Paneer Tikka Recipe | How to make Paneer Tikka [Video]

Paneer Tikka Recipe with step by step photo and video instructions. Paneer Tikka is a popular North Indian appetizer made by marinating cubes of paneer and fresh vegetables in yogurt and spices and then grilling them either in the oven or on a pan. Paneer Tikka tastes best when served with a coriander mint chutney. 

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Sitting on a sea-facing table on a shack and eating Paneer Tikka on a skewer along with a cold drink while listening to the waves crashing against the shore and the sun all orange and ready to set. The ideal setting in my head, something absolutely impossible at the moment. But when I can be transported to my favorite places in my head, hell, why not!

Food does transport you to places, doesn't it? And to me, the setting of a seaside while I eat these hot spicy yet soft paneer tikkas with that zingy green sauce seemed so much more enticing than being cooped up in front of the TV. Oh yeah, that sauce is Z-I-N-G-Y right up to the last Y. And that's a sauce that I use with everything. And while that is not the traditional sauce for Tandoori dishes, it goes perfectly well, as per me.

What is Paneer Tikka?

Paneer Tikka is a very very popular appetizer, entree, starter from North India. Big pieces of soft paneer are marinated in hung curd (yogurt), besan (chickpea flour), and a lot of different spices along with some quick cooking veggies like capsicum, tomatoes and onions. This is then skewered and traditionally cooked in a Tandoor. Let the Tandoor not stop you from making Paneer Tikka. Use the grill mode in your oven, or the barbeque, or just the simplest - a pan on the stove to grill these babies.

Paneer Tikka tastes heavenly when it has that slight char, so go for it.

To make the tastiest Paneer Tikka, buy the best Paneer you can get. Normally I would suggest making it from scratch, but I've never found homemade Paneer works best for this as it is slightly more crumbly than required. Buy the softest and freshest Paneer you have available, maybe malai paneer.

What all Spices are we using?

While we use a lot of spices in Paneer Tikka, it is actually not "hot" on the palate. The spices just add flavor without adding any real chilli heat. Today we are using the following spices to flavor our Paneer Tikka:

Coriander Powder

Cumin Powder

Red Chilli Powder

Turmeric Powder

Garam Masala

Chaat Masala

Amchur (dried mango powder)

Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves)

Black Pepper

Ajwain or Carom seeds

I know, it is a big list, but most Indian households have this readily available in their pantry. But if you don't you can just go ahead and buy Tandoori Masala. Oh yeah, there is a shortcut and it tastes equally good. Tandoori Chicken Masala is readily available in all famous Indian brands, and it does not contain Chicken. It is a vegetarian masala and it is being marketed to cook chicken, but it tastes equally good with vegetarian dishes like Paneer Tikka or Tandoori Gobi. 

We also specifically used Mustard oil as it adds that kick of pungency. Use any neutral oil if you don't have access to it.

That Zingy Sauce/ Chutney

Usually Paneer Tikka is served with a light green yogurt based chutney that tastes amazing. Really! I can actually eat bowlfuls of that chutney. But I usually make this green chutney/sauce for most of my appetizers. It is made of just 4-5 ingredients - fresh Coriander leaves, fresh Mint leaves, fresh Green Chillies, and lime juice. Blend them together with salt and water and you have a sour, salty, fresh sauce that can wake you up in a jiffy. I sometimes add a clove of garlic too. You can also add a teensy spoon of sugar to balance the chutney.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Paneer Tikka Recipe

Paneer Tikka is a popular North Indian appetizer made by marinating cubes of paneer and fresh vegetables in yogurt and spices and then grilling them either in the oven or on a pan. Paneer Tikka tastes best when served with a coriander mint chutney.

