family favorite of mine and also a popular rice dish in sindhi homes. I made this recipe with a locally availble basmati rice by the brand Dacasa. This is for all my followers who live in Spain , but you can use any brand of basmati rice. Just wash the rice well and soak it for half an hour. If you want to omit garlic and ginger in this recipe you can…Just use cumin seeds instead.
INGREDIENTS FOR 2:
1 cup of basmati rice, washed soaked for 30 minutes and drained
3 flakes of garlic, chopped
1 small piece of ginger, chopped OR 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 cup of fresh fenugreek leaves chopped or 1 heaped tablespoon of dried fenugreek leaves soaked in water for 30 mins
2 green chillies chopped if you like it hot
1 cup of coriander leaves chopped
1 large red tomato chopped
1/2 teaspoon of Nitu Didi pure turmeric powder
salt to taste
1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups of water
3 tablespoons of cooking oil or olive oil
METHOD
Heat the oil in a pan and then add the garlic and sautee for a few seconds till it starts changing color then add the ginger and sautee again taking care not to brown too much or burn. If omitting this add the cumin seeds instead. Then add the chopped tomato with the fenugreek leaves (if using dried can add the drained fenugreek leaves and save the water for cooking the rice). Cook till mushy. Add the green chillies, turmeric, salt and coriander leaves and give it a stir. Add the drained basmati rice and water and cook till water is absorbed and rice is cooked and fluffy. I have not given the exact amount of water as it depends on the quality of rice. What i do is add 1 and a quarter cups of water first and cover it and if it needs more i add some more. You can always add but remember you cant subtract :):)
Enjoy this lovely rice and think of me 🙂
HEALTH BENEFITS OF FENUGREEK:
It is a very good source of iron. That is why fenugreek, both its seeds and leaves are considered medicinal for curing anemia. In fact, even if you follow standard medicine, patients with low hemoglobin count are usually put on a diet of fenugreek and other vegetables like spinach and lettuce.

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Ideas for meals, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Jain recipes, Low Cost, Quick Recipes, Rice is Nice, Typical Sindhi Dishes, Vegan | Tagged fenugreek, healthy, methi, rice | 3 Comments

CHEESEY CHICKEN KABABS (LOW CALORIE RECIPE)

Posted on September 6, 2012 by nituchugani

These kababs are melt in the mouth, delicious and very easy to make. I have not used any ground dry spices in this recipe except for turmeric for a little color. The chicken tastes so succulent and tender and just the marinade is enough for taste. I put them in wooden skewers but you can even serve them on toothpicks or just cubed. I grilled them on a non stick grill but they cant be also barbecued. I dont think cooking them in the oven is a good idea as chicken breast tends to turn dry. You can use the marinade to make cheesey paneer, cheesey tofu, fish, or meat of your choice.
INGREDIENTS FOR 6 – 8 plump kababs
500 grams of boneless chicken breast cubed
4 tablespoons of non fat cream cheese (philadelphia low calorie) you can also use a flavored cream cheese if you want or full fat
1.5 ” inch piece ginger
6-8 cloves of garlic peeled
2 green chillies
a few green coriander leaves
a pinch of Nitu Didi pure turmeric powder
salt to taste
juice of 1 lime
METHOD:
Put the cream cheese, ginger, garlic, green chillies, coriander and lime juice in a blender ( i used my amazing bullet) and pulse till its a smooth paste. Add salt and turmeric and marinate your chicken in this for at least 6-8 hours or better overnight. Put the pieces in wooden skewers and grill on a very hot grill. Grilling on a hot grill ensures the chicken is not over cooked and retains all its moisture. Sprinkle with chaat masala (i did not) and serve hot.
NITU DIDI TIP`:
you can also add garam masala to the marinade. If using beef or lamb you might need to cook it more. You can use this mariade for fish and prawns too. If you have remaining marinade it can be frozen. Dont waste please 🙂
You can also add tandoori spice to this mix. Its just a matter of playing around. I did not add any spice.
BENEFITS OF TURMERIC:
The medicinal properties of this spice have been slowly revealing themselves over the centuries. Long known for its anti-inflammatory properties, recent research has revealed that turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease.

