Rave reviews Chocolate cake...in a Microwave

The day after....

Yesterday was my birthday ...and as I mentioned in my post of mocha muffins it was a hectic day of with phone calls, sms'es, FB msgs...and trying to do some special stuff in the kitchen in between all of these...

Then finally it was evening and my entire family got together - we had a great time - every one was eager to sample the baking - so even before the ceremonial cake cutting - the mocha muffins were disappearing quickly...it was proclaimed a success ( or maybe everyone was hungry.....no no it was truly amazing )...

Then came the cake...well what do I say...first of all the 'rave reviews part'  in the title ...they all come from my family - so you may think that they are biased...but you do not know my family...they do not hesitate to call a spade a spade...so if they like this - it has to be gooooood.....

Everyone was waiting eagerly...and finally the cake was  cut and served to all....my husband was eager to capture everyone's picture - so while I was serving or feeding the cake - he kept telling us "aam juyo", in gujarati it means "look here" - so that we could look into the camera for his shots....and the entire crowd being South Indian ( my side of the gang )...they all started saying "aam juyo" to each other and slowly the "aam" changed to "mango" - aam in Hindi means mango - the fruit...
So while T was taking the photos - everyone was calling out "mango juyo"...it was more funny then ...over there...and no ...there were no spirits involved......just high spirits :-)

Anyways ...the cake slowly disappeared too (after the mocha muffins )...& was proclaimed a big success too....
I have baked this many times - and had it appreciated by all...but somehow till date I have not had a chance to post this recipe...not sure why ...
So decided to do it...did not take any pictures of the said cake (too busy with all the phone calls I think ) - other than at cutting time...but had taken a picture of the cake made at an earlier time and have posted that here to give you all a glimpse too...this one did not have walnuts on top unlike the one made yesterday but never mind you get the idea.

Mocha Muffins

Mocha Muffins

It is my birthday today...

There were a lot of thoughts going thru my mind re. what I should be doing today...first thought was to just relax & pamper myself......just chilling out....but somehow things did not pan out...am not surprised....I have found that life seldom happens the way I want....more proof that there is a higher power somewhere controlling the events...and maybe we should just go along with the flow....
nyways...enuff of the philosophy talk....to get back on track...my plans for the day...

It started out with what we should do to celebrate...decided to have a get together at my parents place...my brother and sister and their families....we were to order in from a nearby restaurant...and since I did not have to do any cooking / shooking decided that least I could do was bake a cake ....my Mom insisted that I should bake a chocolate cake that she loves ( had baked it many times earlier for her and others )....so that was the first item on the menu...

Then I thought that since we were so many should I bake another one...or try out something new on my bookmarked lists...( one of my favourite past times is going thru recipes and keeping them aside to try out some other time ?! ....that list is so long...am probably going to go before I get thru it...and this is just the stuff I want to do re. cooking....my bucket list contains many more things....and that is another long story...will save it for some other time )
So getting back to my bookmarked lists...decided to try out mocha muffins ....have been wanting to bake something with coffee & chocolate combination...had not done it before...though that made both  the items as chocolate dessert...I was ok with it...since most in family are chocoholics...
So that was the second addition to my menu...

All this was after we got up - had our cuppa & toast...and in between all the phone calls, sms, FB msgs....and all....
Then since the celebration was for the evening - had to think of brunch or lunch or whatever...did not want the regular fare...so decided to make rava idli, sambhar, and chutney.
That made the third addition to today's cooking....

So my day of chilling and relaxing changed into one of slogging and sweating...?!?.. is there some lesson to learn from this...I think so...will let you all know once I figure it out :-) .....

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

After I have written the title I do not think anything more needs to be written ...it is all said...mmmm....( well maybe the recipe, after all that is what this blog is supposed to be about )...hmmm...maybe I could put in a bit about the making & admiring & tasting...& admiring again...

