Eggless Chocolate Cupcakes

The other day my daughter who has a serious sweet tooth and wants something sweet now and then...asked me to make chocolate cupcakes at night.. as i generally avoid stocking up on eggs in summer, i looked for this recipe for chocolate cupcakes without eggs in an old magazine and made her happy in no time.
After eating this you will not complain about missing eggs because these are super moist and spongy and addition of coffee enhances the flavor and richness of chocolate to a new standard. Do try these quick and easy cupcakes or follow the same recipe to bake a cake.


Preparation time: 10 min.
Baking time: 20 min.
Makes: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour (maida)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 1 cup sugar (granulated)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup warm water
• 1.5 tsp instant coffee powder
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 6 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degree celcius for 10-15 min. 
2. Place liners in the muffin/cupcake pan or lightly grease with oil.
3. Sift together all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Add sugar in the dry ingredients and mix well using a whisk.
5. Add coffee powder to warm water and mix well.
6. Add vinegar, vanilla essence and oil in the brewed coffee.
7. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and make a lump-free batter.
8. Fill the lined cupcake pan till 2/3rd full and bake for 20 min. till a tooth-pick inserted comes out clean.
9. Let these cool on a wire rack and enjoy with a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

Vegetable Fried Rice

Vegetable fried rice is a quick and easy to make rice dish that goes along with so many indo-chinese dishes like manchurian, chilli paneer, chilli potatoes and many more. It is preferable to use a day old rice stored in refrigerator so that each rice grain remains seperated from each other. This can be made with numerous variety of vegetables which are available, the choice is endless. Its perfect for kids' lunch box and can be made in a jiffy early winter mornings with the leftover rice. I always make this with vegetable manchurian.

Preparation time: 15 min.

Cooking time: 5 min.

Type: Main-course

Cuisine: Indo-chinese

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice (boiled)
• 1 tsp garlic (grated)
• 1 tsp ginger (grated)
• 1 big spring onion (chopped)
• 1 tsp green chilli (chopped)
• 1/4 cup carrot (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup green capsicum (finely chopped)
• 2 tsp green chilli sauce
• 1 tsp soya sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp white pepper powder
• 2 tsp vinegar
• 1 tblsp oil
• 2 tblsp spring onion greens (chopped, to garnish)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add ginger and garlic, saute for few seconds.
2. Add spring onion and green chillies, saute for a min.
3. Next, add all the vegetables and cook for 2 min. on high flame.
4. Add chilli sauce and soya sauce.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Finally, add vinegar and garnish with onion greens.
7. Serve hot with vegetable manchurian.

Jam Thumbprint Butter Cookies

Try these butter cookies with the goodness of your favourite jam in the centre making them kids favourite snack. Indulge your kids while making them and they will love to do the filling part.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 125 gm soft butter
• 125 gm sugar 
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• strawberry jam as required

METHOD:

1. Preheat oven at 180 degree celcius.
2. Line a baking sheet with butter paper.
3. Sift together maida, baking powder and salt.
4. Beat together butter and sugar for 5 min. well till fluffy add 1 egg and vanilla essence beat well.
5. Gradually mix in dry ingredients till resembles bread crumbs and stop the beater.
6. Gently mix to make dough.
7. Scoop out 1 inch balls using cookie scooper on the lined baking sheet.
8. Press a thumb print into the centre of each cookie about half inch deep.
9. Fill each centre with 1/2 tsp jam using spoon or piping bag.
10. Bake at 180 degree celcius for 12-15 min or until edges turn golden in color.
11. Let these cool on a wire rack and serve.

Cheesy Methi Balls

This is my variation to the classic gujarati snack "Methi Muthia" . Here i have stuffed the prepared methi dough with a cube of cheese and it tastes delicious and even kids enjoy the healthy fenugreek leaves without any complaint.

Preparation time: 15 min.
Cooking time: 10 min.
Type: Appetizer

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

For covering:

• 150 gms fresh fenugreek leaves (methi)
• 1 cup chickpea flour (besan)
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tsp oil
• 1/2 cup water

For stuffing:

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese (cut in 1/4" cubes)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add hing, turmeric powder, red chilli powder.
2. Immediately add chopped fenugreek leaves, cover and cook a little.
3. Add salt and water. cook till methi is cooked.
4. Add besan and keep stirring till a dough like consistency is formed.
5. Keep aside to cool.
6. Divide the mixture in lemon-sized balls.
7. Place one cheese cube inside each ball and cover with the dough to make smooth round balls.
8. Deep fry till golden brown.
9. Serve hot with tomato ketchup or green chutney.

Potato Cheese Balls - Kid's Delight

This is an absolute kid's favourite snack recipe with very minimal ingredients required and are really quick to make. Kids will love the surprise with gooey and creamy centre stuffed with cheese. You can roll out the balls in large quantity and freeze the remaining balls, the next time your kids demand these, you only need to deep fry them and enjoy the cheesy munchies.

Preparation time: 20 min.
Cooking time: 15 min.
Type: Tea-time snack

Ingredients:

• 1 kg potatoes (boiled and peeled)
• 1 cup spring onion (chopped)
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander (chopped)
• 1 tsp black pepper powder
• salt to taste
• 1/2" cheddar cheese cubes as required
• 2 tblsp corn flour
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs

Method:

1. Grate the potatoes and add spring onion, coriander leaves, salt and pepper.
2. Divide the potato mixture into equal sized portions.
3. Flatten each portion and place one cheese cube inside and make all balls likewise.
4. Make a thin slurry using cornflour and water.
5. Dip each ball in the slurry to completely coat the balls.
6. Finally coat with bread crumbs and press lightly to avoid crumbs coming out while deep frying.
7. Deep fry the balls in hot oil.
8. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.