Marble cake :1st attempt.

I have been baking a cake for my kid & her classmates since I learnt baking some time ago.Every Valentine day ,I bake a chocolate cake for them as chocolate is a flavour which is a hit with kids & teens.

I searched & got this marble cake recipe here.I omitted bananas & made this cake.

Ingredients :1 cup multigrain atta ( I used Pillsbury ) ,3/4 cup brown mineral sugar, 1/2 tsp baking soda,1/2 tsp baking powder, 2-3 tbsp cocoa powder or Bournvita powder ( I used 1 tbsp milk chocolate powder which I had at home & 1.5 tbsp Bournvita powder ) ,1tsp vanilla essence, 1 cup yoghurt,2tbsp oil,salt a pinch.

Method : Mix atta, baking soda,baking powder,salt  & sugar with a fork or whisk many times so that all dry ingredients are finely mixed with each other.Keep aside.

Mix liquid ingredients :oil,vanilla essence & yoghurt with whisk.Now make a well in dry ingredient mix & pour the wet ingredient mix.Mix nicely.Add water if needed.It must have drop down consistency.Divide this batter into 2 equal parts.In one part add the chocolate.I added chocolate just like that.I should have boiled  a little water & dissolved  chocolate in that hot water & then added to batter.I was afraid that batter may get runny.Hence some Bournvita chunks can be seen in cake pieces as dark blobs.

Line a microwaveable vessel with butter paper.Pour a layer of plain batter ( without chocolate ) into it.Put some spoons of chocolate batter next.Repeat with plain & chocolate batter till both batters get over.With a  fork or knife ,make a swirl pattern in the batter.

Bake in microwave for 8-10 minutes.Let it cool.Take out from microwave.Test with knife.If it comes out clean ,cake is done.Otherwise bake for 1-2 minutes more Repeat knife test.

Let it cool inside microwave for 10 minutes.After 10 minutes,let it cool for 20 minutes outside microwave.Then put the vessel upside down on plate.The cake will drop down on plate or can be gently loosened from sides.Let it cool for 10-15 more minutes.Cut into desired pieces & serve.

The cake had a crumbly texture.It just melts in the mouth ! My teen's friends gobbled up all pieces which she packed to school.

It is so healthy - multigrain atta ( wholegrains ) ,yoghurt,brown sugar,low fat ! What more is needed ? !

Cauliflower peas potato nimona

I heard or rather read about nimona recipes at Sangeeta Khanna's blog banaras ka khana.I was interested in knowing about it.Moreover since I am someone who will try to test any recipes which are easy to whip up,I delved deeper.She has many nimona recipes like masoor nimona with gobhi,peas nimona,aloo gobhi matar nimona to name some.I picked up aloo gobhi matar nimona & tried it.Mine came out thicker.I am sure ,it thickens up as it cools, just like oondhiyon & bisi bele bhaath.

Ingredients: 1/2 cup boiled,peeled & diced potato chunks ,washed & boiled cauliflower florets ( bring water to which haldi & salt has been added & drown the florets in it & bring it to a boil .This is to  3/4 cup,3/4 cup peas,1-2 green chillies,2 pods garlic,1/4 inch ginger,1 tsp dhania powder,1/4 tsp black pepper powder,1/4 tsp jeera powder,1tsp jeera,1 tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method : Heat  cauliflower florets in water with turmeric & salt to remove pesticides.I added peeled & cubed potatoes as well.After one boil of the water.Put off gas.Let the florets & potato cubes remain in the hot water. Keep aside.

Take the peas in a mixer & churn the mixer once or twice so that a granular mixture ( not paste ) of peas is obtained.Keep aside.

Take a kadhai.Add oil.Heat up the kadhai.Add cumin.After,they splutter, add the hot florets & potato cubes,Fry the veggies nicely till they slightly change colour.Add salt. Mix.Add the spices. Mix nicely.After 1-2 minutes, add the chilli ginger paste.Mix nicely. Let it heat the veggie spice mix for 1-2 minutes.Add the ground green peas  to the kadhai.Mix all nicely.Let it cook for 4-5 minutes till veggie mix starts sticking to the bottom of kadhai.Add 1 cup water & mix. Let the water veggie mix simmer for 4-5 minutes. Put off gas.

Serve nimona with rice and or rotis. It goes well with both.

