Beet root halwa in microwave.

I had made beetroot halwa once earlier a kadhai on gas stove once.I had not posted it then. This time in Navratri, I decided to make this halwa in the microwave.

A few words about malai or cream. I remove malai daily from the milk which has been heated up & cooled as I don't like malai in tea, coffee , chaas etc.I cannot use this malai for making butter or ghee as it is low fat .I get low fat milk . .Every once in the month, when malai has accumalated to nearly 1 cup or more, I make some sweet dish using malai like carrot halwa, doodhi halwa etc.

Ingredients : 1.5 cups peeled & grated beetroot, 1 cup malai, 1/2 cup sugar,1/2 tsp elaichi powder, 1 tbsp ghee, assorted dry fruits for garnsihing.

Method : Take a microwaveable vessel.Add ghee to it & grated beetroot to it. Mix gheee with beetroot .Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove the vessel .Stir the beetroot nicely.Add the malai to it & mix with the beetrroot. Microwave on high for two minutes. Remove vessel from microwave. Give the ingredients a good stir. Microwave on high again for 2 minutes .Give one more good stir to the ingredients of the vessel & once gain microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Add sugar to the vessel.Mix all the ingredients in the vessel nicely so that sugar is evenly distributed. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Give the ingredients astir & repeat heating in microwave on high. Repeat process one or two  times.Add cardamom powder to the vessel. Mix all ingredients nicely. Microwave on hih for one minute. Put off microwave.

Let the vessel cool in microwave for 15-20 minutes. Remove the vessel from microwave. Add thinly sliced dry fruits as garnish. Serve beetroot halwa hot with assorted dry fruits as garnish.

I used thinly sliced pistas as garnish & the green colour of pistas perfectly compliments the rich red hue of the beetoot halwa ! I read that beetroot halwa will taste divine with ice cream, ! Next time, I make this halwa, I will get ice cream to go with it ! 

Whole wheat flour halwa in Microwave.

I was craving for atte ka sheera. I thought why not make it in microwave. I googled & came caross this Tarla Dalal recipe.

I tried it by mixing whole wheat flour with ghee & microwaving on high for 3 minutes at one go. Obviously , some part got burnt. So I discarded it & made gain. It turned out yumm !

Ingredients : 1/ 2 cup atta, 1/ 4 cup ghee, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp cardamom powder, dry fruits of choice for garnish.

Method : Take ghee in a microwaveable vessel & microwave on high for 10 seconds. The ghee should be in  clear liquid form. Then only it will mix properly with the flour. If ghee has not melted properly, microwave more for 5-10 seconds. Add the atta or flour to the ghee & mix  both nicely.

Microwave on high for 1 minute. Put off microwave. Remove the vessel & stir the atta ghee mixture .Keep vessel with mix in microwave. Microwave on high for 1 more minute. Again remove, stir & microwave on high for 1 more minute. Repeat one more time .

Take out vessel.Add  1 cup water. Mix nicely so that no lump remain. While adding water, be careful as the atta ghee. mix is extremely hot .Water will give bubbles when it is added to atta ghee mix.Add sugar. Mix all ingredients nicely.

Microwave on high for 1 minute. Remove vessel.Stir the ingredient mix in vessel.Again microwave for 1 more minute. Repeat one more time. Add cardamom powder. Mix properly with the halwa.

Serve attae ka halwa garnished with dry fruits of choice.

Since I had walnuts, I toasted walnut bits  in microwave for 30 seconds.I used these walnut bits as the garnish .

Cauliflower in tomato carrot gravy

I have started cooking Cauliflower in the Bengali way. Well, in this method, break down the cauliflower into florets.Put these florets in a vessel filled with water. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric & a tsp of salt to the vessel.Bring the water containing the florets in water to a boil on a gas stove. .Put off the gas.Drain the water. The cauliflower florets are ready to be cooked.This method removes residual pesticides from cauliflower. Cauliflower is sprayed with too many pesticides. Hence, this method to make it safer for consumption.

I had boiled  cauliflower florets in salt turmeric water & kept in the morning. I was trying to prepare a gravy when the bell rang. It was the gas pipeline fellow .He said he is going to check for leakage in gas pipeline. He checked & found all to be fine. He then put off the gas supply as they were fixing the gas pipelines all over the building where I reside. I knew,that I will have to use the microwave. The gas supply was to be restored by six in the evening.I decided to use the microwave to make the sabzi.

