Eggless Banana Cake

Eggless Banana Cake

Tips

Please  use same measuring cup to measure to  measure flour, powdered sugar, mashed bananas and oil.

Be sure to use ripe bananas; their peels should be bright yellow, with no green showing at all, and beginning to turn brown. For more pronounced banana flavor, use extra-ripe bananas, ones whose peels are mostly black-brown.

An easy way to mash bananas is to peel, cut into chunks, and place in a zip-top plastic bag, leaving about 1/4" open at the top of the bag for air to escape. Gently knead/flatten/squash the banana chunks with your fingers.

Ingredients

1 cup / 200 ml / 8 oz (Indian standard measuring cup) all purpose flour (maida)

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup powdered sugar

½ cup  oil

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

¼ cup well ripe mashed banana (1 big size banana or 3 small size bananas)

1 tablespoon milk

6 cashew nut splits

6 raisins

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 * F or 180 * C.

Grease baking dish / loaf pan with 1 teaspoon butter and dust with 2 teaspoons flour (sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of flour inside a cake pan and shake to coat all greased surface. Turn pan upside down to tap out the excess flour ) or greased butter paper.

Sieve flour and baking powder twice.

In a wide bowl, beat powdered sugar and oil together until creamy and smooth (use electric beater).

Add vanilla essence and beat again.

Add mashed banana and beat again until creamy (without any lumps).

Add sieved flour in 2 batches. Mix it with thick tablespoon until smooth and creamy (without any lumps).

Pour the banana mixture (decorate  with cashew nut splits and raisins on top of the cake mixture if required) into a paper - lined and greased or greased loaf pan / baking dish and bake at 180 * C or 350 * F  for 30 - 35 minutes or a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and also it leaves from the sides of the pan. 

Cool for a while before turning out onto wire rack. Keep aside to cool for 20 minutes and cut into slices or desired shapes.

To cut banana cake into very thin slices, warm the bread knife a little before slicing the cake.

Appam with Kerala Egg Curry

Here's the recipe link of '' How to make tasty and spongy Appam ?''

Here's the recipe link of '' Kerala Egg Curry''

Cherupayar Curry

Cherupayar  Curry - A tasty main curry with Kanji (pejje / rice porridge / puttu / rice…  Homestyle preparation !!!

Serves: 3 - 4

Ingredients

For the coconut mixture (thenga thirummiyathu):

6 tablespoon  grated coconut

6 garlic cloves, chopped and crushed

3/4 teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

Mix all the ingredients well and keep aside .

For the  cherupayar:

1 cup (Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity) cherupayar (green gram / moogu)

Wash and soak cherupayar in 2 cups water (400 ml) ml water for 6 hours ( or overnight ). Transfer soaked cherupayar (along with its soaked water and ½ teaspoon salt)  into a pressure cooker (final water level after soaking of the cherupayar should be 1/2 - inch above cherupayar. No need to add more water like 1 – inch above. Cherupayar will cook immediately). Close the pressure cooker lid and cook on high heat for 3 whistles (3 quick whistles). Switch off the heat. Allow the cooker to cool naturally. Open the lid. Boiled cherupayar will be thick in consistency.

Other ingredients

2 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

½ teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

¼ teaspoon urad dal

Boiled cherupayar (green gram / moong)

Grated coconut mixture

½  teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 cup water (200 ml / 8 oz)

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add jeera and urad dal. Saute on a low heat for 1 minute.

Add boiled cherupayar, grated coconut mixture, 1 cup water and  adjust salt to taste.  Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a low heat for 10 – 12 minutes or until done / well combined with coconut mixture / fragrant. / gravy thickens. Serve with  rice / kanji or main dish with puttu..

Malabar Style Chicken Curry

Malabar Style Chicken Curry / Kozhi Mulakittathu – A tasty curry, best with pathiri, parotta, chapatti, appam, idiyappam …

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the chicken:

800 g chicken

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon salt

Wash and clean chicken pieces.  Drain out water thoroughly. In a bowl, marinate chicken pieces with salt, turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Cover and keep aside for half an hour.

