Pear & Ginger Cake

The other day I was reading a recipe book I had picked up from Home Goods - it was all about baking. One of the titles caught my eye - 'Pear & Ginger Cake' - Loved the flavor combo and thought of making it. I just added some cardamom and some nutmeg to add my touch to the flavors (I love nutmeg). It was a wonderful way to get back to baking. How I had missed my bowl mixer and my cake pans and my oven too :). The cake turned out nice and was over within no time :)

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
3/4 cup superfine sugar
1 1/4 cup maida/refined flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3 eggs (at room temperature)
2 pears (peeled, cored and thinly sliced) - brush them with lemon juice to avoid them from getting dark
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 cardamom pods (peeled and finely crushed)
pinch of crushed nutmeg


Method

Lightly grease a deep 8 inch cake pan with butter and then dust it all over with flour and keep it aside.
Mix together the butter and sugar and eggs and beat well till its smooth and fluffy. Then add the flour little by little and mix till its a smooth consistency. Then add the ground ginger, cardamom powder, nutmeg powder and baking powder and mix well till all is incorporated.
Spoon this cake mixture into the prepared cake pan and level the surface with a spatula very lightly. Arrange the pear slices over the batter and grease it with some butter and sprinkle the brown sugar.
Bake in a preheated over (350 degrees Fahrenheit/180 degrees Celsius) for 35 to 40 minutes untill the cake top is golden and it is springy to touch.
Cool on a cooling rack.
Can be eaten slightly warm with a dollop of vanilla ice-cream or just like that :)

Dhansak

Dhansak - well, the name itself says it - Dhan means grains and sak mans leafy veggies. This is a Parsi delicacy and it is traditionally cooked with goat meat - but, you can cook it with chicken too. The lentils and leafy veggies make it healthy and the meat adds to the glory. Traditionally this is cooked with split masoor dal (the orange colored dal) - but, I have made some variations here to suit my taste buds :)

Ingredients

1 pound mutton (goat meat) - cubed into bite size pieces
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
1/2 cup of curds
1/2 cup split moong dal
1/2 cup split masoor dal
1/2 cup tuvar dal
1/4 cup channa dal
1/4 cup udad dal
1 bunch fenugreek leaves
1 bunch dill leaves
1 cup chopped spinach
1 cup cubed pumpkin pieces
1 medium onion chopped
1 medium tomato chopped
7 to 8 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 inch ginger shopped
2 teaspoons ghee (clarified Butter)
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon dhansak masala (I used everest brand)
2 teaspoons dhania jeera powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon chilli powder (you can add more if you want it spicy)
salt to taste

Method

Marinate the meat in salt, ginger garlic paste and curds and let it sit for 2 hours. Then add some oil to a pressure cooker and add the meat pieces there and cook for about 4 whistles. The meat should be cooked tender by then. If not then cook for another 2 whistles. Remove it into a bowl and let it sit.

Clean the pressure cooker well. Wash the grains atleast four times in water and keep aside. Chop all the green veggies. Now add the ghee. To this add the chopped onions and garlic and saute till the onions turn golden. Then add the tomatoes and the ginger and cook till the ghee leaves the side of the cooker. add all the chopped greens and the pumpkin and mix well. To this add all the grains and mix well. Add the dhania jeera powder, dhansak masala, turmeric powder, chilli powder and add 3 cups of water. Cover and let it cook for about 3 whistles. Once that is done, use a potato masher or a  buttermilk churner and churn the dal and veggies mixture. Add salt and check for seasonings - if you wish to add more masala or more chilli powder you can do that now. If the dal is too thick you can add some water. Add the cooked meat pieces to this mixture and let it simmer uncovered for about 10 to 15 minutes. garnish with chopped cilantro.

Traditionally this is eaten with brown basmati rice - but, can be served with white rice, naan or even bread.

Arbi/Colocasia Thick Chips

Chips - I know I know, it sounds unhealthy. But, what if they are not deep fried? Yes, that does sound like a crunchy yummy snack.

Ingredients

1 pound arbi/colocasia

salt

crushed pepper

chilli powder

chat masala

oil for shallow frying

Method

Clean the arbi very well to remove all dirt. Place it in a vegetable steamer and steam till its cooked. Do not overcook it or cook it in water, it will become mushy.

Once its cooled down, remove the skin and make 1/8 inch slices. In a cast iron pan add oil and shallow fry the arbi disks. Once it gets golden brown on both sides, remove it an place on a paper towel. Sprinkle salt, pepper, chilli powder and chat masala when the arbi disks are hot.

Enjoy it just like that or as a side with plain dal and rice.

Crispy Baked Tilapia

My neighbor made this for me one day - it was so tasty and yum and I was pleasantly surprised to know that it was baked and not fried. I asked her for the recipe and she obliged. Thanks Kiran for this lovely and quick recipe - its a favorite at our place.

Ingredients

4 Skinless and boneless tilapia fillets - cut into 2 inch pieces (I used the frozen and vacuumed packed fillets)

1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste

1 teaspoon chilli powder

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

salt to taste

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

5 tablespoons pancake mix powder

Method

Defrost the fish fillets and cut into 2 inch pieces. Pat them dry. Mix the chilli powder, turmeric powder, curry powder, salt and ginger garlic paste. Apply this mixture to the fish and let it stand for 10 minutes.

Pre-heat the over to 350 degrees fahrenheit. In a plate add the pancake mix powder. Dab the marinated fish in the powder so that it is fully covered. Place this on a oiled baking sheet. Let it bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or till the top turns crispy.

Serve with some salad and french fries - it really tastes like fish and chips :)

Apple, Cranberry and Oatmeal Cookies (Soft)

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup oats (I used Quaker oats)
1 cup diced apple without peel
1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup dried cranberries

2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farhenhite
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs until well blended. Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and stir into the sugar mixture until well blended. Then add the pecans, cranberries, oats and apples. Drop dough by spoonfuls about 2 inches onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Let it cool on wire racks.