Chicken Shashlik/skewers served with fried rice and chicken Manchurian makes a wonderful combo .
Chicken Shashlik is served with sauce /gravy and fried rice. These Chicken Shashlik are Chinese style shashliks.These are really yummy and can be a great appetisers for a party as well..Shashlik are pretty simple and easy to make. ..Have seen this recipe been shared  in many groups and was tempted to try..I have tried and kept it simple by using the ingredients I had at hand..You can use colourful bell peppers to make it look more pretty.

Ingredients
400 gms chicken breast/boneless
1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp lemon/lime juice
1 1/2 tsp black pepper crushed
1 tsp chilli garlic sauce
salt
1 tsp oil
2 Capsicum
1 onion
1 tomato
wooden skewers

Method

• Cut the chicken into small cubes and wash it well.
• Keep the  wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes 
• Also cut the capsicum ,onion and tomato into cubes.
• Remove the seeds from the tomatoes.we just need the flesh.
• Marinate the chicken well with salt ,pepper ,lime ,ginger garlic paste and the sauces .
• Keep it aside for 30 minutes
• Also add the cubed veggies in the marinade .
• Place the chicken and the capsicum ,onion and tomato in the skewers alternatively.
• When you are ready to cook ,heat a grill/non stick pan 
• Add 1 tbsp oil ,once the oil is hot place the skewers.
• Fry on medium flame till its nice and brown in colour.
• Serve it as an appetizer or with fried rice and Manchurian

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Few years back there was a very famous bakery Bread talk  in a mall nearby ..It was our favourite hangout We loved the cotton light cheesecakes and the sausage bun was my favourite..It was a ritual to get a pack of this wonderful cottonsoft cheesecake every week..though it was expensive we used to love it to the core..Don't know why it was shut down and I was sad because we could no longer get the yummy cottonlight/cottoncheesecake..it was those days when i baked only semolina /coconut and chocolate cakes i had never tried cheesecakes this was way back in 2008 ..
Few years back i simply googled for bread talk and this cotton cheesecake recipe and was very happy to see them in most of the Asian blogs...Since then I have been trying this and was happy to get the exact taste...P.S my two attempts were a big flop ..the first time i tried i had not whipped egg whites well and the second time I had overmixed the batter which caused to deflate.

After that there i never failed i followed this recipe to the T and got wonderful cotton soft cheesecake..Now this has been a family favourite and is baked alteast  twice a month
You do give it a try ..i have tried to include all the tips and tricks and also made it simpler with the stepwise pics along..do try and let me know how it turned out..
I will be posting another version of this cake very soon so do stay tuned.

Ingredients
50 ml milk
125 gm cream cheese
25 gms butter
30 gms all purpose flour
10 gms cornflour
70 gms powdered sugar
3 egg white
3 yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp cream of tartar/1 tsp lime juice

Method
Melt butter ,cream cheese ,milk over double boiler and let it cool
Beat egg whites with cream of tartar /1 tsp lemon juice till glossy the peak should be stiff

Beat eggs sugar and vanilla till thick.

Then in 3-4 additions mix in egg whites.
Mix in the flour and cornflour in the cream cheese mixture in 2 -3 additions.

Mix the egg mixture in the cream cheese mixture

Pour in 6/7 inch pan lined with parchment ,oiled and dusted.
Place the cake pan in a tray covered with hot water,the water level should be just below half the level of the cake pan..
You can use a wide rectangular baking tray like i did for the water bath .

Bake 40-50 min 160 degree Celsius.
Turn off the oven and keep the door ajar for 15 minutes.
Remove the cake pan from the oven .

Allow it to cool completely.

I have dusted some icing sugar using stencil.

Notes
I have used Philadelphia cream cheese you can try using homemade cheese but using Kraft(cheese spread) or puck cream cheese is a big No.
I have baked it in a water bath hence the cake was soft from the bottom,you can also keep 4 bowls filled with water in a tray below the baking tray on which the cake pan is kept.
You need to beat the egg whites really well because that is what will give the cake the cotton soft texture or else the cake won't rise as we don't use any rising agents here.
I always use salted butter for my bakes so i skip adding salt If you use unsalted butter add 1/4 tsp salt along with the flour.
If using a springform/loose bottom pan make sure you wrap aluminium foil so that the water rom water bath doesn't seep in.
It may take 40-60 minutes to bake depending on the oven temperature..every oven is different. 

