Tuesday, December 4, 2018

Eggless Custard Powder Cake




Its December already and  time to celebrate holiday season with baked goodies. We group of bloggers participate in Bake- A- Thon and some of our blogger buddies are going to share baked goodies on Monday,Wednesday and Friday for the entire month of December.

Today I start up the Bake-A-Thon with a simple eggless custard powder cake.The cake was in my to do list so long and finally tried it.The cake came out so  good and delicious with a perfect texture.I halved the original measurement and made two  inch bundt cakes as my lil one wanted cute cake.



                                                                    
                                                            
                                       Eggless Custard Powder Cake


                                                                  
  
   Basic Information

   Preparation time 15-20 minutes
   Baking time 30-35 minutes
   Makes two 4 inch bundt cakes
   Recipe Source  here
    


   Ingredients


  
Ingredient
Quantity
All purpose flour/maida
 3/4  cup
Custard powder(vanilla flavored)
1/3 cup 
Baking powder
1 tsp
Granulated white sugar
1/2 cup
Unsalted Butter/vennai
75 gms /appr. 6 tbs
Vanilla extract
1 tsp(optional)
Salt
a pinc
Milk
1/2 cup

   Method
  • Take all purpose flour,baking powder,custard powder and salt and mix it well.Sieve it for couple of times.Grease the baking pan with baking spray or oil and dust some flour.Keep it aside and preheat the oven in 350 F.
  • Now in a bowl take the butter and sugar,whisk in a hand blender or whisker until it becomes creamy and smooth.Now to this mixture add in the 1/2 cup of milk.Add add 1/2 of the flour and mix it well.
  • Then add the remaining portion of the flour and mix it well.Pour the batter into greased pan. Keep it in the preheated oven.Bake it for 30-35 minutes(mine took 34 minutes) or until a tooth pick comes out clean.Let it rest it for couple of minutes and invert the cake to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely.
  • Slice and serve it.





  • The sweetness was just perfect with the given measurement.
  • Slice the cake once its completely cool down.
  • Here I sprinkled the powdered sugar and did not use any vanilla extract as I used the vanilla custard powder.

Enjoy.................................


Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Sunday, November 18, 2018

Tomato Mint Chutney/Thakkali Pudina Chutney




As my family likes the mint flavor,I try to make different varieties of chutney out of mint.One such try was this mint chutney and it pairs very well with idly and dosa.Also its a great spread for bread to make sandwiches.

This is a simple,easy to make chutney and need only 20 minutes for the entire process.Addition of urad dhal and channa dhal gives a nice creamy texture to the chutney.




                                                             
                                                            
                                  Tomato Mint Chutney /Thakkali Pudina Chutney


                                                                  
   Basic Information

   Preparation time 10 minutes
   Cooking time 10 minutes
   Serves 4-5


  Ingredients




Ingredient
Quantity
Mint leaves/pudina illai
2 cups(tightly packed)
Coriander leaves/kothamalli illai
1/4 cup(tightly packed)
Tamarind/puli
a big gooseberry size
Green chilly/pachamilagai
6-7
Shallots/chinna vengayam
3-4
Tomato/thakkali
3 (medium size)
Urad dhal/uluthamparuppu
2 tsp
Channa dhal/kadalaparuppu
2 tsp
Salt
3/4 - 1 tsp
Oil
1 tbs

   For the tempering


Ingredient
Quantity
Mustard seeds/kadugu
1 tsp
Curry leaves/karivepillai
few leaves
Asafoetida/perungayam
a pinch
   

Method 
  • Clean the mint and coriander leaves in water for couple of times and set it aside.
  • Heat a pan with 2 tsp of oil and to tis add the urad dhal and channa dhal,fry it until golden.Add in the green chillies,chopped shallots and give it a mix.
  • Now add in the chopped tomato,tamarind and cook it till the tomatoes are soft.at this stage add in the coriander and mint leaves.

  • Cook it until the leaves wilt.Put off the flame and let it cool down.Now blend it in a blender to a fine paste and transfer it to a bowl.Now heat a pan with a tsp of and do the tempering and add it to the chutney.Mix it well.
  •  Serve it  with idly or dosa.



Enjoy....................................



