Eggless Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

All purpose Flour - 2 cups

Baking Powder - 1 tsp

Baking soda - 1 tsp

Cinnamon powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp

Sugar - 1 cup

Yogurt - 1 cup

Brown sugar - 1/2 cup

Vanilla - 1 tsp

Carrots - 2 cups (finely shredded)

Walnuts 1/2 cup (chopped)

Salted Butter - 1 stick (4oz) melted

Flax seed powder - 2 TBSP mixed with 6 TBSP of warm water (let it soak for 10 min)

For the frosting:

Cream cheese - 8oz at room temperature
Butter - 2oz at room temperature
Vanilla - 1 tsp
Powdered sugar - 1 cup
Whisk cream cheese, butter and vanilla until smooth.  Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine All-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon powder and nutmeg powder in a  bowl and mix well.

In another large bowl, combine yogurt, brown sugar, sugar and vanilla.  Mix until sugar dissolves.

Add the flax seed mixture and mix well.  Now add the flour and mix thoroughly.

Add shredded carrots, walnuts and butter.  Mix well.

Take two 9 inch cake pans and butter the bottom.  Lightly coat the bottom with flour.

Divide the batter evenly into the 2 cake pans and smooth the top.

Bake it for 30 minutes.  

Once removed from the oven, let the cakes to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes.

Flip the cakes on to a fax paper and allow them to cool completely.

Place the cake face down on a platter and frost only the top of the cake.

Place the second cake face down over the first cake and frost top and sides evenly.

Garnish with chopped walnuts.

Enjoy!!!

Recipe source: Show me the curry

Ginger-Coriander Pickle / Inji-Kothamalli Thokku

Ingredients:

Fresh Coriander / Kothamalli - 2 Bunches
Peeled and Chopped Ginger - 1/2 cup
Green Chillies - 10 or to taste
Mustard Seeds - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Asafetida - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sesame Oil - 4 TBSP

Method:

1. Cut the roots of the coriander and keep the stems.  Wash it thoroughly.
2. Grind the coriander, ginger and green chillies with enough water to a smooth and thick paste.
3. Heat oil in a non-stick pan and splutter mustard seeds.
4. Pour the ground mixture and mix well.
5. Add the turmeric powder, asafetida and salt.  Mix thoroughly. 
6. Keep the flame on medium heat and keep stirring till the oil separates from the mixture.
7. Let it cool completely before storing. 

Health Mix / Sathu Maavu Mysore Pak

Ingredients:
Besan Flour / Kadalai Maavu - 1 cup

Nutrifirst Health Mix / Sathu Maavu - 1 cup (Available in Indian stores)
Milk - 1 cup
Ghee - 1 cup
Sugar - 3 cups

Method:
In a wide bottom pan, combine all the ingredients and heat through the mixture, stirring constantly until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan. It will take about 20 minutes.
Pour the mixture on a greased plate.  Wait for 2 -3 minutes and cut into desired shapes.

Variation:
Add 1 cup of powdered almonds instead of health mix for Badam Mysore Pak.

Ingredients in Health Mix / Sathu Maavu:
Jowar, Maize, Millet, Ragi, Rice, Sago, Samba Wheat, Soya Bean, Barley, Green Gram, Gram, Badam, Cardamom and Cashew Nut.

My 50th Post

Peanut and Moong Flour Murukku

Ingredients:

Rice Flour - 2 cups
Moong Flour - 1 cup
Peanuts - 1/2 cup
Red Chilli Powder - 2 TBSP or to taste
Butter - 2TBSP
Asafetida - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - for frying

Method:

1. Soak peanuts for an hour with enough water and grind it to a paste.
2. Combine the ground peanut paste with rice flour, moong flour, red chilli powder, salt, butter and asafetida with water to make a firm dough.
3. Heat oil in a pan and take a small amount of dough and place it in a murukku mold and press it in the oil (I used thenkuzhal achu for this).  
4. Fry until golden brown and drain. 
5. Store it in a air tight container. 