Ingredients : 200 gm Cauliflower florets boiled in salt turmeric water , 1tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp jeera, 1 medium carrot peeled , 2 tomatoes-chopped into cubes, 1/2 tsp flax seed powder ( optional ) , 2-3 green chillies roughly chopped, 1/2 tsp grated ginger,  few curry leaves,1/4 tsp black pepper powder,  1/4 tsp garam masala powder, salt to taste.

Method : Grind the chopped green chillies, grated ginger & curry leaves into a grainy mix. Keep aside.

Grind chopped carrots & tomatoes into a fine paste. Keep aside.

Take oil in microwave able vessel & add cumin seeds to it. Microwave on high for 1 minute.Add grated chilli-ginger-curry leaves mix to the vessel.Microwave on high for a minute.Add carrot tomato paste to vessel.Remember that cualiflower florets have been boiled in salt water.Microwave on high for 2.5 minutes. Add 1/4 water & salt to taste  to vessel. Add flax seed powder to vessel. Give the mix in vessel a good stir with a spoon. Microwave again on high for another 2.5 minutes. Add cauliflower florets to vessel.Give the vessel ingredients a stir.Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. Give the ingredients another good stir. Add  pepper powder & garam masala powder & give it another stir. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.Put off microwave. Let it cool.After five minutes, take out the vessel from microwave. Serve with rotis and or pulao .

As flax seed powder was added, the gravy was quite thick .So very doubtful , if this gravy can be had with plain rice in place of dal.Though with pualo, its should work out fine.

Mango halwa

I wanted to try a dish which had mangoes in it.I came across this mango halwa.And the best part is that it was a microwave recipe.

I made it & it turned out a bit sour .Well, because, the mangoes were little kachha or raw.

Ingredients : 2 mangoes ( I used aapus or alphanso or happus mangoes ) , 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tbsp ghee, 1/2 tsp ghee ( for a greased plate dish for spreading the halwa) , 1/4 tsp cardamom powder ( optional ).

Method : Take out the mango pulp from mangoes. Discard the seed as also the skin afters squeezing all the mango pulp sticking to the seed as also the skin.

Add 1/ 4 cup sugar to the mango pulp & puree to an even paste in the mixer. Take this even paste in a microwaveable vessel .Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Remove the vessel & stir the pulp sugar mixture. Microwave on high for five more minutes.

Add ghee to the sugar pulp mix .Mix nicely.Microwave on high for five minutes.Remove & stir in the ghee sugary pulp mix .Add cardamom powder & microwave for another 4-5 minutes. Remove.The pulp would have become like a gel.If it is still not like gel, If it is not, microwave for some more time like 4-5 minutes after stirring.Spread the pulp on the  greased plate.Let it cool for half an hour or more.Cut into desired shapes & serve.

My father said , the halwa was a bit sour.

Any sweeter variety of mangoes can be used.Even kesar, dussehari, etc.,

Apple cinnamon mug cake in microwave

I am fascinated by mug cakes.I tried once or twice.No more than that.Earlier attempts failed.This time, I tried sincerely ,I think.I loved this recipe.I tweaked it & made this cake in a mug !

Ingredients : 1/4 cup atta ( whole wheat flour ) , 1 tbsp apple sauce,1 tbsp jaggery sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder, 1 tbsp Nestle coffee mate powder , 1/2 tbsp peanut butter, 1/4 tsp baking powder & oil or ghee to grease the mug.

Method : To make apple sauce, deseed & peel an apple.Chop it into 4 pieces.Pressure cook the washed apple pieces up to 1 whistle. Cool.Mash up the cooked apple.Apple sauce is ready.Keep it aside.

Take atta in a bowl.Add the Nestle Coffee mate powder,baking powder, cinnamon powder.Mix all nicely many times over.Keep aside.

Take 1 tbsp apple sauce &  1 tbsp jaggery sugar.Mix nicely.Add peanut butter & mix nicely.Add this liquid mix to the dry atta mix kept aside.No lumps should remain. The  batter thus ready , must have drop down consistency similar to consistency of idli batter.

Grease inside surface of mug with oil or ghee.

Pour the cake batter into the mug.Microwave cake batter in mug for 2 minutes. Put off microwave. Cool.Put a toothpick in the mug cake to test if it is baked. If it is wet,microwave for 30sec -1 minute.Cool & enjoy !

In the topmost snap , the cake can be seen leaving the sides of the mug.That is an indication that it is fully baked !

The mug cake was fluffy & nice.Except that cinnamon was not traceble.Next time, I must put 1/2 tsp cinnamon instead of 1/4 tsp.

This mug cake or for that any mug cake is a great idea for a quick & easy bake.It is a sumptuous snack !

