Basic Sponge Cake

This is my version of a sponge cake... it turns out very light & smooth texture.

Ingredients :

• 5 eggs @ room temperature
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup castor sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method :

• Cream eggs + sugar till light & fluffy
• Add in the baking powder + vanilla essence . Beat well
• Fold in the flour. Mix properly.
• Add in the oil & beat till well incorporated.
• Pour in well greased cake tin & bake for 25mins.
• If you want a marble effect, first pour more than half batter in the tin & in the remainin batter add cocoa powder. Mix properly & pour this cocoa batter over the white batter in spirals.

You can eat this cake jus like dat or u can also apply sum icing ...

Happy Eating :)

Chicken Bread

The pic looks very tricky, but trust me, its realy very easy to make!!

Ingredients for bread dough

Flour 4 cups


Instant yeast 1 tbsp 


Powdered milk 2 tbsp

Salt 1 tsp

Oil 4 tbsp

Egg 1 (plus 1 for glazing)

Castor sugar 1 tsp

In a bowl mix together 4 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp castor sugar, 2 tbsp milk powder, 1 tbsp


 yeast, 4 tbsp oil and 1 egg, knead to a medium soft dough with slightly warm water, leave to 


rise for 1 hour.


Ingredients for chicken filling

Chicken boiled and shredded 1 ½ to 2 cups

Onion chopped finely 1 medium or 2 small

Salt 1 tsp

Black pepper 1 tsp

Coriander leaves 2 tbsp

Green chilies chopped 4


Garam Masala Powder 1 tsp

Flour 2 tbsp 

Butter 2 tbsp

Milk 1 cup

Sesame seeds as required

Heat 2 tbsp butter fry onion till soft then add 2 tbsp flour with 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper,


 1 tsp garam masala....add the milk, cook till thick, mix in the shredded chicken add chopped

green chilies and coriander leaves, remove and cool completely. Now divide the dough into 


two or three parts depending on what size loaves of chicken bread you want. Roll the dough 


to a rectangular shape, snip the sides with scissors or a knife, put filling in the centre and fold


 each side so they overlap each other (like a braid) the filling will show slightly but that's ok, 


brush top with beaten egg, sprinkle sesame seeds and bake on 200 degree C for 25 minutes 


or so.

Right after taking out of the oven apply butter well on whole bread and let it rest covered 


with a cloth for 2-3 min to soften the bread completely.


Happy Eating :)

Singaporean Rice

A very tasty & yummy wholesome meal that you jus cant stop eating. This recipes calls for chicken, but all the veggies can try this with paneer instead of chicken. I have tried this with paneer & it tastes all the more tasty :)


There are 4 elements to this dish.
1st element : Boiled Rice (Bottom layer of the dish)
2nd element : Boiled spaghetti (Third layer of the dish)
3rd element : Chicken gravy (forth layer of the dish)
4th element : Mayo Dip (Top layer)

For the Mayo Dip -

• 1 cup mayo
• half cup tomato ketchup
• 1tsp chopped garlic
• 2tsp chopped red chillies

   Mix them all together in a bowl & keep aside.


For the Chicken Gravy -

• 1kg boneless chicken
• 2-3 capsicums
• 2-3 carrots
• 2tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2tbsp soya sauce
• 1tsp chopped red chillies
• 1tsp black pepper
• salt
• 2 tbsp cornflour

Method -

• Fry the boneless chicken in a pan.
• When the chicken is almost cooked, add all the chopped veggies + spices. Saute them well.
• Add cornflour dissolved in water. Stir & cook for 5mins, the consistency should be of a thick gravy.

Arrangement -

• Take a big wide bowl.
• Arrange boiled rice at the bottom
• Follow by a layer of boiled spaghetti
• Then add the chicken gravy
• Top with the mayo dip.
• Garnish with fried garlic & green chillies

Happy Eating :)

BBQ Chicken

Whos dsnt love BBQ ?!?! When you have that sudden urge to eat one, what better way to jus have a very quick recipe for a great BBQ Chicken ?! That is exactly what this recipe is all about ...

You need -

• Chicken 1kg
• Soya Sauce 2tbsp
• Worcestershire sauce 2tbsp
• Tomato sauce 3tbsp
• Mustard paste 2tsp
• Garlic Paste 1tbsp
• Sugar
• Salt
• Few pcs of ginger (optional)
• Couple of spoons of water

Method - 

• Mix all the above ingredients, except for the chicken. Simmer this in a pan for a few mins. Keep aside.
• In the mean time, boil chicken in water. Add a spoonful of the above sauce in this boiling water. Boil the chicken for 10mins.
• Strain the chicken. Add the sauce in the chicken.
• Bake in a pre heated oven for 30mins @200C.
• You can also throw in a few pcs of tomatoes, capsicum & onions.
• Serve hot

Happy Eating :)

Matka Kulfi

I had always wanted to try kulfi, so a couple a days back, finally decided to try my hand at it. So, heres my version of matka kulfi .

