Orange and Ginger Cake

Recipe Credits:

Tupperware Brochure


Ingredients:

Eggs - 4
Sugar - 1-1/2  cups
Refined flour - 2 cups
Salt - a pinch
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Ginger - 1 inch piece
Oranges - 2
Butter (melted) - 1 cup


Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and flour a loaf pan.

Separate the egg whites

In a bowl, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks with half of the sugar.

In another bowl, beat the egg yolks and the other half of the sugar until thick and pale in color.

Grate the zest of one orange.

Squeeze out the juice.

Slice the remaining orange into round slices for topping and keep aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, zest and baking powder together.

Fold the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture (it will have a sandy texture). Then, pour in the melted and cooled butter and the orange juice stirring gently until the butter is just incorporated into the mix.  Finally, carefully fold in the egg whites.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, top with orange slices and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the point of a knife comes out clean when inserted in the center.

Nutritive value:

Cholesterol - 96.5 kcal
Protein - 10.9 gm
Fat - 26 gm

Puzhi Nellikkaai (Amla Pickle)

Recipe Credits:
Mrs. Mallika Badrinath (Pickle Varieties)

Ingredients:

Big Nellikkaai (Amla/Gooseberry) - 1/2 kg
Tamarind - 1/4 kg
Salt - 1/2 cup
Chilli Powder - 3/4 cup
Fenugreek Powder - 25 gm
Mustard Powder - 25 gm
Garlic Pods - 4 or 5 (crush coarsely)
Gingelly Oil - 1/4 kg

For Tempering:

Mustard - 1 tsp
Fenugreek - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Clean tamarind and soak in hot water until just immersed.

Wash and wipe the gooseberries and allow to dry on a clean, dry towel.

Make small cuts/slits here and there on the gooseberries with the help of a knife.

In a heavy bottomed pan, pour half of the oil and heat.  When hot enough, add the gooseberries and close with a lid and cook on a low flame.

Turn them with a ladle now and then.

When the gooseberries are slightly soft, remove the lid and fry them for a few more minutes and switch off the flame.

Transfer the gooseberries alone to a plate.

Grind the tamarind to a thick paste along with salt and chilli powder.

Transfer the tamarind mixture to a dry, clean bowl and add mustard powder, fenugreek powder, crushed garlic, and the gooseberries and mix well.

Add the remaining oil in the same kadai and heat.  Splutter mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and asafoetida and pour on the mixed gooseberries to form the pickle.

When completely cool, transfer to a dry jar or bottle.



Notes:

This pickle stays good for at least 1 year if stored carefully.

Whenever using pickles, transfer a small quantity to another jar and use from out of this jar and also make sure to use clean, dry spoons to serve them.

Red Onion Chutney

Adapted From

Mrs. Mallika Badrinath (Tiffin Varieties)

Ingredients:

Onions - 2 (big)

Red Chillies - 12

Tamarind Extract - 1 tbsp

Rock Salt - 3/4 tsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp (for tampering)

Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Chop onions into bigger pieces (say 1 inch square pieces).

Soak red chillies in water for 10 to 15 minutes.

Squeeze out the chillies alone and grind them along with salt and sugar.

Add onions and tamarind extract and grind coarsely.

Heat oil and tamper the mustard seeds in it and pour on top of the chutney.

This chutney goes well with any tiffin variety, viz., idli, dosa, kozhukattais, paniyarams, adai, etc.  Store this in an airtight container in the fridge for a longer shelf life.

Pistachio Sponge Cake (Eggless)

Source:

Neha Divakar, HBG

Ingredients:

Milk - 100 mL
Vinegar - 1 tsp
Castor Sugar - 70 gm
Flour - 75 gm
Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp
Pistachios - 30 gm (powdered)
Oil - 4 tbsp
Milk - 1 to 2 tsp
Green Color/Pista Essence - 1 drop (optional)

Procedure:

1.  Mix 100 mL milk and vinegar in a bowl and keep aside for 10 minutes.  it would have curdled in 10 minutes.

2.  Preheat oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes.

3.  Grease the bottom and sides of a 6 inch round pan with oil and line the base with parchment paper.

4.  Sieve together flour, baking powder, and baking soda.

5.  Mix in the pistachio powder to the sifted flour.

6.  Add sugar to the milk-vinegar mixture and whisk well until the sugar dissolves.

7.  Add oil to this and whisk well.  Add the green color or the pista essence and mix.

8.  Fold in the dry ingredients (the flour mixture) into this.  Add 1 to 2 tsp milk if needed.

9.  Pour the cake batter into the lined baking tray and bake at 180 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

10.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.  Turn the cake tin upside down after running a knife around the edges to loosen from the tin onto a wire rack and allow to cool.  Serve or cling wrap and store in freezer until use.

Notes:

I made this pista cake and filled and frosted with mango mousse and whipping cream and mango jelly drip along with pista praline.

Bisibele Bhath

Adapted From

100 Rice Delights by Mallika Badhrinath

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup

Thuar Dhal - 1/2 cup

Tamarind - 1 big lime sized

Mixed Vegetables (chopped) - 1 cup

Green Peas - 1/4 cup

Small Onions - 1/2 cup (peeled)

Salt - 1 tbsp (or as per taste)

Ghee - 3 tbsp

Cashewnuts - 1 tbsp

For Masala Powder:

Red Chillies - 10

Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp

Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp

Urad Dhal - 1 tsp

Bengal Gram Dhal - 1 tsp

Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

Cloves - 2

Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp

Fry all the above ingredients in half a teaspoon of oil until light brown.  Powder them.

