Banana Dates Cake

Its been a longtime since I baked any cake with banana. So today making this banana cake with a variation of adding dates...As usual dates were able to provide the sweetness..but the dates flavour was slightly overridden by banana flavour.. The smell of banana cake is heavenly...Walnuts goes very well with banana cakes... So here I am presenting my banana-dates cake which undoubtedly can be baked again for any occasion...

INGREDIENTS:
MAKES ABOUT: 8 pieces
1 big Over-ripe mashed Banana (1/2 cup after mashing)
10-12 Dates (soak in warm milk for 15 minutes and grind to smooth paste)
1/2 cup Milk (Use to grind dates)
3 tablespoons Curd
1/4 cup Sugar
1/4 cup Olive oil
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1/2 cup All purpose flour
1/2 cup Wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda

2 tablespoons Walnuts (chopped)

PROCEDURE:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F for 10 mins.
2. Dry ingredients mixture:
Sieve together flours, baking powder, and soda.
3. Wet ingredients mixture:
Mash the bananas; Add dates paste, curd, oil, sugar and vanilla extract. Beat well till everything is mixed.
4. Pour dry ingredients mixture slowly to wet ingredients mixture and give it a mix.
5. Grease a baking loaf pan with oil and line it with parchment paper. Spread the chopped walnuts. Pour the prepared batter in the pan. Tap the pan gently once or twice to remove any big air bubbles.
6. Bake for 40 minutes or the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let it cool down for 10 minutes and then invert the cake over an wire rack.

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake

I always wondered why people add lot more sweet to vegetables; pull out all the natural flavour to make it a sweet dish.. for example zucchini cake.. I haven't got the mood to try it yet..Then I came across this recipe.. Sweet potatoes are sweeter side.. So this should be good to try... The cake came out good and tastes good too... but was a little lesser on the sweeter side... I don't remember any sweet potato flavour in the cake..It was just a variation to the chocolate cake...

INGREDIENTS:
Makes about: 8 pieces
3/4 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Curd
1/2 cup Oil
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/2 cup Sweet potato (Boiled and mashed)

1 1/2 cup All purpose flour
1/2 cup Cocoa powder
2 tablespoons Corn flour
1 teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt

PROCEDURE:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Dry ingredients mixture:
Sieve together flour, cocoa powder, corn flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.
3. Wet ingredients mixture:
In a bowl whisk sugar, curd, oil and mashed sweet potato together till well blended. Add Vanilla extract.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in batches and stir.
5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared tin and bake it for 30 minutes. A skewer inserted in the middle of the cake will come out clean.
6. Let it cool down completely before slicing.

NOTES:
1. The original recipe is here - Priya's Versatile Recipes
2. Stir in chocolate chips or chopped chocolates for more chocolaty taste.

Strawberry(Jam) Cake

I always wanted to make one pink cake, what flavor would be a better match for pink colour?!! Yes..it is strawberry. So now that I have made jam, why not using the freshness of real strawberries and make a pink cake. The natural colour of strawberries will be blanched when added with flour. So I purposely added few drops of pink colour. So here is my long awaited pink cake..

INGREDIENTS:
Makes about:8 pieces
1/2 cup Strawberry Jam
2 tablespoons Sugar
1/4 cup Oil
1/2 cup Curd

1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

4 drops of pink food colour

PROCEDURE:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F for 10 mins.
2. Dry ingredients mixture:
Sieve together the flour, baking soda and baking powder.
3. Wet ingredients mixture:
Mix well Strawberry jam,curd,oil, and sugar.
4. Pour dry ingredients mixture slowly to wet ingredients mixture and give
it a mix.
5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared tin and bake it for 40 minutes. A skewer inserted in the middle of the cake will come out clean.6. Let it cool down completely before slicing.

NOTE:
1. The natural strawberries could not give much flavour to the cake.. Add the artificial essence to enhance the flavour.

Strawberry Jam

I had loads of strawberries this time in the refrigerator. They will get spoiled soon if kept for long. So got the idea of making jam which kids would like to eat with idli, dosa and chapatis.. Yeah.. It came out too good, even guests to our house liked it when served with dosas.. The bright pinkish red colour is eye catching.. And taste is yummy too...So simple to make, when you make up your mind to stand in front of stove for about half an hour..

