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Friday, December 17, 2010

Chocolate Ganache

This is really great way to decorate the cake with no effort and get praise from your family and friends. You can use this Ganache to make chocolate cover cookies, scones, pie and chocolate cover strawberries for cake decoration.

Ingredients
(1).8oz 70% dark chocolate (cut into pieces, I love Lindt Chocolate)
(2). 1.5 cup heavy cream
(3).4-5 spoon of sugar
(4).1 spoon butter/ spread for shiny texture

In a sauce pan take heavy cream and start melting it, once it starts boiling add dark chocolate pieces and whisk it well so that chocolate melt . Add little bit of sugar according to taste( you can avoid it if you like more bitter taste). And in last add butter or spread. And whisk it well and your Chocolate Ganache is ready.

Tips:- if you want your Ganache to fall through your cake then keep the Ganache little watery not very thick which use as soon as possible and use little more cream. If you want your Ganache on cake only you can make it thick by setting it side for few minutes before pouring on cake.
You can also use toblerone for Ganache. I made cake with first coating of dark chocolate Ganache and on a top sweet chocolate Ganache using Toblerone. Nice way to make professional looking cake for occassion like Valentines day, birthday parties etc.

Eggless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache and m&m topping
                                                     

Walnut,Cranberry ,Cheddar & Apple Salad

I had this salad at my work cafeteria and I loved it. I think it is really great to eat in any season but especially winter it is best as you feel like eating cheese.

Ingredients:-
  • one green apple diced into small pieces
  • one cup walnut
  • one packet spring mix
  • one cup cranberries(dried)
  • 1table spoon butter
  • half cup brown sugar
  • diced Cheddar cheese
  • croutons
In sauce pan melt butter and add brown sugar. After sugar melts completely add walnut in it so that they get nicely coated with this sauce. Now in salad bowl add spring mix, apple, cranberry, cheddar cheese cubes and walnut and mix all well.  Add some Croutons(garlic flavored) and start eating!!!!!!!!

Tip:- If you think the salad is too dry you can use Honey Mustard dressing. It will go very well with it. If you have apple cider just add teaspoon of apple cider in half cup honey mustard dressing.  It will enhance the flavor of dressing.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Palam Pori(Banana Fritter - केले के पकोरे)

Palam Pori is nothing but delicious banana bhaji or banana fritter. Once you eat one you cannot stop it eating it. I love this one , thank you Mom-in-Law for showing me such a mouth watering recipe!!!
 
To make this fritter/bhaji special type of banana is used  it is called Plantain.

Ingredients :-
(1). one big ripe plantain
(2). 1 cup dosa batter(or you can use pancake batter)
(3). half cup wheat flour
(4). 1 teaspoon turmeric
(5). 1 table spoon salt(according to taste)
(6). oil for frying

Recipe:-
First cut plantain in big slices. In dosa batter add wheat flour , turmeric , salt and mix it well. Now coat each banana with this batter and fry in the hot oil. After frying put fritter in  paper towels to soak extra oil .
Serve it with Hot tea or coffee. You can also eat just like that or with some chutney(coriander,tamarind).

Tips:-You can use maida(all purpose flour) instead of dosa batter for crispiness you just add little bit of rice flour.OR you can use wheat flour and for crispiness add little bit of rice flour.
If you like little more sweetness you can put little sugar in the batter and dip the plantains in it.

Plantains
  
बनाना पकोरा (Banana Fry)


Monday, November 8, 2010

Eggless Chocolate Cake(चोकलेट केक)

Everyone loves cake especially chocolate.  This is the recipe for Eggless cake so many people who are allergic to egg or are vegetarian can bake it and enjoy it.
Ingredients:-

(1). 13/4 cup of all purpose flour(maida)
(2).3 Table spoon of cocoa powder(I use Hershey's)
(3).2 teaspoon of baking powder
(4).2 teaspoon of vanilla essence
(5).14oz condensed milk(1 tin)
(6). 1 cup 2% milk
(7). 5-6 Tablespoon of sugar( I use this to make cake little more sweet)
  • You will need sieve to sifting flour.
  • two round shape 9 inch  grease cake pan ( you can use vegetable oil, butter etc to grease the pan)

Recipe:-
Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder using sieve , make sure there is no lump in one large bowl. I use newspaper so that  I can sift nicely without worrying about mess , then I transfer the sifted ingredients into one big bowl.

