Christmas Chocolate Cake

Santa claus is coming to town, so let's try this cake recipe...:D. If you love chocolate cakes, you will love this recipe, so soft, so fluffy yet not sinful. I've used just few tablespoons of butter. Frankly, this recipe is not mine, I came across this recipe while learning about the boiling water-cocoa awesome technique, it actually intensifies the chocolate taste and makes your cake soft, so thought of sharing it with you. I mostly use yogurt frosting on cakes, but you can choose any frosting you like. I find yogurt frosting healthier, easier and tastier. Anyways, have a great christmas and celebrate life....Merry Christmas!!!!

Orange-Black Currants Tea Cake

It's Christmas time and winter is at its peak, a cup of tea (or 2 or 3 or 4 or.....:P) is perfect to feel comfortably divine! Everyone deserves a little treat with tea on such cold winter evenings and this cake is just perfect for this. Easy to make and very tasty. I've used very little butter in this recipe so enjoy it without much guilt. By the way, I didn't realise I have crossed 50 posts on my blog (Hey hurray), it's great!!! So try baking this cake and have a little treat from my side!!Hope you'll like it!!

Strawberry-Apricot Relish

My love for jams made me try this recipe, though its a relish and can be taken in many ways, but I love to have it on a crisp toast (with some fresh cream). This relish is a fresh, healthy and tasty way to satisfy your sweet taste buds and can be a good Christmas gift option for your family and friends! Apricots and strawberries are loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and dietary fibres and this relish is good way to add them in your diet. If you don't like apricots (huh?...really!! :P), you can use dates, figs, sultanas or raisins, in fact just play with any juicy berries or fruit, with any chewy dried fruit. This relish is easy to prepare and so divine! If you are gifting it to somebody, do specify the best before time (see step-6 below). Hope you like it!!!!

Citrusy Dates Chicken Breasts

Few days ago I posted a dates gravy recipe which was well appreciated. So inspired with that I tried using dates in this chicken recipe too. Dates have a very unique taste that incorporates well in sweet as well as salty recipes. This recipe has a very interesting flavour, sweet, sour, salty and of course very datesy :)  The sweet lime juice gives this dish a very nice citrusy hint. I've used very little oil that makes it even healthier. So go ahead and celebrate this festive season with this easy baked chicken recipe!!! Hope you like it!!

Low-fat Fruit cake

 

I just love this cake, so easy, so quick, so soft and of course low-fat!!! I've used yogurt instead of cream and very little butter. You can also add fruits of your choice for the topping. I usually bake this cake on birthdays as it is very easy and quick, but it is also perfect for busy Christmas days. So impress your guests with this fuss-free yet fancy cake and enjoy together! Hope you like it!!

 

 

Whole Wheat Coconut Cookies

It's Christmas time, so let's get started with baking. I love cakes, muffins, cookies, yummy frostings....all divine!!! Although you can have them anytime but Christmas is the merriest time to satisfy the divine capacity of such indulgences. Starting with these whole wheat coconut cookies, which are easy to make and worth trying!!!  I almost always use this recipe and it is one of my best recipe of coconut cookies which never fails. Hope you like it!!!!

Easy Mixed Vegetable

One of the reasons I love winters is the availability of all my favourite vegetables, cauliflower, carrots, peas all fresh, they are yum!!! Today I am here with this easy mixed vegetable side dish. Everybody knows that vegetables are good for health and a mixed vegetable dish is the easiest way to get all the goodness of many vegetables in one recipe. This is one of the recipes I learned during my college days. Ingredients used in this recipe are easily available. Hope you like it!

MATAR PANEER in DATES GRAVY

I am really glad to share this recipe. I have always used dates in desserts but never tried in gravy. It was a risky experiment, I was not sure of the outcome, but to my surprise it turned out so good!!Dates are a sweet source of vitamins, minerals, fibres, antioxidants and an important source of iron. Adding dates to your diet is a good way to get instant energy and health benefits. This recipe is a new way for me to have dates. Hope you like it!!

Creamy Pumpkin soup

Winters are almost here. The best thing about winters are the soup-sipping evenings. I like it the most. This pumpkin soup is very creamy and delicious. Halloween is round the corner in west, so I thought it would be the perfect time for this soup. The recipe is simple and easy. Go ahead and try it. hope you like it!!

