butter cake with mango cream...

Made this cake for my friend's surprise Birthday party...the cake came out very well..was delicious (Indian mangoes in season are so sweet esp manganapalli/Safeda variety.. yum yum!!)...the cake was a bit heavy though... but then one or 2 slices of cake once in a while should be ok....;)..


What I realised with baking cakes is that if you have the basic ingredients right, u can add or remove some items and adjust the recipe according to taste. 
If you dont want to add egg...you can substitute it with 1/4 cup milk or 100 ml coke for each egg...,


 Want a chocolate cake then add some coco powder and remove equivalent amt of flour...


Icing can be done with icing sugar, water n vanilla essence or butter, coffee/coco n sugar, vailla or with creamsugar n vanilla... I alternate these icings depending on amount of time available. If the cake is still hot then icing sugar decor is best. Icing sugar decor is also t most suitable one for hot tropical places ...

The butter cake here one I baked earlier too...

with ingredients...

         1 cup white sugar

         1/2 cup butter

         2 eggs

         2 teaspoons vanilla extract

         1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

         1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

         1/2 cup milk

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 8 inch round tin or line a muffin pan with paper liners.

2.In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.

3.Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.

4. Cool the cake and once cold, cut it from the middle. Use a flat cake board, slide the top half on it gently.

 For Icing I used

300 ml cream, 

1tsp vanilla essence, 

2 tbsp icing sugar, 

1 mango(cut into small pieces)

grated chocolate for decoration

1/4 cup sugar n water mix

Sprinkle the cake with the sugar n water mix. arrange the cut mangoes on the bottom half of the cake.

in a bowl beat the cream, vanilla essence and sugar till soft. If you live in the tropics, beat the cream by placing the bowl on ice water so as have light cream. It can curdle and become buttery in the heat.

Spread the cream mix on the bottom part of t cake and place the top of the cake on it.

Spread the cream on the top half, arrange the mangoes and decorate further with grated chocolate, nuts .....

refrigerate for at least 3 hrs before serving... for the cake to become moist and for t mango flavour to be absorbed..

Strawberry cream Eggless Cake

At my place the major consumer of cakes. chocolates, cookies and generally all sweets are my lil daughter and me...so as a policy I dont bake unless I have to ;)...cause after feeding one slice each to my family of 4....rest is always gobbled by the two of us mom n daughter duo!!

But then today was my son's big day and what better way to celebrate my dear son's birthday than presenting him with a surprise bday party with his childhood friends... aunties and  uncle who dote on him...and cook his favorite food...
It was a day when my husband and I couldnt eat eggs, so I decided to add this eggless blackforest cake to the surprise...but blackforest---it was not to be..:(.. I dint get any cherries....canned or fresh...!!!  but Strawberries...yes they were available.....:))


I have baked eggless cakes from scratch for friend's birthdays and other celebrations...but today I decided to try baking with the cakemix...I have heard that it turns out quite nice especially if u want to ice n decorate it afterwards...So devil's food cake of Bretty Crocker it was..for the base....the surprising thing about these cakes are that they dont call for any egg or OIL/BUTTER to be incorporated in the recipe...! I thot it odd that I bake without any of these..but then  had to try...and I am so glad I did...the result was amazing...

For recipe...


1 pkt devil's food cakemix
315ml/10 oz coke/vanilla coke
oil for greasing the cake tin


for Icing/filling


300 ml whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp icing sugar
strawberries--about 300 grams
chocolate shavings for decoration
3 tbsp water mixed with 1 tbsp icing sugar


Mix the  cakemix with the coke (No egg, oil or water to be added) and bake it as per instructions on the packet...about 180 deg c. Once you finish baking insert a skewer to make sure that the cake is completely cooked (when the skewer comes out clean)
Let it cool completely. Cut it  from the middle. gently lift up one side of the cake and push a flat plate or cake board in between and seperate them.
 for icing...... Beat the cream, vanilla and icing sugar till stiff. 
Cut most of the strawberries (keep some aside for final decoration if you want). 


Before filling the cake sprinkle the water mixed in icing sugar on both pieces of the cake to moisten them.

decorate the straberries in the bottom part of the cake and spread 1/2 of the cream on it generously.
Place the top part of the cake and repeat as above. decorate further with more strawberries and sprinkle the chocolate shavings for one of the most delicious of cakes...!

