I first tried Akuri made by my father, who simply called it Parsi-style eggs. He made his with tomato, onion, coriander and some onion seeds and it was one of my favourite breakfasts to pair with thick cut bread. I didn’t realise this style of making eggs was called Akuri until I came across the recipe in the Dishoom cookbook.

True to my father’s recipe, here is my version of Akuri!

What is Akuri?

Akuri is a traditional Parsi scrambled egg dish that is extremely popular in all Parsi cafes, and very famous in Bombay. It is typically made with tomato, onion, fresh coriander and some turmeric with each cafe and household having their own individual spin to the recipe. Some serve it with plenty of ginger, whilst others use a lot of garlic. Either way, the eggs are delicious and just cooked till they are wobbly – not dry!

This is what I find is the key difference between Akuri and Bhurji – Akuri is never dry.

Not to say anything bad about Bhurji however. My dad’s Burji recipe is equally delicious and simple with my recipe here.

Ingredients to make Akuri

To make Akuri you are going to need a couple of spices. I think this is the beauty of this meal – there really are not too many components.

Onion seeds

Also known as Nigella or Kalonji, onion seeds actually belong to the black cumin family contrary to popular belief that they belong to the onion family. Rich in oil, these seeds are incredibly aromatic and used as a flavouring agent in plenty of foods all around the world. These seeds are typically only used as a whole spice, especially in tempering.

If you plan on delving a bit deeper into the realm of South Asian cooking, then this is an ingredient I highly recommend investing in. You can source them from your local South Asian grocer, from Amazon or (if you are in Australia) The Source Bulk Foods.

Turmeric

Need I say much about Turmeric? The wonder spice has made its way recently into western culture and is now a prominent feature in many different superfood drinks and recipes (i.e. the famous Turmeric Latte). In this recipe the turmeric adds a beautiful Earthy flavour and colors the eggs in a beautiful warm yellow hue.

Chilli

My dad would use both fresh chilli and ground chilli. If you don’t enjoy spice, or want a milder version of this recipe feel free to omit the ground chilli completely and deseed the fresh chilli.

I find the fresh chilli adds a light almost “crispy” tone to the recipe. I honestly cannot explain this in any other way, except for the fact it adds freshness to the recipe and complements the turmeric and onion seeds. Remember, there aren’t too many spices in this recipe so the layering of flavours is quite basic but incredibly effective.

The ground chilli works with the turmeric to give this recipe a beautiful earthy tone. Honestly the simplicity of this recipe is what sets it completely apart.

Onion

You’ll need 1/2 a Spanish red onion for this recipe, chopped nice and fine. You could substitute this with a brown or white onion, but this will change the flavour profile slightly. Red onions have a higher sugar content, so are much sweeter. As a result, red onions are preferred in salsa and salads, as well as omelet or egg based recipes like this one where (whilst cooking in a rush particularly) you may leave some of the onion raw. In fact my dad would often make this recipe with raw onion stirred into the eggs for some crunch and fresh flavour.

Brown and white onions are far stronger and more pungent, so you need to make sure these caramelise down completely before adding the spices in the recipe.

Tomato

Here is where we get our balance in sourness. The fresh tomato is what really rounds out the recipe. I mean, eggs & onion without some tomato just feels incomplete.

Similar to the onion, some people so mix this through raw into the eggs for that fresh and tangy flavour and texture. In my recipe I do cook them off a bit to reduce that sharp raw flavour, without completely ruining the texture.

Garlic

My absolute favourite ingredient.

I couldn’t live without garlic in my life.

You only need a little bit in this recipe, but it completely transforms it.

Fresh Coriander (Cilantro) Leaves

Okay, so I love coriander but if you find that it tastes like soap, of course don’t add it in. That should go without saying.

For those of us that can enjoy coriander, this herb adds the spark of freshness to the eggs and kind of rounds off the overall flavour profile. It’s a little bit bitter, and a little bit spicy and complements the rest of the spices perfectly.

Vegetable oil & Butter

I use both in my recipe, even though my dad would only use vegetable oil. If you wanted to , you could also use ghee. I find that by using butter you get a much richer result. The butter really transforms the onions as they cook and caramelise, and that beautiful brown butter flavour is what is infused right through the eggs. You just cannot beat it!

Let’s make Akuri

The first thing to do is get your eggs at room temperature. This is going to make cooking them a lot easier and prevent the burning of the egg that is exposed directly to the pan, whilst the rest of the egg continues to heat up. Room temperature eggs will actually help you achieve a really even cook on the eggs.

The cooking part is pretty straight forward. I promise.

Start by heating up the vegetable oil and butter in a non-stick fry pan over a medium high heat. As the oil and butter starts to heat up, add in the onions with a pinch of salt and sautee them until softened. It is perfectly okay to add the onions while the butter is still melting.

There is some debate about whether you should add ingredients into cool oil/butter. Ultimately there is a balancing act here. Add the onions to oil that is too hot will cause sputtering, and start to burn the onions before they even start to cook.

Once the onions are softened, add the turmeric, chilli powder (if you are using it), onion seeds, chopped fresh chilli and the garlic. Mix this through really well and moderate the temperature of the pan such that the spices are not burning and the garlic is still cooking. Usually a low-medium heat is perfect for this, but remember that every pan and stove is different so observe the heat of the pan and moderate it as you see fit.

You can tell that you are ready to move on when the garlic is super fragrant and the spices have completely coated the onions and your kitchen smells incredible. Add the tomatoes and another good pinch of salt and cook these until softened. These will take about 2 minutes to cook over a low-medium heat.

Now it’s time to lower the heat as much as possible and let the pan cool down a little, before adding in the eggs. Gently use a wooden spoon or spatula to scramble the eggs and add the coriander leaves as you do so.

You want to turn off the heat whilst there is still some wobble to the eggs so that they do not dry out, noting that they will continue cook on their own in the heat of the pan.

My dad always served this over a slice of thick cut sourdough and some mint chutney on the side. A younger version of me would ditch the chutney and run right for ketchup. Anything works.

The recipe

The post How to make Akuri first appeared on The Miniature Life.

This recipe came about after my sister-in-law asked me to make something a little healthier than cupcakes with her children. These children absolutely love berries, so I had to make something with delicious strawberries which are in season at the moment. To make this shortcake healthier, I also completely omitted refined sugar, and instead used some delicious smokey Maple syrup. Since there isn’t any egg in the recipe, it does take a little longer to bake, but boy is it worth it!

My entire apartment smelt like strawberry and rosemary for a good 3 hours!

If you are after some more baking and sweet recipes, be sure to check out my collection right here.

What you need?

This particular recipe is something I would call a standard recipe in terms of things you should keep in your repoitoire – something similar to the humble brownie or chocolate chip cookie.

Whilst you absolutely can combine all the ingredients well using a spatula or a wooden spoon, but making the investment for a stand mixer is a good idea as you bake more and more. The one I own isn’t anything fancy (no I don’t own a KitchenAid). I use the Breville Scraper & Beater and I absolutely love it. This stand mixer is super compact which is perfect for my apartment and small kitchen.

You are also going to need a square baking tin preferably in the size 8 by 8 by 2 inches / 20 by 20 by 5 centimeters. I use the beautiful rose gold tray by Wiltshire (also available on Amazon), which is readily available, but any good quality baking tray will do. You can find some great options on Amazon as well.

Possibly the most important tool in your kitchen is a scale. This is especially true for baking, or using ingredients that do not fit into a cup. I use this one which I purchased through Amazon. It is super useful for everyday cooks and chefs and comes at a great price too. I love that the battery can be recharged and it is very easy to clean too (*not sponsored!)

As always you will also need a silicone spatula and some baking paper, both of which are readily available at supermarkets and variety stores.

How to make Healthyish Almond & Strawberry Shortcake

Now to make our shortcake.

This recipe is super simple, and so so delicious. It’s the perfect recipe to quickly mix together and bake when you have guests about to pop over unannounced, particularly when the term “in-laws” are involved. I definitely classify this shortcake as one to serve the adults because it is a little bit offbeat and definitely is not very sweet

To start, always measure out your ingredients and have everything at room temperature. Sure, this recipe doesn’t use eggs, but the statement still applies. Unless otherwise mentioned, all the ingredients should be at room temperature.

Start by pre-heating your oven to 180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit and then line your brownie tray. The best way to line your tray is to cut 2 pieces of baking baking slightly thinner that the width of the baking tray. Ideally each strip should be spread across adjacent sides of the tray, as shown below in the photos.

Combine Wet Ingredients

In a bowl or jug (I do this in a spouted mug or measuring jug for easy pouring), coconut cream, a splash of water, vanilla extract, almond extract, olive oil and maple syrup, Whisk these ingredients together and set these aside.

