ChickPeas/Garbanzo Beans Kaara Kuzhambu

This is yet another recipe of Menu Rani Chellam(from Jaya TVs Arusuvai Neram show)

When you run out of veggies this is the best bet.This is an authentic recipe of Tamilnadu's kaara kuzhambu.

Ingredients:

Chick peas - 1/2 cup soaked for 8 hrs and cooked for 2 whistles in pressure cooker

Onion - 1 medium sliced

Tomato - 1 chopped

Dry red chillies - 2

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Methi/Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder r- 2 tsp

Chili powder - 1tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Tamarind - size of a lemon soak din water

Extract about 2 cups of juice

Salt to taste

Oil preferably gingelly oil - 1/4 cup

Curry leaves - a sprig

Grind the following into  a paste :

Grated coconut - 2 tsp

Poppy seeds - 1 tsp

Cashew nuts - 5 or 6

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai.When hot add the mustard seeds.When they splutter add the methi seeds and chillies till slightly brown.

Add the curry leaves and then the onions.

Saute till onions turn translucent.

Now add the tomato,turmeric powder and saute till mushy.Then add coriander powder and chili powder and saute for 2 minutes.

Now add the paste and saute till raw smell goes off.

Finally add the tamarind juice,required amount of salt and boil for about 8 to 10 minutes on medium heat.

Serve with plain rice.

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Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt Cake

 I finally bought a 12 cup bundt pan!!!YAY!!

I had bookmarked a lot of recipes even before my pan arrived..

The foodlibrarian website has tons of bundtcake recipes to choose from.I tried a simple cinnamon chocolate bundt cake. It was super moist,soft and tasted yummmmmm!!

Thanks to Mary(of foodlibrarian) and Ellie of Vintage Victuals !!

Ingredients:

Water - 1 cup

Vegetable oil - 1/2 cup

Unsalted butter - 1 stick

Unsweetened cocoa - 1/4 c plus 1 T (or 5 T)

All-purpose flour - 2 cups

Sugar - 2 cups

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon - 1 1/2 tsp

Buttermilk - 1/2 cup

Baking soda - 1tsp

 Eggs - 2

Vanilla - 1 tsp


Method:

Bring to a boil in a pot: Water, oil, butter and cocoa

In a large bowl, combine together with a whisk: flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon

Add the chocolate mixture to the flour and mix until combined.

Add the buttermilk and baking soda and mix.

In a small bowl, combine the eggs and vanilla. Add to the batter and combine.

Pour batter into greased 10 or 12-cup Bundt pan  and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes (the original recipe says 25 minutes, so start checking then).





Cool in pan.

Top with a dusting of powdered sugar or a simple glaze of powdered sugar and milk or water.

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Strawberry Bread

I know Iam not blogging regularly.This is because my kid's summer vacation has started and we had been to my BIL's place for vacation.

This time we had great fun camping at a state park.The kids really enjoyed a lot.It was a nice experience for them being without TV,video games for 2 days.

I had made this strawberry bread more than a month ago.It was lying in my draft.Strawberries are aplenty in stores now.So I never miss to grab a box of these antioxidant-rich fruit during errands.

Recipe courtesy :Allrecipes.com

I halved the recipe to make 1 loaf and made some changes according to reviews.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour -1 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1 cup-- can be reduced to 3/4 th of a cup

Salt - a pinch

Cinnamon Powder - 1 1/2  tsp --I reduced it to 1/2 tsp

Strawberries - 1 cup chopped-- I added another cup to make it 2 cups.

Vegetable oil - 1/2 cup

Eggs - 2 beaten

Pecan - 1/2 cup chopped optional--I didnt add.

Method :

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter and flour a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
 
Slice strawberries, and place in medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, and set aside while preparing bread mixture.

Combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt and baking soda in large bowl: mix well. Blend oil and eggs into strawberries. Add strawberry mixture to flour mixture, blending until dry ingredients are just moistened. Stir in pecans.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until tester inserted comes out clean. Let cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn loaf out  and cool completely.

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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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