EGGLESS FRUIT&NUT CAKE BALLS/POPS/TRUFFLES

How I came up with these?? :)
I had made Eggless fruit & nut cake and the cake got stuck to the pan. I was feeling bad and wanted to do something with the cake as the taste was great. While browsing I saw cake balls recipe. I bought cream cheese frosting, Milk chocolate, Butter Scotch and semi sweet chocolate chips to experiment. It took me 5 hours to make these cake balls and then coat them with chocolate layer and it involves refrigeration. They taste so great that it'll be worth the effort.
I made these for my hubby's b'day. He doesn't like sweets/chocolates but he loved these. I treated my friends to these and they all loved it so much that they all wanted the recipe ;). Try them!!
Note: You can even use condensed milk instead of frosting.
Recipe Reference: http://www.bakerella.com
Ingredients:
Eggless Fruit & Nut cake - 2 - you can use any cake
Frosting - I used store bought Duncan hines cream cheese flavor - 16 oz whole box - use lesser if using just one cake
Milk - 1/4 Cup [ Optional ]
Baking chocolate or chocolate chips of your choice. I used Hersheys Milk, Butter scotch and semi sweet Chocolate flavor.

Method Of Preparation:
Crumble the cake once its cool. You can refrigerate the crumbled mix until frosting is ready. This step is optional. I did it as I had to go to the store to buy the ingredients :)

Mix frosting to the crumbled cake and mix well until its moist. I added milk too. Now make balls according to the size you need. Refrigerate the balls at least for 20 - 30 mins. I left them overnight.

Melt the chocolate on low heat and dip the cake balls in it to coat. Refrigerate the balls for at least 2 hours. I used 3 varieties and
Milk chocolate: It was very difficult to melt and hardened easily. When it was soft, I used hands to coat the chocolate and make balls.
Chocolate: It melted easily and I just had to dip the cake balls to get chocolate coating.
Butter scotch : It melted easily and I just had to dip the cake balls to get the coating.

CHEESE WAFERS/BISCUITS

I came across these while browsing and wanted to try them as the recipe looked very very easy with minimal ingredients. There were two variations of these, I tweaked my recipe to suit our taste buds. End product was a flaky biscuit/wafer/cookie. But I would go easy on the salt next time as after baking the saltiness from the cheese makes it saltier!!

Recipe Source: Cheese wafer and cheese biscuits

Ingredients:

Maida - 2 Cups

Cheddar cheese - 1 Cup

Salt - 1/4 -1/2 tsp [ Adjust]

Chilli powder - 1 Tbsp [ according to spice level]

Butter - 1 stick or 1/2 Cup

Chat masala - 1/2 tsp [Optional]

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Milk - 1/4 - 1/2 Cup

You can try adding

Chillies

Coriander leaves

Garlic powder

Method Of Preparation:

Pre-heat oven @400F.

Mix everything except milk and make a crumbly mix. Now add milk as required to form a dough. 

make small balls and press them gently. Bake at 400F for 15-17 minutes. I baked them for 20 minutes. Let them cool and enjoy salty snack.

BAKED CABBAGE KOFTAS

Cabbage kofta curry is rich and delicious. I tried to reduce the fat in it by baking the koftas instead of deep-frying. It tasted very good. Try it out.

Ingredients:
Cabbage - 1 head
Besan/Chickpea flour - 1 cup
Salt - 1 tsp
Coriander-Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Chili Powder - 1 tsp [optional]
Bread crumbs or Rava - for rolling the koftas [ I used bread crumbs]

Method of Preparation:
Pre-heat the oven to 400F.

Grate the cabbage and mix it with rest of the ingredients to make a soft dough. Do not add water!
Adjust salt and spices. Then make small balls out of it and roll it on bread crumbs or rava.

Place the koftas on a cookie sheet or in a muffin pan and bake for 30 mins or till they are brown on both sides. [After 20 mins or so check the koftas and roll them over for even baking]

Take them out of the oven and allow them to cool.

Check baked lauki kofta and malai kofta recipes.

EGGLESS TEA RUSK BISCUITS

Hmmmmm...who doesn't like rusk.  I love to dunk my rusk in tea/coffee/milk and eat.

