Pineapple upside down Cake

Ingredients: 

7 slices canned unsweetened pineapple (20-ounce can)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
7 maraschino cherries or red toothy fruity 3 tbsp
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons buttermilk

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Have ready a 9x2-inch round cake pan. Drain pineapple and place in one layer on paper towels to absorb the excess juice.
2. Place the 2 tablespoons unsalted butter in the cake pan. Place the pan in the oven until the butter is melted. Tilt to coat all sides with butter.  Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan.
3. Place one pineapple ring in the center of the pan and arrange six more around it. Place the cherries or red toothy fruity pieces in the center of each ring.
4. In a bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar to that add eggs, 6 tablespoons of buttermilk and vanilla extract.
5. Take another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
6. Now add the flour mixture to butter and sugar mixture mix well and add it on the top of the fruit in the baking pan and spread evenly.
7. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and tilt the pan in all directions to detach it from the sides of the pan. Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes before unmolding.
8. Invert a serving platter on top of the pan and turn the cake onto the platter. Serve warm or cool.

Tip: If you don't have buttermilk take 2 tbsp of yogurt and add 4 tbsp water mix well and use as buttermilk.

Poornam boorelu

Ingredients:

1 cups chana dal
1 cups jaggery
1/4 spoon cardamom powder
1 cup rice
1/2 cup urad dal
Oil for deep fry
Salt

Preparation:

1.  Wash and soak rice and urad dal in water for about 3-4 hrs.

2.  Grind rice and urad dal to smooth paste adding sufficient water. It should be ground to thick dosa batter consistency. Add salt and set aside for 4-5 hours.

3. Soak chana dal for about half an hour. Pressure cook dal in 1 cup of water till 2 whistles.

4. Heat a kadhai, add cooked dal, jaggery, elaichi powder and on medium heat keep stirring till the dal turns thick enough to make a ball. 

5. Allow the paste to cool. Grease your hands with oil or ghee and roll the paste to small lemon size balls.

6. Heat oil in a deep pan. Dip each ball into the batter, so that it evenly gets coated. Drop them gently into oil and fry them till golden brown.

7. Remove from oil, drain on a kitchen paper to remove any excess oil and serve.

Ariselu

Ingredients :

Raw rice- 4 Cups
Jaggery- 2 1/2 Cup
Cardamom powder- 1/4 tsp
khus khus /Poppy seeds - 2 tsp
Sesame seeds -2 tsp
Water -1 cup
Ghee/butter - 1 tsp
Oil for deep frying


Procedure :
 
1. Wash and Soak the rice in water overnight.. Drain the rice and spread it on a clean cloth in a shady area. It should not be fully dry but should still have some wetness in the rice. Grind the rice and sieve it to a fine powder.

2. Cut the jaggery into small pieces or grate it. Add 1 cup of water in a thick bottom pan and add the jaggery to it. Cook on medium flame and When the jaggery melts completely filter it in a strainer to get rid of the dirt. Keep stirring the filtered jaggery in low heat. The consistency here is very very important. Check the consistency by pouring a drop of syrup in a cup of water. The syrup should not melt in water and when touched by finger it should roll into a soft ball. It should not be hard.

3. Immediately switch off the stove and add cardamom powder, ghee, sesame seeds and khus khus /poppy seeds. Stir well and add the rice flour to it little by little . Mix well so that no lumps are formed.

4. Heat oil in a pan, divide the dough into lemon size balls and place the balls in a plastic sheet and using little oil shape it to form small patties or  round puris. Deep fry in hot oil on low heat  until golden brown on both sides. Once done remove from the oil place between two ladles and press them immediately. (usually when frying Ariselu they absorbs oil so when you remove from the oil you have to press them and remove the extra oil). Remove the oil completely and drain on a kitchen towel.

5. Let them cool and store in a air tight container they last for a month. Delicious ariselu are ready.

Microwave Milk Peda

Ingredients:

Milk powder 2 cups
Sweetened Condensed milk 14 0z can
unsalted Butter 1stick/ 4 0z

Procedure:

1. Take a big microwave safe bowl and melt the butter for 1-2 minutes.
2. To that add condensed milk and milk powder and combine well and microwave the mixture for 2 minutes.
3. Remove it out and mix well and put it in microwave for 1 more minutes. mix it and repeat for 1 more minute.
4. Mix well and let it cool then role it to a small balls and decorate with kaju, almond or pistachios.

