You’re in for a real treat when you devour this delightful, fluffy, and soft cake that relies on the sweet and tart taste of zesty orange. This luscious fresh cake is loaded with the tanginess of oranges and decorated with an irresistible whipped cream frosting that will surely tantalize your taste buds!!

 Cuisine: Continental

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 25-30 mins

Spice Level:  Sweetie-licious!!

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 7-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a mixing bowl, combine 5 tbsp of unsalted, room temperature butter along with 1 cup of brown sugar using a hand mixer or whisk until light and fluffy. 

Add ⅓ cup milk and mix gently until combined using a hand mixer. Add ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice, ½  tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tbsp of finely grated orange zest(grated from the orange peel).

Sift 1.25 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, and ¼ tsp salt in another bowl.

Add the sifted dry ingredients little by little to the wet ingredients bowl and fold the mixture just until it is incorporated. You can also use a low-speed hand mixer to mix the ingredients to a lump-free smooth texture. Do not overmix the batter.

Transfer to the cake pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the cake cool down completely. Top it with whipped cream frosting just before serving!

What’s not to love in this spicy, flavorful, truly satiating, and lip-smacking street food delight that can be made in a jiffy. The tongue-tingling tanginess and a touch of heat from the sauces topped with chunky veggies and puffed rice will be a warmly welcoming chaat by everyone!!

 Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins

Spice Level: Tangy & Spicy

Finely chop ½ onion and ½ tomato and set aside. Boil 1 potato and chop into small cubes.

Green Chutney:
In a mixer, grind a handful of mint leaves and coriander leaves, 1 tsp lemon juice, 3 green chilies, ¼ inch ginger, 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, and ½ tsp chaat masala using water. Grind to a smooth consistency.

Tamarind Chutney:
In a Kadai/pan take 2 cups of water along with ½ cup of tamarind, ½ cup pitted dates, ½ cup of jaggery, 1 tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp of salt, and a pinch of amchur powder. Boil for about 20 minutes in medium flame. Strain the extract and set aside the tamarind chutney.

Mix and Devour!

1) In a large mixing bowl,add the prepared tamarind chutney and green chutney, finely chopped onions and tomatoes, add the potato pieces, and give it a gentle mix
2) Stir in 200 gms of puffed rice and mix until the sauces are incorporated into the rice.
3) Sprinkle sev puri, broken nippattu (Rice crackers) pieces, and coriander leaves and give it a gentle mix.

Enjoy this favorite beach snack with your friends and family!!

This rich and creamy pudding topped with raspberries is the most healthy breakfast you can make within minutes. This make-ahead, grab, and go recipe is loaded with fiber and nutrition and easily squashes any dieter’s dessert cravings!!

 Cuisine: American

Prep Time: Overnight
Cook Time: NA

Spice Level: Sweet

1) In a small jar, use a fork to roughly mash 50 gm of raspberries.
2) Add 3 tbsp of chia seeds along with a tsp of maple syrup and give it a good mix.
3) To the raspberry chia mix, slowly add 180ml of milk and stir well.
4) Refrigerate the pudding overnight and serve along with fresh raspberries!
5) Add chopped nuts for an extra crunch!

This delicious snack or appetizer made with hard-boiled eggs is irresistibly the best starter ever for an authentic briyani. The crispy crust with a flavourful and fluffy center makes sure that this sidekick takes center stage in any weekend get-togethers!!

 Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins

Spice Level: Spicy

1) Place 3 eggs in a saucepan with water. Cover with a lid and boil for 10 minutes.
2) Turn off the flame and let the eggs rest in the water for 10 more minutes.
3) Peel the eggs and finely chop them into pieces and set them aside.
4) In a bowl, add the finely chopped eggs, 1 tsp of red chili powder, ½ tsp of garam masala powder, finely chopped garlic pod, ¼ inch chopped ginger, salt, 1 finely chopped green chili, and give it a gentle mix.
5) In a small bowl, break an egg and whisk well.
6) Add about 3 tsp of the whisked egg to the spiced boiled egg mixture and mix until it’s well combined.
7) Scoop the egg mixture into small dumplings and fry them in hot oil.
8) You can also fry the pieces in an Air fryer at 350 F for 10 minutes.
9) In another wide pan, add 1 tsp of oil.
10) Saute 1 pod of finely chopped garlic, 1 string of curry leaves, red chili powder, a pinch of salt, the fried egg 65 pieces, and toss for a minute or two in high flame.
11) Serve this crispy and spicy appetizer with Biryani!

