Valentin's Sugar Cookies Decorate With Royal Icing / Heart Shaped Sugar Cookies !!!

A sugar cookie is a cookie made from sugar, flour, butter, eggs, vanilla, and either baking powder or baking soda. Sugar cookies may be formed by hand or rolled and cut into shapes. They are commonly decorated with frosting, sprinkles, or a combination of both. They can also be cut into decorative shapes and figures. In North America, sugar cookies are popular during the holidays of Christmas and Halloween.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_cookie

I would say that am not a prefect or experienced baker, but I love to bake. One of my best method for baking is “Trial & Error”. Recently while searching for perfect sugar cookies, I found this blog http://www.hanielas.com/ . After I watched her recipe on you tube, I got my sugar cookies so perfect. For sugar cookies, choosing butter is very important, neither too hard nor creamy (butter should not break while bending it).

I decorate my valentine's sugar cookies by Royal icing.

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour - 2 cups + more for rolling
Baking powder – ½ tsp
Salt – ¼ tsp
Unsalted butter, room temperature - 1/2 cup (1 stick)
Granulated sugar - 1 cup
Egg - 1 large
Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
Royal icing (optional)

Method:

    

• Preheat the oven 325 degrees.
• In large bowl, add flour, baking powder, salt and sift it.
• By using hand mixer, add butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Now, add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat for a minute.
• Gradually add flour mixture to the wet ingredients & beat until combined on low speed.
• Divide dough in half; flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic; freeze until firm, at least 20 minutes (thaw in refrigerator overnight).
• Line baking sheets with parchment.
• Remove one dough disk; let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Roll out ¼ inch thick between two sheets of floured parchment, dusting dough with flour as needed.
• Cut shapes with cookie cutters. Using a spatula, transfer to prepared baking sheets & refrigerate for 10 minutes, before baking.
• Reroll scraps; cut shapes. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake, rotating halfway through, until edges are golden, 10 to 18 minutes (depending on size).
• Cool the cookies completely on wire racks.
• To ice cookies, spread with the spoon.
• Let the icing harden, about 20 minutes. Decorate as desired.
• Serve & enjoy it.

Coconut Creamy Chicken Curry:

Last Sunday I tried Coconut creamy chicken curry, am pretty sure every one like it. The mild spiciness, creamy texture & juiciness of the chicken, melting in my mouth. The combination of bowl of rice & chicken curry. Wow!! heavenly dish.
Finally, I touched it with some ghee (clarified butter), which enhances the aroma & taste to the curry. Adding coconut milk, the base of the curry, helps liaison to the dish. Also your favorite meat / seafoods / vegetables can be added.
For vegetarians, chicken can substitute with paneer / channa, Tofu, Potatoes, Brinjal or Cauliflower.

 

Preparation Time - 20 minutes
Cooking Time : 35 minutes
Recipes Cuisines : South Indian
Ingredients:

 
Chicken – 500 gms
Onion – 1 large
Tomato – 1 large
Coconut milk – ½ cup
Salt to taste
Grind into Paste:

 
Whole Red chillies – 6 nos (soaked in hot water)
Coriander powder – 2 tsp
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp (soaked in water / milk)
Pepper corns – 2 tsp
Cloves – 4 nos
cinnamon stick– 1 small
Cardamom – 2 nos
Ginger – 1 small
Garlic – 8 cloves
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Tempering :
Oil / ghee – 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Anise seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 strand

     
Method:

• In a blender, add whole red chili, coriander powder, poppy seeds, pepper corns, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, garlic, turmeric, garam masala, add some water & grind into paste.
• Heat the oil on the low flame, splutter the mustard seeds, anise seeds, cumin seeds / jeera & curry leaves.
• Now add the finely chopped onions, grounded paste & sauté until the raw flavour goes off.
• After that add chopped tomatoes & cook until it gets mushy.
• Now add the chicken, cover with lid and cook for 15 minutes until the chicken gets tender.
• Once the chicken gets cooked, add the coconut milk & cook it for 5 minutes.
• Garnish it with hand full of cilantro & mint.
• Serve it hot and enjoy it with dosa, idly, steamed rice & chapathi!!!

Bibimbap / Korean Mixed Rice

Bibimbap is one of the signature dish in Korea. Bibim – “mixed”, bap - “rice” is served as/ with a bowl of warm white rice topped with sautéed and seasoned vegetables, greens, sprouts and chili pepper paste (gochujang). Additionally with a raw or fried / poached egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common. The ingredients are stirred individually & serve it hot just before eating.

This will served in hot clay bowl, which helps to retain the food warmness. Am so impressed about this dish, because in single bowl we are getting all the macro & micro nutrients, and also it's easy to prepare and cook. This is one of the quickest & easiest meal with all nutrients.

Not only easy, it's also eye appealing food with the gorgeous colorful vegetables. Best food for dieting / weight watchers.

I used cumin for flavor & digestion, in India it is one of the most important spice in our diet. It's totally optional. Hope you all enjoy it !!!

Bon Appetite !!!

