Fruit Custard is a version of fruit salad. Well you can call this recipe a fruit salad too. I have added fruits to the custard and garnished with dry fruits and cream. It can be served as a dessert as well as a good way to make your kids eat fruits. I would not say a healthy one, because fruits are to be eaten in their whole form to get maximum nutrients. But this way you can at least get your kids to eat some fruits.

Ingredients:

1 litre low/whole fat milk, cold or at room temperature

4 heaped tbsp of vanilla flavored custard powder (you can use any other flavor like mango or strawberry, melon

4-5 tbsp sugar,

2-3 cups of chopped fruits like apples, chikkus (sapota), bananas, strawberries, bananas, grapes, oranges, papaya or any other seasonal fruits,

Some cashew nuts,

Sweetened cream (optional).

Method:

Take a cup of cold milk and add custard powder to it. Mix until a paste in formed. Bring remaining milk to boil. Add sugar while boiling the milk. Once the milk boils, reduce the flame to minimum and add the paste to it. Stir or mix using a whisk instantly and continue to mix the custard else lumps would be formed. Cook the custard for 3-4 minutes and remove from flame. Let the custard come to room temperature.

Then using a hand blender or a mixer grinder, blend the custard into a smooth paste. Then chill it in the refrigerator. Chill the chopped fruits in the refrigerator until ready to serve. While serving, combine fruits with custard, garnish with cashew nuts and cream.

TIPS:

1. Avoid using sour fruits like kiwi, cherries, etc in the custard as they may spoil the taste.

2. Chop apples and bananas only at serving time, so that they do not turn brown in color until you serve.

3. You can add the cream along with custard while blending it.

I was visiting my in-laws and had some guests over for dinner. We were around 15 people and I and my mom-in-law were cooking. We decided to prepare 2 types of chicken curries and 2 types of vegetarian gravies, along with a fresh green salad, rotis, meat biryani and Trifle pudding as dessert. One of the recipes we prepared was Vegetable Manchurian and everybody loved it. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients: (Serves 10)

1 medium size cabbage; finely grated,

3-4 carrots; finely grated,

1 cup cauliflower florets; washed and pat dried, and finely chopped/coarsely ground,

4-5 scallions; chopped,

2 tbsp garlic paste,

1 cup or as required corn flour,

Salt and pepper to taste,

Any vegetable oil for deep frying.

For the sauce -

1 tbsp very finely chopped garlic,

1 tsp very finely chopped galangal (or use ginger),

3 scallions; finely chopped,

1-2 green peppers (optional) (you can use red/yellow peppers too); chopped,

1/2 cup red chilli sauce,

2 tbsp dark soy sauce,

Salt and sugar to taste,

1/4 cup corn flour mixed with some water to form a paste,

1/4 cup olive oil (or you can use the same vegetable oil you used for frying),

1 tbsp white wine vinegar,

Water as required.

Method:

Combine all the ingredients for Manchurian balls and knead into a dough like mixture. Grease fingers and palms with some oil and make balls. I made around 32 balls from the above mixture. The number may differ upon the size of the balls. Meanwhile place a wok on a low-medium flame and heat oil in it.

Once all the balls are rolled and oil is hot (not smoking hot). Drop a small piece of the mixture into the oil and if it surfaces to the top of the wok, then the oil is at the right temperature. Drop few manchurian balls into the hot oil and fry them at a golden brown color and crisp texture (see picture below). Drain them on paper towels and fry the next batch.

When all the manchurian balls are ready, we will prepare the sauce.

For preparing the sauce -

If using the same vegetable oil, reduce the quantity of oil in the wok to up to 1/4th cup, else in another wok heat olive oil on a low-medium flame for a minute. Add chopped ginger and garlic and sauté on low flame until fragrant. Then add peppers and scallions and stir fry on medium flame. Then add soy and chilli sauce and combine. Add some water, enough to prepare a medium thin gravy. Then add salt (soy sauce has some amount of salt in it, so adjust as per taste), sugar, vinegar and stir. Stir in the manchurian balls and let the gravy simmer for a few minutes. This way all the sauces and flavors will be incorporated in the manchurian balls. In the end, add the corn flour paste, stir and you will find the gravy thickening instantly. Turn off the flame and serve hot over noodles or boiled rice.

NOTE: The sauce in this recipe is not very thick, so that it could be eaten with rice.

Serving Suggestions -

1. Fried Manchurian Balls can be served as a snack or appetizer (starters).

2. The sauce can be very thick and lesser in quantity (reduce the amount of corn flour paste) to prepare a dry manchurian.

I had some guests over for lunch. My husband suggested me to prepare a chicken recipe that is not a usual curry recipe. But since I was serving rice, I thought of experimenting bit with the usual honey chicken recipe.

Chilli Honey Chicken is a chicken recipe where boneless chicken pieces are marinated with soy and chilli sauce, egg, salt and corn flour. Later deep fried and dropped into a thick sauce with scallions, peppers and mushrooms seasoned with salt, pepper, soy sauce, chilli sauce, fresh green chillies, honey and vinegar. Serve over rice or noodles.

Ingredients:

250 grams of boneless and skinless chicken breasts; chopped into small chunks,

For the marinade -

1 tsp light soy sauce,

1 tbsp hot chilli sauce,

Salt and pepper,

1 large egg; lightly beaten,

Corn flour as required.

