Plum Cake: Christmas Special ( Rum Essence Only)

It’s time to sing a song together, it’s time to dance in a tune, it’s time to see snowflakes falling from the sky because it’s Christmas. Once in every year all over the world people celebrate this special occasion with friends and family.  I think Christmas has its own essence, the decoration all over the street, Shops, Houses, Malls make you feel that it’s Christmas.

This is also one of the best times to purchase gifts for your near and dear ones. I think when it comes to gifts we all want to be kid again so that we can ask whatever we want from Santa. The price of the gift or the size of the gift actually does not matter, what matters is the feelings of love. From last few months my husband asked me what I want in coming Christmas which actually gives me an immense pleasure. But he only decided to buy a DSLR camera for me which can help me to take some nice Photos for my blog. And can help me to become a little better in food photography. Which I loved was his thinking about my passion of photos. 

So my Santa is going to bring a big smile on my face this year, hope each and every people of the world get his or her smile from Santa clause. Christmas cannot be completed with a perfect cake and this is the best time to bake an authentic PLUM CAKE. My husband, daughter, friends everybody liked it very much and that's why I am really satisfied after everybody's reaction. This authentic Plum cake used to make with RUM but my daughter is going to have it so I just added Rum essence, but if you don’t have any issue then you can use any normal RUM or Spiced RUM which is available in any big super market. 

Ingredients:
For Soaking dry fruits
1.Dry fruits: raisins, currents, cherries, orange peels, apricot, prunes, cranberries, cashews, almonds, pumpkin seeds, pistachios. (1 cup chopped)
2.Two table spoon powdered sugar.
3.One tea spoon water,
4.One tea spoon lemon juice.
5. Rum or Rum essence one cup.

At least 7 days before baking the cake, you have to soak the dry fruits for that you have to prepare caramel sauce.

First  in a heavy bottomed vessel add two table spoon of sugar then slowly add the water and lemon juice in medium heat and slowly your sugar will become dark brown in color, don’t use any spoon just shake the vessel . And don’t allow it to burn also so stand in front of the stove still it become dark and thick like sauce. Then add 2 table spoon water.

Now in an air tight container add all chopped dry fruits then add the caramel sauce then add the Rum essence or normal Rum and keep it aside for at least 7 days.

Caramel Syrup for cake:
Sugar : 1 cup.
Water: one cup and Two table spoon
Lemon juice: 1 tea spoon.

First  in a heavy bottomed vessel add one cup of sugar then slowly add the water and lemon juice in medium heat and slowly your sugar will become dark brown in color, don’t use any spoon just shake the vessel . And don’t allow it to burn also so stand in front of the stove still it become dark completely.

Then allow it to cool a bit then add the one cup warm water and your caramel syrup is done.

Ingredients for cake.
1.All-purpose flour: 2 cup.
2.Sugar: 2 cup. And One tea spoon
3.Egg: 4 (separate the egg yolks and egg white).
4.Spices powder: Nutmeg powder, Cinnamon powder, Clove powder (1/2 tea spoon of each item).
5.Few almonds and few walnut : just make dry powder with the nuts.
6.Butter: 1 cup.
7.Vanila essence: one table spoon.
8.Baking powder: one table spoon.
9.One tea spoon orange zest.
10.Pinch of salt.

Process:

Pre heat the oven in 350D F. And grease one round loaf pan with butter and flour.

First in  a bowl mix all the dry ingredients together (flour, salt, baking powder, spices powder, dry nuts powder) and keep it aside.

Now in a bowl mix the butter and sugar till it become smooth, then slowly add the egg yolks one at a time and mix it nicely till it become smooth and creamy.

Then add the butter sugar mixture into the dry ingredients bowl and combine together, now slowly add the caramel syrup, orange zest, vanilla essence and mix together.

Now drain the rum from the soaked dry fruits save the rum. Then add some flour on to the dry fruits and slowly add them in to the mixture and with wooden spoon just folds the dry fruits in to the mixture.

Now in a separate bowl mix the egg whites with one spoon of sugar and whisked them till it become smooth.

Now add the egg white mixture into the cake batter and fold it carefully with the wooden spoon.