Method:

1.  Pressure cook peas and chopped vegetables in just enough water until 3/4th cooked.  I used brinjals, cabbage, drumstick, and carrots.  The original recipe calls for just potatoes instead.  Use vegetables of your choice.

2.   Wash and pressure cook dhal with rice in 6 cups of water for 10 minutes in medium flame until soft.

3.   Soak tamarind and extract thick juice from it.

4.  Heat oil in a kadai and fry the peeled onions for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the tamarind extract and bring to boil.  Cook until the raw flavor goes from it.

5.  Add salt, asafoetida, cooked peas and vegetables, and the powdered spices.

6.  Pour this to the cooked rice mixture as soon as it is removed from the pressure cooker.  Mix well to incorporate them all together.

7.  Heat ghee, fry the cashewnuts and garnish.  Add curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves if desired.

8.  Serve hot with chips or pappad or fried vadams or onion raitha.

Notes:

I used a big onion sliced lengthwise and fried until golden and crisp in hot oil.  I used these fried onions to garnish the bisibele bhath.  They gave a real flavor to the dish.

If desired, add a teaspoon of idli chilli powder to increase the spiciness of the rice.  This is purely optional.

Triple Chocolate Brownies

Recipe Credits

Mrs. Roshini Mathan

Ingredients:

Dark Chocolate (or Compound) - 185 gm

Butter - 150 gm

Powdered Brown Sugar - 275 gm

Eggs - 3

Flour - 85 gm

Cocoa Powder - 40 gm

Cashews/Almonds/Walnuts (chopped) - 1/2 cup

White Chocolate Chips - 50 gm

Milk Chocolate Chips - 50 gm

Baking Powder - 2 pinches

Baking Soda - 1 pinch

Salt - 1 pinch

Procedure:

1.  Double boil the butter and dark chocolate until the chocolate melts completely.  Allow to cool.

2.  Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C for 10 minutes.

3.  Grease a baking tin and line the base and sides with butter/parchment paper with extra hangover on the sides so that it can be pulled off easily after baking.

4.  Sieve together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

5.  Whisk together the eggs and brown sugar until creamy and fluffy.

6.  Pour the cooled chocolate mixture and gently fold it.

7.  Add the sifted flour little by little and fold gently until incorporated well.

8.  Lastly stir in the chopped nuts, white chocolate chips, and milk or dark chocolate chips.

9.  Pour the batter to the greased and lined baking tin and spread the batter into the corners and gently level it.

10.  Bake at 180 degrees C for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean (i.e. with some dried lumps).

11.  Remove and cool on a wire rack for 10 to 20 minutes.

 

12.  Pull out the hanging over butter paper for easy removal of the brownie from the tin.

13.  Cut into equal squares and allow to completely cool down.

14.  Store in containers until use.

15.  Soft, gooey triple chocolate brownies are best relished with homemade icecreams.  Slightly warm the brownie and serve icecream on top.  Serve immediately.

Notes:

I used an 8 inch square baking tin plus a 4 inch round tin to bake.  Acquired a thick brownie with soft base and crunchy top.  Got 9 pieces from the square tin and one small round brownie.

I used palm sugar 150 gm and 100 gm of powdered sugar as only these were available with me at the time of baking this recipe.  I was in a hurry to do it for a bake sale and just couldn't take pics of them.  Next time for sure.

Using baking powder, baking soda, and salt is optional.  The original recipe did not use them.

Cheesy Rings

Ingredients:

Bread - 16 slices

Onions - 2 (medium)

Capsicum - 1

Tomato - 1

Soy Chunks - 1/4 cup

Cheese - 100 gm

Pepper Powder - 1 tsp

Salt - As per taste

Tomato Ketchup/Sauce - 2 tbsp

Butter - 2 tbsp


Method:

1.  Cut each slice of bread into rounds using a lid or round cutter.  Thus, you will get 16 bread disks.  I used multigrain bread for this recipe.  You can use any bread of your choice.

Out of the 16 bread disks, keep aside 8 disks and cut a smaller circle in each of the remaining bread disks to form a ring.  So, 8 round bread disks and 8 bread rings are in hand with us now.  Keep aside.  Save the center smaller rounds of the rings for later use in another recipe.

2.  Finely chop onions, tomato, and capsicum.  Grate cheese.  Boil 1/2 cup water and add soya chunks and switch off flame and squeeze out the excess water.  Crumble the soft soya chunks coarsely.

3.  Mix together the chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped capsicum, crumbled soya chunks, half of the grated cheese, pepper powder, salt, 1 tbsp of tomato ketchup/sauce to form a filling mixture.  Keep aside.

You can add any other spices of your choice to satisfy your taste buds, viz., chilli flakes, italian mixed herbs, etc.

4.  Make an applying paste by mixing together butter, 1 tbsp tomato sauce, 2 tbsp grated cheese, and salt.

5.  To assemble, take a round base bread disk and apply the butter mixture evenly on one side.  Place a bread ring on the butter applied base.  In the center, place about a tbsp of filling mixture.  Spread some grated cheese all over the ring portion of the bread.  Assemble all the other slices of breads in the same manner.

6.  Preheat oven for 10 minutes at 200 degrees C.  Grease a baking tray with butter or oil and place the assembled cheesy rings on the tray and bake at 200 degrees C for 15 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese melts.

7.  Crispy baked cheesy bread rings are ready to be served.

You can assemble the cheesy rings and refrigerate them until the time they need to be baked and served hot for your family or your guests and friends.