Egg Fried Rice

 
An oriental rice preparation made with assorted vegetables and scrambled egg.
 Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes 
 Servings: 4
Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes
Category: Non Veg

Ingredients
• Eggs,whisked 2
• Rice,cooked 2 cups
• Spring onions with greens,finely chopped 2
• Oil 1 tablespoon
• Garlic 1 teaspoon
• Carrot,finely chopped 1 medium
• French beans,finely chopped 4-6
• Green capsicum,finely chopped 1 medium
• Soy sauce 2 teaspoons
• Salt to taste
• White pepper powder 1/4 teaspoon
• Vinegar 1 tablespoon
Method
Reserve some spring onion greens for garnish.
Heat oil in a wok, add garlic and spring onions and sauté for one minute.
Add carrot, French beans and capsicum and continue to sauté for another minute.
Add rice and cook on high heat for a minute or until the rice is heated through, tossing continuously.
Add soy sauce, salt and white pepper powder and mix gently. Transfer into the serving bowl.
In the same wok, pour the whisked eggs and lightly scramble.
Add the fried rice to this and mix. Mix in vinegar and serve hot, garnished with the reserved spring onion greens

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Black Forest Cake

he original name of this popular German dessert is Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte aka Black Forest cherry torte. It is known by different names in different parts of the world. In India, its popular as black forest pastry, in the US, as black forest and in the UK, as black forest gateau. The authentic black forest is a multiple chocolate layer cake which is soaked in Kirschwasser liqueur (a clear liqueur distilled from cherries) and covered with whipped cream and cherry filling.

In India most bakeries that offer black forest on the menu replace the Kirsch liqueur with tinned cherry syrup. The black forest cake that I have eaten and know of has 3 to 4 layers of chocolate cake, with whipped cream and maraschino cherries between each layer, topped with whipped cream and decorated with cherries and grated chocolate or chocolate shards. Family and friends rave about the black forest cake I make at home. Honestly, it is way better than the store bought cake. If you are planning on preparing sweet recipes for kids for a get together or birthday party, you should consider black forest cake..

 

Black Forest Cake Recipe

Prep time: 60 min

Cook time: 45 min

Yield: 8

Main Ingredients: flour cocoa powder cherries whipping cream

 

Ingredients

• Flour - 2 cups
• Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
• Cocoa powder - 3/4 cup, unsweetened
• Baking soda - 1 1/2 tsps
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - pinch
• Milk - 1 cup
• Vegetable oil - 1/2 cup
• Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
• Instant coffee powder - 1 1/2 tbsps
• Hot water - 1 cup
• Eggs - 2
• For layering:
• Whipping cream - 2 cups (I used Rich's)
• Tinned cherries - 1 tin
• Chocolate - 1/2 cup, grated or chocolate shards to decorate

