Black Forest Cake

I made this black forest cake for my hubby's birthday . I use Nupur's recipes as posted here . Nupur thank you so much for this awesome recipe. It worked wonderfully and brought back memories of the cakes in India.






I must say this cake tasted mind blowing two days after it was baked. So the next time I will make this way in advance of the event. I did not make any modifications to the recipe except using a little less sugar and a little less of the instant espresso powder. I did feel like my cake layers came out a little hard and that is probably because I did not drizzle enough syrup. But after two days of soaking who cares!!! The taste is just out of this world!!!

In case you are wondering why the cake has the chocolate shavings only on the side, the origical plan was to ice "Happy Birthday" but the brilliant person that I am, I bought the red icing tube but not the front piping attachment for it!! So hubby had to make do with colorful candles on the top!!:)

Coconut cake with coconut cream cheese icing

This was my second attempt at a "real" cake with icing and I chose my dear friend Vindhya's birthday for this because my first attempt was a simple cake with whipped cream icing for her birthday last year. That was when I first got my stand mixer and I am in love with it ever since. I chose a coconut cake with coconut cream cheese icing because she is not a big fan of chocolate. A lot of things wen wrong with this one - the cakes had an uneven surface that I did not bother sawing off, the icing technique left much to be desired which meant that I had to cover it up with coconut flakes and that did not leave me any open space to ice "Happy Birthday" :( but the cake did taste ok and I hope she liked it:). Thankfully the candles made it look a little festive and the end product was passable.




I used this recipe for the cake and this one for the icing. The modification I made were -

1. I added coconut milk to the cake instead of regular milk to give it a coconut flavor and did not blend in the fresh coconut.
2. I also added 1tsp of coconut extract to the cake batter.
3. I added only one cup of sugar to the cake batter and and two cups of powdered sugar to the icing instead of the amounts prescribed.
4. The icing was made with low fat cream cheese instead of regular cream cheeses.
   

My next attempt will be the black forest cake using Nupur's (One Hot Stove) recipe for my hubby's birthday this weekend. I have my fingers crossed and I hope it turns out well.

Vegetarian Chili

Being a spice lover I have always been unhappy about not being able to eat "Chili" and this inspired a vegetarian version of the same. I would say that this is a hipper cousin of Indian Rajma with jazzier stuff thrown in and gets better tasting the longer you keep it although when I made the chili, it only lasted one evening. Needless to say it was a hit! I have drawn this recipe from several different versions online but was especially inspired by the Emeril Lagassa version here . I used 4 kinds of beans instead of just one and did not use as much tomato in the recipe otherwise it over powers other flavors.




Ingredients:

1. Can of black beans - 1
2. Can of kidney beans - 1
   
3. Can of pinto beans - 1
4. Can of white beans - 1
5. Zucchini - 1, chopped finely
6. Yellow onion - 1, chopped finely
7. Red/green/yellow bell peppers 1/2 each
   
8. Crushed Tomatoes - 1 can
   
9. Jalapenos - 1, finely chopped
10. Serrano peppers - 2 finely chopped
    
11. Mushrooms - 10-15 or 3 portabello mushrooms
    
12. Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
13. Vegetable stock - 1 cup
14. Cayenne pepper - 1 tsp
15. Cumin powder - 2 tsps
16. Paprika - 1 tsp
    
17. Cilantro - 3 tbsps finely chopped
18. Sour cream - 3-4 spoons for garnish
19. Lemon - 1

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions until golden brown.
2. Add the finger garlic paste and stir for 1 min. Add in the tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers and let them cook for 15 mins or so.
3. When the veggies are cooked well add the chopped chillies, cayenne pepper, paprika and cumin powder and mix well.
4. Add in the cans of beans and vegetable stock and let it all cook evenly and come to a boil.
5. Garnish with cilantro, lemon juice, paprika and sour cream (not shown in pic) and serve hot with some garlic bread or brown rice.
   