Pumpkin Coconut Halwa

Happy Diwali to all of you! Well one more day to go for sweets, without a care, then have to get back to fitness -conscious diets. Anyways, this recipe is very delicious. I love pumpkins and coconuts and this recipe has both. I used to think that almost all diwali sweets recipes are similar, but trust me it's all about using ingredients in  perfect proportions, and that creates a perfect sweet, with it's own distinguished taste. This recipe finishes my Diwali special week. Hope you like them all!!

Strawberry Mousse (Diwali special)

Happy Dhanteras to all! Here is a quick post, we all are busy i know. This mousse recipe is( my favorite, preparations can be done a day head. Hope u like it!!

Dates Sweets (Diwali special)

Another no sugar sweet but still sweet haha! Diwali shopping is at its peak, really love new style diyas in the market, very colourful n catchy! This recipe is very easy to make though preparation time takes a little longer, but tastes good. I have used dried dates but you can  use any dates you have. Hope you will like it!!

Oats Coconut Ladoos

I love sweets and Diwali means to tickle your sweet buds till they go crazy. So let us satisfy our sweet tooth in a healthy way. Diwali sweets generally have lots of ghee, milk, sugar and are very rich, well who cares, it's Diwali after all, but those who care, this recipe is for you. Easy to make and healthy to eat. I call them healthy nariyal ladoos (coconut balls). So eat without a care! Hope you will like it!!

Strawberry Sondesh

 

So Diwali celebration is about to start, or should I say has already been started after all shopping is also a part of celebration, isn't it? The food blog world is ultra busy with diwali special sweets and recipes, so here's a little contribution from my side too. I really love this bright festival which symbolises wealth, happiness and prosperity. My first Diwali special sweet is sondesh with a mild taste of strawberries. Sondesh is a very famous sweet in India and very easy to make at home, which is very rewarding. Hope you like it!!! HAPPY DIWALI!

Spicy Plum Sauce

Plums are a juicy, sweet and tart taste power food. They are an excellent source of antioxidants and have a good amount of vitamins and minerals. I like having them raw but using them in recipes, is a good experience. They have a very unique tarty, sweet and sour taste which brings a new touch to your recipes. Well, this sauce recipe is quite easy and very spicy and I always use it as a sandwich spread with any filling at hand. Last week, I tried these salami sandwiches using this sauce. They were very tasty.

Everybody loves peanut butter and a good combo of peanut butter and plums gives this sauce a nice creamy texture and a nutty taste. Nothing is as good as homemade peanut butter, which is so easy to make (soon I'll post it). So the freshness of plums, goodness of peanut butter and the spiciness of chillies makes this sauce a worth try. Hope you will like it!!! Get the recipe here!!

Strawberry Lemonade

 

 

 So rainy season is almost gone here and it's hot again, so the perfect time for a lemonade. I am in love with lemonade since my childhood. It's refreshing taste makes me forget everything about hot days plus it has health benefits too. This drink has a nice hint of strawberries and I love its colour. You can also add vodka (I recommend vanilla flavoured) if u want an alcoholic version of it. So enjoy the drink whether it is hot or not :) Hope you like it! Get the recipe here!

Pomegranate Rice

I don't eat rice much but I love them. Rice goes well with any kind of flavour. It is for me a comfort food. Whenever I'm not in a mood of cooking, I try my rice recipes and it always save the day. Brown rice are considered to be the healthiest rice but that doesn't mean white rice are bad for your health. This recipe is easy but a good balance of sweet n sour taste, makes it special. I had some pomegranate quietly lying in my refrigerator, waiting for their turn :), I wanted to use them differently and that's how this recipe came up. Honestly , I won't say this is my best rice recipe, but it tasted very good  and I would like try it again. Hope you like it too! Get the recipe here!

MATAR PANEER in SPICED WHITE SAUCE

Weather these days is very confusing here, at one time it is raining and the other, the sun is shining. Whenever I decide to cook something "rain special", it's dry and warm...lol! Well, this time I'm here with this smooth and creamy recipe. I usually use white sauce in pasta recipes or baked recipes, but this time I tried white sauce with an Indian touch, by adding spices. This recipe is a good change, try it someday! Hope you like it!! Get the recipe here

Honey-Mint Chicken

Another weekend gone and we are all back to our routines. phew!!! Life is like that sometimes new, sometimes phew :D, but still it's beautiful. Anyways, enjoyed this chicken recipe last night and it was a big hit. The sourness of buttermilk, the sweetness of honey and the hint of mint, give this dish a very nice fresh taste. Hope you like it!! Get the recipe here!!

