Making Pizza from Scratch : Two ways

In my posts I have always been talking about the memories of Childhood. The way we used to be then, and the way we are now. The huge difference in lifestyle, eating habits, choices etc. With this Post too, I wanted to revive the old Chutney Roll my Mum used to prepare for our Lunch. It was just like a Desi Pizza, with Chutney spread and loaded with veggies and grated Paneer on top. The only difference was it was rolled for convenience and hygiene issues. Whenever I make Pizza now, I want to experiment with same old Chutneys and try to get the nostalgic taste back. I will share those recipes one by one with you on my Blog very soon, but as of today I am writing how to make a basic Pizza from Scratch.

I attended a Pizza making class last year where they taught us basic dough and sauce making, plus a bit of handmade Pasta lessons… it was helpful to the extent that it allowed my fear of making any Pasta or Pizza go away. And I realised that making Pizza from scratch is not that difficult after all. I don’t make it quite often though, but whenever I do I  enjoy the Thin Crust Whole Wheat Pizzas a lot. 

The recipe is taken from Tucci's Kitchen where I attended the Master Class.. The best Sauce recipe I have come across, after trying several from the Internet. Easy to make and perfect in taste !! 

What you need?

For the Pizza Dough :

200g Pizza Flour (you can use strong bread flour)
100ml hot  water
3g dried yeast (or 2g fresh yeast)
1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pinch of salt

For the Sauce :

4 Tins Chopped Tomatoes (You can blend this prior to cooking for a smoother finish)
3 Tea Spoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (to your taste more or less)
1 Onion
1 Carrots
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Bay leaf
1 Herb Mix (Basil,Parsley, Oregano, Chives, Rosemarie, Pepper)
1 Pinch of Salt (To your taste)

How to Make ?

For the Sauce:

Chop the onion into fine pieces. Prepare the carrot by peeling and cutting into 4 equal pieces. Chop the garlic into thin slices.

Place the olive oil in a cooking pot large enough to take your sauce and put on maximum heat.Bring the olive oil up to temperature, making sure you do not heat it too much (if smoke builds is too hot).

The oil should take on a more liquid consistency when you swill it around the pan. Carefully put the onions and the garlic into the hot oil, being careful not to splash, as the oil will be very hot. Leave on the hot heat for about 2-3 minutes, gently stirring to make sure the onions just sweat and don’t get too brown. Add your herb mix to the onions, stirring gently to make sure it coats the onions and carrots. Add bay leaves. 

After about 3 minutes put the tinned tomatoes into the mix  and stir throughout. Bring the sauce to a boil, and once boiling take the heat right down to the minimum and leave simmering for about 45 minutes.  Every now and then, stir the sauce to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan After the 45 minutes, taste your sauce and season with salt, if it is needed. 

Once the  sauce has cooled down, use the left over for Pizza, Bruschetta or add to 500g of cooked

Onions and minced beef for a tasty bolognaise. 

The sugo will stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days, and can freeze in containers for up to 12 Months.

To make it your own signature recipe, experiment with the addition or omission of garlic, wine and different  herbs. 

For the Pizza Base : 

Place the flour and salt into a mixing bowl, Dissolve the yeast in the hot water and add the olive oil. Add the wet mixture to the flour and mix with an electric mixer with the dough hook attachment. Or you can can just knead with your hands, although this will take more work. If the dough is too stiff, work with your hands after dipping in warm water. 

When combined, empty the contents of the bowl onto a floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth like baby skin. Leave in an oiled bowl covered with cling film and wet towel for at least 3 hours.

Once you are ready to use the dough, place on a floured surface and shape to the desired size. This dough will be quite resilient. For thin and crispy, roll thinly with a rolling pin.

Place shaped Pizza Base onto an oiled baking tray, add Sugo Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese and the toppings of your choice. And place in the oven on the hottest heat for around 8-10 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure it is cooked enough.

The pizza is ready when the base is crispy, sprinkle Oregano or Chilli flakes as per your choice and serve hot. 

