Baked yogurt

Baked yogurt for me is synonymous with the hot summers of North India , the blistering heat , the afternoon hot breeze and all the stuff which can make anyone sizzle ( metaphorically of course) and then the “Baked yogurt”as a cooling balm .

      I love the fresh lemonade spiked with fresh mint leaves , the chilled buttermilk , kulfi and all those innumerable delicious beverages and chilled desserts which make the hot summers enjoyable.

     One of the desserts I make often during summers is the “Baked Yogurt”. A chilled and creamy pudding where in we just assemble the things , let the oven do the baking and the refrigerator the chilling is how I like to prepare things during the summers. Baked yogurt pudding can be glamorised with mint leaves carelessly strewn on top , or some colourful cake decorations , green cardamon powder , saffron strands , sliced lemons or even candied fruits. Here is the recipe for my all time favourite "Baked yogurt". I am sure you all would love the "Baked yogurt "Pudding "as much as I do.

Ingredients:

1.            300 ml hung curd ( now this requires a bit of explaination, we take the regular curd / yogurt and pour into a muslin / cheese cloth placed on a bowl and tie it and hang it in the refrigerator for about two to three hours depending on how thick the original yogurt is, till all the liquid drains out and we are left with a thick cheese like thing)

2.            One 400 ml tin condensed milk ( I have used Amul brand here , in case you use any other , then replace three heaped tablespoons of the condensed milk with milk to get the same consistency)

3.           Two eggs and two egg yolks.

4.            300 ml full fat milk

5.           ¼ teaspoon green cardamom powder

Method:

1.          Bring the milk and the cardamom powder to a boil in a pan. Remove from the heat , cover with a lid and keep aside till it comes to room temperature.

2.           Beat the eggs ,egg yolks , the yogurt and the condensed milk and mix well.

3.           Slowly pour in the milk while whisking continuously.

4.           Pour into six to eight ramekins .I poured into four ramekins and into two slightly larger aluminium jelly moulds.

5.           Place the ramekins in a roasting dish or a big aluminium cake pan .Fill up with warm water to come half way up the sides .I kept the ramekins and the aluminium moulds in two different tins and two different ovens as there was a difference in the quantity .

6.          Place in a preheated oven at 180° for 22 – 25 minutes till firm to the touch, it shouldn’t be wobbly.

7.          Cool the baked yogurt desserts complelety and then chill for three to four hours before serving.

8.           You could serve them directly in the ramekins if you are using fancy ones or just run a blunt knife around the edge of each yogurt , then invert them onto individual plates or bowls.

9.          You could garnish with just about anything that suits your style, Finely chopped pistachios, grated lemon or orange rind along with skinned wedges of the orange , or just sprinkle some coloured sprinklers like I did.

baked dishes· condensed milk· desserts· full fat milk

Baked yogurt

Baked yogurt for me is synonymous with the hot summers of North India , the blistering heat , the afternoon hot breeze and all the stuff which can make anyone sizzle ( metaphorically of course) and then the “Baked yogurt”as a cooling balm .

      I love the fresh lemonade spiked with fresh mint leaves , the chilled buttermilk , kulfi and all those innumerable delicious beverages and chilled desserts which make the hot summers enjoyable.

     One of the desserts I make often during summers is the “Baked Yogurt”. A chilled and creamy pudding where in we just assemble the things , let the oven do the baking and the refrigerator the chilling is how I like to prepare things during the summers. Baked yogurt pudding can be glamorised with mint leaves carelessly strewn on top , or some colourful cake decorations , green cardamon powder , saffron strands , sliced lemons or even candied fruits. Here is the recipe for my all time favourite "Baked yogurt". I am sure you all would love the "Baked yogurt "Pudding "as much as I do.

Ingredients:

1.            300 ml hung curd ( now this requires a bit of explaination, we take the regular curd / yogurt and pour into a muslin / cheese cloth placed on a bowl and tie it and hang it in the refrigerator for about two to three hours depending on how thick the original yogurt is, till all the liquid drains out and we are left with a thick cheese like thing)

2.            One 400 ml tin condensed milk ( I have used Amul brand here , in case you use any other , then replace three heaped tablespoons of the condensed milk with milk to get the same consistency)

3.           Two eggs and two egg yolks.

4.            300 ml full fat milk

5.           ¼ teaspoon green cardamom powder

Method:

1.          Bring the milk and the cardamom powder to a boil in a pan. Remove from the heat , cover with a lid and keep aside till it comes to room temperature.

