WOYP Day #68 Quick & Easy Minestrone

 

We’ve had cooler days and a lot of rain these past couple of weeks and I feel Fall is coming too early! This year sees to have whooshed by.. can’t believe we are already halfway through September!!

It was pouring cats and dogs all day today and all I could think of was Soup!! My first choice was this Tomato soup but then I began to crave something more filling and hearty…in comes a family fav.. Minestrone! This is my only soup of choice whenever I visit Olive Garden.

I couldn’t thank my stars enough for making me pick up Zucchini & Spinach on my grocery run yesterday, Minestrone today was meant to be haha! And I’m always stocked on canned beans so this was easy peasy. You also get a fair share of veggies and carbs, all in one big comforting bowl...yumm!

You will need:

2 tbsp Olive oil (I use extra-virgin)
4 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into small cubes
1/2 Red onion, chopped (can use yellow or white onion)
1/2 cup Green beans, cut into 1” pieces (or smaller)
1 (8oz) can Red Kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 large Roma tomatoes, cubed
2 large handfuls of fresh spinach, washed
1/2 cup Zucchini, cut into thin discs
1/2 cup Macaroni pasta (or any small pasta)
Salt to taste
1 tsp dried Oregano
1/2 tsp Black pepper
Water as needed (or Vegetable stock if available)

Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Usually the pasta is cooked along with the rest of the ingredients but to speed things up I had the pasta cooking on one burner while I sautéed veggies on another burner.  Two pots I know, but I really needed this soup quick! :D I cooked the pasta only for 8 minutes in salted boiling water since the pasta will continue to cook in the soup. You don’t want over cooked mushy pasta!! Save the pasta water to thin the soup out. 

Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 30 seconds, taking care not to burn it. Add the chopped carrots and onions. Saute until onions are soft. Now add the green beans (I used frozen) and cubed tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are soft. Now stir in the red kidney beans and zucchini. Cook for a minute, then add plain water and pasta water (or vegetable stock) as needed and the cooked pasta. Season with salt to taste, pepper and the oregano. Remember the pasta water has salt too, so check for salt before adding more. Combine and bring to a rolling bowl on medium heat. Lower heat and simmer for 6-7 minutes. Lastly stir in the spinach and turn off heat. The hot soup will cook the spinach. 

 

 

Ladle into bowls and top with parmesan cheese if using. Serve warm. This was soooo comforting and perfect for the rainy evening. Enjoyed every bit of it though I did miss the Garlic breadsticks to dunk in the soup, hmmm that is for another day! :D 

Another version of the Minestrone here.

WOYP Day #67 Red Beans,Chickpeas& Oats Burgers with Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges

It’s been a while since I made burgers and even longer since I made Potato wedges so last night we had these wholesome Red Beans, Chickpeas and Oats Burgers and Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges on the side. My boys ate 2 burgers each and I didn’t hear any complaints about any of the ingredients so this was a big win haha! I often eat Whole Grain Rolled Oats for breakfast, soaked in milk and topped with loads of fresh fruit, honey and chopped nuts- almonds/ roasted cashews or unsalted pistachios. The boys don't like the texture and simply won't take a bite so I figured a great way to get in the goodness of Oats is to disguise it and give it to them in something they love - Burgers! :D 

If you own a food processor, and have canned beans on hand, this comes together in less than 10 minutes. If you don't have a food processor, you will need to chop the onions, garlic and grate the carrots. The beans are mashable by hand using a potato masher. The rolled Oats can be pulsed in a blender.