Tips : I used Nestle coffee mate as I had no options..My kid had got it some time before & was lying around in the kitchen shelf. In the original recipe, milk is used. Since, I used whole wheat flour & that too 1/ 4 cup ,I used 1/4 tsp baking powder.  As Nestle coffee mate is sweet ( it has some sugar ( , I used just 1 tbsp jaggery sugar.I replaced oil in original recipe with peanut butter .One can use ghee or oil .If flaxseed meal is used or even yoghurt, then , ghee or oil or butter need not be added.Flaxseed meal or yogurt will make up for the fat content.

I have posted picture of jaggery sugar in my earlier blog post of Vegan Strawberry cake.

If batter is too watery, keep microwave on for up to 3-4 minutes, instead of 2 minutes.If batter is too semisolid, it may get done faster. Batter must have drop down consistency or be like idli batter ( dosa  batter is more watery in comparison to idli batter )

Gajar Halwa in microwave

I have posted a gajar halwa recipe earlier.That was made in a kadhai.

Since I have a microwave convection oven ,I thought of trying to make carrot halwa in microwave.I googled & got this microwave recipe here.And it turned out amazing ! Saved me, a lot of time.

I keep removing malai from my milk every time it forms on the milk.I buy Amul Taaza Milky Milk (with 3 % fat minimum & S.N.F.8.5% minimum ).I collect malai & keep it in freezer.I generally collect malai for nearly a month.Then ,use it for almond halwa ,doodhi halwa or carrot halwa.Carrot halwa is made only during  winters.

Ingredients : 4 cups de peeled & grated carrots , 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp cardamom powder, 2 tbsp ghee, 1 cup de frozen malai ( remove from freezer & let it remain outside to attain room temperature...almost 3-4 hrs ),dry fruits to garnish ( optional ).

Method : Take a microwaveable dish.Add ghee & the grated carrots. Microwave on high for 3 minute.Let it stand in microwave for 2 minutes.Remove the dish & add sugar, malai & mix in nicely with garted carrot ghee mix.Microwave on high for 10 minutes.Let it stand for 5 minutes in microwave.Remove dish & add cardamom powder.Mix nicely.Microwave on high for 2 minutes.Let dish be in microwave for 5 minutes. Remove from microwave.Serve in katoris or bowls .Garnish with dry fruits like almonds, pistachios & cashewnuts.

My daughter hates desserts with nuts added.Hence the garnish.

Microwave gajar halwa is a hit ! Loved it ! And what a lovely colour !

Masala peanuts.

I attended microwave cooking demo class this week.The chef taught masala peanuts .It was simply amazing as this recipes makes no use of oil.And as far as I know ,this is deep fried snack.I knew that I had to try this.

I tweaked the recipe as the chef had used water .I used chaas,The chef had omitted use of ajwain or carom seeds.I added that as well.

Ingredients : 1 cup peanuts, 1/4 cup besan ,1/4 cup chaas ( not very thin ) ,1/4 tsp ajwain ,1/2 tsp red chilli powder,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,salt to taste.

Method : Mix all ingredients nicely.If you feel the mix is too dry,add some more chaas or drop by drop water.Mix.

Take a microwaveable vessel.Put the mix in that.Turn on the microwave at full power.Put timer for 5 minutes.Keep the microwaveable vessel with mix in microwave.Turn on microwave.After 1 minute,press pause button.Take out the vessel & with aspoon try to seperate out all peanuts from each other.They would be sticking in bunches.Again keep in microwave for 1 minute.Puase.Take out & try to separate out bunches.Repeat this till 5 minutes get over .By the end of this ,the vessel will be in & out 5 times.Put off microwave.Take out the vessel.Let it cool for 5 minutes.Take a peanut & taste.It will be crisp & crunchy.If it i soft ,keep vessel in microwave on full power for 1 more minute.Put off microwave.

The snack was just apt for my consumption .My mom who eats less salt now said it was a tad bit salty.My friend said that more red chilli & ajwain could have been added.Accordingly ,more chilli powder n ajwain can be added.Same for salt.

Fluffy cake in a jiffy !

I love many food blogs.They share simple recipes & post such superb clicks that one would want to cook the recipes at that moment !

A very simple cake recipe was shared by one of the food blogs on facebook.It is the 5 minutes oreo biscuit cake.It so happened that I had some oreo biscuits  at home.Well ,my kid loves oreo & yet, not all flavours.I had 11 biscuits of chocolate  cream  & 6 biscuits of orange cream oreo biscuits sitting in a box.So,I decided to try this microwave quick cake !And, I was rewarded by a super  fluffy cake !