Combine Dry Ingredients

In a mixing bowl combine the almond flour, whole wheat flour and plain flour along with the salt. Add the baking powder and baking soda to one side of the bowl and DO NOT MIX.

Add the Vinegar

Now, gently add the vinegar over the baking powder and baking soda on the side of the bowl. The apple cider vinegar will react with the soda and you should see some foaming and bubbling happening. This is a really important reaction to ensure your shortcake rises and bakes all the way through since there is no egg in the recipe.

Add the Wet Ingredients

To finish the batter, add the wet ingredients to the bowl and use a spatula to fold the ingredients. If you are using a stand mixer, use the slowest setting. Make sure you do not overbeat the batter and stop mixing once the ingredients are just combined. The shortcake will turn tough and chewy otherwise

Bake the Shortcake

Pour the batter into the prepared baking tray and arrange the sliced strawberries to cover the top. Place into the pre-heated oven and bake for 35 minutes, or until fragrant, golden brown and a knife comes out clean after inserting into the shortcake.

And that is it!

Do I have to make it vegan?

You absolutely don’t have to make it vegan, but I do suggest sticking to the coconut cream in this recipe. The cream offers a beautiful richness to the shortcake, that is just a touch more luxurious than using full cream cow’s milk.

Can I substitute coconut cream?

Of course you can, but as above, I do recommend sticking to using Coconut Cream. The closest substitutes would be to use coconut milk or creamy oat milk. Almond milk and soy simply don’t have the same level of richness for the recipe. You could experiment and try using a barista blend almond milk similar to this one, but it’s one to test out!

Here is the recipe card

Healthyish Almond & Strawberry Shortcake

The Miniature Life

You wouldn't believe that this shortcake is vegan and free form refined sugar

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, Australian, British

Servings 12 people

Equipment

• 1 square baking tray
• 1 Spatula
• 1 Mixing bowl

Ingredients

  

• 120 g almond meal roughly 1 cup
• 57 g plain flour roughly ½ cup
• 57 g whole wheat flour roughly ½ cup
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1 cup light coconut cream
• ¼ cup light extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 120-130 g strawberries, thinly sliced
• rind of 1 small lime, grated
• pinch of salt
• small splash of water

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/356°F and line a square baking tray with baking paper
• Mix a splash of water well into the coconut cream to loosen it up. Set aside
• Combine the flour, almond meal, lime rind, rosemary and pinch of salt in a mixing bowl
• Add the baking powder and baking soda to one side of the mixing bowl but do not combine.
• Add the apple cider vinegar directly over the soda and baking powder. The soda and apple cider vinegar should bubble on contact
• Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, olive oil, coconut cream (from step 2) and maple syrup into the mixing bowl and use the spatula to combine well. Do not overmix!
• Pour the prepared batter into the prepared baking tray and spread evenly
• Arrange the sliced strawberries across the top of the batter in lines
• Bake the shortcake for at least 35 minutes, until the shortcake is beautifully golden brown and the strawberries are visibly baked through

Keyword baking, Cake, shortcake, vegan, vegan baking

I hope you enjoy this delicious sort-of healthy recipe as much as I love making it. This is one of our favourite to make at home, and I love how simple it is to bring together.

Share your version of this recipe via Instagram @theminiaturelife and leave me a comment below!

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Please note that I’ve linked to these products purely because I recommend them and they are from companies I trust. There is no additional cost to you.

The post How to make Healthy Almond Strawberry Shortcake first appeared on The Miniature Life.

These might be GF but oh my goodness are they incredible.

These cookies are a little bit crunchy on the outside, and a little bit chewy on the inside and are really quite decadent. You won’t miss the flour in them at all.

During the 2021 lockdown in Sydney, we started a little tradition on our floor by sharing some homemade goods across to spread a little bit of joy.

It’s just the beginning of 2022 and the Sydney COVID-19 situation has worsened. We are experiencing case numbers like never before and I would say 1 in 4 people around me now are positive. Now, even though we aren’t in lockdown again I figured it was the right time to restart the sharing. So that everyone on the floor could enjoy my baking, I opted for a GF treat this time around.

What do you need?

Baking Tray

Of course any amazing cookie recipe needs a standard cookie baking tray – this sheet tray from Amazon is wonderful value and is safe for temperatures up to 230 degrees Celsius. You can go a step further and get your hands on a silicone mat with marking for your cookies. These are a great investment if you ever plan on making macarons!

Is the investment worth it?

Hell yes! I’ve purchased very heap baking trays before and let me tell you straight away that they bend after exposure to prolonged heat or anything over 180 degrees Celsius. Re-shaping them is a total nightmare and you always end up with bent or out of shape baked goods because the surface doesn’t stay flat. I was once making gingerbread cookies and the tray made a large pop sound in the oven and completely bent out of shape!

So instead of buying cheap from the outset, get your hands on something good quality and durable.

Ice cream scoops

Hear me out.

The best way to get perfectly shaped and sized cookies is by using an ice cream scoop. These are the ones I own and I love that I have 3 sizes to play around with – trust me the result is just fabulous.

Stand Mixer

Whilst not necessarily essential, this is a tool that I think completely changes the way you make baked goods. Quite simply having a stand mixer will save you loads of time and effort when trying to cream or aerate anything. If you are planning to learn more about baking, or are continuing a baking journey then I highly recommend investing in one.

I use the Breville Scraper and I absolutely love it. This model is compact and really light, making it super easy to move in and out of my cupboard. This mixer is especially great for anyone without much bench space.

Ingredients

Chocolate

I typically use 70% dark chocolate for these cookies, because I find the richness of the chocolate just complements the nutty flavour of the almond flour in these cookies. Now by all means use whichever chocolate you wish, but for gluten free cookies I always use Lindt chocolate (I often buy the chocolate in bulk because I bake so often!) Ultimately any brand is fine as long as you check the back for any trace elements of gluten!

The rustic look of chopped up chocolate bars in baking is something I absolutely adore! You could absolutely use chocolate chips instead – I’m just a sucker for the random shapes.

Almond Flour

Also known as almond meal, this is the crux of this recipe. The almond meal is what makes the recipe incredibly flavourful, a little bit crispy, and yet super chewy and light. This is one of those recipes where the almond flour is just perfect – you don’t need to go substituting this out with anything else.

In Australia, I always go for Macro Almond Meal, or alternatively there are some great options available through Amazon.

Butter

Now whilst this recipe is Gluten Free, it is absolutely not vegan. There is PLENTY of butter (140g to be exact) and it is what makes these cookies golden, a bit sweet on the edges and just plain delicious. I’m fully aware that this is a lot of butter – but a treat so delicious must only be totally indulgent.

In regards to the butter, get your hands on the unsalted kind. This recipe has some salt added to the batter so you will not miss it! Make sure the butter is completely softened at room temperature before creaming with the sugar.

If you want to make the recipe vegan, you can substitute it with some almond butter (in place of the egg!) and coconut oil. The almond butter will give you a richer result that is more similar to that of butter, which you cannot quite achieve with coconut oil alone.

Egg

1 egg at room temperature. This is so critical to the recipe! Usually, unless otherwise stated, if a recipe calls for eggs or butter they are always to be used at room temperature.

The temperature makes a massive difference to the result. When I started out baking I never really paid much attention to the temperature and would just use eggs and butter straight from the fridge. This piece by Sally’s Baking Addiction (you should 100% check out her page especially if you are learning about baking!) is great if you want to understand more about the impacts of temperature

Vanilla Extract

Another standard for baking, is vanilla extract. For perfect baking and flavour balance, do get your hands on some quality stuff. I love using Heilala Baking Blend Vanilla Extract (from New Zealand and it’s beautiful!) or the classic Queen Vanilla Extract.

A lot of people try to make do with imitation vanilla – please don’t!

Brown & White sugar

Yes we need both in this recipe! This is another major element to nailing that crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside texture. Brown sugar lends a beautifully caramel flavour due to the molasses content, and the white sugar offers the overall balance to the sweetness.

Baking soda

Now THIS is possibly the most important ingredient in these cookies to get the right texture. Baking soda helps to create that beautiful crispy texture for the cookie. It might seem like a lot in this recipe, but remember that in the absence of flour and gluten, you need a bit more of the soda to react with the egg and other recipes in order for the cookies to spread nicely.

Let’s make these cookies

So we start quite simple with the cookies.

As always pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and prepare the middle rack. Also prepare 2-3 baking trays with baking paper.

Start by creaming together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar for at least 4 minutes until smooth, light and fluffy. This is where having a stand mixer comes in super handy! If you are going to attempt this by hand, you will need easily 10 minutes of good strong beating.

Follow this with the egg and vanilla, and continue to cream for another 4 minutes until the mixture is homogenous and smooth. This process of creaming together the ingredients adds air to the recipe and keeps the cookie light and most importantly gives you that lovely chewy texture.

