Butterfly Chocolate Cake

It was my neighbor's daughter's 7th birthday last week. I was home that day as I had conjunctivitis and was not allowed to go to work. I had originally not planned on baking a cake. But since I was home, I decided to make a pink butterfly chocolate cake as a surprise for Poonam. Poonam is all that little girls should be! She loves chocolate cake, she loves butterflies and she loves the color pink! I have been wanting to try this butterfly cake for a while now ever since a fellow CAL member posted hers on the wall! I also wanted to make some cupcakes and a cake for another weekend project. This was the perfect "two birds with one stone "deal. The inspiration for the chocolate cake was from on of my favorite foodies Amrita Gill. It was Amrita's recipe with little bit of my modifications. You can find the original recipe here. It was easy to make and the chocolate cake came out delicious! I had doubled the recipe as I baked a 10 inch,9 inch, 6 inch cakes and a dozen cupcakes!

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

All purpose flour: 1 3/4 cups
Powdered sugar: 1 1/2 cups
Nestle chocolate milk powder: 1/2 cup
Cocoa powder: 1/4 cup
Baking powder: 1 1/2 tsp
Baking soda : 1 1/2 tsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Eggs: 2 large
Oil : 1/2 cup
Milk : 1 cup
Vanilla essence : 1 tsp
Boiling water 1/2 cup

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F.

Grease and prepare one 9 inch round cake pan and a 6 inch round cake pan and keep aside.

In a bowl mix together all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nestle chocolate milk powder, cocoa powder and keep aside. Make sure you mix well.

In another bowl, beat 2 eggs until frothy. Add the oil, milk, vanilla essence and beat well.

Now slowly and gently  mix the dry ingredients into the wet little by little in 2-3 batches. Mix only until the dry ingredients are incorporated into the wet. Do not overmix. Add the boiling water and gently mix.

Pour the batter into the prepare pans until 1/2 full. Gently tap the pan on the counter to let out any air bubble.

Place the pans on the center rack and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.

Let it cool for 10-15 minutes before removing it out of the pans. To remove it from the pan, gently run a knife along the sides to loosen it. Then invert it on a cake board or wire rack. Now if there is a dome on top of the cake gently level it with a knife. Let the cake cool for another 15-20 mins on the wire rack.

With a knife or thread, cut the cake into half. Then cut each half again into two equal pieces until you have 4 equal pieces.

Invert 2 of the pieces on top of each other with a layer if frosting in between. Pretty much like a sandwich. Now on a cake board, arrange the 4 pieces( 2 sandwich like pieces from each cake) to form the shape of the wings of a butterfly a shown in the picture.Place a chocolate wafer in the middle to depict the body of the butterfly. Now ice the top and the sides of the cake and decorate it with M & Ms.

The butterfly is ready! Enjoy!

Note: to make cupcakes, place cupcake liners in the cupcake pan and fill the mould until half full. Bake for 11-14 mins. Let it cool down for 15-20 mins before icing it.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

No cake is ever level.Use a serrated knife or a cake leveler to level the cake.

Always place the leveled side on the cake board and the smooth side on the top to be iced.

A piece of thread or floss is perfect to cut a cake into 2 equal halves or to slice it equally and smoothly.

Tip for healthy living:

For good healthy hair, warm a little coconut oil and massage it into the scalp. Leave it on for 30-mins to one hour and then wash your hair. .Oil massage increases the blood supply to the scalp and stimulates the hair follicles resulting in increased hair growth. Do this once a week for lustrous,shiny, healthy hair.

Oil massage of the head is also believed to cool the body, relieve headaches and stress.

Food for thought:

Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present. Buddha

Meatless Monday Tingalavre Ani Cauliflower Song ( Navy Beans and Cauliflower in spicy onion-tomato sauce).

