Eggless Black Forest Cake

Eggless Black Forest Cake...

It  is made with Chocolate Sponge cake, Strawberry jam, Whipped cream, Chocolate shavings and Cherries. It is soft and moist. Have it chilled. 

For Moist Chocolate  Sponge Cake (Eggless)

Ingredients

115 grams Self Raising Flour

2 tbsp Coco powder

200 grams Condensed Milk

60 grams Butter Melted 

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Soda bi carb

100 ml Club Soda 

Method

Melt the butter and keep it aside. Add the flour, coco powder, soda bi carb and baking powder and mix it. Take the condensed milk, add the flour little at a time and beat it. Add the butter and beat it in one direction. Add the club soda little at a time and mix it till the batter is thick and is of dropping consistency and the batter has a glossy look. Take a square tin. Grease the tin. Pour the batter in the tin. The batter should fill 1/2 the tin. Bake in a pre heated oven for 30 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius. To check the cake insert a tooth pick. If the comes out smooth then the cake is done. Cool the cake completely on a cooling rack.  

For the Black Forest Cake

Ingredients

Chocolate sponge cake

2 cups of chilled Whipping Cream

1/4 cup Icing sugar

1 tsp Vanilla essence

4 tbsp Strawberry Jam

4 tbsp Water

1 cup Chocolate shavings

10 glazed Cherries

Method

Cut the cake in to half. Take 1 tbsp of Strawberry jam and 4 tbsp water and mix it. Take a steel mixing bowl. Add the whipping cream. Beat it till it forms a soft peak. Add vanilla essence and icing sugar. Beat it well till it forms a proper peak. Take one slice of the cake. Sprinkle half of the strawberry jam water mix on the cake. Spread the whipped cream and then spread the jam. Take the other slice of the cake. Sprinkle the remaining strawberry jam water on the cake. Place the cake slice on the strawberry jam. Now with the rest of the whipped cream cover the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 10 minutes. Put the second layer of whipped cream on the cake. Decorate the cake with the chocolate shavings. Decorate the outer rim of the cake with the whipped cream with the help of a nozzle. Add the glazed cherries. Chill the cake before serving.

Malaysian Prawn Dalcha....

Malaysian Prawn Dalcha....

Malaysian Dalcha is an adaptation of the Indian Dalcha made by the Indian Muslim population living in Malaysia. It is made during gatherings or had in breakfast.... Basically it is made with mutton or chicken or can be made vegetarian too. 

It is made with split pigeon peas (Toor dal) and vegetables like potatoes, cauliflower, eggplant, carrot, turnip, french beans etc. It's a kind of Stew  with coconut milk added to it. 

Here I added Prawns to the vegetables available in my kitchen... 

Ingredients

250 grams medium sized Prawns cleaned 

1/2 cup Split Pigeon Peas washed and soaked for 30 minutes 

1 Onion chopped 

4 Garlic cloves cut into pieces 

2 Green chillies cut into pieces 

1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste 

1 tbsp Tamarind paste 

1 Potato peeled and cut into cubes 

1 small Carrot cut into cubes 

2 Drumsticks cut into pieces 

2 Tomatoes chopped 

Few Curry leaves 

2 tbsp Malaysian Curry Powder 

Salt to taste 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder 

1 Star Anise 

1 small piece Cinnamon 

2 Cloves 

2 Cardomom 

6 Pepper corns 

1 cup Coconut Milk 

4 tbsp Oil 

Few Coriander leaves chopped for garnishing

Method 

Boil the split pigeon peas in 2 cups of water till cooked. Take a wok. Add oil. Fry the prawns in oil with 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder and salt. Remove it and keep it aside. In the same oil add the star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick, pepper and cardomom. Let it crackle. Add the curry leaves. Sauté it for a minute. Add the ginger garlic paste. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the chopped onions,  garlic and chilli. Sauté it till the onions are translucent. Add the drum sticks, carrot and potato. Stir it for a minute. Add the tomatoes.  Stir it. Add the spice powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and tamarind paste. Stir it and cook for 2 minutes. Add 6 cups of water. Cover and cook till the vegetables are almost done. Add the boiled dal. Stir, cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the prawns and coconut milk. Stir and cook for 2 minutes more. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

Malaysian Curry Powder 

Ingredients

4 tbsp Coriander seeds

1/2 tbsp Cumin seeds

1/2 tbsp Fennel seeds

1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds 

10 dried Red Chillies 

1/2 tbsp Pepper Corns 

1 medium size Cinnamon

6 Cardomom 

2 Cloves 

1 Star Anise 

1/2 tbsp Rice 

2 tbsp Tumeric powder

Method 

Dry roast all the above ingredients except turmeric powder till light brown on a low flame. Remove it from the flame and let it cool. Add roasted spices and the turmeric powder into the grinder and grind until it becomes a fine powder. Store it in a dry glass container.

