Chocolate Pancakes

About this Recipe...

If you are getting bored to have regular pan cakes in breakfast and if you are a chocolate lover then this recipe is for you. Make this delicious chocolate pancake for your breakfast and start your beautiful day in a perfect way.

Kids or adults, everyone loves chocolate so make this light, fluffy and yummy chocolate pancake for you family. Garnish it with powdered sugar and chocolate chips and enjoy the delicious breakfast.

You can even make this for dessert also, in that case top it with chocolate or strawberry sauce.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup All purpose flour
• 2 Tbsp Cocoa powder
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 Cup Powdered sugar
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 Egg
• 4 tsp Melted butter

Directions

1. Combine all the dry ingredients together.
2. Now in a another bowl, beat an egg until it's fluffy. Slowly add milk to it and mix it.
3. Now add the vanilla extract and and half of the melted butter to it. Mix it well.
4. Now pour this liquid mixture to the dry mixture and with the help of a hand blender whisk it until the batter become smooth and lumps free.
5. Now heat a nonstick griddle and brush some butter to it.
6. Pour the pan cake batter onto the hot griddle with the help of a ladle.
7. When bubbles begin to form on top, then flip the other side and cook it for 1-2 minutes.
   
8. When both the sides become light brown color, then remove the pancakes from the griddle and serve it hot.

Patishapta Pithe

About this Recipe...

Patishapta is a traditional bengali Pithe or sweet recipe which is prepared during the time of Makar Sankranti. It is basically a rice flour crepe with coconut and jaggery filling.

Bengalis are making many kind of pithas and sweet dish during this time and patishapta is one of them. On this Sankranti I choose to make patishapta because it requires very less oil and it is comparatively has low calorie comparing to other pithes which are deep fried in oil and immersed in sugar syrup.

This is one of the sweet which my mom is making very often in our home. If any guest or relative is supposed to come at our place then Maa used to make it along with Nolen Gurer payesh (Palm sugar rice pudding) and coconut laddu (small coconut dumplings). All three are my favorite sweets/dessert.

Now back to patishapta, it is very simple and easy to make and the taste is divine. You required very few ingredients to make it. Making patishapta is always fun and this time my husband has also participated to make this Sankranti special dessert. So presenting my Patishapta Pithe with lots of love and if you have never tried it, then I will tell you at least make it once and you will fall in love with this bengali sweet delicacy.

Ingredients

For the Batter

• 2 Cups Rice flour
• 1 Cup All purpose flour
• 1/2 Cup Semolina
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 2 Cups Milk or water to make the batter
• Oil for shallow frying

For the Filling

• 1 Cup Freshly grated coconut
• 1/4 Cup Shredded Jaggery
• 2 Tbsp Raisins (optional)

Directions

1. To make the filling of the patishapta, heat a pan and add grated coconut to it.
2. Now add the shredded jaggery to it and mix it well with the coconut.
3. Add raisins to it, stir it and cook it until the coconut feels sticky.
4. Switch off the flame and keep it aside.
   
5. Now to make the batter for the patishapta, in a mixing bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix well.
6. Now pour milk or water to it and stir it continuously to avoid lumps.
7. The batter should be smooth and freely flowing, not to thick or too thin. Add extra milk if required.
8. Now heat a non stick frying pan and brush it with little oil.
9. Pour a ladle of batter and spread it evenly on the pan to make a round shape.
10. Now place the filling lengthwise at the center of it and roll it.
11. After rolling, flip it and wait till the color is nice golden brown from both the sides.
12. Transfer it to a plate and serve it hot or cold.
13. Repeat the same process for rest of the batter and enjoy it.
14. Notes:
    You can add cardamom powder in the filling.
    You can serve patishapta with Rabdi to enhance its flavor.

Avocado Shrikhand

About this Recipe...

Shrikhand is a indian sweet dish which made from strained and hung yoghurt. It served as a dessert.
You can add any fruit to add extra flavor to your regular Shrikhand. So I thought why not make Avocado Shrikhand. Sounds weird or interesting? But believe me adding avocado in Shrikhand gives a very nice and creamy flavor.
I love this fruit a lot so always try to incorporate it in different interesting ways and this is one of them. Made this lovely dessert in Christmas and it loved by all.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Hung yogurt
• 1 Ripe Avocado
• 1/2 Cup Sweetened Condensed milk
• 2 Tbsp Sliced pistachios

Directions

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the hung yoghurt, condensed milk and scooped out avocado.
2. With the help of a whisker, whisk it till everything gets blended nicely with each other.
3. Now add the sliced pistachios and mix it. Save some of them for garnishing.
4. Refrigerate the Shrikhand for 2-3 hours, garnish with some pistachio and serve it chill. Your creamy and tasty Avocado Shrikhand is ready to enjoy.

Notes:
Instead of hung yoghurt you can use Greek yoghurt.
Make it in a small quantity and serve it on the same day, as avocado tends to change its color.
Instead of condensed milk you can use powdered sugar or regular sugar.

Rasgulla

About this Recipe...

Rasgulla or Rashogolla is No.1 bengali sweet delicacy and being a bong there are so many childhood  memories with this sweet. It's a golf size cheese ball immersed in sugar syrup and tastes heavenly for sweet lovers. It's a sweet, juicy and spongy sweet.
It requires very less ingredients to make. Most of the time you will find the ingredients in your pantry.
Follow my step by step instructions and you can make it very easily at home.

Ingredients

• 1.9 L Whole milk
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 2 Tbsp Lemon juice (or Vinegar)

Directions

1. Take milk in a pan and stir it so that it will not sit in bottom of the pan.
2. When the milk comes to a boil add lemon juice to it.
3. After adding lemon juice immediately you will see that the milk will separates and form cheese.
4. Now strain the cheese in a muslin cloth and rinse it with cold water so the lemon flavor can go away.
5. Now grab the ends of the muslin cloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess water and keep it aside for at least 15-20 minutes.
6. Now take out the cheese and rub it gently for 4-5 minutes.
7. When the cheese will become smooth then make small balls out of it.
8. Now in a pressure cooker add 4 cups of water and 2 cups of sugar and let it boil.
9. When the sugar syrup comes to a boil add the cheese balls and cover the lid of the pressure cooker without whistle for 8-10 minutes.
10. After 8-10 minutes the cheese balls or rasgullas will puffed up and become double in volume.
11. Now take out the rasgullas in a bowl with some sugar syrup and serve hot or cold.