Layered Dessert with Custard

Custard powder pudding is extremely versatile! Add fruit or nuts or cookies or cake in it and you have a fancy dessert. Combinations work really well too.

 It has been an absolute favourite since childhood. Though I don’t eat it as often now, I remember how my mom would buy a pack of assorted flavours of custard powder. Sometimes she would ask us to pick a flavor and at other times would keep it a surprise.

I have made large batches of desserts using custard as a base. So, there are endless recipes. Most of the times, I have used ingredients available at home, to churn up an unplanned treat. It works magically always.

The recipe for making the custard is simple:

Cups of milk : Tblsp of sugar : Tblsp of custard powder

So, for 1 cup of milk use 1 tblsp of sugar and 1 tblsp of custard powder.

For 2 cups of milk use 2 tblsp of sugar and 2 tblsp of custard powder and so on.

The trick is to cook the custard on very low heat while stirring it continuously.

Once the custard has cooled down to room temperature, it can be used to create any dessert.

I especially enjoy serving layered desserts in glasses. They look beautiful and intriguing!

This recipe can be arranged into a large bowl or any glass or jar. I am not mentioning any specific amount for the ingredients as they may be combined as per taste.

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Custard Powder Pudding Layered Dessert

Ingredients:

For the Custard

Milk – 4 cups + 3 tblsp

Sugar – 4 tblsp

Custard Powder – 4 tblsp (Vanilla flavor)

Jelly – cooked as per packet instructions

Vanilla Sponge cake – a few slices or as required

Cherry – 3 to 4 per serving

Dried Prunes – 2 to 3 per serving (chopped)

Cherry syrup (from the tin) or sweetened milk – ½ cup

Method:

To make the custard

1.     Warm the milk and add in the sugar. Stir to dissolve it completely.

2.     Add a little cold milk to the custard pdr. Mix to a smooth paste.

3.    Put the sweetened  milk on low heat. Add the custard pdr paste and mix it in.

4.     Keep stirring the milk on low heat till it thickens and just comes to a boil. Switch off the heat when the first bubble appears. (Strain the custard for best results while it is still hot.)

5.    Cover it with cling film so that the film touches the surface of the custard. Let it cool completely. Refrigerate before serving.

To assemble the dessert

1.    Use a deep glass bowl or glasses to set the dessert in. The glass must be transparent.

2.    Line the base of the vessel with cake slices and crumbs. Push them in place with fingers to get an even layer. Should be about ½ inch to ¾ inch thick.

3.    Drizzle the syrup or milk over the cake to keep them moist.

4.    Place the prunes and almonds along the edge, touching the glass. This way they will be visible once custard is poured in.

5.    Add in the custard pudding into a layer as thick as the first one or slightly more. Spread it out evenly with the back of a spoon all over the cake layer. Refrigerate for 15 mins.

6.    In the meantime, make the jelly as per packet instructions. Cool slightly but not too much or it will set.

7.    Pour the jelly over the custard pudding layer. Add in a few cherries. Make sure that the cherries are covered by the jelly.

8.    Set in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 

Kadhi with Soft Pakoda

Kadhi Chawal is a popular comfort food across many states of India. We have countless recipes from different regions that vary in the use of spices. So, cooking Kadhi is really easy as you can get away with any flavor combination that you like.

I myself cook many variations of the recipe and enjoy eating it too.

My son on the other hand (till a few years back) would refuse to eat Kadhi Chawal and I had to cook something else for him instead. Surprisingly, he has developed a taste for this recipe now and asks for it from time to time.

In order, to include vegetables and nutrition in the recipe, I end up using grated veggies from my pantry. Anything that is available is added to the pakodas or the fritters. The veggies not only lend their taste to the pakodas, they also make them soft from inside.

I find that beating the pakoda batter to aerate it helps to make them softer. In turn the pakodas soak up more of the Kadhi as it has more air pockets to accommodate it.

Soft spongy pakodas in the Kadhi, that melt in the mouth can be the perfect food for the soul.

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Kadhi with Soft Pakoda (mix veg)                         Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:

 

For the Pakodas (fritters)

Grated Carrot – 1 ½ tblsp

Grated Potato - 1 ½ tblsp

Grated Pumpkin – 1 ½ tblsp

Finely chopped French beans – 1 ½ tblsp

Finely chopped onions – 1 tblsp

Finely chopped Coriander – 1 ½ tblsp

Finely chopped green chilies – as per taste

Kasuri methi/Dried fenugreek leaves – 2 tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Salt – to taste

Gram flour/Besan – about 1 cup or as needed

Water – as required

Oil – for deep frying

 

For the Sauce or Gravy

Yogurt/Curd – 1 cup

Gram flour/Besan –  3 tblsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Salt – to taste

Water – about 1 liter or as required

Fenugreek seeds/Methi dana – ½ tsp

Ginger garlic paste – ¾  tsp

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Red chili powder – ½ tsp or as desired

Oil – 3 tblsp

Dry Red chili – 1

Coriander and Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Method:

1.    To make the Pakodas: In a bowl add in ½ of the besan(gram flour), followed by the vegetables. Mix to coat the veggies with the flour.

