Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

So how was your Christmas? Mine was great filled with loads of fun, lots of gifts and cartloads of happiness and love and we are all set to receive the new year with the same spirit. Last two weeks were super busy with pappu's holiday party and Christmas baking and then followed by his Christmas holidays. This week has been a rollercoaster ride, first it was pappu down with the flu and then it came down to me. Boy O Boy, how I wish I was resistant to the cold.
Its been simple rasam saadam for the past one week and only today did I make something yummy, something simple and something that reminded me of my mom, childhood and nagercoil.

Coming to this recipe, I made these for my son's Chirstmas party. The kids enjoyed these totally diving in head first into the frosting. I don't know what but there is something about carrot cupcakes and cream cheese frosting that makes it totally divine and irresistible. This recipe is a keeper and it makes the softest of the soft cupcakes and the smoothest frosting that pairs perfectly with these cupcakes.

Adapted from here ~*What U Need*~ All purpose flour - 1 1/4 cups Baking powder - 1/2 + 1/8 tsp Baking soda - 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon - 1/2 + 1/8 tsp Nutmeg - 1/4 tsp Ground cloves - a pinch Salt - 1/4 tsp Carrots - 1/2 lb, peeled and grated Granulated sugar - 3/4 cups Light brown sugar - 1/4 cup Large eggs - 2 Vegetable oil - 3/4 cup For the frosting: Cream cheese - 6 oz, not softened Unsalted butter - 4 tbsp, room temperatue Vanilla extract - 1/2 tbsp Confectioners' sugar - 2 cups How I Made it: Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line one cupcake pan with paper liners. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt; whisk together and set aside. Add the carrots to the bowl with the dry ingredients and set aside. In a stand mixer, whip the sugar and eggs until light and frothy. Add the oil with the mixer at medium speed. Beat till the mixture is light. Stir in the carrots and dry ingredients until incorporated and no streaks of flour remain. Scoop evenly into the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for about 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan at least 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. To make the frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, add milk to bring to the desired consistency and then beat until smooth. Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.

Serve with love!!!

So thats it Folks... With Love,
Vimitha
Signs off!!!

Interested!!! Click to read more...

Thinai Thayir saadam / Millet Curd Rice | Healthy recipes

I try to include something healthy in our diet atleast once a week. It might be in the form of adding wheat or oat bran to our daily bread or using whole grains to make pongal or some snack like kozhukattai. Last month when we went to Chicago to visit a few friends I visited the Whole Foods market with an interest to buy some whole grains. My first buy was a big bag of millet and I have been replacing most of our rice with millet these days. I made sweet pongal with it and it was a hit with the boys. My latest experiment is this thinai thayir saadam - a healthy and filling alternative to your regular rice.

~*What U Need*~ Millet - 1/2 cup Yogurt - 1/2 cup Milk - 1/4 cup Carrot - 2 tbsp, grated (optional) Ginger - 1/2 tsp, finely chopped Coriander - 2 tbsp, finely chopped Salt Oil - 2 tsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad dal - 1 tsp Hing - a pinch Curry leaves - few How I Made it: Wash millet in running water using strainer. Take this in a pressure cooker, add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles or till done. Let it cool for sometime. In a pan, heat oil, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter, add urad dal fry till golden brown and then add curry leaves, hing. Add this to the millet, add carrot, finely chopped ginger and cilantro and mix well. Add the yogurt, milk and bring to the desired consistency. Season with salt.

Serve with potato for a winning combo!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!

Interested!!! Click to read more...

Chicken Puffs

I mostly sip on some loaded green smoothie for my lunch and so by the time the huss returns from work, I become extremely hungry and start rampaging the kitchen snack cabinet. I try my level best to stick to fruits but sometimes I give in and make some hot hot bhajis or chicken puffs for our tea time. Thanks to the readymade puff pastries available here, making puffs at home is a breeze and more economical than the Indian store bought-ones. The filling is a breeze to make and highly customizable, you can skip the chicken if you are a vegetarian or you could replace the chicken with gobi. The sky is your limit here, my friend.

~*What U Need*~ Chicken - 1 cup, cooked and shredded Oil - 1 tbsp Onion - 1 cup, finely sliced Tomato - 1, chopped Coriander - a handful, chopped Curry leaves - 1 sprig Green chilli - 1, sliced Beans - 4-5, chopped Carrot - 1, chopped Ginger garlic paste -1 tsp Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander powder - 1 tsp Cumin powder - 1/8 tsp Salt Puff pastry sheets - 1 full sheet, thawed and cut into squares. How I Made it: Heat oil in a nonstick pan, add chilli and saute for a min. Add onions and stir-fry till cooked down and brown. Add ginger–garlic paste, and curry leaves and cook for 1 minute. Add and cook the tomatoes until soft and mushy. Add carrot and bean and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add the spice powders and a splash of water and cook for 2-3 mins. Add the cooked meat and stir everything and cook for 3-4 mins. Remove from heat, add the coriander leaves. Preheat oven to 350F. Roll the puff pastry to flatten it a bit. Spoon 1 tbsp of filling in the middle. Close the puff pastry using water to stick it. Egg wash it once and bake for 15 to 20 mins till golden brown and puffy. Serve warm with some ketchup!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!

