Its getting hotter and hotter each day and at this time we really feel like having some cool stuff.I usually skip lunch and have milkshakes instead that keeps me full till afternoon.
I have making a lot of icecream these days to enjoy after lunch or dinner .You can check the other icecreams posted in the blog.This is one easiest and creamiest strawberry  icecream ..We love homemade icecreams and i keep trying different flavours and have shared them here too.
My Dad loves strawberry icecream and asked me to make one . You'll must be wondering  strawberries in this summer ?yeah I stock strawberry preserve which makes it handy to make desserts with this and i can enjoy strawberry any time of the year.But this time i thought of making icecream with ready made strawberry crush that I had in my fridge
This eggless strawberry ice cream is really so delicious and creamy that you can make and enjoy an time of the year and you just need very few ingredients

Ingredients
1 cup  whipped cream (I  used Amul whipping cream )
150 gms  condensed milk
3- 4 tbsp strawberry crush/as needed
2 tbsp icing sugar

Method
Beat the whipping cream with the icing sugar till it hold stiff peaks
Add condensed milk ,strawberry crush and continue to beat

Mix all well with a spatula and pour it in an airtight container
Freeze for 6-8 hours
Enjoy creamy and delicious icecream with some crush ,chocolate wafers ,

Notes
I have used amul whipped cream this time
Keep the beaters and bowl in the fridge before you start beating it
If you are using non dairy cream add 1 cup fresh cream to the whipped cream and beat again till its mixed
If you do not have strawberry crush ,you can add strawberry essence and some pink colour.
you may increase the amount of crush and condensed milk as per your taste.

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These brownies are not only easy to make but they are the best  brownies ever ..Not too gooey ..not too fudgy just perfect brownies...I'm never been a fan of brownies but made these and got hooked to .Found this recipe here.This is a no fail recipe with wonderful results I would highly recommend this brownie recipe .You can see how beautiful  it turned out from the pic itself, I simply loved its beautiful crust .

Ingredients
2/3 cup (*85 gms ) flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder( i used 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp )
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup (100 gms)butter
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 - 3/4 cup chocolate chips.
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

• Preheat oven at 180 degree C for 10 minutes
• Melt the butter and allow it to cool to room temperature
• Cover a  8 " square tin with aluminium foil/parchment and grease with oil all over.
• Sift flour baking powder and cocoa together and keep aside
• In a bowl beat eggs and sugar with a whisk ,add  melted butter and vanilla to this
• Mix the sifted flour and cocoa powder
• Add choco chips and mix

• Pour the batter in the prepared pan
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• Let it cool completely
• cut in squares and enjoy

Notes
I have used salted butter hence skipped the salt ,if using unsalted add 1/4 tsp salt
For cleaner squares ,allow the brownie to cool completely Then cut with a sharp knife 
You may add more chocolate chips if you prefer
If you wish you could add 1 tsp instant coffee powder along with the cocoa powder to the batter.
For fudgy brownies bake for less time about 20-22 minutes.

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A rich and delicious Mughlai mutton biryani...This Mughlai Mutton Biryani is  midly spiced the mutton is succulently cooked and the Rice is simply  flavourful and aromatic..
Unlike the other recipes from my blog this mutton is not marinated in curds before but boiled with few spices instead..then the stock is used to give a lovely flavour to the  mutton gravy and this is what makes this mutton mughlai biryani so yumm..Do try this rich yet easy to make mughlai mutton biryani..

Ingredients
Basmati rice 1/2 kg ( soaked for 30 minutes)
Mutton 1/2 kg
1 1/2  tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp saunf/fennel seeds crushed
2 onion sliced and fried
1/2 cup yogurt/curds/dahi
10-12 almonds
1 1/2 tsp red chilli power
1 tsp garam masala powder
2 bay leaves
2 small tomatoes
10 --15 cashew
 1/4 cup oil
1 1/2 tbps ghee
2-3 green chillies slitted
1-2  tsp rose water
whole garam masala( 2 -3 cloves,1 inch cinnamon stick,3-4 green cardamom,2-3 cloves )
2 potatoes Cut in quaters and fried (optional)

Method

• Boil mutton with salt,saunf/fennel seeds  and whole garam masala ...do not over cook the mutton
• Fry sliced onions till crispy brown and keep aside
• Grind almonds cashews and tomato to a puree
• Boil rice with salt, cumin ,cardamom star anise and bay leaves till 3/4 th done
• Drain the rice and keep aside
• To the warm 2tbsp milk add saffron and keep aside
• Heat a vessel add ginger garlic paste and fry till raw smell goes off
• Now add only the boiled mutton,reserve the stock for later

• Saute the mutton well for 4-5 minutes over medium flame
• To this add the tomato cashew paste and fry well for sometime until it starts leaving oil from sides
• Add the red chilli ,garam masala powder
• Add  fried onions,curds and mix well then  add the mutton stock  and mint leaves and 1-2 green chillies slitted
• Let it come to a boil ,switch the flame off

• In the Vessel in which you are arranging the biryani add ghee let it melt
• then spread a layer of rice
• Sprinkle some fried onions
• Then put the mutton masala layer and add fried potatoes if using.
• Spread coriander and mint leaves over this
• Now add the remaining rice
• Top it with fried onions ,saffron infused milk
• Make 4 holes with back of a spoon or a knife and pour 1/2 tsp ghee into each hole
• Sprinkle some rose water on the top and cover the lid tighlty
• Let it cook on dum for 20 minutes
• Serve hot with any raita

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Creamy and delicious  Chocolate Icecream..Being a Chocolate lover this has to be one of my favourite icecream...I have already shared some icecream recipes in my blog and here is one more to the list..
Chocolate Icecream is also similar to my other icecream recipes except for few ingredients..Here I have used very little condensend milk since i was using Melted chocolate c..You may adjust the sugar according to your taste buds
This Chocolate Icecream is really yummy do try once I'm sure you will be trying it again...