Ingredients : 11 oreo biscuits ( chocolate cream ones ) ,6 oreo biscuits ( orange cream ones ),1/2cup milk + 1tbsp milk, 1-2 tbsp brown sugar,1/2 tsp baking powder.

Method : Break the oreo biscuits into pieces.Breaking makes it easier to pound them in mixie.Now powder the broken biscuits into powder in mixie.Add milk.

I added 1/2 cup milk.Run the mixie.Add sugar & baking powder.Run mixie again.Put off mixie.

Line a baking dish with butter paper.Pour the batter from mixie into the butter lined baking dish.As ,I poured the batter ,I noticed that towards the bottom of the mixie ,some biscuit powder had remained dry.I panicked.I added some more milk & ran the mixie again.I poured this batter on the top of  the batter already poured before in the baking dish.I was thinking that my cake may not rise as bottom powder was mixed later etc.

The cake batter must fall like ribbon into the baking dish.That must be the consistency of the batter.

Put the baking dish containing the batter in the microwave.Bake it for 3.5 to 4 minutes.Put off microwave.After 5 minutes,take out baking dish.Test with knife if cake is done.If not bake for 1-1.5 minutes again.

After baking is over,open microwave door after 5-10 minutes.Let the baking dish cool outside the microwave for 10 more minutes.Now put up the baking dish upside down on to a plate.After a few minutes,the cake will drop down on plate.Remove the butter paper sticking to the cake.Let the cake cool for 5-10 minutes.Cut into desired shapes & serve.

The final test was yet to come.I served one piece to my kid.She dug her fork into it & put a tiny piece into her mouth.Then she bit it.She said ,"Not bad ." I was glad.And then ,she finished that piece & said ,"Please get the whole cake here." She devoured half the cake at one go ! And this from someone who saw me powdering the orange cream oreo biscuits & making a face ! And the remaining pieces,she savored the next day !

The cake was extremely soft .And there was no proof that I had poured some leftover batter later.Moral is that baking chocolate cake is a good ego booster !

Vegan red velvet cup cakes

I have tried this before .I forgot to note down the recipe.Hence, was unable to post it earlier.
I tweaked  the eggless  red velvet cup cake recipe from Divine Taste  a little.I made it into a vegan recipe.

Ingredients :  1 cup multigrain atta ( I used Pillsbury ) ,1/2 cup beet puree,1/2 cup brown sugar,1/4 cup oil,2 tsp chocolate powder ( I used  drinking chocolate powder which was available at home ),1 1/8 tsp( 1tsp +1/8 tsp ) baking powder,11/2 ( 1.5 ) tbsps apple cider vinegar,1/2 tsp vanilla essence,a pinch of salt.

Method :
Pressure cook 2 small  beetroots  for 3 whistles.Let the cooker cool.Take out the beets.Peel them.Cut into big pieces.Puree them in blender or mixer.Add vanilla essence,oil & vinegar to the beet puree.Mix nicely.Keep aside.

Take all dry ingredients ....atta,sugar,baking powder,chocolate powder & salt .Mix thoroughly with fork or spoon many times.Keep aside.

Now add the wet mix to the dry mix .Mix both nicely so that no lumps remain.Now line silicone cup cake moulds with butter paper.With a table spoon fill 2/3 of the cup cake moulds with the cake batter.Bake them in microwave for 1.5 to 2 minutes.Put off microwave.Let it cool. After five minutes,cup cakes can be tested with fork to see if they have been baked by poking a fork.If the teeth fork come out clean ,it is done.Otherwise,bake for another 10-15 seconds.Cool. After 10 minutes,take out the cup cakes.Let them cool outside for another 10 minutes.Carefully & slowly remove the butter paper lining the silicone cup cake moulds.The cup cakes are ready !

I garnished them with titbits of white chocolate that I had at home.The cup cakes had no taste of beet,They were moist & sweet.Not very sweet. The quantity stated made seven small cup cakes & 6 slightly larger cup cakes.

Banana chikoo cupcakes : Eggless

I have made chikoo cake earlier.Hence,it was time to mix another ingredient & make a cake.I added 1 banana with chikoos to make these cupcakes .Well ,the texture of the cupcake speaks for itself !

Ingredients : 2 chikoos,1-2  bananas,1/3 cup dahi,  1tbsp oil,1/2 cup brown sugar,1 cup atta,1/2 tsp baking powder,1/2 tsp baking soda,salt to taste.

Method : Mix all dry ingredients that is atta,baking powder,baking soda & salt. in a bowl Keep aside.

Peel chikoos & bananans.Remove seeds from chikoos.Put chikkos & banana in a blender. Blend into a smooth paste.This paste must be 1 cup.Into this paste add,sugar & mix.Add dahi & oil & mix nicely.

