Thursday, November 24, 2011

Calla Lily






Foam paper Calla Lily.
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Heart





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400th Blog:Simple Cake with Milk Chocolate Frosting


 INGREDIENTS:
  • All purpose flour - 2 cups
  • Baking powder - 2 tsp
  • Salt - 1/4 tsp
  • Milk  - 1 1/2 cup
  • Eggs - 4, beaten
  • Unsalted Butter - 6 tbsp
  • Sugar - 5 Tbsp
  • Vanilla extract - 2 tsp
  • Milk chocolate - for frosting
METHOD:
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
  • Grease two 9-inch round cake pans and keep it aside.
  • Sift cake flour, baking powder, and salt together; set aside. 
  • Whisk egg and milk; set aside.
  • Beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. 
  • Alternately add flour mixture and egg/milk mixture into butter mixture, scraping sides of the bowl as necessary. 
  • Beat with an electric hand mixer, whisk or spoon just until the mixture is uniform and smooth and there are no lumps. 
  • This shouldn’t take more than a minute with an electric hand mixer/beater. 
  • Be careful not to over beat as this tends to stiffen the batter which might lead to a less softer cake.
  • Divide batter between prepared cake pans, spreading evenly. 
  • Bake until cake rises and center is firm, about 35 minutes. 
  • Cool cake in pans for 10 minutes before unmolding and transferring to a rack to cool completely.

  • Take 5 Tbsp of  milk chocolate in a bowl.
  • Beat frosting until light, about 20 seconds. 
  • Spread frosting evenly over the top of one cake layer. 
  • Top with remaining layer and frost top and sides of cake.
  • Enjoy the tasty cake.

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Green Beans- Carrot Thoran


 INGREDIENTS:
  • Green beans (chopped) - 1 cup
  • Carrots (medium,chopped) - 2 nos
  • Onion (chopped) - 1 no
  • Green chillies (chopped) - 3 nos
  • Garlic paste - 1 tsp
  • Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaves - 1 stem
  • Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
  • Salt - As reqd
  • Oil - 1 tbsp
METHOD:
  • Grind together coconut,turmeric powder and garam masala and green chillies into a coarse form.
  • Heat oil in a pan.
  • Splutter mustard seeds.
  • Add curry leaves.
  • Now add onion, stir it till it becomes transparent.
  • Add the chopped green beans and carrot and saute for 5 mins.
  • Add the ground coconut mixture and garlic paste along with salt and saute.
  • Lower the flame and cover with a lid.
  • Cook for 5 mins.
  • Remove the lid and saute again.
  • Serve Green Beans- Carrot Thoran with Rice.
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Appam & Cauliflower Curry

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Appam & Roasted Chickpeas Curry

 Appam with Roasted Chickpeas Curry Comments

Idiappam & Spicy Potato Curry


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Cauliflower Curry


INGREDIENTS:
  • Cauliflower - 1 small 
  • Tomato - 1 large 
  • Cloves - 2 
  • Onion, chopped - 2 large
  • Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Garlic paste - 1 tsp 
  • Ginger, chopped - 1 inch piece
  • Oil - as reqd. for frying
  • Salt - to taste
  • Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp 
  • Cilantro leaves, chopped - 1 Tbsp
  • Coriander Powder - 1 tsp 
  • Meat masala - 1/2 tsp
  • Red Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
METHOD:
  • Separate the cauliflower florets, wash them under running water and put them in warm water for 5 minutes to remove any impurities. Strain and pat dry with a paper towel.
  • Heat oil in a pan and deep fry the cauliflower florets till light brown. 
  • Spread them out on a plate lined with paper towel to take out the excess oil.
  • Heat a 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and add cloves and pepper powder. To this add chopped .
  • Saute till the onions turn dark brown.
  • Add chopped ginger, garlic paste, chilly powder and coriander powder, meat masala  and enough salt to the onions and mix well.
  • Cook till the masala color turns darker red.
  • Now add the chopped tomato and cook for 1 or 2 mins till the tomato pieces become soft. 
  • Add 1/2 cup water and mix well to make thick gravy.
  • Add the deep fried cauliflower florets and mix well  till the florets get completely covered with the masala.
  • Cook on low heat for 5 mins.
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves and serve hot with roti or appam.

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Appam & Spicy Potato Curry




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Thanksgiving Special: Decorated Eggless Cake


INGREDIENTS:
  • All purpose flour - 200 gm (1 1/2 cups)
  • White or brown sugar sugar - 5 tbsp
  • Baking powder - 2 tsp
  • Baking soda/ sodium bicarbonate - 1 tsp
  • Butter melted - 150 gm
  • Vanilla - 1 tbsp
  • Milk - 250 ml (1 cup)
 For the icing and decorating:
  • Strawberry frosting - 3 tbsp
  • Milk Chocolate frosting - 4 tbsp
  • METHOD:
  • Preheat the oven at about 150 c/300F.
  • Grease and line the base of an 8” round cake tins with greaseproof paper/baking parchment/butter paper.
  • In a mixing bowl, assemble the flour,sugar, baking powder and baking soda, mix with a spoon and sieve once to make the mixture uniform.
  • Add milk, melted butter, and vanilla  in it. 
  • Beat with an electric hand mixer, whisk or spoon just until the mixture is uniform and smooth and there are no lumps. 
  • This shouldn’t take more than a minute with an electric hand mixer/beater. 
  • Be careful not to over beat as this tends to stiffen the batter which might lead to a less softer cake.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25 to 30 or until a skewer or toothpick comes out clean.
  • After the cakes are done, allow them to rest in their tins for 3 to 4 minutes and then invert them on to a cooling rack.
  • When the cakes are cooling, apply the icing and decorate the Eggless Cake according to your taste.


