Hai there !

A place where information that I know is shared, in the simplest and purest form so that it is easily conveyable to my viewers ,is what my blog is all about.

I hope my blog would be of help to the readers out there, to get what they want….

Thanks for stopping by…

Jeny

WordPress Followers…A gentle reminder

I had mentioned in my earlier post that I am upgrading the blog and would like to have each one of you to be there with me. The process is almost done. I have made arrangements for all my followers to be with me.My email followers would be notified about my posts as before and there would be no changes and so you guys need not worry….:)

To my WordPress followers, please make sure that you Subscribe from my new site ( http://www.jenycooks.com) to receive emails on new posts, or else you may be able to see my posts only at the reader and may miss out my posts.

I would like to have each one of you with me in my journey and I look forward to be linked with each one of you.

Thanks you once again for the kind support and encouragement that you all have given me till date and I expect the same in the future too.

Love

Jeny

My blog is Upgrading…..

It has been almost a year and a half  that I have started blogging and it has truly been a wonderful experience. New learning, new contacts, new horizons and the growing has been so much fun and exciting. 

I now plan to have an up-gradation of my blog as a part of my growing and I would like to inform all my followers that I would be upgrading soon ( within a matter of days to a new platform). I shall be posting the latest details very shortly and  you could also find me posting the updates at my Facebook page and Pinterest page.

Every like, every comment and every follower ( either mail , through RSS or other means) have only encouraged me to get better and better. If not for each one of your support and encouragement, I may not have been where I am today. I expect the same kind of support and encouragement in my future endeavors. 

Please do visit me at my new site and shower me with the same support and love you all have showed me till now...( my new site would be named as jenycooks.com).

I thank each one of you for being with me and showing constant encouragement and I expect to meet you all there soon. Like and follow my Facebook page and Pinterest page for latest updates.

Once again, thanking you all.

Lovingly

Jeny

Chocolate Vanilla Cake

 

I am so excited !!! guess why???  I have niece`s  birthday coming up and these lovely pastries I made for her B`day Party !!!! When my sister told me that she is giving me in charge of all the cake baking for the birthday, I was overwhelmed, I really did not know what to say….

Ever since she told me I would be given the full responsibility, I was in deep thoughts of what flavor should I choose to make for the pastries. After doing a little bit of research, the combination of chocolate and vanilla sounded best and pastries in their combo was not so common. I always like to pick something different all the time. So went ahead with this wonderful combination.

Remember the Chocolate Coffee Cake I made for my son on his birthday? That was then microwaved, but this time I have my new oven and I baked it.  I had the Vanilla cake recipe with me that my mom always make and so I went ahead with the perfect combination of these two. Layered them and sandwiched them with Whipped Cream. My kids are like, ” Mom, they look like the ones that we get from Cake Shops !! ? What more do I have to hear….:)

This was made in a large batch and so you can make alteration as per your requirement.

Servings – 45 pieces

Ingredients

For the Vanilla Cake

1 Stick ( 1/2 Cup ) Unsalted butter

1/2 cup oil

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 tbsp Vanilla essence

1 3/4 cups whole milk

For the Chocolate Coffee Cake

3 cups All purpose flour plus little more for dusting pans.

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/4 cup unsweetened Cocoa powder

1 tbsp baking powder

2 cup cold buttermilk

1 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla essence

2 cup freshly brewed black coffee.

Other Ingredients

Whipped Cream

Chocolate Shavings ( Optional)

Method

For the Vanilla Cake

. Pre-heat the oven at 370 F. Grease pans and keep aside.

. Sift the all purpose flour, baking powder and salt and keep aside.

. In a large bowl, beat Sugar and butter till light and fluffy.

. To this add the oil and vanilla essence and beat.

. Beat in the eggs till fully incorporated.

. Beat in the flour to this butter mixture, alternating with milk, where you begin and end with the flour. Beat till Smooth.

.Bake for about 25 minutes or till done.

For the Chocolate Cake

. Pre-heat the oven at 370F

. Sift the  flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder into a bowl and keep aside.

. In another bowl, first beat the eggs and powdered sugar till fluffy. Then add in the vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla essence and beat well.

. Fold in the dry mix to the wet mix till well combined.

. Then add the prepared coffee and mix well.

. Bake the cake for about 25-30 minutes or till done.

Assembling the cake.

.Split each cake into two.

. Alternate layers as per choice with whipped cream and finally spread whipped cream on top.

. Garnish with Chocolate Shavings or any other toppings of your choice.

