Apple Pie

I made lots of apple pies this season and m really happy that m turning pro in it :P "self declared"
I experimented this sometime last year and somehow it wasn't that great, it was just too sweet for my taste and then I just got scared and didn't dare to make it again.
Somehow with all the baking spree this year I decided that I should just make amends and make the best pies I have ever made.

The apple pies that I have tried in the restaurants have been too buttery and heavy- I give up after a bite or two, which doesn't go down well with me.
If I eat something then I should be able to savour it and not give up too easily because its a pain to finish it.
With the right amount of butter and right amount of sweetness here is my version of apple pie :)

For the pie crust, please click on the link below for the detailed recipe:
http://somya-patra.blogspot.in/2013/10/pie-crust.html

Don't forget to thaw the dough 30 mins prior to rolling out and baking.

For the pie filling you will need:

3-4 medium sized apples (peeled, cored and sliced)
3-4 tbsp-  butter (I used salted so I didn't add extra salt in my recipe)
1 inch- cinnamon
1 pc- clove
8-10 tsp- sugar (depends on how sweet the apples are)
1 and 1/2 tsp- corn flour

1. Roll out the pastry and line it on a pie tin with a removable base. Layer this  with apples.
2. Using a mortar pestle, finely ground the cinnamon and clove.
3. In a pan heat butter, sugar, corn flour and the ground cinnamon and clove dust. Stir the mixture well and remove from flame when it starts to thicken and pour it over the apples evenly.
4. Roll out the pastry into a round disc and cut it evenly into thin strips. Cover the pie dish in a criss-cross manner as shown in the picture above.
5. Bake the pie for 40-45 mins @ 200 degrees Celsius.
6. Cool down to room temperature and refrigerate.

I always let it rest so the delicious apple and sugar syrup doesn't ooze out.

You can serve hot by microwaving it for a few seconds.

Foodie Out!!

Crème Caramel- Eggless

Crème Caramel is actually an egg custard which is cooked by steaming egg and milk on a bed of caramel. 

Well my eggless version is quite simple and easy to cook. Some people I know do not like the eggy taste, so its a breather for them. Regardless I am a fan of caramel and this is one of the best ways to have it :)

All you need is:

7-8 tsp- sugar (for caramel)

1/2 tsp- water

4 cups- milk

2 tbsp- custard powder (heaped)(I used vanilla flavoured)

8 tsp- sugar (for custard)

1. In a deep bottomed dish, preferably in which you want to set your caramel custard, put 8 tsp of sugar, spread it evenly along the surface and pour half tsp of water.
2. Put this dish on high flame, the sugar and water will start to burn and form caramel in about 2 mins, make sure to spread the caramel evenly on surface by moving the dish side to side on high flame.
3. Once the caramel has got a nice honey brown tinge, remove from flame and set aside to rest and set.
4. Pour 3 cups of milk in a sauce pan and 8 tsp of sugar and bring it to boil. 
5. In a mixing bowl pour the remaining one cup of milk and whisk in 2 tbsp of custard powder and make sure there are no lumps.
6. Once the milk starts to boil, using a whisk, start stirring the boiling milk and pour the custard and milk mix.  Simmer and keep stirring the custard continuously, you will see that the mix will start to thicken.
7. Consistency of the custard should be such that when you invert the whisk, a drop is formed but doesn't fall- its like a stiff peak. Turn off heat and immediately pour this on to the already set caramel.
8. Let this dish rest at room temperature until it cools and then refrigerate overnight.
9. All set, the custard may look like it will break if you flip- "trust me, been there and done that" Remove the dish from fridge, using a knife, slide it through the edge of the dish so the custard is separate.
10. You will also notice that brown liquid must have seeped in through the sides- thats a good sign- this means that caramel had blended through the custard.
11. Take a plate, big enough to cover the top of the dish and 3-4 inches to spare. Don't hesitate and just flip it. 

Voilà your eggless caramel custard is ready to be served.

I had made a huge dish of custard and had to mentally prepare myself before flipping it.... those seconds were scary but worth the effort.

Awesome to taste and I don't miss the eggs.

Hope you enjoy it too :)

Foodie Out!!

Corn Fritters

Great party snack and totally yummy and healthy. I saw this recipe on TLC one time, although that recipe used eggs for batter and since there is only vegetarian cooking at my place, I decided to make some innovative changes of my own! :)

Easy and Quick recipe... Here's what you need:

200 gm- Sweet Corn
1 and 1/2 cups- all purpose flour (maida)
Salt to taste
1 tsp- pepper
1 tsp- chili powder
4-5 tbsp- yogurt (dahi)
1 chopped- green chili
1 chopped- tomato
1 tsp- thyme
2 tsp- olive oil

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk flour and yogurt until it resembles a thick paste- you can add more yogurt if the current measurement isn't enough.
2. Add olive oil to this so the batter can rest.
3. Add corn, chili, tomatoes and all the other ingredients and mix well to combine.
4. In a non stick pan, spoon the batter, about 5-6 at a time, flatten them using the spoon.
5. Add more oil both sides cooking until golden.

