Marble cake

Marble cake

Ingredients

Flour : 2 Cups (Can use either Maida / wheat flour)

Baking Powder : 2 leveled teaspoons

Eggs : 4 in room temperature

Sugar : 1 cup (2 cups, if need more sugar)

Fresh Cream : ½ to 1 cup

Oil : 1 cup

Vanilla essence: ½ teaspoon

Cocoa Powder: 2 tablespoons

Salt a pinch

Marble cake is a cake made by very lightly blending light and dark batter together to get a streaked or mottled appearance (like marble). Usually Vanilla and Chocolates are used as the blending mixtures.

Here is a quick recipe for preparing marble cake from scratch. Try it and let us know your comments.

Marble cake preparation

1.  Sieve flour along with baking powder thrice. This will help baking powder to spread in the flour evenly.

2.  Powder the sugar.

3.  In a large bowl, add the powdered sugar and oil. Beat it until it becomes creamy.

4.  Add in eggs one by one and beat them.

5.  Add the vanilla essence and salt.

6.  Keep the beater aside and then add fresh cream and mix it well with a spatula.

7.  Add in the flour mixture spoon by spoon and fold with the wet ingredients.

8.  Pour half of the batter to another bowl and mix cocoa powder in this. This is our chocolate cake batter. Remember, cocoa powder should also be sieved to avoid the lumps in it.

9.  When the batter is ready, lets preheat the Oven to 180 degree.

10.    Grease a 9” round tin or loafs and arrange parchment sheet in the bottom.

11.    Use two ladles in two bowls.

12.    First add a ladle full of chocolate batter in the center of the tin. Then another ladle of vanilla batter on the middle of the chocolate batter. Do not shake. The batter itself will spread the bottom. Repeat the same steps until both the batters are finished.

13.    If you are using loaf, add the vanilla batter in the bottom and it should be filled from one side to other side. You can use your imaginations to get different designs in the marble cake.

14.    Bake the cake in the preheated Oven for about 30 minutes or until it’s done in 180 degree.

15.    Use a tooth pick to check the middle of the cake. If the toothpick is dry, the cake is done. If, its wet or moist, continue baking for the next two three minutes and check.

16.    Transfer the baked cake tin to a wire rack to get it cool.

17.    Run a knife through the sides of the cake, to remove easily.

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Paneer Butter Masala Recipe

Paneer Butter Masala Recipe

Paneer butter masala recipe - soft succulent Paneer - cottage cheese cubes in a creamy tomato based gravy.

Cuisine: north Indian

Ingredients

·         200 or 250 gms paneer/cottage cheese, cubed or diced

·         2 tbsp cashew - soaked if you have time and then ground with some water to a smooth paste. if less time, then just grind the cashews to a smooth paste.

·         4-5 medium size tomatoes/tamatar - pureed

·         1 or 2 green chili/hari mirch, slit (reserve a few for garnishing)

·         1 inch ginger/adrak and 3-4 garlic/lahsun - crushed or ground in a mortar & pestle

·         1 inch ginger/adrak - julienned (reserve a few for garnishing)

·         1 bay leaf/tej patta

·         1 tsp kasuri methi/dry methi leaves

·         1 tsp garam masala or tandoori masala

·         ½ tsp red chili powder/lal mirch powder or deghi mirch or kashmiri mirch powder

·         1 tbsp oil + 1 or 2 tbsp butter

·         1.5 cups water

·         a few coriander/cilantro/dhania leaves for garnishing (optional)

·         salt and sugar as required - check notes below for adding sugar

Instructions

1.   heat oil and butter in a pan. Add bay leaf and fry for some 10-15 seconds or till the oil become fragrant.

2.   Add ginger-garlic paste and fry till the raw aroma disappears.

3.   Add the tomato puree and stir well. Add red chili powder after 2-3 mins and stir again. Saute till the oil starts to leave the sides of the tomato paste.

4.   Add cashew paste and stir well. saute the cashew paste till the oil begins to leave the sides of the masala paste.

5.   Add water and stir. Simmer on a low flame.

6.   Add julienned ginger and green chilies, salt and sugar and simmer till the curry begins to thicken.

7.   Add the paneer cubes and cook them for 2-3 minutes till they become soft.

8.   Don't cook for a long time as the paneer will become dense.

9.   Lastly add crushed kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves & garam masala. Stir.

10.     Garnish paneer butter masala with coriander leaves. serve paneer butter masala hot with plain naan, garlic naan, rotis or steamed basmati or jeera rice. side accompaniments can be onion-lemon salad or some pickle.

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Mango Shake

                Mango Shake

         

         Ingredients: 

1 cup plain fat-free yogurt

1 cup ice cube

1 large mango, peeled, pitted and chopped

1 tablespoon sugar

Mint leaf

Directions:

Place all ingredients, except mint, in a blender; blend until smooth.