.Enjoy the wonderful beauty that you have made….:)

 

Mango Pickle / Mango Curry

It is the lent season and almost majority of the Christians would be on a vegetarian diet. There are so many variants to the vegetarian recipes that at times, you may even forget to have the non-vegetarian food..lol

Well this is one among the dishes that we make often and I remember my mom making them in large batches, so that there is sufficient to stock that would last long. However, these are so tasty that, at times it may not last the period that she had in mind,….lol

This is so simple and easy to make and you would just keep wanting for more. Just this one dish would be sufficient to have a bowl full of rice and this is one of the main stars that is served on Good Friday along with rice soup or Kanji after the Church mass. The very thought of having Kanji in earthen post along with this Mango Pickle makes my mouth water and I thoroughly enjoy it every year.

 

Servings – 3-4

Ingredients

3-4 Raw mangoes cut into small cubes

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilly powder

3/4 tbsp Chilly powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp Mustard Seeds

1/2 tsp Fenugreek Seeds

1 tsp Asafoetida powder

1 1/2 tbsp Vinegar

1 tsp Sugar

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Oil

Method

. Wash the mangoes thoroughly and cut them to small cubes. Marinate them with salt and keep them refrigerated overnight. This makes them to get softer.

. Bring the mangoes to room temperature. Make a paste of all the powders.

.In a hot pan, add some oil and crack the mustard and fenugreek seeds.

. To this add he powder paste and mix well.

. When the raw smell is done, add in the vinegar and sugar and mix well.

. To this add in the mangoes and give a good mix. Add water only if required and that too in small amounts. Check salt at this stage.

. Once the mix is thoroughly coated on the mangoes and it just starts to bubble, take of from flame.

 

Tips :  Cool well and store in clean air tight bottles.

Do not use wet spoon as the shelf life would be reduced.

If stored in refrigerators, you could use for longer periods.

 

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake with Vanilla butter-cream frosting

This is a very special cake for me as this was an order placed from my co-sister from Bangalore, for her one and only sister in Cochin, to be presented as a gift. The choice was entirely left to me and hence I needed to meet her expectations. I told her, that I am just a beginner and why me…She just said,” I know you would meet my expectations”…Now that is whole lot of trust on you and a great responsibility !

I spend weeks working on this. Had sleepless nights thinking on how to get it right, what design to make, which cake to make and so on. Since this cake was gifted for attaining a PhD, I then thought the graduation cap idea would be a good pick. I then started doing trials and working in mind of the various color combinations, how to decorate and so on. In fact I even started dreaming cakes in my sleep!!!! 

Few days back, I made this cake for my little sweet 2 year old neighbor and it was well appreciated and so I thought, would take up the same cake and design it differently. This time it was a bigger one. A 2 kg cake for the first time ! wow…lots of new experiences. Anyways I thought will take that extra step and give a try.

Cake that I made for the little girl….

Servings – Measurements for a 9″ pan

Ingredients

100 gms Butter

1 1/2 cups Castor Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla essence

1/4 cup Oil 

4 eggs separated

1 cup All purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup Cocoa powder

3/4 cup butter milk

For Vanilla Butter-cream Icing/ frosting

100 gms butter

3-4 cups Castor Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla essence

2-3 tbsp Milk 

Method.

. Pre-heat oven at 370 for 10 mins. Grease the pan and keep aside.

. Sift the all purpose flour,baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder and keep aside. ( dry ingredients)

.In a bowl, mix butter, sugar and vanilla essence till creamy. To this add the oil and beat well till smooth and creamy.

. Separate the egg yolks and whites. Beat the egg whites separately till soft peaks are formed.

. Mix the yolks to the butter mix and blend till just mixed. To this add the dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk and mix well.

. Fold in the beaten egg whites gradually.

.  Pour the batter to the prepared pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes or till cake is done.

For the butter-cream

. Beat the butter till soft and fluffy.

. Add in the vanilla essence and sugar. Add sugar one cup at a time and taste as you go. Just add up to your requirements.

. Add in milk just to make it a smooth consistency and hence add one spoon at a time.

Once cake is baked and cooled,design the cake to your choice.

 

 

 

Mango Smoothie

Summer has already hit this part of the  world and it is getting hotter and hotter day by day. The best way to keep yourself cool is get in lots of fruits, yogurt, milk, water and anything that would keep you cool internally too.

It is the season of mangoes and this time when I visited the grocers, got lots of them, especially the ripe ones!!! My son has started his exams and he gets drained very easily. Since it is too hot out, I thought I would get him something cool when he is back from school.

This is a very easy and simple shake or smoothie and I have added in all possible things to get it very cool. My son thoroughly enjoyed this glass of cool drink when he got back from school and has asked me to get on more in the coming days….Thinking of variants now !!!