2.    Add the kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), turmeric powder and salt. Pour in a little water and mix thoroughly. Add in the remaining gram flour a little at a time to make a thick paste.

3.    Beat the batter for 2 to 3 mins or till it is light and fluffy. The fluffy batter will make for soft pakodas (fritters).

4.    Heat some oil for deep frying the pakodas. Release the pakodas into the hot oil with your fingers or spoons. Fry the pakodas till they are cooked well from inside too. Remove and drain on absorbent paper. Keep aside to cool down.

5.    To make the sauce or gravy: Take the yogurt in a large bowl. Beat it till it becomes smooth. Add in the gram flour, turmeric and salt. Beat to combine.

6.    Add in 2 cups of water and mix to a smooth batter. Heat 2 tblsp oil in a pan. Temper the oil with the fenugreek seeds. Once they start spluttering, add in the ginger garlic paste. Fry briefly on low heat.

7.    Add in the turmeric and chili powders. Fry briefly. Pour in the yogurt and gram flour batter. Mix well. Add in some more water and let it come to a boil. Keep stirring and cook for 2 mins, till the sauce thickens slightly.

8.    Add the pakodas (fritters) into the sauce and boil them for a minute. Turn off the heat. Cover and let them soak for half an hour or till they become soft and spongy.

9.    After the soaking time is over, sprikle some dry fenugreek leaves or kasuri methi over the kadhi. Temper a tablespoon of oil with the red chili, coriander – cumin seeds. Add the hot oil on top of the kadhi. Mix lightly taking care not to break the soft pakodas.

10. Serve the kadhi with hot steamed rice.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 

Uttapam Snack Ideas

This recipe was born out of a desperate situation that I found myself in while prepping for an impromptu party at home. With no time to go shopping, I had to make do with whatever was available…including leftovers in the fridge!

So, having salvaged some leftover dosa batter, a few florets of broccoli and some chopped bell peppers…I got down to business. And voila! An assortment of fusion Uttapam pancake was ready.

Luckily for me I even had some coconut chutney in a small container that came to my rescue.

Everyone enjoyed snacking on them and appreciated the effort put in to make these beauties…

My job was done and I was happy to have used my creativity to put together a really amazing snack.

That was more than a decade ago. Now, I have realized that you can actually use any batter that you like. Make an instant batter with semolina (suji) or  poha (flattened rice). They taste good too!

Now, here are the snack ideas for you to try out in your kitchen.

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Uttapam Snack Ideas                                 Servings 10 to 12

Ingredients:

Dosa batter – 1 ½ cups or as required

Onion Pepper Topping

Bell peppers(Red & Yellow), Capsicum and Onions  – ½ cup (Finely chopped)

Salt & Pepper powder – to taste

Potato Chili Topping

Potato – 1 medium (Peeled and cut into thin strips or juliennes, washed in water and patted dry.)

Red chili flakes – to taste

Salt – to taste

Broccoli Baby Corn Topping

Broccoli – ½ cup (Finely chopped florets)

Baby Corn – 2 to 3 tblsp

Garlic – ½ tsp (grated)

Salt – to taste

Method:

1.    Heat a flat pan or tawa. Drizzle some oil on it. (Use a non stick pan for less oil consumption)

2.    Give the dosa batter a thorough mix. Using a tablespoon or a small ladle, pour the batter onto the pan as small disks.

3.    Let it set slightly on the bottom for a few seconds before adding the topping. Spread the topping evenly. Press down lightly with a spatula.

4.    Cook for a minute or two on low to medium heat before flipping them over. (If the pancakes come loose on shaking the pan, then you know it’s time to flip)

5.    Cook the toppings for 2 to 3 mins on low medium heat and they should be done.

6.    Take them out. Arrange them on a platter. Serve hot with a chutney or sauce of your choice.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 

ROASTED VEGETABLES WARM SALAD

Sometimes you feel a need to relax and take things easy. I usually end up putting together a light salad for a meal at such times. That really helps.

Today I am sharing one of my favorite salad recipes that fits in perfectly on a day that you really want to take things easy.   