My Notes: 

Here I have posted the pictures of two Pizzas I pre[pared last month, over different dates. One has the topping of mainly Mushroom,s Mozzarella and Red Bell Pepper and the other one has the topping of Spinach, Sweet Corn, Jalapeños, Spring Onion and bell Pepper. You can mix and match your own toppings. 

You can substitute half of the APF with the WWF.. It wont alter the taste much, and will be as crispy  But if you are doing that, don't roll the base too thin else it will be too crispy to bite and enjoy. 

Adding Mozzarella bites is better than grated variety, it spreads evenly and tastes good. 

This post specially goes to a new Group from Priya Suresh of “Priya’s Easy and Tasty recipes “ – Home Bakers Challenge. Home Bakers Challenge is a new group started by Priya and the first challenge given was Pizza by Martha Stewart which is hosted by Divya of Divya's Culinary Journey.

Thai Mushroom Soup - Tom Kha Hed

Have you heard of Bollywood Actresses' reply when being asked their favourite Cuisine? Almost all of them say “Thai” and the least favourable Cuisine is “Italian”. Not that I am comparing the two, I equally adore both of these now. But back then, I always used to wonder why is Thai such a hot favourite for everyone. Well, now I know that, since it’s my hot favourite too and there is not just one reason behind it but many. First of all, it offers the taste that is closest to our Indian spicy mix. Secondly, good range of vegetarian options, plus most of the ingredients are mostly available easily in any part of the world. And last but not the least, its healthier than most of the fried and cheesy stuff we get otherwise. And on top of it – ITS NOT EVEN A SALAD !! All the above factors make this cuisine adored by most health freaks across the world..

Here in the UK, whenever I go out for dinner the top most choices are of course Thai and then Italian. And the first thing I order in Thai restaurants is this Mushroom Soup. It’s such a warm and tangy appetizer which soothes the throat and energise you  to the core. In winters specially, I enjoy this at least once every week.. It  brings such warmth to the body and prepare me for a stomach full of Thai dinner afterwards ;)

Thai Cuisine offers some amazing combos in food world one of which is Coconut milk and Lemongrass . Lemongrass is indeed actually a grass that is native to Asia, and has a citrusy flavour with distinctive hues that are simultaneously sweet and tangy. To get the most out of it,  use the slightly thicker root ends and bruise them with a mallet or back of a knife, then infuse the lemongrass in whatever you are cooking. Here, I’ve infused the lemongrass in a simmering mixture of coconut milk (one of my favourite ingredients of all time) and vegetable stock to get this delicious Soup ready in no time.

Calling this soup Tom Kha Hed is a bit of a misnomer since the “kha” means galangal and I did not have any of that (“tom” means soup and “hed” means mushroom in Thai.. Yes ! I have done my bit of research !! ), but it tasted pretty darn close to anything I’ve ever had in a restaurant. The flavors are clean and bright, and it’s about as summery as a hot soup can get. You can turn this into an even more substantial meal by adding tofu. And – bonus! – it’s ready in about 20 minutes!

What you need? 

• 1 cup coconut milk
• 4 cups vegetable stock – I prepared my own, recipe in Notes
• 3 pieces root end lemongrass (bottom 3-4 inches), chopped finely
• 2 cups white button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 stick Butter
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tsp Red Chili flakes - optional

How to make ? 

• Put the coconut milk, vegetable stock, and bruised lemongrass in a pot and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until the liquid is infused with lemongrass flavour. Strain and remove the lemongrass and keep aside
• Heat butter in a pan, add the mushrooms and cook for another 5 minutes, until just softened.
• Add in the prepared stock and simmer for another 5-7 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Sprinkle some red Chili flakes on top to increase the hotness and serve immediately.

Notes:

• Recipe for the Homemade vegetable stock : take 1 cup chopped assorted vegetables  ( celery, potato, carrots, beans etc)  and boil them in 5 cups of Water for 20-25 minutes along with 1 tsp Salt, 1 big chopped onion and 3-4 minced cloves of garlic. Strain and store
• I have not added Garlic in the soup since its already added in the vegetable stock. You may omit it from the stock and add in the soup while sautéing the mushrooms.
• I have also seen the same soup but without Coconut milk, and that gives an entirely different flavour to the dish. You may try that too, if you are fond of clear soups like me.

