And A New Name..

        The question should not be why I moved to a new name, rather it should be why dint I begin with this name? 
 When I decided to begin my resolution, I did not think of blogging it. After a few initial recipes, my family and friends suggested documenting it. It was then that I decided of beginning a blog. The first thought that came to me was 'my experiment with food'. No other thought even crossed my mind, I did not bother to check if any blog with a similar name exists... Big Mistake. I did not get the name I wanted but I settled with what I got. My recipes were piling up, pending post. Hence I rushed into it. New at blogging, I completely ignored the fact that the name of the blog matters. I continued blogging.... Then sometime about 6 months into the blog I came up with the name 'Bites and Thoughts'. I did not want to restrict my blog to cooking/baking. I wanted to try something different. 
With the new name I plan to document a few interesting things happening in our lives, a few thoughts and some nice recipes.  

Welcome to Bites & Thoughts!!!

Simple Chocolate cake

       

          Oh man.... how did I end up being so busy??? I don't work full time, I have some help at home and yet I hardly find any time for activities other than routine. This cake was my second baking experiment and 1st chocolate cake ( I made it in November 2013 and I am posting it now at the end of Feb 2014). Although I am a beginner at baking, this turned out very good. I am casual with my measurements. By that I mean that I usually go by unmeasured ingredients while cooking, and also while baking I tend to divert a little from exact measurements. Hence if my cake turns out well, I believe anyone can bake :-)

Recipe:
Ingredients:

All-purpose flour/ Maida: 1 3/4 cups

Cocoa powder(I used Cadbury's): 3/4 cup

Sugar (granulated): 1 1/2 cups

Baking powder: 1 1/2 tsp

Baking soda: 1 1/2 tsp

Salt: a pinch

Eggs: 2  

Black coffee:1 cup 

Milk: 1 cup 

Vegetable oil:1/2 cup 

Vanilla Extract: 1 1/2 teaspoons 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Apply butter and dust flour on the cake pan. 

2. In a bowl whisk together  all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar,cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).

3. In another bowl, whisk together wet ingredients(eggs, black coffee, milk, oil, and vanilla extract). 
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk, until combined. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 

5.Remove from oven and let cool before serving.

Veg Hakka Noodles

   
     I believe that "Hakka noodles" is a popular and a common recipe in most homes. However I had not made it...ever. It was loved and devoured as expected. We use very less oil while cooking.But for this recipe I think using more oil adds to taste.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Noodles: 1 pack/200gmas cooked as per instructions on the pack
Onion: 1 large, sliced
Cabbage: 1 cup, shredded
Green capsicum: 1 sliced
Carrot: 1 thinly sliced
Beans: 6-8 sliced
Spring onion: 1 bunch chopped
Green chili: 1 sliced
Crushed Black pepper: as per taste
Soy sauce: 1 tbsp
Vinegar(White): 1 tbsp
Oil: 1 tbsp(2-3 tbsp GREAT!)
Salt: as per taste

Method:
1. In a large pan heat oil. Add onion, beans, carrot and capsicum. On high heat cook while stirring for a few mins. Add cabbage and green chili and continue cooking on high heat. Stir continuously to avoid burning and aid cooking.
2. After the vegetables are soft add Soy sauce. Add noodles and toss. Add salt, crushed pepper, vinegar and spring onion and toss. Serve hot.

Dill & Soy Granules Curry

      

        When I tell people that we are not picky eaters, I emphasize that we love dill :-).  This curry was in our lunch boxes and it was loved at our respective offices.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Dill: 2 bunches, washed and chopped
Garlic cloves: 3-4 crushed
Soy granules: Soaked in hot water with salt for 15 mins: 1/2 cup
Corn Kernels: 1/2 cup boiled
Red chili powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric: a pinch
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
Oil: 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a deep pan. Add mustard seeds. Once they begin to splutter add garlic. Saute till it is well cooked.
2. Add turmeric, chopped dill, a splash of water and mix well. Let it cook for 3-5 mins.
3. Add corn kernels, salt and red chili powder. Mix well and cook while stirring.
4. Squeeze out water from soy granules and add them to the curry. Mix and cook until dill is cooked.
Serve hot

Chili Idly

  