The aroma of  the cookies has filled my house ...just absolutely love it....I think that is the reason I love to bake...just so as to have the house smelling so good...I know there are candles with that fragrance and can imagine that would be a good sell.

Our favourite cookies are oatmeal raisin cookies...and we would often buy a pack of them ....so when I decided to bake some, I went through quite a few recipes for the same...found some very healthy one - with honey and oats etc..did try it out....with disappointing results...not that the cookie was bad ...just not the same as what we were looking for...
Then I came upon this one from the "Joy of Baking" site...and it turned out to be amazing...the only thing I would change it the quantity of sugar - it could do with a little less.

This is good for a snack with milk or just by itself or after a meal for dessert...or if you are like me...just to nibble on and off... am wondering whether any will be left for others :-)

Bharela baigan - Ravaiya

Ravaiya - Bharela Baigan

We were in the US and had a cousin staying with us - she was on a vacation for a couple of months - and was taking turns visiting all her friends and relatives...there was a wedding in the family also - which she had come to attend ....and prior to that she spent some time with us...we had a great time sightseeing, of course shopping, going for walks - there was a lovely park next to a lake - which made for a good place to go to spend some time - walking around and just sitting next to the lake and chatting....

While she was there we spent quite some time cooking ofcourse - she is a very good cook ( very popular for her khandvi - which is excellent ) and I am not quite familiar with all the Gujrati dishes...so decided to learn a few under her tutelage. Did not attempt khandvi ( though she did make it whilst with us ) - found it quite difficult...but managed to pick up a few of the easier ( for me ) dishes. Maybe one day I may be more ambitious to try out khandvi too.... :-)

Anyways ....so one of them was bharela baigan -or as they call it ravaiya, she taught me do it with 2 stuffing's - one with besan, the other with green masala ...love both of them - and have made both quite a few times. While the besan stuffing is also good - somehow the one with coriander leaves and masala turns out much better ...it has a lovely moist filling - can be made as spicy as you would like...and the brinjal always tastes very nice when it is coated ( or filled ) with a spicy masala.
This is the one I made today and would like to share...


Ingredients :

8 - 10 small purple brinjals
2 medium potatoes
1 large onion
a bunch of coriander leaves chopped ( about 1&1/2 - 2 cups )
2-3 green chillies ( as per taste)
6-8 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 Tblspn  coriander-cumin powder
1 Tblspn sesame seeds
Salt to taste
Oil
a pinch of asafoetida or hing

Method :
1) Chop the coriander leaves, ginger, green chillies, garlic, into small pieces almost fine paste.
2) Add the dry masalas - turmeric, salt, red chilli, coriander-cumin, sesame seeds
3) Put a couple of tsps of oil ( any vegetable oil ) and mix the above mixture properly.
4) To prepare the veggies, cut the stalk of brinjals, make a slit on one side taking care not to reach the bottom - then turn the brinjal in the opposite bottom and make another slit perpendicular to the first - and again leaving a bit untouched at the bottom.
Similarly peel the potatoes and make slits, skin the onions and make just one slit ( not 2 ).
5) Put the stuffing into the veggies on both sides - the leftover stuffing should be retained for later.

To cook there are various options - you can choose the one that suits you....
1) Put a couple of tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan, add a pinch of hing, then put in the veggies, cover and cook - keep turning them after a few minutes each side till it is done.
2) Steam the above veggies in a steamer, and when done, take a pan with a little oil, put a pinch of hing, and stir the cooked veggies to light coat with the oil.
3) Take a pressure cooker / pressure pan - put a tablespoon of oil with hing then add the veggies in and pressure cook the veggies - just one whistle is normally enough ...in case you are cooking larger quantities - you may need to keep it a bit longer.

After the veggies are almost done - you can put in the remaining stuffing mixture around the veggies in the pan and let it cook for few more minutes...this gives sort of finishes off the dish.
Serve garnished with some coriander.

Enjoy !!!

Capsicum & Tomato Rice

What's for lunch / dinner ? This refrain sometimes makes me throw up my hands...