Red beans, Chickpeas & Oats Burgers:
You will need:

1 (8oz) can Red kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8oz) can Chickpeas (Garbanzo), rinsed and drained
1/3 cup red onion
4 pods Garlic (I used 3 large cut into pieces)
1 small carrot, peeled
1 tsp Black pepper powder

1 tsp Red chili flakes
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Oregano
3 tbsp Organic Whole grain rolled Oats (regular if you don’t have Organic)
2 tbsp Cilantro, finely chopped

Panko Japanese style bread crumbs
Oil for shallow frying

Burger buns
Unsalted Butter,as needed
Cheese slices (Cheddar or any variety)
Fresh Avacado, thinly sliced
Tomato, sliced
Mayonnaise
Hot sauce (optional)

In the bowl of a food processor, using the shredder blade, grate the carrot. Add the onion and pulse. Now add the drained, rinsed red kidney beans and chickpeas, garlic, salt, red chili flakes,black pepper powder, oregano and Oats. Run on low speed for 15-20 seconds until everything is combined. Remove to a bowl and stir in the chopped cilantro. Refrigerate the mix for an hour. 

Butter the buns and toast on a pan. Shape the burger mix into patties. Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a pan. Roll each patty in panko bread crumbs and place in the hot oil. Panko bread crumbs are larger crumbs and make for a crisp coating when cooked. Cook each patty on medium heat for 1-2  minutes on each side, until crisp. 

Remove to a plate. If assembling burgers immediately, place a slice of cheese on the hot patty.

To assemble - Spread two teaspoons of mayonnaise and hot sauce (is using) on the bun halves. Place 3 slices of tomato on the bottom half of the bun, top with the prepared burger patty with the cheese. Top with sliced avocado and then place the other half of the burger bun on top. Serve warm.

Garlic Parmesan Potato Wedges:
These gorgeous wedges are hard to resist! Leaving the skins on makes them rustic and crispy. 

You will need:
4 medium Potatoes, scrubbed clean
2 tbsp Oil
1 tbsp Unsalted butter
1 tbsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Black pepper powder
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Oregano
2 tbsp Parmesan, grated
2 tsp Cilantro chopped

Preheat oven to 400F.

Scrub the potatoes with the skins on, using a food scrubber under running water. Pat dry with a paper towel. Slice each potato lengthwise into 4 and then cut each piece into 3-4 wedges. 

Place wedges in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a smaller bowl. Add the oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, black pepper powder and oregano. Whisk to combine and pour over the wedges. Combine to coat evenly. Spread the wedges on a large baking sheet. Do not overcrowd and spread them out in a single layer. This will help crisp the wedges evenly.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, flipping the wedges halfway through the baking. Remove from oven, sprinkle with parmesan while still hot and toss. Top with chopped cilantro. 

Serve warm with Burgers and a side of ketchup. 

WOYP Day #66 Vanilla Custard Cookies

Custard is one of my favorite cold desserts, as a kid mom made it with fruit salad or with just bananas and I would go through a big bowl of it in no time! I always have a big can of the custard powder in my pantry for anytime the custard craving hits. A great use for this custard powder apart from making lip smacking Custard is in Cookies. Custard powder is basically flavored Corn starch. 

 Vanilla Custard Cookies

You will need:
Makes 16-18 cookies

3/4 cup All purpose flour
1 stick (113 gms) Unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp Vanilla Custard powder (I used Brown&Polson)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1/3 cup powdered sugar 

*Substitute for Custard powder: 3 tbsp Cornstarch plus increase Vanilla extract to 1 tsp

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350F.

Cream the butter using an electric mixer or a whisk until smooth and lightened, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, beat/whisk to combine. Add the flour and custard powder and beat on low to combine. Use a spatula to bring the dough together. It will be a soft dough. 

Pinch off a tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Place on the parchment paper. Using a fork, gently flatten the ball to make a criss-cross pattern. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges are a light brown. Baking times vary from oven to oven so after the 11 minute mark, keep an eye on these cookies!

Baking these for the right amount of time is important to get a flaky, crispy yet melt-in-the mouth kind of cookie. If you under bake them, they will be soft and if you over bake them they will be hard with a rough bite to it. 

Remove from oven and cool on pan for 2 minutes. Gently remove to a cooling rack and cool completely. Store in an air-tight container for up to a week. 

The custard powder adds a rich vanilla flavor and a pleasant yellow hue to the cookies.