I wanted to try making rusk at home. Well! browsing for a rusk recipe, you'll end up with recipes with yeast or eggs.  And as I don't eat eggs, I had to come up with a recipe which didn't use eggs.
Earlier, I had tried my hand at making rusk by making a cake and then double baking cake pieces on a cookie sheet. I had made chocolate rusks and they were like britannia crispy rusks.Pretty decent for an eggless attempt!
But, I wanted something crunchy. So this time around, I went by all the ingredients mentioned on the eggless cake rusk you get in Indian stores. I can say they turned out yummy. They don't look like rusk but the taste & feel when you dip them in your tea was just too good. Try them and let me know. :)

I already made an other batch with only wheat flour and less oil. But I made the mistake of baking them a little longer and they turned out crispy!!. Anyways, I'll be making these over&again for sure!! :)

Ingredients: - Made around 12
Wheat Flour - 1 Cup
Maida - 1/2 Cup
Corn Flour - 1/2 Cup
Vegetable Oil - 2 Tbsp
Canola Oil - 2 Tbsp
Butter - 2 Tbsp
Note: I went by the assumption that 1 cup = 16 Tablespoons
MTR Badam Mix - 1 Tbsp [Optional]
Elaichi/cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1/2 Cup
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Update: I used milk to make the dough. You can use water too.

Method Of Preparation:
Mix all the flours, baking powder, almond powder mix, elaichi powder and sugar together. Add butter and oil.

Mix everything till its crumbly.

Make a dough. After making the dough my hands were greasy. I felt I could have reduced the amount of oil or butter. As it was my first attempt I didn't want to use less oil.
Try adding just a Tbsp of butter for the second batch :).
Update: Now, I feel reason could have been the milk. You can use water instead of milk and add same amount of oil.

Pre-heat oven at 325F.
Line a cookie sheet with aluminium foil. No need to grease the sheet.
Press the dough to make a rectangle/square. Adjust on the thickness. Mine was around 1 inch thick.
Cut them into logs. I made 12 pieces. you can decrease or increase the number.

Bake them at 325F for 35 minutes. Then turn them around for even browning.

Instead of double baking them, I baked them at 325F for 45 minutes. They were crunchy and nicely browned by then. If you want crispy then bake them for 50 minutes not more than that!!

Try them and let me know :)

BAKED SWEET CORN VADA

Ingredients:
Frozen Sweet Corn - 1lb packet - 1/2 kg
Salt - 1 tsp
Green Chilli - 1
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Onion - 1/2
Black salt - 1/2 tsp
Crushed Ajwain and cumin - 1 tsp
Til/Sesam seeds - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Cumin coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Corn flour & Besan - 2 Tbsp [ Optional ]

Method Of Preparation:
Cook corn for 5-10 minutes or as directed on the package.Strain the water.

Once it has cooled down, grind corn along with all the spice powders except til/sesame seeds and onions.  Mix finely chopped onions and til seeds to the ground mix.
You can even add chopped coriander/Dill/mint leaves.
Make a dough. [Mine turned out a bit soggy. I did not want to add corn flour or besan, so make sure there is no water when you are grinding corn]

Pre heat oven to 400F. 

Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking oil or coat with little oil. Make small patties and line them on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 20-30 minutes. After 20 minutes check for doneness. Turn the patties around for even golden color. Take out of the oven and let them cool for 5-10 minutes.

Serve along with chutney or sauce.

BAKED LAUKI/SOREKAYI/BOTTLE GOURD KOFTA CURRY

This curry is coriander based. You can omit coriander leaves and prepare usual tomato flavoured curry.

Ingredients:
Lauki Kofta:
Bottle Gourd/Sorekayi - 1
Onion - 1/2
Corn flour - 2 Tbsp
Besan/Chickpea flour - 5 Tbsp
Bread crumbs - 2 Tbsp
Kasoori Methi - 1 tsp
Amchur powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Curry:
Grind:
Onion - 1/2
Tomato - 2 or Tomato puree - 2Tbsp
Coriander Leaves - 7-8 strands
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp [ Adjust according to your taste]
Cumin Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick+elachi pods - 1/2 tsp
squeezed water from bottle gourd
Temper:
Jeera - 1 tsp
Onion - 1/2
Butter - 1Tbsp

Milk - 3/4 cup [ you can use cream instead of milk ]

Method Of Preparation:
Lauki Kofta:
Wash and peel bottle gourd skin roughly. If using tender one, no need to peel.
Grate bottle gourd. Add salt and keep aside for at least 15 minutes.
Squeeze and remove water well from bottle gourd. Make sure you squeeze really well.
Note: This water can be used in making curry or to make chapati dough.

Pre Heat oven to 400F/200C.

