Baked Lahori Chargha | Easy Chicken Recipes

There are days when all I need is a flavor packed piece of chicken with a side salad or some baked sweet potato fries. While I am okay with that kind of food, the huss is totally opposite. He needs dosas or idlis or biryanis to keep him and his tummy happy. But one thing that we both agree on is tandoori chicken. We love it to the core and with a side dip of mint yogurt it is just the best dinner in the whole world. I follow this food group in FB and I saw this recipe there. Was totally hooked up with the flavor profile and added my own twist by baking it. This my friend is a bomb and you should definitely give this a try.

~*What U Need*~ Chicken legs - 4-5, 1 lb, with skin Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp Garam masala powder - 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp Mint leaves - 1/4 cup, packed Chilli flakes - 1 tsp Lemon juice - 1/2 of a lemon Salt Eggs - 1 How I Made it Grind everything in a mixie from coriander seeds to chilli flakes. Marinate this with the chicken, lemon juice, salt and egg with 2 tbsp oil. Marinate for atleast 2 hrs - overnight. Preheat oven to 400F. Bake in a foil lined pan for 30 mins. Turn over and bake for another 20 mins. Broil for few mints till you get the crust on the chicken.

Serve with mint chutney.

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Lemon Poppy Seed Sour cream pound cake

My first experience with a lemon pound cake was a failure. It was not good, it was artificial and there was this lingering aftertaste which just made me go yuck. I mostly withhold myself from buying cakes from the grocery but that single slice of lemon cake was so tempting and with that bright yellow color and speckles of lemon zest peeking out, I had to give in. And since it was a single slice I knew that it would not go to waste. But one bite and I knew that it was goner.

Something told me that that should not have been my first lemon cake. The all-time famous Starbucks lemon pound cake just didn't seem right and made me skeptical. I knew it had to be homemade for me to get the flavor profile in the cake right. This cake is what I have waited for in my life. Make this in winter and you will savor spring in very bite. Make it during spring and it will freshen and liven your senses. Make it anyday, for guests or family or friends or for yourself, it will elevate your mood right away.

~*What U Need*~ All purpose flour - 3/4 cup Baking soda - 1/8 tsp Salt - 1/8 pinch Unsalted butter - 1/4 cup, room temperature Granulated sugar - 1/2 cup Large eggs - 1, room temperature Lemon juice - 1/8 cup Lemon zest - 1/2 tbsp Sour cream - 1/4 cup For the glaze: Cream cheese - 2 oz, at room temperature Icing sugar - 4 tbsp Milk - 1 tbsp or as needed How I Made it: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a mini loaf and a small ramekin(just in case you have excess batter). Dust pan with flour and tap out the extra. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium sized bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugar gradually and beat for 5 minutes. Add the egg and mix until combined. Rub the lemon zest with 1 tbsp of sugar so that the sugar becomes fragrant and the zest releases its oils. Beat in lemon juice and zest mixture. Stir in the dry ingredients with a spatula. Finally, add the sour cream and fold it in to the batter. Spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for about 20 -25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Release the cake and remove it. Cool it completely on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar or glaze if desired. For the glaze, mix everything till smooth and pouring consistency. Place the cake over a wire and pour the glaze over. Allow to set.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream.

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Christmas Fruit Cake | Kerala Fruit Cake

I made this cake two days before Christmas, stored it carefully feeding it with rum every day and then on the D day, I shared it with friends, devoured it to hearts content and then totally forgot about it. Today when I was going through my food pics, I found this and I came to realize that I had missed posting this for Christmas. Well now that I have found it, I am not going to spare another moment to share this recipe with you. Its the best and just like all other christmas cakes it gets better and better. I have been following this recipe for the past 2 years but each time I use a different pan and do not flour it believing that the non stick coating would do its job but finally I would end up with the cake sticking to the pan. So this time I made it a point to grease the pan, line the pan with parchment paper and grease and flour the pan too. And look how neat and yummy the cake looks!!!