INGREDIENTS:
Makes about:25oz
4 cups Strawberry juice (grind using mixer)
2 cups Sugar
1 tablespoon Lemon juice

PROCEDURE:
1. Using a mixer, grind strawberries into fine paste without adding water until you have 4 cups.
2. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over medium high heat until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Lower heat to medium, bring to boil, stirring often, until the mixture starts thickening..for about 30 minutes..
4. Refrigerate next day and use upto 3 months.

Wheat flour Laddos

What would be an easier dessert for me to make for the guests who are going to visit for dinner today?! Think !!! moong daal laddoo.. Yes.. it is definitely delicious and quick.. But I have already made it several time.. This time I want something easy but different... My friend T had told me wheat flour laddoos taste good... I just rolled my eyes and started thinking...The traditional sweet which my mom, aunts make "Gulpate/ Gul pavate" is a sweet dish made with wheat flour.. So definitely wheat flour should taste good with sugar and ghee...

The results were amazing... these laddoos are no way less tastier than moong daal ones... Cheers!! Added to favourites ;)

INGREDIENTS:
Makes about:15
1 cup Wheat flour
1/2 cup Sugar (heaped)
1/2 cup Ghee
4 Cardamom
12 Cashews
Few Raisins

PROCEDURE:
1. Dry roast the wheat flour in medium flame until it turns golden brown in colour. Ensure to fry well, to avoid raw taste and flavour. Turn off the heat and let it cool down
2. Finely powder sugar in the mixer along with cardamom.
3. Melt the ghee in the same pan and fry the cashews broken into tiny pieces. I like adding few raisins as well.
4. In a mixing bowl, take the flour, powdered items and pour the melted ghee with cashews to it. Mix well with a spatula.
5. If its hot, let it wait until you are able to handle the heat and start making laddos. Grease your hands, make equal sized balls.

NOTES:
1. The original recipe is here. - Rakskitchen

Dates chocolate cake

Dates are an obvious choice for a lot of sweet preparations. But when I used dates in any dish, I feel it has a little vagaru taste or mildly astringent (cross between sweet and bitter taste) unlike other sweet fruits.. So this time I wanted a combination of chocolate and dates...Though dates taste was slightly overpowered by chocolate, this cake came out too good as expected...

INGREDIENTS:
Makes about: 8 pieces
1/2 cup pitted Dates(About 15-18 soaked in water for 2-3 hours or overnight)
1/4 cup Water used for soaking dates (or microwave for few seconds get dates soften)
1/2 cup Milk (use for grinding dates to smooth paste)

1/4 cup melted Butter
1/2 cup Sugar

1 cup minus 2 tbsp AP Flour
2 tablespoon Cocoa powder
1 teaspoon Baking powder.
3/4 teaspoon Baking soda.

PROCEDURE:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Dry ingredients mixture:
Sieve together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder together.
3. Wet ingredients mixture:
In a bowl whisk butter, sugar and add dates paste together till well blended.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in batches and stir. Batter comes out very thick.
5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared tin and bake it for 20 minutes. Lower to 160 degree celcius and bake for another 10 minutes. A skewer inserted in the middle of the cake will come out clean.
6. Let it cool down completely before slicing.

NOTES:
1. The original recipe is here - jyotibabel.com

Ellu Bella

If the dish is this easy and simple to make it, why I didn't bother to try it in past 6 years for the Sankranthi festival??
If I ask this question to myself... Sun drying is a task... if the weather is gloomy or rainy, coconut, jaggery needs to be heated in a medium flame... But when you give it a proper attention and make it right, you just cant resist finishing your bowl of ellu bella...

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup Jaggery (achchu bella)
1 cup Dry Coconut
1 cup Peanuts
3/4 cup Hurigadle/Putani
1/2 cup Sesame Seeds
1/4 cup Jeerige peppermint (Sugar coated Saunf)

PROCEDURE:
1. Sun dry jaggery and coconut pieces. If weather is not suitable, you can leave it on a warm pan. Take care not to melt jaggery.
2. Grate the outer brown skin off until copra is white on the whole. Cut dry coconut into small pieces.
3. Cut jaggery into small pieces.
4. Leave jaggery and dry coconut pieces on a warm pan again
5. Roast peanuts and de-skin them. Break peanuts into halves.
6. Pick and clean hurigadle. Dry roast for a while.
7. Pick and clean sesame seeds too. Fry on low flame till they are fragrant.
8. Mix all these ingredients and your ellu bella is ready to eat.

