Blueberry & Cream Cheese Croque Cake#BakingBloggers

Today at Baking Bloggers are visiting France. Made this croque-cake.  A Croque Cake is layered with white bread slices ,ham, cheese, etc which can be replaced by different ingredients of your choice, this is also know as a giant croque monsieur.  

Ingredients
4 + 3 Big Slices Bread 

2 + 2 Small Eggs 

30 Grams + 30 Grams Granulated Sugar 

80ML + 80 Ml Soy milk - can use normal milk
¼ Teaspoon + ¼ Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
10 Grams + 10 Grams Butter 

120 Grams Cream cheese - cut into tiny cubes 

100 Grams Fresh Blueberries - I used frozen

Method
Line and the sides and grease 7 Inch loaf pan 

Cut the sides of the bread and keep aside.  The white part cut into into 2 parts length ways or to fit your pan. 

In a big bowl beat the 2 eggs at a time add one part of the sugar, essence, soy milk and butter, give it a good whisk. 

First dip the sides of 4 bread slices 

Arrange the sides of the bread slices in the loaf pan length ways. 

Then place the white part of the bread dip in egg mixture on top of it. 

Now  sprinkle the cubes of cheese and blueberries on top.  

Beat the next part of  2 eggs at a time add the remaining part of the sugar, essence, soy milk and butter,  give it a good whisk. Again dip the sides of  the white bread slices, arrange it on top then dip the white cut part of the bread slice and on top of this  sprinkle the cubes of cheese and blueberries on top. 

Again the bread slices dipped in egg mix and pack this well. Pour any remaining egg mix on top. 

Press lightly and bake it in a preheated oven at 200°C for 25 to 30 minutes or till golden top top and skewer inserted comes out clean.

Lift the paper up on to a cooling rack. 

When cooled, dust it with icing sugar on top (this is optional).

Cut into slices on a cutting board and serve. 

Enjoy this beautiful and delicious Blueberry & Cream Cheese Croque Cake. Have with for breakfast like we did or for evening tea.
Lables : French, France, Baked, Blueberries, Cream Cheese, Egg, Bread Slices, Baking Bloggers, Cakes

August 2020: French Baking 

• Alsatian Bacon and Onion Tart (Tarte Flambée) from Making Miracles
• Blueberry & Cream Cheese Croque Cake from Sneha's Recipe
• Broyé du Poitou (Shortbread from Poitiers) from Tara's Multicultural Table
• Chocolate-Covered Cherry Bon Bon Cookies from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Crème Brûlée from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Easy Cauliflower Gratin from Cook with Renu
• Fraisier - French Strawberry Cake from Veg'n'Bake
• French Breakfast Puffs from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Gratin aux Courgette from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Pain de Campagne (French Country Bread) from Caroline's Cooking
• Pissaladière - Bacon Onion Anchovy and Olive Tart from Food Lust People Love
• Poulet à la Normande from Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Goalondo Chicken Curry With Bella Chara Porota#EattheWorld

Goalondo Chicken Curry is also know as a steamer curry or boatmen style chicken curry is a very rustic curry. more like a stew made with fresh cut chicken pieces with skin and just basic spices. This chicken curry used to be made by the Muslim boatmen on river routes. Since, there were very limited resources to make the chicken curry in boat/steamer, this usually made with freshly chopped ingredients. I added boiled eggs to the curry as it is mostly added by them. I made this in a traditional way using mustard oil and the curry tasted so good, that you won't get that smell of the oil while enjoying this curry. Do use mustard oil in this curry as it also gives a nutty flavor to the curry.  Do not add any water while cooking the chicken. We had this with Bella Chara Porota, a fantastic combo. 

