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Coconut and Rosewater Cake

Onset of summer and a friend’s get-together, Cake is bound to be on the table. Coconut was on my mind and a syrup was where I was getting stuck. This wonderful post on FoodHeaven came to rescue. I changed a few things here and there basically to suit the available ingredients and time with my toddler running around. Result was super moist delicious cake, although it definitely needed the beautiful rose petals garnishing etc etc, maybe next time.

Preparation Time- 45 minutes

Cooking time – 1 hour

Ingredients

For Cake-

• 200g Butter
• 350g Castor Sugar
• 4 eggs
• Vanilla Essence
• 250 gm All purpose flour
• Salt
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• 50g desiccated coconut
• 200ml full fat milk
• ½ tsp rosewater

For Syrup-

• 60ml water
• 60g castor sugar
• ½ tsp rosewater

For Glaze-

• 3 TBSP icing sugar
• 1 tsp warm water
• Rosewater 1 drop
• Pink food coloring
• Toasted Desiccated Coconut (Optional)

Method –

Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease the Bundt Pan.  In a bowl beat butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, add egg gradually one at a time beating the mixture along with rosewater and vanilla essence. In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, baking powder and then add desiccated coconut. Pour half of this dry mix to batter and mix, add milk and then add rest of the dry mix to batter to make a smooth even texture batter. Pour it in greased tin and bake for 60 min or till the skewer comes out clean.

For the syrup- Add water, sugar, rosewater to a pan, heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Bring it to a boil and then simmer without lid for 3-4 minutes or till it becomes clear syrup. Cool the cake on wire rack still inside the tin, prick the cake with toothpick and all around ad then pour the syrup so as to let the syrup be absorbed max by cake. After sometime, gently turn the tin upside down on plate to get the syrup infused cake out.

For the Glace- add warm water, icing sugar, rosewater and food coloring (part I missed and served the cake), stir still sugar dissolves and the mix is thick enough to stay on spoon.  Drizzle on top of cake along with some toasted desiccated coconut.  

Dimer Chop / Egg Cutlet

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Appetiser/ Egg Starter or simple filling snack, Dimer Chop is my Husband’s favourite. It’s an easy to make with few ingredients an easy to make winter/ monsoon snack.

Preparation Time- 10 min

Cooking time- 7 minutes

Ingredients – Yields 2 Chop/ Cutlets

• Boiled Potatoes – 2 medium size
• Boiled egg- 2
• Egg- 1
• Finely chopped onion- 1 tbsp
• Dry mint leaves powder – 1 tsp
• Red chili powder- ¼ tsp
• Chat Masala- ½ tsp
• Salt as per taste
• Oil to deep fry
• Bread Crumbs ( if not available crushed corn flakes or Rusk powder can be used)

Method-

Peel boiled eggs, keep aside. Peel and mash boiled potatoes, add spices and salt, mix well. Take fist size mixture and flatten it so as to fit the egg. Cover the boiled egg completely with the potato mix. Beat the egg , carefully dip the potato roll in it and then roll it in the bread crumb mixture. Heat the oil and slowly add the chop to oil. Oil should not be too hot, else the bread crumbs would burn. Deep fry, drain on kitchen towel, Cut in half and serve with ketchup, Mustard sauce.

And I’m a Mommy now

Blessed by almighty on 24th July with a baby girl. My life will never be the same again and so would be my cooking 🙂

Chicken Biryani

Coming from a vegetarian background it was a completely new world for me learning about my Husband’s favorite dishes forget about the delicacies…I didn’t even knew the difference between chicken and Mutton (lol). Eventually when I started cooking Non Veg I had to try my hand on hubby’s favorite Chicken Biryani. Tried many different recipes however this version of Aditya Bal from Chak le India show struck out to be the best as per my family’s taste buds.

Preparation time – 30 min (marinating time – 8 hrs)

Cooking time- 30 min

Serves – 6

Ingredients-

Biryani basmati rice – ½ kg

Chicken- 1 kg

Onions – 2, chopped

Saffron – ½ tsp

Milk- 1 cup

Juice of 1 lemon

Chopped coriander

Sliced Green Chilli – 4

Chicken Marinade

Ginger-garlic paste -2 tbsp

Turmeric powder -1 tsp

Curd-1 1/2 cup

Red chilli powder-1 tsp

Salt to taste

Cloves-4

Cinnamon- 1″

Bay leaf – 1
Green cardamoms -2

Black cardamom-1

Cumin seeds -1/2 tsp

Spices for Rice

Cloves – 2

Cinnamon – ½”

