Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1/2 Tin
All purpose flour (Maida) - 1.25 Cup (125 gm)
Vegetable Oil - 1/3 Cup
Vanilla Essence - 1 Tsp
Pineapple Essence - 3/4 tsp
Yellow Color - 1/2 Tsp
Pineapple - 6-7 Slices
Cashewnuts - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1/2 cup

Baking Powder - 3/4 tsp
Baking Soda - 3/4 Tsp
Bottle Soda - 1/2 cup
Sugar (for caramel) - 2-3 tbsp
Cherries - Few Pieces

Preparation Method
1. Grease 7” round cake tin. Place full pineapple rings along sides of this tin. Place the cherries cut in half in the centre of all the pineapple rings.
2. Spread roasted crushed cashewnuts evenly all over the tin.
3. Heat the sugar for caramelizing in a pan, till it changes its color to golden brown color. Add a little water to this to make it into a honey consistency.
4. Pour melted sugar immediately on & around pineapple to cover bottom of tin.
5. Mix the oil and cold condensed milk and beat well until it volumes up a little.
6. Add the yellow color, pineapple and vanilla essences and mix well.
7. Preheat the over to 150 deg C.
8. Sieve maida, baking soda and baking powder so that they are evenly mixed.
9. Add half of flour and half of the soda to the batter and beat. Then mix remaining flour and soda & beat well.
10. Pour this mixture into the baking tin from the corners. The middle of the cake may not cook properly if poured in the middle of the tin.
11. Bake at 150 C for 30-40 min.
12. Stick a toothpick or knife in the centre of the cake to test the readiness of cake. If the toothpick comes out sticky, the cake is not yet ready. You need to bake it for another 5-7 min. Repeat the same readiness check.
13. When the cake is done, immediate remove from the oven and turn it upside down on a plate as the caramel will stick to the tin if cooled.
NOTE: DO NOT COOL THE CAKE IN THE TIN

Easy Fruit and Nut Cake

Ingredients
Wheat Flour – 1 1/4 cup
Baking powder – 2 tsp
Baking soda – 1 tsp
Oil – 1/2 cup
Water – 100 ml
Cold water - 100 ml
Jaggery – 3/4 cup
Sugar – 1/2 cup
Spice powder – 2 tsp
Dates – 100 gms (pitted and chopped)
Raisins – 150 gms
Mixed Nuts - 100 gms (cashewnuts, almonds, walnuts)
Other dry fruits like prunes, apricots, figs etc can be added.
Fruit jam – 3 tsp
Grated orange rind - 1 tsp


Preparation Method
1. Heat oil in a pan and add the dry fruits and nuts.
2. Stir in the crushed jaggery, sugar (can be replaced with jaggery), jam and 100 ml water.
3. Heat on a low flame until the sugar and jaggery/brown sugar melt, stirring all the while. Do not overcook the mixture as the cake will become sticky and hard.
4. Allow to cool and add the remaining 100 ml cold water, rind and spice powder.
5. Sift the wheat flour, baking powder and baking soda to make the mixture uniform.
6. Mix in the sifted flour mixture and beat with a spoon until there are no lumps.
7. Grease and line the bottom of a cake tin with greaseproof paper/ baking parchment/ butter paper.
8. Transfer the contents to the greased tray and bake in a preheated oven at 150 degree centigrade for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Healthy Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
Wheat flour - 1.5 cups
Cocoa powder - 3 tbsp
Baking soda - 1 tsp
Jaggery - 1 cup
Vegetable Oil - 1/4 cup
Instant coffee powder - 1 tsp
Cold Water - 1 cup
Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp
Vinegar - 2 tbsp

Preparation Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C and keep a greased cake tray ready.
2. Sieve the flour, cocoa and baking powder.
3. In a bowl mix the oil and jaggery well.
4. Mix the coffee powder with the cold water and add to the oil-jaggery mix.
5. Add the essence and mix well.
6. Fold the dry ingredient into the wet mix spoon by spoon.
7. Finally mix the vinegar.
8. Immediately pour into greased cake tray and bake for 30-35 min or until a tootpick inserted comes out clean.
9. Once cooled remove from tray.
10. Enjoy with chocolate sauce or strawberry juice.

