Saju's Tastes.......: 2012

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Coconut Cake with Easy Chocolate Icing - New Year Special !!

The coconut is so subtle which lends a lovely hand to the moist sponge cake in this recipe! Super simple to put together in the last minute! Along with a chocolate icing which i never tried before...Very easy that anyone can prepare...The taste would make you tempting to want more...!!! Have a wonderful New Year's Eve with this mouth melting sweetness..

Wishing all my readers a delicious year ahead...

Welcome 2013...!!!

Ingredients (cake)

1.All Purpose Flour (Maida)-1 cup
2.Powdered sugar-3/4 cup (grinded sugar)
3.Eggs-3
4.Butter- 50 gm
5.Baking powder- 2 tsp
6.Coconut (desiccated)-1/2 cup
7.Milk-3 tbsp
8.Oil/ghee/butter-1/2 cup
9.Cinnamon powder-2 pinch (optional)

Ingredients (icing)

10.Butter-60 gms
11.Cocoa powder- 1tbsp
12.Powdered sugar- 3/4 cup
13.Milk-1 tbsp
14.Vanilla essence-1/2 tsp
15.Hot water- 3 tbsp

Preparation (cake)

~Melt butter in a saucepan along with sugar. (keep stirring)
~Remove from flame & add the oil.

~Beat 1 egg at a time into this batter.
~Combine flour & baking powder (self raising flour) in a bowl with spoon.

~Add this flour little by little to the batter & whisk properly without any lumps.
~Lightly toast coconut in a fry pan with little ghee for 2-3 mins. (optional..for extra flavor)
~Add the coconut along with milk, vanilla essence, cinnamon powder to the batter & mix well until a soft dropping consistency.
~Keep this batter aside for half an hour.

~Spread aluminium foil inside the vessel (optional) & spread ghee inside the foil.
~Pour the batter inside the vessel.
~Keep a steel/aluminium lid inside the pressure cooker & place the vessel with batter inside the cooker.
~Close the cooker without the weight.
~Pressure cook the cake for 20 mins in low flame.
~Or bake in an oven.

~Let the cake cool in the vessel for 5 mins.
~Then pull the aluminum foil with the cake outside..& cool the cake.

Preparation (icing)

~When the cake is cooling, lets prepare the icing.
~Melt butter & sugar in a saucepan.
~Add the rest of the ingredients & mix well.

~Remove from flame & spread over the cake.

Yummyyy spongyy coconut cake with the touch of chocolate...

We really enjoyed it !!!

Linking to : Foodabulous Fest Event organised by Preeti’s Kitchen Life

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Kerala Fish Stew/ Fish Molee (Meen Moilee / Molly)

Fish molee is a typical Syrian Christian delicacy which is really dear to our Kerala Christians...A traditional common breakfast/ dinner during Christmas..Usually along with pancakes (appams) or bread , rice breads (Pathiri) or steamed rice cakes (puttu) ...

The name 'molee' is derived from the Spanish word "mole" which means stew.....The stew derives its characteristic taste from the freshness of the fish, the coconut milk and the black pepper.... Compromise on one and it becomes just an imitation of a normal fish curry...

The curry has its enhanced taste by stewing fish in coconut milk infused with fresh ginger, garlic, freshly grinded peppercorns and other delicate flavors along with a lot more of green chilly.....

As a variation, some do fry the fish a bit so that it doesn’t break up in the cooking process, which does give a crispy flavor....Its really light and simple....Give it a try this Christmas night..!!

Ingredients

1.Fresh Fish-1/2 kg

2.Onion-2 (medium sized..sliced)

3.Ginger-1 tbsp (thin slices)

4.Garlic-1 tbsp (thin slices)

5.Green Chilly-6 or more(slit & cut into halves)

6.Coconut Milk- 2 cups / 1 3/4 cup

7.Tomato-2 (medium sized..chopped)

8.Vinegar- 1 tbsp

9.Cashew Nuts-10 -15

10.Curry leaves-2-3 springs

11.Turmeric powder-1/4 tsp

12.Black peppercorns crushed-1/2 tsp

13.Cloves (grambu)-3

14.Cardamom (elakka)-2-3

15.Cinnamon (patta)-1 small stick

16.Oil-2 tbsp

17.Garam masala-1/2 tsp

18.Fennel seeds powder-1/2 tsp

Preparation

~Heat oil in a traditional monchatti (earthen vessel) or in a kadai.

~Temper cloves, cardamom & cinnamon for 1 min.

~Saute onions with salt.

~Saute ginger, garlic, green chillies with curry leaves for 2 mins.

~Add 1 1/2 chopped tomatoes & saute till mushy.

~Add pepper, turmeric powder & mix well.

~Grind the nuts along with little coconut milk to a paste.

