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Cooking Tips: How To Make Perfect Rajasthani Bati At Home

Cooking Tips: How To Make Perfect Rajasthani Bati At Home

Bati is a popular Rajasthani bread made using whole wheat flour and ghee. Crispy from the outside and soft from the inside, this quintessential Rajasthani delicacy is an absolute delight to eat. It is typically served with dal, chutney, churma, and topped with a generous drizzle of ghee. Made using local ingredients, bati is quite flavourful and has a unique texture. However, making it at home can be quite challenging. Did your bati turn out to be too soft or too hard? If you’re someone who often faces this problem, we’ve got you covered. While it may take some practice to perfect the art of making this Rajasthani bread, here are some easy tips that’ll come in handy the next time you struggle to make bati at home.

Also read: Rajasthani Dal Bati Recipe Will Give Your Weekend Meal A Royal Makeover

dal bati

Do you often find yourself wondering?…

Why Is My Bati So Hard?

Bati tastes best when it is neither too soft nor too hard. Your bati may turn out to be hard if you fry it for a longer period of time. There are chances of over-frying, and this could easily make it harder from the inside.

What Are The Types Of Bati?

This Rajasthani bread can be relished as is or stuffed with various fillings. You can stuff it with peas, onions, potatoes or even sattu.

Who Invented Bati?

According to studies, it is believed that bati was invented by the founder of the kingdom of Mewar – Bappa Rawal. Back then, it was their preferred war-time meal. 

Also read: 11 Sumptous Rajasthani Recipes | Popular Rajasthani Recipes

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Here Are Some Tips To Make Perfect Rajasthani Bati At Home:

1. Knead The Dough Well

Kneading the dough well is the first step in ensuring that your batis turns out to be of the right texture. If you knead the dough too smoothly, it will ruin the crispness of the batis. Always knead a firm dough instead of a smooth one as this allows them to retain their shape.

2. Bake It

Batis are traditionally cooked in a tandoor. However, since most of us do not have access to a tandoor, it’s best to bake them. While some people also choose to fry them, there are high chances that you might over-fry them. Baking is much simpler and allows you to check the hardness of the batis.

3. Add Loads Of Ghee

Ghee is something that you simply cannot compromise on while making batis. It gives them a rich flavour and helps enhance their taste. Make sure to rub the dough with enough ghee instead of water.

4. Add Yogurt

Another ingredient that can help you make perfect batis at home is yogurt. While kneading the dough, you can add 1-2 tsp of yogurt along with the ghee. This too helps in enhancing the flavour of the batis.

Try these tips and let us know how they worked for you in the comments below.

About Vaishali KapilaVaishali finds comfort in eating parathas and rajma chawal but is equally enthusiastic about exploring different cuisines. When she’s not eating or baking, you can often find her curled up on the couch watching her favourite TV show – FRIENDS.

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Cocktail hour: Fun and easy drink recipes to try at home | Featured

Cocktail hour: Fun and easy drink recipes to try at home | Featured







Cocktail hour Fun and easy drink recipes to try at home




Cocktail hour is a great way to end the day and kick off celebrations with friends. Whether you’re throwing an at-home happy hour or virtual cocktail get-together or want something fun to make at home while having some time alone, these cocktail recipes are sure to thrill your taste buds.

From creative twists on classic drinks like margaritas and mojitos to unique new recipes you won’t find anywhere else, these drinks will take your at-home happy hour experience up a notch. Also, with their easy instructions and the few ingredients needed, anyone can quickly learn how to mix up delicious cocktails. 

French 75

The French 75 is one of the most iconic drinks, combining a refreshing combination of gin and champagne. You can enjoy this classic cocktail at a bar or restaurant, but making your version at home is also straightforward. You only need simple ingredients like citrus juice, sugar syrup, gin, and champagne. Mix all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and pour into a chilled glass.

Your guests will be impressed as you serve up this delicious tipple. Don’t forget a garnish – an orange twist does the trick nicely. A French 75 is the perfect way to kick off any cocktail hour for that added bit of sparkle and sophistication.

Salty Dog

The Salty Dog is the perfect drink for easy at-home entertaining — it’s a twist on the classic Grapefruit Margarita that uses vodka, grapefruit juice, and salt to give it an extra kick. All you need to make this delicious drink is two ounces of your favorite vodka, four ounces of fresh pink grapefruit juice, sugar or simple syrup as desired, and a pinch of coarse sea salt.