You can serve this with a dip made of yogurt mixed with chopped chili and coriander and salt.

We enjoyed this at a family dinner :)

Foodie Out!!

Eggless Royal Icing for cupcakes/cookies/cakes

Its a great recipe that I have stumbled upon and am really happy to have found it.

I am not very fond of cream icing on cakes and cupcakes. Various reason being easy to melt and for immediate consumption only... the shelf life is a turn off for me.

Royal Icing on the other hand is perfectly set at room temperature, adds colour to cakes and looks really fancy. Even easier to pipe out and draw out designs.

All you need is:

100gm Icing sugar
1 and 1/2 tsp- corn flour
2-3 tsp- milk
1/2 tsp- vanilla essence
1 tsp- lemon juice
Few drops of food colour as per choice.

1. Sieve icing sugar and corn flour together to get rid of lumps and mix well.
2. Add on one tsp of milk at a time and whisk until combined into a thick paste.
3. Add lemon juice and vanilla essence and whisk the mixture, make sure there are no lumps.
4. Divide the mix into equal portions and transfer to different cups with different food colours.
5. If the mix is too runny then add more icing sugar until its a paste with flowing consistency and can be easily spread. If its too hard and not spreadable then add more milk.
6. Transfer this to a piping bag or a poly bag and close it immediately. If its out for long then it will dry out.
7. Snip one end of the bag and pipe out designs of choice.

I had four colours of different consistency. The ones too runny were used in the flooding technique where you mark a boundary on the cupcake and fill it in.

For drawing out designs I used wet on wet technique, where on already flooded area I simply drew out designs or wrote something- This way both the colours merge with no distinctive boundary.

The ones which had a tighter consistency can be used to draw out drapes. They have more strength and can be used to stencil.

For a first time experience, I think I did a pretty good job...

Looking forward to practice this again...

Hope you have as much fun as I had trying this...

Foodie Out!!

How to make Baked Beans at home...

I have always had canned baked beans and its just too sweet and artificial for my taste.

Since one fine day I was in experimenting mode, I decided to make my own version of baked beans of what I perceive it to be without referring to any site.

All you need is:

1 and 1/2 cups- Kidney beans (soaked 6-7 hours)
8-9- medium sized tomatoes
Salt to taste
3 and 1/3 tsp- Sugar
1/2 tsp- black pepper
1/2 tsp red chili powder
3 pc- clove
1 inch- cinnamon
1 pc- black cardamom
2 tsp- butter
1 cup- water

1. Pressure cook the beans for at least half hour and let it rest until the pressure is gone.
2. Grind tomatoes, heat a low bottomed pan, put butter and sugar until it nears caremalization.
3. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, red chili powder and stir well.
4. In a mortar pestle finely ground clove, cinnamon and cardamom to dust and add to the tomatoes.
5. Cover and cook on high flame after adding 1 cup of water.
6. Cook until the mixture is no longer raw and transfer this to a baking dish. To this add the cooked beans and mix well.
7. In a pre-heated oven cook this for 30 mins @ 190 degrees Celsius.

Its great with a dollop of butter and bread...

Enjoy! Foodie Out!!

Cheese Custard Pie

I have a small memory attached to this recipe.... I was about 12 and it was "Sports Day" in my school. I was in Karate and we had a special performance for the audience where in I was one of the kids to break a tile :(

Small, tiny and feeble me.... scared to the core and never before had I practiced this act I was doomed...  managed to just crack the tile along with hurting my elbow... the show was just a nightmare for me...

Sad and dejected I came back home. My sister who danced to "Macarena" with other cute toddlers in the same event, happily narrated the story to my mother....

My mom condoled me and as a special lunch treat made Cheese Custard Pie.... it was warm, cheesy and moist and I gobbled it up and slept like a baby... maybe it was the meds or I was just dazed with all the crying ... It seemed like the best thing I had...

All these years I have been begging mom to make this pie at home... but she claimed that it wasn't good.... Finally I decided that I should just go ahead and beat some pans and bake this recipe.

