350th Post Celebration

A Lovely Eggless Chocolate Cake With Caramel Topping. 

 INGREDIENTS:

• All purpose flour/Maida - 2 cups
• Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Chocolate Syrup - 1/2 cup
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Unsalted Butter - 1/4 cup
• Milk - 1/4 cup
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
• Caramel Topping - 1 tsp

METHOD:

• Preheat the oven to 360 degree F. 
• Grease a round baking pan and keep it aside. I used a 9 inch round pan, using a smaller pan will give you a thicker cake. Apply butter in the the bottom and sides of the pan for baking.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.
• Add Powdered Sugar in it and mix well.
• Pour the milk, melted butter, and vanilla essence into the mixing bowl containing the dry ingredients.
• Now add Chocolate Syrup ans mix well.
• Beat with a hand mixer, whisk or spoon until the mixture comes together and there are no lumps. 
• Pour the batter into the cake pan and level the batter.
• Bake for 40 minutes or until done. 
• You can insert a wooden pick in the center of the cake to test if the cake is fully baked. 
• Allow it to Cool in pan for 20 minutes.Invert cake onto cooling rack to cool completely before applying frosting or decorating.
• Apply Caramel Topping on the top of the cake.
• Slice the cake in desired shape and serve.

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Wheat flour-Green Gram Kozhukattai

 INGREDIENTS:

• Wheat flour - 2 cups
• Jaggery, grated -1/2cup 
• Warm Water - 1 cup
• Green Gram - 1 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1tsp
• Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• Salt - 1/4 tsp
• Oil/Butter/Ghee - 1Tbsp

METHOD:

• Dry roast the wheat flour in a pan for few minutes,keep aside.
• Pressure cook green gram by adding enough water. 
• When it is cooked well, drain excess water, add salt and keep aside.
• Mix the salt to the wheat flour.
• Add Cardamom powder and mix well.
• Now add the cooked green gram to the flour and mix well.
• Add warm water little by little and Knead the dough.The consistency should not be too sticky or too hard.Dredge in the flour if its sticky.(Make like chapatti dough)

• Make small balls and roll each ball. 
• Take a ball of dough and make a smooth ball.
• Dust the work station with flour and put the dough and press it down with your palm.
• Make a small round disc shape, you can either toss it between both palms or roll it.
• Now place little grated jaggery and grated coconut in the center of the dough and 
• Pull the edges close and re-roll into a neat ball. 
• Grease Iddli mould with Oil/Butter/Ghee.Place the Wheat flour-Green gram ball to the Iddli mould.

• Pressure cook them for 10 minutes in Idly Cooker.

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Lunch 25

Chapatti with Paneer butter masala and Coconut Burfi Comments

Paneer Butter Masala

 INGREDIENTS:

• Paneer (cubed) - 250 gms 
• Onions (finely chopped) - 2 nos
• Ginger-garlic paste - 1tsp
• Green chiilies (sliced) - 1 or 2 
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Ripe tomatoes (chopped) -2 nos
• Cashewnut paste - 2 Tbsp
• Coriander power - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/ 8 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Butter - 3 Tbsp
• Chopped coriander leaves - 2 Tbsp

METHOD:

• Saute the paneer in a pan by adding a tbsp of ghee till golden brown, transfer it into a bowl and add a cup of hot water to the fried paneer cubes and let them sit in it for 5mts,then drain the water and keep it aside.
• Put the tomato slices in a blender and blend well to get a fine tomato puree.Keep it aside.
• Heat 2 tbsp of butter in a pan, add the chopped  onion and saute till brown.
• Add ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 3 minutes.
• Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chilli powder, garam masala powder, salt and combine,followed by the cashew paste and stir well.
• Pour tomato puree to the pan and mix well.
• Stir and let it simmer for 4-5 mts.
• Add the paneer and simmer for 4-5 minutes. 
• Add a small cup of water and let it cook on medium heat for 10 mts or till you get the desired curry consistency. 
• Remove curry  from fire, stir in remaining butter. If you want, you can add  fresh cream and stir well.
• Let the curry sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.
• Garnish Paneer Butter Masala with coriander leaves. 
• Serve it hot with Rotis, Naan , Parathas or Rice.

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Oats- Mixed vegetables Cutlets

 INGREDIENTS:

• Oats - 1/4 cup
• Potato, boiled and mashed - 2 nos
• Paneer, grated - 1Tbsp
• Frozen Mixed Vegetables (Green peas, Double beans, carrot, green beans,sweet corn) - 1/2 cup
• Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Black Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander leaves, chopped - 1 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Maida - 1/2 cup
• Oil to deep fry

METHOD:

• Wash the potatoes and frozen vegetables. 
• Cook the cubed potatoes in a pressure cooker or pan by adding 1/4 of turmeric powder, enough salt and water.
• Drain and mash the well cooked potatoes and keep it aside.
• Put the frozen vegetables in a bowl filled with boiling water and microwave on high for 10 minutes. 
• Drain it and set aside. 
• Make a medium thick batter with maid by adding water, pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp of red chilly powder and keep it aside.

• Take the mashed Potatoes , grated Paneer,well cooked Frozen Mixed Vegetables, Salt, 1/2 tsp of Red chilli powder, Coriander leaves, Garam masala, Black pepper powder, and salt in a bowl.

