Category: FROM THE OVEN

Nankhatai

Nankhatai are soft delicious cookies prepared in almost all homes in India. The aroma of ghee fills in as they are baked.

One does not need an occasion to bake these melt in the mouth desi Indian treat.

We don’t need an oven to make them. They can be baked over a thick bottomed pan and come out as good as the baked one.

Do try them as this is a simple and quick recipe.

Ingredients:

Wheat flour – 1 cup

Ghee – 1/2 cup

Semolina – 1/4 cup

Chick pea flour (Besan) – 1/2 cup

Powdered Brown Sugar – 3/4 cup

Slivered nuts – 1 table spoon(almond, pista and cashews)

Powdered Cardamom 1/4 spoon


Baking soda -1/4 spoon

Method:

In a deep bowl over a strainer add in the Besan, wheat flour and baking soda and strain them into the bowl.

Now add the powdered sugar, semolina, cardamom and the powdered sugar and mix well.

Finally add the ghee (liquid) and mix lightly with the fingers to make a soft dough.

Now divide the dough into even sized balls and flatter each ball lightly with the help of one’s palms and garnish each cookie with the bits of the slivered nuts and press lightly.

Preheat the oven for ten minutes at 150 degrees.

Once the oven is ready place the Nankhatai leaving enough space between them so that they rise and do not stick to each other while they are baked.

Now bake them for 10 to 15 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius.

Do check them after 10 minutes as sometimes depending on your oven settings it can be ready after 10 minutes.

Once done allow to cool and the cookies are ready to be enjoyed😋

namithaskitchen

Wheat & Oats Cookies.

Lockdown has led to cravings for sweets and savouries.

Tried these delish looking cookies and they tasted heavenly!!!

The aroma that filled the kitchen was so refreshing and tempting that within minutes of baking the cookies disappeared.

My family loved them so very much.

Would bake more of such cookies with some variations…….

Ingredients:

Wheat flour – 3/4 cup

Oats flour -1/4 cup

Butter – 1/4 cup

Almonds bits – 2 table spoons.

Vanilla essence – 1 small spoon.

Jaggery powder – 1/2 cup.

Baking powder – 1/2 t spoon.

Salt – less than a quarter spoon.

Milk – 1.5 spoon.(Room temperature)

Method:

In a deep bowl pass the wheat flour, oats flour and baking soda through a sieve and sift them twice.

This step is important to get a good texture.

You may use the normal oats and powder them.

Keep the sifted dry ingredients aside.

Now in another deep bowl, beat the melted butter slowly using the manual beater.

Add the jaggery and beat until it gets fluffy.

This will take less than five minutes.

Now add the vanilla essence and salt.

Now slowly add the sifted flour to the butter and sugar mixture and make a dough using the milk.

Divide the dough into 12 to 13 small balls.

Flatten the balls with the help of your palms.

Now grease the baking tray and keep a parchment paper on it.

Place the slightly flattened cookie balls on the parchment paper leaving an inch of space as they rise a bit while baking.

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees for 10 minutes.

Now bake the cookies at 170 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes.

Allow to cool and then store them in airtight jars .

Enjoy them with family , with tea coffee or milk.

Note:

You may use plain or brown sugar in place of jaggery.

namithaskitchen2 Comments

Baked rice with Spinach & corn

A yummy and easy dish. Leaves you wanting for more and finger licking good.

Ingredients:


Corn – 1/2 cup (washed and cooked)
Spinach – 2 handful(washed and pat dry on a towel)
Onion – 1 sliced thinly
Garlic cloves -5-6 slices
Paprika -1 spoon
Salt as per taste( be mindful as you are adding cheese )
Cooked rice – 1 cup
Oil – 2 table spoons
Grated cheese – 4-5 table spoons(preferably Mozarella)

For the white sauce:
All purpose flour – 2 table spoons
Butter -1/2 spoon
Milk 1.5 cups
Salt as per taste.
Pepper coarsely ground – 1/4 spoon
Method:
Heat a saucepan and add butter and as it melts add the flour and roast it in low flame and as it lets out an aroma add in the milk and with a whisk mix well.
Add more milk if needed or if it gets too thick.
Add the pepper and mix well.
Keep it aside.