We Konkanis make several types of songs. Not the musical kind; the gastronomical kind. Song is basically the type of sauce or gravy that is make out of sautéed onions and tomatoes. Loads of onions and tomatoes are used in this dish. Song can be made with coconut ( masolu ghalnu) or without coconut in which case it is referred to as mirsange pitte song ( which essentially means song made with chilli powder). This is a nice tangy , spicy,delicious dish. Like I mentioned earlier there are several types of song: batate song( made with potatoes), mushroom song, tingalavre song ( made with navy beans).It is again one of the favorites in my household. The best part is that it is quick an easy to make!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Navy beans: 1/2cup
Cauliflower : 15 florets, washed.
Onions: 2 medium, diced small
Tomato: 1 medium, diced small
Cooking Oil: 1 tbsp( I use coconut oil)
Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder: 1/4 tsp
Haldi ( turmeric powder): pinch
Hing ( asofoetida powder): pinch
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves( cilantro): 4-5 sprigs for garnishing.
Water: 1 1/2 cups + 1/2 cup

Method:

Cook navy beans in pressure cooker with 1 1/2 cups water until tender. Generally about 15 minutes on medium heat.

Make sure you don't overcook the navy beans as the dish will turn into a mushy paste.Do not open the pressure cooker until the pressure has completely been released. Keep aside.

Cook cauliflower in 1/2 cup water until slightly tender. Make sure cauliflower is not over cooked. It will become mushy. Once cooked, strain it and keep aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan/ wok on medium heat.

Add the chopped onions, sauté until they turn almost golden brown.

Add the chopped tomatoes and sauté until the tomatoes start leaving oil.

Now add turmeric powder, coriander powder and sauté for 30 seconds. Then add chilli powder and sauté for another minute.

Now add the cooked navy beans( without the water) and the cauliflower( without the water) and mix well. 

Add the water left behind from cooking the navy beans/ cauliflower as needed based on your desired consistency of the dish. 

Add salt, mix well. Simmer until it comes to a gentle boil. Turn off the flame.

Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Serve hot with rice/ roti/ bread.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

In the above recipe, as you are waiting for the navy beans and cauliflower to be cooked, you could chop the onions and tomatoes and sauté them. This way by the time the navy beans are cooked and ready to be used, your sauce is ready. It saves you a lot of time!

Navy beans are one of the few legumes that does not need to be pre-soaked overnight before cooking. It can be used anytime you wish as long as you have it in your pantry!

Tip for Healthy living:

Do not compromise on your sleep. An average adult requires 7-8 hours sleep every night. When we are sleeping the body is repairing and rejuvenating itself. Inadequate sleep leads to muscle fatigue, spasm and pain. There is no such thing called "catching up on your sleep".Catching up on your sleep one day to compensate for lack of sleep does not work. The body requires an adequate amount of sleep daily . So go get your zzzzs!

Food for thought:

Once bitten, twice shy. ( unknown)

Alasande bee ani knol-khol ghalnu koddel ( Cow peas/Black-eyed peas and Turnip in coconut sauce).

In my kitchen all kinds of cuisines are cooked.But every now and then I get nostalgic for my childhood food. My mother always made one curry(randayi) and rice. She was simplicity at it's best. Today I was craving for Alasande bea( cow peas or black-eyed peas) koddel. I had one knol- khol ( turnip) left in the fridge. I decided to add it to my koddel. It was so delicious my husband not only took seconds but complimented me on it!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Alasande bee( cow peas): 1 cup soaked in water for atleast 6-8 hours or overnight.
Knol-khol( turnip): 1 medium, peeled and diced.
Salt to taste.
Water: 2 cups + 1 cup

For the coconut masala/gravy/ sauce:
Grated fresh coconut: 1 cup
Dry Red chillies:4-5 nos ( depends on the spice level of; the chilly).
Tamarind: marble sized if dry, 1/2tsp if pulp.
Water: 3/4 cup

For tempering:
Garlic cloves: 4-6 small cloves peeled and chopped into big pieces and lightly crushed.
Coconut oil: 1 tsp ( any cooking oil can be used.)

Method:

Grind all the ingredients under coconut gravy and keep aside.

