Moist Zuchinni Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
about 1 cup zucchini grated

Mix sugar and oil in large bowl. Add eggs and beat well. Add all dry ingredients and mix with water adding slowly. Mix until just combined and there are no lumps. Add the zucchini. Pour in a greased loaf pan and bake it for 1 hr 10 minutes in a preheated oven (180˚C). Check if done by inserting a skewer. If it comes out clean its done.

If still soft in the center leave it for another 10 minutes. Cool it and enjoy the delicious moist bread.

Tasty Rissoles with Mushroom Sauce

For Rissole's

400 gms minced beef
1 small onion finely chopped
1 small carrot grated
1 red or green bell pepper finely chopped
1/2 bunch coriander leaves finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1/4 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
15 gm butter
2 tsp oil

For Mushroom Sauce

2 Tbsp flour
1 cup water
1 veg. stock cube crumbled (you can also use chicken/beef)
3 green shallots finely chopped
60 gms mushrooms sliced
1 sprig of spring onion sliced


In a bowl combine all the above ingredients for rissole's except the butter & Oil. Mix it well with a wooden spoon.

Divide mixture into equal 6 parts, roll it onto balls, flatten slightly into rissole shapes.

Heat butter & oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the rissole's and cook it for about 10 minutes on each side until it browns lightly. Turn the rissole's and cook the other side for another 10 minutes. Flip them again and cook for another 2 minutes on either side till you get dark brown color on both sides.

Mushroom Sauce

Use the same pan with the oil drippings. Add water in the same pan, add the veg. cube & let it boil. Lower the heat. Now add the flour spoon by spoon constantly over high heat until sauce boils and thickens. The sauce should be smooth without any lumps.

Add the spring onion and mushroom to the sauce, simmer for a minute. Place rissole's on serving plate, pour the sauce rissole's and serve with steamed veggies of your choice or any salad.

Hot Cross Buns

7 gms Instant dry yeast (1 Tbsp)
1/2 cup sugar
4 cups all purpose flour ( 550 gms)
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
60 gms unsalted butter
1 egg (lightly beaten)
90 gms or 1/2 cup raisins or sultanas

Flour paste for crosses
1/4 cup plain flour
1 tsp sugar
1/3 cup water

Glaze

1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp gelatine
1 tbsp hot water


Method

In a bowl take luke warm milk, add sugar, yeast mix it well. cover and wait untill mixture is frothy.

Sift flour, salt, sugar & cinnamon powder. Add the butter, egg, raisins. Knead it well. Cover it in a bowl with cling or foil and leave it in a warm place for about 45 minutes till it doubles.

Punch the dough, turn it on a floured surface and knead it for 5 minutes until dough is smooth & elastic.

cut dough into equal 16 parts, shape it round, place it on lightly greased tray. leave it for the second rise for another 20 minutes.

Place flour paste for crosses in piping bag or squeeze bottle to pipe crosses on buns. Bake on 200 C for 20 minutes. Put off the down flame. Now light the top flame on high and let the buns get a golden dark brown colour. You will see the crosses appearing. Put off the top flame remove the buns & brush tops with hot glaze while buns are still hot from the oven.

Flour paste for crosses : Blend flour and sugar with a tsp to give a smooth paste.

Glaze : combine all ingredients in a small saucepan stirring constantly over heat until sugar and gelatin is dissolved with out boiling.

Rajasthani Laal Maans ( Lamb in red sauce)

1 Kg Lamb cut into bite size pieces
20 red Kashmiri chillies (grind into a paste with little water)
1/4 cup garlic chopped
3 Big Onions sliced
5 big black elaichi
5 green elaichi
8 tbsp oil
1/4 cup green coriander chopped finely
1 cup curd
1 tsp jeera roasted on tawa till you get good aroma
4 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp haldi
2 tsp salt
3 green chillies

Beat curd in a bowl, add roasted jeera, dhania powder, haldi and salt. Add the red chilli paste. Mix and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and brown on medium heat.

Add sliced onions , black & green cardamom, brown it well.