Potato Sagu / Bombay Sagu

I love the simplicity of this side dish which is a great match to Pooris... I used to have it very often in office canteen...The minimal ingredients but rich taste makes me cook it now and then for guests or for daily meals...Have you tried eating palak pooris with this?!!! Mouth watering combination of green pooris and yellow saagu is a feast to eyes as well :)

INGREDIENTS:
Serves:3-4
To temper
1 tablespoon Oil
1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds
1 teaspoon Urad dal
1 teaspoon Chana dal
Few Curry leaves
1 Red chilli, broken to pieces
3-5 Green chillies
small piece Ginger (finely chopped)
2 medium Onions (sliced)
2 fistful Green peas (partially cooked)
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder

3 medium Potato (Boiled and mashed)

1 tablespoon Gram flour / Besan
Salt ,lemon & water - as needed
Coriander leaves to garnish

PROCEDURE:
1. Pressure cook potatoes for 3 whistles till they are cooked .Once they are cool , remove skin, mash and keep aside . You need not mash to paste . A few chunks here and there is fine .
2. In a heavy bottom pan, add the ingredients in the same sequence as listed under 'To temper' giving a continuous stir. Add water and bring to boil before adding potatoes.
3. Meanwhile dilute besan in 1/4 cup water such that there are no lumps .Set aside.
4. When water starts boiling add mashed potatoes and salt . Mix well. Cover and cook for 2-3 mins so that potatoes takes in flavor .
5. Finally add besan diluted in water. Mix well. Keep the flame on sim. Bring to boil. You will see that the gravy will thicken and attain a nice consistency. If required add some more water .
6. Switch off. Squeeze lime and garnish with chopped coriander leaves .

NOTES:
1. The original recipe is here. - Cookwithsmile

Nutella Brownies

We were about to leave for a long 'death valley' trip and I didn't have energy to make snacks and pack for the journey... I just had come across this recipe which uses very basic and less ingredients.. So gave it a try... I have never made a simpler cake than this... To my surprise it tasted too good... and even my friends T&A appreciated its taste...Whenever kids cry "I want chocolate cake", this should be ready in 30 mins with no hassle on the kitchen platform...:)

INGREDIENTS:

Makes about: 8 pieces
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Curd
2 tablespoons Oil
2 tablespoons Nutella

1 cup All purpose flour
2 tablespoons Cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
Pinch of Salt

PROCEDURE:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Dry ingredients mixture:
Sieve together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together.
3. Wet ingredients mixture:
In a bowl whisk sugar, curd, oil and nutella together till well blended.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in batches and stir.
5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared tin and bake it for 25 minutes. A skewer inserted in the middle of the brownie will come out clean.
6. Let it cool down completely before slicing.

NOTES:
1. The original recipe is here -4thsensecooking

Brownies with Wheat Flour

It is new year day,!!!
Last year I had ordered a plum cake from the bakery to celebrate the joy of cutting and eating it...This year I can make one in home by myself...

I was wondering this cake may not taste good as it is completely made of wheat flour... I was wrong... Though cake was little dry and slices didn't come clean, this tastes good.. full of chocolaty flavour... We ended up finishing it on the same day...not bad..uhhh..

Healthy start of new year- Vegan brownies
INGREDIENTS:
Makes about: 8 pieces
1/2 cup Mashed banana (big ripe one)
1 cup Brown Sugar (packed)
1/4 cup Olive oil
2 teaspoons Vinegar
3/4 cup Water

1 cup Wheat flour
1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa powder
2 teaspoons Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 cup Chocolate chips

PROCEDURE:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F
2. Dry ingredients mixture:
Sieve together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together.
3. Wet ingredients mixture:
In a bowl whisk brown sugar, mashed banana, oil, water and vinegar together till well blended.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in batches and stir. Stir in the chocochips.
5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared tin and bake it for 25 minutes. A skewer inserted in the middle of the brownie will come out clean.
6. Let it cool down completely before slicing.