Cook the cow-peas in pressure cooker with 2 cups water on medium flame for 15-20 minutes. Open the cooker only after the pressure from the cooker has completely ceased. Keep aside.

Cook knol-khol ( turnip) with 1/2 cup water in a pot until tender.Around 10 minutes. Keep aside.

When all the above are ready, mix it all together in pot big enough to hold it all. Now place it on medium heat and bring it to a boil. Once boiled, switch of the flame. Temper with the ingredients listed under tempering.

Tempering:

In a small frying pan, heat coconut oil, add crushed garlic and fry it until it turns slightly golden in color.
Add it to the above pot.

Serve hot with rice.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Cooking konkani food is easy.The basis for most konkani curries( known as Randayi) is the coconut gravy/sauce. With different temperings the Randayi takes a different name. If you temper with garlic it is koddel, if you temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves, it becomes ghashi, and if you temper with fried chopped onions it becomes ambat! One can make a plethora of dishes with this one basic masala.

When I grind this masala I make enough for 2 more curries and freeze it. When I feel like making something, I just thaw the portion of masala I need. Voila ! Dinner is ready!

Tip for healthy living:

Legumes are a great source of protein for vegetarians. They are low in fat, have no cholesterol, rich in potassium, magnesium, iron, folate and also a good source of dietary fiber.

Food for thought:

Hope is a waking dream. Aristotle

My First Eggless Orange Loaf Cake

I have been wanting to make eggless cake for the longest time now.The impetus for this cake came from my Daughter's recent birthday celebration. I wanted to make cake-pops for her birthday. I also wanted to have vegetarian options for my vegetarian friends. I hate it when I go to a party and there is nothing for me to eat! I therefore make sure that I check the food preferences, allergies of all my guests and ensure that each one of my guests has adequate options in food.

Coming back to this cake, I came across this again on CAL, a group I sooo love! The recipe was posted by Kavita Balajee. You can find the original recipe here.The original recipe called for a 9 inch cake pan. I didn't have one. So I decided to try it in my loaf pan.I figured that if it didn't come out moist and tasty, I was going to destroy and use it to make cake pops hence had nothing to worry  about!

I could not have been more wrong! The cake came out so moist, pretty an tasty that I didn't have the heart to destroy it. In fact, a pregnant friend of mine, Rene, was visiting me with her family that weekend and I gave her a piece. She liked it so much that the others ate it and I gave her some to take home. The cake was gone! I had to bake another one for my cake pops! I will soon put up the recipe for cake pops.

The recipe is very easy and does not take much time to make. I would strongly urge you to definitely try it out. If you do, please let me know how it turned out. You can even send me pictures and I will put it up on this blog.

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

All purpose flour: 1 cup + 2 tbsp
Corn flour: 3 tbsp
Baking powder: 1/4 tsp
Baking soda: 1 tsp
Brown sugar: 1/2 cup
Oil: 1/3 cup ( any cooking oil, I used olive oil)
Orange juice: 1 cup
Orange zest: from 1 medium orange
Vanilla essence: 1 tsp
Vinegar: 1 tbsp
Salt: a pinch

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degree F.

Prepare the loaf pan by greasing it with butter and then sprinkling flour on it. Invert the pan and shake the excess flour off the pan. Keep it aside.

Mix all purpose flour, corn flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar and salt together in a bowl. Mix it well and keep aside.

In another bowl whisk together the orange juice, orange zest, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract. Whisk well. Now slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix slowly to produce a smooth batter. Ensure that you do not over mix. This is important as over mixing can result in a flat cake!

Pour the above batter into the prepared loaf pan. Tap the pan gently on the counter to remove air bubbles.Place it on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. Check towards the end to see if the cake is done using a toothpick. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. The toothpick should come out clean!

Take it outside the oven and let it cool for 10 mins before removing from the pan. Cut it into slices and serve.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

The kitchen timer is my best friend in the kitchen.I use the timer a lot. This lets me do other things and not forget what's in the oven or on top of the stove.

