Vegit Halwa Mix with a Twist!

Christmas and New Year is just around the corner, twinkling stars and jingle bells everywhere, Christmas trees are surrounded with presents and the stockings ! No celebration is complete without sweets, gifting goodies, decorating trees and cakes. Keeping with the spirit of festival, Vegit a leading player in ready-to-cook mixes brings healthy and delightful Vegit Halwa. Satiate your sweet tooth craving in just 2 minutes with Vegit Halwa, the first ever dessert by Vegit. 

I too received some goodies from Vegit!

When I first heard of the name halwa mix with potato flakes, I was a little skeptical, but when I looked into the ingredients and preparation time I was very happy.
After trying it out, the taste was good and very handy if you need to make some dessert for sudden guests!

I had to make  a twist recipe out of the halwa so i thought of making sweet pancakes or Paniyarams (Tamil).

 Ingredients:
2 cups idly batter
1 cup halwa mix
1 tbsp grated coconut
2-3 tbsp sugar
oil or ghee for frying

Preparation
Add the halwa mix to the idly batter and add required amount of water for a smooth batter. Add the rest of the ingredients and leave it for 10 minutes. If the batter gets thick some more water can be added. Heat the Pancake mold. Add ghee to the mold and make pancakes. Lovely golden brown crispy pancakes are ready! Kids will love this.

But I liked the original halwa :) better than the twist!

Here’s Vegit Christmas Halwa cake recipe for you by Brand Chef Arun Kumar, Zambar. 

Ingredients
Vegit Halwa mix :500g
Grated Coconut : 200 g
Cardamom Powder :  a dash
Cashew Nuts: 12 - 15
Raisins/Sultana: 12 – 15
Candied Fruit : 100g
Icing Sugar: 250g
Water:Enough to mix Halwa and Icing Sugar

Method

1. Take 500g Halwa mixture. Add 200 g Grated Coconut, 2 teaspoons cardamom powder and prepare Halwa by either of the 2 methods mentioned on packet. 
2. Mix in the Cashew Nuts, Raisins/Sultanas, Candied Fruits (save some for garnishing)
3. Press the above mixture into an appropriate cake mould and overturn
4. Mix icing sugar with water gently, stirring to avoid lumps, to get a thick pouring consistency
5. Pour over the un-moulded ‘cake’, sprinkle some candied fruit and allow to set
Celebrate this Christmas and New Year in Vegit – “Hamara Mix, Aapka Twist style.”

 

More Vegit recipes are on their way.....

Christmas Workshop With Chef Saptasri ! Making of Vanilla Kipferl and Mince Pie !

Christmas time is in the air again and people are busy baking and entertaining. Its an awesome festive feel every where. Plum cakes, cookies, candy canes and gingerbread are some of the sweet aromas in the air....

I was invited to a Desserts and Baking Workshop by JW Marriott. The workshop was at Godrej Nature's Basket. It was conducted by Chef Saptasri Parswanath, Chef De Partie, JW Marriott, Bengaluru.

 The chef worked on two recipes namely Vanilla Kipferl and Mince Pie.
Here are the pictures and its recipes.

 Vanilla Kipferl

Ingredients:

•1050 grams butter
•500 grams Castor sugar
•1 tsp salt
•2 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
•5 numbers of lemon rind
•10 numbers of vanilla pod
•1400 grams flour
•500 grams toasted hazelnut powder

Procedure:

Ensure that the butter is at room temperature.
Cream it until smooth.
Scrape the vanilla pods.
Add sugar, salt, lemon rind and the scrapped seeds of vanilla pod.
Mix everything properly.
Add the flour and the hazelnut powder.
Refrigerate the dough for 45 Min's for resting.
After 45 Min's, take it out and knead well.
Divide the dough into small lemon sized balls typically of 20 grams and roll it into crescents.
Bake at 190C until light golden brown.
Dust with icing sugar while still hot.

It was indeed a yummy delight. I also got some dough to take home and bake!

 Mince Pie

 Ingredients:

For the dough base:
•180 grams butter
•90 grams sugar
•270 grams flour
•1 egg
•5 ml vanilla essence
•2 grams salt

For the filling:
•250 grams raisins
•250 grams sultanas
•100 grams cherries
•50 grams orange and lemon peel
•50 grams blackcurrant
•50 grams candied papaya
•930 grams grated apple
•200 grams brown sugar
•50 ml rum
•50 ml brandy
•10 gram cinnamon powder
•3 gram nutmeg powder
•2 gram clove powder
•2 gram cardamom powder

  Procedure:
Cream the butter.
Add the egg, beat it and mix.
Add sugar and mix.
Sieve the flour and add it along with the vanilla essence.
Do not over mix.
Rest the dough in the fridge.

