Deconstructed Strawberry Cheesecake

This is my take on a traditional cheesecake. It was just too much effort so I whipped together this quick, no-bake, low fat version of the popular dessert. Enjoy this classic without the guilt.


100g biscuits ( I use low-fat digestive biscuits)
200g cream cheese (use the low fat version if possible)
200g yogurt (use the low fat version if possible)
4tbsp caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
2tbsp strawberry jam
100g strawberries, sliced


Put the biscuits in a plastic bag an using a rolling pin, bash them into chunky crumbs. In a bowl, beat the cheese, yogurt, sugar and vanilla till smooth. 


Use glasses or small bowls to serve. Divide the biscuit mixture into the glasses and then spoon over the cheese mix. Chill till you are ready to serve.


Stir the jam till loose and then add the strawberries. Top the cheesecake with this strawberry mix and serve.


Tip: Use whatever fruit you have at home, as toppings. For a delicious Banoffee version slice bananas and top with a spoonful of caramel sauce. Or crush raspberries and serve with peach for a Melba-style.

French Toast Crème Brûlée

French Toast always reminds me of sunday morning breakfast as a child. I loved waking up to the smell of cinnamonny warm buttery bread...so comforting! So I've taken my mom's traditional recipe and given my own Masterchef spin. Thankfully it still retains that comforting aroma and tastes yum.

1 loaf of rich bread (I prefer Brioche)
1 1/3 cup of whole full fat milk
2/3 cup of cream
4 large eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar and 2/3 cup for the topping
1tsp Grand Marnier, Cointreau or any orange liqueur ( If you dont have liqueur your can use a zest of an orange)
2 tsp vanilla extract
A pinch of salt

Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees celsius. Cut the loaf into thick slices.  Arrange the bread on a baking tray that can fit them in one layer. In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Pour the mixture over the slices. Turn the bread to ensure it soaks up the liquid evenly. Let the break soak the mix for atleast half hour. Arrange the bread with a little space so as to avoid making one mega-frech toast! Bake toast in the oven until a knife inserted into the centre of the slice does not release any liquid. 

Melt the remaining 2/3 cup of sugar in a heavy bottom pan. Make sure the saucepan is completely dry. Met the sugar over moderate heat, stirring occasionaly, till the sugar caramelizes into a honey coloured liquid.

Once the toasts are out of the oven, spoon some caramel over the top of the toast. Because your caramel will continue to deepen in colour as you work, its best to act quickly. Serve with fresh berries or some whipped cream.

Warning: Caramel is extremely hot and can easily burn you. Please wear mittens and handle carefully

Tip: If you feel too confident of being a Masterchef, sprinkle the sugar on top of the warm toast and use a blow torch to caramelize it.
If you spread your caramel too thick, you will have a candy lid and a nice crunch everytime you bite in. But I like spreading a thin layer so that I get that nice caramel flavour.
Use cinnamon in the egg mixture or add it to the sugar you are caramelizing to make the toasts simply irresistible.

Pavlova

A Pavlova is a meringue based dessert with a crisp crust outside and a soft marshmellowy inside. It was originally created to honor the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova. It is a celebratory dish and is usually made for special occasions. I usually reserve this dish for Christmas lunch and the white and red colour scheme of this dessert just adds to the holiday season. 


4 egg whites
225g castor sugar
1tbsp icing sugar
1tsp cornflour
1tsp vinegar (preferably white wine vinegar) 
1/2 vanilla pod or 1tsp vanilla essence
300ml double cream
1 lemon, zested
500g berries (you can use strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or a mix of all)




Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees celsius. 
In a bowl, whisk egg whites with the help of an electric beater. Add sugar, a couple of spoons at a time, in between whisks. Whisk till all the sugar is used up and the meringue is stiff and glossy and stands up in peaks. Now whisk in the cornflour and vinegar.


Line a baking tray with parchment paper and spoon the mixture in. The traditional Pavlova is circular, however you can use any shaped tray you like. Turn the oven temperature down to 120 degrees and bake for about 1 1/2 hours. Once meringue is cooked, leave in oven to cool.


