Prawn in Garlic Sauce

 My sister Devs and me like to be adventurous and try out different kind of restaurants...my family does not think the same...they are a hard bunch to please....its a tedious job choosing a restaurant for them....coz if they don't like it then we will have to hear from them for rest of the week.....thats why ,whenever my family wants to go out for dinner,we always take a safe bet and choose a Chinese restaurant......universally accepted....and what more I love Chinese food.  

Though I got this recipe from a Thai cookbook...I actually did not find any difference, it tasted like any other Chinese gravy.Must try out this one....goes very well with Noodles and Fried Rice.

Recipe Source: Neeta Mehta

Ingredients

• 1/2 kg Prawn (Shelled and de veined)
• 250 g Mushroom (sliced)
• Spring onion for garnish
• Oil for deep frying

Marinade

• 1 egg - lightly beaten
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp ajinomoto (optional)
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/3 cup cornflour
• 1 tsp oil

Sauce

• 4 tbsp garlic paste
• 4tbsp oil
• 4 tsp soya sauce
• 3 tbsp Tomato sauce
• 3 cups water
• 2 tsp Pepper powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 pinch Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Ajinomotto (optional)
• 2 tsp Red chilli flakes
• 2 dried red chillies
• 2 tbsp cornflour mixed in 1/2 cup water

Method

1. Beat egg with salt, sugar, ajinomotto, pepper and cornflour.
2. Add the prawns and mix well, keep aside for 30 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a wok, drain off  excess marinade and deep fry the prawns till they turn golden brown. Drain and place on paper towel.
4. Now prepare the sauce:-heat oil and add garlic paste and stir on low flame till it starts to change color.
5. Add tomato sauce, soya sauce, pepper, salt. red chilli fakes, dried red chillies and cook for a minute.
6. Now add the sliced mushroom and stir for 3 minutes.
7. Add sugar and ajinamotto.
8. Add water. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
9. Add the cornflour paste, keep stirring until the sauce thickens.
10. Add the fried prawns and combine. Cook for 2 minutes and take off the flame.
11. Garnish with chopped spring onions.

Candy Cupcakes

Candy Cupcake for crossing 1 lac views after 7 months of  blogging..........no actually I made these cupcakes for my daughter...she just loved it...each bite she took...she kept asking me..."did you make it?"..."did you make it?"....I knew exactly why she kept asking me that.....she dragged her friend in...and I offered her the cupcake and my daughter said proudly..."My mom made it"...little did she know that these were the simplest cupcakes ever made...but her expression was worth a million.

Seven months back...my husband was about to go to bed and I asked him "How do I start my own blog?" and he told me yawning..."Ok ...I will tell you later" and he slept. My brain was so hyper at that moment and I just could not wait...I am not tech savvy...so if I have a doubt I turn to my best friend.....Google....and I asked Google the same question I asked my Husband "How do I start my own blog?".....when my husband got up.....my blog 'Cheries Stolen recipes' was ready.So moral of the story 'Google is better than a Husband' (Just joking....for those who don't get my sense of humor).......

The journey since then has been amazing...This blog has definitely changed me in many ways.....I am a more confident person now......learnt so much about Mangalorean food and in the process connected with my Mother, saw a whole new side of her....she is more of a friend to me now and got to try out dishes I never thought I could make....I would like to change my profession from a Housewife to......'Housemaker/Blogger'

I would love to thank all my viewers and fellow bloggers for helping me get so far, it would not have been possible without you guys...(ok that was sooooo not me....it was so cliche...sounded like some Oscar speech by some boring actor)

Seriously..............a heartfelt THANK YOU.

