Caramel Custard

Caramel Custard is one of the most liked  desserts. The Indian version of this dessert is not baked in the oven , but cooked in a pressure cooker. The outcome, a totally perfect caramel custard.

 2 1/2 cups Whole Milk ( Do NOt substitute with low fat milk )

2 slices of White bread ( Remove the brown sides) 
1/2 + 2 tbsp White sugar
1/4 cup White sugar + 1 tsp Brown Sugar (Optional) For the Caramel.
1 tsp Vanilla essence
4 Eggs (Room Temp)
A steel container with tight fitting lid. ( I use my steel masala dabba )
Pressure cooker.

Method-
1. Heat the milk until it reaches the boiling point (Dnt boil)
2. Whisk eggs and sugar well. Add Vanilla Essence to it.
3. In 1/2 cup of Hot milk dissolve the bread.
4. Now pour the remaining milk in the egg + sugar mixture slowly but steadily . Keep whisking as you do it or else you might end up with scrambled eggs :)
5 . Now strain this mixture to get rid of the froth that form due to whisking.
6. Add the bread milk in this mixture.
7. In a pan , add 1/4 cup sugar and heat on low flame. Dnt mix the sugar until it starts dissolving. Now add a few drops of water to it and caramelize it .
8. In a container , pour this caramel slowly so that it covers the bottom of the container.
Let it cool for 2 mins.
9. Now pour the milk mixture , slowly in the container , taking care not to mix it with the caramel.
Now put the lid on .
10. In a pressure cooker add some water and place a small stand in it. Now place the container on the stand and close the cooker. Dnt use the whistle.
11. Cook the custard on high for 7 mins and then on medium low for 20 min. (POur enough water in the cooker or else your cooker bottom will burn )
12. Switch of the gas and let it cool for 10 mins before removing the container from the cooker. 13. Dnt try and remove the container lid immediately. Let it cool for 15-20 mins and then slowly unmold the custard upside down. 

14. Refridgerate for atleast 8 hours or overnight. 

No Bake Banana Caramel Cheese Cake

No bake Cheese cakes are the simplest and easiest desserts to make. Since a long time I have been wanting to make a cheese cake using Cream Cheese. With bananas lying in the kitchen , I decided to make a banana cheese cake with some caramel flavour .This recipe is a no bake recipe which means it has no eggs, takes less efforts and is also a no fuss recipe.

So here is what you need.

• 1 cup cream cheese at room temp. ( I used Philadelphia cream cheese )
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 medium sized bananas finely chopped ( not too ripe)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 11 gm Gelatin ( 1 packet)
• 1/2 cup water
• Pie crust

For the caramel sauce

• 1/2 cup fine sugar
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup milk

Method :-

1. Blend together cream cheese , cheese and sugar.
2. Dissolve gelatin in hot water.
3. Now blend the gelatin and bananas with the cream mixture.
4. Pour it over the pie crust.
5. For the caramel sauce , heat sugar in a sauce pan on medium heat. As the sugar begins to caramelize , add butter and lower the flame. Add milk to this and stir well till the sauce thickens a little. ( Be very careful while adding butter and milk as the sugar is very very hot at this point. Also do not thicken this a lot , as it will thicken when it cools down.)
6. Cool this sauce a little and pour about 1 tbsp over the cheese cake. Don't mix it completely. Let there be some streaks .
7. Now put this in the fridge for 4 to 5 hours or overnight.
8. Slice the pieces and top with some chopped bananas.

Tips:-

1. You can use low fat cream cheese and cream for a low fat version of this recipe.
2. The amount of sugar depends on the sweetness of the bananas. Adjust accordingly.
3. Also if you wish you can top the cheese cake with caramel sauce instead of adding it to the cake.

Naan Pizza

Hmmm sounds different!!! Well it definitely is. I happen to come accross this one as I searched the net . Then with the Naans lying in the deep fridge for a few days , I had to try it right away.The idea for this one goes to Nigella Lawson , a Brit cook. I completely love her. So here is the recipe. This one makes 4 slices

• 4 Naans. ( You can use either plain naan or garlic naan )
• For the base sauce : 4 Ripe tomatoes ( finely chopped) ,1 medium onion ( finely chopped), 2 tsp olive oil , 4 to 5 garlic cloves chopped ,1 tbsp tomato sauce, 2 tsp oregano ,1 tsp red chili powder, Salt to taste
• For the topping : Sliced onions, Chopped bell pepper, Mushrooms , Chicken
• Mozzarella cheese.

1. In a pan , add olive oil and saute garlic for a while.
2. Then add onions and saute till they turn translucent. Then add tomatoes and saute.
3. Cook the tomatoes on medium flame till they are completely cooked.
4. Add oregano , red chili powder , salt and tomato sauce. Cover with lid and cook on low flame for almost 20 mins or till the sauce thickens. Cook it completely.
5. Preheat oven to 300 degree F.
6. Spread the sauce on the naan .
7. Add toppings of your choice
8. I made this one with chicken topping. For this, add butter in a pan. Add garlic and oregano . Toss cooked chicken . Add this on the pizza.
9. You can also add tikka chicken or panner. Just add whatever you love
10. Add cheese and put it in the oven for 10 mins.
11. Serve hot.

