Pani Puri Recipe

Thanks Shrithi akka

Pani

Jaljeera: Pani Puri Masala = 1:1

Lemon juice (1 lemon)

tamarind: very little

black salt+regular salt

mix sweet chutney

coriander:mint leaves = 1:1

Chillies

Filling

Pressure cook: peas+turmeric+salt

cut onion + coriander

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1 Tbsp sugar
5 Tbsp butter (melted)

Filling:
24 oz cream cheese (softened)
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 Tsp vanilla
1/2 Tsp cinnamon
1/2 Tsp clove
1/4 Tsp nutmeg
1/4 Tsp allspice

Topping:
Whipping cream to taste
Sugar to taste (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Mix sugar & crackers in a bowl; add melted butter; press mixture along bottom and 1 1/2" up the sides of a 9" springform pan
3. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla; mix until very smooth; add pumpkin and spices; mix until smooth; finish by adding the eggs one at a time, mixing very well between egg
4. Pour filling into crust and set cheesecake in middle of oven; cook for 60 to 70 minutes (until filling is set)
5. Remove cheesecake and let cool on counter until room temprature; transfer to fridge until ready to serve
6. Immediately prior to serving, whip the cream (with sugar if using) and apply evenly to top of cake

Ringtones for your Iphone

1. Right click on the song
◦ Select “Get Info”
2. Hit the “Options” tab
3. Check both the “Start Time” and “End Time” boxes
4. Specify what time interval you’d like to use as your ringtone clip
5. Click “OK”
◦ Make sure the song you want is still highlighted
6. Click on “Advanced” in your menu bar
7. Select “Create AAC Version” or “Create Apple Lossless Version” (Make sure your iTunes “Import Settings” are set to “AAC” or “Apple Lossless” and not “MP3″)
8. A duplicate copy of your song will appear in iTunes - this new song will have the same filename but shorter “Time”
◦ Go back to the original song and uncheck those “Start Time” and “End Time” boxes
9. Drag the duplicate song to your Desktop
10. Once the duplicate song is copied to your Desktop, delete the duplicate file in iTunes
11. On your Desktop, rename the file with the “.m4r” file extension - Use the new extension
◦ This turns your song file into an iPhone ringtone file
12. Your “songname.m4a” file should now be named “songname.m4r”
13. Drag the newly renamed .m4r (songname.m4r) file back into iTunes
14. Drag the file over the “Library” column and release when “Library” becomes highlighted
◦ You have to delete the duplicate song file (Step 12) otherwise iTunes won’t import your new .m4r file
15. You should see your new ringtone under “Ringtones” in iTunes
16. Sync your iPhone to get jiggy with your new iPhone ringtones!

Idly Chutney

For Idly:

Ingredients:
par-boiled rice (raw) 1 cup
urad dhal 1/4 cup
flat rice (Poha/avalakki) 1 tbsp.
fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp.
salt 1/2 tsp.
1. grind the above adding water to form a thick batter.
2. leave it over night for fermentation (during winter- add 1/2 spoon of sour curd)
3. grease the idli plates with butter/ghee and pour batter into the sockets.
4. pressure cook it for 15 minutes.

For Chutney:

coriander 4-5 sticks

green chillies 8 (small size)
coconut 1/2 cupfried channa dhal 1 cup
salt to taste

1. grind the above to form a smooth paste
2. for tempering: head 1 tbsp of oil in a seperate pan,
add:
mustard seeds (1/4 tsp),
urud dhal (1 tbsp), curry leaves (4-5 leaves),
red chillies (3 nos.)
and cook till urud dhal turns light brown.
3. add the above mixture into the paste and mix well.

Tiramisu

This is a classic Italian dessert. The name translates to "pick-me-up" (in the idiomatic sense).

Ingredients:

8 oz mascarpone (~225g)
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs, divided
12-18 ladyfingers (Savoiardi, not lady's finger)
1 cup espresso (minimum)
1 Tbsp liqueur, typically marsala or rum (optional; I omit it)
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (minimum)

1. Mix the egg yolks, sugar, and mascarpone until very smooth.
2. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
3. Briskly beat 1/5th of the meringued egg whites into the custard mixture; stir until an even texture is reached.
4. Gently fold the remaining egg whites into the custard.
5. If using liqueur, mix it into the espresso.
   
6. One by one, soak the ladyfingers in the coffee, trying to make sure they absorb a fair amount of it without becoming soggy. Layer them in the bottom of the serving dish.
7. When a layer is complete, cover with a layer of the custard mixture.
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until the custard is gone, making sure to finish with a layer of custard.
9. Ideally, allow the tiramisu to be refrigerated for several hours before serving to allow the coffee to infuse into the custard.
10. Immediately prior to serving, dust the tiramisu with a medium-thick layer of cocoa powder.