NOTES:
1. The original recipe is here -lovefoodeat

Horsegram Chutney Pudi

Horsegram is not a famous legume used in dishes at my home. It is believed to generate much heat in the body when consumed and also is difficult to clean compared to other legumes. I bought a big packet of Horsegram after reading the numerous health benefits of Horse gram. I made rasam, sundal, idli, dosas etc...Today making this chutney powder.

This is good to eat with rice,dosa or chapatis...with ghee it wont be felt so dry.


INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon Oil
1 cup Horsegram (cleaned)
6 tablespoons Sesame seeds
4 tablespoons Chana dal

12-14 small size Red chilies (Byadagi)
Gooseberry size Tamarind pulp (deseeded)

1/2 teaspoon Hing
Few curry leaves
1-2 Garlic flakes
1 teaspoon Salt

PROCEDURE:
1. Roast all the ingredients with few drops of oil (except salt).
2. When everything comes to room temperature, grind to powder along with salt.
3. Store in an airtight container. Serve with hot rice and ghee.

NOTES:
1. The original recipe is here. - sharmispassions
2. Horsegram needs to be cleaned first. It almost always has some small stones and sand particles. Take half a cup of lentils and spread it on a plate, slowly look for stones and remove them. Wash thoroughly 2-3 times in running water.

Maida Burfi

I like to make sweets which uses minimal ingredients and can be made previous days for the occasion...I have tried this recipe long back and failed... the key factor to success is in one string consistency of sugar... if that is right... according to me, whatever you add...should come out like burfis...;)

Ummm...Chocolate burfi... taste of chocolate and Ghee.. combination impresses any one:)

INGREDIENTS:
Makes about:25
1/2 cup Ghee
1 cup Maida

1 cup Water
2 cups Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla essence
Food colour of your choice (optional)

PROCEDURE:
1. Keep ready a tray well greased.
2. Heat ghee in a pan until hot. When you add a pinch of flour, it should get fried immediately. Add the flour and fry briskly. May be for a minute to get rid of raw smell. Switch off the flame. The flour should be mixed well with the ghee.
3. In a heavy bottomed pan, add sugar and water. Boil until one string consistency.
4. Switch off the flame, add the fried maida. Mix well to a smooth paste. Add the vanilla essence. Keep stirring for 5 minutes.
5. Pour in a greased plate. Let it set for a while and then cut into desired shape with a knife. Invert and tap gently over another tray to get the pieces separately.

NOTES:
1. The original recipe is here - Rakskitchen
2. It is very important to get one string consistency. Double ensure that it has reached one string consistency. (If you check by swiping the back of the ladle with your fore finger and check in between thumb and forefinger, a string will from).
3. If your sugar syrup is past one string consistency, the mixture gets thick fast, so the time depends on the syrup consistency. If syrup has not reached one string consistency then it will never get thick.
4. Here I mixed 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder with maida to get chocolate burfi.

Sabudana Khichdi

Roasting peanuts, removing skin and grinding to powder is a big task early morning... My friend A had suggested me to do it and store in a large quantity which can also be used  while making vegetable dry curries (palya)....

Just after my first attempt, this has become our weekly breakfast...This requires no more effort than our regular Upma.. I use vegetable cutter for cutting potatoes...

When you balance the taste with handful of green chillies and lemon juice... the joy of chewing and eating it is so fulfilling... This is even a perfect evening snack for guests...

INGREDIENTS:
Serves:2-3
To temper:
2 tablespoons Ghee/Oil
1/4 teaspoon Mustard
1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida
2 strings Curry leaves
3-4 Green chillies

1 inch Ginger (grated)
1 medium Potato (cut into very small pieces)
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt

1 1/2 cup Sabudana (soaked overnight)

1-2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
2 tablespoons Cilantro (chopped)
1/4 cup and more Roasted Groundnut powder

PROCEDURE:
1. Immerse Sabudana in enough water overnight. Do not put in more water, Sabudana will turn gooey.
2. Cut Potato into very small pieces.
3. In a pan add the ingredients in the same sequence as listed under 'To temper' giving a continuous stir.
4. When potatoes are cooked add sabudana and stir till it turns transparent. Add the ground peanut powder and stir in medium high flame.

NOTES:
1. Save the roasted peanut powder in an air tight container to use next time.