Saturday, 24 May 2014

Here have a spoonful of my favourite Gajar Ka Halwa & say hello to my Facebook page ShobsKitchen! I am super excited I tell you. My first blog post was on 2011 where I shared my mom's recipe of Prawn Pepper Fry (still no photo of the dish....*smacks head*). But then I called it quits since I was busy studying. Its only after my marriage in 2012 I started blogging full time, coz I started cooking more...Duh! So coming to my new I just launched my facebook page & I will be sharing all the recipes that are in my blog and a lot more I will be blogging about, interesting food facts, cooking & kitchen tips, contests, food quiz, anything & everything about food. And I would love to hear from you too. You can also share recipes, tips, reviews anything about food on the page.  So do take a peek and hit the LIKE button if you like my blog. 

Amma's Recipe #12 

Now Gajar Ka Halwa....mmmm oh I just love this dessert. Hearing the name alone makes me drool. This recipe is shared & exclusively cooked by my mom. And whenever she makes this it will be my Breakfast. Lunch & Dinner, Don't believe it? Ask my mom!  Not to forget the spoonfuls that goes into my mouth every-time I enter the kitchen. Its heavenly & to me its the world's best dessert. Period. This and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, ah killer combination...Damn I starting to crave right. 


 You Will Need:

 1 kg Carrot, Skinned and Grated
500g White Sugar
250g Unsweetened Khova 
500 ml Milk
1/2 Tsp Cardamom Powder
50g Cashew Nuts
Generous Pinch Of Saffron Soaked in Milk / Orange Food Colouring mixed in little milk
100ml Ghee
The Cooking:

Step 1:
Heat 2 tbsp of ghee on a heavy bottom pan. Add the grated carrots and saute for 2 - 3 mins.

Step 2:
Boil the milk (keep some for the khova) and pour this over the sautéed carrots. Let it cook for 15 - 20 mins on medium flame till the carrots are cooked and the milk has reduced.

Note: Boil the milk and simmer for few mins till it thickens a little.  

Step 3:
Now add the sugar and stir well. Let the sugar melt and the carrots will start to bubble. Meanwhile, add some milk to the khova and make it to a smooth paste. Now this into the carrot halwa. Mix well to break any lumps. 

Note: Adjust sugar to your liking. Use a litre of milk if not using khova.

Step 4:
Add cardamom powder and saffron / food coloring. 

Step 5:
Heat a kadai and add the remaining ghee. Add the cashew nuts and roast till they turn a golden brown. Pour this into the carrot halwa and simmer for 5 mins till the carrots are completely cooked and a nice halwa consistency is seen. 

Note: You can add nuts you want like melon seeds or sara paruppu / Chirongi seeds. 

Serve hot or cold with vanilla ice cream....or just have it straight from the kadai like me ;) 
Happy Cooking!


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Thursday, 22 May 2014

Amma's Recipe #11

I am a pure meat eater and internal organs of a goat has never been my thing, they just freak me out. But this dish is totally exceptional. Aatu Moolai Varuval / Bheja Fry.....another recipe from my mom. They are simply delicious. The first time I made these are after my marriage, when my dad came to stay with me. Ah he was here for 4 days and all 4 days it was a lavish meat feast at my home. He is a pure "Non vegetarian" lol....So he bought these brains one morning and asked me to cook...Gosh I have never even seen my mom cook this. Later my mom shared her recipe through a phone call that seemed to be endless and actually they very pretty easy to make and that's the first time I tasted brain and it was yum!!! 

And more than having this as a side for rice / roti, I love this with biryani! Double Yum!!!

The brain fry you see below was cooked by my mom during my maternal break. A break totally worth it ;) 


 Serves 3 - 4

 You Will Need:

 3nos Goat Brain, Whole
1 Medium Sized Onion, Sliced
1 Tomato, Chopped
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Pepper Powder
1 tsp Cumin Powder
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
Few Curry leaves
Some Chopped Coriander
Salt to taste
100ml Gingelly Oil

 The Cooking:
Wash the goat's brain and pat dry. Marinate the brain with salt, chilli powder and turmeric powder. Sprinkle a little water and keep aside.


Note: Keep the brains whole, DO NOT cut now! 


Heat a kadai with oil on high. Once hot crackle the fennel seeds and add the sliced onions and curry leaves. Saute the onions till they turn a light brown in color and add the chopped tomato. Cook for 2 - 3 mins and add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a min. Add required salt for the onions and tomatoes since you have already added salt to the brain while marinating.