The finished cake

PS: Left over strawberries and some whipped cream can be refrigerated to be eaten next day or day after...they are the best combo dessert on a hot day after lunch or dinner......

Leeks and chives..dips

Chinese chives/leeks

Chinese chive, also called the Chinese leek...a delicate mix of garlic n onion flavor....  This delectable veg was one I discovered accidentally while trying  to recreate a dish I ate out....  the taste of this leek is quite different from anything I had ever tasted... very pungent, not as strong as garlic ..more delicate and sweeter flavor than onions, crunchy on bite, a bit hot... leeks add a subtle touch to recipes without overpowering the other flavors that are present.
  What I especially love about this veggie is that it doesnt leave any after smell in the mouth, yet brings about that heavenly taste of onion, garlic, n shallot and a little something more..... traditionally they are eaten lightly steamed, or raw in salads. 
Like garlic and onions, Chinese leeks are part of the allium family, that when consumed regularly  protect you against esophageal and stomach cancer...
Initially I used to use it to top my pasta and salads  along with coriander and basil...now I found that it can be a part of my dips with crackers, chips or veggies..! Here are some recipes ...

   1. Yogurt n Leek dip

1-1/2 CupGreek yogurt

1 tbsp Chinese leeks (cut in small pieces)  1 clove garlic minced

1 tsp basil (if fresh cut into small pieces) 

salt and  pepper to taste

…mix them together and refrigerate for 2 hrs... dip with chips, crackers ....along with friends n drinks to go...

The aroma of basil and garlic keep the senses alive...thegreek yogurt melts in the mouth as you bite into the crackers...

  2. Sour cream, yogurt n Leek dip

1 cup Sour cream  

1c greek yogurt, 

3 tbsp milk, 

minced roasted garlic,

 salt n pepper

1-1/2 tbsp chinese leeks

Mix the first five well and season with chives..Refrigerate for 2 hrs before serving..

Avacado n Leek Dip

A dip with chips, crackers , veggies on an evening with friends n family..

 3. Avacado n Leek dip

1 avacado mashed, 

1 garlic minced, 

1tbsp Chinese leeks chopped, 

1 tbsp coriander leaves

1 tsp lemon juice,

 2 tbsp yogurt, salt ,pepper

mix the above and keep it refrigerated till ready to be served.. Can be used as a dip for chips or part of taco filling, pita filling...
PS: If you don't want the dip to be too tangy then reduce the lemon juice to 1/2 tsp.

  4. Yogurt, herbs n Leek dip

1-1/2 c greek yogurt,

2 tblsp fresh chives (cut small)

2 tblsp mint leaves chopped tiny

3 tbsp dill,

 1-2  minced garlic, 

2 c cucumber deseeded, 

1 tsp lemon juice (1/2 tsp if you dont want it too tangy)

Mix all other than cucumber, refrigerate at least 15 min and add cucumber just before serving dip with chips and crackers...on a hot afternoon 

Do let me know how your dip turned out...also write in for any additions, variations that u may wish to incorporate/suggest.... A lot of you are having trouble writing on the blog here...you may write your comments on my FB-- Raji Vish Rajashree or at rajsh92@gmail.com.sg

my cup of tea..!

I so enjoy the 2 cups of tea I have in a day...savour it till the last drop....makes me realise that to actually relish it, one must be completely awake, be in the present, where your hands can feel the warmth of the cup, you savour the aroma, taste the sweetness, appreciate its delicacy...If you are ruminating about the past or worrying about the future, you will completely miss the experience...like it happens with so many us..so often..You will then look down at the cup, and the tea is gone...


makes me wonder about our life..., so similar...if we dont live in the present, its gone...all too soon, without you realising it...you would've missed all the precious moments, the aromas, fragrances, the beauty and love that surrounds you...it will speed past you...

Chilli Pickle

This is one of my favourite pickles of all, one that I would just gobble without any accompaniments!! ok guys I am a chiili freak, an ardent lover of this HOT veg...;)......and this recipe makes the veggie so much more desirable esp if you eat it with idli n dosa varieties...I really dont know the measures well, I use approximations most of the time...but this shd turn out good....

