CasualCook

              MOONG DHAL TADKA My favorite dhal recipe made with split yellow lentils. Easy to cook and taste awesome.  Moong dhal tadka is made by cooking the lentils with tumeric and salt. Onion, ginger, garlic, green chilli, dried red chilli, tomato, curry leaves, cumin and mustard seeds are  fried in ghee or oil then added to the cooked dhal makes this a delicious vegetarian dish. Some notes on making Moong dhal tadka: - For this recipe I'm using stove - top pot to boil the dhal. You can also use pressure cooker or even rice cooker. - Soaking the dhal is an optional but cooks faster. - Dhal thickens as they cool down. The texture should not be too thick or runny. It should be in between of the two. So adjust the consistency according to your liking. - I'm using ghee to do the tadka, which makes it more flavorful. You can keep it vegan by using vegetable oil instead which will taste just as good. Let's get cooking! INGREDIENTS - 1 cup moon...

             EGGLESS OAT COOKIES You'll love these super crunchy, rich buttery oat cookies. They're just one of those classic cookies everyone will love. This recipe is egg free and made with simple ingredients. Made in one bowl by hand, don't require any chilling and can be baked right away. Use this perfect oatmeal cookie recipe as a base for add-ins such as chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries, nuts and for an extra special twist, add cinnamon powder for that lovely hint of warmth and spice.  Let's get baking! INGREDIENTS - 300g all purpose flour - 300g salted butter - 150g castor sugar ( increase or reduce the amount to your preference) -  200g rolled oats  - 2 tbsp fresh milk - 2 tbsp golden syrup (optinal) - 1 tsp baking soda METHOD - Pre heat oven to 170c  - In a medium bowl combine the flour and baking soda. Set aside - In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add flour mixture into the butter and sugar m...

               EGGLESS CHOCOLATE                          M&M COOKIES Aren't these cookies so beautiful? My kids absolutely love chocolate cookies but by adding M&Ms it tastes a whole lot better and it looks prettier too. These slightly crispy, buttery and chocolatey cookies are a big hit among adults and kids alike.  This recipe uses just a few basic ingredients - flour, butter, sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla essence. It is also really easy to make, no refrigeration is needed, no mixer is needed. Just whip up the ingredients, then bake and enjoy! Tips for making M&M cookies : Make sure your butter is softened to room    temperature but not melted. If butter   is too soft, the cookies will spread too much    while baking. : Use the best quality butter and cocoa    powder it makes a huge difference.    : The use of li...

Vv MINI CHOCOLATE TART These decadent mini chocolate tarts are made from digestive biscuit crust and chocolate ganache filling. They may look simple but they taste so good , and they couldn't be easier to make. It's usually the last minute dessert I go for when I have very little time ahead. You can't go wrong with the chocolate tart, it's so impossible to fail. Serve as an after dinner treat or with your afternoon cuppa. Let's get baking!  INGREDIENTS FOR PASTRY - 180g digestive biscuit - 70g salted butter ( melted) FOR FILLING - 1/4 cup heavy cream - 2 oz semi sweet/ bitter sweet chocolate   ( Chopped) METHOD - Pre heat oven to 165c - Melt butter in a small saucepan and leave   to cool slightly. - In a food processor whiz digestive biscuits   until they are fine and crumbly. - Add melted butter into the crushed cookies    until evenly moistened. - Lightly grease the mini tart pans.   Press cookie mixture into the mini tart   pans, allowing it to...

VEGETARIAN CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE Craving for dessert now? Try this lava cake.  They look fancy on the plate and are really easy to make. From start to finish. It takes only 30 minutes to whip up this 9 ingredients batter. These romantic and decadent desserts are usually served in restaurants. But I'm telling you the home made version is so much better. When your folk breaks through the exterior of the cake, the divine luscious liquid oozes out. I'm sure you will fall in love with this recipe. To make this lava cake, I have used 70% bitter sweet compound chocolate which is meant for baking to get the lava effect. Avoid using chocolate chips or ready to eat chocolate. Use both good quality chocolate and cocoa powder. It makes a huge difference.  You can make this cake in ramekins, aluminum foil cups or muffin moulds. Here I'm using muffin moulds. To avoid the cake sticking to the mould,  I have greased the muffin pan with butter and dust with  cocoa powder. Then place cu...

EGGLESS LEMON COOKIES If you like lemon, you've going to loOve these cookies. There is something about lemon that's just so refreshing. Bursting with sweet and tangy flavours, these cookies pair well with a cuppa.  This recipe is ridiculously easy and fuss free. I want these cookies to actually taste lemony. So I used a combination of zest and fresh lemon juice for this recipe. I drizzle the cookies with a glaze, which adds a pop of  flavour to every bite. The glaze is optional but recommended, it really makes that lemon  shine. This recipe makes small batches. You may double this recipe if needed. These cookies are so addictive that you'll keep going back for  more and more . Let's get baking! INGREDIENTS   - 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour - 113 g butter ( room temperature) - 3/4 cup granulated sugar - 1/2 tsp baking powder  - 1 tsp vanilla essence / extract - 1/2 tbsp milk powder - lemon rinds from 1 lemon - 3 tbsp lemon juice Lemon glaze - 1/2 cup icing sug...

  Tofu Cutlet We love our tofu! I always try reducing our meat intake and strive to eat more plant based foods. It's a great source of protein and is low in fat. Tofu is easy to cook with and is an extremely versatile ingredient. I love that it has a very natural flavor and is great when paired with other ingredients and flavours. Today, Im making tofu cutlets. I have made many kinds of cutlets before ... but with tofu I've made plenty of mistakes.  Frequently  ending in soggy and floppy cutlets. Tofu has alot of moisture. Because of this, I squeeze the tofu in a muslin cloth to wring the extra water out. After the tofu has been wrung dry,  season by adding spices and vegetables if you prefer. I sprinkle some salt onto my cutlets after frying . The salt adheres to the fried food and leaves a pleasant flavour.  Let's get started! I ngredients: - 6 extra firm tofu - 1 medium size potato ( boil and mash) - 1 green chili ( finally chopped) - 1 medium size onions ( f...

  White Chocolate tart with Strawberies Chocolate tart.... Yumyyyy! This buttery , and crunchy crust, topped with a smooth and creamy white chocolate filling  balanced by the tartness of the strawberies is simply divine. In this recipe I'm using a 6' tart pan. You may double the recipe for a bigger pan or instead of one big tart, you can make mini tarts as well.    I always used dark chocolate in my baked goods simply because my kids are a huge fan of dark chocolate. However, i wanted to try something differant. So I decided to make this tart with white chocolate instead. White chocolate is much sweeter than dark chocolate so I recommend using sour-ish fruits to compliment  the sweetness . I had some strawberries in the fridge and decided to use those, but you can use any fruit of your choice It turned out perfect and the strawberries really compliment the white chocolate. A perfect feast for the eyes and mouth! Happy baking. This is how I made it. For crust: : ...