Recipe Type:  Appetizer
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     2 hours
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     2 hours 30 minutes
Yield:                Serves 5-6

Author:                Anupama

Ingredients:

400gms Paneer
1 Capsicum
2 Tomatoes
1 Onion
Oil to grill

For the marinade:

2 cups Hung Curd
3 Tbsp Chickpea Flour (Besan)
1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin Powder
0.5 Tbsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tbsp Red Chilli Powder
0.5 Tbsp Garam Masala
1 tsp crushed Black Pepper
0.5 tsp Carom seeds (Ajwain)
0.5 Tbsp Chaat Masala
1 tsp dried Mango Powder (Amchur)
1 Tbsp Kasuri Methi
1-2 Tbsp Lime juice
2 Tbsp Mustard Oil
1.5 Tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cut the Paneer into 1" cubes. Deseed the tomatoes and capsicum and cut into 1" sized pieces. Peel the onion and separate the layers and cut into 1" sized pieces.
2. In a large bowl, add add the ingredients for the marinade and mix well. Taste and adjust salt or spice as required.
3. Add in the cubed paneer, capsicum, tomato and onion and mix well until they are completely coated with the marinade.
4. Cover and allow to rest for 1 to 2 hours.
5. If using bamboo skewers, keep them soaked in water while the paneer marinates.
6. After 1-2 hours, skewer the paneer and vegetables onto a skewer.
7. Heat oil in a non stick pan and place the skewers. Cook in batches if required. The paneer tikka can be cooked in the oven in the grill mode or on a barbeque too.
8. Turn the skewer after the first side cooks. Do the same for the remaining sides.
9. Once all sides are cooked, remove from heat.
10. Serve the paneer tikka hot with coriander mint chutney.

Step by Step Photo Instructions:

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Chilli Tofu

Shalgam ke Kebab

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Moonglet Recipe | Moong Dal Pizza Recipe [Video]

Moonglet recipe with step by step photos and video instructions. Moonglet is a popular North Indian street food. Moonglet is a fluffy pancake made from split mung beans and topped like a pizza with vegetables, seasoning and cheese. Moonglet is gluten free. This recipe can be adapted to suit a vegan diet and a Jain diet.

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You guys, you have got to try this fluffy pancake meets Pizza aka Moonglet. It is light, flavorful and so customizable. It is also gluten-free and can be adapted to suit a plant-based / vegan diet and the Jain diet. So easy too.

I saw this on YouTube and I knew instantly that I had to try it. The idea of a gluten-free pizza made with all natural ingredients was too tempting to resist.

I loved the crispy outside. I love the soft and fluffy inside. And I love the toppings. I've topped the Moonglets with so many different toppings - capsicum, tomato, baby corn, onion, paneer, tofu, etc. It is really your choice. I also found topping the Moonglet with pizza seasoning made it even more yum. You can either go the Italian way like I did and top with oregano, garlic powder, etc. or try a fajita seasoning. It's all in your hands.

Making the batter needs a little bit of patience, this is not an instant recipe. The moong dal or deskinned split mung beans need soaking. If you are short of time, soak for just 2 hours and if you have the time, you can soak it overnight. I just would not exceed 10 hours. Then just grind the moong dal along with ginger and green chilies to make a smooth batter. The dal itself will be moist and you may not require any extra water. Grind it as thick as possible, we can add water later while making the Moonglet. The Moonglet gets its fluffiness from Eno fruit salt, if you don't have Eno, use baking soda and a teaspoon of lime juice to help it get the rise. It may not be as fluffy as with Eno, but it will still be light. I have found adding a little water along with the Eno, helps it fluff up better.

Now how many Moonglets you make is all up to the size of your pan. I prefer making several small ones instead of one large one. It makes it much easier to flip them. I suggest using the smallest frying pan you have to make them and dividing the batter accordingly. Grease the pan and add the batter. Top with whatever you choose and use the back of the spatula to press the toppings in.  Once the first side cooks, flip and cook the other side and top with cheese before serving.

This was my easy version of the Moonglet. YouTube is awash with several versions, some even go the cheese burst way where the Moonglet is cut open carefully and cheese is put inside along with the topping and allowed to melt. I would love to try that out someday.

Always, always serve the Moonglet hot. You can serve it with sauce or chutney or even salsa, something to just dip the Moonglet it.


Suggestions to suit other diets:

• To adapt the recipe to a vegan / plant-based diet, use only vegetables or use tofu for the topping. You can either skip the cheese or use vegan cheese.