Posted in Healthy Options, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Low Cost, Magic Bullet, NO OIL RECIPES, Quick Recipes | Tagged cheese, chicken, kababs, turmeric | 3 Comments

MANGO SALSA

Posted on September 4, 2012 by nituchugani

This salsa can be eaten as a salad or a dish dish for any meal. I like it because its versatile and can be made to ones taste using vegetables of ones choice. This is a pure vegan and vegetarian recipe and i also made it without a drop of oil!
I would like to thank my friend Dipa Mots from malaga who sent me such lovely mangoes and thus the creation of this dish.
I will tell you how i made it and then give you options to use other vegetables too.
INGREDIENTS:
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 red onion, diced, a little diced capsicum
2 red tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup of fresh green coriander leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh mint leaves chopped, 1 chopped hot green chilli( Dipa sent me that also)!!!
a few curry leaves ( Dipa sent me some too..so i added a few in this)
salt to taste
juice of 1 lime
METHOD:
Mix all the vegetables together with the mango and add salt and lime and leave it covered in the refrigerator for all the flavors to mingle.
Your lovely salsa is ready to be eaten on its own or with any snack
NITU DIDI TIP:
You can also add chopped cucumbers, avocados, etc
You can also add some extra virgin spanish olive oil…i did not…but it does enhance the flavor
Health benefits of mango:

According to new research study, mango fruit has been found to protect against colon, breast, leukemia and prostate cancers. Several trial studies suggest that polyphenolic anti-oxidant compounds in mango are known to offer protection against breast and colon cancers.
Mango fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin-A and flavonoids like beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin. 100 g of fresh fruit provides 765 mg or 25% of recommended daily levels of vitamin A. Together; these compounds are known to have antioxidant properties and are essential for vision. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in carotenes is known to protect the body from lung and oral cavity cancers.
Fresh mango is a good source of potassium. 100 g fruit provides 156 mg of potassium while just 2 mg of sodium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.For Jain recipe just omit the onion…..

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Fusion, Gluten Free, Healthy Options, Jain recipes, Low Cost, NO OIL RECIPES, Quick Recipes, Salads, Sauces and Chutneys, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged low calorie, mango, oil free, salsa | 2 Comments

PASTA IN WHITE SAUCE (MACARONI CHEESE)

Posted on September 3, 2012 by nituchugani

This recipe and pic has been sent to me by Ree Khan from Pakistan. Shes a dear friend and a regular on my facebook page.
I make my macaroni cheese without any butter (please look for the fat free macaroni cheese recipe) and here is a different version so you can choose which one you would like to opt for. I also keep on getting questions from people who want to put on weight or add fat to their diet. So this is another option. Ree Khan has also added fresh coriander leaves to her recipe giving it a real distinctive touch.
Benefits of fresh coriander leaves:
Coriander Leaves act as stimulants and tonics. They strengthen the stomach and promote digestion by improving the discharge of urine. Coriander leaves, also known as cilantro, contain protein and fiber, and are rich in vitamin C and several minerals.
Now lets make this lovely pasta dish!! If you dont like coriander leaves or cant get it easily you can use parsely or dried oregano, mixed italian herbs or just omit it totally. The beauty of this recipe is each time you can use a diferent herb and create a different taste.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of boiled pasta of your choice, make sure you dont overboil the pasta…always boil it al dente
2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil
1 heaped tablespoon of white flour (maida)
1 cup of milk or more
2 cups of grated cheese of your choice
a pinch of salt and a good sprinkle of black pepper
2 tablespoons of chopped green coriander leaves
METHOD:
Melt/heat the butter/olive oil and stir in the flour and sautee for a half a minute stirring continuously so the flour doenst burn.
Remove from heat and stir in the milk carefully whisking so no lumps are formed. Mix till the mixture is well mixed and return to the heat. Cook till thickened adding half of the grated cheese and a bit of salt (as cheese is salty) and also the black pepper.
Add the green coriander leaves and the pasta. Mix well. If the mixture is too thick you can add some more milk. Put into an oven proof dish and sprinkle the rest of grated cheese on the top and bake in a hot oven till sizzling and cheese is melted and brown. You can also dot it with a bit of butter and some breadcrumbs to get a crunchy topping.
NITU DIDI OPTIONS: You can add parboiled vegetables to this such as peas, carrots, cauliflower, brocolli etc to give it a healthier touch
You can add canned mushrooms also to this to give it a mushroom taste
You can omit the butter and oil and just follow the recipe the way it is
You can omit the cheese and use fresh low fat cheese and also skimmed milk
You can add pieces of boiled shredded chicken, ham etc…. and make a chicken alfredo kind of recipe
If the sauce gets lumpy dont panic…just put it in the blender and blend it 🙂 There is a solution for “almost” everything !!

