Madeira Cake!!!

Madeira cake is a sponge cake in traditional English cookery. The Madeira Cake has a firm yet light texture, eaten with tea or rarely for breakfast and is traditionally flavoured with lemon. Dating back to an original recipe in the 18th century or 19th century, it is not unlike a simple pound cake or yellow cake. The Madeira Cake is sometimes mistakenly thought to originate from the Madeira Islands; however, that is not the case as it was instead named after the Madeira wine, which was popular in England at the time and was often served with the cake. Nowadays, it is often served with tea or liqueurs. (Source from wikipedia)

Ingredient's

Softened Unsalted Butter - 1 cup

Fine Grain Sugar - 3/4 cup (plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling)

Lemon - 1 (Grated Zest and Juice)

Eggs - 3 large

Self Rising Flour - 1 and 1/3 cup

All Purpose Flour - 1/2 cup

Baking Powder - 1/4 teaspoon

9 x 5-inch Loaf Pan - Buttered and Lined

Cooking Method

Get all the ingredients at room temperature before starting. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C.

Sift the self rising flour, all purpose flour and baking powder, together, Thrice and keep aside. Cream the butter and 3/4 cup sugar using an electric beater. Once they are well creamed, grate in the zest of the lemon. Beat well till it is combined.

Add the eggs one at a time with a tablespoon of flour for each. Beat well after each addition. Once all the 3 eggs are in, and the mixture is well beaten, gently FOLD IN, with a wooden spoon, the rest of the flour in small batches. Finally put in the juice of the lemon. Mix well with the spoon and pour the batter into the prepared tin. Sprinkle the top with sugar as it goes into the oven.

Bake for 1 hour or until a tester comes out clean (mine got done in just under 50 minutes. I suggest you check after 45 minutes to prevent any burns. Remove the tin to a wire rack and let cool in the pan before turning out.

Meethi Pulao.. Fenugreek Rice!!!

Meethi Pulao. I love greens and make it a point to prepare all kind of green vegetables at least 4 to 5 days a week as I strongly believe that we are what we eat. I always prefer the mini meethi leaves which are available here very easily, this mini meethi leafs perfect for a meal rather than those huge bunches which give me a headache when it comes to cleaning!! This is a simple and flavorful pulao made in jiffy and perfect for lunch box also. Nowadays i'm giving more rice items for my hubby in a lunch box, so that even i can get a chance to cook different differnt kinds rice items. Because it is easy to prepare to and delicious to eat...

Ingredients 

2cup Basmati Rice 

1 cup chopped veggies Beans, carrot, peas, potaos. 

1cup meethi leafs 

1 large onion. 2 green chillies, 1 large tomato 

1 star anise, 1 big cardamom, 1 cinnamon, 1tsp cumin 

1tsp turmeric, 1tsp coriander powder, 1tsp garam masala 

2tbsp chopped coriander leafs 

Oil and Salt as per taste

Cooking Directions 

Wash and soak the rice for at least 1/2 hour. In a pressure cooker add oil, when the oil hot, add cumin, star anise, cardamom and cinnamon, when they starts spluttering, add onion and green chillies, fry to golden brown. 

Then add chopped veggies, meethi leafs, turmeric, coriander, garam masala and salt. fry for another 3 to 4 minutes. 

Add chopped tomatos and basmati rice. mix it gently and add 2cups of water and close the lid and cook for 3 whistle (1 in high flame and 2 in low flame) 

Garnish with coriander leafs and Serve hot with Raita.

Bagara Baingan With Tomato Gravy (Eggplant With Tomato Gravy)

Bagara Baingan With Tomato Gravy.. They are many ways to cook this bagara baingan recipe, this is very famous in Hyderabad but they add peanuts and cashew nuts paste. Few days back i was watching one serial on sony tv, there she serves this bargara baingan to her family. She did not tell the recipe :) but it was looking very taste to my eyes. On the same time i told my self i should make this dish at any cost. To give a twist i made it without peanuts and cashew paste, it was tasted like bharta with whole baingan and it was going very well with Roti.

