Eggless chocolate sheet cake with pistachios & sea salt

If you love an indulgent chocolate cake with a little crunch, this is for you!

Ingredients

250g maida / all purpose flour

40g cocoa powder, unsweetened

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

240g caster sugar

110g oil

2 tsp vanilla extract

255g fresh curd

1/4 cup chopped pistachios

1/2 tsp crushed sea salt (I used a mortar & pestle to crush gently)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 10 inch baking tray with baking paper. I used a rectangular pan to make the sheet cake, though you could use another just as easily.

2. Add curd to a mixing bowl and whisk a bit to smoothen. Add oil, vanilla extract and caster sugar. Whisk until sugar is dissolved.

3. Mix together the rest of the dry ingredients and sieve into the above sugar mix. Use a spatula (or the whisk) to fold the flour mix in well. Do not overmix; only mix until well combined.

4. Pour the batter into the baking tray and pat the tray gently to remove any air in the batter. Top with the pistachios and sprinkle the crushed sea salt across.

5. Bake in the preheated oven at 180C for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean. Remove from the oven and however tempting it may be, wait until cool to transfer and cut a slice:)

Notes

1. Omitting the pista and/or sea salt will still give you a lovely moist chocolate cake.

2. You could pair this with a lovely pistachio icecream too.

Beetroot laddoos

I had bought some dessicated coconut for a cake (I don’t usually use it otherwise) and had some left over. In good faith, I bought some more to bake another cake a few days later. And again, quite obviously, I was left over with a teeny bit. Not wanting to spend my days in this dance, I decided to use up whatever little was left in something.

Had harvested some beetroots recently and while a beetroot rasam was on the cards, I used a bit to make laddoos.

Ingredients

1 small beetroot

1 cup dessicated coconut

4-5 dates, de-seeded

1 tbsp honey (optional)

6-8 almonds (optional)

Instructions

1. Peel beetroot. Roughly chop.

2. Slice almonds (if using).

3. Grind the beetroot and almonds together. Then add the coconut, dates and honey (if using). Blend until dates are crushed (~a minute).

4. Shape into laddoos (round) and serve. You could garnish with a sprinkling of dessicated coconut or finely sliced pistachio slivers.

Note: you can go up to 2 cups of dessicated coconut based on flavour preference.

Godhumu pindi barfi|Wheat flour barfis

I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, but do love a little nibble sometimes. My cousin shared this recipe for a super quick, easy barfi that gets done in ten minutes flat! Perfect for those sudden cravings.

I learnt these are also called Gulpapdi or Sukhdi in Gujarat. You can decide to enhance the flavours by adding dry fruit or coconut or cocoa powder etc. But the basic version will remain my go to for a quick fix:)

Ingredients

1 cup wheat flour

1 cup ghee

1 cup jaggery (grated fine or powdered)

Instructions

1. Add ghee to a heavy bottomed pan and add the wheat flour. Mix well and stir for about 7-10 minutes.

2. Turn off heat, add jaggery and mix until well combined. The mixture will become thick.

3. Pour onto a greased plate. Use a knife to make cuts across the mix (vertical and horizontal lines from one end to the other) to size desired. The mixture will harden as it cools. Let it cool before you remove a piece.

Once cool, the barfis can be stored in an air tight jar. They aren’t going to last long because they are just delicious!

Godhumulu halwa|wheat halwa

One of my favourite sweets, but involves a bit of work. Of course, mum usually makes this for me so I get to enjoy the sweet without much effort:) But making it for myself helps me appreciate the effort that goes in.

To make this, one has to account for the soaking time of the wheat grains. It’s soaked up to 16-18 hours. Water has to be changed 2-3 times during this time to ensure wheat does not get spoilt.

Ingredients

1 cup wheat grains

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup ghee (can add upto half cup depending on preference)

10-12 cashewnuts

10-12 raisins

1/4 tsp green cardamom powder

Instructions

1. Soak the wheat grains for 16-18 hours. The water has to be changed 2-3 times during this period to ensure wheat doesn’t get spoilt.

2. Grind the wheat with water (~1 cup) and then sieve through a metal strainer or muslin cloth to extract milk. Add a little more water while sieving and press the wheat paste to extract milk. Press the leftover between palms to get remaining milk. Set milk aside for 10-15 minutes. (The leftover wheat can be added to compost).

3. If there is excess water, it will come to the surface and that can be poured out so that only thick milk is used.

4. In a small pan, heat the ghee and fry cashews and raisins (add raisins halfway as they take much less time to fry compared to cashewnuts). Keep aside in the ghee.

5. Add sugar to the milk extracted. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the milk. Stir continuously so it doesn’t stick to the bottom until it starts leaving the sides and thickens (takes approximately 10-12 minutes). Add the dry fruits fried along with the ghee and the cardamom. Mix well.