In a separate bowl, mix together the almond flour, baking soda and salt. I recommend using a whisk to break apart any lumps in the bowl which will make combining the final cookie dough so much easier.

When the wet ingredients are ready, add a spoonful of the dry ingredients at a time and fold this through. Once one spoonful is just combined, add another and continue until the dry ingredients are all in the bowl. Only mix until just combined.

You actually have a little more grace with this recipe as there is no gluten. Ordinarily, over mixing flour based batters/doughs would result in the gluten developing. Unless you rest the batter/dough for a few hours, the end result is always a very dry and tough baked good. The almond flour in the recipe helps in that you don’t really get this action.

That doesn’t mean you go ahead and overbeat – ultimately the heat and friction will result in the oils from the almond flour being released which will spoil the batter balance. The key is to fold until just combined.

Now it’s time to use your ice cream scoop to spoon out the mixture onto the baking tray. Arrange each dough ball an inch or so away from each other depending on the size of your cookie. Test this by flattening one of the dough balls and estimating the radius, now make sure your next dough ball is this distance away. Flatten out all the dough balls and if you want an additional hit of salt, sprinkle over some sea salt before placing the tray in the oven.

These cookies will take about 8-12 minutes to cook. Make sure you rotate the tray half way through the bake. Now, these cookies are done when they turn a beautiful shade of golden brown. Once they have browned, remove them from the oven. Keeping them in for longer will result in some burnt edges and no one likes that!

And that is it!

Serve these fresh from the oven with some tea, coffee or even to sandwich some ice cream. Delicious!

Here is the recipe card

GF Chocolate Chip Cookies

The Miniature Life

These are the best, buttery gluten free chocolate chip cookies. You won't be missing the flour at all!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, Australian, British

Servings 36 cookies

Equipment

• stand mixer or electric beater You could beat everything by hand, but it will take time & effort!
• Baking trays I needed 3, but this depends on your oven size
• Baking paper
• Ice cream scoops Check above for my recommendation!

Ingredients

  

• 310 g almond flour roughly 3 metric cups
• 140 g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 110 g brown sugar a little over ½ metric cup
• 100 g white sugar roughly ½ metric cup
• 1 medium to large egg at room temprature
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract use 1 tsp of vanilla and ½ tsp of almond extract for a richer almond flavour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 200 g chocolate chips (milk or dark) I use 70% dark chocolate bars chopped up

Instructions

 

• Pre heat the oven to 180°C/350°F and prepare 2 baking trays with baking paper
• In a bowl combine the almond flour, salt and baking soda. Whisk the ingredients together to remove any lumps
• Using your stand mixer or electric beater, cream (medium speed) together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until very light and fluffy. This will take about 4-5 minutes.
• Scrape down the sides and base of the bowl before adding in the egg and vanilla extract (and almond extract if using!)
• Continue to beat (medium speed) the ingredients for another 3-4 minutes until homogenous
• Spoon ¼ cup of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in the stand mixer/electric beater bowl and gently fold (lowest speed setting) together. If you don't have a stand mixer, do this step by hand with a spatula
• Once just combined, add another ¼ cup of the dry ingredients and gently fold. Repeat this until all the ingredients are just combined! Do not overmix. If you don't have a stand mixer, do this step by hand with a spatula
• Add the chocolate and gently fold through. You can do this with the stand mixer on the lowest setting or by hand with a spatula
• Use the ice cream scoop to scoop out the cookie dough onto the baking tray. Stagger the dough mounds roughly the length of the radius of the flattened mound
• Flatten all the dough mounds with your hand. It's optional to top the cookies with some added sea salt flakes
• Place the baking tray in the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes until golden brown. Rotate the baking tray halfway through
• Once baked, remove from the oven and transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Be careful while moving the cookies as they will be quite soft and chewy!

Keyword almond, chocolate chip, Cookies, gluten free

I hope you all enjoy these cookies as much as I loved making them and sharing them around. For me cookies represent giving and sharing! A big batch of cookies simply means cookies for the neighbours, or my team at work, or a party. I love whipping up some to show my love for those around me – and we all need some love every now and then

I love to see your photos of my recipes so be sure to send them in to me via Instagram @theminiaturelife and of course please leave me a comment too. You can check out more of my baking right here.

Want some more cookie recipes? Try out my delicious Masala Chai Cookies or my favourite Tim Tam Cookies. Or with ANZAC day coming up, why not make the very best ANZAC cookies ever?

Disclaimer: This post includes affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. Please note that I’ve linked to these products purely because I recommend them and they are from companies I trust. There is no additional cost to you.

The post How to make the BEST GF Chocolate Chip Cookies first appeared on The Miniature Life.

It is almost time for Diwali, which I could argue is the biggest event celebrated across the country in India by people of varying faiths. With that comes the need to start thinking about the sweets that will be made!

Whilst it is a Hindu festival, Diwali today is celebrated more for the fun, games and incredible food. The festival is celebrated with plenty of parties, family events, dancing and in some communities it is tradition to play games of poker.

What is Diwali?

Diwali, also known as Deepavali or Divali, is the festival of Lights celebrated by many religious communities across South Asia. Usually celebrated over 5 days, Diwali is always associated with the Goddess of Laxmi (the Goddess of Wealth) and her arrival into our homes. The lights and lamps that are lit up are to guide her right into our homes on this day – my dad would get very mad if I switched any of them off!

The festival of lights is also associated with the day that Ram (an incarnation of the God Vishnu, the preserver as part of the Hindu Supreme Trinity of Brahma, Vishnu & Mahesh) returned to his home Ayodhya with wife Sita and brother Lakshman after defeating the evil King Ravan.

In Sikhism, Diwali is celebrated as Bandi Chhor Divas which commemorates the day that Guru Hargobind (The sixth Guru of Sikhs) was released from Gwalior Fort after Emperor Jahangir has imprisoned him for several months. The celebration often includes the recitation of Akhand Paath (a reading of Guru Granth Sahib), Nagar Keertan (processions in the street), and fireworks. Learn more about Sikhism here.

In Jainism, Diwali is the date that Mahavir attained absolute liberation. Whilst Hindu and Sikh celebrations have some fanfare, Jain celebration are based on the principle of Ahinsa (or non violence). As a result fireworks are not a typically display during Diwali celebrations and instead opt to decorate the home and temples with lights and diyas, and the sharing of sweets. Some Jains also fast for 2 days in remembrance of the sacrifice of Mahavir. The Jain new year also commences the day after Diwali. Learn more about Jainism here.

The 5 days of Diwali

Diwali refers to the 5 day period of celebration which goes as follows

Dhanteras

Dhanteras is typically celebrated with the giving of gifts to loved ones. In scriptures it is said to be the day that the God of Ayurveda imparted the wisdom of Ayurvedic practices to the World.

Legend has it that when the Sumudra Manthan was performed, Dhanvantari (God of Ayurveda and an incarnation of Vishnu) emerged with the elixir. Another legend follows that the King Hima predicted his death on the 4th day of his marriage. To combat this, his wife laid out as much gold, silver and other ornaments as possible, and did not let her husband sleep. When the Lord of Death (Yama) arrived he was dazzled by the ornaments and instead sat there listening to the stories the Kinds wife was reciting. He then silently left.

As a result this day is celebrated with the giving of gifts, in particular clothing, gold and ornaments.

Narak Chaturdashi or Choti Diwali

This day celebrates the day that the Demon (Asura) Naraka was killed by the Goddess Mahakali. The day is celebrated the day before Diwali or Lakshmi Puja with lights, songs and dancing.

Lakshmi Puja or Diwali

The main day of Diwali is celebrated with the biggest of shows. There are fireworks, and firecrackers, as well as dancing, music and delicious food served up to guests and worshippers. On this day it is said that Lakshmi enters our house using the lights as a guide, and brings us and our families happiness, wealth and prosperity.

Bali Pratipada

Also known as Bali Padwa (Maharashtra), Bali Padyami (Karnataka), Barlaj (Himachal Pradesh), Raja Bali (Jammu) and Gujrati and Marwari New Year.

On this day, worshippers celebrate the annual return of Mahabali to Earth and the victory of Vamana (the 5th Vishnu incarnation). As with the rest of the days in Diwali, this day is celebrated with food, music and dancing.

Bhai Dooj

Also known as Bhau Beez, this day celebrates the relationship between a brother and sister. The day in particular focuses on the duty of the brother to protect his sister. I never really celebrated this day myself at home as I don’t have any brothers.

How is Diwali Celebrated?

Each family has their own way of celebrating Diwali, and every culture and custom will differ. What I cam sharing here is simply a few things that my own family would do to celebrate. This article from the Times of India shares a few different traditions to celebrate!

