Magic in the microwave !

I found this recipe online while searching for easy choclate cake recipes.. After reading through it, I was dubious.. A cake in 2 minutes ? And that too in a single cup ? This is too good to be true !! So I wrote it down dutifully.. And tried it out the next day. .. And I was awestruck !! It really worked !!
I just took a coffee cup, added all the ingredients, gave it a stir with a spoon.Kept it in the microwave .. Set for 2 minutes.. Shrugged to myself.. And pressed the start button. .and what do you know ? I had a little cake in my cup !!MAGIC!! Theres no other word for it other than that !

This is a perfect recipe for a cute dessert .. Or for those times you need to whip up a snack fast ... So go on.. Try zapping this up in your microwave and see the magic for yourself !!

Take a microwave proof cup.

Mix together :

3 tbs warm milk
2 tbsp cocoa
1 egg white
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp Maida
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
1/4 tsp baking powder.
2 tbsp sugar

Add cinnamon or coffee powder 1/4 tsp if u want instead of essence.
Also , you could add a tsp of nutella for an even more yum taste !

Zap 2 minutes in microwave..

Serve hot with a scoop of icecream or a dollop of whipped cream

The sense of smell

The other day, I was baking cookies.. And my husband walked in asking, are you baking something ? It smells yum !
.. Which led to a long discussion about how the sense of smell affects our taste too..

Did you know that there's a school for smell? it helps you in developing your sense of smell.

.And we all started listing our favorite smells.. Raise your hands if you find any of your favorites in the list below !

Freshly brewed coffee..especially on cold winter mornings or while it's raing cats and dogs

The citrusy scent you get when you start peeling an orange

Paalappoo and the elanji poo .. Both fragrant flowers .. They release the most amazing scents when they bloom.. In fact , poems and songs have been written based on them.

Jackfruit. In all it's forms.. Fresh.. Cooked.. Made into halwa ..kumbilappam.. Mm.. Mouthwatering !!

That clean smell of wet earth after it rains heavily ..

That first bite of a fresh apple ..

.. And of course.. The aroma of freshly baked cookies or choclate cake !



EGGLESS CHOCLATE CAKE

3 cup flour
2 cup sugar
2 cup cold water
2/3 cup oil
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp soda pwdr
2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 180*C.
Mix all ingredients till well blended . Pour into a greased baking pan and bake 25-40 minutes till done.

SUMMER MADNESS

Summer!

I used to wonder why, at the very mention ofthe words “school holidays”,grown women would turn pale and suppressshudders..I used to wonder , because I remembered the school holidays,especially summer hols , as a time of fun and joy, endless days to play in thegarden and fields, trips to hillstations..I’m sure those famous words” umma ,i’m bored!”never passed my lips..

But memory can be tricky..Ask my mother,andshe’ll give you another version of my story..and no doubt it’s all true..Shebears the emotional scars as proof..and now that I have also got a trio ofschoolkids stuck at home..am busily acquiring the abovementioned scars too!!

I don’t begrudge the teachers theirholidays..I’m sure they need them.  Nodoubt they would have ticked off the last days of school in the same desperateway that we mums count the last days of summer holidays....But, faced with myown kids all day long, and the eternal problem of keeping them entertained..Iam eagerly awaiting the start of school ..Hats off to the present dayteachers...they can settle my kids into the quietest lambs, while I , amrunning ragged and weary !!

Aah...There’s nothing like summer holidays tomake you long for the routine of school days...sigh...

AppleSlab Cake 

Sugar                                 1 1/2 cup

Chopped apples               3 cups

Maida                                  2 cups

Baking soda                      1 tsp

Cinnamonpowder           1 1/2 tsp

Oil                                         1/2 cup

Ghee                                    1/2 cup

Egg                                       3

Vanillaessence                 1 tsp

Cashew nutchopped       1 cup

1.Preheat oven Take1/2 cup sugar in a heavy bottom pan and heat till it turns golden brown. Leaveto cool.