Recipe Source:-Australian Women's weekly- Easy Baking

Ingredients

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• 80 g Butter (softened)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla Essence
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup(75g) Caster sugar
• 1 cup (150g) All Purpose Flour
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• 2 tbsp Milk or Soya Milk
• few candies

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 Degree C. Line the cupcake pan with cupcake cases.
2. In a bowl combine butter, vanilla essence, caster sugar, eggs, sifted flour and baking powder.Using an electric whisk beat on low speed till all ingredients are well combined.Now beat on medium speed for 2 minutes or till the batter looks pale in color.
3. Divide the mixture into the paper cupcake cases using an ice cream scoop.Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. remove from the oven and place candies on top of each cupcake.Bake for 5 more minutes or till the candies melt (I did not wait till then, I prefer my candies whole)
4. Let the cupcakes stand in the pan for few minutes ,then transfer onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Diwali Special- Manjol Eeretha Ghatti/ Sweet Rice Dumpling Steamed in Turmeric leaves

Diwali and no Manjol Eeretha Ghatti......no way....Diwali is incomplete without this for us Mangaloreans.

Aroma of turmeric leaves being steamed is unforgettable.

I had a hard time getting a nice picture of the ghatti...this was best among the worst....though ghatti tastes amazing.....they are not great lookers ...but who cares ....taste matters ....right....

Ingredients
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• 15 turmeric leaves

For outer covering

• 2 cups brown rice/rosematta(washed and soaked for 5 hrs)
• salt to taste

For sweet filling

• 2 cups coconut
• 1 1/2 cup jaggery
• few tablespoons of water (optional)
• 2 tsp cardamom powder

Method

For outer covering:-

1.Grind the soaked rice and salt using little water to a fine, moist and thick dough.Keep this aside 

Prepare Filling:-

1.Place a pan on medium flame,add jaggery, when it melts add the coconut,few tablespoon of water and cardamom powder and mix well,cook till you get a thick but moist filling.

2. Wash the turmeric leaves and wipe with dry cloth.

3. Apply the rice dough on the turmeric leaves, flatten it with your wet hands.

4. Place the sweet filling on the dough.

5. Fold the leaf.

6.Place it in a hot idli steamer, repeat the same with other leaves.Steam for 45 minutes.
7. Take off the flame, remove the dumpling from turmeric leaves and serve with homemade ghee.

Diwali Special - Karanji

After I got married and moved to Bahrain ,I was heart broken...that was the first time I was away from my family...I missed home like crazy...did not have any friends or neighbors....I was surprised that I did not lose my mind in the first 2 years. In course of time I did make friends...mingled with my neighbors.....but there was still something missing. Then one fine day an Indian restaurant-' Navaratna 'opened very close to our house.....this was when I got to meet the Navaratna family.....Ratna Aunty , Acchu, Amit and Ganesh Uncle....there are no words to describe what this family meant to me....if I love Bahrain...its because of this family. Ratna Aunty was like a mother...best friend...filled with wisdom...

Acchu......my sister.....my friend......gossip partner....

Amit .....my eating partner :))....

Ganesh Uncle...father.......hardworking....organised..

Not to forget ...Nowphal Bhai......my brother .

I had the best days of my life with this Family.

I can never forget the day I left Bahrain....it is still so fresh on my mind.....In the airport...when I turned back to say goodbye .....I saw Ratna Aunty, Acchu and Amit ..........my heart had never felt so heavy.

I have learnt a lot of things from Ratna aunty...this Karanji was one. Every Diwali Ratna Aunty and Acchu used to make close to 100 Karanjis....I was lucky to be part of 2 such Karanji making Diwalis in Bahrain. I did show off my Karanji making skills when I came back to Bangalore...my family was blown off.

Ingredients
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For outer crust

• 1 cup Flour (maida)
• 4 tbsp Semolina (fine)
• 2 tbsp oil
• pinch salt
• 1/3 cup lukewarm water

For Stuffing

• 1 cup fine Semolina
• 1/2 cup dry coconut (desiccated)
• 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar (adjust to taste)
• 1 tbsp Black Sesame seeds
• 4 tbsp Cashew nuts (finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp Raisins
• 2 tbsp ghee
• Few drops of Vanilla

