Coconut Chutney

Ingredients

Coconut - 3/4 cup (grated)

Green Chillies - 3-4

Fried Gram -1 tbsp (also known as pottukadalai)

Ginger - 1 small bit

Tamarind - small bit

Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp chopped (optional)

Salt to taste

For the seasoning

Mustard -1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 1/4 tsp

Onion

Dried Chili

Curry leaves - a little

Method 

• Grind coconut, green chillies, fried gram, ginger, tamarind and coriander leaves together with needed water and salt. Then you can rinse the mixie and add little more water.
• Heat a tsp of oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add urad dal and dried chili.
• When dal turns golden brown, add onions and curry leaves and pour it over the chutney.
• Serve it with idly or dosa.

Banana Blueberry Muffin

I had some leftover ripe bananas and some blueberries.  Made this for breakfast and it was simply scrumptious. Very moist and fluffy.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup of flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

3 ripe banana, mashed

1/3 cup oil

1/4 cup of blueberries, optional

Source: All recipes

Makes 12 muffins

Method

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line the muffin pans with paper liner.
• Sift dry ingredients and set aside.  Mash bananas.  Lightly beat the egg and mix with oil.
• Pour the liquids into the dry ingredients. Add bananas.  Mix till just combined. Do not overmix. Add the blueberries. 
• Bake for about 20 minutes.

Masala Dosa with Potato Filling

Masala Dosa is usually made by stuffing it with fillings made with boiled mashed potato cooked in spices. The filling can be prepared ahead of time.  The dosa can also be accompanied by coconut chutney or dhal sambar.

Dosa Ingredients

Idly Rice    1 cup

Cooked Rice  2 tbsp

Whole urad dal (without skin) -1/2 cup

Fenugreek seeds -1/2 tsp

Salt needed

Method

• Soak Idly rice, urad dal, cooked rice and fenugreek seeds,  in enough water for 4-5 hours.
• Wash and grind everything together to a smooth texture adding water, a little at a time. Dont let the batter be too watery.
• Pour into a bowl, cover and set in a warm place. I placed it in my oven.  Let it ferment.  I blended the flour at night and left it to ferment overnight. Before making dosa, add little water and mix well to get the dosa batter consistency. It should be almost like a pancake batter.
• Now the dosa batter is ready.

This is after fermentation

On the tawa after cooking it for about 5 minutes or less

 Potato Masala for Filling

Potatoes - 500 grams

Onion -2 medium size

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Green chilli - 2-3 (finely chopped or slit)

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - few tender ones

Salt needed

Oil -2 tbsp

Mustard seed - 1 tsp

Urad dal -3/4 tsp

Hing/Asafoetida - a pinch

Oil for making dosa (Gingerly oil preferred, optional)

Method

• Wash and cut potatoes into half and pressure cook  for 3 whistles. After it cools, peel the skin and mash it well.( not to a fine paste) Keep it aside.
• Cut onions lengthwise, slit green chilli and finely chop ginger.
• Heat oil, add mustard seeds, when it splutters, add hing, urad dal and channa dal.
• When dal turns golden brown, add thinly sliced onions, green chilli, ginger and curry leaves. Saute for a few minutes until onion turns pink. (do not brown the onions)
• Add turmeric powder, mashed potatoes and salt needed.
• Cook for few minutes (around 5-6 mins) until everything gets blended well. Switch off the flame. Filling for the masala dosa is ready. 
• Heat a non stick or iron tawa, add a drop of oil and rub half an onion on it. Once the tawa is heated, bring the flame to medium and pour a ladle of batter in the center.
• Using the back of the ladle, spread the batter in a circular motion as seen in the picture below. Drizzle a tsp of ghee or oil around the dosa and close it with a lid. (masala dosa should not be thick)
• Once the edges starts browning and the dosa is cooked, reduce the heat, add 2-3 tbsp of potato masala, a little butter (optional ) and fold the dosa. Remove from tawa and serve hot. Note - Since you are closing it with a lid, there is not need to cook the other side.
• The dosa is ready to be served and best eaten when its hot from the tawa.
• Serve with coconut chutney or sambar.

Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake

When I think of pound cake, I always think of Sara Lee Pound cake or my mothers traditional butter cake but this one has lifted my expectations of what a normal butter cake is.  The cake is dense but there is just enough moisture to give the cake a light crumb.  The cream cheese flavor is not so visible but the cream cheese gives the outer part of the cake a nice brown coating and the inside yellow.