When the dough is kept in fridge, in a bowl add the dry fruits. To this add the spice powders and the grated apple.
Pour the liquor into this and mix it lightly.
Take the dough out of the fridge after 30 Min's.
Roll it and cut out a disc and line the tart mould.
Fill the tart mould with soaked fruits.
Cover with the sweet paste disc on top.
Decorate the tart with cutters.
Apply egg wash.
Pre-heat the oven to 5 Min's at 180C.
Bake the tart for 30 Min's at 180C.

The liquor can be skipped and egg replacer can be used in this recipe is what I learnt!
 It was a wonderful experience for me and the kids to learn and bake something.
Thank you J W Marriott.

Tangra Food festival

JW Kitchen- JW Marriott Bengaluru's all-day dining restaurant is hosting its first ever food festival - the Tangra Food Festival, a culinary fair presenting varied flavors of street Chinese food.

  On behalf of JW Marriott Bengaluru, I was invited for a live cooking demo by Chef Surjan Singh Jolly and experience this food festival on November 1, 2014

Tangra is a region in east Kolkata that traditionally housed a large number of tanneries owned by people of Hakka Chinese origin. "47 South Tangra Road", may be the most confusing postal address, as it used to cover the whole of Chinatown Tangra with over 350 tanneries.

The Hakka Chinese of Calcutta have gradually turned this part of the Kolkata into an important destination for sourcing finished and semi-finished leather.
Food from Tangra is a distinct variety of traditional Hakka Chinese cuisine adapted to Indian ingredients and the Bengali palate. This has spread to the rest of India, along with the recipes earlier unique to Tangra. Tangra is now the most popular destination for Chinese food. Chinese food sold in Tangra restaurants are now known all over the world as 'Hakka Style" Chinese food.

 The food festival started on October 31 is a ten day long food festival aims to recreate a complete experience and showcase the best of Kolkata Chinese street food .
I am a big fan of Chinese food and I was lucky to get some good vegetarian Chinese food though the Tangra cuisine which is less of vegetarian. But catering to Indian adaptions many vegetarian dishes have been included like golden fried baby corn, mushrooms, threaded crispy paneer, vegetarian momo etc.
The master class workshop by  Chef Joly Director F & B and Chef Edwin Lou and his team stirred up some very yummy dishes. Here is a glimpse!

The ‘Tangra Food Festival’ also showcases a special Chinese cocktail menu featuring drinks like the Shandong Mary, Beijing Bellini, Red Lotus and this refreshing drink  Mango Spice Cocktail made of olives, jalapenos, lime and mangoes.

Experience Chef Jolly recreate the magic of Tangra at the Tangra Food Festival at JW Kitchen, Bengaluru.
on till November 9

Cup cake Workshop at Paparazzi!

On the festive season of Diwali Royal Orchid Central had invited me along with family for a fun cup cake making session. What more can kids ask for!! These cup cakes were very different from the regular ones. The frosting was all desi tasting ingredients and was very innovative. For example, Gulkand, kesar (saffron), Masala chai and many more..

CUP CAKE WITH DESI TWIST in TOPPINGS:

• Peanut Butter cream
• Kesar Khoya Cream
• Gulkand Frosting
• Jamoon Pistachio Cream Cheese Frosting
• Masala Chai Frosting
• Kahlua Oreo Frosting
• Dark Chocolate Ganache chili Frosting

Chocolate Ganache

Other toppings like Gulab Jamun, Oreo cookies, Pistachios, chilli flakes and many colorful kid friendly toppings!

CUP CAKE

History

The cup cake evolved in earlier 19^th century in the United States. According to food historians have yet to point, exactly where the name of Cup cake originated. There are two Theories coming up… 1) the cake were originally cooked in cups 2) The ingredients used to make the cup cakes were measured by the cup.

Earlier times cup cakes were not that popular around. The cake made of regular ingredients like Normal cake. But, today cup cakes have expanded to a worldwide. In modern trend cup cakes were uniquely topped with various frosting.

Cup cakes were convenient because, they get cooked much quicker than larger cakes.