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Bread-Omelette Sandwich

INGREDIENTS:
  • Bread slices - 8 nos
  • Butter 1 Tbsp
For making Omelette:
  • Eggs -3 nos
  • Onion (finely chopped) - 1/2
  • Green bell pepper (finely chopped) - 1/4
  • Red bell pepper (finely chopped) - 1/4
  • Tomato (chopped) - 1/2
  • Chopped curry leaves - 4 or 5
  • Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Red chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
  • Salt - To Taste
  • Oil - 1 tbsp
METHOD:
  • Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and beat them well for few minutes till it becomes frothy. This enables the omelet to become fluffy.
  • Add black pepper powder, red chilli powder to the egg and mix well.
  • Now add chopped onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, tomato,curry leaves and enough salt to the egg and mix well.
  • Mix well to incorporate all the ingredients.
  • Heat a non-stick pan and grease it with oil/butter.

  • Now pour 1 ladleful of the egg mixture to the pan and cover and cook it for few minutes till the bottom layer has turned golden brown.
  • Carefully flip the omelet to the other side, cover and allow it to cook well.
  • When both sides have attained golden brown color, the omelet fully cooked, so remove it from the heat.
  • Repeat the same process with remaining egg mixture.
  • Make 4 or 5 small Omelette.
  • Now apply little both sides of  each bread.
  • Then  heat a pan and roast both sides of each bread till it gets nice crust and gets golden color.
  • Now place 1 omelette on 1 bread slice and top with another bread slice. 
  • Repeat this  omelette sandwiching process with the remaining bread slices and omelette.
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Idiappam and Roasted chickpeas Curry







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Roasted Chickpeas(Kadala) Curry


INGREDIENTS:
  • White Chickpeas ( vella kadala) - 1 cup 
  • Onion (finely chopped) - 1 
  • Tomato (chopped) - 1, big 
  • Salt - to taste 
  • Garlic paste - 1 tsp
  • Ginger (chopped) - 2" piece
  • Coriander leaves (chopped) - 2 tbsp
  • Green chillies (Sliced) - 3 nos
  • Bay Leaves - 1 no
  • Oil - 1 Tbsp
To Roast
  • Red chilly powder -1/2 tsp  
  • Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp  
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp 
  • Garam masala - 1/2 tsp 
To Roast and Grind :
  • Coconut (grated)  - 1/2 cup 
  • Cinnamon - 2" long stick 
  • Cloves - 3 nos 
  • Fennel powder - 1 tsp
  • Pepper powder - 1/2  tsp 
  • Red chilly powder -1tsp  
  • Coriander powder - 1tsp  
  • Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
  • Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp 
For seasoning:
  • Oil - 1 tsp 
  • Dry red chillies - 2 nos 
  • Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp 
  • Shallots (cut into thin rounds) - 3 nos
METHOD:
  • Soak the Chickpeas overnight. 
  • Then pressure-cook it with 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder,enough salt, and 2 cup of water.
  • In a pan dry roast  cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and grated coconut on medium heat. 
  • When the coconut became golden brown add red chilli powder, 1/4 tsp of turmeric powder,coriander powder, fennel powder,  and cumin powder.
  • Saute till the powders are well roasted. 
  • Grind it to a fine paste by adding 1/4 cup water.keep it aside.
  • Now drain excess water from cooked Chickpeas.
  • Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a pan and add cooked chickpeas in it and saute well.




  • Then add Red chilly powder -½ tsp, coriander powder - ½ tsp , Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp ,Garam masala - ½ tsp ( items under (To Roast) with chickpeas and mix everything well. 
  • When everything mix well and , remove roasted chickpeas from heat and keep it aside.
  • Heat 1 tbsp of oil in another pan and add chopped onion, and saute well till the onions turn golden brown.
  • Now add  sliced green chillies, enough salt, chopped ginger, and garlic paste and saute well.
  • Then add chopped tomatoes and  saute few minutes till the tomatoes are mashed into a paste. 
  • Now add salt and the ground paste in it and mix well. If you need add 1 cup of water and enough salt.
  • Then add roasted Chickpeas and mix with gravy.
  • Bring to boil and remove from heat when gravy begins to thicken. Check for the salt. 
  • Heat oil in a small pan and splutter mustard seeds. 
  • Fry shallots and dried red chillies.
  • Add this to the curry and mix well.
  • Now garnish the Roasted Chickpeas Curry with chopped coriander leavers.

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