Choco-Strawberry Jam Bars

For the last two days i've been craving for something chocolaty ;) and also lot of chocolate themed events are going on among our bloggers. So finally ended up in making these choco bars. My kitchen was smelling great while i baked these bars & it tasted fabulous too! Those who are too cautious about calories...Beware ;) ;) There are few hidden ingredients which adds the flavour to this jumbo bars!! Take a look at the recipe :)

Ingredients

• 1 cup All purpose Flour(Maida) 
• 1 plus 1/2 cup crushed Cornflakes 
• 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar 
• 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 1/2 cup Strawberry Jam
• 1/4 tsp Baking Powder 
• 1 tsp Vanilla essence 
• 8 tbsp Butter 
• 1 Egg 
• A pinch of salt 
• Peanut chocolate bars 
• Peanuts & Raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cream butter, sugar, salt & egg thoroughly.
3. Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, vanilla essence and 1 cup of crushed Cornflakes.
4. Combine well & keep aside 1/4th of the mix for topping.
5. Take a baking tray & press firmly the remaining mix.
6. Spread the strawberry jam on top.
7. Combine remaining 1/2 cup of crushed Cornflakes with 1/4th of the reserved mix.
8. Sprinkle the mix, peanuts & raisins on top.
9. Bake for 30 to 35 min.
10. Take out from oven & sprinkle powdered peanut butter chocolate.
11. Allow it to cool, cut in squares & take a yummilicious bite !!

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Sharing this recipe with ABC series: Desserts event hosted by Ramya @ Ramya's Recipes.

Sharing this recipe with Chocolate Mela event hosted by Srivalli @ Cooking 4 all Seasons.

Sharing this recipe with Valentines Day event hosted by Anzz @ Anzz Cafe. 

Sharing this recipe with Chocolate Lover event hosted by Resh @ daily-cuppa.

Sharing this recipe with Dish for Loved Ones hosted by Sravs @ Culinary Concepts

Sharing this recipe with Sweet Love event hosted by Vardhini @ Zesty Palette.

Sharing this recipe with Love n Chocolate Fest hosted by Vimitha @ My Culinary Trial Room.

Sharing this recipe with Chocolate Fest  event hosted by Sravs @ Srav's Culinary Concepts.

 
Appliance useful for this recipe:

Apple Jam

I was so thrilled to give my first trial on preparing jams and this apple jam turned out to be great! It was very easy to make because of the less number of ingredients & the little time taken. Try out this recipe so that you'll get an amazing fresh spread for your yummy breakfast!

Ingredients

• 4 Apples 
• 1 1/4 cup Sugar 
• 1 tsp Lime juice 
• 1 cup Water 
• 1 tsp Vanilla essence

Directions

1. Slice the peeled apples & cook with water till it becomes a pulp.
2. Take off from heat, add sugar & stir till it dissolves.
3. Add lime juice & vanilla essence. If its not pulpy enough to spread, keep on heat once again till you obtain the perfect consistency.
4. Allow it to cool & store in a bottle & refrigerate.

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Sharing this recipe with Just 4 Fun event hosted by Sobha Shyam @ Good Food.

Matar Paneer

Matar Paneer is a tasty & very famous dish of North India. Those who don't know what 'Matar' is, it is the Hindi name for 'Green Peas'. This is a creamy dish with 'Green peas' & 'Paneer' (cottage cheese) as the main ingredients.  I've prepared this recipe using store bought Paneer. It can be made at home also. Boil milk, add lime juice  & stir. When the milk curdles, strain through muslin cloth & flatten the paneer. Cut into squares & its ready to be used in curries.This curry goes well with rotis, naan, paratha, poori etc. So, here goes the recipe:

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup Paneer 
• 1/2 cup Peas 
• 1/4 cup curd
• 1/2 cup diced Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped Onion
• 1/2 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
• 1tsp Coriander Powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala 
  
• 1 tsp Chilly Powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
•  2 tbsp Oil
•  Salt as required
•  Coriander leaves

Directions

1. Stir fry paneer in little oil till you obtain a light brown colour and keep aside.
2. Saute onion & ginger-garlic paste till golden brown.
3. Add tomatoes & the masala powders. Saute for some time.
4. Add peas, curd, some water & salt. Cook till the peas is soft.
5. Now add paneer, mix carefully & garnish with coriander leaves.

