Ribbon Cake - mixed essences

Recipe courtesy: BigFatTummy

INGREDIENTS:

Maida - 175 gms
Powdered sugar - 250gms
Egg at room temp - 4
Salted butter room remp - 175 gms
Milk Cream - 1.5 tbsp
Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp
Pineapple essence - 1/2 tsp
Liquid food colour - green and pink
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Pinch of salt.

METHOD:

Line a baking tray with parchment paper, grease and keep aside.

Pre-heat oven to 180C

Take butter in a bowl at room temperature. Add maida and mix well.
Add powdered sugar and mix well for 3-4 minutes until well combined.
Add eggs one a time, mixing well for about 2 minutes with each addition.
Add milk cream and whisk on fast speed for 3 minutes.
Add baking powder and soda and pinch of salt and mix well for 2 minutes.

Divide batter into 3 portions (1:1:2)
Add vanilla essence and green colour to one 1/4 portion and mix well.
Add vanilla essence and pink colour to second 1/4 portion and mix well.
Add pineapple essence to the 1/2 portion which is your white batter, and mix well.

Take baking tin, add half of the prepared white batter and spread evenly.
Next add all the green batter and spread evenly.
Next add all the pink batter and spread evenly.
Finally add remaining white batter and spread evenly.

Give the baking tin a few taps to remove any trapped bubbles in the batter.

Bake at 180c for first 15 minutes.  Then lower the heat to 160c and bake for another 30 minutes or so till done.

Ribbon Cake - vanilla essence

Recipe courtesy: Xantillicious

INGREDIENTS:

•   125 grams Unsalted Butter
•  125 grams Granulated white sugar
•  2 large Eggs
•  1 tsp Vanilla extract
•  125 grams All-Purpose Flour
•  1/4 tsp Salt
•  1 tsp Baking powder
•  Few drops of liquid Food colors (Pink and green)

METHOD:

• 1 Preheat oven to 160 degrees C (320 degrees F) and grease a baking pan(loaf pan) 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm). In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  
• 2 Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add in the vanilla extract. Beat.
  
• 3 Fold in the flour (sieved with salt and baking powder) using a spatula.
  
• 4 Remove 1 tbsp each of the cake batter in 2 bowls. Color each batter with pink and green liquid food colors.
  
• 5 Pour batter in the pan in mixtures (layers- White cake mixture, green mixture)
  
• 6 Pour a tablespoon of white cake mixture,and then the pink mixture as shown.
  
• 7 Pour remaining white cake mixture over it.
  
• 8 Bake for about 45 mins until risen, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
  
• 9 Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for 10 mins. Remove cake from baking pan. Let the cake cook completely. Cut into slices. (makes about 12 slices) Beautiful! See the Pink and green ribbon effect!
  
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Carrot cake with cream cheese frosting

INGREDIENTS FOR CAKE:

4oz unsalted butter
150 gms flour
100 gms granulated brown sugar (i usually add about 70gms brown sugar and 30gms white sugar)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
handful of crushed nuts (walnut or pecan), optional
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups (2-3 carrots) finely grated carrots

INGREDIENTS FOR FROSTING:
8oz cream cheese
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream - optional

METHOD:
Whisk together melted butter and sugar until creamy.  Add eggs one at a time and beat until well combined.
Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg powder and mix well.
Add vanilla esssence and mix well.
Add grated carrots and nuts and mix until well combined.

Pour the cake batter into a well greased pan and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 30 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Take cake out of oven and leave to cool in pan for 10 mins.  After 10 mins turn it out onto a wire mesh and leave to cool completely before putting the frosting.  The frosting would melt if the cake is even slightly warm. Top frosting with some crushed or whole nuts.

Prepare frosting by whisking together ingredients until smooth and creamy.  Do not overbeat.  Refrigerate and chill covered until ready to frost cake.

