Baklava

Baklava is known to have turkish roots and is developed on their tradition of layered breads. Its a rich sweet pastry made of phyllo/filo sheets filled with assorted nuts and sweetened with honey or sugar syrup. 

This recipe is shared by a dear friend who inspired us to make some of these desserts we thought could never be homemade. So go and get these ingredients and you'll be surprised how easily this mouthwatering pastry can be made in your own little kitchen.

Prep Time : 1 hr + soaking time
Ingredients

Phyllo pastry sheets: 1 box
Butter (melted):  1 cup

Filling
Nuts (chopped): 2 1/2 cups in total
* You can use different combination of your favorite nuts (Walnuts/Pistachios/Hazelnuts /Almonds)

We used the below

Walnuts (chopped): 1 cup
Pistachios (shelled & chopped): 1 cup
Almonds (though not common, we used it in our mix): 1/2 cup
Ground clove (based on taste): 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoon
Ground cinnamon (based on taste): 1-2 teaspoons
Cardamom pods (ground): 2
Powdered sugar :1/4 cup or less 

Syrup
Water: 1 cup
Sugar: 1 cup 
Honey: 1/2 cup 
Cinnamon stick: 1

* 1 phyllo box contains 2 rolls. These sheets are enough to make about 30 pieces in a 9 x 13 inches baking dish.

Boil the syrup ingredients on low heat until thick and syrupy. Turn off the gas and let it cool.

Chop the nuts together in the food processor. Add the powdered cinnamon, clove, cardamom and sugar until mixed well.  Do a taste check. It should just be slightly sweet. Set aside.  

Grease a 9 x 13 in baking dish with butter.

Phyllo dough sheets can be tough to work with. Be gentle while you peel them as it tears off easily.

Layer each phyllo dough sheet and brush with melted butter. Do not saturate, only lightly brush. If you overdo the butter, the baklava might get soggy. Continue the process till you have used 1/3rd of the total sheets.  Layer half the nut mix. Continue layering the sheets.  At 2/3rd of the sheets, layer the second half of the nut mix, but set aside a small portion for decorating the top. Finish layering with the remaining sheets. 

Cut the sheets diagonally to make diamond shapes with a sharp knife before you bake. Else it will become too crispy and will crumble when you cut after baking. Do not put the nuts to garnish until the baking is done else the nuts on top will get burnt.

Bake at 350 F degrees until the baklava is golden brown. Take it out and garnish with the remaining nuts. Let it cool and then pour the sugar-honey syrup all over. Let it sit for at least 4 hours so that the syrup soaks in completely. 

Enjoy! 

Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori chicken doesn't really call for an elaborate introduction.Originating from the royal Mughal  kitchens this dish is now an everyday name in Indian restaurants. Marinated in spices and yogurt it is baked in a traditional clay oven called the 'tandoor'. The chicken can be baked as whole or in cut pieces. We have managed to recreate these royal flavors in our home and hope you enjoy doing the same.

Prep Time
Ingredients

Whole Chicken: 1 

Marinade

Ginger garlic paste: 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder: 1 1/2 teaspoons
Chilli powder: 5 teaspoons
Coriander powder: 2 teaspoons
Cumin powder: 1 teaspoon
Kasuri Methi /Dried fenugreek leaves: 2 teaspoons
Pepper: 1 teaspoon
Chat masala: 1 teaspoon
Garam masala*: 1 teaspoon
Oil: 4tablespoons
Yogurt: 1/4 cup
Lemon juice: 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste.
 

*Garam masala: Grind 2 cardamom pods, 1 small bark of cinnamon, 1/4 star anise and a pinch of saunf.

* We used Kashmiri chilli powder which isn't very spicy but adds the color.

* If you are making it with a whole chicken, we also suggest you make deep cuts through the  thighs, legs and breast so the marinade seeps through well.

*If you are using cut chicken pieces, couple hours of marination will do.

Mix all the ingredients listed under the marinade to a smooth paste. Marinate the whole chicken and keep it overnight. 

Just before you put the chicken in, drizzle few more drops of oil.