This is a must try cake.  Make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature for the best result.

Ingredients

1 1/2 (12oz)  cup of butter, softened

8oz cream cheese, softened

3 cups sugar ( I reduced my sugar to 2 1/2)

6 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp lemon zest

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 salt

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a bundt cake pan ( I halved the recipe and use a 9 by 13 in loaf pan)
• Cream softened butter and cream cheese till well mixed.  Slowly add the sugar and beat for about 5 to 10 minutes, scraping the bowl in between.
• Once the mixture is very light and airy, slowly add the eggs one at a time, Beat well.  Add the zest and vanilla.
• Add the flour, baking powder and salt (sifted together) in 3 additions.  Mix either with a spatula or mixer set to low.
• Bake for about 50 minutes or test with a toothpick.
• Let cool completely before devouring.

This pound cake can easily be frozen.

Enjoy..

Eggless Orange Cake

This is my first try ever to make an eggless cake.  I always thought it was going to taste nasty or not moist or fluffy but I guess i was wrong all this while.  This is a basic eggless cake and can be done in many flavor. I used orange flavored oil and some orange color and my daughter who is my food tester even said that it was wonderful.

The only thing is that I notice is that this cake will be tastier with fresh whipped cream and would not do so good with buttercream because the cake itself is tad bit sweet.  I did not even have to use parchment paper but I did use crisco and flour on the cake pan.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup yogurt
3/4 cup sugar ( I reduced a little)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil ( I used softened butter)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp orange emulco/oil

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 6in cake pan. I used a 3 inch in height cake pan.
• Cream butter and sugar well. Add yogurt and beat till well mixed.
• Add baking powder and soda. Set aside for 3 min and yes it will fizz.
• Add vanilla and emulco. Slowly stir in sifted flour. Batter will be quite thick. Pour into the cake pan and level it.
• Bake for about 25 min or until tested with a skewer and comes out clean.  Take out and let cool in pan for about 15 minutes.  Turn it out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

What I have been whipping up for summer !

I thought since one of my hobbies was to sew and knit and of course baking....I would also post what
I have been doing this summer.  Made couple of pencil cases, lunch bags, totes, knitted shawls. Wow....and I still have a long list to go.

Have a look at what I made..

Summer Flies Shawlette

T-Shirt Quilt

Tote

Boxy Pencil Case

Drawstring Bag

My daughter's 16th Birthday

My girl turned 16 this year and she loved red velvet cake so I made a surprise two tiered cake for her. The red velvet has cream cheese buttercream frosting and the top tier is Dorie Greenspan's Perfect party cake. Both the cake were moist and fluffy even after 2 days.

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Filling and Frosting

White Cake with Raspberry Filling and Buttercream Frosting

Red Velvet Cake

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder (unsweetened)

2 oz. red food coloring

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Method

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or three 8-inch round cake pans.
• Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.  In a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a thin paste without lumps; set aside.
• In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes.  Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla and the red cocoa paste, scraping down the bowl with a spatula as you go.  Add one third of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. End with the last third of the flour mixture, beat until well combined, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
• Make sure you have cake pans buttered, floured, and nearby.  In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda.  Add it to the cake batter and stir well to combine.  Working quickly, divide batter evenly between the cake pans and place them in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Check early, cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. To remove the cakes from the pan, place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, then gently lift the pan.  Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting. 

Perfect Party Cake (White Cake)

Ingedients

2 1/4 cups cake flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk

4 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp grated lemon zest

1 stick (8 tbsp or 4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 tsp pure lemon extract

Method

• Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.
• Cake: Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl. Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).

Cranberry Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie

Wow, the title is super long but this cookie doesnt stay that long after it comes out of the oven.  My family absolutely loved this cookie. It has oatmeal and chocolate chip and with the addition of cranberry, there was tart and sweet going on inside.  I am officially making this our family favorite.  Its tastes even delicious with a big glass of milk :)

Source:  Taste of Home

Ingredients

3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 stick butter, softened
2 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3 cup quick cooking oats
1 1/2 cup flour
1 pkg vanilla pudding mix
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cup chocolate chip
1/2 cup cranberry or raisins

Method

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the oats, flour, dry pudding mix, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
• Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks and cool.