Pear and apple crumble

Ingredients :

2 ripe Bosc pears
2 firm Macoun or fuji apples
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping :

1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup oatmeal
3/4 stick cold unsalted butter, diced

Preparation :

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Peel remove seeds and cut the pears and apples into large chunks. Place the fruit in a large bowl and add the zests, juices, sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and mix well. Pour into a baking dish.

Topping :


Combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and butter in the bowl mix until the mixture is in large crumbles. Sprinkle evenly over the fruit, covering the fruit completely.

Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until the top is brown and the fruit is bubbly.  Serve warm.

nocoupons

Banana Walnut Bread

 I learned this recipe from my friend and first Neighbor after coming to US, She introduced me to Baking. Thank you Neha Gupta 


Ingredients :

Butter 1 stick ( 1/2 cup)
Sugar 3/4 cup  
Egg 2   
All purpose flour (Maida) 1 cup   
whole wheat flour 1/2 cup  
Baking powder 1/2 tsp
Baking soda 1/2 tsp   
cinnamon powder 1 tsp  
Ripe bananas 2 
Sour cream 1/2 cup (optional)    
vanilla extract 1 tsp  
Pecans or walnuts 1 cup
Dry fruits 1/2 cup  ( apricots, cranberry's)   

Preparation :

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan.
2. Cream the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.Then mix in the sour cream.
3. In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Mix in the vanilla and cinnamon. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. Add the banana mixture to the creamed sugar mixture and stir until combined. Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears. (Don't over mix) 5. Dust the nuts and sliced dried apricots with 1 tsp flour and combine to the batter.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing.
8. Spread slices with honey or serve with ice cream.

Rasmalai

Ras Malai is a very popular Indian milk based dessert recipe. At Indian weddings and other special occasions, Ras Malai is commonly served. Though rich in texture and flavor, it can be made easily at home. Try this simple and easy to follow Ras Malai recipe today.

For the Ras or Rabdi :

Whole Milk - 4 cups
Sugar - as per desired sweetness
Dry Fruits - Cashews, Pistachios, Almonds - 2 tsp each - coarsely powdered
Cardamom Powder
Saffron  pinch for color (optional)

Take a pan with a heavy bottom. Add the milk. Bring it to a boil and simmer till it reduces to half its original volume. Stir it every 2 min so that it does not burn in the bottom.  Then add sugar to obtain desired sweetness. Finally add the powdered dry fruits, Cardamom powder, and saffron. Keep it aside.


For the Malai balls :


whole Milk - 3 cups
Lemon juice or Vinegar - 1 tbsp (I mostly use vinegar since it has less flavor than lemon juice)
Ice cubes
Muslin cloth or Handkerchief
Sugar - 1/2 cup
water -  3 cups

1. In a pan with a thick bottom boil the milk. Dilute the vinegar with very little water and add to the milk. The milk will start to curdle. Add little more vinegar if required. When it curdles completely and water separates switch off the flame and immediately add ice cubes. Then strain this through a muslin cloth or a new handkerchief. Wash the paneer well. Squeeze as much water from it as possible. Tie a knot to the cloth and hang it for about 30  mins.

2. After 30 mins squeeze to remove left over water.  Then knead it like a chapati dough.
Make small smooth balls of about 1 inch diameter and slightly flatten to make discs.

3. Boil water with sugar in the ratio of 6:1. When sugar has dissolved and the mixture starts to boil reserve 1/2 cup of syrup in other bowl.  Add the discs to the boiling syrup and cover and cook with lid for 5 mins and carefully transfer the discs into reserved lukewarm sugar syrup.

4. You can make it in 2-3 batches don't add too many since the discs double in volume. Then squeeze the discs slightly and transfer into rabdi or ras. Refrigerate for atleast 3 hours before serving.