Devil's Food Cake for Neetu

Okay.......I know.......I am going overboard with chocolate......I am official a self confessed 'CHOCOHOLIC' ......

This Devil's Food Cake is truly 'DEVILISH' .....and the frosting is just 'SINFUL'...I can think of doing a lot of naughty things with it ...(Is that sentence permissible in the blogging world.....or will I be banned ).....I don't care......coz.....believe me ....this frosting ....is 'PURE PURE PURE SIN'

This cake is dedicated to my 'Dearest Nautanki Sister ' Neetu .......If Devina is the butter in my life.....Neetu is my Chocolate:)

Ingredients
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Recipe source:Nigella Lawson

for cake

• 50g Cocoa Powder, sifted
• 100g Muscovado sugar - I used Soft Brown sugar
• 250 ml Boiling Water
• 125g Unsalted Butter, softened
• 150g Caster Sugar
• 225g Plain Flour
• 1/2tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2tsp Soda bi carbonate
• 2 tsp Vanilla
• 2 Eggs

for frosting

• 125ml Water
• 30g Muscovado Sugar- I used Soft Brown Sugar
• 175g Unsalted Butter cubed
• 300g dark chocolate- I used quantities of dark and milk chocolate

Method

1. Preheat oven at 180 degree C.
2. Line the bottom of two 8 inch round cake tin with baking paper and grease the sides and lightly dust with flour. Set aside.
3. In a bowl whisk together cocoa powder, muscovado/brown sugar and boiling water till well combined and set aside.
4. Sift together flour, baking powder and soda bi carbonate and set aside.
5. In a mixing bowl cream butter and caster sugar with an electric hand beater till it turns pale and fluffy.Now add vanilla essence/extract and beat.
6. Add one egg and keep beating and quickly add a scoop full of flour mixture. Now add the other egg.
7. Keep mixing and add in rest of the flour mixture. Finally add in the cocoa/brown sugar/water mixture
8. At this point my batter was pretty thick and I really felt that my beater was going to give up, I quickly added few tablespoons of milk and mixed in with a spatula.
9. Divide the batter equally between the two cake tins and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or till done.
10. Let the cake cool in the tins for 5 minutes before transferring onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.
11. I started preparing the frosting as soon as the cake was in the oven, because the frosting needs at least an hour to set.
12. For frosting :Combine water, brown sugar and butter in a sauce pan and place on low heat till the butter melts and mixture starts to bubble slightly.Remove off the flame and add the chopped chocolate and let it stand for few minutes before mixing with a whisk. You will be left with a runny chocolate sauce.
13. Set aside for an hour, keep whisking in regular intervals. The frosting will thicken gradually. If you want to hurry up the thickening process, keep the frosting in the fridge for few minutes,remember to keep whisking the frosting in regular intervals or the frosting will harden.
14. Assemble the cake:-Place one cake top side down on a cake stand and spread about third of the frosting on the cake and spread with a spatula. Place the other cake and spread the remaining frosting on the cake and spread evenly on the sides.

Thai Green Curry with Chicken and Veggies

I will never get tired of saying this over and over again.......'I LOVE THAI FOOD'........its this amazing blend of fresh basil......lemon grass......lemon leaves.......galangal........coconut...........its like fireworks in your mouth.

I was pretty apprehensive about making this curry, was not sure if it would be accepted at home ....since my trusted critic ...my sister Devina has betrayed me and left the country(hope you are reading this Devs).....but I was surprised to watch my dad enjoy this curry..........he over ate (which rarely happens).

Point to be noted:  All the 'Hot Veggies' can exclude the chicken.....the poor chicken....

