This is my quick and easy homemade pizza/pasta sauce .I use this for pizzas,pastas ,calzone etc..There are many pizza,pasta and calzones recipes coming up very soon on the blog so thought of posting this basic sauce today.

 All you need is
  • 5-6 tomatoes
  • 8-9 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 tsp mixed herbs
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder/chilli flakes
  • 1.5 tsp sugar
  • salt
  • 1 tbsp tomato ketchup.
  • 1/2 tsp olive oil optional

Method;
  • In a pan of boiling water add the tomatoes cover with lid
  • put the tomatoes in cold water .
  • Remove the skin and blend it.
  • In the vessel pour the blended tomato, and add the ketchup and red chilli powder
  • Cook over medium flame .
  • Add the herbs and salt and sugar .
  • Add about 1/2 cup water and cook for 5-7 min till the sauce thickens.
  • Use it for pizza/pasta ..you can store the remaining in the fridge .

Hark the herald angels sing
"Glory to the new born King!"
Peace on earth,and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled 
Joyful ,all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies:
With the angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem".
Hark!the herald angel sing,
Glory to the newborn King!"

The most awaited day of the year is here Yeah its Christmas the best day of the year for every Christian .A day when our Lord and Saviour is born..
Today's post has no recipe just wanted to wish all my readers ,followers and friends a very blessed and Merry Christmas may your lives be filled with love joy blessings and peace...

Christmas sweet date roll
Date rolls are one of our family favourite Christmas sweet .Date rolls are cookie stuffed with dates and walnuts and baked..These date rolls are very delicious .Soft buttery rolls stuffed with dates and nuts make a wonderful sweet.These are actually egg less cookies except for the egg wash which can be avoided if you don't want to use eggs.

How to make Christmas sweet date roll





Ingredients
250  gms maida/all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
125 gm butter softened
2 - 3 tbsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract/essence
Chilled milk to knead approx 1/2 cup or as needed
200 gms seedless dates
100  gms walnuts/cashews.
egg yolk + water for egg wash.







Method:
  • Mix together flour ,butter ,pinch of salt (avoid salt if using salted butter) sugar till it resembles crumbs.
  • Adding  little milk knead to soft dough.
  • Roll it like chapati and cut into strips approx 1 1/2 ''.
  • Place the seedless dates and walnut/cashew and roll to cover the edges
  • Apply little water to seal the edge .

  • Apply the egg wash for glaze.
  • Place the rolls on baking tray lined with parchment paper.
  • Pre heat the oven for 10 min at 180 degree Celsius.
  • Bake for 15 mins.

  • Cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

for the other traditional  Christmas Sweets do check the links below
Neouries/Nevries/Sweet puff
Kul Kul
Rose Cookies
Marzipan
Milk Cream
Snowballs/Nankhaties








Kul kul are popular sweet made by East Indians and Goan Catholics during Christmas .They are delicious cookies which are fried ,they just melt in mouth .These stay well for month .There are two versions of kul kul one is this and the other is dipped in sugar syrup however this version has been my favourite since childhood.
I remember helping my aunts and mom to make this during Christmas .We all cousins use to sit till late night after dinner and together help to shape kul kuls.They are really very addictive.Do try this out.Kul kul combs are available easily at a very cheap cost  but if cant find this you could use a clean comb or a fork to shape it.


Ingredients:
150 gms flour/maida
100 gms fine rava/semolina/sugee
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract/essence
6 0 gm ghee
60 gm  powdered sugar
milk or water to knead
oil + ghee to deep fry



Method
Mix the ghee,powdered sugar egg,flour essence and knead to soft dough.
Cover the dough with cloth and let it rest for 2-3 hrs.this is done for the rava to swell up.
Divide the dough in three parts and add few drops of colour and knead well.
Make small balls and flatten the ball on the kulkul comb/fork.

Roll the dough to shape it as kul kul.
Press the ends slightly so that they seal and don't open while frying.

Heat ghee/oil or you may mix both in a kadhai .
Fry kul kul in small batches over slow fire.
Remove the kul kuls on kitchen towel to drain excess oil.
Let it cool completely before storing in air tight containers.












   

Inspired by my dear Suhaina I made these cute little cupcakes for my wedding anniversary .The best no fail recipe adapted  from here.These were the best chocolate cupcakes ever covered with strawberry whipped cream which went perfect with it..I also made one 6 inch chocolate cake and covered with strawberry whipped cream. Do try these yummy cupcakes you'll love them .