This goes as my second entry to Jagruti's Potlick Party , Julie's "Flavours of Cuisines - Thai" hosted by Swasthi this month

Vanilla Panna Cotta with quick Strawberry Sauce

First Instant Tiramisu and then Panna Cotta, I am seriously on a diet… Dessert Diet !!  After I ranted big on the reasons “Why I can’t be any slimmer”, this seriously is a hilarious attempt to post all the desserts I have prepared in a row. It’s so difficult to control my urges when it comes to any homemade sweets. I can still hold on to my temptations when eating out. But when it comes to homemade desserts, I am a sucker really. I indulge myself a bit too much on sweets every weekend and then try all next week not to cook anything but then weekend comes and just acquires me in its grip and I fall into the trap L.. every weekend I make some dessert and finish it up in next two days spending rest of the week cribbing about this annoying habit of mine.

When the Group - Groovey Gourmet presented this Challenge of making Panna Cotta, I was a bit scared really since I had read about a lot of failure stories on  various blogs for Panna Cotta. So I was a bit scared of making it  since I am not good with non-Indian desserts anyway. I tried the first batch and it was a disaster. God knows why the recipe stated only 1.8 g of Gelatin when it should have been at least 18gms. I think the writer did a mistake, but then it ruined my batch, it was not at all set. I quickly made this Double cream Kheer with that which was a success.. that’s another thing, I think I do handle disasters in Indian cooking still well.

Second time when I made it, from a different recipe which used agar agar. But again, I failed miserably in the consistency part. It was Ok to taste, but it swelled up a bit too much and was not at all looking like Panna cotta. I literally wanted to bang my head against wall for such stupid mistakes and not reading the recipe properly. Hopelessly, the final recipe which I tried did wonders somehow. This Yoghurt based Panna Cotta was an amazing treat for myself and s, and our neighbours and some friends..  ( Since I made a lot of it in all enthusiasm). It came out beautifully from the moulds, and I topped with an easy quick strawberry Sauce. The combination was totally made in heaven and again this weekend was full of sweets which made up to the crappy weather. (I didn’t even mention it once today )

What you need ?

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 ¼ teaspoons unflavored gelatin (1 envelope)
• 3 tablespoons cold water
• 1/3 cup sugar 
• 2 cups greek yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For Strawberry Sauce

• 1 cup fresh strawberries
• 1/2 cup sugar - or less, depending on your taste 

How to make? 

• First make panna cotta. Place cold water in small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over top, let soften for 3 minutes.
• In pot, bring cream and sugar over low-medium heat. Slice open vanilla bean and scrape seeds in cream mixture, then add scraped bean (you'll strain it out later). Bring to simmer, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid scalding.
• Turn off heat and add gelatin mixture, stirring until gelatin is fully dissolved, about 3 minutes.
• In a larger bowl add yogurt and stir until creamy. Place mesh strainer over the yogurt bowl and pour cream and vanilla through strainer into yogurt bowl to catch the spent vanilla bean. Stir carefully with whisk until cream and vanilla is fully combined with yogurt.
• Pour panna cotta into 6 ramekins or glasses, refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

For Strawberry Sauce: 

• Take chilled Strawberries and mix Sugar. Blend in a mixer and strain to avoid any seeds coming in. 
• Refrigerate for 2 hours till you start serving Panna Cotta. Spoon on top and serve Chilled. 

My notes: 

• Do not keep the mould inside the hot water for more than 5 seconds, I did and my Panna Cotta melted down in no time. 
• Do not wriggle the mould too much to take the Panna Cotta out, it might break. Just be very gentle. 
• You many also serve the dessert in the bowls/glasses itself. That will save you all the hassle of de-moulding it first and then placing on the plate properly. It will also remain set for longer in the bowls.
• Sprinkle some chopped nuts on top, like Pistachios Almonds etc for extra crunch and variation. Sliced fruits are also used for garnishing Panna Cotta
• There are many recipes for Panna Cotta. This one worked best for me, but I am keen now to try on the non-yoghurt based ones

This is off to The Groovy Gourmets where we are trying our hand at Panna Cotta for this month.