Tip for healthy living:

A homemade face pack can help rejuvenate the skin of your face.

In a small bowl, mix together 1 tbsp besan( chick-pea flour) , 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp honey and 2 tbsp milk to make a smooth paste. Apply this to your face avoiding the skin around the eyes. Leave it on for 10-15 mins and then rinse your face with cold water. Chick-pea flour helps clean the skin, turmeric is an antiseptic that helps prevent pimples, honey acts as a natural bleach and milk moisturizes the skin.

Food for thought:

If you have nothing good to say, say nothing at all. ( Unknown).

Spicy Eggplant

My husband loves eggplant and I am always on the lookout to make different varieties of eggplant dishes. Other day I came across this very nice recipe for badane gojju posted by Sangeetha. She blogs at http://enelm.blogspot.com/. Being that I am a kannadiga, I am a little partial to these dishes. I liked that it was quick and easy to make with very few ingredients. I decided to give it a try.I didn't want it mushy, so I didn't make it mushy. Instead of sambar powder, I used rasam powder as I have lots of rasam powder in my pantry which I don't use much. My husband loved it! Here is the recipe with my twist on it.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Eggplant : 1 medium-sized, diced medium.
Cooking oil: 2 tbsp
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Green chillies: 2 slit lengthwise.
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tsp
Rasam powder: 1 tbsp
Tamarind pulp: 1/4 tsp ( if using dried tamarind, use marble sized ).
Jaggery/ brown sugar: 1 tsp
Salt: 1 tsp

Method:

Heat oil in a skillet/ frying pan on medium heat.

Add the diced eggplant and sauté for 2-3 mins. 

When the eggplant seems a little wilted, add turmeric powder, slit green chillies. Sauté on low heat until the eggplants are half-cooked.

Now add the tamarind, jaggery, salt,rasam powder and curry leaves and sauté for 2 mins. 

Add 1/2 cup water and let it simmer until the eggplant is well-cooked.

Serve hot with rice/ roti/ bread.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

When you cut eggplants, place the chopped pieces in cold water that has a pinch of salt added to it. This prevents the eggplant from getting discolored.

Tip for healthy living:

In the morning upon waking, wash your face lightly.The oil in the skin after sleeping is actually beneficial for the good health of the skin. This oil nourishes the skin, keeps it supple and young. When you wash this oil off, you are actually drying your skin.

The best time to wash your face thoroughly is in the evening/ night when you come home from outside. It is essential to cleanse your face free of the dirt/dust and grime. Never leave make-up on and go to sleep.

Food for thought:

The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.Aristotle

Kele Upkari ( Raw Banana/ Plantain Stir-fry)

There is a particular variety of banana/ plantain that is used exclusively for cooking. I am not sure whether to call them bananas or plantains. We from South Kanara call it Randayi Kele( meaning curry banana)zIt is used when raw to make side-dishes. These are also known as Rollo bananas.

I have never known them being used when ripe.When I was little, i remember my mother growing them in our backyard. I am thankful to my mother for familiarizing me with all the flowers , fruits and vegetables. There was rarely a thing that my mother didn't grow in our yard! Coming back to raw bananas, I often make this dish as it is quick and easy to make, tastes delicious, is packed with nutrients and fiber and most importantly my kids love it!

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

Raw bananas ( Rollo variety): 2 medium
Cooking oil: 1 tbsp ( I use coconut oil)
Garlic: 6-8 cloves ( chopped big and crushed)
Dried Red chillis: 2-3 ( depending on your spice level and that of the chilli).
Salt: 1/2 tsp

Method:

Wash the banana.

Using a sharp knife gently peel the rough outer fibrous green skin of the banana. ( once peeled, if kept in air for too long, the banana turns dark).

Chop the banana into small pieces and keep aside.

In a skillet/ wok , heat oil on medium heat. 

Add garlic and sauté for a minute until you smell the aroma of the garlic. 

