Trupti Rane's Spice Moments

Sunday, 25 December 2011

Christmas cake with almond marzipan and royal icing (non-alcoholic)

Christmas cake with almond marzipan and royal icing (non-alcoholic)

Christmas and cake go hand in hand. This cake has a touch of rich fruits and exotic spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. This recipe will seem to be long and complicated, but it is simple if you weigh all the ingredients well and grease/ line the cake tin before you begin.

Prepare the fruit cake

Weigh all the ingredients well

Then in pan mix dark brown soft sugar (500gm) , double cream ( 300ml) and spices –mixed spices (1 tbspn), grounded cinnamon ( 2 tbspn), grounded nutmeg (1/4 tbspn) and grounded ginger (1 tbspn). Mix well and bring it to a boil on low heat. (Do not caramelise the sugar). Remove from the heat and keep it aside

In a mixing bowl whisk eggs (6 nos) into a smooth paste now add flour (1 kg) and stir well. Add baking soda (1 tbspn) and Butter. Then add finely diced fruits like :- ( sultans -250 gms), raisins ( 250gms), Currants ( 250 gms), dried apricot ( 250gms), glacier cherries ( 250 gms ), dried pineapple ( 250 gms), citrus peel ( 250 gms) , pitted prunes( 250 gms). Mix the mixture well.

Spoon the mixture in a well prepared tin. Line the round cake tin with a parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 150C/302 F/ GAS 2. Bake the cake for 3-3 1/2 hrs. When the cake is cooked remove from the oven and let it cool in the tin

When cold, remove from the tin and feed the cake with boiled orange juice. Wrap the cake in aluminium foil and leave it in a cold dark place for 2 days. The cake can be preserved for 2 months before icing. However feed the cake everyday with small amount of boiled orange juice or cold brandy or whisky. I have made it non alcoholic by using orange juice

Marzipan the cake

In a pan add brown sugar (100 gms), cinnamon (2 tbspn), egg yolk ( 3 nos) , glucose ( 2 tbspn) mix well and boil on a low heat for 2mins. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool. Then add finely grounded almonds (300 gms), Glycerine (2 tpsn) and icing sugar (120 gms) .

Knead the marzipan and roll into a disc. Roll the marzipan on a worktop dusted with icing sugar. The diameter of the disc should be wider than the diameter of cake

Apply Apricot jam on the top surface of the cake. Now place the cake upside down on the marzipan disc and fold from all side on the cake .Trim the excess if required.

Now turn the cake upright. You will have a perfectly flat top surface.

Prepare the royal icing

Melt butter on a low heat, add double cream, remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the icing sugar and mix until smooth.

Spread the icing over the cake and make peaks with knife (optional).

Enjoy the cake and wish you a Merry Christmas

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Cooking time: 3 hrs

Recipe: non vegetarian

Contains: Nuts

Non alcoholic

Saturday, 3 December 2011

Bombay Tawa Paneer Bhurji- Scrambled Cottage Cheese Curry

Bombay Tawa Paneer Bhurji- Scrambled Cottage Cheese

There are many ‘Khau Gallis’ (food streets) in Mumbai catering special food that can match one’s pocket and taste. Bhurji pav is one amongst them. Bhurji means without gravy, smashed or scrambled. Pav means bun. Paneer bhurji means scrambled cottage cheese. This wonderful experience of paneer (cottage cheese) is liked by the middle class and the fast food lovers in mumbai. It is one of the popular dishes at the overnight/ midnight/ late night food corners.

Many mumbaikar’s love the spicy paneer bhurji and egg bhurji. My brother Rohit loves it too.

I prefer to cook paneer bhurji in a stir fry style on a Tava/ Tawa (griddle). It is quick to prepare, I hope you enjoy cooking it .

