Muggle Diaries

Post Title: Perfect Classic Sponge Cake (Butter-less & Baking Powder or Soda..;) Ever wondered what it would feel like to have a perfect classic sponge cake without any butter at all?? no butter can still be understood, almost everyone on blog-sphere is trying to do the same,...(;P cut down on calories..eh) Ahem let me clarify i plan to do no such thing, so what makes this recipe different from the others..?? just that this one needs none at all, but no baking powder and baking soda and the cake still rises perfectly well and turns out perfectly spongy..?? Nope..!! more to come this one is: *Tried,Tested & Vouched* for I've tried and tested and can vouch for this one as many times as you ask me to..!! And that is a bet..!!  Is this for Real..?? Well a few years back even i wondered the same when i stumbled upon this recipe from my baking book:  Essentials of Baking,by Williams-Sonoma, today it is my bible for baking...

Post Title: +Spinach n Rice/ Paalak Rice  (Baby Food)..;) Cooking Time: 4 -  5 Mins Serves: 1 What goes Inside:  Fresh Spinach Leaves(i used fresh): 4-5 nos Medium sized. Cooked Rice: 2-3 Tablespoons. Salt: To Taste Ghee/Clarified Butter: 1 Tsp. How to put it together: Boil 1 Cup of water in a small pan, once it begins to boil, take the pan off the heat. Wash and sort the spinach leaves and break off the stem if it is too thick, or leave them as is.Now add these leaves to the hot water and close the lid and set aside for 2 mins.When you take it out after two minutes you will notice it would have turned into a nice bright green color, pretty attractive so much so that even you would be tempted to eat this. Take a small mixer jar add the cooked rice i took 2-3 table spoons as that is the amount my lil one takes in one feed you could add or reduce the rice and spinach as per your baby's eating habit/requirement. ...

Post Title:+Homemade Ghee Recipe/Clarified Butter made right @ Home..;) As a little child i remember how both my grandparent(maternal and paternal) would stress on my mom to give me food topped with homemade ghee, its only later i came to know of the goodness of ghee in itself. ghee has many benefits It i s used to relieve burning sensation, to relieve burn wounds, wound scar, herpes wounds, chicken pox scars, etc. It acts as natural skin moisturizer, if used daily. It can be applied over face, left for 10 minutes, washed with warm water.also got to know of its medicinal properties while i was expecting my second baby and had unexplained bleeding, i remember a lady i met randomly advised me while we got chatting that  In pregnant woman, who experience unexplained bleeding or spotting, traditionally, it is advised to apply this Ghee around the umbilicus, the bleeding must reduce in a couple of days..time. well these are just a few to name but the use of ghee is vast in o...

Post Title: Kofta Curry (Bottlegourd/Lauki/Ghiya) A post from a fellow blogger, suddenly reminided me of the kofta curry my mum used to make for us. how i loved it as a little girl and how so i love it till date..! This urged me to cook some lauki ke kofte for myself! Ahh...pure satisfaction to my soul...;). The curry has a very subtle yet distinct flavor to itself, tough it is mildly spicy, the mild tang of the tomato based gravy adds zest and life to the already yum kofta's which just melt in the mouth. Really smooth..!! This can be easily eaten with roti's or rice...completely your choice...either way its really awesome..!! My mother would add cashews to the tomato based gravy to achieve the creamy,and rich flavor,added to the curry also gave her children calories...but being a mother in this century i chose to give my children a creamy, rich yet healthy variation of this curry by adding Almonds instead of Cashews. and instead of ...

Post Title: Cafe Moka ..;) My style... This one is really easy peasy....and i accidentally stumbled upon making this,  had been really busy with my 8 month old baby and my 4yr old who just started Kindergarten....its actually difficult to be sure who's joined school her or me..??  I happened to be busy, cooking breakfast,packing it and packing off the lil one to school along with ,my infant...i'm sure you all may know how stressful each morning could be...however, Well it's nice to be "Back to School"..say after what it's been about 15years...Woah...real long time is'nt it...!!  One such morning while i was doing my daily chores i fixed a cup of milk for me the idea was to have a bournvita in actual, but during the process when my hubby asked me to fix his morning coffee as well i happened to add the instant coffee in my cup my mistake instead of his(u can sense how confused i was right..??) then i was like 'Fish...

Post Title: Puffed Rice flakes Ladoo's Tried this recipe for my daughters evening snack., and she loved it..!  I have always wanted to give her something's that's home made, I believe store bought is a good time saver when weighed against the time, n effort you spend while making it but the hygiene and most importantly the love hidden behind the whole process during which and after which u see your child relishing the same is an unbeatable price to pay for..! Cooking Time: 20mins Serves: Makes 12 - 15 ladoos What goes Inside:  250 grams Puffed rice flakes 150 grams Jaggery crushed 30 ml Water 2 -3 tspns Unsalted butter At room temp 1 Widemouth Sauce pan How to put it together: Melt the jaggery in a pan along with some butter and water and cook for about two minutes.  Add the rice flakes to the mixture, stir well.  Apply butter on your palms and make ladoos while the mixture is just right to touch(warm).  Store for upto 15 days...

Post Title: Veg Fried Rice: Has been one of my faves in ages since my mom cooked this....finally I could vouch for *Tried & Tested* after trying it myself, I realised it is so easy to cook any first timer could also do it easily. Cooking Time: 20 - 30 mins Serves: 3 What goes Inside: 1 1/2 cups Long grain rice Cooked, drain water and set aside. 1 cup Carrots Peeled and julienned 1 cup Capsicum Julienned 1/2 cup Cabbage Julienned 1/2 cup Spring Onions Finely chopped 1 tablespoon Soy sauce 3 tablespoons White vinegar 2 teaspoons Ground black pepper 1 Fresh green chilli Chopped finely and soaked in white vinegar Salt To taste 3 tablespoons Olive oil For cooking 1 Inch Fresh ginger Julienned 1/2 Pod Fresh garlic, peeled Julienned How to put it together: Pre cook the long grain rice I used basmati rice and set aside. Take a wide bottomed cooking pot  add oil set on medium heat once the oil is heated add the julien...