Vanilla Sponge Cake (Eggless and Without Oven)

Cake, baking a cake is the best feeling in the world. It brings out all the hidden emotions, feelings, thoughts into a nice batter which then goes on to become a cake. So you can easily judge a cake by the way it has turned out, if its turned out bad means it can be easily concluded that your thoughts were negative about someone or something ;)

Though on a serious note, baking cake is a serious business. So here I bring you a basic vanilla sponge cake without egg and without oven. I have seen many women not baking a cake because of absence of these 2 important features. And even those who are already baking can try the eggless version in the oven.

Ingredients

All purpose flour (Maida)             1 and half cup

Baking Powder                              1 tsp

Baking Soda                                  Half tsp

Sugar                                             ¾ cup

Oil                                                 ½ Cup

Curd (Not too sour)                      1 cup

Vanilla Essence                            1 Tsp

Tooti Footi (Optional)                  1 Tbsp

Process

• Sieve the all purpose flour and baking powder at least twice so that the dry mixture is smooth
• Now take another bowl. Mix curd and sugar together till the sugar melts properly. It will take around 5-6 minutes. After that add baking soda to the mixture and let it remain for 5 minutes. It will start showing bubbles during that time.
• Meanwhile, take a heavy bottomed pan and heat some soil in it. It should be the soil which is used in construction. Let it heat at medium flame for around 15 minutes
• After 5 minutes add oil and mix well. Add vanilla essence. After that, start adding the all purpose flour and baking powder mixture slowly into the curd and oil mixture. Mix it evenly so that there are no lumps formed. If adding tooti footi, add at this stage.
• Now grease the cake mould and put the batter into it. Now check if the soil is heated properly. If yes, put the cake mould above the heated soil and cover the pan with a big plate so that air doesn’t go out. If required keep something heavy on the plate.
• It will take around 45 minutes. Check if the cake is done or not by inserting the knife into the cake. If it comes out clean switch off the flame and leave it as it is for 10 more minutes.
• Now remove the cake mould from the pan and tilt it on another plate upside down. It will easily come out if greased properly.
• Cake is ready to be served

Nan-Khatai (Indian Buttery Cookies)

My version of nan khatai is quite simple and it’s the easiest baking recipe ever if made with proper measurements and of course, little LOVE is always necessary. People always have a pre conceived notion that bakery recipes are difficult or process wise its tedious. If you are one of them, then after reading this recipe and trying once I am sure you are going to change your opinion.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour (maida)    -- 1 bowl (Use same size bowl for further measurements)

Clarified butter (Ghee)         -- ½ bowl melted and 2 tbsp extra if required

Sugar                                     -- ½ bowl (Can be increased to ¾)

(Don’t use powdered one, instead powder it in a mixer grinder along with Cardamom/elaichi pods)

Baking Soda                          -- 1 tsp

Cardamom/elaichi pods         -- 2-3 peeled

Almond/Charoli/Chironji      -- For Garnishing

Chocolate chips/Tooti Footi   -- Optional for additional flavour (2 Tbsp)

Procedure 

• Pre heat oven to 180 degrees for 10 minutes. If using microwave oven, use convection mode and pre heat to 200 degrees for 10 minutes  
• Take ghee in a bowl. Whip it for around 5-10 minutes. It will become little fluffy and whitish in colour.
• Add sugar and cardamom mix, and whip it again for 2-3 minutes. 
• Now time to use your hands
• Sieve maida and soda 2-3 times. Now add maida and soda mixture slowly to the ghee and sugar mix. And mix it well using your hands as the heat of the hands will make the batter smooth and fluffy
• (Add chocolate chips or tooti footi at this stage if you are adding)
• Add some ghee if required, you might require 1 tbsp more to make the batter into a smooth one. Batter should be like paratha type, not very loose and not very tight.
• Make small balls of the dough and press it with your hands. Press an almond or Charoli nuts in between.
• Nan khatai is ready to be baked.
• Bake for 15 minutes at 180 degrees. Mostly it will get done, but some ovens require 17-18 minutes then bake for 1-2 minutes more.
• Let it cool for 10 minutes.
• Yummy nan khaatai is ready to serve

Undhiyu (A famous Gujarati Dish made particularly with Brinjal and Potato as main vegetables)

Its been a LOOONNNNGGG time I have posted. But this recipe is going to compensate the long wait...
Its the best recipe for all the Gujaratis and Non-Gujaratis around the world and it is any day tempting sort of recipe. Everyone must try it at least once...
Dedicated to all my students also...who have liked my blog, commented & recommended ;)

Step 1: Muthiya

Ingredients for Muthiya (Dumplings)

Things needed	Quantity
Besan	1 bowl
Fenugreek Leaves (Methi) Chopped and washed with salt	¾ bowl
Salt*	As per taste
Turmeric Powder	1 Tsp
Dhaniya Powder	1 Tbsp
Red Chilli Powder	1 Tsp
Ginger-Chilli paste	1 Tsp
Green Garlic chopped (Its like spring onions)	1 Tbsp
Sugar	1 Tbsp
Oil	1 Tbsp
Water	If required
Oil	For deep frying

• Mix all the above ingredients except water.
• Check the consistency of the batter. The batter should be thick in consistency and you should be able to shape round dumplings out of it.
• Use water if required. Make round or oval dumplings like Muthiya and deep fry the Muthiya and keep aside

Step 2: Stuffing

Ingredients for Filling

Things needed	Quantity
Roasted peanut powder	1 bowl
Coriander leaves	¾ bowl
Salt	As per taste
Turmeric Powder	2 tsp
Dhaniya Powder	2 Tbsp
Red Chilli Powder	2 Tbsp
Ginger-Chilli paste	2 Tsp
Green Garlic chopped	2 Tbsp
Oil	2 Tbsp