Ingredients
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Recipe source: Nita Mehta

• 1 cup Thai Green Curry Paste
• 250g Chicken ,cubed (I used boneless)
• 5 to 6 Babycorn, slit
• 1/2 cup Broccoli
• 1/2 Red Capsicum , diced - optional
• 1/2 Yellow Capsicum, diced- optional
• 10 to 12 Button Mushroom, sliced
• 500ml Coconut Milk, tinned
• 1 cup Water
• 1 tsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp Sugar
• salt to taste
• 2 Lime leaves ,chopped
• 10 to 15 fresh Basil leaves , chopped
• 2 Red chillies , chopped- to garnish
• 1 tbsp Oil

Method

1. Place a pan on medium heat, add oil. When oil is hot add green curry paste and fry for 2 minutes. Now add the chicken and stir for few minutes.Toss in all the vegetables except for broccoli (I like my broccoli to have a crunch to it,so I toss it in when the curry is almost done).
2. Now add coconut milk and mix well. Cover and simmer till the chicken and vegetables are almost done.Add water ,you can increase or reduce the amount of water according to your desired consistency.
3. Add sugar, salt, soy sauce, lime leaves ,basil leaves and broccoli and cook for few more minutes.
4. Garnish with red chillies.
5. Serve with hot rice.

Thai Green Curry Paste

 Almost a year back I had posted Thai green curry- instant recipe on this blog, when I went back to check it out, I just could believe what I had written...it goes like this......"In Thailand its said that , if a girl knows to hand grind green curry paste which consists of 14 odd ingredients, then she is ready to get married. Well I am already married and I don't want to hand grind 14 ingredients. So I am going to use Ready made Green curry paste".........well first ..... I cannot believe I actually said that.....and Second......well ...well.....look who made Thai green curry paste from scratch (not a big deal at all)- though I have to confess....I did cheat....started of with a mortar and pestle....lost patience half way through and finished it of in a blender (how else would you get a fine paste).


OK again a reminder to all the hardcore  Thai food fans.....this green curry paste, just like the Thai red curry paste has been modified to suit the Indian kitchen. The result was more than satisfactory ....a sure winner...so please don't hesitate to try it out....won't be disappointed. 

Ingredients
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Recipe source- Nita Mehta

• 6-7 Green chillies , deseeded
• 5-6 Shallots or 1/2 Onion
• 1 tbsp Garlic , chopped
• 1/2 inch Galangal or Ginger
• 1 stick Lemon Grass ,lower portion only, chopped (or rind of 1 lemon)
• 3 Lemon leaves
• 1 cup Fresh Basil leaves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 15 Peppercorns
• 1 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds

Method

1. Dry roast coriander seeds and cumin seeds for 2 minutes till aromatic but not browned.
2. Grind all the ingredients of the curry paste along with roasted seeds in mortar and pestle  or a blender and grind to a fine paste using little water if required.
3. This paste can be stored in a fridge for up to a week.
4. Use to make Thai green curry . 

Coffee and Chocolate Loaf - Happy Birthday Devina

                                       
                                                              You are the butter in my life .........
                                                         (a true foodie will know what that means)

                                                        Devina......Wish you a very Happy Birthday

Miss you like crazzzzzy.......Please come back......I will treat you well......I will make tea everyday(except in the morning and evening).......I will not throw a karate kick at you......I promise to take you out for breakfast every Sunday to different restaurants.......I promise not to steal your clothes,belts and bags......and  I promise never to leave you whenever you need me no matter where you are.............Just come back.....I miss my best friend......my sister....my partner in crime.....my navigator.....my foodie pal.....my critic.......and most important....I miss my butter.......Love you Devina

Recipe source:The Hummingbird Bakery- Cake days
Ingredients
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• 190g Unsalted Butter (softened and extra for greasing)
• 130g Plain Flour, extra for dusting
• 190g soft Light Brown Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 60g Cocoa Powder
• 1tsp Baking Powder
• 20ml Milk
• 1 tbsp Coffee powder or decoction(brewed coffee)

Method

1. Preheat oven at 170 degree C.Grease loaf pan with butter and dust with flour.
2. In a bowl, cream butter and brown sugar till light, fluffy and pale. Break in one egg at a time and beat till well combined.
3. Sift together flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and keep aside. In a small glass combine brewed coffee and milk and mix well.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the cake batter in two batches alternating with the coffee and milk mixture. Beat on low speed till till combined. Once all the ingredients are incorporated, increase speed to high and beat till you get a smooth batter.
5. Transfer the batter into the prepared loaf tin.
6. Bake in the preheated oven till the sponge is firm and when inserted with toothpick in middle of the loaf comes out clean.According to the original recipe it takes 60 minutes to bake the loaf but mine took 45 minutes.
7. Allow the loaf to cool in the loaf tin for a while before turning it out on to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Charred Tomato Salsa