Recipe adapted from here ~*What U Need*~ For soaking the dried fruits Dry fruits - 1 1/2 cups ~ Raisins, dates, pineapple, apricot, cranberries, dried papaya, dates, almonds, cashews Rum - as needed (I used CaptianMorgans. U need to immerse the fruits completely in rum and then refill as and when you find the amount reducing) Caramel syrup - 2 tbsp (2tbsp sugar + 1 tbsp water) For Caramel Syrup to be used in cake Sugar - 3/4 cup Water - 2 tbsp Hot water - 6 tbsp For the cake: Butter - 1/2 cup, room temp Powdered sugar - 1 1/4 cups Eggs - 2, separated All purpose flour - 1 1/4 cups Baking powder - 1 tsp Baking soda - 1/2 tsp Salt - a pinch Coarsely powdered nuts - 1/2 cup(almonds and walnuts) Orange Zest - 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp Cinnamon powder - 1/4 tsp Clove powder - 1/4 tsp Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp Nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp Jeera powder - 1/4 tsp Ginger powder - 1/4 tsp How I Made it: Heat 2 tblsp sugar with 1 tsp water on medium heat until the sugar melts and browns up. Take off the heat and carefully add the water and stir well. Atleast 2 weeks in advance , chop all the dry fruits and place them in an airtight container. Pour the rum on top of it, add the caramel syrup and allow to soak. On the day of baking, heat 3/4 cup of sugar with 2 tbsp water in a saucepan. The sugar will start melting. COntinue heating till the syrup turns brown or almost black in color. Take it off the stove and add the hot water and stir well. Allow to cool. Preheat oven to 350F and grease your cake pan. Sift together all the dry ingredients with the spices. Add the powdered nuts, mix well and keep aside. Beat the butter with powdered sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the egg yolks one at a time and mix well until well incorporated. Add in the dry ingredients slowly and mix until combined. Add the Vanilla essence, orange zest and Caramel syrup and combine everything together. Strain the rum soaked fruits (save the rum), and coat the fruits with some all-purpose flour and add the fruits into the cake batter. Fold the fruits into the cake evenly. Beat the Egg Whites until soft peaks form, add powdered sugar and continue to beat until the peaks look stiff and glossy. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the cake center comes out clean. After taking the cake out from the oven, immediately pour 2-3tblsp of the saved rum over the cake. Allow the cake to cool for 15 mins and then flip the cake pan onto a wire-rack. Once cooled brush the sweet rum all over the cake. Keep the cake covered with aluminium foil/plastic wrap and brush the cake with more Rum everyday until you cut the cake.

Serve with love!!!

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Mango Cheesecakes with Mango Glee

Well Valentine's day is around the corner and you will be having that uncanny feeling to do something nice and romantic to conquer your man. And what better way than food or to be more precise desserts. I have been getting a few requests to share dessert ideas that have no chocolate in them. Well not my kind but I liked the idea. Valentine's day is all about chocolates but this year I thought of taking the road less traveled and in comes mango. These mango mini cheesecakes are the perfect end to your valentines day dinner and what is great about them is that these are make ahead desserts. Grab one and share it between your love and all is well in the world.

This recipe doesn't make too much of cheesecake which is fine for us but if you are feeding a large crowd then triple the recipe and bake in a 8 inch or 9 inch springform pan. Also if are a fan of portion control then make them into cupcakes. All you need to do is reduce the baking time to 18-22 mins.

Prep time: 15 mins; Cook time: 25 mins; Makes: 3 mini cheesecakes ~*What U Need*~ Graham cracker crumbs - 3/4 cups Unsalted butter - 3 tbsp, melted For the filling: Mango puree - 1 1/4 cup Cream cheese - 8 oz, room temperature Sugar - 1/4 cup Sour cream - 1/4 cup Lemon juice - 1 tsp Egg - 1 All purpose flour - 2 tbsp For the Mango glee Mango puree - 1/2 cup Lemon juice - 1 tsp Water - 3 tbsp Gelatin powder - 1 tsp How I Made it: Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl add melted butter and crumbs and stir until evenly moistened. Press the crumb mixture firmly onto the cheesecake pans. Bake for 6-8 mins or until golden brown. Cool completely. For filling: Lower the oven temperature to 300F. Beat cream cheese, sour cream, sugar , salt, and lime juice in large bowl until smooth. Add egg and beat well. Add flour and combine. Add the mango puree and beat until well blended. Pour evenly into the springform pans. Bake for 30-35 mins. The edges will be set but the center might have a slight jiggle. Cool completely. Sprinkle gelatin over the water and allow to bloom for 5 mins. Add mango puree, lemon juice in a saucepan and bring to boil. Once it starts boiling add gelatin and combine very well. Set aside for cooling for about 15 minutes. Then gradually add glee over the cooled mango cheese cake. Refrigerate uncovered overnight.