2.           Beat the eggs ,egg yolks , the yogurt and the condensed milk and mix well.

3.           Slowly pour in the milk while whisking continuously.

4.           Pour into six to eight ramekins .I poured into four ramekins and into two slightly larger aluminium jelly moulds.

5.           Place the ramekins in a roasting dish or a big aluminium cake pan .Fill up with warm water to come half way up the sides .I kept the ramekins and the aluminium moulds in two different tins and two different ovens as there was a difference in the quantity .

6.          Place in a preheated oven at 180° for 22 – 25 minutes till firm to the touch, it shouldn’t be wobbly.

7.          Cool the baked yogurt desserts complelety and then chill for three to four hours before serving.

8.           You could serve them directly in the ramekins if you are using fancy ones or just run a blunt knife around the edge of each yogurt , then invert them onto individual plates or bowls.

9.          You could garnish with just about anything that suits your style, Finely chopped pistachios, grated lemon or orange rind along with skinned wedges of the orange , or just sprinkle some coloured sprinklers like I did.

Banana crumble

Here is a truly amazing dessert which takes a few minutes to assemble and just half an hour to bake. A pure vegetarian and low calorie dessert which smells heavenly and tastes divine.

      This is my all time favourite pudding and I have yet to decide weather it tastes better served warm or chilled because it tastes great anyways we eat it.

      A gorgeous pudding and an absolute favourite with anyone who loves bananas and wants to go easy on the sugar.

You could add more sugar in the custard  if you want it sweeter but trust me even  three tablespoons in the whole recipe  though sounds incredible but is enough to make a deliciously sweet dessert.

Ingredients:

1.   Four medium and firm bananas

2.   One tablespoon lemon juice

3.   3 tablespoons custard powder

4.   One tablespoon sugar

5.   one fourth cup to half a cup raisins

6.   450 ml full cream / full fat milk

7.   For the crumble:

a)   ¾  cup flour

b)   One fourth teaspoon baking powder

c)   2 tablespoons sugar

d)   3 tablespoons chilled butter

e)   Half a teaspoon green cardamom powder

f)     2 tablespoon demerara sugar to sprinkle on top

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 190°.

2.  Slice the bananas and toss lemon juice on them.

3.  Place the bananas in a two litre baking dish, the bananas should not overlap each other and neither should they be too far apart. add the raisins to the dish.

4.  Mix the custard powder, sugar and half a cup of milk.

5.   Place the rest of the milk in a pan on medium heat and the moment it comes to a boil, stir in the custard powder and keep stirring on low flame till the custard becomes as thick as paint or a little thinner than a cake batter. But if you intend serving it chilled , then keep the custard a little thin as it will become a dense on chilling.

6.  Pour the custard over the arranged bananas.

7.   Keep the custard dish in the oven to remain warm while you assemble the ingredients for the crumble.

8.   Sieve the flour and baking powder. Mix in the sugar and the green cardamaon powder.

9.   Add the small chunks of chilled butter and rub the flour between your palms till the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

10.            Sprinkle the mixture over the banana custard but do not press it , just a sprinkle is enough.

11.            Sprinkle the demerara sugar and place  the dish back into the oven and bake at 190° for thirty minutes.

12.            Serve warm or at room temperature or even chilled tastes great.

baked dishes· banana· Custard powder· desserts· eggless baking· full fat milk

Banana crumble

Here is a truly amazing dessert which takes a few minutes to assemble and just half an hour to bake. A pure vegetarian and low calorie dessert which smells heavenly and tastes divine.

      This is my all time favourite pudding and I have yet to decide weather it tastes better served warm or chilled because it tastes great anyways we eat it.

      A gorgeous pudding and an absolute favourite with anyone who loves bananas and wants to go easy on the sugar.

You could add more sugar in the custard  if you want it sweeter but trust me even  three tablespoons in the whole recipe  though sounds incredible but is enough to make a deliciously sweet dessert.

Ingredients:

1.   Four medium and firm bananas

2.   One tablespoon lemon juice

3.   3 tablespoons custard powder

4.   One tablespoon sugar

5.   one fourth cup to half a cup raisins

6.   450 ml full cream / full fat milk

7.   For the crumble:

a)   ¾  cup flour

b)   One fourth teaspoon baking powder

c)   2 tablespoons sugar

d)   3 tablespoons chilled butter

e)   Half a teaspoon green cardamom powder

f)     2 tablespoon demerara sugar to sprinkle on top

Method:

1.  Preheat the oven to 190°.

2.  Slice the bananas and toss lemon juice on them.

3.  Place the bananas in a two litre baking dish, the bananas should not overlap each other and neither should they be too far apart. add the raisins to the dish.