Typically Diwali would feature some gifts amongst the family, always featuring some new clothing to wear on the day of Diwali in particular. We would spend the week prior preparing at least 10 different sweets and savoury items including the sweets listed below, and then some more! The home would be decorated, and the 2 weeks prior we would engage in a huge spring clean. Rangoli (drawings on the floor using rice flour and colour) would be drawn at the entrances to the home, and a garland using mango leaves and marigold flowers would be hung up over the door.

On the day of Diwali we would wake up extra early to apply a herbal paste called ubtan which would be mixed with oil and applied like a scrub on our whole bodies. My father would make a mixture called Panchamrut made of milk, honey, ghee, yogurt, and sugar topped with some Tulsi which would be used after the ubtan. Finally we would cleanse using water (and soap of course!). We would always be required to wash our hair that morning as well.

These traditions are incredibly dear to me, and I love the way in which my father observes them all. While in High School and University I felt as if I couldn’t enjoy much of the celebrations of Diwali here in Australia owing to the exam season that would always be around the same time. After graduating however, my role in Diwali has become completely about the sweets!

Not only do I make the bulk of them, I also get the chance to experiment and try some new, interesting and traditional recipes. To be completely honest with you, nothing gives me greater joy!

My Top 10 Diwali Sweets

1. Malpua

This is my ultimate favourite Indian sweet to make. There is a bit of effort and resting time required but my gosh is it worth the time and energy! Malpua is a sweet, fried pancake particularly popular in Rajasthan. It is made with a batter comprising of four, jaggery and/or sugar, fennel, cardamom and saffron. The pancake is then soaked in sugar syrup laced with rose and cardamom.

Find my recipe right here.

2. Gulab Jamun

Name a more iconic Indian sweet! Sweet fried dumplings all soaking in a delicious rose and cardamom syrup. Honestly, Gulab Jamun to me is everything luxury and brings me all the beautiful memories of family, friends and festivals. If there is a dessert you absolutely must try making at home, it is this one.

The trick to making perfect Gulab Jamun is to master the art of cooking the jamun/dumplings low and slow in the oil. This makes sure that the balls have cooked through completely, don’t burn on the outside and still develop a beautifully browned exterior. By ensuring the dough is cooked right through you will create the perfect sponge for the syrup which is so so important to make this dessert!

My recipe makes roughly 30 small Gulab Jamun balls.

3. Almond & Saffron Barfi

One of the simplest but most widely consumed Indian sweets for you to make, Almond & Saffron Barfi is a real crowd pleaser. Barfi is such a great recipe to make a huge batch of. I often double up the recipe to make a really large amount because it is so easy to distribute barfi among friends and family. To do so, simply cut up the barfi into bite size squares and serve in decorate boxes for your family, friends and Diwali guests.

Barfi is also one of the best Indian sweets to distribute in the office or to your neighbours!

Have a go at my recipe right here

4. Shahi Shakharpare / Champakali

Another Diwali classic, these are delicious sugar coated fried biscuits. Whilst at home we would make a slightly less intricate version of this recipe, featuring a sweet dough, Shahi Shakarpare take this to the absolute next level. There is a bit of technique required to get the perfect leaf shaped folds to your biscuits, but once you get the hang of it these do not take long to make at all.

My recipe will make about 30 biscuits and can be stored in an airtight container for up to a month!

5. Mango & Coconut Barfi

Mango and Coconut is such an iconic South Asian combination. Call me biased, but India genuinely has the most incredible Mangoes in the world – in particular the Alphonso mango from the Konkan region.

I digress.

My mango and coconut barfi is a total family favorite and it features in every single one of my family events. These work perfectly as barfi squares, little pedas (or small flattened ball shapes like coins) or even can be used in molds like I have (the shape I have used below are Modak shapes for Ganpati!).

6. Atte ka Halwa

Also known as Kara Prashad, Atte Ka Halwa is a wholewheat pudding served usually at Sikh temples and religious events. I used to look forward to visiting the Gurudwara especially to be able to get my hands on some of the halwa. It would be dripping in ghee and full of deliciousness. My version of this recipe isn’t quite as rich and loaded with ghee and sugar, but still tastes incredible.

7. Shahi Tukda

This is what I call my signature dessert.

I do so because this is the first Indian sweet that I spent hours and hours of my time developing. The story behind this is from many years ago when a dear family friend refused to share her recipe to make Shahi Tukda. So I decided to make my own version!

I’ve tried this recipe with regular white bread, whole meal bread, brioche, croissants… you name it! I personally believe the best results come with using whole meal bread. This recipe is great to make ahead (the day before is perfect!) and serve up after the bread has had it’s time to soak up all the beautifully flavoured custard.

Find my recipe right here!

8. Beetroot Halwa

Not much beats the stunning flavour and colour of this Beetroot Halwa. Whilst I believe this is the best dessert to be made for Holi (the festival of Color), I couldn’t pass up sharing it for Diwali too! It’s perfect for every season in my opinion.

This recipe was part of my cooking class series earlier this year (2021) and was loved by everyone too! I use a hint of rose to complement the rich earthy beetroot flavour. Trust me it makes a world of difference.

9. Rasgulla

Homemade Rasgulla are 1000% better than what you can find in prepackaged containers. Trust me.

Whenever someone gifted our family a container, I would absolutely dread having to open it. The overly sweet syrup and crust that would form on the dumplings would be far too much for me to handle. The result would be hard rasgullas that would cause anyone tooth pain.

This recipe is great for a small batch of 8 rasgulla and coms together super easily. Similar to Gulab Jamun and Shahi Tukda, I recommend making this at least one day ahead to let the rasgulla dumplings soak up the syrup completely!

10. Milk Barfi

One of the most viewed recipes on the website is my Milk Barfi recipe. Truth be told this is a cheat’s version that can be made super quickly and is great to make when you have guests coming over and you simply don’t have the time!

Similar to the mango & coconut barfi, and the saffron & almond barfi, this one can also be made into barfi squares, pedas (flattened ball shaped like coins) or even can be shaped using a mold. I usually make this barfi about 10 times in the year for all sorts of festivals and happy occasions, and is one of the most requested items by my family and friends.

I hope you find everything you need to prepare for the festive season in my post. I absolutely love seeing all your recipe attempts! Be sure to share your photos with me via Instagram by tagging me @theminiaturelife. Leave me a comment below with any comments or feedback – I love hearing your thoughts.

The post How to make the BEST Diwali Sweets first appeared on The Miniature Life.

What is Kolhapuri Tambda Rassa?

As the name suggests, this dish is from the Maharashtrian City of Kolhapur. The city has a lot of historical significance and is an important manufacturing hub (ever heard of Kolhapuri Chappals? You may have not have realised how influential this humble chappal/shoe is)

Fun little fact – my father was born in Kolhapur. I have personally never been.

The food in Kolhapur is famous for being especially spicy. The concept of “Rassa” or stew or a thing gravy for the food is extremely popular. This particular Rassa (stew) is a rich red colour (Tambda) and is in every way true to it’s origins. The gravy is made with a combination of tomato, onion, ginger, garlic and a delicious masala.

The Masala

Let’s talk about this masala for a moment

It seems like a long list, and yes there are quite a few things to add – there are only a couple of ingredients that you can exclude if you cannot source them.

Dried red chillies

These along with the tomato give this Rassa it’s iconic red colour. I like using Kashmiri red chillies because whilst they are milder, the result is a lot more control over the overall heat of the dish. You can always add some more chilli later on! You can find dried red chillies on amazon here.

Jaggery

Jaggery is non-centrifugal cane sugar and usually comprises of some palm or date sap. It is a traditional sweetener used across South Asia, and is quite similar to Muscovado. Interestingly, Maharashtra (my home state and where this recipe comes from) is the largest producer and consumer of jaggery. It is traditional here to serve cold water with a small piece of jaggery on a hot day (don’t beat it until you try it!). The jaggery made in Kolhapur actually has a Geographical Tag.

You can buy jaggery from South Asian Grocers or on Amazon.

If you cannot source jaggery then you can use muscovado sugar or brown sugar as a substitute.

Fenugreek Seeds

Fenugreek seeds, fresh leaves and dried leaves are extremely popular in South Asian cooking. The seeds in particular lend a deeply earthy and bitter flavour to the dish that compliments the richness of the lamb in this recipe. You can purchase fenugreek seeds on amazon here. If you cannot source the seeds, I recommend actually omitting them completely.

Grated coconut

I use frozen fresh grated coconut, which is available at South Asian grocers. If you cannot find this, then dried & shredded coconut would also work. I would not recommend using desiccated coconut however, as this has already been sweetened.

Making Kolhapuri Tambda Rassa

This recipe is actually really straightforward. There aren’t a lot of fussy steps or processes in the recipe. Which makes it amazing.