It’s such a simple recipe and hardly takes any effort to prepare it. Use up any vegetables of your choice that you can find in the pantry. I do that all the time.

Zucchini or squash, eggplant, tomatoes, pumpkin, carrots, and so many vegetables go really well in the salad.

The simple dressing for the salad helps to bring out the flavors even better. I have used some lettuce and cucumber for the crunch. You may use nuts too. No rules here. Build your salad according to your taste.

Adding cooked broken wheat or couscous or quinoa to the salad makes it robust. You may even add cooked rice or left over pulao for that matter.

It’s a warm salad, so remember to have the roasted vegetables warm when serving. If you plan to cook the roast ahead, you could just warm it up before mixing up the salad.

I know that you will enjoy the recipe…that is making it and eating it too!

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ROASTED VEGETABLES HEALTHY WARM SALAD             Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the roasted vegetables:

Eggplant / Brinjal – 1 cup cubed

Carrot – 1 large (cut into thick rounds)

French beans – 6 to 8

Small onions – 3 to 4 (cut into quarters)

Tomatoes – 2 medium (cut into cubes)

Bell peppers (Red and Yellow) – ½ each (cut into rectangles)

Garlic – 4 to 5 cloves whole

Celery stalk – 1 (chopped finely)

Olive oil – 4 to 5 tblsp

Pepper powder – to taste

Salt – to taste

For the dressing:

Extra virgin olive oil – ¼ cup

Lemon juice – 1 tblsp

Parsley (freshly chopped or dried) – 1 ½ tsp

Sweet chili sauce – 1 tblsp

Light soy sauce – 1 ½ tsp

Lapsi/Broken Wheat/Couscous/Quinoa (cooked) – ½ cup

Lettuce leaves – a few (torn)

Cucumber – ½ (chopped)

Method:

1.    Wash and chop up the vegetables. Keep them aside.

2.    Take a baking tray and line it with foil. Add the vegetables to the tray. Sprinkle the celery and the garlic cloves.

3.    Sprinkle sea salt and pepper powder to season the vegetables. Drizzle olive oil all over. Give it all a thorough mix and rub. (It’s best done by clean hand)

4.    Spread the vegetables evenly on the baking tray. Put it in a preheated oven to roast at 200 °C till the veggies are cooked. (It took me 30 mins in my oven, your oven time may vary. So keep checking.)

5.    Let them cool slightly for a few minutes. Take out the garlic and remove the skin. Put the pulp back into the vegetables. (You could do this easily by squishing the cloves to extract the cooked garlic like a paste.)

6.    For the dressing, mix all the ingredients and use a whisk to combine them thoroughly.

7.    Take a large bowl. Add in the warm roasted veggies and the Broken wheat (or Couscous or Quinoa). Add in the lettuce leaves and the cucumber. Pour over the dressing (should be just enough to coat everything).

8.    Mix lightly but thoroughly to coat all the veggies with the dressing.

9.    Serve it while still warm as a starter or snack. You could even make a meal of it!

© Rinki’s Kitchen 

SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE with Mushrooms and Lentil

Spaghetti Bolognese is made with minced meat...but what if you want to do a vegan or vegetarian sauce?

I make many sauces to go with spaghetti. This vegan recipe is light, healthy and full of flavor. The sauce is chunky and even has a bite to it. 

The mushrooms are added at the very beginning to extract the maximum flavour. The lentils are just cooked so that they have a bite to them. The mushrooms may be replaced with soya granules. So, actually this sauce is quite versatile. 

You could turn it into a vegetarian dish by adding cheese to it. That’s your choice.

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SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE with Mushrooms and Lentil          Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:

For the sauce:

Red Lentils (Masoor dal) – 1/3 cup

Button Mushrooms – 200 g

Tomatoes – 5 large (about 500g)

Onions (chopped finely) – 1 large or 2 medium

Garlic (chopped finely) – 3 to 4 cloves

Capsicum (chopped finely) – 1 medium

Oil (Vegetable or Olive) – 2 tblsp

Parsley (dry or fresh chopped) – 1 ½ tsp

Basil (dry or fresh torn) – 1 ½ tsp or a few leaves

Pepper pdr – ½ tsp

Salt – to taste

Dark Soy sauce – 2 tsp

Tomato ketchup – 2 tblsp

Red Chili pdr – 1 tsp

Maple syrup/Honey – 1 ½  tblsp

Vinegar – ½  tblsp

For the spaghetti:

Spaghetti – 100 g per serving

Water – to cook the spaghetti

Salt – to season the water

For the garnish:

Basil leaves (dried or fresh) – to sprinkle on top

Extra virgin olive oil – to drizzle on top

Method:

1.    Wash and soak the lentils in water for about half an hour. Boil till just done. Drain the water and keep aside.

2.    Wash the mushrooms thoroughly and chop them up finely. Cross slit the tomatoes and blanch them in boiling water. Remove the skin and chop them finely.

