Author: The HomeChef

A food enthusiast. Focus on cooking inspired through Indian cuisine and contemporary style.
Desserts

Pancakes with Vanilla cream cheese

The HomeChef

I just tried out this recipe to use up some of the ingredients lying in the fridge. It was a very successful creation I must say. Truly a mouth watering dish when you crave for a sweet something.

Ingredients:

  1. Pancakes – 3  minimum (making of pancakes added separately below)
  2. Vanilla Cream cheese filling – 3-4 tbsp (Making of vanilla cream cheese added separately below)
  3. Strawberries- 2
  4. Nuts of choice- Almonds or pistachios will be great- 5 chopped
  5. Whipped cream (optional)- for topping.
  6. Maple syrup – 3 tbsp

Method:

  1. Cook the pancake as per instructions below. Minimum 3 will be required for this recipe.
  2. Spread the vanilla cream cheese ( method below) over each pancake and create a sandwich of 3.
  3. Drizzle maple syrup over the pancakes and top it with some whipped cream.
  4. Surround the pancake sandwich with strawberries, nuts and more maple syrup.
  5. Yummy Pancake with cream cheese is ready to be served.

pancake

For the pancake:

Ingredients:

  1. 1 cup self raising flour
  2. 1 egg
  3. 2 tbsp Caster sugar
  4.  A little less than 1 cup milk
  5. Few drops of vanilla essence

Method:

  1. Mix all the ingredients together to bring to a batter.
  2. Pour 1/4 cup of batter to a pan on medium heat drizzled with little oil and cook on either side for 1-2 mins till it cooks through.
  3. Repeat for making more pancakes. Min 3 will be required for this recipe.

Vanilla Cream cheese filling:

Ingredients

  1. Cream cheese – 3 tbsp
  2. Caster sugar- 3 tbsp
  3. Vanilla essence/extract- few drops

Method:

  1. Mix all the ingredients together to bring it to a smooth spreadable consistency.
Mains

Vendakkai (Okra) Curry

The HomeChef

My most favourite vegetable would be the ladies finger also popularly known as Okra or Vendakkai (in tamil).
I have been told from childhood that if we eat this vegetable we will do very well in Mathematics .

Next to sambar, the Vendakkai puli (tamarind) curry is usually my go to recipe and it goes very well with steamed rice. Please find my version below in the video. Hope you like it!

Desserts

Mini Pavlova

The HomeChef

A meringue based dessert with cream and fruit filling which is very popular in Australia and New Zealand. The origin of the Pavlova is still a subject of debate. It has a nice crusty outer with a marshmallowy inside.The cream along with the berry fruits blends so well with the taste of the meringue. Hope you enjoy the recipe.

Please watch the video for the method.


Note: In the final step of baking time. I tried 2 different settings.
1. 100 C for 1.5 hours and 30 mins cooling inside oven
2. 100 C for 1 hour and 1 hour cooling inside oven (this one was better)

Mains

Chilli Basil Stir-fry Noodles

The HomeChef

One of my favourite stir fry noodles rich in flavours and equally spicy. It brings memories of the Chatswood street food place we often go to while in Sydney to enjoy this dish .

Things you need:
1. Noodles cooked – 2-3 cups
2. Few cut vegetables of choice – I used carrots, beans mushroom, broccoli, red pepper and tofu
3. Chilli flakes-1-2tsp
4. Ginger garlic paste
5. Basil leaves- few
6. Oil and salt as required

Please watch video for method.

Starters

Jalapeño Poppers

The HomeChef

Here is something which will make you feel hot!
I recently had this dish at a very nice restaurant and immediately added it to my try out list.

Jalapeño with cream cheese ( Jalapeño Poppers as it is popularly known)

An interesting fact: Joey “Jaws” Chestnut holds the Major League Eating record for jalapeño poppers, eating 118 in 10 minutes at the University of Arizona on 8 April 2006- Source WiKi. That is simply ‘WOW’.

Going back to the making of the dish. My try out came out well except for the outer crumb breaking a bit. Included the tip to avoid that as well in the video.

Things you need:

1. Jalapeño – 3-4
2. Cream cheese – 5 tblsp
3. Mozzarella cheese – 3 tblsp
4. Plain flour – 1/2 cup, Corn flour – 1/4 cup mixed into a batter
5. Egg beaten – 1
6. Bread crumbs for coating
7. Oil for frying and salt as needed

Please watch the video for the method

Mains, Side dish

Dal Tadka

The HomeChef

A super easy and nutritious side for rice or roti made with Indian pulses. Tadka means ‘tempering’. The Dal which I am using in my recipe is the Toor dal which goes by many names including Pigeon Pea.

Things you need:

1. Toor dal – 1/2 cup
2. Turmeric powder -1 tsp
3. Onion – 1
4. Tomato -1
5. Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
6. Curry leaves – 1 spring
7. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
8. Dried red chilli – 2 or 3
9. Oil – 3 tblsp
10. Coriander for garnishing – optional

Please watch the video for the method:

Mains, Side dish

Cauliflower (Gobi) Manchurian

The HomeChef

This is a hot favourite in the Indo-Chinese cuisine and every Chinese restaurant in India will have this as part of their menu.The recipe below is sure to be a big hit at your home and it compliments well as a side dish to any fried rice or noodles. A little extra effort when it comes to frying the cauliflower but it will be well worth it in the end. Do try and let me know how it went.

Things you need:
1. Cauliflower – 1 medium
2. Onion – 2 medium
3. Green capsicum – 1
4. Tomato sauce – 3 tblsp
5. Soy sauce- 2 tblsp
6. Chilli powder- 2 tsp
7.Ginger garlic paste – 2 tblsp
8. Spring onion 1 – for garnishing, Red chilli – 1 – Optional

For batter:
1. Plain flour – 1/2 cup
2. Corn flour – 1/4 cup
3. Ginger garlic paste -1.5 tblsp
4. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
5.Chilli powder – 1 to 2 tsp
6. Salt and water as required

For the method please watch the video.