Make a well in the dry ingredient mix & slowly pour the paste into the well.Mix with a whisk.No lumps should remain.Keep aside.

Take microwaveable cup cake moulds & line them with butter paper moulds.Pour batter into each of the moulsds. Just fill upto 3/4 of the cup cake as the batter will rise during baking.Bake in microwave for 2-2.5 minutes.Let it cool for 2-3 minutes.Prick a toothpick to check if  cup cake is baked.If not bake for another 1/ 2 minute.Cool.Remove from microwave.Let it cool for 10-15 minutes more .Then by a spoon just loosen it from sides of butter paper mould. The cupackes are ready to be served.

These cup cakes had that crunch of chikoos which we experience when we savor chikoos.I got some 17-18 cupcakes-some small & some big ones as I have various sizes.

Carrot pumpkin cake

I wanted to try a recipe which used carrots as well as red pumpkin & came across this @ http://veganthyme.blogspot.in/2009/10/vegan-carrot-pumpkin-cake-with-orange.html

I made mine using yoghurt & hence mine is vegetarian.

Ingredients :

Dry :1 cup atta ( I used Pillsburry multigrain ) ,1/8 tsp cinnamon,1/2 tsp baking soda,1/2 tsp baking powder, salt to taste.

Wet :1/2 cup grated carrot,1/2 cup grated pumpkin, 1tbsp flaxseed meal

,1/4 cup yoghurt ( dahi ) ,1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/8 tsp grated ginger,1tbsp oil.

Mix all dry ingredients.Keep aside.

Soak 1 tbsp flaxseed meal in 3 tbsp water for 15 minutes.After 15 minutes,mix all wet ingredients.

Make a well in the dry mix & pour the wet mix into it whisking it nicely so that no lumps remain.If the dough is too thick  & lumps remain ,pl add water or even curds.

Take a microwaveable vessel & line it with butter paper.Pour the cake dough onto the butter paper in the vessel.Bake for 8-10 minutes in microwave.Let it cool.Remove from microwave after 5 minutes.Prick a toothpik or knife.If it comes out clean ,cake is done.If not bake for 1-2 more minutes.Again check .

Let the cake cool outside for 10 minutes.Turn the cake vessel upside down on to a plate.After 4-5 minutes the cake will drop down on plate.Sometimes it may drop down earlier.

Remove the butter paper lining the cake.Cut the cake into desired pieces & serve.

This cake was dense as flax seed meal has been used as egg replacer. Next time,I want to use yoghurt as egg replacer & see the results.

Eggless strawberry bread

I had strawberries &I had made strawberry cake before,I needed a new recipe.I came caross this strawberry bread @ http://priyaeasyntastyrecipes.blogspot.in/2011/06/eggless-whole-wheat-strawberry-bread.html

I made some changes & baked it !

Ingredients : 1 cup multigrain atta ( I used Pillsbury ),1/4 tsp baking soda,1/4 tsp baking powder,a pinch of salt,
1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup strawberry puree,1/3 cup dahi,1/2 tbsp vinegar,1 tbsp oil,some strawberries to line the bottom of the bread( optional ).

Method : Pureesome strawberries in a blender.Add  sugar & blend again.Keep aside in abowl Add vinegar & dahi & oil.Mix again.Keep aside.

Mix  multigrain atta,baking powder,baking soda & salt nicely.Make awell in the centre of this mixture.Pour the strawberry puree mix into this well.Whiskthis all so that no lumps remain.The batter must have drop down consistency.If batter is thick ,add some more dahi.Mix agian. Keep aside.

Take a glass vessel & line the bottom  with butter paper.On the botter paper ,line with thin slices of fresh strawberries in any fashion as you please.Pour the batter into the glass vessel lined with strawberries .Bake in  microwave for 8 minutes.Put off microwave.Let it cool.

After 10 minutes,remove vessel from microwave. Prick the cake with fork or knife.If it comes out clean,cake is done.If not bake for 1-2 minutes more.Cool.

After the vessel is out of microwave,let it cool for 15 minutes.Then put the vessel upside down on to a plate. The cake will drop down on to the plate.Remove the vessel.Let the cake cool for 5 more minutes.Now cut into desired shapes & serve.

The bottom slices of strawberries was not a good idea.They had become mushy.The sugar ,I used was of a very sweet taste- of some prasada ( temple offering ). The only strawberry taste, I detected, was from the thin slices of strawberry at the bottom of the cake.At the next attempt,I must add more strawberry puree to cake batter & maybe ordinary or even brown sugar.