Banana Cake - Simplest Cake For Beginners

A big warning this cake is very addictive..... :D

Ever Since I Started Baking Banana Cakes Are My All Time Favorite. And Here Is My Most Amazing Post And The Best Recipe I Tried So Far........ Do Check Out :) 

One of little cousin sister age 6 likes cakes so much that she demands cakes instantly. I want cake now now now make cake for me!! And another cousin sis who will turn 5 now is picky eater. But the way both makes demands for every little thing makes me and my bro feel OMG look at them? I dont recall we did something like this when we were growing. Generation is Changing and me being in late 20's already feeling old in front of these kids. They R super smart and exactly know what they want. All of above when they talk it may make us shake our heads in disbelief if it was those little mouths and tiny sizes spoke out those. I'm sure many should be like me thinking the very way I do. But I guess its High time for me to accept that New Generation is Fast & we R Old..... lol  I seem to talk like my mom here haha

Getting back to the recipe, little kids are just an excuse for my baking and I love it. When brought lots of bananas from market I wondered why? Sometimes she is crazy I believe ;) When she offered me to have one I said give me 2 i'll bake it. So that was just an instant plan to make banana cake. 

I dint make any banana cakes past 2yrs I donno how I missed it but its never too late!! I tried browsing so many recipes but nothing satisfied me. So I decided to Tweak my chocolate Beetroot cake recipe into banana with some orange rinds. The result was just fab!!

Ingredients:

Bananas - 2 large

Eggs -2 Or 3/4th cup Yogurt

All purpose flour - 1 1/4th cup

Oil - 1/2 cup

Sugar - 3/4th cup

Orange rinds - from 1 whole orange (see notes)

Soda Bicarbonate -1tsp

Ingredients Simple Right?

Method:

- Blend bananas, eggs, oil, sugar together with blender or mixer till fine paste.

- Sieve Flour and soda bicarb together and keep it ready.

- When you are ready to bake, Mix flour with wet ingredients. Whisk it slowly or use spatula, do not over mix.

- Also add orange rinds while mixing. 

- Line a round tin with baking paper. Bake until skewer inserted comes out clean.

- Once done let it rest for 15-20 mins, Flip it to cooling rack and allow it to cool nicely. 

- Once Cooled Cut into pieces and Serve with tea and snacks.

Notes:

- Originally vanilla essence is added to this cake when ever I tried earlier, But this time I dint had vanilla essence so thought of substituting essence part with orange rinds, You can also make use of lemon rinds. 

- I baked this on stove top. It took 40 mins. Baking in oven would be 170C for 25-30 mins. Banana based caked gets done sooner than others

- If you dont have a butter paper to line the bottom of cake tin, Just grease the pan with oil / butter and dust the flour over it!  coat the flour around the greased area and remove the extra flour by tapping the tin upside down. (dont add to much of flour for dusting just add enough to coat the inner area)

I fell in love with the shade it got, It was unexpected!! Polished glossy shine sparking to my eyes :)

I was wondering why center looked so dry!! But I was sure that banana cakes would never fail. It was very spongy on the whole when I flipped it upside down :) 

After Cutting the cake was another surprise :) I guess I over baked it by 5 mins more. I forgot that banana cakes get baked quickly. 
I saw it has got 2 color layers on its own and I loved the shade to the core.

Dosent it look fab??? 

Impression:

Cake tasted very nice as good as it looks in the pics 

It was soft porous and spongy. Idle for tea time snacks. To offer these goodies to little kids and make them happy.

Orange rinds gave it a kick in taste I loved it over all!! And every one in the family loved it too :)

Do try ur hands in this wonderful cake!! And let us know how it turned for u :)

As mentioned above its very addictive u really cant stop with one!!

