Eggless Chocolate Choco Chip Muffins

This recipe is perfect for afternoon tea snack or to pop one in lunch box.Tried this classic chocolate-chocolate chip muffins recipe for the first time on kids playdate and it turned out perfectly well in first go. Kids are anyways fond of chocolate flavor. Kids n mommies liked them so much and they were sosoft and spongy that everybody wandered if they are eggless :) .I am sure you will also fall for this simple, quick and easy eggless recipe

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20 mins
Serves: 8 Muffins

Ingredients:

Refined flour (maida) - 1cup

Cocoa powder - 1/3cup

Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp

Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Curd - 1/2 cup

Oil - 1/4 cup

Brown sugar - 3/4 cup

Chocolate chips - 1/4 cup (as desired)

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl, sieve together refined flour,cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda
2. Dust all choco chips with flour and keep aside
3. In another bowl, add curd,oil, vanilla essence, brown sugar 
4. Mix and keep aside till sugar dissolves completely
5. Now make a hole in the center of dry ingredients and pour wet ingredients on it.
6. Mix gently so that no lumps are formed. Do not over mix
7. Fold in choco chips as desired 
8. Preheat convection at 180 deg. Fill the muffin liners up to 3/4th level and sprinkle some choco chips over it
9. Bake at 180 deg for 20 mins. Give a standing time of 1 minute
10. Can be enjoyed warm or cold like cake

Notes:

1. Plain sugar can also be used in the recipe
2. Do not over mix the batter
3. Let it stand for a minute after mixing batter. Bubbles will form. This signals that your baking soda is working well
4. Icing can also be done to turn them into cupcakes 

Creamy Matar Mushroom

Creamy Matar Mushroom

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

Green peas (matar) - 1 cup
Mushroom - 250 grm
Bay leaves (tej patta) - 1
Cloves (laung) - 2
Cinnamon stick (dalchini) - 1/2 inch
Carom seeds (ajwain) - 1/2 tsp
Cumin (jeera) - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder(dhaniya) - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder(haldi) - 1tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Dry Mango Powder(amchoor) - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp
Onion Paste- 1 onion
Tomato Paste- 1 tomato
Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
Ginger Paste - 1tsp
Slit Green Chillies - 2
Oil - 1 tbsp
Fresh cream - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander for garnishing

Creamy Matar Mushroom

Method:

1. Wash and chop mushrooms and keep aside
2. Wash peas and keep aside
3. In a non stick kadai, add oil. Add bay leaves, cloves n cinnamon to hot oil. Stir for 5 sec and add cumin and carom seeds
4. When cumin splutters, add ginger paste and garlic paste and cook for half a minute on low flame.
5. Add onion  paste, slit green chillies, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder to it and again cook till oil starts leaving from sides
6. Add tomato paste and cook till  done
7. Add peas and salt. Cook on low flame with lid for 10-15 mins or till peas are half done
8. Add mushroom, garam masala and amchoor powder and cook on low flame with lid for  mins
9. Remove the lid, add 1 tbsp fresh cream and cook for 4-5 mins
10. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and fresh cream

Coriander Chutney

Coriander Chutney

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 5 mins
Serve: 4

Ingredients:

Coriander(dhaniya) - 100grm
Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Onion - 1
Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Black Salt (Kala namak) - 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper powder (Kali Mirch) - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 2-3
Asafoetida (Hing) - 1 pinch
Lemon - 1

Method:

1. Wash and cut coriander and mint leaves with stems
2. Put all the ingredients except lemon in blender and blend to fine paste
3. Add lemon in the end and mix well

Notes:

1. Lemon juice also helps in retaining the fresh green color of chutney
2. For variation, tomato can also be added 

Dahi- Dhaniya Chutney

Dahi - Dhaniya Chutney

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 5 mins
Serves: 6

Ingredients:

Coriander(dhaniya) - 100grm
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Black Salt (Kala namak) - 1/2 tsp
Black Pepper powder (Kali Mirch) - 1/2 tsp
Green chillies - 2-3
Asafoetida (Hing) - 1 pinch
Dry Mango Powder(Amchoor)- 1 tsp
Curd (Dahi) - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Wash and cut coriander with stems 
2. Put all the ingredients except curd in blender and blend to fine paste
3. Now add curd and blend again
4. Dahi wali dhaniya chtney is ready to serve

Strawberry Trifle

Strawberry Trifle

Preparation Time: 30 mins
Cooking Time: 10 mins
Serves - 4

Ingredients:

Sponge cake(eggless) - 5-6 pcs
Strawberry - 8-10
Castor sugar - 1/4 cup
Fresh cream/ Whipped cream - 1/2 cup
Custard powder - 2 tbsp
Milk - 1 cup
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Hung Curd - 1 cup
Strawberry syrup (optional)

Strawberry Trifle

Method:

1. In a pan, boil milk. Mix custard powder with 1 tbsp cold milk and add it to boiling milk. Add sugar and stir continuously to avoid lumps. Let it cool and refrigerate
2. To make strawberry syrup, blend strawberries in blender. Add castor sugar and mix again. Cook on low flame for 3-4 mins. Let it cool. Ready made syrup can  also be used. In that case avoid step 2 
3. If using ready made syrup, mix syrup with little water
4. In a separate bowl, add hung curd, whipped cream, 2-3 grated strawberries and mix well.
5. Add this to pre- prepared custard mixture and pipe into piping bags
6. Cut sponge cake and settle it to the base of serving cup
7. Soak it  with strawberry syrup. Add a layer of chopped  strawberries 
8. Now pipe chilled custard mixture in it and fill half the cup
9. Now repeat adding cake slice and soak with syrup. Again pipe the custard mixture and fill the glass with it
10. Let it cool and garnish with thick syrup and strawberries

