JALAPENO CHEESE POPPERS

If you own a spicy and cheesy taste buds like me, then this recipe of jalapeño cheese popper is sure to please your spicy taste buds.

RECIPE

• Jalapeño Pepper 12 
• Cream Cheese 2 Tbsp
• Cheddar Cheese 4 Tbsp
• Boiled shredded Chicken 1/4 cup (fine chopped)
• Chilli Flakes a pinch (optional)
• Origano Powder 1/4tsp
• Oregano/Parsley/Coriander leaves 1 tsp (fine chopped)
• Pickled Onion 1 small / 1 Tbsp (fine chopped)
• Pickled Carrot 1 Tbsp (fine chopped)
• Pickled Halapeno Pepper 1 tsp (fine chopped) (optional)
• Garlic Powder 1tsp

FOR COATING

• Flour 1 cup
• Water 1 cup
• Egg 2
• Breadcrumbs as required

METHOD

1. Wash and dry jalapeño peppers.
2. Make a slit of one inch on one side of each pepper and discard all the seeds in it.
3. Mix all ingredients for filling and fill in the peppers.
4. Dip each pepper in water first, then coat with flour, toss in egg wash, cover it with bread crumbs,  apply egg wash again, and finally coat it with breadcrumbs. 
5. Now put this in the freezer for 2 hrs. This will help the coating and filling to stabilise.
6. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown.
7. Serve hot with a dipping sauce of your choice.

Enjoy!

Fareeha Furhan.

CHEESY SCRAMBLED EGGS

It is always great to play with your ingredients. I mean trying something different, putting up a little effort and be creative with even your simplest recipe. I found it so satisfying, and it pleases me to see my family and love ones appreciating it. Sometime special people in your life need special attention. Do this to make them realise that they are special to you.This recipe is just a simple twist to the old fashioned Scrambled Eggs version. Just whip up everything you would normally do to your mixture, add some cheese and cook it on your stove until half-cooked but still creamy. Turn off the flame. Take a baking tray and put a steel cookies round cutter on it. Add the half-cooked scrambled eggs mixture in it. Top with a slice of cheese and grill it under hot grill until cheese is melted and eggs has cooked and set.

RECIPE

• Eggs 3
• Cream 3 Tbsp
• Milk 1 Tbsp
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Cheddar Cheese Slices
• Butter 1Tbsp
• Oil 1 Tbsp

METHOD

1. Pre-heat the grill to maximum.
2. Place a steel wide round cutter on a baking tray and put aside.
3. Whisk together eggs, salt ,pepper,cream and milk.
4. Take a sauce pan and heat butter and oil on medium-low flame.
5. Pour the eggs mixture and keep stirring until half-done.
6. Remove from heat and put this mixture in a round steel cutter, press it gently and top it with a slice of cheese.
7. Put this under the hot grill until the cheese has melted and eggs has cooked completely. 
8. Serve hot.

Enjoy!

Fareeha Furhan.

COCONUT CAKE.

My hubby loves coconut, so I made this cake for him. And if you love coconut too then you will love it too. This recipe is given to me by a sweet friend Amna Khan.Thanks a lot dear Amna. You are great. The sponge is perfect and the lemon curd gives it the perfect sweetness which is neither overpowering nor less.Just accurate! The 7mins frosting is delicious and the fresh coconut gives it the amazing coconuty taste.

RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs (separated when they are cold then bring to room temperature)
• 2+1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup butter (room temperature)
• 1+3/4 cups caster sugar 
• 1+3/4 cups (420 ml) butter milk (room temp,I used homemade one)
• 1 tsp vanilla essence or extract
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

METHOD

1. Preheat your oven to 177 Ć.
2. Grease and line with baking paper two 9" round cake pans.
3. Sift together flour,baking powder,baking soda and salt.
4. Beat butter until smooth, gradually add in 1+1/2 cup sugar ( use 1+1/4 cups sugar if you don't want it too much sweet) beat until light and fluffy about 4-5 minutes.
5. Add the egg yolks one at a time,beating well after each addition.Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
6. Add vanilla and beat until combined.
7. With the electric beater on low speed,alternately add the flour mixture and butter milk,in 3 additions,beginning and ending with the flour.
8. In a clean bowl with clean and dry whisk (electirc beater) beat egg whites with cream of tartar and 1/4 sugar until stiff peaks.
9. Gently fold in yolk mixture (DO NOT OVER FOLD).
10. Divide the batter into 2 pans,bake for 35-40 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
11. Cool completely.

