Celebration Chocolate Cake for New year 2011!

Chocolate cake is my fav so love to try different versions of it, though this moist chocolate cake is always my fav and only now I have perfected it after so many tries.

This chocolate cake with eggs is the recipe I saw from Nithis space and bookmarked it. Having confirming it with her twice(becos most of my choc cake attempts fail for the first time), I baked it for my friends before leaving Chennai. This cake is a keeper as this is the first time I am getting a perfect chocolate cake in my first try...I gave her link to my sisinlaw, she too tried it and gave me good feedback. So to me this is sure a no fail recipe and as her caption says it is perfect chocolate cake.

The first time I remember calling Nithya was to ask about the muffin pans and never felt I am talking to her for the first time. I've always admired her presentation skills the area I struggle so much. And I'm glad to have known such a creative and friendly person.The strain she takes for every post OMG I can never imagine to go that extra mile anytime. Kudos to you Nithi!

Ingredients:

• Maida - 1 and 3/4 cups (250 gms)
• Eggs - 2
• Milk - 1 cup (250 ml)
• Cooking Oil - 1/2 cup (125 ml)
• Boiling water - 1 cup (250 ml)
• Powdered sugar - 1 and 1/2 cups (250 gms)
• Cocoa powder - 3/4 cup (100 gms)
• Baking powder - 1.5 tsp
• Baking soda - 1.5 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp
• Vanilla essence - 2 tsp

Method:

1. In a bowl, sift together maida, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder atleast twice to ensure even spreading.


2. In a seperate bowl,Beat eggs till fluffy, add milk, oil, boiling water and vanilla essence and beat well using a whisk or electric mixer.


3. Now add the maida cocoa mixture in parts to the egg milk mixture and mix well making sure no lumps are formed. The batter is little runny.


4. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and flour the baking pan and pour the batter and bake it at 180°C for 30-35mins. Check if a fork inserted comes out clean, then your cake is done.


5. Cool on wire rack for 15 mins and then slice it into pieces. The cake is ready to have it as such or frost it.

My Notes:

• I dont prefer frosting so made frosting just for a piece of cake alone with 1 tbsp butter, 1 tsp cocoa powder and 2 tsp sugar.


• This cake measurement is actually for a layer cake type with 2 cake pans but since I wanted it plain and small I measured with a small cup accordingly. So if you are planning to use 200gms as 1 cup then you may need 2 cake pans.


• The batter is runny but after getting baked its perfect. The cake was very soft and did raise well.

The texture and softness of this cake is simply stunning that you cant stop with one piece. And I am sure this would be close to the bakery ones if made layers and frosted. Have in mind to give it a try but dono when?!

New year is fast approaching and it seems to me like 2010 went so fast. I pray for good health and prosperity for all in the coming year too.

Wishing you all a very happy new year 2011 !!

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Vegetable Biriyani

For certain dishes,I always prefer homemade to restaurant ones like pulaos and vegetable biriyani. Ammas vegetable biriyani and sambar is always everyones favourite among our circle of friends and relatives. When guests arrive for lunch, its sure to be vegetable biriyani, those who have tasted it before even request amma to specifically make it.

Hubby usually takes the short route of not eating on sunday mornings in the name of fasting ;) and then have chicken biryani for lunch to full tummy, he always says he should skip the before meal when its biriyani for lunch. Having watched amma making it for so many years, I've started recreating it though not 100% to her taste, it is sure tasty :)

Vegetable Biriyani Recipe - Ingredients :

• Basmati Rice - 1 cup (I used seeraga samba rice variety)
• Coconut milk - 1/4 cup
• Water - 1 and 3/4 cups
• Onion - 1 chopped finely
• Tomato - 1 cubed
• Ginger Garlic paste - 1.5 tbsp
• Curd - 2 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp + 2 tsp
• Oil - 1/2 tsp

To temper:

• Cloves - 2
• Cinnamom - 1/2 inch piece
• Cardamom - 1
• Bayleaf - 1

Vegetables:

• Carrots - 2 medium sized chopped finely
• Beans - 6 chopped finely
• Peas - a little less than 1/4 cup

To grind to a paste:

• Mint leaves - 1/4 cup
• Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
• Green chillies - 2

Note : The rice : water ratio is 1:2 including coconut milk

Method:
1.Grind the ingredients listed under 'to grind' with little water to a fine paste.Set aside. Take thick coconut milk and make it ready.