Marinating the Lamb

We start with a simple marinade of turmeric, chilli powder, ginger paste, garlic paste, salt and pepper. Mix the marinade together and then mix this through with the lamb chunks. I find it easier to use my hands to get an even spread of the mixture. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then set this aside for at least 1 hour or up to 4 in the fridge – make sure you remove the bowl with 30 minutes to go on the marination to enable to meat to get to room temperature.

Making the Masala

While the lamb is marinating, it’s time to prepare the base spice blend for the rassa. Start by toasting all of the whole spices in a pan until they become fragrant. This shouldn’t take too long – only a few minutes is required here! If you see the spices smoking, remove the pan straight away. Let the spices cool slightly and then transfer into a spice grinder or processor and grind the whole spices into a fine-ish powder. This is the base masala to cook the lamb in the pot with. Pretty simple right?

To get the masala in the pot started, we first sautee the onions in some vegetable oil and a good pinch of salt. Once they start to soften, add in the jaggery (or brown sugar if you cannot source jaggery). This adds some lovely sweetness and caramelization to the dish and helps offset the intensity of the masala we made earlier.

After onions are completely softened, its time to add in the pasted ginger and garlic and mix through. This needs to be cooked until that raw smell is cooked off. Now it’s time for the prepared masala to be mixed through until just a bit smokey. The masala will burn quite quickly here, so reduce the heat a little and just lightly toast the masala. If the heat is a bit too high, simply remove the pot for a little bit to let it cool down.

Once the masala is toasted through, add in the tomato puree with a pint of salt and pepper and mix this through. Cook the tomato for a couple of minutes, then we add in the marinated lamb. I like to let this sear and cook a bit in the tomato, just for a couple of minutes before adding in the stock and water. Pop a lid onto your pot and let the lamb cook through for about 45 minutes, until beautifully tender.

And that’s it! Beautiful, spicy and super vibrant Kolphapuri Tambda Rassa.

Let’s make Kolhapuri Tambda Rassa

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do, and I hope you fall in love with this style of cooking! Be sure to send me photos of your recipe attempts because I absolutely love to see them! This one is definitely one of those recipes that I was so excited to share and I cannot wait to make it over and over again.

The post How to make Kolhapuri Tambda Rassa first appeared on The Miniature Life.

What is Rasgulla?

Whilst the true origin of Rasgulla remains in contention, the basic make-up of this fabulous dessert differs very little (if at all) across India and Bangladesh. Quite simply, Rasgulla is a milk based dumpling made from Chenna. The dumplings are then boiled and soaked in a delicious sugar syrup. This syrup is often flavoured using rose (petals or water), orange blossom water, kewra (screw pine water), cardamom or even saffron.

Making Chenna

The first part of this recipe is to prepare Chenna, or strained milk solids. It’s quite straight forward to make at home, and I highly recommend doing so instead of opting for store purchased. My recipe makes enough Chenna to prepare 8 rasgullas which is enough for about 4 people.

You can prepare Chenna beforehand and keep it in the fridge for about a week, but fresh made Chenna is the best to use every time.

What milk should I use?

Full. Cream. Milk.

I’m talking packed with fat, cream and all the goodness. You won’t be able to make good quality Paneer or Chenna using anything less. Unfortunately there isn’t an adequate plant based substitute to get you the same result.

Boiling the Milk

What seems like an easy task can actually be very difficult. Whilst boiling the milk you need to be extra careful to ensure that the milk doesn’t burn (particularly at the base of the pot) and to make sure the milk does not boil over. Both of these things can occur quite easily if you don’t watch the pot carefully. The best way to prevent burning the milk or boiling the milk over is to keep a close eye on the pot and stir the contents continuously using a spatula or wooden spoon. Once the milk reaches a rolling boil, it is time to move on to curdling the milk

Not many people realise that Paneer and Chenna is made by curdling full cream milk. To do this we need to simply squeeze some lemon juice into the boiling milk and stir it through. Depending on the acidity of the lemon and the milk you are using, the amount of lemon juice required will vary. Only add as much as is required to cause the solids to float to the top of the pot.

Typically for 1 litre of milk, I require the juice of 1 and a half lemons to get the solids floating. Too much lemon and there will be a strong acidic flavour to your paneer/chenna so be careful not to add too much!

Straining the Chenna

Aside from getting the curdling perfect, the straining component to making the Chenna is extremely important. To strain the curdled milk you will need a cheesecloth.

I use this one from Amazon, but there are plenty of other options available online. You can also find cheesecloths at Target.

If you cannot source a cheesecloth, there are a couple of substitutes. This article from Spruce Eats provides some good information on alternatives. The best substitutes for cheesecloth for this recipe are a sheet of cotton fabric (which is what we used at home! We legitimately had a cotton fabric dedicated for straining of yogurt and chenna/paneer), CLEAN pantyhose, a very fine mesh sieve or a very fine mesh bag.

Once you have the material to strain the liquid, you need the right set up. Pour the curdled milk (solids and whey liquid) into the cheesecloth (or alternative) with a large bowl to collect the whey liquid. You can also do this first step over the sink. Now you need to tie the cheesecloth (or alternative) onto a large wooden spoon or stick such that you can set this rod over the diameter of the large bowl and raise the cloth with its contents. This will allow the excess liquid to continue to drain away.

Kneading the Chenna

For making Chenna, you don’t need to strain the solids for too long. I normally leave it to strain for roughly 1 hour because for the purposes of preparing the Chenna, you need just a little bit of moisture. After the 1 hour, I gently squeeze out any further liquid and remove the solids in the cheesecloth onto a plate or into a bowl.

Now it’s time to knead! You could do this with a dough hook attachment in a stand mixer, but by hand is also fine. Depending on the amount of Chenna you have collected this could take anywhere between 15 minutes to half an hour. Here we are trying to make the crumbly solids into one smooth and homogenous dough-like ball.

Making the Rasgulla

Chenna Balls & Syrup

Roll the prepared Chenna into small balls. My recipe should yield about 8 small balls. These shouldn’t be overly large as they do expand during the boiling process. Once these are ready, set them aside under a damp tea towel and move on to making the sugar syrup.

For the rasgulla you need a really thin sugar syrup working with a 1:4 ratio of sugar to water. This is quite unlike a regular sugar syrup that uses a 1:1 ratio with the result quite rich. In this case all we need to do is bring the mixture to a gentle boil and then add in the Chenna balls. These are cooked in the syrup, and remain in the syrup to cool to infuse. Now my recipe is a little unique in that I like to flavour my syrup with cardamom and some rose water or orange blossom water or kewra (depending on how I feel that day I make it!), but these are basically optional. Rasgulla can be made just with a simple syrup mixture and still taste amazing.

Tips & Tricks

What seems like a very daunting sweet to make is actually very very simple. The trick is in perfecting the Chenna and getting that beautifully smooth texture after kneading it through. To get this recipe perfect every time here are my top tips

1. Take your time to boil the milk – There are no points for taking shortcuts here. Boil the milk low and slow and keep watching the pot to make sure nothing spills over. This happens so quickly! If the milk is boiled at a higher temperature you can easily cause the milk to burn, and trust me there is nothing worse than burnt milk.
2. Slowly add the lemon to boiled milk – adding 1 tbsp. at a time is crucial. Each time you add lemon wait for 10-15 seconds such that you can see if the milk curdles and the solids float. Remember, too much lemon will flavour the curdled milk which is the last thing you want!
3. Knead the Chenna smooth – This might take some time, but you need to give it all the time it needs. Sometimes the process is quick and sometimes it takes me a while to knead the Chenna into a smooth dough. The humidity and ambient temperature has a huge impact so don’t tell time prescribe this. Let the feeling of the dough govern the time needed
4. Boil the Rasgulla for at least 15 minutes – Whilst they might seem ready to remove, and they may appear like they have doubled, but you absolutely need to give the rasgulla plenty of time in the syrup.
5. Let the Rasgulla chill for at least 2 hours – Let the Rasgulla absorb as much of the syrup as possible before serving them up! This will ensure that the Rasgulla are beautifully soft and spongy.
6. Let the Rasgulla reach room temperature before serving – again, this is super important so that the Rasgulla isn’t hardened or cold when you eat it. It should be at room temperature for the best experience!