Now pour the cake batter into the greased pan and bake it for 55 mints to 1 hr or till it done, to checking insert a toothpick inside the cake if its come smoothly then your cake is done.

Now take the cake out from the oven and slowly take out from the pan, now allow it to cool. Now brush the saved rum on top of the cake for at least one day. 

Your authentic super yummy PLUM CAKE is ready enjoy your CHRISTMAS with your family and friends.

Cinnamon Raisin Swirl Bread

“Santa clause is coming to town” I think like me all of you are waiting for Christmas. Ready to enjoy the season with family and friends, from shopping to cleaning - we want everything to be perfect during Christmas. And this is the perfect month for baking, most of the people bake their best batch of cookies, cakes and breads during Christmas for friends and family. From yesterday I was think to prepare something because the smell of baking makes me mad every time and the smell only makes you feel that Christmas is coming. 

It was so cold from last 2 days because of 30 hours of continuous snow fall, so if you keep your oven busy that will make your home little warm also. From long time I planned to make some bread but any how didn't make. So I thought this is the best time to make some bread. And I prepared some easy CINNAMON RAISIN SWIRL BREAD. It’s really soft moist and perfect as breakfast bread. Really felt satisfied after a perfect bread baking.

Ingredients:
1.All-purpose flour: 1 ½ cup, and little more for kneading.
2.Milk Powder: 2 table spoon.
3.Salt : ½ tea spoon.
4.Sugar: 2 table spoon.
5.One egg.
6.Butter (soften) : 2 table spoon.
7.Granulated sugar: 2 table spoon.
8.Cinnamon powder: one table spoon.
9.Dry yeast: 1 table spoon.
10.Raisin: 1 cup.
11.Warm water: ¾ cup.
12.Baking Powder: ½ tea spoon.
13.Vegetable oil: 1 tea spoon.

Process:

In a bowl add the warm water little sugar and add the dry yeast and keep it aside till the yeast rise.
Now in a bowl mix the flour, milk powder, salt and sugar, baking powder and mix well.

Now mix the egg and butter well, now add this into the yeast and water bowl and mix well.

Now make a hole in middle of the flour mixture and add the egg butter and yeast mixture, and mix them together and make soft dough, kneed it till it become soft and smooth.

Now rub some vegetable oil in a bowl and place the dough in the bowl and cover it with a plastic wrap and keep it in a warm place for 40 to 45 mints. After 45 mints your dough will become double in size.

Now sprinkle some flour in a plain surface, kneed our dough for some time. Now roll it like a big square roti.

Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon powder together, Now rub some butter on top of the dough sheet, then sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon power mixture on top of that.

Now sprinkle the raisin’s on top of that, now start rolling it from one corner to another like my photo an fold the edges also.

Now rub some vegetable oil or butter into a loaf pan, and sprinkle some flour also.

Now place the bread roll inside the loaf pan and cover it with an aluminum foil and keep this in a warm place for 20 mints. After 20 mints it became double in size. Now brush some beaten  egg on top of the bread.

Now pre heat your oven in 350 degree F, and place the loaf pan in middle rack and bake it for 35 to 40 mints. Now take out the bread from the oven and place it in a cool rack and slowly cut them into slices.

Your easy CINNAMON RAISIN SWIRL BREAD is ready serve with a cup of hot coffee.

Chicken Reshmi Kabab

In this cold winter we love to celebrate our weekends with some hot and spicy snacks. Most of the weekends we have gatherings sometime in my place sometime in friends' place. Last week we had a small get together in one of my friend's place and they told me to prepare some chicken snacks. But I was really not in a mood to cook which would take lots of time. So I chose an easy recipe CHICKEN RESHMI KABAB, an authentic kabab which melts in mouth.

All my friends love the kababs so I thought to share my recipe with all my followers. You just need the proper ingredients then you can easily make this KABAB, a perfect snack Item for any party.

Ingredients:
For first round marinating:
1.Chicken brest: 1 lb.
2.Black pepper powder: 1 tea spoon.
3.Red chili powder: 1 tea spoon.
4.Kasoori Methi: ½ tea spoon.
5.Orrange food color: Few drops.
6.Cumin Powder: ½ tea spoon.
7.Garama Masala Powder: ½ tea spoon.
8.Meat Tenderizer: ½ tea spoon. 
9. Salt as per taste.

