Marble Cake

Merry christmas to all. Hope you all are into baking and cooking great stuff. This time I made a marble cake which is one of family favourite. It was moist and yummy. You can play with the batter to make your own designs. You can make cupcakes or loafs or round cakes. Enjoy the season.

Ingredients

• Maida (all purpose flour) - 1 cup
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Eggs - 2
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
• Unsalted butter - 120 gm
• Cocoa - 2 tbsp
• Instant coffee - 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Milk - 3/4 cup
• Salt - 1/2 tsp

Method

• Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
• Preheat oven. 
• Powder the sugar. Keep aside
• Sieve together maida, salt, and baking powder. Keep aside
• In a bowl put butter and powdered sugar and beat well until soft and fluffy.
• To this add vanilla essence. Mix well.
• Add eggs one by one and blend well using the mixer. 
• Add half of the dry mix (maida & baking powder) to the above and fold in gently. 
• Add 1/2 quantity of the milk given ingredients to the batter. Fold in.
• Add the remaining dry mix and fold in. 
• Divide the above batter into 2 parts.
• Into the remaining milk mix cocoa and instant coffee. Strain it. 
• Add this to one part of the batter. Fold in slowly and beautifully well. 
• Now grease a cake tin and pour vanilla batter on to the base. 
• Pour chocolate batter on top of it. Spread and gently move a spoon through both batters in zig zag motion. Don't over mix.
• Bake at 150 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. (All ovens vary, so adjust it accordingly)

Apple Cake (Eggless)

This is a quick cake without egg and butter. It is guilt free and yummy. It is a one bowl cake and cannot go wrong how quick you make it. It tastes more better a day after the baking. Kids will love this. Mine was asking for even at 11 pm at night. So do try and pack it in their snack box for morning break. I tried making some cupcakes also. 

Ingredients

• Apple - 2 
• Maida - 1 cup
• Sugar - 3/4 cup
• Refined oil - 1/2 cup
• Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Walnuts - 5 (optional) chopped
• Choco chips - a handful (optional)
• Milk - 1/3 cup
• Salt - 1/4 tsp

Method

• Preheat your oven at 150 degree centigrade
• Peel and core apples
• Take 1 and 1/2 apples and puree it adding milk. Keep aside.
• Chop the remaining 1/2 apple into small pieces
• Sieve together maida and baking powder. Keep aside. 
• In a bowl, mix together sugar and refined oil. 
• Add pureed apple to this along with cinnamon powder. Mix well.
• Add maida and baking powder mix now and fold in. 
• Mix together the chopped apple, chopped walnut and choco chips
• Mix a little maida (1/2 tsp) into the chopped apple, walnut and choco chips. (So it doesn't sink down when cake raises)
• Add this fruit nut mix into the maida batter and fold in. 
• Pour into muffin cases and bake in oven for 20 - 25 minutes. (This one takes a little longer than other cakes). 
• (Adjust your ovens accordingly). Check when it is 18 minutes. Bake until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean. 

Sweet Paneer Snack

This is a very quick and mildly sweet snack which your kids will love. I was thinking of my friend's daughter while I made this. So for this time it is for Krisha who is choosy and makes her mom run after her with food. I hope this would tickle her tastebuds.

Ingredients

1. Paneer pieces - 15 cubes
2. Bread - 2 slices
3. Sugar - 2 tsp
4. Cardamom - 3 pods
5. Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
6. Egg white - 1
7. Raisins - a few (optional)
8. Cashews - a few (optional)
9. Oil for frying

Method

• Crumble paneer and bread slices. 
• Beat egg white with a fork.
• Take the seeds from cardamom.  
• Mix together all ingredients from crumbled paneer, bread, sugar, cardamom seeds, grated coconut, beaten egg white, raisins & cashewnuts and combine them well with hand applying little pressure.
• Make small balls out of it.
• Heat oil in deep vessel.
• When it is hot fry the balls until golden brown. 

Eggless chocolate banana cake

Wouldn't it be exciting if your little one waited patiently in front of the oven when the cake was baking and then had 3 full ones when it was out of the oven. He didn't even let it cool. I was so happy to see this. Actually he didn't have a proper dinner but was very excited when I took the cake tray to bake. He loved this one.

