Eggless Chocolate cake

It's my first take on eggless cake and I was really not sure how a cake would turn out without eggs :) Well, there are always some good first-timer experiences & others just great.

Ingredients:
1/2 tin condensed milk
150 ml milk
250 gms maida/all purpose flour
1/2 cup butter/margarine
1/4 cup Sugar
1 and 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Preparation:

• Beat butter/margarine till its texture is soft & flowing
• Add condensed milk and beat till its smooth & lathers
• Add vanilla essence, baking powder & cocoa powder
• Mix maida & milk portion by portion to ensure the consistency
• Add sugar only if more sweetness required. Condensed milk is usually sweetened & hence use of sugar should be as per
• Preheat oven to 100 degrees for 10 minutes
• Prepare a baking bowl/tray by spreading butter & flour. Pour cake mixture into the bowl
  
• Bake at 180 degrees for 20 minutes (or as per the rise). Check whether its baked by poking a knife in. The dough should not stick

Palak Paneer

This is one of my favorite Paneer & Palak recipes.

Ingredients:
2-3 bunches of Palak/Spinach
150 gms of Paneer
1 & 1/2 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped tomato
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/2 tsp cumin/jeera powder
1/2 tsp coriander/dhania powder
2 tbsp oil
salt
Preparation:

• Cook palak in a vessel
• Grind cooked palak with a tsp of jeera
• Cut paneer in dices & fry them in oil (you can also add paneer directly without frying)
  
• Heat oil in a pan
• Add jeera, mustard seeds, ginger & garlic
• Add onions & saute
• Add tomatoes, turmeric powder, jeera powder & dhania powder
  
• Then add ground palak and bring it to boil. Add water if required
• Add fried paneer & let is boil for 1-2 minutes

Serve with Rotis/Parathas.

Badam Puri

It's been quite a while since I posted a recipe. Not that the kitchen was closed for so long, but I was in the 'receiving end' of enjoying my mom's cooking for all this time. Now that I'm on a break, I've resumed 'some' cooking.

Badam Puri was the choice in menu for our daughter's Namakaranam (naming ceremony). That reminded me of the days mom used to make them at home. Sree loved it, so we decided to make them at home, again, on demand.

Ingredients:
1 cup sooji
1 cup maida
1 cup sugar
3 tbsp ghee
1 tsp rice flour
2 tbsp grated dry coconut
2 cups oil for frying
1/4 tsp eliachi/cardamom powder
1/4 tsp kesari/saffron powder

Pre-preparation:
1. Maida & Sooji mix
In a bowl, add 1 cup (measure) maida, 1 cup sooji, 2 tbsp ghee, a pinch of salt and little water if needed. Mix it well to make dough. Let is set for 1-2 hours.

2. Sugar Syrup:
Add 1 cup water & 1 cup sugar, bring it to boil. Mix eliachi & saffron powder to the syrup and set aside.

3. Add 1 tsp of ghee to 1 - 2 tsp of rice flour. Kneed it to make a thicker, grainy mix.

Preparation:

• Heat oil in a pan, for frying
• Make small balls out of the maida-sooji mix
• Roll it, spread a pinch of rice-ghee mix (makes it crispier) & fold it to small triangles
  
• Roll it again to flatten
• Deep fry in oil, do not wait till it is golden brown. Fry till it starts to become brown
  
• Remove from oil & dip it in sugar syrup. Do not soak in syrup
  
• Dip & remove to a plate, sprinkle some dry coconut

Enjoy some when hot, can also store for 2-3 days. Makes a great snack or dessert or even a small meal for the sweet lovers.