Biscuit cake

July 13, 2014

Sorry folk's for the delayed post. This cake was prepared for the Easter party . It was so late in the night that I finished making this cake, forgot to take a pic., realized it while icing as you can see.  This cake is super easy to make and can be used as a dessert to. 

Ingredients
168 Grams  Glucose Biscuit - crushed & powdered

2 Tablespoons Cocoa powder-        

2 Tablespoons Drinking chocolate powder    

2 Tablespoons Sugar powder

2 Tablespoons Walnuts pieces 

5 Grams (1 sachet) Fruit salt ( flavorless ) 

4 Drops Vanilla essence  

200 Ml  Milk 

For the Chocolate Ganache Icing
100 Grams Bittersweet or Semisweet chocolate -chopped
200 Grams Fresh cream

Method
For the cake

Mix all ingredients together. Pour this mixture in a greased microwave proof dish. Level it and microwave on high for 4 minutes.  

For the Chocolate Ganache Icing

Place chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan until bubbles begin to appear around edges, pour over chocolate. Then stir until smooth. Set aside at room temperature until cool but pourable, stirring occasionally.

When cake cools pour the ganache over the cake and spread evenly.  Keep it in the refrigerator to set.  You can serve this cake with ice cream or chocolate sauce.   This cake is super easy to make so enjoy making it and eating it too !!!!!!

Note: 
As you can see I, let the ganache cool completely and used a offset knife to evenly spread it.




Labels: Cakes, Sweets & Desserts, Healthy, Microwave, Eggless

Rice Crepes

July 11, 2014

These rice crepes are soft and spongy yet very fine. These are easy and quick to make. This batter remains in the fridge for a week in an airtight container. It can also be frozen till further use for 15 to 20 days.

Ingredients
1 Cup Rice                 
2 Tablespoons Cooked Rice  
1/8 Teaspoon Dry yeast          
Salt to taste.

Method
Wash  and soak the rice for an hour or two.  Grind this to fine paste along with cooked rice.  Add the yeast and  mix well. Keep it overnight or for 8 - 10 hours till it doubles in size. Add salt and water to make a batter for thin crepes.  This batter cannot be spread with a spoon.

Heat a non-stick pan and just grease it with very little oil. Pour a  ladle full of batter and swirl the pan around so that the batter spreads.  Cover, cook on slow flame till done and the crepe is slightly brown on the sides. Do not flip the crepe. Remove and serve it with chutney or tomato sauce.  We had with sauce. You can also add a filling of your choice and roll it.  This can be given to children as tiffin as they remain soft.  Do try this recipe and give your comments.

Linking this post "Come, join us for Breakfast" event .

Labels: Breakfast, Healthy, Kids delight, South Indian, Vegan, Come join us for Breakfast

Stuffed Brinjals (Bharli Vangi)

July 9, 2014

This recipe needs a bit more oil which makes it delicious as you can see in the pictures. Bharli Vangi are small brinjals stuffed with a sweet and spicy, peanut flavoured masala bringing out all  flavors of Maharashtrian cooking. These brinjals have to be cooked over a slow flame with utmost care in order to preserve the natural flavours of this dish and also that the brinjals do not break or become like paste. This dish also requires a lot of fresh coriander, this also enhances the taste of the dish.

Ingredients

10 small Brinjals/Eggplants

1 large Onion chopped

1 large Tomato chopped

1/2 teaspoon  Ginger chopped

1/2 teaspoon Garlic chopped

1/2 cup dry shredded Coconut,
1/2 cup peanut powder or peanuts (roasted),
1 tablespoons Sesame seeds,
1 teaspoon each coriander-cumin powder
1 tablespoon Goda Masala ,
1 teaspoon Tamarind pulp,
1 teaspoon  Jaggery,
2 teaspoon Chili powder,
salt to taste

For the tempering

1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon Asafoetida,
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder.
1/4 cup oil.
Method