Ingredients
1 cup whipping cream/double cream
1 cup fresh cream *
150 gms Chocolate compound
2 tbsp condensed milk
1 tbsp icing sugar
1 tbsp coco powder
2 tbsp milk

Method

• Beat whipped cream with icing sugar till stiff peaks 
• To the whipped cream add fresh cream and beat for few minutes.

• Melt chocolate over a double boiler
• Add cocoa ,milk to it and stir well
• Add condensed milk and mix..
• Add the melted chocolate mixture  to the cream and mix 

• Beat till its all mixed 

• Pour it in an air tight container and freeze for 6-7 hours
• Enjoy creamy and delicious Homemade Chocolate Ice cream ..

Notes
Skip Fresh cream if you using double cream or a dairy whipped cream
I have used non dairy whipped cream hence used fresh cream too
I have used dark chocolate compound ,you may use milk compound too

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Rich and delicious Mung Dal Halwa is very  popular sweet from North India mostly made during winters .as it keeps the body warm since it is made in pure desi ghee and nuts . Mung Dal Halwa easy to make..just few ingredients and this yummy halwa is ready though the stirring part is a tad bit more but the end result is worth it...Mung dal halwa taste best when eaten warm..Its rich loaded with ghee and nuts So definitely not for the faint hearted...
I have added Mawa/khoya to this delicious Mung dal halwa,you may skip ,It will still turn delicious..

Ingredients
1 cup mung dal/split yellow gram
100 gms mawa/khoya
3/4 -1 cup ghee/clarified butter
1 to  1 1/4  cup sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
nuts as needed
few saffron strands
4 cups milk

Method
Soak the mung dal for 5-6 hours .
Grind it to a coarse paste without adding any water.
Take a heavy bottomed pan /Non stick pan/Non stick kadhai and heat ghee/dalda
Once the ghee has melted add the mung dal paste and fry over low heat ,you have to fry it till it turns light golden brown it will take some time ,keep stirring continuously
Add Mava and sugar and continue to stir
Add milk and saffron/kesar ,cardamom powder  and cook for few more minutes until the halwa starts leaving ghee from sides and all milk had been soaked up.
Add chopped almonds and Cashews .
Serve warm

Notes
Though desi ghee gives this halwa a unique taste ,dalda will also work well,you can use  dalda and ghee in equal amount.
You can adjust the amount of sugar according to your taste
Adding mava/khoya is optional ,you may skip.
This halwa stays well for a week or more keep it refrigerated in an airtight container  and heat the required amount when you feel like having

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A soft and delicious cake which goes well with a cup of coffee or tea ..Perfect for kids lunchbox too...I had some overripe bananas in my pantry and wanted to finish them off whenever i have them i either make banana fritters or a banana chocolate cake ..There were some choco chips sitting in the fridge since long so i aded them in the cake batter and had a wonderfully sot and yummy cake/loaf..

 Adding bananas to cakes always make it soft and gives a really nice taste..so do try this ..You will love it for sure

Ingredients
1 cup flour/maida

2-3 med sized bananas mashed 

2 eggs

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup oil

1/4 cup butter/50 gms

1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup choco chips
1/4-1/2 cup walnuts
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

In a bowl beat together oil ,butter and sugar till creamy

Add  eggs and vanilla and beat till all mixed.

Now add buttermilk and mashed bananas and beat together till all combines well

Fold in flour and mix with a spatula.

Also add choco chips and walnuts dusted in flour.

Pour the batter in a greased loaf tin /cake pan lined with parchment .

Bake in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes at 180 degree Celsius or till toothpick comes out clean.

Let it cool over wire rack .

Cut in slices and enjoy a soft banana choco chips cake/loaf.

Notes
I have added oil since i wanted the cake to be soft,you can always add butter alone
Add 1/2 tsp salt if using unsalted butter,i use salted hence skip salt
butter milk is  1/4 cup milk + 1/2tsp  vinegar /lime 

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Right from school days i have been a fan of Gujarati cuisine..Since i had many gujju friends we used to get to taste their dishes almost everyday in tiffins...One of my  favourite was the khatta dhokla..my friends mom used to always send khata dhoklas it for me..Later when i joined college that's when mom actually allowed me to cook I began trying so many dishes home those days i used to buy readymade idli batter and make these khata dhoklas...Mom never liked me buying readymade ones so then she started making the batter at home.I used to love when the batter was made since i could experiment variety of dishes with just one single batter and ofcourse these khata dhoklas were on the menu  regularly then.

Khata dhoklas can be made easily if you have idli batter in the fridge just mix few ingredients and steam and you have a plate of delicious khata dhokla ready in minutes.Do try it for breakfast/evening snack..its yumm

Ingredients
2 cup idli batter
1/4 cup curds/dahi/yogurt
2 green chilli and half inch ginger crushed together.
1 packet eno fruit salt
salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp black peeper crushed
1/2 tsp red chilli powder

tadka/tempering
 1tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
6-7 curry leaves

Method

• Mix together Curds,chilli paste ,idli batter in a bowl
• Add sugar ,salt ,oil and mix well
• Grease a 8/ 9 inch thali with some oil
• Just before steaming Add eno and mix gently but be quick.
• Pour in the  batter in the prepared thali/plate
• Sprinkle pepper powder and red chilly powder over it
• Steam in an idli pot/steamer for 10-12 minutes
• Meanwhile prepare the tadka/tempered oil
• Heat oil ,add mustard seeds once they splutter add curry leaves
• Pour the tadka  oil all over the dhokla..
• Cut into diamond shape and serve with chutney.

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