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May 30, 2010

Almond sponge cake


Today is my relaxing weekend. We received a call from pravin's colleague inviting us for the lunch today. I baked this simple & delicious almond cake with sugar glazing for them today. The cake was soft, moist & dense. Anytime I bake this cake, it will be perfect & satisfied. It is fantastic when it is warm & right out of the oven. Best to be served with the tea :)

Ingredients :
  1. All purpose flour - 1 1/2 cups
  2. Baking powder - 2 tsp
  3. Butter - 150 gms
  4. Eggs - 3 nos
  5. Sugar - 1 cup
  6. Almond extract - 1 tsp
  7. Grounded almonds - 1/2 cup
  8. Milk - 3/4 cup
  9. Almond flakes - 1/4 cup
Topping :
  1. Icing sugar - 150 gms
  2. Butter - 2 tsp
  3. Warm water - 1 tsp
  4. Almond flakes for decorating
  5. Chocolate for decorating (optional)

Method :

1. Preheat the oven at 160 C. Prepare & grease the baking pan.

2. Sift the flour & baking powder.

3. Cream the butter & sugar. Add egg one at a time & beat till light.

4. Add almond extract & the flour mixture alternating the milk.

5. Finally, combine the grounded almonds & flakes.

6. Pour the cake batter in the greased pan & bake it for 40 mins or until done.

Sugar glazing :

7. Melt the butter & add warm water.

8. Sift the icing sugar & gradually add the melted butter mixture to it.

9. Drizzle the glazing all around the cake & sprinkle the chocolate & almond flakes immediately.


Serve with tea.

May 26, 2010

Bread Upma


Sometimes we want to cook a quick & delicious meal. Bread upma is one such dish, very easy to make yet taste yum. This is another staple amma's recipe. This dish brings back memories of school, when amma would make this piping hot & I would love to have it any time. This dish is one best way, to convert the leftover breads to a perfect snack or mini meal. No side dishes required , it taste simply delicious.

Ingredients :
  1. Bread slices - 5 nos (3 days old bread)
  2. Oil - 1 tbsp
  3. Cinnamon stick - 1 no
  4. Cloves - 2 nos
  5. Onion - 1 no
  6. Tomato - 1 no
  7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  8. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
  9. Salt to taste
  10. Corriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

1. Remove the bread crust & slice them into tiny pieces.

2. Heat oil in the pan, add cinnamon stick & cloves. Add chopped onions & saute.

3. Add finely chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, chilly powder & salt to taste. Cover & cook.

4. Finally add the sliced bread pieces & combine. Cook for a min.

5. Garnish it with corriander leaves.


Serve warm.

May 20, 2010

Pav Bhaji


Pav Bhaji is one of the favourite snacks in Indian Cuisine. It is particularly very famous in Mumbai and you can find street vendors all across the city offering this yummy dish.

Pav Bhaji is quite easy to prepare and can be made at home without too much hassle. Bhaji can be made with any vegetables & served with store bought pav. Here, we don't get pav so I use burger buns which taste great for this dish.

Ingredients :
  1. 10 - pavs (small squares of bread shaped like buns)
  2. 1 - large potato, boiled and mashed slightly
  3. 2 cups - mixed boiled vegetables (cauliflower, carrots, peas)
  4. 1 - large onion, chopped
  5. 1 1/2 cups - of chopped tomatoes
  6. 1 cup - tomato puree
  7. 1 cup - sliced capsicum
  8. Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
  9. 1 tsp - cumin seeds
  10. 1/2 tsp - turmeric powder
  11. 1/2 tsp - chilli powder
  12. 2 - green chillies, chopped finely
  13. Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
  14. 2 tbsp - pav bhaji masala
  15. Butter to cook
  16. Salt to taste

Method :

1. Heat about 3-4 tbsp of butter , add onions and saute them till soft.

2. Add capsicum and saute for another min. Add ginger-garlic paste along with chillies. Saute another 2 min.

3. Add the tomatoes and puree. Mix well. Add the boiled vegetables along with the potatoes, mix well and if the gravy is thick add little water.

