The power of three

Chocolate mug cake

From the many shows featuring chef Ranveer Brar we have seen on TV, we know that he has a sweet tooth. While the desi treats from Lucknow where he hails from might take a lot of time to prepare, these days when you are strapped for time in between working from home and washing vessels, this quick mug cake is all you need for a quick sugar fix. You can either use chocolate spread or Nutella from your fridge.

Ingredients
225 gm chocolate spread/Nutella
2 eggs
35 gm all-purpose flour

Method
Mix everything together.
Pour in a mug and microwave for two minutes.
Pour over some chocolate syrup, in case you happen to have it at home.

Ghee cookies

You can add cocoa to the batter to make cocoa ghee cookies such as these

Chef Pooja Dhingra of Le15 - Café & Patisserie is known for her airy macaroons and decadent cakes, but you don't always need fancy ingredients to bake a sweet treat, she says. "This is a great dessert fix and the recipe is super quick and easy when you are short on time. Most homes will have these basic ingredients. You can eat them with some ice cream, chocolate sauce or just dip them in chai. You can also add cocoa and salt to this recipe, in case you have cocoa at home to make chocolate ghee cookies," says Dhingra.

Ingredients
2 tbsp ghee
30 gm powdered sugar
45 gm flour (can also use aata)
1 tbsp cocoa powder, but this is optional
A pinch of sea salt to sprinkle. This is also optional

Method
In a bowl, whisk ghee and powdered sugar till light and creamy.
In another bowl, sift flour and add it to the above mixture. If you are using cocoa, add it at this stage.
Add salt and mix everything together to form a dough.
Portion the dough, flatten it and place on a baking tray with baking sheet/foil.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 165 degrees centigrade for 15 to 18 minutes.

Beetroot cutlets

Take it from us. From our few trips to the market this month, one of the most easily available vegetables that we have spotted is beetroot. It might seem boring, but Abhishek Basu, executive chef, JW Marriott Mumbai in Juhu, has a solution, one that even kids would love. "We need to make eating fun for kids. These beetroot cutlets are packed with nutrients and taste good, too. They go well with burger buns and can be had for lunch as well," says Basu.

Ingredients
4 medium-sized beetroots
4 medium-sized potatoes
1 large onion
Coriander leaves (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Refined flour and breadcrumbs for coating

Method
Grate the beetroot.
Finely chop the onions and coriander leaves, in case you have them.
Boil the potatoes and let them cool.
Heat a pan with a little oil.
Add the onions and the grated beetroot, and cook with salt and pepper.
Cool it. Then add the boiled potatoes to this mix.
Roll into little balls.
Dip in flour and water batter (you can also dip them in eggs if you have them) and roll in breadcrumbs.
Deep-fry the little balls.

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