Eggless Tiramisu

Eggless Tiramisu

As the wave of murmur pours through the vintage cracks of a  coffee shop, a swift glance was exchanged between the attractive individual seated in a corner illuminated by sunlight. A sleekly crafted sheet of porcelain, that carried a marvelously layered pastry, was presented while carrying an anonymous name that danced next to a heart. Tiramisu is a decadent Italian pastry that fashions espresso and chocolate embezzled in mascarpone cheese. I was never that desperate to discover a recipe for this amazing delicacy without eggs and liqueur. Alas!! Tried all my permutations and combinations to succeed this master piece. Either you are a coffee drinker or not decaf doesn’t make you miss anything at all though coffee drinkers voted for the real espresso which hit the mark.

Recipe for lady finger:

Ingredients:

sugar - 4 tablespoons
vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon
unsalted butter - 1 1/2 cups
All purpose flour - 2 cups
Almond flour or ground almond- 1/2 cup
powdered sugar

Method:

Blend all the ingredients well and adding the coarsely ground nuts last. Scrape the batter into a piping bag with a 3/4" plain tip and pipe into fingers about 3" long at 1" intervals onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake them in a 300 degree F (150 C) oven for 30 to 45 minutes till they start turning slightly brown at the edges.

Take them out of the oven and cool on tray for about 5 minutes and then move the biscuits to a cooling rack. When slightly cool, roll them in powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container till required.

Cream:

Ingredients:

Mascarpone cheese – 16 oz/2 cups

Heavy whipping cream – one pint

Sugar – ¾ cup

Method:

Store the cheese and the cream in the fridge.

Whip the heavy cream with a hand or stand up mixer until it forms peaks. Add the cheese and mix in low settings for 30 seconds. Add the sugar at last and mix for 30 seconds.

Coffee for dipping:

Espresso coffee – 2 cups (decaf or regular)

Add ½ cup sugar to the coffee.

Assembly process:

Dip the lady finger cookies in the coffee until soft but until it breaks apart and line in a 6 inch pan.

Spread half of the cream frosting on top of the dipped cookies and spread it evenly flat.

Sprinkle cocoa powder on the cream.

Arrange another layer of lady finger dipped in the sweetened coffee.

Spread the rest of the cream frosting on top of the cookies and spread it evenly flat.

Sprinkle cocoa powder on the cream again.

Cover and store in the fridge for 4-6 hours.

Cut and serve chilled.

 

 

Roaste Red pepper hummus

Hummus is a dip originally from middle east. It is usually made with mashed chick peas, tahini, lemon, salt and garlic.  I made some slight variations by avoiding the garlic and replacing some indian spices . One of my favorite vegan restaurant serves with Roti slices but usually it is served with toasted or warm pita bread. Cut  and serve with some veggies like carrots, zuchini and olives and you will be astonished to see how this dip helps in fresh vegetable consumption.

Ingredients:
Red pepper - one big
Canned chick peas - one or 2 cups
Tahini - 3 tbsp
Olive oil - one tbsp
lemon juice - one tbsp
cumin powder - one tsp
Hing - one pinch
Cayenne pepper - one tsp
Salt - one tsp
Finely chopped parsely or cilantro - one tsp

Method:

1. Remove the seeds from the peppers and cut them into big chunks. apply oil and broil them in the oven or on your grill until the skin lightly charrs.
2. Place the hot peppers in a zip lock bag and rub them from outside. This process helps in separating the skin.
3. Take it out and peel the skin slowly. This is not a required process. you can just broil them slightly and cool them.
4. place the peppers in the food processor and grind them coarsely.
5. Drain the chick peas and reserve the liquid.
6. Add the chick peas, salt, lemon juice, cumin powder, cayenne( red chilly powder is a good subsititute too) tahini, oilve oil along with the ground pepper and grind again until smooth paste.
7. Add the reserved liquid about 2-3 tbsp. grind again.
8. Remove from food processor, garnish cut cilantro or parsely and serve with hot pita bread and fresh cut veggies.

serves 4-6 people. can be refridgerated upto a week.