Now add the chopped bananas. Sprinkle a little water. Reduce the flame to low. Cover and cook until done( not mushy),stirring in between to make sure it does not stick to the bottom of the skillet/pan. Generally takes around 15 mins.

Cooking made easy:

If you want to cook the above dish faster add 1/4 cup water to it and cover and cook. It should be done in 8-10 minutes.

Folks in India will have to use 1/4-1/2 cup of  water as vegetables in India tend to be firmer and take longer to cook.

Tip for healthy living:

To prevent wrinkles on your face,avoid using soap to wash your face. Soap dries up the skin and makes it more prone for wrinkles.Use a non-soap based cleanser to wash your face.

Food for thought:

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. Aristotle

Meatless Monday Masala Chai ( Masala Tea)

Tea is my "go-to" in the evening when I come home tired after work. Out of all the Masala Chais I have had, my husband makes the best. This is one of my few luxuries: drinking a cup of husband-made tea in the evening! He makes it with all fresh ingredients and is absolutely refreshing and energizing ! This cup of tea gets me ready for my second shift;).
I like my tea freshly brewed from tea leaves, strong and thick with lots of milk. I do not like my tea bitter. I cannot stand tea made from tea-bags. They are too limp. Incidentally, since I gave up milk a year ago, I use almond milk in my tea. The best almond milk that gives me the taste closest to that of regular milk is the brand Almond breeze. Next comes Silk. None of the other brands match up. The only thing with almond milk is that to get the same taste as tea with regular milk, for each cup of tea, half of it has to be almond milk.
Here is my hubby's Chai recipe.

Servings: 2

 Ingredients:

Water: 2 cups
Tea leaves: 2 tsp black tea leaves of good quality.
Ginger: 1 inch, chopped
Cinnamon: 1 cm
Cloves: 3 nos
Cardamom: 2 nos
Jeera(Cumin seeds): 10 nos
Black pepper: 2 nos, freshly ground.
Milk: 1/4 cup, warmed( can add more if you wish)
Brown sugar: 2 tsp per cup( can modify as per taste.

Method:

In a saucepan place ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, clove, jeera, and black pepper.

Add 2 cups of water and bring it to a boil.

Once it boils, reduce the heat and let it simmer for 3-4mins.

Now add the tea leaves, simmer for a minute more. Turn off the heat.

Cover the pot and let it sit for 5 mins.

Divide the milk between the two cups. Add sugar to each cup. Now strain the tea and add it to the cup. Stir well.

Serve with some tea-biscuits or tea-rusk or something savory like samosa.

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

Even though freshly brewed tea tastes the best, tea could be brewed a few hours ahead of time.It can even be left outside overnight.It does not need to be refrigerated. Warm it up at the time of serving, add milk and sugar as needed and serve.Black Tea does not go bad. It is only when milk has been added to it and has been left outside that it goes bad.

Tip for healthy living:

For centuries, different teas have been consumed for their health benefits. This of course depends on the type of tea. A book could be written on this topic.There are a myriad of  herbal and then we have the regular black & green teas.

Both black & green teas come from the same plant. Black tea is just tea leaves that have been oxidized more( left exposed to the air more).

Black tea has more caffeine than other teas and therefore makes you feel more alert. Black tea also contains a stimulating substance known as theophylline that also helps us in feeling more alert. Black tea contains substances called polyphenols & catechins which are antioxidants and helps protect cells from DNA damage and thereby maybe prevent atherosclerosis and some types of cancer.Black tea is also supposed to be beneficial in lowering the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, kidney stones, Parkinson's disease, osteoporosis and lung cancer.