Pudina Sandwich

My love for this sandwich goes back to the days when we had "Sandwich Dinner Days" at home when mom and dad would make this Pudina Chutney and we would gorge on them like we hadn't eaten for days! The fun part of me was that I would get to make my own sandwich as a kid.:) Then there came a time when they started making these sandwiches at the chat thelas all over in Hyderabad which was pretty similar to what we had at home but also had a "chat" element to it with onions, sev and chat masala. I love both versions immensely and they make very good tea time snacks as well as full fledged meals when you don't have much time. It gets even easier if you make the pudina chutney recipe in advance and store it in the refrigerator. A friend of mine asked me to post some more quick and different dinner recipes like the Paneer pizza and this definitely falls in the category:)


Pudina Chutney

Ingredients:

1. Mint leaves - 2 bunches
2. Green chillies - 4/5 (depending on your spice tolerance)
3. Cilantro - 1 bunch
   
4. Ginger - 1 inch long piece
5. Lemon - 1
   
6. Salt
   
7. Yogurt (optional)

Directions:

1. Grind all the ingredients together except lemon/yogurt.
2. If using yogurt, beat some and mix with the ground chutney.
3. If not using yogurt, squeeze fresh lemon juice into the ground chutney.

Toasted Pudina Sandwich




Ingredients:

1. Bread slices ( Any white bread is fine. I use buttermilk bread) - toasted
2. Butter (I use "I can't believe its not butter")
3. Ketchup (I use Maggie hot and sweet tomato sauce)
4. Tomatoes - 2 sliced
5. Cucumber - 1, peeled and sliced
6. Carrot - 1, thinly sliced
   
7. Pudina Chutney
8. Salt
9. Crushed black pepper
   

Directions:

1. On one slice, apply some butter and ketchup and on the other slice apply the pudina chutney.
2. Layer one slice with the tomato, cucumber and carrot slices.
3. Garnish with salt and black pepper. Top it with the other slice
4. Cut into triangles and serve with kethcup.

Pudina Sandwich Chat Style:



Ingredients:

1. White bread - With edges trimmed off
   
2. Tomatoes - 2, sliced
3. Cucumber - 1, sliced
4. Pudina chutney
5. Amul Butter
6. Maggie hot and sweet tomato chilli sauce
7. Onion - 1, finely chopped
8. Sev - 1 cup
9. Corriander leaves - 1/2 bunch finely chopped
10. Salt
11. Crushed black pepper
12. Chaat Masala

Directions:

1. One one slice apply the butter and sauce and on the other spread the pudina chutney.
2. Layer one slice with cucumber and tomato slices. Sprinkle some salt, black pepper and chaat masala.
3. Top it up with the other slice and cut into 4 square pieces.
4. Place on a palce and garnish with onions, sev and cilantro and enjoy!

Note: If you plan on serving this sandwich after some time, do not garnish with sev before hand. It gets soggy. So add the garnish right before serving.

Gatte Ki Kadhi and Guvar Sabji - RCI Rajasthan

Gatte Ki Kadhi Recipe:

This is my first entry ever to any RCI event:)...This entry is for the RCI Rajasthan event. Unfortunately, I don't have any Rajasthani/Marwadi friends and the only influence of Rajasthani food I have had is from eating at those thali places in Hyd (kothi area and Dhola Ri Dhani) but I have enjoyed it immensely everytime I have had it.......This recipe was a mish mash of several recipes that I looked up online and personalized according to my taste. The kadhi was yummy and I would have loved to serve it with Bajra roti but did not have the time for it.



Ingredients:

For Gatte -

1. 2 cups besan
2. 1 tsp chilli powder
3. 1/2 tsp salt
4. 1/2 tsp turmeric
5. Jeera-Dhania powder - 1 tsp
   
6. Ajwain 1 tsp - crushed slightly
7. Curry leaves - 4/5 chopped finely
8. Handful of corriander leaves - finely chopped
9. Fresh ginger paste- 1tsp
10. Fresh garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
11. Baking powder - 2 pinches
12. Oil - 2 tbsps

For Kadhi

1. 4 cups of non fat yogurt
2. Turmeric 1/2 tsp
3. Red chilli powder 1 tsp
4. Jeera Dhania Powder 1 tsp
5. Salt
6. Walter
7. Curry Leaves - 4/5
8. Ajwain - 1/2 tsp finely crushed
9. Oil - 1 tbsp
10. Ginger paste - 1tsp
11. Besan - 2tbsps
    

Directions:

1. For the gatte, mix together together all the ingredients and then add enough water to get it into the consistency of dough. Do not knead it too much.
   