2.Heat oil and 1tbsp ghee in a pressure cooker, add cinnamom, cloves, cardamom and bayleaf one by one and saute for a min then add onion , tomato saute till it turns mushy.Add ginger garlic paste saute till raw smell leaves.

3.Now add the puthina paste, curd and saute 3mins till raw smell leaves.Then add the vegetables, mix well and saute for 2mins. Now add the rice and mix well with the veggies for a minute.

4.Add coconut milk, 1 and 3/4 cups of water and pressure cook for 2-3whistles and switch off.Once pressure releases, open and fluff it up with a fork.Add remaining ghee and mix once again taking care not to make the rice mushy.

Serve hot with onion raita the best combination with vegetable biriyani or kurma.

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Eggless Vanilla Chocolate Chips Cupcakes

Its really nice to see the blog world flowing with christmas recipes. It sure creates the festive mood within us. Here is my treat for christmas : Eggless Vanilla Chocolate Chips Cupcakes. Ever since I got the muffin pans after a great search, hubby was complaining that I didnt put it to good use after the Eggless Dates walnut muffins. So looked out for a basic eggless vanilla cupcake recipe and this one was apt for my search. Needless to say the taste, it was yummy! My little one enjoyed it to the core and my happiness knew no bounds :)

Ingredients: [ Recipe Source : My Diverse Kitchen ]

• Maida - 1 and 1/2 cups (225 gms)
• Cornflour - 1 tsp
• Butter - 1/4 cup (50 gms) (You can replace it with oil too)
• Granulated Sugar - 3/4 cup (185 gms)
• Milk - 3/4 cup (180 ml)
• Vanilla essence - 3/4 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp (if using unsalted butter)
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Chocolate chips - 1.5 tbsp

Method:

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, cornflour and salt together atleast twice to make sure they are evenly distributed. Keep aside.


2. In a wide bowl, cream the butter and sugar using a whisk(yayy finally I own one too) until the sugar is completely dissolved, Keep aside. Add vanilla essence to the milk, mix well and add the milk to the creamed butter sugar mixture. Beat it well until its light and creamy.


3. Now add the flour in 2 parts to the above creamed mixture and mix well. The batter will be very creamy like shown in the below pic. The consistency is inbetween thick and runny.


4. Add in the chocolate chips reserving half a tablespoon alone for the topping. Just fold in gently, dont overmix.


5. Arrange muffin liners in the pan and spoon the mixture to fill 3/4 of the muffin pan. Preheat the oven to 180 deg C and bake it for 25-30 mins until a fork inserted comes out clean. The top will be lightly golden brown, and mine got done in exactly 27mins.


6. Allow it to cool on wire rack for 10 mins and then enjoy your cupcakes.

This is sure a kid pleaser. I just halved from the orginal recipe otherwise I followed almost the same. The result was fluffy and soft cupcakes studded with chocolate chips, it was pretty as well. The cupcakes are slightly crusty on the top and soft inside as perfect as the bakery plain cakes.

This can be used as a keeper for basic eggless vanilla cake too. Next time I am planning to try a vanilla sponge loaf cake with doubling the measurements from this. I got 7 large cupcakes since my muffin pan holds only 6 I used a mini tumbler like cup for the 7th one. My OTG can only hold medium sized cake tins and muffin pans so my 1 cup measures accordingly as I dont have the patience to bake in batches :)

This is the first time I am very happy with the outcome of an eggless vanilla version of a cake. Last time when I tried with curd as egg substitute it was a super flop but guess I might have gone wrong in measurements, sure waiting to try and get it right next time atleast.

Hubby always teases me when I half the cake like this to click, he says why do u dissect the cakes ;) But I have the habit of doing this to see the texture inside and to show it to you :)

My Notes:

• The orginal recipe called in for cake flour. So if we are using normal flour, it asked to add cornstarch as substitute.But I didnt have cornstarch or was not aware of it, so went ahead with cornflour and it succeeded too.


• Adding chocochips is purely your choice, If you want just use them for topping alone.


• The cake will rise up fluffy in the first 15mins itself. The top turns to golden brown only in the last stage may be after 15-17mins.


• The cupcakes were soft even the next day, infact more softer and tastier.