• To adapt the recipe to a Jain diet, skip the ginger in the batter. You can replace it with asafoetida or hing.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Moonglet Recipe | Moong Dal Pizza Recipe

Moonglet is a popular North Indian street food. Moonglet is a fluffy pancake made from split mung beans and topped like a pizza with vegetables, seasoning and cheese. Moonglet is gluten free. This recipe can be adapted to suit a vegan diet and a Jain diet.

Recipe Type:  Breakfast / Snacks
Cuisine:            North Indian
Prep Time:     5 hours
Cook time:     30 minutes
Total time:     5 Hours 30 Minutes (includes soaking time)
Yield:                3 to 4

Ingredients:

1 cup Moong Dal
2 Green Chillies
1 tsp Ginger, grated
1 tsp Eno fruit salt
1 tsp Pizza seasoning
Sliced vegetables for topping
Sliced paneer for topping
2 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
3-4 Tbsp Cheese, grated
3-4 Tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Water as required

Method:

1. Wash the moong dal and soak it for 5 hours.
2. Drain the moong dal and grind it along with ginger and green chillies and 1 Tbsp of water until smooth. The batter has to be thick, so don't add too much water.
3. Add salt as per taste and the eno to the batter.
4. Add water if required and mix well until the eno is combined and the batter is fluffy.
5. Heat oil in a small non stick pan and add spoonfuls of the batter. Divide the batter depending on the size of your pan. I made 2 moonglets with a 6" frying pan.
6. Keep the pan on low heat and arrange the toppings. I used sliced capsicum, tomato and paneer.
7. Top with chopped coriander leaves and pizza seasoning.
8. Gently press the toppings into the moonglet with the back of a spatula.
9. Cover and cook on low heat for 6-8 minutes or until one side is cooked.
10. Gently flip the moonglet and spoon oil on the sides.
11. Remove from heat once the second side is cooked too.
12. Top with grated cheese.
13. Cut into slices and serve.

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vegan Omelet

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Beetroot Halwa Recipe | Chukandar ka Halwa | How to make Beetroot halwa [Video]

Beetroot Halwa recipe with video instructions and step by step photos. Beetroot halwa is a rich Indian dessert made by slowly cooking grated beetroots in milk and sugar. It is flavored with cardamom and topped with a lot of dry fruits and nuts. Beetroot halwa is a gluten-free dessert.

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Hello guys! Hiya! How have you been?

I'm still trying to catch up with the seasons. So bear with me. I had this recipe all planned for the cold winters when beets are at their best. But I barely got the time to get working on it. But, yeah, I made this Beetroot Halwa many times over the winter for special occasions and no occasions at all. And each time it was devoured so quickly that I was left staring at a pink-colored bowl to wash.

I cannot recollect where I first ate beetroot halwa, but just that it was in the dessert section of a buffet lunch. And it was love at first taste. I loved the color, that magenta, what's not to love. The richness just flowed through the entire halwa. And it wasn't too sweet. I cringe at sugary-sweet desserts, but this was mildly sweet and perfect. I knew I had found a new favorite dessert.

So around new years, I declared that I would get the dessert for our small get together at my sister's place. When I disclosed I would get Beetroot Halwa, I got so much resistance, that I ended up taking two desserts, just to be safe. And guess what, the one that got over was this Beetroot Halwa.

So this is a guaranteed dish that can convert haters to lovers. Certified by my family! If you remember, I've already spoken of Raj's dislike of cooked beetroots, but this Halwa, has him converted, at least when it comes to eating beetroots as a sweet.

Beetroots are generally very earthy in taste and that carries itself into this Halwa but very delicately. The earthiness does not overpower but makes its presence felt gently. I simply loved that. The vegetable does not lose its best property just because it is cooked differently. It makes it stand apart from the halwas.

The best part of this halwa is that it requires very little sugar. Beetroots are generally pretty sweet by themselves, plus the milk cooking down releases its own sweetness. I was surprised that I needed only half a cup of sugar for 2 cups of beetroots.

The richness of the beetroot halwa comes from 3 ingredients - ghee, milk, and khova. Frying the beetroots in ghee make the halwa fragrant and also milds down that earthiness. The beetroots are slow-cooked in milk until they are soft. Khova is milk solids. Milk is slow-cooked until all the water evaporates and we are left with milk solids. Adding khova to any dessert makes gives it that rich taste and this halwa is no different.

