Cocoa brownies

The mouth watering brownies with perfect crackly flaky crust, all of this with Cocoa and Oil.. No Butter, No Chocolate. 

Everyone absolutely LOVED it and it was super easy to make! Add a scoop of ice cream and it's the perfect dessert for parties too!




Ingredients
  1/2 cup of oil 
  1 cup  sugar (minced)
  2 eggs 
  1/2 tsp vanilla essence 
  1/2 tsp coffee powder (dissolve in 1 tsp water)
  1/2 cup all purpose flour (Maida)
  1/2 cup cocoa powder 
  1/4 tsp salt
  Handful of chocolate chips (optional)

Method
1. Preheat oven to 175° C. 
2. Grease an 8 inch square baking pan.
3. Whisk the oil and sugar together for 1 minute till sugar starts to dissolve.
4. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and beat till it's pale in color (light yellow color)
5. Add the flour, cocoa, coffee and salt. If you're adding chocolate chips then add them in this step.
6. Gently, very gently fold in the dry ingredients. Do not beat it with any mixer!
7. Transfer into pan, sprinkle some choc chips on top and let it bake in the oven for 20-25 mins.
8. Let it cool in the pan,then cut and serve!
9. Beat your eggs properly so that you can have a nice crackly crust.
10. Please do not use any mixer or whisk after adding the dry ingredients,this will add in air and make it cakey instead of fudgy.
11. Don't skip the coffee, it adds intensity to the chocolatey flavor. 
12. Don't over bake, when you will leave it in the hot pan for cooling it will still continue to cook.

Christmas Specialty - Hot Cross Buns

Ingredients
  ¾ cup luke warm water
  4 tsp instant dry yeast
  1/3 cup sugar
  3 eggs
  ½ cup vegetable oil
  3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  ¾ tsp salt
  ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  ¼ tsp ground clove
  1/3 cup dried raisins
  ¼ orange peel

Ingredients for icing
  ¾ cup icing sugar, sifted
  1 tsp milk, plus extra if needed

Ingredients for glaze
  ½ cup sugar
  3 tsps water
  1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
1. For the dough, measure all of the ingredients except the raisins and set into the bowl.
2. knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about five minutes (the dough should be soft and must stick to the bottom of the bowl).
3. If mixing by hand, stir the ingredients with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together, then turn out on to a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth.
4. Towards the end of kneading, add the raisins and mixed peel and knead again. Scrape the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 75 to 90 minutes, until doubled in size.
5. Turn the risen dough out on to a lightly floured work surface and divide into 12 even pieces. Shape each piece into a ball by rolling between your hands while it remains on the work surface.
6. Place the rolled buns in a greased pan, leaving space between them. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the buns rise for 45 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Uncover the buns and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a rich brown on top. While still hot from the oven, prepare the glaze.
8. For the glaze, bring the sugar, water and vanilla up to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is fully dissolved. Brush this syrup over the still-hot buns, until it has all been used. Let the buns cool completely in the tin.
9. For the icing, stir the icing sugar and milk together until a thick consistency suitable for piping (add a few more drops of milk, if needed).
10. Pour this into a small piping bag and pipe crosses on top of each bun, letting the icing set for an hour before serving.

GARLIC CHUTNEY

Ingredients
  1 bunch coriander leaves, without stalks
  5 green chillies
  3 cloves garlic  
  Salt to taste




Method
1. Grind these ingredients in a minimum amount of water to make a very fine paste. 2. Stir-fry the paste in a little oil till the garlic becomes pungent and the paste thickens. 
3. This chutney is made especially for besan ki roti. 
4. To make red garlic chutney in red, use red chillies instead of green.

THAADAL

Ingredients
  1 1/2 ltr water
  1/2 tsp poppy seeds
  1/2 tsp cardamom powder  
  1/2 tbls fennel seeds
  1 tsp cantaloupes seeds
  1 tsp watermelon seeds
  50 grm almonds
  250 ml milk
  Sugar to taste
  20 dried/fresh rose petals

Method
1. Soak sugar in half litre water. 
2. Wash all ingredients and soak in two cups of water. Let soak for three to four hours. 
3. Grind the soaked ingredients, sieve through a muslin cloth and strain through water, repeat four to five times, straining through the same water, or i.e. until paste renders no essence. 
4. Add the remaining water and milk. 
5. Serve chilled.

