Category: Recipes

The Sugar-Free Saviour Of Dessert!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

In our quest to find the perfect dessert, we always come up with the one thing we know we should avoid, sugar. Sugar turns into fat, which turns into extra digits on the weighing scale. And, yes that tasty cheesecake is sheer heaven on a plate, but all the sugar and carbs will weigh heavy on you in so many ways. The answer? The fat bomb!

Now, the name might not sound like a weight-loss miracle, but they’ve been used as part of the very popular ketogenic diet, where you have no carbs but fill up on fat for weight loss, and the results have been shown to work. If you check out the Bulletproof Diet or the LCHF pages, there are plenty of sources out there that swear by it, not to mention the fact that various types of natural fat are now been shown to very good for you. The great thing about these fat bombs is that they are only a few ingredients and require no baking. Now, there are some great no bake desserts and no bake recipes out there, and these fat bombs are sort of taking the inspiration from them, but have gone low sugar and low carb. So, to get you started, here are a couple of simple and sumptuous fat bombs.

Healthy Peanut Butter Cups

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A filling, tasty and healthy alternative to the ones you buy in the store, these are high in good fats, have a big dollop of protein and provide some key minerals.

Serves: 32

Ingredients:

1 cup of melted coconut oil

1 cup of organic peanut butter (no added sugar or palm oil)

1 cup of organic cacao powder

Instructions:

  1. On the stove, melt the coconut oil on a low heat and add the peanut butter and cacao.
  2. Using a whisk, whisk until the texture is smooth.
  3. Spoon ½ a tablespoon of the mixture into 32 small paper muffin cups.
  4. Store in the refrigerator or place in the freezer until the mixture has hardened.

And that’s it! You can choose to replace the peanut butter with almond butter or a nut butter of your choosing.

Chocolate Fat Bombs (With Sea Salt)

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Chocolate and sea salt has converted many people to its wonderful taste, but here’s a low sugar version which is just as good as the sweet treats in the store.

Ingredients:

½ cup of heavy whipping cream

½ cup of coconut oil

½ cup of sunflower butter

1/3 cup of cream cheese

1 teaspoon of vanilla

2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

3 tablespoons of grass fed butter

2 tablespoons of sea salt

Instructions:

  1. Whip the cream until they form soft peaks, add the vanilla and fold in.
  2. Place the sunflower butter, butter, cinnamon, cream cheese, coconut oil and the cocoa powder into a food processor and blend until smooth.
  3. Fold the mixture into the whipped cream until it is all combined.
  4. Pipe the mixture into silicone molds, sprinkle with the salt and store in the freezer for 6 to 8 hours.

 

 

Eid- Ul- Fitr Special Recipes from Funfoods by Dr Oetkar and Chef Ranveer Brar

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

After a month long sacred month of Ramzan, its time to break the fast, and Eid-Ul-Fitar marks breaking of this fast. On this occasion, FunFoods by Dr. Oetker recommends tasty desserts which are mouthwatering, easy to make, and would allow you to enjoy the festival as well with your loved ones. And whats an Eid without Seviyaan. So here are not one but two drool worthy recipes, shared especially for you!

Shahi Lucknowi Seviyaan Recipe by Chef Ranveer Brar, Creative Kitchen, Dr. Oetker FunFoods

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

500 ml Full Cream Milk

50 g Almonds, chopped

50 g Cashewnuts, chopped

60 g Roasted Vermicelli

1 tbsp Condensed Milk

1 tbsp Sugar

50 g (3 tbsp) Dr. Oetker FunFoods Milk Shake Mix Kesar Pista

½ tsp Kewra Water

1 tbsp Pistachio, chopped

Directions:

  1. Heat saucepan (low flame) add milk, almonds, cashewnuts and vermicelli. Let it cook for 5 minutes or until milk starts to boil.
  2. Add condensed milk, sugar and milk shake mix. Cook for 5 minutes or until Milk shake mix is dissolved completely and mixture is thick in consistency.
  3. Pour kewra water and mix well. Garnish with pistachio and serve.

 

Level: Beginner

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

Cooking Time: 10 Minutes

Gulab Kheer Recipe by Chef Ranveer Brar, Creative Kitchen, Dr. Oetker FunFoods

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

1 Litre, Full Cream Milk

100 g Rice, washed and soaked for 30 minutes

100 g Sugar

1 tsp Green Cardamon Powder

8-10 nos. Cashewnuts, chopped

60 g (4 tbsp) Dr. Oetker FunFoods Milk Shake Mix Rose

5 nos. Almonds, chopped

Directions:

  • Bring milk to boil in a large saucepan.
  • Add rice, sugar, cardamom powder, cashewnuts and rose milk shake mix. Simmer over low heat until the mixture thickens and the rice is cooked completely.
  • Pour the mixture into serving bowls. Refrigerate it for 2 hours, garnish it with almonds and serve.