Eggless Pumpkin Spiced Muffins

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween

Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 1 2/3 cups
Baking powder - 1/4 tsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Ground Cinnamon - 1 tsp
Ground Nutmeg - 1 tsp
Ground Cloves - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Pumpkin Puree - 1 cup
Canola Oil - 1/2 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Flax seed powder - 2 TBSP mixed with 6 TBSP of water
3/4 cup walnuts (Optional)

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400C.
2. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and all the spices.  Mix well.
3. Add the sugar and mix thoroughly.
4. Now add the pumpkin puree, oil, water, flax seed powder mixed with water and the chopped nuts.  Mix well.
5. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners and spray with non stick cooking spray.
6. Fill the muffin cups evenly with the batter (about 2/3 full).
7. Bake it in the pre-heated oven for about 20-25 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted come out clean.

Broken Wheat / Godhumai Ravai Bisibelabhath

Ingredients:

Broken Wheat / Godhumai Ravai - 11/2 cups
Thoor Dal - 1/2 cup
Tamarind Paste - 2 tsp
Bisibelabhath Powder - 2 TBSP
Mixed Vegetables (fresh or frozen) - 2 cups~cut into small cubes ( I used frozen vegetables like Green pepper, Beans, Carrots, Cauliflower and Brocoli)
Onion - 1 diced
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Asafetida - a pinch
Salt - to taste
Water - 5 cups
Cashews - 5
Ghee - 1 TBSP
Oil - 2 tsp
Few currry leaves

Method:

1. Cook broken wheat and toor dal together with 5 cups of water in a pressue cooker for 3 whistles.
2. Heat oil in a large pan and add the mustard seeds. 
3. Add the diced onion and fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add the vegetables and cook till tender.
5. Add 2 cups of water and add the tamarind paste, turmeric powder, asafetida, salt and curry leaves.
6. Let it boil for 10 minutes.  Add the the bisibelabhath powder and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Now add the cooked broken wheat, dal mixture and combine well.  Cook for another 5 minutes.
8. In a small pan, roast the cashews in ghee.  Add it to the mixture.  Mix well.  Remove from heat.
9. Serve hot.

Quinoa - Sweet / Sarkari Pongal

Ingredients:
Quinoa - 1 cup
Jaggery - 1 cup
Ghee - 3 TBSP
Cashews and Raisins - 5 each
Cardamom Powder - 1/2 tsp
Water - 1 cup
Skim Milk - 1 cup

Method:
Cook quinoa with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of skim milk in a pressure cooker or on a stove top (Just like you cook rice).
Heat jaggery with 1/4 cup of water till it dissolves.  Strain the dissolved syrup to remove impurities.
Heat 2 TBSP ghee in a pan and add the jaggery syrup and let it thickens for five minutes.
Now add the cooked quinoa and stir on a medium flame.  Cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
Mix in the cardamom powder.  Fry cashews and raisins in 1 TBSP of ghee and add it to the pongal.
Serve hot.

Sending this to CWF event hosted by Priya.

Paneer ~ Green Pepper ~ Carrot Stuffed Paratha

Ingredients:

For the stuffing:
Crumbled Paneer - 1 cup
Chopped Green Pepper - 1/2 cup
Finely Chopped Onion - 1/2 cup
Finely Chopped Tomato - 1
Shredded Carrot - 1/2 cup
Finely Chopped Green Chillies - 3 or to taste
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Ginger Paste - 1 tsp
Dried Fenugreek leaves / Kasoori Methi / - 2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves and Fresh Coriander Leaves - Few
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp

For the dough:
Whole Wheat / Chapatti flour - 2 cups
Warm water - 1 cup
Salt - to taste

Method:
Combine all the ingredients in the dough list and make a soft dough.  You can add little oil if the dough is sticky.  Divide into 5 to 6 balls.  Cover and let it rest for 1/2 hour.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds.  Add the chopped onion and ginger paste and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add the green peppers and carrots and saute for 2 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, fenugreek leaves, curry leaves, turmeric powder, garam masala and chilli powder.  Fry till the tomatoes are soft.  Add the crumbled paneer and salt.  Mix well.  Cook for a minute.  Sprinkle with fresh coriander.  Remove from the heat and let it cool completely.

