Sponge Cake (no added butter / oil / ghee)

Sponge Cake (No added butter / oil / ghee)

Ingredients

90 g flour (measure ¾th cup + 1 tablespoon in Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity. Photo given below)

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

120 g sugar (measure 3/4^th cup in Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity. Photo given below)

2 eggs (net weight is 105 g)

2 tablespoon ice cold water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Method

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

Sieve thrice flour, baking powder and salt.

Preheat oven (OTG) at 180 *C or 350 *F.

In a bowl, beat eggs and sugar until creamy and smooth (use electric beater). Add 2 tablespoon ice cold water and beat until smooth and creamy.

Now add sieved flour in 3 batches. Mix well with a thick tablespoon (do not use electric beater at this stage) until well combined and without any lumps (till smooth and creamy).

Finally add 1 teaspoon lemon juice and mix well with a thick tablespoon.

Final procedure:

Transfer this cake mixture (3/4^th level of the pan) into a greased baking pan - ring, square or round (or paper lined) or loaf pan.  Spread evenly with a spatula, and bake at 180 * C or 350 * F for 30 - 35 minutes or till golden brown or till a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean / leaves from the sides of the pan. Keep aside to cool for one hour.

Run a knife round inside of the pan to loosen the cake, and then invert the pan. Once it reaches normal room temperature, cover cake gently with a butter paper / cling film / aluminium foil and store in a refrigerator for minimum 2 hours or overnight. Then it will be very easy to make perfect slices.

Cake cutting tip:

Heat a knife first before cutting a cake for crumble-free slices. To heat the knife, you can run the knife under very hot water (or heat knife directly in a gas flame) then wipe dry with a clean towel.

Besan Pakkavada

Besan Pakkavada - A tasty deep fried (crispy and crunchy too) snack  in Indian cuisine. Best with tea /coffee !!!

Makes: 150 -   160 g

Ingredients

Please use same measuring cup to measure  gram flour and water

1 cup / 200 ml / 8 oz (Indian standard measuring cup) besan (gram flour/ kadalamaav / chone pittti)

2 tablespoon oil (30 ml)

1/2 teaspoon crushed ajwain (ayamodakam)

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon asafoetida  (hing / kaayam)

½ teaspoon pepper powder

½ cup cup water (5 – 7 tablespoon)

Method

In a wide bowl, mix  besan ,  oil, crushed ajwain, pepper powder and hing.  Mix well with fingertips until well combined and it forms like soft bread crumbs. First start with less than ½ cup water and later adjust with remaining  1 – 2 tablespoon to make a medium soft dough. If it is too hard, it won’t come out from  the mould (difficult to press).

Put this dough in a murukku / chakali mould. Use pakavada achu / pakoda plate (with 4 slits / 2 slits) to make  pakkavada.

Heat oil in a wide kadai / frying pan and reduce heat to medium and wait for 1 minute. Fry directly in hot oil on a medium heat (between medium and low heat)  until light golden color and crisp on both the sides  in 2 - 3 batches (depending upon the size of the kadai / frying pan). It won't take much time for frying. Please keep a safe distance from  the gas stove / hot oil when frying / pressing with mould. Drain and place on kitchen towel to absorb extra oil and store in an airtight container.  Please use 2 – 3 paper towels to absorb extra oil. Serve with tea / coffee ..

Paneer Paratha

Here's the recipe link of Paneer Paratha  !!!

Bhavnagari Gathiya (2nd recipe)

Bhavnagari Gathiya – A delicious snack, popular in Gujarat. Best with tea / coffee…

Ingredients

1 cup (120 g) besan (gram flour / kadala maav / chone pitti), sieve twice

½ teaspoon ajawain (ayamodakam), finely crushed

½ teaspoon pepper powder

¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)

3 tablespoon oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cooking soda

¼ cup water (to knead)

250 ml oil (to deep fry)

Method

In a bowl, mix besan with ajwain, pepper powder and asafoetida.

In a small tadka pan, heat oil on a medium heat. Switch off the heat and add salt and cooking soda (This recipe step is very important. Please do not miss this).

Pour hot oil onto besan mix and rub in well (first mix it with a thick tablespoon. Later mix with fingertips until well combined).

Now add water (3 – 4 tablespoon) and make a soft dough. If the dough is medium hard and difficult to press,  remove from chakali press (mould) and sprinkle little more water (1 – 2 tablespoon). Make a soft and sticky dough.

Heat oil in a kadai and reduce heat to medium. Press through sev mould / chakali press / gathia maker ( disc with big hole ) directly into hot oil in 2 – 3 batches.  Fry till crisp and golden color. Drain out oil and place on kitchen towel to absorb extra oil. Store it in an airtight container. Best with tea / coffee.