Caramel custard pudding

Bhaiya ,ajit and anjan does it remind you of anything :) good old school days !
Ingredients:
Full cream milk - 500 ml  ( luke warm ),
Eggs -3 ,
Sugar - 50 gms ,
Sugar -40 gms ( to caramalise ),
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp ,
Nutmeg -a pinch ,

Method :
Pre heat oven to 375 F or 180 C  . Steaming time 45 minutes.
If you plan to steam in cooker then the  steaming time is 35 minutes.


Grease the pudding mould .


Heat 40 gms of sugar and 2 tbsp of water in a pan till it melts and turns golden brown .  Pour over the caramalised sugar in the greased pudding mould .Dont worry if the caramalised sugar does not spread .It will spread during the steaming .

Beat or whisk eggs in a bowl .Add sugar and beat till the sugar dissolves and then add luke warm milk,vanilla essencs and grated nutmeg pwd .Sieve the egg milk mixture  and then pour it in the pudding mould.

Cover the pudding mould with a aluminum foil .

Pour hot water  in a baking tray till the water is one inch below the rim of the pudding mould .

Likewise you have to pour water in the cooker and it should be 2 inch below the rim of the pudding mould .
The pudding mould  should be kept on a elevated metal bowl or a circular plate  in the cooker
Close the lid  and remove the whisle.
To check use a knife .If The pudding is ready then it will come out clean .
Leave it to cool .

Keep in the fridge for an hour .
 Before serving  put the plate in which you plan to serve  on the pudding mould and gently turn the plate upside down .

Your caramel custard pudding is  ready to be served .

Aloo Baigan

Ingredients:

Potato or aloo - 2 medium ( 1/2 inch cubed),

Baigan or eggplant -400 gms ( 1/2 inch cubed ),

Tomato- 2 ( chopped),

Green chilli -1 ( chopped ),

Ginger garlic paste -1/2 tsp,

Hing or Asafoetida - a pinch ( optional ),

Cumin seeds -1 tsp ,

Coriander pwd - 2 tsp ,

haldi or turmeric -1/4 tsp,

Green coriander leaves -1 tbsp ( chopped ),

Oil -2 tsp,

Salt to taste ,

water -1/2 cup.

Method:

Take a bowl ,mix coriander pwd,haldi pwd , red chilli pwd ,ginger garlic paste with 2 tbsp of water .

Cut the eggplant into cubes and discard the stem .

Cut the potatoes with jacket into cubes.

Heat a non- stick  pan and add 1 tsp oil .As oil heats up stir fry the potatoes in high heat for a minute .

Take out and keep aside .In  the same pan , stir fry the cubed eggplant in high heat for a minute .Take out and keep aside .

Lower the heat ,add 1 tsp oil and then add hing if you like, otherwise add cumin seeds .

Let the seeds crackle ,add the coriander mixed masala and fry it for a minute .Add the chopped tomatoes and green chilli .Cover for a minute till the tomatoes are soft .

Add the stir fried potatoes and stir fry for a second then add  the eggplant ,mix and then add salt .Pour 1/2 cup water and then cover. Let it simmer in low heat for 10 or 15 minutes or till potatoes are soft  .( Can add little water if the potatoes are not cooked) Close the gas .Taste salt.

Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves .

 Aloo baigan is ready .Enjoy with roti or rice and dal .

Serves  5

Mutton Biryani

Ingredients :
Lamb meat -700  gms ,
Lemon -2- Juice ,
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp,

Basmati long rice -1/2 kg ,( soaked in water for 40 minutes )

Raw papaya - 1 tbsp ( grated )or tenderizer ,
Curd -200 gms or 2 cups ( whisked )
Onions - 6 ( finely sliced and deep fried to golden ),
Coriander pwd - 2 tsp ,
Cumin pwd -1 tsp ,
Turmeric pwd -1 /2 tsp ,
Red chilli pwd - 2 tsp ,
Garam masala -2 tsp ,
Black pepper pwd -1/2 tsp ,
Black cumin seeds -1 tsp,
Green chill -2 chopped ,
Whole garam masala - Big cardamom -3 ,
                                     Small cardamom -3 ,
                                     Cinnamon stick - 2 1 inch each ,
                                     Clove -6 ,
                                     Bay leaves -2 ,
                                     mace - 2.
green coriander leaves - 1 cup( chopped ),
Mint leaves - 1/2 cup ( chopped ),
Ghee or oil -5 tbsp ,
Salt to taste ,
Saffron - a pinch disolved in 1/2 cup of warm milk.
Method :
Marinate the mutton with raw papaya or tenderizer and ginger garlic paste for 1/2 hour and  keep in the fridge .
Then add curd ,half the fried onions ,green chillies ,red chilli pwd ,coriander pwd ,cumin pwd, 
turmeric pwd , salt 1 and 1/4 tsp , half of green coriander leaves , half of mint leaves ,whole garam masala,black pepper pwd  1/2 tsp black cumin seeds ,juice of one  lime ,garam masala pwd  1 tsp and 5 tbsp of ghee or oil.