The name Golando is got from 'Goalundo Ghat'. I believe in earlier years "If one went from Calcutta to Dacca the rail journey is broken at Goalundo  and from there people continued their journey by steamer, hence, the name of this rustic chicken curry. You will love the flavor and taste of this curry.
Ingredients
500 gm Chicken, Cut into Medium Sized Pieces

Grind to paste

3 Medium Onions - chopped 
2"  Piece Ginger - chopped 
10 Cloves  Garlic -  chopped 
5-6 Chopped Fresh Green or Red Chilies or according to taste

Other Ingredients
3/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Curry Spoon Mustard Oil
Salt to taste
3 Quarter Boiled Eggs

1" Piece Ginger - cut into juliennes

2 Green Chillies - slit  

Method

Clean and wash the chicken nicely, drain water completely and  pat dry it with a kitchen towel.

In a bowl, combine chicken, ginger, garlic, onion and turmeric powder. Mix well. Set it aside for at least an hour.
In a another pan heat the mustard oil   very well still it starts to release fumes/smoking hot ( this process will eliminate the smell of the oil) switch of the flame and let it cool for 2 -3  minutes.  Now add the marinated chicken and stir over medium high heat for 5 minutes. Add salt to taste, give it a stir, cover, with a lid that you can add water on top, so that the chicken is cooked in its, own steam.  Cook for about 25 - 30 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally, till the chicken is tender. Stir occasionally,  when the chicken is cooked, add the eggs,  ginger juliennes, slit green chillies,  give it a quick stir. Keep it on low flame for another  4 to 5 minutes. Turn off heat.

Serve Goalondo chicken curry with Bella Chara Porota or steamed rice.

Bella Chara Porota 

A Bella Chara Porota is called Bella Chara since it's made without using a Belan /rolling pin. This process of making a porota is more like a pancake method only difference is that it puffs up like a porota. A particular technique is used to make this porota puff up. This porota is soft and  puffy, made from all purpose flour.  I, watched so many videos on you tube all their porota's puffed but mine, only one puffed a little.  Nevertheless these tasted good with the curry and they were more like pancakes.   They are good to enjoy for  breakfast or with non veg gravy. 

Makes 6 -7 Porota's depending on the size
Ingredients 
1½ Cups Of All Purpose Flour
½ Tsp Salt or to taste
2 Tbsp of Oil
¾  -  1 Cup Water
½ Cup Milk 

Method

Mix the oil, salt and flour well till it forms bread crumbs then add the water, milk and whisk well to make a thin flowing lump free batter, cover it and keep aside for 5 to 10 minutes .
In the meantime

Heat a non stick pan on medium low heat till it is hot, brush a little oil on the pan and wipe it clean with a tissue. 

Pour a ladle full  of batter on to the pan

let it cook till bubbles appear on top 

flip it and let it cook for 2 minutes, 

then spread oil on  all  sides

let is cook on medium high flame by pressing the sides with a spatula on all sides and keep turning,

flipping till nice golden brown spots  and it start to puff.  After every porota, wipe the pan clean with a kitchen towel so that the  pan is clean of any traces of oil, then only add a fresh batch of batter. 

Bella Chara Porota's are ready!!

Enjoy with this Bangladeshi Goalondo Chicken Curry.

Lables : Bangladesh, Breads, Chicken, Eat the World, Flatbread

Check out all the wonderful Bangladeshi dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us! 

 Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Fulkopir Chop (Bangladeshi Cauliflower Fritters) 

Pandemonium Noshery: Zafrani Pulao 

Sneha’s Recipe: Goalondo Chicken Curry With Bella Chara Porota 

Palatable Pastime: Jhal Muri (Spicy Puffed Rice Street Snack) 

Making Miracles: Bangladeshi Chicken Korma 

Kitchen Frau: Chingri Masala (Bangladeshi Prawn Curry) 

Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Shemai (Sweet Vermicelli Pudding) 

A Day in the LIfe on the Farm: Yogurt and Cilantro Marinated Chicken

Chocolate Coffee Ice Cream Sandwich#Foodieextravaganza

For Foodie Extravaganza this month our host is Camilla of Culinary Adventures, challenged us to created Ice Cream Sandwiches.  Making ice cream sandwiches is easy, but, to keep them frozen, even to take a pic is a real challenge, since my city weather conditions do not permit it, the ice cream starts to melt immediately, my great worry was that the cookies will turn soggy.  But this recipe I, can guarantee that they will not turn soggy even if you freeze them, but the use of vegetable shortening is a must. They are crisp and delicious.
Makes about 18 to 20 Sandwich Cookies depending on the size of the cutter

