Stuffed Karela

Karela or the bitter gourd is not a veggie that turns up often on search engines. I haven't found too many people enthused by the idea of having karela for lunch. And the few who do, have it mainly for the health benefits it has to offer. Not for love of the vegetable. 

I genuinely do love karela. This puzzles as well as aggravates Mum. She absolutely abhors Karela. But love for her only child forces her to dish it up week after week! But there is only one way she deigns to consume it. Stuffed and deep fried. Health benefits be damned!

My grandmum makes this amazing bitter gourd curry with coconut and garlic. But nothing will induce mum to eat that. This recipe was handed to her by one of their neighbours. So for years these were referred to as Chandel Aunty Karelas!

These aren't as bitter as the other recipes. And the tangy, spicy filling is really quite addictive. Throw in a handful of french fries on top, and even kids will have a go!

Ingredients:

Bitter Gourd                 6

Onions                          2

Ginger garlic paste        2 teaspoon

Garam Masala              1/2 teaspoon

Pepper powder              1/2 teaspoon

Dry Mango powder      1 teaspoon

Coriander powder         1 teaspoon

Salt                                to taste

Turmeric powder          1/2 teaspoon

Chickpea flour              2 tablespoons

Method:

Scrape the ridges of the karela. Slit it vertically and discard the seeds. Rub a little salt and turmeric inside and out. Leave in the sun for an hour. In the meantime, prepare the masala. Grate the onions, add salt and leave for 20 minutes. Squeeze the onions well to drain out all the water. In the drained onions, add all the rest of the ingredients, except the chickpea flour. Wash the karelas well and pat dry them with a kitchen towel. Fill the prepared masala into the cavity of the gourd. Now prepare a thick paste with the chickpea flour (besan), a little salt and water. Use this paste to seal the edges of the stuffed karelas. Heat oil in a wok and lower the karelas sealed side down. Cook on medium heat. You can choose to deep fry these. Or shallow fry them covered , turning them frequently to ensure they are well browned on all sides. Enjoy with some rice and plain yellow dal!

Beer Chocolate Cake

I've been experimenting with beer in my cooking and baking for a while now. I don't drink much of it coz it leaves me sleepy and bloated, but I do love the mild bitterness and depth it adds to food. Before I started the marathon experiments, I had only a layman's knowledge of beer. Pop a can or pull a draught at the microbrewery and really all beer was the same! Right? Wrong!! 

I actually got talking to a brewmaster and was boggled at all the subtleties and methods that differentiate each brew. Roasting, hopping, brewing, maturing... they all combine in limitless combos to bring the perfect aaahhh to your sip! 

When I baked my Beer Bread, I was completely clueless and just reached into the fridge for a Bud. But this time round I was better educated, and now that I understood the flavour profiles, i was confident of pairing the right beer with the right ingredients. 

This particular cake uses the English Brown Ale. The dark colour boosts the chocolate tones. And the roasted nutty malts carry an undertone of chocolate that just enhances the taste of the cake to an altogether different level. 

The best part about adding beer to your bakes is the texture. This cake in particular has a gorgeous moist crumb that makes you just reach for slice after slice. If you think I exaggerate, just bake a batch and try for yourself! 

Now I wish this was an original recipe, however, my inspiration comes from The Beeroness. I tweaked a few ingredients around. Added some and subtracted a little. After all, what's life without a little twist?!

Ingredients:

Eggs                         1

Butter                       1/2 cup

Granulated sugar     1 cup

Muscovado sugar    1/2 cup

Vanilla essence        1/2 teaspoon

Ginger powder        1 teaspoon

Beer                         3/4 cup

Oil                           1/4 cup

Flour                       1 1/2 cups

Cocoa Powder        3/4 cup

Baking soda           1/2 teaspoon

Salt                         1/2 teaspoon

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 180 C. Sift all the dry ingredients together. Beat the butter and the two sugars till pale and fluffy. Add the egg and the essence. And beat well. Gently stir in the beer and oil till combined. Do not beat or the beer will get too flat. Now fold in the dry ingredients a little at a time. Gently mixing till all is just combined. Pour into a well greased cake dish. Bake for 60 minutes. Let cool a little before cutting in!

The Leftovers Cake

The Diwali frenzy has died down. The diyas have been washed and stored away. The fairy lights have been brought down and carefully returned to their boxes. The din of the crackers had quietened. The belts have loosened a notch. And the fridge is groaning under the weight of the mountain of mithais!

While we wait an entire year to indulge in these special Diwali sweets, the week long exchange makes us groan at the sight of yet another laddoo or barfi. 

Short of giving it away or crumbling it into yet another kheer or dessert, there aren't too many options around. But this year I decided to be inventive!

 

While the overdose of mithais had everyone gagging sweet, the realm of cakes had been untouched. If I could reinvent the barfis into a less sweet, unconventional tea cake, I was sure it would  find many takers. 

My inspiration came from the delicious Mawa Cake. This east meets west fusion was perfect for the cake I had in mind. After all, most mithais had a generous base of mawa to complement the dry fruits tucked within. Armed with a random mix of Kaju katlis, anjeer barfi, pista rolls and lavang latikas I set out to bring my experiment to life.

