Basic sponge cake with strawberry jam

A decadent recipe of all times ..basic sponge cake with strawberry jam! sharing with you a very easy and proved method.
ALL IN ONE!!! method  of cake making i.e mixing all the ingredients together which is much easier and provides better results.
For best results make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature and the measurement should be accurate.


Do not be tempted to open your oven whilst the cake is cooking, as the drop in temperature will cause your cakes to sink.


Ingredients


285g self-raising flour or maida
2.5 teaspoons baking powder
285g butter
285g caster sugar
5 eggs
1 jar strawberry or raspberry jam or any other jam of your choice


Method


Pre-heat the oven to 170C / 340F


Grease and line 2 round cake tins with butter and greaseproof paper


Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl


Add the butter, sugar and eggs (make sure the butter is at room temperature)


Mix together using a wooden spoon or electric whisk until light and fluffy


Divide the mixture into the 2 cake tins


Bake in the oven for 35 - 40 minutes


gently press it- if it springs back when touched, then it's ready


Allow to cool for 5 minutes before carefully turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely


When the cake is cool, spread one cake with a generous layer of jam. Then top with the other cake 


Relish the home made cake....slurrrrrp!!!

egg plant/Baingan raita

anyone who loves egg plant/Brinjal will definitely relish this recipe.A very easy side dish for any lunch/dinner party.


Ingredients:
Eggplant – 1, cut into circles
Oil – 3 Tbsp
Mustard Seeds – 1/4 tsp
Garlic – 1 tbsp, minced
Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder 1/4 tsp
Green Chili – to taste, for garnish
Salt – to taste
Yogurt – 2 cups
Cilantro/Coriander leaves – for garnish, finely chopped

Method:
1. Marinade egg plants with salt,turmeric,garlic minced and red chilly powder for 10-15 min,This step will extract the water  and leaves the easy to be cooked
2. Heat Oil in a non-stick pan.
3. Add Mustard Seeds, chopped green chilies and allow them to pop.add marinated egg plants one by one.
4. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook eggplant until tender.
5. Remove Eggplant into a bowl . Allow it to come to room temperature.
7. Add Salt to Yogurt and mix well. Add cooled Eggplant into the yogurt and mix well.
8. Garnish with Cilantro (coriander leaves).

bagara baingan/tempered eggplant curry

eggplant's versatility lends itself to thousands of dishes. Almost all world uses eggplants in their cooking and you can apply any cooking technique to them - roasted, deep-fried, sautéed, grilled, baked, mashed, stuffed, pickled - anything at all will work. I happen to love them too, so I couldn't get too far avoiding it the way I used too...Curried eggplant with peanuts,cumin seeds,poppy seed,sesame seed,cinnamon....though the list seems long but everything is just roasted and blended to a paste.

This is chefy recipe which enhances a bit of cooking skill and patience!!!!

Ingredients:

6-8 nos - small & tender purple Eggplants/brinjals
1½ cups - Onions, sliced (used for the masala paste & final gravy)
1/4 cup - Peanuts
1 Tbsp - Sesame seeds
1 tsp - Poppy seeds
1 tsp - Coriander seeds
1/2 tsp - Cumin seeds
1 inch piece - Cinnamon stick
1 Tbsp - grated, dried Coconut (I substitute with fresh)
1 inch piece - Ginger,
4-5 nos - Garlic cloves (2-3 if the cloves are plump)
1/4 tsp - Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp - Red chilli powder
1/2 tsp - Jaggery, grated
1 tsp - Tamarind extract/ pulp from a key lime sized tamarind ball
2 Tbsp - Peanut oil/Vegetable oil
6-7 nos - Curry leaves
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash the eggplants and pat them dry. You can chop off the thick stem on top, but leave the crown intact. It helps hold the eggplant together during the cooking process.
In a sauté pan dry roast the peanuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, coriander and cumin seeds, grated coconut and cinnamon stick one after the other. Use a medium flame and stir the ingredients frequently to achieve even browning.

