PonPulari

I simply loved the Perfect Pound Cake recipe,  the ‘Sweet Punchers’ had announced for the month.
The cake I started to bake as a teenager until now; probably the cake I had baked the most number of times…the simple vanilla or the tea cake I had learnt from my mom which calls for equal weights of the 4 major ingredients, flour, butter, eggs and sugar..

The measurements and method for the pound cake is slightly different, though…

and Hurray! WE baked the lovely, yummy, golden, cake, together to make it all the more special and sweeter!

Perfect Pound Cake
(Adapted from the The Cake Bible)

Ingredients

 The soft, light and moist cake disappeared within 10 minutes after the photography session by the sisters, much before tea time

2 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cloves
2 cardamoms
1/4 teaspoon whole coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 small (or 1/2 piece) red bell pepper, seeded & cubed
1 small (or 1/2 piece) yellow bell pepper, seeded & cubed
1 small (or 1/2 piece) capsicum, seeded & cubed
1 tomato, cubed

1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
50 ml (1/2 cup) water
100 g paneer (cottage cheese), cubed

1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 tablespoon fresh cream
2 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves

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

In a wide pan, heat 2 teaspoon oil. Add cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and coriander seeds. Saute on a low heat for 2 – 3 minutes or until fragrant.

Add chopped ginger and stir well.

Add diluted spice powder and mix well. Stir well for 2 – 3 minutes or until the raw smell disappears.

Add cubed red, yellow, green bell pepper and tomato. Stir well. Add 50 ml water and salt to taste. Cover with a lid and cook on a low to medium heat for 8 – 10 minutes.

When the vegetables are 3/4 th done, add cashew nut paste and paneer cubes (panner will cook very fast). Cook again for 5 minutes or until the paneer softens.

Add garam masala powder and mix well.

Add fresh cream and stir gently.

Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with any Indian breads or Rice or Pulao of your choice. Remove cinnamon sticks when serving.

2 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 bitter gourd (pavakka)
3/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 cup (50 ml) water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wash and clean bitter gourd and cut into 1 – inch thin slices. Microwave high for 4 minutes with 1/2 cup (50 ml) water.

In a wide pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add microwaved bitter gourd slices, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt to taste.

You can also add bitter gourd slices directly for cooking (without microwave). Then add 1/2 cup water (50 ml) and cook till done and water dries up. Approximate cooking time 25 – 35 minutes).

Cover with a lid and cook on a low to medium heat for 10 – 12 minutes or until done and water completely dries up. Serve hot with rice.

Used as herbal medicine for diabetes. It has an insulin-like compound that reduces the blood and urine sugar levels.

It is highly beneficial in blood disorders like itching, blood boils, scabies, psoriasis, ring-worms and fungal infections.

Fresh juice of bitter gourd is highly beneficial for different types of diarrhoea and stomach infections.

Its juice has a detoxifying property and helps cleanse, repair and nourish liver.

It can help alleviate eye problems and improve eyesight.

7 teaspoons ghee
1 cup (200 g) whole wheat (Aashirwad / Pillsbury / homemade)
190 g sugar, powdered
1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

Buy only fresh flour. Sieve flour. Keep it ready.

Take a thick bottomed iron kadai / frying pan. Heat 1 teaspoon ghee on a medium heat. Add whole wheat flour and stir continuously on a low to medium heat for 25 minutes or until fragrant / color changes. Do not stir on high heat. Always maintain low to medium heat.

Switch off the heat and finally mix with 190 g powdered sugar, remaining 6 teaspoon ghee and cardamom powder. Mix all the ingredients well and keep aside to cool for 15 minutes. You can also add 1 tablespoon shallow fried cashew nuts and raisins.

Once the mix cools, roll the mix tightly into laddu / small balls (11 – 13 laddus / balls). Size can vary as per preference. Spread them on a tissue paper so that any residual ghee will be removed. Store in an air tight container.

2 teaspoon oil
1 green chilli, finely chopped
3 curry leaves
2 eggs, beat well
Salt to taste (or less than 1/2 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon pepper powder

Beat eggs well and keep aside.

In a wide frying pan, heat oil. Add finely chopped green chilli and curry leaves. Stir well for 1 – 2 minutes.

Add beaten eggs, salt to taste and pepper powder. Stir well continuously on a low to medium heat till done and egg mixture leaves from the sides of the pan / dries up. Serve hot as a side dish with Rice / Rotis / Brown bread.

1 cup ( 100 g ) tur dal
2 1/2 cups (250 ml) water
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

Wash and clean tur dal.

In a pressure cooker, mix tur dal, water, oil and turmeric powder. Pressure cook tur dal along with water, turmeric powder, oil, onion and tomatoes for 20 minutes ( reduce heat after 2nd whistle and cook cook on a low heat for 15 minutes. Allow the pressure cooker to cool naturally.

Open the lid. Blend / mix cooked dal- tomato – onion mixture well.

2 drumsticks, cut into 4 cm pieces
10 shallots (chuvannuli / sambar onions)
1/2 teaspoon tamarind paste or 3 tablespoon tamarind juice
3/4 teaspoon salt ( or to taste)
2 1/4 teaspoon 777 brand Madras Sambar powder/ Eastern / Melam / MTR Sambar powder (Dilute sambar powder in 4 teaspoon water)
2 pinches asafoetida (hing)

Boil small onions and drumstick with cooked dal mixture. Adjust with 1 cup (100 ml) water if required. Add tamarind paste / juice and salt to taste. Cover with lid and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add diluted sambar powder and boil again for 15 minutes on a low heat till done ( drumsticks are soft ). You can find slight reduction in the quantity of the sambar and nice aroma of sambar powder / sambar thickens. Add hing (asafoetida).