Oil for deep frying the Karanji

Method

1. Prepare the dough for outer crust: In a bowl mix flour, semolina,salt ad oil. Add little water at a time and make a smooth and soft dough.Cover and keep aside.
2. Prepare the filling: Place a pan on medium flame, add ghee, when ghee is hot add cashew nuts and raisins and fry for few seconds,now add sesame seeds and semolina and roast for 2 minutes. Add desiccated coconut and vanilla and roast. Do not let the mixture brown, you will know its ready when you touch the mixture and its feels very hot. take off the flame and add powdered sugar. check the sweetness.
3. Make a thick paste with 4 tbsp flour and water, this is used to glue the karanji together.
4. Now make small balls of dough. Roll each ball ,dusting with little flour to thin almost transparent chappatis. Take 1 tbsp of filling and place in middle of the rolled out chappati. Apply maida paste around the edges and fold to half (press the karanji to removed trapped air).Press the edges and using a pizza cutter,cut off the excess dough in the edge to form a proper semi circle.Keep this covered with paper or dry cloth.
5. Repeat the same procedure for the rest of the dough and filling.
6. Heat oil on medium high flame,check if the oil is ready by dropping a small piece of dough into the oil, if it sizzles a little then floats up,you can start frying the karanjis till they turn light golden brown.
7. Place on absorbent paper. let it cool completely before storing in air tight container.

Diwali Special - Thekere dosa/cucumber pan cakes

Wish you all a Very Very Happy Diwali....Every Diwali we start our day with oil bath and something sweet. Thekere dosa /Cucumber dosa for breakfast is mandatory in our house.

Have a safe and prosperous Diwali.

Ingredients

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• 1 medium cucumber (remove skin and chop)
• 1 fist beaten rice
• 3 cups rice (washed and soaked for 3 hrs)
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup jaggery or to taste
• 1 tsp salt

Method

1. Grind cucumber, beaten rice, rice,coconut,jaggery and salt to a fine batter.Use very little water as cucumber already has lot of water content.(the batter should be little thinner that normal dosa batter)
2. Let the batter ferment for 4 hours.
3. Pour a ladle full of batter on hot tava and spread it around.Pour a tsp of ghee or butter.Flip over and let the dosa cook for few seconds.
4. Cucumber dosa tastes best when served with homemade butter.

Diwali Special - Karada Kaddi / Kara Sev

Karada Kaddi ...translated .....Spicy Stick.

You tell my mom to cook for 100 people ...she will do it in a jiffy....but ...you tell her to make snacks or sweets .....she will run a mile away from you...She has never been a snack or sweet person(loves to eat them...but not make them)...she believes...."When you can get it in any store, why go through the trouble of making it"...so this duty of making sweets ...snacks...desserts for festivals or parties comes to me.

I had bookmarked recipes for kara sev from many of my fellow bloggers ...but I settled down with my Granny's recipe for karada kaddi...she showed me her hand for measurements...explained the whole procedure in 1 minute and left to sit on her easy chair and  watch her favorite serial. I made the Kara Kaddi

in the afternoon...the whole batch was finished by evening(I was hoping it will last till diwali). It was so crispy and fresh.....never going for store bought Kara sev ever again. Will be making it again next week for my hubby who loves munching on these...

Ingredients
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• 3 cups Besan (Gram flour)
• 4 tbsp rice flour
• Pinch Hing (asafoetida) 
• Pinch Soda powder (optional)
• 2 tsp Red chilli powder
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp Ajwain seeds
• 3 green chillies 
• oil for deep frying

Method

1. Grind green chillies and ajwain in small mixie jar to a coarse pasted. Add 1 cup water and grind again.Pass this through a sieve. Use this water to knead the dough.
2. In a bowl mix besan, rice flour, salt, soda powder, hing,red chilli powder, melted butter and oil. Add the green chilli - ajwain water and form a sticky dough. Use as much water required (you don't have to use up all the water)
3. Heat oil in a pan. Oil the Sev press and fill it with the prepared dough.and press into hot oil.make one circle of sev. fry on both sides till golden brown or till the sound and bubbles subside.
4. Remove from oil and place it on absorbent paper.
5. Repeat the same with rest of the dough.
6. Let the sev cool down completely before breaking to medium size pieces and store in air tight container.

