Blog posts - Chocolates & Dreams

All blog posts from October 2009

Banana Pancakes : -

Posted October 23, 2009

Banana Pancake
Banana is my favourite fruit to cook with. The taste of the ripe banana is very subtle yet the flavour and the aroma it emits on being cooked or baked is strong, fruity and sweet. Banana pancakes are my favourite because they can be made almost any time and with the least amount of preparation and it comes out very tasty and filling. Further banana pancakes can be made and are absolutely delicious when made even with whole wheat bread and so a healthier option as against using all purpose flour or maida.
Banana pancakes can also be made with eggs but what I made today has very few ingredients but is yet very filling and delicious.
My cute orange measuring cups
Oh ! and I used my favourite orange measuring cups for measuring all the ingredients this time. Here is the recipe.

Banana Pancakes :
Whole wheat flour ¾ cup
White sugar ¼ cup
Brown sugar 1 tsp
Refined oil 1tsp
Cinnamon powder ½ tsp
Milk ¾ cup
Banana 1
Butter as needed
Honey as needed
seive the dry ingredients
• Mix the dry ingredients and sieve them 2-3 times.

• Now mix in the refined oil and mix till a bit crumbly.
Milk
• Mix in the milk and mix well. You can use more milk to make the consistency more liquidly. I like the mix a bit thick but it does taste equally well when drippy.
Mix in the banana
• Mix in the chopped bananas.
• Heat the skillet once heated pour in the mix and cook. The mix will start bubbling in about 30 seconds. Let cook for about 1 ½ minutes. Then turn and cook the other side for about a minute.
Pat on the butter
• Take off and pat on some butter and a bit of honey and enjoy them warm.
And the Honey
And enjoy !
Makes two

1 comment

Posted in Breakfast Treats

Tagged as banana, cinnamon, and pancake

Colourful Salad : -

Posted October 21, 2009

Colourful Salad Dinner tonight had to be something nutritious and tasty. So, what better than a bowl of health, tasty salad. With all the colours that are recommended to be used being available I just couldn’t help myself. So here is the recipe and yes you can mix and match all the ingredients to your taste.
Look at all the colour
Colourful Salad :
Carrots 3-4
Green Bell Pepper/Capsicum 1
Red Bell pepper 1
Yellow Bell Pepper 1
Tomato 1
Cucumber 1
Onion 1
Shredded cabbage ½ cup
Fresh green peas ¼ cup
Salt to taste.
Black pepper freshly grounded.
Honey 2 tbsps
Salad dressing 2tbsps

• Mix in all the ingredients in a big bowl and give it a good mix. Taste to check if something is needed. Cover and refrigerate for ½ hour. Serve cold.
The salad veggies
Ready

Enjoy ! ! !

0 comments

Posted in Soups & Salads

Tagged as capsicum, carrot, healthy, and salad

Carrot cake : -

Posted October 20, 2009

I made the most amazing, moist and tasty carrot cake that I have ever made and trust me ever since I was introduced to the concept of a carrot cake I have made quite a few variations. But this one just took the crowd with all the ingredients that give it the moist feel, the pineapple and the crunch of the coconut. Delicious. I took the recipe from one of my favourite blogger Elise Bauer from Simply Recipes. Just go to
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/carrot_cake/
and get all the amazing pictures and the complete recipe there. I did not have sweetened coconut so I did increase the quantity of sugar by half a cup and the taste came out perfect. I also did not do the cream cheese frosting. But it just tasted heavenly without it. So go ahead and give it a try.
Enjoy ! ! !

0 comments

Posted in Baking

Tagged as carrot cake

Mutton Kebab : -

Posted October 20, 2009

The last month has been a very busy and festive week with Durga Puja and Diwali falling just 20 days apart of each other there has been no time to breath easy. And even thought I have been in the kitchen often on there has been no time to document my experiments and recipes. For that matter I don’t even have many decent photographs to post but do promise to update when I do remake the recipes.
Durga Puja was at the end of last month and was all full of fun and laughter and worship. The amazing platter of food that is available during this festive season is very inspiring. This lead me to make one of my mother’s most loved recipes. It does take sometime to make but it does come out absolutely delicious.

Mutton Kebab :

Group A

Mutton 1kg
Bengal Gram / Channa Dal 300 gms
Onions 500gms
Garlic cloves 50 gms
Ginger 40 gms
Coriander seeds 2 tsps
Cumin seeds 2 tsps
Black pepper 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Mace 1 leaf
Nutmeg ½
Water 1 ½ cups

Group B

Green cardamom 8
Cloves 8
Balck cardamom 8
Cinnamon 2 sticks
Cumin powder 2 tsps

Group C

Coriander leaves 100 gms
Green chilli’s 3 (finely chopped)
Egg white 1 egg
Bread crumbs ½ cup
Whole wheat flour 2 tbsps

• Put in all the ingredients of Group A and pressure cook on high steam till one pressure is released and then turn take to low steam and let another pressure release.
Boiled
• Take of the burner and let cool.
• In the mean time take all the ingredients of Group B and grind them well. Use a bit of water to make a smooth paste.
• Then put in the mix into the food processor and pulse till grainy. Just add a bit of water at this point and pulse till smooth.
In the food processor
• Now put the mix into a thick bottomed vessel and set to dry on the gas burner. When the mix is almost dry put in the Group B paste mix and cook till the mix leaves the pan. This is best done in a non-stick cookware as the mix does tend to stick. It is also very important to monitor the mix continuously.
• When done take off and mix in the chopped coriander leaves, green chillies and egg whites.
• Now make about 1 inch balls and press to flatten to make around 2 inch coins.
• Mix the bread crumbs and whole wheat flour and roll the kebabs in them and shallow fry. First heat a non-stick flat pan and let the kebabs cook oil free and then pour the clarified butter over the kebabs and let cook.
• This has to be done on low heat and a batch will take around 10-15 minutes to get completely done.
• Serve warm with mustard sauce, thinly chopped onions dipped in vinegar and tomato sauce.
• Makes around 40 – 45 pieces.
Fried and ready to be served
Enjoy ! ! !