BAKED SOYA CHILLI WINGS

Posted on October 27, 2011 by nituchugani

These chicken wings are light and very easy to make coz they are baked in the oven and all you need to do is marinate them and turn them once just while baking!!
Its excellent finger food and a good starter for a party. You can omit the green chillies or use chopped capsicum if you dont want any heat in the wings. Ofcourse if you want an extra spicy flavor you can add some of your favourite chilli sauce!! for best results marinate it overnight…and also prick the chicken wings with the tip of the knife to let the marinate penetrate into the chicken.
NITU DIDI TIP: wat do i do??? well i mix the marinade, i trim the fat and excess skin off the wings and prick it with the tip of the knife..i wash them under running water. Drain  them well and then marinate them and put them into the oven proof dish to marinate. The next day i remove them and let them rest a bit to get to room temperature and then stick them in the oven on high temperature. I just need to turn them once!!!! What can be easier than this?????? Do try out my recipe!!

INGREDIENTS :
500 grams chicken wings
sauces to be mixed together:
1 tablespoon of dark soya sauce
1 tablespoon of light soya sauce
1 teaspoon(or more if you like the taste)  of ginger juice(grate the ginger and squeeze out the juice)
1 teaspoon (or more if you like the taste) of garlic juice
salt and white pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon of chinese rice wine or half the amount of brandy
1 teaspoon of honey (if you want)
a dash of chilli sauce of your choice if you need
green chillies chopped

METHOD:
mix all the ingredients for the marinade and marinate the wings in this overnight . Bake in the preheated oven 250 degrees turning just once till browned and done!!! When done sprinkle green chillies on the top and serve!!

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EGGLESS CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE

Posted on October 25, 2011 by nituchugani

By popular demand i am sharing this recipe with all of you. I had decided to make this chocolate cake for diwali because my daughter did not feel like eating any traditional sweets!! I made it vegetairan because we dont eat eggs or meat on that day (another thing is that it did not even last a day!!!) . The cake is not a big one, and its more like a dessert cake if served with chocolate sauce, cream or icecream. Its soft and moist and a little crumbly so do take care!! I have used dark chocolate bar in this recipe instead of cocoa powder. Anyways here you go!!
INGREDIENTS:
125 grams of white yogurt
3/4 cup of sugar
75grams of dark chocolate bar (70% cocoa) melted with 2 tablespoons of milk in the microwave
1/2 cup of ordinary cooking oil
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1.5 cups of white flour , sifted
1.75 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 teaspoons of soda bicarb
4-5 tablespoons of milk if needed
METHOD:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Mix the room temperature yogurt with the sugar and meanwhile melt the chocolate bar with the milk and add to the yogurt. Mix well and then add the baking powder and baking soda and let it get frothy (will take about a minute) . Add the sifted flour slowly alternating with the oil and then lastly add the salt and the milk if the batter is too thick. Lower the oven to 180 degrees and put the batter in a greased tin and bake till done. It should take about 30-40 minutes. Cool and then slice!!!
Thats it!!!

Posted in A Piece of Cake???, Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter | Tagged | 14 Comments

SPECIAL DIWALI VARO (CHIKKI) INDIAN CRUNCHY NUT BRITTLE

Posted on October 23, 2011 by nituchugani

Diwali is a time for sweets and an old time favorite is this lovely nuttly brittle known as “varo or chikki”. It needs very few ingredients and is easy to make. The secret lies in melting the sugar and the ratio of the chopped nuts to the sugar. Here i am giving u the recipe which is courtesy of my dear friend Dipa Motwani…both recipe and pic are courtesy of her..Thank you soo much Dipa
INGREDIENTS:
250 grams of sugasr
200 grams of mixed chopped nuts
a little oil for smearing
a squeeze of lemon juice and cardamom powder
METHOD:
melt the sugar in a heavy bottomed pan till its pale golden and then add the mixed chopped nuts and  cardamom powder mix and  verry well. Grease your rolling pin before hand and also the top of your kitchen surface .Mix the lemon juice into the nut mixture and put it quickly onto the kitchen surface and roll quickly with the rolling pin till its round and thin. Wait a few seconds for it to harden and cool and there you have your lovely nutty brittle 🙂
Thank you soo much Dipa darling 🙂

