Vanilla cake with choc frosting

Mix together cake flour, water, eggs and oil to a smooth batter.


Spray the pan with cooking spray or smear with butter generously. Bake at 325F for 1 hr for a 8 inch diameter by 3 inch height. ( 8 X 3)


Remove from oven. A well done cake should leave the sides of the pan.


Remove after 10 mins, while it is still warm to ensure the easy release of the cake.


Cool on a cooling rack till completely cooled.


Smear some icing on the base of your cake board so that the cake won't slide during placing.


Make as many layers as desired. In my case, due a good height of cake pan, I got 4 layers out of 3".


Pipe a ring of icing so the filling does not ooze out, between each layers.


Ice the top of the cake first by using a lot of icing on top since it is easy to remove extra icing but hard to put it back on if your spatula touches the cake, making all the crumbs to ruin your cake.


Ice the sides next, again without letting the spatula touch the cake. At this point, the spatula should touch the icing only at all times, for the same reason explained above.



A comletely iced cake, also called crumb coating. The cake is visible and the crumbs may show through the icing...no worries, since this is getting a second coat of icing. Now the cake can be chilled for an hour to seal the crumbs. I skipped the step since I did not get crumbs on my first coat.


A second coat was applied(In my case chocolate) Decorated and was ready for presentation.





Here's a second look as I totally loved making this for my sweetie!


The irresistable chocolate rose. If I may say so, myself!

Sourdough bread

Sourdough 101
Don't freak out looking at the pictorial....it is just broken in parts so a beginner can do it with no(or less) confusion. It's pretty easy considering that I've failed a few times and came up with a no-fail recipe. I guarantee it!

Ingrediemts needed are pretty much what we always have ready. Theres nothing much to it. Really! What gives this bread a 'tang' is what we need to have ready a day in advance.






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A starter:
Mix together 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup warm water, 1/2 cup yogurt and 1 tsp yeast(optional) and let sit for 12-24 hrs.
I left mine for a full 24 hrs.
At this point you can do one of two things:
a) take half and follow rest of the procedure with it or share/discard the second half
b) keep the second half & feed half cup water and 1/2 cup flour and let sit 24 hrs for another day of bread making/pancakes/muffins/scones etc.
It can also be saved in refrigerator, loosely covered and keep feeding it every week and this lasts good for a whole year( some bakers say, indefinitely) provided, u take half out and add half cup of each water and flour, religiously. That is another topic with a longer explanation and for another day.

So here's my starter all mixed in & ready to work its magic.


This is how it looks next day. Add 1 1/2 cup flour and 3 cups water and mix well.



This is how it looks after 12 hrs. Let it sit 12 more hrs to get the tang.


24 hrs later, you will see a well fermented batter.


Add 2 to 2 1/2 cups of flour, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp salt, 1tsp sugar and mix well to make a pliable dough.


This is how your dough should look like....non sticky and smooth.


5-6 hrs later, the dough has doubled up in volume. You'll know it is ready when you poke a hole at the center & the dent stays in.


Take a look at the beautiful gluten that was working hard to make it look like this...stretchy, yeasty smell & pliable. Its time to punch it down, shape into whatever your heart desires. Typically a loaf, baguette, Boule or rolls.



I shaped mine into lump (talk about being lazy. In my defense, all the wait for the dough to be ready was tiring enough!). Set aside for 1 hr (OR until it has doubled up in volume) to proof( second rise).


Mist the risen dough with water (for crisp crust) and bake for 17- 20 mins @ 450F. For a better color, use beaten egg white as a wash instead of water.
My baked bread sort looked pale...sigh! I wasn't happy with the color but the taste was 'to die for'. The smell that filled my kitchen was amazing. Absolutely a keeper recipe for us, I'll work at it to achieve the color as well as I see many more breads coming out of my oven.
* A well baked bread should sound hollow when tapped on and the crust should feel crisp when poked. Yeah, I can be crazy like that!


Now admire the beautiful bread, pat yourself on the back and bite into the bread with a pat of butter.