For second round marinating:
1.Haeavy cream: 1 ½  table spoon.
2.Shreded Mozzarella Cheese: 2 table spoon.
3.sour cream: 1 ½  table spoon.
4.Ginger Garlic paste: 1 table spoon.
5.Lemon juice: 1 table spoon.
6.Oil : 1 table spoon.

Process:

Wash and clean the chicken breasts now cut them into some thin long stripes.

Marinate the chicken stripes with the first round marinating ingredients as mentioned (from 2 to 9). And keep it aside for 30 mints.

Now in a bowl add all the second round marinating ingredients together and mix well.

Now put the chicken stripes into the bowl and mix well.

Now Skewer the chicken pieces. Just skewer the chicken pieces from one end to another end. (If you using bamboo skewer please soak them into water for 10 mints).

Now Place the skewers in an oven proof tray and cook them in a preheat oven for 15 to 20 mints in high temperature.

Your easy CHICKEN RESHMI KABAB is ready serve hot with few drops of lemon juice and Onions.

Ghee Pongal: A dish from Tamilnadu

For my daughter I try to cook something different everyday so that she loves to have food. Like all the other kids she is very choosy about her food. Most of us like to give our kids Rice at least one time of a day like rice dal and curry or some time just a simple rice preparation. My daughter likes rice, so something different with rice is something new to her so she enjoys a lot. One of a very famous Rice preparation of South India especially Tamilnadu is Pongal. A simple rice and dal combo which is flavored with lots of ghee and cashew nuts and served with sambar.  But I love to have pongal alone. PONGAL is Tamilnadu’s harvest festival which is coincided with MAKAR SANKRANTI.

The best part of this dish is the smell of ghee, fried cashew nuts and black pepper which make you hungry. My daughter just loves it so I can say this one is really good for small kids, a very simple and easy recipe for all of you.

Ingredients:
1.Raw Rice: 1 cup.
2.Split Moong Dal: ¼ cup.
3.Water:4 cup.
4.Crushed ginger: ½ tea spoon.
5.Hing or asafetida: a pinch off.
6.Salt and sugar as per taste.
7.Ghee:3 table spoon.

To temper:
1.Cashew nute: 15 to 20 pieces (split).
2.Few curry leaves.
3.Few black pepper corn.
4.Few cumin seeds.

Process:

Dry roast the moong dal first, then wash the dal and rice together.

Now in a cooker add one table spoon of ghee slowly add the crushed ginger and the asafetida and fry for few seconds now add the washed rice and dal.

Now add the water and some salt and sugar and cook in medium flame (around four whistles) and open the cover when all the vapors come out completely.

Now in a small pan add the rest of the ghee, now add the split cashew nuts fry till it become golden, next add the curry leaves, black pepper corn and cumin seeds and fry for some time.

Now add all the temper ingredients along with ghee in the boiled rice and dal and mix well.

The easy and simple PONGAL is ready serve hot with Sambar and enjoY.

Choco Walnut Butter Cookies

It’s winter and it’s time to bake and celebrate the season. I want to celebrate every bit of this winter season. Most of the people from America going to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow but here in Canada we celebrate this in October but that time my daughter was not ok so I was not able to make anything special to celebrate this occasion. So I thought to prepare something which can make me feel that it is Thanksgiving here also.

I prepared some simple BUTTER CHOCO WALNUT COOKIES which is a very simple and a perfect treat for us. I don’t know why specially in winter when outside is completely white the baking smell makes the house more perfect. Because of the wind I can’t even open my balcony door. So almost the whole day the house was filled with the smell of the cookies.

Ingredients:
1.All-purpose flour: 1 cup.
2.Butter softened: ½ cup.
3.Grounded sugar: ½ cup.
4.One egg.
5.150 gm choco chip.
6.150 gm chopped walnuts.

Process:

Pre heat the oven in 180C and cover your backing tray with a backing paper.

In a large bowl whisked the butter and sugar first till it become smooth.

Now add the egg and mix nicely.