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Melt in mouth delicious malai chicken tikka or murgh malai kebab are one of my favourite They are just super yummy and these taste better than the restaurant ones..
These are nothing but boneless chicken marinated  with cream cheese and mild spices ..this is milder than the other kababs..Have tried it many times and we love it absolutely..do try it out ..you will love it too

Ingredients
1/2 kg Boneless Chicken pieces
 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 green chillies chopped fine
 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves (optional)
1 tsp black pepper powder
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp fresh cream
2 tbsp cheddar cheese
1 tbsp thick curd/yogurt
1 tbsp oil
salt

Method
Wash the chicken pieces and let the excess water drain completely
Apply salt,pepper and ginger garlic paste and keep aside for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile mix together thick curds,cream cheese cream ,cardamom powder finely chopped chilli and coriander leaves  ,cornflour and keep aside for an hour in the fridge
Once ready to cook remove the marinated chicken for at least 10 minutes before you start cooking.
Place the marinated chicken in the skewers and grill in hot grill pan/non stick pan till done.
If using oven cook at 200 degree for 10 minutes  on both sides till brown .
Serve with lemon wedges and onion rings..

Notes
You can add meat tenderizer/papaya paste in the first marinade,I have never used it as i marinate it well ahead so that the meat is cooked succulent and really well.
If you love to make it extra rich you can also add 2 tbsp mava/khoya to the second marinade.
Always cook on medium flame as it has cheese it turns brown fast.
Use salt sparingly since cheese is salty too.
Soak the wooden skewers in water for an hour before you use it

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Strawberry Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting...these cupcakes not only look cute but are very soft and super delish..My family prefers vanilla /fruit cakes over chocolate..So made these lovely cupcakes for them..I had some frosting left from my red velvet cupcakes ,so used it to frost this..
Fresh Strawberry adds a very nice flavour and taste to these cupcakes if you do not have fresh strawberries you could add preserve/coulis.. as well ..For the frosting i added little strawberry crush for the colour and flavour as well.

Ingredients
for the cupcakes
3/4 cup flour/maida/APF
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
50 gms  + 1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter milk
1 egg
8-9 strawberries chopped/2 tbsp strawberry preserve

Method

• Sift flour baking powder and cornflour and keep aside
• Line 8 muffin cups with cupcake liner
• Pre heat the oven at 180 degree Celsius for 10 minutes
• Cream Butter and sugar till light and fluffy
• Add one egg and beat well 
• Now mix butter milk and vanilla/strawberry essence and mix
• Add sifted flour and fold in with a spatula till all is mixed well
• lastly add the strawberries/preserve and mix well
• Pour the batter in the lined muffin moulds.
• Bake for 2--25 minutes at 180 degree Celsius.
• Allow them to cool completely before you frost it.

• For the strawberry cream cheese frosting I used the leftover frosting from red velvetcupcakes.
• I just added a tablespoon strawberry crush and mixed and then piped it using a 2d tip.

Notes
1/4 cup milk + 1 tsp vinegar/lime juice = butter milk
if you don't want to add egg,skip and add 1/2 cup buttermilk in place of 1/4 cup
you can use whipped cream frosting to decorate them as well
if you don't have strawberries/crush/preserve just add the strawberry essence and 1 tbsp strawberry custard powder instead of cornflour.

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Being a chocoholic I always stock chocolates in my fridge because there is always an urge to have  something sweet after every meal  But I have never been a fan of white chocolate ,found it oversweet always..I was having half a slab of white chocolate compound left after making fudge for Christmas and so thought of finishing it by making these Easy to make White chocolate truffles with coconut.

These little balls of White Chocolate truffles are so easy to make all you need is just 3 ingredients and you  get delicious white chocolate truffle made in minutes..Perfect to gift anyone you can use colorful paper cups and pack them in lovely boxes available easily.These can be a great idea for your kids party as well. You can add a tiny drop of colour to the desiccated coconut when you roll them ..it will look very pretty..

Ingredients
200 gms White Chocolate
 60 ml Fresh Cream
100 gms desiccated coconut
few drops of vanilla
1 tbsp butter

Method

• Chop the chocolate in a bowl  and keep aside
• In a saucepan add cream and heat over low flame ,don't let it boil once you see tiny bubbles at the side of the  saucepan witch the flame off.
• Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and add 1 tbsp butter ,let it stand for 2 minutes.
• Add in vanilla.
• Mix  with a spatula till all is smooth and silky.
• Allow it to cool at room temperature.

• Mix the desiccated coconut and keep it in the fridge for about 2-3 hours.
• Remove and shape it into balls .
• Roll it on desiccated coconut and place it on paper cups 
• Let it refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

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Mutton Chops are my favourite  i have shared two recipes of fried mutton chops .I love chops in any form and so thought of making a biryani using chops only ..THis is a very simple yet delicious version of mutton chop biryani i also make it in another way ,which I will post sometimes later.
.It was a super yummy treat..do try this you will love this..perfect for festive occasions or a dinner party.