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CHATTI PATHRI / ATHISAYA PATHRI

All my excitement ends today!! I should pat my back for trying this out!! The following recipe is not only long but also worth to try all your efforts :)

This dish was nameless since my childhood. We used to receive this in Ramdhan From My Grandfathers Family frnd from bhatkal. Though me my uncle and aunts enjoyed it. We always felt It went short coz our taste buds wanted more and more. We dint knew the name, but we were always excited about the layers and stuffing wow. Even my 5yrs of being online I was never able to find this nor made an attempt to until +Rafeeda AR  Posted Athishaya Pathiri - Baked Pancakes 2 months back and I had bookmarked it!! I had no plans until again this Ramdhan we received the same delicacy and again I was present at my grandma's home the very day!! I enjoyed my share and told them that this is called athishaya pathiri, though they dint react coz name was very strange. I came up the other day to Google and had this in my mind. 

2 days back there was a Jeena Eugene in fb group who posted a beautiful pic of these and called it chatti pathri people there asked her for recipe (I was one among) and she was kind enough to forward us the recipe with much details and a you tube link to follow as well. 

Now it was my mom who had never tasted it though but with much excitement wanted me to make it!! I gathered much strength and Started the process today morning.

Ingredients:

For Stuffing:
Chicken - 1.5 cups (mince)
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp heaped
Salt to taste
Oil - 1tbsp

In a pan heat oil. Add in all the ingredients and cook in low heat for 5 mins, Once you find chicken mince cooked and well separated  there will be water oozing in the pan, High the flame and cook for few more mins till the water is evaporated. (this can be made in advance and refrigerated)


Scrambled Egg Mix:
5 eggs
Salt
1/4th cup milk
Oil- 2 tbsp

Heat oil in a pan, mean while whisk, egg, milk and salt. Pour this mixture into the pan and cook it as u scramble. Break the pieces chunks to small ones and cook till done!! Remove it in a bowl and keep it aside. 


Pancakes:
2 1/2 cups Maida
Salt to taste
Egg One large
Water to make batter
Ghee 2tsp

Add in all ingredients into a large bowl, and make a batter not thick nor thin. One can add little milk also if they like. 
Prepare Thin Dosa of this batter (suitable to size of pan you will make final pathri in). Just cook 1 side and remove it. Make sure u dont make thick pancakes as it may not be liked later when you eat it!! Keep each pancakes separately until its cooled and then you can stack it one over the other in a plate. This is to avoid sticking with each other!!

Stuffing mixture
Prepared mince chicken
Prepared scrambled eggs
Ginger chopped 2tbsp
Garlic chopped 5-6 big cloves
3 large / 6 medium size onion
Green chillies 3-4 chopped
Carrot - 3 medium size chopped
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Tandoori masala - 1 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Curry leaves 1 spring

Take Oil in a pan. Add in Ginger- garlic and green chillies, In medium heat allow the raw smell to go. add in curry leaves, Onion, carrot and cook for 2-3 mins till onion gets little soft. Add in chicken and scrambled eggs cook for few more mins, add in salt and tandoori masala. cook till you get nice aroma, add in ghee. If you have coriander leaves do add in most welcome I dint had so omitted it!! Cool it.

Dipping Mixture
6-8 eggs
1 cup coconut milk
salt to taste

Whisk it all well and keep it ready in flat bowl for easy dipping of pancakes


Assembling and cooking!!

Grease a non stick pan with ghee. Take a pan cake dip in the dipping mixture and place it in the pan. lay out the chicken mixture evenly, and again dip in another pan cake and place it over the chicken mixture, This way repeat the process and end layer should be pan cake. Pour in the egg mixture around the pancakes and the sides. and cook it in low medium heat for 15-20 mins with lid well closed.  After you open the lid, you may find, all the liquid is absorbed and now you can flip it in a plate, and turn the side, into a tava or same pan if u find it easy, and cook for 5-10 mins again in low medium heat.

Remove in a large plate. Allow it to drop its temp and then cut it to desired shape.

