Red Velvet Cake - Egg-less and with Natural colour

I have heard so much about Red velvet cake and always wanted to try it. However, I am not a huge fan of using food colour so was wanting to use natural ingredients to get the colour.

So when I was browsing through I found some recipes where they had used Beetroot Puree to get the natural color. I was very skeptical about using beetroot, but believe me it was heavenly. Everyone at house loved it and I was asked to make it again.

I did not have a muffin mould so I baked it as a cake, if you have a muffin mould, you can see the color much better.When I ate it , I realized why it is called as the Velvet Cake. It is so soft and silky.

Ingredients

Brown Sugar - 3/4 Cup
Beetroot Puree - 1 Cup
Dark Chocolate - 60 grams
Maida /AFP - 1 Cup
Oil/Butter - 1/4 Cup
Baking Powder - 1 Teaspoon
Vanilla Essence - Few Drops

Method

Beetroot Puree: 

Peel the beetroot and add it in a cup of boiling water. Cook till it is completely done. Cool it room temperature. Then puree it in a blender to form a smooth puree with no lumps and use it.

Pre heat the oven at 180 Celsius.

Sieve Maida and baking powder together. Sieving will help in mixing the baking powder and Maida thoroughly.

In a mixing bowl, mix the oil and sugar till it is creamy. To this add the vanilla essence, Beet root puree and Melted Chocolate  (Melt chocolate using the double boiler method or microwave for 45 seconds) and mix well.

To this mix the sieved flour with baking powder. Do not beat it too much. Just mix it until the flour and the wet ingredients is combined.

Pour this into a greased and dusted cake pan and bake at 180 Celsius for 20 minutes. Each oven cooks differently so keep a close eye on the baking time.

Chocolate Maida Burfi/Maida Barfi

 This is one recipe which is made in my Granny house quite often. I am the only person who eats this sweet in my house.My mom and Bro are not a great fan of this sweet.

So for this diwali I wanted to make this by myself. So asked the recipe from mom and made it. It was quite easy to make. My youngest BIL liked it a lot.

This sweet has 2 layers. The first one is Maida and the second is the Chocolate layer.

Ingredients

For 1st Layer:
Maida - 1/2 Cup
Sugar - 1 Cup
Ghee - 1/4 Cup
Water - 1/2 Cup

For 2nd Layer:
Maida - 1/2 Cup
Sugar - 1 Cup
Ghee - 1/4 Cup
Cocoa Powder - 3/4 Tablespoon
Water - 1/2 Cup

Method

Grease a tray and keep it ready.

First Layer

In a pan, heat ghee till it is hot. Once the Ghee is hot, add the Maida and saute it quickly. Do it till the raw flaour of the maida is completely gone.

In another pan, add sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Boil until one string consistency is formed.Getting the sugar syrup right is key to this recipe.

One string consistency is when when you keep the sugar syrup between your fore finger and thumb a string will form. If you are not used to this, wet your fingers between you touch the sugar syrup. For me it takes about 8 - 10 minutes to get this single string consistency.

The next steps are to done off the flame.Now remove the sugar syrup from the heat and add the roasted maida to this and stir this continuously. Stir it till it becomes thick. Lets say Idli batter consistency. Pour the mixture into the greased tray. Leave it using a flat knife or spoon.

Second Layer

Now lets repeat the same process for the second layer.

Heat the Ghee, add maida and saute. Add the cocoa Powder once you remove the Maida from the heat.

In another pan, add sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Boil until one string consistency is formed.Getting the sugar syrup right is key to this recipe.

The next steps are to done off the flame.Now remove the sugar syrup from the heat and add the roasted maida to this and stir this continuously. Stir it till it becomes thick. Lets say Idli batter consistency. Pour this on top of the first layer. Leave it using a flat knife or spoon.

When the mixture is warm, make marking in the mixture and allow it to set.

Let it set for some time and cut into desired shape.

Pidi Kozhukattai

 I have already posted the recipe of Kara Kozhukattai and Sweet Kozhukattai. This kozhukattai is pretty easy to make. However this is still tasty.