Other ingredients

2 tablespoon oil

4 onion (3 big size or 4 medium size), cut into thin slices

1 tablespoon ginger - garlic paste

1 ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoon coriander powder

8 curry leaves

3 big size tomatoes, cut into cubes

Marinated chicken pieces

1 ¼ cup water (250 ml)

1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Method

Dilute red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder in ¼ cup water (50 ml) water and make a smooth paste (spice mix).

In a pan or karahi, heat oil. Add thinly sliced onions and fry on a medium heat until golden color.

Add ginger – garlic paste and fry on a low heat for 1 – 2 minutes until raw smell goes.

Add diluted spice mix and fry on a low heat for 1 – 2 minutes until raw smell goes and water dries up / well combined with other ingredients.

Add curry leaves and fry well.

Add tomato cubes and stir well for 2 – 3 minutes.

Add marinated chicken pieces (drain out water if any) and stir well on a low heat for 3 minutes.

Add 1 ¼ cup water and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients  well. Cover with a tight lid and cook on a medium to low heat (when the curry is 3/4th done, gently mash tomatoes with backside of a steel ladle. Then it will blend well and gravy will be more tasty) for 30 – 40 minutes until done / chicken well cooked.  Serve with pathiri, parotta, chapatti …

Kadala Curry (New Recipe for Puttu, Appam, Idiyappam, Chapati ...)

Kadala Curry (for Puttu, Appam, Idiyappam, Chapati, ..) - A delicious main curry in Kerala cuisine !!

Serves: 3

Ingredients

For kadala (chickpeas):

Please use same measuring cup to measure kadala & water.

1 cup / 200 ml kadala / black chana (Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity)

3 cups water

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon salt

Method

Wash and soak kadala in 3 cups of water for 6 – 7 hours or overnight. In a pressure cooker, add soaked  kadala (along with its soaked water, add extra 1 cup water - final water level should be 1 1/2 – inch above the level of soaked kadala), turmeric powder and salt and pressure cook for 25 minutes until done and soft (reduce the heat on high after 3 quick whistle and cook on medium heat for 20 - 23 minutes. Switch off the heat. Allow the cooker to cool naturally). Drain out water.

For the coconut paste:

6 tablespoon coconut, grated

2 tablespoon water

Make a smooth paste of grated coconut with 2 tablespoon water in a small mixer bowl. Keep aside.

Other Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

10 shallots / chuvannulli or 1 onion, finely sliced

6 spring curry leaves

¾ teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

Boiled kadala

1 cup water (200 ml / 8 oz)

Salt to taste (or 1/2 teaspoon)

Coconut paste

¼ teaspoon Kerala meat masala powder (optional) or garam masala powder

Method

Dilute red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder in  2 tablespoon water and make a smooth paste (spice mix).

Heat oil in a pan. Add sliced shallots / small onions / onions and fry on a low to medium heat until golden color.

Add curry leaves and saute well.

Add diluted spice mix and stir well on a low heat for 1 – 2 minutes until raw smell goes and water dries up.

Add boiled kadala , 1 cup water (up to the level of kadala) and adjust salt to taste (if required). Cover with a lid and boil on a medium heat for 10  minutes.

When it starts boiling nicely, add coconut paste and meat masala powder. Adjust with 1/4 cup water (50 ml) if required. Coconut gravy should be of pouring consistency / medium thick.  If won’t  be tasty if the gravy is too thin. Be careful when adding water.  Mix all the ingredients well. Do not boil on high heat. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 7 minutes.  

For the seasoning:

Ingredients

2 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

6 curry leaves

Method

Heat oil in a pan on a medium heat. Add mustard seeds . When they starts splutter, add curry leaves. Fry on a low heat for 1 - 2 minutes until crisp and fragrant. Pour this seasoning over curry. Serve this tasty  kadala  curry  with Puttu,  Rotis / Appam / Idiyappam / Brown breads ....