2. Make 1/2 inch wide and 5 inch long cylinders out of the dough.
   



3. Boil enough water in a pot and once it is bubbling drop in the cylinders and cook until the cylinders float up and look fully cooked.



4. Cut the cylinders in to 1/2 inch pieces.



5. Heat oil in a pan and saute the pieces until they brown a bit. Usually these are deep fried but I only saute-ed them and it works well. Must healthier too.



6. For the Kadhi, make a paste of besan and water and beat it into the yogurt with some water.



7. Mix in the turmeric, jeera-dhania powder, red chilli powder, ajwain and salt to taste
   



8. Heat oil and add cumin/jeera, curry leaves, ginger paste and saute for 1 minute.
   



9. Now add in the yogurt and the gatte and simmer on low heat until it is evenly heated.



10. Serve hot with rotis!

My variations: The changes I made was to add the ginger paste, garlic paste, ajwain, jeera powder, corriander, curry leaves and to saute the gatte instead of deep fry and it made a world of difference

Guvar Sabji :

This is a recipe that is very simple and I have often seen it served this way in Rajasthani thalis. I arrived at the recipe only from tasting it and hopefully it is how ti is made by Rajasthan:)

Ingredients:

1. Guvar - 3 cups, cut into inch long pieces



2. Oil - 2 tsps



3. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp



4. Jeera - 1tsp



5. Salt



6. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
   



7. Jeera-dhania powder - 1 tsp



8. Jeera powder - 1 tsp



9. Yogurt - 1 cup



10. Water 1/4 cup
    

Directions:

1. Heat oil and add jeera and mustard seeds and let them pop.



2. Add the guvar and let is cook until a little soft.



3. Add the spices and water and steam until raw smell of spices goes away.



4. Once cooked, beat the yogurt and add it in. Take the dish off the stove and serve with rotis!
   

Roasted Butternut Squash with Penne

This is a yummy dish inspired by Nupur's (of One Hot Stove) lovely recipe of Roasted Squash-Onion Lasagna




I made the following modifications -

1. Instead of lasagna sheets I used a whole wheat penne. This is purely because I did not have lasagna sheets on hand when I made it but the whole wheat penne went really well with the butternut squash and the bechamel and gave it an earthy flavour and good bite.
   
2. I rubbed some dry italian herbs like thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano on the butternut squash and onion before roasting.
3. Before baking I topped the whole thing with a mixture of grated Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs instead of just the Parmesan cheese.
4. While making the bechamel sauce, I added some chopped garlic to the butter before the flour to give a garlicky flavor to the sauce.
5. I also shallow fried some sage leaves in olive oil and added it to the mixture before baking.

Thanks Nupur for this lovely recipe! i really enjoyed making it and eating it:)

Bhel Puri Chowpati Style

I can't really remember the taste of bhel puri I ate at the Chowpati beach but I do remember detesting the beach because it was so filthy. Yet, I always associate bhel puri with Chowpati. This is a very simple "semi-homemade" (as in Sandra Lee's show) version. Its a deliciously healthy snack for a weekend evening with chai:)

The other place I associate with bhel is this really famous bhel stall in Kolhapur called "Rajabhau Bhel". The bhel here is simply mind blowing and you really get spicy when you ask for spicy. I am drooling even as I write about this place.

Again, credit goes to my mommy dearest for the excellent bhel puri she always made for us customized according to individual likes and dislikes. :D:D Also another crazy fan of this dish is my sis Rashmi, ensuring that this is regularly made no matter where she is. There is nothing great about this recipe here except putting the right things together. So it is really easy to make.


To start off with I use an instant bhel puri mix which contains puffed rice, papdi, sev and some other yummy stuff. This is a shortcut to the way my mom used to make it with bhadang from scratch and other stuff bought individually from the Gujarati store.

The above pic shows the chutneys I use for the bhel. The one on the left is a sweet/sour tamarind chutney. Now this can be bought in the store and it is called tamarind-date chutney. The homemade version I make is slightly different and its recipe is below. The one on the right is a mint, green chillies and cilantro chutney. You get this in store too but I made this one at home and recipe is below.


The above picture shows the rest of the ingredients.


