Mocha muffins

 Ingredients :
All purpose flour - 1 cup or 130 gms( sieved ),
Whole wheat flour - 3/4 cup or 95 gms ( sieved ),
Unsweetened cocoa pwd - 1/4 cup or 25 gms,
Light brown sugar - 1 cup or 205 gms,
Baking pwd - 1/2 tsp,
Baking soda - 1 tsp,
Walnuts - 1/4 cup 120 gms ( coarsely chopped ),

Semi sweet milk chips or chocolate chips -1 cup or 240 ml.
Eggs - 2,
Butter milk - 1/2 cup or 120 ml -  ( You can make your own butter milk - take 120 ml milk and add 1/2 tbsp of white vinegar  and leave it for 10 minutes ).
Canola or any light vegetable oil without a strong flavour - 1/2 cup or 120 ml,
Black coffee - 1/4 cup or  60 ml ( room temperature ),
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp.

Method:
Pre heat oven to 375 F or 190 C
Take your muffin tray and line them with paper cups or grease them.
The tray has to be kept in the center rack of the oven.

In a large bowl whisk  2 eggs  for 30 seconds then add butter milk, vinegar, oil, black coffee and vanilla essence . Whisk again for few seconds.

In another large bowl whisk together flours ,baking pwd ,baking soda, brown sugar ,chopped walnuts and chocolate chips or milk chips.

With a spatula fold  together  the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until  the incorporated  are combined.

 ( do not over mix the batter otherwise the muffins will be tough.

Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter with 2 spoons or a icecream scooper .

Place it in the oven and let it bake for 18 to 23 minutes. Insert a toothpick  to check it should come out clean.

Place the muffin tray on the rack for 10 minutes than take out from the tray.
This is a healthy muffin made with oil , both wheat and  plain flour. 
It tastes delicious and is very nutty .

Makes - 19 muffins

Murgh Irani

Ingredients:
Bone- in- chicken- 1 kg cut into medium size pieces,
Onions - 4-  medium size - finely sliced,

Red chilli pwd- 1 tsp - can add more if you like it hot ,
Curd - 1 cup ( beaten ),
Ginger - 2 inch- shredded,
Garlic - 1 small pod - finely minced,
Almond - 20- blanched and shredded,
Lime - half juice,
Small cardamom - 5 - powdered,
Kewada water -few drops,
Saffron - a pinch diluted in warm water for 5 minutes,
Salt to taste,

Oil or ghee - 3 tbsp.
Malai or cream - 100 ml ( I have not used in this recipe but  you can add it to make it rich and creamy.

Method:

Heat oil or ghee in a  thick bottom deep pan and fry the sliced onions till light pink or brown if you like your onions to be caramalized .

Add chicken pieces with all the above ingredients - red chilli pwd,shredded ginger and minced garlic, shredded almonds ,lemon juice ,cardamom pwd, kewada drops, saffron water and salt (  add cream if plan to use it ).

Mix and put a lid .
Lower the gas and let it cook for 30 minutes or till tender.
Stir the chicken after 20 minutes so that it does not stick to the bottom.

Close the gas when the chicken is tender and leave it in pan for 5 minutes.

Enjoy this Irani chicken with hot roti and raita. 

Roasted garlic and herb chicken breasts

This is a easy and delicious recipe 
Ingredients:

Chicken breast - 2 ,
Lemon - half ( juice ),

Garlic cloves - 6 small - ( chopped ),

Green corriander  leaves - a handful ( chopped )-You can use any herb of your choice and availability.
Olive oil - 3 tbsp + 1 tsp,
Salt and pepper to taste .

Method :
Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts and make 2 or 3 light slights with a knife.

In a deep plate dish pour 3 tbsp of  olive oil, chopped garlic, chopped green corriander leaves lemon juice, salt and pepper .

Mix with a spoon .
Lay the chicken breasts on the marination plate and coat it evenly on both sides.

Sprinkle pepper on the chicken breasts.

Cover with a cling film and keep in the fridge for half hour .

Pre heat oven to 350 F or 176 C
After half hour take out the chicken breasts from the fridge .

We have to pan sear the chicken and then put it in the oven to bake .
Heat a non stick oven pan on gas stove .( if you do not have a oven pan than you can transfer the pan seared chicken to a greased oven baking dish to bake.

Pour 1 tsp of oil and evenly spread it .

As pan heats up lay the chicken breasts and  cook in medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
 ( total 4 to 6 minutes )

Close gas and cover the pan with foil and transfer it to the pre heated oven.
Bake for 15 minutes.

Take out from oven and let it remain covered for 5 minutes.

Enjoy the garlic herb chicken with green salad and toast .

It is very delicious and while are you pan searing the chicken, the aroma of olive oil and  fresh pepper fills the air .

Cherry cake

Ingredients:

Fresh cherries - 500 gms - stems removed and  pitted - 350 gms  ( keep 30 aside for topping )
All purpose flour - 1 cup or 130 gms ( sieved ),

Ground almonds - 1/2 cup or 55 gms -  ( if you do not want to use ground almond than use 1/2 cup  or 65 gms of all purpose flour. So in total you will use 1 and 1/2 cup or 195 gms of flour  for this recipe.
Eggs - 2,
Baking pwd - 1 and 1/2 tsp,
Sugar - 3/4 cup or 150 gms,
Butter - 1/2 cup or 113 gms ( melted ),
Milk - 1/3 cup or 80 ml ( room temperature ),
Vanilla essence -  1tsp.

Method :
Pre heat oven to 200 C.
Grease 9 inch spring form round pan or round pan and line the bottom with parchment paper and grease sides. ( spring form pan is available in Khan market )
Rinse , dry and pit all the cherries .
Keep aside 30 pitted  whole cherries for topping of the cake during baking.
Leave the remainder  of the pitted cheeries whole to be folded in  the  cake batter .

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda and almond flour .

In a bowl of your mixer beat the eggs and sugar until thick and lemon coloured ( 3 to 5 minutes).

Add  vanilla essence and beat for 1/2 second than add milk and butter .

 Beat only till moistened.

Remove the beater and fold in the flour almond mix and  mix only till incorporated.

Add the cherries .

Pour the batter  into the prepared pan .

Bake for 15 minutes , then remove from oven and quickly arrange the whole cherries on top of the cake .

Return the pan to the oven and bake for 25 to 30  minutes or until golden brown.( check the center with a tooth pick and put a foil if the cake is browning and bake till tooth pick comes out clean).

Remove from oven and let it cool for 10 minutes.
Take a knife and run it around the edges of  the pan.
If you are using a spring form pan then loosen the  clip and remove the side. 

If using a pan then put a plate on top and turn it upside and the cake will loosen and come out on the plate .Then put it in a upright position or  you cut slices directly from the pan.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Leave it for an hour .

Slice and enjoy with or  without ice cream .

Cover and keep in the fridge the leftovers.