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Fusion, Healthy Options, Ideas for meals, Jain recipes, Low Cost, Pasta, Quick Recipes, Veg Starters | 6 Comments

QUICK EGGLESS BISCUIT PUDDING

Posted on August 31, 2012 by nituchugani

This is an easy biscuit pudding and can be made to suit your palate. I recorded a quick video tutorial just to show you the method .
Basically you need to dip marie biscuits (or any biscuit you like…make sure they are biscuits that soften) in vanilla and cinnamon flavored warm milk. Then you need to sandwich them with a mixture of softened butter , sugar and drinking chocolate powder (like Nesquik…or cadburys drinking chocolate) and then stack them up in a plastic container. The whole concoction is then smothered in sweetened whipped cream and left to set for about six hours. Its then ready to cut and serve!!
NITU DIDI TIP:
this pudding can turn out to be dry….please dip the biscuits properly or else the whole pudding will remain dry,. In the video i added a bit of whipped cream but the pudding got dry and so i had to add some more. You can also flavor the whipped cream with a bit of cocoa if you wish. I also have a video on how to whip cream ( its the video titled how to make home made butter)
Here is the link to the video:

Posted in A Piece of Cake???, Cooking Disasters!!, Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Fusion, Jain recipes, Recipes with videos | Tagged biscuit, pudding, whipped cream | 2 Comments

VEGAN BAGUETTE WITH HUMMUS AND MARINATED OLIVES

Posted on August 31, 2012 by nituchugani

A lovely on the spur lunch when you have no time or even a different way to use up left over hummus. This vegan baguette is delciously healthy and tasty too. I bought some marinated olives from the supermarket but you can use any type of seedless olive. INGREDIENTS FOR 1
1 small baguette, halved
1-2 tablespoons of hummus (see my hummus recipe)
a few marinated olives or ordinary olives
a little lettuce and chopped spring onion
a little chilli sauce if you want
METHOD:
Spread the baguette halves with hummus and place the marinated olives on one side with the lettuce and spring onions. I tossed the lettuce and onions with a bit of the marinated olive liquid and left it for fives minutes before putting it into the baguette. Add some chilli sauce and cover with the other baguette.
Health benefits of olives :

Protect the heart against diseases. Antioxidants and the “good fat” eradicate the free radicals that are responsible in oxidizing cholesterol.
Protect cells from free radicals. Vitamin E together with the monounsaturated fat protects cells and fights off free radicals produced during cellular energy production.
Reduce inflammation due to arthritis. Both green and black olives contain polyphenols and flavonoids that have anti-inflammatory properties. These can help in lowering the inflammation caused by arthritis.
Prevent colon cancer. Again, the combination of monounsaturated fat and Vitamin E is make it a great health benefit. High intake of these nutrients lowers the risk for colon cancer.
Helps women going through menopause Olives can help reduce the intensity and frequency of hot flashes menopausal women experience.

“Good things come in small packages.”

This definitely holds true for olives. Who would have thought that these little bulbous green and black colored fruits hold so much goodness within?

Green and black olives

are not only loved for their unique flavor but they are also hailed as one of today’s most celebrated health foods.

courtesy: http://www.linda-rd.com/blog/green-black-olives-nutrition-facts-health-benefits/

For Jain recipes : omit garlic in the hummus and onions in the baguette and for vegans please omit the yogurt in the hummus recipes

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Fusion, Healthy Options, Ideas for meals, Jain recipes, Magic Bullet, Quick Recipes, Sandwiches, Sauces and Chutneys, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged hummus, jain, quic, sandwich, Vegan | 2 Comments

EGGLESS CANAPES DELUXE

Posted on August 30, 2012 by nituchugani

These canapes were an on the spur invention by my dear friend Dina while we were decorating cookies together. We were in another friend (Victoria Martinez)s house and she had brought out some dip she had made, and served it with the green chutney which i had made and we just made up a few canapes!! The result was soo amazing we decided to take a photo of it and i decided to share it with all of you !! With their kind permission also.
For all of you who dont know what canapes are , they are small pieces of untoasted or toasted bread with different toppings.
They are great for parties and also for starters. You can use any kind of bread, i dont excatly remember the bread we used, but it was some kind of multigrain brown bread-untoasted of german origin.
INGREDIENTS:
Bread of you choice, cut into squares or triangles
a little sauce /mayonnaise, cream cheese of your choice (we used a home made cream/mayo sauce which i will share the recipe)
a little green chutney (recipe on the blog)
a little fried onion and walnuts for the garnish
METHOD:
Spread the bread with the chutney, top with sauce of your choice and sprinkle with nuts and fried onions (we used the ready made fried onions as they are really crispy)
HOW TO MAKE CREAM CHEESE DELUXE SAUCE:
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1/4 cup of cream cheese
1 tablespoon of fine mustard (not grainy)
2 tablespoons of chopped spring onions(the white part)
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
Put everything in the blender (i used my amazing bullet) and mix well. This sauce can be refrigerated for a week (thats if it lasts!!) Also goes well with french fries, crisps and crackers