Strawberry Cake

This cake is made by fresh strawberries and it tasted sooooooo good...........kids enjoyed it because it was colour full and had very good strawberry flavor..........as now good strawberries comes here in this season.So I had a good amount of strawberries on my fridge.And this fruit can't be kept for many days I thought will make out something from this.I gave a strawberry icing also for this and it came out well..........

Ingredients:

2c All purpose flour

1c Powdered sugar

1/2c Butterroom temp

1/2c Oil

3 Eggs room temp

1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

1tsp Strawberry essence

1/2tsp Vanilla essence

3/4c Fresh strawberry puree

For Frosting:

1/2c Butter room temp

3/4c Fresh strawberry puree

4tsp Cream Cheese

1c Icing sugar or as per taste

1/2tsp Strawberry essence

Sliced strawberries for filling and topping

Method:

1.Beat butter,oil and sugar in a bowl.

2.Beat till creamy and add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.

3.Sieve the flour and baking powder and keep aside.

4.Add the essences and mix well.

5.Now add the flour mixture and fold in.

6.In between add the strawberry puree and mix well.

7.Grease a cake tin and pour the batter to it.

8.Preheat the oven at 200 degree C for 10 mins.

9.Now bake the cake at 165 degree C for 40 to 45 mins or till the tester inserted comes out clean.

10.Once finished baking cool the cake completely.

11.Make the icing by mixing all the ingredients for icing and beat well.

12.Keep this in the fridge for one hr or till the cake gets cool.

13.Once the cake is cooled cut the cake into 2 halves.

14.In the bottom part spread some frosting and keep some slices of strawberries.

15.Again spread some frosting on top of the strawberries.

16.Keep the other part ok cake on this.

17.Spread the frosting all over the cake and sides.

18.Decorate with sliced strawberries.

19.Refrigerate it for 1 hr.

20.Slice and enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!

This goes to torviews akheela event.

Tiramisu And Awards!!!!!!!!!!

This is an famous Italian dessert..........I have seen many versions of this.And many easy methods also.......i thought if making will make according to the correct way.Here we don't get mascarpone cheese every where.So i made it at home with torviews akheela's recipe.The dessert really came out so delish.

Now to the recipe.............

Ingredients:

For biscuit layer:

1 Big packet lady's finger biscuit

2c Dark coffee

1/4 c Sugar

For Mascarpone cheese:

500 ml Whipping cream

1tbsp Lime juice

For Zabaglione:

3 Large egg yolks

1/4 c Sugar

1tsp Vanilla essence

Other Ingredients:

1c Fresh cream

3 Egg whites beaten

1/2 c Sugar

Step 1:

Making Mascarpone cheese:

1.Boil water in a sauce pan.Top of the boiling water keep a bowl.Pour the whipping cream in that bowl.

2.While u see small bubbles on surface of the cream add the lime juice.

3.Stir for some time and remove it from heat.

4.Now keep a muslin cloth on a strainer kept over a bowl and pour this cheese to the cloth.

5.After 30 mins cover it with a cling film and refrigerate it to 12 hrs or overnight for best results.

6.After refrigerating it will solidify.

Step 2:

Making Zabaglione:

1.In a sauce pan boil water and over the boiling water keep a bowl.

2..The bowl should not touch the water.

3.In the bowl put the egg yolks and sugar.

4.Whisk it very well till u get a thick creamy mixture.

5.Add the Vanilla essence and mix.

6.Keep aside for cooling.

Step 3:

For coffee syrup :

1.Prepare coffee syrup buy adding 1to 2 tsp of coffee powder in 2 c warm water.

2.Add sugar to this and mix.

Step 4:

Preparing the whole cream mixture:

1.In a bowl mix the mascarpone cheese,zabaglione and mix together.

2.Mix the fresh cream to this.

3.In another bowl beat the egg white with sugar till peaks appears.

4.Now fold the egg whites to the cheese mixture and mix well slowly.

Step 5:

Layering the Tiramisu:

1.In a pudding dish layer the biscuits dipped in coffee syrup.

2.Just dip and take it other wise it will be so soggy.

3.Now pour a layer of cheese mixture on top of the biscuits.

4.Now again layer biscuits over the cream.

5.Pour the rest cheese mixture over the biscuits.

6.Keep this for setting for 5 to 6 hrs or overnight.

7.While serving seive some cocoa powder or chocolate swirls.

8.Enjoy the tiramisu!!!!!!!!!

