Baked Cassava Pudding

Before starting with this dish, let me tell you about Cassava. Cassava is a wild yam largely produced in Nigeria and is a major source of Carbohydrates. It is also very rich in starch and contains significant amounts of Calcium, Phosphorous and Vitamin C. It can also be cooked normally like a potato and fried. Though cooking or boiling them results in loss of nutrients. Baking them is the best way to consume it. I used the readily cut frozen cassava that is available in the Asian stores here.

Ingredients

1 Cassava grated

1 cup Sugar (powdered)

1 cup Coconut milk

1 tsp of Baking powder or 1 tbsp All purpose flour
1 Egg

Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp

Cardamom powder (Optional)

Directions - How to make

Mix together grated cassava, sugar, coconut milk, cinnamon powder and cardamom powder in a bowl. Beat the egg well and add the baking powder to it. Pour the egg mixture into the bowl. Now transfer the contents into a baking tray greased with butter. Preheat the oven at 190 C for 10 minutes. Place the baking tray in the centre of the oven. Let it get baked for 25-30 minutes. Insert a fork or a knife into the pudding if it comes out clean, then that is the time to remove it from the oven. Either have it hot or let it cool, refrigerate it and then have your pudding.

Baked Broccoli Souffle

Ingredients

1 cup cooked Broccoli
1 chopped Onion

1 Capsicum ( Cut into small pieces)

2 cup milk

3 tbsp All-purpose flour

1 tbsp butter

Grated Cheese ( According to your requirement)

Salt - 1 tsp

Pepper - 1-2 tsp

Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp

1 Egg - beaten well

Directions - How to make

Take a pan. Add some butter to it. Now add the chopped onions, capsicum, salt and little pepper. Next add the milk with the flour diluted well in the pan. Add the cooked broccoli , grated cheese and allow the mixture to thicken. Once it thickens, take off and let it cool. Transfer the contents to the baking tray greased with butter.

 

Pour the beaten egg over and spread it well.  Sprinkle the cinnamon powder. Again add little cheese over it. Place the baking tray in the pre-heated oven at 190 C for 45 minutes. Once it is baked, remove the pan and have it with toasted bread and tomato sauce. Enjoy this continental food at home. 

Pepper Chicken

Ingredients

Boneless Chicken 500-750 gms 
Onion 2 (finely chopped)
Tomato 2

Capsicum 1
Spring Onions 2 (chopped) (Optional)

Green chillies 2 (finely chopped)

Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp

Chilli powder - 2 tsp

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Pepper - 1 - 1 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp (According to taste)

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Curry leaves 2 sprig

Oil

Directions - How to make

Wash the chicken well, cut into small pieces and keep aside. In a wok, heat oil. Add the mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add the cumin seeds. Next add the onions. Fry well till it changes colour. Add salt and turmeric powder. Then add the green chillies, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves and then tomatoes. Make a thick paste until it absorbs all the oil.  Now add chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and cumin powder. Once it forms a thick paste, add the chicken to it.Mix them well with the curry. Add little water and cook it covered. After 10 - 15 minutes, take off the lid. Keep stirring till its cooked well. Finally add the capsicum pieces and spring onions to it. Cook for a while. Add  pepper and mix well. Take off and serve hot with chapattis or rice.

Home- made Cake

I wanted to bake cake at home for a long time and I got the ocassion to make it. It is my husband's birthday today and would like to share my experience of baking cake at home for the first time. I was delighted to see the cake which came out like a cake bought from the bakery. As my husband does not like chocolate much,  I made Vanilla cake with buttercream topping.

Ingredients

All purpose flour flour/ Cake flour 1 cup                          

Sugar 1 cup
Baking powder 1 tsp

Vanilla essence 1 tsp

Eggs 1-2
Salt 1/4 tsp

Directions - How to make

Cake mix

Combine all ingredients together. Beat them to form a thick batter adding little wateer. Whisk together for 2 minutes until the batter is creamy enough. Preheat the oven to 190 C (375 F) or Gas mark 5.

Grease the baking pan with butter. Pour the batter into it and bake in the centre of the oven for 10-12 minutes until the cake rises and becomes spongy. Take a fork and prick it over the cake to check if it is baked well. Take the pan out, invert it over the plate and let it cool. Once the cake is ready, next step is to decorate it with cream.

Topping mix

You can either buy the ready made mix or fresh cream or chocolate sauce to layer it over the cake. I got the ready buttercream topping mix. Empty the mix in a bowl. Add little warm water and 75 gm softened butter to the mix. Beat it well till its creamy. Pour the mixture evenly over the cake.

Finally decorate it with the decorating gel and sugar sprinkles. Vanilla cake with buttercream topping is ready.

Kara Adai

Ingredients

Idli Rice 1 cup

Kadala paruppu/Channa Dal 1/2 cup
Thoram paruppu/Toor Dal 1/2 cup 

5 Red Chillies

1 Onion chopped finley

Ginger 1"

Saunf 1 tsp

Salt 1 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves 2 sprigs

Directions - How to make

Soak the dal and rice separately for two hours. After soaking, grind the rice, saunf and red chillies nicely in the mixie. Now add the dal and ginger piece too and grind it with the rice mixture. Take the batter in a bowl and add onions, curry leaves and salt to taste. Heat the tawa/pan. Spread the batter over the tawa in a spiral shape. Put oil on sides. Cover it. Turn it over. Serve the hot adai with idli podi, coconut chutney or groundnut chutney.