Interested!!! Click to read more...

ABC Cake | Apple Banana Carrot Cake | Breakfast Cake

Well if you are looking for a bake which incorporates fruits, veggies, nuts and very little fat, then look no more, for I have a very simple breakfast cake for you today. Its filled with carrots, apple, banana and uses only quarter cup of sugar. Slice them up, toast 'em with some butter and serve it with some freshly squeezed orange juice or freshly brewed coffee and you have a delicious, kid-friendly breakfast to serve. So lets move on to the recipe.

~*What U Need*~ Whole wheat flour - 1 cup All purpose flour - 1/2 cup Brown sugar - 1/4 cup, packed Baking soda - 1/2 tsp Baking powder - 1/2 tsp Salt - 1/2 tsp Cinnamon - 1 tsp Canola oil - 2 tbsp Egg - 1 Honey - 2 tbsp Sour cream - 2 tbsp Whole milk - 1/4 cup Vanilla - 1 tsp Carrots - 1 cup, shredded Apple - 1, shredded Bananas - 2, mashed Walnuts - 1/2 cup Cranberries - 1/4 cup, dried How I Made it: Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine carrot, apple, sour cream, oil, egg, milk and vanilla; stir well. Add the mashed bananas and mix gently. Add honey and mix well. In a large bowl, combine all purpose and whole wheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir well with a whisk. Add the cranberries and walnuts and mix. Fold wet ingredients with the dry ingredients. Spoon batter into a bundt pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for about 40-50 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cake completely on a wire rack.

Slice and serve!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!

Interested!!! Click to read more...

Better than take-out Chicken Fried Rice | Leftover recipes

We buy the fully cooked rotisserie chicken from walmart(read once a month) whenever we visit the place. I love it on my salads seasoned with some salt, pepper and garlic powder and then I love to make chicken salad with greek yogurt, pecans and cranberries which I have as it is or use it in sandwiches. This fried rice is my new favorite to use up the leftover chicken. Stir fried veggies, eggs, chicken and rice mildy flavored with soy sauce and loads of pepper ~ what more for a wholesome meal. I would recommend you to use sesame oil for the best results cos the nuttiness of the oil enhances the overall flavor of this dish.

Prep time: 20 mins; Cook time: 20 mins; Serves - 2-3 ~*What U Need*~ Rotisserie chicken - 1 cup, chopped Cooked basmati rice - 2 cups Sesame oil - 2 tbsp Yellow onion - 1, small, chopped Carrots, beans - 1 cup, chopped Frozen peas - 1/4 cup Soy sauce - 2-3 tbsp Eggs - 2, lightly beaten Green onions - 1/8 cup, chopped Salt, pepper How I Made it: Heat sesame oil in a large pan or wok. Add onion and fry till translucent. Add the peas, beans and carrots and fry until tender. Move this to the side, and pour the beaten eggs onto the other side. Scramble the eggs. Once cooked, mix the eggs with the vegetables. Add the rice and chicken. Pour and gently combine. Add chopped green onions if desired.

Serve warm!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!

Interested!!! Click to read more...

Garam Masala Fried Rice

I am a true lover of garam masala. Not the ones that we get prepacked from the store. I am talking about the one that amma roasts at home and grinds fresh. Its got a unique flavor and aroma which the store bought ones can never acquire. Without doubt the first thing that I asked her when I started preparations to leave to the US was half kgs each of her homemade masala powders and an extra half kg of her garam masala. Now whenever I grab the garam masala powder from my pantry to flavor my curries, I always remember her and her varutharacha kozhi kuzhambu. It always tops my list of favorites and it can be made right by no-one else other than amma.

My love for garam masala is what made me to add the flavor to this fried rice and we totally loved it. If you are not in deep love with the spices then you can reduce the amount to 1/2 teaspoon or you could totally skip it. But then it would just be another regular fried rice.

