Hummus is  very popular Middle Eastern Dip made with chickpeas/garbanzo beans. Creamy smooth delicious hummus taste great s a dip with pita bread/khaboos or with cucumber carrot and veggie sticks .We love hummus with nachos and lavash too..

Making and storing Homemade hummus over the weekend becomes very handy for me .. you either spread it on wrap or dip nachos,pita chips or cucumber or veggies stick into creamy luscious utterly delicious homemade hummus

ingredients

1 1/2 cup chickpeas 

2 garlic cloves

3 tbsp sesame seeds 

1/4 cup olive oil

2 to 3 tbsp lemon juice 

water reserved from boiling chickpeas

Salt .

Method

Soak the chickpeas overnight .

Next morning rinse and drain the chickpeas and pressure cook it with water and  salt.

You can use them right away but I prefer deskinning the chickpeas for  a creamy smooth texture. 

Soak sesame seeds in 3 tbsp water for 1 hour

Grind garlic, sesame with 2 tbsp olive oil to  smooth paste .

Then adding this paste grind the chickpeas with olive oil adding lemon juice, salt and the water reserved from boiled chickpeas to a smooth paste .

Transfer the hummus in a clean dry airtight container. 

Drizzle olive oil, some paprika/chilli  powder garnish with olives and serve with nachos /pita or veg sticks .

. notes

if stored well in an clean dry airtight container ,hummus stays well for a week in the refrigerator.

deskining chickpeas though a tedious task but the texture is smooth and creamy ,you may use chickpeas with skin though .

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 Coconut macaroon are delicious cookies made with meringue and coconut they are crisp,chewy  outside and melt in mouth, moist delicious inside. Coconut  macaroons are too addictive and highly irresistible  .There are so many childhood memories attached with these coconut macaroons ,these were a favourite since  I was a kid ,We always brought these from the local bakery Light crunchy exterior melt in mouth moist macaroons were an absolute favourite.

Making coconut macaroons at home is super easy You just need 3 main ingredients and 40 minutes  to make these absolutely delicious and addictive coconut macaroons..

Ingredients

2 egg whites at room temperature 

100 gm dessicated coconut 

1 cup caster sugar/ powdered sugar 

1 tbsp cornflour 

1 tsp flour /maida

1 tsp vanilla essence 

Method 

• In a bowl beat egg whites and sugar until stiff and white 
• Add vanilla and beat 
• Add in dessicated coconut ,cornflour and all purpose flour and mix well with spatula. 
• Pour the mixture in a  piping bag fitted with a big star  nozzle .

• Line baking tray with parchment and dust little cornflour .
• Pipe the cookies placing them at intervals as they expand while baking. 
• Preheat oven at 150 degrees Celsius for 10min .

• Bake for 20 to 25 min until light brown. 
• Allow them to cool before storing them in airtight container. 

notes

you may add a drop of colour if you wish too.

you can use shredded coconut as well 

you can shape the macaroons using a icecream scoop or a tablespoon

they can be kept in airtight container for a week 

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 Simple yet so quick and delicious Squids or Calamari Chilly Fry that taste amazing and goes well with pav/chapatis. Squids/Calamari are our family favourite. We love it in curries batter fried chillii fry or plain masala fry ..This Squids/Calamari chilli fry is quick and easy too with just basic ingredients you can whip this delicious squids/chilli fry in no time .

Ingredients 

5 to 6 big squids 

1 tomato 

2 med onion chopped 

3 green chillies

1 tsp ginger garlic paste 

1 tsp Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp pepper powder 

1/2 tsp Garam masala powder 

1 tsp green chilli garlic sauce

Coriander leaves handfull

2 tbsp Oil

2 potato cut in wedges shallow  fried

Method :

Clean the squids ,wash well and drain excess water.

Cut them to rings ,marinate with salt lime juice  and keep aside for 1 to 2 hours.

In a pan add oil and fry the squids for a minute on high flame, not more than a minute else it will turn rubbery .

Remove the squids and keep it in a plate.

In the same pan, add chopped onions  and ginger garlic paste and saute till they turn soft and translucent and raw smell goes off.

Add the tomatoes and cook till mushy.

Add slitted green chillies 

Add the chilli powder,turmeric powder ,pepper powder and mix well.

Now add the green chilli garlic sauce and mix.

Add the fried squids and give it a good mix

Lastly add garam masala powder and stir

Add salt /lime juice if required.

