EGGLESS DATE CAKE

My kids don't like dates. I saw this recipe and tried it. The cake looks like chocolate cake and my kids loved it.

Ingredients
1 cup Flour
18 dates pitted
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp walnut finely chopped

Method

Warm the milk and soak the dates in it for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 180C/360F for 10-15 minutes. Grease the baking tray with butter and dust it with flour. Keep it aside.
In a mixing bowl, mix oil, milk(1/2 cup and remaining 1/4 cup I used to grind the dates) and sugar.
Make a paste of the dates using a blender. I used only 1/4 of milk for easy grinding. Add this ground dates to the wet ingredients. Mix well till you get smooth thin batter.
Add the flour mixture( flour and baking soda) to it and gently fold it till all the ingredients are properly mixed.
Add roughly chopped walnuts to the batter. Gently fold it.
Pour this batter to the pan and bake it for 30-35 minutes. After 30 minutes, check it with toothpick  by inserting it into the center of the cake. It should come out clean.
The baking time might vary from oven to oven.
Cool the cake for 5-10 minutes and transfer it to wire rack to cool completely.
Cut them into slices and enjoy.

CHETTINAD GARLIC KUZHAMBU

Ingredients
20 cloves garlic
6 nos small onion or shallots finely chopped
1/2 cup tomato finely chopped
lemon sized ball tamarind
pinch turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp sambhar powder
1 1/2 tsp oil
salt
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 dry chilli
5 curry leaves

Roast and grind to fine paste with water
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp pepper powder
3 nos small onion
1 no dry chilli
1/2 tsp coriander powder
2-3 curry leaves
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup tomato

Method

For preparing spicy chettinad garlic kuzhambu, soak the tamarind with  water. Add in the sambar powder, coriander and turmeric powder to the water. Keep it aside. Cut the onions and 7 garlic cloves into length wise pieces. Keep it aside. Cut the tomatoes to small pieces and keep it aside. Roast and then grind cumin seeds, pepper corns, pearl onions, coriander seeds, curry leaves, garlic cloves and tomato with a little water to a fine paste. Keep it aside. Heat oil in a kadai and splutter the mustard seeds. Toss in the fenugreek seeds, red chilly and curry leaves. Now add the chopped onion and chopped garlic. Saute till the onion turns lightly brown. Add the chopped tomato and saute till the raw smell goes.  Pour in the tamarind water to this and mix well. Then add the ground paste and whole remaining garlic. Allow it to boil till the raw smell goes. Cook in low flame till the gravy becomes thick. Spicy chettinad garlic kuzhambu is ready.

COONDAPUR CHICKEN

This recipe is very famous in a coastal town in  Karnataka. This Chicken Curry is one of the versatile coastal curies, which goes very well with almost anything, neer dosa, appam, chapati and rice.

Ingredients
2 kg chicken
200 gm dry chilli
2 tbsp coriander seed
1/2 tsp fenugreek seed
1 tbsp cumin
1/2 cup grated coconut
2 onions sliced
1 -2 tomato sliced
10-12 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 inch ginger finely chopped
salt
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp chicken masala
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp coriander leaves

Method
Lightly roast dry chilli, coriander, cumin, fenugreek in 1 tsp oil  . Grind all these with coconut to a fine paste with little water.
Heat a pan. Add oil , after it becomes hot put gingerand garlic. Saute it till brown .
Add onions, tomato, chilli, turmeric. Cover with lid and let it cook.
Add chicken pieces , salt and pinch of red food colour . Cover again with lid.
After chicken is half done add ground masala , 1/2 cup water, chicken masala , lemon juice .
After about 5 mins , you can garnish with coriander leaves.

     

RAW BANANA FRY

Ingredients
1-2 raw bananas
2 tbsp oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 tomato
1inch ginger
3-4 clove garlic
1-2 tsp chilli powder
salt

Method
Peel the outer skin of banana. Cut the banana into small pieces, immerse in water for some time.
Boil the bananas in water until half done. Remove and keep it aside.
Heat a pan. Pour oil , after it is hot, add onions and saute .
Add tomatoes , saute. Remove it from pan and let it cool.
Grind the onion tomato mixture with ginger and garlic .
Heat another pan, pour oil and fry the ground paste till the oil floats on the sides.
Add chilli powder , salt fry.
Add boiled bananas and fry until done.

KOVAKAI FRY

Ingredients
1 kg kovakai
pinch turmeric
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp mustard
1 onion thinly sliced
1 tomato thinly sliced
3 curry leaf
5-6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1-2 tsp chilli powder
3-4 tbsp grated coconut
2 tbsp coriander leaves
1 tsp lemon juice

Method
Clean and Slice Kovakai lengthwise . Boil kovakai with a pinch of turmeric . After it is cooked , drain the water and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds .When they pop up add chopped onion and curry leaves and saute till they are soft 4-5 minutes.
Add sliced garlic and fry it again for 2-3 minutes.Add tomato , chili powder and turmeric powder and combine it well.
Slide in the kovakai pieces and toss it well so that it gets mixed with the masala.
Add grated coconut and lemon juice .
Sprinkle 1 tsp  of water and cook it covered till they are soft .
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve warm !!

CASHEW CHICKEN WITH VEGETABLES

Ingredients
1/2 kg chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces
1 small carrot, sliced diagnolly
6-7 broccoli florets
1tbsp soya sauce
1-2 tsp gingergarlic paste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion chopped into chunks
6 cashews toasted

Method
Take a bowl, add soya sauce, gingergarlic paste. Add chicken pieces and marinate for 1 hour.
Heat a wok on high flame. Add 2 tbsp oil, add marinated chicken peices and saute till tender.
Remove from wok and keep in a plate.
In the remaining oil add onion,carrot, broccoli and saute .Add sauted chicken and 1/2 cup water. Cook until veg n chicken are done.
Add toasted cashews. Cook for 2 more mins.

CABBAGE AND CARROT SLAW

Ingredients
1 carrot finely shredded
300 gm cabbage finely shredded

Dressing
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
salt
pepper
3 tbsp sour cream
1 tbsp horseradish
Combine all the dressing ingredients and pour over cabbage and carrot.
Enjoy the slaw.