Add grated squeezed bottle gourd, corn flour, besan, chilli powder, bread crumbs,crushed kasoori methi, cumin corinader powder, amchur powder and finely chopped onion in a bowl.

Mix well. Make a dough. Check for salt. [I added less salt as once the koftas are dunked in curry they will absorb all the spices. so less is better]

Line a cookie sheet with aluminium foil. Grease the foil.
Make small balls of the dough and line them on cookie sheet at least an inch apart.

Bake them for 20 minutes. Turn the koftas around and bake again for 10 minutes.
Take them out of the oven and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Remove from the sheet.

Curry:
Heat Butter in a vessel. When it melts, add Jeera. After they splutter, add chopped onions. Saute well.

Grind everything to a fine paste using water. Mix ground paste.

Cook for 5-10 minutes on medium flame.

Add milk or cream and let it cook for 15 - 20 minutes.

Kofta Curry:
Add baked koftas to the gravy. Serve along with Rice, Roti, Naan..... :)

ALOO MASALA BUNS

One more Karnataka special. These buns can be found in any bakery in Karnataka.
The process to make these is tedious but the end result, awesome!!

I made these with Maida. Next time will try with Wheat flour.
Recipe Reference: from here

Ingredients:
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Butter - 1 Tbsp
Til/Sesame seeds - 1 Tsp
Masala Bun:  Makes around 18
Maida - 4 Cups
Wheat flour - 1/2 Cup
Active Dry Yeast - 1 1/2 Packet
Salt - 3 tsp
Sugar - 3 Tbsp
Milk - 3/4 Cup
Water - 1 cup + 1/4 cup extra if needed
Butter or Olive Oil - 6 Tbsp
Chilli Flakes - 1 Tbsp
Ajwain/carom seeds - 1 tsp [You can skip Ajwain and chilli flakes and make plain buns]
Stuffing:
Potato - 3/4 Kg
Matar/Peas - 1/2 Cup
Salt - 2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 Tbsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Crushed Ajwain - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 1 tsp

Method Of Preparation:
Masala Bun Dough:
Warm Milk. [ microwave for 30 seconds]
Add yeast and sugar. Mix well and keep aside for 10 minutes. It will become frothy.

Mix Maida, wheat flour, chilli flakes, salt, crushed ajwain and oil. Add the frothy yeast and mix everything together. Add water slowly and make a soft dough. Add 2 Tbsp of oil and knead really well for around 5-7 minutes.

Keep it covered in a big bowl so that it has enough space to double up. After an hour or two, it should double in size.

Mean time, prepare the filling; 

Boil potatoes. [I cooked in pressure cooker for 20 minutes]
After they cool down. Peel the skin. Mash potatoes and keep aside.
Add Oil in a vessel. When its hot, add Jeera. After they splutter, add Peas and fry for 5 mins.
Now add mashed potatoes and all the spice powders and mix well. Check for salt and spices. [add extra if required.]
Cook for 5 mins. Filling is ready. Let it cool down to room temperature.

Masala Bun Dough; Bun Preparation:

Check if the dough has doubled in size. If it hasn't then the yeast didn't work. You can still go ahead and make the buns but they won't be soft. [ my first attempt was a disaster.buns turned out hard] [I guess we can prepare NAAN with the dough if it hasn't raised well.]
If the dough has doubled; then knead well for 5 mins. This is to remove any air bubbles.

Line a cookie sheet with aluminium foil. Grease the sheet.
Make small balls out of the dough and arrange on the sheet with enough space between them.
Make small balls out of the filling.

Keep them aside covered for at least 15 minutes. They will expand in size again.

Now, again press the bun dough balls and flatten them. [Just like paratha filling preparation]. Stuff the filling and close the ends well and make it like a ball. Repeat the process till the bun dough is over. Make sure the buns are not dry. apply oil while stuffing so that they are well greased.

Just to make it look nicer, I sprinkled til seeds on top of them.

I don't eat eggs, so didn't give any egg wash to get that golden color. Instead I gave milk wash. Just brush each buns with little milk.

Pre heat oven to 375F/190C.
Keep all the prepared buns covered for at least 15 minutes till you pre heat the oven. They will puff up a little again. This is the final stage.
Now, bake the buns for at least 20 minutes in pre heated oven.
Take them out of the oven. Butter them if you like. Let it cool for at least 5 minutes. [We could not wait,they were really hot when we tried to dig in :) ]

Cut in half. Enjoy amazing buns with spicy sauce and Tea/Coffee. :)