Gulab Jamun Cheese Cake

Courtesy : Mom
This is a no-baking cake and tastes Heaven with all those Gulab Jamuns!! A unusual combo for Gulab Jamun lovers like me, this has the best taste when eaten cold.

You'll need :

• Plain Round Sponge cake : 1 (for the base cake)
• Gulab Jamuns : 1tin (10-15 in nos.)
• Icing Sugar : 1cup
• Fresh Cream : 1tsp
• Unsalted Butter : 2-3tsp
• Grated Cheese : 1/2cup
• Vanilla essence : 1tsp

Method :

• In a bowl, whip together the icing sugar (I have used here Pillsbury's ready-made creamy icing sugar), Fresh Cream, butter, grated cheese and vanilla essence, till you get soft and creamy texture. The cream, butter and cheese will help lower down the sweetness of the icing sugar. 
• Slice the Sponge Cake horizontally to get to two round cakes (Here I made the sponge cakes using Pillsbury cooker Sponge Cake Mix, you can use the readily available sponge cakes too.)
• Spread the cheese and icing creamy mix on top of one cake slice.
• Arrange few Gulab jamuns on top of this mixture, pressing them down firm.
• Spread the cheese and icing mixture again on top of this and press down with the other slice of the cake.
• Slowly press down on the edges to seal them.
• Spread the remaining cheese and icing sugar mixture on top of the cake and place few sliced gulab jamuns on top of it.
• Refrigerate it for 4-5hrs. 
• Cut and serve immediately. 

PS : Always keep the remaining cake (if any) in fridge only. Do not keep outside for longer period.

French Cucumber Sandwich

Courtesy : Mom
This another easy sandwich has been our favs during picnics and trips. Ready in jiffy, this one requires the least no.of the ingredients to prepare.

You'll need :

• Bread slices : 6
• Mint leaves : 1cup (finely chopped)
• Coriander leaves : 1cup (finely chopped)
• Cucumber : 1cup (finely sliced)
• Butter : 2-3tsp

Method :

• In a bowl, tip in the butter, finely chopped fresh mint leaves and coriander leaves and mix well.
• Spread it on one side of each bread slice.
• Place a few sliced cucumbers on 3 bread slices and sandwich them with the remaining bread slices.
• Voila!!! Your French Cucumber Sandwich is ready!!!

Coconut Pathiri

Courtesy : Mrs.Sarala (Mom-in-law)
A hardcore Cochin-ite, her dishes are liked by one and all in our family. This is a variant of South-Indian Dosa made with Kerala Puttu Powder. Try this for a change and I'm sure you'll love it...

You'll need :

• Kerala White Puttu Powder : 1cup
• Water : 2-3cups
• Grated Coconut : 1/2 cup
• Sugar : 2tsp (optional)
• Salt to taste

Method :

• In a large bowl, take the Kerala White Puttu Powder (easily available in super-markets now-a-days), salt, grated Coconut and sugar (optional) and mix well. This is our Coconut-Puttu mix.
• Boil 3-cups water and add slowly to the Coconut-Puttu mix and stir continuously, breaking any lumps, till you get the consistency of Dosa batter.
• Now heat the Dosa griddle and keep on medium flame.
• Pour a laddle full of the Coconut-Puttu batter and spread into Dosa like but slightly thicker than our regular Dosa.
• Cover cook for some time and then flip and cook the other side too.
• Your Coconut Pathiri is ready to be served with any curry. 

Gatte ki Sabzi

Courtesy : Mrs.Manju
Another popular dish from the Rajasthani cuisine, this comes from my friend Manju's kitchen. The sabzi is a variant to the South-Indian style kaadhi and we love this with our rotis and rice. Try it and I'm sure you'll love this too..