Be generous and top the halwa with as many nuts as you want. I added almonds, cashews, and pistachios.

Like most halwas, Beetroot halwa can be served straight-from-the-kadhai hot, or at room temperature, or chilled. 

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

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Beetroot Halwa Recipe | How to make beet root halwa

Beetroot Halwa is a rich Indian dessert made by cooking grated beet roots in milk and sugar. It is flavored with cardamom and topped with a lot of dry fruits and nuts.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     15 minutes
Cook time:     45 minutes
Total time:     60 minutes
Yield:                Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 cups grated Beetroots, tightly packed
2 cups Milk
0.5 cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Ghee
2 Tbsp Khova
1 tsp Cardamom Powder
3-4 Tbsp chopped Nuts (almonds, pista, cashew nuts)

Method:

1. Wash and peel the beetroots and grate them until you have 2 tightly packed cups of beetroot.
2. Heat ghee in a kadhai and add the grated beetroots. Saute on low heat for 8-10 minutes until the raw smell of the beetroots is replaced by the fragrance of ghee.
3. Add in the milk and mix well. The milk should cover the beetroots. Cook on low heat until all the milk is absorbed. Stir occasionally if using a nonstick kadhai and scrape the milk solids from the side. If using a regular kadhai, stir frequently.
4. Add the khova and mix well.
5. Add the sugar and mix well. Cook on low heat until the sugar is absorbed. Stir occasionally.
6. Add the cardamom powder and mix until combined.
7. Top with chopped nuts.
8. Serve immediately or allow to cool. Beetroot halwa can be served hot or cold.

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Eggless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache [Video]

Rich, moist, indulgent, sinful and delectable eggless Chocolate Cake covered with a smooth dark Chocolate Ganache. This cake is perfect for birthdays and special occasions. It is easy to make and super delicious.

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This is the BEST eggless chocolate cake EVER!!!

And the family agrees.

This year when I asked both Raj and Gee if I should bake them a cake, both of them just shooed away the thought and asked for different things. I made those other things, but it did not feel like a birthday if I did not bake a cake. So here's the best Birthday cake I ever made.

Recently, my baking has been a little bit of a failure - super healthy cakes that tasted not so delightful, a tray of freshly baked brownies that saw the floor before they saw the mouth and a cake that tasted like groundnut more than vanilla thanks to the groundnut oil I used. So this cake had to be a success. It was, after all, the birthday of the two people who make up my life.

This cake is everything you ever imagined a Chocolate Cake should be. It is eggless, yet moist. It is rich, dark and deeply chocolatey. Top it with the dark chocolate ganache and the cake becomes sinful and indulgent. Basically, this cake kicks the ass of any other birthday cake.

To make this Eggless Chocolate Cake

Firstly, we need to bake 2 layers of cake. I do not use box mixes, so this cake is made from scratch.
The cake is made from simple easily available ingredients. A few things that make this cake rich and moist:

Oil instead of butter. We want a moist and dense cake instead of a light and crumbly cake. And my pro tip, use a flavorless oil, unless you like the flavor of oil. Last time I used groundnut oil and it had an aftertaste that I could not get rid off.

Condensed milk. This is my favorite egg replacer in all eggless cakes. The condensed milk manages to hold the cake together like nothing else does. I always use sweetened condensed milk, so I tend to use less sugar instead.

Yogurt. Again, this makes it moist while adding a creaminess to the cake. You will never taste the sourness of the yogurt, but it does add another dimension to the flavor.

Coffee. Coffee has time and again been used in dark chocolate cakes, and with good reason. Coffee brings out the flavor of the chocolate and makes the cake taste more chocolatey. It enhances the darkness of the cake too, in flavor and color, if you know what I mean.

I baked the cake at night and frosted them the next day morning. The cakes need to completely cool before you frost them, else the ganache will melt. While all my cakes dome in the center, this one did not really. I mean it did, but ever so slightly. So while frosting the cakes, I sliced the top off to level them.

The cake tasted AH-MAZING with the chocolate ganache, so I really wish you make it too.

