Chocolate Cake (in the microwave)

This recipe should be given due credit to the person who sent it in to the Sangam (ghar bhaite shopping - in Mumbai) but mom didn't note down the name of the lady. So I will have to go ahead as it is. The reason I got all excited about this is because this cake can be made in a microwave and it chocolate cake !!!!

CHOCOLATE CAKE (in the microwave)

Ingredients :-

Maida (All purpose flour) - 3 cups

Soda bi-carb/ Baking soda - 1 tsp

Baking powder - 1/2 tsp

Drinking chocolate - 2 tbsp

Cocoa powder - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Milk powder - 1 cup

Fresh crem - 1 cup

Sugar powder - 2 cups

Milk - 2 cups

Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp

Method : -

1. Sieve all the ingredients together - maida, baking soda, baking powder, drinking chocolate, cocoa powder for 4 mins.
2. In another bowl, add the milk powder, fresh cream, sugar powder, milk and vanilla essence and mix well.
3. Now mix sieved ingredients in a bowl and stir in one direction for 20 mins.
4. Pour this batter in a greased microwavable, square baking bowl. Micro for 10 mins and then grill for 7 mins in grill mode.
5. Hurray !!! Chocolate cake is ready.
6. When the cake has cooled down, add icing on the top with white butter and icing sugar. (Check out Cake Journal blog site for tutorials).
7. Set in the fridge for cooling. Serve.

Note: when mixing, mix in only one direction.

Rossogollar (Bengal sweet)

Again from an old issue of Women's Era comes a well-known Bengal sweet. Popular all over the world. Given here with a twist as its pressure - cooked.

PRESSURE COOKED ROSSOGOLLA

Ingredients :-

Paneer - 500 gms (absolutely dry with all the water squeezed out)

Sugar - 10 gms (to be kneaded into flour)

Sugar - 500 gms (for syrup)

Rice flour / arrowroot powder - 30 gms

Water - 750 ml

Rose Water - 4-5 drops

Method : -

1. Knead the paneer and flour into a fine paste (you may use the mixer for this)
2. Continue kneading till the paneer stops sticking to the basin/bowl.
3. Knead in the 10 gm sugar. Divide into 34 portions and roll into smooth balls. Cover with a wet cloth.
4. Boil the 500 gms sugar and 750 ml water and reduce the sugar to a thick syrup in a pressure cooker. When the syrup is boling briskly, add the paneer balls.
5. Cook for 5 minutes. Sprinkle some rose water.
6. Serve warm or chilled.

Sandesh (sweet Bengal delicacy)

Sandesh brings back memories of Calcutta because this in a sweet orginating from West Bengal and is widely sold there. Not found outside Bengal. This too has been replicated from the same Milkmaid recipe book as given immediately below. Haven't tried this at home as yet but planning on doing so soon. However, wanted to share this with you all.

SANDESH

Preparation Time : 5 mins

Cooking Time : 30 mins

To serve : 10

Ingredients : -

Milkmaid - 1 tin

Paneer - 500 gms

Full cream milk powder / Amulya milk powder- 2 heaped tbsp

Powdered sugar - 2 tbsp

Maida - 1 heaped tbsp

Method : -

1. Mix all the ingredients to get a smooth paste (you could use a mixer)
2. Heat the mixture in a thick bottomed pan.
3. Once heated, reduce the flame and cook on slow heat, stirring continuously for 15 to 20 mins or till dry enough.
4. Pour onto a greased plate and cool. Cut into desired shapes.

Variations : For Kesar Sandesh - blend 1/2 tsp of kesar soaked in 1/2 tsp water with all the ingredients in step 1

For Mango Sandesh - add 1/4 tsp mango flavour and 2 - 3 drops of yellow colour to the mixture after step 3. Mix well and pour onto a greased plate and cool.

Milkmaid Quick tips - If kesar is not available, use orange-red food colour and saffron essence.

Mixer may be used to knead paneer and maida into a soft dough.

The recipe given below was written down from an old issue of Women's Era magazine.

STEAMED SANDESH

Ingredients :-

Paneer - 1 kg

Khoya - 500 gms

Curd - 250 gms

Sugar - 250 gms

For garnishing - Pistas and almonds

Method :-

1. Whip the curd and mix the khoya and paneer thoroughly. Add the sugar and mix thoroughly.
2. Transfer this mix to a pan and cover with a lid. Steam over boiling water for 30 mins till the sandesh is set.
3. Cool and cut into squares. Garnish with shredded almonds and pistachios.