Ingredients

• Banana (ethakka) - 2 medium sized
• Maida - 2/3 cup
• Cocoa - 1/3 cup
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Milk powder - 1 tbsp
• Oil - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 3/4 cup (or you increase to 1 cup)
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
• Instant coffee - 1/2 tsp
• Boiled water - 1/3 cup

Method

• Sieve together maida, cocoa powder, milk powder and baking powder. Keep aside
• Puree banana and keep aside.
• Mix instant coffee and warm water. Keep aside
• In a bowl mix together oil and sugar.
• Add banana puree to this and blend well. Add vanilla essence, mix well.
• To this add the dry mix and blend well with a wooden spoon. 
• The batter will be little thick. Add the instant coffee little by little until you get a smooth batter.
• Pour into cupcake cases in tray. 
• Preheat your oven and bake at 150 degree centigrade for 15-20 minutes. 

Tomato Capsicum Oothappam

This dosa is dedicated to my husband who is in complete love with dosa and idli varieties. Even when people  select continental and chinese dishes in restaurant, he will go in search of south indian restaurants to have oothappam, dosa, idli etc. I'll be running behind saying "please give me a change". You might be thinking that I don't make these at home, but you're wrong. I make it almost all the days and still his mouth waters on the word dosaaa... shhhhh

Ingredients

• Tomato - 1 medium
• Capsicum - 1 medium
• Onion - 1 medium
• Dosa batter - as required

Method

• Chop tomato, capsicum and onion into very small pieces. Mix together
• Heat tawa and spread little oil
• Pour a laddle of batter and let it spread by itself. 
• Put a handful of vegetable mix on top of it and cover with a lid. Cook on medium flame. 
• Wait for 2 minutes. 
• Open the lid and turn the dosa to the other side. Again cook for 2 minutes or until done. 
• Serve hot with chutney

Homemade Paneer Puffs

It is long weekend this time (all together 4 days)here in bahrain. And so the request for snacks and special foods will be more too. I tried these quick and easy paneer filling to make paneer puffs. I had earlier made puff pastry sheets and kept it in freezer. So it was easy to take it, thaw and bake. You can use this filling to make paneer samosa or paneer dosa. We love paneer and love to add it in anything. You can also add green peas or capsicum to the filling. You can buy puff pastry sheets from super markets. So don't hesitate to try this simple yet yummy puffs.

 Ingredients

• Puff pastry sheets - 3 (cut each into 2 to get 6 sheets)
• Paneer - 15 cubes
• Ginger - a small piece (chopped)
• Onion - 1 big
• Tomato - 1/2 of one
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Coriander leaves - a little (chopped)
• Egg (for egg wash)
• Oil 

Method
I made those puff pastry sheets at home and took the recipe from Julie's Erivum Puliyum.

Filling

• Thaw your paneer and crumble it.
• Heat a pan 
• Add little oil
• Add chopped onion and ginger
• Saute until it turns pink and transparent
• Add the chilli and turmeric powders. Saute until the raw smell goes.
• Add chopped tomato and crumbled paneer. Add salt to taste.
• Saute, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes switch off the flame and add chopped coriander leaves. 

Baking

• Thaw your puff pastry sheets.
• Allow your filling to cool. 
• Put the filling in the sheet and fold into preferred shape. 
• Preheat your oven at 200 degree centigrade.
• Keep the filled puff pastries in a baking dish.
• Beat one egg well and brush it over the filled pastries.
• Keep in oven and bake for 20 minutes are 200 degree centigrade. 

Kesari (Strawberry flavoured)

This is strawberry flavoured kesari. Hershey's strawberry syrup was sitting in my cupboard for sometime. I love its flavour and colour. I didn't know it would come out this well. The result was very tasty. I made this for a few friends of mine and they all loved it. Here I haven't added any extra colour. It is the colour of the syrup. Do try this one for your kid.