   
       I did not know any such dish existed until I had it at a South Indian restaurant. It tasted so good that we ignored the fact that it was made out of leftover idly (leftover food not from home but in a restaurant!!!).Over the years we tried making it a couple of times. Since we do not eat very spicy or oily food, I can call this as a healthy version of chili idly:-)

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Leftover idlies: 5-7 Cut into large squares.
Capsicum: 1 chopped into cubes
Onion: 1 chopped into cubes
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tsp
Chili sauce: 1 tsp (use more if you want it spicy)
Soy sauce: 1 tbsp
Tomato sauce: 1 tbsp
Fresh coriander: 1/2 tbsp chopped
Oil: 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add Ginger garlic paste and chopped onion. Fry till it onion is half cooked (for about a min).
2. Add Capsicum and fry for a couple of mins on high flame.
3. Add Soy sauce, Tomato sauce, chili sauce and salt and mix well.
4 Add Idly pieces and mix well. Add Coriander and let it cook for a couple of mins on high flame. Serve hot with Tomato ketchup.

Simple Vanilla Cake with Choco Chips

 
     I bought a convection microwave oven in November during Diwali celebrations. I had been toying with the idea of switching over to a convection microwave for about two years. I researched online, asked people for feedback, and visited electronic stores several times but was hesitant to purchase it. Most people who owned it suggested not to buy it since they had not used the oven mode even once and it simply served as a microwave. My sis in law who bakes amazing cakes gave me a good review about convection microwave. So finally I bought it and I must say it was a good decision. 
        This was my first cake. It is a simple recipe shared by a friend and improvised by my sis in law. It turned out well. I did not have a egg beater and had to buy one before starting this cake. So one can imagine how much baking I have done in my entire life:-)

Recipe:
Ingredients:

Eggs: 3

Sugar: 1 cup

Fresh Cream(Amul): 1/2 cup

Maida/ Flour: 2 cups

Baking powder: 1 tsp

Choco chips: Bournville Dark chocolate chopped up

Vanilla Essence: 1 tsp

Almonds: 6-7 chopped

Method:

1. Sift together Flour/Maida and baking soda and set aside

2. Beat together eggs for about 2 mins.Add sugar and mix till it dissolves. Add Fresh cream and beat till the mixture is fluffy.Add vanilla essence.

3. Slowly add Flour from step 1 to egg mixture. Mix it lightly.

4. Dust choco chips and almond pieces with flour so that they don't sink while baking.

5. Apply butter to the baking try and dust with flour.

6. Pre heat oven at 180 Celsius.

7. Bake for about 30 mins. (My pan is tall and black hence it takes almost 45 mins). Insert a knife into the cake. If it comes out clean then the cake is baked.

Tomato Rice with Soya nuggets

     

        
        Yay! New Year, New post. Since my resolution has ended with 2013 I am discontinuing numbering of my recipes. Also I will be discontinuing 'Final Outcome' since from now on I will be posting only the recipes which turned out good. About 10 recipes which will follow were prepared in 2013 but never made it to this space due to lack of time. This year I want to dedicate more time towards this blog. It will contain a lot more chatter, a lot more thoughts and may be a peek into my everyday life.
        This recipe is from a TV show which was shared by a friend. I made this for the 1st time sometime in November. It was so loved that I have made it several times since then.
Source: tomato rice

Recipe:
Ingredients:
Cooked Rice: 3 cups (I used brown rice)
Tomatoes: 2 chopped

Soya nuggets: Soaked in Boiling water with salt for 10-15 mins

Garlic cloves: 4-5 finely chopped

Onion: 1 chopped

Matar/Peas: 1 cup

Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp

Pavbhaji masala: 3-4 tsp

Amchur powder: 1 tsp

Red chili powder: 1 tsp

Coriander leaves for garnish.

Salt to taste

Oil: 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin and garlic and saute till fragrant. Add onion and cook till onion is soft.

2. Add Tomato and Matar/peas. Add a little water. Cook till they are done.

3. Add Pavbhaji masala, amchur powder, red chili powder, soya nuggets and salt. Mix well.

4. Add cooked rice and about 2 tbsp of water and mix well.Cover and cook till water evaporates. Serve garnished with fresh coriander leaves.