Mix and let it marinate for an hour .
Boil water in deep pan with salt and 1 tbsp of oil and  1/2 tsp of black cumin seeds . Taste the water if  
salt is enough .Not more ,not less salty . As water comes to a boil add the strained rice  .Let the rice cook  only 50 % and then quickly drain the water and keep aside .

Take a heavy bottom pan and put the marinated mutton in the bottom of the pan.Cover the mutton with half the parboiled rice .

Divide coriander  leaves and mint leaves into half .
Divide the fried onions too .
Sprinkle half of coriander leaves and mint leaves and half of fried onions .Cover again  with  rice and then sprinkle all the left coriander ,mint leaves ,juice of 1 lime , garam masala 1 tsp ,fried onions and then pour the saffron milk around the rice .
Cover the deep pan with a tight lid.
Put the heat on high . After 5 minutes let it cook for 40 minutes on low heat.

If you do not have a thick bottom pan put a  griddle or tawa under the deep pan .

Close the gas and leave it for  10 minutes .Mix the rice with  care and then serve .
Enjoy  biryani with raita !
Serving for six !

Apple muffins

Ingredients :
All purpose flour or maida - 150 gms ,
Egg -1 ,
Milk - 120 ml ,
Butter -50 gms ,
Baking pwd - 1 tsp ,
sugar -40 gms ,
Apple -1 ( peeled ,cored and finely chopped ,
Salt -a pinch ,
Cinnamon -1/4 tsp ,
Vanilla essence -few drops ,
Raisins -8 -10 .

Method :
Pre heat oven to 190 C - 380 F .
Mix egg ,sugar ,milk and melted butter in a bowl .
Sift flour ,baking pwd and then add salt and cinnamon pwd in a bowl .

Add the flour  mxture to the beaten egg mixture and beat till smooth. Add vanilla essence .
Can add little milk if the dough is thick .

Stir the  chopped apples and resin till moistened .
Grease the muffin cups and spoon the mixture to 2/3 full .

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until well risen and golden .
This recipe can be used for  making apple cake too .

Eight apples muffins can be made with the above ingredients .

Palmiers ( Elephant ears )

Ingredients :
Puff pastry dough - 1 sheet ( thawed)
Sugar - 1/2 cup ,
Cinnamon pwd - 1 tsp .

Method :
Take out the puff pastry dough from the freezer and leave it for 40 minutes in  room temperature.
Pre heat oven to 400 F or 204 C .
Sprinkle 1/2 cup sugar over your work station .
Roll out the puff pastry to about 10 x 12 inches .

Sprinkle another 1/4 cup of sugar and cinnamon over the pastry sheet.

Roll up the short side inwards ,stopping in the middle of the dough .Roll up the opposite short side of the dough too.The two rolls should be meeting in the middle and touching .Press the two sides gently .

Wrap the dough in  butter paper and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes .
Starting at the end ,cut off pieces of the log in slices about 1/2 inch in thickness .
Lightly sprinkle sugar into each side .

 Pinch and press the sides of the two roll together so that they dont unroll during baking .
Place the pastries on baking tray .
Baking time is 12 - 15 minutes .
Allow to cool .

Puff pastry dough

I am making this dough for the first time and was a little concerned how the dough would turn out .
I had trouble with the butter in the beginning .Was very cautious while rolling the dough so i had to dust the dough  frequently and quickly  keep it in the freezer .But the effort paid off , my Palmiers turned out  well :)


Ingredients :
All purpose flour or maida - 220 gms ,
Butter -180  gms ,( frozen),
Butter for dough -40 gms ( frozen ),
Salt  -a pinch ,
vinegar -few drops 
Water 130 ml( cold water ).

Method :
Sieve the flour and then add salt ,vinegar and butter  .Add cold water and make a soft dough . wrap with a cling film or foil keep in the fridge for 20 minutes .

Crush the butter into small chunks and sprinkle little flour and make a square shape rectangle  4x3 inches.

Spread the dough as shown in the photo  and put the square butter in the centre  and  bring the corners of the dough together  to make an envelope .Chill for 10 minutes in the freezer .

Dust your board with flour and roll out the dough gently to form a rectangle .

You can dust on the dough if butter pokes out .
Well we have to roll the dough three times the width 20 x50 cms keeping the edges straight .
Dont over work the butter streaks.( dont worry about the lenght it just has to be a rectangle )

Fold the top third down to the centre ,then the bottom third up and over that .
Wrap it up in a cling film or plastic ziplock bag and keep in the freezerfor 10 minutes.
Take out and roll the dough from the short side up to three times the width and fold as before .

Repeat the process three times more and keep in the freezer .
( we have to keep the dough in the freezer since the weather is hot and chances are that the butter will 
start melting  from the sides )
Over all you have to roll the dough five times for puff pastry .On the sixth attempt the dough is ready for making puff pastries .

If not , cover the  dough with butter paper and keep in ziplockbag in the freezer .
Can be kept for a week .
When you plan to use it ,keep the dough out  for 40 minutes in room temperature .
If you plan to make the dough in winters you can roll the dough in one go  (wont have to keep the dough in the freezer while rolling it )