Ingredients:
for the cupcakes
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup  Cocoa
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup  oil
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water


for the whipped cream frosting
1 cup whipped cream
1 tsp strawberry essence
2 tbsp icing sugar
 color
 Method:
. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
 Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes
. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
 Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 180 degree Celsius. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes.or until wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean Cool completely. Frost.
Makes About 30 cupcakes.
Beat the whipped cream with icing sugar till soft stiff peaks then pipe it over the cupcakes.
sending this to Tanya's event and   Babi's event




how to make orange cake ,soft and moist orange cake
Soft and delish this citrusy  orange cake will fill your house with a lovely aroma.This orange cake is just too soft and moist .You'll fall in love with every bite.You can glaze this yummy orange  cake or have it plain .I preferred to have it the way it is.Do try this .You'll be wanting to try this over and over again.Check notes for eggless option to make this orange cake.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar 
1/2 cup orange juice
1.5 tsp orange zest
2 eggs
1tsp baking powder*

Method:
  • Prepare the baking tin by  greasing it and lining it with parchment .
  • Pre heat the oven for 10 min at 180 degree .
  • Sift the flour and baking powder.
  • Beat butter and sugar till fluffy
  • To this add egg one at at time and beat till its mixed
  • Add the orange zest



  • Add flour and beat on low speed till the mixture is incorporated
  • Add the orange juice and mix well.
  • Pour in prepared tin and bake for 35-40 min at 180 degree Celsius or till tooth pick inserted come out clean.
  • Allow it to cool completely before slicing

  •  

Notes
Edited may 2017
Use 1 tsp baking powder 
**To make it eggless use 1/2 cup hung  curd/thick yogurt/dahi/curd mix 1/4tsp baking soda keep aside for 5 minutes then add in place of eggs

how to make orange cake




If you love fried rice you're going to love this for sure . filling one pot meal with fried meatballs, chicken and egg you can add crab meat and sausage too.Goes very well with Chicken Chilli Do give it a try ..I have used meatballs with mutton mince you can make it with chicken/beef mince too.


Ingredients;
300 gms chicken boneless
2 cups rice
1 egg
1 green chilli
5-6 garlic cloves minced
12-15 meatballs click here for recipe
1 tsp oyster sauce
1.5 tsp chilli sauce
1 .5 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp pepper crushed
2 med capsicum
1 carrot finely chopped
7-8 french beans chopped fine
1 cup spring onions chopped fine.
oil
salt

Method
  • Cook rice till 3/4th done and let it cool completely.
  • Boil the chicken with pepper and salt and shred to pieces.
  • In a pan heat 1 tsp oil add green chillies pepper and egg scramble it  and keep it aside.
  • In the same pan heat 2 tbsp oil ,add chopped garlic and saute for 2-3 min
  • Then add the french bean and carrot saute for sometime.
  • Add pepper and salt ,then add the shredded chicken ,meat balls and the sauces.
  • Mix in the cooked rice and give it a nice stir so that everything mixes up well.
  • Lastly add the chopped spring onion .
  • Toss it well ,add salt and pepper if required.
  • Serve hot with Chicken Chilli.




 
for more fried rice recipes pls click the link below
chicken fried rice with burnt garlic
schezwan chicken fried rice
prawn fried rice
pineapple chicken fried rice


 Today I have a very special guest in my blog my dear friend Subha who is such a wonderful friend a great human being a loving mom to her lovely daughter who is an inspiration to her lovely  blog Subha's Dairy Free Treats.
I met Subha in one of fb's group who then became a very close friend .I got attracted to the blog since its unique and filled with super yummy recipes which are all dairy free .So all those allergic to dairy products and you still want to have something yummy look up for Subha's Space you will never regret. Now over to Subha.


I got introduced to Gloria through blogging and within a short time, we became very close friends. I love her cake recipes. I am not an expert in baking and Gloria’s space is one of the most inspiring blogs for me. She has a great collection of recipes and I was so thrilled when she told me to do a guest post. It is a great pleasure to do this and I am so glad that I have found her on this blogosphere - someone who is very genuine and sincere, who I can rely on, share my feelings with no hesitation..

This recipe is adapted from Vah chef’s video but I have made several alterations to suit our diet (as I usually blog only dairy free recipes). I am sure you all would definitely love this Kebab. It has amazing texture – crispy outside and soft inside. You can impress your family members or guests with this Kebab. I am absolutely sure about that. Now, over to the recipe..


