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 !