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Melted Chocolate 

100 Grams Unsalted Butter

100 Grams  Vegetable Shortening
15 Grams Condensed Milk 

100 Grams  Caster Sugar 

2 Egg Yolks Only 

40 Grams  Almond Meal 

20 Grams Cocoa powder 

340 Grams All purpose flour
20 Grams Corn Flour 

2 Grams Salt

Method 

Sieve the flour, cocoa, salt, keep aside.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave and keep aside. 
Beat the butter and the vegetable shortening till creamy add half the melted chocolate and beat add sugar and beat. Now add egg yolks one at time and beat till both are incorporated. Add the sieved flour, almond meal and knead it lightly to make a dough.  Place this in a cling wrap and make it into a square and refrigerate it for 30 minutes.  Divide into two equal parts and roll between two parchment sheets.  

Cut with a cookie cutter, place them in a baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for 12 to 15 minutes.  

Cool them in a cooling rack completely and store it airtight container.
Quick & Easy Coffee Ice Cream

Ingredients
75 Grams Condensed Milk
100 Grams Fresh Cream
1 Tablespoon Instant Coffee
2 Tablespoons Hot Milk

Method

Chill the Condensed Milk, fresh Cream for 3 hour's in the freezer. The beat it for a good 15 minutes till it starts to become fluffy. Add the coffee mixture and cling wrap it along with the beater in the freezer for another 30 to 45 minutes.

Remove it from the freezer and place this on ice filled bowl and again beat till it doubles in volume and is fluffy.

Pour this into a air tight container and cling wrap it. Freeze it overnight or till set.

Delicious ice cream is ready.  
To Assemble The Cookies

Take the ice cream and  cut it with the same sized mold as the cookies. 

Take one cookie, place the ice cream and sandwich with another cookie.  Like wise make all.  Place it in a airtight container and freeze them until the ice cream hardens for at least  4 hours.  

Enjoy these chilled. Mine were melting since the weather here is hot.  The great thing about these ice cream cookies are that even though you freeze them they do  not soften.  We enjoyed them as a dessert after our meal.

Labels: Almond Meal, Baked, Biscuits & Cookies, Chocolate, Coffee, Foodie Extravaganza Party, Homemade, Ice Cream, Vegetable Shortneing

• Chocolate Coffee Ice Cream Sandwich by Sneha's Recipe
• Cookie Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Funfetti Ice Cream Sandwiches by Tara's Multicultural Table
• Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches by Making Miracles
• Mostly Plant-Based Chocolate Chip Cashewmilk Sandwiches by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Nutella with Graham Cracker Ice Cream Sandwiches by Our Good Life
• Stroopwafel Ice Cream Sandwich by Pandemonium Noshery 
  
  
  

Vegetarian Rice Roni With Homemade Rice Roni Mix

This Homemade Rice Roni is a blend of rice and pasta which then cooked in butter, chicken/vegetable stock and seasonings until light and fluffy. A quick easy dish that tastes so good. This Homemade Rice-A-Roni has no artificial ingredients and is absolutely delicious. 

I had this rice roni many times when I stayed abroad.  I loved it , but, here it's not available so made my own.  This is a basic mix, you can have many add ons/flavorful spices to it when you are cooking this as a meal.

This Homemade Rice Roni is the perfect accompaniment to make a complete and delicious meal with chicken, fish, steak or shrimp. I also used this to make this  Colombian Arroz Atollado

Ingredients 
200 Grams Spaghetti - broken into pieces
2 Cups Basmati Rice

1 Tablespoon Oil
Method
Wash the rice with a wet cloth and let it dry for some time. In the meantime in a pan heat a tablespoon of oil and fry the spaghetti  for a minute or two only. Cool and mix it with the rice.  

Homemade Rice Roni Mix is ready.  