Heat oil in a pan . Add mustard seeds. When they start crackle add curry leaves and broken red chilli. Saute for 2 – 3 minutes and pour this seasoning over sambar. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves. Serve with Idli / Dosa / Pongal / Rice ….

2 cups (200 g) idli rice
1/2 cup (50 g) raw rice (pachari)
1 cup (100 g) urad dal
2 tablespoon (30 g) methi (fenugreek seeds)
6 dried red chillies
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt to taste ( approximately 1/2 teaspoon )
Ghee / oil for frying
Water for grinding

Wash and soak idli rice and raw rice together for 6 hours.

Wash and soak urad dal and methi for 6 hours. Add dried red chillies and peppercorns along with methi.

Grind rice and urad dal – methi seeds (urad dal, methi seeds, dried red chillies & peppercorns) separately to a very fine paste. Add 1/4 cup water while grinding. Transfer urad dal – methi paste and rice paste in a big bowl, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, mix the paste well and keep aside to ferment for 6 – 7 hours or overnight. Batter should be of dropping consistency.

Heat a heavy – bottomed wrought iron griddle or non stick dosa pan on a medium heat.

Grease with little oil / ghee.

Make the dosa by placing a ladleful ( approximately 120 ml ) of batter on the centre. Spread evenly by circular rotations using the base of the ladle, starting from the centre and progressing outwards. Sprinkle a few drops of ghee / oil. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes. Turn the other side and cook till golden color (The underside should be golden brown in color).

When ready, carefully remove with the help of a thin spatula. Serve hot with Coconut chutney /Sambar / Tomato sauce / Tomato chutney.

3 onions, roughly chopped
10 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
2 pinches turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 teaspoon oil

Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and garlic. Fry till pink in color.

Add red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Saute on a low heat for 2 minutes.

Add chopped tomatoes and salt. Mix well and fry for 2 – 3 minutes. Do not add water.

Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes until tomato – onion mixture thickens. Switch off the heat and keep aside for cooling.

Transfer this mixture to a mixer bowl and blend till smooth. Do not add water. Serve as a side dish with Spicy methi dosa.

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan. Add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds. When they begin to crackle, add 3 curry leaves. Saute for 1 minute and pour the seasoning over tomato chutney.

Mezhukkupuratti means stir fry with very less oil, spices and no coconut added to this. A side dish with Rice and popular in Kerala Cuisine and Cochin GSB called as Upkari.

250 g breadfruit pieces, cut into 1- inch slices
1 cup water (100 ml)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pressure cook breadfruit slices with 1 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Switch off the heat after 2 nd whistle. Allow the cooker to cool naturally.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Add mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add boiled breadfruit slices, red chilli powder, turmeric powder & hing. Adjust with extra salt if you required. Cover with lid and cook on a low to medium heat for 12 minutes or till done / water dries up / breadfruit well coated with spices. Serve as a side dish with rice.

You can add breadfruit slices directly for cooking (without using pressure cooker). But I’m not very sure about the cooking time. It may take 30 minutes to 1 hour.

MILKMAID Sweetened Condensed Milk – ½ tin (200 g)

Milk – ½ cup (75 ml)

Butter – 125 g

Flour (maida) – 125 g

Cocoa powder – 50 g

Baking Powder – 1 teaspoon

Sugar, powdered – 75 g

Eggs – 2

Walnuts, chopped – ½ cup (optional)

Extra 1 teaspoon butter (to grease baking dish)

Grease & dust the baking tin with maida.

Preheat oven to 180ºC or 350 *F.

Sieve together maida, cocoa & baking powder. Sieve twice.

Beat butter & sugar until light & creamy. Add eggs little at a time, beating well after each addition.

Fold sieved ingredients gently into the above mixture, alternating with milk and milkmaid condensed milk. Add the chopped walnuts (optional).

Mix well & pour into greased tin.

Bake at 180ºC in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until center of the sponge springs back when lightly pressed also leaves from the sides of the baking dish. Allow to cool in tin for 5 minutes and remove onto a wire rack. Keep aside to cool for half an hour and later cut it into desired shape and sizes.

1 cup (100 ml ) plain flour / maida
1 pinch salt
1 pinch baking soda (cooking soda)
1 1/2 teaspoon melted butter
50 – 60 ml butter milk

1 well ripe banana (175 g)
1 tablespoon grated coconut
1 teaspoon raisins
1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons icing sugar
200 ml oil for frying

Mix together flour, salt, cooking soda and butter. Add butter milk (50 – 60 ml) and make a stiff dough. Keep aside for 15 minutes in an airtight container.

Roll out the dough into a big & slightly thick chapati and sprinkle dry flour when making it. Cut into small rounds with a biscuit cutter or an inverted glass. Place spoonfuls of banana filling in the centre of the rounds. Cover each filled round with the remaining rounds and seal and tight the edges together.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Reduce heat to medium and deep fry in batches ( 3 – 4 at a time) till golden color. Drain and place on kitchen towel to absorb extra oil. Sprinkle icing sugar on top and serve hot. Consume immediately.