Dhokla

Yet another Buttu Mashi recipe

• Moong dal-1/2 cup
• Urad dal-1/4 cup
• Toor dal- 1/2 cup
• Chana Dal-1/2 cup
• Rice -3 cups
• ginger paste-1 tsp
• sugar-1/4 tsp
• 1/4 tsp Eno

Soak all overnight or 8 hours.Blend in grinder using yogurt instead of water to thin it out. When ready add salt, ground ginger, sugar,and Eno. With each batch spray pan with PAM . Pour batter 1" thick and steam for 15-20 mins. When done( it should spring up when touched) give tadka of mustard, hing, red chillies.

Meanwhile mix 1 cup water, 1 tsp lemon juice and 4 tsp sugar. Add to dhokla and place garnish of tadka and fresh cilantro over it. Enjoy warm with cilantro chutney or imli chutney.

Buttu Mashi's Carrot cake

My resolve in 2011 is to eat healthy, and so the first recipe for this year are two dishes that can be eaten guilt free. This was Mashi's recipe. She has taught me so many tips to cooking quickly, and so I thought I must put it down here so that her legacy continues.

To make cake you will need

• 3 cups shredded carrots
• 2 cups flour
• 4 eggs ( could use 3)
• 1.5 -2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon pwd
• optional raisin and walnut( 1/2 cup each)

In a large mixing bowl mix flour, sugar,baking powder,baking soda and cinnamon . Add oil , carrots and eggs. Beat well and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 mins

Whole wheat pancakes!!

Due to Anubhav's allergies I have looking for a good whole wheat recipe for pancakes.I finally found one I liked and it came out really well. The best part of this recipe is that it can be made with ingredients that is normally available at home. Serve hot with maple syrup, honey or just whipped cream. Alternately, roll it out really thin and eat it with any indian curry or just plain and simple achaar.Yumm!!

QUICK MIX WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES

2 cups whole wheat flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs, well beaten 2 cups milk 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Stir together dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, and oil. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened (batter may be lumpy). Cook on preheated griddle until bubbles form and edges start to dry. Flip and cook until lightly browned. I like to serve with sliced strawberries and bananas, drizzled with honey. Submitted by: Colleen Skaines

From: http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,175,133185-253193,00.html

Mexican Flan Cake

This was a surprise item that was brought to my class picnic by Maria Robles. Maria has in the past brought me a yummy tortilla soup recipe as well, so I decided to beg her dad for this one. Very moist and yummy cake. Easy to make and beautiful to look at. The cajeta can be bought at any local Mexican restaurant, but in case you do not have it, you could just make it with the cake mix and the flan.

Ingredients:

• 1 chocolate (moist) cake mix - and ingredients listed on the cake mix box
• 3 eggs
• 1 philadelphia cream cheese
• 1 can of condensed milk
• 1 can of evaporated milk
• cajeta (mexican sweet burned milk)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the cake mix per the instructions in the box
2. Using a blender machine, mix the 3 eggs, cheese, condensed milk and evaporated milk. This is the flan mix.

3. Grease the cake mold (bundt type is ideal) with Pam, and put cajeta at the bottom.
4. Place the cake mix on top of the cajeta.
5. Finally add the "flan" mix from the blender machine.
6. Place in the oven (use the oven temperature settings and time as directed on the cake mix box).
7. When the baking time is completed, remove the cake from the mold by carefully turning it over.
8. Let the cake cool down, and put in the refrigerator.
9. Enjoy!!!

Mexican Cucumber MArgaritas

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 lime, cut into wedges
• Chile-lime powder (recommended: Tajin, or salt)
• 2 cucumbers, peeled, thinly sliced
• 4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup vodka
• Ice

Directions

Syrup:

In small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil over medium high-heat. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved completely. Set aside to cool.

Put the chile-lime powder on a small plate. Using the lime wedge, moisten the rims of the martini glasses. Invert the martini glasses into the chile-lime powder, to coat the rims.

In a blender, combine the simple syrup, cucumber, water, and lime juice until smooth. Strain the mixture into a pitcher. Add the vodka and mix well. Fill a martini shaker with ice and add about 1 cup of the prepared cucumber mixture. Shake well and serve.

Kale in Oyster Sauce

* 400 grams chinese kale, cleaned and cut into well pieces * 2 tablespoons garlic, coarsely chopped * 1 teaspoon ground pepper * 5 tablespoons oyster sauce * 2 tablespoons soy sauce * cooking oil

Mix all ingredients except for soy sauce. Add 2 tbsp oil to wok and heat till very hot. Now add the mixture and stir fry for a couple of ins. Add soy sauce and remove from heat. Serve with steamed rice.

Tom Kha Gai

This is a soup that has been enjoyed by our family ever since my youngest was 8 months old. We have tried it at every Thai restaurant we have ever been too. I finally got this recipe from my friend Anne in Phuket. On a vacation to Phuket, I had the chance to learn some authentic thai dishes and this was one of them. I learnt that every family has their own version. Anne did not use fish sauce in her soup, but 2 tsp of fish sauce can add the special thai flavor if you choose to add it. Thais usually obtain their coconut milk fresh from the local market the day they make the soup, but this can be made using canned coconut milk as well.

Coconut milk-1 can

water-2 cans

1-2 stalkslemon grass

2 inch galanga

4-5 shallots

salt

sugar

3-4 thai chillies

chicken breast cut in bite sizes

lime juice-2 tbsp

kafir lime leaves

mushroom

tomatoes

cilantro

Boil i can of coconut milk with two cups of water. Once it comes to a boil add the sliced lemon grass, kafir lime and galanga pieces. Now add salt, sugar , chicken and allow to simmer till the chicken is cooked. Add lime juice to taste, thai chillies, cilantro, more kafir lime leaves and lemon grass to garnish. Serve hot with steamed rice and add hot chilli flakes if more heat is desired.