Methi paratha

Ingredients:
Wheat flour
Methi leaves - 1 bunch, finely chopped
garlic - 4 cloves, grated
turmeric - 1 tsp
red chilli powder - 1 tsp
amchur powder - 1/2 tsp
jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
salt
In a large bowl, add all the above ingredients with enough water to make a pliable dough. Cover and set aside for a couple of hrs to let the gluten work.
Roll out thin parathas and roast on a griddle with a little oil.
Serve hot with mango pickle.

Special request by My Prince!

Thalipeet

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Rice Flour
1/2 cup Gram Flour
1 tbsp Semolina
2 cups cabbage
1 medium Onion,
2-4 Green Chillies,
Coriander Leaves,
1/2 tsp Jeera Powder
1/2 tsp dhaniya Powder
1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste
Oil for roasting


Method:
Finely chop the cabbage, onion, green chillies and coriander leaves.
Mix all the ingredients except oil it into stiff dough using water.
Heat the griddle and apply oil. Keep a small ball in the centre of the griddle and flatten using a ladle or fingers to make the thinnest roti you can.
I also make a small hole in the centre, like the way traditional Maharastrians make to pour a tsp of oil. Oil is applied in the centre as well as the edges of the thalipeeth. Cook evenly and roast both sides to crisp.
Serve with yogurt and pickle.

Happy Valentine's day!

The one thought that kept me occupied all of today is the thought of Valentine's day tomorrow. Hands down, it is my favourite holiday. I've been day dreaming of all the heart shaped desserts I can do.....cheesecakes?,flan?, decadent cakes?....just can't decide!
Festivities went with tiramisu brought by R Kini and Anjeer kulfi made by me. Anjeer kulfi recipes can be found here.

Methi paneer

Ingredients:
Onion- 1, finely chopped
garlic - 2 cloves, crushed
paneer- 100 gms, crumbled
methi leaves- 1 bunch,just leaves, about 2 cups
jeera - 1 tsp, crushed
red chilli powder - 1 tsp
turmeric - 1/2 tsp
garam masala - 1 tsp
salt

In a kadai, heat 2 tbsp oil and saute onion till translucent.
Add all the masala powders, salt and paneer peices.
keep stirring to mix in spices and roast paneer peices, about 5 mins.
Add methi leaves, and cover and cook for about 5 mins till leaves wilt and are cooked.
Serve hot with Chapathi.

Falooda

Ingredients: Makes 4
1 cup Rose syrup
1 cup cup milk
6 tbsp basil seeds (tukmariya/subza) - soaked in water
6 tbsp vermicelli - cooked only for a couple minutes
4 scoops vanilla icecream
4 tablespoons of strawberry jelly

Method:
In a tall glass,first add the rose syrup, add the basil seeds, vermicelli and milk very gently so it layers nice and doesnt mix up. Top it with icecream and jello chunks. Needs long spoon and preferably smoothie straw to indulge in both the solid and liquid chilled experience.

Garlic, pesto, marinara bread

Recipe is same as the Rustic Italian bread, rolled into a french bread shape.

Shrimp Scampi

Not a great pic, but, this will do to get the idea! The scampi tastes great with crostini, like they serve it at "Bertucci's", although it is also served with linguine and marinara sauce at most Italian places.

Ingredients
Shrimp - 1 lbs
garlic - 4 cloves,crushed
olive oil - 1 tbsp
butter - 2 tbsp
dry white wine - 1/2 cup
lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Parsley for garnishing
salt & pepper


Heat olive oil in a skillet, add butter and shrimp. When the shrimp has turned pink, add salt and garlic; saute for 2 mins. Remove shrimp and set aside.
In the same pan add wine and lemon juice and bring it to boil. Add shrimp, parsley and season with pepper and a dash of olive oil.
Serve immediately with crostini's.

Sugar cookies

Ingredients
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp salt

Method:
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll out dough on floured surface or in between two sheets of parchment paper, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on parchment lined cookie sheets. Do not grease or flour the sheet.
Bake for 6-8 mins (the edges will turn slightly brown). The cookies at this point will look under done but it is completely cooked. Remove the baking tray and let cool( if not cooled, the cookie will crumble during removing from the sheet) 2 mins on the counter top, remove cookies with a statula and lay them on wire rack to cool.