Ingredients

Processed Rice Flour - 1 Cup
Water - 2 Cups
Salt and Oil
Mustard seeds - 1/4 Teaspoon
Gram Dhall - 1/2 Teaspoon
Green Chillies - 3
Hing/Asafoetida - A Big Pinch
Coconut - 3 Tablespoon (Cut into small pieces, you can add coconut as per your taste)

Method

In a pan, add a tablespoon of oil and add the Mustard seeds. Once it splutters add gram dhall and green chillies and saute for 30 second and then add the water,coconut  and salt.

let the water to boil. Once the water is boiling, add the rice flour and stir it. Cook it till the rice flour is cooked and the water is completely absorbed.

Remove from the flame and allow it to become warm. Once the mixture is warm, grease your hands and take the mixture and make kozhukattai in desired shape.

Now steam the kozhukattai in a Idly pot or steamer for 10 minutes.

Hot, steamy easy kozhukattai is ready.

Tips
This kozhukattai can also be made with rice Rawa.

Thai Red Spicy Rice

I have already posted the Thai green Curry Recipe. I made Thai Red Rice to go along with this. 

I have already posted the recipe for the Thai Red Curry. This spicy rice is made with the Thai Red Curry.

I used Jasmine Rice to make this recipe, however, if you are not used to this then you can use Basmati rice or any regular long grain rice.

Ingredients
Rice - 2 Cups
Water - 4 Cups
Onion- 2
Baby Potato - 2 cups (Boiled,peeled and poked)
Dry Chillies - 8
Lemon Grass/Lemon Rind - Little
Garlic - 6
Galangal - 2 inches (You can use normal Ginger also)
Corinader seeds - 1 Tablespoon
Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 2 teaspoon
Pepper corns - 1/2 Teaspoon
Salt and oil.

Method

Boil the Onion in water. Meanwhile in a dry kadai, dry roast Coriander seeds,Cumin seeds, peppercorns.
No Need to roast them too much, just roast them till the aroma comes.

Remove the onion from the water. In a blender, add the roasted ingredients,onion,ginger,dry chillies,Lemon Grass and grind it. This is the Thai Red Curry. You can store in freezer for up to 10 days.

Wash and soak the rice for atleast 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, take a kadhai and add a teaspoon of oil and toss the boiled,peeled and poked for couple of minutes with salt and keep it aside. 

In kadhai, add some oil, add the Thai Red Curry and cook till the raw smell goes off. then add the Potatoes,salt,coriander leaves and cook till everything comes together.

To this add the water from the rice and bring it to boil and then add the rice and salt and cook it covered.

Once it is cooked, garnish with steamed corn,basil leaves, groundnuts and sprouted moong and serve (As I packed this for lunch, I did not do the garnishing.  It tastes good without the garnishing too)

Nei Ladoo/Ghee Ladoo

Nei Ladoo is one of the favorite sweet in our house. During Diwali, this ladoo will surely make into our list of sweets

I remember whenever we used to have talk of what to make for Diwali, Nei ladoo is one sweet mom will usually start off with. I do not remember even one Diwali when my mom has not made this Nei Ladoo.

My father calls this as Paitham Ladoo as it is made with Yellow Moong Dal. It just needs 3 ingredients Yellow Moong Dal, Sugar and Ghee.

Ingedients

Yellow Moong Dal - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 Cup
Ghee - 1/2 Cup (I did not use the 1/2 cup completely, I was left with 3 Tablespoon)

Method

In a non stick kadai, dry roast the Moong dal till it is golden brown. Do this on low flame and stir it continuously to avoid uneven browning.

Cool this and grind this into a fine powder using a mixer. We used the flour mill to powder this so it is smooth and soft. Grinding it in the flour mill saves lot of energy and time.

If you dont find a mill near you, you can certainly use a Mixer Grinder. If you are grinding it at home, sieve the powder before making the ladoos.

Powder the sugar also in a mixer. Melt the ghee in a kadai.

In a mixing bowl, add the powdered Yellow moong dal, powdered sugar and melted ghee and mix well.

Once it is warm, start making ladoos. To make the ladoo, take a small portion of the mixture in your hands and press them. You will have this tasty ladoo.