Serve chilled!!!

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Apple Crisp | Apple crisp with cake crumbs| Leftover recipes

If you are into cake decorating or if you are a frequent cake maker for friends and families and if you are like me who hates dumping that excess cake crumbs then you would also be hunting for recipes and ways to use them. I generally make cake pops and gift it to kids in my apartment but the last time I made some butter cake I had very little crumbs leftover which led me to browse for recipes. Since nothing got me interested, I started putting things together randomly and this happened. Its perfect served warm with a dollop of icecream and a shot of amaretto. Tip: You can replace the apples with berries, peaches or seasonal fruits of choice.

~*What U Need*~ Apples - 2, cored, sliced Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp Brown sugar - 2 tbsp Lemon juice - 1 tsp Cornstarch - 1/2 tbsp Salt - a pinch For the crumble Leftover cake - 1 cup Rolled Oats - 3 tbsp Butter - 1 tbsp, cut into chunks Sliced almonds - 2 tbsp How I Made it: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Peel, core, and slice apples into 1/4-inch slices. Place apples in a large mixing bowl and toss with sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Pour into individual ramekins or a small baking dish. In another large bowl, mix together the oats and almonds. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, gently work in the cold butter until pea-sized lumps are formed. Toss in the cake crumbs. Top apples evenly with mixture and bake until apples are bubbly and topping is golden brown, about 45 minutes, rotating once halfway through cooking.

Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream.

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Lettuce Salad with feta cheese

When I first moved to the US and when it was confirmed that it was Wisconsin, the first thing that got me hooked to the place was the cheese. Well it was a tough battle between the weather and the cheese. The cheese dragged me to the place and the weather kinda wanted me to get shooed away. So the cheese, Wisconsin specializes in Cheese and the cheesecurds here are the best. Ever since I came here, I have been eating cheese to my hearts content and I have been happy with the local cheese. So my salads and pastas have always got an extra helping of cheese and that is how I love them these days.

After all that eating and bingeing all through the holidays and there after, which is clearly visible in my blog, I have decided to go salads and green smoothies and here is a very simple salad for a start.

~*What U Need*~ Iceberg lettuce - 1 head, rinsed and dried Tomato - 1, deseeded and cubed Onions - 1/2 sliced Olives - 1/4 cup, chopped Feta cheese - 2oz, crumbled For the dressing Lemon juice - 1 tbsp White wine vinegar - 1/2 tsp Olive oil - 2-3 tbsp Salt, pepper - to taste Honey - 1 tsp {Mix everything and whisk well} How I Made it: Chop the lettuce into chunks. Mix lettuce, tomato, onions, olives in a salad bowl. Top with feta cheese. When serving drizzle the dressing, toss well. Serve with a healthy grating of parmesan cheese.

Serve with some wine!!!
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New York Style Cheesecake

Baking a perfect New york style cheesecake has always been in my to do list. I love cheesecakes and the pumpkin pie cheesecake from Starbucks is a must have whenever I visit the place. There is something about cheesecakes that makes me crave for another bite. New york style cheesecakes are known for it denseness and richness. It is not difficult to make a cheesecake but it is difficult to make one without a cracked surface. Temperature plays a major role in getting that perfect cheesecake. You will be baking at a very low temperature till the batter sets with a slight jiggle. Perfect on its own, cheesecake can also be served with a sour cream topping or berries of choice. Most of the recipes that I came across uses 4 cream cheese packages which sounded too much for us and so I scaled down the recipe to suit our needs.

