MOIST ORANGE CAKE

This delicious cake is rich and full of flavours.
This quick orange cake is yummy without the frosting.
I sometimes just sprinkle icing sugar on the top.

Ingredients:

Plain flour : 170g
Baking powder : 1 1/2tsp
Salt : 1/8tsp
Butter at room temperature : 115g
Castor sugar : 115g
Grated rind of one large Orange
Eggs : 2 at room temperature
Milk : 2tbsp

For syrup and Decoration:
Sugar : 115g
Fresh orange juice : 250ml

Method:


1. Preheat oven at 180˚C/ 350F.


2. Grease and line 18cm square cake tin / 9inch round pan and keep aside.


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


4. With an electric mixer, cream the butter until soft. Add the sugar and orange rind and continue beating until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time. Add milk and vanilla essence and continue beating.


5. Spoon into the cake tin and bake until the cake pulls away from the sides, about 25minutes. Remove from the oven but leave in the tin.


6. Meanwhile, for the syrup, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice over a low heat. continue stirring for 10minutes. Then let the syrup cool.


7. Prick the cake all over with a fine skewer. Pour the syrup over the hot cake. It may seem at first that there is too much syrup for the cake to absorb, bu it will soak it all up. Unmould when completely cooled and decorate with small triangles of orange slices arranged on top or with fresh orange icecream.

MUSHROOM FRIED RICE

The simple way to make this healthy version of a Chinese-restaurant favorite, mushroom fried rice.

Ingredients :

Basmati Rice : 2cupButton Mushrooms : 12, Chopped
Beans : 5, Finely Chopped
Carrot : 2, Finely Chopped
Onion : 1, Finely chopped
Cabbage : 1/2Cup, Finely Chopped
Spring Onions : 2, Finely Chopped
Capsicum : 1, Sliced
Green Chilies : 2, Finely chopped
Ginger : 1 inch piece, Finely Chopped
Garlic : 10 cloves, Finely Chopped
Soya Sauce : 1tsp
Salt &pepper to taste
Scrambled egg : 2
Cumin powder : 1pinch, optional
Sugar : a pinch to sprinkle in the end
Vegetable oil : 2tbsp

Method :

1. Heat oil in a kadai/ wok/ non-stick pan and  add ginger, garlic and green Chillies. Now add  all vegetables in following order onion, beans, carrots, cabbage, capsicum, half of spring onion and mushroom. Saute on medium to high flame.

2. After 2-3 minutes add enough salt and pepper powder. Now add cooked rice and saute gently for 2minutes. Add soya sauce and mix well. Sprinkle crushed pepper, sugar and cumin powder. Mix together and close the pan with a tight lid. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot 

3. It goes well with gobi manchurian / pepper mushroom fry, Chilli Mushroom / Pepper Chicken.

Method for cooking rice / noodles to make Chinese dishes

1. Wash and drain  the rice.

2. In a large kadhai / saucepan/ cooker , take 3/4th of water and bring to boil. Now add enough salt and then add drained rice / noodles. 

3. Add 1/2tsp of refined oil and wait till the rice / noodles is 90%cooked. 

4.  Take care not to overcook the rice / noodles. Each grain of rice should be separate. When its done strain using a colander and Spread on a wide plate. Allow to cool. 

Note : 1.  You can also use sliced baby corn, boiled green peas or sprouts.

2. Make sure you are making fried rice with cooled rice. you can make rice before 4hrs  or previous day you make the fried rice. 

TRAVANCORE CHICKEN ROAST

Here is a wonderful Travancore Chicken roast recipe. We can make chicken roast in different styles like, malabar style, chettinadu style, travancore style etc..Great combination with paratha, bread and chappathi..

Ingredients :

Onion : 2, chopped
Tomato : 1 1/2
Chilli powder : 2tsp
Coriander powder : 2tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/2tsp
Ginger-garlic-Chilli paste :1/2 tsp
Bay leaves : 2, Crushed
Garam Masala : 1tsp
Curry leaves : 2springs
Coriander leaves : 2bunch
Salt
Oil : 5+3tbsp

To marinate :

Boneless Chicken : 500g, Cubed
Chilli powder : 2tsp
Coriander powder : 2tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/2tsp
Crushed pepper
Salt : 1 1/2tsp
Garam Masala : 1tsp
Coriander leaves : 3bunch
Curry Leaves : 2springs
Ginger-Garlic-Chilli paste : 1 1/2tsp
Curd : 1 1/2tsp


Method :

1. Except chicken, make a paste of all ingredients to marinate. Keep it for minimum 30minutes.

2. Pressure cook chicken along with 3/4 glass water.

3. In a sauce pan, add oil (5tbsp )and add the onions. Cook it in low flame. Saute well till it becomes translucent.

4. Add ginger-garlic-chilli paste and saute well.

5. One by one add all masalas, chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, bay leaves, curry leaves and coriander leaves.

6. Add the cooked chicken in to the sauce pan and cook it till it turns to a thick gravy. Add salt if needed.

7. When it becomes thick, add remaining oil. the gravy will become as a thick layer on chicken and you can see oil on top of the chicken.

8. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot!!!!

PUMPKIN HALWA

Pumpkin halwa is a famous diwali sweet.
If u want, u can add coconut milk and make halwa. This dessert can be made quickly and is quite delicious and nutritious.

Ingredients :

Pumpkin : 500g
Ghee : 8tbsp
Jaggery : 1/2 Cup
Cashew : 1/2 Cup
Cardamom Powder : 1/2tsp

Method :

1. Peel and chop the pumpkin. Pressure cook the pumpkin.Leave it to cool. Then put it in a mixer and make a thick paste.

2. In a saucepan, add the pumpkin paste along with grated jaggery. Stir well. When it gets medium thickness add the ghee and cashew.

3. Put in low flame till the ghee floats on top of the pumpkin halwa. Check the sweetness and if needed add honey or sugar.

4. Add cardamom powder when it starts to leave from the sides of the pan.

5. Remove from heat and serve hot.

This goes to srivalli's Mithai mela