Once the meringue is cold, put it on a serving dish. In a mixing bowl, add the cream, vanilla and lemon zest, and whip. Spoon the whipped mixture on the meringue. Mix the berries and spoon it on top of the cream. Dust with a little icing sugar and viola! your Pavlova is ready to be served

Ultimate Red Velvet Cupcakes

Credit:http://bestcupcakerecipes.blogspot.in/

These are rich chocolate cakes characterized by their distinctive red colour, originally given when unprocessed cocoa reacted to the acid in the buttermilk. Today, red food colouring is used. You can however substitue the synthetic red colour for beetroot juice. Don't use too much though or you will end up with Red Velvet Beetroot Cupcakes!


This is a popular cupcake flavor, so naturally there are millions of recipes out there. It took me a lot of bad cupcake batches to finally zero in on the perfect recipe. Believe you me...I have tried every conceivable ingredient combination and  recipe out there...and this one is spot on. It makes the cake so moist and at the same time crumbly...its so delicious and now my mouth is watering!


2 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1tsp baking powder
2 tblsp unsweetened cocoa powder
50ml red food colouring or 125 ml beetroot juice
1/2 cup unsalted softened butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk (room temperature)
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
Pinch of salt


Per-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Sift together the flour, baking powder & salt in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl mix food colouring* & cocoa to form a paste and set aside.


In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go. Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda. Be careful as it will fizz so don't do it in a shallow bowl. Add vinegar mixture to the cake batter and stir well to combine. 


Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners. Fill cupcake cups with cake batter until they are a little under 3/4 full. Place muffin tins in your preheated oven. Bake for approximately 20mins, rotating pans halfway through. The cupcakes are done when you are able to pat the tops and the cake springs back up. If it sinks down they are not yet complete. Or you can insert a toothpick into the center of a cupcake in the center of the tin and if it comes out clean they are done.

Cool the cupcakes in their tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely before frosting. Serve with Cream Cheese Frosting 

*If you are using food coloring powder, mix about a teaspoon of the powder to the buttermilk, stir so that no lumps are formed, and add to the cake mix.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Delicious as this frosting is, it is also a good base for other add-on flavours. Since it is one of the most basic frosting, play around with different ingredients to get a whole new flavored frosting. I usually add a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon to add some zing. Other great ideas for your cream cheese frosting are adding some mini chocolate chips or orange or lemon zest or liqueur or coffee powder or shredded coconut to it. 


2 sticks of unsalted butter
500g cream cheese
3 3/4 cup sifted castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract


Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature. In a mixing bowl, mix butter and sugar till creamy. Add the cream cheese and mix til fluffy. Finally, add the vanilla extract and mis till the mixture is creamy.


Tip: You can also use whipped cream in place of half of the butter. You will end up with a heavier, thought thoroughly delicious whipped cream cheese frosting.


Since the frosting contains butter and cheese, make sure to refrigerate it. Don't leave it out too long or it will melt. It can be refrigerated in an airtight container and will stay for upto three days.

Chocolate Caramel Cake

I just had to share this cake recipe (courtesy BBC Good Food). This rich cake definitely commands attention on the table and is just delicious.

• 300g butter 
• 300g light muscovado sugar or  castor sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 85g cocoa powder
• 225g plain flour
• 225ml soured cream
• 300ml pot double cream
• 5 tbsp caramel sauce
• 25g caramel flavoured chocolate , finely chopped 

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Lightly grease two loose-bottom cake tins and line with a circle of baking parchment. 

Beat together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition, then add the baking powder, cocoa and a third of the flour. Mix well to combine, then stir in half the soured cream. Alternating between adding the flour and soured cream, mix everything until just combined. Spoon into the prepared tins, then smooth over the surface with a spoon. Bake for 30 mins or until the cakes are firm to touch and a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 mins, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.

When you're ready to serve, whip the double cream with 2 tbsp caramel sauce until soft peaks form. Place 1 cake on a serving plate and spread with half the cream, then drizzle over the remaining caramel. Top with the other cake, then spread the remaining cream on top. Sprinkle with the chocolate. Chill until ready to serve.

Tip: The original recipe calls for sour cream, but I prefer using buttermilk instead. It gives a lighter batter and make the cake really moist.