Make any day sweeter with this celebratory cupcake bursting with sweet blueberries and tangy lemon flavor. These melt in your mouth, decadent miniature treats are made more heavenly with a  swirl of delicious, fluffy, and sunshiny frosting that indeed calls for a special occasion!

 Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15-20 mins

Spice Level: It’s heavenly!

Here’s how you do it

1) In a bowl sift in ¾ cup of flour, 1 tsp of baking powder, a pinch of salt, and mix until combined.
2) Add in the zest of 1 lemon, give it a gentle stir, and set aside.
3) In a separate mixing bowl, beat ¼ cup of softened butter until it’s creamy.
4) Add ½ cup of sugar and beat until it gets fluffy.
5) Break-in 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and whisk until combined well.
6) Gently cut and fold the dry ingredients using a spatula and add 3 tbsp of lemon juice, ¼ cup of buttermilk, and combine until the mixture is smooth.
7) Toss the blueberries in 1 tsp flour and gently fold it into the mixture.
8) Preheat the oven to 350F and line the cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
9) Evenly distribute the batter between the cupcake liners and make sure to fill about 3/4th full.
10) Bake them for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
11) Allow the cupcakes to cool before frosting them.

For the frosting:
In a bowl, add ½ cup of softened cream cheese and use a hand mixer to beat for 2 minutes or until it’s smooth. Add 1 tbsp of icing sugar, ½ tsp of vanilla extract, 5 drops of lemon juice and continue mixing until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Use a piping bag to frost the cooled cupcakes and enjoy these supremely moist cupcakes!

Titbits:

* Adding buttermilk yields a super moist cake. It can also be substituted with milk.  
* You can also use a couple drops of lemon extract instead of lemon juice.
* While prepping the frosting, half the quantity of cream cheese can be replaced for butter.

Dragon Chicken is a famous contemporary Indo-Chinese chicken appetizer cooked in a fiery hot sauce. The moist, tender, and chunky chicken pieces seasoned with the hot chilies, combined with roasted cashews and crunchy bell pepper make it positively mouth-numbing!!

Here’s how you do it

1) In a bowl, combine 500 gm of chicken cut into long strips with salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1 egg, 3 tsp all-purpose flour, 2 tsp cornflour, and let it marinate for 30 minutes.
2) Heat oil in a pan to deep/shallow fry the chicken. Once the oil is hot, drop the chicken pieces and fry until it is golden and crisp. Use a kitchen tissue to drain off the excess oil.
3) In a wide skillet, add 2 tsp of oil. Add 2 pods of finely chopped garlic pods, 3 red chilies and saute for a minute.
4) Add a few roughly broken cashews and fry until slightly golden. Stir in ½ thin sliced onions and bell peppers and fry until it’s crunchy.
5) Spice it up with 1 tsp chili sauce, 1 tsp soy sauce, salt, chili flakes, and a pinch of sugar.
6) Cook the sauce for a minute and add in the fried chicken pieces. Toss well until the chicken pieces are coated well with the sauce.
7) Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot!

Tit-Bits:
* You can also shallow fry the chicken pieces.
* For a saucier version, dissolve 1 tsp of corn flour in water and add the corn slurry before adding chicken pieces.

Bake up a delectably delicious, ultra-moist loaf treat of your dreams that goes perfectly with your morning coffee. The decadence of a regular loaf cake is elevated to the next level using the all-time favorite banana and chocolate combo which indulges you with ever happiest feelings!. 

 Cuisine: Continental

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins

Spice Level: Sweet

Wet ingredients:
Puree two bananas in a blender along with sugar to a smooth consistency.
In a mixing bowl, add the pureed banana, 120 ml of oil, 1 tsp of vanilla, 1 tsp of vinegar. Whisk until combined.

Dry ingredients:
In another bowl, sieve together 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour, ½ cup of cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp of baking soda, ¼ tsp of salt.