Easy Eggless Instant Tiramisu and my B'Day Story

Birthdays are always special. As kids, Birthday celebrations were really cool. With all my friends around, lovely presents like Washed out Disney Pencil Boxes, useless Wall Paintings, 100 times passed over Lunch Boxes etc. Ohh Ok, not that lovely but memorable is the right words for them,. And sometimes an Aunt used to gift a Cadbury chocolate Box which I used to  finish up the same day, without much help taken from my sister.. that kept me all cheered up for a long time. Till the time when I had to pass over those washed out gifts to some other friend of mine. It actually happened once that the Disney Pencil Box I gifted to my classmate was actually returned back to me next year from another friend of mine. And I knew it was the same since her poor Mum didn’t even bother to remove my name from the Tag. So basically it was To “myself” From “myself”. Don’t you smile lady, I might have exaggerated the incidence a bit, but am sure that’s the same old story in every kids life.

My point is that at that age, we don’t actually realise the importance of all that Party fun. It’s just when we grow up and those routine gifts change into Birthday Bums and formal Restaurant get together, then we really miss that time. I have been doing that for a long time though, but this year I wanted to mix that Birthday feeling with the fun of Holi. And hence I organised a small get together with few close friends at home, with the theme Red and White.. Just to have a feel of Holi in the chilled British weather ( I cant write any post without discussing weather, remember that ! )

Preeti, who has become a very dear and special friend, got her special Cake for me despite of her illness , for which I can’t thank her enough. All in all, this Birthday was really special for me, and though I still miss those washed out rotating gifts, I feel lucky to have such friends :)

Coming back to the party, I invited all our friends at home for the Holi-Cum-Birthday celebration. Yes, I do celebrate my birthdays and cook for everyone too. After all, it’s all about finding your own way towards happiness. Anyway, I tried to keep Menu simple since I had no other person apart from S to help me out. So, it went like 

• For starters – Pani puri Shots, Lamington cake rolls, Fried Idli, Indian Patties, Bread tikki
• For main course – Punjabi Kadhi Pakora, Green Garlic Pulao, Kashmiri Egg tomato

After deciding all of it, I  really got stuck on Dessert. While I have made all sorts of Kheer, Rasmalayi and Halwa a lot of time before, I wanted to try my hands on something which is not Indian. And at that time Nisha came to my rescue. No, not literally !! but through her recipes.  Nisha prepared this amazing Instant Tiramisu when me and Preeti visited her for the final preparations of Bloggers Buzz, the event we organised in February. The simple things she prepared for us like Potato bake, Stuffed Mushrooms, Mac n cheese and this Tiramisu made me fall all over again in love with not just her photos but taste too. This recipe of her Instant Tiramisu was a hit in my party, and I have totally copied her method. Very easy to prepare and a no-mess Dessert, this is a sure shot choice for any small get together for me now

What you need ?
A pack of 10-12 Sponge Fingers
1 tbsp Coffee 
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 tsp Sugar 

1 cup Mascarpone Cheese 
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Sugar  
1 cup Double cream

How to Make ?

• Boil the water and dissolve Coffee and sugar into it. Keep aside 

• Beat the mascarpone cheese in a bowl with the sugar and vanilla extract till just smooth, add in double cream and whisk it toll soft peaks are formed. 

• To assemble in the individual glasses or dessert bowls, break each sponge finger into 2-3 pieces and dip them in the coffee. Make sure its not hot while you are doing it or the sponge fingers will just beak and melt
• Line them  in the glass, and spoon a layer of cheese-cream mixture. Layer again with the sponge fingers and finally cover it with more cream-cheese. 
• Dust some cocoa powder on top, and refrigerate it for next 4-5 hours. 
• Serve chilled. 