Ingredients:

1. 1 packet bhel puri mix
2. Cucumber - 2, chopped finely
3. Red onion - 1, finely chopped
4. Tomate - 1 large, finely chopped
5. Raw Mango - 1/2, finely chopped and a few long slices for garnishing
6. Cilantro - 1 bunch, finely chopped
7. Tamarind chutney - 1 cup
8. Mint/Cilantro Chutney - 1 cup
9. Salt
10. Red chilli powder
11. Sev for garnish
    

Directions:

1. The bhel can be mixed in batches of 2- cups each. In one large bowls, take 2 cups of bhel mix.
2. Add in as much of the cilantro, onions, tomatoes, cucumber and mango as desired (according to taste, I usually take less of onions and more of everything else).
3. Add in salt, red chilli powder (I add lots of this to make it spicy), tamarind chutney (1-2 tsps), mint/cilantro chutney (1-2 tbsps) and mix everything thoroughly.
4. Serve in smaller bowls and garnish with cilantro, mango slices, sev and green chillies:).

Tamarind Chutney Recipe:

Ingredients:

1. Tamarind - 2 inch ball
2. 1 1/2 cup water
   
3. Jaggery - 2 tbsps
4. Salt
5. Red chilli powder - 1/1 tsp
6. Jeera - 1tsp, roughly powdered
   

Directions:

1. Soak tamarind in the water and extract all the pulp.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pulp and boil until it thickens into desired consistency.

Mint/Cilantro Chutney Recipe:

Ingredients:

1. Mint - 1 bunch
2. Cilantro - 1 bunch
3. Green chillies - 2,3
4. Salt
5. Ginger - 1 inch

Directions:

1. Grind the above into a soft paste with enough water to make the chutney into a runny consistency
   

Alu Poha / Pohe

This is a very typical Maharashtrian snack/breakfast that is healthy and yummy. It is made from poha which is essentially flattened rice. Health freaks can also make this with brown poha which is high in fiber and olive oil and can skip the potato. This can also be relished with roasted peanuts and a raw green chilli for those who enjoy spice. I sometimes add ginger in the tadka but that is optional too. I do not have a pic for this yet simply because I never thought of posting this recipe assuming that it is something everyone would already know. This recipe is in response to a request from a special friend who remembers my mom making it and would love to have the recipe...;)...Good luck Vinitha!

Ingredients:

1. Thick poha - 2 cups
2. Potato - 1 big or 2 small ones - Diced into thin slices about 1 inch long
   
3. Onion - 1 small one - finely diced into slices - not chopped
4. Ginger - 1 tsp chopped (optional)
   
5. Tomato - 1 - chopped
   
6. Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp
7. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
8. Jeera - 1 tsp
9. Green chillies - 2/3 finely chopped
10. Curry leaves - 5/6
11. Lemon - 1
12. Salt
13. Turmeric - 1/4th tsp
14. Cilantro - 2 tbsps finely chopped
    

Directions:

1. Wash the poha in water and keep aside. Make sure you drain the excess water
   
2. Heat oil and to it add the mustard seeds, jeera, turmeric, green chillies and curry leaves and let the mustard seeds sputter.
3. Add the oinions and saute until golden brown.
4. Saute the potato until soft and cooked.
5. Add in the tomato and saute until cooked.
6. Now add in the poha, which should be soft by now and salt and mix well.
   
7. Let this steam until the smell of raw poha goes away.
   
8. Sprinkle lemon juice, garnish with cilantro and enjoy hot!
   

Vepam Poo Pachadi

A belated happy tamil new year to all of you. I had fun this tamil new year because my in-laws were around and it was a proper family affair. I also had to cook less because we split up the dishes. I got Pushnika Sambhar, Vepampoo Pachchadi and Aama Vadai. The recipe of Aama Vadai I have already posted here. The pic above is from last year -


Vepam Poo Pachadi: This is a traditional tamilian dish made on new years day. It has all the tastes possible - bitter/sweet/sour/spicy and I guess the idea is to start your year with all these tastes including bitter which is a result of the neem flowers or vepam poo.

Ingredients:

1. Tamarind - 1 hand full
   
2. Jaggery - 2 tsps
3. Salt
4. Dried red chillies - 2 or 3
5. Gingelly oil - 1 tsp
6. Rice flour - 1 1/2 tsp
7. Neem flowers - 2 tsps
8. Curry leaves - 4 or 5
   

Directions:

1. Soak tamarind in 1 1/2 cup of water and extract the pulp.
2. Roast the neem flowers in a little spray of oil until brown. Let it cool and grind it roughly into a powder in a pestle and mortar or just using a spoon
   
3. Heat gingelly oil and to it add mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds sputter and to it add the tamarind pulp and boil until the smell of raw tamarind goes away.
   