Shake all ingredients with some ice until chilled, serve over fresh ice if needed, and garnish with some slices of Grapefruit or a sprig of rosemary. Not only will your guests love this sophisticated and straightforward beverage, but they’ll be coming back for more. If you are a vodka lover, you should check out vodka clubs.

Classic Margarita

Cocktail hour is the perfect sign of the weekend being in sight, and it just so happens that enjoying one at home can now be even more accessible. A classic margarita is a timeless favorite, and we have the perfect recipe for you to try. This classic concoction requires only three ingredients: tequila, orange liqueur, and lime juice. All left to do is mix them and pour them into a glass with either salt or sugar lining the rim. Enjoy this fun yet easy cocktail recipe at your next evening celebration.

Mojito

Are you ready to turn your kitchen into the best speakeasy in town? All you need for a delightful evening is a classic and easy mojito. Start by muddling fresh mint leaves and lime wedges – it adds extra flavor to the drink, not to mention heavenly aromas that will flow through your house. Then add white rum, sugar, and club soda – these few ingredients are all it takes to make this Cuban cocktail.

Let your troubles drift away with every sip of this refreshingly sweet and tart concoction. So dim the lights and choose some music because, with a mojito in hand, you’re all set for an indulgent night of relaxation at home.

Bramble

Nothing says summer like a cool, refreshing drink on the porch with friends. Look no further than the Bramble if you want something special to change up your at-home happy hour routines. The Bramble is a delicious gin-based cocktail that features sweet blackberry and tart raspberry flavors balanced by subtle herbaceous notes of juniper.

It’s an easy recipe at home – mix gin, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, creme de mure, and crushed ice in a shaker cup. Serve this delightful mix with some fresh berries or mint sprigs for garnish, and enjoy your unique take on the classic Bramble.

Tequila Sunrise

Cocktail hour is a great way to add a festive flair to any occasion, big or small. One fun and easy drink recipe you can try at home is a Tequila Sunrise. This classic drink is prepared with tequila, orange juice, and grenadine syrup and served in a highball glass over ice. Start by pouring a measure of tequila into the glass and top it up with orange juice – the sweeter, the better.

Stir the ingredients together, then flaunt your bartending skills by adding that beautiful red color of grenadine. Finally, garnish with an orange slice for extra color and flavor. Chill out with this timeless drink while you soak up the sunset – Tequila Sunrise will make every hour special.

Pimm’s Cup

The Pimm’s Cup is a classic British drink perfect for cocktail hour. This timeless recipe calls for Pimms No. 1, a gin-based liqueur that adds an exciting and complex flavor to the drink. Start by adding ice cubes to a tall glass along with your preferred amount of Pimm’s No. 1, then add equal parts ginger ale and lemonade for sweetness and fizziness.

Garnish with fresh cucumber slices, mint leaves, and oranges, and let your guests enjoy this delicious blend of flavors. Not only does it make the perfect accompaniment to nibbles and conversation at home, but it will also set the mood for any social gathering.

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National Oreo Cookie Day: Delicious Oreo dessert recipes to try at home

National Oreo Cookie Day: Delicious Oreo dessert recipes to try at home

On this day (March 6) in 1912, around 111 years back, Oreo cookies were first introduced by National Biscuit Company (Nabisco) and since then its popularity across the globe has only been rising. There are many versions of this cream cookie which has both the slightly bitter taste of chocolate and the creamy and satisfying sweetness of its filling. Enjoyed on its own or used in several recipes from cheesecake to milkshake topping, Oreo cookies have been winning hearts of many. There is an endless variety of Oreo desserts one can make on a lazy day with minimum effort. National Oreo cookie day is celebrated every year on March 6 to celebrate the birth of this delicious cookie. (Also read: National Pistachio Day: 5 healthy and delicious pistachio recipes to try)

On this occasion Abhijeet Bagwe, Executive Chef, Novotel Mumbai International Airport shares two easy-to-make Oreo recipes you can make at home.

1. Oreo Brownie Recipe

Ingredients

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate; coarsely chopped

¾ cup (12 tablespoons) butter

1 ¾ cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

12 Oreos, chopped

Method of making

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

• Microwave chocolate and butter in a large bowl at medium (50{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} power) for 3-4 minutes or until butter is melted.

• Whisk until chocolate is melted. Whisk in sugar until fully blended, then whisk in eggs one at a time, then vanilla and salt. Gradually add flour and stir until just combined. Fold in 12 chopped Oreo cookies.

• Spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes; do not over bake.

• Remove to cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before cutting.

• Garnish with 70{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} dark chocolate cream and oreo cookies with flash of gold leaf.

