Sunday, June 16, 2013

Mango Mousse Chocolate Cake for Father's Day



I dedicate this cake to fathers day

 
"Treats your parents with loving care, you will only know their value when you see their empty chair" - Anonymous
 
Having lost my father in my childhood it is very important for me to celebrate fathers day with my FIL who has filled the gap .Yesterday was fathers day and my FIL has a sweet tooth for mangoes and cakes. Thought of combining both these to make his day special
 
Ingredients :
  • Chocolate cake
  • Mango mousse
  • Mango jelly
  • Soaking syrup
For chocolate cake
 
You can try out my Devil's chocolate cake or Eggless chocolate cake. Prepare the cake and let it sit on cooling rack to cool.
 
For mango mousse
You can try out my mango mousse recipe ,make the mousse just before assembling the cake.


Ingredients for Mango jelly 
  • 200 gms mango puree
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp gelatin
  • 3 tbsp water
Method
Mix gelation into the water and stir nicely and keep aside.
Heat mango puree with sugar in a pan to make it just warm .
Add the gelatin mix nicely till it completely dissolves and then switch off the
flame.. Make this mango jelly just before the assembly the cake
 
Ingredients for Soaking Syrup
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp of coffee powder
Method
Warm the water add the sugar and coffee powder mix nicely and keep aside

Assembling the cake
Cut the cake horizontally and sprinkle with syrup , pour 1/3 of the mango mousse over over one slice ,spread it evenly then put another slice on top of it and pour the remain  mouse on the cake and spread it evenly with a knife gently.And refridgerate it for 2 hrs

After 2 hrs take the cake out ,by the time it will set nicely ,now pour the prepared  mango jelly  over it and spread it gently over the cake and refridgerate it for 1 hr to set.

After 1 hr your mango mouse chocolate cake is ready for celebration.

Note: Mango jelly and mango mouse should be prepared just before it is assembled

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Fresh Ajwain / Carom Leaves Fritters


Its been raining often in chennai and the weather was perfect to out try this fragnant bajji/fritter. The plant is not sold in markets but can be found in almost all indian home kitchen gardens.

The fritter has a golden translucent green texture that is very mystifying that will make you enjoy every bite. The leaf has a strong fragnance which will get infused with the fritter.

Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup besan / chickpea flour / garbanzo flour
  • 15 ajwain / vammu / omam leaves
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
  • oil for deep fry
  • pinch of cooking soda
  • salt to taste


Procedure

Wash the leaves properly and keep aside
Mix all the ingredients except the leaves to a slow flowy semi thick paste Heat oil in a pan, dip each leaf in the batter and slide the leaf on both side of the edge of bowl to discard the extra batter.

Slowly drop it into the oil and repeat the same for other leaves. Deep fry in medium flame till you get a nice golden crust on both sides. Put them in a plate with a paper towel that will absorb all the extra oil


Note:

If you like your fritters with more batter then you can drop them directly into oil without sliding the leaf on the edge bowl to get thicker fritters.


Oil should properly heated neither too hot or too less before you drop the fritter otherwise they will absorb too much oil.

To test the heat when you drop batter it should sizzle and float immediately without drastic change in color

You can replace awjain with spinach leaves too
 

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Achari Aloo / Spicy Pickled Baby Potatoes

Baby Potatoes blended with some exotic indian spices like saunf,kalonji,cummin and with amchur gives this side dish a very exciting pickled flavor. The recipe that will surprise your guests. It would be the perfect accompaniment for curd rice and rotis
 
Ingredients
  • 20-25 baby potatoes
  • 1 onion small size
  • 1 tsp garlic ginger paste
  • 1 small finely chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 tsp saunf/fennel seeds
  • 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1/4 tsp fenugreek/methi
  • 1/2 tsp nigella seeds/kalonji
  • 1/2 tsp jeera/cummin seeds
  • pinch of turmeric
  • pinch of hing/asafoetida
  • 1/4 tsp amchur powder
  • 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
  • salt to taste
Procedure
Boil pototoes and remove the skin and keep aside
Make a coarse powder of saunf,mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds and keep aside
Heat oil in a pan, add kalonji and cummin seeds and once it splutter add onion and once it becomes translucent add ginger garlic paste and fry for one min.Then add tomatoes and fry till they become soft, now add the boiled potatoes and stir until is completely coated and fry in medium to flame till pototoes look crispy with a golfer brown texture.
Now add the prepared powder (saunf, fenugreek and mustard which we prepared earlier). Along with this add red chilli powder, amchur powder and salt and stir nicely till it completely blends for 30 seonds
Serve hot with rotis or rice
Note: Vinegar can also be added to give it a more tangy pickled flavor