You need - 

1 litre Milk.1 cup milk powder1 cup condensed milk1/4 cup sugar
1tspn rose essence
Almonds & pistas

Method:Boil the milk on medium heat and reduce it to 2 cups Add in milk powder and condensed milk and cook further till powder dissolves completely and a thick kheer like texture is achieved.Add in the sugar and the nuts, now cook till the sugar dissolves, stir in the rose essence and remove from the fire.Pour it in container I used my matkis. Freeze for about 4hrs.

A surprise treat after your iftaari, so go ahead & 
Happy Eating :)

Paneer Tikki

A few of my friends wanted some veg recipes, so this is my first veg recipe (& it tasted gud!!) for them :) It's a very easy & a non-fussy recipe, so go ahead & try it out.


You need - 

• 300gm paneer or cottage cheese
• 200gm mashed potatoes
• 2 slices bread soaked in water
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2chillies finely chopped
• 2tsp corn flour
• 2tsp coriander chopped
• oil
• salt
• pepper

Mix paneer + potatoes + onions + chillies + cornflour + coriander + bread + salt + pepper

Mix it properly & shape into tikkis.

Shallow fry them till both sides are nice golden in colour.

Happy Eating :)

Shaami Kebab

This is another recipe by my mom-in-law .


You need -

• 1kg boneless meat
• 1 cup chana dal washed in water
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 1cup water
• 7 green chillies
• 1 cup coriander leaves
• 2 onions
• 1 egg
• 2tsp zeera powder
• half tsp garam masala
• half cup freshly made bread crumbs

Place all the first 5 ingredients in a pressure cooker & cook till 6whistles. If there is still water in it, cook the meat on high flame & dry all the water.

Once the water is dried, add the green chillies + coriander + onions + meat mixture in a chopper & chop all the above. You will get a smooth mash.

To this add 1 egg + zeera (cumin) powder + bread crumbs. Mix properly. Give kebab shapes & store in the freezer.

While frying, shallow fry it & without any coating. Enjoy another great kebab !

Happy eating :)

Chicken Kebabs

To be frank, I was never realy good with kebabs. They would split while fryin & instead of kebabs I would end up with a gooey & oily mess !!! Phew :(


So, I just resigned to the sad fate that I am not at all a kebab person, quite unhappily (coz i realy do like kebabs!). But this particular recipe is a guaranteed anti-collapsible chicken kebab recipe (yes!thats what I like to call them) which even amateurs can make. 


Perfect for Ramadan as you can prepare them & store it in ur freezer. This is a recipe of my mom-in-law, so all Thanks to her for giving me the Kebab Joy :) :) :)


What you need -

• 1 whole chicken
• fresh bread crumbs of 3 slices
• half kg potato
• 4 green chillies chopped (alter the number of chillies acc. to ur taste)
• 1 big onion chopped
• bunch coriander leaves
• 1 carrot chopped
• 1 capsicum chopped
• 1 cube maggi stock
• 1tbsp soya sauce
• 1 egg

Boil chicken with 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste & salt. Once cool, chop the chicken in a chopper ( u will get chicken kheema consistency). Keep this aside.

In a pan, put some oil. Fry chooped onions in it till they are transparent.

Add maggi cube. Fry.

Add chopped veggies + chilli + coriander. Fry for some time.

Add the chopped chicken + soya sauce + salt + pepper. Fry till the mixture is dry & mixed properly.

After cooling it, add mashed potatoes + bread crumbs + egg. Mix properly.

Shape them into rounds & stock ur freezer with them.

Remove them from freezer just a few mins before you want to fry. No need of any coating while frying. Shallow fry.

Makes 20-25 kebabs.

Happy Kebab-ing :) :)

Slow cooked chicken with Peppercorn Sauce & Vegetables Stir Fry

This is a recipe that I came up with when I was feeling too lazy to cook anything. It's really very simple & easy, almost no spices at all & fun to make :) :)

There are 3 elements to this recipe. First the Chicken, then stir fry vegetables & then the sauce.

For the chicken marinade you need :

• Chicken boneless fillets (or u can take with the bones)
• Grated garlic 1tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper half tsp
• Mustard paste 1tsp
• Tomato sauce, 1 tbsp
• juice of 1 lemon
• oil or butter 2tbsp

Mix all the above ingredients together & marinate the chicken for about an hour.

Then, fry the chicken on a grill pan. First on high heat for 5mins, then on low heat till chicken is cooked properly on both the sides.

For the Peppercorn Sauce you need :

• Oil 2tbsp
• All purpose flour 1tbsp
• Black pepper 1tsp
• Cream 2tbsp
• Water half cup
• salt to taste
• Burnt Sugar syrup 2tbsp (cook 1tsp sugar in a pan over flame & when it starts to caramelize, pour  in half cup water & cook till sugar dissolves completely)

Heat oil, add flour & cook for 2minutes on a low flame.

