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Tuesday 29 January 2013

Chocolate - Strawberry Cake


Preparation time: 1 hour
Baking time: 45 minutes
Serves 7 to 8

Ingredients:
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup + 1 tbsp all purpose flour or maida
  • ½ cup castor sugar
  • ½ cup Demerara sugar(brown)
  • ½ cup softened unsalted butter
  • ½ cup dark unsweetened chocolate broken into pieces
  • 2 tbsp brewed coffee
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 tbsp tutty-fruity
For icing the cake
  • 1 cup ready-made vanilla icing
  • 1 packet fresh strawberries
  • 3 tbsp dark chocolate flakes or grated


Grease and flour a round 8” baking tin. Preheat the oven a 180 degree Celsius.

Melt chocolate along with coffee over double boiler (Boil water in a wide pan, place chocolate and coffee in a smaller vessel and keep it in the boiling water, stirring, till chocolate melts). Let it cool to room temperature.

Beat butter to a smooth paste in a mixing bowl. Beat both the sugars into the butter in 3-4 portions till sugar is incorporated well. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together.



Fold the chocolate into butter-sugar mixture. Now beat 1/4th of the sifted flour into the mixture. Beat for 2-3 minutes. Now add one egg and beat again for 2 minutes. Repeat this process starting and ending with flour until all eggs and flour are incorporated into the mixture.

Now beat in the vanilla essence. Fold in the walnuts and tutty-fruity, leaving a few to sprinkle on top.



Pour the mixture into the baking tin and sprinkle the rest of the nuts on the top. Bake at 180 degree Celsius for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.





Remove the cake from the mould and let it cool down. Meanwhile, chop 4-5 strawberries finely and rest into slices. Also prepare the icing as per instructions. Mine just needed to be whipped with little milk to make it easy to spread. You can also prepare icing at home with heavy cream, castor sugar and vanilla essence. The trick is to stop beating at the right point, right before it curdles.

Now carefully slice the cake into two layers. If the cake will be warm it will fall apart so let it cool down. Mix the chopped strawberries into 3 tbsp of icing and spread it on the lower layer. You can even sprinkle 2-3 tbsps of orange juice on the lower layer to make it more moist. Place the top layer carefully on top. Now spread rest of the icing on top and sides. No part of the cake should be visible. Take help of a spread knife for this purpose.


Now cover the top with grated chocolate. 



Garnish the top with sliced strawberries in any manner.







Enjoy!!!

Friday 18 January 2013

Kadai Paneer

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Serves 4 to 5

Ingredients:

  • Cottage cheese made from 1 litre milk approx. 200 gms diced
  • 2 large green bell peppers chopped into 1 inch slices
  • 4 ripe tomatoes chopped finely
  • 1 tsp ginger minced
  • 1 tsp garlic minced
  • 3 dried red chilies
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds
  • salt as per taste
  • 2-3 green chilies chopped finely
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 tsp kasuri methi powder
  • 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves 
  • Onion rings from 1 onion
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter



Heat the oil and butter in a wok and add the ginger-garlic mince. Fry it for like half a minute and add the tomatoes. Meanwhile pound the coriander seeds and the red chilies together to make a coarse powder. You can even use a grinder for this purpose. To make the pounding easier you can dry roast the seeds and chilies first.

Cook the tomatoes for 2-3 minutes and add the pounded powder. Mix well, add the green chilies and cook till the mixture comes together and oil separates. Now add the bell peppers. Let them cook for another 10 minutes. Add the salt and garam masala. Cook for another minute and add the cheese.

Mix well and cook it for another 4-5 minutes. Lastly sprinkle the kasuri methi and stir.



Garnish with coriander leaves and onion rings. Serve hot with rotis or paranthas. Enjoy!!!