Add whole tin of Condensed milk  and  vanilla essence in it. Now mix sugar in the 2% milk  and add slowly into the bowl  and  add the sweetened milk until batter is pourable in consistency.

Preheat the oven for 400F, once the temperature is reached, pour the batter equally in two cake pans. And put in the oven for 20-25 minutes. You need  insert the toothpick or knife to make sure that the cake is cooked.
You can use one cake pan. Using two pan over one will make eggless cake little more soft and you can use layers to make more finished cake if you want such as black forest and death by chocolate cake(yummy both are my favorites!!)
Once the cake is baked take out from oven and let it cool for 10-12 minutes and then turn the cake pan upside down in plate so that whole cake sheet will come out.

Cut the cake into the pieces that you like and serve with little bit of whipped cream and little bit of chocolate syrup on it. Enjoy ;-). You can serve cake with some vanilla icecream on top.
 I feel like singing a song ,

 Pat a cake, Pat a cake, baker's man
Bake me a cake as fast as you can;
Pat it and prick it and mark it with a 'B',
And put it in the oven for Baby and me.
 







Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Chikoo Shake(चीकू शेक)

Chikoo(Sapodilla) is a  fruit, you find this during summer in India.  It is sweet in taste and it resembles to small yukon gold potato.

Ingredients:-
(1) One packet of Frozen Chikoo( You can get in the India store in frozen section)
(2). 2 1/2 cup 2% milk
(3). 7-8 Tbsp sugar(Sugar according to taste)
(4).one cup of ice cubes
(5).whipped cream for decoration
(6).cherry for decoration




Put Chikoo, milk and sugar in fruit/smoothie blender(hand blender is also fine) and blend it until there is no pieces of chikoo to be seen . Now add some ice cubes and blend it for 1-2 minutes. Adding ice will make shake more thick. Pour Shake in the cup, put some whipped cream on top and cherry on top.

You can serve this shake as dessert or as a welcome drink .  This is a really good shake for birthday party, kids will love it.




Thursday, October 28, 2010

Masala Chai(मसाला चाय)

As my first post in  my blog is about how to make masala chai. In India chai is very default drink after water to serve your guest with some snack. Beautiful thing about chai is that it will go with any kind of snack such as samosa,pakora, paratha, mixture, khakhara ,vada pav, dalvada, masala-puri etc even you can enjoy it by itself.I like my chai with water in milk. Some people, like my dad love their chai just made with milk.

Ingredients:-

(1). half cup milk
(2). half cup water
(3). 2-3 teaspoon of sugar(according to taste)
(4). 3 cloves
(5). 1 small cinnamon stick
(6). 4-5 cardamom seeds
(7). 1 teaspoon of shredded ginger
(8). 1-2 teaspoon of  black tea/chai(taj mahal, vaghbakari, lipton etc)

Take ingredients from 4 to 7 and grind it(mortar and pestle). Now heat the water in the sauce pan on stove and add the ground spices let it simmer for 1 or 2 minute . Now add chai in that water and stir it well, add sugar.Wait for water to boil, when water starts boiling reduce the stove flame, add milk and let it simmer for 1-2 minute. Stir in between. If chai starts boiling reduce the flame and simmer it another 1 minute. Before turning off the stove, bring chai to boil, you should see chai is coming to the surface of pan. 

In India the chai-walas stands on the corner of the street with their small carts, they simmer/boil  chai like 4-5 times before giving to their customers.The idea behind is simmering makes spices to get mix well with milk, it makes chai stronger in its taste.Also simmering allows spices to release its aroma which makes chai more tempting.

Pour brewed chai in mug using strainer. Now enjoy with some snack or just by itself.

Tips:- If people are diabetic, dont add sugar after adding chai. Add sweetner later in brewed chai. Same way instead of using regular sugar, one can use truvia or spleda.