2. Sift together maida, soda, and cinnamon powder .

3. Beat the balance sugar, oil and ghee together.

4. Add eggs one by one. Beat well.add essence.

5 Add maida mix, and mix till joined together.

6. Lastly, add the apples and nuts and the caramel ,stir once ,

7. Bake in a greased tray till done.  (30 to 40 mi ns approx)

8.Serve hot..

Lazybones 2010

.... And the title of lazybones 2010 goes to mrs. Reshma Nooh !! 
what can i say ? Been so busy .. And the little time I do get as free time , I would prefer to be in my kitchen , experimenting , or curled up with a book .. No blogging , no dieting , no exercise , .... Hmmmm... Haven't I been a baaad baaad girl .. Errr female ?
On the plus side , I did make time to do something I've been longing to do for ages .. I went for some cookery classes in Cochin .. I know cooking , yes , but it's always been a trialand error method .. Self taught or advice handed down by the generations before me ..but to learn about the finer nuances .. Authentic cntinental and Italian style... This was what I had always wanted ... So I went to mrs Anita Isaac 's cookery school once a month ( 2 days ) and ... And learnt how to make a perfect ganache .. The secrets of fondant icing ... Advanced icing techniques ... What not ! And so , for the past few months... The boys and anyone who walks into my home .. Have been gorging on continental and Italian food. And they have loved the diversion from pizzas to lasagne .. From frenchfries to roast chicken .. With her permission , here I am passing on one of mrs Anita Isaac 's recipes..


Lava cake


Six ouncegrated dark choclate
Melt in microwave 1min or double boil
Add butter six ounces
Stir well


Half cup sugar plus eggs3 plus a tsp vanilla essence
Beat till foamy


Add warm choclate  mix well
1/3cup maida  remove-2tsp
Add two tsp cocoa
Sieve tegether fold into choclate mix
Pour into silicon cups
Leave around half inchspace on top
Bake in oven @160c


Serve with fresh cream or icecream

BAKE A CAKE TODAY

My house is filled with the lovely fragrance of baking..and it's not just any cake, it's a butterscotch cake.. So..Let's be boring today and go straight to the recipe..ok?

BUTTERSCOTCH CAKE

Ingredients:

Butter 3/4 cup

Sugar 1 1/2 cup(powdered)

Maida 2 cups

Eggs 3 ( seperated)

Milk 1 cup

Vanilla essence 1 tsp

Sugar 2 dsp(granules)

Baking powder 2 tsp

Baking soda 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Preheat oven at 175C .

2. Beat together butter and powdered sugar till fluffy and soft.

3. Seperate eggs, add the yolks to above mix one by one, beating well in between.

4. Add maida and milk alternatively, beating in between all the time.

5. Add essence and stiffly beaten egg whites . Stir well by hand.

6. Before the froth goes down, add sugar granules, mix again, and pour into greased baking tray.

7. Bake till done(about 30 minutes)Cool and pour icing on top.

Icing:

Ingredients:

Butter 1/2 cup

caramelised sugar 1 cup

milk 1/4 cup

Powdered sugar 1 cup

Method:

1. Heat butter, add caramelised sugar.

2. Mix well on low heat, then add milk. Mix.

3. Remove from heat, then add powdered sugar.

4. Pour over and spread onto the cake.

 Perfect for special tea times or those chilly winter evenings ....

TO DIET OR NOT TO DIET..THAT IS THE QUESTION...

I had been going for yoga and off in the past two years, but last month I resumed yoga after a two month long break and decided I would go on a strict diet as well.
So there I was, guzzling carrot juice and tomato juice instead of tea, having oats for my breakfast, eating a light lunch, no snacks, no dinner, just juices,....along with a solid two hours of yoga...and was there any mistake in thinking that I'd lost weight?
Looking in the mirror, I thought I looked all slim and stylish.
After one month of being a good girl, I went to my ancestral home last week, only to hear everyone's comments of ..resh, you have put on weight, resh, you're fat...
boohooo.....is this the result of leading a disciplined diet and yoga??
Anyways , the minute I reached home, I decided that there will be no more dieting...just plain common sense..so I've been going for yoga everyday now, as well as cutting down on tea, cakes, fried stuff..now let's see what happens in a month's time..a month?I don't think that will be enough,make it a year...will be posting updates on my diet every now and then..
On the downside..the minute I reached home , first thing I reached out for , was a whole packet of MINI SNICKER BARS!!Aaah...that felt sinfully good!!!

