Apple Pie Recipe

Ingredients
2 green apples
1 cup all purpose flour
60 gm Amul butter frozen and cut into cubes
1/2 cup caster sugar
3tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp lime juice
Pinch of salt
Chilled water

Method
1. Sieve the all purpose flour and add a pinch of salt.
2. Make a crumble mixture by mixing butter cubes with the flour mixture.

The flour and butter mixture 

3. Add chilled water as required to make a dough.
4. Allow the dough to rest for 5 minutes.
5. Divide the dough into 2 halves . Roll one half of the dough into a circle.
6. Pre heat the oven at 180 degree C.
7. Grease the baking dish by adding a little butter.
8. Cover the baking dish with the dough and blind bake for 15 minutes at 180 degree C.

Dough rolled in the baking dish

Blind baking the dough 

9. Peel and slice the apples. Mix sugar, cinnamon powder and lime juice.

10. Now roll the other half of the dough into a circular shape.
11. Place the sliced apples mixture in the baking dish. Cover the apple mixture with rolled dough.
12. Create some openings in the pie for the steam to release out.

Pie ready to gain in the oven

13. Put the apple pie back in the oven at 180 degree C for 15 mins or until the upper crust is brown.
14. Enjoy the hot apple pie.

Apple Pie 

Tip - Use green apples  as they are firm and give a nice tangy taste.

If you don't want to make pie you can also make apple crumble. Put the apple mixture in the baking dish and cover the flour crumble mixture over the apples and bake in the oven . 

Hummus with falafels

There is a new chain Falafel's in Pune. They have 3 shops in Pune. All of them situated in malls - Phoenix Market City, Inorbit Mall, Amnora Town Center. I tries the outlet at Phoenix Market City.

 I tried the hummus with falafels. The platter consisted of  huge bowl of hummus, 5 - 6 falafels, 2 pita breads cut into quarters and pickled vegetables. The complete platter was sufficient for 1 person and the total cost was INR 199.

The pita bread was made from wheat flour and was light and fresh.The falafels were crisp and were made from peas. They were served on a huge spread of humus drizzled with lemon juice ,olive oil and paprika. The pickled vegetables (cabbage, carrots ) were crisp and had a nice tangy taste of vinegar.

It was nice to try different cuisine and flavors. Planning to  again next weekend :)

You can try falafels and the hummus at home as well.

Check the recipe for falafels  on
http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/falafels-2770

Check the recipe of hummus on http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/peanut-butter-hummus. Though the hummus i tried did not contain peanut butter.

Khas khas badam ka halwa

Ingredients
1/2 cup khas khas soaked overnight
15 almonds soaked overnight
12 tbsp ghee
12 tbsp sugar
12 tbsp milk

Method
1. Peel the soaked almonds.
2. Make a smooth paste of the khas khas and almonds.
3. Heat ghee in a non stick pan and add the khas khas and almond paste to it .
4. Keep stirring the paste until it turns brown
5. If ghee is less and the paste( khas khas and almond) sticks to the bottom of the pan add more ghee.
6. Now add the sugar and mix well.
7. To this mixture now add milk.
8. Cover the pan with the lid and allow it to simmer .
9. The halwa is done when ghee starts appearing on top.
10 enjoy the khas khas badam ka halwa :)

The color of the halwa before youa dd sugar and milk 

Khas khas and badam ka halwa ready :)

Tip - Use non stick pan to make the halwa . The khas khas and almond paste will not stick to the bottom of the pan .