Garam Garam Gulab Jamun!

If you always wanted to make this sweet thing to make, but always feared 'what if I failed?', don't fear anymore! because inshaAllah you can make it :)
This was the first time I ever attempted to make gulab jamun and alhumdulillah they turned out to be great!
My brother was really hungry and said casuallay 'it would be amazing to eat garam garam gulab jamun right now. . .' (garam garam means warm/hot) and instantly my heart pushed me to the kitchen to try it and I'm so glad I tried it.
This recipe is really common and alhumdulillah has perfect results. Do try it out.

Ingredients:
For dough:
1cup powder milk
1tsp plain flour
1tsp baking pwd
1tbsp melted clarified butter (ghee)
1 egg
Oil to deep fry

For sugar syrup:
1cup sugar
2cup water
1/4tsp cardamom pwd
Heat all together in a pan for 4-5mins on low heat, until sugar dissolved.

STEP#1. Remind yourself you're gonna make them with love (^_^)
STEP#2. Mix all ingredients of dough to make a smooth dough. (it will be kind of sticky)
STEP#3. Make small round balls. (Size is according to your preference. But keep in mind that they will approximately double in size after frying. Approx 12 small-sized balls can be made.)
STEP#4. Heat oil. (remember it should be not too much hot) Fry these balls on a very very low flame, constantly stirring them so that they are evenly cooked and have an even golden color.

STEP#5. Add the balls in the sugar syrup and cook on low flame for 5-10mins and voila they are ready! Serve warm. . .

omnomnomnom. . . (^_^)

Pizza Pizza Everywhere?

Pinterest usually have loads of ideas and inspirations that leaves one mesmerized in them. 

Pizza is loved by most of us and baking them in different ways is always fun. Here are some of the interesting ways you can make your pizza:

1.Braided Pizza

I have tried this one and it tastes pretty too. This pizza loaf or one of my friends call it caterpillar bun is an amazing way to make pizza.

2.Pizza Bites

Simply assemble the pizza as you normally do, carefully roll it and cut into pieces. Line the pieces on a baking tray and bake.

3.Pizza Wheel

Apply cuts in the centre, stretch (pull) them back to the corners of pizza and press.

(We can even make doughnut pizza by completely covering the topping)

4.Pizza Muffins

This is personally my most favorite one and the one that I bake the most. My mum loves them soooooo much :) I don't know why but they taste more awesome than the regular pizza. They look so pretty, taste awesomazing and are so mouth-watering! You gotta try these for sure inshaAllah.

omnomnomnom........ (^_^)

Want to make Super Moist Cake?

I guess nobody likes to eat a dry cake. But sometimes we end up baking a dry cake and don't know how to fix it :( No more sadness inshaAllah because here are some tricks to make your cake go super moist! :)
The cake loves to get moisturized not by the hand lotion but by any of the following:

1.Juices: Trust me, you will inshaAllah love this experiment. Keep trying different flavored juices (orange juice, pineapple juice, grape juice etc) b/w the cake layers before icing it. Personally, I find the orange juice on the chocolate cake the best but my mum loves chocolate cake moisturized with juice of any berry.

2.Sugar Syrup: If you don't have any juice, don't worry at all. Make a simple sugar syrup (1cup water + 1cup sugar, boil, remove from heat and let it cool.)

3.Milk:The chocolate fudge cake doesn't mind being moistened by milk too.

You can pour the liquid you're gonna use in a squeeze bottle and literally drizzle it on each layer of cake before icing it. Or you can use a brush, or even put it in a spray bottle. Or simply use a spoon to pour a little bit on every portion of the cake.

If you're not making a layered cake, you can prick all of the cake with skewer and then pour your *moisturizer* over it so that the whole cake absorbs it.

Any of the above will really elevate the flavor of your cake (^_^)

Bake a super moist cake with love!
P.S: Don't make the cake some jam kind of mixture by overdosing it with the moisturizer xD

Tandoori Tikka Fusion Chicken.

Buc buc bok bagok! It's time to roast some chicken :) Well I always enjoy roasting chicken for a couple of reasons: first of all it's so easy to do, secondly it saves time and moreover the dishes you have to wash in the end are so less too :D and ofcourse it's so yummylicious to eat!