 

Posted in Eggless Sweet Temptations, Gluten Free, Typical Sindhi Dishes, Vegan | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

CHICKEN TIKKA SANDWICH

Posted on October 23, 2011 by nituchugani

Good way to finish or serve “chicken tikka” differently. Excellent for picnics or tv dinners. What you need is left over chicken tikka, lettuce leaves, gherkins and/or pickled onions all sliced fine. Take bread of your choice and apply mayonnaise or sauce of your choice..I use a blend of mayonnaise with chutney and ketchp!!! Tastes amazing!! Then add the lettuce leaves, gherkins and chicken tikka pieces chopped up and top with the other slice of bread and serve!!

Posted in Chicken, Sandwiches, Tupperware Food | Tagged , | 2 Comments

SAFFRON MILK CAKE (kesri burfi)

Posted on October 22, 2011 by nituchugani

This is a typical indian sweet sold in most sweet shops. It is easy to make if you follow my recipe carefully. I made this for our Indian new year Diwali which is next week and i myself was surprised by the result. This is a compliation of two-three recipes which i saw online. I always like to create my “own ” recipes with my own touch to make them a class apart. I hope you all enjoy making and eating this…. For best results use “Nitu Didi” pure spanish saffron.I just used a few strands and got this lovely color, flavor and aroma. Buying sweets from the shops is easy..BUT..when you make them at home it ensures the best quality ingredients, and freshness!!! HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL OF YOU
INGREDIENTS:
2 litres of good quality whole milk
Juice of 1/4 lime or a bit more
Pinch of Nitu Didi pure spanish saffron
Pinch of Nitu Didi powdered cardamom
2 tablespoons of ghee or unsalted butter
condensed milk to taste
METHOD:
Put one and a half litres of milk to boil and when it comes to a boil add the lime juice and stir and let the milk curdle. If you need more lime juice for the milk to curdle add it but please do not add soo much. Once the milk curdles let it boil for a few minutes till all the cheese rises to the top and the liquid is transparent. I will add the link of the way how to make paneer for you all to have an idea.
Take it off the fire and pour it into a muslin cloth and wash it under running water to remove all the traces of the lemon juice in it. Wash it for a few minutes and then leave it so that all the liquid comes out. Meantime heat the remaining milk in a thick bottomed saucepan till it gets half evaporated (about 10-15 minutes) once you see the milk is half evaporated add the saffron and mix well. Add the squeezed paneer(home made cheese) to this and cook it for about 5 minutes. Add the butter and the cardamom powder and keep on cooking till it starts leaving the sides of the pan. Add condensed milk to taste and cook it for 2 minutes more. Pour into a dish and garnish with almonds. This is delicious eaten cold!!!
NITU DIDI TIP: to make this faster…while you are making the cheese (paneer) you can start reducing the milk in another pan so both things are done at the same time…PLEASE TAKE CARE NOT TO BURN THE MILK…
Happy cooking!!!!!!!

To buy Nitu Didi Pure Spanish Saffron please visit my online store

HOW TO MAKE PANEER:

Posted in Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Paneer, Saffron, Typical Sindhi Dishes | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

GULAB JAMUNS STUFFED WITH CHOCOLATE

Posted on October 22, 2011 by nituchugani

This is my creation of something nice and richer than the ordinary gulab jamun!! For very special ocasions or if your in the mood for something “different” and yet traditional… I just made up the gulab jamun dough and cut bits of white and milk chocolate into tiny bits and stuffed them into the jamuns. Flatten the dough and then add a tiny piece of chocolate of your choice..Not too much or else it will leak out while frying. When shaping the dough into a ball seal very well and take care to apply a bit of pressure so it seals well. Nitu Didi TIP: i used slightly wet palms to do this as the dough kept on drying up and  too soft a dough makes the gulab jamuns soggy. Deep fry as the recipe says and put into the syrup!! WITH THIS I TAKE THE OPORTUNITY TO WISH ALL OF YOU WHO LOVE AND FOLLOW ME A VERRY HAPPY DIWALI. MAY YOU ALL BE BLESSED