Tamarind Juice

Long chillies--about 25, washed, dried and cut in 2cm circular pieces
tamarind (without seeds) take  juice of 2 indian lemon size with about a glass of water
(you can use Priya's tamerind pulp about a tablespoon mixed in the water.)
asfoetida---1/2 tsp
methi seed powder----1/4 tsp(roast methi seeds and powder)
salt to taste
turmeric powder- pinch
powdered jaggery/brown sugar or sugar---1-2tsp
Sunflower oil or gingily oil----4 tbsp(add more or less depending on how long you want to preserve it )


In a kadhai/deep pan put the oil and add cut chillies to it, lightly fry it in the oil. After a few moments add the tamerind juice slowly. Add salt, asfoetida powder , turmeric and methi pdr. Let the chillies cook  and absorb the tamerind juice. Keep it on stove for about 3-5 min, till the 1/2 of tamerind water is evaporated and oil starts to ooze out. Add the powdered jaggery and mix well. Enjoy it with any tiffin...

Rava Dosai

Rava Dosa is something which we always ate at a restaurant, infact I never knew how to make it perfect the way they did...but this recipe is fantastic.....fingerlickin good....and no soaking, fermenting or planning ahead required! Technique yes...that is essential.....;)

1 cup sooji,rava,semolina
1 cup rice flour
1/4 cup maida
1/4 cup curd (optional)1 piece chopped ginger
 chopped gr chilli
2 tsp cumin seeds
 ghee,butter or oil
1 tsp pepper crushed
1/4 tsp asfoteda powder
 salt to taste
Curry and coriander leaves chopped

 To the above, add water to make a very liquidy mix( almost similar to Chhans), 
Let it soak for 5-10 min  (you can make it immly too)

Keep a non stick pan on the stove, wait for it to heat up completely. Rava dosa requires to be made in good heat.


Then you just sprinkle the batter on the tawa/pan(with your hand). It will make circular patches all over. add oil( I used gingily oil)


Let it cook and become crispy... (if you desire to have it very crispy then add more water to the batter and make dosa) remove when done...you needn't even turn it over...just fold it and serve/eat with chutny...


You can add onion to the pre-oiled pan before sprinkling the batter on the pan to make onion rawa dosa!


enjoy...

summer drinks!

Its really hot these days, having a cooling drink especially in the afternoons is so welcome. My kids look forward to these when they get back after a hot n humid day at school...


1. Sprite n lime drink
I just add about 1.5 tsp lime juice (kalamansi limes here) to one glass of cold sprite. Add some black salt or white salt. I like more than just a pinch, but add as much as your taste buds prefer. Stir it completely. Garnish with fresh mint (pudina) leaves or dry ones from shelf....Its just so refreshing...my kids love this drink.. Try it on guests...


2. Yogurt and cucumber drink
Take 3/4 glass of yogurt add about 1/4 cucumber (seeds removed), 1/2 chilli, some black salt (you can add roasted jeera powder too) and blend it in a blender, till they are all mixed. Garnish with roasted Jeera. enjoy it on a hot day!


For variation add green or red capsicum instead of cucumber or Cucumber with coriander.

Butter cake with choc icing

My daughter's Bday , she has that pleading, innocent look.... as usual,  she wanted me to bake a cake for her, rather than buy one ...so i dragged myself to the shop, after the long day, to buy some eggs and baking chocolate for icing it.....

The cake came out well, was a simple butter cake, but was too hot to withstand proper icing ( since she was in a hurry to cut it, eat and share it!).  Decoration: Just plain melted choc on top (no proper icing!!) with some alphonso mango .... we all attacked it as soon as it was ready... (rather than just stare at it till it cooled....!) recipe.....

Ingredients

         1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

         1/2 teaspoon salt

         2 teaspoons baking powder

         1/2 cup butter

         1 cup white sugar

         2 eggs

         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

         3/4 cup milk

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one 8 inch square/round baking pan. Line bottom with wax paper or dust lightly with flour.

2.Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.

3.Cream the butter and blend in the white sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Stir until just blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.

4.Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 to 55 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from pan and allow it to cool.

5.Variation: Blueberry Cake; Add 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg to your dry ingredients and stir in 1 cup fresh blueberries into the batter before you bake it. Cut it into squares while it is still hot.