My Notes:

• You can also dip the Sponge Fingers in Liqueur as Nisha did, look here for her post. 
• This can be kept in Fridge, for 3-4 days so you can make it in advance before any party. And its really a no fuss dessert, suitable very much for all sorts of Get-together
• I have seen one of the Bloggers used Nutella as a layer in between, havent tried that but could be worth trying - Nutella Tiramisu, the name itself is tempting :P

Gayathri had given this Tiramisu as a Challenge in her Baking Eggless monthly challenge. Though I didnt make it from scratch, have a look at this page to see the roundup and how  others have done the hard work making this amazing Italian dessert all from Scratch. 

Raj Kachori - Stuffed fried bread

Whenever there is any party planned in our friend circle here, I am the first one to raise my hand for a  Potluck. And while am sure, most of the girls in my group hate me for that.. I can’t stop myself for looking forward for the fun of a Potluck Party. It adds a personal touch to the Meal, which is so not present when we order food from outside. I hate Take-aways anyway. The food get sluggish, breads all Soggy and somehow I always feel that Restaurants pour in more oil when they do take aways. I have this annoying habit of making myself some simple meal like Omelette-bread or Moong Daal Khichdi or  even Instant Noodles sometimes when everyone is up for the take-away. I know it spoils the fun, but I cant just help it. Even back in India, I never liked the Dhaba take-aways my roomies were all ridiculously fan of. I was happy with my scrambled eggs and Maggie back then, and  so am I now.

When I host any Party, I try to make everything from scratch myself. Which sometimes spoils one or two thing, since giving attention to detail in everything you prepare for Party is next to impossible for one person. But then, at the end of it, the warm feeling of satisfaction I get is very overwhelming and keep me uplifted for the next party. Coming back to the Potluck, Jagruti of JCO has started with this virtual Potluck Party where everyone can bring in their own dishes and then try the others' recipes in the group to actually enjoy the party together. 

So, it was the first Potluck entry and I made this refreshing Watermelon-Carrot Juice as a welcome drink for everyone and then was paired with Shobha of Food Mazaa to try what she brought to the Party which was Raj Kachori. Now, I have never been too much into Chaat and that too into  a fried Poori filled with tangy fried stuff.. Too much for me.. But I still wanted to take my chances and go ahead with it. 

In an attempt to make it less unhealthy as its original Avatar, I added chickpeas and avoided all sorts of Namkeen etc. And instead I used fine Sev, just a hint of spices and Chutneys and this delicious snack was ready in warm Puffed bread.... loved every bite of it, it was so much better than the one we get on those Road side Thelas... Just take care of stuffing, and eat a light dinner ;) Home made things are so much better, you see ! 

What you need ?

For the Kachori :-

• 1/2 cup All Purpose flour 
• 1/2 cup Semolina 
• 1 tsp Salt 
• 1/4 cup Oil 
• Enough Warm water to knead the flour 
• Oil for deep frying 

 For the Stuffing - I chose :-

• 1 boiled Potato, diced very small
• 1/2 cup cooked Chickpeas, or canned chickpeas
• 1 Onion, chopped fine 
• 1 Tomato, chopped fine 
• 1/2 cup Yoghurt, whisked well 
• 2 tsp Chaat Masala 
• Salt to taste 
• 1/2 tsp Black Salt
• 1/2 Red Chilli Powder 
• 1/2 cup Green Coriander Chutney
• 1/2 cup Sweet Tamarind Chutney
• 1/2 cup fine Sev mixture

How to make ?

To make Kachori : -

• Mix everything and knead a tight dough, it should not be too pliable to stretch. Keep aside for half an hour 
• Roll out in circles, and deep fry one by one on low flame to get the crispy texture. Keep aside till it gets at room temperature. 

• When the Pooris gets at normal temperature, make a hole on the top and fill all the ingredients one by one starting from potato/chickpeas and yoghurt and chutneys at the end. Sprinkle Chaat Masala on top and serve immediately. 