WOYP Day #65 Black Bean Burritos with Pineapple Salsa

Made these Black Bean Burritos last week for a quick dinner night. I've made Five-Layered Burritos before which has Black Beans, rice, cheese, tomatoes and corn. I was in a pinch for time hence these shortcut quick burritos. I also had fresh pineapple on hand so made a Pineapple Salsa, which I pretty much ate by the bowlful because it was that good!! Glad I made plenty. We also had Picco De Gallo and Guacamole. You can also pair it with this Mexican Salsa. A colorful healthy meal! 

Black Bean Burritos: 

You will need:

For the Burritos:

1 (8oz) can Black beans
1 tbsp Oil
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Red chili powder (adjust to taste)
Salt to taste
1/4 cup Yellow corn
1 tbsp Chopped Cilantro, plus more

Ready-to- cook Tortillas
1/2 cup grated Sharp Cheddar
2 tbsp Sour cream, whisked
Salsa (optional) 

For the Pineapple Salsa:

1 cup small chopped fresh Pineapple
1/4 cup chopped Red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped Red onion
1/2 fresh Jalapeño, chopped (adjust to taste)
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/2 tsp Lemon juice
Chopped cilantro

Make the Salsa: Combine all the ingredients, cover and chill for 30 minutes to an hour. This will allow the flavors to come together. 

Make the Burrito Filling:

Heat oil in a pan, add the chopped onions and garlic, saute until soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and rinsed, drained black beans. Add the cumin powder, red chili powder and salt to taste. Combine and cook until tomatoes are soft and spices are fragrant. Stir in the corn and chopped cilantro. Combine well and turn off heat. Cool slightly.

Cook the Tortillas - I recently came across these Guerrero Fresqui- Ricas in Kroger -Tortillas that need to be cooked. They are easy to make, they puff up well, are light and fresh. Cook them as per package instructions. I used these for the Burritos this time, if you can’t find these Tortillas, use the regular flour or corn tortillas. 

Assemble the Burritos:

Spread little cheese on the tortilla. Place a few tablespoons of the filling over the cheese. Top with Salsa if using and a little bit of sour cream. Roll the tortilla to form a burrito. Serve warm with Pineapple Salsa, Pico De Gallo and Guacamole.

WOYP Day # 64 Thai Yellow Curry

Thai Yellow Curry is one of three major types of curries found in Thai cuisine. The other two being Panang curry and Green curry. Like the other Thai curries, this too is a combination of aromatics and spices. The cinnamon, cloves and chilies bring in the heat while the cilantro and peanuts balance the flavors. 

I recently bought a big can of organic, cold-pressed virgin coconut oil. Smells heavenly and reminded me of home back in Mysore, when dad used to get the dry coconut pressed to oil, fresh and pure!! It's not necessary to use coconut oil for this curry you can use any oil you have on hand. This was the first time I used Coconut oil in cooking.

Thai Yellow Curry
You will need:

For the Yellow curry Paste: 

1/2” piece Galangal (or Ginger)
6 cloves Garlic
1/4” piece Cinnamon
3 Cloves
2 green Cardamom
1/4 cup Cilantro with stems
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
3 dry red chilies (spicy variety, adjust to taste)
2 tbsp roasted peanuts, skinned
1 tbsp Coriander seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 cup Onion chopped
1 tsp Lime zest
2 tsp Lime juice 

2 tsp light brown sugar 

For the Curry:
1 (8 oz) can Coconut Milk
1 onion, cubed
2 Carrots, skinned and cut into 1” strips
6 Baby corn, cut into 1” pieces (fresh or canned)
10-12 Green beans, cut into 1” pieces
 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1” thin strips
2 tbsp Coconut oil (or Vegetable oil)
Salt to taste

Make a smooth thick paste of all the ingredients listed under the Yellow curry paste. Add water only as needed. 

Steam the carrots, beans and baby corn.

Heat the coconut oil in a large pan. Add the cubed onions and green bell pepper, sauté until done. Add the ground paste and sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Now add the coconut milk, steamed veggies, brown sugar and salt to taste. Combine well and bring to a simmering boil. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until thickened. Turn off heat and serve hot with steamed Jasmine rice or any steamed rice. 