This was my second attempt & today ,it turned out just a bit  more salty than I like.Still,I loved it ! It has a very different taste from the usual gram masala added gobhi sabzi.So ,if you want to try some different tasting sabzi with gobhi this winter,please give this a try.You can also try masoor nimona,hare chane ka nimona...all from banaras ka khana.And believe me ,you will be delighted with the results.This is because,Sangeeta is too good  a food blogger.Her recipes are detailed & finely tuned.

Cauliflower in carrot tomato gravy.

Winter is the season of fresh cauliflowers ,carrots,tomatoes etal...so many vegetables to choose from. Aloo gobhi ka nimona at Sangeeta Khanna's blog "Banaras ka khana " was the inspiration for this recipe.

Ingredients :Cauliflower cut or broken into florets 1cup,medium sized tomatoes 2,carrot peeled & cut into chunks,peas 1/4 cup, 1 medium onion chopped ,1green chilli, 1/2 inch ginger cleaned & grated,few curry leaves,1/2 tsp garam masla,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,1tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method :Take oil in a kadahi & heat it up.Now add cauliflower florets & peas.Saute them in oil.Cover with alid & cook.After 2-3 minutes,remove lid ,add hing ,haldi & salt.Mix nicely & again cover with lid & cook.Add some water if you feel that the veggies are getting stuck to bottom of kadahi.

Grind onions,ginger,green chilly & curry leaves into a paste.Add this paste to the kadhai & mix nicely.Let the vegetable mix simmer in the kadhai.Grind together carrots & tomatoes in the mixer.Add this carrot tomato paste to the kadhai.Mix nicely.Add salt & garam masala.Mix nicely .Put off the gas.

Now put the contents of the kadhai into a vessel which can be fitted into the pressure cooker.Pressure cook the mixed vegetable dish for two whistles.Put off the gas.Let the cooker cool.Remove from the cooker & serve with chapatis & or rice.

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Apple banana carrot cake

I follow Lite Bites, a recipe blog on facebook.I came across this mixed fruit cake there.Hence ,I thought why not make it ?

I made some changes & here is my recipe.

Ingredients : Assorted fruit chunks of choice ( I used banana,apple & carrot finely chopped )3/4 cup,1 cup multigrain atta,1/3 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp baking powder,1/2 tsp baking soda,1 ts[p vanilla essence,1/4 cup oil,1/4 cup yoghurt,a pinch of salt,water to get batter consistency right.

Method : Mix all dry ingredients -multigrain atta,baking soda,baking powder ,sugar & salt.No lumps should remain.Use whisk or fork to mix again & again.Keep aside.

Mix all wet ingredients -oil,yoghurt,vanilla,mixed fruits in bowl nicely.

Make a  well in the dry ingredient mix & pour the wet ingrent mix into it.Mix nicely with a whisk.Take care that no lumps remain in the batter.Keep aside.

Take a microwaveable vessel & line it with butter paper.Pour thev cake batter into the vessel on the butter paper.Microwave for 8-9 minutes.After 10 minutes,take it out from microwave & check with fork or knife if cake is done.If still wet ,microwave for 1-2 minutes more.Let it cool.

Take out the  vessel .Let it cool outside microwave for 10 minutes.Now put it upside down on a plate.The cake will drop down on plate after some time.If not ,just nudge it from the edges to let it drop down.Cut into desired shapes & serve.

In the snap ,some soft grey coloured lumps can be seen in cake...those are banana pieces.If you would rather have no chopped fruit pieces ,then puree all fruits in blender & use that instead of chopped fruits.

Onion chutni

I had seen a red coloured chutni many times in some restaurants as an accompaniment with idlis & dosa.I learnt that it was onion chutni.I goggled it & found this recipe of onion chutni

I made the same chutni with ordinary onions not Madras onions or vengayam as I do not buy vengayam regularly.

Ingredients : 4 medium onions cleaned & roughly chopped,6-8 byadgi red chillies broken up into pieces,, 2 tbsp oil,1/8 tsp methi seeds1/2 tsp urad dal,1 lemon sized ball of tamarind,1 tsp mustard seeds,a few curry leaves,a pinch of hing ,salt to taste

Method : Take 1 tbsp oil in a kadhai & put on the gas.Put the byadgi chillies & as soon as they turn dark red,remove the chillies from kadhai & keep aside.Add chopped onions. Saute the onions   till they become pink.Put off gas.Add the tamarind & mix it with the sauteed onions in the kadhai for 1 minute.Take the sauteed onions,tamarind mix & byadgi mirchis into the mixer & grind them into paste.Add salt & mix nicely.Keep aside.