Preparation

Scramble 250 gm paneer
Chop onions ( 2 nos) , tomatoes ( 2 nos ), red capsicum ( 1 nos) , green capsium ( 1 nos) , yellow capsicum ( 1nos) , ginger ( 1 inch) , large garlic ( 4-5 nos ), few coriander strands , green chillies ( 2 nos) and keep aside
Heat oil on a non-stick tawa on high heat. Now add chopped garlic, ginger, green chillies, fennel seeds (1 tspn), cumin seeds (1 tspn) onion and sauté for 2 mins . Then add the tomatoes and sauté till the mixture secretes oil.
Add the chopped capsicum ( red, green and yellow). Mix well. Let the mixture cook for 5 mins
Now add scrambled paneer

Add kitchen king masala (1 tspn ) or paav bhaji masala ( 1 tspn), turmeric ( 1 pinch), chilli powder ( ½ tspn) . Stir well for 2 mins
Add lemon juice and salt to taste

Garnish with coriander
Serve hot with pav

Serves: 4

Recipe : Vegetarian , Vegan

Cooking time: 20 mins

Preparation time : 20mins

Saturday, 26 November 2011

Goan Prawn Curry

Goan Prawn Curry

Malvan is a town in the coastal area of Maharashtra called Kokan . The 96k Marathas in Kokan have a typical style of cooking prawn curry. The receipe includes a lot of red chilli, coriander seeds, grated coconut and kokum. Kokum-the purple berry is a speciality of kokan , it is used as a souring agent. When it comes to red chillies, I prefer using Sangmeshwar chillies or Kashmiri chillies.

Prawn curry is my brother- Rohit’s favourite, hence I take great pleasure in preparing this curry .

Preparation

Red paste : Soak in water : (3 tbspn) coriander seeds, (7-8) red chillies, (2-3) garlic cloves, (1inch) ginger, (1 tbspn) cumin seeds , (1 tbspn) fennel seeds and few coriander leaves . Soak well and blend into a smooth paste.
White paste : Cut onion ( 1 nos) in slices, add grated coconut (1 cup) , coconut milk (400 ml) and blend into a smooth paste.
Clean and wash prawns ( jumbo king prawns 200gm) well. Remove the shells and devein them . Marinate the prawns with lemon juice ( 3 tbspn) ,turmeric (1 pinch) and salt to taste
Heat one tbspn oil in a wide pan . Add onion diced (1 nos), fry till golden brown, now add chopped tomato ( 2 nos) sauté well till the mixture secretes oil. Then add the marinated prawns , red paste , white paste and stir well.
Now add Kokum ( 4-5 nos) to the mixture . Stir and let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes on low heat
Add a pinch of salt to taste ( if required). Cook the mixture for 5 mins .
Serve with steamed basmati rice and poppadum
Garnish with coriander

Serves : 4

Cooking time : 25 mins

Preparation time : 30 mins

Recipe : Non-vegetarian

Saturday, 12 November 2011

Batata Wada and Wada Pav / Burger

Batata Wada and Wada Pav / Burger

This is the most popular fast food in Mumbai. It is a Maharashtrian dish. My favourite.

Vada (deep fried mashed potato patty ) is made out of potato referred to as batata in Marathi and Pav means bun. Marathi is the popular language spoken in Mumbai and Maharashtra.

Preparation :

Boil 4 British Potatoes , peel and mash them. Keep them aside
In a wide pan heat 1 tbspn oil on medium heat . Add large peeled garlic ( 4- 5 nos). Add black mustard seeds 1tspn when they crackle add 1 tspn cumin seeds, few curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida, slited green chillies ( 2 nos), finely chopped ginger ( 1inch), a pinch of turmeric
Add the boiled mashed potato, finely chopped coriander and salt to taste.Mix well and Sauté for 2 mins. Switch off the gas cooker and set the mixture aside to cool
Divide the mixture in equal size balls ( Vada)
Then prepare the gramflour batter ( add 1 cup water to 2 cup sieved gramflour, add a pinch of salt and a pinch of baking soda). Maintain a medium consistency of the mixture. Let it not be too thick nor too thin
Dip each ball (Vada) in the gramflour batter, coat well and deep fry them in hot oil
Remove the Vada from oil when golden brown and place them on kitchen roll to drain off the excess oil. Keep the fried Vadas aside.