Now add the flour and mix well.

Now add the chopped walnuts and choco chips and stir to combine.

Now use your hands and make some small balls with the cookies mixture (tablespoonful) .Place the balls in the pre heat tray and make some distance between the cookie balls.

Now bake the cookies in pre heated oven for 15 to 18 mints or till it looks golden.
Now remove the cookies from the tray and place them in a cool rack.

The easy CHOCO WALNUT BUTTER  cookies is ready to celebrate the winter season with a hot cup of coffee or Tea.

Salam-E-Murg

In my house we actually never get bored with chicken preparations so I try to make something different every time. And after every time when I get good feedback from my friends I really feel great because they actually give me feedback after trying my recipe. Yesterday while chopping the boneless chicken pieces I thought to make some kabab’s for evening snacks but then I thought again I have to cook some dinner so better to make some chicken preparation so my tadays dinner task will be done. 

After making it I am really confused what to call the dish then my blogger friend Tanushri suggest a name for the dish which is really uniquea SALAM-E- MURG. The specialty of the dish is i was marinate the onion and green bell peppers and grill them in oven and add it in the chicken gravy the smoky smell of onions and pepper make the dish super yummy. 

Ingredients:
1.Boneless Chicken: 500 gm. (cut them into cube size).
2.One medium onion paste.
3.One large tomato paste.
4.Two table spoon ginger garlic and green chili paste.
5.One table spoon curd.
6.One tea spoon red chili powder, One tea spoon coriander powder, Half tea spoon black pepper powder.
7.salt and sugar as per taste.
8.Sunflower oil for cooking.
To Grill: 
1.One medium red onion cut into big square size.
2.Half green bell pepper cut into big square size.
3.Pinch of salt, black pepper powder, red chili powder.
4. Pinch of Tandoori chicken masala (readymade).
5.One tea spoon curd.
6.Few drop of oil.

Process:

First marinate the onions and bell pepper pieces with all the mentioned grilled ingredients for 30 mints.

Now wash and clean the chicken pieces and marinate them with curd some salt and black pepper powder for 30 mints.

Now make a curry paste with onion paste , ginger garlic green chili paste , tomato paste with all the spices powder.

Now grill the marinated onion pieces and bell pepper pieces in high temperature for 10 to 12 mints. Now take out from the oven and keep it aside.

Now add some oil in a vessel and fry the marinated chicken pieces in high flame till they turn little brownish and keep it aside.

Now add some more oil in the same vessel and add the curry paste and cook till the oil separate from the masala. Now add some salt and sugar and cook for another few seconds.

Now add the fried chicken pieces and the grilled onion and bell pepper pieces and mix well with the gravy.

Now sprinkle some water and cook for another few mints with a lid.

Now remove the lid the super yummy SALAM-E-MURG is ready serve hot with Rice or Roti.

Mixed Veg Dal in Pressure Cooker specially for Kids

Last few days were the worst days because of my daughter’s health, she was having terrible problem in her stomach. She stopped eating and we were literally feeling hopeless. Dr gave her some medicine but still she was not eating. But from today morning she is little ok. So I thought to make something with protein which can help her to regain some energy. 

I prepared some mixed dal with lots of fresh veggies, she really likes the dal and after 36 hours she ate some solid today. I am really feeling relaxed after her lunch. This type of vegetable dal is always perfect for anyone who is not willing to have anything else. And I think this one is good for small babies also.

Ingredients:

1.Moong dal: a handful.

2.Musur Dal: a handful.

3.Squash: 10 to 12 small pieces.(small square size:

4.Radish: few small pices.

5.Beans: 4 to 5 piece cut into small pieces.

6.Pumpkin: Few small pieces.

7.Sweet Potato: Few small pieces.

8.Valor: 5 to 6 cut them into small pieces.
9.A small bitter gourd cut into small pieces.

9.Pinch of roasted ajwain powder.

10.Few cumin seeds.

11.One table spoon of butter or Ghee.

12.Pinch of turmeric powder.

13.Salt and sugar as per taste.

Process:

First wash and clean the veggies, then wash and clean both the dal’s.