Racking my brains and trying to come up with something different ( within my repertoire ) every time is not an easy feat...somehow when we were abroad our fare was more varied - it included pastas, some Mexican dishes, more soups and bread  & I find that somehow on our return our general lunch or dinner is chapatis, subzis, rice, dal, salad sort of thing....other than weekends when we would make other stuff...or even one pot dishes...sometimes it is a mix...of the regular and something new...but I feel I need to dig deeper and find some long lost recipes of mine...

So I am more than happy to come across new recipes which gives me more options to our regular fare...which does becomes boring after a while... :-( .....and gives me something new to answer to the above question...

I came across an old recipe book with a whole bunch of ways to make rice...it was like finding a treasure...it makes for a great light lunch or dinner with salad or raita or just curds or lassi...especially on a hot summer day...

So here goes the recipe for the capsicum & tomato rice....not sure why it was called Mexican rice in the book - maybe the combi of capsicum & tomato? anyways I did add a twist to the actual recipe by adding some tomato ketchup...this is to moisten the dish ( do not like if the rice is too dry ) and for added flavour...

Capsicum & Tomato Rice

Ingredients :

1 cup - long grain rice - or basmati
2 capsicums ( green or a mix of green & yellow ), chopped into strips
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 inch ginger, chopped
1-2 green chillies, chopped
salt to taste
1/2 tsp jeera
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 -1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2 Tblspns tomato ketchup

Method :

1) Soak rice for about 30 minutes - then cook it with about 1 and half cups of water and a pinch of salt till done...try to keep the rice grains separate and not mushy.

2) In a non-stick pan, heat a tsp of oil, add jeera, and when it splutters, add the chopped ginger and green chillies.

3) Fry for half a minute and then add chopped onions till it turns translucent, then add turmeric and chilli powder.
Then add chopped capsicums and fry till it softens a bit - for a couple of minutes.

4) Add chopped tomatoes and cook till it gets soft and mushy...and then add 2 tablespoons of tomato ketchup and stir it in.

5) Stir in the cooked rice gently, keeping the flame on low so as to not overcook any further...while seeing that all the grains are coated with the above capsicum, tomato mixture.
Switch off the heat...and garnish with a few sprigs of coriander leaves and serve.

Enjoy !!!

Manni .....Halwa from Karnataka



Manni

This is a sweet dish made predominantly in Karnataka...or rather it has come from there - now it is of course made the world over where all the Kannadigas reside..:-)

Each house has it's own version of the recipe....and there are quite a few that just like it the way it is made at their own or their mother's place...

The original recipe calls for rice, coconut or coconut milk and jaggery...along with cashews, raisins and cardamom...

My mom had modified the above to include a whole bunch of other things ...one to make it more healthy and second to utilize what is at home ( I think )....and we having gotten used to the way she makes it .... & do it the same way...
After making ( in huge quantities )  she used to pour it out onto plates and also 2 elliptical steel containers - so that once it had cooled we could cover with lid and take home...it made for convenient storage in the fridge and gave us our equal portions ( this is me and my sister - once we were married and had moved  out...)
So now I do the same....

So going back to the recipes given below are both ...

The first one is...

Ingredients :

1 cup rice - soaked for 2-3 hrs
1 cup coconut - grated
3/4 cup jaggery
1/4 cup cashews broken
1/4 cup raisins
2-3 pods of cardamom - crushed
2 tsps of ghee
a pinch of salt

Method:

Grind to a fine paste the soaked rice and coconut - then add jaggery, cashew, raisins and cardamom - along with about 5-6 cups of water....in a heavy bottomed pan.
Bring to a boil - then reduce heat and on low flame - keep stirring till it all comes together...Add the ghee, pinch of salt and stir till it is incorporated.
This entire process takes at least 30 - 45 minutes...
Once it is done - pour it onto a plate and cool - then refrigerate to harden - and cut into diamond or square shapes.