Add the meat, fry for another 4-5 minutes till all the water is evaporated.

Now add the curds mixture and fry it well till oil separates.

Add 4 cups of water, adjust salt. Add the green chillies. Let it cook on slow fire for 45 minutes till the meat is tender. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Laal Maans is ready to serve. It taste good with Naan, roti or rice.

PAV

7 cups all purpose flour
7 tsp butter melted
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 ½ cups water (luke warm)
7 gms yeast (Instant dry yeast)

Dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water and let stand five minutes, until bubbly.
add salt and mix with the flour. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Now add the melted butter and knead for another 2-3 minutes. Place bread dough in greased bowl, and cover it with a plastic wrap. Leave it to rise in a warm place for 1 hour. The dough will double..

Punch down dough. On floured surface and knead for another minute. Place the rolls on greased cookie sheet sprinkled with flour. Cover and let rise until doubled, 45 minutes. Brush the risen rolls lightly with eggwash. This will give shine on top to the pav.

Bake at 180C or 400F for 45 minutes, until the bread is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped with fingers. Remove from cookie sheet and let it cool on wire rack. Yummy soft Pav is ready to eat.

Fish with Capsicum & Mushroom (Chinese style)

For Frying the Fish
Slice 5-6 chunky fish fillet in long slices or as desired, Wash drain dry and marinate with 1 ½ tbs soya sauce, 1/ tsp pepper. Marinate for an hour or can be marinated overnight. Then add 1 beaten egg and 1 tbsp of corn flour. Mix well; shallow fry each slice till nice and crispy.

For the sauce

3 tbs garlic chopped
1 tbs ginger chopped
2 tbs Soya sauce
2 green chilies chopped
1/2 (half) onion finely chopped
1/2 (half) veg. Maggie cube
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup water + 1 tbsp corn flour (mix it in a cup and keep it aside)
¼ tsp Black pepper powder
Small bunch spring onions (white part chopped finely and greens chopped long)
1/2 (half) can of sliced mushrooms
1 capsicum thinly sliced

In a pan add oil and heat. Add chopped onion fry till it browns lightly. Add the ginger, garlic & chilies brown it then add soya sauce & half veg. Maggie cube. Stir for another minute. Add 1/4 cup water and let it boil. Now add the pepper powder. Put in the sliced capsicum, mushroom & green spring onions stir fry for another minute. Add the corn flour mixture and let the sauce thicken on high flame. Add the fried fish and toss it well so that sauce coats the veggies & fish. Put off the flame. Enjoy it with fried rice or noodles or any of your favorite pasta.

You can try this recipe with beef, chicken, tofu or prawns.

Crispy Chicken in Schezuan Sauce

For Frying chicken
Slice chicken in long slices or as desired, Wash drain dry and marinate with 1 ½ tbs soya sauce, 1/ tsp pepper, a pinch of sugar and 1 to drops each of yellow and red liquid food colour. Marinate for an hour or can be marinated overnight. Then add half beaten egg and 1 tbs of rice flour and 1 tbs of normal white flour. Mix well, shallow fry each slice till nice and crispy.

For the sauce
2 to 3 tbs garlic chopped
1 tbs ginger chopped
2 tbs Soya sauce
1 big tbs kashmiri chilli paste
3 green chillies chopped
4 to 5 tbs ketchup
1 tbs vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
¼ tsp Black pepper powder
Small bunch spring onions (white part chopped finely and greens chopped long)

In a pan add oil and heat. Brown the garlic then add ginger, green chillies and then add soya sauce. Add chilli paste, fry well then add ketchup, vinegar, the chopped white part of the spring onions, brown sugar and pepper. Add red and yellow liquid food colour 2 drops each. If the mixture starts burning or drying out add little water and keep cooking. Taste to check if sauce is of the desired taste. Add ketchup or vinegar or soya sauce of required as per taste.

Add chicken to the sauce and then add the left over greens of the spring onions. Toss well to coat chicken. Serve hot with fried rice or noodles.