Homemade Coconut Milk

Hey there!!! I am here after a 2 weeks, been very busy and had a great time with family! Anyways, here is an easy homemade ingredient " the coconut milk". I love this magical ingredient  -why magical??- it changes the texture and the taste of any dish to put it into. It's coconutty taste makes any dish richer and it has health benefits too. And it is a good substitute for a dairy-free diet. With a little effort, you can extract coconut milk very easily at home. Here's how I did it!!!

Corn Week Day 7-- Corns-Oat Grilled Sandwich

 So, this is my last post of the corn week. Hope you all like them. It was great experimenting with these golden beads (this is what I call them). Well, these sandwiches are my comfort food. I usually have them in breakfast. The recipe is very easy and simple. I 've used Oats for the creaminess (a healthier option). There is a local baker's shop near my place, who bakes very good breads, I never miss a chance to buy their breads, it makes my sandwiches even tastier. Go, give them a try, they are very tasty. Hope you like it! Get the recipe here!!

Corn Week Day 6-- Corn-Semolina Patties

Happy Sunday to all of you!!! Today is the sixth day of my corn week. This time I've come up with these patties. I always use a vegetable as a base for patties, but this time I recalled a recipe which I tried long ago, I took semolina (suji) as a binding base instead. You can add vegetables of choice but since it's a corn week here, corns were must for these patties. The recipe is easy, and very fulfilling (I couldn't have anything for dinner after having them...:D). Hope you like it!!! Get the recipe here!

Corn Week Day 5--Tangy Corns

So yesterday it was independence day holiday, I enjoyed it fully. The weather was good, everybody was out, celebrating the day. Well, I tried this recipe a few days ago and trust me it is "the best" corn recipe I've ever tasted. The recipe is simple but the combination of flavours makes it so delicious. The first word came to my mind for this recipe was TANGY, the perfect explanation to this recipe. The sweet, salty sour, mouth watering taste, will sure stuck to your mind for hours. Try this someday. Hope you'll like it too!!! Get the recipe here

Corn Week Day 4--Corn Kheer

My sweet tooth made me try this recipe. This is a dairy-free kheer and since it's a corn week on my blog, I've used corns for the taste and for the thickness. I have already eaten a bowl for the sake of "just tasting it"...hehe. So, gonna enjoy this tonight. Hope you'll like it! Get the recipe here!

Corn WeeK Day 3-- Corn Salad in cashew Dressing

So the third day is for this yummy salad. I just love the creaminess of this salad dressing. Cashews are loaded with energy, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Vegetables, fruits and cashew, this salad is a nutritional blast!!! This recipe is vegan, fresh and easy to make. So go ahead, try this. Hope you like it!! Get the recipe here!

Corn week Day 2--Corn Rice

I really love this indo-Italian combo rice, and corns are my favourite too, so this recipe is my favouritest!!!  I was supposed to post this recipe last Tuesday, as I was celebrating "corn week" last week, but due to some reason I couldn't post anything on my blog. Well it happens sometimes. Anyways let the corn celebration continues. This recipe is as usually easy and tooooo good!!
Hope you'll like it!! Get the recipe here!!

Corn week Day 1---Corn-Egg Wraps

 

Corns and corns are everywhere these days, they are at their peak. So celebrating corn's season this whole week here. Corns are not only heavenly delicious but also very nutritious. They have fat free calories which keeps you feel full for long. They are rich in vitamins and minerals. Corns are also a good source of fibres and antioxidants. I love this versatile golden(almost) beads, they really make any simple dish special. Today it is the first day of my corn week, so let's start it with a breakfast recipe. Easy to prepare, quick to make, perfect for breakfast. Hope you'll like it!! Get the recipe here

 

Oats White sauce

White Sauce is a simple but an important sauce for many recipes. It is basically made of butter, flour and milk. While cooking dinner last night, I tried replacing refined flour to oats, and the result was quite satisfying and healthy too. From now on I will stick to this "healthy version of White sauce". So try using this sauce in pasta dishes, lasagne, veg or non veg dishes or use it the same way you use the regular white sauce. Hope you like it!!! Get the recipe here!!

Eggplant in Tomato Gravy

Eggplant or brinjal is a very versatile vegetable. It can blend well with any flavour, be it spices, cheese or herbs. It is low in calories and high on nutrition. Eggplant has a good amount of vitamins B complex and minerals like iron, magnesium and potassium. It is a fun vegetable with which you can do many experiments, I do a lot with this vegetable. This recipe is cooked in an Indian style and very easy, I love this recipe. You can grow eggplants very easily at home but it needs a little care. So grill it, bake it, fry it (ok you can skip frying) or just cook it, it is delicious anyway. Hope you'll like it! Get the recipe here!!

