Happy New Year- Sinful Indulgence

Happy New year everyone, this is something to make sure that your year begins with sweet and sinful indulgence :)

There are a couple of things about this recipe that are worth mentioning. First, it does not contain eggs. Second, this cake uses unsweetened (natural) cocoa powder (not  processed) which has an intense bitter flavour that makes it well suited for use in this chocolate cake.Third, we also add a little lemon juice (or vinegar) to the batter, which causes a reaction between the cocoa powder and the lemon juice giving the baked cake a distinctly red tinge (reminiscent of a Red Velvet Cake). And lastly, while I have used melted butter, you could substitute even a vegetable oil.

Ingredient:

For Chocolate Cake:

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) refined flour (Maida)

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1/4 cup (25 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder sifted

1 teaspoon  baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup (75 grams) unsalted butter melted

1 cup (240 ml) warm water

1 tablespoon lemon juice(or vinegar)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 For Chocolate Frosting:

170 grams semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream(35% butterfat)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

Serves 8 - 10 people.

Direction:

Chocolate Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F  and place rack in center of oven.

In an ungreased 8 inch (20 cm) square cake pan, stir together the flour, sugar, sifted cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add the melted butter, water, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. With a fork, mix all the ingredients together until well blended.

Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

Frosting: Place the chopped chocolate, cream, and butter in a heatproof bowl. Place over a saucepan of simmering water and melt until smooth. Remove from heat and let stand at room temperature until it is of pouring consistency. Then pour the frosting over the cooled cake. Let stand until frosting has thickened.

Enjoy :)

Coconut Laddoo - Festivity Special

Ingredients:
1 can condensed milk
2 cups dessicated coconut
2 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp sugar (to taste as condenesed milk is already sweet)
1/4 cup nuts – chopped (pistachios, almonds, cashews) (optional)
A few strands of saffron – to decorate (optional)

Method:
Keep a little coconut and a few pistachios aside for garnishing. Mix the condensed milk and the remaining coconut in a bowl. Add the sugar and elaichi powder and stir on a low flame for about 4-5 mins. The milk is already thick, so don’t over-heat else it may get burnt. Remove from flame, then add the chopped nuts and set aside till the mixture has cooled down enough to handle with your hands.

Shape into small laddoos(round balls). Roll each laddoo in a little dessicated coconut.

Ps:You can garnish each with a slit of pistachio and saffron. Alternately, you can spread the mixture after removing from flame into a slightly greased plate which has edges. Then use a knief to cut into squares or diamonds if you want to make Coconut Burfi instead of laddoos:) 

Dry fruit tart- Festivity Special

Preparation Time – 15mins 
Cooking Time – 40mins

Ingredients:

For  Tart
Refined Flour – 2 cups
Butter – 1 cup
Sugar – 3/4th cup 

For the Filling
Sugar – 1cup
Butter –1 tbsp
Pistachio  – 1/4th cup
Cashewnuts – 1/4th cup
 Almonds – 1/4th cup

Direction:
Rub together flour, butter and sugar till sandy texture. Sprinkle just enough water to make into a dough. Cover with a damp cloth and keep in refrigerator for 15mins.- Take out the dough and using dry flour roll out into thin sheets (approx 3mm). Place this dough over tart moulds and press gently to cover the mould. Trim the sides for a neat shape. Prick with a toothpick or a fork. Now place these moulds in a pre heated oven at a temp of 180c for 12-15 mins. Remove and allow to cool completely. - Place the nuts in a tray and light roast them in a oven for 8 mins at a temp of 150c. Remove and break them roughly.- Separately place sugar in a pan and on very slow heat let it caramalise. Once the sugar is light golden remove from fire and add butter and mix quickly. Now fold in the nuts. Adding butter to sugar makes it gooey and easy to fold. Spoon this mixture into the tarts. Serve these beautiful tarts at room temp. 
Ps : Do not refrigerate.
enjoy:) 

caffe Waffy Roll

Ingredients:

¼ cup butter (60 ml)

¼ cup sugar (60 ml)

¼ cup maple syrup (60 ml)

2 tablespoons espresso (30 ml)

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

⅓ cup flour (80 ml)

2 tablespoons crushed hazelnuts (30 ml)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven at 350 F (180 C).

2. In a pot, melt the butter with sugar, maple syrup, espresso and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, add the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly until it thickens slightly with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat.

3. Drop a teaspoon size amount of batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spread thinly with the back of a spoon or a palette knife into a circular sized shape. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Repeat until all the batter has been used. Bake in the oven for about 8 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Remove and let cool only slightly until you can handle them, about 5 minutes. Carefully roll them into a  using the handle of a wooden spoon to guide you if necessary. If you see they are hardening too quickly, you can put them back in the oven for a minute or two to re-soften and continue rolling. Set aside.

Eid Special -Sevaiyan/Vermicelli Pudding

Hello everyone! hope you all are doing good :)

Eid is not complete without sevaiyyan!!

It is purely a regional tradition of making something sweet for the special occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. Since dates are of special significance during the month of Ramzan, these are integrated in a creamy and tastier form on the day of Eid. There are many names to this dish ranging from sevaiyyan, semiya, sheer qurma, semiya pudding, vermicelli pudding, and what not!!  So here is the recipe  J

1 liter of Whole milk

 250 gm   Pure ghee  or you can also use oil but i strong recommend to use Ghee(required for frying vermicelli into golden brown)
4 tbsp. of  sugar (adjust sugar to taste)
½ tsp cardamom powder
¼ cup of pistachio  (chopped)
½ cup of coconut,dried (chopped)
½ cup of almonds (chopped)
¼ cup of raisins
¼ cup of Dried dates(chopped)
1 handful of  vermicelli

1 tsp. of Rose water essence

  Some Saffron stands

Direction :

1.Break the semiya into manageable size. Fry this vermicelli or semiya in a thick bottomed dish in ghee on medium-low flame. The color of the vermicelli should be light golden brown and even. Keep it aside.

