Savory Semolina Cake

Inspired from here

Ingredients:

Semolina/Rava - 1 cup

Curd - 1 cup(not sour)

Carrots - 1/4 cup, grated

Peas - 1/4 cup

Green Beans - 6, chopped 

Ginger - 1 tsp, grated

Green Chili - 1, finely chopped

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

To Temper:

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tbspns

White Sesame Seeds - 1 tsp

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 F and grease a loaf tin with a non stick spray.

Mix rava and curd in a mixing bowl. Add grated ginger, grated carrot, beans, salt, turmeric powder and red chili powder and mix it well. The mixture will be very thick.

Heat a pan and add 2 tbspns of oil. Add the mustard seeds and when they pop, add cumin seeds and let it sizzle. Pour the tempering over the mixture and mix it well.

Finally add the baking soda to the batter and mix well. Immediately pour the batter into the greased loaf pan. Sprinkle the white sesame seeds on the top. Bake for 30 minutes or a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.

Remove the loaf from the pan and let it cool for 5 minutes. Serve hot with ketchup.

Tomato Peas Pulao

Inspired from Rak's Kitchen

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 1 cup

Tomatoes - 2 small or 1 big, chopped finely

Onion - 1 medium, chopped lengthwise

Green Chili - 2, slit lengthwise

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp

Green Peas - 1/4 cup

Turmeric - 1/8 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 3/4 tsp

Coriander Leaves - 2 tbspns, chopped finely

Salt as per taste

To temper;

Oil & Ghee - 2 tbspns

Elachi -1 (optional)

Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece

Clove - 1

Bay Leaf - 1

Method:

Soak basmati rice for at least 1 hour. Heat a pan or pressure cooker with oil, ghee and temper with elaichi, cinnamon, clove and bay leaf. Add green chilies, onions and fry till onion turns translucent. Add ginger garlic paste, green peas and fry for a minute. Then add tomatoes. 

Now add salt, turmeric, garam masala powder and red chili powder. Fry till the tomatoes turn mushy. Drain the soaked rice and add it to the pan. Fry for a minute and add 1 cup of water. Bring to boil and pressure cook for 2 whistles in low flame.

If using rice cooker, transfer the entire content to the rice cooker.

Once the rice is cooked garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with raita and chips.

Non Fried Moong Dal Dahi Vadas

Inspired from Tarla Dalal

Makes 8-10 Vadas

Ingredients:

For the Vadas;

Split Green Moong Dal or Whole Urad dal - 1 cup 

Green chilies - 2, roughly chopped

Asafoetida (hing) - a pinch

Salt to taste

Eno Fruit Salt - 1/2 tsp

Oil for Greasing and Cooking - 1 1/4 tsp

For the Curds;

Low-fat curds - 2 cups, made from 99.7% fat-free

Salt to taste

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves - a few

Other Ingredients:

Cumin Powder - 1 tsp

Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Cilantro - 2 tbspns, finely chopped

Boondi - 2-3 tbspns

Method: 

For the Vada;

Clean, wash and soak the moong dal for 3 to 4 hours. Drain, add the green chilies and blend in a mixer to a smooth paste, using a little water. Transfer the paste into a bowl, add the asafoetida and salt and mix well. Sprinkle the fruit salt and add 1 tbspn of water over it. When the bubbles form, mix gently. Grease a non-stick tava (griddle) using ¼ tsp of oil. Pour ladleful of the batter on it to make 3 to 4 vadas at a time. Cover with a lid and cook on a slow flame for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn upside down, cover again and cook on a slow flame using ¼ tsp of oil for 2 to 3 minutes(not more than that). Repeat with the remaining mixture to make more vadas. 

Soak the vadas in hot water for 2 minutes and squeeze out the water and keep aside.

For the curds;

Combine the curds and salt in a bowl and mix well using a whisk. Heat the oil in a small non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds.

When the seeds crackle, add the cumin seeds and curry leaves. Pour this tempering to the whisked curds and mix well.

How to proceed;

Place two vadas on a serving plate and spread the tempered curds over the vadas. Sprinkle ¼ tsp of cumin powder, ½ tsp of chili powder, boondi and cilantro.

Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cup Cake

Inspired from here

Serves 30 Cupcakes

Ingredients:

Sugar - 2 cups

All Purpose Flour - 1 3/4 cups

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 3/4 cup

Baking Powder - 1 1/2 tsps

Baking Soda - 1 1/2 tsps

Salt - 1 tsp

Eggs - 2

Milk - 1 cup

Vegetable/Canola Oil - 1/2 cup

Vanilla Extract - 2 tsps

Boiling Water - 1 cup

Method:

Heat oven to 350°F. Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

Frost with PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE FROSTING(recipe follows). 

Note: 

ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2 - inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack.  Frost.

ROUND CAKE: Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; 

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Yields 2 cups frosting

Ingredients:

Butter or Margarine - 1/2 cup(1 stick)

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 2/3 cup

Powdered Sugar - 3 cups

Milk - 1/3 cup

Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp

Method:

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency.

Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. 

Sweet Potato Paratha

Inspired from here

Ingredients:

Sweet potato - 1 medium sized

Wheat flour / Atta flour - 3 cups

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp(increase according to the spicyess level)

Cumin Powder - 3/4 tsp

Oil - 2 tbspns + more for cooking

Ginger Paste - 1/2 tsp or less(optional)

Water - as needed

Method:

Boil and mash the sweet potato until smooth without lumps. Mix the flour, salt, red chili powder and cumin powder well. Add the oil and ginger paste and mix until the oil is well incorporated. Add the pureed sweet potatoes and knead to a soft pliable dough sprinkling water as needed. Set aside for 30 mins. Take golf ball sized dough and flatten it with a rolling pin. Make circular parathas dusting with flour. Heat a tawa and place the rolled out parathas on it. When the top of the parathas change color, flip over and spray some oil over it. After about 20 secs flip over and press and rotate the parathas with a kitchen towel. The parathas would puff up. Serve hot with a dollop of butter or with curd and pickle.