Now in a pressure cooker add the ghee or butter let it hot add the cumin seeds and the ajwain powder. Then slowly add all the chopped veggies and sauté for few mints.

Then add the clean dal’s and a pinch of turmeric powder, salt and some sugar and sauté for few seconds.

Then add enough water and cook with 3 to 4 whistle, your veggies dal is ready serve hot with plain rice or roti.

Andhra Style Brinjal Curry or Baby Eggplant Curry

After a long time I purchased some baby eggplants or Brinajl from shop, while buying only I am really excited because eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables. I really didn’t want to cook them in simple way so I tried to cook it in Andhra style. And they turned out too good. The taste of tamarind made this dish so different. I think this one is perfect for Roti or you can have with rice also.

The baby eggplants are really soft so you don’t need to cook for a long time, but the freshness of the brinjals gave this dish a different look also. I added some fresh coconut also to make the gravy thick. A very easy way to feast yourself with this simple EGGPLANT CURRY, and perfect for vegetarian guests too.

Ingredients:

1.Few baby eggplants (4 to 6).

2.One medium sliced onion.

3.One large chopped tomato.

4.Two green chili.

5.One tea spoon ginger paste.

6.One tea spoon garlic paste.

7.Half cup shredded coconut.

8.Half tea spoon red chili powder.

9.Half tea spoon coriander powder.

10.Few mustard seeds, Few meethi/fenugreek seeds, one dry red chili, Few curry leaves.

11.Sunflower oil for cooking.

12.Salt and Sugar as per taste.

13.one table spoon tamarind pulp water.

Process:

Wash the baby eggplants, now cut them on top horizontally and vertically like + but don’t cut it completely.

Now add some oil in a vessel and fry the brinjal pieces with a cover, just fry till the brinjals look soft and keep them aside.

Now in a different vessel and some oil, allow it to hot then add the sliced onions and fry them till the onions are soft. Now add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for some time.

Now add the chopped tomato, red chili powder and coriander powder salt and shredded coconut and cook for 4 to 5 mint in low flame with a cover.

Now allow it to cool and make a fine paste with the masala mix.

Now add some oil In a separate bowl, then add the mustard seeds, meethi seeds, curry leaves and dry red chili then slowly add the masala mix and cook for few mints.

Now add some sugar and the tamarind pulp water and some extra water also and mix well, now cook this with a cover till the oil start floating on top.

Now add the fried baby eggplants and cook for another 3 to 4 mints with cover.

Now switch off the flame you easy BABY EGGPLANT  CURRY or MASALA BRINJAL  is ready to serve.

Moonger Laddu or Moong Dal Laddu: DIWALI SPECIAL

Diwali is a festival when we can’t stop ourselves to eat sweets so I can’t stop myself to make another DIWALI SWEET MUGER LADDU OR MOONG DAL LADDU. A very easy homemade sweet and the ingredients are very less. I remember during my school days a shop near my house where we cousin sisters were used to go to have this MONGER LADDU. I still remember the taste, so while making this I took a round in my childhood days.

This is a very famous DIWALI sweet in North India, the basic ingredients of the dish is MOONG DAL AND GHEE. Wishing all my friends, family and followers a happy and safe Diwali may this Diwali light make your life colorful.

Ingredients:

1.Moong Dal: 1 ½ cup.

2.Milk Powder: 5 table spoon.

3.Sugar: 1 cup and 3 table spoon.

4.Three freshly crushed cardamom.

5.Chopped cashew nuts (7 to 8).

6.Ghee: ½ cup.

Process:

First wash and clean the moong dal, now drain out all the water. Now dry roast the moong dal in medium flame till the aroma comes out from the dal.

Now let the dal become cold, now grind the dal in a mixture like powder.

In a large bowl add the moong dal flour , then add the sugar, milk powder freshly crushed cardamom powder, chopped cashew nuts and mix well.

Now in a vessel heat the ghee, now add the warm ghee into the bowl and mix well with hand nicely.

Now start making the laddu’s with the mixture, if you are not able to round them properly add some more ghee or some water also to make the laddu in proper round shape.

Your easy MOONG DAL LADDU DIWALI LADDU is ready, enjoy the special day with lots of sweet and crackers.