Cauliflower biryani

Ingredients

• Cauliflower - 1 medium size
• Egg - 1 
• Onion - 6 medium ones (sliced) 
• Ginger - a small piece 
• Garlic - 3 pods
• Green chilli - 3 to 5 (as per your spice level)
• Tomato - 1 large (sliced)
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 2 tbsp
• Garam masala - 1 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1tbsp
• Coriander leaves - a handful chopped
• Grated coconut - a handful
• Curd - 1/2 cup
• Ghee
• Oil
• Salt

 Method

• Clean cauliflower and separate the florets
• Grind ginger, garlic and green chilli in a mixer. Keep aside
• Grind coconut and curd together into a fine paste. Keep aside
• Heat oil
• Beat egg with little salt. Dip cauliflower florets in beaten egg and deep fry. Keep aside
• In a thick bottomed vessel, add little ghee/oil.
• When the oil is hot add onion and saute until it slightly brown
• Add ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and saute again until the raw smell goes.
• Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala. Saute 
• Add sliced tomato, coconut-curd mix and saute. 
• Add salt to taste.
• Now add the fried cauliflower and mix well. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes. 
• Your cauliflower masala is ready now.

Now for the rice

• Basmati rice - 3 cups (Wash and drain)
• Cloves - 4
• Cardamom - 4
• Bay leaf - 1/2
• Cinnamon - 1 small stick
• Water - 6 cups
• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Salt

Method

• Heat ghee in a pan and saute rice with spices for 2-3 minutes. 
• Boil water in a thick bottomed vessel. When it starts boiling add rice and spices. Add salt.
• Cover and cook on low flame until all water is absorbed and rice is ready

For serving

1. In a vessel layer the cauliflower masala in the bottom
2. Layer rice above it sprinkling garam masala in between. 
3. Close the vessel and put on low flame for 2-3 minutes.
4. Decorate with coriander leaves and fried onions.

Yule log

This is my first log cake. Could've been better if I hadn't rushed through some steps. Fold in your maida as slowly as possible into the beaten eggs. I rushed through that step and so my cake was not too spongy, but still the result was good. I got this recipe from "Vanitha" magazine

Ingredients

• Egg - 3
• Maida - 3/4 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Water - 1/3 cup
• Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
• Salt- a pinch

 Method

• Prepare a rectangle cake pan. 15 x 10 inch pan is apt for this recipe. Put baking paper on the pan.
• Keep your oven ready. Preheat it. 
• Mix maida, salt and baking powder. Sift and keep
• Beat the eggs until really fluffy. Beat it continuously for 5 minutes on high speed. 
• Add powdered sugar in small quantities at a time. Blend with mixer on high speed.
• Then add water and vanilla essence and blend on low speed.
• Add maida, baking powder salt and fold in slowly. 
• Pour the batter into the pan and keep in oven. 
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or as per your oven adjustments.

For the filling I used ganache

• Semi sweet chocolate chips- 1/2 cup
• Thick cream - 1/2 cup

Method

• Melt the chocolate chips in microwave or on double boiler. 
• Heat cream and let it start to boil. Take off the flame and pour over the melted chips. 
• Beat with mixer and keep it fridge to thicken. 

For icing I used whipping cream. 

• Whipping cream - 1 pkt (mine was a small pkt of 44 gms)
• Cocoa powder - 1 tbsp
• Icing sugar - 1 tbsp
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Method

• Keep the vessel in fridge for a few minutes before beating
• Whip it as per given on instruction on packet. You can add cocoa powder while whipping. 
• Beat your whipping cream during this time. You can add a tbsp of icing sugar, vanilla essence and 1 tbsp of cocoa powder and beat.

For assembling

1. Place a baking paper (or a cotton clean towel) bigger than your cake on the table top. 
2. Sprinkle some icing sugar on the paper/towel. 
3. Once cake is baked, over turn it on this paper (or a cotton towel) while it is hot. 
4. Slowly remove the paper from the top of the cake and roll the cake along with paper/towel below (the one which you sprinkled sugar on). Keep it as such until cooled or for atleast 30 minutes. 
5. Once cooled open the cake and spread the ganache and roll it (this time without paper)
6. Keep this roll in fridge again. 
7. Take out the roll, place it on the display plate, cut both edges and then put the whipping cream on top. Give designs with fork and use fondant  for trees and leaf designs