With that said, lets not waste our time and dig into how to do it!
InshaAllah I will be posting loads of recipes of marinades that you can try while roasting chicken. [I often try some new marination for roasting my chicken because I don't want my roasted chicken to taste monotonous but obviously there is this one favorite taste that you can never get bored of.]
But for this one to make, the recipe goes like this:

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (skin/skinless is upon your preference)
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 lemon
1 green chilli (finely chopped. seed/seedless again is upon your spice level)
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp garam masala pwd
1 tsp cumin (roasted and crushed-to roast it, heat it on a dry pan for a couple of minutes until you can smell the aroma. Then crush using pestle and mortar (in urdu it's called 'hawal dasta') or in your grinder)
4-5 tbsp beaten youghurt
3-4 tbsp oil

If you're a beginner and you don't get how people add salt using their hands instead of spoon, don't worry-I can understand your feeling as I have been through it and guess what 'now I'm one of those people who prefer adding salt with their hands rather than using measurement spoons' lol :D Refer to article Sprinkle IT with Hands to develop this trait in yourself inshaAllah.
But for your ease, we have some measured quantity of salt too until you get the confidence to use your hands instead. :)
I always used to hate that marinade smell from my fingers that used to go away after so many times I would wash my hands, so now I do this: I throw the chicken in a plastic bag, pour all the marinade over it, close it and then massage it. Alhumdulillah, then I'm saved from washing my hands so many times and moisturizing them :D

STEP#1: Remind yourself you're going to cook with love! :)
STEP#2: In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except salt.
STEP#3: Wash your chicken with water (and if you can't do it yourself, you can always ask for some help from your mum-if you are pakistani :p One of my horrors: how to wash this chicken? )
STEP#4: Rub the salt over the chicken.

STEP#5: In a plastic bag, put the chicken and all the marinade. Close it and then *massage* it with all the <3 you can :) Even the chicken loves to get the massage :D In this way the flavors go inside it really nicely. And keep it in fridge preferably overnight but even a couple of hours would work. Lol this time my 4years old cousin helped me in massaging the chicken ;)

STEP#6: In a preheated oven, at 180C, bake it until the meat is tender according to your choice. If you're a pakistani, you might bake it for 50-60mins. It depends upon the size of chicken plus how long you have let it marinate.
STEP#7: Serve with parathas, chapati, raita (yoghurt), salad, rice or anything you like and eat with <3 too :)
You can add tandoori color too to the marinade.



You can also see: 9-tips-for-juicy-rosted-chicken

Sprinkle IT with Hands.

If you're a beginner and you don't get how people add salt using their hands instead of spoon, don't worry-I can understand your feeling as I have been through it and guess what 'now I'm one of those people who prefer adding salt with their hands rather than using measurement spoons' lol :D
I always was admired by how people so confidently add salt using their hands and always wanted to do that myself but the thoughts like 'what if I accidently put too much of it?' 'what if it turns out to be a disaster just because of the quantity of salt?' used to  push me back. But I knew from inside that I wanted to build this trait in myself. So I began working on it and alhumdulillah now I can do it without any fear.
The TIP is: 'sprinkle it'. Really? You might be thinking 'seriously, is it that easy?' But how the heck will I know that my quantity is right?
Whether you're seasoning the chicken,fish, vegetables or anything else, just sprinkle over it the amount of salt such that every area of that ingredient has some bits of salt on it.

In the beginning, I used to put the quantity of salt mentioned in the recipe in my palm and then sprinkle it so that my mind can get the idea on how much quantity of salt is required.

9 Tips For a Juicy Rosted Chicken

Cooking a dry chicken is a waste of this tasty bird. Sharing with you a few tips that I have discovered along the way that create a juicy, tender and superbly flavored chicken.
Here goes the 9 tips that will inshaAllah save you from having a disastrous dry roasted chicken.
#1.Buy good quality chicken.
#2.Prick it well-whether with fork, or tip of  small knife or some tikka style cuts. This way it helps the flavors to go well inside the chicken through the skin into the meat.

#3.Massage and I really mean massage the chicken well with the marinate. The bird loves the massage and this way the flavors go really well inside too. [If you feel that the marinade's smell don't go off from your hands, put the chicken in a plastic bag and pour the marinade over it, close it and then you can massage without any fear ;) ]

#4.Let the chicken sit in marinate for some time. [You will taste difference even the chicken resting in marinade for an hour than the one cooked instantly]
#5.Season generously. Pump up the flavor with a hearty dose of salt and spices. Think about trying red chilli flakes, coriander, garam masala, cumin or other flavorful variations to give your chicken a unique flavor.
#6.Add fat. Nothing is worse than eating a dry roasted chicken.
#7.[I personally love this one]Play with your veggies. By creating a natural roasting surface on the bottom of the roasting pan, layered veggies not only keeps the skin on the bottom of the chicken from becoming a sloppy, soggy mess but imparts flavor throughout the chicken and an amazing base for pan drippings. Use a variety of seasonal veggies to gear the taste to different flavors throughout the year.

You can even stuff the cavity of chicken with lemon halves, onion, garlic  or other favorite herb to deliver a lovely flavor from within that permeates every juicy bite of the chicken meat.

#8.Don’t overcook. An overcooked chicken is a dry chicken.
#9.Let it rest. Resting for at least 15 minutes on the cutting board allows the juices to redistribute into the meat, making it moist and tender.
You can even tie a thread to keep the bird's shape.