To prepare Tamarind and date chutney : Peel and soak (10 nos) dates in warm water. Now blend dates into a smooth paste , add tamarind pulp (2 tbspn) and blend sugar (1tspn) , blend well
To prepare Dry garlic and coconut chutney : Mix (1/2 cup) dessicated coconut, (1 tbspn) chilli ,powder and coarsely grounded garlic (1 bulb). Add salt to taste .Mix well
To prepare Green Chutney : Coriander leaves ( 1 cup), Mint leaves (6-7) , 2 green chillies , ginger (1 inch) ,peeled garlic ( 2 nos) ,salt to taste . Blend well into a paste.
Prepare the Pav now. Split the bun midway. Apply tamarind chutney and green chutney or dry garlic and coconut chutney and place the vada in the centre . This resembles a burger now. Wada Pav is ready .Enjoy !!!

Preparation Time : 30 mins

Cooking time : 20 mins

Recipe : Vegetarian, Vegan

Saturday, 29 October 2011

Egg Curry

Preparation

1. Boil 4 Eggs , cut them in halves and set aside

2. To make sauce : Blend- fried chopped onions ( 2 nos ), tomato ( 1nos), roasted grated coconut ( 1cup), soaked coriander seeds ( 1tbspn), green chillies ( 2nos), ginger ( 1 inch), garlic ( 3-4 nos) , cashewnuts ( few) into a fine paste

3. Heat a wide pan on low medium heat , add 1 tbspn oil , add black mustard seeds (1 tbspn) when they splatter add 1tsp cumin seeds, diced onion ( 1nos) , chopped tomatos (1 nos) , 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tspn red chilli powder and above sauce .

4. Mix well and cook for 4-5 mins till oil separates out

5. Now add 1 cup water and salt to taste . Mix well , cook this thick gravy for 2-3 mins

6. Slowly release the boiled eggs ( half slitted ) into the above gravy

7. Garnish with coriander

8. Serve hot with steam rice

Serves : 2

Preparation time : 20 minutes

Cooking time : 20 minutes

Recipe : Non vegetarian

Rava Ladoo - Semolina ladoo

Rava Ladoo

Diwali is the festival of lights . Rava che ladoo ( Ladoos made with semolina) are made specially during Diwali

Preparation :

1. Roast Semolina ( 2 cups ) and set aside

2. Make sugar syrup ( sugar 1 1/2 cup and water 1 cup) and set aside

3. Now melt ghee ( 1/2 cup ) and add roasted semolina to it

4. Add the sugar syrup

5. Mix well add cardamom powder (1 tbspn) and raisins (1 tbspn)

6. Roll out the ladoos, while the mixture is warm

Optional : one can also add coconut and milk to it. But these ladoos with milk and coconut are to be consumed in 2-3 days.

Enjoy and HAPPY DIWALI !!

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Besan Ladoo

Diwali is a festival of lights and people makes various sweets. Besan ladoo is one such sweet offered by families.

Preparation :

1. Sieve gram flour (chickpeas flour 3 cups) and set aside

2. Roast it on low-medium heat till golden brown and the house is filled with the sweetish aroma of roasted gram flour

3. Now melt ghee ( 2 cups clarified butter) and add the above roasted gram flour , Semolina (1 cup) , sugar (2 cups-powdered sugar) , cardamom powder (1 tbspn) and 1tbsp raisins

4. Mix well, avoid lumps

5. While warm roll in balls (ladoos)

Serves : 4 -5

Preparation time : 25 minutes

Cooking time : 30 minutes

Recipe : Vegetarian ,Vegan

Enjoy and HAPPY DIWALI !!!