Minestrone soup

This one is my personal favourite. Had made it yesterday. Forgot to click a pic. but here is the recipe.

• 4 large ripe tomatoes very finely chopped
• 1 cup diced celery
• 4 to 5 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup cooked rajma / beans
• 1 cup boiled fusilli or any small sized pasta
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp crushed peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp tobasco sauce
• 1 tbsp tomato sauce
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 5 cups water / vegetable stock.
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. In a large sauce pan add olive oil. Then add garlic , oregano, pepper and onions. Saute for a while.
2. Then add celery, carrots and tomatoes and saute well.
3. Then add water or stock and simmer for 20 mins on a low flame .
4. Then add tomato sauce and salt and boil again for 10 mins.
5. Add rajma and pasta. Add tobasco sauce.
6. Simmer for a while.
7. Serve hot. Adjust seasoning

Tips.

1. Adding tomato sauce will help thicken the soup a little.
2. Tobasco sauce will give a slight hot taste.
3. The more you simmer , the tastier the soup.
4. I prefer homemade vegetable stock or simply water. The canned stock has a high sodium level.
5. For chiken minestrone soup , add chicken stock and bit sized cooked chicken

Banana Coffee Frappe.

I am sure you all will love this one , if you love bananas. Its easy , quick , healthy ..

So here is what you will need. This one will make 2 servings.

• 1 medium sized banana
• 1 tsp instant coffee
• 1 and 1/2 cup milk.
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3 tsps sugar

Method :-

1. In a blender combine all the above ingredients.
2. Blend them at a high speed for 3 to 4 mins. Blending will make it frothy.
3. Serve in individual glasses and sprinkle some coffee on top.
4. Top with freshly chopped banana pieces if desired

Easy Tiramisu

It was Shaunak's birthday on 17th nov. We had the usual mid night cake cutting. ( Black forest cake from albertons was really good )

Since it was his first budday after marriage , I wanted to make it special. Got him gifts. For dinner he wanted to eat Idli Sambhar Chutney.

As for the dessert , I was in a mood to experiment something new. This time I thought of Tiramisu. After much surfing on the net, I came across a few recipes which looked easy. The final product turned out pretty well.

Here is what you need.

• Sponge cake (plain or vanilla)
• 8 oz Tiramisu Mascarpone Cheese ( This is easily available in any grocery store.)
• 1 cup whipped cream
• 3 to 4 tbsp confectioners sugar or fine sugar
• 1 tsp coffee powder.
• Cocoa powder for dusting

Method.

1. In a bowl, mix the whipped cream , sugar and cheese till properly blended.
2. In another bowl add 2 to 4 tsp of water to the instant coffee powder.
3. Slice the sponge cake into thin squares
4. Now place one slice on a plate and pour some of the coffee mixture on it.
5. The spread one layer of the cheese and cream mixture on it.
6. Now place another layer of the cake slice and repeat steps 4 and 5.
7. Make at least 3 layers of the cake.
8. Spread the cheese and cream mixture on the top layer.
9. Finally dust some cocoa powder on the top
10. Alternatively you can also set the tiramisu in single serve bowls.
11. Chill the tiramisu for at least 4 hours before serving.
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14. Then place another layer of the

Chocolate mousse

Ah !now here I am with this totally mouth watering, finger licking dessert. 'Sirf naam hi kafi hai' isn't it. This one is by my mom-in-law who herself is an amazing cook.

So here is what you need.

• 3 large eggs
• 300 ml (1 1/4 cup )milk.
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 cup beaten fresh cream
• 1 packet (11 gms) strong gelatin
• 2 tbsp drinking chocolate( chocolate powder)
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder ( you can add more for a more chocolaty taste )
• Walnuts and Fresh cream for decoration

Method:-

1. Separate the eggs and mix the egg yolk , milk, sugar , chocolate powder , cocoa and cook on low flame. Keep stirring continuously till the mixture turns into custard like consistency. This would approximately take about 15 mins. Remove from flame and cool it.
2. In another bowl whisk egg white till fluffy
3. In a small cup dissolve the gelatin in hot water .
4. Add the gelatin to the egg yolk mixture.
5. Now keep the above vessel ( egg yolk and gelatin mixture) on a vessel filled with ice cubes and keep stirring
6. When this mixture becomes thick add the whipped cream slowly and mix again
7. Add the vanilla essence
8. Then add the egg whites to it and mix till it becomes thick.
9. Now add chopped walnuts to it.
10. Keep the mixture in the freezer for 5 to 10 mins and then in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
11. Garnish with walnuts and cream.