Ingredients:
Raw Bananas / Plantain
3 medium
Channa Dal
1/2 cup
Cashews
1/2 cup
Pomegranate seeds
3 tbsp
Finely chopped onion
1/2 cup
Chopped Coriander leaves
2 tbsp
Coriander powder
2 tbsp
Green chillies
1 or 2 small
Cumin seeds
1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp
Amchur Powder (Dry mango powder)
1/4 tsp
Chopped ginger
1 tsp
Chopped garlic
1 tsp
Chat Masala
to sprinkle on top
Red chilli powder (optional)
as needed
Salt
as needed
Oil
as needed

Method:
1.       Boil the raw bananas with enough water. Please make sure it does not overcook as we do not need it mushy. Peel, mash and keep them aside after discarding their skin.
2.       Boil the channa dal till it is almost done. Here also, please make sure not to overcook. Drain the water.
3.       In a hot pan, add a little oil. When the oil becomes hot, add cumin seeds. Add chopped onions when the cumin seeds crackle.
4.       When the onions turn light brown, add chopped ginger, garlic and green chilli. Sauté till the raw smell goes. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder (optional), coriander powder, Amchur powder and salt. Add the channa dal and mashed raw banana (I put them in mixer for about 10 seconds as I was finding it hard to mash). Mix well. Check salt and switch off the flame. Allow to cool.
5.       In a mixer, make a fine powder of the cashews.
6.       Mix the cashew powder with pomegranate seeds, coriander leaves and a bit of salt. This is the stuffing which will go inside the Kebab.
7.       Divide them into small equal parts (I got around 10 small balls) and make them into tiny balls.
8.       Take the raw banana – channa dal mixture and make medium sized thin patties with your palm (I got 10 of them). Put the cashew stuffing, close and make them back to thick patties. Now you would have the patties with the cashew stuffing inside. Make 10 patties like these. Shallow fry them in oil and sprinkle chat masala on top.
9.       Serve with chutneys of your choice.


 There are umpteen numbers of biryani from which i love  Mutton ,Prawn,Veg & this Chicken Biryani .This green masala Chicken Biryani is full of flavors.The taste is just wonderful .I'm a big fan of green masala i have many dishes in this blog with green masala The reason being  i love the flavors from the freshly ground masalas.

Ingredients:
for the chicken masala
1/2 kg Chicken
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1tsp lime juice
1/2 cup curds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp mace powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
2 med tomatoes
4 onions sliced
2 potatoes cubed & deep fried
salt
to grind to paste
2 cups fresh coriander leaves
1 cup mint leaves
6-7 green chillies/as needed
1 tsp shahi jeera
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

 For the Rice
2 cups basmati rice
2 bay leaves
2 black cardmom
3 green cardmon
1 inch cinnamon stick

2 tbsp ghee
1/2 cup oil
saffron infused in warm milk
dry fruits as needed.

Method:

  • Marinate the chicken pieces with curds,salt,ginger garlic paste and turmeric powder.
  • Grind the green masala to fine smooth paste.
  • Add the ground paste to the marinated chicken  and set aside for 1.5 to 2 hrs in the fridge.
  • Fry 2 sliced onions till golden brown and crsip.
  • Fry the potatoes and the nuts ,set aside.
  • In a vessel heat oil add chopped tomatoes and fry till mushy.
  • Then add the remaning sliced  onions and saute till soft and transparent.
  • Add the marinated chicken ,saute for 7-8 mins.
  • Add water and let it cook till the chicken is done.
  • Soak basmati rice in water for about an hour then drain water .
  • In a vessel add enough water to cook the rice .
  • Put all the spices under rice add little salt and cook the rice till 3/4th done.
  • Drain the excess water and keep the rice ready.
 Assembling the biryani
  • In a thick bottomed vessel add melted ghee then spread the layer of rice .
  • Crush the fried onions,put the chicken gravy & the nuts & potatoes.
  • Sprinkle some mint & coriander leaves .
  • Pour 1tsp ghee.
  • Spread the remaining rice .
  • Lastly sprinkle the remaining fried onions ,nuts  and the saffron.
  • Pour the remaining ghee.
  • Cover with lid and keep it on stove top on very low flame for 15-20 min.
  • Serve hot with raita.

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