Eggless Vanilla Spongecake

I’ve been experimenting with quite a few recipes to finally get this one right. This recipe can be modified into a regular cake, or cup-cakes. The time taken to bake is slightly different, but all else is the same!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups Maida/All purpose flour (apf)
• 1 cup thick curd
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cooking oil (except olive oil)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp soda bi-carb
• 1 tsp vanilla essense (or butterscotch)

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven @ 210 deg C / 400 deg F
• In a large mixing bowl, mix the curd and sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved. You can use castor sugar, but the amount to be used may vary.
• Add in the baking powder and soda bi-carb and let it rest. the mixture will start to “bubble” in 2-3 minutes
• Sieve the maida/apf and set aside
• Add oil and essence to the curd-sugar mixture and mix well.
• Gently add the flour and mix thoroughly to avoid clumps
• The mixture should now be in dropping consistency, else add a bit of curds.
• Grease your baking dish with oil and lightly dust with maida/apf
• Pour into the baking dish of choice and place in oven
• Bake for 10 minutes
• Lower the temperature to 150 deg C/ 300 deg F and bake for 35 minutes
  • For cupcakes bake for 25 minutes at the lowered temperature.
• Test the cake by inserting a toothpick into the center. When pulled out, it should be clean, without cake stuck to it.
• Visually, the top should be lightly browned and formed a “crust”
• Let the cake sit for a few minutes in the dish before removing it.
• Let the cake rest on a wire grill to cool. Let it cool to room temperature before cutting.

I hope you enjoy making this quick and light cake!

Aloo Rasedar

This is a dish that my husband has always praised. It used to be served at his college, and so has always been associated with good memories. However, I wasn’t very familiar with UP cuisine, and wasn’t able to search this recipe out. Recently though, my husband came by the name, and I was finally able to re-create this dish!

Aloo Rasedar

This is a typically UP dish, and does not use onion or garlic. It makes a great side to parathas or puris, and is easily prepared.

Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes/aloo
• 2 medium tomatoes
• 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin/jeera
• 1 tsp coriander powder/dhania powder
• 1 tsp dry mango powder/amchur powder (optional)
• ½ tsp garam masala powder
• 1 tsp salt

Method:

• Peel and boil the potatoes till they are very well cooked and can be easily crumbled.
• In a wok, heat some oil and add the jeera and dhania powder.
• add finely chopped ginger and saute for a half a minute on low flame.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, turmeric and braise till the tomatoes are completely cooked and mashed.
• Mash some of the potatoes and add along with salt and mix well.
• add water and braise till it reaches the consistency you want. The gravy will come from the mashed potatoes and tomato mix.
• Here you can add dry mango powder/amchur powder and garam masala. Keep braising till the gravy comes together.
• Add chopped coriander leaves for garnishing.

This gravy is best served hot. Since it doesn’t really take very long, its a perfect breakfast/dinner dish.

Senegala Vada (Brown Bengalgram Fritters)

This is favourite snack, and is available, in various versions, across South Indian households and even restaurants.

Senegala vada with chutney

This is different from “masala vada” as the masala vada is made with split bengal gram, not the whole one.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brown senegalu (chana, whole bengal gram) – soaked and drained.
• 6-8 green chillies
• 1″ piece of ginger
• optional – finely chopped onion
• optional – croasely ground pepper
• Chopped curry leaves
• pinch of asafetida/hing
• 1 tsp salt
• Oil for frying

The washed senegalu with chillies and ginger

Method:

• Rough-grind the soaked senegalu. You may add a bit of water to help in the grinding.
• Add the chillies and ginger and grind again so they are mixed well.
  • Ensure that the senegalu remain rough, and are not finely ground. That would take away from the texture and taste of the final vada.

coarsely ground with the chillies and ginger mixed in.

• remove from jar and add salt and mix well.
• You may add the other ingredients at this time, and set aside till the oil heats.
• Wet your fingers and take a bit of the batter and flatten.
  • Ensure that the edges are not broken as this may cause the vada to break while frying.

Flatten on your fingers

• Once the oil is heated enough, gently drop this into the oil for frying.
  • You may also use a plastic sheet for shaping the vadas. They can then be dropped from the sheet into the oil.
• Turn the vada until it is uniformly brown and then take out.

Frying into a lovely brown

• Put it on a plate lined with kitchen tissue to soak the excess oil.

Senegala vada ready!!

Serve hot with coconut chutney! 🙂