The ganache is made from only 3 ingredients, so be nice to me and yourself, and make it. Use the best quality dark chocolate bar, your favorite one. I used a regular sweetened dark chocolate bar that I eat and not cooking chocolate. I used Amul's Peru single origin dark chocolate bar and it tasted so good. Cut the chocolate into small pieces so it melts quickly. Heat the cream and pour it into the chocolate and mix it until the chocolate melts and has no lumps. If the cream isn't hot enough, the chocolate will not melt. In that case, gently melt the chocolate over a double boiler.

The chocolate I used already had sugar in it, so I added very little powdered sugar later. If you are using unsweetened or semi sweetened chocolate, add in more sugar (as desired). At this point the chocolate is molten, you can pour this over the cake if you plan to serve the cake as a single layer cake. If you want to make a two-layer cake like me, then cool the ganache slightly in the fridge so it hardens slightly and reaches a spreadable consistency. 15 mins were more than enough for me. This time may differ depending on the type of chocolate used. I suggest peeping into the refrigerator every 10 minutes. If it hardens up a lot, gently reheat it over the double boiler for a few seconds and add some milk and whisk it into submission.

I did not pipe the ganache into fancy shapes but just used the back of a spoon to create the pattern on the top of the cake. You can make any pattern you like.

The cake tastes best when slightly warmed up. Microwave any leftover slices for 10-20 seconds and enjoy an even more sinful dessert.

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

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Eggless Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache

Rich and delectable eggless chocolate cake topped with a dark chocolate ganache.

Recipe Type:  Dessert
Cuisine:            International
Prep Time:     30 minutes
Cook time:     40 minutes
Total time:     70 minutes
Yield:                One 6" cake

Ingredients:

For the chocolate cake:

1.5 cups All Purpose Flour
0.75 cups unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 cup Powdered Sugar
0.5 cup Oil
200ml sweetened Condensed Milk
0.5 cup Yogurt (Curd)
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1 cup hot Water
1 Tbsp strong Coffee Powder

For the chocolate ganache:

250gms good quality Dark Chocolate
1 cup full fat Cream
2-3 Tbsp Powdered Sugar

Method:

To make the chocolate cake:

1. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder 1-2 times to remove lumps. Keep aside.
2. Take the powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl and add the oil. Whisk until the two are combined.
3. Add in the condensed milk, yogurt and vanilla essence and whisk until completely combined and smooth.
4. Boil the 1 cup of water and mix in the 1 Tbsp of strong coffee powder and add to the mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
5. Add in the sifted dry ingredients by the spoonfuls and whisk to combine.
6. Grease two 6" pans and either line them with baking paper or dust them with flour.
7. Divide the batter equally between the two pans.
8. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 180 degree Celsius until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
9. Demould the cakes and allow them to cool on a wire rack until completely cooled.

To make the chocolate ganache:

10. 30 minutes before you are ready to serve the cake, cut the dark chocolate and put it in a large mixing bowl.
11. Add in the hot cream and whisk until all the chocolate has dissolved and the ganache is smooth. If the cream was not hot enough and the chocolate did not melt completely, you can melt it gently over a double boiler.
12. Add in the powdered sugar as required and mix well.
13. Refridgerate the ganache until it hardens slightly and reaches spreadable consistency.

To assemble the chocolate cake:

14. To assemble, slice off the dome of the cake to level both of them.
15. Place one on a plate and spoon some of the ganache on it. Spread it around. Place the other cake on the first.
16. Spread the remaining ganache on the top and sides of the cake.
17. Cake is ready to serve.

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Almond Chocolate Brownie

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Blueberry Muffin

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Milk Rusk Recipe | Sweet Bread Rusk Recipe [Video]

Milk Rusk is a twice baked sweet bread. Milk Rusk is sweet and tastes best with a hot cup of tea. Rusk is a popular tea-time snack in India.

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How do you like your chai/tea? I like mine slightly strong with little milk and 1 tsp of organic jaggery powder, that brown chocolatey kind, with a rusk to dunk into it.

I LOVE dunking biscuits and rusks in my tea. I sometimes dunk cakes and bread too, but that's a story for another day. I've been dunking rusks for years and loved how the crispy hard rusk just melts once dunked. My snack box usually has a packet of rusk from the local bakery, coz those are the BEST!