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Centigrade. Grease and flour two 9" cake pans or three 6" cake pans. I used three 6" cake pans.
2. Add a tbsp of instant coffee powder to the hot water and keep aside.
3. In a large bowl, sieve the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the sugar and mix well with the dry ingredients.
4. Make a well in the center and add the milk, oil, vanilla essence and beaten eggs and mix. Finally add the hot coffee mixture and mix. Do not over mix.
5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pans and bake in the middle rack of the oven for 40 mts or until a skewer comes out clean. Start checking from 35 mts onwards.
6. Cool on a wire rack for 30 mts before inverting onto a wire rack. Bring to room temperature. If the cake has a dome shape, use a serrated knife and slice the dome off and level the cake till it has a flat top.
7. While the cake is cooling, prepare the whipping cream. Place a very large bowl and beaters in the freezer for 15 mts before beating the whipping cream..
8. Place ice cubes in a plate. Place the cold bowl on the ice cubes and pour two cups of whipping cream in the bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form, approx 5-6 mts. Place the whipped cream in the fridge till you start assembling the cake.
9. Open the tinned cherries and drain the liquid (cherry syrup). Measure 1 cup of syrup and add 3 tbsps powdered sugar and mix. This is to reduce the tartness of the cherry syrup.
10. Pit 1 cup of cherries, chop into small pieces and keep aside. Reserve 1/4 cup of whole cherries for decoration.
11. To assemble the cake:
12. On a turntable, place a cake board that has been lined with shiny silver or gold paper. Invert the cake and place it upside down on top of the cake base so that the cake has a flat top.
13. Drizzle 5 to 6 tbsps of cherry syrup or sugar syrup over the cake layer covering the entire cake. Do not drizzle too much syrup as the cake might get soggy,
14. Using a spatula spread a cup of whipped cream . Leave a gap of 1" along the edge of the cake. It should be a thick layer. Over the layer spread some of the chopped cherries.
15. Place another layer of inverted cake over the first layer and repeat the same process with cherry syrup, whipped cream and chopped cherries.
16. Finally place the inverted cake layer with the flat top and drizzle with cherry syrup all over and spread a thin layer of whipped cream on top and along the sides of the cake.
17. Use a cake comb along the sides and create a comb effect all around the cake. Place the cake in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 hours at this stage.
18. Place the remaining whipped cream in a piping bag with a star tip and place in fridge. At the time of serving, remove the cake from the fridge and pipe stars along the top edge of the cake and at the base of the cake as shown in the picture above.
19. Place a cherry on top of each piped out star and sprinkle grated chocolate. You can also place chocolate shards along the sides. You can decorate as your fancy.
20. Place the cake in the fridge for at least another hour and serve. If you are rushed for time, you can go ahead and serve the cake.

Tips

• The whipping cream makes 4 cups of whipped cream.
• Instead of cherry syrup, you can use sugar syrup. Mix 3/4 cup of powdered sugar to 1 1/2 cups of water and mix. Chill till use.
• 2 tbsp of rum can be added to the cherry syrup for a touch of alcohol. I have not added any rum to the above recipe.
• The flavor of the cake is best when the cake sits in the fridge for a minimum of 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
• Remove the whipping cream from freezer the earlier day and place in the fridge. The left over whipping cream can be frozen for a few more weeks. But do not store the cream that has been whipped. Use it as required for cake decoration and discard the left over whipped cream or use it to prepare another dessert.
• The left over cherry syrup can be stored in a clean plastic or glass container and kept in the freezer up to a few weeks. The left over cherries can be stored in a clean plastic or glass container and kept in the freezer. Discard the can and do not store the left overs in it.
• You can skip the step 17 above and complete the final cake decoration and refrigerate the cake for a few hours and serve.

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Cabbage Fry

Among the classic recipes of Andhra, Cabbage fry stands out for simple flavors and easy preparation. Veg Indian food at its best with minimal spices.

Ingredients

• 1 medium size cabbage
• Green chillies - 4 nos (slit vertically into 2)
• Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
• chana dal - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Green peas - 1/4 cup
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Salt to taste

Method

Step 1

Cut the cabbage into very small pieces.

Step 2

Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds. Once it stops spluttering, add urad dal, chana dal and green chillies.

Step 3

After the dal turns light brown, add chopped cabbage, green peas, turmeric pdr and salt and mix well.

Step 4

Sprinkle little water and cover the kadai with a lid.

Step 5

Cook on a medium flame for 10 to 15 minutes stirring in between.

Step 6

Remove from heat . Garnish with grated coconut.

Step 7

Serve hot with rice or rotis.

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Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori chicken is a popular South Asian (also very popular in UK) dish consisting of roasted chicken prepared with yogurt and spices. The name comes from the type of cylindrical clay oven, a tandoor, in which the dish is traditionally prepared.