I try to make different varieties of chutney out of mint Tomato Mint Chutney/Thakkali Pudina Chutney


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#94

Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Saturday, November 17, 2018

Chicken Soup - South Indian Style


 As we are approaching winter,the weather is getting colder day by day and we had our first snowfall yesterday.The cold weather calls for some light and hot foods,so prepared this yummy chicken soup and had it for our lunch.

Coming to the recipe,its a typical South Indian style with  the flavor of black pepper and other spices..A simple freshly ground spice powder is used to enhance the aroma of the soup.
This soup can be made in less than 30 minutes in a pressure cooker.Its a very comforting soup and I make it often in winter or kids get cold.Here I have used the boneless chicken,as my kids love,tender and soft chicken pieces in their soup.

I am running in the 94th edition of Blogging Marathon,Dish under 30 minutes,as theme.Needless to say this soup is one such dish,fits for the theme.Try this simple and yummy chicken soup and enjoy the winter.




                                                          
                                                           
                                                       Chicken Soup -South Indian Style



                                                                  
   Basic Information

   Preparation time 15 minutes
   Cooking time 15 minutes
   Serves 3 (generously)


   
 Ingredients

 
  
Ingredient
Quantity
Chicken( with bone or boneless)
200 gms
Onion(finely chopped)
1(medium size)
Tomato
1 (medium size)
Ginger&garlic paste
1.5 tsp
Turmeric powder/manjal podi
1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder/milagai podi
1/2 tsp
Curry leaves/karivepillai
2 sprigs
Salt
1.5 tsp
Oil
2 tbs
Coriander leaves(finely chopped)
2 tbs
   

 To roast and powder



Black pepper/milagu
1.5 tsp
Cumin seeds/jeeragam
1 tsp
Fennel seeds/sombu
1 tsp

   

 Method 
  • Wash and clean the chicken and cut into bite size pieces.To the chicken add turmeric powder and a pinch of salt,mix it well and keep it aside.
  • Heat a pan and to this add the cumin seeds,fennel seeds and black pepper.Dry roast it until a nice aroma comes out.Grind it to a coarse powder in a mortar and pestle,after cooling.Set it aside.
  • Heat a pressure cooker on a stove top and add  oil,add in the chopped onion and curry leaves,saute it with a pinch of  salt until translucent.Add in the ginger &garlic paste and fry it for a minute or until raw smell disappears.Add in the chopped tomato and mix it well.Cook it until mushy.
  • Add in the marinated chicken and give it a mix till it changes the color. Now add in the ground powder,red chilly powder,salt and mix it well.
  • Add around 4-.5 cups of water and add in some chopped coriander leaves.Cover the lid and pressure cook it for 4-5 whistles in a medium flame.After the pressure subsides,remove the lid and boil it for a minute and add some more chopped coriander leaves.
  • Serve it warm with hot.





  • The spices given is for a medium spice level.Alter it according to personal preference.
  • Instead of red chilly powder,dried red chilly can be added along with the whole spices while roasting.


Enjoy.......................................



the weather is getting colder day by day and we had our first snowfall yesterday Chicken Soup - South Indian Style


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#94

Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Mysore Pak /Mysore Pa /Ghee Mysore Pak


Coming to day 3 of Blogging Marathon#93 themed under one ingredient in different ways is mysore pak.
Mysore pak is a mouth melting sweet,loaded with ghee and most of us favorite.Though its a favorite sweet,I tried it for the first time on my own.I was bit skeptical to try this sweet as it needs arm power and perfect consistency.But after seeing the you tube video,I was bit confident to try with a smaller quantity.The end result is literally mouth melting mysore pak.

The proportion is very simple,for one part of flour,three parts of ghee and three parts of sugar. In the original recipe 2.5 parts of oil and .5 part of ghee is used.But I used 1 part of oil and 2 parts of ghee to make it.It can be completely made with ghee for extra rich taste.

Also I couldn't capture each and every step of the preparation as there were no helping hands when I made,will update it soon.