Black Forest Cake

Ingredients
For the Chocolate cake
Wheat flour - 1.5 cups
Cocoa powder - 1/3 cup
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 1 cup (Can reduce if you dont want it very sweet)
Vegetable Oil - 1/3 cup
Instant coffee powder - 1 tsp
Cold water - 1 cup
Vanilla essence - 2 tsp
Vinegar - 2 tbsp

For Black Forest
Cherries - 1 tin
Strawberry juice - 1/2 cup (Can be replaced with sugar syrup)
Whipped cream sachet - 1
Milk - 1/2 cup
Powdered Sugar - 1/2 cup
Vanilla essence - 1 tbsp
Chocolate bar - 100 gm


Preparation Method
1. Preheat oven at 350F / 180C.
2. Sieve the wheat flour, cocoa and baking powder.
3. Stir it together with salt and sugar.
4. Add the oil to this and fold the dry ingredients into it.
5. Mix the coffee powder with chilled water.
6. Add this with the vanilla essence into the mixture and fold well. It is ok if there are few small lumps.
7. Just before pouring into greased baking tray, mix the vinegar and pour into the tray from the corner.
8. Bake for 25 to 30 minute or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
9. Once cooled, transfer the cake to a tray.
10. Whip the cream powder with milk until it spikes.
11. Then add the powdered sugar and vanilla essence and whip well.
12. Slice the cake horizontally into as many layers required using a large knife. The top and edges of the cake can be cut to level them. (I have not done it. Thats why they cake looks uneven).
13. Sprinkle the juice on the first layer of the cake to make it moist.
14. Spread the cream on the cake and then layer with cherries.
15. Keep the next layer of cake over this and apply the juice, cream, cherries.
16. Once all layers are filled, apply the remaining whipped cream over the cake and smoothen with a knife.
17. Grate / shave the chocolate and sprinkle over the cake.
18. Decorate with cherries.
19. Refrigerate till the time of use.

Mushroom Peas Masala

Ingredients
Mushrooms - 200gms
Green peas (Mutter) - 1 cup
Cardamon - 4nos
Cinnamon - 1" stick
Cloves - 2 nos
Onions - 2 nos
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
Tomatoes - 3 nos medium
Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Cashewnut paste - 1/2 cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves - a bunch
Salt To Taste

Preparation Method
1. Clean, wash and cut the mushrooms into medium pieces.
2. Chop onions finely. Microwave till cooked or saute until cooked. Make it into a paste using a mixer.
3. Chop tomatoes finely. Microwave till cooked or saute until cooked. Make it into a paste using a mixer.
4. Heat oil in pan. Saute cardamoms, cinnamon stick.
4. Add ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw smell goes off.
5. Then add the onion paste till golden brown.
6. Add Chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric and salt and cook for until raw smell goes off.
7. Add tomatoes and cook till oil leaves the sides.
8. Then add the cashewnut paste with one and half cup of water and bring it to a boil.
9. Add the green peas and mushrooms and cook till the peas are fully cooked.
10. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Vermicilli Pulav

Ingredients
Vermicelli (Semiya) - 2 cups
Water - 7 cups
Potato - 1 medium (Cut into small cubes)
Carrot - 1 medium (Cut into small cubes)
Cauliflower - 5-6 florets chopped
French Beans - 10 nos
Green peas - 1/4 cup
Green capsicum - 1 medium (unseeded and chopped)
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Split black gram - 2 teaspoons
Ginger - 1 inch chopped
Onion - 1 medium chopped
Green chillies - 2 Green slit
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Lemon juice - 2 tablespoons
Salt - To taste
Oil - 4 tablespoons


Preparation Method
1. Boil potato, carrot and cauliflower in two cups of water.
2. Add French beans and peas and boil further for five minutes. Drain and cool.
3. Heat five cups of water and bring it to a boil.
4. Add vermicelli, salt and one tablespoon of oil. Cook for one minute or till slightly underdone.
5. Drain the water and refresh under cold water and keep aside so that the vermicilli does not stick to each other.
6. Heat remaining oil in a pan and temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.
7. Add urad dal, ginger, green chillies and onion. Saute well till the onion turns light brown.
8. Add the cooked vegetables, green capsicum and turmeric powder and saute for four to five minutes.
9. Add cooked vermicelli, salt and stir gently. Cook for five to six minutes.
10. Remove from heat. Mix in lemon juice and serve hot Vegetable Vermicelli Pulav.

Kootu kari

Ingredients
Bengal gram - 1 cup (Kadala Parippu)
Yam and raw banana - 250gm (approx 1.5 cup)chopped into small cubes
Jaggery (grated) - 1 tbsp
Salt - To taste

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Dry red chillies - 3-4 nos

Seasoning
Coconut oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 2-3 sprigs
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Dry red chillies - 2-3 nos

Preparation Method
1) Wash and soak the bengal gram for at least 30min and pressure cook for 1 whistle.
2) Add the yam and raw banana to this and cook until done.
3) Grind the grated coconut, cumin seeds and dry red chillies to a paste.
4) Add this ground paste, jaggery and salt to the dal-yam mix and cook until the raw taste of coconut goes.
5) Heat coconut oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves.
6) Add the grated coconut to it and fry till it becomes golden brown color.
7) Add this seasoning to the kootukari and stir.
8) Before serving add a little coconut oil for the flavour.(Optional)