Let’s make Rasgulla

Rasgulla

The Miniature Life

Here's my recipe for one of my favourite Indian sweets.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Bangladeshi, Indian

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• Pot
• Wooden spoon or Spatula

Ingredients

  

• 1 Litre Full cream Milk
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 4 cups water
• 1 cup water
• 2 cardamom pods
• 2 tsp rose water, orange blossom water or kewra water
• ½ tsp cornflour optional

Instructions

 

• Prepare a muslin cloth over a big bowl and set this aside
• Pour the milk into a large saucepan and big this to a boil, gently. Stir the pot continuously and keep watching the pot to make sure it doesn't overflow
• Once the milk is boiling, add the juice of the lemons roughly 1tbsp at a time. The amount you need will depend on the acid in the lemons itself. Stop adding the lemon juice when you see the solids rise to the top and clump together
• Pour the contents of the saucepot into the prepared bowl lined with the muslin cloth then lift up the muslin cloth to drain off the liquid
• Tie the muslin cloth to your kitchen tap to drain off, or tie around a wooden spoon that extends over a bowl to allow it to drain off.
• Let this drain for a minimum of 3 hours, up to 8 hours
• After draining, remove the contents of the muslin cloth and turn out into a bowl or plate
• Gently knead the contents of the muslin cloth until you make a smooth dough like ball. If you want to create a a bit more stability in the chenna you can choose to add some cornflour to help maintain the chenna. Once the ball is ready, the Chenna is ready for use
• Roll small balls of the Chenna and set aside under a cloth until you are ready to use cook them. You should be able to make roughly 8 small balls.
• In another pot, combine the sugar, water, cardamom (after gently crushing) and rose water or orange blossom water or kewra. Heat this through until boiling and let the mixture boil through for about 5 minutes
• Add the prepared balls of Chenna into the boiling sugar syrup being sure not to crowd the pot. Let the Chenna balls boil in the syrup for 15-20 minutes until they float to the top and have almost doubled in size
• Once ready, remove the Rasgullas and the syrup into a container or serving bowl and set in the fridge until ready to serve
• To serve, remove the rasgulla from the fridge at least 10 minutes before serving

Keyword Indian Food, Indian Sweet

And that is how you make the perfect Rasgulla, every single time. Like I said, it is quite an easy recipe but you just need to be patient and trust me when I say that homemade tastes infinitely better.

As always leave me a comment below and share your photos with me @theminiaturelife on Instagram!

The post How to make Rasgulla first appeared on The Miniature Life.

Making either is a bit of a labour of love. I say this because of the time it takes to make Chenna and Paneer as well as the final yield. But a little on that later.

What is Chenna?

Chenna is very commonly used in making Indian sweets, particularly those traditional to the state of Bengal and Bangladesh. After curdling milk, the solids the remain after draining the whey is the Chenna. The key to making good Chenna is moderating the amount of lemon used to curdle the milk as you don’t want the lemon flavour through the Chenna itself, as well as moderating the moisture levels. Essentially the result should have enough moisture to knead it properly in order to be shaped.

Some recipes use cornstarch to help stabilise the Chenna, but this is completely optional. If you aren’t planning to use the Chenna right away, then I suggest using the cornstarch which gets added during the kneading phase.

What is Paneer?

Paneer and Chenna are essentially exactly the same! The difference is in the way the paneer is shaped and finally stored. Paneer needs to be very dry which is what gives you that iconic crumbly texture and is hence used in savoury foods as a protein with the ability to cut into cubes or strips

What milk should I use?

Full. Cream. Milk.

I’m talking packed with fat, cream and all the goodness. You won’t be able to make good quality Paneer or Chenna using anything less. Unfortunately there isn’t an adequate plant based substitute to get you the same result.

Boiling the Milk

What seems like an easy task can actually be very difficult. Whilst boiling the milk you need to be extra careful to ensure that the milk doesn’t burn (particularly at the base of the pot) and to make sure the milk does not boil over. Both of these things can occur quite easily if you don’t watch the pot carefully. The best way to prevent burning the milk or boiling the milk over is to keep a close eye on the pot and stir the contents continuously using a spatula or wooden spoon. Once the milk reaches a rolling boil, it is time to move on to curdling the milk

Curdling the Milk

Yes, you read this correctly.

Not many people realise that Paneer and Chenna is made by curdling full cream milk. To do this we need to simply squeeze some lemon juice into the boiling milk and stir it through. Depending on the acidity of the lemon and the milk you are using, the amount of lemon juice required will vary. Only add as much as is required to cause the solids to float to the top of the pot.

Typically for 1 litre of milk, I require the juice of 1 and a half lemons to get the solids floating. Too much lemon and there will be a strong acidic flavour to your paneer/chenna so be careful not to add too much!

How to strain the Chenna & Paneer?

Aside from getting the curdling perfect, the straining component to making the Chenna and Paneer is extremely important. To strain the curdled milk you will need a cheesecloth.

I use this one from Amazon, but there are plenty of other options available online. You can also find cheesecloths at Target.

If you cannot source a cheesecloth, there are a couple of substitutes. This article from Spruce Eats provides some good information on alternatives. The best substitutes for cheesecloth for this recipe are a sheet of cotton fabric (which is what we used at home! We legitimately had a cotton fabric dedicated for straining of yogurt and chenna/paneer), CLEAN pantyhose, a very fine mesh sieve or a very fine mesh bag.

Once you have the material to strain the liquid, you need the right set up. Pour the curdled milk (solids and whey liquid) into the cheesecloth (or alternative) with a large bowl to collect the whey liquid. You can also do this first step over the sink. Now you need to tie the cheesecloth (or alternative) onto a large wooden spoon or stick such that you can set this rod over the diameter of the large bowl and raise the cloth with its contents. This will allow the excess liquid to continue to drain away.

How to Make the Chenna?

For making Chenna, you don’t need to strain the solids for too long. I normally leave it to strain for roughly 1 hour because for the purposes of preparing the Chenna, you need just a little bit of moisture. After the 1 hour, I gently squeeze out any further liquid and remove the solids in the cheesecloth onto a plate or into a bowl.

Now it’s time to knead! You could do this with a dough hook attachment in a stand mixer, but by hand is also fine. Depending on the amount of Chenna you have collected this could take anywhere between 15 minutes to half an hour. Here we are trying to make the crumbly solids into one smooth and homogenous dough-like ball.

And that is your Chenna! I use this in my Rasgulla recipe which is a total family favourite.

Let’s make it together

As always, I hope you enjoyed this recipe! For more like this, leave me a comment below! Share all of your recipe photos with me on Instagram and tag @theminiaturelife

The post How to make Chenna & Paneer first appeared on The Miniature Life.

This recipe is honestly so luxe. I use a combination of dark chocolate chips, Dutch process cocoa powder, rum (oh yes, I used Captain Morgan), ripe bananas (of course).

Then there is more! I make a rich walnut and butterscotch streusel topping which after baking in the oven gives the bread a really delicious crunchy finish with little gooey chunks – so so so good!

Let’s talk about Banana Bread

It is said Banana Bread first gained popularity during the great depression resulting from scarce resources and wish to make fresh ingredients go above and beyond their shelf life. The first documented recipe appeared in 1933 when Pillsbury published “Balanced Recipes“.

Today Banana Bread is a café favourite. I cannot think of anything more iconic than a really thick slice of Banana Bread, toasted and served with whipped butter. I think most households has a family recipe that gets passed down. With COVID-19 lockdowns, the popularity of making banana bread at home rapidly rose to record levels in 2020. Instagram and Facebook were flooded with users sharing their banana bread journeys.

I have to admit that I didn’t follow the trend.

Until now.

Bananas

Banana bread obviously requires bananas. But what should these bananas look like? How ripe should they be?

Ideally you want almost blackened bananas, with plenty of dark spots. The banana should be smelly – I mean the smell should make you a little sick (or a lot sick if you are like me!). The fruit should be easily mashed into a pulp, without a lot of effort.

The best way to ripen bananas if you have only managed to purchase bright yellow bananas is to keep them on the counter in a bowl for a couple of days. The exposure and room temperature will help to develop the color quicker. Often fruit grocers sell ripened bananas a little bit cheaper because they need to get rid of that stock – if you aren’t sure, simply ask them!?

Cocoa powder OR Dutch Process Cocoa powder

To make this banana bread super luxurious, I used Dutch Process Cocoa for this recipe because I personally think the stronger, bitter flavour yields a far superior result in this sort of recipe. This is especially true when pairing the chocolate with strong flavours like banana and rum.

Essentially, Dutch Process cocoa is alkalized cocoa powder which results in an acidic and much deeper flavour of cocoa. The color of the resulting powder is also darker. If you cannot find yourself some Dutch Process cocoa, you could use regular cocoa instead.

For more information you can read this very detailed article by Sally from Sally’s Baking Addiction

Butterscotch chips

Okay, I have something important to say about this. Why can’t I buy regular butterscotch chips like normal chocolate chips or Reese’s peanut butter chips in grocery stores in Australia? Or am I missing something here?

I used Gran’s English Toffee Fudge Bites as a substitute for proper Butterscotch, and boy did it work well! You want to go for a fudgy toffee or caramel. Don’t use eclairs or hard toffee – they simply won’t give you that fudge like result in the streusel.

How to make Boujee Banana Bread?

So now that we have these ingredients ready, the process really is very very simple.