Notes:

- I have done preparation for 2 batches of this so the ingredients mentioned is of 2 portions. You can half of the quantity and make 1 portion 1st as trial.
- You can add some pepper powder to this mixture if required.
- Make use of non stick pan.
- Can be baked at 180 C till the upper side looks dry and cooked/ baked well!!
- Pre planned work is required as lots of ingredients and materials are consumed. until you are an expert making in this.
- I prepared 2 batches and each batch I utilized 7-8 pan cakes
- Using ghee was a nice idea As I was eating I could feel the flavor which was outstanding with the whole combo 
Difficulties / Technical faults I made 

- Dint had non stick pan. So my base layer was sticking. I faced difficulty with my 1st set.
- I dint pour enough egg mixture on top to cover the whole thing as a result the sides dint hold even coating. and when I tried to take it out, Sides of pancakes got disturbed.
- Because of no proper sides Flipping was another difficult part I faced. Mom helped me in 2nd batch. I was changing pan to tava. and tava to shallow pan. Felt like monkey jumping from one tree to the other
 
So make sure add in nice amount of egg mixture and use non stick for gud result

I was just thinking lining up the sauce pan with aluminium foil would work? for people like me 

I checked back with facebook group for my doubts and got answers from my frnds. Specially Gazeenasulu who was present there right away to answer me what might have went wrong!!

- She said more eggs r needed for binding the whole stuff and removal of the chatti pathri at ease.
- I asked if baking is more convenient and she said yes baking is fuss free 
- She also said eggs mixed with ground green chilli, n salt and little sugar to balance is required for dipping sauce.
- She also gave idea about tava top baking 

HCB had been a great support with all lovely frnds around always there to suggest and help when ever needed!! 
Thank you Sulu, Shazia and Shuja for the instant response over my quires. Also not to forget Jeena for her document along with you tube demo which inspired me the most. 

The recipe for masala was my own and rest of the procedure was as followed by other blogs and documents

Impression:

Everyone liked it!!! Phew!! What a relief When my dad and one of my uncle present for iftar said 1st try and taste very good what else needed???  I was all happy happy
 My mum my biggest critics also loved the taste. Finally felt my whole lotts hard work dint go in vain!!! Collar Up Up :P (Dont have one though) 



Sending this entry to 
Event Announcement - "Friends Forever" (Celebrating Friendship Day)

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INDIAN HONEY BREAD - SHAHED KI ROTI

This is it!!!

I got no long introduction to share, but as I said in my earlier post, when I try something new and it turns out gud i cannot resist myself from sharing it here :)

I was seeing this post in vahrevah.com fb page from long, but dint bother to watch the video, Today morning I was just scrolling down and tot lets watch it!! and all I got was filled with excitement to try it. Waited till evening though and this was the result lolz!!

So all credit to Sanjay Thumba for this!!

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour (Heaped)
1/2 cup Honey
1 tsp sauf powder heaped
1 tsp crushed black pepper 
1/2 tsp onion seeds/ kalaunji
Salt 1/4th tsp
Soda 1/4th tsp
Ghee 1tsp + while roasting
Water Little for binding

Method:
- Mix in all the above ingredients and knead it into a soft dough!!
- Keep it to rest for 15 mins or till the time your ready to cook
- Heat a tava in medium. Roll this dough into thin sheets of  paratha thickness.
- Put it in the tava and roast it both the sides till nice golden brown. Apply ghee while cooking. Serve It hot or cold
- Eat it as it is or along with any gravy u desire :)

Notes:

- Keep tava in low flame while cooking as it may get dark brown spots too quick due to honey
- original recipe calls for crushed fennel seeds, but since seeds were not available I used powder form.
- All the spices are important as everything combines and brings out nice flavor.
- After it cools down it may show stiff fragile texture which is gud sign!! 
- Makes 6 small ones and 4 big ones
- Press hard and try to roll thin, as It might tend to get thicker when we cook :)

Impression:

Mild Sweet, With perfect blend of spices!! Soft and detectable in taste!! well roasted both the sides using ghee and It was just yumm yumm :)

If u got honey at home do not wait to give it a try. Usually im not the person who likes honey!! to me It gives a smell when consumed but this was something different and additional combo of flavors made my taste buds accept it :)
Im sure you'll like and enjoy the same way I did :)

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TANDOORI FRENCH TOAST

A unique flavored french toast!! Dont look like tandoori though but flavors of tandoori are fused in... Call it Indian style or my  personal inventory It is quiet detectable In taste and different than normal french toast flavor. In my previous posts of french toast I spoke about coming up with varieties of french toast and here is another one I present to you all.

