Mango Cheesecake

Its been raining here from past one week and the temperature has dropped to around 15 degrees and some days even less, and the worst part is the wind. The cold freezing winds blowing all day long.
We removed the winter clothes, sweaters, pullovers and jackets from the bottom racks... the autumn is here and winter is not very far.
The starting of autumn and winter is very depressing, I miss the sun, the warmth.

So to make us feel better, I baked this cheesecake last weekend. You all must know how much we love mangoes, in this post. So I have mixed my two loves, mangoes and cheesecakes and the result was divine taste.

What you need:

For the Crust:
Graham Cracker Crumbs or any mild sweet cookies : 100 gms
Almonds ground to powder : 75 gms
Sugar : 2 Tbsp
Butter : 3 Tbsp

Cheesecake Batter:
Mascarpone : 250 gms
Sugar : 100 gms
Eggs : 3, at room temperature
Vanilla Extract : 1 tsp
White Chocolate : 100 gms (optional)
Mango Pulp : 250 gms

Mango Gelee:
Mango pulp : 2 cups
Gelatin : 3 sheets
Sugar : 2 Tbsp

1. To prepare the crust: Blend all ingredients together in a food processor and press it onto the bottom of 9" round spring-form pan and bake for about 12 minutes or until slightly brown. Keep aside to cool.
2. Cheesecake will shrink as it cools. Generously greasing the sides of the baking pan before pouring in batter will allow the cake to pull away from the pan as it cools and shrinks instead of pulling apart from the middle.
3. To prepare the cheesecake batter: Whip mascarpone, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth. Make sure that there are no lumps, before you add the eggs.
4. Add the egg, one at a time. Whip well for 1 or 2 mins on medium speed.(Over-beating incorporates additional air and tends to cause cracking on the surface of the cheesecake). Keep the beater aside.
5. Melt the white chocolate(if using) and with a rubber spatula, mix it into the batter.
6. Now, add the mango pulp and mix well.
7. Pour onto the prepared crust.
8. Bake in waterbath(wrap the bottom of your springform pan in aluminum foil and place it in a larger pan with water in it, just halfway up the outside of the springform pan) at 210 degrees C for about 40 minutes(+ or - 10 mins : every oven is different so check in between), or until the edges are set but the center is slightly jiggly when shaken gently.
9. After about 40 minutes, turn your oven off and leave the cheesecake inside the turned off oven for another 30 mins. Cool at room temperature with a plate or cookie sheet inverted over the spring form. (loosen the cake from the edge of the pan by running the tip of a knife between the cake and the side of the pan.)
10. For the Mango gelee: Dissolve sugar in the mango pulp. Soften gelatin in half cup water. Squeeze and add it to 1/2 cup of warm water. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add it to mango pulp.
11. After the cake has cooled, pour the prepared mango gelee on the top.
12. Refrigerate overnight and serve chilled.

Mom's Tips:
A spring-form pan (with removable side and bottom) is the most preferrable pan for making cheesecakes.
Avoid over-baking. The cheesecake will continue to bake after it is removed from the oven. The center of the cheesecake should be just slightly moist when it is ready to be removed.
Bake the cheesecake in a water bath to keep the oven moisture high and the heat gentle.

Eggs in Tomato Gravy

Eggs... or shall I call them Incredible Eggs. Why Incredible?? Because, One egg has 13 essential nutrients in varying amounts – including the highest quality protein, choline, folate, iron and zinc – for only 75 calories. Eggs also play a role in weight management, muscle strength, healthy pregnancy, brain function, eye health and more.

Eggs in Tomato Gravy

Inexpensive, convenient and delicious, eggs are the perfect choice for the entire family. They can be prepared quickly in a variety of ways to suit everyone’s taste buds.

Coming to the recipe...

Ingredients:

Ingredients

Eggs: 4
Onion: 1 big
Tomato: 3 big
Ginger: 1 inch piece
Garlic: 3 pods
Tamarind: size of lemon
Salt: as per taste
Red Chilly Powder: 1 tsp
Garam Masala: 1 tsp
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
Oil: 3 tbsp

For Tadka:
Dry Red Chilly: 2
Mustard: 1 tsp
Jeera: 1 tsp
Urad dal: 1 tsp

Method:

1. Boil eggs and remove the shells and keep aside.
2. Blanch tomatoes in boiling water for 10 mins. Cool and grind.
3. Pass it through a seive to get fine puree.
4. Chop onions very finely.
5. Grind ginger and garlic. (Alternatively you can use 1 tbsp of GingerGarlic paste).
6. Soak tamarind in warm water and extract the pulp.
7. Heat oil in a wide kadai.
8. Add all the ingredients for tadka.
9. After they splutter, add the finely chopped onions and turmeric.
10. Fry for 5 mins and add ginger garlic paste.
11. Fry for few more mins, and add tomato puree.
12. Add salt, red chilly powder. Mix and cover.
13. Let it simmer for few mins, approx 10 -15 mins
14. Now add tamarind pulp, garam masala.
15. Mix and add eggs.
16. Simmer for 10 more mins.
17. Garnish with corriander and Serve hot with Rice.
    

Eggs served with Hot Rice

And the Verdict:
Very delicious and healthy... tastes even better with hot rice :-)

Food Event:
This is my entry for the Curry Mela event being hosted by dear SriValli of Cooking For All Seasons.

