March 2015 | Forks N Knives

Flourless Chocolate Soufflé....

Monday, March 30, 2015



Because you know its all about the drama...These little cutie pies...not only are they gorgeous to look at, they taste sinfully divine...Lets's get baking...


Start by preheating your oven at 400F (220 C). Take one large or two small ramekins. Its better to take a deep baking dish as this allows the souffle to rise higher. Butter the ramekins generously. Add 1 tsp sugar into it and evenly spread and tap off the excess.


Heat 1/2 cup heavy cream. Add 100-125 gms( 4-5 oz) of semi sweet chocolate(Atleast 55% cocoa), 1 tbsp butter and allow it to melt in hot cream.


Crack two eggs. Seperate the yolk and whites. Beat whites till they form stiff peaks by adding 2 tbsp of sugar. This step is very important, as this is what causes the cake to rise. Dry and clean bowl, and dry mixer whisk and no trace of egg yolks are needed. Mine was ready in 5-6 minutes.


Add the yolks into the chocolate- cream mixture and whisk well.


Pour the chocolate into the egg whites in two batches. Be careful not to over mix. Gently fold in with a spatula so as not to deflate the egg whites.


Pour into the greased ramekin till rim and with a paper towel clean the edges. Clean edges help in even rising of the souffle. Bake for around 15- 17 minutes(Oven temperature varies, watch out after 12 minutes). Serve immediately. After few minutes they start shrinking.











Bharwan Bhindi..Stuffed Okra

Monday, March 23, 2015


    Bharwan Bhindi..stuffed okra..

   Start by washing the okra and dry them in a paper towel. Cut the edge and make slits in 
   centre without cutting the okra in two pieces.


   Start by roasting 1/4th cup peanuts, 3 red chillies, 1 tsp jeera, 2 tbsp chana dal, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 
   2 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp amchur powder, 1 tsp salt. Once cooled, powder them and fill in 
   the okra. We will be using the extra spice mix in the masala.


   Add about 2 tbsp oil and cook these stuffed okras on high-medium heat, till half done  
   about 5-7 minutes.


    In a pan, add 2 tbsp oil, add 1/2 tsp jeera, few curry leaves, crushed ginger garlic, 
    2-3 green chilles,  1 medium sized chopped onion, 1 tsp salt. Saute it.


   Add 1 tomato and allow it to cook till tomato turns soft and starts leaving moisture. 
   Now add the remaining powdered stuffing masala , 2 tsp freshly grated coconut and cook for few minutes.


   Add the fried bhindis and cook for 7-10 minutes or till the bhindi is done. Garnish with 
   cilantro leaves and coconut. Serve with hot rotis or rice.






Rice kheer with jaggery..Nei Payasam- My way...


Rice kheer or Nei payasam is served in temples as a prasadam. Very easy and quick to make and tastes so so divine!! Traditionally, Kerala broken rice is used but today i have used basmati rice.


Start by boiling 1 cup of jaggery with 1 cup of water. Strain the water if there are any impurities.


Add 3/4th cup of half cooked rice and allow it to cook. In few minutes, it thickens and the rice will be cooked fully.


Add 2 tbsp ghee, 1/2 tsp freshly crushed cardamom and 1/2tsp dried ginger powder. Give it a mix.


Add 1 cup of freshly grated coconut or the frozen one. Turn off the gas. Garnish with nuts of your choice. Serve warm.



Eggless Chocolate Brownie with condensed milk.

Saturday, March 21, 2015


I have never quite made eggless brownies, fearing they will turn sad..real SAD!! I was proved wrong, so WRONG..few hours ago...As dense and fudgy as the usual ones..just the way all of us at home like it..Lets get Baking!!

Method:

1. Start by heating 6 tbsp of unsalted butter (1 stick) with 8oz bitter sweet chocolate in a double boiler. I used 100% cacao this time. You can go lower than that....but as always, darker the chocolate, intense is the flavor.



2. The melted chocolate and butter. Allow this to cool little. Add 1 tsp instant coffee powder in 2 tbsp water, mix and pour into this mixture


3. Pour 1 tin(400 ml) sweetened condensed milk and mix well. Now, start preheating your oven at 350F(180 C).







4. Sift together 1/2 cup all purpose flour(remember a fudgy brownie requires very less flour, so just 1/2 cup!!), 1/3 rd cup unsweetened cocoa powder,1/2 tsp baking powder.


5. Mix slowly with the chocolate mixture.



This is a simple trick to line your pan with foil. Invert your baking tray and outline with foil.


Place it inside your pan, this way you get the perfect measurement.


Pour the batter in an 8X8 inch pan and bake for around 35-40 minutes depending on your oven temperature. Do the toothpick test to see their done ness.



Allow it to cool( If you have the patience!!) Store in an airtight container. Warm it in microwave for few seconds before you serve it to retain the softness and some ice cream to go by!!




If you try any of my recipes, please give me a holler at FacebookTwitter or Pinterest. I will be more than thrilled.

Also, can i ask you all to follow us by email subscription so that you could have all recipes delivered freely to your inbox? Just enter your email address in that tiny pop-up at bottom left corner if in Laptop or scroll down till the end if in Mobile. Thanks a lot for the encouragement.


Mini Chocolate Cheesecake..

Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Mini Chocolate Cheesecake..
On the occasion of women's day!! For all ya strong and beautiful ladies.....

Ingredients: 8oz cream cheese at room temperature, 1/3rd cup sour cream, 1 cup sugar, 
1tsp vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, 1 egg, 1/2 cup cocoa powder,3 tbsp butter, 10-12 plain biscuits.

Start by melting butter. Take the biscuits in a zippouch and powder it with the help of a rolling pin or pulse it in a food processor. Mix 1 tbsp of cocoa powder, powdered biscuits and butter together. They will resemble like wet stand. In your spring foam pan press down this mixture evenly and place it in the freezer till the time the batter gets ready.

Preheat the oven at 350 F(180 C). Whisk the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, salt, vanilla extract in a stand mixer or with the help of a hand whisk. If the cream cheese has been kept at room temperature, whisking becomes very easy and you get a very smooth batter like the below pic. I kept it out overnight.

Add sifted cocoa powder and mix again.

Cover the spring foam pan with foil as we will be baking this in water bath.

Pour the cream cheese mix into the spring foam pan. Pour hot water into a baking tray and place the cake pans. Bake for around 45-50 minutes. Once it is done, leave half the oven door open and allow it cool inside the oven for 30 minutes. Take it out and once it cools down refrigerate for around 4-5 hours or overnight. Serve with fresh berries and cream.




Regarding the ganache: I made this in a hurry and forgot to take step by step pictures. You need 8 oz good quality dark chocolate(baking ones preferrably,atleast 70% cacao!), 1 cup heavy cream and 1/3rd cup light corn syrup(optional, but it plays a major role in adding that extra shine!!). Pour heavy cream and corn syrup in a saucepan, and bring it to a boil and  immediately pour it over the chocolate and mix it well slowly till the chocolate melts. Leave it at room temperature for an hour or two. Silky & Shiny ganache is ready.

Powered by Blogger.
Back to Top