The result you ask? This gorgeous golden hued, light as air cake. The crust was crisp and inside was all soft sweetness. Redolent with the fragrance of mawa and dry fruits, this cake was an instant hit with the young and old alike. People came back for seconds. And thirds! Dipped into tea. Warmed for a quick snack. Topped with shrikhand for a rich dessert. This was definitely the most versatile product of my Diwali Leftovers! 

My fridge is emptied of all the excess mithai that lay unwanted. And I have a house filled with cake satiated tummies! Now if only someone can find a way to recycle all that Son Papdi!

Ingredients:
Leftover Mithai                200 gm
Maida                               200 gm
Butter                               200 gm
Powdered Sugar               150 gm
Cardamom powder          1/4 teaspoon
Baking Powder                1 teaspoon
Eggs                                 4

Method:
Pre heat the oven to 180 C. Beat the butter and sugar well, till it is light and fluffy. Mix in the crumbled mithai. And beat well, till the batter is smooth. Sieve the maida, cardamom powder and baking powder and fold into the batter. Beat the eggs and incorporate into the batter. Mix everything well to get a smooth, consistent batter.
Alternately, if effort is not your thing, just whizz everything together in a food processor or mixie. Pour into a greased baking tin and bake for 45 minutes till a skewer inserted comes clean. Cool and slice!

Gulab Jamun Cake

Traditional Indian Mithai and Cake? Doesn't sound quite right does it?! To most it seems incredulous that one carry marry the flavours of the Indian dessert palate with that of the European ones. But having successfully attempted the hugely popular Mawa Cake, I knew not only was it possible, but it was absolutely divine! A warm homecoming with the heady aroma of baking. 

Now those who have read my very first post, know that baking for my grandfather can be quite a challenge. But I hadn't been around for his birthday in a long time, and I really wanted to bake him something special. 

My news feed of late had been flooded with stories of Rasmalai Cake. While I personally don't enjoy rasmalai, it did give me an idea. I knew I had to make a cake that had its roots in the familiar. It really was a no brainer then. No dessert is ever as popular as the Gulab Jamun, and I knew I had to attempt yet another G-jam makeover.

I started my research and realized there had been a few attempts at recreating the magic, but nothing I looked at really hit the note. I read on and picked the brain of another Baking Diva I know. Also, Monster Munchkin would want to be part of the process, so I needed something simple yet drool worthy! This recipe seemed about right. But it needed a little more to make it truly festive and celebratory. I played with a few suggestions that would complement and not overpower the actual cake. And most importantly not push it to the realm of the too-sweet-for-seconds shelf. 

To be honest, I had my reservations even when I put the finishing touches. What if it was a total disaster? It seemed perfect on paper. The cake was light and baked to perfection. The frosting was not just a mouthful of oversweet fluff, and very consciously incorporated the only mithai my munchkin deigns to eat.  But what if my instincts were a little off! Heart in mouth, I carted it to my grandparents' place. Sure, it looked good. But aah! The all important taste test was still waiting. 

The first forkful, and my grandfather declared it a success! And it had nothin to do with the fact that his granddaughter and great grandson had baked it. For once, even my worst critic (Me!), had to nod in agreement. This was one for the kitchen heirlooms. A dessert that was going to grace my table many more times in the future!

Ingredients:

Cake:

Gulab Jamun Mix             3/4 cup

Whole Wheat Flour          3/4 cup

Sugar                                 3/4 cup

Milk                                  1 cup, warm

Vinegar                             1 tablespoon

Baking Powder                 1/2 teaspoon

Baking Soda                     1/4 teaspoon

Oil                                     1/4 cup

Salt                                    a pinch

Green Cardamoms            6

Frosting:

Kalakand                          200 gm

Almonds                           8

Cream Cheese                  180 gm

Gulab Jamuns                   8 small

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 C. Mix the vinegar in the milk and keep aside for 15 minutes. Powder the sugar with the cardamoms. Sift all the dry ingredients together and give it a twirl with a wire whisk or spoon. Make a well in the center and add the rest of the cake ingredients. Whisk it well by hand or electric whisk till well blended. Bake in a greased 8 inch round pan for 35 minutes. Let it cool completely.

Upturn the cake onto a plate and slice horizontally in the middle. Liberally soak the two halves with the syrup from the gulab jamuns. Keep aside for 10 minutes. Lightly beat the cream cheese with a fork till fluffy. Spread a thin layer over the soaked halves. On the lower half, arrange sliced gulab jamuns to cover the entire area. I sliced my gulab jamuns into three parts, but it depends on the size if the jamuns. Now place the top half of the cake over this layer. The two halves reconciled, it was time for the final touch. Run the Kalakand in the mixer till smooth and mix into the remaining cream cheese. Generously swirl over your cake, letting your inner artist run free. Slice the almonds into chunky flakes and drop all over the frosted cake. 

I refrigerated the cake overnight and then brought it to room temperature before serving. But if your will power is being tested, you can dig in right away!