 

Cooking Time : 15 minutes
Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Recipes Cuisines : Korean
Serving - 1
Ingredients:

Cooked rice – 180 gm
Carrot – 1 small (¼ cup)
vegetable oil - as required
Spinach – handful
Mushroom – 3 nos (¼ cup)
Sprouted horse-gram – ¼ cup (boiled)
Fresh Cucumber – ¼ cup
Cumin powder – as per taste (optional)
Pepper powder – as per taste
Garlic – ½ tsp (finely chopped)
Ginger – ½ tsp (finely chopped)
Salt to taste
Red Sauce :

Homemade red chili paste – 1 tsp (as per taste)
Sesame oil – ½ tsp
Soy sauce – 1 tsp (low sodium)
Sesame seeds – 1 tsp (roasted)
White vinegar – ½ tsp
Garlic – ½ tsp (finely chopped)
Ginger – ½ tsp (finely chopped)
Salt to taste
Garnishing:
Poached / fried Egg – 1 no.
Spring onions – 1 (chopped finely)
Cilantro – 2 strand (chopped finely)

 

Method:

• For sauce, in a ramekin / bowl, stir together the red chili paste, soy sauce, vinegar, the ginger, garlic & sesame seed oil and keep aside.
• Chop all the vegetables finely as shown above.
• Heat a skillet over high heat. Add a ½ tsp of vegetable oil and stir fry the mushrooms with a pinch of salt, cumin powder and pepper until fragrant and tender, about 2 minutes. Remove and reserve, leaving the pan going.
• Add a little more oil, add carrots, and a pinches of salt, pepper & cumin powder. Stir fry until beginning to soften, about two minutes. Remove and reserve, leaving the pan going.
• Add another ½ tsp of oil, add ginger, garlic, spinach, pinch of a salt, pepper powder, cumin powder & cook until soft. Remove and reserve, leaving the pan going.
• Add the boiled sprouts, sesame oil, and a pinch of salt, pepper, cumin and stir fry until just wilting, about 1 minute. Remove and reserve.
• To serve, put a mound of cooked rice in a warm bowl.
• Now, arrange servings of the mushrooms, sprouts, spinach, carrot and fresh cucumbers shaves around the perimeter of the rice. Put an poached egg in the middle / top of the rice, and garnish with the scallions & cilantro.
• Serve it hot & enjoy with gochujang/ red chili sauce as per the palate.

 

Hydrabadi Chicken Dum Biriyani !!!

After a long time, I am posting one of my favorite recipe. Hope you all enjoy this recipe by following my step by step procedure. I know everyone of us, longing to make it perfect, don't worry if it fails ; just try it one more time, because this is my third attempt. So, finally I made it into success. Here is the recipe Hydrabadi Chicken Dum Biriyani !!!
This biriyani is the special one (king of biriyani), which is easy to prepare on one pot. The difference is, where the raw poultry / meat blend with all spices & sourness of thickened yogurt, placed at bottom of the large pot and layered with half cooked rice, saffron milk - which gives great aroma & bright yellow color (appetizing to our eyes), hand full mint & cilantro leaves and fried onions makes the dish more exquisite.

Marination Time : 30 minutes / overnight
Cooking Time : 30 minutes
Recipes Cuisine : South India
Ingredients:
Chicken Marination:
Chicken (thighs) – 500gms
Oil – 2 tbsp
Bay leaves - 2
Cinnamon – 1 large stick
Cardamom – 5 nos (crushed)
Star anise – 2 nos
Black pepper – ½ tsp (crushed)
Cloves – 5 nos
Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
Red chili powder – 2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Mace / javintri powder – ½ tsp
Nutmeg powder - ½ tsp
Bay leaves – 2 nos
Poppy seeds – 1 tsp
Shahi jeera – 1 tsp
Anise seeds – 1 tsp
Fried onion – 2 tbsp (http://mysouthernflavours.com/2013/11/22/fried-onions/ )
Curd / yogurt – 1 cup (thick)
Salt – 2 tsp
Unsalted butter – 1 tbsp
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Ginger – garlic paste:

• Ginger – 1 large pieces
• Garlic – 7 cloves
• Green chilies – 2
• Cilantro – 3 strand

Rice preparation:
Basmathi Rice – 500 gms
Salt – ½ tsp
Shahi jeera – ½ tsp
sombu / anise seed – ½ tsp
Cardamom – 2 nos
Cinnamon – 1 small stick
Cloves – 2 nos
Garnishing:
Saffron – pinch (mixed in milk)
Cilantro & mint leaves – handful
Fried onions – ½ cup (homemade)
Method:
Step 1:
Marinating Chicken:
 

• First clean the chicken & remove the moisture by using paper towel.
• Start to mix the all spices, yogurt / curd, fried onions, salt & oil in a large bowl.
• Add the chicken to the mixture and marinate it for atleast 1 hour / overnight in the refrigerator.

Step 2:
Rice Preparation:

• Soak the basmathi rice for 30 minutes with enough water.
• Boil the water in a large pot, add shahi jeera, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon & salt.
• Now drain the water from the soaked rice & add to the boiling water.
• Turn off the flame, when the rice half cooked ; drain water & wash the rice in the cool water for a minute (prevents rice from over cooking)

Step 3:
Layering the Dum Biriyani:
   

• In a heavy bottom pan / nonstick, first arrange the marinated chicken & add cubed butter on it.
• Now layer with the half cooked rice, pour saffron mixture over the top.
• Final layer with handful of cilantro & mint leaves, fried onions and cover it with tight lid.
• Cook it on high flame for first 10 minutes.
• After that cook it on dum, for another 15 – 20 minutes on very low flame.
• Serve it hot & enjoy with onion raitha & brinjal curry.

Hints:

• For dum biriyani use heavy bottomed utensil / nonstick.
• Don't worry if you are not having tight lid, cover the pan with news paper / muslin cloth & close it with lid [or] keep heavy vessel over top of the lid (this helps for perfect dum, without releasing pressure).