Level: Beginner

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

Cooking Time: 25 Minutes

 

Chef’s Special Recipe- Garlic Tossed Spinach Filled Cottage Cheese Cannelloni

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Enjoy this amazing recipe shared by Chef Anirudh Nautiyal from the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel

Garlic Tossed Spinach Filled Cottage Cheese Cannelloni
Here is the list of ingredients and its quantity

CANNELLONI
Cottage cheese 100 gms
Spinach (blanched) 100 gms
Garlic 10 gms
Onion 10 gms
Nutmeg powder 01 gms
Salt 05 gms
Pepper 02 gms
Olive oil 05 ml
LENTIL SAUCE
Yellow lentil 50 gms
Onion 05 gms
Garlic 05 gms
Salt 02 gms
Olive oil 02 ml

 

METHOD

  1. Keep lentil for cooking and make a fine puree later on
  2. Sauté onion and garlic in a pan. Add blanched and chopped spinach-season it and keep it separate.
  3. Sauté onion and garlic in another pan, and add lentil puree-adjust seasoning and keep aside
  4. Now cut thin slices of cottage cheese and sear it on a hot plate, add spinach mixture and roll it like cannelloni
  5. Now arrange it on a plate and pour lentil sauce on top and serve piping hot

 

Recipe-Duo of Vegetable Dumpling with Lemon Honey Dip

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Who doesn’t love enjoying dumplings, so here is a beautiful recipe shared by Chef Anirudh Nautiyal from the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, so don’t just enjoy dumplings, but make them yourself and then enjoy to the fullest

Ingredients and Measures

Carrot 10 gms
Beans 10 gms
Broccoli 20 gms
Cabbage 10 gms
Spinach 50 gms
Tofu 20 gms
Salt 5 gms
Sesame oil 05 ml
Garlic 02 gms
Light soy sauce 02 ml
Ginger 05 gms
Lemon 02 ml
Honey 10 gms
Spring onion 05 gms
Whole wheat flour 100 gms

METHOD

  1. Make dim sum dough by kneading whole wheat flour with water, add little salt to it and keep it covered.
  2. Now make a mixture of vegetables with ginger, garlic and light soy sauce
  3. In the other mixture, add spinach, pok choy and tofu…let the mixture cool down
  4. Now sheet the dough and make dim sum and keep it covered. Apply little oil to the tray so that the dim sum doesn’t stick
  5. Steam the dim sum and serve hot with lemon honey dip

Tasty Thursdays…Select Recipes from Indo-Japan Food Forum

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Recently the first ever Indo- Japan Food Forum took place at the Assocham where in collaboration of Japanese food in India was the highlight. As everyone cant be a part of such events, we bring to you some of the selected recipes that were created specially for the event which have an essence of both Indian and Japanese Food. Enjoy

And here is a little about the people behind these amazing recipes..

Tasty Thursdays- Bhang Ki Thandai- Holi Special

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Here is another Holi special shared by Rohit Tokhi, Executive Chef, Leela Ambience Convention Hotel. Bhang Ki Thandai is to Holi just like colours and water are attached to this festival.

So prepare, slurp and gulp.. enjoy..!!

INGREDIENTS QUANTITY
Milk, boiled 1 Litre
Almond 100 gm
Char magaj 50 gm
Poppy seed 50 gm
Sunflower seed 50 gm
Rose petals 5 gm
Fennel seed 15 gm
Black peppercorn 15 nos
Green cardamom 15 nos
Nutmeg powder 1/4th tsp
Sugar 150 gm
Saffron 1/2 gm
Rose water 20 m
Bhang leaves 2 1/2 tbsp

GARNISH

Saffron, soaked in hot milk

Pista, chopped

METHOD

  • Pick, wash and drain the bhang leaves.
  • Dry roast all fennel seed, black peppercorn, rose petals, saffron, poppy seed, sunflower seed and char magaj and keep aside.
  • Balanced and peel almond.
  • Now soaked all the ingredients in the milk for 1 hour and keep it in a freezer.
  • Now make a fine paste, stain, garnished and served in purvas.

 

 

Tasty Tuesdays… Bhang Ki Badami Pak, Holi Special Recipe by Chef Rohit Tokhi, Leela Ambience Convention Hotel

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

So the most colourful festival of India is just a week away.. and I want to know what special are you preparing…?? Haven’t decided yet.. so here is to the rescue, an interesting recipe shared by Executive Chef Rohit Tokhi of Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Bhang Ki Badami Pak.. so read on.. make it..share it..enjoy it.. and do let us know how it was..