Diwali Special- Tukdi /Shankerpalli

One of the most simplest  snacks ....very few ingredients.....can make it quick.....and tastes great. These Tukdis/Shankerpalli are like - Deep Fried Short Bread Cookies.

This is the sweet version...we also make spicy Tukdis which are thinner than this.My daughter can just munch on this the whole day.

Ingredients
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• 3 1/2(or as needed) cups Flour (Maida)
• 200grms Butter (unsalted and softened)
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar (adjust to taste)
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp Cardamom powder
• Water to make dough
• Oil to deep fry

Method

1. Cream butter and sugar in a bowl till well combined, light and fluffy.
2. Add flour (maida) and cardamom powder and combine. A soft but crumbly dough will be formed.
3. Now add little water at a time and form a soft dough(you must be able to roll it out easily.)
4. Let the dough sit for few minutes.
5. Take a big boll of dough roll out like chappatis. Using a pizza cutter cut diagonal strips and then cut horizontally to form diamond shapes.
6. Deep fry this in hot oil till they turn golden brown.
7. Serve as a tea time snack.

Diwali Special- Manni / Rice Pudding

Okay let the fireworks begin....Diwali celebration starts ........Now 

Manni is a famous sweet dish for us Mangaloreans...something that used to be made on a weekly basis in most of the households...any guests home ...invited or not...Manni  was all ready to be served ....I remember every summer vacation we used to spend it in Karkala and any house I went to...we were served Manni and without fail....by default...there had to be boiled egg(roasted in salt and chilli powder)......and it was the same in our house too.

There are so many dishes Mom used to make when we were kids....so many we disliked.....I used to hate Sajige (Upma)...."Mom , whats for breakfast?" .....she would say "Sajige" and my reply would be "You mean concrete".....hated brinjal...dry fish chutney....pelakai da ghatti.....so many more.....and Manni always topped the list. I just used to hate the fact that it wobbles.....hated all these dishes through school....college...graduation and one fine day get married ...go to a different house...in some other country ...far far away.....then after 1 or 2 years get back home...then these same dishes are ....like... I AM IN HEAVEN.......I think this is when I realized ....my dad might be a hero to me.....but my Mom ....she is SUPERWOMAN (Please don't tell my mom I said that)

When I think of Manni the first name that comes to my mind is ...Vatsala Aunty (my ex neighbor and relative).....all I remember is that ...she always had manni in her fridge...always (ok maybe I am exaggerating ...maybe the right word is OFTEN)....I thought this must be very simple...I mean Vatsala aunty makes it all the time.....until I tried it out ..under the guidance of my Mom....The ingredients are pretty simple...its just the muscle power needed to cook this dish....almost 1 hour of constant stirring...we kept taking turns...its was a good workout...made up for 2 weeks of skipping gym....and my Gym Sir calls me Lazy....little did he know......

Ingredients
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• 2 cups rice (washed and soaked for 3 hours)
• 1 coconut (to remove milk)
• 1 cup Jaggery (adjust to taste)
• 2 tsp Cardamom Powder
• water
• One pinch salt
• Ghee to grease the pan

Method

1. Remove Coconut milk. Try to get about 4 cups of  coconut milk(thick and thin).Keep this aside.
2. Grease a 10 inch plate with ghee and keep aside.
3. Grind rice to a fine paste using water, mix the ground rice and coconut milk,add jaggery. The batter must be almost water like consistency (like neer dosa batter).You can add more water if the batter is thick.
4.  Place this vessel on medium low flame.Its important to stir the batter non stop at least in the beginning. This will avoid forming of lumps (which is a complete no no for Manni)
5. The batter will thicken eventually, but you have to keep stirring for almost 45 minutes to 1 hour, or the pudding won't set. There are ways to know if the pudding is done: - Wet your hands and touch the pudding, if it does not stick to your hands then the pudding is done. One more tip is to drop  1 tsp of batter into little water in a plate, if the pudding holds shape then its done, if it disintegrates you will have to stir longer.
6. Somewhere around 30 minutes of stirring ,add cardamom powder.
7. Once the pudding is done pour it on to the greased plate and spread it evenly.Pour 2 tbsp ghee on top of the pudding and spread it around.
8. Let the pudding cool in room temperature, refrigerate till the pudding sets.
9. Cut to diamond shape, you can sprinkle some roasted cashew nuts on top which is optionally.