2. Oreo Tiramisu Recipe

Ingredients

18 Oreo cookies

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tbsp. instant espresso

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tub (8 oz.) mascarpone cheese

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Method of making

• Reserve 6 cookies for later use. Process remaining cookies by chopping it coarsely or crushed; set aside.

• Add espresso powder to milk; stir until dissolved.

• Whisk whipping cream and sugar in medium bowl with mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form; spoon into separate bowl.

• Beat mascarpone and vanilla in medium bowl with mixer on medium speed until blended. Gradually beat in espresso mixture. Fold in whipped cream.

• Spoon into resealable plastic bag. Cut small piece off one bottom corner of bag; use to pipe small amount of the mascarpone mixture into martini glasses; top with some of the cookie crumb mixture.

• Repeat layers. Garnish with reserved cookies and dust the coco powder on top.

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27 Best Cooking Tips All Home Cooks Should Know

27 Best Cooking Tips All Home Cooks Should Know
27 Best Cooking Tips All Home Cooks Should Know
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Mardi Gras recipes to make at home

Mardi Gras recipes to make at home

While some people might wish they were enjoying some gumbo on Bourbon Street or starting the day at Café Du Monde with a beignet and café au lait, many people are waking up to their typical routine. Although Fat Tuesday is full of food traditions, it might be time to get into the kitchen and enjoy a taste of the Big Easy at home. These Mardi Gras recipes will have the good times rolling all day long.

As some people appreciate, the Fat Tuesday is a time to indulge in a few more treats before Lent begins. For others, the Mardi Gras celebration is a time to enjoy some delicious food choices. From Mardi Gras cocktails to sweet treats, there are a variety of options to fill the table.

One iconic Mardi Gras celebration food is the King Cake. The colorful, sweet treat is a classic. While there is a classic flavor, Albertsons and DoorDash offered delivery of the dessert. According to the two brands, the delivery program shipped “nearly 1,100 King Cakes across 664 cities in all 50 states” last year.

King Cake colors Universal Orlando Mardi Gras menu

Universal Orlando Mardi Gras, King Cake, photo provided by Cristine Struble

For those people who prefer to get into the kitchen and make their own version of the King Cake, Pink House Alchemy has shared their recipe for the classic dessert. While there are a lot of ingredients and steps, making your own King Cake will impress everyone around the table.

King Cake

Ingredients:

Dough:

  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 2 tbs butter
  • ¾ tsp kosher salt
  • ⅓ cup warm water
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 egg (room temperature and slightly beaten)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbs pH Delight Syrup
  • 2 ½ cups bread flour
  • · Filling:
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • ¼ cup pH Delight
  • 1 tbs cinnamon
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup flour

Glaze:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tbs whole milk
  • 1 tbs pH Delight Syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp kosher salt

Method:

  • Heat milk and butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 – 45 seconds until the butter is melted, then add salt. Let this mixture cool slightly.
  • In a mixing bowl, add the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Stir this until the yeast dissolves and let this sit for 5-10 minutes or until the yeast is foamy.
  • Once the yeast has activated, add the milk + butter mixture, egg, vanilla, pH delight, and 2 cups of bread flour. Knead this with a bread hook on a medium speed for 5 mins or by hand for 10. Slowly add in the remaining flour if the dough is too sticky.
  • Once the dough has been kneaded, spray another bowl with nonstick cooking spray and add the dough. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp cloth and let the dough sit until it’s doubled in size (about 75-90 mins).

Filling:

  • Beat the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy, then add the remaining ingredients. It will be a little sticky, but that is okay.
  • Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • Once the dough has been proofed, lightly flour a hard surface to roll out the dough. It should be a 10 x 18 inch rectangle. Once you get the dough to this size, add the cream cheese mixture to one side of the dough and fold the remaining dough on top (you should now have a 5 x 9-inch rectangle.
  • Cut this in half and braid the two pieces together to form a braided circle. (I like to pinch the last bit of dough together.
  • Move the ring to the parchment-lined baking sheet and let it proof again for another 45 mins.
  • During this second proof, you can preheat the oven to 335 degrees. The lower temperature helps the middle cook without burning the outside.
  • Bake the cake for 30-35 mins. The top will be golden brown.
  • Let the cake cool for 30 minutes until you add the glaze and sprinkle.