This post being all about dietingf and not dieting, I thought I would post a recipe that is as sinfully delicious as the snicker bars I had...

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE
Ingredients :
Maida 1 and 3/4 cup
Cocoa 1/4 cup
Milk 1 cup
Butter 1/2 cup
Eggs 2
Sugar 1 and 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence 1tsp
Soda bicarb 1 tsp


Method:

1. Beat together butter and 1/4 cup milk till it becomes a light and fluffy cream.

2. Add rest of ingredients, beating well in between.

3. Pour into a greased baking tray and bake till done . (approx. 30 minutes)

4. Leave to cool, then remove from tray.

5. Slit in half horizontally, and spread choclate fudge icing in between the two pieces.

6.Spread icing on top and serve.

Tip:
the cake is great even if you don't ice it!!

Choclate fudge Icing.

Ingredients:
* 5 oz of butter
* 5 oz of icing sugar, sifted
* 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder
* 3 tablespoons of milk
Method:

1. Melt the butter in a pan.

2. Add the cocoa and up the heat, cooking it gently for a minute or so, then add the icing sugar.

3. Add the milk gradually and keep stirring until you have a glossy, smooth paste.

4. Allow it to cool, and then use half to sandwich your cake together, and half for the topping. It looks fabulous and tastes divine.

A LAZY SUNDAY

Sundays at my home are generally lazy...because that's the only day that we're all totally free..except for those weekends when we have some wedding to attend...which is at least once a month.Most mallus are stuck in this routine of going to a wedding every single sunday...somebody's aunt's brother-in-law's sister's daughter will be getting married...somebody's cousin's brother-in -law will be getting married....why, it could even be your local plumber getting married, but you simply must go...N hdecided that we will not go for any weddings other than close relations and family friends of long standing. This rule has helped us to stay at home relaxing most Sundays while most mallus are sweating it out rushing from weddings to housewarmings all day....Yesterday we had to break our rule and go for a wedding..our Electrician is getting married..could'nt afford not to go. Suppose he gets in a snit that we did'nt come for his wedding? Then he might decide not to come when we call him for some electrical repairs and work. And good electricians (and plumbers and carpenters and..ahem, all service workers) are really hard to come by in malluland. So off N went, dashing in and out of the wedding venue in 15 minutes flat..in mallu language, we call this onnu thala kaatttiyittu varaan. In other words, to mark your attendance and run!! We've got it down to a fine art, this showing your head and vanishing. I think most mallus living in Kerala will know exactly what I'm talking about.
Anyway, wedding attendance over, we came home and got down to the business of relaxing. Mowing the lawn, changing lightbulbs, washing our cars, yup...reaaaallee reelaaxing!!
Once we finish the exhaustive business of relaxing, we eat our lunch and have a short siesta(nap). Yesterday evening , we decided to visit N's brother and his family who lives nearby. Since my niece adores my carrot cake, I decided to bake one and take it for her..The best thing about this cake is that once you have assembled the ingredients, which takes only 10 minutes max, it is very easy to make. And it's soo moist ..My personal favorite..the kids are mad about it...and my niece, she goes into a swoon when talking about carrot cake!!