Add in chopped coriander leaves and fried potatoes and  serve with pav/chapati or side dish with rice dal /rice and fish curry .

notes

you can use the tentacles too I prefer to use the squid rings only for chilli fry.

the chilli garlic sauce is optional but adds nice flavour,you may skip and increase more green chillies .

you can add a dash of vinegar at the final stage

 

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 Wacky Chocolate Cake /Depression Cake is super easy absolutely amazing moist  chocolatey cake that requires  No egg, no butter no milk yet so soft and delicious. Wacky cake/depression cake/crazy cake  is absolutely amazing and moist one bowl chocolate cake that is said to come into existnce during World War II when things were scarce .

you don't need to grease the bowl or use different bowl to mix the batter just mix and bake and frost in the same pan .I used my chocolate buttercreamto frost this delicious wacky/depression cake ,you may use ganache ,chocolate fudge or any vegan frosting as well....Taste great while eaten plain too .

Chocolate cake is everyone's weakness and a super easy recipe is really a keeper ,when you crave for something chocolatey delicious just mix in all the ingredients in baking pan and bake it ,you can make great chocolate cupcakes too with this recipe.

Ingredients 

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour/maida

6 tbsp oil

3 tbsp cocoa 

1 tsp baking soda/soda bicarbonate

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp vinegar

1 cup/200 gm  sugar( i used powdered )

1 cup water 

1/2 tsp salt.

click here for chocolate buttercream frosting recipe

Method

Preheat oven at 180 degree Celsius for 10 minutes.

Sift flour,baking soda ,salt and keep aside.

In a 8 x 8 baking dish take sifted flour ,cocoa ,powdered sugar .

Mix it well with a whisk .

Make 3 depression/holes in the smallest add the vinegar ,add in vanilla in the other and oil in the largest.

Pour water and mix with a whisk until all combines

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until the skewer/toothpick inserted comes out clean

Allow it to completely cool before you frost/slice

I have let it cool completely then divided into 2 equal halves

Then cut into 2 parts

Brushed little sugar syrup and covered the cake with chocolate buttercream

Allow it to refrigerate for an hour or 2 before you slice and enjoy. .

adapted from here 

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Prawns Masala ,pulao and some raita is our family's all time favourite Menu ..We love this delicious combo I had some prawns kept in the freezer after making some butter garlic ,rava fried so thought of making this for lunch yesterday .Fresh green masala and some aromatic spices adds amazing flavour to this Prawns Masala .This Prawns Masala can be relished with paratha/naan or any flat bread We love this with ghee rice/plain biryani rice.

This Prawns Masala is a sure win win recipe and has never let me down We have been making it since years now The original recipe belongs to my Mom with few tweaks I have modified it over the years but the taste is the same ..You can give my prawn pulao and hariyali prawn biryani a try if you still haven't tried ,trust me they will be your favourite ..tried and tested by many ..shared the links at the end of this post .

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 ingredients

15 to 16 med sized prawns deveined 

3 med sized onions thinly sliced

1/2 cup whisked yogurt

4 to 5 green chillies

1 tsp peppercorns

1tsp  biryani /pulao masala 

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp garam masala powder

8 to 10 garlic cloves

1 inch ginger 

1 cup coriander leaves 

1 med tomato chopped 

2 bay leaves 

2 potatoes cut in quarters 

oil 

Salt 

1/2 tsp turmeric powder 

1 tsp lime juice 

Method:

Devein the prawns ,clean them well ,I have kept the tail and shell removing the eye and head part .

Apply salt lime and turmeric powder and set aside for 15 minutes.

Fry the potatoes and keep aside.

Grind the coriander leaves,chilli,cumin pepper ginger and garlic to a smooth paste adding little water .

Apply this paste to the marinated prawns and add whisked yogurt/curd and keep aside for an hour.

Fry half the onions to crisp golden brown and keep aside.

Heat a pot/vessel/pan add 2 tbsp oil ,use the same oil in which you fried the onions and potatoes.

Add the bay leaves and half of the onions fry until the onion turn soft add the tomatoes and fry until mushy .

Add the marinade except the prawns,we will saute the marinade paste well first.

Saute the masala over medium flame until the raw smell goes off and it leaves oil.

Then add the prawns and saute for few minutes .

Add the biryani /pulao masala and mix .

Add around 2 to 3 cups water and let it simmer over med flame

Add salt if needed,once it comes to a rolling boil switch the flame to sim and add the garam masala powder,give it a stir.

Switch the flame off .

Add the fried potatoes to the gravy .

Serve with pulav/jeera rice/parathas or bread of your choice .

Notes

You can use fully cleaned prawns We love to keep the shell of the head intact after cleaning it well as it adds much flavours.

I have used my homemade biryani masala ,you can use any brand .

other prawns recipe if you wish to try

prawns rissois

butter garlic prawns fried rice

Pesto prawns 

prawn pulao

prawns biryani

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