Pre heat the oven to 475 F. Place the chicken in a tray placed in a deeper dish with water and leave it to bake. This to prevent the chicken from burning. Bake for about an hour or more until the meat is all tender and cooked. Remember to turn it around at least once for even cooking.

Serve with some sliced onions and lemon pieces.

Tres Leches Cake

Tres Leches is a popular Spanish cake which literally means "three milk cake". Its a basic  sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk. Every bite of this cake is so moist and creamy yet so light making you crave for another big bite. So hurry up and get your baking supplies to try this out.

Prep Time: 1 hour + 12 hours soaking time
Ingredients

Sponge Cake

All purpose flour: 1 cup

Eggs: 4

Vanilla Essence: 1 1/2 teaspoons

Sugar: 1 cup 

Milk: 1/3 cup

Baking powder: 2 teaspoons

Milk mixture

Condensed Milk: 1 can ( of which only less 3/4 gets used up)

Whole Milk/Heavy whipping Cream/half and half: 1/2 cup

Evaporated milk: 3/4 cup

Heavy Whipping cream: 1 pint box

Fresh fruits for garnish (We like berries and bananas)

* We used the deep rectangle disposable aluminium foil tray to bake the cake and set everything in the same dish.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lets begin making the sponge cake. Separate the egg yolks and whites. Beat the sugar and yolks until smooth and ivory in color. Add the vanilla essence and milk and beat well. Sieve the flour with the baking powder. Add the flour into the yolk mixture. Beat well. Now whip up the egg whites until stiff and forms peaks. Fold the whipped egg whites into the cake batter. Do not over do the mixing else the cake will be flat. Bake the cake until the center comes out clean when poked.

Take the cake out and let it cool for about 10-15 mins. 

Mix the condensed milk, evaporated milk and whole milk. Let the cake cool down before you use the milk mix. Pour the mix little by little all over the cake. The cake will drink it all up. So usually 3/4 of the mixture gets used up. But if you feel it needs more, continue to add the milk. Cover and refrigerate.

 This cake needs to be made at least 12 hours ahead of serving. So that the cake soaks up all the mixture. Usually works well if you make it previous night. After the 12 hours just poke through with fork in all corners to see if the milk has seeped in. If you find any dry area just drizzle some more milk. Couple of hours before serving, beat the whipping cream with about 3 tablespoons sugar until stiff and spread over the cake well.

Serve with cut berries and bananas.

Pepper Chicken

Pepper chicken is a famous dish from the Chettinad cuisine and giving all justice to its name this is sure to blow your senses away.

Prep Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

Chicken (medium sized cubes): 1 cup

Onions (chopped): 1/2 cup

Tomato (pureed): 2
Pepper powder: 2 teaspoons

Chili Powder: 1 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric Powder: 1 teaspoon
Coriander Powder: 2 teaspoon

Bay Leaves: 4-5

Curry Leaves: handful
Lemon Juice: 1 tablespoon
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tablespoon

Masala (we ground the following)

Cloves: 4-5

Pepper pods: 1 tablespoon

Dried red chili: 4-5

Cardamom: 2 pods

Nutmeg powder: 1/4 teaspoon

Jeera: 1/2 teaspoon
Saunf: 1/2 teaspoon

* Dry roast the above spices on low heat for 5 mins and then grind it into a fine powder.

Marinate the cubed chicken in salt, little turmeric, chilli powder, pepper powder and lemon juice for 20 mins. Heat about 5-6 tablespoons of oil in a deep dish. Fry the marinated chicken till about 75% cooked. Take it out and keep aside. You can use the same pan. Heat some oil. Add the bay leaves, ginger-garlic paste and saute. Add onions, curry leaves and keep frying until the onions turn slightly brown. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and coriander powder. Keep sauteing on medium heat. Now add the spice powder. Adjust the salt. Add the tomatoes and cook until it becomes all brown. Add the cooked chicken and keep sauteing. Everything will coat up on the chicken and slowly oil should start to come out. You can adjust the spice levels to your liking.

 Absolutely delicious with hot parathas.