Prep time: 10 mins; Cook time: 15 mins; Serves: 2-3 ~*What U Need*~ Cooked Basmati rice - 2 cups Onions - 1/2 cup, finely chopped Carrots - 1, finely chopped Beans - 6-7, finely chopped Cabbage - 1/2 cup, finely chopped Spring onions - a handful, chopped Salt, Pepper Oil - 1 tsp Low sodium soy sauce - 1 tsp Garam masala - 1 tsp How I Made it: Heat oil in a pan. Add the onions and saute till brown. Add in the chopped vegtables and saute till tender but crisp. Season with salt and pepper. Add the soy sauce followed by the garam masala. Once the raw smell goes off, add the spring onions and fry for 1 minute. Add the cooled rice and mix well.

Serve warm with any indo-chinese starters!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!

Interested!!! Click to read more...

Sriracha Egg Fried Rice | Easy Lunchbox recipes

Who all loves Sriracha??? Me and the huss are addicted to it these days. Our vegetable fried rice is never complete with a decent dose of hot Sriracha sauce. It all started after we had a take out from a nearby Chinese restaurant and the owner suggested we have it with some Sriracha sauce. Seeing the look on our faces he took the pain to pack us some sauce. The intensity of flavors and the chinese zing was enough for us to fall in love with the sauce and we grabbed our own bottle the next time we went shopping. Since then we have been using it to complete our chinese foods. To those who are not familiar with the sauce, Sriracha is a type of hot sauce made from a paste of chili peppers, distilled vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt. It is named after the coastal city of Si Racha, in the Chonburi Province of Eastern Thailand, where it was possibly first produced for dishes served at local seafood restaurants.

This time when I was preparing fried rice, I thought of intensifying the flavors by adding a tablespoon of the sauce in the rice itself and both of us loved it to the core. To those who are not in favor of hotness, reduce the sauce per liking.

~*What U Need*~ Cooked basmati rice - 2 cups Onion - 1, finely chopped Carrots - 1, finely chopped Beans - 8-10, finely chopped Green peas - 1/2 cup Eggs - 2 Spring onions - 1/2 bunch Garlic clove - 2, finely chopped Soy sauce - 1 tsp Sriracha sauce - 1 tbsp Salt, Pepper Oil How I made it: Heat oil in a kadai and add the garlic cloves, fry till brown. Add the onions and fry till soft. Add the peas and cook till tender. Next add in the carrots and beans and saute for few mins. Add the soy and sriracha sauce and mix well. In another pan, scramble the eggs with some oil. Meanwhile to the veggies add the cooked rice and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and then add the spring onions and scrambled eggs. Mix well and cook for another 2 mins.

Serve warm...

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!

Interested!!! Click to read more...

Carrot Rice | Easy Lunch Box Recipes

Here I am with another easy variety rice recipe, thanks to the huss. He asked for variety and variety it is these days. One method, different veggies and you have a healthy one pot meal on your plate or in my case, in his lunchbox. These days when I wake up late in the morning, I simply pack some variety rice and fryums for his lunch. Its simple and a healthy option too. One thing is that you are adding some veggie in your diet and second thing is that you do not need to make a stir fry for the side. Papadams, fryums, potato chips or even a spicy pickle makes a perfect match for this rice. Similarly you can use other veggies like beans, beetroot, cabbage, peas or a combination of all put together. I missed taking step by step pictures cos I was packing this for hubby's lunchbox and I just couldn't make myself to pick the camera and click the tutorial... But I will update the post the next time I make this.

Prep time: 10 mins; Cooking time: 20 mins; Serves - 2 ~*What U Need*~ Cooked rice - 1 1/2 cups Onion - 1, finely chopped, medium Carrot - 1 cup, grated Red chilli powder - 1/4 tsp Roasted peanuts - 2 tbsp, optional Coriander leaves - a handful, chopped Salt, oil For tempering: Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Urad dhal - 1 tsp Curry leaves - a sprig Green chilli - 1 How I Made it: Spread the cooked rice on a plate and allow to cool fluffing it in intervals. Heat oil in a pan, temper with mustard seeds, urad dhal, green chilli and curry leaves. Now add the onions and saute till brown. Add the carrot and fry till raw smell goes off. Now add the red chilli powder, salt and saute well. Add the chopped coriander leaves, cooked rice and roasted peanuts and mix well. Cook till the rice is warm.

Serve with some chips/vadagam/papadam!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!

Interested!!! Click to read more...

Vegetable Kuruma | Vegetable Korma | Side dish for Dosa/chapathis

I have been getting requests for some easy side dishes for dosas or chapathis. I know that my blog is lacking some basic Indian dishes and I am trying my best to fill them up here. The problem is these dishes have been etched in me that it comes as a flow and to pick up the camera to click step by step pictorials is just not happening. I chop, I fry and then I season, thats it job done. And to break that flow is something that never comes to me.