Chef  Hafizullah Baig

Chef Baig was a very friendly and creative person. He showed us the step wise procedure of making a good cupcake and also gave me alternatives of eggless cup cakes!

Mix and match of different colors!

Mixing chocolate!

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

INGREDIANTS	UNIT	QTY
Unsalted Butter	gm	50
Icing sugar	gm	100
Peanut Butter	gm	100
Whip Cream	ml	50
Rainbow Sugar Balls	Garnish

METHOD

• Keep Butter at room temperature. Should be soft in texture not be Melted.
• Mix Butter, icing sugar, peanut Butter with electric beater until smooth and creamy on Medium speed.
• Finally add the whip cream on high speed until the Mixture is light and Fluffy.

KESAR KHOYA FROSTING

INGREDIANTS	UNIT	QTY
Whip Cream	ml	50
Sweet Khova	gm	100
Kesar(Saffron)	gm	0.5
Silver Sugar Balls	few	Garnish
Saffron Threads	few	Garnish

METHOD

• Beat Whip cream with electric beater until smooth, light and Fluffy.
• Blend Sweet Khova in whip cream without lumps.
• Dissolve Saffron in hot cooking cream add along with mixture.

GULAB JAMOON & PISTACHIO CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

INGREDIANTS	UNIT	QTY
Unsalted Butter	gm	20
Icing sugar	gm	20
Philadelphia cream cheese	gm	100
Lemon zest	No	1
Whip Cream	ml	50
Gulab Jamoon		Garnish
Pistachio	Slices	Garnish

METHOD

• Keep Butter at room temperature. Should be soft in texture not be Melted.
• Mix Butter, icing sugar, Philadelphia cream cheese, Lemon Zest with electric beater until smooth and creamy on Medium speed.
• Finally add the whip cream on high speed until the Mixture is light and Fluffy.

MASALA CHAI FROSTING

INGREDIANTS	UNIT	QTY
Whip Cream	ml	50
Masala Chai Extract	ml	100
Icing Sugar	gm	50
Cadbury Gems	few	Garnish

MASALA CHAI EXTRACT

INGREDIANTS	UNIT	QTY
Water	ml	300
Tea Leaf	gm	50
Cinnamon	gm	2
Cardamom	gm	5
Cloves	gm	1
Fresh Ginger	gm	5

Combine all above ingredients and keep it on Simmer for 30mins, Bring down masala Extraction to 1/3, Strain it and Cool it down in refrigerator.

METHOD

• Beat Whip cream with icing sugar in electric beater at medium speed.
• In co-operate Masala chai extraction slowly into it.
• Garnish it with Gems.

KAHLUA OREO FROSTING

INGREDIANTS	UNIT	QTY
Unsalted Butter	gm	50
Icing sugar	gm	100
Espresso Coffee	ml	50
Sunrise Coffee Powder	Gm	2
Kahlua Liquor	ml	50
Whip cream	Ml	50
Oreo Cookies	Few	Garnish

METHOD

• Keep Butter at room temperature. Should be soft in texture not be Melted.
• Mix Butter, icing sugar, Espresso Coffee, Coffee Powder with electric beater until smooth and creamy on Medium speed.
• Finally add the whip cream and Kahlua Liquor on high speed until the Mixture is light and Fluffy.
• Garnish it with Oreo Cookies

GULKAND FROSTING

INGREDIANTS	UNIT	QTY
Whip Cream	ml	50
Gulkand	gm	100
Rose Petals	few	Garnish
Chocolate Vermicelli	few	Garnish

METHOD

• Beat Whip cream with electric beater until smooth, light and Fluffy.
• Blend Gulkand Compote (Available in Market) in cream.

DARK CHOCOLATE GANACHE CHILLI FROSTING

INGREDIANTS	UNIT	QTY
Dark Chocolate	gm	200
Heavy Cream	ml	100
Unsalted Butter	gm	75
Dried Red Chilies	gm	1

METHOD

• Combine all the above ingredients in a Bowl except Chilies. Use Microwave or Double Boiler to melt the chocolate.
• Add chilli flakes (without seed) into the mixture, stir gently with wire whisk to get silky and smooth texture.
• Allow it cool in Refrigerator till the time it becomes thick and firm.

Gulkand with some sprinkles!

colorful creativity of goodness!

It was indeed great fun workshop for me and kids! We also got a goodie bag filled with these cupcakes!

Royal orchid central

47/1, Manipal center,

Dickenson road, 

Bangalore- 42