I truely got fed up with daily deep fried goodies though I have pics of my daily cooking I dont have much time to sit and type my long stories as usual, Its almost 15 days Ive posted very less and short simple recipes only. And when I make something interesting I cant stop posting it the same day :)

I simply said mom no fried today pls, mom asked then what? I recalled a pack of bread lying around and said french toast? She nodded Ok!! Though I had planned to make something little different but the final twist came around when I started Adding Masala's

Ingredients

12 - 14 Bread Slices (Cut into 2 each)

Egg Mixture:

Eggs - 5
Chilli Powder 1/3rd tsp
Cumin Powder 1/2 tsp heaped
Coriander powder 1/3rd tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1tsp
Tandoori Masala - 1 to 2 tsp
Curd - 2 tsp
If curd not available add 1-2 tsp of lemon juice
Milk- 2 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves chopped- 2 tablespoons
Salt 2 fat pinch
Oil to shallow fry

Method

- Mix in everything under egg mixture and whisk it up nicely. Allow it to rest for sometime so that all the flavors get infused well.
- When your ready to cook and serve, just dip in the bread slices in to the egg mixture and shallow fry as you would do for normal french toast!!
- Flip the sides and cook in medium flame till well colored in both the sides
- Serve it hot with ketchup


Notes:

- Level of spices is according to my taste, Please adjust according to your family preference. But spice level should be more coz bread is a bland base where we are applying coating for. May be make one slice for yourself 1st and taste it on what more or less alteration you would like to make.
- Serve it hot, as this taste more flavorful when hot rather cold.
- In case you dont have tandoori masala use any other garam masala for a difference in taste. eg. chole masala, garam masala, chicken masala, curry masala :) Go wild with ur flavorings you wont disappoint yourself for sure
- I saw the coriander leaves hardly stick to the bread mixture when we do the coating, so when u place the bread slices in pan, with help of spoon or hand place the coriander leaves on top manually for a better impression 
- Also mix the whole mixture each time bfr dipping in the bread slices. As the masala particles tend to settle down.
- I dint wanted to add red food color to make it look tandoori if you wish feel free to add a thin pinch of food color and whisk it!!

Impression:

It tasted best when hot along with tomato ketchup. Everyone liked it too!! Adding of tandoori masala seem to be a gud idea for a different treat :)

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Gulgule & ABC

 Gulgule/ Gulgula is the name for a fried delicacy which is round and soft delicious. When the proverb proves right about " Dont Judge The Book By Its Cover" I will say the same for few of edible all of us make " Dont Judge the taste Of Food By Its Looks Alone" I cannot talk much about the origin except that my Nani (Grandma) Makes it often. 

If one could ask Y often? Then the answer is Its so simple to prepare, make and serve!!! I always used to think this delicacy comes from orrisa as my nani used to make it. But I found this to be part of many Indian occasions specially from north India. Many are unaware of this until they know the name to look around in google!! so let me take a step to make it all famous :)

Though it was a simple make, my mom never made an effort to try out at home, I love to eat gulgulas and wanted to try at home 2yrs back in Ramdhan!! It became an utter mess, Technical faults i can say lolz :) I'll talk about it in notes.