4. Meanwhile heat a non-stick pan and grease it with butter. Take a bun/Pav, slice it in half and cook with butter until lightly brown on both the sides.


Serve hot with the bhaji(gravy) garnish with cilantro and lemon wedges.

May 17, 2010

Vanilla Walnut cake



Last weekend is full of joy & enjoyment. It's pravin birthday & this time he personally asked me to make vanilla walnut cake for his day. It turned out simply amazing & very tasty. He was showered with lotz of greetings & wishes from his friends & relatives.


Happy Birthday Pravin !!!!

Ingredients :
  1. All purpose flour - 2 cups
  2. Baking powder - 2 tsp
  3. Butter - 1 cup
  4. Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
  5. Eggs - 4 nos
  6. Vanilla essence - 2 tsp
  7. Walnuts - 1/2 cups (toasted in flour)
  8. Milk - 3/4 cup
Method :


1. Sieve the flour & baking powder together. Keep aside.

2. Cream the butter & sugar till light & fluffy. Add eggs one at a time & beating well after each addition.

3. Add flour mixture alternately with milk & vanilla essence. Beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in chopped walnuts.

4. Grease the baking pan with butter & flour. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 20 to 25 mins at 350 or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool & remove from the pan.


Serve.

May 13, 2010

Indo-Chinese Chicken Manchurian


Chicken manchurian is simple to make yet taste delicious. Served along side with fried rice or noodles, it makes a delightful meal. A vegetarian version can be made by substituting the chicken pieces with cauliflower florets. This is one of the favourite in my house, especially my DH loves this very much !!!

Ingredients:
  1. 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
  2. Ginger - 1 inch piece, peeled and minced
  3. Garlic - 4 large cloves, finely minced
  4. Onion - 1 medium size, finely chopped
  5. Green chillies - 5 nos
  6. Chilly powder - 1 tsp
  7. soy sauce - 2 tbsp
  8. Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp
  9. Cornstarch - 1 tbsp
  10. 1 cup of water
  11. Oil - 2 tbsp
  12. salt to taste
  13. Black pepper to taste
  14. Corriander leaves for garnishing

Method :

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with salt, pepper and half of garlic and ginger. Mix well to combine and let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

2. In a large skillet, add the oil and heat on medium. Prepare a slurry by combining the cornstarch and the water. Mix thoroughly to create a smooth batter. Pour the mixture over the marinated chicken and coat well. Fry the chicken pieces until golden brown and crispy on all sides. Drain well and set aside until needed.

3. To the same pan add the chilies, onion and the remaining garlic and ginger. Stir fry this for 4-5 minutes until the onions start to brown. Add the chilly powder, soy sauce and tomato ketchup.

4. Reduce the heat to low and check the seasoning. Add the crispy chicken pieces; they will soften slightly as they absorb the sauce. If your sauce is too thick, add water if needed.

Garnish with corriander leaves & serve.


May 5, 2010

Mozzarella tomato with basil Sandwich



This is a wonderful dish, which brings together tomatoes, mozzarella & fresh basil. The result is incredibly fresh & flavourful dish. This is a quick & no cook vegetarian meal. Great for those days when you don't feel like cooking. Instead of mayonnaise, this can be seasoned with balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper for different taste. I like to refrigerate it before serving.

Ingredients :
  1. 2 slices of Italian bread (or) sandwich bread
  2. Tomatoes, sliced - 2 nos
  3. 6 fresh Basil leaves (finely chopped)
  4. 4 ounces fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced
  5. Mayonnaise

Method :

1. Slice the bread in half. Spread the mayonnaise & then layer the tomatoes, basil & mozzarella cheese between the two halves of the bread.

2. Cut into four sandwiches & refrigerate.


Serve immediately or cool.
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