Butterfly Cake for Someone Special

On your birthday, special one,
We wish that all your dreams come true.
May your day be filled with joy,
Wonderful gifts and goodies, too.
On your day we wish for you,
Favorite people to embrace,
Loving smiles and caring looks
That earthly gifts cannot replace.
We wish you fine and simple pleasures.
We wish you many years of laughter.
We wish you all of life’s best treasures.
We wish you happily ever after!
Happy Birthday!
Happy Birthday Glanita !!!!

(Love from Joyce, Sylvia and Joyce)

For the Basic Cake :

Butter – 125 grams
Milk – ¾ cup
Eggs 3
Vanilla essence 1 tablespoon
Sugar 250 grams
Flour 235 grams
Baking Powder – 3 tsps.
Sift maida and baking powder. Melt butter over heat with milk. Beat eggs till creamy. Gradually add sugar and vanilla essence.   Then add cooled butter mixture and flour in small quantities.  Beat till all is incorporated and you have a light mixture.  Pour into the lined pan.
Bake for 45-50 minutes at 180 deg. C. If using the gas oven….with no temperature settings…use gas mark 3.5.
Have a drawing/picture of a butterfly and trace it on wax paper. When the cake is cooled, put the traced wax-paper outline on the cake and cut the cake along the outer outline. Cut the cake into two halves and sandwich the cake with icing, if desired. Make buttercream icing (recipe below). Colour it as per the colours you require and keep aside.
Cover the whole cake with a thin white crumb icing and leave in the refrigerator to harden. Ensure that the top is smooth. Put the wax paper on the surface of the icing and trace the outline and inner patterns by pricking with a small pin through the wax paper. This will leave small tiny pin-holes on the surface of the cake; with the inner pattern now traced on the crumb icing. If its very faint, just try and connect the pinholes (Have the drawing/pattern) in front of you just in case you missed any lines, Using a star nozzle, pipe on the pin-holes/pattern with coloured icing.
For Fluffy White Buttercream Icing :

1/2 cup white shortening (use Crisco)
2 sticks (226 grams) butter (I use Lurpak butter)
2-3 tablespoons milk
1 tsp vanilla powder or essence
4 cups icing sugar (well sifted – +/- 20% depending on the humidity condition in your kitchen)
2 tablespoons cornsyrup
Beat butter and shortening together. Add milk and vanilla essence and icing sugar. Continue beating till cream is all fluffy…add corn syrup at the end.
Colour as desired. I use Wilton Paste Colours. I needed a double batch of icing to decorate the cake.

Kerala Egg Masala and Palappam

Living in the Middle East brings you in contact with many people from Kerala and its nice to taste their wares.  Ahmed,  our Office-boy is from Kerala and when I asked him what his favourite dish was,  he said “Mutta Masala and Palappam”.   I did a bit of research and have come up with my version of “Mutta Masala and Palappam”.   I packed some along for him and though he liked it,  he said “No Chillie Maam” .  So, if you want it more spicy,  increase the spice content in the Egg Masala.  My hubby and kid found it just right …so there you go .

For Palappam :

Raw rice/Idli rice – 2cups

Fresh coconut (grated) ½ cup

Sugar -2-1/2 tablespoons

Cooked rice – 1 cup

Yeast – ½ tsp

Egg (white only) – 1

Salt  to taste

Wash rice and soak in water for 5-6 hours.  Then grind fine with grated coconut and cooked rice.  Combine yeast and sugar in ½ cup of warm water and keep aside till bubbles form.  Add this to the ground rice paste.  Stir well and leave it for fermentation for 8-10 hours.   After it is fermented,  beat egg white with a fork and add to the batter.  Add salt to taste and mix well.

Palappams are made in a wok-shaped pan.  If it is not a non-stick one,  you will have to smear it with oil before each Palappam is made.  (I put a little oil in a small bowl and soaked a bunch of tissues in it and rubbed the base of the hot pan just before the palappam is put in it).  Add the batter and tilt the pan in a circular motion so that the batter spreads.  You will have a big blob in the center and the outer sides will be lace-like.  Cover with a lid and let it cook till done.   Remove and serve warm with Egg Masala.

For Egg Masala :

Boiled Eggs – 6

Onions – sliced fine (2 large)

2 heaped tablespoons of ginger/garlic paste

Curry leaves – 2-3 sprigs

2 large tomatoes

Chilly powder – 1 tablespoon

Coriander powder 2 tablespoons

Egg Masala Powder – 2 tablespoons (can use any meat masala like Stew Powder, Bafat Powder, Beef Masala Powder- I used Bafat Powder)

Heat oil in a pan and add the onions and curry leaves and sauté till the onions get brown flecks.  Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for sometime.  Then add tomatoes (cut fine) and fry well.  Then add chilly powder, coriander powder and Egg Masala/Bafat Powder.  Fry the masala till it turns a darkish shade of brown and oil and masala separate.  Add 2 cups of water and simmer till a thickish paste is formed.  Add salt to taste and then the boiled eggs.  Stir and cook for 2 minutes.  Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with Palappam.