Give the brinjals four vertical slits (not fully) from the bottom of the brinajls keeping the stem intact. Keep them in salt water for 10 minutes and rinse. Set aside.
Roast onions, ginger, garlic,coconut, sesame seeds, coriander-cumin till light brown. Powder this mixture and combine tamarind, jaggery, peanut powder, tomato, salt, chili powder and goda masala with the ground spices. Grind all these ingredients together to fine paste.  Mix chopped coriander and stuff all the brinjals with above masala.
Take a kadai or a shallow non stick pan, and heat oil in it. Add mustard seeds. When they start spluttering  add asafoetida and turmeric powder. Arrange the brinjals and the leftover masala. Gently fry for sometime. Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook with a lid and pour water on top so that the brinjals get cooked in its own steam. Keep the flame low for about 15 minustes or until the brinjals turn soft and completely cooked.  Remove the lid and stir to check if the brinjals are done. If not, cook further until done. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapati or rice.

Labels: Vegetables, Vegan, Brinjal
.

Jamaican Banana Fritters (Eggless)

July 3, 2014

Banana fritters are simple food, the best part of making these is that you can used overripe bananas which otherwise no one would like to eat. Authentic Jamaican banana fritters are dense not fluffy. Let me assure you that they taste so good. They are so easy to make that it requires just minutes to prepare the batter.

Ingredients
3/4 Cup mashed overripe Bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
2 -3 Tablespoon granulated Sugar / Brown Sugar
A pinch Nutmeg
A pinch Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla extract (Optional)
A pinch of Salt
1 Cup All-purpose Flour
1-2 Tablespoon Oil ( I used Ghee)

Method
Mash bananas with sugar and spices; stir flour into banana mixture. If necessary add some milk or water to make a thick batter.

Heat 1 or 2 Tbsp cooking oil and, using a spoon, spoon batter into pan

Fry fritters until crisp and brown on both sides; you may have to add more cooking oil. When you press them if no batter oozes out they’re done.

Remove fritters from pan and place on paper towel. Eat warm. The taste of the cinnamon in these fritters makes it different and gives a awesome taste to it.

Do try them and give your comments.

Note:  You can add an egg but the texture will be like a pancake.For a healthy version you can use wheat flour.

Labels: Breakfast, Healthy, Continental Cuisine, Sweets & Desserts, Jamaica, Fritters

Mango Shrikand/ Amarkand

June 30, 2014

With Mangoes in season and my love for them, as you can see I, have been posting recipes of Mango in various ways.  Here is one of the all time favorite of my hubby "Shrikand".  A container of Shrikand is always there in my fridge.  Since he loves sweet dish after his meal, this is one that is always there when I do not prepare any sweet dish.  A thought just came to my mind, why don't I  prepare Amarkand / Mango Shrikand.  This is the first time I, made Shrikand at home and let me tell this was a  success.  This was worth the effort.  You too give it a try because it is quick and much more tastier than store purchased one.  This is also half the amount you would pay for the store one and double the quantity when prepared at home.  Now that this was a success, will also try and make other flavors of Shrikand.  So let's go to the recipe.  

Ingredients
500 ML Full Cream Milk 
1 Tablespoon Curds
1/2 Cup Mango puree ( A Puree of 2 Alphonso Mangoes)
2 - 3 Tablespoons Sugar powdered
2 Drops Mango essence
2 Tablespoons Mango -  chopped

Method

Heat the milk till just lightly warm. Remove from heat add the curds and mix well, keep this to set. When set take a cheese cloth, pur the curds into it and strain the curds. Keep this cloth in the fridge in  a sieve for all the excess water to drain  or else the curds will turn sour.  You can keep it for 3 - 4 hours or even overnight.  When drained keep it a plate and insert a spoon, when the spoon stays straight that means the curd is ready to use see pic ( this is also called Chakka).  This quantity  will be one cup.

Place this in a blender with the sugar and pulse it 3 times add the essence and mango puree and again pulse it 3 times. Remove it in a serving bowl, add the mango pieces and keep to it the fridge till cold ( 3 hours).  Serve chilled and enjoy !!!.

Note: The milk should not be boiled or else the cream will form when you set the curds. 
See that the curds do not turn sour or else you will not get sweet Shrikand and the taste will not be good.
If the mango is not sweet you can add more powdered sugar to sweeten the Shrikand.
A tinned mango puree can be used, then reduce the quantity sugar.



Labels: Sweets & Desserts, Mango