Chocolate marbled pound cake

Dry Ingredients:

All purpose flour                     - 1 and 1/2 cups

Sugar                                      - 1 and 1/4 cups

Unsweetened cocoa powder   - 1 tbsp

Orange zest                             - from 1 orange

Baking soda                            - 1/2 tsp

Baking powder                        - 1/2 tsp

Salt                                          - 1/4 tsp

Wet Ingredients

Greek yogurt(thick curds)       - 8 ounces

Butter                                      - 8 tbsps

Eggs                                        - 3

Chocolate syrup                      - 1 tbsp

Directions:

Sift the flour. Add the rest of the dry ingredients except the cocoa powder in a large vessel. Divide this into three parts.

Dry Ingredients
 
 In another bowl, break the eggs and whisk them. Then add the yogurt and whisk it to get a fluffy texture.Melt the butter and add it to this mixture, blend well.

 

wet ingredients

wet ingredients for marbling

 

Line the baking pan with an aluminium foil. Spray oil on the foil and the rest of the pan.
This helps to take out the cake easily.Layer half of the non-chocolate mix.

first layer

Add the chocolate mixture in drops over the first layer, try to avoid the sides of the dish so that the marbling remains in the center of the cake without spreading too much on the outer side of the cake.

chocolate layer

Then top with the rest of the non-chocolate mix over this and swirl with a brush.Bake in the oven for 375 F 15 minutes and reduce temperature to 350 F until done. 

Baked cake

No knead bread by our 5 year old

Introducing the youngest chef of our house, our newly turned 5 year old making an easy no knead bread.

Ingredients
All purpose flour - 2 and 1/2 cups
whole wheat flour - 1/2 cup
yeast                     - 1/2 tsp
salt                       - 1 tsp
lukewarm water  - 1 and 3/4 cups

3 cups of Flour

Adding 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp yeast

1 and 3/4 cups lukewarm water

 Mix dry ingredients together.Slowly add the water while mixing to make a sticky dough.

Mixing

  Cover with a cling wrap and let it rest for 18-22 hour in the refrigerator.

Wrapping up

 

risen dough

 Flour a surface and place the risen dough and fold it into desired shape in a floured baking dish.
Then let it rise for another 2 hours.Preheat the oven to 450 F.  Bake it without a cover for 45 minutes or until done if you want a hard surface and bubbly, soft inside.

If you want a soft surface like a sponge cake texture follow the steps below.
 Bake it closed for 15 minutes then open the lid and bake at 400 F for 10 minutes. Spray water on the surface and close pan with lid.Continue baking for 15 minutes or until done.

Baked bread

Almond coconut truffles

Ingredients:

Almonds                                 - 1 cup

Dates                                      - 8 -10 (depending on the level of sweetness)

Cocoa powder(unsweetened) - 1/2 tsp

Dry coconut flakes                 - 2 tbsps

Almond milk                           - 1 -2  tbsps*

Ghee(clarified butter)              - 1 tsp

salt                                           - a small pinch(1/4 tsp or less)

*Can substitute with any other milk.

Directions:

Soak the dates overnight in the almond milk or in water.

Toast the almonds and grind it to a powder.Mix the salt and cocoa powder to the powdered almonds.

Chop the soaked dates or if you prefer cook it for a couple of minutes.

Blend the dates with almond mix using the milk and ghee with your hands. Roll them into small balls. 

Spread the coconut flakes on a plate and roll the balls on this plate to get a coating on them. I got 10 small truffles.

Ghee could be substituted with oil of your choice(though ghee gives a nice flavour to the truffles).

White Radish/Daikon salad



Ingredients:

 

White Radish/Daikon     - 1 bowl

Ginger powder                - 1 tsp

Freshly  ground pepper  - 1/2 tsp

mustard seeds                 - 1/2 tsp

lime juice                        - 1 tsp

oil for garnishing     

salt as per taste

 

Slice the radish into thin slices. Sprinkle a mixture of salt, ginger powder, pepper and lime juice over the radish and mix well. Layer it on a plate.

heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. Once it splutters put it over the seasoned radish.

 

 

Quinoa whole wheat grain bread

Ingredients

All purpose flour(maida)                  -  1 1/2 cups (can be replaced by whole wheat flour)

Whole wheat flour                            - 1/2 cup

Red Quinoa(toasted & half cooked) - 1/2 cup

salt                                                     -  as per taste

yeast                                                   - 1 tsp

water *                                                - 1/2 to 3/4 cup

Oil of choice                                       - 1 tbsp

* I used water drained from yogurt for mixing the flour.

Directions:

Mix the flour, quinoa, salt and yeast in a bowl. Add water little by little and make it into a soft dough consistency. The dough should not be too dry, add a little flour if too moist. Knead for 2-3 minutes add the oil and keep kneading for another 3 minutes until it is not too sticky to touch.

Close it with a moist cloth and keep in a warm place for about 2 hours or until it doubles.

Grease and flour the baking tray or pan and pre-heat oven to 375 F.

I used a cast iron pan to bake the bread.

Bake until done, mine took about 35-40 minutes.

Turn off the oven and let it rest in the baking rack to cool.

Baked bread

Spicy thukkadas

• http://www.subbuskitchen.com/2009/09/thukkada-spicy-thukkada.html#.UwP8RH-9KSP

 

Red Bean Kozhakattai

Ingredients

For the outer covering:

Raw rice(sticky variety preferable) - 1 cup 

Water as required

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Stuffing :

Red beans                            - 1 cup (soaked overnight or for 6-8 hours)

grated coconut(fresh or dry) - 1 tbsp

mustard seeds                      - 1 tsp

red chillies                            - 2 

oil of choice                         - 2 tsps 

turmeric powder                  - 1/2 tsp

asoefatida                            - a small pinch

salt as per taste

Black sesame seeds             - 1 tsp

Directions:

Soak rice for 2 -4 hours and grind it into a fine batter after draining the excess water.  Heat a pan and pour the batter in it. Keep stirring to avoid lumps until the batter thickens to dough consistency. Take off heat and keep it closed.

Drain the soaked water from the beans. Pressure cook the soaked beans with water. Be careful not to overcook the beans.Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds splutter add two red chillies and saute for a minute. Drain the excess water from the cooked beans. Add the beans to the pan and saute with salt, turmeric and asoefatida for a couple of minutes. Switch off the stove and add the grated coconut.

Divide the dough into equal size balls of desired size. Apply some oil on your hand and knead the balls in your hand when the dough is cold enough to handle. Flatten the ball and place a spoonful of the cooked beans in the center of the ball. Close the ball all around the beans stuffing completely.Repeat the same with the other balls.

Steam the balls in a steamer for 10-15 minutes or until done. Decorate the top with black sesame seeds.

It can be served fresh with chutney of choice or freeze them for later.