Its not the same recipe what my Mom made.... My version has vegies but its quite delightful to eat :)

For the Pie Crust, click on this link for the full recipe:
http://somya-patra.blogspot.in/2013/10/pie-crust.html

I blind baked the crust first for about 10 minutes at 190 degrees Celsius so the pie would remain crispy, after that I made the filling given below:

Filling for Cheese Custard Pie:

200 gms- Button Mushroom (Chopped to cubes)
200 gms- Baby Corn (Chopped- 1 inch)
1 big Capsicum- sliced (1 inch)
1/2 tsp black pepper
Salt to taste
2 tsp Olive oil

1. Chop the vegetables- Heat olive oil in a skillet. Once hot add mushroom and stir. Cook the mushroom on high flame, don't crowd them and spread them evenly. Mushroom will give out its own stock, let it cook in its stock until it starts to brown.
2. Add capsicum and baby corn, stir fry until done. Add salt and pepper and pour this onto the baked pastry on the pie tin. Spread it evenly and keep it aside.

White sauce:

1 and 1/2 cups of milk

1 and 1/2 tsp corn flour

Pinch of salt

1. In the same skillet, once the veggies are done- pour milk and stir in corn flour and salt.
2. Bring milk to boil, stirring continuously, keep on till the sauce thickens to a honey consistency- make sure there are no lumps.
3. Pour this over the stir fried vegetables on the pie crust evenly.
4. Grate some cheddar cheese as per your liking on top.
5. Bake for another 15 minutes until it turns golden, at 190 degrees Celsius.

All done... My family simply loved this recipe... hope you like it too..

Foodie Out!! :)

Pie Crust

For an Indian household... pie's are very rare to come by. My version might not be the best ... since I'm yet to taste the best and get inspired...

As mentioned in my previous posts... all the recipes that I try are a mix of recipes that I have come across online through blogs and Vblogs along with my own judgement and experience of things and some my own inventions.

I experiment a lot in the kitchen and one of my favorites is making pies... Hence I'm writing a separate post for just the crust. Be imaginative and make your own filling... Of course I shall also post my versions of different fillings that I have tried and tested.

For a Pie Crust all you need is:

2 cups- All purpose Flour
Pinch of Salt
4 tsp- Butter (cold)
Ice cold water for kneading

Procedure:

Pies usually have a buttery and flaky crust which gives a very crisp and crumbly effect.

1. Take a mixing bowl, mix in flour and salt.
2. Add butter cubes straight out of the refrigerator, and with your hands lightly mix the  butter gently breaking it. Once the butter is combined the mixture will look like wet sand.
3. Now add cold water in small quantities and knead the mix into a soft dough.
4. Once done, wrap the dough with a plastic sheet/ cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator.
5. Make sure to thaw the dough before use, take the dough out from the fridge and let it rest for at least 30 mins so it softens and is ready to be rolled and lined on a pastry tin. 

In a small pie tin- it normally takes 20 mins to cook @ 190-200 degrees Celsius. 

Enjoy, Foodie out!!

Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Who doesn't like to sit and bite into sinful chocolate fluffiness!

Here's the recipe for my chocolate chip cupcakes...

What you need is:
1 cup all purpose flour
3tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Pepsi
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Yeilds around 16 cup cakes:

• Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder through a sieve and mix well.
• In a mixing bowl mix oil, sugar, milk and pepsi.
• Bit by bit add the dry mix to the wet mix and stir well. Make sure no lumps are formed. 
• Key to a fluffy cake is to always beat it for a long time so it feels nice and fluffy in texture.
• Line the cupcake tins with cupcake liners- fill each about 3/4th in total.
• Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
• Bake it for 20 mins in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius. 

Enjoy!
Foodie Out!

Tomato Basil Flatbread

Heres a good one... I totally loved it for a change...

Easy...Less time taking...tasty

For the dough- All you need is:

3 cups- wheat flour

2 tsp- instant dry yeast

1 tsp- sugar

Salt to Taste

Water to knead

4-5 tsp olive oil

Topping:

2-3 medium sized tomatoes- thinly sliced

Salt to sprinkle 

Black pepper to sprinkle

Dried Basil to sprinkle

• Take half cup of luke warm water (105-115 degrees Celsius), put 1 tsp of sugar and sprinkle 2 tsp of yeast. Let the yeast rise for 10 mins.
• In a mixing bowl take flour, add salt, 2 tsp of olive oil.. mix well
• Add the yeast and more water as required to knead into a soft dough.
• Put 3 tsp of oil and smooth out the dough, cover the dish with a kitchen towel and let it rest for an hour.
• The dough will rise almost double, punch out the extra air.
• Section the dough into small balls and roll out into a circle.
• Heat pan, put half tsp oil, on low flame- place the disc, on top put 3-4 thinly sliced tomatoes, sprinkle some salt, black pepper and dried basil.
• Add another tsp oil on top, flip and sear it on high flame for 2 mins...
• All done, flip on to a plate, you can cut with a pizza cutter or have it like that.

