Navratan Korma

Navratan korma is a delicious dish where vegetables,dry fruits and fruits are cooked in a rich,creamy cashewnut based gravy.I followed the recipe from Vahchef.Lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Vegetables( I used carrot,Beans,peas and Potato) cubed	1 cup
Paneer cubes	10-12
Onion	2
Cashewnut	10
Ginger garlic paste	1 tsp
Green chilli	1
Bay leaf	1
Cinnamon	1 small piece
Cardamom	2
Cumin seeds	½ tsp
Oil	1 tblsp
Coriander powder	1 tsp
Cumin powder	½ tsp
Pepper powder	½ tsp
Cashew and almonds	2 tblsp
Raisins	1 tblsp
Fresh cream	¼ cup
Saffron(optional)	a pinch
Pomegranate (optional)	for garnishing

Method:

• Saute paneer cubes till light brown and keep aside.
• Chop the nuts and saute till golden and keep aside.soak saffron strands in little hot milk.
• Cook the vegetables and keep it ready.
• Heat little water in a pan and add the cashews and chopped onion.Boil till the cashews become soft. Allow to cool and grind to a fine paste.
• Heat oil in a pan,add the bayleaf,cinnamon,cardamom,clove,cumin seeds and ginger garlic paste followed by chopped green chilli and fry till the raw smell of the paste goes off.
• Now add the ground onion-cashew paste and fry in low flame till it becomes brown in colour stirring continuosly.Add the coriander and cumin powders,salt and fry well for a minute. 
• Now add 1 cup water and cook for 3-4 mins till the gravy thickens.
• Add the cooked vegetables,sauted paneer,nuts and raisins and add the pepper powder.
• Add the fresh cream and saffron soaked milk,cover and simmer for around 15 mins in low flame.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Note:

• If you want you can add few chopped pineapple pieces while adding raisins.I have not added any fruit in this recipe.I have used pomegranate in the photos just for garnishing.
• Saffron is optional.

Eggless Blueberry Boy Bait

This Blueberry Boy Bait cake is a soft,rich cake with a delicious crumb studded with blueberries and I tried this recipe from here.The cake tasted similar to the Eggless Raspberry coffee cake which I had made before.The only thing I would like to try next time is to cut down the butter used.Here is the recipe. 

Ingredients:

All purpose flour	1 cup
Baking powder	½ tblsp
Salt	½ tsp
Unsalted butter	100 gms( 1 stick)
Sugar	¾ cup minus 2 tblsp
Blueberries	½ cup
Milk	¼ cup
Yogurt	½ cup
Vanilla essence	1 tsp

Method:

• Preheat oven to 175 º C.
• Sift flour,baking powder and salt.Keep aside.
• Wash the berries thoroughly and pat them dry using kitchen towel.Sprinkle a tsp of flour on the berries and set aside.
• Beat butter(room temperature) and sugar till light and fluffy using an electric beater.Add vanilla,half of the yogurt and milk and beat well.
• Add flour to the butter mixture alternating with yogurt and milk in three additions starting and ending with flour.Don't use electric beater after adding flour.Just fold everything using a ladle and mix till everything is combined well.The batter will be thick dropping consistency.Gently fold half of the blueberries to the batter.
• Pour the batter to a greased and floured pan.Arrange the remaining blueberries on top of the batter and sprinkle granulated sugar (about 2-3  tblsp) evenly over the top of the berries.
• Bake in a preheated oven at 175 ºC for around 40 mins or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
• Once done,allow the cake to cool in the pan completely before slicing them.Otherwise it might crumble when taken immediately.

Note:

• I have used fresh blueberries in this recipe.If using frozen berries add them directly to the batter and don't thaw them.
• The milk quantity given is approximate,add little more if the batter is very dry.