Cold Coffee (Iced Coffee)

No matter what the climate is, we all love to have cold coffee! This is a very simple recipe that i prepared from Manjula's Kitchen for submitting it to her contest. She has got an awesome site with lot of  scrumptious ''Indian Vegetarian Recipes''! The rule for the event is to prepare any number of her recipes & post the snaps on Facebook page (Manjula's Kitchen - Indian Vegetarian Recipes) or Google Plus. You all can also join the contest before Jan 31st. For this cold coffee recipe click here.  Try this out & i'm sure you're gonna have it daily!

 
 

Sweet & Sour Tofu

This tofu dish was prepared for submitting to a contest hosted by Manjula's Kitchen. It goes perfect with plain rice! The rule is to prepare any number of her recipes & post the snaps on Facebook page (Manjula's Kitchen - Indian Vegetarian Recipes) or Google Plus. The contest is open till Jan 31st. Check out her lovely site for delicious ''Indian Vegetarian Recipes''  and rush in to submit your entries too!   For the recipe click here. 

Sending a Lil Valentine Love Your Way !!

Dear friends,

I'm so thrilled & happy to announce my first blog event after 4 months of blogging :) Thanks a lot for all your support & encouragement!  I know you all will be pretty excited to prepare lovely, appealing & romantic dishes for your loved ones on Valentine's Day. Even though some people won't celebrate much, they'll surprise their beloved ones with something cute on this day. So get ready to make your day special with your homemade delicacies.   Send in your cute, colourful & romantic 'sweet delicacies' to my event :) I'll be eagerly waiting to see your scrumptious yummy treats !!

Rules of The Event

1. Prepare a recipe which ''Tastes Sweet & Looks Romantic'' (Cakes, Cookies, Shakes, Smoothies, Ice-creams, Puddings etc )
2. Any number of entries can be sent. (old and new posts accepted)
3. Only Vegetarian dishes accepted (eggs are allowed)
   
4. Usage of logo is much appreciated as it helps to spread the word. 
5. Make sure that the entry is linked back to my event announcement page. 
6. Bloggers & Non-Bloggers can send their entries to 'yummydelights@hotmail.com'' with subject as ''Valentine's Day Event'' in the following format:

• Your Name:
• Blog Name: (if applicable)
• Recipe Name: 
• Recipe URL: (if applicable) 
• Pic of the Dish: (as attachment)

The round ups will be posted on my blog as well as it'll be published on my Facebook page(Yummy Delights) with your blog links. Wishing you all, the best Valentine's Day ever !!

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'' Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.''

                                                                                                                -1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)

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Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala is one of the most popular dishes in Indian cuisine. A really delicious dish which goes perfect with Naan/Chapati. My friends in Washington love this a lot. Whenever we go to an Indian restaurant, this is a dish they can't avoid ordering. So I thought of uploading this recipe for them & for my blogger friends so that you all can give it a try at home when there is a craving! You have to prepare Chicken Tikka as in my earlier recipe and then prepare the gravy as explained below. Hope you'll enjoy preparing & enjoy eating as well :)

Check Chikken Tikka recipe here (Prepare without Bell pepper(Capsicum))

Ingredients for the masala

• 3/4 cup finely diced Onion 
• 1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste 
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala 
• 1 1/2 tsp Coriander powder 
• 1/2 tsp Kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) powder
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chilly powder 
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1/4 tsp Cloves powder
• 1/4 tsp Cinnamon powder
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala
• 1/2 tsp Cumin 
• 1/2 cup chopped Tomatoes
• 4 tbsp Cashew paste
• 1/2 cup Heavy cream
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped Cilantro leaves
• Salt as required

Directions

1. Take a pan and pour oil. When oil is slightly hot, add cumin and bay leaves,. Then add onion, ginger-garlic paste, salt and saute till golden brown.
2. Add cloves powder, cinnamon powder, cardamom powder, coriander powder, kasuri methi, chilly powder and saute for some more time.
3. Add tomatoes and saute till mushy. 
4. Once everything is cooled, take off the bay leaves and blend.
5. Take a pan, pour oil and saute the blended mix. Stir in cashew paste, lemon juice & cook for few min.
6. Reduce flame and stir in heavy cream and garam masala.
7. Mix in the prepared chicken tikka pieces into it. Close and cook for 5 more min.
8. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with Naan, chapati or fried rice.