So one Saturday, when I was relatively free, I decided to bake some myself. So there are sweet rusks and savory rusks. I am not sure if the savory one is native to only Bangalore and surrounding areas because I had never seen one before. But that's my least favorite one, so totally ignoring the existence of that one. There are 2 types of sweet rusks, the bread rusk and the cake rusk. The cake rusk is like a biscotti, where one bakes a cake first and then slices it and bakes again until it dries up and becomes a crisp sweet cake rusk. That's a recipe I still need to try. This time I tried the second recipe, which is of bread rusk. 

To make the bread rusk, one needs to bake a sweet bread first and then slice it and bake it again until it dries up to give the crispy hard rusk that we all enjoy.

About the Sweet Bread

• Bread rusk takes a considerably longer time to make because it includes the rise time of the bread. However, this is free time as you don't need to monitor it, just leave it in a warm place to rise.

• Sweet bread takes longer than regular bread to rise. The added sugar slows down the process, so you will have to wait longer. It took me around 4 hours to get a good rise out of the bread, it may take longer if you live in a cooler area. 

Once the bread is ready, it doesn't take very long to make the rusks if you have a large oven and a sheet pan. I had to make mine in batches, so it took me some time to bake them all.

But the wait was worth it! The satisfaction of dunking a home baked rusk exceeded the boredom of the waiting period. Happy Rusk Baking to you!!

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

If you like this recipe, do not forget to share it with your friends and family! 

You can follow One Teaspoon Of Life on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest or you can subscribe to One Teaspoon Of Life and receive all the latest updated via Email

Video Recipe

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Milk Rusk Recipe | Sweet Bread Rusk Recipe

Milk Rusk is a twice baked sweet bread. Milk Rusk is sweet and tastes best with a hot cup of tea. Rusk is a popular tea-time snack in India.

Recipe Type:  Snacks
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     6 Hours
Cook time:     1 Hour
Total time:     7 Hours
Yield:                Makes 20-25

Ingredients:

2 cups All purpose flour
0.5 cup Milk Powder
3-4 Tbsp powdered Sugar
0.5 cup lukewarm Water
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Active Dried Yeast
1 tsp Oil
1 tsp Milk
Water as required

Method:

1. Add the 1 tsp of sugar and the active dried yeast into the lukewarm water and mix well. Keep is aside for 5-10 minutes to bloom.
2. Take the flour, milk powder and powdered sugar in a large bowl.
3. Add the yeast and mix well.
4. Knead into a smooth dough using water.
5. Coat the dough with the oil and cover and keep aside to rise until doubled. This may take 2-4 hours.
6. Once the dough has doubled, punch it down and knead it gently for 2-3 minutes.
7. Divide the dough into 2 and shape into rolls. Cover and keep aside to rise again.
8. Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.
9. Once the loaves have doubled, brush the loaves with milk and bake for 30-40 minutes until done.
10. Allow the bread to cool completely, then slice into rusk slices.
11. Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.
12. Place the rusk in a single layer in a baking tray and bake for 20-30 minutes.
13. Flip the rusks after 10 minutes.
14. Cool on a wire rack.
15. Store in an airtight container. Serve with tea or coffee.

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Fruit Biscuit

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Dahi Vada Recipe | How to make Dahi Vada [Video]

It's still Summer, the perfect time to have these chilled Dahi Vadas. Dahi Vada is a popular Indian snack that consists of soaking a savory lentil donut in yogurt and topping with a combination of sweet and spicy chutneys and some spice powders. 

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Cool and refreshing! Just 2 words to describe this Dahi Vada.

Dahi Vada has been a favorite of mine since childhood, the soft vadas dunked in a sweet dahi (yogurt), what's not to love. And in a place like Goa which is always hot, the chilled vadas are always welcome.

Apart from eating cool stuff, how do you keep your cool?

