Banana Vanilla Cupcakes

So I was gifted the cupcakes molds and the natural justice came to it when I made these beauties.
Simple, pretty and instantly consumed.
I did some basic icing that I learnt from the net, but honestly Prasad loves the ugly sibling of the cupcakes, the muffins with no icing at all. So, depending on your liking you can choose.

Also, don't fret if you can't go all fancy with cupcakes. Use the same batter for making a spongy cake!

Ingredients:

Dry components
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1.5 cups maida
1.25 cups ground sugar
1 3/4th teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of cooking soda
3 spoons of cocoa powder (optional if making chocolate cake)

Wet Components ( ensure all of them are at room temperature)
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1 cup milk
3/4th cup cream / cooking butter ( if not this, add 1 egg and whatever cream you have)
1 mashed banana ( optional, use a ripe one)
Few drops of any essence

Procedure:
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1. Grease the cupcake wax papers.
2. If you're using an oven, preheat it and keep it ready to bake at 180 degrees.
3. First, mix all the dry components together with a fork. Ensure everything is consistently mixed.
4. Blend all the wet components in a separate bowl. You can use a blender for this as well.
5. Keep the dry components down and start pouring the wet mixture over this slowly and steadily. Keep stirring with the fork in 'same direction' while doing this. Ensure no lumps are formed.
6. Whip the mix now softly with the fork itself and you'll see tiny air bubbles forming on the top.
7. Immediately Lay the batter into the cupcake paper molds and place these into the cupcake holding tray.
Note: Always fill only 2/3rd of any mold with cake / cupcake batter.
8. Shove it into the preheated oven at 180 degrees for 20 mins. Or 15 minutes in the microwave should do as well!

Tips:
1. Do not Whip too hard. Whip the batter softly to ensure trapping air into it.
2. Do not Whip too long.
3. Do not Use cold components
4. Whip in same direction
5. Whip immediately after mixing as the baking powder has come into action. There is no time to waste
6. Do not open the oven/ microwave door in between as the cake won't lift.

Red Crispies Meatballs

(Image courtesy simplyrecipes.com)

I'm back after a LONG hiatus! I decided that at least I should start with posting all my drafted recipes!

I realized I had never experimented on making meat-balls. It is so easy, its unbelievable!
And the beautiful aroma of warm creamy curry fills up your senses in these winters; you'll be one happy person.

Preparation time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves: 3-4

Ingredients
Minced Chicken - 3 cups
Garlic paste - 3 spoonful
Ginger paste - 3 spoonful
Coriander leaves
1 large Onion - chopped
2 large Tomatoes
2 slices of bread
1 cup milk (optional)
Salt, Pepper, cumin seeds, chilly powder, chicken tandoori masala/ any curry masala (optional)

Procedure

Meatballs I prefer making these separately as it gives them a chance to get all roasted on the outside.
- Mix the clean minced chicken, salt, pepper and bread slices (crushed). The bread is to get them all crispy and give a good binding.
- Grease your hands and make small balls out of this minced meat. Ensure that the balls are about the size of 1 tablespoon full.
- Lay these on a flat greased vessel (non-stick preferably) on medium heat. Cover with lid.
- You'll see a beautiful creamy white color on these followed by a brownish roasted tinge. They will cook in their own chicken stock.

*Let me say that once these are ready, you'll be almost inclined to gobble them down right at this stage.

Gravy
- Pour some oil in a cooking vessel. Put the cumin seeds and let them splutter.
- Add the chopped onions in this and let them turn golden brown.
- Add the ginger, garlic, salt, chilly now. You may add market-ready Chicken Tandoori Masala, Chole Masala etc. Give it 2 minutes on low flame.
- Add roughly cut tomatoes and cover with lid. You'll notice in 5 minutes that they turn orangish red.
- Add 1 1/2 cups of milk and 1 cup of water and let it boil. (optional step for getting a creamy gravy).
- Pour this curry on the meatballs, add a cup of water and let it simmer for about 5 mins.

Tada!! You're ready with Red Crispies Meatballs!
Droolicious.