Method:
Heat a pan and add the oil and sauté the onions and garlic.
Add in the cooked corn, salt and spinach and sauté for about 2 to 3 minutes.


Now add the rice and paprika and sauté for another 5 to 6 minutes.
Take a ceramic or a baking dish and pour half of the rice mixture and spread it with the spatula.
Now spread some of the white sauce followed by another layer of the rice mixture.


Finally top it with the layer of grated cheese and bake it at 180 degrees Celsius for about 30 mins checking occasionally if it has browned.
Enjoy it hot.

namithaskitchen

Stuffed Snake Gourd

Ingredients:

Snake gourd.-1 big piece

Baking soda – 1/4 spoon

Water – 1.5 cups

For the stuffing:

Coconut grated – 1 handful

Red chillies(roasted) – 5 to 6

Tuvar dal – 1/2 cup

Asafoetida- 1/2 spoon

Salt as per taste

Cumin 1/2 t spoon

Semolina – 2 tablespoons

Method:

Deseed the snake gourd and slice it into three big and equal pieces.

In a saucepan heat 1.5 cups of water and then when it begins to boil drop the gourds in them and also add the baking soda to the water.

Allow to simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes and then remove them from the pan and immerse it in cold water to which a little salt is added.

Keep them aside.

This process helps the gourd to retain its colour.

Now in a mixer jar grind the soaked dal, red chillies, cumin and coconut to a fine paste adding very little water.

Add 2 table spoons of semolina,asafoetida and salt as per taste and mix well.

Now in a steamer add some water and boil it.

In a greased vessel keep the gourds vertically and fill them with the ground masala and press firmly.

Follow the same procedure with the rest of the gourds and steam them for about ten minutes.

Enjoy them with coconut oil.

You may slice the steamed gourds into thin slices using a sharp knife.

Then roast them on both the sides using a little oil to golden brown and enjoy.

namithaskitchen

Pear & Oatmeal Crumble

Tried this old fashioned Pear and oats crumble today..it’s a very simple dish tasty and an easy recipe to try out in ones kitchen. Left the kitchen smelling with aroma of the spices and the lemony flavoured pear.

Ingredients for the base

Ripe and firm Pear – 1 big one chopped or sliced.

Brown sugar – 1 Table spoon

Cornstarch – 1 table spoon

Lemon – 1 juiced

Nutmeg powder 2-3 pinches

Ginger powder – 2 pinches è

Method:

Preheat oven for 10 minutes on 180 degrees.

In the meantime take a bowl and put the pear bits followed by the cornstarch,brown sugar,nutmeg powder and ginger powder.

Finally add the juiced lime or lemon juice and mix well.

Pour it over a greased baking tray and keep it aside.

For the top layer

Ingredients:

Rolled Oats – 1/2 cup

Flour – 1/4 cup

Butter – 2 table spoons (thawed)

Brown sugar – 2.5 table spoons

Almonds – 1 table spoon cut into bite sized bits.

Walnut – 1 table spoon.

Method:

In a bowl add the thawed butter followed by sugar, flour and rolled oats. Mix lightly with your fingers.

Then add the chopped almonds and walnut

Add a few pinches of nutmeg powder and also ginger powder

And mix well till the butter mixes well into the mixture.

Now transfer this slowly over the pear mixture and press lightly with the spatula.

Bake on 180 degrees Celsius for about 25 minute.

Best enjoyed with chocolate sauce or caramelise pear on the sides.

Vanilla ice cream too goes well with pear crumble.

namithaskitchen

Sweet Potatoes with Veggies and Salad.

I love sweet potatoes. They make a filling meal when cooked on its own or with veggies and salads.

I love to try the different varieties but love the orange one the most for its texture and sweet taste.

Today tried cooking them for about ten minutes in water on closed lid and then cut them into two and made a cut and filled it with sliced mushrooms and ground pepper and baked them in the microwave oven for about 7 to 10 mins.

Sprinkled some ground pepper and salt.

Enjoy them with salad.

Tastes yummy too.

namithaskitchen