Now to the awards:

This awards is passed to me by sojo of my culinary experiments.Thanx a lot sojo this made me soooooo happy that I can't even explain..........

7 facts about me:

1.Believes in God blindly.

2.I'm a music lover.

3.Now a days my interests are cooking and blogging.

4.Loves reading any piece of paper which comes to my hand.

5.Likes traveling,drawing,stitching etc......

6.Loves my family more than anything.

7.Hmmmmm and one more thing chocolates and sweets which can't be forgotten LOL!!!!

This awards goes to:

aipi of usmasala

satya of superyummyrecipes

ayeesha of tasteofpearlcity

akheela of torview

akila of akilaskitchen

valarmathi of valarskitchenbasics

deepa of hamareerasoi

priya of priya'seasyntastyrecipes

shabeena of shabscuisine

swapna of swapnascuisine

adelina of vegetarianyogini

priya of mharorajasthansrecipes

hasna of kachussdelight

dr.sameenaprathap of myculinarycreations

prema of premasthaligai

Pass this to 15 other bloggers and leave a comment in their recent post to collect the award.Keep the ball rolling........

Karimeen Pollichathu

This is a special dish with fish in some places in kerala..........this ia a real treat for sea food lovers.....this is made with fishes with thick flesh.Fish marinates with gravy and packed in banana leaves and prepared in mud pots or non stick tawas.........this can be made in easy way also by first steaming the fish then rest of the process.I made without frying the fish....so that the fish gets the full flavour and taste of the marinated masala.......my hubby and our friends really loved this one...........I didn't get perfect pictures for this as my kids and hubby were waiting on the dining table.........

Now to the recipe.....................

Ingredients:

1/2 kg Fish karimeen(pearl spot) or Pomfret

1 Big onion

1c Shallots sliced (loosely packed)

4 Big cloves garlic

1 Medium piece ginger

1 Big tomato

1tsp Coriander powder

2tsp Red chilly powder

1tsp Pepper powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1c Thick coconut milk

1tsp tamarind pulp or kokum pulp

For Tempering:

Mustard seeds

Fenugreek seeds

Oil

Salt

Curry leaves

Method:

1.Clean the fish and put cuts on the fish and keep aside.

2.In a pan add little oil splutter mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.

3.Add sliced onions and sliced shallots and saute well.

4.When the onions start changing the color and finely chopped ginger and garlic.

5.Saute well and add the coriander powder,turmeric powder,red chilly powder and pepper powder and mix well.

6.Add the chopped tomatoes and mix well till the tomatoes are soft.

7.Add the tamarind pulp,salt and mix well.

8.Add the thick coconut milk and curry leaves and mix well.

9.Let it boil for some minutes in simmer till u get a thick gravy.

10.Now wash the banana leaves dry it and just soften it by putting it up on an open flame.(Ila Vattal).

11.Then as seen in the above picture Put some masala on the leaf and place the fish over the masala.

12.Cover the fish with masala and fill it inner portion also with some masala.You can add some more curry leaves now.

13.Now cover the fish with the banana leaf and tie with some thread to make a packet.

14.Now heat a mud chatti or in a tawa spread some coconut oil and place this packet carefully over the tawa and close with a lid.

15.Cook on a medium flame each sides for 10 mins.

16.Serve hot with plain rice,kubus or chapathis.

Rumali Roti And An Award

Rumali rotis are really made differently in hotels.......this is a home made version.I searched many versions but all were prepared on a big vessel put upside down on the fire and on the back side of the vessel we cook the roti.Its difficult in homes to make like that way.
Then I saw an easy way to prepare this roti in home on tawa and it tasted good.



















Ingredients:

1c Atta
1c Maida
Salt
Oil for applying
Slightly warm water as required
Rice flour for dusting
Maida or atta for dusting


















Method:

1.Mix the flours,salt and 2 tsp oil and mix water to this and knead to a soft dough.
2.Cover it with a wet cloth and keep aside for half an hour.
3.After that from the dough take out two equal lemon sized balls.
4.Dust the surface with maida or atta.
5.Roll each balls to a small disc shape.
6.Now in each disc apply some oil and sprinkle some rice flour.
7.Now keep one disc over the other as the oiled surface face together.
8.Now roll the disc to a large thin roti.Roll it as thin as u can.
9.Heat a tawa and cook the roti both side till brown spots appear.
10.Take the roti from the tawa to a plate and separate the both rotis.
11.If u want u can just heat the other side of the roti after seperating.U can see that side is plain without spots.
12.Now fold it into triangles.
13.Serve hot with any vegetable or non-veg curries.