Note: If you want the fry to be more dry, then skip tomatoes. 

Now carefully add the marinated brains and sprinkle little water and mix gently. Let it cook on low heat for 5 mins covered. After 5 mins with a knife / a metal spatula or whatever you are using, quarter the brains.


Note: Brain cooks fast and they are very fragile. Too much stirring and tossing will mince it. 


Add the chopped coriander leaves, sprinkle pepper powder, cumin powder and cook on low flame flipping and stirring the brains till oil separates.

 Serve with rice / roti!

 Other Recipes by Amma:
Chicken Dum Biryani
Mutton Dum Biryani
Dindigul Mutton Biryani 
Cucumber Raita
Biryani Kathirikai
Muttai Milagu Varuval
Cauliflower Masala Fry
Mutton Soup
Mutton Pepper Fry
Gajar Ka Halwa

Like ShobsKitchen On FaceBook! 

 Happy Cooking! 
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Friday, 16 May 2014

One word....Sinful!!! Am not a fan of peanuts and I never liked anything made out of peanuts. This has been on my to bake list for way too long, ever since I saw Rachel Allen bake these on her show Rachel Allen Bake! They looked amazing. The only thing that held me back from baking this was Peanut Butter. This Blondie uses a lot of peanut butter. So am back home and as usual my dear bro was demanding I bake something for him. I wanted to bake something fast yet delish, and peanut butter is one of his favourites. So I decided to go on with this recipe but I had my doubts till the end. The moment it came out of the oven and went into my mouth.....I had no words. It was amazing amazing! Moist and nutty and my god I cursed myself for not trying these for long. 
My 2.5 years niece who is a picky eater loved the crust. I found couple of squares with no crust at all ;) And the white chocolate was a kick! I actually doubled this recipe and later regretted...I must have tripled it!!!

Recipe Source : Rachel Allen's Bake!
Makes 16 Squares (depends on the size you cut it)

You Will Need:

 125g Plain Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
100g Unsalted Butter, Room temperature
150g Crunchy Peanut Butter, Room Temperature
175g Caster Sugar
1 Large Egg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
75g White Chocolate, Chopped
1/2 Cup Milk

 The Baking:

 Preheat oven at 180c.

 In a bowl sift together plain flour and baking powder. Keep aside.

 In a large bowl cream the butter and peanut butter together till smooth and fluffy. 

 Note: I strongly recommend crunchy peanut butter. You will get an amazing crust from it. You can also use smooth peanut butter, but not so good crust.

 Since its first time I tasted peanut butter it was salty and my batter was salty. But when baked the sweet was just perfect. So don't be alarmed if the batter tastes salty. 

 Add the sugar gradually and beat till incorporated. Break in an egg and add the vanilla extract. Beat well.

 Gradually fold in the flour mixture alternating with milk. The batter will be thick. Finally mix in the chopped chocolate.

 Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking tin and spread the batter evenly. Bake for 25 - 30 mins or until the top is nice golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let it cool in the pan before taking it out and cutting it. 

Note: Once cooled, cling wrap the uncut Blondie and store till next day. This will make the cake firm and less crumbs. I know its hard to wait but you have to. 

To make need squares, use a serrated knife. Saw through the crust and cut straight down into the cake. Wipe the blade clean before slicing the next one.

Serve hot with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel or serve them on their own at room temperature. 
Happy Baking!

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Thursday, 15 May 2014

#10 Amma's Recipe
Khaja Hotel in Ambur is a very famous eatery. And its our lunch stop whenever we travel to Bangalore. Its a very small eatery and known for their awesome Biryani and other non vegetarian sides. Costs very less but tastes amazing. Last week when we were traveling to Bangalore, we made a stop at this hotel and ordered the usual Mutton biryani and various non vegetarian sides. And this particular side really made my mom wonder what went in. All the way to my home in Bangalore we were deeply discussing what went in the dish. And the next day my mom decided to give it a try and recreated it from whatever she saw and smelled (my mom smells every new dish before she eats, ;) 

Its a very simple recipe made in 10 mins and best served hot. You can also use mutton pieces from other curries and gravies, taste will differ of course. And the same can be done with chicken and kaadai / quail.