• You can even frost the cupcakes or make it plain like what I did. If you are making frosting for the cake reduce the sugar in the cake or dont add sugar in the frosting.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

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Carrot Kheer (Carrot Payasam)

As I've mentioned so many times, I just love carrots, be it carrot juice or carrot milkshake or this kheer I am very tempted. Earlier when I posted carrot milkshake, I posted it as carrot kheer not knowing that it was carrot milkshake ;) then updated the recipe and pic last month in the old post.

Ingredients:

• Carrot - 2 medium sized
• Milk - 2 cups
• Sugar - 3 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tsp
• Cashew - 3 broken
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Saffron - 2 strands (optional)

Method:

1.Pressure cook carrots for 2 whistles and grind it to a smooth paste. Keep aside.Heat ghee in a pan, add the cashews and fry them to golden brown and keep aside. 

2.In the same pan, saute boiled carrot paste until the raw smell completely leaves.Then add milk, and mix well. 

3.Add sugar and Cook for 5-7 mins until the kheer becomes thick. Keep stirring.Now add cardamom powder, saffron strands, ghee roasted cashews and stir well. Switch off, serve hot or cold as per your choice!

The milk tends to absorb the carrots very well and since its simmered and cooked, the milk is thickened which gives a yummy taste.

I like it cold and hubby likes it hot. I can never forget the incident when I tried this for the first time, I just tried only for 1 cup of glass. I gave hubby to taste it which he thought it was offered to him fully and enjoyed it completely only later he realised noone else even tasted the kheer so whenever I make this I pull his leg with this incident :)

Stay tuned for the christmas special : eggless vanilla chocolate chips cupcakes. Merry Christmas to all in advance!

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Easy Homemade Chocolates - No cook version

I know most of us love chocolates, but I like sweets more than chocolates. I had seen this recipe in video format so wanted to give a try and for this reason got a tin of condensed milk....hmm ok I agree, I had few eggless cakes in mind too :) Christmas is round the corner and so here I am with these easy no cook homemade chocolates as a first treat.

I like and respect the way each festival is celebrated with their own customs and traditions.Been brought up in a Christian institution Christmas was also a part of me. I am fond of watching the crib decoration , the christmas tree, the santa clause, the star being tied outside each house, the yummy cakes and the elaborate meal which includes the special biriyani and what not?! I used to even visit churches with my close friend during our college days and have special lunch served at her place. Last year we even hanged a star in our home and am planning to do it this year too :)

Ingredients:

• Milk Maid - 1/4 cup
• Drinking Chocolate - 2.5 tbsp
• Icing Sugar - 2.5 tbsp
• Coco Powder - 3/4 tbsp
• Milk Powder - 2 tbsp
• Mixed nuts - 1 tbsp broken [optional]

Method:

1. First mix drinking chocolate, coco powder, milk powder and icing sugar well till all are evenly mixed.


2. Next add the condensed milk little by little to the above milk powder mixture and mix well. It will form a slightly sticky dough.


3. Grease your palm with little butter, Pinch a small portion from the dough and roll them into balls or required shapes. You can add nuts inside and roll them into balls too. Garnish few nuts on top for the extra crunchy taste.


4. Refrigerate them for an hour or two and your chocolates are ready to be served. Enjoy eating!!

These homemade chocolates are very easy to make which takes only around 30mins for the whole process excluding refrigerating time. To be frank these were not exactly like the shop bought ones but sure did not fail to please any chocolate lover. Proof is my daughter who was wandering around the fridge till the chocolates got emptied. Since this is the first time I am trying, I halved the recipe and got around 8-10 small chocolates....It depends on size and shape we make too.

Isnt that easy?! Just mix, refrigerate and your chocolates are ready in no time. It is as simple and easy as it sounds there is no complicated steps, so anyone can try this. I luv the nuts in chocolates so all my share of chocolates had nuts in it both inside and outside :)

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Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu - Step by Step Recipe

The very first time when I tried this I felt it was a very lengthy process with few confusions and was disturbing amma now and then so thought I should have this in my space with stepwise for my readers and for my future reference as well :) So here goes the recipe with stepwise:

Paruppu Urundai Kuzhambu - (Lentil Balls in Coconut Tamarind Sauce)

Ingredients for the urundai:

• Toor dal (Thuvaram paruppu) - 1/2 cup
• Channa dal (Kadala paruppu) - 1/4 cup
• Onion - 1 tbsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Coconut grated(optional) - 1.5 tbsp
• Red chillies - 2
• Fennel(Sombu) - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste

To grind to a paste:

• Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Big onion - 1/2
• Tomato - 1/2

For Kuzhambu:

• Tamarind - 1 lemon sized ball
• Tomato - 1/2 small (chopped)
• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric - a pinch
• Salt - to taste

To temper :

• Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp
• Fenugreek seeds (Vendhayam ) - 1/4 tsp
• Mustard - 1 tsp
• Small Onion - 6 to 8
• Tomato - 1/2
• Curry leaves - 1 tbsp

Method:

Soak the dals in water for 2 hrs. Add lemon sized tamarind in 1/4 cup water, extract juice and keep aside. Then drain water from the dal, grind it with red chillies and fennel to a semi coarse mixture. Sprinkle only little water say 1 to 2 tsp while grinding.

Now add salt, coconut, onion and ginger garlic paste with the grinded mixture and mix well. Alternatively you can add garlic and ginger in the previous step itself and grind it together with the dal. Make lemon sized balls out of it and keep aside. Grind onion, tomato with coconut(ingredients mentioned under 'to grind') to a fine paste and keep aside.

Heat oil in a kadai and add the ingredients under 'to temper' one by one : First add mustard seeds allow it to crackle, then fenugreek seeds, onions, tomato and curry leaves. Saute for 3mins then add 2.5 cups of water with chilli and coriander powder and allow it to boil. Once the water starts boiling, simmer and gently add the lentil balls one by one taking care not to mush it.

Allow it to get cooked, dont turn over which will make the balls mushy. Once the balls are cooked it will become firm, then you can turn over once and thats the stage you have to add the grinded paste and tamarind juice.Add required salt and mix well.

Now let the gravy thicken and boil for few minutes. Simmer it after boiling and let it cook for another 2-3 mins. When the gravy is as thick as in the below pic, Switch off and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

I have watched amma making it many times and wanted to give a try and this is the 2nd time I'm trying it myself....Its my favorite gravy with rice. The lentil balls in coconut tamarind sauce tastes best, I luv it even with dosas and chapathis. This seems to be a lengthy process but once you taste it am sure you will not regret for the pain taken.

My Notes:

• I was very much skeptical about adding the lentil balls as such in the gravy but it works fine. I've heard from my friends that the balls need to be steamed before adding it to the gravy but I find adding it directly is messfree and easy.


• Be careful in turning over the balls before its cooked. Also add them only after the water starts boiling and dont forget to simmer after the balls are added.


• The texture of the balls is purely your choice, we usually like it a bit smooth. You can make it even more coarse too.

Flavorful & Tempting Lentil Balls

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Poondu Thokku (Garlic Pickle)

This pickle/thokku with tangy taste of tamarind is the best combination for curd rice. It is easy to make, you can add in onions too with this thokku.

Ingredients:

• Garlic - 1/2 cup
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Red Chillies - 1
• Tamarind - 1 small sized ball
• Powdered Jaggery - 1.5 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Peel the garlic skin and grind it with red chillies to a coarse paste and keep aside. Dont make it to a fine paste, the bits of garlic in the pickle tastes best.


2. Add tamarind to 1/4 cup water and extract thick pulp from it and keep aside


3. Heat oil, add mustard seeds allow it to crackle then add the garlic paste and saute till raw smell leaves and it starts turning light brown.


4. Now add tamarind pulp, powdered jaggery, required salt and mix well. Keep sauting till the mixture turns brown color as in the pic. Switch off and store in a airtight container.

I like this thooku with almost anything idli, dosa, roti or rice. Sometimes I have this as such too :)

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Kadai Paneer Recipe - Restaurant Style | Indian Paneer Recipes

Lately I found out that there were increasing hits for my moist chocolate cake with no egg and butter eventhough it was posted long back. Felt even happy when I saw it in google search results so this and few reader requests made me to again make the cake, and update it this time with stepwise too.Coming to todays post : I am fond of trying out new paneer dishes because I'm bored of trying the same PB masala. Kadai paneer can be made a bit gravy kind or semi dry, its our preference - I made it on the semi dry version.

I have updated the recipe and the pics with stepwise as few readers had requested for it long back.