Oats- Broccoli- Carrot Pancake

Oats-Broccoli-Carrot Pancake

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time:  30 mins
Serves- 2

Ingredients:

Oats - 1 cup

Curd - 1/2 cup

Broccoli (finely chopped) - 1/3 cup

Carrot (grated) - 1/3 cup

Ginger Paste - 1/2 tsp

Garlic paste  1/2 tsp

Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Slit green chillies(optional) - 2

Oil - 2 tsp

Eno - 1 pinch

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except oil and eno
2. Adjust the consistency with water if required and let it rest for 2 mins
3. Now, heat non stick tawa . Add eno to the batter and mix 
4. Pour 2 tsp of batter on tawa and spread it evenly in round shape
5. Cook on low flame for 1-2 mins and turn. Again cook on low flame for 2 mins
6. Once you feel its done. Keep it off the  flame
7. Enjoy with dahi - dhaniya chutney

Jeera Aloo

Jeera Aloo

Preparation time - 20 mins
Cooking Time - 10 mins
Serves - 2

Ingredients:

Potato(Boiled) - 4 Medium
Cumin (Jeera) - 1 tsp
Coriander(dhaniya) powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric(haldi) - 1 tsp
Dry Mango Powder (Amchoor) - 1 tsp
Chat Masala - 1 pinch
Garam Masala - 1pinch
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Slit green chillies (optional) - 2
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Fresh Coriander for garnishing

Method:

1. Boil, peel and cut potatoes 
2. In a non stick pan, add oil. Once oil is hot, add jeera, haldi, red chilli, slit green chilli. Saute for half a minute.
3. Now add potatoes and sprinkle chat masala, garam masala, amchoor and salt 
4. Mix all the ingredients and cook on low flame for 4 to 5 mins
5. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve

Pasta in Broccoli & Spinach sauce

Pasta in Broccoli & Spinach Sauce

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins
Serves - 2

Ingredients:

Macaroni/ Phenne/ Fussili pasta - 1 Cup
Broccoli florets - 5-6
Spinach leaves - 5-6 (medium size)
Cheese -  2 -3 cubes grated
Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Oregano - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 pinch
Onion - 1 medium size
Refined Flour - 1 tsp
Butter - 1 tsp
Milk - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Chop Onion, broccoli and spinach leaves and saute on low flame till raw smell of ingredients disappear
2. Let it cool and grind to fine paste. Cook paste on low flame for 2-4 mins
3. In another pan, add butter, cheese, milk and refined flour to make cheese sauce
4. Mix broccoli mixture into cheese sauce and add boiled pasta to it
5. Add oregano, salt and black pepper as per taste
6. Give it a gentle mix and cook for 2-3 mins
7. Serve hot 

Coriander - Amla Chutney

Dhaniya - Amla Chutney

Ingredients:

Coriander (Dhaniya) - 100grm
Amla - 2
Tamarind Paste(Imli) - 2 tsp
Cumin Powder(Jeera Powder) - 1/2 tsp
Garlic - 1 tsp chopped
Ginger - 1 tsp chopped
Salt - to taste
Onion (optional)- 1 chopped
Asafoetida (Heeng) - 1 pinch
Green chilli - 2

Method:

1. Clean, wash and chop coriander leaves with stems
2. Cut amla to deseed it
3. In a blender, put chopped coriander,amla, tamarind syrup, cumin powder, ginger,garlic, heeng, chillies and salt. Blend together to make a fine paste
4. Lemon can also be used instead of tamarind paste

Notes:

Chutneys could be stored in airtight containers in freezer for atleast 3-4 months

Chutneys should not be refreezed

Moong Dal Halwa

Moong Dal Halwa

Ingredients:

Dry Moong Dal - 1 Cup
Ghee - 2 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Pistachio Nuts - 4-5
Cashewnuts - 4-5
Raisins  - 4-5

Method:

1. Soak moong dal for 4-5 hrs and drain water
2. Grind it into fine paste.Pour dal and 1cup ghee into non stick pan and cook on low flame stirring continuously until it combines like a dough as shown in picture. It will stick n lumps will be  formed if not stirred properly at this stage
   
3. After 10 minutes, the dough like mixture will start getting separated. At this stage if you think dal is getting dry then add more ghee. Stir the mixture every 15sec to avoid burning and even cooking
   
4. In next 15 minutes, the mixture will start leaving ghee from sides. Cook evenly by stirring continuously. 
   
5. In next 10 mins, it will start changing color and leaves a different aroma and raw smell of moong dal is completely gone by this time
   
6. In another pan, add water and sugar and cook it sugar dissolves completely
7. Cooke for another 10 mins on low flame until you reaches the desired color. But do not forget that color gets darker after adding sugar 
   
8. Now add sugar syrup by stirring continuously and cook on medium to high flame until it mixes well
9. Simmer  the flame and cook by stirring continuously  until it starts leaving oil again. 
10. Add desired nuts and enjoy hot

    

    Moong Dal Halwa
    
    

    Happy Cooking!