Vanilla cake with butter cream frosting

I made a vanilla cake with butter cream frosting on the occasion of my hubby's b'day. The cake came out super duper delicious & finger licking. 

Frankly I'm not a good cake baker. I make them once in a blue moon & then too I fail twice before I get a perfect cake.So to avoid all this headache I got this fool proof recipe from food network as once suggested by my cousin. Coming to recipe I made the cake from scratch but I used a store brought cream frosting. 

Ingredients 

For Vanilla cake

1&1/2 Cups cake flour

1 Tsp baking soda

1/2 Tsp salt

1 Cup sugar

1/2 Cup hot water

1 Tsp vanilla extract

1/2 Cup curd

1 Large egg or 2 small ones

1/2 Cup olive oil

For Filling 

1/2 Cup non-fat whip cream

2 Tbs strawberry Jam 

Frosting

1 Can butter cream frosting

Grated chocolate & chocolate pieces for garnish

Making cake : 
Preheat oven @ 350 degrees. Butter up a bowl for baking 7 keep aside.Sift all the dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl add the wet ingredients other then hot water & beat them together. Now mix the wet with dry ingredients & last add the hot water to it & beat them smoothly. 
Now pour the batter in to buttered bowl & bake it @ 350 degrees for 20 to 25 mins. Take a tooth pick and insert in to cake. If it comes out clean switch off heat & remove cake from oven.Allow it to cool on table top for 1hr to 2hrs.

Filling & Frosting:
In a bowl mix the whip cream & strawberry jam together. Now take the cake & horizontally cut the cake in to 2 halves. On the down layer spread the filling smoothly & place the other half on it. 
Now take the butter cream and spread it smoothly around the cake & decorate it as you like. 

We just loved the outcome of the cake. The layers were moist with the sweet filling & the butter cream was all buttery as my husband wanted. 

Note: 
To make a chocolate cake just add 1/2 cup of coco powder to the mix. 

Sending this recipe to :
1. Bake Fest event hosted by Archana of  The Mad Scientist's Kitchen
2. Virtual Birthday Party event hosted by Cook-Eat-Burrrp
3. Romantic Candle Lit Dinner Event hosted by Roha

Pappulo Undralu | Moong Dal Kozhukattai

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi friends.. 

Here is a peek of ganesha from our home.This year upon my hubby's request I made two clay ganesha's (Bala ganesha & Big ganesha) & decorated big ganesha with crystals.

Big Ganesha

Bala Ganesh

For the prasadam I made undaralu,pappulo undaralu & pulihora. Today I'm sharing pappulo undarala recipe with you all.

Ingredients
1&1/2 Cups milk

1/2 Cup moong dal

1/2 Cup rice flour

1 Cup water 

3 Tbs sugar 

1/2 Cup grated jaggery 

2 Tbs ghee

1 Tbs of chopped almonds & dry fruits 

Pressure cook moong Dal & keep aside.Heat a vessel with water & sugar.Allow water to boil then add rice flour slowly while mixing it.Mix it till the rice flour forms as a dough. Switch of heat and cool.Add 1tbs of ghee to dough & knead it. Now take small portions and make balls with them.Follow the same with rest of the dough & keep aside.

Take milk & moong dal in a pan  & bring them to boil. Then add the undaralu to the mixture on by one. Now add jaggrey & elachi to pan & mix them well with dal.Switch off heat & take a small pan with ghee & chopped dry fruits. Fry them for 2mins & add them to the undaralu. 

Note: 
1. Add 4tbs grated coconut while the milk & dal boiling for better taste. 

Event ~ Pickles & Chutneys

Pickles & chutneys are everyones favorite. A meal without any one of them is never complete.I'm announcing an event " Pickles & Chutneys "in my blog with an idea of bringing all of them together. This is my second event related to chutneys where in my first event was " Spicy Fiery Chutneys ". Do send in your recipes to this event.. :)

Here are the simple rules for the event :

• Vegetarian dishes only.
• Post it in your blog and link back the recipe to my event.
• Use of logo is appreciated.
• Can send in multiple entries.
• Event starts from 4th Sep 2012 & ends on 4th Oct 2012.
• For any questions you can mail me to ammaji.recipes@gmail.com or you can leave a comment to my Facebook page Ammaji Recipes

Link in your recipes here..

Palakura Pesara Pappu | Spinach Moong Dal Fry

Dal is a staple for Indians. We use different lentils & veggies to make delicious dal. The variations of making dal change from place to place. In this recipe I'm sharing a north indian style dal which bonds along with rice & roti/chapati very well. 

I believe in not combing spinach & tomatoes as they form stones in kidneys.Maybe it is just an assumption still why take a chance, right ? 