Note: Instead of removing coconut milk you can also grind coconut with rice and add lot of water.

Dahi Vada - Blog Hop Wednesdays

Its Blog Hop Wednesday...I am paired with Jabeen from Jabeen's Corner. Thank you for sharing the recipe.

Recipe Source : Jabeen's Corner
Ingredients 
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• 3 Cups Urad Dal
• 4 green chillies
• 1 tbsp ginger
• salt to taste
• 3 to 4 Curry leaves
• oil to deep fry
• 2 cups thick Yogurt + 1 cup water
• water (to soak the vada )
• 2 tbsp Sugar
• 2 tsp Red chilli powder to garnish
• 2 tbsp Tamarind Chutney to garnish

Method

1. Wash and soak urad dal in water for 3 to 4 hours. 
2. Drain water and and grind using very little water to smooth and fluffy batter.
3. Add chopped ginger,green chillies, salt and curry leaves and mix well.
4. Heat oil in a deep vessel, when hot wet hand and take 3 tbsp of urad dal batter and drop into hot oil. Do the same for remaining and fry till light golden brown.
5. Soak the fried vadas in lukewarm water for 15 to 20 minutes before add it to the curds.
6. Meanwhile prepare the curds. Pour the curds into the serving dish add 1 cup water and mix well, if you want thinner consistency add more water.Now add little salt and sugar (I prefer my dahi vadas a little sweet...so I added more sugar).You can temper the curds too, but I skipped that step)
7. Now remove the vadas from water and give it a light squeeze to remove excess water.
8. Transfer the vadas into the curd mixture. Let it soak in the curds for few minutes.
9. Garnish with Red Chilli powder and tamarind chutney (you can garnish it with green chutney or coriander leaves or garam masala or chaat masala...its your personal choice...I like it this way)
10. Tastes best when served cold.

Sending my entry to Radhika from Tickling Palates

My entries for Blog Hop Wednesdays so far.....

Garlic Pull Apart Rolls 

Chilli Paneer

Kadubu Shaped Modak 

Mharo Rajasthan

Corn and peas Fritters 

Rasmalai

Dill and Olive Focaccia

Focaccias can be turned into amazing sandwiches ,just slit it in between, spread some hung yogurt mixed in with dill leaves, garlic and salt....topped with grilled boneless tandoori chicken(or paneer for the vegetarians)....onions...tomatoes and lettuce.....good to go.....perfect for a  picnic.

Recipe Source : Show me the curry

Ingredients
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• 5 cups All purpose Flour (maida)
• 1 2/3 cups Warm water
• 2 tsp Yeast
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 cup Olive oil
• 3 tbsp extra Olive oil for coating the top and greasing the pan
• 2 tbsp Dill Leaves chopped
• 1/2 Onion (Thinly sliced)
• 1/4 cup sliced Black Olives
• 5 to 6 cloves of garlic (sliced)
• Salt to sprinkle on top

Method

1. In a big bowl combine warm water, yeast and sugar. Cover and keep aside for 10 minutes until its foamy.
2. Add salt and olive oil and mix. Now add 41/2 cups of flour.One cup at a time and mix well till all the flour comes together into a ball.Add more flour if its too sticky.
3. Knead the dough on a floured surface for 2 minutes  till a smooth ball is formed.
4. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes . You can skip this step if you are using rapid rise yeast.
5. Grease the baking tin generously with olive oil. Punch down the  dough and place it on the greased baking pan. Flatten the dough to an even rectangle shape.
6. Cover and keep it in a warm place for 1 hour to rise.
7. Pre heat the oven to 220 Degree C
8. In a bowl mix in 3 tbsp of olive oil, black olives, sliced onions, garlic and Dill leaves.
9. Make indentations with you finger on the dough one inch apart.
10. Spread the prepared oil mixture over the top of the risen dough and place the onion,garlic, dill leaves and olives on the top.
11. Bake the Bread at 220 degree C for 20 minutes or till the top of the bread browns evenly.

