Spicy idli

This is quite a dinner dish or an evening snack for kids. I usually make it when there are left over idlis. You can change the chilli according to your spice level. Anyway a dish worth trying

Ingredients

• Idli - 6 (cut into small pieces) 
• Onion - 4 medium
• Tomato - 1 big
• Ginger - a small piece chopped
• Capsicum - 1 small 
• Chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric pwdr - 1/4 tsp
• Oil for sauteing

Method

• Heat oil. Add chopped ginger and onion.
• Once onion turns pink, add chilli and turmeric powder. Saute until the raw smell goes.
• Now add the tomato pieces. Cover and cook.
• Once all have blended, add the idli and stir well until the masala coats the pieces.
• Add chopped capsicum, mix and keep on slow flame for 5 minutes.
• You can garnish with chopped coriander leaves. 
• Serve hot. :) 

Butter cake (with pineapple essence)

Hi there, today I thought of trying out a simple butter cake, although carrot cake is noel's favourite. Searching my cupboard, I found that vanilla essence was over, so thought of making it with pineapple essence. It doesn't make much difference except for the fragrance that comes as the cake bakes. You might be baking this basic cake all time at home for kids, but still I thought of jotting down the measurements for someone who bought an oven for the first time.

Ingredients

• Maida (all purpose flour) - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup (powdered)
• Butter -100 gms (1 stick)
• Eggs -3
• Pineapple essence - 1 tsp
• Baking powder - 1tsp
• Milk - 1/2 cup (optional)

It is better if all these ingredients are at room temperature


Method

• Sieve maida and baking powder. Keep aside
• Separate the egg white and yolks 
• In a deep bowl, mix together butter and sugar, beat it well until the mix becomes fluffy.
• To this add the egg yolks one by one and beat well. If all egg yolks go together, there is a chance that the batter will get curdled. 
• Blend in your essence as well.
• Once you've blended all egg yolks, add 1/2 amount of flour mix and combine well with a wooden spoon. If the batter seems thick add little milk. Finally blend in the remaining flour.

Preheat the oven and bake at 180 degree C for 20-30 minutes depending on your oven.

Stir fried chicken

This is a dish inspired from the site http://www.mariasmenu.com of which I'm an ardent follower.
A very simple dish if you've some marinated chicken breast
Here is the recipe

Ingredients

• Boneless chicken - 2 breast pieces sliced into long strips
• Onion medium sized - 4 (Sliced)
• Capsicum - 2 medium sized (Sliced)
• Ginger - a small piece chopped
• Oil for sauteing
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Kashmiri chilli powder - 3 tsp
• Pepper powder - 1 tsp

Method

•  Marinate the sliced chicken pieces with turmeric, chilli (keep a 1/2 tsp aside) and pepper powder. Add salt as well. Keep aside for sometime atleast for 20 minutes.
• In a frying pan, add oil. Add the sliced onions and ginger. When onion gets pink in colour add the remaining chilli powder and salt. Saute until the smell of raw chilli goes. Add your marinated chicken strips and saute again on slow flame. This has to go on for 10 minutes atleast.
• At this stage add the capsicum slices and panfry.

Let it be on slow flame for another 10 minutes. Once done, serve hot with chappathi, roti.

Carrot cake

One of the cakes which I make at home more often and the one my kid likes.

Ingredients

• Maida (all purpose flour) - 1 cup
• Baking powder - 1tsp
• Vegetable oil (I used sunflower) - 3/4 cup
• Egg - 2
• Sugar 3/4 - 1 cup (as per your taste bud) - powdered
• Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp
• Carrot grated - 1 and 1/2 cup
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Method

•  Sieve maida and baking powder and keep aside
•  Mix together oil, egg and let them blend well
•  To this add sugar and mix well until you get a smooth batter
•  Add cinnamon powder, vanilla essence to blend again.
• You don't need a cake mixer. Just a wooden spoon will do the work for the carrot cake.
•  Now slowly mix in the maida-baking pwdr mix and may be you'll feel the batter is thick.
• Add the grated carrots and combine. The batter becomes loose again and ready to go in the oven.

I baked this in a muffin case and got 12.  (Preheat and bake at 150 degree C for 20-25 mins).You can use either muffin case or a round dish ... Adjust your oven accordingly. Happy baking!!