Dates and Walnut Cake

Inspired from a  dear friend's recipe of a Dates cake, we decided to try out a similar version that doesn't call for any eggs or  butter. Whats even better; the main ingredient, dates are loaded with iron. So pretty much, its a guilt free, healthy indulgence. Without anymore thinking, just go ahead and try this  delicious cake.

Prep Time: 45 mins
Ingredients

All Purpose flour/Maida: 1 cup
Dates (pitted): 16
Walnut (chopped):  Handful
Oil: 1/3 cup or Butter: 1/2 stick
Sugar: 1/3 cup
Milk:1/2 cup
Baking soda: 1 teaspoon
Water: 3 tablespoons

* Though we didn't use butter in the recipe, we have shown it because many of them prefer to use butter instead of oil. We have used Canola oil in the recipe.

* Please check the final batter before baking for the sugar level. We have used very little sugar because the dates brings in its own sweetness.

In the mixer, beat the oil and half of the sugar well. Add in the milk and beat once again. Add the flour to this mixture and run the mixer once again. 

Now take a deep pan and boil water and add  half of the sugar. Once its dissolved add the dates and stir for some time. When the dates are almost cooked, add the baking soda. Turn off the gas. The baking soda will fuzz up and rise. Pour this into the flour mixture and give a through run until the batter is all smooth.

Add walnuts and pour into a greased baking tray or a loaf pan and bake at 375° F for about 35-40 mins or until the centre comes out clean when poked with a knife.

Let it cool for a while before you slice it. Enjoy this with your evening cup of tea.

Dahi Vada /Thayir Vada

Things have been  little slow in our kitchen since the long awaited  summer sunshine is finally here and we Seattlites are making best use of it. Every weekend is a fun filled getaway with friends and family.

Just as we talk about the hot weather, here is one very cooling Indian delicacy, a snack or a meal by itself  that is absolutely refreshing.  

Prep Time: 40 mins + soaking time
Ingredients

Curd:1 1/2 cups
Urad Dal/Uzhunnu Parippu: 1 cup (yields about 15 small vadas)
Ginger(chopped): 1 1/2 teaspoons
Green Chilies: 2-3
Curry Leaves: 4-5
Hing/Asofoetida: 1 teaspoon
Chili Powder: 1 teaspoon
Roasted Cumin /Jeera Powder: 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

* As we have heard, Dahi vada is the north Indian version, whereas thayir vada is the  south Indian version where every thing remains the same except for the final  garnish is done by a seasoning of mustard seeds, dried red chillies and lots of curry leaves.

*A tip given to us is that if you over soak the urad dal, it drinks up more oil while frying.

Soak urad dal in about half cup water for about 1 1/2 hours. Once its fluffed and well soaked, drain all the water and grind it into a smooth paste. While grinding add the green chillies and ginger. Take out the batter, add salt and asofoetida and mix well. Tear up the curry leaves finely and mix in. You could also add a pinch of pepper powder to this batter.

Heat oil in deep pan. Drop medium sized balls of this batter using a spoon into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. We didnt create the doughnut shape only for convenience sake. However its your personal choice to have the lil hole in the vada  or not.

Once all of these are fried, drain the excess oil on a paper towel. Bring a bowl with some lukewarm water. Dip these vadas into the water and squeeze out the water between your palms and  keep aside.  Whisk the yogurt with salt, sugar and a pinch of roasted jeera powder. Take half of this yogurt mixture in a bowl. Dip the squeezed vadas once again into the yogurt mixture and without squeezing out, arrange them in a serving dish. You could do this procedure much earlier and let it refrigerate. You need to finish with the  final arrangement only about 1/2  hour before serving.

To wrap up, pour the remaining  yogurt. Sprinkle roasted jeera powder and red chilli powder in whatever pattern you like. Garnish with some meethi (sweet tamarind) chutney and fresh coriander leaves. You could refrigerate it for some more time before serving it.

Chocolate Biscuit Pudding

Well there's nothing  much to say about this simple desert, except that it will bowl over  your friends and family. The key ingredient is Marie Biscuits which is a common find in the pantry at most of our homes. So, just  go ahead and try this delicious chocolaty biscuit pudding which has  an awakening  scent of coffee in each bite.

Prep Time:20 mins + Refrigeration
Ingredients

Marie Biscuits: 1 big packet (20 nos)
Custard Powder: 4 heaped  tablespoons
Coffee Powder: 2 teaspoons
Cocoa Powder: 3 tablespoons
Milk: 1 1/2 cups
Sugar: 1/2 cup
Heavy Whipped cream/Cool Whip: half the box, about 2/3 cups
Almonds + Walnuts: 1/4 cup
Chocolate bar: to grate

* You could even add cashews if you like them

Heat the milk in a deep pot, stir in the sugar. When the milk starts to boil, take some milk out in  a cup, dissolve the custard powder and cocoa powder until there no lumps in it. Pour this mix back into the hot milk and keep stirring until it starts to thicken. Once the custard is made, take it off from the heat and let it cool. 

Meanwhile make some coffee concoction in water and sugar. Now crush half of the biscuits into a crunchy powder. Dip rest of the biscuits one by one and form a base in the setting dish. After the custard has fully cooled  and become thick, pour this custard over it. Add one layer of the whipped cream. Top with half of the crushed marie biscuits and half of the nuts. Repeat with the layer of custard, whipped cream, crushed biscuits and nuts. Finally top it with lots of chocolate shavings. Let it set in the fridge for about 5 hours. 

Serve cold. Another thing to note is that this a pudding consistency, so it wouldn't exactly cut up like a firm slices. This has to be served in bowls.

Soy Nugget Manchurian

Nutri-nuggets or soy nuggets are popularly used an an alternative for meat. Back home in India, our mothers would make a masala curry tricking us into eating this as chicken curry. High in protein, they are a great choice for vegetarians and can be made in varied preparations. We tried something different on the lines of indo chinese and is a big hit in our homes.. 

Prep Time:  20 mins + soaking time
Ingredients

Soy Nuggets (soaked in hot water with salt): 1 cup
Onions (cubed): 1/4 cup
Bell pepper (cubed): 1/4 cup
Ginger (finely sliced): 1 tablepsoon
Garlic (finely sliced): 1 tablespoon
Green chillies (slit): 4-5
Spring Onions (chopped): one bunch
Corn starch: 5 tablespoons
Chili Garlic sauce: 2 -3 tablespoons
Soy Sauce: 3 tablespoons
Vinegar: 2 tablespoons
Tomato Ketchup: 2 tablespoons
Sugar (optional):  1 teaspoon
Dried red chillies: 2-3
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Soak the soy nuggets in hot water and salt for about 20 mins. They will drink it up immediately and fluff up. Dissolve the corn starch with some ketchup in little water to make a thickish paste. Keep aside. Put  the fluffed up nuggets into the corn starch mix n let it sit for a while you chop rest of the veggies.

Afters thats done, heat some oil on a deep wok. Shallow fry these soy nuggets until the coated corn starch gets all cooked. Take them out. In the remaining oil, fry the dried red chillies, chopped ginger, garlic, green chillies. Toss in the onions, bell peppers. Add back the fried soy nuggets. Add in all the chill garlic sauce, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. Adjust the salt and spice. Keep tossing till everything gets well coated. Finely garnish with chopped spring onions.

The manchurian is ready to serve  to make complete your indo chinese dinner night  either with some fried rice or noodles.