Glaze:

  • Make the glaze while the cake cools by adding all the ingredients into a bowl and whisking it together. The glaze will be thick. That is what you want.
  • Before you glaze your cake, add a gold coin or a baby figurine to a random section of the cake (just make sure it is fully pushed down into the cake).
  • Once the glaze is ready, you can pour it on your cake and then decorate it with purple, yellow, and dark green sanding sugar. You can find the sugar along the baking aisle at the grocery store or any craft store.

For those unfamiliar, the gold coin or baby is considered good luck for the person who finds it. Also, it determines who has to bring the King Cake for the following year’s celebration.

While King Cake is often the colorful Mardi Gras recipes option, many people opt for beignets. The classic fried dough smothered in powdered sugar is a favorite. Disney and Universal have shared their recipes before. Even Cracker Barrel’s the Pancake Kitchen offers its biscuit beignets for delivery.

As for other Mardi Gras recipes, gumbo, etouffee, and even just a big plate of crawfish can keep the good food and good times rolling. A taste of NOLA is not limited to the Big Easy. It can be found in your own kitchen, if you are willing to put forth the effort.

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Global affair: OSU students return home with food, culture at International Bazaar | Entertainment

Global affair: OSU students return home with food, culture at International Bazaar | Entertainment

Saani Mohammed stands below a connected banner of international flags in traditional Ghanaian attire and basks in the exposure for his country.

Finally, he feels seen, he said.

Not just a statistic or body walking across Oklahoma State University’s campus.

Mohammed finally acted as if he was home. He was. Kinda.

OSU’s International Student Organization hosted its annual International Bazaar, a three-hour fun fest filled with dozens of global foods, strong flavor and music, on Saturday afternoon in the Wes Watkins Center.

“This is big exposure for us,” Mohammed said. “Mostly Africa is not portrayed in the positive light. But we have our food here. Some of us have our national cultural dresses. People seem them and they’re like, ‘Who are these people?’ Then we talk about it. It makes us feel included.”

More than 200 students and Stillwater residents bounced from 12 booths and sampled deserts and entrees from more than 12 countries or regions.

It’s times like Saturday that show food and community can bring folks together.

“The purpose of today is to show Stillwater community the diversity of international students that we have here on campus,” Salome Suarez, International Student Organization president said. “Each area club has prepared different dishes from their own country. We want everybody to see how the dishes are from other parts of the world.”

Foods ranged from the Bangladeshi students’ tandoori chicken to the Latino American students’ cheese empanadas. Lots of desert, too.

Within hours, the exhibit hall transformed into a multicultural kitchen.

Tim Huff, ISO’s adviser, said the event began more than three decades ago. It’s one of ISO’s five annual events and the purpose remains.

“It gives all these students a home,” Huff said. “They feel like they belong when they’re here. You can see them just relax and get into it. It’s very important to see the true nature and culture of these kids because they settle in here.”

Many of the foods appeared similar. Lots of chicken and different meats. But cultural differences appeared in the bite and the food’s preparation.

The Nepalese Student Organization sold about 750 momos, steamed dumplings filled with chicken and vegetables.

Niranjan Pokhrel, a horticulture master’s student from Nepal said the group started making the food at 6 p.m. Friday night. The job wasn’t finished until 3:30 a.m.

It’s no easy task.

“It takes a lot of effort to make that,” he said. “It’s also a skill thing. Not everyone can make it. We had some people’s friends and seniors were really good at making it.”

In Persian culture, kitchens are the realm of women, Yaser Shamsi, Iran native and doctorate student in OSU’s English department, said. Men perform tasks of manual labor such as moving large pots. But women make the food.

“Even looking at the way people celebrate things and the way people cook (are different),” Shamsi said. “You can cook the same ingredient when you just buy it from a shop like Walmart. But when it goes home and it goes through the process that happens in the kitchen, it is the culture, the background and the people that makes the final dish that you see here.”

His wife made most of the Iranian items, such as falafel.

“Having a community of Iranian people just makes me feel as if it’s not that far away from family,” Shamsi said. “OSU is really international friendly. This is one of the events that I really appreciate.”

OSU boasted 1,519 international students in fall 2022, according to OSU international student statistics provided to The O’Colly.

Mayank Talreja, a master’s student from India, represents OSU’s largest international community. The country’s 418 students make it OSU’s biggest international population.

The Indian Student Association also won the event’s best desert content with its kalakand, an Indian milk cake.

“That is what encourages us and gives me a motivation to do something for students,” Talreja said. “We help students transition their life from India to a new country here. It’s been great that a lot of friends are here from our country.”

ISO will also host its Culture Night on April 8 in the Seretean Center for the Performing Arts, another opportunity for OSU’s international students.