Moist Banana Cake

This Cake is just a simple twist given to the basic sponge cake. It’s very moist and you will definitely love this. Though it looks like a chocolate cake but it’s not. I haven’t used even a pinch of chocolate powder, believe me. This season is a cake season with Christmas and New Year knocking your door. Hope this New Year brings happiness and sweetness in your life. Satisfy your sweet tooth with this delightful cake. Keep trying new recipes this year and keep sharing it with this world.

Ingredients

Plain flour (Maida) – 1 cup

Sugar (powdered) -1 cup

Ripe banana – 2 ½

Eggs – 3 pieces

Oil – ½ cup

Baking powder – 1 ½ teaspoon

Baking soda (Soda bicarbonate) – ½ teaspoon

Vanilla essence – 1 teaspoon

Salt a pinch

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Mix all the dry ingredients (plain flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt) together and sieve it.

Peel and blend bananas in blender to make banana puree.

Beat eggs and powdered sugar together. Add vanilla essence and banana puree to it and mix. Air bubbles will form in this mixture.

Now mix the dry ingredients in this mixture. Just fold it nicely so there is no lumps in the batter, don’t over beat it.

Grease the mould with oil and then dust it with little plain flour.

Pour this batter into the mould. Place the mould in oven and bake for 30 minutes at 180-200 C.

P.S.- Don’t over beat the batter. We want the air bubbles to be in the batter so that the cake will be spongy. Over beating will allow the air bubbles to escape.

Simple Sponge Cake

Cake - a delight, a love. I can bet on this that there is anyone who has not tasted cake. Most versatile and most tasty thing, i would say. It’s really simple to make and tastes awesome. You can find cake with many varieties. This is the most simple and most basic version of cake. It’s simple sponge vanilla cake. You can prepare this very easily and it will surely turnout tasty.

Ingredients

Plain flour (Maida) – 1 cup

Sugar (powdered) -1 cup

Eggs – 3 pieces

Oil – ½ cup

Baking powder – 1 ½ teaspoon

Baking soda (Soda bicarbonate) – ½ teaspoon

Vanilla essence – 1 teaspoon

Salt a pinch

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Mix all the dry ingredients (plain flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt) together and sieve it.

Beat eggs and powdered sugar together. Add vanilla essence to it and mix. Air bubbles will form in this mixture.

Now mix the dry ingredients in this mixture of egg and sugar. Just fold it nicely so there is no lumps in the batter, don’t over beat it.

Grease the mould with oil and then dust it with little plain flour.

Pour this batter into the mould. Place the mould in oven and bake for 25 minutes at 180-200 C.

P.S.- Don’t over beat the batter. We want the air bubbles to be in the batter so that the cake will be spongy. Over beating will allow the air bubbles to escape.

Upma

Upma is very popular breakfast in south India. It is healthy as well as fast and easy to prepare. Semolina is cooked in water and an easy tadka does the magic. In this fast world in which we are living its becoming a common that people avoid breakfast. But remember its most important part of your daily meal. This fast and healthy breakfast can give us energy for our daily work.

Ingredients

Semolina/ suji/ rawa  - 1 cup

Water  - 3 cups

Green chilies(Finely chopped)  - 2 pieces

Onion(Finely chopped)  - 1 medium

Curry leaves  - 7-8

Black mustard  - a pinch

Chana dal  - around 1 tablespoon

Oil   - 1 tablespoon

Dalda/ vanaspati  - ½ tablespoon

Salt to taste

Method:

Heat dalda in a pan. When it melts add semolina and roast it for 3-4 minutes on low flame.

Add oil in a pan when it becomes hot add curry leaves and black mustard. When it crackles add chana dal and saute for 2 minutes.

Now add onions and green chilies and fry for 2 minutes. Add water and bring it to boil.

When it boils add semolina and salt. Mix and cook till semolina absorbs all water.

P.S.- Measure semolina and water with the same cup. Remember water should be three times in volume to semolina. Add chilli according to your preference.

Dal makhani

Dal makhani is a traditional Punjabi recipe. It is now famous throughout the country and you can easily find it in menu of any restaurant. Even the dhabas serve good dal makhani. It’s a simple recipe but still very delicious. Dal is cooked and added to a nice tadka of butter, cumin and tomatoes.

Ingredients

Whole urad dal(Black lentils)  - 1 cup

Rajma (kidney beans)  - 1 tablespoon

Ginger (Finely chopped)  - ½ inch

Garlic cloves (Finely chopped)  - 3 pieces

Green chilies  - 2 pieces

Butter 50 grams

Cumin -1 teaspoon

Ginger garlic paste  1 teaspoon

Tomatoes(Chopped)  - 3 pieces chopped

Red chili powder  - ¼ teaspoon

Salt to taste

Food color mixed in a tablespoon of water

Method:

Soak urad dal and rajma overnight. Wash it thoroughly and drain excess water.

Put urad dal, rajma, ginger, 2 cloves of garlic, green chilies, salt and 3 cups of water in pressure cooker and cook for 10 minutes after first whistle. When it is done mash it with back of spatula or ladle.

Now heat butter in a heavy bottom pan. When it melts add cumin. When it changes color add 1 clove of chopped garlic and then add ginger garlic paste. Saute for 2 minutes. Add red chilli powder and cook for a minute.

Add chopped tomatoes and cook for 5-7 minutes or till tomatoes leave oil. You can observe it on the sides of pan.

Now add cooked dal and food color in pan and bring it to boil. Now allow to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Garnish with a cube of butter and serve with white rice or roti.

P.S.- Mash dal lightly just to gain a consistency. Adding food color is optional, you can skip it if you want.

Zarda / sweet saffron rice

Zarda or sweet saffron rice is a traditional dessert very famous in India and Pakistan. The name zarda is derived from an urdu word ‘zard’ meaning yellow. It is served specially during weddings or special occasions. Basmati rice is cooked and then dipped in sugar syrup. Different nuts are used for garnishing. Glazed cherries, khoya and murabba are mixed in rice as well. You can also garnish it with silver foil to get a richer look.

Ingredients

Basmati rice(soaked for an hour) -  1 cup

Sugar - 1 cup

Butter -  ½  cup

Green Cardamom 1 piece

Cashews, raisins and almonds (peeled) -  a handful

Glazed cherries -  5-6 pieces

Murabba – cut into small pieces

Khoya – around 1 tablespoon

Few strands of Saffron soaked in a tablespoon of hot milk

Method:

Heat enough water and add orange food color to it. Add rice to it. Cook rice till it is 90 percent done. Drain excess water.

In a heavy bottomed pan add butter, when it melts add cardamom to it. Now add sugar to it. Now put half cup water to make sugar syrup.

When sugar syrup boils add cooked rice and saffron to it. Put the dry fruits and glazed cherries to it and mix a little.

When it becomes dry add khoya then mix and then switch the heat off.

P.S.- You can add dry fruits of your choice. I have used sugar of same amount as that of rice, if you like more sweet you can increase quantity of sugar a little.