Eggless carrot dates cake

This year, for the sarvajanik ( Public )  Ganpati installed at the building where I reside, I decided on a carrot dates cake. I googled & came across many recipes. I decided to copy this recipe though I tweaked it a little & scaled it up.

The  original recipe uses atta or whole wheat flour. I used atta & added 1/4 cup of  maida ,as I believe that even a small amount of maida gives a good texture to cakes.

I used flax seed powder for the good fat & fibre  content that it provides. It also gives a nutty flavour to the cake.

I take out malai  which forms on low fat milk ( which we consume ) & freeze it on a daily basis. I used that frozen malai .It was nearly a cup of malai.

Ingredients : 13/4 cup atta, 1/4 cup maida, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1 cup grated carrots, 1/2 cup dates, 1 tbsp flax seed powder mixed with 3 tbsps water.2 tsp baking soda, a pinch of salt & extra water if needed.

Method : 

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade .

Keep aside the flax seed powder mixed with water aside.

Mix all dry ingredients ...atta, miada, baking soda,salt.Mix them all nicely many times over so that all dry ingredients are nicely mixed.Many times over, since I am too lazy to sieve the atta, maida, baking soda , salt, mix.Keep aside.

I have date paste brought from Gulf visits. Puree the date paste ( dates can be used as well ) with malai in a mixer.Keep aside.

Mix grated carrots & sugar & flax seed water mix. Add the dates malai puree to this mix. Mix nicely.

Make a well in the dry ingredient mix of atta maida soda salt. Pour the wet ingredient mix of carrot dates flaxseed malai sugar mix. Mix nicely. If the wet mix is insufficient , add water little by little to the mix, till an idli like batter consistency is obtained .Keep aside this cake batter.

Take a baking vessel.Line the bottom of the baking vessel with butter paper. Pour the cake batter into the baking vessel on to the butter paper lining.

Bake at 180 degrees centigrade for 45 minutes or till a toothpik poked inside the cake comes out dry.
Let the cake cool for half an hour.Take a plate & put the baking vessel upside down on to the plate. Carefully remove the butter paper lining the cake bottom. Turn the cake upside down on to the plate. The cake is ready for prasad.....

I forgot to add sugar while I mixed the batter. Then ,found that batter had not enough wet mix. So I was saved.I added water to the sugar & poured it into the batter. Mixed it nicely.The Lord himself saved my cake ! I added nearly 1/2 cup water to get idli like batter consistency .If I had added sugar to wet mix as needed , it would have needed less water.

OPOS recipe : Cabbage beans pulao

I tried this pilaf recipe , the OPOS way.Amember had shared this recipe in the OPOS support group on facebook. I changed it a little as I did not have peas & replaced peas with beans. I added cumin or jeera instead of fennel or saunf .Used green chillies & ginger instead of red chillies.

Ingredients : 2 cups shredded cabbage ( in original recipe, this  was 1.5 cups ), 1/3 cup chopped & stringed beans ( in original recipe , this was 0.5 cup peas ) , 1-2 green chillies roughly chopped, 1/2 tsp garam masala powder, 1/4 inch cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, 1 badi elaichi, 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1 tbsp oil, 1.5 tsp salt ( in original recipe , Himalayan salt used ), 1/4 cup fresh dhania or mint ( optional ) .

Method : Wash & soak raice for 30-45 minutes. Drain after 30-45 minutes.Keep aside.

Mix cabbage, beans, green chillies  & the garam  masala powder , turmeric & salt together .Keep aside.

In a 2 litre pressure cooker, add 1 tbsp oil.This is the first layer.

 Add bay leaf, cinnamon stick, badi elaichi & jeera. This is the second layer.

Add soaked & drained rice on top of the spices. This rice forms the third layer.

On the top of rice , add the cabbage- beans green chillies masala salt mix kept aside. This is the fourth layer. .

Add 1 cup water from sides...meaning pour one cup water from the sides of the cooker inside. Pressure cook for 3 whistles. Put off gas. Allow pressure to settle. Remove lid of cooker. Add mint or dhania .Mix dhania or mint with pulao. Put on lid again. Let it settle for 10 minutes more. Serve with raita or papad.

This rice tasted superb ! My husband kept on having it again & again !!!! Each grain was separate. 

OPOS recipe : Puffed rice upma

I have made hashi mandakki many times &  the recipe is same .Yet ,the process or method is different. It is OPOS recipe .OPOS stands for one pot one shot .

All recipes in this OPOS method are made in a two litre cooker, preferably steel.I have joined this OPOS Support grp on facebook.I was drooling over pictures of items prepared the OPOS way .Finally, my parents gifted me a 2 litre steel cooker & I tried gavar ki sabzi yesterday. I messed up.

Today, I thought , why not make this vagarne murmura , the OPOS way,.....I googled & came across this poha recipe to be made the OPOS way.Substituted poha with  murmura & made this !

Ingredients : 3 cups murmura washed & drained ( 3 cups dry murmura when washed & drained will shrink to two cups murmura )    , 1 tsp grated ginger,1/2 peeled , washed & grated carrot,1 small capsicum washed & roughly chopped, 1-2 green chillies roughly chopped, 1/4 tsp haldi, 1/4 tsp hing, 1 tsp jeera, 1-2 tsp  lemon juice, a few curry leaves,salt to taste, 1 tbsp daaliya powder or puttani chutni pudi ( optional ).

Method : In a 2 litre pressure cooker, add 1 tbsp oil.& 1 tbsp water .Add 1 tsp jeera & chopped green chillies as a layer. Spread the vegetable mix of grated carrot & chopped capsicum on this green chilli -jeeera layer. Sprinkle haldi, hing, salt, grated ginger , curry leaves.

Close the pressure cooker lid. Put the whistle on. Cook for two whsitles. Put off gas. Release pressure. Open lid. Mix the washed murmura into the cooker & give all ingredients a good stir. Put back the lid on the cooker with the whisrtle. Keep it like this with lid & whistle for ten minutes. Open the lid, add the puttani chutni pudi ( optional ) . Mix all the ingredients so that puttani chutni powder gets coated on each murmura. Sprinkle lemon juice on murmura & mix .

Breakfast is ready in jiffy !!!!

I noticed that I had added very little haldi & salt was not mixed properly. And remember, murmura has its own salt as also puttani chutni pudi or powder has salt...so go easy on salt.