Choco Carrot Loaf

Nowadays I spend more time on Pinterest!!I get sucked in there for a long time even more than facebook.I had pinned this recipe onto my boards long time ago.Actually I have a lot of recipes pinned to be tried.

Finally made up my mind to bake this when my son asked me to bake a chocolate cake.I didnt want to bake a simple plain chocolate cake.I wanted a veggie or fruit as one of the main ingredinets in addition to the chocolate.So I googled up and found this recipe here.It sounded healthy and it was moist and delicious.

Thanks Rita of Mochachocolata!!

Ingredients:

Allpurpose flour - 1 cup

Baking Powder - 1 tsp

Baking Soda - 1tsp

Sugar -3/4  cup

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder -1/4 cup and 2 Tbsp

Cinnamon Powder - 1tsp

Salt - a pinch

Vegetable oil -1/2 cup and 1 tbsp

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Grated Carrot - 1 1/2 cup about 3 medium

Eggs - 2

Handful of semisweet chocolate chips -didnt use because I didnt have any.

Method :

Preheat oven to 350F, lightly grease a  loaf pan. Place eggs, sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl.

 Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder in another bowl. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla mixture until pale, add flour mix and beat until well mixed, add grated carrots, mix well.

If using chocolate chips fold in the batter.

 Pour the batter into a loaf pan bake for about 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.Mine was done in 50 minutes.

 Let cool in the oven for 10 minutes, and turn onto a wire rack to cool completely

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Poondu / Garlic Kuzhambu

I never miss Menu rani's Arusuvai neram in JayaTv..This was featured in her one of her shows last month.We have a family recipe of Poondu Kuzhambu,but this was slightly different from what we make.So just thought of trying this for lunch.It tasted great with plain rice.

Ingredients:

Roast the following in 2tsp of oil and grind it into a smooth paste:-

Coriander Seeds -2 tbsp


Garlic pods - 4

Whole black pepper -1 tsp

Dry red chillies -6

Black gram/Urad dal -  1tsp

Curry leaves - a handful

  
Other ingredients:

Garlic cloves - 6

Shallots - 6

Cumin seeds - 1tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Tamarind - lemon sized

Salt to taste

Sesame oil - 5 tbsp

Method:

Soak the tamarind in water and extract about 2 cups.

Heat the oil in a pan.When hot add the mustard seeds.When it splutters,add the cumin seeds.

Then add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes.Now add the shallots and saute till translucent.

Now add the turmeric powder and then add the thick extract.When it starts boiling,simmer  for about 5 minutes till raw smell goes off.

Now add the paste,required amount of salt,stir well and simmer for another 5 minutes till the kuzhambu becomes thick.

Garnish with curry leaves.

Serve with rice.

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Brownie Muffins

This muffin is definitely for the chocoholics as it contains cocoa,nutella and chocolate chips.
There can never be an overdose of chocolate for the chocoholics..Isn't it??

I followed the recipe featured here.

Ingredients:

Self Raising Flour - 1 1/2 cup

Ground Hazelnuts - 1/2 cup

Cocoa powder-1/3 cup

Sugar -1/3 cup

Melted Butter - 60 grams

Chocolate Chips -1/2 cup

Nutella -1/2 cup

Milk -3/4 cup

Sour cream -1/2 cup

Egg - 1 lightly beaten

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400deg F. 

In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, sugar.

Add in the nutella, egg, milk, sour cream and butter. Gently stir to combine.

Stir in the  chocolate chips. Spoon the mixture into a prepared muffin tray.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

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Starbucks Banana Walnut Bread

 

If you love pastries from Starbucks,you would definitely love this.The other day I was searching for recipe of banana bread and I found this recipe in this blog .I never knew Starbucks actually hands out recipe cards to their customers.This recipe of Starbucks is surely a keeper.

It turned out very moist,soft and tasty.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 2 cups

Baking soda - 1tsp

Salt-1/4 tsp

Sugar -1 cup.But i added only 3/4 cup and still it was sweet enough

Vegetable oil -1/2 cup

Vanilla extract - 1tsp

Buttermilk - 2 tbsp.I substituted sour cream

Banana -3 mashed

Walnuts -1/2 cup and 1/3 cup chopped

Method:

 Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. 

 

 Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan and dust with flour.

 Blend together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

 Mix together the egg, sugar, and vegetable oil until combined.

 Add the flour mixture and when blended, add the sour cream, vanilla, and mashed bananas and mix until combined.

  Fold in ½ cup chopped walnuts and pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Top batter with remaining chopped walnuts.

  Bake for 45-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.



 Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack before removing from pan.

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Chettinad Vegetable Curry

Ive been blogging soooo many baking recipes of late and I realised that my blog needs more south Indian recipes.So I decided  to publish this post which was in my draft for about 2 months.This recipe is authentic chettinad recipe.It is from Tarla dalal's "Popular Restaurant Gravies"book.This book has all the copycat restaurant gravy recipes.If you like making restaurant-like gravies,go on and buy this book.

First basic chettinad paste should be made.It can be made before hand and can stored in freezer.If doing so.avoid adding coconut and while the subzi is being made add coconut milk at the end.

Ingredients for the paste:

Poppy seeds- 2 TBsp

Cashew nuts - 1 Tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 Tbsp

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Dry red chillies  - 2

Cloves - 3

Cardamom - 3

Cinnamon - 2 inch

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Oil - 2tbsp

Method for making the paste:

Combine the poppy seeds and cashew nut and soak in warm water for 10 minutes.drain and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and fennel.

When they crackle add the coriander seeds,red chillies,cardamom,cinnamon,cloves and coconut and mix well and saute in a medium flame till you can smell a nice aroma.Allow it to cool.

Mix with 1/4 cup of water,salt,poppy seeds and cashewnut and grind into a smooth paste.


For the curry:

Chopped and boiled mixed vegetables - 2 cups (a combination of carrots,cauliflower,beans,capsicum)

Onion - 1 chopped

Tomato - 2 chopped

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 4 tbsp

Milk - 1/4 cup

Salt to taste

Prepared chettinad paste as required

Method:

Heat oil in a pan.When hot,add the onions and saute till translucent.Now add turmeric powder,chilli powder and saute for 1 min.

Now add tomatoes and saute till tomatoes become mushy and oil seperates.

Then add the paste and saute.Now add the vegetables and little bit of water and allow it to boil for 3 minutes in a medium flame.

Finally add milk and salt and simmer for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.

Serve with steamed rice or roti.

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