Green Cardamoms – 2

Salt – As per taste

Dough- made from wheat flour and water

Vegetable oil- 2 tbsp

Process-

Grind all the chicken marinating spices, marinate the chicken and keep it for minimum four hours or eight hours. Deep fry the chopped onions and add them to the marinate and let it marinate for next ½ hour. Soak the rice in water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes drain and wash the rice, in a cooking vessel add rice, spices for rice and requisite amount of water. Cover and cook till water is absorbed (till the rice is half cooked only).In a big Handi (or Dutch oven) add oil, heat it and then add the marinated chicken. Cook it on high flame till the oil separates and chicken takes good brown color. Now lower the flame, and layer the rice on top of chicken. Meanwhile make a dough from wheat n water. Warm milk in a pan and add saffron. Keep aside. After layering the rice pour in the saffron milk. Add chopped coriander and chopped chillies on top and then add lemon juice. Apply the dough firmly on the edges of the vessel and cover it with the lid. Cook on slow flame for 15-20 minutes. (the time might vary depending on your vessel). The seal will harden after 15-20 minutes. Take it off the heat. Wait for some time and then carefully cut through the seal. Serve the Biryani with Raita or Chicken Chaap.

P.S- As you cannot stir the Biryani while it is cooking sealed with dough, there are slight chances that the chicken might stick to the base, if possible give the vessel a slight shake around mid cooking time.

Banana and Walnut Muffins

After a long break from baking and closing of neighbor bakery gave me a huge excuse to get up and start baking again. Entered my third trimester and everyone’s focus has zoomed in now on my eating…so  better keep baking all that I savor and love to eat.

Preparation Time – 5 min
Baking time- 40 min
Yield- 10 muffins
Ingredients –
Flour- 2 cups
Eggs- 2
Ground cinnamon powder- ½ tsp
Baking powder- ¾ tsp
Baking soda- ¼ tsp
Ripe bananas – 3 med size
Brown sugar- ¾ cup
Walnut kernels- 10
Butter- ½ cup
Milk- ½ cup

Method-
Soak the walnuts in milk for 10-15 minutes. Sift together flour, soda, baking powder, cinnamon powder in a big bowl. Melt butter and mix sugar. Puree the bananas and beat the eggs separately. Make a well in the dough ball and stir in eggs and butter. Then add the banana puree, add milk if required. Pre heat the oven at 180°C. Line the muffin tray with muffin liners or grease lightly with butter. Pour the batter upto 1/2 of capacity and place the walnut kernel on top. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let them cool on wire rack.
PS- I soaked the walnuts so as to avoid them getting dry from top.

Red Velvet and Nuts cake with Warm Cocktail syrup dressing

Cakes just need an excuse to be baked, and what more of an excuse seeing my younger SIL joining her alumni as Sr Manager. This definitely called for a cake. As my family prefers to stay away from heavy icing cakes, choose to combine Moist Red velvet and Dry Fruits cake. Also had a tin of Cocktail fruits along with some rum handy…they all had to combine …..yayay.

Preparation time- 30 min

Cooking time- 60 min

Serves- 6

Ingredients-

Dry Nuts Cake –

• Chopped Dry Fruits (almond, walnuts, raisins, dried apricots, Cashew, Dried Figs) – 1 cup
• Orange juice / Rum – 1 cup
• Eggs- 2
• Butter- ½ cup
• Sugar- ¾ cup
• Flour- 1 ½ cup
• Vanilla essence- ½ tsp
• Baking powder- 1 tsp
• Baking soda- ½ tsp
• Salt- a pinch
• Yellow food color- ¼ tsp

Red Velvet cake-

• Butter- ½ cup
• Sugar- ¾ cup
• Eggs- 4 separated
• Vanilla essence- ½ tsp
• Baking powder- 1 tsp
• Baking soda- ½ tsp
• Cocoa Powder- 2 tbsp
• Salt- a pinch
• Red Food color
• Buttermilk- 1 cup
• White Wine Vinegar- 1 tbsp

Rum – 1/2 cup

Chopped fruits- 1 cup / 1 can – cocktail fruits

Seedless grapes (optional)- ½ cup- sliced in half

Method

Dry Fruit cake– Soak the chopped dry fruits in orange juice / rum for min 30 minutes. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy, gradually add eggs one at a time and then add the vanilla essence. In a separate bowl sift together flour, salt, baking powder n soda. Add the chopped dry fruits to the flour, mix, add the food color and then fold in the egg batter. Preheat the oven to 180°C, grease a round cake tin and pour the batter. Bake for 20 minutes or till the skewer comes out clean.

Red velvet cake– Separate the eggs, beat the butter and sugar till they are light and fluffy, add the yolks, mix well and then add the vanilla essence. Sift together flour, cocoa powder,salt, baking powder and soda, add food color and mix in the egg batter. Meanwhile start beating the egg whites till the mixture is very fluffy. Add white wine vinegar and red food color to the flour batter and then fold in gently the egg white mix. Preheat the oven to 180°C, grease a round cake tin and pour the batter. Bake for 20 minutes or till the skewer comes out clean.

If using the canned fruits- heat the syrup and add rum to it. Soak the red velvet cake and place the dry fruit cake on top. Arrange the sliced grapes and when serving pour the warm syrup with fruits on the top.