For seasoning ,take 1 tbsp oil & heat it.Add mustard seeds.After they pop up,add urad dal.As soon as they turn golden ,add  methi seeds..After they pop up,add curry leaves.Put off gas.Add hing .After this ,add this seasoning to the onion chutni.

This chutni is especially useful when one runs out of fresh coconut .Moreover it is quite tasty & especially so for idlis & dosas.

Pudina chutni

I love mint.Its refreshing aroma rejuvenates me.I got a bunch of mint leaves from the market & decided to make a chutni as I wanted something tangy to taste.I searched for mint cutni recipes & found one @ http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/mint-coriander-chutney-recipe/

Ingredients : 2.5  cups cleaned & washed fresh  mint leaves,1 cup cleaned & washed  fresh coriander leaves ,1/2 " ginger piece grated ,1-2 washed & finely chopped green chillies,juice of 1/2 a lemon ,salt to taste, 1 tsp of sugar ( optional ).

Method : Chop the mint & corainder leaves.Some use the stalks of leaves while some throw them away.In these times of high prices,it is better to finely chop the stalks & use them in the chutni.

Put the chopped leaves in grinder with grated ginger& chopped chillies.Turn the grinder on.In between ,the grinder can be stopped & some water added.Add salt after a paste like consistency has been obtained.Add lemon juice if tanginess is needed.Be careful with the salt as all green veggies have their own inherent saltiness.My chutni turned out little salty.To rectify that ,I added more lemon juice.Even sugar can be added.

I ate this chutni with palak parathas.It will go well with cutlets,patties,even in chaat items like sev puris,ragda patties etal ! This is  a good spread for sandwitche s as well !

Christmas Fruit cake : alcohol free,dairy free,eggless !

I have been wanting to bake the Christmas cake which I had come across at various food blogs.Now that I have baked quite a few cakes,I thought of trying this cake out.I selected the recipe @ http://www.mariasmenu.com/desserts/eggless-kerala-christmas-fruit-cake as it uses no liquor & is eggless.I changed some ingredients & my cake is Vegan !

Ingredients :Soak dry fruits like chopped almonds,cashews,walnuts,figs,brown & black kishmis,pistachios in fruit juice overnight.I soaked 11/2 cups of mixed & chopped dry fruits in mixed fruit juice brought from store.I soaked in a glass & the juice was just  enough to drown the dry fruit mix.

Keep 1- 2tbsp multigrain atta to coat the soaked dry fruit mix before adding to batter to prevent all dry fruits from sinking to the bottom of the cake.

Dry ingredients : 11/4  cup multigrain atta ( I used Pillsbury ) ,1/2 + 1/3 cup mineral sugar ( this is brown in clour & just like white  sugar in texture though less sweeter ) ,1/2 tsp baking soda,1/2 tsp baking powder,1/4 tsp cinnamon powder,1 clove & 2 cardamom...dry roast & pound them with pestle into powder ( or use 1/8 tsp clove & cardamom powder mix ),  salt to taste.

Wet ingredients : 11/2 cup soaked dry fruit mix, 1/4 cup oil,1 tbsp white vinegar, 1/2 tbsp flax seed powder soaked in 2 tbsp water for 15-20 minutes,1 tbsp grated orange peel ,1 tsp grated ginger,1/2 tsp vanilla essence,water to make batter thinner if need be.

Mix all dry ingredients with whisk or fork nicely many times so that all ingredients are nicely mixed.Keep aside.

Mix vinegar,oil ,orange peel,grated ginger ,vanilla essence nicely.Add flax seed water mix.Mix all nicely.Pour this wet mix into  the dry mix.Mix nicely.

Add 1-2  tbsp multigrain atta to soaked  dry fruits & then add these atta coated dry fruits  to cake batter.Mix nicely so that no lumps remain..Keep aside.

Take a microwaveable vessel.Line the vessel bottom with butter paper.Pour the cake batter into the vessel.Microwave for 9-10 minutes.Put off the microwave.Let it cool for 10 minutes..Insert a knife in the middle of the cake.If knife comes out clean ,it is done.If not,microwave for 1-2 minutes more.Cool & check again.

I cut the cake today in the morning. .Still it was very crumbly.Next time,I must bake only for 9 minutes.One of my best cakes till date.I distributed to one & all as today is Christmas !