I made Date cake today.

Today I made date cake. what is so great about that?

First of all, I haven't baked anything for a long time. the oven was being used to store things instead of baking. so I am happy that I actually used the oven for what it was supposed to be used. I used to make cakes a few years back but stopped for no particular reason.

Another thing is that the cake came out very well. It is of course an egg less date cake. I used the recipe that I found on a site and made some changes. And we love the results. We couldn't wait till the cake was completely cool. We had it when it was still warm. And it tasted yummy enough to want to make it again. Next time, I will double the recipe.

I will post the pictures next time I make it because this time, we finished off the whole thing before I could take the pictures.

Fruity Desert

This is an Easy to make simple desert. You can use any fruits of your choice.

Ingredients We need for Fruity Desert:

Musk melon - 1
Black grapes - 1/2 cup
white grapes - 1/2 cup
Banana - 1
Honey - 2 tbsp
Cinnamon powder - a pinch
Cardamom powder - a pinch(optional)
Mint leaves for decoration.

Making:

Peel the musk melon. Cut in the half. Remove seeds. Cut the grapes, banana in pieces. Mix chopped grapes, banana pieces, cardamom powder, cinnamon powder, honey in a bowl. Fill the musk halves with grape mixture. Decorate with mint leaves. Serve chilled.

Chutney Sandwich and poori too. The cats breakfast twice.

Today I made Green coconut chutney used it as a spread for making sandwiches. The chutney color was lovely with all that coriander leaves. I love fresh coriander. I am happy to cook when I hace it. Me an hubby had a good breakfast with those sandwiches.

But as they say ' Dane dane par likha hai khanewale ka nam' in Hindi, meaning(every grain has the person's name for whom it is for), came true. Sasha got up late so did not have breakfast with us. Though I had kept the bread packet on the top shelf, the cats managed to reach it. Though I had already fed them when we had breakfast, they decided they wanted some more. When I went to the kitchen, the bread slices were all scattered on the floor. Well, I fed the bread to the cats again.

When Sasha got up, first she started bawling that she wouldn't be getting Chutney Sandwiches. She quietened when she realized that she would be getting her favorite dish, Poori.



I had to make pooris for Sasha. She was of course very happy with that. So finaly everyone was happy. The cats were happy to breakfast three times. Sasha was happy to have her favorite item. I am happy that I got something to write about.

After a Break

Yesterday I wrote a page on my vegetarian recipes site about millet and that reminded me of the Bhakri made by mom. She makes it with 'Jowar'. I love them. Especially with 'Zunka'. I make them too but not as big as she makes. It is medium sized. It is not too time consuming. And it tastes wonderful.

I like to make them but the mess it is creates is too much. The whole stove needs to be washed. So I guess the reason I don't make bhakari often is my laziness to wash the kitchen after wards.

When hubby went to Pune sometime back, I got some Bajra flour them there. I made the bhakri, applied some sesame seeds too. Just the way it is done on Bhogi day, the day before Sankranti festival. And everyone loved it. I should make it more often.

Methi(Fenugreek) Paratha(flat bread)

My daughter doesn't like to eat leafy vegetables. So I have to think of ways to make her eat them by preparing the leafy vegetables in different way. Here I am writing about the Methi Paratha. This can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

For Methi paratha we need:

Fresh Methi leaves : 1 cup
Whole wheat flour : 1 1/2 cups.
gram flour(optional) : 2 tbsp.
salt : 1/2 teaspoon or to taste.
Garlic paste(optional): 1/4th teaspoon.
Red chilli powder: 1/4th teaspoon.
Water : enough to make dough
Oil : for shallow frying.

Preparation:

Chop finely the methi leaves. Mix together methi leaves, whole wheat flour, gram flour, salt, 2 tbsp oil, red chilli powder, garlic paste. Add water as needed to from a ball of dough.

Divide the dough in limesized balls. sprinkle a little flour on the board and roll out the ball in a thick round, using a rolling pin. Heat a girdle and place the rolled round on it. Let cook for a minute. Turn the paratha upside down using a spatula. Add a few drops of oil on the paratha. Cook till both the sides have brown spots. Your paratha is ready. Make all the balls into paratha in this way. Keep them covered till all the parathas are done.

Serve hot with curries, pickles, a bowl of curd.

Sour Aval(puffed rice)

This can be made for breakfast or a evening snack.

WE need
1 1/2 cups aval.
1/2 cup sour curd.
Salt 1 teaspoon or to taste.
Sugar 1/2 teaspoon.
oil. 2 tablespoons.
mustard seeds. 1/4th spoon
cumin seeds. 1/4th spoon,
curry leaves,
green chillies 2 nos.
water.

Preparation: Dry grind aval to a find powder. Add water, salt, sugar to curd. Add the aval powder and mix well. Keep aside for 10 minutes.

In a deep pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds. When they crackle, add green chillies, curry leaves. Add the soaked aval. mix well . Keep covered for 2 minutes add grated coconut. mix and serve.

Sweet Pongal

Pongal is a name of festival celebrated in the southern India. it is called Sankranti in some states. It is a harvest festival. there is a spicy version of pongal too.

Sweet Pongal is a sweet rice and lentil dish. A speciality generally made on 14th January in the southern part on India on the occasion on the harvest festival. You can use the whole green gram instead of the broken green gram(dal). It is more nutritious . only the colour will change a little.

Ingredients :
· rice – 1 cup
· Moong dal(Green gram) – ½ cup
· Jaggery or sugar – 11/2 cup. (jaggery tastes better)
· Ghee – 2 tbsp
· Cashew nuts – 7-8
· Raisins – 1 tbsp
· Cardamom powder ¼ tsp
· Grated fresh coconut or desccicated coconut 1 cup
· Water -3 cups

Preparation : dry roast moong dal lightly. Wash rice. Add mong dal to the rice. Add 3 cups water and pressure cook as you cook plain rice.

Heat ghee in a pan. Fry cashew nut pieces and raisins. Keep aside.

Mix jaggery and ½ cup water and bring to boil. When jaggery melts, add the cooked rice/dal mixture, grated coconut. Mix and cook on slow fire. Add cashew, raisins, cardamom powder, ghee and mix well. Serve Hot.