Kaddu Daal

I always thought kaddu was squash, but my mom said it's not squash, it's loki...which is also known as bottle gourd or chinese melon or long melon.

Ingredients:

1 cup channa daal

2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red chili powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 pound kaddu

2-3 tablespoons oil

2-3 green chilies, chopped

Small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped up

Directions:

1. Wash daal and if you have time, soak it in water for a couple hours, otherwise no worries move on to the next step.

2. Put daal, 2 cups of water, salt, spices, and garlic in a pot and boil on high heat. 

3. Once the water starts boiling, turn heat to medium low and let simmer until the daal is tender (~20 minutes if you didn't soak it and ~10 minutes if you did soak it beforehand).

4. Meanwhile, wash and peel the kaddu. Then chop it into 1/2 inch cubes. 

5. When the daal is almost done, add the kaddu and green chilies to the daal and let cook until the kaddu is cooked through and most of the water has evaporated (~5 minutes, maybe a bit more)

6. Once kaddu is tender, add the cilantro, cover the daal, and turn off the heat.

7. Stir before serving. 

Kaddu

Channa daal

The Skillet Cookie

Ingredients: 

1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 egg

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Chocolate chips/chunks, however many you want

Walnuts perhaps??

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt butter in an ~8 inch cast iron skillet set over medium-low heat. Stir in sugars and vanilla and remove from heat. Allow to cool for ~5 minutes.

2. Crack an egg onto the butter and sugar mixture, and use a fork to whisk it well into the mixture. Place flour, baking soda, and salt on top, and very carefully stir into the mixture until smooth and well-mixed. Stir in chocolate chunks and perhaps some walnuts.

3. Place skillet in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until starting to turn golden on the top and around the edges, but soft in the center.

NOTE that the dough won't be typical yummy, edible cookie dough. I mean it will be yummy, but it's going to be really oily. All that oil is what's going to make the cookie nice and crispy, while the butter will keep the inside slightly chewy...yummmms.

Skillet! I actually don't have a cast iron skillet, so I used the Teflon one that we usually use to make parathas (filled flat bread) in.  

Tray Joe's semi sweet chocolate is the real deal...excellent for baking!

Banana Bread and Honey Walnut Spread

I stole this B bread recipe from the Kitchen Aid cookbook that came with my stand mixer.

B Bread:

Ingredients:

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 medium) ripe bananas

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Prepare a bread pan (~9*5*3-inch) by lightly oiling the pan and dusting flour on it. Turn on oven to 350 °F. 

In a large bowl, mix oil, sugar, and eggs.

In a separate bowl sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In an even more separate bowl, mash up bananas

Pour half of flour mixture and half of banana mush in the large bowl and mix for a minute. Pour the rest of the flour and banana mixtures on the big bowl and mix for another minute. 

Pour batter into pan and bake for 40-45 minutes. 

Honey Walnut Spread:

Ingredients:
1/2 package of 8 ozs cream cheese (reduced fat cream cheese softened)
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 dashes cinnamon
1/4 cup walnuts (crushed)

Directions:
Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix.

Assembly:

Top banana bread with honey walnut spread. 

Sprinkle more walnuts on top as desired.

Eat until gone.

Classic Kulfi

Almond and pistachio ice cream...

Ingredients:

3 cans of evaporated milk

2 cans of sweetened condensed milk 

1/3 cup almonds (ground very finely)

1/3 cup pistachios (ground very finely) + 1/3 cup pistachios (lightly crushed, optional)

4 slices white bread (ground very finely)

Directions:

In large bowl, mix all ingredients together, except for the extra 1/3 cup of lightly crushed pistachios. Pour mixture into ice cream molds or Dixie cups. If using Dixie cups, top with the extra lightly crushed pistachios. Place in freezer. Eat when frozen. 

We were able to fill 18 5oz. Dixie cups. 

Cream-o-licious. 

Next time we might use ice cream salt to see if if makes the kulfi even more creamy.

Clear Fruit Glaze

Fruit on desserts need a glaze to keep them fresh and pretty. I gave a recipe for a glaze earlier (see here). I found a better one that's easier to make and utilizes things you more likely have around the home.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup lemonade

Directions:
Bring the sugar and 1/2 cup juice to a boil. Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining juice. Add to the boiling juice and cook till thick.

Note: You can use any kind of fruit juice instead of lemonade, but lemonade will give you the most translucent appearance. 

Oh and if you want to make mini fruit tarts, follow my fruit tart recipe except bake the crust in cupcake holders:

How cute is that? 

Pipe on some cream cheese filling, top with fruit, glaze it up and you got yourself a fancy pants dessert. 

Aloo Methi

It's an acquired taste. Some love it, others think it tastes like mehndi.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves), coarsely ground
~6 medium potatoes
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 can tomato sauce
~2 tablespoons oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic paste (or copped garlic)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 cup fried onions (previously fried, different from the 1/2 onion listed above)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1/2 stick butter (optional)

Directions:
Soak methi for 1/2 an hour in ~1 cup water. Clean methi will rise to top so remove top portion and sift through bottom carefully discarding soil or dirt.

Peel and cut potatoes in 1 inch pieces. Rub 1/2 teaspoon salt over potatoes and let sit for 5 minutes. Then soak potatoes in water for 10 minutes.

Strain methi and put in a pot. Add salt, red chili powder, coriander powder, and 1 cup water. Cook on medium heat for 20 minutes. Add tomato sauce and cook for another 10 minutes. (Stirring occasionally)

In another pot, fry chopped onion in oil until transparent. Add potatoes, garlic, and turmeric powder and fry for a couple minutes. Add crushed red pepper if you want. Then add methi mixture and 1/2 to 1 cup of water. Then add the cup of fried onions. Cook until potatoes are done and water is gone.

Optional step:
Add 1/2 stick of butter and cook for 5 more minutes. I suggest you don't do this because it is unnecessary added fat, but if you want to impress Pakistani aunties with your cooking skills, then yeah do it.

This is the box it comes in. 

Strawberry Filling

For cake layers or crepe topping:

Ingredients:
1 cup strawberries, chopped
~2 tablespoons of sugar (adjust as desired)
1 tablespoon corn starch

Directions:
Put all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat for ~5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a bit of water if the strawberries are starting to burn. The filling should be jelly like. Add more sugar if desired.

This recipe should make 3/4 to 1 cup of filling...me thinks.