Kesari

I got this recipe from a Milkmaid recipe book which has it listed as Kesari and which I followed to the last detail and am posting it as it is in the recipe book. This is something which I made on our 2nd Wedding Anniversary. I had saved the photographs. I wasn't blogging then and never had the faintest idea about foodie blogs or what was blogging. But I am glad that I have the photo to upload here now.

KESARI

Preparation time : 5 mins
Cooking time : 20 mins
To serve : 8

Ingredients :-

Milkmaid - 1/2 tin
Rava (Sooji) - 1 cup
Ghee - 3/4 cup
Water - 2 cups
Kesari powder /yellow food colour - 1 tsp
Cashewnuts - 8 - 10
Raisins - 1 1/2 tbsp

Method :-

1. Heat ghee in a kadai.
2. Fry cashewnuts and raisins till light brown and keep aside.
3. Add rava (sooji) to the remaining ghee and fry till light brown.
4. Add kesari powder dissolved in 2 cups of water. Keep stirring.
5. Reduce heat. When all the water has been absorbed , add Milkmaid. Stir well till traces of ghee begin to show at the sides of the pan (Note: this is the hardest part. My hubby helped me with this.)
6. Spread on a greased plate, top with nuts and raisins if desired.
7. (Note: Cool at room temperature otherwise place in the fridge for half an hour.) Cut into diamond shaped pieces . (Note : its easier to cut this way)
8. Serve warm or cold. (Warm up in the microwave)

Milkmaid Quick Tip - A few drops of liquid orang-red colour may be used if kesari powder is not available.

Gajar ka Halwa (Grated Carrot dessert)

A wintry day calls for something to warm up the cockles of the heart. How about juicy, red carrots in the market just calling out to be turned into a wholesome, gorgeous halwa, the dessert so natural, to beat all desserts. So simple to make and leaves a marvelous aroma throughout your home. Perfect example for why I name my blog so…

So that’s just what I set out to do this weekend. As you may note, I have been quite busy in the kitchen this weekend. The result of all this hard labour with a lot of love (as Lubna of Kitchen Flavours puts it http://kitchenflavours.blogspot.com/ ) the day ended on a happy note with the family satisfied and a great way to wrap up the weekend with a little left over to carry to office tomorrow so share with my lunch companions.

So here goes,

GAJAR ka HALWA or CARROT HALWA

This takes about 45 mins. so be prepared for some standing exercise.

I measured sugar and milk in those lovely red measuring cups I posted in an earlier post.
The basis of this recipe is from my fellow blogger and friend from Bombay, Harini (Tumyumtreats.blogspot.com) recipe for gajar ka halwa.

I made the following changes and used - powdered sugar, chopped up the cashews, used Amulya milk powder and extra ghee.

Ingredients :-
Carrots – 1 kilogram (grated)
Refined cow ghee – 2 tablespoons
Powdered / normal sugar – 1 cup
Milk – ½ cup (lukewarm)
Cashews – a handful
Cardamom (elaichi) powder – 1 teaspoon

Preparation : -

1) Put a large wok (kadai) on the stove. Warm up 1 tbsp of ghee. Fry cashews till light golden brown. Chop some finely. Set aside.

2) In the same ghee, add grated carrots along with the cardamom powder and sugar . As the sugar starts dissolving and the carrots softening, there will be a little water. Bring the carrot to the centre, leaving a little well in the centre of the entire lot. Wait till all this water dries up.
3) Add lukewarm milk and continue stirring on a low flame till the carrots are soft and the milk is evaporated. The whole mixture becomes sufficiently dry.
4) Add tbsp of ghee and chopped cashews and stir till the ghee is absorbed, there is no trace of moisture and the whole mixture tastes fried.
5) Serve out in a pretty dish and add the final touch by garnishing with the whole fried cashews.

Most Important - Call out to the family to relish your work of art. Soak in all the praises or indulge with a bowlful. Either way… its happiness all the way.

This recipe has been submitted to FIC - Orange, an event being hosted this month by Aparna - http://mydiversekitchen.blogspot.com/

The very first event announcement made by Sunshinemom - http://tumyumtreats.blogspot.com/2008/07/event-announcement.html