~Add 1 1/2 cup coconut milk, vinegar, garam masala, fennel seeds powder along with nuts paste & allow it to boil.

~Adjust the salt, green chilly/pepper according to your taste.

~Now add the cleaned fish along with the rest of the tomato into this.

~Cover & cook for 10 mins in high to medium flame.

~Add more of curry leaves & cook for 10 mins more in low flame (stir occassionally)

~Off the flame & cover it for atleast 15 mins before serving.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Honey Sponge Cake - X'mas Special !!

This is a super easy recipe for a rich, moist honey cake, perfect with a cup of coffee/tea or even for a picnic...when packed in a plastic wrap it can be stored for up to 48 hours maintaining its softness....

The beauty of any sponge cake is that you only need the most basic of ingredients along with honey....The benefits of honey go beyond its great taste...Honey is nature's energy booster, a great immunity system builder & of course a natural remedy for many ailments...So lets add this natural goodness to our cake this christmas...Merry Christmas to all my readers..!!!

Ingredients

1. All Purpose Flour (Maida)-1 cup
2. Baking powder-1 tsp
3. Baking Soda-1 tsp
4. Custard powder (Vanilla Flavor)-1 tbsp
5. Butter-3 tbsp
6. Oil-3 tbsp
7.Sugar-3/4 cup
8.Vanilla Essence-1 tsp
9.Honey-3 tbsp
10.Eggs-3

Preparation

~Mix all the dry ingredients together with a spoon. (Maida, Baking powder, Baking Soda, Custard powder)
~Measure the honey, butter and sugar into a large pan. Add a tablespoon of water and heat gently until melted.

~Remove from the heat and mix in the eggs one by one along with vanilla essence.

~Now add the mixed dry ingredients little by little & whisk well....Prepare the batter without any lumps..

~Pour into the greased cake tin.
~Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. After baking leave to cool completely.
~Or cook in a pressure cooker for 30 mins in low flame.
~Cake will sink slightly in centre as it cools.
~Mix together 1 tablespoon of honey and a little hot water, to make a glaze.

~As soon as the cake is out of the oven, brush the top with the honey-water mixture.

Gift your loved ones a mouth-melting cake this Christmas.....

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Event Round-up ....Restyle My Taste !! '12

It was really wonderful hosting such an event...As its my very first event i was not sure about the participation...But towards the ending, the contest was sooo fabulous...All were really enthusiastic in preparing my dishes & decorating them..At last i received 60 entries from 21 very talented & (not to forget) totally creative participants...It was a successful Event...Thanks to all ...So lets see the winners...

All the participants are requested to collect (click on your badge & then copy it/save as) their respective badges & post it in your facebook timeline / blog/ twitter page..So there's something for everyone...

Best Presentation Award 1

(presented to two...as it was tie...)

Entry of Shehali Sameer...Fish Roast

I must say it looks fantabulous..!! Specially the edible Christmas fruit tree...

"Heres ur recipe decorated my way.....................
Its fish roast(king fish).............tastes really gud and easy to prepare also. goes well with chappathi and rice....
Thank u for conducting such contest.........its really helpful for showcasing our little talents............"

Best Presentation Award 2

Entry of Nawal Althuaf.....Ball Cakes / Unniyappam Cakes

Very very cute presentation...Must have taken much time preparing the small dwarfs..Really innovative..!!

" Really softtt n yummyyy !!!! Heres my tried pic... thanks a ton 4 dis wonderful recipe!!"

Top Contributor Award

There were 20 entries of Athira Sooraj...She did a lot of hardwork to do that within 1 month..& the 2 of her entries were nominated for the best presentation too..Hats off to Athira...

1. Dates Carrot Cake


" A Spongy moist cake with the blend taste of carrot and dates, which got over the very next moment... I got a very small piece to taste, the rest i served with tea to my family including my brother n wife... I felt its very easy to prepare, mixing etc done in a couple of minutes. I had used maida and dalda for the cake mix. I tried this in cooker as well as in Microwave. The timing which mentioned in the recipe is lil bit high i guess. ..I guess 25 minutes would be enough to get it cooked....Same batter i prepared in Microwave. In less than a minute i made it and it was sooo spongy and tasty !!"

2. Sweet Plantain Cutlets / Ethakka Cutlet

"I have never tasted such a crispy crunchy sweet cutlet in my life time... Quite mouth watering/delicious/healthy.. no words.. Can feel the taste only by having it...
If v r giving normal cutlet shape, its quite easy to prepare. But I spend a little more time to give a different shape to it. So that v can attract kids.. I have taken extreme care to retain its share while frying... Never expected this much crunchy it would be... I have got full mark from my family :D
Sajina Bishar, I want to thank you for introducing such a delicious recipe.. "