Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Marble Cake

I am posting a recipe of a cake, with a combination of vanilla and chocolate flavour mixed together which forms a pattern of marble i..e Marble cake..Hope most of them have heard about this cake..It tastes so delicious and my son's favourite too..I made this cake many times, but could not click pictures and couldn't post that time..So I decided to click the pictures when I made this one month before and post it...I include the step of preparing the marble pattern..Hope it will be helpful..This cake is easy to make...Do prepare this cake and let me know the feed back..Let us go to the recipe :)


      Ingredients
  • All purpose flour - 2 cups
  • Baking powder - 1 tsp
  • Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
  • Salt - a pinch
  • Eggs - 3 large no.s
  • Sugar -  3/4 cup ( powdered)
  • Condensed milk - 1 tin ( can use l cup powdered sugar instead)
  • Unsalted butter - 100 gm
  • Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder - 2 tbsp
  • Warm milk - 1/4 to 1/2 cup
  • Choco chip - few for decorating ( optional)
    Method
  • Keep all the refrigerated ingredients in a room temperature for 30 mins..Its very important..
  • Preheat the oven to 180 degree C.. Grease the pan with some butter or oil sprinkled with flour and tap the excess flour..Can use butter paper instead..Keep aside
  • In a bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix well with a large spoon or whisk thoroughly and keep aside..
  • In another large bowl, add softened butter and sugar and beat well till creamy..Add condensed milk and beat again for few seconds till combined..
  • Add eggs one at a time and beat at a medium to high speed till combined and double in volume..
  • Add vanilla essence and beat for few seconds
  • Add the dry ingredients ( flour mixture) alternately three times and beat at a very low speed. You can also fold it with a large spoon slowly instead of a beater..
  • Add little warm milk 1/4 cup at a time and beat at a very low speed or fold with a spoon..Batter should be medium thick..If batter is too thick, add little more warm milk and beat again..
  • Divide the batter equally into two separate bowls..Keep one batter plain..
  • Another bowl, add cocoa powder and beat at a very low speed..


  • In a greased cake pan, add large dollop of vanilla batter and another dollop of cocoa batter alternating each one..See the pic below ( I forgot to click photo of first layer, never mind, I clicked the pic of second layer :) )
  • Spread lightly with a fork as shown in a picture and make a pattern of your choice..
  • Add again another large dollops of vanilla and cocoa batter alternating each one on top of first layer and spread it lightly with fork as mentioned earlier...
  • Repeat the third step..



  • Tap the sides of the cake pan to release the air bubbles and also cocoa and vanilla layers will be separated.
  • Place the cake tin in a preheated oven and bake for about 40 to 45 mins till the fork or knife insert in the center comes out clean..Otherwise bake 5 mins more..
  • Place the cake tin on a wire rack and let it cool for few minutes..Then flip the cake on a wire rack..Add choco chips on top of the cake,when it is still warm ( optional )..Let the cake cool completely.
  • Cut into slices and enjoy..I like to eat warm from the oven..
  • Store in a airtight container when it cools completely..It will stay good for 3 days at room temperature , other wise refrigerate it will stay good for 1 week..But mine finished 2 days itself 




Sunday, December 6, 2015

Rajma Salad - Kidney bean salad

One must include salads in our daily meals..salads mostly used raw vegetables,mixed all together and used any seasoning like salt, olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice..It is definitely a healthy one ..It contains most of the essentials vitamins required for our lives..There are many ways of preparing salad..One of the salad I am posting here is, Kidney beans ( Rajma) salad..This salad contains kidney beans and other chopped vegetables seasoned with salt, pepper, lemon juice and vinegar..This salad is so tasty, even salad haters will definitely love this..Do prepare this salad and include in your  meals..You can eat by itself too, it will definitely fill your tummy ..Let us go to the recipe


       Ingredients
  • Kidney beans ( Canned / Freshly boiled ) - 1 to 11/2 cups
  • Finely chopped onion - 1 no.
  • Finely chopped tomato - 1 no.
  • Finely chopped cucumber - 1 large no.
  • Finely chopped mint leaves - 2 tbsp
  • Finely chopped parsley leaves - 3 to 4 tbsp ( can use coriander leaves instead)
  • Finely chopped mix bell peppers ( capsicum), yellow, orange, green, red - 1 1/4 cups
  • Vinegar - 1 tsp
  • Lemon juice - 1/2 to 1 tbsp
  • Pepper powder - 1/2 to 1 tsp
  • Chat masala - for sprinkling ( optional)
  • Salt - according to your taste
       Method
  • If using fresh kidney beans: soak them in water overnight. Add soaked kidney beans with little water in a pressure cooker and cook it for 5 to 6 whistles till soft..Be careful, beans should not be mashed...Drain the beans and keep aside..
  • If using canned kidney beans: Open the can and drain out the water from it..Wash the beans and keep aside..
  • Add all the ingredients one by one in a large bowl and toss well..
  • Serve immediately..Remaining salad can be refrigerated
  • Enjoy this tasty salad..
      Notes
  • Make sure to chop the vegetables and herbs very finely..Do not slice it, as it may not taste good
  • If you don't have parsley leaves, add coriander leaves instead..But parsley leaves give nice flavour to this salad..
  • Seasonings and vegetables can be adjusted according to your desire and taste..