Idiyappam/Sevai with veg Stew

All south indian families in India make sevai/idiyappam at home but the process is difficult, messy and cumbersome... It always required 2 people... so as long as my MIL was with me, we attempted making this...after that we ate it either at restaurants or at mom's place in India. Kids  look forward to these yearly trips to India esp for the different n scrumptious food they get to eat at grandma's.... But this weekend, armed with the basic omapodi press (bhujia press), I attempted making it at home... I took mom's recipe, halved it..... and  proud to say that it came out well...!!! 
I made veg stew to go with it.


 Really guys these rice noodles just melt in your mouth.....no leftovers too!!
This dish is served with coconut chutney, any sambar variety, mor kozambu(kadi) or stew... whatever the family likes... 


For the sevai/idiyappam I used
1 glass boiled rice soaked in water overnight
2 spoons oil (I used gingily/seseame oil..any oil's ok)
for garnish...some oil, mustard seeds, urud dal, chana dal and freshly grated coconut


For Stew...
2 potatos, 
1 carrot (optional:  beans, cauliflower, peas)    
3 green chillies, 
big piece of ginger (cut in big flat chunks)
curry leaves
salt
100 ml coconut milk 
1 tspoon of coconut oil


Sevai
1.Grind the soaked rice till very smooth.
2.For cooking..In a non stick kadai/dish add 2 spoons of oil and pour the rice batter, add salt and keep the stove at medium. Keep stirring the mix till it becomes one big soft lump, switch the gas off Don't let it become very solid, will become difficult to squeeze through the press.
3. Put big spoonfulls into the press and squeeze the sevai out. repeat till all the batter is over.
4. steam the squeezed sevai for 10-12 min.
5. for tadka/garnish, in a spoonful of oil kept on stove add mustard seeds, urud dal and chana dal, when imustard starts to spurt, swich it off and garnish. Add tadka and tablespoonful of fresh coconut to each serving.


For Stew..
Cook all the vegetables with 1/2-3/4 glass of excess water (in a cooker as thats convenient) with salt added. 
Once done turn off the gas and add coconut milk, mix well and stir in the coconut oil....garnish with more curry leaves...


I make so much dosa n idli for b/fast at home that this dish was a welcome change and also not very difficult to make...try it out...and do write....:)

Fettuccine Al Fungi

Guys this Pasta came out real yummy! Last week my lil one ate it at our local pasta place, 'Pasta Fresca' and felt like eating there again today...( I knew it would set me back by quite a few $$$) so I decided to try my hand at it...!! Of course I didn't follow any recipe, just tried to recreate the taste and aroma of the dish...well dint turn out exact but yum nevertheless!


I used 1/2 packet fettuccine..(could use any pasta!)
200 grms button mushrooms cut
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp olive oil
some leek or asparagus or spring onion ( I used leek)
Water for boiling pasta
salt to taste
White Sauce
1 tbsp plain flour
2 tsp butter (can add some cheese too)
1/2 ltr milk


For White Sauce...Roast the plain flour for a few min and mix it with 1/4 cup of cold milk. whisk it well so that there are no clumps of flour.
In a seperate dish start boiling the remaining milk...after a few moments add the flour and milk mixture and stir it continuously, add salt and butter, once its thicked to resemble light sauce, switch the gas off.


Boil the pasta and remove all the water, wash it in cold water. keep it aside.


Roast the garlic in the olive oil in a seperate dish till light brown, add the cut mushrooms and cook for a few minutes. Once done, add the pasta, salt to taste. Switch the gas off. Add the white sauce(if the white sauce becomes too thick, add more milk to bring it to right consistancy). garnish it with leek/asparagus...some black pepper maybe....Heavenly Aroma...Scrumptious to taste...try it sometime..
Enjoy...

Baked Rissotto Capsicum (bell peppers)

This Dish took me ten min of preperation and about 20  min of baking. 
It turned out really yummy. Of course I always improvise on the recipe and you can do too. I have no set ways of making any particular dish...just have an idea and the gut feeling that it would turn out ok.. here's what I used...
 3 bell peppers
75 grm grated cheddar cheese
1 sml bowl of cooked basmati rice
3/4 cereal bowl frozen corn
1 big tomato blanched and pureed
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion
1 tbsp Olive oil
Fresh herb----basil, Sweet majoram, Majoram, Coriander leaves


---Thaw the frozen corn by placing in the microwave for a min. 