The halwa can stay at room temperature for about 2 days in cooler climates, else will have to be refrigerated.

Semia payasam|Seviyan kheer

This is one of my favourites! And simple and quick to make as well.

Ingredients

1 cup semia

3-4 cups milk (full fat)

2 tbsp ghee

12-15 cashewnuts

6-8 raisins

1/2 cup Sugar (can be adjusted as per preference)

1/2 tsp green cardamom powder

A pinch saffron (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Fry cashews and raisins on low flame separately. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. In the same pan, add the semia and fry on low flame until it browns. Saute intermittently to ensure even browning.

3. Once the semia is golden, add the milk and saffron (if using). Simmer on low flame until semia is cooked and has become soft. You can add 3 cups milk and add more if you want a thinner consistency. Keep in mind, that it thickens once cooled.

4. Add sugar and mix. Simmer for a 3-4 minutes. Add cardamom powder and mix.

5. Take off heat and add the cashews & raisins. The payasam can be served hot or chilled.

Sweet corn payasam

When there are fresh corn cobs in abundance, it finds its way into a variety of dishes at home. The corn kernels lend themselves easily into salads, curries, rice dishes, snacks and more.

Corn, in moderation (as with everything), is good for us to consume. It is rich in vitamins, fiber, minerals, and antioxidants. They also come in several colours with yellow being the most common.

How to make sweet corn payasam

Ingredients

1 corn cob

1/2 litre milk

1/4 cup + 1 tbsp cashewnuts and almonds

5-6 tbsp of sugar

6 tbsp ghee

A few saffron strands, soaked in a tsp milk

1/4 tsp crushed cardamom

Instructions

1. Shelve the corn.

2. Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a deep bottomed pan. Fry the cashewnuts and almonds until golden; set aside. In the same pan, add the corn kernels and saute them for 3-4 minutes.

3. Chop the dry fruit into small pieces. Keep a tbsp aside. Grind the remaining along with corn to a coarse paste.

4. In the same pan, heat remaining 3 tbsp ghee. Add the coarse corn paste and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the cardamom and saute for another minute.

5. Add the half litre milk and the sugar; cook on low flame for 15-20 minutes stirring intermittently. Add the saffron and 3/4th tbsp of dry fruit, give it a gentle mix and take off heat.

6. Transfer the payasam to a serving bowl, garnish with 1/4tbsp dry fruit and serve hot or cold (as per preference).

Eggless coffee-chocolate cake

I am a novice at baking, but love it. The smell of freshly baked goodies never fails to improve the mood at home. Baking for the humans and dogs has now become quite addictive!

Ingredients

2 cups maida (220g)

1.5 cups castor sugar (187g)

140g butter, softened

3 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 tbsp instant coffee powder

2 tsp hot water

3/4th cup milk

Instructions

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, and cocoa powder into a bowl.

2. Add hot water to the coffee powder and make a paste. Keep aside.

3. Soften the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add vanilla essence and milk. Whisk to combine. Then add the coffee powder paste and whisk to combine.

4. Add sugar and whisk until sugar is dissolved.

5. Slowly add the dry ingredients from step 1, whisking to combine well.

6. Pre-heat oven to 180C. Line a 7 inch baking pan with parchment paper or grease it and then pour the batter into it.

7. Bake at 180C for 35-40 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Cool the cake well before slicing.

Notes:

You can add walnuts, dust them with flour before adding. Add them towards the end after combining all other ingredients together.

You can also make cupcakes with the batter instead of a cake, baking time will be around 15-20 minutes.

You can replace butter with 3/4th cup oil and 2 tbsp curd.

Sajjappalu – a deep fried sweet puri

Sajjappalu are deep fried sweet puris; in Andhra, we make this with a sugar stuffing. There is a similar dish in Karnataka with a stuffing of coconut & jaggery along with a slightly different dough base.

How to make sajjappalu: this recipe will yield around 25 medium sized sweets

Ingredients

250g bombai rava/white sooji

300-350g white sugar

250g maida

1/2 cup dry fruit, chopped (cashewnuts, almonds, raisins)

Oil, for deep frying

Butter, the size of a small orange

Water, to mix the dough

Salt, a pinch

1 cup ghee

Instructions

1. Make a dough with maida, butter, a pinch of salt and a tbsp of hot oil. Add water bit by bit to make a soft dough (it has to be softer than what one makes for pooris). The dough does not need resting time, but upto two hours is ok if needed. Divide the dough into lemon sized balls to make the sajjappalu. Keep aside, covered.