4.  Mix the custard powder, sugar and half a cup of milk.

5.   Place the rest of the milk in a pan on medium heat and the moment it comes to a boil, stir in the custard powder and keep stirring on low flame till the custard becomes as thick as paint or a little thinner than a cake batter. But if you intend serving it chilled , then keep the custard a little thin as it will become a dense on chilling.

6.  Pour the custard over the arranged bananas.

7.   Keep the custard dish in the oven to remain warm while you assemble the ingredients for the crumble.

8.   Sieve the flour and baking powder. Mix in the sugar and the green cardamaon powder.

9.   Add the small chunks of chilled butter and rub the flour between your palms till the mixture resembles bread crumbs.

10.            Sprinkle the mixture over the banana custard but do not press it , just a sprinkle is enough.

11.            Sprinkle the demerara sugar and place  the dish back into the oven and bake at 190° for thirty minutes.

12.            Serve warm or at room temperature or even chilled tastes great.

Savoury corn muffins

I just  love “makki ki roti” and sarson ka saag with a big dollop of home made butter , but honestly I still  need a lot of practice to make those beautiful and delicious rotis. My aunt makes them to perfection and it’s a visual treat just to see her handle the dough between her palms and slowly and dexterously shape into a roti and then cook it on a tava.

       But this post is about muffins , so lets not divert from the topic. When I want to enjoy cornmeal I make savoury muffins which I am good at and enjoy them with some cheese spread and hot and chilly maggi sauce.  You could do the same…just follow the simple recipe.

Ingredients:

1.  125 grams all purpose flour

2.   100 grams cornmeal ( makki ka atta, the regular chakki flour will do)

3.  1 tablespoon baking powder

4.   ¼ teaspoon baking soda

5.   1 tablespoon kasoori methi powder

6.   ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

7.   1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder and one fourth  teaspoon black pepper powder

8.   3 tablespoons sugar

9.   1 teaspoon salt

10.   100 grams butter

11.   1 cup water mixed with one fourth cup not too thick yogurt and whisked into a thin buttermilk

12.   One large egg

13.   One medium green bell pepper diced fine

14.   ¼ cup frozen corn

 Method:

1.   Place all the dry ingredints from 1 to 9 into a bowl and mix them well.

2.   Whisk the softened butter , egg and the buttermilk and pour into the dry ingredients.

3.   Mix well with a whisk till well mixed.

4.   Fold in the capsicum and corn at room temperature .

5.   Spoon into the prepared muffin tins , the batter will be sticky and lumpy, makes about twelve.

6.   Bake at 200 ° c for 25 minutes.

7.   Best enjoyed warm and with some cheese spread , spicy sauce and a cup of sweet tea.

baked dishes· bell pepper· corn meal· cup cakes

Savoury corn muffins

I just  love “makki ki roti” and sarson ka saag with a big dollop of home made butter , but honestly I still  need a lot of practice to make those beautiful and delicious rotis. My aunt makes them to perfection and it’s a visual treat just to see her handle the dough between her palms and slowly and dexterously shape into a roti and then cook it on a tava.

       But this post is about muffins , so lets not divert from the topic. When I want to enjoy cornmeal I make savoury muffins which I am good at and enjoy them with some cheese spread and hot and chilly maggi sauce.  You could do the same…just follow the simple recipe.

Ingredients:

1.  125 grams all purpose flour

2.   100 grams cornmeal ( makki ka atta, the regular chakki flour will do)

3.  1 tablespoon baking powder

4.   ¼ teaspoon baking soda

5.   1 tablespoon kasoori methi powder

6.   ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

7.   1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder and one fourth  teaspoon black pepper powder

8.   3 tablespoons sugar

9.   1 teaspoon salt

10.   100 grams butter

11.   1 cup water mixed with one fourth cup not too thick yogurt and whisked into a thin buttermilk

12.   One large egg

13.   One medium green bell pepper diced fine

14.   ¼ cup frozen corn

 Method:

1.   Place all the dry ingredints from 1 to 9 into a bowl and mix them well.

2.   Whisk the softened butter , egg and the buttermilk and pour into the dry ingredients.

3.   Mix well with a whisk till well mixed.

4.   Fold in the capsicum and corn at room temperature .

5.   Spoon into the prepared muffin tins , the batter will be sticky and lumpy, makes about twelve.

6.   Bake at 200 ° c for 25 minutes.

7.   Best enjoyed warm and with some cheese spread , spicy sauce and a cup of sweet tea.

Sticky date pudding

Do you believe in the saying” Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” , well if you don’t then please start believing it otherwise you might not try this delicious recipe .

