Chocolate and Caramel Cupcakes with Whipped Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Whewww!!!!!! That is one long name for a little thing and I am tired from typing it ;) . These cupcakes are soft , moist , chocolatey , caramely ...... I could go on and on and on describing it coz it's just that good and the frosting is just yummy . It's just chocolate ganache whipped up to give a nice fluffy smooth frosting , it's just too good so here goes..................

INGREDIENTS

1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup light brown sugar
1 and 3/4 baking powder
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup low-fat milk
1/3 cup canola oil or any flavorless vegetable oil
1 tbsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup nestle caramel treat or caramel topping

for the frosting

200 gms dark chocolate chopped
1 cup whipping cream

METHOD

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl .
Mix all the wet ingredients together except for the caramel topping .
Now add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix it well till you get a smooth mixture .
Now fold in  the caramel topping into the batter . Don't over mix it .
Grease or line the cupcake tin.
Bake in a preheated 180 c oven for about 15-20 min or till the tops are springy to the touch .
Meanwhile make the ganache by heating the whipping cream in the microwave for 1 min .
Add the chopped chocolate in the hot cream and stir it till you get a smooth mixture.
Now keep it aside to cool.
When the ganache is cooled whip it using a beater till stiff .
Pipe the whipped ganache onto the cooled cupcakes and enjoy :D.

Chicken Manchurian

I know I have been MIA for a while now , but lemme tell you something , I finally unpacked my stuff ( yay me !). I actually wanted to bake a cake to celebrate but I am just too tired from all the unpacking so went through my photos and found one that I hadn't posted . This is a very easy and tasty recipe which I make all the time . It's very flavourful and spicy , I like it very spicy but if you want it mild , you can decrease the amount of chillies used  , so here goes....................

INGREDIENTS


500 gms boneless chicken cut into cubes

for the marinade

1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp cornflour
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1 egg
salt to taste

for the sauce

2 tbsp garlic minced
2 tbsp spring onion chopped
6-8 green chillies chopped
1 tbsp celery chopped
1 tbsp ginger minced
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 4 tbsp water
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

METHOD

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade and add the chicken cubes in it and set it aside for half hour.
Fry the chicken pieces till they are crisp and done .
In a saucepan , heat a couple of tbsp of oil and add the ginger , garlic , spring onions and celery and saute it for a few min.
Now add the rest of the ingredients except for the cornflour and bring it to a boil .
Reduce the heat and add the cornflour and stir it till it thickens .
Now add the fried chicken cubes and mix it up .
Turn off the heat , garnish with chopped spring onions and corinader leaves if you like .
Serve hot .

Crispy Calamari

Who doesn't like crispy calamari , I haven't met anyone who does not like it . This is a family favourite , it's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside but  frying this is a big nightmare (it splatters all over ) , you have to be really careful , we should really make a suit out of the oven mitts to do this , trust me it's that bad but it is so worth it so here goes.........

INGREDIENTS

1 kg calamari / squid cut into rings
1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp pepper
salt to taste
1 egg with a little water to make egg wash
1 cup or more of panko breadcrumbs

METHOD

In a plastic bag , add the flour and the spices and shake it up to mix well .
Then add in the calamari and shkae it till it flour mix coats .
Shake off the excess flour and dip the rings in the egg wash and then the bread crumbs .
Deep fry it till crispy and golden in medium to hot oil .
Serve it with chilli sauce or Mayo tahini dip.

NOTES

You can use normal breadcrumbs but panko really gives you that crunch .

Lemon Cupcakes with Raspberry Fool Filling

Thank you everyone for your kind wishes. Remember my last post where I said I was taking a break for a couple of days from all the unpacking , well I am still on it . Never got back to unpacking , just dumped everything in the garage and waiting for some magic where the cartons will unpack by itself ( still crossing my fingers and hoping for it ).
While I am waiting for a genie to grant my wish , I thought I would sneak in a post fit for this month  .Sweet and moist lemony cupcakes with a tangy and tart raspberry fool filling , so here goes..............

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe lemon cupcakes

for the filling

3/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/4 cup or more icing sugar
1 cup liquid whipping cream
2 tbsp icing sugar for sprinkling

METHOD

Make the lemon cupcakes according to the recipe given  and leave it to cool .
Using a fondant heart cutter , cut out in the middle .
Now for the filling , mash the raspberries and icing sugar with a fork .
Whip the cream till stiff .
Fold in the mashed raspberries .
Fill the cupcakes with the raspberry cream and sprinkle with icing sugar and enjoy.