INGREDIENTS QUANTITY

Almond 500 gm

Khoya 500gm

Bhang leaves 50 gm

Desi ghee 150 gm

Rose water 2 cups

Cardamoms powder 1 tsp

Sugar 500 gm

Nutmeg, grated 1

GARNISH

Almond seed, slice ½ tsp

Saffron (soaked in milk) few strands

Sliver leaf few leaves

METHOD :-

PREPARATION

Sugar syrup

Melt the sugar in rose water till it attains a light syrupy consistency.

Almond

Blanch, fry and grind the almonds.

Bhang

Pick, wash and drain the bhang leaves. Take a pan and fry bhang leaves and drain all the excess oil.

COOKING

  • Heat prepared syrup with half of the ghee and cook for 2 minutes.
  • Add mawa and keep stirring. Add grind almond to the mawa mixture along with the remaining ghee. Keep on a low fire and keep stirring.
  • When ready to set remove off fire, mix in the fried bhang leaves, powdered cardamoms and nutmeg powder. Spread on a clean board or baking tray and cut into roundels.
  • Take a dessert plate; put two roundels of badam and garnish with almond sliced, saffron and sliver leaf and serve.
  • If kept in an air tight container it will stay for a week.

 

Tasty Thursdays- Valentine Special Recipe by Chef Karthik Krishnamurthy

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

So Valentines is approaching and we look forward to cook something special for our loved ones and think of Valentines and heart shaped, red coloured goodies start coming to your mind and most of the times, chocolates, cakes and pastries is all we can think of, but here is the twist. We bring to you a yummy Iddly recipe, yes you read it right, Iddly recipe for valentines.. so read on, enjoy and surprise your loved one this Valentines!

RED VELVET IDDLY

Recipe by Karthik Krishnamurthy

Iddly Faktory

Chef/Founder/CEO

 

Iddly is considered as one of the most comfort and healthy food for all Indians.

Mr. Karthik Krishnamurthy, Chef/Founder/CEO, Iddly Faktory said, “Over the years, traditions, customs, clothing, approach and eating habits have changed drastically. People are getting into healthy eating and drinking. So for valentine’s day, we at Iddly Faktory came up with the idea of making red velvet iddly without breaking the concept of healthy eating and also making our customers happy.”

INGREDIENTS

  • Whole White Urad Dal – 1 Cup
  • Iddly Rice – 4 Cups
  • Fenugreek seeds/Methi Seeds – 1 tablespoon
  • Salt – 1 tablespoon
  • Beetroot – 1 small

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Wash and soak urad dal and iddly rice 3 to 4 times and soak them separately for a minimum of 3-4 hours. While soaking urad dal add fenugreek seeds to it.
  2. Clean the wet grinder before every use. After 4hours drain out all the water from urad dal and add it to the wet grinder. Once you start grinding add half a cup of water. While grinding urad dal add the water slowly in regular intervals for two to three times. The urad dal will not fluff up, if you add all the water at once. The dal should fluff up and fill the grinder. It should have increased about 8-10 times of its original volume. It should come out as butter. Grind for at-least 30 minutes. Once done, transfer the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
  3. Now grind the soaked and drained rice until smooth. Add just enough water while grinding. The consistency should be medium. Once ground, transfer the batter to the dal mixture bowl and mix well.
  4. Add salt to the batter before fermenting in summers and add it after fermenting in winters. Usually the batter needs to ferment for 5-6 hours depending upon the weather.
  5. Once the batter is nicely fermented, take a ladle and mix it well. Your batter is now ready.

Red velvet iddly mixture:

Grate half a beetroot and squeeze it well.

Add the squeezed juice to four scoops of iddly batter. Mix it well. Your mixture is ready.

For making soft red velvet iddly:

Pour some water in an iddly vessel and put it on medium flame. Oil the iddly plate and gently fill the rounds with the red velvet batter. Put it inside the iddly vessel and let it steam for 10 minutes. Do not allow it to over-cook as it might become hard and dry. Just keep an eye and remove the iddlies after 10 minutes. Do not remove the iddlies immediately as it might stick. Allow it to rest for another 4-5 minutes and then spoon it out. Once removed use heart shaped sandwich cutter/cookie cutter to get heart shape iddlies. Serve hot with your favorite chutney or sambar.

Important NOTES

  • Drain the water completely from the ingredients after soaking.
  • While grinding urad dal and rice ensure that you do not use a lot of water.
    You can always adjust the consistency of the batter later if it is too thick. You cannot do anything if the batter goes runny.

Tiranga Burfi- Recipe by Rohit Tokhi, Exec Chef, Leela Ambience Convention Hotel

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

We Indians need just an excuse to indulge in sweets and when there is a special occasion, we go all the way for it. So why not even celebrate Republic Day with a traditional Indian sweet, but of course with the Republic Day twist of making it in a try-colour, the colours that represent India, the colours of our flag. Here is a very interesting recipe shared by Rohit Tokhi, the executive chef for The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, I am sure you will love to try this out as I am gonna do it too. Do share your feedback on the recipe with us, and tell us how it was.. enjoy and have a great Republic Day!