Pour into 2 tall glasses.

Garnish each with a mint leaf.

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Aloo Tikki Burger

Aloo Tikki Burger

Aloo tikki burger recipe - all my Indian readers surely know of the well-known aloo tikki burger. Well this post is not trying to replicate the mc donald’s aloo tikki burger recipe, but a north indian street food that is often sold on the streets of delhi and gurgaon.

I remember me and hubby loved to gorge on these aloo tikki burgers so much, that we would often go to this street vendor making these near our home in Delhi and have the aloo tikkis served warm to us sandwiched in between the buns with the butter, chutneys & sliced veggies. The warm burgers along with dahi papdi chaat would be our evening snack.

So this recipe of aloo tikki burger comes very close to the ones served by street food vendors. here i have made the recipe more healthy by using home made whole wheat buns and addition of lettuce & cucumber.

Also i have not fried the potato patties in too much oil. When street food snacks are made at home, you can make them very healthy for your family and still enjoy the deliciousness.

To make these burgers, you can make the chutneys a night before and store in the fridge. The whole wheat buns can be homemade or readymade. These are a bit dense buns, hence am not posting the recipe.

if lettuce leaves are not available, then add blanched cabbage leaves. you can also add grated carrots and beetroot as a topping on the patties. its best to use both the sweet tamarind dates chutney and coriander chutney. But one kind of chutney will also do. i did not have the sweet chaat chutney, hence just made the coriander chutney.

If you want you can even make some french fries and serve with the burgers. After all we are so used to having french fries with burgers accompanied with a tomato sauce. For a healthier option bake or roast the french fries.

If you don’t have onions, then just avoid adding the onions in the burger toppings. This aloo tikki or potato patties are a slightly different version, than the saloon tikki, i had previously posted. You can use this recipe or the other one posted before. Both are equally good.

Let’s start step by step aloo tikki burger recipe – north indian style:

1: peel and mash the boiled potatoes with a potato masher or with the back of a wooden spoon or a fork. do this when the potatoes are still warm. It’s easier to mash them when they are hot or warm.

2: add all the spice powders and salt. mix well.

3: add rice flour or corn starch. i have used rice flour.

4: mix well.

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Making of Ice Cream

Ice Cream

Step 1 - Pre-Freeze your ice cream maker's gel container

Before you even think about making ice cream, you better get the gel container in the deep freeze and start it freezing up.  Models vary, but generally the recommend 
the length of time needed to freeze the unit is between 6 hours and 22 hours. It depends on how cold your freezer is. If you have the room, just leave your freezer bowl in the freezer at all times. That way, you can take it out any time for immediate use.

To determine whether the bowl is completely frozen, just shake it. If you don't hear liquid moving, it's frozen!  Before freezing the bowl, wash and dry the bowl, then place the freezer bowl in the back of your freezer where it is coldest. (Note: Your freezer should be set to 0F for most foods, including ice cream!)

Crass commercial message: (Well, I warned you!) - I've tried many different types of ice cream makers over the past 25 years, and the Cuisinart ICE-30BC "Pure Indulgence" is the easiest, simplest, and neatest (as in not messy) ice cream / gelato / sorbet / frozen yogurt maker I've used.  just pop the gel bowl in the freezer and, depending upon how cold your freezer is, within 6 to 12 hours, it's ready to make ice cream, without ice, salt or mess. It also has an opening in the top to add flavorings... or to sample as it freezes.. .YUM! Highly recommended! Blake

On the other hand, the Rival model is cheaper, but I haven't tried it.  And if, for some demented reason, you actually want to hand crank for 25 minutes, the Donvier model offers that, um, "pleasure".

 

Step 2 - Heat the milk, sugar and powdered milk

In a large pot (4 quarts or larger) with a heavy bottom (for even heat distribution), mix the milk, sugar and powdered milk. Bring the mix to a low simmer over medium heat and stir to dissolve the sugar, then turn the heat down and just keep it warm.

Step 3 - Separate 8 egg yolks

Separate the egg yolks from 8 large eggs.

Step 4 - Whip the egg yolks until thickened

Put the egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk until they are thickened (it only takes about 2 minutes.  I use a hand mixer on low speed.

Step 5 - Slowly add 1 cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks

While constantly whisking, slowly add 1 cup of the hot milk mixture and whisk until it is blended (a few seconds). 

Step 6 - Pour the egg yolk mix into the pot of hot milk

Then pour the egg mixture back into the pot of hot milk and increase heat to medium. Stir the mixtureconstantly with a wooden or plastic spoon, until the mixture is thickened (like gravy) and registers between 170�F and 180�F (check with an instant-read thermometer, like the ones with a probe).