Paneer Fry (made of Tandoori masala)

Paneer Fry (made of Tandoori masala powder) – A delicious side dish with rotis / pulao …

Serves: 2 – 3

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)

1 onion, cut into cubes, separate each layer

1 teaspoon ginger – garlic paste

¾ teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 green capsicum, cut into cubes (or a mix of red capsicum, yellow capsicum and green capsicum – 1 cup)

1 tomato, cut into cubes

200 g paneer (cottage cheese), cut into cubes

½ teaspoon tandoori masala powder (any leading brand, Everest, MTH, Kitchen King ..)

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

2 tablespoon water

Method

Dilute red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder in 2 tablespoon water and keep aside (spice mix).

Heat oil in a pan / karahi on medium heat. Add cumin seeds. Fry until light golden color and fragrant.

Add onion cubes and fry until light pink in color.

Add ginger – garlic paste and fry on a low heat for 1 – 2 minutes  until raw smell goes.

Add  diluted spice mix and fry on a low heat for 1 – 2 minutes until raw smell goes and well combined with all the ingredients.

Add capsicum cubes and tomato. Stir well for 2 – 3 minutes. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes until almost tender.

At this stage, add paneer cubes, ½ teaspoon tandoori masala powder and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients well. Sprinkle 2 tablespoon water. Cover again with a lid and cook on a low heat for another 5 – 7 minutes until paneer well cooked. Paneer will cook very fast. Serve hot as side dish with  rotis / pulao .. Consume immediately.

Dal Lucknowi

 Dal Lucknowi – Recipe from Sanjeev Kapoor’s Dal & Kadhi Cookery Book !!!

Dal spiced and enriched with milk. Best with rotis / rice ..

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients

Split pigeon pea (toor dal/arhar dal),soaked - 1 cup / 200 ml / 8 oz ( Indian standard measuring cup)

Salt  to taste (or 3/4^th teaspoon)

Green chillies, chopped -   2

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Oil - 2 teaspoon

Asafoetida  (hing)– a  pinch

Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 teaspoon

Dried red chillies, broken -  4

Garlic, chopped   - 4 cloves

Milk - 1 cup

Fresh coriander leaves, chopped - 2 tablespoons

Method

Pressure cook the dal with salt, green chillies, turmeric powder and two cups of water till pressure is released twice (two whistles). Heat the oil in a non stick pan. Add the asafoetida, cumin seeds, red chillies and garlic and sauté till fragrant. Add to the boiling dal and mix well. Add one cup of water and milk and continue to simmer for two to three minutes. Adjust salt, garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot.

Sanjeev Kapoor's Dal & Kadhi Cookery book

Sanjeev Kapoor's Dal & Kadhi cookery book available @ Homeshop 18 online store @ a lowest price of Rs 200 !!

Cooking at home with Pedatha

Cooking at home with Pedatha (Vegetarian cookery book in Andhra cuisine) available @ Junglee online store.  Lowest price starts from Rs 459 - 495 and Rs 470 @ Homeshop 18 online store !!

Paneer Tamatar Chaman

Paneer Tamatar Chaman - A delicious paneer curry with rice or rotis in Kashmiri cuisine (without onion and ginger – garlic paste). Recipe from Femina Magazine June13, 2012 !!

Here's the recipe link  of Paneer Tamatar Chaman

Urulai Kilangu Varuval / Potato Fry

Urulai Kilangu Varuval / Potato Fry – A delicious side dish with rice in  Tamil cuisine !!

Serves: 2

Ingredients

For baby potatoes:

20 baby potatoes or normal 2 potatoes (if using normal potatoes, cut into ½ - inch cubes)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 ½ cup water

Method

Boil potatoes in a pressure cooker with salt, turmeric powder  and 1 ½ cups water (1 – inch  level above the potatoes) for 8 minutes or until done. Reduce the heat to medium after 2 quick whistles and cook for 5 minutes. Switch off the cooker. Do not open the lid. Allow the cooker to cool naturally.  Open the lid. Drain out water completely. Gently peel off the skin of  potatoes.