                         Raw......Chunky....Spicy.......and Charred...... that's how I love my Salsa


Ingredients
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• 4 medium Tomatoes
• 1 medium Capsicum
• 1 small Onion, chopped
• 1 Green chilli, chopped and soaked in 2 tsp Vinegar
• 2 tsp Dry chilli flakes
• 1 tsp dried Oregano
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped

Method

1. Pierce the tomatoes and capsicum with a fork and hold over the flame till the skin blackens.Peel the charred skin (do not wash). De seed the tomatoes and capsicum and chop finely and put into a bowl.
2. Mix in rest of the ingredients.This is how I like my salsa....raw and chunky.
3. Other method:-Heat oil in a pan,fry onion for few seconds and add rest of the ingredients and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Serve with Corn chips.

Homemade Corn Chips

Just love homemade corn chips.....its a perfect appetizer....and goes very well with Charred Salsa (my next post).

I love my corn chips crispy and thick...you can go ahead and make it as thin as possible....sprinkle some cheddar cheese......spicy salsa....toss it in the oven......and you will have amazing cheesy nachos ready to munch on.

Recipe Source: Tarla Dalal

Ingredients

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• 100 g Maize Flour
• 50 g All purpose flour (Maida)
• 1tbsp oil
• 1 tsp Chilli Flakes (optional)
• salt to taste
• water
• oil for deep frying

Method

1. Combine maize flour, all purpose flour, salt, chilli flakes and oil in a mixing bowl.Add enough hot water to make a  dough.Knead well. Cover and keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Take a big lemon size dough and roll out using flour for dusting to a circle. I used a puri/tortilla press to flatten the dough.
3. Place a flat pan on medium heat and cook the flattened corn tortilla for few seconds on each side and keep it aside.Continue the same with rest of the dough.
4. Prick the half cooked corn tortilla with a fork(this to to prevent the corn chips from puffing up while frying).Using a knife or pizza cutter,cut the corn tortillas into wedges or desired shape.
5. Heat oil on medium high heat, deep fry the wedges till brown and crisp. Remove from oil and place on absorbent paper to remove excess oil.
6. Serve the corn chips with salsa, sour cream, avocado dip ......

Eggless Vanilla Cupcake - For all the 'Hot Veggies'

Celebrating with some Egg less vanilla cupcake with chocolate frosting for completing 200 posts :)

I don't like egg less cakes......I had this wrong notion that cakes can never taste good without eggs......BOY ....was I wrong......I realized that I should be more open to different kind of recipes that come my way......I am holding onto these egg less cupcake as of now:)

Recipe source :Marias Menu

Ingredients
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• 2 1/2 cups  All purpose flour
• 1tsp Baking powder
• 1tsp Soda bi carbonate
• 2 cups Powdered Sugar
• 3/4 cup (170g) Butter , softened
• 1 cup Yogurt , room temperature
• 1/2 cup Hot Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla Essence

For Chocolate Frosting

• 1/2 cup(113g) Butter
• 2/3 cup Cocoa powder, sieved
• 3 cups Icing sugar, sieved
• 1/3 cup Milk/ water
• 1 tsp Vanilla essence

Method

1. For cupcake: Preheat oven at 180 degree C for 10 minutes
2. Sift all purpose flour(maida), baking powder and soda bi carbonate. Keep this aside.
3. In a bowl beat butter, sugar, yogurt , hot milk and vanilla essence till light and fluffy. Fold in the sifted flour.
4. Line cupcake tray with paper cases, fill the cases with the prepared batter using an ice cream scoop or spoon.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes or till done.
6. Remove from oven and let the cupcakes cool down before frosting them.
7. For chocolate frosting :Melt butter in a pan, add sifted cocoa and mix well, take off the flame and add sifted icing sugar and vanilla essence. Add enough water or milk to make a spreadable frosting.
8. Frost the cupcakes : apply a tablespoon of chocolate frosting on the cupcakes and let the frosting set.