Steamy Hot Chocolate Parathas

So with an annual shutdown ahead of me..I have loads of time to cook the stuff I've been wanting for a long time now. The first in line is my favourite - CHOCOLATE PARATHAS. The mere thought of steamy parathas with melted chocolate inside is to die for. A very easily delicacy to make, go ahead enjoy one in this suppeeerrrr cold weather!

Ingredients:

• Hot Chocolate (the canned ones in market)
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• Powdered White Sugar
• Butter
• Dough

Recipe:

• Roll the dough in a small sized thick roti
• Mix hot chocolate podwer, cocoa powder and powdered sugar and add some oil to it
• Fill it in the thick roti and make a round ball
• Roll the ball to make a paratha
• Cook it with butter

Tada!! Steamy Hot Chocolate Paratha is ready to eat - enjoy the blast of liquid chocolate!

Red Velvet Cake (With Cheese icing)

A cloudy winter day calls for some delectable delicacy..and what better than cakes - any cakes, Mug Cakes, Cup Cakes, Huge Cakes, I know we all love all of them ;)


So today i decided to make some yum RED VELVET CAKE.Let me set the context for you. there are two very prominent myths about Red Velvet Cake:During the Great Depression, families were using less food colorings and extracts. They were just one more unnecessary expense that could be cut out. While the savings was good news for penny-pinchers, it was not-so-great news for the Adams Extract company. To counter slumping sales, folks at the company came up with the Adams Red Velvet Cake recipe, a concoction that used red food coloring and butter extract instead of the traditional ingredients. Before food coloring become the popular way to make the cake scarlet, the hue was much more subtle and was caused by the way vinegar, cocoa, and buttermilk reacted together. Adams’ ploy worked. The new brilliantly-colored cake was a hit with households across the country, and the fact that the recipe was offered on free recipe cards at grocery stores everywhere didn’t hurt either. So, there you have it: the popularity of red velvet cake is the result of a clever marketing ploy. And who can resist that tagline of a bygone era: "The cake of a wife time."

One (and I don not know which one is incorrect) take on the invention of the red velvet cake is that the Waldorf Astoria Hotel created it in the 1920s and graciously provided the recipe when a customer asked. She later received a bill in the mail for $350, prompting her to distribute the recipe to anyone who would take it.Anyway, the myths will always be, lets Bake and Relish. To begin with it is important to know that the “velvet” comes not from the color of crushed velvet, but from the smooth texture of fine cake crumb. This is a 'MICROWAVE' version of the cake and can usually be baked in a 'MUG'.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon liquid red food coloring
• 3 tablespoons buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cider, white, white wine, or rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 cheese cubes
• 1 cup Icing Sugar

PREPARATION - Cake

• In a large mug, whisk together the egg and oil.
• Stir in the food coloring, buttermilk, vanilla, and sugar
• Add the cocoa, flour, salt, and vinegar. Beat the batter until smooth
• Grease and flour two mugs, preferably transparent to enjoy the deep red colour of the cake
• Microwave for 4 minutes

PREPARATION - Frosting

• Melt 3 cheese cubes in the microwave for 30 seconds
• Keep Whisking and add dome warm milk (to give enough heat to the cheese to keep it melted)
• Add 1 cup of icing sugar
• Add vanilla essence to it and keep whisking until the desired consistency is achieved
  

Discover food like never before with Opera

Along the “discover” theme, Opera Software organized a #DiscoverWithOpera food bloggers meet-up, inviting some of Delhi’s top food bloggers at Ahoy! Asia.

Just like Opera users setting out to discover content on the web,we were given the opportunity to embark on a journey of Oriental food discovery. At the event, bloggers introduced themselves in a unique way by talking about their food-related discoveries. The afternoon was well spent, with bloggers passing the test of identifying various cuisines including Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese and Malaysian. Along with an afternoon of fun-filled activities, wes were also quizzed on Asian cuisine some popular myths often associated with the cuisine were busted.

We troed out some of popular Oriental dishes including Chuanr Lamb Kebab from Uyghur, Thai Tofu & Bell Pepper Satay, Uyghur DaPanJi (chicken stew), Zhua Fan Lamb Pulao and Banana Spring Rolls with a vanilla ice-cream scoop & caramel sauce.

