The simplest ever Eggless pancakes!

Samarth had been asking for some pancakes for the longest time ever! I decided to google for an easy recipe that would also be eggless (so in case I don't have eggs at home on a particular day, I could still make them). In fact I am always on the lookout for eggless recipes for the same reason. 

So here you go, easy peasy way to make yummy tasty, McDonald's style pancakes! 

You'll need:

1 cup of all purpose flour

1 cup of milk

1.5 tablespoons of sugar

1 tablespoon of baking powder

1 tablespoon of oil

1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

Sift dry ingredients together and make a well. Add wet ingredients and whisk well. Set it aside for 10 minutes.

Grease a griddle pan with a little butter and pour a ladle of batter. Don't spread it. Bubbles will start to form on the surface. 

Flip it over after a bit, make sure it is a gentle brown colour.

Drizzle honey over it, fold and serve!

Microwave Oreo Nutella cake

I am the queen of microwave baking simply because it is so easy and most importantly economizes on time! I tried this easy and super yummy cake last month when my inlaws were here and everyone polished it off in no time. My parents also visited us and mom specifically requested me to bake it again so that she could take it back to India with her!!

Here are the ingredients you need to keep ready:

Cake flour - 1.5 cups (all purpose flour) + 1 tsp baking powder, sift together

1 cup of Sugar, powdered well

2 tbsps of Nutella

12 Oreos

200 gm of butter plus a little that is melted to make the base

1 Egg

Get started!

Melt a little butter, crush 4 Oreos into a coarse powder and mix together. Press firmly into the bottom of your pre-greased baking dish and set it in the fridge for about 10 minutes to chill well.

Melt the butter in a microwave safe dish and add the powdered sugar, mix well. Now break the egg into this and whisk well for at least 15 minutes by hand or using the electric beater. 

Add the flour-baking powder to this mixture and whisk well. Divide the mix into half. Spread the first half over the Oreo base you have prepared. Separate 3 oreo biscuits and arrange in the way as below, keeping one full oreo biscuit in the middle. 

In the second half of the mixture, add 2 tablespoons of nutella and mix well. Now spread it over the first layer which was prepared. Cover well.

Here's my cake all set to go into the oven. Upturn a tea saucer on the turntable in the microwave (This is to ensure the cake bakes evenly) before you set the dish over it. Bake on High for 6-7 minutes and keep an eye on it constantly. 

...There it's done!!

Veggie and Bean Burger - a very healthy option!

It's been a quiet spell here. I got busy with my newborn son and Sandy's been busy with Mpops :) But we're back!

Samarth has been asking for veggie burgers for a long time and I thought I'll try my hand at it. I didn't use too many veggies and I made a small quantity as it was the first attempt.

Here is the recipe,  it's my own version - extremely healthy with virtually no fat.

Ingredients:

Rajma, a fistful, soaked for 3-4 hours, and pressure cooked to couple of whistles
2 Carrots, chopped roughly
Peas, as per your preference, cooked but not mushy.
Bread crumbs and corn flour - to use for binding the dough.

The above ingredients will make 6 patties as in the photograph

Method:

Cook the rajma and set aside. Cook the carrots and peas together but they should not be mushy. Mince roughly along with the rajma. Add salt and condiments as per your preference. Using appropriate quantities of breadcrumbs, mix this into a dough and shape into patties. Set it into the refrigerator for around half an hour so that it stiffens.

Remove and shallow fry on a tava. Alternately you could grill it or bake it. 

Samarth said it was absolutely delicious and tasted perfect :-D

Try it and tell me how you liked it!

Maltesers 'Cake in a Cup'

Yep you read it right, it is cake in a cup! I didn't ever think it was possible until I made it and saw for myself how easy it is! I've tweaked the original recipe a little so here goes my version :)

You'll need:

4 tbsp self raising flour
4 tbsp castor sugar
3 tbsp oil [any will do, I used sunflower oil]
1 medium egg
3 tbsp Nutella [here I melted a small bar one of my fave hazelnut chocolate and used it, you can use plain milk chocolate if you like]
4 tbsp milk
...and one small packet of Maltesers.