INGREDIENTS & QUANTITY

 

PREPARATION:-

THE BASIC MAWA MIXTURE:-

Take a pan put in grated Khoya and heat over a slow flame for 5 minutes. Add sugar and stir well over a low heat. Cook till mixture leave the pan. Now add ghee along with cardamom powder and rose water, stir well. Now take three bowls and pour the prepared mixture equally into the bowls. Use the first bowl of prepared basic mawa mixture as white mixture.

THE GREEN MAWA MIXTURE:-

Take a pan fry pistachio in desi ghee. Add milk, cook till dry and make a fine paste. Keep aside. Now add the prepared green pistachio mixture and the second bowl of prepared mawa mixture and mix thoroughly.

THE KESARIYA MAWA MIXTURE:-

Take a pan fry diced carrot in desi ghee. Add milk, cook till dry and make a fine paste. Keep aside. Now add the prepared kesariya carrot mixture and the third bowl of prepared mawa mixture and mix thoroughly.

TO ASSEMBLE THE BURFI:-

Take a greased tray. Spread the green pistachio mixture first. Evenly spread the second layer of basic mawa mixture on the first layer and press well. Now evenly spread the third layer of kesariya carrot mawa mixture and press well.

TO SERVE:-

Cut the burfi as per you size and serve cold or at room temperature.

About the Chef:

Award-winning Executive Chef Rohit Tokhi brings a special magic to the hotel, with over 19 years of experience crafting mouthwatering food. Chef Rohit was voted the championship winner of a student chef’s competition conducted by the National Council for Hotel Management & Catering Technology (NCHMCT) in 1996. Ever since then he has continued to demonstrate and develop his culinary skill set. Recipient of the coveted Hotelier India’s Chef of the Year award in 2011, Chef Tokhi was also the winner of the Bacardi Cruise Industry Chef of The Year 2006. At The Leela Ambience Gurgaon Hotel & Residences (formerly The Leela Kempinski Gurgaon), his restaurants Spectra, Rubicon, Diya and Zanotta won the Times Food Guide Awards consecutively in 2010, 2011 and 2012. In 2007 and 2008, under his culinary guidance, restaurant 360 at The Oberoi New Delhi won the Times Food Award as well.

 

Tasteful Thursdays- Bhujeli Kaleji, a Parsi Delight by Master Chef Kaizad Patel

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Bhujeli Kaleji is a typical way of making chicken or sheep liver. It was one of the very popular Parsi dishes and is savoured by a lot. Its simple yet full of taste. Do try it out and I am sure you will love it and this recipe coming from Kaizad makes it 100% authentic.

parsi-cuisine-master-class-made-in-india

 

Ingredients:

200 gms chicken or goat liver

½ tsp coriander seed

½ tsp turmeric poweder

½ inch piece of ginger

6 cloves garlic

6 peppercorns

2 green chillies

1 bunch coriander leaves

Salt

1 tbsp oil

Ground the above ingredients into a masala

Method:

Remove the thin skin off the liver (goat). Wash and cut the liver into small pieces. Mix it in the ground masala, salt and oil and keep overnight, or for at least 4 hours. Stick the pieces on skewers. Light a coal fire, see that the flames have subsides. Barbeque each skewered stick with liver over the fire for about 5 minutes each until tender.

Nutrition Fact: Each serving provides about 109 calories, 10.3g proteins, 1.0g carbohydrates, 6.3g fat.

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About Chef Kaizad

Being brought up in a Parsi Caterers family, Chef Kaizad says he always knew someday he would always take up this family business. He have always had a different approach on views and always wanted to exceed expectations. This has been his drive and what keeps him going. Upon completing catering college, He joined the Ratan Tata Institute, Mumbai, as he wanted to broaden his horizon on Parsi food. He came across interesting people who shared their views on Parsi food. After completing almost a year; He joined the Oberoi Hotel’s, Mumbai and worked his way up the hierarchy. After his 3 ½ year employment with the Oberoi Hotel’s, he decided to go and study further in Culinary Arts. He joined the Scottsdale Culinary Institute, which is affiliated with “ Le Cordon Bleu”. He joined the Ritz Carlton, San Francisco as an intern and upon completing his internship, he was hired and trained by the Ritz Carlton values, which changed his life, truly. On his return to India he decided to take over his family business as he felt the need to revamp the image of the business without changing the core values of the community and the business, which were instilled into him. He always looks at a glass full and not the other way around. He has just begun his journey as a Caterer (for the last 10 years) and has a long way to go…..

master-chef-kaizad-patel-eat-like-a-parsi-made-in-india