Other ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

1/4 teaspoon urad dal

1 onion, thinly sliced

6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

6 curry leaves

¾ teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

Boiled potatoes

¼ - ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

½ teaspoon pepper powder

2 pinches hing (asafoetida / kaayam) optional

Method

Dilute red chilli powder and turmeric powder in 2 tablespoon water (spice mix). Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan / karahi on  medium heat. 

Add mustard seed. When they splutter, add cumin seeds and urad dal. Fry on a low heat until fragrant (or 30 seconds).

Add thinly sliced onion and fry on a medium heat unti golden brown.

Add thinly sliced garlic and fry till golden color.

Add curry leaves and fry until crisp.

Ad diluted spice mix and stir on a low heat until water dries up and well blended with other ingredients.

Add boiled potatoes, salt to taste, pepper powder and  hing (optional).  Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes until done / potatoes well coated with all the spices. Serve as side dish with rice, rasam, sambar, poriyal … (or it’s tasty side dish with chapatti too).

Nirali Cherry Mini Omelette / Uthappam / Pancake Pan

Nirali Cherry Mini Omelette / Uthappam / Pancake Pan – It’s very useful for the preparation of mini omelette, uthappam, small dosa (kutti dosas), pancakes, cutlets, flat aloo tikkis, patties for burger, sanna polo (cabbage dosas in Konkan cuisine) … Available @ Deals in Chennai online store (Price Rs648 @ Dela in Chennai online store) and other stores.

Gobi Methi

Gobi Methi - A tasty side dish with rotis, made of cauliflower florets, fenugreek leaves and spices !!

Serves: 2

Ingredients

For gobi (cauliflower):

20 cauliflower florets (approximately 150 – 200 g)

2 cups hot water

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

Method

Wash  and clean cauliflower florets. Boil 2 cups of water with salt and turmeric powder.  Switch off the heat. Add cauliflower florets. Cover with a lid and keep aside for 10 minutes. Drain out water completely.

Other ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon ginger – garlic paste

¾ teaspoon red chilli powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1  bunch methi leaves (fenugreek leaves / uluvayila)

Cauliflower florets

½ teaspoon garam masala powder

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

2 tablespoon water

Method

Wash and clean methi leaves. Drain out water completely and chop finely.

Dilute red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder in 2 tablespoon water (spice mix). Keep aside.

Heat oil in a karahi / frying pan. Add thinly sliced onion and fry on  a medium to low heat until golden color and crisp.

Add ginger – garlic paste and stir on a low heat for 1 – 2 minute until the raw smell goes.

Add diluted spice mix and stir well on a low heat for 1 – 2 minutes until the raw smell goes and water dries up / well combined with onion.

Add chopped methi leaves. Fry on a low heat for 3 – 4 minutes.

Add cauliflower florets, garam masala powder, salt to taste and sprinkle 2 tablespoon water. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a lid and cook on a medium to low heat for  10 minutes until done / cauliflower well cooked. Serve as a side dish with rotis .

Mushroom Curry

Mushroom Curry – A very easy & tasty curry, made of mushroom and spices. Best with rotis / pulao !!

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, thinly sliced

4 curry leaves

6  cloves garlic, thinly sliced

½ - inch piece ginger, thinly sliced

¾ teaspoon red chilli powder

½ teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon coriander powder

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

½  cup / 100 ml / 4 oz  water

½  teaspoon  garam masala powder or meat masala powder

200 g mushroom, wash well and cut into desired shape and size

Method

Dilute red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander in 2 tablespoon water and make a smooth mix (spice mix).

Heat oil in a karahi / pan on medium heat. Add thinly sliced onion and fry till golden color.

Add curry leaves, thinly sliced ginger and garlic. Fry on a medium to low heat until golden color and crisp.

Add diluted spice mix and fry on a low heat until water dries up and raw smell goes / thick in consistency.

Add  1/2 cup water (up to the level of mushroom), salt to taste, 1/2 teaspoon  garam masala powder or meat masala powder and mushroom. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a lid and cook on a medium heat for  10 – 12 minutes until the gravy slightly thickens.

 Serve with rotis / pulao ..