PINEAPPLE LAYER CAKE / CREAMY PINEAPPLE CAKE

Ingredients :


Butter : 125g
All Pupose flour : 1 1/2Cups
Castor Sugar : 1Cup
Eggs : 3, at room temperature
Milk/Pineapple juice  : 3/4 Cup 
Baking Powder : 1tsp
Baking Soda : 1/4tsp
Pineapple Essence : 11/2tsp
Salt  : 1/8tsp 


For Sugar syrup and  Frosting :


Whipping cream  :1Cup, chilled
Pineapple Essence : 1tsp(optional)
Crushed Pineapple : 1Cup
Sugar : 1tbsp
Canned Pineapple juice : 200ml

Method : 

1. Preheat oven at 180˚C. 

2. Grease and line an 18cm round cake tin and keep aside.

3. Sift the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder thrice.

4. With an electric mixer, cream the butter until soft. Add the sugar and and continue beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add milk/pineapple juice and pineapple essence and continue beating.

5. Spoon into the cake tin and bake until the cake pulls away from the sides  (about 35minutes). Remove from the oven but carefully pull the lining. Let the cake cool completely.

6. For layering, dip a bread knife in boiling water and wipe it with a warm cloth. Make layers carefully without breaking the sides of the cake.

For the Syrup :

1. On Medium flame combine Pineapple juice and water in a sauce pan. When sugar has dissolved completely and has the consistency of milk, turn of the flame and allow the syrup to cool completely.

2. Prick the cake all over with a fine skewer and pour the syrup over each layers of cake. It may seem at first that there is too much syrup for the cake to absorb, but it will soak it all up slowly.

Frosting & Assembling :

1. Beat whipped cream with pineapple essence till it turns soft And fluffy .(you can add yellow food color also)

2.Divide the whipping cream into 4parts and keep in refrigerator. Take the  bottom part of the cake and spread the whipping cream evenly, spread the crushed pineapple slices over the cream. Repeat the same with one more layer.

3. Place the top layer and spread the cream evenly on the sides. You can top the cake with cherries / crushed pineapple. Refrigerate the cake for 3-4hours and serve chilled.

NADAN NJANDU CURRY / Kerala Crab curry with Coconut milk

Kerala Crab curry

Ingredients for Kerala Crab curry:

Crab : 1kg, medium size
Turmeric Powder : 1/2tsp 

Chilli Powder : 2tsp

Coriander powder : 1/2tsp
Shallots : 10 + 2, chopped

Ginger : 1/2 inch Piece
Green Chilli : 3, Halved
Coconut milk : First, Second and third extract from a half coconut

Gambooge : 2pieces, soaked in luke warm water for 15minutes

Curry Leaves : 2springs
Salt
Coconut Oil

Kerala Crab Curry

How to make crab curry :

1. Clean and pat dry the crab pieces.

2. Make a fine paste of 10 shallots, green chillies, ginger and curry leaves. 

3. In a clay pot, combine coconut milk along with the paste of shallots(step 2), gambooge, turmeric powder, chilly powder and coriander powder. Heat on a medium flame.

4. After 3-4 minutes add the crab pieces and combine well. Add enough salt and cook till the gravy becomes thick.

5. In a tadka pan heat coconut oil and add chopped shallots. Saute well till it becomes golden in color. Add this to hot fish curry and combine well.

6. Serve Kerala Crab curry/ nadan njandu curry hot with rice / appam / kappa :)