Pork Vindaloo

Recipe courtesy: Xantillicious

Note: This recipe may be substituted for making chicken vindaloo

Ingredients For Vindaloo Paste:

•  1/2 tsp cloves
•  1 tsp Peppercorns
•  1/2 inch Cinnamon stick
•  1/2 inch Ginger Piece (roughly chopped)
•  8 Garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
•  1/2 tsp turmeric powder
•  1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
•  2 tsp Palm Jaggery (or granulated white sugar)
•  1 tbsp Tamarind (1 small tamarind ball)
•  10 Dry Kashmiri Chillies (for the red color)
•  5 Byadagi red dry chillies (for the spice or use any spicy red chilies)
•  Vinegar (as required to grind the paste)

Other Ingredients:

• 500 grams Pork
•  2 tbsp Oil
•  1 Onion (chopped)
•  1 Tomatoes (chopped)
•  2 Green chilies (choppes)
•  Salt (as per taste)
•  2 tbsp Feni (local palm feni or Vodka, optional)

• 1 Grind the ingredients for vindaloo paste using sufficient vinegar till fine paste. Keep aside.
  
• 2 In a pan, add oil. Fry the onions till soft. Add tomatoes and cook them till soft.
  
• 3 Stir in the vindalho paste and green chillies and fry for a minute. (Don't brown the masala).
  
• 4 Add the meat, fry for 2 mins. Add about 1 cup water and cover pan with lid and cook till meat is done. Adjust the salt. Add feni if using at the end and cook for the last 2-3 minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice.
  
• 5 Tastes better when kept refrigerated for about 2-3 days, but make sure to heat it up everyday,cool and then refrigerate. This helps the meat to soak in the flavors and gives the gravy a thick consistency and a deeper red color.
  

Caramel Pudding

Ingredients for the Caramel Sauce:
-4 tbsp granulated white sugar
-2 tbsp water

Ingredients for the Pudding Mix:
- 1/2 litre full cream milk
- 4 eggs
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg powder
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar or to taste

To prepare caramel: Mix sugar and water in a heavy bottomed pan and heat till the syrup turns a sticky golden brown. Pour into pudding mould and swirl to coat bottom of the mould.

To Prepare Pudding: Whisk eggs in a bowl till light. Add sugar, milk, salt, essence and nutmeg and stir well to combine.
Pour the mixture into the mould lined with caramel syrup.
Steam for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Allow to chill in the fridge for atleast an hour before turning it over.
Serve chilled.

Variation: Add 3 slices white bread (soaked and mashed in the milk mixture) to the mixture for a thicker consistency.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes 20 cookies

INGREDIENTS

main

• 45 g smooth peanut butter
• 50 g butter, softened
• 50 g caster sugar
• 45 g light brown sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 100 g plain flour
• 10 g baking powder
• grated zest from the quarter of 1 oranges
• 50 g unsalted peanuts, chopped

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter, caster sugar and light brown sugar for 4 minutes until well-blended.

3. Add in the beaten egg and mix for a further 2 minutes.

4. Add the flour, orange zest and baking powder, then mix in the peanuts.

5. Divide the mixture into 20 even-sized balls and place them onto a lined baking sheet, spacing them well apart. Press each ball lightly with a fork.

6. Bake for 25 minutes until set. Cool on a wire rack.

Basic cookie

Makes 30-35 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 225 g butter, at room temperature
• 110 g caster sugar
• 275 g plain flour
• ground spices, or finely grated zest (optional)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas 3.

2. Cream the butter in a large bowl or in a food mixer until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is pale and fluffy.

3. Sift in the flour and spices or grated zest (if using) and bring the mixture together to form a firm dough.

4. Using your hands, roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place them slightly apart on a baking tray (no need to grease or line). Flatten them slightly with the back of a damp fork and bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes, or until they are light golden brown and slightly firm on top.

5. Carefully transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool. 

Hummus from chickpeas

INGREDIENTS:
1 15oz can chickpeas or 250 gms boiled chickpeas
1/4 cup or 60 ml lemon juice (juice of a large lemon)
1/4 cup or 60 ml well stirred tahini
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1/2 tsp ground cumin
salt to taste
2-3 tbsp water
dash of paprika for garnishing
few whole boiled chickpeas for garnishing

DIRECTIONS:
In the food processor combined beaten tahini and lemon juice and process for 1 minute, scrape the sides and process for 30 secs more.  This initial whipping makes the hummus creamier.

Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin and 1/2 tsp of salt to the processor, process for 30 seconds, scrape sides then process for another 30 seconds or until well blended.

Drain the chickpeas and add half to the processor and process for 1 minute. scrape sides and bottom of bowl then add remaining chickpeas and process until until thick and smooth for about 2 minutes.  At this point if hummus is too thick or has unground pieces of chickpeas then add 1 or 2 tbsp of water and process further until you reach the desired consistency. Taste for salt and adjust accordingly.

Serve garnished with olive oil, paprika, whole chickpeas and even some chopped parsley if available.

Goan Prawn curry in coconut milk

Recipe courtesy: BigFatTummy

Ingredients:

Onion finely chopped - 1 med sized
Tomato finely chopped - 1 med sized
green chillies slit - 3
Kokum - 5 petals
Oil - 1 tbsp
Thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup

salt - to taste

1/2 kg prawns - Cleaned and deveined
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

For Masala:
Coconut grated - 1 cup
Garlic - 2 big cloves
Tamarind soaked in hot water - marble sized ball
Bedgi red chillies - 6
Kashmiri Red chillies - 2
Black peppercorns - 10
Corriander seeds - 1 tbsp
cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
turmeric - 1/2 tsp


Step 1:
Apply 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp turmeric to the prawns and keep aside.

Step 2:
Grind all ingredients listed under masala to a fine paste using 1/2 cup water

Step 3:
In a vessel, add oil and saute the onion and 2 green chillies on medium heat till light golden.

Step 4:
Next add the ground masala paste and saute for a minute.  Add 400 ml hot water and 1 tsp salt and mix well.  Let curry come to a boil.

Step 5:
Next add in the prawns.  When curry starts boiling again, add kokum petals and let curry boil for another 5 minutes.  Then switch to low heat.

Step 6:
Add remaining green chilly and the thick coconut milk and let the curry cook on low heat for another 6-8 minutes. (Keep heat low otherwise coconut milk with split).  Garnish with cilantro.

Raspberry Friands

Recipe courtesy: TASTE.COM.AU

INGREDIENTS

• Melted butter, to grease
• Plain flour, to dust
• 195g (1 1/2 cups) pure icing sugar, sifted
• 75g (1/2 cup) plain flour, sifted
• 155g (1 1/2 cups) almond meal
• 3 eggs, lightly whisked
• 180g unsalted butter, melted, cooled
• 100g frozen raspberries
• 2 tablespoons flaked almonds
• Icing sugar, to dust

METHOD

• Step 1
  Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush thirty 40ml-capacity mini muffin pans with melted butter to grease. Dust with plain flour.
• Step 2
  Combine the sugar, flour and almond meal in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add egg and butter. Stir until well combined.
• Step 3
  Divide among the prepared pans. Divide the raspberries among the centres. Sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
• Step 4
  Bake for 15-20 minutes or until light golden. Set aside in the pans for 5 minutes to cool slightly before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
• Step 5
  Dust the friands with icing sugar to serve.

Peas Pulao

Recipe courtesy: Bongong

No Goan Sunday or festival is complete without peas pulao. This is a simple an easy to follow recipe.

Ingredients

basmati rice

2   cup

green peas

1/2   cup

oil

1   tablespoon

small onion

1  

small tomato

1  

bay leaves

3  

cinnamon stick

1  

cloves

10  

mace

1  

drops yellow food color

5  

water

4   cup

milk

1   tablespoon

salt to taste

bouillon cubes or maggi cube

2

Instructions

1. Wash the rice and set aside

2. Heat oil in a large pan/pot and add the onion and saute till translucent. Add in the tomato and saute till light orange.

3. Add the spices, rice, peas and water

4. In a smalll bowl, dissolve the bouillon or Maggie cube in a little warm water and stir mixture in to the pulao

5. Add the food color and tablespoon of milk( help prevents the rice from getting sticky).

6. Let it cook on medium flame till water evaporates.Add salt to taste