Notes: this should serve 4-8, depending on serving sizes; the recipe doubles trivially. The most finicky portion of this relatively-simple preparation is the soaking of the ladyfingers; too little coffee and one ends up with spongy biscuits that are hard to cut, too much and one has a puddle of coffee in the bottom of the dish. It can be helpful to err ever-so-slightly on the side of caution and then let it sit overnight to allow the custard and coffee to more thoroughly soften the biscuits.

Mary Poppins!

Tuppence a bag :(

Date Pecan Bread

This is a sweet quick bread; very rich and very dense.

Date Pecan Bread

Ingredients:

6-8 ounces dates, chopped
1 cup water, boiling
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cups sugar
1/2 tbsp vanilla
2 large eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 tbsp baking soda
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1. Place chopped dates in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let stand for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8" or 9" bread pan. Line the bottom with baking parchment, and grease this as well.
3. Cream together butter, sugar, vanilla, and eggs in another bowl.
4. Add dates and water to egg mixture.
5. Sift (or simply mix) together the baking soda, powder, and flour. Stir this into the egg mixture just until incorporated.
6. Stir in pecans.
7. Spread into loaf pan.
8. Bake for one hour or until a toothpick or knife inserted into center comes out clean. Optionally, for a less browned top, cover with foil after 20-30 minutes.

Fırında sütlaç

Fırında sütlaç (scorched Turkish rice pudding)

Ingredients:
1 tbsp rice (heaping)
1 1/8 cups water
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream*
1 tbsp cornstarch**
1/2 tbsp rice flour**
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch salt
Cinnamon and/or pistachios to garnish (optional)

1. Place rice and 2/3 cup water in small saucepan; cook over medium heat until all water is absorbed. Remove from heat
2. Place milk and cream in medium saucepan with cooked rice and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat.***
3. Mix rice flour and cornstarch in a bowl; add 1/2 cup cold water, and stir until smooth.
4. Gradually stir starch mixture into boiling milk; stir constantly for 10 minutes.
5. Add sugar; continue stirring over medium-low-ish heat until desired thickness is achieved.****
6. Remove from heat, and pour into broiler-safe dish(es); place under broiler until surface is browned.
7. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours; if desired add garnish before serving.

* Base recipe calls for 4 cups milk and no cream. I have never gotten the pudding to set up with only milk.
** This can (and probably should) be increased in a manner directly proportional with the desired thickness, and inversely proportional with the preparer's time and patience.
*** If one is going for a long-cooked thick pudding (i.e., one that will properly set up), especially if one isn't going overboard with starches, it may be helpful to use a double broiler to avoid burning the rice and to minimize required stirring.
**** Cook until pudding approaches desired thickness or patience approaches end. Some further setting will occur while cooling, so this is subjective, especially given leeway with starches. Bare minimum is 20 minutes. I usually go 2-3 hours. Seriously. But then, getting baked items to set up properly is the bane of my culinary existence.

Ladies Finger curry

1. grind the following (masala):

coconut- 1tbsp
poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp
Bengal gram- 1/2 tsp
garlic- 1/2 tsp
chopped onion-1
tomato-1
dhanya powder-1 tbsp
chilli powder -1 tsp
coriander leaves (optional)
tamarind(optional)


2. fry ladies finger (10 chopped) (till the stickiness disappears) in hot oil.

3. in a separate pan, fry onion(2tbsp chopped) in hot oil till it turns light brown. Then add the masala into it and cook for 20 mins

4. add the fried ladies finger into the masala and cook for 5 minutes.

Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino

blend the following:

half glass of milk
1 tsp vanilla

ice
3 spoons of Chocolate syrup
3 spoons of chocolate chips 
1 spoon coffee decoction

pour the mixture into a glass and top it with whipped cream.

Masala bun or masala bread

• 2 cups of warm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 cups bread flour
• coriander leaves
• 2 tsp geera
• 2 onions (chopped)
  
• 10 chillies (the Indian one which is smaller)- you could add more if you want to :)

1. add yeast to warm water and wait till it looks bubbly
2. add flour and knead (just like how you prepare chapathi dough) and keep it untouched for sometime till it doubles in size (app. 1.hr)
3. now add salt, onion, chillies, gera, coriander leaves, turmeric powder into the above dough and knead dough again
4. place it in an oiled pan and bake it at 350 F for 30-40 minutes.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall

We saw this movie last night (at 3:00 AM since both of our sleep cycles are screwed up :).