Whisk together all ingredients except the maltesers, until it is well combined. Now in 3 medium coffee mugs, pour in the batter in each cup just up to half level as the cake will rise when it is  getting baked. Tip 3-4 maltesers into each cup and push it a little inside so that it is covered by the batter.

Set it in the microwave on high power for a minute but check after 30 seconds. Mine were done in less than a minute. You have to get the mug out when the cake is still moist as it will settle after it is cooled. Serve warm with strawberries/cream/icecream - or ALL :)

As you can see I haven't bothered clearing the gooey chocolate at the edges of the cup - just for the heck of it !!

Enjoy this yummilicious dessert and trust me it's so easy that you'll keep it at the top of your mind for an instant dessert :)

Eggless Chocochip cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 Teaspoon of No Egg - Natural Egg Replacer ( can be purchased by clicking on the link) 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.

Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

No Bake Oreo Cheesecake

 For the base:
Marie biscuit - 1 packets (24 nos)
Chocolate biscuit - 1 pkt 
Melted butter - 3 tblspn


For the cake:
Oreo Biscuits : 1 Big packet ( broken into chunks) 
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Hung curd - 1 cup
Fresh cream - 1 cup (used Amul cream 200ml)
Agar agar/China grass - 1 pkt (10 gm)
Water - 4 tblspn

1.I used a combination of marie biscuit and chocolate biscuits. You could use marie biscuit alone. Pulse the biscuit coarsely in the mixer along with the melted butter. Or take the biscuits in a zip lock cover and powder it coarsely with the chappathi roller. 


2.Take a round spring tin. Spread the biscuit mix on the base of the tin. The base should be firm. So press it down tight. Freeze the base for half an hour. Meanwhile prepare the cake mix.


3.Mix hung curd and cream in a bowl. To get hung curd, take almost 4 cups of fresh curd and tie it in a muslin cloth and hang it. The whey will be drained and you will be left with creamy curd.


4. Break the Oreo biscuits in big chunks. Mix in the biscuits to the curd+cream mix. Mix well so that its uniformly blended in.


5.The China grass I used were strands. I put them in warm water for 10 minutes. Then put that bowl in a pan of boiling water for the china grass to fully dissolve. Add the liquefied agar agar to the mix. Mix it well with a spatula Leave in the refrigerator for overnight, to set.


6.Once set, Open the spring tin and serve the cheesecake. You could garnish with some Oreo Biscuits, though I served it plain. 

Banana, walnut, cinnamon loaf

Ingredients :

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon pwder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter - softened

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup whole milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 bananas - mashed 

1/2 cup walnuts - chopped

Method :

1.Cream the butter with the sugar till it becomes nice and pale. 

2.Mix flour, salt, baking soda,baking powder and cinnamon pwd in another dry bowl. Add this to the butter mixture,   alternating with a little milk at a time and beat until nicely blended. Add the flour and milk alternately as you   keep whipping the batter so it gets nice and fluffy. 

3.You can even use a food-processor for this. Keep scraping the sides as you blend or beat the mixture. Add a little   more milk(half cup more) if the batter looks too thick.

4.Add the mashed bananas and vanilla essence. Finally add in the chopped walnuts, folding in just to mix it well.

5.Grease a Loaf shape tin, or use muffin molds for individual cakes. I used a Loaf pan. Fill them only 2/3rd full as this needs more room to rise. Even if you use a cake pan, do not fill more than half of it. Sprinkle some chopped walnuts on top as well.

Preheat oven at 175 deg celcius and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (muffin size) or 30 - 40 mins ( loaf tin) until cake springs back when lightly touched near center, and the sides pull away from the pan.

Put a toothpick in the center and if it comes out clean, your cake is ready to come out of the oven. 

 If you are using a cake pan, it may take a little longer, but keep checking if its done after 20 mins. Allow the cake to cool a little on the wire rack,Dust with Icing sugar then serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!