My Notes

• Check the oil before deep frying the Pooris, if its too hot the Poori will sink and wont puff up. 
• Always spread Yoghurt and Chutneys on top at the end, otherwise the Pooris will get soggy very quickly.
• Options for filling are like infinite and you can play along with it to make the Kachori healthier - Sprouts, Pomegranate, Kala Chana etc are just some of them. 
• I actually used a simple Sabzi of chickpeas and potato for the filling, which was pre cooked with spices. 
• Dont wait for long after filling in the stuffing, the Pooris will loos their crunch soon.

Instant Wheat Dosa - Super easy : no fermentation required

I am so bored of talking about weather in my posts, it’s like the only thing Brits ever talk about. Back in India, I don’t recall myself ever looking at the Weather forecast sections on websites or newspapers. Do you even remember those boring and dull news anchors who used to recite the Weather forecast after 8 ‘o clock news every day ? At least I used to change the channel, since the “news” part was supposed to be over. Who cared about how the weather is going to be next day or the day after or on the weekend, for heaven’s sake !!! Well, we do that here now. Looking at the forecasts before making any plans for the weekend or even a month after. Such an obsession of weather is only seen in European Countries, especially England being the crown lady of an island among the rest.

It all sounded so funny when I initially came in here. Like when the people said – “always carry your Umbrella and a Jacket with you” and I laughed. Realization soon sucked deep inside after I tripped twice on slippery roads, got drenching wet a few times, and shivered in chilly breeze almost every that day I thought it’s going to be Sunny. Now, even I follow this horribly funny habit of checking weather almost every day. I religiously prepare and follow my plans based on the Weather and …. Errr !! I am talking about the weather again.. Sorry ladies, this Weather saga is never ending tale in England. Consider yourself luckier if you are living in some other part of the world really !

Coming back to the recipe for today, this Wheat Dosa was just a vague experiment out of necessity. Though my friend K had given a lot of tips for preparing instant Dosas before, I had forgotten all of them and didn't apply any while I actually made this one. I was really feeling hungry and S was not at home, so fortunately I got a chance to make something only for my own poor self. Since he is the biggest sucker when it comes to South Indian food. I once made Idli for dinner and he actually, really asked for dinner after finishing off 3 plates full. He just doesn’t consider it a meal at all, “it’s just a snack” !!!...

So anyway, I found this real good opportunity to treat myself with a good Instant Dosa and I searched for some recipes online. I don’t remember now which recipe I adopted for this but it was definitely a keeper. The Dosa got ready in no time and it was such a satisfactory and filling meal when accomplished with Tomato Chutney and some Punjabi Daal aside ( I didn’t have Sambhar). So this north meets South Combo was a total hit for my self obsessed sessions and I am so looking forward for more such moments when I can cherish these special treats ;)

What you need ?

• 1 cup Wheat Flour - Atta
• 1 cup Rice flour
• 1/2 cup Semolina - Rava/Sooji
• 1 cup Yoghurt
• 2 cups of water - more if required 
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp red chili flakes - Or crushed dried red chili
• 1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves - chopped fine 
• 1 tbsp Kasuri Methi - dried fenugreek leaves 
• 1 large onion - chopped very fine 
• 1 tbsp finely sliced ginger 
• A pinch of Heeng - Asafoetida
• A pinch of Black Pepper - optional 

How to make ?

• Mix flours, rava and yoghurt first with spatula well gradually and gently. Add all the spices, onion, ginger, coriander, Kasuri methi and stir gradually adding water 
• Keep aside for 10-15 minutes, check seasoning and add more water if required.
• Heat a non-stick Tawa, spread some oil. Sprinkle some water on top and spread Dosa batter evenly in spiral shape, cook for 5-6 minutes on medium-low flame. 
• Flip the side, and cook for another 2 minutes on low flame. Serve hot with Chutney 

My Notes:

• When I make Dosas I always sprinkle the water after applying oil to the griddle, this way it uses very less oil and Dosas are cooked quickly with better crisp
• These Doas go very well with Coconut tomato Chutney or Sesame coconut Chutney
• You can experiment and add your own spices like Paprika, Thyme, Oregano etc into the batter and enjoy