LEMON CURD

Ingredients:

• Eggs: 3
• Sugar: 3/4 cup (150 g)
• Lemon Juice: 1/3 cup (80 ml)
• Butter: 4 tbsp (56 g)
• Lemon Zest: 1 tbsp

Method:

1. In a heat proof bowl place eggs and whisk using hand whisk.
2. Add sugar and lemon juice, whisk again.
3. Place this bowl over a double boiler and whisk constantly for about 10 minutes or until thick.
4. Now remove it from double boiler and add butter and lemon zest, mix with rubber spatula, cover with plastic wrap and leave on room temp to cool.
5. Use.
6.  You can store it for 7-10 days in refrigerator.

7 Minute Frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 large egg whites (60 g)
• 1+1/2 cups granulated (normal) sugar (use 1 cup if you don't like too much sweet)
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup (or use honey)
• 1 tsp vanilla essence or extract

Method:

1. In a heat proof bowl over a double boiler place egg whites,water,light corn syrup and sugar.
2. Beat with electric beater for 3-4 minutes on low speed.
3. Increase the speed to high and continue beating for another 3-4 minutes or until the icing is shiny and satiny with soft peak.
4. Remove from heat add the vanilla and beat on high speed for another 1-2 minutes or until the frosting is thick. 
5. Use.

FOR TOPPING

• 2 medium sized fresh grated coconuts OR you can use dry shredded coconut/desiccated coconut.

Assembling

1. Using a serrated knife, cut each cake layer in half, horizontally.
2. Place one cake layer on your serving plate and spread with about 1/3 of the lemon curd.
3. Sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of coconut. 
4. Continue with the next layers, stacking and filling with the lemon curd and coconut.
5. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the 7-Minute Frosting and then sprinkle with about 1 cup of coconut.
6. Cover and refrigerate the cake.
7. Serve.

Enjoy!

Fareeha Furhan.

HOT TANDOORI WINGS

Hot and spicy wings, marinated with yogurt, orange juice and spices. Baked to perfection is sure to please your spicy buds. 

RECIPE

• Chicken wings 500g
• Juice of 2 small limes/lemon
• Sugar 1 tsp
• Oil 1 Tbsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste 1tsp
• Coriander Powder 1 tsp
• Garam Masala ( All Spice Powder) 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Red Chilli Powder 1 tsp
• Pinch of Red Food Colour 
• Yogurt 3/4 Cup
• Gram flour (basen) 1 tsp
• Flour 1 tsp
• Khatti ( an unripe green sour orange) 1 or use one regular orangeMETHOD

1. Mix all above and coat it all over the chicken wings.
2. Let it marinate overnight or at least 3hr.
3. Bake it in a Pre-heated oven at 180Č until well cooked.

Enjoy!

Fareeha Furhan.

DAHI PAKORIAN

Dahi Pakorian is a yogurt based chat containing boiled chopped potatoes with cotton soft silky pakorian.Pakorian is basically tiny drop size fritters made with gram flour or plain flour, available easily in all asian grocery stores.You can also add chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumber and boiled chickpeas to the mixture.This is one of the recipe which is frequently prepared in my house. We love it with Chana (chick-peas) Pulao, yakhni pulao & all sorts of biryani & rice item.During the month of Ramazan it is made almost everyday.My recipe for this is pretty simple and straight forward.So here you go

RECIPE

• Pakorian 1 Cup
• Boiled potatoes 2(cut into cubes)
• Onion 1(fine sliced/chopped)
• Fresh mint leaves
• Fresh coriander leaves
• Green chillies 1  
• Yogurt 1 & 1/2 cup or more if required
• Milk 1/2 cup
• Special Dahi baray masala/Chat masala  as required
• Salt as required
• Sugar 1tsp