One fine lazy afternoon, googled to find out other paneer recipes and this kadai paneer caught my eye, and set out to try it. It turned out to be a hit at home. Paneer cooked in tomato coriander sauce simmed in a kadai - do u need any other tempting description?! :)

Ingredients:

• Paneer - 1 cup cubed
• Capsicum - 1 cubed (I used half green and half red)
• Tomatoes - 2 tbsp cubed
• Onion - 1 chopped finely
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Dhania powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - 1 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Green chillies - 1 chopped
• Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp chopped
• Salt - to taste

For grinding:

• Tomatoes - 2
• Coriander seeds - 1.5 tsp
• Red Chillies - 1

Dry roasted coriander seeds and red chillies can be coarsely powdered sepeartely and added too. But I find it easy to combine with tomatoes and grind, either way no big difference in taste.

Method:

1. Dry roast coriander seeds and red chillies seperately and grind it with tomato to a fine paste.

2. Heat half a tsp of oil, add cubed paneer and toast it until it turns golden brown. Transfer the toasted paneer to hot water for 5mins, drain and keep aside(this is to retain the softness of the paneer). Heat remaining oil in a pan, add green chillies and ginger garlic paste saute for a minute.

3.Then add onions, tomato cubes and saute till raw smell leaves and onions turn slightly browned. Then add the tomato puree(with coriander seeds and red chillies grinded). Add chilli powder, garam masala powder and dhania powder, give a quick stir.Add required salt.

4.Add kasoori methi , Next add the capsicum and saute till its cooked but retain its crunchiness dont let it become very soft. Add 1/4 cup water and allow it to boil and thicken.

5.Once it reaches semi gravy consistency, add the paneer cubes mix well. Add chopped coriander leaves, give s quick stir and switch off.

My Notes:

• Kadai paneer can be made gravy kind too by adding 2 more tomatoes and switching off when the gravy consistency is reached.
• After toasting the paneer, transfer to hot water and take it out within 5mins and drain it else the paneer would become rubbery.
• Dont skip the kasoori methi as it gives a nice and unique flavour to the gravy.
• Freshly ground coriander seeds gives a nice flavour to the curry.

This can be served with rotis or mild pulaos. We had it with kuska biriyani and enjoyed the meal. The highlight of kadai paneer is freshly ground coriander powder with the flavour of capsicum an kasoori methi - Spicy, flavourul and yum.

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Dates Tamarind and Green Chutney for Sandwiches and Chats | Chat Chutneys

Red Chutney(Dates Tamarind) and Green Chutney(Coriander Mint)

Does anyone say no to chats?! I am not a crazy fan of chats but then few items like dahi poori and pav bhaji are my fav. One fine day when I was craving for a chat and it was raining outside, I decided to give a try at home myself. So my first attempt was to make these chutneys ready. And these chutneys comes in handy for sandwiches too, it gives a nice flavour to it.Stay tuned for the low fat chats coming up soon here...so get ready with ur chutneys and store them in advance :)

Dates Tamarind Chutney(Red Chutney) Ingredients:

• Dates - 10
• Tamarind - 1 tbsp
• Jaggery - 3/4 tbsp
• Jeera - 1tsp roasted powder [Dry roast it and grind it to a coarse powder]
• Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Pressure cook dates and tamarind(seperately in a small container) with very little water for 2 whistles.


2. Grind dates to a smooth paste. Extract thick pulp from tamarind and mix with dates mixture.


3. Take a kadai/pan add dates tamarind paste, then add jaggery and bring it to a boil.


4. Now add red chilli powder and roasted jeera powder and give another boil till the chutney becomes thick like sauce consistency.


5. Switch off and store it in clean container, refrigerate until use.

Coriander Mint Chutney(Green Chutney) Ingredients:

• Coriander Leaves - 1/4 cup
• Puthina/Mint Leaves - 1/4 cup
• Green Chillies - 1
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Garam masala / Chat masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Clean mint and coriander leaves,remove the root part and wash it well.


2. Grind all the ingredients mentioned above along with coriander and mint leaves to make a smooth chutney.Add water while grinding as needed but the chutney should be a little thick in consistency.


3. Now add lemon juice to the chutney and mix well. Transfer to a clean container and refrigerate it until use.

This green chutney has become my fav these days. It goes well with murukku, papad or any fry items apart from being a main ingredient for chats and sandwiches. The puthina with coriander flavour is so good, try it for urself and see.

You can use this chutneys even for sandwiches. Spread one layer red chutney and another layer green chutney in 2 breadslices with raw onions in one layer and enjoy your sandwich. You can toast them too.

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