This is the simpler method - and the halwa is more light ....since it uses only rice...
Instead of coconut - some use coconut milk - in that case the rice is soaked and ground to a fine paste with a little water, then coconut milk is removed from 1 coconut - to get about 4 cups of coconut milk and it is mixed with the rice paste and jaggery and the process is the same as above.

At our place we used to make it with 1/2 rice and rava mixture...as below

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
1 cup rava ( sometimes 3/4 rava & 1/4 ragi )
2 cups coconuts grated ( some tender coconut was also added ) ( as I mentioned we would use what was available at home at the time of making )
1 cup of cream ( this was malai which was gathered from the milk and stored in the fridge for making of ghee )
1/4 + 1/2 cup cashew
1/4 cup raisins
8 - 10 cardamoms crushed
a pinch of saffron
1 and 1/2 cup of jaggery
1 tsp of roasted and then crushed fenugreek seeds.
1/4 tsp salt.

Method :

1) Soak rice for 2-3 hours. Then grind the rice along with the coconut & 1/4 cashew adding water as required till it is a fine paste.
2) Transfer to a heavy bottomed pan and add the cream of milk, 1/2 cup cashew chopped, raisins, jaggery, salt, fenugreek seeds powder.
3) Add about 8 cups of water in parts - first 4 cups of water and mix well and heat the pan on high flame till it comes to a boil stirring continuously...then reduce the flame and continue to mix.
(If during the grinding process a lot of water was used then you can reduce the above 8 cups to 6 )
4) After about 10 mins - add the balance water, cup at a time - and mix to incorporate - this is so that it can absorb it slowly and continue cooking.
Also add saffron and cardamom powder at this stage.
5) At this point you can do a taste test and adjust salt, sweet ( jaggery ) and even fenugreek seeds ......it should not be bitter - the fenugreek  just heightens the taste of coconut and jaggery.
6) The mixture should be stirred till it all starts coming together - then pour it onto big plates ( at least 2 ) or containers. Due to the cream - the plates needs no greasing...
7) Cool for about 1/2 hr - then refregirate and then cut into pieces and serve. You can decorate the top with either cashew or raisin.
Enjoy !!!

An Ode to Tea...Chai Masala ...&...Kashmiri Kahwa Chai

Anyone who is a fan of  tea will be able to tell you that it is not just a beverage...not something to fill in the gap between lunch or dinner...or just something to be had with toast ( or any other breakfast item )...

It is way more than that...it is something which perks you up, revives you, cheers you , awakens you.... it is something to gossip over with, it binds you with other tea lovers, it is something to discuss matters over...

Tea is one thing that can be a simple affair - just chai and biscuit...or an elaborate one with cakes, or muffins, or samosas, dhoklas or any other snacks...
It can be just a ready made chai in a cup...or more elaborately with a teapot, milk & sugar or lemon served separately...
It could be made with just tea leaves...or additional with masalas...like cardamom, cinnamom, cloves, ginger or mint, and quite a few others...

The permutations and commutations are countless...and I too like to have it in different ways at different times...the day has not begun for me till I have had my cup of tea...and the same goes for my evening...

I am generally quite fussy about the tea I have :-) .... love it made in a particular way...and on the other hand love to also try out the different varities of tea and with all the possible combinations of masalas....does that seem like a contradiction ?? it is but that is the way it is...my regular tea has to be with a certain specific quantity of water and milk - and after it had boiled I add either the tea bag or tea powder...let it steep for a couple of minutes and then pour it out...do not like the bag or leaves boiling in the concoction for too long ...do not like it too strong ( or bitter ).

Sometimes I add cardamom, or ginger or mint leaves or sometimes I add some chai masala which is a combination of a few spices as given below.

Ingredients for Chai Masala.