Serves – 2

Ingredients

3 – 4 ripe mangoes cut into pieces

1-2 cups cold milk

1/2 cup yogurt

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp whipped cream ( optional )

Method

. Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender till smooth.

. Pour into a tall glass and garnish with whipped cream. This is purely optional.

. Serve Chilled.

Linking this recipe with Kitchen Dreaming Social Week – 12

Summer Salad

 

The heat has already hit us in this part of the world…..I know it sounds funny as in the other part, people are still fighting the cold. However, the heat here is rising high and now switching to some cool foods could only keep us cool from within. Salads are one good option to keep you cool as well as to keep you full and healthy. I love salads and I always have salads ready at home. Variety of salads , which range from the simple to the lengthy ones,are always prepared and I thoroughly enjoy them.

Salads are great fillers too. A perfect much for mid-day snack or along with sandwiches or rolls. At times, I use these prepared salads are my filling for rolls and they taste so great. Quick and easy and packed with lots of nutrients in their raw form, which makes it even more better.

This is one of my trials. On my grocery purchase, I happened to see all these different varieties of leaves and other veggies, that I could not hold back myself from laying my hands on them. So fresh and crisp !!!!  especially the Lettuce. The lettuce being packed with lots of health benefits, especially one that aids in weight loss is one of my favorites too.

A wonderful salad that could keep you cool and energetic for the entire day.

Servings – 1 big bowl

Ingredients

A handful of Green Lettuce leaves

A handful of Red Lettuce leaves

A handful of Grass lettuce

1/2 cup Red bell peppers cut length wise

1/2 cup Green bell peppers cut length wise

1 cup Zucchini or Cucumbers coarsely chopped

1/4 cup Tomatoes cut length wise

2 tbsp Coriander leaves finely chopped

1 tbsp Mint leaves coarsely chopped

2 green chilies , slit and finely cut.

1/4 cup Thick curd

1/3 cup fresh cream

4-5 Tbsp Mayonnaise

2 tsp Pepper powder

Salt as per taste.

Method.

. Add all the veggies together and toss well.

. To this add the cream ,curd ,  mayonnaise, pepper and salt and toss well.

. Serve chilled.

Note : You could add in anything of your preference to this salad. There is no hard and fast rule that you need to stick to these ingredients. 🙂

 

 

Easy Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer or Cottage cheese is very common at my home and my kids just love it, no matter in which way it is prepared.Be it spicy, creamy or even as a fried snack, they would just go on munching on it, till they are full. My daughter, picks each piece of Paneer for herself and she says the entire dish is her`s and would not give anyone ..lol..

Few days back I happened to see a cookery show where they prepared butter chicken, in such a simple and easy way. I had already made a point that I would try it sometime soon. However, I just could not hold back my patience and when checked,had this pack of Paneer with me instead of the chicken. Thought for a while and decided I would go with the recipe with Paneer and try how it would be.

It was a true winner and everybody in the family liked it. Very creamy and with lots of gravy. With the spices just right ,the entire bowl of the curry was vanished with just one sitting by the family !!! My son has asked me to make for him often now. This is so simple and easy and just require very little time.

Though this is Paneer butter masala, I did not put much of butter,just with some oil. Even then it was great, so for butter lovers, you could go ahead with butter and enjoy it !!!

Servings – 4

Ingredients

500 gms Paneer or Cottage cheese cut into cubes

1 large onion diced to small cubes

1 tsp finely chopped ginger

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1 cup Tomato puree or tomato paste

1 cup Fresh Cream

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tbsp Kashmiri chilly powder

1/2 tbsp Red Chilly powder

1 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped for garnish

Salt to taste

1 tbsp butter ( optional)

Oil

Method

. Gently rinse the cubed paneer / cottage cheese pieces and keep aside.

. On a pan, heat some oil or melt the butter . To this add the cubed onions, garlic and ginger and saute well.

. When the onions turn translucent , add in the turmeric powder, Kashmiri chilly powder, red chilly powder and saute well.

. When the raw smell is left, add in tomato puree and mix well. When the puree is cooked and slowly starts leaving the sides, add in the fresh cream and stir.

. To this add in the diced Paneer cubes and salt as per taste and cover with a lid for a few minutes.

. When the gravy starts thickening, just sprinkle some coriander leaves and take of from flame.

. Serve hot along with Roti, Naan or chapati ( Falt Indian bread).

Tips:

. If you fee the gravy is a bit too thick, add some water before taking off from flame and adjust to you level of preference.

. Make sure when you add the cream, the heat is low, or else the chances of curdling is high.