Chicken Tikka and Naan

Chicken Tikka are small pieces of boneless chicken, marinated in spices and yogurt and grilled or baked in an oven or grill. While being done they are brushed with butter and marinade at regular intervals, which keeps it tender and moist. If you don’t have an oven, don’t fret, these can be shallow fried on a regular pan as well. Usually served as appetizers; but if you team it up with the Naans (recipe given below), they can be a full and satisfying main course too. I had a beef side-dish ready as well; but after having a couple of skewers of Chicken Tikka and Naan; laced with Hummous and Garlic Cream; nobody wanted anything else.
Do try these Tikkas.. they are really finger licking good; never mind the extra little work involved.
I used Chicken Breasts and grilled them in the oven in the auto-kebab mode.
Cut the Chicken Breasts into cubes, wash and pat dry. Use the following as a first marinade. (2 tablespoons lemon juice, salt, paprika or red chillie powder -1 tablespoon, 1 tablespoon of ginger paste, 1 tablespoon of garlic paste and 1 tablespoon of grated onion. Keep the chicken pieces in this marinade for 20-30 minutes).
{For the second marinade you need about ¼ cup of gram flour/besan; which is to be roasted. So take a small pan and add a tablespoon of oil and add a teaspoon of crushed carom seeds/ajwan, then add the ¼ cup of gram flour and roast it till it changes colour and emits a nutty flavor.}
Ingredients for 2nd Marinade as follows [1 cup thick curd, the ¼ cup of roasted gram-flour above, ½ teaspoon oil, 1 teaspoon crushed carom seeds/ajwain, 1 heaped tablespoon ginger paste, 1 heaped tablespoon garlic paste, little salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon red chillie powder, 1 teaspoon black pepper powder, orange food colour, ¼ tsp saffron strands dissolved in 1 tablespoon of milk, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon 5 spice powder, 1 teaspoon of dried fenugreek leaves/kasuri methi, orange food colour].
Mix the chicken in the 2nd marinade and keep aside covered with cling-wrap for sometime. I did mine the previous late evening – so they marinated for 6 hours plus.
Start grilling/baking them just before the meal, so you can have them piping hot…straight from the oven. Keep basting the tikkas with remaining marinade and butter every 10 minutes or so. I grilled them for 10 minutes on each side. When done brush with lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves. I soaked onion rings in white vinegar and water for 10-15 minutes and served them along with the tikkas.

Naan :
These soft and fluffy Naans were a huge hit with the family. Once you make them, you are never gonna contemplate buying Naan from outside. Enjoy.

2 cups of Flour (Maida)
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon oil
¾ cup yogurt
½ cup warm milk
Garlic butter (used Lurpak garlic butter)

Sift ingredients 1-5 in a big bowl. Add yogurt and oil and half of the milk and knead together. Add the remaining milk and knead for 5-7 minutes till you get a soft dough. If it is too sticky, sprinkle a little more dough and knead for sometime. You need to get a dough that is softer than chapatti dough. Keep in a warm place to rise for about 2-3 hours, covered with cling wrap.

After the dough has risen, roll into spheres (not too thin) and brush one side with water. Moisten it all over on one side only. (Naans are usually done in a hot clay oven;  in the absence of which you can also use a Tava or an oven- I used a Tava). Put the wet side on to the hot Tava, which has been smeared with a thin film of oil, (wet side down on the pan). Cover with a dome shaped pan-lid. After 30 seconds you will note bubbles formed on the surface…. Turn it over and with the help of tongs, put the uncooked side onto a direct slow flame or alternately you can just cook on the tava till its cooked. Brush immediately with garlic butter and serve hot from Pan to Plate.  Best eaten hot and immediately after it is done.

Homemade Kesar Sandesh

I owe this recipe to a Bengali friend,   who I met recently.    For a Bengali,  a meal is incomplete if there is no sweet or mithai;   so I was not taken aback when I got a goody-bag of Sandesh, made by his wife,  on our 2nd meeting at class.  I got the recipe out in the open only after some ‘arm-twisting’  tactics,  with which  I have become adept at now ;).   So here it is…… ‘Kesar Sandesh’  with a recipe from the experts in the sweet-business,  a Bengali-babu.  Dhōnnōbād jee.

The recipe is  a fairly easy one and I did it twice in the recent past.  To one,  I added an extra bit of Kesar and got a very dirty-yellow colour; with which I was not too pleased.    So go easy on the Kesar. I got about 18 small-sized Sandesh from the recipe below.

Milk–full cream 1 Liter

Lemon juice or white vinegar 2 tablespoons

Powdered sugar 2 tablespoons

Saffron/Kesar– few strands

Pistachios chopped fine – 2 tablespoons

Heat milk on medium heat & bring it to a gentle boil. Keep on stirring during this process so the milk does not get burnt and stick to the bottom of the pan.  Stir in either vinegar or lemon juice (I added lemon)  & increase the heat a bit. The milk will start to coagulate.  Do not overcook/ over heat. The moment you see the clear greenish whey, switch off the heat.

