ORANGE CAKE (DEV )

Amazing Orange Cake:
Preheat the oven to 180 C
Mix together 1/2 cup maida and 1 cup wheat flour, 1 tsp of baking soda, a big pinch of salt.
Chop 1 medium orange(with skin on but remove seeds and pip)
Put the orange in a blender and blend along with 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp of curd.
Add 2 eggs, 1/2 cup butter melted, 3/4 cup brown sugar(karumbu sakkarai), 1/4 cup white sugar and blend well for 3-4 minutes.
Now add the flour, 1 tbsp water and blend until the flour is just mixed. Do not blend for long.
Pour the batter into a buttered n floured cake pan.
Bake for 25 mins or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Best had a day after making the cake...

Initially, I was very skeptical thinking that the cake might turn bitter coz of the use of whole orange... but konjam kuda bitterness illai cakela...

Orange icing(optional)
mix well the following and use for icing...
1/2 cup butetr at room temperature
1 1/2 cup icing sugar
2-3 tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp orange zest

AVARAKKAI BRINJAL MIX ( Kugan )

AVARAKKAI BRINJAL MIX

Ingredients:

1 tbs oil
½ tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp urad dal
1 sprig curry leaves

1 big onion chopped
250 grms avarakkai cut into 1 inch pieces
¼ tsp tumeric powder
Salt to taste
½ tsp tumeric powder
Little water

250 grms brinjals cut into cubes
1 tsp chillie powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cumin powder

Method:

Heat oil in a wok, add in the mustard seeds, cumin and urad dal.
Add also the curry leaves, let them splutter, add in the onions.
Saute till the onions are lightly brown, add in the cut avarakkai.
Add in the tumeric powder, salt and sprinkle little water.
Cover with a lid and let it cook for 5 minutes.

Now open the lid, add in the cut brinjal pieces, mix well.
Cover and cook till the brinjal is cooked. Stir in between.
Add in the chillie, coriander and cumin powders.
Stir fry well, till the masala coats the vegetables.
Remove and serve as a side dish.

ANDHRA RASAM ( Kugan )

ANDHRA RASAM

Ingredients:

1 lime size tamarind
1 cup water

1 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp urad dal
3 pips garlic crushed
1 sprig curry leaves

2 shallots sliced
1 small tomato sliced
3 green chillies slit
½ tsp chillie powder
¼ tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp sambar powder
Salt to taste

A pinch of jaggery
1 tbs chopped coriander leaves.

Method:

Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water. Extract juice, keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add in the mustard and cumin seeds.
Let them splutter, add in the urad dal, crushed garlic and curry leaves.
Fry well, add in the onions, tomatoes, green chillies, chillie powder,
tumeric powder, sambar powder and salt to taste.

Stir fry all the ingredients well, add in the tamarind juice and jaggery.
Let it come to boil once and off the stove at once.
Garnish with cut coriander leaves and serve with plain rice.

SCRAMBLED TOFU ( Kugan )

SCRAMBLED TOFU

Ingredients:

2 cups firm tofu grated. Squeeze out all the water.

(A)
¼ tsp garam masala powder
¼ tsp tumeric powder
½ tsp ginger paste
½ tsp garlic paste
½ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp cumin powder
3 green chillies sliced
½ tbs oil
Little salt
1 tbs of chopped coriander leaves

(B)
1 tsp oil
¼ tsp cumin seeds
1 big red onion chopped
Little salt
½ cup capsicum chopped
1 tomato, chopped
¼ cup fresh tomato puree

2 tbs of fresh peas
Little coriander leaves.

Method:
Put the squeezed grated tofu in a bowl.
Add in all the ingredients in (A).
Mix every thing till well blended. Cover and keep aside for ½ an hour.

Heat a wok ( non-stick better ) with the oil, add in the cumin seeds.
Add in the onions and salt, saute well.
Add in the capsicum, and chopped tomato.
Cook for a minute till the tomato is soft.

Now add in the tomato puree and cook on medium heat.
Cook till the raw smell goes.
Add in the seasoned grated tofu. Stir fry for about 5 minutes.
Add in the green peas and cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove and garnish with coriander leaves.

EGGLESS FRENCH TOAST ( Kugan )

EGGLESS FRENCH TOAST

Ingredients:

(A)
1 cup milk
1 tbs honey
2 tbs flaxseed powder
½ tsp vanilla essence
¼ cup whole wheat flour

6 slices of bread
Little oil, or butter
¼ cup finely crushed cashew nuts (optional)

Method:
Mix all the ingredients in (A) in a shallow container.
Dip the slices of bread one by one in the batter.
Coat on either sides well.

Heat a non – stick pan with a little butter or oil.
Place a slice of the dipped toast on the pan.
Sprinkle little crushed cashew nuts.

Cook on each side until golden brown.
Serve hot with a drizzle of honey

SPECIAL VEGETABLE KURMA ( Kugan)

SPECIAL VEGETABLE KURMA
Ingredients:

To be soaked and added to the roast ingredients:

2 tbs kas -kas
1 tbs cashew nuts broken

To roast in oil and ground to a paste:

1 tbs oil
½ cup grated coconut
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp aniseed
½ tsp cumin seeds
3 dry red chillies
2 cardamom
2 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick

2 tbs oil
1 sprig curry leaves
1 big onion chopped
2 big tomatoes chopped
¼ tsp tumeric powder
½ tsp chillie powder
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup thick coconut milk
Salt to taste

2 cups half boiled vegetables ( cauliflower, carrots, beans, green peas )

Method:
Soak the cashew nuts and kas - kas in little hot water.
Heat oil and fry the ingredients to grind till you get nice aroma.
Now drain the soaked ingredients, add it to the roasted ingredients,
Now grind everything to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Heat the 2 tbs of oil in a wok, add in the curry leaves and onions.
Saute well for few seconds till the onions turn little brown.
Add in the tomatoes, ground paste, tumeric , chillie powder and salt.

Cook till the tomatoes blend well with the ground masala and oil separates.
Mix well, add in the water, coconut milk and the boiled vegetables.
Cover and simmer for few minutes, and remove. Serve with pulao or roti.

SPICY HEALTHY ROTI ( Kugan )

SPICY HEALTHY ROTI

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups atta flour
½ cup chick pea flour
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 cup finely chopped spinach
½ cup grated cauliflower
1 cup of cooked lentils, not very mushy
1 tbs grated ginger
½ tsp pepper powder
Salt to taste
¼ to ½ cup of water to make the dough.

Method:

Mix all the ingredients, add enough water and knead
to a soft dough.
Take a golf size dough and roll into chapathi.
Heat a dosai kal, cook the chapathi on both sides.
Smear little ghee on both sides. ( optional )
Serve with any gravy or side dishes.