Ingredients

1Cup moong dal

1&1/2Cups water

2Cups chopped spinach

1Onion chopped

2Garlic pods

1/2Cup water (optional)

1/4Tsp turmeric

1Tsp chili powder

1/2Tsp sugar (optional)

Salt for taste

Seasoning

1Tbs oil

1Tsp mustard 

1Tsp jeera

1Tbs chana dal & urad dal

Directions

- Cooking dal is a easy process if you have a pressure cooker.
- To cook dal take it in a vessel with lots of water and clean it well. 
- Now add moong dal to pressure cooker with 1&1/2 cups of water and cook it for 2 whistles. 
- If you are planning on cooking it on stove top. It might take 3 to 4 cups of water for 1 cup moong dal & need continuos observation too.

- While the dal is being pressure cooked heat a pan with oil add mustard & jeera. 
- Once the mustard starts jumping then add channa dal & urad dal. Fry them for 1min then add garlic & onion to the pan & fry them translucent.
- Now add chopped spinach to pan & fry them.Here you add salt,chillipowder & turmeric to pan.
- Meanwhile the dal is cooked so add it to the pan & cook it at low temp for 10mins. 
- If required add little water at a time to the pan. Cooking this way will make flavors to mingle with each other perfectly. 
- Sprinkle sugar on cooked dal & mix it. 
- Serve dal & rice with a dollop of ghee & it tastes heaven. 

Note : 
- You can add 2 tomatoes to enhance the flavor. 
- While using pressure cooker be carful. Allow the cooker to cool down before opening it.

Follow me on "Facebook", "Google+", "Pinterest" for daily updates. Leave me a comment on any queries regarding this recipe & I will be able to answer it for you as soon as possible.

Banana Nutella Milkshake

A healthy milkshake is what makes you feel complete while you are on a diet regime.For me milk was never a cup of tea.I never liked the taste & smell of milk.I know it cannot be changed so I started replacing it with milkshakes & cold flavored drinks to vanish the actual flavor of it.I make milkshake's that are filled with nutritious stuff like fruits, honey,nuts, dryfruits & some times a little chocolate for my taste buds with a low fat milk or skim milk to blend.

The recipe I'm sharing today is also a similar kind of a drink with nutella & banana.This a magical drink that makes adults & kids to fall for. 

When I shared this drink with my hubby the first word he said that it was tasting like a chikoo (Sapota in telugu ) juice which you get in Indian fruit juice stalls. I sprinkled a little of grounded pistachios to give it the street side flavor. 

Hope you all will enjoy it as we did :)

Ingredients
1 Ripe banana peeled
2 Tbs of Nutella
11/2 Cup milk ( 2% fat milk)
1 Tbs grounded rosted pistachio

In a blender add the above ingredients & grind them well. Pour it in a glass & sprinkle pistachio before you serve.   

Note: 
1. Replace with whole milk to get a richer & creamy effect. 
2. You can add vanilla flavor ice cream for a creamy texture. 
3. I avoided sugar as Nutella gives a slight sweetness to the drink but you can add honey or sugar as you wish.   

The above one was a kids version with the same ingredients above. 

Check this too..

Apple Milkshake with Almond Milk

Iced Orange Tea

A woman is like a tea bag - you can't tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water ~Eleanor Roosevelt.

While I was going thru some quotes this caught my attention & I'm sharing it here with you all.I feel the quote is so true...

The recipe I'm sharing here is a chilling drink for hot summers.I came across this on food network website & I instantly felt thirsty for this drink.This is a drink which you would want to have it again & again.. :)

Ingredients
4 Cups of water 
2 Cups of fresh squeezed orange juice
1 cup sugar
4 Tea bags / 1/2 Tbs tea powder
Mint & orange slices for garnish

With tea bags:
Heat a vessel with 4 cups of water & teabags. Bring it to boil & switch off heat. Allow the tea bags to sit for 15mins & remove them.Let the tea cool down before you add orange juice.
Take a big vessel with tea, sugar & orange juice.Mix them well.

With tea powder:
Heat a Vessel with 4 cups of water & tea powder. Bring it to boil & switch off heat. Filter the tea & cool it.
Take a big vessel with tea, sugar & orange juice.Mix them well.

Serve it chilled with mint & orange slice. You can also serve with ice cubes added.But It might dilute the tea & the taste may vary.

Note: 
1. If you conscious about sugar add 6 Tbs of honey instead of sugar. 
2. You can also use a store bought orange juice too. 

Enjoy it...:)

Paala Thalikalu | Paala Kozhukattai

Happy Krishnashtami friends.. 

I made this "Pala Thalikalu" for krishna's birthday. I made this for first time ever & we loved it. I used milk maid instead for milk & sugar to make my job easy.

Ingredients

2 Cups of milk (1 cup milk maid & 1 cup water)

1/2 Cup rice flour

3/4 Cup sugar(Adjust Acc.)