Ingredients:

• Chicken leg pieces - 12 no ,  clean & skinned out
• Ginger garlic paste - 4 tsp
• Curd - As required for marinating
• Lemon juice - 2 tsp
• Chilli powder - Add as per spice
• Paprika powder - 1 tsp( Gives the red color naturally )
• Salt - As required
• Turmeric powder -  2 tsp  

Preparation:

1. 1. Take the skinned out chicken, add turmeric powder to it and soak for an hour .The turmeric removes the raw Smell from Chicken.
3. 2. Then Prick / slit the chicken legs with knife on both sides.
5. 3. After it is done, add ginger garlic paste, curd, lemon juice, chilli powder, paprika   powder and salt .
7. 4. Mix thoroughly and leave the marinated chicken for at least an hour or so.
9. 5. Then turn on the convection oven and put it in broil and set the temperature to 375F and preheat it.
11. 6. Arrange the chicken legs in the oven.
13. 7. Turn around all the sides allowing it to be cooked evenly so that all the fat and water from chicken trips down
15. 8. The cooking generally takes about 45 min to an hour  . After it is cooked well turn off .
17. 9. Now the tasty Spicy tandoori chicken is ready.
19. 10. Sprinkle little lemon juice and enjoy this with Cilantro chutney .

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Banana Bread

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup meshed banana
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup unsalted butter which is melted
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup milk

How to make banana chocolate cake:

1. In a large mixing bowl stir together all purpose flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
2. Take another bowl and mix together melted butter milk egg and meshed bananas.
3. Now add the banana mixture into the flour mixture until thoroughly blended.Be careful not to overmix.
4. Add the chocolate chips. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F to 175 degrees C.
5. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
6. Pour the batter into the pan and bake it for 32-35 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into it comes out clean.
7. When the cake gets baked take out the pan from the oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes.
8. This cake will have some melted chocolate but no crumbs.

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Gajar Halwa [Carrot Halwa]

An easy yet delicious sweet dish, perfect for all occasions and best served warm but can be had cold too.

Ingredients

• 1 kg carrots, chopped into small pieces
• ½ tin evaporated milk plus ½  cup milk
• ¼ cup milk with a few strands saffron dissolved in it for boiling the carrots
• ¾ cup sugar
• cardamom powder and some crushed almonds/pistas for garnishing
• 3 heaped tbsp. butter or ghee
• 1 tbsp. oil.

Instructions

1. Boil the carrot pieces in the quarter cup of milk and saffron for 10 minutes, then grind in a food processor.
2. Heat your pan and add the butter/ghee plus the oil, then add the crushed carrots and fry on medium heat for about 5minutes.
3. Lower the heat and fry the mixture until it starts getting dry and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. You have to keep on stirring.
4. When it's quite dry and has started releasing some of the oil, add the sugar and cardamom. Keep on stirring and cooking on low heat until the sugar dissolves. Then add the evaporated milk and the half cup of milk and cook for about 5 more minutes.

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Pongal Recipe

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup short grain rice (substitute with basmati)
• ½ cup split moong dal (mung beans)
• ½ teaspoon oil
• 4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or butter
• ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 6oz fresh ginger, peeled
• 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida
• 4 curry leaves
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 cups water
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons cashewnuts, lightly roasted in a few drops of oil or ghee

Method:

1. Rinse and drain the rice and dal and set aside.
2. You will need to use a large, deep pot or saucepan for this recipe. If you use a small pot, the milk will boil over and make a mess.
3. Heat oil and ghee in the pot . Add mustard seeds to oil & ghee. When they splutter, add cumin and peppercorns, and stir 30 seconds. Cut the peeled ginger into 2 or 3 chunks. Add ginger chunks, asafetida, and curry leaves to the oil and stir about 30 seconds or till the ginger and curry leaves are fragrant.
4. Add the rinsed rice and dal, and stir well. Pour in the milk, water and salt and bring to a boil. If the milk begins to froth and boil over, stir it till it settles down.
5. Once the milk boils, reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a lid and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally so that the milk doesn’t boil over and make a mess.
6. Pongal is done when the rice is very soft and creamy. Depending on the rice you are using, cooking times may vary. You may also need to use more water, depending the rice you are using.
7. If most the liquid gets absorbed, but the rice still isn’t cooked, just add more water and continue cooking till rice is soft.
8. Serve hot, topped with roasted cashews and sambar on the side.

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