3.    Heat the oil in a pan and add in the chopped mushroom. Cook till the water that is released has dried up.

4.    Add in the onions and capsicum. Season with a bit of salt. Cook stirring continuously till the onions become soft and translucent. Lower the heat and add in the garlic. Mix it well and cook for a minute or two.

5.    Now, add in the tomatoes, season with salt, pepper pdr, parsley and basil. Cook till the tomatoes start to sweat. Add in dark soy sauce, tomato ketchup, chili pdr. Mix well, cover and cook on low heat till the tomatoes become soft.

6.    Turn off the heat. Remove half of the mixture and blend it. Put it back into the pan and turn on the heat.

7.    Add in a cup of water, mix well and add in the lentils. Check and adjust the seasoning. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 to 3 mins to get a thick chunky sauce. To finish off add in the maple syrup and vinegar. Turn off the heat and mix it well.

8.    Cook the pasta as per the instructions on the packet just before serving.

9.    Heat enough sauce to go with the pasta. Put the cooked spaghetti directly from the water into the sauce. Toss well to coat.

10. Place the spaghetti onto a plate and sprinkle some basil leaves, drizzle some olive oil on top and serve immediately.

Note: Some pasta water may be added to the sauce and the cooked spaghetti while mixing them.

© Rinki’s Kitchen 

Syrup Cake with Semolina

Syrup Cake with Semolina is very simple to make and tastes great too!

When you have to cook up a dessert at short notice, this could be your go to recipe. Usually, all the ingredients for the cake are available in the pantry. As for the flavouring, you could do plain vanilla for the cake and use cinnamon or star anise for the syrup. Any combination is possible with whatever is in the home pantry.

The syrup is typically flavoured with orange blossom and rosewater. I have used the classic fennel and orange combination to flavor it.

The best part …. drizzling the syrup all over the cake! Any leftover syrup may be stored in the fridge for later use.

The moist semolina cake with syrup can be perfect with a cup of tea or as an after meal dessert.

Try the recipe…it’s for keeps.

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SYRUP CAKE WITH SEMOLINA                         Servings 8

Dry ingredients:

Semolina / Suji – 1 cup

Maida – ¼ cup

Castor Sugar – ½ cup (or slightly less)

Baking powder – ½ tsp

Baking soda – ½ tsp

Salt – ¼ tsp

Fennel seeds – ½ tsp

Wet ingredients:

Oil – ½ cup

Yogurt/ Curd – ¾ cup

Eggs – 2

Orange essence – ½ tsp

Vanilla essence – ½ tsp

For the Syrup:

Water – 1 ¼ cup

Sugar – ½ cup

Orange candied peel – a few pieces

Fennel seeds – ¾ tsp

Salt – ¼ tsp (optional)

Almonds – 8 to 10 (for decoration)

NOTE: All the ingredients must be at room temperature.

Method:

1.    To make the syrup, boil the water in a saucepan. Add in the sugar followed by the fennel seeds. Once the sugar has dissolved, add in the orange peel (you could use orange zest instead). Boil for 3 mins, then turn off the heat and let it cool down completely.

2.    In a dry bowl, add in all the dry ingredients and mix well. Keep aside.

3.    In a large bowl, crack the eggs. Add in the sugar and beat with an electrical beater or whisk till pale and light.

4.    Add in the oil and yogurt and mix well. Add the 2 essence and mix again. Now, add in the semolina mix in 2 parts into the egg mixture. Combine the dry ingredients thoroughly before adding the second part of it.

5.    Leave it aside for 5 mins. In the meantime, prepare a baking dish by lightly greasing it with oil or butter. (I used a 7” round tin )

6.    Lightly mix the batter with a spatula. It will thicken slightly after 5 mins. Pour it into the prepared tin.

7.    Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C till done.

8.    Strain the cool syrup and discard the fennel seeds and orange peel. Put it in the fridge to chill.

9.    Once the cake is baked completely a skewer inserted in the middle should come out clean. Keep it outside for 5 to 7 mins, before cutting it into 8 wedges. Pour enough chilled syrup all over the hot cake to cover the top. Let it rest for 20 mins.

10.  Decorate the cake with peeled almonds. Serve the Syrup Cake at room temperature.

© Rinki’s Kitchen