GULAB JAMUNS
for the jamuns
15 tablespoons powdered milk
1 tsp, baking powder
3 tablespoons white flour
1 tbsp oil
evaporated milk as needed to knead
FOR THE SYRUP
20 tbsps sugar
1.5 glasses water
PINCH OF NITU DIDI PURE SPANISH SAFFRON
a little rose essence
almonds and pistachios for decoration

METHOD
mix the powdered milk, flour and baking powder and the oil .knead it to a soft dough with the evaporated milk. then form into small balls or oval shapes. deep fry on a verry low flame ( has to be low else the jamuns will be hard from the centre) . keep aside and make the syrup from the water and sugar. add NITU DIDIS PUREST SPANISH SAFFRON and boil till the sugar melts. add the cardamoms, put the jamuns in the syrup , cover and boil on a low flame for 5 minutes. add the rose water. serve hot or cold
cardamom powder

To buy my amazing saffron do visit my online store

Posted in Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Fusion, Indian Restaurant Dishes, Saffron, Typical Sindhi Dishes | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

NUTELLA FILLED CUPCAKES

Posted on October 21, 2011 by nituchugani

These cupcakes take absolutely no time to make…I had bought some silicon muffin cases from a store in my neighbourhood and wanted to see how the
quality was so i just on the spur made up some cake batter and then decided to fill them with Nutella!!! The result is in the pic itself!!!
INGREDIENTS FOR 6 MUFFINS
125 grams of white natural yogurt at room temperature
250 grams of white flour
1 egg
100 grams of sugar (you can add a teeny weeny bit less if you dont like your muffins that sweet!!)
75 grams of melted butter
3/4 teaspoon of baking powder
a small splash of vanilla essence
Nutella as needed
METHOD:
heat the oven to 200 degrees and mix all the ingredients for the batter putting the baking powder in last. Mix verry well and then fill the muffin cases with a bit of the batter then put about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of nutella in the middle and then cover with a bit more of batter. Lower the oven to 180 and bake for about 15-20 minutes till done
THATS IT!!! Now what can be more simple???????????????

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CHOCOLATE CAKE

Posted on October 20, 2011 by nituchugani

This picture and recipe has been sent to me by Reema Sonu . Thank you soo much sweetie …its a lovely looking cake and i am sure it tasted awesome too!!

250g butter, chopped
200g dark chocolate, chopped
2 cups caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup self-raising flour, sifted
1 1/2 cups plain flour, sifted
1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/4 cup water

Method:

1. Grease a baking tin and dust it with flour. Pre heat the oven to 200º C. Sieve together maida, cocoa powder, baking powder . No need to use baking powder if you are using self raising flour.  Soften butter and chocolate (DO NOT MELT). Put a pan on flame and add butter, chocolate,sugar and little of water approximately 1/2 cup. Mix well on low flame so that there should be no lumps. Now cool this mixture.
2. Add 2 eggs lightly beatened. Mix it well.
3. Add maida mixture alternately to the batter till all the maida mixture used up. Pour the batter into the baking tin and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour (approximately) at 180º ( as it is a chocolate cake, it has to be cooked slowly ) or till the tooth pick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool for a while. Loosen sides of cake, using a knife if necessary. Turnout over a wire rack or plate and cool slightly.
4. Whip cream and sugar till light and fluffy. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle generously with grated chocolate. Decorate with Oreo cookies and chill and serve