DATE-TAMARIND CHUTNEY

Ingredients
  ½ cup dates, without seed 
  ½ tbsp red chilli powder  
  1/8 cup deseeded tamarind pulp
  ¼ cup sugar
  Salt to taste






Method
1. Boil the dates in some water till they turn to pulp. 
2. Add the tamarind pulp and cook for a minute. 
3. Add the remainder of the ingredients and bring to boil, then remove from heat. 4. This chutney is good for chaat, samosas and nimco.

RABRRI

Ingredients
  2 ltr milk
  3/4 cup sugar
  25 grm each almonds and pistachio
  7 cardamom pods
  A pinch of saffron
  ½ teaspoon rose water





Method
1. Soak saffron in hot milk and crush to make a paste. In a heavy lidded pot or wok, pour milk and bring to boil on medium flame. 
2. Once milk comes to a simmer and cream sets on the top, gently move cream to a side and stir in the centre to ensure that the milk does not stick to the bottom.
3. Keep repeating the process until milk is reduced to one-third. Add sugar, cardamom and saffron and boil for 10 minutes. 
4. Peel and chop the soaked almonds and pistachio. 
5. Sprinkle the chopped nuts and turn off flame, stirring the pot to mix the cream on the side of the pot. 
6. Cool to room temperature, add rose water and chill in refrigerator. 
7. Serve chilled.

Chinese sweet soy sauce

Ingredients
  1.5 cups sugar
  3/4 cup water
  1 (500ml) soy sauce
  1 tablespoon vinegar
  1 piece star anise
  1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  4 slices crushed or chopped ginger root
  Half a stick of cinnamon
  Water upto one full cup
  Optional: About 4-5 curry leaves

Method
1. In a large empty (preferably non-stick) pan, caramelize the sugar with exactly a quarter cup of water. 
2. Take it off the stove once the sugar has turned to a dark bright amber. Be careful not to burn it.
3. Add half a cup water to this and whisk it all lightly to combine the two liquids together.
4. Put in all of soy sauce, star anise, cinnamon, ginger garlic, vinegar, few curry leaves and give it all a nice stir.
5. Bring the sauce to a quick boil for a few seconds. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
6. Once done, strain the ingredients out. Let cool and store in (a preferably air tight) jar in the fridge for future use.

ORANGE SALSA

Ingredients
  2 oranges, peeled and cut into small cubes
  ¼ cup orange juice
  ½ cup tomato, cut in small cubes
  ¼ cup cucumber, cut in small cubes
  1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
  1 tbsp olive oil
  1 tsp brown sugar
  1 spicy poppadom, deep fried just before serving
  2 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
  Salt & Pepper to taste

Method
1. Combine brown sugar, orange juice and olive oil. Add other ingredients and lightly fold.
2. Orange salsa is ready to be served.

KASHMIRI CHUTNEY

Ingredients
2 tbsp Kashmiri mirch (chilli) paste
1 garlic clove paste
1 tsp gurr (jaggery) powder
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste

Method
1. Combine all ingredients into a fine paste. 
2. Adjust seasoning and the chutney is ready to be served.

Lebanese garlic sauce recipe

Ingredients
  1 full garlic bulb
  2 tablespoons vinegar or 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  Salt to taste
  1 and a half cups regular oil (canola or sunflower oil recommended)
  1/2 cup heavy cream
  Optional: 1 tablespoon fresh parsley and 1 tablespoon jaggery or brown sugar

Method
1. Blend together all the garlic with salt.
2. Add in the oil by gradually drizzling it into the food processor (begin with half a cup). 
3. Pour in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice each time the blender takes a break to add oil. Repeat the process until the result is light and fluffy.
4. Add in the cream and blend again until it all reaches a consistency similar to mayo. Mix in fresh parsley with a spatula.
5. Place in a jar, and store in the fridge for future use.