Chewy Fig Cookies (Eggless)

Figs are another super food I love to add to my diet. I simply love their texture, taste, chewiness and crunchiness of the seeds. They are like natural chew candies for me. Figs are a good source of potassium and fibers and counted among the healthiest food .These eggless chewy cookies are easy to make and gives instant energy, infact whenever I'm in a rush and don't have the time to eat , I simply grab one or two cookies and I'm good to go! Hope you'll like it!! Get the recipe here

Egg and Cheese Toast

Breakfast is the first and the most important meal of the day. A good healthy breakfast means a good, energetic day ahead, which help you to perform at your best all day long! This breakfast recipe is very simple and quick, that you can make even on a lazy morning. I've used flat whole wheat bread (chapatti) but you can use any bread you have at hand. Enjoy every morning and never ever skip your breakfast. Try to go beyond ready to eat cereals and experiment with fresh, healthy and wholesome stuffs you may have at home. Enjoy these toasts with a glass of smoothie of your choice or just add some veggies or nuts! Hope you like it!! Get the recipe here

Onion-Cumin Chicken

Many people who are non-vegetarian, really love chicken, me too! It has many health benefits. It's a good source of protein, build muscles, keeps bone strong, improves immunity and also good for children's growth.Chicken dishes can be very healthy if it is cooked in a healthy way. Boiled, roasted or grilled chicken is much healthier than the fried one. Also try to buy fresh chicken, not frozen as it is loaded with preservatives. This recipe is really simple, healthy and very tasty! Hope you like it too!! Get the recipe here

Paneer in Capsicum Gravy

I love capsicums, be it in any cuisine, any colour, anywhich way!!! So decided to use my capsicums into a gravy and the result -Yum!! Capsicums are not only beautiful, but also they are very good for your health. They have a very high content of vitamin C ( more than any other fruit), vitamin B complex and anti-oxidants. They are good for your heart, skin, digestive system, immune system, in fact their health benefits are so many that I recommend you to personally search for it on net. Then on, I am sure, you will add more capsicums into your diet. And the bonus is that you can grow them at home in a small space. Well, this recipe has few ingredients that you can find very easily at home. Hope you like it!!! Get the recipe here

Lemon Milk Shake

Milk, OMG!! our parents have tried hard to have us finish a glass of milk :D  and now we do the same with our kid(s). Milk is filled with essential vitamins and minerals, a super-source of calcium and protein. This recipe is quite easy and quick. Despite the "dairy-free" mania  these days, I still believe that a glass of milk is important for your health, but if you are following a dairy-free diet, you can substitute milk with almond milk.  So enjoy this drink with your kids (they love it) and serve to your guests, they will be surprised!! Get the recipe here

100% whole Wheat Cheese Bites

I am really fond of cheese bites but store-bought ones are very unhealthy mainly because they are prepared using refined flour. As we all know whole wheat flour is more nutritious than refined flour so I tried these whole wheat cheese bites and they turned out so good! This recipe is really quick, easy and a good snack option. Substitute refined flour to whole wheat flour as much as you can or try using a mix of whole wheat flour and refined flour in cookies, muffins, cakes etc. After all, we eat for our health and if it is tasty, it's great!! Hope you like these cheese bites!! Get the recipe here

Curry Leaves Chicken

Hey! I got fresh organic curry leaves from a local shop and they were so aromatic, so fresh and I don't want to use them the regular way, in tempering and all. So I tried them in this recipe and it was great!
I am not a big fan of non-veg in summers ( it's really hot here) but enjoy having it on weekends. This recipe with a little twist, gives it a very subtle taste of curry leaves. You can easily grow curry leaves at home and enjoy their freshness. Hope you will like it! Get the recipe here

Dry Mint Leaves

......and no dehydrator either!! Well, there is nothing like fresh mint leaves but sometimes some recipes call for dried ones, and they stay for long too. Dried mint leaves also taste great, so sprinkle them on soups, veggies, chicken, meat etc.....ok so how I did it..... without sunlight .....without dehydrator....well well well  I dried them in refrigerator!!!!......seriously I dried them in refrigerator!......just click here

Paneer Tikka

Paneer tikka is a very famous dish and an easy way to cook something special for your family n friends.  These days I'm really very busy, so needed a quick recipe, and then I tried paneer tikka.......all happy....all set. :) .Sorry for the bad photo, not a good one, I know! Anyways, try this recipe on the weekend, it's easy!click here