Most Easiest Marble Cake

This is the cake with which I started my journey of baking and though it's the most easy recipe I have come across till now, it's really valuable for me.
I name it the 'Most Easiest Marble Cake' to bake :D And for beginners, it's a good way to kick-off inshaAllah :) Till now, everyone who has eaten the cake has loved it. The soft texture of this cake is the most unique quality of it. Personally, I love to serve it warm but you can serve it according to your own preference.

Ingredients:
2eggs
1cup sugar
1cup plain flour
1/2cup oil
1/2cup milk
1tsp baking pwd
1tsp vanilla essence
3-5Tbsp cocoa pwd

Method:
STEP#1.Remind yourself you're gonna bake with love :)
STEP#2.Grease the baking pan and preheat the oven to 180C.
STEP#3.Sift flour and baking pwd in a bowl, and keep aside.
STEP#4.In another bowl beat eggs and sugar, until fluffy.
STEP#5.Slowly pour oil into the egg mixture, while keep beating at low speed. Beat at high speed for 1-2mins.
STEP#6.Fold in dry ingredients, vanilla essence and milk.
STEP#7.Pour the mixture into baking pan, keeping a little of the mixture in the bowl.
STEP#8.Mix cocoa pwd into the remaining mixture [add a couple of Tbsps of milk, if you feel that mixture has become too thick].
STEP#9.Pour the chocolate mixture over the vanilla one and SWIRL as you like
STEP#10.Bake for approx 35-45min. [Bake for How Long?]
STEP#11.Dust with icing sugar [or powdered sugar] or serve as it is.
warm cake+tea/coffee=love! 

Bake for How Long??

Well I know many people out there would think that I do a really big mistake but the truth is: I never bake my cakes with any exact timings. Oopsy daisy! what did I just say?! 

Alright, maybe it sounds so weird [you have been listening all the time that exact timings are really important and a couple of extra minutes in  your oven can turn your baking into a disaster...]Obviously, you don't want to burn your cake. But you can work on approx. measurements too (alhumdulillah) :]

What I really do is like check my cake after 30-40 mins depending on its size [the bigger the cake, the longer it's gonna take to bake] and for cupcakes obviously after 15-20mins. And if I can see it has started to get the color on it's top, I take it out of oven and insert a skewer inside it. If it comes out clean, voila your cake is ready to get out of oven :D

Trust me, you'll find it easy to do too. You just need to get familiar with how cake looks like once it's baked and obviously that comes when you experience it yourself.

Obviously, you need to have an approximate timing measurement in your mind, else you might end up with a burned cake :p

Cook with Love??

Can a person really cook with love? Does it really make some difference than simply following a recipe? I always feel that your emotions play a really strong role in whatever thing you do, and when you do something with heart and love, it simply puts your work at higher standard that can't be beaten just by a better technique.
In cooking, like in many things in life, there's technique and then there's heart. Are they mutually supportive? Or are they opposites? Or are they like the two sides of the same coin? What holds more importance in your eyes: baking the perfect chocolate cake or the person you are serving to?
I read these words on a blog and was totally amazed at how beautifully the two were distinguished. theKitchn.com wrote:
"When I think about technique, I think about mastery and skill and precision. I think of years of disciplined study and dedication, hours and hours of practice and refinement. Mastering technique requires patience and the ability to focus on the long view. I have a great deal of admiration and respect for someone who can deliver their talents in such a carefully crafted vehicle.
Heart, on the other hand, is about love, a wilder, more unrestrained expression. It comes when you relax and allow your actions to come from somewhere deep inside, guided by the basic human need for connection and expression. Heart is often messy, for it isn't overly concerned with discipline and it is often impatient for it 'knows what it wants.' It can be very tender, too.
Of course, technique and heart don't have to live on opposite sides of the room. In fact, in ideal conditions they actually support each other. Technique and precision can give heart a steady platform in which to shine bright and heart can remove some of the eye-blinding glare off of technique and allow for connection.  Ideally, they will be both be present and when that happens, it's golden. (^_^)
The kitchen, like the stage, is a natural place for technique and heart to find their balance. If a cook is all about technique, if she concerns herself solely with competence and the tyranny of precision, then she is blind to the basic reason for cooking, she will have missed the very precious opportunity to engage in one of life's most pleasurable acts: to cook with love, for love. And her food will reflect this. It will look gorgeous and probably taste really good, but something essential  will be missing.
But it's also true that knowing the best way to handle your ingredients and utensils, knowing how and when to add salt or how finely to chop the onion, is necessary to make something that is truly delicious. If you want to connect and express your heart, wild and willful as it is, then you need a container, something to hold it steady so that your expression can be met and appreciated.
If you love someone, then you want them to be happy. And good food, prepared with attention and care, will always be a way to make someone smile, be it a complex, multi-layered dinner party dish or a bowl of perfectly cooked oatmeal eaten in bed on a foggy morning, with just the right amount of salt and maple syrup and, of course, served with love."