2. In medium sized pan, heat a little ghee and fry the dry fruits. Keep them aside for use later.

3. In the same pan, add the remaining ghee and fry the bombai rava until it starts turning colour.

4. Heat a glass of water on the side and add to the rava. Stir constantly to ensure no lumps are formed. Mix in the sugar followed by the dry fruits. Let it cook until it thickens and can form a ball. Take off heat. Once cooled, make small sized balls (1/2 a lemon) and keep aside.

5. Take a lemon sized ball of the dough and roll it into a poori or flat disc using a rolling pin (You can also do this using your palms and a greased stone base). Place the stuffing in the middle, close the poori or disc outside in to cover the stuffing. Gently roll it into a poori again.

6. Deep fry in oil; ensure medium heat so the poori cooks through fully. Flip over once so both sides turn golden. Remove onto an absorbent paper or sieve to get rid of excess oil.

7. Follow the same process with the rest of the dough.

Note

The halwa can be made in advance and refrigerated. Whenever you want, mix some dough and use the halwa

Pumpkin seed chikki

My parents were married in 1971. My mother came into this household that ate (heartily) quite some spice. A portion of curries were made less spicier for mum since she wasn’t used to the level of spice my father’s side ate. Her mother-in-law just assumed (because she didn’t eat spice) that she must like sweet more!

At that time, my grandmother was in Chennai and my parents in Bangalore. So when my uncle was travelling to Bangalore, she very painstakingly peeled pumpkin seeds and made chikki for my mother.

My mother still holds this memory close to her heart and it always brings a smile. To me, it is these sort of things that build relationships.

How to make pumpkin seed chikki:

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup jaggery powder

~ 50ml water (to make the jaggery syrup)

1 tsp milk (optional)

Melted ghee, for greasing (grease lightly with oil if you want to make this vegan)

Instructions

Grease a plate with ghee and keep aside.
Add the chopped jaggery with just enough water to cover (~50ml) in a deep pan and heat.
In about 3-4 minutes, add a teaspoon of milk to remove any impurities in the jaggery. The impurities will come to the surface like a froth and can be removed with a spoon (optional step).
When the syrup starts to bubble, you need to check for readiness. Take a spoonful of the syrup and put it in a small cup of water. If the syrup turns into a ball, it is ready for use.
Add the pumpkin seeds into the syrup and mix well. In a couple of minutes, take off the heat and pour into the greased plate.
When cool, cut or just break into pieces and store in an airtight jar.

Rava kesari – sweet made with semolina

The rava kesari is a sweet made from sooji or semolina. ‘Kesari’ refers to the orange colour. My mother never used food colour and instead used to add a little turmeric powder for a yellow colouring or limit to using saffron which would add an orange hue.

The rava kesari is a very easy dish to prepare and is popular during poojas, festivals or any other auspicious occasions. I usually make this when I have a sudden craving for sweet because it is quick and simple:)

In the state of Karnataka, where we reside, there is a popular breakfast combination of upma or khara bath with kesari bath. Together it is called the chow chow bath and makes a delightful combination.

How to make rava kesari:

Ingredients

1/2 cup bombai rava/sooji/semolina

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup water

A few strands saffron

2 tbsp water to soak the saffron

2 tbsp cashewnuts

1/2 tbsp raisins

2-4 drops of orange colour (optional)

1/4 tsp green cardamom powder

3-4 tbsp ghee

Instructions

1. Heat the ghee in a heavy bottomed pan. Fry the cashewnuts, and when golden remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Then fry the raisins in the same ghee. When they become plump, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside for later use along with cashewnuts.

2. Add the rava to the ghee and let it fry until a beautiful aroma emanates and the colour starts changing. Ensure it is fried on low flame and saute continuously.

3. Add the cardamom powder and saute for a few seconds.

4. While frying the rava, heat water separately. Once the rava is ready, add the warm water to the rava slowly, stirring continuously to ensure no lumps are formed.

5. Add sugar and mix well. Then add the saffron water and orange food colouring (if using)

6. As it thickens, add the roasted cashewnuts and raisins. Mix. You can keep a few aside for garnish if you prefer.

7. Cover and cook on low flame until the sugar is absorbed well and rava starts leaving the sides of the pan.

8. Transfer to a serving bowl. This can be served hot or at room temperature at any time of the day.

Notes:

1. You can use a pinch of edible camphor and an additional spoon of ghee as well along with the dry fruits to the rava kesari.

2. You can make a sugar solution separately an add this to the rava. For this you will need to heat the water (on medium heat), add the sugar and let it dissolve completely. Add this to the roasted rava slowly (on low flame), while stirring continuously so that no lumps are formed.

3. It would be best to use natural food colouring, if using any at all. Saffron alone usually works beautifully.

4. Sugar quantity can be increased to 3/4th cup if preferred.

5. You can use milk instead of water to make the rava kesari.