Vada Pav - Indian Burger

When Anthony Bourdain came to Mumbai.....he had Vada Pav........ and he said......... "This is the best thing I have ever eaten"......do I have to say anything more.....

Print this recipe
What you will need
*Homemade Pav
*Batata Vada
*Spicy Green Chutney
*Tamarind Chutney
*Peanut Chutney
*Oil to deep fry

Ingredients for Batata Vada - Recipe Source :Manjula's Kitchen

• 4 Medium Potatoes (Boiled, skinned and mashed)
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 3 green chillies chopped
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp Jeera
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• salt to taste

For batter

• 1 cup Besan (Gram flour)
• 2tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• salt to taste
• water

For peanut chutney

• 2 tbsp peanuts
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp dry coconut powder
• 4 dry red chillies
• salt to taste

Method:

For Peanut chutney

1. Dry roast peanuts in a small pan till they change color lightly, then add red chillies till they turn dark. Reduce heat to low and add sesame seeds and roast for a minute. Turn off heat and add coconut powder.Let this cool before grinding to a powder. Add salt to taste.Peanut chutney is ready.

For Batter

1. Mix besan (gramflour), salt and coriander leaves,add enough water to make a thick but smooth batter.Keep this aside.

For Vada

1. Place a pan on medium heat, add oil,when oil is hot add jeera seeds (cumin seeds) stir for few seconds and add onion, fry till translucent add ginger garlic paste and stir for few seconds now add turmeric powder and stir for few seconds,add green chillies and mashed potatoes ans mix well, adjust salt. Cover and cook for few minutes. Now add chopped coriander leaves and mix well.
2. When the potato mixture cools slightly make equal size balls.
3. Dip the potato balls in besan(gramflour) batter and deep fry in hot oil till they turn golden brown.
4. Place the fried potato vadas on absorbent paper.

How to assemble

1. Slit the pav to two,spread desired amount of green chutney and tamarind chutney on one side of the pav.
2. Sprinkle some peanut chutney and place potato vada on top.Top with another slice of pav.
3.  Please do me a favor and dig in.

Homemade Pav - Bread

When I was paired with Vardhini from Zesty Palette for blog hop Wednesday, this was what I had chosen to make....after I baked the pav and made Vad Pav (my next post)...I went through her blog again and came across Rasmalai recipe and chose to that as an entry for Blog Hop Wednesday. 

I thoroughly enjoyed making the Pav...the results are so satisfying ,my family was awed by this...they could not believe that its possible to make Pav at home and that too it was much much better than the store bought Pav...So soft and spongy. Will definitely make it again. 

Recipe source:Zesty palette

Ingredients 

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• 3 Cups Maida (All purpose flour)
• 2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 1/4 cup luke warm water
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp salt

Method

1. Add butter to luke warm milk and let it melt. Keep this aside.
2.Combine sugar and yeast in luke warm water and mix well. Keep aside and let it froth up.
3. Once the yeast froths up add salt and milk+ butter mixture to it.
4. Now add 1 cup flour at a time and form a sticky dough.
5. Transfer the dough on to a clean surface and using little flour knead for 5 to 10 minutes to get a smooth and soft dough.
6.Keep the dough in the bowl, cover it and let it rise in a warm area for 1 hour.

7. After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and remove all the air. Grease a baking tin with oil and keep aside. Divide the dough to 12 equal parts , form a ball and place it on the grease baking tin.

8. Cover and let it rise for 30 to 45 minutes.

9. Brush the top of the dough with milk and pop it in a preheated oven at 180 Degree C and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.Remove from oven and let it cool.

