Orange Cake (Eggless)

Today i will be travelling to UAE for a 3-days audit program,...so yesterday I made this orange treat for my akka who lives there. I actually wanted to bake something new (apart from the choco series i usualy make) and healthy as well, for her. This recipe is again a customised-newer version of the Eggless Orange Cake shown on FATAFEAT (one of my favs., Arabic Food Channel).

I absolutely have no patience, when it comes to baking. As i would always want to see the result even before it is fully done. But...somehow i managed to wait till the end and slurped a big piece then. Wow!...we (hubby & I) liked it. Eagerly looking forward to meet my sister & family, and hope they like it too!

Ingredients:

Self raising/all purpose flour – 1/2 Cup

Whole Wheat flour – 1 Cup

Butter – 20 gms (@ room temp)

Veg Oil - 3-4 tsps (i used olive oil)

Light Brown Sugar – 1/4 cup

Honey - 1/4 cup

Warm Water – 200 ml

Ground Cinnamon – 1/2 tsp

Baking Powder - 1 tsp

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Whole Sweet Orange - 1 (Big)

Ripe Banana - 1

Crushed nuts (of your choice) - 1/4 cup

The orange:

Gently grate the rind of the orange and keep aside (can be added during the folding process)

Use only the juice, if your orange is full of seeds and skin. I used a seedless orange, so i cut the pulps into tiny pieces and whipped them with the wet ingredients.

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 200 C for 10 minutes

2. Grease a round cake pan line base with Parchment paper

3. Beat the wet and dry ingredients separately

4. Then fold them gently together and mix them

5. Now, transfer the mixture to the prepared cake pan

6. Bake it for 15 minutes @ 200 C

7. Then reduce the temperature to 180 C and bake it for 5 - 10 more minutes (or till done)

8. cool for 20 minutes, and enjoy it with butter.

Cinnamon-Banana Cake with Nuts

After the depletion of choco-fudge i baked for the guests last week, i was thinking to bake a simple yet rich one to give my new neighbors. A simple tea cake recipe (i once watched in the local arabic channel) with some of my own touches is the "Cinnamon-Banana Cake with Nuts". 

Ingredients:

Self raising/all purpose flour – 1 3/4 Cups
Butter – 100 gms (@ room temp)
Veg Oil - 3-4 tsps (i used olive oil)
Vanilla Essence – 1 tsp
Sugar – 1 cup
Eggs – 2
Milk – 120 ml
Ground Cinnamon – 1 tsp
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Ripe Banana - 1
Broken nuts (of your choice) - 1/4 cup (i used almonds)

Method:

1. Pre heat the oven to 180C for 15 minutes

2. Grease a round cake pan line base with baking paper

3. Beat all the ingredients using hand or an electric mixer until light and fluffy (this would take some minutes)

4. Now, transfer the mixture to the prepared cake pan and sprinkle the nuts and some sugar over the cake top

5. Bake it for 30-45 minutes.



Indulge yourself with this fluffy cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or just a cup of hot tea!

(Note: i usually don't use my hand or an electric mixer, instead i put all the ingredients into a blender jar and whip them for 5-10 seconds...it comes out perfectly, without any physical strain!)

Poondu (Garlic) Chutney

I just love this Poondu Chutney, which mom makes when she is bored of cooking the whole day, or when coconut or potu kadali (to make the regular chutney) is out of stock in her kitchen. I still remember we (sisters & I) would fight for the nadir portion of this chutney, since oil stays at the bottom only...when dipped, makes your idli even more tastier!

Ingredients:

Poondu/Garlic clove: 10

Chilli Powder: 1 tsp (or as per your comfort)

Salt to tasteOil: 4-5 tsp

a sprig of curry leaves, finely chopped

a pinch of turmeric powder
a pinch of asfoetida

Method:

1.Pound-crush the garlic and keep aside

2.Heat oil, add the crushed garlic and fry

3.When the garlic is fully fried, add the rest of the ingredients, fry for few seconds and then switch off the stove

4.The Chutney is ready to be served with idly/dosa.

I personally like to spread this chutney over my idlies, leave it for few minutes and then love to slurp them!

Since this chutney stays as fresh for 3 days, this is a good travel food too!

Kande Pohe

Ever since i heard about this tiffen in 'Pavitra Rishta' (PR) (a Hindi Serial aired on Zee TV, which is also a partial remake of Sun TV's 'Thirumathi Selvam') i was craving to taste it!

Kande means onion in marathi and Pohe is the beaten rice or rice flakes (aval in tamil)...nothing complicated! simple and easy to make, like our very own rava upuma (of course tastes much better than upuma.

(in PR more than the characters they keep talking about Kande Poha...and its Maharashtrian authenticity)

Thanks to yesterdays guests (Yashica and her mom)! I actually wanted to make something very easy and with the stuff available in my kitchen. Since i was expecting them in the evening i did not have much time to opt for a complicated snack/tiffen. So this recipe, which i came across in some unknown food blog flashed in my mind and finally i cooked this Maharashtrian Nashtah (Tiffen) for my evening guests...guess what, everybody liked it!

Ingredients:

2 cups Thick Poha (beaten/flaked rice) 
1 chopped onion
1 Chopped potato
1 tsp chopped green chillies
a pinch of hing 
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Mustered  seeds
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp Red chilli powder
1/4 cup crushed groundnuts
1/2 tsp sugar 
Salt to taste
Finely chopped coriander, & grated coconut for garnishing
oil for seasoning
1 tsp Lemon juice

Directions:

1. Wash the poha using a colander

2. Drain water such that Poha is moist but not mashed (leave aside for 5- 10)

3. Heat oil in a pan add mustered seeds, hing, green chillies, onion, potato and groundnuts

4. After a while add turmeric powder and cook until the potatoes are cooked well

5. Now add red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and sugar, and cook for 2 minutes

6. Now add the poha and mix well, last add lemon juice

7. Finally when done, garnish with coriander leaves & grated coconut

Note: As shown in PR this tiffen can be had for breakfast and evening snack as well.

Tastes good with fresh curd, or with tea.