Valentine day is pretty close by and if you are thinking to make something for your valentine or dinner party, Chili Chocolate Lava Cake is one of your best option. The cake is a delicious delight to chocolate lovers. Though the name sounds little weird rest assured it is not spicy rather chili and cinnamon powder gives a tingly and warm taste to sweetness of chocolate. The cake is crispy outside and gooey fudge inside as molten lava. Preparing this cake is very easy as a matter of fact that you can prepare the cake batter in advance and need to just bake before serving. The batter can also be stored for multiple use. The cake goes very well with vanilla or berry ice cream.
Rosemary Salmon
Fish is one of best nutrition food for a non-vegetarian. It contains lot of proteins and omega-3 which is very good for cholesterol. You can prepare varieties for recipes using fish like fish curry, fish kebabs or grilled fish. This is another version of grilled fish recipe which includes some amazing herbs like rosemary, basil leaves and spices. These ingredients gives an awesome flavor and tastes to fish. The fish served with arugula salad make it a very healthy combination. It goes very well with mint yogurt sauce.
Sweet Potato & Carrot Soup
Soup, generally used as an appetizer in Indian cuisines comes in variety of flavors based on ingredients. There are soups with ingredients such a lentil, tomato, beans, chicken and so on. The Chinese noodle soups are a entree rather than an appetizer. The two main kind of soups are clear and thick soups. This thick soup is prepared using sweet potato and carrot as main ingredients. It has beautiful red-orange color of carrot & beetroot, naturally sweetened by sweet potato and has hint of spices. This healthy and delicious soup is easy to prepare and best served with garlic bread and croutons. This is a favorite in my family and I keep getting demands for making this very often.
Spicy Popcorn
Popcorn as we all know is a very popular movie-time snack which is liked by everyone. I remember during my childhood, my grandmother used to make popcorn using heated sand. She used to also make popped poha, rice, and amaranth. It used to be such a tedious process however the taste was awesome. Nowadays, there are many ways and many kinds of corn kernel available to make popcorn. In this recipe I have used oil instead of butter however you can use butter if you like. Although you can get ready made popcorn, it’s always a great fun making your own and enjoying while watching a movie at home.Though you can eat it without any specific flavor, I have added chili, garlic, cumin and amchoor powder to make it little sour and spicy. This is a big hit with my kids.
Phool Surprise
Phool Surprise is a signature dessert from chef Kunal Kapur which was showcased on MasterChef TV program. I was awestruck when I saw this program as the Phool surprise was really so beautiful and awesome. I was so impressed that I wanted to try it out, though I knew it would a tough task. After couple of attempts I was able to prepare it although its not as perfect as the actual recipe. I have also uploaded the video of the petals opening from my recipe. This recipe has four components, first one berry cheesecake, second one crispy ghevar, third one white chocolate petals and finally french vanilla & turmeric flavored custard. I have shared the Ghevar recipe separately and remaining three recipes are part of this recipe. This dessert is as delicious as beautiful. Berry cheesecake gives a sweet and sour tingling taste to otherwise sweet chocolate and custard. It could look like a daunting task however if you have patience you can certainly make this recipe and surprise your friends and family with it. Some important aspects of the recipe are mentioned in the recipe notes so please read them before you start preparing this recipe.
Ghevar With Raspberry Rabri
Ghevar is a very popular Rajasthani dessert which is prepared during festivals like Teej, Rakshabandhan or any other special occasion. Traditionally, this awesome dessert goes really well with milk rabri. In this recipe, I have used rabri with raspberry and mango yogurt which gives it a sweet and sour taste and neutralizes its sweetness. At first it is a little complicated recipe to prepare however once you get a hang of it, it comes out really well and the effort is worth it. Ghevar is made using all purpose flour batter and deep fried in oil or ghee. Ghevar has a light, lacy and crispy texture. The two very important aspects of making Ghever are batter consistency and oil/ghee temperature. The right batter brings out the lacy texture and oil/ghee temperature helps it to rise and give the right shape and texture. Once ready, it is soaked in sugar syrup before serving. The ghevar can be stored in air tight containers for up to 2 weeks, and just before serving, soak in warm sugar syrup and garnish with raspberry rabdi and mango yogurt. I am so excited to share this recipe as it is my first time making it, and took me couple attempts to get it right.
Paneer Mutter Masala
Paneer mutter masala is one of most popular dish in North India. Paneer is one of the most liked ingredient to adults as well as kids. There are varieties of paneer recipes like paneer butter masala, methi paneer mutter masala, paneer tikka masala, palak paneer, chili paneer masala and so on. This recipe is a considered as a delicacy and prepared only on special occasions. It is also one of the most sought out dish in restaurants. The recipe looks very appealing in its orange red color gravy which is generally due to food coloring. However I have used beetroot to get the same color to the recipe. The main ingredient in the recipe is paneer and mutter which is added to a rich tomato based gravy with spices, cashew nut and cream. The wonderful aroma due to spices and awesome taste of curry is extremely appetizing. The curry goes very well with Naan, Poori, Parathas and plain or jeera rice. If you are not a fan of paneer, you can use Tofu instead. Prepare this dish to celebrate your special days with family and friend, however indulge at your own risk.
Tulsi Ginger Lemongrass Tea
Tea is a very common hot beverage in India which is made using milk, sugar, water and dried tea leaves. Many people feel relaxed and fresh after drinking this beverage. It is also one of the commonly served beverage to guests along with salty snacks. There are varieties for tea available like green tea, herbal team, lemon tea and so on. This tea recipe is a simple recipe with added benefits of Tulsi leaves, Ginger and Lemongrass. Tulsi leave is an Indian herb also known as Indian Holy basil and it’s plant is worshiped in India. All the three ingredients are anti-bacterial and have lots of health benefits. This tea also helps when one has cough, cold and throat pains in winter and helps in fighting infections.