Add tablespoon of oil to the pan and brown the sliced onions, about 8-10mins. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over them

grind roasted ingredients to a fine paste along with half the cooked onions, ginger, garlic, tamarind extract, turmeric powder and a little water

Using a paring knife, carefully make crosswise slits through the eggplant stopping an inch before you get to the stem end. Stuff about a teaspoon of the paste into the slits, this will need some patience :)

Heat about a tablespoon of oil in a deep saucepan, sauté the curry leaves and carefully add the stuffed brinjals to the pan. They tend to splutter a lot, so I cover the pan and let them cook for about 10 mins, until they soften. Rotate them every few minutes so they cook evenly.

Reduce the heat a bit, add the rest of the masala paste, the other half of the cooked onions, red chilli powder, a cup and a half of water and salt to taste.

Cook on medium heat until the eggplants are cooked through and the oil starts to separate from the masala and collect around the edges.

Serve warm with mild jeera rice, pulao or phulka's.

mixed vegetables and beans cracked wheat pulav

healthy and delicious version of Daliya (cracked wheat or Bulgar wheat) for weight watchers.
simple and easy to make with calorie value of 120 for one bowl serving.

Ingredients:-

1) mixed beans(rajma,white eyed beans, canola bean...we usually get a pack in all the supermarkets)
    - 1 cup soaked overnight
2) mixed vegetables ( cabbage ,cauliflower, brinjal. green peas, carrots or anything of ur choice)

3) daliya or Bulgar wheat- 1 cup

4)onion 1 finely diced

5)1 tomato-optional

6)cumin seeds-1 tsp

7)green chilies-2

8)olive oil -1 tsp

9)a pinch of turmeric powder,1 tsp of garam masala powder

METHOD

1)heat a pressure cook add oil ,cumin seed,green chilly and onions
2)add all the beans,vegetables,powdered masala and salt
3)add daliya/bulgar wheat and tomato and stir well.
4)after around 5 mins add 1 cup water and pressure cook till 2-3 whistles.
5)serve with yogurt or raita.

Baked spaghetti with vegetables and eggs

A very healthy and fulfilling recipe for kids and us too ! just requires assembling all the ingredients and popping in the oven...Here you go:)


1)fresh vegetables ( I have used broccoli,carrot,capsicum ,onion, green bean)
2) 3-4 tomatoes chopped or 1/2 can of chopped tomatoes.
3) spaghetti 
4) oregano-1 tsp
5) salt and pepper
6) Grated Parmesan cheese
7) 2 eggs
8)2 tbsp butter


Method

1. Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook tomatoes and onion over medium heat until it has consistency of a sauce add oregano salt and pepper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk 1 egg, Parmesan cheese and butter. Drain spaghetti; add to egg mixture and toss to coat.
3. Place all the vegetables in first layer,2nd layer of  the spaghetti mixture in a greased baking dish. Top with the tomato mixture break the second egg on the top and sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese.
4. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 mins.
5. Serve hot!

navratan korma

A decadent  Mughlai dish with 9 varieties of vegetables,nut,paneer,creamy sauce all of which come together to whip up a beautiful delicacy.its origin from a royal era gives it a very rich and slightly sweet taste. This is an absolutely delicious recipe and for all those who are not so fond of spicy Indian food, this should be a perfect veg recipe.



Ingredients:


Diced Vegetables - 3 cups [ I used carrot, beans, cauliflower, peas, corn, capsicum,cabbage,Courgette]
Paneer - 1/4 cup or few cubes.
Cashew & Raisins - 1/4 cup or 15 each
Onion - 2 large
Tomato - 2 lage or 1/2 can chopped tomato
Green Chili - 2
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
Red Chili Powder  - 2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder  - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 2 tsp
pouring cream/sour cream-1 cup
Butter - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste 
pineapple chunks and cherry-1/4 cup


Method:


1. Finely chop onion, slit green chili .Soak dry fruits in water for 10 minutes and grind to smooth paste.


2. Chop all the vegetables and keep aside. 


3.  Add all the vegetables & chilies except corn and peas with little water and microwave for 5 minutes.  
~ this makes the cooking process faster and retains the natural color of the vegetables.