Fragrant, flavorful curry made for a hearty wholesome meal!

WOYP Day #63 2- ingredient Pizza Dough

I have simply lost count on the number of times I’ve made pizzas and burgers at home since March..since the time we’ve all been confined to our homes! We do order Pizza on occasion but for most part I’ve been whipping up different kinds of dough to keep my boys happy and go mmmm..that’s delicious pizza :D Dramatic indeed, but that’s what keeps my kitchen running..haha! 

Whole wheat pizza dough rates first but that does involve yeast and proofing the dough, and takes time, so when I’m in a rush I make this 2 ingredient Pizza dough. Yes you heard it right, all you need is simply 2 ingredients - Self Rising flour and plain Greek yoghurt!

 
It makes the most amazing thin crust pizzas, dough is ready in 8-10 minutes and the pizza bakes in 13-15 minutes so scrumptious pizzas are ready to dig into in less than 30 minutes!! That’s always a winner in the kitchen. This recipe has been around for years so I can't take credit for it, I did tweak the measurements though. 

Self Rising flour is flour that has salt and baking powder already added to it. If you are unable to buy it now where you live, you can make some by measuring out 1 cup All-purpose flour. To this add 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking powder and 1/2 tsp Salt. Stir to combine and use as needed. 

2-ingredient Pizza dough
You will need:

1 cup Plain Greek yoghurt (full-fat, fat free, 1%, anything works!)
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups Self rising Flour

Pizza sauce
Pizza toppings of choice 
Grated cheese
  
Tools:

1 large baking sheet
Cooking oil
Pastry brush

In a large bowl, add the greek yoghurt and 1 1/2 cups self rising flour. Using a wooden spatula or silicon spatula combine to form a soft slightly sticky dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. If the dough feels very sticky add more flour a tablespoon at a time until it forms a firmer dough. Knead the dough for a minute gently to form a soft ball of dough. 

 That’s it! The dough is ready to roll out and bake!!

Preheat oven to 425F.

Using a pastry brush generously grease the baking pan with oil. Oil helps crisp up the dough as well as in easy removal from the baking pan. Normally I use Semolina but with this dough oil works best. So don’t skip that!

Divide the dough into 4 portions. Roll out each piece into a thin circle. At this point any shape is fine!! Don’t stress over the circles. I was able to make two pizzas at the same time on one sheet.

Spread pizza sauce (I use a combination of marinara & ketchup). Spread a layer of grated Mozzarella or any pizza cheese of your choice. Top with veggies - I used thinly sliced onions, mini sweet peppers, green bell pepper and thinly sliced baby corn (canned), and some yellow corn too since the kids insisted! :D Spread little more cheese on top, a generous sprinkle of oregano and chili flakes. 

Place in the oven and bake for 12-14 minutes until the cheese is melted and the edges are nice and crisp. Baking time depends on your oven so keep an eye after 12 minutes.

Remove from oven, slice and serve!! 

  
The quickest pizza you will ever make and eat and the best part is its not frozen!! 

WOYP Day # 62 Paneer Lauki (Sorekaayi) Kofta Curry

I often buy Bottle gourd (Sorekaayi in Kannada /Lauki in Hindi) whenever I'm at the Farmers Market or the Indian store. I usually make Bottle Gourd Peas Saagu or Bottle gourd Dal. I add it to Vegetable Sambar too at times. Wanted to try something different this time, so made these Paneer Lauki koftas. I remembered reading about Lauki koftas very long back, but hadn't tried making them. I was skeptical if the family would like bottle gourd this way, so I added Paneer for good measure. They turned out perfect and everyone loved them!

Paneer Lauki Kofta Curry: 

You will need:

For the Koftas:

1 cup grated Sorekaayi (Bottle Gourd/Lauki)
1 cup grated Paneer
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Garam masala
2 tsp Red chili powder (adjust to taste)
1/3 cup Besan (chickpea flour)

Oil for frying

For the Gravy:

2 tbsp Oil
1 large onion chopped
3 tomatoes chopped
1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
2 Green chilies, chopped
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
6-8 whole Cashews

2 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tbsp Coriander powder
2 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Red chili powder
2 tsp Kasuthi Methi
2 tbsp Heavy whipping cream
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Chopped cilantro

Prepare the Koftas:

Peel the bottle gourd, remove the skin and spongy part on the inside. Grate into a large bowl. Place the grated bottle gourd in a clean thin kitchen towel and squeeze out the liquid. Grate the Paneer. 