Ingredients 

4 baby eggplant 

2 medium onion, finely chopped 

6 large tomato, finely chopped 

3 green chillies, finely chopped 

10 to 15 curry leafs 

1tsp mustard seeds 

1tbsp red chilli powder 

1tbsp turmeric 

tbsp coriander powder 

1tbsp garam masala 

2tbsp tamarind paste 

1tbsp ginger garlic paste 

3 to 4 dry red chillies 

3tbsp oil 

Salt to taste.

Cooking Directions 

Wash and pat dry the eggplant, make a cut in the base of the eggplant (Like Plus Shape) 

In a deep frying pan add 1tbsp of oil and fry the eggplant with little salt for 2 to 3 minutes and keep it aside. 

In a same cooking pan , add rest of the oil, when oil is hot, add curry leaves, mustard seeds, and dry red chillie. when they splutter. 

Add onion and green chillies, fry to golden brown, then add all the masala powder and ginger garlic paste, fry till oil separate from masala, then add chopped tomato's and tamarind paste and cook till they are soft , keep smashing tomatos in between. 

Now add eggplant and salt mix well, then add 1 cup of water, mix it again and cook till the eggplants are cooked well. 

Serve hot with Plain Rice or Roti's.

Paddu...

Paddu is a common south indian breakfast. I wanted to cook paddu from a long time but never got a chance. Last Wednesday my close friend Suma, made idli batter and she gave me also little bit. That batter i had kept in the fridge and forgot about it till Saturday. On Saturday morning i was thinking what to cook for breakfast, then suddenly i realized what i did with that idli batter which Suma gave to me. I opened the fridge and saw the batter was in good condition. From that batter only i made this simple and easy paddu..

Ingredients 

2 cup idli batter 

10 to 15 curry leafs 

1tsp musturd seeds 

1 medium onion chopped finely 

2 green chilly chopped 

2tsp coriander leafs 

salt as per taste 

3tbsp oil

Cooking Directions 

In a large mixing bowl, take idli batter, add salt, onion green chilly and coriander leafs. mix it and keep it aside. 

In a small tempering pan add 1tbsp oil, when oil is hot add mustard seeds, and curry leafs, when they start splutter add it to the idli batter and mix it well. 

Heat the Paddu pan and grease all moulds with oil. Now slowly pour the batter into each of the moulds with the help of table spoon. For best results, the Paddu batter should be filled to almost 3/4 of the mould. Reduce the heat to medium and leave the batter to cook well for 3 minutes by closing the lid. Do not close the lid while cooking if you need the Paddu to be crispy. Once cooked on one side, flip the Paddu over to the other side and cook the other side in low flame for 2 min while you pour a little oil into the mould again as required. 

Once cooked on both sides, remove from the pan and Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Mini Idiyappam With Black Channa Curry.

Idiyappam is a common breakfast dish in Kerala and Tamilnadu. It is made of rice flour and is a very healthy breakfast as it is steamed. Last month we had been to coorg there they served us idiyappam for the breakfast with black channa curry, from there i became a fan of this dish. Keeping that taste in my mind i also prepared this idiyappam on 15th Aug for breakfast. Usually people make this idiyappam in a very different way. I feel this is the best and very simple idea. Do try and let me know...

Ingredients 

1 cup rice flour 

Water as required to make a soft dough 

Oil - 2 tsp 

Salt as required.

Cooking Directions 

In a mixing bowl, take rice flour, add salt, oil and water to make a soft dough. Knead it well. Grease the inside of the idiyappam maker with oil and fill it with the prepared dough and press it in a circular motion on idly plate in the form of long strings. Then steam it for 10-15 minutes. I used my idly pot for steaming. 

The basic idiyappam is ready. It can be served with any curry of your choice or coconut chutney.