50 whole Cardamom
4 pieces of 1 inch Cinnamon stick
6 whole Cloves
1 tsp Ginger powder
1 tsp pepper powder

Method: ( for making chai masala & masala chai )
Put the above ingredients in dry mixer and grind. Store in an airtight bottle. A pinch of the above masala  is enough for one cup of tea.
Put the masala in 1/2 - 3/4 cup of water and keep it on the gas to boil.
After the water comes to a boil reduce the heat add tea leaves or tea bag.
Let it boil on low heat for a couple of minutes, then switch off the gas and let it steep.
Add milk & sugar if using at this stage ( milk should be hot ).
Pour it into your cup and enjoy !!!

Tea Estates in Sri Lanka

Recently on our trip to Sri Lanka we were exposed to variety of teas grown there...and many of the lighter varities to be had just plain ( i.e. without milk and sugar ) - or with just lemon...and some with added flavours like mint, cardamom, ginger...loved trying them all out.

Sri Lanka has quite a large tea growing area and it is the third largest producer of tea in the world...and the industry is one of the country's main sources of foreign exchange...

While on our trip we had an opportunity to visit a tea factory where we were shown around the entire processing unit and then explained about the different tea grades, this differs in the size of the tea leaves and process...some of the final products were thus graded

White Tea
OP- Orange Pekoe
BOP - Broken Orange Pekoe
BOPF - Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings
Dust -  powdered into dust

going from the lighter and more expensive variety to the more darker teas...
We did manage to bring back some of the different varities for us & our friends to try out.

Tip: One very important information which I got at one of the Herbal&Medicinal Farms out there was that they use a drop of vanilla in the tea to naturally sweeten the tea - this is esp. good for those suffering from diabetes and cannot have sugar...have tried it and it does improve the taste of tea, besides vanilla also has hordes of other health benefits.

Carrot Rice

My pressure cooker has been on the blink ....and before you ask...yes I have only the one....and next question why have I not rushed out to get another...am still trying to figure that one out...

Sometimes I feel I have some sort of inertia...am intent on following Newton's First Law of motion...and that means no movement until an external force is applied....wondering  what will be the stimulating factor for me...anyways I digress. 

So how do I manage? What happens to our rounded out meals of  chapatis, subzis, rice, dal and salads...well till now no dals have been cooked (since pc malfunction)  other than moong dal ( yellow split dal )....which being easy to cook in regular pan on stove top is first in line...and of course the standard khichdi - rice & moong dal ( again the same reason )...curd rice...etc... and at times have also borrowed some cooked tuvar dal ( have a source conveniently situated )...

But today I felt I needed to hunt out something new in rice dish.....otherwise our taste buds might languish in gastronomic purgatory...and had also wanted to make use of some carrots which would soon be meeting it's demise too....and so set out on a internet search for carrot, rice...and somehow in my mind ginger seemed to go with it...so added ginger to the list...

Actually did find quite a few options on the net...was totally surprised....what's with all of these recipes...did all of them also have their pressure cookers on the blink ?....
Not planning to look a gift horse in the mouth...I decided to adapt one of them to suit my ingredients...and so here's how I went about it...

Ingredients :

1 cup of rice
2 medium carrots, grated
1 small onion, chopped
1 green chilli, chopped ( could add more if you like it spicier)
pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 inch piece of ginger, grated or chopped fine
1 tblspn of roughly crushed roasted peanuts
1/2 tsp urad dal
salt to taste
2 tsp butter, 1 tsp olive oil or any other vegetable oil
1/8 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder


Method:
Wash and soak rice for about 20 minutes, then cook till done.
Heat a non-stick pan.  Add the butter and olive oil.
Then add mustart seeds, when it splutters, add urad dal
Add onions and fry till it turns translucent.
Then add the ginger and green chilli.
Then adding the crushed peanuts, give it a quick stir and then add carrots.
Add turmeric and chilli powder and salt...cover and let it cook for couple of minutes..till the carrots have softened.
Add the cooked rice and mix it all together gently -taking care not to crush the rice.
Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Add few coriander springs and serve.

Enjoy !!!