I made a vegetarian version of this for our lunch.
Vegetarian Rice Roni

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon Dried Chives

1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning Mix 

1 Bay Leaf

¼ Teaspoon Black Pepper Powder or to taste

1 Vegetable Stock Cube

1 Scallion/Spring Onion -  chopped 
1 Medium Onion - chopped  
1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic 
5 - 6  Broccoli Florets
¼ Cup  Diced Carrots

¼ Cup  French Beans - chopped

½ Cup  Colored Bell Peppers - chopped 

1 Small  Tomatoes - chopped  

1½ Cups  Rice Roni

3½  Cups Water

2 Tablespoons Butter

1 Tablespoon Oil

Method

Heat oil and butter in a large pot/pan, fry the onion, till translucent, add all the veggies, chives, seasoning , bay leaf and saute for a minute.  

Add the stock cube, water , give it a light mix and bring this to a rolling boil.  

Now add the rice roni , give it a light stir. Cover, let it be on high flame for a minute then reduce the flame to low and let it cook for 12 -15 minutes giving it a light stir after 5 minutes.  Check for taste and seasoning, add black pepper powder to your taste ( this is optional). 

When liquid has been absorbed, take a test bite to see if rice is cooked through. Add  hot water if necessary and continue cooking if it needs a bit more time.

 Delicious Rice Roni is ready to enjoy. 

Serve this with Egg And Cauliflower Salad. 

Moong Dal Sambar

This sambar I, have enjoyed, during my stay in Bangalore. I use to have this for breakfast every day with idli, dosa or vadas and filter coffee. I made it for our lunch along with Instant Urad Dal Flour & Rava Medhu Vadas. This was a classic combo which revived memories of my stay in Bangalore.

Serves 4 to 5
Ingredients
9 -10 Sambar Onions/Shallots - peeled
2 Small Tomatoes - chopped finely
A Small Lime size Tamarind - soaked in 1/4 cup warm water
½ Cup Yellow Moong Dal
1 Teaspoon Sambar Powder
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
A Pinch Asafoetida
Salt to taste
1 Tablespoon Oil
A Sprig Curry Leaves
¼ Cup Packed Freshly Grated Coconut
For the Masala  
1 Teaspoon Oil
1 Tablespoon Coriander seeds
1 Teaspoon Chana Dal
4 Whole Dry Red Chillies
¼ Cumin Seeds
10 Grains Fenugreek Seeds
For the Tadka 
1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
2 Dry Red Chillies
A Sprig Curry Leaves
1 Tablespoon Oil
A Pinch of Asafoetida  

Method 

Fry all the ingredients under Masala in a teaspoon of oil separately, till fragrant and they start to turn brown. Grind the roasted ingredients well. I used half of the dry powdered masala ( keep the remaining in a airtight container with a label and used it the next time to make  sambar) and again ground it along with the freshly grated coconut and a little water to a thick fine smooth masala paste.

Wash and soak the dal for 30 minutes. Then pressure cook the dal for 3 whistles on high flame by adding  1½ cup water and a pinch of turmeric powder to it.

In a pan, heat a tablespoon of oil and fry the sambar onions for a minute, add the tomatoes and cook till tomatoes become mushy, 

add the tamarind extract(soak very little tamarind in hot water and extract juice), sambar powder, turmeric powder, curry leaves and salt, stir well. Now add the cooked moong dal and the ground paste. Add 2 cups of water or as per your desired consistency. 

Bring this to a rolling boil and then reduce to flame to low, let it simmer for 8 -10 minutes, keep stirring after every two minutes so that the dal does not settle to the bottom of the pan and get burnt. Taste for salt and seasonings add if needed according to your taste. Switch off the flame.

Now let's make the Tadka

Heat oil in a tadka pan add the mustard seeds, when they splutter add the red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves. Stir this with a spoon and pour it over the dal. Cover and let it sit for 10 minutes. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.

Enjoy with Instant Urad Dal Flour & Rava Medhu Vadas
 or ildi, dosa or even steamed rice.
Labels : South Indian,Moong Dal, Sambar, Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten free, Main course, Breakfast, Healthy