4. Add the salt and jaggery to the boiling pulp and bring to a simmer.
5. Mix the rice flour in 2 tbsps of water and add to the mixture above. Boil until the it reaches a thicker consistency and bring it off the stove.
6. Mix in the crushed neem flowers and enjoy hot!

Gudi Padwa Recipes - Neem Chutney, Amti, Cauliflower-Peas Sabji and Mango Rice

Gudi Padwa is coming up and this will my first one in the new house. I am looking forward to celebrating it grandly. There are some very typical recipes associated with the festival and will be posting there here soon:)


---- Follow up ( Pics will get added once I locate my camera charger)---------

Recipe 1 - Neem chutney

Ingredients:

1. Chana dal - 1 cup
2. Green chillies
3. Curry leaves - 4 or 5
4. Dried red chillies - 2 or 3
5. Tender neem leaves or neem flowers - 2 teaspoons
6. Asafoetida - 2 pinches
7. Salt
8. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
9. Oil - 1 teaspoon
10. Corriander leaves - handful
    

Directions:

1. Soak the chana dal overnight
2. Grind the dal with green chillies, salt, corriander leaves
3. Heat oil and put in mustard seeds, curry leaves and red chillies. Garnish chutney with this.
4. I usually separate out a little chutney and add the tender neem leaves or fried neem flowers to it. The rest can be enjoyed without the bitterness.

Recipe 2 - Amti : Amti is a traditional maharashtrian dal which is a staple part of every meal.

Ingredients:

1. Toor dal - 2 cups
2. Turmeric - 1 pinch
3. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
4. Jeera - 1 teaspoon
5. Oil - 1 tablespoon
6. Amsol or Kokam - 3-4 (This is a very typical ingredients used in some Maharashtrian and Konkani dishes )
7. Corriander leaves - handful, chopped
8. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
9. Kala Masala - 1 teaspoon (This is again a very typical Marathi masala. I use the Joshi brand )
10. Salt
11. Asafoetida - 1 pinch
    

Directions:

1. Pressure cook the toor dal and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in and add mustard seeds, jeera, turmeric, asafoetida and wait until the mustard sputters.
3. Add the cooked toor dal, kokum, salt, chilli powder, kala masala and let the dal boil for 15 mins.
4. Garnish with corriander and serve with hot rice!

Tips: Variations of this amti are yummy too - I love the addition of brinjal, drumsticks and my favourtie is the one with pressure cooked jackfruit seeds.

Recipe 3 - Cauliflower/Peas sabji : This is a very simple sabji that I make on a regular basis.

Ingredients:

1. Medium sized cauliflower - cut into small chunks
2. Green chillies - 2 finely chopped
   
3. Frozen peas - 1 cup
4. Salt
   
5. Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
7. Jeera - 1 tsp
8. Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
   
9. Vegetable oil - 1 tsp

Directions:

1. Heat oil and add mustard seeds, jeera, turmeric, green chillies and let the mustard seeds sputter.
2. Add the cauliflower and salt and saute until soft.
3. Add peas and chilli powder and let it cook for 5 more mins.
4. Garnish with lemon and corriander leaves.

Recipe 4 - Mango Rice (Chitranna): This is basically "lemon rice meets raw mango". A very simple yet delightful way of enjoying summer's arrival.

Ingredients:

1. Basmati rice - 1 cup (any rice is ok)
2. Raw mango - 1, grated
3. Lemons - 1 or 2
4. Salt
5. Green chillies - 2
6. Red dried chillies - 2
7. Curry leaves - 7 or 8
   
8. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
9. Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
10. Urad Dal - 1 tsp
11. Chana Dal - 1 tsp
12. Oil - 1 1/2 tsp
    

Directions:

1. Cook rice and keep aside. Make sure it is not over cooked and grains are separate.
2. Heat oil and add mustard seeds, turmeric, green chillies, red chillies, curry leaves, urad dal and chana dal and stir fry until the urad dal turns golden brown.
3. Add the cooked rice, grated mango and salt and let it steam.
4. Take the rice off the stove and sprinkle lemon juice. Enjoy with raita!