But I am coming out of my shell, slowly and that is how I clicked this vegetable kuruma. Its simple and tastes great with dosas/chapathis/parottas and is my go-to-dish when I am out of ideas for that night's dinner. I always have dosa batter in my fridge and so this kuruma makes for a simple and lip-smacking dinner. And if you are a bachelor, stack some frozen parottas or chapathis and make this kuruma whenever you need a comforting home-cooked meal, atleast the side-dish part ;)

You could use a mix of veggies like carrots, beans, peas and cauliflower or keep it simple with carrot, beans and potato. But keep in mind that if you are using cauliflower, donot pressure cook it. Add them raw when you are adding the steam-cooked veggies to the masala and boil till tender. That way the cauliflower will not disintegrate.

Serves - 4; Prepping time - 15 mins; Cooking time - 20 mins ~*What U Need*~ To grind: Onion - 1/2, cubed Grated coconut - 1/4 cup Cashews - 4to5 Green chilli - 1 Roasted channa dhal - 2 tsp To pressure cook: Mixed vegetables - 1 1/2 cups, diced For the gravy: Onion - 1/2, finely chopped Tomato - 1, finely chopped Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander powder - 1 tsp Garam masala - 1/2 tsp Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp, chopped Bay leaf - 1 Cloves - 2 Cardamom - 2 Cinnamon - 1" Salt, Oil How I Made it: In a kadai, add 1/2 tsp oil, add the cubed onions and fry till pale. Add the coconut and saute for 2 mins. Once cooled, add this to the blender along with the rest of the ingredients to be ground and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside. Meanwhile steam cook the vegetables for 1 whistle or par-boil the vegetables. In a kadai, add 1 tsp oil, add the bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom and saute till brown. Add the chopped onions and saute till golden. Next add the ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell leaves. Add the chopped tomatoes and when soft, add the spices and saute till oil separates. Next add the par-boiled veggies and mix well. Add the ground masala with some water and allow to boil till you see oil separating. Season with salt. Add the chopped coriander leaves and remove from flame.

Serve with parathas or chapathis!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,

Signs off!!!

Interested!!! Click to read more...

Classic Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting ~ from me to him!!!

It was my hubby's birthday two weeks back. Remember the Mango shortcake cake that I did sometime back. If you still remember it then you would remember that I baked it for my hubby's birthday. Okay I'll tell you the difference, that one was for his star birthday and this one was for his actual birthday. That way, I get to bake two cakes (which I loved baking) and he gets an actual birthday cake. When I baked him the mango shortcake cake, he was in the U.S. Right after I gave him the virtual birthday cake over skype, I asked him what he would like to have for his actual and it was "a pineapple cream cake" that he asked for.

After I joined him, days went really fast with all that shopping needed for the home and buying an electric whisk didn't really seem to be that important. And so the idea of a pineapple cream cake went straight to the bin. With doubt, I asked him what he would prefer for his birthday cake, again. And this time it was a classic carrot cake, thanks to the Metro bakery, he is totally obsessed withe their cupcakes. I browsed through some websites and all of them suggested that a cream cheese frosting is the classic combo for a carrot cake.

Devoid of an electric whisk, I thought of using my hands but was frightened that it would ruin the whole frosting part and so went off to purchase one at the neck of the moment. It took some time but I liked the result. The frosting was light, not super-smooth but not grainy too... The cake was a hit ~ moist, soft and paired perfectly with the slightly tangy cream cheese frosting. The huss loved it and has asked me to make some cupcakes with the same combo...

~*What U Need*~ Recipe adapted from here For the cake: All purpose flour - 2 cups Baking powder - 2 tsp Baking soda - 1 tsp Cinnamon - 1 tsp Salt - 1 tsp Vegetable/Canola oil - 1 cup Buttermilk - 1/2 cup Vanilla extract - 1 1/2 tsp Eggs - 4 Sugar - 1 1/2 cup Carrots - 1 pound, peeled and grated or 1/2 kg approx For the frosting: Unsalted butter - 1 stick Cream cheese - 1 8-ounce package Vanilla extract - 1 tbsp Confectioners' sugar - 2 cups How I Made it: Preheat the oven to 325°. Line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment pan and butter generously. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Whisk together till well combined. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, buttermilk and vanilla. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar at high speed until pale, 5 minutes. Beat in the liquid ingredients. Beat in the dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in the carrots. Divide the batter between the pans and bake the cakes for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until springy and golden. Let the cakes cool on a rack for 30 minutes, then unmold the cakes and let cool completely. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese at high speed until light, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, then the confectioners’ sugar; beat at low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Spread the frosting on one cake, top with the second cake layer, right side up. Spread the top and sides with the remaining frosting and refrigerate the cake until chilled, about 1 hour. Decorate as per wish.

Slice and serve!!!

So thats it Folks...
With Love,
Signs off!!!

Interested!!! Click to read more...