For a while I have been in persuit of making bagara baigan (BB). It all began when I tasted the bagara baigan at Hawali (Dublin, Ca). Every Friday, they served it in their lunch menu and that was a sure reason for us to have lunch there. This week at the farmer's market we were able to get some baby eggplant and I decided to make BB. Today for dinner I made almost 3 quarts of this delicious side dish and served it along with pulav. This recipe is adapted from the Vah chef's recipe and so delicious. I however think, at Hawali they added cream and made it super rich. I skipped the cream and I think the sauce was rich enough and delicious.

Gadgets:

Food Processor

Frying Pan

Cutting Board

Spatula

Slotted Spoon

Measuring Cups

Knife

Kuzhi Appam Pam

Ingredients:

Eggplant - 12 

Onion - 1 1/2 diced

Ginger - 2 inch

Garlic - 4 cloves

Green Chillies - 1

Cilantro - 1/4 cup for garnish

Oil - For For Shallow Frying 

Oil - 2 tbsp for Cooking

Jaggery - 1 tbsp

Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Raw Peanuts - 1 cup

White Sesame Seeds - 1/4 cup

Dry Coconut - 1 fist full

Cumin Powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tbsp

Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon - 1 inch
Cloves - 3
Bay Leaves - 2
Cardamom - 3

Hing - a dash

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Tamarind Juice - 1 cup

Water - 4 cups

Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat the appam pan with oil. Keeping the stem of the eggplant intact, slit the eggplant vertically and horizontally. Place them in the appam pan and fry them until they are cooked.

2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan. Add peanuts and roast them on medium heat. Add sesame seeds and dry coconut and toast it well. Remove and add to a food processor, Add 2 cup of water and make it into a sauce that is kind not a fine paste, but lightly grainy.

3. Heat the frying pan again with 2 tbsp of oil. Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, bay leaves and allow to mix with the warm oil for 30 seconds. then add the onions, ginger garlic paste and salt. Cook the onions.

4. Add the peanut sauce to the onions, and cook on medium heat. Add some water and cover and cook for 10 minutes, but make sure to give it a mix regularly.

5. Add tamarind water ad jaggery and cook for 5 minutes. Add the eggplants in the sauce and cook it on low flame. Garnish with cilantro and serve it hot with rice or naan. 

Last week was a busy one with too many things to cook and bake. It was Teachers appreciation week at school. My daughter wanted to make some cookies for her teachers. She has been talking about baking chocolate chip cookies for the last 2 weeks. We baked cookies and delivered them still hot off the oven to her teachers. I am big fan of America's Test Kitchen show on PBS and wanted to try out their recipe. I think this is the best chocolate chip cookie I have tasted. I baked it for 10 minutes and removed it from the oven and allowed to cool slightly, this I think created a very chewy texture. They are amazing when warm. We made two batches of the recipe and served them warm as a late night snack to our family and friends. 

Gadgets:

Saucepan
Spatula
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Bowls
Cookie Sheets
Parchment Paper
Whisk

Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies Courtesy of America's Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

1 3/4cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)
1/2teaspoon baking soda
14tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)
1/2cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
3/4cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
1teaspoon table salt
2teaspoons vanilla extract
1large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (added an extra 3/4 cups chocolate chips for nuts)
3/4cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional) ( Skipped this ingredient)

Preparation:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny.  Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)

5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10-14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Some weeks ago, I happen to taste this awesome cake at a family gathering. When asked for the recipe, they graciously shared the link to the real simple lemon bundt cake recipe. I had booked marked the recipe and wanted an occasion to bake the cake. Yesterday, we celebrated my friends daughter's birthday at their house. It was a surprise birthday party and I offered to bring the cake. I substituted pineapple in place of lemon and the cake turned out really delicious. It is rich, but this is one quality cake that I wanted to document for myself and for friends who asked me for the recipe. The original recipe is a bundt cake, but I made it into 9 inch cakes. Try this recipe if you are in need of a good cake recipe.

Gadgets:

Electric Mixer

Bowl

Spring Pan 9 inches 2

Whisk

Measuring Cups and spoons

Parchment Paper

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature, plus more for the pan - 1 cup 
All-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the pan - 2 1/2 cups
Kosher salt - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Granulated sugar - 3 cups
Crushed Pineapple - 1 can
Finely grated lemon zest - 2 Tbsp
Pineapple juice - 4 tbsp ( reserved from the crushed pineapple can)
Large eggs, at room temperature - 6
Plain full-fat Greek yogurt - 1 cup
Confectioners’ sugar - 4 tbsp
Heavy Whipping Cream - 2 cups
Cookie Cutter (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)

Preparation:

1. Heat oven to 325° F. Butter and flour the spring pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Place a bowl and whisk in the freezer to get them chilled for whipped cream. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and lemon zest on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in 4 tablespoons of the pineapple juice, then the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

3. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add half the flour mixture, then the yogurt, and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not over mix).

4. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes, then run a spatula around the cake and carefully unclasp the spring pan.Transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Using the chilled bowl, add the whipped cream and whisk until the cream starts to thicken, then add the confectioner's sugar and whisk to a stiff peak. 

6. Spread the crushed pineapple in the top of  one 9 inch cake. Add the whipped cream on top and spread lightly. At this point you can place the second lawyer and do the same. I served only one 9 inch cake as this is a very rich cake. 

7. Place the tulip cookie cutter on top of the cake. Inside of the flower sprinkle some colored sugar sprinkles. Remove the cookie cutter and the cake is done.

When you are pressed for time and do not have a clue as to what to prepare for tiffin, breakfast or dinner, rava adai can be an easy option. This is a recipe that I had made a note of from a cooking book some time ago. I was not sure as to what to expect when I started mixing the ingredients, but as soon as I tasted it, instantly it became one of  my favorites. The ease in preparing the adai and the taste, made me want to make it more often. This adai can be made in 15 minutes and might be a blessing if you have unexpected guests.  I loved them without any chutney as I found them crunchy and tasty. The little bits of coconut created a nice texture. 

Gadgets:

Bowl

Ladle

Cutting Board

Knife

Iron Tawa

Spatula

Measuring Cups and Spoons

Pan

Ingredients:

Makes 2 Adais

Roasted Rava/ Cream of Wheat/ Semolina – ½ cup

Grated Fresh Coconut – 2 tbsp

Sour Cream – 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds – ¼ tsp

Sugar – a pinch

Green Chillies – 1 sliced

Ginger – ½ inch grated

Curry Leaves – a few

Water – Enough to make a pancake type batter

Salt to taste

Asafoeida – a pinch

Oil – 2 tsp

Onions – 2 tbsp diced (option)

Preparation:

1.  Dry roast the rava in a pan until the raw smell leaves.

     2.  In a bowl, mix together all the ingredients other than the roasted rava. Add ½ cup of water and mix well. 

      3.   Add the roasted rava and some water enough to get to adai type batter consistency. 

      Note: I choose not to mention the water requirement because, when you mix the cream of wheat in liquid mix, it will start to absorb more water. So it is important to add water  depending on the batter thickness. 

      4.  Heat the iron tava on medium high. Add some oil and spread evenly with the spatula. 

    5. Add a ladle of the batter on the iron tawa and make a thick dosai/ pancake ( about 8 inches cirlces). Spoon a tsp of oil around the adai. Cook them until you see it getting toasted on one side. 

   

      6.    Cook on the other side, and when done serve them hot.

Note: If you make the batter and set them aside, make sure to add more water before making the adai.