      I just adore this pudding but I have never been able to do justice to its looks. 

    Infact I made it a couple of times for putting it in the blog but each time I felt that the looks can be made better.

    Then I said to myself , why not just put it up on the blog and ask my viewers , who trust me that the pudding tastes great, to send me an email with the photograph of their own pudding. So are you game for this. Well I already am and am looking forward to some real great pictures of this absolutely amazing and simple dessert which tastes best if served warm or at room temperature.

      

Ingredients:

a)  For the cake

1.          200 grams seedless dates

2.         250 ml boiling hot water

3.        1 teaspoon baking soda

4.    150 grams all purpose flour

5.    ¼ teaspoon baking powder

6.    100 grams brown sugar / demerrara sugar

7.      50 grams butter at room temperature

8.    2 large eggs

9.       Glass baking dish about 10 inches x 6 inches, or an eight inch square or round one

b)  For the sauce

10.        400 ml condensed milk ( I used nestle)

11.       2 tablespoon golden syrup ( I have used Lyles golden  syrup)

12.      5 tablespoons  butter

13.      8 -10  tablespoons water

  

Method:

1.      Place the dates in a bowl and pour one cup of boiling water over them and mix in a teaspoon of baking soda.

2.      Leave side till it comes to room temperature.

3.            Meanwhile measure the rest of the ingredients and  place them  into a food processor and top with the date mixture.

4.         Blend for about a 45 to 60 seconds till well blended but let the tiny pieces of dates remain if not pureed completely as they taste good.

5.       Pour into the greased baking dish and bake at 180° for 30 minutes.

6.  Let cool and then scrape of the tip a bit with a knife and make holes onto the cake with a fork. Well you could skip this part but then the sauce would just go and rest on the sides of your pudding.

        

At this stage the pudding can be covered and put aside.Incase you are having guests over , you could prepare the sauce just before serving the pudding so that the pudding becomes warm .

7.   For the sticky sauce:

     Pour all the ingredients into a pan and stir on medium flame till the syrup begins to boil from the sides and all the ingredients are well mixed.

8.  Pour the sauce over the pudding , loosen the edges of the cake from the sides so that the sauce can drench the cake from all the corners.

  

baked dishes· condensed milk· dates· desserts

Sticky date pudding

Do you believe in the saying” Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder” , well if you don’t then please start believing it otherwise you might not try this delicious recipe .

      I just adore this pudding but I have never been able to do justice to its looks. 

    Infact I made it a couple of times for putting it in the blog but each time I felt that the looks can be made better.

    Then I said to myself , why not just put it up on the blog and ask my viewers , who trust me that the pudding tastes great, to send me an email with the photograph of their own pudding. So are you game for this. Well I already am and am looking forward to some real great pictures of this absolutely amazing and simple dessert which tastes best if served warm or at room temperature.

      

Ingredients:

a)  For the cake

1.          200 grams seedless dates

2.         250 ml boiling hot water

3.        1 teaspoon baking soda

4.    150 grams all purpose flour

5.    ¼ teaspoon baking powder

6.    100 grams brown sugar / demerrara sugar

7.      50 grams butter at room temperature

8.    2 large eggs

9.       Glass baking dish about 10 inches x 6 inches, or an eight inch square or round one

b)  For the sauce

10.        400 ml condensed milk ( I used nestle)

11.       2 tablespoon golden syrup ( I have used Lyles golden  syrup)

12.      5 tablespoons  butter

13.      8 -10  tablespoons water

  

Method:

1.      Place the dates in a bowl and pour one cup of boiling water over them and mix in a teaspoon of baking soda.

2.      Leave side till it comes to room temperature.

3.            Meanwhile measure the rest of the ingredients and  place them  into a food processor and top with the date mixture.

4.         Blend for about a 45 to 60 seconds till well blended but let the tiny pieces of dates remain if not pureed completely as they taste good.

5.       Pour into the greased baking dish and bake at 180° for 30 minutes.

6.  Let cool and then scrape of the tip a bit with a knife and make holes onto the cake with a fork. Well you could skip this part but then the sauce would just go and rest on the sides of your pudding.

        

At this stage the pudding can be covered and put aside.Incase you are having guests over , you could prepare the sauce just before serving the pudding so that the pudding becomes warm .

7.   For the sticky sauce:

     Pour all the ingredients into a pan and stir on medium flame till the syrup begins to boil from the sides and all the ingredients are well mixed.

8.  Pour the sauce over the pudding , loosen the edges of the cake from the sides so that the sauce can drench the cake from all the corners.