Line a colander/sieve with a cheese cloth and transfer the contents into the lined colander. Run  the coagulated milk with cold water to wash away any acidic taste left by the lemon juice/vinegar.  Gather the cheese cloth from the sides and tie it at the top and let it drain for 30-45 minutes.  It will now form a sort of ball/mass inside the cheese cloth. This is called Chenna.  Remove the Chenna and add the powdered sugar and saffron and knead or blend it in a mixer.

Then take a pan (preferably non-stick) add the Chenna and keep on slow heat for about 8-10 minutes.  Keep stirring all the time to ensure that it
does not burn or stick to the pan.  You will note that the colour and texture will begin to change now and it will slowly start gathering together.
Transfer to another bowl and knead it softly while it is still warm,  and mould into desired shape.   Put it into mini-liners and top with pistachio crumbs.

Lamb and Pathrade Curry

If  you have never eaten Pathrade then you are not a Mangalorean !!!!!…I heard this somewhere,  a long time ago.  Although we grew up in Mumbai,  our Mom made sure she made special Mangalorean dishes for our family now and then.  I’m not too sure if I liked them too much;   but memories of eating them and being told how good they are,  still linger and keep popping up occasionally.

My husband is a big fan of anything Mangalorean,   and as he has been extra good this week,   I made this dish to keep him happy.  Am sure he was truly happy  because after wolfing  it down, he had a big smile on his face.      I could not find Colocassia leave so substituted  it with Palak Leaves.   Lot of work involved and I slaved in the kitchen for quite some time in preparing this; but it is worth while the effort.   Enjoy this Special Lamb and Pathrade Curry  !

• 1     Bunch of Palak Leaves (or if you are lucky Colocassia/Allu Leaves)
• ½    Kg.  boiled rice – (washed and soaked overnight)
• 3/4  cup fresh coconut
• ¼    tsp turmeric powder
• 4  red chillies
• 1/2   tsp cumin seeds
• Small lime sized ball tamarind
• Salt  to taste

Method:

Grind the soaked rice with coconut, turmeric powder, red chillies,  cumin seeds, tamarind and salt.  Do not add too much water – the mixture
should be thickish.  Remove and keep in a large bowl.

Shred or cut the washed Palak Leaves into longish strips and mix
to the rice batter.  Put water in a steamer/tondor and let the water boil.
Spread a muslin cloth on the steamer tray and pour the rice and palak leaves mixture on it.  Cover with the muslin cloth edges and steam  for 20-30 minutes.   Remove from the steamer and when cool cut into thick bars and keep aside.   This will be later added to the lamb curry.

For the Lamb Curry :

Ingredients :

1 batch of Pathrade Bars – steamed, cut  and kept aside.

1 Kg Lamb  with bones

1 onion + ghee +  2 cups of coconut milk (the coconut milk will be added towards the end)

(In a pan add ghee and fry one onion- then add lamb and sauté for a few minutes – add water and cook the lamb till done and then keep aside)

For the Masala – dry roast separately the following ingredients and grind to a fine paste

2     heaped tablespoons coriander seeds

8-10  dried red chillies

5  pepper corns

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

3 tablespoons coriander seeds

1  teaspoon mustard

1-1/2 cup grated coconut (of half coconut)

1 large onion  sliced

After roasting the above, powder fine in a dry grinder and then add a marble sized tamarind ball and ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder and grind to a fine paste in the wet grinder and keep aside.

Prepare 2 cups of thick coconut milk  from coconut milk powder (I used the instant coconut milk powder).  Cut 1 large onion and in a medium sized vessel add some oil or ghee and fry till the onion is brown.  Then add the ground masala and sauté it for 5-10 minutes.   Make a curry and when it is boiling add the cooked lamb and the Pathrade bars and simmer for 10 minutes.  Season with salt.   Lastly add the coconut milk and simmer for a further 3-4 minutes.

Serve hot with boiled rice.

Seviyan Ki Kheer

India boasts of a variety of sweet desserts to pamper the sweet toothed.  One of the most common desserts is a very simple preparation of  milk, sugar and vermicelli called ‘Kheer’.   Kheer recipes have evolved to suit regional and personal preferences and every little place in India will have its own special “Kheer”.    This creamy and sweet dessert  is fairly quick and easy to prepare.

1 Ltr milk

Seviyan/Vermicelli (thin) -1/2 packet

Sabudana/tapioca pearls -2 tablespoons (soak in little water)

Sugar -1/4 cup

Condensed milk (sweetened)  6-8 tablespoons

Cardamom powder (from 8-10 pods)

Rose-water – 2 tablespoons

Nuts (Cashews, almonds and pistachios)

Ghee/Butter –to fry the vermicelli/nuts – 1 tablespoon or more.

Put butter/ghee in a pan and fry the cashew nuts and almonds till golden brown.  Remove and keep aside.  In the same pan fry the vermicelli – remove and keep aside.   Boil milk.  Then add soaked Sabudana/Tapioca Pearls and boil  for 5-10 minutes.  Add fried vermicelli, nuts, sugar,  condensed milk and rosewater and simmer.  Check sweetness and add either more sugar or more condensed milk as required.  Remove from fire and sprinkle the cardamom powder and stir.  Serve warm or chilled garnished with pistachios and nuts.