Mix all the ingredients and keep it aside

Step 3: Main vegetable

Ingredients for Undhiyu             

Things needed	Quantity
Brinjal, eggplant It should be of small size	5 Nos
Baby potato	5 nos
Salt	As per taste
The stuffing prepared in STEP 2
Muthiya
Water	As required
Salt	As per taste
Lilva (Green Tuvar, it looks like green peas but the shape of the peas is small in tuvar)	½ cup
Surti Papdi (Fresh Flat green beans, in winter you get small size of Papdi which is very tasty)	½ cup Use along with the peels
Oil	1 Tablespoon

• Slit the eggplant and potato from between so that there is space to stuff the spices but do not cut the vegetable into half.
• Add the above stuffing in between the brinjal and potato
• In another vessel take some stuffing and marinate the Lilva and Surti Papdi in it.
• Heat oil in a kadai. Add stuffed brinjals, potatoes, and marinated vegetables. Add the salt for the portion of vegetables because we had added salt in every step. Add some water and close the lid.
• Let it cook for some time. After 15 mins, sprinkle the remaining stuffing in the pan and mix properly. Keep adding water so that vegetables don’t become soggy.
• It will take around 30-40 mins to cook. Keep some water as gravy. Add the muthiyas in the end. And let it cook for another 5 mins till muthiya become soft.
• Undhiyu is ready to serve with Bajri ki roti J

Veg Pulao

Many people ask me the PERFECT recipe for Veg Pulao. Actually Veg Pulao is kind of a dish where in all the women will have their own YUMMY version of it.

I am posting this version which is YUMMY as well as the most LOVED recipe whenever I have made. For girls who want to try for the first time, this is a perfect recipe and for women who want to try a different version, I assure that it will turn out great!!

(Servings 3)

Ingredients		Quantity
Basmati Rice		2 teacups
Carrot, French Beans (Chopped roughly) & Peas		½ cup
Ghee (Clarified Butter)		1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds (If you have Shahjeera, it will taste better)	Dry Masalas	1 teaspoon
Peppercorns		5
Green Cardamom (Chhoti Elaichi)		2
Black Cardamom (Badi Elaichi)		1
Bayleaf (Tejpatta)		1
Cloves (Laung)		4
Pepper powder		Pinch
Lemon juice		1 teaspoon
Salt		As per taste
Water		3 and ½ teacups
Coriander seeds		For garnish

Procedure:

• Soak Basmati rice in water and leave for 15 mins. Then drain all the water and then use it because the quantity of water has to be perfect.
• Chop all the vegetable and keep. If you like the taste of cauliflower or any other vegetable, you can add but generally these 3 above mentioned veggies are preferred in Pulao
• Now, take a heavy bottomed pan, add ghee. Once ghee is hot, add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add all the dry masalas. Let it simmer in ghee for some time. Now add the veggies and mix well for some time. (Keep the flame on medium all the time)
• Add rice without the water and let it get mixed well with the vegetables and ghee for 2 mins. Now add water and salt. Add a pinch of pepper powder and lemon juice.
• Close the lid and let it cook for 15 mins. Don’t mix again and again to prevent breaking of the rice grains.
• After 15 mins, check whether the rice is cooked or not.  If needed, add 2 tablespoon of water. Once rice is cooked, switch of the flame and keep the lid closed for 5-10 mins because the rice gets cooked with the steam also.
• Garnish with coriander seeds and serve with KADHI.

Nashte ki Poori

Ingredients

Particulars	Quantity
Wheat Flour	1 and half cup
Coarsely grounded wheat flour (We call it gehu ka Mota aata)	½ cup
Pepper powder	1 teaspoon
Turmeric Powder	1 teaspoon
Red Chilli Powder	1 and ½ teaspoon
Salt	To Taste
Cumin seeds	1 tablespoon
Oil (For frying use separately)	1 tablespoon
Water	As required

Procedure

• Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl except water.
• Then add water slowly as and when required to make a little hard dough because puri dough is generally hard.
• Then leave it aside for some time. After that take the dough and press it properly so that it becomes smooth.
• Roll out small pooris out of it. The size and shape can be of your choice.
• Let the pooris become dry....spread it on a newspaper. With a fork, poke some holes in the poori so that it does not rise and become soft. These pooris should be hard.
• Fry the pooris and you can preserve in container for around 15-20 days. 

DIWALI SPECIAL RANGOLIS

Vegetable Cutlet

Ingredients

Potato	5 Nos
Carrot	1 No
Beetroot	1 No
French Beans	Around 15
Peas	Around 15
Salt	As per Taste
Turmeric Powder	½ Teaspoon
Chaat Masala	1 Teaspoon
Chilli-Ginger paste	1 Tablespoon
Rawa (Semolina)	As per use

Pre-preparations:

• Boil potato, carrot, French beans and peas together in a pressure cooker. For this, cut the potato, carrot and French beans in medium sized pieces. Add the peas.
• Add salt and turmeric while boiling. Allow at least 5 whistles so that carrots and French beans are cooked properly
•  Boil beetroot separately because it leaves lot of color.
•  Remove them from the cooker and spread them on a plastic sheet and let it cool down so that it becomes dry and all the moisture goes away and it doesn’t become soggy.
•  It should be kept for around 2 hours

Procedure

•  Mash all the boiled vegetables including beetroot. Add salt, chaat masala, Chili-Ginger paste and mix all the ingredients well.
• Give any shape of your choice. I gave it a rectangle shape. Once you give a shape, coat all the cutlets with semolina properly on all sides.
•  Then you can either deep fry the cutlets or shallow fry them as per your diet-consciousness.
• I have shallow fried them. Still, if you deep fry, it gives the best taste.
• Serve hot with chutney or ketchup