METHOD

1. Soak pakorian in warm salty water until tender.
2. Drain and put aside.
3. Using mortar and pestle, crush a handful of mint, coriander & green chilli to a paste.
4. Soak onion in salty water for sometime, drain and put aside.
5. Whip yogurt in a bowl, add in half a tsp of crush green paste & mix well.
6. Add chat masala,sugar & salt.
7. Now mix in pakorian and potatoes.
8. Now add milk if you find your yogurt mixture is too thick. Add as much as required to loosen up the mixture or if your mixture is already runny you don't need to add any milk.
9. Serve chill.

Enjoy!

Fareeha Furhan.

Aloo Samosa

Aloo Samosa is basically boiled and lightly pressed potatoes mixed with spices and filled in a crispy pastry sheets. There is lots of other variation too like Paneer(cottage cheese) Samosa, Queema(mince-meat) Samosa... I love all kind of these. This is affiliated with my childhood memories, my school /College days, sitting with friend and munching a Samosa with Coke.. Ahh! What a time it was !
We used to have it wrapped in Naan bread sometime ( I know it sound strange, but believe me it was good).Now coming to recipe, you will need

RECIPE

FOR DOUGH

• Flour 2 cups
• Ghee 2 Tbsp
• Water as required 

1. Sieve flour.
2. Rub in ghee.
3. Knead with water to a dough, which is neither hard nor too soft, just in between.
4. Rest for sometime, say 2hr at least in refrigerator, in a greased bowl, grease the top surface of the dough with a tea spoon of ghee & cover with damp tea towel.
5. Make small balls out of the dough.
6. Roll it into flat bread.
7. Cut it into half.
8. Now shape it like a cone, press the edges with water.
9. Fill in the filling.
10. Tightly press all the edges.
11. Repeat with all the rest.
12. Deep fry until golden brown.

FOR FILLING

• Boiled potatoes 3-4
• Sliced onion 1
• Sliced green chillies 2
• Salt to taste
• Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp or more as per your taste
• Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds 1/2tsp
• Coriander seeds 1/2 tsp
• Pomegranate powder (Anardaana powder) 1tsp
• Juice of one lemon
• Fresh chopped green coriander 3 Tbsp
• Fresh mint leaves chopped 1Tbsp

1. Dry roast coriander & cumin seeds.
2. Lightly press boiled potatoes with potato masher making sure there is still some big chunks too.
3. Add all the rest of the ingredients & mix.

* FREEZABLE
You can freeze these by lightly frying it in hot oil( just to remove it rawness) & then store in a freezable container using wax paper in between.

ULTRA MOIST BANANA BREAD

 BANANA BREAD is one of the tastiest bread. Its super moist texture and amazingly delicious taste makes it an exceptional variety. Recently I come across this recipe by Chef Jason, and find it really delectable. I added cinnamon powder & raisin in the recipe and loved it. It filled my house with this gorgeous aroma. Here is the recipe

RECIPE

• 4 large ripe bananas (or 6 small)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 & 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon powder (optional)
• 1/4 cup raisins (optional)

METHOD

1. Mix dry ingredients together. Sift. In a mixing bowl, cream softened butter with the sugar and salt. Mix in eggs, vanilla and sour cream. Mix until just blended.
2. Add flour mix to the batter. When making banana bread, use ripe soft bananas. Mash into bowl and add into mixture.
3. Spray a Bundt pan with cooking spray or grease with fresh butter. Pour batter into pan. Bake in preheated 350 F for 1 hour. If a toothpick comes out clean, it's done.

* FOR A BANANA NUT BREAD, Add 1 Cup walnuts to the mix.

* FOR CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA BREAD, Add half cup chocolate chips to the mix.

* FOR CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD, Add all above including the optional ingredients.

* FOR SOUR CREAM, Use 4 Tbsp cream with 1 lemon juice.

ENJOY!

Fareeha Furhan.