Combine the grated bottle gourd, paneer, salt, garam masala, red chili powder and besan. This will make a soft dough. Make smalls koftas. These can be shallow fried or deep fried. I deep fried them. Set the oil to heat and fry the Koftas on medium heat. Make sure the oil is not too hot, this will make the koftas brown very quickly without cooking the inside. Fry all the koftas and remove to a paper lined towel. Set aside while you prepare the gravy. 

Prepare the Gravy:

Heat oil in a pan. Add the cashews and once they turn light brown, add the onions. Sauté until done, then add the ginger garlic paste and sauté until fragrant. Add the green chilies, turmeric powder and tomatoes. Cook until tomatoes are soft. Turn off heat and cool the mixture. Grind to a smooth paste using a blender.

Heat butter in the same pan. Add cumin seeds and saute for a few seconds. Now add the prepared paste and saute for a minute. Add the coriander powder, cumin powder, salt to taste and red chili powder. Combine well. Add 1/2 cup water and mix well. Cover and bring to a simmering boil, about 6-8 minutes. Add crushed kasuthi methi and cream. Combine and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off heat.

To serve: Place kofta in a bowl or plate, pour the hot gravy over the koftas. Top with chopped cilantro. Serve with Chapatis, Phulkas or Naan. 

WOYP Day # 61 Blueberry Orange Buttermilk Pancakes

Breakfast is usually cereal, eggs, breakfast potatoes, pancakes or toast on most days in our house. We do Banana pancakes, Banana chocolate chip pancakes and more recently these “stuff in your mouth”,  “ I can’t get enough of” Blueberry Orange pancakes :D I’m not exaggerating, try them for yourself and you’ll know what I mean! This recipe makes the fluffiest, light pancakes - the egg and buttermilk work wonders! 

Blueberry Orange Buttermilk Pancakes:
You will need:

Dry ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1.5 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

Wet ingredients:
1 1/4 cups Thick Buttermilk (see note)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp Orange zest
1 tsp Vanilla extract

Unsalted Butter as needed
Fresh blueberries
Chocolate chips (optional)
Honey to drizzle on top

Note: You can use store bought Buttermilk or make your own at home by combining 3/4 cup thick yoghurt with 1/4 cup water. The Buttermilk needs to be thick for this recipe. Other substitutes might not work as well. 

Whisk dry & wet ingredients until just combined. Batter has to be thick. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat a pan or griddle on medium heat. Spread a teaspoon of unsalted butter. Pour 1/4 cup of batter. Top with fresh blueberries. Cook until edges are light brown and the pancake has fluffed up. Flip to cook on the other side for a 20 seconds. Remove from heat. Continue with remaining batter. 

 

Top the pancakes with a generous drizzle of honey. My boys wanted chocolate chips too, so that went on the pancakes as well. 

These pancakes stay soft and fluffy even when cooled down, so they are great to pack in kids’ lunch boxes. 

The hints of Orange laced through every bite combined with the sweet blueberries, yum yum yum!! :D

WOYP Day #60 Coffee Chocolate Mousse Cake

These days due to CoVid, meeting up with friends and family is far less than before.But we do sneak in a meet every now and then to keep our sanity intact. Last weekend, we went over to my cousin’s place so the kids could spend time with their cousins too. While my SIL slogged over a lovely meal for us I decided to take dessert. I had a Victoria Sponge cake on hand from one of my cake orders, and while wondering what to do with it my younger one said coffee cake, he meant Tiramisu since that is his favorite dessert. But this became a Coffee Chocolate mousse cake instead - he got his coffee flavor fulfilled and there was no way he was going to complain about the chocolate part! :D It was a clear win! 