A few months ago, I had posted the recipe for Medu Vada or Uddina Vada, that forms the base of this Dahi Vada. I never claim to be an expert or a chef, I am just a home cook who loves cooking and taking photos of food. But when I posted the recipe of Medu Vada on one of the Facebook Groups, a nasty man commented that it is okay for me to make misshapen vadas for home, but if I had to post it on Facebook, I should make them perfectly round. I was so upset when I read the comment, but Raj calmed me down and asked me to ignore it. And then I realized the power of women. By the time I woke up the next morning, a bunch of women had replied aptly to the man as well as asked me to continue posting. I haven't thanked each of those women personally, but I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of them once again. The way all the women got together and defended me, made me feel so special and loved. 

It reaffirmed my belief that Food Connects People!

Also, it got me thinking, why we assign so much importance to perfection and detail. Why do vadas or laddoos have to be perfectly round? Why do we want perfectly concentric circles in our Chaklis?Why to vegetables have to be blemish free and shaped perfectly? While I got thinking about all this, it reminded me of watching Jamie Oliver talk about "wonky vegetables" and how that desire for perfection led to so much food waste around the world. As a food blogger, it is my job to make my food look as good as possible, but I would never resort to using food coloring or wax or any of the other tactics advertising companies use to sell food. So while my food may be imperfect in shape and appearance, I can assure, it is food that I eat as well as I serve to my family. 

Deep thoughts, I know for a very light and refreshing recipe post, but I had to say it.

So don't worry if your food or your clothes or your hair doesn't look perfect. Own it! Ignore the bad and absorb the good.

Wishing you a Sunny day ahead!

If you made this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment here or on Facebook,  tag your tweet with @oneteaspoonlife on Twitter and don't forget to tag your photo @oneteaspoonoflife on Instagram. You can also email me at onetspoflife@gmail.com I'd love to see what you are up to.

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Video Recipe

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Dahi Vada Recipe

Dahi Vada is a popular snack in which a savory lentil donut is soaked in sweet and salty yogurt and then topped with sweet tamarind chutney, spicy green chutney and spice powders. Served chilled, this make a perfect summer snack.

Recipe Type:  Snacks, Breakfast
Cuisine:            Indian
Prep Time:     4 Hours
Cook time:     60 minutes
Total time:     5 Hours
Yield:                Makes 12 small dahi vadas

Ingredients:

1 cup Urad Dal
1 Tbsp Rice Flour
6-8 Curry leaves, finely chopped
1 Green Chilli, finely chopped
0.5 tsp Pepper, freshly crushed
A pinch of baking soda
500gms Yogurt
4-5 Tbsp Tamarind Chutney
4-5 Tbsp Green Chutney
1-2 Tsp Cumin Powder
1-2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
Salt to taste
Oil to fry
Water as required
Coriander leaves to garnish

Method:

1. Wash the urad dal and soak the dal in water for around 3-4 hours.
2. Drain the dal and grind into a fine batter. Use as less water as possible. The batter should be thick.
3. Heat oil in a kadhai to deep fry the vadas.
4. While the oil heats, add in the rice flour, green chilli, pepper, baking soda and salt. Mix well until combined. IF the dough feels watery, add a little more rice flour.
5. Once the oil is hot enough, wet your hands and take a spoonful of batter onto your fingers. Using the wet finger of the other hand, make a hole in the center. Watch the video for help on how to do this.
6. Gently drop the vada in the oil.
7. Fry on high heat for 1 minute, then lower the heat slightly and continue to cook until the vada becomes golden brown.
8. Now gently slide this batter into the oil. Stir the vada occassionally and flip it, so that it cooks evenly. Cook until golden brown on both sides.
9. Remove the vada from the oil and immediately drop in a bowl filled with water.
10. Gently immerse the vada in the water and let it soak for 30 minutes.
11. Meanwhile, whisk the yogurt (dahi) until smooth. Add in salt to taste. You can also add in a little sugar and a tempering of mustard seeds to the yogurt.
12. To serve, take 1-2 vadas and gently squeeze out the water and place in a serving bowl. Spoon over some of the yogurt (dahi) along with a little of the yogurt, top with a spoonful of tamarind chutney, green chutney and sprinkle cumin powder and red chilli powder. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.
13. If planning to serve later, then squeeze out all the vadas and place in a large bowl, pour the yogurt on it and chill in the fridge. Top with the chutneys and spice powders before serving.

If you liked this, you may also like:

Boondi Raita

Dahi Sandwich

Medu Vada

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