Eggless Doughnuts

Doughnuts are something that would not be rejected when offered to someone. Some major doughnut companies initially did not list eggs as an ingredient in it. But slowly it changed when the law required every allergen to be listed. It was devastating to know that we had been consuming it all these days. Then started my R&D to make at home. Honestly, this recipe is not mine it was taken from different books and altered with my ideas. Of course, neither was I born or brought up in the west to acquire this from my mom or granny. But have to tell you after all those trials this one was satisfying. Well!! Got feedback from friends and family before bragging about it.
Yeast - 2 packs
Water - 1/4 cup warm
milk- 3/4 cups
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Yogurt - 2 tbsp
Shortening- 5 tbsp
Self rising flour- 5 cups
Directions:
1. Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water, and let stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the yeast mixture, milk, sugar, salt, yogurt, shortening, and 2 cups of the flour. Mix for a few minutes at low speed. Beat in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl. Knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a greased bowl, and cover. Set in a warm place to rise until double.
3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, and gently roll out to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut with a floured doughnut cutter. Let doughnuts sit out to rise again until double. Cover loosely with a cloth.
4. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla until smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in hot water one tablespoon at a time until the icing is somewhat thin, but not watery. Set aside. Add little more powdered sugar if it's watery.
5. Heat oil in a deep-fryer. Slide doughnuts into the hot oil using a wide spatula. Turn doughnuts over as they rise to the surface. Fry doughnuts on each side until golden brown. Remove from hot oil, to drain on a wire rack. Dip doughnuts into the glaze while still hot, and set onto wire racks to drain off excess.

Spring tangy cheese tart

Crust:
graham crackers - 11/2 cup
Butter- 1/2 stick
Sugar - 2 tbsp
Filling:
Condensed milk - 14 oz (1 can)
Cream cheese - 4 oz
Lemon juice - 1/4 cup
Topping:
Blueberry - fresh or frozen - 1 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Sugar- 1/4 cup
Corn starch: 1 tbsp
Mix crushed crackers, sugar and butter( melted).
Press the above mixture into a 8 inch spring foam pan. Or regular greased cake pan.( it is difficult to take cheese tart out of regular pan and retain shape)
Bake the crust for about 5 mins. Don't over bake.
Prior baking preheat oven.350 degrees.
Meanwhile mix cream cheese and condensed milk without lumps. Add the lemon juice. Mix thoroughly.
Fill the cheese mix in the baked crust.
Bake again for 30 minutes.
For topping:
Boil the water, add the blueberries and cook them for 10 mins. Add sugar and boil until it dissolves.
Switch off stove and cool the mix. Pick about4-5 pieces of blueberry for decoration. Blend the rest of cooled berries in food processor.
Return the mixture to pan and boil again. Mix corn flour with 2 tbsp of water and mix well.
Add corn flour mix with the berries on the stove. Boil until you see the mix start to solidify.
Cool the mixture. It should be in sauce consistency.
Once tart is ready cool down. Set in fridge for about. 4-5 hours.
Take it out place the reserved berries in the middle and pour the sauce on top.
Cut into slices and enjoy.

Patra or Indian Vegetarian Sushi

 

Ingredients:

• colocassia leaves – 15-20
• Tamarind juice – one cup
• Besan/chick pea flour – 2 cups
• Chilly powder – one tsp
• Crushed cumin – One tbsp
• Crushed fennel seeds – one tbsp
• Sesame seeds – one tbsp
• Oregano seeds – one tsp
• Sugar – one tbsp
• Salt - 1 ½ tsp

Directions

1. Wash and stem the leaves. Keep the vein side up and roll them flat with a rolling pin. This helps to roll them evenly. Else the veins will stick out and very hard to roll flat.
2. Mix the chick pea flour with all the dry ingredients.
3. You can either soak a lime size tamarind in one cup water and puree it or take about ½ tsp of tamarind paste and dilute them in one cup water.>
   
4. Add the tamrind water to the dry flour and spices mix them into a paste not too watery but to a consistency which will help you spread.