1) Add the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and use the cut and fold technique to blend them gently into a thick batter without any lumps.
2) Stir in ¼ cup walnuts and add in 120 ml of milk to form a thick and smooth consistency.
3) Line a parchment paper on a loaf pan.
4) Spoon the cake batter to it and use an offset pan to spread evenly.
5) Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.
6) Bake at 350 F (180 C) for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Phool makhana curry is a calorie-conscious, perfect weeknight curry bound to become any dieter’s favorite. This delicious curry glazing a wonderful texture is a powerhouse of protein and ticks all the boxes of a nutritious meal!. 

 Cuisine: Indian

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins

Spice Level: Medium

1) Saute the phool in oil for a few minutes until crispy and set it aside.
2) In a Kadai, add 3 tsp of oil. Crackle some cumin seeds, 1 green chili, and add 1 finely chopped onion.
3) Saute until the onions are golden and add 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste and cook for a couple of minutes.
4) Spice it up with 1 tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, salt, and give it a good mix.
5) In a small blender, puree 2 tomatoes along with 5 cashews and ½ tsp of poppy seeds to a smooth paste.
6) Add this to the onion mixture along with a cup of water and let it boil for 5-10 minutes.
7) Turn off the flame and add the roasted phool along with crushed Kasuri methi and serve immediately.

Bring goodness to your diet and satisfy your appetite with this earthly and spicy, fully flavored rice where the bitterness of the karela is long forgotten! Known for its distinctive flavors with a hint of bitterness, bitter gourd rice is indeed a great way to incorporate the veggie’s significant health benefit into your lifestyle. 

 Cuisine: South Indian

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 35 mins

Spice Level: Spicy

1) Wash and slice the bitter gourd pieces by removing all the seeds.
2) Take 3 tsp of thick curd well and add water to it. Whisk well until the water combines well with the curd and becomes frothy and diluted. Add ¼ tsp of salt and ½ tsp jaggery.
3) Stir in the bitter gourd pieces and soak for about half an hour. Drain the buttermilk and pat dry the bitter gourd pieces.
4) In a wide pan, add 2 tsp of oil and fry the bitter gourd until it turns slightly brown.
5) Dry roast 2 tsp of coriander seeds, 1 tsp of chana dal, 1 tsp of urad dal, 2 red chilies, 1 tsp of peanuts, 1 clove, 1 cinnamon, 1 cardamom, and 5 cashews until it releases a nice aroma. Grind to a fine powder.
6) In a pan, add 1 tsp of oil and 2 tsp of ghee. Add 1 tsp of mustard seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add 1 tsp of cumin seeds, a few curry leaves.
7) Stir in thinly sliced onions and saute for a few minutes. Once the onions turn translucent, add the ground masala, salt and the karela pieces.
8) Add a little water to make sure the masala combines well with the bitter gourd.
9) Switch to low flame and add the cooked rice. Gently mix it with a fork. Serve hot with crispy potato fry!

These scrumptious, soft, refreshing and totally delicious cookies become an all time simple pantry staple snack. They are remarkably tender, gooey and buttery studded with sweet strawberries that taste just like an old fashioned strawberry shortcake.

 Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins

Spice Level: Sweet

Here’s how you do it

1) In a bowl, sift 1 ¼ cups of flour, ½ tsp of baking powder, ⅛ tsp of baking soda and set aside.
2) In another mixing bowl, beat 4 oz of cream cheese and 4 oz of butter both softened to room temperature along with ¾th cup of sugar until it’s light and fluffy.
3) Add in 1 egg, 1 tsp of vanilla extract and beat until it’s pale and creamy.
4) Gradually add the dry ingredients to the cream cheese mixture and mix it using the cut and fold method until just combined.
5) Coat ¾ cup of strawberries cut into chunks in 1 tsp of flour and fold it in the cookie dough.
6) Using an ice cream spatula, make around 18 balls with the dough and freeze them for 20 mins.
7) Slightly flatten it and bake them in batches using a cookie tray at 350F for 15 minutes or until the edges start to turn slightly brown in color.
8) Cool to room temperature and store these melt-in-your delights in an airtight container!