 You Will Need:

 250g Mutton Pieces from Mutton Soup
1 1/2 tsp Pepper Powder
1tsp Cumin Powder
Few Curry Leaves
2 tbsp of Gingelly Oil
Salt to taste

 The Cooking:
Heat a kadai with gingelly oil and add the mutton pieces from the mutton soup. Saute on high for 2 mins. Now add the pepper powder, cumin powder, curry leaves and salt. Mix well and saute the mutton till its dry and roasted. 

Note: Alter pepper powder according to how spicy you want. The one at was served at the hotel was super spicy.
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 Happy Cooking!
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Wednesday, 14 May 2014

#9 Amma's Recipe

My mom is the first inspiration for cooking. It is from her I learned all the basics and almost all the recipes. She herself was self taught, experimenting and collecting recipes from friends, chefs and anyone whenever she came across a tasty dish. And even after 30 years of experience in the kitchen, she does not seem to lose curiosity. So While I was expecting my little one, I was away from home and spent 5 months at my mom's place. She made all my favourite dishes and I decided to share few of them with you. So starting with this MUTTON SOUP recipe, stay tuned as i will be sharing many more of my mom's cooking (exclusively cooked by her)...Hope you will enjoy trying out some.


This soup is a always a sunday breakfast at our home. Its spicy and tangy made in south Indian style with onions, tomatoes and whole lot of spices. Bowl of hot soup during a rainy day is heavenly. And its a good home remedy for common cold too ;) 


I will also be posting a Mutton Pepper Fry recipe SOON recipe posted now, something inspired from a dish we had at a small highway hotel. So stay tuned lots coming up....

Serves 4

You Will Need:

250g Mutton Bones from Ribs 
2 Medium Sized Onions, Chopped
2 Tomatoes, Chopped
2 Green Chilies, Slit
1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Pepper Powder
1 Tsp Cumin Powder
1/2 tsp Fennel Seeds
Few Curry Leaves
Little Chopped Coriander Leaves
A litre of Water
2 tbsp Gingelly Oil
Salt to Taste

The Cooking:

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add fennel seeds, curry leaves, onion, tomato, chilli and ginger garlic paste. Give it a quick stir and add the mutton along with turmeric powder. Cook for 2 - 3 mins and add pepper powder, cumin powder, salt and coriander powder. Simmer for 2 mins. Then add a litre of water, mix and cook till 5 - 6 whistles. 

Serve hot with lemon wedge. 

Note: I like to strain the soup, but you can also have it as it is. 

Other recipes by Amma:

Chicken Dum Biryani
Mutton Dum Biryani
Dindigul Mutton Biryani 
Cucumber Raita
Biryani Kathirikai
Muttai Milagu Varuval
Cauliflower Masala Fry
Mutton Pepper Fry


Like ShobsKitchen On FaceBook! 

Happy Cooking!




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Monday, 12 May 2014

Okay, let me tell you this first. This was a half successful attempt. I got the creme caramel  part right but totally messed up the chiffon cake. Baked this in a heavy bottom pan which I used to bake butter cakes whenever I am at my mom's place. And the pan seemed to be best friends with my butter cakes and they totally ditched my chiffon. And that's why it was only half successful.

Now, let me come to the cake part. Custard Cake or LECHE FLAN CHIFFON CAKE  a popular Filipino tea time snacks. The top layer is creme caramel  and the bottom is chiffon cake (I know you are wondering where the cake is). Its also called a magical cake, the light chiffon cake batter beautifully floats on top of the heavy custard. They don't mix together resulting in two separate beautiful layers. This cake so rich and it tasted great.



Before going to the recipe I must tell you what went wrong for me. First, like I told before I used a heavy bottom pan for baking this. They are great for butter cakes but chiffon is an absolute NO! So you can see a dense layer of cake under the caramel (its supposed to be chiffon for god's sake!) I know I will get it right with my OTG back home. Secondly, the recipe uses way too much of egg yolks and my cake was smelling too much eggs.... Yikes! And also I found the cake way too sweet for me. 



But I got to tell you its a beautiful cake. It does have quite a long process but as the name says it is magical in the end. Am gonna give this cake another try once i travel back home. With my otg, baking equipment and a little change in the recipe I know I will get it right. 

You can follow the recipe I followed or just go ahead with your favorite creme caramel recipe and chiffon cake recipe. It will work just about right. 

Ok I have just given the recipe Link...next time when I bake this cake will post the altered recipe. 

Recipe taken from Ang Sarap!!!


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Happy Baking! 


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