Linking this recipe with Kitchen Dreaming Social Week – 12

 

Coffee Infused Lamb

Just as the name says, this is a wonderful recipe that has a beautiful blend of coffee with Lamb. Does that sound strange??? Well even I thought so when I heard it for the first time. But somehow my instincts told me it would be great. Yet I kept thinking and thinking many times before I gave this a try.

This was actually seen on a cookery show and I just noted it down with just the main points. Later,I had to sit and recall the entire steps what the Chef was doing to get mine right. Yet I made changes to mine and gave it a try. The moment the kitchen was filled with the  aroma of coffee, my son came running in asking” Mom what is special today?”…lol….he now knows that his mom is upto something when the not so common smell fills the house….lol..I told him Surpriseeee!!!! and asked him to wait…

The wait was worth, when he was served this tender, coffee infused lamb and my daughter too was very happy on it. They had it to their full and has put requests to make them again. You can see my daughter all assisting me and being a part of my shots with all the patience for that tender piece she holds…..lol… We all thoroughly enjoyed the dish.

This is perfect to be had as an appetizer or snack and is very simple and easy to make.

Servings – 4

Ingredients

400 gms Lamb or tender Mutton

2 tbsp brown Sugar

3 tsp Instant Coffee Powder

2 tsp Vinegar

2 tbsp Oil + Oil for shallow frying

Salt to taste

Method

. Marinate the lamb or mutton pieces with all the mentioned ingredients and let it refrigerate for about 2-3 hours.

. Heat pan and add some oil ( not too much).

. When oil is hot, cook lamb till the marinate turns to a sauce. ( I placed a lid so that the meat was thoroughly cooked till soft and very tender)

. Serve hot.

Soya and Fenugreek leaves patty / Soya and Methi Cutlets

With all the celebrations done, it is time to give a break to all the sweets that has been hanging around in my kitchen and switch to something really healthy and tasty. As usual, this was something that I created to get my kids have vegetables. They were so fond of Soya chunks, but lately they just started to get away from it. So again, I had the task of cracking my head to find innovative ways to get them have this.their veggie intake.

Methi leaves or Fenugreek is very healthy. They have lots of medicinal values that are good for health.They could be used both in the fresh form or in the dried form. On my last grocery purchase, I happened to come across some fresh Methi leaves which I could not resist and I instantly thought this is the best time to get hold of them.

Back home, I was thinking on how to get my kids have this. I usually mix it with the normal Chapati ( flat Indian bread). But this time, I thought would do something different. That is when this idea suddenly struck me. Had some soya chunks in my pantry and I went for the combination of both.

In order not get the slightest hint as to what this is, I shaped them as mini thick patties and convinced them that these are great burgers !!!! ( LOL….mothers na.. need to be innovative for kids…). Poor kids, they believed me and was very happy on this yummy snack that they had.  Seeing them  having these patties, I was also happy, afterall I got them have something really good  …lol

Servings – 12-15 Nos

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup Soya chunks

3/4 cup Methi or Fenugreek leaves finely chopped

3/4 cup boiled potatoes

1 1/2 cup finely chopped onions

2 green chilies finely chopped

1 tsp finely chopped ginger

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1 tsp finely chopped curry leaves ( Optional)

1 -2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

2 tsp Meat Masala powder ( Optional)

1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds

1-2 egg beaten

Salt as per taste

Bread crumbs for frying

Oil for frying.

2 cups water

Method

. Boil the water with about 1 tsp salt and soak the soya chunks for about 10-20 minutes.

. After 20 minutes and cool enough,squeeze the water completely off the soya chunks with your hands and finely chop them using your food processor.  Keep this aside.

. Process the onions, green chilies, ginger and garlic together so they are finely chopped.

. In a pan, heat some oil and crack the mustard seeds. To this add the onion, ginger, garlic and chilly and mix and saute well.

. When the onions start to get translucent, add the potatoes and mix well and then add the meat masala, and some salt and mix well.

. When the the raw smell is left, take off from flame and leave it to cool.

. Once cooled, add in the processed soya chunks, finely chopped methi(fenugreek leaves), curry leaves and coriander leaves and mix with your fingers till they are like a soft dough.

. Roll out small balls and them pat them to your desired size and shape.

. Dip them in the beaten egg one by one and then roll them in bread crumbs.

. Heat oil for frying and when hot, deep fry them.

. Serve hot along with rice, with sandwiches, rotis or with just sauce.

This is a great make ahead snack and could be stored in freezer for upto 2-3 weeks. You can complete the entire process and just thaw before frying when ever you want to use them.

Tips

. You can either mix the egg and bread crumb along with the entire mix for making the process easier.

. To make it even more healthier, you can use powdered oats instead of bread crumbs.

. The meat masala powder was added so that the soya and methi taste does bot get easily identified.