And now award time.This award is from my fellow bloggers sojo of my culinary experiments and ambreen of simply sweet N savory both has beautiful blogs with nice recipes.Thanx a lot dears.

















Now as the rule of the award I have to share this with my 15 fellow bloggers.I was in a confusion and picked up 15 of them.
1.Rachu of ammaandbaby
2.Nash of plateful
3.ruchibedangal
4.Reshmi of easy cook

5.Tina of kaipunyam.com

6.Gayathri of gayathriscookspot

7.southindianhome

8.Divya of divyasrecipes

9.Vimitha of myculinarytrialroom

10.Kalpana of lifewithspices

11.Nidhya of aaha oho

12.Deeksha of deeskitchen

13.Rani of homemadevegetarianrecipes

14.Mimi of mimiskitchen

15.Pushpa of tasteasyoucook

Dear friend please pass this to 15 other bloggers and leave a comment in their blog to collect the award and keep passing on.

Marble Cake

My kids fav cake.............I think they like this more because they can taste both chocolate and vanilla flavor.......i too like this.......

Now to the cake......

Ingredients:

2c All purpose flour

1c Powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

1c Butter room temp

2 Eggs room temp

1/2 c Milk

1tsp Vanilla essence

2tbsp Cocoa powder or 3 tbsp Melted cooking chocolate

Method:

1.Sieve the flour and bakking powder and keep aside.

2.Beat the sugar and butter together well till creamy.

3.Add the eggs one by one beating well after each addition.

4.Add the flour slowly and fold in well.

5.If the batter is too thick and milk little and keep on mixing.

6.The batter should not be too runny or too thick.

7.Now divide the batter into two halves.

8.In one portion and cocoa powder or metled chocolate and mix well.

9.Grease a cake tin.

10.Now pour the batter by a spoon into the cake like a check pattern.

11.One spoon plain batter near to that cocoa batter like that.

12.And with a knife draw line through the batter here and there to get a marble effect.

13.Preheat the oven at 200 degree c for 15 mins.

14 Bake the cake at 165 degree c for 35 to 40 mins or till the tester comes out clean.

15.Slice and enjoy the cake!!!!!!!!!!!!

This goes to champa's Bake-off event

Idli

Idli for breakfast is really healthy and it is very tasty with any curries...........i'm not very much fond of idlis but my kids and hubby love idlis......... my kids like to have idlis with sugar......


















Ingredients:

2c Raw white rice
1c Urad dal(uzhunnu parippu)
3/4 c Cooked rice
3/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
Water as required
Salt




















Method:

1.Soak raw rice,urad dal and fenugreek seeds for 4 to 6 hrs or over night.
2.Soak both seperately or together.
3.Grind this together or seperately along with water and mix together.The batter should be little thick.(Fenugreek makes the idli more softer and tastier.)
4.Leave it in a warm place for fermentation for 6 to 8 hrs.
5.After it is fermented add salt as per taste.
6.Now boil water in a idli steamer and pour one ladle of batter in each idli mould and steam it till cooked.
7.Have idlis with coconut chutney or any curries.


Participation card from akila of akilas kitchen















This goes to ayesha's any one can cook

Baigan Aloo

Hi friends, I'm back after few weeks....was so busy with shifting and settling.Now almost got set and feeling good.Really missed u all a lot......Hope u all had a great new year.

Now about the dish ,this is a simple dish........this will go well with chapathis and plain rice........

Ingredients:

2 Big Potatoes

2 Big Egg plants

1 Big Onion

1 Big Tomato

3 Cloves Garlic

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Kashmiri chilly powder

1 tsp Cummin seeds

Salt

Oil

Coriander leaves

Method:

1.Cut the potatoes and eggplants into cubes.

2.Shallow fry these vegetables and keep seperately.

3.In the left oil add cummin seeds and let it splutter.

4.Add the chopped garlics,onions and saute.

5.Add the turmeric powder,chilly powder and salt and saute well.

6.Add the chopped tomato and mix well till the tomato is soft.

7. Add the potato and mix well and close the lid and cook on low flame.

8.When the potato is almost done and the eggplants and mix well.

9.Close and cook till everything is cooked.

10.Garnish with Coriander leaves.

11.Serve hot with chappathis or plain rice.

This goes to Ayeesha's event Any one can cook.