                                               
                                         
                                                                              
                                             Mysore Pak/Ghee Mysore Pak


                                                                  
   Basic Information

   Preparation time 15 minutes
   Cooking time 30-35 minutes
   Makes 6 - 7 pieces of 4  inch size


  
 Ingredients


Ingredient
Quantity
Gram flour/kadalamaavu
50 gms
Ghee/nei
100 ml
Any neutral oil
50 ml
Sugar/sakkarai
150 gms
Water
50 ml
 
  
  
 Method 

  • Grease a plate with few drops of oil and set it aside.Sift the gram flour and take it in a bowl,to this add 50 ml of oil and mix it well with a whisk with no lumps.Keep it aside.
  • In a heavy bottom pan take the sugar and add the water to it.Keep it on a medium flame till the sugar dissolves (no need of any consistency).Once the sugar dissolved add in the flour mixture and mix it well.
  • Mix it well and keep stirring and add in the 50 ml of ghee in regular intervals.The mixture will  start bubbling and becomes thick.At this point put off the flame.
  • Now add in the rest of the 50 ml of ghee to the mixture in intervals and mix it well.The mixture would absorb all the ghee and it becomes thick.Let it cool down in the pan for 5 minutes.
  • Now transfer the mixture to the greased plate and level it well with a greased spatula or any flat bottom bowl.Let it cool down for 30 minutes or until it is warm.Now with a sharp knife draw lines to cut it into desired shape.Transfer it to a plate and let it cool completely.

  • Store it in an air tight container.





  • The amount of ghee and the oil is very important to get a mouth melting mysore pak.
  • The entire cooking process needs to be done in a medium flame with continuous stirring.
  • The 3rd portion of ghee or oil needs to be added to the mixture, in intervals after turn off the flame.The mixture will absorb the ghee or oil and becomes thick.
  • If you feel the water is not enough to dissolve the sugar add another 10 ml of water to the sugar.
  • The color of the mysore pak will be slightly deeper after cooling.


Enjoy..............................




 themed under one ingredient in different ways is mysore pak Mysore Pak /Mysore Pa /Ghee Mysore Pak


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#93

Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com

Friday, October 26, 2018

Kaara Boondi /Spicy Boondi




Kaara boondi is a spicy and crunchy, snack spiced with black pepper powder is quiet popular in South India.
The preparation of kaara boondi is simple if the batter consistency is perfect.The batter consistency should not be too thick or too thin,it should be in a dropping consistency.

Kaara boondi can be spiced up with black pepper powder and red chilly powder.But we personally like the flavor of the black pepper powder,hence used it.







                                               
                                         
                                                                              
                                                        Kaara Boondi /Spicy Boondi


                                                                  
   Basic Information

   Preparation time 15 minutes
   Cooking time 30-35 minutes
   Makes 2.5 cups(approximately)


  
 Ingredients


Ingredient
Quantity
Gram flour/kadalamaavu
1 cup
Rice flour/arisi maavu
3 tbs
Salt
1/2 tsp +1/2 tsp for seasoning
Baking soda
a pinch
Red chilly powder
1/2 tsp
Cashews/mundiri
3-4 tbs(chopped)
Peanuts/verkadalai
3-4 tbs 
Black pepper powder
2 tsp
Oil
for deep frying
 
  
  
 Method 

  • Take the gram flour,rice flour,salt and baking soda,red chilly powder in a mixing bowl.Mix it well,to this slowly add water and make it to a batter.
  • The batter should be in a dropping consistency.Heat a pan with oil and once it becomes hot,hold the boondi ladle or a perforated ladle on top of the hot oil.Pour some batter on the ladle and gently tap it.Tiny droplets of batter would drop into the oil.
  • Fry it till the sizzling sound ceases.Drain it on a paper towel.Continue for the rest of the batter.
  • Also fry the cashews,peanuts and curry leaves in the same oil,separately.Drain it on a paper towel to remove the excess oil.
  • Now take the boondi,peanuts,cashews and fried curry leaves in a wide bowl and to this sprinkle the black pepper powder and salt.Toss it well.

  • Store it in an air tight container.



  • Check the consistency of the batter by dropping few drops in the hot oil.If it comes out perfect round then proceed.If it has a tail the the batter is too thick and come out flat means its too thin.
  • Wipe the boondi ladle with a clean wet cloth or paper towel each round to get a nice shaped boondi.
  • While adding the batter to the oil,the oil should be hot and the flame needs to be high.Then only the boondi comes out like a ball and raises,then reduce the flame to medium and fry.

Enjoy..............................




 snack spiced with black pepper powder is quiet popular in South India Kaara Boondi /Spicy Boondi


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing this BM#93

Sumber http://www.naliniscooking.com