This feels like an elaborate dessert if done all on the same day. To avoid the stress, bake the sponge a day ahead of time, so all you have to do on the day of, is to make the mousse and syrup and assemble the cake. 

Coffee Chocolate Mousse Cake:
You will need: 

For the Mousse:

7 oz Dark Chocolate (I used Belgian)
1/3 (5g) cup Agar-Agar strings (See Note below) or 1 tsp Agar Agar powder
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 cups Heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup Water
1/3 cup Powdered sugar

For the Coffee syrup:

1 cup Water
1 tbsp Instant coffee
3 tbsp Sugar

For the Sponge:
Makes one 8” cake

175 gms unsalted butter, softened
175 gms Confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
175 gms All-purpose flour
2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 3/4 tsp Baking powder
3 Eggs
1/4 cup Milk 

Tools: 

8" Cake Pan

Pastry brush

9"or 10" Springform Pan (or a regular pan)

Stand mixer or hand-held electric beater 

NOTE: Agar-Agar is a vegetarian substitute for Gelatin. You can use Agar-Agar powder if you have it on hand or the more commonly available strings of Agar-agar. This is a great video showing the different ratios of Agar-Agar. 

Bake the Sponge:

Prepare the sponge first, to allow it to cool completely. This can be made a day ahead like I mentioned before.

Using a pastry brush grease an 8” pan with butter and dust with flour. Set aside. Preheat pen to 350F (or 180C)

Sift Confectioners sugar and All-purpose flour separately and then weigh out the required quantity. This ensures a light cake.

Combine the measured flour and baking powder, set aside.

Cream the butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer) until light and smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat for a minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Add the flour little at a time and fold it into the batter by hand. Folding in the flour allows you to incorporate it without deflating the volume achieved from the beaten eggs. Continue until all the flour is added, fold well to combine.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. While the cake bakes prepare the coffee syrup. Remove pan from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Turn onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Once cooled wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. If using the same day, no need to refrigerate. 

Prepare the Coffee Syrup:

In a saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Stir in the instant coffee and turn off heat. Set aside to cool.

Prepare the Mousse:

The Mousse is very similar to the Belgian chocolate Mousse Pudding, except this mousse has Agar-Agar in it to help set it up so it can hold when unmolded from the pan. Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in a heat proof bowl.

Chill the bowl of a stand mixer and the whisk attachment for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. If using a hand held mixer, chill a bowl and the beaters.

Pour 1/4 cup of cream Into a small saucepan. Add the agar-agar strings and soak for 15 minutes. This helps hydrate the agar-agar. After the 15 minutes are done, add 1/4 of water combine and set the pan on medium heat. Stir and bring to a simmer, continue stirring until the agar-agar is fully dissolved and no visible strings remain. Remove from heat, cool briefly and pour over the melted chocolate. Stir gently to combine well. 

Pour 1 1/2 cups of cream into the chilled bowl, add the powdered sugar and beat until soft peaks form.

Add half of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and fold to combine. Add in the remaining whipped cream and fold until no cream streaks remain.

Assemble the Cake:

After the cake has cooled, using a sharp serrated knife slice the cake in half to make two layers.

To assemble, I used a 9” springform pan which allows the cake to be unmolded easily to make a free standing cake. The baked cake is 8” which allows room on the sides for the chocolate mousse. If you don't have a Springform pan, you can assemble this in any pan, except it cannot be unmolded and will have to be scooped or sliced from the pan.

Place one layer of cake at the bottom of a Springform pan. Drizzle half of the coffee syrup on the cake layer. Wait for a minute or two for the syrup to soak in and then spread half of the prepared mousse evenly on the cake, taking care to fill the gap on sides. Then place the second cake layer on top of the mousse. Repeat with the coffee syrup and then the remaining mousse. Spread evenly and chill for 2 hours or freeze for 2 hours to quick set. 

To unmold:

Remove pan from refrigerator or freezer and rest for 10 minutes. Unlock the springform pan and slowly lift the outer ring. Decorate with your choice of fruit, chocolate syrup or any topping you like. My sis-in-law had Mangoes and blueberries so that’s what I used.