I liked this bread as it doesn't take that long, its nice and soft, fluffy and tangy.

Way healthier than store bought bread and good for a change... you can bite on to it just like that and don't need any accompaniments.

Foodie Out!!

Lasagna

Hey everyone, this is my version of Lasagna.... turned out to be totally awesome... a hearty meal indeed.

I am yet to try different fillings and variations for this recipe,  there's a three tier filling- 

• Tangy tomato paste
• Cheesy filling
• Stir fried vegetables

I am going to divide the recipe as per layers-

TANGY TOMATO PASTE

4-5 tomatoes

1 green chilli

1 inch ginger

2tsp sugar

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp red chilli flakes

1 tsp oil/butter

• Grind the tomatoes, chilli and ginger into a paste
• Heat a skillet and add butter and sugar, as soon as the sugar starts to caramelize a bit add the tomato paste to it.
• Stir well and add salt, black pepper, oregano, chilli powder and flakes.
• Mix well on high flame and cover the skillet. 
• Keep stirring occasionally until the excess water has evaporated and turn off the heat, keep this aside.

CHEESY FILLING

1 and 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (paneer)

1/2 cup processed cheddar cheese

2 tsp fresh cream

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

• Take a mixing bowl, put all the ingredients and mix well, keep it aside for later.
• Don't mash the ricotta cheese too much...let there be lumps in the mix.

STIR FRIED VEGETABLES

4 medium sized carrots

3 green bell peppers

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp olive oil

Salt to taste

• Heat olive oil in a deep bottomed pan, add carrots, green pepper, salt and pepper. 
• Stir and cook the vegetables on high flame, once nicely seared keep it aside.

LAYERING THE LASAGNA

• Boil water with salt and oil, add the lasagna sheets and cook until done.
• Take a glass baking dish, dash a little olive oil and grease the dish.
• Put one layer of boiled sheets at the bottom and smear the tomato paste generously.
• Put another layer of lasagna sheets and layer this with the cheese filling evenly.
• Put another layer and place the vegetables on top.
• Put the final layer on top, you can either sprinkle cheese on top, or fresh cream. Since I felt there was already too much cheese for my liking, I smeared fresh cream on top and final sheet.
• Cook for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 190 degrees Celsius.

All done... hope you like my version!

Foodie Out!!

Baguettes

I was itching to try making bread at home... didn't turn out that bad at all.... At the end of the day m kinda proud! :D

It is a long process and needs some patience- recipe is fairly simple.
I'll say m not perfect at the moment and this was just my first attempt... hopefully I will master it soon!
All my learning has been through the web- thank you to the people who took out time to make a video- my Google's favorite keywords are always- "how to make ______ @ home"

So after a lot of nervousness and killing my yeast twice :'( I finally got my way round to making bread!

Here's what you need:

1 cup- luke warm water
1 tsp- yeast
1 tsp- sugar
1 tsp- salt
1 tbsp- oil
approx 3 cups of wheat flour (amount of flour depends on the temperature of surroundings- one needs to keep adding till the right consistency is reached)

For Egg Wash replacer:

1 tsp- sugar
1 tsp- milk
1 tsp- oil
Beat well to form a sticky liquid

•  In a deep bottomed mixing bowl put 1 cup luke warm water and mix sugar. Sprinkle 1 tsp of yeast- DO NOT MIX, cover the container with a dish towel. *** Make sure the water is neither too hot- it will kill the yeast or too cold- it will deactivate it. Yeast rises best at 70-80 degrees Celsius.
• Set it aside for 5-7 mins. You will notice bubbles in the mixture, to this add half cup flour and whisk well.
• Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp oil and another half cup flour and mix well.
• Keep adding half cups of flour until the dough is not sticky and resembles a roti dough. Work the dough until the surface is even.
• Take a greased bowl and put the dough making sure the excess oil is evenly spread on dough. Cover the container with a dish towel and let it rest for 40 minutes.
• After this the dough should have risen, punch the dough a couple of times and cover it again with a dish towel and let it rest for 40 minutes.
• Once done, work the batter for a few seconds to take out the excess air, section it to three pieces.
• Roll and elongate each piece, make sure the top is stretched smooth and excess is scrunched at the bottom.
• Line the baking tray with butter paper and place each baguette. Give some space for it to rise.
• With a knife, trace stripes on top.
• Using a greasing brush or fingers lavishly bathe the baguettes with egg wash replacer- this will help give a beautiful golden colour as sugar caramelizes.
• Pre-heat oven at 190 degrees Celsius, bake the bread for 40 minutes on the middle shelf.
• Let the bread cool and rest, put in a plastic wrap in the fridge for later use.