Rasmalai- Blog Hop Wednesday

Whenever my daughter is happy..she puts her hands in her pockets and moves it left and right and sings 'Dinka Chika Dinka Chika'...well I was doing exactly the same today after I made this Rasmalai...in one of my posts I have mentioned that I was scared of trying out two things ....'Cheesecake' and 'Rasmalai'.....welllll............ 'Dinka Chika Dinka Chika Dinka Chika';)

This Rasmalai is dedicated to my virtual friend Shireen Sequeira from Ruchik Randhap. reason being....see the new look of my blog...Well Shireen did it. I am technically backward and wanted a change and Shireen offered to help. So Shireen is not only an amazing cook ,she is also  good at designing blogs. But she does not come cheap you see...I had to pay her 1000 virtual hugs:)...so Shireen ....for the last time 'THANK YOU' :)

This week I was paired with Vardhini from Zesty Palette.Vardhini has a vast collection of recipes and I decided on a particular recipe and made  last week and was all set to post it on Wednesday ........ I went through her blog again yesterday and had totally missed out the Rasgulla recipe..I really wanted to try it out...made a few changes...... Rasmalai instead of rasgulla and I halved the recipe and used lemon juice instead of vinegar......and here it is. Ohhh I am feeling so proud.....I just love to challenge myself.... I get this amazing adrenaline rush.....just love it.

Recipe adapted from :Zesty Palette and manjula's Kitchen
Ingredients
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• 4 cups Milk
• 1/4 cup Lemon Juice
• 1/2 cup Hot Water
• 1 1/2 cup Sugar
• 4 1/2 cup Water

for Ras

• 3 cups Milk
• Sugar to taste
• few strands Saffron
• 2 tbsp Pistachios (chopped)

Method

Making Paneer

1.Mix lemon juice and 1/2 cup water in a bowl and keep aside.
2. In a thick bottom non stick vessel heat 4 cups of milk on medium flame. Stir often to avoid burning of milk.

3. When the milk come to boil slowly add the lemon and water mixture.

4. Stir with a spoon gently. The curd will start separating from the whey. Turn off the heat.

 5.Once the milk fat separates from the whey, drain the whey using a muslin cloth or cheese cloth.

 6. Rinse under cold water to cool down the paneer and remove any smell of lemon. Remove excess water by squeezing the cloth and tying it to the tap or press the wrapped paneer under a heavy pan for 1 hour.
7. Removing the right amount of water is secret to soft rasmalai.

 8.To check if the paneer is of the right consistency, take a small amount of paneer and rub it with you fingers ,after rubbing for few second you should be able to form firm but soft balls and little oil would have released.
9. Now knead the paneer for about 10 minutes till a smooth soft dough forms. Knead the paneer hard with your palm.

Making Rasmalai

1. Divide the dough into into equal parts and roll into a smooth ball and press slightly to make patties.

2. Mix sugar and water in a pressure cooker on medium heat and bring to boil.Cooker should be big enough to accommodate the panner balls as they will double in size after they are cooked.
3.Add the panner balls and cover the cooker. After 1 whistle switch off the flame, leave the cooker for 5 minutes. Then place it under running water to cool down the cooker.

4.Open the cooker and remove the paneer ball, squeeze them slightly to remove the sugar syrup. Keep this aside.At this point the rasgullas are ready...time to turn it into rasmalai.

5.Prepare the ras (rabri).Soak saffron in 1/2 cup of hot milk and keep aside.
6. Pour 2 1/2 cup milk into a thick bottom pan and cook on medium low flame till the milk reduces to less than 2 cups. At this point lot of malai would have formed, which I totally dislike so I passed the rabri through a sieve to remove the malai. Pour back the sieved rabri into the same vessel and place on medium low flame. Add the saffron milk and sugar and mix well.
7. Now add the rasgullas into the prepared rabri. let it cook for few more minutes so that the soft balls soaks in the sweet rabdi.
8. Garnish with chopped pistachios. let the rasmalai cool down in room temperature and then chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Sending this to Radhika Tickling Palates

Sending this to Kirtis Kitchen and Denny's Oh Taste and see