EGGLESS CARROT CAKE

I am celebrating 3rd anniversary of my blog and am very happy about it. I don't post many recipes in a month because of the time factor. 

I made this cake and it was very moist . You can use all purpose flour if you don't prefer to use wheat flour. I didn't have cream cheese at home so just used vanilla frosting after cake is completely cool and sprinkled some goodies on it . 

Ingredients

3/4 Cup All purpose flour

3/4 Cup Whole Wheat flour

1 cup Light brown sugar

1 tsp Baking soda

1/2 tsp Baking powder

1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1-1/2 cups grated carrot

3/4 Cup Water

1/2 cup Vegetable oil

2 tsp Vanilla extract

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 170C. Line the baking tray with baking paper . I used a small loaf pan and a round pan to bake.
Whisk together all the dry ingredients all purpose flour,sugar,baking soda,baking powder,cinnamon powder and salt.
Now add the grated carrot and mix well.Keep aside.
In another mixing bowl combine water,oil,vanilla essence and vinegar. Slowly add this to the dry ingredients and mix until combined(Do not over mix)
Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes and completely on a wire rack. If not frosting, Slice and serve slightly warm.If frosting, refrigerate the cake until frosting.

Cream cheese frosting

Ingredients
1 Cup cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 Cup/1 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces @ room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Method
Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine. Refrigerate until use.

Frosting the cake

Put a blob of frosting on the plate/cake base on which you are going to place the cake, this ensures the cake remains in its place while frosting.

Put the frosting on the cake and spread it evenly.

Let the cake sit in the fridge for an hour or two ,take it out and give nice finish by applying another layer of frosting.

If you don't want to do any of these, just apply a good layer of frosting on top of the cake and enjoy it.

GOAT CHEESE, CARAMALISED ONION QUESADILLAS

Ingredients

4-8 inches whole wheat flour tortilla

4 ounces semisoft goat cheese

2 medium tomatoes , thinly sliced

2 cups baby spinach

2 cups thinly sliced onions

1/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil or butter

• Method

• Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. 
• Add the onion, sugar and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is dark golden brown. Remove from pan. 
• Add the spinach and 1 tablespoon water to thepan  cook 2 minutes, or until spinach is just wilted. Remove from skillet and turn off heat. 
• Spread a quarter of the goat cheese on each tortilla and top with spinach, tomato and onion,fold closed and press lightly.
• Heat the skillet and place two folded quesadillas in it, cook two minutes per side, or until golden brown and lightly crisp. Repeat it .

TUNA FISH CUTLET

Ingredients

1 onion finely chopped

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1-2 green chilli finely chopped

1 can tuna drained (or canned salmon)

1-2 small potato boiled and mashed

Pepper as per taste

1-2 tsp garam masala powder

Few coriander leaves

1 egg 

1 cup bread crumbs

 Oil for frying

Method

 Heat oil in a pan, add onions , ginger garlic paste, chilli , fry. 

Now add drained can tuna, fry. 

Now add mashed potatoes, mix well . Add pepper , salt , garam masala . 

Add chopped coriander leaves. 

Cool the above mixture completely. 

Male small balls and shape into cutlet. 

Dip this in beaten egg and then breadcrumbs,

 Fry till brown.
Have it with ketchup.

VADA PAV

Vada Pav is a popular Indian fast-food snack that originated in Maharashtra, had for breakfast, lunch, evening tea and any other time you please! In the same fashion that North-Indians consume bread pakoras and samosas!

For the Vadas:

10 small potatoes, boiled and peeled 

2  cloves garlic

1-1/2 inch piece  ginger

4 green chillies (adjust according to spice 

1/2 cup besan/ gram flour

1/2 tsp salt + 1/4 tsp haldi for the batter

1 tsp mustard seeds

4 stalks curry leaves

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Pinch asafoetida

1 tsp salt

Water to make batter

1 tbsp vegetable oil for tempering

Vegetable oil for frying

For the dry chilli garlic chutney:

1/3 cup garlic cloves

1/4 cup dry grated coconut (also called dessicated coconut) 

4 whole dried red chillies (adjust according to spice 

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vegetable oil

method

First roast the Chutney ingredients because they had to cool before you could grind them. 

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a wok on high heat. We just need a little bit of oil to prevent initial burning and sticking. In a few minutes, the coconut starts releasing it’s own oil.  Add the garlic to the hot oil .Then the coconut , then the red chillies, each broken into half to let the seeds out .Mixed it up and dry roasted these on medium-high heat for a few minutes, roasted these until they were golden-brown and then placed them in the grinder to allow them to cool

Mash the potatoes  roughly with a fork.Chop the chillies. 
And the garlic, grate the ginger .
Heat oil in the kadhai. add the mustard seeds to it till they sputter.
Add the asafoetida and curry leaves.

Add turmeric powder and  the chillies, ginger and garlic.After frying for about a minute, add the potatoes. and salt and mix well.
Cook it for about 2 minutes on medium heat and then took it off to cool slightly. It needs to be handle-able because we’re going to shape and fry them in a few minutes! 

Next make the batter. First, measure  the besan , add salt and turmeric powder.
Mix it up and add enough water to make a thick paste like batter. This is slightly easier to handle because we need to shape the potatoes, coat them in this batter and fry. If the batter is too runny, then it won’t stick to the potato balls.
Put the oil for frying in the kadhai and placed it on high high. While it was heating, I divided the potatoes into 6 equal portions and proceed to shape them into balls.Then I dipped each in the besan batter and place them  in the hot oil.
Using a slotted spoon, I flipped them over and kept an eye on them till they turned golden.
Lift them out with the slotted spoon, drain as much oil and place them on paper towels to drain more oil.
Assemble your vada in between the pavs , spread the coriander chutney and red chutney and njoy .

BATATA NU SHAAK

Ingredients

2 cups Peeled potato cubes

1 tomato chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp green chilli-Ginger paste

1 pinch asafoetida

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp olive oil

few coriander leaves

salt as per taste

Method

Heat oil in kadai. Add mustard seeds , when they begin to crackle, add cumin seeds and asaofoetida followed by green chilli-ginger paste. Stir and mix well

Add cubed potatoes and saute for 5 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes, salt and saute for 3-5 minutes.

Add chilli powder, turmeric powder, saute a minute.

Add 1 1/4  cups water and let mixture boil over low flame. 

Cook covered on low flame until potatoes are cooked, stir every 5 minutes.

Add cumin powder and coriander powder, mix well. Turn off the heat, 

Garnish with coriander leaves .

Batata nu shaak can be served with chapatis, or roti, or rice , papad and curd.

FIVE SPICE CRISPY TOFU

Ingredients

1 block of plain firm tofu (not silken)
1- 2 tbsp soy sauce
A thumb of ginger, grated
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
1-2 tbsp sesame seeds (regular or black or a mix)
2 tbsp corn flour
½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper
oil for frying

Method

Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a bowl-slice the tofu into thick chunks and place in the marinade for at least an hour but up to 3 days- it will taste stronger over time.
 Remove the tofu from its marinade, drain on kitchen paper and gently squeeze, covered in kitchen paper.

Mix together the cornflour, sesame and spices and press the tofu in the spice mix.
Heat  sunflower oil in the wok and heat until hot-test by dropping in a small piece of tofu ,it is hot enough when the tofu floats to the top straight away and becomes crispy and golden.
Fry the tofu in 2 batches until golden and crispy, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper and repeat with the remaining tofu. Set aside.
Crispy Tofu is ready ...