So I hope my version turns out well for other too.

I will post more once I get around and master the recipe!

...till the... Foodie Out!

For those who hate to spend time in the Kitchen 102- Pasta Tomatina with Fresh Basil

In a hurry to leave for office.... tired of making the same poha, upma and parathas for breakfast??
Here's a simple recipe to the rescue and hardly takes any time.

All you need is:

1 cup- macaroni
water for boiling
1 tsp salt for cooking macaroni
***********************
2 tbsp- cooking oil
4-5 chopped tomatoes
1 tsp- red chilli powder
1 tsp- sugar
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp- black pepper
2 cloves, 1 black cardamom, 1cm star anise- finely ground
1 tbsp- fresh cream
2 cubes of cheese
5-6 leaves- fresh basil

• In a low bottom cooking pot boil water, add salt and cook the macaroni until done.  Drain excess water and keep aside.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil in a low bottomed pan, add the chopped tomatoes and sauté for a minute. Add salt to taste, 1 tsp of sugar, red chilli powder, black pepper and finely ground spices.
• Cook until the consistency is thick, add the boiled macaroni, fresh cream and grated cheese.
• All done, add fresh basil in the end and mix well.

Ready to go... can serve hot or can have it later when cold!

Fresh and Simple!

Foodie Out!

D.I.Y. .... Murukku (Chakli) @ home

Its monsoon and probably you are craving for a "pakora" everytime there's a splash.... My waistline's true enemy.... so lets stick to some basic deep fried stuff, which you don't gobble a plate at time ... Murukku is the best evening snack ...

As suggested by some of my friends, goes well with piping hot cha or tangy mango chutney.... I like to have it straight from the jar on the go! :P

Fairly simple and m sure many mommies still make them at home.

Here's what you need:

2 cups- Rice Flour

1/2 cup- Urad Flour

1/2 cup- Besan

1/2 cup- softened Butter

1 tsp- cumin seeds

1 tsp- red chilli powder

1 fist full- sesame seeds

salt to taste

water to knead

oil for frying

• First, mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl- rice flour, urad, besan, cumin seeds, red chilli powder, sesame seeds and salt.
• Add the melted butter and mix well till it looks like sand and then add normal water to knead into a soft dough, make sure the dough isn't too runny or else you can't get the right shape.
• Heat oil for frying in a low bottomed pan.

• Take a good amount of dough and put it in the chakli press/maker like the one in picture above and use the star shaped disk for murukku design.
• Map out spirals on a greased plate first, once done, with the help of a spatula pick the spirals and deep fry.
• Dry out on a kitchen napkin, cool and store in a dry jar.

Enjoy the crunchy chaklis/murukku at home! :)

Foodie Out!!

"Cake... Oh so Christmasy!!"

Just the right recipe to lift your holiday spirits... a recipe that will probably remind you of an evening in winters sipping hot cup of tea, snuggling in your quilt and enjoying the lazy winter holiday season.

All you need is:

250 grams- Plain all purpose flour
3-4 drops vanila essence
1 level tsp- baking powder
1 level tsp- soda bicarbonate
1 cup- oil
1and half  cup- powdered sugar
1and half cup- milk
1and half cup- pepsi/coca cola
75 grams- tutty fruity
50 grams walnut
1 inch- cinnamon stick- grounded
4-5- cardamom- grounded

Procedure:

• First on a sheet of paper through a sieve mix the flour, baking powder and soda bicarbonate.
• Run this mixture through the sieve at least 4 times so that all the dry ingredients are mixed properly
• In a deep dish or a mixing bowl pour oil, sugar and mix well. Add cinnamom and cardamom dust, vanilla essence and walnut and mix well.
• Add the sieved mixture to this bowl 1 cup at a time. Do not add the entire mixture at once, this will result in lumps... add 1 cup, if the mixture starts to dry out then add a bit of milk and pepsi and mix well.
• Repeat this process until the entire dry mix has been incorporated into the batter.... they key is to mix the batter well in good circular motion for atleast 5-7 mins to get that spongy cake...
• Pre heat over at 170 degrees, pour out the batter on the cake tin which has been well oiled and dusted in flour. Once the batter is poured out on the dish sprinkle tutty fruity on top. This way it won't get stuck to the bottom of the cake.
• Bake the dish for 40 minutes... ready to go.

Hope you enjoy eating this one as I enjoyed cooking it...

Foodie out!