The component to prepare is the streusel. To do this start with really cold butter. I mean fresh from the fridge and difficult to slice butter. Cut this into small pieces and rub it into the dry streusel ingredients (minus the butterscotch) until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

If the butter heats up during this process, it’s okay. Slightly overworked butter is not the end of the world. If the butter gets soft though, I recommend putting the bowl into the fridge for 10 minutes to harden again. Continue this until you achieve that breadcrumb consistency, and then finally mix in the butterscotch chips.

For the banana bread itself, start by combining the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt) in one bowl. In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients in stages. First the butter and sugar, then eggs, followed by the banana, rum and vanilla. Make sure you mix everything really well in between each stage!

As always I hope you love my recipe. This one is probably one I was most nervous to try because of the banana – but you know what, even I enjoyed it! The banana flavour is incredibly subtle and the rum and cocoa really mask the intensity.

Trust me when I see this is true luxury all baked into a beautiful bread.

Share your recipe attempts with me @theminiaturelife on Instagram

The post How to make Boujee Banana Bread first appeared on The Miniature Life.

Whilst Murgh Makhani is a standard restaurant order, the recipe is so incredibly simple to make right in the comfort of your home.

What is Murgh Makhani?

It is said that Murgh Makahni originated in the kitchens of Moti Mahal in Delhi where the chef would mix left over Tandoori chicken in a milk tomato gravy at the end of a days work to feed to the kitchen staff. This dish was so popular that it quickly became a feature on the menu and subsequently gained popularity in kitchens across India and then the World.

The gravy is what makes Murgh Makhani what it is – super delicious.

Made with tomatoes, cream, butter (of course! How can you have Butter Chicken without butter?) and the mildest of spices, the Makhani sauce is a rich gravy that pairs beautifully with Chicken and Paneer. Check out my Paneer Makhani recipe for a vegetarian version of this – the Makhani sauce is exactly the same!

What do I need?

There are a couple of ingredients that you will really to need to hunt for, but thankfully you can find everything either online, at your local Grocery store or at your local South Asian Grocer.

Garam Masala

One of the most important ingredients you will need, not just for this recipe, but for all things Indian cooking is Garam Masala. This is a masala blend made with a combination of wonderful whole spices including fennel, bay leaves, black and white peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mace (which is the outer skin of nutmeg), black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, cassia bark and dried red chilli.

Lucky for you you can easily buy a pre-made blend of all these ingredients and it makes life so much simpler.

Here is Australia you can buy Garam Masala from Woolworths, Coles, or Harris Farm. Alternatively you can find Garam masala online right here.

Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder

This one is really crucial to making Makhani sauce. Kashmiri chillies are very mild, and have a very Earthy, dry flavour. This particular chilli powder is used especially for the deep red colour they provide naturally without a lot of heat.

It is important to note here that thought you could use paprika as a substitute, you need to also be aware that the two spice powders do have very different flavours. Paprika is a much sweeter chilli powder so the end flavour of the dish may not be what you expect!

You can find Kashmiri chilli powder online, or at your local South Asian grocer. To buy it here in Australia, Radhe (a popular South Asian grocery store in Sydney) has started an online store.

Dried Fenugreek Leaves

Before I even begin to talk about the leaves, I want to make a note here and say please do not use Fenugreek seeds as a substitute. The seeds have a very different flavour profile and cannot be used instead of the leaves.

Fenugreek leaves impact a really delicate flavour to the gravy and provide the balance for our 5 taste sensations, most notably Bitterness. In richer recipes like this or any dishes with a lot of overpowering richness, or even tang, Fenugreek leaves help to balance the palate out.

You can find fenugreek leaves at your local South Asian grocer or online.

Preparing the chicken

In South Asian cooking, I always make sure I marinate the chicken. This helps in a couple of ways.

Firstly, it flavours the chicken really well. Secondly, it maks the chicken much harder to overcook!

In this recipe I use yogurt and lemon juice (lime juice also works) as a base to tenderise the chicken along with a simple blend of spices. I recommend marinating the chicken for at least 30 minutes before cooking, leaving the chicken to reach room

You can use either chicken breast or chicken thigh. Generally thigh is much better for South Asian cooking because the meat is fattier and so much more tender but my recipe works wonderfully with breast too – purely because of the marination! EIther way, make sure you have trimmed away any tough tissue and excess fat, and cut the chicken into equal-ish cubes. This will help you get an even cook on all the pieces.

Cooking the chicken

In my recipe, I sear the chicken first to develop some colour on the meat. This is really an extra step I take, but it genuinely makes this recipe a lot closer to the original (remember Tandoori chicken and gravy!). I typically sear the chicken in the pan I plan on using for the Makhani sauce, but you can do this in a grill pan (get some nice lines of char on the meat), on a barbeque or even in the oven. Either way you choose, you want some really beautiful char and colour on the meat. This is what will give you that lightly “smokey” flavour.

During this stage we aren’t focusing on cooking the chicken – rather we just want to get the outside beautifully charred. The rest of the cooking will happen in the gravy!

The Makhani Sauce

I normally just refer to this as THE SAUCE.

It is the most iconic sauce in Indian cooking, and it is actually the star of the show here. To make your makhani sauce you need to follow the steps carefully. Make sure each ingredient is added carefully and at the right time.

This is where I would share a story about my dad teaching me about the concept of layering flavours and how any spice added directly in the pan versus in oil versus in liquid can really change the flavour of the meal.

We start with some oil and butter, followed by all of the whole spices and some fenugreek leaves. These infuse in the butter and oil mixture and release their natural oils too, after-which we add in the ginger and garlic. These need to be cooked until the raw smell has been cooked off – which trust me does not take a long time! Now we go in with the ground spice, followed soon after by the tomato puree.

Let’s pause a moment here.

Tomato puree

Now I usually purchase pureed tomatoes in a jar or I buy tomato passata just to make my life a little bit easy. You could make your own puree at home, however you absolutely must make sure that the puree is VERY smooth and doesn’t have any chunky bits – this is super important in order to get that smooth, rich and glossy finish to your recipe.

Another important note here is that every tomato is different, every brand of puree and/or passata is different. With this in mind take caution when cooking and adjust cooking times accordingly. The biggest concern in this recipe is making a gravy that is too sour – if the gravy has a sour note to it, add a pinch of salt to the base and cook the tomatoes for another 5 minutes. You want the tomatoes to still have that rich tomato flavour, without an overpowering sour hit to it.

It took me a few failed attempts quite early into my cooking journey to learn this.

Okay back to Makhani

The dish is finished up with cream, some more dried fenugreek leaves and then the chicken to heat up and finish cooking in the gravy.

And then we serve!

Here is the recipe!

Murgh Makhani

The Miniature Life

Butter chicken, made right in the comfort of your home

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• Saucepot
• Wooden spoon
• Tongs
• 2 bowls
• Plate lined with paper towels

Ingredients

  

For the chicken and marinade

• 500 g boneless, skinless chicken thigh or breast
• ½ inch stick of ginger, made into a paste
• 4 cloves of garlic, made into a paste
• ⅛ tsp red chilli powder
• ⅛ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp chopped coriander leaves cilantro
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1½ tbsp. full fat Greek yogurt
• pinch of salt
• vegetable oil for cooking

For the Makhani sauce

• 700 g tomato puree or tomato passata This is just about one bottle of passata, or roughly 4-5 tomatoes
• ½ tsp tomato paste
• 40 g butter
• 1 tsp ground Kashmiri chilli
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 4-6 green cardamom pods
• ½ inch stick of cinnamon bark
• ½ inch stick of ginger, made into a paste
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, made into a paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
• 120 mL cream and extra according to your taste

For garnishing

• 1 tbsp. roasted cashews
• 1 tsp pomegranate arils
• 1 tsp fresh coriander leaves cilantro
• a pinch of dried fenugreek leaves

Instructions

 

Preparing the chicken

• Wash and pat dry the chicken
• In a bowl combine all the marinade ingredients, then add the chicken and stir through
• Set the bowl aside for 30 minutes to marinate before continuing
• Heat ½ tsp of vegetable oil in a saucepot over a medium high to high ehat
• Add the chicken to the pot and cook to sear each side of the chicken until brown. We want to develop colour on the chicken not necessarily cook it all the way through
• Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate lined with paper towel

Preparing the Makhani sauce

• Heat 1 tsp of oil over a low heat in the pot and then add the butter in
• Add the whole spices )cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves) and half of the fenugreek leaves and mix until fragrant
• Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, then add the ginger paste and garlic paste. The residual moisture of the ginger and garlic can cause sputtering so be very careful. Cook the garlic and ginger until the raw smell is gone
• Add the ground spices and cook for 20 seconds, then add in the tomato paste and puree (or passata). Mix everything through well and bring to a bowl with a good pinch of salt
• Sprinkle half of the remaining fenugreek leaves over the top and cover the pot with a lid. Let the sauce continue to cook for 5 minutes. Taste the sauce to check if the tomato has completely cooked and if it needs more salt
• Add in ¾of the cream and stir it through. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes
• Taste the gravy for salt, pepper and creaminess ensuring that the tomato has completely cooked through. Typically you can tell the gravy is cooked once the oil starts to separate from the gravy
• Add the chicken to the pot, and cover the pot with the lid. Cook the chicken in the gravy for a further 5 minutes
• Serve the makhani hot with a garnish or toasted cashews, pomegranate arils, coriander leaves, the remaining dried fenugreek leaves and a drizzle of cream. Serve along with fresh rice or roti.