Pickled Deviled Eggs and "Egg Mice"!!!

Pickled Deviled Eggs and "Egg Mice"

When dear fellow bloggers Jai and Bee announced the new event "CLICK", I was very much excited. But the theme, i.e., EGGS made me think!! How can one get a creative idea out of eggs? An egg is an egg, white and oval, in what ever angle you try to take a picture of it :)
When I asked a dear friend of mine for an idea, the answer was, "I can't think of anything except boiling it and cutting into half and swallowing :)"

Hmmm... tough, it was for me, becoz I am not good with camera, and I was whiling away the time drooling over the lovely entries sent by my fellow bloggers here.

When I put on the thinking cap, many ideas flashed... and I decided to go with this - Pickled Deviled Eggs!!!

Pickled Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
Hard Boiled Eggs: 4, peeled
Beetroot and Red Cabbage: 1 cup each, chopped
Water: 2 + 2 cups
Vinegar: 1/4 + 1/4 cup
Cloves: 5 + 5
Cinnamon: 1 inch
Salt: 2 + 2 tsp
For Deviled Eggs:
Mayonnaise: 2 Tbsp
Dijon Mustard: 1 Tbsp
Pepper ans Salt: to taste

Pickled Deviled Eggs and "Egg Mice"

How I did it:

1. Boil the Beets and Cabbage in separate vessels, with all the ingredients.
2. Simmer for 30 mins.
3. Sieve them into 2 dry jars, and let them cool.
4. Now add 2 eggs in each jar, cover and leave it in the fridge overnight.
5. You get pink eggs (from beets) and blue eggs (from cabbage).
6. For the Deviled eggs:
7. Cut the eggs into half and scoop out the yolks.
8. Mash the yolks with a fork or spoon, add Mayonnaise, Mustard, Pepper and salt and whisk till smooth.
9. Fill the eggs with this and serve.

To Make Egg Mice:

1. Take a peeled hard boiled egg and cut off a thin slice from one side.
2. Cut out 2 "V" shapes for "Ears" from that slice.
3. Make a cut on the top to insert the ears.
4. Draw the eyes with tomato ketchup and the whiskers with mustard and pierce a clove at the back for the tail.

Pickled Deviled Eggs and "Egg Mice"

And the Verdict:
The platter looked so attractive and colorful. It is even ideal as a center piece on a dining table during dinners or parties.
Kids will with no doubt enjoy these!!

Food Event:
This is my entry for the CLICK event being hosted by dear Jai and Bee of Jugalbandi.

Ande Ka Funda

Eggs make a valuable contribution to a healthy, balanced diet. They are an excellent source of high quality protein.

There is even a song about eggs which goes like this :
Aao Sikhao Tume Ande Ka Funda
Yeh Nahin Pyare Koi Maamule Banda
Is Mein Chhupa Hai Jeevan Ka Fal Safa
TV Pe Bhi Dikhaye Ke Roz Khaao Anda!!!

Egg Curry with Rice

I always use eggs for cooking, when I do not have much time, or when I am tired after a long day and don't want to spend hours in the kitchen. They are so versatile and can be used in cooking in many ways. The egg curry below is one of the fastest and quickest one, if you have hardboiled eggs ready in the fridge.

Tips:

1. When buying eggs, open the carton to be sure none of the eggs are cracked; discard any that are, they may have bacteria that might contaminate the egg.
2. Be sure to store the eggs in the original egg carton in the refrigerator. Don’t take them out and put them in the door. Every time the refrigerator door is opened it exposes the egg to the room temperature.
3. To tell if an egg is hard-cooked or raw, place the egg on its side and spin it evenly on a level surface; if it wobbles, it is raw.
4. If an egg is accidentally dropped on the floor, sprinkle it heavily with salt for easy clean up.
5. You cannot hard-cook eggs in a microwave (they'll explode), but if you find after peeling an egg that it is not quite done at the center, pierce it once or twice with a fork, set microwave to medium power and cook the egg for 10 to 20 seconds before checking if it is done.

Egg curry:

Inredients:
Eggs : 5, hardboiled
Onions : 6, finely sliced
Green Chilies : 5, finely chopped
Ginger-Garlic Paste : 1 Tbsp
Red Chili powder : 1 tsp
Garam Masala : 1 Tbsp
Haldi/Turmeric : 1/4 tsp
Salt, to taste
Corriander, for garnish

Method:

0-5 mins:
Slicing of onions and chopping green chilies.
In the mean time, pressure cook rice.

5-10 mins:
Heat oil, in a wide pan, add the ingredients for tadka(jeera and mustard seeds).
Add onions and chilies and haldi.

10-15 mins:
Add ginger garlic paste and fry till golden brown.
Add salt, red chili powder and garam masala.

15-20 mins:
Add the eggs and fry for few more mins.

20-25 mins:
Add chopped corriander, adjust salt and remove from heat.

25-30 mins:
Serve hot with Rice :)

Egg Curry with Rice

And the Verdict:
Simple and easy.
A perfect comforting food after a long tiring day!!

Food Event:
This is my entry for the Summer express Cooking event being hosted by MalluGirl of Malabar Spices.