Note: this dough can be made and shaped into a log, covered with parchment paper, saran wrapped and stored in ref/ freezer for later use. If frozen, thaw it for 1 hr before slicing.Refrigerated and sliced cookies can go right in the oven with the addition of 2 mins during baking time.

Apple strudel muffins

Ingredients for the batter:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups, finely chopped apples

for strudel/ topping
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup oats
1 tbs butter

Method
Batter: In a bowl, mix all dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and eggs until smooth. Mix in vanilla, stir in apples, and gradually add the flour mixture ( dry ingredients) a little at a time making sure that the batter is lump free.

Strudel:In a small bowl, mix brown sugar, flour,oats and cinnamon. Cut small pieces of butter and add in, blend until mixture is like coarse crumbs. This crumb is used as Sprinkle over tops of muffins in muffin pan, before baking .

Bake:Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line with cupcake liners - in a 12 cup regular muffin pan or 24 mini muffin pan. * I sprayed the muffin pan with cooking spray on top of the liners for clean removal of muffins.* Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin pan - half full only.
Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven for 12 muffins, or 7-12 mins for mini muffin pan (until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean). Allow to sit 5 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Cool on a wire rack.

cabbage bhaji

Ingredients
Cabbage -small, about 1 lbs, finely chopped
potato - 1 small, thinly sliced
Green chilies 3, chopped
Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
Oil 3 tbsp.
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Heat the oil in the kadhai and put the mustard seeds and once they start spluttering add green chillies and curry leaves. Add potato,cabbage and turmeric, cover and cook the cabbage( without adding any water) till done. Add salt and keep stirring the bhaji every once in awhile to roast the vegetable.
Serve with hot Rice or Chappathis.

bhindi fry bhaji

Ingredients
Bhindi/ lady's finger/okra 1 lb
garlic, 3 cloves, crushed
jeers 1/2 tsp. crushed
turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
red chilli powder 1 tsp
amchur powder 1/2 tsp
salt

Method:
Cut okra into slices and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan add jeera and bhindi and fry till most of the sliminess has disappeared and the bhindi has browned its edges. this will take about 15 mins.
Add amchur powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Fry for a few more mins to evenly coat the bhindi and get it crispy.

ghardhudhi upkari

 

Ingredients:

1 ghar dudhi/ Bottle Gourd,washed, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1/2 cup Channa Dal/Split Chickpeas, soaked in water for 30 mins

1 Onion, thinly sliced
2 Green Chillies, slit

1 tsp Garam Masala

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Jeera
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds sliced onions. Saute till they turn translucent.Add slit chillies, garam masala, turmeric powder, soaked chana dal, 1 cup of water and cover and cook for 5 mins. when the chana is half cooked, add ghar dudhi and mix well. cove and cook till done.
Serve with chapathi's.

Beet's with greens bhaji

• As I picked up this bunch of beets, I pondered on the thought that there must be a reason why the beets in American groceries always have the greens still attached to it....I haven't seen beets used in any restaurants that I've been to nor have I heard by my friends who use beets regularly...but beets must be a sure sell for the groceries to carry it all year long.

We met up a friend at the store and he saw beets in my cart and asked me what I was going to make with it. 'The usual bhaji', I replied and saw disappointment in his eyes as he was expecting some great recipe, I guess. I was now on a mission to cook it in a few different ways and get my family's opinion on what tasted best.

The first favourite is roasted beets, of course since we love roasted veggies. Second runner up is the 'upkari' recipe posted below and the third preparation is still stirring up in my thoughts.

The normally thrown out greens and stems was put up to good use today. I cringed with the thought; the amount of wastage of greens done by me in the past 10 years...what was I thinking! Well, no use, crying over thrown beets: I say, and as a strong believer of 'better late than never'....so here's a start!
The side dish that turned out very tasty and was just as beautiful to look at! I wish I had a picture before we relished this savoury sweetish side!


Ingredients
beets - 2 peeled and thinly sliced
greens - from 2 beets, finely chopped
mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
red chillies 2-3
oil 1tbsp
salt

In a kadai, heat oil and season with mustard seeds and red chillies. Add beets, hald a cup of water cover and cook for 10 mins. When cooked, add greens and saute till greens wilt. Cook for 3-5 mins.

