Eggless Cookies or Butter Biscuits

Ingredients:
maida - 300 gms
sugar - 125 gms
butter -180 gms
milk - 1/4 cup
salt a pinch
pineapple or vanilla essence - 3 drops

Method:
Pre- heat microwave.
If using OTG, pre-heat at 275deg F for 15 minutes.
1. Sieve together maida and salt.  Powder the sugar.  Take the butter out of the fridge an hour or so before you start, so it softens sufficiently. No, don't melt it.

Note: Don't add salt if you are using salted butter.

2. Mix the butter with essence and the powdered sugar. Adding the essence at this stage, ensures even mixing and therefore even distribution of flavour.

When the mixture looks like the image below, add the flour.

3. Mix in the maida and knead till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

5. Keep kneading till the mixture is bound add a few drops of milk if needed. Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of this step. I'll do it and include the picture the next time I make these basic cookies.

6. Roll out the dough into 1/4 " thick slabs. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters.

7. Prick top of each cookie with a fork 3 times to facilitate even baking.

8. Place cookies in a greased tray.

9. Microwave on high for 9-10 minutes. If using OTG at 275deg for 20 minutes.

Note: Subsequent batches bake faster. So try 7 minutes (microwave) for the 2nd batch.

Making Beans Poriyal in Your Microwave

One of the reasons I hate buying beans is it's one vegetable that is least interesting to cook.
Here is one way of cooking it. My family is divided  2/2 about the likability of this dish. Not everyone likes aniseeds with beans.

Ingredients:
Beans - 1/4 kg
sombu/aniseed - 1/4 tbsp
green chillies - 2
roasted peanuts - 3 tbsps
oil - 1 tsp
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
urad dal - 1/2 tsp
curry leaves - 1 sprig
salt to taste

Method:
1. String the beans & chop them.
2. Put the chopped beans in a microwave safe dish. Sprinkle about 3 tbsps of water. Cover with microwave safe lid.
3. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.
4. First grind together the aniseed and green chillies then add the peanuts and grind. No need to add water.
5. Add this ground mixture and salt to the beans.  Mix well.
6. Microwave on high for 2 minutes.  
7. (Do the tempering in a kadai and add to the beans.)
7. In a kadai put the oil add the mustard, when it splutters, add the urad dal - when the urad dal changes colour add the curry leaves. Turn off the heat immediately. Add to the beans and mix well.

Cooking Term: Tempering - is the English term for thaalipu, thadka, poppu...

Variations:
1. substitute the peanuts with coconut.
2. in step 5 mix in chilli flakes & grated coconut instead of the green chillies - aniseed - peanut mixture.