Food for thought:

A friend of all is a friend of none. Aristotle

Pineapple- Blackberry Upside-Down Cake

For the longest I have been wanting to make Pineapple Upside-Down Cake. A few weeks ago Nithya Krishnan, a member of the Chef at Large group had posted a picture of the upside-down cake that she had made. She was also gracious enough to provide us with the link to the recipe that she had followed. It was a recipe by Trisha Yearwood on Food Network. I looked at that link and at another recipe that I had seen and compared the two. I decided to modify Trisha Yearwood's recipe and make the cake. In my home there is an abundance of fresh fruits at all times. I do not use canned fruits. Hence,instead of canned pineapple, I have used fresh pineapple instead of canned and blackberries instead of cherries.I have to confess though that the berries gave the pineapples a star-burst appearance which some may not find aesthetically pleasing.I have also used coconut oil instead of margarine and reduced the amount of butter used.You can find the original recipe here. When I made the batter, I worried that the batter was too thick and that it may not be enough for the pan I used instead of the square 8 inch x8 inch pan that the recipe called for. I had to literally spread the batter over the pineapples so that they all could be covered. This had me worried that the cake layer would be too thin. I figured, if not a cake, I might just end up with a pie.In the end though, I realised that I worried needlessly. The cake was soft, fluffy and the right thickness. The taste was delicious with the right amount of sweetness. My colleagues said it was Purrfect! The cake was gone in no time! That was good for someone who made it the for the first time. I  would definitely make this again. I am also looking forward to making an eggless version of it.

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

Pineapple: 1/2 pineapple sliced into rings( about 6-8 rings), central core removed.
Blackberries: 10-12
Brown sugar: 1/2cup
Butter : 2 tbsp
Flour : 1 1/2 cups
Baking powder: 2tsps
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Egg: 1 large
Coconut oil: 1/3 cup
Sugar: 2/3cup
Vanilla essence: 1 tsp
Milk: 2/3 cup

Method:

Heat the oven to 350 degree F.
Place a baking pan ( I used a 13 x 9 pan, you could use a smaller pan for thicker cake)on low heat on the stove, add butter. When the butter is just melted, turn off the flame. Sprinkle brown sugar. Now place the pineapple rings in a single layer completely lining  up the bottom of the pan. Fill the center hole of each pineapple with blackberries. Keep it aside.

Sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Keep aside.

Beat together coconut oil, egg,vanilla and sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is creamy. Now fold into this mixture flour and milk alternatively in batches,mixing gently. Be careful not to overmix.

Pour this batter over the pineapple-berries, making sure that the pan is completely covered.

Place on the center rack of the oven and Bake for 25-30 mins at 350 deg F. Test with a toothpick to check if it is done. It should come out clean.

Let it cool for 10 mins. Using a knife loosen it from the sides of the pan. Place the serving tray on top of the pan and gently overturn it. Leave it like that for 5mins. Then cut and serve! 

Enjoy! 

Cooking made easy:

There was a time when I used to hesitate to bring whole pineapple home as I used to find cutting it an extremely tedious process. Not anymore! Cutting a pineapple is actually very easy. Here are the steps:

1. Cut the leafy crown of the pineapple, discard it.
2. Now keep it upright on the cutting board and with the knife shave off the peel using vertical strokes, turning the pineapple in a clockwise motion.
3.Now cut the pineapple into 2 halves vertically.
4. Cut each half again vertically into 2 equal halves.
5. Vertically slice off the central hard portion of each quarter.
6. Now place each quarter horizontally and cut it into bite size pieces.

 If you want to slice it into rings, after step 2, place the pineapple horizonatlly on the cutting board and cut it into rings of desired thickness. Remove the central core.

I shall definitely take pictures and add them to this post next time I cut a pineapple.

Tip for healthy living:

Eating pineapple 2-3 hours after a meal is supposed to help burn off belly fat and bloating. This is due to the presence of Bromelain in pineapple that is supposed to help digest proteins. Bromelain is also supposed to have anti-inflammatory properties and helps relieve arthritis pain. Pineapple is a rich source of vitamin C which is known to help with the immune system. Elderly Indians believe that pregnant women should avoid pineapple as it promotes miscarriage/ labor. Why? I have not been able to find any articles stating the reason.

Food for Thought:

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.(Sir Issac Newton).