Step 7 - Add the light cream and vanilla and refrigerate

Stir in whipping cream (or light cream or half-and-half) and vanilla. Cover and pop into the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before continuing on to step 8. Overnight or even 24 to 48 hours is fine.

Step 8 - Prepare the fruit

Well, what kind of ice cream do you want?  This is the time to decide!  You can add almost any fruit you have!  If you want vanilla, you already have it, just pop the mix into the maker. If you want chocolate, just skip the fruit and add the chocolate syrup in step 10.  I add about 1/2 cup of chocolate syrup - I use the Hersey's sugar free syrup, but both the variety and amount are a matter of personal taste preferences!

For a fruit flavor, well, some fruit work better than others.  You get best flavor if you puree the fruit first in your food processor or blender.  So obviously, fruits like strawberries, raspberries, mangoes, figs and peaches are idea for this, while apples, coconuts and pomegranates might not be such a good choice. 

To prepare the fruit just prepare it as you would for eating, then blend it in your food processor or blender for a few minutes. Here are some tips:

• Peaches and nectarines: remove skins, pits and bruised areas
• Strawberries: remove the cap (the green parts)
• Raspberries: just wash them
• Blackberries: I like seedless, so I wash them and then run them through a Foley Food Mill to remove the seeds!
• Figs: Remove stems and bruises
• Mangoes: Peel, and cut the flesh off the stone.

Step 9 - Mix the milk/cream mix with the fruit

About 45 minutes before you want to serve the ice cream, stir the milk/cream mixture together with the pureed fruit. Stir it up well. Remove the freezer bowl and pour the milk/cream/fruit mixture from step 8 into the freezer bowl. Put the bowl in the cream maker. 

Step 10 - Fire up the ice cream maker!

Turn the ice cream maker on and let the maker work until it is thickened, about 20 to 25 minutes.

If you are making chocolate ice cream, this is the time to add the chocolate syrup.  I add about 1/2 cup of chocolate syrup - I use the Hersey's sugar free syrup, but both the variety and amount are a matter of personal taste preferences!

You can tell when the ice cream is done, by simply checking the consistency through the opening on the top of the ice cream maker.  You will also hear the motor straining, as the ice cream freezes.  On some units, the directions with the maker tell you to let it work until the motor stalls and stops.

When it is done, the ice cream should have a soft, creamy texture. If you want firmer, harder ice cream, transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place it in freezer for about 2 hours. Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving.

Step 11 - Enjoy!

Hey, once it reaches the consistency you like, it's time to eat!  That's it!  You made great homemade ice cream!

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Sardine fish curry – Kerala style

Ingredients

Mathi / Sardine / Fish : 500g

Mustard Seeds : 1/2tsp

Ginger : 2tsp finely chopped

Shallots (Chuvanully / Sambar onion) : 10 Sliced

Garlic : 8 cloves

Chilli powder : 2 tsp

Coriander powder : 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder : 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek Powder (Uluvapodi) : 1/4 tsp

Gambooge (Kudam puli) : 2 piece

Curry leaves : 4 spring

Tomatoes : Medium sized sliced

Salt : 1/2 tsp

Coconut Oil : 2 tbsp

Greenchilly : 3 nos vertically sliced

This is an easy recipe to prepare authentic and traditional Kerala style sardine fish curry recipe.  You can take it as a side dish with Kappa (Tapioca) / hot Kerala rice / Pathiri / Porotta / Appams.  Sardine, (popularly known as Mathi, Chaala in Kerala), is one the cheapest, popular and the tastiest fish available in South India.

Health Benefits

Sardines are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, which is good to lower your LDL Cholesterol to prevent heart diseases and is also good for your skin and hair. The small bones of Sardine are good resource of calcium.

Sardine curry preparation

1.   Soak gamboge in half cup of water for 20 minutes. Cut each fish into 2-3 pieces and clean it thoroughly and rub them well with salt / rock salt to avoid the smell.

2.   Heat coconut oil in a manchatti / clay-pot and add mustard seeds.

3.   Add sliced shallots when you hear the crackling sound of mustard seeds and mix it till it changes color.

4.   Add chopped ginger, garlic cloves, sliced green chillies and saute until garlic cloves become slight yellow.

5.   Add sliced tomatoes and saute well until you get a nice aroma.

6.   Warm coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and  fenugreek powder in a pan

7.   Make #6 into a paste in a mixer with little water and add it to the pot.

8.   Rinse the mixer jar and add the rinsed water to the pot.

9.   Add sliced gambooge along with the water used for soaking, remaining curry leaves and salt.

10.     Add more water to the desired volume.

11.     Allow it to boil and add the fish pieces.

12.     Cook covered on medium flame till the fish turns soft and oil separates.

13.     Now open the lid and cook until the gravy reduced to half.

14.     Turn off the flame and cover the pan with the lid. Keep it idle for some time to blend the spices, souring agent and fish.

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