Keyword Butter chicken

And there is my recipe for butter chicken! I hope you enjoyed this recipe – be sure to leave me a comment below

The post How to make Murgh Makhani first appeared on The Miniature Life.

You can find my recipe for Murgh Makhani right here!

What is Paneer Makhani?

It is said that Murgh Makahni originated in the kitchens of Moti Mahal in Delhi where the chef would mix left over Tandoori chicken in a milk tomato gravy at the end of a days work to feed to the kitchen staff. This dish was so popular that it quickly became a feature on the menu and subsequently gained popularity in kitchens across India and then the World. Eventually the vegetarian version made with Paneer became a mainstream menu item too.

The gravy is made with tomatoes, cream, butter and the mildest of spices. This gravy is what makes the Makhani absolutely delicious.

What do I need?

There are a couple of ingredients that you will really to need to hunt for, but thankfully you can find everything either online, at your local Grocery store or at your local South Asian Grocer.

Garam Masala

One of the most important ingredients you will need, not just for this recipe, but for all things Indian cooking is Garam Masala. This is a masala blend made with a combination of wonderful whole spices including fennel, bay leaves, black and white peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, mace (which is the outer skin of nutmeg), black cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, cassia bark and dried red chilli.

Lucky for you you can easily buy a pre-made blend of all these ingredients and it makes life so much simpler.

Here is Australia you can buy Garam Masala from Woolworths, Coles, or Harris Farm. Alternatively you can find Garam masala online right here.

Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder

This one is really crucial to making Makhani sauce. Kashmiri chillies are very mild, and have a very Earthy, dry flavour. This particular chilli powder is used especially for the deep red colour they provide naturally without a lot of heat.

It is important to note here that thought you could use paprika as a substitute, you need to also be aware that the two spice powders do have very different flavours. Paprika is a much sweeter chilli powder so the end flavour of the dish may not be what you expect!

You can find Kashmiri chilli powder online, or at your local South Asian grocer. To buy it here in Australia, Radhe (a popular South Asian grocery store in Sydney) has started an online store.

Dried Fenugreek Leaves

Before I even begin to talk about the leaves, I want to make a note here and say please do not use Fenugreek seeds as a substitute. The seeds have a very different flavour profile and cannot be used instead of the leaves.

Fenugreek leaves impact a really delicate flavour to the gravy and provide the balance for our 5 taste sensations, most notably Bitterness. In richer recipes like this or any dishes with a lot of overpowering richness, or even tang, Fenugreek leaves help to balance the palate out.

You can find fenugreek leaves at your local South Asian grocer or online.

Preparing the Paneer

Whilst it is not necessary to marinate the paneer before cooking, I personally think it makes a huge difference! The key is to prepare the paneer so that you get beautifully soft paneer with a delicious outer layer that is packed with flavour.

Soak the paneer in warm water

This step is really important and achieves 2 things. Firstly, soaking the paneer in warm water removes the jelly-like preservative that coats store-bought paneer and secondly it helps to soften the paneer. By softening the paneer you get a really lovely smooth center. You only need to soak the paneer for about 10 minutes, after cutting it into little cubes

Marinating & cooking the paneer

Once the paneer is soaked, remove the the paneer cubes and pop into a bowl with all the marinade ingredients. You only need to marinade the paneer for 10 minutes before frying it in some vegetable oil. With this all you need to do is fry the paneer till they are golden brown on all sides

The Makhani Sauce

I normally just refer to this as THE SAUCE.

It is the most iconic sauce in Indian cooking, and it is actually the star of the show here. To make your makhani sauce you need to follow the steps carefully. Make sure each ingredient is added carefully and at the right time.

This is where I would share a story about my dad teaching me about the concept of layering flavours and how any spice added directly in the pan versus in oil versus in liquid can really change the flavour of the meal.

We start with some oil and butter, followed by all of the whole spices and some fenugreek leaves. These infuse in the butter and oil mixture and release their natural oils too, after-which we add in the ginger and garlic. These need to be cooked until the raw smell has been cooked off – which trust me does not take a long time! Now we go in with the ground spice, followed soon after by the tomato puree.

Let’s pause a moment here.

Tomato puree

Now I usually purchase pureed tomatoes in a jar or I buy tomato passata just to make my life a little bit easy. You could make your own puree at home, however you absolutely must make sure that the puree is VERY smooth and doesn’t have any chunky bits – this is super important in order to get that smooth, rich and glossy finish to your recipe.

Another important note here is that every tomato is different, every brand of puree and/or passata is different. With this in mind take caution when cooking and adjust cooking times accordingly. The biggest concern in this recipe is making a gravy that is too sour – if the gravy has a sour note to it, add a pinch of salt to the base and cook the tomatoes for another 5 minutes. You want the tomatoes to still have that rich tomato flavour, without an overpowering sour hit to it.

It took me a few failed attempts quite early into my cooking journey to learn this.

Okay back to Makhani

The dish is finished up with cream, some more dried fenugreek leaves. While the makhani is hot, stir through the pan-fried paneer and top up with

And then we serve!

Here is the recipe

Paneer Makhani

The Miniature Life

The vegetarian version of Butter Chicken is equally delicious and luxurious!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4 people

Equipment

• Saucepot
• Wooden spoon
• Tongs
• Plate with paper towel

Ingredients

  

For the paneer and marinade

• 500 g paneer, cut into cubes
• ½ inch stick of ginger, made into a paste
• 4 cloves of garlic, made into a paste
• ⅛ tsp red chilli powder
• ⅛ tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp chopped coriander leaves cilantro
• pinch of salt
• vegetable oil for cooking

For the Makhani sauce

• 700 g tomato puree or tomato passata This is just about one bottle of passata, or roughly 4-5 tomatoes
• ½ tsp tomato paste
• 40 g butter
• 1 tsp ground kashmiri chilli
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground cumin powder
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 4-6 green cardamom pods
• ½ inch stick of cinnamon bark
• ½ inch stick of ginger, made into a paste
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, made into a paste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
• 120 mL cream and extra according to your taste

For garnishing

• 1 tbsp. roasted cashews
• 1 tsp. pomegranate arils
• 1 tsp. fresh coriander leaves cilantro
• a pinch of dried fenugreek leaves

Instructions

 

Preparing the paneer

• Rinse the paneer and place into a bowl with warm water with a big pinch of salt
• Soak the paneer for 10 minutes and then pat dry
• Mix together the ingredients of the paneer in a bowl, then add the paneer and coat it really well. Set this aside for 10 minutes
• Heat 1/2 tsp of vegetable oil in saucepot over a medium high to high heat
• Add the paneer to the pot and cook till the paneer is golden brown on all side
• Remove the paneer and set aside on a plate lined with paper towel

Preparing the Makhani sauce

• Heat 1 tsp of oil over a low heat in the pot and then add the butter in
• Add the whole spices (cinnamon, cardamom, and bay leaves) and half of the fenugreek leaves and mix until fragrant
• Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, then add the ginger paste and garlic paste. Be careful here as the moisture from the ginger and garlic can cause some sputtering. Cook the garlic and ginger until the raw smell has been cooked off.
• Add the ground spices and cook for 20 seconds, then add in the tomato paste and tomato puree (or passata). Mix everything through well and bring to a boil with a good pinch of salt
• Sprinkle half of the remaining fenugreek leaves over the top and cover the pot with a lid. Let the sauce continue to cook for 5 minutes. Taste the sauce to check if the tomato has completely cooked and if it needs more salt
• Add in 3/4 of the cream and stir it through. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes
• Taste the gravy for salt, pepper and creaminess ensuring that the tomato has completely cooked through. Typically you can tell the gravy is cooked once the oil starts to separate from the tomato gravy
• Add the paneer and mix everything through
• Serve the makhani with a drizzle of cream, pomegranate arils, the remaining dried fenugreek leaves, roasted cashews and fresh coriander leaves

Keyword Paneer makhani

And that is my Paneer Makhani!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much I do. Share your recipe attempts with me on Instagram @theminiature and be sure to send be a screenshot too!

The post How to make Paneer Makhani first appeared on The Miniature Life.