You'll need :

For Gatte :

• Besan (Chick Pea Flour) : 1cup
• Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp
• Red Chilli Powder : 1/2tsp
• Ajwain (Carom Seeds) : 1tsp
• Coriander Powder : 1/2tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Curd : 1/4cup
• Oil : 2tsp for the dough
• Water : 2-4cups
• Oil for shallow frying

For Gravy

• Onion : 1cup finely chopped
• Tomato : 1cup finely chopped
• Ginger-garlic paste : 1/2tsp
• Curd : 1cup
• Coriander Powder : 1tsp
• Jeera (Cumin) Powder : 1tsp
• Red Chilli Powder : 1tsp
• Amchur (Dry Mango Powder) : 1/2tsp
• Garam Masala : 1/2tsp
• Rai (Mustard Seeds) : 1tsp
• Jeera (Cumin Seeds) : 1tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Oil : 2tsp

Method :

For Gatte

• Tip in all the dry masalas and 2tsp oil into the Besan and mix well.
• Now slowly add curd, little by little, to knead it into a dough.(Remember not to add all curd together as, otherwise, besan tends to get sticky. You may not use all the curd.)
• Now, pinch small balls of the dough and roll them like sausages (1/2 inch thick cylinderical shapes).
• Boil enough water in a pan to sink all the above rolled gatte in it.
• Tip in all the gattes in the boiling water and let it simmer on medium flame for 10-15mins.
• Cook till the knife comes out clean when inserted into the gattes. 
• Once all are done, drain the gatte rolls, cool and slice them @ an angle based on how big you would like them.
• Now slightly shallow fry them in oil till you get light golden brown textures on the outside of the gattes. (Do not deep fry or over-fry them as they tend to get hard) and keep aside.

For Gravy :

• Blend all the dry masalas and salt into the curd till smooth. This is our base curd-mix for this dish.
• Heat oil in a pan and add rai, jeera and let them splutter.
• Tip in the ginger-garlic paste and onions and saute well.
• Tip in the tomato and saute till you get thick tomato gravy.
• Add the curd-mix and gently stir till the gravy starts boiling and separating oil.
• Now, tip in the cooked gatte pieces, cover and cook for 5 more mins.
• Add water, if needed, to get gravy consistency and check seasoning.
• The Rajasthani Gatte ki Sabzi is ready to be served!!

Baatis

Courtesy : Mrs.Manju
A popular dish from the Rajasthani cuisine, its basically wheat-flour dumplings. As all families have their own authentic way of preparing any regional dish, this Batti has the touch of my friend Manju's family traditions. We have liked it already and so would you too..

You'll need :

• Aatta (Whole wheat flour) : 1 cup
• Besan (Chick Pea Flour) : 1/4 cup
• Sooji (Semolia) : 1 tbsp
• Ghee (Clarified Butter) : 1/2 cup (melted to mix in the dough)
• Saunf (Fennel Seeds) : 2 tsp crushed coarsely
• Ajwain (Carom Seeds) : 2 tsp crushed coarsely
• Salt as per taste
• Ghee : 1/4 cup (to brush the baatis before putting them in oven and afterwards before serving)

Method :

• Tip in all the above items in a bowl and knead firmly into a dough. (Authentic way is to use ghee to knead, but health conscious can use 1/2 tsp ghee and 1/2 cup water instead.)
• Pinch lemon sized balls out of the dough, give it a smooth round shape and then press it in the middle with the thumb.
• Brush each baati liberally with ghee and place them on a sheet or pan in the microwave @ 180C for about 10-15mins flipping them in-between after 10mins. (Timing may vary depending on your microwave. So keep checking it after 10mins and increase or decrease the time.) 
• Once they are nice and golden brown, they are ready to be served.

Tip to Serve the baatis : Brush the baatis with ghee and serve them hot with some nice dal to dunk in.

Note : You can also cook them on your regular chapati tawa, by brushing the pan with ghee 1st and then arrange the baatis on it and cover for sometime. Flip it at-times to cook both sides and cook till they are nice golden brown.

Club Sandwich 2.0

Courtesy : Me (Tested and appreciated)
My Husband loves Mayonnaise in his sandwiches whereas I like the typical Mumbai -style green chutney ones. This led to the birth of Club Sandwich 2.0.
The unusual combo of green chutney and mayonnaise gives this one an Indo-American Flavor.Since I'm always on look-out for such easy recipes.. the fillings for this one are always prepared and kept handy to kill my hunger-pangs..