To make this cake even richer, use white chocolate along with the double cream and caramel sauce to make the icing. I'll guarantee you will be licking your fingers. 

Kitchen 101: Cooking Methods

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Kitchen 101: Mixing Methods

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Kitchen 101: Eggs

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Kitchen 101: Tea

Kitchen 101: Measurements

Kitchen 101: Measurements

Kitchen 101: Beef Cuts

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Kitchen 101: Herbs

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Kitchen 101: Chili

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Caramel Sauce

I have a confession. Making caramel scares me. Caramel is finicky, it goes from perfect to a burnt mess in the blink of eye. But when you nail it, the outcome is extraordinary. Practice makes perfect, and when you do make the perfect caramel sauce, you’ll never have to buy that overly sweet jarred stuff again! 

Caramel is essentially melted sugar and I love it by itself, or sprinkled with sea salt, covered in peanuts, enrobed with nougat…well you get point. 

There are two basic ways to make caramel: the dry method and the wet method. The dry method involves slowly heating sugar until it melts and is deemed as a bit more difficult. The wet method is more common and is what you will find in today’s recipe.
In the wet method, granulated sugar is dissolved in water and then boiled until the water starts to evaporate. As the water escapes, the mixture goes through a series of stages that indicates the ratio of water and sugar.

1 cup sugar
1/4 liquid cup water
1/2 liquid cup heavy cream, heated until warm
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

In a heavy saucepan (at least 5 cup capacity), stir together the sugar, and water until the sugar is completely moistened. Heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the syrup is bubbling. Stop stirring completely and allow it to boil undisturbed until it turns a deep amber. Immediately remove it from the heat and slowly and carefully pour the hot cream into the caramel. It will bubble up furiously.

Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to stir the mixture until smooth, scraping up the thicker part that settles on the bottom. If any lumps develop, return the pan to the heat and stir until they dissolve. Stir in the butter. The mixture will be streaky but become uniform after cooling slightly and stirring. Allow the sauce to cool for 3 minutes.

NOTE:

Caramel is HOT! Be careful. For reference- Water boils at 100°C, while the sugar mixture is around 175°C. Also, give your undivided attention to the caramel sauce while you are preparing it.

Keep at room temperature for up to 3 days; refrigerated, about 3 weeks. To reheat, simply place in a microwave safe container and heat for about 45-60 seconds. Stir well.

When you add the heavy cream to the pot of molten sugar, it will bubble violently and steam will escape. Stand back and keep your face away from the pot.

Tip:

Avoid a caramel catastrophe by making sure your heavy bottomed pot is large enough. You do not want this caramel sauce to boil over onto your stove.When you’re done, be sure to soak your pot and tools with hot water to help the cleaning process.

Make sure your stirring utensil is heat proof. I typically use a wooden spoon or a silicone spatula.

Uses for Homemade Caramel Sauce:

-Eat it with a spoon
-Spoon it over your favorite ice cream
-Drizzle it over your favorite baked goods
-Stir it into your morning coffee to create a homemade caramel macchiato
-Use it as a dip

Fish Curry (Kerala Style)

Not to be confused with Meen Moilee. This fish curry is the spicier cousin. Its traditional, loaded with flavour, and absolutely delicious.

1 kg Fish
2 1/2 tbsp Chilli powder (I prefer Kashmiri Chilli)
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp Coriander powder
1 tbsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
10 Shallots
1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
4 pieces Kokam (if you dont have kokam you can use tamarind)
2 springs of Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Oil
Water


Mix chilli, turmeric, coriander and cumin powder with some water to get a smooth paste. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once it crackles, add fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, shallots and ginger garlic paste. Note that these ingredients will cause the oil to splutter, hence keep a safe distance.

Cook the shallots till it starts browning. Reduce the flame and add the spice paste. Saute till the oil separates. Add a cup of water (add more if you like your curry thinner). Now add the kokam pieces and salt to taste.

Now add the fish pieces gently. Cover the pan and let it cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer till the gravy has reduced and the fish is cooked.

Serve with steamed rice

Tip: Use an earthenware pot to cook this dish. Not only does it look rustic, it enhances the flavour.