~*What U Need*~ Graham cracker crumbs - 3/4 cup Melted butter - 3 tbsp Sugar - 1 tbsp For the filling: All purpose flour - 2 tbsp Sour cream - 1/2 cup Vanilla extract - 1/2 tbsp Cream cheese - 2(8 ounce) packages White sugar - 1/2 - 3/4 cup Whole milk - 1/3 cup Eggs - 2 Lemon juice - 1/2 tbsp Lemon zest - 1/2 tsp Orange zest - 1/2 tsp How I Made it: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 8-inch springform pan. Mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a bowl until evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture into the bottom and about 1/2-inch up the sides of the springform pan. Beat cream cheese till smooth. Add the sugar and whisk well. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Beat in the flour, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Stir in the milk. Stir in lemon zest, and orange zest and whisk until just incorporated. Pour mixture into prepared springform pan. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges have nicely puffed and the surface of the cheesecake is firm except for a small spot in the center that will jiggle when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour. When the cheesecake is done, turn off the oven and let it cool in the oven for 3 to 4 hours. This prevents any cracks from forming on the top of the cheesecake. Cool completely and refrigerate overnight.

Slice and serve.

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White chocolate Cranberry & Coconut Oatmeal cookies

Christmas is all about gifting to friends and family. With just a few more days to go, I am planning to share a few cake and cookie recipes here and this is first of the lot. My husband is a big fan of coconuts in cookies while the kid loves white chocolate. As for me I have been wanting to make oatmeal cookies for a long time and so I incorporated all three, added some cranberries to overcome the sweetness and a teeny bit of lemon zest for some freshness. These taste delicious and make perfect holiday gifts.

Prep time: 15 mins; Baking time: 12 mins; Makes - 18 cookies ~*What U Need*~ Unsalted butter - 1/4 cup, room temp All purpose flour - 3/4 cup Old fashioned oats - 3/4 cup Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp Salt - a pinch Baking soda - 1/2 tsp Brown sugar - 1/4 cup White sugar - 1/4 cup Egg - 1/2 of an egg Lemon zest - 1/4 tsp Dried Cranberries - 1/4 cup White chocolate chips - 1/4 cup Coconut flakes - 1/4 cup How I Made it: Preheat the oven to 350F. In a bowl, combine flour, oats, salt, and baking soda; set aside. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add egg, lemon zest, and mix well. Add the flour mixture and gently mix till you see no traces of flour. Gently fold in the coconut and white chocolate chips and cranberries. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper. Form 1 tbsp balls, flatten it a bit and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes. Let them cool for 2 minutes before using a spatula to move onto a cooling rack. Repeat with the entire batch.

Serve with a glass of milk.

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Tex Mex Rice Bowl

I know that I am good at procrastinating things and thats why I joined few cooking challenges. To make me committed, to try and keep up with the end date and to never say "lets do it another day". I failed, yet again and here I am posting the dish that I made for the challenge two months later. I am really sorry Priya and Kalpana, for such a late post. I will try my level best to keep up with the dates from here on. Coming to the challenge, Kalpana, being a health freak, chose brown rice (I saw that coming!!!) and peppers. I immediately knew that I would make a one pot meal and this Tex mex rice is what I came up with.

~*What U Need*~ Boneless & Skinless Chicken - 1 cup, chopped Taco seasoning - 1 tbsp Red & Yellow peppers - 1 cup, chopped Brown rice - 2 cups, cooked Yellow corn - 1 cup, thawed Black beans - 1 can, drained Lemon - 1 Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup Salt - to taste Oil - 1 tbsp sliced avocados and sour cream - to serve How I Made it: Heat oil in a pan, and when hot add the chicken. Sprinkle the taco seasoning and fry till the chicken is done. Add the peppers and fry for 2-3 mins. Remove from flame. Add the brown rice and gently mix. Add the corn and beans and mix well. Squeeze in lemon juice, add chopped coriander and toss well. Season with salt.

Serve warm topped with sliced avocados and sour cream!!!