 

Melon seeds-jaggery balls

Melon seeds are nutrients-packed super food but they are usually ignored. They are loaded with vitamins and minerals. Melon seeds are a good source of vitamin B, magnesium, essential amino acids, fatty acids, proteins and fibers. They help in preventing heart diseases, blood pressure, diabetes  and are also good for skin and boosting energy levels. So add melon seeds in salads, soups, gravy or even cakes.
 This recipe is very simple and common but instead of using peanuts(that is usually added), I've used melon seeds for the above mentioned benefits. Unlike peanut brittle (chikki), these balls are soft, NOT hard. And as we all know that jaggery is good for digestion, so these balls are perfect for after-meals sweet cravings. Get the recipe here

Cucumber Gazpacho

When we think of summer vegetables, the first name that comes to our mind is CUCUMBER. This crunchy vegetable has low calories, fat and cholesterol . It is a good source of potassium, anti-oxidants and vitamins. It not only keeps you hydrated but also flushes out toxins. And hey it's good for your skin too. You can grow cucumbers at home in a pot or in garden as well but try to buy organic seeds for more health benefits.
Gazpacho is a cold soup and is basically salad in liquid form. Before this post I used to think that we can't make gazpacho without tomatoes but after some research I found out that you can use any vegetable or even fruits. And that's how this recipe created! I've used one green veggie and one green fruit. So go ahead and create your own gazpacho, your style. I'll be glad if you share it with me. Hope you'll like it! Get thre recipe

Chocolate cupcakes

How you celebrated Mother's day? I baked my girl's favourite chocolate cupcakes to thank her for giving me the joy of motherhood. It is fantastic to be a Mother, isn't it? This recipe is the easiest I've tried and is really good. Ok, I have a confession to make :( , by mistake I put very little coco powder(1/3tsp instead of 1/3 cup), but but but  I fixed everything up and the cakes did their work. For some reason I could not click the original looking cupcakes, so yours will be different than my pictured cupcakes!
Go ahead and enjoy baking these delicious cup cakes! Get the recipe here

SPICED CHEESE with ROASTED CAPSICUM SALAD

A very healthy and nutritiuos starter that will charge your tastebuds on.
Easy to cook, quick to prepare and tastes great! Get the recipe here

Onion cream paneer

At times when you get bored of onion-tomato-gravy or simply  just want a change, this recipe can be a good option. This recipe also has onions and tomatoes (which are optional though, just to get the raw fresh taste ) but it's different. I like it, hope you like it too...:)  Get the recipe here

Sweet 'n' sour ladyfinger

 

Ladyfinger (Okra) is known to provide numerous health benefits. It is a wonderful source of important vitamins and minerals. It is good for heart, skin, bones, teeth and protects against diabetes, cancer, anaemia and many more. So eat this wonder food as much as you can. And what's more, it can grow very easily at home, so grow your own ladyfinger for more benefits. This recipe is very simple, but the perfect blend of ingredients makes it very tasty and visually its very appealing, isn't it?     

the recipe here

 

Masala split gram (channa dal)

Split gram (channa dal) is a super-food that can keep you full for long. It is high in protein and fibers, very versatile and has a nutty taste and buttery texture. I like to eat channa dal, cooked in different style, at least twice a week . This recipe is one of my favourite channa dal recipe. I've added cottage cheese to add more protein to this recipe. Hope you like it too!Recipe here

Sweet Chilli Chutney

If you like spicy hot taste in your food, like me, then this chutney is just for you. Besides adding heat and flavour to any meal, red chillies have some nutritive values too. They have vitamins and minerals and they also have health benefits too like they fight inflammation, boost immunity, blood circulation and weight loss!! If eaten in moderation chillies are actually good for you. A very little serving of this chutney will heat up your any simple meal. Try it. Click here for the recipe

Mango and baked sweet corn salad

Mangoes Mangoes  Mangoes all summer long :)!!!! Rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, this fruit is definetly the king of fruits. Here's a refreshing salad recipe that's as usual easy and simple! Hope you'll enjoy! Happy Summers!! Get the recipe here

Rice with grilled cottage cheese

Ok, now you know how to make your own cottage cheese at home, if not click here. This recipe I created when I had guests coming over and I wanted to do something special. This recipe is good if you want to do something fancy with rice. Although the recipe looks a bit complex but trust me it is very easy. Now impress your guests and family, the way I did, with this easy recipe, Hope you like it too! Get the recipe here