Ingredients

• Rava/semolina - 1/2 cup
• Water - 1 cup (boiled)
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Cardamom - 5 
• Hershey's strawberry syrup - 1/3 cup
• Ghee - 3 tbsp

Method

• Powder sugar along with cardamom seeds. Keep aside
• Heat a pan and add rava. 
• Dry roast it for 2-3 minutes till you get an aroma (don't burn it).
• To this add boiled water and stir on low flame. If required add more water so rava cooks well. (Mash all the lumps)
• Once it has cooked add sugar-cardamom powder and stir well. 
• Add the Hershey's strawberry syrup.
• Allow it to thicken. Stir occasionally. It will thicken soon. 
• Now add ghee and stir until it starts pulling away from the pan. (it becomes a mass and doesn't stick to the pan)
• Grease a plate with ghee and spread this kesari onto it. 
• When it cools down cut into desired shape and enjoy. 

Quiche

Most of the quiche recipes contain lots of cheese and butter. I was eager to try one quiche but these guilt feeling ingredients refrained me from trying it. Then yesterday I tried this not much buttery and no cheese quiche which tasted nice. It is a healthy breakfast for your family. Here I've tried sausages as main ingredient. You can make it more healthy by choosing your favourite ingredient and loading with cheese if your kids like it.

Ingredients
For the base pastry

• Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
• Butter - 10 gms (frozen)
• Olive oil - 3 tsp (frozen)
• Ice cold water - as required
• Salt to taste

For filling

• Sausage - 2 
• Onion - 1 medium
• Egg - 1 
• Milk - 2 tsp
• Oregano - 1/2 tsp
• Any pizza cheese (as required) - I didn't use

Method
For the base pastry

• Rub frozen butter and frozen oil out into the wheat flour.
• Add salt to taste
• Add required amount of cold water to make a dough. Cover it with aluminium foil and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For filling

• Mix together milk and egg. Add salt and pepper as required.
• Add grated cheese to egg-milk mix. Keep aside (If you're not using cheese, omit this step)
• In a hot pan add little oil and followed by chopped onion. Add salt to taste.
• Add chopped sausage pieces and stir fry. 
• Add oregano and pepper powder. Stir fry until done and keep aside

Finally

• Preheat oven at 180 degrees centigrade.
• Take the refrigerated dough and roll it into the size of your pie/tart dish.
• Butter the base of the tart dish
• Press the rolled out dough into the dish and cut off the extra at the rims. 
• Put the filling into it and pour the egg- milk-cheese mixture. 
• Bake in preheated oven at 180 degree centigrade for 25-30 minutes

Aloo Jeera

I know this is one of the most usual dishes on your dining table. It is one irresistible potato dish which we love to have every week. These days my little boy has become very naughty (earlier also he was but after vacation he became 4 times more) and is taking most of my time. So most of the time goes on running after him and shouting Noel noooo... :) .. this aloo jeera is one dish he likes to pick and eat. Cumin flavour is not something I love always, but with potato I love it.

Ingredients

• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Potato - 3
• Onion - 1
• Red chilly - 3
• Salt to taste
• Oil for sauteing

Method

• Boil the potatoes with salt and cut it into small cube sizes. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan
• Add cumin seeds and saute for 10 secs.
• Break your red chillies and above to the cumin. Saute
• Add sliced onion. Saute for 5 minutes on medium flame.
• Add salt to taste (you've cooked potato with salt, so add accordingly here)
• Add your boiled potato cubes.
• Saute until you get the cumin flavours into the potato (10 minutes on medium flame). Don't over use your spoon for sauteeing as you'll smash your potatoes
• Serve hot

Prawns Thoran

This is an easy way to eat something tasty on a lazy day (if you've some cleaned prawns). I had some cleaned shallots in my fridge so things were very quick. Just had to mix and love all ingredients and put it on flame. Enjoy with hot rice. 

Ingredients

• Prawns - 250 gms
• Shallots - 1 cup + (3 for tempering)
• Chopped ginger - 1 tbsp (chopped)
• Green chilli - 5
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Kudam puli - 2 pieces 
• Grated coconut - 1 cup
• Salt to taste
• Coconut oil - 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method

• Clean the prawns. If they're big one cut each one into 2 to 3 pieces.
• Slice shallots and green chilli. chop ginger .
• In an earthenware (or any kadai) put together all the ingredients and mix well with your fingers.
• Keep on flame and let it cook for 6-10 minutes (Prawns actually take only 2-3 minutes to cook. you can adjust the cooking time according to your taste)
• Switch off the flame
• Temper as below

For tempering

• Heat oil in a pan
• Add mustard seeds. 
• When it starts spluttering add sliced shallots and saute until brown. 
• Pour over the thoran. 