Chickpea and Cottage Cheese Salad with Raw Mango and Coriander Chutney Dressing...

Chickpea and Cottage Cheese Salad with Raw Mango and Coriander Chutney Dressing...

This salad has an Indian touch made with green raw mango and coriander leaves chutney with a drizzle of mustard oil for flavour.... This can be served as a vegetarian starter dish.

For the Dressing

Ingredients

1 small bunch of Coriander leaves chopped

1 small Raw Mango chopped

2 Green chillies

1 small piece Ginger sliced

Salt to taste

Method

Take a grinder and add coriander leaves, green chillies, raw mango, ginger and salt. Grind it into a paste. 

For the Salad

Ingredients

2 cups of boiled Chickpeas

1 cup of Cottage Cheese cut into small pieces

2 Cucumber cut into small cubes

2 Tomatoes cut into small cubes

1 Onion chopped

Few Coriander leaves chopped

1 tbsp Lime Juice

Green Chutney

Salt to taste

2 tbsp Mustard Oil

Method

Take a bowl. Add the chickpeas,  cottage cheese, onion, tomato, cucumber and coriander leaves. Mix it.  Add the salt and lime juice. Mix it. Add the green chutney and mustard oil. Mix it. This salad can be served as a vegetarian starter. 

Mete Chorchori (Dry Liver Curry)

Mete Chorchori (Dry Liver Curry)

It is an old dish from Bengal. It is basically made with Mutton Liver, but you can use Chicken Liver too. Here I have made it with Chicken liver. This can be servered as a side dish and can be eaten with Paratha and Roti or Rice. 

Ingredients

250 grams Chicken Liver 

2 Potatoes cut into cubes and rubbed with Salt and 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder 

1 small Onion paste

1 big Onion chopped 

2  Tomatoes puréed

1 tsp Ginger paste 

1 tsp Garlic and Chilli paste 

1 Bay leaf

1 Cardamom crushed 

2 Cloves crushed

1 small piece Cinnamon 

6 Pepper corns 

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala powder 

1/2 tsp Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Sugar 

Salt to taste 

3 tbsp Mustard oil 

1 Green Chilli chopped for garnishing 

Method 

Marinate the liver with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and salt for 30 minutes. Add oil in a wok. Heat it till smoking hot. Reduce the flame. Add the potatoes and fry it till light golden in colour. Remove it and keep it aside. In the same oil, add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and pepper corns. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the bay leaf and the chopped onions. Sauté it till light brown in colour. Add the ginger garlic and chilli paste. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the onion paste. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the liver pieces. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes. Continue to stir and cook for 3 minutes more. Add the tomato puree and stir. Add the powder spices, salt and sugar. Stir and let it simmer for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook till the water dries up. Garnish with chopped chillies. Serve it hot.

Masala Akki Rotti with leftover Rice

Masala Akki Rotti with leftover Rice....

Akki rotti is a rice-based dish, extremely popular from the state of Karnataka.It is made of rice flour which is mixed with salt and water and kneaded well to make a soft dough. Sliced onions and carrots, chopped dill leaves, chopped coriander, cumin seeds and sesame seeds can also be added while kneading the dough.Traditionally some oil is spread on the skillet and a small amount of the dough is place on the skillet and spread to a thin sheet. Oil is then drizzled on the the Rotti. It is cooked until the Rotti is brown on both the sides. It is served hot and is eaten along with chutney. Another way of making akki rotti is to spread the dough over a plantainleaf or a plastic sheet and then cooked on the skillet. The dough should be made just when you are making the rottis.

Here I have made it with leftover rice and rice flour with onion, green chill, coriander leaves and spices. 

Ingredients 

2 cups Left over cooked Rice

1 1/2 cups Rice flour

1 Onion chopped

2 Green chillies chopped

1 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped 

Salt to taste

1/2 tsp Garam Masala

1/2 tsp Red Chilli powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder 

1/2 tsp Cumin seeds 

4 tbsp Oil 

Method 

Mix all the above ingredients except oil well and form a dough. Add a tbsp of oil and knead it well. If the dough is sticky add more rice flour. Take a lime size portion of the dough. Roll it into a ball. Take a plastic sheet. Apply water on the sheet. Place the ball on the sheet and with the help of the finger start pressing the ball and spreading it. It will be sticky, apply water on the fingers. Heat a skillet, very gently left up the plastic sheet, turn it upside down and with the other hand remove the plastic sheet out. The Rotti may crack. Place the the Rotti on the skillet and seal the cracks. Cook the Rotti for 2 minutes. Trun it. Drizzle it with oil. Cook it till brown on both the sides. Serve hot with chutney.