The kids were waiting for dessert so couldn’t spend much time taking pics of the slice :D Use a sharp knife to cut into wedges. 

 

Cold, light dessert with hints of coffee and a super smooth luscious Chocolate Mousse, this was perfect for a hot summer night.

WOYP Day # 59 Pani Puri Puris and Floating Pani Puri

For as long as I can remember, my mom has always made these perfectly shaped crisp puris at home which went into making a variety of Chaats. The puris are very tasty and definitely different from store bought puris. 

 Home made Chaat is scrumptious as is and these puris add to the yumminess! It may seem like a lot of work but I made one batch of these puris in under and hour and it took my family even lesser time to finish all the puris at once!! :D I made Masala Puri and Floating Pani Puri. 

These Puris can be made well ahead of time, so there is no rush on the day you plan to actually make the chaat. This recipe makes about 80-100 puris, you can make all of it and store so you have puris on hand when the chaat craving hits out of the blue (happens to me all the time! :D) or you can halve the recipe.

Pani Puri Puris
You will need:

1.5 cups Fine Sooji/Chiroti Rave (Fine Semolina)
1/2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Oil
Oil for deep frying

Rolling pin, 1.75” cookie cutter

Combine the fine sooji and salt in a medium bowl. Add oil and combine. The dough should hold shape when pressed into a fistful. Slowly add enough water to  make a soft smooth dough. The dough shouldn’t be too stiff or sticky. Cover and rest for 30 minutes to an hour.  

Set the oil to heat in a deep pan on medium high heat. Knead the dough for a few minutes after it has rested. Divide the dough into 3 portions. Roll out one portion thinly using a rolling pin.Keep remaining dough covered.  Use a cookie cutter to cut circles. Cut them as close to each other as possible. Remove circles, and gather the scraps. Gather the scraps and roll into a ball before re-rolling. Fry one batch of puris first before cutting out more. 

Test the oil temperature by dropping a pinch of dough into the oil. If it rises quickly to the top then the oil is ready. Slide in the cut circles, the puris will puff up almost immediately. Fry for 15-20 seconds on one side and flip to brown on the other side. Once the puris are crisp, remove to a paper towel lined plate. Lower the heat to medium low while you roll and cut out more puris. Repeat until all the puris are cut and fried. 

Cool puris completely before storing in an air tight container. All the puris puffed up but you may get some flat ones. Those work perfectly to make Masala Puri or Papdi Chaat. 

Floating Pani Puri:

Traditionally, filled puris are served with a tangy spicy pani to make Pani Puri. On my last visit to Bangalore, I got a taste of these floating pani puris and loved the idea. I have no clue about the origin of the name or why these were served this way, all I know is it tasted just as delicious! :D

You will need:

Pani Puris, as many as needed
1/2 cup Dried Peas (Vatana)
1/4 cup Onion, chopped
1/4 cup Grated carrot
1 tbsp Chopped cilantro
1 Cup prepared Pani (recipe below)
Meeta (Sweet Tamarind chutney), optional

Pani for Pani Puri: 

Grind to a smooth paste - 1/2 cup fresh Mint leaves, 1/2 cup fresh Cilantro, 4 green chilies. Add this paste to 2 cups cold water with 1 tablespoon Pani Puri Masala (store bought), salt to taste and a pinch of Chaat masala. Combine well.  Adjust to taste and serve as needed.

Soak dried peas in sufficient water for 4-6 hours. Boil the peas in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles until soft. Drain the water.

To assemble: Gently crack the top of each puri. Combine the onions, grated carrot and cilantro in a bowl. Fill each puri with the boiled vatana and the onion carrot mixture. Place filled puris in a shallow bowl. Pour 1/4 cup pani over the puris. Add little more if needed. Serve immediately. These are best assembled when ready to eat since the pani will make the puris soft. You can add little meeta to the puris too if needed. I do enjoy a bit of sweet in every bite so I do add meeta in mine.