Ingredients
1/2 kg Mutton chops
 1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
 3 thinly sliced onions
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 ts red chilli powder /mutton masala
3-4 green chillies slitted/as per taste
1 tsp garam masala powder
200 gms curds
2 medium tomatoes sliced
oil
salt

for the rice
1/2 kg basmati rice
2 bay leaves
3-4 green cardamom
1/2 tsp shahijeera
1 small stick dalchini/cinnamon
2-3 cloves

for layering 
1 thinly sliced crispy fried onion
2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
2-3 tbsp coriander leaves
dry fruits as needed
1 1/2 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp rose water
food colour a tiny drop/saffron soak in 1 tbsp warm milk

Method

• Marinate mutton chops with ginger garlic paste,salt turmeric powder and red chilli powder,slitted green chillies  and keep aside for 2 hours or more ,cover and keep in the fridge if keeping for more than 2 hours.
• Fry the thinly sliced onions till golden brown and crisp .
• If using potatoes fry the too and keep aside also fry the nuts and keep aside 
• Cook the soaked basmati rice till 3/4th done with the ingredients mentioned
• Drain the rice and keep aside .
• Heat  a pressure cooker add oil then add sliced tomatoes fry well till its soft .
• Add the marinated mutton chops and sate over medium heat for 5-7 minutes till the rawness of the ginger garlic paste in the marinade goes away and the meat is well sauteed.
• Then add the garam masala powder and saute for a while.
• Add about 1/2 to 3/3 cup water and cover the pressure cooker with the lid and cook for 3 whistles.
• Take a thick bottomed pan/vessel and heat 1 tsp oil/ghee put layer of rice .
• Add the fried onions,mint and coriander leaves,potatoes and then add the gravy with chops.
• layer it with the remaining rice and sprinkle the fried onions,coriander leaves nuts etc.
• If using colour  just add a tiny drop of it/pour the saffron infused milk all over the rice.
• Make 4 holes with back of spoon and add little of 1 tbsp melted ghee in each hole
• Lastly sprinkle rose water cove the lid and cook on high heat for ten minutes then later cook on the lowest flame for 10 minutes.
• Serve with raita/tandoori chicken or any kebab

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India's Most popular  and ordered dish all over the world.Tandoori Chicken is one such dish which is fav among all non vegetarian ..tandoori meaning cooked in hot oven /tandoor..which gives this chicken the real flavour and taste..the key to make a tandoori chicken is succulent and juicy is the marinade where in all the flavours goes in..the longer you marinade the better it taste.
I have also made biryani with this you can check this post for tandoori chicken biryani...I have made this on stove top/gas in a non stick pan and later gave coal smoke to it which gave the real tandoor aroma and taste.Now you too can make restaurant style Tandoori Chicken  at home ,It was juicy well cooked and utterly delicious..do try it out..

Ingredients
750 gms chicken (leg and breast Pieces)
3/4 cup curds/dahi/yogurt
1 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
2 tbsp + 1 tsp  ginger garlic paste
1 tsp lime/lemon juice
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp chaat masala
1 tbsp oil preferbaly mustard
a pinch of red colour
few pieces coal

Method

• Wash the chicken well and make gashes/slits with a sharp knife .
• Apply salt lime on the chicken and keep aside 
• Meanwhile take a small bowl and whisk the curds,chilli powder ginger garlic paste and the garam masala and colour if using.
• Add 1 tbsp oil to the above mixture and mix
• Now apply this marinade all over the chicken let the marinade cover the chicken fully
• The more you marinade the better it taste,cover with cling wrap and let it marinate for at least 2 hours I prefer marinating the chicken overnight.
• When you are ready to cook it heat the non stick pan add 1 tbsp oil and then add the chicken with the marinade.
• Cover with the lid and cook over medium heat on both sides till its cooked completely
• When the chicken is almost done burn  a coal ,you can place a small piece of coal on the burner below the pan you cooking your chicken in.
• The coal has to be red hot ,with tongs carry the coal and place a small piece of foil in the centre of the pan ,keep the burning coal on the foil ,put a drop of oil/ghee and immediately cover the pan with the lid.this will allow the aroma to get deep inside the chicken and will give it nice tandoori flavour,let it be covered for at least 5 min.you will notice the smoke will become less then take the foil out with the tong .
• Sprinkle chaat masala before you serve the chicken,serve it as a side dish with some onions rings,lemon wedges/salad/Naan

Notes
Making Slits/gashes is very important to make sure the chicken is well marinated or else the chicken will taste bland from inside.you can also prick the chicken with a fork/knife.
You can also use chicken with the skin on but make sure you marinate the chicken well especially let the  marinade go beneath the skin
You can bake this in the oven too ,you will need to baste the chicken with butter /oil then place it on a baking tray lined with foil cook in a preheated oven for 15-18 minutes at 200 degree Celsius.
Giving coal smoke gives the feel of cooking the chicken on tandoor,if you don't have coal at hand just cook till the chicken is done and serve ,it will still taste yumm.