For the sauce -

3-4 sprigs of scallions with the greens, chopped and greens separated,

1 tsp minced garlic,

1 yellow pepper; diced,

1 red pepper; diced,

5-6 mushrooms; sliced,

1 tsp dark soy sauce,

1 tbsp hot chilli sauce,

3-4 green chillies; slit vertically,

2-3 tbsp honey,

1 tsp white wine vinegar,

2 tbsp tomato ketchup,

Salt to taste,

1 tbsp corn flour dissolved in 2 tbsp water

Olive oil + Vegetable oil for deep frying,

Some water for the gravy.

Method:

Mix all the ingredients for marinade (except corn flour) and add chicken chunks to it. Slowly add corn flour to prepare a thick batter and let it coat all over the chicken pieces. Let this marinate for around 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Later heat vegetable oil for deep frying in a wok. The oil should not be smoking hot. Then add marinated chicken chunks in batches and fry at a golden-brown color. Drain on paper towels.

To prepare the sauce -

Heat some olive oil in a pan. Add garlic and sauté until just fragrant. Then add onions and sauté for a minute. Then add peppers and mushrooms and stir fry for few minutes.

Then add scallion greens and stir fry. Now add soy sauce, chilli sauce, tomato ketchup, salt, honey, some water (according to your requirement of gravy) and bring to boil. Add vinegar, corn flour paste, stir and remove from flame.

Serve over steamed rice or noodles.

Valentine’s day is just two days away. If you want your valentine to fall in love with you (all over again) make this vivacious and dramatic red velvet cake and make him go nuts. I baked this cake a  little ahead of Valentines day so that I can share the recipe with all of you. Wish you all a very happy Valentine’s day!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups cake flour (can use all-purpose flour too),

1 heaped tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder,

1 cup powdered sugar,

1 large egg,

3/4 cup refined oil,

1/2 tsp vanilla extract/essence,

2 tbsp deep red food coloring,

1/2 tsp baking powder,

1/2 tsp baking soda,

1/2 tsp white vinegar,

1/2 cup buttermilk,

1/4 tsp salt.

For the frosting -

2 1/2 tbsp plain flour,

1/2 cup full cream milk; cold,

1/2 cup powdered sugar,

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature.

Method:

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a hand mixer or electric mixer, beat egg and sugar until soft and creamy. Add oil and blend again on medium speed for few minutes until the mixture is cream in color. In a small bowl, combine red food coloring, vinegar and cocoa. In another bowl, mix buttermilk and vanilla essence. Stir both the mixtures with a fork until well blended.  Add coloring mixture to the creamed egg, sugar and oil and blend it until uniformly mixed. Then add the buttermilk mixture and beat again. Now add sifted flour in two or three batches, blending each time after every addition.

Grease a baking cake pan and pour the batter into it. Level the top using a spatula. Remove any air bubbles by tapping the pan on the kitchen platform a couple of times.

Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C (around 350 degrees F) for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Let the cake rest in the oven for few minutes. Let the cake cool down completely before frosting it.

For the frosting -

In a small saucepan combine milk and flour. Whisk cold milk and flour until well blended. Place it on a low flame and cook whisking continuously else the mixture will stick to the bottom of the pan and lumps would be formed. When the mixture thickens, remove from flame. The flour and milk mixture should be just warm enough while adding it to the butter and sugar mixture. If it is too hot then the frosting will run down or if it is cold then lumps would be formed.

Now cream butter and sugar using the mixer until soft, even and creamy in texture.

Combine both of them and beat it on a medium-high speed until nice frosting is ready.

Assembling the layers -

Slice the cake horizontally with a serrated knife. You can choose to make 2 or 3 layers depending upon the height of your cake. You may need to scrape down the top of the cake to level it. Reserve the scrapings for decoration. Now place one layer in a plate on the cake decorating stand. Scoop out a portion of frosting and spread it evenly over the cake.

Place the other cake layer on top of the frosting and spread a layer of frosting over it. Continue this for all the layers. When the last cake layer is placed, cover the entire cake with the frosting to coat all over.

Now decorate with the reserved cake scrapings.

Cheese and Spinach cutlet is a delectable snack that is baked and not fried. Ricotta, cheddar combined with spinach seasoned with mustard and garlic, coated with bread crumbs make these cutlets irresistibly delicious.

Ingredients:

A small bunch (around 200-250 grams) of Spinach leaves or use same half quantity of frozen spinach,

100 grams Ricotta cheese; crumbled,

100 grams Cheddar cheese; shredded,

4-5 garlic cloves; minced,

1 tsp Dijon mustard,

Salt and pepper to taste,

Bread crumbs to coat,

Olive oil.

For the covering -

4-5 potatoes; boiled, peeled and grated,

1-2 tbsp plain flour,

Salt to taste.

Method:

In a pan, heat some olive oil. Add minced garlic and sauté just until fragrant. Add spinach and cook until leaves become tender. If using frozen spinach cook for 2 minutes. Then add mustard, season with salt and pepper and stir. Add Ricotta cheese, mix well and remove from flame. Then add cheddar and cover. Cheese will melt due to the heat.

Meanwhile mix together potatoes, flour and salt. and lightly knead into a dough.

Divide the stuffing and dough into equal numbers. Grease your fingers and palms with oil. Take a portion of potato mixture, flatten it in the shape of a round  (See picture below) and place a portion of stuffing in the center.

Cover the open sides to seal it. Lightly press and make sure it is sealed.

Prepare all the balls similarly.

Spread bread crumbs into a shallow plate. Season the crumbs if you like. Dip each ball into the bread crumbs to coat all over. Prepare rest of the balls. Line up in a baking dish and bake in a preheated oven at  for 200° C (400° F) until the crust begins to brown.