Malaysian Lamb Murtabak

Vietnamese Chicken Banhmi Sandwich

All in all it was a great day and we all learnt a great deal about our first love - FOOD!

Weekend Special Breakfast

Aspri Spirits showcases the finest wines from South Africa

Aspri Spirits showcased authentic South African wines from esteemed brands like Nederburg and J.C. Le Roux. Jacobus Wilhelm Pienaar, wine maker from Nederburg, was in New Delhi to host the wine tasting where a private tasting of the wines was conducted as they were paired with select dishes to appreciate the goodness of these eloquent wines.  

Nederburg is South Africa’s leading and one of the most decorated names in the wine industry. The brand is a winner of several international and domestic awards. They were recently judged “The Most Successful Producer” at the SA Trophy Wine Show. The winery itself was an inaugural winner of the International Wine Tourism Award for Cape Town, presented by the Great Wine Capitals Global Network. At the event, Jacobus Wilhelm Pienaar gladly answered queries about the history of the wines, their qualities, the creation process and many such aspects.

Aspri Spirits also presented the wine Le Domaine from J.C. Le Roux. The wine brand is South Africa's first and one of the leading cellars who have devoted their efforts to the art of making sparkling wine. J.C. Le Roux is acclaimed for its passion, craftsmanship and expertise to make the finest vintage Méthode Cap Classiques in the time honored French style, and fun loving sparkling wines to suit every palate.

Cornitos launches yet another mouth watering flavor “Tikka masala”

Cornitos, the flagship brand of GreenDot Health Foods Ltd launches yet another flavor Tikka masala to its exciting range of nacho crisps. The 100% corn snack is made up of tandoori tikka with the tinge of freshly ground Spices and Herbs.

The all new - Tikka Masala

Its good taste rejuvenates the mood and keeps a momentum throughout the day. Tikka masala is spicy and sizzles the taste buds with its exotic flavor. An apt snack for the evening, movie and party time etc. Snacks are that part of the diet which cannot be skipped and consuming healthy snack is an imperative task.  Tikka masala is a blend of scrumptious flavor and healthy ingredients.

Tikka masala is different from the regular flavor and adds a different experience. It can be consumed as a healthy snack and can be sprinkled over the favorite grub.

Price:-

A)     60g Pouch pack- INR 35

B)      50g Can – INR 50

GreenDot Health Foods Ltd. is a part of the well known ‘Globe Capacitors’ Group of Companies. 

Stuffed Idli

During my visit to Lucknow, I chanced upon my relative's age old receipe of making idlis.

While i was served it with garlic chutney, I prefer mine with the usual coconut chutney.

This is one of the simplest things you can make, when there is a sudden news of guests coming over.

Preparation Time : 4 mins

Cooking time : 4 mins

* as per microwave cooking. Cooking on gas can take upto 8 minutes

Ingredients:

• Finely chopped vegetables (carrot,beans, capsicum, mushroom and baby corn)
• Finely chopped garlic
• Finely chopped fresh curry leaves
• Mustard seeds
• Chana daal - 2tbsp
• Urad Dhuli daal - 2 tbsp
• Suji - 250 gms
• Curd - 2 cups
• Eno - 2 sachets

Procedure:

1. Mix suji with curd and leave for 5 minutes
2. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, garlic, curry leaves. When golden brown, add vegetables and stir until cooked
3. Add 1/4th cup water to the suji-dahi mixture and the cooked mixture of vegetables
4. Add salt to the batter
5. Take a cup of batter separately and add 1/2 sachet Eno in it
6. Mix and put the mixture in moulds as quickly as possible (remember the fizz of the Eno will make the idlis fluffy so do not add eno to entire mixture at one and do not delay after adding eno)\
7. Cook for 4 minutes and serve it with coconut or tomato chutney. It can also be consumed with Sambhar.

  

Hope you can handle the sudden guests next time, a little more smoothly ;)

Idlis are ready to be served! You can garnish it with finely chopped coriand