I served it with MuttonChops Biryani..recipe here

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Yeah You heard it right Methi /fenugreek leaves with butter chicken it taste just too yumm..Last month as it was wedding season and so many family functions we were tired of eating chicken mutton and other non veg items I brought a big bundle of methi for methi matar and theplas.
 I was still left with a small bunch of methi thought of adding it to the chicken..I had already tried methi chicken before and had no curds to make it again..I had some marinated chicken chunks so  i just tossed it in a grill pan and made a gravy and added fenugreek/methi to it...I did not add any cashew paste or poppy seeds paste but still this butter chicken was simply amazing

This the best way you can feed your fussy kids leaf veggies..methi enhances the taste of the chicken and gives a nice flavour.. This is a quick version of butter chicken  I have ground the onions and tomatoes together  to save time and added malai instead of fresh cream.I made it thrice in a week  and it tasted better everytime.
 It goes really well with naan but i enjoyed with theplas...So do try this very yummy Methi Butter Chicken

Ingredients
for the chicken marination
300 gms chicken breast
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp lime juice
salt

A small bunch of methi/fenugreek leaves
2 big tomatoes
1 onion sliced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp chilli powder/mutton masala
1 tsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp fresh cream/malai
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp oil

Method

• Cut the methi and wash it keep it aside
• Marinate the chicken for 20 min with the ingredients listed and toss it on a non stick or grill pan till done.
• Heat a pan add 1 tsp oil ,Saute the onions till it turns golden 
• Grind the onion and tomatoes together to a puree.
• In the non stick kadhai add 2 tbsp oil once hot add bay leaves then add the ground onion and tomato paste
• Fry well on medium flame till oil separates
• Then add chilli powder salt and garam masala powder,mix well
• Add sugar to balance the tang from the tomatoes.
• Add  chopped fenugreek/methi and add about 3/4 -1 cup water /as needed  cook with the lid covered for 6-8 minutes
• Open the lid and add the chicken mix well let it boil for few minutes
• Then add garam masala powder, give it a stir and switch the flame off and  lastly add cream and butter
• Serve hot with naan/jeera rice/any pulao or rotis.

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My  all time fav cookies, just them love ....These London Almond or Almond London are buttery cookies stuffed with almonds and then baked then coated with melted chocolate and garnished with almond nibs..
These are very popular cookies made specially on Chinise New year and other festivals  like Eid in Malyasia..
I had made these for Christmas and they were loved and well received by all who tasted them.As i got busy during the entire month of December I just forgot to post them..Anyways its better late than never ..
Now over to the recipe

Ingredients
125 gm butter
75 g icing sugar/powdered sugar sifted
1 egg yolk
225 g flour/2 cup
3tbsp cornflour
100 g ground almonds
1 tsp vanilla  essence
 350-400  gm chocolate compound
1 tsp baking powder # ( see notes )
70 almonds
50 gm almond nibbles

Method
preheat oven 170
Sift flour ,cornflour and baking powder
In a bowl beat sugar and butter together till creamy.
Add egg and  essence,beat  till pale yellow

add flour ,almond flour baking powder if using  and fold till you get soft  dough

If  the dough is too  soft  add more flour

• Divide into marble sized balls
• Bake /toast the almonds for 7-8  min
• Cover the cookie with almond ,shape into oval shaped cookie
• Bake for 20 min 180 degree
• Over double boiler,melt the chopped compound chocolate
• Cool before dipping in melted  chocolate

• Dip the cookies in chocolate and with help of spoon/fork lift each cookies and place on paper cups.
• Sprinkle nibbles before chocolate dries
• Store it an air tight container..

Notes
you can skip egg you are a vegetarian..jus proceed with the rest of the ingredients add few drops of milk if the dough is too crumbly. 
if the dough is too soft to handle ,keep it in the refrigerator for 15- 20 minutes before you shape it to cookies
# i have tried both method adding baking powder and skipping it..both turns out perfect..i feel skipping is much better.

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