Microwave Besan Laddoo - And why am not going to get any slimmer :(

Work is getting busier and busier these days, and this teasing sunshine is making me frustrated. Reason - Allthough the days are getting longer but since I am coming late from work, it’s so difficult for me to cook and click the same day. And I am not in favour of keeping the food till next day and then clicking pictures, so it really is annoying when  I see my week getting wasted off. Having said that, seems like these days I only cook good if I have to click. Well, that’s what hubby dearest says at least !  Do you also do the same, fellow bloggers ? Keeping everyone awaited at the dining table while you are busy in arranging props and thinking of better angles for shots ? :P


To add on to my misery, I have gained a pound since my last weight which was only a month back. AND supposedly I was on a diet. The thing is, I can never really be on diet.. every time I think of keeping myself on a strict controlled regime for next few days ( in fact hours, shhh !), it seems like everyone around me wants me to have my favorite stuff. Like the other day, I thought I would  keep it low since I had two bowls full of creamy Kheer on weekend, my colleague announced she has got engaged and we all went out and partied on Pizza and Garlic breads, and obviously two cans of coke. Well, who can digest Pizza without Coke ?? Nobody in my knowledge ..

So you see, the point is – things like this keep on happening with me and I keep on extending my self-control plans. Which is really bad for my wallet, considering the fact that I spend a fortune on gym every month. Sometimes, when the times are harder, I look at myself in the mirror and challenge myself for a total figure change. Like the ones we see in those “ before-after” ads. I sincerely believe, I would be on that cover page somebody beaming with the sense of achievement and glory. But that’s future, and at present I do nothing but eat – work – sleep.. and some Zumba/ Pilates/ yoga ( all sort of fancy moves ) in between.

In between these failed attempts, I do pick up some quick fixes like these Besan Laddoos for my "I should reward myself for a controlled diet whole day" days. These are really quick to make and is such a “no hassle” sweet, which am sure is adored by everyone who have had these even once. The only thing is – they are super high in fat and hence calories. So, people like me who fret about their weight a lot but do nothing to reduce it, will again fret after having it since I promise you can’t stop at just one.

What you need ?

• 1 cup Gram flour
• 3/4 cup Ghee - clarified butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp Cardamom powder

How to make? 

• Mix gram flour with ghee with the help of a spoon, and micro it on full power for a minute. Take it out and churn. Now repeat this process 7-8 times, till the raw smell of Gram flour vanishes away.
• If you still can smell the raw odour, lower the power of the Microwave and repeat the same process 4-5 time more. It took me total of 14 cycles to get the desired consistency and to get it cooked properly. It depends on Microwave to microwave and the quality of ingredients too. 
• Taking out the mixture after every minute is very important to avoid it burning away. I usually do this while I am doing some other work in Kitchen and aside follow this process. It’s not absolutely mandatory that after each minute you have to run towards the microwave, mix it and then keep it back again. You can give it a rest of a minute or two in between , that’s perfectly fine. After that, that’s why we are using microwave – to keep the process simple and convenient
• Anyway, so after its done,. Add cardamom powder to  it and give a last go in Microwave for another minute. Take it out and let the temperature come down a bit, will take 5-7 minutes. It should be warm, but not hot or you won’t be able to use your hands for further mixing.  
• Add sugar and grease your palms, then use your hands to mix it well, roll the mixture in the shapes of Laddoos and keep them in a plate. Can be stored in a jar for upto 2 weeks.

My notes:

• The only difference I find in Laddoos made in microwave and the usual stove top method is that these ones are a bit harder when eaten at room temperature. But the solution to that is, just micro them for 20-25 seconds and they are fresh and soft again.
• Another reason why these are harder is because we are using less amount of ghee, if you increase it to one cup am sure the balls will not be that dry
• You can also add a pinch of Saffron along with cardamom powder and can decorate with cashew pieces
• Sometimes I add ¼ cup of rava/sooji in this along with besan, for a course texture.
• Never use plastic bowls/ containers to cook anything inside the Microwave. Be very careful of this, else it may result in bad taste, burning of food and even health hazards. The container should always be microwave safe.