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Mediterranean Quinoa Salad | Quinoa Recipes | Healthy foods

Quinoa is one among the world's healthiest food. It was one among the many to-try things that I had wanted to try when I moved to the US. But its taken me time and that too a long one but as they say better late than never. I gave in last week and bought a packet of qunioa from my local grocery store. I love the Mediterranean flavors a lot and I thought of making a simple salad to start with it. I served it with some Jamaican Jerk spiced roasted chicken and it was a filling meal on the whole.

~*What U Need*~ Quinoa - 1/2 cup Water - 1 cup Red onion - 2 tbsp, chopped Lemon - 1/2, juiced Olives - 1/8 cup, chopped Red and yellow peppers - 1/4 cup, chopped Extra virgin olive oil - 1 tbsp Cucumber - 1 cup, peeled and diced Tomatoes - 1/2 cup, deseeded and cubed Feta cheese - 1/3 cup, crumbled Chickpeas / Garbanzo - 1/2 cup, cooked till soft Salt and pepper - to season Avocado slices and spur cream - to serve How I Made it: Rinse quinoa and cook as per package instructions with salt. Then fluff with a fork and set aside in a large mixing bowl to cool. Prep the vegetables. Add everything to the quinoa, season with salt and toss. Add the olive oil and feta cheese and toss gently. Adjust seasoning as you taste.

Top with avocado slices and sour cream and serve!!!

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Honey Lime Sweet Potato Tacos

I love tacos because it is easy to assemble and makes for a delicious dinner. Well its only me when it comes to world cuisine, the huss has never been a big fan. The thing he never enjoys when I try new dishes at home but for that reason he never detests what that is served for him. He eats the dinner whole heartedly, but he would always prefer a plate of biryani. I love trying new taco recipes and I came across this honey lime sweet potato tacos from Cooking Classy when I was browsing Pinterest and it immediately caught my attention. The flavor pairing was so good and even pappu loved the filling. He loved picking the beans, the corn and the sweet potatoes and calling out names everytime he popped one into his mouth.

~*What U Need*~ Sweet potatoes - 3/4 lb, peeled and diced Olive oil - 1 tbsp Cumin - 1/2 tsp Chilli powder - 3/4 tsp Ground coriander - 1/8 tsp Onion - 1/2, chopped Garlic - 1 clove, minced Black beans - 1 can, rinsed & drained Frozen Corn - 1/2 cup, thawed and drained Honey - 2 tbsp Lemon juice - 2 tbsp Cilantro - 1/4 cup, chopped Corn tortillas - to serve Lettuce - chopped Cheese - to serve How I Made it: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, toss the sweet potatoes with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, cumin, chilli powder, ground coriander, salt and pepper. Spread this on a lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 mins. In a large skillet, heat remaining olive oil over medium-high heat, add onion and saute until golden brown. Add minced garlic and saute well. Reduce heat to medium-low, add in black beans, corn, honey and lime juice. Heat until warm. Toss in roasted sweet potatoes and cilantro. Serve over warm tortillas with desired toppings.

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Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich | Sandwich Recipes

Avocados have never been a favorite with the boys of the house. But I make it a point to include avocados in pappu's diet twice a week given the numerous health benefits of the fruit. Did you know that avocado is a fruit??? Well, I didn't and I had to browse to know that. Silly me. I like to incorporate avocados in our diet atleast occasionally and I usually make guacamole with tortilla chips for our evening snacks. When it comes to guacamole the huss never complains but when it is avocado in any other form, he just walks away. So I had to resort to another recipe. And this egg salad is what I came up with. You sub the mayo of a regular egg salad with avocado and job done... a healthy and filling sandwich.

~*What U Need*~ Hard Boiled Eggs – 2 Avocado – 1 Lemon – 1 tsp Salt, pepper - to season Italian seasoning - 1 tsp Garlic powder - 1/4 tsp Honey mustard - to serve Lettuce leaves - 4 Bread of your choice How I Made it: Chop the eggs and avocado. Add 3. Add lemon juice, italian seasoning, garlic, seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix well but donot mash them. Slice the bread. Place the lettuce, top it with the salad, drizzle the mustard sauce. Close the sandwich.

Serve with juice!!!

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