If you have lots of banana's at home and dont know what to do with it? Making Gulgule is the right choice for a perfect evening snacks. I had a very Large Red banana with me I dint knew how to make use of, Then finally tot of making gulgula's and here it goes with my own twist and tricks :)

Basically my nani uses only wheat flour, banana sugar and soda. Here im presenting a little twist of my own hope you guys like it and try it out too :) Much enjoyed and eaten when we were kids

Level: Easy
Preparation Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: 5-7 mins Each Batch
Makes: 22- 25 Gulgule

1 cup - whole wheat flour
2 tbsp - Suji/ Semolina
2 tbsp- Curd
2tbsp- Sugar
1/4th tsp - Cooking soda
1tsp Heap- Saunf Powder
1 large or 2 medium size banana
1/2 cup grated coconut
Water as needed
Oil for frying


Method:

- In a large mixing bowl, 1st puree the banana add in suji, sugar, curd, soda, saunf powder and mix by adding little water at a time to get nice thick batter of dropping consistency 

- Allow it to rest for 1/2 hr minimum, Maximum can be kept till any time desired (see notes)
- When you are ready to fry heat up oil in a pan in medium flame and drop the batter with help of spoon into the oil. It will come up floating to the surface like egg balls, keep rotating and flipping the sides. When its golden brown, drain it and remove to tissue paper or kitchen towel.
- Serve It warm with mint chutney :)

These fritters are Like soft bubbles :) and when we break to see thru inside, it has beautiful bubbly designs of its own :) My bro tore apart the fritters and saw me with a broad smile on how nicely it looks.




Notes:
- You can omit curd/ coconut / sauf if you like and just stay with banana and flour combination, In that case make sure flavors of banana is dominating. Other ingredients are more inviting to these fritters.
- Leaving the batter to rest is required because wheat flour absorbs water so as suji. Allowing it to rest will allow suji to absorb water content and become soft
- Do not use maida instead of wheat flour at it will make gulgulas soft but rubbery. This is not desired!!! (mistakes' done before)
- I had use less sugar just to give mild sweet taste you can add more if you like. 
- Sugar can be replaced by jaggery and it will taste different though but gud.
- When you fry the gulgulas will start floating on top unlike pakoras, make sure to flip sides for even golden coloring. 
- We eat as it is, but if one needs a dip, Mint chutney would go best!!!

Sending this to:
Taste Of Tropics - Banana

Guru's Cooking - Kids Special

My 2nd award :)

This ABC (Awesome Blog Content award) passed on to me by +Harini M of Cook Click n Devour 

Thank you harini for considering my blog and passing on this award to me. 

According to the rules I should describe myself with one word which describes me that begins with a, b, c etc

One word which describes me most is S For Sweet :)

The rules are simple:

• Add the ABC logo to your new blog post.
• Write one word or a phrase about yourself that begins with A, B, C, etc.
• Nominate some blogs.
• Leave a comment on those blogs to let them know!

Nominating few blogs for this award are

• Ria of Ria's Collection
• Saigeetha of Geeths Dawath
• Priya of Priya Rao's Recipe
• Kiran Of Kiran's Kitchen Corner
• Febina Of Febi's Cook Book
• Femi's Kitchen
• +Gheza e shiriin  Of Gheza -e- Shiriin
• +Sona S  Of Spill the Spices
• +Amila Wickramarachchi  Of Food Corner
• +Amallia Eka Widyastuti  Of Physalis Fruit
• +Farrukh Shadab Ansari  Of Cubes N Juliennes
• +Ruxana Gafoor  Of From My Own Kitchen 
• +Ambreen A.  Of Simply Sweets 'n' Savory
• Lisha  Of Nandoos Kitchen 
• Preeti Jaipal Of Kitchen Delicacies 
• Sangeetha Of Pujita Cookeries
• Rubymit  Of Me & My Oven
• Tisa Of Blessings From My Kitchen
• Neha Of Everyday Musing
• Sona of Quick Picks

Congratulations Ladies :) Please Collect Your Award and Pass on to the fellow bloggers Who you think deserve the best :) 

Keep the chain Connected

Also visit the other blogs mentioned above all of them are outstanding :)

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