Pork Chops (chinese style)

4 pork chops
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon wine
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
pinch of pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 egg
6 tablespoons cornstarch
oil (for frying)


Method:

1. Cut pork chops into pieces. Mix together all the ingredients except cornstarch and oil and pour over pork. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes (preferably for 1 day).

2.Before frying, pour cornstarch on top of pork and stir into marinade.

3. Heat enough oil in a large skillet to cover bottom. Place pork in pan when oil begins to shimmer. Cook pork chops over med-high heat until cooked through.

4. Serve hot.

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Almond Chocolate cake

For the Cake:

4 ounces chocolate melted with 2 Tb coffee
1/4 lb. or 1 stick softened butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar
2/3 cup almonds
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup cake flour turned into a sifter

For the Icing:

2 ounces  semisweet baking chocolate
2 Tb coffee
5 to 6 Tb unsalted butter


Instructions:

For the Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Butter and flour the cake pan. Set the chocolate and coffee in a small pan, cover, and place in a larger pan of almost simmering water; let melt while you proceed with the recipe. Measure out the rest of the ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar together for several minutes until they form a pale yellow, fluffy mixture.

3. Beat in the egg yolks until they are well blended.

4. Beat the egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until soft peaks are formed; sprinkle on the sugar and beat for 15 mins.

5. With a rubber spatula, blend the melted chocolate into the butter and sugar mixture, then stir in chopped almonds, and almond extract. Immediately mix one fourth of the beaten egg whites. Delicately fold in a third of the remaining whites and when partially blended, sift on one third of the flour and continue folding untill all the eggwhites are added.

6. Pour the batter into the cake pan. Bake in middle level of preheated oven for about 25 minutes.  Sprinkle chopped almonds on top of the batter when its almost half done. Cake is done when it has puffed, and when a needle is plunged into that area comes out clean; the center should move slightly if the pan is shaken, and a needle comes out oily.

Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and serve.


Yield: For an 8-inch cake serving 6 to 8 people

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Ice cream Sundae

Summers are not easy without Ice creams and Sundaes, especially in Texas :).  I usually make this real simple dessert to sooth the sweet tooth after dinner.  This is the right season to share it with you :)

Ingredients: 

1 cup fruits like cherries, grapes, berries. Some more for garnishing.

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

4 scoops nonfat vanilla Ice cream (you can use yogurt as healthy option)

strawberry syrup or chocolate syrup

Method:

Puree fruits with sugar and lemon juice in a blender. Serve over frozen Ice cream and top with fruits and syrup of your choice. Well I was serious when I said that its easy!!!!

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Tomato Chutney for Dosa, Idli

Its a very spicy Tamil style chutney :)

Ingredients:

Tomato - 1 / 4 kg
Onion - 200 g
Garlic - 5 pallu
Ginger - 1 piece
Red Chilli – 3
Broken urad Dal - 2tsp
Toor Dal (Lentil) – 2 tsp
Coconut - 1 / 2 cup
Salt - the quantity

Merhod:

1. Take a pan and pour oil. Heat oil, fry Toor Dal and  Urad Dal.

2. Fry on medium heat until you get the pleasant aroma of the grains.

3. Add onion, fry until it becomes golden brown. Then add ginger.
Add garlic and dry red chillies. Fry for a minute. Now add the chopped tomatoes.

4.Fry the tomatoes until the raw smell went off. Keep in low heat for ten minutes.

5. Add required salt and leave it for a minute, switch off the stove and add the grated coconut.

6.Leave it to cool and grind, should not grind it way to smooth paste.
Tomato chutney is the best side dish for idli, Dosai and  masal dosai.

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Spicy or Masala Kaju (cashew nuts)

Here is another desi snack with Cashew nut :) Easy n royal, what can you ask for more????

Ingredients:

amchoor or dry mango powder     tsp 1/4
black pepper powder  tsp 3/4
cashewnts about 1 lb
chat masala tsp 1 1/2
garam masala 1 tbsp
red chillies powder 1/2 tsp
Clarified butter or desi ghee  1 tbsp

Method:

1. Mix all masala together and keep ready. Heat 2 cups oil for frying. reduce heat. Add kajus and stir fry continuously till they start changing colour and turn light golden. Take it off from stove.

2. Immediately sprinkle the masala while the kajus are still hot. mix thoroughly with the fingers. mix again after 2-3 minuties. let it cool down.

3. When cool, store in air tight container. Serve with drinks.

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(Deep Fried Pastry with Split Chickpeas)

Chana Daal Kachori

(Deep Fried Pastry with Split Chickpeas)

Ingredients:

For The Dough

2 cups plane flour
Salt to taste
Warm water
Oil for frying

For the filling 

1 cup Soaked overnight Chana Dal 
2 green chillies chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds 
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp ginger paste 
1 tsp chaat masala
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
2 tbsp oil

Method:

For the filling

Now heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan then add cumin seeds and fennel seeds and sauté for 1 minute.

Add the ginger paste and green chillies then fry again for 1 minute.

Add the boiled Chana Dal , all powdered masalas,lime juice and salt then cook for another 5 minutes covered.

Remove from the flame and keep it aside

Coarsely grind the dal.

Knead dough tightly with less water, 1 tsp oil and 1 pinch salt (or to taste).

Make balls of dough and make each ball first bowl shaped.

Then fill in the filling and close it. 

 Then make thicker puris of it. 

Deep fry them until golden brown and take them out and serve with a gravy dish.

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Gajar ( carrot ) Halwa !!!!!

                                                               

Gajar Ka Halwa

It is the greatest Indian dessert ever!!!!!!

Ingredients:

4 cups grated carrot

4 cups of milk (2 cups of milk if mawa is to be added)

1 cup mawa (optional)

2 tablespoon Desi Ghee or Unsalted Butter

1  tablespoon cut almonds

1  tablespoon cut cashew nuts

1  tablespoon cut raisins

1 teaspoon elaichi powder (cardamon ) (if available else use ginger juice to give some peps)

1 cup Sugar 

Dry fruits for garnishing


Method:

1. Heat oil in frying pan and add cut dry fruits to it.

2. Let them fry slightly then add all carrots to it.

3. Fry carrots a little bit then add milk and cardamon to it.

4. Let carrots cook fully in milk then add sugar to it .

5. Fry until the ghee or oil separates out from halwa .

6. Garnish it with mawa and dryfruits upon cooling a bit.

7. Add ginger juice in the end if cardamon is not there.

8. Serve hot or cold, either ways its gonna be delicious !!!!!

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