Making Parathas:

 Using a little flour, roll out the dough in to small disc.

 Place some paneer mixture on the center of the disc.

 Cover the paneer mixture by pulling the sides of the disc to the center.

 Roll out into large disc using flour to prevent from sticking.

 Cook on a hot tava / skillet until the brown spots appear.

Flip the paratha and apply little ghee or oil evenly.  Cook for 30 seconds.  Flip the paratha again and apply ghee or oil.  Press gently with a spatula.   Remove from the tava.

Serve hot with Yogurt and pickle.

Kasi Halwa

Ingredients:

White Pumpkin / Winter Squash / poosanikai - 2 cups (Peeled and shredded)
Sugar - 1 1/4 cups
Ghee - 4 TBSP
Cashew nuts - 5 (broken into halves)
Raisins - 10
Saffron - few strands (soaked in warm milk)

Method:

1. In wide bottomed pan, saute the grated white pumpkin (with the juice), till it becomes dry.
2. Add the sugar and keep stirring for 10 minutes or until the sugar dissolves and becomes a little thick.
3. Add the ghee, broken cashews and raisins.  No need to fry them.
4. Fry for another 10 minutes in a low flame.  Add the soaked saffron and mix well.
5. Continue stirring and cooking till the halwa leaves the sides of the pan.  Do not let the halwa become hard.
6. Remove from the fire.  Let it rest for 1/2 hour before serving.

Whole Moong Dal Curry

Ingredients:

Whole Moong Dal - 1 cup (soaked in water overnight)
Onion - 1 small (chopped)
Garlic - 1 clove (optional) chopped
Tomato - 1 medium (chopped)
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 2 tsp or to taste
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Fresh Coriander - 2 tsp

Method:

Cook the soaked moong dal in a pressure cooker or on a stove top with enough water till soft.  Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and let it brown.  Add the chopped onion and garlic and fry till the onion is translucent.  Add coriander powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder and fry for 1 minute.  Now add the chopped tomato and fry until soft.  Add the cooked moong dal and salt and mix well.  Add enough water if needed.  The curry should be little thick in consistency.  Cook for 8 to 10 minutes.  Sprinkle garam masala powder and give it a stir.  Garnish with fresh coriander.

Serve hot with chapatti or rice.

Sweet Potato VathaKuzhambu

Ingredients:

Sweet Potato - 1 cup (Peeled and cut into cubes)

Tamarind Pulp - 1 Cup ( Squeezed and extracted from a lemon sized tamarind)

Peanuts - 2 TBSP ( with or without skin)

Ajwain Seeds / Omam - 2 tsp

Sambar Powder - 2 TBSP

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Asafetida - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2 TBSP (preferably sesame oil)

Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Heat oil in a non-stick pan or kadai and splutter the mustard seeds.
2. Add the peanuts, ajwain seeds and curry leaves.  Fry till the nuts are roasted.
3. Add sweet potato, sambar powder, asafetida and turmeric powder and fry for 1 minute.
4. Now add the tamarind pulp and salt.  Let it boil for 15 minutes or until the vegetable is cooked.

If the sauce is too watery, add 1 tsp of rice flour in 2 Tbsp of water, mix well and add it to the sauce and bring it to boil.

Serve hot with rice and papad or appalam.

Baklava

Ingredients:

Phyllo dough - 1 pack
Chopped or ground nut mixture - 1 1/2 cups (I used pistachio, almonds and walnuts)
Ground cinnamon - 1/8 tsp
Ground cloves - 1/ tsp
Melted Butter - 2 cups

For the syrup:
Sugar - 1 cup
Honey - 3/4 cup
Lemon Juice from 1 lemon
Water - 1 cup

Method:
Thaw the phyllo dough according to the instruction on the package.
Put the nuts in the food processor and pulse it until coarse.
Mix in the ground cinnamon and glove and set it aside.
Brush a 8x8 baking dish with butter. 
Roll out the phillo dough and cut it to fit the tray.
Cover the dough with wet towel.  Wet towel should go on top of the plastic sheet.
Place one sheet at a time on the baking dish and brush with butter.  Place 10 sheets.
Cover the sheets with 2 to 3 TBSP of the nut mixture.