Apple Oats Smoothie

A sweet drink for someone who doesn't like plain oats. You can substitute sugar with honey to make it more healthy. Drink soon after you make it otherwise it'll turn lightly brown because of the apple. Still the taste is nice.

Ingredients

• Apple - 1
• Oats - 1 tbsp
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom - 3
• Sugar - 2 tsp
• Water - 1/2 cup

Method

• Wash, peel and core your apple. Slice it.
• Cook oats in 1/2 cup water (I used Quaker oats)
• In a blender add sliced apple, cooked oats (cooled), cardamom seeds, sugar and milk. Blend well.
• Pour into a tall glass and enjoy.

Brownies

Hi friends, I'm trying something after a break of almost 2 months. It is nice to be back and be among you all. 

I just wanted try a chocolate cake for little one, but then after the break forgot to get baking powder. So tried this recipe and it came out well. I had to cut it when it was just out of the oven as the big and small stomachs couldn't wait any longer. So it was very moist during the snap session. Do try

Ingredients

• Maida - 3/4 cup
• Eggs - 2 nos.
• Butter - 90 gms
• Cocoa powder - 1/2 cup
• Instant coffee - 1/2 tsp
• Granulated sugar - 1 cup
• Water - 1 tsp

Method

• Sift maida and keep aside
• Melt butter.
• Mix together melted butter and cocoa powder until all lumps dissolve
• Break the eggs one by one and add to the cocoa-butter mix. Mix well
• Add 1 tsp warm water to instant coffee and add this to above. 
• Into this add granulated sugar and blend well.
• Fold in the sifted maida using your wooden spoon. It will be a thick batter.
• Prepare your square dish with butter and pour the batter into it.
• Preheat the oven and bake at 150 degree centigrade for 20 minutes. 
• Bake until the toothpick inserted comes out with a little batter and few moist lumps. (as said in "Joy of baking"). Avoid over baking. 

Hi

Hello all, I'm on a vacation for a month. Enjoying native food with no kitchen chores. Hope to be back in a few weeks. I wanted to write this earlier but was busy with packing and traveling. Keep blogging and cooking great food. :)

Oats-Dates Pancake

This is a very healthy breakfast or even a snack for kids after school. It is sweet and filling. It is full of energy. Saw this on a TV channel and tried. It came out really well and my family loved it. 

You need

• Oats - 1 cup
• Ripe dates - 15 nos.
• Sugar - 2 tsp (optional)
• Egg white - of 2 eggs
• Salt - a pinch
• Milk - as required
• Ghee/oil - as required

Method

• Remove the seeds and grind the dates. Keep aside
• Grind oats and make it powdery
• In a deep bowl mix together ground oats, dates, sugar, salt and milk to get a thick batter
• Fold in beaten egg whites.
• Heat a tawa. Add little ghee and pour a laddle of batter on tawa
• Put on low flame and cover with a lid
• When one side is cooked turn to other side. Cook well
• Serve warm

Cauliflower Fritters/Pakoras

Cauliflowers are mostly kid's favourite. I love making fritters of it and my family enjoys it as a snack. This time I added a little hand-broken coriander leaves which really upgraded the taste. Try these crunchy fritters with tea. Have a happy weekend

You need

1. Cauliflower - 1 small
2. Ginger - 1 small piece (chopped)
3. Chilli powder - 3 tsp 
4. Asafoetida - 1 pinch
5. Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch (handbroken)
6. Salt to taste
7. Wheat flour - 1 cup
8. Water - as required
9. Oil for frying

Method

• Clean and wash cauliflower well and separate the florets (dry it well on a tissue). 
• In a bowl mix together ingredients 2 to 7 adding enough water to get a thick batter.
• Heat oil in a thick bottomed vessel
• When the oil becomes hot dip each floret in batter and deep fry in oil.  (or you can mix all florets in batter and scoop it into hot oil)
• Serve warm with your favourite sauce and tea