----Cut the bell peppers horizontally and remove out all the seeds.


-----Saute the onion and garlic in some of the oil, add the corn and rice. Add salt and finally add the pureed tomato. leave it on the stove until its all mixed, for about 2 min, add the herbs.(You may add some cheese too if you wish)


----take one of the cut peppers(capsicums) and fill some cheddar cheese, add the rice mix and top it with some more cheese. Repeat with all the rest of the peppers. Arrange them in a pre-oiled dish.


-----bake at 200 deg C for 20 min...


Enjoy...bon appetet... 

Vishu ( Malayalam New Year) Spread!

This Year  Vishu was on the 15th of April. I had some friends over for the Kerala feast that day. I had onion pakoda, banana and jackfruit chips with kalamansi lime soda for starters...this was followed by lunch...avial, veg stew, broad beans veggie, salad (mango, cucumber n moong dal), rice, sambar, rasam, kerala papadam and ofcourse the yummiest of all...pal payasam..!!

Also had made some authentic pickles like puli inchi, raw mango instant pickle and mango ginger pickle...

We all ate to our stomachs fill and to finished it off with a strong cup of southie coffee(to avoid dozing off after the sumptuous meal!)

The Spread...

The pickles..

For Vishu the main ritual that is performed is in the early morning. I decorated some flowers esp yellow kani flowers, pulses, rice, salt, coconut, veggies, fruits, gold, pudu panam(panch dantu which is given at the time of wedding!) and currency notes in front of a big mirror.... for viewing the reflection of decorations first thing in the morning... in the morning, I lit the lamp and woke up my husband and kids and brought them to the temple n decorations with their eyes closed...so that they see it first thing ..!  All the youngsters are  then given some money with blessings...(one of the reasons why all kids remember this festival very well!!).. Its fascinating that we all have such unique festivals celebrated in different parts of India, each having its own significance, according to the climate, harvest or  based on epic tales, each so colourful.... coming with its own set of rituals and yum food items..! i havent given any recipes here as there are too many items...also they are very traditional...ones you would find easily on the net...nevertheless pl feel free to ask for them, will pass it o you...happy reading...raji.

Pasta for All

 This is one dish which brings my kids to the table within seconds (be it for breakfast, lunch ,evening tea or Dinner!) ... When they were young they preferred pasta with just tomato based sauce or the white sauce with lots of cheese. But now that they are teenagers, their tastes have changed and so has my recipe...they like it spicy, tangy and hot....

Here's one that always turns out yum and is very easy to make with everyday ingredients..

1/2 packet (250 grms)-- pasta (I have used Penne)

2-3 cloves ----garlic cut into small pieces

1-2---- fresh red chillies (hot ones)

1 tbsp----- olive oil (use less if desired)

 dry basil 

 fresh coriander leaves cut small

1/2 lemon juice

75 grm grated parmesan cheese

water for cooking the pasta.

1.Cook the pasta, once done put it in a colander and wash it in cold water to stop it from cooking further.

2. In a heated  pan pour the olive oil , garlic and pieces or red chillies.

3. Once the garlic turns light brown, stir in the pasta, add the dry basil and mix it well. Leave it in the stove for a few minutes.

4. Once the gas is switched off, add coriander leaves and lemon juice. Stir it well. Check if salt if sufficient.

5. Serve it by adding the parmesan cheese.

ENJOY!

Serve it with a Salad of blanched cooled brocolli, cauliflower, sweet peas, snow peas, tomato, Avacado....whatever you like....salted and with a dash of olive oil for a complete meal!

veg grilled sandwitch

 I have used foccacia bread...filled it with mashed avacado, thinly sliced onion, tomato, red n green peppers, some fresh basil leaves, sweet majoram (marugu in tamil thats used in prayers! yum herb),  sliced cheddar cheese...add salt,  pepper, chillis... 
 Cut the bread in half and fill it with all the the above Grill it in a sandwitch maker... Enjoy hot grilled sandwitch in appox 8 min!!!
You can add grilled veggies, chutneys, pasta sauce, pesto sauce...each one tastes unique n yummy.