Posted in A Piece of Cake??? | Tagged | Leave a comment

EGGLESS SAFFRON AND ROSE CAKE

Posted on October 19, 2011 by nituchugani


This sponge cake tastes like “mithai” (typical indian sweet) with less calories. It does not have ghee (clarified butter) or milk powder so its quite light and a good substite for mithai. You can add chopped nuts or rasins to the batter (my family does not like) and you can avoid the white chocolate topping if you dont like white chocolate or you can spread a bit of condensed milk instead!!! I have made this for Diwali (our Indian new year which is next week)!!! So if you dont want the richness of typical indian sweets do try and serve this to your guests!!!
INGREDIENTS FOR A SMALL SPONGE CAKE:
125 grams of white room temperature yogurt
3/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of oil
1 1/2 cups of white flour , sifted twice
3/4 teaspoon of soda bicarbonate
1 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1 pinch of Nitu Didi pure spanish saffron
1/4 teaspoon of Nitu Didi cardamom powder
1/4 teaspoon of rose essence
1/4 cup of hot boiling milk
For the topping:
100 grams of white chocolate
4 tablespoons of milk
few drops of rose essence
METHOD:
heat the oven to 200. Mix the yogurt with the saffron and cardamom and the sugar. Add the baking powder and the soda bicarbonate and let it rest for 3 mintues. It will get frothy. Add the oil and then the sifted flour and mix well. Add the hot boiling milk and rose essence and mix very well. Put into a greased pan and put into the oven. Lower the temperature of the oven to 180. Bake for about 30-40 minutes till done. Cool and then add the topping you want
FOR THE TOPPING
heat the milk and then add the chopped white chocolate and let it melt. Add the rose essence when melted and let it cool a bit and pour on top of the cake
ANOTHER OPTION FOR TOPPING:
mix condensed milk (1/2 cup) with rose essence and some ground pistachios or nuts of your choice. Spread on the cake!!!

I have put both the pics so you can see both ways to make this wonderful cake!!

For the second pic i just sprinkled some colored sugar on it. To make colored sugar: just take a bit of sugar in a jar and add some good quality food coloring to it (just a drop or two) and shake well till you see the sugar is colored. Put it in a plate to dry for an hour and then store in that jar. Sprinkle on hot cakes and cookies.

To buy Nitu Didi excellent saffron

Batter can also be made in my Magic Bullet and save time!!

Posted in A Piece of Cake???, Eggless Sweet Temptations, Everything Vegetarian, Floury Matter, Healthy Options, Magic Bullet, Saffron, Salads | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

STEAMED SEMOLINA SQUARES (WHITE SOOJI DHOKLA)

Posted on October 18, 2011 by nituchugani

I had once decided to make semolina idlis(indian steamed rice cakes) but i did not have the moulds….so i thought of making them as i make dhoklas (another variation of steamed semolina squares) so i followed my normal recipe by making the batter and i got busy at home and forgot all about it for a few hours. I then realised i had this batter sitting on my kitchen shelf and i put it to steam without any rising agent!!!! It took faster to steam and i was wondering why and it was only when i cut it did i realise i forgot to add any rising agent!! It tasted verry nice and it did not crumble while cutting coz the cake was much firmer….I am now sharing the recipe with all of you !!!
INGREDIENTS:
100 grams of wheat semolina(sooji)
200 grams of white yogurt and 5 tablespoons of warm water
salt to taste
a little oil for spreading on the tin
METHOD:
mix the semolina with the yogurt and add some salt to taste and leave it for 5 hours at room temperature. Pour it into a greased tin and steam it for about 10 -15 minutes till firm or till a toothpick comes out clean when inserted. Cool and cut into desired shapes and serve with chutney of your choice!!!!

OPTIONS: for indian dhoklas please add some turmeric powder, some citric acid, some sugar and 3/4 teaspoon of eno fruit salt before steaming.

FOR A SMILE: I cant understand why my dog loves this…each time i make it he sits in the kitchen with me crying and hoping some crumbs fall and he just leaps on them…I have also realised infants and kids love this!! 🙂

Posted in Everything Vegetarian, NO OIL RECIPES, Veg Starters, Vegan | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments