Iced Cookies - inspired from Daring Bakers

I still remember those days when Advay was a year old ,i had just started blogging,fascinated by the blogosphere i used to sit with laptop in the night time to bloghop,and to publish my posts.Night was just meant for blogging because day time  was spent with Advay and doing so many other things.
Now when Advay is three and half yr old i have to think of new ways to keep him busy everyday ,specially with his term break on ...:-)
Yesterday i thought of involving him with cookie cutting and decorating,he has done this before with iced cupcakes,we both were excited ,me because for the first time i was going to ice cookies,since past few days i have seen designer cookies everywhere in blogosphere ,i had to try this,i had prepared myself for the baking disaster if anything happened,Advay was excited to paint the butterflies.

Recipe adapted from Joy of baking.\
For this recipe prepared royal icing using egg whites.
i have halved the ingredients,for a first timer its the best thing to do,
Preparation
Prepared royal icing kept in airtight container

Prepared dough for cookies and kept in refrigerator

In the mean time prepared dinner of palak paneer and chapati,..:-)Preheat oven to 110-120 degree centigrade

by the time dinner was ready dough was ready to be cut into cookies.Advay helped me

baking temperature 110-120 degree centigrade
baking time 2-4 mins
oven -  convection oven

for the first tray i just kept six cookies,was quiet apprehensive u guys can understand
for the second load kept 24 butterfly shaped cookies.

once done remove on wire rack to cool down

Icing
tint royal icing with pink and blue colour
spread the icing on the cookies
decorate with edible silver ball,chocolate vermicelli,,.

we both thoroughly enjoyed cookie cutting,baking and decorating the cookies.
Felt good because both hubby and Advay liked the cookies,..
platter of iced cookies is off for Bake Off event at Champas space
Thanks to Daring bakers for inspiring me or i wouldnt have tried these,..;-)
sorry for bad clicks,..:-( i knw they r not good,.
Do check out DIY on how to jazz up jute bag on my other blog
thats all guys ,cee u all soon,..happy weekend ahead,..

Cooking for Advay - Platter with pan fried egg and Chena Paratha

Advays term break is on for a week,so these days i have to  keep him entertained for the whole dayand that too with a proper routine.As soon as one activity is over he comes and asks me what to do next,its his afternoon nap time now and me time for me so i am on with this post ;-)
Prepared this platter for him for todays lunch which has pan fried egg and paratha prepared from leftover
chhena ki sabzi .

To prepare Chhena/Curdled cheese at home - refer this post ,
For Paratha Dough - mix cheena ki sabzi with wholewheat flour and few drops of oil ,no need to add water.

Divide the dough into lemon sized balls.
roll out with help of rolling pin
place on a heated tava and roast till brown from both sides.
cool and cut with help of cookie cutter,for this platter i have used star and aeroplane shape.
I felt so good when Advay finished everything on his own.:-)
we had paratha with egg curry

Thats all frens.this whole week its goona be recipes for kids,..;-)
this platter is joining kids delight event theme this month being finger foods hosted by Srivalli
u all tk cre,wish u all happy week ahead.

Some quick fix meals - and Cheesy egg roll :-)

Many time when i dont feel like cooking i end up with something  filling like this

Chicken Roll
or with something light  like this

Chicken wheat wrap
or something spicy like this
Spicy chicken drumsticks
Sometimes cooking for self ends up with this yummy platter

Stir fried veggies with rosemary flavoured chicken
or something flavourful like this

Rice with veggies
or something green like this

Bread pizza with potato french beans sabzi.

I always go for simple recipe like these whenever i have to cook for myself ,today hubby is on call,
 evening when i felt hunger pangs i prepared this in less thn 2 mins

this is how i did
ingredient needed
leftover chapati one
egg one
cheese one tbsp
ketchup one tbsp
one fourth tsp of oil
Procedure
heat oil in non stick pan
roast the leftover chapati
add egg on top of the chapati
add cheese and ketchup
once done from one side
flip over and turn .
serve warm with cofee of ur choice.
Truly enjoyed this ,perfect quick fix meal,:-)
Linking this post to I am loving it at Tidy Mom .
and to Motivate me Monday # 37
enjoy the weekend ahead,..:-)

Cooking for Advay - pea rice topped with baked beans

I guess the most satisfying thing for a mother is that  her kid eats properly ,most of the time Advay eats on his own ,but there are times when i have to spoon feed him,when he doesnt like something ,to make food more appealing to him i prepared this platter for him,thanks to Smita of little food junction for the inspiration ,do check her blog her blog is full of creative ideas for kids food
inspired from Smithas blog i prepared this platter for him today

For Pea Rice
Ingredient needed
Cooked rice half cup
two tbsp pea
pinch of salt
ghee one tsp
tomato ketchup half tsp
baked bean to top
Procedure
In a non stick wok add ghee
lower the flame and add peas
stir fry for two minutes
add cooked rice,salt and ketchup
mix everything together and remove from flame.
With the help of moulds shape out the desired shape
i have used circle and semicircle

arrange on plate top with baked beans.
On a different note have updated my craft blog with cupcake tshirt ;-)
this post joins I am Loving it at Tidy Mom
Thats all frens ,wish you all happy week ahead,..

Yet another desi style chicken curry

I am back from short vacation to Kaula Lumpur,..:-)

 had prepared this simple rich chicken curry before leaving from here,hubby liked it ,advay liked it so it must be blog worthy i know,..;-) this one is heavy one as i prepared this with desi ghee which i normally dont do but that evening i was down with fever ,i had to prepare something which could cheer me up,and give me some extra kick to bounce back to life,...most of the time when i am sick or someone in family is sick i go for Khichdi prepared from rice and lentils but that evening i had to eat this :-) just to make myself feel better

Recipe Name yet another chicken curry prepared with ghee
recipe source my experiment
Ingredient
chicken drumsticks small  five
onion two chopped
tomato one chopped
garlic clove thick one two chopped
ginger one inch piece chopped
whole masala
cumin seeds one tsp
black pepper 4 to 5
clove two to three
green cardamom two
bay leaves crushed
powdered masala
salt as per taste
red chili powder half tsp
coriander powder half tsp
chicken masala  half tbsp
garam masala one tsp
one and half tbsp ghee to cook
Procedure
Heat one tbsp of ghee in pressure cooker
lower the flame and add whole masalas
once they start cracking add chopped onion
followed by ginger nad garlic
keep frying till the onions are done
add salt,chili powder ,coriander powder and chicken masala
fry further for few minutes add tomatoes and fry
till oil is seen along the sides.n
now add chicken pieces and fry everuthing together
add required amount of water needed for gravy
let it simmer for few minutes
add garam masala powder and pressure cook
for one to two whistles.
serve warm with rice.

This rich chicken curry prepared in desi ghee is my entry for show me your curry hosted by Divya of Dilse.
Tomorrow is the last day to vote for the first challenge of Project Blog Star,,..my entry is this
On a different note have updated my other space with pics of my coziest space for the link party on at
Patricias space,..
thats all guys cee u all soon,..happy blogging,,,

I know i am not the best but then i am not bad also

I know i am not the best ,but then i am not bad also,..;-)
guys i hope you remember the egg story which i shared with you all in my last post
this post is just to tell you guys that voting has started for Project Food Blog first challenge
if you guys like my blog and were impressed by the egg story do vote for me
all you have to do is go to foodbuzz
join foodbuzz if not a member there
go to my post here
and vote  thats all
voting is on till 23rd of September
thats all frens,..cee u all soon,..:-)

My journey from Jala Bhuna Egg Masala to Spiced Egg in Tomato Broth - Project Food Blog -Ready Set Blog

Breaking News - I am in as an official contestant for Project Food Blog which is first ever interactive competition where some thousands of food bloggers who are also foodbuzz featured publishers competing.
and the first step of the contest is Ready Set Blog .
I have been thinking hard about this since the  past two hours sitting alone on the couch, with hubby and Advay sleeping this is the best time for me to write this post.

About Asan Khana my food blog which means Easy Cooking is not only my blog ,it is something with which i have grown since the past two and a half years .When i started with my blog which happened because i landed on this blog ;-) i didnt had any clue that within some years i will be able to cook properly,take good pictures,will be able to bake cakes and cookies and do so many other things which i have never done before.With this blog i have discovered myself in true sense.and now this blog has become part of me something which is inseparable.I know i am not a professional chef i am just normal human being  who is passionate about cooking,learning new recipes,sharing recipes ,blogging about it and doing so many other things which a normal foodie does.

I think i am eligible for Project Food Blog Star because I love to take challenge ,even if i dont win,i will learn so many things after all its the participation which is more important, isnt it ? I came across so many beautiful blogs when i saw the contestants profile,for few minutes i thought of backing out ,i felt my blog stands no where amongst such awesome blogs,but then i closed my eyes and thought theres no harm in taking part,and getting my blog known to other bloggers,by just taking part i will learn so much :-)

Unique thing about my blog or the things which sets it apart - its simplicity,just like me i have tried to keep my blog simple with focus on day to day recipes,which can be prepared withing few minutes,earlier this space started as a recipe journal but with time i have done some changes .my blog features my kitchen experiments ,kitchen disaster ,recipes tried from other blog,my mothers recipes and family recipes.
I am not asking you guys to become my follower,or to tweet for me,if you guys really like my blog and feel it deserves the vote  then do vote for me ,voting begins on 20th of September.And ya thanks a lotz friends this journey wouldnt have been possible without your support i know since the day i have started blogging till today thanks for reading my posts,and inspiring me to go ahead .Thanks for sharing my joy ,sorrow,my musings and so many other things,..:-)
When i started blogging in year 2008 i had done some kitchen experiment and come up with recipe of
Jala Bhuna Egg Masala since then its been a never ending journey the recipe below is one of such kitchen experiment which i recently prepared ,thanks to my hubby for his support too :-) ,..
Sharing with you Dinner platter of Egg Curry with simple pea pulao,most of the time when i enter the kitchen and start cooking i dont have any recipe in my mind,while cooking whatever comes in my mind i do that,this recipe is result of that

Spiced Eggs in tomato broth
Recipe Source - kitchen experiment
Ingredient needed
egg four
onion two
garlic clove two
tomato two
green chili one
salt as per taste
oil to cook
cumin seeds half tsp
red chili powder half tsp
black pepper powder half tsp
coriander powder one tsp
garam masala powder one tsp
turmeric powder pinch
Preparation
Boil egg ,peel and keep aside
make paste of tomato and green chili keep aside
Procedure for Spiced Egg
In a non stick wok add one tsp of oil
add cumin seeds ,once they start spluttering
lower the flame and chopped onion and garlic
keep frying till the onions turn mushy
add red chili powder,balck pepper powder and salt
mix everything together and add boiled eggs
fry for two minutes,remove from flame and keep aside
Procedure for tomato broth
In another pan add one tsp of oil
once the oil is hot lower the flame
and add tomato green chili paste
keep stirring till the tomatoes turn mushy
add turmeric powder,coriander powder ,pinch of salt
fry till oil is seen along the sides
add garam masala powder and mix everything together
add required amount of water and let it simmer for few minutes
remove form flame and keep aside
How to assemble-
In a serving dish placed the spiced eggs
pour tomato broth on it
serve with plain roti or rice.
For pea pulao
ingredient needed
cooked rice one cup
green pea one fourth cup
cumin seeds pinch
curry leaves 5 to 6
salt as per taste
Procedure
in non stick wok add one tsp oil
once oil is hot lower the flame
add cumin seeds and curry leaves
followed by green pea and salt
fry for two minutes and cover for a minute
add cooked rice and mix everything together
fry for 2 to 3 minutes and remove from flame

Serve warm with curry.
Thats all friends ,enjoy the feast ,,will cee u all soon,,,happy blogging and happy weekend,..:-)

Besan ki roti or Ande ki Sabzi

Most of the time when we invite some one for lunch or dinner we want to serve them piping hot rotis staright from the tava,even for everyday dinner i do the same,that way roti tastes the best.yesterday when i prepared besan roti ,i didnt puff them,instead i removed them from the tava when they were half done.Before serving dinner i just applied ghee and placed them on hot tawa for a minute .There was no diffrence in taste too..

Recipe Name Besan ki Roti/Missi Roti
Ingredient needed for Besan Ki Roti
Two cup whole wheat flour
one cup gram flour
salt as per taste
red chili powder half tsp
corinader powder half tsp
garam masala powder half tsp
water to knead the dough
Preparation
knead dough and keep aside

Procedure
Divide dough in equal lemon sized balls
flatten each ball and roll out in the shape of chapati
but not as thin as chapati
heat tava once hot lower the flame
place the rolled out besan roti on hot tava
once done flip over to roast the other side
remove and keep in foil lined box
cover and keep aside
Before serving heat the same tava
place the half done roti on the tava
apply ghee on the roti and roast
till brown from both sides.
Serve warm with curry and dal
I paired Besan Roti with this  another version of  egg curry flavoured with cardamom
Recipe name Egg Curry with hint of cardamom
Ingredient needed
boiled egg four
onion two chopped
tomato one chopped
garlic clove two
ginger one inch
green cardamom two
black cardamom twp
bay leave two crushed
cumin seeds half tsp
salt as per taste
oil to cook
red chili powder one tsp
coriander powder one tsp
garam masala powder one tsp
Preparation
make paste onion ginger and garlic keep aside
make separate paste of tomato keep aside
mix salt ,red chili powder and coriander powder in the tomato paste
Procedure
Heat oil in non stick wok
once oil is hot lower the flame and add cumin seeds
once they start spluttering add bay leaves followed by cardamom seeds
add onion paste and keep stirring till onions start changing their colour
now add masala mixed tomato paste and fry further for few minutes
once oil is seen along the sides add half cup of water and let it simmer
add boiled eggs,sprinkle garam masala powder and let it simmer for few minutes
remove from flame and serve warm with chapati or rice.
Event Entry
Besan ki Roti is my entry for Dish name startswith B event at Akilas Kitchen
and for My Legume Love Affair 27 event hosted by Susan of the well seasoned cook
Thats all frens ,will cee u all soon,..tk cre nd happy blogging..;-)

Home baked pizza topped with capsicum and cheese

Sometimes inspired from somewhere i tend to do things like this

Then all i have to do is look here

 and I am all set for something fresh like this :-)

Guys this is the pizza which i baked at home for Sunday Lunch,i tried to experiment with the topping result of which u guys can see in the first pic,..so in the second one i omitted egg,...;-)
Recipe name - Curried Pizza with capsicum and cheese
Recipe for Pizza Base - blogged here
Baking temperature 120 degree centigrade
Baking time 5 to 8 mins
Ingredient

curried tomato onion paste one cup
shredded mozarella cheese half cup
capsicum one sliced
corn
dough for pizza

procedure
Bake the rolled out pizza in oven for 4 mins
Assemble the topping on the base
apply the curried onion tomato paste
on the sides place capsicum
in the middle corn ,top it with shredded cheese
bake again for 3 to 4 mins
have published DIY - on how to jazz up plain photo frame in my other blog
Event Entry
Yeast Spotting
Bake Off event at Champas space
Thats all guys cee you all soon ,wish you all happy week ahead,..

Blissful Sunday with dinner rolls

Today was Baking day for me ,for lunch baked pizzas and for evening tea prepared dinner rolls

Now when i have become used to of the oven,i feel like baking more often ;-)

Recipe Name Dinner Rolls

Recipe Source Baking Book

Baking temperature 120 degree centigrade

Baking time 10 to 12 mins

Ingredient

One cup all purpose flour

salt half tsp

sugar one tsp

yeast one tsp

milk powder one tbsp

 oil one tbsp

milk one tsp to glaze

Preparation

Line a baking tray and keep aside

In one cup of warm water mix yeast and sugar and keep aside for 10 mins

Procedure

In a mixing bowl put all the dry ingredients together

make a well in the centre and add oil and yeast mixture

add half cup of warm water and knead to form a soft dough

place the dough in oiled bowl ,cover and leave to rise for one to two hour

knead back the dough by punching it gently ,

turn on a lightly floured work surface and knead for a minute

divide into even portions and shape into rolls

space the rolls apart on baking tray and cover with damp cloth

leave to rise for 20 mins

preheat the oven to 120 degree centigarde

brush the rolls with milk and bake for 10 to 12 mins.

Serve warm

Key bunch team is on with September Blog Carnival

Say it with Flowers Na

i am linking this post to the Carnival

Wish all the Readers of Asan Khana Happy Ganesha Chaturthi

and a Happy Week Ahead ,cee you all soon...:-)

  

Hari Raya Pausa Feast and Handpainted tshirts

Today is Hari Raya Puasa  wish all the readers of AsanKhana Happy Hari Raya Pausa
sharing with you all pic of food prepared on this day

morning when i went to answer the bell i was greeted with this platter from our neighbours,..:-)
have updated my craft blog with handpainted tshirts
thats all frens,..wish you all happy week ahead,..:-)

Celebrating Rain with platter of Nectarine Coconut Pound Cake and Ginger Tea

Rain always reminds me of sizzling hot onion fritters with steaming cup of  hot tea
Rain always reminds me of the small paper boats which we used to float during our childhood days
Rain always reminds me of the rainy day due to which our school had to be closed
Rain always reminds me of the Shri Krishna Janmashtami stories which Dadi used to tell us,
Rain always reminds of the chicken roll sold at commercial street in bangalore and my college freinds
Rain always reminds me of roasted bhutta sold on the streets of Delhi
Rain always reminds me of the beautiful nos like Rimjhim rimjhim and ,.
Rain always,...
if i go on i know the list will never end ...;-)
today noon when it started drizzling and when hubby told that he will be back home early i had the perfect reason to bake this perfect looking Nectarine Coconut Pound Cake ,most of the time its fritters or soemdeep fried goodie but today was cake day :-)
i have varied the quantitiy of ingredient

for the original recipe please check here
Recipe name Nectarine Coconut Pound Cake
baking temperature - i started with 150 degree centi and then after 5 mins lowered to 120 degree centi
baking time 15 mins
ingredient
nectarine chopped 1
all purpose flour half cup
dessicated coconut one fourth cup
powdered brown sugar three fouth cup
vanilla essence half tsp
egg one
unsalted butter half cup

preparation
preheat oven to 150 degree centigrade
prepare a cake tin and keep aside
procedure
cream the butter and sugar together till fluffy
add vanilla extract and mix everything together
add egg beat well
add all purpose flour and dessicated coconut
and gently mix everything together
pour the batter in the prepared pan
arrange the nectarine slices on the batter
and bake till skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

 

Served the cake with ginger tea ,i am going to bake this cake again ,i luved the taste of baked nectarine 

This platter of sliced pound cake with tea is joining the party at Anitas space where she is hosting

Tea Party ,theres good news deadline has been extended to 15th september,..;-)

Nectarine Coconut Pound Cake also joins Weekly Bake Off event at Champas space,..

Thats all guys cee you all soon,..till thn happy blogging...;-)

          

Nigellas Chicken Curry with Plain Naan

Not always i feel like preparing elaborate meal,most of the time its simple day to day meal like dal,chapati,veg sabzi and rice.Few days back whiile browsing through recipes for Naan on internet ,i thought of trying this recipe, paired it with Mughlai Chicken  from Nigellas Feast cookook.The version below is my adaptation of the original recipe.

For Chicken Curry
ingredient needed
chicken 300gm
ginger garlic paste two tbsp
onion three chopped
tomato one chopped
yogurt half cup
cream one tbsp
salt as per taste
pinch of sugar
oil to cook
garam masala one tsp
red chili powder half tsp
cumin powder half tsp
coriander powder half tsp
bay leaves two
clove three
cardamom pod two
cinnamon stick one crushed
Preparation
heat oil in wok,lower the flame and shallow fry the chicken pieces and keep aside.
mix red chili powder,cumin powder and coriander powder in ginger garlic paste and keep aside.

Procedure
In the same wok add bay leaves ,clove ,cardamom and cinnamon stick
once they start to splutter add chopped onion,tomato followed by
masala mixed ginger garlic paste.
keep stirring till oil is seen along the sides
add yogurt and mix everything together
let it simmer for a minute or two
add fried chicken pieces,salt ,sugar and garam masala
keep stirring add few drops of water and cover and cook
or pressure cook for two to three whistles
before serving mix cream and let it simmer for a minute.
Serve warm with naan or rice.
Pictorial for Plain Naan
baking temperature 150 degee centigrade
baking time 4 to 6 mins

Event entry
Naan is off for Cooking with seeds Nigella Seeds hosted by Taste of pearl city started by Priya of Easy and Tasty recipes and to yeast spotting event and bake off event hosted by versatile vegetatian kitchen.
Chicken curry is off for Show me your curry event hosted by Divya of Dilse
have updated my craft blog with name board for Advays Room,;-)
thats all guys cee u all soon,..happy blogging and week ahead.

Shri Krishna Janmashtami Jhanki pics

My sis mailed me some pics of Shri Krishna Janmashtami celebration at home,
first pic is of the jhanki decorated at my parents place

and the second pic is of the celebration at my aunts place

For Phalahar Vrat recipes for Janmashtami ,please click here
Thats all guys ,wish you all Happy Festival ,..:-)

Shri Krishna Janmashtami ki subhkamnaye Phalahar Paneer ki sabzi puri ke sath

Today is  Shri Krishna Janmashtami , this festival is celebrated  all over India with lotz of grandeur
,last year in Delhi we had decorated Jhankis depicting lord Krishnas life ,pics can be viewed here ,
year 2008 i had shared some phalahar vrat recipes which can be eaten on Janmashtami
this festival is not celebrated at my inlaws place so i dont fast but keeping the spirit of festival of mind prepared phalahar paneer curry with puri for dinner today.

This simple paneer curry can be eaten for navratri vrat too with kuttu puri
Recipe source my mother
Recipe name Phalahar Paneer Curry
Ingredient
cubed cottage cheese one cup
tomato two
green chili one
cumin seeds half tsp
oil to cook
sendha namak/rock salt as per taste
red chili powder half tsp
turmeric powder pinch
garam masala powder half tsp
Preparation
shallow fry cubed cottage cheese and keep aside
make paste of tomato and green chili and keep aside
Procedure
heat one tsp oil in non stick wok
add cumin seeds once it starts to splutter
lower the flame and add tomato and green chili paste
keep stirring on low flame till the tomatoes are done
add all the masala and salt
keep stirring till oil is seen along the sides
now add shallow fried cottage cheese
mix everything together add half cup of water
and let it boil for 5 minutes
serve warm with puri or rice.

This simple phalahar paneer curry is my entry for Show me your curry hosted by Divya of Dilse.