CARROT CAKE

Ingredients

Carrots grated finely -3 cups
Sugar granulated -2 cups
Flour -2 cups
Oil -1 1/2 cups
(if you substitute dalda instead of 1/2 cup oil, it would be evn more soft and moist)
Eggs -4
Soda bi carb - 1 tsp
Baking powder -1 tsp
Cinnamon powdered -1/2 tsp
Clove powdered -1/2 tsp
Nutmeg powdered(optional)1/4 tsp
Salt -a pinch



Method:

1. Beat togeher all ingredients for 2 to 5 minutes(not more than that)

2. Pour into a greased baking tray and bake till done.(15 to 20 minutes)

3. Serve hot or warm...never cold...since it has a tendency for oiliness if cold.

A MISTY MORNING WALK

It was a a misty morning today. I had been for my morning walk down the lanes nearby, and I could see the dew hang heavily on the leaves..so heavy, they looked like giant drops of water....It seems this type of dew are called kanneerthullikal(tear drops)The kids had a grand time, plucking the kanneerthullikal and rubbing them against their face and arms..leaving a sticky wet trail behind.
The rains have gone..and it’s spring in Kerala now. There’s a lovely cool breeze blowing all the time..so lovely that I insist on throwing open all the doors and windows to let it flow throughout the house….( N goes around locking all doors as I open them…grumbling about security problems……my! He is so grouchy in the mornings….misty morning or cool breeze be damned!! )
Walking into my kitchen..I notice that the bananas have become too ripe to be eaten…hmm….waste..waste…I hate wasting food…Eureka!!
KAAYPOLA !!
This is a traditional malabari cake which is unbelievably soft ..tasty..and easy to make too!! You should use big yellow coloured bananas for this , and if you don’t like the taste of rose in your cakes, just add vanilla essence instead…but, be warned…adding rose water will retain the true malabari taste and smell..

KAAYPOLA
Ingredients:

Banana 4(chopped)
Eggs 8
Maida 4 tbsp
Sugar 4 tbsp
Soda bicarb 2 tsp
Nuts and raisins 1 tbsp
Ghee 4 tbsp
Cardamom 6
(remove husk and powder the seeds inside)
Salt a tiny pinch
Rose water 2 tsp


Method:

1. Saute bananas in ghee till golden an colour.
2. Add nuts and raisins . Saute for half a minute, keep aside.
3. Beat eggs and sugar till light and frothy.
4. Add maida and soda powder. Beat again.
5. Add cardamom and rosewater, beat again well.
6. Fold in the bananas gently, and bake till done. (15 to 20 minutes)
7. Serve hot .

ALONG CAME A SPIDER

Little Miss Muffet,
Sat on her tuffet,
Eating her curds and whey.
Along came a spider,
Who sat down beside her,
And frightened
Miss Muffet away.


In this case, the little miss muffet was my daughter J3, and she was eating a plate of brownies with icecream when the spider scared her....
You should have heard the commotion here when the spider hit!!My poor little fusspot was sitting there happily ,munching on her weekend treat,brownies with icecream..when all of a sudden, this big spider goes walking by about ten metres away....the next minute, all that was left of the treat was a huge splotch on my ceiling!!Dark brown choclate and creamy icecream dripped down onto her hair, while she was screaming blue murder. It took another two servings of brownies and the valiant efforts of her two big brothers, who risked life and limb(so they say...)to shoo away the offending party(the poor spider..he ever even knew what hit him!!)before she calmed down.


EASY BROWNIES

Ingredients:

Butter(or dalda) -185 gm
Sugar(granulated,not powdered)-400 gm
Eggs -4
Flour -170 g
Cocoa -10 dsp levelled
Vanilla essence -1tsp
Walnuts/cashewnuts (chopped) -1 cup


Method:

1. Cream butter and sugar well.

2. Add eggs one at a time, beating well in between.

3. Add cocoa and flour. Beat well.

4. Add nuts and essence.Fold in with a spoon.

5.Pour in a grased shallow baking tray and bake till done.

6.One baked and cooled, cut in half lengthwise, and spread with choclate fudge icing in between layers, and on top too.

7. When serving, heat in microwave, or oven a little, then serve with slightly soft vanilla icecream.

Choclate fudge icing recipe:

Butter(unsalted) -50 gms
Milk -1 tbsp
Icing sugar -100 gms
Cocoa powder -2 tbsp


Heat butter on low flame, add milk. Stir in icing sugar and cocoa powder. Spread for brownies while still hot .