Kerala Style Baked Fish

Whewww!!! Its been one hectic couple of weeks , with my moving and all , still settling in  almost there but I decided to take a break and post a dish I had made a while back . This is a typical dish you can find anywhere in Kerala , here the fish is coated with a subtly spiced coconut mix and then baked covered in banana leaves . The aroma is itself mouthwatering so here goes..............................

INGREDIENTS

2-3 medium sized white  pomfret or red snapper
1 inch pc ginger
4-6 garlic cloves
4 green chillies
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
1/2 cup shallots peeled
1/2 cup vinegar
salt to taste
4 tsp coconut oil

for the garnish

2 tsp coconut oil
2 tsp curry leaves roasted
1 tbsp coriander leaves chopped

METHOD

Clean the fish and make large slits on both sides
Roast the seeds and grind it .
Grind the coconut , shallots , ginger, garlic , green chillies into a paste.
Add the roast and ground powder to it and salt to taste .
Smear the fish with this paste and set aside.
Grease the banana leaves with the coconut oil and line it in the baking dish .
Now place the fish on the banana leaves and pour vinegar all over it and cover it with the banana leaves and bake it in a preheated 180 c oven for about 20 -35 min or till done .
Now transfer the fish to a serving dish and garnish it by sprinkling the coconut oil , roasted curry leaves and coriander leaves .

Nigella's Chocolate Banana Muffins

By now , you all must know that I am a huge Nigella fan , I just love.....love.....love her recipes , they all turn out so well , never has it not worked for me . I have so many things going on right now that I have absolutely no time to think or create some new flavours and recipes . I am in the middle of moving house and the kids have their hands full with their exams and stuff that it is an absolute mess around here . I thought I better get at least one new post in before I move because who knows when I will get the net connection and also get settled in .
I had a couple of bananas rotting here and was bored of making the stuff I know so I thought why not give this recipe a try , it sounds simple and delicious and as usual Nigella does not disappoint , these muffins were just too good , they were so moist and delish so here goes ................

INGREDIENTS

3 very ripe bananas
125 ml vegetable oil
2 eggs
100 gms light brown sugar
225 gms plain flour
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda

METHOD

Mash the bananas well .
Add the oil and mash it and then add the eggs and sugar and mix it well
Sift the dry ingredients together and then add them to the wet mixture and mix it up .
Grease and line the muffin pan and spoon the mixture into the muffin moulds till 3/4 full .
Bake in a preheated 200 c oven for about 15 - 20 min or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean .
Makes nice round and shiny 12 muffins .

Spicy Tuna Rolls

It's been a while since I posted anything , frankly was not in the mood for it . The end of the year and the beginning was an emotional roller coaster ride , so many things were happening all around that I was completely lost but now I am back and have to be back because making food and blogging about it is really therapeutic for me .
These rolls are really soft and pillowy to the touch , I got this recipe from Elisabeth from the blog food & thrifts , I make them all the time and decided to give it another twist to it . The basic roll recipe is quite easy and the rolls come out perfect , sweet and soft , so I decided to go with a spicy filling , which seems to work well . It is super easy to make so here goes..................

INGREDIENTS 

for the rolls 

3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
olive oil 2-3 tbsp

for the filling 

2 tins canned tuna fish drained
1 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
1 onion finely chopped
2 tbsp oil
3-4 tbsp or more tomato ketchup
1/2 tsp mixed dried herbs
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 cup mozzarella
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese or goats cheese

1 egg and 3 tbsp water beaten
Melted butter (optional)

METHOD

Mix all the ingredients for the dough and leave it to rise for an hour and a half .
Meanwhile make the filling , in a pan heat the oil and add the tuna and the spices and fry it till the raw smell of the spice disappears .
Add the onions to it and cook it till done . Season it with salt .
After the dough has doubled in size , roll it into a large rectangle .
Spread the ketchup on top and then add sprinkle with the dried spices .
Now add the fried tuna and spread it evenly .
Add the mozzarella and sprinkle the crumbled feta or goats cheese .
Roll it from the longer end like you would roll a swiss roll .
Now cut them into 12 equal pieces .
Arrange them in a baking dish filling side up and leave it to rise for about half hour .
Brush the rolls with the egg wash or butter .
Bake them in a preheated oven for about 25-30 min.
Serve them hot and enjoy .