Aloo Methi

Ingredients
Potato - 2 , thinly sliced
methi leaves - 1 bunch, finely chopped
onion - 1, finely chopped
jeera - 1/2 tsp
haldi - 1/4 tsp
red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
amchur powder - 1/2 tsp
salt

Heat oil in a kadai and add onions, saute till translucent.
Add potatoes, all spice powders and cover and cook on low heat till done.
Add methi leaves,salt and stir to mix well and to remove excess moisture from cooking potatoes.Cook for about 5 mins.
Serve with chapathi.

Roasted veggies

veggies cut thinly: beets, arvi, bell peppers
cut up in chunks: broccoli,cauliflower.
red onions cut in half.

Line the tray with foil and spray with cooking spray. lay all the veggies, spray and season with salt. Bake at 350F for 20 mins and broil on low for 10 mins.

Tomato saaru

A diluted spicy dish which is similar to rasam, except for omiting rasam powder.

Ingredients
Plum Tomatoes – 4
Green Chillies – 4, slit
mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
red chillies - 2 broken
curry leaves - 1 sprig

Oil
Salt to taste
Method
Heat about 3 cups of water and add chopped tomatoes and green chillies, salt and boil.
Cook for 10-15 mins.
Season with mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves.

Green chutney

Ingredients
Cilantro- about 25 stems
mint-5 stems
green chillies-6-8
ginger-1" pc
garlic- 2 cloves
salt
Grind all the ingredients and use it for the masala and as a chutney for chaats

Tamarind date chutney

Ingredients
tamarind pulp - 1/2 cup
dates 10
jaggery -3/4 cup
cumin powder- 2 tbsp
salt
In a pan add the tamarind pulp,chopped dates, jaggery, cumin powder, and salt.
Bring them to boil and cook for about 10 minutes until the mixture reduce to a thick liquid.Take the mixture off of heat and allow it to cool. Grind to a smooth paste.

Vada paav

Ingredients
potatoes - 2, boiled and mashed
green chillies - 6-8, finely chopped
cilantro - about 10 stems
garlic clove - 3, grated fresh
haldi - 1/2 tsp
hing - 1/4 tsp
salt
Paav
Green chutney
dry garlic chutney

For the batter:
besan - 1 cup
salt
red chilli pwd
haldi
soda
mix to make a smooth, lump free batter.


Mix together mashed aloo, hing, haldi, chopped green chillies, garlic paste, salt and cilantro. Make into balls, flatten and dip in batter, coat and fry.

Masala puri

One of the chaat only recognised in karnataka....scrutinized by a M'baiites that I know, on the fact that this dish is on the list of chaats all over M'lore and my Mom's fav among chaats.

Ingredients required for assembling of the said dish:
for each serving:
Green Peas Masala- about 2 cups
puris about 10
thin sev - 3 tbsp
onions - 1 tbsp
tomatoes - 1 tbs
cilantro - 1 tbsp
green chutney
tam - date chutney

Ingredients for Green peas masala
green peas- 3 cup, soaked for 4 hrs
onion-1, finely chopped
garlic- 2 cloves, crushed
green chutney(recipe below)-3 tbsp
turmeric- 1/2 tsp
red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
Amchur powder-1/2 tsp
oil- 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add onion ang garlic and saute till translucent, not brown. Add turmeric, red chillie powder, amchur powder and green chutney and saute for about 5 mins. Add Green peas, salt and about 6 cups of water and pressure cook till peas are cooked completely.( Mine took 10 whistles to cook) Stir for even mixture of peas and spices and mash a few peas using the back of the spoon to thicken the masala. Done.

Although, I dont care for the order of the ingerdients that goes for this dish, I know a few friends who would patiently make a plate in the following order, just way it is served by my fav Chaat Gadiwalla - Shettre's dhaba a.k. a Shetty's Chaat stall.

Assembling of this chaat
1. crush puris
2. layer with green peas masala
3. onions, tomato, cilantro
4. tamarind-date chutney and green chutney
5. lastly, the sev