Add salt + black pepper.

Add water & mix imm. till everything combines well.

Add cream. Mix properly.

Add the sugar syrup & cook till it thickens. And ur sauce is ready. 

Pour a really generous amount of sauce over the chicken while serving.

(This sauce is realy  tasty & can be used for other recipes as well)

For the stir fry vegetables you need :

• 2 cups of mixed veggies (carrots, french beans, peas, babycorns or any other vegetables that you & your family likes)
• salt
• pepper
• crushed garlic
• butter for seasoning
• oil 

Take oil in a pan & fry all the vegetables roughly for 2minutes.

Add garlic + salt + pepper.

Please do not overcook the vegetables as they wont taste good. Let them be crisp.

Now, ur dish is ready to serve :)

Happy Eating :)

 

 

First Hand @ Baking :)

Well..... here goes. My very first recipe for the blog !!! This one is very close to my heart as this is the first ever pie that I baked & dat too was in ramadan some years back :) :) 

Apple Pie

Using the same recipe, but this time Banan Pie :)

The pie crust is a classic Chinese pie recipe that i got frm YouTube. Its called as the Sak Saku Pie (I knw dats a funny name!!) , so I jus call it an Apple Pie


The main key to this fantastic pie is using cold butter & ice cold water. This will make d pie crust very flaky & tasty :)

So, here goes the recipe .


Ingredients:

For Pie Dough

• 120-130gm chilled flour
• a pinch salt
• 100gm chilled butter, cut in cubes
• 50-60ml ice cold water

For Apple Filling

• 2 apples (300gm), randomly cut in pcs
• 100gm sugar
• 2tbsp lemon juice
• 2tbsp raisins
• 1tbsp. cinnamon

Method:

Apple filling

• In a pan over the stove, place cut apples.
• Add sugar. Cook till sugar melts.
• Once the mixture is liquidy, add lemon juice.
• Simmer for 20 mins.
• Then cool it in the fridge

Dough

• Rub the chilled butter in the flour.
• Mix it. DO NOT KNEAD.
• Add ice water over a few times while mixing. You will probably not need the entire amount of water, only a little.
• Again mix properly, do not knead.
• The ice water is the imp. ingredient  here to prevent the butter from melting.
• You will get a crumbly or flaky mixture at this stage.
• Cover in cling film & refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Sprinkle flour over surface & roll the dough, fold it over a few times.
• Repeat the above procedure for atleast 4-5times until the dough becomes smooth.
• Then cover again in cling film, refrigerate for 20mins.
• Remove from fridge. Divide in 2 portions. Roll out one portion in a round shape .
• This will be your bottom crust.
• Add crushed cookies on the bottom.
• Then spread the apple filling & the raisins.
• Cut rest of the pie dough in thin strips & place decoratively over the top.
• Brush the top with beaten egg.
• Bake in the oven @450 F for 15mins.

Serve hot with cold ice cream....

Tips:

• For some color & extra taste, you can add some melted red jam or some reduced berry syrup over the apple filling.
• I have made this also using bananas, & I personally feel the banana pie tastes a lot gud better. Use vanilla essence & skip the cinnamon & lemon juice.
• Or you can anytime experiment with different fruits. 

Try It & Enjoy ....

Happy Eating :)

Hi all...


Everyone's been askin me to send them recipes which are quick, easy to make & obviously tasty !! Since its Ramadan, I will be sharing recipes which are apt for Iftaari.


In Ramadan, we tend to eat & make food which is fried, & so very oily. My effort will be to share some recipes which wud be fry-free, & hence, less weigth gain (I think !! )


Watch this space for more !!! Ramadan Treats soon coming ... :) :) :)


Happy Fasting !

Welcome !!!

Welcome to my very first week of Maria’s Magical Moments! I am so very excited to finally bring this blog to life after what feels like an eternity of ideas swishing around in my head and telling all my forever waiting friends & family just…. another….week…. more….

I literally don’t stop talking about food – which generally either makes those around me feel either a) really hungry b) inspired or c) Im guessing, insanely irritated so creating a food blog to channel that energy and incessant chatter was only a matter of time. 

What Ive always found really fascinating is how a particular dish or an aroma can transcend time and place and transport you back to an experience or memory in an instant… Food connects us all in one way or another and I love that there is always a story to tell. 

I will share many recipes with you throughout this blog (all the recipes have different sources), along with the stories behind the food– I hope you enjoy them!

I would like to thank my amazing friends, my family(ies), my better half (who has been encouraging me to start a blog so a SPECIAL thanks to him ) who have been my happy guinea pigs in my experimentation of food, he he he.  I would also like to say a big thanks to my Mum & Mom-in-law who have provided me with (& still continue doing so), the knowledge, expertise and inspiration to make food all the more interesting… a BIG THANK YOU!!

Happy Eating! :) :)