Chocolate Coffee Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup of flour (125 g Maida)
1 cup of sugar (210 g)
1/3 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder (30 g)
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 egg
1/4 cup of strong brewed coffee*
1/2 cup of curds
1/4 cup of coconut water*
1/4 cup of butter (50 g)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Method

In a bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add melted butter, coffee, coconut water, egg, curds, and vanilla. Mix till a thin batter is formed.

Grease the muffin pan and line with paper. This batter rises quite a lot, so do not fill more than 1/2 of each muffin cup.

Bake at 175 C for 15 - 20 minutes in an oven... Baking time may differ depending on the flour used, type of oven, and size of the muffins, so I rely on the toothpick test to check for completion.

Rest for 15 minutes when you take it out of the oven, then cool completely on a wire rack. Can be stored for 3 days outside in an airtight box, or 1 week in the fridge (microwave for 30 seconds before eating if you store it in the fridge)

*I use ID Filter Coffee Decoction, which is very strong. If you want the muffins to taste more like coffee, you can double the proportions of the coffee and not add the coconut water.

Serving suggestions: 

Tastes delicious with a glass of cold milk, or serve a warm muffin with a scoop of vanilla icecream. 

Sabudana Kichdi Recipe

our Book Club is more than a book club... we are soul sisters, a girl gang, each other's cheering squad... and this morning we also became a Cook-along club... with my Friend Ramya walking us through the steps on how to make the perfect Sabudana Kichidi... as always it was loads of fun... and we all got to eat a yummy breakfast after... totally worth setting up an alarm to wake up at 7:30 am for this... and what a lovely way to start the day...

Ingredients 

1 cup of sago

2-3 medium potatoes 

1/2 cup of peanuts

3-5 green chilies

coriander leaves

grated fresh coconut

lemon 

1 tablespoon of ghee

1 teaspoon of jeera 

a few curry leaves
salt, to taste

Preparation

6 - 12 hours in advance: 

- Take 1 cup of sago and rinse 3 - 4 times or under running water till the excess starch is washed away. Place the sago in a bowl and add water so that the water level is about 1 inch above the level of the sago. Let the sago soak for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes of soaking, drain the excess water from the sago, place the soaked sago in the bowl, cover and leave it for 6 - 12 hours. 
- Boil 2-3 medium potatoes. Once they have cooled to room temperature, refrigerate them for 6 - 12 hours. 

Just before cooking: 

 - Peel the potatoes,  and dice
 - Roast 1/2 a cup of peanuts, cool, and grind them coarsely. (Expert Tip: Do not grind the peanuts too much, that may release the oil from them and make it sticky.) 
 - Slit 3 - 5 Green Chilies 
 - Finely chop Coriander Leaves 
 - Grate 1 - 3 tablespoons of fresh Coconut
 - squeeze the juice of a small lemon 

Cooking method: 

- Add about 1 tablespoon of Ghee in a kadai. (Expert Tip: Adding a very small quantity of cooking oil to the ghee will prevent it from burning.) 
 - When it is hot, sputter about 1 teaspoon of Jeera in the hot ghee. 
 - Add the potatoes. (Expert Tip: Add a pinch of sugar so that the potatoes brown well.) Stir till golden brown. 
 - Add the Green Chilies, and Curry Leaves, then stir.
 - Add the peanut powder and stir. 
 - Add the sago and salt. Mix well, then cover the kadai and cook on low heat till the sago turns translucent. 
 - Add the Coconut, Coriander, and Lemon Juice. Turn off heat. 


Serve hot with a dash of coconut on the top, and a wedge of lime.

Pumpkin Muffins Recipe

Pumpkin Puree

Pressure cook pumpkin cut into chunks. Cool, scoop out pulp, blend with a fork or hand blender.

Pumpkin Spice

 - 1 small Nutmeg
 - 2-3 inch long pieces of cinnamon
 - (Optional) 1 inch piece of dried ginger
Grind to a fine powder.

Dry Ingredients

1.5 Cups of Flour
1 teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 teaspoon of Pumpkin Spice

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In a large bowl, mix 1 cup of sugar and 2 eggs
Add 1/4 cup of unsalted Butter, and 1.5 cups of Pumpkin Puree, mix

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and gently fold.

Bake at 175 C for 23 minutes in an oven... Baking time may differ depending on the flour used, type of oven, and size of the muffins, so I rely on the toothpick test to check for completion.

Rest for 15 minutes when you take it out of the oven, then cool completely on a wire rack. Can be stored for 3 days outside in an airtight box, or 1 week in the fridge (microwave for 30 seconds before eating if you store it in the fridge)