2.Bring milk to boil and stir continuously to reduce the quantity. Add sugar, powdered cardamom and stir.

3.Add the semiya to the milk and stir for few minutes till it is soft and cooked. Don’t overcook.

4.Add  the nuts, raisins, dates, rose essence and saffron.

5.Serve this as you like – hot, warm, room temp or chilled. Since it has ghee, it is better to avoid the colder version.

To make the dish creamier or tastier ( I will never talk about calories here), you can take more milk and boil to reduce the quantity. Some recipes call for addition of condensed milk for shortcuts.

PS:

The nuts are generally prepared the previous day/ night. They are soaked for couple of hours to easily skin and sliver, before roasting.

The key to bringing out the flavor of nuts is to roast it right. All the nuts need to be roasted in low flame till they change their color and give out their flavored fragrance. Most people deep fry the nuts in the ghee and this works great too. Never over fry or darken the nuts.Personally, I like it with less sugar. It not only tastes good but is a welcome relief for most guests who are fully fed up with the sweet dish. The dates can be added for sweetness.

Eid - mubarak :)

Pavlova

Today I am going to share a very delicious  Australian meringue dessert Pavlova :)
Pavlova is a meringue based dessert named after the Russian ballet dancer  Anna Pavlova. It is a meringue dessert with a crisp crust and soft, light inside.The dessert is believed to have been created in honour of the dancer either during or after one of her tours to Austalia and New Zealand in the 1920s. The nationality of its creator has been a source of argument between the two nations for many years, but formal research indicates New Zealand as the source.The dessert is a popular dish and an important part of the national cuisine of both countries, and with its simple recipe, is frequently served during celebratory and holiday meals. It is a dessert most identified with the summer time. Pavlovas have a habit of deflating and forming cracks when you open the oven. Don't be disheartened, just make some extra whipped cream to fill in the hole if this happens. It will still be a spectacular dessert.If you use bananas in the topping, toss them in lemon juice to stop them going brown.

 So, here are the ingredients you will need for making Pavlova:

• 4 large egg whites at room temperature
• 1 cup of Castor sugar
• 1 tsp of white vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp of cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of whipping cream
• Fresh fruit such as strawberries, raspberries, bananas, blueberries ( fruits of your choice)
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 275F (140C) and place the rack in middle of the oven. Line a baking tray with foil and draw a 7 inch circle on the foil with the blunt edge of a knife (don't tear the foil). Set aside.
2. In a clean, medium-sized metal bowl, beat the egg whites with a clean electric mixer on medium speed. Beat until the whites form soft peaks.
3. Gently sprinkle the sugar into the egg whites, one teaspoon at a time. Don't just lump the sugar in the bowl and never stop beating the eggs until you finish the sugar. Your egg whites should now be glossy stiff peaks.
4. Sprinkle the cornstarch and vinegar on the meringue and fold in gently with a plastic spatula. Add the vanilla and gently fold the mixture again.
5. Now gently spread the meringue in the circle on the foil to make a circular base. Make sure the edges of the meringue are slightly higher then the center so you have a very slight well in the middle.
6. Bake the meringue for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until it goes a very pale, egg shell color.
7. Turn the oven off and leave the door slightly ajar to let the meringue cool completely. As the meringue cools, it will crack slightly.
8. Just before serving, take the meringue out of the oven and remove it gently from the foil and place on a plate.
9. Whip the cream with the vanilla extract until it forms peaks. Prepare the fruit by washing and slicing.
10. Gently spread the cream to the top of the meringue with a spatula and arrange the fruit on top.

This recipe is pretty much fail-proof, it makes a crusty on the outside and marshmallow-y on the inside sort of meringue, the whipped cream and the tang of the fruit help make it taste sensational!! 

Chinese Style Chicken in hot Sauce

Ingredients:

500gm Chicken boneless

1tbsp Ginger garlic paste

1 Green capsicum

½ tsp Chilli flakes

2Onions 2 inch sliced

1 tomato pureed

 1 bowl Spring onion

8-9 Green chillies

A pinch Ajinomoto

3 tbsp Cornflour

1egg

1tsp Vinegar

2 tsp Tomato ketchup

1/2tsp honey (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Oil for frying

Directions:

1. Clean the chicken and keep aside. Chop the onions into 2” pieces and slit the green chillies. Cut the peppers into 2” pieces.

2. Make a paste with 2tbsp corn flour and egg. Add half the ginger, garlic paste, ½tsp soya sauce, ½tsp vinegar, salt and pepper. Marinate for 20 minutes.

3. Heat the oil and deep fry the chicken pieces. Drain on kitchen roll and keep it aside.

4. Heat 2tsp of oil in a pan. Add the onions and green chillies. Sauté until onions are brown.

5. Add the rest of the ginger garlic paste , spring onion and fry.

6. Add the chicken, soya sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, tomato puree, salt,chilli flakes and pepper.

7. Mix 1tbsp of the cornflour with water and add to the chicken. Mix well. Boil till it thickens.

8. Serve hot garnished  with spring onion.