Mixed Fried Rice

This is one of my favorite mixed fried rice preparation. I've used egg, chicken & vegetables. If you add beef, it'll be more tasty. No side dish is needed as this itself is tasty & tummy filling. You can just have it with tomato sauce & green chilly sauce. It's damn easy & perfect for serving guests !!

Ingredients

• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 1 cup cooked chicken pieces  
  
• 1/2 cup chopped Carrot
•  1/2 cup chopped Cabbage
•  1/2 cup Peas
•  1 cup chopped Onion
•  4 Elachis
•  1/2 tsp Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
•  2 Eggs
•  1 tbsp Soya sauce
•  1 tbsp Green chilly sauce
•  2 tbsp Tomato sauce
•  2 tsp Black pepper
•  1/4 cup Ghee
•  1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
•  Salt as required

Directions

1. Cook rice in salt & allow it to drain.
2. Prepare egg scramble & keep aside.
3. Saute onion & capsicum in ghee.  Add ginger garlic paste, cinnamon powder, cloves & elachi. Saute for some more time.
4. Mix in the vegetables with little water and cook till the water evaporates.
5. Add the scrambled eggs, chicken pieces, 3 sauces, black pepper & salt to the above.
6. Add the cooked & well drained  rice and stir for sometime.
7. Garnish with fried bread pieces & cilantro.

Vegetable Soup

This is a refreshing soup especially perfect for winter season. Its healthy as its prepared using just the veggies. The more time you cook, the more tasty it will be :) I'm planning to prepare a chicken soup sometime next week. Will be uploading that soon. Try this vegetable soup & keep your body warm in this chill climate !!

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Tomato
• 1/2 cup chopped Carrot
• 1/4 cup chopped Cabbage
• 1/4 cup chopped Celery
• 1/4 cup Peas
• 1/1/4 cup Milk
• 1/2 tbsp Butter
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 1 tbsp All purpose flour (Maida)
• Salt as required

Directions

1. Cook all the vegetables in 2 1/2 cups water for 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Saute flour in butter and then mix in milk. Sieve the solution to avoid the lumps.
3. Pour the solution  with the boiling vegetables. Add pepper & salt.
4. Boil for some more time & serve the soup hot !

Happy New Year !!!!

Finally back to blogging after a small gap. Happy New Year to my blogger buddies. Hope you all had a fantastic X'mas & New Year :) I enjoyed my holidays in Vegas for 3 days. It was really a different experience. Las Vegas is the most populous city in Nevada (U.S. State). It is popular for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city is known as The Entertainment Capital of the World and is also popular setting for films and tv programs. There are numerous outdoor lighting displays on Fremont Street, as well as elsewhere in the city. The major attractions we visited are the 'Bellagio fountain', 'Bellagio Gallery of Fine Arts', 'The Eiffel Tower experience at Paris', 'Hoover Dam', 'Stratosphere Tower Observation Deck', 'Mob Experience', 'Madame Tussauds Interactive Wax Experience', 'Roy's Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat', 'GameWorks' and a lot of casino resort hotels. Then we watched two shows: One was the 'Michael Jackson-The Immortal World Tour which was mind blowing and 'Disneys The Lion King' at (Mandalay Bay Theatre). Still there are lot more attractions to cover. Maybe in our next visit :) The eat outs which i loved the most were  Hard Rock Cafe, The Buffet at Wynn, Pampas Brazilian Grille, P.F. Chang's and Mon Ami Gabi  . If anyone is planning to go to Vegas, you should definitely try out these! The ambiance & food was just awesome! I'm just sharing few of my trip snaps too. Have a look below :) :)

Las Vegas during the Day time

 Nightlife

 Inside the Casino Resort Hotels

The Christmas Decorations