Top it of with another 5 layers of sheets, brushing each sheet with butter as you go along.
Sprinkle some more of the nut mixture.
One by one, place another 10 sheets.  Butter each sheet.
With a sharp knife, carefully cut the sheets into square or diamond shape.

Bake it in the preheated oven ( 350 degree) for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Meanwhile make the syrup by placing the sugar, honey and lemon juice in a sauce pan and bring it to a boil.
Simmer and let it cook for 10 minutes.
Once the baking is done, remove from the oven and pour the syrup slowly over the baklava.
Let it soak and cool completely for 4 to 5 hours before serving.

ENJOY!!!

Sending this to AWED-Turkey hosted by Saveur an event by DK

Spaghetti Squash and Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Fennel Seeds

Ingredients:

Spaghetti Squash - 1 cup (cooked)
Red Bell Pepper - 2
Tomato - 1 big (chopped)
Onion - 1 small (diced)
Garlic - 1 clove (optional)
Green Chillies - 2 or to taste
Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seeds - 1 TBSP
Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Splash of heavy cream (optional)

Method:  

How to cook Spaghetti Squash?

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Slice the Spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds.

Place the squash on the baking tray, cut sides up and bake it for an hour or until tender.

Baked Squash

Scrape the inside with a fork 

Preparing the soup:

1. Roast the red bell pepper in the oven or directly on the stove top until it turns black in color.
2. Let it cool completely and scrap the skin off.  Chop and keep it aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan and fry the onion, garlic, cumin seeds, black pepper, ginger and fennel seeds until the onion is soft.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook until soft.  Let it cool.
5. In a blender, grind the onion, tomato mixture along with roasted red bell pepper and the spaghetti squash with enough water to a smooth consistency.  
6. Transfer it to a large pot.  If needed, add more water.  Add salt and heavy cream.  Bring to a boil. 
7. Serve hot.

Note:

Add cooked squash in to your soup for a noodle soup.

Nutrition and health benefits in Spaghetti squash.

Sending this to Priya's CWS event.

Honey Roasted Almonds

Ingredients:

Almonds - 2 cups
Sugar - 1/4 cup (Raw/turbinado or regular) I used raw sugar
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Canola oil - 2 tsp
Honey - 2 TBSP
Water - 2 TBSP

Method:

1. Spread the almonds in a non stick baking tray and bake it in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until well toasted.  Keep it aside.
2. Mix sugar and salt throughly. 
3. In a sauce pan mix in the oil, honey and water and bring it to boil.   
4. Add the toasted almonds and mix throughly to coat.  Stir and cook until all the liquid is absorbed.
5. Add the sugar and salt mix to the almonds and mix until they are evenly coated.  About 5 minutes.
6. Spread the almonds in a parchment paper.  Let it cool completely.
7. Store it in a air-tight container.

Paruppu Podi / Spiced Lentil Powder

Ingredients:

Toor dal - 1 cup
Horse Gram dal  / Kollu / Ulavu / Kulthi - 1/2 cup
Roasted Chana dal (chutney dal) / Dalia - 1/2 cup
Whole Black Pepper - 2 tsp
Red chillies - 10 or to taste
Ajwain / Omam  - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 10
Salt - to taste

Method:

Dry roast all the ingredients except roasted channa dal and salt, until they turn to golden brown.  Just before you take it out, add the roasted channa dal and roast it for a minute.  Let it cool completely.  Grind the cooled ingredients with salt to a fine powder.  Store in a airtight container.

Serving suggestion:  Mix it with hot rice along with dash of ghee or sesame oil.