5. Now sort the similar sized leaves into 4 or 5 groups


6. Laying the leaves facing the veins side up spread a thin layer of the paste evenly.


7. Now place another leaf on top and repeat the process until you stack 4 leaves.


8. Now start rolling the leaf from the broad base side to the sharp tip tightly.


9. Repeat the process and roll all the leaves and set aside


10. Steam the rolled leaves on a steamer as it is


11. Steam for about 30-40 minutes, you will start to see the leaves turning color and the paste hardening.


12. Remove the steamer from flame and open and cool the rolls.


13. Now cut into 1.5 inch slices.


14. You can season them with sesame seeds and mustard seeds and garnish with coconut. Coconut is optional


15. Sesasoning: Place a small pan on the stove, add a tbsp of oil and when it is hot add a tsp of mustard seeds and sesame seeds and let is splutter and then pour it on the patra slices. Just add freshly grated coconuts if desired.

Roasted masala peanuts

This can also be called peanut pakoda!! This is a very popular snack in south India sold in every bakery and pakoda stall.The red tinted deep fried snack makes every mouth water at first glance. I have been trying this recipe for several years to get that cruncy consistency.Well!! Rome was not built in a day. But EUREKA!! thats how I felt when I figured out the recipe while keeping my sanity.Now its turn to enjoy this snack and comment on this blog.If you are planning a cricket match party or in the US a NFL game time this might be a good addition to your chips and dip. To make it more spice flavored I have added fennel and coriander seeds. You can leave them behind and still this will be a good snack.

 

Ingredients:

• Dry roasted peanuts - One cup
• Besan/Chick pea flour - 1/3 cups
• Rice flour - 2 tbsp
• Chilly powder - one tbsp
• Fennel - one tsp
• Coriander seeds - one tsp
• Curry leaves - 10 leaves
• Red orange food coloring - one pinch
• Salt - one tsp
• Oil - enough for deep frying

Directions:

1. Crush the fennel and coriander seeds in a coffee grinder coarsely.
2. Place the oil on the stove. While it is getting heated, mix all the ingredients with the peanuts.
3. Add about 2-3 tbsp of water and mix the peanuts with the flour and spices just enough to make it sticky. DO NOT MAKE IT TOO WET. The idea is to just coat the flour and spices to the peanuts.
4. Carefully using a laddle take about 2 tbsp of hot oil from the pan and mix with the peanut and spice mixture. DONOT USE BARE HANDS IMMEDIATLEY to mix!!
5. Making sure the mixture is not too hot then mix well.
6. Grab about a lemon sized ball of the mixture and slowly disperse them in the hot oil without lumping into balls. using your finger seperate the peanuts mixture while dropping in the oil.
7. Deep fry in medium flame until the oil bubbles recede.
P.S: If you are not fan of food colors please feel free to omit it. Except for the appealing colors it doesnt make any difference in the recipe.

Carrot,Ginger and coconut soup

Soups make me smile anytime when cold breeze starts to hit me. Yes fall is in the air!! allergens have started to sneeze, grass in my yard isnt growing crazy anymore, mums are budding now,leaves are changing colors and early mornings and late evenings leads us to the coat closet as soon as we open the door to step outside. Pumpkin soup is definitely in my list for the season but a recent visit to a italian place sparked this idea which turned out really well. I see usage of curry and coconuts requently in restaurant menu now.Good for us!!

 

Ingredients:

• Carrots – medium 4
• Ginger – 2 tbsp minched
• Cumin powder – ½ tsp
• Coriander powder – ½ tsp
• Pepper powder – ½ tsp
• Coconut milk – 4 tbsp
• Salt – ½ tsp
• Cane sugar – ½ tsp
• Water – one cup
• Butter or olive oil – one tbsp

Directions

1. Cut the carrots into cubes and pressure along with the ginger in the water.
2. Cool down and strain the water and keep aside
3. Puree the carrots and ginger in a food processor. Add the saved stock little by little until everything is well pureed. Add another ¼ cup water if needed.
4. Place a sauce pan on the stove and add the olive oil or butter of your choice. Once it is warm add the pepper powder, cumin and coriander powder. Wait for about 20 seconds.
5. Now add the pureed carrot ginger mixture to the sauce pan and let it come to boil.
6. If using coconut milk it can be added directly. If adding coconut milk powder add warm water to the coconut milk powder bring it to the milk consistency and then add to the boiling soup
7. Add the salt and sugar and switch it off.
8. Served with a tsp of coconut milk swirled on top of the soup.
P.s: You can sneak in some broccoli too in this. SHH!! the kids will not notice it.Yes the pic above does have brocs in it.