Strawberry u/d Chocolate Cake (eggless) - Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day. V- Day is not officially celebrated at home so I am not detailing much about it. I prefer to celebrate the day 'coz you can have another day of gifting & cheer... :-)

This cake is an eggless one as mentioned and it was tasty....the downside up was sweet with all that brown sugar in there...and the tiny pieces of strawberries however baked and merged itself into the batter...that is why u can see some gaps in there..the only suggestion besides this recipe is to just halve the strawberry  so that it stays intact even after it is baked...

ingredients for the upside down base

Strawberry – 10-12 nos, chopped
Brown Sugar - 4 tbsp
Butter – 2 tbsp
Dry ingredients for the cake

Flour – 1 1/2 cups (150 gms)
Cocoa powder – 3 tbsp
Baking powder – ¾ tsp
Baking soda – 1/3 tsp

ingredients for the wet mix

Brown Sugar – 4 tbsp
Condensed milk – 200 ml
Milk – 20 ml or cream - 3 tbsp
Oil – 7 tbsp
Vanilla extract – ¾ tsp

Method

Preheat oven at 180 C.

Prepare a heart shaped pan or a pan of your choice (butter the pan and sprinkle flour and dust off excess flour). Place a butter paper which is generously spread with butter. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly and place the chopped strawberries evenly. Keep it aside.

In a bowl mix together the wet ingredients and stir till the brown sugar is melted.

Sieve together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder.

Stir in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir till no lumps are found. Immediately pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 180 C for 25 - 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Since you have a butter paper at the bottom, taking the cake out is an easy task. Just turn it into a plate, cut it and eat it..thats it...

cheers

Beef Ularthiyathu (Shredded Beef Fry)

Beef Ularthiyathu is not a regular recipe at home. I was under the impression that a lot of oil is needed to prepare a crispy beef ularthu. When I saw a similar preparation which my colleague had brought for lunch I just could not resist the taste. The taste however varies according to the taste of the garam masala. Homemade garam masala is the best because it has lots of flavor and you know what has gone into the making. I have written about the proportion of spices for a garam masala in beef and potato roast kerala style recipe.

The amount of oil used in this beef ularthiyathu is just 3 tablespoon for 500 gm meat. So I think it not that unhealthy. The only additional work you have to do is to shred the boiled beef.

the recipe

beef - 500 gms (boiled with 3 green chillies, 1/2 inch piece ginger, salt & 1/2 tsp pepper powder)
beef stock - 5 tbsp
onion - 2 medium, sliced
garlic - 10 cloves, finely chopped
ginger - 1/2 inch piece, finely sliced

chilly powder - 2 tsp
turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
coriander powder - 1 tsp
garam masala - 1/2 tsp
pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
curry leaves - 2 sprigs
oil - 2 +1 tbsp

the method

Shred the boiled beef (the size as seen in the picture). Keep it aside.

Heat a heavy bottom pan and add 2 tbsp oil. Add the garlic and stir for a minute. Add the sliced onion and stri till light brown. Add the sliced ginger and curry leaves and stir for a minute. Add the turmeric, chilly, coriander powder and garam masala. Stir for a minute and add the shredded beef. Stir for 2-3 minutes or till the masala has coated the meat. Pour1 tbsp beef stock and stir briskly for about a minute. Repeat till the beef stock is fully used up. (Add the balance 1 tbsp oil when the beef starts sticking to the pan). Check salt. Turn to low flame. Add the fennel seeds and pepper powder and stir for 1 to 2 minutes and the beef has turned crsipy. Serve hot with rice or chappati.

the recipe goes to the Kerala Kitchen event at my blog

 

Tomato Jaipuri

For this month's blog hop i have chose Tomato Jaipuri from Rudra's blog Mom's Corner. 

the recipe

Tomato – 4 large

Ingredients for the filling
Potato – 2, boiled & mashed
Paneer – 100 gms, grated
Capsicum – 1 , finely chopped
Oil – 1 tbsp

Ingredients to grind

Oil – 1 tbsp
Onion – 1 large
Tomatoes – the scooped pulp
Cashew nuts or almonds – 10
Coriander powder – ½ + 1 tsp
Chilly powder – ½ + 1 tsp
Cumin powder – ½ + 1 tsp

Method

Blanch the tomatoes and cut the upper part of the tomatoes so as to get tomatoes in a cup shape. Scoop out the pulp and seed and reserve.
Heat oil in a pan and sauté the capsicum. Add ½ tsp each of coriander, cumin and chilly powder and salt and stir well. Add the mashed potato and grated paneer and mix till it is well cooked (stir continuously). Fill this mixture into the tomato cups. Reserve the balance.

Heat 1 tbsp oil and sauté the onion till it turns light brown. Stir in the tomato pulp, tomato pieces and cashew nuts and adequate salt and sauté till the tomatoes turn soft. Grind it to a fine paste.
Pour the tomato-onion paste into a pan and add 1 tsp each coriander, cumin and chilly powder. Add water if need be. I added the balance potato, capsicum & paneer mix also. Check salt. Carefully place the stuffed tomato cups and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the tomatoes occasionally. Serve hot with rice, naan or roti. We had this with bread and also with rice.
I added a little bit of turmeric. But that has given a blushing yellow color. It is your preference whether to add turmeric or not to.

 the recipe goes to blog hop
 

 

Fish Moilee - Fish Molly aka Karimeen Molly

The colloquial name for a Fish Moilee is Fish Molly. When I was young i assumed this recipe would have been first prepared by a Molly aunty and so the name. However, the story took a U turn when I read the menu at a restaurant. It read Fish Moilee. Since the Moilee is similar to a stew this would have been prepared by a Keralite butler to a foreign master, either the Portuguese, Dutch or the British.

There are many variations to the Fish Moilee. I have prepared a recipe without spices and with lemon juice. The addition of lemon juice makes this Fish Stew very refreshing. A moilee is usually served with velleppam, idiyappam or bread, as a starter. I have used Pearlspot. You can prepare with Pomfret or fish fillets.

the recipe

Pearlspot – 4 medium sized

Ingredients to marinate

Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/3 tsp
Salt to taste

Ingredients for the gravy

Oil – 3 tbsp
Onion, sliced – 2 medium
Ginger, julienned – 1 inch piece
Garlic – 5 cloves
Green Chillies – 5
Lemon juice – 1 ½ tbsp
Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Thin Coconut Milk - 3/4 cup (extracted from 1 medium coconut)
Thick Coconut Milk - 3/4 cup (extracted from 1 medium coconut)
Salt to taste

the method

Clean the fish and make scores on it. Mix the ingredients to marinate using few drops of water. Rub the marinade over the fish and keep it aside for 15 minutes. Add about 5 tbsp oil into a non- stick or heavy bottom pan and sear the fish (lightly fry the fish – need not be crispy).

Use the left over oil or use fresh oil and sauté the onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies. Saute for about a minute and a half in medium flame. Add the lemon juice and let it cook for about 1 minute ( If the lemon juice remains fresh, it will curdle the coconut milk.).

Add the thin coconut milk and the seared fish. Simmer for 5 minutes. Check salt and add pepper powder. Add the thick coconut milk and cook till it turns hot. Turn off heat. Serve as preferred.

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