• Mash them together and mix well to prepare a mixture for cutlets.

•  Add oats to this mixture and mix well or coat the mixture with oats.
• Dip this oats mixed vegetables mix to the Maida batter.
• Heat oil in pan.

• Deep-fry the Oats Mixed vegetables cutlets until both sides are golden-brown.
• The crispy oatmeal cutlets are ready to serve.

• You can have them hot with tomato sauce or chutney of your choice.

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Carrot Halwa

 INGREDIENTS:

• Grated Carrots - 2 nos
• Milk - 2 cups
• Maida - 2 tsp
• Sugar - 3 Tbsp
• Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ghee - 2 Tbsp
• Cashew nuts - 8 nos
• Raisins - 8 nos

METHOD:

• Heat 1Tbsp of ghee in a heavy bottomed pan and fry the cashew nuts to a golden color. Remove from ghee and reserve.
• Fry the raisins in the same pan until it become puffed and golden. Remove from ghee and reserve with cashew nuts.
• Peel and grate carrots.
• Take milk in a bowl and put 2 tsp of maida in it and mix well.
• Pour this milk to the same pan and allow it to boil till thick, stirring occasionally. Once it starts thickening, stir continuously. 
• Now add grated carrots and stir continuously.
• Add the powdered cardamom and sugar. Mix well, stir continuously and continue cooking till all the sugar melts and the carrot mixture is almost dry.

• You may have to cook around 7 – 10 minutes to get the desired consistency for halwa. Do not heat the mixture too long, so as to prevent it from getting hardened.
• Add roasted Cashew nuts and Raisins to the Carrot Halwa and mix well.
• Transfer this Carrot halwa to a greased plate and allow it to set and cool. If you want, u can refrigerate the halwa and use.
• Cut in desired shape and enjoy!

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Lunch 24

Rice with Easy Rajma Curry, Easy Cabbage Thoran and Chicken Chilli Masala. Comments

Easy Rajma Curry

 INGREDIENTS:

• Rajma (Red Beans ),soaked overnight - 1 cup
• Garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
• Tomato (chopped) - 1 no
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil or any cooking oil - 1tsp

METHOD:

• Soak the Red beans overnight in a bowl. 
• Next day drain the water and fill with  fresh water. 
• Add enough salt 2 cups of water and pressure cook the rajma for 20 mins on a medium flame.
• Do not drain the water after the rajma is pressure cooked as it could be used to prepare the curry.
• When red beans cooked well and add chopped tomatoes, Garlic paste ,Red chilly powder, Turmeric powder ,Garam masala and mix well. 
• Pressure cook the Rajma again for around 10 – 15 mins as this helps to cook the tomato pieces, blend all the masalas and the Red Beans well. If you want, you can pour the Rajma curry mixture to a blender or mixer when it is cool and blend well to get a smooth paste.
• Pour a tsp of oil to the Rajma Curry and mix well.
• Serve This easy Rajma curry with Rice or Roti.

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Diwali Specials

Carrot Halwa and Oats-  Mixed vegetables Cutlets

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Easy Cabbage Thoran

INGREDIENTS:

• Cabbage(finely chopped) - 2 cups
• Onion (finely chopped) - 1 nos
• Garlic paste-1/2 tsp
• Green chillies -3 nos
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• Salt - As reqd
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Black gram(Uzhunnuparippu) - 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves(chopped) - 1 stem (optional)
• Dry red chilies - 2 nos (optional)

METHOD:

• Take finely chopped Cabbage in a large mixing bowl.

• Add garlic paste, enough salt,grated coconut, turmeric powder, black pepper powder and garam masala. If you like, you can add 1/4 tsp of meat masala also.
• Using your hand mix everything well.Keep it aside for 10 minutes.
• Heat oil in a frying pan.
• Splutter mustard seeds.
• Add black gram and allow it to become brown.
• Add dry red chilies and curry leaves.
• Now add chopped onion and sliced green chillies and saute well till onion becomes light brown.
• Add cabbage mix to the pan and saute well.

• Cover and cook for 5 mins on a low flame.
• Cook for another 5 mins on a very low flame, stir in between.
• You can off the flame when it is cooked well.
• You can serve Cabbage Thoran with rice item as side dish.
**Don`t use water while preparing.
**Prepare on a low flame in a non stick pan.

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Chapatti & Chicken Chilli Masala

 

Chapatti and Chicken Chilli Masala

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Chiratta Puttu & Chenda Murian

Wheat flour Chiratta Puttu with Chenda Murian

Puttu is usually made in a mould called "Puttu Kutti".Now instead of that puttu kutty maker I used a "Chiratta puttumaker"because the upper part of this puttumaker (The mould) resembles a "Chiratta" (which is coconut shell shape). The mould  is a small steel bowl with a loose fitting metal top. Chiratta puttu may also steamed by placing the mould on top of a pressure cooker. The mould has a small hole in the bottom,it has to be attached to a pressure cooker where the weight goes.Through the small hole in the bottom, steam can pass to the flour. You can also use Iddli mould or a Fresh coconut shell to make Puttu.

 

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