You'll need :

• Bread : 6 Slices

For stuffing :

• Green Peas : 1cup
• Carrots : 1cup- grated
• Capsicum : 1cup-diced
• Mayonnaise : 1tbsp
• Hot and sweet Tomato ketchup : 2tsp
• Pepper pwd : 1tsp
• Butter 

For Green Chutney :

• Coriander leaves : 1cup
• Mint leaves : 1cup 
• Green chilli : 2
• Ginger : 1tsp- shredded
• Garlic : 2cloves
• Salt to taste
• Lemon juice : 1tsp

Method :

For Stuffing :

• Heat 1tbsp butter in a pan and tip in all the veggies. Saute till the peas are done.
• In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, ketchup and pepper.
• Add the veggies to this mixture and mix well. Our veggie stuffing is ready.

For Green chutney :

• In a food-processor, blend together coriander leaves, mint leaves, garlic, green chilli, ginger and salt.
• Add few drops of lemon and mix well again.

For Clubbing :

• Take one bread slice and spread the green chutney on one side.
• Take another bread slice and spread butter on it and press down with the chutney and butter facing each other.
• Now, onto the other side of the buttered bread slice, spread the veggie stuffing generously. 
• Cover the stuffing with another bread slice to Club it.
• Spread butter on both ends of the club sandwich and toast it.
• Repeat the same with other bread slices.
• A fulfilling snack/breakfast is ready to be digged in.

Potato-Capsicum Combo

Courtesy : Mrs.Geeta (Mom)
An all time fav in our family, this is not an exotic or innovative dish but still worth finger-licking...

You'll need:

• Baby potatoes : 250gm
• Capsicum : 1cup- diced
• Green chilli : 2
• Garlic : 3-4 cloves
• Jeera : 1tsp
• Turmeric pwd : 1/2tsp
• Oil : 1tbsp
• Water : 1/2 cup
• Salt to taste

Method :

• Grind together the green chilli and garlic into paste and keep aside.
• Heat oil and crackle the jeera.
• Now add the chilli-garlic paste and saute well. 
• Tip in the baby potatoes, capsicum, turmeric pwd and salt and saute well.
• Add little water and cover cook till potatoes are done.
• Once the potatoes are soft, keep on high flame and roast them well.
• Serves best with rotis and rice.

Pineapple Biscuit Pudding

Courtesy : Mrs.Sujaya Byju (Sis-in-law)
This comes from my Akka's (as she is fondly called..) Kitchen!! A perfect dessert for Potluck Parties, this is an all time hit among kids.

 

You'll need :

• Milk Biscuits : 10-12 (unsalted and non cream, any regular biscuits/cookies)
• Pineapple : 1cup- chopped
• Cocoa pwd : 1tbsp
• Instant Coffee pwd : 1/2 tsp
• Sugar : 1tbsp
• Pwd Sugar : 1tbsp
• Unsalted Butter : 1tbsp
• Dry Fruits : 1/2 cup- chopped
• Milk : 1tsp
• Water : 1cup

Method :

• Mix together Cocoa pwd, coffee pwd and 1tbsp sugar with little water to make a thick paste. This is the Cocoa-coffee mix for this pudding.
• Now, beat the butter with pwd sugar and milk till it becomes fluffy.
• Add 1tsp of the Cocoa-coffee mix to the above butter and blend again.
• Meanwhile,tip in the pineapples in a pan with little water and cover cook to soften them.
• Once the pineapples are softened, drain and cool aside.
• Now, take 4 biscuits and dip in the cocoa-coffee mix and layer them onto the pudding tray.
• Top this layer with a spread of the butter mix, chopped nuts and pineapple.
• Give a third layer of the biscuits dipped in cocoa-coffee mix again and repeat till all layers are complete.
• Keep it in refrigerator for 2-3hrs.
• Crumble the biscuits with a fork and serve chilled.