4. Meanwhile heat butter in pan add chopped onion and saute until transparent, add ginger-garlic paste, mix well and cook for 1 minute.  Add all powder masala and cook for another 1 minute.


5. Add puree tomato, mix well and cook for 6-8 minutes or until butter starts oozing out.


6. Now add all the cream ..i like the taste of sour cream and simmer until a boils comes.  Add microwave vegetables and cook in medium heat for 8-10 minutes. 


7.  Add paneer and cashew, raisins paste and give a good stir cook for another 2-3 minutes.   Add salt and cook for 5 minutes until gravy become thick. 


8.  Add pineapple chunks and fresh cherries or sweetened cherries.

traditional gatte ki sabji(chick peas flour curry)

A dish from from the royal part of India 'Rajasthan'.Dumplings made of chickpea flour (besan/gram flour) are cooked in a flavorful and tangy yogurt gravy.Not an easy dish for a novice cook but its worth trying once and will prove to be an enhancement for your culinary skill.

very delicious dish with an earthy flavor.

Ingredients

For Gatte

1. Besan (Chick Pea Flour) - 1 cup
2. Haldi (Turmeric Powder) - 1/2 tsp
3. Mirch (Red Chilli) Powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Ajwain (Carom Seeds) - 1 tsp
5. Dhaniya (Coriander) Powder - 1/2 tsp
6. Salt - as per taste
7. Dahi (Yogurt) - 1/4 cup
8. Oil - 1/8 cup

For Gravy

1. Onion - 1 cup finely chopped
2. Tomato - 1 cup finely chopped
3. Ginger - 1 inch piece grated
4. Garlic - 4 cloves crushed
5. Dahi (Yogurt) - 1 cup
6. Dhaniya (Coriander) Powder - 1 tsp
7. Jeera (Cumin) Powder - 1 tsp
8. Mirch (Red Chilli) Powder - 1 tsp
9. Amchur (Mango Powder) - 1/2 tsp
10. Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
11. Rai (Mustard Seeds) - 1 tsp
12. Jeera (Cumin Seeds) - 1 tsp
13. Salt - as per taste
14. Oil - 2 tsp

Preparation

For Gatte

• Mix all dry masalas in besan
• Add oil to the besan and mix
• Slowly add dahi and mix it. Remember not to add all together as otherwise besan tends to get sticky. You may not use all the dahi.
• Make it into a firm dough (firm enough to roll it into cylinderal shapes
• Now, take a small ball of the dough and roll it into 1/2 inch thick cylinderical shape (about 6 inch long or so.
• Now take a pot and boil water in it. Take enough water to put all the above made rolled gatte in it.
• Now, add the gatte in the boiling water. They should be fully merged in water.
• It should take about 10-15 min. Check by inserting a knife in one of the gatte shaped roll and make sure knife comes out clean.
• Once all are done, drain the gatte rolls out of water. Do not throw water as we will use it for the gravy.
• Cut about 1/2 - 1 inch thick gatte at an angle (based on how big you would like them).

Gravy and Mixing

• Add all dry masalas (except salt, add salt at the end as needed) to dahi and mix it well till smooth.
• Take a wide pan, add oil
• Add rai, jeera and let them splutter
• Now, add ginger and garlic and fry for a minute
• Add onion and fry till it is translucent
• Add tomato and  fry till it is all mushy (cover the lid, it will be quicker)
• Add the dahi and mix till the gravy starts boiling and separating oil
• Now, add the gatte pieces in it, cover and cook for5 more min.
• Add saved water (and more) as needed.
• The sabzi is ready !!!