3/4 Cup water 

Pinch of salt 

2 Tbs ghee

1 Tbs of chopped almonds & dry fruits 

Pinch of saffron 

Heat water in a bowl. Bring them to boil & switch off heat.Take rice flour in a bowl along with pinch of salt. Now add hot water little by little while mixing the flour & forming in to dough. Once you have the dough throw the remaining water.
Add 1tbs of ghee to dough & knead it. Now take small portions and make balls with them. You can shape them as you like but I made them as cylindrical shape. Follow the same with rest of the dough & keep aside.

Heat a vessel with milk. Bring it to boil for 5mins.Now add sugar to milk. Later add elachi & saffron. Switch off the heat & then add the the rice balls made before slowly to the milk mixture. Heat milk on medium heat for 10mins & switch off.

Take a pan with 1 tbs ghee & add almonds,dry fruits to it. Fry them for 2mins. Add it to milk mixture & mix them well.

Serve it cold or warm it tastes yum..

Note: 
1. You may not need the whole 3/4 cup of water. Stop adding water when a perfect dough is formed.

Ulli Kadala Pachadi | Spring Onion Chutney | Scallions Chutney

Spring Onion Chutney is a simple mixed veggie chutney, where scallions play the major role. Spring Onions are milder in taste than onions, so I tried adding a small onion to kick up the taste & mixed it with tomato for slight tanginess.

Chutneys are part of south indian meal. At home chutney or pickle a must & with out them a meal is never complete. I love trying something different rather than a regular one's we have daily. I first had this chutney at a friends place & fell in love with it. Though I forgot to get a recipe of it, later I experimented & succeeded in making my version of this chutney. 

Prep Time-10mins | Cook time-15mins | Serves-4people

Ingredients

2Bunches chopped spring onions

1Small onions chopped

1Big tomato sliced

2Garlic cloves chopped

2Green chili's

1Tbs coriander seeds 

6Red chili's {As needed}

1 Tbs oil

Salt to taste

Seasoning 

1/2Tsp mustard 

1/2Tsp jeera

1Tsp channa dal  

2Red chili's cut equally

1Tbs oil

Directions

- Heat a pan with oil along with red chili's, garlic & coriander seeds. 

- Fry them till coriander changes to light brown. switch off heat. Cool them & later grind them coarsely.

- Now to the same pan add spring onion, onions, green chili's & tomatoes. 

- Cook them with closed lid till tomatoes are cooked. 

- Cook open lid & let any left water to evaporate. Switch off heat.

- Allow them to cool & grind them with salt, coriander & red chili's to a chunky paste. Adjust salt needed if needed.

- Heat a pan with oil add chana dal to pan, fry them for few sec's. 

- Then add mustard, jeera & red chili. Once the mustard starts jumping add the seasoning to chutney.

- Chutney is ready to serve. Serve it with rice, dosa & idli.
Note 
- Seasoning is optional. 
- You can increase or decrease the spice level as needed. 
- This chutney was medium spicy.

Follow me on "Facebook", "Google+", "Pinterest" for daily updates. Leave me a comment on any queries regarding this recipe & I will be able to answer it for you as soon as possible.

Majjiga Charu | Buttermilk Rasam

Today I'm sharing a cooling recipe which goes well with both rice & roti.It's a little bit different from majjiga pulusu though.

Ingredients
3 Cups of buttermilk / 2 Cups of yogurt
1 Big tomato 
1 drumstick cut in equal pieces 
1 Cup water
Pinch of turmeric
1Tsp ghee
Curry leaves 
Seasoning
2 Tsp oil 
1 Tsp mustard 
1 Tsp jeera 
2 Red chilli 
Pinch of Hing
To Grind 
1 Tbs coriander seeds
11/2 Tsp jeera 
1 Tsp methi seeds
1 Tsp black pepper
2 Red chili's
1 Tsp ghee
Heat a pan with ghee & roast the above ingredients till a nice aroma comes. Switch of heat & allow it to cool aside. Grind it smooth powder. 

Take a vessel with 1tsp ghee add chopped tomatoes,drumsticks, turmeric & curry leaves to it.Add a 1 cup of water & boil them till drumsticks are cooked.Then add the above grind powder to it. Bring them to boil & switch off heat. Allow it cool for few mins before adding the buttermilk.
Now add buttermilk to vessel & heat it for couple of mins & switch off. (Don't add while it is hot or don't heat it too much. It will break the buttermilk.)

Heat a pan with oil for seasoning. Add mustard, Jeera & Red chilli's. Once mustard starts spluttering add hing & mix it with rasam.
Serve it with rice & a dollop of ghee.

Note: 
1.You can use you rasam powder instead of the grind powder I used. 
2. Add some onions for a yummy flavor.
3. Allow buttermilk to sit on the counter for a whole night to get a tangy taste. 

Similar recipes :
Majjiga Pulusu