I was expecting a total chick flick :) but it actually wasn't.. We both enjoyed the movie, which was awesomely funny without any of the usual grossness that passes of as humor these days.

Also, the british dude (Russel Brand) was a riot, the girls (Kristen Bell from Veronica Mars and Mila Kunis from that 70's show) were cute and movie drew you in. If we need any more proof, Rashmi didn't fall asleep!

In passing, I would definitely watch a Dracula Rock Ballad with puppets (and people!).

And the fat guy from Superbad was there.

 

Navratan Korma

I am going through a phase - trying to make all the different flavor I can, using large amounts of vegetables :). By different I mean no sambar podi since this seems to dominate the taste all the time.

Yesterday I made a simple curry, i.e no sambar podi, no chilli powder just some flavor. It came out awesome.

Today, feeling more adventurous, I made a version of navratan korma. No Paneer, and butter since I didn't have 'heavy cream'. As a side note, it's a lot easier to cook interesting stuff when the ol' ball and chain stocks the kitchen so well. I don't think I would ever have had 'assorted nuts' or 'cayenne pepper' as a bachelor :).

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1/3 cup mixed nuts (cashews, pistachios, almonds)
• 1 medium onion, grated
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh green beans
• 1/2 cup green peas
• 1 cup chopped potatoes
• 4 ounces paneer, cubed
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place mixed nuts in the skillet, cook and stir until golden brown, and set aside. Stir onion into the skillet, and cook until tender. Mix in garlic paste and ginger paste, and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato sauce, cayenne pepper, turmeric, coriander, and garam masala. Pour in water, and mix in raisins, carrots, green bell pepper, beans, peas, and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
2. Heat remaining oil in a separate skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the paneer on both sides, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Place in a bowl with enough hot water to cover for about 2 minutes to soften, then stir into the skillet with the vegetables.
3. Stir milk and cream into the skillet with the vegetables and paneer. Bring to a boil, and continue cooking 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt to taste.

New cell ringtone

I wonder if this got the bump too ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJw-9Fdu208

Don't worry I didn't link to this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHg5SJYRHA0

The Olympics : Where did all the time go ?

We've been watching the olympics pretty religiously (actually more than religiously - haven't been to a temple in more than a year:). We saw:

1. Nastia Liuken win the all-round gold
2. Yang Wei win the all-round gold 
3. All of Phelps' gold medals : including 'The touch'
4. Walsh-Treanor win the beach volleyball gold
5. Brasil win the women's volleyball gold : As an example  of the american bent of the reporting - it's really hard to find a good picture of the team. Instead here is a picture of Kimberley Glass.
6. Bolt win three golds - he's so much faster than the rest of the field it's awesome! They actually complained because he had time to showboat before the end. In the 100ms. He had time to spare in the shortest race on earth!
7. Shawn Johnson win the gold on the balance beam - it was amazing to see her smiling through all the close losses (for silver - which isn't so bad if you think about it) - so it was nice that she finally got one!
8. The Chinese Team win the team gold (women's). The americans really should stop complaining about how young these girls are. They are amazing nonetheless. Huang Xu, Chen Yibing, Li Xiaopeng, Xiao Qin, Yang Wei, Zou Kai

Guacamole and chinese fried rice

Rashmi made some guacamole .. seems to have come out amazingly. However, I don't know what we are going to eat with the guacamole. She also made some chinese fried rice. Tastes amazing. Pictures!

The fried rice was made in our new 'wok' from ikea of all places. We also got this huge storage thingy, and it's full already as you can see.

Ahh crass consumerism! How much stuff we own! I can just imagine my mom's reaction to us becoming this american!

P.S: Rashmi says the fried rice tastes weird. Do I have to eat it ?

Sams club

So we went and got a Sams club membership. I wonder if it's going to be worth it.

The Breakfast Club

We saw The Breakfast Club, as part of my multi-part 'Watch all shows alluded to in Psych' binge. The Breakfast Club was in Murder?Murder? Anyone ? Bueller?

I loved it. Rashmi and Satashu didn't :(. According to wikipedia:The Breakfast Club is a 1985 American teen film widely considered as the definitive work in the genre. Written and directed by John Hughes, the storyline follows five teenagers (each representing a different clique in high school) as they spend a Saturday in detention together and come to realize that they are all deeper than their respective stereotypes. The film has become a cult classic and has had a tremendous influence on many coming-of-age films since then. The film was shot entirely in sequence. Shooting began on March 28, 1984 and ended in May of 1984.

Shows what they know.

Rashmi and the fizzy water incident!

Rashmi & Murali - Wedding Photos

2 years in the making -- the blockbuster hit of the summer!